NEW ORLEANS — App State and James Madison each improved to 3-0 with victories over peer conference opponents in Week 3 action. The Mountaineers are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2019—when they finished 13-1 and won their last Sun Belt football championship. The Dukes started 3-0 for the fourth time in five FBS seasons.
On fourth down with the ball on the Marshall seven-yard line, redshirt senior linebacker Javae Gilmore swatted down a pass with 1:56 remaining to salt away a 30-24 Thundering Herd win over Missouri State. Redshirt senior quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson threw for 176 yards and a score and rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt senior running back Jo’Shon Barbie paced the Thundering Herd with 81 yards and a score on the ground.
Behind four rushing touchdowns, South Alabama outpaced Ohio, 41-36, to remain unbeaten in home games against MAC opposition. Junior running back Keenan Phillips rushed for a team-high 116 yards and a touchdown, while sharing carries with senior PJ Martin (80 yards, 1 touchdown) and junior Trae’von Dunbar (52 yards, 2 touchdowns). Junior quarterback Jared Hollins completed 13-of-20 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown in his first career start. Junior defensive back Damyrion Darby highlighted the Jaguar defensive performances with four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Buoyed by a pair of rushing touchdowns from redshirt junior quarterback Lunch Winfield, Louisiana earned its fourth-straight win over UAB, 21-14. The Ragin’ Cajuns defense held the Blazers to just 218 yards of total offense, two third-down conversions on 12 attempts and zero fourth-down conversions on four tries. Winfield threw for 110 yards and rushed for a team-best 91 yards in the victory. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Conor McPherson led the defense with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack, while redshirt senior defensive back Collin Jacob added six tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and an interception.
For the second time in as many weeks, App State earned a victory over an in-state rival, this time weathering a storm that produced the latest kickoff time in Kidd Brewer Stadium history (9:30 p.m. ET) en route to a 26-21 win over Charlotte. Senior quarterback Malachi Singleton threw for 331 yards and two second-half touchdowns to propel the Mountaineers to victory. With the win, App State improved to 5-0 all-time against the 49ers and 11-0 against American Conference opposition as an FBS member. After seeing its lead trimmed to one possession for the second-straight week, the Mountaineers hands team came through with an onside kick recovery to secure the win. Senior wide receiver Chris Lofton caught six passes for a team-high 90 yards and a score. Defensive backs junior Khalil Conley and senior Dre Walker carded interceptions for App State.
James Madison built a 19-0 halftime advantage en route to an eventual 26-13 win over San Diego State in the program’s first-ever game in the state of California. Fourth-year quarterback Camden Coleman completed 19-of-27 passes for 246 yards, including two touchdown passes to sixth-year tight end Cole Keller. Fourth-year wideout Braeden Wisloski led the air attack with a team-high 90 yards on five catches, while fifth-year running back George Pettaway paced the ground game with 82 yards on 20 carries. Defensively, third-year linebacker JT Hooten had a coming out party with six tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and an interception.
Coastal Carolina could not overcome two turnovers and a scoreless second half in a 22-14 loss to Delaware. Redshirt freshman quarterback Deuce Bailey threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 42 yards in defeat, while redshirt senior defensive lineman Ibrahim Diawara paced the Chanticleer defense with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Fourth-year quarterback Trey Kukuk led Louisiana Tech on its longest opening drive against an autonomy conference foe in the 21st century—a 75-yarder that resulted in the first of three Bulldogs touchdowns on the day—and finished with 223 passing and a team-high 75 rushing yards in a 36-19 loss to Baylor. Fourth-year tight end Eli Finley caught Kukuk’s lone touchdown pass and recorded a season-high eight catches for 65 yards. Linebackers sixth-year Kolbe Fields—with nine tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble—and third-year Jadon Mayfield—with eight tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery—co-led the Bulldog defensive unit.
Old Dominion conceded 10 second-half points off turnovers to fall 20-17 to East Carolina. Redshirt junior running back Devin Roche posted a 102-yard rushing day, while redshirt sophomore quarterback Quinn Henicle threw for 94 yards and ran for 73 yards and a touchdown in the losing effort. A 23-yard scoop and score by third-year defensive back Daevon Iles headlined the Monarch defensive effort.
A career-high three touchdown runs from second-year quarterback Weston Bryan were not enough for Georgia Southern, as Jacksonville State scored 14 unanswered in the fourth quarter to rally for a 31-27 win. Fourth-year running back David Mbadinga carded a 103-yard rushing day for the Eagles in defeat.
Georgia State held a 24-21 lead at the break, but could not hold on in an eventual 44-30 loss to autonomy conference opponent UCF. Senior wideout Rodshaun Dorsey scored highlight reel touchdowns on back-to-back first-half drives for the Panthers, before freshman running back Qwantavius Wiggins added an electric 78-yard touchdown run of his own as part of a 125-yard rushing day. With 13 tackles, fifth-year linebacker Jaydon Hood paced the Panther defensive unit.
Redshirt senior quarterback Landry Lyddy threw for 194 yards and a touchdown off the bench to highlight Southern Miss’ effort in a 48-20 loss to UConn. Redshirt senior wide receiver Mario Sanders caught seven passes for a team-high 81 yards and redshirt junior running back Steven Robinson amassed a team-best 72 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Troy jumped out to a 10-0 lead on autonomy conference foe No. 20/22 Missouri, but conceded 24 second-quarter points on a pair of punting miscues and two turnovers in an eventual 27-17 loss. Sixth-year quarterback Goose Crowder threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns—an opening-drive 76-yard strike to third-year wide receiver TK Keyes for the second-straight week and a 55-yard connection with fourth-year wideout Howard Kinchen with six seconds remaining in the first half. The Trojans defense held the Tigers to 230 yards of total offense—the fewest by Missouri against a non-autonomy foe since Memphis on Sept. 14, 1996. Fifth-year defensive back Justin Powe headlined the Troy defensive performances with a team-high 14 tackles in defeat.
Arkansas State trailed by just one possession, 14-7, at halftime, but conceded 17 unanswered second-half points in a 31-7 loss to autonomy conference opponent TCU. Fourth-year defensive back Five Hamilton and second-year linebacker Joe Drew co-led the Red Wolves defense with 12 tackles apiece and Trey Owens paced the offense with 133 passing and a team-high 58 rushing yards.
ULM scored the final 15 points, but came up just short in its comeback bid in a 38-35 loss to in-state FCS opponent Southeastern Louisiana. Second-year quarterback Austin Carlisle completed 19-of-24 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 76 yards. Fifth-year running back Derrick Jameson and fourth-year wide receiver Nic Trujillo carded two-touchdown performances in defeat.
For exclusive Sun Belt football content on game days and throughout the 2026 season, follow @SunBeltFB on X.
SUN BELT FOOTBALL – WEEK 3 RESULTS
Delaware def. Coastal Carolina, 22-14
Baylor def. Louisiana Tech, 36-19
Southeastern Louisiana def. ULM, 38-35
East Carolina def. Old Dominion, 20-17
Marshall def. Missouri State, 30-24
Jacksonville State def. Georgia Southern, 31-27
UCF def. Georgia State, 44-30
South Alabama def. Ohio, 41-36
UConn def. Southern Miss, 48-20
No. 20/22 Missouri def. Troy, 27-17
TCU def. Arkansas State, 31-7
Louisiana def. UAB, 21-14
App State def. Charlotte, 26-21
James Madison def. San Diego State, 26-13