The turn of the century brought success to the Jerry Moore led Mountaineers as the team finished with at least 10 wins for just the third time in his tenure in the 2000 season.
However over the next four seasons wins would decrease each season and many people in Boone began to wonder if the team was headed in the right direction entering the 2005 season. All doubters would be proved wrong by December as Appalachian would earn its first national championship in program history.
Early Fall
App State entered the 2005 season unranked in the 1AA Sports Network Poll.