Swann’s song: App State’s new QB rocks Panther stadium in big win over Charlotte
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- AJ Swann threw for 368 yards and 3 touchdowns in App State's dominant win.
- App State scored on five straight drives after falling behind 3-0 early.
- Swann was making his debut at App State, as was head coach Dowell Loggains.
Joey who?
Appalachian State walloped the Charlotte 49ers at Bank of America Stadium on Friday night, 34-11, in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, and in the process appeared to have found its new quarterback.
AJ Swann, a transfer student who started 12 games at quarterback at Vanderbilt and then was a backup at LSU, lit up the Carolina Panthers’ home stadium for 368 yards passing and three passing touchdowns in his first start for Appalachian State.
Before a crowd of 35,718 — at least 70% of whom were App State fans — the Mountaineers fell behind 3-0 early and then scored on five consecutive possessions to break the game open.
When asked if he played better than he expected, Swann said: “I don’t think I really had an expectation. I think I was just going there with a game plan and kind of whatever happened, happened. And I’m glad it happened the way it did.”
The Mountaineers didn’t announce Swann as their starting quarterback before the game and told him privately a couple of days before the game that he had won the duel. It was “stressful,” to use Swann’s word.
But once Swann trotted out onto the field, he was superb. And he had big cleats to fill, too. App State’s previous quarterback, Joey Aguilar, was a fan favorite who played so well in Boone that he is now the starting quarterback at Tennessee.
Both teams were debuting all sorts of things as their 2025 college football seasons began — new head coaches, new transfer quarterbacks and newcomers on the roster in general (55 for App State, 57 for Charlotte).
But it was App State head coach Dowell Loggains, the former South Carolina offensive coordinator, who got the better of Charlotte’s Tim Albin in the first game that Albin has directed for the 49ers. As both coaches agreed, App State clearly outplayed Charlotte on both the offensive and defensive lines. The line play, along with Swann’s excellent night, made the difference in the game, Albin said.
Swann’s statistics were far better than those for Charlotte QB Conner Harrell (13 for 24, 142 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), although to be fair, Swann’s protection was a lot better than Harrell’s, too. Harrell, the former UNC quarterback, took a beating during the game — and not all of it was legal. App State had two players ejected after they were penalized for targeting, and both of the hits involved Harrell. App State had a problem with penalties in general, getting flagged nine times for 98 yards.
Harrell briefly had to come out of the contest in the second half, then asked to return and led the 49ers to their lone TD drive to make the score a bit more respectable. But Friday night was mostly App State playing some mountain music in Charlotte and partying afterward uptown.
Charlotte got more than doubled up in total yardage, gaining only 218 yards compared to App State’s 586.
But the 49ers did have a couple of memorable plays. Most notably, safety Ja’Qurious Conley’s effort saved a touchdown early. When App State wide receiver Jaden Barnes slowed down at the 1-yard line, thinking he was sure to score after an acrobatic catch, Conley caught up to him, stripped the ball and then recovered it himself for a touchback. (Loggains joked he had wanted to put Barnes in a “headlock” after that play, but Barnes redeemed himself later by scoring a touchdown for App State).
But moments like that touchdown-saving tackle were few and far between for Charlotte, which spent much of the game chasing after receivers who had just hauled in Swann’s accurate throws. Swann ended up 31 for 46, with no interceptions and those three TDs, and he would have had a fourth passing touchdown except for Conley’s goal-line strip.
The crowd and the preponderance of an App State tradition — black-and-gold overalls were worn by many fans — was also notable.
“It would be hard for us not to be excited about the game when you walk out and you see how much gold and black was in the stands,” Loggains said.
Swann’s 368 passing yards also set a school record for a quarterback making his debut for Appalachian State. Swann transferred to Boone with two years of eligibility remaining, so if he sticks around, the Mountaineers have a chance to be pretty good. Friday night was certainly a nice beginning for Loggains, Swann and App State.
As for the 49ers?
There’s a whole lot of work to do — and UNC coming to town in one week.
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