This past Saturday, App State opened its football season with a 42-7 win over former Southern Conference rival East Tennessee State. This brings App State’s lead in the all-time series record to 32-14-1, including a 17-6 home record. This was the first time the Mountaineers and the Buccaneers have played since 2003.
While some saw this game as a throwaway, guaranteed win for App State, it was an important one, and I think a good number of the 25,147 fans who attended the game would agree. While leaving the Southern Conference has brought benefits for App State, it also saw the loss of many longtime rivalries fans loved.