BOONE —  Appalachian State University's Kidd Brewer Stadium, fondly known as "The Rock," witnessed a historic November night game, coinciding with a decisive victory over long-time rival Marshall. Playing their first post-October night game at home against Marshall since 1996, App State secured a 31-9 win before 34,057 fans and a national NFL Network audience. This marked App State's third-largest victory in the series.

App State's quarterback, Joey Aguilar, shone with three touchdown passes, with key receptions by Michael Hetzel and Makai Jackson. App State's defense was a force to be reckoned with, intercepting three passes and securing three sacks. The game showcased App State's dominance over Marshall, with the Mountaineers improving to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the Sun Belt Conference, while Marshall struggled with a 4-5 record and a 1-4 conference standing.

Marshall initially took the lead with a field goal, but App State came alive with three consecutive scores. Aguilar's stellar performance included 226 yards and three touchdowns. The Mountaineers outperformed Marshall, accumulating 404 total yards compared to Marshall's 243.

Despite Marshall's early lead, App State's strong offense, coupled with an exceptional defensive performance, sealed their resounding victory. Joey Aguilar's leadership and accurate passing were pivotal in this impressive win.

App State's second touchdown of the game was set up by Donovan Spellman's diving pick at the Marshall 17 after Jordan Favors had two interceptions in the fourth quarter, one of which was in the end zone. With assistance from Kevon Haigler, Spellman also recorded a sack; Trenton Alan Yowe and Shawn Collins were in charge of the other two.

Santana Hooper, EJ Jackson, a Marshall transfer, and Andrew Parker Jr. all contributed significantly to the Mountaineers' seven tackles for loss.

Next Week

App State is on the road the next two weeks at Sun Belt East Division rivals Georgia State and #25 James Madison before returning home in three weeks.

In a rare Saturday night matchup, the Appalachian State Mountaineers will face off against Marshall at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone. The game, scheduled for 6 p.m., is generating buzz as it is believed to be the first Saturday night home game played in Boone during November or December in recent memory. The last time the Mountaineers played a Saturday night game at Kidd Brewer Stadium was in 2014, their inaugural year as an FBS member. Since then, the team has enjoyed significant success at home, boasting a remarkable 51-10 record and drawing record-breaking crowds, with 2022 seeing ten of the top 12 crowds in stadium history.

The Mountaineers' strong performance at home, coupled with an average attendance of 35,774, has cemented their reputation as a powerhouse in college football. The 2023 season has also seen quarterback Joey Aguilar shine, leading the Sun Belt Conference with 20 touchdown passes and ranking 7th nationally. This upcoming game against Marshall carries added significance as it marks the first league matchup between the two teams in Boone since 1996, a nostalgic encounter for long-time fans. The game serves as a reminder of the rich history between Appalachian State and Marshall, who were both former FCS-level Southern Conference members and only recently reunited on the field in 2020 and 2021 for nonleague games. 

Lenoir-Rhyne vs. Catawba: On Saturday, November 4, 2023, #16 Lenoir-Rhyne (8-1, 6-1 SAC) faces Catawba (4-5, 2-5 SAC) at Moretz Stadium in Hickory. For Lenoir-Rhyne, a win would secure their spot in the SAC Championship next week, thanks to their head-to-head win this season, giving them a tiebreaker over Limestone, and they also control their destiny in the Piedmont Division race. LR can also clinch a championship berth if Limestone loses against Barton. This game is significant as the Bears aim to add to their 24 overall conference championships in program history, with seven won since 2010. Additionally, it marks the 102nd all-time battle between Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba, one of the most played and closely contested rivalries in NCAA Division II. LR has recently dominated, winning four straight games and seeking to even the all-time series, which currently stands at 49-48-4 in Catawba's favor. The rivalry between the two schools has been a historic and pivotal part of the conference's football history, often deciding championships in their final regular-season game, although this tradition has changed with the introduction of the SAC Championship game after the regular season.

BOONE – In a season marked by nail-biting finishes, the Appalachian State football team added yet another thrilling chapter to their story. With just eight seconds left on the clock, they clinched an incredible victory, momentarily allowing the coaches and players to exhale.

For most of the game, App State found themselves trailing Southern Miss. It wasn't until there were 6 minutes and 37 seconds left that they seized their first lead, ultimately pulling off a remarkable 48-38 win in front of 32,601 enthusiastic fans at Kidd Brewer Stadium on a Saturday night that will be remembered for years to come.

The game's decisive touchdown came as the Mountaineers faced a crucial decision on a fourth-and-8 play from the Southern Miss 21-yard line with a mere 14 seconds left on the clock.

This electrifying win marked the fifth consecutive game and six of the last seven for App State that has been decided in the closing moments, leaving the fans on the edge of their seats.

