No. 20 Appalachian State seeks 14th straight win Thursday

Georgia Southern (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) at No. 20 Appalachian State (7-0, 4-0), Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT (ESPNU).

Line: Appalachian State by 15.

Series record: Appalachian State leads 19-14-1

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The Mountaineers are ranked in the AP Top 25 for the third straight week, a Sun Belt Conference record. They’ve won 13 straight games, the third-longest winning streak in the country behind Clemson and Ohio State. They’ll be looking for a little revenge against Georgia Southern, which beat them 34-14 last season to knock them out of the poll. This game could go a long way toward determining who goes to the conference championship game.

KEY MATCHUP

Georgia Southern’s running game vs. Appalachian State’s defense. The Mountaineers’ defense has been dominant the last three games, allowing just 5.6 points per game. But they will be tested by a run-heavy Georgia Southern team that is averaging 259.8 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles have run for 14 touchdowns on the season and thrown for only two.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia Southern: QB Shai Wertz needs 67 yards rushing to become the seventh player in school history with 2,000 yards rushing and passing.

Appalachian State: RB Darrynton Evans has run for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

FACTS & FIGURES

App State has won 14 straight games at home. … The Mountaineers have won five straight at home vs. Georgia Southern, outscoring them 169-66 during that span. … Appalachian State QB Zac Thomas is 17-2 as a starter, but was knocked out of last year’s game on the third play by Georgia Southern. … Appalachian State is one of nine unbeaten FBS teams in the country. …The Mountaineers rank ninth in the country in points per game (41). … Appalachian State is converting 51.5% of its third downs, sixth-best in the country.