WEEK 8 GAME SCHEDULE
Tuesday, October 15
Troy at South Alabama
6:30 p.m. ESPN2
The Series
• Troy has won six straight games in the series with South Alabama and four straight games against the Jaguars in Mobile. In fact, Troy has won six straight games in Mobile when taking into account the 2016 and 2018 Dollar General Bowls. • Troy has not allowed a touchdown in eight quarters against South Alabama in Hancock Whitney Stadium. • Troy has held South Alabama to 19 points or fewer in six of the last seven meetings.
Troy Notes
Did You Know?
• Troy’s seven-game road Sun Belt winning streak is the second longest active road conference winning streak in the country (Tulane, 9) • Troy has forced 195 turnovers since the start of the 2016 season, which is the second most in the country … the Trojans forced three turnovers against Texas State, the 33rd time since 2016 with three or more turnovers in a game, the most in the country • Troy’s games in 2024 have averaged just 120.0 combined plays, the eighth fewest in the country (Kentucky, 112.6) • Paddy McAteer, who didn’t kick an American football until April, ranks as the No. 23 KOS in the country by PFF and 10th, averaging 70.5 yards per attempt • Troy’s defense has started drives on its side of the field seven times this season (11 percent of possessions); of those drives, Troy’s defense is allowing just an average of 3.0 points per drive • Eli Russ and Boaz Stanley have both played at three different positions on the offensive line this season • Damien Taylor ranks 18th nationally among running backs per PFF with an 83.6 rush grade (min. 60 rushes) and is eighth averaging 4.82 yards after contact • Big plays have been key to Troy’s success offensively; the Trojans have scored on just 6.3 percent of its drives (2-of-32) without a big play (any pass of 15+ yards or a rush of 12+ yards); however, Troy has scored on 65.5 percent of drives with a big play (19-of-29) • 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 • 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
Points on the Board
• Troy has been shutout just six times since moving to FBS in 2001 with three of those coming during the 2003 season. • Troy has only been shutout once (North Texas, 2003) by a non-Power Five school — the Trojans have played 219 straight games against non-Power Five schools without being shutout. • Troy was shutout by Georgia, 66-0, on Sept. 20, 2014, which snapped a streak of 99 straight games without being shutout (Nebraska, 56-0, on Sept. 23, 2006). • Troy’s current overall streak stands at 128 games.
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).
South Alabama Notes
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF BATTLE OF THE BELT
South Alabama and Troy play annually for the Battle of the Belt. This year’s matchup marks the 10-year anniversary of the creation of the belt, though it will be the 13th all-time meeting between the Jaguars and the Trojans.
HOME SWEET HANCOCK WHITNEY STADIUM
Tuesday’s matchup against the Trojans will mark South Alabama’s first home game since Sept. 12 when the Jaguars defeated Northwestern State 87-10. USA has played three straight games on the road and four of its last-five contests have been away from home.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
South Alabama ranks first in the Sun Belt in total offense at 466.2 yards per game. The Jaguars have the top rushing attack in the league at 202.5 yards per contest while the passing attacks ranks fourth among Sun Belt Conference schools.
OUT OF HARMS WAY –
Quarterback Gio Lopez is one of 16 quarterbacks nationally to throw one or fewer interceptions this season – Lopez’s first interception of the season did not occur until the sixth game of the year
GIVE ME THAT –
As a team, South Alabama is plus-six in turnover margin this season, which ranks 12th nationally – The South Alabama defense has created nine takeaways on the year with three fumble recoveries and six passes intercepted
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 24.5 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
MYRICK THE MANIAC –
Linebacker Blayne Myrick has been on a tear defensively for the Jaguars – Myrick recorded a career-high 13 tackles in South Alabama’s last game at Arkansas State – Three of Myrick’s 13 tackles were for loss. That ties him for ninth-most in a single game in program history RECEIVER RACE – South Alabama’s Jamaal Pritchett and Troy’s Devonte Ross are proving to be two of the most dynamic receivers in the Sun Belt Conference – The duo rank first and second in the league in all-purpose yards, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards
STRIP SACK ATTACK –
Defensive lineman Tyler Thomas has recorded two sacks this season, both of which were strip sacks – Thomas forced fumbles on a quarterback sack in game at Ohio and Arkansas State
BEND, DON’T BREAK –
Opposing offenses this season have just a 50-percent touchdown success rate when entering the red zone against South Alabama’s defense – In 24 trips to the red zone in 2024, USA opponents have scored 12 touchdowns – The Jaguars have surrendered seven field goals and earned red zone stops on five of those trips inside the 20-yard line
WATCHLIST WARRIOR –
Senior safety Jaden Voisin saw his name appear on 10 various preseason watchlists in the weeks and months leading up to kickoff – Voisin finished the 2023 season as a First Team All-Sun Belt selection – Voisin’s preseason watch lists include Phil Steele’s preseason team, Athlon Sports preseason team, SBC preseason team, Shrine Bowl 1,000 List, Nagurski Watchlist, Thorpe Award Watchlist, Wuerffel Trophy Watchlist, HERO Sports G5 All-American list, Bednarik Award Watchlist and the 2025 Senior Bowl Watchlist
LEARNING FROM THE BEST –
Quarterback Gio Lopez was invited to serve as a camp counselor at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy over the summer
Thursday, October 17
Georgia State at Marshall
6:00 p.m. ESPN2
Thursday’s meeting between these two teams is the third meeting in the all-time series. Both teams have won one contest in the series – all coming at home. In 2022, Marshall earned a 28-23 win. Last year, Georgia State won the game 41-24.
