Sports
Aug. 23, 2018
Sophomore running back Jalin Moore attempts to break through a tackle against Georgia State.
FOOTBALL TAKES ON ANOTHER POWER FIVE OPPONENT
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or the fourth time in the last five seasons, the App State football team will open their season on the road against a Power Five program and will face a top fifteen team for the third straight year. After taking a tough 20-13 loss at Neyland Stadium against the No. 9 ranked Tennessee Volunteers in 2016 and losing 31-10 to eventual national runners-up in the No. 15 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in 2017, the Mountaineers will make the long trip to State College, Pennsylvania, to take on the No. 9 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Unlike in previous seasons, the Mountaineers will be without
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Brooks Maynard│@BrooksMaynard│Sports Editor several key starters on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Taylor Lamb, the Sun Belt Conference career passing touchdowns leader. They have also said goodbye to wide receiver Ike Lewis, defensive back A.J. Howard, linebackers Eric Boggs and Devan Stringer and linemen Bean Nunn, Caleb Fuller, Tee Sims and Colby Gossett, all of whom were integral pieces during previous years. Penn State has also lost some of their top players from last season, including No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley, who will start this season as running back for the New York Giants in the NFL. Returning this season will be the highly touted quarterback Trace McSorley, who is considered one of the top six candidates for this
season’s Heisman Trophy, according to si.com. McSorley ranked No. 17 in the nation in 2017 in passing yards with 3,570, No. 10 in completion percentage at 66.5 and tied for No. 15 in touchdowns (28) with none other than former starting quarterback at the University of Toledo, Logan Woodside. App State does return running back Jalin Moore, who earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors for 2017 after leading the conference in rushing yards with 1,037 and scoring 12 touchdowns while missing two complete games. At Sun Belt Conference Football Media Day in July, he stressed the importance of the Mountaineers taking every game seriously.
