WEEK 6 GAME SCHEDULE
Thursday October 3, 2024
Texas State Bobcats vs Troy Trojans
SERIES INFORMATION
Overall: Troy leads 13-1
At Troy: 8-0
At San Marcos: 5-1
Neutral Sites: 0-0
Current Streak: W12
Gerad Parker vs. Texas State: 0-0
GJ Kinne vs. Troy: 0-1
First Meeting: W, 24-13 (1996)
Last Meeting: W, 31-13 (2023)
Texas State Notes
A WIN VS. TROY MEANS…
• The Bobcats get their second win over the program and first since a 31-17 home victory in 1997. • Texas State has won 4 of 6 dating back to the 2023 season. • TXST opens the Sun Belt Conference slate 1-0 for the second consecutive season. • The Bobcats are 5-4 in their last nine SBC outings dating back to the start of 2023.
OPENING DRIVE
• Texas State is coming off a historic 2023 season that saw the program win its first bowl game, in its first appearance, a 45-21 victory over Rice in the SERVEPRO First Responder Bowl. • The Bobcats set an FBS-program record with eight wins. • Texas State posted the highest season attendance average the program has seen in 2023 at 21,184 (127,102 total). • Texas State opened the season receiving votes in the US LBM preseason Coaches Poll and received eight votes in the week 3 edition. • Texas State finished 7-2 across nine games played in the state of Texas in 2023. • TXST is coming off a 40-39 loss to Sam Houston State on Sept. 28. • The Bobcats play four weekday (non-Saturday) games in 2024. TXST had not played a weekday game since Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. The first of 2024 was a 31-28 loss to Arizona State on Thursday, Sept. 12. • Nash Jones was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award.
TALKING POINTS
While Texas State’s offense was one of the highest scoring in the country in 2023, the season was also its highest scoring in the school’s FBS history. • Texas State set an FBS school record with 477 points scored, besting the previous mark of 406 set in 2014. • It was only the second time in the school’s FBS history that the Bobcats scored 400+ points in a single season (406 in 2014). • The 477 points were the most points scored by Texas State in any season besting the 470 in 13 games in 2008 as an FCS program. That year, Texas State scored 457 points in 12 regular season games (432 in 2023 regular season). • Texas State scored 40+ points in 6 games last season, which topped the overall program record of 5 previously set in 1967 and 1983. • The Bobcats scored 265 points in conference play in 2023 (8 games). In 2022, Texas State scored 253 points all season (12 games).
PLAY FAST, GO BIG
Part of Texas State’s unprecedented scoring output is its ability to play fast and hit big plays. • The Bobcats tied for 19th in the nation with 215 plays from scrimmage of 10+ yards (69 in 2024). • Texas State had 76 plays of 20+ yards, which tied for 17th in the country (19 in 2024). • TXST was tied for 13th in the country in pace of offense with a play every 23.1 seconds. Jacksonville State led the country at 20.3
MAKING OUR POINT
TXST has scored 150 points through four games in 2024, one of three seasons with 150+ dating back to 2012 when the Bobcats joined the FBS. 2024 150 2023 167 2014 158
GOING FOR A DRIVE
Texas State’s offense scored on 45% of its drives (57 TD, 15 FG on 160 drives) in 2023 and scored on 55% (6/11) in the season opener against Lamar. • TXST sits at 43% to open 2024, scoring on 22 of 51 drives. • Texas State was 7-1 when it scored on 40 percent or higher of its offensive drives in a game, with wins against Baylor (50%), Jackson State (85%), Nevada (42%), Southern Miss (43%), ULM (42%), Georgia Southern (64%), and South Alabama (50%). Its lone loss was against Louisiana (60%). • The Bobcats averaged 2.66 points per drive in non-garbage time drives against FBS opponents, according to BCFToys.com, the 29th best in the country. • Texas State averaged 10+ yards per play on 23 percent of its drives, which was 8th-best in the nation according to BCFToys.com (non-garbage time drives against FBS opponents only).
TOTAL OFFENSE
Texas State’s offense set the FBS program record for most yards in a season in 2023. • Texas State’s 5,961 total yards of offense bested the program’s previous FBS record of 5,573 set in 2014. • The overall program record for most yards of total offense in a season is 6,147 set in 2005 (14 games). • The Bobcats had 486+ yards of offense 6 times in 2023, a yardage total they matched exactly to open the 2024 season and bested in against UTSA (504)
Troy Notes
Did You Know?
• Devonte Ross became the first player in Troy’s DI history to record a pair of 60-plus yard catches in the same game • All of Troy’s defensive coaches have served as a DC at the college level – Chris Boone, Nathan Burton, Justin Manning, Travis Pearson • Troy has forced 192 turnovers since the start of the 2016 season, which is the second most in the country • Troy’s games in 2024 have averaged just 117.2 combined plays, the second fewest in the country (Kentucky, 112.6) • Troy’s eight conference titles since 2006 are tied with Clemson for the fifth most over that period • Chris Lewis will miss the 2024 season as a result of his 10-week chemotherapy treatment at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham and surgery this past spring to remove the tumor. He finished the 2023 season ranked 16th in the country with 10 touchdown catches and led the country, averaging 22.97 yards per catch • Negative plays have been the key to Troy’s success on defense … the Trojans have not allowed points on any drive this season in which they record a sack (0-for-2) or if the first play went for a loss (0-for-4) • 60-yard receptions in the same game have not been easy to come by for the Trojans; in fact, Troy’s two at Iowa (both by Devonte Ross) marked the first time Troy had two 60-yard catches in the same game since 2009 vs. UAB • Devonte Ross became the first Troy player with multiple touchdown receptions in consecutive games since Eric Thomas had two against North Texas and Florida Atlantic in 2011. Ross had two touchdown receptions at Iowa and had three against Florida A&M • Damien Taylor ranks 20th nationally with five rushes of 20-plus yards and ranks ninth nationally among running backs with at least 50 carries averaging 4.75 yards after contact • Troy has scored on 90.9 percent of its drives this season which have covered 10 or more plays (10- of-11)
Troy in Season Openers / Home Openers
• The Trojans are 11-11 in season openers since moving to the FBS in 2001. • Troy is 54-42-6 all-time in season openers and 19-11 as a NCAA Division I (FCS & FBS) member (1993-present). • Troy has won four straight home openers and seven of the last eight (Boise State, 2018).
Saturday October 5, 2024
Appalachian State Mountaineers vs Marshall Thundering Herd
Saturday’s meeting at Joan C. Edwards Stadium will be the 27th all-time meeting between the schools, who played as Southern Conference rivals for many years and now have reunited in the Sun Belt. App State leads the series by a 16-10 margin.