Georgia State Notes
Marshall Notes
Prime-time Matchup!
Marshall and Georgia State will be meeting in a 7 p.m. prime-time ESPN2 matchup on Thursday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. This will be the second straight season that the two teams met in a mid-week prime-time ESPN matchup and the second straight year that the Herd has hosted a Thursday night prime-time contest as well.
Two Ticked-Off Teams
Both Marshall and Georgia State have a little extra motivation coming into the short week. Each team is coming off a disappointing loss on Saturday. Marshall comes into the contest off a 24-23 road loss to Georgia Southern in which the Herd led 23-3 with just under eight minutes left. Turnovers and penalties plagued the Herd as the Eagles rallied with 21 late points to win. Georgia State comes to Huntington after suffering a 21-14 home loss to Old Dominion in which the Panthers were driving for a potential game-tying score, but fumbled deep in ODU territory
Henderson Making His Mark!
Marshall cornerback Jacobie Henderson has started to make his presence felt in recent weeks for the Thundering Herd secondary. Prior to the App State game, Henderson went to head coach Charles Huff wanting to watch film with him to gain perspective on what the offense was trying to do. It has paid off since with Henderson grabbing an interception in each of the last two contests
Saturday, October 19
Louisiana at Coastal Carolina
11:00 a.m. ESPNU
Louisiana Notes
Coastal Carolina Notes
A COASTAL WIN WOULD …
• move Coastal to 171-91 all-time, including 13-7 in the Tim Beck era; • make Coastal 3-1 at home this season; • make Coastal 14-8 all-time in Homecoming games; • give Coastal its third consecutive win over an Sun Belt West opponent; • move Coastal to 33-26 all-time in Sun Belt Conference games;
A COASTAL LOSS WOULD …
• give Coastal consecutive losses in conference play for the first time since September of 2023; • be Coastal’s third loss in its last four Homecoming contests;
COASTAL CAROLINA BY THE NUMBERS
3 – CCU has surrendered just three sacks this season and is tied for fifth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed.
4 – Coastal is one of only three FBS teams with four defensive touchdowns this season, joining SMU and Tulane.
5 – Coastal has recovered a fumble in five of its last six games, marking the first time the Chants have done so since the final six games of 2020.
10 – Jameson Tucker has caught a pass in 10 consecutive games dating back to last season against Texas State.
16.0 – Excluding the service academies, no FBS school in the nation is averaging more yards per completion than the Chanticleers at 16.6.
CHANTS ON THE GRIDIRON
• In its 22nd year of football, Coastal holds an all-time record of 170-91 (65.1%), including a 56-37 (60.2%) 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.
HASHTAG #WINNING
• With their 4-2 record this season, the Chants are 43-14 overall since the start of the 2020 season. • The 43-14 record since the start of the 2020 season is tied for the eighth-most wins in all of FBS football, behind only Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Liberty
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 24-5 (82.8%) record in home games. • CCU is tied for the 11th-most home wins since 2020 in all of FBS, trailing only Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Liberty, Michigan, N.C. State, Georgia, Oregon, UTSA, and Oklahoma State. • Since 2020, the Chanticleers have won as many home games as Oklahoma, Notre Dame, LSU, Ole Miss, Memphis, and Missouri. • Coastal has more home wins since 2020 than Penn State (23), Texas (22), Pittsburgh (21), Kansas State (20), and Miami (19).
