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2016 Sun Belt Conference football season

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2016 Sun Belt Conference football season
LeagueNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
SportFootball
DurationSeptember 1, 2016
through January 2017
Number of teams11
Total attendance1,079,575
TV partner(s)ESPN, CST
2017 NFL Draft
Top draft pickTE Gerald Everett, South Alabama
Picked byLos Angeles Rams, 44th overall
Regular season
Season championsAppalachian State & Arkansas State
  Runners-upTroy & Idaho
Season MVPJa’Von Rolland-Jones
Top scorerAustin Rehkow (120 points)
Football seasons
← 2015
2017 →
2016 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Appalachian State +   7 1     10 3  
Arkansas State +   7 1     8 5  
Troy   6 2     10 3  
Idaho   6 2     9 4  
Louisiana–Lafayette   5 3     6 7  
Georgia Southern   4 4     5 7  
Louisiana–Monroe   3 5     4 8  
South Alabama   2 6     6 7  
Georgia State   2 6     3 9  
New Mexico State   2 6     3 9  
Texas State   0 8     2 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 2016 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 16th season in which the Sun Belt Conference operated a football league, and was part of the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season began on September 1 with Appalachian State facing Tennessee.[1] This was the third season for the Sun Belt since realignment that took effect in 2014, which added the tenth and eleventh members — Idaho and New Mexico State. Both teams were previously independents before joining the conference. The Sun Belt Conference is a "Group of Five" conference under the College Football Playoff format along with the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, and the Mountain West Conference.

In this season, the Sun Belt football conference included 11 members: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, Louisiana–Lafayette, Louisiana–Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State, and Troy. The conference championship was determined by win–loss record within the conference.

Arkansas State entered the season as defending Sun Belt champions, as they went undefeated in 2015 conference play. The Red Wolves went on to lose to Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl 28–47.[2]

Preseason

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2016 predictions

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The 2016 preseason coaches predictions were released on July 21, 2016, with the vote conducted by the head football coaches of each conference school. Appalachian State was picked to win the conference for the first time in school history. After coming second in the conference last year which resulted a trip to the Camellia Bowl, the Mountaineers returned 22 starters on the field for the upcoming season. Arkansas State, which had won at least a share of the conference title in four of the previous five seasons and was returning 13 starters (6 on offense, 7 on defense), was tapped to finish second.

Below are the results of the coaches poll with total points received next to each school and first-place votes in parentheses.

  • 1. Appalachian State – 114 (5)
  • 2. Arkansas State – 110 (5)
  • 3. Georgia Southern – 98 (1)
  • 4. Georgia State – 73
  • 5. Louisiana–Lafayette – 70
  • 6. Troy – 70
  • 7. South Alabama – 62
  • 8. Idaho – 48
  • 9. New Mexico State – 37
  • 10. Texas State – 30
  • 11. Louisiana–Monroe – 14

References:[3]

Season

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For the first time in the 16-year history of Sun Belt football, a team from the conference was ranked in the top 25 of the AP Poll. In Week 11, the Troy Trojans, with a record of 8-1, received the #25 spot in the AP Poll. The Trojans lost their next game, to Arkansas State, to drop back out of the rankings.

Sun Belt vs other Conferences

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Sun Belt vs Power Conference matchups

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This is a list of the power conference teams (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) Sun Belt played in non-conference play. (Rankings from the AP Poll):

Date Visitor Home Site Score
September 1 Appalachian State #9 Tennessee (SEC) Neyland StadiumKnoxville, Tennessee L 13–20 OT
September 3 South Alabama Mississippi State (SEC) Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, Mississippi W 21–20
September 10 Arkansas State Auburn (SEC) Jordan–Hare StadiumAuburn, Alabama L 14–51
September 10 Idaho #8 Washington (Pac-12) Husky StadiumSeattle L 14–59
September 10 Troy #2 Clemson (ACC) Memorial StadiumClemson, South Carolina L 24–30
September 10 Louisiana–Monroe #14 Oklahoma (Big 12) Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial StadiumNorman, Oklahoma L 17–59
September 17 Miami (ACC) Appalachian State Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, North Carolina L 45-10
September 17 Georgia State Wisconsin (Big Ten) Camp Randall StadiumMadison, Wisconsin L 17–23
September 17 Idaho Washington State (Pac-12) Martin StadiumPullman, Washington L 6–56
September 17 New Mexico State Kentucky (SEC) Commonwealth StadiumLexington, Kentucky L 42–62
September 17 Texas State Arkansas (SEC) Donald W. Reynolds Razorback StadiumFayetteville, Arkansas L 3–42
October 1 Louisiana–Monroe Auburn (SEC) Jordan–Hare StadiumAuburn, Alabama L 7–58
October 15 Georgia Southern Georgia Tech (ACC) Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta L 24–35
October 29 New Mexico State Texas A&M (SEC) Kyle FieldCollege Station, Texas L 10–52
November 5 Georgia Southern Ole Miss (SEC) Vaught–Hemingway StadiumOxford, Mississippi L 27–37
November 19 South Alabama LSU (SEC) Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, Louisiana Canceled due to Hurricane Matthew[4][5]
November 19 Louisiana–Lafayette Georgia (SEC) Sanford StadiumAthens, Georgia L 21–35

