Tag: Sun Belt Conference

Oregon Ducks extend offer to transfer portal OT from Texas State

In an attempt to shore up offensive line depth for 2025, the Ducks have extended an offer to former Texas State OT Alex Harkey.

When it comes to incoming players via the transfer portal, Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks rarely miss.

The Ducks are looking for more offensive line depth in 2025 and they’ve reportedly extended an offer to former Texas State lineman Alex Harkey.

At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, Harkey started at right guard for the Bobcats this season, and the team finished 7-5. They’ll be going into the First Responders Bowl against North Texas without him.

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Harkey started out with the Colorado Buffaloes but transferred out after Deion Sanders was hired as head coach. He was part of the mass exodus of that program after the transition. In his first season at Texas State, Harkey played his just a handful of games, but in his junior year, he ended his time at Texas State as a Third-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection.

Oregon has great depth at offensive line, but there could be a some spots available as the transfer portal has opened up and Josh Conerly, Jr. has to decide whether to come back to Oregon for his senior season or move on to the NFL.

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2023-24 Conference bowl records and bowl standings

Here are the updated bowl standings for each conference this college football bowl season.

Bowl season is the time of the year for the final bragging rights for the college football season. Conferences go toe-to-toe across the bowl season with bowl tie-ins lining up some good matchups and lining up for some terrific banter between fan bases. But which conference gets the ultimate bragging rights at the end of the bowl season? That’s what we are looking to find out.

We will be keeping tabs on every bowl game result, tracking each conference’s overall bowl record, and breaking down each conference’s records against individual conferences. This will be updated on a daily basis throughout the bowl season, so feel free to come back and check out the latest breakdown.

Here is the updated look at the conference bowl standings as of Jan. 9, based on total wins first and win percentage second.

Conference W L
Big Ten 6 4
PAC 12 5 4
Big 12 5 4
SEC 5 4
ACC 5 6
Sun Belt Conference 5 6
American Athletic Conference 3 3
Mountain West Conference 3 4
Conference USA 2 2
MAC 2 4

 

Texas State demolishes Rice in second half for First Responder Bowl win

The Bobcats forced four interceptions and only allowed 32 yards on Rice’s seven second-half possessions for a 24-point win.

Texas State and Rice were locked in a tight game at halftime in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Tuesday, but the Bobcats pulled away for a 45-21 victory after holding the Owls scoreless in the second half.

The Texas State running back duo of Ismail Mahdi and Jahmyl Jeter won the day. Mahdi has 122 yards on 24 carries, leading both teams in rushing yards and yards per carry. Jeter only had 36 yards on eight carries, but he punched his way into the end zone three different times, including a 29-yard rumble in the game’s opening minutes.

Rice kept pace with the Bobcats early. Running back Dean Connors found the end zone twice in a three-minute span midway through the second quarter, the second touchdown tying the game at 21 points apiece. It was the last time Rice added to its point total.

Texas State kicked a field goal to retake the lead on the final play of the first half before completely suffocating the Rice offense for the final two quarters. The Bobcats took five minutes to drive down the field for a touchdown in the third quarter’s first possession, and Rice threw a pick-six to make the lead 17 just three plays later. The Owls’ final seven possessions included four interceptions and three punts, and they only gained 32 yards.

Here are the best photos from Texas State’s dominant victory.

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker to be named next Troy head coach

The Fighting Irish offensive coordinator will replace new Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall after just one season as the offensive coordinator.

Troy has reportedly found its replacement for former head coach Jon Sumrall, as ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Monday that the Trojans are expected to hire Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker.

Parker has been on Power 5 coaching staffs for a decade now. He spent four years as an offensive assistant coach for Purdue from 2013-16, working with tight ends and wide receivers. He was the Boilermakers’ interim head coach in his last year with the team after Darrell Hazell was fired in October 2016, although Purdue lost its final six games to finish 3-9.

