Meet Your Insider
Well, howdy. Come on up the mountain. I'm Zebulon Coldiron, but you can call me Zeb, and I'm your App State insider at The Cover Window. I'm a fourth-generation Watauga County kid, and I learned to whittle and read a defense on the same front porch. My granddaddy could spot a blitz before the snap and carve a perfect duck in the same afternoon. I'm still working on the duck.
I don't hurry, and I don't holler (much). I treat every week like a hike: steady climbing, honest footing, then a view at the top. That means real numbers, plain talk, and a fair word for every visitor. If I don't know something, I'll tell you, and then I'll go find out. Some programs get a stadium. We got a mountain with a stadium on it. Come up for the game, stay for the leaves, and bring your grandma a jacket.
The School in 60 Seconds
Appalachian State is in Boone, North Carolina, and has played FBS football in the Sun Belt since 2014. Before that, the Mountaineers were an FCS power from 1978 to 2013. They won three straight national championships from 2005 to 2007, the first FCS team to do it since the playoffs began in 1978. The program has won about 661 games and 22 conference championships, and its all-time winning percentage of.646 ranks 16th nationally. Armanti Edwards won the Walter Payton Award back to back, in 2008 and 2009, the first player to do so.
Home is Kidd Brewer Stadium, named for the coach whose 1937 team went unbeaten and unscored upon in the regular season, outscoring opponents 206-0. CFBD lists a capacity of 30,000. The last five seasons: 10-4, 6-6, 9-5, 5-6 and 5-8.
The Coach and the Scheme
Dowell Loggains is in his second season. CFBD lists his hire date as Dec. 7, 2024. He came to Boone from South Carolina, where he was offensive coordinator. Before that, he was an NFL offensive coordinator for the Titans, Bears, Dolphins and Jets. He played quarterback at Arkansas.
The 2026 numbers show a passing offense with a punch: 267.7 passing yards per game (33rd in FBS) and 421.8 total (48th). Scoring is 29.5 points per game. The run game averages 154.2 yards at 4.24 per carry. The defense allows 352.3 yards and 21.8 points per game (54th), and holds opponents to 3.68 yards per carry. The Mountaineers are +4 in turnover margin (22nd), and their red-zone offense scores 92% of the time (24th).
Players to Know
QB Malachi Singleton: 113 of 169, 1,429 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT, 66.9%. He started at Coastal and went 12 of 14 for 151 yards.
QB Henry Hasselbeck: the junior backup ran 21 times for 125 yards at Coastal and went 9 of 12 for 112 yards, including his first touchdown pass. Steady as a mule on a ridge.
RB Jaquari Lewis: 346 yards on 70 carries, 8 TD. He scored four rushing touchdowns at Coastal.
WR Sam Pickett III: 26 catches, 411 yards, 4 TD, including the 31-yard touchdown at Coastal.
DL Caleb Sandstrom: 5 sacks. LB Colton Phares: a team-high 38 tackles.
The Conference Picture
App State is 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers are 2-1 at home and 2-1 on the road. They are not ranked. The losses came at NC State (41-31) and at home to Old Dominion (10-3). James Madison arrives at 7-0 and 4-0 in the league. A win Thursday would be the kind of view you climb all day to see.
This Week: Game Preview from Both Sides
James Madison (7-0) at App State (4-2) · Thursday, Oct. 22, 7:00 p.m. ET · Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone · ESPNU · It's also Family Weekend on campus.
Last time out. We rallied to beat Coastal Carolina 35-32 on Oct. 16. We trailed 24-14 at halftime, then pulled ahead behind Lewis's four touchdown runs and ran out the clock. JMU beat Georgia State 49-22 on Oct. 17, with Camden Coleman throwing for 185 yards and two touchdowns and George Pettaway running for 119 yards.
App State's offense vs. JMU's defense. The Dukes allow just 16 points per game (19th) and 114.3 rushing yards (35th), with 18 sacks. Their pass defense allows 236.4 yards per game (103rd), so Singleton and Pickett may find room through the air. Both red-zone offenses are strong, so finishing drives will matter.
JMU's offense vs. App State's defense. This is the steepest part of the trail. JMU averages 42.9 points per game (3rd in FBS) and 223.6 rushing yards (14th). Pettaway has 755 yards and seven touchdowns, per AP. Coleman has 13 touchdown passes and one interception. Our run defense allows 137.8 yards per game (60th). Sandstrom and the front will have to make plays in the backfield.
Series. JMU's athletics site lists the Dukes at 6-14 all-time against App State, so the Mountaineers lead the series. But last year JMU won 58-10 in Harrisonburg on Nov. 15, 2025. That one stung.
Availability. No official conference availability report as of Oct. 18, 2026. Singleton started at Coastal, and Hasselbeck played a big role. Thursday's quarterback plan isn't confirmed, and I found no other injury news.
James Madison's insider debuts this week too, a former cheer captain. I'll lend her a jacket. It gets cold on the mountain at night.
Three questions that decide it:
1. Can App State slow a JMU run game averaging 223.6 yards per game?
2. Can Singleton and Pickett take advantage of JMU's 103rd-ranked pass defense?
3. Can the Mountaineers win the turnover battle against a +7 JMU team?
Local Flavor
Family Weekend is here. I'll share Boone spots once I've confirmed them. Bring layers. Not an ad.
My call: James Madison Dukes 35, App State Mountaineers 21.