This was initially brought up in the Tuesday discussion regarding Texas State's and Georgia State's debut in the league and I thought it'd be fun to look back at everyone's conference debut! Now obviously the old timers in the league aren't going to have youtube (let alone any) video highlights of their debut game but I made a darn hard effort to scour for any type of pictures and tidbits from those yesteryear games.

Now because they were already brought up in the TXST/GSU thread, I'll go ahead and start off with bobcats and panthers again for those that didn't see them in that post...

Texas State: October 5th, 2013 @ Louisiana (Lost 48-24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqWe3a7m...e=youtu.be

Louisiana displayed why it was chosen the preseason favorite in the Sun Belt Conference, Saturday night, defeating Texas State 48-24 at Cajun Field...The second half for Texas State was plagued by two turnovers to begin the half. Louisiana capitalized turning both fumbles into points. Following a Zach Robinson 65-yard punt midway through the third quarter, the Cajuns did it the hard way, driving 99 yards for a score and the 45-3 lead.


Georgia State: October 12th, 2013 Troy (Lost 35-28)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noGqcRiB...e=youtu.be

In the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference game, Georgia State fell, 35-28, to Troy in the Panthers’ Homecoming game on Saturday at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers (0-6, 0-1) rallied to score 21 second-half points and take the lead in the fourth quarter, but Troy (4-3, 2-1) scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3:17 left in the game....Georgia State took a 28-21 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter, as Bell found Wilson on a 38-yard pass down the middle for a touchdown. Wilson helped set up the scoring drive after fielding a Troy kickoff at his own goal line and returning it to the GSU 48-yard line. Troy answered with fourth-quarter touchdown drives of 75 and 63 yards to seal the win. The final score came after Chris Pickett intercepted Bell’s pass at the Troy 17-yard line and returned it to his team’s 37. Two plays later, Chris Williams caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Corey Robinson, his third scoring pass of the day.

South Alabama: September 29th, 2012 Troy (Lost 31-10)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBsfhYD0Hic

Troy’s offense rolled up an opponent-record 495 total yards while defensively Kanorris Davis paced a unit that surrendered just 51 second-half yards, leading the Trojans to a 31-10 Sun Belt Conference football victory over the University of South Alabama Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium....Davis shared game-high honors with 11 stops and Brynden Trawick added nine, an interception and a pass broken up as Troy (3-2, 2-1 Sun Belt) spoiled the Jaguars’ league debut. After allowing 201 yards in the opening 30 minutes, the Trojans gave up only two first downs after the intermission to preserve a two-touchdown advantage.

Appalachian State: September 25th, 2014 @Georgia Southern (Lost 34-14)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dCKSjWsfEI
(*Sorry app fans, this was the only quick highlights I could find*)

Appalachian State University football's red-zone struggles continued in Thursday night's 34-14 loss to Georgia Southern at Paulson Stadium.

Like in last Saturday's 21-20 loss at Southern Miss, Appalachian State (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) squandered several scoring opportunities in Thursday's defeat. The Mountaineers came away with points on just two of five trips into the red zone in their first-ever Sun Belt Conference game...The loss snapped Appalachian State's three-game winning streak versus longtime rival Georgia Southern and was only its fourth loss in the last 12 meetings with the Eagles ... After a grueling stretch of two road games in six days, Appalachian State gets an eight-day break before it returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 4 at home versus South Alabama. Kickoff for Appalachian's inaugural Sun Belt home game is set for 6 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Georgia Southern: September 20th, 2014 @South Al (Won 28-6)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHg_FDDuNzo

The Georgia Southern offense racked up 420 yards, but the defense was the story with four sacks, two interceptions and nine tackles for loss to lead the Eagles to a 28-6 Sun Belt Conference victory over South Alabama at Ladd-Peebles Stadium Saturday night...It was Georgia Southern's first Sun Belt Conference contest and first win over an FBS opponent as an FBS member...The Eagle defense, which gave up just 97 yards in the second half, took points off the South Alabama side of the scoreboard with big sacks twice, and three more times, it kept the Jags from getting the momentum in their corner – twice after Georgia Southern turnovers and once after a missed field goal.

Coastal Carolina: September 30th 2017, @ ULM (Lost 51-43)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX5FhvxGdpA

Malcolm Williams shattered the Coastal Carolina single-game record and had the second-best, single-game effort in Sun Belt history with 266 receiving yards (nine receptions). However, it was not enough as Coastal Carolina fell in its first ever Sun Belt Conference game, 51-43, at UL Monroe Saturday night at Malone Stadium. The game was a two-point contest, 45-43 in the Warhawks' favor, until the last play of the game when Coastal tried a lateral which resulted in a fumble and ULM returned the ball15 yards for a touchdown as time expired to provide the eight-point final margin.

