The App State Mountaineers will take on the Charlotte 49ers in the first full week of college football action on Friday night. Both of these teams came up short of six wins and bowl eligibility last season. They will look to get an important non-conference win that could help them when searching for a bowl bid later in the year. Here, I evaluate both teams and give you my App State vs Charlotte prediction.
Our App State vs Charlotte Pick
- Pick: App State -6.5
- Confidence: 3/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Appalachian State vs Charlotte
- Date & Time: Friday, August 29, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
- Broadcast: ESPNU
App State vs Charlotte Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State –6.5 | App State –250 / Charlotte +210 | 50.5 |
Key Storylines
- Fresh leadership on both sidelines: Appalachian State opens 2025 under new head coach Dowell Loggains. Loggains is a former NFL offensive coordinator and will look to help his team put up big numbers on the scoreboard right away. Charlotte enters the season with first-year head coach Tim Albin at the helm.
- Post-season pressure: App State is trying to rebound following its first losing season since 2014. The Mountaineers had a game cancelled due to a hurricane last season and missed out on bowl eligibility by one game. Charlotte is aiming to build momentum under new direction as well. But expectations are higher for App State heading into this season.
- Sun Belt vs AAC: The AAC is regarded as the best conference outside of the power four leagues. But the Sun Belt has some quality and App State will try to take advantage of games like this one to prove that its league is good as well.
Quarterback Play
AJ Swann is likely to be the starting quarterback for App State to begin the season after Joey Aguilar transferred to Tennessee. Swann has seen time at Vanderbilt and was on the LSU roster for a year. He hasn’t had much success in his college career and a move downward could be the spark he needs.
It is set to be Conner Harrell starting the season at quarterback for Charlotte. Harrell saw very limited action in two years at North Carolina and the pressure will be on him to perform in his new home in Week 1.
App State vs Charlotte Model Projection
Score Projection: App State 28 – Charlotte 20
Win Probability: App State 62%, Charlotte 38%
Final Thoughts
There isn’t a lot of continuity on either side to lean on at the most important spots on the field. Both teams will be breaking in new starting quarterbacks under new head coaches. But I think that App State is in the best position to win this game amid all of those changes. The Mountaineers are expected to be more defensively sound and that should help them overcome any growing pains on offense. I’ll take the Mountaineers to win by about a touchdown here and to cover the spread.
