The North Carolina A&T Aggies (1-0, 0-0) kicked off their 2013 football campaign with a 24-21 win in a nail-biter against the Appalachian State Mountaineers (0-2, 0-0) at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

More than twenty-thousand fans were on the edges of their seats in Boone, North Carolina as Appalachian State senior kicker Drew Stewart missed wide left on a potential game tying field goal in the final seconds of the game, sealing the victory for the Aggies.

Saturday’s loss snaps the Mountaineers 32-game win streak against in-state opponents.

The scoring began when Appalachian State took an early 6-0 lead on a 35-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jamol Londry-Jackson to freshman running back Marcus Cox just under four minutes into the game.

Appalachian State failed on the two-point conversion as a Logan Hallock pass was intercepted by the A&T defense.

The Mountaineers were ahead on the scoreboard for only 12 seconds as A&T scored on their first touch when sophomore defensive back Tony McRae returned a Zach Matics kickoff for a 91-yard touchdown on the ensuing kickoff.

After back to back drives resulting in punts for both teams, the Aggies defense made a statement on the first play of the Mountaineer’s third drive when former university of Ohio transfer cornerback Ayodeji Olatuye made a diving interception on the sideline.

As time expired in the first quarter, freshman quarterback Kawshaun Quick scrambled outside the pocket and delivered a bullet pass to junior running back Desmond Lawrence in the endzone to give the Aggies a 14-6 lead entering the second quarter, capping an 8 play 47-yard drive.

Quick managed the game to the tune of 12 of 21 passing for 100 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Lawrence was Quick’s most reliable target throughout the night, recording five receptions for a total of 43-yards.

The Aggies returned to the endzone in the second quarter when senior linebacker D’vonte Grant intercepted and returned a Londry-Jackson pass for a 57-yard touchdown.

Grant, a preseason All-American, also contributed to the Aggies cause with 8 tackles and a blocked punt.

The Mountaineers switched quarterbacks at halftime, opting to play sophomore Kameron Bryant and bench senior Jamol Londry-Jackson.

Landry-Jackson finished 11 of 20 for 121 yards a touchdown and threw two interceptions in the game.

Three-and-outs and punts were the theme of the third quarter as the teams engaged in a defensive struggle.

Cody Jones extended the A&T lead early in the fourth with a 27-yard field goal, giving the Aggies a 24-6 advantage.

With their backs against the wall, the Mountaineers made a strong run late in the game, trimming a 24-6 A&T lead to 24-21.

With 5:23 left to play, Bryant linked up with Barrett Burns from 10 yards.

A successful 2-point conversion attempt cut the A&T lead to 10 points.

With 24 seconds remaining in regulation Bryant connected with Marcus Cox, minimizing the A&T lead to a mere three points.

Kid Brewer erupted in excitement as Appalachian State recovered an onside kick with 21 seconds left, giving the Mountaineers a chance to tie or go ahead against the Aggies.

The crowd gasped as Stewart’s kick drifted wide left from 27-yards, suffocating any chance of a comeback.

The Aggies special teams unit played strongly on Saturday.

A&T freshman punter Dominic Frescura landed four punts inside of the 20, three of which were placed inside the 5-yard line.

Appalachian State’s lead in the head to head series is now 5-2.

Saturday’s defeat marks their most recent loss in the series since Sept. 4, 1993 when the Aggies defeated the Mountaineers 22-10 in Greensboro.

The Elon Phoenix (1-1, 0-0) will travel to Aggie Stadium, where they will take on an Aggies team coming off one of the biggest wins in school history.

• Kalyn Hoyle, Sports Editor