POSTGAME NOTES — No. 21 App State 30, South Alabama 3
In winning its seventh straight game to open the 2019 season, No. 21 App State improved its winning streak to 13 games, which is the nation's third-longest active streak behind Clemson (23) and Ohio State (14). It's the second-longest winning streak in program history and the longest since moving to the FBS level. The Mountaineers won 17 straight games from 2006-07.
The Mountaineers are 4-0 in league play for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
App State improved its record to 38-6 in league play since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. It is 38-4 in its last 42 league games (after an 0-2 start) and 39-4 in its last 43 games against Sun Belt teams — counting the 2018 Sun Belt Championship Game against Louisiana.
Since joining the league, App State is now 18-4 in Sun Belt road games. In that time, the Mountaineers are 22-11 overall on the road. The only teams with more road wins since 2014 entering the weekend were Oklahoma (24), Clemson (24), Ohio State (23) and Boise State (23).
The 7-0 start is the Mountaineers' best since winning eight straight to begin the 2010 season,
when they were still competing at the FCS level.
DEFENSE
The Mountaineers' defense allowed three points and 139 yards to the Jaguars. It's the fewest points allowed since a 34-0 win over Toledo in the 2017 Dollar General Bowl (also at Ladd-Peebles Stadium) and the fewest yards allowed since a 54-7 win over Savannah State (114) in 2017. It was the fewest points allowed to a Sun Belt opponent since a 24-0 win vs. Louisiana in 2016 and fewest yards allowed in a league game since 2014 vs. Georgia State (62).
App State has given up its fewest points in a three-game stretch (17) since allowing 16 in 2015 wins vs. Old Dominion (49-0), Wyoming (31-13) and Georgia State (37-3). It's the best three-game Sun Belt stretch for the Mountaineer defense, which last gave up fewer than 17 points in three straight league games in 1998 as a member of the Southern Conference.
The Mountaineers officially recorded 10 three-and-outs on defense, but 10 times in the first 11 chances and 12 times overall App State needed three plays or less to force a punting situation or turnover once South Alabama's offense took the field. A roughing-the-punter penalty officially wiped out one three-and-out stand, but the Jaguars had to punt again three plays later.
D'Marco Jackson's first career sack was among three sacks on the day by the Mountaineers.
OFFENSE
App State eclipsed 300 rushing yards for the second straight game.
The Mountaineers have won 17 straight games with
Zac Thomas as the team's primary quarterback. His 17-2 overall record as App State's starting QB includes an overtime loss at Penn State in his first career start to begin the 2018 season, as well as a road loss to Georgia Southern in which Thomas was injured in the first series and missed the rest of the game.
True freshman
Raykwon Anderson rushed for a career-high 99 yards on four fourth-quarter carries, including his first career touchdown on a 67-yard sprint through the middle of the Jaguar defense.
Marcus Williams Jr. rushed for a season-high 94 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. He has 173 rushing yards and two scores over the last two games.
Thomas Hennigan hauled in his fourth touchdown reception of the year and the 12th of his career, moving him into a tie for 10th place on the all-time App State list.
Darrynton Evans tallied 77 more all-purpose yards to eclipse 1,000 for the season. He will enter next week's Georgia Southern game with 1,028 all-purpose yards, which ranks among the nation's leaders.
SPECIAL TEAMS
App State blocked its fifth kick of the season with
Demetrius Taylor's fourth-quarter field goal block. The Mountaineers entered the game tied with Northern Illinois, Baylor and Houston for most blocked kicks in the country.
Chandler Staton went 3-for-4 on field-goal attempts and is now 12-for-15 on field goals in road games during his career, and one of the misses was a 56-yard attempt at the end of regulation in the 2018 opener at Penn State. He is also 130-for-130 on PATs in his career, which counts as both the school and Sun Belt record PAT streak.
