Sun Belt Conference Weekly News and Notes (Complete PDF)
2015 Sun Belt Conference Media Guide
2015 Sun Belt Conference Composite Schedule
2015 Sun Belt Conference Standings
2015 Sun Belt Conference Stats
Three Teams Open Sun Belt Play, Three Face Non-Conference Opponents
Three Sun Belt teams will begin their conference schedules this upcoming Saturday as they are the only three that have yet to play a conference game to date.
When Texas State and UL Lafayette meet on Saturday it will represent the first conference game for both teams. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT) from Cajun Field and the game will be televised on ESPN3.
Georgia State has one conference game under its belt already this season – a 34-32 road win against New Mexico State – but they host an Appalachian State team that has yet to play a conference opponent. The Mountaineers stand at 3-1 on the season and of the teams that are finished out of conference play they are the only to win three of their four games. App State finished conference play last season on a six-game win streak.
Speaking of Sun Belt win streaks, Georgia Southern improved its all-time Sun Belt record to 10-0 with its win over UL Monroe this past Saturday. The Eagles will rest this Saturday before hosting New Mexico State and then traveling to App State.
New Mexico State and Troy will both take on SEC opponents from the state of Mississippi as the Aggies travel to Ole Miss and the Trojans play at Mississippi State. Both the Rebels and Bulldogs are coming off of losses to top-25 ranked conference opponents. Both games will be featured on the SEC Network.
When UL Monroe plays at Tulsa this Saturday it will be a homecoming for Warhawk head coach Todd Berry. He was a quarterback for Tulsa from 1979-81 before suffering a career-ending knee injury.
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, October 10
New Mexico State at Ole Miss - 11 a.m. (SEC Network)
* Appalachian State at Georgia State - 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Troy at Mississippi State - 3 p.m. (SEC Network)
UL Monroe at Tulsa - 5 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Texas State at UL Lafayette - 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
* denotes Sun Belt Conference game
All times Central (CT) and subject to change
Saturday, October 3
Liberty 41, Georgia State 33 – 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Appalachian State 31, Wyoming 13 – 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Arkansas State 49, Idaho 35 – 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Georgia Southern 51, UL Monroe 31 – 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
* South Alabama 24, Troy 18 – 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
Louisiana Tech 43, UL Lafayette 14 - 6 p.m. (American Sports Network)
New Mexico 38, New Mexico State 29 - 7 p.m. (Root Sports)
* denotes Sun Belt Conference game
All times Central (CT)
Sun Belt Student-Athletes of the Week
Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week
Michael Gordon (Arkansas State, RB, Sr., Interdisciplinary Studies)
Senior running back Michael Gordon rushed for a career-high 221 yards and season-high three touchdowns against Idaho, leading Arkansas State to a 49-35 victory over the Vandals. Gordon’s 221 rushing yards were the second most by a Sun Belt Conference player this season, the 11th most in the nation so far this year and the second most ever by an A-State player at Centennial Bank Stadium. He ran the ball a career-high 26 times, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt, and recorded three or more rushing touchdowns in a game for the fifth time of his career.
Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week
Kalen Jackson (South Alabama, LB, Jr., Communication)
In South Alabama’s 24-18 win at Troy Saturday, Jackson intercepted two passes that led to the Jaguars’ final 10 points and recorded six solo tackles including a career-best two behind the line of scrimmage. With USA up 14-8 the junior linebacker intercepted a pass and ran it back 10 yards to the Troy-9, leading to a touchdown three plays later. USA was still ahead 21-15 in the third quarter when he picked off another pass while falling backward, with the Jags taking the ball down the other end of a field to set up a field goal in the final minute of the period for the team's final points. In addition to becoming the first individual in the program to intercept two passes in a game since Sept. 14, 2013, Jackson helped the Jags limited the Trojans to just 265 total yards; that was 10 yards more than they gained against Wisconsin, and the fewest allowed by USA this fall.