Head coach Shawn Clark expressed his pride in the team's resilience, stating, "I'm very proud of our team. They really continued to fight. All the credit goes to our players to find a way to win. Our mantra all week was to keep digging — that we were close to getting through — and our kids did that. Our players made a way today."

Quarterback Joey Aguilar made a remarkable comeback after committing two turnovers late in the first half. He finished the game with four touchdown passes and a season-high of 391 passing yards on 23 completions. Meanwhile, Christan Horn delivered a career-best performance with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, amassing eight catches for 165 yards. Kanye Roberts rushed for 109 yards, with 86 of those gained on back-to-back carries in the fourth quarter.

On the defensive front, Caden Sullivan's second-half sack and forced fumble, which was recovered by Michael Fletcher at the Southern Miss 1, set up a crucial touchdown. Andrew Parker Jr. recorded 13 tackles, and E.J. Jackson added 11, leading a defense that made two pivotal fourth-quarter stops.

Trailing 38-28 early in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers began their epic comeback with Aguilar's 49-yard touchdown pass to Horn, setting the tone for a thrilling final quarter. Jackson's tackle on a third-and-10 throw by Southern Miss forced a punt, and Roberts' 61-yard touchdown run put App State ahead 42-38.

Southern Miss made a valiant effort, driving to the App State 30, but Jordan Favors' powerful hit broke up a fourth-and-2 pass, giving the Mountaineers' offense a chance with 2 minutes and 44 seconds remaining. Roberts' 25-yard run and a personal foul penalty produced a critical first down at the Golden Eagles' 23. With a third-and-6 scenario from the 19, Aguilar found tight end Eli Wilson, but a fumble at the 13-yard line turned it into a fourth-and-8 situation with just 14 seconds left.

Instead of opting for a field goal that could have extended their lead by seven points, App State decided to go for a touchdown, possibly forcing a pass interference call. Aguilar delivered a perfect strike to Horn, who managed to catch the ball and get one foot down in the right corner of the end zone.

As the clock ticked down, App State secured an impressive comeback win, having trailed for the majority of the game.

In a game that saw several stunning plays, one of the most significant takeaways was when Sullivan's sack and forced fumble led to a recovery by Fletcher at the Southern Miss 1-yard line, setting up a short touchdown run by Ahmani Marshall.

App State's resilience was on full display, as they battled through a tough first half and turnovers to claim an unforgettable homecoming victory.

The Mountaineers' never-say-die attitude and their ability to pull off thrilling comebacks truly exemplify what makes Appalachian State football special. This win was not just for the team but for all the fans and alumni who came home to support their beloved Mountaineers on this unforgettable Saturday.

BOONE – The App State Mountaineers faced off against Coastal Carolina in a nationally televised Sun Belt Conference match that culminated in a thrilling 27-24 victory for Coastal Carolina. The game unfolded before a packed Kidd Brewer Stadium, where suspense and déjà vu seemed to rule the night.

Two years prior, a similar scenario had played out when App State strategically kept from crossing the end zone, opting to run down the clock and position themselves for a short field goal. Chandler Staton delivered with a 24-yard kick as time expired, securing a 30-27 home win over the Chanticleers. This time, Coastal Carolina managed to execute almost the same strategy to perfection.

The evening began with App State trailing 14-0 within the first eight minutes, following a touchdown on Coastal Carolina's opening drive. Despite the early deficit, App State (with a record of 3-3, 1-1) managed to claw their way back, drawing even with the Chanticleers at 17-all in the third quarter and again at 24-all in the fourth. Notably, a pivotal moment occurred in the fourth quarter when Caden Sullivan made a crucial stop, pushing Grayson McCall's fourth-and-2 keeper into a 1-yard loss from the Mountaineers' 14-yard line. This marked App State's first possession of the game without a deficit.

The game had its share of dramatic turnovers. App State's Joey Aguilar completed a pass to Milan Tucker for a remarkable 69-yard gain, only for Coastal to force a fumble at the end of the run on Coastal's 20-yard line with 4:43 remaining. Defender Abraham Temoney managed to make a sliding recovery just before the ball crossed the sideline.

The Chanticleers (with a record of 3-3, 1-2) responded with an impressive 11-play, 77-yard drive, inching as close as the App State 2-yard line, thanks in part to a 21-yard gain by CJ Beasley, who stopped just short of the end zone in the final minute.

The game saw a strong performance from App State's Aguilar, who threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a game-tying fourth-and-4 touchdown pass to Dalton Stroman from the Coastal 6 with 8:47 remaining. This followed a 67-yard completion to Makai Jackson. Unfortunately, Nate Noel, the nation's second-leading rusher, was sidelined after just two offensive touches due to a lower-body injury. The running load was then shared by Kanye Roberts, Maquel Haywood, and Ahmani Marshall, who combined for 22 carries, 104 yards, and one score.

