WEEK 8 CONFERENCE NOTES
NEW ORLEANS – Arkansas State at South Alabama kicks off Sun Belt Week 8 action on Tuesday night on ESPN2, before a pair of rivalry games dot a six-game Saturday slate.
James Madison will play host to in-state foe Old Dominion at Bridgeforth Stadium for the Royal Rivalry at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU, before Georgia Southern welcomes in-state rival Georgia State to Allen E. Paulson Stadium for the Georgia Grown Bowl at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- THE SUN UNDER THE LIGHTS – After snapping a five-game losing streak in the head-to-head series a year ago, Arkansas State will attempt to win back-to-back games against South Alabama for the first time since 2015 and 2016 when it visits Hancock Whitney Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, for a nationally-televised game on ESPN2. That 2015 victory was also the Red Wolves last road win in Mobile. On the other sideline, the Jaguars will attempt to rebound from a five-game skid—their longest losing streak since 2019. Time of possession will be a critical factor in a matchup of 2-of-4 Sun Belt teams that possess the ball for 30-or-more minutes per game.
- WESTERN FRONT – The top four teams in the Sun Belt West Division standings will meet in head-to-head clashes on Saturday, Oct. 18, as Troy travels to ULM at 2 p.m. on ESPN+ and Southern Miss visits Louisiana at 4 p.m. on ESPN+. Troy and Southern Miss, who are slated to meet in the regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 29, sit atop the Sun Belt West Division as 2-of-3 teams with unblemished Sun Belt Conference records, alongside Sun Belt East Division-leading James Madison. Troy owns a 12-9-1 advantage in the all-time series with ULM. Louisiana snapped an 11-game losing streak to Southern Miss a year ago, though the Golden Eagles still claim a dominant 42-12-1 lead in the all-time series.
- BEASTS IN THE EAST – App State will put a 14-game home winning streak on Saturdays on the line when it hosts Coastal Carolina at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, on ESPN+. The Mountaineers and Chanticleers will clash on a Saturday for the first time since 2020, when Coastal Carolina snapped a six-game losing streak in the head-to-head series and commenced a 4-1 run over the last five meetings. App State maintains a 7-4 lead in the all-time series. The top two scoring offenses in the Sun Belt—Texas State (36.0 points per game) and Marshall (34.3 points per game)—will also square off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, on ESPN+. App State (4 times), Coastal Carolina (2 times) and Marshall (1 time) are the three teams to have represented the Sun Belt East Division in the Sun Belt Football Championship Game since its inception in 2018.
- ROYAL RIVALRY – Off to its fourth-straight 5-1 start since joining the Sun Belt in 2022, James Madison has the opportunity to be the first Sun Belt team to clinch bowl eligibility on Saturday, Oct. 18. The Dukes will play host to in-state rival Old Dominion in the Royal Rivalry at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU. James Madison is undefeated against its in-state rival in Sun Belt Conference play, improving to 3-2 in the all-time series with three-straight victories in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Each of the past two rivalry games have been decided by a field goal.
- GEORGIA GROWN BOWL – Two of the top wide receivers in the Sun Belt—and the country—will be on display in the second-annual Georgia Grown Bowl as Georgia Southern hosts Georgia State in the in-state rivalry at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, on ESPN+. Senior wide receiver Camden Brown of Georgia Southern currently paces the Sun Belt in receiving yards (550), receiving yards per game (91.7) and receiving touchdowns (6), with each total ranking among the Top 10 in the nation. Senior wide receiver Ted Hurst trails only Brown in the Sun Belt ledger for receiving yards (511) and receiving yards per game (85.2) and also ranks second in the conference with 6.17 receptions per game, with each total sitting among the Top 20 in the country. The Eagles, who have won back-to-back games against the Panthers, can even the all-time series (5-6) with a victory on Saturday.
WHERE TO WATCH
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