Special Teams Student-Athlete of the Week
Zach Matics (Appalachian State, PK, Sr., Entrepreneurship)
Matics kicked a career-long 51-yard field goal and picked up a critical first down with a six-yard run on a fake field goal to help lead Appalachian State to a 31-13 win over Wyoming … with less than 30 seconds to go and Appalachian State facing fourth-and-five from its own 24 yard line, Matics took an option pitch from holder Bentlee Critcher and picked up six yards for a first down on the fake field goal … one play later, the Mountaineers scored on an 18-yard touchdown pass to take a 21-7 halftime lead … in the fourth quarter, Matics closed the scoring for Appalachian State with the 51-yard field goal, which surpassed his previous career long by 20 yards … it is longest field goal by a Sun Belt student-athlete this season and tied for the 16th-longest in NCAA Division I FBS in 2015 … it is tied for the seventh-longest field goal in Appalachian State history and is the longest by a Mountaineer since current Detroit Lion Sam Martin made a 51-yarder against Savannah State in 2011.
Team News and Notes
Appalachian State Mountaineers
Appalachian State closed the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 3-1 record following Saturday’s 31-13 win over Wyoming.
In its first-ever non-conference home game versus an NCAA Division I FBS opponent, Appalachian State claimed its first-ever win over a member of the Mountain West Conference.
Appalachian State has won 9-of-10 games overall and five-straight at home.
The Mountaineers put their six-game Sun Belt Conference winning streak on the line when they travel to Georgia State for their league opener next Saturday.
Saturday’s game at the Georgia Dome will be Appalachian State’s first-ever in a facility that serves as the permanent home for an NFL franchise (the Mountaineers played at LSU’s Tiger Stadium in 2005 when the New Orleans Saints also called the stadium home for four games due to Hurricane Katrina).
In the only previous meeting between Appalachian State and Georgia State, the Mountaineers blanked the Panthers, 44-0, on Nov. 1 of last season. In a driving snowstorm at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Appalachian outgained GSU, 567-62, including a 469-8 advantage on the ground.
Appalachian State’s 469 rushing yards against Georgia State were its most in 39 years, dating back to its 572 yards on the ground in a 52-28 win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Oct. 18, 1975.
GSU’s 62 total yards were the fewest that the Mountaineers surrendered in 53 years, dating back to a 22-0 win over Guilford on Nov. 4, 1961.
Appalachian State continues to lead the Sun Belt in most defensive categories, including total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, third-down defense, first downs allowed, red-zone defense and defensive touchdowns scored.
Despite allowing their first two red-zone scores of the season last Saturday against Wyoming, the Mountaineers continue to lead the nation in red-zone defense with two scores allowed in 11 red-zone opportunities.
Arkansas State Red Wolves
Arkansas State stands 2-3 after five games for the second time (2013 & 2015) over the last three seasons . . . With its win over Idaho, A-State improved to 10-5 all-time in Sun Belt openers. It has now started the last three seasons with a league-opening victory for the first time since 2004-06 . . . The Red Wolves have won 26 of their last 32 Sun Belt Conference games . . . Senior wide receiver J.D. McKissic became the Sun Belt Conference’s all-time leader in career receptions, completing the Idaho game with four catches to run his career total to 264 . . . Senior running back Michael Gordon recorded a career-high 221 rushing yards against Idaho, ending the game with the second most yards on the ground ever by an A-State player at Centennial Bank Stadium . . . A-State has recorded over 300 yards total offense in 61 of its last 69 games and scored 30 or more points 34 times over its last 52 regular-season outings . . . The Red Wolves’ 521 yards total offense and 49 points scored against Idaho were both their second most of the season . . . With a career-high two interception against Idaho, senior cornerback Rocky Hayes became the fourth Sun Belt player this year with multiple picks in a game. Hayes is ranked 24th in the nation in career passes defended among active players . . . Dating back to the 2010 season, Arkansas State holds an 12-2 record over its last 14 games played in the month of October . . . A-State holds a 3-0 all-time record against South Alabama in the Sun Belt Conference series that dates back to just 2012 . . . While A-State is playing South Alabama in Mobile for just the second time ever, the Red Wolves will be playing a game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the sixth time over the last five seasons (2011-15) after participating in the GoDaddy Bowl each of the last four seasons. The Red Wolves only game against South Alabama at the stadium came during the 2013 season . . . A-State holds an 11-6 record in all midweek games since its inaugural season in the Sun Belt Conference. It has won seven of its last 10 midweek contests . . . The Red Wolves have won 12 of their last 15 conference road games dating back to the 2011 season.
