WEEK 10 GAME SCHEDULE
Tuesday October 29, 2024
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at Texas State Bobcats
THE LOUISIANA-TEXAS STATE SERIES
• Louisiana has won all 11 meetings in the series which dates back to 2013 when the Bobcats officially joined the Sun Belt Conference. • The Ragin’ Cajuns are 6-0 in games played in Lafayette, including a come-from-behind 34- 30 win in last season’s contest. • Louisiana is 5-0 in games played in San Marcos with a 41-13 victory coming in the last meeting in 2022 which gave the Ragin’ Cajuns bowl eligibility for a fifth straight year. • Tuesday’s game will be the third midweek contest between the schools with Louisiana claiming a 24-7 contest in 2017 and 34-10 win in 2014.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Notes
LOUISIANA, TEXAS STATE SET FOR NATIONALLY-TELEVISED CLASH
• The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns looks to cap off a perfect month of October when it visits Sun Belt Conference West Division rival Texas State in a nationally-televised contest at UFCU Stadium. • Louisiana will cap off a stretch of playing four of its last five games on the road as it visits the Bobcats in a game between the top teams in the SBC West Division. • The teams will meet for the 12th time dating back to 2013 with Louisiana winning the previous 11 contests. • Last season’s battle at Cajun Field saw the Ragin’ Cajuns rally from a 13-point deficit to claim a 34-30 victory over the revitalized Bobcats.
A LOUISIANA WIN WOULD …
• Be its fifth straight victory and would cap a perfect record in the month of October (4-0). • Give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 7-1 overall record and 4-0 mark in Sun Belt Conference play. • Improve Louisiana’s road record to 5-0 on the season. • Eclipse the season-win total (6-7) from both 2022 and 2023. • Give Louisiana its first five-game win streak since 2021 when it reeled off 13 straight wins. • Be head coach Michael Desormeaux’s 20th career win. • Be its 12th straight win over Texas State dating back to 2013. • Improve Desormeaux’s record in SBC games to 11-9. • Be Louisiana’s 91st overall win in Sun Belt Conference play
TEAM NOTES
• Louisiana is one of three FBS teams nationally (Iowa State, Syracuse) which has not lost a fumble through the first nine weeks of the season. • 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 166.3 yards through the air in their first seven games to lead the Sun Belt Conference and rank 14th nationally in passing yards allowed. • Louisiana enters the week leading the Sun Belt Conference and ranked 27th nationally among FBS schools in total defense allowing 320.0 yards per game. • Louisiana ranks eighth among all FBS teams in tackles for loss allowed (3.29 per game). • The Ragin’ Cajuns are third in the SBC and 30th nationally in total offense (443.4). • Six players – King McGowen (OT), Kaden Moreau (OG), Quinton Williams (OT), Caden Jensen (TE), Zylan Perry (RB) and Carmycah Glass (LB) – have each earned their first career starts during the 2024 season. • Twelve players – Ben Wooldridge (QB), Lance LeGendre (WR), Terrance Carter (TE), Bill Davis (RB), Dre’lyn Washington (RB), Harvey Broussard (WR), Tavion Smith (WR), Landon Burton (C), Caleb Kibodi (LB), Zylan Perry (RB) and Caden Jensen (TE) – have scored at least one touchdown this season for Louisiana. • Louisiana’s four interceptions against App State equaled its most in a game since October 30, 2010 at Ohio. • Louisiana had a string of 18 consecutive quarters with a score snapped after going scoreless in the third quarter of its 34-24 win at Coastal Carolina.
