CHARLESTON, S.C. - Making his first-career start, Jamal Jackson led Appalachian State University to a season-high 552 yards of total offense and a 49-42 victory over The Citadel on Saturday afternoon at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Jackson completed his first 15 passes and led Appalachian (4-2, 2-1 SoCon) to touchdowns on seven of its first eight possessions to help ASU jump out to a commanding 49-14 lead midway through the third quarter.

The Citadel (2-4, 1-4 SoCon) scored 28-straight points to cut the Mountaineer lead to just seven points with 6:10 to go but Appalachian put together a 13-play, 55-yard drive to milk the final six-plus minutes off the clock and seal the win.

Starting in place of injured All-America signal-caller DeAndre Presley, Jackson completed 21-of-27 passes without an interception for 234 yards and three touchdowns in the triumph. ASU's offense was also buoyed by two 100-yard rushers in Travaris Cadet, who carried 18 times for 133 yards, and Steven Miller, who also carried 18 times for 102 yards, and Brian Quick's 131 receiving yards.

After scoring only two offensive touchdowns in its last 23 possessions, Appalachian's offense clicked from the get-go on Saturday. The Mountaineers marched 82 yards in 10 plays on its opening series, never going deeper than second down and capping its most impressive drive in nearly a month with a five-yard touchdown run by Cedric Baker Boney.

Helped by a 26-yard gain on a fake punt, The Citadel (2-4, 1-4 SoCon) evened the score at 7-7 on its ensuing possession but ASU answered with four more consecutive touchdown drives to take a commanding 35-14 lead on Ben Jorden's three-yard TD catch with 1:18 to go in the second quarter. The Mountaineers' only punt of the first half came with less than 10 seconds to play before halftime.

It was more of the same for ASU immediately following the break, as it drove for touchdowns on its first two possessions of the second half to stretch its advantage to 49-14 midway through the third quarter.

Things appeared to get even more comfortable for Appalachian when Demetrius McCray ended The Citadel's next possession with his second interception of the year but, instead, the Bulldogs dominated the next 15 minutes of the ballgame to put the outcome in doubt. Thanks in large part to two ASU fumbles and a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown, The Citadel scored four touchdowns in a 12:28 span to cut the Mountaineer advantage from 49-14 to 49-42 with 6:10 to go.

However, ASU responded to the score that brought the Bulldogs within one score by putting together perhaps its most critical drive of the season to date, driving 55 yards on 13 plays and, most importantly, milking the final 6:10 off the clock to seal the victory. Cadet carried seven times for 40 yards on the game-clinching drive and Jackson completed both of his passes, including a six-yard connection with Andrew Peacock on third down that kept the series alive. The Mountaineers had the ball on the Citadel one yard line with 59 seconds remaining but knelt twice to end the ballgame.

In all, Appalachian outgained The Citadel, 552-349, including a season-best 318 rushing yards and 234-88 advantage in passing, and held a commanding 35:07-24:53 edge in time of possession. ASU also converted 9-of-15 third downs, its second-best percentage of the season.

Defensively, Jeremy Kimbrough led Appalachian with 11 tackles while Dominique McDuffie turned in one of his finest games as a Mountaineer with eight tackles, including a tackle for loss, a pass break-up and a fumble recovery.

Appalachian, which moved to 20-1 in its last 21 games immediately following a same-season loss, returns home for the first time in nearly a month when it hosts Samford for homecoming next Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

NOTES: ASU had multiple 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since a 49-7 win at Chattanooga on Nov. 7, 2008 (Armanti Edwards - 152, Baker Boney - 107 and Presley - 101) ... Quick's second-quarter touchdown catch was the 25th of his career, moving him into a tie with Bob Agle (1965-68) for tops on ASU's all-time touchdown receptions list ... Quick's 100-yard game was his third of the season and ninth of his career ... Jorden's second-quarter touchdown catch was the 14th of his career, tying him with Daniel Bettis (2002-06) for most ever by an Appalachian tight end ... junior punter Sam Martin's downed a punt inside the five yard line for the seventh time this season with his 39-yard punt at the end of the first half ... ASU defeated The Citadel for the eighth-straight time and 17th time in their last 18 meetings ... the Mountaineers' 28 first downs were the most surrendered by The Citadel since Tim Tebow-led Florida amassed 28 first downs against the Bulldogs in 2008 ... Appalachian won for the 29th time in its last 31 SoCon games and avoided suffering consecutive conference losses for the first time since 2002 ... ASU moved to 19-6 in games immediately following an open week in 23 seasons under head coach Jerry Moore ... Baker Boney (shoulder) and senior linebacker Demery Brewer left the game with injuries — they will be reevaluated on Sunday.