Sun Belt Conference Weekly News and Notes (Complete PDF)
2014 Sun Belt Conference Media Guide
2014 Sun Belt Conference Composite Schedule
2014 Sun Belt Conference Standings
Sun Belt Conference Play Highlights Week Six Football Action
Sun Belt Conference play will take center stage this upcoming Saturday as all five scheduled contests are conference games. It marks the first time this season that there are no non-conference games on the weekly schedule.
Three teams - Arkansas State, UL Lafayette, and Texas State – will be playing their first conference games of the season on Saturday. Arkansas State and UL Lafayette will begin their title defenses as both teams shared the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championship. Arkansas State has won at least a share of the last three Sun Belt Conference Championships, with outright titles in 2012 and 2011. All three teams start Sun Belt play at home.
Four teams – Georgia Southern, Idaho, UL Monroe, and South Alabama – will be playing their third Sun Belt games of the season. Georgia Southern already has two conference wins having beaten South Alabama to begin league play and then dispatching longtime foe Appalachian State at home this past Thursday. South Alabama shook off its loss to Georgia Southern with an impressive 24-point win at Idaho this past Saturday. All four teams will play their third league game of the season on the road come Saturday.
There are four teams that have played only one conference game to date – Appalachian State, Georgia State, New Mexico State and Troy. The Mountaineers host their first ever Sun Belt home game as they welcome South Alabama. The Panthers travel to UL Lafayette, the Aggies host the aforementioned Georgia Southern Eagles, and meanwhile the Trojans have an off week.
All five games on Saturday will be available for viewing on ESPN3. All Sun Belt home games to date have been available for the home viewing audience on one of ESPN’s multiple platforms.
Upcoming Schedule
October 4
* South Alabama at Appalachian State - 5 p.m. (Sun Belt/ESPN3)
* Georgia State at UL Lafayette - 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
* UL Monroe at Arkansas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Idaho at Texas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Georgia Southern at New Mexico State - 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
All times Central (CT) and subject to change
* denotes Sun Belt Conference game
Recent Results
September 27
* South Alabama 34, Idaho 10 - 4 p.m. (ESPN3)
* UL Monroe 22, Troy 20 - 6 p.m. (Sun Belt/ESPN3)
#17 LSU 63, New Mexico State 7 - 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Texas State 37, Tulsa 34 (3OT) - 7 p.m. (ESPNews)
September 25
* Georgia Southern 34, Appalachian State 14 - 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
September 20
#13 Georgia 66, Troy 0 - 11 a.m. (SEC Network)
Illinois 42, Texas State 35 - 3 p.m. (ESPNews)
Washington 45, Georgia State 14 - 5 p.m. (Pac-12 Net)
Arkansas State 21, Utah State 14 (OT) - 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
Southern Miss 21, Appalachian State 20 - 6 p.m. (American Sports)
Ohio 36, Idaho 24 - 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Georgia Southern 26, South Alabama 6 - 6:30 (Sun Belt/ESPN3)
New Mexico 38, New Mexico State 35 - 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
Boise State 34, UL Lafayette 9 - 9:30 p.m. (CBS-SN)
Sun Belt Players of the Week - As selected by a media voting panel
Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Kevin Ellison (Georgia Southern, So., QB)
Ellison led Georgia Southern to a 2-0 mark in conference play with a season-best 151 yards rushing, running for one touchdown and passing for another in a 34-14 win over Appalachian State. The win put the Eagles in a tie for first place in the Sun Belt. Ellison, with his third 100-yard rushing game of the season, averaged 7.2 yards per carry (game-high 21 attempts) and was 6-for-10 for 73 yards in the win. Ellison’s long run of 25 yards from midfield set up an efficient four-play drive and 17-point lead midway through the first half. He had five rushes over 10 yards in the game.
Defensive Player of the Week
David Mayo (Texas State, Sr., LB)
David Mayo registered a career-high 20 tackles to lead Texas State’s defense in the Bobcats’ 37-34 triple overtime victory. Mayo’s 20 tackles are the most in the Sun Belt Conference this season and bettered his career-best effort by four tackles. He also has recorded 10 or more tackles in all four of Texas State’s games this season.
Special Teams Player of the Week
Justin Manton (UL Monroe, Sr., K/P)
Justin Manton tallied 10 total points including the game-winning field goal with 2:08 to play as ULM defeated Troy, 22-20, Saturday night… Manton was 3-for-3 on field goals against the Trojans (37, 34, 29)… His three attempts and makes were both career-highs and it was his first multi FG game since Sept. 7, 2013 (Grambling State)… Manton who handles all kicking duties also punted six times (48.3 avg.) with a long of 56 and kicked off six times (64.0 avg) with three touchbacks… Of his six punts, three landed inside the 20, two of which were downed inside the five (two yard line, one yard line).
