Appalachian State Nearly Knocks Off the Nittany Lions

It's 11 years to the day when an FCS power from Boone, NC rose up to smite the mighty Michigan Wolverines.

Appalachian State has been in the FBS since 2014 when they joined the Sun Belt, one of the Other Five conferences.

The Mountaineers have held their own, too. Last season was the first where they didn't record a double-digit win record, but judging from this year's start against Penn State, that was an exception.

 

The Nittany Lions just found that out firsthand.

James Franklin may well have struggled to get his team's full attention on the task at hand this weekend, but he damn well snapped the squad out of it before total embarrassment set in:

 

Penn State's final drive in regulation looked like what everyone thought they'd be seeing.

Seems like their margin for error is finer than they assumed, early season or no.

 

That was the lesson.

Never take anyone for granted, keeping in mind you may not be who you think you are.

Unless you're being scouted by Dennis Green.

 

The rest of the Big Ten will undoubtedly take note, and the Nittany Lions had best be on their guard.

Because Appalachian State just confirmed a favorite saying of archivist Jon Meacham:

History may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.