On Saturday, it’s the Troy Trojans vs Appalachian State Mountaineers. The Mountaineers have come out on the right side of history with a 7-3 record in the series, including winning the last four meetings.
Previewing Troy vs Appalachian State
Troy Trojans (1-1)
The Troy Offense
The Trojans are ranked 7th nationally in passing offense at 375 yards per game. QB Gunnar Watson is ranked 13th in the FBS at 313 yards passing per game.
The Trojans against Alabama A&M last Saturday racked up 522 yards of total offense. Watson completed 23 of 34 passes for 351 yards, 4 TDs, and 2 INTs. WR Jabre Barber caught five of Watson’s passes for 105 yards.
The Trojans Defense
Troy held Alabama A&M to just 64 yards rushing. In addition, they recorded 4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and 2 INTs. But against the run, Troy ranks #94th in the country in rushing defense. They allow opponents 165 rushing yards per game.
The Troy Program
Troy has shared or won the Sun Belt Conference Championship six times. They were co-champs in 2006-2007 and in 2010 and 2017. Troy won the Sun Belt outright in 2008 and 2009.
The Trojans have appeared in 8 bowl games, and have a 5-3 record in the postseason. Their last appearance was in the Dollar General Bowl in 2018, which resulted in a 42-32 win over Buffalo.
Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-1)
The Mountaineers are coming off one of the biggest upset wins in school history, a 17-14 victory over #6 Texas A&M.
The Appalachian State Offense
The Mountaineers are ranked #21 nationally in rushing offense at 234 yards per game on the ground. In addition, they are ranked #28 in the FBS in total offense at 482 yards per game.
Appalachian State vs Texas A&M
Appalachian State pounded the rock and controlled the clock for 41:30 time of possession (and ran 82 plays). They converted 9 of 20 on 3rd down attempts (45%) and converted 3 of 5 on 4th down (60%). For the game, the Mountaineers gained 315 yards of total offense.
QB Chase Brice has passed for 495 yards on the season with seven touchdowns and only 1 INT. He has averaged 247 yards passing per game in the first two games. Against Texas A&M, he passed for 134 yards and a touchdown.
The ground game is a key feature of this offense. Running backs Nate Noel and Cameron Peoples are runners who can wear down a defense and extend long drives that eat up a lot of the clock. Noel gained 116 yards and 2 TDs in week one but did not play against Texas A&M. Cameron Peoples rushed for 112 yards against the Aggies.
The Appalachian State Defense
The Mountaineers held the Aggies to 186 total yards and just nine first downs. Texas A&M was just 2 of 8 on 3rd down conversions against the Mountaineers’ defense. In addition, they forced 2 fumbles against Texas A&M. In addition, they allowed the Aggies to possess the ball for only 18:30 and run just 38 plays.
The Mountaineers Program
Appalachian State has also shared or won the Sun Belt Conference championship. They were co-champs in 2016 and 2017. They were champions of the Sun Belt in 2018 and 2019. Prior to moving up to the FBS level, the Mountaineers won three consecutive FCS National Championships from 2005-2007.
They have knocked off Top Ten teams in the FBS before. In addition to their win over #6 Texas A&M, there was also their epic upset win over #5 Michigan in 2007 at the Big House.
In addition, the Mountaineers have appeared in seven consecutive bowl games, posting a record of 6-1.
Appalachian State-Did You Know?
Since 2015, Appalachian State has posted a 74-20 record (79% winning percentage). They are one of the most consistent and successful Group of Five teams in college football. What’s even more significant is that consistency and success have been achieved under three different head coaches: Scott Satterfield (now the head coach at Louisville), Eli Drinkwitz (now the head coach at Missouri), and now Shawn Clark.
Clark is in his 5th year with the Mountaineers and sports a 21-8 record.
ESPN College GameDay-Troy vs Appalachian State
On Saturday, the ESPN College GameDay crew will broadcast their show on the Appalachian State campus in Boone, NC.
The Mountaineers are -12.5 favorites over the Trojans.
Thanks for reading.
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