SCOUTING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS OF LOUISIANA
• Louisiana is 5-1 and coming off a 34-24 win over Appalachian State. • Louisiana is currently on a three-game winning streak, its longest since 2021. • Kicker Kenneth Almendares has tied the school record for career made field goals with 53. • The Ragin’ Cajuns lead the conference and rank 12th nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 162.0. • Tight end Terrance Carter caught four passes for a career-high 107 yards against Appalachian State. • Cornerback Amir McDaniel posted a career-high seven tackles while adding a sack and two quarterback hurries against the Mountaineers. • Louisiana’s offensive line was named to the 2024 Midseason Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award. • UL has allowed just 3.2 tackles per loss per game this season, ranking seventh nationally in that category. • The Ragin’ Cajuns are one of just four teams in the nation who have not lost a fumble this season. • Louisiana’s average time of possession of 32:03 leads the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 21st nationally. • UL is allowing 306.7 yards per game, the fewest in the conference. • Running back Bill Davis leads the league and ranks 20th in the nation with 6.5 yards per carry. • Safety Tyree Skipper is one of only three players in the conference with at least three interceptions this season. • Louisiana forced five turnovers in the win against Appalachian State, the most since the Ragin’ Cajuns forced five against South Alabama on Oct. 28, 2023. • The Ragin’ Cajuns have made 13 field goals this season and have converted 92.9 percent of their attempts, topping the conference in both categories.
Texas State at Old Dominion
2:30 p.m.. ESPN+
Texas State 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. • Texas State opened the season receiving votes in the US LBM preseason Coaches Poll and received eight votes in the week 3 edition. • TXST is coming off a 41-9 Sun Belt win over Arkansas State to start SBC play 2-0 for the first time in program history. • Jordan McCloud was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week following the win over A-State. • Nash Jones was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award
A WIN VS. OLD DOMINION MEANS..
• The Bobcats win the first meeting in the all-time series. • Texas State has won 6 of 8 dating back to the 2023 season. • TXST starts 3-0 in Sun Belt Conference play for the first time in program history (joined in 2013). • The Bobcats are7-4 in their last 10 SBC outings dating back to the start of 2023. • TXST starts off conference play 3-0 for the first time since 1982 (finished 7-0 in the Lone Star Conference).
Old Dominion Notes
• Old Dominion returns home for the first time since September 14 to host Texas State at 3:30 p.m. for Homecoming. • Old Dominion capped off a three-game road trip with a 2-1 record after a 21-14 win at Georgia State. • Colton Joseph made his third career start, completing 14- of-23 passes for 141 yards, one touchdown and interception. He also had 11 carries for 98 yards • ODU rushed 45 times for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Georgia State. Joseph led the way with 98 yards, while Tariq Sims recorded career highs for 14 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. Devin Roche made his first start of the season and had 11 attempts for 38 yards and a touchdown. • Safety Mario Easterly recorded his first career start and had a game-high seven tackles and a pass breakup. • Linebacker Mario Thompson had five tackles, a sack, pass breakup and recovered a fumble to clinch the win. • 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-6 have been one score games and 17 of-the-last 20. • Texas State defeated Arkansas State last week 41-9 in San Marcos. Quarterback Jordan McCloud leads the Sun Belt in total offense with 319 yards per game and running back Ismail Mahdi leads the league in rushing with 84.5 yards per game. • 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 Starts
Quarterback Colton Joseph made his third start in the win at Georgia State. He completed 14-of-23 passes, a TD and interception. He made big plays with his legs, carrying 11 times for 98 yards. Joseph had four runs 13 yards or longer at Georgia State. On the season he has 10 runs of 12+ yards.
Patience Pays Off
Running back Tariq Sims is in his fourth year in Norfolk and coming into last week’s game at Georgia State had 36 career carries for 111 yards and a touchdown. In the win over the Panthers, Sims had 14 attempts for 55 yards and a touchdown. Both career highs in carries and yards. His previous career highs were nine carries for 36 yards, which he did in last year’s win over Georgia State
Koa Leads the Way
Linebacker Koa Naotala had a season-low two tackles in the win at Georgia State. In the first four games Naotala’s lowest total was seven stops and recorded double-digit tackles twice. His 18 tackles Naotala had against ECU was his second career double-digit tackle game as he had 14 tackles in the Famous Toastery Bowl against WKU. Naotala’s 18 tackles are the fifth most in a single-game in program history.
