WEEK 11 CONFERENCE NOTES
NEW ORLEANS – Three in-state rivalry matchups—Louisiana at ULM, Georgia Southern at Georgia State and Troy at South Alabama—dot the Sun Belt Football Week 11 slate.
The winner of both the Georgia Grown Bowl and the “For the 75” game between regional rivals App State and Marshall will clinch bowl eligibility, while Louisiana Tech can secure the Sun Belt West Division crown and a berth into the Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship presented by Visit Pensacola with a win over Southern Miss.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- BOOT BATTLE – On the heels of clinching bowl eligibility for the Sun Belt-leading ninth-straight season a week ago, Louisiana will hit the road for an in-state rivalry matchup at ULM at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, on ESPN2. The Ragin’ Cajuns have dominated the recent history, winning 15 of the last 18 in the series with the Warhawks, including three-straight. Success in the red area may be the difference in this year’s meeting, with Louisiana boasting the No. 2 red zone offense in the nation, scoring on 30-of-31 trips to the red zone this season (.968). The most recent matchup came in last year’s season finale, with the Ragin’ Cajuns winning 30-27 in overtime to secure bowl eligibility.
- BATTLE FOR THE BELT – Troy will travel to South Alabama for the Battle for the Belt rivalry game at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, on ESPN+. The Trojans have won 10-of-14 all-time matchups, including seven of the past eight. The Jaguars did break through for a 25-9 win in the last meeting in Mobile in 2024. South Alabama carries the Sun Belt’s top rushing offense (207.1 yards per game) into the matchup, buoyed by the lone Sun Belt tandem averaging more than 4.5 yards per carry—junior running back Keenan Phillips (5.13 yards per carry) and senior running back PJ Martin (4.71 yards per carry). The duo ranks third and fourth in the Sun Belt in rushing yards on the season, with Phillips having rushed for 595 yards and Martin just behind at 589 yards. Troy will rely on an elite red zone defense, that is conceding scores on just 72.7 percent of trips—good for 10th in the country, in the rivalry matchup.
- GRUDGE MATCH — With the all-time series tied at 6-6 and both teams vying for bowl eligibility, Saturday’s Georgia Grown Bowl will be a grudge match. The in-state rivalry clash will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+, with Georgia Southern traveling to Atlanta to take on Georgia State. Each team can clinch bowl eligibility with a victory, while an Eagles win would also keep Georgia Southern atop the Sun Belt East Division. Georgia Southern has won three-straight over its in-state rival and enters this year’s game boasting the Sun Belt’s top passing offense, averaging 282.8 passing yards per game. Seventh-year quarterback Max Johnson leads the Sun Belt with 2,195 passing yards on the year. The Sun Belt leader in sacks, Georgia State will look to disrupt the Eagles passing game. The Panthers average 3.22 sacks per game to rank eighth in the nation.
- REGIONAL RIVALRIES – Louisiana Tech can clinch the Sun Belt West Division—and a berth into the Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship presented by Visit Pensacola—with a victory over Southern Miss at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, on ESPN+. The Bulldogs are led by fourth-year quarterback Blake Baker, who paces the Sun Belt and ranks Top 10 in the county with a .726 completion percentage and 174.1 passing efficiency, and third-year linebacker Alonzo Jackson Jr., who leads the Sun Belt and ranks Top 5 nationally with 1.00 sacks and 1.72 tackles for loss per game. Southern Miss leads the all-time series, 36-18. Marshall will host App State for its annual “For the 75” game at 5 p.m. on ESPN+. The regional rivalry matchup falls on the 56th anniversary of the Marshall plane crash on Nov. 14. 1970. Saturday’s victor will clinch bowl eligibility. App State leads the all-time series 17-11, with the home team winning each of the last six matchups.
- OUT OF DIVISION – James Madison closes out its non-conference slate with an 11 a.m. date with UConn on Saturday, Nov. 14, on CBS Sports Network. The Dukes lead the all-time series 5-1, but have not played in Storrs, Conn., since 1996. James Madison will look to add to its national-best 21 road wins since joining the FBS ranks in 2022. Arkansas State will travel to Coastal Carolina for the weekend’s lone cross-division clash in Sun Belt play. The Chanticleers have won three-straight against the Red Wolves to even the all-time series at 3-3, though the programs last met in 2023.
WHERE TO WATCH
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