After two tough road losses, Appalachian State football returns to Boone on Saturday for a first-ever matchup with Oregon State. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium in the first game of a home-and-home series that will conclude in 2032.
The Beavers may be winless, but App State head coach Dowell Loggains isn’t taking them lightly.
“They’ve lost to really good football teams, to P4 football teams with big NIL,” Loggains said. “You’re trying to go 1-0 this week.”
Game Vitals
🏈 Matchup: Oregon State (0-5) at Appalachian State (2-2)
🏟️ Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium | Boone, NC
⏰ Kickoff: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
📺 TV/Streaming: ESPN+
🕒 Last Time Out: Appalachian State lost at Boise State 47-14 … Oregon State fell at home to Houston, 27-24 in OT
What happened last week?
The Mountaineers (2-2) suffered their second loss in a row at Boise State last Saturday night, 47-14.
App State could not stop the Broncos’ passing attack as redshirt junior Maddux Madsen threw for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns. The App State offense has continued to be bitten by the turnover bug, throwing 3 interceptions in the game. The defense could not continue its strong performance and gave up 508 yards of total offense.
“Obviously disappointed with how last week’s game went. What an awesome atmosphere, great venue, ton of respect for how they’ve built their program,” Loggains said.
App State Key Players vs. Oregon State
Redshirt junior quarterback AJ Swann continued to play despite suffering a leg injury against Southern Miss. He threw for just 64 yards and had 2 interceptions against Boise State. He suffered another leg injury against the Broncos and will likely be banged up for this weekend but available to play.
Freshman quarterback Noah Gillon saw action for the second week in a row after a Swann injury. However, this time he only threw 2 passes, both of which were incomplete. With Swann being less than 100 percent, Gillon could potentially see playing time this weekend.
Senior running back Rashod Dubinion has put this offense on his back all season and Saturday’s game at Boise was no different. Dubinion had 17 rushes for 113 yards. He will likely continue to dominate the run game for the Mountaineers.
Freshman running back Jaquari Lewis has seen his reps increase in the back field. Against Boise State, Lewis had 7 carries for 23 yards and a touchdown. He is carving himself out as a reliable second option at running back.
Oregon State Key Players
Redshirt junior quarterback Maalik Murphy is the starter for the Beavers – and a familiar name in North Carolina. Murphy previously played at Texas and Duke (2024) before landing in Corvallis. He has struggled with 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Redshirt freshman running back Cornell Hatcher Jr. did not receive many carries until last week in OSU’s matchup with Houston. Against the Cougars, Hatcher Jr. had 17 attempts for 93 yards and a touchdown. He will likely see more carries against the Mountaineers.
Redshirt junior linebacker Aiden Sullivan has come into his own the past two games against Oregon and Houston. Versus the Ducks, Sullivan recorded 10 tackles. Last week he logged 13 tackles. He can be a problem in the run game for App State. This will be a matchup to watch as the game unfolds.
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.