James Madison at Georgia Southern
3:00 p.m. ESPN+
James Madison Notes
FIRST PLACE IN EAST UP FOR GRABS SATURDAY IN STATESBORO
• James Madison hits the road this week, as it travels to Statesboro, Ga., to face Georgia Southern in a battle for the top spot in the Sun Belt East Division standings. • Georgia Southern sits at 2-0 in league play, while JMU is at 1-1, as each team is coming off home wins last week. • The 2024 JMU football season is presented by CarMax.
SATURDAY’S COVERAGE
• JMU’s matchup with Georgia Southern will be streamed on ESPN+. On the call are Danny Waugh and Georgia Southern Hall of Famer Jayson Foster, who was the 2007 Walter Payton Award winner, while Whitney Haworth will be down on the sidelines. • Fans can listen to the game on the Morris Insurance and Financial JMU Radio Network, with Dave Riggert calling the action. • Pregame radio coverage at Bridgeforth begins two hours prior to kickoff at 2 p.m. • Live stats are available at JMUStats.com.
BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES
• This will be the 11th meeting all-time between the teams, with Southern leading JMU, 8-2. • JMU won the inaugural meeting back in 1985 and the most recent meeting last season, while the Eagles reeled off eight straight between 1986 and 2022. • The series began with matchups in eight straight seasons when both teams were Division I-AA programs. • They wouldn’t meet for another 30 years when JMU became a Sun Belt Conference member. • Georgia Southern has never lost a home game in the series, holding a 5-0 mark at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. • JMU meanwhile is 2-3 in home games, which included a 41-13 victory on Oct. 14, 2023, which was the largest margin of victory by either team in the series. • Last time in Statesboro, GS rallied from down 17-0 to beat JMU 45-38 on Oct. 15, 2022, for JMU’s first defeat as a member of the Sun Belt. • In games played at Paulson, the Eagles have won by an average of 34.2 to 22.0.
THURSDAY NIGHT DOMINANCE
• JMU is fresh off arguably its most complete win of the season, as the Dukes rolled to a 39-7 victory against Coastal Carolina last Thursday (Oct. 10) at Bridgeforth Stadium. • The Dukes used a 22-point second quarter and reeled off the final 32 points of the game in front of a sold-out crowd of 25,622 – the ninth-largest attendance in school history. • Alonza Barnett III accounted for four total scores in the win, going 16-of-28 for 199 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 13 yards and another touchdown on the ground. It was his third game with at least four scores. • JMU rushed for 222 yards as a team, led by George Pettaway’s career-high 89 yards. Wayne Knight also contributed 43 yards on six touches. Nine Dukes caught at least one pass, with Yamir Knight leading the way with five grabs, matching his career high. • The Dukes produced points on both sides of the ball, as Lloyd Summerall III returned his first career interception 35 yards for a touchdown, opening up a 22-7 lead on the Chants. • After scoring on its second drive, Coastal Carolina, which was limited to just eight first downs and a season-low 181 yards, would only gain 101 yards on its final 12 possessions, including 28 yards in the second half.
Georgia Southern Notes
OF NOTE
• Southern and JMU played eight straight seasons from 1985 to 1992. After dropping the first game 21-6 at Bridgeforth Stadium, the Eagles rolled o‑ eight straight wins. JMU cut into the series lead with a 41-13 win in Harrisonburg last season. • In the last game played at Paulson Stadium, the two teams combined to score 24 points in the final seven minutes of the game, and there were two lead changes in the final three minutes of the contest. Each team trailed by double digits in the game, and the teams combined for 1,265 total yards, including 1,046 through the air with the Eagles finally knocking on the 25th-ranked Dukes 45-38 at Paulson Stadium. • Senior offensive analyst Bryan Schor was a Walter Payton Award finalist and All-American as a quarterback at James Madison, leading the Dukes to the 2016 FCS national title. • Georgia Southern is 32-9 on Homecoming in the modern era after beating ULM last year. • The Eagles are 25-5 all-time against teams from Virginia but have dropped their past two such contests.