Georgia Southern Eagles
Against UL Monroe, Ironhead Gallon blocked his fourth career kick in the first quarter. It was the second straight game the sophomore has blocked a punt. This one was returned 26 yards by Ken Butler, Jr., for his first collegiate score. The last time the Eagles returned a blocked punt for a touchdown was in 2008 at Chattanooga when Roderick Tinsley blocked it and David Arnold scooped it up for the score.
Antonio Glover recorded his fourth interception of the season and the fifth of his career in the first quarter.
The Eagles had 12 penalties in the game, marking the most under a Willie Fritz-coached team at GS. The team had seven penalties twice last season.
Breida scored two touchdowns in the game, giving him 27 for his career and nine for the season. He also had 149 yards rushing, the 11th 100-yard game of his career and his fourth straight.
In the past four games, Georgia Southern has rushed for 22 touchdowns, coming from four different players.
Ironhead Gallon had a career-high 11 tackles in the game, topping his previous high of 10 stops against New Mexico State last season.
Darrius White, Jr., recorded his second career interception and first of the season in the third quarter. On the next drive, senior Matt Dobson record his sixth career interception and his first of the season. The Eagle defense has recorded 10 interceptions in five games now. It’s also the second time this season the defense has had three interceptions in a game.
Georgia Southern ran for 455 yards in the game. The Eagles are now 12-1 under Willie Fritz when running for 300 yards or more in the game and 8-0 when rushing for 400 or more yards.
The win was the 150th for head coach Willie Fritz at NCAA four-year schools. He now has a record of 150-66 in 19 seasons. Counting his time at Blinn, he has won 189 games as a head coach at the collegiate level.
Georgia State Panthers
Quarterback Nick Arbuckle leads the Sun Belt in passing yards (345.8 pg/7th NCAA), total offense (337.2 pg), TD passes (10) and pass efficiency (159.4).
All-Sun Belt receiver Donovan Harden played for the first time vs. Liberty after missing three games with a broken foot. On GSU’s third play of the game, he caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from Nick Arbuckle for the fifth-longest pass and sixth-longest play from scrimmage in school history.
Harden also had a 57-yard reception and finished with five catches for 179 yards, just seven yards behind his school-record total of 186 yards last season vs. Georgia Southern.
Freshman Penny Hart caught his fourth touchdown of the season on a 58-yard reception. He is second in the Sun Belt in receiving yards (98.2 pg) and touchdowns, and fourth in receptions (6.0 pg).
Robert Davis added a 61-yard touchdown reception, his eighth career touchdown and seventh career catch of more than 50 yards. Davis ranks second in GSU history with 1,741 receiving yards and third in receptions (114) and touchdowns (8).
Tarris Batiste set the Georgia State single-game record with 17 tackles vs. Liberty. He also moved into second place in GSU history with 203 career tackles. He also ranks second with 18.5 career tackles for loss, 1.5 behind the record of 20 (Jarrell Robinson).
Tarris Batiste (10.0 pg) and Joseph Peterson (9.0 pg) rank 1-2 in the Sun Belt in tackles.
Senior linebacker Joseph Peterson has 301 career tackles to rank fifth among active FBS players in career tackles.
