Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Georgia Southern beats Appalachian State 29-10, wins Birmingham Bowl

Georgia Southern beats Appalachian State 29-10, wins Birmingham Bowl | iNFOnews.ca
Georgia Southern running back OJ Arnold (22) carries the ball as Appalachian State defensive back Jordan Favors (7) pursues during the first half of the Birmingham Bowl NCAA college football game, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Birmingham. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — OJ Arnold had 152 yards rushing on 11 carries, Terrance Gibbs and Weston Bryant each had a rushing touchdown, and Georgia Southern beat Appalachian State 29-10 on Monday to win the Birmingham Bowl.

Georgia Southern (7-6) has made a bowl appearance in four consecutive seasons — all under fourth-year coach Clay Helton — for the first time in program history.

The Mountaineers went three-and-out on the game’s opening drive before Georgia Southern put together an 11-play, 66-yard drive that culminated when Gibbs ran for a 1-yard touchdown about 6 1/2 minutes in that gave the Eagles the lead for good.

Arnold ripped off a 58-yard run on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and, two plays later, Weston Bryant scored on a 3-yard run. JC French IV threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Sanders Jr. about five minutes later that made it 26-7.

Matthew Wilson was 12-of-22 passing for 128 yards and threw two interceptions for Appalachian State (5-8). He added 110 yards rushing — which included a 6-yard scoring run, the first TD of his career — late in the first half. Wilson, a redshirt freshman who is listed on the Mountaineers’ roster as a quarterback/defensive back, made his first appearance.

Noah Gillon, who started at QB for the Mountaineers, was 4-of-7 passing for 64 yards and threw two interceptions in Georgia Southern territory.

Tripp Bryant made field goals of 23,36 and 27 yards for the Eagles.

Georgia Southern beat the Mountaineers 25-23 on Nov. 6.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Georgia Southern beats Appalachian State 29-10, wins Birmingham Bowl | iNFOnews.ca
Appalachian State quarterback Matthew Wilson (6) throws a pass during the first half of the Birmingham Bowl NCAA college football game against Georgia Southern, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Birmingham. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Georgia Southern beats Appalachian State 29-10, wins Birmingham Bowl | iNFOnews.ca
Georgia Southern quarterback JC French IV (12) throws a pass as he is flushed form the pocket by Appalachian State defensive lineman Aiden Benton (33) during the first half of the Birmingham Bowl NCAA college football game, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Birmingham. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles