App State is back in the Top 25. This time the Mountaineers hope to stay a bit longer

Appalachian State football coach Eli Drinkwitz has a history lesson for any of his players ready to celebrate the Mountaineers’ top-25 national ranking this week.

“The last time we were nationally ranked, we were ranked for five days,” Drinkwitz says. “That’s something to think about.”

With a 5-0 record, the Mountaineers cracked the Associated Press poll this week at No. 24. It’s the highest ranking ever for a Sun Belt Conference team and only the second time that ASU has been in the top 25.

The first time didn’t end well.

Last year, after App State built a 5-1 record that included a season-opening overtime loss at Penn State, the Mountaineers peaked at No. 25 in the AP poll. Five days later, they were clobbered 34-14 on national television by Georgia Southern.

Alabama coach Nick Saban has a word for anything that blurs his players’ focus. He calls it “rat poison.”

Drinkwitz is of the same mind, even if he uses less colorful terms.

“It’s just a distraction, not a focus of ours,” says Drinkwitz, who was an assistant at N.C. State last year when the Mountaineers had their brief fling with the top 25.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with our goals,” he adds. “The same people who will pat you on the back for being in the top 25 will question your third-down play-calling.

“On Saturday, they won’t give us 24 extra points because we’re ranked.”

There are some similarities between last year and this season for the Mountaineers.

Coming to Boone on Saturday (3:30 p.m. kickoff) is Louisiana Monroe (3-3, 2-0), which is leading the Sun Belt’s Western Division. The Warhawks have a strong defense and played well in losses to Memphis and Florida State.

“They do a nice job of forcing you into doing things you don’t want to do,” Drinkwitz says of the Warhawks. “They are good at forcing turnovers. The best thing we do is not turn it over. Something will give on Saturday.”

Open it up?: Drinkwitz says he might have been “a little conservative” with the play-calling in last Wednesday’s 17-7 Mountaineers’ victory at Louisiana. “That’s on me,” he says. “Our defense was playing well, and I didn’t want to change the game with a turnover.

“But we didn’t take opportunities we had on the outside. I’ll learn from that.”

Sun Belt sweep: The Mountaineers won both the offensive and defensive player of the week awards in the Sun Belt. Quarterback Zac Thomas was recognized after accounting for 210 yards of offense and running for both touchdowns. And linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither won the defensive award for his 11 tackles, including 2.5 for lost yardage.

Thomas is award finalist: Thomas is among 20 quarterbacks named as finalists for the 2019 Johnny United Golden Arm Award, presented annually to the top senior or fourth-year junior quarterback. The competition includes Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, considered one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy award.

More national TV: Appalachian State’s Oct. 26 game at South Alabama has been set for noon and will be carried nationally by ESPNU. The Mountaineers’ following game, a Halloween (Thursday) home contest against Georgia Southern, also will be on ESPNU.

Driving to Boone?: If you’re planning to drive to the Mountaineers’ 3:30 p.m. Saturday game, be advised that you’ll have some company. Watauga County authorities are expecting heavy traffic, with Appalachian State homecoming, the annually Woolly Worm Festival (Banner Elk) and the Valle Fair (Valle Crucis) all taking place this weekend.

Officials suggest that anyone heading to the game leave considerably earlier than usual. In addition, they say, traffic will be heavier with some people headed to the high country to see the leaves changing color.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle