Tag Archives: 2009

Appalachian State Football: Appalachian vs. Samford 9/26/2009

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Here we go with Week 3:

Samford @ #10 Appalachian State
9/26/09

Time: 3:30pm

TV: None
Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 21,650
Jeff Sagarin Rankings:
ASU:     60.57
SAM:    48.97
Home advantage: 2.91 points
ASU is favored by the Sagarin rankings by 14 ½  points (rounded).

Series: ASU leads 2-1
Last Meeting: ASU 35 Samford 24 October 11, 2008

 

This might have been the longest two weeks in a long while for Appalachian State fans, players and coaches. Another game passed us by with thoughts lingering of what could have been. It has been a while since the Mountaineers started 0-2. Its been a while since the Mountaineers have given up 500+ yards on defense. You get the point. The Mountaineers did plenty wrong against McNeese State, such as taking care of the football, tackling, coverage, getting enough men on the field, etc. A whole lot of things will have to be corrected to avoid going 0-3. Was two weeks off exactly what the Mountaineers needed? Will the Mountaineers take another opponent lightly? Will they understand that championships just don’t fall in your lap? Does this group know what it takes to win?

 

Samford University will be making its first trip to Kidd Brewer Stadium as a member of the Southern Conference. In the game last year, Samford set an attendance record for the largest crowd to see a game at Seibert Stadium with 10,670 spectators. Last year Samford went 3-1 on the road in league games, getting wins at Western Carolina, Chattanooga and Georgia Southern.  They lost at Elon. There were 11,149 reported at the Elon game; 9,174 in Cullowhee; 4,068 in Chattanooga and 17,436 in Statesboro. Samford is going to find that Kidd Brewer Stadium is a different story. There are about 30,000 fans, give or take, that are extremely hungry for a Mountaineer win, and they will do whatever it takes to help their team do that.

Samford began the season with a tough loss to FBS opponent Central Florida. In that game, UCF turned the ball over twice and Samford controlled the clock like they usually do, without turning the ball over. UCF held on for a four point win with a touchdown in the fourth quarter for the comeback win. Samford followed that with wins over Jacksonville, 27-0, and Miles, 31-12. Samford had to come from behind to defeat Miles as that game was close until the fourth quarter. Sound familiar? Appalachian’s opponent this week is playing a team that struggled with a Division II team the week before. We have all heard this broken record.

 

Chris Evans is the guy the Bulldog offense will lean heavily on. Samford will give him the ball as many times as possible if he is moving the chains. Evans has carried 59 times for 311 yards and two touchdowns in 2009. He has also caught 6 passes for 38 yards. He is averaging roughly 22 touches a game and 116 yards of total offense. Dustin Taliaferro lines up under center for the Bulldogs. Taliaferro is your typical drop back passer, mostly on play action passes. His completion percentage, yards per pass and sacks per game are up from a year ago. Part of that is due to a very young left side of the offensive line. They will need to give Taliaferro time in the passing game to avoid the quickness of Appalachian’s defensive front.

 

As previously mentioned, not much has changed in the last week for Appalachian football. The loss to McNeese State still stings and the Apps are eager to hit the field to erase the memory of that loss. It has been reported that Appalachian’s defense was not lined up correctly on several plays against McNeese and on several occasions this year, there has not been enough men on the field during punt returns. These are mental mistakes, that are very correctable. Lining up correctly is the difference between a stopping a third down conversion and allowing another touchdown. Against McNeese, that might have been enough to cruise to a win. However, it didn’t happen. It doesn’t help when you can not force a punt and you are running backwards all day long, chasing the other team.

 

One topic that was not discussed in the past two weeks was about the offense. Armanti Edwards looked fine in his return from a freak accident in the offseason. The offensive line carved enough holes to allow Devon Moore to run for 155 yards and Edwards another 72 yards. Edwards completed 76% of his passes for 235 yards, as he was given time to complete at least four passes to four different receivers. In all the offense produced 493 total yards and 35 points, which should be enough to win a football game. One untimely fumble did cost Appalachian a touchdown in the second quarter, but, the offense played pretty solid overall.

