2021 Sun Belt Conference football season

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2021 Sun Belt Conference football season
2022 NFL Draft
Top draft pickWR Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama
Picked byDallas Cowboys, 88th overall
Regular season
East championsAppalachian State
West championsLouisiana
SBC Championship Game
ChampionsLouisiana
  Runners-upAppalachian State
Finals MVPQB Levi Lewis, Louisiana
Seasons
2021 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Appalachian State xy   7 – 1     10 – 4  
Georgia State   6 – 2     8 – 5  
Coastal Carolina   6 – 2     11 – 2  
Troy   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Georgia Southern   2 – 6     3 – 9  
West Division
No. 16 Louisiana xy$   8 – 0     13 – 1  
Texas State   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Louisiana–Monroe   2 – 6     4 – 8  
South Alabama   2 – 6     5 – 7  
Arkansas State   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Championship: Louisiana 24, Appalachian State 16
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 21st season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference. The season began September 2, 2021 and concluded with its championship game on December 4, 2021. It was part of the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Sun Belt Conference consists of 10 football members split into two divisions. The conference released its schedule on March 1, 2021.[1]

Previous season

Main article: 2020 Sun Belt Conference football season

The 2020 season saw Coastal Carolina win the East Division, while Louisiana won the West Division. The Conference Championship game was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the two teams were declared co-champions.[2] Coastal Carolina advanced to the Cure Bowl, where they lost in overtime to Liberty.[3] Louisiana advanced to the First Responder Bowl, where they defeated UTSA.[4]

Appalachian State,[5] Georgia Southern,[6] and Georgia State[7] also advanced to bowl games, with all winning their respective matches.

Preseason

Preseason Media Poll

The Preseason Media Poll was released on July 20. Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State tied as the favorites for the East Division, while Louisiana was favored to win the West Division.[8]

East
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
T1 Coastal Carolina 44 (6)
T1 Appalachian State 44 (4)
3 Georgia State 24
4 Georgia Southern 20
5 Troy 18
West
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Louisiana 49 (9)
2 Arkansas State 38 (1)
3 South Alabama 27
4 Texas State 25
5 Louisiana–Monroe 11

Preseason awards

The following list contains players and coaches included on preseason watch lists for national awards.

Award Head coach/Player School Position Link
Lott Trophy Silas Kelly Coastal Carolina LB [9]
Dodd Trophy Jamey Chadwell Coastal Carolina Head Coach [10]
Maxwell Award Camerun Peoples Appalachian State RB [11]
Layne Hatcher Arkansas State QB
Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB
Levi Lewis Louisiana QB
Jalen Tolbert South Alabama WR
Bednarik Award
 Demetrius Taylor Appalachian State DE [12]
Shaun Jolly Appalachian State CB
Jeffrey Gunter Coastal Carolina DE
Derrick Canteen Georgia Southern CB
Bralen Trahan Louisiana S
Carlton Martial Troy LB
Davey O'Brien Award Levi Lewis Louisiana QB [13]
Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB
Doak Walker Award JD King Georgia Southern RB [14]
Marcel Murray Arkansas State RB
Camerun Peoples Appalachian State RB
Fred Biletnikoff Award Jaivon Heiligh Coastal Carolina WR [15]
Isaiah Likely Coastal Carolina TE
Sam Pinckney Georgia State WR
Jalen Tolbert South Alabama WR
John Mackey Award Isaiah Likely Coastal Carolina TE [16]
Roger Carter Georgia State TE
Henry Pearson Appalachian State TE
Johnny Lumpkin Louisiana TE
Rimington Trophy Baer Hunter Appalachian State C [17]
Shane Vallot Louisiana C
Dylan Bradshaw Troy C
Butkus Award Carlton Martial Troy LB [18]
Outland Trophy C. J. Brewer Coastal Carolina DT [19]
Trey Carter Coastal Carolina G
Will Choloh Troy DT
Shamarious Gilmore Georgia State G
Baer Hunter Appalachian State C
O'Cyrus Torrence Louisiana G
Bronko Nagurski Trophy C. J. Brewer Coastal Carolina DT [20]
Will Choloh Troy DT
Carlton Martial Troy LB
Demetrius Taylor Appalachian State DE
Bralen Trahan Louisiana S
Lou Groza Award Massimo Biscardi Coastal Carolina K [21]
Paul Hornung Award Khaleb Hood Georgia Southern WR [22]
Chris Smith Louisiana RB
Caleb Spurlin Appalachian State DL
Wuerffel Trophy Thomas Hennigan Appalachian State WR [23]
Andre Harris Jr. Arkansas State OL
Kennedy Roberts Coastal Carolina DL
Levi Lewis Louisiana QB
Keith Gallmon South Alabama DB
Tyler Vitt Texas State QB
Luke Whittemore Troy WR
Walter Camp Award Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB [24]
Demetrius Taylor Appalachian State DE
Manning Award Cornelious Brown Georgia State QB [25]
Layne Hatcher Arkansas State QB
Levi Lewis Louisiana QB
Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Ken Marks Louisiana OL [26]
Ray Guy Award Anthony Beck II Georgia Southern P [27]
Charles Ouverson Coastal Carolina P
Jack Brooks South Alabama P
Rhys Byrns Louisiana P
Ryan Hanson Arkansas State P
Xavier Subotsch Appalachian State P
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Jake Bentley South Alabama QB [28]
Chase Brice Appalachian State QB
Levi Lewis Louisiana QB
Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB

Preseason All-Conference teams

  • Offensive Player of the Year: Grayson McCall (Redshirt Sophomore, Coastal Carolina quarterback)
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Carlton Martial (Junior, Troy linebacker)

Head coaches

Prior to the season, Arkansas State, Louisiana–Monroe, and South Alabama saw coaching changes. At Arkansas State, Butch Jones was named head coach after previous head coach Blake Anderson left the team to take the head coach position with Utah State of the Mountain West Conference.[29] At Louisiana–Monroe, Terry Bowden took over as head coach after Matt Viator was fired by the school.[30] At South Alabama, Kane Wommack took over as head coach after previous head coach Steve Campbell was fired by the school.[31]

Team Head coach Previous Job Years at school Overall record Sun Belt record Sun Belt titles
Appalachian State Shawn Clark Appalachian State (Off. Line Coach) 2 10–3 (.769) 6–2 (.750) 0
Arkansas State Butch Jones
Alabama
(assistant coach) 		1 84–54 (.609) 0–0 (–) 0
Coastal Carolina Jamey Chadwell Coastal Carolina (Off. Coordinator) 4 79–52 (.603) 12–12 (.500) 1
Georgia Southern Chad Lunsford Georgia Southern (assistant coach) 5 27–18 (.600) 17–13 (.567) 0
Georgia State Shawn Elliott South Carolina (Off. Line Coach) 5 22–25 (.468) 14–18 (.438) 0
Louisiana Billy Napier Arizona State (Off. Coordinator) 4 28–11 (.718) 19–5 (.792) 1
Louisiana–Monroe Terry Bowden Clemson (Grad. Assistant) 1 175–114–2 (.605) 0–0 (–) 0
South Alabama Kane Wommack Indiana (Def. Coordinator) 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0
Texas State Jake Spavital West Virginia (Off. Coordinator) 3 5–19 (.208) 4–12 (.250) 0
Troy Chip Lindsey Auburn (Off. Coordinator) 3 10–13 (.435) 6–9 (.400) 0

Mid-Season changes

  • On September 26, Georgia Southern announced that they had fired Chad Lunsford. Georgia Southern named cornerbacks coach Kevin Whitley as the interim head coach.[32] Former USC head coach Clay Helton was later announced as the permanent replacement for Lunsford beginning in 2022.
  • On November 21, Troy announced that they had fired Chip Lindsey. Troy named defensive coordinator Brandon Hall as the interim head coach.[33] On December 3, the school announced Kentucky defensive coordinator Jon Sumrall as the new permanent head coach.[34]

