Last Saturday might have been the single best day in the history of the Sun Belt Conference. Certainly, it was the best week for upsets. Appalachian State beat Texas, Marshall beat Notre Dame, and Nebraska lost to Georgia Southern.
“It’s incredible when you think about it,” conference commissioner Keith Gill said last Monday. “When I got back to my hotel and I’m watching ‘College Football Final’ on ESPN, they led with the Sun Belt. That’s our logo on there.”
This week started out with a big bang, as ESPN’s College Gameday show shot from Appalachian State for the first time ever.
It looked as if the Sun Belt was up for at least two more upsets this Saturday. South Alabama had UCLA on the ropes for most of their game, taking leads of 17-6 and 31-23. Every time the Bruins tried to come back, the Jaguars seemed to have an answer.
UCLA went from winning by 6 to losing by 8 in 46 seconds. The Sun Belt is inevitable. pic.twitter.com/PPUBOqnJN7
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 17, 2022
But in the end, and on the same drive where South Alabama was bailed outby a late hit penalty after a failed third-down conversion, the Jags looked that gift horse in the mouth and spit in its face with one of the most clownish “Oh, this isn’t really a field goal” plays you will ever see.
Which is funnier?
🔁 The play
❤️ The crowdpic.twitter.com/kR1KaIQ0Mj— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 17, 2022
That, up by two points with three minutes left, when a field goal would have forced UCLA to score a touchdown to win? Alrighty then. Of course, since the Jaguars had angered the Football Gods, you know what happened next. UCLA drove downfield and kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Meanwhile, the Old Dominion Monarchs, whose 20-17 upset of Virginia Tech on September 2 started all this Sun Belt insanity, were in position to defeat Virginia, and go for the state sweep. Hayden Wolff’s 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zack Kuntz with 1:01 left in the game would have given Old Dominion the 14-13 win, were it not for…
ZACK. KUNTZ. SCORES!!!
Old Dominion are on the verge of another big win thanks to their rare tight end! You don’t see too many 6’8”, 251 players with moves like this 👀
CFB Live Blog: https://t.co/c4S6KjkRFH
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 17, 2022
…the Monarchs allowing the Cavaliers to drive down the field after that, leading to Brendan Farrell’s 26-yard field goal as the clock ran out.
Farrell was used to kicking under pressure.
#UVA head coach Tony Elliott told Brendan Farrell if he made the 48-yard field goal on Weds., he would earn a scholarship.
Spoiler: he made it (even after the defense tried to ice him with a timeout). pic.twitter.com/jyfmWhkrmc
— Jacquie Franciulli (@JacquieFran_) August 25, 2022
So, the Sun Belt was set to unravel the NCAA all over again, were it not for an unfortunate series of events. Which left some content creators a little bitter.
The current status of my “Top Sun Belt upsets in 2022” listicle: pic.twitter.com/aYKlvTv2XG
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 17, 2022
