Official 2015 Sun Belt Football Thread

[Baldy]

I'm actually going leaf watching on the blue ridge this weekend, but not that far south. It gets dangerous down there in deliveranceville.

You'll be fine as long as you still got all your teefs.

[93henfan]

I'm actually going leaf watching on the blue ridge this weekend, but not that far south. It gets dangerous down there in deliveranceville.

You'll be fine as long as you still got all your teefs.

I thought if you have a perty mouth you're pretty much getting the Ned Beatty treatment?

SOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEY!!!!

[Skjellyfetti]

It gets dangerous down there in deliveranceville.

that's in jawja. if you see any GSU fans driving south with their tail between their legs, ask them for directions.

[AshevilleApp]

You'll be fine as long as you still got all your teefs.

I thought if you have a perty mouth you're pretty much getting the Ned Beatty treatment?

SOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEY!!!!

Honest story here. James Dickey gave the Commencement speech at ASU one year in the mid 1990's. When he was announced, the graduates shouted out SOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEY!!!!

[Skjellyfetti]

Appalachian State handed Georgia Southern their first ever loss in the Sun Belt on Thursday night, winning 31-13 and controlling the game in dominant fashion. The App State defense held Georgia Southern to only 252 total yards, nearly half of their season average, and quarterback Taylor Lamb helped the offense conduct an efficient evening.

For all the words spent leading up to this game on the two offenses, the best unit on the field by far was the Appalachian State defense. The Mountaineers gave up a touchdown on the first drive of the night, but after that they put the Georgia Southern offense into a choke hold. It wasn't until late in the fourth quarter that they surrendered another point, well after the game had been decided.

Taylor Lamb was efficient, going 14 of 20 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 'Neers. Marcus Cox had 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns to spearhead a 184-yard team rushing effort. The delightfully named Simms McElfresh led them with 66 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Matt Breida was held to only 78 rushing yards, his lowest total of the season since their season-opening loss to West Virginia. Kevin Ellison and Favian Upshaw each threw a pick, but Ellison did have a rushing touchdown.

With this win in their pocket, App State becomes the odds-on favorite to win the Sun Belt. But beyond that, the Mountaineers could have a shot at grabbing the Group of Five New Year's bowl bid, which would be a shocking climb for a program in only their second year in the FBS.

They'll need some help to get there, of course, but if they do, they'll be carried there by their defense. Their performance against Georgia Southern was no fluke. They had the 27th-ranked defense in terms of Defensive S&P+ entering this week, and that number will certainly not be hurt by their drubbing of the potent Eagles' attack. Their offense isn't exactly chopped liver either at 39th in Offensive S&P+, so it's really not that difficult to conceive of them surviving while the teams ahead of them like Houston, Memphis, Toledo and others, all knock each other off while the Mountaineers keep chugging along and end up playing in a bowl game on New Years Day.

It may not be the most likely scenario, but neither is a second-year FBS program even being in this position. Why stop now?

http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... n-fun-belt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dbackjon]

Congrats to ASU for becoming bowl-eligible!

[dbackjon]

ASU won't get the G5 spot - no signature OOC wins. Got blown out by Clemson, beat a bad FCS, a bad ODU, and a very bad Wyoming (sorry Flaggy and Mr. T)

Temple has a win over Penn State
Houston has a win over Louisville
Memphis has a win over Ole Miss (and Kansas)
Toledo has wins over Iowa State and Arkansas

[93henfan]

Temple looked weak against ECU last night and they still have ND and Memphis on the schedule. They will be out of the playoff talk by Thanksgiving.

[Baldy]

It gets dangerous down there in deliveranceville.

that's in jawja. if you see any GSU fans driving south with their tail between their legs, ask them for directions.

Deliverance was set in the Applayshun mountains...you know...the same ones that run through Boone.

If Ned Beatty had a cock stuffed in his purdy mouth on a sand dune at the beach, then you can say all the stupid shit you want( as usual).

[93henfan]

Houston still has Memphis, Vandy, Navy. Lot of potential landmines there.

If none of Houston, Memphis, or Toledo run the table then Appy could still sneak in. Intriguing.

[dbackjon]

Houston still has Memphis, Vandy, Navy. Lot of potential landmines there.

If none of Houston, Memphis, or Toledo run the table then Appy could still sneak in. Intriguing.

All of those still would be in over ASU with one loss.