 

Ring Game. That is phrase that is thrown around amongst players and coaches. This week against Samford is Ring Game #1 of the 2009 season. For the last four years, Appalachian State has claimed the Southern Conference championship. In that stretch the Mountaineers have only lost three conference games. Because of their work during league play, the Mountaineers have earned the right to host postseason football games for the past four years. In order to host playoff football games this year, the Apps must continue that trend. Eight up, eight down. It begins this weekend. Most Mountaineer fans have respect for the Samford program. They play an old school style of football that Appalachian used to. It works most of the time. Controlling the clock and the line play, and taking care of the ball is what the game of football was built on. Last year against Appalachian, Samford did just that. They had no turnovers, ran 78 offensive plays, and controlled the clock for 36:26 of the game. On top of that, Appalachian gave Samford the ball three times on fumbles. At the time last year, Appalachian was trying to find a running back after losing Devon Moore in the James Madison game. Samford knew they had to stop Armanti Edwards, and they could not do it. Edwards passed for 307 yards and three touchdowns, and was the only threat to run for Appalachian as he also ran for 63 yards and another touchdown on the ground. I think Appalachian’s offensive line is better than last years unit. I also think the Mountaineers are better off at running back with Devon Moore. I do not foresee Appalachian turning the ball over three times either. The receivers are basically the same and Brian Quick has progressed and is a threat now and holds a noticeable size advantage over the Samford secondary. I don’t think this game will be won or lost on a missed field goal. I think Appalachian will be more aggressive on offense this week and come out firing in the first half. Samford has only scored three points in the first quarter this year. Of course, I like Appalachian, but I don’t think we will see the game being as close as it was last year in Birmingham. The Mountaineers kind of fell asleep last year at the half. I think the Mountaineers will score early and often and crush the Bulldog spirit. The defense will have a better game, but that is not saying that Chris Evans will not run for 100 yards. I think if given the opportunity, Jerry Moore will choose to go for a first down on every fourth down in Samford territory and keep the pedal to the metal.

 

 

The First Pick:

 

Mayo in the Q sauce?         27

Corn in the Jar                     42

Appalachian State Football: Appalachian vs. North Carolina Central 10/10/2009

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Here we go with Week 5:

North Carolina Central @ #9 Appalachian State (2-2, 2-0 T1)
10/10/09

Time: 3:30pm

TV: None
Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 21,650
Jeff Sagarin Rankings:
ASU:     62.55
NCCU:    29.15
Home advantage: 2.91 points

Appalachian is favored by the Sagarin rankings by 36 points (rounded).

Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: n/a

 

The last time I checked, any win on the road in conference play is a good win. Whether you win by a point or forty, it is still the same. I am having a hard time understanding why there are some out there, who felt last Saturday’s game was in any way a negative result. According to Sagarin, the Mountaineers were supposed to lose. Should it have been considered an upset? I don’t think so. After studying the result all weekend, some interesting nuggets were discovered. The senior class at The Citadel had beaten every team in the conference, except Appalachian. The Citadel dominated the time of possession, did not turn the ball over, and still lost. The Citadel hit two long field goals, while two Appalachian field goal attempts were not successful. Everything I could see added up to The Citadel winning the war on the stat sheet, but they did not win the game. Personally, I think The Citadel played the best game they possibly could have, and still it was not enough to beat Appalachian at home. That says something to me about this Appalachian team. Despite being dominated in the first half, they came out in the second half and overcame their mistakes, persevered and finished on top in overtime. When it counted, Appalachian made the plays. That is what is most important about last Saturday.

 

There is always that one game a year, where you know absolutely nothing about the upcoming opponent. Appalachian had a similar game against McNeese, where the two schools had never met on the gridiron, but they knew about each other. Granted, North Carolina Central probably knows more about Appalachian than vice versa. Central is winless, despite three of their games decided by a touchdown or less. Their two lopsided losses were to Liberty and Duke. The close calls include losses to Morehead State, Hampton and an overtime loss to NC A&T last week.

