Postgame Notes from App State's Win at Texas State

POSTGAME NOTES: App State 38, Texas State 17
 
App State improved to 46-5 in its last 51 games against Sun Belt teams and 22-4 in Sun Belt road games since the 2014 FBS jump. Since 2014, the Mountaineers' 86.8 winning percentage (46-7 overall) against league foes is No. 4 nationally behind Clemson (93.2%, 55-4 entering Saturday night), Ohio State (93.1%, 54-4 entering Saturday night) and Alabama (91.5%, 54-5).
 
App State's 59-13 overall record and 81.9 winning percentage since the start of the 2015 season is No. 5 nationally behind just Clemson (76-5, 93.8% entering Saturday night), Alabama (72-6, 92.3%), Ohio State (63-7, 90.0% entering Saturday night) and Oklahoma (63-12, 84.0%).
 
Zac Thomas improved to 28-4 as a starter and is No. 2 in active FBS QB wins behind Clemson's Trevor Lawrence (31-1). He threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions Saturday.
 
OFFENSE
 
With three touchdown passes, Zac Thomas increased his career total to 60 and moved from fourth place to third in school history, overtaking Richie Williams (59 from 2002-05). The top two totals in school history belong to Taylor Lamb (90 from 2014-17) and Armanti Edwards (74 from 2006-09).
 
With 168 passing yards and 1 rushing yard, Zac Thomas increased his career number for total offense to 7,157 yards, moving him from fifth place to fourth in school history. He passed Steve Brown (7,129 from 1977-80) and is a distant 2,213 yards from third-place Richie Williams (9,370).
 
Daetrich Harrington rushed for 113 yards, giving him a third 100-yard performance in the last four games. The Mountaineers rushed for 258 yards as a team, eclipsing 250 for the fourth straight game and the fifth time in six total games.
 
Tight ends Miller Gibbs (three receptions for 47 yards) and Trey Ross (one reception for 17 yards) made their first career catches. Gibbs made his first career start and had two catches for 46 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown, on App State's first possession.
 
Zac Thomas connected with 10 different receivers on his 18 completions. True freshman running back Nate Noel and part-time fullback Caleb Spurlin, a starting defensive end, also made their first career catches.
 
Spurlin, a former walk-on playing in his 46th career game, scored a 1-yard touchdown on his first offensive touch in an App State uniform. He had served as a blocking fullback on two rushing touchdowns prior to Saturday's game.
 
DEFENSE
 
App State intercepted two more passes Saturday, increasing its FBS-leading total to 97 since the start of the 2015 season.
 
Outside linebacker Brendan Harrington intercepted a pass for the third time this season, and his 49-yard touchdown return was App State's first defensive touchdown of the season. The Mountaineers' last pick-six TD occurred at Georgia State on Nov. 16, 2019 — the team tied for the FBS lead with six defensive touchdowns last season.
 
Senior cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles entered Saturday with an FBS-leading 12 PBUs, and he added his second career interception on a fourth-down pass by the Bobcats. He also intercepted a pass in the 2019 bowl win against UAB.
 
Inside linebacker D'Marco Jackson recorded a career-high 10 tackles (his previous high was nine) in addition to breaking up two passes and posting 1.5 tackles for loss (also a career high).
 
Defensive end Demetrius Taylor now has 16.5 career sacks after recording one at Texas State, and true freshman outside linebacker Jalen McLeod has a sack in two of his first three game appearances.
 
Outside linebacker Tim Frizzell started for the second straight week and recorded a career-high five tackles.
 
Defensive tackle Jordon Earle made his first career start and matched his career high of four tackles, the same total he had a week earlier at ULM. At the same position, true freshman DeAndre Dingle-Prince made his App State debut and recorded two stops.