Alonzo McGee had three tackles for loss vs. Liberty. He leads the Sun Belt and ranks second in the nation with nine tackles for loss (2.3 per game) on the season. The GSU season record is 9.5, set last season by Tarris Batiste.
Wil Lutz leads the Sun Belt in punting at 46.6 yards per kick, helping Georgia State to a net of 43.8 that is fifth in FBS. Lutz also hit two field goals and three PATs vs. Liberty to increase his school-record scoring total to 166 points. He has hit 20-of-22 career field goals from 40 yards and in.
Idaho Vandals
Senior linebacker Chris Edwards and redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Luton both did things Saturday night at Arkansas State that haven’t been done in a while by an Idaho football player.
Luton became just the second Vandal quarterback to rush for three touchdowns in a single game with his two one-yard runs and a three-yarder last Saturday. The only other time an Idaho quarterback rushed for three touchdowns in a single game was when Vandal Athletics Hall of Famer and current Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier ran for three against St. Cloud State on Sept. 5, 1995. Luton is the second Vandal this season to rush for three – sophomore running back Aaron Duckworth ran for three TDs against Wofford last month.
As for Edwards, his 20-yard interception return for a touchdown was Idaho’s first scoring interception return since Bradley Njoku returned one 37 yards against North Dakota on Sept. 10, 2011.
Senior receiver Dezmon Epps maintained his Sun Belt Conference lead in receptions per game (10.5, third nationally), receiving yards per game (132, seventh nationally), and total receiving yards (528, eighth nationally). On the Idaho all-time lists, he’s .11 off Jerry Hendren’s career average receptions per game mark. Hendren, another Vandal Athletics Hall of Famer who played at Idaho from 1967-69, averaged 7.67 receptions per game; Epps is at 7.56. Epps is just outside he top 10 in career receptions in 13th with 121. Don’t forget to vote for Epps in the Biletnikoff Award fan poll.
Senior defensive end Quinton Bradley leads the league in sacks per game (.80) and tackles for loss per game (1.6), which are 32nd and 26th nationally, respectively.
Idaho is the league leader in defensive touchdowns scored with Edwards’ interception last Saturday and Russell Siavii’s fumble recovery return against Wofford. Their two defensive scores rank seventh nationally.
The Vandals almost doubled their season penalty total with 11 at Arkansas State, which gives them 24 for the season. That didn’t, however, knock them from the league lead for fewest penalties per game. They’re No. 1 with an average of 4.8 (19th nationally) and they’re second in the conference (24) and 24th nationally for fewest total penalties.
UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team opens its 15th season of Sun Belt Conference football on Saturday when it plays host to Texas State at Cajun Field.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3. The game can also be heard statewide on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Radio Network.
UL Lafayette (1-3, 0-0) is 9-5 in Sun Belt Conference openers and has won seven straight league openers dating back to 2008. The Ragin’ Cajuns rallied for a 34-31 win over Georgia State in last year’s SBC opener, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will look to drop a two-game slide when it opens league play against Texas State (1-3, 0-0) for the second time in three years. UL Lafayette dropped a 43-14 decision to Conference USA member Louisiana Tech on Saturday in the 87th meeting between the in-state rivals.
Elijah McGuire rushed for 84 yards on 12 carries for the Ragin' Cajuns while grabbing a team-high six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Tracy Walker recorded a career-high 13 tackles for UL Lafayette with Tre'maine Lightfoot adding a career-best eight stops.
Junior quarterback Jalen Nixon, making his first career start for the Ragin' Cajuns, completed 17 of 33 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown while adding 54 yards on the ground with a touchdown in nine carries. Senior Jamal Robinson caught two passes for 27 yards, increasing his career receiving yards total to 2,007 yards and moving past Bill Sampy (1,988 yards, 2002-05) into sixth-place on the school's all-time receiving list.
