Keith Jarrett

kjarrett@citizen-times.com

The 2014 football season in Western North Carolina has been dominated by the turnaround theme.

Western Carolina has rebounded from eight years of pigskin purgatory to rebound with a winning record and contention for a Southern Conference championship.

But the Catamounts’ rival in the High Country is also enjoying an impressive bounce back.

Coming off a 4-8 season under first-year coach Scott Satterfield - Appalachian State’s first losing record since 1992 - the Mountaineers started 1-5 in their first year as a FBS program in the Sun Belt Conference.

But behind an offense that has averaged 42 points per game over its last five starts and a defense that ranks first in the Sun Belt (354 yards allowed per game), App State (5-5, 4-2) has won four straight and is in third place in the league going into today’s game at Louisiana-Lafayette (7-3, 6-0).

Game time has been moved up three hours to 2 p.m. due to a forecast of severe weather for Lafayette.

Freshman quarterback Taylor Lamb (1,963 yards, 15 touchdowns) and sophomore tailback Marcus Cox (1,142 yards rushing, 15 scores) are leading a Mountaineers’ offense that is averaging 536 yards an outing over the last five games.

Keeping that momentum going will be a challenge against the Ragin Cajuns, a strong program that has won six straight in Sun Belt play this season and has bowl victories each of the past three seasons. Louisiana-Lafayette by 7.

Western Carolina (7-4) at No. 1 Alabama (9-1), 4 p.m., SEC Network - The Catamounts are headed to Tuscaloosa with the right attitude - enjoy the experience and atmosphere of playing college football’s best program over the past few seasons while collecting a $480,000 payday.

It’s been a great season for the long-suffering program and its fans, and a promising future awaits in Cullowhee, no matter how ugly it may get at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama by 35.

Georgia State (1-8) at Clemson (7-3), 3:30 p.m., Fox Sports Carolinas - A breather for the Tigers before next week’s regular-season finale against rival South Carolina.

The Tigers have lost all three games against nationally ranked opponents this season - Georgia, Florida State and 28-6 to Georgia Tech last week - but still have a chance to get to double-digit wins for a fourth straight season.

Georgia State’s transition to FBS play in the Sun Belt Conference hasn’t been pretty - the Panthers are 1-19 the past two seasons. Clemson by 40.

Virginia Tech (5-5, 2-4) at Wake Forest (2-8, 0-6), 12:30 p.m., WLOS/Ch. 13 - The Demon Deacons are careening toward rock bottom - six straight ACC losses by an average margin of 20 points per game, two defeats away from the program’s worst finish since 2000 and first winless ACC season since 1995.

The once-proud Hokies, who won six ACC outright or division titles in their first eight years in the league (2004-11), have become mediocre - 18-16 the past three seasons, 11-11 in league play. Virginia Tech by 8.

Last week: 4-3 overall, 4-3 against the spread. For the season: 60-16 (.789), 48-28 (.631) against the spread.

This is the opinion of senior writer Keith Jarrett. Contact him at 232-5867 or kjarrett@citizen-times.com, follow him on Facebook and Twitter @JarrettKeith.