# 2018 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team

The 2018 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mountaineers were led by sixth-year head coach Scott Satterfield and played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium. They competed as a member of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 11–2, 7–1 in Sun Belt play to be co-champions of the East Division with Troy. Due to their head-to-head win over Troy, they represented the East Division in the inaugural Sun Belt Championship Game where they defeated West Division champion Louisiana to become Sun Belt Champions for the third consecutive year and first time outright. They were invited to the New Orleans Bowl where they defeated Middle Tennessee.
On December 3, head coach Scott Satterfield resigned to become the head coach at Louisville. He finished at Appalachian State with a six year record of 51–24. Defensive line coach Mark Ivey led the Mountaineers in the New Orleans Bowl.
On December 13, Appalachian State hired North Carolina State offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz as their new head coach.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Maxwell Award | Jalin Moore | RB | SR |
| Doak Walker Award | Jalin Moore | RB | SR |
| John Mackey Award | Collin Reed | TE | JR |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Clifton Duck | DB | JR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Tae Hayes | CB | SR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | MyQuon Stout | DL | SR |

### Sun Belt coaches poll

On July 19, 2018, the Sun Belt released their preseason coaches poll with the Mountaineers predicted to finish as champions of the East Division.
East Division :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Appalachian State | 46 (6) |
| 2 | Troy | 44 (4) |
| 3 | Georgia State | 26 |
| 4 | Georgia Southern | 22 |
| 5 | Coastal Carolina | 12 |

### Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams

The Mountaineers had seven players selected to the preseason all-Sun Belt teams. Defensive back Clifton Duck was selected as the preseason defensive player of the year.

## Recruiting

The Mountaineers signed 24 recruits.
US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kaleb Dawson S | Moultrie, Georgia | Colquitt County | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | May 28, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Zareon Hayes OLB | Dillon, South Carolina | Dillon | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jun 11, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Richard Tucker WR | Inman, South Carolina | Chapman | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | Jun 14, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Tyler Bird OLB | Dallas, Georgia | North Paulding | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Jun 19, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Michael Price CB | Stockbridge, Georgia | Stockbridge | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 22, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Logan Doublin OLB | Largo, Florida | Largo | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jun 24, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Trey Ross TE | Randleman, North Carolina | Randleman | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 227 lb (103 kg) | Jul 10, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Christopher Washington ILB | Newberry, Florida | Newberry | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Jul 28, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Brock Mattison OLB | Buford, Georgia | Buford | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Hansky Paillant DE | Hollywood, Florida | Miramar | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Trey Cobb DE | Waycross, Georgia | Ware County | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Nick Hampton DE | Anderson, South Carolina | Westside | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Luke Burnette TE | Monroe, North Carolina | Sun Valley | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 241 lb (109 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Stephon Brown QB | Kernersville, North Carolina | R. B. Glenn | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jordon Earle OG | West Palm Beach, Florida | Forest Hill Community | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 292 lb (132 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Cooper Hodges OT | Glen St. Mary, Florida | Baker County Senior | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Braden Collins WR | Knoxville, Tennessee | Farragut | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Jay Person ILB | Cleveland, Tennessee | Bradley Central | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Oct 11, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| A. J. Beach CB | Milledgeville, Georgia | Georgia Military College | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Oct 30, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Henry Pearson TE | Paramus, New Jersey | Paramus Catholic | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Dec 15, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Anderson Hardy OT | Raleigh, North Carolina | Jesse O. Sanderson | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | Dec 20, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Harrison Taylor OLB | McDonough, Georgia | Eagle's Landing Christian Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 237 lb (108 kg) | Dec 20, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Camerun Peoples RB | Lineville, Alabama | Clay Central | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 193 lb (88 kg) | Dec 20, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Josh Headlee OT | Boone, North Carolina | Watauga | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Dec 20, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 111 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Appalachian StateFootball commits". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018. |||||||

