Up 21, down to the wire: Pack survives App State scare 41-31
The Day Before
😮💨 resignedThe day before was dominated by the fallout from last week's infamous game-ending debacle (CJ Bailey's fumble/failure to take a safety), with fans openly mocking Dave Doeren, dissecting coaching candidates who could replace him, and watching College Gameday to see how badly State would get roasted nationally. There was real dread about facing App State given the Mountaineers' history as "giant killers," with several fans explicitly worried this had the makings of an upset given State's fragile mental state coming off the loss. Saturday was spent watching other games (Wake, Louisville, Texas/Tennessee, Ole Miss/Florida) while circling back constantly to Doeren hate, coaching carousel speculation (Dickert, Napier, Sumrall, Riley), and dark humor about the program's trajectory.
What Fans Expected
- Fans feared an upset was very possible given App's track record and State's shaky mental state
- Belief the fanbase would be forced to relive the fumble/safety play all season on shows like Gameday
- Several predicted a bowl-less, ugly season (2-4 by bye week floated as a realistic outcome)
Storylines Going In
- Fallout and national mockery from last week's failure to take a safety/clock management disaster
- Concern that CJ Bailey is mentally fragile after being the internet's laughingstock
- Fire Doeren sentiment fully entrenched with coaching replacement fantasy booking (Dickert, Napier, Riley, Sumrall)
- App State's reputation as a program that pulls off upsets against P4 teams
- Pregame vibes described as flat/dull, TV broadcast replaying last week's disaster before kickoff
📊 Community Mood
885 messages tracked, scored in 15-minute windows
What Happened
State jumped out to a 21-0-ish lead early and fans briefly allowed themselves some hope, highlighted by a trick-play touchdown to backup Ashton Locklear that had the group chat in disbelief. But the mood soured fast as the Wolfpack repeatedly failed to close out drives before halftime, settling for a field goal after burning clock management poorly, drawing the loudest 'Fire Dave' chorus of the night. The unraveling accelerated in the third and fourth quarters as App State clawed back from 31-10 down to tie the game at 31, exposing a pass rush the community called nonexistent ('we haven't gotten pressure on a QB in 4 years') and a secondary getting torched at will by App's quarterback.
The defining moment was a clearly-signaled App State onside kick that the Wolfpack sideline appeared totally unprepared for, which fans immediately flagged in real time as 'the most obvious thing' and which nearly gifted App the winning score. State managed to escape with a late defensive stand and a kneel-down, but the overriding sentiment was disbelief that a 21-point, then 14-point fourth-quarter lead had been allowed to evaporate against an unranked Sun Belt opponent. Preston Douglas emerged as a rare bright spot with a strong game, while his imposing parents on the sideline became a recurring comic relief thread throughout the broadcast.
Postgame, Doeren's press conference briefly seemed measured until his sign-off remark reminding reporters 'we did win the game' set off a fresh wave of outrage, seen by many as emblematic of a coach out of touch with a fanbase that views a narrow escape over App State as an indictment, not a triumph, given the team was favored by roughly two touchdowns.
Player Assessments
Continued to draw brutal criticism for poor reads, another intercepted/tipped pass, and general lack of trust after last week's disaster, though he avoided a game-defining blunder this time.
Emerged as one of the few consistently praised players on offense, with fans calling him a bright spot; his parents on the sideline also became a running joke.
Defensive coordinator was savaged as the pass rush disappeared and the secondary allowed App State to erase a 21-point deficit; widely called for to be fired.
Locklear's surprise trick-play touchdown was a highlight, while the run game as a whole was inconsistent and fans debated Scott's usage.
Widely mocked as generationally bad, with fans saying the unit couldn't generate pressure even against a Sun Belt offensive line, allowing App's QB all-day protection.
Day-after discussion flagged him as a high-priced defensive back who barely played, seen as a symbol of poor NIL/roster allocation.
Blasted throughout for clock management, in-game decision-making, and a tone-deaf postgame remark reminding media the team won, reinforcing calls for his firing despite the win.
💬 Fan Takes
“Here we go again with the last play! THey've gotta fuck us one more time!”
