Sun Belt Football

For the second consecutive year, Louisiana-Lafayette has posted a season with double-digit victories, thanks to a 31-24 win over UTSA in the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, on Saturday.

🙌 THAT'S 10!
🏆 𝗟𝗢𝗨𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗔 WINS!

The 𝘙𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯’ 𝘊𝘢𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘴 are champions of the @FRBowl! #cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/302IHZgfAG

— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) December 26, 2020

Louisiana-Lafayette held a 24-7 lead in the third quarter before UTSA scored 17 unanswered points and tied the game at 24. It was redshirt senior Trey Ragas who scored the go-ahead score for the Ragin' Cajuns, on a one-yard run to cap a 72-yard drive that ate up more than six minutes of the fourth quarter.

The team ended the season having suffered its only loss of the year to No. 12 Coastal Carolina, by just three points back on Oct. 14.

In their second bowl game in program history, the Roadrunners were led by quarterback Frank Harris, whose dual-sided efforts came too late to secure the victory.

UTSA entered Saturday without their head coach, Jeff Traylor, who tested positive for COVID-19.

     

Notable Performers

• Elijah Mitchell, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette: 127 rushing yards (19 carries), TD; 45 receiving yards (two receptions)
• Levi Lewis, QB, Louisiana-Lafayette: 146 passing yards (12-of-22), 2 TD; 25 rushing yards
• Frank Harris, QB, UTSA: 208 passing yards (13-of-21), 2 TD, INT; 91 rushing yards, TD
• Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA: 122 rushing yards (23 attempts)

     

Passing Makes the Difference Between Run-Heavy Teams

Both teams have found success this season because of their advantage on the ground.

Both Louisiana-Lafayette and UTSA are focused on their run game, with UTSA averaging 214.7 rushing yards per game and Louisiana-Lafayette collecting 207.8 entering the First Responder Bowl. The Ragin' Cajuns carry a slight advantage in terms of how productive they've been with their carries, averaging 5.43 yards per attempt, compared to the Roadrunners' 5.23 yards on every carry.

The game was nearly knotted in the box score at the half—Louisiana-Lafayette had 142 rushing yards compared to UTSA's 123. So where did Louisiana-Lafayette find the advantage and the 17-7 halftime lead and, later, the victory?

It came down to passing. Both of Louisiana-Lafayette's touchdowns in the first half came from senior quarterback Levi Lewis, who has thrown a touchdown pass in 18 consecutive games.

Touchdown LOUISIANA @FirstLevi @jwil18_ pic.twitter.com/T7zTy6tiwQ

— Cody Junot (@CJunot) December 26, 2020

When Harris elected to pass the ball in the second half after just eight attempts and 47 passing yards in the first half, he brought the Roadrunners within three points on two quick touchdown passes in the third, helping them score 17 unanswered points and eventually tie the game.

Having a backup plan for a run-heavy scheme was what allowed Louisiana-Lafayette to top UTSA, so it is promising that Lewis will be returning next year.

Though he is a redshirt junior, Harris hasn't had much experience on the field outside of this season. He sat out as a freshman in 2017 and missed the 2018 season with an injury. In 2019, he made four starts before he was sidelined again.

On Saturday, he too proved to be a viable passer, once he elected to throw the ball late.

With a full season under his belt, the squad will be able to build off his presence next year.

     

McCormick Is Sincere(ly) Good

Speaking of rushing, one of the most interesting players to watch in FBS over the next few seasons showed off his ability against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Sophomore running back Sincere McCormick ranked second in total rushing yards in FBS heading into Saturday with 1,345 yards and 11 touchdowns on 226 carries. In the second half of the season, he's only improved. Through the past five games, McCormick averaged 155.2 yards per game, and he entered Saturday off a record-setting performance.

In the Roadrunners' season-ending win over North Texas, McCormick logged a program-best 251 yards with two touchdowns.

On Saturday, he compiled 122 rushing yards, marking his seventh game this season with at least 100 rushing yards.