NOTABLE STREAKS AND TRENDS ENTERING THE GAME
• Georgia Southern is 14-3 under head coach Clay Helton when scoring eight or more points in the second quarter and 2-13 when scoring seven points or less. • Southern is 7-3 when under Helton when scoring eight or more points in the fourth quarter. • The Eagles are 5-1 under Helton when completing 35 passes or more in a game. • Southern is 11-3 when having a combined 60 or more rushes and completions under Helton (4-0 with 65+). • GS is 12-6 when rushing for 100 or more yards in a game under Helton, 4-1 when rushing for 200 or more yards. The Eagles are 10-5 when tallying 30 or more rushes in a game and 8-1 when winning the rushing battle (8-15 when losing it). • Since 2000, the Eagles are 117-16 when they’ve rushed for 300 yards or more. • Dating back to the start of the 2018 season, GS is 29-10 in games when having at least one 100-yard rusher. • Since joining the FBS in 2014, Georgia Southern is just 9-30 when rushing for less than 150 yards in a game. • Dating back to 2019, the Eagles have won 15 of their past 19 games when not committing a turnover. • Dating back to 2020, the Eagles are 21-5 when winning the turnover battle, 3-20 when losing it, and 3-5 when the margin is tied. Under Clay Helton, the Eagles are 11-2 when winning the battle, 3-11 when losing it and 2-3 when it’s tied. • As a member of the FBS (since 2014), the Eagles are 49-9 when scoring 30 or more points, 20-54 when scoring less than 30 points. The Eagles are 13-5 under Clay Helton when scoring 30 or more points, 3-11 when scoring less than 30 points. • Georgia Southern is 224-1 all-time when having a lead of 18 or more points at any point in the game. That lone loss came in 2005 when the Eagles led at Texas State 35-16 in the third quarter and lost 50-35. • The Eagles have won 81 straight games when holding a lead of 17 or more points at any point in a game dating back to that 2005 Texas State game. • Since 1983, Georgia Southern is 202-17 when allowing 17 points or less. The last time the Eagles lost a game when allowing 17 points or less was in 2013, a 16-14 loss to Furman at home. The current streak of victories when allowing 17 or less points is at 32. • Georgia Southern had won 90 games in a row when scoring 40 or more points before scoring 45 points and losing to Boise State in this year’s opener. Overall, the Eagles are now 150-3 all time, including 99-1 at home when scoring 40 or more points in a game. Georgia Southern is 7-1 under Helton when scoring 40 or more points in a game.
HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE
• Georgia Southern has one of the best home- eld advantages in the FBS as the Eagles have an official NCAA record of 216-50 at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. That .812 winning percentage is the fourth best in the FBS heading into this week’s games.
Arkansas State at Southern Miss
6:00 p.m. ESPN+
SERIES HISTORY: Overall Southern Miss leads 10-3 In Jonesboro Tied 2-2 In Hattiesburg Southern Miss leads 7-1 At Neutral Site Southern Miss leads 1-0 Last Meeting 44-37, W (Sept. 23, 2023) First Meeting 14-13, W (Nov. 5, 1960) Current Streak A-State W1
Arkansas State Notes
1ST AND 10
1 Ryan Heicher’s 44.2 yards per punt ranks second in single season punt average in program history (min. 20 punts).
2 The Red Wolves have 94 wins as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, second-most of any member, past or present.
3 Justin Parks is one of three current four-year FBS captains, along with Utah’s Cameron Rising and Auburn’s Payton Thorne.
4 Corey Rucker ranks fourth in career receiving yards with 2,457 and needs 274 yards to pass Lennie Johnson (1995-98) for third.
5 Justin Parks and Marvin Ham each have 50 tackles this season and are the first A-State players with 50 or more tackles over the first six games of a season since Xavier Woodson-Luster had 51 in 2016.
6 Of 77 players to play this season, 65 percent (50) are in their first or second year in the program.
7 The last four meetings between A-State and Southern Miss have been decided by seven or fewer points.
8 FBS, FCS and NCAA Division II transfers account for 26 percent of the A-State roster this season. Among 32 total transfers, 21 were added prior to this season.
9 The Red Wolves have used 35 different starters this season, 17 on offense and 18 on defense.
10 16 players have made their first starts at A-State this season, six on offense (Harden, Little, McGehee, Myers, Ndoma-Ogar, Wallace) and 10 on defense (Bradley, Etienne, Greil, Ham, Jefferies, Jones, Joyner, Mahoney, Stephens, Whitehead).
