NEW ORLEANS — Six Sun Belt programs—Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM and Texas State—remained unbeaten, as the conference earned nine non-conference victories in Week 2 of the 2024 season.
Texas State sent a sold-out crowd of 28,000 home happy from UFCU Stadium, securing its first-ever victory over in-state rival UTSA, 49-10, in the I-35 Showdown to move to 2-0 on the 2024 season. Reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud led the Bobcats to victory, accounting for four touchdowns—two through the air and two on the ground. McCloud completed 18-of-27 passes for 309 yards and added another 30 rushing yards. Each of McCloud’s touchdown connections were with sophomore wide receiver Chris Dawn Jr., who hauled in five passes for a career-high 150 yards and two scores. Redshirt junior running back Lincoln Pare rushed for a game-high 109 yards and matched McCloud with a pair of rushing touchdowns.
The running back tandem of redshirt sophomore Zylan Perry (104 yards, 1 touchdown) and redshirt freshman Elijah Davis (84 yards, 2 touchdowns) combined for 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries to lift Louisiana to a 34-10 win over Kennesaw State. After conceding a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, the Ragin’ Cajuns scored 34-straight points in the victory. Senior linebacker K.C. Ossai led the defense with 12 tackles, as Louisiana held the Owls to just 204 yards of total offense—with 74 coming on the 16-play opening drive. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 2-0 for the third time over the past five seasons.
Sophomore quarterback Jaylen Raynor accounted for 3-of-4 touchdowns in Arkansas State’s 28-24 victory over Tulsa to propel the Red Wolves to their first 2-0 start since 2008. Raynor completed 21-of-32 passes for 255 yards and two scores and rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt senior running back Zak Wallace added a 78-yard rushing day, while redshirt senior wide receiver Courtney Jackson had the final touchdown on a 77-yard punt return on special teams.
ULM’s defense registered nine tackles for loss and five sacks in a 32-6 victory over UAB to get off to a 2-0 start for the second-straight season. Junior linebacker Billy Pullen led the way with 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a safety, while senior linebacker Carl Glass Jr. added a team-high 12 tackles. Senior defensive back Car’lin Vigers provided a highlight via a 30-yard pick six, though redshirt junior kicker Max Larson led the scoring with nine points after going a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts.
A pair of touchdown passes from redshirt sophomore quarterback JC French and a pair of field goals from fifth-year kicker Gavin Stewart lifted Georgia Southern to a 20-17 win over Nevada. French completed 23-of-37 passes for 243 yards and two scores—with junior wide receiver Dalen Cobb (81 yards, 1 touchdown) proving to be his favorite target. Redshirt senior linebacker Marques Watson-Trent led the way defensively with 14 tackles.
The Sun Belt added four victories over FCS opposition on Saturday, running its record to 10-0 against the subdivision and outscoring those opponents 333-153 on the year.
James Madison earned its third-straight 2-0 start at the FBS level via a 13-6 win over Gardner-Webb. The Dukes trailed 3-0 at the half, but used a 1-yard touchdown run from redshirt senior running back Tyler Purdy and two field goals from redshirt junior kicker Noe Ruelas to secure the come-from-behind victory. Redshirt sophomore running back George Pettaway paced James Madison with 84 rushing yards and 32 receiving yards, while redshirt senior linebacker Jacob Dobbs led the defense with 10 tackles.
Redshirt junior defensive back Jyron Gilmore’s interception with 58 seconds remaining sealed Georgia State’s 24-21 win over Chattanooga—the first victory of the Dell McGee era. Junior quarterback Christian Veilleux completed 26-of-38 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, with six connections for 83 yards and a score with junior wide receiver Ted Hurts.
Defense was the story in Southern Miss’ 35-10 win over Southeastern Louisiana. The unit tallied nine tackles for loss and three sacks and graduate student defensive back Dylan Lawrence contributed to the scoring via a 63-yard pick six. Offensively, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Larry Simmons’ 100-yard receiving day headlined the performance.
Playing in front of the fourth-largest crowd in program history with 19,294 fans on hand at Brooks Stadium, Coastal Carolina jumped out to a 21-0 lead it would never relinquish in a 40-21 victory over William & Mary. Redshirt sophomore running back Christian Washington rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns and junior defensive back Matthew McDoom added a 24-yard scoop-and-score touchdown on defense. The Chanticleers are off to a 2-0 start for the fourth time over the past five seasons.
Junior quarterback Goose Crowder led Troy on a game-tying 13-play, 75-yard drive in the second quarter, but suffered a game-ending injury on his 11-yard touchdown run. After knocking the Trojans starting quarterback out of the game, Memphis scored 24-straight to break away in an eventual 38-17 win. Junior quarterback Matthew Caldwell capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive of his own with a 1-yard scamper in the fourth quarter, making it the first game where two different Trojans quarterbacks rushed for a touchdown since Nov. 5, 2016.
Marshall, which defeated Virginia Tech 24-17 in Huntington in 2023, could not take the show on the road to Blacksburg in 2024, falling to the Hokies, 31-14. Marshall’s touchdowns were set up by a pair of highlight reel plays—a blocked punt by sophomore defensive back Ahmere Foster and a 69-yard rush from redshirt sophomore running back A.J. Turner. Turner carded a second-straight 100-yard rushing game (103 yards) in the losing effort. Four different Thundering Herd defenders tallied 10-or-more tackles, led by 12 from redshirt junior linebacker Landyn Watson.
In his first start in a South Alabama uniform—and just his second appearance after attempting one rush in Week 1—redshirt sophomore quarterback Bishop Davenport completed 23-of-37 passes for 226 yards and touchdown, but it was not enough to outpace Ohio in a 27-20 loss. Freshman running back Fluff Bothwell rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown, while redshirt senior wide receiver Devin Voisin (77 yards) and senior wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett (67 yards, 1 touchdown) each tallied 65-or-more receiving yards in the losing effort.
Despite forcing four interceptions on defense, Old Dominion could not overcome East Carolina in a 20-14 loss. Junior defensive back Jahron Manning had a pair of picks to go along with 10 tackles—third most on the team behind redshirt sophomore linebacker Koa Naotala (18) and sophomore linebacker Mario Thompson (12).
Redshirt junior running back Anderson Castle rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, as App State fell to No. 25/22 Clemson, 66-20. Junior wide receiver Makai Jackson contributed the second touchdown as part of a 52-yard receiving day and redshirt sophomore linebacker Derrell Farrar paced the Mountaineer defensive unit with nine tackles and a tackle for loss.
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SUN BELT FOOTBALL – WEEK 2 RESULTS
Memphis def. Troy, 38-17
Texas State def. UTSA, 49-10
Virginia Tech def. Marshall, 31-14
James Madison def. Gardner-Webb, 13-6
Ohio def. South Alabama, 27-20
East Carolina def. Old Dominion, 20-14
Louisiana def. Kennesaw State, 34-10
Arkansas State def. Tulsa, 28-24
Georgia State def. Chattanooga, 24-21
ULM def. UAB, 32-6
Southern Miss def. Southeastern Louisiana, 35-10
Georgia Southern def. Nevada, 20-17
Coastal Carolina def. William & Mary, 40-21
No. 25/22 Clemson def. App State, 66-20