Appalachian State 34 – Toledo 0
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Jalin Moore ran for 125 yards and a career-high three touchdowns and Appalachian State beat Toledo 34-0 on Saturday night in the Dollar General Bowl.
Appalachian State (9-4) won its third straight bowl game since making the complete transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2015. Moore’s big night and the Mountaineers’ impressive defense were the biggest reasons the streak continues.
Appalachian State ran for 327 yards. Senior quarterback Taylor Lamb, who was starting his 49th straight game, threw for 131 yards.
It was the second straight year the two programs had met in the postseason. Appalachian State beat Toledo in a hard-fought 31-28 victory in the Camellia Bowl in 2016 just a few hours up the interstate in Montgomery, Alabama.
The rematch in Mobile turned out to be a dud.
Toledo’s offense was averaging nearly 40 points per game this season, but looked lost against Appalachian State’s swarming defense. The Rockets (11-3) were also hurt by four turnovers.
Toledo’s Logan Woodside threw for 124 yards and three interceptions. The Rockets finished with just 146 yards of total offense.
THE TAKEAWAY: Toledo — This was one to forget for the Rockets. The offense looked out of sync all night and Appalachian State’s running game methodically picked apart Toledo’s defense.
Appalachian State — It was an impressive performance for the Mountaineers, especially on defense. Even during the rare moments when Toledo would have some success on offense, Appalachian State always seemed to force a turnover at a crucial juncture.
UP NEXT: Toledo — The Rockets will have a lot of rebuilding to do, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Toledo will have to find a new quarterback and rebuild its offensive line, which will lose four starters. The good news is 38-year-old coach Jason Candle is coming back after leading the program to an 11-win season.
Appalachian State — The Mountaineers lose several seniors, including their four-year starting quarterback. But Appalachian State has firmly established itself as one of the elite teams in the Sun Belt since making the transition from FCS to FBS and that’s unlikely to change any time soon as long as coach Scott Satterfield is leading the way.