THE ARKANSAS STATE – SOUTHERN MISS SERIES
Saturday’s game will mark the 14th meeting between Arkansas State and Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles lead the series 10-3 and has held A-State below 25 points in 12 of 13 previous meetings. Each of the last four meetings have been decided by seven or fewer points. The Red Wolves ended a seven-game win streak in the series by Southern Miss with a 44-37 victory last season. A-State is 1-7 all-time in Hattiesburg, the lone win coming in 1977 by a score of 14-10.
A-STATE VS THE SUN BELT
Arkansas State has an all-time record of 94-75 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 94.
Southern Miss Notes
Noting the Golden Eagles
• Southern Miss plays in its 108th football season in 2024, having first fielded a team in 1912. The program did not play during World War I (1917-18) or World War II (1943-45). • 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- 40-1 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.
Against Arkansas State
• Southern Miss meets Arkansas State for the 14th time and the third time as members of the Sun Belt Conference. • The Golden Eagles lead the series 10-3, including a 6-1 winning mark in Hattiesburg. • The two teams played in the bowl season once, coming in the 2005 New Orleans Bowl – which took place at Cajun Field in Lafayette, La., following Hurricane Katrina – and USM captured that game 31-19. • Southern Miss has won seven of the last eight games in the series. • The series began in 1960 and A-State captured a 14-13 triumph in Jonesboro. • The last four games in the series have been decided by seven points or less as have six of the 13 overall meetings. Southern Miss is 3-3 in those contests. • There are three Red Wolves from the state of Mississippi including Corey Rucker (Bentonia/Yazoo County HS), Kiandre Terry (Byram/Jackson Academy) and Ian Jeffries (Southaven). • There are no Golden Eagles who call the state of Arkansas home. • Golden Eagle assistant coach Desmond Lindsey worked at A-State from 2019 and 2020.
Notes from the ULM Game
• Under Will Hall, the Golden Eagles are now 4-1 in games played in the state of Louisiana. • The Golden Eagles fell to 6-3 in the series to ULM as it was the first loss in three games in Monroe for Southern Miss. • Ethan Crawford earned his first start of the season and third of his career. He rushed for a team-high 70 yards to go along with 165 passing yards. • The field goal scoring drive in the opening quarter took 5:35, which marked the longest scoring drive of the season in terms of time. • Freshman RB Jalen Washington made his Golden Eagle debut and got his first rush on his first play of action in the second quarter and recorded a 10-yard run. He finished the game with 19 yards on three carries. • Southern Miss rushed for a season-high 182 team rushing yards. • Kenyon Clay registered his team-best fourth rushing score on a one-yard run late in the fourth quarter. • Tre’ Pinkney led the Golden Eagles in tackles for the second-straight contest and the third time over the last four games with eight stops. • Connor Gibbs hit his second-straight fi eld goal for the Golden Eagles with a 22-yard make late in the opening quarter. He added a third consecutive field goal with a 37-yarder two seconds before halftime. • DeMeco Roland blocked his second kick of the year – the first was an extra point. Roland blocked a 41-yard attempt and it was returned 69 yards by Braxton Myers for a touchdown. It was the first blocked field goal for a touchdown since Cornell Armstrong returned one 78 yards at UTEP on Nov. 1, 2014. It was Myers’ first Golden Eagle touchdown.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
THE BATTLE FOR THE BELT
A pair of first-year head coaches—Gerad Parker of Troy (1-5, 0-2 SBC) and Major Applewhite of South Alabama (2-4, 1-1 SBC)—will look to rebound from back-to-back losses when the in-state rivals meet in front of a national television audience at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, on ESPN2. Troy, which has won six-straight (2018-2023) in the Battle for the Belt rivalry, will aim to make it seven-straight and secure Parker’s first Sun Belt Conference win on the road in Mobile, Ala. South Alabama, which enters the matchup ranked second in the Sun Belt and 16th in the country in total offense at 467 yards per game, will attempt to turn the tide in the series. Troy has been able to hold the Jaguars at bay, limiting South Alabama to 19-or-fewer points in six of the last seven meetings—all Trojans victories. Troy owns a 9-3 advantage in the all-time series.
FROM THE A TO W.VA.
