No. 24 Louisiana sets sights on 4th-straight Sun Belt West Division Title in Week 10 play

Published 3:17 pm Wednesday, November 3, 2021

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No. 24 Louisiana looks to clinch its fourth-straight Sun Belt West Division title when it hosts Georgia State at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday in front of a national television audience on ESPN. The Panthers—who have won three-straight after starting the year 1-4—are part of a three-team tie atop the hotly contested Sun Belt East Division, alongside No. 21/21 Coastal Carolina and App State.

South Alabama can clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 when it visits Troy in the Battle for the Belt at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+. The Trojans carry a three-game winning streak in the series into Saturday’s matchup.

For exclusive Sun Belt Football content on game days and throughout the 2021 season, follow @SunBeltFB on Twitter.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

  • HOW THE WEST WAS WON? – No. 24 Louisiana has a chance to clinch its fourth-straight Sun Belt West Division title with a victory over Georgia State in front of a national television audience at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday on ESPN. The Ragin’ Cajuns are a perfect 4-0 in Thursday night contests under head coach Billy Napier and are also 4-0 all-time against the Panthers. Last season, Louisiana prevailed over Georgia State in a 34-31 overtime thriller. Since the start of the 2019 season, the Ragin’ Cajuns own a 28-5 (.848) record—trailing only Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Georgia.
  • RECEIVING CORPS – App State is the lone FBS team that will put a trio of 2,000-yard receivers on the field Saturday when super senior wide receivers Thomas Hennigan, Malik Williams and Corey Sutton lead the Mountaineers into a road bout at Arkansas State at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+. App State leads the all-time series 3-1 including last year’s 45-17 rout and 2018’s 35-9 victory in the last visit to Jonesboro.
  • DATE WITH DESTINY – ULM has dropped 11-straight road contests, dating back to its last trip to Bobcat Stadium, when it earned a 24-14 victory over Texas State on Oct. 10, 2019. The Warhawks will look to snap the streak as they return to San Marcos at 2 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+. ULM leads the all-time series 12-5, though Texas State won last year’s meeting, 38-17.
  • BATTLE FOR THE BELT – Bragging rights in the state of Alabama are on the line as South Alabama visits Troy at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+. Troy’s three-game winning streak is the longest for either team since the inception of the series, which the Trojans lead 6-3. A South Alabama victory would make the Jaguars the fourth Sun Belt program to clinch bowl eligibility this season—joining No. 21/21 Coastal Carolina, No. 24 Louisiana and App State.
  • DEFEND YOUR TURF – Georgia Southern owns one of the best home-field advantages in the FBS entering Saturday’s contest with No. 21/21 Coastal Carolina at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Eagles are 205-44 (.823) all-time at Allen E. Paulson Stadium, the second-best in the FBS. Georgia Southern also owns a 5-2 lead in the all-time series with the Chanticleers, including a 30-27 triple-overtime thriller in the last meeting in Statesboro on Oct. 19, 2019. Coastal Carolina won last year’s meeting 28-14.
  • AWARDS SEASON – Five Sun Belt student-athletes have been named semifinalists for prestigious honors handed out by the National Collegiate Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Coastal Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback Grayson McCall is 1-of-15 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, presented annually to the collegiate player of the year. Chanticleers senior tight end Isaiah Likely is 1-of-8 semifinalists for the John Mackey Award, presented annually to the best collegiate tight end in the country. The Chanticleers are the lone Group of Five team—and the Sun Belt is the sole Group of Five conference—with finalists for both the Maxwell and Mackey Awards. Three Sun Belt student-athletes—App State wide receiver Thomas Hennigan, Georgia State defensive back Jaylon Jones and Louisiana kicker Nate Snyder—were also dubbed as semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award.

WHERE TO WATCH

 Date  Game  Time  Broadcast
 Thursday, Nov. 4  Georgia State at No. 24 Louisiana | Game Notes | Game Notes  6:30 p.m.  ESPN
 Saturday, Nov. 6  App State at Arkansas State | Game Notes | Game Notes  1 p.m.  ESPN+
 Saturday, Nov. 6  ULM at Texas State | Game Notes | Game Notes  2 p.m.  ESPN+
 Saturday, Nov. 6  South Alabama at Troy | Game Notes | Game Notes  2:30 p.m.  ESPN+
 Saturday, Nov. 6  No. 21/21 Coastal Carolina at Georgia Southern | Game Notes | Game Notes  5 p.m.  ESPN+

All Times CT

For exclusive Sun Belt football content on game days and throughout the 2021 season, follow @SunBeltFB on Twitter.

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