Postgame Notes from App State at Georgia Southern

POSTGAME NOTES: Georgia Southern 29, App State 20
 
With a 5-6 final record, App State finished a season below .500 for the first time since 2013, which was the Mountaineers' final season in the Southern Conference and FCS level.
 
In the 40th meeting between the two rivals, Georgia Southern won for the 17th time. App State now leads the series 22-17-1 and has a 6-5 edge since both schools joined the Sun Belt and FBS level.
 
This was the fourth time in six losses that App State finished with more total yards than its winning opponent. The Mountaineers also outgained Marshall, Louisiana and Coastal Carolina in losing efforts.
 
OFFENSE
 
In his final game as the Mountaineers' two-year starting quarterback, Joey Aguilar completed 19 of 35 passes for 290 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
 
Aguilar finished the season with 3,003 passing yards (sixth-most in school history) and 23 touchdown passes. He became the first player in school history to have multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons. His 6,759 passing yards in two seasons rank him No. 5 in school history behind only three- and four-year starters.
 
Ahmani Marshall rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. He went over the century mark for the fifth straight game, the longest streak of 100-yard rushing efforts since Nate Noel had six straight between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
 
Eli Wilson hauled in a 9-yard touchdown catch, his fifth score of the season and the third in his last four games played. It was his 12th career touchdown reception, which is tied for the 14th most of any player in school history and third-most among Mountaineer tight ends.
 
Makai Jackson had eight catches for 157 yards and a score one week after he piled up a career-high 162 receiving yards against JMU. His 6-yard touchdown late in the third quarter made it a two-point App State deficit at 15-13.
 
DEFENSE
 
App State's defense allowed just 357 total yards while getting a pair of takeaways and recording three sacks.
 
Nate Johnson registered his first two full sacks of the season and made a huge play in the fourth quarter with a strip sack in which he also recovered the fumble. Last year, he tied for the national lead among true freshmen with 7.5 sacks en route to Freshman All-America recognition.
 
The Mountaineers got a big third-quarter takeaway when Michael Fletcher forced a fumble that was recovered by Joshua Donald.
 
Thomas Davis recorded a fourth-quarter sack.
 
The Mountaineers closed the season with seven sacks over their last two outings.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Michael Hughes finished his App State career as the all-time leader in field-goal percentage (83.3%, 35-of-42) and PAT percentage (100%, 120-of-120). His streak of 18 consecutive field goals made was snapped with a 44-yard miss in the fourth quarter.