NEW ORLEANS — Just one week after earning the first victory of the Dell McGee era, Georgia State produced another highlight, securing the program’s second-ever victory over an autonomy five foe with a 36-32 win over Vanderbilt.
The victory is the Sun Belt’s 20th over an autonomy five opponent since 2016—with nine of those wins coming since 2022, when the league expanded to its current 14-member configuration.
The Panthers led 29-17 late in the fourth quarter, but Vanderbilt needed just 1:15 of game clock to score a touchdown, force a Georgia State three-and-out and score again to erase the 12-point deficit and open a 32-29 lead with 1:14 to play. Junior quarterback Christian Veilleux led the Panthers on a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive, using just 59 seconds to seal Georgia State’s 36-32 win.
Veilleux completed 4-of-5 passes to advance to the Vanderbilt 25-yard line and then—after an incomplete pass stopped the clock with 20 seconds remaining—found junior wide receiver Ted Hurst in stride near the left pylon for the game-winning 25-yard strike. Veilleux completed 26-of-41 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, while Hurst caught seven balls for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Senior linebacker Kevin Swint was a menace for the Panther defense, accumulating eight tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble—all team highs.
Coastal Carolina built an 18-point first half edge and held on for a 28-20 victory over Temple. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Ethan Vasko connected on 15-of-21 passes for 103 yards and a score and added a team-high 92 rushing yards in the ground game. Fellow redshirt sophomore running back Christian Washington punched the ball in for two scores on a 59-yard rushing day. The Black Swarm defensive unit provided the final Chanticleer touchdown via a 29-yard interception return by redshirt junior defensive back Xamarion Gordon on a tipped ball by redshirt senior defensive lineman Deamonte Diggs.
After falling behind 16-0 in the first quarter, App State scored 21-straight points in an eventual 21-19 victory over in-state rival East Carolina. A career-best 424-yard passing day from senior quarterback Joey Aguilar sparked the Mountaineer comeback. Wide receivers redshirt senior Kaedin Robinson (129 yards) and fifth-year senior Christan Horn (108 yards) each carded 100-yard outings, while junior wideout Makai Jackson (86 yards, 1 touchdown) and fifth-year tight end Eli Wilson (53 yards, 1 touchdown) hauled in touchdown passes from Aguilar. An interception and return from senior defensive back Seth Robertson halted the Pirates potential go-ahead drive with 4:13 to play, highlighting a Mountaineer defensive effort that also included four sacks and a fumble recovery.
The Sun Belt added a pair of wins over FCS opponents in Week 3, running its record to 12-0 against the subdivision and outscoring those opponents 462-177 on the year.
South Alabama secured the first victory of the Major Applewhite era in dominant fashion on Thursday evening, setting program and Sun Belt Conference single-game scoring records in an 87-10 win over Northwestern State. The points were the most scored by an FBS program since 1991. The Jaguars offense produced 10 touchdowns on the night, while the defense added four takeaways—including a 30-yard pick six from redshirt sophomore linebacker Chrystyile Caldwell. Freshman running back Fluff Bothwell (143 yards, 2 touchdowns) and junior running back Kentrel Bullock (103 yards, 2 touchdowns) each rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, while redshirt freshman quarterback Gio Lopez completed 15-of-19 passes for 257 yards and four scores. Senior wide receiver and return man Jamaal Pritchett opened the scoring for the Jaguars with a 62-yard punt return touchdown on special teams.
An efficient outing from redshirt sophomore quarterback JC French—who completed 17-of-23 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns—helped propel Georgia Southern to a 42-14 victory over South Carolina State. The running back tandem of fifth-year Jalen White and junior OJ Arnold each scored twice, with White rushing for two touchdowns and Arnold rushing for one and receiving another. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Tracy Hill Jr. also contributed to the scoring via a 60-yard pick six.
After leading by as many as 14 points in the first half, Texas State battled to the finish but could not hold on in an eventual 31-28 loss to Arizona State on Thursday night. Redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud completed 29-of-44 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns—including two to senior wide receiver Jaden Williams (75 yards, 2 touchdowns). Redshirt senior defensive back Chris Mills headlined a stout defensive performance for Texas State with a team-high eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks to go along with an interception.
Redshirt junior quarterback Timmy McClain connected with redshirt junior wide receiver Reginald Harden Jr. on a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, as Arkansas State battled back in a 28-18 loss to defending national champion No. 17/16 Michigan. The Red Wolves defense forced three interceptions—the most in a single game by an Arkansas State team since 2017—including the first career picks for sophomore defensive back Dontay Joyner and redshirt senior linebacker Charles Willekes.
A 77-yard punt return touchdown from junior wide receiver Devonte Ross gave Troy a 14-10 advantage at the break, but Iowa rallied in the second half for a 38-21 victory on its home turf. Ross’ punt return touchdown was bookended by explosive receiving touchdowns of 63 and 62 yards—from two different Trojan quarterbacks—as he finished the day with three scores, a team-high 142 receiving yards and a team-high 219 all-purpose yards. Junior linebacker Jordan Stringer led the Troy defense with 12 tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack. The unit’s six tackles for loss against Iowa were a season-high.
True freshman quarterback Quinn Henicle broke off a 65-yard touchdown run to highlight the Old Dominion scoring in a 37-17 loss to in-state foe Virginia Tech. Junior running back Bryce Duke led the Monarchs with 85 rushing yards on four carries against his former team. Junior defensive back Jahron Manning posted a team-high 11 tackles and a tackle for loss, while sophomore linebacker Mario Thompson added nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Southern Miss jumped out to a 14-0 lead on South Florida, but was outscored 49-10 from the midway point in the first quarter on in a 49-24 loss. Three different Golden Eagles quarterbacks saw game action, with junior wide receiver Ti Mims serving as their top target with six catches for 128 yards. Redshirt senior linebacker Tre Pinkney registered a team-high 13 tackles in defeat.
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SUN BELT FOOTBALL – WEEK 3 RESULTS
South Alabama def. Northwestern State, 87-10
Arizona State def. Texas State, 31-28
No. 17/16 Michigan def. Arkansas State, 28-18
Coastal Carolina def. Temple, 28-20
Iowa def. Troy, 38-21
App State def. East Carolina, 21-19
Georgia Southern def. South Carolina State, 42-14
Virginia Tech def. Old Dominion, 37-17
Georgia State def. Vanderbilt, 36-32
South Florida def. Southern Miss, 49-24