Georgia Southern, Appalachian State set for Sun Belt showdown
The rivalry between Georgia Southern and Appalachian State has grown through the years. With both teams at the top of the Sun Belt Conference, there is a lot riding on Thursday night's matchup in Boone, North Carolina.
The Eagles played the Mountaineers for the first time in 1932, winning 33-0, but the Mountaineers lead the series 16-3-1 and 13-11 since Georgia Southern restarted its program in 1987.
The rivalry grew even more heated in 1993 when Georgia Southern joined the Southern Conference. The two teams combined to win or share the Souther Conference crown 17 times from 1993 to 2013, and they won five FCS national titles during that same time.
"Back when we were in FCS both teams, we were playing for No. 1 or the conference championship back in the Southern conference," Mountaineers head coach Scott Satterfield said. "There has been a lot of great history.
Last season, the two programs accepted invitations to join the Sun Belt Conference at the FBS level. The Eagles' transition was seamless as they had a perfect record in the conference and won the Sun Belt title.
The Mountaineers finished third in the conference, including a six-game winning streak to finish 6-2 in conference play. One of those losses came at the hands of the Eagles as Georgia Southern won 34-14.
"Last year, was the first year I ever played (Appalachian State) as head coach. We went ahead and went about our business," Eagles head coach Willie Fritz said.
The top two teams in the Southern Conference have arrived in the Sun Belt and have carried over their dominance. They are currently 18-1 against other teams in the Sun Belt since joining the conference.
The Mountaineers are first in the conference in total offense with 2,941 yards, while the Eagles are second with 2,791. The Eagles have 2,394 yards in rushing and lead the NCAA in rushing yards per game at 399.
"Everybody knows they want to run the ball, and still they are able to do it," Satterfield said. "Last week, they rushed for over 500 yards; that's hard to do in college football especially when you know that's what a team is going to do,"
The Mountaineers run a more balanced offense but lean on the ground game. Appalachian State has 1,707 yards rushing and 1,234 yards passing.
"It's a little different than any opponent we have played so far with their ability to do both," Fritz said.
Both teams are averaging almost 40 points per game, with the Eagles sitting at 40.3 and the Mountaineers at 39.2. Appalachian State is the only team in the nation that has a top 25 offense (17th) and defense (ninth).
The Eagles' offense is led by junior running back Matt Breida, who leads the country in average yards per carry at 10.1. Kevin Ellison has struggled passing the ball but is coming off of his best game of the year, hitting 10-of-17 for 64 yards and a touchdown against New Mexico State.
The Mountaineers lead the conference in total defense, while Latrell Gibbs is tied for the conference lead with five interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns. Ronald Blair is second in the conference with four sacks.
The Mountaineers' offense is led by quarterback Taylor Lamb, who is completing 57 percent of his passes and has 1,131 yards on the season. Lamb has thrown 15 touchdowns and been intercepted five times, and he leads the conference in quarterback rating at 171.6.
"He is a great leader for our offense," Satterfield said.
The Eagles' secondary is led by Antonio Glover, who is tied for third in the country with Gibbs with five interceptions. Antwione Williams leads the Eagles in tackles with 49.
The rivalry has more on the line than bragging rights as conference position is vital at this point in the season for both teams. Each team could also earn bowl eligibility with a sixth win. Both teams are 5-1 overall. The Eagles are 3-0 in conference play, while the Mountaineers are 2-0.
"Each team is looking to stay ahead in the Sun Belt race and also the chance to get to sixth-win plateau, which is obviously something both teams want to get to," Satterfield said.
This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Georgia Southern, Appalachian State set for Sun Belt showdown ."