Last Updated on November 20, 2019 6:04 pm
BOONE, N.C. — During its record-breaking transition to
the FBS level, Appalachian State has won three straight conference
titles and four consecutive bowl games.
On Saturday, for the first time as an FBS member, the Mountaineers will play ACC program and in-state foe North Carolina.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Chapel Hill, and fans not attending the sold-out game can click HERE to learn more about how to watch the first App State/UNC football matchup since 1940.
With Eliah Drinkwitz
in his first season as Appalachian's head coach and Mack Brown
returning to North Carolina this year after coaching the Tar Heels from
1988-97, here's a look at how the Mountaineers' offense potentially
matches up against UNC's defense:
App State Offense vs. North Carolina Defense
The Mountaineers, who have averaged 49.0 points and 451.0 yards per game during their 2-0 start, were off last weekend.
Individually, running back Darrynton Evans ranks No. 2 in the nation by averaging 166.5 rushing yards per game, and quarterback Zac Thomas has helped several of his receivers establish new career highs as juniors.
Thomas Hennigan set a career high for catches (seven) in a season-opening win, and Malik Williams added career highs for catches (six) and receiving yards (73) in the win against Charlotte. Jalen Virgil matched his previous single-game high of two touchdown catches in the Charlotte game, and Corey Sutton
is set to make his 2019 debut Saturday after leading App State in
catches (44), receiving yards (773) and receiving touchdowns (10) a
season ago.
App State has maintained balance thanks to an offensive line that's
helped the Mountaineers rush for at least 200 yards in eight straight
games.
“We have to do a good job of staying on schedule,” Drinkwitz said. “I
think that's where you can tell if the flow is going for us — for us to
be in manageable third downs, but they do a really good job.”
The Mountaineers have been preparing for a UNC defense co-coordinated by
Tommy Thigpen and Jay Bateman, who left Army after a strong 2018 season
in which the Cadets dropped a 28-21 overtime thriller against
high-scoring Oklahoma.
Among the defensive standouts for North Carolina are 6-foot-5, 285-pound
tackle Jason Strowbridge, who missed last week's loss at Wake Forest
with an injury but has 8.5 career sacks, and 290-pound nose tackle Aaron
Crawford, who leads the Tar Heels with 25 career starts.
Free safety Myles Dorn is another NFL prospect as a leader in a
secondary that competed at Wake Forest without 6-2 starting cornerback
Patrice Rene, who is out for the rest of the season.
The Tar Heels have four interceptions as a defense, rank No. 26
nationally in third-down defense (28.9 percent conversions against
them), are No. 38 in red zone defense and have 10 sacks. South Carolina,
Miami and Wake Forest all kicked one field goal from inside the red
zone against North Carolina, and App State has scored touchdowns on nine
of its 10 red-zone visits this season.
“It's a havoc-creating defense,” Drinkwitz said. “They try to be unusual
and get TFLs and try to create chaos — have you miss an assignment and
get a tackle for loss and put you behind the chains.”
