POSTGAME NOTES: App State 42, Georgia State 17
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App State improved its record against Georgia State to 9-0 and its record in all games against Sun Belt teams since the 2014 transition to 58-13.
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After being down 14-0 early, App State went on a 42-3 run for the final tally of 42-17. It was a similar result to other recent games against the Panthers. Last year, App State turned a 14-9 third-quarter lead into a 45-16 victory with 31 straight points before a late Georgia State score. In 2019, after going down 21-7, the 24th-ranked Mountaineers rattled off 49 unanswered points on their way to a 56-27 road win.
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The Mountaineers still have not lost back-to-back regular-season games since 2017.
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The Wednesday night attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 31,757, the sixth-largest crowd in stadium history and the largest regular-season crowd for a college game on a Tuesday/Wednesday since 2011 (eclipsing last year's crowd for the Coastal Carolina game).
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Since the Mountaineers' 2014 FBS debut, App State has the sixth-most wins (84) in the FBS in that span behind just Alabama (110), Clemson (106), Ohio State (99), Georgia (93) and Oklahoma (90).
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Since 2014, App State has a home record of 45-9.
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The Mountaineers improved to 16-2 all-time in games aired by ESPN2.
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Offensive lineman
Bucky Williams made his first career start (right guard).
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App State played without starting inside linebacker
Trey Cobb, wide receiver
Kaedin Robinson and defensive back
Ethan Johnson. Additionally, starting outside linebacker
Brendan Harrington is out for the season.
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Offense
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The team's 404 rushing yards are its most in a game since racking up 500 against North Texas in the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl. It's the most rushing yards in a regular-season game since also rushing for 404 against Campbell in 2020.
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Camerun Peoples returned to action to rush for a season-high 168 yards (his third-highest career total) and two touchdowns on 23 carries. His 33 career touchdowns move him into a tie for seventh in App State history with Jalin Moore (2015-18).
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Nate Noel added 69 yards,
Daetrich Harrington 52,
Anderson Castle 50 (and a touchdown),
Ahmani Marshall 48 (and a touchdown) and
Chase Brice 17 (and two touchdowns). Marshall's 37-yard TD that tied the score at 14-14 in the third quarter was his longest run as a Mountaineer. Brice notched his first game as a Mountaineer with multiple rushing touchdowns.
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Defense
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App State held Georgia State to just a field goal and 153 total yards after the first quarter.
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Nick Hampton had two sacks among his career high-tying eight tackles to bring him to 26.5 career sacks, third-most among active full-time FBS players and tied for fourth-most in school history. He also forced a fumble on his second sack that was recovered by
Hansky Paillant and led to a game-tying touchdown drive.
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Tyler Bird snagged his first career interception, a turnover that led to the Mountaineers' fourth straight unanswered touchdown drive to make it 28-14 in the third quarter.
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Logan Doublin, making his second start of the season at inside linebacker, produced a career-high 12 tackles, including one TFL. He also broke up a pass. He set his previous career high of 11 tackles in the last game at Texas State.
Redshirt-freshman ILB
Kyle Arnholt made the most of his fourth-quarter defensive snaps, collecting two tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. The sack, forced fumbles and fumble recovery were the first of his App State career.
Freshman OLB
Donovan Spellman recorded his second sack of the season.
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Special Teams
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Milan Tucker's only kick return was a career-best 63-yarder that set up a 30-yard touchdown drive to make the score 35-17.
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