2015 Sun Belt Conference Football Standings. Upcoming Schedule

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1 SUN BELT FOOTBALL For Immediate Release: September 7, 2015 Contact: John McElwain Office: Cell: Appalachian State - Arkansas State - Georgia Southern - Georgia State - Idaho - UL Lafayette - UL Monroe - New Mexico State - South Alabama - Texas State - Troy - Coming Soon: Coastal Carolina 2015 Sun Belt Conference Football Standings Conference Points Overall Points W L For Opp Pct W L For Opp Pct Home Away Neut Streak Appalachian State Won 1 South Alabama Won 1 Arkansas State Lost 1 Georgia Southern Lost 1 Georgia State Lost 1 Idaho Lost 1 UL Lafayette Lost 1 UL Monroe Lost 1 New Mexico State Lost 1 Texas State Lost 1 Troy Lost 1 Upcoming Schedule Saturday, September 12 Appalachian State at Clemson - 11:30 a.m. (ESPN3) Western Michigan at Georgia Southern - 5 p.m. (ESPN3) Northwestern State at UL Lafayette - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Nicholls State at UL Monroe - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Prairie View A&M at Texas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Charleston Southern at Troy - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Missouri at Arkansas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) * Georgia State at New Mexico State - 7 p.m. (ESPN3/AggieVision) Idaho at Southern California - 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks) South Alabama at Nebraska - 7 p.m. (Big Ten Network) Sun Belt Teams move forward to Week 2 After only four of 11 Sun Belt Conference football teams played home contests during the first week of the 2015 season, seven of this week s 10 games will be played at Sun Belt home venues. Notably, one of those ten games is a conference game as Georgia State will visit New Mexico State. This week s schedule also features the much-anticipated 2015 home opener for Arkansas State, Saturday at 6 p.m., as the Red Wolves host defending SEC East champion Missouri at a new-look Centennial Bank Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN3 from a new 36,000-square foot press box, a renovated concourse will be unveiled and a new Student Activity Center will be a highly-visible landmark directly north of the stadium There have been 214 Georgia Southern football games played at Paulson Stadium since it opened in 1984, but Saturday s contest will be a special one. That s because the Western Michigan Broncos will be the first non-conference FBS football opponent to ever visit Paulson Stadium. The Eagles went 4-0 last year at Paulson Stadium against FBS competition, however, those contests were Sun Belt conference games. Though four Sun Belt Conference teams will face competition from FCS teams on Saturday, four of the five so called Power 5 conferences also appear on the schedule (ACC Appalachian State at Clemson; Big Ten South Alabama at Nebraska; Pac-12 Idaho at USC; SEC Missouri at Arkansas State). The only exclusion is a team from the Big 12 Conference. Appalachian State continued its noted consecutive game winning streak when it beat Howard this past Saturday. The Mountaineers seven consecutive wins dating back to last year ranks as the fifth best streak in all of FBS. SUN BELT STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE The advantages of competing in college sports in the Sun Belt Conference are both immediate and lifelong. Sun Belt student-athletes are provided with unique opportunities to learn, compete and succeed. Sun Belt student-athletes have access to career services counselors assisting with writing resumes and identifying internships and summer jobs, career workshops, preparation for interviews/mock interviews, and etiquette classes. Sun Belt members have on average over 20 tutors for academic support and employ full-time academic advisors. During the academic year, Sun Belt member institutions awarded $48,393, in scholarships to over 3,084 student-athletes. Sun Belt student-athletes have life experiences such as team building, domestic and foreign travel, community service, mentoring, and recognition through honors and awards. MEMBERSHIP The Sun Belt Conference consists of 13 total institutions two (Idaho and New Mexico State) are football only members and two (Little Rock and UT Arlington) are non-football members. Coastal Carolina accepted an invitation the Sun Belt on September 1 and will begin competing in all sports, with the exception of football, beginning with the season. The Chanticleer football program will begin a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision with its first year of full FBS status coming in SUN BELT BOWL PARTNERS College Football Playoff Opportunity to select Sun Belt Champion for one of six bowls or semifinals R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 1st Selection (vs. CUSA) GoDaddy Bowl (Mobile, Ala.) 2nd Selection (vs. MAC) Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.) 3rd Selection (vs. MAC) AutoNation Cure Bowl (Orlando, Fla.) Fourth Selection (vs. American) In the last two years alone the Sun Belt Conference has doubled its primary bowl partnerships from two in 2013 to four in From 2001 to 2009 the Sun Belt Conference had only one bowl partner. 1

2 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SUN BELT CONFERENCE STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 07) Rashon Ceaser (UL Monroe, WR, Sr., Kinesology) Rashon Ceaser had his named called frequently on Saturday at No. 9 Georgia The senior from Clinton, La., finished with career highs in both receptions (13) and receiving yards (153) It was the first time in his career that he tallied 150 or more yards in a single game He also finished with two touchdown grabs (22 yards; 29 yards) to tie a career high and pick up career TDs number 11 and 12 With his 13 receptions, he now has 175 career grabs and ranks seventh in ULM history in career receptions [he needs just five grabs to move into sole possession of fifth) He also increased his career yardage total to 2,251 yards; going from eighth in school history to fifth. Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 07) Bobby Baker (Georgia State, DB, Jr.) Georgia State safety Bobby Baker turned in a memorable performance with a school-record five takeaways in his first game in a Panther uniform as he grabbed two interceptions and recovered three fumbles. The junior is the first player in school history to grab more than two turnovers in a game. His three fumble recoveries are a school record, while his two interceptions tie the GSU mark held by two other players. Baker, who also had eight tackles, did his best to keep the Panthers in the game with his five takeaways, two of them stopping Charlotte drives in the red zone. In the first quarter, he recovered a fumble at the Charlotte 17. Then on consecutive possessions in the second quarter, he grabbed an interception in the end zone and then recovered a fumbled snap at the GSU 14. On Charlotte s first drive of the third quarter, Baker grabbed his second interception at the Charlotte 34. Finally, he recovered another fumble on a sack at the 49ers 39-yard line. Aleem Sunanon (South Alabama, PK, Jr., Professional Health Sciences) Sunanon s nine points were the most recorded by a kicker in the Sun Belt Conference on the opening weekend of the season, as he converted all five tries in the Jaguars victory over Gardner-Webb. That included extending his streak to 10 consecutive field goals made dating back to last season, the second-longest in program history, after he converted from 41 yards out at the end of the third quarter and hit a 28-yard attempt three minutes later to extend USA s lead to 10 points. And by connecting on all three extra-point tries, Sunanon became USA s all-time leader in the category as well. Special Teams Student-Athlete of the Week (Sept. 07) Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week Sept. 07: Rashon Ceaser (UL Monroe, WR, Sr.) Sept. 14: Sept. 21: Sept. 28: Oct. 05: Oct. 12: Oct. 19: Oct: 26: Nov. 02 Nov. 09: Nov. 16: Nov. 23: Nov. 30: Dec. 07: Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week Sept. 07: Bobby Baker (Georgia State, DB, Jr.) Sept. 14: Sept. 21: Sept. 28: Oct. 05: Oct. 12: Oct. 19: Oct: 26: Nov. 02 Nov. 09: Nov. 16: Nov. 23: Nov. 30: Dec. 07: Special Teams Student-Athlete of the Week Sept. 07: Aleem Sunanon (South Alabama, PK, Jr.) Sept. 14: Sept. 21: Sept. 28: Oct. 05: Oct. 12: Oct. 19: Oct: 26: Nov. 02 Nov. 09: Nov. 16: Nov. 23: Nov. 30: Dec. 07: 2

