By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — In a Nov. 2 game featuring what have been two high-powered offenses in Old Dominion and Appalachian State, defense was the difference maker for the Mountaineers’ 28-20 win — including the Monarchs coughing up the football four times with turnovers (three fumbles and one interception), while the only turnover blemish for the Mountaineer offense was a single pass interception.
Both the Mountaineers and the Monarchs had running backs rushing for over 100 yards. App State’s Ahmani Marshall surpassed that mark for the second consecutive game, carrying the ball 23 times for 120 yards. Old Dominion RB Aaron Young toted the pigskin 14 times for 110 yards.
For both sides, the scoring damage came through the air. The Mountaineers’ quarterback, Joey Aguilar, threw that one pass INT, but otherwise completed 13-of-24 passes for 212 yards and four TDs. Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph was a little more pass-happy, completing 17 of 42 passes for 332 yards and two TDs, as well as one interception.
On the opening play from scrimmage, Old Dominion flexed its offensive prowess with a 61 yard pass from Joseph to wide receiver Isaiah Paige but, just three plays later, the Monarch drive stalled when Joseph fumbled the ball near the Mountaineer 6-yard line and inside linebacker Brendan Harrington alertly jumped on it. It was only ODU’s first drive and first turnover, but it set the tone for what would be the Monarchs’ proverbial albatross for the rest of the game.
Meanwhile, App State responded on its first play with an Aguilar pass to favorite wide receiver Kaedin Robinson, for 46 yards and getting the ball into Monarch territory. From there it would take only six plays for the Mountaineers to find a reward for the turnover, a 23-yard pass on 3rd-and-12 from Aguilar to Robinson, caught in the end zone for the redshirt senior receiver’s first TD catch of the season.
Although Old Dominion rallied to take a 17-7 lead with under five minutes to go in the first half, a 46-yard strike from Aguilar to redshirt junior Dalton Stroman brought the deficit to a manageable 3 points, 14-17, as the teams headed into their respective locker rooms for intermission.
The Mountaineers took the lead midway through the third quarter when Aguilar found tight end Kanen Hamlett for a 4-yard TD, the tight end’s second touchdown catch in as many weeks.
With the clock winding down on the third quarter, ODU closed to within a point (21-20) with a 25-yard Ethan Sanchez field goal. Then the Monarchs stopped the Mountaineers’ first drive of the final period, giving them a chance to retake the lead with either a field goal or a TD. Although they drove to the App State 36-yard line, the Monarchs came up empty when Joseph was sacked by defensive lineman Shawn Collins and lost the ball in the process, the third turnover of the day recovered by redshirt junior outside linebacker, Thomas Davis.
App State immediately capitalized, eating up a lot of the remaining game clock before another tight end, redshirt freshman Max Drag, recorded his first career TD reception as a Mountaineer — on his first career catch. With Jackson Moore’s successful PAT kick, App State had a 28-20 lead but was not quite out of the proverbial woods in leaving 2:29 on the clock for ODU’s Joseph & Co. to work with. A TD and 2-point conversion would tie the game and send the outcome into overtime.
But that didn’t happen, thanks to the Monarch’s final turnover of the afternoon. Although the ODU offense knocked off three first downs to get the ball into App State territory, on 4th-and-11, with just 48 seconds remaining, Joseph’s desperation pass downfield was overthrown — and App State redshirt freshman safety Zyeir Gamble leapt high to pluck it from the air for the interception, sealing the visitors’ fate and the Mountaineers’ second win in as many games.
In his post-game press conference with media, Appalachian State head coach Shawn Clark credited his team’s ability to win the turnover battle as a major reason for the victory. He also noted that the Mountaineers’ offensive linemen, all new this year, have found some cohesiveness now eight games into the season and that has also been a major factor in the team’s recent resurgence.
Now 4-4 overall, the Mountaineers need two more wins to become bowl eligible. By improving to 2-3 in Sun Belt Conference play, App State can mathematically still represent the SBC’s East Division in the Dec. 7, Sun Belt Championship game — but they need to win out against Coastal Carolina (away, Thursday, Nov. 7), vs. James Madison (home, Saturday, Nov. 23) and against Georgia Southern (away, Saturday, Nov. 30) and probably get a little help along the way.
In the tight East Division race, at 2-3 in Sun Belt play App State is in fifth place behind Georgia Southern and Marshall (both 3-1), Old Dominion (3-2) and James Madison (2-2), ahead of Coastal Carolina (1-3) and Georgia State (0-4).
The West Division is currently led by Louisiana (4-0), Arkansas State and South Alabama (both 3-1), ULM (3-2), Texas State (2-2). Troy (1-4) and Southern Miss (0-4) are all but eliminated from the West Division race.
GAME STATISTICS (courtesy of App State Athletics and StatBroadcast)
