Appalachian State kicker and punter Sam Martin was named the Southern Conference’s Special Teams Player of the Week following the Mountaineers’ 28-25 victory over Samford.

It is the sixth time in Martin’s career he’s earned the award. Martin leads the SoCon in punting average with 45.2 yards per punt.

Martin averaged 48.9 yards per punt, including a 60-yarder in the first quarter, and put two punts inside the 20-yard line. He also put four of his five kickoffs into the end zone, two that were not returned. His only kickoff that did not reach the end zone was a squib kick in the final minute of the game.

His net average per punt was 44.0, and Samford had to call for two fair catches.

Martin had to punt despite being blocked very hard on a punt that was returned for a touchdown. The block drew a personal foul penalty, though another Samford penalty was enforced on the play.

It is the second time this season Martin earned the award. He was also recognized following Appalachian State’s 35-13 loss to East Carolina after averaging 45.2 yards in six punts. Two were down inside the 20 and just one was returned.

 

ROUGH STRETCH

Appalachian State’s victory over Samford is the first of three games the Mountaineers are likely to play against ranked teams.

The Bulldogs went into the game ranked No. 25. Appalachian State hosts No. 8 Wofford, a 17-9 loser to then-No. 7 Georgia Southern. The Eagles moved up The Sports Network poll to No. 3.

Appalachian State's win over Samford was the Mountaineers' 200th all time as a ranked team. They are 200-77-1 when they are nationally ranked.

Much of that is under the leadership of head coach Jerry Moore, who is 171-67 when ASU is ranked. Appalachian State is also 17-50 when ranked against Division I-A/Football Championship Subdivision teams.

 

SPEAKING OF THE POLLS

Appalachian State stayed at No. 13 following its victory. Samford fell out of the Top 25 and is currently 28th in The Sports Network poll.

The Sports Network Top 10 went through a major shakeup after the top three teams lost. Eastern Washington, ranked sixth last week, leaped to the top of the poll after knocking off then-No. 2 ranked Montana State.

Former No. 1 ranked North Dakota State fell to No. 5 after losing to Indiana State, which cracked the Top 25 at No. 21. James Madison went from fourth to second in the poll, followed by Georgia Southern at No. 3

Sam Houston is sixth, followed by Old Dominion, which fell to seventh from third after getting hammered by Villanova 38-14. Wofford checked in at No. 8, followed by Lehigh at No. 9 and Stony Brook at No. 10.

Illinois State is No. 11, followed by No. 12 New Hampshire, No. 13 Appalachian State, No. 14 Cal Poly and No. 15 Youngstown State.

The coaches’ poll is similar to The Sports Network’s poll. Eastern Washington is No. 1 followed by James Madison, Georgia Southern, North Dakota State and Montana State.

Sam Houston is No. 6, followed by Lehigh, Old Dominion, Wofford and Stony Brook.

Appalachian State is 11th in the poll. Samford and The Citadel each received four points in the voting.

 

MOUNTAIN UNCLIMBED

Samford’s football team has beaten every Southern Conference program it’s played since the Bulldogs joined the league in 2008 — except Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers are 5-0 against the Bulldogs, including 3-0 in Birmingham, Ala. The Mountaineers have not lost to Samford since a 42-35 defeat in Boone in 1970.

 

FAST START SLOWED

Before its loss to Appalachian State, Samford got out to a 5-1 start for the first time since 1992 under head coach Terry Bowden.

Bowden’s Bulldogs won seven of their first eight games that season. They reached the Division I-AA playoffs, but lost to Delaware 56-21 in the first round.

POLLS

PHILADELPHIA — The Sports Network poll for the week of Oct. 15. First place votes are in parenthesis.

 

1. Eastern Washington (92)    5-1       3,982   6

2. James Madison (42)           5-1       3,831   4

3. Georgia Southern (9)           5-1       3,644   7

4. North Dakota State (12)     5-1       3,527   1

5. Montana State        6-1       3,366   2

6. Sam Houston State (2)        4-2       2,949

7. Old Dominion         5-1       2,684   3

8. Wofford      5-1       2,674

9. Lehigh (3)    7-0       2,647   10

10. Stony Brook (1)

11. Illinois State          6-1       2,448   14

12. New Hampshire    5-2       2,203   12

13. Appalachian State 5-2       2,202   13

14. Cal Poly    6-0       2,022   15

15. Youngstown State 4-2       1,759   8

16. Northern Arizona 5-1       1,659   16

17. Tennessee State    7-0       1,447   18

18. Towson     3-3       1,258   17

19. Central Arkansas  5-2       1,132   21

20. South Dakota State           5-1       994      20

21. Indiana State         5-2       962      NR

22. Harvard     5-0       766      22

23. Eastern Kentucky 5-2       677      23

24. Villanova   5-2       541      NR

25. Delaware   4-2       458      24

 

Others receiving votes: Albany 332, McNeese State 309, Samford 105, UT Martin 95, Sacramento State 80, The Citadel 79, Northern Iowa 50, Bethune-Cookman 47, Alabama A&M 45, Richmond 43, Stephen F. Austin 12, Jacksonville 11, Tennessee Tech 9, Montana 8, SE Louisiana 7, Eastern Illinois 7, Southern Illinois 6, Chattanooga 5, North Carolina Central 3, Jacksonville State 3, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2, Western Illinois 2, UC Davis 1, Drake 1.

 

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The AFCS coaches poll for the week of Oct. 15. First place votes are in parenthesis.

 

1. Eastern Washington (11)    5-1       615      6

2. James Madison (7) 5-1       608      5

3. Georgia Southern (2)           5-1       573      7

4. North Dakota State (4)       5-1       556      1

5. Montana State (1)   6-1       514      2

6. Sam Houston State (1)        4-2       510      8

7. Lehigh         7-0       462      10

8. Old Dominion         5-1       447      3

9. Wofford      5-1       439      4

10. Stony Brook         6-1       422      11

11. Appalachian State 5-2       390      12

12. Cal Poly    6-0       356      14

13. Illinois State          6-1       348      16

14. New Hampshire    5-2       329      13

15. Northern Arizona 5-1       262      18

16. Youngstown State 4-2       252      9

17. Central Arkansas  5-2       237      17

18. Tennessee State    7-0       221      20

19. Towson     3-3       184      19

20. Harvard     5-0       152      21

21. McNeese State      4-2       106      15

T-22. Delaware           4-2       100      22

T-22. Albany  6-1       100      24

24. Eastern Kentucky 5-2       93        23

25. Indiana State         5-2       56        NR

 

Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota State (48), Villanova (25), Sacramento State (12), Alabama A&M (7), Bethune-Cookman (7), UT Martin (7), The Citadel (4), Samford (4), Eastern Illinois (4).