BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State outside linebacker
Noel Cook made his first career start on a big stage.
He had to wait a little longer than anticipated for his second act, but he came through with another strong performance.
After missing the 2018 opener at Penn State with an injury, Cook made his season debut at Charlotte and helped App State's defense keep the 49ers out of the end zone in a 45-9 victory. Playing for the first time since he recorded four tackles as a first-time starter during a 34-0 bowl shutout of Toledo nine months earlier, he recorded a sack immediately after delivering a behind-the-line stop and later broke up a pass with a jarring, open-field hit.
By game's end, Cook had finished with a career-high seven tackles.
"Football, you always deal with injuries," he said. "It's always great to bounce back and bring the energy that the team needs."
Cook had 122 tackles as a senior at Reidsville High School before arriving at Appalachian State as a walk-on linebacker. Now, with the Mountaineers preparing to face Gardner-Webb on Saturday in their 2018 home opener, he's a junior starter with a scholarship.
Cook played a significant role on special teams before stepping into a starting role during last year's victory in the Dollar General Bowl. While App State had to replace three of its four primary starters at linebacker from the 2017 season, including both outside linebackers in its 3-4 scheme, Cook and
Akeem Davis-Gaither both gained starting experience last year when seniors
Rashaad Townes and
Devan Stringer were out of the lineup.
"The No. 1 thing for us is gang-tackling," Cook said. "If you have 11 guys running to the ball every time, it's hard for the running back to get any type of yardage or explosive plays."
Tim Frizzell, who appeared on defense last season as a true freshman, started with Davis-Gaither in the 2018 opener at Penn State and contributed four tackles with one quarterback hurry. Cook returned to action the following week and thwarted the 49ers' best chance at a touchdown.
Charlotte moved inside the App State 10 early in the second quarter, and Cook tackled run-first quarterback Hassan Klugh for a 4-yard loss on first down. On the next play, Cook brought down starting quarterback Chris Reynolds as he threw the ball away for intentional grounding, which was recorded officially as a sack with penalty yardage added to the 11-yard loss.
On a third-and-9 play early in the fourth quarter, Cook broke up a pass with a hard hit on intended receiver Keshaun McGaugh.
"A couple of times I came free and nobody blocked me," Cook said. "Sometimes I saw a big gap I could shoot. Whenever you go hard, you're always going to end up the middle of something."
That approach is one reason why the Reidsville native has become such a valuable member of the Mountaineers' defense.
"He's just a very, very smart player," App State head coach
Scott Satterfield said. "He fits exactly where he's supposed to fit within the defense, and he's a very active player. To have him out there was a big impact for our defense because he disrupts the quarterback and obviously stops the running game on his side."
