Appalachian State Football

Photo Credit: Mark Mitchell of The Watauga Democrat

Appalachian State’s Defense

Appalachian State has seen only two defenses that statistically rank better than the one they’ll line up against in Saturday’s quarterfinal and one of those was when the Mountaineers squared off with the nation’s top defense three weeks ago at Elon.

The Spiders, who bring a Top 15 defense into Saturday’s matchup themselves, will be without Lawrence Sidbury, Jr. and Sherman Logan at the two respective defensive end positions this season, however, the defense the Spiders will field in Saturday’s matchup against the Mountaineers is not far from being as talented as the one the Spiders fielded in last season’s 33-13 win in Boone.

In the Spiders’ 20-point victory at The Rock last season, the Richmond ‘Stonewall’ defense took full advantage of facing a hobbled Armanti Edwards, who was nursing both a knee and a hip injury. Logan and Sidbury wrecked havoc on Edwards all afternoon, limiting running lanes and putting extreme pressure on him in passing situations. That undoubtedly led to Edwards’ five interception afternoon. The Spiders also had a linebacker, speedy Patrick Weldon, spy Edwards all afternoon. By the time the snowy day came to an end, Weldon had put his stamp on the game with 12 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and a sack.

The Spiders yielded 362 yards to the Mountaineers, but held ASU to just 13 points, intercepted Edwards five times and held him to just three rushing yards, although that last stat had more to do with his injuries than the Richmond defensive performance. Nevertheless, it was one of the best performances any FCS team has been able to do in defending the Payton Award winner.

With Sidbury and Logan gone from the defensive line, the only two real question marks for Richmond entering the 2009 season on the defensive side of the football was the defensive line. So far this season, head coach Mike London has had a resounding response to those question marks from the outset of the campaign from defensive tackles Martin Parker and Parker Miles.

All Parker has done this season is garner a spot on the FCS Buck Buchanan Award ballot as a finalist for the award, putting up some impressive numbers along the way. The 6-3, 283-pound junior has good size and athleticism and went unnoticed last season, due in large part to the performances by both Logan and Sidbury. In 12 starts this season, Parker has amassed 71 tackles, a team-best 15.5 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks, eight quarterback hurries and a couple of forced fumbles.

Parker will team with Parker Miles at defensive tackle for the Spiders, forming one of the top interior defensive line’s of any team in the FCS. Miles is another physical presence on the defensive interior for the Spiders, and like Parker, Miles provides an athletic presence to the defensive line. Miles comes into Saturday’s game with 44 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, three pass break-ups, 1.5 sacks and a blocked kick.

Coming into the season, both Nicholas Battle and Pierre Turner had some unimaginable shoes to fill coming into the season, having to replace two defensive ends like Sherman Logan and Lawrence Sidbury, Jr., but both players have acquitted themselves well this season on the Spider defense. Turner, a 6-2, 260-pound defensive end is one of the more athletic players on the defensive side of the football for the Spiders, possessing good speed, quickness and power coming off the line for the Spiders. This season, Turner has managed to rack up 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, half-a-sack, five quarterback hurries and a couple of fumble recoveries.

Nicholas Battle returned to the starting lineup for the Spiders in last Saturday’s win over Elon, after having to sit out the final two games of the season with an injury. Battle, a 6-4, 250-pound senior, is an athletic, rangy defensive end. He was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week back on Sept. 21 for his efforts in the 47-0 win over Hofstra. In total this season, Battle has accounted for 27 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.

Much like the Appalachian State defense, the strongest component of the Spiders’ defensive unit this season has been the linebacking corps. Leading the elite unit this season has been First-Team All-CAA selection Collin McConaghy at middle linebacker. McConaghy has three double-digit tackle performances this season and is a physical, sure tackling presence in the middle of the Spiders defense. So far in ‘09, McConaghy has led the Spider defense in tackles, amassing 89 total stops on the season. In addition to those 89 tackles, McConaghy has also contributed 4.5 tackles-for-loss, half-a-sack, an interception, six quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Another CAA First-Team all-league selection and All-America candidate is Eric McBride, who is one of several linebackers on the defensive side of the ball for the Spiders that runs extremely well. In last season’s victory at The Rock, McBride was in on 10 tackles for the Spiders. Last season, McBride was Richmond’s leading tackler, completing the ‘08 season with 108 tackles. This season, McBride has managed to total 84 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and four pass break-ups.

Completing the trio of talented linebackers for the Spiders entering Saturday’s contest is junior linebacker Patrick Weldon, who had such an impressive performance against the Apps last season. Weldon, who possesses tremendous speed, is one of the most active players on the defensive side of the ball for the Spiders. Earlier this year in a 21-20 loss to Villanova, Weldon had a 70-yard interception return for a score, displaying his overall athleticism. The 6-0, 219-pound junior has compiled 81 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, four pass break-ups and a sack.

Last year, a large part of Richmond’s success on the defensive side of the football was the ability to turn teams over with a talented secondary. When the dust settled on the 2008 campaign, the Spiders defense had managed to tie an FCS record with 30 interceptions. That helped the Spiders complete the campaign tied for the national lead in turnover margin (+24.0). In their four playoff games last season, the Spiders picked off nine passes in the post-season, which of course included picking off Edwards five times in the Richmond win in Boone last fall.

The leader of the secondary last season was Justin Rogers at cornerback, who led the Spiders with seven interceptions in ‘08. Rogers, a 5-10, 181-pound junior hasn’t enjoyed quite that same success this season, however, he did manage to garner First-Team All-CAA honors for the third-straight season and is also dangerous as a kick returner with his track speed. Rogers was responsible for one of the five interceptions the Spiders had against the Mountaineers last season. In all, Rogers has contributed 29 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, eight pass break-ups, three interceptions and a fumble recovery this season.

Set to draw the start at the other cornerback position for the Spiders on Saturday afternoon is another veteran cornerback in Seth Williams. The 5-11, 185-pound senior is best remembered by App fans for his three interceptions of Edwards in last year’s 33-13 Spiders win in Boone. Williams is another speedy, athletic presence in the secondary for Richmond. He’s an experienced player that takes plenty of chances on the defensive side of the football for the Spiders, especially in pass coverage. Coming into Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup, Williams has posted 51 tackles, a tackle-for-loss and an interception.

The starting duo at the respective safety positions for Saturday’s game are a pair of talented, experienced seniors in Michael Ireland at strong safety and Derek Hatcher at free safety. Ireland is a player that also had an interception in last year’s 33-13 win over the Mountaineers in the ‘08 FCS quarterfinals. In an impressive 34-12 win over No.14 Massachusetts earlier this season, Ireland had a 91-yard interception return for a score, which accounted for the second-longest interception return in Richmond history. Ireland is an extremely physical player and is isn’t scared to come up and lay the lumber. In 11 starts this season, Ireland has produced 44 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, broken up four passes and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions.

Hatcher is in his third season as a starter, is also an accomplished player in the return game for the Spiders, garnering First-Team All-CAA recognition as a punt returner. In a victory over Maine earlier this season, he took a punt back 90 yards for a score for his second punt return for a score in his career. As the starter at free safety this season, Hatcher has 20 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble this fall.

Overall, the Richmond defense enters Saturday’s matchup with the Mountaineers, ranking 14th nationally in total defense (278.6 YPG.), seventh in scoring defense (14.7 PPG.), third in rushing defense (66.5 YPG.) and 84th in pass defense (212.0 YPG.).

Appalachian State’s Offense

Looking at the Appalachian State offense, it’s hard to find any flaws in what the Mountaineers have been able to do once again this season in the Mountaineers’ sixth season running the spread, which includes five-straight league crowns and a stretch of three-consecutive national titles, from 2005-09. However, over the past couple of seasons, the season has taken a toll on the Mountaineers’ field general, Armanti Edwards, and last season it likely cost the Apps a chance at a fourth-straight title, when he suffered a late-season injury against Elon.

Ironically, this season has played out in the same fashion, with Edwards suffering a slight injury to his knee in a 27-10 late-season win against Elon, forcing him to sit out the season finale against Western Carolina once again. In last week’s 20-13 first-round win over SC State, Edwards again looked less than 100-percent and completely out-of-sync, causing many to question the extent of the injury originally reported. Edwards looked eerily similar to the way he looked in last season’s 33-13 loss to the Spiders, throwing a season-high three interceptions against the Bulldogs, while also getting held to a career-low minus-one rushing yards.

It’s probably best to error on the side of precaution, however, and not chalk last week’s rare off performance by Edwards to a conspiracy involving an injury, but rather just the uncommon bad performance by the Walter Payton Award finalist.

Edwards has again captivated the Black and Gold fanbase as well as the national panel of voters, putting up some amazing numbers once again in only 10 games this fall. Coming into Saturday night’s affair, Edwards has completed 208-of-291 passes for 2,722 yards, 11 TDs and six interceptions, while rushing for 574 yards and a team-leading 16 TDs on 110 attempts (5.2 YPC.). Earlier this season, Edwards became the first QB in Division I college football history to ever pass for 9,000 yards and rush for 4,000 yards in a college career.

It’s been a tail of two performances for Edwards in his career against the Spiders. As a sophomore in 2007, Edwards had his best game of many breath-taking performances as an All-American quarterback for the Mountaineers in the semifinal win over Richmond. In that contest, Edwards set an NCAA Division I (FBS or FCS) record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game, totaling 313 yards and four TDs. In all, Edwards accounted for 495 yards of total offense and had seven TD responsibilities when the Kidd Brewer Stadium scoreboard read zeroes at the end of the night. As a passer, Edwards was able to connect on 14-of-16 passes for 182 yards and three TDs, without throwing an interception.

In stark contrast to that performance, Edwards would like to put last year’s performance against the Spiders out of his mind once and for all this Saturday. In last year’s 33-13 loss, Edwards connected on 26-of-41 passes for 323 yards, with one TD and a career-high five interceptions. Edwards was held three rushing yards on eight attempts, with one TD run in the opening quarter.

Perhaps even more of a concern heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Spiders is the health of leading rusher Devon Moore. Moore, who suffered an injury in the second quarter of Saturday’s game against SC State, reached the 1,000-yard plateau in the final week of the regular-season against Western Carolina. Moore was knocked out for the season early on in the 2008 season in a loss on the road at James Madison, which garnered him a medical redshirt. Moore is the first running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau for the Mountaineers since 2007.

This season, Moore has proven to be effective as both a running presence as well as a presence catching the ball coming out of the backfield for the Apps. As a running threat coming out of the backfield this season, Moore has been strong toting the pigskin for the Mountaineers, as he has rushed for 1,115 yards and 15 TDs on 213 rush attempts (5.2 YPC.). As a receiving option, Moore comes into Saturday’s showdown with 29 receptions for 257 yards (8.9 YPC.)