Pregame dread referencing last week's ending as kickoff approached
“Dave Doeren is a demon sent to torment our lives”
Early frustration boiling over on a shaky opening sequence
“Ashton locklear said fuck all yall”
Reaction to the trick-play touchdown catch/run by backup Locklear
“The onside kick was the most obvious thing I've ever seen don't know why app went for too”
Community consensus that State's defense should have seen the game-changing onside kick coming
“Gotta love when you win and still feel like shit”
Summed up the deflated relief of escaping with a win nobody felt good about
“Dave having to remind anybody we won the game is an embarrassment. The fact that that is even a subject to be discussed or that he feels he needs to defend himself about speaks louder than anything else.”
Day-after reaction to Doeren's postgame parting shot, crystallizing the fanbase's disconnect from the coach
“It's crazy that 4 games in Dave "I Stay When Others Go" Doeren has squandered any goodwill people had for him after Wade left how he did.”
Day-after framing of how quickly goodwill evaporated this season
🐦 Tweets From the Thread
Posts fans shared while the game was on.
https://x.com/bunchformationp/status/2104005124574077004
https://x.com/djburners/status/2103932655813218470
https://x.com/mlfootball/status/2103975402268151881
https://x.com/rwilliams_ips/status/2104033323483799804
https://x.com/brucesooners67/status/2103948976680775713
https://x.com/rcorysmith/status/2104019935894618560
https://x.com/fleischman_noah/status/2104049642333667354
https://x.com/charlie_grib/status/2104053910042202151
🖼️ Memes & Screenshots
Community Analysis
Primary Concerns
- Total lack of pass rush against any level of competition
- CJ Bailey's decision-making and ability to read defenses
- NIL money being misallocated to underperforming defensive players (Mack benched despite big contract)
- Whether administration (Boo Corrigan/BOT) will ever act on the growing fire-Doeren movement
Consensus Takes
- Doeren's clock/game management in the final minutes of the first half and again late in the fourth quarter was indefensible
- The defensive line and pass rush are the program's biggest structural weakness right now
- Winning by 7 over App State as a two-touchdown favorite is nothing to celebrate and if anything strengthens the fire-Doeren case
- Doeren's postgame comment reminding media the team won was tone-deaf and reinforced he's out of touch with the fanbase
Calls Made in the Thread
- If im App DC, im throwing all kinds of junk defenses and zone blitzes at CJ...I think this is going to be a tough game for him on the mental side (Fan I, medium confidence)
- Starting to feel like best case, we're 2-4 heading into the bye week (Fan S, low confidence)
- Louisville will be the most disciplined football team next Saturday (Fan J, medium confidence)
- This is a spot power 4 teams lose in often so gotta give them a bit of credit (Fan AA, medium confidence)
- It'll be a stop on the 2 point and then app will get another onsides and then win on a field goal (Fan E, low confidence)
The Morning After
😤 frustratedWith clearer heads, the community's anger shifted from the scoreline itself (a win, technically) to how narrowly State avoided a second consecutive catastrophe and how thin the margin was against an unranked Sun Belt team. Multiple fans broke down personnel/NIL spending, arguing State's highest-paid defenders (Tyson, Aguirre, Nelson, Mack) were badly underperforming their price tags, and that King Mack being benched despite big money was a glaring roster-construction failure. Doeren's postgame parting shot ('by the way we did win that football game') became the day's flashpoint, seen as tone-deaf and further evidence he's lost the room, with several fans saying his 14-year tenure and this response crystallized why he needs to go regardless of the final score.
Cooler Heads
- A few fans noted App State is genuinely better than expected and will have a good season, softening some of the anger at the final result
- Some acknowledged the offense played a good first half before collapsing, distinguishing it from a total no-show
Still Chewing On
- Is the defensive line ever going to generate any pass rush against anyone?
- Will Louisville next week expose State even worse given the two-week momentum swing?
- Is King Mack's benching a talent evaluation/NIL misallocation problem?
- Will administration (Boo Corrigan/BOT) do anything at all mid-season or is the season already resigned to more of the same?
🔮 What's Next
Season impact: The win keeps State's record respectable on paper but does little to quiet the fire-Doeren movement; fans widely view the underlying performance as continuing evidence the program is trending toward a non-bowl, mediocre season rather than validating anything positive.
- Fire Dave Doeren movement continuing to build with fan speculation about replacements (Dickert, Napier, Sumrall, Riley)
- CJ Bailey's mental/technical struggles following the infamous prior-week failed safety play
- Chronic pass rush and secondary deficiencies threatening to sink upcoming ACC games
- NIL/roster construction criticism, specifically around underperforming high-paid defenders like King Mack