After the Purdue stint, Parker worked as an offensive assistant and a wide receivers coach at Duke from 2017-18 and he worked as Penn State‘s wide receiver coach in 2019. He got his first coordinator job with West Virginia when he was in charge of the offense and wide receivers from 2020-21, and he joined the Notre Dame staff for the 2022 season. When former offensive coordinator Tommy Rees left for Alabama ahead of the 2023 season, Parker assumed his role.

Notre Dame’s offense was one of 2023’s best, as the Fighting Irish averaged 39.1 points per game this season, the eighth-best mark in the country, and finished ninth in the FBS at 6.95 yards per play. Notre Dame gained at least 400 yards in seven different games, and their 351 yards of offense against Ohio State was the second-most surrendered by the Buckeyes this season.

Parker will have big shoes to fill in his first head coaching job, as Sumrall led the Trojans to a 23-4 record in two seasons before he was hired as Tulane’s head coach.

Appalachian State wins low-scoring, rainy Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl

The Mountaineers beat Miami-Ohio in a rainy game with 255 combined passing yards, six total turnovers, and two touchdowns.

In a game more defined by the weather than the play, Appalachian State held on to beat Miami-Ohio 13-9 for a victory in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl.

The game, played in Orlando, was played through consistent rainfall, turning the field into something faintly resembling a slip-and-slide. The Mountaineers and RedHawks combined for 615 yards of offense, including just 255 combined pass yards, and six turnovers. There wasn’t a touchdown scored in the first half, and the offensive scoring output was limited to two touchdowns and three field goals.

A win is a win, however, and the Mountaineers found a way through the gloomy day. Running back Anderson Castle had 119 yards on 20 carries, and quarterback Joey Aguilar punched his way into the end zone for Appalachian State’s lone touchdown of the day. Aguilar managed to somehow find some success through the damp air, completing 18 of 32 passes for 211 yards on the day.

The RedHawks scored a rushing touchdown of their own in the third quarter, but they could never close the deficit beyond that.

Here are the best photos from the rain-soaked game.

 

3 Arkansas State Red Wolves to know ahead of Oklahoma’s Week 1 contest

Taking a look at three Arkansas State Red Wolves to know as Oklahoma gears up for their 2023 season opener.

Oklahoma’s season opener should be a relatively stress-free affair as long as they respect their opponent and come out flying like they did in game one last season. They are the more talented and deeper team on a day where depth will matter because of the sweltering heat the teams will be playing in.

For Arkansas State, this season is about rebuilding back to where they were from 2010-2019. During that stretch, the Red Wolves had nine winning seasons, went to nine straight bowl games, and won five Sun Belt titles.

Last season, they went 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the Sun Belt. While Arkansas State struggled last year, this year brings new opportunities and fresh faces. The transfer portal created a little turnover, but the Red Wolves also received some talented arrivals.

Corey Rucker, WR

One player to know for the Red Wolves is Corey Rucker. He’s their best offensive weapon and looks like a guy that could sneak into day three of the NFL Draft next April.

He’s been productive every year of college except for last year.

He committed and started his career at Arkansas State, and he was a big-time target in 2020 and 2021 before leaving for South Carolina in 2022. He returned to Arkansas State this spring after an injury derailed his season with the Gamecocks a year ago.

In 2021, Rucker was named FWAA Freshman All-American and Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference after posting a team-high 826 receiving yards, which was fifth in the Sun Belt on 59 catches. He scored nine touchdowns, leading the team and ranking second in the league that year.

He’s not overly big, but at six feet, he’s not scared to attack the ball in the air. He lined up outside and in the slot for Red Wolves. He has the speed to stress corners.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see new starting cornerback Gentry Williams get the assignment, as he has more footspeed than Woodi Washington.

UP NEXT: The man throwing to Rucker

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Conference realignment: The American adds six from Conference USA

There were some major conference realignment changes made, but the Big Ten still has no reason to make more moves.

The American Athletic Conference is certainly no stranger to conference realignment changes. After all, this is essentially a re-branded Big East football conference that is the product of seismic shifts in prior rounds of massive conference realignment changes around the country. After losing some key members to the Big 12, the AAC has officially added a half dozen teams from Conference USA.

