Appalachian State Football

Former Appalachian State defensive line, running backs and inside linebackers coach Mark Speir, who spent nine seasons in Boone, was hired to become the next head coach of Western Carolina, it was announced Thursday.

Appalachian State, which has seen long-time assistants Scott Satterfield, Shawn Elliott and John Wiley all leave for FBS jobs, now has lost another in Speir. The latest departure from head coach Jerry Moore's staff hits particularly close to home, with Speir matriculating to arch-rival and league foe Western Carolina. The Mountaineers continue to be victimized by their own success, which has yielded six SoCon titles, three national titles and seven postseason appearances since 2005.

Now that Speir has departed for his first head coach job, Scot Sloan, ASU's defensive backs coach, has been named the recruiting coordinator. Speir's hire marks the fifth current NCAA Division I head coach with Appalachian State head coaching ties. He joins Mack Brown (Texas Head Coach), Ruffin McNeill (East Carolina Head Coach), Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech Head Coach) and Sparky Woods (VMI Head Coach) in that classification.

Former Appalachian State offensive assistant Scott Satterfield was a member of the greatest team in school history prior to the current seven-year run, quarterbacking the 1995 team to a perfect regular-season mark of 11-0 and a 12-1 overall mark on the campaign.

Satterfield and assistant coach Shawn Elliott, who coached both the tight ends and offensive line during his 13-year tenure (1996-2009) as an assistant coach at Appalachian State, was also a member of that 1995 squad. Satterfield spent his 10 seasons coaching wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks.

The two coaches were born and bred into the Appalachian State football family and both played significant roles in establishing what has become a football dynasty in the High Country of Boone, N.C.

With Appalachian State having trouble in their traditional power-I offense during the 2003 season, questions surrounded the program and the play-calling from Appalachian State's usually outwardly vocal fan base, which began to start calling for change. Some even murmured that it was time for a change at the top, despite the fact the football program was headed by the SoCon's all-time winningest head coach, Jerry Moore.

The 2003 season would also see another significant piece added the ASU championship puzzle with the hiring of Mark Speir to coach the running backs. The '03 season would see the emergence of one of the league's best freshman running backs in Alan Atwater. Also in the ranks was a third-string walk-on named Kevin Richardson, who would go on to become the school's all-time leading rusher.

Richardson's 2007 season remains the last 1,000-yard rushing performance at the running back position. Speir would go on to coach the defensive line, inside linebackers and was the team's recruiting coordinator during his nine seasons on the mountain.

During the spring of 2004, the Mountaineer coaching staff, namely Satterfield and Elliott, made trips to Morganton, West Virginia during spring practice. It took some convincing, but Elliott and Satterfield began to urge the veteran head coach to change to the 'trendy' new spread offense that had the nation a-buzz, particularly when watching the West Virginia Mountaineers, who had two of the most electrifying players in college football, in quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton.

The spread offense employed by Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia was different from most, as it used the run to set up the pass. A young Appalachian State team would finish 6-5 in the SoCon in 2004, posting the league's third-most potent offense (425.5 YPG) and the league's top passing attack (322.6 YPG) en route to finishing 6-5. The Mountaineers, however, missed the FCS postseason for the second season in a row.

The next season, history was made and ASU won its first of three national crowns with a 21-16 win over Northern Iowa. During that three-year period, ASU was nearly unbeatable, going 39-6, including a 17-game winning streak and a milestone victory for the FCS—a 34-32 win over No. 5 Michigan to open the 2007 season.

It would eventually lead to the break up of a staff that had seen so much success in both their respective careers as players, as well as during their coaching careers on the Appalachian State sidelines.

Shortly after the 2008 season, Satterfield was hired to take over as offensive coordinator at Toledo, where he spent two seasons before joining Mario Cristobal's coaching staff at Florida International in the same role. Elliott was lured away from the High Country by South Carolina's Steve Spurrier after the 2009 season, where he remains to this day and is lauded as one of the top offensive line coaches in the SEC.

John Wiley was another coach that spent 19 seasons at Appalachian State, serving as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach before moving on to coach with Ruffin McNeill at East Carolina.

What Mark Speir Brings To Western Carolina:

As folks began to prepare for the Christmas Holidays, Western Carolina was busy making plans for its football future as the school announced Mark Speir would become the 13th head coach at a Thursday morning press conference.

Speir, who has an impressive resume that includes stops at Clemson, Presbyterian, Western Carolina and Elon, comes to Cullowhee from Appalachian State where he has spent the past nine seasons. During that time, Speir served the ASU coaching staff in various roles including running backs coach (2004-07), defensive line coach (2006-10), inside linebackers coach (2011) and recruiting coordinator.

Speir had good coaching pedigree, having gotten his start at a place Jerry Moore knew all too well as Speir was a graduate assistant on the Clemson staff during the late 1980's. Speir spent time under legendary coach Danny Ford, who brought Clemson its only national title (1981) and is regarded alongside Frank Howard as the two greatest coaches to ever grace the sidelines in Memorial Stadium.

Speir also spent time under Ken Hatfield, who was Ford's successor. Hatfield and Ford played a role in Jerry Moore finding his way to Boone years earlier. Moore spent time at Clemson a couple of years after he had been fired at Texas Tech. He was allowed as much access as he wanted by good friend Danny Ford, and that would eventually lead to him being hired on as a volunteer assistant at Arkansas under Hatfield for a season before Appalachian State came calling in 1989.

So Speir had some good connections with Moore when coming on board with ASU in 2003. Speir was also familiar with the Southern Conference, having coached at Elon (2000-02) and at Western Carolina (1991-96). At Western Carolina in the early-mid 1990's, he was instrumental in bringing in what many consider to be one of the greatest running backs in WCU history, if not SoCon history, helping recruit Brad Hoover (1996-99). Hoover, of course, went on to have a nice NFL career.

Early in his career, Speir coached another running back that went on to become one of the greats in the Catamount annals, in Kevin Thigpen (1990-93). Thigpen currently ranks fifth on WCU's career rushing charts, finishing his career with 2,447 yards.

Speir, who served under Steve Hodgin during his first go-around in Cullowhee under Steve Hodgin, was a part of the last two Catamount football teams to seriously threaten a postseason bid in the 1992 and '93 campaigns, as the Catamounts posted a combined mark of 13-10 during those two campaigns and was on the sidelines for one of the greatest wins in Catamount football history in 1992, when WCU took down second-ranked Marshall, 38-30, at Whitmire Stadium.

In his Appalachian State tenure, Speir coached some greats on both sides of the football, including helping mold the school's all-time leading rusher, Kevin Richardson, in his first two seasons on the sidelines, while coaching two of the greatest defensive ends to ever play at Appalachian State in Jason Hunter and Marques Murrell in 2005 and '06.

Speir was instrumental for luring Lonnie Galloway to Boone in 2005. Galloway, of course, is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play at Western Carolina, and he was the signal-caller that led the Catamounts to that memorable Halloween win over Marshall back in '92. He was also instrumental in molding some great wideouts while at ASU, including William Mayfield and DaVon Fowlkes and helping develop the overall skills of the school's all-time greatest wideout in Brian Quick.

After ASU's third-straight national title in '07, Galloway moved on to become the passing game coordinator at West Virginia from 2008-10 and just finished up his first season at Wake Forest in the same role.

All that being said, Speir is likely to bring friend and fellow Clemson graduate Brad Glenn on staff in Cullowhee. Glenn was ASU's quarterbacks coach for three years while spending his other four seasons on the Mountain, coaching both wide receivers and tight ends.

More news is expected to come out concerning more potential changes between the two programs in the new year. We'll take a look at the domino effect and the polar opposites of these two football programs in western North Carolina in the past seven seasons in part two.

GREENVILLE,S.C.—Saturday will mark the biggest day in the Southern Conference in quite some time, as four teams look to stay alive for a SoCon playoff spot.

The biggest matchups will take place in upstate South Carolina, as three of the four teams vying for those four spots will be in action within a 40-mile radius.

The Southern Conference title will be on the line in the 'Hub City' of South Carolina, as No. 9 Wofford hosts No. 4 Georgia Southern in a game that for will likely decide the 2011 Southern Conference champion.

The Terriers will be looking to defeat the Eagles in Spartanburg for the first time since 2005, as the Eagles have won three straight on the Gibbs Stadium turf.

It will be "Black Saturday" in Spartanburg, with the Terriers taking a page out of Appalachian State's book in terms of marketing, hoping it might bring the Terriers a step closer to a fourth SoCon football crown, including their third in the past five seasons.

Wofford last posted a 21-17 win over Georgia Southern in 2005. With a win by the Eagles this afternoon, Georgia Southern would claim its first Southern Conference football crown since 2004, when the Eagles shared the regular-season crown with Furman.

With a Wofford win, it keeps both Furman and Appalachian State in the title chase. Of course, Appalachian State's pulse remains faint in search of an unprecedented seventh straight crown, while Furman hopes also remain distant of capturing the school's 13th league title and first since 2004.

Meanwhile, just up the road in Greenville, S.C., although No. 17 Furman's game with Elon won't be important in terms of deciding a Southern Conference regular-season title, it will be vitally important for the Paladins to get a victory to secure a playoff bid for the first time since 2006.

The Paladins haven't beaten the Phoenix since a 52-49 win in Greenville back in 2007 at Paladin Stadium, in a game that likely sealed Elon's playoff fate in that particular campaign.

It will be "Senior Day" at Paladin Stadium, honoring a talented class of seniors that includes the likes of defensive All-Americans Ryan Steed (CB) and Kadarron Anderson (LB), while Chris Forcier (QB), Sedderik Cunningham (WR) and Ryan Lee (OT) will be playing their final respective regular-season games in front of the Paladin Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

At stake for Elon is keeping hopes alive for a fifth straight winning season, but the Phoenix would need victories in their final two games against Furman today and next week on Senior Day at Rhodes Stadium against No. 10 Appalachian State.

Appalachian State will be looking to keep its playoff hopes alive with wins in its final two games against Old North State rivals Western Carolina and Elon over the next two weeks. With wins in those two games, the Mountaineers would make their seventh straight playoff appearance dating back to the 2007 season. A loss in either one of those games and the Apps would be squarely on the bubble of a post-season bid.

The chances are that the loss won't come this week against a Western Carolina team whom Appalachian State has simply dominated isn't too likely, as ASU holds a commanding 56-18-1 all-time series advantage against the Catamounts in the 75 previous meetings.

The two schools have met 35 times since the tradition of the "Old Mountain Jug'" trophy was awarded to the victor, with the Mountaineers holding a commanding 28-7 series edge in "Jug" games.

Senior Day in Boone will see the final regular-season act in front of the home faithful for the likes of Brian Quick, who needs just eight receiving yards to set ASU's all-time career receiving yards record, Orry Frye (OT), Matt Ruff (OG) and Travaris Cadet (RB) on offense, while Dan Wyile (NT) and DeAndre Presley (CB/WR) will be playing their final respective games on the defensive side of the ball for the Apps.

One thing is for sure—at about 7:30 this evening, we will know if four teams still remain in the hunt for a playoff hunt, while we might even have a new Southern Conference champion.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — For the first time since 2005, Furman has tasted victory against the Appalachian State Mountaineers with a 20-10 win over the nation's third-ranked team Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium.

For Furman, a six-game losing streak against its arch-rivals and five long years of frustration were brought to an end.

Furman hardly seemed like a team that would knock off two top-five foes for the first time in the regular season since the Division I-AA/FCS poll was implemented in 1982. After opening the season with a 30-23 loss at Big South foe Coastal Carolina, Furman has forged maybe the greatest single turnaround in a season in school history.

In many ways, the 2011 season for Furman resembles the 1999 campaign, which saw Furman open the season with a 24-22 setback to Division II Elon. After an off-week, the Paladins throttled William & Mary, 52-6, and that would be the beginning of a seven-game winning streak which would include a win over a No. 3-ranked Appalachian State (35-21) and ACC member North Carolina (28-3). That season would yield Furman's first SoCon title in nine years, as the Paladins would share the league crown with both the Mountaineers and Georgia Southern.

Furman will now find itself in the rankings for the first time under Fowler and for the first time since an Oct. 23 loss to Chattanooga last season in Greenville. More importantly for the Paladins, they became a very real contender for the 2011 FCS playoffs, and now Furman controls its own destiny in a bid to make its first appearance in the post-season since the 2006 campaign.

Much like it did against Wofford a couple of weeks ago, Furman imposed its will from the outset, jumping out to a 20-0 lead and never looking back en route to the 20-10 win.

The Paladins took advantage of momentum early, when it seemed that the Mountaineers looked poised to take control of the game driving the ball into Paladin territory. On a second down play, ASU quarterback Jamal Jackson decided to go to the end zone, lofting a pass in the direction of tight end Ben Jorden. The ball was tipped by Furman safety Greg Worthy and intercepted by Ryan Steed, who grabbed his third INT in as many weeks to thwart ASU's opening drive.

That would set up Chris Forcier and the Furman offense at its own 15-yard line after Steed's return out of his own end zone. It would take the Paladin offense seven plays to drive 85 yards, culminating with a five-yard TD pass from Forcier to give the Paladins a 7-0 lead with 8:36 remaining in the opening quarter.

Later in the opening quarter, the Paladins would strike once again. This time, it would be Tersoo Uhaa's three-yard TD run, which capped a five-play, 45-yard drive to give the Paladins a 14-0 lead with 3:26 to go in the first quarter.

Furman would pad its lead even more late in the second quarter after an Appalachian State missed 38-yard field goal. This time, it would take the Paladins only one play to find the end zone following the ASU miscue. With the ball sitting at the 21-yard line, Forcier would find wideout Sederrik Cunningham behind the ASU defense for a 79-yard scoring strike, giving the Paladins a 20-0 lead after a missed extra point from Ray Early, giving the Paladins a substantial advantage with 5:56 remaining in the half.

The six-time defending league champs would get on the board just before the halftime break, as Travaris Cadet would find paydirt with 30 seconds remaining in the half from two yards out, capping a 14-play, 58-yard drive, creating a 20-7 ASU deficit heading into the locker room.

Neither team could find its footing offensively in the third quarter, with the Mountaineers having the better of the play. ASU would get on the scoreboard late in the third quarter as Drew Stewart would connect on a 41-yard field goal to make it a 20-10 game with 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter,

Though it failed to garner any points as a result of a 31-yard field goal miss by Early, a 13-play, 68-yard drive by the Paladins melted nearly half of the fourth-quarter clock away, taking 7:30 off the game clock. That would leave only 2:22 remaining on the game clock for ASU to make up a 10-point deficit.

But in ASU's bid to score quickly, it would suffer its fourth turnover of the afternoon on a Jamal Jackson fumble at the Furman 38-yard line, ultimately ending the Mountaineers' chances of reeling in the Paladins. From there, Furman's offense would run out the remaining 1:22 off the clock to seal its first win over Appalachian State since Oct. 8, 2005.

PLAYOFF SCENARIOS:

With its win over No. 3 Appalachian State on Saturday, Furman needs just one win to ensure itself of a playoff bid for the first time since 2006. To do that, Furman needs to beat an Elon team that it has dropped three straight games against dating back to Nov. 3, 2007, as the Paladins posted a 52-49 win over the Scott Riddle-led Phoenix that afternoon. With a win over Elon next Saturday, Furman would garner its seventh win against Division I competition. A win over the Phoenix would likely mean that Furman's result against Florida would not hold that much weight in terms of playoff selection, as a 7-4 mark with the resume Furman has should be enough to qualify for the post-season.

Elon (4-5, 2-4) at No.17 Furman (6-3, 5-2)

Quick Preview: Furman will meet Elon in the final SoCon game of the 2011 season for the Paladins as the two will be squaring off for the 15th time on Saturday in a series that began in 1920 with Furman handing Elon a 33-0 setback in Greenville. While Furman has owned the series, Elon has claimed the last three contests including a 30-25 win at Rhodes Stadium last season that ended any chance of the Paladins making a playoff appearance last season.

Saturday's matchup will also feature the SoCon's only two first-year head coaches in Furman's Bruce Fowler and Elon's Jason Swepson.

Furman enters Saturday's Senior Day showdown at Paladin Stadium as one of the hottest teams in FCS football, riding on the crest of a three-game winning streak that includes wins over a couple of top-five foes, in No. 4 Wofford and No. 3 Appalachian State. Furman has faced three top-five opponents in the regular-season for the first time in school history (the other was No. 1 Georgia Southern/Oct. 15). The two wins over top-five foes in the regular-season marks the first time Furman has ever accomplished such a feat in the regular-season in school history.

Elon comes into Saturday's contest from an off week and looks to put an end to a three-game losing streak, which includes setbacks at Samford (43-31), Chattanooga (42-18) and at No. 9 Wofford (48-28) a couple of weeks ago. At stake for Elon is an opportunity to post its third straight winning season with victories in its final two games of the 2011 season against Furman and at home next week against Appalachian State.

Elon will bring an impressive aerial attack to Paladin Stadium Saturday as the Phoenix lead the SoCon and rank 15th nationally in passing offense, averaging 274.7 YPG through the air this season.

