Saturday, December 2, 2017

Appalachian State Repeats as Sun Belt Conference Champions with 63-14 Win Over Louisiana

BOONE – Saturday's Sun Belt game between Appalachian State and Louisiana at Kidd Brewer Stadium had serious implications for both of the teams involved. A win for the Mountaineers on Senior Day would mean a second-straight Sun Belt crown in only their fourth season in the conference. A victorious Louisiana would find itself bowl-eligible sixth time in seven years. As the weather turned colder throughout the afternoon, so did the Ragin' Cajuns' bowl hopes as the Mountaineers scored 56 unanswered points on the way to a 63-14 win.


Louisiana came out quickly on the first drive of the game, going 75 yards in only three plays with Jordan Davis finding Devin Scott for a 29-yard score less than a minute into the game. That was about all that went right for the Ragin' Cajuns in the game, though. After getting stopped on downs on their first drive, Appalachian State scored touchdowns on four of their remaining five drives in the first half and their first five drives of the second half.

The Taylor Lamb to Thomas Hennigan duo was strong throughout the game. The two connected for three scores in the second quarter (9, 33, 12) and a 42-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Lamb finished the day 17 of 22 passing for 242 yards. The running game was strong for Appalachian State as well, rushing for over 300 yards, including two 100-yard rushers. Daetrich Harrington led the way with 117 yards and a third-quarter touchdown and Jalin Moore added two scores.

Worth Noting

The 63 points are the most scored by Appalachian State in Sun Belt play since joining the conference.
Walk-on QB Curtis Fitch scored on a 1yd run late in the fourth quarter. App State was flagged for excessive celebration as almost the entire bench ran to the end zone to congratulate him.

Notable North Carolinians

Thomas Hennigan (Fr., Northwest Guilford) had four touchdowns, tying a program record for receiving touchdowns in a game.
Jalin Moore (Jr., Crest) ran for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Edward Davis (So., Farmville Central) had six tackles, including three for loss.
Clifton Duck (So., Butler) had an interception to go along with five tackles.

Next Week

Louisiana's season is complete while Appalachian State will begin preparing for the Dollar General Bowl where the Mountaineers will take on MAC champion Toledo on December 23rd at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.