Troy: September 18th, 2004 @New Mexico State (Lost 22-18)


[bTravis Samuel's first catch of the season was good for a seven-yard touchdown with 2:05 left in the game as New Mexico State rallied for a 22-18 win over previously unbeaten Troy in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams. Troy came into the game 2-0 after wins over Marshall and nationally ranked Missouri, but NMSU drove 80 yards in 11 plays to earn its first fourth quarter come from behind since the 2002 season finale.The Trojans had scored 11 consecutive fourth quarter points to grab an 18-15 lead. NMSU had been outscored 94-40 in the fourth quarter last year and had lost three fourth quarter leads and lost on the last play of the game in league play a year ago. Aggie quarterback Buck Pierce completed 6-of-7 passes for 71 yards on the game winning drive and completed passes to five different receivers. ][i]

Arkansas State: October 13th, 2001 (Louisiana, Won 26-20)




Louisiana: September 29th, 2001 (Middle Tennessee, Lost 26-9)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vQMmTUpURc
(*NOTE: These are highlights are supposedly of the 2000 season-the Cajuns last year as an Independent prior to joining the Sunbelt in 2001. However, there are quite a bit of highlights at Arkansas State, which according to both schools archives neither one played in 2000 but did square off in Jonesboro in 2001.*)

ULM: Septemer 22nd, 2001 (Middle Tennessee, Lost 38-20)

(*This was the most DIFFICULT to find anything remotely relating to anything ULM during the time period. Finally stumbled upon this on EBAY-and it's still on sale Warhawk fans!-and while it's not quite the exact time frame of the then Indians inaugural conference game still pretty cool to see)

"Today's Middle Tennessee-UL-Monroe football game marked the first-ever contest in the newly-formed Sun Belt Conference between two league teams. With the win over the Indians, the Blue Raiders locked up their first conference victory since 1998 when they defeated UT-Martin (Nov. 7, 1998) on the road as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference..."


One last fun tidbit for the old bloods...this is taken from the 2001 Arkansas State guide advertising the "new Sunbelt Conference and its new exclusive bowl game"

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

Geez 2001 was a long time ago


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

Not to sound like a troll but I had completely forgotten about that until reading the old aggie game notes (also forgot yall went to the Silicon Valley Bowl against NIU that year! Man I forgot all about that bowl game).

(06-22-2018 11:25 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

Not to sound like a troll but I had completely forgotten about that until reading the old aggie game notes (also forgot yall went to the Silicon Valley Bowl against NIU that year! Man I forgot all about that bowl game).

Ya 2004 was our first bowl game. Against NIU

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

per the aggie game notes I found, this game was the first OFFICIAL SBC conference game for the Trojans

https://nmstatesports.com/news/2004/9/13/75614.aspx

(06-22-2018 11:31 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

per the aggie game notes I found, this game was the first OFFICIAL SBC conference game for the Trojans

https://nmstatesports.com/news/2004/9/13/75614.aspx

Yes as we officially joined the SBC in 2004... but we were FBS independent from 2001-2003

(06-22-2018 11:34 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:31 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

per the aggie game notes I found, this game was the first OFFICIAL SBC conference game for the Trojans

https://nmstatesports.com/news/2004/9/13/75614.aspx

Yes as we officially joined the SBC in 2004... but we were FBS independent from 2001-2003

We’re on the same page-again whole point of the thread was to try to highlight get everyone’s first conference game in the league

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

We lost to some other clowns after beating LSU too. That game right after a huge upset is always ripe for, well, an upset...

(06-22-2018 11:38 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:34 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:31 AM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

per the aggie game notes I found, this game was the first OFFICIAL SBC conference game for the Trojans

https://nmstatesports.com/news/2004/9/13/75614.aspx

Yes as we officially joined the SBC in 2004... but we were FBS independent from 2001-2003

We’re on the same page-again whole point of the thread was to try to highlight get everyone’s first conference game in the league

I know, I’m just pointing out we were playing almost a full SBC schedule before 2004. Where as other schools such as GS, GSU, App etc were not before they were an actual member

We were even receiving votes (34 votes?) after beating Marshall and Mizzou, that was a tough Marshall team btw, they almost beat Georgia and Ohio State that year and Missouri was a ranked team (and their QB was a Heisman candidate), Demarcus Ware was on this Troy team... and then we lose to NMSU (reminds me of the loss to USA after the LSU win or losing to Ark St after finally cracking the Top 25...)

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

Troy is the kings of going from a gigantic win to a questionable loss in a short span. In truth, it's one of the only things keeping you guys from really getting a ton of attention.

(06-22-2018 12:35 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(06-22-2018 11:23 AM)Atlanta Trojan Wrote:  

Go from beating Marshall and a ranked Missouri to losing to nmsu

That might have been our first official SBC game however we were FBS independent and playing SBC schools since 2001

Troy is the kings of going from a gigantic win to a questionable loss in a short span. In truth, it's one of the only things keeping you guys from really getting a ton of attention.

Too right.... had we not lost to USA last year we would have been in top 25 by seasons end for sure. And NY6 discussion.

How about the first time we played Troy, LaLa and stAte?

I can't recall the exact year but one of my best friends was playing for App State the time Troy and the Mountaineers first played. It may have been 1970 but just can't remember. Jimmy Turner was on the Appalachian State Team but I have no idea if he was a starter.

We played together on a flag football team during the Summer and he was really a good receiver but not very big.

Troy won the game fairly easily.

(06-22-2018 12:53 PM)HighCountry Wrote:  How about the first time we played Troy, LaLa and stAte?

that still might be the most banged up I can ever remember stAte being in a seaon of football-how we got to seven wins and a bowl game still blows my mind (sorry bobcat fans)

And Georgia Southern hasn't beaten us since.