UL Lafayette has won both meetings between the schools, beginning with a 48-24 victory two years ago at Cajun Field and a 34-10 win in a nationally-televised game last season in San Marcos.
Among FBS programs, the Ragin’ Cajuns are ranked 24th in rushing offense, averaging 217.0 yards per game. UL Lafayette leads the Sun Belt Conference, and is 36th nationally, in third-down conversion percentage (43.4 percent).
Individually, McGuire is 10th in scoring (11.5), 31st in all-purpose yards (139.0) and 32nd in rushing yards per game (103.8).
UL Monroe Warhawks
Head coach Todd Berry gets a return trip to his alma mater. He was a quarterback for Tulsa from 1979-81 before suffering a career-ending knee injury.
The Warhawks and Golden Hurricane have met just three times before, with Tulsa winning two of those meetings.
The matchup is part of a home-and-home the teams scheduled several years ago. Tulsa came to Monroe for the 2007 home opener.
Since that contest, the only current American Athletic Conference team that ULM has faced is Tulane (2008, 2012, 2013).
The Warhawks had 21 consecutive points from the second quarter till the early fourth in the Georgia Southern game on Saturday.
ULM’s first offensive play of the second half was a 69-yard connection from Garrett Smith to Ajalen Holley, the Warhawks’ longest play from scrimmage of the year. It was also Holley’s longest career reception. Holley had eight catches for 166 yards as the Warhawks’ top offensive performer. He has 16 for 321 in two home contests.
Jared Mapps’ 12-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter was his first score as a Warhawk.
D’Marius Gillespie’s 10-yard touchdown catch was the first of his career. He got his first collegiate touch in the second quarter.
The Junior Williams 56-yard pick-six was ULM’s first since Mitch Lane accomplished the feat against Wake Forest in 2014. It marked back-to-back weeks a Warhawk collected his first career interception (Tre’ Hunter against Alabama).
Ben Banogu had three tackles-for-loss on the heels of getting his first career TFL against Alabama. It was the most by a Warhawk since Michael Johnson (4.5) and Lorenzo Jackson (3.0) accomplished the feat against New Mexico State in 2014.
Hunter Kissinger’s 12 stops were his most since a career-high 13 against Texas A&M in 2014.
New Mexico State Aggies
The NM State football team is set to take on No. 13 Ole Miss on Saturday at 10 a.m. MT in Vaught–Hemingway Stadium. The game will be televised on the SEC Network and broadcast on AM 570.
The Aggies (0-4) dropped a 38-29 decision to Rio Grande rival New Mexico on Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M. The NM State defense limited the Lobos to just 45 yards in the air, while they gained passing 108 yards. In addition, the Aggies rushed for 308 yards and capitalized on 2-of-3 red zone chances.
Sophomore Larry Rose III had a career-high 260 rushing yards and a career-high three touchdowns against New Mexico. Rose III used 21 carries to garner 260 of the Aggies’ 303 rushing yards. He had a long rush of 67 yards and averaged 12.4 yards per carry. These yards rank third in school history for a single game, and this was also the first time a NM State football player rushed for three touchdowns since 2011. Rose III began to make his impact on the first drive of the game as he rushed for a first down and then used his speed to collect a 63-yard touchdown. After falling behind 14-7, Rose III capped a three-play, 75-yard drive with a 67-yard touchdown to tie the game. Rose III then continued his career-night as he capped a two-play, 30-second drive with a 51-yard run into the end zone. Rose III now has 579 rushing yards on 71 carries to average 8.2 yards per carry and 144.8 yards per game. The sophomore has a team-high six touchdowns on the year, with a long rush of 82 yards. Four of Rose III’s touchdowns have been 50 or more yards.
Defensively, Derek Ibekwe led the team as he was one shy of his career-high in tackles with a game-high 13. Ibekwe racked up 10 unassisted tackles and three assisted tackles, as well as two tackles for loss. He now leads the team in tackles with 36 on the season and has a team-high 3.0 tackles for loss. Ibekwe’s defense helped limit the Lobos to just 45 passing yards and 6-of-17 third down conversions.
