BOONE, N.C. — Only Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Wisconsin have better records than Appalachian State over the last 40 games.
With a streak of consecutive starts spanning the same length of time, senior linebacker Eric Boggs has been a valuable, versatile contributor to App State's 32-8 overall record that includes a 24-2 mark in Sun Belt Conference games.
As the first-place Mountaineers (5-3, 4-0) prepare to play at ULM (3-5, 3-3) on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, Boggs is one of only two active FBS players with at least 300 career tackles, 10.0 sacks and seven interceptions.
"A lot of things are put back on the linebackers because we're the quarterbacks of the defense," Boggs said. "I've been here for four years, so they definitely expect a lot out of me, and that's the way it should be."
Boggs played in every game as a true freshman and became a starter when 2014 senior Brandon McGowan suffered a season-ending knee injury in App State's sixth game. The Mountaineers were 1-5 in their FBS debut when Boggs made his first career start, and he's been a mainstay at inside linebacker throughout their highly successful run during the last three years.
After leading the team with 104 tackles as a sophomore and 98 as a junior, he has a team-best 68 stops this season. His 313 career tackles rank 11th among active FBS players and seventh among active FBS linebackers.
Boggs passed 300 last weekend, as he earned the Sun Belt's Defensive Player of the Week award after tying his career high of 15 tackles, intercepting one pass, posting one sack, forcing one fumble and breaking up two passes at UMass.
"He's a great football player for us and has been for the past four years," said inside linebackers coach Dale Jones, who had 350 tackles during his career as an All-America linebacker at Tennessee in the 1980s. "It doesn't surprise me that he has days like that. When those opportunities come, he usually makes the most of them."
Boggs' all-around excellence was pivotal to an App State rally. Tee Sims' recovery of Boggs' forced fumble set up the Mountaineers' first touchdown, and Boggs' 36-yard return following his interception of a wide receiver pass led to a touchdown that cut the deficit to 17-14 late in the first half.
Boggs has enjoyed eye-popping performances in regard to tackles (15 against South Alabama as a sophomore) and sacks (3.0 against Louisiana a week before that South Alabama game). Interceptions are rarer for most middle linebackers, and the only active FBS linebacker with more career picks than Boggs is South Carolina's Skai Moore, who has 13. Ohio linebacker Quentin Poling is the only other member of the 300-10-7 club with 346 tackles, 14.0 sacks and seven interceptions.
"It's just studying the game," said Boggs, who now plays alongside first-year starter Anthony Flory in a 3-4 scheme with two inside linebackers and two outside linebackers. "It's studying not only the offense that we're playing, but studying our defense and knowing what you have to do to be successful against other teams.
"Coach Jones has always done a great job, sometimes one-on-one, just sitting down with me when I need to go over some things, and I had (John) Law in front of me to teach me things. It's just on me and having guys around me to become better."
The pass-catching component comes naturally for Boggs, who received all-state recognition at tight end as a senior at Belton-Honea Path High School near Anderson, S.C.
Malone Stadium, the site of this weekend's game, is where Boggs made his first two career interceptions in 2015, when App State beat ULM 59-14. He has picked off passes against five Sun Belt teams, and his versatility gives defensive coordinator Nate Woody more options in developing game plans to slow down opposing offenses.
"Each week is always unique," Jones said. "There's always things we change up. To make that change, either our inside linebacker has to play something different or he has to make checks to make sure everybody's on the same page. It takes a kid that's dedicated and is a smart young man. Boggs has all those qualities."
