Postgame Notes from App State's Win vs. Lindenwood

POSTGAME NOTES: App State 20, Lindenwood 13
 
With the home-opening win, App State has started 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
 
Attendance for the 12th straight sellout game at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 34,921, the seventh-highest in stadium history.
 
App State won its home opener for the third straight year and improved to 71-21-2 all-time in home openers. The only such loss since 2014 was the 63-61 shootout against North Carolina in 2022.

App State's 102 wins since its 2014 FBS debut are 11th-most in the nation behind Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Boise State, Oregon, Michigan and Penn State.
 
The Mountaineers improved their home winning percentage since 2014 to .838 (57-11), ranking them eighth in the FBS over that span behind Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Oklahoma and Memphis.
 
The Mountaineers won for the fourth time at the FBS level when committing four turnovers, a feat last accomplished at ULM in 2023. 
 
First-time starters for the Mountaineers included LG Cayden Sweatt and DB Dylan Hasz.
 
OFFENSE
 
For the second time in as many games, the Mountaineers' offense racked up more than 500 total yards (503), but four turnovers cost the team several scoring chances.
 
Rashod Dubinion's 25 carries for 194 yards gave App State its best individual rushing total in a game since Camerun Peoples set a school record with 317 yards in the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl.
 
Through two games as a Mountaineer, Dubinion has 305 rushing yards (152.5 per game).
 
Following up his Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week debut, AJ Swann completed 19 of 34 passes for 294 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against the Lions.
 
Swann connected with Dalton Stroman for a 72-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Stroman logged a career-high 141 yards on three catches in the game.
 
Jaden Barnes scored his second touchdown in as many games and led the team with eight catches for 71 yards.
 
DEFENSE
 
App State's defense was dominant against Lindenwood, holding the Lions to 216 total yards, -1 rushing yards and 3-of-17 on third downs.
 
The Mountaineers had most recently held an opponent to negative rushing yards in 2001 (-14 vs. West Virginia Tech).

The Mountaineers' eight sacks (among 16 tackles for loss) marked the highest total in the program's FBS era. The last time an App State team racked up eight sacks was in 1997 against Western Carolina.
 
Kevin Abrams-Verwayne, Aiden Benton and Caleb Sandstrom had 1.5 sacks apiece, while Thomas Davis (3.0 tackles for loss), Dylan Manuel (2.0 tackles for loss) and Brayshawn Littlejohn posted one sack apiece.
 
DJ Burks had the first of App State's two interceptions on the day. He also forced a fumble and added a tackle for loss among his three solo tackles.
 
Elijah Mc-Cantos sealed the App State victory with a pick in the final two minutes of the game.
 
Colton Phares led all Mountaineer tacklers with a career-high eight.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Freshman kicker Dominic De Freitas connected on field goals of 29 and 24 yards, going 2-for-2 for the second straight game.