| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GASO | 14 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| APP | 3 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 55 |
Aguilar throws 4 touchdown passes, Appalachian State advances to Sun Belt title game
DeAndre Buchannon takes one back 100 yards for a Georgia Southern TD
DeAndre Buchannon takes one back 100 yards from his own end zone for a Georgia Southern touchdown.
BOONE, N.C. -- — Joey Aguilar threw four touchdown passes and Appalachian State blew past Georgia Southern 55-27 on Saturday, clinching a berth in the Sun Belt Championship in the process.
The Mountaineers (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt Conference) fell behind by 11 points in the first quarter then outscored the Eagles 52-13 over the final three quarters.
Aguilar threw second quarter touchdown passes of 27 yards to Kaedin Robinson and 41 yards to Cristan Horn, leading the Mountaineers to a 27-17 lead at halftime.
Aguilar hit Eli Wilson from 2 yards and Anderson Castle scored on a 15-yard run to extend the lead to 41-17 after three. Aguilar and Robinson hooked up again, from 10 yards, and Maqueul Haywood capped the scoring with a 27-yard run late in the fourth.
Georgia Southern's only highlight in the second half was a 100-yard kickoff return by DeAndre Buchannon.
Aguilar finished 23-of-36 passing for 296 yards with the four scores and one interception. Kanye Roberts had 109 yards rushing and Robinson caught eight passes for 108 yards.
Davis Brin was 24-of-34 for Georgia Southern (6-6, 3-5) but threw three interceptions.
Appalachian State finished second in the East Division but advances to the championship game because first-place James Madison is not eligible for the postseason while the Dukes transition to the FBS. Appalachian State will play Troy, which clinched the West Division with a 35-17 victory over Southern Miss on Saturday.
Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Louisiana and Troy are the only teams that have played in the championship game that began in 2018.
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Game Information
2024 Sun Belt Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 7-1 | 10-3 |
| Georgia Southern | 6-2 | 8-5 |
| James Madison | 4-4 | 9-4 |
| Old Dominion | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| Coastal Carolina | 3-5 | 6-6 |
| App State | 3-5 | 5-6 |
| Georgia State | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 7-1 | 10-3 |
| Texas State | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| Arkansas State | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| South Alabama | 5-3 | 7-6 |
| UL Monroe | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| Troy | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Southern Miss | 0-8 | 1-11 |
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