Game analysis, broadcast, kick-off times, and odds for every Sun Belt football game

You never know when we’ll be paid a visit by Sun Belt Entropy – after all, surprise is just one delightful element of entropy. Another is “confounding power,” or the ability to completely gobsmack even a man such as I – one who has traveled the Earth and seen it all. Who’d have fathomed that Southern Miss would handle Appalachian State with such impolite nonchalance, or that Old Dominion would humiliate Virginia Tech into firing its coach? (Actually, we might have semi-predicted such a thing).

Like a stoner you once half-heartedly invited into your home, Sun Entropy is here stay for the duration, eating all of your snacks and laying siege to your couch.

For the entire Sun Belt football season, Sun Belt Heat will be dissected on the FunBelt Podcast each week on the segment “Second and Short.”

Saturday, September 20

James Madison Dukes @ Liberty Flames, 2:30PM, ESPNU, -9.5 Dukes

The Flames have lost two straight to two less-than-marquee programs (Jax State and Bowling Green) and now everybody is griping about head coach Jamey Chadwell, who is already being linked to the suddenly open Virginia Tech gig. Also linked to the very same gig, Bob Chesney, current head coach of Liberty’s next opponent, JMU. Sun Belt Entropy! It arrives in many forms! Virginia Tech may want to check out how Coach Chesney is handling its dual-QB situation before pulling any triggers. Anyway, Dukes got two weeks to prepare for Liberty and that should be enough.

RESULT: Jimmy Mads deepens Chadwell’s urge to call U-Haul

Louisiana Ragin Cajuns @ Eastern Michigan Eagles, 2:30PM, ESPN+, -2.5 Cajuns

How does one recover from emasculating losses to both Rice and Missouri? Why, by visiting Eastern Michigan of course, whom you remember as the Week 1 opponent to Texas State, who crushed them 52-17. Things haven’t gotten much better for the Eagles, who are 0-3 with a particularly grisly loss to Long Island. Nobody needs a game with Eastern Michigan more than coach Mike Desormeaux and Louisiana, who rank dead last in the Sun Belt for total offense. If Long Island can defeat Eastern Michigan, then damnit, so can the Cajuns.

RESULT: I think the Cajuns can with this, I really do

Troy Trojans @ Buffalo Bulls, 2:30PM, ESPN+, +6.5 Troy

The Sun Belt must of gotten a BOGO deal on MAC teams because we’re getting another 2:30 dose of MACtion when the Trojans ride up to New York to challenge the Bulls. After giving Clemson a dose of humility, Troy dropped a turd in its home game to Memphis, scoring just seven points in a spiritless 28-7 loss that also cost their starting quarterback, Goose Crowder. That leaves Troy with Tucker Kilcrease, who raised more stomach acid than eyebrows by completing just 10 of 29 passes for 65 yards and an interception. Perhaps Kilcrease will find a rhythm against Buffalo’s 95th ranked passing defense.

RESULT: Troy is in a real pickle barrel, and I’m not sure Buffalo will let them out

Arkansas State Red Wolves @ Kennesaw State Owls, 5PM, ESPN+, -6.5 Red Wolves

Arkansas State played well in a 24-16 home defeat to #12 Iowa State on Saturday, erasing some of the sting of that 56-14 loss to in-state rival Arkansas in Week 2. Now coach Butch Jones and his starting QB Jaylen Raynor take the show on the road to Kennesaw to face a spunky Owls team that opened the season falling to Wake Forest by the ridiculous score of 10-9. Kennesaw State looks to be the kind of opponent that reveals the true steel of a team hardened in the crucible of Power Four fire.

RESULT: The Owls look slower and smaller than opponents in the previous two weeks

Marshall Thundering Herd @ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, 6PM, ESPN+, -2.5 Herd

Middle opened the season with a soul-draining loss to FCS Austin Peay and then absorbed a 42-10 crushing at Wisconsin before finding that winning magic against Nevada. Marshall is also coming off a victory, dispatching FCS Eastern Kentucky 38-7 to award Tony Gibson his first victory as head coach. Gibson may have finally found his starting QB in Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who only threw nine passes against EKU, but complete 9 for a pair of touchdowns (he also tacked on 58 rushing yards and another TD). Still, the Herd has a long way to go to playing competitive football against upper tier opponents.