3 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL Eagles Tabbed to Repeat as League Champions in 2015 NEW ORLEANS Georgia Southern was picked as the favorite to repeat and win the conference championship in the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Poll, voted on by the league s 11 head coaches. The Eagles received six of the 11 first-place votes and tallied 110 points, narrowly surpassing the UL Lafayette Ragin Cajuns who tallied 108 points and three first-place votes. The Eagles claimed the 2014 Sun Belt regular season title with a perfect 8-0 conference record. The Cajuns finished 7-1 in league play and won their fourth consecutive R+L New Orleans Bowl. Arkansas State was chosen third with 96 points and one first-place vote and was followed by Appalachian State in fourth with 82 points. The Red Wolves made their fourth consecutive appearance in the GoDaddy Bowl in 2014 as they look for yet another stellar campaign. The Mountaineers closed out 2014 with six consecutive victories one of the five longest win streaks in the country heading into the 2015 season. Texas State, with 78 points, was picked to finish fifth to round out the top five. South Alabama was picked to finish sixth and received the final first-place vote; UL Monroe was seventh followed by Troy in eighth. Georgia State was picked ninth, New Mexico State tenth and Idaho 11th. The Eagles return 13 total starters to the team that finished 9-3 a year ago. A few key returners are dual-threat quarterback Kevin Ellison, All-Conference running back Matt Breida, running back L.A. Ramsby and All-Conference defensive back Matt Dobson SBC Coaches Predicted Order of Finish (first place votes) 1. Georgia Southern (6) pts 2. UL Lafayette (3) pts 3. Arkansas State (1) - 96 pts 4. Appalachian St pts 5. Texas State - 78 pts 6. South Alabama (1) - 68 pts 7. UL Monroe - 59 pts 8. Troy - 39 pts 9. Georgia State - 32 pts 10. New Mexico St pts 11. Idaho - 24 pts Georgia Southern s Willie Fritz UL Lafayette s Elijah McGuire 3

4 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE PRESEASON TEAM UL Lafayette s McGuire, Texas State s Mims Highlight Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams NEW ORLEANS The Sun Belt announced its 2015 All-Conference football teams on Monday, as selected by the league s 11 head football coaches and selected members of the media. All 11 schools were represented between the first- and second-teams with at least one selection while ten schools placed at least one representative on the first-team. UL Lafayette s Elijah McGuire was named the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year while Texas State s David Mims was named the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year. McGuire, the reigning Sun Belt Player and Offensive Player of the Year, returns for his junior season at UL-L as he looks to build upon the ground success from a year ago. Mc- Guire ran for 1,264 yards and 14 touchdowns last season as he guided the Cajuns to their fourth consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl win. His yardage totals ranked fourth in school history while his touchdowns tied for fourth overall in Cajuns lore. He became only the fourth Ragin Cajun to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and the first since Michael Desormeaux and Tyrell Fenroy in McGuire has been named to the following Preseason Watch Lists: 2015 Doak Walker Award, 2015 Maxwell Award, and the 2015 Paul Hornung Award. Mims, a senior defensive back, is arguably one of the most talented defenders in the Sun Belt. A Preseason All-Conference selection for many of the top collegiate publications, Mims ranked 19th nationally and third among Sun Belt leaders with an average of 0.42 interceptions per game. He was sixth on the team in tackles with 48 and all five of his interceptions came in the final seven games of the season. Mims was a 2014 All-Sun Belt first-team selection. Arkansas State led all teams with 11 All-Conference selections, six on the first-team and five on the second-team. Leading the charge were offensive standouts, quarterback Fredi Knighten and wide-receiver J.D. McKissic. McKissic holds the most career receptions in the nation (237) amongst active NCAA players in his final season in Jonesboro. Knighten, a Johnny Unitas Gold Arm Award Watch List member, averaged over 300 yards per contest last year, both through the air and on the ground for an offense that averaged 36 points per game and 477 yards per game. Joining Knighten and McKissic on the first-team were teammates Ja Von Rolland-Jones (So., DL), Chris Stone (Sr., DL), Xavier Woodson (Jr., LB) and Blaise Taylor (So., DB/RS). A-State also had five on the second-team as senior running back Michael Gordon, senior tight end Darion Griswold, junior offensive lineman Colton Jackson, senior defensive back Rocky Hayes and senior punter Luke Ferguson were all named to the team. Appalachian State had four players named to the first-team and five overall. Senior offensive lineman, Jesse Chapman, senior defensive lineman Ronald Blair, junior linebacker John Law and senior defensive back Doug Middleton were all named to the first-team. Junior running back Marcus Cox was the fifth and final selection for the Mountaineers as he was named to the second team. The Mountaineers head into the 2015 season with some momentum as they closed out 2014 with six consecutive wins and enter this season with one of the five longest winning streaks in the country. The Mountaineers only lost four starters from a season ago. UL Monroe, Georgia State and South Alabama each placed three student-athletes on the first-team with Georgia Southern and the Bobcats placing two apiece on the first-team. The Ragin Cajuns placed the most student-athletes on the second-team as they led the way with six selections in addition to McGuire s first-team nod. The Cajuns placed three student-athletes on offensive and defensive second-teams. The 2015 Sun Belt Conference football season kicks-off on September 3 with Ohio and Idaho set to square off on ESPN3. First Team Offense Fredi Knighten (Arkansas State, Sr., QB, Interdisciplinary Studies) Matt Breida (Georgia Southern, Jr., RB, Finance) Elijah McGuire (UL Lafayette, Jr., RB, General Studies) J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, Sr., WR, Interdisciplinary Studies) Donovan Harden (Georgia State, WR, Sr., Sociology) Rashon Ceaser (UL Monroe, Sr., WR, Kinesiology) Joel Ruiz (Georgia State, TE, Sr., Criminal Justice) Jesse Chapman (App. State, Sr., OL, Exercise Science) Darien Foreman (Georgia Southern, Sr., OL, General Studies) Chris May (South Alabama, Sr., OL, Physical Education) Joseph Scelfo (South Alabama, Jr., OL, Leisure Studies) Adrian Bellard (Texas State, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice) First Team Defense Ronald Blair (App. State, Sr., DL, Health Promotion) Ja Von Rolland-Jones (Arkansas State, So., DL, Sports Management) Chris Stone (Arkansas State, Sr., DL, Sports Management) Gerrand Johnson (UL Monroe, Gr., DL, Communication) John Law (App. State, Jr., LB, Health Promotion) Xavier Woodson (Arkansas State, Jr., LB, Sports Management) Joseph Peterson (Georgia State, LB, Sr., Speech) Doug Middleton (App. State, Sr., DB, Business Management) Mitch Lane (UL Monroe, Sr., DB, Kinesiology) David Mims II (Texas State, Sr., DB, Philosophy) Montres Kitchens (Troy, Sr., DB, Social Science) First Team Special Teams Aleem Sunanon (South Alabama, Jr., PK, Biomedical Sciences) Austin Rehkow (Idaho, Jr., P, Exercise Science and Health) Blaise Taylor (Arkansas State, So., RS, Business Administration) Second Team Offense Kevin Ellison (Georgia Southern, Jr., QB, General Studies) Marcus Cox (App. State, Jr., RB, Management) Michael Gordon (Arkansas State, Sr., RB, Interdisciplinary Studies) Jamal Robinson (UL Lafayette, Sr., WR, Criminal Justice) Ajalen Holley (UL Monroe, Jr., WR, Kinesiology) Teldrick Morgan (NM State, RS-Jr., WR, Criminal Justice) Darion Griswold (Arkansas State, Sr., TE, Interdisciplinary Studies) Colton Jackson (Arkansas State, Jr., OL, Interdisciplinary Studies) Octravian Anderson (UL Lafayette, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice) Mykhael Quave (UL Lafayette, Sr., OL, Industrial Technology) Ryan Melton (Texas State, Jr., OL, Agriculture) Dalton Bennett (Troy, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice) Second Team Defense Jay Ellison (Georgia Southern, Jr., DL, General Studies) Quinton Bradley (Idaho, Sr., DL, Psychology) Darzil Washington (UL Lafayette, Sr., DL, General Studies) Tyler Roberts (Troy, Sr., DL, Accounting) Marc Millan (Idaho, Sr., LB, Organizational Sciences) Dominique Tovell (UL Lafayette, Sr., LB, Exercise Science) Hunter Kissinger (UL Monroe, Gr., LB, MBA) Rocky Hayes (Arkansas State, Sr., DB, Finance) Matt Dobson (Georgia Southern, Sr., DB, History) Tracy Walker (UL Lafayette, So., DB, Sports Management) Roman Buchanan (South Alabama, Jr., DB, Exercise Science) Second Team Special Teams Wil Lutz (Georgia State, PK, Sr., Criminal Justice) Luke Ferguson (Arkansas State, Sr., P, Marketing) Derek Keaton (Georgia Southern, Sr., RS, Justice Studies) Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year Elijah McGuire (UL Lafayette, Jr., RB, General Studies) Preseason Sun Belt Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year David Mims II (Texas State, Sr., DB, Philosophy) 4

