Appalachian State Football

Appalachian State (10-3, 7-1/SoCon Champions in 2010)--

For the first time since my 2005 preseason predictions, I will not be picking Appalachian State to win the Southern Conference title, but despite my overall feelings, I still believe that Appalachian State is fully capable of capturing their unprecedented seventh-straight Southern Conference football crown this fall.

The Offense:

Legendary head coach Jerry Moore brings back 12 starters to a team that finished with its sixth-straight season in which his Mountaineers have captured 10 or more victories. Moore's offense has been nearly unstoppable since transitioning to the spread back in 2004, and the 2010 season was no different, as the Black and Gold ranked second in the SoCon in total offense (430.8 YPG), while posting the league's third-best ground attack (217.4 YPG).

Continuing the lineage of strong dual threat quarterbacks is DeAndre Presley (210-of-343 passing, 2,631 yds., 21 TDs, 7 INTs/162 rush att., 1,039 yds., 13 TDs, 6.4 YPC in 2010), who was sensational in his first season as a full-time starter after having to replace Armanti Edwards, who is the FCS' only two-time winner of the Walter Payton Award. Presley became just the fourth quarterback in FCS history to pass for over 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, joining his predecessor Edwards in that rare feat.

Presley did not even throw an interception until the end of October in a win over Furman and showed his wares as both a passer and a running threat in leading the Mountaineers to a couple of important wins in his first season as the full-time starter. In the season-opening come-from-behind win over Chattanooga, Presley passed for a season high 324 yards and four TDs on 22-of-29 passing in the win.

As a rushing threat, the Mountaineers won't soon forget Presley's 264-yard rushing performance in ASU's 42-14 second round postseason win over Western Illinois. Presley finished third in the Walter Payton Award voting last season, finishing behind Western Illinois quarterback Matt Barr and Stephen F. Austin signal-caller Jeremy Moses, who ultimately ended up winning the trophy. Presley will no doubt be a leading favorite for the award this fall.

Expected to back up Presley at quarterback this fall will be junior Jamal Jackson (7-of-14 passing, 144 yds., 1 TD, 1 INT). Jackson, a 6-3, 195-pound native of Atlanta, GA., gave Presley a battle for the starting quarterback duties in the spring and fall last year, before Presley was finally able to separate himself in the final couple of weeks of camp to solidify the starting job. Shifty and elusive Kalik Barnes could even give Jackson a run for the second-string spot in fall camp.

Barnes might be the next star in the making at quarterback for the Mountaineers.

Presley will have plenty of help at the skill positions this fall, especially at wide receiver, where he will have one of the league's top deep threats in senior wideout Brian Quick (47 rec., 844 yds., 9 TDs, 18.0 YPR) returning for another season.

Quick is on pace to become the school's all-time leading wide receiver, as he needs just 802 receiving yards this fall to surpass former ASU great Rick Beasley, who finished his career with 3,124 receiving yards.

Quick enters the 2011 campaign ranking third on the school's all-time receiving ledger, with 2,322 career receiving yards. His 20-career TD catches ranks Quick fourth on the school's all-time charts, needing just six scoring receptions this fall to surpass Bob Agle's all-time school mark of 25 scoring grabs, established from 1965-68.

Quick has made the rest of the league serve notice to him as a big-time threat in the passing game. He enjoyed some outstanding performances once again last season, as Jacksonville (6 rec., 132 yds., 3 TDs), The Citadel (3 rec., 99 yds., 3 TDs) and Wofford (5 rec., 73 yds., 2 TDs) can all attest to.

Quick won't have the supporting cast that he had last season, as both CoCo Hillary and Matt Cline have moved on, but the cupboard is not bare in terms of the cast returning for the Black and Gold. Expected to step up and have a good season this fall is sophomore wide receiver Tony Washington (4 rec., 71 yds., 1 TD, 17.8 YPR).

Washington is a big-play threat and is coming off a strong spring.

Washington is a little bit like former ASU wideout and big play threat Troy Albea, who starred for the Apps back in the early 2000's. Washington will likely line up as the starter at the "X" wide receiver position when the Apps kickoff the 2011 season at Virginia Tech on Sept. 3.

The "Z" wide receiver position will be occupied by quarterback-turned-wide receiver Jamill Lott. The sophomore wide receiver has good speed and is extremely elusive. He will look to follow in the footsteps of predecessors CoCo Hillary and Gerard Hardy in making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver. Lott shined in the spring and has a great pair of hands.

Once he learns the intricacies of route-running, Lott has a chance to be a star in this offense.

Rounding out the starters at wide receiver will be sophomore Andrew Peacock (3 rec., 43 yds., 14.3 YPR), who will start at the "M" wide receiver position. Peacock, a converted running back, has excellent speed, and, like Washington, has a chance to be a big-play threat in the passing game this fall.

The Apps also have some excellent reserves waiting in the wings at wide receiver, welcoming a couple of star freshman wideouts that could have an instant impact. Both Bobo Beathard and Sean Price are two true freshmen wideouts from the Commonwealth of Virginia that have a chance to be legends by the time they leave the mountain.

ASU has maybe the best tight end in the nation in returning senior Ben Jorden (27 rec., 306 yds., 6 TDs, 11.3 YPR).

Jorden follows in the tradition of great ASU tight ends such as Jeff Vollmer, Frank Leatherwood and Daniel Bettis, and he just might be better than any of those three. Jorden had an outstanding season opener against Chattanooga, hauling in three receptions for 45 yards and a TD in the opening game of the 2010 campaign. Jorden has the most reliable hands of any receiver on the ASU roster heading into the 2011 season.

Jorden will likely enter the season as an All-America selection, and is hands down the best receiving tight in the SoCon heading into 2011.

Travaris Cadet (115 att., 671 yds., 6 TDs, 5.8 YPC) looked like a natural at running back for the Mountaineers last season, after transitioning to the running back position last spring.

However, it wasn't Cadet that was supposed to be doing big things in the ASU backfield last fall, but rather Devon Moore. With Moore struggling with injuries after entering his senior season as a Walter Payton Award candidate, it was Cadet that would come to the rescue for the ASU ground attack in 2010.

Cadet had some outstanding rushing performances in the 2010 season. He recorded his best performance of the season on the ground came against North Carolina Central, as he rushed for 149 yards and a TD in the 44-16 win. Cadet was also solid in the 38-24 win over Furman, recording 108 yards on 24 carries, recording his first multi-TD performance of the 2010 season.

Cadet also showed he could be effective receiver coming out of the ASU backfield, finishing the season with 19 receptions for 218 yards and a couple of TDs. He had his best receiving performance against The Citadel, recording three catches for 79 yards and a TD in the 39-10 win over The Citadel.

Playing as a reserve behind Cadet this fall will be senior Cedric Baker (60 rush att., 261 yds., 5 TDs, 4.3 YPC). With good speed and elusiveness, the former walk-on has worked his way into a significant piece of the Mountaineer ground game.

With Moore sidelined in the opener with a groin injury, it was Baker that stepped up and provided what the Mountaineers needed on that particular afternoon. He finished the afternoon rushing for 44 yards on 16 yards, with a couple of TDs. Baker also caught three passes for 28 yards last fall.

Junior Rod Chisholm (27 rush att., 111 yds., 1 TD, 4.1 YPC) might give Baker a run for the reserve duties this fall. He is now fully healthy and ran with a purpose for the first time in his collegiate career during the spring. Chisholm would give the Mountaineers a physical, between-the-tackles back this fall, which is something they need with the graduation of Moore.

The biggest concern offensively is the offensive line.

They graduated three starters from a unit that was one of the most-experienced, most-talented units in school history. Last year's offensive line was probably the second-best in school history, bested only by the 2007 offensive front, which featured the likes of Kerry Brown, Scott Suttle and Mario Acitelli.

The Apps lose starters Pat Mills (LG), Brett Irvin (C) and Daniel Kilgore (LT). They have all graduated along the offensive line for the Black and Gold. Two of those players were All-SoCon performers, with Kilgore being drafted to the National Football League by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth-round.

The two starters returning along the offensive front for the 2011 season will be senior right guard Matt Ruff and senior left tackle Orrye Frye. Frye is a durable, athletic offensive lineman that will challenge for all-league honors this fall. Frye makes the transition from right tackle to left tackle this fall, where he will protect Presley's blindside.

It will be a responsibility Frye is familiar with, as he protected Armanti Edwards' blindside a couple of years ago. Frye will have some rather large shoes to fill replacing one of the most talented linemen in ASU history, in Kilgore. Frye will be given a run for the job by talented incoming freshman Kendall Lamm.

Ruff is a powerful presence along the ASU offensive line, and was perhaps the most unheralded of the ASU offensive lineman last season. He has continued to overachieve throughout his ASU career and it will be up to him to step up and continue to provide leadership this fall.

Irvin's vacated position at center will likely be filled by rising senior Sherman Holt, who is the younger brother of former ASU standout offensive lineman John Holt. Holt will have a battle on his hands to win the starting center job in fall camp, as he will be challenged incoming true freshman Graham Fisher in fall camp.

There will also be a battle at left guard, as senior Xan Thomas and sophomore Ian Barnard came out of spring practice in a dead heat for Mills' vacated left guard post. Dylan Bostick and Regan Dufort, a pair of talented sophomores, will challenge for time the right tackle position.

Much of the offensive success for the Apps this fall will have everything to do with how fast this offensive line can gel. With the potential of having two or three true freshmen in the rotation, there are perhaps more concerns for this offense heading into a campaign since moving to the spread back in 2004.

The Defense:

Seven starters return on an ASU defense, which finished the 2010 campaign ranking fourth in the league in total defense (347.7 YPG in 2010), including ranking sixth in the league against the run (166.9 YPG in 2010). The only draw back is two of the four players lost as starters from the defensive side of the football from a year ago were also two of the greatest to don a Mountaineer uniform at their respective positions.

Linebacker D.J. Smith was one of two players in ASU history to record 500 or more tackles, while safety Mark LeGree's 22 INTs were third on ASU's all-time ledger.

There is some great news for Mountaineer fans, however, as 2009 second-team All-SoCon selection Lanston Tanyi returns to his bookend position after sitting out the entire 2010 season with a severe toe injury that required surgery.

But the bigger news is ASU's transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4 defensive scheme this fall.

The move was made in the spring, and a shock to some, but it's likely a two-fold decision. One of the reasons might be the league's overall trend towards various versions of the triple option offense.

The other reason might be that the Mountaineers have struggled to consistently get the rangy, athletic defensive ends as of late, so the transition to the 3-4 might not be such a bad thing. With FBS schools gobbling up those DEs that some of the top-tier SoCon teams used to get, players like Marques Murrell and Jason Hunter have been increasingly difficult to come by.

The ASU defensive line will certainly have a new look to it this season, with Lanston Tanyi (75 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 7.5 sacks in '09) now anchoring the linebacking corps at one of the outside 'backer positions heading into the 2011 season.

Tanyi headed into the 2010 season rated as a Buck Buchanan Award candidate by some publication prior to his toe injury two weeks into preseason camp.

Tanyi is fast and athletic and should be among the best pass-rushers in the SoCon this fall. In the 2009 regular-season finale for the Black and Gold against Western Carolina, recoding 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the win over the Catamounts.

Set to start at rush end, and certainly a player that will factor in this fall in some form of fashion this fall will be fellow junior John Rizor (47 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 2 FRs). Rizor has the potential to be one of the top bookends in the SoCon, and he will be a significant piece on the ASU defense as a pass-rushing presence.

Rizor enjoyed some strong performances for the Mountaineers last fall, as he recorded seven tackles in ASU's win over North Carolina Central. With his quickness and power, look for Rizor to be one of the real standouts on the ASU defense this fall. Rizor will cause some comparisons to former Mountaineer All-American defensive end K.T. Stovall.

The other defensive end post will be a battle between a couple of talented freshmen, in William Corbin and Adam Scott. Corbin, a 6-6, 300-pound redshirt freshman from Dunn, N.C., playing his prep football at Triton High School. Corbin had a solid senior season, as he registered 71 tackles and eight sacks, and he did that at the defensive tackle position while a prep.

Scott is another redshirt freshman player that is coming off a strong spring for the Black and Gold. The Greensboro, N.C. native is a walk-on that earned his way onto the depth chart coming out of the spring. In his final season as a prep, he recorded 6.5 sacks at Northwest Guilford High School in Greensboro, N.C., where he garnered all-area accolades.

The nose tackle position will be manned senior Dan Wylie (39 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks), who was solid in his first season, as he saw action in 13 games and logged eight starts. Wylie is a physical presence and is the type player that could have a breakout season for the Mountaineers on the defensive line this fall.

Wylie's six tackles in ASU's 21-14 overtime loss at Georgia Southern was his top performance of the season. Also contributing at nose tackle this fall will be fellow senior Chris Aiken (17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack), who was solid in his first campaign as a Mountaineer as well.

Rounding out the starters on the ASU defensive line will be senior defensive tackle Gordy Witte (15 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack). Witte adds experienced leadership to the ASU defensive line, and will looked upon to help anchor the defensive interior this fall.

The linebacking corps will obviously be affected by the loss of Smith in the middle, but plenty of talent returns to help enhance the 3-4 scheme for the ASU defense this fall. While Tanyi will line up as one each of the outside linebackers at strongside linebacker, look for the middle of the ASU defense to be patrolled by junior Jeremy Kimbrough (45 tackles, 0.5 TFLs).

Kimbrough is a 5-8, 238-pound junior from Decatur, GA., is a player that has been groomed to be the next star of the ASU defense, and will have some incredibly large shoes to fill this fall having to replace Smith.

To be honest, Kimbrough did not have the type of season he and Mountaineer fans were hoping him to have in his first season as a starter at middle linebacker.

Kimbrough was relieved of his starting job in the middle of the ASU defense at mid-season, as Smith moved over to take the starting middle linebacker post from his weakside linebacker position.

Kimbrough did enjoy some solid performances during the 2010 season, saving his best performance for ASU's quarterfinal loss at Villanova, recording a season-high nine tackles. Senior Demery Brewer (17 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack) will add good depth at middle linebacker this fall.

Set to start at weakside linebacker for the Apps this fall will be Brandon Grier (64 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1.5 sack, 2 FFs). Grier was strong in his first season as a full-time starter. Grier was solid for the Mountaineer linebacking unit in 2011, as he logged a total of 10 starts in the 2010 campaign for the Apps.

Grier is a big hitter and a sure tackler in the lineup for the Black and Gold, and has All-SoCon potential. Grier had nine tackles in a late-season win over Wofford, which helped ASU's staunch defensive effort against the Terriers.

The loss of Justin Wray at linebacker hurts, but ASU should be solid in its LB corps, despite having to replace its top two tacklers from a year ago, in Smith and Wray. Look for Kimbrough to have a big season in the middle now that he is fully healthy, and I expect it will be a big year for Tanyi at strongside LB as well.