Set to provide depth at the tailback position on Saturday for the Mountaineers will be a couple of talented, speedy running backs in sophomore Cedric Baker and junior Devin Radford. Baker has seen increased action in the Mountaineer backfield as the season has progressed and has rushed for 233 yards and one TD on 45 attempts (5.2 YPC.) this season. As a receiving option, he has caught five passes for 39 yards.

Radford, maybe the fastest player on the team, comes into Saturday’s contest and having seen some quality action in the backfield last season for the Black and Gold in the absence of Moore. He enters Saturday’s affair, having rushed for 59 yards and a TD on 29 rush attempts this fall.

With CoCo Hillary getting injured as the Apps top receiving option,Matt Cline is now the most-reliable target in the Appalachian State passing game. The 5-11, 180-pound native of Thomasville, N.C., made one of the biggest plays of last week’s win over SC State and it wasn’t a pass reception. On a fumble recovery and return for SC State in the third quarter last week, Cline hustled and chased down the SC State defensive lineman and stripped the ball out from behind, allowing the Mountaineers to pounce on the ball and regain possession. That proved to be one of the biggest plays in the game for the Apps and showcased the type of player that Cline is and the kind of personality he brings to the wide receiver position.

Cline enters Saturday’s game with the Spiders as the most sure-handed receiver for the Mountaineers, and he’s a player that possesses deceptive speed. Cline enters Saturday’s contest as the team’s leading receiver, having caught 69 passes for 793 yards and a TD, averaging 11.5 YPR. Cline has also been a threat to run the football on occasion this season, entering Saturday’s contest with 49 yards on six carries (8.2 YPC.)

The best big-play option in the passing game for the Mountaineers has proven to be Brian Quick. At 6-5, Quick’s size will likely give the smaller Spider defensive backs matchup problems yet again in ‘09. Quick was a main option in the game last season and caught a couple of long passes against the Spiders, out-leaping the Spider defenders to come down with the ball on one occasion. Quick had six receptions for 94 yards against the Spiders in ‘08.

Quick was responsible for the game’s only offensive TD last Saturday, as he was able to haul in a 7-yard TD pass from Edwards in the second quarter, in which he leaped in the air and came down with one foot in bounds for the score. With his height and the way the ball was thrown, he was the only player on the field that could have caught the pass. Coming into Saturday’s contest, Quick has caught 49 passes for 819 yards and four TDs (team-leading 16.7 YPR.).

The Mountaineers will throw a wrinkle into Saturday’s contest by starting Travaris Cadet at the wide receiver position. If you remember last season when the Mountaineers met the Spiders in the FCS quarterfinals, Appalachian used CoCo Hillary and DeAndre Presley on the field at the same time in a couple of situations to keep the Spiders defense guessing by having more than one passing threat on the field at the same time.

Look for Cadet to be used some in the zone-read option and could be a threat to throw over the top on an option pitch. Cadet, the Mountaineers’ backup signal-caller, comes into Saturday’s contest as the team’s third-leading rusher, having rushed for 366 yards and three TDs on 70 rush attempts (5.2 YPR.) this fall. Cadet as caught four passes for 21 yards this season.

Rounding out the receiving options for the Mountaineers coming into Saturday night’s showdown is sophomore tight end Ben Jorden. Jorden hasn’t been used quite as much in the passing game this season as he was last fall, however, he’s still a vital part of the Appalachian passing attack. Coming into Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup, Jorden has hauled in 13 passes for 197 yards and a TD (15.2 YPC.). Jorden has deceptive speed and great hands and has a knack for getting behind defenses and making the big catch.

One of the most-improved aspects of the Appalachian State offense this season has been the offensive line, and that unit offers them the opportunity to avenge last year’s 33-13 quarterfinal loss to Richmond. The main reason the Spiders were able to come in and down the Mountaineers on their home turf last season was due in large part to the advantage Richmond’s sizable advantage in experience and talent along the defensive line against a much younger offensive front for the Mountaineers.

This season, however, the Appalachian State offensive front looks like a different unit all together in terms of talent and experience. The three veterans anchor the Appalachian State offensive front in Jacobs Blocking Award winner Mario Acitelli at left tackle, Brett Irvin at center and Pat Mills at left guard. Acitelli is one of the best lineman in the nation and enters Saturday’s contest with the Spiders having started 44 games in his career, including logging 26-consecutive starting nods.

Irvin is maybe the most-improved player along the offensive front and has parlayed that into a second-team all-league selection by the league’s coaches. Irvin’s first start was in 2007 in Appalachian’s historic, 34-32, win over Michigan in 2007 and has started a total of 27 games in his career, including starting 25-straight games at center for ASU.

Mills, a junior, is in his first season as a starter at the left guard position, but has seen action in 32 career games and will be making his 13th start of the ‘09 season and career on Saturday.

Rounding out the starters along the offensive line for Saturday night’s contest with the Spiders will be sophomore right tackle Orrye Frye and sophomore right guard Matt Ruff. Frye is maybe the most versatile offensive lineman for the Apps, having the ability to play both the interior and exterior positions along the offensive front. Frye has started 16 games in his career with the Black and Gold, including making 12-straight starts. He is slated to make his 13th-consecutive start on Saturday.

Ruff rounds out the starters along the offensive line for the Mountaineers and made a crucial fumble recovery on Cline’s forced fumble in last week’s win over SC State. He enters Saturday’s contest having made 24 straight starts for the Mountaineers and is slated to make his 13th-straight start on Saturday. Appalachian State has been able to stay healthy along the offensive front and that is one of the main reasons the Mountaineers have been able to reel off 10-straight wins after starting the season 0-2.

Overall, the Mountaineer offensive front has helped the Appalachian rank eighth nationally in scoring offense (34.4 PPG.), third in total offense (464.2 YPG.), 10th in rushing offense (209.8 YPG.) and 15th in passing offense (254.3 YPG.).

Final Analysis and Prediction

Last year, the Mountaineers ran into a prepared, seasoned Richmond team that came in and handed the Mountaineers a 33-13 loss on its home field. This season, the Mountaineers meet basically the same seasoned Spiders team (17 of 24 starters are seniors) when they travel to Richmond for their first road playoff game since 2001. The difference is the Mountaineers are a more seasoned team themselves entering Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup, especially along the offensive and defensive fronts.

To me, the biggest difference in the Spiders and the Mountaineers last season were in those two areas. Last season, the Mountaineers lacked a real pass-rusher on the offensive line, but enter this season with two in Jabari Fletcher and Lanston Tanyi. Remember, the Apps battled injuries most of the season at defensive end last fall.

Another difference in this season’s matchup is the health of Armanti Edwards, which is far better than it was entering last season’s matchup against the Spiders. Despite struggling last Saturday, Edwards appeared to be as mobile as ever, and on one of his few running opportunities, decided to slide down to avoid injury. Expect him to be near full blast on Saturday in Richmond at City Stadium. One bad omen for Richmond might be the fact that City Stadium is an old converted race track and Edwards will most-assuredly be given the green flag against the Spiders.

One of the interesting wrinkles the Mountaineers have added to the offensive game plan for Saturday’s contest is putting Travaris Cadet, the back-up quarterback, as one of the starting wide receivers for the quarterfinal on Saturday. Now, I don’t profess to know X’s and O’s, but perhaps this move was made to utilize Cadet in the option game and to take advantage of a secondary that takes a lot of chances and jumps routes. Look for Cadet to catch the Spiders napping on at least one occasion on Saturday night and throw over the top.

Richmond presents several problems for the Mountaineers on Saturday evening, and one of those problems is mobile quarterback Eric Ward. Ward was able to expose the Mountaineer defense as a running presence last season and is a player that, though he’s not the game-changer Armanti Edwards is for ASU, is the best dual threat that the Mountaineers have faced this season at the quarterback position.

Another potential problem for the Mountaineers on Saturday is the size that Richmond has along its offensive line. That being said, no team has effectively been able to stop the Mountaineer offense with Edwards healthy this season, and in my opinion, that will again be the difference on Saturday evening in a defensive battle, as Edwards and ASU do enough to prevail.

Final Score: Appalachian State 20, Richmond 17

For the second year in a row, Appalachian State will welcome Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion South Carolina State to The Rock for an opening round game in the 2009 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The Mountaineers, who finished off their fifth-straight SoCon crown by clinching an outright league title with a 19-14 win over Western Carolina last Saturday, take on a Bulldogs team that has yet to lose an FCS game this season.

The only blemish on the SCSU slate was a 38-14 setback at South Carolina on Oct. 3., in a game that was competitive for the better part of three quarters. ASU was without All-American quarterback Armanti Edwards, who suffered a strained ACL in the win at Elon the previous week, but he is expected to be 100 percent for Saturday’s first-round clash with the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs were 37-21 losers in Boone last year in their first post-season appearance in 26 years. The Mountaineers are 6-2 all-time against teams from the MEAC, and 1-1 against MEAC teams in the postseason. The last time the Apps faltered against a team from the MEAC, it was in the FCS postseason, as Florida A&M came to The Rock a decade ago and came away with a 44-29 upset win over the SoCon co-champions to bring an early end to what seemed to be promising playoff prospects for the Mountaineers.

The Bulldogs last loss to an FCS team was that 37-21 loss they suffered on a cold, rainy afternoon at The Rock in 2008. It was a game in which Armanti Edwards, who sat out the final game of the 2008 regular season against Western Carolina, passed for a school-record 433 yards and 29-of-41 passing, which included four touchdown passes. The Mountaineers held just a 24-21 lead after three quarters of play before they broke away in the final quarter.

The Bulldogs have 12 starters back from that team that played so valiantly at The Rock last season. Leading the offense is a talented backfield that features senior quarterback Malcolm Long and senior running back William Ford, who comes to Boone as the MEAC’s all-time leading rusher.

Long is a much more experienced, poised quarterback this season, as opposed to last year in which was his first season as a starter for the Bulldogs. Long is a big, but surprisingly athletic presence at the quarterback position for the Bulldogs. In the 37-21 first-round loss to the Mountaineers last season, Long connected on 17-of-40 passes for 176 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

Long has managed to put together another strong season calling out the signals for the Bulldogs. He enters Saturday’s matchup having connected on 192-of-289 passes for 2,318 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. Long has made good decisions throwing the football in his second season as a starter.

When Long hands the ball off, it will be to Walter Payton Award candidate William Ford, who became the MEAC’s all-time leading rusher with his 156 yard, two touchdown performance in last Saturday’s 28-10 win over arch-rival North Carolina A&T. Ford, a 5'11", 180 pound running back from Traveler’s Rest, S.C., put forth a strong effort in last season’s loss to the Mountaineers at The Rock. He lived up to the hype the first time around, finishing the afternoon with 117 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.