POSITION NOTES – OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
• Ben Wooldridge recorded his fourth career 300-yard passing game after setting career-highs in both yards (373) and completions (27) in Louisiana’s 34-24 win at Coastal Carolina on Oct. 19. • Wooldridge tied Jon Van Cleave (2000-02) and Jerry Babb (2003-06) for fourth in Ragin’ Cajuns history in career 300-yard passing games. • His next 300-yard passing game will tie him with Jake Delhomme (1993-96) and Blaine Gautier (2009-12) for second with Terrance Broadway (2012-14) holding the school-record with six. • Wooldridge connected on a career-long 74-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Carter against App State. • 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. • Chandler Fields, who started multiple games for Louisiana in both 2022 and 2023, has completed 6 of 7 passes for 63 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 rushed for 51 yards on seven carries against App State, increasing his career total to 1,047 yards. • Walk-on Tylon Citizen gained 29 yards on five carries against Kennesaw State in his second career game.
Offensive Line
• 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 seven 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 45th career game against Coastal Carolina. • 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 (27 starts), George Jackson (23 starts) and Landon Burton (13 starts) are next in the most career starts for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
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. • Four players – Terrance Carter (4), Lance LeGendre (4), Harvey Broussard (2) and Tavion Smith (2) – have at least two TD receptions in 2024. • Caden 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). • Jacob Bernard’s 52-yard reception against Kennesaw State was a career-long.
POSITION NOTES – DEFENSE
Defensive Line
• Mason Narcisse’s five tackles at Wake Forest were a season-best. • Narcisse leads all defensive linemen with 17 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 nine tackles on the season with a career-high four coming against Kennesaw State. • Antoine Baylis notched Louisiana’s first sack of the season in the Game 5 win at Southern Miss. • Redshirt freshman Chase Edwards collected his first career sack in Louisiana’s win over App State.
Linebackers
• K.C. Ossai, the team leader with 95 stops in 2023, posted 17 tackles in the win at Coastal Carolina. • Ossai leads Louisiana with 59 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. • Carmycah Glass and Cameron Whitfield are second and eighth respectively in tackles with 38 and 16. • Whitfield’s 4.0 sacks at Southern Miss tied a school-record that was last set by Chauncey Manac at Liberty in 2021. • Caleb Kibodi’s first career interception was a 50-yard TD against Grambling. • Jaden Dugger (16 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 33 tackles on the season with Tyrone Lewis (30) and Tyree Skipper (27) 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 and Lewis had two interceptions each in Louisiana’s win over App State. • Amir McDaniel was credited with his second career sack against App State.
POSITION NOTES – SPECIALISTS
Kickers/Punters/Returners
• Kenneth Almendares’ 53-yard field goal in the third quarter against App State was his second from 50-plus yards this season and the longest of his career. • Almendares’ lone misses this season have been from beyond 50 yards – a 60-yarder at the end of the first half against App State and a 53-yard attempt at Coastal Carolina. • 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.
Texas State Bobcats Notes
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 in 2023. • Texas State posted the highest season attendance average the program has seen in 2023 at 21,184 (127,102 total), and has had two sellouts at UFCU Stadium in 2024. • The Bobcats play four weekday (non-Saturday) games in 2024. TXST had not played a weekday game since Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. TXST is 1-1 in games in 2024, falling to Arizona State and defeating Troy. • TXST is coming off a 24-14 loss on the road at Old Dominion. • Jordan McCloud was named to the Manning Award Watch List, while Steven Parker was added to the Lombardi Award Watch List. • Nash Jones was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award.
A WIN VS. LOUISIANA MEANS…
• The Bobcats get their first victory over Louisiana. • Texas State has won 7 of 10 dating back to the 2023 season. • TXST starts 3-1 in Sun Belt Conference play for the first time since 2014 (joined in 2013). • The Bobcats are 7-5 in their last 12 SBC outings dating back to the 2023 season. • TXST moves to 2-1 in non-Saturday games in 2024 (still to play Fri. 11/29 at South Alabama).