 

The Central roster is loaded with experience on both sides of the ball. The Eagle starting “22” includes 14 juniors and four seniors. Nine of those juniors are on the defensive side of the ball as Central runs a 3-4 defense, which is very rare in college football. The defensive line is smallish for your typical 3-4 line, going less than 280 pounds across the board. The Eagles have three linebackers that are right around 6’1” and 240 pounds and another that figures to be much quicker. One would come to the conclusion that this defense can run and it will hit you as well. The defense is not to be overlooked. However the Eagles did give up 321 yards rushing to Liberty, a team that probably resembles Appalachian the most of the teams they have played.

 

The Central offensive attack is lacking, to be brutally honest. Through five games, they have turned the ball over 15 times. Seven of those turnovers were interceptions thrown by quarterback Michael Johnson. The sophomore quarterback is only completing 49% of his passes and has only thrown five touchdown passes. Johnson is a big player at 6’2” and 222 pounds as he and fellow quarterback Keon Williams have been sacked ten times. They have only converted an atrocious 23% of their third downs and only average 262 total yards a game.

 

As usual when Armanti Edwards plays The Citadel he takes it out on them. Edwards threw for 327 yards, ran for another 80 and was responsible for three touchdowns. Edwards had to play well as The Citadel actually cured their defensive woes in a week. The Citadel held Devon Moore to only 2.5 yards per carry, but Edwards and the offense adjusted. The Mountaineer offense went to screen passes and bubble screens to the outside and were able to pick up yardage by stretching out the Bulldog defense. The Mountaineers continued to spread the ball among its backs and receivers, with 5 players catching three or more passes. The play of the day was made when Edwards found an open Brian Quick down the sideline for a 74-yard touchdown that tied the game with only 4:28 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Appalachian kicker Jason Vitaris has caught some heat recently for some untimely field goal misses, that may have changed the outcome in the two losses. Place kicking is very similar to a shooting guard in basketball. There is only one way to get out of a bad stretch, and that is to shoot, or kick your way out of it. However, the kick in overtime to win the game may have just been the trick to get Vitaris back on track. Is there more of a pressure situation than having the game rest on the inside of your right foot? That may have been the biggest kick of his career. Missing that kick would have put the Appalachian offense back on the field, and given the upper hand back to The Citadel in the second overtime. That kick may be what gets everything clicking for this Mountaineer team.

 

I am not going to go into a long analysis of what I think will happen on Saturday. I feel pretty confident that the Mountaineers can take this one out. Central has plenty of athletes, but there is a reason they have not won a game this year. What is most important this week is that everyone have a great time. Homecoming is time for friends of old to meet again and enjoy college athletics. Everyone who reads this looks forward to football season like it is Christmas. We should also all enjoy it like it is as well. We as fans can not control everything that happens on the football field, but we sure can try. We cheer when good things happen, but we shouldn’t grumble and pout when bad things happen. Fans should cherish every win. Some Appalachian fans are having a hard time doing that of late. The Mountaineers will not win every game they play. We should always celebrate the win instead of griping over a loss. Mountaineer athletics is an important part of my life, but it is not everything. Let each and every Saturday be a day of fun, especially on Homecoming. Enjoy your tailgates, even if the weather does not cooperate. It sure as hell beats being at work. Go Mountaineers!! Beat the Eagles now, and the ones from Statesboro in two weeks.

 

The First Pick:

 

Eaglets Part 1           7

Mountaineers           35

Appalachian State Football: Appalachian vs. McNeese State 9/12/2009

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Here we go with Week 2:

#16 McNeese State @ #2 Appalachian State
9/12/09

Time: 3:30pm

TV: WMYA 40
Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium
Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 21,650
Jeff Sagarin Rankings:
ASU:     70.00
MSU:    54.44
Home advantage: 2.62 points
ASU is favored by the Sagarin rankings by 18 points (rounded).

Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: n/a

 

As soon as the clocks read zeroes this past Saturday, every Mountaineer fan at Dowdy Ficklen Stadium probably had one thing on their mind. They were excited about the next game. The Mountaineers put on a show in the second half with their improbable comeback against East Carolina. Although that comeback fell short, it could not have felt any better to many fans. The Mountaineers played with a never say die attitude and was clearly the more physical team in the second half. The East Carolina players were dropping like flies while Appalachian players were jumping up and down, cheering their teammates to make one more stop on defense, or another first down on offense. A lot was learned against East Carolina. We now know as fans, that this group of Mountaineers believe that they can be successful. We also know that Travaris Cadet is no longer a third-stringer, but more like the future at quarterback for the black and gold. The defense was as good as advertised, despite some missed assignments in the first half. As for the fans, they are still hungry. The Mountaineer fans stayed until the end because they also believe. They believe something special might happen again, right before their eyes. The exhibition is over. The next game counts for something.

 

For the first time, two traditional FCS powers will face off when McNeese State travels up to Boone, NC to face Appalachian State. The two schools have been lined up several times to meet in the FCS playoffs, but never has both teams advanced far enough to face each other. The two schools have a contract to meet twice in the future, with a game in 2013 to be played in Lake Charles and a return trip in 2014 in Boone.

 

McNeese State will bring to Kidd Brewer Stadium a very veteran laden lineup on the offensive side of the ball. McNeese has eight senior players listed as starters on offense, including one lineman, tight end, fullback, three wide receivers, running back and quarterback. They are lead by All-Southland quarterback Derrick Fourroux and Todd Pendland. Joining them on the all conference selections are tight end Wes Mangan and right tackle Casey Richter. Fourroux needs only 2400 yards to become all time leader in total offense at McNeese and could also challenge for career leader spots in completions, passing yards and touchdowns. Pendland is seventh all time on the McNeese leader board for career touchdowns and he added two more touchdowns to that total last week against Henderson State. Both players will need good games for McNeese to beat Appalachian State.

Defensively in 2009, McNeese State knew they had a lot of holes to fill. Against Henderson State, McNeese had eight defensive starters out due to injury and not many are expected to return this week against Appalachian. That is a recipe for disaster when you figure Appalachian’s speed on offense. When you mix inexperienced players starting and then having those same inexperienced players being replaced by players who are even less experienced, it does not make for a good defense. Henderson State ran for 286 yards on McNeese last week. If McNeese is unable to get some players healthy, I don’t expect those rushing numbers to improve against the Appalachian spread attack.

 

The story in the East Carolina game for the Mountaineers was backup quarterback Travaris Cadet. The Mountaineers offense was nearly non-existent in the first half. DeAndre Presley appeared rushed at times and was unable to provide a spark for the Mountaineers. Cadet entered in the second half and with the help of the Mountaineer defense was able to start moving the ball and eventually scored 17 unanswered points. Cadet finished the game with 35 yards rushing and 55 passing. Although those numbers are rather pedestrian, it was more about the field position and moving the chains. Cadet and the Mountaineers slowly took the life out of the ECU defense with short passes and effective rushes. The Mountaineers actually cheated themselves out of at least a tie, with a missed field goal and botched snap that went for a safety. If one of those plays went the other way, we could be talking about a totally different outcome.

 

The Mountaineers got great performances  defensively from linebackers Jacques Roman and DJ Smith. Roman with a record 11 tackles and a half tackles for loss while Smith was credited with 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Jared Reine recorded his first interception while Cortez Gilbert had eight tackles and an interception. Ed Gainey made six tackles and also had one pass breakup.

 

