My sympathies go out to the people affected by Hurricane Helene. One of the cities hit by that horrible hurricane was Boone, which is home to Appalachian State.

The hurricane caused the Mountaineers' game against Liberty last week to be called off. This will be Appalachian State's first game in 16 days. Football hasn't been a priority for the Mountaineers during this time span.

"We're very fortunate that we get to play this game of football that we love," Appalachian State coach Shawn Clark was quoted as saying. "Football is important, but it's not the most important thing right now. ..."

Appalachian State has had good teams in the past. But not this year. The Mountaineers were destroyed in the two games they stepped up in class, losing to Clemson, 66-20, and to South Alabama, 48-14, as a 7 1/2-point home favorite in their last game.

Marshall is a solid team that has covered all four of its games. The Thundering Herd are battle tested having faced Virginia Tech and Ohio State. Marshall ranks 33rd in pass defense and 35th in run defense. The Thundering Herd have taken good care of the football, losing the ball just twice. South Alabama ran for 320 yards against Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers may be glad to be leaving their area temporarily, but they haven't won at Marshall since 1995.

(Editor's note: Stephen Nover is 23-11 on his premium/free college football plays this season for 68 percent. Stephen is 1-0 this week with a Thursday winner on Texas State. He has his Underdog Game of the Month and Totals Dominator going Saturday in addition to this free selection. Stephen also is unbeaten in the baseball playoffs and has a Saturday baseball play.)