Around the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt sets win record vs. Non-Conference Foes
The Sun Belt Conference’s 21 non-conference wins in the 2013 season eclipsed the previous record mark of 19 set in 2012. Additionally, of note for the league’s non-conference win total was that the Sun Belt fared well against its peer opponents in the non-AQ BCS ranks during the 2013 season. The Sun Belt finished the year a combined 8-1 against members of Conference-USA (4-1), the Mid-American Conference (3-0) and the Mountain West Conference (1-0). The Sun Belt also had the best overall non-conference win percentage when comparing the four non-AQ conferences.
Sun Belt Membership
The Sun Belt Conference will contest the 2014 football season with 11 members – Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy. UALR and UT Arlington compete as non-football playing members. The Sun Belt will have four new members in the league this year as Appalachian State and Georgia Southern were added as all-sports members and Idaho and New Mexico State were added as football playing members. Both Appalachian State and Georgia Southern bring with them highly successful football programs and each team will begin the process of transitioning to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) immediately. The 2014 Sun Belt football season will mark the debut of both in the league schedule and standings. Additionally, both the Mountaineers and Eagles will be able to compete for the league championship in football for the 2014 season. Both teams will first be eligible to compete in a spot for a postseason bowl game come the 2015 season. Idaho and New Mexico State are familiar partners of the Sun Belt Conference, having been football members from the league’s inaugural year of football in 2001 through the 2004 season. Both members played an integral part of forming the Sun Belt Conference for football and now add strength to the league. Both teams will be immediately eligible to compete for the Sun Belt football championship and also for a spot in postseason bowl games.
Sun Belt Undefeated in 2013 Bowl Games
The 2013 football season saw two teams take home bowl championship trophies, as UL Lafayette won its third consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and Arkansas State won its second consecutive GoDaddy Bowl. The Red Wolves won their second consecutive GoDaddy Bowl by defeating Ball State 23-20. The previous season the Red Wolves defeated Kent State in the annual bowl game played in Mobile. The Red Wolves have made three consecutive appearances in the game, having lost to Northern Illinois in their first appearance. The Ragin’ Cajuns closed the 2013 football season with a 9-4 record that included a share of the 2013 Sun Belt Conference title and a 24-21 win over Tulane in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Preseason Awards Candidates
Paul Hornung Award Watch List - Rashon Ceaser, UL Monroe, J.D. McKissic, Arkansas State; Lou Groza Award Watch List - Maxwell Johnson, New Mexico State; Ray Guy Award Watch List - Austin Rehkow, Idaho Justin Manton, UL Monroe; Rimington Award Watch List-Bryce Giddens, Arkansas State, Mike Marboe, Idaho, Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, New Mexico State; John Mackey Award Watch List- Darion Griswold, Arkansas State; Wes Saxton, South Alabama; Jim Thorpe Award Watch List - Sterling Young, Arkansas State, Rocky Hayes, Arkansas State; Biletnikoff Award Watch List -Rashon Ceaser, UL Monroe, Wes Saxton, South Alabama, Shaverez Smith, South Alabama, Jamal Robinson, UL Lafayette; Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List - Justin Hamilton, UL Lafayette,Gerrand Johnson, UL Monroe, Qushaun Lee, Arkansas State, Mykhael Quave, UL Lafayette, Daniel Quave, UL Lafayette, Tyler Roberts, Troy, Dominique Tovell, UL Lafayette, David Mayo, Texas State, Davey O’Brien Watch List - Terrance Broadway, UL Lafayette; Dick Butkus Award Watch List - Michael Orakpo, Texas State; Doak Walker Award Watch List - Marcus Cox, Appalachian State, Michael Gordon, Arkansas State, Alonzo Harris, UL Lafayette, Robert Lowe, Texas State; Maxwell Award Watch List - Qushaun Lee, Arkansas State; All-State Sugar Bowl Manning Award Watch List - Terrance Broadway, UL Lafayette.
