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2023 Appalachian State Mountaineers football
Cure Bowl champion
Cure Bowl, W 13–9 vs. Miami (OH)
Conference Sun Belt Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record9–5 (6–2 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Frank Ponce (2nd season)
Offensive scheme Pro tempo
Defensive coordinatorScot Sloan (1st season)
Base defense 3–4
Home stadium Kidd Brewer Stadium
Seasons
←  2022
2024 →
2023 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
James Madison* x   7 1     11 2  
Appalachian State y   6 2     9 5  
Coastal Carolina   5 3     8 5  
Old Dominion   5 3     6 7  
Georgia State   3 5     7 6  
Marshall   3 5     6 7  
Georgia Southern   3 5     6 7  
West Division
Troy xy$   7 1     11 3  
Texas State   4 4     8 5  
Arkansas State   4 4     6 7  
South Alabama   4 4     7 6  
Louisiana   3 5     6 7  
Southern Miss   2 6     3 9  
Louisiana–Monroe   0 8     2 10  
Championship: Troy 49, Appalachian State 23
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules

The 2023 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mountaineers were led by fourth-year head coach Shawn Clark. Appalachian State played home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium on the school's Boone, North Carolina, campus, and competed as a member of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference.

Offseason

Coaching changes

On November 28, 2022, defensive coordinator Dale Jones left the program. [1]

On January 13, 2023, the Mountaineers hired Scot Sloan to be their defensive coordinator. [2]

On January 16 Appalachian State hired Frank Ponce to be their offensive coordinator after 2022 offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay left to become the offensive coordinator at Mississippi State. [3]

Media poll

In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Mountaineers were picked to finish in second place in the East division. [4]

Media poll (East division)
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 James Madison 78 (4)
2 Appalachian State 75 (4)
3 Coastal Carolina 71 (1)
4 Marshall 68 (1)
5 Georgia Southern 52 (1)
6 Georgia State 31
7 Old Dominion 17

Offensive lineman Isaiah Helms and right safety Milan Tucker were named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team. Offensive lineman Damion Daley was named to the second team. [4]

