Appalachian State hosted James Madison on Saturday in an important game for both the Mountaineers and Dukes. The Mountaineers entered the day at 4-5, needing a win to keep their bowl eligibility hopes alive, while the Dukes entered as the favorite while looking to keep their Sun Belt East Division hopes alive.

Boone, North Carolina, and the surrounding areas in the state’s high country were covered with a blanket of snow on Friday. And at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Mountaineers fans took advantage of the situation, pelting Dukes players with snowballs before the game. Here’s the video:

Welcome to Boone ya filthy animals! pic.twitter.com/NB3SPzkJZB

— Expose Yosef (@ExposeYosef) November 23, 2024

While this, frankly, isn’t allowed, it’s clear the fans were having a little fun. And that fun carried over into the game itself — at least, for App State fans.

After falling behind 14-0 early in the second quarter, the Mountaineers outscored the Dukes 24-3 to take a 24-17 lead into the locker room before eventually winning 34-20 for their third victory in four games. They’ll take a 5-5 overall record and a 3-4 Sun Belt mark to Georgia Southern to end the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Dukes, winners of three straight heading into Saturday, fell to 8-3 (4-3 Sun Belt). A win didn’t completely eliminate them from the running for a Sun Belt Championship Game appearance, but those hopes are on life support right now. The Dukes wrap up the regular season with a home game against Marshall.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.