Sun Belt Bowl Games
The Sun Belt Conference maintains primary bowl tie-ins with the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the GoDaddy Bowl and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. A team from the Sun Belt Conference has played in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl since its inception in 2001. The SBC has won five consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl games and seven out of the last eight. The GoDaddy bowl matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and Mid-American Conference. Arkansas State has helped lead the Sun Belt to two consecutive wins in the GoDaddy Bowl. The Camellia Bowl will match-up the Sun Belt Conference against the Mid-American Conference beginning in December. The game will be played yearly at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
Come 2015, the Cure Bowl will feature a team from the Sun Belt Conference against the American Athletic Conference. The game will be played yearly at the newly renovated Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., the weekend before the Christmas holiday. The Cure Bowl is the first of its kind to combine the passions of college football with the goal of supporting breast cancer research.
The Sun Belt Conference will also be part of the rotation for the newly created Bahamas Bowl and Miami Beach Bowl.
With the 2014-15 year marking the debut of the College Football Playoff (CFP) the Sun Belt continues to find itself among the 10 premier college football conferences and the new system is guaranteed universal access based on performance – there are no automatic qualifiers for the playoff system. Additionally, the CFP will mean that a spot among the premier bowl games of college football will be guaranteed to the highest-ranked champion from the “Group of Five” conferences: the Sun Belt Conference, American Athletic Conference, Mountain West Conference, Mid-American Conference and Conference USA.
Georgia State’s Ruiz Named John Mackey Tight End of Week
Georgia State tight end Joel Ruiz was named John Mackey Tight End of the Week after his season opening performance in the Panthers’ 38-37 win over Abilene Christian. Ruiz, a junior from Kingsland, Ga., had a career-best game with seven receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Sun Belt Bowl Game Winning Percentage
Over the last five years the Sun Belt Conference ranks second out of the 10 FBS conferences in postseason bowl game winning percentage. In fact, the Sun Belt Conference ranks ahead of noted leagues – the ACC, Pac-12 and the Big Ten.
|
Conference |
Winning % |
|
SEC |
0.625 |
|
Sun Belt |
0.571 |
|
Mountain West |
0.538 |
|
C-USA |
0.536 |
|
Big 12 |
0.513 |
|
Pac-12 |
0.500 |
|
ACC |
0.439 |
|
American |
0.400 |
|
Big Ten |
0.385 |
|
MAC |
0.346 |
All-Time Sun Belt Standings for Current Members (Sorted by Winning Percentage)
|
School |
Wins |
Losses |
Percentage |
Years in Sun Belt |
|
Georgia Southern |
2 |
0 |
1.000 |
1 |
|
Troy |
49 |
26 |
0.653 |
11 |
|
New Mexico State |
16 |
11 |
0.593 |
6 |
|
Arkansas State |
47 |
39 |
0.547 |
14 |
|
UL Lafayette |
50 |
44 |
0.532 |
14 |
|
UL Monroe |
48 |
47 |
0.505 |
14 |
|
South Alabama |
6 |
11 |
0.353 |
2 |
|
Texas State |
2 |
5 |
0.286 |
2 |
|
Idaho |
7 |
21 |
0.250 |
6 |
|
Georgia State |
0 |
8 |
0.000 |
2 |
|
Appalachian State |
0 |
1 |
0.000 |
1 |
UL Lafayette Football Honored for Academic Performance
The UL Lafayette football team was recognized recently for having the highest grade point averages in the Sun Belt Conference last school year. This year’s Sun Belt Team Academic Award will be presented to the Cajuns as they had the highest average GPA of all Sun Belt football teams. The academic award is calculated by totaling individual GPAs of team members, then dividing by the total number of student-athletes on that particular team. All GPAs are based on the previous school year and include the total GPA for the year (not the average of semesters).
Georgia Southern’s Frye Named a Candidate for Senior CLASS Award
Georgia Southern offensive tackle Garrett Frye has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I FBS Senior and have notable achievements in the four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
Georgia Southern University’s Male Student-Athlete for both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years as well as earning first-team All-America honors, Frye was a 2013 CoSIDA/Capital One Division I Academic All-District selection. He owns a 3.77 cumulative grade point average in the Exercise Science curriculum.
UL Lafayette’s Cadona Named Ray Guy National Punter of the Week
UL Lafayette punter Daniel Cadona was named the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week following his performance against Ole Miss on Sept. 13. Cadona, a native of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia averaged 51.1 yards on seven attempts for the Ragin’ Cajuns against the No. 14-ranked Rebels. Cadona, who recorded a net average of 48.7 yards, recorded punts of 50 yards or greater on his first six attempts and placed three inside the Ole Miss 20-yard line.
Sun Belt to Expand Live Event Distribution with ESPN3
The Sun Belt Conference and ESPN announced recently a content expansion within their agreement that will result in the exclusive distribution of up to an additional 50 Sun Belt events on ESPN3 - ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network.