On the defensive side, Andrew Parker Jr. led the Mountaineers with 12 tackles, and Sullivan delivered a career-high of nine tackles.

The Mountaineers managed to level the score for the first time at 17-all when Aguilar connected with David Larkins for a 2-yard touchdown pass with 6:18 remaining in the third quarter. However, Coastal Carolina quickly regained the lead with a seven-play, 77-yard touchdown drive. McCall's 32-yard touchdown pass to the wide-open Kendall Karr followed a defensive pass interference penalty on third-and-5.

App State had fallen behind early in the game as McCall orchestrated a 40-yard and a 31-yard pass on the opening drive. His 51-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Tucker only added to the pressure.

McCall maintained a perfect 9-for-9 record, passing for 220 yards in the first half. App State managed to reduce the 14-0 deficit with Michael Hughes' 29-yard field goal and closed the gap to 17-10 after Marshall's 3-yard touchdown run with 3:25 remaining in the first half. Aguilar's short completion to Eli Wilson on a fourth-and-10 pass from the Coastal 38 turned into a 32-yard gain to the 6-yard line, showcasing Wilson's impressive weaving through traffic.

The second half witnessed both teams making pivotal fourth-down stops near midfield. In response, App State pulled out all the stops on a fourth-and-3 incompletion from their 46-yard line. Haywood, helped by a defensive pass interference call, embarked on a series of rushes, gaining 32 yards, including a 20-yard run, which set the stage for Aguilar's short touchdown pass to Larkins. Hughes' extra point successfully knotted the game at 17-all.

With a crowd of 34,252 fans in attendance, the matchup between the App State Mountaineers and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers proved to be a nail-biting, back-and-forth affair that will likely be remembered for some time to come.

BOONE – It had been forty-four years since the East Carolina Pirates had made the trip to Kidd Brewer Stadium to take on the App State Mountaineers. After agreeing to a four-game series that featured one neutral site game in Charlotte and two trips to Greenville in upcoming seasons, Mountaineers and Pirates fans had circled today on their calendar as the matchup to look forward to for the 2023 football season. They game on the field lived up to the hype off of it as App State held off East Carolina 43-28 in front of a raucous crowd of 40,168, the largest in Kidd Brewer Stadium history.

East Carolina started with a strong nine-play, seventy-five-yard drive to open the game. After methodically moving the chains, junior running back Rahjai Harris punched it in from six yards out to give the visiting Pirates an early 7-0 lead. App State came out swinging when they received the ball for the first time. On the second play from scrimmage, Nate Noel burst like a rocket through the line and raced down the home sideline for a sixty-eight-yard score. The App State defense stepped up on the next drive as Nick Ross picked off a Pirate pass and returned the ball to the Mountaineers offense. App State took the lead on a thirty-six-yard Michael Hughes field goal, a lead the home took into the second quarter.

After pinning the Mountaineers deep in their own territory after a tremendous special teams effort to down a punt inside the one-yard-line, the Pirates’ Antoine Jackson stepped in front of an App State pass and walked nine yards to the end zone for the pick-six. After trading punts throughout the middle of the quarter, the Pirates found momentum on offense, mounting an eleven-play drive culminating with Rahjai Harris’s second rushing score of the day. Just like the opening drives of the game, App State responded to another long ECU drive with an explosive play. Milan Tucker took the kickoff and returned it into ECU territory, aided by a facemask penalty. Four plays later, Kanye Roberts burst through for an eighteen-yard rushing touchdown to make it a five-point game going into the half.

Starting the second half, the App State wanted to come out and make a statement and did so with Kaedin Robinson’s thirty-four-yard scoring reception from Joey Aguilar. Aguilar threw another long touchdown to Milan Tucker later in the third quarter. The Mountaineers offense was also responsible for ECU’s third-quarter scoring, however as a fumble was picked up by the Pirates defensive back Shavon Revel. The former Reagan High and Louisburg standout raced fifty-seven yards for the Pirates’ second defensive touchdown on the afternoon. The App State defense stepped up as well as Omar Philyaw’s interception set up the Mountaineers just inside the red zone late in the quarter. Joey Aguilar put an exclamation point on the short drive six plays later, scoring on a keeper around the right side to give the Mountaineers a 36-28 lead going into the final stanza.

A light rain started to fall as the fourth quarter began but it was a happy rain for the Mountaineer faithful in attendance when Joey Aguilar hit tight end David Larkins to make it a two-score lead for the home team. A late attempt by East Carolina to get back in the game fell incomplete as a fourth-down pass sailed out of bounds. The App State offense then ran out the clock and celebrated a 43-28 win. 

