2018 Sun Belt Football News and Notes:
Week 4 Release (PDF) | Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Championship Info
AROUND #SUNBELTFB
TROY BEATS NEBRASKA
Troy took down a Power Five conference opponent for the second consecutive year as the Trojans beat Nebraska 24-19 this past Saturday. Last year they won at then-No. 25 LSU. The win added to Troy’s sixth consecutive road win streak which is the fourth-longest active streak in the country. The win by the Trojans marked the first time a Sun Belt team has defeated a Big Ten team since 2011. The Big Ten had won 12 consecutive games against Sun Belt teams. The win was also the first for the Sun Belt against Nebraska in nine attempts (fourth as a Big Ten member).
COASTAL CAROLINA AND HURRICANE FLORENCE
Hurricane Florence caused many changes in the college football schedule in week three, but one of the most unique schedule changes came when Coastal Carolina decided to play its regularly scheduled opponent on only three full days rest and travel to that team’s venue. The Chanticleers, only days removed from a win at home against UAB, decided to travel to Campbell to face the Camels on Wednesday at Buies Creek, N.C. Despite a slow start, Coastal finished with an easy 58-21 win. Since the Campbell game, the entire program and their families have remained evacuated near Jacksonville, Fla. The team is likely to stay there until Friday when they will then travel to play Louisiana in Lafayette on Saturday evening.
SUN BELT, COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION GO THE EXTRA YARD FOR TEACHERS
The Sun Belt Conference and the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation are partnering up in 2018-19 to recognize teachers through the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) platform. The CFP Foundation created EYFT Week in 2015 to provide an opportunity for universities, coaches and student-athletes to take part in its mission of elevating the teaching profession through inspiring and empowering teachers, and to create awareness for the growing EYFT platform. Now in the event’s fourth year, the CFP Foundation is looking to build even more momentum for the support of teachers nationwide. Each of the 10 Sun Belt football-playing institutions will receive a $10,000 grant from the CFP Foundation to use in their respective local communities to recognize teachers for their hard work and dedication and to provide classroom supplies and professional development resources.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jamarius Way, South Alabama (Sr., WR, Belle Glade, Fla.)
Jamarius Way caught 11 passes for 173 yards, both totals are the most recorded by anyone in the Sun Belt Conference thus far this season, and a touchdown to help South defeat Texas State in the league opener for both schools. The senior set a USA game record for receptions, while his yardage total was the second-highest posted in a game in program history as he finished with 100-plus yards for the third time since joining the team last fall. Way had a 54-yard catch to set up the Jags’ first touchdown of the contest, a 63-yarder that led to their next touchdown and then an 18-yard scoring reception for the final points of the night. Way became the ninth Jaguar to ever accumulate 1,000 receiving yards in a career, and he also moved into eighth place on the school’s all-time list as he now has 65 catches in just 15 outings.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tron Folsom, Troy (Jr., LB, Alma, Ga.)
Tron Folsom led the Trojan defense for the second straight week - this time with a game-high 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a key pass break up in Troy’s victory at Nebraska. Folsom led a unit that forced three turnovers and held Nebraska to just 364 yards of total offense as Troy won a Power Five road game for the second straight season. Folsom’s two tackles for loss were part of 10 from the Troy defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Sumpter, Troy (So., K/P, Hoover, Ala.)
Troy’s Tyler Sumpter averaged 53.8 yards per punt, just one yard shy of a school record, booted a field goal and was true on three extra points in Troy’s victory at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were not able to return any of his five punts and he finished with a 49.8 net in the game. Sumpter’s first punt of the game led to Troy flipping the field with a 79-yard punt to open the game; it was the longest in Troy’s FBS history and second longest in its DI history.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 22
Western Michigan at Georgia State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Gardner Webb at Appalachian State, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
* Coastal Carolina at Louisiana, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
UNLV at Arkansas State, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
* Troy at ULM, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Texas State at UTSA, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
South Alabama at Memphis, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
All Times are Central and Subject to Change
* - Sun Belt Conference contest
RECENT RESULTS
Saturday, September 15
Troy 24, Nebraska 19 (BTN)
#2 Clemson 38, Georgia Southern 7 (ESPN2)
* South Alabama 41, Texas State 31 (ESPN+)
Arkansas State 29, Tulsa 20 (CBS Sports Network)
#16 Mississippi State 56, Louisiana 10 (ESPN2)
Texas A&M 48, ULM 10 (SEC Network)
Southern Miss at Appalachian State - Canceled
Friday, September 14
Memphis 59, Georgia State 22 (ESPN)
Wednesday, September 12
Coastal Carolina 58, Campbell 21 (ESPN3)
* - Sun Belt Conference contest
#SUNBELTFB TEAM NEWS AND NOTES
Appalachian State
Overall vs. Gardner Webb: Eighth Meeting – App. State Leads, 7-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 6, 2007 (W, 45-7) – Boone, N.C.