“ESPN continues to live up to its billing as the ‘Worldwide Leader in Sports’ with the advances that it has made in digital content,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. “ESPN3 and WatchESPN have revolutionized how viewers consume sports – we are excited to be part of that and eager to display the Sun Belt to the 92 million homes that ESPN3 reaches.”
Fans will begin seeing the product of the expanded agreement this fall when a number of Sun Belt football games will be exclusively produced and distributed on ESPN3. The fall sports season will also feature the conference’s Women’s Soccer, Men’s Soccer, and Volleyball Championships on the network. A number of men’s and women’s regular-season basketball games will be available along with every contest from the 2015 Sun Belt Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Baseball will be featured heavily in the spring with a run of regular-season games and up to seven matchups from the conference championship being made available. Several games from the 2015 Softball Championship will also be carried on ESPN3.
The deal that has been struck will also be instrumental in the future of airing more live events as the conference and ESPN will work jointly to develop a school production based model. This will result in Sun Belt members being able to deliver high quality productions that can be featured on ESPN3 throughout the year.
Sun Belt Conference Head Football Coaches Teleconference
Every Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:47 a.m. beginning August 25 to November 24
All times Central (CT) and subject to change
Contact John McElwain (mcelwain@sunbeltsports.org) for info
10:30 a.m. – Announcements – If Necessary
10:30 a.m. – Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State
10:37 a.m. – Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern
10:44 a.m. – Dennis Franchione, Texas State
10:51 a.m. – Larry Blakeney, Troy
10:58 a.m. – Paul Petrino, Idaho
11:05 a.m. – Doug Martin, New Mexico State
11:12 a.m. – Blake Anderson, Arkansas State
11:19 a.m. – Mark Hudspeth, UL Lafayette
11:26 a.m. – Todd Berry, UL Monroe
11:33 a.m. – Trent Miles, Georgia State
11:40 a.m. – Joey Jones, South Alabama
Sun Belt Conference Video Feed
Contact Travis Llewellyn (llewellyn@sunbeltsports.org) for info.
The Sun Belt Conference will provide a weekly video feed of head coach interviews and game highlights each Tuesday during the 2014 football season. The video feed will be made available exclusively through a digital download this season using the website https://sunbeltsports.egnyte.com/. New videos made available on this site will be uploaded on Tuesday of each week by 2 p.m. The videos will also be maintained and archived throughout the season. Members of the media may also find supplementary content on this site such as logos and photos. For login information please contact Travis Llewellyn (llewellyn@sunbeltsports.org) or John McElwain (mcelwain@sunbeltsports.org).
Team News and Notes
Appalachian State Mountaineers
Appalachian State lost its first-ever Sun Belt Conference game at Georgia Southern on Thursday, Sept. 25, 34-14. The loss snapped Appalachian State’s three-game winning streak against longtime rival Georgia Southern and dropped it to 8-4 in its last 12 games against the Eagles.
Appalachian State trailed by just 10 points at halftime and drove inside Georgia Southern’s 10 yard line on each of its first two possessions of the second half but came away with zero points (turnover on downs, interception).
Appalachian State did not score on three trips into the red zone in the second half and has scored on just 5-of-10 red-zone trips over the last two games.
Appalachian State sophomore linebacker John Law recorded a career-high 16 tackles against Georgia Southern. The 16 tackles are the third-highest total in the Sun Belt Conference this season. Law has recorded double-digit tackles four times in 12 career starts. Appalachian State junior defensive back Doug Middleton’s 10 tackles against GS were also a career high. Law and Middleton both rank among the Sun Belt’s top 15 in tackles (Law – 11th with 8.5/game; Middleton – t-14th with 7.8/game).
Despite surrendering 495 yards of offense against GS, Appalachian State still ranks second in the Sun Belt in total defense (370.0 ypg), second in pass defense (151.2 ypg), third in pass-efficiency defense (120.4 opp. rating) and leads the league with seven interceptions.
Appalachian State plays its inaugural Sun Belt Conference home game on Saturday when it hosts South Alabama (6 p.m. ET – ESPN3).
South Alabama is the first NCAA Division I FBS team to visit Kidd Brewer Stadium since Appalachian’s former league, the Southern Conference, joined NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) in 1982.
