No. 14 Coastal Carolina (6-0, 2-0 Sun Belt) at Appalachian State (4-2, 1-1), Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN2).
Line: Coastal Carolina by 4 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Appalachian State leads 6-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
A win by Coastal Carolina allows them to remain as the only undefeated team in the conference’s East Division. However, an upset for Appalachian State would pull the Mountaineers into a tie with Coastal Carolina and Troy and give them a key tiebreaker against the Chanticleers.
KEY MATCHUP
Coastal Carolina WR Jaivon Heiligh and TE Isaiah Likely vs. Appalachian State’s secondary: Heiligh and Likely are both big-play threats, with each averaging more than 19 yards per catch. Heiligh is averaging 95.5 yards receiving per game and Likely 85.5 yards per game. Likely has twice as many touchdowns (eight) as Heiligh. They present a formidable challenge for a Mountaineers secondary which has traditionally been one of the best in the Sun Belt.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Appalachian State: WR Thomas Hennigan: A second-team Academic All-American in 2020, Hennigan ranks No. 2 in school history with 207 career catches and needs two more to break Andrew Peacock’s record of 208. He ranks No. 3 in receptions among active FBS players.
Coastal Carolina: QB Grayson McCall. He is having another great season, having thrown for 1,478 yards with 14 touchdowns and one interception. He turned in his best statistical game of the season against Arkansas State in the team’s last outing on Oct. 7, throwing for 365 yards and four touchdowns.
FACTS & FIGURES
Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina have combined to win the last five Sun Belt Conference championships. … Coastal Carolina beat Appalachian State for the first time last season 34-23 at home. … Coastal Carolina has won seven straight games on the road, but has never won at App State’s Kidd Brewer Stadium (0-5). … Coastal Carolina has scored 49 or more points in five of its six games behind a spread option offense. … Coastal Carolina has blocked three punts this season, returning two for touchdowns. … The Chanticleers are 6 for 6 on fourth-down conversions this season. … App State is coming off a 41-13 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette last week. … App State has the Sun Belt’s No. 1 rusher with Nate Noel at 553 yards (92.2 per game), and Camerun Peoples leads the league with eight rushing TDs even though he’s missed the last two games. … App State’s 79.8 win percentage (67-17) since 2015 is No. 6 nationally.
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