App State Football Narrowly Falls to Georgia Southern
App State Football scored three touchdowns in the last 20 minutes of play, needing one more to complete a comeback victory. However, Georgia Southern held on to win 25-23 at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Thursday night.
Key Defensive Stand
App State’s red zone defense played a crucial role by forcing Georgia Southern to settle for field goals from 21, 26, 23, and 24 yards during the midweek rivalry game attended by 31,876 fans.
Game Progression
- The Mountaineers (4-5, 1-4) were down 19-0 before Dominic De Freitas kicked a 36-yard field goal to end the first half.
- Trailing 22-3, App State scored on a 1-yard reception by David Larkins with 4:51 left in the third quarter, and a 27-yard run by Jaquari Lewis with 13:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.
- The Eagles (4-5, 2-3) extended their lead to two scores at 22-16 with a field goal at 9:05 remaining.
Intense Final Moments
AJ Swann’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes with 1:56 left kept App State’s comeback hopes alive. Though Georgia Southern recovered the onside kick, App State still had three timeouts.
The Eagles secured a crucial first down on an 11-yard run and sealed the win with a fourth-and-inches conversion from the Mountaineers’ 27-yard line with 34 seconds left.
“App State’s red zone defense made a comeback possible by forcing the Eagles to kick field goals during the midweek rivalry game.”
Author’s summary: App State showed resilience with a late rally, but Georgia Southern’s clutch plays and red zone defense ensured a narrow 25-23 victory.