Georgia Southern vs Appalachian State NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 10/31/2019

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Kidd Brewer Stadium

Zac Thomas and the Appalachian State Mountaineers play the Georgia Southern Eagles at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Thursday, October 31, 2019. Georgia Southern opens this matchup as 19.5-point underdogs. The Eagles are 2-5-0 ATS and 4-3-0 when betting on the total. The Mountaineers are 3-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 5-2-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Georgia Southern Eagles went up against the New Mexico State Aggies and won 41-7. Running the show from under center for the Eagles was Shai Werts who went 2/4 with 3 yards through the air but wasn't able to throw a ball for a TD. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Wesley Kennedy III paced the team in rushing during the game. His longest run of the day went for 71 yards and he added 2 touchdowns during the game. He scurried for 143 yards via 6 carries which meant he averaged 23.8 yards per run. Wesley Kennedy III was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 9 yards on 1 catch. He notched an average of 9.0 yards per catch during the game. The Eagles ran the ball 56 times and racked up a total of 403 yards which had them averaging 7.2 yards per rush. In the game, the Eagles had a total of 17 first downs and they totaled 0 penalties for 0 yards which tells us that they had a disciplined week in practice. Overall, they ran 60 plays which added up to 406 yards. When discussing the defense, Georgia Southern gave up 13 completions on 23 tries totaling 59 yards, and a completion percentage of 56.5%. In the running game, the Eagles gave up 209 yards on 54 carries which is an average of 3.9 yards per attempt allowed. For this contest, they conceded a total of 268 yards and earned 3 takeaways.

The Eagles come into this matchup with a record of 4-3 for the 2019 season. For total yards, they rank 11th in the Sun Belt and 129th in college football with 2,161 yards. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation with an average of 25.1 points per contest, which has them at 93rd in college football. As a unit, they have an average of 260 rushing yards per contest which is 2nd in the Sun Belt Conference. The Eagles have one of the middle tier defenses in the country, allowing 28 points per game which has them at 4th in the Sun Belt. In regard to rushing yards, Georgia Southern is giving up 133.7 yards per contest putting them 1st in the Sun Belt and 38th in D-1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.5 yards per carry which has them at 1st in the conference and 31st in college football overall. In total, they have conceded 936 yards rushing through 7 contests. When it comes to passing yards, the Eagles have conceded 341 yards. Opponents are completing 61.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.8 yards per try.

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In their last game, the Appalachian State Mountaineers went up against the South Alabama Jaguars and won 30-3. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Mountaineers was Zac Thomas who went 16/28 with 132 yards passing and tossed 1 TD. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Raykwon Anderson paced the team on the ground for the game. He had a long run of 67 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown for the contest. He ran for a total of 99 yards by way of 4 carries which means he ran for an average of 24.8 yards per carry. Thomas Hennigan was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 58 yards on 6 receptions. He earned an average of 9.7 yards per reception for the game. The Mountaineers ended up rushing 45 times and racked up 313 yards which earned them an average of 7.0 yards per rushing attempt. In all, they finished with a total of 73 plays for 445 yards. Overall, the Mountaineers had a total of 21 1st downs and they totaled 10 infractions for 85 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. In terms of defense, Appalachian State conceded 6 completions on 19 attempts for a total of 52 yards, and a completion percentage of 31.6%. For this contest, they allowed a total of 139 yards and earned 1 turnover. In the running game, the Mountaineers conceded 87 yards on 38 attempts which means they had an average of 2.3 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Mountaineers head into this matchup 7-0. Appalachian State has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 244.1 yards on the ground per game, ranking them 14th in D-1. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,709 yards rushing through 7 games, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Mountaineers average 439.6 yards per game overall which has them at 36th in college football and 4th in the Sun Belt Conference. The Mountaineers are conceding 19 points per game ranking them 1st in the Sun Belt and 18th in college football. When it comes to points given up, they have given up 133 total points. In discussing yards on the ground, they are allowing 140.1 yards per contest which puts them at 47th in D-1 and 3rd in the Sun Belt. For 2019, they have allowed 981 yards rushing and 7 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the top units in D-1. They are conceding 186.4 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Mountaineers are ranked 2nd in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Eagles/Mountaineers college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Eagles +19.5

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