WEEK ONE GAME NOTES: APPALACHIAN STATE
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State opens the 2017 football season Saturday night with an ESPN game at No. 15 Georgia, the preseason favorite to win the SEC's East Division.
Coached by
Scott Satterfield, the Mountaineers are moving forward from a 10-3 season that included earning a share of the Sun Belt Conference title and beating Toledo in the Camellia Bowl. The Bulldogs closed an 8-5 debut under coach Kirby Smart with a victory against TCU in the Liberty Bowl.
In the third installment of a five-part series, here's a look at how App State's run defense matches up against Georgia's rushing offense:
PART ONE: App State's passing offense vs. Georgia's pass defense
PART TWO: App State's pass defense vs. Georgia's passing offense
PART FOUR: App State's rushing offense vs. Georgia's rush defense
PART FIVE: Special teams outlook for App State, Georgia
With
Jalin Moore and
Marcus Cox both rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season, App State coach
Scott Satterfield knows all about prolific backfield pairings.
He thinks Georgia probably has the best one in college football this year with seniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel playing the same position.
The 228-pound Chubb rushed for 1,130 yards last season and has 3,424 career yards even though a severe knee injury forced him to miss the last seven games of his sophomore season. The 222-pound Michel rushed for 1,136 yards that year and added 840 last season to bring his career total to 2,411.
Their collective presence created a smoother transition to college for highly regarded quarterback Jacob Eason, who started as a true freshman.
"One of their strengths is going to be handing the ball to those backs, and there's not any drop-off between one or the other," Satterfield said. "Those guys will continue to be fresh throughout the game and probably really hungry to carry the ball. It also takes pressure off the quarterback, even though he's not a freshman anymore."
Known for his strength, a video clip of Chubb squatting 600 pounds went viral this summer. He and Michel will be running behind a reshuffled line that has both of its returning starters at new positions in 2017.
Lamont Gaillard, a highly regarded N.C. recruit from Fayetteville, began his career as a defensive lineman but is expected to start at center after being the 2016 starter at right guard. Isaiah Wynn has been the left tackle since moving there from left guard late last season, and the Bulldogs likely will start 6-5, 320-pound true freshman Andrew Thomas at right tackle.
"If you're a true freshman (starting), you have to have some talent there," Satterfield said. "For him to be part of that line, and the other guys are a year older, a year wiser going through another offseason, all those things make them a solid bunch."
Defensively, App State likes to rotate frequently along a three-man front that has a trio of returning starters in junior tackle
Myquon Stout, senior end
Antonious Sims and senior end
Caleb Fuller.
Okon Godwin and
Chris Willis are among the other options at end, while true freshman
Markell Clark and transfer
E.J. Scott are newcomers who could provide depth this year behind Stout, a preseason all-league selection who performed impressively in the 2016 opener at Tennessee.
The Volunteers rushed 43 times for 127 yards in their overtime victory, and App State ranked 20
th nationally by allowing just 125.9 rushing yards per game in 2016. Georgia ranked 50
th nationally by rushing for 191.2 yards per game.
If Stout and his linemates fare well in applying pressure and occupying blockers, that would free up linebackers such as
Eric Boggs (202 stops in the last two years),
Anthony Flory,
Devan Stringer and
Rashaad Townes to make more plays close to the point of attack.
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