You’ve been thinking about it for weeks. It always takes forever this time of the year, and the anticipation is killing you. Of course, you’ve been drooling thinking about what we are eating at tailgate this year, much less that football season is right around the corner. In 2018, we’ll be trying something out at tailgate for the first time. Hopefully by the time the season comes to a close, we’ll have a seventh home game in early December. 

Southern Miss – September 15^th – Baby Back Ribs

Is there any better way to kick off the new season? You’ve had them before and they are always top notch. Never over-sauced, with the just the right amount smoke make ribs the ultimate sweet treat for the first tailgate of the season.

Gardner-Webb – September 22^nd

Spicy Corn Dogs

This seems like a very simple, unlikely option but this should be something that #teamcorndog can celebrate. Traditional deep fried dogs on a stick with a batter that will make you run to the cooler for another cold beverage.

South Alabama – September 29^th – Homecoming

You all know the deal. Turkeys will be plentiful, brined and prepared three separate ways. The schedule threw a curveball at us with a rare September Homecoming game, the first of its like since 2006, and only the fourth such game in school history.

Louisiana – October 20^th

The Cajuns will come to Boone for the third time in four seasons and have been gifted with a mid-fall date. The previous games were played after Thanksgiving. Former Furman QB Billy Napier leads the Cajuns and we’ll be serving Josh Jeffries Jambalaya. Make sure you Go For a 2^nd bowl of this Cajun dish!

Georgia State – November 17^th – Black Saturday

The Black Saturday game in the past has signaled the appearance of Championship Chili, but once Georgia State started coming to the mountains, we have opted for chicken and waffles. Add a blueberry topping to poke fun at the Panthers who have difficulty scoring touchdowns.

Troy – November 24^th

Appalachian’s goal every year is to win a conference championship. The Mountaineers have grabbed at least a piece of title the last two years, and hopefully will be playing for a Sun Belt Eastern Division title against Troy. This is where Championship Chili will make its appearance in 2018, unless….

Sun Belt Championship – December 1^st

….We are playing for the Sun Belt title at home against the Western Division winner. We won’t know who that will be until we play some games. It’s possible the Eastern title is decided prior to the Troy game. We can’t have championship chili if we aren’t playing for one. We’ll play it by ear. Hope that we are playing this game in Boone, and hope for smoked pork butts on November 24^th.

You’ve been thinking about it for weeks. It always takes forever this time of the year, and the anticipation is killing you. Of course, you’ve been drooling thinking about what we are eating at tailgate this year, much less that football season is right around the corner. This season brings a slightly different twist to our tailgating menu. Our traditions remain, but the 2017 schedule brought some challenges for the menu. 

First, we have three opponents that could have challenged for the honor of serving fried chicken at the tailgate. Luckily, we will narrow it down to just one plate of deep fried bird. Secondly, we have four opponents who we have played in the past at home and they aren’t all conference games. The last time we played Savannah State in 2011, we did not publish a full blown menu. We might have written it down somewhere, but there isn’t any evidence besides a facebook post that should probably be deleted. 

Although the post still exists, we gathered some info and discovered that baby back ribs was what we devoured the last time we annihilated Savannah State. You are all very familiar with the ribs. They are very good. Nothing more really needs to be said. 

For Wake Forest, an old school opponent will have some old school flair. Despite the Demon Deacon not really being an edible mascot, we’ve gotten a little creative. Wake has baptist roots, which had us thinking about going to church and eating covered dish lunches. How many times did you try three different versions of Mac and cheese when you were a kid because you didn’t know what was in that jello concoction? Yeah, we have all done it. The meat will be a TBA, but we’ll need some help from everyone with their favorite/not favorite covered dish. Just like the main dish after church, it could be fried chicken in a box, ham, or turkey. Hint: It won’t be fried chicken in a box or turkey. 

We’ll save the turkey for New Mexico State which is Homecoming. Similar to the ribs, you know how we do with the turkeys. We’ll smoke one and fry two. Was really hoping this game was not Homecoming so we could try something different, but alas, its the only time we’ll play host to these guys, might as well keep it simple. Tamales do sound good though. 

