App State systematically dominates Louisiana-Lafayette, 28-7

In the era of high-flying air-raid spread options, simplicity can be viewed as a dirty word in football.

Not for coach Scott Satterfield and Appalachian State, which again committed to simplicity – running the ball and stopping the run – in a systematic 28-7 domination of Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday in a Sun Belt conference game at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

App State (9-2, 6-1) piled up 230 yards on 46 carries and limited ULL (4-7, 3-4) – which came in averaging 192 yards – to just 42 yards on 36 attempts.

“It really is a simple game. We try to find different ways of this and that to analyze, but if you come down and you can run the football and you can stop the run, you’ve got a great chance of winning,” coach Satterfield said. “It’s been proven over the history of football and we’ve kind of built our team toward that and we’ve been very successful dating to the middle of last year when we’re able to do that.”

Marcus Cox, returning to the lineup after missing the Mountaineers’ last game, rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, and Jalin Moore was sensational in relief, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown.

“We feel like we’ve got a really good 1-2 punch with those guys now, and we can keep them fresh. I think that’s huge, especially late in the game when you need a big run, and those legs are fresh and you can go get it,” Satterfield.

It wasn’t easy early for Moore, who was looking to build on his 244-yard performance in the 47-20 victory over Idaho on Nov. 14.

“I just give it to all those guys in the front blocking for me. It started out a little rocky, and I was kind of frustrated about it, saying the holes weren’t there,” Moore said. “I congratulate those guys for keeping my head straight, saying, ‘Be patient, the run will come, the run will come.’

“I just felt like I have more to prove. First, the game was a little rocky, and I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to disappoint anybody, I don’t want to disappoint the team, myself.’”

Moore, who carried 31 times for 302 yards over the first nine games, has 348 yards on 40 carries over the past two.

It was Moore’s 54-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter that sucked the life out of the Cajuns, helping App State to a 21-0 lead.

The Mountaineers led 14-0 at the half thanks to 9- and 1-yard touchdown runs by Cox, and just before halftime, Latrell Gibbs blocked a Stevie Artigue field goal attempt.

App State could have opened a bigger lead in the first half, if not for two untimely fumbles, but both times, the Mountaineers’ defense came up with key sacks to stop the Cajuns.

“Offensively we were moving the football and then to go down and get two turnovers, and our defense held them out with no points was huge early in the game,” Satterfield said.

According to linebacker John Law, the formula for defensive domination over the past two games is a simple one, too.

“From my experience being here and through the years of playing defense, that’s what it comes down to late in the season,” Law said. “Everybody is trying to find a gimmick, everybody is trying to find something that people haven’t seen, and a lot of times, it takes getting back to the basics; doing the small things, doing the small things you forget about over the weeks.”

Playing his final game at App State, reserve tight end Michael Moll caught his first career touchdown pass – his second career reception – with 6:34 to play to help push the Mountaineers’ lead to 28-0.

“I told him, ‘You went through that four years to catch that touchdown on senior day,’” Satterfield said. “He’ll never forget it; for him, it was worth every minute he was here.

“That’s how this program was built, on players just like him, and we’ve got a bunch of him. It was special for him and all of us, for him to be able to get in there and catch that touchdown.”

App State narrowly missed its third shutout of the season as the Cajuns’ Jordan Davis ran for a 20-yard touchdown with 57 seconds remaining.

After getting away from its run-first identity in a 40-27 loss to Arkansas State on Nov. 5, the Mountaineers have pounded the run, rushing 97 times for 631 yards over the past two games.

That has allowed App State to hold possession for 12 minutes more than its opponents over that stretch, keeping fresh a defense that has limited opponents to 545 yards over the past two games.

“The one game we haven’t done that was the Arkansas State game, and we didn’t win … that’s the one game we didn’t do it; it’s an easy formula,” Satterfield said.

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 7:00 PM with the headline "App State systematically dominates Louisiana-Lafayette, 28-7."