2019 Sun Belt Conference football season


The 2019 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 18th season of College Football play for the Sun Belt Conference. It was played from August 29, 2019 until January 2020. The Sun Belt Conference consists of 10 members in two divisions. It was part of the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

Previous season

In The 2018 season The Appalachian State Mountaineers finished the season with a 7–1 Conference Record and the Louisiana Rajun Cajuns finished the season with a 5–3 Conference Record met in the first ever Sun Belt Conference Championship Game held at Kidd Brewer Stadium With Appalachian State defeating the Louisiana Rajun Cajuns 30–19

Preseason

Recruiting classes

Sun Belt Media Days

Preseason Media polls
The 2019 preseason coaches football poll was released on July 19, voted from the 10 coaches of the conference. Appalachian State and Louisiana were chosen to be the finalist for their division, with the Mountaineers predicted to win the Sun Belt Championship Game.
East Division
West Division
Preseason All-Sun Belt
Ref:

Head coaches

Coaches
TeamHead CoachYears at SchoolOverall recordRecord at schoolSun Belt record
Appalachian StateEliah Drinkwitz17–17–14–1
Arkansas StateBlake Anderson643–2943–2933-11
Coastal CarolinaJamey Chadwell166–486–132–9
Georgia SouthernChad Lunsford317–1017–1011–7
Georgia StateShawn Elliott316–2215–179–11
LouisianaBilly Napier212–912–97–4
Louisiana–MonroeMatt Viator495–5917–2613–14
South AlabamaSteve Campbell264–394–162–10
Texas StateJake Spavital12–52–51–2
TroyChip Lindsey13–43–41–2

Rankings

Schedules

Regular season

The regular season will begin on August 29, 2019, and will end on November 30, 2019.
Index to colors and formatting
Sun Belt member won
Sun Belt member lost
Sun Belt teams in bold

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

Week Six

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine

Week Ten

Week Eleven

Week Twelve

Week Thirteen

Week Fourteen

Championship Game

Week Fifteen (Sun Belt Championship Game)

Sun Belt records vs Other Conferences

2019–2020 records against non-conference foes:
Regular Season
Post Season

Sun Belt vs Power Five matchups

This is a list of games the Sun Belt has scheduled versus power conference teams. All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.
DateConferenceVisitorHomeSiteScore
August 29SECTexas StateTexas A&MKyle Field • College Station, TXL, 7-41
August 31Big TenSouth AlabamaNebraskaMemorial Stadium • Lincoln, NEL, 21–35
August 31SECMississippi StateLouisianaMercedes-Benz Superdome • New Orleans, LAL, 28–38
August 31SECGeorgia StateTennesseeNeyland Stadium • Knoxville, TNW, 38–30
August 31SECGeorgia SouthernLSUTiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LAL, 3–55
September 7ACCLouisiana-MonroeFlorida StateDoak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FLL, 44–45
September 7Big 12Coastal CarolinaKansasMemorial Stadium • Lawrence, KSW, 12–7
September 14SECArkansas StateGeorgiaSanford Stadium • Athens, GAL, 0–55
September 14Big TenGeorgia SouthernMinnesotaTCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MNL, 32–35
September 21Big 12Louisiana-MonroeIowa StateJack Trice Stadium • Ames, IAL, 20–72
September 21ACCAppalachian StateNorth CarolinaKenan Stadium • Chapel Hill, NCW 34–31
October 5SECTroyMissouriFaurot Field • Columbia, MOL 10–42
November 9SECAppalachian StateSouth CarolinaWilliams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SCW 20–15

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.
DateConferenceVisitorHomeSiteScore
August 31MACEastern MichiganCoastal CarolinaBrooks Stadium • Conway, SCL, 23–30
August 31AmericanSMUArkansas StateCentennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, ARL, 30–37
September 7C-USACharlotteAppalachian StateKidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NCW, 56–41
September 7Mountain WestWyomingTexas StateBobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TXL 14–23
September 7Mountain WestArkansas StateUNLVSam Boyd Stadium • Whitney, NVW, 43–17
September 14AmericanMemphisSouth AlabamaLadd–Peebles Stadium • Mobile, ALL, 6–42
September 14C-USASouthern MissTroyVeterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, ALL, 42–47
September 14AmericanTexas StateSMUGerald J. Ford Stadium • Dallas, TXL, 17–47
September 14MACGeorgia StateWestern MichiganWaldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MIL, 10–57
September 21MACLouisianaOhioPeden Stadium • Athens, OHW, 45–25
September 21MACTroyAkronInfoCision Stadium • Akron, OHW, 35–7
September 21C-USASouth AlabamaUABLegion Field • Birmingham, ALL, 35–3
October 5AmericanMemphisLouisiana–MonroeMalone Stadium • Monroe, LAL 33–52

Sun Belt vs FBS independents matchups

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, Liberty, New Mexico State, or UMass.
DateConferenceVisitorHomeSiteScore
September 7IndependentsLibertyLouisianaCajun Field • Lafayette, LAW 35–14
September 21IndependentsCoastal CarolinaUMassWarren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MAW 62–28
October 19IndependentsArmyGeorgia StateVeterans Memorial Stadium • Atlanta, GAW 28–21
October 26IndependentsNew Mexico StateGeorgia SouthernPaulson Stadium • Statesboro, GAW 41–7