Arkansas State Red Wolves
A-State stands 2-2 after four games for the fourth consecutive year . . . The Red Wolves’ entered their open week coming off a 21-14 overtime win against Utah State, its first ever victory over a Mountain West Conference opponent . . . Since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2001, A-State is 10-7 in games played following an open week. A-State has won nine of its last 11 games played after an open week . . . The Red Wolves improved to 3-4 all-time in overtime games dating back to 1998, while also winning their first overtime contest since 2005 . . . With the win over Utah State, the Red Wolves avoided losing three consecutive games for the first time since 2010 and improved their record to 30-13 over the last four seasons . . . A-State, which will host ULM on Oct. 4 their next time out, has won its last four consecutive home games and 18 of its last 20 . . . A-State has won nine of its last 10 games in the month of October dating back to the 2011 season . . . The Red Wolves are 8-5 all-time in Sun Belt Conference openers, its most recent a 41-34 win over Troy last season . . . Set to begin its Sun Belt Conference play its next time out, the Red Wolves are 20-3 in league action since the 2011 season and have won three consecutive conference titles . . . Arkansas State and ULM have played 35 times, which is the fifth most in school history among all opponents . . . As Sun Belt foes, A-State leads the series 9-4 after picking up a win over the Warhawks the last four seasons, including a 42-14 win last year . . . Redshirt freshman and walk-on running back Johnston White recorded the first 100-yard rushing performance by an A-State player this season last week against Utah State, and he now has 183 rushing yards over A-State’s last two games . . . Senior cornerback Andrew Tryon recorded a career-high eight tackles versus Utah State, and he has now posted at least six stops in three of A-State’s four games . . . The A-State defense has posted at least one interception every game this season . . . The A-State offense has recorded at least 300 yards total offense in 49 of its last 54 games . . . Senior linebacker Qushaun Lee recorded a season-high 13 tackles last game, giving him a team-best 31 on the season that also ranks as the seventh most in the Sun Belt Conference.
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern (3-2, 2-0) heads to New Mexico State Saturday, October 4th for its first-ever game in the “Land of Enchantment.” This will be the first meeting between the Eagles and Aggies and the first time the Eagles will play a team from New Mexico. Coach Willie Fritz, however, recorded his first FBS win in 2011 with a 48-45 overtime win over the Lobos in Albuquerque. Saturday’s contest will be available on ESPN3 with game coverage beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The Eagles are off to their best start in league play at 2-0 since their 2011 season when they started 5-0 in the Southern Conference. For Coach Fritz, 2011 is also the last time one of his teams started 2-0 in conference play.
In a nationally televised game at Allen E. Paulson Stadium, the Eagles played host to former conference rival Appalachian State in their first-ever home Sun Belt Conference game. A crowd of 24,535, the largest to attend a regular-season game, witnessed Georgia Southern take a 10-0 lead after the first quarter and not look back en route to a 34-14 victory. Sophomores Kevin Ellison and Matt Breida combined for 286 of the Eagles’ 408 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Quarterback Ellison, with 151 rushing yards, his highest total of the season, went 6-for-10 and hit B.J. Johnson for his second touchdown reception of the season.
Breida started the Georgia Southern’s scoring for the fifth-straight game, breaking free for a 56-yard touchdown, his conference-leading eighth of the season, to put the Eagles ahead 7-0. Redshirt freshman L.A. Ramsby picked up his third career score with a 1-yard touchdown run in the second and the Eagles closed their first-half scoring with Johnson’s 17-yard TD catch.
Junior placekicker Alex Hanks went two-for-two with field goals in the first and fourth quarters. He completed the Eagles’ longest drive in plays (16) and time (8:58) with his final field goal of the night, coming just four seconds into the fourth quarter. The Eagles’ third quarter was their first and only scoreless quarter of the 2014 season, ending a streak of 18 on the year and 21 dating back to the win over Florida in the 2013 season finale.
Of App State’s 11 drives, Georgia Southern forced five punts, had two interceptions and took over on downs twice. The Eagles’ 38:08 time of possession was their highest of the year as the posted double-digit figures in all but the second quarter against the Mountaineers.
Georgia State Panthers
After an open date, Georgia State returns to Sun Belt Conference play as the Panthers travel to UL Lafayette for a 7 p.m. ET game Saturday at Cajun Field.
Georgia State quarterback Nick Arbuckle leads the Sun Belt in passing yards (328.8 pg) and total offense (333.2 pg), ranking in the NCAA top 15 in both categories. As a team, the Panthers lead the league in passing offense (eighth in NCAA) and are third in scoring (30.2) and total offense (456.8). Georgia State also averages 125.2 yards rushing per game.