Post-season changes

Rankings

Main article: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
  Pre Wk
1		 Wk
2		 Wk
3		 Wk
4		 Wk
5		 Wk
6		 Wk
7		 Wk
8		 Wk
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10		 Wk
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12		 Wk
13		 Wk
14		 Final
Appalachian State AP RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV
C RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV
CFP Not released
Arkansas State AP
C
CFP Not released
Coastal Carolina AP 22 17 16 17 16 15 15 14 24 21 22 RV RV
C 24 19 18 17 16т 15 15 16 24 21 21 RV RV RV RV RV
CFP Not released
Georgia Southern AP
C
CFP Not released
Georgia State AP
C
CFP Not released
Louisiana AP 23 RV RV RV 24 24 22 23 20 16 16
C 23 RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 21 23 21 17 18
CFP Not released 24 23
Louisiana–Monroe AP
C
CFP Not released
South Alabama AP
C
CFP Not released
Texas State AP
C
CFP Not released
Troy AP
C
CFP Not released
Legend
    Improvement in ranking
  Drop in ranking
  Not ranked previous week
  No change in ranking from previous week
RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

Schedule

Index to colors and formatting
Sun Belt member won
Sun Belt member lost
Sun Belt teams in bold

All times Central time.

Week 1

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 2 6:00 p.m. The Citadel No. 22 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+ W 52–14   16,236
September 2 6:30 p.m. East Carolina Appalachian State Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC (Duke's Mayo Classic) ESPNU W 33–19   36,752
September 4 11:00 a.m. Army Georgia State
Atlanta, GA
 ESPNU L 10–43   18,280
September 4 11:00 a.m. Louisiana–Monroe Kentucky Kroger Field • Lexington, KY SECN L 10–45   47,693
September 4 3:30 p.m. No. 23 Louisiana No. 21 Texas Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium • Austin, TX FOX L 18–38   91,113
September 4 5:00 p.m. Gardner–Webb Georgia Southern
Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA
 ESPN3 W 30–25   15,089
September 4 6:00 p.m. No. 14 (FCS) Central Arkansas Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN3 W 40–21   15,662
September 4 6:00 p.m. Baylor Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+ L 20–29   26,573
September 4 6:00 p.m. Southern Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN3 W 55–3   22,399
September 4 7:00 p.m. Southern Miss South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+ W 31–7   20,156
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 2

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 10 6:30 p.m. Kansas No. 17 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN2 W 49–22   17,697
September 11 2:30 p.m. Georgia Southern Florida Atlantic FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL Stadium L 6–38   17,736
September 11 3:00 p.m. South Alabama Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH ESPN+ W 22–19   15,105
September 11 6:00 p.m. Appalachian State No. 22 Miami (FL) Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL ESPNU L 23–25   45,877
September 11 6:00 p.m. Nicholls Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN3 W 27–24   25,417
September 11 6:00 p.m. Texas State FIU
Miami, FL
 ESPN+ W 23–17 OT  0
September 11 6:00 p.m. Liberty Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+ L 13–21   24,714
September 11 6:00 p.m. Memphis Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR (Paint Bucket Bowl) ESPN+ L 50–55   19,501
September 11 6:30 p.m. Georgia State No. 24 North Carolina Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC ESPN3 L 17–59   50,500
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 3

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 16 7:00 p.m. Ohio Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN W 49–14   17,709
September 18 11:00 a.m. No. 16 Coastal Carolina Buffalo
UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY
 ESPN2 W 28–25   16,739
September 18 2:30 p.m. Elon Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+ W 44–10   30,224
September 18 3:00 p.m. Georgia Southern No. 20 Arkansas Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR SECN L 10–45   66,311
September 18 3:15 p.m. Arkansas State Washington
Seattle, WA
 P12N L 3–52   58,772
September 18 6:00 p.m. Charlotte Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+ W 20–9   12,978
September 18 6:00 p.m. Troy Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+ W 21–9   24,242
September 18 6:00 p.m. Incarnate Word Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN3 L 34–42   16,107
September 18 7:00 p.m. Jackson State Louisiana–Monroe
Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA
 ESPN3 W 12–7   21,720
September 18 7:00 p.m. Alcorn State South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN3 W 28–21   15,204
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 4

