Postgame Notes from App State at Old Dominion

POSTGAME NOTES: Old Dominion 24, App State 21
 
App State's overall record fell to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in Sun Belt games.
 
The Mountaineers' all-time record against Old Dominion moved to 4-2. Each of the last three matchups have been decided by eight points or less, with the home team prevailing in each.
 
App State fell to 1-3 in games in which it has lost the turnover battle. The team is 3-0 when winning the turnover battle and 0-1 when turnovers are tied.
 
Making their first starts as Mountaineers: safety Myles Farmer, wide receiver Sam Mbake, wide receiver Alex Sanchez and offensive lineman Denell Nix Jr.
 
OFFENSE
 
Jaden Barnes caught nine passes for 63 yards and scored his team-leading seventh touchdown of the season.
 
Kanen Hamlett, who saw more action after starting tight end Izayah Cummings left the game injured, had a career day with six catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.
 
Davion Dozier had four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. His 34-yard TD catch from AJ Swann pulled the Mountaineers to within three with 1:35 left.
 
In his fourth start and fifth game played, JJ Kohl threw his first interceptions as a Mountaineer, going 19-for-37 for 138 yards, one touchdown and two picks. In relief, Swann was 12-for-16 for 140 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
 
DEFENSE
 
Zyeir Gamble led all tacklers with a career-high 13. He also came up with a momentum-swinging red zone interception in the fourth quarter, after which App State scored twice to make it a three-point game.
 
Colton Phares tied his career high with 11 tackles for the second straight contest.
 
Brayshawn Littlejohn produced the Mountaineers' only sack of the game and his third this season.
 
DJ Burks had a pair of near turnovers. He intercepted a pass in the first quarter that was negated by a penalty. In the fourth quarter, he jumped on a loose ball, but it was ruled that his body was out of bounds when he recovered the fumble.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
On a 4th-and-8 play in the first quarter, App State converted a successful fake punt when punter Ian Ratliff completed a 23-yard pass to linebacker Colton Phares for a first down. It was the second straight game in which the Mountaineers gained a first down on a fake punt.
 
Ratliff finished the day with a 40.4-yard average on five punts, landing two inside the 20.