This is where the schedule gets interesting. The next two opponents are dead ringers for fried chicken. Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern’s mascots make it an easy call. Coastal is on a Saturday and Georgia Southern a Thursday night. Its so much easier to do the fried chicken for a night game during the week for Georgia Southern. For Coastal we’ll alternate to a Low Country Boil. Its been a few years since we have done one, but they are always amazing. Nothing better for a late October game. 

For the last game of the season, we’ll host Louisiana, just like in 2015, when it was Black Saturday. Oddly enough, the schedule doesn’t   show a Black Saturday game. Hopefully this is an oversight, but its also concerning from a traditional standpoint. Usually this game is reserved for the Championship Chili, which we somehow skipped last year. Hopefully the administration gets it together and aptly themes this game as Black Saturday, otherwise we’ll pivot to a Cajun themed dish such as jambalaya or gumbo. 

Unlike last year, when kickoff times were unpredictable and so were the so-called tailgating policies, Appalachian’s home schedule appears to be a tailgaters dream. Fans of Appalachian football have been blessed with six home football games, all on Saturday. Two games have announced kickoff times; Old Dominion on September 10th at 3:30pm and Miami, the following weekend at noon. The remainder of the schedules kickoff times will be announced usually the Monday the week before the game. We might have to adjust our menu on the fly if needed. The last game of the season has started earlier in the afternoon than the usual 3:30pm kickoff. 

For those who are familiar with our process, you can probably skip this paragraph. For those that are new to the tailgate, and there will be several new faces, here is the deal. For six home games, a $50 donation, per person, $100 per couple, covers everything. A main course and everything that comes with it from propane to paprika. A full donation or as we prefer to call it “tailgate dues” are always appreciated at the beginning of the season. For those who prefer to spread it out throughout the season, no worries, we are flexible. For those are coming to one or two games, just ask on gameday, and we’ll give you a fair price. Bartering is encouraged and expected. 

The first game of the season brings on the Old Dominion Monarchs. This was one of the tougher games to come to a theme for the tailgate. Monarchs are pretty boring overall. They sit on their throne forever until they die, or someone kills them. What do we make that smokes on a grill for a long time before they are destroyed? Our baby back ribs is what. Easily the most popular meal we’ve made over the years, it’s fitting for a king. 

How do we welcome five-time national champion Miami to Boone? With our rendition of the Cuban sandwich. We’ll use five toppings, ham, salami, Swiss cheese, pickles, and our secret ingredient, a Carolina style smoked pork tenderloin to give the famous Cuban sandwich a local twist. For the less hearty appetites, we’ll also fry some eggs for a more brunch-like feel for a high noon kickoff. 

Black Saturday will greet Georgia State for this third home game of the season. The leaves may be turning or the weather could be rather warm for October 1st, so we’ll change it up from our typical championship chili. The last time Georgia State came to Boone, we all experienced a nice snow storm that left the Panthers with zero points on the scoreboard. Chicken and blueberry waffles were a hit two years ago, and they will make their second all-time appearance on the menu. 

The Homecoming opponent is Idaho and we all know what that means. The tradition of a Thanksgiving meal for Homecoming has been in place since at least 2002. We see no need to change what has been working for such a long time. If you remember, the last time Idaho was in town, loaded baked potatoes with the championship chili was served. 

The first weekend of November brings in a new Sun Belt opponent for the Mountaineers. Texas State will make its first visit halfway across the county with a new coach, Everett Withers, who was formerly the coach at James Madison and also spent time in Boone as an assistant. For the inaugural game against the Bobcats in #FunBelt play, we’ll try our hand at a Texas favorite; brisket. Some take their brisket(the chest muscle of the steer), with a savory sauce and others prefer it dry. 

Concluding the same home slate, we’ll finish with a familiar recipe, but not so much for the locals. Louisiana is known for the French dishes, and nothing beats a piping hot bowl of jambalaya in mid-November. The UL-Monroe Warhawks also have a first year head coach in Matt Viator, who spent his previous ten seasons as head coach of his alma mater, McNeese State. 