[SDHornet]

Temple looked weak against ECU last night and they still have ND and Memphis on the schedule. They will be out of the playoff talk by Thanksgiving.

I think the talk is about a New Years Bowl game, not the playoffs. G5 members will never sniff a playoff bid so long as it remains at 4 teams.

Good win for Appy.

[93henfan]

Temple looked weak against ECU last night and they still have ND and Memphis on the schedule. They will be out of the playoff talk by Thanksgiving.

I think the talk is about a New Years Bowl game, not the playoffs. G5 members will never sniff a playoff bid so long as it remains at 4 teams.

Good win for Appy.

Yeah whatever. I don't know how the FBS playoffs work and honestly don't care.

[93henfan]

Houston still has Memphis, Vandy, Navy. Lot of potential landmines there.

If none of Houston, Memphis, or Toledo run the table then Appy could still sneak in. Intriguing.

All of those still would be in over ASU with one loss.

Go suck a di... er, eat a pussy.

[dbackjon]

All of those still would be in over ASU with one loss.

Go suck a di... er, eat a pussy.

The Geese are on the way

[93henfan]

Go suck a di... er, eat a pussy.

The Geese are on the way

No they're already here, and they never leave.

The bastards.

[Baldy]

Houston still has Memphis, Vandy, Navy. Lot of potential landmines there.

If none of Houston, Memphis, or Toledo run the table then Appy could still sneak in. Intriguing.

Unless Boise lays another turd, they'll get in before Appy as well.

[Skjellyfetti]

Get used to seeing Appalachian State, the new Sun Belt frontrunners

BOONE, N.C. -- When Appalachian State and Georgia Southern took the field for what was set up as one of the biggest games of the year in the Sun Belt, an unknowing outsider may have tuned in to the Thursday night nationally televised game -- a mostly new exercise in scheduling for both programs -- expecting to find some plucky up-starts fighting for bowl eligibility for the first time as full-fledged FBS members.

But to think that bowl eligibility was the only thing on the line between these two teams is to ignore the long-running rivalry between the former Southern Conference and FCS national powers. The two teams have played 23 times in the last 22 years and combined for nine Division I-AA/FCS national titles and 22 SoCon titles between 1985-2012.

The rivalry holds a deep meaning through the entire program. From head coach Scott Satterfield, a former ASU quarterback (1991-95) and offensive assistant (1998-2008, 2012), to senior defensive end Ronald Blair, arguably the game's defensive star with eight tackles (7 solo, 3 TFL).

"We felt like we owed them one from last year," Blair said with a smile after Appalachian State's 31-13 win, adding "there was a lot of trash talking."

Appalachian State's first season in the Sun Belt, one which they were ineligible for the postseason because of an NCAA-mandated transition year, got off to a horrible start. The Mountaineers lost five of their first six games, including a 34-14 loss to Georgia Southern where the Eagles jumped out to a 17-0 lead early and never looked back.

Georgia Southern's offense made it look easy early, as the No. 1 rushing offense in the country (averaging 399 yards per game on the ground heading into Thursday night) swiftly marched down the field on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead. Stopping the Eagles on the ground, and turning quarterback Kevin Ellison into a passer, has been the focus since the coaching staff was drawing up GSU's plays on the plane ride back from Monroe last Saturday.

"If you had to pick a team to play on a short week, five days preparation, it probably wouldn't be Georgia Southern with how effective they are in the run game, but our coaching staff did a phenomenal job getting our kids ready to play. It's a hard task to stop those guys," Satterfield said.

Blair said the defense made adjustments on the back end of the defense, freeing up the linebackers and secondary to flow to the ball and make tackles. The result was an aboslute domination at the line of scrimmage and a season-low 188 team rushing yards for Georgia State. To outgain the No. 1 rushing offense in the country on the ground (231-188), was Satterfield's goal coming into the game. By winning at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, Appalachian State made the Eagles press, forced turnovers and cruised to a relatively comfortable win in a rivalry that has been decided by a touchdown or less in six of the past nine meetings.

Satterfield was sure to mention that being bowl eligible guarantees nothing for the Mountaineers. There are teams that reach the six-win mark at the FBS level and don't receive an invitation to the postseason every year. This team's goal is to win the Sun Belt, and add another conference championship placard to a long hallway in the team's facility that celebrates years of Southern Conference dominance.

"It's awesome to be sitting here with six wins and to be bowl eligible," Satterfield said. "It's awesome to be at that milestone. That's what everybody looks at, that six-win mark. And for it to be the first season we can go to a bowl and we're there in seven games, that's pretty sweet."

So where does Appalachian State fit in the national picture? When asked if he had a Top-25 team, Satterfield shrugged. It wasn't a shrug of indifference as much as an acknowledgement that such "honors" are out of his control.

The one phrase repeated from coaches, players and ASU staff on Thursday night when assessing the season is that the Mountaineers have played "one bad quarter" all year: a 28-0 Clemson run that put the game well out of reach in the only loss of the season.

Is Appalachian State a Top 25 team? I'm not sure, but a 6-1 record with a win over the nation's top rushing offense and the only loss coming to a potential playoff contender is a pretty good résumé to take into the final stretch of the season. The Mountaineers first FBS bowl game is far from guaranteed, but if this play continues Thursday night won't be the only time you see Scott Satterfield's bunch on national television.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... l/25350631" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AshevilleApp]

Get used to seeing Appalachian State, the new Sun Belt frontrunners

BOONE, N.C. -- When Appalachian State and Georgia Southern took the field for what was set up as one of the biggest games of the year in the Sun Belt, an unknowing outsider may have tuned in to the Thursday night nationally televised game -- a mostly new exercise in scheduling for both programs -- expecting to find some plucky up-starts fighting for bowl eligibility for the first time as full-fledged FBS members.

But to think that bowl eligibility was the only thing on the line between these two teams is to ignore the long-running rivalry between the former Southern Conference and FCS national powers. The two teams have played 23 times in the last 22 years and combined for nine Division I-AA/FCS national titles and 22 SoCon titles between 1985-2012.

The rivalry holds a deep meaning through the entire program. From head coach Scott Satterfield, a former ASU quarterback (1991-95) and offensive assistant (1998-2008, 2012), to senior defensive end Ronald Blair, arguably the game's defensive star with eight tackles (7 solo, 3 TFL).

"We felt like we owed them one from last year," Blair said with a smile after Appalachian State's 31-13 win, adding "there was a lot of trash talking."

Appalachian State's first season in the Sun Belt, one which they were ineligible for the postseason because of an NCAA-mandated transition year, got off to a horrible start. The Mountaineers lost five of their first six games, including a 34-14 loss to Georgia Southern where the Eagles jumped out to a 17-0 lead early and never looked back.

Georgia Southern's offense made it look easy early, as the No. 1 rushing offense in the country (averaging 399 yards per game on the ground heading into Thursday night) swiftly marched down the field on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead. Stopping the Eagles on the ground, and turning quarterback Kevin Ellison into a passer, has been the focus since the coaching staff was drawing up GSU's plays on the plane ride back from Monroe last Saturday.

"If you had to pick a team to play on a short week, five days preparation, it probably wouldn't be Georgia Southern with how effective they are in the run game, but our coaching staff did a phenomenal job getting our kids ready to play. It's a hard task to stop those guys," Satterfield said.

Blair said the defense made adjustments on the back end of the defense, freeing up the linebackers and secondary to flow to the ball and make tackles. The result was an aboslute domination at the line of scrimmage and a season-low 188 team rushing yards for Georgia State. To outgain the No. 1 rushing offense in the country on the ground (231-188), was Satterfield's goal coming into the game. By winning at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, Appalachian State made the Eagles press, forced turnovers and cruised to a relatively comfortable win in a rivalry that has been decided by a touchdown or less in six of the past nine meetings.

Satterfield was sure to mention that being bowl eligible guarantees nothing for the Mountaineers. There are teams that reach the six-win mark at the FBS level and don't receive an invitation to the postseason every year. This team's goal is to win the Sun Belt, and add another conference championship placard to a long hallway in the team's facility that celebrates years of Southern Conference dominance.

"It's awesome to be sitting here with six wins and to be bowl eligible," Satterfield said. "It's awesome to be at that milestone. That's what everybody looks at, that six-win mark. And for it to be the first season we can go to a bowl and we're there in seven games, that's pretty sweet."

So where does Appalachian State fit in the national picture? When asked if he had a Top-25 team, Satterfield shrugged. It wasn't a shrug of indifference as much as an acknowledgement that such "honors" are out of his control.

The one phrase repeated from coaches, players and ASU staff on Thursday night when assessing the season is that the Mountaineers have played "one bad quarter" all year: a 28-0 Clemson run that put the game well out of reach in the only loss of the season.

