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Appalachian State nearly pulls off second monumental upset

By David Paschall September 2, 2016 4 min read

Wiedmer: Are Vols still who we thought they were?

Appalachian State fans cheer as their team holds the lead as the first half draws to an end Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 in Neyland Stadium.

KNOXVILLE – Ever since Appalachian State stunned No. 5 Michigan 34-32 to open the 2007 football season, the Mountaineers have been seeking that second monumental upset.

It was there for the taking Thursday night in Neyland Stadium.

Marcus Cox’s 115 rushing yards and a slew of early Tennessee miscues resulted in the Mountaineers taking the No. 9 Volunteers into overtime before the hosts prevailed 20-13. Appalachian State entered its season opener before 100,074 fans as a three-touchdown underdog.

“I’m just really proud of our guys and how they came out here and fought,” App State coach Scott Satterfield said. “Our program is all about effort and pride and fighting hard to the end. I’m not into moral victories. We’re into winning, and when you get this close and don’t finish it off – we’ll learn from it.

David Paschall

David Paschall has covered sports at the Chattanooga Times Free Press since 1999 and wrote for the Chattanooga Free Press in the nine years before that. David has mostly covered college athletics, with a focus on the University of Georgia from 2000 to 2019 and the University of Tennessee since 2020. He grew up in Chattanooga and is a graduate of the Baylor School and Auburn University. David has received multiple writing awards and has served as a Heisman Trophy voter since 2003. He has also worked in radio in Chattanooga and has been on the SEC Network's "Classic Rewind" series since 2014. David and his wife, Kelly, have three children — Conner, Emily and Spencer.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

Appalachian State nearly pulls off second monumental upset

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