As has become a summer tradition, appstatesports.com is counting down Appalachian State University athletics' 30 most memorable games, matches and meets from the 2014-15 academic year. This year's countdown begins on Monday, July 6 and will continue until Tuesday, August 4, the opening day of Appalachian State football's fall camp.
Be sure to check appstatesports.com each day to relive all of the Mountaineers' most lasting memories of an exciting and successful 2014-15.
Mountaineers Mash Idaho for Sixth-Straight Win
November 29, 2014
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University football completed its incredible turnaround from a 1-5 start by closing the season with its sixth-straight victory, a 45-28 rout over Idaho on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
With the victory, Appalachian State closes its first regular season as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with a 7-5 overall record. The Mountaineers finished 6-2 in Sun Belt Conference play, good for a third-place finish in their first campaign in the league.
Appalachian State has filed a request for a waiver from its NCAA-mandated postseason ineligibility (all programs transitioning from NCAA Division I FCS to FBS are barred from postseason play during that two-year process — Appalachian is in the second year of its transition and has completed or is on an appropriate timeline to complete all requirements for full FBS membership). The NCAA has notified App State that its request will be considered next week. Should the request be granted, the Mountaineers will be eligible to receive and accept a bowl invitation on or before Sunday, Dec. 7.
Saturday's all-important seventh win of the season did not come easy, as Appalachian State had to overcome 7-0 and 9-7 deficits in the first quarter before pulling away.
After Idaho (1-10, 1-7 Sun Belt) took a 6-0 lead on a 17-play drive to open the ballgame, the Mountaineers responded one play later when redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Lamb hooked up with true freshman wideout Shaedon Meadors for a 59-yard touchdown pass on Appalachian's first play from scrimmage to take a 7-6 lead.
The Mountaineers' advantage was short-lived, as Idaho strung together 10 plays and kicked a 43-yard field goal to regain a 9-7 lead. In addition to the two-point advantage, the Vandals had run 27 plays compared to just one for App State with 3:20 to go in the opening period.
However, Appalachian State took control at that point, scoring 31 of the game's next 37 points to turn the two-point deficit into a commanding 38-15 lead on Marcus Cox's second touchdown run of the day with 10:51 to go in the game.
Cox finished with 122 yards and two scores on 25 carries (4.9 avg.), good for his sixth 100-yard effort in the last eight games, his eighth of the season and his 14th in just 24 career games. Despite undergoing knee surgery just two weeks prior to the season opener at Michigan, he finished the campaign with 1,415 yards, the sixth-highest single-season total in Appalachian State history. With 2,665 yards through just two seasons, he is on pace to shatter the Mountaineers' career record of 4,804 yards, held by App State Hall of Famer Kevin Richardson (2004-07).
Lamb connected on 13-of-20 passes for 223 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns to lead the passing game. In the process, he set a new Appalachian State freshman record with 2,381 passing yards, breaking the previous mark of 2,251 set by Armanti Edwards in 2006. Lamb broke the record on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Tacoi Sumler early in the second quarter.
Defensively, Appalachian State limited to Idaho to 365 total yards, including just 208 through the air, 72 fewer than the Vandals' league-leading 280.4 passing yards per game coming in. The Mountaineers were particularly effective against Biletnikoff Award candidate wideout Joshua McCain, who they held to just three receptions for 39 yards (both season lows). McCain came into the game with 73 receptions for 1,123 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Inside linebacker John Law led the defensive effort with 14 tackles while safety Alex Gray added eight stops. Defensive end Ronald Blair chipped in with six tackles, a tackle for loss and three quarterback hurries.
NOTES: Appalachian State's six-game winning streak is its longest since it won its first eight games in 2010 … the Mountaineers scored at least 35 points in each of their last seven games, their longest such streak since they did so in the first eight games of the '10 campaign … Appalachian moved to 22-1 in its last 23 home games played in the month of November … the Mountaineers moved to 2-0 all-time against opponents from the Pacific time zone (App State beat Eastern Washington, 38-35, in the quarterfinals of the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs) … Appalachian evened its record at 1-1 all-time against opponents from the state of Idaho (the Mountaineers lost at Boise State, 17-14, in the quarterfinals of the 1994 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs) … Idaho lost for the sixth-straight time when playing in the Eastern time zone … the Vandals' last win in the Eastern time zone was a 33-13 victory at Western Michigan on Oct. 2, 2010 … in a departure from its customary black-on-black home ensemble, Appalachian State wore gold pants for the first time since a 55-14 win over Coastal Carolina on Sept. 29, 2012 ... Bentlee Critcher's 49-yard field goal in the first quarter was a career-long and the longest by an Appalachian State kicker this season ... on Senior Day, fifth-year senior quarterback Logan Hallock, who sustained a season-ending knee injury on Sept. 6 against Campbell, entered the game and took a knee on the final two snaps to close out the contest.
