App State vs ECU: from App State’s HC perspective

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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Victoria and I yesterday at about one o'clock we circled four games on the calendar of the college football season of games played here in the state of North Carolina or evolving schools here in the state of North Carolina. Our lists were completely different. Our four games were completely different with the exception of one. We both circled ECU at app week three. I'm very much looking forward to that game. That's going to be one of the biggest games here in the state of North Carolina this upcoming college football season. And a man who's going to be on the sidelines for that game, that kid Brewer, is the app state head coach Sean Clark who's joining us here on the Adam Gold show.

Thanks so much for giving us some of your time. I know camp and all that's getting started up here for you all. But last season finishing six and six, not getting to a bowl game.

We all know that's not quite the level that you all expect for yourselves. What have the conversations been like for you coach Clark for your staff, your players this off season to bounce back from last year? Well first off, thanks for having me on.

It's always good talking to everyone in the triad area down there. But you mentioned six and six is not good enough for us here at app state. And we have some big time moments this past year with the overtime win, overtime game versus North Carolina going to college station and beaten.

Then ranked number 16 in the country text saying them and hosting college games here for the first time ever in school history. That was a lot of high points. But no, I think things didn't go as the way we want them a lot of highs, a lot of lows. And but you know, this is not a rebuild here.

We're not trying to rebuild or reload a reset. And we're fortunate to get some some new coaches in and to get our program back to national prominence. And that's our main goal. So our kids had a great off season through spring and now through summer workouts. Now we start fall camp we report Thursday and practice Friday. So a lot of excitement here on the mountain.

A lot of excitement out there for sure. Again, Sean Clark app state head football coach joining us here on the Adam gold show. You some of your top producers on offense last year, chase Bryce, he's gone Cameron peoples, he's gone. Who's the next guys that are up to to replace some of that production for you all this year? Well, everyone's about the quarterback position and you go back to 2013. There's only been three quarterbacks has played Taylor lambs at Thomas and and Chase Bryce. So this is a new quarterback for us.

And it started back in the spring. And when coach Ponce came back and we will have a three man race right now with Ryan burger, Joe and Mason, the Q and all three of those were capable of playing here at athlete and playing at a winning level, but it's been a close competition all spring and all summer. So we're excited to get to work on Friday and and really figure out in a quickly manner who's going to be our starting quarterback.

So I wish I had a great answer. We I don't I know we have three guys that can can really take our offense down the field and score points. So whoever can score points will turn the ball over. It's going to lead us in the first game versus Gardner Webb that first game against Gardner Webb.

I know Gardner Webb. Yes, they're an FCS school, but it's not a pushover program. They made it to the FCS to the FCS playoffs last season.

Not in there. One of three, I guess, for FCS programs. If you count Gardner Webb, Elon Davidson, shouts to the Wildcats as well as NC Central all made postseason from FCS play. How much have you seen college football in the state of North Carolina elevated over the last five, six years?

Oh, it's it's night and day for when I first got here back, you know, eight years ago. Well, yeah, you know, very good high school football coaches in the state and and there's a lot of great players and you talk about Gardner Webb and Coach Lamb down there every summer. We take our opponents and do a four game breakdown. And I think when our players saw what kind of the player that the quality of players they have housed there on offense, defense and special teams really caught our players eyes.

So that is not a pusher in. We have a workout for us for that game. And that's the home opener. It's a lot of fun being sure it's going to be a sold out stadium and it's going to be a great college atmosphere that first week in September. Sean Clark, App State head coach joining us here on the Adam Gold Show.

Dennis Cox sitting in for Adam Gold. Now, I know an electric atmosphere is going to be taking place on September 16th. I know it's week three. I know you don't like to look ahead, but I want to. ECU comes into Kipp Brewer.

When I looked at the matchup, I saw I was like, wait a second. Why doesn't this happen more often? Like this would be a year and a year out thing. We talked to Mike Houston yesterday and he said that you all have some future games and all that scheduled. Why is it important? I think it's important. But why do you think it's important that we have ECU app competing each other year in and year out? And why is that good for the state of North Carolina in terms of college football that these two programs play against each other? Well, I have a lot of respect for Coach Houston and his program. Been there in Greenville and it's great for college football. It's great for our state. We know we played East Carolina two years ago down in Bank of America Stadium, a great college atmosphere.

And then, you know, you fast forward two years later, they're coming to Boone. It's gonna be a sold out same again. I'm sure we go to Greenville will be a sold out stadium. Our fans travel very well.

And again, you mentioned it's good for the state. We played Elon. Here's a sold out crowd. This is our third time playing North Carolina. Three game series. NC State agreed to play us. And those are great football games.

Great atmosphere. It's good for us. They were keeping the money in state.

And I hope we can continue to do that in the future. Why is it important that these matchups take place to keep recruits here in the state of North Carolina? We've seen some guys that are now in the NFL that are from from this state that may have played at Clemson or Georgia or these other places. Why is it important that recruits top guys stay within the borders of the state?

We have seven division one football schools in the state of North Carolina. And they're great players in the state. So they're gonna get recruited on a national basis. Anytime you can go and you know your stadium will be sold out, it adds value. You know, you come here to get a world class degree and play for championships. And I just think that those atmospheres and that's what college football is about.

When I was in the Sun Belt back in 16 and 17, we would fly all the way out to Idaho or New Mexico State. There might be 4000 people in the stands. You come here and play these kind of games. And this is what it's about. And with the new landscape of college football, things are changing different conferences. It's just good to have those in state schools play each other. And it's become rivalries, it's become great games, bragging rights for our fans. I just know if we go to NC State and we go to Carolina this year, that those are sold out stadiums. And that's the real value of college football.

That's the way it should be. Final question here for Sean Clark, App State head coach. We saw UNC travel to Kid Brewer last year.

We saw NC State go out to Dottie Ficklin. Why is it valuable and why was it special to have the group of five schools host the big ACC Power 5 schools at home? Why was that important for you all? Why was that big thing to have those schools travel? Because oftentimes we see the group of five schools got to travel to the Power 5. But here in the state, we saw the opposite. Why was that such a big deal in your mind? Well, first of all, I want to thank Coach Brown for playing these kind of games.

And you go back to 2019, I'm not sure what their crowd was in 19. But I know at at travel at nation travel very well. You come here and they come to boom and electric atmosphere and I will go back to Carolina.

It's just a mission. So I just think it's such a special time now because of the realignment so we can keep this money in state. It's great for college football. It's great for the universities and we're very fortunate that they have agreed to play us.

And I'll go this, you know, you mentioned a group of five. I'll put the Sunbelt Conference versus any conference in the country. And that's been proven a year and a year out with with App State going to Texas A&M. Marshall went to Notre Dame and and one in Georgia Southern went to Nebraska ODU beats Virginia Tech. So with the transfer portal, things are even up a little bit right now. And those are big time games. So my hope was here for the future for a long time. And Coastal Carolina is no pushover either.

We've seen what they've done on a national scale as well. Coach Sean Clark, thanks so much for your time. Really do appreciate it. Best of luck this season. I think I'm already trying to book a hotel and stuff to get out there week three of when ECU comes because that's going to be one of the most fun college football atmospheres that we will witness in the state of North Carolina this year. Best of luck this season. Thanks so much for your time.

Thank you. You better get an hotel room soon because the business will be rocking the third week of September. You know, I'm not you know what I might define an Airbnb. I could just drive out. It's from Raleigh out there. I can make a trip in a day. I think I could make it work. Sean, thanks for your time.