Arbuckle is spreading the ball around as Georgia State has five players with 14 or more receptions. Six different Panthers have caught Arbuckle’s nine touchdown passes.
Arbuckle’s top targets include wide receivers Robert Davis (20 receptions, 242 yards, 1 TD), LynQuez Blair (19 receptions, 254 yards, 3 TD) and Donovan Harden (17 receptions, 249 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Joel Ruiz (15 receptions, 223, yards, 2 TD).
Ruiz, who was named National Tight End of the Week by the John Mackey Award after week one, is tied for second nationally among tight ends in receptions per game (5.0) and receiving yards per game (74.3).
Junior linebacker Joseph Peterson led the Panthers is second in the Sun Belt Conference and sixth nationally with 13.2 tackles per game. Already Georgia State’s career tackling leader, he raised his career total to 221 with 14 tackles last game aganist Washington.
Senior linebacker Jarrell Robinson leads the Sun Belt with seven tackles for loss. He is Georgia State’s career leader with 19 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Junior placekicker Wil Lutz is Georgia State’s career leader in points by kicking with 104, which is second overall to Albert Wilson.
Idaho Vandals
Redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Linehan, who has thrown for more than 300 yards in three of his four games, continues to be among the nation’s and Sun Belt Conference’s leaders. He is first in the Sun Belt and sixth nationally in completions per game (27.75), second in the Sun Belt and 12th nationally in passing yards per game (319.5), second in the Sun Belt and 18th nationally in passing yards (1,278), second in the Sun Belt and 31st nationally in passing touchdowns (9),second in the Sun Belt and 77th nationally in yards per completion (11.51), third in the Sun Belt and 28th nationally in total offense per game (301.3), fourth in the Sun Belt and 74th nationally in yards per pass attempt (6.98)
Senior receiver Joshua McCain, a quarterback at this time last year, is a big part of Linehan’s success. he is first in the Sun Belt and ninth nationally in receiving yards per game (110.8), first in the Sun Belt and second nationally in receiving touchdowns (6), first in the Sun Belt and 43rd nationally in scoring (9.0), second in the Sun Belt and 18th nationally in receiving yards (443), second in the Sun Belt and 20th nationally in receptions per game (7.0), fifth in the Sun Belt and 72nd nationally in all-purpose rushing (110.75)
Sophomore receiver/kick returner Richard Montgomery is third in the Sun Belt and 36th nationally in receptions per game (6.0), third in the Sun Belt and 56th nationally in all-purpose rushing (120.25), fifth in the Sun Belt and 82nd nationally in receiving yards per game (67.3)
All-American punter Austin Rehkow, a sophomore, is No. 1 in the Sun Belt and second nationally in yards per punt (47.8). Florida’s Kyle Christy leads the nation at 50.4. Rehkow’s lofty average combined with the Vandals being ranked second in the league (40th nationally) in punt return defense, gives them the nation’s second-best net punting average (45.53).
Idaho has four of the Sun Belt’s top receivers in terms of receptions per game. In addition to McCain and Montgomery, sophomore Deon Watson is fifth (73rd nationally with 5.0) and senior right end Justin Podrabsky is 10th (94th nationally at 4.8). Podrabsky, at 4.8 per game, is third among the nation’s tight ends in receptions per game. Wake Forest sophomore Cam Serigne is tied for 70th at 5.2 and Georgia State junior Joel Ruiz is tied for 73rd at 5.9.
UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns will officially begin defense of its Sun Belt Conference championship on Saturday (Oct. 4) when it entertains league rival Georgia State at Cajun Field.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:04 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN3. The game can also be heard on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Radio Network with Jay Walker (pxp), Gerald Broussard (color) and Steve Peloquin (sideline) handling the call.
UL Lafayette (1-3, 0-0 SBC), which is coming off an open date, looks to snap a three-game losing streak after falling in a 34-9 contest at Boise State on Sept. 20. The Cajuns fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and were held to 67 yards rushing in the game against the Broncos, ranked 19th nationally in rushing defense.
Elijah McGuire totaled 170 all-purpose yards against Boise State, including 106 yards on a career-high 10 receptions. McGuire added 33 yards in punt returns and a team-high 31 yards on the ground.
Trevence Patt posted a career-high 14 tackles (13 solo) against Boise State. Christian Ringo recorded three stops for loss against the Broncos with Dominique Tovell adding two.
Terrance Broadway enters the Georgia State game ranked third in passing yards (5,937), fourth in pass completions (446), fourth in total offense (7,344) and sixth in pass attempts (712).
