Sun Belt Week 3 Recap: App State Hail Mary punctuates College GameDay celebration in Boone

NEW ORLEANS – The eyes of the college football world were affixed on the Sun Belt Saturday, as the College GameDay crew climbed into the Carolina high country for its first-ever visit to App State in Boone, N.C., and its second-ever trip to a Sun Belt campus.

College football’s premier pregame show couldn’t miss the conference opener for what ESPN’s own Ryan McGee called “college football’s hottest and coolest conference” in a Saturday morning segment.

The game did not disappoint—coming down to the final play—a 53-yard Hail Mary from redshirt senior quarterback Chase Brice that was tipped by redshirt freshman wide receiver Dalton Stroman, then caught and carried into the end zone by sophomore wide receiver Christian Horn for the 32-28 App State win.

The score sent the crowd of 34,406 Mountaineer faithful, many of whom arrived in the wee hours of Saturday morning to pack the College GameDay set on Sanford Mall, streaming onto the field at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

In non-conference action, the Sun Belt, which recorded three road wins over autonomy five teams in Week 2, nearly added to its 2022 tally in Week 3—with Old Dominion, 15-14 at Virginia, and South Alabama, 32-31 at UCLA, falling on field goals as time expired.

Junior wide receiver Ali Jennings III, who entered the Monarch contest as the national leader in receiving yards per game (161.0), tallied a team-high 97 receiving yards and a touchdown in defeat. Junior running back La’Damian Webb rushed for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars’ losing effort.

Coastal Carolina scored 21 fourth-quarter points to take down Buffalo, 38-26, to open the season 3-0 for the third-straight year. Redshirt senior wide receiver Sam Pinckney—a transfer from Georgia State—recorded his first 100-yard receiving effort (103 yards) in a Chanticleer uniform, while redshirt junior quarterback Grayson McCall connected with three different receivers for touchdowns on a 251-yard passing day.

Southern Miss dispatched with FCS foe Northwestern State, 64-10, in a three-touchdown outing for redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Keyes.

Two of the Sun Belt’s losses came to nationally-ranked foes on the road. Texas State fell to No. 17/19 Baylor, despite a program-record 13 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown for sophomore wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins. Hawkins now has two 100-yard receiving games on the year and a touchdown in every Bobcat contest. ULM lost to No. 2/1 Alabama, 63-7.

Georgia Southern dropped its first-ever meeting with UAB, though it got a 156-yard (116 rushing, 40 receiving) and two-touchdown performance from junior running back Jalen White. White’s day was highlighted by a career-long 71-yard touchdown run.

Despite getting 338 yards and two touchdowns through the air from redshirt senior quarterback Henry Colombi and another 158 yards and a score on the ground from sixth year running back Khalan Laborn, Marshall fell short, 34-31, in overtime at Bowling Green.

Redshirt senior quarterback Darren Grainger threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns—with 213 yards and a score being on connections with redshirt junior wide receiver Jamari Thrash—in a heartbreaking 42-41 loss to Charlotte.

A 120-yard yard receiving day, including a 51-yard touchdown reception that allowed Arkansas State to draw first blood, was not enough to lift the Red Wolves over rival Memphis. The Tigers defended their home turf with a 44-32 win.

Louisiana saw its national-best 15-game winning streak halted by Rice, 33-21.

SUN BELT FOOTBALL – WEEK 3 RESULTS
No. 17/19 Baylor def. Texas State, 42-7
Coastal Carolina def. Buffalo, 38-26
Virginia def. Old Dominion, 16-14
UCLA def. South Alabama, 32-31
UAB def. Georgia Southern, 35-21
App State def. Troy, 32-28
No. 2/1 Alabama def. ULM, 63-7
Bowling Green def. Marshall, 34-31 (OT)
Charlotte def. Georgia State, 42-41
Southern Miss def. Northwestern State, 64-10
Memphis def. Arkansas State, 44-32
Rice def. Louisiana, 33-21

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About the Sun Belt Conference

The Sun Belt Conference is made up of 14 members: App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State and Troy.