Linebacker Eric Boggs key to App State turnaround

Eric Boggs won’t blow anyone away with his speed or athleticism, but for Appalachian State’s last 18 games, he’s been as steady as the downpour that fell on the Mountaineers (10-2) during Wednesday afternoon’s practice in preparation for the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, where it plays Ohio (8-4) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN).

Boggs, a sophomore linebacker, has been one of the key forces in App State’s dramatic turnaround that began midway through last season, with the Mountaineers going 16-2 since he was inserted Oct. 18, 2014, as a starter for the victory at Troy.

Over the 18-game stretch, App State has allowed 18.8 points and 301 yards per game, compared to 34.8 points and 427 yards over the first six games of 2014.

“He’s a guy that’s just a good football player. Nothing wows you about him. He doesn’t run extremely fast or that kind of thing,” coach Scott Satterfield said. “I think he’s very smart. He understands the game, he understands where he needs to be, understands how he fits in the defense and he’s a winner. You put all those things together, and that’s why he’s helped us win a lot of games.”

Not one for the spotlight, Boggs credited everyone but himself. Instead, he talked about quarterback Taylor Lamb lighting a fire under the team with a motivational speech the night before his first start and fellow linebacker Devin Stringer for contributing on defense.

“I ain’t going to say it’s all me. It’s definitely not,” Boggs said. “On a leadership kind of thing, I try to keep everybody going.

“That might be one of the main things that got everybody motivated really. After that, everybody was just tired of losing games and is coming out here and competing. There were several other freshman, like Stringer and guys like that, (who) came in and started playing. Guys just started bonding and competing.”

As a starter for half of 2014, Boggs finished fifth on the team with 43 tackles.

Coach Dale Jones, who coaches inside linebackers, said coaches knew Boggs would be special. They just didn’t want to stunt his growth by throwing him in the fire too early.

“There’s no question we knew how good he was going to be. It was a matter of him getting reps. We worked him in to get him reps, get him confidence and that was a key to it – is try not to rush him in there,” he said. “When he got his opportunity, he made it count.”

A second-team All-Sun Belt selection this season, Boggs leads App State with 95 tackles, with 6 1/2 for loss and three sacks. He’s also second on the team with three interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Twice in App State’s past seven games, Boggs has been selected as the Sun Belt’s defensive player of the week, beginning with an 11-tackle, two-interception performance at Louisiana-Monroe.

The second came after a three-sack – the first three of his career – performance against Louisiana-Lafayette.

In the 34-27 victory at South Alabama, Boggs tallied a career-high 15 tackles and returned an interception 45 yards to help the Mountaineers clinch the fourth 10-win regular season in school history.

At 6-3, 235 pounds, Boggs possesses ideal size for an inside linebacker in the Mountaineers’ 3-4 defense, but Jones, a two-time All-SEC linebacker at Tennessee, insisted that’s not what makes him special.

“No. 1, he’s a very intelligent football player. He plays physical – that’s a key to being a good inside linebacker – and he has great instincts and he works hard at being good,” he said.

As for his continued development, Boggs – unsurprisingly – again deflected credit to focus on the defense as a whole.

“Coach Jones just does a great job each and every day, in the meeting rooms, individual drills, team drills, everything. Coach Jones is right there telling us the right thing to do,” he said. “Inside linebackers as a whole, we’ve really got a group that bonded together. We’re all together at all times … we’re like brothers. When we get out there we compete together, play together like brothers.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 8:09 PM with the headline "Linebacker Eric Boggs key to App State turnaround."