Postgame Notes from App State vs. #20 Louisiana in the SBC Title Game

SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP POSTGAME NOTES: #20 Louisiana 24, App State 16
 
App State lost a Sun Belt Conference championship game for the first time. App State and Louisiana are the only teams to play in the league's championship game since it was first played in 2018. The Mountaineers won in 2018 and 2019 before the Ragin' Cajuns claimed their first victory today.
 
The loss snapped the Mountaineers' seven-game winning streak that dated back to their last game in Lafayette on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
 
App State is now 1-2 against top-25 ranked teams this year. It's the most games App State has played against top-25 FBS teams in a season.
 
The Mountaineers are 8-3 all-time vs. the Ragin' Cajuns. App State won the first eight meetings, while Louisiana has claimed the last three.

App State's 80-23 overall record since joining the FBS ranks in 2014 is sixth-best among FBS programs behind Alabama (103-9), Clemson (98-13), Ohio State (92-11), Oklahoma (85-18) and Georgia (84-21).
    
Super-senior wide receiver Thomas Hennigan extended his FBS record for career starts to 64. The previous record of 57 was held by Clemson OL Mitch Wyatt (2015-18) and Alabama OL Ross Pierschbacher (2015-18).  

DEFENSE
 
App State entered the championship game as the nation's leader in tackles for loss, and the Mountaineers racked up 10 more (including four sacks) against Louisiana.
 
Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year D'Marco Jackson had 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack and four QB hurries.
 
Kaiden Smith tallied a season-high 12 tackles, including 0.5 TFL, to lead all players. He also had a pass breakup. His previous season high was 10 tackles in the last game against UL.
 
Nick Hampton added two more sacks to increase his season total to 10, the most by an App State player since 2006.
 
Demetrius Taylor had one sack to bring his career total to 26.5, which is fourth-most in school history.
 
Shaun Jolly tied a career high with three pass breakups to go with three solo tackles.
  
OFFENSE
 
Thomas Hennigan led all players in the game with six catches for 71 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown catch on a fourth-down play that brought the Mountaineers within one score with 5:06 left in the fourth quarter.
 
The touchdown catch was Hennigan's 23rd of his career, moving him into a tie for fourth on the school's all-time list with Rick Beasley (1978-80).
 
Camerun Peoples ran for a team-high 61 yards, including his Sun Belt-leading 14th touchdown of the year on a 43-yard sprint for App State's first score of the day. 

SPECIAL TEAMS
  
Chandler Staton made his only field goal try of the game – a 36-yarder that pulled the score within seven in the third quarter. It was his 19th of the season (in 20 attempts), tying the school record set by Jason Vitaris in 2009.
 
Staton's total of 456 points is still the sixth-most in FBS history for points by a kicker.