There are three players in the secondary with starting experience, and two of those players should contend for All-SoCon honors in 2011. Safety Troy Sanders (60 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 7 PBUs, 1 FF, 2 blkd kicks) and cornerback Ed Gainey (48 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 1 INT, 9 PBUs) will likely enter the campaign as All-SoCon selections, with both expected to be experienced leaders of the Mountaineer defense this fall.

Sanders made the move from cornerback to safety during spring practice, and his physicality will benefit him in his new position. With the graduation of Mark LeGree at strong safety, Sanders will look to continue in the tradition of All-American ASU safeties, and he certainly has that potential.

The good news for ASU fans is that LeGree stepped in and wasted little time in making a name for himself after the graduation of Corey Lynch. In fact, the past two safety classes have include Lynch and LeGree, who finished No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on the school's career INTs ledger as the two combined for a total of 46-career INTs.

Sanders is much in the same mold of LeGree in terms of style of play, however, he is a little bigger and might even be a tad more athletic. Sanders started all 13 games for the Mountaineers last fall, recording a season-high 10 tackles in the win over North Carolina Central.

Gainey, who is now entering his senior season, has been much maligned throughout his ASU career, yet he's a two-time All-SoCon honoree.

Gainey broke up a team-high nine passes last fall, but had only one INT in 2010 after picking off four passes in 2009. Gainey had a season-best seven tackles in the win over North Carolina Central. Gainey will be backed up by sophomore Rodger Walker, who made the transition from wide receiver to defensive back in the spring.

The other starting cornerback for the Mountaineers heading into fall camp will be Demetrius McCray (19 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 INT), who came out of spring as the starter. McCray is another player in the ASU secondary that actually played a different position in high school, as he played quarterback and defensive back during his time at Newton High School in Covington, Ga.

McCray is one of the best athletes on the ASU defense heading into the 2011 season. McCray is a lock for the starting right cornerback job.

The secondary will be completed by sophomore free safety Patrick Blalock (30 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 blkd kick, 3 PBUs), who is a star in the making in the Mountaineer secondary. He is coming off a season in which he garnered SoCon All-Freshman accolades last fall.

Blalock is a player that should really come into his own this season.

Rounding out the significant pieces in the Appalachian State this fall will be Dominique McDuffie (51 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 4 INTs). McDuffie has been a significant performer on the defensive side of the ball each of the past couple of seasons, but was beaten out of his starting position on the Appalachian State defense in the spring by Blalock. McDuffie ranked second only to safety Mark LeGree in INTs last season.

The Special Teams:

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 Analysis:

Six-time defending Southern Conference champion Appalachian State will once again have the league's most-feared offense, led by the top dual quarterback in FCS football, DeAndre Presley. If the defense can come around quickly in the new 3-4 scheme, the Mountaineers might not only bring home an unprecedented seventh-consecutive SoCon crown, but also bring home a fourth national title in 2011.

The biggest question marks are replacing the three offensive linemen on offense, while the secondary once again remains a question mark on the defense. The Mountaineers were dealt a blow during the off-season, as it was learned Justin Wray must sit the entire season having suffered a season-ending injury during the off-season.

The schedule is manageable outside trips to Virginia Tech to open the season, as well as a tough league test at 2010 SoCon co-champion Wofford on Oct. 1. ASU is again among the favorites for both a SoCon and national title.

ASU's Defense is the Talk of the Preseason Heading into 2011 Campaign

When you think of Appalachian State football over the past eight years, defense isn't normally the first thing that comes to mind. The transition to the 3-4 defense obviously has fans on opposites sides of the argument.

For some, it's only a logical move for the Apps personnel-wise, while others think it's a disaster waiting to happen. The one point that both sides will agree on is the fact that the Mountaineers defense will go a long way in deciding whether the Mountaineers can win an unprecedented seventh consecutive league crown or relinquish that title for the first time since 2004.

The key to a strong defense on the mountain this fall will be how quickly the defense is able to get the hang of playing the new formation. ASU returns seven starters on the defensive side of the football, looking to change the overall stereotype that has followed Appalachian State since 2005, which has been an offensive juggernaut with a mediocre defense.

Since winning the first of its six-straight Southern Conference titles in 2005, the Black and Gold haven't exactly set the world on fire defensively.

In ASU's first two SoCon and national title seasons of 2005 and '06, the Mountaineers fielded among the best defensive units in FCS football, as the Mountaineers finished as the league's statistical champions in scoring defense in both the 2005 and '06 campaigns.

The Mountaineers held their foes to just 18.8 PPG to top the league and rank 17th nationally in that particular category. The 2005 season also saw the Mountaineers rank second in the league in total defense (330.7 YPG) and 31st in the FCS.

A year later would see the Black and Gold field one of the best defenses in school history, as the Apps were the statistical champions in total defense (276.9 YPG), scoring defense (14.9 PPG), sacks (37 sacks), passing defense (168.6 YPG) and rushing defense (108.3 YPG).

The Mountaineers also ranked high nationally in every major statistical category in the '06 title run. The Apps posted the nation's 17th ranked total defense, while ranking 11th in rushing defense, ninth in scoring defense and 35th in passing defense.

After the 2006 season, the Mountaineers began to see some drop-off on the defensive side of the football. It could of course be argued that during the first two championship seasons, players like Jason Hunter, Marques Murrell, Jeremy Wiggins and Corey Lynch gave the Mountaineers more of a different dynamic.

Players like Murrell and Hunter were the last of a dying breed in Boone, as a new type of recruit was favored on the defensive side of the ball, as leaner, faster defensive linemen were brought in replacing the bigger, bull-rushing defensive ends of the past.

The 3-4 defensive scheme is one that now fits ASU's current personnel, and will be a defensive scheme that should help the Mountaineers see some success against the SoCon's option-oriented offenses. ASU's defensive success will depend largely on the play of nose tackle Dan Wylie. It will be incumbent upon Wylie to get a strong push up front, allowing the 3-4 defense work and the Mountaineers to apply pressure.

Wylie is coming off a pretty successful first season donning the Black and Gold, as he recorded 39 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. Though he weighs in at better than 300 pounds, Wylie moves extremely well for his extreme size.

It's obvious that the coaching staff has the confidence in Wylie to take the risk of making the transition to the 3-4 defense, as it would not be something a coaching staff would do with just an average player at the nose tackle position.

One needs to look no further than Wofford when looking for evidence of this fact, as the Terriers, who also employ the 3-4, seemingly have an all-league nose tackle every season. Two of the best nose tackles in the SoCon in recent history have been Nathan Fuqua and Katon Bethay.

Two other major factors for the ASU 3-4 defense this fall will be the play of rush defensive end John Rizor and outside linebacker Lanston Tanyi. Rizor is a player that many feel could be a breakthrough player on the defensive side of the football this fall. Rizor came out of relative obscurity to have a big 2010 season for the ASU defense.

In his first season as a full-time starter, Rizor recorded 47 tackles, 8.0 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. With his quickness and ability to rush the passer, it will be up to Rizor to fill the role of Jabari Fletcher as ASU's top pass-rusher this fall.

The good news is that Rizor will have some help in the form of the return of Tanyi. The 6'2", 250-pound junior missed the entire 2010 season as a result of a severe injury to his left toe, which he suffered in fall camp and had to undergo season-ending surgery. A starter in nine games for the Mountaineers two years ago, Tanyi garnered second-team All-SoCon accolades by recording 75 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 7.5 sacks and forced fumble.

If Tanyi is back to the form he was prior to his two severe injuries, Rizor will have a solid pass-rushing partner this fall, which means the Mountaineers have a great chance to lead the league in sacks in back-to-back seasons for the first time since joining the SoCon in 1972.

Since 2007, ASU has fielded the top linebackers in the league annually. Players like Pierre Banks, D.J. Smith and Jacque Roman helped the Mountaineers ascend back to their "Linebacker U" days of the school enjoyed from the mid 1980s and throughout the 1990s. However, there was a period in the early 2000s which the Mountaineers saw a bit of a drop-off at all three linebacker positions.

The talent returned in 2005, and the Mountaineers have had arguably the best starting trio of LBs in each season since '05. However, with the graduation of D.J. Smith (525 career tackles), ASU does not have a "big name" linebacker returning.

Adding to the concern heading into 2011 is an offseason injury suffered by Justin Wray, who moved to linebacker from defensive back last season, and was expected to be a major part of the ASU linebacking corps this fall, however, will be forced to miss the entire campaign with his injury.

The Mountaineers will look to Jeremy Kimbrough and Brandon Grier as the interior of the Mountaineer defense this fall. Kimbrough and Grier aren't some of the household names the Mountaineers have had at linebacker in the recent past, but both have the potential of making names for themselves this fall.

Kimbrough, a 5'11", 238-pound junior from Decatur, GA saw his first action as a full-time starter as a part of the ASU defense last fall, but unfortunately for him, couldn't make the impact he desired to make as a result of injuries. Despite the nagging injuries, Kimbrough managed to record 45 tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss in eight games last fall, which included six starts.

Playing alongside Kimbrough at linebacker for the Mountaineers and rounding out the quartet will be Grier. The 6'2", 230-pound junior is ASU's top returning tackler as a result of Wray having to sit out the entire season with a shoulder injury.

Grier is a player that is one of the more underrated linebackers in the SoCon and should show that he is one of the premier linebackers in the league this fall. An extremely physical performer, Grier completed the 2010 season with 64 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and forced a couple of fumbles.

The bigger concern than transitioning to the 3-4 defense this fall might be the secondary. The good news is there are a couple of starters returning, in senior Ed Gainey and junior strong safety Troy Sanders.

Gainey is the most experienced member of the ASU defense entering the 2011 season, as he started 36 of 37 games since taking over at cornerback five games into his freshman campaign back in 2008.

Gainey has seen his share of ups and downs in his ASU career, however, he is a two-time All-SoCon selection and will be expected to be one of the vocal leaders of the ASU defense this fall. Last season, Gainey was solid, recording 48 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 9 PBUs and had one INT.

Gainey garnered second-team All-SoCon honors and enters his senior season as one of the league's top cornerbacks. He enjoyed his top season as a sophomore, picking off four passes to go along with 61 tackles, 10 PBUs and a couple of TFLs.

At strong safety, the Mountaineers should be in great shape with the return of Troy Sanders. Sanders really emerged last season as a playmaker and big hitter on the ASU defense. The 205-pound junior from Chester, S.C., started all 13 games for the Apps, with 12 of those starts logged at cornerback.

Sanders now finds himself in a position where he will have some huge shoes to fill, as he shifts from cornerback to strong safety, where he will replace three-time All-American Mark LeGree. In many ways, Sanders is a comparable player to LeGree in terms of his athleticism and physical nature. Sanders finished his sophomore season with 60 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, broke up seven passes, caused a fumble and recorded a sack.

The two new starters in the ASU secondary this fall will be junior DeMetrius McCray at right cornerback and Patrick Blalock at free safety. McCray is an interesting story and enters the season as one of the most athletic players on the ASU defense.

McCray moves into the spot occupied by Sanders last season. The 6'0", 185-pound junior originally came to ASU as a quarterback, but was quickly moved to defensive back with ASU having so much depth and talent at the position. McCray saw action in 11 games last season, drawing three starts. He finished the season with 19 tackles and an interception.

Rounding out the starters on the defensive side of the ball for the Mountaineers this fall will be Patrick Blalock, who beat out D.J. McDuffie for the starting job at the free safety position during spring drills.

Blalock was one of the top freshmen defenders in the Southern Conference last season, making his presence known as a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the Apps last fall. The Asheville, N.C., native has a nose for the football and blocked a couple of punts on special teams last fall, with one being called back as a result of a penalty.

He is another physical player on the ASU defense, who loves to come up and make the big hit. He finished the campaign with 30 tackles, a fumble recovery and broke up three passes.

With ASU's transition to the 3-4 scheme, it will be interesting to see how quickly there might be noticeable changes. The odds are it probably won't be the first week against Virginia Tech and it might be hard to pick up in games against North Carolina A&T and Savannah State.

The first game where we might know a little more about this ASU defense is week four, when the Chattanooga Mocs pay a visit to Kidd Brewer Stadium. One thing is for sure: the 3-4 scheme is a scheme that either works or it doesn't.

It's my belief that this is a good move by the ASU coaching staff and will be one of the reasons Mountaineer fans will see the Black and Gold field an elite defense in the SoCon this fall.

Athletics are becoming a larger part of the college environment each year, and specifically colleges with successful athletic programs playing at the highest level are becoming more attractive to potential students.

Across the country, one can see demonstrated enrollment increases in schools that have been able to achieve national acclaim via their athletic programs.

In particular, FBS-level football programs (BCS and non-automatic qualifiers) are seeing their profiles raised, and subsequently their school brand placed in front of the eyes of thousands of potential students through television.

FCS schools have historically not been as attractive for debatable reasons to networks such as Disney's ESPN/ABC, Fox Sports, etc... Certainly some FCS programming reaches national airwaves, but to an extensively lesser degree than does FBS programming.

Although the belief and truth is that BCS conferences demand the lion's share of television revenue, other conferences such as Conference USA have seen their television access increase, as well as their revenue from network contracts increase.

One thing that cannot be debated is that the desire for live programming, more directly stated—sports programming—is at an all-time high with record amounts of money being paid to conferences for extended periods of time.

While not every conference lineup can demand the likes of the $3 billion that the Pac-12 conference recently garnered, the trickle-down effect will certainly bode well for other conferences as television negotiations begin.

That brings us to the point of all this: There is ample room for another FBS-level athletic conference, specifically in the southeastern portion of the United States.

In the south, college football is king, and in the southeast, it practically defines a person’s life. For any new conference to have a chance at survival, it has to be housed in the southeast.

Naming this new theoretical conference is for another time, but for the purposes served here, it will be referred to as the "Eastern Mountain Conference" since each school included resides within a state that houses part of the Appalachian Mountains.

Below is a list of schools that seemingly provide the best opportunity for collective success, were these schools to choose to group together and move to the FBS level of college football as a single intercollegiate athletic conference.

The criteria I chose for picking which schools to include in the list was first and foremost, geographic fit, followed by existing stadium size and then by attendance. On-the-field-performance wasn’t taken into account since most of that is cyclical anyway. And besides, someone has to win the conference each year.

One other consideration is that the NCAA now requires a school to have conference membership established prior to moving up to the FBS classification. By having an entire conference form and make the move together, it ensures a successful transition for all programs involved.

THE CRITERIA

Geography was chosen as the first criteria because in order for the conference to gel over time, the schools should be within close proximity to each other. Also, limiting travel expenses is paramount for the participating schools, as well as for fans that travel to the various school venues for athletic events. Easier, quicker access means a larger likelihood that attendance will be higher.

The second part of the criteria was stadium size. As many are aware of the circumstances surrounding Villanova's planned move to FBS football, the issue of adequate facilities is one that has to be addressed. Each school must have a stadium in place large enough to meet NCAA minimum attendance requirements (at least 15,000 average home attendance, once every two years) for FBS standards.

