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Appalachian State fans pelt James Madison players with snowballs before game

The rivalry was back on between Appalachian State and James Madison University on Saturday with an added twist.

The Dukes traveled for the teams' annual contest to Boone, North Carolina, where snow had hit the area.

The field was all clear for play, but the stands still had mounts of the white stuff – and the fans took advantage.

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As the Dukes were entering the field from the tunnel, Mountaineer fans bombarded the players with snowballs.

It appeared that some players didn't mind one bit – some even seemed fueled by getting hit.

But maybe the Appalachian State fans had a good plan, as the Mountaineers came away with a 34-20 victory.

Joey Aguilar threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns, and Ahmani Marshall ran for 108 yards in the victory.

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Aguilar threw a 4-yard touchdown to Eli Wilson and a 64-yard touchdown to Makai Jackson to bring the Mountaineers (5-5, 3-4 Sun Belt) into a tie at 17 with 1:23 left before halftime.

After forcing the Dukes to punt, App State came up with a blocked punt and Michael Hetzel returned it 9 yards for a touchdown to give the Mountaineers the lead for good with 40 seconds left before intermission.

With the loss, James Madison (8-3, 4-3) is eliminated from a chance to represent the East Division in the conference championship game.

The game was almost one year to the day the Mountaineers ruined James Madison's perfect season, as the Dukes had considered legal action after being ruled ineligible for a bowl game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jason Kelce chugs beers during eventful visit to Appalachian State tailgate

Former NFL star Jason Kelce got a first-hand look at the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team on Saturday.

Kelce made the trip to Boone, North Carolina, for the Mountaineers' matchup with James Madison. App State was ultimately able to pull off the 34-20 victory. If the Mountaineers pick up their sixth win of the season next week, they become bowl eligible.

But before Saturday's game, Kelce made his way to the tailgate area and was seen chugging beers. The retired Philadelphia Eagles center and seven-time Pro Bowler even took a few minutes to participate in karaoke.Β 

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Kelce also posed for pictures with some fans before he entered Kidd Brewer Stadium.

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Kelce, who signed with ESPN in May and makes routine appearances on "Monday Night Countdown," also addressed the crowd and made a brief appearance on the ESPN+ broadcast.

In April, Jason and his brother Travis received their college diplomas from the University of Cinncinati. Travis celebrated the moment in true Kelce style.

After shaking hands with the university's president, Dr. Neville Pinto, onstage, Travis chugged a can of beer as the Beastie Boys' hit song "Fight for Your Right" played in the arena. Travis would often recite the lyrics to the song following the Kansas City Chiefs' games and during the team's Super Bowl celebrations.

While Travis and Jason previously graduated from Cincinnati, they both missed out on their actual commencement ceremonies, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Travis and the Chiefs play the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday. Bank of America Stadium, the Panthers' home stadium, is located roughly 100 miles from Appalachian State's Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Earlier this week, a dispute over an autograph resulted in Kelce having a less than pleasant exchange with a fan.

After filming an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Thursday night, a man directed a profanity-laced tirade at Kelce over the former Eagles lineman's decision not to sign autographs for a group of people behind a fence. The incident, first reported by TMZ Sports, was captured on video.

Through the shouting, a calm Kelce attempted to explain his reasoning as he was about to get into a vehicle. "I have a habit of not signing for people that follow where I’m going," Kelce said.Β 

The incident with the fan on Thursday comes just weeks after Kelce smashed someone's phone after the unidentified person shouted a homophobic slur about Travis Kelce while Jason was walking near the Nittany Lions' home stadium.

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