Sun Belt Championship 2018

2 - Mountain Times Publications

SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Mountaineers no strangers to big games

BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com

A

ppalachian State’s run to the Sun Belt Football Championship game is not all that surprising.

The Mountaineers won the Sun Belt’s East Division by posting an overall record of 9-2 and finishing with a 7-1 conference mark. App State’s only loss was a division setback to Georgia Southern, but the team won its final four games, including a winner-take-the-division 21-10 victory over Troy on Nov. 24.

Appalachian State is no stranger to big games, both on the FCS level and the FBS level. The Mountaineers won three FCS national championships from 2005-07. App State also pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football in 2007, when it beat Michigan 34-32.

App State has continued its traditional winning ways in the FBS. After a slow start during the transition period, the Mountaineers won a share of the Sun Belt Conference championships in 2016-17.

App State also has won three straight bowl games and is bowl eligible again in 2018.

“We’re very excited to play in the first Sun Belt championship game and to have it right here in Boone in front of our fans,” App State head coach Scott Satterfield said. “It’s going to be exciting. There are a lot of good things happening here this weekend and for our university, to be able to showcase our school — we’re excited about that.”

Appalachian State nearly grabbed a major upset win in the first game of the 2018 season. The Mountaineers took then-No. 9 Penn State to overtime,

PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield leads the Mountaineers into the Sun Belt Football Championship game.

but lost the game 45-38.

Appalachian State responded by putting together a five-game winning streak that included victories over Charlotte (45-9), Gardner-Webb (727), South Alabama (52-7), Arkansas State (35-9) and Louisiana (27-17).

A short week and an injured quarterback were too much for the Mountaineers to overcome in a 34-14 Thursday night loss at Georgia Southern. App

State promptly started another winning streak with a 23-7 road win at Coastal Carolina.

That streak was extended with a 38-7 road win at Texas State, a second consecutive home victory over Georgia State (45-17) and a 21-10 win over Troy in a showdown for the East Division championship.

“It was Senior Day for us,” Satterfield said of the win over Troy. “It’s not a very big senior class, but

I’m proud of the seniors and what they’ve been able to accomplish in this transition for us over the past four years. To be able to play in three straight bowls and this will be our fourth in a row for this senior class.”

Appalachian State finished the season leading the Sun Belt Conference in scoring with 37.3 points per game, nearly four points more than the Mountaineers’ opponent

Saturday Louisiana, which averages 33.7.

App State’s defense also allows the fewest points per game in the Sun Belt with 15.4 points per game.

The Mountaineers also have the stingiest defense when it comes to yardage, as they give up just 278.2 yards per game. The next closest team, Troy, gives up 345.6 per game.

Satterfield said Louisiana is a different team than the one the Moun-

taineers beat during the 2017 season and the 2018 regular season. Louisiana Billy Napier was hired to take over the Louisiana program, and has Satterfield’s respect.

“From last year to this year, what an incredible improvement coach Napier and his staff has been able to do,” Satterfield said.

“They started out 1-3 this year and now they’ve been on a roll the last half of the season.”

SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Mountain Times Publications

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PHOTOS BY STEVE BEHR A large Kidd Brewer Stadium crowd gets ready to see Appalachian State host Louisiana on Oct. 20, 2018.

App State vs. Louisiana Oct. 20, Kidd Brewer Stadium

BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com

A

ppalachian State hosted Louisiana Oct. 20 in a Sun Belt Conference game at Kidd Brewer. The Mountaineers beat the Ragin Cajuns 27-17 in front of 27,082 fans, one of the largest crowds to watch the Mountaineers play at Kidd Brewer Stadium this season.

Here are a few of the scenes from the game captured by Watauga Democrat Sports Editor Steve Behr.

Appalachian State kicker Chandler Staton kicks an extra point from the hold of Xavier Subotsch against Louisiana.

Appalachian State’s Akeem Davis-Gaither (24) and Demetrius Taylor (48) sack Louisiana quarterback Levi Lewis.

SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

4 - Mountain Times Publications

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Home run hitters Thomas, Sutton bring big-play capabilities to Mountaineers’ offense

BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com

T

Zac Thomas

here was a time when Appalachian State quarterback Zac Thomas and receiver Corey Sutton were both banished to football purgatory.

The time was the 2017 season. Thomas was a backup to four-year starter Taylor Lamb. Thomas saw a little playing time, but it was always mop-up duty in the fourth quarter when either the Mountaineers were comfortably ahead in a game or when they fell behind to Georgia in the first game of the season.

Sutton was relegated to the bench by NCAA transfer rules.

After getting his release from Kansas State in 2016, NCAA rules stipulate that he had to sit out a season before he could play.

