By David Rogers. STATESBORO, Ga. — As regular season college rivalry football games (with a lot on the line) go, it doesn’t get much more intense than the 2022 edition of Appalachian State at Georgia Southern — unless, of course, you are looking for a defensive nail biter. A 25-yard touchdown pass from Eagle quarterback Kyle Vantrease to wide receiver Ezrah Archie won the game for GSU in double overtime, 51-48. The final result means the Eagles have qualified for a bowl game while the Mountaineers’ season comes to an end — and all but ends their record-breaking series of seven straight bowl game appearances since joining the FBS level.
This was a make or break game, both teams needing a win over the other to become bowl eligible, and they played like it. The two longtime adversaries’ rivalry has been described as “deeper than hate,” dating back to when they competed in the Southern Conference before both joined the Sun Belt in 2014. In the 2022 regular season finale, they traded touchdowns and field goals, one leading, then the other. Neither had more than a four point lead the entire game even though they tallied a total of 99 points combined.
On the surface, looking at the stats suggests App State should have won the game. The Mountaineers rolled up 629 yards of total offense vs. 487 by the Eagles. App State’s offensive production was relatively balanced, including 253 yards gained passing and 376 rushing. Moreover, Georgia Southern suffered two turnovers, a lost fumble and an interception, while the Mountaineers committed nary a one.
The problem is that App State could not capitalize. It scored just three points (a field goal) after forcing the two turnovers. Out of eight red zone opportunities, getting the ball inside the GSU 20-yard line, it scored on only six of them. And the Mountaineers were flagged six times for 61 penalty yards, compared to three times for 38 yards by the Eagles.
App State’s Nate Noel, Ahmani Marshall, and Daetrich Harrington did their part in racking up rushing yards and TDs. In taking advantage of the Mountaineers’ outside zone blocking scheme, Noel ran for 171 yards and three TDs, Marshall for 91 yards and a TD, and Harrington 74 yards and a TD.
Noteworthy is that App State’s rushing production complemented quarterback Chase Brice passing for 253 yards, including aerials to four different receivers over or near 50 yards gained. That included third-year sophomore Christan Horn’s two catches for 55 yards, Dalton Stroman’s one reception for 53 yards, Kaedin Robinson’s five collections for 49 yards, and senior tight end Henry Pearson’s two critical catches for 47 yards.
Except for the two turnovers, Georgia Southern was simply more efficient with its time of possession. App State controlled the ball for 32:33, GSU for 27:27. The Eagles’ Kyle Vantrease completed 34 of 51 pass attempts for 385 yards and three passing TDs vs. the one interception.
With its possessions, Georgia Southern scored seven touchdowns and 1 field goal. App State scored five TDs and four FGs. The Mountaineers had more BIG plays, but couldn’t get as much out of them in terms of point production.
That said, one more field goal could have won the game.
After Vantrease tied the game at 38-38 (including a successful PAT kick), App State got the ball back with 4:22 remaining on the clock, Brice taking command of the Mountaineer offense on their own 25. The drive lost momentum at the Eagles’ 26 yard line, with 1:44 left on the clock. Rather than attempt a field goal that was clearly within the Mountaineer kicker’s (Michael Hughes) range, head coach Shawn Clark elected to “go for it” on 4th-and-1, aiming to put the game away.
It was an interesting game strategy call. Make the field goal and you have a 3-point lead, but Georgia Southern would have roughly 1:40 left to either tie the game with a field goal or score a TD and probably win the game with little or no time remaining. And if Hughes did not make the field goal, GSU would still have 1:40 left and either a TD or FG would likely win the game for the Eagles.
The odds for converting the fourth down with one yard to go were in Clark’s favor, the way the Mountaineers’ rushing attack had been successful. And if it had been successful, the Mountaineers would probably have indeed put the game away, running out most if not all of the clock in regular time.
But running back Ahmani Marshall ran up the middle into a brick wall, for only a few inches instead of the necessary yard, giving Georgia Southern the ball back with 1:40 remaining. App State’s defense did its job by turning away the Vantrease-led Eagle offense and forcing them to punt on the Broncos’ ensuing possession. Kaedin Robinson’s fair catch at the Appalachian 28 gave the Mountaineers’ one more opportunity to win the game with 41 seconds remaining.
AppNation knew that the Mountaineers had been in similar situations before, including earlier in the season at home against Troy with the immaculate “Hail Mary” reception and TD by Christan Horn.
When Brice hit Horn down the right sideline for a 45-yard passing gain on the possession’s third play, it sparked hope for yet another miracle in the last minute of the contest.
Unfortunately, the drive stalled and Hughes’ 30-yard field goal attempt started inside the left upright, but veered outside, no good, as time expired in regulation and sending the game into overtime.
The teams traded TDs in the first overtime but the Eagles’ defense stiffened and held the Mountaineers to a 33-yard Hughes field goal. That led to the decisive, Vantrease to Archie aerial that brought things to an end.
