The Georgia Southern Eagles will face the Appalachian State Mountaineers in a Sun Belt Conference matchup on Thursday night. Both teams enter the game with a 1-3 record, battling for a crucial conference win.
Appalachian State excels at stopping the run, allowing only 110 rushing yards per game. In contrast, Georgia Southern struggles on defense, giving up an average of 240 rushing yards per game. This significant gap in run defense could determine the outcome.
Georgia Southern’s offense has potential with quarterback JC French IV leading the charge. However, their defense remains a vulnerability. Appalachian State’s offense showed weakness last week with only 21 points scored in a road loss to Old Dominion, after averaging 39 points over the prior two games.
Appalachian State leads the all-time series, but Georgia Southern claimed a 29-20 victory in last year’s meeting.
JC French IV arrives with 1,677 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, six interceptions, and five rushing touchdowns this season.
Author’s summary: This game’s outcome likely hinges on Appalachian State’s superior run defense and their need to secure a bowl-eligibility push, while Georgia Southern relies heavily on their quarterback’s performance despite defensive struggles.