Friday November 1, 2024
Georgia State Panthers at Connecticut Huskies
Georgia State Panthers at Connecticut Huskies
Georgia State Panthers Notes
Connecticut Huskies Notes
Saturday November 2, 2024
Old Dominion Monarchs at Appalachian State Mountaineers
Old Dominion Monarchs Notes
• Old Dominion travels to App State on Saturday, Nov. 2 for a 2:30 p.m. contest against the Mountaineers. • ODU defeated Georgia Southern 47-19 last Thursday in its largest margin of victory since a 49-21 win at Coastal Carolina on October 15, 2022. The 47 points scored were the most since a 56-34 win against Charlotte in the 2021 season finale and a 47-7 win over Hampton in the second week of the 2021 season. • ODU racked up 560 yards of offense, its most yards since a 47-24 win at FIU in 2021. The 28-point win was also ODU’s largest margin of victory since a 49-21 win at Coastal Carolina. ODU won games by more than two scores in back-to-back weeks for the first time since a 47-24 win over FIU and 30-16 win over Florida Atlantic in 2021. • Quarterback Colton Joseph passed for a career-high 304 yards and four touchdowns in the win over the Eagles. He completed 20-of-26 passes and rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown. • Running back Aaron Young had 14 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. • Isiah Paige caught seven passes for 100 yards, while Demariyon Houston caught four passes for 64 yards and two scores. • ODU played a Division I record 11 one-score games in 2023, going 6-5 in those games. So far this season 5-of-the first-7 have been one score games and 17 of-the-last 21. • 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.
The Outcome
An ODU win would mean: • Give ODU its fourth-straight win • Give ODU its second-straight win over App State • Make ODU 4-1 in conference play for the first time since 2016 • Give ODU four-straight wins for the time since 2021.
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. 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 wins over App State. Wilson completed 6-of-14 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The 75-yard touchdown pass to Conroy was Wilson’s second 70+ yard touchdown passes of the season. He completed a 72-yard TD pass to Isiah Paige in the opener at South Carolina.
Joseph Starts
Quarterback Colton Joseph made his fourth-straight start in the win over Georgia Southern. ODU is 3-1 in those four starts. Joseph had his most complete start in the win over the Eagles, completing 20-of-26 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 68 yards and a TD on eight carries. Joseph notched his first career 100-yard rushing game wit 111 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns. He’s the first ODU QB since DJ Mack in 2011 to rush for three touchdowns in a game. Joseph has rushed for 65+ yards in five-straight games.
Find the End Zone
Colton Joseph has found the end zone on the ground in four of the last five games and leads ODU with six rushing touchdowns. He ranks tied for third in the league in rushing touchdowns. Joseph is also eighth in the country among quarterbacks with six rushing scores.
Passing Drought Ends
Old Dominion had gone 21-straight games without a 300-yard passer, and that came to an end with career-high 304 yard game. Joseph passed for 268 yards and four TD’s in the first half. ODU’s last 300-yard passing game prior to Joseph’s, was a 308-yard effort by Hayden Wolff at App State on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
Young Returns to Form
Running back Aaron Young totaled 77 yards on 14 carries and a score in the win over Georgia Southern. Young has rushed for 53 or more yards in all seven games he’s played in. He leads ODU 100 carries for 431 yards and three touchdowns.
Appalachian State Mountaineers Notes
TOP STORYLINES
• App State plays another game at The Rock after its 33-26 win against Georgia State was the first game there in 37 days — and first Saturday game there since the Aug. 31 opener. After playing a Thursday home game against South Alabama on Sept. 19, the impact of Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27 led to the cancelation of the Sept. 28 home game against Liberty, and the Mountaineers played back-to-back road games before having a bye on Oct. 19. • On Oct. 17, App State announced that the final three home games in Boone would be played as originally scheduled. The university reopened Oct. 11 and resumed classes Oct. 16. • In recent weeks, the volunteer efforts among coaches, staff members and players from head coach Shawn Clark’s program have included unpacking and organizing donated goods at a local church and later loading supplies onto helicopters from a humanitarian aid organization. • Armanti Edwards, a record-setting QB for App State from 2006-09, is one of 22 members of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class. He will be recognized at halftime Saturday, and the official induction ceremony will be held Dec. 10 during the NFF awards dinner in Las Vegas. • In July, Kidd Brewer Stadium was listed at No. 23 on ESPN’s list of top 25 college football stadiums. Fifteen of the top 18 crowds in stadium history have occurred since the start of 2022, and all 16 home crowds in that stretch have topped 30,000. App State’s three home games in 2024 have drawn 36,232 (ETSU), 34,133 (Thursday game vs. South Alabama) and 33,783 (vs. Georgia State). • Averaging 294.0 passing yards per game (No. 10 in FBS, No. 3 among G5 programs) with 14 TD passes this season, QB 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 five more of those TD passes in 2024. • App State has one of the top QB/WR combos in the country, as Kaedin Robinson ranks 10th nationally and 1st in the Sun Belt at 98.0 receiving yards per game. After tying for the Sun Belt lead last year with 10 TD receptions while catching 67 passes for 905 yards, he has been App State’s receiving yardage leader in all seven games in 2024. That includes three 100-yard games. • App State has had a different leading rusher in each of its last five games, including 148 yards from Kanye Roberts at Louisiana and 115 from Ahmani Marshall vs. Georgia State. • Santana Hopper, PFF’s national defender of the week at ECU after a strong game that included forcing a fumble on a sack, had a hand in three sacks vs. Georgia State (one solo, two half-sacks).
