Postgame Notes from App State's Win vs. ETSU

POSTGAME NOTES: App State 38, East Tennessee State 10
 
Attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 36,232, the third-largest crowd in Kidd Brewer Stadium history behind the 2022 game against North Carolina and the 2023 game against East Carolina, which both announced a crowd of 40,168.
 
App State won its 10th home opener in the last 11 tries.
 
The Mountaineers improved to 33-14-1 all-time against ETSU and won against an FCS team for the 11th time in 12 tries since moving up to the FBS ranks in 2014. It was App State's eighth straight win in the series against ETSU.
 
App State improved to 54-10 in home games since 2014, the seventh-best winning percentage nationally in that span (and best among Group of Five programs).
 
App State's 96 wins since its 2014 FBS debut are tied for sixth-most in the nation behind Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and Oklahoma.
 
First-time starters for the Mountaineers included LG Griffin Scroggs, C Jack Hollifield, RT Thomas Shrader, DE Montez Kelley, NOSE Joshua Donald, DE Michael Fletcher, STAR Avarion Cole and CB Seth Robertson.
 
OFFENSE
 
On the Mountaineers' second offensive play of the season and first passing play, Joey Aguilar connected with Christan Horn for an 83-yard touchdown, the longest throw and catch of their careers, respectively. Aguilar also threw a touchdown on his first pass of the season in last year's opener against Gardner-Webb.
 
Aguilar – the only returning FBS QB with 33+ touchdown passes and 3,700+ yards from last year – finished the day completing 22 of 37 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns, while adding two more scores on the ground. It was his first game with multiple rushing touchdowns after scoring on the ground three times all of last season.
 
Aguilar's 34-yard touchdown pass to Eli Wilson on a fourth-down play was Wilson's career-long reception. The starting tight end found the end zone for the third-straight regular season game.
 
Kaedin Robinson led the receiving corps with eight catches for 103 yards, his fourth career triple-digit receiving yard outing. Robinson ranks among the top 15 players in the country with his 26 consecutive games with a reception.
 
Wide receiver Makai Jackson found the end zone via rush on an end-around toss that he took 47 yards to pay dirt. It was his first career rush as a Mountaineer.
 
 
DEFENSE
 
App State's defense held the Buccaneers to just 122 passing yards and 305 total yards. ETSU converted only 3 of 13 third downs and 1 of 3 fourth downs.
 
Starting inside linebacker Kyle Arnholt led all players with a career-high 10 tackles.
 
Outside linebacker Thomas Davis surpassed his sack total from all of last season with 1.5 sacks and a career-high 2.0 TFLs on five total tackles. His back-to-back third-quarter sacks (shared the second one with Kevin Abrams-Verwayne) turned the momentum in the Mountaineers' favor and helped turn a seven-point lead into a multiple-touchdown advantage.
 
Derrell Farrar, on his birthday, recorded his first career full sack.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Michael Hughes was good on a 33-yard field goal that gave App State a 10-0 lead. The Groza Award watch lister also made all five PATs.