App State Holds Off East Carolina 27-24 in Greenville Thriller

Appalachian State improved to 2-0 on the season Saturday, holding off East Carolina 27-24 in a back-and-forth in-state matchup at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville.

The Mountaineers built a 27-17 lead through three quarters and then survived a late push from the Pirates, who scored with 21 seconds remaining but could not complete the comeback. The victory was App State's fourth consecutive win over East Carolina.

Singleton Leads the Way

Quarterback Malachi Singleton turned in another strong performance for App State, completing his role in an offense that produced 27 points while throwing for 267 yards.

Singleton also contributed on the ground, scoring one of App State's three rushing touchdowns. His second-quarter touchdown came after the Mountaineers recovered an East Carolina fumble in the red zone, giving App State a 10-7 advantage.

Jaquari Lewis then extended the lead with a 10-yard rushing touchdown following an 83-yard App State drive. The Mountaineers entered halftime ahead 17-10.

App State Creates Just Enough Separation

The Mountaineers continued to control the game early in the second half.

App State added another rushing touchdown from T. Webb in the third quarter, and kicker J. London, who had opened the scoring for App State with a 41-yard field goal in the first quarter, added a 37-yarder late in the third. Those points proved important as the Pirates continued to threaten.

East Carolina answered with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Mitch Griffis to J. Dickerson in the third quarter, cutting into App State's advantage.

Late ECU Rally Falls Short

The final minutes produced the biggest test of App State's afternoon.

With 2:16 remaining, Dre Walker intercepted Griffis at the App State 9-yard line, seemingly giving the Mountaineers a chance to close out the game. However, App State went three-and-out, allowing East Carolina another opportunity.

The Pirates drove 60 yards and scored on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Griffis to J. Hamilton with 21 seconds left. East Carolina's final push, however, came too late as App State held on for the three-point victory.

What the Win Mean to App State

The victory gives App State a 2-0 start under second-year head coach Dowell Loggains and provides a much different test from the Mountaineers' 55-3 opening-week victory over Maine.

Rather than dominating from start to finish, App State had to withstand sustained pressure on the road and make critical plays at important moments.

The Mountaineers now return home to face Charlotte on Sept. 19, while East Carolina drops to 0-2 following its second consecutive defeat.