Next Week

App State is on the road next week facing a tough Wyoming squad while East Carolina hosts in-state FCS foe Gardner-Webb.

The Appalachian State Mountaineers faced off against the
Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in both teams’ season opener at Kidd Brewer
Stadium in Boone, North Carolina. Although it was a one-score game for most of
the afternoon, App State pulled away in the fourth quarter and came out
victorious with a final score of 45-24.

Backup quarterback Joey Aguilar, a California junior college
transfer, came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and lead
Appalachian State to victory. Aguilar threw a 32-yard touchdown to Kaedin
Robinson on his first pass, which put the Mountaineers up 14-10 late in the
first half. His second touchdown was a 26-yard connection with Dashaun Davis
for a 21-17 lead.

Jayden Brown’s third touchdown, a 41-yard pass from Matthew
Caldwell, put Gardner-Webb on top 24-21 but after Aguilar connected with Dalton
Stroman for 43 yards and a 28-24 lead, the defense took over. From there the
Bulldogs had a three-and-out and three-straight turnovers. Those turned into a
43-yard field goal, a 7-yard touchdown rushing for Nate Noel, and Aguilar’s 7-yard
pass to Christian Horn.

Aguilar finished the game with an impressive stat line of 11
of 13 for 174 yards in what appeared to be a planned relief appearance. Starter
Ryan Burger, a redshirt freshman, was 7 of 11 for 70 yards, with his first
collegiate touchdown, a 12-yard pass to Eli Wilson, opened the scoring. Noel
had 24 carries for 117 yards.

On the other side of the ball, Gardner-Webb’s Jayden Brown
had rushing touchdowns of 8 and 16 yards for the Bulldogs.

Both teams are on the road facing in-state rivals next week with
Gardner-Webb playing at Elon while App State travels to Chapel Hill to take on
UNC.

BOONE – App State took a shutout into the closing minutes of a dominant Senior Day win.

After honoring twenty-eight players prior to kickoff of the home finale at Kidd Brewer Stadium, the Mountaineers jumped out to an early lead and were in control throughout a 27-14 victory against Sun Belt Conference newcomer Old Dominion on Saturday.

Needing seven regular-season victories to reach bowl eligibility, App State (6-5, 3-4) took a 24-0 lead into halftime against the Monarchs (3-8, 2-5) and was ahead 27-0 midway through the fourth quarter before ODU scored twice in the final 7:05. The Mountaineers close the regular season next weekend at Georgia Southern.

A crowd of 32,096 meant App State had an attendance of better than 30,000 for all seven home games this season, producing an average of 33,566 that set single-season Sun Belt and school records. The Mountaineers broke the previous league and program records of 30,441 they had established in 2021.

In his final game at The Rock, Chase Brice completed 15 of 22 passes for 291 yards with long touchdowns to Kaedin Robinson and Christian Wells. Robinson gained 90 yards on his three receptions, and Ahmani Marshall led the running game with a career-best 137 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts.

Defensively, sixth-year senior Steven Jones Jr. matched his jersey number by breaking up six passes. Jalen McLeod and Caden Sullivan recorded sacks, with Donovan Spellman and Kevon Haigler sharing one. Nick Ross made a team-high 11 tackles.

The pregame Senior Day ceremony included five sixth-year college players, including Brice, who was set to be one of four game-day captains before he asked that his spot go-to tight end Henry Pearson. Brice transferred into App State's program before the 2021 season, and Pearson has been an impactful player for the Mountaineers since he arrived as a true freshman in 2018.

Just like in the only other home meeting against ODU in 2016, when Taylor Lamb hit Jaquil Capel for a 40-yard gain on a deep pass to the 32 on App State's first offensive play, Brice found Robinson open on a deep throw for a 57-yard gain to the 33 on the Mountaineers' first offensive snap. Michael Hughes ended that 80-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal.

Hansky Paillant recovered a red-zone fumble forced by Markus Clark to keep ODU from scoring on its next drive, and App State increased its lead to 10-0 on Brice's 35-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Robinson.

After the Mountaineers forced a quick three-and-out punt, they capitalized immediately on Brice's 75-yard touchdown pass to a streaking Wells with 13:43 remaining in the second quarter. At that point, Brice was 6 of 7 through the air for 208 yards.

After another three-and-out stop, App State's offense marched 60 yards on eight plays and scored on an 18-yard run by Marshall, who covered the final few yards thanks to a helpful push from center Isaiah Helms and other members of the offensive line.

ODU appeared to trim its deficit to 24-7 on a short touchdown pass late in the half, but a video replay confirmed that the receiver didn't get a foot down in the end zone.

