2013 Sun Belt Conference football season


The 2013 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 13th college football season for the Sun Belt Conference. During the 2013 season, Sun Belt football consisted of eight members: Arkansas State, Georgia State, Louisiana–Lafayette, Louisiana–Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, and WKU.
This was the first season for two teams in Sun Belt football; and the final season of Sun Belt play for a third. Georgia State was one of the six charter members of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976, but left the league in 1981, 20 years before the conference began sponsoring football in 2001 and nearly 30 years before the school started its football program in 2010. The Panthers returned to the Sun Belt in 2013 during a major wave of realignment that dramatically affected the conference. Also joining the Sun Belt in 2013 was Texas State, which left the WAC after only one season in that league. WKU was in its last season of Sun Belt play, as it will join Conference USA in 2014.
Due to NCAA transitional rules, Georgia State, coming from the FCS Colonial Athletic Association, was not eligible for a conference championship or postseason play. South Alabama and Texas State, which both began transitions from FCS in 2011, were now eligible for postseason play and a conference championship.

Preseason

Award watch lists

The following Sun Belt players were named to preseason award watch lists:
Walter Camp Award:
Doak Walker Award:
Davey O'Brien Award:
Outland Trophy:
Bronko Nagurski Trophy:
Lou Groza Award:
Rimington Trophy:
Bednarik Award:
Paul Hornung Award:
  1. Louisiana-Lafayette - 57
  2. Louisiana-Monroe - 57
  3. Arkansas State - 45
  4. WKU - 44
  5. Troy - 35
  6. Texas State - 23
  7. South Alabama - 19
  8. Georgia State -8
Louisiana-Lafayette & ULM tied for conference pre-season champions. Louisiana-Lafayette is listed as #1 because of 1st place votes.

Preseason All–Conference Team

Offense
Defense
Specialists

Coaches

NOTE: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season
TeamHead CoachYears at SchoolOverall RecordRecord at SchoolSun Belt Record
Arkansas StateBryan Harsin10–00–00–0
Georgia StateTrent Miles120–360–00–0
Louisiana–LafayetteMark Hudspeth384–2918-812-4
Louisiana–MonroeTodd Berry446–7917-2013-11
South AlabamaJoey Jones428–2125–141-7
TroyLarry Blakeney24168-99-1168-99-145-22
Texas StateDennis Franchione5197-115-223-230-0
WKUBobby Petrino175-260-00-0

Sun Belt vs. BCS AQ Conference matchups

Regular season

All dates, times, and TV are tentative and subject to change.
All Sun Belt teams are located in the Central Time Zone except for Georgia State, which is in the Eastern Time Zone. Start times for non-conference games are local for the Sun Belt team; for conference games, starting times are local for the home team.
Rankings reflect that of the USA Today Coaches poll for that week until week eight when the BCS poll will be used.

Week 1

;Players of the Week

Week 2

;Players of the Week

Week 3

;Players of the Week

Week 4

;Players of the Week

Week 5

;Players of the Week

Week 6

;Players of the Week

Week 7

;Players of the Week

Week 8

;Players of the Week

Week 9

;Players of the Week

Week 10

;Players of the Week

Week 11

;Players of the Week

Week 12

;Players of the Week

Week 13

;Players of the Week

Week 14

;Players of the Week

Week 15

;Players of the Week

Bowl games

In 2013, the SBC placed 2 teams in bowl games, while 5 other teams were bowl-eligible but not selected for bowl games. The conference went 2-0 with Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette both winning.
NOTE: All times are local
BowlDateTimeSBC team Opponent SiteTVResultAttendance
2013 R+L Carriers New Orleans BowlDecember 218:00 PMLouisiana–Lafayette Tulane Mercedes-Benz Superdome • New Orleans, LAESPNULL 24-2154,728
2014 GoDaddy BowlJanuary 58:00 PMArkansas State Ball State Ladd–Peebles Stadium • Mobile, ALESPNASU 23-2036,119

Players of the Year

2013 Sun Belt Player of the Year awards
AwardPlayerSchool
Player of the YearAntonio AndrewsWestern Kentucky
Offensive Player of the YearAntonio AndrewsWestern Kentucky
Defensive Player of the YearXavius BoydWestern Kentucky
Freshman of the YearElijah McGuireLouisiana-Lafayette
Coach of the YearJoey JonesSouth Alabama

All-Sun Belt/American Team

Coaches All-Conference Selections
Honorable Mention: Arkansas State: Adam Kennedy, Chris Stone; Georgia State: Ulrick John, Joseph Peterson; Louisiana-Lafayette: Jacob Maxwell, Dominique Tovell; Louisiana-Monroe: Kolton Browning, Centarius Donald; South Alabama Jay Jones, Aleem Sunanon ; Texas State: David Mayo, Mike Orakpo; Troy: Jordan Chunn, Bryan Holmes; Western Kentucky: Willie McNeal, Forrest Lamp.

All-Americans

was named 1st team All-American by SI for All-Purpose team.

Home attendance

†Western Kentucky played first game at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee vs. Kentucky. Total attendance, average attendance and percent of capacity figure calculated based only on games in L.T. Smith Stadium