2016 records against non-conference opponents

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Players of the Year

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2016 Sun Belt Player of the Year awards[6]

Award Player School
Player of the Year Ja'Von Rolland-Jones Arkansas State
Offensive Player of the Year Jalin Moore Appalachian State
Defensive Player of the Year Rashad Dillard Troy
Freshman of the Year Clifton Duck Appalachian State
Newcomer of the Year Aikeem Coleman Idaho
Coach of the Year Paul Petrino Idaho

All-Sun BeltTeam

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Coaches All-Conference Selections[6]

Honorable Mention: Appalachian State: Barrett Burns, A. J. Howard, Taylor Lamb, Myquon Stout; Arkansas State: Justice Hansen, Chris Humes, Waylon Roberson, Kendall Sanders; Georgia Southern: Kevin Ellison, Darius Jones, Jr., Ukeme Eligwe, B. J. Johnson III; Georgia State: Shawanye Lawrence, Alonzo McGee, Keith Rucker, Chandon Sullivan; Idaho: Trent Cowan, Kaden Elliss, Tony Lashley, Jordan Rose; Louisiana-Lafayette: Keenan Barnes, Karmichael Dunbar, Eddie Gordon, Tre'maine Lightfoot; Louisiana-Monroe: Justin Backus, David Griffith, Ajalen Holley, Frank Sutton, Jr.; New Mexico State: Kourtland Busby, Greg Hogan, Anthony McMeans, Tyler Rogers; South Alabama Roman Buchanan, Kalen Jackson, Xavier Johnson, Kevin Kutchera; Troy: Ryan Kay, William Lloyd, Kamryn Melton, Baron Poole; Texas State: Aaron Brewer, Bryan London, Gabe Loyd , Jordan Mittie.

Home attendance

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Team Stadium (Capacity) Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7 Total Average % of Capacity
Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium (24,050) 23,374 34,658 24,782 26,931 28,472 18,699 156,916 26,152 108.74%
Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium (30,382) 26,182 28,012 19,381 22,277 20,170 20,178 136,200 22,700 74.72%
Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium (25,000) 21,250 25,735 23,474 16,786 16,850 104,095 20,819 83.28%
Georgia State Georgia Dome (28,155) 12,233 13,179 15,223 13,363 13,106 23,513 90,617 15,102 53.64%
Idaho Kibbie Dome (16,000) 11,987 13,392 10,278 9,049 11,242 55,948 11,190 69.94%
Louisiana–Lafayette Cajun Field (36,900) 22,661 26,891 19,208 16,960 21,367 14,259 121,346 20,224 54.81%
Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium (30,427) 24,718 9,524 12,735 16,073 63,050 15,762 51.8%
New Mexico State Aggie Memorial Stadium (30,343) 17,852 8,142 10,085 6,280 5,366 47,725 9,545 31.46%
South Alabama Ladd–Peebles Stadium (33,471) 17,691 13,086 14,741 30,837 11,565 11,017 98,937 16,489 49.26%
Texas State Bobcat Stadium (30,000) 33,133 22,845 18,278 15,314 8,010 97,580 19,560 65.05%
Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium (30,000) 18,885 21,146 23,913 21,763 25,782 23,764 135,253 22,542 75.14%

Bold – Exceed capacity
†Season High

References

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  1. ^ "2016 Sun Belt Football Schedule Announced". sunbeltsports.org. March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  2. ^ "Louisiana Tech, Kenneth Dixon topple Arkansas State in New Orleans Bowl, 47-28". NOLA.com. New Orleans. The Times-Picayune. December 20, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  3. ^ "Mountaineers Picked to Win League Title in 2016". Sun Belt Conference. July 21, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  4. ^ "LSU vs Florida Rescheduled After Hurricane Matthew". Bleacher Report. October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  5. ^ "Football to Host Florida Nov. 19 in Tiger Stadium". LSUSports.net. October 13, 2016. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Sun Belt announces 2016 Football All-Conference teams and individual awards". www.sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. December 7, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2017.