Sun Belt Football

The prosecutor in Saluda County, South Carolina, dropped a charge of cocaine possession against Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts after police identified and tested a substance on the hood of his car, according to Travis Jaudon of the Savannah Morning News. 

Authorities pulled Werts over for speeding and discovered a white powder on his vehicle. Field tests at the scene initially came back as positive for cocaine. Werts, however, told officers it was bird poop he had tried washing off the car.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division performed further tests on the substance and the results came back negative for cocaine.

"As prosecutors, it's quite simple," prosecutor Al Eargle said. "We view a case as it relates to a courtroom and what our burden of proof is, and that is beyond a reasonable doubt. After I extensively looked at everything that law enforcement presented to me, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't meet that burden of proof."

Georgia Southern initially suspended Werts following his arrest and has since lifted the suspension in light of the charge being dropped.

Werts appeared in 13 games last season, throwing for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns and running for 908 yards and 15 scores.

He'll now be available for the Eagles when they start the regular season Aug. 31 on the road against LSU.

Idaho wide receiver Collin Sather died Tuesday morning after being diagnosed with cancer in January.

He was 19. 

"Collin was a tremendous young man and a great teammate," head coach Paul Petrino said. "It is a testament to him to see how many of our players cared so deeply about him and how many lives he touched in the Vandal Family in such a short time. We challenge our players to be tough and always choose character. Nobody did a better job of that than Collin. My time with him made me a better person and I know his teammates feel the same way."

Sather, a redshirt freshman, was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer in January after suffering stomach pains. He underwent chemotherapy and dialysis, but the cancer spread to his neck and lungs. 

"On behalf of the Vandal Family, our deepest condolences go out to Collin's family and loved ones," said Interim Director of Athletics Pete Isakson. "Collin made a profound impact on the lives of those he touched throughout our department and across the campus community. The loss of a 19-year-old is difficult to comprehend and we are here for anybody who needs help during this challenging time."

Sather was a multi-sport athlete in high school before joining the Idaho football program, where he redshirted in 2018. 

A GoFundMe for Sather's family has reached more than $18,000.

Casual college football fans know Appalachian State from its stunning victory over Michigan in 2007, but the Sun Belt program has developed into one of the most consistent in the nation.

The Mountaineers will be going for their 11th win of the year Saturday in the 2018 New Orleans Bowl. A victory would give Appalachian State 11 wins for the second time in four years—a span that has seen it go 40-11—but opponents the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are looking to end their season on a high note after losing to UAB by two in the Conference USA championship.

New Orleans Bowl Info

Date: Saturday, Dec. 15

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN 

Odds: Appalachian State is a seven-point favorite, per OddsShark (as of Thursday at 1 a.m. ET).

Prediction

Appalachian State lost a heartbreaker in overtime at Penn State to start the season, but that set the stage for a conference championship run rather than a letdown.

Perhaps buoyed by the confidence of hanging with one of the best teams in the Big Ten, the Mountaineers lost just one more game the rest of the year—at Georgia Southern. They defeated Louisiana Lafayette in the Sun Belt title game and will now have the chance to face a team that will simply be glad it isn't in the SEC.

Middle Tennessee State suffered blowout losses to Vanderbilt and Georgia and lost to Kentucky by 11. It was 8-2 in games not featuring SEC opponents and will look to send out its senior leader quarterback on a high note.

The matchup between Brent Stockstill and Appalachian State's secondary is the marquee one of the game. Stockstill threw for 3,214 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions, surpassing the 3,000-yard mark for the third time in his collegiate career. He would be a problem for many secondaries when given time to throw.

Appalachian State is better than many secondaries, though.

It finished third in the nation behind only Michigan and Miami in passing yards allowed per game and was sixth in points allowed per game. The back end of the defense consistently swallows throwing lanes for receivers and should do the same against the Blue Raiders.

That will set the stage for quarterback Zac Thomas, who doesn't put up dazzling statistics like his counterpart—1,862 passing yards and 18 touchdown throws—but protects the ball, recording only four picks. What's more, he helps the ground game control the clock and tempo and added 10 touchdown runs.

He doesn't have to put up a ton of points with the Mountaineers defense on the other side and will do enough to kickstart a new era for the school after former head coach Scott Satterfield accepted the head-coaching job at Louisville.