Leading that passing attack are the league's top passer, Thomas Wilson (229-of-342 passing, 17 TDs, 18 INTs), and Walter Payton Award candidate Aaron Mellette (91 rec., 1,259 yds., 9 TDs, 13.8 YPR) at wide receiver. Furman was able to hold Appalachian State's Brian Quick in check for the most part last Saturday, as the All-America wideout was held to four catches for 60 yards.

The Paladins bring the fifth-best passing defense into Saturday's matchup, yielding 169.1 YPG through the air. Mellette had six catches for 107 yards and Elon passed for 430 yards in getting the five-point win at Rhodes Stadium last season.

Since giving up 50 points and 532 yards of total offense in a loss to Georgia Southern on Oct. 15, the Paladins have limited foes to a combined 38 points and 949 yards (average of 316 YPG) in wins over Wofford (26-21), Chattanooga (14-7) and Appalachian State (20-10). The Paladins defensive play might be best summed in the fact that it held the Apps to their lowest point total against a league foe since Oct. 16, 2004, when Georgia Southern defeated ASU 54-7.

The Paladins' 21 sacks have more than doubled last season's total and are four more than the last two seasons combined. In total, Furman ranks third in the SoCon in scoring defense (21.3 PPG), seventh in total defense (358.2 YPG), seventh in rushing defense (189.1 YPG), fourth in sacks (21), second in INTs (12) and lead the league in turnover margin (+10).

Leading that Paladin "D" this season have been preseason Buck Buchanan Award candidates Kadarron Anderson (103 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 FF), who currently leads the SoCon in tackles, and Ryan Steed (36 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 3 INTs, 7 PBUs, 1 blocked kick), who picked off the 13th pass in his career last week.

Elon brings a defense into Saturday's contest that has been pretty impressive thus far into the 2011 season. The Phoenix come into Saturday's road finale ranking eighth in scoring defense (33.0 PPG), fifth in total defense (339.4 YPG), eighth in rushing defense (221.6 YPG) and lead the league against the pass (117.9 YPG). The Phoenix also rank eighth in the league in sacks (14) and ninth in turnover margin (-20). The Phoenix have created 11 turnovers on the season, while posting 31 turnovers (18 INTs, 13 Fumbles Lost).

Furman has been an efficient offense this season, as the unit seems to improve  with each passing week. The Paladins are led by the nation's most efficient passer in senior Chris Forcier (116-of-172 passing, 1,755 yds., 19 TDs, 5 INTs). Forcier's 19 TD passes this season are a SoCon standard. He completed 9-of-16 passes for 224 yards, with a couple of TDs and an INT in the win over No. 3 Appalachian State last week.

The Furman ground game is spearheaded by Jerodis Williams (166 rush att., 886 yds., 7 TDs, 5.3 YPC), while Forcier's favorite aerial target continues to be tight end Colin Anderson (32 rec., 536 yds., 6 TDs, 16.8 YPR). Williams needs just 114 yards in his final two games of the season to become the first Paladin running back to gain 1,000 yards in a single season since the feat was last accomplished by Hindley Brigham in 2003.

In total, Furman enters Saturday afternoon's contest ranking fifth in scoring offense (27.7 PPG), fifth in total offense (380.9 YPG), sixth in rushing offense (170.8 YPG), fifth in passing offense (210.1 YPG) and fourth in sacks surrendered (12).

Western Carolina (1-8, 0-7) at No. 10 Appalachian State (6-3, 4-2)

Quick Preview: Western Carolina will travel to Appalachian State to partake in the Battle For the Old Mountain Jug Between the Western North Carolina Mountain Rivals. The Catamounts will be looking to avoid going winless in league play for the third time in five seasons.

Saturday's meeting between the Catamounts and Mountaineers will mark the 76th meeting between the two rivals, with ASU holding a commanding 55-18-1 all-time series edge. ASU has claimed the last six meetings between the two dating back to a 30-27 setback in Cullowhee in 2004. ASU has had command of the series over the past two-plus decades, as the Black and Gold has won 25 out of the past 27 matchups between the two schools. WCU hasn't won in Boone since a 34-7 win in 1984.

Appalachian State will be looking to rebound from a 20-10 loss at Furman last Saturday, virtually ending its shot at a seventh straight SoCon title. At stake over the next couple of weeks will be qualification for the FCS postseason, as the Apps look to win their final two games against the Catamounts and the Elon Phoenix.

Coming into Saturday afternoon's showdown, the Mountaineer offense continues to show inconsistency and had one of its worst performances in league play since 2004 as Furman became the first league opponent to hold what has been a powerful ASU offense to just 10 points. The last SoCon team to accomplish that feat was Georgia Southern in Oct. of 2004, when the Eagles limited the Apps to just seven points in a 54-7 win in Statesboro.

Jamal Jackson (87-of-141 passing, 1,184 yds., 9 TDs, 5 INTs/57 rush att, 241 yds, 5 TDs, 4.2 YPC) suffered an injury late in Saturday's loss at Furman, but he should be ready to go when Senior Day rolls around. Jackson leads an ASU offense that ranks fourth in the SoCon in scoring (28.7 PPG), fourth in total offense (391.7 YPG), fourth in rushing (175.6 YPG) and fourth in passing (216.1 YPG).

Appalachian State wide receiver Brian Quick needs just eight yards receiving Saturday to become the school's all-time leading wide receiver. He currently sits at 3,117 yards receiving for his career and is chasing Rick Beasley's mark of 3,124 receiving yards, which by some has been called an "untouchable" receiving mark. Travaris Cadet (123 att, 584 yds, 5 TDs, 4.7YPC) continues to lead the ground efforts for the Apps this season.

The Catamounts enter the contest with one of the worst defenses in the country and in the history of the SoCon, yielding another 500-yard performance to an opponent in last week's 42-24 setback to the Wofford Terriers. Western Carolina comes in ranked 119th nationally in total defense, surrendering 506.8 YPG. The Catamounts are giving up 45.7 PPG, ranking 119th out of 120 teams in the FCS. WCU's defense is led by linebacker Rock Williams (90 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR).

ASU's defense comes into this week's contest having played pretty well of late, but have been known to give up the big play this season, which was the case in Saturday's loss at Furman. The Mountaineers rank sixth in scoring defense (23.8 PPG), sixth in total defense (350.4 YPG), fifth in rushing defense (168.6 YPG) and sixth in pass defense (181.9 YPG). The Mountaineer defense continues to be led by LB Jeremy Kimbrough (76 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 2 FRs, 1 INT, 1 TD).

Western Carolina has had its moments on the offensive side of the ball this season and will bring a prolific passing attack to Boone on Saturday as the Catamounts rank second in the SoCon in passing offense (228.9 YPG), led by Zac Brindise (65-of-116 passing, 780 yds, 6 TDs, 4 INTs/37 rush att, 76 yds, 2.1 YPC), who has done a nice job since taking over for Brandon Pechloff. The Catamounts utilize the pistol offense.

No. 4 Georgia Southern (8-1, 6-1) at No. 9 Wofford (7-2, 5-1)

Quick Preview: Georgia Southern will travel to Wofford to take on the Terriers in a game that will likely decide the SoCon title. The good news for Eagle fans is the fact that they have won four straight games over the Terriers in Gibbs Stadium.

Georgia Southern won its last SoCon title in 2004 and was last crowned outright champion of the league in 2002. The Eagles have won seven SoCon crowns. Wofford is the co-defending SoCon champs, having claimed their only outright crown in 2003. Wofford will be in search of their fourth league title. The only way the SoCon title can be decided Saturday is with a win by GSU, who will be finished with league play this Saturday with one remaining against Alabama next week.

If Wofford wins, the league champion or champion(s) won't be decided until next week with the Terriers' regular season finale at Chattanooga. One thing is nearly certain—the SoCon will have a outright or co-champion not named Appalachian State for the first time since 2004.

The Eagles ended Wofford's run in the post-season last year, posting a 23-20 FCS quarterfinal win over the Terriers in Spartanburg. The win by the Eagles helped avenge a regular-season, 33-31 home loss to the Terriers at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. Saturday's matchup will mark the 18th all-time meeting between the two FCS rivals, with GSU holding a 10-7 all-time series edge. The fact that the past five matchups have been decided by a combined 14 points is reason enough to watch this one.

It will obviously be a matchup between two of the nation's top ground units, with the Terriers coming into Saturday's contest ranking No. 1 nationally (374.2 YPG) in rushing offense this season, overtaking Georgia Southern who led the nation for much of the season after GSU's loss at Appalachian State. Ever since that loss, GSU has ranked second nationally in rushing offense (323.8 YPG). GSU ranks second in the nation in scoring offense (38.1 PPG), while Wofford ranks third nationally in total offense (465.8 YPG).

With the proficiency for both teams on the ground, Saturday's matchup will feature two of the top running backs from the FCS in Wofford's Eric Breitenstein (200 rush att, 1,139 yds, 15 TDs, 5.7 YPC) and Georgia Southern's Robert Brown (123 rush att, 824 yds, 5 TDs, 6.7 YPC).

Breitenstein, a player who garnered preseason SoCon Player of the Year accolades, has lived up to that billing thus far, leading the SoCon in rushing. Breitenstein has rushed for 3,360 career yards ranking fourth on the school's career rushing charts. He will be playing his final regular season game in front of the home crowd on what will be an emotional Senior Day at Gibbs Stadium. In the playoff win at Wofford last season, Brown rushed for 50 yards on 17 carries on what was an efficient rushing effort from the Eagles.

The two teams are also led by heady, veteran quarterbacks. Wofford senior quarterback Mitch Allen (32-of-66 passing, 591 yds, 4 TDs, 6 INTs/109 rush att, 593 yds, 8 TDs, 5.21 YPC) is having another solid season as a starter, as is Georgia Southern starter Jaybo Shaw (43-of-80 passing, 946 yds., 6 TDs, 3 INTs, 25 rush att, 143 yds, 7.9 YPC). Both QBs are in their second seasons as starters for their respective schools.

The top two receiving options for each team coming into Saturday's game will be Brenton Bersin (19 rec, 338 yds, 2 TDs, 17.8 YPR) for Wofford, while slotback Jonathan Bryant (8 rec, 264 yds, 1 TD, 33.0 YPR) leads the Eagles' contingent of wide receivers coming into Saturday's contest. Both have speed and have effectively been able to get behind opposing defensive units this fall.

Saturday afternoon's showdown between the Terriers and Eagles will also offer us the chance to see two of the finest defensive units in all of FCS football. The Eagles come in ranking 27th nationally in total defense (327.4 YPG), including 13th nationally in scoring defense (18.8 PPG) and 19th in rush defense (115.8 YPG).

Leading the defensive charge for the Terriers will be their defensive line, which includes preseason Buck Buchanan Award candidate Ameet Pall (24 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 5 QBHs, 1 FR), while Alex Goultry (24 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 7.0 sacks, 4 QBHs, 1 FR ) is having an all-league season at the other defensive end position. Nose tackle Eric Eberhardt rounds out an all-league worthy trio for the Terriers up front. Wofford's 27 sacks lead the SoCon and rank 14th in the nation. In total, Wofford veteran linebacker Mike Niam leads the defense in total tackles, having posted 71 stops this season, while fellow LB Alvin Scioneaux's 16 tackles for loss leads the SoCon.

Like Wofford, Georgia Southern's defense is headlined by its defensive line, and in particular, nose tackle Brent Russell (38 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 2 QBHs, 1 blocked kick). Russell is joined inside by Roderick Tinsely (19 tackles, 1.0 TFL), while John Douglas (25 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 PBU) and Javon Mention (21 tackles, 7.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 5 QBHs, 1 blkd kick) have been strong at their respective bookend posts this season. The Eagle defense is led by safety Deion Stanley and linebacker Josh Rowe, as Stanley has posted 53 tackles on the campaign, while Rowe ranks just behind with 48. LaRon Scott (29 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 12 PBUs, 3 INTs) remains one of the nation's top cornerbacks.

Saturday afternoon's game shapes up to be, at least on paper, everything it's been billed to be. Will this be the sixth-straight game between the two SoCon rivals decided by a TD or less?

Samford (5-4, 3-4) at  The Citadel (4-5, 2-5)

Quick Preview: It will be the “Battle of the Bulldogs” in Charleston this weekend, as the Samford Bulldogs travel to The Citadel in what wil be the final SoCon game of the season for both schools. The Citadel is coming off a 14-12 loss on Saturday at Georgia Southern. The Citadel defense did a masterful job in stopping the powerful GSU offense, holding the Eagles to just 320 yards of total offense on the day. Breakdowns in the special teams unit ended up costing The Citadel the road game, as they missed a potential game-winning field goal and had two extra points blocked.

The Citadel brings a stingy defense into Saturday's contest against Samford, as the Bulldogs currently ranking fourth in the SoCon in total defense (328.4 YPG). Leading that Citadel defense this season has been linebacker Rod Harland (86 tackles), who enters Saturday's contest fifth in tackles per game (9.6). The Citadel has been especially strong against both the run and pass, ranking fourth in the league in those respective defensive categories. The Citadel is allowing 164.2 YPG through the air, while allowing an identical 164.2 YPG on the ground.

Samford counters with an offense led by Dustin Taliaferro (182-of-294 passing, 1,900 yds, 12 TDs, 8 INTs), and the senior is having his best season since his freshman campaign. Taliaferro has some of the best receivers catching passes of any offense in the SoCon this season. His top target this season has been Kelsey Pope (56 rec, 607 yds, 5 TDs, 10.8 YPC).

When Samford has taken to the ground this season, it has relied on running back Fabian Truss (141 rush att, 799 yds, 7 TDs, 5.7 YPC). Overall, Samford enters Saturday's contest ranking third in the league in total offense (401.4 YPG), while ranking third in the SoCon in passing offense (227.3 YPG).

Meanwhile, The Citadel offense has continued to improve as the season has progressed with each week. The Bulldogs come into Saturday afternoon's contest ranking third in the SoCon in rushing offense (297.1), and continue to be led by quarterback Ben Dupree (20-of-42 passing, 182 yds., 0 TDs, 2 INTs/94 rush att, 545 yds, 6 TDs, 3.7 YPC) and running back Darien Robinson (94 rush att, 690 yds, 8 TDs, 7.3 YPC).

Samford has been inconsistent on the defensive side of the football this season and come into Saturday afternoon's contest with The Citadel ranking eighth in the SoCon in total defense (372.0 YPG).

The Bulldogs rank sixth in the league against the run this season (182.6 YPG).

In 1984, Appalachian State's football program would undergo a transformation which ultimately laid the foundation for its current success, as the Mountaineers were able to post a 21-14 upset win over the sixth-ranked Furman Paladins.

The goalposts would come down at Conrad Stadium on that afternoon following the Apps win over a program that everyone in the SoCon was chasing, with Furman having proven to be the "gold standard" in the league.

After all, it was a Paladin program that was in the middle of its "Decade of Dominance" and were the four-time defending league champions. Now, some 27 years later, the Furman football program is looking up to Appalachian State.

Over the years, there's been a constant tug-of-war between the league's two most successful programs (combined 23 SoCon titles, 12 Furman, 11 Appalachian State), as both have struggled with each other—and now Georgia Southern—for league supremacy.

Though the league has changed, with teams like Elon and Wofford now a threat, and Marshall trying its hand at the FBS level, the Appalachian State-Furman rivalry, as well as each of the programs' respective winning traditions, have survived the changing landscape of the SoCon and FCS football as a whole.

While I listened to Mountaineer Talk this week with head coach Jerry Moore, he made a comment that I think sums up the rivalry pretty well. He said something to the effect of Furman's program—while it had a new head coach at the helm in Bruce Fowler—wasn't a program that had fallen off the map as a traditional SoCon power, though, the program has endured its struggles in the past few seasons.

I would have to agree with those sentiments. It is strange to think how spoiled we have gotten with rivalries in the SoCon between the likes of Furman-Georgia Southern, Appalachian State-Georgia Southern or Furman-Appalachian State.

As a SoCon football fan myself, I think I can speak for the broad fanbase when I say that we expect something to be on the line when those teams meet on the gridiron every season.

With Furman having not qualified for the postseason since 2006, and Appalachian State in the middle of its most successful run as a football program having won six-straight league titles and three national titles since 2005, the past four meetings between the two have not held as much interest as the previous six meetings to start the new millennium.

However, with the 42nd meeting set to commence on Saturday between the two: That's all about to change.

You can almost feel the difference that this matchup holds, as opposed to the one in Boone last year when former Furman head coach Bobby Lamb not only needed to win to keep his team's hopes alive for the Paladins' fading playoff hopes, but more importantly, he needed the win to save his own job.

That, of course, did not happen and the Paladins went home with their sixth-straight loss to ASU, in a 37-26 Black Saturday defeat.

At 5-3 overall this season, the Paladins are very much alive for a playoff bid. In fact, a win over Appalachian State and Elon in their final two league games, despite how the Paladins do at Florida to close the season, would virtually put the Furman in the post-season for the first time since 2006.

