THIS WEEK IN THE SUNBELT CONFERENCE
WEEK 12 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Nov. 20
Texas State at Coastal Carolina 12:00 p.m. ESPN+
Arkansas State at Georgia State 1:00 p.m. ESPN3
App State at Troy 2:30 p.m. ESPN+
No. 14/15 BYU at Georgia Southern 3:00 p.m. ESPN+
No. 22/21 Louisiana at Liberty 3:00 p.m. ESPNU
South Alabama at Tennessee 6:30 p.m. ESPNU
ULM at LSU 8:00 p.m. ESPN2
All Times CT
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
SENIOR SEND OFF
Coastal Carolina is coming off just its third loss since the start of the 2020 season, which caused the Chanticleers to fall out of the national polls for the first time since Oct. 18, 2020. The program’s 19-3 record—with each of the three losses by three points or less—puts the Chanticleers among the likes of Alabama (22-1), Cincinnati (19-1), BYU (19-3) and Georgia (18-2) over the span. Many of the team’s key contributors will be recognized on Senior Day at 12 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+. The Chanticleers will welcome a Texas State club that it has beaten in back-to-back seasons.
PANTHERS ON THE PROWL
Georgia State, the only FBS team to play four road games against ranked opponents this season, returns home for its final two regular-season games. The Panthers earned their first-ever win over a ranked opponent last weekend, unseating Coastal Carolina, 42-40, and will host Arkansas State at 1 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN3. Georgia State needs one win over its final two games to secure bowl eligibility for the third-straight season and fifth time in program history. Arkansas State, which earned its first conference win of the Butch Jones era a week ago, claims a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Panthers lone win came in the last meeting in Atlanta in 2019 by a 52-38 margin.
DEFENSIVE FRONT
App State and Troy feature two the nation’s premier defenses, with the Mountaineers—first with 8.5 tackles for loss per game—and Trojans—seventh with 7.8 tackles for loss per game—each ranking among the Top 10 in the FBS in tackles for loss per game. App State can clinch a berth to the Sun Belt Football Championship Game with a victory when it visits Troy at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+, while a Trojan win would secure the team’s bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018.
STEPPING OUT
Four teams will step out of conference play during Week 12—with 3-of-4 games appearing on national television. Georgia Southern will host No. 14/15 BYU at 3 p.m. CT Saturday in the lone ESPN+ broadcast. No. 22/21 Louisiana will visit Liberty at 3 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU, South Alabama will travel to Tennessee at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU and ULM will take on LSU at 8 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN2. A Louisiana win would extend its program-record winning streak to 10 games, while a South Alabama victory would clinch the team’s bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
With two weeks remaining on the regular-season slate, four teams maintain a path to the Sun Belt Football Championship Game out of the East Division—App State (5-1), Coastal Carolina (4-2), Georgia State (4-2) and Troy (3-3). The Mountaineers control their own destiny and can clinch the berth with a victory at Troy on Saturday.