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 10 Penn State* | | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | BTN | L 38–45 $^{OT}$ | 105,232 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | at Charlotte* | | Jerry Richardson StadiumCharlotte, NC | ESPN+ | W 45–9 | 19,151 |
| September 15 | 3:30 p.m. | Southern Miss* | | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | Cancelled | |
| September 22 | 3:30 p.m. | Gardner–Webb* | | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 72–7 | 21,084 |
| September 29 | 3:30 p.m. | South Alabama | | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 52–7 | 25,862 |
| October 9 | 8:00 p.m. | at Arkansas State | | Centennial Bank StadiumJonesboro, AR | ESPN2 | W 35–9 | 21,421 |
| October 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Louisiana | | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 27–17 | 27,082 |
| October 25 | 7:30 p.m. | at Georgia Southern | No. 25 | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA (rivalry) | ESPNU | L 14–34 | 19,252 |
| November 3 | 5:00 p.m. | at Coastal Carolina | | Brooks StadiumConway, SC | ESPN+ | W 23–7 | 13,004 |
| November 10 | 4:00 p.m. | at Texas State | | Bobcat StadiumSan Marcos, TX | ESPN3 | W 38–7 | 11,482 |
| November 17 | 2:30 p.m. | Georgia State | | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 45–17 | 22,315 |
| November 24 | 2:30 p.m. | Troy | | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 21–10 | 20,410 |
| December 1 | Noon | Louisiana | | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC (Sun Belt Championship Game) | ESPN | W 30–19 | 14,963 |
| December 15 | 9:00 p.m. | vs. Middle Tennessee* | | Mercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA (New Orleans Bowl) | ESPN | W 45–13 | 23,942 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
* ↑ This game was canceled because of Hurricane Florence.

## Game summaries
### At Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Appalachian State | 10 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 38 |
| No. 10 Penn State | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 1
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C); cloudy, humid
* Game attendance: 105,232
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (Big Ten Network): Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Lisa Byington
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Trace McSorley, 12-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 12:02 (PSU 7–0)
APP – Darrynton Evans, 100-yard kickoff return, Chandler Staton kick good, 11:48 (TIE 7–7)
APP – Staton, 38-yard field goal, 4:10 (ASU 10–7)
Second quarter
PSU – Pinegar, 32-yard field goal, 0:12 (TIE 10–10)
Third quarter
PSU – McSorley, 10-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 9:41 (PSU 17–10)
PSU – Ricky Slade, 27-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 2:41 (PSU 24–10)
Fourth quarter
APP – Malik Williams, 17-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, Staton kick good, 13:39 (PSU 24–17)
PSU – Miles Sanders, 2-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 11:17 (PSU 31–17)
APP – Williams, 24-yard TD pass from Thomas, Staton kick good, 7:40 (PSU 31–24)
APP – Thomas, 1-yard TD run, Staton kick good, 6:03 (TIE 31–31)
APP – Jalin Moore, 16-yard TD run, Staton kick good, 1:47 (APP 38–31)
PSU – K. J. Hamler, 15-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 0:42 (TIE 38–38)
Overtime
PSU – Sanders, 4-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, (PSU 45–38)
Top passers
APP – Zac Thomas – 25/38, 270 yards, 2 TD, INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 20/35, 229 yards, TD
Top rushers
APP – Jalin Moore – 18 carries, 88 yards, TD
PSU – Miles Sanders – 19 carries, 91 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
APP – Corey Sutton – 6 receptions, 87 yards
APP – Malik Williams – 4 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD
PSU – K. J. Hamler – 3 receptions, 67 yards, TD
PSU – Juwan Johnson – 6 receptions, 67 yards
Top defenders
APP – Anthony Flory – 10 tackles
PSU – Jan Johnson – 11 tackles :

