The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team is the

intercollegiate {{Short pages monitor

Marshall

Nicknamed The Old Mountain Feud, Appalachian State competes in a rivalry with fellow Appalachian mountain-based public university

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...

. The rivalry game was played annually 1977–1996. From 1986 to 1996 the Southern Conference foes won at least a share of the conference title a combined eight times. The rivalry resumed annual play in the 2020 season and is set to continue as Marshall joins Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Conference East Division in 2022. Appalachian State leads the total series, 15–10.

Western Carolina

Known as the

Battle for the Old Mountain Jug The Battle for the Old Mountain Jug was the name given to the Appalachian State– Western Carolina football rivalry, an American college football rivalry game that became dormant when Appalachian State left the Southern Conference and moved t ...

, Appalachian State played Western Carolina in a regional rivalry game from 1932 to 2013. The only years in that period in which the game was not played were 1942 to 1945, during U.S. involvement in World War II. In 1976, a traveling trophy known as the Old Mountain Jug was created from an old

moonshine Moonshine is alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...

jug. Appalachian's record in games played is 59–18–1, and 31–7 in the Jug era. The Mountaineers hold the trophy, having won each of the last nine games (2005–2013) and 26 of the last 28. No further games in the rivalry are scheduled following Appalachian's move to the Sun Belt Conference.

Stadium

College Field (1928–61)

College Field was the home of Appalachian football from 1928 to 1961. Located at the future site of Rankin Hall and Edwin Duncan Hall, the stadium was replaced by

Kidd Brewer Stadium Kidd Brewer Stadium is a 30,000-seat multi-purpose stadium located in Boone, North Carolina. Nicknamed "The Rock," the stadium is the home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers football, Appalachian State Mountaineers football team. Kidd Brewer ...

in 1962.

Kidd Brewer Stadium (1962–present)

Opened in 1962,

was originally named Conrad Stadium after former university trustee and

R.J. Reynolds Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The son of a tobacco farmer and major slaveowner, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry Coll ...

executive William J. Conrad. The stadium was renamed in 1988 for

Kidd Brewer Pierce Oliver "Kidd" Brewer (May 5, 1908 – November 22, 1991) was an American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two ...

who coached the Mountaineers from 1935 to 1938. Nicknamed "The Rock", it sits at an elevation of but is measured at for NCAA qualifications. The stadium was the first venue in either

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

to install

artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...

. On October 3, 1970, the Mountaineers and Elon Fightin' Christians staged the first ever game played on turf in the Carolinas. After a 2002 First Round I-AA playoff loss to

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, Appalachian compiled a 30-game unbeaten streak at Kidd Brewer Stadium that ended on October 20, 2007. The Mountaineers led the FCS in average attendance throughout the 2007, 2008, and 2010 seasons.

saw average crowds of 24,219, 25,161 and 25,715 respectively. ;Renovations Completed in 2009, the stadium has seen extensive renovations as part of a $50 million facilities improvement campaign. An upper deck with additional seating for 4,400 was added to the east (visitor) stands prior to the 2008 season. Additional restrooms and concessions have been added. Most significantly, rising behind the west (home) stands and replacing the former pressbox facilities, the KBS Complex was completed before the start of the 2009 season. The KBS Complex includes new stadium entrance plaza,

strength and conditioning Strength may refer to: Personal trait *Physical strength, as in people or animals *Character strengths like those listed in the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths, Values in Action Inventory *The exercise of Self-control, willpower Phys ...

rooms, a

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...

room,

locker rooms A changing room, locker room (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context), or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...

, athletics offices, stadium suites and

club seating Club-level seating is a special section of seating in modern sports stadiums and arenas that is more exclusive than other sections. Club-level seating usually offers additional amenities, such as special restaurants, bars, and lounges, that are n ...

. On February 28, 2017, the Appalachian State athletics office announced a construction project to increase the size of the video display board in Kidd-Brewer Stadium. The proposed video board is approximately 2,500 square feet (50' x 90'), with

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresp ...

display, 13HD technology and a

Daktronics Daktronics, Inc. is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota, that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, dynamic message signs, sound systems, and related products. It was found ...

custom audio system integrated into the video board. The cost of the project was estimated to be approximately $60 million and was completed prior to the 2017 season. Appalachian State constructed a new field house in the North End-zone to replace the 45-year-old Owens Field House which was demolished in February 2019. The new field house project had a budget of $45 million and added 1,000 new seats to

. The new field house includes athletic training, hydrotherapy and locker rooms, and nutrition science research areas, as well as conference and continuing education training space, potential medical office space, dining facilities, a team store and ticketing office, and offices for coaches and athletics staff. The project was completed in time for the 2021 football season.

Notable games

2002 Furman Paladins

The ''Miracle on the Mountain'' took place at Kidd Brewer Stadium on October 12, 2002, and was selected as the "ABC Sports Radio Call of the Year." In a low-scoring affair, the Paladins elected to attempt a

two-point conversion In gridiron football, a two-point conversion, two-point convert, or two-point attempt is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that ...

after scoring the go-ahead

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

with 7 seconds left in the game. Leading 15–14, Furman quarterback

Billy Napier William Hall Napier (born July 21, 1979) is an American football coach currently serving as head coach at the University of Florida. From 2017 until 2021, he was head coach at the University of Louisiana, amassing a 40–12 record in four season ...

