Night Start, Early Morning Win

BOONE, N.C. — Black Saturday turned to Black Sunday thanks to the latest kickoff time in Kidd Brewer Stadium history.

App State Football needed to weather several storms to remain unbeaten this season and unblemished against Charlotte.

Khalil Conley's interception deep in Charlotte territory set up the first of two second-half touchdown passes from Malachi Singleton as the Mountaineers gained separation before holding on for a 26-21 home victory against the 49ers.

App State (3-0) held a 26-7 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but Charlotte's 36-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:58 left put the outcome in doubt. Darrin Fugitt recovered the onside kick, and the 49ers (0-3) had no timeouts left to prevent App State from kneeling out the clock.

Kickoff for Black Saturday (Under the Lights) was scheduled for 6 p.m., but frequent lightning in the area delayed the start to 9:30 p.m., an hour later than a nationally televised App State-Louisiana matchup on a Friday night in 2020 set the previous record for the latest start ever at The Rock.

At 12:32 a.m., the clock ran out on the Mountaineers' fifth victory in five meetings with Charlotte. App State beat an in-state foe from the American Conference for the second straight week and improved to 11-0 against current American members in the Mountaineers' FBS era, including a 4-0 mark against East Carolina, plus consecutive bowl wins in 2019 (UAB) and 2020 (North Texas).

The 2019 team that went 13-1 was the last App State squad to start a season 3-0. The Mountaineers have another in-state matchup next weekend, when they face NC State at 7:30 p.m. in Raleigh for an ESPNU contest.

Singleton completed 28 of 42 passes for 331 yards with second-half scores to receivers Chris Lofton and Jackson Grier. Conley's third-quarter interception at the Charlotte 27 occurred on a Cole Gonzales throw from his own end zone, shortly after App State's opening drive of the second half ended with an unsuccessful fourth-and-goal run from the 1.

Singleton threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Lofton to push the lead to 19-7, and Grier's 7-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter gave App State a 19-point advantage. Khamani Alexander's second 1-yard touchdown run of the night cut the 49ers' deficit to 26-15, and the Mountaineers appeared to seal the victory when, for the second straight week, Dre Walker picked off a pass in the closing minutes to end an opponent's drive into App State territory. The Mountaineers took over at their 28 with 2:17 left, but Collin Gill intercepted a third-and-5 throw and scored a stunning defensive touchdown.

A week earlier, App State recovered an onside kick after ECU scored a last-minute touchdown to trim a 10-point deficit to three points. Early Sunday morning, with an 11-point lead reduced to five points, the hands team came through in another dicey spot.

App State held a 13-7 halftime edge after taking a 10-0 lead on James London's 41-yard field goal and Jaquari Lewis' 2-yard touchdown run. Alexander cut into the deficit on a 1-yard touchdown run with 35 seconds left in the half, but long completions to Lofton and Alexander Sanchez set up London's 47-yard field goal as the half ended.

Sport-specific giving allows you to directly support App State student-athletes and help provide them the resources they need to be successful. Click here to contribute to the App State Football Support Fund.

Keep up with App State Football wherever you go by following the Mountaineers on social media. Follow App State Football on X, Instagram and Facebook. Download the App State Athletics App for iOS or Android to keep the Mountaineers at your fingertips.

Click here to read article