Week 6 was the Sun Belt’s most dramatic week yet.
The chaos started well before Saturday, as the league had two nationally televised weeknight showcases. On Tuesday, Troy’s offense exploded for 55 points on Southern Miss, scoring its most against FBS competition since 2019 behind Goose Crowder’s career day. Then on Thursday, South Alabama outpaced Arkansas State 56-49 in the highest-scoring regulation game since September 2024, as the Jaguars improved to 4-2 on the season.
Saturday only brought more
chaos to the table. Road upsets. Huge comebacks and almost comebacks. A contender in danger. A rivalry renewed. Here is a recap of the Sun Belt’s wild Saturday in Week 6:
Ricky Rahne, ODU slide to victory
With heavy rain and high winds from Hurricane Isaias taking over, the conditions were set for a sloppy slugfest in Boone, NC.
Appalachian State and Old Dominion entered halftime deadlocked at 0-0. The first half featured nine punts (six three-and-outs), a turnover on downs, two missed field goals, two interceptions, and one lost fumble. It was indeed a “first touchdown wins” type game.
The second half featured scoring, but in an unconvential way. After App State opened the half with a field goal, Old Dominion got on the board with a safety — thanks to an errant snap that flew into the end zone. The 3-2 baseball score persisted until 9:30 remained in the contest, when Old Dominion running back Maurki James punched in a 2-yard touchdown, which marked the only end zone appearance by either team.
“Highlights” from the sloppy game included:
- 15 total punts, 17 completions on 47 passing attempts
- 0 passing touchdowns but 4 interceptions
- 5 total fumbles and 2 which were lost
- 6 combined turnovers
But the true highlight happened postgame. During the contest, Appalachian State fans were taking turns going headfirst down a mudslide behind the end zone. After the victory, Old Dominion head coach Ricky Rahne tried it himself, celebrating the Monarchs’ first FBS and first conference victory of the season.
Louisiana Tech storms back in renewed rivalry
While many rivalries are being lost to conference realignment, others are being restored. Louisiana and Louisiana Tech are separated by roughly 180 miles, yet the programs haven’t battled since 2015. But the Bulldogs’ admission into the Sun Belt renewed an old rivalry between the programs in The Boot.
Louisiana Tech had won all eight matchups since 1997 and played host to the first Sun Belt edition of the rivalry. However, the Ragin’ Cajuns established a 31-19 fourth quarter lead after quarterback Lunch Winfield completed a 45-yard touchdown pass. The Bulldogs weren’t ready for their streak to end in front of their home fans. Quarterback Blake Baker, starting for the injured Trey Kukuk, threw his name into the rivalry’s lore in a performance featuring 319 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown.
Baker ran 12 yards for a touchdown with 3:44 remaining to slice the deficit to 31-26. After the Louisiana Tech defense forced a quick three-and-out, Baker went back to work. The Bulldogs traveled 66 yards in eight plays, taking the lead on a strike from Baker to star tight end Eli Finley in the back of the end zone.
Down 32-31, Louisiana had 46 seconds to win with a field goal, but that opportunity was quickly thwarted. Jordan McRae secured the game-winning interception in Ruston, providing the Bulldogs their ninth-straight win in the series — as well as a statement that Louisiana Tech is ready to contend for a Sun Belt West division title.
James Madison survives first scare of season
James Madison entered the week as the Sun Belt’s lone undefeated team. The Dukes had won 11 consecutive matchups against conference opponents, including last year’s Sun Belt Championship Game victory over Troy.
However, Saturday was James Madison’s toughest test of the Billy Napier era. The Dukes landed in Statesboro, GA for a matchup against a Georgia Southern team better than its record implied — after its defense gave fits to Clemson and its offense fits to Houston. The Eagles held a 10-6 halftime advantage, but the Dukes responded with guts.
After taking a 13-10 lead in the third quarter, Napier elected to go for 4th-and-1 from his own 43. He inserted quarterback JC Evans into the game for Camden Coleman, and the Dukes operated out of a tight formation in heavy personnel. Evans faked a QB draw and then launched a deep ball to tight end Cole Keller. When Keller caught the ball around the Georgia Southern 34-yard line, he was open to the point where not a single Eagle defender was captured by the broadcast angle. That was one of four JMU fourth down conversions in a game of clutch heroics.
That pivotal touchdown gave the Dukes a 20-10 lead, but Georgia Southern didn’t roll over. Max Johnson delivered a pair of fourth quarter touchdown strikes to trim the deficit to 27-24. After JMU mishandled a snap on a potential game-sealing 3rd-and-1, the Eagles got the ball back down three with 1:47 remaining. Johnson nearly had the winning touchdown throw in his hands but overshot his receiver Alex Taylor from the JMU 34-yard line. That misfire brought Blake Ford onto the field for the game-tying field goal. His attempt had the direction but missed on distance by the thinnest of margins. James Madison clinched bowl eligibility at 6-0, currently operating as one of nine FBS unbeatens.
Marshall’s 21 unanswered not enough for Coastal
Marshall and Coastal Carolina collided in Huntington, equally hungry for their first Sun Belt victory of the season. The contest wasn’t even close, at least initially. Coastal Carolina stormed to a 27-0 lead behind Dominic Lee-Knicely’s 169 rushing yards and six takeways — including four on Marshall’s first four offensive possessions.
The Thundering Herd wouldn’t go down without a fight on their home field. Marshall swapped quarterbacks from Carlos Del Rio-Wilson to Zion Turner after Del Rio-Wilson threw three interceptions on his first six passing attempts. Turner nearly erased the four-touchdown deficit. The former UConn starter provided 219 passing yards and two touchdowns, guiding the Thundering Herd to 21 unanswered points in the final 18 minutes of action.
Marshall recovered an onside kick between its second and third touchdowns, but its luck ran out after cutting the deficit to 27-21. Coastal Carolina recovered the Thundering Herd’s second onside kick attempt, as Ryan Beard collected his first conference victory as head coach of the Chanticleers.