For an offense that relies so heavily on its players to move the ball on the ground, McCormick is a bright spot for the years to come.

     

What's Next?

Louisiana-Lafayette will open the 2021 season with a road trip to Texas on Sept. 4, while the Roadrunners will travel to face Illinois on the same day.

Coastal Carolina's incoming president may have made more than a few friends on campus with his recent comments, but the College Football Playoff committee might not be as inclined to applaud his efforts.

In an open letter to the committee, incoming president Dr. Michael T. Benson strongly criticized the panel's ranking of CCU's undefeated team, noting the No. 12 Chanticleers (11-0) suffered from "flawed logic."

"Coastal Carolina and the University of Cincinnati have every right to be absolutely flabbergasted by both the results of the rankings, but also the flawed logic the committee used to arrive at their conclusions," Benson wrote. "I believe Cincinnati earned a spot in the playoff. And I also believe the Chanticleers were not respected when it came to bowl selection."

No. 8 Cincinnati went 9-0 during the regular season but was placed behind two-loss Oklahoma and three-loss Florida in the final rankings as well.

Despite victories over No. 21 Louisiana-Lafayette and No. 13 BYU padding their resume, the Chanticleers won't be playing in a New Year's Six bowl—the Bearcats earned the final bid there. Instead, they're heading to the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl where they'll face No. 23 Liberty on Saturday.

While it's the first-ever bowl game for a program established in 2003, and in only its fourth season as a FBS school, it's not exactly the matchup an undefeated team would expect.

Benson was quick to point out how that wouldn't be the case for a brand-name school while explaining the committee runs away from the type of Cinderella stories created during March Madness by stacking the deck for top teams.

While the incoming school president said the letter wasn't written out of bitterness or with vindictive intent, it's final, blistering line calls out the committee for valuing revenue above all else.

"The lack of fairness inherent in the current system—a system driven by money as its master—must be addressed," Benson said. "You know it as well as I do; it's not right nor is it American."

The Sun Belt championship game between Coastal Carolina and Louisiana has been canceled after Coastal Carolina had a positive test for COVID-19 within its program.

Per the press release, "Because of contact tracing, an entire position group would not be available to play due to possible exposure and therefore the game cannot be played." 

"We are very disappointed that the championship game cannot be played, but we are so proud of all of the players and staff members and their hard work during this truly challenging season," Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement. "We will honor both teams as 2020 Sun Belt Conference Co-Champions."

Update on the @SunBelt Football Championship, which has been canceled due to COVID-19 issues within Coastal Carolina's football program >> pic.twitter.com/DEUvKHhF1c

— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® (@RaginCajuns) December 18, 2020

The Sun Belt championship had been scheduled for Saturday. 

It's been a tough end to the season for Coastal Carolina, which also was ranked just 12th in the latest College Football Playoff poll despite being 11-0 on the season. It's unlikely a second win over No. 19 Louisiana (9-1) would have gotten them anywhere close to a top-four finish and the College Football Playoff. 

But it could have potentially catapulted them ahead of No. 9 Cincinnati (8-0), which hasn't played in two weeks. That's important—the top-ranked team from the American Athletic, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt conferences automatically qualifies for a berth in either the GoodYear Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl or Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl if they don't get into the CFP. 

The Bearcats face Tulsa on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game. The Chanticleers hopes of leapfrogging Cincinnati are now entirely reliant on a Tulsa win. Tulsa, ranked No. 23, is unlikely to jump over both Cincy and Coastal Carolina with a win.

Butch Jones, who coached Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Tennessee before joining Nick Saban's staff at Alabama, has agreed to become Arkansas State's next head coach.

"It is truly an honor and privilege to be the head football coach at Arkansas State University," Jones said in a statement, per ESPN's Chris Low.

"It is a position that I take great pride in, and I look forward to connecting with our student-athletes to build upon the strong tradition of excellence both on and off the field of play."

Jones, 52, has gone 84-54 lifetime. Five of his 11 teams finished in the Top 25 of the Coaches Poll, and four won conference titles.

