Postgame Notes from App State vs. No. 22 Miami

POSTGAME NOTES: No. 22 Miami 25, App State 23
 
App State lost for the first time against a "Power 5" opponent since a 45-38 overtime defeat at No. 9 Penn State that started the 2018 season. The Mountaineers defeated both North Carolina and South Carolina in 2019.
 
The Mountaineers fell to 0-8 against top-25 ranked opponents since moving up to FBS in 2014. The program's lone win against a top-25 team remains the historic upset of No. 5 Michigan in 2007.
 
This was App State's first game in the state of Florida since visiting the Gators in 2010 and just the second in the last 58 years.
 
With Jalen Virgil's 100-yard kick return, App State scored a non-offensive touchdown in its fourth straight try against a Power 5 opponent. The others were Darrynton Evans' kick return at Penn State in 2018, Demetrius Taylor's scoop-and-score at North Carolina in 2019 and Nick Ross' pick six at South Carolina in 2019.

In App State's last seven games against Power Five teams, the two Miami games are the only ones that didn't come down to the final play having a chance to win or tie the score, but the go-ahead score did come in the final two minutes of the Hurricanes' 25-23 win.
 
Making the first starts of their App State careers were DB Madison Cone and OLB T.D. Roof.
 
OFFENSE
 
Camerun Peoples rushed 17 times for 95 yards and a touchdown, which gives him eight rushing scores in his last three games.
 
Malik Williams secured his 11th career touchdown reception on a 3-yard catch that gave the Mountaineers a 23-22 lead with 5:40 left in the game. The touchdown capped three straight connections from Chase Brice to Williams that made up 50 of the 80 yards in the scoring drive.
 
Corey Sutton led the team with seven catches for 60 yards, extending his streak of consecutive games played with a reception to 24, which ranks top 15 among active FBS players. 
 
DEFENSE
 
App State has now held the opposing offense to less than 30 points in 15 straight games dating back to the 2019 season.

The App State defense racked up eight tackles for loss and held the Hurricanes to 5 of 16 on third downs (31.3 percent).
 
D'Marco Jackson had another all-around strong performance with a team-leading 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a QB hurry.
 
T.D. Roof recorded his first two sacks as a Mountaineer (he also had sacks while playing at Indiana and Georgia Tech) and finished with seven total tackles in his first start as a Mountaineer.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Jalen Virgil streaked down the sideline for his second career 100-yard kick return in the second quarter that gave the Mountaineers their first lead of the game at 14-12.
 
Caleb Spurlin blocked a Miami field-goal attempt with 3:38 left in the first half. It was App State's first blocked field goal since Demetrius Taylor blocked a South Alabama field goal on Oct. 26, 2019.
 
Already the Sun Belt's all-time scoring leader, super-senior Chandler Staton converted a 22-yard field-goal attempt and 2-of-2 PATs to increase his career points total to 361.