2021 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game
3rd SBC Championship Game
Appalachian State Mountaineers Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
(10–2) (11–1)
16 24
Head coach: 
Shawn Clark		 Head coach: 
Billy Napier
APCoachesCFP
202124
1234 Total
Appalachian State 0736 16
Louisiana 71007 24
DateDecember 4, 2021
Season2021
StadiumCajun Field
LocationLafayette, Louisiana
MVPQB Levi Lewis, Louisiana
FavoriteAppalachian State by 2.5
RefereeKyle Olsen[1]
Attendance31,014
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN
AnnouncersDave Pasch (play by play), Dusty Dvoracek (color), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
2021 Sun Belt Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Appalachian State xy  7 –1   10 –4  
Georgia State  6 –2   8 –5  
Coastal Carolina  6 –2   11 –2  
Troy  3 –5   5 –7  
Georgia Southern  2 –6   3 –9  
West Division
No. 16 Louisiana xy$  8 –0   13 –1  
Texas State  3 –5   4 –8  
Louisiana–Monroe  2 –6   4 –8  
South Alabama  2 –6   5 –7  
Arkansas State  1 –7   2 –10  
Championship: Louisiana 24, Appalachian State 16
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game was a college football game played on December 4, 2021, at Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was the third edition of the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Sun Belt Conference for the 2021 season. The game began at 2:40 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN. The game featured the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the East Division champions, and the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, the West Division champions. Sponsored by tire company Hercules Tires, the game was officially known as the 2021 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship.

Previous season

The 2020 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game was set to have Coastal Carolina face Louisiana. However the game was cancelled due to a positive COVID-19 test in the Coastal Carolina program.[2]

Teams

Appalachian State and Louisiana have faced each other in every other Sun Belt Championship Game held. Since the move to divisions, Appalachian State has won Sun Belt’s East Division three times, while Louisiana has won the West four times. Appalachian State has won both previous matchups in the Championship Game. This was the first Sun Belt Championship held in Lafayette, Louisiana where the attendance record for Sun Belt Football Championship games was broken with 31,014 total in attendance.[3]

Appalachian State

Appalachian State clinched a spot in the Sun Belt title game following their 45–7 win over Troy.[4]

Louisiana

Louisiana clinched a spot in the Sun Belt title game following their 21–17 win over Georgia State.[5]

Game summary

2021 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game
Period 1 2 34Total
Appalachian State 0 7 3616
No. 24 Louisiana 7 10 0724

at Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana

  • Date: December 4, 2021
  • Game time: 2:40 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C) • Sunny • Wind: 3 mph (4.8 km/h) northwest
  • Game attendance: 31,014
  • Referee: Kyle Olson
  • TV: ESPN
  • Box score
Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP Appalachian State Louisiana
1 9:55 9 75 4:58 Louisiana Michael Jefferson 27-yard touchdown reception from Levi Lewis, Nate Snyder kick good 0 7
2 9:22 7 92 1:56 Louisiana Levi Lewis 56-yard touchdown run, Nate Snyder kick good 0 14
2 2:38 6 75 2:39 Appalachian State Camerun Peoples 43-yard touchdown run, Chandler Staton kick good 7 14
2 0:01 5 38 0:31 Louisiana 33-yard field goal by Nate Snyder 7 17
3 8:06 15 57 6:54 Appalachian State 36-yard field goal by Chandler Staton 10 17
4 12:14 7 72 2:36 Louisiana Emani Bailey 35-yard touchdown run, Nate Snyder kick good 10 24
4 5:06 12 83 3:10 Appalachian State Thomas Hennigan 24-yard touchdown reception from Chase Brice, 2-point pass failed 16 24
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.

Statistics

Statistics APP LA
First downs1820
Plays–yards64–29073–398
Rushes–yards34–17141–188
Passing yards119210
Passing: comp–att–int12–30–015–32–0
Time of possession27:2332:37
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Appalachian State PassingChase Brice12/30, 119 yards, 1 TD
RushingCamerun Peoples8 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingThomas Hennigan6 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD
Louisiana PassingLevi Lewis15/30, 210 yards, 1 TD
RushingEmani Bailey14 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingPeter LeBlanc4 receptions, 67 yards

References

  1. ↑ "Officiating crews for the 2021 college football conference championship games". footballzebras.com. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Sun Belt Conference Championship Football Game Canceled". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Louisiana Wins First Outright Conference Championship in Front of a Championship Game Record 31,014 at Cajun Field". sunbeltsports.org. December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Appalachian State clinches Sun Belt East, tops Troy 45-7". keyt.com. November 20, 2021. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  5. ↑ Long, Charlie (November 4, 2021). "Louisiana Clinches Sun Belt West With 21–17 win against Georgia State". ESPN Lafeyette. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
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