The 2020 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 20th season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference. The season began September 3, 2020 and concluded December 26, 2020 as part of the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Sun Belt consists of 10 members in two divisions. The conference released its schedule on February 28, 2020, but numerous changes were made due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Preseason The conference released its preseason media poll and all-conference teams on August 25, 2020.
Preseason media poll
East Division Appalachian State (9) – 49 pts Georgia Southern – 36 pts Troy (1) – 32 pts Georgia State – 20 pts Coastal Carolina – 13 pts
West Division Louisiana (7) – 47 pts Arkansas State (2) – 40 pts South Alabama (1) – 22 pts Texas State – 21 pts Louisiana–Monroe – 20 pts
All-conference preseason teams Preseason All-Sun Belt
Offensive Player of the Year: Zac Thomas (Senior, Appalachian State quarterback) Defensive Player of the Year: Carlton Martial (Junior, Troy linebacker)
Position Player Team First Team Offense QBZac ThomasAppalachian StateRBElijah MitchellLouisianaRBJosh JohnsonLouisiana–MonroeOLNoah HannonAppalachian StateOLBaer HunterAppalachian StateOLCooper HodgesAppalachian StateOLJarrett HorstArkansas StateOLShamarious GilmoreGeorgia StateTEJosh PedersonLouisiana–MonroeWRCory SuttonAppalachian StateWRJonathan AdamsArkansas StateWRKaylon GeigerTroy First Team DefenseDLDemetrius TaylorAppalachian StateDLTarron JacksonCoastal CarolinaDLRaymond JohnsonGeorgia SouthernDLWill CholohTroyLB Rashad ByrdGeorgia SouthernLB Joe DillonLouisianaLBCarlton MartialTroyDBShaun JollyAppalachian StateDBKenderick Duncan Jr.Georgia SouthernDBCorey StraughterLouisiana–MonroeDBDell PettusTroy First Team Special TeamsKBlake GrupeArkansas StatePRhys BurnsLouisianaRSWesley Kennedy III Georgia Southern
Position Player Team Second Team OffenseQBLevi LewisLouisianaRBTrey Ragas LouisianaRBC. J. MarableCoastal CarolinaOLRyan NeuzilAppalachian StateOLJacob StillArkansas StateOLMax MitchellLouisianaOLO'Cyrus TorrenceLouisianaOLTJ FiailoaLouisiana–MonroeTEIsaiah LikelyCoastal CarolinaWRThomas HenniganAppalachian StateWRCornelius McCoy Georgia StateWRReggie ToddTroy Second Team DefenseDLForrest MerrillArkansas StateDLC. J. BrewerCoastal CarolinaDLDontae WilsonGeorgia StateDLZi'Yon HillLouisianaLB Teddy GallagherCoastal CarolinaLB Trajan Stephens-McQueenGeorgia StateLB Riley ColeSouth AlabamaDBShemar Jean-CharlesAppalachian StateDBAntonio FletcherArkansas StateDBQuavian WhiteGeorgia StateDBEric GarrorLouisiana Second Team Special TeamsKMassimo BiscardiCoastal CarolinaPAnthony Beck IIGeorgia SouthernRSEric GarrorLouisiana
Head coaches Appalachian State was the only team to undergo a coaching change from last season; Eliah Drinkwitz departed the program after the conclusion of the regular season to become the head coach at Missouri. Shawn Clark was named interim coach upon his departure, and the interim tag was removed in time for him to coach the Mountaineers to a victory in the 2019 New Orleans Bowl.