That means a school must have an existing stadium that seats a minimum of 15,000 fans. Larger is better, but to be in the conversation, 15,000 is the opening bid.

If a school does not already have the minimum size facility in place, the school was eliminated as a candidate, mainly because other schools involved in the plan to collectively move up as a conference should not be theoretically held hostage while one or two schools try to find funding to pay for facilities that meet NCAA standards, or have to wait for a new stadium to be built or upgrades to be completed.

The third part of the equation is average attendance. All but four of the final candidates met the NCAA's 15,000 attendance minimum for the 2010 football season. For the four that did not meet the requirements, the excitement and "buzz" generated from the move up to FBS-level football should create a natural increase in attendance. Taking that into consideration with the close proximity of the schools within this new theoretical conference, and traveling fanbases will help conference mates meet those standards.

Further, most FCS teams and fans are used to attending contests that are poorly attended by the majority of the opposing schools they face. The schools in this "Eastern Mountain Conference"are all in the top half of FCS attendance, and most are in the top 25 percemt when it comes to FCS attendance. Larger crowds mean more revenue, and in particular more fan interest across the board.

The 12 schools that made the cut to form this conference are from eight different states. Some of the programs are relatively new. Some have long traditions, while several have expressed a desire or an interest in potentially moving up to FBS-level football.

The beauty of having a conference this size is that scheduling games to meet NCAA FBS scheduling requirements will be more easily met. In addition, a nationally televised conference championship game in football could be an economic boost to the conference and help garner a relatively lucrative television contract.

In terms of non-conference scheduling, BCS schools are paying larger and larger amounts of money to non-automatic BCS qualifying schools for non-returnable games (a game in which no return game by the BCS school is required).

For example, last season West Virginia University from the Big East Conference paid UNLV $750,000 for one of these non-returnable (otherwise known as “one-and-done”) games, and this season will pay Bowling Green roughly the same amount. Keep in mind that Big East Conference schools make less money from television revenue than any of the six BCS leagues.

Although there has been an increase by FBS schools in scheduling FCS opponents on an annual basis, most schools would prefer to schedule an FBS opponent for the one-and-done because of the boost it provides when determining schedule of strength for BCS rankings.

As an entire new FBS conference, the potential paydays for participating in these one-and-done games while the conference grows and matures is nearly overwhelming.

If the conference decides to stage a nine-game conference schedule, it means that only every other year will conference members have to go out of conference to find the NCAA’s required fifth home game to maintain FBS standards.

As for the three annual non-conference games, signing to play two BCS opponents each season as well as one other non-conference opponent could mean up to an extra two million dollars per year in revenue for each school if they shop their non-conference openings wisely.

Another consideration when contemplating the possibility for this new conference is bowl game participation. Although the NCAA recently enacted a moratorium forbidding any new bowls from being created, the amount of bowls now available all but ensure this new conference could send several representatives into the postseason, as opposed to just one or two teams that might make the playoffs.

The final reason for this proposal is unity. The economy of our nation is uncertain, and the landscape of college athletics is even more uncertain. A more stable environment for the schools should be something each school strives for.

Obviously some issues such as Title IX and funding of football scholarships to reach FBS standards would need to be addressed and worked out, but the rewards and potential outweigh the risks if all goals are accomplished.

Below are the proposed schools and divisions for this theoretical new conference. The number in parenthesis following the schools names under the divisional headings reflect each team’s individual record following the 2010 football season.

There is visible disparity between some of athletic budgets reported by some schools, but for the most part those large differences can be explained away due to large facility improvement expenditures being included in the schools numbers for annual budget costs.

The Eastern Mountain Conference

NORTHERN DIVISION

• Youngstown State(3-8)
• James Madison(6-5)
• Old Dominion (8-3)
• Liberty (8-3)
• Eastern Kentucky (6-5)
• Appalachian State (10-3)

SOUTHERN DIVISION

• The Citadel (3-8)
• Georgia Southern (10-5)
• Georgia State (6-5)
• UT-Chattanooga (6-5)
• Jacksonville State (9-3)
• Tennessee State (3-8)

SCHOOL COMPARISONS

Appalachian State

• Public Institution
• Location: Boone, NC
• Student Body Size: 17,222
• TV Market: No. 46 - Greensboro-High Point-Winston-Salem
• Stadium Size: 25,000
• Avg. Attendance: 25,517
• Basketball Record: 16-15
• Athletic Department: 20 Varsity sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $16,185,310.00

Chattanooga

• Public Institution
• Location: Chattanooga, TN
• Student Body Size: 27,107
• TV Market: No. 86 Chattanooga
• Stadium Size: 20,688
• Avg. Attendance: 12,699
• Basketball Record: 16-16
• Athletic Department: 13 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $13,115,269.00

The Citadel

• Public Institution
• Location: Charleston, SC
• Student Body Size: 3,300
• TV Market: No. 99 Charleston, SC
• Stadium Size: 22,500
• Avg. Attendance: 11,445
• Basketball Record: 10-22
• Athletic Department: 16 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $11,616,308.00

Eastern Kentucky

• Public Institution
• Location: Richmond, KY
• Student Body Size: 16,268
• TV Market: No. 63 Lexington
• Stadium Size: 22,000
• Avg. Attendance: 6220
• Basketball Record: 15-16
• Athletic Department: 15 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $12,309,887.00

Georgia Southern

• Public Institution
• Location: Statesboro, GA
• Student Body Size: 19,086
• TV Market: No. 96 Savannah
• Stadium Size: 18,000
• Avg. Attendance: 17,627
• Basketball Record: 5-27
• Athletic Department: 14 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $10,174,594.00

Georgia State

• Public Institution
• Location: Atlanta, GA
• Student Body Size: 31,533
• TV Market: No. 8 Atlanta
• Stadium Size: 71,228
• Avg. Attendance: 16,750
• Basketball Record: 12-19
• Athletic Department: 17 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $17,195,830.00

Jacksonville State

• Public Institution
• Location: Jacksonville, AL
• Student Body Size: 9481
• TV Market: No. 40 Birmingham
• Stadium Size: 24,000
• Avg. Attendance: 17,330
• Basketball Record: 5-25
• Athletic Department: 16 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $10,141,416.00

James Madison

• Public Institution
• Location: Harrisonburg, VA
• Student Body Size: 18,971
• TV Market: No. 178 Harrisonburg
• Stadium Size: 25,000
• Avg. Attendance: 16,587
• Basketball Record: 21-12
• Athletic Department: 17 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $28,991,789.00

Liberty

• Private Institution
• Location: Lynchburg, VA
• Student Body Size: 19,200
• TV Market: No. 67 Roanoke-Lynchburg
• Stadium Size: 19,200
• Avg. Attendance: 16,217
• Basketball Record: 19-13
• Athletic Department: 18 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: (not available)

Old Dominion

• Public Institution
• Location: Norfolk, VA
• Student Body Size: 24,125
• TV Market: No. 43 Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News
• Stadium Size: 19,782
• Avg. Attendance: 19,782
• Basketball Record:27-7
• Athletic Department: 16 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $29,048,014.00

Tennessee State

• Public Institution
• Location: Nashville, TN
• Student Body Size: 10,500
• TV Market: No. 29 Nashville
• Stadium Size: 68,798
• Avg. Attendance: 14,861
• Basketball Record:14-16
• Athletic Department: 13 Varsity sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $9,607,967.00

Youngstown

• Public Institution
• Location: Youngstown, OH
• Student Body Size: 15,000
• TV Market: No. 109 Youngstown
• Stadium Size: 20,630
• Avg. Attendance: 15,110
• Basketball Record: 9-21
• Athletic Department: 16 Varsity Sports
• Athletic Budget 09-10: $11,842,571.00

 

State footprint: VA(3 teams), GA(2 teams), TN(2 teams), KY(1), NC(1), SC(1),
AL(1) , OH(1)

he Southern Conference race just got a lot more interesting.

Things came full circle for top-ranked Appalachian State Saturday afternoon, with the Mountaineers’ trip to Statesboro, GA, take on an unranked, but battle-tested Georgia Southern club.

Prior to kickoff, the Eagles, who had lost three of their last four games coming into their showdown with the Black and Gold, stood as the last team to have defeated the Mountaineers in Southern Conference play, ending ASU's 30-game winning streak with a 38-35 win in Boone (Oct. 20, 2007).

Saturday, the Eagles ended another impressive ASU Streak with 21-14 win over the Mountaineers that snapped ASU's 26-game winning streak, which ranked second to only West Virginia’s 30-game winning streak in league play, established from 1952-59.

ASU now needs to beat first-place Wofford next Saturday at The Rock to claim a share of a sixth-straight SoCon title.

Interestingly enough, the Eagles are the only team in league history to have claimed six-straight titles, completing the league record feat from 1997-2002.

Now, ASU will have their consecutive league titles streak and home-field advantage for the upcoming postseason on the line next Saturday when ASU hosts a Wofford team, who remained unbeaten in league play with a hard-fought 10-3 win at Samford on Saturday.

If there’s a positive to be taken from Saturday’s loss for the Mountaineers, it’s that the last time the Black and Gold lost a conference game also happened to be the same season ASU claimed its third of three-straight national titles.

GSU may have kept some glimmer of hope for the FCS postseason themselves with Saturday’s win over the Black and Gold, needing to win out to finish 7-4 and have an opportunity to claim one of those 10 at-large bids.

Now, ASU, who lost two league games only to share the league title with Wofford during that ‘07 season, must face the other "last opponent" to defeat the Mountaineers in league play when the Terriers travel to Boone on Saturday.

Wofford was able to claim a 42-31 victory in Spartanburg back in ‘07, but haven’t come away from Boone victorious since a 26-19 on a homecoming afternoon at The Rock back in ‘02.

The Mountaineers appeared to have gotten off to a strong start in front of a capacity crowd of 20,073 at Paulson Stadium, as ASU took a 14-0 lead on DeAndre Presley’s 3-yard scoring run late in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Mountaineers looked as if they were going to put the game away when Devon Moore scampered to the end zone after breaking a couple of tackles for an apparent 20-0 ASU lead. However, the play came back, as the Apps were flagged for holding.

Three plays later, Presley threw his first of two INTs on the day, as All-SoCon cornerback LaRon Scott picked off his pass. Presley, who didn’t thrown an INT through the first seven games this season, has now thrown three in two weeks.

Sparked by this turn of events, GSU quarterback Jaybo Shaw and the Georgia Southern offense would flex its muscles, scoring 21-unanswered points in the remaining three quarters and overtime to claim their second win over a ranked opponent this season (38-21 win over No. 10 Elon on Sept. 25).

The second and third quarters were dominated by GSU’s ball-control flexbone offense, which resembled the time-consuming and demoralized defenses during the Erk Russell and Tim Stowers eras at GSU.

GSU got on the board for the first time on Saturday with a 14-play, 56-yard drive, allowing the Eagles to get to the locker room possessing the momentum after Shaw’s 1-yard plunge with five seconds remaining.

GSU made even better use of the opening drive of the second half, mounting a 16-play, 76-yard drive, which chewed up well over half of the third quarter. The Eagles consumed 9:27 of the third quarter clock, capped by Darreion Robinson’s 2-yard scoring run to tie the game, 14-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, it looked as if the ASU offense might re-assert its control of the game, after struggling against GSU’s stingy defensive unit in the second and third quarters.

However, facing a 3rd-and-7 at the GSU 14, Presley threw his second red zone interception of the afternoon, as linebacker Michael Butler stepped in front of the junior signal-caller’s pass, which was intended for CoCo Hillary at the one, and returned it 22 yards to the GSU 23.

From that point, it was the GSU defense that was able to set the tone for the remainder of the day. With the score tied 14-14 at the end of regulation, GSU would get the ball first in the extra session, and the Eagles made the most of that possession.

It didn’t appear that it would be that way, as the Eagles faced a crucial 3rd-and-5 play from the ASU 20, but Shaw made perhaps his biggest play of the afternoon, as he rushed up the middle for 16 yards to give the Eagles a first down at the ASU four.

True freshman running back Robert Brown provided the winning points one play later, as he found his way to GSU pay dirt on a 4-yard scamper. Adrian Mora added the extra point, giving the Eagles a 21-14 lead.

ASU's first possession of overtime would turn out to be the last possession of the afternoon. The Black and Gold got maybe its best consecutive rushing efforts from preseason Walter Payton Award candidate running back Devon Moore this season, as he gained 18 yards on two running plays to get the Mountaineers within seven yards of tying the contest.

However, Presley was tackled for a loss of four yards on the ensuing play, and GSU forced ASU into its second red zone turnover of the day on the very next play, as Presley scrambled for a yard.

But GSU defensive back forced a fumble, and Eagle linebacker Josh Rowe recovered the ball at the 10 to end the game and set off raucous celebrations at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.

The win marked GSU’s first win over a No.1-ranked foe since defeating No. 1 Furman (27-24) on Nov. 5, 2005. 

Presley totaled 277 yards of total offense (211 pass yds, 66 rush yds, 1 rush TD). In all, Presley completed 14-of-27 passes, recording his sixth 200-yard passing effort of the 2010 season. 

The Mountaineers, who out-gained GSU 325-301 in total offensive yards, were held to their lowest point total since a 33-13 setback to Richmond in the 2008 FCS quarterfinals.

The 325 yards by the ASU offense also marks a season low. ASU’s Brian Quick led the receiving efforts for the Black and Gold with four catches for 79 yards, while B.J. Frazier turned in his best effort of the season with six grabs for 62 yards.

It marked the third-straight week the ASU offense has been held to less than 400 yards of total offense.

ASU’s defense, which held Georgia Southern to 38 yards beneath its season average coming into the contest, was led by Buck Buchanan Award candidate D.J. Smith’s 16 stops.

GSU was able to control the time of possession, holding nearly a 10-minute (34:52-25:08) advantage in that category. Shaw turned in one of his best efforts of the season for the Eagles, as he connected on 9-of-21 passes for 106 yards, with an INT, while rushing for 86 yards and a score on 12 attempts, to lead a balanced ground game for the Eagles.

Mitch Williford caught four passes for 34 yards, while slot back J.J. Wilcox hauled in three passes for 35 yards.

The Georgia Southern defense got excellent play from its defensive line, led by defensive end Roderick Tinsley’s five tackles, three of them for lost yardage, while also forcing a fumble.

GSU’s Buck Buchanan Award candidate sophomore defensive tackle Brent Russell, recorded six tackles, 2.5 TFLs and half-a-sack.

Georgia Southern heads to Cullowhee, N.C., next week to lock horns with Western Carolina with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m., while Appalachian State hosts Wofford for the de facto Southern Conference title game. Kickoff for that contest is set for 3 p.m.  

