This week in the Sun Belt, one team became a favorite to win the league, one team lost its sixth straight, while a couple of others broke losing streaks, setting up even more interesting games for this weekend.

APPALACHIAN STATE 34, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 13 (Thursday):  With all due respects to the folks in Jonesboro, the Mountaineers have shown they are the team to beat in this league with a convincing win over Georgia Southern, handing the Eagles their first ever conference loss.  App State allowed an early touchdown, then scored 31 unanswered points as the defense shut down the Eagles' option and picked off two passes.  Taylor Lamb threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Mountaineers' offense.  Appalachian State is 6-1, 3-0 in Sun Belt play, while Georgia Southern drops to 5-2, 3-1.

IDAHO 27, UL MONROE 13---Idaho got it down on the ground and in the air Saturday, beating ULM at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.  Elijhaa Penny ran for a career high 184 yards on 35 carries, while Matt Linehan threw three touchdown passes.  Idaho has now won back to back games for the first time since 2009 and their three wins are the most in a season since 2010.  ULM took advantage of two Vandals' turnovers to take a 10-7 lead, but Idaho put together a 96 yard drive at the end of the first half to take a 13-10 lead into the locker room.  The Warhawks, who had only 243 yards of total offense, is now 1-6, 0-3 in the league and has lost five straight.  Idaho, which had nearly 500 total yards, is now 3-4, 2-2.

TEXAS STATE 36, SOUTH ALABAMA 18--In rainy San Marcos, the Bobcats' ground game was the difference as Robert Lowe rushed for a career high 248 yards on 30 carries as Texas State got into the conference win column for the first time.  Quarterback Tyler Jones added 71 rushing yards, as Texas State reeled off 26 unanswered points after the Jaguars took an early 3-0 lead.  South Alabama was led by Xavier Johnson with 92 yards rushing as the Bobcats allowed the fewest points they've given up in a game this season.  Texas State is 2-4, 1-1 in the league, while South Alabama is 3-4, 1-2.

TROY 52, NEW MEXICO STATE 7--After being held to just 16 points in a home loss to Idaho a week ago, Troy exploded to a 45-7 halftime lead and coasted to the easy victory.  Brandon Silvers threw for a career high five touchdowns, all in the first half.  Brandon Burks added 133 yards on the ground as Troy torched the New Mexico State defense for 482 yards.  Meanwhile, Troy's defense had 14 tackles for loss in the game.  Troy improved its record to 2-5, 1-2 in the league.  NMSU is 0-7, 0-3.

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

TEXAS STATE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN (Thursday)

TROY AT APPALACHIAN STATE

UL MONROE AT LOUISIANA

GEORGIA STATE AT ARKANSAS STATE

IDAHO AT NEW MEXICO STATE

(Information from sunbeltsports.org contributed to this story.)

 

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