Appalachian State (9-2, 6-1 Sun Belt) vs Georgia Southern (3-8, 2-5 Sun Belt)
Saturday, November 27th, 2021 2:30pm EST
TV/Video: ESPN+
Radio: 97.3 FM North Wilkesboro, 96.5 FM/1450 AM Boone, 1320 AM Greensboro, 107.7FM/1450 AM Hendersonville, Varsity Network App
Kidd Brewer Stadium
Capacity: 30,000
Surface: Astroturf
Jeff Sagarin Ratings
App State: 77.51
GS: 54.98
Home: 1.90
App State is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 24.43 points
Line: App State -24.5
Series: App State leads 20-15-1
Last Meeting: App State 34, Georgia Southern 26, December 12, 2020, Statesboro, GA
Eight long years have passed since App State and Georgia Southern have faced each other in Boone, on a Saturday. Fans assumed and expected that Saturday games in Sun Belt would be less frequent, but we probably did not know that this game, on a Saturday, would be taken from us as long as it was. Not many were able to experience that setting last year on a Saturday, so this means a little more. Forget that the game takes place on a holiday weekend. This game, on a Saturday, is a big deal. This is primetime in the High Country. You are coming up to get those Christmas trees anyway. Might as well make it a weekend and stick around for awhile. This should be the last game every year. If every big rivalry game across the country is this weekend, this game deserves that same spotlight. Southern has played App State more than any other school in their history. There are only eight schools that the Mountaineers have played more than Southern. Please Sun Belt, let’s keep this playing this one on a Saturday.
This has been a season to forget down in Statesboro. Just as it was getting started, before the calendar even flipped to October, the Eagles had fired their coach after a less then stellar first four games. Perhaps it was less about sneaking by Gardner Webb, or getting flattened by Florida Atlantic and Arkansas, where they were outscored 83-16 in those games. It’s hard to believe that the Louisiana game was a must win game for former coach Chad Lunsford. But maybe, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when a defensive player, surfed on top of an activity bus and chugged a beer that was thrown to him, prior to the game. Lunsford was 25-14 the previous three seasons. Maybe his seat was warming, but it should not have been hot. However Southern has now had midseason firings for its last two coaches in Tyson Summers and Lunsford. Both were first time head coaches. Clay Helton, a former Power 5 coach at Southern Cal, will get the reins next, and be asked the inevitable question. Are you keeping the option?
Another week, another team who has juggled quarterbacks this season. That’s now five straight games App State’s defense will face a quarterback who has not appeared in all of their teams games. This past week, it was third string walk-on Connor Cigelski who started in the loss to BYU. Cigelski was 11/14 passing for 122 yards, and ran eight times for twenty yards. Most of the season, it has been a rotation between Justin Tomlin and Cam Ransom. Tomlin has been around the program for a few years and Ransom is a freshman. Tomlin has completed under 52% of his passes this season while throwing just two touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Ransom has not been much better, completing less than 47% of his passes, with three touchdown tosses, but has not turned the ball over in the air. In all, the Southern passing offense has thrown twelve interceptions to just five touchdown passes, as Amare Jones and Sam Kenerson have also attempted passes, but are not considered traditional quarterbacks.
There is no comparing Georgia Southern to any Sun Belt team. We all know this. Even with their more modern option running game, the way the game flows and unfolds is incredibly important to their success. Their best defense for Southern, is their offense. Considering the quarterbacks they have gone through, one would expect any team to struggle. Eventually, you have to move the ball, possess the ball, get first downs and score. The Eagles have not been doing enough of that this year. The Eagles are tied for last in the conference in first downs with Troy, and are eighth in the conference in scoring at 21.8 points per game. The Eagles are seventh in the conference in total offense at 355.4 yards per game and fifth in time of possession at 29:53. Good Southern offenses possess the ball more than their opponents and are usually well over 30 minutes per game of possession. For the time being, all the facts are relevant and apply, and it will be interesting to see how Clay Helton and his staff rebuild this Eagle offense.
The Mountaineers defense has now kept their opponents from scoring in the second half for three straight games. Two of those games have been played on the road, and that’s absolutely unheard of in college football. This defense is on fire right now. Throw in the fact that Troy gained 142 yards of offense for the game, and only 20 yards in the final three quarters. It must be frightening to be on the other side of this unit right now. Once the defense inserted their will against Troy last weekend, the offense picked it up. App State scored to close the first half and open the second half. An early second half interception by TD Roof was followed by a one play drive that allowed the Mountaineers to coast for the remainder of the game. Nate Noel had his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season and eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the year. Noel’s performance gave App State an FBS leading tenth consecutive season with a running back surpassing 1,000 yards. The offensive line paved the way for 233 team rushing yards and gave up zero sacks. Thomas Hennigan caught all seven of his targets for 85 yards and a touchdown, and has TD receptions in three straight games.
It remains to be seen who starts at quarterback for Southern. It will be something that App State will probably figure out when the Eagles break the huddle for their first play. There is no reason for Southern to be forthcoming about that information. Regardless of what the Eagles have been through this season, they still have a chance to salvage something. Finishing 4-8, with a win over their hated rival is still something to hang your hat on. The same scenario arose for the Mountaineers in 2013. App State entered the game against Southern, on a Black Saturday with a 1-6 record and trounced the Eagles 38-14. That was the same year that Southern went on to beat Florida. If there is ever a time in this series where you think you know the outcome, refer back to 2013. App State lost four games that year by a touchdown or less. They were very close to being 8-4. Just like Southern’s record this year might be 3-8, they have lost three games by eight points or less. They played and lost to two Power 5 type programs in Arkansas and BYU. Because of that, the Eagles were always going to look about one game worse than they actually were. They are not as bad as they look on paper, but for some reason, they could not finish a few close games. The Southern defense can play the run a little, and they have been on the field a long time this season, and are usually facing a team trying to burn clock. However, the secondary has been getting absolutely roasted all season long. The Eagles have yielded 293 yards per game in the air and 26 touchdown passes. Both marks are second worst in the league. The best way to beat a Georgia Southern team is get ahead of them. Whenever they play from behind, they get out of what they prefer to do on offense. The Eagles are not running it as well as years past, but they are still running it to the tune of over 200 yards a game. They have three running backs in the top 24 in terms of yardage in the conference. It just has not been consistent enough to work off of their defense. Expect a big game from Chase Brice and the receivers, that slowly works Southern into being uncomfortable, and turns a borderline close game early, into a runaway late.
The First Pick
Chicken Shortage 20
Mountaineers 42