POSTGAME NOTES: App State 45, Georgia State 16
App State won its seventh straight Sun Belt opener and has started 4-1 on the season for the fourth straight year.
With their 67th win since the start of the 2015 season, the Mountaineers are tied with Georgia for the fifth-most in the country during that span behind only Alabama (84), Clemson (81), Ohio State (72) and Oklahoma (72).
This was App State's 50th win versus a Sun Belt team since joining the league in 2014. The only programs in the country with more intraconference wins in that span are Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma.
This was App State's 29th road win since moving up to the FBS ranks in 2014. That's tied with Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma for second-most nationally behind Boise State's 30 during that span.
The Mountaineers have won 21 of their last 24 games in the month of October.
App State moved its record to 8-0 against Georgia State, winning each year since 2014.
Super-senior WR
Thomas Hennigan set the program record with his 56th career start.
Freshman DB Travis McNichols made his college debut.
OFFENSE
App State scored a season-high 45 points and eclipsed 500 total yards for the third straight game.
Chase Brice completed 20 of 28 passes for a season-high 326 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. He is App State's first 300-yard passer since
Zac Thomas passed for 326 against Troy in 2019.
Corey Sutton caught four passes for 106 yards, including a 79-yard TD from Brice that extended App State's lead from 14-9 to 21-9 midway through the third quarter. It was Sutton's third straight 100-yard receiving game. His 20th career touchdown catch – which leads active Sun Belt players since 2018 - makes him one of five receivers in school history with 20 or more.
Malik Williams led all players with seven catches (for 93 yards), including a 33-yard touchdown that was his third of the year and the 13th of his career.
Nate Noel rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown – all in the first half before he left with an injury. He entered the game as the Sun Belt's leading rusher at 109.3 yards per game. The first-quarter 23-yard score was his first of the season.
A fourth-quarter 80-yard touchdown strike from
Chase Brice to
Christian Wells was the longest for both in their App State careers and the first touchdown connection of 80+ yards by a Mountaineer duo since
Zac Thomas and
Corey Sutton had a 90-yard score at Charlotte in 2018.
Hennigan caught four passes (for 43 yards) to increase his career total to 205. He passed Brian Quick (202) and is three shy of tying Andrew Peacock (208) for the all-time school record.
After Brice was out for a drive in the third quarter,
Jacob Huesman came in and led a scoring drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Huesman to
Miller Gibbs that brought back memories of Huesman's game-winning drive against the Panthers last year in relief of
Zac Thomas. It was Gibbs' second career touchdown grab with the other coming last year at Texas State.
With
Camerun Peoples out with injury and
Nate Noel getting banged up,
Anderson Castle earned a career-high 12 carries for 56 yards and his second career touchdown.
DEFENSE
App State has now held the opposing offense to less than 30 points in 18 straight games dating back to the 2019 season.
The Mountaineers' first-string defense did now allow a touchdown in the game.
App State tied it season highs in both tackles for loss (9) and sacks (4), while snagging a season-high three interceptions.
Since the start of the 2015 season, App State's defense has intercepted a nation-most 107 passes, ahead of San Diego State's 105 and Alabama's 104.
Shaun Jolly made a beautiful interception on the game's second play. It was the two-time All-Sun Belt cornerback's first interception since 2019 and the sixth of his career.
Tim Frizzell made his first career interception, and
D'Marco Jackson snagged his first of the season and the third of his career.
The Sun Belt's leading tackler entering this game, Jackson racked up nine more tackles, including two TFLs and a sack. He added an interception, a pass breakup and a QB hurry to once again lead the Mountaineer defense.
Demetrius Taylor recorded his first two full sacks of the year and moved up into a tie for eighth place in the all-time App State record book with 22 career sacks.
Kaiden Smith made an impressive return from a spring practice Achilles injury to start the game and post four solo tackles.
SPECIAL TEAMS
With a 48-yard make, super-senior K
Chandler Staton is now 20 of 22 on field goals from 40-49 yards in his career.
With nine points (one field goal, six PATs), Staton's all-time Sun Belt leading point total increased to 392, which is tied with the legendary Armanti Edwards for second in school history behind Kevin Richardson's 444.
