Boone, NC – Three times, Appalachian State mounted comebacks with a big-play offense and late-game, aggressive defense as the Mountaineers upset No. 13 Coastal Carolina as time expired, 30-27. Mountaineer QB Chase Brice (18 for 28, 347 yards, two TDs) teamed up with receiving mate Malik Williams ten times for 206 yards and two TDs. The defense held the formidable Chanticleer offense and QB Grayson McCall well below their 48.8 per game scoring average. They forced three late game punts with sacks, TFLs, and pressure. They set up Chandler Staton’s 24-yard FG as time expired to give ASU (5-2, 2-1) a leg up over CCU toward the Sun Belt Championship.
For Collegefootballfan.com, our decision to forgo seeing CCU at Arkansas State at a very non-competitive game last week turned out to be worthwhile. We attended this very thrilling Mountaineer upset instead, played before a very excited and enthusiastic packed house of 31,061 at Kidd Brewer Stadium!
Blow-out in Boone?
The Chanticleers of CCU got off to a fast and dominating start. After taking possession of a turnover on downs from their 28, they drove the length of the field methodically on 10 plays with Shermari Jones scoring on a one-yard run. Their next possession finished quickly with a 74-yard catch and run when McCall (15 for 23, 291 yards, one TD) hooked up with Kameron Brown. After the ASU 41-13 loss to Louisiana a week ago, things looked suddenly bleak for the home team down 14-0 to the No. 13 team at the end of the first quarter.
“Not so fast, my friends,” as Lee Corso likes to say
Starting from their 21, ASU’s Brice and Williams initiated their aerial attack with passes of 45 and 32 yards consecutively. Camerun Peoples carried it in for a one-yard touchdown. The game momentum shifted to the Mountaineers on the ensuing kick-off. PK Michael Hughes one-hopped a perfect onsides kick toward the right sideline bouncing into the hands of WR Milan Tucker to start ASU with a prize possession at the Coastal Carolina 48. The Mountaineers wasted no time. Brice connected with Williams on a streak for a 47-yard score to tie the Chants who have rarely been challenged midway through this season.
After CCU took over on downs late in Q2, a sack of McCall halted their drive at ASU’s 33. Massimo Biscardi made good for a 50-yard FG to put the Chants back in the lead with 2:33 left. CCU recovered a Mountaineer fumble on a pass play, and took over at the ASU 29. As the half ended, Biscardi made good again from 47 to give CCU a 20-14 lead.
“E” for Energy and Enthusiasm in ASU student body
The energetic crowd cheered their Mountaineers (5-2, 2-1) to start the second half. Their D forced Coastal to punt on their opening possession. The offense built off that stop and the crowd’s energy. Brice connected with Corey Sutton for a 28-yard scoring pass to take the lead, 21-20. The Chants’ offense got back in gear moving the ball 83 yards on nine plays. Jones capped the drive from the one again to put CCU up by six. The Mountaineer offense stayed on track as well relying on its ground game. Peoples eventually shot through the the right side of his line rambling 43 yards to tie the score. With a misplayed snap on the extra point that resulted in a failed two-point conversion attempt, the score remained dead-locked at 27 going into the final quarter.
The teams exchanged punts, but then the Mountaineers continued a drive deep in Chanticleer territory. However, the Chants forced a fumble on a pass completion. DJ Brewer recovered it for CCU on their seven-yard line with less than seven minutes to play. Surprisingly, many from this very enthusiastic crowd started toward the exits. Parking seemed limited and tight around downtown Boone. However, the game was tied, critical in the conference standings, undecided, and a potential upset! Why would anybody leave this one early? Craving for a Mountaineers upset, the student body, housed throughout Boone, remained in the stands, of course.
Mountaineers Upset in the making
Appalachian State’s defense allowed Coastal Carolina only out to the 26, highlighted by a hard tackle for a loss and heavy pressure on McCall. A heavy rush hurried a third down incomplete attempt before forcing a punt. The Mountaineers resumed possession from their 38. Brice connected with Williams on consecutive passes of 16 and 19 yards to get down to the CCU 25. From there, ASU stayed on the ground. CCU used its remaining time-outs. In the waning minute, an ASU runner stopped short of the goal line taking a knee to avoid a touchdown and a pending kickoff back to Coastal with time remaining. HC Shawn Clark’s staff managed his team and the game clock well late in this game.
His offense eventually centered the ball between the uprights. With 0:03 left, ASU called time out. Staton put the finishing touch on this Mountaineers upset score with his game-winning 24-yard FG. The ASU celebration began! The student body stormed the field as the previously undefeated Chants (6-1, 2-1) exited the field with heads hanging. No shame, but great disappointment. Tonight, college football was played at its best!
Next up in Week 8 and Week 9!
CCU heads home to host Troy next Thursday night. The Trojans are also 2-1 in conference play, 4-3 overall. Their defense only allows 19.7 ppg. The can also present CCU with a challenge.
ASU comes back to Kidd Brewer to host the UL Monroe Warhawks for Homecoming. Fresh off their 31-28 upset over Liberty despite their record of 3-3, 1-2, will ULM surprise ASU?
Collegefootballfan.com takes a lesser path nearer to home this Saturday, but to what should be another competitive game. Though both squads share non-winning records, they look evenly matched. We take our first trip ever to Murray, Kentucky to see the Murray State Racers (3-3, 1-1) take on the Austin Peay Governors (2-4, 1-1) in an Ohio Valley Conference rivalry.
This local run two hours away will give us a bit of a reprieve before next Saturday in College Football Week 9. We finish our “Achtoberfest” (“acht” means eight in German) with our seventh and eighth games of the month. Both will be played next Saturday in Utah. Our first game will be either Hawaii at Utah State or UCLA at Utah. The final plan will be determined by TV schedules based on this week’s game results for the two PAC-12 teams. Our night cap is set in stone – Virginia at BYU. Should be a high-scoring affair. We look forward to our Beehive State bonanza!
Steveo Koreivo, ed. Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ’em all. Click on the title to buy this fun book!
