Georgia Southern Holds Off App State Comeback, 25-23

Image Courtesy Of App State Facebook

Appalachian State mounted a furious fourth-quarter rally, scoring three late touchdowns to pull within two points, but Georgia Southern converted a crucial fourth-and-inches run with 34 seconds remaining to preserve a 25-23 victory Thursday night at Kidd Brewer Stadium before 31,876 fans.

Defensive Resilience Keeps Comeback Alive

App State’s red zone defense kept the Mountaineers (4-5, 1-4 SBC) within striking distance throughout, forcing Georgia Southern to settle for field goals from 21, 26, 23, and 24 yards during the midweek rivalry contest. Despite trailing 19-0 at halftime and 22-3 early in the second half, the defensive stands provided opportunities for the offense to battle back.

Offensive Explosion Comes Too Late

The Mountaineers trailed 19-0 when Dominic De Freitas connected on a 36-yard field goal as the first half ended. App State finally found the end zone when tight end David Larkins scored on a 1-yard reception with 4:51 left in the third quarter, tipping the ball to himself after Jaden Barnes’ 32-yard reception on fourth-and-2 set up the score.

Running back Jaquari Lewis sliced through the defense for a 27-yard touchdown with 13:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 22-16. After Georgia Southern extended the lead to 25-16 with another field goal, quarterback AJ Swann hit Barnes for a 16-yard touchdown with 1:56 left, bringing App State within 25-23.

Barnes Delivers Historic Performance

Barnes recorded 13 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown—App State’s highest reception total since Sean Price’s 13 catches for 167 yards against Illinois State in 2012. His clutch catches included a diving 6-yard grab on fourth-and-1 and an improbable 22-yard reception on fourth-and-14 that nearly set up another scoring opportunity.

Swann completed 34 of 51 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns in his return to the starting lineup, though the Mountaineers managed just 77 rushing yards on 23 attempts.

Crucial Moments Define Outcome

Following Barnes’ late touchdown, Georgia Southern recovered the onside kick but still needed to secure a first down with App State holding all three timeouts. The Eagles (4-5, 2-3 SBC) gained an 11-yard first down on the initial play before sealing the victory with a fourth-and-inches conversion from the App State 27 with 34 seconds remaining.

Defensively, Colton Phares delivered a critical third-down sack that forced a punt between App State’s consecutive touchdowns. DJ Burks led the team with 12 tackles, while Aiden Benton’s 2-yard tackle for loss and Kevin Abrams-Verwayne’s stop helped force Georgia Southern’s final field goal.

The Mountaineers nearly capitalized after Barnes’ fourth-and-14 catch reached the Georgia Southern 23, but an interception from a pressured Swann at the goal line ended the threat.

App State travels to face division-leading James Madison next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Harrisonburg, Virginia.