Can Appalachian State win the Sun Belt?

The Appalachian State Mountaineers were voted the winners of the Sun Belt East in the preseason coaches poll, receiving 12 of 14 first-place votes, but after an inconsistent start to the season, the Mountaineers will look to solidify their place in the conference.

They open Sun Belt play against South Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) with a 2-1 record and hope to reclaim their first conference title since 2019.

App State has had a winding road to get here.

After winning at least nine games from 2015 to 2021, 2022 has been a rollercoaster. The Mountaineers opened with a 63-61 loss to North Carolina, followed by a 17-14 road win over No. 6 Texas A&M in College Station. That win prompted a “College GameDay” visit for their game against Troy, which they won on a Hail Mary 32-28.

They then lost nine of their next 16 games. That stretch was atypical for App State, a team that has had just one losing season since 1983 and has the sixth-most wins of any team in the country since 2014.

“When I look back now, and I really didn't realize this at the time – our players were mentally exhausted after three weeks,” said head coach Shawn Clark. “And I failed to get them back on their feet mentally. Physically we were fine. Mentally we weren't there, just the outside noise was there, and then with the kids and social media, etc., they feel the pressure to go out and win. And then it didn't work out.”

The Mountaineers finished the 2022 season 6-6.

Clark said the team named the next season “Reset '23” to show it would return to its core values. But even that took time after a 3-4 start. After a 28-21 loss to Old Dominion and a seven-hour bus ride back to Boone, North Carolina, Clark tried to find the right message.

Clark looked through his phone and found a picture of a man digging with a hoe. In the picture, the man was only an inch away from hitting diamonds, but instead he narrowly missed what he was looking for.

He showed the picture to his team, brought in a hoe and said: “You are so close to breaking through and making it. If you believe in it, we can still become champions.”

So the Mountaineers kept going. They had no choice. In their next game against Southern Miss, they trailed until they took the lead with just under seven minutes left. They managed to pull out that win, and then four more in a row (one at James Madison with “College GameDay” in Harrisonburg, Virginia) to reach the Sun Belt title game.

Despite the turnaround, the Mountaineers narrowly missed their goal, losing 49-23 in Troy. But it was clear that Clark had managed to turn his program around.

That was in part due to the uptick in performance from quarterback Joey Aguilar, the 2023 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and All-Sun Belt second-team honoree. Aguilar, who transferred from Diablo Valley Community College, struggled in his first four games after replacing Ryan Burger, who initially secured the starting quarterback job before suffering a season-ending finger injury in the opening game. According to ESPN's Bill Connelly, Aguilar had a 58% completion rate, 12.2 yards per completion, 240.8 yards per game and ranked 50th nationally in Total QBR. In the nine games after that, he had a 67% completion rate, 13.1 yards per completion, 295.1 yards per game and ranked 19th in Total QBR.

In 14 games, Aguilar completed 63.7% of his passes for 3,757 yards, 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also had 245 yards on the ground and three touchdowns.

The things that kept Aguilar from being on the starting lineup from day one, he improved over the course of the season.

“He tried to force so many plays,” Clark said. “We always tell our quarterbacks: If you control the football and score touchdowns, you're going to be the starting quarterback.”

He added: “He can throw any ball. But he's learned how to get through to the running back, he's learned how to throw the ball away and how to end every possession with a kick. That's why I say it's OK to punt sometimes, we should let our defense play. You don't have to win the game for us, but you can't lose it for us either.”

When asked what made the change in his game, Aguilar said, “Game replays, film replays and just not trying to force things. Just taking what the defense gives me.” That's why he was named the 2024 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

He's also the kind of leader the team – Clark included – needs. “Joey is California cool, man. When he throws a pick, he taps you on the butt and says, 'I got you, coach,'” Clark said. “Or when he throws a touchdown, he taps you on the butt and says, 'I got you, coach.' That's just the way he is. He was good for me last year; he calmed me down.”

“Things happen,” Aguilar said. “I just try to make more plays than the other player and learn from my mistakes. I go out there and have fun and try to make fewer mistakes than them.”

This season, Clark hopes App State is the team that keeps fighting and doesn't give up. In Week 1, App State beat ETSU 38-10 at home, but lost to Clemson 66-20 the following week. After trailing 16-0 in the first quarter against East Carolina last Saturday in Greenville, they turned the game around and won 21-19.

The games against Clemson and East Carolina showed that away games are not going to be easy. Another non-conference game against a Group of 5 power in Liberty will be a challenge. Conference away games against Marshall and Louisiana follow in October, and away games against Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern in November, with a home game against James Madison in between.

“Our schedule is not easy, we know that,” Clark said. “We tell them we have to play great football in the beginning and then finish strong in November. And they know those conference games are going to be tough. But it's all about how you prepare in the offseason.”

Clark has made his training more physical this offseason. “I'm an old school guy,” he said. That meant more tackling in training. “It gives you the scars you need for the tough games in October and November that you have to win. That's what we're all about here at App.”

In the off-season, his team also skis Howard's Knob Park, a 2.2-mile, continuously uphill run. In the summer, they also ski App Ski Mountain, a black run known for its steep terrain.

“It was tough, but we did it. That's what sets us apart from other programs,” Clark said.

On Thursday, App State will face a South Alabama team that just earned its first win of the season, 87-10 against Northwestern State – a game that ended after just 54 minutes of play after both coaches agreed to shorten the fourth quarter by six minutes.

“It's not going to be easy,” Clark said of playing on a short week. “But the good thing is we're playing at home and the stadium should be sold out. And that always gives us an advantage. We have one of the best atmospheres in all of college football.”

Aguilar said, “In this first conference game, we want to set the tone and show everyone that we are here and not only were we voted in first place, but that we actually came here to get first place and justify it.”