But being out of commission on the PHOTOS BY ROB MOORE field did not mean the two sat idly by and did nothing. The

two decided that when they got their chance to play, they would be ready.

So, the two worked on their timing. They worked on it over the spring and over the summer so when their time came, they would be ready.

“When Taylor Lamb was the starting quarterback last year, Zac knew that he had an opportunity to be the guy the next year, so he worked hard,” App State coach Scott Satterfield said.

“Corey sat out after transferring, so they just worked well together.”

Thomas felt that when Sutton arrived at Appalachian State, the Mountaineers just added a big weapon to its passing arsenal.

“When he first got here, we knew we’re going to have to have a big passing game,” Thomas said. “We spent a lot of time in the offseason watching film, getting to know what he does and I’m telling him what I do. We spent a lot of hours on the field after practice just working on both of our crafts because he runs different routes with different timing and I have to know that. We spent a lot of time on that, and I was working with him as much SEE HITTERS ON PAGE 5

Corey Sutton

Saturday, December 1, 2018

SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

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App State offense wants to establish run game

BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com

W

hen Appalachian State’s offense takes the field Dec. 1 against Louisiana in the Sun Belt Football Championship game at Kidd Brewer Stadium, the Mountaineers will try to establish their running game.

They’ll try to throw the ball too, but Appalachian State’s identity is to establish a running game first. More often than not, the Mountaineers are successful doing that.

Appalachian State is second in the Sun Belt to Georgia Southern in rushing offense with 242.5 per game. This is with the team losing potential Offensive Player of the Year Jalin Moore to a season-ending foot and ankle injury suffered at Arkansas State.

Despite the loss, the Mountaineers have been able to stay successful running the ball. Darrynton Evans has a chance to reach the 1,000-yard mark after gaining 968 yards on the ground this year. Marcus Williams Jr. has 482 yards and quarterback

HITTERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

that I can.”

It seems their extra work was worth the effort. Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, won the starting quarterback position for 2018 and is a candidate for the Sun Belt’s Most Valuable Player award.

Thomas has thrown for 1,787 yards and 18 touchdowns against just four interceptions despite missing one game and most of another because of a concussion suffered against Georgia Southern. Thomas also proved to be a running threat by gaining 417 yards and scoring eight touchdowns, including a 62-yarder.

Sutton also has experienced a breakout year. Also a redshirt sophomore, Sutton leads the Mountaineers in receiving with 34 catches for 672 yards and eight touchdowns.

His 90-yard catch-and-run score against Charlotte was the Mountaineers’ longest play from scrimmage this season.

“With Taylor being the quarterback last year, me and Zac spent a lot of time in the offseason and even after practice and stuff like that,” Sutton said. “Coming into this year, over the summer we got a lot of work in the film room. Like he said, the timing is different for every receiver, so with me and Zac putting in the work like that and everything, the time was pretty good. He was out a couple of games, but Zac and I had our rhythm going pretty good.”

Thomas has plenty of young, fast receivers

Zac Thomas is also a threat to run the ball when needed.

Thomas has 417 yards and has scored eight touchdowns, the most of any App State runner.

“It all starts with the running game,” App State coach Scott Satterfield said. “When we lost Jalin in the Arkansas State game, that was a tough blow for us. I feel like he’s a player of the year-type player, and he has been. You lose him, but I think Darrynton and Marcus Williams Jr. have come in and done a great job at running back. And then Zac with his legs and being able to run the football that starts there.”

Having a big running game does not mean the Mountaineers can’t move the ball through the air. Thomas has thrown for 1,787 yards and tossed 18 touchdowns, while completing 63.6 percent of his passes.

His favorite target is Kansas State transfer Corey Sutton, who has caught 34 passes for 672 yards and eight touchdowns. Thomas SEE OFFENSE ON PAGE 8

at his disposal. Thomas Hennigan, another sophomore, has 26 catches for 282 yards, while Dominique Heath, another Kansas State transfer and senior graduate student, and Malik Williams each have caught 22 passes. Heath has scored five touchdowns and Williams has scored three.

Jalen Virgil also has caught 15 passes, and the combined reception totals of tight ends Henry Pearson and Collin Reed have provided 23 catches for 270 yards and four touchdowns.

Sutton said there’s more to playing receiver than catching passes. App State receivers are expected to block and Sutton is no exception.

At 6-feet-2, 200 pounds, Sutton is often bigger than the defensive backs he’s asked to block. It’s something that receivers coach Justin Watts expects his players to do.

“He definitely puts an emphasis on blocking,” Sutton said. “We’ve got a sign in our meeting room that says, ‘No block, no rock.’

If you’re not willing to block, you’re not going to get the ball.”

Neither Thomas nor Sutton would reveal if they had a special play or two that they like to run. Both said there were several in the Mountaineers’ playbook that they favor.