Ford enters Saturday’s rematch having not quite posted the gaudy numbers he traveled to Boone with in 2008, but still enters the contest with an impressive stat line. In 11 games this season, Ford has rushed for 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns on a total of 187 rush attempts. He enters Saturday’s game with 4,649 career rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. As a receiving threat, Ford has also acquitted himself in fine fashion for SCSU, with 17 receptions for 118 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Ford is only one dimension of the two-headed monster the Bulldogs will bring to The Rock on Saturday afternoon. Ford, who’s more of the speed back in the SCSU offense, is complimented well by another Upstate South Carolina native, Travil Jamison, who acts as more of the power back for the Bulldogs.

Jamison, a 6'0", 200 pound senior, enters Saturday’s contest as the Bulldogs’ second-leading rusher, with 328 yards and five touchdowns on 88 rush attempts this season.

Although the Bulldogs will be without talented tight end Octavius Darby, who gave the Mountaineer secondary fits with five receptions for 68 yards and a couple of touchdowns last season, the Bulldogs bring a healthy corps of capable receiving options to Saturday’s first-round matchup.

The leading option of that talented group is senior Oliver Young. The All-MEAC wide receiver has led the Bulldogs in receiving the past two seasons, and has put together his strongest season yet as a Bulldog. In his first 11 games this season, Young has caught 58 passes for 903 yards and nine touchdowns. Young is the primary deep threat for the Bulldogs. He enjoyed his top performance of the 2009 season a couple of weeks ago in a 37-13 win over Morgan State, hauling in six passes for 166 yards and a couple of scores.

Another dangerous threat at receiver for SCSU entering Saturday’s contest is Terrance Smith. Smith is in his first season as a starting receiver for the Bulldogs and has been a reliable option for Long so far in his inaugural campaign as a starter. Through 11 games entering Saturday’s, Smith has caught 36 passes for 491 yards and four touchdowns.

Another experienced option at wide receiver for the Bulldogs is senior Matt Washington. Washington has been used primarily as a possession receiver for the Bulldogs this season. He is the team’s third-leading wideout, with 26 receptions for 311 yards.

The offensive line was a unit that was dealt the biggest blow as a result of graduation coming into the 2009 season, as All-American and MEAC offensive lineman of the year Raymond Harrison had to be replaced at center.

The Bulldogs did, however, return three talented starters along the front, anchored by first-team All-MEAC offensive tackle Jonathan Culbreath, who has NFL talent according to several draft sources. Culbreath teams with Juavahr Nathan (OG) and Casey Fortune (OG). The trio has helped the Bulldogs rank 34th in the FCS in rushing offense (158.4 YPG), 33rd in passing offense (219.9 YPG), 28th in total offense (378.3 YPG), and 16th in scoring offense (32.0 PPG).

Even more impressive than the offense for the Bulldogs in the ‘09 season has been the defense that SCSU has fielded in each of the previous 11 Saturday’s entering Saturday’s first-round showdown.

The Bulldogs bring the nation’s fifth-ranked defense (250.6 YPG) and ninth best scoring defense (15.1 PPG) to The Rock on Saturday. The Bulldogs have been strongest against the pass this season (151.1 YPG—ninth in FCS), but haven’t seen much of a drop-off against the run (99.5 YPG—14th in FCS).

The top unit on the defensive side of the football all season for the Bulldogs has been a talented, athletic group of linebackers. Leading that impressive unit again this season have been junior outside linebacker David Erby and former Clemson recruit Julius Wilkerson in the middle.

Erby is an athletic presence on the defensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs and has blossomed into one of the best linebackers in the MEAC. This season, Erby has accounted for 65 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and a blocked kick.

Wilkerson will occupy the middle linebacker position for the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon. The 6'4", 225 pound junior is a big, physical presence for South Carolina State and is another playmaker on the defensive side of the football for the Bulldogs.

Wilkerson was a highly sought after player coming out of high school, originally signing a national letter of intent to attend Clemson University, but ended up playing for Buddy Pough at South Carolina State. Wilkerson has put together a strong season for the Bulldogs and enters Saturday’s contest with the Mountaineers, having contributed 55 tackles, seven and a half tackles for loss, three and a half sacks, and has forced a couple of fumbles.

The defensive line is another strength of the Bulldogs’ defense and will present the Mountaineer offensive front with their toughest challenge since the Elon game a couple of weeks ago. Leading that strong unit entering Saturday’s affair is senior defensive end Markus James.

James has excellent quickness and athleticism, and is one of the premier playmakers on the defensive side of the football for the Bulldogs. So far in the ‘09 season, James has 13 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one and a half sacks.

Set to start at the other defensive end position for the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon against the Mountaineers is redshirt junior Jason Ayers. Ayers has been a solid presence along the defensive line this season for the Bulldogs, and like his teammate James, is an athletic, rangy pass rushing defensive end. In total this fall, Ayers has 15 tackles, eight and a half tackles for loss, and three and a half sacks.

The two interior positions along the defensive line for the Bulldogs will be occupied by sophomore Ronnel Ferguson and senior Otis Key. Ferguson will man the defensive tackle position, while Key will start at nose guard for the Bulldogs on Saturday. Ferguson has put up some healthy numbers along the defensive interior for the Bulldogs so far in ‘09, contributing 17 tackles, four and a half tackles for loss, and two sacks. Key has amassed 15 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery.

Rounding out the 4-2-5 defensive scheme for the Bulldogs is a talented secondary. Leading the unit entering Saturday’s showdown at The Rock is free safety Rafael Bush. The All-MEAC selection is a ball-hawk in the secondary for the Bulldogs. The senior is one of the catalysts of this SCSU defense, and comes into Saturday afternoon’s contest with 42 tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass break-ups, an interception, and a fumble recovery.

The strong safety position will be occupied by another talented, athletic presence in senior Markee Hamlin. Hamlin is a vicious hitter, with good size and speed. He enters Saturday’s first-round showdown with 40 tackles, three interceptions, three pass break-ups, and a tackle for loss. His three interceptions tie him for first with two other Bulldogs for the team lead in interceptions.

The ‘bandit’ safety position will be manned by junior Devonne Quattlebaum. Quattlebaum is another experienced, talented component of this SCSU secondary. Quattlebaum comes into Saturday’s contest with 35 tackles, four tackles for loss, half a sack, two fumble recoveries, three pass break-ups, and an interception.

The two starting cornerbacks for Saturday afternoon’s contest will be junior Semaj Moody and Phillip Adams. Both players were selected as members of the 2009 All-MEAC team and probably comprise the best tandem of corners the Mountaineers have faced this season. Moody, a junior, enters Saturday’s contest with 12 tackles, three interceptions, three pass break-ups, and a tackle for loss. Adams, a senior, has compiled 38 tackles, five tackles for loss, a team leading 11 pass break-ups, and three interceptions in ‘09.

Notes on Last Year’s Game

Appalachian State senior quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate Armanti Edwards passed for a school-record 433 yards and four touchdowns, helping lead No. 2 seeded Appalachian State University to a hard-fought 37-21 victory over South Carolina State in NCAA Division I FCS first-round playoff action at The Rock.

With the win, the Mountaineers were able to advance to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs for the fourth-straight year, rolling up a 557-325 advantage in total offense to take the contest. The Mountaineers also got impressive performances from a trio of wide receivers, as Brian Quick caught five passes for 95 yards and two scores while CoCo Hillary nearly matched Quick’s totals with five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown and tight end Ben Jorden hauled in six passes for 62 yards and a score.

Not to be lost in the impressive offensive effort, was the performance by the Black and Gold defense, which was led by outside linebacker D.J. Smith, who led all tacklers in the contest tying a career high with 16 tackles.

South Carolina State was led offensively by a Walter Payton Award candidate of its own in junior running back William Ford. Ford had 23 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown. Junior signal caller Malcolm Long was able to connect on 17-of-40 passes for 176 yards, a couple of touchdowns, and an interception.

 

Extra Notes

—Appalachian State senior quarterback Armanti Edwards is 40-6 all-time as a starting quarterback.

—With a win over SCSU, the Mountaineers have a potential matchup with either Elon or Richmond looming on the horizon. With an Elon win over Richmond, the Mountaineers would face the Phoenix for the second time in three weeks and it would mark the first time since the 2005 season that the Apps have faced a SoCon team twice in the same season, last playing Furman twice in the 2005 campaign. I

f the Mountaineers should face Richmond, it would be the third straight season ASU has faced the Spiders and would mark Appalachian State's first road playoff game since December 8, 2001, when ASU faced Georgia Southern. That was also the last time the Mountaineers faced a defending national champion in the FCS playoffs. Richmond came to Boone and got a 33-13 win over the Apps en route to the school’s first ever national title. That ended the Mountaineers’ streak of 13 straight FCS playoff victories in continuous seasons from 2005-08.

—Edwards was named the SoCon’s Player of the Year for the second year in a row, while left tackle Mario Acitelli claimed the Jacobs Blocking Award and head coach Jerry Moore was the league’s Coach of the Year. Edwards, who claimed the league’s Player of the Year honor for the second straight season, became the first player in league history to accomplish that feat in consecutive campaigns.

 

Edwards was able to connect on 26-of-35 passes for 355 yards and and rushed for 106 yards and four TDs on the afternoon, averaging 8.2 yards-per-carry, to help the Mountaineers roll up 554 yards of total offense on a day, which never saw the Paladins get closer than 14 points.

Edwards’ strong day was capped off by becoming the first quarterback in NCAA Division I football history (FBS or FCS) to pass for over 9,000 yards and rush for over 4,000 yards in the lopsided win. He did so with a 14-yard completion to CoCo Hillary midway through the second quarter.

Furman began what would become a peculiar afternoon in a rivalry decided by an average of 4.4 points over the last decade, with an on-sides kick, which resulted in an illegal touching penalty, gave the Apps the ball in good field position from the outset.

Using only five plays, the Mountaineers took a quick 7-0 lead, when Edwards found tight end Ben Jorden an a 16-yard pass play to get the scoring underway for the Mountaineers early.

Furman, which benefitted from a couple of personal foul penalties on the ensuing kickoff to move the ball inside the ASU 20, looked as if it might even the contest in a swift manner, however, senior Paladin quarterback Jordan Sorrells was picked off by ASU defensive back Dominique McDuffie forced Furman transfer wide receiver Tyler Maples (Tennessee) to fumble, ending the Paladins’ threat.

On perhaps its most impressive drive of an afternoon filled with offensive fireworks for the Mountaineers, the Black and Gold did everything it could to further dampen the spirits of the Furman defense. Using 13 plays, the Mountaineers got in the end zone courtesy of Edwards’ first of four rushing scores on the day, with a three-yard scamper, which gave the Apps a 14-0 lead late in the opening quarter of play.

The Mountaineers found the end zone on three of their final five possessions of the first half and seven of their next nine series overall. They led by as many as 29 points on two occasions and rested the majority of their starters after Jason Vitaris’ 25-yard field goal made it 52-27 with 1:29 to go in the third quarter.