Two incompletions from the 7 preceded a trick play on fourth-and-goal, but freshman cornerback Ethan Johnson didn't let the quarterback run free after he flipped the ball to a receiver and ran a route toward the end zone. A run by the receiver lost 2 yards and allowed App State to hold the Monarchs scoreless for the entire first half.

A season-long field goal of 40 yards in the third quarter from Hughes, a first-year starter, accounted for App State's only second-half points.

BOONE – It was a matchup that had been circled on calendars for both teams. For North Carolina, many of the Tar Heels remembered App State’s blocked field goal to upset the Heels, 34-31, on the road during the 2019 season. For App State, a chance to host the state’s flagship university for the first time ever showed that App State had finally “arrived” in the state’s college football landscape. The game started strong for the hometown Mountaineers, who were energized by a raucous and record crowd of 40,168 in attendance, but it was the visiting Tar Heels who laid claim to victory on Saturday afternoon after a wild sixty-two-point final quarter eventually ended with a 63-61 victory over App State.

App State rode the momentum wave into their first drive of the game. After Eli Wilson rolled over a Tar Heel defender and rumbled out to midfield on a catch and run, sophomore running back Nate Noel burst through the line and scampered fifty-two yards for the opening score of the game.

Carolina responded quickly, with JJ Jones’s thirty-one-yard reception getting the Tar Heels into Mountaineer territory. Drake Maye’s keeper on fourth down extended the drive and the redshirt freshman signal caller hit Jones on the next play for the tying score.

The Mountaineers were not intimidated, though, and came right back with a scoring drive on their second possession. Redshirt freshman Dalton Stroman’s second career catch was a great grab, putting App State in Tar Heel territory, giving Chase Brice the space he needed to find tight end Henry Pearson streaking down the home sideline for the score and a 14-7 lead. App State continued its early domination into the second quarter and even extended the lead to 21-7 on a Christian Wells catch, but the rest of the second quarter belonged to the visiting Tar Heels.

Carolina’s freshman quarterback, who beat out more experienced competition in fall camp, showed off why Tar Heels coach Mack Brown named him the starter with his performance in the middle quarters. Drake Maye beat the App State defense with his arm and legs to turn the tide in favor of the Heels. Maye threw for two scores, a fourteen-yard strike to Kobe Paysour and a ten-yard pass to Bryson Nesbit, while also running for a score to open the second half. In the span of fifteen minutes of game action, the Tar Heels had turned a 21-7 deficit into a 35-21 lead early in the third quarter.

Gene Chizik’s Tar Heel defense, who gave up big plays to open the first half, clamped down and held App State at bay through the middle two quarters. Cedric Gray was all over the field for the visitors, registering tackle after tackle. Gray’s interception late in the third quarter led to three more points for the Heels as Noah Burnette was good on his second field goal of the day to finish the scoring heading into the final stanza.

The fourth quarter was an entire game within itself. Both teams traded blow after blow, combining for sixty-two points and eight touchdowns. Chase Brice threw four of his six touchdowns for the day in the final ten and a half minutes of the game. With fans at The Rock roaring, App State, who had trailed by twenty points, came back to tie the score at 49-all on Camerun Peoples' 38-yard touchdown run and Michael Hughes' extra point with exactly four minutes remaining.

Carolina moved back ahead, converting a third-and-9 pass from Drake Maye to an open DJ Jones for a forty-two-yard touchdown with just under three minutes remaining before the Mountaineers moved quickly into UNC territory in the final minute. Chase Brice hit Dashaun Davis for a twenty-eight-yard touchdown with thirty-one seconds left, and the Mountaineers went for a go-ahead two-point conversion, but the pass to Davis sailed just out of his reach.

“I had made my mind up early that we were going for two and the win,” App State head coach Shawn Clark said after the game. “We're not going for second place at Appalachian State.”

UNC's Bryson Nesbit returned the onside kick for a touchdown, but that at least gave App State one more chance, because the extra point kept the margin as a one-score game at 63-55. Milan Tucker's long kickoff return to near midfield and Brice's twenty-two-yard completion to Kaedin Robinson set up another Brice-to-Robinson connection, this one a twenty-six-yard touchdown with nine seconds remaining.

The Tar Heels took away Brice's throwing options and stopped him short of the goal line on the two-point conversion to secure the win.

After the game UNC head coach Mack Brown praised what he called “two great offenses, two tremendous quarterbacks…a tremendous performance” after the wild fourth quarter while acknowledging “as many things we need to fix on defense, they had two, two-point conversion stops, to win the game.”

Notable North Carolinians

Drake Maye (Hough) – The freshman quarterback threw for 352 yards on 24 of 36 passing and four touchdowns while running for 76 yards and a score.

Kobe Paysour (Kings Mountain) – The freshman wide receiver was a threat the entire afternoon, tallying 8 catches and a touchdown.