“There are definitely a couple,” Thomas said. “If you just watch him run his routes, he’s definitely one of the best route runners I’ve seen. If he’s pressed, he’s going to get separation somehow. He does a fantastic job with that. Any route you pick, I trust him with that and I just have to deliver the ball.”

“I think about that on a lot of plays, honestly,” Sutton added.

PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR Appalachian State running back Darrynton Evans celebrates a touchdown scored against Louisiana on Oct. 20 with teammates, which include center Noah Hannon (60), tight end Davin Papenheim (89) and tight end Henry Pearson (88).

Congrats ASU!

SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

6 - Mountain Times Publications

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Johnson anchors

App State offensive line

BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com

A

lthough Appalachian State offensive tackle Vic Johnson is not a senior, he’s the old man of the Mountaineers’ offensive line.

Johnson, a redshirt junior, is a three-year starter at left tackle on the App State offensive line. His 37 starts at the position are the most of any lineman with the Mountaineers, as three other linemen — center Noah Hannon, and guards Ryan Neuzil and Baer Hunter are all sophomores.

Left tackle Ryan Greer is a senior, but a first-year starter.

Johnson has a lower-leg injury, but told App State head coach Scott Satterfield

said he will be ready to play against Louisiana in the Sun Belt Football Championship on Dec. 1. Satterfield said Johnson would be day-to-day, but Johnson was an underdog when he first stepped on to the Kidd Brewer Stadium turf and has overcome everything from lack of size to lack of experience.

Johnson stands 6-feet-5, 296 pounds. He was not always so big. Coming out of North Augusta (S.C.) High School, Johnson weighed just 227 pounds.

He redshirted his freshman season and hit the weight room. He gained 60 pounds of muscle to get himself ready for the following season, but he did not know that would mean he’d be playing one of the most important positions

PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR Appalachian State left tackle Vic Johnson has been a starter for the past three seasons.

on the team — protecting quarterback Taylor Lamb’s blind side at left tackle.

Johnson said he kept his

quickness with the weight gain, but admits he “can’t stop on a dime anymore.”

“When I came out here

freshman year, I had to strain a lot harder,” Johnson said. “I’m a lot bigger now, so it’s a little easier.

It’s not as strenuous when I was that size.”

Johnson knew that he had a key assignment. Lamb was a four-year starter at quarterback after taking over the offense in 2014.

Lamb led the Mountaineers to three bowl victories, with Johnson guarding his back in two of them.

“Obviously you’ve got the face of the program, especially when I started here,” Johnson said. “He meant a lot to this team, so it puts a little burden on you to play a little harder when you’ve got a guy like that back there.”

Johnson played his first game against Howard during his true freshman season, but maintained his redshirt. He was in the SEE JOHNSON ON PAGE 8

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PHOTO BY ROB MOORE

MATCHUP at a GLANCE APPALACHIAN STATE 9-2 (7-1 Sun Belt)

LOUISIANA 7-5 (5-3 Sun Belt)

Boone, N.C. ................................................................................ Location ............................................................................Lafayette, La. 1899.......................................................................................... Founded ........................................................................................ 1898 19,108..................................................................................... Enrollment ................................................................................... 19,188 Mountaineers .............................................................................. Mascot .............................................................................Ragin’ Cajuns Black and Gold ............................................................................. Colors ............................................................................ Red and White Sun Belt ...................................................................................Conference ..................................................................................Sun Belt Kidd Brewer Stadium (30,000) ....................................................Stadium.................................................................. Cajun Field (41,426) Scott Satterfield ........................................................................Head coach .............................................................................Billy Napier 50-24 (6th year) ......................................................Head coach’s record at school ......................................................... 7-5 (1st year) Same .........................................................................Head coach’s overall record........................................................................Same None ...................................................................................National ranking ................................................................................. None Multiple spread............................................................................Offense ..................................................................................... Multiple 37.3.................................................................................... Points per game .................................................................................. 33.6 242.5 .......................................................................... Rushing yards per game ......................................................................... 230.2 198.9............................................................................Passing yards per game.......................................................................... 218.2 441.4 ............................................................................. Total yards per game ............................................................................ 448.4 3-4 .......................................................................................Basic defense ................................................................................ Multiple 15.4.............................................................................Points allowed per game ........................................................................... 34.0 124.4....................................................................Rushing yards allowed per game .................................................................. 208.8 153.8.................................................................... Passing yards allowed per game .................................................................. 234.5 278.2.......................................................................Total yards allowed per game..................................................................... 443.3 D. Troy 21-10 ............................................................................Last game...................................................... D. Louisiana-Monroe 31-28

Passing leaders

Receiving leaders

When Appalachian State has the ball:

Appalachian State prides itself in having a balanced offense that can run and throw the ball equally well. Running back Darrynton Evans, who has gained 968 yards this season, has emerged as the go-to running back following the season-ending injury to Jalin Moore. App State quarterback Zac Thomas has a fleet of fast receivers capable of beating defenses deep, or catching short passes and breaking long plays.

