# 2024 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team

The 2024 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mountaineers were led by Shawn Clark in his fifth year as the head coach. The Mountaineers played their home games at the Kidd Brewer Stadium, located in Boone, North Carolina.
Shawn Clark was fired as the Mountaineers' head coach on December 2, finishing his career at Appalachian State with an overall record of 40–24. This was the Mountaineers' first losing season since 2013, and the program's first losing season at the FBS level. On December 7, South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains was hired as the Mountaineers' new head coach.

## Preseason
### Media poll

In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Mountaineers were picked to finish first place in the East division.
Media poll (East division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Appalachian State | 96 (12) |
| 2 | James Madison | 79 (2) |
| 3 | Coastal Carolina | 67 |
| 4 | Georgia Southern | 50 |
| 5 | Marshall | 49 |
| 6 | Old Dominion | 32 |
| 7 | Georgia State | 19 |
Quarterback Joey Aguilar was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Aguilar, was well as tight end Eli Wilson and wide receiver Kaedin Robinson, were awarded to be in the preseason All-Sun Belt first team offense. Defensive lineman Santana Hopper, linebacker Nate Johnson, and defensive backs Jordan Favors and Ethan Johnson made the All-Sun Belt first team defense.
Running back Kanye Roberts and placekicker Michael Hughes were named to the second team offense and special teams, respectively.

## Schedule

The football schedule was announced on March 1, 2024.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 3:30 p.m. | East Tennessee State* | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 38–10 | 36,232 |
| September 7 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 25 Clemson* | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ACCN | L 20–66 | 81,500 |
| September 14 | 4:00 p.m | at East Carolina* | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | ESPNU | W 21–19 | 46,117 |
| September 19 | 7:30 p.m. | South Alabama | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN | L 14–48 | 34,133 |
| September 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Liberty* | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | Canceled | |
| October 5 | 3:30 p.m. | at Marshall | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV (rivalry) | ESPN+ | L 37–52 | 28,023 |
| October 12 | 7:30 p.m. | at Louisiana | Cajun FieldLafayette, LA | ESPN+ | L 24–34 | 14,058 |
| October 26 | 1:00 p.m. | Georgia State | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 33–26 | 33,783 |
| November 2 | 2:30 p.m. | Old Dominion | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 28–20 | 34,954 |
| November 7 | 8:00 p.m. | at Coastal Carolina | Brooks StadiumConway, SC | ESPN | L 24–38 | 19,415 |
| November 23 | 2:30 p.m. | James Madison | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | W 34–20 | 34,012 |
| November 30 | 6:00 p.m. | at Georgia Southern | Paulson StadiumStatesboro, GA (rivalry) | ESPN+ | L 20–29 | 23,383 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### East Tennessee State (FCS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers (FCS) | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Mountaineers | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC
* Date: August 31, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 78 °F (26 °C) • Wind: N 4 mph
* Game attendance: 36,232
* Referee: Tim Barker
* TV: ESPN+
Game information :
First Quarter
(12:18) APP – Christian Horn 83-yard pass from Joey Aguilar, Michael Hughes kick (Drive: 2 plays, 85 yards, 0:44; Appalachian State 7–0)
(4:03) APP – Michael Hughes 32-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 4:24; Appalachian State 10–0)
Second Quarter
(7:38) APP – Joey Aguilar 1-yard run, Michael Hughes kick (Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:13; Appalachian State 17–0)
(1:49) ETSU – Devontae Houston 80-yard run, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 2 plays, 85 yards, 0:46; Appalachian State 17–7)
Third Quarter
(5:49) ETSU – Ewan Johnson 25-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:05; Appalachian State 17–10)
(3:14) APP – Eli Wilson 34-yard pass from Joey Aguilar, Michael Hughes kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:35; Appalachian State 24–10)
Fourth Quarter
(14:48) APP – Makai Jackson 47-yard run, Michael Hughes kick (Drive: 2 plays, 54 yards, 0:52; Appalachian State 31–10)
(8:39) APP – Joey Aguilar 1-yard run, Michael Hughes kick (Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:14; Appalachian State 38–10)
Win Probability
Line
Over/Under :
| Statistics | ETSU | APP |
| First downs | 15 | 22 |
| Total yards | 305 | 500 |
| Rushing yards | 183 | 174 |
| Passing yards | 122 | 326 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 11–20–0 | 22–36–0 |
| Time of possession | 30:30 | 28:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| East Tennessee State | Passing | Jaylen King | 10/19, 122 yards |
| East Tennessee State | Rushing | Devontae Houston | 15 carries, 126 yards, TD |
| East Tennessee State | Receiving | Cameron Lewis | 3 receptions, 47 yards |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 22/36, 326 yards, 2 TD |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Makai Jackson | 1 carry, 47 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 8 receptions, 103 yards |

