# 2018 New Orleans Bowl

The 2018 New Orleans Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 15, 2018, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 p.m. EST (8:00 p.m. local CST). It was the 18th edition of the New Orleans Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by freight company R+L Carriers, the game was officially known as the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

## Teams

The game featured the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders from Conference USA and the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the 2018 Sun Belt Conference champions. The teams previously met three times (1974, 1989, and 1992) with Middle Tennessee holding a 2–1 edge in the series.

### Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Middle Tennessee was defeated in the 2018 Conference USA Football Championship Game on December 1; they subsequently received and accepted an invitation to the New Orleans Bowl on December 2. The Blue Raiders entered the bowl with an 8–5 record (7–1 in conference). Blue Raider quarterback Brent Stockstill is the son of head coach Rick Stockstill.

### Appalachian State Mountaineers

Appalachian State defeated Louisiana in the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game to secure a berth in the New Orleans Bowl. The Mountaineers entered the bowl with a 10–2 record (7–1 in conference). Due to the resignation of head coach Scott Satterfield, who took the same position with the Louisville Cardinals on December 4, the Mountaineers were coached in the bowl game by interim head coach Mark Ivey.

## Game summary
### Scoring summary

Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | MTSU | APP |
| 1 | 5:15 | 7 | 39 | 3:18 | MTSU | 24-yard field goal by Crews Holt | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | 13:48 | 10 | 72 | 4:34 | APP | 22-yard field goal by Chandler Staton | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | 10:06 | 3 | 44 | 1:01 | APP | Thomas Hennigan 30-yard touchdown reception from Malik Williams, Chandler Staton kick good | 3 | 10 |
| 2 | 6:38 | 7 | 41 | 3:02 | APP | Zac Thomas 8-yard touchdown reception from Malik Williams, Chandler Staton kick good | 3 | 17 |
| 2 | 0:45 | 8 | 85 | 2:01 | APP | Henry Pearson 1-yard touchdown reception from Zac Thomas, Chandler Staton kick good | 3 | 24 |
| 2 | 0:00 | 6 | 59 | 0:45 | MTSU | 33-yard field goal by Crews Holt | 6 | 24 |
| 3 | 11:06 | 10 | 75 | 3:54 | APP | Corey Sutton 17-yard touchdown reception from Zac Thomas, Chandler Staton kick good | 6 | 31 |
| 3 | 8:01 | 2 | 64 | 0:46 | APP | Camerun Peoples 63-yard touchdown run, Chandler Staton kick good | 6 | 38 |
| 3 | 5:56 | 5 | 75 | 2:05 | MTSU | Isiah Upton 43-yard touchdown reception from Brent Stockstill, Crews Holt kick good | 13 | 38 |
| 4 | 13:06 | 6 | 66 | 2:11 | APP | Corey Sutton 11-yard touchdown reception from Zac Thomas, Chandler Staton kick good | 13 | 45 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 13 | 45 |

### Statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Raiders | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| Statistics | MTSU | APP |
| First downs | 24 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 72–392 | 60–448 |
| Rushes–yards | 35–62 | 34–233 |
| Passing yards | 330 | 215 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–37–2 | 17–26–2 |
| Time of possession | 33:31 | 26:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Brent Stockstill | 25/37, 330 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Chaton Mobley | 10 car, 45 yds |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Gatlin Casey | 6 rec, 64 yds |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Zac Thomas | 15/24, 177 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Darrynton Evans | 14 car, 108 yds |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Corey Sutton | 8 rec, 78 yds, 2 TD |