When Louisiana has the ball:

The Ragin Cajuns, coached by former Furman quarterback Bill Napier, average 33.6 points and 443.3 yards per game. Louisiana quarterback Andre Nunez completes 65.8 percent of his passes, has thrown for 2,051 yards and has tossed 19 touchdowns. The Ragin Cajuns have several weapons around Nunez, including receivers Ryheem Malone (39 catches, 459 yards, and four touchdowns), Ja’Marcus Bradley (34 catches, 516 yards and 10 touchdowns) and running back Trey Ragas (181 carries, 1,040 yards and eight touchdowns.

Final Sun Belt standings

EAST DIVISION Team

Appalachian State Troy Georgia Southern Coastal Carolina Georgia State WEST DIVISION Team Louisiana Arkansas State Louisiana-Monroe South Alabama Texas State

Conf.

W-L 7-1 7-1 6-2 2-6 1-7

All W-L 9-2 9-3 9-3 5-7 2-10

Conf.

W-L 5-3 5-3 4-4 2-6 1-7

All W-L 7-5 8-4 6-6 3-9 3-9

Dec. 1 game Louisiana at Appalachian State, noon

Rushing leaders

APPALACHIAN STATE PLAYER Comp-Att-Int Zac Thomas 138-217-4 Jacob Huesman 21-38-4 Team totals 173-280-10 Opp. totals 174-312-13

Pct. 63.6 55.3 61.8 55.8

Yards 1,787 206 2,188 1,692

TDs 18 2 22 7

Avg game 178.7 29.4 198.9 153.8

LOUISIANA PLAYER Andre Nunez Levi Lewis Team totals Opp. totals

APPALACHIAN STATE Player Rec. Yards Corey Sutton 34 672 Thomas Hennigan 26 282 Dominique Heath 22 309 Team totals 173 2,188 Opp. totals 174 1,692

Avg. 19.8 10.8 14.0 12.6 9.7

TDs 8 0 5 22 7

Avg. game 61.1 25.6 28.1 198.9 153.8

APPALACHIAN STATE PLAYER ATT Darrynton Evans 148 Marcus Williams 101 Zac Thomas 74 Team totals 462 Opp. totals 395

YARDS 968 482 417 2,824 1,368

AVG. 6.5 4.8 5.6 5.8 3.5

TD 7 3 8 27 11

AVG GAME 88.0 48.2 41.7 242.5 124.4

Pct. 65.8 66.7 66.1 62.7

Yards 2,051 547 2,619 2,815

TDs 19 7 26 21

Avg game 170.2 45.5 218.2 234.5

LOUISIANA Ryheem Malone Ja’Marcus Bradley Elijah Mitchell Team totals Opp. totals

11.7 15.1 18.0 13.1 14.1

4 10 3 26 21

38.2 43.0 31.1 218.2 234.5

LOUISIANA Trey Ragas Elijah Mitchell Raymond Calais Team totals Opp. totals

1,040 874 711 2,762 2,505

5.7 7.1 9.4 5.8 5.0

8 12 6 28 30

86.6 79.4 59.2 230.2 208.8

Comp-Att-Int 164-249-10 34-54-1 199-301-11 199-317-7

39 34 19 199 199

459 516 342 2,619 2,815

181 123 76 479 506

SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

8 - Mountain Times Publications

JOHNSON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

starting lineup in the first game of 2016, when the Mountaineers played at Tennessee in front of more than 100,000 fans.

App State lost to the Volunteers 20-13 in overtime, but Johnson has not lost his position in the starting lineup. Johnson did not have to face Tennessee’s standout junior defensive end Derek Barnett, but was still nervous before the game.

“I was really nervous, but Derek Barnett went to the other side so I had the other guy,” Johnson said. “He was an animal, so I was glad I didn’t play against him that game.”

Satterfield said Johnson’s personality has grown since his freshman season. Johnson

OFFENSE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Hennigan has caught 26 passes with no touchdowns and Dominique Heath has 22 catches for 309 yards and five touchdowns.

Satterfield said Appalachian State’s abundance of fast wide receivers puts pressure on opposing defenses. Even if they pay special attention to Sutton, they can be burnt by receivers such as Jalen Virgil, Malik Williams and tight ends Henry Pearson and Collin Reed.

came to App State with a quiet personality but has evolved into a leader on the offensive side of the ball, he said.

“When he first got here, he would only say two words — ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ is about all he would say,” Satterfield said. “He’s just really grown up. He’s become a great leader for us and guys look up to him.”