Parker Davidson kicked a career-high three field goals against the Lobos. The freshman collected a 41-yard field goal, a 25-yard field goal and a 39-yard field goal. He amassed 361 kickoff yards, with two touchbacks, to average 51.6 yards per kick. In the first quarter, Davidson completed a four-play drive with a 41-yard field goal as the Aggies took a 17-14 lead. Davidson then added a 25-yard field goal for the Aggies with 1 second left before the break to give NM State a 26-14 advantage going into the locker room. After the NM State special teams unit forced a fumble and recovered it for the Aggies, Davidson completed an eight-play, 11-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal as NM State stretched the lead to 29-14.
South Alabama Jaguars
The Jaguars opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 24-18 victory at Troy, winning the “Battle For The Belt” while claiming their second straight victory in the series. … It’s the second straight season that USA has claimed its first league road game; the Jags have won four of their last six Sun Belt road contests dating back to a Nov. 30, 2013, victory at Georgia State. … One week after giving up school-record totals for points and total offense in a loss to North Carolina State, the Jaguar defense rebounded to surrender just 18 points and 265 yards to the Trojans, both the lowest figures the unit has allowed this fall. It marked the fourth time since the start of the 2012 campaign that USA has given up fewer than 300 yards overall in a conference game, with the Jags going on to win each of those contests. … Junior Kalen Jackson highlighted that defensive effort with two interceptions that led to the USA’s final 10 points as well as six unassisted tackles including a career-best two behind the line of scrimmage. With the Jags up 14-8 as the second quarter began, the linebacker recorded a stop for a nine-yard loss on the Trojans’ first snap before intercepting a pass he ran back 10 yards to the Troy-9 that would lead to a touchdown three plays later. The Jaguars were still ahead 21-15 in the third quarter when he picked off another pass while falling backward, with the Jags taking the ball down the other end of a field to set up a field goal in the last minute of the period for the team’s final points; with the effort, Jackson became the first individual in the program to intercept two passes in a game since Sept. 14, 2013. … Gerald Everett became the first tight end in program history to record two touchdown receptions in a game in South Alabama’s six-point victory at Troy, finishing with a game-high-tying five receptions for 45 yards in the contest. His 17-yard scoring catch with the Jaguars facing third-and-seven gave USA the lead for good with just over a minute to go in the opening quarter, and he extended that advantage three minutes later after taking a short pass to the end zone with the Jags once again facing third down. It was the first time this season that a Jaguar has caught multiple touchdown passes, and the second time this fall the junior has recorded five or more receptions; with the effort, the junior moved into the top five on the school’s season record list as he already has caught five touchdowns passes in the Jags’ first five games. … Sophomore DB Jeremy Reaves posted six stops — all of the solo variety — in the win over the Trojans, giving him five or more stops in all five contests to date. With the Jaguars protecting a nine-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, Reaves recorded a tackle for a loss of seven yards on a first-and-goal play from the USA-11, helping force the Trojans to settle for a field goal; it’s the fifth outing a row that he has been credited with a stop behind the line, the longest streak by a Jag since Jesse Kelley accomplished the feat from Nov. 16, 2013-Sept. 6, 2014.
Texas State Bobcats
Following Texas State’s last game at Houston, Dennis Franchione announced that John Thompson made the decision to resign as defensive coordinator and that Brad Franchione would take over as the interim defensive coordinator. Brad Franchione has served as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator since coming to Texas State in 2011. He also was the head coach at Blinn College from 2006-10 when the Buccaneers won a pair of NJCAA national championships and were ranked among the Top 10 teams three other times. He began his career as a student coach with the secondary at New Mexico and has been coaching defense in various capacities at Arkansas State, Fort Scott College, East Central, West Alabama, Tennessee Martin, Bacone College and Texas A&M Commerce during his career.
