Lewis scores four touchdowns as App State rallies past Coastal Carolina 35-32

Jaquari Lewis ran for four touchdowns, and Appalachian State erased a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Coastal Carolina 35-32 on Friday night in Conway, South Carolina.

The Mountaineers scored 21 straight points after halftime. Lewis supplied the first two touchdowns, then Henry Hasselbeck found Sam Pickett III for a 31-yard score with 6:41 remaining to put App State ahead 35-24. Coastal answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but App State kept the ball until time expired.

Hasselbeck finished with 125 rushing yards on 21 carries and completed nine of 12 passes for 112 yards.

Lewis carried 13 times for 85 yards, scoring from 12, 1, 12 and 3 yards. His first two touchdowns gave the Mountaineers a 14-7 lead after the opening quarter. His third narrowed Coastal’s advantage to 24-21 midway through the third, and his fourth put App State back in front with 2:20 left in that period.

The turnaround followed a second quarter dominated by Coastal’s passing game. Deuce Bailey hit Robby Washington for a 71-yard touchdown, then found Ben Verges for an 8-yard score with 1:53 left before halftime. Nico Cavanillas Alti’s 58-yard field goal as the half ended made it 24-14.

App State held Coastal scoreless in the third quarter while Lewis brought the offense back. A Devin Henderson interception helped set up the drive that ended with Lewis’ 3-yard touchdown. Hasselbeck’s scoring pass to Pickett later gave the Mountaineers enough room to survive the final Coastal push.

Malachi Singleton started for App State and completed 12 of 14 passes for 151 yards. Together, the two quarterbacks finished 21 of 26 for 263 yards without an interception. Pickett caught five passes for 78 yards, and the Mountaineers gained 516 total yards.

Bailey finished with 298 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Washington caught five passes for 118 yards, including the long second-quarter touchdown. Dominic Lee-Knicely ran for 90 yards on 18 carries.

Jaden Allen-Hendrix scored from 2 yards out with 3:11 remaining, and Bailey’s two-point pass to Lee-Knicely brought Coastal within three. The Chanticleers never got another possession.

App State ran 52 times for 253 yards and converted eight of 14 third downs. Its 28 first downs helped keep Coastal’s offense off the field; the Mountaineers held possession for 33:17.

App State improves to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Sun Belt after losing its league opener to Old Dominion. Coastal falls to 2-5 and 1-2. The Mountaineers host James Madison on Thursday.