Carolina opponent preview: Appalachian State

Saturday, Sept. 21 (TBA) at Kenan Stadium

Last meeting: Carolina 56, App State 6 (Sept. 21, 1940)

All-time series: Carolina 1-0

Head coach: Eliah Drinkwitz, first season.

Sun Belt preseason poll: First East, First overall.

Key losses: Coach Scott Satterfield, RB Jalin Moore, RT Chandler Greer, C Tobias Edge-Campbell, DT MyQuon Stout, DE Okon Godwin, LB Anthony Flory, CB Clifton Duck, CB Tae Hayes, S Austin Exford.

Key returners: QB Zac Thomas, RB Darrynton Evans, WR Corey Sutton, WR Thomas Hennigan, TE Collin Reed, LT Victor Johnson, C Noah Hannon, LG Ryan Neuzil, RG Baer Hunter, DE Chris Willis, DE Demetrius Taylor, DE Elijah Diarrassouba, LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB Jordan Fehr, S Desmond Franklin, S Josh Thomas, P Clayton Howell, K Chandler Staton.

Top newcomers: WR Keishawn Watson (graduate transfer, Western Michigan), CB Willie Edwards (graduate transfer, Illinois State), QB David Baldwin-Griffin.

Getting to know the Mountaineers, quickly

How is this only the second time these teams have met? Absolute travesty. Good thing two more games are set for 2022 in Boone and 2023 back at Kenan.
Since becoming a full-fledged member of FBS four seasons ago, all App State has done is win 41 games, four bowl games, three Sun Belt titles and come within a hair of upsets at Penn State and Tennessee. Not a bad run.
The architect of that success, Satterfield, is now at Louisville. His replacement, Drinkwitz, arrives after three seasons as N.C. State's offensive coordinator. After finishing 63rd nationally in total offense in his first season, the Wolfpack ranked inside the top 30 in each of the past two seasons.
App State's biggest losses from last season are on defense, where Duck, Hayes and Stout are currently battling for NFL rosters spots. Still, there's plenty of talent back for a group that ranked sixth nationally in total defense and fourth in scoring last season.
Are there concerns about a new coordinator, with Ted Roof taking over? Last year's success came with first-year coordinator in Bryan Brown, although he'd been on the staff. This has been App State's identity over the past several years and Roof is adjusting his philosophy to stick with the 3-4.
The offense returns nine starters, with seven of them having been chosen for All-Sun Belt teams last season. Among that group is Thomas, a dual-threat, who competed 63 percent of his pass attempts for 2,039 yards with 21 TD and 6 INT while rushing for an other 504 yards and 10 TD. He was the league's offensive player of the year for his efforts.
He'll have an embarrassment of riches in the backfield with Evans (179 car., 1,187 yards, 7 TD), who began the season as the backup before taking over after Moore was injured. Marcus Williams, the original third-string back, went for 561 yards and 4 TD on 122 carries, and behind him, redshirt Camerun Peoples showed some promise with 164 yards on 17 carries.
Sutton (44 rec., 773 yards, 10 TD) can take the top off the defense while Hennigan (29 rec., 327 yards, 1 TD) is the prototypical possession receiver.
There are going to be nothing short of one million* App State fans in Chapel Hill for the game and they will begin their tailgates early. They will bring moonshine and they will be willing to share. Make friend with them.

In conclusion...

It would certainly seem App State is headed for a big season, right? As long as the new staff doesn't tinker with too much, it would certainly seem that way. No pressure.

All signs point to this being one of the best Group of Five teams in the nation, and if things break right, App State could be playing in a New Year's Six bowl game. Getting through the Sun Belt unblemished is key, but two big opportunities exist on the schedule with trips to Carolina and South Carolina.

What would a win mean for Carolina?

Regardless of whether App State goes on to win 11 games this season, some fans will see beating an in-state, Group of Five school as something unworthy of celebration.

That's not the case here, as this would be a really nice win for the Tar Heels.

With Brown's focus on in-state recruiting, he has to win every in-state game. App State isn't landing some of the five- or four-star players that Carolina pursues, but the Mountaineers do land some of those three-star players that could offer the type of quality depth the Tar Heels are lacking.

On the field, a Carolina victory will mean big steps have been made on the defensive side of the ball, particularly at stopping a rushing attack that can hurt opponents in several ways. That would be a huge step for a team that hasn't shown any ability to do that in recent years.

What would a loss mean for Carolina?

Regardless of whether App State goes on to win 11 games this season, some fans will see losing to an in-state, Group of Five school as unacceptable.

There's no doubt that Carolina recruits a higher-caliber athlete than App State and both coaches would readily admit that. That doesn't equate to being a high-caliber player or a high-caliber team, though.

If the Tar Heels lose this one, it's likely because its defense simply couldn't keep up with what will be one of the nation's more efficient groups. This is a veteran football team that won't beat itself, and if they're overlooked for a second, the Mountaineers will walk out of Chapel Hill with a victory.

Neat college football thing

Covering App State was my first college beat, taking me to an awesome cabin in Blowing Rock in Aug. 2015.

Few experiences will compare to that season, following the Mountaineers through their first season of bowl-eligibility as an FBS program. Travels took me from Moscow, Idaho to Monroe, La., and in every stadium that season, there was some presence of App State fans. In the Georgia Dome, they even outnumbered Georgia State fans.

Leading up to the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., they took over the city and enjoyed every minute of the long (and somewhat controversial) road from becoming an FCS powerhouse to college football's highest level.

There's no place more beautiful than Kidd Brewer Stadium to catch a game in the fall and no better town than Boone to visit during football season with a fanbase that's, pound-for-pound, as good as any college football.