Dexter Jackson has a treasure trove of memories from Appalachian State's stunning Saturday upset of Michigan. But for the former Dunwoody High star, one will stay with him forever.

"My mom was there, and when she saw me after the game she started crying, my stepdad started crying and I started crying," the senior wide receiver said. "It was a just a dream come true."

Detroit Free Press (ENLARGE)

Former Dunwoody star Dexter Jackson races for the first of his two touchdown receptions in Appalachian State's shocking 34-32 win at Michigan last Saturday.

Marlena Costa flew standby out of Atlanta on Thursday just to get to the game in Ann Arbor, Mich. She was still breathless this week when she talked about the experience of watching her son have his "SportsCenter" moment: a three-catch, two-touchdown, 92-yard performance they're still buzzing about in Boone, a cozy community of 13,000 tucked away in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina.

"It was just so awesome. I was so stressed," Jackson's mother said. "Then Dexter made that play and the rest of the guys just played so hard. It was just an incredible experience. We are so proud of them."

About three hours before Corey Lynch blocked a Michigan field-goal try to clinch what some have called college football's biggest upset, Jackson started it all, hauling in a 68-yard touchdown pass from Armanti Edwards to match Michigan's first score.

The Wolverines' "Big House" has never been quieter. Well, other than all of the commotion Jackson's catch and run caused on the Appalachian State sideline.

"I went to the sideline and started screaming at the other guys," said Jackson, who also had a 21-yard touchdown catch. "I said, 'This is 11 on 11! It doesn't matter what division you're in!'

"After we came back and tied the score, we knew we could play with those guys. They were surprised when we didn't quit."

The folks back in Boone weren't. An estimated 10,000 of them were awaiting the two-time defending Division I-AA champions at Kidd Brewer Stadium when they returned home.

It was after 4 a.m. Sunday when Jackson made it to bed. And the party's still going.

All week, the Appalachian State team has enjoyed being the darlings of the national media. ESPN's "College GameDay" has been to the campus of 14,800 students to put together a segment for Saturday's popular pregame show. The Mountaineers made the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated. And within 24 hours of making history, coach Jerry Moore had more than 100 national media requests awaiting him.

A I-AA program just can't buy this kind of exposure.

"When ESPN shows up at our practice," Jackson said, "that is a big deal."

Jackson is typical of the kind of player Appalachian State has recruited on its way to back-to-back national titles. One of 13 Georgians on the Mountaineers' roster, he was a star sprinter in high school with the kind of speed big schools love at wide receiver. But the Southern Conference's reigning 200-meter dash champ said he didn't make the necessary test score until national signing day, so most of the Division I-A schools backed off.

Moore showed up at Jackson's house with a different message: We will wait.

"Coach Moore offered Dexter a scholarship, and it looked like he would be happy at a smaller school," Jackson's mom said. "It could not have worked out better."

Now, as he goes for his third national title and basks in the spotlight of a week 1 upset for the ages, Jackson calls his college choice "the best decision I ever made."

The folks back home couldn't be prouder. When Jackson finally made it to his locker after fielding dozens of questions from reporters Saturday afternoon, he had a message waiting for him from James Teter, his high school coach at Dunwoody.

"To be where he is from where he started is just incredible," Teter said. "He has a lot of talent and just needed somebody to give him an opportunity."