Postgame Notes from App State's Win vs. South Alabama

POSTGAME NOTES: App State 31, South Alabama 7

App State moved to 8-2 on the season and 5-1 in Sun Belt play to take sole possession of first place in the East division with Coastal Carolina's loss to Georgia State. The Mountaineers will clinch a berth into the Sun Belt Championship Game with a win either next week at Troy or the following week at home against Georgia Southern.
   
App State is off to an 8-2 (or better) start for the third time in the last four seasons.

This was the Mountaineers' sixth home win in six tries this year, including five at Kidd Brewer Stadium. With one home game remaining on the schedule, App State will try to go undefeated at home for the first time since 2018.

The Mountaineers have now won 15 of their last 16 games in the month of November.
  
Super-senior wide receiver Thomas Hennigan extended his FBS record for career starts to 61. The previous record of 57 was held by Clemson OL Mitch Wyatt (2015-18) and Alabama OL Ross Pierschbacher (2015-18).

App State defeated South Alabama for the fourth straight time. Its lone loss to the Jaguars was in their first meeting in 2014.
 
With their 71st win since the start of the 2015 season, the Mountaineers have the sixth-most in the country during that span behind only Alabama (88), Clemson (86), Ohio State (77), Oklahoma (76) and Georgia (72).
 
The attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 29,348. Every App State home game this year has had a crowd of more than 28,000.
 
Freshman Caden Sullivan made his collegiate debut on special teams.

DEFENSE
 
App State's defense allowed the fewest points to an opponent since a 30-3 win at South Alabama in 2019.
 
With 284 total yards and 58 rushing yards allowed to the Jaguars, this was the third time this year the Mountaineers have held a team below 300 total yards and the fifth time holding an opponent under 100 rushing yards. The 284 total yards were a season low for the Jaguars.
 
Trey Cobb picked off a pair of passes and ran the second on back 100 yards for a touchdown. They were his second and third career interceptions, and the pick-six was his second career defensive touchdown (returned a fumble for a 24-yard touchdown in the 2019 New Orleans Bowl win over UAB).

Cobb's first interception of the day came after fellow inside linebacker D'Marco Jackson tipped a pass. It set up short App State touchdown drive to make it 14-0 late in the first quarter. His 100-yard pick-six was the fourth 100-yard pick-six in school history and the first since Rico Mack did it against James Madison in 1990.
 
In addition to the two interceptions, Cobb recorded six tackles with one for a loss.
 
The Mountaineers have scored four defensive touchdowns over the last three games (one vs. ULM, two vs. Arkansas State, one vs. South Alabama).
 
 With two more turnovers forced, App State has forced 10 turnovers in the last three games, including eight interceptions.

App State's 116 interceptions since the start of the 2015 season are the most in the nation in that span, ahead of Alabama's 113. 
 
Demetrius Taylor consistently caused havoc in the Jaguar backfield and finished the game with three tackles, 2.0 TFLs, one sack and two quarterback hurries. One of his TFLs blew up a fourth-down try deep in App State territory, while his sack on a third-down play forced a South Alabama punt.
 
Nick Hampton tied a career high with eight tackles (including half a TFL) one week after racking up five tackles, 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks at Arkansas State.

Ronald Clarke recorded his first career sack.
 
OFFENSE
 
Chase Brice accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) while passing for 195 yards and running for 17 more.
 
Corey Sutton's 23rd career touchdown catch moved him into a tie for third place in school history with Rick Beasley (1978-80).
 
Thomas Hennigan scored his 20th career receiving touchdown, the sixth-most in school history. Hennigan's five catches (for 37 yards) moved his school-record career total to 221.
 
Jalen Virgil had a season-high 57 receiving yards on two catches. 

SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Chandler Staton made his only field-goal attempt of the game – from 25 yards – to improve his school-record streak of consecutive field goals made to 17, which is second-most among active FBS kickers.