The Mountaineers did a majority of their damage in the first three quarters of play, gaining 489 of its total 554 yards offensive yards in the first three quarters of play. Despite falling short of the 600-yard plateau for the first time in four weeks, ASU broke the 50-point barrier for the third time in four games.

The victory marked the 17th consecutive SoCon win for Appalachian State -- the longest in the league since West Virginia reeled off 30 straight conference wins from 1952-59.

For Furman, it was its third loss in the last four games, including two in a row. For the second-straight season against the Mountaineers, it was a Furman offense that was led by the tough running of sophomore Tersoo Uhaa, who gained a career-high 114 yards and scored a TD in the setback.

Sorrells, who split time with sophomore UCLA transfer Chris Forcier, connected on 10-of-17 passes for 165 yards and a couple of scores, while Forcier rushed the ball four times for 41 yards, including his first TD as a Paladin-a 25-yard run late in the third quarter.

Trailing 21-0, Furman would finally get on the board for the first time on the dreary afternoon, with a four-yard scoring run at the 9:39 mark of the second quarter, but ASU answered with a 10-play, 71-yard drive capped by Edwards’ fourth touchdown responsibility of the first half, a 1-yard plunge with 5:43 to go.

The two teams traded scores before the half to send the Mountaineers into the locker room with a 35-13 lead. Appalachian State’s onslaught continued on its first possession of the third quarter when Edwards scored on a 5-yard keeper to make it 42-13.

Edwards completed his stellar performance with a 21-yard touchdown pass to CoCo Hillary midway through the third period, putting the Mountaineers ahead 49-20.

Appalachian State senior wide receiver Matt Cline had a career day, hauling in eight passes for 122 yards for the Black and Gold, while junior Palmetto State native CoCo Hillary (Edgefield, S.C.) hauled in six catches for 83 yards and a TD.

Furman’s receiving efforts were led by junior wideout Adam Mims, who hauled in five passes for 102 yards, including a career-long 72-yard scoring play in the third quarter.

In search of it’s unprecedented fifth-straight victory over Furman, Appalachian State must avoid a letdown coming off their most-complete performance of the 2009 campaign.

The Paladins and Mountaineers will be meet for the 40th time on Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium, with the Paladins holding a 21-15-3 lead in the all-time series edge, however, the Mountaineers come to Greenville riding their most successful streak in the series that began in 1971, with an uncanny, 0-0 tie.

For a rivalry that saw its beginning with a dull 0-0 draw, the past decade has provided perhaps more fantastic finishes than any other Division I football rivalry during that same time period.

The Mountaineers, who rolled up 712 yards of total offense against Georgia Southern Saturday (one yard from tying a school record set against Piedmont in 1936), also put together one of its most-impressive defensive performances of the season, limiting the Eagles to just 171 yards of total offense.

The 712 yards by the Mountaineers were the most yards ever allowed by an Eagle defense, surpassing the 680 yards the Florida Gators gained against an Eagle defense in 1996. The 52-16 victory by the Mountaineers was the largest margin of victory against the traditional SoCon titans in the modern era.

Defending Walter Payton Award winner Armanti Edwards, who became one of two Division I college football other Division I college quarterbacks to ever pass for 8,000 yards and rush for 2,000 yards, was able to help the Apps compile much of the offensive damage in just over two quarters of play last Saturday.

In the win over the Eagles, Edwards, a senior, led the assault with 381 yards of total offense, despite being removed from the game after just two second-half series. Three-hundred and twenty of the yards came through the air on 26-of-34 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 61 yards on six carries.

Meanwhile, Furman entered it’s game with arch-rival The Citadel with similar aspirations as their Black and Gold counterparts when it made its trek to the Low Country, but things were a ‘Stark’ contrast to what happened in the High Country.

Redshirt freshman Miguel Starks made his first collegiate start against the Paladins, and exposed the Furman defense in almost every possible way in a, 38-28, homestanding Bulldogs—a team that also carried the Mountaineers to overtime in a 30-27 setback three weeks ago.

The Citadel rolled up 479 yards of total offense, including a season-high 296 yards against an ailing Furman defense. Starks had 327 yards and accounted for five TDs, without an interception.

The Paladins are a team that are much in the same place that many thought they might be hard to be at the beginning of the season—a team’s that’s success hinged on a defense that returned just four starters. So far, the theme has played out as many had prognosticated. The Paladins sport one of the league’s top offenses entering Saturday afternoon’s contest (383.3 YPG., 3rd in SoCon), while posting the league’s worst defense (411.9 YPG, 9th in SoCon).

Furman is led by senior signal-caller Jordan Sorrells. The Greenville native is on the cusp of an impressive individual mark on Saturday, as he looks to surpass Ingle Martin as the school’s all-time passing leader. In his career to this point, Sorrells has passed for 5,414 yards in his and needs just 238 yards passing to set the school’s all-time mark Saturday.

To this point in 2009, Sorrells has 150-of-234 passes for 1,573 yards, 12 TDs and five interceptions. In last season’s 26-14 loss in Boone, Sorrells was able to make good on 18-of-33 throws for 147 yards and an interception. In Sorrells’ career against the Apps, he has connected on 19-of-36 passes for 139 yards and an interception.

Furman, which brings the league’s third-ranked passing attack (236.3 YPG.). Sorrells’ favorite target this season has been Adam Mims. (50 rec., 511 yards, 1 TD and 10.2 YPR.). Mims currently ranks second in the league in receiving, including catching five passes for 46 yards against the Mountaineers last season.

Mims is only the beginning of the worries for talented Mountaineer defensive backs like Cortez Gilbert and Mark LeGree on Saturday afternoon. R.J. Webb, a veteran receiver, who is one of the best stories after returning from ACL tears in both knees, is another player that has to be accounted for. The 6'2", 205-pound receiver is the team’s most physical threats, and is one of two former high school quarterbacks that is a threat to throw for Furman. So far this season, Webb has hauled in 20 passes for 167 yards and two TDs (8.4 YPR.). Webb, despite the two knee injuries, is a threat on the deep ball, as he showed Saturday when Citadel defensive back Demetrius Jackson had to take a holding infraction to prevent another Paladin aerial score. Webb also has a 55-yard pass completion on an end-around in Furman’s 52-12 loss to Missouri.

Sedderik Cunningham his been the player in the Furman passing attack that has blossomed into the receiver everyone around the program knew he’d be upon his arrival. Cunningham, also a high school quarterback, caught a TD and threw a TD (a 29-yard pass to fellow wideout David Hendrix) on a play similar to the one that Webb was able to be successful on against Mizzou. In all, Cunningham has hauled in 19 passes for 277 yards (14.6 YPR.) and a TD. His speed makes him one of the Paladins multiple deep threats.

Rounding out those playmakers in the passing game for the Paladins are David Hendrix (15 rec., 299 yds., 2 TDs, and a team-leading 19.9 YPR.) and University of Tennessee transfer Tyler Maples (15 rec., 124 yds., co-team leading 3 TD receptions, and 8.3 YPR.).

Though he leads the team in yards-per-reception, Hendrix is not known for his prowess as a deep threat, but has among the best pair of hands on the team. Hendrix was the most-effective receiver against the Apps last season, with six catches for 61 yards. Maples, on the other hand, is a playmaker with above average speed, possessing the elusivity to make yards after the catch.

Tight end Chris Truss (6 rec., 42 yds., 3 TDs) is one of the league’s top tight ends, and after the Paladins lost Larry Hedden to a career-ending knee injury and Seth Skogen decided to transfer, Truss stepped up and not only became one of the best receiving tight ends in the SoCon, but arguably the country. The 6'4", 262-pound Truss is an impressive target.

The Paladins bring a running game into Saturday’s affair that ranks fourth in the league (), led by Jerry Williams (66 att., 359 yds.,1 TD) ), Mike Brown (16 att., 64 yds., 4.0 YPC.) and Tersoo Uhaa (84 att., 327 yds., 8 TDs, 3.9 YPC.), although both Williams and Uhaa sustained minor injuries on Saturday, however, should be available for action on Saturday.

It was Uhaa that powered the Furman rushing attack last season when Furman came to Boone for the Black Saturday showdown. In between the Apps and the Paladins. Uhaa rushed 17 times for 99 yards and accounted for Furman’s only two TDs of the afternoon, leading a Furman rushing effort that put up one of its best performances of the 2008 season, with 208 yards on the ground.

All three running backs are capable of catching the ball out of the backfield and making plays in the passing game, as well. Williams is the leader of those receiving threats, having caught 12 passes for 120 yards and a TD (10.0 YPR.), with a season-best reception of 38 yards in which he made a series of moves that resembled former Furman great, Louis Ivory.

Furman’s offensive line might be performing as well as it has since the Paladins were a regular contender back in 2005. The Paladins’ offensive front is anchored by both Tyler Haynes (OG) and Heath Cockburn (OG). Furman is tied for the league lead with Wofford in sacks allowed (five sacks, 0.71 PG.). The Paladin offensive front has helped Furman rank in the upper echelon of the SoCon in every offensive statistical category.

In stark contrast, a defense that returned only four starters from a year ago has struggled to stop anyone in ‘09. The Paladins enter Saturday’s rivalry showdown, ranking last in the league in total defense (411.9 YPG.), scoring defense (26.9 PPG.), and passing defense (261.7 YPG.), however, until last Saturday, have performed moderately well against the run (150.0 YPG., 4th in SoCon).

Furman’s veteran, but somewhat inexperienced defensive line struggled to sustain in sort of consistency in last week’s loss to the Bulldogs. The Paladins are led up front by nose guard Justin Brown, a two-time All-SoCon performer, and defensive end Kyle McKinney  who returned recently from a preseason foot injury. Shaun Van Rensburg rounds out the trio of senior veteran starters along the front.

First-year starting linebacker Kadarron Anderson (91 tackles, five TFLs, 1 FR and13.0 TPG.) appears well on his way to making a healthy assault on Furman all-time tackles ledger. The former high school rival of Appalachhian State signal-caller Armanti Edwards, Anderson, who attended crosstown rival Emerald High School in Greenwood, S.C., turned in a 19-tackle effort in Furman’s 19-12 loss to Elon earlier this season. He team’s with Chris Wiley (54 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, two sacks, 3 FRs, and 1 INT) to form perhaps Furman’s strongest unit the defensive side of the football.

What was supposed to be a strong season for a secondary that returned three starters, one of which was a second-team all-league performer last season, in rover Max Lerner (41 tackles, 2 TFLs and 2 INTs). Lerner has had a strong season, but has had to deal with inexperience in other areas, coupled with losing one of its best corners in the history Furman football, William Middleton.

However, he does have senior bandit Julian Hicks (37 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 3 PBUs) to add some experience in the secondary. When the Paladins starting experimenting with their 4-2-5 defensive scheme in the latter part of the 2007 season, they used Hicks in a variety of different circumstances to try and confuse as well as disrupt the suddenly ‘spread-happy’ SoCon.

Furman’s biggest weakness has been its cornerbacks, particularly Jordan Griffin (40 tackles, 5 PBUs, 1 TFL), who is the more inexperienced of the two starters slated for Saturday’s contest. Ryan Steed (42 tackles, 2 INTs, team-leading 8 PBUs), who bears the same number as Middleton did last season, might not have the speed and experience, but his overall athleticism is possibly more impressive. Steed, an accomplished basketball player at Pinewood Prep in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is being groomed to be one of the best to ever don the Purple and White, just as his predecessor was able to do in his senior season.

Furman, which would need a miraculous string of events to even sniff the post-season, seems likely a team ripe for the picking for one of the nation’s top offenses and a game that should see the Mountaineers a double-digit favorite even in Greenville, but then again, if head coach Jerry Moore can find a way to keep his team’s focus, he’ll remind them of 2004. A season which the shoe was on the other foot, and head coach Bobby Lamb led a Furman team into Boone, led by Florida transfer QB Ingle Martin and an offense that was similar to the one Appalachian State will bring to Greenville to on Saturday (501.7 YPG., 1st in FCS).

In 2004, Appalachian State was coming off a 54-7 loss and needed some of those same miracles the Mountaineers needed five years ago that Furman needs this season to make the playoffs. Also, in comparison to the Paladins, the Mountaineers brought what would turn out to be the worst defenses (33.0 PPG) in school history into that meeting. However, Richie Williams’ heroic effort (40-of-45 passing, 413 yards, 2 TDs, no INTs, 3 TD responsibilities and an NCAA record 28-straight completions), was enough for the Apps to forge a one-point, 30-29, upset win over the Paladins that afternoon. It might take an even more miraculous effort from Sorrells and his offensive mates Saturday to overcome the juggernaut Mountaineers.

Saturday’s contest for the Mountaineers is as important as any for Appalachian this season. The Mountaineers, who are two weeks out from a game that is shaping up to be a SoCon classic, need not lose sight of the significance of this rivalry and, like Furman in Charleston last Saturday, the Mountaineers need to take heed of what happens when an arch-rival is taken too lightly.

Noting Last Year’s Game

An opportunistic Appalachian State defense that forced the Paladins to turn the ball twice inside the red zone, and three times on its own half of the field, coupled with the timely passing of eventual Walter Payton Award winning QB Armanti Edwards (16-of-24 passing, 186 yards, two TDs, and no INTs ), were enough to help the Mountaineers gain their fourth-straight win over Furman, 26-14, on another Black Saturday at The Rock.

Furman, which actually out-gained (354-319) the Mountaineers, held Edwards to just 16 yards rushing, however, a season-long 84-yard run by Devin Radford helped the Mountaineers jump out to a 13-0 lead and they never looked back, despite that offensive success by the Paladins.

Appalachian State-Georgia Southern. Enough Said.

Nothing seems to matter when the fourth week of October rolls around and Appalachian State takes to the gridiron against the Georgia Southern Eagles.

Despite the Mountaineers being the only team sporting a ranking entering this season’s matchup, the prestige can be gauged in the fact that the two schools have combined for nine national championships and 17 SoCon titles.

In fact, the last two meetings between Georgia Southern and Appalachian State have been decided by a total of four points and in 2006, the game was decided by seven points in favor of the Mountaineers in overtime at Paulson Stadium. At the Division I level, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rivalry that boasts that type of success.

Appalachian State enters Saturday’s contest against the Eagles, winners of 15-straight Southern Conference games, with the last team to defeat the Black and Gold being Georgia Southern back on Oct. 20, 2007.

The Eagles and Mountaineers will be squaring off for the 25th time on Saturday afternoon, with the Mountaineers holding a 12-11-1 all-time series edge. The game is especially crucial for the Eagles, who are in search of their post-season bid in four years, which is Georgia Southern’s longest playoff drought since the rebirth of football in Statesboro in 1982.

Georgia Southern’s playoff hopes hang by a tiny thread entering Saturday’s showdown at The Rock, having already dropped three games on the 2009 season. A fourth loss to Appalachian State on Saturday would likely spell the end of Georgia Southern’s playoff hopes for a fifth-straight season.

The Eagles and Mountaineers always know what’s at stake when the two square off on 24. the gridiron in mid-late October. No other rivalry at the FCS level boasts two programs with as much success as the two that will square off on Saturday afternoon at The Rock.

Georgia Southern, which enters Saturday’s contest with its only conference loss coming to Elon (28-14) back on Sept. 29, could go a long way in getting back some of that swagger the Eagles once had earlier this decade under the direction of current Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson.

The Eagles and Mountaineers are two of the most successful FCS programs this decade. Appalachian State, which boasts a 94-32 (.744) record since 2000, is second to only Montana in wins and winning percentage. Georgia Southern, who has compiled an 80-38 mark (.675), is eighth in victories and winning percentage during that same time span.

The Mountaineers and Eagles have also combined to win four of the 10 national titles in the past 10 years.

Georgia Southern enters Saturday’s contest with Appalachian State riding a bit of a wave of momentum, having won a 30-20 decision over Chattanooga on Saturday evening at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. In the victory over Chattanooga on Saturday, it was a banner day for the running game, as Adam Urbano rushed for a career-high 153 yards and a couple of TDs en route to the victory over the Mocs.

Coming into Saturday’s game against Appalachian State, Georgia Southern is led by quarterback Lee Chapple.

The 6'1", 190-pound sophomore from Alpharetta, GA, has had an up-and-down season thus far for the Eagles, but the Georgia Southern offense is playing the best it has played all season coming into Saturday’s contest with Appalachian State. So far this season, Chapple has connected on 154-of-235 passes for 1,188 yards and seven TDs and nine interceptions this season.

Chapple’s favorite target coming into Saturday’s contest has been true freshman wide receiver Jamere Valentine. Valentine, a 6'1", 200-pound native of Myrtle Beach, SC, has been one of the top young receivers in the league so far this season.

Valentine possesses good speed and excellent hands. Valentine has been consistently good all season and leads the team, having hauled in 34 passes for 294 yards and has a team-leading four TD receptions. He’s averaging 8.6 yards-per-reception.

Two other top options in the passing game for the Eagles this season have been Mitch Williford and Patrick Barker. Williford, a 6'3", 180-pound true freshman wide receiver from Duluth, GA, is a big, physical wide receiver that, like Valentine, has proven to be a reliable option in the passing game for the Eagles this fall.

So far this season, Williford has been able to haul in 21 passes for 176 yards, averaging 8.4 yards per reception.

Rounding out the young receiving options for Georgia Southern coming into Saturday’s contest is Patrick Barker. The 6'1", 165-pound native of Ponte Vedra, FL, is pure speed and he is the main long ball threat for the Eagles. Barker has caught 23 passes for 174 passes and a TD this season. Barker is averaging 7.6 yards-per-reception.

The running game this season has been led by the tandem of Adam Urbano and Darreion Robinson. Both are versatile threats and can be used as run-pass options coming out of the backfield for the Eagles.

Georgia Southern had trouble running the football until last week’s victory over Chattanooga. Urbano, a 5'8", 190-pound from Calhoun, GA, has proven to be a threat both as a running threat and a threat catching the ball out of the backfield for the Eagles.

Urbano rushed for a career-high 153 yards in the 30-20 win over Chattanooga. So far this season, Urbano has led the Eagles’ ground attack, having rushed for 528 yards and five TDs on 104 carries so far this season for the Eagles.

As a receiving threat coming out of the backfield, Urbano has caught 28 passes for 235 yards, and is the team’s second-leading rusher.

Robinson, a 5'9", 185-pound running back from Bishop, GA, is another player that is a dual threat coming out of the backfield for the Eagles. Robinson, like Urbano, has excellent hands for catching the ball coming out of the backfield for Georgia Southern. As a running threat for the Eagles this season, Robinson has rushed for 244 yards and a TD on 54 rushing attempts in ‘09, averaging 4.5 yards-per-carry.

The offensive line has been a source of concern for the Eagles this season, as the unit has yielded a league worst 15 sacks so far this season. Anchoring the offensive front for Georgia Southern this fall has been Cole Fountain, who was a preseason All-SoCon candidate.

Fountain, a 6'3", 300-pound native of Cartersville, GA, will start at the right tackle position for the Eagles, and he should challenge for all-league honors this season. He has helped the Eagles rank fourth in the league in scoring offense (24.2 PPG.), fifth in total offense (317.2 YPG.), fourth in rushing offense (138.8 YPG. and fifth in passing offense (178.5 YPG.)

Fountain is joined along the offensive line by Trey Dunmon (C), Jonathan Loving (LG), Brandavious Mann (LT) and William Maxwell (RG).

One area the Eagles continue to improve as each week of the season progresses is on the defensive side of the football. Anchoring the defensive front for the Eagles coming into Saturday’s showdown with Appalachian State is redshirt defensive tackle Brent Russell. The 6'2", 270-pound native of Bowman, GA, was forced to miss much of the 2008 season with a knee injury that he suffered in preseason drills prior to last season.

Russell sports tremendous quickness and power along the defensive line, and has aquitted himself as one of the league’s premier defensive lineman. So far in ‘09, Russell has recorded 35 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, five sacks and an interception. His five sacks are tied for the league lead in that category.

Joining Russell as a starter along the defensive line at defensive tackle is nose tackle Markeith Wylie. Wylie, a 6'0", 295-pound native of Washington, GA, is another player capable of garnering all-league honors this fall. The big, physical Wylie also sports excellent quickness as a presence along the defensive line for the Eagles.

In all this season, Wylie has been able to record 21 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, and ranks second on the team in sacks, with three quarterback hits.

Rounding out the defensive linemen expected to start Saturday against Appalachian State is senior defensive end Harland Bower. The 6'2", 240-pound senior bookend from Edison, NJ, is one of the emotional leaders of the defense for the Eagles.

Bower is a powerful player that possesses deceptive quickness. Bower comes into Saturday’s game against Appalachian State, having recorded 22 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack and a pass break-up.

The Eagles also have a talented group of linebackers coming into Saturday afternoon’s game at Appalachian State. One of the top defensive players in the SoCon this fall has been middle linebacker Dion Dubose, who ranked as one of the league’s top freshman linebackers last season.

Dubose, a 6'0", 240-pound native of Dacula, GA, has good size and moves extremely well for his size. Dubose is also one of the more physical players on the defensive side of the football for the Eagles. Coming into Saturday’s game with the Mountaineers, Dubose has recorded 58 tackles and 3.5 tackles-for-loss to lead the team.

Tavaris Williams and Terroine Benefield will flank Dubose on both sides at the respective outside linebacker positions. Williams, a 5'11", 200-pound native of Valdosta, GA, is one of the top athletes on the defensive side of the football for the Eagles.