MORE STORYLINES
• App State is 97-34 since starting 1-5 in its 2014 FBS debut. The only teams with more wins than the Mountaineers’ 98 since their transition are Alabama (133), Clemson (125), Ohio State (121), Georgia (120), Oklahoma (106), Notre Dame (102), Boise State (100) and Michigan (99). • 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. The Mountaineers led all FBS schools in percentage of stadium capacity filled (115.8%) last season. • App State, which led the Sun Belt with 14 alums on NFL rosters in 2023, again has a league-high 13 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 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. The Mountaineers have lost the turnover battle in six straight games, going 2-4 in that stretch. • 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 were 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 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. • 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. 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 only one returning starter on the offensive line. The line has helped the running game take strides in the last three games, with App State rushing for a new season high of 180 yards at Marshall, getting a career-high 148 yards from Kanye Roberts at Louisiana and then putting up 180 more rushing yards against Georgia State. • RB Ahmani Marshall blocked a punt for a safety to open the Georgia State game and then rushed for a season-high 115 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts. His other 100-yard game as a Mountaineer was a 19-carry, 137-yard, one-TD game vs. ODU at home in 2022. He had the first two-touchdown game of his career at Marshall. • RB Kanye Roberts returned to the starting lineup at Marshall and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season before rushing for a career-high 148 yards on 26 carries (tying a career high) at Louisiana, where he also had a 15-yard TD reception. Last year, he was App State’s top rusher five times in the last nine games of a 696-yard season that included seven rushing TDs and three different 109-yard games in Sun Belt play. • Returning from a 2023 preseason injury to play in the final six games, 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. • Kaedin Robinson has led App State in receiving yards in all seven games, with six games of 85-plus yards and three 100-yard games, including a 121-yard performance with 104 first-half yards against Georgia State. He has caught a pass in 32 consecutive games, which ranks in the top 15 among all FBS players, and moved into ninth place on App State’s career receiving yardage list with 2,108 yards. • 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. • QB Joey Aguilar followed a three-TD, four-INT game at Louisiana with 299 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Georgia State. He threw for 245 yards in the first half. • Before adding a TD catch against Georgia state, 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. • WRs Christan Horn and Dalton Stroman are two big-play threats, with career averages of 17.1 and 18.4 yards per reception, respectively. With Horn sidelined at Marshall, Stroman made his second career start and scored two TDs during a five-catch, 75-yard outing. He scored a 21-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-5 throw and a 27-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-19 play. Stroman added a 23-yard touchdown catch against Georgia State. • TE Eli Wilson had a momentum-swinging, 34-yard TD catch in the 2024 opener, scored App State’s first TD at ECU and had a 26-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter at Louisiana as part of a 16-catch, 203-yard season to date. He ranked in the top three among Sun Belt tight ends in catches (34), yards (350) and touchdown catches (five) in 2023. • App State went 6-for-6 on fourth-down conversions at Marshall and is 8-for-11 this season. Last year, it went 4-for-4 on fourth downs at ODU and scored three touchdowns on fourth-down plays.
