Meanwhile, Appalachian State beat Marshall, which beat North Texas, which beat UTSA, which beat Western Kentucky twice. Western Kentucky beat Tennessee-Martin, which beat Jacksonville State, which beat Florida State, which beat Miami, which beat Appalachian State. … For those who like to play the who-beat-who game, good luck seeking a hint of who’ll win this one. … The teams met five previous times, most recently a 17-14 win by Appalachian State in 2000 in what was then called the Division I-AA quarterfinals. In the seven previous instances, the winning team has scored at least 32 points every time, at least 49 in five of the seven games. … Western Kentucky is in the Boca Bowl for the second time, after winning in 2016. … Appalachian State is 6-0 all-time in bowl games. Appalachian State officials have also been contributing to the tornado recovery effort, leading food and monetary donation drives as a prequel to the bowl matchup. Western Kentucky will be playing with its state in mind, after the deadly tornados that struck in recent days and claimed more than 60 lives. His numbers are absurd: 137 catches, 1,718 yards, 14 touchdowns. passed for 373 yards to help Indiana beat Western. Western Kentucky: WR Jerreth Sterns might be the best receiver that not enough people have heard of this season. Carr runs for 2 TDs, Indiana beats Western Kentucky 33-31 Stephen Carr had 109 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and Michael Penix Jr. The Mountaineers enter bowl season ranked 12th nationally in pass defense efficiency, while no team has thrown for more yards than Western Kentucky.Īppalachian State: QB Chase Brice has thrown for 3,020 yards this season, the fourth player in school history to break the 3,000-yard milestone. Appalachian State hasn’t allowed any team to throw for more than 295 yards since 2019. Western Kentucky has thrown for more than 400 yards seven times this season and for at least 300 in 12 of its 13 games. This year, the Hoosiers have turned the ball over seven times. Since 2015, only Alabama - aided by the College Football Playoff - has more bowl wins (9) than the Mountaineers. The Hoosiers put up just 0.8 fewer points per game (28.7) than the Hilltoppers surrender (29.5). Appalachian State is seeking to finish a seventh consecutive season with a bowl win. Symons threw for 5,833 yards in 2003 LSU’s Joe Burrow passed for 60 touchdowns in 2019. Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe has thrown for 5,545 yards and 56 touchdowns this season, putting him well within reach of the FBS records in both categories. Series record: Appalachian State leads 4-1. Line: Appalachian State by 4, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Western Kentucky (8-5), Saturday, 11 a.m. Appalachian State Game Preview: After the storm: Western Kentucky faces App St in Boca Bowlīoca Raton Bowl: Appalachian State (10-3) vs.