This game

[Saint3333]

At the end of the season we will look back at this loss as the beginning of a decline for seniors that have given so much for the last 3 1/2 years or a turning point to refocus and concentrate on reducing penalties and miscues.

Based upon our play since Wake and mounting injuries we were going to lose another game. I’d rather it be UMass than a Conference game. This week every player looks within themselves and decides how they want the season to be remembered. We have the talent to win every game remaining on our schedule.

Focus returns, execution returns, one purpose, the SBC championship is ours to take. Lamb, Nunn, Gossett, Boggs, Stringer, Howard, Upshaw and others deserve to go out on top, this week of preparation is the most important the rest of the year.

Still proud to stand behind these guys - beat ULM.

[ericsaid]

1. The team likely had to practice indoors for most of the week.

2. Harrington should've never been in the game in overtime following an in game fumble and a rough week of practice with ball security.

3. It's obvious to me that the coaching staff is coaching for the future. This season is far more similar to 2014 in that a bunch of young guys are being given opportunities with an eye toward the future.

4. The fortunate thing is that despite App being in what many would consider a retooling year due to injuries, App is still the favorite to win the Sun Belt.

5. UMass isn't as bad of a team as their record indicates. They are similar to an NFL team that will lose 7 games by 3 points or less, and turn it around at the end of the season and learn how to win.

6. The doom and gloom around here is pathetic. This is FBS, talent levels are too similar to stay on top when you are forced to play 5 or 6 freshman on offense.

7. I wish the best to you App fans who think the sky is falling but For me, I find it extremely encouraging to see the athleticism of the young guys being brought in and am thinking that there is a lot to look forward to in the coming years.

8. App is really missing having someone who has the size of Parker Collins and his mean streak directing the protections of the offensive line.

[AppSt94]

Agree with you on #8 for sure. Collins was the tone setter. I don't think we dominate Tenn upfront without the Collins' personal foul call for driving the defender 10 yards out of bounds.

[appst89]

This game guaranteed a crowd of about 12,000 for Georgia Southern.

[Goapps15]

When you lose to a 1-6 team people have a right to be irritated. Every week we play a close game and we prop up our opponents. Granted that team has played everybody close.

We have a good team but we have yet to play a complete disciplined 60 minute game. The positives are that our young talent can play it's just putting it all together. We are also two plays away from being 7-1.

[AppSt94]

When you lose to a 1-6 team people have a right to be irritated. Every week we play a close game and we prop up our opponents. Granted that team has played everybody close.

We have a good team but we have yet to play a complete disciplined 60 minute game. The positives are that our young talent can play it's just putting it all together. We are also two plays away from being 7-1.

Understand the frustration. You are right, we are a play or two away from being 7-1 and we are a play or two away from being 3-5 as well. These type of things are going to happen when playing the youth that we play.

[Goapps15]

When you lose to a 1-6 team people have a right to be irritated. Every week we play a close game and we prop up our opponents. Granted that team has played everybody close.

We have a good team but we have yet to play a complete disciplined 60 minute game. The positives are that our young talent can play it's just putting it all together. We are also two plays away from being 7-1.

Understand the frustration. You are right, we are a play or two away from being 7-1 and we are a play or two away from being 3-5 as well. These type of things are going to happen when playing the youth that we play.

Spot on! When you play the amount of youth we are, you rarely put teams away and it eventually bites you. It's hard to play 60 complete minutes with all of the youth.

[Yosef84]

I don't really think this game is the beginning of any trend. It is the culmination of a group of trends....youth, injuries, and a season where inconsistency has been a problem (driven largely by the first two factors no doubt). We can't be world beaters every single year. I think we still have a good team, just not a great team. This was a painful game and I was as irritated as anyone else, but I can't put this one on the coaches or the game strategy. UMass was susceptible to passes out of the backfield, but both of our RBs were freshmen and neither could hang on to a pass yesterday so one of our real opportunities was lost. For that matter, EVERYONE seemed to be dropping passes for most of the game, which has NOT been a problem previously.

Penalties took two touchdowns off the board....net 11 points after the field goal. The Defense gave up an uncharacteristic 95 yard running TD. It was just a crazy game.

I keep waiting for this year's team to "gel" but the problem is that because of injuries, we can't put the same team out there two weeks in a row....and yet we are still 5 - 3 overall and 4 - 0 in conference play. I still believe we wind up with a strong year....very possibly a conference championship. Unfortunately the lows are part of the ride just like the highs.