Cedric Gray (Ardrey Kell) – the junior linebacker had a big interception late in the third quarter along with a team-high 13 tackles.

Kaedin Robinson (Christ School) – The redshirt sophomore had two big catches on the final, potential, game-tying drive in the last thirty seconds of the game.

Next Week

North Carolina (2-0) is on the road at a Sun Belt foe for the second straight week, taking on Georgia State, while App State (0-1) goes on the road to face preseason #6 Texas A&M from the SEC.

BOONE — A rainbow descended toward Kidd Brewer Stadium's new north end zone facility Saturday evening.

With an above-capacity crowd of 30,224 gathered for App State's first Boone-based home game with no crowd-size restrictions in 651 days, a 44-10 victory against Elon included a rich mix of gold and black at the end of The Rock's rainbow — along with a throwback white logo.

T.D. Roof's 90-yard interception return set up a third-quarter touchdown that gave the Mountaineers (2-1) a 27-3 lead on a day they honored Hall of Fame coach Jerry Moore by unveiling a statue and dedicating a plaza bearing his name. Black helmets with colorful stripes and white 'A' logos even paid tribute to Moore's first team in 1989.

Thirty-two years later, Moore was on hand as one of his mid-90s standouts, Shawn Clark, coached App State in a full Kidd Brewer Stadium for the first time.

"We have the best fans in college football who are very passionate," Clark said. "It was exciting to come back to The Rock in our new $50 million complex with a sold-out crowd. Our fans were here, they were behind us, and we appreciate that, and now we need our fans on Thursday night."

D'Marco Jackson delivered a career-high three sacks among his 4.5 tackles for loss and 13 stops to lead a stout defense that limited Elon (1-2) to 291 yards of offense. On special teams, Chandler Staton converted all three of his field-goal tries, including a 45-yarder late in the first half.

Offensively, quarterback Chase Brice had a rushing touchdown to go along with a 19-of-25 passing effort for 293 yards and one more touchdown. Malik Williams produced the first score with a 47-yard touchdown on his way to a career-high 123 receiving yards on four catches, and Corey Sutton caught seven passes for 128 yards as the Mountaineers had two receivers eclipse the century mark.

Roof's end-zone interception return off a tipped pass set up the first of two touchdown runs from Camerun Peoples, who finished with 80 yards on 11 rushes, and Nate Noel contributed 73 yards on 17 carries. Local product Anderson Castle's first career touchdown came on an 8-yard run in the final minute.

"We've been waiting a long time for this, and we wanted to put a good show on just for them," Williams said of the fans. "Having them out there felt amazing. A couple of the receivers, we were nervous starting out seeing all the fans, but it felt good."

Jackson's career day included sacks in the first, second and fourth quarters. He joined Jordan Fehr (2018 vs. Coastal Carolina) and Eric Boggs (2015 vs. Louisiana) as the only App State players in the FBS era with three sacks in a single game.

Perhaps his biggest hit came right before a sack, as he leveled a pass-catching running back for a 5-yard loss in a one-on-one showdown out in space. His 4.5 tackles for loss are the most by an App State player in the FBS era.

"On defense, we were having trouble trying to communicate because it was so loud, but on defense we fed off that energy by our supporters," Jackson said. "It was awesome."

App State nearly scored on its opening possession but lost a fumble into the end zone. The next series began with a 26-yard completion to Sutton and ended with a 47-yard strike to a streaking Williams.

Only a few plays into the second quarter, Brice had thrown for 179 yards with an 8-for-8 start.

"When you're seeing the defense and seeing rotation, you can kind of anticipate where your guys are going to be," Brice said. "It also helps when they're wide open, and it's about giving my guys a chance. I think I did a better job of that today — putting the ball out there and letting them go make a play. Letting them catch and run, and kudos to 'The Bulls' up front. They did a great job of protecting me today. I only got hit one time, and that's on me for holding the ball too much."

The game remained relatively close into the third quarter, as Staton made a 44-yard field goal early in the second quarter and drilled a 45-yarder right before halftime to help the Mountaineers take a 13-3 lead into their new locker room.

A 27-yard pass to Jalen Virgil kickstarted App State's second possession of the third quarter, and Noel's 5-yard run on a fourth-and-4 play from the Elon 8 extended the series. Three plays later, Brice scored from the 1.

The Phoenix reached App State's 9 on the next possession, and Roof was trailing a receiver when the ball bounced off the Elon's players hands in the end zone. The ball went right to Roof, who sprinted down the left sideline and was finally brought down at the Phoenix 10.

"Every blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while," Roof said. "Just kind of right spot, right time. I obviously got hawked (down) and was pretty gassed, but we can work on that."