DEFENSE
• App State’s three sacks against Georgia State included one solo sack from Santana Hopper, who split sacks with Michael Fletcher and Thomas Davis. The solo sack from Hopper came on a third-and-8 play from the App State 9 in the fourth quarter, limiting Georgia State to a field goal, while Davis and Hopper combined for a sack on a third-and-2 play with a minute left. • OLB Thomas Davis led App State with 1.5 tackles for loss at Marshall and has 3.5 this season. • App State had one of its best defensive performances of the season at Louisiana, which had touchdown drives of 33, 7 and 32 yards after Mountaineer turnovers. App State limited the Ragin’ Cajuns to 364 total yards and got one turnover on a fourth-quarter INT from Jordan Favors, who tied for the Sun Belt lead last season with four INTs. • 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 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. • ILB Brendan Harrington had six tackles, including one tackle for loss, in his inspiring return to the lineup vs. ETSU and has 31 tackles in seven games, including two straight starts after last starting a league game on Nov. 27, 2021. 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). • CB Nick Taylor, the only App State true freshman to play in a game so far this season, made his first career start vs. Georgia State and had two tackles before leaving the game with an injury.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• All-America kicker Michael Hughes was 5-for-5 on field goals this season to extend his streak of consecutive makes to 16 before an injury sidelined him at Marshall, where redshirt freshman Jackson Moore converted a 42-yarder on his first career attempt to run the team streak to 17 in a row before a missed kick later in the first half. Moore made a 44-yard field goal at Louisiana and went 1-for-2 with a 33-yard field goal against Georgia State. • Ahmani Marshall’s blocked punt to produce a safety for an early 2-0 lead against Georgia State was App State’s first blocked punt since 2019 (Demetrius Taylor vs. Coastal Carolina) and App State’s first safety since 2022 (when Troy intentionally took one with 20 seconds left while holding a four-point lead to avoid punting from its end zone; App State followed a free kick with a Hail Mary touchdown). • 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).
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Marshall Thundering Herd
Saturday’s meeting between the two schools will be their first-ever contest at the FBS level. The only other meeting came in 1987 when ULM was known as Northeast Louisiana and defeated the Herd, 43-42, in the 1987 NCAA I-AA Championship Game.
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks Notes
Marshall Thundering Herd Notes
Senior Day!
Saturday’s contest against ULM will mark Senior Day for the Thundering Herd! Marshall will recognize 18 seniors who will be taking part in this year’s Senior Day pre-game festivities. Another three players who have previously gone through Senior Day festivities will also be recognized.
On The Run…
The matchup between Marshall and ULM brings together two teams who have sustained success by running the football this season. Marshall comes into the game ranked 15th in FBS with 215 yards per game on the ground, led by A.J. Turner, who leads the Sun Belt Conference with 717 yards rushing. ULM also features a run-oriented ground attack, led by freshman Ahmad Hardy, who is No. 1 in FBS among freshmen at 604 yards on the season.
Perfect at Home!!
Joan C. Edwards Stadium has historically been one of the most difficult places in college football for teams to come and get a win. Once again in 2024, Marshall is using its home-field advantage to its benefit, sporting a 4-0 record heading into Saturday’s game with ULM – an aspect ULM head coach Bryant Vincent pointed out in his weekly press conference. Marshall is 186-43 in games at Joan C. Edwards Stadium – a winning percentage of 81.2 percent.
Hello and Good Bye (for once)!
