Sun Belt showdown: 5 things to know about Appalachian State vs. Georgia Southern
Appalachian State plays Georgia Southern in a key Sun Belt Conference game Thursday (7:30 p.m., ESPNU) in Statesboro, Ga. Here are five things to know about the game between the 25th-ranked Mountaineers (5-1, 3-0 Sun Belt) and Eagles (6-1, 3-0), who are tied for second in the Sun Belt’s East Division, a half game behind Troy (6-2, 4-0).
First time ranked
Appalachian is ranked in the Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time in program history. The ranking comes thanks to a five-game winning streak that began after the Mountaineers lost their season opener 45-38 in overtime at Penn State. The first time the Mountaineers received votes in the poll was in 2007 after, as a Football Championship Subdivision team, they upset Michigan. That victory compelled the AP to change its rules and allow FCS teams to receive votes.
Bitter rivalry renewed
The Mountaineers and Eagles are longtime, bitter rivals from their days in the FCS Southern Conference. They were two of that league’s most successful programs (Appalachian won or shared 14 conference championships and won three FCS titles; Georgia Southern won or shared 10 league titles and won six national championships), making the move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision and Sun Belt together in 2014. App State made the quicker, more successful transition, going to bowl games in each of the first four seasons they’ve been in the league. The Eagles played in the GoDaddy Bowl in 2015. The Mountaineers lead the series 19-13-1 and are 3-1 against the Eagles in Sun Belt play.
Strong run games
The Mountaineers are without standout running back Jalin Moore, who is out for the season with an ankle injury. But Darrynton Evans has filled in admirably, averaging 119.7 yards rushing and 142.0 all-purpose yards in conference games (league-leading totals). The Eagles will answer with their option-based ground attack that averages 275.6 yards per game, which ranks fifth nationally. Quarterback Shae Werts (78.7 yards per game) and running back Wesley Fields (77.4) are both among the league’s top rushers. The Mountaineers, however, own the league’s top defense: They lead the league in scoring defense (15.7 points per game), rushing defense (112.2 yards per game) and total yards per game (294.8). They’re second in the league in pass defense (182.7), as well. The Mountaineers’ defense averages 6.33 three-and-outs per game, best in the country.
Very special teams
The Georgia Southern special teams will have to be on their game. The Mountaineers have four special-team touchdowns (most in the country) — Evans’ 100-yard kickoff return at Penn State, Thomas Hennigan’s 59-yard punt return at Charlotte, Steven Jones’ end-zone recovery of his blocked punt against Gardner-Webb and Clifton Duck’s 62-yard punt return against Gardner-Webb.
Old friends
Appalachian coach Scott Satterfield and Georgia Southern’s Chad Lunsford were assistants on coach Jerry Moore’s staff at Appalachian State in 2001-02. Lunsford and his wife Tippy lived in the basement of Scott and Beth Satterfield’s Boone home. Satterfield was the running backs coach; Lunsford coached tight ends.
This story was originally published October 24, 2018 at 4:04 PM.