The Mountaineers closed the game by forcing another turnover, thanks to a Logan Doublin hit that led to a recovery by safety Ronald Clarke, and there's a quick turnaround as App State prepares for its next game.

On Thursday, Marshall comes to Boone to face the Mountaineers in a nationally televised game at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

"I'm very proud of our football team," Clark said. "Winning in college football is hard, and it doesn't matter if it's 1-0 or 100-0, a win is a win. There's an old saying in football that there's no such thing as a bad win. We have a lot of things to get cleaned up and a lot of things to learn from coming back on a short week."

BOONE — App State showed few signs of early rust in its
first "Ring Game" of 2020.

Zac Thomas delivered a 60-yard touchdown run in addition to
tying his career-high of four touchdown passes, Daetrich Harrington broke loose
on a long touchdown while rushing for 137 yards and the defense put up a dominant
first-half showing as the Mountaineers rolled to a 45-17 victory against
Arkansas State at The Rock on Thursday night.

Playing for the first time in 26 days, after the first two
scheduled Sun Belt Conference games were postponed until December, App State
(3-1, 1-0) began pursuit of a fifth straight league title by building a 31-7
halftime lead against the high-scoring, pass-happy Red Wolves (3-3, 2-2) in a
nationally televised game on ESPN.

"Our guys like to compete, and that was the message
today — go compete to see where we are as a program," head coach Shawn
Clark said. "Our guys did that. We did a great job on defense, and we came
out and started fast on offense."

With 2,100 fans in attendance based on 7-percent capacity
guidelines in Kidd Brewer Stadium, there was plenty to cheer about. For the second straight meeting, the Mountaineers held Arkansas State to less than 20
points, something that's happened only two other times to the Red Wolves in the
last three seasons — against Alabama and Georgia.

D'Marco Jackson made two interceptions in the end zone to
end a pair of scoring threats, Tristan Walliser forced an errant pitch while
disrupting an unsuccessful fake punt and App State's six sacks came from
Demetrius Taylor (two), Tim Frizzell, Caleb Spurlin, Trey Cobb (part of his 3.5
tackles for loss) and a combo effort from Shaun Jolly and George Blackstock.

Offensively, Thomas rushed for a career-high 82 yards on
seven attempts and completed 16 of 23 passes for 216 yards, with two of his TD
passes finding first-time starter Christian Wells.

"Our players embody what a Mountaineer is, and they
showed resilience tonight," Clark said. "I can't stress how proud I
am of our players, our coaches, and our program."

Arkansas State used a field goal and 55-yard touchdown run
to trail just 31-17 late in the third quarter, and a third-and-14 scenario put
the Red Wolves in a position to get the ball back.

Thomas sprinted up the middle for a big gain, made a hard
right cut near the Arkansas State 35, maneuvered around a Malik Williams block
that occupied two defenders and stayed in bounds along the sideline before
making a Superman-style dive into the front-right pylon.

"That linebacker (in the middle) I knew had the running
back, and as soon as I saw that, I knew it was about to be something good, so I
sent (the back) in motion," Thomas said. "It just parted like the Red
Sea right there, and a heck of a job out by Malik out wide to make two key
blocks, and upfront, they all did their jobs."

Jackson's 44-yard return of an end-zone interception set up
the Mountaineers' final touchdown, a 20-yard pass to Wells with 8:22 remaining.

App State didn't punt in a first half that included a
46-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field to a streaking Wells on the
Mountaineers' first possession, a tiebreaking touchdown run of 55 yards from
Harrington on their next series and a 5-yard pass early in the second quarter
for tight end Mike Evans' first career touchdown. Thomas' keeper for 23 yards
on a fourth-and-4 run from the Arkansas State 45 extended that drive.

Forcing mistakes and capitalizing on others from the Red
Wolves, App State increased its lead before halftime thanks to Chandler
Staton's 39-yard field goal and Williams' 16-yard touchdown reception.

Arkansas State arrived in Boone averaging 38.2 points,
helped by totals of 50 and 59 in its last two games, but the Mountaineers'
defense ended the first half Thursday with no third-down conversions allowed in
seven attempts and four forced punts — one shy of the Red Wolves' season-high
for a game. They were limited to minus-4 rushing yards in the half, and aside
from two long passes that netted 81 yards for star receiver Jonathan Adams,
Arkansas State's other 18 pass attempts before the break produced 102 yards.

"It was a lot of preparation," said Jackson, who
had the first two interceptions of his career. "We had guys going late
night, throughout the week, coming over about 8 or 9 (p.m.) and doing film
studies, looking at tendencies and what they liked to do on certain downs. A
lot of preparation went into it."

Arkansas State trailed 21-7 when it forced a turnover and
moved within a single yard of cutting its deficit in half.