App State and Gardner-Webb will meet for the eighth time overall and the first time since the Mountaineers claimed a 45-7 home victory in 2007. Appalachian is 7-0 in the series with a 6-0 record in Boone.
Playing in Boone for the first time in 2018 after last weekend’s scheduled game with Southern Miss was canceled because of Hurricane Florence, App State is 65-20-2 in home openers. The Sept. 22 game against Gardner-Webb will be the Mountaineers’ latest home opener since they won 38-14 against East Tennessee State on Sept. 26, 1992. App State opened that season with back-to-back road games against NC State and Wake Forest before having a bye week.
Corey Sutton’s three-catch, 155-yard game at Charlotte included a 90-yard TD that ranked as the nation’s longest reception through two weeks and is now No. 2 behind a 95-yard touchdown reception from Penn State’s Daniel George on Sept. 15. Sutton ranks No. 3 nationally at 26.89 yards per reception thanks to five catches of at least 27 yards in his last five quarters.
Among FBS quarterbacks, App State’s Zac Thomas is No. 5 nationally in completion percentage (75.0), No. 6 in yards per attempt (10.9) and No. 7 in passer rating (194.15).
Arkansas State
Overall vs. UNLV: Second Meeting – UNLV Leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 9, 1995 (L, 23-28) – Las Vegas, Nevada
Arkansas State stands 2-1 through its first three games for the first time since the 2013 season and for the fifth time since moving to FBS status in 1992 (2018, 2013, 2008, 2003, 1995).
Arkansas State is set to host UNLV this week, catching the Rebels for the second time in school history. The lone meeting between the two programs saw UNLV claim a 28-23 home win in 1995
With its win over Tulsa, the Red Wolves now stand 3-2 all-time versus the Golden Hurricane and 2-2 against American Athletic Conference members (at the time of the game). The 29-20 outcome against Tulsa gave the Red Wolves their first non-conference road victory since defeating Texas A&M in College Station in 2008.
Head Coach Blake Anderson now holds the most victories by an A-State head coach over his first five seasons at the school.
Arkansas State has rushed for at least 170 yards in all three games this season, while it reached the mark in four games total for the entire 2017 season.
A-State has posted double figure tackles for loss in two of its three games and are ranked 20th in the nation in the stat, while also ranking 23rd in sacks.
Coastal Carolina
Overall vs. Louisiana: First Meeting
Despite being having its home game moved up four days and relocated to the opponents’ home turf due to Hurricane Florence, the Chanticleers scored 58 points, the most in their young FBS era, in a 58-21 road win at Campbell University on Wednesday, Sept. 12.
The Chants totaled 574 yards of total offense and held Campbell to just 306 yards for the contest, including a meager 71 yards in the second half of play.
The Chants, who have outscored their opponents 61-0 in the second half the last two games, will open up its 2018 Sun Belt Conference slate this weekend at Louisiana. The third road game of the season for CCU will be the first-ever meeting against the Ragin’ Cajuns on the gridiron.
Georgia Southern
Off week
Georgia Southern takes a 2-1 record into its bye week and will open Sun Belt play on Sept. 29 at home against Arkansas State.
The Eagles have lost their previous two contests coming off a full bye week.
Quarterback Shai Werts has already rushed for five touchdowns this season after rushing for all of three last year.
The Eagles are +5 in the turnover margin this year, recovering three fumbles and picking off four passes while losing just two fumbles.
GS has been assessed just nine penalties in three games.
Georgia State
Overall vs. Western Michigan: First Meeting
Looking to rebound from a pair of tough road losses, Georgia State returns home to host Mid-American Conference foe Western Michigan Saturday at Georgia State Stadium.
First-year starting quarterback Dan Ellington opened his GSU career by leading a 24-20 season-opening victory over Kennesaw State as he threw three touchdown passes, including the 8-yard game-winner to Diondre Champaigne with 41 seconds left. Ellington was 20-for-28 for 187 yards while rushing for 77 yards on 18 attempts.
Georgia State and Western Michigan are meeting for the first time. The Panthers will play the return game at Kalamazoo on Sept. 14, 2019.
The Panthers are 1-1 against MAC teams after splitting a pair of games vs. Ball State in 2015 (GSU 31-19 at Ball State) and 2016 (BSU 31-21 at the Georgia Dome).
Georgia State features one of the nation’s top receivers in junior Penny Hart, a Preseason All-American who led the Sun Belt Conference in 2017 with a school-record 74 receptions for 1,121 yards and eight touchdowns. Hart ranks first among all active FBS receivers in career receiving yards per game (80.5). He is second in receptions per game (5.50), third in receiving yards (2,415), fifth in receptions (165) and fourth in TD receptions (18), all in 30 games.
Brandon Wright leads the nation with an average of 53.0 yards per punt, which helps Georgia State stand 12th nationally in net punting at 42.6
Louisiana
Overall vs. Coastal Carolina: First Meeting
Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina is the Sun Belt Conference opener for Louisiana and they will try to win their conference opener for the first time since 2016.