Coming off a bye week, Texas State enters this Saturday’s game at UL Lafayette looking for its second win of the season. The Bobcats enter the game with a 1-3 record and look to win their first road game of the season after falling at Houston and at No. 10 Florida State.
Texas State enters the UL Lafayette game looking to improve its record to 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference openers and improve its record to 8-8 in Sun Belt Conference games after posting a 5-3 record against SBC teams last year and beating Idaho 35-30 in San Marcos last season. The Bobcats fell 48-24 at UL Lafayette in 2013.
Texas State is ranked 21st nationally and leading Sun Belt teams in total offense after averaging 485.3 yards per game in its four non-conference games. The Bobcats accumulated 401 yards at Houston after gaining 591 yards against Southern Miss, 649 yards versus Prairie View A&M and 300 yards at No. 10-ranked Florida State.
Texas State ranks 36th nationally and is second among Sun Belt Conference teams in scoring offense after averaging 35.8 points per game through the first four contests. The Bobcats scored a season-best 63 points against Prairie View A&M and tallied 50 points versus Southern Miss. Texas State netted 16 points at No. 10-ranked Florida State and 14 points at Houston.
Texas State is one of five teams in the nation to rank among the NCAA’s top 30 teams in both passing and rushing offenses this season. The other four teams are Baylor, Houston, TCU and West Virginia. The Bobcats also are the only Sun Belt Conference team to rank among the top four league leaders in both offensive categories.
Texas State ranks 30th nationally and fourth in the Sun Belt Conference with four fumble recoveries this season. Brandon McDowell recovered a fumble against Southern Miss after Trey McGowan and Dallas McClarty each recovered a fumble against Prairie View A&M. In addition, Dante Clanton recovered a fumble at Florida State.
Troy Trojans
Teddy Ruben had 163 all-purpose yards, going over 150 yards for the second consecutive home game. Ruben had 174 all-purpose yards against Charleston Southern … Brandon Silvers’ streak of 192 passes without an interception ended in the first quarter. Entering the game, the streak was the second longest in the country. His streak of 33 quarters without an interception entered the game as the longest in the country … OL Tyler Lassiter made his first appearance of the season in the first quarter … Emanuel Thompson caught the first touchdown pass of his career on a six-yard reception from Brandon Silvers in the first quarter … Brandon Burks rushed in for a two-point conversion, the first successful two-point conversion from Troy since October 26, 2013 against Western Kentucky … Running back Andre Flakes scored the second touchdown of his career on a 20-yard rush in the second quarter. His two touchdowns came in back-to-back home games … Running back Brandon Burks moved into 16th place all-time in Troy history with 1,578 rushing yards after rushing for 83 yards against the Jaguars … Wide receiver Bryan Holmes moved into 18th place all-time in Troy history with1,266 receiving yards after gaining 26 receiving yards against South Alabama … Linebacker Justin Lucas intercepted a pass in the second quarter for the first interception of his career and Troy’s first interception of the season … Troy had a season high five sacks. The Trojans now have 11 on the season, that after only having 17 total last season … The Trojans finished the game with five sacks, the most since they recorded six on September 7, 2013 against Savannah State … Safety Montres Kitchens recorded a season-high nine tackles. His previous season high was seven against Charleston Southern … Safety JaQuadrian Lewis tallied a season-high six tackles. His previous season-high was three against Wisconsin … Linebacker Terris Lewis tied his career-high with seven tackles. He recorded seven against Arkansas State in 2013 … Cornerback Jalen Harris tied his career-high four tackles. He recorded four against Wisconsin … Defensive tackle Seth Calloway tied his career-high with four tackles. This is the third time he has posted four tackles … Jed Solomon converted on a career-long 33-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. His previous career-long was a 32-yarder against Charleston Southern.