Q&A With Chase Brice: App State's Upset Over Texas A&M, College GameDay, B1 Performance Patch

Last Saturday, Appalachian State pulled off the biggest upset of the college football thus far. Chase Brice and the Mountaineers defeated the Texas A&M Aggies on the road.

Appalachian State’s defense held Texas A&M to just 14 points at Kyle Field. It was a gutsy performance from Shawn Clark’s squad.

The Mountaineers are being rewarded for their victory over the Aggies in a major way. On Saturday, ESPN’s College GameDay will be in Boone to preview Appalachian State’s matchup against Troy.

We caught up with Chase Brice to talk about Appalachian State’s win over Texas A&M, College GameDay coming to Boone and his experience wearing the B1 Performance Patch.

The Spun: Appalachian State shocked the world on Saturday, defeating Texas A&M on the road. What was that experience like for you?

Chase Brice: It was surreal. It was one of those experiences and opportunities you dream of as far as playing a team like that. I was there in 2018 and got to play them in 2019 as well. I was familiar with the area, stadium and fan base. It was electric, and our team was excited to bounce back from a tough loss. Our defense was lights out and we made more plays than they did to come out on top.

The Spun: At what point did you guys realize the Texas A&M game was for the taking?

CB: I think it was the way we were maintaining possession and driving the football. Even though we didn’t get our shot plays, we had the opportunity to do so. It was pretty early in the game when we realized we could hang with them. They looked a little rattled on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, they were really fast and strong. But when you go to a game like that, you know punches will be delivered. It felt like a dogfight the whole entire game, but we always felt like we were in control of that game.

The Spun: You and several teammates wear the B1 Performance Patch. How do you think that helps your performance?

CB: I’m an older guy, I’m a sixth-year senior. My body isn’t the same it used to be when I was 18 years old. When Jerry [Castello] came to talk to me, this was something I was very interested. Late July heading into fall camp, I made it a point to wear it everyday for recovery purposes, energy and focus. They truly help me. I can’t speak for anybody else but myself. It helps me on the field and it helps me get more excited about football. Fall camp can be long and monotonous, but I came to work everyday ready to give it my all. I’d put on a patch before meetings and a patch before practice. It helped my body. I was focused, had long-lasting energy and I felt more fresh wearing it. So, I continue to wear it.

The Spun: How were you able to create a custom patch with B1?

CB: They gave me their original one with the B1 logo. Then, they came to me and said they can do custom ones. I was like, ‘Shoot, yeah.’ I have a logo that I used as my nickname ‘CB7.’ They put it together and added an App State logo on it. I think it’s really neat. We had cool ones for the UNC game that were black. I think it adds a little bit of swag. Some people might be uncomfortable putting something like that on, but when you see that custom logo, you want to learn more about it and see what the patch is all about. It’s a cool deal for people who want to get into it.

The Spun: College GameDay is coming to Boone for Week 3. How excited are you guys about that?

CB: We found out we’re going to be on College GameDay at the most inconvenient time. We were delayed on our flight, so we’re sitting at the airport for another two hours just waiting. Next thing you know, coach calls us and announces that College GameDay is going to come to Boone. We kinda rained on the parade of College Station getting GameDay next weekend. I think it’s going to be special, it’s going to be electric. I can’t wait for it.

As far as the expectations go, it’s great for the town just like it was to have North Carolina come here. It’s a Sun Belt game, and ultimately, that’s what we have to win. We make our money in the Sun Belt. We need to enjoy the moment while blocking out the extra noise.

The Spun: What is this App State team capable of this season?

CB: We can go as far as we work. We strive to play for championships. We want to play in the Sun Belt Championship, bring the trophy back to Boone, and then go win a bowl game. Those are our goals. All of that is on the table for us. We’re 1-1 heading into conference play. We’re ready for this.

Brice, who’ll be sporting a B1 patch this weekend against Troy, has lofty goals for this season. He made that abundantly clear.

We’ll find out this weekend if Appalachian State can follow up their win over Texas A&M with a strong showing in Week 3. 

You can read more of our interviews with athletes and media stars here.