Johnson said offensive lineman Parker Collins, another North Augusta High graduate, took Johnson under his wing when Johnson first got to App State. Johnson said Collins showed him “the little things” that he needed to know to be a college offensive lineman. Learning how to block on the college level was another thing Johnson had to learn.

“How to line my feet up,” Johnson said of what Collins helped him with. “Just watching film, a lot of small stuff.”

“We didn’t know if he was going to be starting that redshirt freshman year, but he moved to left tackle and was starting and has started ever since,” Satterfield said.

“He’s got a lot of confidence now and fortunately for us he still has another year.”

That was a long time ago. As Johnson goes into the Mountaineers’ showdown with Louisiana, he said his game has still stayed the same. Johnson said his high school ran the spread offense, so he did not do as much run blocking as App State does. He had to learn fast how to block for the likes of Marcus Cox during his freshman year and for Jalin Moore his sophomore and junior years.

He currently blocks for Darrynton Evans and Marcus Williams Jr., who have replaced Moore, who is out for the season with a foot and ankle injury.

“We’re going to run the ball, no matter what,” Johnson said.

Johnson knows that occasionally he or his offensive line colleagues may get called for holding or illegal procedure. He said the less he or his fellow linemen are noticed by the crowd, the better game they have played. In other words, if his jersey number isn’t announced on the referee’s public address system, the better for Johnson.

“That’s the best thing,” Johnson said about not being identified for either holding or illegal procedure. “They also put you on the Jumbotron, too. I don’t know why, but they do. ‘This is the guy that did it.’”

Whether Johnson makes a key block, or if he makes a mistake, he vows to do one thing on each play.

“I’m going to play hard and play to the whistle,” he said.

“Zac has come a long ways over the last two years, his accuracy and arm strength, and you add that with his running ability and it just puts a lot of pressure on defenses,” Satterfield said. “He’s done a good job of getting Corey the ball and Corey’s made the most of it with eight touchdowns this year. They’re aware of where he’s at, you’ve still got to defend the whole field and that’s what we want to be offensively so they can’t do that.”

Making sure Thomas has enough time to pass is an offensive line that has gained experience over the past two seasons. Center

Noah Hannon is a sophomore, but is a twoyear starter after being put into the lineup last year as a freshman.

Left tackle Vic Johnson is a redshirt junior, but also a three-year starter. Left guard Ryan Neuzil is another sophomore who was put into the starting lineup this season.

The Mountaineers had to replace two linemen on the right side, Colby Gossett and Beau Nunn, who ended up in NFL training camps. Sophomore Baer Hunter has emerged as the starter at right guard, while senior Chandler Greer has settled in

at right tackle.

Johnson suffered a lower leg injury in the Mountaineers’ 21-10 win over visiting Troy on Nov. 24 and was listed day-to-day by Satterfield.

“He says he’s playing and all that, so we’ll see, we’ll take it day by day just like we do with all our guys that get dinged up,” Satterfield said. “A game like this, you’re going to do everything you can to get out there and all our guys will. He’s probably the biggest question mark out of everybody; I think everybody else will be fine. We’ll see where he’s at and we’ll take it day by day.”

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Fast App State defense rises to top of Sun Belt

BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com

T

o quote the movie “Top Gun,” Appalachian State’s defense has the “need for speed.”

Having a fast defense has been a staple of the Appalachian State defense for years.

The defenses during the Mountaineers’ national FCS championship days always were loaded with speed.

That is especially true of the 2018 edition. Appalachian State does not have a huge defense, but they can run fast, and that’s how they keep opponents out of the end zone.

“The big thing we can do is run,” Mountaineers head coach Scott Satterfield said.

“We’re not very big but we can really run, so if you do make a mistake and get out

of your gap our guys are fast enough to get back where they need to be. It comes down to execution and the skill we have out there, guys that can really run.”

In particular, the Mountaineers have been able to find linebackers in the recent past that can run and that can stop the run.

This season, it’s no different. Patrolling the middle of the App State defense is Anthony Flory, who was the Most Valuable Player of the Dollar General Bowl in 2017, when the Mountaineers shut out the high-powered Toledo offense 34-0.

Flory is second to outside linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither in tackles this season. Davis-Gaither leads the team with 89 stops, 14 of them coming against Troy in the Mountaineers’ critical

PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR App State’s Josh Thomas (7) celebrates a Louisiana fumble during their Oct. 20 game.

21-10 victory Nov. 23.

Two other linebackers round out the Mountaineers’ top four tacklers this season.

Inside linebacker Jordan

Fehr has 75 stops, including five sacks for minus 32 yards. Outside linebacker Noah Cook has 61 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an intercep-

tion.

The linebackers have played a key role in App State’s ability to keep offenses in check. The Mountain-

eers allow just 15.4 points and 278.2 yards per game.