Sun Belt vs FCS matchups

DateVisitorHomeSiteScore
August 31East Tennessee StateAppalachian StateKidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NCW, 42–7
August 31CampbellTroyVeterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, ALW, 43–14
August 31Grambling StateLouisiana–MonroeMalone Stadium • Monroe, LAW 31–9
September 7MaineGeorgia SouthernPaulson Stadium • Statesboro, GAW 26–18
September 7FurmanGeorgia StateGeorgia State Stadium • Atlanta, GAW 48–42
September 14Norfolk StateCoastal CarolinaBrooks Stadium • Conway, SCW 46–7
September 14Texas SouthernLouisianaCajun Field • Lafayette, LAW 77–6
September 21Southern IllinoisArkansas StateCentennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, ARW 41–28
September 28NichollsTexas StateBobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TXW 24–3

Postseason

Bowl games

Bowl gameDateSiteTelevisionTime Sun Belt teamOpponentScoreAttendance
Cure BowlDecember 21Exploria Stadium • Orlando, FLCBSSN1:30 p.m.Georgia SouthernLiberty16–2318,158
Camellia BowlDecember 21Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, ALESPN4:30 p.m.Arkansas StateFIU34–2616,209
New Orleans BowlDecember 21Mercedes-Benz Superdome • New Orleans, LAESPN8:00 p.m.No. 20 Appalachian StateUAB31–1721,202
Arizona BowlDecember 31Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZCBSSN3:30 p.m.Georgia StateWyoming17–3836,892
LendingTree BowlJanuary 6, 2020Ladd-Peebles Stadium • Mobile, ALESPN6:30 p.m.LouisianaMiami 27–1729,212

Rankings are from CFP rankings. All times Mountain Time Zone. Sun Belt teams shown in bold.

Selection of teams

Player of the week honors

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
AwardPlayerSchool
Player of the YearOmar Bayless, WR, Sr.Arkansas State
Offensive Player of the YearDarrynton Evans, RB, Jr.Appalachian State
Defensive Player of the YearAkeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Sr.Appalachian State
Freshman Player of the YearLayne Hatcher, QB, Fr.Arkansas State
Newcomer of the YearKaylon Geiger, WR, Jr.Troy
Coach of the YearBilly NapierLouisiana

All-conference teams

*Denotes Unanimous Selection
Ref:
All Conference Honorable Mentions: Noel Cook, Appalachian State
Ryan Neuzil, Appalachian State
Marcus Williams Jr., Appalachian State
Malik Williams, Appalachian State
Caleb Bonner, Arkansas State
Andre Harris Jr., Arkansas State
Marcel Murray, Arkansas State
Ivory Scott, Arkansas State
Shadell Bell, Coastal Carolina
Jaivon Heiligh, Coastal Carolina
Ethan Howard, Coastal Carolina
CJ Marable, Coastal Carolina
Shai Werts, Georgia Southern
Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern
J.D. King, Georgia Southern
Reynard Ellis, Georgia Southern
Roger Carter, Georgia State
Malik Sumter, Georgia State
Hardrick Willis, Georgia State
Dontae Wilson, Georgia State
Jacques Boudreaux, Louisiana
Jarrod Jackson, Louisiana
Chauncey Manac, Louisiana
Nick Ralston, Louisiana
Caleb Evans, ULM
Markis McCray, ULM
Larance Shaw, ULM
Eastwood Thomas, ULM
Kawaan Baker, South Alabama
Sean Brown, South Alabama
Riley Cole, South Alabama
Jacob Shoemaker, South Alabama
Jarron Morris, Texas State
Caeveon Patton, Texas State
Hutch White, Texas State
Khambrail Winters, Texas State
Dylan Bradshaw, Troy
Khalil McClain, Troy
Dell Pettus, Troy
Austin Stidham, Troy

All-Americans

The 2019 College Football All-America Teams are composed of the following College Football All-American first teams chosen by the following selector organizations: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, USA Today ESPN, CBS Sports, FOX Sports College Football News, Bleacher Report, Scout.com, Phil Steele, SB Nation, Athlon Sports, Pro Football Focus and Yahoo! Sports.
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.
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National award winners

2019 College Football Award Winners

Home Game Attendance

Bold – Exceed capacity
†Season High

NFL Draft

The following list includes all Sun Belt players who were drafted in the 2020 NFL draft.
Round #Pick #NFL TeamPlayerPositionCollege
239Miami DolphinsRobert HuntGLouisiana
393Tennessee TitansDarrynton EvansRBAppalachian State
4107Cincinnati BengalsAkeem Davis-GaitherOLBAppalachian State
4135Pittsburgh SteelersKevin DotsonGLouisiana
5163Chicago BearsKindle VildorCBGeorgia Southern
6188Buffalo BillsTyler BassKGeorgia Southern
7245Tampa Bay BuccaneersRaymond CalaisRBLouisiana