's pass was intercepted by Josh Jeffries at the 4-yard line. He lateraled the ball to Derrick Black who returned it for a score giving the Mountaineers a 16–15 win. UMich App St at line

2007 Michigan Wolverines

On September 1, 2007, the Appalachian State football team traveled to

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

to play their season opener at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. A sellout crowd of over 109,000 fans packed

Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "the Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the wo ...

, becoming the largest crowd to ever witness an ASU football game.

Appalachian State Appalachian State University (), or App State, is a public research university in Boone, North Carolina, United States. It was founded as a teachers' college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dou ...

beat AP No. 5

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

34–32 and became the first FCS football team to defeat an FBS team ranked in the AP poll. This victory was seen by some analysts to be one of the greatest upsets in NCAA football history. Following the win, they were featured on the cover of the following week's issue of ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

''.

2018 Sun Belt Championship

On December 1, 2018, Appalachian State played in and won the first ever Sun Belt Championship Game, hosting the Ragin' Cajuns of

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a Public university, public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus Universi ...

. This momentous game, broadcast on

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

, saw the Mountaineers come out on top 30–19. This gave the Mountaineers a berth to the 2018 New Orleans Bowl, which Appalachian State won 45–13 over Middle Tennessee State.

2019 North Carolina Tar Heels

On September 21, 2019, the Mountaineers defeated

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Appalachian entered the game as a 3-point underdog against UNC and their returning coach Mack Brown. UNC opened the game with a long kick off return followed by a one play touchdown to take the lead 7–0. App State responded with 20 unanswered points including a Demetrius Taylor fumble recovery for a touchdown and Darrynton Evans rushing touchdown set up by Demetrius Taylor's interception. UNC came back to cut the halftime score to 27–17 in favor of Appalachian State. UNC scored first in the 3rd quarter to cut the lead to 27–24. The Mountaineers responded with a four-play touchdown drive capped with Darrynton Evans' 3rd rushing touchdown of the game. UNC scored again in the 4th quarter and kept Appalachian's offense in check, bringing the score to 34–31 Mountaineers in the final minutes. With 40 seconds left UNC drove down the field and lined up to attempt a 56-yard field with 5 seconds left. App State linebacker

Akeem Davis-Gaither Akeem Brian Davis-Gaither (born September 21, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously played in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played colleg ...

burst through the line and tipped the ball to solidify the Mountaineer victory.

2019 Sun Belt Championship

On December 7, 2019, Appalachian State also played in and won the second ever Sun Belt Championship Game, again hosting the Ragin' Cajuns of

. The Mountaineers won an offense-laden game, 45–38. Appalachian State went on to win the 2019 New Orleans Bowl over UAB, 31–17.

2022 Texas A&M Aggies

On September 10, 2022, the Mountaineers faced off against Texas A&M. With the Aggies ranked sixth in the week's Associated Press poll, Appalachian State was a 19-point underdog after falling in a narrow 63-61 decision against North Carolina in opening week play. Thanks to an offensive effort that controlled the ball for over 41 minutes of game time, the Mountaineers earned an improbable 17–14 victory, earning their first win over a top 10 opponent since the triumph over Michigan. The final scoring effort was an 18-play, 63-yard drive that took over nine minutes to finish before Michael Hughes kicked a 29-yard field goal. The Aggies missed a field goal on their own final possession, allowing App State to run out the final 3:43.

Individual award winners

National award winners – players

Buck Buchanan Award The Buck Buchanan Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football, and was first given in 1995 after the Walter Payton Award was ...

:''FCS National Defensive Player of the Year'' :1995:

Dexter Coakley William Dexter Coakley (born October 20, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football in Division I-AA for the Appalachian Stat ...

:1996: Dexter Coakley *Buck Buchanan Award Finalists :1995:

(1st) :1996: Dexter Coakley (1st) :1999: Corey Hall (N/A) :2000: Joe Best (13th) :2001: Josh Jeffries (7th) :2002: Josh Jeffries (8th) :2003: K.T. Stovall (11th) :2005:

Marques Murrell Marques Allen Murrell (born March 20, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Appalachian State Mountaineers and was signed by the P ...

(9th) :2006: Marques Murrell (3rd) & Jeremy Wiggins (9th) :2007:

Corey Lynch Corey Austin Lynch (born May 7, 1985) is an American former professional football safety. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at Appalachian State. Early life Corey grad ...

(2nd) :2008: Mark LeGree (3rd) :2009: Mark LeGree (5th) :2012: Jeremy Kimbrough (2nd) & Demetrius McCray (16th) *

Walter Payton Award The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports ...

