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The Appalachian State Mountaineers have the talent to make a run at the Sun Belt title in 2017.
Overview: Scott Satterfield and the Appalachian State Mountaineers will lean on a strong rushing attack and a workable schedule to build on their impressive FBS and Sun Belt record.
Offense: The Appalachian State Mountaineers love to grind things out on the ground and try to avoid putting the football in the air. The Mountaineers have weapons with quarterback Taylor Lamb using his legs effectively while throwing sparingly. If ASU needs to put the ball in the air there will be some options in the receiving corps with Shaedon Meadors, Isaiah Lewis, Deltron Hopkins, Mock Adams and Zy Letman among the leaders of the deepest unit on the team. With Marcus Cox gone, Jalin Moore will be the Appalachian State feature back and he proved he was capable of handling the load when Cox missed four games with an injury. The Mountaineers also return four players along the offensive line which is key for a team that seldom throws.
Defense: Appalachian State might be best known for their rushing ability but the defensive side of the football deserves a Lion’s share of the credit for the team’s FBS success. The Mountaineers defensive line saw ends Okon Godwin and Caleb Stewart combine for 17.5 TFL a year ago but the only tackle of not coming back is Myquon Stout so some younger faces will be asked to contribute. ASU is set at linebacker if the injury bug doesn’t bite too severely while corners Tae Hayes and Clifton Duck are nothing short of outstanding versus the pass. Appalachian State is also solid at the safety so this unit should have plenty of stopping power especially if some quality depth can be found in case injuries become an issue.
Special Teams: Michael Rubino was a dependable placekicker but the Mountaineers need a punter and more punch in an average return game.
Outlook: On paper, Appalachian State has the inside track to winning the Sun Belt crown if injuries don’t derail them and exposes some young players. Double digits in wins might sound bold but this team has been formidable and I see that continuing.
Schedule:
9-2 @ Georgia
9-9 vs. Savannah State
9-16 @ Texas State
9-23 vs. Wake Forest
10-7 vs. New Mexico State
10-14 @ Idaho
10-21 vs. Coastal Carolina
10-28 @ UMass
11-4 @ UL Monroe
11-9 vs. Georgia Southern
11-25 @ Georgia State
12-2 vs. UL Lafayette
AUTHOR: Mark
