The Birmingham Bowl features an intriguing Sun Belt Conference rivalry rematch when the Georgia Southern Eagles face the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Monday. These programs met earlier this season, with Georgia Southern edging out a narrow 25-23 victory, a result App State will be eager to avenge in one of the sport’s most underrated rivalries.
How Did Appalachian State Qualify for a Bowl at 5-7?
The Mountaineers enter this matchup under unusual circumstances. Despite finishing with a losing record, Appalachian State secured a bowl invitation after multiple programs declined postseason opportunities.
While questions about their legitimacy linger, this game offers the Mountaineers a chance to silence critics and finish the season on a positive note.
“We are honored and excited to accept the JLab Birmingham Bowl’s invitation to play Georgia Southern on December 29th,” App State athletic director Doug Gillin said in an announcement.
“Playing postseason football is special. It’s another opportunity to display the App State brand in front of a national audience. We are excited for our football program and for App Nation for this opportunity to watch our team compete for a bowl championship.”
Georgia Southern Injury Updates
The Eagles enter Monday’s contest in relatively good shape. Only three players carry injury designations:
- OJ Arnold, RB (Questionable)
- Dalen Cobb, WR(Questionable)
- Devan Lowe, DT (Questionable)
Georgia Southern’s roster stability provides a significant advantage, as transfer portal departures and NFL Draft declarations have not yet been officially confirmed.
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Georgia Southern is 0-3 all-time in bowl games under head coach Clay Helton. However, he remains steadfast in the team’s ability and potential in this one.
“It’s been a great reward for our team,” Helton said. “A team that I thought really fought hard in the month of November to earn their opportunity to play in this great game against a really good opponent in App State. One we know very well and should be a really exciting game coming this Monday. So thank you, Birmingham, the city of Birmingham. Thank you to the JLab Birmingham Bowl, and we look forward to the opportunity to compete tomorrow.”
“We’ve been to four straight bowls,” Helton continued, “which has never been done in the history of Georgia Southern. We’ve done that. These guys are leaving that legacy. The one thing we haven’t accomplished is getting that bowl championship. We know that. We talk about it openly. It provides a fire in the competitiveness that these guys go with each and every day, and we welcome that.”
Appalachian State: Massive Roster Turnover
The Mountaineers face a far more challenging situation, not from injuries, but from an exodus of talent to the transfer portal ahead of its January 2 opening.
Transfer Portal Opt-Outs
- AJ Swann, QB
- JJ Kohl, QB
- DJ Burks, SAF
- Davion Dozier, WR
- Elijah McCantos, WR
- Rondo Porter, DT
- Brayshawn Littlejohn, LB
- Thomas Davis, EDGE
- Denell Nix Jr., OT
- Bucci Farmer, DT
Injury Concerns
- Jaden Barnes, WR (Questionable)
- Trent Ramsey, OL (Questionable)
- Izayah Cummings, TE (Questionable)
Perhaps most concerning for App State is the complete absence of experienced quarterback depth. With both Swann and Kohl entering the portal, the Mountaineers must rely on an unproven signal-caller against a Georgia Southern defense that already owns a victory against this offense.
Georgia Southern enters the Birmingham Bowl as the healthier, more complete squad. App State’s transfer portal losses represent a program-wide challenge that extends well beyond this single game, raising questions about roster retention moving forward.
