This is a list of seasons completed by the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).[1] The Mountaineers fielded their first team in 1928 under Graydon Eggers[2] and are currently coached by Jerry Moore. The Mountaineers celebrate their 80th season in 2009 and have played over 800 games, appeared in nine bowl games, and participated in the FCS (formerly I-AA)[3] playoffs a total of 16 times.[4] Historically, Appalachian State has had a successful college football program, winning over 500 games.[5] In 1931 the Mountaineers joined the North State Conference and finished in first place under coach C. B. Johnson.[4] Kidd Brewer took over coaching duties of the Mountaineers from 1935 to 1938, winning another North State Conference championship. An All-American at Duke, Brewer's 1937 squad is best remembered for going unbeaten and unscored upon during the regular season, outscoring opponents 206–0 before losing a postseason game to the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss, 7–0.[2][6]
E. C. Duggins coached the Mountaineers from 1947–50 and again from 1952–55.[2] Appalachian State went to seven bowl games and won three North State Conference championships under Duggins.[4] After three coaches during a five year span, the Mountaineers got back to their winning ways under Jim Duncan, who coached for five years, 1960 to 1964, and won 31 games.[4] In 1961 the North State Conference became the Carolinas Conference and Appalachian State left after the 1967 season to play as an independent for four years. Jim Brakefield was hired as head coach in 1971, vacating the same position he held at Wofford.[2] A year later, in 1972, Appalachian State accepted an invitation into the Southern Conference. Credited as overseeing the transition into Division I football, Brakefield had his most successful season in 1975, guiding the Mountaineers to wins over East Carolina, Wake Forest, and South Carolina.[7]
Appalachian State won the first of nine Southern Conference championships in 1986 under Sparky Woods, who also led the Mountaineers into the playoffs for the first time.[2] Another conference championship and playoff appearance followed in 1987. Woods won the Wallace Wade Coach of the Year Award three straight years in 1985, 1986, and 1987, becoming the only coach in conference history to do so.[8] Woods left to coach South Carolina after five years and Jerry Moore was hired as the Mountaineer's 19th coach in 1989. Moore is the winningest coach in conference history,[9] and under his leadership the Mountaineers have won seven conference championships. In addition, the Mountaineers have posted nineteen winning campaigns to go with one losing season during his tenure, allowing Moore to claim Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors a record six times.[10] He was also the 2006 recipient of the Eddie Robinson Award, presented to the division's most outstanding coach.[11] Under the stewardship of Moore, players such as two-time Buck Buchanan Award winner Dexter Coakley have gone on to play in the National Football League.
Appalachian State became the first team since the playoffs began in 1978 to win three straight national titles in 2005,[12] 2006,[13] and 2007,[14] and the first team to accomplish the feat since Army in 1944, 1945, and 1946.[15] They are also the first Division I school in modern times to claim three straight undisputed national titles.[16] On September 1, 2007, in what was hailed as one of the biggest upsets in United States sports history,[17][18] the Mountaineers shocked the fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines, 34–32. The win helped Applachian State become the first FCS team to ever receive votes in the final Associated Press (AP) college football poll on January 8, 2008.[19] The Mountaineers received five points in the poll, tying South Florida for 34th.[20] The conclusion of the 2008 season saw quarterback Armanti Edwards win Appalachian's first Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the most outstanding offensive player.[21]
Contents |
| Legend | |
|---|---|
|
† National Champions[22][23] |
|
| Season | Coach | Conference | Season results | Bowl[27]/Playoff result | Final ranking | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | NCAA/TSN Poll[28] | Coaches Poll[29] | |||||
| Appalachian State Mountaineers | ||||||||||
| 1928 | Graydon Eggers | Independent | — | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1929 | C. B. Johnson | Independent | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | |
| 1930 | Independent | — | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1931‡ | North State | 1st | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | ||
| 1932 | North State | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1933 | Eugene Garbee | North State | N/A[30] | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1934 | North State | N/A[30] | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1935 | Kidd Brewer | North State | N/A[30] | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| 1936 | North State | 2nd | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1937‡^ | North State | 1st | 8 | 1 | 1 | Lost Doll and Toy Charity Game vs. Southern Mississippi, 7–0 | — | — | ||
