SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 25, 2014
Georgia Southern 34, Appalachian State 14: Kevin Ellison rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown - part of a 408-yard attack on the ground - and also threw a TD pass as the host Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak to the Mountaineers.
Matt Breida ran for 135 yards and a touchdown for Georgia Southern (3-2, 2-0 Sun Belt), which entered the game leading the nation in rushing yards at 357 per game. Alfred Ramsby ran for a score while BJ Johnson caught a TD pass from Ellison, who was 6-of-10 for 73 yards with an interception.
Taylor Lamb was 23-of-42 for 256 yards and two interceptions while rushing for a touchdown for the Mountaineers (1-3, 0-1), who were competing in their first Sun Belt Conference game as they - like the Eagles - play their initial FBS season. Marcus Cox, coming off consecutive 100-yard rushing games, was held to 39 yards and a TD.
Georgia Southern was off and running on its opening possession as Breida took an inside handoff and raced untouched through a huge hole 56 yards on the Eagles' fifth play from scrimmage. Ellison connected with a wide-open Johnson for a 17-yard score to give Georgia Southern a 24-7 lead in the second quarter before Cox's 1-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds left in the first half capped a 72-yard drive and gave Appalachian State hope.
The Eagles, who lost to North Carolina State and Georgia Tech by a combined five points, put it out of reach with Ellison's 6-yard touchdown run with 10:26 left. Georgia Southern ran for 219 yards in the second half while Lamb threw both interceptions in the red zone, and the Mountaineers twice turned it over on downs.