WHY APP STATE CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER SLOW START AGAINST OLD DOMINION

App State struggled to establish itself early against NC State. The Mountaineers fell 21-0 before eventually finding their rhythm, leaving themselves with a significant amount of ground to recover.

They eventually showed their offensive quality, scoring two touchdowns in just 107 seconds during the fourth quarter to bring the game level at 31-31.

But the effort required to recover from such a deficit left little room for error.

NC State ultimately responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive and added a late field goal to win 41-31.

THE COMEBACK WAS NOT ENOUGH

App State's fourth-quarter rally shows the team's ability to respond under pressure, but it also highlighted the danger of allowing an opponent to build an early advantage.

Against a team capable of taking control early, a slow start can force the Mountaineers to play from behind for most of the afternoon. The Old Dominion game presents an opportunity to correct that issue.

A FAST START COULD CHANGE THE GAME

App State does not necessarily need to dominate the opening minutes, but establishing control early could be important.

An early lead would allow the Mountaineers to play with greater freedom while putting pressure on Old Dominion to respond.

It could also give App State's defense more flexibility and prevent the game from becoming another high-pressure comeback situation.

OFFENSE HAS ALREADY SHOWN ITS POTENTIAL

The Mountaineers showed against NC State that their offense is capable of producing points when it finds its rhythm.

Malachi Singleton completed 26 of 38 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns in the defeat, while also contributing a rushing touchdown. App State finished the game with 379 total yards.

The challenge now is to produce that level of offensive execution earlier rather than waiting until the game reaches its most critical stage.

OLD DOMINION CANNOT BE UNDERESTIMATED

Old Dominion enters the game with a 1-3 record and is coming off a 42-10 loss to Georgia State.

However, App State cannot assume that the Monarchs will simply repeat their recent performance.

Old Dominion defeated Norfolk State 31-10 to open the season and has already shown that it can produce a winning performance.

App State therefore needs to focus on its own execution rather than relying on Old Dominion's recent results.

THE FIRST QUARTER COULD SET THE TONE

For App State, the opening quarter could be particularly important. Avoiding turnovers, sustaining drives and preventing Old Dominion from creating early momentum would give the Mountaineers a much better platform than the one they had against NC State.

The goal should be to make the comeback against NC State a lesson rather than a recurring pattern.

A DIFFERENT START IN BOONE

App State returns to Kidd Brewer Stadium for its conference opener, giving the Mountaineers an opportunity to respond to their first defeat of the season.

The team has already shown that it can fight back from adversity. Now, the challenge is to show that it can control a game from the beginning.

A strong start against Old Dominion would not guarantee victory, but it would put App State in a far better position to dictate the contest rather than spend another afternoon chasing it.