SATURDAY’S OTHER SOCON ACTION

—Led by sophomore quarterback Dakota Derrick’s 193 yards (122 passing, 71 rushing) of total offense and two TD passes in his first-career start, Furman was able to overcome a 17-14 halftime deficit and claim a 31-17 win at Paladin Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Paladins held an opponent scoreless in the second half for the third time this season, allowing the Catamounts a meager 55 yards of total offense after the break en route to claiming its fifth victory of the 2010 season.

Furman rolled up 253 yards on the ground, which is the most since 289 yards on the ground in a 56-14 rout of Howard in mid-October. Furman claimed 352-289 advantage in total yardage.

—Seventh-ranked Wofford gutted out a 10-3 win at Samford, claiming the overall lead in the SoCon title chase, as the Terriers won their eighth-consecutive game of the 2010 season, improving to 8-1 overall and 6-0 in league play.

The Terriers used a stifling defensive effort to limit the Bulldogs to just 262 yards of total offense, with 155 of those yards coming through the air. The Wofford offense, meanwhile, was challenged as much as any game this season, as the Bulldogs limited the Terriers to 386 yards of total offense, with 360 of those yards coming on the ground.

Trailing 3-0 at the intermission, Eric Breitenstein’s 58-yard scamper to open the second half set up Christian Reed’s 32-yard game-tying field goal. Late in the third quarter, the Terriers got the football back at their own 2-yard line, and proceeded to mount one of their most impressive drives of the season, with quarterback Mitch Allen completing the drive with a 5-yard scamper with 12:20 remaining in the game.

Despite the offensive struggles, Breitenstein had little trouble rushing the football, gaining 227 yards, bested only by his 230 yards rushing in a 38-17 win over Furman back on Oct. 2. The win all but locked up a third playoff berth in four seasons for the Terriers and fourth postseason bid since becoming eligible for a postseason appearance in 2001.

—Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Newton connected on 15-of-21 throws for 317 yards and a four TDs in just one half of play, helping lead NCAA FBS second-ranked Auburn to a 62-24 win over Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium, as the Tigers remained unbeaten and improved to 10-0 on the 2010 campaign.

Mocs quarterback B.J. Coleman played three quarters throwing for 210 yards on 20-39 with one touchdown. After a rocky start, he engineered scoring drives of 70 and 80 yards and led an offense that held the ball for 37:02 of clock time.

— After trailing 10-7, the Elon Phoenix found the end zone on its next three possessions on its way to a 27-16 Southern Conference football victory over the home-standing Bulldogs of The Citadel on Saturday afternoon.

Elon’s victory gave the Phoenix a three-game winning streak against the Bulldogs and improved the squad's record to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in SoCon play. The Citadel fell to 2-8, 0-7.

Now 0-7 in league play, the Bulldogs will look to avoid going winless in league play for the first time since 1995, when the Bulldogs travel to Samford in two weeks. Playing without preseason SoCon Player of the Year Scott Riddle at quarterback, Elon got a nice effort from backup signal-caller Thomas Wilson, who connected on 15-of-21 throws for 145 yards.

Brandon Newsome was a major part of a ground attack that amassed 127 yards, as he finished the day with 80 yards and two TDs on 19 carries.

Previewing Appalachian State's Defense

So far this season, Appalachian State hasn’t needed to be great on defense, with the offense providing so much potency and efficiency to this point, but anyone will tell you the Mountaineers need to improve in certain areas on the defensive side if they want to challenge for a fourth national title in six seasons.

It’s not a question of talent the defensive side of the football for the Black and Gold, as three Buck Buchanan Award candidates highlight what is an experienced, athletic group.

Coming into Saturday’s contest against the Paladins, the Mountaineers rank 53rd in the nation in total defense (350.1 YPG), 29th in scoring defense (20.4 PPG), 35th in rushing defense (131.4 YPG), 73rd in pass defense (218.7 YPG) and ninth in turnover margin (+8). The Black and Gold also lead the league in sacks with 19.

One of the areas that was dealt a tough early blow this season was the Mountaineer defensive line, which lost defensive end Lanston Tanyi early, as he had to have season-ending surgery.

Coming into the season, the Mountaineers also had to replace both defensive tackles from a year ago, as starters Anthony Williams and Malcolm Bennett graduated.

However, one of those returnees on the defensive line is Buck Buchanan Award candidate defensive end Jabari Fletcher (63 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR). Fletcher is coming off a strong effort in the Mountaineers' 37-14 win over Western Carolina last Saturday, as he garnered SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Mountaineers’ lopsided road win.

He contributed 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks and a fumble recovery to the Mountaineers’ defensive cause last Saturday.

Against the Paladins last season, Fletcher had a couple of tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss in the 52-27 Mountaineer romp. The Paladins have had trouble blocking some of the league’s more talented, athletic defensive ends this season, which means Fletcher might have a big afternoon.

Set to start opposite Fletcher on Saturday will be sophomore sensation John Rizor (20 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF). Rizor was going to challenge for serious playing time at defensive end even if Tanyi hadn’t had to end his season prematurely.

Like Fletcher, Rizor is a physical, athletic specimen at defensive end, and he will bear the torch as the Mountaineers’ premier pass-rusher after Fletcher graduates.

In the 37-14 win at Western Carolina last Saturday, Rizor finished the contest with six tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack and recovered a fumble.

The two starting defensive tackles for the Mountaineers will be JUCO transfer Dan Wylie (18 tackles, 1.5 TFLs) at left defensive tackle and Bobby Bozzo (20 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF) at right defensive tackle.

Wylie has seen action in all seven games for the Mountaineers this season, and he will be making his third-straight start on Saturday against the Paladins.

Like his predecessor Bennett, Wylie matriculated to Boone, N.C., from the Georgia Military College pipeline, where the Mountaineers have gotten plenty of talent over the years.

In the win over Western Carolina last Saturday, Wylie had four tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss.

Bozzo, a senior from Waldwick, N.J., rounds out the starters along the Mountaineer defensive front and will be making his eighth start of the campaign on Saturday.

Bozzo has good size and experience, and there has been virtually no drop-off at defensive tackle, despite the graduation of two-time All-SoCon and ‘07 third-team All-America selection Anthony Williams, who Bozzo replaced.

In the win over the Catamounts last week, Bozzo had three tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss. In the 52-27 win at Furman last season, Bozzo played but did not record any statistics.

Since 2006, the Mountaineers have fielded one the nation’s elite corps of linebackers each of the past five seasons, including this one. Leading the group this season once again in D.J. Smith (75 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FR, 3 PBUs).

Smith is having another sensational campaign for the Mountaineers and enters Saturday’s contest with the Paladins having recorded 456 career stops, which is third on the school’s all-time ledger.

Prior to last Saturday’s win at Western Carolina, Smith showed his versatility, as he started three-straight games at middle linebacker for the Mountaineers before moving back to his weakside post.

In the 37-14 win over the Catamounts last Saturday, Smith contributed 13 tackles and has amassed double-digit tackle efforts in each of the last five games for the Mountaineers.

In the win at Furman last season, Smith had six tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. He will start at weakside linebacker once again on Saturday and will be starting his 45th consecutive game of his career.

The starter at strongside linebacker on Saturday afternoon will be sophomore Justin Wray (39 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 blocked kicks, 1 FF), who actually started the season playing safety for the Mountaineers, but has now moved permanently to strongside linebacker. Wray is an extremely physical player, and he’s one of the biggest hitters on defense.

In the victory last Saturday at Western Carolina, Wray put forth a strong effort, as he finished with five stops. Wray saw action on special teams against Furman last season, but did not record any statistics.

Rounding out the starters at linebacker for the Mountaineers heading into Saturday afternoon’s contest with the Paladins will be middle linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough (24 tackles, half-a-tackle-for-loss, 2 PBUs).

It was Kimbrough, a sophomore, who came into the 2010 season with some huge shoes to fill on the Mountaineers defense, as he was asked to replace two-time All-SoCon linebacker and ‘08 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Jacque Roman at middle linebacker.

The native of Decatur, Ga., enters Saturday’s showdown with the Paladins having started four games so far in 2010.

Kimbrough is a big, physical presence in the middle, turning in his best performance of the campaign in his first start as a Mountaineer, as he recorded eight stops in the season-opening 42-41 win over Chattanooga.

Kimbrough has been bothered by a nagging thigh injury, but finally appears to be back to full health. In the win over the Catamounts last Saturday, Kimbrough finished with four tackles.

If Smith starts at weakside linebacker Saturday against Furman, look for Brandon Grier (33 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack, 1 FF) to draw the starting assignment for the Mountaineers at weakside linebacker.

Grier has split time with Smith at the weakside linebacker position this fall, as he started three straight games at weakside linebacker, when Smith moved to the middle as a result of Kimbrough’s thigh injury.

In the Mountaineers’ 37-14 win at Western Carolina last Saturday, Grier turned in a strong effort, racking up seven tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass.

The Mountaineers' secondary will be anchored by the third Buck Buchanan Award candidate in safety Mark LeGree (35 tackles, 5 INTs, 5 PBUs). With his interception in last week’s 37-14 win at Western Carolina, LeGree now has 22-career INTs, which ranks him third on the school’s all-time ledger and fourth on the league’s all-time scroll.

LeGree needs just four INTs the rest of the season to break Larry Harbin’s (1961-64) all-time school mark of 25 INTs in a career. In addition to his INT against Western Carolina last Saturday, LeGree also had eight tackles in ASU’s sixth straight triumph for the Mountain Jug.

LeGree had a solid effort against the Paladins last season, recording five tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a PBU. He’s another physical player on the Mountaineer defense and a knack for making the big play.

Another proven playmaker in the Mountaineers secondary is free safety Dominique McDuffie (25 tackles, 1 INT). McDuffie hasn’t had quite the season he had last year, but he’s still a playmaker on the defensive side of the football for the Mountaineers. McDuffie is coming off a six-tackle performance in the win over the Catamounts last season.

He had a strong effort in the 52-27 win in Greenville last season, as he had three tackles and an interception, which he returned 40 yards to give the Mountaineers offense the ball deep inside Paladin territory.

Completing the starting 11 on the defensive side of the football on Saturday afternoon against the Paladins will be cornerbacks Ed Gainey (34 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 1 INT, 8 PBUs) and Troy Sanders (36 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 5 PBUs, 1 blocked kick).

Gainey, an All-SoCon selection last season, has been one of the more criticized players on the defensive side of the football for the Mountaineers. At times, Gainey has a tendency to let opposing receivers get behind him.

Last week, Gainey six tackles and three pass breakups in the 37-14 win, which was one of his best performances of the season. In the 52-27 win over Furman last fall, Gainey recorded five tackles and a tackle for a loss.

Sanders is in his first season as a starter on the Mountaineers defense and the sophomore came into the campaign with some really big shoes to fill, taking over the position for departed all-league corner Cortez Gilbert. Sanders is coming off a solid performance in the win at Western Carolina, totaling three tackles and a PBU.

For the Mountaineers, a chance to get the defense more improvement this week is a possibility, especially with Furman’s documented struggles blocking this season. The Mountaineer defense held Furman to 350 yards of total offense in last season’s 52-27 win in Greenville.

Previewing Furman's Offense

Furman will bring an offense that ranks 69th in total offense (337.1 YPG), 18th in scoring offense (31.8 YPG), 48th in rushing offense (156.0 YPG) and 70th in passing offense (181.1 YPG).

Leading the Furman offense this season has been senior signal-caller Cody Worley (93-of-155 passing, 1,094 yds., 10 TDs, 7 INTs). The Calhoun, Ga., native has played well this season in what has otherwise been a tough campaign for the Paladins as a whole.

Worley, a fifth-year senior, started the season splitting time with Chris Forcier, but when Forcier went down win a season-ending shoulder injury, the job became Worley’s.

The strong-armed signal-caller is coming off a pretty solid performance in the 36-28 loss to Chattanooga last Saturday, as he connected on 12-of-21 passes for 129 yards, two TDs and an INT. Worley has been battle-tested this season and when given time to throw, he can be one of the more dangerous passers in the league.

He leads a Furman offense that enters Saturday’s game at No. 1 Appalachian State that ranks 69th in total offense (337.1 YPG), 18th in scoring offense (31.8 YPG), 48th in rushing offense (156.0 YPG) and 70th in passing offense (181.1 YPG).

Worley has one of the best receivers in the league to throw to in senior wideout Adam Mims (42 rec., 553 yds, 4 TDs, 13.2 YPR) and is one of the top receivers in the Southern Conference, if not the FCS.

Mims has great speed and elusiveness and needs just 77 yards receiving on Saturday to become the school’s all-time receiving yardage record holder.

In a 38-19 loss earlier this season to then-No.13-ranked South Carolina in Columbia, Mims hauled in 10 passes for 202 yards and a TD. In total, Mims comes into Saturday afternoon’s showdown with the Mountaineers having caught 185 passes for 2,262 yards and 12 TDs.

In the loss to the Mocs last week, Mims hauled in six passes for 45 yards. Despite the lopsided loss to the Mountaineers last season, Mims was Furman’s top offensive weapon, hauling in five passes for 102 yards, including a 72-yard scoring reception in the third quarter.

Another solid option in the passing game for the Paladins is starting flanker Sederrik Cunningham (12 rec., 173 yds., 14.4 YPR). Cunningham is an all-purpose wide receiver, as he has been utilized in the Wildcat offense, and it was Cunningham who appeared to be headed to the end zone against the Mountaineers a couple of years ago before having the ball jarred loose by a defender prior to crossing the goal line.

In the loss to the Mocs last week, Cunningham did not catch a pass for the second week in a row. Prior to the UTC game, Cunningham had caught a pass in every game of his career.

He threw a 29-yard pass in the 27-10 win at Samford a couple of weeks ago out of the Wildcat, which set up the go-ahead TD for the Paladins. Against the Mountaineers last season, Cunningham caught one pass for four yards.

David Hendrix (6 rec., 84 yds., 14.0 YPR) will round out the starters at wide receiver for the Paladins, as he will start at split end on Saturday afternoon against the Mountaineers.

His 6'4" frame makes him a big target at wide receiver for the Paladins and he also excels as a perimeter blocker. He caught one pass for eight yards, but did not have a reception against the Mountaineers last season.

University of Tennessee transfer Tyler Maples (9 rec., 93 yds., 2 TDs, 10.3 YPR) backs up Adam Mims in the slot, and he has been a nice change-up to the Furman passing attack when giving Mims a respite. Like Mims, Maples has good speed and a good pair of hands. In the loss to the Mountaineers last season, Maples had a carry for seven yards, but fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Mountaineers early in that contest.

Over the past couple of weeks, Worley’s most-effective receiving option has been tight end Colin Anderson (12 rec., 171 yds., 3 TDs, 14.2 YPR). Anderson had a career game last Saturday in the loss to Chattanooga, as the former walk-on quarterback-turned-tight end caught four passes for 70 yards and a couple of TDs.

Furman comes into the Saturday afternoon’s contest with top-ranked Appalachian State sputtering on the offensive side of the football at this particular juncture in the 2010 season. However, the Paladins have shown the ability to be potent this season.