Appalachian State Notes
TOP STORYLINES
• Resuming action Saturday would be App State’s first game appearance in 16 days. After playing a Thursday night game against South Alabama on Sept. 19, the impact of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27 and beyond led to the cancelation of the Sept. 28 home game against Liberty. • To donate to the App State Disaster Relief fund, which benefits students, faculty and staff, visit https://goapp.st/Relief and scroll down to the relief section under “Selected Designations.” • Aside from 2020, when COVID altered schedules throughout the country, App State last had a game canceled in 2018. That year, a Sept. 15 home game against Southern Miss was canceled due to concerns associated with Hurricane Florence. • Charleston, W.Va., native Shawn Clark attended George Washington High (less than an hour east of Huntington) and was a four-year offensive line starter at App State from 1994-98. As a sophomore All-SoCon performer, he helped No. 2 App State win 10-3 at No. 3 Marshall in 1995, the year of the Mountaineers’ last victory in Huntington (with losses in 2002, 2020 and 2022). • This will be the third league game between App State-Marshall since 1996 — they were both FCS-level Southern Conference members from 1977-96 and were in different leagues until the Thundering Herd joined the Sun Belt before the 2022 season and won 28-21 in Huntington. Last year, playing a post-October game on a Saturday night in Kidd Brewer Stadium for the first time, App State prevailed 31-9 to post its third-largest margin of victory in the series. • In addition to the one-off game in 2002, when Marshall was an FBS program, they renewed their series with nonleague games in 2020 (at Marshall) and 2021 (in Boone, where Chandler Staton hit a go-ahead field goal from 45 yards with 5:45 left on a Thursday night in front of 28,377 fans. • App State is 96-32 since starting 1-5 in its 2014 FBS debut. The only teams with more wins than the Mountaineers’ 97 since their transition are Alabama (131), Clemson (122), Ohio State (119), Georgia (117), Oklahoma (106), Notre Dame (99 and Michigan (98). App State is tied for No. 5 nationally with 36 road wins since 2014, with a 29-11 mark in SBC regular-season road games. • With 1,230 passing yards (No. 9 in FBS at 307.5 yards per game) and six TD passes this year, including 424 yards at ECU, Joey Aguilar is the nation’s only returning FBS QB who had 33-plus TD passes and 3,700-plus passing yards in 2023. His 15 TD passes to either tie a game or give his team a lead led the country in 2023, and he has two more of those TD passes in 2024.
MORE STORYLINES
• Armanti Edwards, a record-setting and title-winning QB for the Mountaineers from 2006-09, is one of 22 members of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class. The official induction ceremony will be held Dec. 10 during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. • App State, which led the Sun Belt with 14 alums on NFL rosters in 2023, again has a league-high 14 alums on current rosters this season. • The only FBS programs in the country with four conference championship game appearances in the last six seasons are App State, Alabama, Boise State, Clemson, Georgia, Oregon and Utah. The Mountaineers have won four Sun Belt titles overall, plus division titles in 2021 and 2023. • Under head coach Shawn Clark, App State is one of five G5 programs (and 14 FBS programs) with at least three nine-win seasons since the start of 2020. • Shawn Clark’s team ranked 33rd nationally by returning 68 percent of its production from 2023. The roster had 34 scholarship newcomers entering 2024, including 15 from the transfer portal. • Shawn Clark has led the Mountaineers to a win over a ranked opponent in each of the last three years: 30-27 over No. 14 Coastal Carolina in 2021, 17-14 over No. 6 Texas A&M in 2022 and 26-23 (OT) over No. 18 James Madison in 2023. App State is 3-3 in its last six games vs. ranked teams. • Under head coach Shawn Clark, App State is 18-1 when winning the turnover battle. • App State was among the programs featured by EA Sports in the promotion of the College Football 25 video game, with WR Kaedin Robinson receiving extended exposure as a returner. • Nine team captains have been named for the 2024 season: DE Kevin Abrams-Verwayne, QB Joey Aguilar, RB Anderson Castle, SAF Jordan Favors, STAR/SPT Andre Hamilton, ILB Brendan Harrington, WR Christan Horn, WR Kaedin Robinson and K Michael Hughes. • App State is one of 32 FBS teams that returns the same head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, starting quarterback and head strength coach from 2023. • Falling behind 16-0 after one quarter at ECU, App State posted its largest comeback win since a Sun Belt game at Idaho in 2017, when the Mountaineers overcame a 20-0 deficit to win 23-20. • Last month, Kidd Brewer Stadium was listed at No. 23 overall on ESPN’s list of top 25 college football stadiums in the country. Fourteen of the top 17 crowds in stadium history have occurred since the start of 2022, and all 15 home crowds in that stretch have eclipsed 30,000. The Mountaineers led all FBS schools in percentage of stadium capacity filled (115.8%) last season. • App State drew the third-biggest crowd in stadium history (36,232) for the ETSU opener, then drew 34,133 for a Thursday game vs. South Alabama. In May, season tickets sold out for the third straight year for a program that set Sun Belt season attendance records in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
OFFENSE
• QB Joey Aguilar, four of the top five running backs and five of the top seven pass-catching targets returned from 2023 for an offense with one returning starter on the offensive line. • For the first time since 2017, when Frank Ponce had a fourth straight year coaching quarterback Taylor Lamb, App State opened a season with the same starting quarterback and quarterbacks coach from the previous season. Zac Thomas played under Ponce in 2018, then had different coordinators in 2019 and 2020. Chase Brice played for different coordinators in 2021 (Ponce for his second stint in Boone) and 2022. • In addition to his 33 TD passes in 2023, a total that ranked fifth nationally, QB Joey Aguilar also set school records of 3,757 passing yards and 4,002 yards of total offense in 2023. Replacing the injured starter in the first half of the 2023 opener, he threw a TD pass on his first FBS play by hitting Kaedin Robinson for a 32-yard score. Aguilar then threw an 83-yard TD pass to Christan Horn on the second offensive snap (and first pass) of 2024. • At ECU, Joey Aguilar threw for a career-high 424 yards and two TDs, including a 36-yard, go-ahead score to Makai Jackson late in the third quarter. His 32 completions and 47 pass attempts were also career highs. The 424 passing yards set a record for a road performance by an App State QB and rank as the third-best total in program history, behind only the 433 yards from Armanti Edwards against South Carolina State in a 2008 playoff game and the 427 yards from Taylor Lamb against Coastal Carolina in 2017. • Kaedin Robinson opened 2024 with eight catches for 103 yards after tying for the Sun Belt lead last year with 10 TD receptions while catching 67 passes for 905 yards — the most single-season receiving yards by an App State player in the FBS era. He had another 100-yard game with a career-high 129 yards on seven catches at ECU, and his six-catch, 85-yard effort against South Alabama gave him at least one catch in 28 consecutive games. • TE Eli Wilson had a momentum-swinging, 34-yard TD catch in the 2024 opener and App State’s first TD at ECU. He ranked in the top three among Sun Belt tight ends in catches (34), yards (350) and touchdown catches (five) in 2023. • WR Makai Jackson scored in each of the first three games. He scored on a 47-yard end-around in the opener, led the team with an FBS career-high six catches in the loss at Clemson (including a 17-yard TD) and scored the go-ahead TD at ECU during a six-catch, 86-yard performance. • Returning from a 2023 preseason injury to play in the final six games of last year, RB Anderson Castle gained 80 yards on seven carries (only one after halftime) in the loss at Clemson and made his second career start at ECU. His late 10-yard run allowed App State to run out the clock.