One week ago, I was not sure what to think about the McNeese State game. The uncertainty of the health of Armanti Edwards let most fans wondering the same. In a week, it has all changed. After an inspiring loss to East Carolina, Armanti Edwards has been inserted back into the starting lineup and has a backup that is very capable of spelling him if needed. McNeese struggled mightily against a team that should have been terribly inferior. McNeese has plenty of reason why they struggled. Their defense is decimated and couldn’t get off the field, which is not good for a team that was already going to depend heavily on its offense to win games. Appalachian will technically be opening up a new stadium and the excitement of the first home game for Mountaineer fans is always something to look forward to. However I get this funny feeling that I have dismissed McNeese prematurely. Maybe they were not prepared for Henderson State. Maybe they were looking ahead to this weekend. That happens a lot with young athletes. Regardless, the Appalachian defense will need to have the same kind of intensity it had in the second half against East Carolina. The Cowboys have plenty of weapons on offense to make a game of it and they all are experienced, so an early knockout punch will not be enough to scare them away. I do think McNeese holds an advantage at running back. Todd Pendland is a small back and Appalachian has not fared well against smaller, speedy backs. He reminds me so much of Jayson Foster of Georgia Southern and Mike Brown of Furman. Once those guys get an opening, its over. But, we have to go back the McNeese defense. They obviously had plenty of work to do this week. Their assignment will be to stop one of the most prolific scoring offenses in recent FCS history. That is certainly not an easy task for anyone. I don’t think it matters how long Armanti Edwards plays, because Travaris Cadet will surely see some field time and their running abilities are somewhat similar. Both like to get downfield in a hurry. If Appalachian can control the offensive line, this one could be over in a hurry. McNeese allowed two backs to gain over 90 yards last week and if their troubles persist, I could easily see Appalachian with three guys over 90 yards.

 

The First Pick:

 

Flatlanders                            21

Mountaintoppers                  38

Appalachian State Football: Appalachian @ East Carolina 9/5/2009

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Here we go with Week 1:

#1 Appalachian State @ East Carolina
9/5/09

Time: Noon

TV: MASN
Stadium: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
Surface: Natural Grass

Capacity: 43,000
Jeff Sagarin Rankings:
ASU:     70.25
ECU:    68.87
Home advantage: 2.83 points
ECU is favored by the Sagarin rankings by 2 points (rounded).

Series: ASU leads 19-10
Last Meeting: ECU 38, ECU 21; November 3, 1979

 

A rivalry will renewed for the first time in nearly 30 years this weekend, on the opening weekend of the 2009 college football season. Appalachian State and East Carolina once played on a yearly basis in the 1950’s and a few years in the 1970’s. It is a game that many alumni and fans have been screaming about for years. Since then, East Carolina has become a member of Conference USA and Appalachian has moved onto the Southern Conference. Despite being on opposite ends of the college football world and the state of North Carolina, the scheduling of this game has sparked an interest that many fans thought it would. To date, it is only home game on East Carolina’s schedule that has sold out, which includes a game against ACC power Virginia Tech. For Appalachian, a game against a bowl subdivision opponent always gets the fan base excited, especially when that opponent is an old in-state rival. For East Carolina, the shoe is on the other foot. East Carolina has been trying to prove themselves as being a worthy opponent to the in-state brethren for years and now they have to defend the same turf on which they once stood on: a team desiring due respect.  The first game of the year always bring a renewed excitement and this game should not be any different for either school. Both teams have high expectations, but first they must face each other for bragging rights.

 

Last season, East Carolina kicked off the season with a win over ranked teams Virginia Tech and West Virginia. They received the premature title of being a team that could bust the BCS, but it all fell apart with three straight losses to NC State, Houston and a bad Virginia team. However the Pirates rallied to finish 9-4 in the regular season and earned an invitation to the Liberty Bowl. The Pirates lost a 16-3 halftime lead and fell to the Kentucky Wildcats 25-19 in a hard fought game that included a couple questionable instant replay reviews.

 

If the Pirates expect to win the Conference USA crown this season, they will do so on the back of Patrick Pinkney. The sixth-year senior was granted an extra year of eligibility due to a medical hardship. Pinkney threw for 2675 yards last year with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In games where Pinkney threw an interception, the Pirates either lost, or won by only four points(twice).

The Pirates will also ride a strong backfield in 2009. Coach Skip Holtz believes there are four players who he feels are capable of carrying the load but expects that senior Dominique Lindsay (Independence) and Brandon Jackson, formerly of Kentucky, will get the bulk of the carries. Lindsay did not play last year after injuring a knee in fall camp. Jackson redshirted his freshman year at Kentucky and then sat out in 2008 after transferring. Both backs are about 5’10” and weigh in right at 200 pounds. Both Lindsay and Jackson are backed up by juniors Jonathan Williams and Giavanni Ruffin, respectively. Williams saw action in seven games for the Pirates before a team suspension and Ruffin is a junior college transfer.