:''FCS National Offensive Player of the Year'' :2008: Armanti Edwards :2009: Armanti Edwards *Walter Payton Award Finalists :2004: DaVon Fowlkes (3rd) & Richie Williams (15th) :2005: Richie Williams (6th) :2006: Kevin Richardson (12th) :2007: Kevin Richardson (10th) :2008: Armanti Edwards (1st) :2009: Armanti Edwards (1st) :2010: DeAndre Presley (3rd) :2011: Brian Quick (15th) :2012: Jamal Jackson (14th)

National award winners – coaches

Eddie Robinson Award The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). The award was established by The Sports Network, since merged into Stats Perfor ...

:''National Coach of the Year'' :2006: Jerry Moore *

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

(AFCA) :''National Coach of the Year'' :2005: Jerry Moore :2006: Jerry Moore :2007: Jerry Moore

Southern Conference honors

*Male Athlete of the Year :'' Bob Waters Award'' :1979–80: Rick Beasley :1986–87: John Settle :1995–96:

:1996–97: Dexter Coakley :2004–05: DaVon Fowlkes :2005–06: Richie Williams :2006–07:

:2009–10: Armanti Edwards *Offensive Player of the Year :''Roy M. "Legs" Hawley Award (media)'' :1979: Rick Beasley ''(media)'' :1986: John Settle ''(media)'' :2004: DaVon Fowlkes ''(coaches and media)'' :2005: Richie Williams ''(coaches and media)'' :2006: Kevin Richardson ''(coaches and media)'' :2008: Armanti Edwards ''(coaches and media)'' :2009: Armanti Edwards ''(coaches and media)'' :2010: DeAndre Presley ''(coaches and media)'' *Defensive Player of the Year :1987: Anthony Downs ''(media)'' :1991: Rico Mack ''(media)'' :1992: Avery Hall ''(coaches and media)'' :1994:

''(coaches and media)'' :1995: Dexter Coakley ''(coaches and media)'' :1996: Dexter Coakley ''(coaches and media)'' :2002: Josh Jeffries ''(coaches and media)'' :2003: K.T. Stovall ''(coaches)'' :2006:

''(coaches)'' :2007:

''(coaches and media)'' :2008: Jacque Roman ''(coaches)'' :2012: Jeremy Kimbrough ''(coaches)'' *Freshman of the Year :1983: John Settle ''(media)'' :1985: Tim Sanders ''(media)'' :1991: Chip Hooks ''(coaches and media)'' :1993:

''(coaches and media)'' :2006: Armanti Edwards ''(coaches and media)'' :2012: Sean Price ''(coaches and media)'' *

Jacobs Blocking Trophy The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of William P. Jacobs, son of the founder and president of Presbyterian Colleg ...

:1976: Gill Beck :1977: Gill Beck :1987: James Hardman :1989: Derrick Graham :2005: Matt Isenhour :2006: Kerry Brown :2007: Kerry Brown :2009: Mario Acitelli *Coach of the Year :''

Wallace Wade William Wallace Wade (June 15, 1892 – October 6, 1986) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama fr ...

Award (media)'' :1985:

Sparky Woods Phillip Perry "Sparky" Woods (born December 20, 1953) is an American college football coach. He was most recently a senior adviser for the football team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Woods served as the head football coach a ...

''(media)'' :1986: Sparky Woods ''(media)'' :1987: Sparky Woods ''(media)'' :1991: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)'' :1994: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)'' :1995: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)'' :2005: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)'' :2006: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)'' :2008: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)'' :2009: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)'' :2010: Jerry Moore ''(coaches and media)''

Sun Belt Conference honors

*Offensive Player of the Year :2016: Jalin Moore :2018: Zac Thomas :2019: Darrynton Evans *Defensive Player of the Year :2015: Ronald Blair :2019:

:2021: D’Marco Jackson *Freshman of the Year :2014: Taylor Lamb :2016: Clifton Duck *Newcomer of the Year :2021: Chase Brice :2023:

Joey Aguilar Joey Aguilar is an American football quarterback who plays for the Tennessee Volunteers. He previously played for the Appalachian State Mountaineers and the Diablo Valley College Vikings. Early life Aguilar attended Freedom High School, wher ...

*Coach of the Year :2018:

Scott Satterfield Fredric Scott Satterfield (born December 21, 1972) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Satterfield served as the hea ...

Other awards and honors

Kirkland Blocking Trophy :1964: Larry Hand National Statistical Champion :1936: Len Wilson (scoring) :1974: Joe Parker (punting) :1979: Rick Beasley (receiving) :1991: Harold Alexander (punting) :1992: Harold Alexander (punting) :2004: DaVon Fowlkes (receptions, receiving yards, all-purpose yards)

Hall of Fame selections

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

:2024: Armanti Edwards :2011:

:2014: Jerry Moore *

Southern Conference Hall of Fame The Southern Conference Hall of Fame, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA, is a hall of fame devoted to former Southern Conference student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. The Hall of Fame, with an inaugural class of 10, was establis ...

:2011:

:2014: Jerry Moore

Retired numbers

Players selected in the NFL draft

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of May 2, 2025. ;Notes

References

External links

* {{Sun Belt Conference football navbox American football teams established in 1928 1928 establishments in North Carolina