There was an inkling this could happen. We all hoped App State could be different; they could steal a night march, turn the tables on Boise State and be the ones, live up to the reputation forged by teams long ago and even more recent. But no, it turned into another routine Boise State home rout of a team not ready to play them.

If you take away the turnovers, the penalties, the slow start, the offense’s inability to move the ball consistently and Boise being a big blue wrecking ball, then everything else went well on Saturday.

No sugarcoating this. Boise State was a step above App State in so many on-field aspects. Yardage was lopsided, turnovers were brutal and a team coming off a two-week rest looked like a team that played Tuesday.

‘Boise has the biggest line App State will face all season and showed their superiority. The Boise DL completely shattered A.J. Swann’s confidence. Swann looked like a broken toy sitting back there waiting for the next blue monster to crush him.

Still, both Pick Six plays were inexcusable. The first one set up an early hole that the Apps couldn’t climb out of. The second one was the exit note for Swann.

The QB musical chairs remain interesting. Noah Gillon came in for a series and looked frightened. Billy Wiles came in and was promptly mauled. J.J. Kohl remains on milk cartons, waiting to be found during this two-week run of non-conference play, where Dowell Loggains doesn’t have to be accountable for the health status of a heralded transfer that could have started the season under center.

On the other side, the Boise OL kept their QB upright, and he gained confidence as the game went on. That’s your game right there. Domination in the trenches.

With all that time, Boise’s offense ran some brilliant plays, taking advantage of space and stretching the field. App State, when it could move on offense, seemed to stay in the middle of the field, trying to pound the ball. Dubinion played well. He might have fumbled that long run into the endzone, but it wasn’t reviewed. Yet again, fumbling near the goal line. It seems unbelievable that potential turnovers near or in the red zone are still an issue.

I expected App State to show something different in this game. Yet it was more of the same. Does Dowell feel constrained by the players he has? Is there cohesion among the staff?

When you lose 47-14 to a peer program, even one as heralded as Boise State, serious questions need to be asked. Should Swann be the QB1? Can the QB be more mobile if the OL can’t protect him long? Can the WRs be trusted to catch key balls? Can the defense make tackles and not go for the big hit?

93 years of NFL experience doesn’t matter much in 2025 college football. Everyone loves the ’85 Bears, but put them with the current rules, and I think many 2025 college teams beat them. Look at Belichick floundering at Chapel Hill. The best NFL coach ever is getting swirled by TCU and UCF.

This could be the wake-up call Southern Miss probably should have been. Many, including me, brushed off Southern Miss as a freak loss where you could see what the vision was.

Going forward, App State will be expected to win. Boise was the toughest game on App State’s schedule. Oregon State is 0-5, and while they looked good for most of the Houston game Friday, they collapsed at the end. This is a must-win game for many reasons. To avoid a three-game losing streak, to avoid being the 1 in 1-5, and to keep the players on mission.

It’s hard to win in college football. Boise was a bridge too far. Even if you take away the turnovers and some mistakes, Boise likely still wins that game. The manner of defeat is most concerning. App State looked like a dumb football team on Saturday. It can’t continue and still hope for progress.