WEEK 9 GAME SCHEDULE
Thursday, October 24
Georgia Southern at Old Dominion 6:00 p.m. ESPN2
Saturday, October 26
Georgia State at App State 12:00 p.m. ESPN+
Southern Miss at James Madison 2:30 p.m. ESPN+
ULM at South Alabama 4:00 p.m. ESPN+
Troy at Arkansas State 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
UNDER THE LIGHTS
Two of the top three teams in the Sun Belt East Division will face off when Georgia Southern (5-2, 3-0 SBC)—1-of-3 conference unbeatens—travels to Old Dominion (3-4, 2-1 SBC) for a Thursday night clash at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. This contest will be the first Thursday night game hosted by Old Dominion in Monarch program history. The game will feature two of the Top 25 tacklers in the country in Georgia Southern redshirt senior linebacker Marques Watson-Trent (11th, 9.9 tackles per game) and Old Dominion junior safety Jahron Manning (22nd, 9.0 tackles per game). The Eagles own a 3-1 lead in the all-time series, though the Monarchs broke through for their first win a year ago in Statesboro. Old Dominion will aim to make it back-to-back wins for the first time in the series, while Georgia Southern will attempt to keep the road team unbeaten in Sun Belt Conference meetings. An Eagles win would clinch bowl eligibility for the sixth time over the past seven seasons.
MOUNTAIN STRONG
On Saturday, Oct. 26, App State (2-4, 0-3 SBC) will play a home game for the first time in 37 days following the impact of Hurricane Helene. On Oct. 17, App State announced that the final three home football games of the season will be played at Kidd Brewer Stadium as originally scheduled. That begins with a 12 p.m. matchup against Georgia State (2-4, 0-3 SBC) on ESPN+. Both teams will attempt to secure their first conference victory of the season, while the Panthers will also look for their first win in the all-time series against the Mountaineers. App State has won the first 10 games against Georgia State, having met annually since 2014.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
James Madison (5-2, 1-2 SBC) will host Southern Miss (1-6, 0-3 SBC) for the first time in program history for its annual homecoming game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, on ESPN+. The cross-division matchup will also be the Golden Eagles first contest under interim head coach Reed Stringer following a change in leadership in the Southern Miss program. The game will be the fourth sellout for the Dukes this season and their ninth-straight sellout dating back to 2023. While the Golden Eagles are still looking for their first conference win of 2024, they own an 80-41-1 mark against current Sun Belt members all-time. A Dukes win would clinch bowl eligibility for the second-straight season.
HOMECOMING IN MOBILE
Fresh off being 1-of-27 coaches named to the American Heart Association Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List, ULM (5-1, 3-0 SBC) first-year head coach Bryant Vincent will lead the Warhawks into Hancock Whitney Stadium for a 4 p.m. date with South Alabama (3-4, 2-1 SBC) on ESPN+ on Saturday, Oct. 26. The matchup will be a homecoming of sorts for Vincent, who had two different coaching stints with the Jaguars, and will also serve as South Alabama’s annual homecoming game. The teams have split the all-time series, 5-5, though the Jaguars have won the past two meetings and are 4-1 in Mobile. A Warhawks win would clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018.
WATCH THE WIDEOUTS
The two winningest teams in Sun Belt Conference play all-time—Troy (98 wins) and Arkansas State (95 wins)—will square off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, on ESPN+. Arkansas State (4-3, 2-1 SBC) leads the all-time series 11-9, though Troy (1-6, 0-3 SBC) has won four of the last five and the road team has won five of the last six. Two of four Sun Belt receivers with 500-or-more receiving yards on the season—Troy junior wide receiver Devonte Ross (625 yards) and Arkansas State redshirt junior wide receiver Corey Rucker (510 yards)—will be on display in the primetime contest. Ross is also the Sun Belt leader in all-purpose yards (127.86 yards per game), receiving touchdowns (8) and scoring among non-kickers (54 points).
WEEKLY AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Thundering Herd redshirt sophomore running back A.J. Turner tallied 207 all-purpose yards and accounted for all four touchdowns in Marshall’s 35-20 win over Georgia State. The Hampton, Va., native rushed for a Sun Belt season-high 177 yards and three touchdowns—both personal career-highs. Turner capped the win with an 88-yard touchdown run—the sixth-longest in Thundering Herd program history—with 1:39 to play to set the Sun Belt season-high with 24 points scored.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Red Wolves redshirt junior defensive lineman Jayden Jones registered a career-high eight tackles and a career-high three tackles for loss—including two sacks—in Arkansas State’s 44-28 win over Southern Miss. The Dallas, Texas, product forced two turnovers in the second half, snagging his first career interception early in the third quarter and ending the game with his first career forced fumble.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Thundering Herd junior kicker Rece Verhoff booted a pair of field goals and converted on all three extra-point attempts in Marshall’s 35-20 victory over Georgia State. The Columbus Grove, Ohio, native converted from 47 yards out in the first quarter, helping Marshall build an 18-0 lead it would never relinquish. Verhoff also kicked a 49-yarder in the fourth quarter, after Georgia State had cut the Thundering Herd lead to five.
