CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Zac Thomas' perfect game as a passer highlighted a complete performance from Appalachian State, which scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams in a 45-9 road victory against Charlotte on Saturday night.
Thomas went 14 of 14 for 295 yards and three touchdowns through the air, marking the first time an App State or Sun Belt quarterback finished a game with at least 10 completions and no incompletions. He also had a 5-yard rushing touchdown as the Mountaineers (1-1) amassed 434 total yards in front of a record 19,151 fans at Richardson Stadium.
"We had a great week of practice, and it showed tonight," App State head coach
Scott Satterfield said.
"They took away our running game early on, and we had to go a little bit more with the passing game. Our receivers made some outstanding plays. … The defense kept them out of the end zone, and that's huge for us."
Charlotte native
Corey Sutton was Thomas' top target, catching three passes for 155 yards. Sutton had touchdowns of 27 and 90 yards, with his fourth-quarter score now ranking as the longest receiving touchdown in school history. Otis Smith didn't score on a 95-yard connection with Satterfield, then App State's quarterback, in 1994.
Thomas Hennigan reached the end zone on a 59-yard punt return, and App State senior
Austin Exford recovered a fumble in the end zone to close the scoring in the first meeting between the two in-state FBS programs.
Exford (six tackles, including 1.5 for loss),
Noel Cook (seven tackles with one sack),
Akeem Davis-Gaither (team-high eight tackles),
Anthony Flory (six tackles) and
Desmond Franklin (47-yard interception return) led a defense that recorded three sacks, nine tackles for loss and seven quarterback hurries while keeping the 49ers (1-1) out of the end zone. Charlotte trailed 24-9 at halftime after it kicked second-quarter field goals covering 46, 54 and 48 yards.
"We prepared as hard as we could, just like with any other opponent," Exford said. "Scoring that late touchdown, it felt real good to cap it off like that."
A 19-yard run by
Jalin Moore to move the chains in a third-and-6 situation on the opening drive started App State on the right foot, and
Chandler Staton ended that drive with a 31-yard field goal. The Mountaineers forced a three-and-out as Franklin and freshman linebacker
Trey Cobb, on the field for his first career snap, limited Charlotte back Benny LeMay to a 1-yard gain on a third-and-2 carry.
Thomas' touchdown on a 5-yard keeper late in the first quarter extended Appalachian's lead, and Thomas followed the 49ers' first field goal with a pair of drive-opening completions to freshman tight end
Henry Pearson for 17 and 14 yards. That series ended with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Sutton, who became the first App State player to need less than four catches to gain 150 receiving yards in a game.
After Charlotte's Jonathan Cruz converted another long field goal,
Malik Williams gained 38 yards on a pass from Thomas to set up a receiving touchdown from another Charlotte-area native in
Dominique Heath. He scored a 7-yard touchdown to help the Mountaineers establish a 24-6 lead before Cruz closed the first half with his third field goal.
"Every receiver we have can do what we need to do and they get open," said Thomas, whose 14 completions involved seven receivers. "There's never a time when they're not open, and the O-line has done a phenomenal job. It's awesome to get up there knowing you're the quarterback and you have protection so you can stand back there with confidence and deliver the ball."
The three second-half touchdowns all came on big plays, with Hennigan's third-quarter punt return, Sutton's 90-yard reception early in the fourth quarter and Exford's fumble recovery removing any drama.
A final block from
Steven Jones cleared the way for Hennigan to score. Sutton caught one of Thomas' final passes at the App State 20, turned up the field and sprinted the final 80 yards while being chased by six Charlotte defenders.
"I just caught it and saw open grass, so I was just trying not to get caught," Sutton said. "I knew my teammates wouldn't let it go if I got caught."
