By Bret Strelow | App State Athletics
BOONE, N.C. — As a cold front arrives in the High Country, the Sun Belt Conference race is heating up.
App State (3-3, 1-2) resumes its league schedule Wednesday night with an ESPN2 home game against Georgia State (2-4, 1-1). As of Tuesday afternoon, less than 500 tickets remained for the midweek matchup, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Light flurries of snow fell during Tuesday's practice. Forecasts are calling for a game day low of 26 degrees and wind gusts up to 15 mph.
The Mountaineers hold an 8-0 record in the series against Georgia State, which started 0-4 this season against a difficult schedule of its own before winning 31-14 at Army and 41-33 against Georgia Southern. App State has dropped its last two Sun Belt games, but only one team in the East Division (Old Dominion) hasn't suffered a league loss.
"We're halfway through the season right now," App State head coach
Shawn Clark said. "We're 3-3, and it's not where we want to be. We have to keep doing the right things to improve on a weekly basis."
The Mountaineers have sold out six of the other seven home dates on their 2022 schedule, and it shouldn't be a surprise that App State fans have made another above-capacity crowd a possibility for Wednesday night. Last season, the Mountaineers had impressive midweek crowds with 28,377 fans for a Thursday win against Marshall (31-30) and 31,061 fans for a Wednesday win against Coastal Carolina (30-27) — the biggest regular season crowd for a college game on a Tuesday or Wednesday since 2011.
App State's first midweek game of 2022 and second game against a Sun Belt East Division foe is undeniably a big one. Consider that ODU, picked to finish at the bottom of the division, is currently at the top of it with a 2-0 conference record that includes a recent 49-21 win at Coastal Carolina. Previously unbeaten James Madison, which isn't eligible for the postseason as an FBS newcomer, also fell to 3-1 in the league following its loss to Georgia Southern.
"This is the premier Group of Five conference in the country," Clark said. "Week in and week out, it's going to be very tough to win. If you don't play error-free football, you're probably going to get beat. That speaks volumes for the coaches in this conference and the players in this conference."
Preseason predictions and perceived strength on paper have proven to mean little this year.
Remember App State's Hail Mary win against a Troy team that had struggled in recent seasons? The Trojans are now 5-2 with losses only to App State and No. 7 Ole Miss (a 28-10 winner against Troy).
App State's loss at Texas State capped a demanding, unforgettable stretch of six games during the first 36 days of the 2022 season. With a week and a half to prepare mentally and physically for their next game, the Mountaineers are healthier in some spots and plenty hungry with the Panthers traveling to Boone.
App State and Georgia State were the only Group of Five teams to open 2022 with two games against Power Five teams that were bowl-eligible in 2021. The Panthers lost at South Carolina and led 28-21 in a 35-28 loss to a North Carolina team that is 6-1 with narrow victories against both Georgia State and App State.
"It was good to get a few days off," Clark said. "We had a very unusual month of September, and we played some very good football teams. This conference is really good, and we know that, but (the break) gave our guys a chance to hit the reset button and get focused on Appalachian State. We focused on us early in the (open) week and then moved forward to Georgia State."
Under the direction of App State alum and former App State assistant Shawn Elliott, the Panthers employ a familiar-looking 3-4 defense and run the ball with purpose.
Georgia State leads the Sun Belt and ranks 13th nationally by rushing for 234.3 yards per game. Tucker Gregg has a team-best 460 rushing yards with six touchdowns, followed by Jamyest Williams with 403 yards and strong-armed quarterback Darren Grainger with 304 (or 362 discounting the nine sacks he's absorbed).
App State's run defense has been a strength so far, with stingy efforts against Texas A&M (89 rushing yards allowed), Troy (46 rushing yards on 29 attempts) and Texas State (53 rushing yards on 29 attempts) contributing to just 123.5 yards on the ground allowed per game this season.
Through the air, Grainger has averaged 202.3 yards and two touchdown passes per game, with receivers Jamari Thrash (30 catches for 503 yards) and Robert Lewis (six touchdown catches) being his top targets. The Panthers are opportunistic, ranking first in the Sun Belt and seventh nationally by averaging 14.63 yards per completion.
"They're going to run the football, and Shawn does a great job of scheming things up to put them in the right position," Clark said. "The good thing is, we know their defense and they know our defense — it's basically the same defense. They'll run the football, max (protect) it up and throw it deep and take advantage of their one-on-ones. We have to do a good job of having clean eyes in the backfield and getting pressure on the quarterback."
App State has had one of the nation's most efficient and productive passing offenses to this point in the 2022 season —
Chase Brice is one of only five FBS quarterbacks with at least 18 touchdown passes and no more than three interceptions — and the Mountaineers will look to get their running game going again after being held to 41 rushing yards at Texas State. Running back
Nate Noel returned to the lineup in Texas after missing most of the previous four games, but the Mountaineers played in San Marcos without
Camerun Peoples, who was sidelined by a non-football injury.
Georgia State's defense has forced 15 turnovers in six games, including 10 interceptions. Quavian White has accounted for four of the picks, and Jontrey Hunter's strong all-around season is highlighted by 77 return yards on two interceptions, 4.5 tackles for loss and 34 total tackles. Outside linebacker Antavious Lane has forced two fumbles and made 54 stops.
"If you watch the tape, Georgia State plays up to Shawn's personality," Clark said. "We were teammates here, and we understand the importance of playing well in the trenches. They're going a very good job with that, and their defense is playing with a lot of team speed."