 

The story in surrounding Appalachian State in the offseason revolves around the health of Walter Payton Award winner Armanti Edwards. An off campus accident has sidelined Edwards for the bulk of fall camp and has left the Mountaineer faithful wondering when he will return to the lineup. Rumors are all over the place concerning whether or not we will see #14 on the field this week despite Edwards officially being listed as questionable. Whomever lines up under center for the Mountaineers on Saturday will have a big test in front of them. The Pirates are big on the defensive line and fast in the secondary. It is evident to most, that the Apps will need a healthy quarterback in order to beat the Pirates.

 

Devon Moore returns at tailback for the Mountaineers. Moore suffered a season ending injury against James Madison last year and had to take a medical redshirt. Cedric Baker will also see some time in the backfield as injuries have also hampered the return of Robert Whelton and Devin Radford. Redshirt freshman Rod Chisholm also figures to be in the mix at running back for the Apps. The receiver corps is loaded once again. CoCo Hillary lead the team with 56 receptions and Brian Quick hauled in seven touchdown catches. Tight end Ben Jordan had a breakout freshman season with 29 catches and six touchdowns. The addition of several athletic freshman(Tony Washington and Andrew Peacock) will also contribute in the passing game.

 

The ASU defense looks to be as dominant as we have seen in recent years. Returning are SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Jacques Roman and leading solo tackler D.J. Smith at linebacker. The defensive line has extreme depth starting in the middle with Malcolm Bennett and Anthony Williams. Several other key players will rotate and see significant playing time, including Bobby Bozzo, Daniel Finnerty and Gordy Witte. The secondary is almost as loaded as the defensive line as Buchanan award finalist Mark Legree (10 INT) returns along with All-SoCon performers Ed Gainey and Cortez Gilbert. This unit has perennially lead the conference in passing defense year after and looks to continue that tradition.

 

Most of the time, when Appalachian faces off against a team from the bowl subdivision, the deck is usually stacked against them. The obvious disadvantages are the difference in scholarships. Others disadvantages may include a long road trip and a very hostile environment. In most cases, everything that goes on in the game has to go the way of the Mountaineers in order for them to win. Its easy to see the Mountaineers do not have a great all-time record against FBS opponents. Before the win at Michigan, the Apps had only defeated Wake Forest at that level. Since then, the thought process behind a FBS vs. FCS game has changed. Taking nothing away from East Carolina, Appalachian will not be overwhelmed when it enters Dowdy-Ficklen on Saturday. The Apps always step on the field with plans of winning a game. It is that kind of attitude that gives Appalachian an edge over other inferior FCS teams. It will not matter who lines up at quarterback, either. Sure, ECU and ASU fans all want to see the spectacular Armanti Edwards in this game, and they still may, but the likelihood of that happening is not good. Both fan bases want this game to be something to remember for years. However at the end of the day, this game is basically a glorified exhibition. Both teams will leave with similar goals, but will not compete against each other again in 2009. Both teams have conference title aspirations and beyond. This game will set the tone for both teams for the rest of the year. Appalachian may struggle to score points early in the game until the find a rhythm. ECU will play solid defense and will run the ball and control the clock. They will try and wear out the Appalachian defense with its ball control style. Appalachian will have to try and avoid any mental lapses. East Carolina is a team that will make you pay for mistakes, such as penalties and turnovers. The Pirates are not going to go out and score a ton of points, but they won’t need to. The Appalachian defense must do its best to attack the Pirate offense and force them into long yardage situations. I think that Appalachian has enough on the field to beat the Pirates. It may be harder if Armanti Edwards doesn’t play, but the Apps have been there before. DeAndre Pressley has been there before. I think this will be a tough hard fought game that will be won in fourth quarter and I think East Carolina’s depth will be just enough to give them a victory.

 

 

The First Pick:

 

Rum                           28

Shine                         20