Personnel

2023 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 0 Milan Tucker  Jr
RB 1 Anderson Castle Jr
WR 2 Kaedin Robinson  Jr
RB 3 Ahmani Marshall Jr
QB 4 Joey Aguilar Jr
RB 5 Nate Noel Jr
WR 6 Dashaun Davis  Jr
WR 11 Grant Tucker Fr
WR 12 Michael Hetzel  So
WR 13 Christian Horn Jr
RB 14 Kanye Roberts  Fr
WR 15 Makai Jackson So
QB 16 David Hernandez Sr
QB 17 Mason McHugh Fr
QB 18 Ryan Burger  Fr
QB 19 Cameron Estep Fr
RB 20 Jaylon Calhoun Fr
WR 21 Reece Larson  Fr
RB 27 Michael Dipasquale Fr
RB 28 Maquel Haywood Jr
TE 35 Dylan Castoria  So
OL 51 Cayden Sweatt Fr
OL 53 Jake Ganoe  Fr
OL 54 Isaiah Helms Sr
OL 55 Seth Williams  So
OL 58 Blake Bradford Fr
OL 59 Jack Murphy  So
OL 60 Ethan Ryan  So
OL 62 Bucky Williams  Sr
OL 63 Jayden Ramsey  So
OL 70 Thornton Gentry  So
OL 72 Markell Samuel  So
OL 73 Jaden Lindsay  So
OL 74 Griffin Scroggs  Fr
OL 75 Damion Daley  Sr
OL 76 Logan Randolph Fr
OL 77 Daniel Davis Fr
OL 78 Joseph Solomon  So
TE 80 Max Drag Fr
TE 81 Miller Gibbs  Sr
WR 82 Chris Lawson Jr. Fr
WR 83 Coen Sutton  So
WR 84 Ayden Burkey  Fr
TE 85 David Larkins  So
TE 86 Kanen Hamlett  Fr
TE 87 Eli Wilson Jr
WR 88 Luke Hale  Fr
TE 89 August Drews  So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
CB 2 Tyrek Funderburk  Sr
DB 4 Nicholas Ross Sr
DE 5 Michael Fletcher  Jr
S 6 EJ Jackson Sr
ILB 7 Andrew Parker Jr.  Sr
OLB 8 Brendan Harrington  Jr
CB 9 Jarrett Paul  Sr
DB 10 DJ VanHook Sr
DB 11 Jordan Favors  So
DE 12 Shawn Collins  So
CB 13 Trenton Alan Yowe  So
ILB 14 Jayden Bethea Fr
OLB 15 Thomas Davis  So
CB 16 Omari Philyaw  Fr
S 17 Jalik Thomas Jr
CB 18 James Edwards  Fr
CB 19 Ethan Johnson So
OLB 20 Nathan Kibambe  Sr
S 21 DJ Burks  Fr
CB 22 DJ Porter Fr
OLB 24 Cahari Haynes Fr
S 25 Jackson Greene  Jr
OLB 26 Caden Sullivan  So
S 27 Ronald Clarke Jr
S 28 Zyeir Gamble Fr
DE 29 Santana Hopper  Fr
S 30 Carter Greene  Fr
S 31 Dyvon McKinney  So
ILB 33 Derrell Farrar  Fr
S 34 Colton Phares Fr
ILB 35 Jack Scroggs  Jr
DL 36 Kevon Haigler Jr
DB 37 Andre Hamilton  So
DB 39 Tony Harris  Fr
ILB 40 Cole Becker  Fr
ILB 42 Braxton Veiga Fr
ILB 43 Ryan McKinnis Fr
OLB 44 Brodrick Gooch  Fr
ILB 45 Trevor Moffitt  So
ILB 46 Isaiah McGuffin Fr
OLB 47 Romelo Bell Fr
DL 48 DeShawn McKnight Jr
ILB 49 Randy Marion III Fr
DE 50 DeAndre Dingle-Prince Jr
ILB 52 Orlando Leon  Fr
DL 54 Danny Stevens Fr
ILB 56 Kyle Arnholt  So
OLB 88 Donovan Spellman So
OLB 90 Nate Johnson Fr
DT 91 Markus Clark So
DE 92 AJ Mebane Fr
DE 94 Stephen Passeggiata  So
DE 95 Montez Kelley Jr
DE 96 Josiah Wyatt  Fr
DE 97 Kevin Abrams-Verwayne  So
DT 98 Jason Hertz Fr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 22 Cash McVay  So
K 37 Carter Everett  Fr
P 41 Conner Maynard  Jr
LS 42 Christian Johnstone  Jr
LS 44 Jake Mann  So
P 49 Mitchell Lake Fr
K 57 Austin Shook  So
K 99 Michael Hughes Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Schedule

The football schedule was announced on February 24, 2023. [5]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 23:30 p.m.No. 25 ( FCS) Gardner–Webb* ESPN+W 45–2436,075
September 95:15 p.m.at No. 17 North Carolina* ACCNL 34–40 2OT50,500
September 163:30 p.m. East Carolina*
  • Kidd Brewer Stadium
  • Boone, NC
ESPN+W 43–2840,168
September 237:00 p.m.at Wyoming* CBSSNL 19–2221,169
September 308:00 p.m.at Louisiana–MonroeESPN+W 41–4019,919
October 107:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina
  • Kidd Brewer Stadium
  • Boone, NC
ESPN2L 24–2734,252
October 217:00 p.mat Old Dominion NFLNL 21–2820,017
October 283:30 p.m. Southern Missdagger
  • Kidd Brewer Stadium
  • Boone, NC
ESPN+W 48–3832,601
November 46:00 p.m. Marshall
  • Kidd Brewer Stadium
  • Boone, NC ( rivalry)
NFLNW 31–934,057
November 112:00 p.m.at Georgia StateESPN+W 42–1414,260
November 182:00 p.m.at James MadisonESPN+W 26–23 OT25,838
November 253:30 p.m. Georgia Southern
  • Kidd Brewer Stadium
  • Boone, NC ( rivalry)
ESPNUW 55–2731,248
December 24:00 p.m.at TroyESPNL 23–4920,183
December 163:30 p.m.vs. Miami (OH) ABCW 13–911,121

References

  1. ^ Smith, Ethan. "Jones out as Mountaineers defensive coordinator". The Appalachian. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  2. ^ "Sloan Returns to App State as Defensive Coordinator". AppState Football. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  3. ^ "Former App State coordinator Frank Ponce reportedly set to return". Football Scoop. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Sun Belt Announces Football Preseason Awards & Poll". sunbeltsports.org. July 24, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  5. ^ "2023 Appalachian State Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved March 3, 2023.