Marshall’s last contest was a 35-20 win over Georgia State – a span of 16 days between games. It also marks the thirdstraight game a ULM opponent is coming off a bye week. The Herd is also familiar with that scenario. In 2024, Marshall will have six opponents who did not play the week before facing the Herd.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Troy Trojans
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record (Streak):…………………………………………………………………………………………………………3-3 (L1) at Coastal Carolina (Streak):………………………………………………………………………………………………2-1 (W2) at Troy (Streak): …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1-2 (L1) Neutral Sites (Streak):………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. N/A Last Meeting:……………………………………………………………………………….TROY, 45-26 (12/03/22 at TROY)
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Notes
A COASTAL WIN WOULD …
• move Coastal to 171-92 all-time, including 13-8 in the Tim Beck era; • make Coastal 3-1 on the road this season; • give Coastal two wins in the state of Alabama in the same season for the first time ever; • give Coastal its third win in its last four games against Sun Belt West opponents; • move Coastal to 33-27 all-time in Sun Belt Conference games;
A COASTAL LOSS WOULD …
• give Coastal three consecutive Sun Belt losses for the first time since November of 2019; • be Coastal’s third consecutive loss;
CHANTS ON THE GRIDIRON
• In its 22nd year of football, Coastal holds an all-time record of 170-92 (64.9%), including a 56-38 (59.6%) 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.
NON-CONFERENCE NOTABLES
• Since 2018, Coastal is 21-5 (80.8%) in regular-season non-conference games. • That stretch includes a 13-2 (86.7%) mark at home. The Chanticleers have had perfect regular season non-conference ledgers four times since the program’s inception in 2003. • Coastal Carolina won 13 consecutive nonconference regular-season games from 2019-22.
Troy Trojans Notes
Did You Know?
• Troy has forced 197 turnovers since the start of the 2016 season, which is the second most in the country • Troy has started six different offensive line units in eight games this season, tied for the third most in the country (FSU, Middle Tennessee – 7) • Troy’s games in 2024 have averaged just 121.3 combined plays, the 11th fewest in the country (Kentucky, 116.5) … Troy and Arkansas State combined to run 153 plays last week, the most in a Troy game this year. The previous high was 133 against Texas State • Troy has scored 28-plus points in all six meetings against Coastal Carolina and 35-plus points in 5-of6 meetings • Paddy McAteer, who didn’t kick an American football until April, ranks as the No. 24 KOS in the country by PFF and 14th, averaging 69.7 yards per attempt • Troy’s defense has started drives on its side of the field 11 times this season; of those drives, Troy’s defense is allowing just an average of just 3.6 points per drive • Big plays have been key to Troy’s success offensively, the Trojans have scored on just 6.8 percent of its drives (3-of-48) without a big play (any pass of 15+ yards or a rush of 12+ yards). Troy has scored on 65.8 percent of drives with a big play (25-of-38) • 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 • Starting QB Goose Crowder will miss the rest of the 2024 season due to injury, he played in just 11 quarters over four games • Devonte Ross is responsible for 39.4 percent (13- of-33) of Troy’s plays of 20-plus yards this season • Troy is one of three teams in the country to score on every red zone opportunity (20-of-20) joining Kansas and Ohio State.
Georgia Southern Eagles at South Alabama Jaguars
SERIES HISTORY
Overall Record ………………………………………………GS leads 7-2 In Statesboro ……………………………………………….GS leads, 4-1 In Mobile ……………………………………………………..GS leads, 3-1 At Neutral ……………………………………………………….Never Met Applewhite vs. GS ……………………………………………Never Met Helton vs. USA …………………………………………………………..0-1 Helton vs. Applewhite …………………………………….Never Met Current Streak ……………………………….. USA, won two (2021-) Last Meeting ……………………………………USA 38, GS 31 (2022) Longest GS Streak …………………………………..Seven (2014-20) Longest USA Streak ……………………………Two (2021-present) Largest GS Win …………………….52 points (2017 in Statesboro) Largest USA Win ………………………..25 points (2021 in Mobile) GS vs. current Sun Belt Members ……………………….73-71-1 GS vs. teams from Alabama …………………………………..24-16 GS in state of Alabama …………………………………………..11-12 GS at Hancock Whitney Stadium ……………………………….0-1 Helton at Hancock Whitney Stadium ………………………..0-0
Georgia Southern Eagles Notes
OF NOTE
• Georgia Southern leads the series with South Alabama 7-2 despite the Jaguars winning the past two games. In 2021, the Eagles fell to the Jaguars 41-14 in Mobile and 38-31 in Statesboro in 2022. • In the first seven games between the two squads (2014- 2020), South Alabama scored a combined 79 points as the Eagles outscored the Jags by an average of 35.9-11.3. In the past two matchups, the Jaguars have scored a combined 79 points while the Eagles have scored 45. • The Eagles are 3-1 all-time against South Alabama in Mobile, but 0-1 in Hancock Whitney Stadium. • Georgia Southern is 11-12 all-time in games played in the state of Alabama, dropping their last five dating back to 2019. The Eagles are 24-16 all-time in the modern era against teams from the Yellowhammer State. • This will be the seventh game (out of nine thus far) that has been broadcast on national television. The Eagles are 10-13 all-time on ESPNU, 4-10 on the road.
