Countdown to Kickoff: Bobcats host Sun Belt powerhouse Appalachian State

The road to the Sun Belt Conference championship still runs through Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers have either shared the league title or won it outright every year since 2016. The team proved last season they could win with a first-year head coach under Eliah Drinkwitz, going 13-1 overall, including a 7-1 record in conference play, and beating Louisiana 45-38 on Dec. 7 to take the Sun Belt crown. It’ll have to do the same this year as Drinkwitz moved on to Missouri and former offensive line coach Shawn Clark was promoted in  his place.

App State’s offense will mostly look the same in 2020. Quarterback Zac Thomas will return for his senior season after completing 62.7% of his passes for 2,718 yards and 28 touchdowns, throwing just six interceptions and adding another 440 yards and seven scores with his legs on 104 carries. He’ll have all four of his top targets back, featuring 2019 leader Thomas Hennigan with 61 receptions for 773 yards and six touchdowns. He’ll also be well protected by four offensive linemen who received All-Sun Belt honors in front of him, the line being anchored by first team senior center Noah Hannon.

Darrynton Evans, last season’s leading rusher, is no longer on the team. But the Mountaineers still have a deep stable of effective running backs in Marcus Williams, Daetrich Harrington and Raykwon Anderson, who combined for 1,194 yards and nine touchdowns on 196 carries (6.1-yard average).

The team will have to reset a bit defensively, losing a handful of starters. However, App State still has a few playmakers to build around. Senior defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor racked up 44 total tackles, including a team-high seven sacks. Defensive backs Shemar Jean-Charles and Shaun Jolly combined for 17 pass deflections and Jolly ranked seventh in the FBS with five picks.

The Mountaineers lead Texas State in the all-time series, 5-0. Last year’s contest in Boone, North Carolina, ended in a 35-13 win for App State. Thomas only needed to complete 8-of-16 passes to gain 174 yards and two touchdowns.

ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly's SP+ projections rank the Mountaineers 39th in the FBS, ahead of Texas State at No. 123, and predict a 9-3 season for Appalachian State, including a 7-1 record in Sun Belt play.