WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Oct. 2
App State at Georgia State 1:00 p.m. ESPN+
ULM at No. 16/16 Coastal Carolina 1:30 p.m. ESPN+
Troy at South Carolina 2:30 p.m. SEC Network
Arkansas State at Georgia Southern 3:00 p.m. ESPN+
Louisiana at South Alabama 7:00 p.m. ESPN+
All Times CT
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
BLAME IT ALL ON MY ROOTS
A pair of college teammates—Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliott and App State head coach Shawn Clark—will square off when Georgia State hosts App State at 1 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+. Elliott and Clark were teammates at App State in 1994 and 1995—and Elliott spent 13 seasons on the coaching staff for the Mountaineers (1997-2009) before taking the reins of the Panther program in 2017. App State is 7-0 in the all-time series, with last season’s 17-13 Mountaineer victory being the closest margin to date.
KEEP THE STREAK
No. 16/16 Coastal Carolina, which has been ranked in both national polls for 16-straight weeks, carries a nine-game conference winning streak into its 2021 conference opener versus ULM at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+. The Chanticleers also boast a 10-game unbeaten streak at Brooks Stadium. On the opposing sideline, ULM is coming off back-to-back victories for the first time since a string of four-straight wins from Oct. 13-Nov. 10, 2018. The Warhawks are 3-0 all-time against Coastal Carolina, including handing the Chanticleers their most recent conference loss, 45-42, on Nov. 23, 2019.
MEN OF TROY
Troy’s defensive unit ranks fifth in the nation, allowing just 243.5 yards per game, trailing only Georgia (181.8), Wisconsin (210.3), Iowa State (217.2) and Houston (230.3). The Trojans also rank second in the country with 4.50 sacks per game and fourth with 9.5 tackles for loss per game. That nationally-ranked defense will attempt to lead Troy to victory when it visits South Carolina at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network. A win would be the Trojans first over the Gamecocks, who lead the all-time series 3-0, and would be the team’s second over an SEC foe since 2017, joining its 24-21 win over LSU on Sept. 30, 2017.
IN THE WIN COLUMN
After season-opening victories on Sept. 4, Arkansas State and Georgia Southern have each dropped three-straight. One team will get back in the win column this weekend, when the Eagles host the Red Wolves at 3 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+. The Red Wolves lead the all-time series, 3-2, including a 38-33 win in the latest meeting on Nov. 23, 2019.
BEST IN THE WEST
Louisiana has never lost a Sun Belt Conference West Division game under head coach Billy Napier. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who have won three-straight West Division titles, will visit an unbeaten South Alabama squad at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+. Louisiana owns a 7-2 record in the all-times series, including five-straight victories, though South Alabama is 2-2 in home contests against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