App State is the only Sun Belt team to hold teams to an average of less than 20 points per game and less than 300 yards per game.

“They have really good team speed, good at both lines of scrimmage, good at rushing the ball and playing rush defense, and they’re plus five on the year at takeaways,” Louisiana head coach Billy Napier said. “In general they’ve settled in there, coach Satterfield has done a great job.”

“I think all four of them are all-conference worthy linebackers and probably lead our team in tackles and stats,” Satterfield said. “But it starts with our D-line, our D-line frees those guys up

SEE DEFENSE ON PAGE 11

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DEFENSE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

to go make plays and that’s how we’ve been able to do it.”

Appalachian State does not have a big defensive line, but the Mountaineers have speed and depth at that position. Satterfield said it’s important to keep the defensive linemen fresh so bigger teams don’t wear them out with long drives.

Myquon Stout is one of the keys to App State’s defensive line being successful. Stout has 16 tackles and keeps offensive linemen from reaching the linebackers.

Chris Willis (21 tackles), Okon Godwin (18 tackles), Caleb Spurlin (16 tackles), Demetrius Taylor (14 tackles), Elijah Diarrassouba (13 tackles) and E.J. Scott (10 tackles) are all part of the rotation.

“Up front we rotate a lot of defensive linemen,” Satterfield said. “Stout is our starting nose, we rotate two other guys in there to play nose as well. We’ll play up to nine to 10 guys in the defensive front. When you’re doing that and you’re rotating those guys they’re staying fresh, they’re staying healthy, and then it enables our four linebackers (to make tackles).”

Appalachian State’s deep third also benefits from the pressure the Mountaineers’ defensive line puts on quarterbacks. App State’s defense allows just 153.8 yards per game passing and has given up just seven touchdown passes.

PHOTO BY ROB MOORE Appalachian State’s defense stops running back Elijah Mitchell (15) during their last visit Oct. 20, 2018.

The anchors for the Mountaineers’ secondary are cornerbacks Clifton Duck and Tae Hayes. Duck, a junior, was a freshman starter. Duck has 44 tackles, which is fifth on the team, and has just one interception.

Then again, Duck does not see many passes thrown his way since he intercepted five passes his freshman season and six throws

last season. Duck went into the 2018 season as the Sun Belt’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He’s also on the watch list for the Jim Thorp Award, which goes to the top defensive back in the country.

Desmond Franklin, Josh Thomas and Austin Exford man the safety positions.

“We’ve played a very good year,” Satter-

field said. “We’re top of the conference in about every category defensively, and really one of the top in the country defensively when you look at the stats. I just think overall our coaching staff has done a great job of zeroing in on the opponent for that week, and then our players really understand our defense.”

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SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

12 - Mountain Times Publications

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s

Sun Belt title game brings challenges, changes

BY THOMAS SHERRILL thomas.sherrill@wataugademocrat.com

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hen the Sun Belt Football Championship game comes to Kidd Brewer Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 1, Appalachian State will be the home team, but they won’t be hosting the game.

“The thing about it is that it’s a neutral-site game,” ASU Athletics Director Doug Gillin said on Monday. “It’s really a Sun Belt-led event, so it’ll be completely neutral ...

You kind of turn the stadium over to the Sun Belt Conference.”

For the Appalachian

State versus Louisiana game that kicks off at 12 p.m. live on ESPN, Sun Belt Deputy Commissioner Kathy Keene said the conference aims to have as equitable an atmosphere as possible.

“We have some policies in place that we approved at the start of the process,” Keene said. “This is definitely a game hosted by the conference office; however, Appalachian State University is the home team in every sense of the word.”

Some of those policies will alter the experience.

One noticeable change: the field-level black and

gold signage on both sides that says “Welcome to the Rock,” “Appalachian State University” and “Home of the Mountaineers” will be covered by Sun Belt logos, the conference’s “Rise Above” branding and

Sun Belt Championship markings.

The Sun Belt’s markings will be present throughout Kidd Brewer Stadium, including on the digital ribbon boards.

“We’ll have a lot of

consistent markings the TV timeouts will be by throughout the lower the Sun Belt Conference. bowl,” Keene said. “We’ll Traditional ASU home do both sidelines, the game elements — such concourse area and team as the third down “Hell’s locker rooms.”

Bells,” post-touchdown With Louisiana not fireworks and Tweetsie bringing its marching whistle — will not be band, ASU’s band will featured this Saturday, provide the pregame show Keene confirmed. as normal, but for team But halftime will be entrances, both teams will more like a traditional have an equal fireworks ASU home game, with no display. conference special events “We will have even team planned, Keene noted. entrances as consistent as “We’re allowing App to possible,” Keene said. keep a lot of their normal The field itself won’t see elements — things they any big changes, with the would do on a normal lone exception being Sun home football game, Belt Conference Chambecause they bring so pionship game logos at much,” Keene said. alternating 25-yard lines.

