NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana clinched bowl eligibility—while remaining unbeaten in front of its home crowd this season; Louisiana Tech stayed unbeaten in Sun Belt play to sit atop the West Division; and Georgia Southern maintained its perch atop the East Division in Sun Belt football Week 10 action. Georgia State also earned its first-ever win over App State and is 1-of-4 East Division teams that now sit within a win of bowl eligibility.
 
After falling in overtime in back-to-back weeks, James Madison left no doubt in a 54-23 win over Southern Miss on Thursday night, scoring 38 second-half points in the runaway victory. Third-year quarterback JC Evans accounted for four touchdowns, throwing for 251 yards and a score and rushing for 47 yards and three scores. Fourth-year wideout Corey Scott hauled in six receptions for a season-high 138 yards. Defensively, third-year linebacker JT Hooten led the way for the Dukes with a team-high eight tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks. 
 
In his first career start, Golden Eagles redshirt sophomore quarterback John White threw for 266 yards and a touchdown, with redshirt junior wide receiver Kaden Saunders (122 receiving yards) and redshirt senior wide receiver Mario Sanders (98 receiving yards, 1 touchdown) serving as his top targets in defeat. 
 
Behind a program-record six takeaways, Old Dominion earned a 21-8 victory over Coastal Carolina. A 42-yard scoop and score for redshirt junior linebacker Mario Thompson headlined the scoring for the Monarchs, while first-year defensive lineman Malachi Harris’ fumble recovery also led to an Old Dominion score. Four Monarchs registered interceptions after halftime—senior linebacker Ja’Mez Drummer, third-year defensive back Brandon Crutchfield, redshirt freshman defensive back Tavares Murray Jr and redshirt junior defensive back Zion Frink—to reach the six-turnover mark. Drummer also added a pair of sacks. 
 
Chanticleers redshirt junior linebacker Marcellius Pulliam tallied 22 tackles in the losing effort. 
 
Georgia State used complementary football to defeat App State for the first time in program history, 39-23. Offensively, fifth-year quarterback Ayden Pereira threw for 115 yards and three touchdowns, including a connection with senior wideout Rodshaun Dorsey. Dorsey’s touchdown reception was his ninth on the year, tying the Panthers single-season program record. Senior running back Lanear McCrary Jr. also rushed for 123 yards on 21 carries. A single-game program record two interceptions—including a 23-yard pick-six—from junior linebacker Coby Owens headlined a defensive outing that also featured six sacks and a fumble recovery. Panthers sophomore kicker Samer Layous scored 15 points, highlighted by a career-long 52-yard field goal, giving Georgia State success in all three phases. 
 
Mountaineers senior wide receiver Chris Lofton threw a 56-yard touchdown pass and caught a four-yard touchdown as part of a 117-yard receiving day in defeat. 
 
For the first time since 2001, ULM came out of Jonesboro with a victory, 19-17 over Arkansas State. Fourth-year quarterback Aidan Armenta rushed for both Warhawk touchdowns, before a 40-yard field goal from third-year kicker Abram Murray with 1:49 to play gave ULM a two-point edge. A clutch interception by first-year defensive back Gavin Howard on the ensuing possession sealed the victory for the Warhawks. Second-year quarterback Austin Carlisle rushed for a team-high 111 yards, while splitting snaps with Armenta. 
 
Red Wolves third-year quarterback Trey Owens threw for 193 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a team-high 67 yards in the loss. 
 
Georgia Southern remained in the pole position in the Sun Belt East Division with a dominant 49-13 victory over Marshall. The Eagles scored 35-straight points to balloon their lead from 14-7 to 49-7. Seventh-year quarterback Max Johnson completed 19-of-26 passes for 271 yards and a season-high four touchdowns and rushed for a fifth score—his first rushing touchdown on the year. Wide receivers third-year Alex Taylor and second-year Jeremiah Ware carded 94-yard receiving days, with Taylor scoring a 70-yard touchdown and Ware adding 23-yard and 45-yard scores. First-year defensive back Chace Calicut highlighted the defensive performances with a 24-yard pick-six. 
 
Extended touchdown runs from redshirt senior running back Jo’Shon Barbie (45 yards) and redshirt sophomore quarterback Khalil Wilkins (66 yards) were the story for the Thundering Herd in defeat.
 
Louisiana Tech stayed unbeaten in Sun Belt action with a 41-17 victory in its first-ever meeting with Troy. The Bulldogs forced five turnovers and scored 21 unanswered points to move to 5-0 in conference play for the first time since 2019. On offense, third-year wide receiver Marcus Calwise Jr. caught a career-high nine passes for 137 yards and a touchdown and fourth-year quarterback Blake Baker completed 16-of-19 passes for 177 yards and a score. Third-year linebacker Alonzo Jackson Jr. paced the defense with 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a 66-yard fumble recovery touchdown. Sixth-year linebacker Kolbe Fields added 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. 
 
Trojans fourth-year defensive lineman Delvin Whitaker registered six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery touchdown in the losing effort. 
 
Louisiana clinched bowl eligibility for the Sun Belt-leading ninth-straight season with a 28-26 win over South Alabama, improving to 5-0 in front of its home crowd in 2026. Redshirt freshman running back and return man JJ Garner returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and added a 65-yard touchdown run in the first half, before finishing with 239 all-purpose yards. Redshirt junior quarterback Lunch Winfield completed 10-of-14 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 97 yards and a score. An interception by redshirt junior linebacker Micah Johnson with 1:29 to play sealed the Ragin’ Cajuns win.
 
Jaguars fifth-year quarterback Bishop Davenport threw for 210 yards and rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns in defeat. A 72-yard pick-six by senior defensive back Jaylen Moson headlined the defensive effort from South Alabama. 
 
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SUN BELT FOOTBALL – WEEK 10 RESULTS
James Madison def. Southern Miss, 54-23
Old Dominion def. Coastal Carolina, 21-8
Georgia State def. App State, 39-23 
ULM def. Arkansas State, 19-17
Georgia Southern def. Marshall, 49-13
Louisiana Tech def. Troy, 41-17
Louisiana def. South Alabama, 28-26