It’s a Great Time to Be a Mountaineer

appstatesports.com

First of all, I’d like to say that it’s ALWAYS a great time to be a Mountaineer.  It’s great to be a (Appalachian State) Mountaineer when things are going bad, just as it is when things are going well.  And right now, things are going pretty well.  This past weekend was a huge, huge moment in App State football history for two reasons.  The first one being simply getting the victory against one of the nation’s top college football teams.

Now, the program has done this before.  Everyone remembers perhaps the biggest upset in college football history when App State went into the University of Michigan and took down the fifth ranked Wolverines.  That, by far, was the biggest moment in App State football history because App was just an FCS school at the time, and winning a game like that put them on the national stage for the first time.  Even this past weekend’s win against Texas A&M doesn’t come close to that, because that’s what got it all started and put App on the map.  But leaving College Station by handing the number six team in the country was without a doubt one of the biggest moments ever for the Mountaineers and the program.

Everyone knows App State by now as the team that give bigger college football programs very close games just about every year. Time and time again, they have gone to other big-time college football schools and gave their team a good scare with many being close losses.  A few were even overtime losses.  They have also come out on top of some big games in recent years as well, such as taking down UNC and South Carolina.  But beating a top-tier team like Texas A&M (in the “almighty” SEC) is on a different level.  It proves to the program, college football fans, and every program in the nation that Appalachian State is a team that has the potential to hang with anyone.  They will keep getting those top-level games on national television, and you know who wants to play in those games…..recruits.

al.com

Speaking of recruits, they will love what is happening this weekend in Boone.  And that’s the other reason why this past weekend’s result was so monumental.  For the first time in history, ESPN’s College Gameday is coming to Boone.  After the big win, I guess the ESPN crew figured it was finally time to head up the mountain and see what the school and Boone are all about.  They earned it.  And it can’t be overstated just how big of a moment it will be.  College football recruits, just like college football fans all over the country, tune into ESPN every Saturday morning to get a glimpse of the atmosphere, the slate of games on the schedule, and for the crew to make their picks.  It’s a great tradition for college football fans.  So when recruits wake up Saturday morning and see the guys in Boone, NC, it should do nothing but great things for the program going forward.

Aside from the recruiting standpoint, it’s just always so much fun watching your school do so well on the football field.  Ever since making the jump to the FBS, Appalachian State has been among the most successful programs in the country.  Watching my team win mostly week after week is a lot of fun, and watching them compete with big schools is so much fun too.  When they end up winning against those big schools is one of the best feelings because it gets the attention of the everyone around the college football world.

Now that the big game is behind us, I hope the team can settle into the Sun Belt schedule and continue to take care of business.  Maybe we will end up with a big bowl game this year.  Time will tell.  But one thing is for sure…it’s great to be a Mountaineer.

Garett