App State football traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, and fell to Georgia Southern University in the JLab Birmingham Bowl, 29-10, on Monday.
Freshman quarterback Noah Gillon made his first career start but struggled early, failing to earn a first down on the opening drive, leading to a Mountaineers punt. Georgia Southern responded swiftly, driving down the field and scoring a touchdown on their first series after running back Terrance Gibbs took a direct snap and powered into the end zone.
During App State’s second drive, a quarterback change brought redshirt freshman defensive back Matthew Wilson onto the field. Despite being on the scout team at quarterback previously and this being his collegiate debut at the position, Wilson completed a first down pass to freshman running back Jaquari Lewis. The Black and Gold pushed deep into Georgia Southern territory and attempted a field goal. However, multiple penalties pushed the kick back, and freshman kicker Dominic De Freitas came up short on the final attempt.
Georgia Southern quickly punted on their next possession, and App State capitalized with a 28-yard run by Wilson to regain good field position. The second quarter began with an interception thrown by Gillon, halting what had been a promising drive for the Mountaineers.
Georgia Southern moved the ball downfield once again but settled for a short field goal to extend their lead. App State’s following series ended bitterly when Wilson threw an interception right at the goal line, continuing the offense’s struggles.
The Mountaineers’ defense forced a punt on the next Georgia Southern possession, giving the offense another opportunity. Starting with excellent field position, App State managed to reach the end zone. Both quarterbacks played pivotal roles in the scoring drive: Gillon connected with redshirt senior wide receiver Dalton Stroman on a 34-yard gain, setting up a 6-yard touchdown rush by Wilson.
Before halftime, the Eagles pushed ahead with a 36-yard field goal, taking a commanding lead into the break.
The second half opened as quickly as the first ended, with Georgia Southern scoring in just over a minute thanks to running back OJ Arnold, making it a two-possession game. App State appeared to be regaining momentum on their next drive with a solid 5-play, 47-yard push. However, Gillon’s second interception of the game — thrown directly to a Georgia Southern linebacker — ended his outing, and Wilson took over at quarterback.
Georgia Southern wasted no time, using another quick and efficient drive lasting just a minute and a half to push the score to 26-10. By this point, in just over six minutes, the Eagles had racked up 139 yards on eight plays with two touchdowns.
App State finally added points in the second half on a De Freitas field goal. A subsequent Georgia Southern possession ended with an interception in favor of App State, shifting momentum briefly to the Mountaineers. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t capitalize and was forced to punt, as players left the field with heads down.
The Eagles then controlled the clock with a 17-play, 10-minute drive, aided by two Mountaineer penalties. Notably, a 32-yard Georgia Southern field goal attempt initially went wide, but a running-into-the-kicker penalty gave the Eagles a second chance — which they converted to extend their lead to 29-10.
Trailing by a significant margin, Wilson prioritized passing over his usual running game and managed some success, connecting repeatedly with Stroman. However, a late interception — Wilson’s second — gave Georgia Southern the ball back and the opportunity to run out the clock.
With this win, the Eagles toppled the Mountaineers for the second time this season in a more dominant fashion than their 25-23 victory in Boone earlier this year.
Wilson finished as App State’s leading passer and rusher, tallying 128 yards through the air and 110 yards on the ground. Georgia Southern’s OJ Arnold dominated the Mountaineers’ defense with 152 yards on just 11 carries.
The Mountaineers conclude their season with a 5-8 record, having lost five of their final six games.
https://theappalachianonline.com/app-state-football-ends-season-in-jlab-birmingham-bowl/
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