Prior to this season, Williams was mostly a presence on special teams for the Eagles last season. Williams has put up some solid numbers so far in ‘09, recording 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, two pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries.

Benefield rounds out the starters at linebacker for the Eagles at the weakside linebacker position. The 6'0", 210-pound native of Conyers, GA, is the most experienced players on the defensive side of the football for Georgia Southern. Benefield has been one of the defensive stalwarts for the Eagles this season.

One the headiest players on the defensive side of the ball, Benefield has recorded 23 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and a sack so far this season for the Eagles. Benefield is one of the emotional leaders on the defensive side of the football for the Eagles.

The secondary for the Eagles has looked good for the Eagles this season. Leading the Georgia Southern secondary this season has been free safety Derek Heyden, who should compete for All-SoCon accolades for the Eagles this fall. Heyden, a 6'1", 175-pound native of Atlanta, GA, is a tremendous athlete and has shown the ability to make plays both against the pass as well as against the run this season.

Heyden made an immediate impact as a true freshman last season, and has managed to build on that success this fall. So far in ‘09, Heyden has recorded 38 tackles and a tackle-for-loss.

Set to start at the other two safety positions for the Eagles heading into Saturday’s contest with the Mountaineers are Hudson Presume at the "bandit" safety position and Darius Eubanks at the "rover" safety position.

Presume, a 5'9", 170-pound native of Bradenton, FL, is one of the premier athletes on the defensive side of the football for the Eagles and is a player that can make plays against both the pass and the run with his athleticism. This season, Presume has recorded 26 tackles.

Eubanks, a 6'0", 190-pound true freshman from Harlem, GA, has had an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball as a part of the secondary for the Eagles this fall. Like his teammate Presume, Eubanks is a tremendous athlete and runs extremely well. Eubanks has aquitted himself well as a true freshman this season, recording 33 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two pass break-ups and has forced a fumble.

The two starters at the respective cornerback positions heading into Saturday’s showdown at The Rock are Darrell Pasco and LaRon Scott, both of whom could challenge for all-league plaudits this season.

Scott, a 5'9", 171-pound native of Warner Robins, GA, actually assumed the starting role at one of the cornerback positions after it was learned Carson Hill would be academically ineligible for the 2009 season.

Scott, who’s without question a candidate for all-freshman team honors, has 33 tackles, a tackle-for-loss, five pass break-ups and is tied for the team lead with two interceptions this fall.

Rounding out the starters on the defensive side of the football for the Eagles is Darrell Pasco. The 6'0", 170-pound native of Clearwater, FL, burst onto the scene last season after transferring into Georgia Southern from Georgia Military. Pasco is a ball-hawking cornerback, that always seems to put himself in position to make plays against the pass.

Pasco has racked up 28 tackles, a team-leading seven pass break-ups, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, including one in which he returned 85 yards for a TD. Pasco appears to be well on his way to garnering all-league honors.

Noting Last Year’s Game

Appalachian State 37, Georgia Southern 36

Writing perhaps the most dramatic chapter in the always-thrilling Appalachian State-Georgia Southern rivalry, No. 2 Appalachian took the lead with 2:36 to play stood up GSU in the red zone twice in the final two minutes to hold on for a 37-36 win at Paulson Stadium.

The win marked Appalachian’s third win in one of FCS football’s most hostile environments, including coming away with its second-consecutive win in the facility. Armanti Edwards almost single-handedly led Appalachian in the heart-stopping triumph, accounting for 333 of ASU’s 454 total yards and all five Appalachian TDs in the win.

Georgia Southern was led by quarterback Antonio Henton, who connected on 16-of-38 passes for 292 yards, while rushing for 99 yards and a couple of TDs.

Extra Notes for Saturday’s Game

—Appalachian State enters Saturday’s contest having won 15-straight Southern Conference games, dating back to Oct. 20, 2007, when the Eagles were 38-35 losers to Georgia Southern Eagles. That loss also snapped ASU’s 30-game home winning streak at The Rock.

—Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards was not only named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, he also garnered National Player of the Week accolades by The Sports Network after his performance in ASU’s 44-34 win over Wofford last Saturday.

Edwards completed Saturday’s game against the Terriers, connecting on 27-of-34 passes for 415 yards and two TDs. In total this fall, Edwards has connected on 104-of-145 passes for 1,408 yards, five TDs and an interception. As a rushing threat, Edwards has rushed for 283 yards and a team-leading eight TDs on 60 attempts.

—Edwards’ 415-yard passing effort against Wofford on Saturday vaulted him to the top of the SoCon’s all-time passing list with 8,509 passing yards.

—Appalachian State has been explosive offensively, especially over the past two weeks, surpassing the 600-yard total offense plateau against Wofford and North Carolina Central. The Mountaineers racked up a season-high 644 yards in a 55-21 win over NC Central and had 611 yards in the victory over Wofford.

—Junior running back Devon Moore enters Saturday’s contest with the Eagles leading the SoCon in rushing, having gained 668 yards and scored six TDs on 119 attempts. He’s averaging 5.6 yards-per-carry and 111.3 yards-per game.

—Saturday’s matchup between the Mountaineers and Eagles will mark the 25th all-time meeting between the two school’s, with Appalachian State holding a narrow 12-11-1 series advantage.

—Either Appalachian State or Georgia Southern has claimed at least a share of all but one SoCon title (2003) this decade.

Having passed its first league test against Bulldogs of a different sort, Appalachian State travels to the Port City of Charleston, S.C., to battle the SoCon’s lone service academy, when the Mountaineers face The Citadel on Saturday afternoon.

The Mountaineers have had tremendous run of success against the Bulldogs over the past couple of decades, which includes winning 14 of the last 15 tilts with the Bulldogs. The only loss during that 15-year period came back in 2003, when the Mountaineers were 24-21 losers to the Cadets, accounting for only one of two league games the Apps would drop during that particular campaign.

Appalachian State and The Citadel will be squaring off for the 38th time when the two meet on Saturday, with the Black and Gold holding a commanding 26-11 all-time series edge.

After beginning the season with a 40-6 loss to 20th-ranked North Carolina, the Bulldogs have rebounded to win two contests, getting consecutive victories over Princeton (38-7) and Presbyterian (46-21). In the preseason polls voted on by the league’s media and coaches, the Bulldogs were selected to finish sixth by the coaches and seventh by the media.

The Bulldogs have 13 starters back from a team that finished 4-8 last season. Leading that Citadel attack on the offensive side of the football is junior signal-caller Bart Blanchard. Last season was Blanchard’s first full season as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs, but actually took over the role late in the 2007 season, when starting quarterback Duran Lawson actually went down with a season-ending injury in a loss at Georgia Southern.

His first start in the ‘07 season came against eventual national champion Appalachian State. Blanchard finished the ‘08 season by connecting on 20-of-345 passes for 2,436 yards, 19 TDs and 11 INTs. In last season’s 47-21 loss in Boone, Blanchard connected on 17-of-41 passes for 172 yards, with a TD and an interception. So far this season, Blanchard has connected on 57-of-93 passes for 574 yards, with seven TD passes and five INTs. Blanchard is coming off an impressive performance in The Citadel’s 46-21 win over Presbyterian last Saturday, Blanchard was impressive, completing 20-of-30 passes for 263 yards, tying a school-record with six TD passes and threw a couple of INTs. For his efforts, Blanchard was named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week.

Blanchard has one of the top receivers in the nation to throw the ball to, in Walter Payton Award candidate Andre Roberts. Roberts finally got untracked in the ‘09 season in Saturday night’s win over Presbyterian, as he caught 12 passes for 184 yards and was on the other end of four of those six TD passes from Blanchard. His four TD receptions also accounted for a school-record for most TD receptions in a game for a Bulldog player. He increased his career receiving yards to 3,221 improving him to third all-time in the Southern Conference, while his 233 catches improved him to second all-time in the SoCon.

The talented senior wide receiver is also one of the nation’s most-talented punt return men, as evidenced by his 50-yard punt return for a score in The Citadel’s loss to Appalachian State last fall. In the 47-21 loss to the Mountaineers last season, Roberts caught six passes for 52 yards. Appalachian managed to do one of the best jobs in limiting Roberts’ success in the passing game last season.

So far this season, Roberts is the league’s second-leading receiver, having caught 25 passes for 270 yards and four TDs, including averaging 10.8 yards-per-reception in three outings this season. As a punt return threat this season, Roberts has three returns for 66 yards on the campaign.

Joining Roberts as a legitimate receiving option for the Bulldogs entering Saturday’s showdown with Appalachian State is sophomore speedster Kevin Hardy. The 6-0, 184-pound native of Ocala, FL., also excels as a member of The Citadel’s track team. Hardy is a player that saw very limited action as a freshman wide receiver last fall. On the season, Hardy has five receptions for 49 yards, averaging 9.8 YPR.

The Bulldogs second-leading pass-catcher and the team’s most-reliable possession receiver is junior Scott Harward. Harward, a 5-10, 190-pound native of Spartanburg, S.C., is seeing his first action in the Bulldogs’ starting wide receiver rotation this season, after catching only one pass for four yards as a reserve wide receiver last season. This season, Harward, despite the lack of previous playing time, has proven to be a reliable receiving option, having caught 15 passes for 166 yards, averaging 11.1 YPR.

Another big target in the receiving game for the Bulldogs is tight end Alex Sellars. Sellars, a 6-5, 245-pound product of Greenwood, S.C., has acquitted himself as one of the SoCon’s best pass-catching tight ends. Sellars should challenge for All-SoCon honors this season, and when the Mountaineers secondary did a sound job of helping shutdown Roberts in last year’s game between the Bulldogs and Mountaineers, Sellars was able to be a significant factor himself, as he hauled in a nine-yard TD pass from Blanchard-the Bulldogs’ lone passing touchdown of the day. So far this fall, Sellars has hauled in four passes for 47 yards, three of which are TD catches.

The running game has done better than expected, especially since the return of Terrell Dallas to the running game in week two versus Princeton. Dallas is a player that has become the lynchpin of the running game this season, especially since the departure of All-Freshman team running back Asheton Jordan during the off-season. In two games this fall, Dallas has carried the ball on 15 occasions for 53 yards and has scored two TDs so far this season.

The other two significant parties in the running game this season have been backup quarterback Miguel Starks and running back Van Dyke Jones. Starks, a 6-2, 219-pound redshirt freshman has proved to be the best option in the running game this season, leading the team in rushing with 156 yards rushing and a TD on 25 attempts, including averaging 6.2 YPC.

Van Dyke Jones has been another surprising, youthful edition to the running game this season, ranking second on the team in rushing. The 5-10, 180-pound native of Norfolk, VA., is the speediest player in the Bulldogs running game. He is the Bulldogs’ second-leading rusher this season, having amassed 80 yards and a TD on 19 attempts, averaging 4.2 YPC.