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
10 Of Alex Smith’s 40 punts this season, nine have been downed inside the 10-yard line with zero touchbacks.
9 Nine true freshman have seen game action for the Eagles thus far.
8 Led by Dalen Cobb (37) Derwin Burgess Jr. (35) and, eight different Eagle receivers have at least seven receptions.
7 Georgia Southern won the first seven games in the series against South Alabama before dropping the past two contests to the Jaguars.
6 The Eagles have won five of the six times under Clay Helton when they’ve completed 35 passes or more in a game.
5 This will be the fifth time the Eagles take on South Alabama in Mobile with Georgia Southern winning three of the four previous contests.
4 This will be the Eagles’ fourth appearance on ESPNU this season and the seventh game in total picked up by linear broadcast this season. The Eagles are 10-13 all-time on the network, 4-10 on the road.
3 Thirteen different players have scored a touchdown for Georgia Southern thus far, including three different running backs, seven different receivers, two quarterbacks and a defensive player.
2 The Eagles have two players on their roster from the state of Alabama, running back Jalen White (Daleville) and freshman receiver Jordan Woolen (Hoover).
1 The Old Dominion game marked the first time this season the Eagles had more penalty yards than their opponent. On the season, Southern is averaging just 47.5 penalty yards per game, second-best in the Sun Belt.
South Alabama Jaguars Notes
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
ALL ABOUT THE GROUND GAME
South Alabama enters the week with the top rushing offense in the Sun Belt Conference at 216.3 yards per game. The Jaguars also rank second in the conference in rushing defense, allowing just 133.3 yards on the ground per contest.
STRIKE FIRST
The Jaguars are undefeated this season (4-0) when scoring first against their opponent. In wins over Northwestern State, App State, Troy and ULM, South Alabama drew first blood. Conversely, South Alabama is 0-4 this season when its opponent scores the first points of the game.
SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT
Saturday’s game on ESPNU will be the first time the Jags have played a Saturday home game on national television since hosting ULM on NFL Network in 2022. It is the first Saturday home game on an ESPN channel since Georgia Southern visited in 2020, and the fifth time overall Hancock Whitney Stadium will be on national TV on a Saturday.
