BOONE, N.C. — Last weekend, Appalachian State picked up a dramatic win that elicited memories of Corey Lynch's blocked field goal at Michigan.
On Saturday, Lynch's influence contributed to another victory for the Mountaineers.
App State opened its Sun Belt Conference schedule with a 56-37 home win against Coastal Carolina, and sophomore walk-on
Matthew McQuinn's forced fumble on a kickoff return was one of the biggest plays in a back-and-forth contest.
Appearing in a game for just the second time in his career, McQuinn's interest in attending App State grew thanks to an assist from Lynch, a close family friend. They are both from Fort Myers, Fla.
"He was always a mentor when I was younger," McQuinn said. "Seeing him make an impact here, I was definitely interested in this school. When they offered me a preferred walk-on spot, I was like, 'Let's do it.' "
The blocked field goal from Lynch to end a 34-32 upset of Michigan is one of the most famous highlights in college football history, and he played in the NFL before being inducted into his alma mater's athletics Hall of Fame last year.
The Mountaineers (4-0, 1-0) didn't recover the fumble that McQuinn forced against Coastal Carolina, but he made his own mark on special teams as App State scored 21 consecutive points to break free from a 21-all tie.
The families are so close that McQuinn's mother baked a cake Saturday for the birthday of Lynch's 6-year-old daughter.
"I am proud of him following his dreams to play at Appalachian," Lynch said. "He is a tenacious player who is ready to break out into a great career. Only a few moments in football will define you as a player. It is great to experience one of those moments."
App State moved ahead 28-21 on
Marcus Williams Jr.'s touchdown run with 1:59 left before halftime, and a personal foul on the extra point allowed the Mountaineers to kick off from midfield. Attempting an onside kick was an option given the location, but
Chandler Staton delivered a high kick that led to a return with the coverage unit in close, heavy pursuit.
McQuinn knocked the ball loose when he drilled returner Jacqez Hairston at the 17-yard line. App State was in good position to recover the ball back at the 12 — and possibly take it into the nearby end zone — but a Coastal Carolina player came out of the pile with possession at the 3.
An incomplete pass preceded two short runs that were followed by half-extending timeouts from App State, forcing a three-and-out punt from the back of the end zone.
Thomas Hennigan fielded a short kick at the Coastal 41 and gained 12 yards on his return to set up another scoring opportunity prior to halftime.
The Mountaineers needed just three plays to extend their lead on
Corey Sutton's touchdown reception with 45 seconds remaining in the half, and they held at least a two-possession advantage the rest of the way.
"I took off and saw two blockers and just split them perfectly," McQuinn said. "I saw the ballcarrier right there, and I was about 2 yards away and just closed on it."
"We talked all week that special teams needed to have a dominant edge," head coach
Eliah Drinkwitz said. " We felt like we had a significant advantage in the return game, and I thought coach (Erik) Link did a really nice job of getting some schemes up … Here, we were able to put the stranglehold on them right before half."
McQuinn, a reserve linebacker, enjoyed a highly decorated prep career at Fort Myers High School. As a senior, he had 116 tackles, four forced fumbles, three sacks and one blocked punt to earn second-team all-state honors in Florida's 6A classification, just like current App State teammate
Logan Doublin.
McQuinn also won a state championship in wrestling, and he said the time devoted to that sport affected his ability to compete at football camps attended by college coaches. He generated interest from some smaller schools and chose to walk on for the Mountaineers a decade after Lynch finished his standout career in Boone.
McQuinn didn't make any game appearances as a true freshman, and he had hopes of contributing more last year as a redshirt freshman, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury during the week leading up to the 2018 opener at Penn State.
That injury delayed his college debut for another year, and he played for the first time on special teams during the Sept. 7 win against Charlotte. On the field for the opening kickoff Saturday, it look less than a half for McQuinn to make his presence felt.
"I've been working hard," McQuinn said. "Last year, I blew out my knee when I was hoping to get some playing time, but I definitely just kept my mind right and kept working."