Anderson became the first tight end to catch two TD passes in a game since 1996, when former Furman tight end great Luther Broughton caught a couple of scoring passes in a 35-20 win over The Citadel. Anderson was also effective in the 52-27 loss to Appalachian State last season, as he hauled in a 33-yard TD pass.

Furman’s running game, which has struggled mightily this season, was given a huge boost with the return of Tersoo Uhaa (24 att., 142 yds., 1 TD, 5.9 YPC), who will see his first action for the Paladins since the second game of the season.

Uhaa ran strong in the season-opener against Colgate, as Uhaa finished the contest with 125 yards and a TD on 16 rush attempts. He also was able to haul in two passes for 27 yards and a TD in that contest. Uhaa entered the season as an All-America pick by The Sports Network, coming off an ‘09 season, which saw him rush for 535 yards and 13 TDs on 13 attempts last fall.

Uhaa has done particularly well in his two games against the Mountaineers in his career. In the 52-27 loss to the Black and Gold last season, Uhaa rushed for a then career-best 104 yards and a TD on 19 carries. In Furman’s last trip to Boone in ‘08, Uhaa rushed for a season-high 99 yards and two scores, but also had a key fumble late in that contest.

Joining Uhaa as legitimate factors for the Furman ground attack on Saturday afternoon will be senior leading rusher Mike Brown (55 att., 266 yds., 1 TD, 4.8 YPC) and sophomore Jerry Williams (45 att., 188 yds., 5 TDs, 4.5 YPC).

Brown is coming off a 58-yard rushing effort on 12 attempts in the loss to the Mocs last week. Brown didn’t see action against the Mountaineers last season, but finished with 83 yards on 15 carries in the 26-14 loss in ‘08. Brown also has seven catches for 55 yards out of the Furman backfield.

Williams is another potential weapon for the Furman ground game, should it find its footing this season. Williams has been less effective this season for Furman than his freshman campaign, which saw him garner all-freshman recognition by the league, after rushing for 483 yards and three TDs last season.

Part of that "lack of effectiveness" this season has been a direct result of Brown having been 100-percent for the entire season.

The biggest problem for the Furman offense this season has been one that even the casual football fan would be able to spot—the offensive line. Not only have injuries and suspensions plagued the offensive front, Furman has continually struggled to keep pressure off of Worley this season.

In fact, coming into Saturday afternoon’s showdown with Appalachian State at The Rock, Furman has yielded 19 sacks this season, which ranks them eighth in the SoCon in the "sacks against" category.

Furman will be forced to make another change heading into Saturday’s contest with the Mountaineers, as left guard Ryan Storms is injured and will be replaced in the Furman starting lineup by David Barrington.

Senior right tackle Antonio Frazier is Furman’s most experienced offensive lineman, and will start for the 19th time in his career and will see action in his 38th career game.

Right guard Nic Ayoob will also being seeing action in his 39th career game for the Paladins, but will be making just his seventh start.

Junior center Daniel Spisak will be starting for the 19th time in 24 career games on Saturday, while red shirt freshman left tackle Dakota Dozier, who many say will be the best offensive lineman to ever suit up for the Paladins before his time is through in Greenville, will start his seventh game as a Paladin on Saturday.

Final Prediction

The simple fact about Saturday’s showdown between the Paladins and Mountaineers is that it’s a game that fans from both sides circle on their calendars before the season gets underway, despite Furman’s recent struggles.

For Furman head coach Bobby Lamb, games against the Mountaineers, and particularly ones on the mountain, have been particularly horrific.

Saturday’s game will either add to that nightmare, or offer a brief respite to what has been a forgettable decade for him and Furman fans against the juggernaut Mountaineers.

The fact is, two of Furman’s worst losses in series history (40-7, 2006 and 52-27, 2009) have come on Lamb’s watch, as well as one of the most bizarre setbacks (2002, 16-15, Appalachian State).

Coming off a particularly head-scratching loss to Chattanooga, which saw Lamb’s Paladins squander an 18-point fourth-quarter lead, despite blocking a field goal, punt and extra point, while also forcing five turnovers, stopping a two-point conversion and recording a pick-six in the wild 36-28 loss to the Mocs.

In similar fashion, Furman entered the 2009 game against the Mountaineers coming off a particularly demoralizing 38-28 loss at The Citadel. While Appalachian was a much better team to begin with, the Paladins put forth a demoralized effort in the 52-27 loss to the Armanti Edwards-led Mountaineers.

And just like last season, Furman’s playoff hopes hang in the balance, as the Paladins need to win out to get an at-large bid. Last season, Furman basically had to complete the same feat, with the likes of Appalachian State and Auburn still on the schedule.

Furman is an upper echelon team in the SoCon this season, and that couldn’t have been said of them last season. But Furman isn’t to the level of being able to go in and win a must-win game at Appalachian State—at least not without a lot of help from the top-ranked Mountaineers.

A loss to Appalachian State won’t cost Lamb his job, but it will make the seat a little warmer. If Furman does lose at Appalachian State, it will likely take wins in Furman’s final three games to ensure his return.

Appalachian State, on the other hand, knows that its final four games will be the true measuring stick by which this team will be gauged and this gauntlet of games will likely determine if Appalachian State is truly a contender for a fourth national title in six years.

The Mountaineers have been tested twice this season, both by SoCon opponents, winning an epic contest at Chattanooga (42-41) to begin the season, while holding off pesky Scott Riddle and the Elon Phoenix (34-31) on homecoming at The Rock three weeks ago.

Appalachian State will be tested for a third time on Saturday, and again the Mountaineers will rise to the challenge, knocking off the Paladins by 10.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Appalachian State 38, Furman 28

If you rewind your calendar about five years, you’ll surely find that certain things in your life, whether it be people or events, have undergone substantial change during that span. Some of you have given birth to a child, gotten married or have earned a great accomplishment, such as graduating with a master’s or an undergraduate degree.

While events and experiences help shape what we are from where we were, much is the same with the rivalry that is between Appalachian State and Furman. The Mountaineers have eight wins in the past nine meetings against Furman, including having won five straight, which is the longest winning streak by Appalachian State in the 40 meetings between the two schools.

Appalachian State, which now trails the series by just five games (21-16-3), entered the new millennium trailing the series by a substantial margin, as Furman held a commanding 12-game edge (19-7-3) in the all-time series prior to the 2000 campaign.

Since then, however, the rivalry has gone through a significant transition, with ASU winning nine out of the last 11 and eight of out of the last nine, which includes the current five-game winning streak.

A Quick Review Of Furman's Season So Far

Furman still maintains the second-best league ledger since 2000, having compiled a 55-25 mark since the beginning of the new millennium. Now, the more realistic goal for Furman might be saving what was a promising season a month-and-a-half ago from being a complete disaster a month-and-a-half later.

Many around the Furman program found promise in how the previous season ended, especially after a young Furman team ended the season with impressive wins at Georgia Southern (30-22) and dominated ailing Wofford (58-21).

That notion seemed to be given even further credence when Furman opened the season with a 45-15 win over FCS No. 25 Colgate, then turned in a respectable performance at FBS No. 13 South Carolina (38-17) in the second week.

Coming into the 2010 season, much was made about the quarterback battle for the Paladins, which was between fifth-year senior Cody Worley and junior UCLA transfer Chris Forcier, who the Mountaineers got a glimpse of last season in the 54-27 win in Greenville.

But, Forcier’s season and the prospects of Furman’s offensive success suffered one of its biggest blows on Sept. 18, as Forcier went down in the second quarter with a season-ending injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

The two quarterback system of Worley and Forcier, which the Paladin coaching staff used to near perfection in the season-opening win over Colgate, was now just a one-man show.

Furman head coach Bobby Lamb even admitted prior to the season he wasn’t a big fan of the two-quarterback system. He probably realized he had a rare case in Worley and Forcier, and with Forcier’s game-changing speed, it’s easy to see why getting him the ball in the open field as much as possible was important to FU’s offensive cause in 2010.

But, the loss of Forcier seems to have caused the most problems along the Furman offense along the offensive line, with its blocking schemes, and the domino effect has had a tremendous impact on FU’s ground game, or lack thereof, this season.

From the looks of things, Furman was going to have a hard time being able to run in-between the tackles, but Forcier’s speed and ability to make things happen with his quickness helped masked Furman’s weakness, which was the offensive line. That plan seems to have been a good one as long as the one thing never happened, and that was Forcier going down for the entire season.

Furman’s feature back was going to be its quarterback, Chris Forcier, coming into the 2010 season, and the spring and fall had been spent in preparing an offensive package to better accommodate Forcier’s speed, and Worley, who was a better passer, was there as the passing threat. Forcier’s weakness was his passing; though he had a strong arm, he was still unpolished.

After Forcier’s season-ending injury, it didn’t take long for the offensive problems to surface, occurring in Furman’s opening league win, which was a 31-14 win over The Citadel.

The game saw a Furman offense, which had been explosive at times against an SEC East defense just a week earlier, gain only 254 yards of total offense, but most attributed that to the Bulldogs controlling the game with their ground game, and the fact that the Bulldogs had the ball for 28 more plays (78-50) than the Paladins in the contest.

Another problem, which may have been masked by the Paladins’ FCS ranking of 114 in pass defense last season, was Furman’s struggle to stop the Bulldogs ground attack, which amassed 299 yards on the ground in the loss. This was a Citadel team that was in its first year utilizing the triple-option attack, but had little trouble gaining yards against the Furman defense.

The problems on both sides of the football for the Paladins would be no more evident than a week later, when Wofford’s physical toughness in the trenches exposed the extent of Furman’s massive weaknesses for all to see in a 38-17 thumping of the Paladins at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg.

Unlike the Citadel game, the stats sheet made no excuses for the 21-point loss, as there was not a huge disparity in offensive plays or time of possession, only showing the extent of how bad Furman was beaten and where it was beaten. 

However, the one thing that a stats sheet cannot reveal is what the human eye can. The Terriers had thoroughly dominated the Paladins on both sides of the ball where it counted most, in the trenches. In the setback to the Terriers, Furman allowed its most rushing yards on defense (430 yds) since a 2005 loss to Georgia Southern.

In fact, Wofford fullback Eric Breitenstein, who hails from the High Country, rushed for the most yards against a Furman defense (230 yds.) since ASU’s John Settle’s 246 yards against the Furman defense in 1986.

On offense, Furman had only one offensive weapon against the Terriers, and that was Adam Mims, who caught 10 passes for 122 yards and a TD. The ground game had been a non-factor for the third straight week, as Furman rushed for only 47 yards.

A week later, Furman played its final non-league game of the year, as it faced the MEAC’s Howard Bison. No one in attendance, even the most casual of fans, couldn’t help but notice the disparity in talent between the two clubs, which was bared out in the Paladins’ 56-14 win over the Bison.

Furman rushed for 289 yards, which was it’s second-highest rushing effort as a team on the season, bested only by the season-opening effort of 377 yards in the 45-15 win over Colgate. In total, Furman has rushed for 666 yards, while having rushed for only a total of 426 yards in the other four games.

The last time the Paladins were really able to move the football well in-between the tackles on the ground was Jerome Felton’s final season toting the pigskin in the Furman backfield, which was 2007.

Furman’s defensive effort was also skewed in the win over the Bison, as the Paladins faced an anemic Howard offense. The Paladins held the Bison to just 126 yards on the ground and limited them to just 273 yards of total offense.

Just hours after the win over Howard, more bad news hit the Furman football team, as this time the authorities were involved. Junior all-conference left guard Ryan Lee was arrested for shoplifting beer from a local Wal-Mart in the wee hours of the following morning, following the win over Howard.

It was a blow to an already struggling offensive line and another hindrance to an offense that was already struggling. Lee was suspended by coach Lamb for the remainder of the 2010 season.

With the momentum of the win over Howard, Furman jumped back into SoCon play and looked to get its second win in league play.

The first half was pretty much dominated by Samford, however, mistakes had kept Furman in the game, despite apparently being overmatched on both the offensive and defensive lines, with the teams heading to the halftime locker room with the score knotted, 10-10.

The second half was a different story, and for the first time since the season-opener against Colgate, the Paladins rode the legs of Mike Brown and Jerry Williams while Cody Worley and wide receiver Sederrick Cunningham provided timely passing plays to help Furman field a consistent second-half attack.

Worley was efficient, throwing the football after looking a bit off in the opening half of play, and Cunningham saw his most substantial action in the Wildcat offense, which included throwing a 29-yard pass to David Hendrix, which gave the Paladin offense the ball inside the 1-yard line.

Furman would score the go-ahead TD one play later and never looked back in the 27-10 win.

Furman’s defense would also do its part in the second half of the win, posting its second shutout in one half of football on the season. Despite a day that saw Samford All-American and Walter Payton Award candidate running back Chris Evans post 137 yards and a TD on 23 attempts, Furman limited his overall effectiveness in the second half, which allowed Furman to completely shut down the Samford offense.

It wasn’t until well into the fourth quarter that Samford reached 100 yards of total offense for the second half. Still, Samford managed to record an advantage in total offense, out-gaining the Paladins, 328-283, in the contest.  

At 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play, the Paladins were ranked back in the Top 25 in the national polls and embarked upon perhaps their biggest game since facing No. 6 Elon at Paladin Stadium last season, when 24th-ranked Chattanooga came calling last Saturday.

Having beaten the Mocs 15 straight times wouldn’t be enough to help the Paladins last Saturday, and sporting their first national ranking since 1997, the Mocs certainly played like a ranked team.

Furman built a 28-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but, again, the inability to create anything offensively saw the Mocs post an amazing 26-point fourth quarter to come from behind and get a 36-28 victory.

Despite turning the ball over six times, four of which were interceptions by B.J. Coleman, the Mocs were able to thoroughly dominate the Paladins in the second half of the contest. Coleman, whose four INTs made Furman look like the nation’s second-best pass defense in the nation at times, ended up completing 33-of-59 passes for 432 yards and two TD passes.

In total, the Mocs were able to out-gain Furman by a substantial total in the contest, as UTC rolled up 568 yards of total offense, while the Paladins could muster only 227 yards of total offense. The most alarming statistic from the Furman perspective would have to be the fact that the Mocs had the ball for 48 more plays (102-54) in the contest.

Coleman’s favorite target was Joel Bradford, who, alone, out-gained the Furman offense by 47 yards, as he had 15 catches for 274 yards and a TD, setting a Paladin Stadium record for receiving yards.

The Furman ground game was once again "grounded," as the Paladins were only able to churn out 98 yards on the ground. Mike Brown led the ground attack, with 58 yards on 12 carries.

Furman hasn’t had a 100-yard rusher since the season opening win over Colgate, but the running game should be given a bit of a boost this week, with the return of Tersoo Uhaa to the lineup.

Cody Worley was given a little bit better protection in the pocket on Saturday, but Furman’s pass protection is certainly lacking, as the Paladins yielded another three sacks on Saturday, bringing their "sacks against" total to 19 on the season, which is eighth in the league. Worley finished the day connecting on 12-of-21 passes for 129 yards, two TDs and an INT.

