WEEK 12 CONFERENCE NOTES
NEW ORLEANS – No. 24/25 James Madison and Southern Miss will look to stay unbeaten in Sun Belt Conference play in home dates with teams aiming to snap extended losing streaks, while Coastal Carolina and Troy seek road wins to remain in control of their own destinies in pursuit of a championship game berth.
The first-ever matchup between Troy and Old Dominion on ESPN will have standalone billing as the lone FBS contest slated for Thursday night.
Three teams—Marshall, App State and Georgia Southern—can get within a game of bowl eligibility with victories on Saturday.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- MOMENT IN THE SUN – The first-ever matchup between Troy and Old Dominion will have standalone billing on Thursday, Nov. 13, on ESPN. The only FBS football game on Thursday night features 2-of-5 Sun Belt programs that have already clinched bowl eligibility this season. The Trojans are bowl eligible for the third time in the past four seasons, while the Monarchs are bowl eligible for the third time over the past five years. Troy’s defense—which leads the Sun Belt with four defensive touchdowns and ranks second in total defense (356.7 yards per game), first downs defense (163) and sacks (2.67)—will attempt to slow down the Sun Belt’s most efficienct quarterback (162.7) in Old Dominion redshirt sophomore quarterback Colton Joseph. Joseph also leads the league with 19 touchdown passes, 168 points responsible for, 316.8 yards of total offense per game and 15.71 yards per completion. A Troy win would keep the Trojans in control of their own destiny in pursuit of a Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship Game presented by Visit Pensacola berth, while an Old Dominion victory would secure the Monarchs second winning season at the FBS level.
- BEASTS IN THE EAST – Sun Belt East Division leaders No. 24/25 James Madison and Coastal Carolina must contend with teams in the hunt for bowl eligibility on Saturday, Nov. 15. The Dukes will play host to App State at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+, ahead of the Chanticleers road matchup at Georgia Southern at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN+. The Mountaineers claim a 14-5 advantage in the all-time series with James Madison, including a 2-1 edge as Sun Belt Conference foes. The 2022 and 2023 editions were one-score games, with James Madison rallying from a 28-3 deficit for a 32-28 win in Boone in 2022 and App State winning a 26-23 overtime thriller in Harrisonburg in 2023. At 2-1, App State is the lone conference opponent to maintain a winning record against James Madison since the Dukes joined the Sun Belt. The Eagles own a 7-4 lead in the all-time series with Coastal Carolina, including a 3-1 record inside the friendly confines of Allen E. Paulson Stadium. James Madison and Coastal Carolina would continue to control their own destinies en route to the Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship Game presented by Visit Pensacola with victories Saturday, while App State and Georgia Southern can get within a win of bowl eligibility with victories. James Madison can clinch the Sun Belt East Division—and its first-ever championship game berth—with a win and a Coastal Carolina loss on Saturday.
- GOOD ON GOOD – After dropping back-to-back contests to East Division leaders Coastal Carolina and No. 24/25 James Madison, Marshall will aim to get within a game of bowl eligibility when it visits Georgia State at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, on ESPN+. The home team is unbeaten in three prior meetings between the Thundering Herd and the Panthers, with Marshall claiming a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. National interception leader Marshall senior defensive back Boogie Trotter—with five on the season—will lead the Thundering Herd secondary as it attempts to lock down Georgia State playmaker senior wide receiver Ted Hurst, who ranks sixth in the nation with 94.9 receiving yards per game.
- AT HOME IN MALONE – After taking the lead in the head-to-head series for the first time following a 46-17 victory in Mobile a year ago, South Alabama will look to extend its 6-5 all-time margin when it visits ULM at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, on ESPN+. The Jaguars have won three-straight over the Warhawks—the longest-ever winning streak in the series—including their first-ever win inside Malone Stadium in 2023. ULM will attempt to snap that three-game head-to-head skid and a current five-game losing streak in its final home game of the 2025 season.
- A TALE OF TWO SEASONS – Two teams on the opposite ends of the Sun Belt West Division standings—Texas State and Southern Miss—will square off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, on ESPN+. The Bobcats are 0-5 in Sun Belt Conference play, though four of those losses have been one-possession games. The Golden Eagles are off to a 5-0 start in conference play for the first time since 2003. Southern Miss is the West Division frontrunner for the Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship Game presented by Visit Pensacola, while Texas State needs three-straight wins to get bowl eligible for the third-straight season. Quarterback play will be paramount in the showdown, as the Sun Belt leader in completion percentage (.692) and passing yards per game (264.0) in Texas State redshirt freshman Brad Jackson takes on the conference leader in touchdown passes (19) in Southern Miss redshirt senior quarterback Braylon Braxton.
WHERE TO WATCH
All Times CT