A chilly night in Boone, N.C. hosted the 40th all-time meeting in the Deeper Than Hate rivalry between App State and Georgia Southern
A chilly night in Boone, N.C. hosted the 40th all-time meeting in the Deeper Than Hate rivalry between App State and Georgia Southern. The Eagles would be victorious 25-23.
Quarterback JC French IV got the Eagle offense rolling quickly, completing his first two passes for first downs. His third? A 47-yard touchdown throw to Marcus Sanders Jr. to give the Eagles a 6-0 lead. Surprisingly, coach Helton kept French and the offense on the field for a two-point attempt. The try failed on the French keeper.
In the blink of an eye!#HailSouthern | @MarcusSandersJ3 |📺 ESPN2 https://t.co/96C0KOjnY9 pic.twitter.com/flyim9yy3K
— Georgia Southern Football (@GSAthletics_FB) November 7, 2025
The game would see 22 more snaps before the next points were put on the board. Those points came courtesy of a Tripp Bryant 21-yard field goal. 9-0 Georgia Southern.
App State would gain no yards and punt on their next possession and punt. The resulting possession for the Eagles would result in a missed field goal attempt from Bryant, his only miss of the night. Once again, the Mountaineer offense stuttered. The Eagles would score on their next two possessions, giving the Eagles a commanding 16-0 lead.
App State would finally sustain a drive to put points on the board before halftime. In one of the stranger replays in college football, the drive started with a second look at an out of bounds play. That second look could be attributed to getting on the board before the halftime whistle, as the Dominic De Freitas kick sailed through the uprights as time expired.
The first half would see the Mountaineers offense finish with eight first downs, 25 yards rushing, 123 yards passing, and just two-of-seven on third down conversions.
The Mountaineers would get the ball to start the second half but the offensive struggles would continue. A quick three-and-out after gaining only two yards. Georgia Southern would capitalize with another field goal, 22-3 Eagles.
The spark the App State offense needed finally came on the next possession. A 32-yard pass from Swann to Barnes on a 4-and-2 play kept the drive alive. It finished with a one-yard bobble, but catch, from tight end David Larkins in the back of the endzone. The Mountaineers would then try a two-point attempt of their own but would also came up short as Swann got tripped up by his own offensive line as he tried to back pedal after the snap.
Tip drill in the paint#GoApp pic.twitter.com/Gc5qZ0CTIs
— App State Football (@AppState_FB) November 7, 2025
JC French and the Eagles offense would only get four plays before having to punt the ball away and give the App State another opportunity to get back into the game. That’s just what the Mountaineers would do. Ultimately cashing in on a 10-play 69 yard drive with a Jaquari Lewis 27-yard scamper into the endzone. The lead now down to just six, 22-16.
Georgia Southern would respond with a field goal to push the lead back to nine, 25-16.
App State would put together a promising drive before an ill-advised Swann attempt to the endzone on first down, resulting in an Ayden Jackson interception at the one. The Mountaineers defense would hold the Eagles to a three-and-out.
The crowd in Boone finally came alive. A 16-yard touchdown pass from Swann to Barnes would get this game the closest it would be for the rest of the night, 25-23 Eagles.
A failed on-side kick attempt by App State would give the Eagles the ball and they would melt the clock away to secure the hard fought victory in Boone.
Former Mountaineer Brendan Harrington could be seen being congratulated and greeted by many App State players and coaches after the game. Harrington finished with eight total tackles against his former team and one tackle for loss. The win on his old home turf likely meant a lot after going through multiple injuries and set backs in his time on the mountain.
The Eagles move closer to bowl eligibility at 4-5 overall on the season. App State will have a tough time qualifying themselves, as their remaining schedule features teams as the top of both divisions in the Sun Belt.
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