Appalachian State is opening its third straight season on the road against a Top 15 opponent as the Mountaineers visit Penn State this Saturday afternoon. The defending Sun Belt Conference champion Mountaineers hope to pull off their second win over a Big Ten opponent after shocking the world as the first FCS team to take down a Top 5 team at Michigan in 2007, a game also played on September 1.



Appalachian State has the fifth-best record in FBS over the last 45 games and for Scott Satterfield's Mountaineers to keep this winning tradition alive, he and the App State coaching staff are relying on three standout players to lead their #10strong campaign. #10strong represents the ten position groups on the team and will help provide leadership for a roster that is majority underclassmen.



Offensively, the Appalachian State offense will depend on star running back Jalin Moore's ability to find the end zone. Moore, a former Crest High standout, was named to the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards. Moore, whose 3,170 yards are second-most for returning players in the FBS, is ranked by Athlon as the number 19 running back in the country and second-best among the Group of Five conferences.



On the defensive side of the ball, two North Carolina players who stayed home to play for the Mountaineers will try and help maintain a defense that only gave up twenty points a game last season. Junior Clifton Duck (Butler) was named the preseason Sun Belt defensive player of the year was also named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list and is also a Street and Smith preseason second-team All-American. Duck's eleven interceptions over the last two seasons is tied for the most in the nation.



Leading the Mountaineer defense up front is MyQuon Stout, a senior nose tackle whose 41 tackles in 2017 are the highest among returning players in the Sun Belt conference. The former Carson star was named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, an award that goes to the college player who best represents community service and academic achievement.



Kickoff from Beaver Stadium is set for 3:30pm. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced Friday its 2018 Preseason All-Sun Belt Football Team and individual awards, as voted upon by the 10 football head coaches and selected media representatives.



Arkansas State's Justice Hansen was tabbed as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Appalachian State's Clifton Duck was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.



Hansen was the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree. The redshirt-senior from Edmond, Okla., started every game for the Red Wolves and led the Sun Belt with 37 touchdowns through the air, breaking the previous Sun Belt record of 32. He finished the 2017 season with 3,967 yards passing on 305 attempts, averaging 330.6 yards per game.



Additionally, Hansen tallied 663 yards rushing and seven scores. Hansen had a hand in 44 of Arkansas State's 59 touchdowns scored last season. His passing touchdown totals shattered the previous A-State record, giving him 56 for his career at A-State. The redshirt-senior needs just 11 more to tie for the all-time lead in A-State history.



Hansen finished the 2017 season with three games over 400 yards passing, six games over 300 and a career-high, 520, set against ULM.



Duck, a junior defensive back from Matthews, N.C., led the Sun Belt with six interceptions last season. He has tallied 11 in his two seasons in Boone. That total ties for the most in the nation over the past two seasons, along with fellow Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team selection, Blace Brown of Troy.



Duck totaled 50 tackles a year ago to go along with his league-leading interceptions and posted six total pass breakups. When targeted, the junior corner allowed a league-low 35.5 passer rating, ranking ninth of any returning FBS corner. During his first two seasons in Boone, Duck has been chosen as an All-Sun Belt First Team performer, earning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors in 2016.



Troy led all teams with 11 total selections on the Preseason All-Sun Belt First and Second Teams, six of which were placed on the First Team and five on the Second Team. Arkansas State had nine student-athletes between the two teams while Appalachian State placed seven.



The honorees include 27 seniors between the two teams comprised of 52 total student-athletes. There are 17 seniors and nine juniors on the first team while the second team is comprised of 10 seniors, 10 juniors and six sophomores.



Sun Belt Media Day will be held in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, July 22-23. Live coverage of the event begins at 8:30 a.m. CT and will run until 5:00 p.m. CT via the Sun Belt YouTube page as well as ESPN3. ESPN3 will be live at Media Day with all 10 head coaches being featured from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CT.



The 2018 season kicks off on Thursday, August 30, with two games as Georgia State hosts Kennesaw State (6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+) and ULM welcomes Southeastern Louisiana (7:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+). The 2018 Sun Belt Football Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, December 1. Time, television and location will be determined at a later date.



2018 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Football Teams



Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Justice Hansen (Arkansas State, QB, RS-Senior)

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Clifton Duck (Appalachian State, DB, Junior)



* - named to 2017 Preseason Teams

^ - named to 2017 All-Sun Belt First Team

# - named to 2017 All-Sun Belt Second Team

$ - named to 2017 All-Sun Belt Third Team

! - named 2017 All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention



First Team Offense

QB - Justice Hansen (Arkansas State, RS-Senior) ^

RB - Jalin Moore (Appalachian State, Senior) *^

RB - Warren Wand (Arkansas State, Senior)

WR - Justin McInnis (Arkansas State, Senior) $

WR - Penny Hart (Georgia State, RS-Junior) *^

WR - Marcus Green (ULM, Senior)

TE - Collin Reed (Appalachian State, Junior) !

OL - Victor Johnson (Appalachian State, Junior) *^

OL - Lanard Bonner (Arkansas State, RS-Senior) ^

OL - Kevin Dotson (Louisiana, Junior) #

OL - Tristan Crowder (Troy, Junior) #

OL - Deontae Crumitie (Troy, Senior) *#



First Team Defense

DL - Ronheen Bingham (Arkansas State, Senior) #

DL - Logan Hunt (Georgia Southern, Senior) #

DL - Hunter Reese (Troy, Senior) ^

DL - Trevon Sanders (Troy, Senior) #

LB - Anthony Flory (Appalachian State, Senior) !

LB - Michael Shaw (Georgia State, RS-Senior) $

LB - Tron Folsom (Troy, Junior) #

DB - Clifton Duck (Appalachian State, Junior) *^

DB - Justin Clifton (Arkansas State, Senior) *#

DB - Monquavion Brinson (Georgia Southern, Junior) #

DB - Blace Brown (Troy, Senior) ^



First Team Special Teams

K - Gavin Patterson (South Alabama, Senior) ^

P - Corliss Waitman (South Alabama, Senior) ^

RS - Marcus Green (ULM, Senior) ^



Second Team Offense

QB - Caleb Evans (ULM, Junior) !

RB - Wesley Fields (Georgia Southern, Senior) !

RB - Trey Ragas (Louisiana, RS-Sophomore) $

WR - RJ Turner (ULM, Junior) $

WR - Jamarius Way (South Alabama, Senior) #

WR - Deondre Douglas (Troy, Senior) *#

TE - Ellis Richardson (Georgia Southern, RS-Senior)

OL - Jacob Still (Arkansas State, RS-Sophomore) !

OL - Curtis Rainey (Georgia Southern, Senior) !

OL - Hunter Atkinson (Georgia State, RS-Junior)

OL - Shamarious Gilmore (Georgia State, Sophomore) !

OL - Aaron Brewer (Texas State, Junior) *$



Second Team Defense

DL - Myquon Stout (Appalachian State, Senior) *!

DL - Marterious Allen (Georgia State, Senior) $

DL - Tyree Turner (South Alabama, Junior)

DL - Marcus Webb (Troy, Junior) !

LB - Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina, Sophomore) !

LB - Bull Barge (South Alabama, Senior) !

LB - Bryan London II (Texas State, Junior) *!

DB - Tae Hayes (Appalachian State, Senior) #

DB - BJ Edmonds (Arkansas State, Junior) !

DB - Marcus Jones (Troy, Sophomore)

DB - Cedarius Rookard (Troy, Senior) $



Second Team Special Teams

K - Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern, RS-Junior) #

P - Cody Grace (Arkansas State, RS-Junior) $

RS - Marcus Jones (Troy, Sophomore) #