BOONE, N.C. – Running back Marcus Cox rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns to become Appalachian State's career rushing leader, lifting the Mountaineers past UL Monroe 42-17 on Senior Day at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
App State (8-3, 6-1 Sun Belt) piled up a season-high 637 yards of total offense – 429 yards rushing – to finish the home season at 5-1. App also ended ULM's (4-7, 3-4) bowl hopes with the win.
Cox broke loose for a 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to set the record and was mobbed by his teammates in the back of the end zone. He now has 4,819 career rushing yards, passing Kevin Richardson (4,804) for App's top spot.
The Mountaineers seized control early, scoring touchdowns on three of their first four drives to build a 21-3 lead. Cox had a 1-yard run to start the scoring on App's opening possession.
Quarterback Taylor Lamb joined in on the assault on the App record books on Apps' second score. Lamb found Ike Lewis wide open behind the ULM defense for 60 yards and his 60th career passing TD. Lamb passed Richie Williams for second on the App career list.
App held ULM to 361 yards of total offense and harassed Warhawks' QB Caleb Evans into 13-for-32 passing for 136 yards and a sack. Linebacker Eric Boggs finished with a team-high nine tackles and a sack for the Apps.
While ULM had some success moving the ball, the Warhawks couldn't keep pace with App, which averaged over nine yards per play in the win.
App struck quickly after forcing a punt on Monroe's opening drive. Lamb found Shaedon Meadors for 40 yards on the offense's first snap to move into ULM territory. Cox would cap the 5-play march with a 1-yard touchdown push to give the Mountaineers a 7-0 lead.
Lewis' 60-yard TD reception pushed the lead to 14-3. The catch was his first TD of the season and the longest catch of his career.
The Mountaineers pushed the lead to 21-10 at the half on a 3-yard throw-and-catch from Lamb to Burns on 4th-and-goal. Burns came free as Lamb rolled out and powered his way into the end zone for his 14th career TD reception, capping a 9-play, 80-yard march.
Cox added his second TD on the opening drive of the second half. Runs from Jalin Moore of 29 yards and 17 more from Taylor Lamb set up Cox's 50th career rushing TD, only the third player in program history with 50 career rushing touchdowns, joining Armanti Edwards and Kevin Richardson.
In high winds that made passing tough, App would go to work on the ground. Lamb scampered up the left sideline and inside the pylon from 35 yards out to give App State their longest TD run of the day. The score pushed the lead to 35-10 in the final minutes of the third quarter, finishing a 6-play, 70-yard drive, all on the ground.
Cox's record-setting run came with 12:08 left in the game and set off a wild celebration up and down the App sideline.
App travels to New Mexico State next Saturday with a shot at finishing 7-1 in the Sun Belt on the line. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. ET in Las Cruces.
-App State-