| 1938^ | North State | 2nd | 9 | 1 | 0 | Won Unnamed Bowl vs. Moravian, 20–0 | — | — | ||
| 1939‡ | Flucie Stewart | North State | 1st | 7 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| 1940 | R. W. "Red" Watkins | North State | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1941 | North State | 4th | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1942 | Beattie Feathers | North State | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 1943 | Appalachian State did not play football during the 1943 and 1944 seasons because of World War II | |||||||||
| 1944 | ||||||||||
| 1945 | Francis Hoover | North State | 3rd | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1946 | Flucie Stewart | North State | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1947 | E. C. Duggins | North State | 2nd | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1948‡^ | North State | 1st | 8 | 1 | 1 | Lost Burley Bowl vs. West Chester State, 7–2 | — | — | ||
| 1949^ | North State | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | Won Pythian Bowl vs. Catawba, 21–7 | — | — | ||
| 1950‡^ | North State | 1st | 9 | 2 | 1 | Lost Burley Bowl vs. Emory & Henry, 26–6 Lost Pythian Bowl vs. West Liberty, 28–26 |
— | — | ||
| 1951 | Press Mull | North State | 4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1952 | E. C. Duggins | North State | 5th | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 1953 | North State | 4th | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1954‡^ | North State | 1st | 8 | 3 | 0 | Won Burley Bowl vs. East Tennessee State, 27–13 Lost Elks Bowl vs. Newberry, 20–13 |
— | — | ||
| 1955^ | North State | 4th | 6 | 5 | 0 | Lost Burley Bowl vs. East Tennessee State, 7–0 | — | — | ||
| 1956 | Bob Broome | North State | 3rd | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1957 | North State | 5th | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1958 | North State | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1959 | Bob Breitenstein | North State | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1960 | Jim Duncan | North State | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1961 | Carolinas | 2nd | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1962 | Carolinas | 3rd | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | ||
| 1963 | Carolinas | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1964 | Carolinas | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1965 | Carl Messere | Carolinas | 5th | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1966 | Carolinas | 7th | 3 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1967 | Carolinas | 2nd | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1968 | Independent | — | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1969 | Independent | — | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1970 | Independent | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | Jim Brakefield | Independent | — | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 1972 | Southern | 8th | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | Southern | 5th | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1974 | Southern | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1975 | Southern | 3rd | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1976 | Southern | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | Southern | 6th | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1978 | Southern | 3rd | 7 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | Southern | 5th | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | Mike Working | Southern | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | Southern | 7th | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | Southern | 4th | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | Mack Brown | Southern | 4th | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1984 | Sparky Woods | Southern | 7th | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | Southern | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | 12 | — | ||
| 1986‡* | Southern | 1st | 9 | 2 | 1 | First Round Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 5 | — | ||
| 1987‡* | Southern | 1st | 11 | 3 | 0 | Semifinals Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 2 | — | ||
| 1988 | Southern | 4th | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| 1989* | Jerry Moore | Southern | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | First Round Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 7 | — | |
| 1990 | Southern | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1991‡* | Southern | 1st | 8 | 4 | 0 | First Round Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 10 | — | ||
| 1992* | Southern | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 0 | First Round Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 16 | — | ||
| 1993 | Southern | 4th | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | ||
| 1994* | Southern | 2nd | 9 | 4 | 0 | Quarterfinals Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 9 | — | ||