Ticket prices are lower During the game, prethan they were the sentations such as video SEE CHALLENGES ON PAGE 13 board messages during

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SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Mountain Times Publications

CHALLENGES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

previous week versus Troy, with reserved seating and non-reserved seating dropping $10 to $35 and $25, respectively.

Keene said the ticket prices were a collaborative effort with the Sun Belt Conference and its member institutions.

All of the ticket revenue will go back to the conference, Keene said, and be distributed to the 10 football-playing institutions.

Parking and concession revenue will be retained by ASU, Gillin said.

“I think going into today we’ve sold about 6,000 tickets,” Gillin said on Monday. “And that doesn’t count our students, and we’re expecting a really good student crowd, so we’ll keep selling.

“We’ve been really busy at the box office, Saturday, Sunday and (Monday),” Gillin added.

One special event will be what Keene called a “College Gameday-type pregame show” that will take place on Duck Pond Field from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Gillin added it would be available on ESPN3.com.

“We’ll have analysts and live guests, feature the ASU band, spirit groups and have video presentations,” Keene said.

“We’ll have a number of special guests.”

Keene anticipates representatives from the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl —

PHOTO BY ROB MOORE The Sun Belt Football Championship game will be in Boone, but it is considered a neutral site.

who will invite the winner of the game as its Sun Belt Conference representative — and other Sun Belt bowl partners, plus App State and Louisiana administrators, athletic directors and Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson.

“We’ll be live on ESPN3.com, then the game will switch over to ESPN (at

12 p.m.),” Gillin said.

To get everything ready, Keene said Sun Belt representatives would start arriving in Boone on Tuesday.

Louisiana would fly to North Carolina on Thursday. Both teams would have press events on Friday at Kidd Brewer Stadium, plus a Commissioners’ Dinner

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in the Mark E. Ricks Athletics Center Friday night.

Keene said that 18 months of preparation and anticipation have turned into a sprint as the two teams and the host site were determined last Saturday night.

Those preparations included plans for multiple potential host sites.

“You had to prepare to go to a couple sites,” Keene said. “When the game ended on (Nov.) 24, we were ready to go with (the App State) template.”

“It’s a lot of work for our staff,” Gillin said. “For a neutral-site game, we’re still doing all the work. The conference staff is coming in to help us ... for the conference, it’s the first (Sun Belt Football Championship) game so there’s a lot of firsts for us.”

Gillin credited his staff with working to make the quick turnaround.

“Teresa Eggers in the ticket office, all of our ticket people, John Welch in operations, are working really hard,” Gillin said.

Despite the work to make it happen, the final result is eagerly anticipated.

“It’s been exciting, but it’s been unknowing,” Keene said. “Now that we know, it’s coming together really quickly and we’re looking forward to it.”

“For Appalachian fans, we need them all there, it’s a huge game live on ESPN, coming right out of (College) Gameday, it’s what (the team has) been working on all year long,” Gillin said.

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SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

14 - Mountain Times Publications

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Louisiana recovers from slow start to season

BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com

K

idd Brewer Stadium has not necessarily been a pleasant place for Louisiana head coach Billy Napier to visit.

The most obviously difficult time Napier experienced at Kidd Brewer was the play known as “Miracle on the Mountain.”

While playing quarterback for Furman in 2003, his pass on a two-point conversion was intercepted by Josh Jeffries, who lateraled the ball to Derrick Black, who ran nearly the length of the field for a defensive two-point conversion.

The play gave the Mountaineers a 16-15 victory over Furman in 2002. In 2018, Napier leads his Ragin Cajuns (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt) into Boone for a showdown with Appalachian State (9-2, 7-1) Dec. 1.

A Sun Belt Conference championship is at stake.

“There were a lot of good days and a lot of bad days I would say,” Napier said of his Kidd Brewer Stadium and Southern Conference memories. “Some of them I

would want to forget. Back in the Southern Conference, it was kind of Furman, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern were kind of the teams that were in contention each year. That’s kind of what I like being in this league now. You get a chance to play against some of those teams that I played against from the old Southern Conference.”

Napier’s latest experience with App State was a 27-17 loss the Mountaineers handed Louisiana on Oct. 20, 2018. Louisiana beat Arkansas State the next week, lost to Troy the following week and then closed out the season with three straight wins, all against Sun Belt teams.

Napier said the biggest link between App State’s current team and the Mountaineer teams back when he was in college from 1999-2002 is App State’s consistency and support from its administration and fans.

Of course, there is the consistency of winning.

