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With the Appalachian State Mountaineers leading the Marshall Thundering Herd 31-30 and 4:00 remaining on Thursday night, Marshall chose to punt on 4th and 16 from their own 48-yard line. That would be an easy decision if you’ve got three timeouts, but since they only had one it’s questionable.
App State running back Nate Noel, who finished with 20 carries for 187 yards, easily picked up a pair of first downs that seemed to all but salt the game away. But after Marshall took their final time out of the game, they had no other choice but to try and let App State score.
Noel however didn’t take the bait, and instead voluntarily went down on the Marshall 5-yard line. Which was absolutely the right football decision .. and a heartbreaking one for all App State -7 bettors, which is where the game closed at DraftKings Sportsbook.
App State's win over Marshall was sealed tonight because running back Nate Noel purposely DIDN'T score a touchdown. What a sport. pic.twitter.com/ggoySNuXKb
— The Expansion Buddies Podcast (@TheExpansionBu1) September 24, 2021
That is a brutal way for App State fans to not get the cover, especially since they lost seven points on this flawless kickoff fake reverse trick play by Marshall earlier in the game.
Both teams were out here trying to win a football game, and lose the cover. Absolute betting madness in Boone tonight.
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