Prediction: Appalachian State 27, Middle Tennessee State 20

Texas State has reportedly found its next head coach in West Virginia offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. 

On Wednesday, Keff Ciardello of the Austin Statesman reported Spavital has signed a deal to take over the Bobcats football team. 

Spavital has served as an offensive coordinator at three different schools for the past six seasons. The 33-year-old worked with Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M in 2013. Manziel threw for more yards (4,114) and touchdowns (37) with Spavital than during his Heisman Trophy season the previous year. 

After parting ways with Texas A&M, Spavital spent 2016 with California before going to West Virginia. The Mountaineers rank ninth among FBS teams with 42.3 points per game this season. 

Texas State is still establishing itself as an FBS program after making the move up from FCS in 2012. The Bobcats fired head coach Everett Withers on Nov. 18 following a 7-28 record in his three years with the school. 

Since becoming conference rivals five years ago Appalachian State is 5-0 straight up and 3-2 against the spread in the series with Louisiana-Lafayette, winning those games by an average score of 35-11. The Mountaineers are favored by a big number over the Ragin' Cajuns for the inaugural Sun Belt Conference championship game Saturday afternoon on Appalachian State's home field in Boone.

College football point spread: The Mountaineers opened as 19-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 47.0-18.8 Mountaineers (College football picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news.

Why the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns can cover the spread

The Cajuns finished their regular season with three straight victories, including a 31-28 decision over Louisiana-Monroe last week. Louisiana drove its first three possessions of the game 75, 90 and 65 yards to touchdowns, led 24-21 at the half, then scored the first seven points of the second half and held on from there, surviving a missed Warhawks field goal attempt at the buzzer.

With the victory, the Cajuns clinched the SBC West title. On the afternoon, Louisiana out-gained ULM 453-344, out-rushed the Warhawks 240-143, held a 33/27 edge in time of possession and won the turnover battle 2-1.

So the Ragin' Cajuns have now out-gained and out-rushed five of their last eight opponents, going 6-2 ATS over that span.

Why the Appalachian State Mountaineers can cover the spread

Appalachian State finished its regular season with four straight wins, capped off by a 21-10 triumph over Troy last week. The Mountaineers missed a field goal on their first possession of the game, then scored touchdowns on their next three to lead 21-3 at the half. Appalachian State allowed the Trojans to pull within 11 points in the third quarter but hung on from there to clinch the SBC East title.

Unfortunately for their financial backers, the Mountaineers came up empty on a drive that reached the Troy 27-yard line in the fourth quarter, then ended the game on the Trojans' 25 and just missed covering as 12-point favorites.

On the afternoon, Appalachian State out-gained the Trojans 314-223, out-rushed Troy 201-53, ground out a 36/24 time of possession advantage and won the turnover battle 4-1.

The Mountaineers have now out-gained 10 of their 11 opponents this season, including Penn State, and out-rushed nine of 11 foes. Appalachian State is also 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS at home this season, and 4-2 ATS when favored by less than 20 points.

Smart betting pick

Appalachian State defeated Louisiana back in October, 27-17, but couldn't quite cover a 25-point spread. The Mountaineers led that game 27-10 but gave up a meaningless Cajuns touchdown with one minute to go. As for Saturday's game, a 27-10 final would give Appalachian State the cash.

Ultimately, the Mountaineers are 165 yards per game better on defense than Louisiana, and that should make the difference. Smart money here gives the points with Appalachian State.

College football betting trends

The total has gone under in four of Louisiana-Lafayette's last five games vs Appalachian State.

Appalachian State is 11-2-2 ATS in its last 15 games.

Louisiana-Lafayette is 1-7 SU in its last eight games after consecutive wins.

All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

Former Troy Trojans defensive back Nathan Harris may be gone, but he's not forgotten.

In April 2016, Harris was killed in a motorcycle crash. Troy coach Neal Brown issued a heartfelt statement at the time of the player's death:

"Nate was a tremendous person and a very caring young man. While his time here at Troy University was brief, his impact was felt by many. He was loved by his teammates and had a positive effect on our team's culture in a short time."