Georgia State (2-3, 0-2 SBC) will leave the city of Atlanta for the first time this season when it travels to Huntington, W.Va., to take on Marshall (3-3, 1-1 SBC) at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, on ESPN2. The Panthers opened the 2024 season at cross-town rival Georgia Tech, before hosting four-straight home games at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium. Both programs are coming off one-possession losses decided in the final two minutes. Georgia State’s comeback bid fell short against Old Dominion, when a strip sack and fumble recovery by the Monarchs halted a potential game-tying drive. Marshall conceded 21-straight fourth-quarter points to Georgia Southern to erase a 20-point advantage. The home team is undefeated in two prior matchups in the series, with Georgia State winning 41-24 in Atlanta in 2023 and Marshall defending its home turf 28-23 in Huntington in 2022.
CROSS-DIVISION CLASHES
A pair of cross-division clashes this weekend will feature a West Division team that is undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play on the road at an East Division foe. Louisiana (5-1, 2-0 SBC) will travel to Coastal Carolina (4-2, 1-1 SBC) at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, on ESPNU. The matchup will be the first between the two programs since they were set to meet as nationally-ranked foes in the 2020 Sun Belt Football Championship Game that was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Chanticleers lead the all-time series, 2-1, though the Ragin’ Cajuns are 1-0 on the Surf Turf in Brooks Stadium. Texas State (4-2, 2-0 SBC) will visit Old Dominion (2-4, 1-1 SBC) for the first time in program history at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, on ESPN+. Both teams feature a stout defensive front, with the Monarchs (4th, 8.8 tackles for loss per game) and Bobcats (6th, 8.5 tackles for loss per game) each ranking among the Top 10 in the country in tackles for loss per game. Sophomore linebacker Mario Thompson leads the way for Old Dominion and ranks 15th in the country averaging 1.4 tackles for loss per game, while redshirt senior defensive lineman Steven Parker paces Texas State and sits 30th in the nation at 1.3 tackles for loss per game.
POWER OF PAULSON
The top two teams in the East Division standings—Georgia Southern (4-2, 2-0 SBC) and James Madison (5-1, 1-1 SBC)—will square off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, on ESPN+. Fresh off a thrilling come-from-behind win over Marshall, the Eagles will aim to once again entertain a home crowd at Allen E. Paulson Stadium on Homecoming. Georgia Southern is 32-9 on Homecoming in the modern era and owns an 8-2 edge in the all-time series with James Madison, including a 5-0 mark in Statesboro. The Dukes enter this week’s contest pacing the Sun Belt in both scoring offense (39.0 points per game) and scoring defense (16.3 points per game), with both totals ranking among the Top 20 in the country.
SHOW ON THE ROAD
The last four times that Arkansas State (3-3, 1-1 SBC) and Southern Miss (1-5, 0-2 SBC) have met on the gridiron—dating back to 2007–have been decided by seven-or-fewer points. The Red Wolves will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to face the Golden Eagles at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, on ESPN+. Southern Miss leads the all-time series 10-3 and has held Arkansas State below 25 points in 12-of-13 prior meetings, with the lone exception being the Red Wolves 44-37 win in Jonesboro, Ark., a year ago. The win was Arkansas State’s first in the series since 1977, snapping a seven-game skid to the Golden Eagles. The Red Wolves will look to make it back-to-back wins for the first time in the series and to earn their first road victory since a 34-24 win at ULM on Oct. 28, 2023.
WEEKLY AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bobcats redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud accounted for all five touchdowns in Texas State’s 41-9 victory over Arkansas State. The Tampa, Fla., native completed 24-of-29 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 29 yards and a score. McCloud’s effort was his fifth game with three-or-more passing touchdowns in 2024, his fourth game with four-or-more touchdowns accounted for and his third game with 300-or-more passing yards.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Eagles redshirt senior linebacker Marques Watson-Trent made significant contributions to Georgia Southern’s 21-point fourth quarter en route to a come-from-behind 24-23 win over Marshall. With Georgia Southern trailing 23-3 in the fourth quarter, the Pittsburgh, Pa., native forced two fumbles that led to the last two Eagles touchdowns to secure the comeback win.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ragin’ Cajuns redshirt senior kicker Kenneth Almendares booted a pair of field goals and converted on all four extra-point attempts in a 34-24 victory over App State. The Clute, Texas, native—who paces the Sun Belt with 58 points scored this season—moved into fourth place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 293 points scored. Almendares’ career-long 53-yard field goal also tied him with Steve Artigue (2015-19) for the school record for most field goals made.