Louisiana is coming off a 56-10 loss at No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday, Sept. 15.
Senior quarterback Andre Nunez was again extremely accurate during the game against the Bulldogs, finishing 21 for 29 (72.4 percent) tossing 224 yards and one touchdown in the game.
Nunez sits at 78.4 completion percentage and that’s a number that’s good enough to put him at number two in the FBS in completion percentage
Senior kicker Kyle Pfau kicked the first field goal of the season (38 yards) for Louisiana in the opening drive of the game at Mississippi State.
Louisiana is one of 30 teams in the FBS that are still perfect in the red zone (8-8) and the Cajuns are one of four teams in the Sun Belt Conference that are 100 percent in the red zone.
ULM
Overall vs. Troy: 17th Meeting, Troy Leads 9-7-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 7, 2015 (L, 14-51) – Troy, Ala.
ULM enters its 18th season of Sun Belt competition with a 5-12 record (.294) in league openers. The Warhawks are 1-1 in Sun Belt openers under Matt Viator, including last year’s 56-50 double-overtime victory over the Ragin’ Cajuns in Lafayette.
Junior quarterback Caleb Evans recorded his second 200-yard passing game of the season and ninth of his career, completing 15-of-28 passes for 225 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown toss to R.J. Turner, and one interception. Evans currently ranks second in the Sun Belt in passing yards (255.3 ypg.) and total offense (296.7 ypg.).
ULM ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in sacks (tied for second at 3.0 per game), rushing defense (third at 137.0 yards per game) and interceptions (tied for fourth with 3).
South Alabama
Overall vs. Memphis: First Meeting
The Jaguars defeated Texas State, 41-31 Saturday in the opening Sun Belt Conference matchup of the 2018 season, earning not only their initial victory of the year but their first under first-year head coach Steve Campbell.
South — which trailed by 15 points after the Bobcats scored on their first possession of the second half — recorded the third-largest deficit overcome in a win in the program’s first nine-plus seasons of competition. It was also the first time the Jags have won a game when trailing after three quarters since Oct. 29, 2016, when they came back from a 10-3 deficit to earn a 13-10 victory over Georgia State.
In addition to recording three takeaways, the Jag defense was credited with 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage and six passes broken up. It’s the first time USA has had 10 or more tackles for loss in back-to-back contests since posting 10 in both a win over New Mexico State in the regular-season finale and against Air Force in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl in December 2016.
Jalen Thompson intercepted two passes in the victory over Texas State, returning the first 55 yards for a touchdown. Not only did he set a school game record with 84 yards in returns, the second run back left the Jags needing just four yards for the game-clinching score with 33 seconds to go, but Thompson also broke up three passes while adding three tackles. With the effort, the junior tied USA’s all-time mark with eight career interceptions while becoming the first player in school history with multiple interception returns for a touchdown in a career.
Texas State
Overall vs. UTA: Third Meeting – UTSA Leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 23, 2017 (L, 14-44) – San Marcos, Texas
Texas State will look to even its record to 2-2 when the Bobcats travel to San Antonio and play UTSA in the H-E-B I-35 Showdown at the Alamodome.
Texas State recovered three fumbles against South Alabama, the highest single-game total in the Sun Belt Conference this season. It also is the most fumble recoveries by the Bobcats since they recovered three at Georgia State in 2016.
Texas State has five fumble recoveries overall this season. That total leads the Sun Belt Conference, and the Bobcats are tied for fifth among national leaders this season.
For the second straight year, Texas State is ranked near the top 40 teams nationally in rushing defense. The Bobcats enter the UTSA game ranked 42nd in the nation and second in the Sun Belt after surrendering an average of 123.3 yards per game in the first three contests. Last season, the Bobcats were ranked 40th in the nation, giving up an average of 141.7 yards per game.
Texas State enters the UTSA game ranked 16th nationally in blocked kicks, with one this season. The blocked kick came at South Alabama when London Harris blocked an extra-point attempt.
Troy
Overall vs. ULM: 17th Meeting, Troy Leads 9-7-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 7, 2015 (L, 14-51) – Troy, Ala.
Troy’s victory over Nebraska marks Troy’s second straight over a Power Five opponent. Troy also defeated No. 22 LSU, 24-21, last season
Troy won its sixth straight road game which is the fourth-longest active streak in the country.
Kaleb Barker’s 39-yard pass to Damion Willis on Troy’s second drive of the game was the Trojans’ longest passing play of the season and led to Troy’s first points of the game.
Sawyer Smith’s 57-yard rush in the second quarter was a career best and the longest offensive play of the season for the Trojans. It was the longest run by a Troy quarterback since Hansell Bearden scampered 63 yards against Southern Utah in 2002.
B.J. Smith gave Troy a 17-0 lead in the second quarter with his third rushing touchdown of the season and fourth of his career. Smith added his second touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter for his first multi-touchdown game of his career.
Tyler Murray recorded his second career sack and added his second-career interception.