NEW ORLEANS — The sounds of a police escort, jazz musicians and cheering App State fans greeted the Mountaineers as they arrived to an energetic scene outside their team hotel Tuesday evening.
The Sun Belt champs are back in the Big Easy.
No. 20 App State (12-1) will face Conference USA runner-up UAB (9-4) on Saturday night in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, with kickoff for the ESPN game scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. at the Superdome).
The Mountaineers left Kidd Brewer Stadium before lunchtime on Tuesday morning, rolled past cheering fans on King Street and finally reaching the city of New Orleans at around 5:30 p.m. local time.
With music playing and Mardi Gras beads being placed around the necks of team members as they moved from their buses to the hotel lobby, new head coach
Shawn Clark joined Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year
Darrynton Evans and Defensive Player of the Year
Akeem Davis-Gaither in conducting interviews about the upcoming matchup.
"It was outstanding," Clark said of the reception. "Any time you get to come and listen to music in the city of New Orleans, it's great for our players to have a chance to experience new things. We're looking forward to doing that this week."
While some App State staff members attended the New Orleans Pelicans' home game against the Brooklyn Nets as guests of Pelicans coach/App State alum Alvin Gentry, who met with Clark and the rests of the group afterward, App State's players went to a function at the Shamrock arcade for games and open mic activities.
