Rapid reaction after the Mountaineers (2-7, 2-4 SoCon) fall in dramatic fashion to the Mocs (7-2, 5-2) at Kidd Brewer Stadium in the second of their back-to-back home games.
Down to the Wire
The drama was in full effect once again for App State, however a fourth down again stood in the way of the team and the win. An overthrown pass from Kameron Bryant to Barrett Burns in the end zone left the Mountaineers seven points short of the win.
Chattanooga would kneel-down the clock down to end the game.
Dynamic Duo
Senior wideouts Andrew Peacock and Tony Washington combined for 15 receptions, 256 receiving yards and a touchdown last week against GSU.
This week was a much more well-rounded effort from the Mountaineers’ receiving group. Malachi Jones led the way with 74 yards, while Peacock, Simms McElfresh and Barrett Burns finished with 44, 47 and 25 yards, respectively.
Washington didn’t get on Bryant’s radar until late, but did in a big way.
He had two catches in the fourth quarter with the Mountaineers down seven, including one in the corner of the end zone with two defenders on him and only his heels inbounds.
He finished with 48 total receiving yards and one touchdown.
The Power of November Ends
App State had won 18-straight home games played in the month of November by an average of 38-18. During the streak, UTC has lost to App State in November three times (’03, ’07, ’09).
That streak came to an end today, as the Mocs got their revenge on a struggling Mountaineer team.
Marcus Making the Most
If there is one vulnerability to the Mocs’ leading defense, it is their defense against the run.
Freshman running back Marcus Cox took full advantage of that weakness by continuing his impressive year with his third straight 100-yard game, his fourth time this season hitting the century mark.
Cox ended the night with 29 attempts for 158 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Good
App State came out firing and looking to carry forward the momentum from their previous win. The defense also did a good job of limiting Chattanooga’s options, keeping them to 30 passing yards and seven first downs in the first half.
The Mountaineers also took advantage of the Mocs’ poor red zone defense by going 2-3 inside the 20 in the first half.
In fact, the entire first half was played extremely well by the Mountaineers and looked as though the good play from Georgia Southern’s game was going to be a trend for the team…
The Bad/Ugly
…but then came the second half.
Chattanooga doubled their first half rushing total in the third quarter alone going from 94 to 182 total yards.
Fourth downs would also be an issue for the team as the Mocs went 2-2 while App State went 0-2, including the late-game misfire.
Add in the fake field goal and a botched punt that turned into a first down and the life was sucked from Kidd Brewer Stadium faster than the Dyson vacuum sucked up the chips you spilled when you saw a kicker run 17 yards untouched.
Bryant’s time available in the pocket also went down drastically, causing him to be sacked three times in the second half.
This may have been due to fatigue or the intensity of UTC, but whatever it was, there was clearly a difference.
What’s Next?
App State will try to bounce back from the heartbreaking loss as they go to take on SEC opponent University of Georgia (4-3, 3-2 SEC)* in Athens, Ga. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
*As of press time, the Georgia-Florida game was still in-progress.
Story: ANDREW CLAUSEN, Sports Editor