| 1995‡* | Southern | 1st | 12 | 1 | 0 | Quarterfinals Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 5 | — | ||
| 1996 | Southern | 4th | 7 | 4 | [32] | — | 22 | — | ||
| 1997 | Southern | 2nd | 7 | 4 | — | 22 | — | |||
| 1998* | Southern | 2nd | 10 | 3 | Quarterfinals Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 6 | — | |||
| 1999‡* | Southern | T–1st♦ | 9 | 3 | First Round Division I-AA playoffs[31] | T–9 | — | |||
| 2000* | Southern | 2nd | 10 | 4 | Semifinals Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 4 | — | |||
| 2001* | Southern | 2nd | 9 | 4 | Quarterfinals Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 4 | — | |||
| 2002* | Southern | 2nd | 8 | 4 | First Round Division I-AA playoffs[31] | 10 | — | |||
| 2003 | Southern | 2nd | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | |||
| 2004 | Southern | T–3rd | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | |||
| 2005†‡* | Southern | 1st | 12 | 3 | Won NCAA Division I Football Championship vs. Northern Iowa Panthers, 21–16[12] | 1 | — | |||
| 2006†‡* | Southern | 1st | 14 | 1 | Won NCAA Division I Football Championship vs. Massachusetts Minutemen, 28–17[13] | 1 | — | |||
| 2007†‡* | Southern | T–1st♦ | 13 | 2 | Won NCAA Division I Football Championship vs. Delaware Blue Hens, 49–21[14] | 1 | 1 | |||
| 2008‡* | Southern | 1st | 11 | 3 | Quarterfinals Division I FCS playoffs[33] | 5 | 5 | |||
| 2009‡* | Southern | 1st | 11 | 3 | Semifinals Division I FCS playoffs | 3 | 3 | |||
| 2010‡* | Southern | T–1st♦ | 10 | 3 | Quarterfinals Division I FCS playoffs | 4 | 4 | |||
| Total | 503 | 280 | 28 | (only includes regular season games) | ||||||
| 3 | 6 | — | (only includes bowl games; 9 appearances) | |||||||
| 24 | 15 | — | (only includes playoff games; 18 appearances) | |||||||
| 547 | 308 | 27 | (all games) | |||||||
| ♦ Denotes a tie for first place and conference co-champion | ||||||||||
When Division I-AA was formed for football in 1978, the playoffs included just four teams, doubling to eight teams in its fourth season of 1981. In 1982 the I-AA playoffs were expanded to 12 teams, with each of the top four seeds receiving a first-round bye and a home game in the quarterfinals. In its ninth season of 1986, the I-AA playoffs were expanded again, to the present 16-team format, requiring four post-season victories to win the title. In April 2008 the NCAA announced that the playoff field will again expand to include 20 teams beginning in 2010.[34]
| Results |
|---|
| 1986 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Lost First Round vs. Nicholls State, 28–26 |
| 1987 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Won First Round vs. Richmond, 20–3 Won Quarterfinal vs. Georgia Southern, 19–0 Lost Semifinal vs. Marshall, 24–10 |
| 1989 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Lost First Round vs. Middle Tennessee, 24–21 |
| 1991 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Lost First Round vs. Eastern Kentucky, 14–13 |
| 1992 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Lost First Round vs. Middle Tennessee, 35–10 |
| 1994 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Won First Round vs. New Hampshire, 17–10 (OT) Lost Quarterfinal vs. Boise State, 17–14 |
| 1995 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Won First Round vs. James Madison, 31–24 Lost Quarterfinal vs. Stephen F. Austin, 27–17 |
| 1998 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Won First Round vs. Tennessee State, 45–31 Lost Quarterfinal vs. Northwestern State, 31–20 |
| 1999 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Lost First Round vs. Florida A&M, 44–29 |
| 2000 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Won First Round vs. Troy, 33–30 Won Quarterfinal vs. Western Kentucky, 17–14 Lost Semifinal vs. Montana, 19–16 (OT) |
| 2001 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Won First Round vs. William & Mary, 40–27 Lost Quarterfinal vs. Georgia Southern, 38–24 |
| 2002 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Lost First Round vs. Maine, 14–13 |
| 2005 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs Won First Round vs. Lafayette, 34–23 Won Quarterfinal vs. Southern Illinois, 38–24 Won Semifinal vs. Furman, 29–23 Won Championship vs. Northern Iowa, 21–16 |
| 2006 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs Won First Round vs. Coastal Carolina, 45–28 Won Quarterfinal vs. Montana State, 38–17 Won Semifinal vs. Youngstown State, 49–24 Won Championship vs. Massachusetts, 28–17 |
| 2007 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs Won First Round vs. James Madison, 28–27 Won Quarterfinal vs. Eastern Washington, 38–35 Won Semifinal vs. Richmond, 55–35 Won Championship vs. Delaware, 49–21 |
| 2008 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs Won First Round vs. South Carolina State, 37–21 Lost Quarterfinal vs. Richmond, 33–13 |
| 2009 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs Won First Round vs. South Carolina State, 20–13 Won Quarterfinal vs. Richmond, 35–31 Lost Semifinal vs. Montana, 24–17 |
| 2010 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs Won First Round vs. Western Illinois, 42–14 Lost Quarterfinal vs. Villanova, 42–24 |
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