Four Homecoming games, two national television matchups highlight Sun Belt’s Week 9 schedule

WEEK 9 CONFERENCE NOTES

NEW ORLEANS — No. 24 Coastal Carolina hosts Troy at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday in front of a national television audience on ESPN2. This is the second-straight week that the Chanticleers, who are ranked for the 20th-straight poll, will appear on the network.

Louisiana will also make a national television appearance when it hosts Texas State at 11 a.m. CT Saturday on ESPNU in the first of four Sun Belt homecoming games on the day.

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

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT – No. 24/24 Coastal Carolina, which is ranked for the 20th-straight week, hosts Troy at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday in front of a national television audience on ESPN2. This is the second-straight mid-week national television game for the Chanticleers, who fell 30-27 to App State on a last-second field goal last Wednesday. Coastal Carolina’s last two meetings with Troy have also been one-possession games, with the Chanticleers proving victorious by in 2019 (36-35) and 2020 (42-38). This year’s matchup will pit a pair of conference stars, the Sun Belt’s Preseason Offensive—Coastal Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback Grayson McCall—and Defensive—Troy junior linebacker Carlton Martial—Players of the Year, against one another. Coastal Carolina and Troy are tied at 2-2 in the all-time series.
• STAYING PERFECT – Louisiana will aim to defend its unblemished mark in conference play this season—and its 15-0 record against Sun Belt West Division opponents under head coach Billy Napier—when it hosts Texas State for its homecoming game at 11 a.m. CT Saturday on ESPNU. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 7-0 in the all-time series, including a 44-34 victory in San Marcos last season.
• MAXIMUM CAPACITY – App State, which is riding high following a 30-27 victory over then No. 14/16 Coastal Carolina in front of a sold-out crowd of 31,061, will look to pack Kidd Brewer Stadium once again Saturday for homecoming. The Mountaineers are hosting a red-hot ULM squad coming off back-to-back victories over Liberty and South Alabama at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+. App State leads the FBS at a 105.4 percent attendance relative to capacity, averaging 31,604 fans per home game. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series, 5-1, including a 31-13 victory in Monroe last season.
• VETERAN PRESENCE – The veteran duo of senior quarterback Jake Bentley and junior wide receiver Jalen Tolbert will lead South Alabama into a homecoming matchup with Arkansas State at 4 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+. Bentley has thrown for 300-or-more yards in back-to-back games, while Tolbert surpassed 2,500 career receiving yards in last week’s 41-31 loss at ULM. As a team, the Jaguars will look to build upon a 10-2 homecoming record. Arkansas State, which leads the all-time series 6-3, will be playing for its first conference win of the Butch Jones era and its first victory since its season-opener on Sept. 4.
• SOUTHERN OR STATE – Georgia Southern will host Georgia State in its homecoming game at 5 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN+. The Panthers—who carry a two-game winning streak into the matchup—hold the all-time edge in the battle for state bragging rights, 4-3, though the Eagles have won two of the last three meetings.

WHERE TO WATCH

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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