BOONE, N.C. —  Appalachian State University remains ranked in the top 10 in both of the major NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national polls this week. Despite opening the season with five-point losses to defending Conference USA champion East Carolina and No. 16 McNeese State for its first 0-2 start in six years, Appalachian is ranked No. 10 in The Sports Network media poll and No. 9 in the American Football Coaches Association poll.

The Mountaineers have been ranked in the top 10 every week since Oct. 31, 2005 and have played 53-consecutive games as a top-10 team. They remain the highest ranked of the three Southern Conference representatives in the national polls (Elon is No. 11 in both polls and Wofford is No. 14 in The Sports Network rankings and No. 15 in the AFCA poll).

While ASU is 0-2 for the first time since dropping decisions to Hawaii and Eastern Kentucky to open the 2003 campaign, slow starts are not unprecedented during the Mountaineers’ run of recent success. Appalachian was 3-2 before it won nine of its last 10 games en route to its first national championship in 2005. After defeating No. 5 (FBS) Michigan to open the 2007 season, ASU dropped two of its first three conference games but bounced back to finish 13-2 and win its third-straight national title. Finally, the Apps were 1-2 last year but rebounded to win their final nine regular-season games and claim their fourth-consecutive SoCon championship.

The Mountaineers are idle this week and open SoCon play on Sept. 26 when they host Samford. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.