BOONE, NC – Appalachian State football hosted the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers for homecoming. However, the Chanticleers crashed the party, squeaking out a 45-37 win Saturday in a game with a lot of fireworks.
The Mountaineers have now lost the past four matchups in this rivalry. This is the first loss as a starter for redshirt sophomore quarterback JJ Kohl.
Head Coach Dowell Loggains was not happy in his post game press conference: “For us to let the game slip away the way we did is unacceptable, and we’ve got to get this stuff cleaned up fast,” he said.
Tale of the Tape
App State started the game strong with a 10-play, 75 yard touchdown drive. A 19-yard scamper from Kohl got the drive rolling. Kohl capped it off with a 15-yard touchdown pass to standout redshirt sophomore wide receiver Davion Dozier.
On Coastal Carolina’s first drive they marched all the way to the App State 26-yard line. The defense held firm and only allowed a field goal.
The Mountaineer offense continued to roll on their second drive as a series of passes led them into the red zone, where senior running back Rashod Dubinion was able to push the pile into the end zone for a 12-yard rushing touchdown.
The Chanticleers matched with a touchdown on their next drive. This time it was a 34-yard touchdown pass from redshirt junior quarterback MJ Morris to fifth year senior wide receiver Malcolm Gillie.
This was the last drive of a high scoring first quarter which saw the Mountaineers holding a narrow 14-10 lead.
App State picked up right where they left off scoring a touchdown on a methodical 15-play drive. They slowly made their way to Coastal Carolina’s 6-yard line where Kohl found junior wide receiver Jaden Barnes for the score.
Coastal Carolina answered once again, this time with a 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Redshirt senior quarterback Samari Collier punched it into the end zone on fourth down from the Mountaineer’s 4-yard line.
On the kickoff, the Chanticleers came out with trickery, recovering their own onside kick. However, a quick three and out gave the ball back to App State. This was the first drive of the game to not see points.
App State could not capitalize and punted it back to Coastal Carolina. With halftime nearing, Collier was picked off by redshirt junior defensive back Elijah Mc-Cantos who almost found the end zone. Loggains elected to go with the safe option and kicked a field goal, taking a 24-17 lead into the locker room.
The Chanticleers received the ball out of halftime, but gained no yards on three plays. Barnes kept the offense off the field when he took the return 77 yards for a touchdown, increasing the lead to 31-17.
Coastal Carolina kept the ball on the ground the next possession running on 6 of their 7 plays. Collier finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run.
The Mountaineers next drive appeared to be over after one first down, until Loggains elected to go with a fake punt, where freshman defensive back Juan Berchal gained 22 yards and a first down. The drive ended in a field goal.
The final drive of the quarter was yet another Coastal Carolina touchdown. This time off a 37-yard touchdown pass from Collier. This was a controversial touchdown as many of the App State faithful believe the receiver went out of bounds without possession. Nonetheless, the score sat at 34-31.
The Mountaineers began the fourth quarter with another long drive, this time 14 plays. App State had a chance when Kohl found an open Dozier but the pass was dropped at the goal line. They instead settled for a field goal.
The Chanticleers continued to shred the defense, scoring on a 13-play drive. This drive was kept alive due to an App State pass interference penalty on a key third down. They ultimately took a 38-37 lead with a 1-yard touchdown run.
App State had a chance to take the lead but could not get a first down, giving Coastal Carolina the ball in prime field position where they scored again to rub salt in the wounds.
Down 8 points and looking to force overtime, the Mountaineers marched to the Chanticleers 47-yard line where Kohl was hit from behind and fumbled into the hands of the defense, effectively ending their chances.
Key Players for App State
Despite the late fumble, Kohl had a clean game. He threw for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 29 yards on the ground.
Dubinion was second on the team in carries with 10 but was able to rush for 38 yards and a touchdown. Loggains mentioned the offense would split carries more often but Dubinion will make the most of his reps.
Dozier continues to showcase his skills. This time with just 4 receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. Dozier is starting to look like Kohl’s first option.
On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt sophomore linebacker Colton Phares led the team with 11 total tackles.
Key Players for Coastal Carolina
Collier only completed 12 passes for 118 yards, a touchdown and an interception. However, he did most of his damage on the ground, running 17 times for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Junior running back Ja’Vin Simpkins ran the ball 9 times for 65 yards.
Senior defensive back Ja’Marion Wayne led the Chanticleers with 11 tackles.
Looking Ahead
The Mountaineers will travel to Norfolk, VA to play the Old Dominion Monarchs on Oct. 25. Kick off is set for noon.
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.