Is Appalachian State a Top 25 team? I'm not sure, but a 6-1 record with a win over the nation's top rushing offense and the only loss coming to a potential playoff contender is a pretty good résumé to take into the final stretch of the season. The Mountaineers first FBS bowl game is far from guaranteed, but if this play continues Thursday night won't be the only time you see Scott Satterfield's bunch on national television.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... l/25350631" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I predict App will be on national television in 12 days.

[ASUG8]

I'm actually going leaf watching on the blue ridge this weekend, but not that far south. It gets dangerous down there in deliveranceville.

The Parkway doesn't go near Statesboro.

[Skjellyfetti]

Receiving votes in the AP poll.

Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 73, North Carolina 46, Southern Cal 33, BYU 18, Georgia 17, Wisconsin 15, Northwestern 10, Appalachian St. 6, California 5, Washington St. 2

Win the next couple and dbackjon's favorite Sun Belt talking point could be trashed.

[ASUG8]

that's in jawja. if you see any GSU fans driving south with their tail between their legs, ask them for directions.

Deliverance was set in the Applayshun mountains...you know...the same ones that run through Boone.

If Ned Beatty had a cock stuffed in his purdy mouth on a sand dune at the beach, then you can say all the stupid shit you want( as usual).

Try again, oh bald one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plot[edit]
Four Atlanta businessmen, Lewis Medlock (Burt Reynolds), Ed Gentry (Jon Voight), Bobby Trippe (Ned Beatty) and Drew Ballinger (Ronny Cox), decide to canoe down a river in the remote northern Georgia wilderness, expecting to have fun and witness the area's unspoiled nature before the fictional Cahulawassee River valley is flooded by construction of a dam. Lewis, an experienced outdoorsman, is the leader. Ed is also a veteran of several trips but lacks Lewis' machismo. Bobby and Drew are novices.

.

Deliverance was shot primarily in Rabun County in northeastern Georgia. The canoe scenes were filmed in the Tallulah Gorge southeast of Clayton and on the Chattooga River.

[ASUG8]

GSUfans.com is now saying part of why they received a curb stomping Thursday was because of someone shining lasers at the players. If it's not "Sean Price was out of bounds", or "Armanti didn't break the plane", then now it's lasers?

Generally however, I've seen some pretty tame comments while I was lurking over there this week. I expect hate week will begin to ramp back up next season after we all get through the Sunbelt move bromance we've experienced recently.

[Baldy]

GSUfans.com is now saying part of why they received a curb stomping Thursday was because of someone shining lasers at the players. If it's not "Sean Price was out of bounds", or "Armanti didn't break the plane", then now it's lasers?

Generally however, I've seen some pretty tame comments while I was lurking over there this week. I expect hate week will begin to ramp back up next season after we all get through the Sunbelt move bromance we've experienced recently.

You might want to check again, G8. Not one person on gsufans.com said we lost because some of your fans were shining lasers in our players eyes. Those lasers had no more to do with our curb stomping last week than those cardboard discs had to do with your curb stomping last year. However, we did get to hear a lot of whining from the Appy fans about it.

[Baldy]

Deliverance was set in the Applayshun mountains...you know...the same ones that run through Boone.

If Ned Beatty had a cock stuffed in his purdy mouth on a sand dune at the beach, then you can say all the stupid shit you want( as usual).

Try again, oh bald one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plot[edit]
Four Atlanta businessmen, Lewis Medlock (Burt Reynolds), Ed Gentry (Jon Voight), Bobby Trippe (Ned Beatty) and Drew Ballinger (Ronny Cox), decide to canoe down a river in the remote northern Georgia wilderness, expecting to have fun and witness the area's unspoiled nature before the fictional Cahulawassee River valley is flooded by construction of a dam. Lewis, an experienced outdoorsman, is the leader. Ed is also a veteran of several trips but lacks Lewis' machismo. Bobby and Drew are novices.

.

Deliverance was shot primarily in Rabun County in northeastern Georgia. The canoe scenes were filmed in the Tallulah Gorge southeast of Clayton and on the Chattooga River.

Ok

Everyone knows Deliverance was set in Georgia. That wasn't the point.
The gist is it was a story about the bassackward mountain folk in the Appalachian mountains. The same mountains and people and culture Boone proudly embraces. My point was if the story was was set on the sandy plains of coastal Georgia 200+ miles from the Appalachian mountains, then you would have a correlation.