5 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE COMPOSITE SCHEDULE Thursday, September 3 Ohio 45, Idaho 28-8 p.m (ESPN3) September 4 Charlotte 23, Georgia State 20-2:30 p.m. (ESPNU) Saturday, September 5 #9 Georgia 51, UL Monroe a.m. (SEC Network) Appalachian State 49, Howard 0-2:30 p.m. [ESPN3/App State TV] NC State 49, Troy 21-5 p.m. (ESPN3) South Alabama 33, Gardner-Webb 23-5 p.m. (ESPN3) Kentucky 40, UL Lafayette 33-6 p.m. (ESPNU) West Virginia 44, Georgia Southern 0-6:30 p.m. (FSN/Root Sports) Florida 61, New Mexico State 13-6:30 p.m. (SEC Network) #10 Florida State 59, Texas State 16-7 p.m. (ESPNEWS) #8 Southern California 55, Arkansas State p.m. (Pac-12 Network) Saturday, September 12 Appalachian State at Clemson - 11:30 a.m. (ESPN3) Western Michigan at Georgia Southern - 5 p.m. (ESPN3) Northwestern State at UL Lafayette - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Nicholls State at UL Monroe - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Prairie View A&M at Texas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Charleston Southern at Troy - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Missouri at Arkansas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) * Georgia State at New Mexico State - 7 p.m. (ESPN3/AggieVision) Idaho at Southern California - 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks) South Alabama at Nebraska - 7 p.m. (Big Ten Network) Saturday, September 19 Georgia State at Oregon - 1 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks) Troy at Wisconsin - 2:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network) Wofford at Idaho - 4 p.m. (ESPN3) The Citadel at Georgia Southern - 5 p.m. (ESPN3) Southern Mississippi at Texas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) Missouri State at Arkansas State - 6 p.m. (ESPN3) UTEP at New Mexico State - 7 p.m. (ESPN3/AggieVision) South Alabama at San Diego State - 7 p.m. (Mountain West Network) Saturday, September 26 Appalachian State at Old Dominion - 2:30 p.m. (American Sports Network) * Georgia Southern at Idaho - 8 p.m. Arkansas State at Toledo - TBA Akron at UL Lafayette - TBA UL Monroe at Alabama - TBA NC State at South Alabama - TBA Texas State at Houston - TBA Saturday, October 3 * Georgia Southern at UL Monroe - 6 p.m. UL Lafayette at Louisiana Tech - 6 p.m. (American Sports Network ) * South Alabama at Troy - 6 p.m. New Mexico State at New Mexico - 7 p.m. (Root Sports) Wyoming at Appalachian State - TBA * Idaho at Arkansas State - TBA Liberty at Georgia State - TBA Saturday, October 10 * Appalachian State at Georgia State - TBA * Texas State at UL Lafayette - TBA UL Monroe at Tulsa - TBA New Mexico State at Ole Miss - TBA Troy at Mississippi State - TBA Tuesday, October 13 * Arkansas State at South Alabama - 7 p.m. (ESPN2) Tuesday, October 20 * UL Lafayette at Arkansas State - 7 p.m. (ESPN2) Thursday, October 22 * Georgia Southern at Appalachian State - 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) Saturday, October 24 * UL Monroe at Idaho - 4 p.m. * Troy at New Mexico State - 7 p.m. * South Alabama at Texas State - TBA Thursday, October 29 * Texas State at Georgia Southern - 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) Saturday, October 31 * Idaho at New Mexico State - 7 p.m. * Troy at Appalachian State - TBA * Georgia State at Arkansas State - TBA * UL Monroe at UL Lafayette - TBA Thursday, November 5 * Arkansas State at Appalachian State - 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) Saturday, November 7 * UL Monroe at Troy - 2:30 p.m. * UL Lafayette at Georgia State - TBA * Idaho at South Alabama - TBA * New Mexico State at Texas State - TBA Thursday, November 12 * UL Lafayette at South Alabama - 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) Saturday, November 14 * Arkansas State at UL Monroe - 2 p.m. * Georgia Southern at Troy - 2:30 p.m. * Appalachian State at Idaho - 4 p.m. * Georgia State at Texas State - TBA Thursday, November 19 * UL Monroe at Texas State - 8:30 p.m. (ESPNU) Saturday, November 21 Georgia Southern at Georgia - TBA * South Alabama at Georgia State - TBA Idaho at Auburn - TBA * New Mexico State at UL Lafayette - TBA November 27 * Troy at Georgia State - TBA Saturday, November 28 UL Monroe at Hawaii - 11 p.m. (TWC Oceanic/Mountain West Network) * South Alabama at Georgia Southern - 1 p.m. * Texas State at Idaho - 4 p.m. * UL Lafayette at Appalachian State - TBA * Arkansas State at New Mexico State - TBA Saturday, December 5 * Georgia State at Georgia Southern - 1 p.m. * New Mexico State at UL Monroe - 2 p.m. * Texas State at Arkansas State - 2 p.m. * Appalachian State at South Alabama - TBA * Troy at UL Lafayette - TBA * denotes Sun Belt Conference game Schedule is subject to change Saturday, October 17 * Idaho at Troy - 2:30 p.m. CT * New Mexico State at Georgia Southern - 5 p.m. * Appalachian State at UL Monroe - 6 p.m. Georgia State at Ball State - TBA 5