A special opportunity exists this afternoon for Appalachian State and heach coach Jim Fox. The Mountaineers will suit up against Hofstra in the worlds most famous arena, Madison Square Garden at 1pm. 

The Apps have struggled recently, as freshman players adapt to the speed and physicality of the college game and a new rules package that emphasizes less contact. Despite the tough start, Appalachian is slowly putting it together. Playing the complete game still has yet to occur as poor shooting and turnovers have been what has plagued the Mountaineers. 

Hofstra has started the season 5-2, with a marquee win over Florida State. The Pride are a high scoring bunch, averaging 85.3 points per game and shoot the ball well in all three phases of the game. Four players are scoring in double figures led by Juan’ya Green with 18.4 points per contest. Green also dishes out 7.6 assists per game. Theier offense runs through Green, accounting for over 30 points per game alone. The Apps will need a big defensive effort to contain him. 

The current spread is Hofstra -13.5, which is down from the opening line at 17. I hate doing this, picking against the Apps, but they have been on the road for several games consecutively and the Pride are playing in their backyard. I’ll take Hofstra at -13.5 

Here we go with Week 5

Appalachian State (3-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) @ Georgia State (1-3, 1-0 Sun Belt)

Saturday October 10th, 3:30 PM

TV/Video: ESPN3

Radio: WKBC 97.3 Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Winston Salem, Hickory & High Country; WATA 1450 Boone, Blowing Rock; WGVZ ESPN 730 Charlotte, Rock Hill, Salisbury; WCOG 1320 Winston-Salem, Greensboro; WCMC 99.3 Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill; WZGM 1350 Black Mountain, Asheville; WDNC 620 Durham, Raleigh; WHKP 1450, WHKP 107.7 Hendersonville; WAZZ 1490, WAZZ 94.3 Fayetteville; WPWT 100.7 Bristol

Georgia Dome

Surface: FieldTurf  Classic HD

Capacity: 28,155 

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:
App State: 67.50
Georgia State: 44.02

Home: 2.71

App State is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 21 points (rounded)
Sportsbook: App State -16

Series: App State leads 1-0

Last Meeting: App State 44, Georgia State 0; November 1, 2014 (Boone, NC)

Weather: For tailgating purposes, Good chance of a passing thunderstorm 71/58

          Try as some may, downplaying weather conditions in a football game isn’t the wisest decision. Doing so for a football game played in Boone, is even more foolish. Most of you have spent a significant amount of time the High Country and know that any given day can possibly be the most beautiful or miserable of settings. The Mountaineers have likely had their share of rain for a football season, and luckily, this week they get a reprieve in the form of the Georgia Dome. As much as elements in Boone can be advantageous for the home team, the same can be said for Georgia State and their indoor borrowed playground. Appalachian could not have asked for better conditions last season in their throttling of the Panthers. The somewhat unseasonable blizzard like conditions rendered the Panthers pass happy offense useless while Appalachian ran it down the throats of the visitors defense. Georgia State will look for revenge as their home turf provides a perfect venue for their offensive attack. Indoors, there are no elements to stymie a football and its path from the quarterback to a receiver. The wind doesn’t blow, the sun doesn’t get in the eyes of a receiver, and climate is controlled to a point of perfection. Forget everything that happened last year in Boone. That game was the exception and not the rule to how this Sun Belt rivalry, the closest geographically speaking, will play out. 

          It was expected that Georgia State would be vastly improved this season. Instead of getting behind early with lopsided losses, the Panthers had a good chance to get some wins against a few manageable opponents. On the opening weekend of the college football season, Georgia State played UNC-Charlotte on a Friday afternoon. In a game that the Panthers could not afford to lose, they did, all while embarrassing the conference and giving the 49ers their first FBS win, if you want to call it that. Georgia State could only muster twenty points despite turning their opponent over five times. The Panthers did win at New Mexico State the following week, earning their first Sun Belt victory, before regressing in their last two games, allowing a combined 102 points to Oregon and FCS Liberty. 