### At Charlotte

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| App State | 10 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Charlotte | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
at Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 8
* Game time: 6:04 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C); Partly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 19,151
* Referee: Stephen LaManti
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Bobby Rosinski, Jay Sonnhalter, Libby Clark
* AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
APP – Chandler Staton, 31-yard field goal, 10:25 (APP 3–0)
APP – Zac Thomas, 5-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 1:03 (APP 10–0)
Second quarter
CHL – Jonathan Cruz, 46-yard field goal, 9:05 (APP 10–3)
APP – Corey Sutton, 27-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, (Chandler Staton kick), 6:46 (APP 17–3)
CHL – Jonathan Cruz, 54-yard field goal, 1:37 (APP 17–6)
APP – Dominique Heath, 7-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, (Chandler Staton kick), 0:43 (APP 24–6)
CHL – Jonathan Cruz, 48-yard field goal, 0:08 (APP 24–9)
Third quarter
APP – Thomas Hennigan, 59-yard punt return for TD, (Chandler Staton kick), 6:01 (APP 31–9)
Fourth quarter
APP – Corey Sutton, 90-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, (Chandler Staton kick), 14:45 (APP 38–9)
APP – Austin Exford, 0-yard fumble return for TD, (Chandler Staton kick), 9:28 (APP 45–9)
Top passers
APP – Zac Thomas – 14/14, 295 yards, 3 TD
CHL – Chris Reynolds – 12/22, 108 yards, INT
Top rushers
APP – Jalin Moore – 11 carries, 38 yards
CHL – Benny Lemay – 7 carries, 35 yards
Top receivers
APP – Corey Sutton – 3 receptions, 155 yards, 2 TD
CHL – Victor Tucker – 4 receptions, 33 yards
Top defenders
APP – Akeem Davis-Gaither – 8 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
APP – Desmond Franklin – 3 tackles, interception
CHL – Ben DeLuca – 11 tackles, fumble recovery :

### Gardner–Webb

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Gardner–Webb | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| App State | 28 | 24 | 14 | 6 | 72 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: September 22
* Game time: 3:35 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C); Mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 21,084
* Referee: Marshall Lewis
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Harrison Battle, Pierre Banks
* AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
APP – Dominique Heath, 64-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, (Chandler Staton kick), 14:00 (APP 0–7)
APP - Steven Jones Jr., 0-yard blocked punt return for a TD, (Chandler Staton kick), 11:53 (APP 0–14)
GWU – Jonathan Blackmon, 14-yard TD Pass from Jordan Smith, (Tre' Jackson kick), 7:55 (APP 7–14)
APP – Jalin Moore, 1-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 2:32 (APP 7–21)
APP – Jalin Moore, 81-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 0:08 (APP 7–28)
Second quarter
APP – Darrynton Evans, 9-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 14:06 (APP 7–35)
APP - Clifton Duck, 62-yard punt return for a TD, (Chandler Staton kick), 12:42 (APP 7–42)
APP – Zac Thomas, 12-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 9:50 (APP 7–49)
APP – Chandler Staton, 33-yard field goal, 0:00 (APP 7–52)
Third quarter
APP – Dominique Heath, 19-yard TD pass from Peyton Derrick, (Michael Rubino kick), 7:18 (APP 7–59)
APP – Peyton Derrick, 3-yard TD run, (Michael Rubino kick), 0:42 (APP 7–66)
Fourth quarter
APP – D'Andre Hicks, 73-yard TD run, (Michael Rubino kick failed), 3:13 (APP 7–72)
Top passers
GWU – Jordan Smith – 13/27, 117 yards, TD, 2 INT
APP – Zac Thomas – 11/15, 185 yards, 1 TD
APP – Peyton Derrick – 7/7, 68 yards, TD
Top rushers
GWU – Jaylen Myers – 7 carries, 15 yards
APP – D'Andre Hicks – 11 carries, 150 yards, TD
APP – Jalin Moore – 8 carries, 120 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
GWU – Jonathan Blackmon – 9 receptions, 57 yards, TD
APP – Dominique Heath – 4 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
GWU – A. J. Keene – 7 tackles
APP – Desmond Franklin – tackle, interception
APP – Kaiden Smith – tackle, interception :