DEFENSE
• App State brought back a pair of returning starters on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary. • OLB Nate Johnson (Gaffney, S.C.) and DL Santana Hopper were named Freshman All-Americans last season, when Johnson tied for first nationally among true freshmen with 7.5 sacks and Hopper made a late-season surge while contributing 3.5 sacks among his 7.5 tackles for loss. • Nate Johnson had a first-half sack at ECU erased by a targeting call, while Santana Hopper was named the national defensive player of the week by PFF College after forcing a fumble on a third-quarter sack and also stopping a run for no gain among his three tackles. PFF credited him with three QB pressures and gave him a 94.5 run-defense grade. • Against South Alabama, DE Santana Hopper forced a fumble on a sack for the second straight game. The fumble was recovered by fellow defensive lineman Shawn Collins. • In his first career start vs. South Alabama, SAF DJ Burks had a career-high 14 tackles, including one for a loss. He has 28 of his team-high 30 tackles in the last three games after totaling four tackles in his first 17 games as a Mountaineer, mostly as a special teams contributor. • ILB Brendan Harrington had six tackles, including one tackle for loss, in his inspiring return to the lineup vs. ETSU and has 16 tackles in four games. He has shown toughness and perseverance after suffering season-ending injuries early in the 2022 season (shoulder injury in the opener vs. UNC) and the 2023 season (knee injury in Week 2 vs. UNC). • A defense that recorded four sacks and recovered one fumble at ECU made another key stop when CB Seth Robertson intercepted a deep pass at the App State 31 and returned the ball 21 yards with the Mountaineers holding a two-point lead in the final five minutes. • Joshua Donald, Cahari Haynes, Montez Kelley and Santana Hopper produced sacks vs. ECU, which had 110 yards of offense in the first quarter but managed 214 yards the rest of the way. • In the 2024 opener, App State recorded three sacks over the final 18 minutes. OLB Thomas Davis accounted for 1.5 on back-to-back plays late in the third quarter. The Mountaineers limited ETSU to 305 total yards, with 80 coming on their only touchdown of the day.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• All-America kicker Michael Hughes went 2-for-2 on field goals at ECU and is 5-for-5 this season to extend his streak of consecutive makes to 16, dating back to last season. • Last year, Michael Hughes made 19 of 22 field goals, including a game-winning kick from 54 yards as time expired in a 41-40 victory at ULM. Since the start of the 2023 season, he has scored 208 points by going 33-for-39 on field goals (84.6 percent) and converting 115 extra points. • In 2023, assistant Brian Haines had at least one special teams player receive All-America recognition for the third straight year, as Michael Hughes and multi-unit coverage stalwart Jackson Greene were both honored to join kick returner Milan Tucker (2022) and kicker Chandler Staton (2021).
Marshall Notes
Home Field Advantage!
When these two teams meet on Saturday, it will mark the fifth consecutive year that these two teams have met – the first two meetings being non-conference matchups and the last two having been as rivals in the Sun Belt Conference. In each of those four meetings, the home team has emerged victorious, which includes Marshall’s 17-7 win over then-No. 23 App State on Sept. 19, 2020 in Huntington.
Homecoming Weekend!
It is always fun when Marshall and App State get together in what has been a classic rivalry over the years between the two programs. When App State travels to Huntington on Saturday, it will mark the fourth time in the series history between the teams that they have done so as the Herd’s Homecoming opponent. The last time came 31 years ago when Marshall defeated Appalachian State, 35-3, during the 1993 season. Marshall has an all-time record of 68-46-8 in Homecoming games. This is also Marshall’s “Stripe The Joan” game for 2024.
Old Dominion Monarchs vs Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record (Streak):……………………………………………………………………………………………………….1-2 (W1) at Coastal Carolina (Streak):………………………………………………………………………………………………..0-1 (L1) at Old Dominion (Streak): …………………………………………………………………………………………………1-1 (W1) Neutral Sites (Streak):…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. N/A
Last Meeting:…………………………………………………………………………………..CCU, 28-24 (11/04/23 at ODU)
Old Dominion Notes
• Old Dominion continues its three-game road trip following the bye as the Monarchs open Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Coastal Carolina. • Old Dominion delivered a hard-earned 30-27 come-frombehind win at Bowling Green last Saturday, as Aaron Young scooted in from four yards out for the winning score. • Backup quarterback Colton Joseph completed six-of-13 passes for 26 yards, including a game-saving 15-yard completion to Pat Conroy on fourth and six on the game-winning drive. Joseph rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. • ODU rushed for 189 yards on 36 carries in the win over Bowling Green. Aaron Young had a game-high 74 yards and a touchdown. • Pat Conroy had three receptions for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He caught touchdowns of nine and 75 yards. • ODU played a Division I record 11 one-score games in 2023, going 6-5 in those games. So far this season 3-of-the first-4 have been one score games and 15 of-the-last 18. • Coastal Carolina is coming off a bye. The chanticleers won their first three games of the year against Jacksonville State, William & Mary and Temple, before falling to Virginia, 43-24. • Jahron Manning had a career-high 11 tackles for the Monarchs. Defensive tackle Denzel Lowry also set a new career-best with nine stops against Virginia Tech. • Old Dominion’s 57 newcomers are the 15th most in the country and the 28 transfers (JUCO and Four-Year) are tied for 15th most in the country.
From FCS to FBS
Grant Wilson started 11-of-12 games at quarterback for ODU last season. The Fordham transfer completed 178-of-312 passes for 2,149 yards and 17 touchdowns with eight interceptions last season. He is also ODU’s leading returning rusher with 289 yards and four touchdowns.
TD Streak Continues
With his pair of touchdown passes at Bowling Green, Grant Wilson has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 10-straight games. The streak began in last year’s Week seven win over App State. Wilson completed 6-of-14 passes for 118 yards and the two touchdowns. The 75-yard touchdown pass to Conroy was Wilson’s second 70+ yard touchdown pass of the season. He completed a 72-yard TD pass to Isiah Paige in the opener at South Carolina.
Joseph Takes Over
Quarterback Colton Joseph replaced Wilson in the second half and completed 6-of-13 passes for 26 yards. Joseph’s 14-yard touchdown run gave ODU a 23-21 lead early in the fourth quarter. He carried nine times for 65 yards and the TD.
Coastal Carolina Notes
A COASTAL WIN WOULD …
• move Coastal to 170-90 all-time, including 12-6 in the Tim Beck era; • make Coastal 5-3 in Sun Belt Conference openers; • give Coastal at least four wins in its first five games for the fourth time in the last five seasons; • give Coastal its second consecutive win over Old Dominion; • move Coastal to 32-25 all-time in Sun Belt Conference games;
A COASTAL LOSS WOULD …
• give Coastal consecutive home losses for the first time since November of 2018; • be Coastal’s second consecutive loss in its SBC opener;
GAME NOTES
CHANTS ON THE GRIDIRON
• In its 22nd year of football, Coastal holds an all-time record of 169-90 (65.3%), including a 55-36 (60.4%) mark as an FBS program. • The Chants have posted 14 winning seasons in 21 year of football. • Coastal has had only five losing seasons in program history, including three during the Chants’ first three seasons in FBS.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
• The iconic “Surf Turf ” at Brooks Stadium has become one of the most difficult places in the nation for opponents to win. • Since 2020, Coastal boasts a remarkable 23-5 (82.1%) record in home games. • CCU is tied for the 12th-most home wins since 2020 in all FBS, trailing only Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, UTSA, Michigan, Oklahoma State, N.C. State, Liberty, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Missouri. • Since 2020, the Chanticleers have won as many home games as Georgia, Oregon, and Memphis. • Coastal has more home wins since 2020 than Utah (22), Texas (21), SMU (20), West Virginia (19), and Fresno State (18).
SCOUTING THE MONARCHS OF OLD DOMINION
• Old Dominion is 1-3 and coming off a 30-27 win over Bowling Green. • Quarterback Grant Wilson has thrown a touchdown pass in 10 consecutive games for the Monarchs. • Through four games, Old Dominion’’s defense is tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference with six interceptions. • Saftey Jahron Manning became the first Monarch since 2014 to record two interceptions in a game with two picks against East Carolina. • Running back Aaron Young leads the ODU ground game 280 yards on 70 carries and two touchdowns so far this season, ranking third in the conference with 70.0 rushing yards per game. • Linebacker Koa Naotala leads the Sun Belt with 10.3 tackles per game, the only player in the conference averaging double-digit stops per contest. • Old Dominion enters the game with three of the conference top-four tacklers as Manning (9.3) and fellow linebacker Mario Thompson (9.0) rank second and fourth in the league. • Old Dominion has blocked 13 kicks since the start of the 2021 season, including two so far this year. • ODU had not scored a touchdown on its opening possession and had given up a touchdown on its opponents’ first drive in each of its first three games before the Monarchs found the end zone and held Bowling Green off the board in the first possessions last Saturday. • Linebacker Jason Henderson led the nation with 14.2 tackles last season but has not played since the season opener against South Carolina. • Backup quarterback Colton Joseph led the Monarchs on their 13-play, 79-yard game-winning drive against Bowling Green in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. • Tight end Pat Conroy caught three passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Bowling Green. • Kicker Ethan Sanchez connected on a 53-yard field goal in the win over Bowling Green, the longest of his career and the second-longest in program history. • Defensive lineman Kris Trinidad notched a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble against the Falcons. • Offensive linemen Stephon Dubose-Bourne, Santana Saunders, and Zach Barley each made their first career starts last weekend.
