CONWAY, S.C. — Facing a double-digit halftime deficit on the road, App State used a dominant, all-around effort after the break to establish its own double-figure advantage before closing out a 35-32 win at Coastal Carolina on Friday night.

Slicing through big holes created by the offensive line, Jaquari Lewis became the third App State back to score four rushing touchdowns in a game during the program's FBS era, gaining 85 yards on 13 carries as the Mountaineers (4-2, 1-1 Sun Belt) rushed for 253 yards as a team. A key interception in App State territory from safety Devin Henderson helped set up the go-ahead drive that ended with Lewis' fourth score of the night.

A game-time decision due to an injury that sidelined him late in the previous game, starting quarterback Malachi Singleton split time with Henry Hasselbeck in the nationally televised ESPN2 game and completed 12 of his 14 passes for 151 yards before Hasselbeck played the entire second half. Hasselbeck rushed for 125 yards on 21 carries — the second-most rushing yards by an App State quarterback in the FBS era — and completed 9 of 12 throws for 112 yards and a touchdown. His first career touchdown pass, a 31-yard connection to Sam Pickett III, pushed the Mountaineers' lead to 35-24 with 6:41 remaining.

Ending a four-game losing streak in the series and a three-game skid at Brooks Stadium, the Mountaineers overcame a 24-14 halftime deficit by scoring the first 21 points of the second half. Coastal (2-5, 1-2) still had two timeouts left when it cut into its 11-point deficit by recording a touchdown and two-point conversion with 3:11 remaining, but App State chewed up the rest of the time with a seven-play series that began with an 11-yard run by Hasselback and a 16-yard run by Lewis. The Mountaineers were able to kneel out the clock after Lewis gained 2 yards on a third-and-1 carry from the Coastal 39 with 1:48 left.

App State has had two players rush for five touchdowns in a single game: Cam Peoples during the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl at Brooks Stadium and John Settle against Davidson in 1986. The only other App State back with at least four rushing TDs in an FBS game is Daetrich Harrington, who accomplished that feat against Campbell during the 2020 regular season.

Hasselback became the third App State quarterback to rush for at least 100 yards in a Sun Belt game, joining Zac Thomas (2020 against ULM) and Taylor Lamb (2015 against ULM). Lamb's 126 rushing yards against Toledo in the 2016 Camellia Bowl stand as the highest total by an App State quarterback in the FBS era.

The first half couldn't have ended more poorly for App State, which briefly moved into position to erase a 21-14 deficit. Singleton completed a pass to Jamel Howse for 29 yards to the 1 in the final 30 seconds, but a 15-yard penalty for a chop block backed up the Mountaineers, who then lost 13 more yards on Singleton's fumbled snap that the Chanticleers recovered at their own 36 with 12 seconds remaining before halftime.

A 24-yard completion set up a field-goal attempt from 58 yards to end the half, and Nico Cavanillas Alti drilled his second kick of 55-plus yards this season.

The teams traded three-and-out punts in the third quarter before Hasselbeck directed a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that featured six runs for 46 yards, including the final 12 on a touchdown from Lewis. Henderson ended Coastal's next drive with a big interception on the next play after he dropped a potential one, and App State's 10-play, 58-yard touchdown drive to take the lead included four runs from Hasselbeck, three runs from J'Marion Burnette (in his season debut) and one final run (a 3-yard touchdown) from Lewis.

Backfield pressure from Caleb Sandstrom and Ja'Den McBurrows forced a third-down throwaway for a quick punt early in the fourth quarter, and Jaxson Dunn's 63-yard punt that Ammo Robinson downed at the 1 helped flip the field. Coastal registered two first downs but still had to punt from its 27, and Hasselbeck began a four-play, 69-yard touchdown drive with a 17-yard completion to Pickett.

Runs of 9 yards from Lewis and 12 yards from Hasselbeck preceded the 31-yard strike from Hasselbeck to Pickett.

It was quite the turnaround after Coastal scored 17 straight points in the second quarter. The Chanticleers needed less than two minutes to open the game with a five-play, 60-yard touchdown drive, but Lewis scored consecutive touchdowns as the Mountaineers responded with drives of 72 and 88 yards.

With the two quarterbacks rotating effectively, Lewis capped the first scoring march with a 12-yard touchdown run. Taking a big hit as he threw downfield in the next series, Singleton connected with Nate Branch for a 45-yard gain to the Coastal 7 before Hasselbeck's 6-yard keeper set up another Lewis touchdown.

A third-down drop at midfield prevented App State from extending its next drive with a 14-7 lead, and Coastal's Deuce Bailey threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Robby Washington on the third play of the next series. The Mountaineers missed a 40-yard field goal on their next possession, and the Chanticleers regained the lead with a 13-play, 78-yard touchdown drive that ended with Bailey's 8-yard pass to leaping tight end Ben Verges.

That started a rough ending to the second quarter for App State, but the second half belonged to the Mountaineers.

They are back in action Thursday for a nationally televised home game against James Madison on ESPNU.