By the skin of our teeth...

[appfanz]

I've said this before but I truly believe the best pass defense I'd a PASS RUSH

[AppOrange]

That and I thought I heard them say he played

[biggie]

This scotch is helping me calm down after driving home. Almost bad taste in my mouth on the bday this evening.

A lot to work on. Our holes just weren't there in the run up the middle. Wished we would have used screens more like they killed us on constantly.

[firemoose]

Every team faces a game like this one eventually. A lot of people have been seeing the blowout wins and had visions of 11-1 with no one playing us close. And as much as the staff and players talk about focus and one game at a time, in the back of the mind that little voice starts creeping in saying you're too good. We played ugly and still were able to get the W. Short week coming up. Time to refocus, study film and make plans for the next team who tries to play the up tempo/quick pass game (it's going to happen) and get set for the next game, not a bowl game. Games like this one can serve to make a team better. Let's hope everyone from Satt on down uses it as motivation. Eight down and four to go. But only the next one counts right now.

[AppOrange]

Happy Birthday Biggie, what a present. We loose this game in the past 5 years . . . found a way!

[Rick0714]

I hope, at the end of the year, we can look back at this game and say THIS is when we got refocused, rededicated, and took our game to a different level. Every team remaining on our schedule just got a copy of this tape. Time to turn it up bit, switch up how our defense covers downfield and in the flat. Time for the offense to change our 1st and 2nd down calls late in the game. Troy had a GREAT gameplan. They shook us up, took advantage of what they saw on tape. Give them credit and props! They deserve it. But we need to take NO game for granted. Idaho beat Troy and we just gave them and every other team a blueprint. Now focus on StAte!!

[Rekdiver]

Can't give a name but was told Beau has a broken foot. Would love to know that is a rumor I shouldn't have even mentioned.

[spong]

Nationally ranked Toledo had a scare against UMass last week and UMass is probably as bad as the worst team in the Sun Belt.

A State had a close game at home against Georgia State (Troy's a better team that Georgia State).

One of the biggest knocks on App was that they hadn't had a game that mattered in the 4th quarter all season. We can't say that anymore.

App State had one of the biggest victories in program history last week. Listening to the pregame show on the radio I really got the feeling that people were overlooking this game (like I'm pretty sure I remember one of the players talking about how we got AP top 25 votes, not the kind of thing you want to hear before a game).These are college kids it's really hard to manage emotions. It's very common, almost the norm, after teams have wonderful victories to come out the next week and play flat.

We came out and played poorly but showed perseverance and got a win. I feel confident that this was a learning experience for everyone and that we are going to come out with a chip on our shoulder ready to play against a very talented A State team.

[AtlAppMan]

We are fortunate to get the win and I will gladly take it. We were out coached and out played and lucky to get the win. I don't understand continuing to rush 3 all night and sitting back in zone when you are getting NO pressure on QB and Not doing well defending receivers. We appeared totally helpless stopping them using this defensive approach. It seems to contradict everything that has made this defense good all year. We won't survive living like this in future against better teams.

I believe we will make the proper adjustments

[EastHallApp]

I don't know to what extent focus was a problem. I'll defer to the coaches and players on that. Certainly I don't think this was our best performance.

But more than anything, hat tip to Troy. Their tempo and vertical passing game were impressive. They remind me of us a year ago. I think they'll win some more games this year, and I expect to see them bowling next season.

As for App, hopefully everyone is already getting locked in for A-State.

[hapapp]

Maybe now we can stop this nonsense discussion about style points and victory margins, and stop thinking about cracking the top 25. Sell an opponent short and you can be made to pay. Today, we were a dropped pass away from suffering loss #2.

[hotrod2001]

I'm curious to see how they they do in two weeks against GASO. ULM is for them next week and they should win at the rate they're playing.

And then there's Idaho, who managed to blow a 30-7 lead to NMSU...it could always be worse.

[EastHallApp]

Maybe now we can stop this nonsense discussion about style points and victory margins, and stop thinking about cracking the top 25. Sell an opponent short and you can be made to pay. Today, we were a dropped pass away from suffering loss #2.

I still want us to crack the top 25, and it's still a realistic goal this season.

[diehardapp18]

We were definitely lucky to win tonight. Honestly, Troy brought it to us. They were the better team tonight. But I'm so damn proud of our boys for fighting through the adversity and doing just enough to get a win. Look, these games happen. Look at Oho State they barely won at Indiana. Look at 2001 Miami (the greatest team ever) they even got lucky to beat Virginia Tech that year. It's very rare a team can just roll through conference play. We didn't play to our potential tonight and Troy probably played their best game of the season, yet we somehow came out on top. That's a talented team, they looked SUPERIOR to GaSo on both sides of the ball. Sure it's nice just crushing teams but I think all our egos got a bit inflated, we should all be thrilled with tonight's win. Don't complain about not winning by 30. Our boys were brought back down to earth tonight, but I'm still damn confident we finish 11-1. Look for a much better performance Thursday.

And look for Troy to win most of their remaining games.

Only thing I'm mad about is the crowd.

Great day to be a Mountaineer.

