POSTGAME NOTES: App State 42, Georgia State 14
App State won its third straight game to move to 6-4 and earn bowl eligibility. It's the eighth time in nine years that the Mountaineers have been bowl eligible since transitioning to the FBS level.
The 28-point margin of victory is the largest against a Sun Belt opponent since a 45-7 win at Troy in 2021. The Mountaineers have won their last three games by an average margin of 20 points. In the team's four losses this season, the average margin of defeat was 4.8 points.
Interestingly enough, App State scored a touchdown on the first offensive play of the second, third and fourth quarters.
The Mountaineers defeated the Panthers for the 10th time in 10 tries since they became conference opponents in 2014.
App State improved its road record to 2-3 this season. The Mountaineers' 34 road victories since 2014 are tied with Oklahoma for fifth-most in the FBS over that span. Only Ohio State, Boise State, Clemson and Alabama have more.
App State and Georgia State tied with two turnovers apiece. Under head coach
Shawn Clark, the Mountaineers are 17-1 when winning the turnover battle, 6-11 when losing, and 9-4 when they have the same number of turnovers as the opponent.
App State's 85 wins since 2015 are sixth-most in the FBS behind Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
Earning his first career start was defensive end
Kevin Abrams-Verwayne, while DL
Jason Hertz, QB
David Hernandez and OL
Danny Stevens made their Mountaineer debuts.
OFFENSE
App State eclipsed 30 points for the third straight game and the seventh time this season.
The Mountaineers piled up 509 total yards – 254 on the ground and 255 in the air.
Joey Aguilar completed 14 of 21 passes for 255 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He increased his Sun Belt lead to 26 passing touchdowns, which also ranks top 10 in the country.
Back to 100 percent health,
Nate Noel rushed 10 times for 86 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown four plays after the Mountaineer defense ended Georgia State's 20-play drive with a forced fumble inside the 5-yard line.
During the game, Noel became the eighth player in school history to eclipse 3,000 career rushing yards.
Kanye Roberts tacked on 77 rushing yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown.
After missing the first eight games of the season due to a fall camp injury, in his second game back on the field,
Anderson Castle rushed for 26 yards and his first touchdown of the season on a 9-yard burst to open the fourth quarter.
Makai Jackson caught three passes for a season-high 98 yards. His 44-yard touchdown from Aguilar on the first play of the second quarter made it the second straight game Jackson found the end zone.
On the first play of the third quarter,
Dalton Stroman hauled in a deep crossing route, made a man miss, and scored a 77-yard touchdown, the longest touchdown catch by a Mountaineer since
Christan Horn's 80-yard reception last year against The Citadel. Stroman finished with three catches for a season-high 93 yards.
Kaedin Robinson had four catches for 29 yards and his team-leading sixth touchdown grab of the season.
DEFENSE
The Mountaineer defense held Georgia State to 260 total yards. The Panthers entered the game averaging 394 per game.
App State pitched a shutout until the Panthers first scored with 11:57 left in the fourth quarter.
App State's defense forced eight 3-and-outs and nine Panther punts.
GSU quarterback Darren Grainger entered the game averaging 269.1 yards of total offense (seventh-most among Sun Belt quarterbacks). App State held him to 133 (115 passing, 18 rushing).
Andrew Parker Jr. led the way with a career-high 14 tackles (10 solo), with 2.0 TFLs and a fumble recovery. It was his fifth double-digit tackle game of the season.
Trenton Alan Yowe snagged his first App State interception, while also posting a season-high five tackles, a tackle for loss and two pass breakups.
Trevor Moffit forced a fumble that was recovered by Parker and ended Georgia State's 20-play first-quarter drive with the Panthers within 5 yards of a touchdown.