Broadway is one touchdown pass shy of moving past Roy Henry (40, 1975-77) into sole possession of second place on the school’s all-time list and needs 387 yards of total offense to pass Jerry Babb (7,730 yards, 2003-06) into third place.
UL Monroe Warhawks
ULM makes its first trip outside of the state of Louisiana this weekend as it travels to Jonesboro, Ark., for a Saturday night showdown at Arkansas State... Three of the Warhawks first four games took place at JPS Field at Malone Stadium (Wake Forest, Idaho, and Troy)... ULM’s other contest took place in Baton Rouge, La. (at No. 10 LSU).
The 2014 season is the first campaign since 1991 that ULM has played its first four games in the state of Louisiana... That season, the Warhawks opened the season at UL-Lafayette, followed by home games against Nicholls State, Georgia Southern and Mississippi College... ULM began the 1991 season with a 2-2 record.
ULM improved to 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in the Sun Belt with a 22-20 Homecoming win over Troy on Sept. 27... The 3-1 record marks the first time in the FBS era that the Warhawks have started a season with three wins in first four games... ULM last started a season 3-1 in 1993, the program’s last at the 1-AA (FCS) level... The Warhawks finished the 1993 season with a 9-3 overall record.
ULM is 2-0 in the Sun Belt for the second time in three years... The Warhawks started the 2012 conference season with a 4-0 record en route to a tie for second place with a 6-2 league mark... The squad went on to finish 8-5 overall and made their first bowl appearance of the FBS era (vs. Ohio, AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl; Shreveport, La.).
The 22-20 win over Troy was the fourth straight win in the series by the Warhawks... ULM has also won five of the last six meetings against the Trojans.
Pete Thomas engineered his third game-winning drive of the season as he guided the Warhawks on a 13-play, 57-yard drive that resulted in a Justin Manton game-winning field goal with 2:08 to play... Thomas finished the game 28-of-43 for 328 yards and two touchdowns.
Two Warhawk receivers went over the 100-yard receiving mark against Troy... Rashon Ceaser tallied 121 receiving yards and a career-high 12 receptions... Ajalen Holley finished with 109 receiving yards on five catches and two touchdowns... Holley’s TD receptions were 64 yards (career-long reception) and 15 yards.
Tyler Cain set a new career-high in all-purpose yards as he recorded 132 all-purpose yards in the win over Troy... Cain had 80 kickoff return yards, 35 receiving yards and 17 rushing yards... He also tied a career-high in receptions with four.
New Mexico State Aggies
The New Mexico State Aggies take on Georgia Southern Saturday, Oct. 4 at Aggie Memorial Stadium for the “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” game in the second game of the Sun Belt Conference season.
The Aggies head into the matchup 2-3 while Georgia Southern 3-2. Both teams have a perfect conference record thus far, with the Aggies finding a win over Georgia State (34-31) and Georgia Southern winning two conference games, the first against South Alabama (28-6) and the second coming against Appalachian State (34-14).
This will be the first meeting between the two teams in the history of the programs. Both the Aggies and the Eagles are newcomers to the Sun Belt conference, with NM State playing as an independent last year and Georgia Southern making their way from the Southern Conference. This is the Eagles first year as an FBS school.
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. (MT). The game will be broadcast on local radio and carried on Aggie Vison.