### at No. 25 Clemson

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| No. 25 Tigers | 35 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 66 |
at Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
* Date: September 7, 2024
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: NE 8 mph • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 81,500
* Referee: Stuart Mullins
* TV announcers (ACCN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), and Dawn Boyle (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | APP | CLEM |
| First downs | 24 | 28 |
| Total yards | 363 | 712 |
| Rushing yards | 149 | 252 |
| Passing yards | 214 | 460 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–43–2 | 32–39–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:27 | 31:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 18/41, 214 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Anderson Castle | 7 carries, 80 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 3 receptions, 58 yards |
| Clemson | Passing | Cade Klubnik | 24/46, 378 yards, 5 TD |
| Clemson | Rushing | Phil Mafah | 10 carries, 118 yards, TD |
| Clemson | Receiving | Bryant Wesco Jr. | 3 receptions, 130 yards, TD |

### at East Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Pirates | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, North Carolina
* Date: September 14, 2024
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: NE at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)
* Game attendance: 46,117
* Referee: Kevin Randall
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
| Statistics | APP | ECU |
| First downs | 25 | 16 |
| Total yards | 505 | 324 |
| Rushing yards | 81 | 98 |
| Passing yards | 424 | 226 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 32–47–2 | 18–28–1 |
| Time of possession | 39:00 | 21:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 32/47, 424 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Anderson Castle | 17 carries, 40 yards |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 7 receptions, 129 yards |
| East Carolina | Passing | Jake Garcia | 18/28, 226 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| East Carolina | Rushing | Rahjai Harris | 18 carries, 87 yards |
| East Carolina | Receiving | Winston Wright Jr. | 3 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD |

### South Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 14 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 48 |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC
* Date: September 19, 2024
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Wind: N 3 mph
* Game attendance: 34,133
* Referee: Marshall Lewis
* TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Dan Mullen (analyst) and Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
| Statistics | USA | APP |
| First downs | 26 | 23 |
| Total yards | 474 | 385 |
| Rushing yards | 320 | 119 |
| Passing yards | 154 | 266 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–24–1 | 21–40–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:12 | 25:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| South Alabama | Passing | Gio Lopez | 16/24, 154 yards, 2 TD |
| South Alabama | Rushing | Fluff Bothwell | 14 carries, 116 yards, 2 TD |
| South Alabama | Receiving | Jamaal Pritchett | 6 receptions, 68 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 21/40, 266 yards, TD, INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Maquel Haywood | 7 carries, 47 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 6 receptions, 85 yards |

### Liberty

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Flames | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| Mountaineers | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina
* Date: September 28, 2024 (canceled)
* Game time: Canceled, due to Hurricane Helene

### at Marshall (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 3 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 37 |
| Thundering Herd | 7 | 21 | 10 | 14 | 52 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV
* Date: October 5, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 28,023
* Referee: Tim Barker
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Martin (play-by-play) and Keith Morehouse (analyst)
| Statistics | APP | MRSH |
| First downs | 32 | 21 |
| Total yards | 473 | 365 |
| Rushing yards | 180 | 236 |
| Passing yards | 293 | 129 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 26–44–2 | 8–14–0 |
| Time of possession | 35:34 | 24:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 26/44, 293 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Joey Aguilar | 10 carries, 55 yards |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 8 receptions, 94 yardds |
| Marshall | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 8/14, 129 yards, 3 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Braylon Braxton | 15 carries, 140 yards, 2 TD |
| Marshall | Receiving | Jordan Houston | 1 reception, 75 yards, 1 TD |

### at Louisiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 3 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
at Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA
* Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
* Game time: 7:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 14,058
* Referee: Steven Robinson
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | APP | LA |
| First downs | 25 | 19 |
| Total yards | 391 | 364 |
| Rushing yards | 155 | 166 |
| Passing yards | 236 | 198 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–42–4 | 14–23–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:40 | 29:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 20/42, 236 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Kanye Roberts | 26 carries, 148 yards |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 7 receptions, 96 yards |
| Louisiana | Passing | Ben Wooldridge | 14/23, 198 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Zylan Perry | 14 carries, 53 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Terrance Carter | 4 receptions, 107 yards, TD |