6 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL APPALACHIAN STATE MOUNTAINEERS (1-0, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location... Boone, North Carolina Founded Enrollment... 18,026 Nickname... Mountaineers Colors... Black & Gold Athletics Website... Primary Offense...Multiple Spread Primary Defense All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (3rd) SBC Championships...0 Bowl Appearances...10 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...46 Lettermen Lost...15 Starters Returning...22 Starters Lost...4 Stadium...Kidd Brewer Stadium Capacity... 23,150 Playing Surface...FieldTurf Record First Game...Sept. 15, 1962 Largest Crowd:... 31,531 Media Contact... Mike Flynn Phone:...(828) Facebook:... /AppalachianStateMountaineers DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) SEPT. 05 HOWARD BOONE, N.C. W, 49-0 (ESPN3) Sept. 12 at Clemson Clemson, S.C. 11:30 a.m. (ESPN3) Sept. 26 at Old Dominion Norfolk, Va. 2:30 p.m. (American Sports Network) OCT. 03 WYOMING BOONE, N.C. TBA Oct. 10 * at Georgia State Atlanta, Ga. TBA Oct. 17 * at UL Monroe Monroe, La. 6 p.m. OCT. 22 * GEORGIA SOUTHERN BOONE, N.C. 6:30 P.M. (ESPNU) OCT. 31 * TROY BOONE, N.C. TBA NOV. 05 * ARKANSAS STATE BOONE, N.C. 6:30 P.M. (ESPNU) Nov. 14 * at Idaho Moscow, Idaho TBA NOV. 28 * UL LAFAYETTE BOONE, N.C. TBA Dec. 05 * at South Alabama Mobile, Ala. TBA All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Mountaineer News and Notes Appalachian State extended its winning streak to seven games with a season-opening 49-0 win over Howard last Saturday. With the victory, Appalachian maintains at least the fifth-longest winning streak in Division I FBS, depending on No. 1 Ohio State s result versus Virginia Tech on Monday night: NCAA DIVISION I FBS LONGEST CURRENT WINNING STREAKS 1. Ohio State 13 games (Monday vs. Virginia Tech) 2. Boise State 10 games (d. Washington, 16-13) 3. TCU 9 games (d. Minnesota, 23-17) 4. Memphis 8 games (d. Missouri State, 63-7) 5. APPALACHIAN STATE 7 games (d. Howard, 49-0) Appalachian State s 49-0 win over Howard was the Mountaineers third shutout in its last 12 games (66-0 vs. Campbell, Sept. 6, 2014; 44-0 vs. Georgia State, Nov. 1, 2014). The last time that Appalachian recorded three shutouts in as few as 12 games was in , when it blanked three opponents in an eight-game span (51-0 vs. VMI, Nov ; 19-0 at Eastern Kentucky, Nov. 14, 1998; 51-0 at The Citadel, Sept. 25, 1999). The shutout was Appalachian State s first in a season opener since it beat Emory & Henry, 7-0, to open the 1960 campaign. Appalachian State junior running back Marcus Cox (105 yds., 1 TD on 11 carries) rushed for 100 yards for the 15th time in 25 career games against Howard. His yard rushing games are good for a tie for fifth in Appalachian State history (record: 22 John Settle, ). With 105 yards, Cox also moved into seventh place on Appalachian State s all-time rushing yardage list with 2,770 career yards (record: 4,804 Kevin Richardson, ). Up next for Appalachian State is No. 12 Clemson. Despite being separated by just 171 miles, the Mountaineers and Tigers have only met four times on the gridiron. Appalachian is 0-4 in the series, with all four losses coming at Clemson s Memorial Stadium. In their last visit to Death Valley for the 1997 season opener (Sept. 6, 1997), the Mountaineers led 18th-ranked Clemson for much of the first half and trailed just 13-6 at halftime before the Tigers pulled away for a win. 6

7 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location... Jonesboro, Arkansas Founded Enrollment... 13,144 Nickname... Red Wolves Colors... Scarlet & Black Athletics Website... Primary Offense... Multiple Primary Defense... Multiple All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (T-4th) SBC Championships...3 Bowl Appearances...12 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...54 Lettermen Lost...21 Starters Returning...14 Starters Lost...8 Stadium... Centennial Bank Stadium Capacity... 30,406 Playing Surface... ProGreen Record First Game... September 28, 1974 Largest Crowd:... 31,243 Media Contact...Jerry Scott Phone:...(870) Facebook:... /AStateRedWolves DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) Sept. 05 at #8 USC Los Angeles, Calif. L, 6-55 (Pac-12 Networks) SEPT. 12 MISSOURI JONESBORO, ARK. 6 P.M. (ESPN3) SEPT. 19 MISSOURI STATE JONESBORO, ARK. 6 P.M. (ESPN3) Sept. 26 at Toledo Toledo, Ohio TBA OCT. 03 * IDAHO JONESBORO, ARK. TBA Oct. 13 * at South Alabama Mobile, Ala. 7 P.M. (ESPN2) OCT. 20 * UL LAFAYETTE JONESBORO, ARK. 7 P.M. (ESPN2) OCT. 31 * GEORGIA STATE JONESBORO, ARK. 6 P.M. Nov. 05 * at Appalachian State Boone, N.C. 6:30 P.M. (ESPNU) Nov. 14 * at UL Monroe Monroe, La. 2 p.m. Nov. 28 * at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M. TBA DEC. 05 * TEXAS STATE JONESBORO, ARK. 2 P.M. All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Red Wolf News and Notes Arkansas State will play its much-anticipated 2015 home opener Saturday at 6 p.m., when it hosts defending SEC East champion Missouri at a new-look Centennial Bank Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN3 from a new 36,000-square foot press box, a renovated concourse will be unveiled and a new Student Activity Center will be a highly-visible landmark directly north of the stadium... Arkansas State hosts Missouri on Saturday to complete a home-and-home series with the Tigers that began in This season s contest will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the two schools, which also included games in 2004 and Arkansas State has played eight schools a combined 44 times while they were members of the SEC, but this week s game against Missouri will mark just the second time the Red Wolves have ever hosted an SEC team. The only other time A-State played an SEC member at home was in 2001 against Ole Miss... The Tigers will be Arkansas State s fourth SEC opponent over the last three years after facing both Auburn and Missouri in 2013 and Tennessee a year ago. Although A-State has never defeated a team while it was a member of the SEC, it has picked up victories over two current schools prior to them joining the league. The Red Wolves defeated Ole Miss 10-0 in 1915 and has also tied the Rebels twice. The Red Wolves defeated Texas A&M in 2008 as well while the Aggies were a member of the Big 12 Conference. A-State has played Ole Miss 23 times, more than any other current SEC member... While Arkansas State hosted one team (Ole Miss in 2001) from a Power 5 Conference from the time it moved to FBS status in 1992 through 2014, the Red Wolves will welcome teams from both the SEC and ACC to Jonesboro over the next three years. A-State is hosting Missouri Saturday, but will also complete a home-and-home series with Miami in 2017 at Centennial Bank Stadium. The Red Wolves begin their two-game series with the Hurricanes last season in Miami. Looking further ahead, the Red Wolves are also set to host Iowa State of the Big 12 in A-State has won its last 10 home openers at Centennial Bank Stadium dating back to the 2005 campaign, which is currently the eighth longest streak in the nation. The Red Wolves stand all-time in home openers at the stadium and are also 16-6 in such games since moving to FBS status in Arkansas State has strung together 10 consecutive years with a winning record at Centennial Bank Stadium dating back to The Red Wolves are now (.821 winning percentage) since the 2005 season and have won 21 of their last 24 home games. The Red Wolves actual on-field record all-time at Centennial Bank Stadium is since it opened in A-State s six home wins in 2011 were its most since Nine players made their first career start at A-State last week versus USC, including six on defense and three on offense. The defensive starters included DL Waylon Roberson and Robert Mondie, LB Tajhea Chambers and DB s Bo Sentimore, Cody Brown and Blaise Taylor. Gaining their first offensive career start were OL Daniel Keith and Austin Moreton and TE Warren Leapheart. With the exception of Taylor, the five new starters on defense are all newcomers to the A-State football team. 7