The leading option in the passing game was tight end Colin Anderson, who had the best game of his career, with four catches for 70 yards and a couple of TDs. He became the first Furman tight end to catch two scoring passes in a game since Luther Broughton hauled in two scoring passes in a 35-20 win over The Citadel in 1996.

Chattanooga did a good job of holding Furman All-America wide receiver Adam Mims under wraps on Saturday, holding the senior from Birmingham, AL., to six catches for 45 yards.

On defense, Furman cornerback Ryan Steed recorded his second-straight pick six in the opening quarter, as he intercepted a Coleman pass and returned it 63 yards for a score.

Last week, Steed intercepted a Connor Lowery pass and brought it back 52 yards for a score, also in the opening quarter of that contest. He now has three INT returns for TDs in his career, and Furman has four INT returns for a score in this season alone.

With the loss to Chattanooga last week, Furman’s road is now nearly impossible, and it looks very likely the Paladins will miss the postseason for a fourth consecutive season unless they win the remainder of their four games.

Furman is 2-5 against No. 1 teams all-time and will be playing its first top-ranked team since the 2001 national title loss (13-6) to Montana. Furman has recorded wins over first-ranked foes Georgia Southern (45-10, 2000) and Idaho (38-7, 1988). Both of those wins came at Paladin Stadium, with the win over Idaho coming in the 1988 Division I-AA semifinals. 

A Quick Review of Appalachian State’s Season So Far

In contrast, Appalachian State is once again sitting pretty and looking like a prime candidate to contend for the school’s fourth national title this season. If the rivalry is becoming stagnant, Appalachian State has certainly done its part to keep this rivalry from becoming a shell of what it once was.

Off to its best start since 1995, the Mountaineers have won 25 consecutive league games and haven’t lost to Furman in Boone since 1996 and haven’t lost in general to Furman since 2005. The Mountaineers might even have a more versatile offense than the one that was led by Armanti Edwards last season.

Under the direction of DeAndre Presley, the fourth-ranked Mountaineers got the season underway with a tough SoCon battle at Chattanooga. After three quarters of play, it looked as if the SoCon might be undergoing a transfer of power, as the Mocs held a commanding 35-10 lead over the Mountaineers.

However, many questions about the Armanti Edwards-less Mountaineers would be answered that very afternoon in Finley Stadium. While ASU had many great evenings lifting national title trophies in the stadium, its 42-41 come-from-behind win over the Mocs might go down as one its greatest moments in a regular-season game.

In its miraculous come-from-behind win over the Mocs in the season opener, ASU trailed by 21 points with 14 minutes remaining in the contest. However, the Mountaineers showed their offensive explosiveness and an opportunistic instinct on the defensive side of the football, scoring four TDs over a 7:51 span to claim the miraculous win. ASU actually got out-gained, 492-486, by the Mocs in the contest.

Since that opening season win, ASU has been nearly unstoppable on the offensive side of the football. And the questions about how you replace a two-time Walter Payton award winner were quickly answered by DeAndre Presley, who finished that Mocs game by connecting on 22-of-29 passes for 340 yards and two TDs, while rushing for 25 yards and a TD on 11 attempts.

It was clear that the Mountaineers, who have routinely ranked among the nation’s top offenses since their transition to the spread offense in 2004, would once again field one of the nation’s elite offensive units. And, if there was a flaw in Appalachian State's amazing win over the Mocs, it once again appeared to be defending the pass, as ASU surrendered 349 yards through the air to the Mocs.

Named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the first of four times on the season, Presley and the Mountaineers would open the home slate in strong fashion, knocking off a formidable FCS foe, Pioneer Football League member Jacksonville, with a 45-14 win over the Dolphins.

ASU's highly-decorated wide receiving corps was the story of the game, and in particular, junior wideout Brian Quick, who hauled in six passes for 132 yards, with three of those receptions going for scores. Quick caught scoring tosses of 41, 15 and 41 yards in the win.

Meanwhile, preseason All-America tight end Ben Jorden was also impressive, as he completed the afternoon with three receptions for 43 yards and had a TD catch. It was also another highly effective afternoon for Presley in his first start at Kidd Brewer Stadium, as he totaled 386 yards (101 rushing, 285 passing) and had three TD passes.

The Mountaineers out-gained the pesky Dolphins, 620-257, which represents a season-standard for total offense. On the defensive side of the football, the Mountaineers were led by Buck Buchanan Award candidate Mark LeGree’s INT and team-high eight tackles. The pass defense looked much better in the second week win over the Dolphins, allowing just 187 yards through the air.

The third week of the 2010 season saw the Mountaineers, now up to No. 2 in the Sports Network poll, face another overmatched opponent at The Rock, as the Mountaineers welcomed North Carolina Central. In what was another solid performance by the ASU offense, the Mountaineers made easy work of the visiting Eagles for the second-straight season, getting a 44-16 victory.

Presley led the offensive efforts once again, totaling 152 yards of total offense (95 passing, 57 rushing) and a TD run. In all, ASU out-gained the Eagles, 524-330, in total offensive yardage, flexing its offensive muscle.

It was a breakout game for Travaris Cadet at running back. The former backup running back carried the ball eight times for 149 yards, which included a 52-yard TD scamper.

Aside from a couple of big pass plays, ASU looked good against NCCU defending the pass, holding the Eagles to just 194 yards through the air. It was a big day for Buck Buchanan Award candidate defensive end Jabari Fletcher, who finished the day with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, half-a-sack and recorded his first career INT.

The Mountaineers would jump back into conference play in what was supposed to be a tough league clash with Samford in Birmingham, however, the opportunistic ASU pass defense made sure it would be an easier day at the office than many expected against upset-minded Samford.

ASU picked off Samford quarterbacks four times on the afternoon, while DeAndre Presley was leading the potent offensive attack, once again totaling 273 yards of total offense (97 rushing, 176 passing). The Black and Gold jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 35-17 triumph at Seibert Stadium.

The Mountaineers were led once again by Presley’s efforts on the ground, as he rushed for 97 yards and two TDs, while connecting on 16-of-27 passes for 176 yards and two TDs. In all, Presley helped the Apps out-gain the Bulldogs, 459-323, in total yards and limited Samford to 152 yards through the air.

The Samford win also marked a significant day for ASU, as wide receiver CoCo Hillary, a part of arguably the most-decorated and talented group of receivers in ASU history, returned to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension after an off-the-field situation during the offseason.

Hillary was able to haul in three passes for 30 yards, while tight end Ben Jorden turned in another solid effort, hauling in three passes for 40 yards, including a TD reception.

During the off-week following the win over the Bulldogs, the biggest story was ASU launching a feasibility study for its entire athletics program, which will help them gauge the program’s status and whether a move to the FBS is possible.

ASU would need the off-week to prepare for new rival Elon, who have established themselves as the "new kids" on the SoCon block. Last season, it was Elon that had boasted being the ones to end ASU’s SoCon dominance. However, after a 27-10 setback, those thoughts were quickly extinguished.

Elon was off to a rocky start, already having three losses, so a chance to spoil homecoming for the Mountaineers would’ve allowed the Phoenix to keep their hopes of a SoCon title and a second-straight FCS playoff appearance alive. A loss meant Elon would be eliminated from either of the aforementioned conversations.

In what was one of the games of the season in league play, it was Scott Riddle and the Phoenix that tested the Mountaineers for the first time since the season opener, but fell 34-31 at The Rock in front of 31,500 fans. If you enjoyed offense, this was the game to see, as the two teams combined for 981 yards and 65 points.

Presley earned his third Offensive SoCon Player of the Week honor on the 2010 campaign, connecting on 14-of-19 throws for 204 yards and a TD, while rushing for a career-best 186 yards and two scores, which were scampers of 44 and 53 yards.

Walk-on running back Cedric Baker turned in one of his best games of the season, rushing for 41 yards on four carries, including a 36-yard scoring run in the second quarter. Hillary continued to see more of the football in the passing game, hauling in three passes for 76 yards, including his first TD reception since his return to the lineup.

Unfortunately, the news wasn’t all glamorous, and for the first time since the opening season win over Chattanooga, the Mountaineer pass defense was exposed in a major way by Riddle and the Phoenix, who passed for 394 yards against the Apps.

That helped Elon claim an advantage in total yards, as Elon out-gained ASU 503-478. The 503 yards surrendered by the ASU defense are the most allowed by the Black and Gold defense this season.

ASU stayed at The Rock the following Saturday to face The Citadel in a rare night game at The Rock. The Citadel came to The Rock struggling, and it was a place the Bulldogs hadn’t claimed victory since 1992.

DeAndre Presley would keep his bid alive to bring a third-consecutive Walter Payton Award back to the Owens Fieldhouse trophy case, putting forth another spectacular performance in the 39-10 win over The Citadel.

On the night, Presley connected on 14-of-25 passes for 241 yards and five TDs, in leading the top-ranked Mountaineers to another blowout win. He threw four of those TD passes in the opening half of play, while also finishing the cool High Country evening with 27 yards rushing on four carries, totaling 268 yards of total offense in the win.

His favorite target turned out to be his big-play wide receiver Brian Quick, who was able to haul in three passes for 99 yards, including a 65-yard scoring catch. The Mountaineers also got a 73-yard scoring reception by running back Travaris Cadet in the fourth quarter, capping a night of big plays for the ASU offense. Cadet also led the Mountaineers in rushing, toting the pigskin eight times for 59 yards.

In all, ASU manhandled the Bulldogs, out-gaining The Citadel 396-197 yards in total offense, and for the first time in school history, the much-maligned ASU pass defense held an opponent without a completed pass for the entire game. It was ASU’s signature performance of the season on the defensive side of the ball, and the 197 yards by The Citadel offense was a season low against the Black and Gold defense.

At 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the SoCon, ASU headed into its earliest battle for the Old Mountain Jug since the 1992 season. While it’s never easy facing an arch-rival, ASU raced out to a 20-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 37-14 win, which was its sixth straight and 24th in the last 26 meetings with the Catamounts.

Presley connected on 21-of-29 passes for 185 yards, while rushing for 87 yards and three scores on only nine attempts (9.7 YPC). Senior wide receiver Matt Cline led the receiving efforts with seven catches for 60 yards.

On defense, ASU was once again opportunistic, as the Mountaineers used a fumble and a thwarted faked punt to set up a short field, which led to early scores and the 20-point first quarter cushion. In total, ASU was able to out-gain the Catamounts, 391-349, on the afternoon, but had trouble limiting the WCU passing attack, as the Catamounts threw for 261 yards against the ASU secondary.

With the annual battle of Appalachian State-Furman taking place on Saturday afternoon, I will be looking to see if the rivalry continues to decline in overall interest, and if the once titanic annual SoCon rivalry has indeed become stagnant.

For Furman, the season hangs by a thread and a poor performance in Boone won't make head coach Bobby Lamb’s horrific last couple of seasons any easier.

For ASU, a win Saturday will pretty much lock up a playoff bid with an eighth win and will allow ASU to continue to chip away at what was once a significant series advantage held by its hated rival.

When Appalachian State shocked the world, blocking a last second field goal against the powerful Michigan Wolverines, it was deemed the greatest upset in college football history. But let the debate begin after No. 13 Virginia Tech was defeated by the James Madison Dukes this past weekend.

When Appalachian State rolled into the Big House on September 1, 2007, the thought of an upset was not even an option. Appalachian State receiver Dexter Jackson said it best, "It was David vs. Goliath."

The Appalachian State defense saw three future NFL players starting at key positions in front of them. Chad Henne was at quarterback, Mike Hart at running back, and Jake Long on the offensive line. 

Too bad Appalachian State had nothing to lose in this game. Similar to James Madison this past Saturday, the Mountaineers fell behind early, but rallied back scoring 21 unanswered points to put them ahead 28-14 late in the first half.

Michigan wasn't going to give up easily in this one, they brought it all the way back, scoring a touchdown with under five minutes left in the game to put them ahead 32-31, but the Mountaineers took it down and made a 24-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds in the game.

The 110,000 fans in the Big House were shocked. They couldn't believe what they were witnessing, then Mario Manningham caught at 46-yard pass to put the Wolverines in field goal range with six seconds to go in the game.

But just when it seemed that the game had been handed back to the favored Michigan squad, the Mountaineers blocked their field goal on the last play of the game to devastate Wolverine faithful everywhere.

At the time, nobody could believe what they just witnessed. This was the fifth ranked team in the country knocked off in their home opener to a Division 1-AA school.

And now the college football nation is going through this same situation again after James Madison beat Virginia Tech in comeback fashion.

The win over the Hokies was done mostly on the ground. Whether it was Drew Dudzik rushing for two touchdowns in the second half, or Virginia Tech fumbling the football in the sloppy weather conditions, James Madison won this game in the trenches.

Virginia Tech was vulnerable to a letdown in this game, coming off of a last minute loss to Boise State in a game that seemed to have National Championship implications at the time. After the 21-16 loss to James Madison, the Hokies have fallen to 0-2 on the year.

Until Virginia Tech show us something more, Appalachian State still owns the biggest upset of all-time in college football in my book. However, James Madison had a great win for their program, and this was a very exciting game to watch.

So give it out to both teams, because these major upsets are why we all love college football, and I know there are more to come.

This marks the final installment of the 2010 Appalachian State football preview, which takes a look at the 2010 defense, as well as the special teams, and offer a final analysis for the latest edition of the three-time national and 10-time Southern Conference title winners. Please check back tomorrow for a full preview of ASU's 2010 season and league opener at Chattanooga.

Defense:

Appalachian State had high hopes on the defensive side of the football heading into the 2010 season, and with 10 starters returning to the fold, it was hard to imagine that the Mountaineers wouldn't be one of the elite defensive units in the FCS and SoCon in 2009.

However, after starting out 0-2 and surrendering a season-high 522 yards in the second week of the campaign in a 40-35 setback to 16th-ranked McNeese State, there were plenty of questions to be asked of the ASU defense.

The Mountaineers wouldn't find their footing on the defensive side until challenged by the coaching staff in the week leading up to the game against archrival Georgia Southern in mid-October. With no one's starting position safe, the Mountaineers showed a renewed urgency against the Eagles, holding them to only 171 yards of total offense, including just 15 rushing yards, and yielding only one offensive touchdown en route to a lopsided, 52-16, win.

The ASU coaching staff hopes it won't take the seven returning defensive starters half the season to hit their stride in 2010. The Mountaineers finished a respectable fourth (318.4 YPG) in the SoCon in total defense last fall, while leading the league with 18 INTs. Three of the seven returnees (DE Jabari Fletcher, LB D.J. Smith, and DB Mark LeGree) will begin the season on the Buck Buchanan Watch list.

