Eagles Fall at Appalachian State in Final SoCon Meeting

Saturday, October 26

Boone, NC

3:30 p.m.

Georgia Southern University

4-3 , 2-3

Appalachian State

2-6 , 2-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

GSU

Appalachian State

10/26/2013 9:46:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Jackson and Brice finish with career-best totals in tackles

Box Score
Post-Game Notes
Post-Game Quotes

BOONE, N.C. – When Appalachian State and Georgia Southern meet, the records go right out the window. The Eagles struggled in a 38-14 loss to Appalachian State at Kidd Brewer Stadium Saturday in the last SoCon meeting between the two teams. Georgia Southern's leading rusher, Jerick McKinnon sprained his ankle after scoring the Eagles' first touchdown and returned only for a single attempt before being sidelined for the remainder of the game.

The Eagles took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as they quickly moved 80 yards downfield on seven plays. McKinnon bookended the Georgia Southern's running backs' three long rushes with senior Johnathan Bryant picking up 25, Tray Butler with 17 yards and quarterback Kevin Ellison with 19. McKinnon finished the scoring drive with a nine-yard rushing touchdown and a point-after by Younghoe Koo.
In the second quarter after McKinnon's exit from the game, Georgia Southern put up only 33 yards of offense while Appalachian State took advantage during the period. The Mountaineers scored three straight times in the second, and once in the third, before the Eagles broke in with a score late in that quarter.

Jerick McKinnon had four carries and 17 yards and finished with five carries and the same total after trying to go on the sprained ankle. Quarterback Kevin Ellison, who started after McKinnon was forced to the B-Back spot after injuries decimated the position, led the Eagles with 95 yards and scored Georgia Southern's final touchdown on a one-yard run. Redshirt freshman Irving Huggins had a career-best 70 yards on 17 attempts. Georgia Southern totaled 175 yards of rushing in the final three quarters after posting 116 in the first.
The Mountaineers tied the game at seven early in the second quarter, driving to the Eagles 24 to end the first period. Appalachian State quarterback Kameron Bryant held onto the ball to pick up another first down and then hit Barrett Burns to put the ball at the two. Bryant ran it in for the two-yard score to wrap up the seven-play, 84-yard drive. Bryant completed 27-33 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns, for the Mountaineers final two scores, while running for two. Marcus Cox finished with 104 yards and a touchdown.

Drew Stewart added a field goal after Bryant was sacked for a loss of four yards at the GS 13 and the Mountaineers closed the half with a score as Bryant helped himself with a 17-yard rush and found Simms McElfresh twice, first for 30 yards and another for eight. A personal foul penalty against the Eagles placed the Mountaineers on the GS 7 for Bryant's second touchdown.

Starting on their own 35, the Eagles converted a third-and-two in the third quarter, but on the next play, a fumble was recovered by Brandon McGowan at the GS 36. Appalachian State's Tony Washington caught a 24-yard reception from Bryant and Cox ran into the endzone from 12 yards out for a 24-7 Mountaineer lead.
Getting the ball back after a three-and-out by Georgia Southern, Appalachian State went to work from its own 11-yard line. Two 20-plus yard passes landed the Mountaineers at the Eagles 3. A tackle for loss by Robert Brice pushed them back to the nine, but Bryant and McElfresh connected again, this time for a touchdown.

The Eagles' offensive unit produced another touchdown in the third quarter as Bryant caught a 22-yard pass from Ellison and had a gain of nine yards while Ellison and Huggins combined for the remaining 40 yards on the possession. Huggins' eight-yard pickup got Georgia Southern inside the ASU 10 before Ellison stretched it out on his third carry for the touchdown to pull the Eagles to 31-14.

Georgia Southern made two solid drives in the fourth quarter, but came away empty in both. The Eagles moved past midfield into the Mountaineer side of the field in the fourth quarter, but Doug Middleton stepped in for an interception, ending the chances of a comeback. Ellison and contributions by Vegas Harley brought the Eagles 66 yards to the ASU 16 on 13 plays on their final drive, but they fell a yard short of the first down marker, turning the ball over on downs.

After the score, the Eagles tried an on-side kick at midfield, but the Mountaineers gained control and capitalized on a GSU penalty. Bryant threw to 29 yards to Washington for the final 38-14 margin.
Junior linebacker Edwin Jackson and true freshman Robert Brice posted a career-high totals in tackles with 12 and 10 each, respectively. Georgia Southern true freshman Bernard Dawson blocked the Mountaineers second field goal attempt midway through the fourth quarter.

Georgia Southern returns home for the next two games with a #TRUEBLUE Out against Furman on Saturday, November 2^nd at 1 p.m. and vs. Western Carolina for Homecoming November 9^th. Kickoff for homecoming is at 2 p.m.