8 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location...Statesboro, Georgia Founded Enrollment... 20,517 Nickname...Eagles Colors... Blue & White Athletics Website... Primary Offense...Spread Option Primary Defense All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (1st) SBC Championships...1 Bowl Appearances...0 Bowl Record... n/a Lettermen Returning...58 Lettermen Lost...25 Starters Returning...13 Starters Lost...9 Stadium...Paulson Stadium Capacity... 25,000 Playing Surface.. Natural Grass (Bermuda Tift) Record First Game...Sept. 29, 1984 Largest Crowd:... 25,725 Media Contact... TBA Phone:...(912) TBA Facebook:... /GSAthletics DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) Sept. 05 at West Virginia Morgantown, W. Va. L, 0-44 (FSN/Root Sports) SEPT. 12 WESTERN MICHIGAN STATESBORO, GA. 5 P.M. (ESPN3) SEPT. 19 THE CITADEL STATESBORO, GA. 5 P.M. (ESPN3) Sept. 26 * at Idaho Moscow, Idaho 8 p.m. Oct. 03 * at UL Monroe Monroe, La. 6 p.m. OCT. 17 * NEW MEXICO STATE STATESBORO, GA. 5 P.M. Oct. 22 * at Appalachian State Boone, N.C. 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) OCT. 29 * TEXAS STATE STATESBORO, GA. 6:30 P.M. (ESPNU) Nov. 14 * at Troy Troy, Ala. 2:30 P.M. Nov. 21 at Georgia Athens, Ga. TBA NOV. 28 * SOUTH ALABAMA STATESBORO, GA. 1 P.M. DEC. 05 * GEORGIA STATE STATESBORO, GA. 1 P.M. All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Eagle News and Notes This will be the first meeting between Georgia Southern University and Western Michigan University. It will also be the Eagles first game against any team from the state of Michigan. The two teams will meet again next season on Sept. 24 at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Georgia Southern doesn t have a very long history against current teams in the Mid-American Conference as it s played just two games all-time against any of the 13 teams in the league. Those two games came against UMass back in 1998 and 1999 when both teams were in the Division I-AA level. In 1998, the Minutemen got the best of the Eagles in the national championship game, winning in Chattanooga. The Eagles evened the series with a win at home a year later in the second round of the playoffs en route to a national championship. Georgia Southern played its first game at Allen E. Paulson Stadium on Sept. 29, 1984 against then Liberty Baptist. Tracy Ham scored the first touchdown in the game and the Eagles have felt comfortable in their home nest since then. In 31 previous home openers at Paulson Stadium, Georgia Southern has posted an impressive 25-6 record, winning its last eight lid-lifters at home. The only teams to beat Georgia Southern in a season opener at Paulson Stadium were Middle Tennessee State (1985), Florida A&M (1992), West Georgia (1994), Marshall (1996), McNeese State (2005) and Central Connecticut State (2006). Overall, Georgia Southern has an all-time record of at Paulson Stadium, and holds the second-winningest winning percentage of any FBS team in its current home stadium (.846). There have been 214 Georgia Southern football games played at Paulson Stadium since it opened in 1984 with a win over Liberty, but Saturday s contest will be a special one. That s because the Western Michigan Broncos will be first non-conference FBS football opponent to ever visit Paulson Stadium. Massachusetts is on the future schedule to visit Statesboro in 2018 and Kent State is slated to play at Paulson Stadium in Both are members of the MAC, like Western Michigan. 8

9 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location... Atlanta, Georgia Founded Enrollment... 32,000 Nickname...Panthers Colors... Blue & White Athletics Website.. Primary Offense... Multiple Primary Defense All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (11th) SBC Championships...0 Bowl Appearances...0 Bowl Record... n/a Lettermen Returning...50 Lettermen Lost...14 Starters Returning...19 Starters Lost...5 Stadium...Georgia Dome Capacity...28,155 (Lower Bowl) Playing Surface... Field Turf Record First Game...Sept. 2, 2010 Largest Crowd:... 30,237 Media Contact...Allison George Phone:...(404) Facebook:... /GeorgiaStateAthletics DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) SEPT. 4 CHARLOTTE ATLANTA, GA. L, (ESPNU) Sept. 12 * at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M. 7 p.m. (ESPN3) Sept. 19 at Oregon Eugene, Ore. 1 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks) OCT. 03 LIBERTY ATLANTA, GA. TBA OCT. 10 * APPALACHIAN STATE ATLANTA, GA. TBA Oct. 17 at Ball State Muncie, Ind. TBA Oct. 31 * at Arkansas State Jonesboro, Ark. 6 p.m. NOV. 07 * UL LAFAYETTE ATLANTA, GA. TBA Nov. 14 * at Texas State San Marcos, Texas TBA NOV. 21 * SOUTH ALABAMA ATLANTA, GA. TBA NOV. 27 * TROY ATLANTA, GA. TBA Dec. 05 * at Georgia Southern Statesboro, Ga. 1 p.m. All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Panther News and Notes Safety Bobby Baker turned in a memorable performance with a school-record five takeaways in his first game in a Panther uniform as the UAB transfer grabbed two interceptions and recovered three fumbles. Baker, who also had eight tackles, is the first player in school history to grab more than two turnovers in a game. His three fumble recoveries are a school record, while his two interceptions tie the GSU mark held by two other players. Two of Baker s takeaways stopped Charlotte drives in the red zone. In the first quarter, he recovered a fumble at the Charlotte 17. Then on consecutive possessions in the second quarter, he grabbed an interception in the end zone and then recovered a fumbled snap at the GSU 14. On Charlotte s first drive of the third quarter, Baker grabbed his second interception at the Charlotte 34. Finally, he recovered another fumble on a sack at the 49ers 39-yard line. Georgia State s game at New Mexico State is a homecoming for Panther defensive line coach Tony Samuel, who served eight years as the Aggies head coach from The highlight of his tenure was a 7-5 mark in 2002 that was New Mexico State s best record in more than three decades. Samuel also spent eight years as the coach at Southeast Missouri State ( ) before joining the GSU staff in Kicker Wil Lutz booted field goals of 29 and 50 yards, the latter the second-longest in school history; he also has the longest at 53 yards. The senior from Newnan, Ga., is GSU s career leader in field goals (21), extra points (80) and points by kicking 143). Lutz also punted for a 49.0-yard average and had touchbacks on three of his four kickoffs. Already Georgia State s career leader in passing yards, completions, touchdown passes and touchdown responsibility, senior quarterback Nick Arbuckle added the two remaining quarterback records against Charlotte - pass attempts and total offnse yards. Arbuckle s Georgia State career records: Yards Passing: 3,582, 2014-present Pass Completions: 284, 2014-present Completion Percentage:.602, 2014-present TD Passes: 25, 2014-present Total Offense: 3,585, 2014-present TDs Responsible For: 27, 2014-present 9