The Mountaineers responded to that first-and-goal situation
from the 1 by forcing a loss of 1 on a run and pushing the Red Wolves back 5
more yards on Frizzell's stop of quarterback Logan Bonner. Pressure from Taylor
and Frizzell led to a third-down incompletion, and Arkansas State missed the
24-yard field goal wide left.

The Red Wolves regained possession when a long run turned
into a lost fumble, but a three-and-out series preceded Walliser ruining the
fake-punt plan for a reverse pitch.

Arkansas State didn't move into positive territory for
rushing yards as a team until its long touchdown late in the third quarter, and
the Red Wolves finished 4 of 16 on third-down conversions.

Story courtesy of App State Strategic Communications

None of that prevented a resilient and resourceful App State team from opening a late-starting 2020 season with a 35-20 home victory against Charlotte on Saturday.

Holding an eight-point lead in the closing minutes, the Mountaineers' defense made two impressive stands, including one inside the 20-yard line to set up the game-clinching touchdown drive. With App State taking over following a fourth-down stop with 5:03 left, Marcus Williams Jr. put together runs of 34 and 22 yards before Daetrich Harrington scored on a 15-yard run with 1:15 remaining.

When senior safety Kaiden Smith intercepted a pass at the App State 22 with 32 seconds left, the celebration for head coach Shawn Clark's first regular-season win could commence in a mostly empty Kidd Brewer Stadium — because of state COVID-19 guidelines that limit outdoor gatherings to a maximum of 50 spectators, only a small number of physically spaced parents of App State juniors and seniors were able to attend.

"We had the motto today, and all camp, of no excuses," Clark said. "It didn't matter if there were no fans in the stands, four inches of water, three turnovers — it didn't matter. I can't say enough about our players and this program."

The second-year Charlotte coach felt a little different. "Frustrated," said 49ers head coach Will Healy. "They got after us running the football.  They created some turnovers. To be honest we stayed in it on special teams.  We gave ourselves a shot on special teams. To beat a team like App you have to play better on both sides of the ball."

On a rain-soaked afternoon at The Rock, the Mountaineers totaled 308 rushing yards, including 117 from Williams and a career-high 102 from Camerun Peoples. They scored once apiece, and Harrington scored twice in the fourth quarter of his 60-yard outing. Zac Thomas' 204 passing yards included a 51-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Hennigan, who made five catches for 120 yards.

Charlotte was paced offensively by Tre Harbison, who totaled 93 yards and a touchdown in his debut for the 49ers.

After Charlotte followed Hennigan's touchdown with a school-record 97-yard kickoff return by Aaron McAllister to trail just 21-20 late in the third quarter, Daetrich Harrington capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.

The 49ers advanced into App State territory on the next possession but had to punt thanks to Brendan Harrington's tackle for a 4-yard loss, Spurlin's sack for a 6-yard loss, and Shemar Jean-Charles' third-down breakup. Charlotte recovered a fumble on the next play to gain possession at App State's 20-yard line but was not able to take advantage of the turnover.

"We work hand in hand — once the D-line gets in the quarterback's face to rush him and pressure him, it makes our job easier in the back end," Jean-Charles said.

App State marched into scoring range on its first drive of the game, but Charlotte forced a fumble at the goal line and responded with a 12-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that ended with Harbison's 14-yard scoring run.

Peoples, who suffered a season-ending injury in the 2019 opener, made his official return to begin App State's third series and had six carries for 53 yards on a 67-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter. He opened the quarter with gains of 14, 5, and 10 yards before capping the drive with an 8-yard gain and an explosive 16-yard touchdown.

Special teams kept the game much closer than that stat line would have indicated. Charlotte converted a 23-yard field goal with 1:52 left before the break and blocked a 34-yard field goal as the half ended with the score 14-10.

After the 49ers converted a 49-yard field goal to cut its second-half deficit to a single point, four Peoples runs for a combined 24 yards preceded Thomas' 51-yard touchdown pass to Hennigan.

Peoples' previous career-high of 69 rushing yards came on just three carries in the 2018 bowl win. Williams, a redshirt senior, made his fifth career start and eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the fourth time in an App State uniform. Daetrich Harrington, like Peoples, has dealt with his own share of adversity based on injuries that sidelined him for long stretches in 2019 and 2018.

"We've all been through a lot, and we all keep each other up," Harrington said. "Even going back to my freshman year, we've all been through a lot not playing as much as you'd like, getting injured, those seasons not finishing the way you'd want it to finish. We all have that chip on our shoulder.

"It was a hard-fought football game," Will Healy added after the game. "We had a couple opportunities in the red zone and kicked field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. That was a big deal. You have to score touchdowns against great teams. I'm proud of our guys and excited about where our team is but today App was definitely the better football team."