Appalachian State–Georgia Southern football rivalry
College football rivalry
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The Appalachian State–Georgia Southern football rivalry, also known as Deeper Than Hate, is a college rivalry between the Mountaineers of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and the Eagles of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia.[3][4]
South Georgia Teachers, 33–0[1]
Georgia Southern, 29–10
| |
| First meeting | November 25, 1932 South Georgia Teachers, 33–0[1] |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | December 29, 2025 Georgia Southern, 29–10 |
| Next meeting | October 31, 2026 |
| Statistics | |
| Total meetings | 41 |
All-time series | Appalachian State leads, 21–19–1[2] |
Largest victory | Appalachian State, 59–0 (1939) |
Longest win streak | Georgia Southern, 4 (2000–2002) |
Current win streak | Georgia Southern, 3 (2024–present) |
Appalachian State leads the all-time series, 21–19–1. The rivalry has been played annually since 1993, when Georgia Southern joined Appalachian State in the Southern Conference; before both programs joined the Sun Belt (and the FBS) in 2014.
History
Despite being located in separate states, the two universities have similar academic profiles, both having developed from teachers' colleges, and being prominent regional universities in the South. In addition, both Appalachian and Georgia Southern historically held a very strong presence during their time in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), having combined to win nine national championships, four Walter Payton Awards, and two Buck Buchanan Awards. On March 27, 2013, both schools were invited to join the Sun Belt Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) beginning in 2014.[5]
Georgia Southern's football program began in 1924 while the program at Appalachian began in 1928. The Eagles and Mountaineers first met in 1932, with South Georgia Teachers College beating Appalachian State Teachers College 33–0. In 1941, Georgia Southern discontinued its football program, and it wasn't until 1982 before the Eagles again took the field. The makings of the rivalry truly began when the Mountaineers beat the Eagles in the quarterfinals of the 1987 I-AA Playoffs. Georgia Southern returned the favor in 2001.
In December 2025, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State were selected to face one another in the 2025 JLab Birmingham Bowl.[6] This is the first time the schools have played a post season game against one another since moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). It is also the first time the rivalry game has been played outside of Statesboro, Georgia, or Boone, North Carolina.
Game results
| Appalachian State victories | Georgia Southern victories | Tie games |
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See also
Notes
- The December 5, 1987, and December 8, 2001, games took place in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoff Quarterfinals.