Team Head coach Years at school Overall record Record at school Sun Belt record Appalachian State Shawn Clark 1 0–1 0–1 0–0 Arkansas State Blake Anderson 7 51–34 51–34 40–12 Coastal Carolina Jamey Chadwell 2 71–55 11–18 4–15 Georgia Southern Chad Lunsford 4 24–16 24–16 21–11 Georgia State Shawn Elliott 4 23–29 22–23 13–15 Louisiana Billy Napier 3 23–12 23–12 14–5 Louisiana–Monroe Matt Viator 5 100–66 22–33 17–18 South Alabama Steve Campbell 3 66–49 6–26 4–20 Texas State Jake Spavital 2 5–14 5–14 3–9 Troy Chip Lindsey 2 8–11 8–11 4–7
Rankings
Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 Wk16 FinalAppalachian State AP RV т23 RV RV RV RV RV RV RV C RV 23 RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV CFP Not released Arkansas State AP RV RV RV C RV RV RV CFP Not released Coastal Carolina AP RV RV RV 25 20 15 15 15 16 14 11 9 9 14 C RV RV RV RV RV 25 21 16 17 18 17 14 13 12 11 14 CFP Not released 20 18 13 12 12 Georgia Southern AP C CFP Not released Georgia State AP C CFP Not released Louisiana AP 19 19 RV 23 21 RV RV RV 25 24 23 20 17 17 16 15 C RV 21 25 RV 23 21 RV RV RV RV 25 24 21 17 18 17 16 CFP Not released 25 19 19 19 Louisiana–Monroe AP C CFP Not released South Alabama AP C CFP Not released Texas State AP C CFP Not released Troy AP C CFP Not released
+ Legend Improvement in ranking Drop in ranking Not ranked previous week No change in ranking from previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
Schedule
Regular season Index to colors and formattingSun Belt Member wonSun Belt Member lostSun Belt teams in bold
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Week Seven
Week Eight
Week Nine
Week Ten
Week Eleven
Week Twelve
Week Thirteen
Week Fourteen
Week Fifteen
Week Sixteen
Championship Game
Postseason
Bowl Games Legend Sun Belt win Sun Belt loss
Bowl gameDateSiteTelevisionTime (CST)Sun Belt teamOpponentScoreAttendance Myrtle Beach Bowl December 21 Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN 1:30 p.m. Appalachian State North Texas W 56–28 5,000 New Orleans Bowl December 23 Mercedes-Benz Superdome • New Orleans, LA ESPN 2:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Louisiana Tech W 38–3 3,000 First Responder Bowl December 26 Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX ABC 2:30 p.m. No. 16 Louisiana UTSA W 31–24 3,512 LendingTree Bowl December 26 Ladd–Peebles Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN 2:30 p.m. Georgia State Western Kentucky W 39–21 5,128 Cure Bowl December 26 Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL ESPN 6:30 p.m. No. 9 Coastal Carolina No. 23 Liberty L 34–37 OT 4,488
Sun Belt records vs. other conferences 2020–2021 records against non-conference foes:
Regular season
Power 5 ConferencesRecordACC0–1Big Ten0–0Big 123–0BYU/Notre Dame1–2Pac-120–0SEC0–0Power 5 Total4–3Other FBS ConferencesRecordAmerican1–3C-USA5–5Independents (Excluding BYU and Notre Dame)1–3MAC0–0Mountain West0–0Other FBS Total7–11FCS OpponentsRecordFootball Championship Subdivision5-0Total Non-Conference Record16–14
Sun Belt vs Power Five matchups This is a list of games the Sun Belt has scheduled versus power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, BYU/Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.
Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score September 12 Big 12 Louisiana No. 23 Iowa State Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA W, 31–14 September 12 Big 12 Arkansas State Kansas State Bill Snyder Family Stadium • Manhattan, KS W, 35–31 September 12 Big 12 Coastal Carolina Kansas David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS W, 38–23 September 26 ACC Texas State Boston College Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA L, 21–24 September 26 Independent Troy No. 18 BYU LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT L, 7–48 October 24 Independent Texas State No. 12 BYU LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT L, 14–52 December 5 Independent No. 8 BYU No. 14 Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W, 22–17
Sun Belt vs Group of Five matchups The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against teams from the American, C-USA, MAC or Mountain West.
Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score September 3 C-USA South Alabama Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS W, 32–21 September 5 American SMU Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX L, 24–31 September 5 American Arkansas State Memphis Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN L, 24–37 September 12 C-USA Charlotte Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W, 35–20 September 12 C-USA UTSA Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX L, 48–512OT September 12 American Tulane South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL L, 24–27 September 19 C-USA No. 23 Appalachian State Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV L, 7–17 September 19 C-USA Troy Middle Tennessee Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN W, 47–14 September 24 C-USA UAB South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL L, 10–42 September 26 C-USA UTEP Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA L, 6–31 October 3 American East Carolina Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA W, 49–29 October 23 C-USA Louisiana UAB Legion Field • Birmingham, AL W, 24–20 November 21 C-USA Middle Tennessee Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL L 17–20 December 5 C-USA Florida Atlantic Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W, 20–3
Sun Belt vs FBS independents matchups The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, Liberty, New Mexico State, UConn, or UMass.
Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score September 12 Independents Louisiana–Monroe Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY L, 7–37 October 10 Independents Louisiana–Monroe Liberty Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA L, 7–40 October 17 Independents UMass Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W, 41–0 November 21 Independents Georgia Southern Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY L, 27–28
Sun Belt vs FCS matchups
Date Visitor Home Site Score September 12 Campbell Georgia Southern Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W, 26–27 September 18 Campbell Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W, 43–21 September 26 Campbell Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W, 52–21 October 10 Central Arkansas Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR W, 50–27 October 17 Eastern Kentucky Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL W, 31–29
Awards and honors
Players of the week Week Offensive Defensive Special Teams Player Team Position Player Team Position Player Team Position Week 1Jalen TolbertSouth AlabamaWRNick MobleySouth AlabamaLBBlake GrupeArkansas StateK Week 2Jonathan Adams Jr.Arkansas StateWRFerrod GardnerLouisianaLBChris SmithLouisianaKR Week 3Elijah MitchellLouisianaRBSilas KellyCoastal CarolinaLBRhys ByrnsLouisianaP Week 4Daetrich HarringtonAppalachian StateRBLorenzo McCaskillLouisianaLBNate SnyderLouisianaK Week 5Grayson McCallCoastal CarolinaQBAntavaious LaneGeorgia StateSNaJee ThompsonGeorgia Southern WR Week 6Gunnar WatsonTroyQBJustin RiceArkansas StateLBRyan HansonArkansas StateP Week 7Jonathan Adams Jr.Arkansas StateWRRiley ColeSouth AlabamaLBMassimo BiscardiCoastal CarolinaK Week 8Kawaan BakerZac ThomasSouth AlabamaAppalachian StateWRQBJordan StrachanGeorgia StateLBChris SmithLouisianaKR Week 9Grayson McCallCoastal CarolinaQBTarron JacksonCoastal CarolinaDESeth KellerTexas StateK Week 10Cornelious Brown IVGeorgia StateQBTarron JacksonCoastal CarolinaDEJack MartinTroyP Week 11Levi LewisLouisianaQBD'Marco JacksonAppalachian StateLBJeremiah HaydelTexas StateKR Week 12Brady McBrideTexas StateQBC. J. BrewerCoastal CarolinaDTChandler StatonAppalachian StateK Week 13Jalen TolbertSouth AlabamaWRTarron JacksonCoastal CarolinaDENoel RuizGeorgia StateP Week 14Corey RuckerArkansas StateWRJeffrey GunterCoastal CarolinaBEKhaleb HoodGeorgia SouthernPR Week 15Grayson McCallCoastal CarolinaQBCarlton MartialTroyLBJalen VirgilAppalachian StateKR
Sun Belt individual awards
The following individuals received postseason honors as voted by the Sun Belt Conference football coaches at the end of the season AwardPlayerSchoolPlayer of the Year Grayson McCall Coastal CarolinaOffensive Player of the Year Jonathan Adams Arkansas StateDefensive Player of the Year Tarron Jackson Coastal CarolinaFreshman Player of the Year Grayson McCall Coastal CarolinaNewcomer of the Year D'Jordan Strong Coastal CarolinaCoach of the Year Jamey Chadwell Coastal Carolina
All-conference teams