Oregon State football early opponent preview: Appalachian State

The longest road trip of the regular season for

Oregon State

football is all the way to Boone, North Carolina, where the Beavers will take on Appalachian State.

A typical contender in the Sun Belt, the Mountaineers (5-6) are coming off their first losing season since moving to FBS in 2014. That led to the firing of coach Shawn Clark after five seasons, and the arrival of longtime NFL and collegiate assistant Dowell Loggains to lead the program into the future.

Boone was significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene, leading to App State cancelling its Sept. 28 game against Liberty and only playing 11 total in 2024. The long road to recovery continues for the community, providing more motivation for the Mountaineers as the program resets.

Game 6: Oregon State at Appalachian State

Date:

Oct. 4

Time:

TBD

Location:

Kidd Brewer Stadium — Boone, N.C.

TV:

TBD

Appalachian State offense preview:

App State should rely primarily on the run, highlighted by the dynamic Rashod Dubinion, who transferred in from Arkansas. The Mountaineers also get back previous starter Kanye Roberts, who suffered a season-ending injury after playing in eight games and starting five in 2024.

There are several new faces along the offensive line, and a quarterback battle to keep an eye on: LSU transfer A.J. Swann vs. Iowa State transfer J.J. Kohl. Swann is the odds on favorite given his experience, but Kohl could make a push.

App State was 33rd in the country in total offense last season, but 76th in scoring offense and 126th in red zone offense — scoring just under 72% of the time. If the trend continues this season, it could be a chance for the Beavers’ defense to shine.

Appalachian State defense preview:

The Mountaineers ranked 104th in total defense and 114th in scoring defense — allowing opponents to put up nearly 33 points per game. That included 52 to Marshall and 48 to South Alabama — not exactly national powerhouses.

What’s more, App State’s red zone struggles on offense bleed over into the defense as well. It allowed opponents to score on 36 of 39 trips to the red zone.

For an Oregon State team expected to have a more balanced and dynamic offense in 2025 with Maalik Murphy under center and Anthony Hankerson leading the backfield, the Beavers are hoping offense will travel all the way across the country. So long as the time change, weather conditions and travel challenges don’t leave too strong of marks, this should be a chance for them to put up some points.

More OSU early opponent previews:

Game 1: California

Game 2: Fresno State

Game 3: Texas Tech

Game 5: Houston

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Ryan Clarke

covers the Oregon State Beavers for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com or on Twitter/X:

@RyanTClarke

. Find him on Bluesky:

@ryantclarke.bsky.social

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