James Madison Dukes vs Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks
SERIES HISTORY – FIRST MEETING
James Madison Notes
DUKES BEGIN SUN BELT PLAY IN MONROE
• JMU opens Sun Belt Conference play Saturday night in Monroe, La., with a trip to ULM. • This will be the inaugural meeting between the teams. • It’s also just the second game ever for JMU in the state of Louisiana, as it traveled to McNeese State in Lake Charles, La., back in 1996. • The 2024 JMU football season is presented by CarMax. SATURDAY’S COVERAGE • JMU’s matchup with ULM will be nationally televised on ESPNU. On the call are Jay Alter and former Notre Dame linebacker and Super Bowl champion Rocky Boiman. • Fans can listen to the game on the Morris Insurance and Financial JMU Radio Network, with Dave Riggert and former JMU Harry O’Kelly calling the action. This is O’Kelly’s broadcasting debut with the Dukes. • Pregame coverage from Malone Stadium begins two hours prior to kickoff at 5 p.m. ET • Live stats are available at JMUStats.com.
JMU IN CONFERENCE OPENERS
• Saturday will be the 32nd conference opener for the Dukes since they joined a league back in 1993. • JMU is 23-8 in conference openers, which includes winning its past nine between 2015 and 2023 across the Colonial Athletic Association and the Sun Belt Conference. • Saturday night also marks the five time over the past six seasons JMU has opened league play on the road. • Last season, JMU put on a defensive clinic and held off defending Sun Belt champion Troy, 16-14, on Sept. 16, 2023. The year prior in JMU’s first Sun Belt game, JMU rallied back from down 28-3 at App State, scoring 29 unanswered for a thrilling 32-28 win on Sept. 24, 2022 in Boone. • JMU conference openers by league: 2-0 in Sun Belt (2-0 road); 21-8 in CAA (11-3 home, 10-5 road
TWO-GAME SCORING RECORD FOR THE DUKES
• JMU has lit up the scoreboard the past two weeks, scoring the most points in consecutive games against scholarship football programs, with 133. • JMU first beat ACC foe North Carolina, 70-50, on Sept. 21, and followed it up by cruising to a 63-7 victory against Ball State out of the MAC. • It’s ranks as #1 and #2 for most points JMU has scored against FBS opponents. The game at UNC was also highest-scoring game in school history, passing the 108 points JMU and Richmond combined for in 2015. • The Dukes’ all-time two-game scoring record against any team came in 2016 when they scored 136 points in the first two games, notching 80 against non-scholarship Morehead State and 56 versus Central Connecticut.
63+ IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES, COMPARISON WITH 2019 LSU
• Alonza Barnett III and Joe Burrow have something in common. They are the last two quarterbacks to lead their respective teams to consecutive games with at least 63 points. • While JMU scored 70 and 63 in its last two games, Joe Burrow guided the 2019 national champion LSU squad to 65 and 66 on Sept. 14 and Sept. 21. • While JMU accomplished the feat against FBS foes, LSU’s first 63+ game occurred versus an FCS opponent.
THIRD-DOWN PROWESS
• JMU had been struggling on third down until last Saturday’s win against Ball State. • Entering the game, JMU was 13-of-37 on third down (35%) but the Dukes turned in a staggering 9-of-10 (90%) clip to extend drives on Sept. 28. • The only stop on third down resulted in JMU’s lone fourth-down attempt, which is converted for a first down. • By virtue of the offense keeping drives alive, JMU’s punt team never came on the field, marking the first time since Dec. 7, 2019, that the Dukes never punted once in a game. • Entering the Sun Belt opener, JMU improved its season average on third down to 48%.
QUICK STARTS
• After scoring a total of three points in the opening quarters of games one and two, JMU turned it into high gear after the bye, combining for 47 points between the first quarters of the UNC and Ball State games. • JMU put up 25 points in the opening stanza, which is the third-most in a first quarter in school history. • It tacked on 22 more in the first 15 against Ball State, which was fifth-best in the 53-year history of the program.
SPECIAL TEAMS TRICKERY
• In addition to a blocked punt for a touchdown at North Carolina, JMU has successfully pulled off a fake PAT for a two-point conversion in each of the last two games. • After blocking the punt for a score, kicker Noe Ruelas found long snapper Jack Mowrey on the two-point pass. • Following its second touchdown versus Ball State, Mowrey had a direct snap to Taylor Thompson, who ran it in for two. • In addition to the two pointers, Ruelas also converted an onside kick in the first quarter of the UNC game.
ROAD WARRIORS
• JMU has a strong track record on the road since moving up to FBS, going 11-2 in true road games. • The Dukes have won nine consecutive true road matchups, going 2-0 this season, 6-0 in 2023 and winning their road finale in 2022. • During the nine-game streak on the road, JMU has won the past five games by double digits and the past four by 20 points or more. • JMU’s two highest scoring games as a member of the FBS have occurred on the road, as it produced 70 at North Carolina on Sept. 21, 2024 and 56 at Coastal Carolina on Nov. 25, 2023.
TAKING THE BALL AWAY
• JMU is off to a 4-0 start and has won the turnover battle in each of those games. • The Dukes won the opener at Charlotte, 3-2, taking advantage of two interceptions. • JMU also produced a pair of interceptions against Gardner-Webb and didn’t turn it over once to hold on for the home-opening win. • At North Carolina, JMU dominated the category by a 5-1 margin, which included two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. • Last week versus Ball State, JMU tacked on three more interceptions without giving the ball away. • After an interception at Charlotte, JMU has gone without throwing a pick in the last three games.
Louisiana-Monroe Notes
FIRST-AND-10
• The ULM football team (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) returns to Malone Stadium to take on undefeated James Madison (4-0) on Saturday (Oct. 5) night in a nationally-televised game on ESPNU at 6 p.m. Saturday’s game between the Warhawks and Dukes is the first meeting in history between the two teams. ULM is off to its first 3-1 start since the 2014 season in year one of the Bryant Vincent era following a 13-9 victory in the team’s SBC opener at Troy last week. The Warhawks’ win at Troy snapped a 10-game SBC losing streak and an eight-game road losing streak for ULM. Before falling on the road to No. 1/2 Texas, the Warhawks began the season with a 2-0 start after ULM defeated Jackson State 30-14 in week one, scoring the final 16 points of the game to seal the win. In week two, the Warhawks dominated UAB and shut out the Blazers in the second half while scoring 19 second-half points in a 32-6 home win, which was the largest margin of victory over an FBS opponent since the 2018 season. The ULM defense has held opponents to zero touchdowns in two games this season (UAB & Troy). • The Warhawks are seeking their first 4-1 overall start since the 1993 season and its first 2-0 start to Sun Belt Conference play since the 2019 season. • ULM completely overhauled its roster during the offseason and added 73 new players to its 2024 roster. After Bryant Vincent was hired in early December, he and his staff signed 35 new Warhawks in less than two weeks during the early signing period on December 20, including 17 junior college transfers and 13 four-year transfers. ULM’s recruiting continued with 11 new additions on National Signing Day in February and wrapped up with 27 new faces during the spring signing period. The Warhawks lost nine starters on offense and seven on defense from the 2023 squad. • ULM’s 12-game football schedule features six home games for the fourth time in the last six seasons (previously in 2019, 2021 and 2023). Overall, it marks the seventh time that the Warhawks have played a six-game home schedule in Malone Stadium since joining the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A). According to Phil Steele, the Warhawks have the toughest schedule in the Group of Five and Sun Belt Conference with the 64th toughest schedule in the FBS. ULM’s opponents earned a winning percentage of .565 last season, which is the highest opponent winning percentage in the Sun Belt and No. 34 in the country. The Warhawks’ 2024 opponents went a combined 87-67 (.565) last season, with six opponents posting .500 or better records, including three teams that posted double-digit win totals, in Texas (12-2) Troy (11-3) and James Madison (11-2). In addition, nine foes also participated in postseason bowl games a year ago: Texas (CFP Semifinal/Allstate Sugar Bowl), Marshall (Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl), Troy (76 Birmingham Bowl), Arkansas State (Camellia Bowl), James Madison (Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl), South Alabama (68 Ventures Bowl), Texas State (SERVPRO First Responder Bowl), Auburn (Music City Bowl) and the Ragin’ Cajuns (R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl).
