BOONE, N.C. — App State Football led most of the way in a Sun Belt Conference showdown at Kidd Brewer Stadium, but Coastal Carolina moved ahead for the first time in the final four minutes and prevailed 45-37 on Saturday.
App State returns to action next weekend with a noon game at Old Dominion on ESPNU.
Wearing throwback "Flying Yosef" helmets with many of the 33,862 fans in attendance dressed in gold, the Mountaineers (4-3, 1-2) held a 31-17 advantage after
Jaden Barnes' 77-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter, but Coastal (4-3, 3-1) limited App State to a pair of field goals the rest of the way. The Chanticleers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and added two more in the closing minutes to complete a comeback victory in which they averaged 6.0 yards per carry while totaling 246 yards on the ground against one of the nation's top statistical run defenses.
JJ Kohl completed 27 of 41 passes for two touchdowns and 278 yards, including 148 during the opening quarter, before the Mountaineers lost two starting offensive linemen.
Rashod Dubinion rushed for an early touchdown before giving way to freshman
Jaquari Lewis, who led the team with 43 yards on 15 attempts.
In addition to delivering App State's first punt return for a touchdown since 2018, Barnes caught a touchdown pass, and
Davion Dozier hauled in a scoring pass from Kohl for the third straight game.
Defensive back
Elijah Mc-Cantos recorded App State's lone takeaway, a key interception late in the first half against Samari Collier, his former roommate at Illinois, and
Colton Phares led the Mountaineers with 11 tackles. Their lone sacks occurred on back-to-back plays, with
Dylan Hasz following a combo effort from
Kyle Arnholt and
Aiden Benton to open the third quarter.
Forcing a 23-yard field goal after a short throw toward an open receiver fell incomplete at the end zone, meaning that App State possessed a 37-31 advantage instead of a two-score lead with 9:03 remaining, Coastal Carolina moved ahead for the first time with 3:19 remaining by scoring a touchdown to cap a 13-play, 75-yard march. Dominic Knicely reached the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run, and the extra point broke a 37-all tie.
The Mountaineers didn't record a first down on their next series, getting stopped short on a fourth-and-7 completion for 5 yards to their own 27, and Coastal scored another touchdown with 1:56 left on a second-and-3 run from the 8 to take a 45-37 lead. Once the Chanticleers had secured the first down, the touchdown actually helped App State, which still faced only a one-score deficit.
After a penalty negated a Coastal Carolina interception on the first play of the next series, Kohl completed four straight passes to move the ball to the Chanticleers' 32. The next pass was completed to the 27, but a call of offensive pass interference for a pick backed the Mountaineers up 15 yards, and Coastal recovered the loose ball on a third-and-25 sack.
App State punted one time Saturday and held leads of 14-3, 21-10, 31-17 and 34-24. It scored on four of its five first-half possessions, getting touchdowns on the first three and capitalizing on Mc-Cantos' timely interception.
Facing a 21-17 deficit, Coastal started a drive at its own 31 with 16 seconds left before halftime by throwing down the middle of the field. Mc-Cantos intercepted Collier's throw and finished a 33-yard return to the Coastal 13 with five seconds showing on the clock.
The first of
Dominic De Freitas' three field goals sent the Mountaineers to the locker room with a 24-17 lead, then a three-and-out stop with the two sacks to open the third quarter triggered Coastal's second and final punt.
Barnes responded with his electric return, but Coastal Carolina used three straight scoring drives of 75 yards to turn a 14-point deficit into a 38-37 lead. Another special teams play —
Juan Berchal's 22-yard run on a fake punt from the Coastal 39 — set up a 25-yard field goal from De Freitas on a drive that stalled inside the 10, and the Mountaineers had a first-and-goal situation at the 5 on their final scoring drive.