“They have always been a very competitive team, even going back to my time as a player,” Napier said. “They always have been a team that had an identity of being

Congratulations ASU!

very competitive and very supportive with their administration, their athletic department. They have a group of fans and alumni that want to be good and want to be competitive. They take great pride in playing a high level of football.”

It’s what Napier is trying to build at Louisiana.

“We’re still looking for that complete game,” Napier said. “We’re still looking to put all three phases together and play our best football, but we’re excited, especially as a first-year staff, to be part of Saturday and to be a part of this first-year challenge.”

The road to Boone was not an easy one for the Cajuns to travel. Louisiana started the season with a 1-3 record, including blowout losses to Southeastern Conference powers Mississippi State and Alabama.

The other loss during that stretch was a 30-28 setback to Coastal Carolina that Napier said ended up being a springboard for the Cajuns. Napier said the loss forced the Cajuns to challenge the character of themselves and the staff.

It seemed to have worked since Louisiana beat Texas State 42-27 in a Sun Belt West Division showdown following the loss to Alabama. Louisiana then beat former Sun Belt member New Mexico State 66-38 the following week before falling to App

State.

“We grew a lot,” Napier said. “The entire building grew, knowing what to expect from Sunday to Saturday. Each person in the entire organization got better at their job, whether it’s the equipment guy to the trainer, certainly grad assistants to quality control people, players, full-time coaches — myself being a first-time head coach — we just gradually improved ourselves from week to week.”

Fate had to intervene in Louisiana’s final victory of the season, a 31-28 victory over rival Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 24. The Warhawks missed a 36-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds left to help the Cajuns win the game.

Louisiana running back Trey Regas finished with 1,040 yards rushing with eight touchdowns, while Michael Elijah finished with 874 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing.

“I think some of that adversity we went through earlier in the year ended up being a positive,” Napier said. “It really made us regroup and reset and take a good look in the mirror and our players to develop some ownership.”

It got the Cajuns to Boone for their game Saturday.

“We’re extremely excited to be part of a historical day,” Napier said.

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PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR Louisiana tight end Matt Barnes is tackled by Appalachian State’s Akeem Davis-Gaither (24), Austin Exford (9), Desmond Franklin (6) and Josh Thomas (7) after catching a pass in their first meeting Oct. 20 at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

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SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 1, 2018

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things App State can do to beat Louisiana

hen devising a football game plan, coaches try to formulate how to address every situation that may arise.

They also try to determine any edge they can use to tip the scales of victory toward their side. Appalachian State’s coaching staff is doing all that, and knowing in football there are no guarantees, here are five things the Mountaineers can do to beat Louisiana in the inaugural Sun Belt Football Championship game.

play of the season for the Mountaineers. Getting the ball to Sutton is not critical to an App State win, but it would make a victory easier to achieve.

STOP LOUISIANA’S RUNNING GAME

LIMIT TURNOVERS

PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR App State linebacker Anthony Flory (right) zeros in on Louisiana running back Trey Ragas in the team’s first meeting. App State can help itself by stopping the Louisiana run game and making the Ragin Cajuns one-dimensional.

It’s an old cliché, but it’s true. In App State’s lone Sun Belt loss to Georgia Southern, the Mountaineers turned the ball over five times. They have not done that since, and they are 4-0 since that game, too. App

State is a plus-five in turnover margin, turning the ball over 14 times, while forcing 19 turnovers, including 13 interceptions.

Louisiana is a minus-one having turned the ball over

14 times, 11 on interceptions, and forcing 13.

GET THE BALL TO COREY SUTTON Appalachian State has plenty of dynamic receiv-

ers, but Sutton can break the game wide open with a couple of big plays. Sutton’s 90-yard catch-and-run touchdown against Charlotte scored in the second game of the season is still the longest

App State’s defense allows just 124.4 yards per game, which is tops in the Sun Belt Conference. Louisiana has three running backs that Mountaineers coach Scott Satterfield says can start for any team in the conference, so it would be a good idea to shut them down before they get started.

HAVE A SPECIAL DAY ON SPECIAL TEAMS Appalachian State’s return teams are a reflection of the whole team’s explosive nature. The Mountaineers have returned one kickoff

for a touchdown, three punts for touchdowns and lead the conference in kickoff return average with 27.8.

Punter Clayton Howell is fourth in the Sun Belt with a 42.8 average per kick and Chandler Staton is 8-of-12 with a long of 40 yards on field goals.

RUN, RUN, RUN Appalachian State’s offensive line is young, but powerful. The Mountaineers average 242.5 yards per game on the ground, which is second in the conference.

When a team hangs on to the football and can run the ball, it generally is in control of the line of scrimmage and usually in control of the game. App State has been able to break big plays with its running game, but also has been able to push teams around with it.

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SUN BELT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, December 1, 2018