### South Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| South Alabama | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| App State | 21 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 52 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: September 29
* Game time: 3:35 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C); partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 25,862
* Referee: Kyle Olson
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Harrison Battle, Pierre Banks
* AppStateSports.com AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
APP – Zac Thomas, 54-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 13:11 (APP 0–7)
USA - Kawaan Baker, 2-yard TD run, (Gavin Patterson kick), 6:12 (TIE 7–7)
APP – Jalin Moore, 7-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 5:37 (APP 7–14)
APP – Zac Thomas, 7-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 3:10 (APP 7–21)
Second quarter
APP - Corey Sutton, 2-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, (Chandler Staton kick), 12:22 (APP 7–28)
APP – Jalin Moore, 2-yard TD run, (Chandler Staton kick), 4:45 (APP 7–35)
APP – Marcus Williams, 27-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, (Chandler Staton kick), 2:41 (APP 7–42)
Third quarter
APP – Chandler Staton, 23-yard field goal, 0:46 (APP 7–45)
Fourth quarter
APP – Collin Reed, 3-yard TD pass from Peyton Derrick, (Chandler Staton kick), 3:04 (APP 7–52)
Top passers
USA – Evan Orth – 20/33, 225 yards, INT
APP – Zac Thomas – 8/18, 146 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
USA – Tra Minter – 9 carries, 44 yards
APP – Jalin Moore – 19 carries, 123 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
USA – Kawaan Baker – 4 receptions, 89 yards
APP – Thomas Hennigan – 4 receptions, 65 yards
APP – Corey Sutton – 2 receptions, 46 yards, TD
Top defenders
USA – Nigel Lawrence – 7 tackles
APP – Akeem Davis-Gaither – 8 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
APP – Tae Hayes – 4 tackles, interception :

### At Arkansas State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| App State | 0 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Arkansas State | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
at Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, AR
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Game attendance: 21,421
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Chris Cotter, Rocky Boiman
* AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
A-ST – Blake Grupe 31 yard field goal, 9:39 (A-ST 0–3)
Second quarter
A-ST – Blake Grupe 47 yard field goal, 12:54 (A-ST 0–6)
APP – Jalin Moore 27 yard TD run (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 11:13 (APP 7–6)
A-ST – Blake Grupe 33 yard field goal, 4:37 (A-ST 7–9)
APP – Corey Sutton 25 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 2:57 (APP 14–9)
APP – Darrynton Evans 1 yard TD run (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 0:45 (APP 21–9)
Third quarter
APP – Collin Reed 3 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 2:52 (APP 28–9)
Fourth quarter
APP – Zac Thomas 62 yard TD run (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 6:09 (APP 35–9)
Top passers
APP – Zac Thomas – 12/27, 144 yards, 2 TD
A-ST – Justice Hansen – 25/40, 209 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
APP – Darrynton Evans – 16 carries, 115 yards, TD
APP – Zac Thomas – 6 carries, 76 yards, TD
A-ST – Marcel Murray – 11 carries, 37 yards
Top receivers
APP – Jalen Virgil – 2 receptions, 47 yards
APP – Corey Sutton – 1 receptions, 25 yards, TD
A-ST – Kirk Merritt – 9 receptions, 73 yards
Top defenders
APP – Akeem Davis-Gaither – 14 tackles
APP – Jordan Fehr – 14 tackles, sack
A-ST – Tajhe Chambers – 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL) :

### Louisiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Louisiana | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| App State | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: October 20
* Game time: 3:35 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 27,082
* Referee: Kyle Olson
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Harrison Battle, Pierre Banks
* AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
APP – Darrynton Evans 2 yard TD run (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 3:46 (APP 0–7)
LA – Elijah Mitchell 38 yard TD pass from Levi Lewis (Kyle Pfau Extra Point), 0:41 (TIE 7–7)
Second quarter
APP – Chandler Staton, 40 yard field goal, 13:10 (APP 7–10)
LA – Kyle Pfau, 43 yard field goal, 9:02 (TIE 10–10)
APP – Darrynton Evans 20 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 2:11 (APP 10–17)
Third quarter
APP – Marcus Williams 6 yard TD run (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 14:01 (APP 10–24)
Fourth quarter
APP – Chandler Staton, 29 yard field goal, 2:46 (APP 10–27)
LA – Trey Ragas 27 yard TD run (Kyle Pfau Extra Point), 1:03 (APP 17–27)
Top passers
LA – Andre Nunez – 14/23, 108 yards
APP – Zac Thomas – 10/20, 106 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
LA – Trey Ragas – 18 carries, 81 yards, TD
APP – Darrynton Evans – 26 carries, 183 yards, TD
Top receivers
LA – Ryheem Malone – 3 receptions, 47 yards
LA – Elijah Mitchell – 2 receptions, 47 yards, TD
APP – Henry Pearson – 2 receptions, 38 yards
Top defenders
LA – Corey Turner – 11 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
APP – Akeem Davis-Gaither – 15 tackles, sack, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
APP – Noel Cook – 13 tackles, sack, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL) :

