The Other Side of the Wall: Appalachian State
The Sun Belt schedule finally gets underway… and the entire country has its eyes on Boone.
| Team | App State |
|---|---|
| Time, Network | 2:30 pm, ESPN+* |
| 2021 Record | 10-4 (7-1) |
| Troy’s Record | 3-7 |
| Last Matchup | L, 45-7 (2021) |
| Preseason Conf. Rank | 1st SBC East |
| FPI Rank | 49 |
| FPI Win% (Troy) | 16.3% |
| Spread | +12.5 |
Most importantly, Troy is making its second appearance ever on College GameDay. Ten years ago, when Troy hosted Navy, the GameDay crew set up shop on the USS San Diego for its Veterans Day game… thousands of miles away in the Wiregrass.
Here’s how the headgear pick went:
Troy won 41-31, and is now 1-0 on College GameDay.
No Sun Belt team officially hosted until Coastal Carolina hosted BYU in 2020, and now the Mountaineers have earned their first appearance with last week’s win over Texas A&M.
To help us get a better sense of what this App State team is really like, we reached out to the guys at The Black & Gold Podcast and asked our set of questions. Here are his answers, and my reaction to their answers.
Describe Appalachian State like you would a dog that’s up for adoption.
Do you want a great deal? Do you want a low maintenance pet at an affordable price that consistently goes above and beyond to make you happy? This is your dog.
The comparison to Lassie is there, and it’s ironic given the dog Texas A&M uses as a live mascot.
What movie title best describes the Mountaineers’ expectations coming into this season?
It’s the same every year: Great Expectations. Except Chase Brice, Shawn Clark, Cam Peoples, etc. aren’t as pretty as Gwyneth Paltrow.
Fair point. I’m tempted to make a Goop joke.
Which Hogwarts house is Shawn Clark in?
What’s a Hogwarts?
So a Hufflepuff, then.
What are three names on defense Troy fans should pay attention to.
The name everyone has heard is Nick Hampton and with good reason. He’s outstanding. Future draft pick. But Jalen McLeod is a name who also was expected to be great this season and proved it against A&M Saturday. Another name is BGPTM Brand Ambassador interior DL Jordon Earle. He’s been the leader of the DL this season.
When App State snaps the ball, what is most likely to happen?
Odds are Chase catches it and hands it to either Nate Noel or Cam Peoples. 😉 We ran the ball 63% of the time vs. A&M and controlled the clock completely. That’s how we’re successful.
If we wake up Sunday and the underdog wins, what happened the day before?
App State probably lost the battle at both Lines of Scrimmage.
I like this answer because that second part is very likely.
What do fans expect the Neers to be doing in December?
Ever since the SBC title game was announced App State fans have circled that game being in Boone. That’s the expectation every December.
In their defense, it’s almost always been an App State party.
What’s the best place to get BBQ in town (even if Troy is at home)?
Booneshine Brewing Company has BBQ Saturday through the summer and fall. They have pork and brisket and it’s incredible.
There you go, Troy fans. Make your reservations. Here’s the menu.
Is App State a Coke or Pepsi school?
Officially? Pepsi. In our hearts and minds? Coca Cola.
Unfortunate, but the correct answer. Troy is 1-1 against Coke schools, and this is the first Pepsi school on the calendar.
What’s one question you have for us about Troy (we’ll answer in the article)?
Thoughts on the direction of the program with the new coach?
Everyone is going to ask about Coach Sumrall, and I expected that. Troy is on the right path. The fact of the matter is that he’s our guy, and it’s going to take a while for him to undo the mistakes Lindsey made. That said, the cabinet is not bare, and as long as we’re in a bowl game this winter we’ll be satisfied with year one.
Troy is the underdog this week, and rightfully so. We know Sun Belt teams have hangovers after Power 5 wins, but this team is the most likely to avoid that curse.
That said, an upset is not outside the realm of possibility. I just hope Troy keeps it close.
Final prediction: App State 31, Troy 21.
Again, special thanks to The Black & Gold Podcast. You can follow them on Twitter here.