• True freshman phenom running back Ahmad Hardy has led the charge in the ULM backfield this season. Hardy, a graduate of Lawrence County High School in Mississippi, recorded his second 100-yard rushing game at Troy with 106 yards and scored the game’s lone touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Warhawks ahead with less than 10 minutes to go. Hardy ranks fourth in the SBC in rushing touchdowns (3) and fifth in rushing yards per game (74.3). The Warhawks have primarily featured three running backs through the first four games with Hardy, including Taven Curry, who led ULM with 64 yards on the ground versus UAB and Baltimore, Maryland native James Jones, who has totaled 114 rushing yards on 23 carries (5.0 yards/carry) and scored a 22-yard rushing touchdown versus Jackson State. • Defensively, ULM is second in the SBC in scoring defense (20.0) and total defense (328.5 yards/ game). Northeast Louisiana defensive stars Wydett Williams Jr. and Carl Glass Jr. both lead the Warhawks with 34.0 tackles a piece. Williams, a General Trass High School alum and native of Lake Providence, La., intercepted his second pass of the season in ULM’s game at Texas and registered a game-high 10 tackles. Williams Jr. was voted Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week after a media member panel vote on Monday (Sept. 2). Williams became the first ULM football player to earn SBC Player of the Week recognition since 2021. Williams tallied a game-high 10 tackles and an interception in his ULM debut versus the Tigers. The Delta State transfer added 0.5 sacks and 0.5 TFLs on opening night. He was an All-Louisiana First Team and All-NELA First Team selection in high school. In 23 games at Delta State, he racked up 72 total tackles, six pass breakups, 3.5 TFLs and one sack. A Monroe native, Carl Glass Jr. is the anchor of the ULM linebacker unit and shared a game-high nine total tackles with Carl Fauntroy in the Troy game. Glass Jr. also made nine stops and forced a fumble in the season opener versus Jackson State. The senior linebacker landed on Athlon Sports’ Preseason All-SBC Third Team defense and Phil Steele Preseason defense. Glass tallied 59.0 total tackles last season to go along with 7.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. • First-team junior college All-American edge rusher and MACCC Defensive Player of the Year Billy Pullen has made an immediate impact on the ULM defense and made a pair of game-changing plays versus UAB including a strip sack and a safety. Pullen’s 0.88 sacks per game is the fourth-highest in the Sun Belt and ranks 16th in the nation. ULM’s top edge rusher arrives in Monroe after recording 13 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss at Co-Lin in 2023. • Redshirt Junior General Booty was named ULM’s starting quarterback prior to the start of the 2024 season. Booty has completed 28 passes on 53 attempts for 241 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to Davon Wells in the season opener. Booty arrived in Monroe after spending the last two seasons at Oklahoma, making two appearances for the Sooners. Before his time in Norman, Booty started his collegiate career at Tyler Junior College in 2021, start- ing in all 12 games and leading his team to a 7-5 season and a victory in the TIPS-CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl. Booty led the NJCAA in completions (266), attempts (436) and passing yards (3,410), throwing for 27 touchdowns (11 interceptions) and an average of 284.2 yards per game to rank second nationally. He also scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground and racked up 250 rushing yards. The Shreveport, La., native was a three-star recruit according to 247Sports out of high school and played his senior season at Allen (Texas) High School, where he passed for 2,235 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 401 yards and nine touchdowns. Booty spent time at four different high schools in his career including JSerra Catholic (Calif.), Cornerstone Christian (Texas) and Corona del Mar (Calif.). Several of Booty’s relatives are well-known for being standouts in athletics. Booty’s father, Abram, played wide receiver at LSU and had a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns. His uncle, John David won a pair of Rose Bowls at USC and was named All-Pac 10 in 2006 before playing in the NFL for four seasons. His uncle Josh was a quarterback for LSU and played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and also in the NFL. Booty’s grandfather, Johnny, played quarterback at Arkansas and Mississippi State. • Aidan Armenta completed four passes for 108 yards in ULM’s victory at Troy last week. Two of Armenta’s completions were over 40 yards, including a 57-yard pitch-and-catch to wideout Jake Godfrey. The redshirt freshman quarterback transferred to ULM after spending last season at New Mexico under Coach Vincent as the Lobos’ offensive coordinator. • Davon Wells padded ULM’s wide receiver unit and was added to Warhawks’ roster during the spring signing period. Wells was a two-time All-NEC Second Team wide receiver and kick returner at Long Island University. He was voted First Team All-NEC at All Purpose and Punt Returner by FCS Football Central. He leads ULM with 12 receptions in his first four games as a Warhawk. Dodge City Community College transfer Javon Campbell led the Warhawks in receiving versus Jackson State with four receptions for 83 yards. He brought down Aidan Armenta’s first collegiate pass in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving ULM a 30-14 cushion. Tyler Griffin (UCF transfer), Amir McGruder (Snow College transfer), and Artis Cole (Fresno State transfer) add depth to the wide receiver room. At tight end, Wesley Campbell VI arrives from Dodge City CC along with Nate Sullivan Jr. from Iowa Western CC. Sullivan Jr. has made six catches for 44 yards and averages 7.33 yards/catch while Campbell VI has made one reception. Julian Nixon hauled in a clutch 19-yard pass on 4th down in Troy territory from Hunter Herring that kept ULM’s scoring drive alive in the third quarter at Troy. • A two-year starter on the Warhawk offensive line, Elijah Fisher racked up multiple preseason accolades including Athlon Sports All-SBC Second Team offense and Phil Steele All-SBC Team honors. The offensive guard picked up Honorable Mention All-SBC recognition following the 2023 season. Fisher was one of ULM’s representatives at 2024 Sun Belt Media Days and is set to begin his fifth season at ULM. JMU transfer Carter Miller highlights ULM’s additions on the offensive line after appearing in 15 games throughout two seasons for the Dukes. New Mexico transfer Devon Smith arrives after appearing in four games and starting in three during the 2023 season and was an NJCAA Academic Scholar All-American offensive lineman at Jones College. Jay Mickle has made all four starts at right guard for ULM while Que McBroom made his first ULM start at Troy. • ULM senior offensive lineman Sam Carson was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame. The William V. Campbell Trophy, in its 35th year is tabbed as the “academic Heisman” is college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Carson, a transfer from the University of Calgary, has made three starts at left tackle this season for the Warhawks and has appeared in 10 games through two seasons in Monroe. The General Studies major holds a 3.75 cumulative GPA and is expected to graduate this December. Carson was named 2020 U-Sports Academic All-Canadian at the University of Calgary and made the President’s List (3.9 GPA or above) in two out of the three semesters he has been enrolled at ULM. • On the defensive side, ULM has four starters returning including defensive lineman Jaylan Ware. Ware made 54 total tackles, including six tackles for loss and one fumble recovery, in his first season at ULM after transferring from Hinds Community College, earning Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt honors. Dylan Howell also returns to the defensive line for the Warhawks after making 35 total tackles, four TFLs and three sacks, including two pass breakups and one fumble recovery last season. Jaden Hamlin, the No. 1 junior college defensive tackle prospect and NJCCA Second-Team All-American at Southwest Mississippi Community College, made 30.0 total tackles, two fumble recoveries and one sack last season. Hamlin registered his first tackle of his ULM career at Texas.