10 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL IDAHO VANDALS (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location...Moscow, Idaho Founded Enrollment... 12,493 Nickname...Vandals Colors...Silver & Gold Athletics Website... Primary Offense... Multiple Primary Defense... Multiple All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record ( ; 2014-) 2014 Record SBC Record (Finish) (T-9th) SBC Championships...0 Bowl Appearances...2 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...34 Lettermen Lost...22 Starters Returning...13 Starters Lost...9 Stadium...Kibbie Dome Capacity... 16,000 Playing Surface... RealGrass Pro Record First Game...Sept. 27, 1975 Largest Crowd:... 17,600 Media Contact... Becky Paull Phone:...(208) Facebook:... /VandalAthletics DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) SEPT. 03 OHIO MOSCOW, IDAHO L, (ESPN3) Sept. 12 at USC Los Angeles, Calif. 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Network) SEPT. 19 WOFFORD MOSCOW, IDAHO 4 P.M. (ESPN3) SEPT. 26 * GEORGIA SOUTHERN MOSCOW, IDAHO 8 P.M. Oct. 03 * at Arkansas State Jonesboro, Ark. TBA Oct. 17 * at Troy Troy, Ala. 2:30 p.m. OCT. 24 * UL MONROE MOSCOW, IDAHO 4 P.M. Oct. 31 * at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M. 7 p.m. Nov. 07 * at South Alabama Mobile, Ala. TBA NOV. 14 * APPALACHIAN STATE MOSCOW, IDAHO 4 P.M. Nov. 21 at Auburn Auburn, Ala. TBA NOV. 28 * TEXAS STATE MOSCOW, IDAHO 4 P.M. All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Vandal News and Notes Matt Linehan has more completions than any other FBS quarterback and part of the reason is receiver Dezmon Epps, who has more catches than any FBS player, with one game to play on opening weekend. Linehan completed 36 of 48 passes (75 percent) in the Vandals loss to Ohio University with Epps pulling in 15 of those passes for 160 yards. Epps receiving yards were seventh best nationally, while Linehan s 297 yards are 23rd best. Austin Rehkow was one of 57 players who with perfect field goal days (he was two-for-two). Epps total receptions are his career best and his yardage is the second-highest total in his career. Linehan s completion total is his career best as was Elijhaa Penny s all-purpose total of 167. In the Sun Belt Conference, those three naturally, are league leaders but so, too, are Jayshawn Jordan in combined kick returns, Elijhaa Penny in scoring (two touchdowns), and Linehan in total offense with 326 yards. Penny s all-purpose yards are second in the league (29th nationally) as are Quinton Bradley s two sacks. Next Saturday the Vandals are at USC, which opened 2015 with a 55-6 victory over Arkansas State. Kickoff Saturday is at 5 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network. This is the ninth game between the Vandals and Trojans but only the second in the modern era. They last played in 2007 a USC victory at the Coliseum. The other games were from with the exception of

11 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL UL LAFAYETTE RAGIN CAJUNS (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location...Lafayette, Louisiana Founded Enrollment... 18,796 Nickname... Ragin Cajuns Colors...Vermilion and White Athletics Website... Primary Offense... Multiple Primary Defense...Hybrid 4-3 All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) SBC Championships...2 Bowl Appearances...6 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...53 Lettermen Lost...21 Starters Returning...11 Starters Lost...14 Stadium... Cajun Field Capacity... 41,426 Playing Surface...Pro Grass Synthetic Turf Record First Game...Sept. 25, 1971 Largest Crowd:... 41,357 Media Contact... Matt Sullivan Phone:...(337) Facebook:... /RaginCajunAthletics DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) Sept. 05 at Kentucky Lexington, Ky. L, (ESPNU) SEPT. 12 NORTHWESTERN STATE LAFAYETTE, LA. 6 P.M. (ESPN3) SEPT. 26 AKRON LAFAYETTE, LA. TBA Oct. 03 at Louisiana Tech Ruston, La. 6 p.m. (American Sports Network) OCT. 10 * TEXAS STATE LAFAYETTE, LA. TBA Oct. 20 * at Arkansas State Jonesboro, Ark. 7 p.m. (ESPN2) OCT. 31 * UL MONROE LAFAYETTE, LA. TBA Nov. 07 * at Georgia State Atlanta, Ga. TBA Nov. 12 * at South Alabama Mobile, Ala. 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) NOV. 21 * NEW MEXICO STATE LAFAYETTE, LA. TBA Nov. 28 * at Appalachian State Boone, N.C. TBA DEC. 05 * TROY LAFAYETTE, LA. TBA All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Ragin Cajun News and Notes After a near-upset at SEC member Kentucky in the 2015 season-opener, the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns football team open its home slate on Saturday (Sept. 12) when it faces in-state opponent Northwestern State in the 15th annual Herbert Heymann Classic at Cajun Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN3. UL Lafayette (0-1) erased a 23-point deficit in the second half against Kentucky as Torrey Pierce rushed for a pair of second-half touchdowns while Jalen Nixon s 23-yard TD run and two-point conversion by Elijah McGuire with 7:36 remaining knotted the game at The Ragin Cajuns outgained UK in total offense, , and held a advantage on the ground. Pierce, who missed the team s final seven games of the 2014 season with an ankle injury, rushed for a career-high 110 yards while McGuire gained 86 yards on a career-high 27 carries. Brooks Haack, in his second career start at quarterback, went 22-for-37 through the air for 194 yards and added a 4-yard TD run to halt a 21-0 run by Kentucky. Jalen Nixon rushed for 37 yards and a TD while completing all four passes he tossed for 38 yards. Freshman Gary Haynes caught a game-high eight passes in his collegiate debut for UL Lafayette while Gabe Fuselier caught a career-best seven passes. The game also saw the return of fifth-year senior Jamal Robinson, who missed a total of nine games last season due to knee and foot injuries. The Slidell, La., native caught six passes for 61 yards. Defensively, Dominique Tovell registered seven tackles, including a school-record tying five stops for loss. Tovell added a pair of sacks for the Ragin Cajuns and helped lead a defensive unit that held Kentucky to 103 yards of total offense in the second half. 11

12 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL UL MONROE WARHAWKS (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location...Monroe, Louisiana Founded Enrollment... 8,517 Nickname...Warhawks Colors... Maroon & Gold Athletics Website... Primary Offense... Multiple Primary Defense All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (T-7th) SBC Championships...1 Bowl Appearances...4 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...32 Lettermen Lost...21 Starters Returning...17 Starters Lost...9 Stadium...JPS Field at Malone Stadium Capacity... 30,427 Playing Surface...FieldTurf Revolution Record First Game...Sept. 16, 1978 Largest Crowd... 31,175 Media Contact...Alex Edwards Phone:...(318) Facebook:... /Warhawks DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) Sept. 05 at #9 Georgia Athens, Ga. L, (SEC Network) SEPT. 12 NICHOLLS STATE MONROE, LA. 6 P.M. (ESPN3) Sept. 26 at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. TBA OCT. 03 * GEORGIA SOUTHERN MONROE, LA. 6 P.M. Oct. 10 at Tulsa Tulsa, Okla. TBA OCT. 17 * APPALACHIAN STATE MONROE, LA. 6 P.M. Oct. 24 * at Idaho Moscow, Idaho 4 p.m. Oct. 31 * at UL Lafayette Lafayette, La. TBA Nov. 07 * at Troy Troy, Ala. 2:30 p.m. NOV. 14 * ARKANSAS STATE MONROE, LA. 2 P.M. Nov. 19 * at Texas State San Marcos, Texas 8:30 P.M. (ESPNU) Nov. 28 at Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii 11 p.m. (TWC Oceanic/MWN) DEC. 05 * NEW MEXICO STATE MONROE, LA. 2 P.M. All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Warhawk News and Notes ULM opened its 85th season of football as the Warhawks fell to No. 9 Georgia in a game marred by bad weather. The contest was called with nine minutes, 54 seconds to play after play was suspended for lightning a second time. ULM has a 22-3 edge in the series over Nicholls State, with the last meeting being a win in Nicholls State head coach Tim Rebowe was the cornerbacks coach at ULM from and served as the interim head coach from April-May 2013 between Mike Collins and Charlie Weatherbie s tenures. This is his first year with the Colonels. ULM s game with Nicholls State marks the sixth consecutive year that the Warhawks have had a non-conference game against a Louisiana school (LSU in 2014, Tulane , Grambling State 2011, Southeastern Louisiana 2010). Garrett Smith put forth an outstanding first impression against Georgia. The redshirt freshman completed 18 of his first 20 passes and ended the day 23-for-29 against the preseason SEC East favorite. He also had touchdown strikes for 22 and 29 yards to Rashon Ceaser. Smith s first score capped off an eight-play, 75-yard march that took under two minutes. He also continued a couple of drives with shifty first-down rushes, including a 24-yard scoot up the middle. Ceaser was far and away the best receiver on the field Saturday. He had career-highs of 13 catches and 153 yards against the Bulldog defense, while no other receiver on either team had more than three catches. ULM returns its top four tacklers from last year. Michael Johnson had a game-high eight stops and Ben Banogu added four in his first collegiate appearance and start. The Warhawk defense, ranked in the top-10 in FBS for three categories in 2014, was dealt a tough hand in the early goings of Saturday s loss. They held Georgia to a three-and-out to begin the game, but great field position by the Bulldogs off of a blocked punt and interception led to ensuing touchdown drives of two plays and 21 yards and one play for 15 yards, respectively. 12

