Appalachian State wins 10th game, tops Georgia Southern 27-3

BOONE, N.C. (AP) — Chase Brice threw two touchdown passes and Jalen Virgil returned a kick 97 yards for a touchdown as Appalachian State closed out its regular season with a 27-3 win over Georgia Southern Saturday.

Appalachian State (10-2, 7-1) clinched the Sun Belt's East title with a win over Troy last week and advances to face Louisiana-Lafayette for the conference championship. The Mountaineers' lone conference loss was at ULL, 41-13, on Oct. 12.

Brice found Malik Williams with a 36-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and Chandler Staton kicked a 40-yard field goal to stake the Mountaineers to a 10-0 lead. Britton Williams kicked a 38-yard field goal to put the Eagles on the board in the final minute of the first half, but Virgil took the kick back for the score to make it 17-3 at intermission.

Brice fired a 68-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Hennigan to start the fourth and Staton capped the scoring with a 36-yard field goal.

Brice finished 12 of 24 for 235 yards and did not turn the ball over. Hennigan had three catches for 111 yards.

Georgia Southern (3-9, 2-6) managed just 107 yards passing and 87 on the ground.

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