***Note - Sunday, Sept. 6 *** After film review, it has been determined that Simms McElfresh's second quarter touchdown came on a lateral. Therefore, it has been changed from a 17-yard pass to a 17-yard rush. The recap and stats have been edited to reflect the change.
BOONE, N.C. –– Taylor Lamb threw for a career-high-tying three touchdowns, Marcus Cox ran for 105 yards on just 11 carries and Appalachian State University's defense pitched its third shutout on 12 games in a 49-0 victory over Howard in Saturday's season opener at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Appalachian State (1-0) outgained Howard (0-1) by a whopping 663-172 margin en route to its seventh-straight victory. The Mountaineers have not been on the losing end of a decision in 329 days and their seven-game winning streak is currently tied for the fourth-longest in NCAA Division I FBS (Memphis, which brought a seven-game winning streak into the 2015 campaign, hosts Missouri State on Saturday night).
After surrendering 68 yards over Howard's first two possessions, Appalachian's defense allowed only 104 yards the rest of the game to become the first Mountaineer team in 16 years to shut out an opponent three times in as few as 12 games. The Mountaineers recorded three shutouts over an eight-game stretch spanning the 1998-99 seasons.
Offensively, Appalachian State scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions to grab a commanding 28-0 halftime lead. After Lamb tossed his third touchdown pass of the day to cap the opening series of the second half, Appalachian pulled its starters from the game. However, redshirt freshman J.P. Caruso engineered back-to-back scoring drives on the first two series of his career to stretch the Mountaineers' lead to 49-0 with 1:29 still left to play in the third quarter.
Lamb's sterling day included touchdown passes of five yards to junior tight end Barrett Burns, 50 yards to sophomore wide receiver Shaedon Meadors and 20 yards to senior wideout Simms McElfresh. The reigning Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year finished 16-of-21 for 209 yards and the career-high-tying three touchdowns, despite playing only one series in the second half. His 206.93 passer rating was a career high, surpassing his previous best mark of 198.16, set in last season's finale versus Idaho.
Cox's 105 yards came on just 11 carries and included a 68-yard touchdown run, the second-longest of his career. The 100-yard rushing effort was his 15th in 25 career games and moved him into a tie with Chip Hooks (1991-94), who was inducted into Appalachian's Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, for the fifth-most 100-yard rushing games in school history.
Cox (9.5 ypr) was one of six Mountaineers that averaged at least 7.0 yards per rush on Saturday, joining McElfresh (17.0), Caruso (10.2), Lamb (10.2), redshirt freshman running back Jalin Moore (7.1) and senior running back Ricky Fergerson (7.0). McElfresh scored his first of two touchdowns on a 17-yard run in the second quarter and Moore scored the first touchdown of his career on a seven-yard run in the third period.
Twelve different Mountaineers caught passes, led by Meadors (4 rec., 64 yds.) and McElfresh (4 rec., 51 yards). Sophomore Ike Lewis hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass in the third period.
Inside linebackers Eric Boggs and John Law led App State's stout defensive effort with nine and eight tackles, respectively. The Mountaineers amassed seven tackles for loss, led by senior defensive end Ronald Blair's one-and-a-half. Sophomore cornerback Latrell Gibbs had Appalachian's lone takeaway on an acrobatic interception in the third quarter.
Appalachian State returns to action next Saturday with a non-conference matchup at No. 12 Clemson (a 49-10 winner over Wofford on Saturday). Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN3.
NOTES: Opening the season at home for the first time in 14 years, Appalachian State won its season opener for the first time since a 42-41 triumph at Chattanooga on Sept. 4, 2010 ... despite being just 4-10 in its last 14 season openers, Appalachian moved to 48-35-3 all-time in lid-lifters ... the Mountaineers also moved to 63-20-2 all-time in home openers, including a sterling 26-2 mark when opening the campaign at home ... the shutout was App State's first in a season opener since a 7-0 win over Emory & Henry on Sept. 17, 1960 ... with a crowd of 24,314, Appalachian's attendance surpassed Kidd Brewer's seating capacity (23,150) for 55th time in the last 59 games ... the Mountaineers moved to 72-14 in their last 86 home games.