RESULT: Vegas likes the Herd, but I don’t think the Herd is ready for a road win at Murfreesboro.

Maine Black Bears @ Georgia Southern Eagles, 6PM, ESPN+, NO ODDS GIVEN

In the movie Blazing Saddles, Madeline Kahn sings a song about being really tired, and I suspect that after absorbing two trouncings on the West Coast and earning a 41-34 win over Jax State, coach Clay Helton and his Eagles are yodeling the lyrics in their restless sleep. OJ Arnold’s 128 yard, two touchdown performance against the Gamecocks likely perked up Georgia Southern, and a stat-boosting game against winless Maine might be all the caffeine needed to right the ship in Statesboro.

RESULT: Georgia Southern does not sleep on Maine.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers @ South Alabama Jaguars, 6PM, ESPN+, 15.5 Jags

You know which Sun Belt coach isn’t linked to the Virginia Tech job? Tim Beck! He and the Chants are officially in trouble after getting shutout against bitter regional rival East Carolina 38-0. QB Tad Hudson was just 19/39 on his pass attempts with two picks against the Pirates, and the run game produced all of 67 yards. Meanwhile, South Alabama under Major Applewhite may have been overmatched by #24 Auburn on Saturday, but Bishop Davenport has clearly made his case as worthy successor to Gio Lopez at quarterback. Watch he and RB Kentrel Bullock have their way with Coastal.

RESULT: The Chants are fried to a crisp and we’re only in Week 4

Georgia State Panthers @ #20 Vanderbilt Commodores, 6:30PM, ESPNU, +26.5 Panthers

It’s the rematch of the century! Dell McGee and his Panthers applied pure Sun Belt Entropy to Vandy last season by dispatching the SEC blue bloods in Atlanta. Now Georgia State enters Nashville to take on a 3-0 Commodores team that just upset South Carolina and now wants to boil the Panthers in a big pot of soup. Do the Panthers have enough firepower to avoid the menu? McGee got the team on the right foot by beating Murray State last week, and Ted Hurst looked like himself with 172 receiving yards and a pair of scores. But the current TJ Finley needs to find the old TJ Finley fast if the Panthers are to have a chance. (Might we see more Cameron Brown?)

RESULT: I hitched a ride on the Panthers’ train early this year, and I’m not jumping off just yet

Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, 6:30PM, ESPN+, +3.5 Golden Eagles

This is kind of like a conference game, right? The Bulldogs will enter Sun Belt play next season, but for now, the CUSA member is 2-1 after putting up a 49-14 demolishing of former SBC member New Mexico State. However, few have performed as well on the gridiron of late as Braylon Braxton and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, winners of two straight and surprise victors over Appalachian State. Perhaps more impressive than Braxton’s two TD performance on Saturday was J’Mond Tapp’s three sacks. Defense and offense is rolling in Hattiesburg, and LaTech may not have enough to stop the momentum.

RESULT: Golden Eagles continue to unleash entropy

Nicholls Colonels @ Texas State Bobcats, 7PM, ESPN+, NO ODDS GIVEN

Since upending Incarnate Word in Week 1, the Colonels have dropped games to Troy and West Georgia, indicating that the magic dust has worn off the Nicholls season. Meanwhile, Texas State is recovering from a business-like loss to Arizona State, but GJ Kinne still has plenty of cards to play against an FCS opponent in San Marcos.

RESULT: Texas State unknots the kinks from last week’s loss

ULM Warhawks @ UTEP Miners, 8PM, ESPN+, +3.5 Warhawks

The Miners didn’t perform poorly against media-darling Texas last week, falling 27-10 and adding another interception to Arch Manning’s collection. Visiting El Paso, the Warhawks, we are in trauma counseling after getting assaulted 73-0 by Alabama. Can head coach Bryant Vincent and his War Boys recover? Interesting stat from the Alabama game: starting QB Aiden Armenta completed 8 of 14 passes for just 28 yards, averaging 2 yards per completion. Bama or not, that’s not great!

RESULT: Man, I don’t know

Sitting Out

ODU and Appalachian State

IMAGE: AI monstrosity