South Alabama Jaguars vs Arkansas State Red Wolves
THE SERIES VS. ARKANSAS STATE
– Saturday will represent the 13th all-time meeting between South Alabama and Arkansas State – The series between the two teams is all knotted up at six wins apiece. Both schools are 4-2 against the other on their respective home field – South Alabama has been dominant in the series as of late, winning the last five in a row and six of the last seven meetings
South Alabama Notes
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
CONFERENCE PLAY THE REST OF THE WAY
South Alabama’s game at LSU on Saturday marked the close of nonconference competition for the Jaguars. South Alabama will face only Sun Belt Conferences foes for the remainder of the 2024 regular season. The Jags are one of six teams that have kicked of Sun Belt Conference play already this season, and just one of three teams in the league sitting at 1-0 in league play.
DEAD EVEN
South Alabama and Arkansas State are dead even in the all-time series between the two school at six wins apiece. Both schools hold a 4-2 record against the other on their respective home fields. South has dominated the series as of late, though, winning five in a row, and six of the last-seven meetings.
BAMA BUDDIES
South Alabama coach Major Applewhite and Arkansas State coach Butch Jones are plenty familiar with each other, and good friends after spending two seasons together on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama from 2019-20.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
– Saturday’s road game at Arkansas State marks the third straight week South Alabama has been on the road – Dating back to week two at Ohio, South Alabama will have played four of its last-five contests away from home – This is South Alabama’s first three-game road swing since the 2020 season when the Jaguars visited Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina and Louisiana three weeks in a row
DON’T PUNT TO JP
– Jamaal Pritchett has established himself as one of the most dynamic punt returners in college football – Pritchett leads the nation in punt return average at 28.0 yards per return. His 196 total yards are also the most in the country – Pritchett is also tied for first in America in punt return touchdowns after taking one to the house against Northwestern State
LAITH’S CAREER LONG
– Kicker Laith Marjan kicked a career-long field goal of 49 yards at LSU – Marjan’s previous long was from 39 yards out against North Texas in the season opener – Marjan is now 6-of-7 on the year after entering the season never attempting a field goal in his career
Arkansas State Notes
A-STATE VS THE SUN BELT
Arkansas State has an all-time record of 93-75 in Sun Belt Conference games. Along with ULM and Louisiana, A-State is one of three teams that have been a part of the conference since its inaugural football season in 2001. The Red Wolves rank second in all-time Sun Belt victories with 93.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
EXTENDED DRIVES
n the season opener against Central Arkansas, A-State posted its longest scoring drive in yardage since 2019 and longest scoring drive in time since 2016. The Red Wolves used 7:23 of clock in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead for the longest scoring drive in time since a 10:53 drive against Troy in 2016. Later, A-State drove 98 yards for a touchdown, the longest yardage drive since a 99-yard drive against Texas State in 2019. On the season, A-State is averaging 29:28 of possession time, highest for an A-State squad since averaging 30:27 in 2015.
FINDING THE PAINT
RB Zak Wallace found the end zone for the first two scores of the season. With those two rushing scores, Wallace has 40 in his career, 32 at UT Martin (2019-22) and eight with A-State (2023-present). Wallace’s 40 career rushing touchdowns are the second-most by any active player in the FBS and 16th-most across all divisions
THE BENTON BRUISER
RB Zak Wallace surpassed 2,000 rushing yards for his career last season and is among 28 players across all divisions of NCAA football with more than 2,500 career rushing yards. Among FBS players, Wallace ranks 19th with 2,668 yards, 1,959 at UT Martin and 709 with A-State.
WELCOME BACK
Senior OL Jacob Bayer returned to the trenches making the start at center against Tulsa. Bayer had surgery for a torn ACL suffered in spring practice in early April, but he’s back five months later. Bayer played all 78 snaps against Tulsa and 52 of 74 snaps at Michigan.
BEST OF THE BEST
Senior OL Jacob Bayer is among a record number of 203 semifinalists for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award. Celebrating its 35th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
PICK IT OFF
A-State has snagged six interceptions over the first four games, most since the 2015 squad totaled seven interceptions over the first four contests. The Red Wolves rank 18th nationally, second in the league, with those six picks. Dating back to last season, A-State has multiple interceptions in four of the last seven contests.
SELECT COMPANY
Senior safety Justin Parks is in select company as one of three active FBS players to be a team captain each of the last four seasons. Parks joins Auburn QB Payton Thorne and Utah QB Cameron Rising in the select group.
CAREER NIGHT
Parks had a career night against Tulsa with a career high 12 tackles and his first career forced fumble. His forced fumble saved a touchdown in the first quarter as he stripped the Tulsa player approaching the goal line. Parks added eight tackles and a TFL at Michigan and seven tackles at Iowa State to enter the conference opener as the team leader in tackles (31).
HERO IN ALL OF US
The A-State defense was opportunistic last season scoring four defensive touchdowns in a three game span. A scoop-and-score against Louisiana was the first defensive score of the season and A-State had three defensive touchdowns in a 77-31 win over Texas State (Nov. 18), most in a game for the Red Wolves since at least 2000.
RETURNING PRODUCTION
Entering the 2024 season, the A-State defense returned five starters and 22 letterwinners that had a combined 433 career games played. A-State brought in 13 FBS/FCS transfers – Marcus Bradley (UMass/Vanderbilt), Chris Pearson (Houston), Adrian Cole (FIU/Syracuse), Bryan Whitehead (Liberty), Marvin Ham (Colorado), Jordan Mahoney (UMass), Kionte Curry (Illinois), Kyle Taylor (Tarleton State), Jayden Jones (SMU), Lucas Banks (Mississippi Valley State), Noah Collins (Georgia Tech), Kamari Stephens (Jacksonville State/Florida A&M), Micaiah Overton (Texas A&M/Liberty) to add a combined 295 career games played. Last season, A-State returned six defensive starters with 462 career games played and added four transfers for an additional 109 games of experience for a total of 571 games.
NEW FACES
Over the first four games, newcomers accounted for six starts defensively. Sophomore CB Dontay Joyner and sophomore S Brandon Griel have made their first career starts. In total, 11 newcomers have played the first two games accounting for 79 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11.0 TFLs and 14 quarterback hurries.
WHERE THERE’S A WILLEKES THERE’S A WAY
LB Charles Willekes, a Burlsworth Trophy nominee, had back-to-back standout performances against Coastal Carolina and ULM. Willekes has a combined 22 tackles over the two games. He had 10 tackles against Coastal Carolina and followed with a career-high 12 at ULM, including his first career sack. Willekes brother, Kenny, played at Michigan State and won the Burlsworth Trophy in 2019.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
MODEL OF CONSISTENCY
Since head coach Butch Jones arrived in Jonesboro, the Red Wolves are one of three teams among the Group of Five to rank inside the final yearly SP+ special teams rankings available via ESPN+. A-State is joined by Eastern Michigan and UTSA among Group of Five programs while Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech and Washington State are the others among 17 total programs to rank top 50 the last three seasons.