Defensive Line:

There is some concern surrounding the defensive line's interior for the Black and Gold, as defensive tackles Malcolm Bennett and Anthony Williams are gone, both reaching full eligibility with graduation. While the Mountaineers will lack the experience that Bennett and Williams provided last fall, the Apps may actually field a beefier tandem at defensive tackle in 2010. Gordy Witte and Bobby Bozzo are expected to be the two starters for the Black and Gold when the Mountaineers take the field against Chattanooga for the season opener on Sept. 4.

Witte, a 6'6", 290-pound junior from Salisbury, N.C., has patiently waited in the wings to get his opportunity at a starting job along the defensive interior, and will enter the season as the starting right defensive tackle position. Big and athletic, Witte is coming off a 2009 season that saw him contribute 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) last fall.

Like Witte, Bozzo has been a player that has flown under the radar during his Black and Gold career, waiting for his opportunity at a starting position behind talented Anthony Williams at left defensive tackle. The 6'3", 295-pound native of Waldwick, N.J., is a physically imposing presence on the defensive interior for the Black and Gold, and is coming off a 2009 season in which he contributed 34 tackles, 6.0 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks. Bozzo saw action in all 14 games for the Apps, including logging a couple of starts.

ASU also added to its depth at defensive tackle, bringing in a talented JUCO transfer in Chris Aiken, while Anthony Wilson put forth good performances in both the spring and fall camps, as he completed his transition from reserve offensive lineman to reserve defensive lineman.

Aiken, a 6'1", 310-pound native of Austin, TX., comes to Boone from Blinn College, where he recorded 27 tackles and a sack in eight games, helping lead Blinn to a National Junior College Athletic Association national title in 2009. His size in the middle of the ASU defense is something that ASU hasn't seen since the days of Jason Blalock (2000-03) and Ryan Watson (1998-01).

ASU should be in excellent position at defensive tackle, once Jabari Fletcher and Lanston Tanyi return to full health. Fletcher and Tanyi, who combined for 14 sacks last fall, are likely the top bookend tandem in the SoCon entering the 2010 campaign.

Fletcher brings experience and superior athleticism to the right defensive end post, as he enters his second season as the Mountaineers' full-time starter. Fletcher took over the starting job on the right side midway through the 2008 season and enters the campaign with 25 consecutive starts. The 6'3", 265-pound senior from Atlanta, GA., enters the campaign as a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, after contributing 63 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and 11 QB hurries in 2009.

Opposing offensive fronts won't have the luxury of centering their focus upon Fletcher, as Tanyi returns as just as much of a threat to get to their quarterback, who they were recruited to protect. In fact, the 6'2", 250-pound native of Shelby, N.C., led the Mountaineers with 7.5 sacks last fall.

Comparable to former defensive end K.T. Stovall in terms of his athleticism and shear power, Tanyi added 11.0 TFLs, seven quarterback hurries, and 75 tackles to go with his team-leading sacks total. Tanyi enters the campaign still recovering from a severe knee injury, which occurred in practice in the lead up to ASU's semifinal clash with Montana and required offseason knee surgery.

With Tanyi and Fletcher both nursing injuries entering the season, expect reliable reserves John Rizor and converted tight end Jordan Gary to draw starts at the two defensive end spots for the Sept. 4 season opener at Chattanooga.

Rizor, a 6'2", 235-pound native of Fayetteville, N.C., has had as good of a spring and fall camp as any player on the defense for the Black and Gold. The sophomore's role is expected to dramatically increase in 2010, as he registered just three tackles and one sack in limited action as a reserve defensive end in 2009.

Like Tanyi, Gary saw his season come to an end as a result of a knee injury. Unlike Tanyi, it was playing tight end rather than defensive end. With ASU boasting so much depth at tight end, including returning All-American Ben Jorden and the always serviceable Brad Hardee, the coaching staff couldn't let Gary's size, speed, and quickness go to waste buried behind the two tight ends on the ASU depth chart. The 6'3", 235-pound junior native of Greenwood, S.C., has been locked in a tight battle with Fletcher throughout the spring and fall, with Fletcher missing the better part of both camps nursing an injury.

The defensive line will need to show that it can effectively answer questions sure to be aimed its way early on in the 2010 season, especially at defensive tackle, having lost two starters to graduation. The Apps appear to be as deep at defensive end as they have been since the mid-1990s.

Linebackers:

Despite losing middle linebacker Jacque Roman to graduation, Appalachian State returns talent and depth at linebacker this fall, beginning with senior outside linebacker and Buck Buchanan Award candidate D.J. Smith. Smith, a 6'1", 235-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., could put himself in some rare company this fall, as he looks to finish his career second on ASU's career tackles chart, behind only the great two-time Buck Buchanan Award winner Dexter Coakley.

Smith enters his senior season with 381 career tackles and has posted at least 120 tackles in each of the past three seasons for the Black and Gold. With another 120-tackle performance this season, Smith will become one of only two players in ASU football history to record 500 tackles in a career. For an outside linebacker, Smith runs extremely well and is an exceptionally physical player. He completed the 2009 season with 137 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 8 PBUs, five quarterback hurries, and two sacks.

Taking over for Jacque Roman at middle linebacker will be Jeremy Kimbrough. Kimborugh no doubt has some huge shoes to fill, but the 5'11", 235-pound sophomore has been an evident talent ever since he stepped on the ASU practice fields for the first time. Kimbrough did manage to log action as a reserve middle linebacker in all 14 games in his true freshman season, registering 19 tackles and forcing a fumble.

Another talented, athletic linebacker expected to make some noise for the Mountaineers is Brandon Grier. The 6'2", 225-pound sophomore from Charlotte saw all his action as a part of the Mountaineers' special teams unit as a true freshman last fall, but his strong performance in spring drills allowed him to unseat Justin Lloyd as the starter at strongside linebacker heading into fall drills. He has been able to maintain that status and will round out the starting trio at linebacker when the Mountaineers take the field at Chattanooga for their Sept. 4 season opener. In 12 games as a member of the special teams unit last fall, Grier registered 10 tackles.

Lloyd, who garnered SoCon All-Freshman team accolades in 2009, will be the option when the Mountaineers add an extra "star" linebacker. The 5'10", 205-pound native of Charlotte, is smaller and built more like a safety and can drop into coverage if asked to do so, as well as being able to come up and make plays against the run. He suffered a knee injury in what turned out to be the season finale against Montana, missing spring drills as a result of surgery. Lloyd completed the 2009 season by contributing 59 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, and a sack.

Justin Wray, Cougar Norris, and Karl Anderson are three young players expected to fill in behind the starting three, while Michael Frazier will serve as an understudy behind Lloyd at the "star" linebacker position. Wray, a 6'1", 230-pound sophomore from Covington, GA., earned playing time in his true freshman season as a reserve defensive back. After adding 25 pounds, Wray is now exclusively a linebacker and went through spring and fall drills behind Grier at strongside linebacker. He recorded his only tackle of the 2009 campaign in a 52-16 rout of Georgia Southern.

Norris has been an impressive addition to the Mountaineers' linebacking corps after originally walking on last fall. The 5'11", 215-pound sophomore from Naples, FL., competed in all 14 games as a member of the kickoff return unit, recording the only two tackles of his career as a reserve linebacker against North Carolina Central. Norris' work ethic and dedication to being a "team player" has allowed him to ascend up the depth chart quickly, personifying the image that ASU originally built its success upon, which is molding walk-ons into regular contributors.

Like Norris, Anderson also looks to follow in the footsteps of many of his predecessors that have played for the Black and Gold, as he too joined the program as a walk-on. The 5'10", 195-pound freshman from Pilot Point, TX., is listed as the top reserve behind Kimbrough at middle linebacker. He garnered all-state recognition by the Associated Press and the Texas Sports Writers Association as a senior prep at Pilot Point High School. During that senior campaign, Anderson racked up 195 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception return for a score in 2008.

Maybe the most-prized recruit on the defensive side of the football in the 2009 class, Frazier should see a significant role increase this fall, serving as a reserve at both safety and "star" entering the 2010 season. The 6'0", 200-pound native of Conway, S.C., logged action in all 14 contests in 2009, starting three of those contests. He started games against Georgia Southern, Furman, and Chattanooga, and finished his true freshman campaign with 31 tackles, with a large majority of his stops coming as a result of big hits on special teams.

Overall, the Black and Gold have one of the most-talented linebacking corps' in the SoCon entering the 2010 season. Though lacking the experience it had in some areas last fall, in particular at middle linebacker, this unit has more athleticism than any unit within the two-deep in recent memory. In ASU's recent five-year run of success, the only corps of linebackers that even rivals this unit in terms of athleticism is the 2008 unit, which featured the likes of Roman, Pierre Banks, and Smith.

Secondary:

Since Jerry Moore arrived to take the reins of the Appalachian State football program in 1989, the Mountaineers have fielded some of the best defensive backs in the history of the Southern Conference. Players like Mark Mayo, Matt Stevens (1992-95), Corey Hall (1997-2000), Corey Lynch (2003-07), and now Mark LeGree have left an indelible mark on both the program and the SoCon over those 21 seasons. The Mountaineers have been a little inexperienced in places in the secondary the past couple of seasons, but this season they'll have the most experience they have had since ASU's last national title winning season of 2007.

Led by LeGree at strong safety, the Mountaineers have led the league in interceptions the past two seasons, picking off a league-standard 18 passes last fall. The 6'0", 200-pound senior enters the season as a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, finishing as a finalist for the award as a sophomore in 2008. LeGree enters his senior campaign, having already been cited twice in has career as an All-American, and in just two seasons as a starter, has established himself as one of the best ball-hawking safeties in school history.

In fact, many wondered how ASU would adjust to losing Lynch, considered by many to be the best safety in school history, and LeGree was the player groomed to replace him. In two seasons, LeGree has done his best to help maintain the level play that Lynch brought to the field each Saturday, and has picked off 17 passes in his first two seasons as a starter at safety, including picking off a single-season school record 10 in 2008.

Like last season, LeGree also begins the 2010 campaign as the only FCS player on the official watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is given to the top Division I (FBS or FCS) defensive player in the nation. Though his interception totals weren't as pronounced as they were in 2008. LeGree had a more productive season in terms of tackles, contributing 70 stops in 2009. In addition to his tackles total, LeGree also posted seven INTs, six PBUs, and a couple of TFLs last fall.

Joining LeGree at safety this fall will be Dominique McDuffie. The 6'2", 200-pound sophomore from Chattanooga, Tenn., is one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the Southern Conference, and is also one of the best natural athletes on the defensive side of the ball for the Black and Gold. McDuffie is one of the more opportunistic players in the ASU secondary, and that personality trait came in handy in ASU's 20-13 FCS first-round playoff win over South Carolina State.

With SC State lining up for a potential game-winning field goal attempt midway through the fourth quarter, it was McDuffie that pounced on the loose football and he returned it 50 yards for what turned out to be the game-winning score. McDuffie, who transitioned from cornerback to "nickel" safety midway through the 2009 season, saw his freshman season cut short after he suffered a knee injury in the fourth week of the 2008 season. McDuffie finished the 2009 campaign with 36 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, an INT, and that fumble return for a score in the first-round playoff win over SC State.

Ed Gainey was one of the more maligned players in the ASU secondary after he struggled in his true freshman season as a starter in 2008, but he really started to come into his own in the middle of the 2009 season, and was rewarded for his strong play, earning second-team All-SoCon honors. The 5'11", 190-pound junior from Winston-Salem has now developed into ASU's best cover-corner and with the graduation of Cortez Gilbert, Gainey is now looked upon as the leader at cornerback in the secondary. Gainey was second on the team in interceptions, as he picked off four passes last fall, while also contributing 61 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, and a team-high 10 PBUs last fall.

With the departure of Gilbert at left cornerback, Troy Sanders will asked to fill the only vacancy in the Mountaineer secondary heading into the 2010 campaign. Sanders, a 6'0", 190-pound sophomore Chester, S.C., served behind Gilbert in his freshman season last fall. After winning the starting job in the spring, Sanders will now be asked to step up and maintain that same success that Gilbert was able to carry on in his first start as a Mountaineer, which was the national championship game against Delaware three years ago.

Though the pressure won't be the same for Sanders, it will be a test, as he will be looked upon as the lone weakness in this secondary by opponents, due to his lack of game experience. Sanders did garner playing time in all 14 games for the Black and Gold in 2009, mostly on special teams, recording 11 tackles and a PBU.

ASU's talent in the defensive backfield isn't just limited to its starting quartet either, as the Mountaineers boast plenty of young talent in apprentice roles that should see some significant playing time in 2010. Branden Olsen, Demetrius McCray, and Ingram Bell will also see plenty of action in reserve roles for the Mountaineers in 2010.

Special Teams:

Jason Vitaris, a second-team All-SoCon selection, who garnered second team All-SoCon accolades after connecting on a school-record 19-of-28 field goals should continue the strong lineage the Mountaineers have enjoyed at place-kicker over the past few seasons. Vitaris also connected on 58-of-58 PATs and lead the Black and Gold in scoring with 115 points in 2009.

Sam Martin, who averaged 40.0 yards-per-punt last fall, will handle the punting and kickoff duties (63.1 yards-per-kickoff in 2009). Martin showed excellent placement on his punts, and had six punts travel in excess of 50 yards, while having 17 fair-caught and 19 land inside the 20.

Cadet is expected to be the primary punt and kick returner this fall. As a punt return threat in 2009, Cadet returned 24 punts for 134 yards (5.6 yards-per-return).

Final Analysis:

Since ASU won its inaugural national title in 2005, the expectations have been nothing less than bringing home the hardware in each following campaign. Five SoCon titles and three national titles later, the Mountaineers again embark upon the roller-coaster of excitement that gets followers of the Black and Gold giddy about the prospects of placing another crowning achievement in a cupboard full of accomplishments. However, it might be hard to pronounce the Mountaineers as a definitive national title favorite entering the 2010 season without Armanti Edwards standing behind center and taking snaps.

Ironically, the 19 starters that return might actually be more talented than any of the teams that Edwards was a part of, which again makes the Mountaineers one of the elite teams in the FCS in 2010.

Who knows, this season could play out like the 2006 season did for ASU, as the Mountaineers had to replace Richie Williams at QB, which was an unthinkable task heading into the season. But then ASU found Edwards and the rest is history. One thing is for sure, ASU has an excellent chance to make it a fourth national title and league-tying sixth-consecutive SoCon title in 2010.

This will mark the second installment of Appalachian State's three-part season preview. In this section of the preview, I'll be taking a look at ASU's wide receivers and offensive line as the Mountaineers prepare to make a run at a sixth-consecutive Southern Conference football title in 2010.

Wide Receivers:

There’s not much of a question as to who has the best wide receivers in the SoCon heading into the 2010 season, and Appalachian State might also have the best, deepest corps of wideouts in all of the FCS. Leading the way for the receiving corps last fall and returning as the go-to-receiver yet again for the 2010 season will be Matt Cline.