Perhaps the biggest reason for such improvement on the offensive side of the football this season can be directly attributed to the play of The Citadel’s offensive line. A young contingent last season, the Bulldogs welcomed back four starters to the fold this season, including two fifth-year seniors. The top player along the talented OL is preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection Daniel DeHaven. The 6-5, 290-pound senior from Charleston, S.C., has been a starter for the Bulldogs at one of the offensive tackle positions since the latter part of the 2006 season.

DeHaven is joined up front by Colton Clifton (LG), Thomas Suggs (C), Cory Pope (RG) and Lincoln King (RT). Clifton is the other of the fifth-year senior starters along the offensive line for the Bulldogs. This contingent has helped the Bulldogs offense average 30.0 PPG. and 316.0 YPG. coming into Saturday’s contest against the Mountaineers.

The defense returned eight starters from last season’s unit, and has been solid so far in the ‘09 season for the Bulldogs. The unit is led by one of the premier defensive lines in the SoCon this season, which is anchored by all-league nose tackle Terrence Reese and all-league bookend DeWitt Jones. Reese, a 6-0, 286-pound senior from North, S.C., is one of the veteran leaders on the defensive side of the football. Reese garnered First-Team All-SoCon honors last fall, after completing the ‘08 season with 49 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks to garner all-league honors. So far this season, Reese has recorded 12 tackles and a tackle-for-loss.

DeWitt Jones is coming off a ‘08 season in which he was able to lead the team in sacks last fall, completing the ‘08 season with four sacks. In total, Jones completed the ‘08 season with 66 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks. Jones is a tremendous athlete and will be one of the best pure pass-rusher’s the Apps have faced this season. Jones is off to a solid start to the ‘09 season, having registered 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and has a sack.

Rounding out the starters along the defensive line for the Bulldogs going into Saturday’s contest against the Black and Gold are defesive tackle Demarrio Sims and defensive end Erik Clanton. Sims was the lone non-returning starter coming into the ‘09 season, and has done a nice job of filling his role at the starting defensive tackle position so far this fall. Simms, a 6-2, 258-pound from Reddick, FL., is a bit undersized, but for what he lacks in size, he makes up for in quickness and overall athleticism. So far this season, the redshirt freshman has recorded five tackles.

Erik Clanton, a 6-3, 235-pound junior from Columbia, S.C., saw action in 12 games last fall, starting two games. Clanton is a solid, experienced defensive end, and is another player that could give the Mountaineers’ offensive line some problems as a pass-rusher on Saturday. In action mostly as a reserve last season, Clanton recorded 22 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks. Clanton has done well so far in ‘09, as he has registered seven tackles on the season.

The linebacking unit for the Bulldogs is led by a potential all-league honoree Jordan Gilmore, who led the Bulldogs in tackles last season. Gilmore, a 5-11, 220-pound junior from Belmont, N.C., has acquitted himself as one of the best middle linebacker’s in the SoCon over the past year-and-a-half. Gilmore is coming off a season in which he led the Bulldogs in tackles, recording 93 stops, to go with two tackles-for-loss and  one sacks. Gilmore seems to have picked up where he left off last season, as through three games this season, Gilmore has registered 24 tackles, which is the tops on the team’s tackle ledger.

Flanking Gilmore at the two outside linebacker positions are Jeremy Buncum at weakside linebacker and Tolu Akindele at the strong-side spot. Buncum, a 6-0, 203-pound sophomore from Charleston, S.C., has had a strong season in his first campaign as a starting linebacker for the Bulldogs and is one of the best athlete’s on the roster. As a reserve linebacker last season, Buncum recorded 26 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and a sack. Buncum is a player that possesses the ability to drop into pass coverage if called upon to do so. So far in ‘09, Buncum has 17 tackles and an interception.

Akindele rounds out the starters at linebacker for the Bulldogs, starting at the strong-side LB position for the Bulldogs. The 5-10, 211-pound product of Houston, TX., is another good athlete in an already athletic linebacking unit. Akindele, a sophomore, saw action as a freshman linebacker last season for the Bulldogs, managing to complete the season with 20 tackles and a sack. In three games so far this fall, Akindele has recorded 10 tackles.

The Bulldogs have a talented, but young secondary. It’s a unit that figures to be severely tested by a prolific, experienced Mountaineer passing attack. The experienced leader of The Citadel’s secondary is senior field cornerback Ryan Jones. Jones, a 5-10, 175-pound senior from Lawrenceville, GA., saw action as a starter in eight games last fall, while seeing action in a total of 11 contests. He has 22 career starts in The Citadel blue and entered the ‘09 season as one of the league’s premier cover corners. Jones finished the ‘08 season with 37 tackles, three pass break-ups and had a tackle-for-loss. So far in the ‘09 season, Jones has been able to record six tackles.

Another key, experienced performer in the Bulldogs’ secondary entering Saturday’s contest with the Mountaineers is junior boundary cornerback Cortez Allen. Allen, a 6-2, 18-pound native of Ocala, FL., is one of the better athletes on the defensive side of the football. Allen saw his first real significant action as a part of The Citadel secondary last season, logging action in all 12 contests, with six starts. A talented athletic presence, Allen finished the ‘08 season, recording 39 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, five pass deflections and a fumble recovery. So far in the ‘09 season, Allen has been able to record 13 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery and leads the team with three pass break-ups.

Set to man the two safety positons when the Bulldogs defense takes the Johnson-Hagood Stadium turf on Saturday afternoon, are Demontrelle Smith and Joseph Boateng. Smith, a 6-1, 203-pound sophomore from Reddick, FL., will be the ‘rover’ safety for the Bulldogs on Saturday against the Mountaineers. Smith was a significant member of the Bulldogs’ seccondary last season, garnering SoCon All-Freshman Team accolades for his efforts in his initial season in Citadel Blue. In his knob season, Smith saw action in 11 games, registering a total of seven starts, completing the campaign with 36 tackles, a tackle-for-loss and five pass break-ups. This season, Smith has managed eight tackles, a tackle-for-loss and a couple of pass break-ups.

Boateng, a freshman walk-on, has made quite an impact for the Bulldogs, earning a starting position in the Bulldogs secondary at the ‘bandit’ safety position. Boateng is off to quite a start in the ‘09 season in the defensive backfield for the Bulldogs, recording 14 tackles, including recording two interceptions.

Noting Last Year’s Meeting Between The Two:

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Second-ranked Appalachian State University jumped out to a 41-7 halftime lead and never looked back en route to getting an impressive 47-21 victory over No.12 The Citadel at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Quarterback Armanti Edwards, who overcame an ankle injury suffered in the previous Saturday’s win over Presbyterian, highlighted the Mountaineers’ opening-half dominance, by rushing 11 times for 79 yards and completing 10-of-12 passes for 177 yards and three more scores prior to the break. He finished the contest, completing 14-of-18 throws for 225 yards and a career-best four TD passes. Edwards was also effective rushing the football in the win over the Bulldogs, as he finished the contest against Bulldogs with 15 rushes for 80 yards.

 

Extra Notes:

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Appalachian State enters Saturday’s contest against the Bulldogs looking for its 14th-straight SoCon win.

 

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Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards has had some of the top performances of his career against the Bulldogs. For his career against The Citadel, Edwards has connected on 40-of-64 passes for 547 yards, seven TDs and two interceptions, while having rushed the football for 42 times for 406 yards and five TDs. In all, Edwards has accounted for 953 yards of total offense and has 72 points responsible for in three games.

 

 

 

 

 

Despite playing without All-American signal-caller Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State mounted a furious fourth-quarter rally directed by sophomore, third-string signal-caller Travaris Cadet, but it wasn’t enough to overcome East Carolina, who held on for a 29-24 victory over the Mountaineers in front of a sellout crowd of 43,329 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Saturday afternoon. 

The Mountaineers were overwhelmed by the Pirates early on in the contest, falling behind 24-0 just 17 minutes into the contest and trailed 29-7 as the game entered the final period.

Junior running back Devon Moore got things started in the final period, scoring on a one-yard TD plunge to cap an impressive 12-play, 55-yard drive for the Black and Gold. 

The Appalachian State special teams had the opportunity to get into the act after an impressive three-and-out forged by the veteran Mountaineer defense.

Cadet made the first of his big fourth quarter plays when he returned a Matt Dodge punt 19 yards to the ECU 38-yard line to help his own cause. Seven plays later, Cadet cut the deficit to one possession when he found paydirt from a yard out, making the score 29-21

Then, the Mountaineers got a game-changing play from it’s opportunistic defense on ECU’s ensuing drive, as All-SoCon cornerback Cortez Gilbert picked off a Patrick Pinkney pass at the ASU 33 and returned it 16 yards to the 49, sending the strong contingent of Black and Gold in the stands into a frenzy.

From there, Cadet proceeded to seize the momentum created by the turnover and led the Mountaineers to 22-yard line, before the drive stalled and the Apps were forced to settle for a 43-yard Jason Vitaris field goal to make the score, 29-24 with a little over three minutes to go in the game.

The Black and Gold defense once again came through in a pressure situation, stopping the Pirates on a three-and-out, allowing Cadet and the Mountaineer offense the opportunity to take their first lead of the contest.

Taking over at their own 24 with 1:28 to go in the game, the Mountaineer offense appeared to be on their way to the potential game-winning points, as the Apps moved the ball to midfield on three-consecutive pass completions.

However, the ECU defense made its biggest play of the afternoon on an Appalachian State first-and-10 from the 48 with less than a minute remaining, as Cadet was sacked and the without any timeouts, Cadet was forced to sacrifice a down as a result on the subsequent play.

Cadet was able to find Blake Elder on third down for an eight-yard completion, but his fourth-down pass intended for CoCo Hillary fell incomplete, dashing the Mountaineers comeback aspirations.

The loss was particularly disheartening, as one glaring mistake made the difference in the Mountaineers attempting a Jason Vitaris field goal and needing a TD on their final offensive possession. On ASU’s second possession of the second half, punter Sam Martin was forced to concede a safety after bobbling a high snap.

The Mountaineers also left points on the field on their opening possession of the second half, as Vitaris missed a 37-yard field goal wide to the right.

After yielding 267 yards to the Pirates in the opening half, the Black and Gold defense made amenze in the second half, limiting ECU to just 53 total second-half yards and only four first downs.

After struggling to get anything going in the first half, the ASU offense also came to life in the second half, putting up 183 yards and posting a 20:05-9:55 time-of-possession over the Pirates over the final 30 minutes of play.

The Mountaineers’ only first-half TD came when starting QB DeAndre Presley found the end zone from three yards out to cap an impressive 11-play, 77-yard drive to make the score 24-7 late in the second quarter.

