Bowl Info:
- Game will be held at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Game will start at 9:00 PM ET on December 15th
- Middle Tennessee is 4-7 in their bowl games
- Appalachian State is 3-0 in their bowl games
- Middle Tennessee leads series 2-1
Offensive Players to Watch:
Middle Tennessee: Brent Stockstill will be taking the snaps Saturday and has been the whole season. If there is an area of offense that the Blue Raiders do right, it is the passing game. With Stockstill having thrown 3,214 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes, it is clear how much they rely on the pass. However, this consistent passing game needs to be better than consistent with a tough Appalachian State defense. The Mountaineers only allow 148.1 passing yards a game, which ranks 3rd best in the country. Stockstill will need to be ready to sling for his life come Saturday in New Orleans.
Appalachian State: Corey Xavier Sutton is one of the many Mountaineers’s receivers. However, do not mistake him for just another man on the field to catch the ball for some yards. Xavier Sutton has shown a unique ability to make big time plays where he averages 19.3 yards a catch. This imposes a scarier thing for the Middle Tennessee defense to handle in contrast to the strong Mountaineer run game. On the year, Xavier Sutton has racked up 695 receiving yards and 8 receiving touchdowns. Watch out for this explosive wide receiver to make some big plays for the Mountaineers.
Defensive Players to Watch:
Middle Tennessee: Khalil Brooks for the Blue Raiders is the man when it comes to the linebacker position. This will become even more known when his turn comes Saturday to make-or-break the game for his team. It is a known fact that Appalachian State will run some “home run” out of nowhere to deliver some blows. It will be up to Brooks and the other coverage-men to make sure they don’t go for anything. Brooks has 65 total tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss, and 6.5 sacks on the season. If anyone is to slow down this Mountaineer offense, it will be Khalil Brooks.
Appalachian State: No doubt that Tae Hayes comes into your mind when you think of Appalachian State players to stop the Middle Tennessee pass game. Hayes hows an impressive ability to bait and read the offense to find where the ball will be thrown. Hayes, also, has built himself a great resume with 43 total tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, and 3 interceptions (which go for about 25 yards on average). Look out for Hayes to show his presence Saturday to hopefully capture another Mountaineer bowl win.
The Basics
Appalachian State will come ready to win and will, in fact, win. The Mountaineers have shown a great defensive scheme all year that have held opponents to an average of 279.3 yards a game. This would rank 6th in the whole country for total defense. And also, Appalachian State’s big plays happen through the air, which is where Middle Tennessee struggles. Look for Middle Tennessee to give a fight early on, then slip up on the last 3 quarters.
Score Prediction
34-17 Appalachian State
Photo Credits: https://thegamehaus.com/2017-rl-carriers-new-orleans-bowl-preview/2017/12/06/
