BOONE, N.C. — As FCS powerhouses, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern competed against each other for Southern Conference titles and national championships.
Thursday night, in the middle of their fifth FBS seasons, the stakes are high in an elevated and different way.
Four days after receiving the first AP Top 25 ranking in program history, No. 25 App State (5-1) faces Georgia Southern (6-1) in an ESPNU showdown of longtime rivals with unbeaten Sun Belt Conference records. Heading into the 7:30 p.m. kickoff, the Mountaineers and Eagles are both 3-0 in the league, looking to join Troy at 4-0 atop the East Division with a Dec.