APPALACHIAN STATE 34 , SOUTH ALABAMA 27
DECEMBER 5, 2015 • MOBILE, ALA. (LADD-PEEBLES STADIUM)
POSTGAME NOTES
Team
• Appalachian State (10-2, 7-1 Sun Belt) earned its Sun Belt Conference-record-tying 10th win of the season.
• Appalachian State is the fourth team in Sun Belt history to win 10 games in a season, joining Middle Tennessee in 2009 and Arkansas State in 2011 and 2012.
• Appalachian State joined Arkansas State's 2011 squad as the only Sun Belt teams to ever win 10 games in a regular season (Middle Tennessee in 2009 and A-State in 2012 won bowl games to reach 10 victories).
• Appalachian State also reached double-digit regular-season wins for only the fourth time in the program's 86-year history. The Mountaineers previously had double-digit regular-season wins in 1995 (11-0), 2006 (10-1) and 2008 (10-2).
• Appalachian State finished alone in second place in the final Sun Belt standings, one game behind league champion Arkansas State (9-3, 8-0 Sun Belt). In its two seasons in the Sun Belt, Appalachian has finished third (6-2 – 2014) and second (7-1 – 2015) in the conference.
• Appalachian State has won 16 of its last 18 games overall.
• Appalachian State has won 13 of its last 14 Sun Belt games.
• Appalachian State has won six-straight games in the state of Alabama.
• Appalachian State matched a season-high with four turnovers. The Mountaineers also had four turnovers in a 41-10 loss at Clemson on Sept. 12.
• Appalachian State matched its longest pass of the season (58-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Lamb to Simms McElfresh in the first quarter) and had its second-longest run of the season (Marcus Cox's 74-yard run on the first play from scrimmage).
Individual
• Junior running back Marcus Cox rushed for a season-high 192 yards on 14 carries (13.7 avg.).
• Cox eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the 21st time in 35 career games. He pulled within one 100-yard rushing game of the school record of 22, set by John Settle from 1983-86.
• Cox also moved into fourth in Appalachian State history with 3,926 career rushing yards. Cox surpassed Damon Scott (3,800 yards – 1993-96) for fourth on the school's all-time rushing list with a 74-yard run on the game's first play from scrimmage.
• On an 18-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, Cox became the fourth student-athlete and third non-kicker in Appalachian State history with 300 career points.
• Senior wide receiver Simms McElfresh moved alone into eighth place at Appalachian State with 13 career touchdown receptions on a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
• With two touchdown passes, sophomore quarterback Taylor Lamb upped his season total to 29, just one shy of Appalachian State's single-season record of 30 set by Armanti Edwards in 2008.
• Senior defensive lineman Ronald Blair had a career-high 11 tackles (prev.10 vs. Wofford on Oct. 20, 2012).
• Sophomore linebacker Eric Boggs recorded a career-high 15 tackles, surpassing his previous high of 14 earlier this season versus Troy on Oct. 31.
• Senior place kicker Zach Matics made two field goals from 50 yards or more (51, 50 yds.). He previously made only one field goal from 50 yards or more in his career (51 yds. vs. Wyoming on Oct. 3, 2015).
