LAFAYETTE, La. — Appalachian State University football won its fifth-consecutive game in convincing fashion, routing three-time-defending New Orleans Bowl champion UL Lafayette, 35-16, on Saturday afternoon at Cajun Field.
With the victory, Appalachian State (6-5, 5-2 Sun Belt) snapped UL Lafayette's six-game winning streak and handed the Ragin' Cajuns (7-4, 6-1 Sun Belt) their first Sun Belt Conference loss of the season.
The Mountaineers fell behind 3-0 midway through the first quarter but took a 7-3 lead on Marcus Cox's eight-yard touchdown run with 1:45 to go in the opening period and never trailed again.
After clinging to a 14-13 halftime advantage, Appalachian took over in the second half, outgaining UL Lafayette, 269-114, and outscoring the Cajuns, 21-3, after the break.
The second-half onslaught began in earnest midway through the third quarter when the Mountaineers marched 84 yards in four plays to stretch their lead to 21-13. True freshman Shaedon Meadors opened the drive by hauling in a 43-yard pass from Taylor Lamb. Three plays later, Lamb hit Montez McGuire in stride down the right sideline for a 40-yard touchdown.
UL Lafayette responded with a 33-yard field goal on its next series to cut it to 21-16 and App State's advantage remained at five points until the fourth quarter when it put together a back-breaking 13-play, 76-yard drive that melted 6:03 off the clock and culminated with Cox's second touchdown run of the day from two yards out that stretched the lead to 28-16 with 5:35 to go.
On the ensuing series, Appalachian State's defense forced a turnover on downs and three plays later, Terrence Upshaw put the game away with a 36-yard touchdown run that gave the Mountaineers an insurmountable 19-point lead with 2:25 to play.
The story of the game was Cox, who torched UL Lafayette's stout rushing defense for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The 100-yard game was the fifth in the last six games for Cox, who is likely in line to be named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in the last four weeks.
Upshaw added 54 yards on seven carries and Lamb ran for 31 yards on just two carries to give the Mountaineers 232 rushing yards — nearly 100 more than the Sun Belt's top-ranked rushing defense had allowed per game coming in (140.6 ypg).
Lamb also threw for 195 yards on 11-of-22 passing, with McGuire (two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown) and Meadors (two catches for 49 yards) being his top targets.
Defensively, Appalachian State limited UL Lafayette to just 259 yards, 166 fewer than the Cajuns averaged prior to Saturday. Sophomore linebacker John Law led the Mountaineers with nine tackles while Nathaniel Norwood, Devan Stringer, Ronald Blair, Joel Ross, Kennan Gilchrist and Deuce Robinson each had one of the Mountaineers' six sacks. The Ragin' Cajuns had allowed just 15 sacks through their first 10 games.
Appalachian State looks to close the season on a six-game winning streak next Saturday when it hosts its season finale versus Idaho (1-9, 1-6 Sun Belt). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
NOTES: Appalachian State's second touchdown came on a 33-yard punt return by Bobo Beathard, the Mountaineers' first punt-return touchdown in more than eight years … Dexter Jackson was the last Mountaineer to return a punt for a touchdown, doing so twice at Gardner-Webb on Sept. 23, 2006 … Cox's 100-yard game was his seventh of the season and 13th of his 23-game career … Appalachian won for the first time in seven all-time games played in the state of Louisiana … Appalachian State is the first team since Florida International in 2010 to beat Sun Belt powers Arkansas State and UL Lafayette in back-to-back games … FIU's offensive coordinator that season was current Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield … since FIU accomplished the feat, the last five teams that have played Arkansas State and UL Lafayette in back-to-back games have lost both contests.
