Thursday Night College Football Tonight, Week 8: How to Watch, Channel, Live Stream, Preview, and Predictions

One of the great things about college football is that as the season progresses, we get to watch games nearly every night of the week. Tonight, Week 8 of the college football season kicks off with Arkansas State taking on Appalachian State. This Sun Belt Conference matchup will showcase two high octane offenses looking to steady the ship! Let’s preview the game and give you all the information you need to tune in with how to watch, what channel the Thursday Night College Football game will be on tonight, where you can stream, and how we believe the game will play out on the field.

NFL Draft Rumors, News, Player Profiles, and Mock Drafts

Before we get into tonight’s game, make sure to check out Pro Football Network’s Chief Draft Analyst Tony Pauline every week as he answers questions related to the NFL Draft News and Rumors. Also, over the next few weeks, we will be putting out player profiles on some of the top college football prospects. Check back each week as we update them with the player’s most recent performance.

Lastly, don’t forget to take a look at our plethora of mock drafts breaking down how the board might fall come April. We will be releasing two mock drafts per week for the foreseeable future.

Who plays College Football Tonight?

• Game: Arkansas State Red Wolves at Appalachian State Mountaineers

• Location: Boone, North Carolina at Kidd Brewer Stadium

How to Watch Thursday Night College Football Tonight in Week 8: Start Time, TV Channel, and Live Stream

• Date: Thursday, October 22nd

• Thursday Night College Football Start Time, Week 8 | 7:30 PM ET

• Channel: ESPN

• Live Stream: FuboTV

What to expect from the college football games tonight: Arkansas State vs. Appalachian State

There are not a lot of college football games tonight, but the one we have is between two teams who have experienced the 2020 college football season very differently. This will be the sixth game that Arkansas State has played this season (3-2), whereas App State hasn’t played since September 26th. Appalachian State’s games against Louisiana originally scheduled for Oct. 7, and Georgia State, set for Oct. 14, were both moved to December.

The Red Wolves are coming off a 59-52 win as a 3.5 point favorite against the Georgia State Panthers last Thursday and are now 1-1 in conference play. Arkansas State was dominant in that game through the air, throwing for 551 yards. The Red Wolves have an interesting dynamic at the quarterback position, going with Logan Bonner and Layne Hatcher. Both QBs are starting-caliber options but share the workload in this offense, making it even harder for defenses to scheme for them.

The Mountaineers, on the other hand, are a more balanced football team coming into the college football game tonight. They are impressive both through the air and on the ground. They are fourth in the conference averaging 31.3 points, and third with 470.3 yards per game on the season. They are led by third-year starting quarterback Zac Thomas who has completed 48 of 77 passes on the season for 603 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

On the ground, they have gained an average of 269.3 yards per game at 5.7 yards an attempt, led by Daetrich Harrington with 301 yards on 5.1 yards per rush and six touchdowns.

With almost a four week layoff for the Mountaineers before the college football game tonight, I expect their defense to need some time to adapt. That means we are likely in for a high scoring affair. In the last two weeks, Arkansas State has put up 943 yards of offense and 109 points. Yes, Appalachian State is currently ranked number one in the Sun Belt conference, holding opponents to just 321 yards per game and second giving up 19.3 points. But these four weeks off are going to be a detriment to the defensive unit.

Arkansas State has not been good on defense all year. They are actually dead last, allowing 481.8 yards per game. The 306.4 passing yards and 39.8 points per game allowed are both ninth in the conference, only ahead of Georgia State. This means that both teams will be able to put up points, but I like Arkansas State to keep this one close.

Final Score of the College Football Game Tonight: Arkansas State 45, Appalachian State 52

Tune in to our Game Day Blog on Saturdays

Itching for more news, analysis, and insight? Be sure to check out our College Football Game Day Blog each Saturday during the college football season. Tony Pauline, along with other PFN Draft analysts, breaks down all of the college football action as it happens live on the field from noon to midnight ET.

Additionally, be sure to visit our NFL Draft section, where we have the latest news and rumors regarding the 2021 NFL Draft. And finally, don’t forget about the PFN Mock Draft Simulator, where you can propose free trades and build your ultimate team with the 2021 NFL Draft class.