2019 Sun Belt Football News and Notes:
Week 10 Release (PDF) | Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Championship Game | Media Guide

AROUND #SUNBELTFB
• This week's schedule for Sun Belt Conference football features four critical matchups, beginning with a clash between longtime foes on Halloween night. Highlighted by a pair of games on ESPNU, all four Week 10 contests are set for live coverage on the ESPN family of networks.

• Appalachian State continues to make school and Sun Belt history this season, receiving rankings of 20th in both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches powered by USA Today Sports Top 25 polls for Oct. 27, which are the highest NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision rankings in school and conference history. The rankings eclipse last week's rankings of 21st in the AP Poll and 22nd in the Coaches Poll. Prior to being ranked, the Mountaineers appeared among the teams receiving votes in both polls every week this season and for 12 straight weeks dating back to last season.

• Also among its list of firsts, Appalachian State is the first Sun Belt school to:

- Be nationally ranked on multiple occasions.
- Receive a Top 25 ranking in three consecutive weeks.
- Earn multiple wins as a Top 25 team.

• Appalachian State's 13-game winning streak is the third-longest active streak in the FBS behind Clemson (23) and Ohio State (14). The 13-game winning streak is also a Sun Belt record, topping nine-game streaks by Arkansas State in 2011 and 2012-13.

• Appalachian State is one of nine FBS teams still unbeaten and one of just two schools, with SMU (8-0) being the other, among the Group of Five conferences without a loss.

• According to SportSource Analytics, Appalachian State has the best national average in key core statistics among all Group of Five conference schools.

• The Sun Belt boasts two bowl-eligible teams in Appalachian State (7-0, 4-0 Sun) and Georgia State (6-2, 3-1) with Louisiana (5-2, 2-1) just one win away. The Mountaineers are bowl eligible for the fifth-straight season, while the Panthers are bowl eligible for the third time in five seasons. The Ragin' Cajuns are off to their best start in conference play since 2017.

• The Sun Belt is building on its non-conference success from a year ago with 21 wins and the third-best winning percentage among the Group of Five conferences so far this season.
 
1. American - 33-13 (.717)
2. Mountain West - 28-17 (.622)
3. Sun Belt - 21-18 (.538)
4. Conference USA - 22-29 (.431)
5. Mid-American - 18 -31 (.367)

• Among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision statistical leaders entering the week:

- The Sun Belt is home to four of the top 15 rushing offenses – Louisiana (3rd, 286.9), Georgia Southern (7th, 259.9), Georgia State (9th, 257.3) and Appalachian State (14th, 244.1).

- Arkansas State redshirt senior wide receiver Omar Bayless leads the nation in receiving yards per game (133.8), receiving yards (1,070) and receiving touchdowns (12). 

- The Sun Belt boasts four of the top 35 running backs in the nation in rushing yards per carry – Louisiana redshirt junior Trey Ragas (1st, 8.42), ULM redshirt junior Josh Johnson (14th, 6.63), Georgia State senior Tra Barnett (21st, 6.36) and South Alabama senior Tra Minter (19th, 6.40). 

• So far this season, the Sun Belt has received numerous in-season honors, including these following Week 9 on Oct. 28: Georgia State senior quarterback Dan Ellington named to the Davey O'Brien Award Great 8 list, Georgia Southern junior running back/return specialist Wesley Kennedy III named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll and Arkansas State sophomore cornerback Nathan Page named to the Eckrich National Team of the Week powered by Pro Football Focus.

• The 2019 Sun Belt Football Championship Game pits the East and West Division champions with the best conference winning percentages on Saturday, Dec. 7. The second edition of the league’s football title game is slated for live coverage on ESPN or ESPN2 at 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tra Barnett, Georgia State (Sr., RB, Elberton, Ga.)
Georgia State senior running back Tra Barnett rushed for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers' 52-33 win over Troy. His performance set the school's single-game record and broke the school's single-season and career records. Barnett's outburst helped Georgia State rush for a school-record 390 yards. He topped the 100-yard mark for a school-record fourth-straight game.Barnett's 242 yards shattered the GSU single-game mark of 201 yards, breaking the record with a 41-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-1 with one minute to play to seal the victory.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nathan Page, Arkansas State (So., CB, Roland, Ark.)
Arkansas State sophomore cornerback Nathan Page posted a career-high two interceptions, a pass breakup and two tackles to help the Red Wolves claim a 38-14 win over Texas State. Page posted the first two interceptions of his career and his two picks tied for the most by a Sun Belt player this season.
Each of his interceptions came in the second half, helping the Red Wolves outscore the Bobcats, 21-0. Page was part of A-State’s defense that allowed just 227 yards total offense and eight first downs on the night. Page now ranks tied for the third most passes defended (8) in the Sun Belt this season.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern (Jr., RB, Savannah, Ga.)
Georgia Southern junior running back Wesley Kennedy III tallied 222 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, including a 71-yard rushing touchdown and a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown, in the win over New Mexico State. The punt return score was his first collegiate one and the first by an Eagle since 2011. Kennedy also tallied a career-high 143 yards rushing and two touchdowns and had a nine-yard catch. He carried the ball just six times for a 23.8 average and the Eagle offense posted 403 yards on the ground.
 
2019 Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player
September 2: Dan Ellington, Georgia State
September 9: Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State
September 16: Kaleb Barker, Troy
September 23: Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana
September 30: Omar Bayless, Arkansas State
October 7: Dan Ellington, Georgia State
October 14: Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
October 21: Raymond Calais, Louisiana
October 28: Tra Barnett, Georgia State
 
Defensive Player
September 2: Carlton Martial, Troy
September 9: Chandler Kryst, Coastal Carolina
September 16: Rashad Byrd, Georgia Southern
September 23: Demetrius Taylor, Appalachian State
September 30: Jacques Boudreaux, Louisiana
October 7: Raymond Johnson III, Georgia Southern
October 14: Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State
October 21: Trajan Stephens-McQueen, Georgia State
October 28: Nathan Page, Arkansas State
 
Special Teams Player
September 2: Massimo Biscardi, Coastal Carolina
September 9: Tyler Bass, Georgia Southern
September 16: Monquavion Brinson, Georgia Southern
September 23: Joshua Rowland, Texas State
September 30: Cody Grace, Arkansas State
October 7: Cody Grace, Arkansas State
October 14: Rhys Byrns, Louisiana
October 21: Tyler Sumpter, Troy
October 28: Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Thursday, October 31    
*Georgia Southern at No. 20 Appalachian State (ESPNU), 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 2    
*Troy at Coastal Carolina (ESPN3), 2 p.m.
*Arkansas State at ULM (ESPNU), 2:30 p.m.
*Texas State at Louisiana (ESPN+), 4 p.m.

*Sun Belt Conference contest
All Times Central and Subject to Change