13 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES (0-1, 0-0 SBC) Quick Facts Location...Las Cruces, New Mexico Founded Enrollment... 16,428 Nickname...Aggies Colors...Crimson & White Athletics Website... Primary Offense... Spread Primary Defense All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record ( ; 2014-) 2014 Record SBC Record (Finish) (T-10th) SBC Championships...0 Bowl Appearances...3 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...48 Lettermen Lost...21 Starters Returning...22 Starters Lost...7 Stadium...Aggie Memorial Capacity... 30,343 Playing Surface... Field Turf Record First Game...Sept. 16, 1978 Largest Crowd:... 32,993 Media Contact...Cari Gold Phone:...(575) Facebook:... /NMSUAthletics Schedule DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) Sept. 05 at Florida Gainsville, Fla. L, (SEC Network) SEPT. 12 * GEORGIA STATE LAS CRUCES, N.M. 7 P.M. (AGGIEVISION/ESPN3) SEPT.19 UTEP LAS CRUCES, N.M. 7 P.M. (AGGIEVISION/ESPN3) Oct. 03 at New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. 7 P.M. (Root Sports) Oct. 10 at Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. TBA Oct. 17 * at Georgia Southern Statesboro, Ga. 5 p.m. OCT. 24 * TROY LAS CRUCES, N.M. 7 P.M. OCT. 31 * IDAHO LAS CRUCES, N.M. 7 P.M. Nov. 07 * at Texas State San Marcos, Texas TBA Nov. 21 * at UL Lafayette Lafayette, La. TBA NOV. 28 * ARKANSAS STATE LAS CRUCES, N.M. TBA Dec. 05 * at UL Monroe Monroe, La. 2 p.m. All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Aggie News and Notes The NM State football team will host Georgia State for their home opener on Saturday at 6 p.m. (MT) in Aggie Memorial Stadium in a Stuff the Stadium campaign sponsored by FirstLight Federal Credit Union. The Aggies (0-1) fell to Florida on Saturday night in front of 90,227 fans. Tyler Rogers led the team as he completed 14-of-27 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, Larry Rose III racked up 106 all-purpose yards with game-high 64 rushing yards and a team-high 42 receiving yards. The receiving yards were just eight yards shy of his career-high 50 receiving yards. After allowing an average of almost 310 rushing yards per game last season, the NM State defense held Florida to just 224 rushing yards, with only one Gator collecting more than 50 rushing yards. Terrill Hanks had a solid performance in his collegiate debut as he collected a game-high seven tackles and a sack. Hanks also garnered a forced fumble that, six plays later, allowed Larry Rose III to score his first touchdown of the season. The Aggies and the Panthers (0-1) have only met once before on the gridiron as they played on Sept. 6, NM State came back from a 17-point deficit to top Georgia State in the Georgia Dome. Terrill Hanks collected his first career forced fumble with 8:26 in left in the second quarter at Florida and Jacob Banegas grabbed his first career fumble recovery off of the play. Larry Rose III had a team-high 42 receiving yards during the season opener against Florida. This was just eight yards shy of his career-high 50 receiving yards. The Aggies were successful on 2-of-3 fourth down conversion attempts at Florida. The Panthers succeeded on 1-of-2 fourth down conversion attempts against Charlotte. NM State outscored the Panthers 17-7 in the fourth quarter of the last game to capture a victory. The win moved the Aggies to 2-0 on the season. The win was also the first Sun Belt Conference win since NM State rejoined the conference after moving to the WAC following the 2004 season. 13

14 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SOUTH ALABAMA (1-0, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location...Mobile, Ala. Founded Enrollment... 16,055 Nickname...Jaguars Colors...Blue, Red and White Athletics Website... Primary Offense...Multiple Spread Primary Defense All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (T-4th) SBC Championships...0 Bowl Appearances...1 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...40 Lettermen Lost...28 Starters Returning...7 Starters Lost...17 Stadium...Ladd-Peebles Stadium Capacity... 33,471 Playing Surface...FieldTurf Record First Game...Sept. 5, 2009 Largest Crowd:... 26,783 Media Contact...Brian Fremund Phone:...(251) Facebook:... /USAJaguarSports DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) SEPT. 05 GARDNER WEBB MOBILE, ALA. W, (ESPN3) Sept. 12 at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. 7 p.m. (Big Ten Network) Sept. 19 at San Diego State San Diego, Calif. 7 p.m. (Mountain West Network) SEPT. 26 NC STATE MOBILE, ALA. TBA Oct. 03 * at Troy Troy, Ala. 6 p.m. OCT. 13 * ARKANSAS STATE MOBILE, ALA. 7 P.M. (ESPN2) Oct. 24 * at Texas State San Marcos, Texas TBA NOV. 07 * IDAHO MOBILE, ALA. TBA NOV. 12 * UL LAFAYETTE MOBILE, ALA. 6:30 P.M. (ESPNU) Nov. 21 * at Georgia State Atlanta, Ga. TBA Nov. 28 * at Georgia Southern Statesboro, Ga. 1 p.m. DEC. 05 * APPALACHIAN STATE MOBILE, ALA. TBA All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Jaguar News and Notes After opening the season with a 10-point victory over Gardner-Webb at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, South Alabama begins a two-game road swing with Saturday s visit to Nebraska. It will mark the first time that the Jaguars will take on a member of the Big Ten Conference. It s the first of two meetings scheduled between the two programs, with another match-up in Lincoln slated for Aug. 31, The Jags last opened a season 2-0 in 2011 after beating West Alabama and Lamar at home those were the final two in a school-record 19-game win streak that began with the program s debut on Sept. 5, The Jags have won their first road contest of the season each of the last two falls, with victories at Tulane in 2013 and Kent State to begin the 14 campaign. Making his first career start in the Jaguars season opener against Gardner-Webb, Xavier Johnson set career highs with 121 yards rushing and 177 all-purpose yards while scoring a pair of touchdowns to help lead USA to a victory. Both scores came in the second half, with the first on a 56-yard reception in which he took a pass out of the backfield to the end zone coming on the Jags first snap after falling behind for the only time in the contest in the opening minutes of the third quarter, and he clinched the game midway through the final period with a school-record 92-yard run. In his first game at South Alabama, Blake Dees led all players with 13 total tackles which included a pair behind the line of scrimmage and forced a pair of fumbles in USA s 10-point win over Gardner-Webb. The senior linebacker s efforts help the Jaguars limit the Runnin Bulldogs to only 309 yards on 76 snaps and an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Aleem Sunanon s nine points were the most recorded by a kicker in the Sun Belt Conference on the opening weekend of the season, as he converted all five tries in the Jaguars victory over Gardner-Webb. That included extending his streak to 10 consecutive field goals made dating back to last season, the second-longest in program history, after he converted from 41 yards out at the end of the third quarter and hit a 28-yard attempt three minutes later to push USA s lead to 10 points. And by connecting on all three extra-point tries, Sunanon became USA s all-time leader in the category as well. Roman Buchanan matched a career high with nine stops, adding his first interception since the second game of his collegiate career a USA win at Tulane on Sept. 7, 2013 against the Runnin Bulldogs. The junior has now been credited with at least one tackle for loss in three straight contests dating back to last fall s regular-season finale, the longest streak of his career. Gerald Everett collected four catches for 76 yards in his Jaguar debut, marking just the third time since the start of last year that a tight end has led USA in receiving yards. 14