The former Ferris State football player coached CMU for three seasons, finishing his tenure with an 11-2 mark in 2009. He moved on to Cincinnati in 2010 and left the program after the team won back-to-back Big East titles.

Tennessee then came calling in 2013, and Jones took over the Volunteers' program. The Vols won three bowl games and finished No. 22 in the AP poll in 2015 and 2016. However, the 2017 Vols started the year with a 4-6 mark (0-6 SEC), leading to Jones' dismissal.

Jones then left for Alabama and worked for Saban as an assistant for two years before earning a new title as the special assistant to the head coach in 2020.

Jones will lead an Arkansas State program that went 4-7 this season (2-6 Sun Belt). The Red Wolves had posted nine straight winning seasons beforehand.

Jones is replacing Blake Anderson, who left to become Utah State's head coach.

Two people were charged in connection to the killing of Texas State University defensive back Khambrail Winters, police said Wednesday. 

The San Marcos Police Department announced (via KXAN's Billy Gates) Enalisa Briana Blackman, 20, and Michael Tyreek Ifeanacho, 20, were arrested and charged with capital murder in the case.

Winters was shot and killed Tuesday night in what police said was a drug deal gone wrong. Ifeanacho and Winters allegedly met with Blackman at an apartment complex to buy marijuana, and Winters was shot in the chest during the alleged deal.

Winters was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 20.

"Our Texas State University football team is deeply saddened by the death of our team member, and friend, Khambrail Winters," Texas State coach Jake Spavital said in a statement Wednesday (via Gates). "I met with the players this morning to share the news. We will stand together as a team and support one another during this difficult time. Our thoughts and condolences are with Khambrail’s family and loved ones."

Spavital added Texas State will meet with players to determine how to handle the rest of the week. The Bobcats are currently slated to host Coastal Carolina on Saturday. 

The investigation is ongoing and police are still seeking more information regarding the case. Per the Associated Press, police are seeking to identify two other people possibly involved in the shooting, along with other witnesses.

Georgia State quarterback Mikele Colasurdo announced he will not play in the 2020 college football season after being diagnosed with a heart condition related to COVID-19.

https://twitter.com/mikelecolasurdo/status/1296456027509002240

Colasurdo is an incoming freshman at Georgia State. He was ranked as a 3-star recruit coming out of high school and the 61st-ranked pro-style quarterback by 247Sports.

The Sun Belt Conference is one of the smallest conferences to move forward despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with Power Five conferences The Big Ten and Pac-12 already canceling their seasons.

Appalachian State, a member of the Sun Belt, postponed football activities this week after 11 people associated with the program tested positive for COVID-19.

Myocarditis has been found in several athletes who were previously diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. Colasurdo did not specify his specific heart condition. 

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette announced that assistant offensive line coach D.J. Looney died Saturday after suffering a heart attack during a team workout:

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Department of Athletics mourns the sudden loss of Louisiana Football assistant coach D.J. Looney, who passed away Saturday morning following a heart attack during a team workout at Cajun Field. pic.twitter.com/7e1DemV5jA

— Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns® (@RaginCajuns) August 1, 2020

Looney, who was 31 years of age, was entering his third season as part of the Ragin' Cajuns coaching staff.

He served as the tight ends coach at Mississippi State in 2017 after playing collegiately for the Bulldogs as an offensive lineman from 2007 to 2010.

University of Tennessee assistant athletic director for football communications Bill Martin, who was part of the MSU staff with Looney, tweeted the following:

Shocked and saddened to hear the news of @CoachDJLooney. Man he he loved @HailStateFB so much. Can still see that smile on the field at last year’s opener. Players respected him so much. Thoughts and prayers to him, his family, @RaginCajunsFB and #HailState family. 🙏

— Bill Martin (@Bill_Martin) August 1, 2020

Looney was a Chattanooga, Tennessee, native and played his high school football in Birmingham, Alabama.

After playing collegiately with the Bulldogs, Looney got his start in coaching with the team as an offensive graduate assistant under head coach Dan Mullen in 2011. Looney then spent time as an assistant at East Mississippi Community College, Central Arkansas and the University of Georgia.