The 5'11", 185-pound senior from Thomasville, N.C., will again be a likely member of the 2010 receiving corps for the Apps, as the first-team All-SoCon selection had some outstanding performances last fall for the Black and Gold. In back-to-back weeks against Georgia Southern and Furman, Cline enjoyed perhaps his best two-week stretch of the season, hauling in a combined 18 receptions for 224 yards and a TD. In total, Cline hauled in a team-leading 85 passes for 981 yards and a couple of TDs, averaging 11.5 YPR.

Brian Quick returns as the big-play threat for the Black and Gold once again this fall and is starting to draw the attention of NFL scouts with his athleticism and size. The 6'5", 210-pound junior from Columbia, S.C., combines good speed with outstanding leaping ability, which are skills that have helped him draw comparisons from those who follow SoCon football to former league standout Randy Moss.

In his first two campaigns of substantial action for the Mountaineers, Quick has hauled in a combined 84 receptions for 1,478 yards and 11 TDs. Last fall, Quick led the team in receiving yards (982) and did that on 61 catches, with four scoring receptions. He averaged an impressive 16.1 YPR.

Although he might start the season as a starter at wideout for the Apps, due to some disciplinary reasons that occurred over the summer, look for CoCo Hillary to end up again being one of the go-to-receivers in the passing attack and one of the leaders of the Black and Gold offense.

Hillary, a 5'10", 190-pound senior wideout from Edgefield, S.C., is likely the most versatile wide receiver for the Mountaineers entering the 2010 season. Originally coming to ASU as a quarterback, Hillary has come into his own as a wide receiver, and is well on his way to establishing himself as one of the best to ever don a Black and Gold uniform at the position. He will be looking to recover from a knee injury that cost him nearly half of the 2009 season.

Entering his senior campaign, Hillary has caught 110 passes for 1,588 yards and five TDs in his career for the Black and Gold. As a receiving threat in only eight games last fall, Hillary hauled in 37 passes for 514 yards and a career-best four TDs. As a kick return threat, Hillary amassed 522 yards on 21 attempts (24.9 YPR). Hillary began the 2009 season as the starter at the "z" wide receiver position and will likely compete for a starting job at that same position this fall.

It’s likely that the reliable Blake Elder will start at the "x" wide receiver position for the Apps this fall. The 6'0", 175-pound senior enters the 2010 season as one of the team captains and has made some vital catches in his career for the Mountaineers, despite only seeing limited throws come his way in his previous three campaigns as a part of the ASU receiving corps. Elder is a tremendous perimeter blocker and is possibly the best blocking receiver on the roster for the Mountaineers.

Last season, Elder started the season as a solid reserve for the Apps at the "z" wide receiver position, but was thrust into the starting role at the "x" receiver midway through the season. Elder is also a tremendous route runner, and he finished the 2009 season with 24 receptions for 311 yards (13.0 YPR), making some of the team’s more spectacular catches during the campaign.

One of the options at the "z" receiver position once again this fall should be Travaris Cadet. The 6'1", 210-pound quarterback-turned-receiver proved he could cause all kinds of problems in the open field with his speed and athletic ability, serving in capacities as the backup quarterback, punt returner, and wide receiver in 2009. Cadet should see most of his action at running back this fall.

Bottom line, Cadet is one of the best athletes on the ASU roster, and look for him to get the ball in a variety of different ways this fall, including as a running option. The Miami, FL., native transferred into the program from Pearl River Community College last fall, and caught four passes for 21 yards, while completing 20-of-36 passes for 241 yards and an interception in his time at quarterback last fall.

Cadet also finished as the Mountaineers’ third-leading rusher, with 366 yards and three TDs on 70 attempts (5.2 YPC) as a running threat. Rounding out his contributions, Cadet led the Mountaineers with 24 punt returns for 134 yards (5.6 YPR) and he will give the Apps a legitimate big-play threat in the return game this fall.

Senior B.J. Frazier returns to give the Apps a serious deep threat at wide receiver, likely serving as Cline’s understudy at the "m" wide receiver. The 5'10", 180-pound wideout from Beaufort, N.C., has only been used sparingly in his ASU career, due in large measure as a result of ASU’s tremendous depth at the wide receiver position.

Frazier has had to overcome some nagging injuries during his career, which has limited his playing time in his three seasons as a Mountaineer. Last fall, Frazier caught seven passes for 141 yards (20.1 YPR). Frazier enjoyed his best season in the Black and Gold as a sophomore back in 2008, catching 10 passes for 183 yards.

With his speed, Frazier could also play a significant role as a return specialist for ASU, and completed the 2009 season returning 14 kicks for 262 yards (18.7 YPR). Many Mountaineer fans are anxiously anticipating the season opener at Chattanooga in hopes of seeing redshirt freshman wideout Tony Washington make his debut in the Black and Gold. The 5'10", 180-pound native of High Point, N.C., has big-time speed and the potential to be a future star as a big-play threat for the Mountaineers.

Washington was a standout prep at T.W. Andrews High School in High Point, where he amassed over 1,000 all-purpose yards as a senior, catching 43 passes for 600 yards, while posting 350 yards on the ground. He could also be a contributor on special teams for the Black and Gold, with his play-making quickness and speed.

Rounding out the returnees at wide receiver for the Mountaineers will be Dominic Magazu. The 6'0", 190-pound from Matthews, N.C., transferred into ASU from Boston College and will look to see the field more often. Magazu, who caught one pass for three yards last fall, will also be a contributor on special teams in 2010.

After catching 29 passes for 506 yards and six TDs a couple of years ago, Ben Jorden saw his numbers take a dip last season as a result of injury. Jorden, a 6'2", 240-pound junior native of Weddington, N.C., enters the 2010 season as a preseason All-America selection by The Sports Network and a consensus first-team All-SoCon honoree.

Jorden is fully healthy from the knee that gave him so much trouble last season, and could put forth his best campaign yet as a Mountaineer. Despite his injury last season, the sure-handed Jorden still managed to haul in 16 passes for 226 yards and a TD, averaging 17.4 YPR.

The Mountaineers are incredibly deep at the tight end position, returning Brad Hardee, who split action last fall in relief of the injured Jorden. Hardee, a 6'0", 235-pound native of Hudson, N.C., is probably the most physical blocking presence of the two and excels in run-blocking. As a receiving threat last fall, Hardee had one reception for 10 yards.

Offensive Line:

ASU should have one of the most experienced offensive lines in the nation in 2010, returning four of five starters in the trenches. However, the lone loss is a significant one, as the Black and Gold lose one of the best left tackles to ever play the position to graduation—Jacobs Blocking Award winner Mario Acitelli.

But the four starters that do return helped the Mountaineers rank third nationally in total offense (465.1 YPG) last fall and return at least four starters along the front for the third straight season. The most decorated returnee along the offensive front and a strong candidate to win the latest edition of the league’s Jacobs Blocking trophy is Mountaineer center Brett Irvin.

Irvin is a player vital to the success of the Mountaineers' offensive front, and will have to adjust to a new starter at quarterback this fall. Irvin, a 6'0", 280-pound native of Gaffney, S.C., enters the season having started 28 straight games and boasting a total of 30 starts in his Mountaineers career. Irvin is a two-time All-SoCon honoree and enters the season as a first-team All-SoCon selection.

Pat Mills and Matt Ruff will be the starting guards for the second straight season. Mills, a 6'2", 265-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., is another returning veteran along ASU’s offensive front, entering the season having started 14 consecutive games at left guard, and has seen action in 34 career games for the Apps. Mills could be a contender for all-league honors this fall.

Ruff, a 6'3", 275-pound junior, who’s also from Charlotte, also boasts extensive experience, returning in a starting role along the offensive front for the Mountaineers. Like Mills, Ruff has started 14 straight games for the Mountaineers at right guard entering the campaign, and has seen action in 26 games in his ASU career. Like his position mate Mills, Ruff could also contend for all-league honors this fall and enters the campaign with beneficial experience.

Set to man the respective offensive tackle positions for the Mountaineers this fall will be Daniel Kilgore and Orrye Frye. Kilgore, a 6'3", 285-pound senior from Kingsport, Tenn., will have some large shoes to fill, as he takes over at the left tackle position, replacing Jacobs Blocking Award winner and All-American Mario Acitelli at left tackle. Kilgore has plenty of experience, backing up Frye at right tackle last season.

Kilgore, who enters the campaign as an all-league pick, has seen action in 35 games in his career, including logging 17 starts. He has seen action as a tight end and started 14 games at right guard as a sophomore in 2008.

Frye, a 6'2", 270-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., is a versatile offensive lineman that can play either tackle or guard. Frye has also played tight end in some of ASU’s short-yardage packages. He is an exceptional blocker with good technique and feet and started 18 career games, including 14 consecutively.

With a combined 93 career starts among its five starters entering the 2010 season, ASU has one of its most experienced contingents in the trenches in school history. The experience up front is great news for junior signal-caller DeAndre Presley, who should find a little of the pressure alleviated as he enters the Sept. 4 opener at Chattanooga as the starter. Running backs Devon Moore, Cedric Baker, and Rod Chisholm should be salivating this fall, as the rushing numbers should be strong again.

Those familiar with the tradition of Appalachian State football will tell you that the ingredients of many of Jerry Moore’s teams in the late 1980’s and throughout the ‘90’s was the play on the defensive side of the football. In fact, it was Appalachian State’s record-breaking defense that grabbed most of the headlines, rather than an offense that now grabs the headlines by putting up points as if they are going out of style.

Most who follow the Mountaineers will never forget that 1995 team that went undefeated in the regular-season, was spurred by a defense that featured the likes of defensive back Matt Stevens, linebackers Dexter Coakley and Joe Dibernardo and defensive end Shawn Elliott (who now serves as offensive line coach for ASU).

There are those other great names of the playmaking defensive ends, like K.T. Stovall, Josh Jeffries and in the more distant past Sean Swoope. There are too many names that have starred for the Apps under the direction of Moore to list here, but the point is he has coached some of the best to ever don the Black and Gold.

With nine starters returning on the defensive side of the football to begin the 2009 season, most had little doubt that the most-current edition would produce one of the best cohesive units the Mountaineers fielded under Moore. However, after starting 0-2 and giving up 522 yards and 40 points in a home loss to McNeese State, many wondered what had happened to a defense that featured the SoCon’s top two defensive players from the previous campaign and one nominated for the prestigious Buck Buchanan Award, given to the nation’s top defensive player.

However, after experiencing struggles in the first six weeks of the season, the defense has improved to become one of the stingiest units in the FCS over the last half of the season. Going into its Oct. 24 showdown with Georgia Southern, the Mountaineers were giving up 355.2 PPG., ranking fifth in the league in total defense, while giving up 26.3 PPG. to rank seventh in the league in scoring defense.

Coming into Saturday’s FCS quarterfinal showdown with Richmond, the Mountaineers are now fourth in the league in total defense, trimming 44 yards off their total from six weeks ago, yielding just 311.5 YPG. As far as the points the Mountaineers are allowing per game, the Mountaineers are now allowing just 21.5 PPG., which means the Mountaineers have trimmed a little over five points off their points allowed per contest, now ranking third in the league in scoring defense.

The defensive turnaround started mid-week prior to the Georgia Southern game, as the coaching staff challenged the Appalachian State defense to get better by saying that starting positions would be re-evaluated on the defensive side of the football in practice leading up to the matchup with its arch-rival.

The Mountaineer defense followed up that challenge by the coaches, yielding just 171 offensive yards to the Eagles and allowed only one offensive TD. ASU also recorded a season-high six sacks in the win, which were the most QB hits since last season’s 56-7 win over Jacksonville.

The Mountaineers most impressive performance over the six-week stretch was in the de facto Southern Conference championship game against Elon. The Phoenix came into the contest with the fifth-ranked offense in FCS, averaging 454.4 YPG. By the time the sun had gone down at Rhodes Stadium that evening, the Mountaineers had allowed only 270 yards of total offense and just 10 points to the high-powered Elon offense. The 270 yards of total offense by Elon represented a season-low.

In that stellar defensive performance, the Mountaineer defense picked off junior signal-caller Scott Riddle, one of the league’s best passers, three times, all of which led to ASU TDs. Those three interceptions in a single game were the most by Riddle in ‘09.

The most impressive stat over the last six games has been the ability of the Appalachian defense to limit opponents’ yardage as well as turn them over. The Black and Gold defense has allowed 350 or more yards to only two opponents during the six-week stretch-Chattanooga (351) and Furman (350)—and have recorded 16 turnovers in the six outings, with a turnover margin of +5.

The only game in which the Apps didn’t record a turnover against an opponent in the six-game stretch was in the regular-season finale against Western Carolina. Twelve of ASU’S 16 forced turnovers came as a result of interceptions. What’s even more amazing is the fact that the Mountaineers had only registered eight turnovers in the first six weeks of the ‘09 campaign and had a turnover margin of +3.

In terms of points given up to an opponent during the stretch, the Mountaineers have given up no more than 27 points to any opponent, with Furman’s high of 27 points coming in a blowout loss representing the standard. In those six games, the Mountaineers are only yielding an average of a little under 17 points per game.

One of the direct results of the improvement in turning over opponents down the stretch has been an improved pass rush. The secondary, and in particular safety Mark LeGree who leads the SoCon with seven picks, has especially benefitted from the ramped-up pass rush.

Over the six-game stretch, the Mountaineers have recorded 18 sacks, due in large measure to the bookend tandem of Lanston Tanyi and Jabari Fletcher, who have combined to register eight of the Mountaineers’ 11 sacks in the last three games. In all, the duo has combined for exactly half (14 sacks) of ASU’s total quarterback tackles this season. That improvement in the pass-rush department is especially impressive when you consider the Apps didn’t record a sack in the first two games of the ’09 season.

Another impressive stat to consider is the Mountaineers haven’t yielded 400 or more yards to an opponent, since surrendering a season-high 537 yards to the Wofford Terriers back on Oct. 17 in a 44-34 win over the Terriers.

We all know the potential of the App State offense, but with the improvement of the defense, a fourth national title is now within its sights, needing just three more wins to accomplish that historic feat. It’s rare that a team, at the Division I level, can start a season 0-2 and rebound to win a national title. However, nothing we’ve seen over the last 10 weeks, and in particular the last six outings, would offer anything to contrast that this ASU team isn’t fully capable of winning another title.

That improvement, along with the liberty to call the Mountaineers championship caliber, is almost directly a result of the transformation on the defensive side of the football over the last half of the season. If ASU should win a fourth title, it would have to join some elite company in winning a national title after an 0-2 start to the campaign. It’s already one of the best turnaround stories in Appalachian lore, as the Mountaineers are only the second team in school history to recover from an 0-2 start to make the post-season.

The only other team in school history to make that claim is the 1992 team, which began that campaign with losses to NC State and Wake Forest, but were knocked out in the opening round of the playoffs with a 35-10 loss at Middle Tennessee State. With ASU’s advancement into the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs, this Mountaineer squad has already advanced further than any other 0-2 squad in ASU football history, but won’t be happy until they become one of the few teams in NCAA history to win four national titles in five seasons.