### At Georgia Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 25 App State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Georgia Southern | 0 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
at Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, Georgia
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 7:32 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C); light mist
* Game attendance: 19,252
* Referee: Marshall Lewis
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Doug Sherman, Roddy Jones
* AppStateSports.com Game Notes AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
GS – Darion Anderson 57 yard TD pass from Shai Werts (Tyler Bass Extra Point), 14:37 (GS 0–7)
APP – Marcus Williams Jr. 1 yard TD run (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 12:11 (TIE 7–7)
GS – Wesley Fields 10 yard TD run (Tyler Bass Extra Point), 9:53 (GS 7–14)
GS – Tyler Bass 42 yard field goal, 4:45 (GS 7–17)
Third quarter
GS – Shai Werts 47 yard TD run (Tyler Bass Extra Point), 10:05 (GS 7–24)
GS – Tyler Bass 43 yard field goal, 1:34 (GS 7–27)
Fourth quarter
GS – Wesley Fields 18 yard TD run (Tyler Bass Extra Point), 3:28 (GS 7–34)
APP – Malik Williams 4 yard TD pass from Jacob Huesman (Chandler Staton Extra Point), 0:10 (GS 14–34)
Top passers
APP – Jacob Huesman – 8/14, 67 yards, TD, 2 INT
GS – Shai Werts – 1/3, 57 yards, TD
Top rushers
APP – Darrynton Evans – 16 carries, 63 yards
GS – Shai Werts – 14 carries, 129 yards, TD
GS – Wesley Fields – 18 carries, 98 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
APP – Corey Sutton – 4 receptions, 64 yards
GS – Darion Anderson – 1 reception, 57 yards, TD
Top defenders
APP – Anthony Flory – 10 tackles, tackle-for-loss (TFL)
GS – Kenderick Duncan – 5 tackles, forced fumble, interception
GS – Kindle Vildor – 2 tackles, 2 interceptions :

### At Coastal Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| App State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 23 |
| Coastal Carolina | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Brooks Stadium, Conway, South Carolina
* Date: November 3
* Game time: 5:05 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 13,004
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jeff McCarragher, Nate Ross
* AppStateSports.com Box Score AppStateSports.com Game Notes
Game information :
First quarter
APP – Darrynton Evans 26 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 10:16 (APP 7–0)
CCU – Derambez Drinkard 60 yard interception return (Massimo Biscardi kick), 5:57 (TIED 7–7)
Second quarter
APP – Corey Sutton 33 yard TD pass from Jacob Huesman (Chandler Staton kick), 1:40 (APP 14–7)
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
APP – TEAM safety, 11:33 (APP 16–7)
APP – Marcus Williams 1 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 9:54 (APP 23–7)
Top passers
APP – Jacob Huesman – 9/19, 127 yards, TD, 2 INT
CCU – Fred Payton – 10/16, 79 yards, INT
Top rushers
APP – Darrynton Evans – 27 carries, 159 yards, TD
APP – Marcus Williams – 19 carries, 103 yards, TD
CCU – Kilton Anderson – 3 carries, 22 yards
Top receivers
APP – Dominique Heath – 4 receptions, 55 yards
CCU – Malcolm Williams – 5 receptions, 32 yards
Top defenders
APP – Jordan Fehr – 8 tackles, 3 sacks, 3.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
CCU – Teddy Gallagher – 14 tackles, sack, tackle-for-loss (TFL) :