It would be hard to keep a SoCon team out of the post-season with wins over a pair of top-five foes.

The intangible on the line for first-year head coach Bruce Fowler and Furman on Saturday will be the revival of a program that seemingly lost its way in the wintry, cold conditions of Bozeman, MT. in a 31-13 first-round playoff loss at Montana State nearly five years ago.

Likewise, there is much at stake for Appalachian State, who continues its quest for an unprecedented seventh-straight SoCon crown, as well as staying alive for a first-round playoff bye and top overall seeding in the upcoming FCS playoffs.

Also at stake, a third-straight win at Paladin Stadium, which is one of the tougher venues to come away with a win among the nine SoCon schools. Only one opponent has ever managed to come out of the facility with three-straight wins over the Paladins and that was Western Carolina; taking wins in the 1983 Division I-AA Semifinals, as well as winning in the facility in the '84 and '86 regular seasons.

Whatever the case may be, Saturday's matchup between Appalachian State and Furman has that old feel to it once again because there's something very real on the line for both programs, and that's the games we'll always remember in this rivalry. Will we remember Saturday as a classic? We will have our answer in a little more than 24 hours.

BOONE, N.C.—For the first time since the 1999 season, NCAA Division I FCS fifth-ranked Appalachian State claimed a win over a top-ranked foe in the regular season, earning a hard-fought 24—17 win over No. 1 Georgia Southern in front of a raucous crowd of 30,018 on a chilly, snow flurry-riddled afternoon at The Rock.

The win marked ASU's first win over a No.1 foe at Kidd Brewer Stadium since 1999, when the Eagles posted a 17—16 win over top-ranked Georgia Southern in 1999 at The Rock, and ASU improved its all-time mark to 3—5 against top-ranked foes.

The win also put Appalachian State squarely back into contention and in control of its own destiny for an unprecedented seventh-straight Southern Conference crown. Appalachian State improves to 6—2 overall and 4-1 in SoCon play, while Georgia Southern falls to 7—1 overall and 5—1 in Southern Conference action.

On this day, the Mountaineers were buoyed by a revved up Black and Gold defense that limited the nation's second-ranked offense to just 201 total yards of total offense, while picking off a couple of GSU passes to highlight ASU's staunch defensive effort.

Fueled by a boisterous Black Saturday crowd at The Rock, the Mountaineers held Georgia Southern—the NCAA Division I FCS leader in scoring (44.6 points per game) and rushing (369.7 yards per game) coming in—to just 17 points, 135 rushing yards and 201 yards of total offense, 286 fewer than the 487.3 yards per game it rolled up en route to its 7—0 start.

ASU's game—winning score would come with a little over nine minutes remaining in the game, as senior wide receiver Brian Quick hauled in an acrobatic, 15-yard scoring reception from quarterback Jamal Jackson, giving ASU a 24—17 lead with 9:24 remaining in the game.

Mountaineers Secondary Opportunistic

The Mountaineers would use an opportunistic secondary to set up its two TDs in the opening half, as the Apps would go to the locker room with a commanding 17—3 lead. The Appalachian State defense would impose its will early on in the contest, as ASU used a Demetrius McCray interception to set up ASU's first score of the afternoon.

Georgia Southern quarterback Jaybo Shaw, who came into the game without having thrown an INT all season, threw a pick on the game's fourth play to set up the Appalachian State offense in good position to get on the board for the first time on the afternoon.

The Mountaineers needed only six plays to get on the scoreboard for the first time on the day in the matchup of SoCon juggernauts. On a third-and-two play from the Georgia Southern 25—yard line, Jackson faced a heavy blitz from the GSU defense, but not before finding a wide-open Andrew Peacock for a 25—yard scoring strike, giving ASU a 7—0 lead less five minutes into the contest.

The two teams traded field goals in the second quarter, and late in the half, the Eagle offense drove deep inside Appalachian State territory, looking to knot the score just before the half. Shaw would look to the air again, and once again it would be McCray that would be equal to the task for the Mountaineers, as he picked off his second pass of the afternoon to thwart Georgia Southern's potential scoring threat.

That would set up the Apps with the football at their own 20, with just 1:29 remaining until the half. From there, the Jackson-and-Quick would call upon the "big play" to increase ASU's momentum and advantage going into the Owens Fieldhouse Locker room for the halftime respite. Jackson flighted a beautiful, tight—spiral pass to Brian Quick down the sidelines, which Quick proceeded to turn into a 56—yard TD to give the Mountaineers the 17—3, with only 17 seconds remaining into the half.

The 56—yard TD reception by Quick was able to help him surpass the 3,000—yard receiving mark for his career, marking only the second player in school history and just the seventh player in SoCon history to establish that particular personal milestone.

Eagles Dominated Second Half

Georgia Southern would emerge from the locker room and dominate the second half. The Eagles would roll up 118 yards of their 201 yards on the afternoon in just two offensive drives. On the top—ranked Eagles' first possession of the second half, the Eagles would march 60 yards in 12 plays, taking seven minutes off the game clock before slotback J.J. Wilcox found the end zone from three yards out to cut ASU's lead to a TD, 17—10, with 6:12 remaining in the quarter.

After the Georgia Southern defense forced an ASU three—and—out, the Georgia Southern offense would go to work once again, as Shaw directed the GSU offense 56 yards, all the ASU three-yard line before the drive would eventually stall. On fourth-and-goal from the Mountaineer three, ASU LB Brandon Grier stopped Shaw after only a two-yard gain on an option keeper to the near side of the field.

It was the Georgia Southern special teams unit that would help the Eagles gain even more momentum and tie the football game between the two SoCon heavyweights early in the fourth quarter. The ASU offense had trouble moving the ball after forcing the Eagles' turnover on downs. Sam Martin came on to punt out of his own end zone, and GSU would tie the football game when Eagle return man Darieon Robinson shed several ASU would-be tacklers for a 45—yard TD return for a score, tying the football game, 17—17, with 13:57 to go in the game.

Jackson trotted on the field in a crucial situation for the Mountaineer offense, helping ASU offense to what would turn out to be the game—clinching score. He directed a nine—play, 67—yard drive that culminated with Quick's leaping TD grab in the back of the end zone, gracefully getting a foot down inbounds before being forced out by GSU cornerback LaRon Scott. That helped the Apps gain a 24—17 lead with 9:24 remaining in the ball game. Jackson completed 3—of—4 passes for 41 yards and rushed twice for seven yards to help lead the all-important game-winning drive.

From there, it would be the ASU defense that put the finishing touches on ASU's first win over a No. 1 foe in 11 years.

Furman Gets Best Defensive Effort Since 2006 In Win At Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, TENN.—Furman put forth its best defensive effort since the 2006 season, including its best against the pass since 1993, in getting a 14—7 win at Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Leading the defense for the Paladins, who improved to 8—0 all-time at Finley Stadium against the Chattanooga Mocs, was 'bandit' linebacker Mitch McGrath, who finished the contest with nine tackles, four sacks, an INT, a fumble recovery and forced a fumble in heading a Paladin defensive effort that held the Mocs to just 169 yards of total offense, including only three passing yards, in the seven-point road win.

The 169 yards of total offense were the lowest total surrendered by a Paladin defense since 2006. The three passing yards was the lowest total a Furman defense has held an opponent to since 1993, when the Paladins held Georgia Southern to just three yards passing in a 31-19 loss to the Eagles. The Paladin defense limited the Mocs to just 2.6 yards-per-snap.

Furman's ninth consecutive win over the Mocs on their homefield looked in doubt when Terrell Robinson plunged in from a yard out with 4:16 remaining gave the Mocs a 7—6 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Hank McCloud fumbled at the 16 but picked up his own fumble and returned it to the 47 to set up the Paladin offense with excellent field position. On the first play from scrimmage, Furman quarterback Chris Forcier completed a 23-yard post pattern to Sedderick Cunningham to get the Paladins all the way to the Chattanooga 30-yard line. Forcier would find Cunningham again on the drive to get the Paladins to the Chattanooga 12.

A couple plays following Cunningham's second reception, Jerodis Williams would score Furman's lone TD of the afternoon on a 10-yard scoring run, giving the Paladins a 12—7 lead with 2:06 remaining in the game. Furman would make it a 14—7 advantage on the two-point conversion, as Forcier connected with wide out Ryan Culbreath to complete the eight-point possession.

Furman Defense: Six Sacks

In fitting fashion, it would be the Furman defense that would slam the door shut on the Mocs, as Josh Lynn recorded the sixth Paladin sack of the afternoon on Chattanooga's opening play of the following drive, forcing a fumble which was recovered by McGrath at the UTC 14 to effectively seal the win for the Paladins.

The Paladins ran the ball four times and turned the ball over on downs with 52 seconds left. On Chattanooga's ensuing possession, McGrath would cap his memorable day by sacking Mocs backup quarterback Sloan Allison, who fumbled on the play, and the ball was recovered by the Paladins at the UTC 6.

Neither team to get on the board in the opening quarter, but it would be a Ryan Steed INT that would set up Furman's first score of the day by picking off a Terrell Robinson pass at the UTC 42. Early's 30-yard field goal would give the Paladins a 3-0 lead.

A 23-yard pass by Forcier to Ryan Culbreath would set up Early's second field goal of the day, as he connected on a 44-yard field goal to give the Paladins a 6-0 lead with 10:51 to play in the game.

Furman appeared that it would take full control of the game after the Paladins forced a punt on the ensuing UTC possession, but a rugby-style, line-drive punt by Chattanooga wide receiver Joel Bradford bounced off Furman cornerback Austin Williams and was recovered by UTC's Don Cope at the Furman 43.

Eleven plays later, Robinson plunged in from a yard out to give the Mocs a 7-6 lead.

Forcier finished the game completing 9—of—14 for 177 yards for the Paladins, who finished with 261 yards. Furman posted season highs in sacks (6) and forced turnovers (4).

Wofford Dominates Elon

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—On Homecoming, the Wofford College football team defeated Elon 48—28 on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium. The Terriers ran for 465 yards and six touchdowns in the contest, including 217 yards and four touchdowns by Eric Breitenstein. Wofford also took advantage of a blocked punt, muffed punt return and an interception, all of which resulted in touchdowns for the Terriers.

The Terriers are 6—2 on the season and 4—1 in the SoCon. Elon is 4—5 overall and 2—4 in conference play. In addition to Breitenstein, the Terriers were led by Mitch Allen with 100 yards and two touchdowns, while Brenton Bersin added 73 rushing yards and 13 receiving yards. Mike Niam led the team with eight tackles. The Phoenix were led by Thomas Wilson, who was 27—of—35 passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Aaron Melette had nine catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

The Terriers took the opening kickoff and after two first downs were faced with a fourth—and—one. Eric Breitenstein ran right up the middle for 27 yards to score on the play and give Wofford a 7—0 lead with 12:19 on the clock. Elon was forced three—and—out on their first possession of the game.

Wofford was forced three—and—out, with Elon getting the ball back with 8:51 left in the first quarter. The Phoenix drove down the field, picking up five first downs and Dontay Taylor capped the drive with a one yard touchdown run. The score was tied at seven with 2:36 on the clock. The Terriers were able to gain two first downs, but failed to convert on fourth—and—four.

Elon then was able to take the lead when Thomas Wilson found Aaron Mellette for a 39—yard touchdown reception. The Phoenix led 14—7 with 12:17 remaining in the second quarter. Wofford gained only one first down before punting the ball back to Elon. The Terrier defense then forced a three—and—out and the Phoenix punted.

Eric Breitenstein then used a 49-yard run to get the Terriers inside the ten yard line. He finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 with 7:32 left in the second quarter. Elon gained 36 yards on a pass to A.J. Harris, but back—to—back sacks by the Terriers forced a punt. However, Wofford went three—and—out and punted to give the ball back to Elon with 2:35 left in the half.

Terriers Turnover

The Terriers came up with the first turnover of the game when Thomas Wilson was intercepted by Blake Wylie and he returned it for 22 yards. Eric Breitenstein added an 18—yard run, then scored from three yards out for a 21—14 lead with 43 seconds remaining in the half. Elon ran one play to end the half.

To open the second half, the Phoenix had the ball, but went three—and—out and punted. Wofford turned the ball over on downs after a pass on fourth—and—six was incomplete. Elon then was able to tie the game on a 47—yard pass from Thomas Wilson to Jeremy Peterson with 6:37 on the clock in the third quarter. Wofford was then forced three—and—out and punted. However, the fair catch was muffed by David Wood and caught in the air by Michael Harpe at the 18—yard line.

The turnover was converted to points when Eric Breitenstein scored from four yards out to take a 28—21 lead with 3:41 left in the third quarter. Elon then gained two first downs before being forced to punt. Alvin Scioneaux blocked the punt and it was picked up by Qay Bell, who returned it 42 yards for the touchdown. Wofford had a 35—21 lead with thirty seconds left in the third quarter. After forcing a three—and—out for Elon, the Terriers responded with a 61—yard touchdown run by Mitch Allen. The PAT was wide, giving Wofford a 41—21 lead with 12:40 left in the game.

Elon was able to answer with a 43—yard touchdown pass from Thomas Wilson to Aaron Mellette with 11:27 on the clock, which made it a 41—28 contest. Wofford gained three first downs, including a 30—yard run by Brenton Bersin, to set up a one—yard touchdown run by Mitch Allen. The Terriers had a 48—28 lead with 6:04 left in the game. Elon was able to gain one first down on their next drive, but turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a fourth—and—one. Wofford was able to run out the remaining 3:47 of the game to pick up the win.

Wofford had 478 total yards, with 465 on the ground. Elon had 363 total yards, 342 of which were passing. Wofford had the time of possession advantage by a 32:38 to 27:22 margin. Wofford was 7—of—16 on third downs and 2—of—4 on fourth down. Elon was 4—of—13 on third down and 1—of—2 on fourth down. Wofford had one penalty, while Elon had two.

Samford Hands Western Carolina Another Lopsided Loss

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Western Carolina's Rock Williams returned a second quarter interception to the goal line where Brandon Vaught cashed in on his fumble for a touchdown to pull the Catamounts back within four points after trailing by two touchdowns early in the going on Saturday afternoon. However, starting with the ensuing kickoff return for a score, Samford recorded 24 consecutive points en route to knocking off WCU, 52—24, in Southern Conference action at Seibert Stadium.

Western Carolina rushed for 172 yards as a team—the secondmost on the season and the most against a SoCon foe this year. Junior Michael Vaughn carried the ball 30 of WCU's season-high 57 times for 83 yards while Michael Johnson added 62 yards on 16 rushes in the loss.

Samford (5—3, 3—3 SoCon) climbed on top early after a quick three—and—out by the Catamount offense. Equally as quick, Bulldog tailback Fabian Truss took a handoff in the backfield, stretched the play to his left and found the corner for a 61—yard rushing score.

Following a second WCU punt on its second possession, Western Carolina took advantage of the game's first turnover to knot the game at seven apiece. One-play after Brandon Vaught jarred the football loose on a big hit and Christon Gill scooped it up, Brindise found George Richardson down the right sideline after a run-fake in the backfield for a 20—yard scoring strike.

It was the first career receiving touchdown for Richardson.The Bulldogs responded with back—to—back scores including a 20—yard Stanley Robinson TD rush and a 33—yard interception return by Alvin Hines to lead 21—7. WCU was able to trim it back to a two—possession game as Clark Sechrest capped a 12—play, 66—yard drive with a 26—yard field goal just before the end of the first quarter.

High—Scoring First Quarter

The two teams combined to light the scoreboard for 31 points in the opening 15 minutes.

On the second play of the second quarter, WCU punter Blake Cain—who was injured in the second quarter just two punts shy of tying the school career punts record—pinned the Bulldogs deep in their own territory. Two plays later, Rock Williams floated back into coverage and stepped in front of a Dustin Taliaferro pass, returning it to the one—yard line where he fumbled. Fortunately for the Catamounts, Vaught was able to corral the bouncing ball and finish the final yard of the return for a touchdown, pulling the Catamounts back to within four points, 21—17.

It would be as close as WCU would get for the remainder of the day, though.

Just as the Catamounts had seized momentum with the defensive touchdown, a Samford score on special teams swung the tide back to the home sideline. Truss, who like WCU's Richardson ranks among the league leaders in kickoff return yards, took the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown and a 28—17 lead.

Truss added 99 yards rushing on 12 carries and three receptions for 29 yards for Samford.

The Catamounts missed two golden opportunities in the red-zone late in the first half including being stopped on fourth—and—goal and a blocked field goal to trail at intermission, 31—17, after Cameron Yaw punched one through the uprights from 39 yards out as time expired.

In the second half, the pace of play slowed with the two squads trading punts early. However, the Bulldogs were able to continue to pull away on Robinson's second touchdown gallop from 21 yards out and a six—yard scoring pass from Taliaferro to Kelvin Clay that capped an 11—play, 70—yard drive to put Samford up, 45—17.

