Georgia Southern Edges App State 25-23 in Thrilling NCAAF Matchup
On November 7, 2025, the Georgia Southern Eagles narrowly defeated Appalachian State Mountaineers 25-23 in an intense game broadcast on ESPN (IN).
Game Highlights and Key Plays
Georgia Southern quarterback JC French IV delivered a season-best performance, passing for 352 yards and exceeding 2,000 yards for the season. Early in the game, he connected with Marcus Sanders Jr. on a 47-yard touchdown pass and added a 3-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Eagles a 16-0 lead by the second quarter.
Marcus Sanders Jr. caught six passes for 127 yards, while OJ Arnold contributed 105 rushing yards on 20 carries. Camden Brown added six receptions for 97 yards. Tripp Bryant was a reliable kicker, making 4 of 5 field goal attempts, marking a career-high performance.
Appalachian State's Rally
Appalachian State fell behind 22-3 midway through the third quarter but mounted a comeback sparked by quarterback AJ Swan. Swan threw a short-yardage touchdown pass and then Jaquari Lewis broke through with a 27-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to narrow the score to 22-16.
“Swan's 16-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes capped an 11-play, 66-yard drive that ended the scoring with 1:56 remaining.”
Swan completed 34 of 51 passes for 348 yards but also threw one interception. Jaden Barnes was a standout receiver with 13 catches for 160 yards.
Final Moments
The Eagles secured the win by converting a critical second-and-6 play late in the game, effectively running out the clock to maintain their slim lead.
Georgia Southern’s resilience and French’s standout passing performance were decisive in a closely contested battle against Appalachian State.
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