South Alabama Jaguars
With a 34-10 win at Idaho Saturday, South Alabama has now won back-to-back Sun Belt Conference road games after dropping their first six league contests on the road. … This week’s contest at Appalachian State will be the last of three straight games for the Jaguars against first-time Sun Belt Conference opponents after splitting match-ups with Georgia Southern and Idaho the last two weeks. … Following last week’s win over the Vandals, the Jaguars are looking to claim road games in back-to-back weeks for the first time since defeating Lamar and UC Davis away from home on Oct. 16 and 23, 2010. … Actually, USA has won three straight away games dating back to a 38-17 victory at Georgia State on Nov. 30 last fall, a program record. … Having played at Idaho last weekend, the Jags will have travelled approximately 3,200 miles to complete the consecutive road trips — by comparison, when USA goes on the road again later in the season for two straight contests away from home it will need to cover just over 700 miles (at Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State on Nov. 1 and 8). … Montell Garner’s 59-yard interception return for a touchdown gave USA a double-digit lead for good late in the first quarter of the Jaguars’ 34-10 win over Idaho, as he would go on to finish with five tackles — one shy of matching his highest total of the season — including his first career sack. The senior also broke up a pass in the end zone on third down to force the Vandals to settle for a field goal, with his efforts helping USA limit Idaho to season-low totals in passing (239) and total (269) yards as well as points (10); it was the first time an opponent has held the Vandal offense to fewer than 400 yards of total offense. … QB Brandon Bridge accounted for a season-best 267 yards of total offense and a pair of scores while helping USA post its highest output of the year in a 34-10 Sun Belt victory at Idaho. He opened the scoring with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Claude Garrett that gave the Jaguars the lead for good, and he capped USA’s opening possession of the second half with a 54-yard scoring run — the longest of his career, and first touchdown rushing since the 2013 opener — as the offense finished with season-high totals of 432 yards and 34 points. The senior was 15-of-25 passing for 196 yards, adding a career-best 71 rushing yards on just six attempts. … The Jag defense was credited with seven sacks in the win over the Vandals — with seven different individuals contributing to the total — the third-highest game total in school history; USA had nine sacks in last season’s 36-14 Nov. 23 win over Louisiana-Monroe. … Junior-college transfer Grant McLaurin earned the job to handle the Jaguars’ placekicking duties during the week prior to the Idaho contest, and in his first start recorded 10 points after connecting on second-quarter field goals from 19 and 44 yards out to go along with four extra points. It’s only the second time in the program’s five-plus seasons of competition that a USA kicker has recorded a double-digit point total in his first career start — Lawson McGlon scored 14 points on four field-goals and a pair of PATs in a 26-0 win at Lamar on Oct. 16, 2010.
Texas State Bobcats
The Texas State football team looks to win its second straight game and second home game of the 2014 season when the Bobcats return home to host Idaho in a Sun Belt Conference game this Saturday at Bobcat Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN3 beginning at 6:00 p.m. (Central).
The Bobcats enter the game after outlasting Tulsa, 37-34, in triple overtime for their first win overtime victory since 2010. The victory also evened Texas State’s record to 2-2 heading into its first SBC game against the Vandals.
Texas State won its fourth overtime victory in school history with a 37-34 triple-overtime win at Tulsa on Sept. 27. It was the first overtime win for the Bobcats since they clinched a Southland Conference championship with a 45-42 win against Sam Houston State on Nov. 22, 2008.
The win at Tulsa was the first overtime game in which Texas State has played under Dennis Franchione and first overtime game since the Bobcats played four overtimes against Nicholls State on Oct. 16, 2010.
Texas State has a combined record of 12-8 record in home games since 2011 and an all-time record of 111-79 in home games at Bobcat Stadium after splitting their first two home games.
Texas State enters the Idaho game with a 2-2 overall record this season and it is fifth time in last seven years that the Bobcats opened a season with a 2-2 record. Texas State won a 37-34 triple-overtime victory at Tulsa after dropping a 42-35 decision at Illinois and splitting its first two home games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Navy.
Bradley Miller enters the Idaho game after catching a career-best eight passes for a career-best 112 yards to lead the Bobcats at Tulsa. One of his receptions helped preserve a scoring drive in the first overtime period and another set up the winning score.
Texas State and Idaho will meet for the third straight year, but this marks the first time that they will play a Sun Belt Conference foes. The Bobcats are 3-3 against the Vandals in a series that began in 1990.
Troy Trojans
Nyck Young and Jalen Harris both had their first career catches. Troy now has 20 different players with a catch this season, the Trojans led the nation with players with a catch last week with 18 … Troy’s 98-yard drive in the second quarter ties the longest scoring drive in Troy’s Division I history, since September 14, 2002, against Southern Utah … Quarterback Brandon Silvers led the Trojans on back-to-back scoring drives for the first time in his career; it is the first multi-passing touchdown game of his career … Josh Anderson recorded his first career carry, a two-yard gain … Brandon Silvers and Jordan Chunn led Troy on the ground with 32 rushing yards each. The last time a quarterback led the team in rushing was against Arkansas State on September 12, 2013. Anthony had16 carries for 87 yards and one TD … Wide receiver Chandler Worthy moved up in the records books in kick returns, pass receptions and receiving yards. Worthy is now tied for third in Troy history with 67 kick returns, tied for ninth with 112 catches and is 13th in receiving yards with 1,589 … Brandon Silvers finished the game 22-of-31 and had a career-high 265 yards in the air … Tyler Roberts earned his second sack of the year for a loss of 12 yards, the longest sack of the year … Femi Odaibo recorded his third interception of the season, the most in a season since Brynden Trawick in 2012, who also had three … Jamal Stadom recorded the first sack of his career for a loss of four yards … Ryan Kay set a new career-long punt, which went for 51 yards.