Appalachian State Explodes Offensively, Earn Second Straight Title

[NewsCopy]

The 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game from Boone, NC between the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

The rest of the story
ESPN 1420

[SMD7636]

This team and coaches lost focus and was not about business after the Monroe game. This happened last year too when they lost both the SCG and the bowl game. “Smoke ‘em if you got them” is a losing tradition. I hope they learn from this and create a winning tradition. Celebrate after you’ve reached your all your goals. Do it after the bowl game!

[RaginScotsman]

This team and coaches lost focus and was not about business after the Monroe game. This happened last year too when they lost both the SCG and the bowl game. “Smoke ‘em if you got them” is a losing tradition. I hope they learn from this and create a winning tradition. Celebrate after you’ve reached your all your goals. Do it after the bowl game!

Apologies, but I don’t think lack of focus was a factor. I haven’t seen much in a Napier lead team that leads me to believe they were unprepared for the matchup because they were still high off of the win a week prior. Maybe Hud’s teams had that issue.

It was a conference championship. I can imagine that the team was done patting themselves on the back post a ULM near miss and focused on App.

It was clear that App was just better. Especially in the 1st half. It took a while for us to make adjustments, but I can’t imagine that was a hangover from the ULM win. App is a good football team and we were not as good. They are in the top 20 and champs again for a reason.

I think this team goes into the bowl season with a chip on their shoulder and are acutely focused on that matchup too.

[SMD7636]

Apologies, but I don’t think lack of focus was a factor. I haven’t seen much in a Napier lead team that leads me to believe they were unprepared for the matchup because they were still high off of the win a week prior. Maybe Hud’s teams had that issue.

It was a conference championship. I can imagine that the team was done patting themselves on the back post a ULM near miss and focused on App.

It was clear that App was just better. Especially in the 1st half. It took a while for us to make adjustments, but I can’t imagine that was a hangover from the ULM win. App is a good football team and we were not as good. They are in the top 20 and champs again for a reason.

I think this team goes into the bowl season with a chip on their shoulder and are acutely focused on that matchup too.

This same team was more focused and collectively made less mistakes when they played App State in October.

[zeppelincajun]

People are so sensitive about the Smoke if You Got Em thing. We were unprepared and made inexplicable mistakes 3 of the last 4 weeks. Nothing to do with the damn cigars.

[Turbine]

People are so sensitive about the Smoke if You Got Em thing. We were unprepared and made inexplicable mistakes 3 of the last 4 weeks. Nothing to do with the damn cigars.

More to do with the depression of a forced rivalry than Cigars.

[CajunNation]

App beat us 28-7 over the first 16 minutes.

We beat them 31-17 over the last 44 minutes. This includes giving them a pick 6.

After we made adjustments, we were better. This game was lost in game planning.

[Redgineer]

App beat us 28-7 over the first 16 minutes.

We beat them 31-17 over the last 44 minutes. This includes giving them a pick 6.

After we made adjustments, we were better. This game was lost in game planning.

Or just mental preparedness. It's like the Cajuns were shocked/stunned the App played hungry. The cajuns did not give up though.

[zephyr]

Apologies, but I don’t think lack of focus was a factor. I haven’t seen much in a Napier lead team that leads me to believe they were unprepared for the matchup because they were still high off of the win a week prior. Maybe Hud’s teams had that issue.

It was a conference championship. I can imagine that the team was done patting themselves on the back post a ULM near miss and focused on App.

It was clear that App was just better. Especially in the 1st half. It took a while for us to make adjustments, but I can’t imagine that was a hangover from the ULM win. App is a good football team and we were not as good. They are in the top 20 and champs again for a reason.

I think this team goes into the bowl season with a chip on their shoulder and are acutely focused on that matchup too.

I would love to think that we were laser focused on this game but with all the coaching rumor talk all week, I would find it hard to believe that our collective mindset was where it needed to be to compete in this game.

[CajunVic]

I would love to think that we were laser focused on this game but with all the coaching rumor talk all week, I would find it hard to believe that our collective mindset was where it needed to be to compete in this game.

And there was NO coaching rumor talk all week at App? I’m pretty sure their coach was listed on many of the same lists.

[DieHard1280]

I would love to think that we were laser focused on this game but with all the coaching rumor talk all week, I would find it hard to believe that our collective mindset was where it needed to be to compete in this game.

You may be correct, however, wasn't Drinkletwit in as many coaching job conversations as Napier last week?

[zephyr]

And there was NO coaching rumor talk all week at App? I’m pretty sure their coach was listed on many of the same lists.

As far as I've read, No. I did not see his name mentioned but I also didn't keep up with it nationwide.