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 23 6:30 p.m. Marshall Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN W 31–30   28,377
September 25 12:00 p.m. UMass No. 17 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+ W 53–3   15,261
September 25 1:00 p.m. Texas State Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI ESPN+ L 21–59   14,253
September 25 3:00 p.m. Georgia State No. 23 Auburn
Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL
 SECN L 24–34   86,650
September 25 4:00 p.m. Arkansas State Tulsa H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK ESPN+ L 34–41   14,881
September 25 5:00 p.m. Louisiana Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  ULL 28–20   17,522
September 25 7:00 p.m. Troy Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  ULM 29–16   12,766
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 5

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 2 1:00 p.m. Appalachian State Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+  APPST 45–16   14,258
October 2 1:30 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe No. 16 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+  CCU 59–6   18,674
October 2 2:30 p.m. Troy South Carolina Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC SECN L 14–23   60,866
October 2 3:00 p.m. Arkansas State Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  GASO 59–33   16,377
October 2 7:00 p.m. Louisiana South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  ULL 20–18   16,764
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 6

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 7 6:30 p.m. No. 15 Coastal Carolina Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR
ESPNU
  CCU 52–20   12,086
October 9 6:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+  TROY 27–24   25,424
October 9 6:00 p.m. South Alabama Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  TXST 33–31 4OT  16,223
October 9 7:00 p.m. Georgia State Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN3  GSU 55–21   9,913
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 7

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 12 6:30 p.m. Appalachian State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN2  ULL 41–13   20,066
October 14 6:30 p.m. Georgia Southern South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPNU  SOAL 41–14   16,089
October 16 2:00 p.m. Troy Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  TROY 31–28   15,083
October 16 6:00 p.m. Liberty Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+ W 31–28   11,546
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 8

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 20 6:30 p.m. No. 14 Coastal Carolina Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN2  APPST 30–27   31,061
October 21 6:30 p.m. Louisiana Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPNU  ULL 28–27   7,138
October 23 1:00 p.m. Texas State Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+  GSU 28–16   16,779
October 23 6:00 p.m. South Alabama Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN3  ULM 41–31   11,723
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 9

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 28 6:30 p.m. Troy No. 24 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC
ESPN2
  CCU 35–28   11,689
October 30 11:00 a.m. Texas State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPNU  ULL 45–0   28,794
October 30 2:30 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+  APPST 59–28   29,321
October 30 4:00 p.m. Arkansas State South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  USA 31–13   15,043
October 30 5:00 p.m. Georgia State Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA (rivalry) ESPN+  GSU 21–14   17,843
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 10

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 4 6:30 p.m. Georgia State No. 24 Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN  ULL 21–17   16,007
November 6 1:00 p.m. Appalachian State Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+  APPST 48–14   9,762
November 6 2:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  TXST 27–19   16,237
November 6 2:30 p.m. South Alabama Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL (Battle for the Belt) ESPN+  TROY 31–24   26,211
November 6 5:00 p.m. No. 21 Coastal Carolina Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  CCU 28–8   12,875
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 11

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 13 1:00 p.m. Georgia State No. 22 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+  GSU 42–40   16,744
November 13 1:30 p.m. South Alabama Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+  APPST 31–7   29,348
November 13 2:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  GASO 38–30   15,896
November 13 2:30 p.m. No. 24 Louisiana Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+  ULL 35–21   24,738
November 13 4:00 p.m. Arkansas State Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  ARKST 27–24   12,010
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 12

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 20 12:00 p.m. Texas State Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+  CCU 35–21   10,386
November 20 1:00 p.m. Arkansas State Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN3  GSU 28–20   14,273
November 20 2:30 p.m. Appalachian State Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+  APPST 45–7   18,523
November 20 3:00 p.m. No. 14 BYU Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+ L 17–34   20,862
November 20 3:00 p.m. No. 22 Louisiana Liberty Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA ESPNU W 42–14   15,564
November 20 6:30 p.m. South Alabama Tennessee Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN ESPNU L 14–60   75,203
November 20 8:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe LSU
Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA
 ESPN2 L 14–27   92,790
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Week 13

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 26 2:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  CCU 27–21 OT  13,242
November 27 1:00 p.m. Texas State Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+  TXST 24–22   3,116
November 27 1:00 p.m. Troy Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+  GSU 37–10   13,875
November 27 1:30 p.m. Georgia Southern Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC (rivalry) ESPN+  APPST 27–3   28,005
November 27 3:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe No. 23 Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA (Battle on the Bayou) ESPNU  ULL 21–16   18,447
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Championship Game

Week Fifteen (Sun Belt Championship Game)

See also: 2021 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game
Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
December 4 2:30 p.m. Appalachian State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN  ULL 24–16   31,014
#Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time
.

