BOONE, N.C. — There will be no shortage of pomp and circumstance on Senior Day at The Rock, with a jersey retirement ceremony and Sun Belt Championship stakes in play as App State closes the regular season against rival Georgia Southern.
Kickoff for the game, which will be available on ESPNU, is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The game is sold out, although Rock Garden tickets do remain available for purchase.
Before the game, 25 players are expected to be recognized, including nine seniors who will have no more eligibility following the 2023 season and 16 other fifth-year or fourth-year players who either could be playing their final home games or could be back with the team next season (based on COVID and/or redshirt extensions).
At halftime of the game, there will be a ceremony to retire the No. 14 worn by quarterback Armanti Edwards, who was a four-time All-American, two-time national champion and two-time national player of the year from 2006-09.
After the game, it should be clear if App State's next on-field appearance is a bowl game or a matchup with West Division champ Troy in the Sun Belt Championship Game on Dec. 2. Based on the NCAA's FCS-to-FBS transition rules, James Madison is ineligible for the title game, so App State (7-4 overall, 5-2 Sun Belt) needs to beat Georgia Southern (6-5, 3-4 Sun Belt) and have JMU win at Coastal Carolina (5-2 Sun Belt) to advance to face the Trojans for the league title.
It's highly probable that Troy will host the Sun Belt title game, but a loss to Southern Miss on Saturday could affect a computer rankings tiebreaker that currently has the Trojans significantly ahead of any East Division candidates.
For any of those scenarios to matter, App State must take care of a business against a familiar foe that beat the Mountaineers last season in Statesboro, Ga., and stood at 6-2 overall this year before dropping three straight games in November. App State enters the final weekend of the regular season with four straight wins, including a 26-23 overtime victory at previously unbeaten JMU last weekend.
Georgia Southern has an explosive, high-scoring offense with quarterback and Tulsa transfer Davis Brin getting rid of the ball quickly in the passing game, so it will be another test for a new-look App State defense that was responsible for allowing 26.5 points per 60 minutes through nine games but has reduced that average to 13.7 points over the last three games.
With Nate Johnson and Michael Fletcher accounting for two sacks apiece in Harrisonburg, Va., or Thomas Davis and Ethan Johnson forcing turnovers, the Mountaineers totaled five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and two takeaways against a JMU offense that has played mistake-free football for much of the season. Swarming to the ball carrier and not missing tackles will be extremely important as Brin (290.3 passing yards per game) distributes the ball — often very quickly — to receivers such as Khaleb Hood (84 catches for 822 yards) and Derwin Burgess Jr. (65 catches for 674 yards).
Considering the strength of JMU's defense, App State is coming off one of its best offensive showings as it prepares for a Georgia Southern defense that allows 148.2 rushing yards per game (or 4.3 yards per carry) and 239.4 passing yards per game.
The Dukes were leading the nation in sacks per game and fewest rushing yards allowed per game, and while JMU's run defense was as good as advertised, the App State offensive line's protection of quarterback Joey Aguilar helped pave the way for him to throw for 318 yards with three touchdowns. The only official sack occurred on a grounding penalty in the end zone when Aguilar threw the ball away from the pocket.
Aguilar's one interception came on a deep attempt late in regulation with the score tied. In the last six games, he has thrown 17 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.
