BOONE – For the first time in school history, the Appalachian State Mountaineers were playing a home game as a ranked FBS team. Sitting at the #24 position in both the AP and Coaches Poll, the three-time defending Sun Belt Conference champions knew a win today over a scrappy ULM team would solidify their standing among college football’s elite and begin to make a case for the being the top team from the Group of Five. Behind a four-touchdown effort from quarterback Zac Thomas and an offense that rushed for over 300 yards, the Mountaineers routed the opposing ULM team, 52-7, on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium.



The Warhawks of ULM certainly did not begin the game as an underdog. Driving eighty-two yards on twelve plays, the visitors opened up the scoring on the day with a one-yard Kayin White run. The Mountaineers only took 41 seconds to respond with junior Darrynton Evans racing past multiple defenders on his fifty-nine-yard scamper to the end zone. After forcing a ULM punt on the next drive, the App State offense went on the move, covering seventy-six yards in twelve plays and taking the lead with a six-yard touchdown pass from Zac Thomas to Thomas Hennigan in the back of the end zone.



Not wanting to be left out of the festivities in the first quarter, the Mountaineer defense stepped up and made their own big play as George Blackstock forced a fumble that was recovered by Josh Thomas and returned deep into ULM territory. Zac Thomas’s one-yard keeper made it a 21-7 lead, a lead which the home team took into the second quarter.



The second quarter played out much like the opening quarter as a focused Mountaineer defense repeatedly stifled the Warhawk offense which only gained twenty-two yards of offense in the second period of play. The App State offense added ten points through a 27-yard Chandler Staton field goal and Thomas’s second touchdown pass of the day, this one a one-yard toss to tight end Collin Reed.



Appalachian State started the second half with the same urgency they finished the first half with. Starting at their own 25, the Mountaineers marched seventy-five yards down the field and ended any chance of a possible ULM comeback after Zac Thomas, under heavy pressure, found Darrynton Evans on a crossing route. The junior raced fifteen yards to hit pay dirt and the rout was officially on.



Marcus Williams added a three-yard run in the fourth quarter before Coach Eliah Drinkwitz decided to give some his reserves some valuable live game action. They took advantage of this and when Jalen Virgil raced to the end zone the sideline erupted and the Mountaineers won their first-ever game as a ranked FBS team, 52-7.



Tidbits

The App State defense held ULM to only 213 yards of total offense with eighty-two coming on the opening drive of the game.

Neither team called a timeout during the game.

Using eight different players, App State rushed for 302 yards.





Notable North Carolinians

Marcus Williams (SouthWest Edgecombe) – the junior running back rushed for 79 yards on sixteen carries and also caught a pass.

Thomas Hennigan (Northwest Guilford) – the junior wide receiver caught a touchdown pass and returned two punts.

Noel Cook (Reidsville) the senior linebacker led the team with eight tackles, including three solo.





Next Week

Appalachian State (6-0) travels to South Alabama in Sun Belt action while ULM is on bye.

BOONE — In the midst of an 11-game winning streak and a 5-0 start to the 2019 season, Appalachian State received national recognition Sunday in the form of its second Top 25 ranking in the program's brief FBS history.



At 5-0 overall and 2-0 in league play heading into Saturday's homecoming game against Sun Belt west division leader ULM (3-3, 2-0), App State is No. 24 in both the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and the Amway Coaches Poll. It's the highest ranking in any poll in the Mountaineers' FBS history and the first ranking of App State by the coaches. It also marks the highest ranking for any Sun Belt team since the league was established in 1976. App State joined the Sun Belt in 2014.



As one of 12 unbeaten FBS teams and one of three Group of Five conference teams with an unblemished record, the Mountaineers have defeated East Tennessee State, Charlotte, in-state ACC program North Carolina on the road and Sun Belt foes Coastal Carolina (at home) and Louisiana (on the road).



App State's 11-game winning streak is the nation's third-longest active streak behind Clemson (21) and Ohio State (12). Since 2015 — during a run that includes three straight league titles and four consecutive bowl wins — the Mountaineers have the nation's fifth-best winning percentage thanks to a 46-11 record.



In Eliah Drinkwitz’s first season as head coach, the Mountaineers are among the nation's leaders in several special teams and offensive statistical categories and are coming off a brilliant defensive performance in a 17-7 road win over Louisiana, who entered that contest with the nation's No. 1 rushing attack. App State is tied for the national lead in fewest turnovers lost (2) and most blocked kicks (4). The Mountaineers are 10th in scoring offense (41.0), tied for fifth in defensive touchdowns (2), eighth in kickoff returns (28.8), ninth in third-down conversions (50.0), 11th in pass completion percentage (70.4), 12th in punt returns (15.5) and 12th in red zone offense (95.5).



Last year, App State earned its first Top 25 ranking as an FBS member (No. 25 in the AP poll) thanks to a 5-1 start that featured five straight wins following an overtime loss at Penn State. App State teams in 2019 and 2018 account for two of the three Sun Belt Conference teams to ever receive a Top 25 ranking.



Saturday's homecoming game against ULM kicks off at 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium and marks the Mountaineers' first home game as a nationally ranked FBS team.

Kidd Brewer Stadium is sure to be rocking this Saturday as Appalachian State will play its first home game ever as a nationally ranked team.