15 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEXAS STATE BOBCATS (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location...San Marcos, Texas Founded Enrollment... 36,790 Nickname...Bobcats Colors... Maroon & Gold Athletics Website... Primary Offense... Spread Primary Defense... Multiple All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (T-4th) SBC Championships...0 Bowl Appearances...1 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...45 Lettermen Lost...26 Starters Returning...12 Starters Lost...11 Stadium...Bobcat Stadium Capacity... 30,000 Playing Surface...FieldTurf Duraspine Pro Record First Game...Sept. 5, 1981 Largest Crowd:... 33,006 Media Contact...Rick Poulter Phone:...(512) Facebook:... /TXStateBobcats DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) Sept. 05 at #10 Florida State Tallahassee, Fla. L, (ESPNews) SEPT. 12 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M SAN MARCOS, TEXAS 6 P.M. (ESPN3) SEPT. 19 SOUTHERN MISS SAN MARCOS, TEXAS 6 P.M. (ESPN3) Sept. 26 at Houston Houston, Texas TBA Oct. 10 * at UL Lafayette Lafayette, La. TBA OCT. 24 * SOUTH ALABAMA SAN MARCOS, TEXAS TBA Oct. 29 * at Georgia Southern Statesboro, Ga. 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) NOV. 07 * NEW MEXICO STATE SAN MARCOS, TEXAS TBA NOV. 14 * GEORGIA STATE SAN MARCOS, TEXAS TBA NOV. 19 * UL MONROE SAN MARCOS, TEXAS 8:30 P.M. (ESPNU) Nov. 28 * at Idaho Moscow, Idaho 4 p.m. Dec. 05 * at Arkansas State Jonesboro, Ark. 2 p.m. All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Bobcat News and Notes Texas State enters the Prairie View A&M game looking to win its 19th home opener in the last 20 years after defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 65-0 last season. The Bobcats had won 17 straight home openers dating back to 1996 before dropping the first home game in 2012 against Texas Tech. Texas State has an all-time record of in home openers dating back to Texas State enters Saturday s game against Prairie View A&M contest with a record in home games at Bobcat Stadium. The Bobcats posted a 3-3 record in home games last season. Texas State owns in home games during the last 10 seasons at Bobcat Stadium. Chris Nutall returned this season with a four-yard touchdown run on his scoring fashion as he ran for a four-yard touchdown on his first carry of the season. It was his first rushing touchdown since he rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia State on Oct. 19, Nutall set up his run with 25-yard reception from Tyler Jones at Florida State s four-yard line. That was his longest reception since he caught a 25-yard pass against Wyoming on Sept. 28, Texas State enters the Prairie View A&M game leading the nation for the fewest penalty yards in a game with just five at Florida State. The Bobcats also are tied with five other schools for second place nationally for the fewest penalties per game after being called for just one penalty against the Seminoles. The other five schools are Florida, Georgia Southern, New Mexico State, North Carolina State and Middle Tennessee. Georgia Tech leads the nation after not having a penalty against Alcorn State. Texas State is tied for 26th place nationally and ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference after the Bobcat offensive line gave up just one sack against Florida State. The Bobcats did sack Seminole quarterbacks twice in the game. Senior defensive back Dante Clanton recovered a fumble on a punt at Florida State s 29-yard line to set up the first touchdown of the season for the Bobcats. It was Clanton s first fumble recovery in his career. Texas State scored two plays later on Chris Nutall s touchdown run. Playing in his first game at the NCAA Division I FBS level, Lumi Kaba averaged 46.6 yards on seven punts at No. 10 Florida State. He had a net punting average of 43.6 yards per punt with three punts inside the 20-yard line. He had two punts over 50 yards with a career-long 57-yard punt and a 51-yard punt on his first punt in the game. 15

16 2015 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TROY TROJANS (0-1, 0-0 SBC) 2015 Schedule Quick Facts Location...Troy, Alabama Founded Enrollment... 20,000 Nickname...Trojans Colors...Cardinal, Silver & Black Athletics Website... Primary Offense... Spread Primary Defense All-Time Record All-Time SBC Record Record SBC Record (Finish) (T-7th) SBC Championships...5 Bowl Appearances...5 Bowl Record Lettermen Returning...54 Lettermen Lost...28 Starters Returning...14 Starters Lost...16 Stadium... Veterans Memorial Stadium Capacity... 30,000 Playing Surface... Surface ProGrass Record First Game... September 16, 1950 Largest Crowd... 29,013 Media Contact... Adam Prendergast Phone:...(334) Facebook:... /TroyAthletics DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (TV) Sept. 05 at NC State Raleigh, N.C. L, (ESPN3) SEPT. 12 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN TROY, ALA. 6 P.M. (ESPN3) Sept.19 at Wisconsin Madison, Wisc. 2:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network) OCT. 03 * SOUTH ALABAMA TROY, ALA. 6 P.M. Oct. 10 at Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. TBA OCT. 17 * IDAHO TROY, ALA. 2:30 P.M. Oct. 24 * at New Mexico State Las Cruces, N.M. 7 p.m. Oct. 31 * at Appalachian State Boone, N.C. TBA NOV. 07 * UL MONROE TROY, ALA. 2:30 P.M. NOV. 14 * GEORGIA SOUTHERN TROY, ALA. 2:30 P.M. Nov. 27 * at Georgia State Atlanta, Ga. TBA Dec. 05 * at UL Lafayette Lafayette, La. TBA All times central and subject to change; Home games in BOLD CAPS; * denotes Sun Belt game Trojan News and Notes Head coach Neal Brown made his debut as Troy s 21st head coach. After today s loss, Trojan coaches are in their debuts Troy had 12 athletes make their first career start: John Johnson, Emanuel Thompson, Deontae Crumitie, Luke Lawrence, Johnathan Boring, Garrett Peek, Nick McLaughlin, Gabe Hill, William Lloyd, Demetrius Cain, Jalen Harris, and Josh Marshall Trojans that made their debut: Demetrius Cain, Deontae Crumitie, William Lloyd, Josh Marshall, Cedarius Rookard, Deandre Douglas, LaMarcus Farmer, Justin Lucas, Trevon Sanders, Gabe Hill, Case Hillier, Robert Johnson, Jawon McDowell, Jalen Rountree, A.J. Smiley, Demone Kemp, Ismail Saleem True freshman Deontae Crumitie is the first true freshman to start a season opener on the offensive line in Troy s recorded history Deandre Douglas made his first career catch, a 16-yard reception from Brandon Silvers in the first quarter Jordan Chunn scored his 21st career touchdown run in the first quarter. He now is sixth in Troy history in career rushing touchdowns Jordan Chunn s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter marked the first touchdown of the Neal Brown era Freshman Ismail Saleem caught his first career pass on his birthday in the third quarter for a 9-yard gain Senior Brandon Burks 57-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was a career-long run Senior Brandon Burks rush for 124 yards, his sixth career game with 100+ yards rushing. He now ranks eighth in Troy s record books with six 100-yard rushing games Troy s quarterbacks pass attempt streak without an interception was broken. Troy s quarterbacks threw 153 passes before throwing a pick Senior Tyler Roberts sack in the third quarter moved him into 12th place in Troy history with 25.5 tackles for loss In his debut, junior linebacker William Lloyd led the Trojans with 15 tackles, which tied Boris Lee (Ohio State) and Brynden Trawick (North Texas) for the seventh-most tackles in a game. 16