App State Seeks Conference Balance at Old Dominion

Image Courtesy Of App State Facebook

Appalachian State Football travels east Saturday seeking another road victory to even its Sun Belt Conference record, facing Old Dominion at noon in a game broadcast on ESPNU. The Mountaineers (4-3, 1-2 SBC) navigate three of their first four league games away from Boone, with the first-half conference schedule concluding at S.B. Ballard Stadium.

Following their league-opening loss at Southern Miss on September 13, App State dominated Georgia State 41-20 on October 11, building a commanding 31-0 advantage. Last weekend’s 45-37 home loss to Coastal Carolina saw the Mountaineers hold multiple double-digit leads before surrendering their first deficit with under four minutes remaining.

“We’re going to have to tackle better on defense and stop the run,” head coach Dowell Loggains emphasized. “They gave up 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns—they’re going to test whether we fixed what needed fixing. On offense, we must protect the football and score touchdowns in the red zone, not just kick field goals.”

Monarchs Present Explosive Challenges

Old Dominion (4-3, 1-2) opened with a 27-14 loss to now-No. 2 Indiana before defeating Virginia Tech 45-26. The Monarchs dominated Coastal Carolina 47-7 at home but surrendered 111 combined points in road losses to Marshall (48-24) and James Madison (63-27).

Despite offensive firepower, ODU leads Sun Belt teams with 18 turnovers, including five at Marshall and three at James Madison. Quarterback Colton Joseph has thrown 16 touchdown passes against eight interceptions while totaling 250-plus passing yards in five games. He’s also rushed for six touchdowns and a team-leading 487 yards.

The Monarchs spread defenses wide with receivers aligned near sidelines, creating middle running lanes. Tre Brown averages 23.2 yards per catch with a 98-yard touchdown, while Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding leads with 30 receptions.

App State’s defense recorded interceptions from Elijah McCantos, Colton Phares, and DJ Burks (two each) among 10 total takeaways. The Mountaineers ranked among national rushing defense leaders before Coastal’s 246-yard performance.

Since rushing for 182 and 209 yards in victories over Charlotte and Lindenwood, App State has averaged just 119.2 rushing yards over their last five games.