BOONE – Georgia Southern scored on its opening possession and built a 22-3 lead before holding off a determined App State comeback to win 25-23 on Thursday night at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
The Eagles (4-5, 2-3 Sun Belt) needed just 44 seconds to take a 6-0 lead when Marcus Sanders Jr. caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from JC French IV. App State stopped the two-point conversion, but Georgia Southern controlled the game for the first 40 minutes.
The Mountaineers (4-5, 1-4) drove into Georgia Southern territory on their opening possession but failed to convert on fourth down. The Eagles responded with a 10-play, 61-yard drive that stalled inside the 5-yard line, forcing them to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Tripp Bryant.
App State's offense struggled to find rhythm early. The Mountaineers punted after a three-and-out on their second possession, and Georgia Southern capitalized with another methodical drive. The Eagles reached the App State 3-yard line before the Mountaineers' defense stiffened again, forcing Bryant's second field goal from 26 yards to make it 9-0 late in the first quarter.
Georgia Southern extended its lead to 16-0 early in the second quarter on a 10-play, 59-yard drive capped by French's 3-yard touchdown run. The Eagles' offense moved efficiently, converting on third downs and controlling possession. French completed 9 of 13 passes for 104 yards in the second quarter alone.
App State finally got on the board with a 36-yard field goal by Dominic De Freitas as the first half expired, cutting the deficit to 19-3. The Mountaineers drove 57 yards in nine plays but couldn't reach the end zone.
Georgia Southern opened the third quarter with another long drive, going 67 yards in 11 plays before settling for Bryant's fourth field goal, this one from 23 yards. The Eagles had now kicked four field goals in four red zone trips, but their 22-3 lead appeared comfortable.
App State's offense finally came alive midway through the third quarter. AJ Swann completed passes of 12, 11, 8 and 14 yards on consecutive plays, moving the Mountaineers from their own 22 to the Georgia Southern 47. Facing fourth-and-2 from the 33, Swann found Jaden Barnes for 32 yards to the 1-yard line.
On the next play, Swann threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to David Larkins, who tipped the ball to himself for the score. The two-point conversion failed, but App State had cut the deficit to 22-9 with 4:51 left in the third quarter.
The Mountaineers' defense then delivered its best sequence of the game. Colton Phares sacked French on third down, forcing a Georgia Southern punt from its own 32. App State took over at its 31 and immediately faced fourth-and-1 from its own 40. Barnes made a diving catch for 6 yards to extend the drive.
Jaquari Lewis rushed for 15 yards to the Georgia Southern 27, then broke free between blocks from pulling offensive linemen Griffin Scroggs and Will Flowers for a 27-yard touchdown run. Lewis scored untouched, and De Freitas' extra point cut the deficit to 22-16 with 13:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Georgia Southern responded with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that reached the App State 6. But the Mountaineers' red zone defense held again. Aiden Benton stopped a run for a 2-yard loss, and Kevin Abrams-Verwayne tackled the runner for a 1-yard gain. Bryant kicked his fifth field goal, a 24-yarder that made it 25-16 with 9:05 to play.
App State drove to the Georgia Southern 23 on the next possession, aided by Barnes' 22-yard catch on fourth-and-14. But on the next play, Ayden Jackson intercepted a pass from a pressured Swann just short of the end zone with 6:58 remaining.
Georgia Southern went three-and-out and punted back to App State at its own 34 with 5:24 left. The Mountaineers faced fourth-and-17 from the Georgia Southern 47 but converted when Swann found Davion Dozier for 17 yards. The 11-play, 66-yard drive culminated in Swann's 16-yard touchdown pass to Barnes with 1:56 remaining, cutting the deficit to 25-23.
App State attempted an onside kick, but Georgia Southern recovered at the App State 47. The Eagles needed to move the ball to run out the clock, and they did just that. OJ Arnold ran for 11 yards on first down, giving Georgia Southern a fresh set of downs at the App State 36.
After two more runs moved the ball to the 32, App State used its final timeout with 42 seconds left. Facing fourth-and-1 from the 27, Arnold rushed for 9 yards and a first down. French knelt down to end the game.
Barnes finished with 13 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown, the most catches by an App State player since Sean Price had 13 for 167 yards against Illinois State in 2012. Swann completed 34 of 51 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns in his return to the starting lineup. DJ Burks led the defense with 12 tackles.
Arnold rushed 20 times for 105 yards for Georgia Southern. French completed 25 of 37 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown. Sanders caught six passes for 127 yards and a score.
The Mountaineers held Georgia Southern to five field goals on five red zone trips inside the 25-yard line, but the offense couldn't overcome its slow start. App State managed just three points in the first half and rushed for only 77 yards on 23 carries for the game.
Georgia Southern controlled possession for 32:20 and converted 6 of 15 third downs. The Eagles won despite not scoring a touchdown after the second quarter.
App State has lost four consecutive conference games and needs two wins in its final three games to become bowl eligible. The Mountaineers travel to James Madison next weekend. Georgia Southern snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 2-3 in Sun Belt play.
Key Performers
- Jaden Barnes (App State): 13 receptions, 160 yards, 1 TD
- AJ Swann (App State): 34-of-51 passing, 348 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- OJ Arnold (Georgia Southern): 20 rushes, 105 yards
- JC French IV (Georgia Southern): 25-of-37 passing, 352 yards, 1 TD; 12 rushes, 18 yards, 1 TD
- Marcus Sanders Jr. (Georgia Southern): 6 receptions, 127 yards, 1 TD
- Tripp Bryant (Georgia Southern): 5 field goals (21, 26, 23, 24, 24 yards)
- DJ Burks (App State): 12 tackles
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