BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University football held its first practice of the 2013 season on Friday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers practiced for two hours on a relatively cool, clear day in the High Country. The session was conducted in helmets and shorts, per NCAA regulations.

As expected, Friday's season-opening practice was dedicated largely to fundamentals and establishing tempo. First-year head coach Scott Satterfield was pleased with what he saw in those areas, particularly the pace of the workout.

“It was a great day,” Satterfield said. “Our assistant coaches did a great job of organizing practice and the tempo was outstanding, especially when considering we added 35 newcomers to the mix who were going through their first practice at Appalachian State.”

One new wrinkle to Appalachian State's practice routine was the addition of music blaring from the Kidd Brewer Stadium speakers during selected periods throughout the afternoon. The music debuted during spring practice but is expected to be a permanent fixture going forward.

“It's something to keep the juices flowing, which helps with the tempo that we want to maintain throughout practice,” Satterfield explained. “Also, it cuts down on communication between coaches and players. When we get to Missoula, (Mont., site of Appalachian's Aug. 31 season opener versus Montana), we won't be able to hear anything. The music during practice helps our players learn to rely on signals rather than being able to hear the coaches' instructions.”

Nearly all of the 105 student-athletes that reported for camp on Thursday participated in Friday's practice with only a small handful of Mountaineers sitting out due to lingering offseason injuries. Only one player on Appalachian State's preseason two-deep was among those who did not take part in Friday's practice — junior offensive lineman Brandon Hunter, who is expected to miss all of fall camp after offseason shoulder surgery. Hunter came out of the spring listed as a backup at right tackle behind returning starter Will Corbin.

Conversely, several players who sat out of spring drills due to various ailments returned to the field on Friday, headlined by senior quarterback Jamal Londry-Jackson. The Southern Conference's preseason Player of the Year and Walter Payton Award candidate showed no ill effects from the knee injury that plagued him for the final three games of the 2012 campaign as he participated fully in his first practice since last November.

On Saturday, Appalachian State holds its annual Media Day at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Media Day is closed to the general public but fans can tune into App State TV for a live two-hour broadcast from The Rock, beginning at 10 a.m. App State TV premium subscribers can click HERE to watch Saturday's Media Day broadcast.