Postgame Notes from App State's Win at Arkansas State

POSTGAME NOTES: App State 48, Arkansas State 14

App State moved to 7-2 on the season and 4-1 in Sun Belt play to continue to lead the East division.
 
After Arkansas State knotted the score at 14 apiece, the Mountaineers reeled off 34 unanswered points.
 
Since App State joined the FBS in 2014, its 30 road wins are tied for No. 3 nationally, behind just Boise State's 32 and 31 from Ohio State. App State's 53-10 record against Sun Belt teams includes a 24-6 mark in league road games.
 
The Mountaineers have now won 14 of their last 15 games in the month of November.
  
Super senior wide receiver Thomas Hennigan extended his FBS record for career starts to 60. The previous record of 57 was held by Clemson OL Mitch Wyatt (2015-18) and Alabama OL Ross Pierschbacher (2015-18).

App State defeated Arkansas State for the fourth time in five tries in the all-time series.
 
With their 70th win since the start of the 2015 season, the Mountaineers have the sixth-most in the country during that span behind only Alabama (86), Clemson (84), Oklahoma (76), Ohio State (76) and Georgia (71).
  
OFFENSE
 
The Mountaineers' totals of 28 first downs and 264 rushing yards were both second-most this season behind totals of 39 and 283 against Marshall.
 
The first score of the game – a 34-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Malik Williams to fellow receiver Thomas Hennigan – was Williams' fifth career touchdown pass and the 19th career scoring catch for Hennigan (sixth-most in school history).
 
For the second time this year, Nate Noel (122 yards) and Camerun Peoples (116 yards) both eclipsed the century mark. They also achieved the feat in the season opener vs. ECU.
 
Noel entered the game as the Sun Belt's leading rusher at 95.9 yards per outing before adding 122 against the Red Wolves.
 
Peoples scored his league-leading 13th touchdown with a 27-yard score late in the third quarter.
 
A third-quarter 10-yard touchdown connection from Chase Brice tight end Miller Gibbs was Gibbs' third career touchdown reception.
  
DEFENSE
 
App State's defense allowed just 199 total yards and 62 rushing to the Red Wolves, including 52 total yards and 3 rushing yards in the second half.
 
With three more turnovers forced, App State has forced eight turnovers in the last two games, including six interceptions.

App State's 114 interceptions since the start of the 2015 season are the most in the nation in that span, ahead of Alabama's 113.
 
The Mountaineers forced Arkansas State into five 3-and-outs.
 
Steven Jones Jr. had a monster game with three interceptions and two pick-sixes of 47 and 34 yards, respectively. His three picks tied a school record set by four others (Clifton Duck, Tae Hayes, Mark LeGree, Larry McKenzie), and his two pick-sixes tied a school record set by three others (Wayne Byrd, David Neeld, Joel Carter) as well as tying the Sun Belt record set by ULM's Isaiah Newsome against Texas State in 2013. It was the first game in which a Mountaineer scored a pair of pick-sixes since Carter in 1983 against Wake Forest.

Jones now has three interception returns for a touchdown in the last two games – a school record and Sun Belt record for an entire season.

Jones' four career interception returns for a touchdown are tied for the most in school history with John Hollar (1945-47) and tied for the most in Sun Belt history with Arkansas State's Money Hunter (2013-16). He has five total touchdowns in his career (four interceptions, one punt block recovery).
 
The Sun Belt's No. 2 tackler entering the weekend, D'Marco Jackson tallied nine total tackles, a sack, 2.0 TFLs, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

Nick Hampton put together a big game with five tackles, a career-high 2.0 sacks and a career high-tying 3.0 tackles for loss.
 
Tyler Bird recorded his first career sack.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Chandler Staton made field goals from 33 and 22 yards. He set a school record with his 16th consecutive field goal made, including a perfect 14-for-14 on attempts this season.
 
Already the school record holder for career field goals made, Staton also eclipsed the school record for career extra points in this game, now with 253.
 
App State has converted 14 straight field goal tries to start a season for the first time in program history.