It was truly a milestone day for The American as they formally welcomed their six newest members; UAB, Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, and UTSA. The expansion move by the AAC brings the conference’s total projected membership up to 15 members in total, and 14 participating members in football and basketball. Navy is a football-only member of the AAC and Wichita State is a basketball-only member.

The American recently learned it was about to lose three key members to the Big 12 with Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF opting to leave the conference and join the Big 12, along with BYU. The Big 12, of course, is going to be losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.

The timing of all of these conference realignment changes remains to be determined, and the timeline of these changes may be influenced by just how quickly Oklahoma and Texas can bolt and get playing in the SEC.

Naturally, these moves is a devastating blow to the status of Conference USA, and the hits may continue to come for Conference USA. In a stunning show of how much the times have changed, the Sun Belt Conference could be poaching a few other Conference USA members in due time. Southern Miss, Marshall, and Old Dominion are on the Sun Belt’s radar, as is FCS powerhouse James Madison.

As for the Big Ten, there are still no rumblings that would suggest the conference is looking to expand its current membership. The idea the Big Ten could add a team or two from the Pac-12 always felt out of place, so unless Notre Dame calls up Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and says they want in, all should remain calm on the Big Ten expansion front.

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Penn State’s all-time record against each FBS conference’s current membership

Penn State’s all-time records vs each FBS conference’s current membership

Penn State is among college football’s all-time winningest programs and is the most recent member of the 900-win club. Sprinkled throughout Penn State’s 9-2 all-time wins entering the 2021 season are victories against nearly every FBS program with a few notable exceptions.

We have taken a look at Penn State’s all-time records against each current FBS program, categorized by conference. But if you were curious what Penn State’s all-time cumulative record is against each FBS conference’s entire membership, look no further!

To keep in line with our previous breakdowns, all of which are linked below for each conference, this listicle is calculated using each conference’s current membership and not what conference a school played in previous meetings. For example, all games Penn State has played against Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska are included in Penn State’s all-time record against Big Ten schools.

As always, this listicle will be updated accordingly.

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Penn State’s all-time record against every member of the Sun Belt Conference

Penn State has never lost a football game to a team currently in the Sun Belt, but Appalachian State came close.

Of all of the FBS conferences in college football, Penn State has the least head-to-head contact with the Sun Belt Conference. The Nittany Lions have played a member of the Sun Belt Conference just three times in program history, and one of those meetings took place before one of those current Sun Belt members was even playing FBS football.

And although Penn State has won all three of their meetings against the Sun Belt Conference, the last one nearly shook the entire program to start the season.

Here is a look at how Penn State fares all-time against schools currently in the Sun Belt Conference.

All data referenced is credited to College Football Reference. Rankings referenced are AP Top 25 where available.

If you want more, check out Penn State’s all-time records against current members of the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC. We are also adding all-time records against non-power conferences. Here is Penn State’s all-time record against the American Athletic Conference, MAC , and Mountain West Conference membership.

Note: Penn State has never faced Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, or ULM.

Watch Texas State coach Terrence Johnson’s wild celebration with his team after winning conference title

This was so touching.

Texas State beat the University of Louisiana Monroe on Friday 58-49 to win their first Sun Belt conference championship in two decades.

This was a huge moment for the team. Not only because it was their first conference title in so long, but also because it came with an interim head coach at the helm.

Terrence Johnson took over for the team after longtime head coach Danny Kaspar resigned in September after being under investigation by the university for allegations of making racists remarks to his athletes.

Johnson took over and led his team to their best season in two decades. But, unfortunately, because of COVID-19 protocols, he couldn’t be there for the biggest moment of their season so far when they clinched the title.

That didn’t stop him from celebrating with his squad, though.

He couldn’t celebrate with his team in the locker room. So, instead, he just pulled up to the gym and did it from his car. He beeped the horn as his team crowded the car in celebration.

What an incredible moment. Congrats to Johnson and his team.

https://youtu.be/e2ocoIZSIyY