With Looney on the staff the past two seasons, Louisiana went to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since going to four straight from 2011 to 2014.

The Ragin' Cajuns went 7-7 in 2018 and then enjoyed the most successful season in program history in 2019, going 11-3 and winning the LendingTree Bowl to close the year.

Georgia Southern football player Jordan Wiggins died after being found unresponsive at his residence hall Monday.

He was 18. 

"We are devastated to learn of Jordan's passing," director of athletics Tom Kleinlein said. "Although he has only been on campus for a few months, Jordan has left an indelible mark on our program. He was a great person, a great teammate and a great friend to the entire Georgia Southern community. Our deepest condolences and heartfelt thoughts go out to the Wiggins family, and all those who knew and loved Jordan."

Wiggins was a freshman offensive lineman who had yet to appear in any games for the Eagles. He was expected to redshirt.

"My heart is broken for Jordan, his family, our team and this university," head coach Chad Lunsford said. "Jordan was a great Georgia Southern Man with a bright future. His time on Earth was short, but we know that there is a greater plan, and we must trust that. If he was indeed struggling with some personal issues, I wish the resources that we currently provide our students could have helped more. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone this is affecting."

The Bulloch County Coroner said Wiggins died of suicide by overdose, per Frank Sulkowski of WJCL. The case has been referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. 

Arkansas State head football coach Blake Anderson announced Tuesday on Twitter that his wife, Wendy Anderson, died Monday night at the age of 49:

FINAL WENDY UPDATE 8/20#NotFightingAlone ❤️❤️❤️ there’s a celebration in heaven today cause Wendy is Home pic.twitter.com/OYwh0fQLpU

— Blake Anderson (@CHbanderson) August 20, 2019

According to Chris Bumbaca of USA Today, Wendy Anderson was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. She went into remission, but it returned last year and she did not respond to treatment.

Arkansas State had announced Monday that Blake Anderson was taking a leave of absence from the program to be with his ailing wife.

In Anderson's place, assistant head coach and defensive coordinator David Duggan is serving as the Red Wolves' interim head coach.

The 50-year-old Anderson has been the head coach at Arkansas State since 2014 and has led the Red Wolves to a winning record in each of his five seasons at the helm. It isn't yet known if he will be on the sidelines when Arkansas State opens its season against SMU on Aug. 31.

Blake Anderson noted that he and Wendy were together for 27 years. Wendy is survived by her husband, as well as the couple's three children, Coleton, Callie and Cason.

University of Louisiana head football coach Billy Napier is pushing his scholarship players to give back to the school. 

According to Kevin Foote of The Acadiana Advocate, Napier instituted a new rule in which scholarship players are "encouraged" to be members of the Ragin' Cajun Athletic Foundation for a minimum of $50.

Meanwhile, it is optional for walk-on players to partake.

Napier discussed the rationale behind the new initiative:

"It's all about gratitude. ... That's probably a little bit unheard of and a little bit unique, but I think this is a place where that would be appreciated. I think it's part of the type of program that we want to have. We want our players to be educated and understand the benefits that come with being a student-athlete and that is not something that should be taken lightly—the effort and time and investment that the people that support athletes at UL have put in into this program."

The second-year head coach also discussed his hope that getting players to donate now will galvanize them to continue doing so after their college playing careers are over: "We're trying to create a scenario where five or 10 years from now these are guys who will give back and continue to be a part of the program and realize what this place did for them. I think we got that message across this morning and certainly that was a good thing."

Napier's new rule may be somewhat controversial since he is asking players to make monetary donations despite the fact that they are not paid for the revenue they help generate for the NCAA.

Louisiana hired Napier as its head coach prior to last season after he spent time at Clemson, South Carolina State, Alabama, Colorado State and Arizona State as an assistant.

During his first season at Louisiana, Napier led the Ragin' Cajuns to a 7-7 record and a berth in the AutoNation Cure Bowl.