SETTING THE MARK
Ja’Quez Cross was named Thrid Team All-Sun Belt as a return specialist in 2023. He finished 28th nationally, fifth in the league, with 117.77 all-purpose yards per game and ranked third in the league, eighth nationally, with 654 kickoff return yards. He averaged 28.4 yards per kickoff return, second in the conference and seventh nationally, while among five SBC players with a kickoff return for a touchdown. He had four kickoff returns for 114 yards in the opener, his third career outing with 100-plus kick return yards. His 28.4 yards per return ranked fourth in program history for a single season while his career average of 26.2 ranks second. Career Kickoff Return Average (Min. 20 Ret.) Rk Avg Player Year 1 27.8 J.D. McKissic 2012-15 2 26.2 Ja’Quez Cross 2022-pre. 3 25.2 Kirk Merritt 2018-19 4 25.1 Robert Kilow 1998-00 5 24.5 Daryl Rollins-Davis 2014-16 6 24.2 Alan Lamar 2021 7 24.0 Blaise Taylor 2014-17 8 23.9 Johnnie Lang Jr. 2021-22 23.9 James Hickenbotham 1999-02 10 23.7 Kearney Blalack 1970-72 23.7 Dick Ritchey 1964-67
AWARD-WINNING DEBUT
Sophomore K Clune Van Andel converted his first career field goal from 44 yards to open the scoring in the season opener. Van Andel split the uprights from 23 yards on the next drive and finished the day 2-for-2 on FGs and 4-for-4 on PATs for 10 points. Monday, Van Andel was named Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. It marks the 14th consecutive season A-State has had a specialist earn a weekly accolade from the Sun Belt Conference.
HOUSE CALL
Senior punt returner Courtney Jackson returned a Tulsa punt 77 yards for a touchdown and earned Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Sept. 9. The 77-yard punt return was the longest by an A-State player since Kevin Jones’ 89-yard return for a touchdown against Memphis in 2007. It marks his second punt return touchdown over his last four games played dating back to 2023 after a 60-yard return for touchdown at Marshall.
HEICHER ON TO PUNT:
Senior P Ryan Heicher has punted 20 times for 883 yards to average 44.2 yards with A-State. He had a long punt of 56 yards at Iowa State and seven of his 20 punts landed inside the opponents 20-yardline. Heicher ranks 26th nationally, second in the Sun Belt Conference, in punt average and the punt unit is 48th nationally, third in the conference, with a net punt average of 40.1 yards.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
The Series
• Southern Miss renews its second oldest series in terms of games – 54 – when they play the Ragin’ Cajuns. The only longest series is with Memphis at 63 meetings. This UL contest marks the third between the schools since the Golden Eagles joined the Sun Belt Conference and it is the fi rst time the two schools have played in at least three consecutive seasons since playing from 1993-96 as non-conference foes. The longest yearly stretch was from 1925-1953 when the two schools played, except for the World War II years of 1942-45, when Southern Miss did not fi eld a team during those war years. • This weekend’s tilt is the fi rst Sun Belt meeting for the two schools on a Saturday after the previous two years’ contests were played on Thursday nights. • The two schools met for the only time in the postseason in the 2016 New Orleans Bowl when the Golden Eagles triumphed 28-21 in the then Mercedes-Benz Superdome. • This will be the 55th meeting overall with the Golden Eagles holding a 42-11-1 advantage in the series and Southern Miss having won the last 11 games in the series. • The two schools also met as conference foes when they were members of the Gulf States Conference from 1948-51. In the last meeting in that league, the Golden Eagles captured a 41-0 decision in 1951. Southern Miss held a 4-0 advantage in those league games. • Current UL coach Michael Desormeaux was the quarterback for the Cajuns when the teams met on Aug. 30, 2008, in Hattiesburg with the Golden Eagles winning 51-21. • Southern Miss head coach Will Hall served as off ensive coordinator/QBs coach for the Cajuns during the 2017 campaign. Associate Head Coach/General Manager Reed Stringer spent seven years in Lafayette on UL’s staff before coming to Southern Miss. • UL running backs coach Matt Bergeron played two seasons as a QB (2013-14) at Southern Miss before serving as a student coach for the program.
Louisiana Notes
LOUISIANA OPENS SUN BELT CONFERENCE PLAY AT SOUTHERN MISS
• Coming off a dramatic 41-38 victory at ACC member Wake Forest, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns open its 24th season of Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday when it ventures to Hattiesburg, Miss., to face Southern Miss at M.M. Roberts Stadium. • The third SBC meeting between the schools will be available on ESPN+. • The meeting will be the 55th between the schools in a series which dates back to 1923 with USM holding a 42-11-1 advantage. • USM claimed a 39-24 victory over Louisiana in Hattiesburg in 2022 and rallied for a 34-31 overtime win in last season’s contest at Cajun Field. • Louisiana looks to snap a two-game slide in SBC openers and is 14-9 overall when opening league play.
A LOUISIANA WIN WOULD …
• Give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 4-1 overall record. • Improve its road record to 3-0 on the season. • Be its first win in an SBC opener since 2021. • Improve its record to 15-9 in SBC openers. • Snap an 11-game slide to the Golden Eagles dating back to 1994. • Be the Ragin’ Cajuns first over USM in the series since a 13-7 victory at Cajun Field on Oct. 2, 1993. • Be just the second-ever win in Hattiesburg in 26 meetings and first since a 24-21 victory on Oct. 21, 1989.
TEAM NOTES
• Louisiana is one of 12 FBS teams nationally and two teams in the Sun Belt Conference which has not lost a fumble through the first five weeks of the season. • Louisiana has started 3-1 on 23 occasions in school history, including five times in the past six seasons. • Louisiana’s 3-1 record is only the eighth time to achieve the mark since 1970. • The Ragin’ Cajuns have 84 players on its roster from the state of Louisiana to lead all instate FBS schools. • The Ragin’ Cajuns have allowed 149.0 yards through the air in their first four games to rank first in the Sun Belt Conference and 13th nationally in passing yards allowed. • Louisiana enters the week leading the Sun Belt Conference and ranked 44th nationally among FBS schools in total defense allowing 318.0 yards per game. • The Ragin’ Cajuns are third in the SBC and 36th in total offense (453.5).
POSITION NOTES – OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
• Ben Wooldridge recorded his third career 300-yard passing game after completing 25 of 33 passes for 308 yards and three TDs against Grambling. • The 25 completions matched a career-high for the Pleasanton, Calif., native, who also had 25 completions at Old Dominion last season. • Wooldridge attempted a season-high 34 passes against Tulane and tossed TD passes to Caden Jensen and Terrance Carter. • Wooldridge was one of eight quarterbacks to earn the Manning Award “Stars of the Week” on Sept. 30 after completing 20 of 29 passes for 257 yards and three TDs in a win at Wake Forest. • Wooldridge’s 257 yards against Wake Forest increased his career total at Louisiana to 3,161 yards and 732 behind current head coach Michael Desormeaux for 10th-place in school history. • Chandler Fields, who started multiple games for Louisiana in both 2022 and 2023, completed 4 of 5 passes for 55 yards in a backup role.
Running Backs
• Louisiana gained a season-high 257 yards on the ground against Kennesaw State with Zylan Perry posting his first career 100-yard rushing game with a career-high 104 yards. • Bill Davis recorded the second 100-yard rushing game of his career with 103 yards on nine attempts against Tulane. The redshirt freshman set up a third-quarter TD drive with a career-long, 73-yard rush to the Tulane 2. • Davis led Louisiana with 95 yards on 13 carries at Wake Forest, with a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. • Perry gained 78 yards on a career-high 11 attempts against Wake Forest and set up Davis’ TD with a career-best 30-yard carry. • Dre’lyn Washington returned to the lineup after missing the Kennesaw State game and had limited carries against Tulane (4 attempts, 12 yards), increasing his career total to 902 yards. • Walk-on Tylon Citizen gained 29 yards on five carries against Kennesaw State in his second career game.