In the 2017 season, the Trojans were Sun Belt Conference co-champs with an 11-2 (7-1) record. Not only that, but they capped off a strong season with a victory over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl, and Brown decided Harris deserved a championship ring:

What a classy gesture.

New Mexico State secured a 26-20 overtime win over Utah State in the Arizona Bowl on Friday to capture the program's first bowl win since 1960. 

Running back Larry Rose III sealed the result with a 21-yard touchdown run after Utah State kicker Dominik Eberle missed his fourth field goal of the game on Utah State's opening possession of the extra session. 

Above all else, the battle of the Aggies was a defensive slugfest that featured zero offensive touchdowns through the first three quarters. 

However, New Mexico State broke through and answered a one-yard touchdown run by Utah State's LaJuan Hunt when quarterback Tyler Rogers hit Jaleel Scott for a pretty jump-ball score to help knot the score at 20 with 6:31 remaining in regulation and force overtime. 

Before that, the sides' only other trips to the end zone were through special teams.

Utah State's first touchdown came in the form of a 96-yard kickoff return from Savon Scarver in the first quarter, and that score was immediately followed by a 100-yard return touchdown courtesy of New Mexico State's Jason Huntley: 

According to CBS Sports Network, Friday's bowl game was the first since the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl to feature kickoff return scores by both teams. 

Beyond those brief fireworks, big plays were few and far between.  

New Mexico State's fourth-ranked passing attack was stymied by a stingy Utah State secondary, and Rogers finished the afternoon 29-of-54 for 191 yards, one score and two interceptions. All told, he averaged 3.5 yards per attempt. 

Rose, though, was electric to the tune of 16 carries for 132 yards, while Hunt buoyed Utah State's offense with 20 carries for 133 yards. 

Utah State quarterback Jordan Love tried to hit on downfield throws, but was largely limited and finished 25-of-44 for 254 yards. As a team, Utah State was 2-of-18 on third down. 

New Mexico State wasn't much better in that regard (4-of-22), but the Sun Belt team got hot at the right time and pulled off the plays necessary to nab the program's first winning season since 2002. 

Arizona State offensive coordinator Billy Napier accepted an offer on Friday to become the head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, the university announced. 

Jeff Metcalfe of AZCentral Sports first reported the news.

Napier spent one season as the Sun Devils' offensive coordinator and was named associate head coach at ASU on Dec. 5 following the hiring of Herm Edwards as head coach.

Edwards released the following statement regarding the move, courtesy of CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee:

While Napier will remain on Arizona State's staff through the Sun Bowl against NC State, his departure will force the Sun Devils to hire their fourth different offensive coordinator in four years, per Metcalfe.

Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports reported that Napier impressed vice president of athletics Ray Anderson during his one season at ASU, which is why he was promoted to associated head coach after Todd Graham's firing and Edwards' hiring.

Arizona State is 7-5 this season, and it ranks 40th in the FBS with 31.9 points per game.

Prior to his season with the Sun Devils, Napier was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Clemson, the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach at Colorado State and the wide receivers coach at Alabama.

Napier will take over a Louisiana-Lafayette team that parted ways with head coach Mark Hudspeth after seven seasons due to a 5-7 record in 2017.

The Ragin' Cajuns reached five bowl games in seven seasons under Hudspeth, going 4-1 in the New Orleans Bowl.

The Georgia State Panthers defeated the South Alabama Jaguars, 21-13, at Georgia State Stadium on Thursday evening, but the game's top highlight belonged to South Alabama place-kicker Gavin Patterson.

The visitors trailed 14-3 with 1:16 remaining in the third quarter when Patterson lined up for a 46-yard field goal. 

His attempt ricocheted off the left upright and then took two bounces off the crossbar before it sneaked in behind the opposite post for three points. 

Patterson should tell his friends he called "bank" when asked about the play this weekend. 

[Twitter]

It's only August 31, but New Mexico State wide receiver Jaleel Scott may have already made the offensive play of the college football season. 

Roughly four minutes into the second quarter of Thursday's game versus the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium, Aggies quarterback Tyler Rogers lofted a pass toward the corner of the end zone. 

Scott positioned himself in front of a defender and made an acrobatic one-handed catch before planting a foot safely in play to complete one of the best 15-yard touchdowns you'll see at any level. 

Take a bow, Mr. Scott. 

[ESPN]