WCU (1—7, 0—6 SoCon) did add a late third quarter touchdown as Gary Green hauled in a 29—yard strike from Brindise for his first career touchdown reception. But Samford answered as Taliferro caught a scoring pass from wide receiver Kelsey Pope to conclude the scoring.

Green finished with a career—best 74 yards receiving while Jacoby Mitchell paced the team with five receptions totaling 38 yards. Brindise found seven different receivers including both tight ends, Andrew Rogers and Taylor Spangler, completing 16—of—32 passes for 196 with the two touchdowns and one interception.

Taliferro finished 14—of—25 for 124 yards with the one interception and one TD pass. The Catamount defense held Bulldog leading receiver Kelsey Pope to a season-low, one reception for 23 yards. Pope had caught at least five passes in each of the previous seven games.

Defensively for the Catamounts, Williams finished with a team—high seven tackles with the interception while Ace Clark finished with six tackles including five solo stops. Defensive lineman Brian Johnson tallied a pair of tackles for loss from his end position, finishing with four total stops.

Briefly Looking Ahead To Week 10

No. 3 Appalachian State (6—2, 4—1 SoCon) at Furman (5—3, 4—2 SoCon)

Furman and Appalachian State will be meeting for the 42nd time on Saturday, with Furman holding a narrow 21—17—3 all-time series edge. No SoCon foe has ever won three straight at Paladin Stadium.

Like Appalachian State, first—year head coach Bruce Fowler and the Paladins have plenty on the line, too, as they now stand an excellent shot at making their first playoff appearance since 2006, should the Paladins win their remaining two league games, both at home, against Appalachian State and Elon.

The Mountaineers have been dominant in the series of late, winning nine of 10 games against the Paladins in Bobby Lamb's nine seasons at the helm, from 2002—2010. Four of the past five meetings between the two have been decided by double digits, which is a rare case considering only 11 of the previous 37 meetings prior to the 2006 matchups had been decided by double figures.

The past three matchups have seen the boys from Boone win by a cumulative 48 points, which of course equates to 16.0 PPG. From 2000—05, the Mountaineers and Paladins met seven times with the combined margin of victory being 20 points, with an average of nearly a field goal separating the two SoCon titans during that timespan.

Appalachian State enters Saturday afternoon's matchup with an offense that will be led by talented sophomore quarterback Jamal Jackson (58—of—87 passing, 872 yds., 9 TDs, 3 INTs/44 rush att., 214 yds., 5 TDs, 4.9 YPC) for the fourth straight week. Jackson comes in posting a 3—0 record as a starter and leads an Appalachian State offense that seems to improve with each week.

Mountaineers Offense Ranks Fourth

After Saturday's win over the Eagles, the Mountaineers rank fourth in the SoCon in scoring offense (31.0 PPG) and total offense (390.8 YPG), while ranking fourth in rushing offense (186.6 YPG) and fifth in passing offense (204.1 YPG). Brian Quick (42 rec., 734 yds., 8 TDs, 17.5 YPC), became just the second receiver in school history and seventh in the SoCon annals to go over 3,000 yards receiving.

Defensively, the Mountaineers produced a masterpiece in last week's win over the top-ranked Eagle, as ASU held Georgia Southern to a modest 201 yards of total yards, which was 288 yards fewer than the Eagles coming into the game.

The Mountaineer "D" also held the Eagles to just 135 yards rushing and just 10 offensive points. Prior to the matchup with the Apps, GSU had been averaging 369.7 YPG on the ground and 44.6 PPG, which were both national leading averages.

Furman is coming off an impressive win in its back pocket, as the Paladins were 14—7 winners over Chattanooga on Saturday, and like the Mountaineers, did work on the defensive side of the football in getting their third conference win away from Paladin Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Fowler, a disciplined, defensive—minded head coach, got performance out of his defense that mimicked the personality of its head coach. The Paladins held the Mocs to just 169 yards of total offense, which was the lowest total the Paladin defense has held an opponent since the 2006 season.

Fowler's Defense 18 Sacks This Season

The Paladin defense posted six sacks and held the Mocs to just three yards passing on the day. The three yards allowed by the Paladins through the air was the lowest total since Georgia Southern's three yards in 1993 in a 31—19 Furman loss. Fowler's defense has now posted 18 sacks on the season, doubling the previous season's total and besting the combined 17 sacks of the past two campaigns.

Leading that staunch Paladin defense this season have been linebackers Kadarron Anderson (94 tckles, 5.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 1 FF) and Mitch McGrath (62 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, 3 INTs, 2 FFs), while Ryan Steed is the best shut down corner in the league. Steed and Appalachian's Quick will make for an interesting individual battle at cornerback and receiver, as the two will likely be playing on Sundays next season.

The Paladins enter Saturday afternoon's contest tied for third in scoring defense (22.8 PPG), seventh in total defense (353.1 YPG), third in pass defense (151.2 YPG) and seventh in rush defense (201.9 YPG). The Paladins are also tied for third in the SoCon in sacks, with 18 on the season.

Offensively, the Paladins continue to be efficient, led by senior Chris Forcier (107—of—156 passing, 1,531 yds., 17 TDs, 4 INTs/60 rush att., 159 yds., 1 TD, 2.7 YPC). Forcier continues to be the nation's most efficient passer (181.9). The Paladin ground attack has been powered by Jerodis Williams (153 rush att., 838 yds., 7 TDs, 5.5 YPC), and he is the league's second—leading rusher. Colin Anderson (30 rec., 495 yds., 6 TDs, 16.5 YPR) continues to have an All—America worthy season at tight end and is the SoCon's best at that position.

Overall, the Paladins come into the contest ranking fifth in the SoCon in scoring offense (28.6 PPG), fifth in total offense (382.9 YPG), sixth in rushing offense (174.5 YPG) and fourth in pass offense (208.4 YPG).

Saturday's matchup pits a couple of teams against each other that have won a combined 23 SoCon football titles. The Paladins have won 12, which are more than any other school in the league, while Appalachian State is right behind. A win for ASU Saturday would put it a step closer to the Paladins, tying Furman for the most league titles of all time. A Furman win would inflate its playoff hopes even more, giving Furman two wins over top five ranked foes in three meetings in the regular season. Furman has never played three top five foes in the regular season.

The Citadel (4—4, 2—4 SoCon) at No. 5 Georgia Southern (7—1, 5—1 SoCon)

Saturday afternoon's matchup between the Eagles and Bulldogs will mark the 21st all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and Eagles, with the Eagles holding a commanding 16—4 all—time series edge, including a commanding (10—1) lead at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. The Eagles claimed a 20—0 win over the Bulldogs in Charleston last season, forcing 10 turnovers in the process of getting that victory.

The Citadel has already eclipsed last season's win total of three wins, as the Bulldogs were able to post a 41—14 win over arch—rival and former Southern Conference member VMI in Charleston last Saturday. The Bulldogs' offense rolled up 358 yards on the ground and blocked three punts in the win over the Keydets.

Georgia Southern dropped its first game of the season last week, with a 24—17 loss at Appalachian State. For the first time this season, the Eagle offense was held under wraps, as the Eagles were only able to muster 201 yards of total offensive yards on the day and just 10 offensive points. The Eagles are still a juggernaut offensively despite last week's struggles, as the Eagles come in ranking second nationally in rushing offense (340.4 YPG) and the Eagles continue to lead the nation in scoring offense (41.1 PPG).

The Citadel heads to Georgia Southern for a key Southern Conference clash on Saturday afternoon at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. The Bulldogs will be looking for their first win at Paulson Stadium since 2003. The Bulldogs have lost four straight to the Eagles, dating back to a 24—21 win over the Eagles and Johnson—Hagood Stadium in Charleston back in 2006.

The Eagles continue to be led offensively by quarterback Jaybo Shaw (39-of-73 passing, 817 yds., 5 TDs, 2 INTs), who tossed his first two INTs of the season last week, and will look to rebound this week against a much-improved Citadel team that is in its second season utilizing the triple-option offense. Robert Brown (106 rush att., 734 yds., 5 TDs, 6.9 YPC) continues to be one of the league's top running backs.

Georgia Southern's Defense Highly Rated

Georgia Southern's defense continues to be one of the top units in the nation, entering Saturday afternoon's contest leading the SoCon in scoring defense (19.6 PPG) and rushing defense (100.4 YPG), while ranking fourth in the SoCon in total defense (335.4 YPG). Leading the Eagle defense this season has been Buck Buchanan Award candidate Brent Russell (38 tackles, 10.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 2 PBUs, 1 blkd kick) at nose tackle, while cornerback LaRon Scott (29 tackles, 3 INTs, 12 PBUs) has been the "do everything" player in the secondary and on special teams this season for GSU. He had a 76-yard kickoff return and an INT in last week's loss at ASU.

The Citadel is vastly improved on the offensive side of the football and come into Saturday's matchup continuing to be led by Ben Dupree (19—of—41 passing, 174 yds./138 rush att., 541 yds., 6 TDs, 3.9 YPC) under center, as well as Dareion Robinson (85 rush att., 598 yds., 7 TDs, 7.0 YPC) at fullback.

The Bulldogs come into Saturday's contest ranking third in the league and 69th nationally in rushing offense (304.4 YPG). Between Dupree and Aaron Miller (7—of—17 passing, 82 yds., 2 INTs/59 rush att., 191 yds., 4 TDs, 3.4 YPC), who has also played under center for the Bulldogs this season, the Bulldogs have yet to get a TD pass from a QB through eight games, and have a grand total of one this season.

The Citadel continues to play solid on the defensive side of the football, as the Bulldogs rank third in the league in total defense (329.5 YPG), continuing to be led by linebacker Rod Harland (77 tackles, 9.0 TFLs. 3.0 sacks), who ranks fourth in the league in total tackles this season. Defensive end Derek Douglas (11.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks) continues to lead an impressive rush defense that ranks fourth in the league against the run (160.9 YPG).

Expect a low-scoring, defensive struggle when the Eagles and Bulldogs get together on Saturday for a key league matchup in Statesboro. Georgia Southern will get back on the winning track, however.

Chattanooga (4-5, 2-4 SoCon) at Samford (5-3, 3-3 SoCon)

In many ways, Chattanooga's season this fall has mirrored the season that Elon had last season, as both were ultra talented football teams, and each saw injuries and just plain old bad luck play a role in the two teams not making post—season appearances. I will say the Mocs are a better team than that Elon team of a year ago, and Chattanooga probably had 10 times the bad luck the Phoenix had a year ago.

Chattanooga will be one of the best teams to not qualify for the FCS playoffs in any given season since 1978. The Mocs come in having lost four league games by a combined total of 11 points, which means they are losing by less than a field goal per conference game. The Mocs are literally a TD from being the SoCon leader at this point in the season.

While post—season hopes have been dashed, the Mocs still have plenty to play for on Saturday afternoon against the Bulldogs. At stake is a third straight winning season, which would mark the first time since the Mocs put a string of 10 straight winning seasons together from 1976—85, in what was the most successful era of football in the Scenic City in school history.

The Mocs have the chance to play the role of 'spoiler' for at least two teams hoping to garner playoff invitations, starting this Saturday with arch—rival Samford. The Bulldogs are still clinging to life as a playoff contender coming into Saturday's matchup with the Mocs, and the Bulldogs come in having won four out of their last five games.

Saturday's meeting between the Mocs and Bulldogs will mark the 37th meeting all—time between the two schools separated by about 90 miles. Chattanooga owns a 24—9—3 series edge, and the Mocs have owned the series of late, winning the last two, including a 48—14 blowout win last season at Finley Stadium.

It has been a struggle for the Mocs offensively all season, especially along the offensive line, as the Mocs have yielded 24 sacks this season, which is tied for the most in the league. The Mocs surrendered six sacks alone in last week's loss to Furman.

Chattanooga enters Saturday afternoon's contest ranking seventh in the league in scoring offense (26.0 PPG), sixth in passing offense (179.9 YPG), ninth in total offense (326.1 YPG) and seventh in rushing offense (146.2 YPG). This is a team that finished the 2010 season ranking ranking third in scoring offense (31.6 PPG) and third in total offense (430.0 YPG).

With the focus shifting towards the future for head coach Russ Huesman and the Mocs, it will be interesting to see who starts at quarterback on Saturday for the Mocs. Will it be freshman Terrell Robinson (24—of—40 passing, 328 yds., 6 TDs, 3 INTs/81 rush att., 388 yds., 4 TDs, 4.8 YPC), who could use the experience, or the Mocs' NFL hopeful B.J. Coleman (111—of—186 passing, 1,295 yds., 6 TDs, 6 INTs), who should be fully healed from a shoulder injury suffered three weeks ago in a loss at Georgia Southern.

Chattanooga Defensively Solid

Chattanooga continues to see solid play on the defensive side of the ball, leading the league in total defense (292.0 YPG) coming into Saturday's contest. The Mocs have possibly the best corps of LBs in the league, led by Ryan Consiglio (87 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 2 FFs) and Wes Dothard (82 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 4.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD, 4 FFs).

Samford counters with maybe the SoCon's most versatile offense, led by quarterback Dustin Taliaferro (158-of-251 passing, 1,650 yds., 12 TDs, 7 INTs) and one of the league's premier pass-catchers, Kelsey Pope (46 rec., 525 yds., 5 TDs, 11.4 YPR). Fabian Truss () has led a ground attack that has been somewhat surprising this season, considering the Bulldogs lost the all-time state leader in rushing to graduation from last season, in Chris Evans. Overall, the Bulldogs come into Saturday ranking third in the SoCon in total offense (408.9 YPG)

Truss, who is the reigning SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week, continues to help the Bulldogs rank among the best in the nation in kick and punt return average this season, as Truss averages 29.3 yards-per-kick-return.

Defensively, the Bulldogs enter Saturday afternoon's contest ranking eighth in the league in total defense (389.6 YPG), and the Bulldogs are led on the defensive side of the ball by linebacker Keith Shoulders (45 tackles, 3.0 TFLs) safety Alvin Hines II (45 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 3 INTs, 8 PBUs), who's having an all-conference worthy season.

Should be a good one on Saturday in Birmingham, as the Bulldogs look to post their first win over the Mocs in Seibert Stadium since a 33-14 win over the Mocs way back in 1939. The two teams battled to a 7—7 tie in Anniston, AL., in 1941.

Chattanooga saw its hopes and dreams of making its first playoff appearance since 1984 with last week's 14—7 loss at home to the Furman Paladins.

No. 11 Wofford (6-2, 4-1 SoCon) at Western Carolina (1-7, 0-6 SoCon)

Saturday's meeting between the Terriers and the Catamounts will mark the 34th all—time meeting between the two rivals, with the Terriers holding a 21—12 all-time series edge. The Catamounts have lost five straight meetings to the Catamounts, dating back to a 24—0 win over the Terriers in Cullowhee in '05.

Since Wofford joined the SoCon in 1997, the Terriers hold a 12—2 advantage against the Catamounts. Prior to joining the SoCon, Western Carolina held a narrow 10—9 advantage in the all-time series between the two old rivals.

Western Carolina is well on its way to fielding the worst defense in Southern Conference history, which likely prompted the firing of defensive coordinator Matt Pawlowski by the interim Athletics Director shortly after Saturday's 52—24 loss at Samford. The Catamounts come into Saturday's matchup ranking second 119th (second-to-last) nationally in both total defense (502.1 YPG) and scoring defense (46.1 PPG), while ranking last nationally in rushing defense (331.9 YPG).

The Catamounts have been pretty proficient offensively, ranking seventh in the SoCon in total offense (360.9 YPG), while ranking second in the league in passing offense (226.1 YPG), continuing to be lead by Brandon Pechloff (95—of—177 passing, 1,280 yds., 7 TDs, 9 INTs) under center and Deja Alexander (30 rec., 425 yds., 1 TD, 14.2 YPR) at wide receiver.

The Terriers lead the nation in rushing offense (358.5 YPG) have the league's leading rusher, in Eric Breitenstein (184 rush att., 1,084 yds., 14 TDs, 5.6 YPC). That combo should make for another lopsided Wofford win in the series.

SoCon Power Poll After Week 9

1. Georgia Southern 7—1 5—1

2. Appalachian State 6—2 4—1

3. Furman 5—3 4—2

4. Wofford 6—2 4—1

5. Samford 5—3 3—3

6. Chattanooga 4—5 2—4

7. The Citadel 4—4 2—4

8. Elon 4—5 2—4

9. Western Carolina 1—7 0—6

BOONE, NC—Appalachian State fans have been pointing towards Saturday's "Black Saturday" matchup with Georgia Southern since the No. 1 Mountaineers dropped a 21-14 overtime decision in Statesboro on Nov. 6, 2010. ASU is 3-1 against the Eagles in Black Saturday matchups since the revival of the tradition in 2002.

It's a tradition that began at ASU in the late 1980s and extended into the early '90s. The only loss by the Black and Gold on Black Saturday was a 38-35 setback in 2007.

Saturday's matchup between the two Southern Conference juggernauts certainly has the potential to be a classic.

It will mark the 27th all-time meeting between the two schools, with ASU holding a slim 13-12-1 edge in the series.

