New Orleans Bowl 2018: MTSU vs. Appalachian State TV Schedule, Time, Odds

Casual college football fans know Appalachian State from its stunning victory over Michigan in 2007, but the Sun Belt program has developed into one of the most consistent in the nation.

The Mountaineers will be going for their 11th win of the year Saturday in the 2018 New Orleans Bowl. A victory would give Appalachian State 11 wins for the second time in four years—a span that has seen it go 40-11—but opponents the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are looking to end their season on a high note after losing to UAB by two in the Conference USA championship.

New Orleans Bowl Info

Date: Saturday, Dec. 15

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN 

Odds: Appalachian State is a seven-point favorite, per OddsShark (as of Thursday at 1 a.m. ET).

Prediction

Appalachian State lost a heartbreaker in overtime at Penn State to start the season, but that set the stage for a conference championship run rather than a letdown.

Perhaps buoyed by the confidence of hanging with one of the best teams in the Big Ten, the Mountaineers lost just one more game the rest of the year—at Georgia Southern. They defeated Louisiana Lafayette in the Sun Belt title game and will now have the chance to face a team that will simply be glad it isn't in the SEC.

Middle Tennessee State suffered blowout losses to Vanderbilt and Georgia and lost to Kentucky by 11. It was 8-2 in games not featuring SEC opponents and will look to send out its senior leader quarterback on a high note.

The matchup between Brent Stockstill and Appalachian State's secondary is the marquee one of the game. Stockstill threw for 3,214 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions, surpassing the 3,000-yard mark for the third time in his collegiate career. He would be a problem for many secondaries when given time to throw.

Appalachian State is better than many secondaries, though.

It finished third in the nation behind only Michigan and Miami in passing yards allowed per game and was sixth in points allowed per game. The back end of the defense consistently swallows throwing lanes for receivers and should do the same against the Blue Raiders.

That will set the stage for quarterback Zac Thomas, who doesn't put up dazzling statistics like his counterpart—1,862 passing yards and 18 touchdown throws—but protects the ball, recording only four picks. What's more, he helps the ground game control the clock and tempo and added 10 touchdown runs.

He doesn't have to put up a ton of points with the Mountaineers defense on the other side and will do enough to kickstart a new era for the school after former head coach Scott Satterfield accepted the head-coaching job at Louisville.

Prediction: Appalachian State 27, Middle Tennessee State 20