BOONE, N.C. – Moving forward from a 10-3 season that included a Sun Belt Conference title and a second straight Camellia Bowl victory, Appalachian State begins its 2017 season with a nationally televised game at No. 15 Georgia.
Kickoff in 92,746-seat Sanford Stadium is set for 6:15 p.m. on ESPN.
DATE/TIME: Sat., Sept. 2, 2017 – 6:15 p.m. ET – Sanford Stadium – Athens, Ga.
WEATHER FORECAST AT KICKOFF: Temperature 81 (feel of 83) - Chance of rain 0% - Humidity 54%
TV: ESPN (Mike Patrick - PxP, Tommy Tuberville – Analyst, Paul Carcaterra - Sidelines)
Appalachian Sports Network: Adam Witten - PxP,
Pierre Banks - Analyst, Molly Cotten - Sidelines
WEEK ONE GAME NOTES: APPALACHIAN STATE
POSITIONAL PREVIEWS
PART ONE: App State's passing offense vs. Georgia's pass defense
PART TWO: App State's pass defense vs. Georgia's passing offense
PART THREE: App State's rush defense vs. Georgia's rushing offense
PART FOUR: App State's rushing offense vs. Georgia's rush defense
PART FIVE: Special teams outlook for App State, Georgia
For the App State seniors who began playing at the same time the Mountaineers made their FBS debut in 2014, the first road game of the season has always been against a Power Five conference opponent.
Appalachian traveled to Michigan in 2014 and Clemson in 2015. After leading for most of an overtime loss at Tennessee last year, the Mountaineers open 2017 against another SEC East Division favorite.
Georgia is the home state for 17 players on head coach
Scott Satterfield's roster, including eight seniors: quarterback
Taylor Lamb, right guard
Colby Gossett, safety
A.J. Howard, outside linebacker
Devan Stringer, outside linebacker
Rashaad Townes, defensive end
Antonious Sims, running back
Terrence Upshaw and receiver
Zy Letman. Seven true freshmen or redshirt freshmen are also from the Peach State.
The ties run deepest for Lamb, whose grandfather, "Papa" Ray, worked in the Bulldogs' program for 19 years as a coordinator of high school relations. Lamb grew up rooting for Texas, and his father, Bobby, is currently the head coach at FCS-level Mercer University in Macon.
"It might add a little bit to (the game) because we recruit Georgia so hard," Lamb said. "We get guys that might not have that big-time offer from Georgia. We get those guys that need to develop a little more to get to that level. They've come up here and developed, and now we're going down to play those guys.
"It's a good opportunity for those guys to show what they've got but at the same time stay within the game plan."
Georgia went 8-5 and beat TCU in the Liberty Bowl last year in the debut season for head coach Kirby Smart, a former Alabama assistant.
The Bulldogs brought back 10 defensive starters from a group that ranked 16
th nationally by allowing 327.5 yards per game. Offensively, they again have senior running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel at the disposal for sophomore quarterback Jacob Eason's second season as a starter.
App State has seven starters returning on each side of the ball, including Lamb, running back
Jalin Moore and the right-side line tandem of Gossett and tackle
Beau Nunn. Defensively, linebacker
Eric Boggs, tackle
Myquon Stout and cornerback
Clifton Duck join Howard, Sims and Stringer among the top returners.
"It'll be a big-time challenge for us to go down there and compete at Georgia," Satterfield said, "but we're looking forward to it."
