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

It took seven weeks, but we’re finally seeing a slate of Sun Belt football unspoiled by lesser conferences. Rejoice, ye citizens of the Sun Belt!

After all, the OOC hasn’t been especially kind to the Sun Belt – so much so that Appalachian State fans felt obligated to storm the field after squeaking by now 0-6 Oregon State (something that was described by one Facebook user as “students storm field after beating weak team“). Listen, malcontented Facebook user, it’s been a long first quarter of football for all of us.

Through six weeks, the Sun Belt is 25–27 out of conference: 1–15 vs Power 4, 10–12 vs other FBS, and 14–0 vs FCS. No, that Beavers win doesn’t count as P4. Stop saying that. Old Dominion is the ONLY Sun Belt program to deliver a win over a Power 4 team when it delivered a beating so bad to Virginia Tech, they fired poor Brent Pry.

Thank God for Week 7.

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.”

Thursday, October 9

Southern Miss Golden Eagles (3-2) @ Georgia Southern Eagles (2-3), 7PM, ESPN2, -3.5 Eagles of Gold

Clay Helton is midway through his fourth season in Statesboro and the results are decidedly mixed. After delivering two six-win seasons, Helton turned in an 8-5 year and seemed ready to take on the Sun Belt East in 2025. However, the Eagles have looked less than inspiring all season, especially in a lackluster 35-10 loss to division rival James Madison. Meanwhile, Southern Miss finds themselves tied on top of the SBC West behind Braylon Braxton, ranked second in conference for both passing yards and touchdowns. If the Golden Eagles are for real, they have the opportunity to prove it in Statesboro.

RESULT: The Eagles have a magic school bus and a magic creek, but not enough magic on the gridiron.

Saturday, October 11

Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (2-3) @ James Madison Dukes (4-1), 11AM, ESPN2, -17.5 Dukes

Losing to Rice and Eastern Michigan on your home turf by single digits would be enough to darken the mood of any program, not the least of whom Louisiana, who entered the season the overall favorite to dominate the Sun Belt West. Did an overtime win over Marshall deliver the zing of confidence needed to reclaim their Cajun mojo? More than mojo will be required to upend the Dukes. Or maybe not? James Madison found themselves in an unexpected defensive struggle against Georgia State last week, escaping Atlanta with a puzzling 14-7 win on a 11/22, 74 passing yard performance from Alonza Barnett. Are the Dukes feeling dooky?

RESULT: JMU has too much defense for even Lunch Winfield to overcome

Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-2) @ Georgia State Panthers (1-4), 2:30PM, ESPN+, -2.5 Mountaineers

Appalachian State’s two FBS victories come courtesy of teams who’ve combined for a 1-11 record. A win over the Panthers would hardly improve that statistic, but a loss would likely cement this season as an official Rebuild in Boone. Part of the anxiety lies in the health of starting QB AJ Swann, hobbled by an MCL strain that won’t go away (JJ Kohl called the signals against Oregon State). Over in Atlanta, the Panthers are still struggling to squeeze TJ Finley-like production out of TJ Finley, but head coach Dell McGee must have loved seeing his defense stymie James Madison for four quarters.

RESULT: Strange things happen in Atlanta, and the Mountaineers falling to the Panthers would be strange indeed

Old Dominion Monarchs (4-1) @ Marshall Thundering Herd (2-3), 2:30PM, ESPN+, -14.5 ODU

Ever since the Monarchs joined the Sun Belt, we’ve been waiting for Old Dominion to burst from its own glass cage of emotion. This might be the year. Head coach Rickey Rahne has made the team transition from “weird” to “contenders” by producing the Sun Belt’s top defense and offense, getting monster production from quarterback Colton Joseph and lockdown defense from safety Jerome Carter. It’s a somewhat different story in Huntington, where new head coach Tony Gibson is getting enough production from his ground game (39th nationally) but could use more passing power from QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. The confines at Huntington does provide an advantage, however.

RESULT: Despite the Herd’s struggles, their better-than-average run defense should provide a surprising test for ODU

ULM Warhawks (3-2) @ Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (2-3), 6PM, ESPN+, -2.5 Hawks

Your optic nerves do not deceive you. The Warhawks, led by second year head coach Bryant Vincent, is favored in Conway – despite blowout losses to Alabama and Northwestern. ULM’s run game has something to do with that, putting up 188 yards per contest behind Braylon McReynolds and leggy QB Adrian Armenta. The Chants seemed to be righting the ship after getting a road win over South Alabama, but then took a pounding at Old Dominion, where Tim Hudson and Coastal didn’t muster a score until the fourth quarter. The Chants are in a bad place right now; the Warhawks are in a position of good cheer.

RESULT: Nobody seems more built for Sun Belt play than ULM right now

Troy Trojans (3-2) @ Texas State Bobcats (3-2), 7PM, ESPN+, -9.5 Bobcats

One team is coming off an exhilarating victory; the other, a deflating defeat. Sun Belt implications abound when the Trojans and a suddenly effective Tucker Kilcrease take on the Bobcats and a vengeance-seeking Brad Jackson. Kilcrease and Jackson looked like the same guy on Saturday, both producing over 100 yards of rushing and better than 200 yards of passing. However, this game may be more about defensive ability, with both teams putting up better than average D. Who cracks first? The crowd at San Marcos may play the deciding role – or an 0-2 Texas State may find itself in a divisional hole too deep from which to escape.

RESULT: Bobcats receive more fight out of Troy than they bargained for