# 2021 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game

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.

## 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.

### Appalachian State

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

### Louisiana

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

## Game summary

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Appalachian State | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| No. 24 Louisiana | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
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 | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | Appalachian State | Louisiana |
| 1 | 9:55 | 9 | 75 | 5:05 | 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. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | | |

### Statistics

| Statistics | APP | LA |
| First downs | 18 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 64–290 | 73–398 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–171 | 41–188 |
| Passing yards | 119 | 210 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 12–30–0 | 15–32–0 |
| Time of possession | 27:23 | 32:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Chase Brice | 12/30, 119 yards, 1 TD |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Camerun Peoples | 8 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Thomas Hennigan | 6 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Passing | Levi Lewis | 15/30, 210 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Emani Bailey | 14 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Peter LeBlanc | 4 receptions, 67 yards |