This has the makings of a shootout as the Georgia Southern Eagles (5-1) meet the Appalachian State Mountaineers (5-1). A player to watch in this matchup is the SBC’s top rusher, Matt Breida (875 yards, 11 TDs). It will begin Thursday, Oct 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPU.
Appalachian State won easily over Louisiana-Monroe 59-14 last week. Taylor Lamb had a big game throwing the ball in the win, completing eight of 15 passes for 261 yards and three TDs. He did some damage on the ground, running for 103 yards and a TD on seven attempts. Marcus Cox had a big game as well, totaling 122 rushing yards and two TDs on 23 attempts. Not to be outdone, Georgia Southern cruised past New Mexico State 56-26. Matt Breida had an outstanding performance on the ground for the Eagles, rushing for 137 yards and one TD on 13 carries. LA Ramsby also had a big day, contributing 85 rushing yards and two TDs on 11 attempts.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable.
The Mountaineers enter the game with records of 5-1 Straight Up (SU) and 4-2 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. The Appalachian State rushing attack has averaged 268.2 rushing yards in the last five games. Turning to the Mountaineers defense, a few key spots could be deciding factors this week. The Mountaineers have the 19th-best pass defense in the nation and give up 172.2 yards per game through the air. The Eagles need to watch out for Appalachian State’s tenacious defense. It averages the 11th-most turnovers with 2.3 per game. Keep an eye on Appalachian State to turn it up a notch during the third quarter, when they average 12.7 points per game.
Across the field, the Eagles have 5-1 SU and 3-2 ATS records this season. Offensively, the Eagles have picked up the pace in the last five games. They have exceeded their season average of 40.3 points per game by averaging 48 during that stretch. Hopefully Appalachian State’s defense is better than its timing. It will be matching up against an Eagles offense that is on fire lately, averaging 513.4 total yards over their last five games. Lately, the Eagles have had a better pass defense. They’re allowing only 207.6 passing YPG over their last five matchups. The Mountaineers will need to secure the ball against the turnover-minded Eagles. The defense ranks seventh in the country in turnovers with 2.5 per game. The Eagles usually get a boost in the second quarter, when they average 14.2 points this year. Special teams usually provides a spark for Georgia Southern. They average the 24th-most return yards in the nation with 111.3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Appalachian State, ATS Winner – Appalachian State
Notes
Appalachian State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Appalachian State’s last 6 games.
Appalachian State is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
Appalachian State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Each team is 5-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
