Appalachian State pulled off a wild 35-32 victory over Coastal Carolina Friday night, fueled by a monster four-touchdown performance from running back Jaquari Lewis that saw them rally from a double-digit halftime deficit. Lewis was an absolute force, running in all four of his scores to ensure the Mountaineers got the road win.
Coastal Carolina’s Early Blitz Fades
The Chanticleers came out firing, grabbing a quick 7-0 lead on Deuce Bailey’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Tristian Gardner right at the start. App State answered back with Lewis’s first 12-yard TD run to tie it up, and Lewis plunged in for a 1-yard score to give App State a 14-7 lead after the first quarter. But then Coastal Carolina took control. Bailey connected with Robby Washington for a massive 71-yard scoring strike to tie things again. Later, Bailey found Ben Verges for an 8-yard touchdown toss with less than two minutes left before halftime, making it 21-14. The Chanticleers weren’t done either: Reggie Jean recovered a fumble by App State’s starting QB Malachi Singleton with only 12 seconds remaining, setting up Nico Cavanillas Alti for a career-long 58-yard field goal. That put Coastal Carolina up 24-14 at the half. It looked like they had this one locked up.
App State’s Second Half Domination
But App State wasn’t quitting. Lewis kicked off the second half comeback with another 12-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 24-21 midway through the third. The defense stepped up big too: Devin Henderson picked off a Deuce Bailey pass, and just 10 plays later, Lewis was in the end zone again with a 3-yard run, giving App State a 28-24 lead heading into the final quarter. Then backup quarterback Henry Hasselbeck, who had a huge night with 125 rushing yards on 21 carries, connected with Sam Pickett III for a 31-yard touchdown pass. That was Hasselbeck’s first touchdown pass of the season, and it extended App State’s lead to 35-24 with 6:41 left. Coastal Carolina tried to mount their own comeback, with Jaden Allen-Hendrix scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run and adding the two-point conversion with 3:11 remaining, making it 35-32. But the Mountaineers held on and ran out the clock to seal the gritty victory.
What’s Next for the Mountaineers
Jaquari Lewis finished the game with 13 carries for 85 yards and those four crucial scores, while Hasselbeck proved to be an invaluable weapon off the bench. Malachi Singleton also threw for 151 yards. Coastal Carolina’s Bailey racked up 298 passing yards and three touchdowns, but his interception and the blown halftime lead stung. App State now moves to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. They’re back in action this Thursday, hosting James Madison. Coastal Carolina, now 2-5 overall, will look to bounce back at Georgia State on October 31.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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