Appalachian State football will travel to Boise State for the first of the teams’ home-and-home series. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday. This is the second-ever matchup between the G5 programs. The previous matchup was a 17-14 win for the Broncos in the 1994 FCS playoff quarterfinals.
Game Vitals
- 🏈 Matchup: App State (2-1) at Boise State (2-1)
- 📍 Location: Albertsons Stadium — Boise, Idaho
- ⏰ Kickoff: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT
- 📺 TV: FS1
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers are coming off a bye week following their 38-22 loss at Southern Mississippi on Sept. 13. The team struggled in its first loss, with redshirt junior quarterback AJ Swann throwing three interceptions in the red zone.
Swann then left the game with an injury and freshman Noah Gillon stepped in but could not get the job done to complete a comeback. The defense did not play at its best, giving up 38 points and 389 yards of total offense. The bye week gave App State more time to rest and prepare for the big test ahead against a team that made the College Football Playoff in 2024
Appalachian State head coach Dowell Loggains understands the challenge: “They are well coached. It’ll be an awesome challenge to have to travel a long way to go play a really good opponent,” Loggains said during his weekly press conference.
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄 @BroncoSportsFB ⇢ 96 wins since ‘15@AppState_FB ⇢ 95 wins since ‘15#GoApp #BeatBoise pic.twitter.com/vC2t0fWV0Q — App State Football (@AppState_FB) September 24, 2025
App State Key Players
AJ Swann had a rough going against the Golden Eagles after stellar performances against teams like Charlotte and Lindenwood. He threw three interceptions within the 10-yard line leaving critical points on the board. He also left this game with injury and Loggains said he is unsure if he will be 100 percent for Saturday.
Gillon completed 11 of his 24 passes for 109 yards at Southern Miss. His play against a solid defense might shoot him up the depth chart and earn him more playing time in the future. With the quarterback room plagued with injuries, that time might be sooner than expected.
Senior running back Rashod Dubinion continued his dominating performances with 24 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown in his last outing. He has proven to be reliable if the offense starts to sputter against a bigger Broncos defense.
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Colton Phares is becoming a dependable tackler for the Mountaineers defense. Against the Golden Eagles, Phares recorded a team high 8 tackles, 3 of which were tackles for loss.
Boise State Key Players
Redshirt junior Maddux Madsen went 13 for 23 and recorded 276 yards and 2 touchdowns in Boise’s 49-37 win over Air Force on Saturday. Despite throwing an interception, Madsen led his team to a win and will look to continue the Broncos’ two-game win streak.
Sophomore running back Dylan Riley is coming off a monster game with 19 carries for 172 yards and 4 touchdowns. With how the Mountaineers defense handled Southern Miss, they will have to step it up if they want to stop Riley.
Despite Boise State’s heavy run attack, sixth year senior Latrell Caples is a threat at the wide receiver position. Against Air Force, Caples recorded 5 catches for 87 yards.
On defense junior safety Ty Benefield is dangerous on all levels. Against the Falcons, Benefield had 11 tackles, 2 of which were tackles for loss. He also recorded an interception.
Max Schwanz is the sports editor for The Appalachian, the student newspaper at Appalachian State University. A journalism major and digital marketing minor from Cornelius, N.C., you can find more of his work at The Appalachian.
📌 Want more Week 5 coverage?
- ECU vs Army preview (Thursday, Sept. 25)
- Full Week 5 NC college football schedule (Sept. 25-27 games)
- North Carolina college football scoreboard (all weeks, all games).
- Fab 15 tribute honoring former App State coach and player Shawn Clark
