The bowl season rolls merrily along on Saturday with a full slate of seven games. Coincidentally, six of them involve members of the Sun Belt Conference.
This was in no way predetermined, but the league happened to get a record 12 teams up to the eligibility threshold, including one that is ahead of schedule (more on that below).
It probably won’t hurt that three of the day’s contests are in the heart of Sun Belt territory in the Yellowhammer State, but outside of that trio the league’s foil will be three representatives from the Mountain West Conference. The lineup also includes a prime-time clash of power conferences in the desert. Here’s the full schedule for – oh, let’s just go with ‘Sun Belt Saturday.’
This is the SBC’s lone crack at a so-called Power Five conference squad, and it seems fitting that it’s the league champ getting that opportunity. As it happens, both schools will be led by interim coaches with Duke’s Mike Elko and Troy’s Jon Sumrall off to Texas A&M and Tulane, respectively. Trooper Taylor will mind the store for the Blue Devils as they await the arrival of Manny Diaz, and the Trojans will be managed by Greg Gasparato with Gerad Parker on the way. From a player standpoint, the exodus via the portal has seemingly been more consequential for Duke, particularly on the defensive side. Trojans RB Kimani Vidal will look to take advantage, though he’ll likely have frequent encounters with Duke LB Tre Freeman. Blue Devils QB Grayson Loftis, pressed into service as a freshman when Riley Leonard went down in the middle of the season, hopes to avoid Trojans DE Javon Solomon as he looks to add to his 16 sacks.
This is the first of two contests on the day matching the Mid-American Conference against the Sun Belt, with those two leagues having split their first two encounters in the postseason thus far. Arkansas State is bowling for the first time since 2019, but Northern Illinois will be just as motivated as it seeks to snap a seven-game bowl losing streak. The RedWolves’ attack is directed by QB Jaylen Raynor, a good ball distributor who is at his best in a quick tempo. The Huskies are better equipped to control the time of possession behind veteran QB Rocky Lombardi and workhorse RB Antario Brown.
Here we have the bowl newcomers. The Dukes’ program has enjoyed plenty of postseason success in the FCS playoffs and now makes its bowl debut in just its second year at the sport’s top level, though they lost coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana in the process. The Falcons are bowl regulars, including numerous appearances at this event, but they enter with no momentum on a four-game skid after starting the campaign 8-0. QB Jordan McCloud, who is planning to play in the team's bowl, is the driving force for the Dukes, making extensive use of 1000+-yard WRs Elijah Sarratt and Reggie Brown. The Air Force option attack has been far less efficient with QB Zac Larrier and FB Emmanuel Michel battling injuries down the stretch, but both should benefit from the time off and be available for this first ever meeting with the Dukes.
The Panthers are a long way from home but can’t claim the title of making the day’s longest trip (we’ll get to that one in a bit). The Aggies were farther down the Mountain West pecking order than usual in 2023 but managed to qualify for a bowl for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons. The schools have never met, but Utah State coach Blake Anderson went 5-1 against Georgia State during his tenure at Arkansas State. QB Levi Williams, who shined in the Aggies’ double-overtime victory at New Mexico in the regular-season finale, will again get the nod with Cooper Legas still injured. Williams was the MVP in this bowl two seasons ago when playing for Wyoming. Georgia State dropped its last five games after a 6-1 start. The Panthers will also be without standout RB Marcus Carroll, bound for Missouri, so even more will be asked of QB Darren Grainger and WR Robert Lewis to carry the offense.
This is a home game for the Jaguars, but the Eagles are in their third consecutive postseason and might not be an easy out. South Alabama came up short in its other encounter with the MAC this season, falling at Central Michigan on Sept. 23, but the Jaguars also own a decisive victory against Big 12 finalist Oklahoma State. QB Carter Bradley was playing on a bad knee late in the season but is expected to take at least some of the snaps. His arsenal includes WR Caullin Lacy, who amassed a lofty 1,316 yards, and La’Damian Webb, who rushed for 1,007 yards and 16 TDs. This is EMU’s second contest in Alabama this season. The first didn’t go well as the Eagles fell at Jacksonville State, but they enter on a two-game winning streak. QB Austin Smith can be mistake prone when under duress, but RBs Samson Evans and Jaylon Jackson can help alleviate the pressure.
After claiming the last two Pac-12 crowns, the Utes are undeniably not at their preferred bowl destination. Any postseason appearance was a reward for the Wildcats, who dealt with a coaching change before their season kicked off. But motivations aside, points could be at a premium in this contest as defense is the strong side of the ball for both teams. The Wildcats’ main stoppers are LBs Bryce Gallagher and Xander Mueller, who will look to keep Utes’ RBs Ja’Quinden Jackson and Jaylon Glover bottled up. Utah DB Sione Vaki, who occasionally moonlights as an all-purpose weapon in the offensive backfield, will likely devote most of his attention to the Wildcats’ most reliable producer, RB Cam Porter.
The day wraps up with this ultimate warm-weather destination with camera shots guaranteed to cause envy among viewers from northern climes. It’s actually the second visit to the islands for the Spartans. They blanked Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors in October during their season-ending six-game winning streak that earned them a share of first place in the Mountain West, though they were denied a spot in the league championship game due to tiebreakers. SJSU should have most of its key personnel on hand, including QB Chevan Cordeiro and RB Kairee Robinson. The Chanticleers lost a lot of talent to the Portal, most notably QB Grayson McCall, who is bound for North Carolina State. The offense will likely be in the hands of freshman Ethan Vasko, who does have four touchdown passes to his credit with a couple more by land.
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