GO APPS! FINISH STRONG!!!

[WVAPPeer]

As I mentioned in another thread - this team is as good as any I have witnessed in 60+ years of football to Playing To The Level Of The Competition - up and down ---

[WVAPPeer]

If we win the SunBelt championship will any "fans" come on here and call this season a disappointment???

[samplessjs]

There is a difference between being negative and recognizing the obvious. We are in year four of FBS membership. Why are we so young? It seems clear there were recruiting issues 3-5 years ago. Especially on the O line side. As someone pointed out we have two linemen who can sustain blocks. And three who struggle. While high talent levels are present at the skill positions, I'm uncertain the same level exists in the trenches. The good news is we play in the SBC. The highest ranked opponent remaining (according to todays Sagarin ratings) is #136 ULM. We may be able to run the table simply based on a very weak remaining schedule. Should Troy knock off ASU we will be the outright SBC champs, with the third best team in the league. Hey, as a fan I will take it! For the future we have to get better linemen. Until we do the level of play will be stagnant. And we will continue to drop games to the UMasses of the world. That;s my two cents.

[WataugaMan]

If nothing else, yesterday was definitely a very humbling experience.

[ncman071]

Sucks losing but at the end of the day, we are one win away from bowl eligibility and 4-0 in sunbelt...Georgia state scares me...buy IG we can get some key guys back...Moore, stringer... etc...we can still have a very solid season

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

This game guaranteed a crowd of about 12,000 for Georgia Southern.

I have a terrible feeling about this game.

[CVAPP]

This team can still finish undefeated in Sun Belt play and win at least a share of back to back Belt titles. It won't be easy, as it never was going to be easy, but it's certainly still within reach. If this team finishes with only 3 losses and a bowl game victory we should be pleased.

[Rekdiver]

This game guaranteed a crowd of about 12,000 for Georgia Southern.

I have a terrible feeling about this game.

We will roll GSU and there will be more than 12,000. Go home.

[EastHallApp]

As I mentioned in another thread - this team is as good as any I have witnessed in 60+ years of football to Playing To The Level Of The Competition - up and down ---

We have played "up" to the competition in exactly one game, if you want to call Wake that. Every other close game has been against five of probably the 20 or so worst teams in the country. At what point is it not just "playing down to the competition" but instead just an accurate reflection of who we are?

[WASU 93]

As I mentioned in another thread - this team is as good as any I have witnessed in 60+ years of football to Playing To The Level Of The Competition - up and down ---

We have played "up" to the competition in exactly one game, if you want to call Wake that. Every other close game has been against five of probably the 20 or so worst teams in the country. At what point is it not just "playing down to the competition" but instead just an accurate reflection of who we are?

I believe that it is an accurate reflection of who we are. We are not a great team this year (as compared to previous years). Offensively, we are average at best and cannot have a solid game both running and passing the ball. Defensively, we are above average. At times, we arm tackle, but play solidly each game. Plus, we make adjustments and play really solid second halves. However, when the offense has bad first halves, the defense spends a lot of time on the field, which leads to more chances to give up an occasional big play. We had a six interception game go down to the wire, because the offense doesn't have a killer instinct. We just lost a game in which the defense created four first half turnovers. The game should have been over at halftime.
We are below average on special teams. We give up kick blocks, while never making any real attempt to block punts or field goals. Punting has been very inconsistent, with some bad punts in key situations. We tend to lose the field position battle in the first quarter each week. Rubino was Rubino, but Staton looked promising in his first start. Our return game nets too many penalties, but Ike Lewis tends to be a bright spot.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

This game guaranteed a crowd of about 12,000 for Georgia Southern.

I have a terrible feeling about this game.

We will roll GSU and there will be more than 12,000. Go home.

I've not seen a single FBS game all season from start to finish that leads me to believe even a team as piss poor as Georgia Southern is a cake walk for App State football.

[CVAPP]

We have played "up" to the competition in exactly one game, if you want to call Wake that. Every other close game has been against five of probably the 20 or so worst teams in the country. At what point is it not just "playing down to the competition" but instead just an accurate reflection of who we are?

I agree EHA. If we don't lose another game I will be delighted with the results of a season when when we were rebuilding, retooling, or whatever you want to call it. This is who/where we are now. We are truly fortunate to be concerned about close wins that matter, and close losses that don't.