[moehler]

a lot of Troy fans are thumping their chest, basically saying their talent is as good as Apps,...its not, no excuses, but Woody called a bad game, should have dialed up the blitz more often in the second half, really surprised, almost shocked he didn't. SS wasn't much better. You could see this kind of game coming, I think the team got caught up reading their press clips, hopefully, this will refocus the team.

[asu66]

but I'll take it. Hopefully this game brings us back to earth. We were lucky to pull it out and definitely have some things to work on before Thursday.

I dispute the luck comment. We ran into a team on the rise under a dynamic new head coach; a team on a mission. They out-played us most of the game; but our guys never quit. In the end, our guys had more left in the tank and all of the 5 AM winter running, the 6 AM weight room work with M.Sirignano and the great senior leadership won a tight one. It was the first time our team had been really tested other than Clemson. Now we know we have something really special in the works. Luck is always involved--so some degree. Often, good teams make their own luck.

Please don'r tell the Matics kid his FG was just "luck." He's worked his arse off since last season to get his form and position back. Man, does he ever have them back!





From the WJS: Matics delivers when moment arrives
http://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/fo ... 0e9a6.html

Andrew Dye/Journal
Appalachian State kicker Zach Matics (59) celebrates after scoring the game-winning field goal in triple overtime on Saturday. His 24-yard field goal gave the Mountaineers a 44-41 victory.


Posted: Saturday, October 31, 2015 9:59 pm
By Brant Wilkerson-New Winston-Salem Journal

BOONE — It was the moment Zach Matics has been waiting for — a chance to right the wrongs and make up for a nightmare junior season.

“Been waiting for it ever since I got on the plane after Southern Miss,” Matics said.
Since Sept. 20, 2014, to be exact, when he missed three field goals, then had the game-tying extra point attempt blocked as Southern Miss topped Appalachian State 21-20.

So, when Marcus Cox broke toward the end zone in the third overtime with a chance to win it for the Mountaineers, a part of Matics wanted to see his teammate stopped short.
When App State went to overtime, tied at 31 with Troy, Matics wanted his shot at redemption.

“Within the last minute of the game, I had that feeling the entire time,” Matics said. “I don’t want to be selfish, but I was really hoping he didn’t score so I could kick the field goal. I love Marcus to death, but I feel like I had been preparing on a whole ’nother level since last year, and I was prepared tonight.”

All summer long, coaches raved about Matics’ preparation as he looked to rebound from a junior season that saw him make just 1-of-5 field goal attempts before injuring his back in a loss to Georgia Southern. He’s lived up to the hype so far this season, making 10 of 11, only missing a 52-yard attempt.

Last season, an uncertain murmur would have taken over the stadium as App State tried two field goals in overtime, but on Saturday, Matics gave the Mountaineers life with a 38-yarder in the second overtime before giving them a celebration with a 24-yard game-winner.

“That was awesome. He’s had a great year, and I didn’t expect anything different out of him in this game,” coach Scott Satterfield said. “He worked his tail off in the offseason all summer, he got his confidence back — he’s had a whale of a year.

“We always tell our kids, ‘What are you going to be remembered for?’ He’s setting a big-time memory right now for how he’ll be remembered from this point forward.”
Now, in just over a year, Matics has experienced the lowest low and the highest high for the Mountaineers.

He didn’t feel many nerves when he went out to try the winner, because things couldn’t get any worse than his day last year in Hattiesburg, Miss.

“I’ve already lost us a game; that’s as bad as it can get,” Matics said, continuing with a smile. “Winning one feels a lot better.”

bwilkerson-new@wsjournal.com (336)727-7319 @BrantWSJ

[hapapp]

Maybe now we can stop this nonsense discussion about style points and victory margins, and stop thinking about cracking the top 25. Sell an opponent short and you can be made to pay. Today, we were a dropped pass away from suffering loss #2.

I still want us to crack the top 25, and it's still a realistic goal this season.

I don't disagree but we became obsessed with our ranking and gave short shrift to considering what Troy brought to this contest. I hope they did us all a favor in reminding us that there is a reason for the idea of any given Saturday.

[hapapp]

We were out coached last night. Troy had a great game plan on both sides of the ball. They torched us with their passing game and they really gave Taylor fits when we went to the air. They sacked him as many times as he had been sacked all year. However, in the end it was a bad coaching decision that cost them the chance at a win. Brown had dialed up some clever play callls throughout the game but the fake FG backfired.

We were tested last night. Hubris comes to mind. But we escaped with a win. A very fortunate win. However, it can serve to really benefit this team down the road knowing that they can survive a dogfight. We woke up this morning at 7-1, and that's the most relevant fact.

[Black Saturday]

And this game should now end all defense nickname discussions.

WoW! Nearly had the Rube Goldberg path to the Peach Bowl ended too.

[Black Saturday]

Maybe now we can stop this nonsense discussion about style points and victory margins, and stop thinking about cracking the top 25. Sell an opponent short and you can be made to pay. Today, we were a dropped pass away from suffering loss #2.

Are you kidding? You have been around long as or longer on MMB and you know that ain't happening.