​Sep 26, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack and App State Mountaineers fight for the ball during the second half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Source: Lastwordonsports.com – Kate Pearson Halyburton, EditorThis was the last weekend of non-conference games for the majority of the Sun Belt. Now these teams have enough of a sample size to get a feel for what they can be against their main competition.The stakes will only rise from here, but they’ve played one conference game and several other high-profile matchups against top programs. Let’s see what this weekend can mean for these teams moving forward.Sun Belt Week 4 TakeawaysJames Madison at Old DominionThe first Sun Belt conference game was a one-sided affair with James Madison dominating Old Dominion 46-20.Camden Coleman continues to show why the Dukes made the right decision to name him the starter, with another strong statistical performance. He threw for 241 yards and four touchdowns.The Dukes also got a big game from George Pettway, who had 16 carries for 110 yards.Old Dominion got big news earlier in the day when Quinn Henicle was ruled out due to injury. Ryan Huff filled in forHenicle and had a rough afternoon, to say the least. He completed 20 of 39 passes and was sacked nine times.Due to the nine times Huff was sacked, the Monarchs rushed for minus-14 yards. That is slightly misleading, but it was still a poor day on the ground for the running backs. Devin Roche, Maurki James, and Trey Hall combined for 16 carries for 31 yards.The Dukes sent a message to the rest of the Sun Belt. After the opener against Liberty, it seemed like the Dukes were going to play a two-quarterback system with Coleman and JC Evans sharing touches. But Evans’ injury opened up the way for Coleman to start, and he’s taken advantage of his chance.Through four games, they look like the team that dominated the conference last season, on their way to the College Football Playoff.For Old Dominion, they were already overmatched, and removing Henicle from the lineup limited them more. Huff competed as well as he possibly could, but they were overwhelmed from the jump.Houston at Georgia SouthernGeorgia Southern fought hard to stay competitive with No. 25 Houston, but ultimately fell short 42-28.Despite the loss, the Eagles offense showed plenty of promise for the rest of the season. Max Johnson completed 26 of 38 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Alex Taylor caught six passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.Johnson performed at a level that was going to be required of him for the Eagles to have a chance in this one. So he wasn’t the problem.What plagued the Eagles in this one was the defense. They allowed the Cougars to score on their first six possessions, putting more pressure on the offense to put points on the board. Conner Weigman continued his excellent play, completing 77% of his passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns. Re’