This matchup has seen some great games, sans the 2004 and 2009 meetings between the two. In '04, the second-ranked Eagles walloped the Black and Gold in Statesboro, handing Appalachian State its worst loss in Statesboro in series history, as GSU posted a 54-7 win on that particular afternoon.

ASU, however, would return the favor in 2009, rolling up 702 yards of total offense en route to a 52-16 win over the visiting Eagles before a sellout crowd at "The Rock" in the previous Black Saturday showdown between the two.

Those two games, however, have been an exception to the rule as a whole in the 26 previous meetings. Five of the last eight meetings between the two have been classics, including four of the past five, with two needing overtime to decide things.

Saturday's meeting between the two will mark the first between the two foes as top-five ranked foes since 2001, when the Eagles took a 27-18 win against Appalachian. Interestingly enough, the last top-ranked team to visit The Rock was Georgia Southern in 1999, which is also the last time ASU defeated a national No. 1-ranked team.

The Mountaineers were one-point winners (17-16) on that afternoon, buoyed by an opportunistic defense that turned Eagle turnovers into points, as well as a key blocked punt on special teams. Ironically, the Apps won the game without an offensive TD. It was in similar fashion to the SoCon opener for the Apps this season against Chattanooga.

The offense that the ASU defense will face Saturday is not unlike that Eagle offense of 12 years ago, which was led by Greg Hill under center, while sophomore fullback Adrian N. Peterson was the man toting the rock before better than 19,000 on hand that day. That win snapped a 15-game league winning streak for Georgia Southern and the goalposts came down at The Rock.

ASU also has broken a streak in a loss.

In the 2001 meeting between the two FCS titans, the Mountaineers ended Adrian Peterson's streak of 100-yard rushing performances at 51 games. Peterson finished with 19 carries for 71 yards in the GSU win. It was the first time the talented fullback had ever been held below the century mark, and marked only one of two times in his career that he failed to reach 100 yards in a game.

GSU knows about ending streaks in this series, too, as its last couple of victories over the Apps have been streak-breakers. In the 21-14 win in Statesboro last season, the Eagles snapped ASU's 26-game league winning streak, while the 38-35 win by the Eagles in Boone snapped ASU's 30-game winning streak at The Rock, which dated back to the 2002 playoffs.

With a win Saturday, GSU could go a long way toward thwarting another streak, as it would likely end any real possibility of an unprecedented seventh-consecutive league crown for ASU.

ASU comes into the matchup playing some of its best football of the season, especially on offense under the direction of sophomore Jamal Jackson (45-of-71 passing, 650 yds., 6 TDs, 2 INTs/31 rush att., 160 yds., 5 TDs, 5.2 YPC).

It didn't appear that would be the case just about three weeks ago, as Appalachian State was struggling to find its footing as a football team. For the first time since the 2003 season, Appalachian State lacked an identity offensively. The Mountaineers were struggling to establish any sort of momentum and cadence offensively through the first four weeks of the season.

The Mountaineers have since rallied on the offensive side of the football, buoyed by a new starter under center. Jackson has led the Apps to back-to-back 500-yard offensive outputs in leading the Mountaineers to wins over The Citadel (49-42) and Samford (35-17).

Jackson was inserted into the ASU lineup after DeAndre Presley (68-of-112 passing, 761 yds., 4 TDs, 4 INTs/54 rush att., 151 yds., 4 TDs, 2.8 YPC), who was a Payton Award finalist last season, was injured in the Mountaineers' loss at Wofford.

Jackson came in and the rest has been history.

The Atlanta, GA native, now a sophomore, gave Presley a fierce battle for the starting job prior to the 2010 campaign after the departure of Armanti Edwards. Meanwhile, Presley has found a new home on the defensive side of the football, in the Appalachian State secondary.

Jackson, who has a stronger arm than Presley but probably doesn't match him in speed, leads an Appalachian State offense that enters Saturday's matchup against the top-ranked Eagles ranking third in the SoCon in scoring offense (32.0 PPG), fourth in total offense (400.9 YPG), fourth in rushing offense (199.3 YPG) and sixth in passing offense (201.6 YPG).

He comes into Saturday's matchup with the Eagles off of a career-best passing performance in the win over Samford, as he connected on 19-of-30 passes for a career-high 290 yards and a couple of TDs. Jackson also has been a threat to run on occasion in his first two weeks leading the charge.

Another factor on offense could be the SoCon's top wideout and most difficult defensive assignment for opposing coaching staffs to deal with, ASU NFL prospect Brian Quick. With 2,937 career receiving yards, Quick needs just 187 more receiving yards to surpass Rick Beasley's (1978-80) school milestone of 3,124 receiving yards.

Georgia Southern comes into the matchup with a good defense, however, to this point, it hasn't been the same defense that shut down ASU in the final three quarters of last season's matchup, and the unit has been susceptible to the pass this season, but extremely stout against the run.

Defensively, the Eagles enter the matchup ranking fourth in the SoCon and 34th nationally in total defense (337.5 YPG). GSU's strength on the defensive side of the football entering the Black Saturday matchup has been stopping the run this season; they rank 13th in the country against the run, while also leading the SoCon in rushing defense (100.7 YPG).

The Eagles have struggled against the pass this season, ranking last in the SoCon and 94th nationally in pass defense (236.8 YPG). The Eagles also rank 15th nationally and first in the league, allowing a meager 19.0 PPG this season.

Rounding out the major defensive categories for the Eagles, GSU comes into Saturday's game ranking third in the SoCon and 25th nationally in turnover margin (+0.86), while ranking second in the SoCon and second nationally in sacks (2.71 SPG).

When talking about the Eagle defense in 2011, you don't get far into the conversation before bringing up the star-studded defensive line. The reason the Eagles have been so tough to run the football against this season has everything to do with GSU's defensive interior, which is unquestionably the top tandem of defensive tackles in the league. That tandem is led by arguably the nation's best nose tackle, Brent Russell (28 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 1 blocked kick, 1 PBU).

Russell is simply a beast in the middle of that GSU defense, and though his numbers this season might not be what they have been in the past, he's starting to get going as the season has progressed after getting off to a bit of a slow start in 2011. Russell enjoyed his top outing of the campaign in the 28-27 win over Chattanooga a few weeks ago, as he posted eight tackles and a couple of TFLs.

Russell also has made a huge impact on special teams this season, providing a huge tide-turning play by blocking a Furman PAT, allowing LaRon Scott (11 career INTs, 2 TDs—tied for the career active lead in SoCon in INTs) to pick up the ball and return the ball for two, turning a potential 7-7 tie football game into a 9-6 GSU lead.

Speaking of Scott, he's the one player that has been a game-changer on special teams and in the secondary this season. It was Scott's second-quarter interception in the end zone of a DeAndre Presley pass that seemingly turned the tide of last season's game. If ASU had scored that TD, it would have given the Apps a 21-0 lead and it would have been extremely difficult for GSU to find its way back.

The real challenge on Saturday will be stopping the nation's top offense. The Mountaineer 3-4 scheme, which is designed to stop triple-option, flexbone type offenses, will have its hands full Saturday. The Eagles rank No. 1 nationally in scoring offense (44.6 PPG), rushing offense (369.7 YPG) and No. 2 in total offense (487.3 YPG).

ASU's defense has been spotty at times this season, and injuries in the secondary have been partly to blame. It is similar to the way the Apps entered the matchup in 2009, which saw the Apps struggling to find an identity on the defensive side of the football. With an off-week to prepare and no player's starting job safe, ASU limited a pass-happy GSU offense to just 151 total yards in the 52-16 rout.

This year's ASU defense comes into the matchup ranking sixth in the SoCon in total defense (369.7 YPG/69th in FCS), seventh in the league in points allowed per game (25.3/57th in FCS), fifth in the SoCon in rushing defense (177.3 YPG/90th in FCS), and seventh in the league in pass defense (192.4 YPG/33rd in FCS).

The Apps lack the star power of a Mark LeGree or a D.J. Smith on the 2011 defense; however, talent is present at each position. Up front, the Apps have the likes of Lanston Tanyi (20 tackles, 2 TFLs), while the linebacking corps has been anchored in the middle by Jeremy Kimbrough (51 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3 sacks). Hard-hitting safety Troy Sanders (47 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FR) stars at safety, where he is having an All-SoCon worthy season.

GSU's offense has an efficient, disciplined leader under center, in senior Jaybo Shaw (35-of-63 passing, 751 yds., 5 TDs, 0 INTs/77 rush att, 224 yds., 7 TDs, 2.9 YPC). The Eagles' most dangerous weapons on offense have been sophomore fullback Robert Brown (91 rush att., 687 yds., 5 TDs, 7.5 YPC), slotbacks Jerrick McKinnon (48 rush att., 382 yds., 7 TDs, 8.0 YPC) and J.J. Wilcox (37 rush att., 355 yds., 4 TDs, 9.6 YPC/3-of-5 passing, 37 yds., 1 TD).

The only two teams that can match GSU's overall speed on offense are Chattanooga, whom the Eagles beat 28-27 in a classic just a couple of weeks ago, and the Mountaineers.

ASU is 1-1 against teams that run their type of offense, yielding an average of about 324 yards on the ground in games against Wofford and The Citadel. The Apps were 28-14 losers on the road to Wofford, while staving off a huge rally by The Citadel to win 49-42 in Charleston a couple of weeks ago.

So who wins this game?

Well, before the season, I would have said Georgia Southern and I did pick them to win the league. However, this is an ASU team that has finally found itself the past couple weeks with impressive wins on the road at The Citadel and a 35-17 homecoming win over Samford last week.

The Apps will get a close victory. The ASU record-breaking, raucous crowd just might make the difference, handing ASU its first win and third all-time over a No. 1 nationally ranked team.

Final Score Prediction: ASU 38, GSU 35

Only three games highlight the slate for Saturday afternoon in the SoCon, however all three are key for each of the respective trio heading into a huge week of league games next week.

Appalachian State was able to get its footing last Saturday after its season-opening, 66-13, loss to Virginia Tech. The Mountaineers were 58-6 victors over North Carolina A&T in front of 26,415 fans at The Rock last week. The Mountaineers had a big day at the office offensively last Saturday, as the Mountaineers rolled up 491 yards of total offense.

It was a balanced attack for ASU, which rolled up 255 yards on the ground and another 236 through the air in strolling to the Black and Gold's fifth-straight win over the Aggies. The Mountaineers improved to 11-2 all-time against MEAC teams and will likely make it 12-2 on Saturday, as the Mountaineers face a hapless Savannah State club fresh off a 63-6 loss to Southland Conference foe Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday.

Savannah State is now 0-2 on the young season, having also dropped its season opener, 34-31, to Division II member Albany State. It will be the second of a three-game homestand for the Apps, while the Tigers will be playing their third of a four-game road swing to open the campaign.

Savannah State hasn't defeated a team with full Division I status since 2004, and have only two wins over Division I foes since 2000, defeating South Carolina State, 14-9, in 2001. Will this game do the Mountaineers any good? The Tigers likely offer ASU its weakest competition since facing Division II Lenoir-Rhyne back in 2007, which followed ASU's monumental, 34-32, win over BCS No.5-ranked Michigan.

The Tigers faced Georgia Southern to open the 2010 season, dropping a 48-3 decision to the Eagles last September. This game will get out of hand early and head coach Jerry Moore will have to do some coaching to keep this game respectable, as he will actually have to try and keep his team from scoring in the low 80s.

Appalachian State will face Chattanooga next Saturday in a game that is shaping up to be a critical early game in Southern Conference play. The Mountaineers were forced into fourth-quarter heroics last season at Chattanooga, as the Apps came back from a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to eventually score a 42-41 win.

The Mocs will be involved in the most enticing game of the third weekend of play in the Southern Conference, taking on Eastern Kentucky at Roy Kidd Stadium, in a kickoff slated for 6 p.m. The Mocs are fresh off their first win over a Top 10 ranked foe since 2000, as the Mocs posted 21 unanswered points to garner a 38-17 win over 10th-ranked Jacksonville State.

That win over the Gamecocks helped the Mocs avenge a heartbreaking 21-17 win at No. 5 Jacksonville State last season. Interestingly, Chattanooga's last win over a Top 10 foe came against Appalachian State (next week's opponent) in that 2000 season, as the Mocs posted a 30-27 win over the sixth-ranked Apps in early November at Finley Stadium.

However, first things are first for Huesman's Mocs, who face an Eastern Kentucky team that not only expects to be a title contender in the Ohio Valley Conference this season under fourth-year head coach Dean Hood, but have also been extremely tough to upend at Roy Kidd Stadium.

In fact, the Colonels enter the contest having won six-straight in the friendly confines, and the facility has proven to be a house of horrors for SoCon teams in the past, as Appalachian State can attest. The Mountaineers dropped a 35-7 game in Richmond, KY., back in 2003, while having to hold off a feisty EKU club, 24-16, in ASU's first of three national title runs two years later.

There have also been a couple of head-scratchers for SoCon teams upon their visit to one of the original powers of Division I-AA/FCS football. Like the 1990 season, which saw what was supposed to be a close first-round playoff game between No. 12 Furman, who were SoCon co-champs, and the fifth-ranked Colonels.

The Paladins, who were slight underdogs, uncharacteristically went to the air early and often, as the tandem of option quarterback Frankie DeBusk and wideout Donald Lipscomb helped the Paladins cruise to a 45-17 opening-round playoff win.

Then there was that debacle in 2009, which saw Western Carolina come to Roy Kidd Stadium and posting a 24-7 win. However, the two examples mentioned above are exceptions to the rule, and apparently the Colonels have some weird aversion to the color purple, and unless the Mocs change their color, they should expect a tough game from the Colonels on Saturday. It should be noted that the Colonels did defeat the Paladins, 24-10, on the road in the 1986 Division I-AA playoffs.

The Colonels are 20-27-2 all-time against SoCon members. That record only includes the Colonels record against SoCon teams when they were SoCon members. For instance, East Tennessee State only met the Colonels five times as a SoCon member, and went 2-3 against EKU. The two faced each other 24 times as OVC members, with EKU holding a 17-6 series edge.

Eastern Kentucky is off to a 1-1 start, getting its first victory of the season with a 28-24 win over Missouri State of the Missouri Valley Football Conference last week. The Colonels nearly pulled off a win over an FBS foe earlier this season, dropping a 10-7 contest in Manhattan, KS to the Kansas State Wildcats.

Saturday's meeting in Richmond, KY., will mark the first between the two foes in Roy Kidd Stadium since 1986, which saw the Colonels get a 23-3 victory to open the season. Ironically, that season was the last time the Mocs found themselves playing post-season football. It will be the sixth all-time meeting, with the series knotted, 2-2-1.

This game will have a postseason feel to it, and the Mocs, who many believe will be a team in the final 20 will get a huge test from a Colonels team, who many have said is ready to re-visit the school's tradition-rich roots and claim their first postseason win since 1988.

It has the makings of being a classic, with UTC's big-armed quarterback B.J. Coleman (42-of-66 passing, 470 yds., 3 TDs, 1 INT in 2011) facing off against an EKU defense that features a Buck Buchanan Award candidate in safety Jeremy Caldwell (4 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 FR in 2011). The EKU defense has yet to allow any first-half points this season and will be looking to avenge a 42-24 throttling they took in the Scenic City last September.

The final of the three games on Saturday is an intriguing matchup, as Elon travels to Durham to face improving North Carolina Central. The Phoenix took a hit last week, as starting quarterback Thomas Wilson went down with an ankle injury in last week's 42-10 win over NAIA Concord. Stepping into the starting role will be University of Maryland transfer Tyler Smith, who is just 1-of-8 passing for seven yards this season.

Prior to Wilson's exit last Saturday, he had thrown a career-high three TD passes in just a half of play before leaving the matchup with an injury. Wide receiver Aaron Mellette has picked up where he left off last season, having hauled in 20 passes for 257 yards (12.9 YPR) and a couple of scores so far this season.

Another intriguing storyline in this matchup is the fact that it will be one that pits two first-year head coaches against each other, with Jason Swepson being in his inaugural season at the helm of the Elon football program, while Henry Frazier III is in his first campaign as the boss at NCCU.

Both coaches have led their teams to 1-1 records on the young campaign thus far on the young season. The Phoenix lost their opener, 45-14, to Vanderbilt in the season opener, while NCCU was competitive for a half in a 48-0 loss to Rutgers in its season opener, before the Eagles picked up a 42-3 win over Central State last week for their first win of the campaign.

The Eagles will offer some challenges for the Phoenix on Saturday night at  O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, particularly on offense where Andre Clarke (38 att., 172 yds., 2 TDs, 4.5 YPC) leads a strong ground attack. So, with that said, below are my predictions for Saturday's light Saturday in the SoCon.

Appalachian State 72

Savannah State 15

Chattanooga 21

Eastern Kentucky 20

Elon 35

North Carolina Central 27

Jerry Moore was able to join an elite class among his Division I college football coaching brethren last Saturday in Appalachian State's 58-6 mauling of North Carolina A&T. Moore became just the 16th coach in NCAA Division I college football history to reach 200 victories in a career at a single institution.