### At Texas State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| App State | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Texas State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Bobcat Stadium, San Marcos, Texas
* Date: November 10
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C); cloudy
* Game attendance: 11,482
* Referee: Jeremy Parker
* TV announcers (ESPN3): David Saltzman, Steve Foster, Megan Birdsong
* AppStateSports.com Box Score AppStateSports.com Game Notes
Game information :
First quarter
APP – Dominique Heath 8 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick), 12:04 (APP 7–0)
Second quarter
APP – Collin Reed 1 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick), 14:14 (APP 14–0)
APP – Darrynton Evans 1 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 1:20 (APP 21–0)
Third quarter
APP – Darrynton Evans 79 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 14:36 (APP 28–0)
TXST – Keenen Brown 6 yard TD pass from Tyler Vitt (Chris Kessler kick), 8:00 (APP 28–7)
Fourth quarter
APP – Chandler Staton 29 yard field goal, 14:50 (APP 31–7)
APP – Camerun Peoples 9 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 2:01 (APP 38–7)
Top passers
APP – Zac Thomas – 25/36, 247 yards, 2 TD
TXST – Tyler Vitt – 17/28, 106 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
APP – Darrynton Evans – 9 carries, 86 yards, 2 TD
TXST – Caleb Twyford – 11 carries, 35 yards
Top receivers
APP – Jalen Virgil – 5 receptions, 51 yards
APP – Dominique Heath – 4 receptions, 38 yards, TD
TXST – Keenen Brown – 7 receptions, 44 yards, TD
Top defenders
APP – Jordan Fehr – 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL
TXST – Nikolas Daniels – 13 tackles, 0.5 TFL :

### Georgia State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Georgia State | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| App State | 14 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: November 17
* Game time: 2:35 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); clear, sunny
* Game attendance: 22,315
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV: ESPN+
* AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
GSU – Tamir Jones 7 yard TD pass from Dan Ellington (Brandon Wright kick), 10:17 (GSU 7–0)
APP – Corey Sutton 39 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick), 8:54 (TIED 7–7)
APP – Henry Pearson 10 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick), 3:16 (APP 7–14)
Second quarter
APP – Chandler Staton 23 yard field goal, 0:11 (APP 7–17)
Third quarter
APP – Zac Thomas 1 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 9:16 (APP 7–24)
APP – Desmond Franklin 26 yard interception return (Chandler Staton kick), 1:20 (APP 7–31)
GSU – Brandon Wright 52 yard field goal, 2:42 (APP 10–31)
Fourth quarter
APP – Dominique Heath 21 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick), 14:18 (APP 10–38)
APP – Darrynton Evans 56 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 12:04 (APP 10–45)
GSU – Demarcus Kirk 3 yard TD run (Brandon Wright kick), 8:20 (APP 17–45)
Top passers
GSU – Dan Ellington – 10/21, 132 yards, TD, 2 INT
APP – Zac Thomas – 20/24, 282 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
GSU – Dan Ellington – 19 carries, 113 yards
APP – Darrynton Evans – 15 carries, 127 yards, TD
Top receivers
GSU – Penny Hart – 2 receptions, 50 yards
APP – Corey Sutton – 4 receptions, 101 yards, TD
Top defenders
GSU – Chris Bacon – 7 tackles
APP – Desmond Franklin – 3 tackles, 2 INT :

### Troy

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Troy | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| App State | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: November 24
* Game time: 2:35 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C); mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 20,410
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV: ESPN+
* AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
APP – Corey Sutton 16 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick), 5:50 (APP 0–7)
Second quarter
APP – Corey Sutton 15 yard TD pass from Zac Thomas (Chandler Staton kick), 13:42 (APP 0–14)
APP – Zac Thomas 10 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 11:09 (APP 0–21)
TROY – Tyler Sumpter 26 yard field goal, 7:51 (APP 3–21)
Third quarter
TROY – Deondre Douglas 21 yard TD pass from Sawyer Smith (Tyler Sumpter kick), 9:21 (APP 10–21)
Fourth quarter
Top passers
TROY – Sawyer Smith – 17/34, 160 yards, TD, 2 INT
APP – Zac Thomas – 12/24, 113 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TROY – B.J. Smith – 15 carries, 53 yards
APP – Darrynton Evans – 20 carries, 108 yards
Top receivers
TROY – Deondre Douglas – 6 receptions, 69 yards, TD
APP – Corey Sutton – 5 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
TROY – Tron Folsom – 11 tackles, 1.5 TFL
APP – Akeem Davis-Gaither – 14 tackles, 2 TFL
APP – Jordan Fehr – 8 tackles, sack :

