Week 14 Preview: Arkansas State at App State

Arkansas State and App State will go to battle on Saturday in what is a must-win game for both teams. The winner will earn bowl eligibility, while loser will finish on the outside looking in.

Arkansas State

The Red Wolves have had opportunities to clinch in each of their past two games, but have lost both on the final play. The offense had the ball in the red zone at the end of both games, but could not punch the ball into the end zone.

Last week’s loss to Louisiana was particularly gut-wrenching. Quarterback Jaylen attempted to extend his arm into the end zone as time expired, but was unable to break the plane. As he pushed for a second-effort, the ball fell out of his hands. Despite Ragin Cajun players running onto the field from the sidelines during the run of play, the officials decided the game was over.

Two key fumbles in the early stages of the game cost Arkansas State. Early giveaways have been a trend in their past two losses, as the Red Wolves also fumbled on their first offensive play against Southern Miss. If they want to play in a bowl game at the end of the season, they will need to take better care of the football.

Raynor will need to keep the ball out of harm’s way. He is a prolific passer, ranking second in the Sun Belt in pass yards per game. However, he has thrown a conference-worst ten interceptions so far this season. Raynor has also continued to show chemistry with Corey Rucker, who ranks fifth in the Sun Belt with 776 receiving yards. Their partnership was fruitful last season as well, with Rucker eclipsing 1,000 yards.

The Mountaineers have the conference’s weakest passing defense, allowing 268.1 passing yards per game. This could be a good matchup for Arkansas State, who have found more success through the air than on the ground.

Appalachian State

App State kept their bowl hopes alive with a 26-24 win over Marshall last week, snapping a four-game losing streak. The Mountaineers took the lead with a field goal just before the two-minute timeout, and clinched a win after Colton Phares recovered a fumble with under a minute to go.

Despite the win, App State was out-gained, 438-276. The defense stood tall in the clutch, forcing fumbles on Marshall’s final two possessions. The first one set up the Mountaineers’ game-winning drive with excellent field position. With the ball at the Marshall 40, the offense only needed a couple first downs to set up a comfortable kick.

They did just that. Dominic De Freitas nailed a 23-yarder to put App State up for good.

The previously anemic rushing attack exploded for the Mountaineers, as Jaquari Lewis went off for 175 yards and two scores. Lewis and his backfield partners will have an opportunity to put up gaudy numbers again on Saturday against an Arkansas State defense that allows over 175 yards per game on the ground.

The running backs cannot do it alone, though. The Mountaineers will need more from the quarterback position if they are to qualify for bowl play. App State has not thrown for over 150 yards in either of the past two games. Arkansas State sports a middle of the road pass defense, which could give App State an opportunity to find more success through the air. The offensive line will have their hands full. Arkansas State has racked up eight sacks over their past two games, including five against Louisiana. The Red Wolves certainly won’t hold back with everything on the line.