Moore, already the SoCon's all-time winningest head coach, came to the High Country of Boone, N.C., in 1989 to take over a school he didn't know all that much about. Moore may not have known much about Appalachian State when he was contacted about the job, though he did know football.

The irony to the whole story is that 18 years later it would be Moore that made Appalachian State a household name with a 32-31 win at No. 5 Michigan to open the 2007 season. While that will likely be the win that defines Moore's career even more than three national titles, he would be the first to tell you that wins and losses are not what keeps him happy atop the mountain in Boone.

For Moore, it has been a special two-plus decades in the High Country, and it has been more about the people that have surrounded him and the program, rather than the three national titles or the nine Southern Conference titles he has led the Apps to in his 22 previous seasons at the helm.

It has been especially rewarding for the Bonham, Texas native to be able to enjoy his time in Boone with so many familiar faces on the sidelines, creating a family-like atmosphere.

Appalachian is one of those places former players have trouble leaving as a result of so many great memories, and Moore has had many of his former coaches stay on and become successful coaches on the ASU sidelines. It's a testament to his belief in the complete person and their leadership skills, rather than just their worth as a football player for four years.

One of Moore's most memorable teams was the 1995 squad, which became the first team in the North Carolina state history to finish a campaign unblemished, as the Mountaineers posted a perfect 11-0 regular-season mark. Two of the players that were key cogs in helping the Apps establish that milestone were quarterback Scott Satterfield and defensive end Shawn Elliott.

Satterfield and Elliott were two players that perhaps personified the type players Moore has made into successful players, and then successful people. Satterfield, Appalachian's option quarterback from 1992-95, was a part of Moore's lone losing season at the helm of the program, as he was a part of the 1993 squad that finished 4-7.

However, after struggling in his first season as a starter under center, he would go on to lead the Mountaineers to 21 victories in his final two seasons. In an Oct. 21 showdown with No. 3 Marshall in Huntington during the '95 season, Satterfield was playing with a gimpy ankle and knee, but he managed to play through the pain and scored the game-winning TD for Moore on a four-yard TD to give the Mountaineers the 10-3 win.

Making the play even more difficult was the fact that Satterfield was almost tripped at about the 2-yard line, but he managed to keep his balance and fall into the end zone for the score. It was that kind of effort that Moore's players have given for him throughout the years, which is a direct reflection of how much respect his players have for their head coach over the years.

Elliott, a native of Camden, S.C, was the exact same type player on the defensive side of the ball for Moore's Mountaineers during his career. Though he wasn't the strongest or fastest player, he certainly was one of the toughest and had great heart.

Elliott had to battle back from a season-ending injury in 1993, which required a medical redshirt, though he helped ASU to two SoCon titles and became the first Mountaineer football player to participate in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in four separate seasons (1991, '92, '94 and '95).

The intangibles, as they say, won't show up on the stats sheet, but one thing that did for both and Elliott were victories. Elliott's four seasons saw the Mountaineers post a 36-14 record, while Satterfield would help lead the Apps to a 32-17 record in his four seasons. No doubt the heart of players like Satterfield and Elliott were the most important aspects the duo developed under Moore, as opposed anything they learned schematically or fundamentally.

The two entered the program as unheralded players, but by the time Moore had finished coaching them, they would be local heroes to the rabid ASU fanbase. Perhaps that's why the cagey, veteran head coach decided to keep the duo in the High Country and close by after their playing days had concluded.

After graduating in 1996, Satterfield would return to the ASU sidelines two years later. Satterfield would start out coaching the ASU wide receivers in 1998 before finishing his nine seasons in the High Country as the co-Offensive coordinator, and though he did not carry the official title as ASU's offensive coordinator, his influence on the offense was huge.

It would be Satterfield who would eventually leave the High Country to join the Toledo coaching staff in 2009, and now Satterfield has become one of the hottest up-and-coming offensive coordinators in the FBS, serving in that role at Florida International, where he is now in his second season in Miami. Currently, the Panthers are 2-0 on the young 2011 season.

Like Satterfield, Elliott decided to stay with the Appalachian State football program and coach Moore after his graduation in 1996. Elliott would begin his coaching career on the ASU sidelines as a defensive assistant in 1997 before moving over to the offensive side of the ball three years later as the tight ends coach. Eventually, Elliott would take over the reins as the offensive line coach for the Apps in 2001.

After a 7-4 2003 season, Moore and staff began to feel a little bit of heat after missing out on the playoffs, and it would be Moore, a person not known for making big changes or taking many chances, that would make the gutsiest call of his career.

It would be Elliott and Satterfield that ultimately convince Moore to transition from the I-formation, power ground attack to the spread offense in 2004. That decision alone should show the trust, respect and relationship that Moore has surrounded himself with during his time in Boone.

It would be a decision that changed the fate of a program that had always been on the brink of a national title in past years. The trio would travel to West Virginia and scout Rich Rodriguez's spread-option attack in the spring of 2004. Though the Apps finished just 6-5 in 2004 and with the flame getting a little warmer for Moore and his staff, the staff gained a certain measure of confidence going forward.

Despite games against two FBS foes in 2005, Moore would not only save his job, he would make history, leading ASU to a SoCon title and to the school's first national title, as the Mountaineers defeated Northern Iowa 21-16 in Chattanooga to clinch the school's first national crown in any sport.

Like Satterfield, Elliott would eventually receive an offer that was tough to turn down after spending 12 seasons on the sidelines as an assistant coach for the Apps. Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks came calling.

The Gamecocks needed an offensive line coach after Eric Wolford left after only one season to become the head coach at Youngstown State. Given ASU's success running the spread, it was an easy call for Spurrier to make. Since Elliott has joined the Gamecocks staff, South Carolina has posted an 11-4 record, a top 10 ranking and is in the middle of its most successful era as a football program.

The most special part for Moore has been the fact that he has been able to enjoy the ride with a person even closer to his heart than Elliott or Satterfield, who have now moved on to even greater successes. That person is not only a part of the "Appalachian Family," but also is a part of Moore's biological family, as his son, Chris Moore, is now in his 13th season with the staff.

Chris Moore, a 1999 graduate of Appalachian State University, began his coaching career under his father in 1995 as a student assistant before joining the staff as a full-time employee in 1999 as a defensive assistant. Moore would coach the Mountaineer linebackers from 2001-04 before drawing the assignment of coaching the ASU running backs upon the Apps transition to the spread offense in 2004.

Satterfield, Elliott and his son, Chris, are just three of several people with a strong association to Appalachian that Moore has been able to build his rock solid foundation on since 1989. That family has also included John Wiley (1989-90, 1993-2009), who is now the defensive coordinator at East Carolina, and still includes Jay Sutton (1997-present), who was an All-American kicker for Moore and is now the associate director of athletics.

After his 200th win at ASU last Saturday, Moore was asked about what it meant to accomplish such a milestone and do it at one school. His reply was simple, yet poignant. As tears seemed to well up in his eyes, a humble Moore described how much of a blessing it was to have been surrounded by such good people throughout his career in the High Country. He said the greatest sense of joy was being able to do it with his son, Chris, alongside him for much of that time.

Certainly Moore couldn't have envisioned the miracles and triumphs when he was contacted some 23 years ago by the late Jim Garner (former Appalachian State athletic director) about the position, but jumped at a chance to coach football again.

Moore, who had experienced much heartbreak and many tears after being fired at Texas Tech in 1985, proved that good things do sometimes happen to good people. A devout Christian who never turns down an opportunity to speak about his relationship with Jesus, Moore certainly seems to be reaping the rewards of that familial relationship with his "Heavenly Father" during his tenure at Appalachian State.

Moore has never strayed far from his what he believes and the people he believes in, and the character of his players have been a far greater part of the success he has had, rather than the athletic attributes they have been touted for as recruits. For Moore, it's about recruited family members not football players. That philosophy is certainly refreshing considering much of what sours Division I college football in the current age.

Week 2 Thoughts:

After seeing the SoCon struggle mightily in Week1, Week 2 brought much improvement. For now, Georgia Southern and Wofford continue to be the teams to beat and the teams that seem most capable of capturing a national title, at least at this point, in the 2011 season.

The Eagles, of course, opened the season with a 31-17 league win over Samford in Birmingham, and while the defense struggled a bit, they got a resounding 62-21 win over a Frankie DeBusk-coached Tusculum team to open the home slate at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.

A capacity crowd of 21,282 saw a Georgia Southern flex-bone attack produce four rushers that gained 50 or more yards in the win, which was all part of a GSU attack that rolled up 351 yards on the ground in the win. Senior QB Jaybo Shaw completed six passes for 181 yards, while all-purpose threat J.J. Wilcox led the rushing efforts with 97 yards, while also posting 63 receiving yards.

In total, the Eagles owned a 530-339 advantage in total yards. The Eagles held a substantial advantage in rushing yards (351-67).

The Eagles have been huge on special teams early in this 2011 season, returning a kickoff 97 yards for a score in the opener against Samford, while returning four kicks for a total of 161 yards (40.2 YPR) in the Week 2 win over Tusculum. LaRon Scott, who had that 97-yard return in the opener, currently leads the nation in kickoff returns, with five returns for 260 yards, which converts to an average of 52.0 YPR.

The 62 points by GSU were the most by a GSU team since the 2005 campaign, when GSU posted a 63-17 win over Morehead State in the final game of that regular season.

While Wofford may not have looked like a team set to compete for a Southern Conference title in its opening week, a 35-28 win over PC, the Terriers certainly came to life in a valiant, 35-27, setback at Clemson on Saturday afternoon.

The Terriers were able to hold back the Tigers until about eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, as Clemson QB Tahj Boyd scampered in from five yards out to give the Tigers their first lead of the afternoon, at 28-24.

Wofford flexed its muscles running the option against a fast Clemson defense, as the Terriers rolled up 272 yards on the ground, and finished the contest with a total of 399 yards of total offense. But, the Tigers still claimed a 476-399 advantage in total offense yards.

Leading the rushing exploits for the Terriers was quarterback Mitch Allen, who finished the day with 89 yards on the ground, and scored Wofford's first TD of the afternoon, with a 27-yard scamper. Allen was also effective throwing the ball against the Clemson secondary, connecting on 2-of-7 passes for 127 yards, with a TD and an INT in the eight-point loss.

Both receptions for the Terriers were made by Brenton Bersin, with one of his catches going for a 66 yards and a score, giving the Terriers a 14-6 lead with about four minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year Eric Breitenstein battled through and rushed for 62 yards and a TD on 22 rush attempts.

The Terriers' defensive line looked dominant at times against the bigger, deeper Tigers offensive line, as nose tackle Eric Eberhardt recorded four tackles and a sack to lead the Wofford defensive front.

Linebacker Mike Niam led all Terrier tacklers, with 12 stops, including a sack and a forced fumble.

The 27 points scored were the second-most against an FBS team (34 in 1999 against Louisiana-Lafayette). In the series against Clemson, the Tigers are 11-3. The 27 points by Wofford were the most ever in the series that dates to 1896.

In the lone league clash of the weekend, Furman was able to upend league arch-rival The Citadel, 16-6, in the Port City of Charleston to hand Bruce Fowler his first win as a head coach.

It was "old school" Furman football on Saturday night, as the Paladins used a powerful ground game, once again powered by Jerodis Williams, a stingy defense and flawless special teams play to come up with its first league win for the 2011 season.

After yielding 237 yards on the ground in the opening season loss to Coastal Carolina, the Paladins shored up the ground game deficiencies in week two against the triple-option attack of the Bulldogs.

The Furman defense held the Bulldogs to 199 yards on the ground, and the Paladins actually held a 215-199 advantage in ground yards on Saturday night. The Paladin defense held the Bulldogs to two field goals, marking the first time the Paladins have held a SoCon opponent out of the end zone since the 2004 season in a 10-0 win at Elon.

Williams put together his second 100-yard rushing effort, posting 122 yards on a career-standard 28 rush attempts in the win over the Bulldogs. The last time the Paladins had rushing efforts of 100 yards by a player or players in back-to-back games was 2007, when Renaldo Gray rushed for 103 yards in a 34-27 loss to Appalachian State, while Jerome Felton posted 154 yards on the ground the following Saturday in a 52-49 win over Elon.

Chas Short improved to 4-of-4 on field goals on the season since taking over the starting job for Ray Early in the season opener. Short's 46-yard field goal allowed the Paladins to put the game out of reach with under four minutes remaining last Saturday.

Senior signal-caller Chris Forcier was efficient, connecting on all nine of his passes for 56 yards, including throwing his first TD since the 2009 season against Auburn, as he found wideout Sederrik Cunningham on a 4-yard TD just before the half, giving the Paladins a 13-6 lead heading into the halftime locker room.

After dropping a 66-13 loss in its season opener at Virginia Tech, Appalachian State responded in a big way in its home opener on Saturday afternoon, getting a 58-6 win over visiting North Carolina A&T. It was the first meeting between the Mountaineers and Aggies since the 1995 campaign.

It was a milestone afternoon for the Black and Gold, as legendary head coach Jerry Moore became just the 16th coach in NCAA Division I football history to win 200 games at one institution.

It was a strong performance by the usually proficient ASU offense, which uncharacteristically struggled in the opener against the Hokies. ASU rolled up a 491-335 advantage in total offensive yards.

Preseason Walter Payton Award candidate signal-caller DeAndre Presley responded well after struggling in the opening week against the Hokies, as he connected on 19-of-23 passes for 197 yards, with his favorite option in the passing attack being All-American wide receiver Brian Quick, who hauled in 11 passes for 113 yards and a couple of TDs.

ASU also had a 100-yard rusher in the ground attack, as Cedric Baker-Boney amassed 111 yards and a TD on 12 carries.

Overall, it was a much better week for Southern Conference teams, with Chattanooga getting perhaps the league's best result, with the Mocs' 38-17 win over No. 10 Jacksonville State.

Standings After Week 2

1. Georgia Southern 2-0 1-0

2. Furman 1-1 1-0

3. Appalachian St. 1-1 0-0

4. Chattanooga 1-1 0-0

5. Wofford 1-1 0-0

6. Elon 1-1 0-0

7. Western Carolina 1-1 0-0

8. The Citadel 1-1 0-1

9. Samford 1-1 0-1

Scores Sept. 10

GSU 62, Tusculum 21

ASU 58, NC A&T 6

FU 16, CIT 6

CLEM 35, WOF 27

CHATT 38, JAX ST. 17

WCU 52, MARS HILL 31

ELON 42, CONCORD 10

SAMFORD 48, STILLMAN 6

Schedule for Sept. 17

Chattanooga at Eastern Kentucky

Savannah State at Appalachian State

Elon at North Carolina Central

*-everyone else has a "BYE"

Power Rankings

1. Georgia Southern

1. Wofford

3. Chattanooga

4. Appalachian State

5. Furman

6. Elon

7. The Citadel

8. Samford

9. Western Carolina

                                                 Southern Conference Football 2011

                                                          "Game of the Week"

        No. 2 (TSN) Appalachian State (0-0, 0-0 SoCon) @ No. 13 (AP)Virginia Tech (0-0, 0-0 ACC)

                                       Sept. 3, 2011, 12:30 p.m., Lane Stadium (66,233)

The Series:

Appalachian State and Virginia Tech will be meeting for just the fourth time in series history, with the Hokies winning all three previous matches. The meeting between the Mountaineers and Hokies marks the first between the two schools since 1979, when Virginia Tech captured a 42-31 win over Appalachian.

The Mountaineers and Hokies lead their respective sub-classifications in consecutive 10-win seasons, with the Apps having an FCS-best six straight 10-win campaigns, while the Hokies have won 10 games in seven consecutive seasons to lead the FBS.

The Coaches:

Appalachian State's veteran head coach Jerry Moore heads into his 23rd season at the helm of the Mountaineer football program, having posted a 199-76 record atop the mountain. A win in the opener against the Hokies would give Moore a historic way to reach win No. 200 in Boone.

In his 30 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Moore posts an all-time record of 226-124-2, and is the winningest coach in the Southern Conference. Moore led Appalachian to a historic 34-32 win over BCS fifth-ranked Michigan in 2007. His 226 wins as a head coach ranks Moore second on the career active victories ledger, trailing only Bob Ford's 247 victories at Albany.

ASU has five wins all-time against the Atlantic Coast Conference, with all five of those victories coming against Wake Forest, and all five wins by the Black and Gold have come on Moore's watch. 

Like Moore, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer is one of the legendary "winners" of Division I college football. Beamer begins his 25th campaign as the head coach of the Hokies' football program, producing an impressive mark of 198-95-2 while in Blacksburg, just one win behind Moore's 199 wins as head coach in Boone.

Prior to landing at Virginia Tech in 1987, Beamer coached six seasons at Murray State, where he amassed a mark of 42-23-2. Beamer has an overall record as a head coach of 240-118-4 entering his 31st campaign in Blacksburg. 

Under Beamer, the Hokies have won at least 10 games in eight of the past nine campaigns, and have won five ACC titles in seven seasons as a member of the ACC.

Introducing Appalachian State:

In the seven seasons since transitioning to the spread offense, a Mountaineer quarterback has claimed the league's offensive player of the year honor on four occasions (Richie Williams 2005, Armanti Edwards 2008 and 2009, and DeAndre Presley 2010). 

The Mountaineers led the SoCon in total offense for five of the past seven seasons. They are coming off a 2010 season which saw them rank in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense (34.3 PPG, 7th in FCS ), rushing offense (217.4 YPG, 8th in FCS), total offense (430.9 YPG, 10th in FCS) and passing efficiency (141.52, 15th in FCS).

The Appalachian State Spread Offense (Quarterbacks):

DeAndre Presley took over the Appalachian State offense under pressure to not only continue the success of the Appalachian State spread offense, but also help keep the ASU offense at a high level after the departure of the only two-time winner of the Payton Award, in Armanti Edwards.

It took Presley eight games before he tossed his first interception of the season, and he completed the campaign with 21 touchdown tosses and only seven interceptions.

In the season opener against Chattanooga last season, Presley helped initiate one of the most remarkable come-from-behind victories in Mountaineer football history as he helped the Black and Gold overcome a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Chattanooga 42-41 on the road. Presley willed the Mountaineer offense to 28 fourth-quarter points in a seven-minute span, fully erasing the Mocs' comfortable advantage.

Fittingly, it would be Presley who would provide the winning score, which came in peculiar fashion, as his 33-yard touchdown run off a recovered Matt Cline fumble was scored as a "scoring reception."

In total, Presley would finish the afternoon easing the hearts of the ASU faithful, answering plenty of questions by completing 22-of-29 passes for 340 yards and a couple of touchdowns. In all, Presley had his hand in four ASU touchdowns on the day, as he had two rushing scores, a receiving score and a couple of touchdown passes. 

Presley enjoyed his top passing performance in the season finale loss to Villanova (42-24) in the FCS quarterfinals, as he connected on 31-of-56 passes for 361 yards, throwing for two touchdowns and an interception. Presley had another strong performance in the 34-31 Homecoming win over Elon, as he was able to connect on 14-of-19 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 186 yards and a couple of scores.

He put on one of the best rushing performances in school history in ASU's first-round playoff win over Western Illinois last fall. In the 42-14 FCS opening-round win over Western Illinois, Presley rushed 16 times for 264 yards and a couple of scores, accounting for the fourth-best rushing total in a single game in school history.

Appalachian's backup quarterback for the season-opener against the Hokies will be Jamal Jackson. The 6-3, 205-pound sophomore saw some limited mop-up duty for the Black and Gold last season, as he completed 7-of-14 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 100 yards and a score last fall. He saw his most extensive action for the Mountaineers in the lopsided win over North Carolina Central, completing 5-of-9 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Overall, Appalachian State probably has the most depth at quarterback of any team in the Southern Conference and likely one of the deepest talent pools at the position in the FCS. Both Presley and Jackson can effectively run Appalachian's potent spread attack.

Appalachian State Running Backs:

Travaris Cadet has excellent speed and power and put together a solid campaign last year which netted him All-SoCon honors. In total, Cadet has enjoyed a successful two seasons toting the pigskin for the Mountaineers, entering the 2011 season with 1,037-career rushing yards on 185 attempts (5.6 YPC) and has nine career rushing scores.

Cadet was one of the most effective weapons catching the football out of the backfield last season as well, as he finished the 2011 season with 19 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown (11.5 YPR).

Cadet enjoyed several outstanding performances for the Black and Gold in 2010, as he recorded a pair of 100-yard rushing efforts. He recorded a career-high 149 yards in ASU's 44-16 win over North Carolina Central. He also recorded a 52-yard scoring in the win over the Eagles.

In the 37-26 win over Furman at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Cadet recorded his first multi-touchdown rushing effort of his career, registering three rushing scores to go along with 108 yards on 24 carries in the 11-point win.

The 6'1", 210-pound senior from Miami, FL., recorded perhaps his most complete effort as an offensive threat in ASU's 39-10 win over The Citadel. As a running threat, Cadet finished the day with eight rushes for 59 yards, while as a receiving threat, he hauled in a career-best three passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. He took a short swing pass from Presley and sprinted 73 yards for a score in the win over the Bulldogs, accounting for all but four of his receiving yards on the day.

Cadet is also a threat on special teams, having posted 32 kick returns for 733 yards (22.9 YPR) last fall, while posting 72 yards on 12 punt returns. In all, Cadet totaled 1,694 all-purpose yards, which ranked second in the SoCon and 29th in the FCS last fall.

Joining Cadet as a running threat coming out of the ASU backfield in the opener against the Hokies will be fellow senior Cedric Baker (60 rush att., 261 yds., 5 TDs, 4.3 YPC in 2010). Baker is a shifty, speedy back that offers a nice change of pace to the Mountaineer ground game, off-setting Cadet's power.

The former walk-on running back came up big for the Apps in a couple of games last fall, recording his top performance in the season-opening come-from-behind win over Chattanooga. In that victory, Baker rushed for a season-best 44 yards and a couple of scores, helping tag-team ASU's ground efforts along with Cadet in the absence of injured senior starter Devon Moore.

In ASU's 34-31 Homecoming win over Elon, he rushed four times for 41 yards, including a 36-yard score. Baker caught only three passes for 28 yards last season for the Apps, but has shown the ability to be a good receiving threat coming out of the backfield.

Michael Frazier rounds out a talented stable of backs that will all likely see action in the opener in Blacksburg. Frazier, a former hard-nosed defensive back, made the transition to running back after an injury-riddled spring. Frazier could be used in the "H-back" role in the ASU spread this fall, and at 6'0", 205 pounds, gives the Mountaineers another power back in short-yardage situations this fall.

The Mountaineers ranked eighth nationally in rushing offense last fall, churning out 217.4 YPG last fall. All but one (Devon Moore) of the valuable pieces from that ground attack, and if the young, but talented offensive line can gel quickly, the Mountaineers might be even more potent moving the ball on the ground in 2011.

Appalachian State Wide Receivers:

Brian Quick enters the season-opener against the Hokies having caught 131 passes for 2,322 yards and 20 TDs (17.7 YPR), and he needs just 803 yards receiving this fall to become the school's all-time leading wide receiver.

Quick turned in several strong performances catching the pigskin for the Mountaineers last season. His top performance came in ASU's second win of the season, a six-catch, 132-yard and three touchdown performance in a 44-14 win over Jacksonville.

He also had an effective season-opening performance in ASU's come-from-behind, 42-41 win over Chattanooga, as he hauled in five passes for 121 yards. He continued his dominance against Wofford last fall, playing a big role in ASU's 43-13 SoCon title-clinching win over the Terriers.

He also had a monster night in the 39-14 win over The Citadel, with three receptions for 99 yards and a couple of scores. In somewhat of a surprising twist, Quick was not a first-team All-SoCon selection to begin the campaign, but is clearly the top wideout threat in the SoCon entering the 2011 season.

Sophomore Tony Washington (4 rec., 71 yds., 1 TD, 17.8 YPR) is a receiver that is coming off a strong spring and should be a player that really comes into his own catching the football for the Black and Gold this fall.

Washington was only used sparingly last fall, but will take on a much more active role as a part of the Appalachian State receiving corps this fall. He's the most battle-tested of ASU's three sophomore wide receivers and possesses tremendous speed. Washington will likely start the opener at Virginia Tech in the "X" wide receiver's role.

As a redshirt freshman last fall, Washington saw action in all 13 games, splitting time in special teams and wide receiver. The 5'9", 195-pound sophomore produced a momentum-changing play for the Mountaineers in his first game suiting up in a Black and Gold uniform.

Following an ASU touchdown which cut UTC's lead to 35-21 in the fourth quarter, Washington served as a member of the ASU kickoff team and laid a vicious hit on UTC return man Buster Skrine, which would eventually be recovered by the Apps and set up another ASU score. The Mountaineers, of course, went on to win the game in dramatic fashion, 42-41.

Washington had just four receptions on the season, hauling in a season-best 32-yard reception in ASU's second week victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins.

Sophomore Jamil Lott could be the player that really has a breakout season on the offensive side of the ball for the Mountaineers this fall. Lott, a former quarterback, is the latest in the lineage of Mountaineers to move from behind center to wideout, joining the likes of CoCo Hillary and Travaris Cadet in that respect.

The 6'1", 190-pound speedster from Kannapolis, N.C., will give the Mountaineers yet another big-play threat at wideout this fall, replacing Hillary at the "Z" wide receiver this fall. Lott is also coming off a strong spring and has the ability to be a reliable option in the passing game.

With so much attention likely to be focused on Quick by the Hokies, Lott may play a pivotal role in the season opener, and for the remainder of the season for that matter. Lott appeared in six games last fall, mostly on special teams, registering six tackles and did not record a catch.

Rounding out the starters at wideout and replacing Matt Cline at the "M" wide receiver this fall will be the third of the trio of sophomores, in Andrew Peacock (3 rec., 43 yds., 14.3 YPR). Peacock is one of the fastest Mountaineers, and he was able to log action in 12 of 13 games for the Apps last fall.

Peacock is one of those players that can be used in a variety of different offensive situations, including as a running threat with his game-breaking speed. Like Washington and Lott, Peacock must make the major adjustment of having to take on a larger, more active role in the Mountaineer offense this fall.

Not only do the Mountaineers likely have the best receiving threat in the FCS, they also might have the sub-classification's top tight end, with the return of senior Ben Jorden (27 rec., 306 yds., 6 TDs, 11.3 YPR in 2010). Jorden has proved to a major part of the ASU offense over the past three seasons, entering his senior campaign with 72 career catches for 1,038 yds. and 13 touchdowns (14.4 YPR) in his career.

Jorden is a two-time All-SoCon honoree and needs 38 catches and 445 yards receiving this fall to become the only tight end in school history to rank in the top 10 in both receiving categories. Jorden turned in his top receiving performance of the 2010 season against Wofford, hauling in five passes for 48 yards.

ASU Defensive Line:

One of the areas in which Appalachian State should be strong this fall is the defensive line, where the transition to the 3-4 will see Dan Wylie (39 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks in 2010) as the defensive anchor for ASU front at nose tackle.

Wylie is a quick, physical defensive tackle that could challenge for all-conference accolades this fall. The coaching staff has plenty of confidence in Wylie, who will be asked to get a good push up front, as all nose tackles are asked to do in the 3-4 defensive scheme.

Wylie enjoyed his best performance of the 2010 season against Georgia Southern, as he recorded a season-high six tackles, including 2.5 tackles for losses for a loss and his first full sack of the season.

Set to flank Wylie on each side will be Ronald Blair and veteran Gordy Witte, Jr. (15 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 PBU in 2010). Blair, a true freshman, came in and performed exceptionally well during preaseason camp to win the starting job.

Blair has awesome athleticism, as he named the Georgia Region 4-AA Defensive Player of the Year accolades, recording 112 tackles, nine sacks, quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and had an interception he returned 70 yards for a score. Blair beat out a senior, in Anthony Wilson, for the starting job.

Witte, Jr. will play at the left defensive end position, and will be in his first season as a full-tme starter along the ASU defensive front, although he does have five starts along the defensive line in his career. Witte had a career-high four tackles and half of a sack in the win over North Carolina Central last season.

Some of the key reserves along the defensive line heading into the season opener will obviously be a pair of veteran seniors, in backup right defensive end Anthony Wilson (14 tackles in 2010) and backup nose tackle Chris Aiken (17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 0 INT in 2010).

Appalachian State Linebackers:

ASU will employ four linebackers in its new 3-4 defensive scheme, with the two outside linebackers acting as hybrid outside LB/DE. Those two "hybrid" players in the lineup for Saturday's season opener in Blacksburg, VA., will be junior Lanston Tanyi (75 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 1 FF in 2009/second-team All-SoCon) and John Rizor (46 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks in 2010).

Tanyi might be the best player on the defensive side of the football, but was forced to sit out the entire 2010 season with a toe injury. The 6'2", 260-pound redshirt junior comes into the campaign having posted 18 tackles for losses and 13.5 sacks in his previous two seasons in the program, and the Black and Gold will need him to play a big role in Saturday's opener, applying pressure to Virginia Tech's inexperienced quarterback.

Rizor, a 6'2", 245-pound native of Fayetteville, N.C., will play the "SAM" linebacker for the Mountaineers. Rizor was one of the surprises on the ASU defense last season, showing his athleticism as one of the team's top bookends in the absence of Tanyi.

He ranked second on the team with 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for losses. Rizor enjoyed his best game in a road win at Samford last season, registering three tackles for losses and a sack.

Playing in the middle of the ASU defense will be Jeremy Kimbrough (45 tackles, 0.5 TFLs in 2010). Kimbrough battled injuries throughout much of the 2010 season, but should be back to full strength when the Black and Gold takes the field against the Hokies on Saturday. The 5'11", 238-pound junior from Decatur, Ga., tallied a team and season-high eight tackles in the 2010 season-opening win at Chattanooga.

Completing the starting quartet of linebackers heading into the season opener against the Hokies will be weak side backer Brandon Grier (64 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks in 2010). Grier is a player that has progressively gotten better as he has gained more experience. He enjoyed his top game of the 2010 season against Wofford, posting nine stops.

Set to serve in key reserve roles at linebacker for the Apps on Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, Va., will be true freshmen Jamal Ware and Brandon McGowan, while junior Justin Lloyd and senior Demery Brewer will serve as reserves at the respective reserves at the two outside linebacker positions.

Appalachian State Secondary:

The most experienced Mountaineer in Saturday's starting lineup against defending ACC champion Virginia Tech will be senior cornerback Ed Gainey (48 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 9 PBUs, 1 INT in 2010). Gainey comes in Saturday's matchup as a preseason All-SoCon selection.

Gainey enters the contest having started 36 of his 40 games as a college football player. Gainey will likely draw the assignment of matching up with Virginia Tech's top wideout, Danny Coales on Saturday. Last season, Gainey enjoyed his best game against North Carolina Central, recording seven tackles and a couple of tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Slated to start at the other cornerback position will be a former quarterback, Demetrius McCray (20 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PBUs in 2010). McCray is one of the best athletes on the defensive side of the football for the Black and Gold, boasting excellent speed. McCray closed the 2010 season strong, offering up three solid performances in the final three contests of the 2010 season.

The Mountaineers will be very "green" at the two safety positions, but should be talented nonetheless. Replacing three-time All-American Mark LeGree at strong safety this fall will be Troy Sanders (60 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 7 PBUs).

The hard-hitting junior makes the shift from cornerback to safety to help give the back line a physical edge. Like LeGree, Sanders has a motor that always seems to be running. Sanders enjoyed his best game of the 2010 season against North Carolina Central, recording a career-high 10 stops.

Rounding out the starters in the ASU secondary will be sophomore Patrick Blalock (30 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 blkd punt), who starts at the free safety position for the Apps in the opener. Blalock was impressive as a freshman, garnering All-SoCon Freshman Team praise for his efforts during the 2010 season.

Blalock is one of the most physical players on the ASU defense and has a physical nature. He enjoyed his top performance of the 2010 season against Wofford, recording eight stops in the 43-13 SoCon Title-clinching win.

ASU has plenty of youth in the in the secondary as well, including freshmen Doug Middleton and Henry Barnes at the two cornerback spots. The Mountaineers do have experienced depth at one of the safety positions, with the return of Dominique McDuffie(51 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 4 INTs, 1 FR in 2010), while Rodger Walker will see his first meaningful action at free safety behind Blalock.

Introducing Virginia Tech:

The Hokies will have a new starter under center but return 11 starters in all for the 2011 season, with six returning on offense and five on the defensive side of the football. The most notable departure from last season's 11-3, ACC Championship squad is Tyrod Taylor, who finished his career as the school's all-time winningest signal-caller, as well as the program's all-time leading passer.

There will also be a transition in the play-calling responsibilities on the offensive side of the football, as Bryan Stinespring yields the play-calling to quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain. The Hokies were pretty effective offensively last season, as they ranked first in the ACC in scoring offense (33.9 PPG), while ranking second in rushing offense (198.7 YPG), fifth in total offense (402.3 YPG) and eighth in passing offense (205.6 YPG).

Virginia Tech struggled defensively last fall, registering its worst season since Bud Foster took over in 1995. The Hokies surrendered 155.9 yards-per-game on the ground, which ranked the Hokies seventh in the ACC in rushing defense. Additionally, the Hokies ranked eighth in the ACC in total defense (361.5 YPG), fifth in passing defense (205.6 YPG) and fourth in scoring defense (20.6 YPG).

The Hokies joined some unwanted company last fall, as they became just the second ranked FBS team to lose to an FCS foe since the re-classication of Division I football back in 1982. The Hokies dropped a 21-16 decision to James Madison in their home opener last season. The only other ranked FBS foe to lose to an FCS foe is Michigan, which ironically dropped a 34-32 to Appalachian State to open the 2007 season.