### Louisiana (Sun Belt Championship game)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Louisiana | 3 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 19 |
| App State | 7 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 30 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: December 1
* Game time: 12:03 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C); rainy
* Game attendance: 14,963
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV: ESPN
* AppStateSports.com Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
LA – Kyle Pfau 37 yard field goal, 10:13 (LA 3–0)
APP – Marcus Williams 1 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 9:56 (APP 3–7)
Second quarter
LA – Kyle Pfau 45 yard field goal, 8:17 (APP 6–7)
APP – Zac Thomas 25 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 3:17 (APP 6–14)
Third quarter
APP – Chandler Staton 42 yard field goal, 12:19 (APP 6–17)
LA – Andre Nunez 8 yard TD run (Kyle Pfau kick), 10:34 (APP 13–17)
LA – Kyle Pfau 23 yard field goal, 5:00 (APP 16–17)
APP – Chandler Staton 42 yard field goal, 0:00 (APP 16–20)
Fourth quarter
APP – Zac Thomas 35 yard TD run (Chandler Staton kick), 11:43 (APP 16–27)
LA – Kyle Pfau 24 yard field goal, 6:01 (APP 19–27)
APP – Chandler Staton 43 yard field goal, 2:09 (APP 19–30)
Top passers
LA – Andre Nunez – 10/21, 85 yards, 2 INT
APP – Zac Thomas – 6/13, 75 yards
Top rushers
LA – Trey Ragas – 16 carries, 101 yards
APP – Darrynton Evans – 17 carries, 111 yards
Top receivers
LA – J. Bradley – 4 receptions, 41 yards
APP – Corey Sutton – 2 receptions, 23 yards
APP – Collin Reed – 2 receptions, 23 yards
Top defenders
LA – J. Middleton – 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL
APP – Anthony Flory – 11 tackles, QBH
APP – Tae Hayes – 9 tackles, INT :

### Vs. Middle Tennessee (New Orleans Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Middle Tennessee | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| App State | 0 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 15
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Indoors
* Game attendance: 23,942
* TV: ESPN
Game information :
First quarter
MTSU - Crews Holt 24-yard field goal, 5:15 (MTSU 3-0)
Second quarter
APP - Chandler Staton 22-yard field goal, 13:48 (TIE 3-3)
APP - Thomas Hennigan 30-yard TD pass from Malik Williams, Staton kick good, 10:06 (APP 10-3)
APP - Zac Thomas 8-yard TD pass from Williams, Staton kick good, 6:38 (APP 17-3)
APP - Henry Pearson 1-yard TD pass from Thomas, 0:45 (APP 24-3)
MTSU - Holt 33-yard field goal, 0:00 (APP 24-6)
Third quarter
APP - Corey Sutton 17-yard TD pass from Thomas, Staton kick good, 11:06 (APP 31-6)
APP - Camerun Peoples 63-yard TD run, Staton kick good, 8:01 (APP 38-6)
MTSU - Isiah Upton 43-yard TD pass from Brent Stockstill, Holt kick good, 5:56 (APP 38-13)
Fourth quarter
APP – Sutton 11-yard TD pass from Thomas, Staton kick good, 13:06 (APP 45-13)
Top passers
MTSU - Brent Stockstill - 25/37, 330 yards, TD, 2 INT
APP – Zac Thomas – 15/24, 177 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MTSU - Chaton Mobley - 10 carries, 45 yards
APP – Darrynton Evans – 14 carries, 108 yards
Top receivers
MTSU - Gatlin Casey - 6 receptions, 64 yards
APP – Corey Sutton – 8 receptions, 78 yards, 2 TD :

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 25 | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |