It was Sept. 1, 2007, in Ann Arbor, Mich., when Appalachian State officially put its football program on the map.

The season opener drew a packed house — over 109,000 fans — in The Big House. In perhaps the biggest upset in college football history, the Mountaineers blocked a last-second field-goal attempt by No. 5 Michigan and prevailed, 34-32.

Appalachian State became the first FCS program to defeat an FBS team that was ranked in the AP poll.

Fast forward to Sept. 21, 2019, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Mountaineers program faced one of its former mentors. Mack Brown was the head coach at Appalachian State for 1 season (1983). Now at North Carolina, Brown had his Tar Heels poised to turn away his former school.

But it was the Mountaineers who pulled the upset, 34-31, preserving the victory again on a blocked field-goal attempt. It was 1 of 2 Power 5 victories for the Mountaineers that season. Later that year, Appalachian State defeated South Carolina, 20-15, in Columbia.

Then there were the road game near-misses at Happy Valley in 2018, a 45-38 overtime loss at No. 10 Penn State, and in Knoxville in 2016, a 20-13 OT loss at No. 9 Tennessee.

Yes, Appalachian State has made a name for itself with stunning upsets on the road. But last season it added a home stunner to the list. The Mountaineers prevailed with a successful field goal of their own for a 30-27 victory over No. 14 Coastal Carolina, their 2nd win over a ranked team in program history.

This is not to say the Appalachian State football program floundered previously. In fact, there have been some notable names to come through the Mountaineers’ program. In addition to Brown’s 1 year there, Scott Satterfield was the Mountaineers’ head coach from 2013-18 before heading to Louisville. And Eli Drinkwitz was the head coach in 2019 before taking the job at Missouri.

One might even say that Appalachian State could very well be one of the most overlooked storied programs in college football. From humble beginnings in 1978 through 2013, Appalachian State football was a member of the FCS.

During that time the Mountaineers won 3 consecutive national championships from 2005-07, becoming the first FCS program to accomplish the feat since the playoffs began in 1978. They’re also the 1st Division I program to win 3 consecutive national titles since Army ruled college football from 1944-46.

Moving to the FBS in 2014, the Mountaineers have finally gotten the recognition they’ve richly deserved, enjoying AP Top 25 rankings in 2018, ’19 and ’20. The Mountaineers finished the 2019 season ranked 19th after capturing their fifth consecutive bowl victory and 3rd Sun Belt Conference championship in a row.

All that to say this: If you’re looking at the Aggies’ game on Saturday at Kyle Field as another cupcake on the level of Sam Houston State, think again. The Mountaineers have earned the label “Giant Killers” and won’t be trapsing into College Station on Saturday looking simply for a payday.

And, oh brother, if the game comes down to an Aggies’ field goal …

Note: With its 31-0 shutout of Sam Houston last Saturday, the Aggies’ defense has now gone 12 quarters without allowing a touchdown at Kyle Field. That’s a streak that dates back to the Oct. 23, 2021, meeting with South Carolina. Since that game, the Aggies have kept then-No. 12 Auburn, Prairie View and Sam Houston out of the end zone.