The Virginia Tech Multiple Offense (Quarterbacks):

The 6'6", 245-pound signal caller from Lynchburg, VA., won the starting job during the spring. He was named the MVP of spring practice for the Hokies, and according to coaches, has grasped the Virginia Tech offensive scheme quickly.

Thomas has a big arm and was clocked at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. Thomas even played some tight end for the Hokies, but it's now his team to lead. Thomas will be backed up by redshirt freshman Mark Leal this fall.

Thomas is a good enough quarterback to where the Mountaineers should be concerned in the season opener as a defense, however, I would expect the ASU game plan on defense will be to throw as much at the inexperienced Thomas early on in the game and try and get him rattled. Expect the Mountaineers to stack the box and force Thomas to beat them by throwing the football in this one.

Virginia Tech Running Backs:

That player returning is return specialist David Wilson (113 rush att., 619 yds., 5 TDs, 5.5 YPC in 2010). Wilson is a powerful running back with track speed. To give you an idea of just how explosive Wilson can be, he's averaging 9.3 yards every time he gets his hands on the pigskin. Last season, he scored five rushing touchdowns, caught four touchdown passes and returned a pair of kicks for scores. He ended up finishing as Virginia Tech's third-leading rusher last season.

Wilson has also proven to be a valuable asset as a receiver coming out of the backfield, and he completed the 2010 season by hauling in 15 passes for 239 yards (12.6 YPR) and a couple of touchdowns. Wilson creates mis-matches with his 4.3 speed coming out of the backfield, so Appalachian State must be wary of him at all times and make sure he's not matched up against a linebacker in ASU's new 3-4 scheme.

Athletically, Wilson is among the best tailbacks Virginia Tech has ever had. Wilson perhaps saved Virginia Tech's ACC Championship hopes last season by changing the momentum of an important ACC game at NC State last season. With the Hokies trailing 17-7 at the break, Wilson took the second half kickoff and went 92 yards for a score, changing the complexion of a game that would ultimately see the Hokies pick up an important 41-30 road win in Raleigh.

As a return threat, Wilson led the ACC in kickoff returns in 2010 and tied the school season and career standards or kickoff returns or a touchdown with two. In total, he returned 22 kicks for 584 yards (26.5 YPR) and had a couple of scores. He ended the campaign with 1,487 all-purpose yards for the Hokies.

Set to start at fullback for the Hokies in the season opener against Appalachian will be either Joey Phillips or Martin Scales. Phillips became a starter on the goal-line offense for the Hokies last season and went through the spring with plenty of reps as the Hokies' starting fullback.The 5'1"1, 214-pound hometown native is dependable in short-yardage situations and is a physical blocking presence.

Head coach Frank Beamer also expects Scales to see plenty of action in the fullback's role for the Maroon and Orange in 2011. Scales was one of the Hokies' top special teams performers last fall, and he is expected to see plenty of action at fullback this fall, due mostly to his physicality as a blocker in short-yardage and max protect situations.

Wilson will share some of the rushing responsibilities with senior Josh Oglesby (6 rush att., 49 yds., 8.2 YPC in 2010), who will begin the 2011 season as Wilson's understudy at tailback. Oglesby is expected to see extensive action in the role of reserve tailback this fall after only seeing very limited action behind both Evans and Wilson last fall.

The 5'11", 210-pound Oglesby is a powerful back, the kind of runner that is able to grind out tough yards and wear down opposing defenses with his size. Oglesby rushed 78 times for 335 yards and a couple of scores (4.3 YPC) as a sophomore in 2009.

Overall, the Hokies have a formidable ground game and it's an area that will likely be where the game is decided, as ASU will likely stack the box and force Thomas to throw. If Virginia Tech is still effective running the ball despite the Mountaineers putting eight in the box, it could be a long afternoon for the Black and Gold.

Virginia Tech Wide Receivers:

Coale also has deceptive speed and turned in his best receiving performance in the ACC Title game against Florida State, as Coale posted a career-best 143 receiving yards in the 44-34 Hokies victory. Career-wise, Coale has hauled in 105 passes for 1,754 yards and has five receiving touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards-per-reception for his career.

Complimenting Coale at wide receiver this fall will be senior split end Jarrett Boykin (53 rec., 847 yds., 6 TDs, 15.9 YPR in 2010). Boykin is basically the deep threat for the Hokies, as well as being the leading returning wideout for Virginia Tech.

Boykin will be a matchup problem for the Mountaineers with his size coming into the matchup, at 6'2", 219-pounds. He enjoyed his best game of the 2010 season against East Carolina, with three receptions for 118 yards, including one 69-yard scoring catch.

Boykin enters the season well on his way to becoming Virginia Tech's all-time leader in pass receptions and yards, entering the campaign having made 123 catches for 2,123 yards and has 13 career scoring catches, averaging 15.9 YPR for his career. He became just the fourth receiver in Virginia Tech football history to surpass 2,000 yards receiving last fall.

Some key contributors as reserve wideouts for the Hokies this fall will be a pair of talented junior wideouts, in D.J. Coles (3 rec., 27 yds., 9.0 YPR in 2010) and Marcus Davis (19 rec., 239 yds., 2 TDs, 12.6 YPR in 2010).

Coles is a talented athlete who only saw brief time on the offensive side of the football last fall. The 6'3", 235-pound split end is another Hokie wide receiver that might cause the Mountaineers some struggles as a result of his size. Davis combines size and strength as well as any Hokie wideout and has improved as much as any player on the Virginia Tech offense since moving from quarterback to receiver back in 2008.

Holding down the tight end position for the Hokies in the season-opener against Appalachian State will likely be redshirt senior Chris Drager. Drager is a player, who will move from the defensive side of the ball, where he served as a reserve defensive end the past couple of seasons, to the offensive side of the ball. He is a tough, intelligent player, who will be used mostly as a blocking presence, rather than an option as a receiver. Drager is coming off a strong performance during spring drills for the Hokies.

Virginia Tech Offensive Line:

Set to anchor the offensive front for Virginia Tech in 2011 will be redshirt senior right tackle Blake DeChristopher. DeChristopher enters his senior campaign with 37 starts under his belt as a Hokie and garnered second-team All-ACC accolades in 2010, grading out at 83 percent for the season, while recording 59 knockdown blocks.

At 6'5" and 312 pounds, DeChristopher is the biggest body across the front among the starting five entering Saturday's opener against the Mountaineers. He is also one of two starters along the Virginia Tech offensive front that weighs at least 300 pounds.

The all-important left tackle position along the Hokies offensive front will be redshirt senior Andrew Lanier. Lanier, a 6'5", 282-pound native of Moore, S.C., held off Nick Becton for the starting left tackle position in the fall, in what was one of the most heated positional battles of the preseason for the Hokies.

Lanier is one of the most athletic players among the Virginia Tech linemen, which ultimately proved to be his biggest asset in winning the starting job.

Manning the two offensive guard positions will be seniors Jaymes Brooks and Greg Nosal. Brooks, a 6'2", 307-pound native of Newport News, VA., enters his third-straight season as a starter along the Virginia Tech offensive front, and is coming off a 2010 season which saw him garner second team All-ACC honors.

He enters the 2011 campaign having started 28 consecutive games at right guard. He turned in his best game of the 2010 season in the ACC Title game against Florida State, registering a season-high nine knockdown blocks in the 44-33 win.

Nosal will start at the left guard position and should be at 100 percent for the season-opener after undergoing shoulder surgery during the off-season. Nosal is one of the most durable offensive linemen for Virginia Tech, having started all 14 games and logged action on over 800 snaps last fall. A tremendous athlete, Nosal made the transition from tight end to offensive guard in smooth fashion and will enter the 2011 season as an ACC honors candidate.

The lone new starter along the offensive front in the season opener against Appalachian State will be center Andrew Miller, who replaces Beau Warren as the starting center. Miller, a 6'4", 290-pound sophomore from Bassett, VA., established himself as being ready to take on his new responsibility as a starter along the offensive front by being named as the Hokies' top newcomer during the spring.

Miller is an aggressive player, with great feet and has fit in very well thus far for the Hokies in the offensive trenches.

The Virginia Tech 4-3 Defense:

Last season's defensive effort was the worst under current defensive coordinator Bud Foster, who took over the Virginia Tech defense back in 1995. The Hokies welcome the return of five starters on the defensive side of the football this fall, and Foster vows the Hokies will be a much better outfit on the defensive side of the football this fall.

The biggest improvement for the Hokies must be made defending the run, as the Hokies completed the 2010 season ranking seventh in the ACC in rushing defense (155.9 YPG). If Foster can get this defense to respond this season, the Hokies should once again factor in the ACC Championship and BCS Bowl race this fall.

Virginia Tech Defensive Line:

Set to anchor the Virginia Tech defensive front this fall will be junior defensive tackle Antoine Hopkins (45 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2.0 sacks in 2010). Hopkins is a talented player that helps fill the middle of the Virginia Tech defense against the run. Hopkins is strong and moves well for his size.

He played in all 14 games for the Hokies last fall, starting the last 12 games. Hopkins enjoyed his top outing against Georgia Tech, recording a personal-best 10 tackles in the 28-21 win.

Lining up alongside Hopkins at defensive tackle for the Hokies this fall will be sophomore Derrick Hopkins (9 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks in 2010). Hopkins is saw only limited action last fall, as he served as a reserve at defensive tackle behind John Graves last fall. This season, Hopkins will be joining his older brother, Antoine, as a starter at defensive tackle in 2011.

The 6'2", 298-pound sophomore from Highland Springs, VA., has a chance to be a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for Virginia Tech this fall, and was named the newcomer of spring practice. He saw action in 13 games last season for the Hokies.

The two bookend positions will be manned by James Gayle (16 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks in 2010) and J.R. Collins (25 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks in 2010), who could be one of the top defensive end tandems in the ACC this coming fall. Gayle might be the best athlete on the defnsive front for the Hokies, and is coming off a very good spring.

The 6'4", 251-pound native of Hampton, VA., is an athletic presence at defensive end for the Hokies, sporting excellent quickness and power. Gayle played in 14 games last fall, logging two starts. One of those starts was in Virginia Tech's 26-10 win over North Carolina, as he posted one of his best performances of the season, recording six tackles and a couple of sacks.

Collins, a 6'2", 253-pound sophomore native of Stafford, VA., will man the other defensive end position for the Hokies in the season opener against the Mountaineers. Collins has the kind of quickness and athleticism that could cause the Mountaineer offensive line some struggles. Collins enjoyed his best performance against Central Michigan, contributing seven tackles and 1.5 sacks in the 45-21 win.

Virginia Tech Linebackers:

The linebackers for the Hokies are a solid outfit, and will be one of the best units the Mountaineers will face this fall. Without question, one of the best linebackers in the nation going into the 2011 season is middle linebacker Bruce Taylor (91 tackles, 15.5TFLs, 6.0 sacks, 4 PBUs in 2010) enters the season as a preseason All-American.

Taylor is an extremely talented, athletic performer. He finished the 2010 season garnering second-team All-ACC accolades.

The 6'2", 252-pound redshirt junior from Myrtle Beach, S.C., certainly made an impact in his first season as a full-time starter, recording several impressive performances for the Hokies. In the win over East Carolina last season, he recorded nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for losses. One of the keys to this game for the Appalachian State offense will be finding a way to block Taylor effectively.

Set to join Taylor at linebacker this fall will be Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (41 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 2 INTs, 1 TD in 2010) and Tariq Edwards (21 tackles, 1 INT in 2010). Gouveia-WInslow re-established his hold on the 'whip linebacker' position with a strong spring and preseason camp.

Gouveia-Wilson is a good athlete that can run, and is coming off a strong 2010 season. He caught a batted pass and returned it for a score for the Hokies first score in their eventual ACC title win over Florida State last fall.

Edwards is the lone new starter at linebacker for the Hokies this fall, coming off a strong preseason and is another solid athlete. He had one of his better games of the season against Central Michigan last fall, recording four tackles.

The Hokies also have a pair of talented linebackers waiting in the wings on their depth chart, in Alonzo Tweedy (18 tackles in 2010) and Tevion Clark (). Tweedy will remind ASU fans of Mark LeGree early in his career because of his play on special teams.

Virginia Tech Secondary:

Jayron Hosley will start at the boundary cornerback position this fall for the Hokies, and will likely draw the "tall task" of matching up with talented ASU wide receiver Brian Quick. Last season, Hosley garnered first-team All-America recognition, according to the Walter Camp Foundation.

Hosley displayed his all-around athleticism by returning a punt for a score in each of his first two seasons as a Hokie. Hosley had plenty of strong performances last season for the Hokies, but against NC State, Hosley had one for the record books. He broke up four passes and intercepted three passes in the Hokies' 41-30 come-from-behind win over the Wolfpack.

Starting opposite Hosley at the field cornerback position will be sophomore Kyle Fuller (32 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 6 PBUs in 2010). Fuller started seven games as a true freshman last season, and was one of two true freshmen to see action for Virginia Tech last fall. Fuller enjoyed his best performance of the 2010 season against arch-rival Virginia, recording a career-high 10 tackles, including three tackles for losses and a couple of pass breakups.

The free safety position will be occupied by Antone Exum (45 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 9 PBUs in 2010). He had one of his best games of the 2010 season against East Carolina, as he was in on 10 tackles. Exum is a big hitter in the secondary for the Hokies and is excellent in coming up and making plays against the run.

Completing the starters in the secondary for Saturday's opener against Appalachian State will be 'rover' safety will be Eddie Whitley (80 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 2 INTs, 6 PBUs in 2010). Whitley, a 6'1", 187-pound senior, will be one of the leaders on the defensive side of the football for the Hokies this fall.

Whitley is a bit undersized for his position, but makes up for it with his overall athleticism. In the ACC Championship win over Florida State last season, he recorded a team-high nine tackles, two pass breakups and recorded a tackle behind the scrimmage in the 44-33 win.

Set to serve as reserves in the Virginia Tech secondary on Saturday will be Criss Hill (5 tackles, 2 PBUs in 2010) and Detrick Bonner at cornerback, while James Hopper and true freshman Bo Aromire will serve as the two reserves at the safety positions. Hopper moved from running back to safety during camp, and Aromire was the most-impressive true freshman player during camp.

What To Watch For:

Affectionately known by their faithful as "Beamer Ball", the Hokies have particularly excelled in the area of blocking punts and field goals over the years. The Hokies should be strong in the kicking game, with sophomore Cody Journell handling the kicking duties, while the punting responsibilities will be handled by junior Scott Demler.

Demler will also be in his first season as a starter for the Hokies, as the sophomore beat out wide receiver Danny Coale for the starting job. David Wilson will be one of the nation's biggest threats as a kick-return threat. Last season, Wilson returned 22 kicks for 584 yards (26.5 YPR) and had a couple of touchdowns. He ended the campaign with 1,487 all-purpose yards for the Hokies.

Like Wilson, Jayron Hosley has the potential to be one of the nation's best punt-return threats. Last season, Hosley returned 19 punts for 239 yards (12.6 YPR) and a touchdown last fall. He had an 80-yard punch return for a score against Central Michigan last fall, and has a couple of punt returns for a score this season.

Appalachian State's win over Michigan back in 2007 was perhaps the greatest example of what special teams could do in a close game. ASU's two blocked field goals ended up being the difference in a thrilling 32-31 upset win in Ann Arbor, MI.

Like Virginia Tech, the Mountaineers will have some questions to answer in the kicking game. The Mountaineers will have a new place kicker this fall, as punter Sam Martin is set to handle the place-kicking duties for the Apps in 2011.

Martin will replace All-SoCon place kicker Jason Vitaris, and will once again handle the punting duties for the Apps this fall. As a punter last season, Martin punted 60 times for 2,354 yards, averaging 39.2 yards per punt.

The ASU kick returns will be handled by Travaris Cadet once again this fall, and he will also handle the punt returns. Cadet finished the 2010 season with 32 kick returns for 733 yards (22.9 YPR), while returning 12 punts for 72 yards (6.0 YPR).

Final Prediction:

Virginia Tech will look to continue what has been a great lineage under center, which includes Tyrod Taylor (2007-10) and Bryan Randall (2001-04), who established themselves as the school's top two passers over the past decade.

Saturday, the Hokies will have a new man under center, in Logan Thomas, who has NFL size and on whom coaches are extremely high. It will be interesting to see what Appalachian State does defensively early to try and confuse Thomas.

While ASU head coach Jerry Moore is known mostly as a conservative head coach, the Mountaineers will take more chances on both sides of the ball than in any other game this season. The Mountaineers will be prepared and could even confuse Thomas, as the Hokies faced the 3-4 defense only once in the ACC last season against Georgia Tech.

However, the difference will be Virginia Tech's offensive line and running back David Wilson, as the Hokies have to fight to get a win in the season-opener.

Please check Monday for an analysis of all this weekend's SoCon action and a glimpse ahead to week two of the Southern Conference football season.

Predicted Final Score: 38-17 Virginia Tech