NEW ORLEANS — Appalachian State (10-2) plays Middle Tennessee (8-5) on Saturday in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The game will begin at 8 p.m. CT (9 p.m. ET) and be shown on ESPN.
To keep up with the Mountaineers as they prepare for their bowl appearance in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, follow this blog for updates on team practices and off-field activities in the Big Easy.
Wednesday afternoon, 1:30 p.m.
After arriving in New Orleans on Tuesday afternoon, the Mountaineers take the field for their first practice in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Wednesday afternoon.
While some players note spots on the turf field where New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has thrown touchdown passes, senior offensive lineman and Raeford, N.C., native
Tobias Edge-Campbell is looking toward the seats beyond one end zone.
A big Saints fan, he jokes about doing his best impression of running back Alvin Kamara and jumping into a group of fans after a touchdown, but receiver
Thomas Hennigan tells Edge-Campbell he's way too big to pull off that move.
"I've been looking forward to this," he says. "Ever since we've been going to bowl games and I knew they had one down here in New Orleans, I wanted to come. And it's great because (the Saints) are doing great this season."
The size of the dome makes an impression on a lot of the first-time visitors. Before long, it's business as usual with pre-practice stretching and the drills App State went through daily at Kidd Brewer Stadium – or, more recently, at the Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility because of the snow in Boone.
The Black and Gold look at home in the Saints' facility. The Superdome is more familiar to longtime App State assistant
Dale Jones, who played here in the 1986 Sugar Bowl as a star linebacker for the Tennessee Volunteers. Jones had multiple sacks in a 35-7 win against Miami to close the 1985 season.
"When you come out, it looks like a spaceship," Jones said. "It's just great memories."
Wednesday, 4:05 p.m.
After showering in their locker room following practice, App State's players take an escalator up one floor and arrive at the gift suite.
Each player is allotted six points, with gifts ranging in value from one point to six. A player could use all six points to obtain something as valuable as a television or recliner, but many were on the phone taking requests or suggestions from family members.
"There is no mindset," cornerback
Shemar Jean-Charles said with a laugh. "It's nothing but confusion because you want everything. You're shopping for everybody — I've got a brother and a little sister back home that I'm talking to."
Jean-Charles determines the best value to be a 2.0 Soundbar home theater speaker with Bluetooth capabilities. It costs only two points.
Wednesday, 8 p.m.
The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will be the primetime ESPN game on Saturday. On Wednesday, ESPN showcased the New Orleans Pelicans/Oklahoma City Thunder matchup.
App State Football players, coaches, staff and athletics personnel attended the Pelicans/Thunder game on Wednesday. That was certainly exciting for players such as
Baer Hunter, who is a big Russell Westbrook fan, but the Pelicans won 118-114 behind Anthony Davis' 44 points and 18 rebounds.
The Mountaineers were recognized at halftime as the "Team of the Night," and tight end
Devin Papenheim even got some extra videoboard love.
The NBA visit created an obvious question as to who would make up a starting five from the App State football team, with
Josh Thomas and
Camerun Peoples being relatively easy selections based on Thomas' accomplishments as a prep player and Peoples' viral rec center dunks as an App State true freshman.
Malik Williams nominated himself and 6-foot-5 receiver
Mock Adams, while defensive tackle
MyQuon Stout was a hoops starter at Carson High School near Salisbury, N.C.
Thursday, 11 a.m.
Interim head coach
Mark Ivey takes the stage for Appalachian State's press conference during a media luncheon in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
"Our guys have worked very, very hard, starting back in January, and they set this as a goal — to win our conference," Ivey says. "When it became a trip to New Orleans if you could be the conference champ, it became even more of an incentive."
Senior nose tackle
MyQuon Stout, senior linebacker
Anthony Flory, sophomore quarterback
Zac Thomas, sophomore running back
Darrynton Evans and sophomore center
Noah Hannon also attend the luncheon. Reporters from North Carolina and New Orleans interview them, asking questions about the matchup with Middle Tennessee and their opinions of New Orleans.
"I had never been to New Orleans before, so it's been nice to experience Bourbon Street with my teammates and have some fun," Flory says. "We also have put some work in. … I'm definitely excited to play Saturday."
Thursday, 12:05 p.m.
App State players, coaches and staff members come together at the 50-yard line for an official team photo before the start of Thursday's practice in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Before the pictures are taken, App State alum and New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry addresses the team on the field.
"You guys have done a tremendous job of representing the school and what it's all about," Gentry says.
As per the usual Thursday routine, the Mountaineers go through a light workout.
Zac Thomas and fellow quarterback
Zeb Speir show off their accuracy afterward, as they participate in a light-hearted Facebook Live interview with Adam Witten.
