BOONE, N.C. — New amenities have popped up all around them. Record-breaking throngs of people are headed their way, too, coming from every direction to this elevated corner of North Carolina.
At the center of the excitement, amid non-stop activity around campus and in town, App State's players and coaches have gone to work each day on a field that's fit for an unforgettable show. For them, though, it's been about preparing for a football game — albeit a long-awaited one.
And the Mountaineers have won a lot of football games over the years by exhibiting a blue-collar, business-like approach, regardless if the opponent possesses five-star recruits or a unique shade of blue.
On Saturday, with a noon kickoff on ESPNU, App State opens the 2022 season with a home game against North Carolina, which is 1-0 following a 56-24 win against FCS-level Florida A&M.
With App State selling out this in-state matchup back in July — and season tickets selling out for the first time in school history — the biggest crowd in Kidd Brewer Stadium history is expected.
"Our kids know what's at stake," App State head coach
Shawn Clark said. "This will be the largest crowd ever in our stadium, and we'll play it one play at a time, try to keep it close and make a run for it in the fourth quarter."
Nearly 2,500 extra seats have been added with the installation of temporary bleachers in front of the high-rising north end zone facility, with a temporary videoboard sitting atop the four-story building, as North Carolina will make its first-ever football visit to Boone.
In App State's FBS era, the Tar Heels will become the third ACC program to appear at The Rock, as Wake Forest's 2017 visit to Boone drew a stadium-record crowd of 35,126, surpassing the 34,658 from Miami's 2016 visit.
Clark expressed appreciation to North Carolina and head coach Mack Brown, who served as App State's head coach in 1983, for their willingness to play a game in Boone. It's part of a two-for-one deal that includes App State returning to Chapel Hill in 2023.
"The App State atmosphere, the fans, there is a lot of talk about that this weekend, and good for them," Brown, who still has a home in the Linville area, said on the "Move The Sticks" podcast with App State alum Daniel Jeremiah and UNC alum Bucky Brooks. "It's great for college football when fans can come and be passionate and make it a special game. And I told our guys, 'If you didn't want to go and play in front of big crowds, you shouldn't have come here.' Don't be like, 'Oh, they're going to be loud.' That's a lot better than being empty. It's not hard to get yourself ready to play when they're full. It's hard to get ready to play when you say, 'Heyyy,' and you hear the echo. You want to go where it matters, and this game matters to a lot of people."
App State's 2019 game in Chapel Hill was only the second meeting in series history, occurring 79 years after the first one, and the Mountaineers prevailed 34-31 thanks to a historically dominant performance from defensive end
Demetrius Taylor, three touchdown runs by Darrynton Evans and Akeem Davis-Gaither's blocked field goal as time expired.
App State's last five games against Power Five programs have all been decided by seven points or less, including a 20-15 win at South Carolina later in the same 2019 season, but only a handful of the primary contributors from that team are still wearing Black and Gold.
Eighteen total players who started at least one game in 2021 return from a team that enjoyed a 10-win regular season and captured a Sun Belt East Division title during Clark's second full season as head coach.
App State has a veteran offensive line, a deep pool of talented running backs and an inexperienced but athletic group of receivers to work alongside record-setting quarterback
Chase Brice. The Mountaineers have a new offensive coordinator (
Kevin Barbay), receivers coach (
Lawrence Dawsey) and offensive line coach (
Geep Wade) heading into a showdown with a UNC defense that possesses plenty of potential with high-profile recruits becoming more seasoned under the direction of new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, who is in his second stint with the program.
Led by returners
Nick Hampton,
Steven Jones Jr.,
Trey Cobb and
Jordon Earle, App State's defense has had more turnover than its offense. UNC's offense entered its opener with plenty of questions to answer, and redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye threw five touchdown passes while accounting for 349 total yards (294 passing) in his first career start. A one-time Alabama commit, the 6-foot-5 Maye flipped to where his brother, Luke, starred for the basketball team and their father, Mark, also played quarterback.
Maye threw two touchdown passes to explosive 5-foot-10 receiver Josh Downs, one of the nation's top threats through the air, and UNC's 314 rushing yards against Florida A&M included 101 from true freshman Omarion Hampton. Another true freshman, George Pettaway, gained 69 yards on eight carries.
Last weekend's opener gave many of UNC's young players and first-time starters an opportunity to experience live game action before facing a higher level of competition on the road. The Tar Heels do have a few significant players dealing with injuries in the aftermath of that victory, but Clark noted the popular football adage that teams improve the most from their first game to their second one.
"They're very talented at the quarterback position and have one of the best receivers in all of college football," he said. "On the defensive side of the ball, the four D-linemen are some of their highest recruits ever in the history of their program, they have great corners who can cover with great skills and their linebackers play downhill.
"We have our work cut out for us, but I'm very thankful they're coming to Boone this Saturday."
