By Bret Strelow | App State Athletics
BOONE, N.C. — After a pair of time-zone-crossing plane flights, App State has returned home to host another sold-out game at The Rock.
Yes, even on a Tuesday night.
The Mountaineers (3-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) face Coastal Carolina (2-3, 0-2 Sun Belt) with a 7:35 p.m. kickoff time for a nationally televised ESPN2 game in Kidd Brewer Stadium. Coming off a wild 41-40 win at ULM in its league opener, App State announced Saturday that the midweek matchup against the Chanticleers is sold out.
Coastal's last visit to Boone — on a Wednesday night in 2021 — was also a sold-out game that ranked as the biggest college football crowd for a Tuesday or Wednesday game since Pitt drew 40,219 fans for a 2011 victory against UConn.
App State's fan support has been unwavering, as eight of the top 10 crowds in Kidd Brewer Stadium history have occurred since the start of the 2022 season and all nine appearances at The Rock since then have drawn more than 30,000 fans.
"We look forward to hosting Coastal Carolina here at The Rock on national TV," App State head coach
Shawn Clark said. "We always have great support from our students and our fans, and we're expecting the same thing on Tuesday night. You're putting your program on a national stage, and I do appreciate the exposure for our conference."
Coastal comes back to town with record-setting quarterback Grayson McCall, speedy receiver Jared Brown and many other talented players in the mix for first-year head coach Tim Beck, who had worked previously as an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach at NC State, Texas, Ohio State and Nebraska.
The Chanticleers' challenging start to this season has come with four of their games against teams with a combined 17-4 record: UCLA (4-1), Jacksonville State (5-1), Georgia State (4-1) and Georgia Southern (4-1).
App State is 2-0 at home this season with a pair of close nonconference road losses at North Carolina (a double-overtime defeat) and Wyoming (the Mountaineers statistically dominated a 22-19 loss). Overcoming four turnovers and dire circumstances in the closing minutes at ULM, App State prevailed thanks to
Michael Hughes' 54-yard field goal as time expired.
It was the Mountaineers' first walkoff win since the 2021 home game against Coastal ended with a tiebreaking 24-yard field goal from Chandler Staton to deliver a 30-27 victory.
McCall entered this season with 78 career touchdown passes and only eight interceptions, with totals of 45 completions in 70 attempts (64.3 percent) for 744 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in three appearances against App State.
"Grayson McCall is one of the best quarterbacks, if not the best quarterback, in our conference, and that's been for the last couple of years," Clark said. "Whenever he has the ball in his hands, he has a chance to change the game."
Brown had five catches for 79 yards, including a game-sealing reception of 47 yards, and three rushes for 84 yards, including a 45-yard scoring run, in last year's game. Coastal, which had a prolific running attack for the last several seasons using more of an option-oriented attack, is looking to improve on its per-game average of 140.2 rushing yards through five games.
App State's defense is responsible for allowing 23.8 points per 60 minutes so far this season, with only 14 points given up to the offenses from both East Carolina and Wyoming. ULM did amass 268 passing yards and 203 rushing yards — the most yards allowed by the Mountaineers in a win since North Texas totaled 497 in the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl — but App State shut out the Warhawks over the final quarter to keep its comeback chances alive.
Over the last three games, the Mountaineers have 10 sacks and five interceptions, including a pair of pick-six TD returns by cornerback
Tyrek Funderburk.
Nate Johnson, a true freshman, has recorded a sack in three straight games. Funderburk and two safeties (
Jordan Favors,
Nick Ross) made several big second-half stops during the ULM rally.
"I love our defense," Clark said. "We've given up some yards and some points, but those guys are in there scratching and clawing and fighting with everything they have for us. It's always about fitting your gap, tackling and rallying to the football."
Coastal Carolina's defense has allowed an average of 229.6 passing yards and 164.0 rushing yards through five games. The Chanticleers have forced nine turnovers (with six interceptions) and allowed only 10 touchdowns in 22 red-zone trips by their opponents.
Aside from struggling to produce touchdowns rather than field goals at Wyoming, App State has scored TDs on 11 of its 17 trips inside the 20-yard line.
Joey Aguilar threw a third-and-goal touchdown pass to
Kaedin Robinson during the ULM win, as Robinson secured a catch each of the 10 times he was targeted in the game.
Nate Noel (No. 2 nationally at 130.2 rushing yards per game) enters Tuesday with six straight 100-yard rushing games, a streak he extended at ULM on a season-low 18 carries with
Kanye Roberts scoring on a 10-yard run,
Ahmani Marshall posting double-digit gains on his first two attempts of the season and Aguilar gaining 54 yards aside from the one sack he took.
A balanced offense, coupled with complementary football — don't forget Hughes' successful onside kick in the 2021 win against Coastal — are part of the blueprint for App State in its pursuit of another Sun Belt victory.
"Probably the most rewarding thing is we're all fighting for the same goal," Clark said. "It's truly an App family."
