NEW ORLEANS — Fans and pundits alike questioned what the Sun Belt Conference would do for an encore to its banner 2022 campaign that featured a conference-record four wins over autonomy five programs.
The conference wasted no time delivering a message in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign, picking up 10 victories over non-conference foes—none bigger than Texas State’s season-opening 42-31 win over in-state foe Baylor out of the Big 12.
When GJ Kinne took the reins of the Texas State program in December 2022, he committed to “Take Back Texas.” With a retooled roster that includes 93 players from the state of Texas, 71 total newcomers and 53 new scholarship players, the Bobcats did just that in Week 1 in Waco, securing their first-ever victory over Baylor and their first-ever victory over an autonomy five program.
Kinne recruit redshirt sophomore quarterback TJ Finley led the Bobcat offense, completing 22-of-30 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns and adding 25 yards and a score on the ground. Fellow newcomers junior wide receiver Joey Hobert (105 receiving yards, 1 touchdown) and sophomore running back Ismail Mahdi (83 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns) paced the Bobcats in receiving and rushing yards, respectively.
Returning Texas native sons redshirt senior linebacker Brian Holloway (game-high 8 tackles), junior wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins (58 receiving yards) and redshirt junior running back Calvin Hill (53 rushing yards) also made significant contributions to the statement win.
The Texas State defensive unit held the Bears scoreless or forced them to settle for a field goal on three of their five trips into the red zone.
ULM overcame a 13-3 fourth-quarter deficit to earn its first victory over Army, 17-13, in the third meeting between the two programs over the past four seasons. Redshirt sophomore running back Hunter Smith rushed for 103 yards—including a 62-yard fourth-quarter touchdown scamper—in the come-from-behind victory.
The Sun Belt went 8-0 against FCS opposition in Week 1, outscoring those opponents 306-136.
Georgia State got the Sun Belt season rolling with a 42-35 victory over Rhode Island on Thursday night. The Panthers couldn’t have asked for a better start out of redshirt senior quarterback Darren Grainger, who completed his first 14 passes in the season-opener—including 39 and 42-yard touchdown strikes.
Senior running back Marcus Carroll also tallied a career-high 184 yards and three touchdowns in the ground game—giving him three of the top five single-game performances in program history over his last five contests. On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt junior safety Cody Jones made a SportsCenter Top 10 interception in the endzone and senior cornerback Gavin Pringle returned a second Panther pick 21 yards for a touchdown.
Entering in relief of starting quarterback redshirt freshman Ryan Burger, junior Joey Aguilar threw a 32-yard touchdown pass on his first play for the Mountaineers en route to an 11-for-13 outing with 174 yards and a program-record four touchdown passes. The App State defensive unit produced three takeaways during an eight-minute stretch from the late third to the early fourth quarter to provide separation in the Mountaineers 45-24 season-opening win over in-state foe Gardner-Webb.
In his Georgia Southern debut, sixth-year quarterback Davis Brin completed 27-of-36 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, as the Eagles shut out The Citadel, 34-0. Senior running back Jalen White gave the Eagles a multi-dimensional attack, rushing for 125 yards and a score.
James Madison rushed for 261 yards—including a team-high 125 from redshirt sophomore running back Kaelon Black—as it outpaced Bucknell, 38-3.
Huntington product Owen Porter was once again the hometown hero for Marshall, posting a career-high 12 tackles—none bigger than a game-clinching sack in Herd territory with 37 seconds to play. Offensively, redshirt sophomore quarterback Cam Fancher completed 28-of-35 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown, while junior running back Rasheen Ali added 137 yards and two scores in the ground game to secure the Thundering Herd’s 600th win in program history.
On DeMarcus Ware Day in Troy—the Trojans retired the recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee’s No. 94 at halftime—reigning Sun Belt champion Troy picked up its 12th-straight win by a 48-30 margin over Stephen F. Austin. Junior running back Kimani Vidal amassed a program-record 248 rushing yards on 25 carries. Senior quarterback Gunnar Watson threw for 198 yards and four touchdowns—two to junior Ethan Conner, who become the first tight end in Troy’s recorded history with multiple touchdown receptions in a game. Senior cornerback Reddy Steward’s 45-yard pick six on the Lumberjacks first play from scrimmage punctuated the Trojans defensive effort and moved him into a tie for first in program history with three career interception returns for touchdowns.
Junior running back Frank Gore Jr.—two touchdowns—and senior safety Jay Stanley—two interceptions—made the key plays as Southern Miss outpaced in-state foe Alcorn State, 40-14. In his first collegiate start, redshirt sophomore quarterback Billy Wiles completed 21-of-28 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Golden Eagles senior wide receiver Jakarius Caston tallied 104 receiving yards and a touchdown reception—the first 100-yard receiving game of his career.
Redshirt senior quarterback Ben Wooldridge threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns and redshirt sophomore running back Dre’lyn Washington rushed for 88 yards—including a 62-yard touchdown scamper—as Louisiana outpaced in-state foe Northwestern State, 38-13.
Two of the Sun Belt’s four losses came against ranked opposition. South Alabama fell to reigning Cotton Bowl champion No. 24/23 Tulane, 37-17, in one of the most-anticipated non-conference matchups between non-autonomy conference foes of the 2023 season. Arkansas State dropped its opener at No. 20/19 Oklahoma, 73-0.
Old Dominion, which defeated Virginia Tech 20-17 in Norfolk in 2022 for the first of the Sun Belt’s conference-record four victories over autonomy five programs a season ago, could not recapture the magic in this year’s season-opener in Blacksburg. Despite a 16th career double-digit tackle effort from Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year junior linebacker Jason Henderson, the Monarchs fell to the in-state rival Hokies, 36-17.
Coastal Carolina became the second Sun Belt program in as many seasons to hang with UCLA for four quarters, but ultimately fell to the Bruins, 27-13, in the opening game of the Tim Beck era. Two missed field goals and the first-ever two-interception outing for three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year and Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year redshirt senior quarterback Grayson McCall overshadowed a three-interception Chanticleer debut for super senior safety Clayton Isbell and a 139-receiving-yard performance for super senior wide receiver Sam Pinckney.
For exclusive Sun Belt football content on game days and throughout the 2023 season,
follow @SunBeltFB on X.
SUN BELT FOOTBALL – WEEK 1 RESULTS
Georgia State def. Rhode Island, 42-35
No. 20/19 Oklahoma def. Arkansas State, 73-0
App State def. Gardner-Webb, 45-24
Georgia Southern def. The Citadel, 34-0
James Madison def. Bucknell, 38-3
Marshall def. Albany, 21-17
ULM def. Army, 17-13
Troy def. Stephen F. Austin, 48-30
Southern Miss def. Alcorn State, 40-14
Texas State def. Baylor, 42-31
No. 24/23 Tulane def. South Alabama, 37-17
Virginia Tech def. Old Dominion, 36-17
Louisiana def. Northwestern State, 38-13
UCLA def. Coastal Carolina, 27-13