BOONE, N.C. — Back at The Rock, and Back in Black.
Sporting its all-black uniform combo, App State (6-2, 4-1) returns to action Saturday with a post-Thanksgiving home game against Troy (4-4, 2-2). The game will begin at 3:30 p.m. and be shown on ESPN2 — after previously being scheduled as an ESPNU night game.
It's the sixth of seven national television games already on the Mountaineers' schedule, and with the continued implementation of Governor Roy Cooper's Executive Order 169, there will be 2,170 fans (7 percent capacity) in Kidd Brewer Stadium.
App State will play its third straight game against a team from the Sun Belt Conference's difficult East Division, which is 13-3 against West Division teams so far this season. Troy's two league losses to this point were close games against Georgia State (36-34) and Georgia Southern (20-13).
"You have all the tools we have and the weapons we need to be successful," said head coach
Shawn Clark, whose program has a 4-1 league record for the fourth straight year. "We have to go out and execute at a higher level and enjoy it."
This matchup involves a Troy offense that passes for 302.0 yards per game and an App State defense that leads the nation in lowest completion percentage allowed (47.5). The Mountaineers are No. 2 overall at 7.25 passes defended per game — only Colorado averages more, and it has played just two games.
Meanwhile, App State's offense is directed by quarterback
Zac Thomas, who is tied for No. 2 nationally among active FBS quarterbacks with 29 career wins as a starter. Last year, in a 48-13 win at Troy, he threw for a career-high 326 yards, matched his career high of four TD passes and also ran for a score. Current seniors
Thomas Hennigan (11 catches for 140 yards),
Malik Williams (two TDs) and
Jalen Virgil (44-yard TD) combined for 277 yards on 22 catches that night.
Troy's first-year starter at quarterback, Gunnar Watson, returned to the starting lineup last weekend after Jacob Free started the previous two games with Watson sidelined. Watson threw for 300 yards last weekend as the Trojans were without head coach Chip Lindsey for a 20-17 loss to Middle Tennessee, and Watson averages 243.2 passing yards per game with season totals of 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Watson's top target has been Kaylon Geiger, who has 45 catches for 557 yards and one touchdown. Reggie Todd (28 catches) and Khalil McClain (27 catches) have five TD receptions apiece. On the ground, Troy's top rushers are Kimani Vidal (56.1 yards per game, 5.9 an attempt) and starter B.J. Smith (33.8 yards per game).
App State's pass defense has been effective thanks to its plays on the ball (10 INTs, 48 PBUs) and quarterback pressures (18 sacks in five Sun Belt games). The cornerback trio of
Shemar Jean-Charles,
Shaun Jolly and
Steven Jones will be in key positions Saturday, and defensive end
Demetrius Taylor leads the Sun Belt at both 1.2 sacks per league game and 1.9 tackles for loss per league game. Inside linebacker
D'Marco Jackson contributes in coverage and with pressure, as he leads the team in tackles (57), is tied for second on the team with eight passes defended (six PBUs, two INTs) and has added 1.5 sacks among his 4.5 tackles for loss.
Troy, which has allowed 20 points or less in five of its eight games, is led defensively by linebacker Carlton Martial (65 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss). The Trojans have given up 165.6 rushing yards per game and 228.0 through the air.
The Mountaineers will look to reduce their offensive turnovers and pre-snap penalties this week, after
Camerun Peoples rushed for 171 of his career-high 178 yards in the first half of a loss at Coastal Carolina. Peoples,
Daetrich Harrington and
Marcus Williams Jr. entered this season as three backs with valuable experience at their disposal, but they've combined to miss six games between them this season, as Peoples made his first career start in Conway, S.C., with both Harrington and Williams unavailable.
