Last Saturday, ULM got 355 passing yards and a pair of passing TDs from QB Aidan Armenta and the Warhawks still lost by two touchdowns and a field goal. Meanwhile, my pick to win not just the Sun Belt East but the entire Sun Belt lost by 32 points to Georgia State, who is now 4-1 and looks as unstoppable as the Flying Scotsman. My pick to finish fourth in the Sun Belt East – James Madison – looked mortal for a quarter before breaking Marshall into tiny pieces. The violence is here, Sun Belt.
Tuesday, October 6
Southern Miss Golden Eagles (1-3) @ Troy Trojans (2-2), 7:00 PM, ESPN2, -10.5 Trojans
Did we just atomically vibrate into the MAC Universe? Sun Belt dominates Tuesday night with an ESPN2 airing of the Golden Eagles and the Trojans, two programs with different aspirations. Head coach Gerad Parker seeks to repeat as SBC West champs. Head coach Blake Anderson just wants a positive bullet point. When last we saw these teams, Troy endured a lackluster loss to Anderson’s former team Utah State, where QB Goose Crowder tossed three picks. Southern Miss arrives to Troy having just put up a solid game against Tulane.
OUTCOME: An uninspired win for Troy
Thursday, October 8
South Alabama Jaguars (3-2) @ Arkansas State Red Wolves (2-3), 7:00 PM, ESPN2, -1.5 Red Wolves
Two mid-weeks games for the Sun Belt? TWO? Why not? The Red Wolves host the Jags having enduring an grueling loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns, a defensive slobber-knocker that ended on a last second field goal. South Alabama head coach Major Applewhite’s men may be even more exhausted having put up 52 points on the defenseless Warhawks. The Jaguars can can find the end zone, but they can’t stop their opponents from finding it. Trey Owens and the Red Wolves offense will need to take advantage of South Alabama’s defensive shortcomings to live up to Vegas’ expectations.
OUTCOME: Red Wolves has just enough defense
Saturday, October 10
Old Dominion Monarchs (1-4) @ Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-1), 12:00 PM, ESPN+, -9.5 Mountaineers
It’s too early in the year to declare “Season Over” for anybody, but the Monarchs are furiously skating on that thin ice, already 0-2 in the Sun Belt and coming off twin miserable outings against James Madison and Georgia State. In those losses, ODU is outscored 88-30. By contrast, the Mountaineers are quickly rediscovering their lost confidence, starting the season undefeated before losing a heartbreaker to NC State. Head coach Dowell Loggains may have put all the pieces together after an uneven debut season, taking Boone back to Sun Belt relevance.
OUTCOME: Monarchs dismay deepens
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (1-4) @ Marshall Thundering Herd (3-2), 6:00 PM, ESPN+, -3 Herd
After four games of mailing in victories, the Herd received a throat punch for SBC East rival James Madison, who took great advantage of Marshall’s defensive confusion. Sun Belt preseason offensive player of the year Carlos Del Rio-Wilson receives an easier assignment when with the Chants, who fell by one touchdown in a Sun Belt classic against Georgia Southern last week. Deuce Bailey continues to generate offense with his arm and legs for Coastal Carolina, but the Chanticleers simply need more playmakers. Of course, maybe Bailey is enough against a team experiencing the tackling woes of the Herd.
OUTCOME: Chants take advantage of the Herds’ existential crises
James Madison Dukes (5-0) @ Georgia Southern Eagles (2-3), 6:30 PM, ESPNU, -8.5 Dukes
For the first time this season, the Dukes failed to score on its scripted opening drive when Marshall (!) put the brakes on Billy Napier’s high-powered offense. That joy was fleeing for the Herd, of course, as JMU continues to rumble through its schedule. Over in Statesboro, the Eagles accomplished their mission in getting a W over the rebuilding Chanticleers and now unleashes the efficient Max Johnson on its SBC East rival. The Eagles have struggled to regain the glory achieved in their early SBC days. Upsetting the Dukes would go a long way to cementing Clay Helton’s legacy.
OUTCOME: Clay Helton’s Georgia Southern Legacy remains shaky
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (4-1) @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2-2), 6:30 PM, ESPN+, -3 Bulldogs
Billy Napier’s former Sun Belt team and Billy Napier’s current Sun Belt team are currently 9-1. Why this is my segue into the game, I don’t know. The Cajuns remain the bee’s knees of the SBC West after squeaking by Arkansas State at home won a last second field goal. Now they get the Bulldogs, an in-state, in-division rival that just surprised Army and appears to be the sneakiest-good team in the Sun Belt West. Is Dylone Brooks, who put 100 yards on the Black Knights the breakout runner for Sonny Cumbie and Louisiana Tech?
OUTCOME: Tech continues to surprise
Taking the Week Off
Georgia State and ULM
IMAGE: Sun Belt Media