NEW ORLEANS – After taking down three of the Top 15 winningest FBS programs of all-time—including two that were ranked among the Top 10—on the road in Week 2, the Sun Belt earned numerous national weekly honors.
For the first time in the 21-year history of the award, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) named three teams its
Cheez-It Bowl National Team(s) of the Week—App State, Georgia Southern and Marshall. App State defeated No. 6/6 Texas A&M, 17-14, in College Station; Georgia Southern topped Nebraska, 45-42, in Lincoln; and Marshall took down No. 8/9 Notre Dame, 26-21, in South Bend.
The honor was the second all-time for the Mountaineers (2007), first-ever for the Eagles and third for the Thundering Herd (2003 & 2020).
Bleacher Report joined the FWAA in declaring
“Team Fun Belt” it’s Team of the Week for Week 2.
Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl also could not decide between a pair of Sun Belt nominees, naming App State head coach Shawn Clark and Marshall head coach Charles Huff its
Dodd Trophy Co-Coaches of the Week.
"With both coaches earning marquee, upset victories over top-10 teams, it feels like the perfect opportunity to nominate both Shawn Clark and Charles Huff for the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Week award," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "Coach Dodd would have admired both coaches' ability to lead their teams to victory as underdogs in such hostile environments on the road."
Georgia Southern sixth-year quarterback Kyle Vantrease and South Alabama senior quarterback Carter Bradley were 2-of-8
Manning Award Stars of the Week, selected by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Vantrease was also named the
Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week.
Vantrease, a transfer from Buffalo, completed 37-of-56 passes for 409 yards and a touchdown, before diving into the end zone for the game-winner with 36 seconds to play. Vantrease’s 56 attempts tied the program record, while his 37 completions and 409 passing yards were the second-most in program history. With the performance, he became the first Georgia Southern quarterback to post back-to-back 300-yard passing games.
Bradley, a transfer from Toledo, completed 26-of-42 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns. His 354 passing yards were the fourth-most in program history.
Marshall sixth-year running back Khalan Laborn, who rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, was selected as the
Doak Walker Award National Running Back of the Week.
Laborn, a transfer from Florida State, ranks sixth in the nation, averaging 132.5 rushing yards per game this season.
The
Pro Football Focus (PFF) Team of the Week included five Sun Belt standouts on the defensive side of the ball—redshirt junior defensive lineman Levi Bell of Texas State, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman James Carpenter of James Madison, senior defensive back Steven Gilmore of Marshall, redshirt senior defensive back Kordell Rodgers of Texas State and redshirt junior safety Antavious Lane of Georgia State.
Gilmore—the brother of NFL All-pro corner Stephon Gilmore—was also tabbed the organization’s
Defensive Player of the Week. Gilmore jumped a route and ran an interception back 37 yards for a touchdown with 4:35 remaining to seal the Thundering Herd’s victory over No. 8/9 Notre Dame.