App State football is heading to the post-season after all. After seven teams declined an invitation to the JLab Birmingham Bowl, the Mountaineers said yes and will face off against their longtime rivals the Georgia Southern Eagles on Dec. 29.
Appalachian State was chosen before other 5-7 teams due to having higher Academic Progress Rates.
This is App State’s ninth bowl game since moving up to FBS and its first under head coach Dowell Loggains.
“It’s an honor in college football to be able to play in a bowl game, and we’re excited for the opportunity to do that on national TV in the JLab Birmingham Bowl,” Loggains said in a release. “Our seniors will get to play another game, and our team will benefit from the extra practices. The foundation of our program is competition – this is another great opportunity to compete!”
The Mountaineers hope this matchup against the Eagles will go better than their regular season matchup on Nov. 6, which saw a 25-23 loss. Redshirt junior quarterback AJ Swann threw for 348 yards in this game, but he will be unable to go in the rematch due to injury. Redshirt sophomore quarterback JJ Kohl will likely get the start under center.
Key players like redshirt junior defensive lineman Rondo Porter, redshirt junior defensive back Elijah Mc-Cantos and sophomore defensive lineman Dylan Manuel have already announced they will be entering the transfer portal. In this new age of college football, others could follow before game time. Or some players could opt out of the game due to injury concerns heading into 2026.
App State players will have to want to play for pride against their rival. If many players decide to opt out or enter the transfer portal this could be another loss on a season that some say should already be over. Loggains will need to fire up the troops if he wants a chance at a first season bowl victory.
The game will be played at Protective Stadium (the home field for UAB) on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Another Chapter in ‘Deeper Than Hate’ Rivalry
App State and Georgia Southern have played annually since 1993 when both schools were still at the FCS level. This will be their first post-season showdown since the two were invited to join the FBS Sun Belt Conference just over a decade ago. Each school has knocked the other out of the FCS playoffs, which has helped fuel the rivalry, now known as Deeper Than Hate.
Appalachian State leads the overall series 21-18-1, with the tie coming in a November 1935 showdown in Boone that ended 0-0.
Georgia Southern has won the last two games, including the November nailbiter, and three of the last four. App State’s most recent win came in 2023, a 55-27 triumph in Boone.
Max Schwanz is the sports editor for The Appalachian, the student newspaper at Appalachian State University. A journalism major and digital marketing minor from Cornelius, N.C., you can find more of his work at The Appalachian.
