Appalachian State builds big early lead, trounces UL Monroe

Appalachian State built a big first-half lead behind a punishing ground game, then relied on its defense Saturday for a 31-13 victory at UL Monroe.

The Mountaineers quickly pulled away from the winless Warhawks, building a 28-7 halftime lead.

Senior quarterback Zac Thomas led the Appalachian State effort, as he passed for 152 yards and ran for another 109. Senior running back Malik Williams carried for another 103 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown gallop late in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the Mountaineers (4-1, 2-0) held UL Monroe (0-7, 0-4) to 222 yards’ total offense.

Appalachian State’s first drive ended with an interception, as UL Monroe’s Josh Newton grabbed a pass intended for the Mountaineers’ Christian Wells. But the Mountaineers scored on their next two drives, on a short run by Camerun Peoples and Williams’ long dash.

At the end of the day, Appalachian State and 20th-ranked Coastal Carolina are the only teams left unbeaten in the Sun Belt Conference — seemingly headed for their Nov. 21 showdown in Conway, S.C.

Here are five things we learned from the Mountaineers’ victory Saturday in Louisiana:

ASU’s defense came to play

The Mountaineers’ defense picked off three UL Monroe passes and recovered three fumbles. The Warhawks’ 222 yards of total offense were the fewest allowed an opponent this season by Appalachian State.

Junior free safety Ryan Huff had a pair of interceptions, giving him three for the season. UL Monroe’s most successful drive came at the end of the game, when the Warhawks drove 90 yards and scored on the game’s final play. They finished with only 68 yards rushing on 21 carries.

The 1,000th was sweet

Saturday’s game was the 1,000th in Appalachian State’s football history. The Mountaineershave an overall record of 633-339-28.

Their first game was a 26-0 loss on Sept. 29, 1928, to Mountain City. The 500th game was Nov. 17, 1979, when the Mountaineers whipped Marshall 45-7. Their most famous game was No. 826. That was on Sept. 1, 2007, when the Mountaineers shocked Michigan 34-32.

Williams had a big day

Malik Williams entered the game with 175 yards rushing, but he added 103 yards on 13 carries Saturday. Williams, a senior from Chester (S.C.) High, had the game’s longest play from scrimmage -- a 48-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He also caught a touchdown pass for 35 yards in the second quarter.

The Mountaineers got 328 of their 480 offensive yards on the ground. Appalachian State is 4-0 this season when it totals 300 or more rushing yards. In five games this season, the Mountaineers have rushed for exactly 1,500 yards.

And Appalachian State has multiple weapons when running the ball. Five players have 100 or more rushing yards in a game this season.

And so did Zac Thomas

Senior quarterback Zac Thomas passed for 152 yards and ran for 109 more. It was the first 100-yard rushing game of his career. He completed 13-of-18 passes, with two touchdowns and one interception.

Thomas is 27-4 as a starter and is nearing 6,000 yards’ total offense in his career. His career victory total is second among active FBS coaches to Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, who has 31.

Another road trip ahead

The Mountaineers are on the road again next Saturday, playing Texas State. They return home Nov. 14 against Georgia State, prior to the big Sun Belt East showdown Nov. 21 at Coastal Carolina.

This story was originally published October 31, 2020 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Appalachian State builds big early lead, trounces UL Monroe."