BAM ON THE BOARD
Running back Braylon McReynolds scored the first rushing touchdown of his collegiate career in South Alabama’s win over ULM – McReynolds scored on a 24-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. He previously had a return touchdown and receiving touchdown to his credit
MILLER MAKING MOVES
South Alabama safety Wesley Miller recorded his second interception in as many games when he picked off a pass on ULM’s first offensive play of the second half – Miller’s interception was the third of his career. He first also came against ULM when the Jags visited Monroe in 2022 and won 55-7
MANIAC MYRICK
Linebacker Blayne Myrick is leading the Jaguar defense with 58 total tackles this season. That total ranks ninth in the Sun Belt Conference – Myrick notched the first sack of his career in Saturday’s win over ULM
PROTECT AGAINST THE PASS
South Alabama is 3-0 this season when allowing less than 200 passing yards to its opponent – The Jags won games against Northwestern State, Troy and ULM when keeping the passing game at bay
THE FINNISH FOOT
Finnish punter Aleksi Pulkkenin had the best game of his career against ULM – Pulkkenin hit a career-long, 67-yard punt and averaged 50 yards per punt, which was also a career best
BULLOCK PLAYING BULLY BALL
Running back Kentrel Bullock set a new career high with 141 rushing yards in South’s win against ULM – Bullock also found the end zone twice, which tied his career high
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
LAST OF THE UNBEATENS
Louisiana aims to remain the last unbeaten team in Sun Belt Conference play when it visits Texas State for a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night clash on ESPN2. The Ragin’ Cajuns are also looking to stay perfect in the all-time series, in which they are 11-0 all-time against the Bobcats—including a come-from-behind 34-30 win at Cajun Field a year ago. A Louisiana win would cap a perfect October for the Ragin’ Cajuns and would eclipse the win total in each of head coach Michael Desormeaux’s first two seasons at the helm (6-7 in 2022 and 2023). A Texas State win would be the Bobcats first over the Ragin’ Cajuns and would give the program its first 3-1 start in Sun Belt Conference play since 2014. A Texas State victory would also produce a five-team logjam atop the Sun Belt West Division at 3-1 in conference play.
STEPPING OUT
Georgia State steps out of conference play for a 6 p.m. Friday night date with UConn on CBS Sports Network—1-of-2 remaining non-conference games on the Sun Belt slate. The Panthers won the first game of the home-and-home series, 35-14 at Center Parc Stadium in 2023, and will look to stay perfect in the all-time series when they travel to East Hartford, Conn. Getting positive yardage on first and second downs will be critical for the Panthers, as they go up against a Huskies defense that ranks among the Top 10 in the country in both third down conversion percentage defense (2nd, .254) and fourth down conversion percentage defense (8th, .333). A victory would help Georgia State close its non-conference schedule with a 3-1 record and snap a four-game skid—with all four losses coming against Sun Belt Conference foes.
SEEING RED
Sun Belt East Division leading Old Dominion will look to press its advantage in the red zone when it travels to App State at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, on ESPN+. The Monarchs rank among the Top 20 in the country in both red zone offense (7th, .957) and red zone defense (17th, .741), while the Mountaineers are among the bottom two teams in the Sun Belt in both categories. An Old Dominion win would be the second-straight in the series, after scoring a game-winning touchdown with 48 seconds remaining in Norfolk a year ago. App State owns a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series and is unbeaten at Kidd Brewer Stadium since Hurricane Helene’s impact on the High Country following a 33-26 win over Georgia State a week ago.
CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCHES
When ULM visits Marshall at 2:30 p.m. and Coastal Carolina visits Troy at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, on ESPN+, both matchups will be rematches of championship games. The Warhawks and Thundering Herd will be meeting for the first time since ULM defeated Marshall, 43-42, in the 1987 NCAA I-AA—now FCS—Championship Game. The Chanticleers and Trojans will be squaring off for the first time since Troy defeated Coastal Carolina, 45-26, in the 2022 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game. The matchup is the lone prior meeting between ULM and Marshall, who are facing off for the first time at the FBS level and for the first time as Sun Belt Conference foes Saturday. A ULM victory would clinch bowl eligibility for the Warhawks for the first time since 2018. Troy and Coastal Carolina have split six prior meetings, 3-3, all in Sun Belt Conference play.
IN THE HUNT
A pair of 3-1 teams will attempt to remain in the hunt in their respective divisions when Georgia Southern visits South Alabama at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, on ESPNU. The Eagles lead the all-time series, 7-2 but dropped back-to-back games to the Jaguars in the last two meetings in 2021 and 2022. South Alabama will look to close out a three-game homestand with a third-straight victory, after earning its first win since 2017 in the Battle for the Belt rivalry against Troy, 25-9 and knocking ULM from the ranks of the conference unbeaten, 46-17, over the past two weeks. A Georgia Southern victory would clinch bowl eligibility for the Eagles for the sixth time in seven seasons.