Offensive Line
• With a new offensive line coach in Steve Farmer, Louisiana will look to continue its push up front with four returning starters on the line. • Anchored by center Landon Burton, Louisiana returns both guards – AJ Gillie and Jax Harrington – along with tackle George Jackson. • The offensive line came into the season-opener against Grambling with 177 career games played with 90 career starts. • Louisiana has used four different lineups up front in its four three games. • Harrington returned to the lineup against Wake Forest after missing the previous two games due to injury. • Bryant Williams, who made his first career start in the 2023 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, earned the start at left tackle in the season-opener against Grambling. • Left guard AJ Gillie played and started in his 42nd career game at Wake Forest. • Kaden Moreau (right guard) and Quinton Williams (right tackle) each earned their first career starts against Kennesaw State after injuries to Bryant Williams and Harrington. • Harrington (24 starts), George Jackson (20 starts) and Landon Burton (10 starts) are next in the most career starts for the Ragin’ Cajuns. • Redshirt freshman Matthew Broussard made his first career appearance in Louisiana’s win over Grambling. • John Bragg made his collegiate debut at right tackle in Louisiana’s road win at Kennesaw State.
Receivers/Tight Ends
• Thirteen players had at least one reception in the win over Grambling with Caden Jensen (3), Ty Stamey (2), Dale Martin (1), Rahji Dennis (1) and Landon Baptiste (1) each recording their first career grabs. • Eighteen players (including running backs) have recorded at least one reception this season. • Tavion Smith’s two receptions against Grambling matched his total from 2023 while his 56-yard TD grab was a career-long. • Jensen recorded his first career touchdown catch against Tulane. • Lance LeGendre earned his second career start at wide receiver at Wake Forest and responded with career-highs in receptions (6), yards (123), touchdowns (2) and long reception (48). • Harvey Broussard and Terrance Carter each caught TD passes for Louisiana. • Jacob Bernard’s 52-yard reception against Kennesaw State was a career-long.
POSITION NOTES – DEFENSE
Defensive Line
• Kadarius Miller and Jordan Lawson each recorded a pair of tackles, including one stop for loss, against Grambling. • Mason Narcisse’s five tackles at Wake Forest were a season-best. • Miller leads all defensive linemen with nine tackles on the season. • Louisiana native and Ball State transfer Kyron Mims tied a career-high with four tackles against Kennesaw State. • Lafayette native and LSU transfer Fitzgerald West, Jr., has eight tackles on the season with a career-high four coming against Kennesaw State.
Linebackers
• K.C. Ossai, the team leader with 95 stops in 2023, posted seven tackles in against Grambling in the season opener. • Ossai leads Louisiana with 29 tackles on the season. • Ossai capped off the 2023 campaign with a career-high 18 stops against Jacksonville State in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. • Transfers Carmycah Glass (Missouri) and Jaden Dugger (Georgetown) are third and fourth respectively in tackles with 12 and 11. • Glass is second on the team in tackles (19) after recording seven last week at Wake Forest. • Caleb Kibodi’s first career interception was a 50-yard TD against Grambling. • Jaden Dugger (13 tackles, 0.5 TFL) played his first two seasons as a defensive back as FCS Georgetown before transferring to Louisiana.
Defensive Backs
• Keyon Martin recorded a team-high nine stops at Wake Forest to tie his career-best last set at Youngstown State in 2021. • Martin leads all defensive backs with 18 tackles on the season with Tyrone Lewis (17) and Tyree Skipper (13) next. • Justin Agu earned his fourth career start in Louisiana’s contest against Tulane. • Agu’s eight tackles at Wake Forest were a career-best. • Skipper’s fourth-quarter interception at Wake Forest was his first of the season and fourth of his career.
POSITION NOTES – SPECIALISTS
Kickers/Punters/Returners
• With 272 career points, kicker Kenneth Almendares is five points shy of passing Elijah Mitchell (276, 2017-20) for fifth-place in school history. • Almendares, who has converted on 48 field goals in his career, is five shy of tying Stevie Artigue (53, 2015-19) for the school record while his 128 PATs are 23 shy of tying Artigue’s school-record (151). • Almendares’ 50-yard field goal in the third quarter at Wake Forest was the fourth make from 50-plus yards and his first since a 50-yarder at Southern Miss in 2022. • Tony Sterner’s 27-yard field goal against Grambling marked his first points in a Cajuns uniform and his first since a 35-yard boot for Incarnate Word against Prairie View on Sept. 17, 2022. • Punter Nathan Torney has been the “Maytag Repair Man” this season after attempting three punts through the first four games. • Torney, in his first season at UL after two years at FCS Southern Illinois, is the fourth Australian punter for the Ragin’ Cajuns since 2013 joining Daniel Cadona (2013-14), Steven Coutts (2015-16) and Rhys Byrns (2018-22). • Dalen Cambre’s blocked punt against Kennesaw State was the third of his career. The Lafayette native blocked punts against Texas State in 2022 and 2023 and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Liberty in 2021. • Zylan Perry led all FBS players in kickoff return yards in 2023 (862) and enters the week ranked No. 7 nationally in kickoff return average (29.8). • Perry’s 57-yard return at Wake Forest set up Almendares’ go-ahead 31-yard field goal in the final minute at Wake Forest.
Southern Mississippi Notes
Noting the Golden Eagles
• Southern Miss plays in its 108th football season in 2024, having first fielded a team in 1912. The Golden Eagles are 618-465-27, which is 49th best among FBS teams by win percentage (.569). • The Golden Eagles currently play in their fourth different conference in their football history, after holding a spot in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1931-41, the Gulf States Conference from 1948-1951 and Conference USA from 1996- 2021, before starting play in the Sun Belt Conference for the 2022 season. • The program has collected 24 winning seasons since 1994 and appeared in 19 bowl games during that time. • Overall, Southern Miss has enjoyed 74 winning seasons and five years of .500 football over its history. Since 2000, the Golden Eagles have had 18 of 24 winning seasons. • Against the current membership of the Sun Belt Conference, the Golden Eagles are 80- 38-1 versus league foes, having never met James Madison. • The 2022 LendingTree Bowl was the 27th bowl appearance for the Golden Eagles as they hold an 12-15 record overall in postseason games.
Golden Eagles Enjoying Third Season in Sun Belt Conference
• After spending 26 seasons in Conference USA, the Golden Eagles open their third Sun Belt Conference schedule this weekend. • The Golden Eagles are part of a 14-team Sun Belt that are separated in the East (App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall and Old Dominion) and West (Arkansas State, Louisiana, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy and ULM) division. JMU, ODU and Marshall joined the Golden Eagles as first-year members during the 2022 season. • Southern Miss played at Troy for its first Sun Belt contest on Oct. 8, 2022, dropping a 27-10 decision. • Southern Miss won five Conference USA titles during its tenure, including one since divisional play started in 2005. They captured their only league title contest and the school’s fifth overall C-USA league crown when they beat Houston, 49-28, in 2011. • The school’s other C-USA titles came in the inaugural season of 1996 as well as the 1997, 1999 and 2003 campaigns. The Golden Eagles also won two East Division crowns in C-USA (2006, 2011) and captured their first West title in 2015 after moving to that division during the 2014 campaign. Southern Miss won its third division title in 2015 but lost in the C-USA championship game at WKU, 45-28. Southern Miss was 1-2 in C-USA title games. • Along with the five C-USA titles, the Golden Eagles also won three additional league titles – 1948, 1950, 1951 – when they were members of the Gulf States Conference.
A Golden Eagles Win over UL would…
• snap a two-game losing streak • give the Golden Eagles their first 1-0 start in Sun Belt Conference play • extend their winning streak over schools from the state of Louisiana to three • improve the team’s record to 10-1 under Will Hall against schools from the state of Louisiana
