The Birmingham Bowl marked the end of the 2025 season for Appalachian State football, as the Mountaineers saw their ninth FBS bowl appearance conclude with a 29-10 loss to Georgia Southern Eagles on Monday in Birmingham.
Short-handed but competitive, App State stayed within striking distance through the first half before Georgia Southern pulled away after the break. What follows is a snapshot of how the game unfolded, the performances that stood out and the key moments that shaped the outcome.
Game Quick Hits
- App State trailed just 10-7 late in the second quarter before Georgia Southern closed the half with a field goal and scored two quick touchdowns after halftime.
- Matt Wilson, listed as a defensive back on the App State roster, accounted for the Mountaineers’ lone touchdown, rushing for 110 yards on 12 carries and adding 128 passing yards in his collegiate debut at quarterback. His 100-yard rushing effort marked just the fourth by an App State QB in the FBS era.
- Dalton Stroman capped his App State career with 3 catches for 96 yards, finishing No. 1 all-time in program history in yards per catch.
- Defensively, Colton Phares led the Mountaineers with 12 tackles, finishing the season with 101 total stops, while Ethan Johnson recorded a second-half interception.
- App State moved inside the Georgia Southern 40-yard line seven times, but turnovers and a missed field goal stalled multiple scoring chances, including three red-zone interceptions.
- Georgia Southern seized control early in the third quarter, using a 58-yard run by OJ Arnold and a short-field touchdown to stretch the lead to 26-7.
- The Eagles sealed the win with a 17-play, 81-yard drive in the fourth quarter that drained more than 10 minutes off the clock.
👉 Read the full game recap here →
JLab Birmingham Bowl — Pre-Game Snapshot
Matchup: Appalachian State (5-7, 2-6 Sun Belt) vs. Georgia Southern (6-6, 4-4 Sun Belt)
Date: Monday, December 29, 2025
Game Time: 2 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Latest Lines: Georgia Southern -7.5 | Over-under 59.5
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Georgia Southern has a 55 percent chance to win
👉 View the full Appalachian State football schedule with 2025 results.
Rewinding App State vs. Georgia Southern 1.0
In the November showdown, Appalachian State fell behind Georgia Southern 19-0 and 22-3 on its home field before storming back in the second half. The Mountaineers got a short-yardage TD throw from AJ Swann-to-David Larkins and a 27-yard TD run from Jaquari Lewis to pull within 22-16 early in the fourth.
Georgia Southern kicked a field goal to go up 25-16. App State reponded with a Swann-to-Jaden Barnes touchdown play with just under two minutes to go, but the Mountaineers weren’t able to get the ball back and lost by 2.
Both quarterbacks lit up the stat sheets. Georgia Southern’s JC French IV threw for a career-high 352 yards and a touchdown. App State’s AJ Swann responded with a 348-yard day, with 2 TDs. Barnes added 160 yards in receptions.
The two teams seemed to go in different directions in November. App State lost four of its last five games, while Georgia Southern won three of its final four contests.
Pre-Game Storylines: App State vs. Georgia Southern 2.0
1. App State thought its season over after losing a 30-29 heartbreaker to Arkansas State on Nov. 29. That left the Mountaineers 5-7 overall, one win shy of bowl eligibility.
Loggains did exit interviews with players, and many began leaving Boone for the holidays. But by Sunday night of the College Football Playoff release day, Loggains and staff were calling players back to campus. The team then began going through unexpected pre-Christmas workouts to get ready for a game against one of the school’s chief rivals.
2. Since App State’s season ended, more than 25 players have indicated their intentions to enter the transfer portal. That includes at least 10 players who started games in 2025. Both quarterbacks with 2025 starts, AJ Swann and JJ Kohl, have announced plans to transfer, as well as all-conference defensive lineman Rondo Porter and cornerback Elijah Mc-Cantos among many others.
Loggains said earlier in the month that anyone on the roster, regardless of transfer status, was welcome to remain with the team for bowl workouts and the game. App State sports information reported on Christmas Day that about 70 players were expected to make the trip to Birmingham.
“This is the 2025 team and they’re a part of it,” Loggains told media. “The kids are close. The buy-in is there. They care about each other, they care about their school and they care about the Block A, so we’re excited about it.”
3. Though the rivalry between the schools is dubbed “Deeper Than Hate,” the two schools and their football programs are somewhat mirrors of each other. Both started as teachers colleges. Football-wise, both ascended to the top of the FCS ranks multiple times before joining the FBS a decade ago. Both have been successful in the Sun Belt, with App State garnering multiple conference championships.
4. Georgia Southern quarterback JC French IV threw for more than 3,000 yards on the season. He’s 2-0 as a starter against Appalachian State. One of French’s top targets, wide receiver Dalen Cobb, is expected to play despite missing the regular season finale due to injury. Running back OJ Arnold also is expected to return for the game. The Eagles’ offense has given App State problems the past couple of seasons.
5. Like ECU, App State will hand the reins to a new starting quarterback for the bowl game. The most likely candidate is freshman Noah Gillon from Tupelo, MS. Gillon appeared for spot duty in three games this season, including completing 11-of-24 passes against Southern Miss for 109 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. Gillon was a state champion in high school, throwing for nearly 5,500 yards and 59 touchdowns over three varsity prep seasons. Another QB option is redshirt senior Billy Wiles, a transfer from Southern Miss.
East Carolina won its bowl game Dec. 27 with first time freshman starter Chaston Ditta at the helm. The Pirates defeated Pitt 23-17, improving North Carolina teams to 2-0 in 2025 bowl games.
6. App State and Georgia Southern have met 40 times in football. The Mountaineers hold a slight edge in the overall series, 21-18-1. Georgia Southern has won the past two games. App State’s last victory came in November 2023, a 55-27 triumph in Boone.
This will be the fourth December meeting. Appalachian State beat Georgia Southern 19-0 in the 1987 FCS playoffs. The Eagles knocked the Mountaineers out of the 2001 FCS post-season, 38-24. During the COVID season in 2020, App State topped Georgia Southern 34-26 on Dec. 12 before playing in the Myrtle Beach Bowl the following weekend.
7. The weather could play an interesting role on Monday. Temperatures are expected to plummet from the lower 70s (Sunday) into the lower 40s by kickoff Monday. No rain is forecast but winds in the 15 mph range are expected.