         So what can be made of this 1-3 Panther team? A team that arguably was thinking about 3-1 at this point, has not made progress under Trent Miles. Remarkably, Miles is still employed as a football coach at the Division I level. His two wins in 2+ seasons in Atlanta is a disgrace. In seven full seasons as a coach, his teams have finished with 1 win or less on four occasions. Barring an unforeseen turnaround, Miles and his Panthers will likely be heavy underdogs in the remainder of their games. It will be tough for an athletic director to believe that staying the course is what is best for their program. 

           For all of the flaws that Georgia State has as a program, the bright spot is quaterback Nick Arbuckle. The senior leads the Sun Belt in just about every meaningful quarterback category. Arbuckle’s 345.8 passing yards per game is also good enough to be 7th nationally. He is already thrown ten touchdown passes on the season and is on pace to throw thirty touchdowns for well over 4,000 yards. For all his chart topping numbers, Arbuckle isn’t perfect. Arbuckle has been very prone to throw interceptions throughout his career. Arbuckle threw seventeen intercpetions last year, or one every 25 attempts. This season he is only on pace for 15 interceptions and has only thrown a pick on every 30 pass attempts. Those interceptions don’t come in bunches, it just isn’t a part of running an offense that throws a lot. On top of throwing at least one interception in each game this season, that streak carries over into the last five games of the 2014 season. In his last nine games, Arbuckle has thrown fourteen picks. 

           Georgia State will throw the ball to pratically anyone in their offense. Thirteen different players have caught a pass this season, but the main share of targets goes the direction of three receivers. Penny Hart is their leading receiver as a freshman and is getting close to 100 yards receiving per game, Hart leads the team in catches, yards and touchdowns. Robert Davis is also active with twenty receptions  while averaging close to 75 yards a game receiving. Arbuckle’s favorite target in 2014 was Donovan Harden, who just saw his first action of the season last week in the loss to Liberty. Harden pulled in 5 receptions for 179 yards, which included a 76-yard touchdown reception. 

          For Appalachian, this season has been a see-saw affair offensively. Taylor Lamb has had two ugly games, against Clemson and last weekend to Wyoming. One game had one of the better defenses in the country while the other saw what is likely to be worst weather conditions for throwing the football. Regardless, this team is not built to have Lamb go out and win the game. If he is throwing thirty times a game, the Mountaineers are in trouble. This team is built to run and run they will. The Mountaineers trail only Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt, averaging 298 yards a game on the ground. Oddly enough, Appalachian has used the running game to get down the field, but has been passing more when they cross into opponents territory. The Mountaineers have five rushing touchdowns on the season. Only two of those belong to primary running backs Marcus Cox and Terrance Upshaw. 

          For now the third straight week, Appalachian will face a defense that really struggles, and that might be putting it nicely. The Panthers are giving up a very balanced 494 yards a game, 205 on the ground and 289 in the air. Liberty was deliberate in beating up the Georgia State defense and basically did whatever they wished to the Panthers. The Mountaineers are likely to continue doing what they do best. Like I mentioned last week, until someone can prove you wrong, keep doing it. Taylor Lamb will get his chances to get back in a groove which is important once you enter conference play. The important part of this game is the momentum. Appalachian cannot afford to let Georgia State stick around. The Panthers passing game can score from anywhere on the field without notice. They run the ball basically to give their receivers a quick rest and show no intentions to establish a run game. That would play right into the Appalachian defense that has been stingy against the run, outside of last weekend. Georgia State is going to have to play perfect and keep from turning the ball over to have a chance. The Panthers have have shown that an Arbuckle interception will happen and they have also lost six fumbles on the season as well. The Mountaineers will likely score more points, but I forsee a dominant defensive effort looming for Appalachian. I’ll take the Mountaineers to end up +2 in turnover category and cruise to a three possession win. 
          

        
The First Pick:
Stray Cats 24
Mountaineers 42