The Mountaineers started the season 2–2, losing in two overtimes to a rankedNorth Carolina squad as well as toWyoming on a last-second interception thrown byJoey Aguilar. After Week 7, the Mountaineers sat at just 3–4 and faced the prospect of missing a bowl game for the second straight season. However, App State managed to rally and win their final five regular season games, including an overtime win over then-undefeatedJames Madison withCollege GameDay in attendance. Thanks to James Madison's postseason ineligibility due to NCAA transfer rules for programs moving from FCS to FBS, the Mountaineers earned a berth in theSun Belt Championship, where they lost toTroy, 49–23. The Mountaineers entered the bowl with a record of 8–5.
After opening the season with a 38–3 loss at the hands ofMiami (FL), the RedHawks rattled off six straight wins, including a 31–24 overtime victory overCincinnati as a two-touchdown underdog. Their win streak was ended at home againstToledo, where they lost, 21–17. The RedHawks won their next four games to close out the regular season, and clinched the MAC East division title with a 23–10 win overBuffalo. This set up a rematch with Toledo in theMAC Championship, where backup quarterback Aveon Smith led the RedHawks to a victory, 23–14, securing the 2023 MAC conference title for Miami. The RedHawks entered the bowl with a record of 11–2.