### Georgia State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
| Mountaineers | 2 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 33 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC
* Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 67 °F (19 °C) • Wind: SE 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
* Game attendance: 33,783
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPN+): David Jackson (play-by-play) and Avery Hall (analyst)
| Statistics | GAST | APP |
| First downs | 20 | 25 |
| Total yards | 386 | 479 |
| Rushing yards | 194 | 180 |
| Passing yards | 192 | 299 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–22–0 | 18–27–0 |
| Time of possession | 30:34 | 29:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Georgia State | Passing | Zach Gibson | 16/22, 192 yards, TD |
| Georgia State | Rushing | Michel Dukes | 6 carries, 81 yards, TD |
| Georgia State | Receiving | Ted Hurst | 3 receptions, 57 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 18/27, 299 yards, 3 TD |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Ahmani Marshall | 18 carries, 115 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 5 receptions, 121 yards |

### Old Dominion

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Monarchs | 3 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Mountaineers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC
* Date: Saturday November 2, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: NW 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
* Game attendance: 34,954
* Referee: Marshall Lewis
* TV announcers (ESPN+): David Jackson (play-by-play) and Avery Hall (analyst)
| Statistics | ODU | APP |
| First downs | 26 | 20 |
| Total yards | 498 | 396 |
| Rushing yards | 166 | 184 |
| Passing yards | 332 | 212 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–38–1 | 13–24–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:46 | 28:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Old Dominion | Passing | Colton Joseph | 27/38, 332 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Old Dominion | Rushing | Aaron Young | 14 carries, 110 yards |
| Old Dominion | Receiving | Isiah Page | 13 receptions, 205 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 13/24, 212 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Ahmani Marshall | 23 carries, 120 yards |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 4 receptions, 78 yards, TD |

### at Coastal Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| Chanticleers | 14 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
at Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC
* Date: Thursday November 7, 2024
* Game time: 8:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 19,415
* Referee: Ted Pitts
* TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Dan Mullen (analyst) and Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
| Statistics | APP | CCU |
| First downs | 23 | 19 |
| Total yards | 376 | 353 |
| Rushing yards | 150 | 203 |
| Passing yards | 226 | 150 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–31–2 | 14–18–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:15 | 30:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 17/31, 226 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Ahmani Marshall | 28 carries, 124 yards, 2 TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Kaedin Robinson | 5 receptions, 76 yards, TD |
| Coastal Carolina | Passing | Ethan Vasko | 14/18, 150 yards, TD |
| Coastal Carolina | Rushing | Braydon Bennett | 9 carries, 88 yards, 3 TD |
| Coastal Carolina | Receiving | Braydon Bennett | 4 receptions, 33 yards |

### James Madison

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dukes | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
at Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC
* Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Snow • Temperature: 40 °F (4 °C) • Wind: NW 27 miles per hour (43 km/h)
* Game attendance: 34,012
* Referee: Trennis Livingston
* TV announcers (ESPN+): David Jackson (play-by-play) and Avery Hall (analyst)
| Statistics | JMU | APP |
| First downs | 22 | 17 |
| Total yards | 400 | 361 |
| Rushing yards | 168 | 145 |
| Passing yards | 232 | 216 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–36–1 | 12–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 34:05 | 25:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| James Madison | Passing | Alonza Barnett III | 21/36, 232 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| James Madison | Rushing | George Pettaway | 12 carries, 82 yards |
| James Madison | Receiving | Yamir Knight | 5 receptions, 60 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 12/23, 216 yards, 2 TD |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Ahmani Marshall | 24 carries, 108 yards, TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Makai Jackson | 5 receptions, 162 yards, TD |

### at Georgia Southern (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mountaineers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Eagles | 8 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 29 |
at Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, GA
* Date: Saturday November 30, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 40 °F (4 °C)
* Referee: Jeremy Parker
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | APP | GASO |
| First downs | 25 | 23 |
| Total yards | 465 | 357 |
| Rushing yards | 175 | 191 |
| Passing yards | 290 | 166 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19-35-2 | 16-19-0 |
| Time of possession | 30:33 | 29:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Appalachian State | Passing | Joey Aguilar | 19/35, 290 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| Appalachian State | Rushing | Ahmani Marshall | 24 carries, 127 yards, 1 TD |
| Appalachian State | Receiving | Makai Jackson | 8 receptions, 157 yards, 1 TD |
| Georgia Southern | Passing | JC French | 16/19, 166 yards, 1 TD |
| Georgia Southern | Rushing | Jalen White | 18 carries, 175 yards, 3 TDs |
| Georgia Southern | Receiving | Josh Dallas | 4 receptions, 53 yards, 1 TD |