Three games into the 2016 season, Appalachian State’s third after transitioning into the FBS, the Mountaineers hosted what was then considered to be the most significant football game in their history. Anticipation built for weeks. A capacity crowd of nearly 35,000, then a school record, filled Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone.
And then App State endured a humbling 45-10 defeat against Miami. For a program still adjusting to a higher level of competition, the defeat offered proof — 35 points worth — of how far it had to go before it could contend with teams far wealthier and more talented.
“We weren’t ready for it,” said Shawn Clark, the App State head coach who was then in charge of the Mountaineers’ offensive line. He reflected recently on that defeat, and the distance App had traveled since. “And now,” he continued, “we’re ready for these opportunities to come along.”
