One of the nation’s top rivalries is renewed on Saturday when No. 8/9 Appalachian State University hosts Georgia Southern on Black Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The annual ASU-GSU grudge match kicks off at 3 p.m. and will be televised regionally on SportSouth.

NOTING SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
•    Appalachian (4-2, 3-0 SoCon) has won four-straight games after opening the season with consecutive five-point losses to East Carolina and McNeese State.

•    Georgia Southern (4-3, 3-1 SoCon) has alternated wins and losses each week this season, most recently defeating Chattanooga, 30-20, last Saturday in Statesboro, Ga.

•    Appalachian and Georgia Southern have combined to win nine NCAA Division I-AA/FCS national championships. GSU boasts a record six national titles (1985, ‘86, ‘89, ‘90, ‘99 and 2000) while ASU’s three crowns (2005, ‘06 and ‘07) are the third-most in FCS history.

•    The programs also boast five-straight and 17 overall Southern Conference championships between them — nine for the Mountaineers (1986, ‘87, ‘91, ‘95, ‘99, 2005, ‘06, ‘07 and ‘08) and eight for the Eagles (1993, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, 2000, ‘01, ‘02 and ‘04).

•    Appalachian and Georgia Southern have produced the last two Walter Payton Award winners (GSU’s Jayson Foster in 2007 and ASU’s Armanti Edwards in ‘08).

•    The Mountaineers have won 15-straight SoCon games since dropping a 38-35 decision to the Eagles in 2007, which is tied with GSU’s 15-consecutive SoCon wins from 1997-99 for the longest SoCon winning streak in the last 35 years.

•    For the first time in a series that dates back to 1932, the visiting team has won three-straight ASU-GSU matchups.

•    Each of those three games have come down to the final minute and the average margin of victory has been less than four points.

•    Appalachian’s wins at Georgia Southern in 2006 (27-20 in OT) and 2008 (37-36) effectively ended the Eagles’ postseason hopes each year while GSU’s 38-35 win at Kidd Brewer Stadium in 2007 snapped ASU’s 30-game home winning streak, which was the longest in all of Division I at the time.

•    The Mountaineers come into the contest with one of the nation’s most potent offenses. The Apps rank among the nation’s top 20 in total offense (fourth — 473.0 ypg), rushing (seventh — 214.3 ypg), passing efficiency (ninth — 153.4), scoring (11th — 34.7 ppg) and passing (18th — 258.7 ypg).

•    In three career games against Georgia Southern, Edwards has amassed 1,081 yards of total offense, his most against any SoCon foe over the first three years of his career.