Cadet, who replaced Presley at quarterback with 5:28 to go in the third quarter, finished with 35 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, 55 yards on 7-of-9 passing and 43 yards on two punt returns.

Making his second career start, Presley completed 7-of-15 passes for 89 yards and rushed 12 times for 12 yards. Moore led the Mountaineers with 37 rushing yards on 17 carries and Quick led all receivers with 47 yards on three catches.

ASU’s defense limited Pinkney, a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award candidate, to 131 yards on 12-of-27 passing, but ECU’s Dominique Liindsay rushed for 105 yards on only 15 carries to pace the Pirates. Mountaineer linebackers D.J. Smith and Jacque Roman led all tacklers with 13 and 11 stops, respectively.

The roots of Appalachian State's current success are built upon the same foundations most dynasties at the Division I level of college football are built upon—hard work,  a passionate following, and top tier talent at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level.

After missing the playoffs for the second-consecutive season in 2004, ASU’s seeds of success were sewn in the most unlikely of places: the visiting locker room at Western Carolina.

The Mountaineers had just dropped a 30-27 decision to the Catamounts, which meant the Mountaineers would miss the playoffs for the second straight season and finished the campaign with just a 6-5 overall mark.

It was an evening where the silence in the locker room was deafening after suffering defeat to their archrival, but the loss proved to be a necessary step in the right direction for the Apps.

The Mountaineers were in their first year running the wide-open spread offense they run to this day, and a young team was able to put together a 6-5 mark. 

However, while most programs would see such a record as progress toward a winning record in a season running a new offense, that was not the case at Appalachian State—a school that had almost treated playoff appearances as second-nature during the Jerry Moore era.

After finishing with a 7-4 record in 2003, the Appalachian coaching staff decided to make the first of several drastic changes that would pay off in a major way two years later.

The Mountaineers had run a basic Power I formation mixed with a solid play-action passing game for 15 seasons under Moore.  Moore wasn’t much for change, however, with the Mountaineers’ struggles to maintain their billing at the top of the SoCon ladder.

Moore knew it was only a matter of time before ASU’s SoCon brethren would eventually be on even ground with the Mountaineers.  A trip to West Virginia in the spring of 2004, and the Mountaineers now had a new recipe for success, as the Apps would be running the Rich Rodriguez spread offense.

In the first trial run for the spread offense in ‘04, the Mountaineers were able to do some pretty good things on the offensive side of the football, and finished the season ranking third in the league in total offense (425.5 YPG.), scoring offense (33.3 PPG.), and led the league in passing offense (322.6 YPG.).

There were, however, a number of concerns in the inaugural season utilizing the new offensive scheme.  The Mountaineers’ running game had virtually been non-existent, as the Mountaineers ranked last in the league in rushing offense (102.9 YPG.).

Another concern which was not directly attributed to the offense was the play of a young defensive unit, which accounted for the worst defense Appalachian State has fielded in the storied history of the tradition-rich football program.

The Mountaineers’ young defense yielded 400.7 YPG., ranking seventh of eight in the SoCon in total defense and also ranked seventh in scoring defense (32.5 PPG.).

All five of Appalachian’s losses in 2004 came on the road, which could be attributed to youth more than anything else, and it showed in lopsided losses on the road to Wyoming (53-7) and Georgia Southern (54-7).

Despite the glaring warning signs on defense and in the running game on offense, the Mountaineers did offer some glimpses of what the very near future could hold at times during the ‘04 season.

None was more apparent than the Mountaineers’ breathtaking performance in an Oct. 9 meeting against the second-ranked Furman Paladins.

In that particular contest, the Mountaineers were able to come away with a thrilling, 30-29 win over the Paladins.

Junior QB Richie Williams put forth a record performance, completing 40-of-45 passes for a then school-record 413 yards, with a TD pass and a TD run with 35 seconds remaining to help the Apps clinch the historic win over the Furman Paladins.

Williams completed an astounding 28 consecutive passes in the contest—a streak that lasted early in the first quarter to the fourth quarter.

However, as is the case with most successful programs with a hearty fanbase used to playoff appearances and SoCon title banners, moments like the one ASU enjoyed against Furman were quickly forgotten.

After all, when it came down to it, Furman was still the team going to the playoffs and ASU was the school sitting home to watch the postseason as a spectator.

In the spring of ‘04, the Mountaineers brought in a new athletic director, Charlie Cobb, who came from North Carolina State, where he served as an Associate Athletics Director under Lee Fowler.

The former Wolfpack offensive lineman brought new energy to the program, targeting facilities upgrades and improving the tailgate environment, making Appalachian again an attractive venue in all respects to take in a football game on a Saturday afternoon.

However, the rest would be up to Moore and the Mountaineers to keep the new fervor surrounding the football program with the excitement created by Cobb and staff intact.

Cobb’s first move was to sit down with Moore and have a heart-to-heart meeting with the cagey veteran about the state of the football program.  After the two exchanged ideas in a candid conversation, the Mountaineers would be well on their way to rising to the top of FCS mountain.

One of the seemingly small improvements that came out of that particular meeting between Moore and Cobb was new uniforms for the players—a request made by some of the seniors during the spring and a promise kept by Moore.

With things headed in a positive direction, off-the-field concerns struck the Appalachian program just prior to spring drills, as starting running back Alan Atwater failed his second drug test and was kicked off the team.

The Mountaineers, who fielded one of the league’s worst rushing attacks in ‘04, now had to look to walk-on Kevin Richardson for leadership in the backfield.

Tweaks were made on both sides of the football by the coaching staff to ensure the Mountaineers wouldn’t again experience such difficulties in the running game and on defense that they had incurred in ‘04.

One of those changes included moving Jeremy Mayfield from the defensive end position to wide receiver. That would prove to be one of the bigger decisions made by the coaching staff and would enable the Black and Gold offense to have some depth at wide receiver.

In addition to Mayfield, the Mountaineers also welcomed back Jermane Little to the fold, who had quit the team for personal reasons in ‘04, and his reinstatement gave the Apps another big-play threat on offense.

There were plenty of positives just beneath the surface as the Mountaineers headed into the 2005 season.  One of those positives was the return of Corey Lynch in the secondary, who was forced to miss nearly the entire 2004 season after suffering a severe elbow injury in the second week of the season against Eastern Kentucky.

Also making a much-anticipated return to the lineup for the Apps was Jason Hunter, who had missed the ‘03 and ‘04 seasons due to injury and academic issues.

Three national titles and four SoCon titles later, the struggles that once were seemingly sure to usher head coach Jerry Moore into an early retirement serve as only a distant memory now.

After all, Appalachian has compiled a 50-9 mark since that ‘04 season in which the Mountaineers made so many drastic changes to better the program.  Such drastic changes are a real risk and for many coaches end up costing them their jobs.

However, it’s important to note that Moore isn’t just any coach; he was a proven winner even before the Apps experienced struggles in the middle of this decade.

Now the Mountaineers sit on the brink of finding themselves in even rarer company, looking to win their fourth national title in five seasons and also favorites to claim their fifth-straight league crown.

Moore’s retirement now would surely be on his terms, however, there are now signs that the 70-year-old coach is slowing down and will look to add to 205 wins as a head coach for at least a couple more seasons in the High Country.

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus and a football playoff.

Nice exacta.

When JMU takes the field in the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA Football Championship Division, their opponent will be a familiar one.

Evidently, all week a photograph has circulated around James Madison's football offices and locker rooms showing a group of JM players exiting the field at Villanova while a pack of Wildcats fans make obscene gestures and yell at them. Well, Nova is dangerously close to Philadelphia, so what do you expect?  They boo Santa, remember?

Not that Dukes’ fans are all peaches and cream. JMU officials are adding extra security after complaints from visiting Wofford fans after last week’s first-round playoff game at Bridgeforth Stadium.

The winner of the JMU-Villanova game will advance to meet the winner of the Weber State at Montana game. As the top seed in the playoff field, JMU would host a third-round if it advances during second-round play.

The Dukes also defeated playoff participants Richmond and Appalachian State earlier this season.

This weekend’s FCS playoff games include the following:

Noon: Richmond (10-3) at Appalachian State (11-2)
2 p.m.: Weber State (10-3) at Montana (12-1)
3:30 p.m.: Villanova (10-2) at JMU (11-1)
7 p.m.: New Hampshire (10-2) at Northern Iowa (11-2)

For those of you who aren't aware of that lil' group of teams called the Football Championship Subdivision (you know, the part of Div. I football that actually holds a playoff), there's a special treat (or tricks!) in store tonight:

Wofford (4-0 Southern Conference, 6-1 overall)

at

Appalachian State (4-0 Southern Conference, 6-2 overall)

ESPN2, 8:00 pm Eastern, 7:00 pm Central

No doubt some of you are rolling your eyes about now. Fine, you can stick with the shiny sparkly FBS product you consume weekly, that overly-carbonated (fizzy hype) beverage that leaves a cloying aftertaste and also leaves you thirsty even after drinking it.

Appalachian State and Wofford are fierce Southern Conference rivals.

For those of you who don't know your football history, the Southern Conference is the grand-daddy of both the SEC and the ACC; it predates them, and those two conferences were created out of its membership, as they sought bigger pastures.

Tonight is a battle for first place in the Southern Conference, and thus an inside track to an automatic berth in the FCS playoffs (I did tell you about the playoffs, right?) as conference champion.

Wofford's one loss is to "cupcake" South Carolina, while Appalachian State suffered an opening-game letdown vs. fellow champion (haha) LSU. The Mountaineers' second loss was to CAA member (and playoff nemesis) James Madison.

Appy State still features wonder-QB Armanti Edwards (pictured, in last season's FCS Championship Game vs. Delaware, which ASU won 49-21 for their third straight FCS title).

So far this season, Edwards is 103/174 for 1456 yards and 15 TDs in the air; but also is the rushing leader, with 131 carries for 561 yards (4.3 ypc) and eight TDs.

For 2007, Edwards' passing numbers were 148/222, 1948 yards, 17 TDs; his rushing numbers were 237 carries for 1588 (!) yards (6.7 ypc) and 21 TDs.

However, the Terriers won last season's regular-season matchup, 42-31, largely by containing Edwards' rushing (11 carries for 37 yards (3.4 ypc) and one TD) and forcing three turnovers. Edwards aggravated a shoulder injury and left early in the second half.

Wofford thus snapped the Mountaineers' 17-game winning streak and ended their unbeaten Southern Conference record dating back to 2003.

Obviously, there is extra motivation for Appy State to get revenge this season and establish supremacy in the Southern Conference.

For its part, Wofford will seek to pull off the upset on the road behind running back Dane Romero, who has 103 carries for 518 yards (5.0 ypc) and 11 TDs, as well as have their defense contain a healthy Armanti Edwards.

Easier said than done...

So, will it be a trick (Wofford win) or a treat (Appy State win)?

Happy Halloween!