Postseason

Bowl Games

See also: 2021–22 NCAA football bowl games
Legend
  Sun Belt win
  Sun Belt loss
Bowl game Date Site Television Time (CST) Sun Belt team Opponent Score Attendance
Cure Bowl December 17
Exploria Stadium • Orlando, FL
 ESPN2 5:00 p.m. Coastal Carolina Northern Illinois W 47–41 9,784
Boca Raton Bowl December 18 FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL ESPN 10:00 a.m. Appalachian State Western Kentucky L 38–59 15,429
New Orleans Bowl December 18 Caesars Superdome • New Orleans, LA ESPN 8:15 p.m. Louisiana Marshall W 36–21 21,642
Camellia Bowl December 25 Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL ESPN 1:30 p.m. Georgia State Ball State W 51–20 N/A

Sun Belt records vs other conferences

2021–2022 records against non-conference foes:

Power 5 Conferences Record
ACC 0–2
Big Ten 0–0
Big 12 1–2
Pac-12 0–1
BYU/Notre Dame 0–1
SEC 0–6
Power 5 Total 1–12
Group of 5 Conferences Record
American 1–2
C–USA 5–1
Independents (Excluding BYU and Notre Dame) 3–2
MAC 3–1
Mountain West 0–0
Group of 5 Total 12–6
FCS Opponents Record
Football Championship Subdivision 8–1
Total Non-Conference Record 21–19

Sun Belt vs Power 5 matchups

This is a list of games the Sun Belt has scheduled versus

power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, BYU, Notre Dame and SEC
). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.


Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 4 SEC Louisiana–Monroe Kentucky Kroger Field • Lexington, KY L 10–45
September 4 Big 12 No. 23 Louisiana No. 21 Texas Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium • Austin, TX L 18–38
September 4 Big 12 Baylor Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX L 20–29
September 10 Big 12 Kansas No. 17 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 49–22
September 11 ACC Appalachian State No. 22 Miami (FL) Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL L 23–25
September 11 ACC Georgia State No. 24 North Carolina Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC L 17–59
September 18 SEC Georgia Southern No. 20 Arkansas Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR L 10–45
September 18 Pac-12 Arkansas State Washington Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA L 3–52
September 25 SEC Georgia State No. 23 Auburn Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL L 24–34
October 2 SEC Troy South Carolina Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC L 14–23
November 20 SEC Louisiana-Monroe LSU Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA L 14–27
November 20 SEC South Alabama Tennessee Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN L 14–60
November 20 Independent No. 14 BYU Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA L 17–34

Sun Belt vs Group of Five matchups

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against teams from the American, C-USA, MAC, or Mountain West.

Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 American East Carolina Appalachian State Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC W 33–19
September 4 C-USA Southern Miss South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL W 31–7
September 11 C-USA Georgia Southern Florida Atlantic FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL L 6–38
September 11 MAC South Alabama Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH W 22–19
September 11 C-USA Texas State FIU Riccardo Silva Stadium • Miami, FL W 23–17 OT
September 11 American Memphis Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR L 50–55
September 16 MAC Ohio Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA W 49–14
September 18 MAC No. 16 Coastal Carolina Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY W 28–25
September 18 C-USA Charlotte Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA W 20–9
September 18 C-USA Troy Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS W 21–9
September 23 C-USA Marshall Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W 31–30
September 25 American Arkansas State Tulsa H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK L 34–41
September 25 MAC Texas State Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI L 21–59

Sun Belt vs FBS independents matchups

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, Liberty, New Mexico State, UConn, or UMass.

Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 4 Independent Army Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA L 10–43
September 11 Independent Liberty Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL L 13–21
September 25 Independent UMass No. 17 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 53–3
October 16 Independent Liberty Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA W 31-28
November 20 Independent No. 22 Louisiana Liberty Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA W 42–14

Sun Belt vs FCS matchups

Date Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 The Citadel No. 22 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 52–14
September 4 Gardner–Webb Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W 30–25
September 4 Central Arkansas Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR W 40–21
September 4 Southern Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL W 55–3
September 11 Nicholls Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA W 27–24
September 18 Elon Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W 44–10
September 18 Incarnate Word Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX L 34–42
September 18 Jackson State Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA W 12–7
September 18 Alcorn State South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL W 28–21

Awards and honors

Player of the week honors

Week Offensive Defensive Special Teams
Player Team Position Player Team Position Player Team Position
Week 1 (September 6)[35] Corey Rucker Arkansas State WR Zion Williams Troy CB Britton Williams Georgia Southern K
Week 2 (September 13)[36] Reese White Coastal Carolina RB Josaiah Stewart Coastal Carolina DL Diego Guajardo South Alabama K
Week 3 (September 20)[37] Montrell Johnson Louisiana RB Javon Solomon Troy DL Calum Sutherland Louisiana–Monroe K
Week 4 (September 27)[38] Nate Noel Appalachian State RB Ja'Cquez Williams Louisiana–Monroe LB Alan Lamar Arkansas State RS
Week 5 (October 4)[39] Logan Wright Georgia Southern RB D'Marco Jackson Appalachian State LB Chris Smith Louisiana RS
Week 6 (October 11)[40] Isaiah Likely Coastal Carolina TE Sione Tupou Texas State LB Brooks Buce Troy K
Week 7 (October 18)[41] Jake Bentley South Alabama QB Carlton Martial Troy LB Calum Sutherland (2) Louisiana–Monroe K
Week 8 (October 25)[42] Chandler Rogers Louisiana–Monroe QB Demetrius Taylor Appalachian State DL Chandler Staton Appalachian State K
Week 9 (November 1)[43] Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB Trey Cobb Appalachian State LB Alan Lamar (2) Arkansas State RS
Week 10 (November 8)[44] Tyler Vitt Texas State QB Steven Jones Jr. Appalachian State DB Alex Spillum Coastal Carolina S
Week 11 (November 15)[45] Darren Grainger Georgia State QB Eldrick Robinson II Georgia Southern LB Blake Grupe Arkansas State K
Week 12 (November 22)[46] Grayson McCall (2) Coastal Carolina QB Chauncey Manac Louisiana LB Dalen Cambre Louisiana WR
Week 13 (November 29)[47] Shermari Jones Coastal Carolina RB Silas Kelly Coastal Carolina LB Jalen Virgil Appalachian State RS

Sun Belt Individual Awards

The following individuals received postseason honors as voted by the Sun Belt Conference football coaches at the end of the season.[48]

Award Player School
Player of the Year Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year Jalen Tolbert South Alabama
Defensive Player of the Year D'Marco Jackson Appalachian State
Freshman Player of the Year Montrell Johnson Jr. Louisiana
Newcomer of the Year Chase Brice Appalachian State
Coach of the Year Billy Napier Louisiana

All-Conference Teams

The following players were selected as part of the Sun Belt's All-Conference Teams.[48]

All-Americans

For the complete All-America selections, see 2021 College Football All-America Team.

The 2021 College Football All-America Teams are composed of the following

Athlon Sports, Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Yahoo! Sports
(Yahoo!).

Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. Football consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.

Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
First Team All-Americans
DB Steven Jones Jr. Appalachian State FWAA
Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
Second Team All-Americans
OL Max Mitchell Louisiana CBS, TSN, USAT, WCFF
TE Isaiah Likely Coastal Carolina FWAA, WCFF
DB Steven Jones Jr. Appalachian State WCFF
Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
Third Team All-Americans
OL Max Mitchell Louisiana AP

NFL Draft

The following list includes all Sun Belt players who were drafted in the

2022 NFL Draft
.

Player Position School Draft
Round 		Round
Pick 		Overall
Pick 		Team
Jalen Tolbert WR South Alabama 3 24 88 Dallas Cowboys
Max Mitchell OT Louisiana 4 6 111 New York Jets
Percy Butler SS Louisiana 4 8 113 Washington Commanders
Isaiah Likely TE Coastal Carolina 4 34 139 Baltimore Ravens
D'Marco Jackson LB Appalachian State 5 18 161 New Orleans Saints
Jeffrey Gunter DE Coastal Carolina 7 31 252 Cincinnati Bengals

References

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