ESPN's "GameDay" to look back at App State upset of Michigan

BOONE, N.C. – ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in Atlanta on Saturday for the matchup between No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Florida State.
 
As Appalachian State prepares to play No. 15 Georgia about 75 miles from the "GameDay" set, the Mountaineers will have a strong presence on ESPN's popular college football show given that Friday marked the 10-year anniversary of their historic upset of Michigan in "The Big House."
 
ESPN had crew members in Boone during the preseason to interview 2007 linebacker Pierre Banks, receiver Dexter Jackson, receiver CoCo Hillary, kicker Julian Rauch, defensive back Leonard Love and offensive lineman John Holt for a feature that will air during the program, which runs from 9 a.m. until noon each Saturday.
 
App State's 34-32 win against Michigan in 2007 is considered one of the most dramatic upsets in sports history. The Wolverines entered their opener ranked fifth nationally among FBS teams, and the Mountaineers were an FCS program coming off back-to-back national titles in a lower tier of college football.
 
Led by Jackson and quarterback Armanti Edwards, Appalachian jumped out to a 28-14 lead before falling behind 32-31 on Mike Hart's 54-yard touchdown run with 4:36 left.  Michigan intercepted a pass on the next play from scrimmage, but App State regained possession after Brian Quick blocked a field goal with 1:37 remaining.
 
Edwards directed a 69-yard drive to set up Rauch's go-ahead kick from 24 yards out with 26 seconds remaining. Chad Henne's 46-yard completion to Mario Manningham restored hope among Michigan fans making up most of the crowd of 109,218, but Corey Lynch blocked a 37-yard field goal and raced toward the other end zone as time expired.
 
App State went on to claim its third straight FCS national title, and the Mountaineers are about to begin their fourth season as an FBS member. After starting the 2007 season with an 0-2 record, Michigan won eight straight games and finished 9-4.