Asked to do their best impressions of "Varsity Blues" quarterback Jonathan Moxon and hit a target that was atop someone's head, they oblige thanks to the cooperation of Adam Ireland from the video staff.
Thomas and Speir both knock a water bottle off Ireland's head — without any flinches or pain on Ireland's end. Thomas went first and threw the ball harder than a few bystanders expected.
"It's 'Bam Bam' for a reason," Speir jokes. "He still doesn't know how to take speed off the ball."
Thursday, 2:30 p.m.
The team leaves the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and splits into groups for service projects around the city. Two groups read to local elementary school children, another group heads to the Children's Hospital New Orleans and one group even sorts Mardi Gras beads.
At the Children's Hospital about 20 minutes away from the Superdome, one minute you see
Zac Thomas,
Brad Absher,
Clifton Duck and
Collin Reed tossing balls with young children while
Josh Thomas and
Thomas Hennigan autograph mini-footballs.
Austin Exford is posing for pictures, and
MyQuon Stout is playing a racing video game with a child.
Elias McMurry,
Zeb Speir and
Darrynton Evans are tossing bean bags onto corn hole boards with some of the other children.
Noah Hannon, sporting some stylish Santa's hat glasses he's borrowed,
Chandler Greer and
Victor Johnson are holding down the "party table" and helping kids decorate party hats.
There are even a few App State logos and a "Go Mountaineers" message on the hats by the end.
"Just seeing them smile was the biggest thing for us," Stout says.
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Mountaineer Talk, but on Canal Street instead of Rivers.
Adam Witten is hosting the weekly radio show in the lobby of the team hotel, with interim head coach
Mark Ivey as the first guest. Senior cornerback
Tae Hayes and sophomore receiver
Thomas Hennigan are the player guests.
Listen to Thursday's show by
clicking HERE.
Friday, 9:15 a.m.
An ESPN broadcast crew of five people, including play-by-play voice Jason Benetti, analyst Kelly Stouffer and sideline reporter Olivia Dekker, set up in a second-floor film room at the team hotel for separate conversations with interim head coach
Mark Ivey, defensive play-caller
Dale Jones and offensive play-caller
Shawn Clark.
Ivey shares his story of joining App State's program in 1991 as a 206-pound walk-on linebacker who later became a three-year starter at nose guard.
"You keep not allowing anybody to tell you no," Ivey said of his rise as a player for the Mountaineers.
Jones talked about his defensive philosophies with the crew before being asked at the very end about growing up as one of 13 children in his family.
"We had our own football team," he said with a laugh.
Clark discussed App State's offense and stepping into the role of calling plays, something he also did for a transitioning Purdue program during one of its bowl games earlier this decade.
"It's a great opportunity," Clark said.
Friday, 11:40 a.m.
The players' luncheon in a huge banquet space on the third floor of App State's hotel is really the first time both teams have been together in the same space this week.
Players and coaches from each side enter the room to the sound of their school's band performing the fight song live, in person, with the Mountaineers following behind Yosef and the Mountaineers' cheerleaders.
With
Mark Ivey, Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill and Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson among the people seated on stage, New Orleans Pelicans sideline reporter Jen Hale emcees the event. The keynote speaker is Charlie Ward, who won the Heisman Trophy as a Florida State quarterback and played in the NBA as a member of the New York Knicks.
From footage of App State players impersonating coaches (
Noah Hannon does a solid
Mark Ivey), to more players singing Christmas songs (stick to football,
Camerun Peoples), there were some fun moments for the crowd. The most divisive one came from App State alum and Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry, who drew cheers and boos by declaring, "I have nothing against Middle Tennessee, but I think we will win tomorrow."
Friday, 4 p.m.
The first official practice of the 2018 season was held more than four months ago. The final practice took place Friday afternoon about 25 minutes from downtown New Orleans, at the Saints' indoor facility in Metairie.
Working out on a 100-yard field surrounded by giant Saints collages and a 2009 Super Bowl banner, the Mountaineers went through a crisp practice in their final tune-up before Saturday's R+L Carrier New Orleans Bowl against Middle Tennessee.
There was a healthy balance of focused preparation and light-hearted fun. And, yes, freshman defensive lineman
Jordon Earle's voice and trash talk stood out among the noise.
After the entire team huddled together, players separated into position groups, some for the final time in a practice setting.
Zeb Speir delivered some heartfelt words to his fellow quarterbacks, and the offensive linemen posed for a picture in one end zone, close to the Super Bowl banner.
For longtime Saints fan and senior offensive lineman
Tobias Edge-Campbell, who sat down and raised his arms in front of the group, it seemed like an ideal way to finish up the final practice.
