[17] While attempting to determine the amount of money Appalachian State would be paid for playing Michigan, negotiations between the two schools reached a halt.

[1] Michigan featured a strong senior class of offensive tackle Jake Long, running back Mike Hart, and quarterback Chad Henne, each of whom had decided to stay in school rather than declare eligibility for the NFL draft.

The players attributed their decision to several factors, such as Michigan having lost their last three games to rival Ohio State and the Wolverines' streak of three consecutive bowl losses.

Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com stated that "[the trio], along with receivers Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington, gives Michigan what could potentially be one of the most explosive offenses in college football".

Silverman attributed this to the fact that Comcast and Charter, two of the major cable television providers in the state of Michigan, did not carry the Big Ten Network.

[4] Thom Brennaman provided play-by-play commentary, while Charles Davis performed as the color analyst, and Charissa Thompson reported from the sidelines.

Then Chad Henne completed an 18-yard pass to Massey, followed by a 33-yard rush from Hart, pushing Michigan to the four-yard line of Appalachian State.

[26] Following the start of the second quarter, Appalachian State ran another six plays, ending the drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass by Edwards to Hans Batichon, tying the score at 14.

On the fifth play of the ensuing drive, the Mountaineers scored a touchdown on another Edwards completion to Jackson on a slant route, this time for 20 yards, and giving ASU its first lead at 21–14.

In no man's land, the Wolverines opted to go for it on fourth down but failed to convert, turning the ball over to Appalachian State.

Love returned the ball 26 yards, and Appalachian State began the drive at their own 41-yard line, but were forced to punt after going three-and-out.

On the final play, a fourth and five, Henne's pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over to Appalachian State, who were again quickly forced to punt.

Edwards was picked off on the first play of the ensuing drive, giving Michigan control of the ball at the Appalachian State 43-yard line.

[26] Michigan regained control of the ball on the ensuing kickoff, and a 46-yard pass from Henne to Mario Manningham gave the Wolverines a 37-yard field goal attempt with six seconds left on the clock.

Mike Hart, who missed almost two quarters due to a thigh injury, led Michigan in rushing, recording 188 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries.

Brandent Englemon and Morgan Trent each intercepted a pass, while Tim Jamison, Terrance Taylor, and Will Johnson received full or partial credit for sacks.

[34] As an at-large bid, the team scored a close win over James Madison (28–27) and then defeated Eastern Washington (38–35) in the first two rounds of the FCS playoffs.

The powers that be had expanded the season a couple years back, adding an extra game so big schools could bring in cream-puff opponents while collecting millions in revenue.

Instead of an easy tune-up for Michigan, Appalachian State leaves with its most profound victory ever and a check for $400,000 that was supposed to be their pay for getting punished".

[2]Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel wrote that he felt "utterly unqualified" to put the game into perspective, and said "there's no logical reason whatsoever this should have happened.

He also expressed disappointment that he would not be able to vote for the Mountaineers in his AP poll ballot, explaining that "it may well turn out that Michigan was grossly overrated, but all I know is this: There will not be 25 other teams that accomplish more this opening weekend than Appalachian State did Saturday.

Especially in the locker rooms of every huge underdog, where they'll say, 'if Appalachian State can beat Michigan, why can't we shock the world, too?' ".

The group eventually advanced to Kidd Brewer Stadium, Appalachian State's home field, and tore down one of the goalposts.

Several students jumped nude into the duck pond behind ASU's dining hall, a campus tradition for celebrating big football victories.

The Associated Press reported that, following the end of Ohio State's 38–6 home victory against the Youngstown State Penguins, the Ohio Stadium aired the final minutes of the Appalachian State–Michigan game on the stadium's big screen; although most of the fans had already left, the outcome "elicited a large roar" from the remaining attendees.

[64] Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel gave a similar reaction, saying that "I'm never glad when a conference opponent loses outside of your game with them... You're always rooting for your brethren in the Big Ten".

[63] ESPN.com reported that in the hours after the game, "at least one street vendor was doing brisk business selling freshly minted Mountaineers T-shirts near the Ohio State campus", while stores near the campus were "swamped with requests for gear bearing the Mountaineers' gold and black colors and logo", primarily from Ohio State fans who were rejoicing over their rival's defeat.

Appalachian State's campus bookstore received a large number of phone calls from people wanting to buy gear, many of them from Ohio, but were unable to sell them in large quantities due to a state law prohibiting university bookstores from selling items to people who are not students, faculty, or alumni.

We're grateful for the opportunity to have a new generation of players experience a gameday at the Big House and to test themselves against college football's all-time winningest program".

[69] Appalachian State played their first year of football in the FBS in 2014 and joined the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) as full members.