WEEK 5 CONFERENCE NOTES
NEW ORLEANS – After a standalone conference opener a week ago, Sun Belt Conference play will begin in earnest with five divisional matchups on the Week 5 slate.
James Madison will look to stay unbeaten—and to buck the series trend—in a headlining conference matchup with Marshall on ESPNU, while Louisiana Tech will play host to Army on ESPN+ in the weekend’s lone non-conference clash.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- REWRITE HISTORY – Georgia State has already matched its highest win total of the Dell McGee era and will look to continue rewriting history when it opens Sun Belt Conference play against Old Dominion at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, on ESPN+. Old Dominion, which dropped its Sun Belt opener to in-state rival James Madison a week ago, will look to build on its 6-1 edge in the all-time series against Georgia State. The Panthers lone victory over the Monarchs came in their first-ever Sun Belt meeting in 2022, with Georgia State prevailing 31-7 at home. This year’s Panthers boast the Sun Belt’s top rushing attack (215.3 rushing yards per game) and most prolific offense (468.3 yards of total offense per game).
- TREND LINES – James Madison will attempt to do something it has never done before when Marshall rolls into town for a 2:45 p.m. divisional clash on Saturday, Oct. 3, on ESPNU—beat the Thundering Herd inside Bridgeforth Stadium. Marshall leads the all-time series 4-2, including a 2-0 mark in Harrisonburg. The road team has proven victorious in four prior meetings as Sun Belt Conference rivals. The Dukes have yet to trail through four games this season and are 1-of-22 remaining unbeaten teams in the country. James Madison carries a nine-game winning streak in Sun Belt regular-season games and a nine-game winning streak inside Bridgeforth Stadium into the Saturday showdown.
- AIR IT OUT – When Georgia Southern travels to Coastal Carolina for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Oct 3., on ESPN+, 2-of-3 Sun Belt offenses averaging over 260 passing yards per game will be on display. Eagles seventh-year quarterback Max Johnson—the Sun Belt leader in completions per game (4th, 26.00)—will go toe to toe with Chanticleers redshirt freshman Deuce Bailey—the Sun Belt leader in passing touchdowns (15th, 10). Both quarterbacks rank among the Top 3 in the Sun Belt and the Top 35 in the nation in passing yards on the season—Bailey (28th, 1,039) and Johnson (34th, 996). The Eagles lead the all-time series 8-4, including a current three-game winning streak over the Chanticleers.
- WEST WING – Four Sun Belt West Division programs will be in action on Saturday, Oct. 3, as ULM visits South Alabama at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+ and Arkansas State travels to Louisiana at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+. South Alabama owns a 7-5 edge in the all-time series with ULM, including four-straight wins over the Warhawks. Louisiana leads the all-time series with Arkansas State 31-22-1 and has won seven of the last eight against the Red Wolves—26-of-54 prior matchups have been one-score games. Saturday’s meetings are the Sun Belt openers for all four squads and are the Homecoming games for the Jaguars and Ragin’ Cajuns.
- BULLDOGS IN THE BACKFIELD – Louisiana Tech will welcome Army to Ruston for the first time at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, on ESPN+ in a rematch of the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. The Bulldogs pace the Sun Belt and rank among the Top 10 teams nationally in both tackles for loss (2nd, 11.00) and sacks (10th, 3.33) per game. Four Bulldogs—third-year linebacker Alonzo Jackson Jr. (5th, 2.00), sixth-year linebacker Kolbe Fields (33rd, 1.33), third-year linebacker Jadon Mayfield (33rd, 1.33) and second-year linebacker Zheric Hill (50th, 1.17)—rank among the Top 10 in the Sun Belt and Top 50 in the nation in tackles for loss per game. The defensive unit will aim to slow down the Black Knights rushing attack that leads the nation, averaging 355.7 yards per game. As it wraps up its 2026 non-conference slate, Louisiana Tech is looking for its first victory over Army in the fourth meeting between the two programs.
WHERE TO WATCH
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