Georgia Southern @ Appalachian Football

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Charles

Here we go with Week 8:

#24 Georgia Southern (4-2, 2-2) @ Appalachian State (1-6, 1-3)

Time: 3:30 pm

TV/Video: ESPN3

Radio: WKBC 97.3 Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Winston Salem, Hickory & High Country; WATA 1450 Boone, Blowing Rock; WCOG 1320 Winston-Salem, Greensboro; WMFR 1230 High Point, Greensboro; WSML 1200, Burlington, Greensboro; WCMC 99.3 Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill; WZGM 1350 Black Mountain, Asheville; WTOE 1470 Spruce Pine; WPWT 870 Bristol, Johnston City; WZGV 730 Charlotte, Rock Hill, Salisbury; WDNC 620 Durham, Raleigh; WHKP 1450 Hendersonville; WAZZ 1490 Fayetteville; WLON 1050 Lincolnton

Kidd Brewer Stadium

Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 23,150

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:  

App State: 45.00

GSU: 58.48

Home: 3.76

Georgia Southern is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 15 points (rounded).

Series: Appalachian leads 15-12-1

Last Meeting: Appalachian 31, Georgia Southern 28, November 3, 2012, Statesboro

WXAPP’s Boone Gameday Weather Trends:

Mostly sunny skies

Tailgate: Warming through the 30’s to lower 40’s

Kickoff: Temps in the mid to upper 40’s

End of game: Temps in the mid to low 40’s

It was not the most perfect of scenarios for the Mountaineers in their last football game at Paladin Stadium. The atmosphere was wretched, the skies gray and the only moment where things seemed like they were going well was when you pulled into the parking lot. As soon as the game started, it just felt all types of wrong. Furman’s first five plays were runs, as expected, and covered a quick forty eight yards. Two penalties, a short run, and a couple completed passes later, Furman lined up for a fifty yard field goal. The kick was good which gave Furman a lead in the game it would never relinquish. That is what it has come to this season. The field goal has haunted the Mountaineers this season, losing three times by that margin. Now, the field goals are back breaking scores that doom the attitude and passion of this young Mountaineer team. It doesn’t take much anymore for some to just go through the motions. There are plenty who still care, but they are blinded by the ones who are just ready for it to be over. We can’t blame them. Players and coaches alike decided to bring their futures to Boone to be a part of winning tradition, some just have not realized that they have to sacrifice everything thing for it. The fans who continue to show up are making sacrifices. They are committing to the product, and it is past time for the product to make the same investment in return.

In all fairness, outside of fumble after fumble, the Mountaineers were still in the game late in the half and things were looking up. It was a similar situation to the Citadel game. You were thinking the Mountaineers were going to learn from their mistakes. They were driving late in the second quarter, and although trailing 6-3, were in position to tie or take the lead. The ball was coming back to the Mountaineers to open the second half, as they had won the opening coin flip and deferred their option. Although the situation was not exactly identical to the end of the first half in Charleston, it was close. The idea was a score, a defensive hold, get the ball back early in third quarter and score again. Both situations would have given the Mountaineers some slight breathing room. But once again, with time ticking away, Appalachian made another huge mistake that flipped all the momentum to the other side of the field. Oddly, a play was called, that was the same play that Appalachian had run the previous year against Furman. As we all know, the result was not the same, Furman took a double digit lead into halftime, and the Mountaineers were finished. The drive to start the third quarter for Appalachian also ended in the worst possible way, with another fumble, that Furman pounced and ensued to drive down the field to extend their lead to 20-3.

That might have been one of the last games this season that this group of Mountaineers had a legitimate shot to win for the remainder of the season. Western Carolina still looms as well, but there is not one Appalachian Mountaineer looking forward to that game right now. The next challenge is Georgia Southern who is up to their usual high point scoring ways. As the Mountaineers have had their unlucky breaks this season, so have the Eagles. Georgia Southern is having their own bumpy ride on their way to the FBS and the Sun Belt conference. Southern has been hampered by the injuries to point they have lost over 20% of their scholarship players for the year. Luckily for the Eagles, they have added a few scholarships during their transition to FBS, so the health of their team is better than it could be had they had they been under the FCS scholarship limitations.

Heading into this season, Appalachian and Georgia Southern were headed for a colossal matchup. Two programs that were both leaving the SoCon for the Sun Belt, adding a few scholarships, were going to play a game with the bragging rights, whatever they were worth, of winning the last game between the two schools in the FCS ranks. The magnitude of this game has taken a turn that no one could have predicted. The Mountaineers are lucky to have won a game to be honest. The Eagles have underachieved this season as well with two losses to SoCon opponents, both on the road, and both by ten points. Their two conference wins were over Citadel by a touchdown and Chattanooga by two points. The Mocs and the Eagles have been playing good games for years, but seem to always go unnoticed. Georgia Southern has been outscored in conference play 116-105, and has averaged just a little over 26 points per game in their last four. That makes their season average of 40 points per game quite deceiving. This is a team that is having a similar problem as Appalachian, which is not being able to put the ball in the end zone when they have been close. The Eagles have scored touchdowns on 22 of 29 red zone possessions, but the opportunities are also down. Three other teams in conference play have visited the red zone more often the Eagles. Their offense still has Georgia Southern written all over it; it just isn’t the same Georgia Southern you are used to seeing.

Appalachian’s season statistics are similar to what you could see in the box score on Saturday. There were plenty of bright spots such as running more plays, gaining more first downs, and having more yards overall. Appalachian has plenty of players that are at or near the top in several categories within in the conference, but it is the little ones that have them where they are. Plenty has been mentioned about Marcus Cox, who is second in the conference in scoring and sixth among the leagues leading rushers. Andrew Peacock leads the conference in receptions per game while Kam Bryant leads the conference in passer efficiency. Bentlee Critcher even leads the conference in total punting. Unfortunately it is the small things, one play here and there that have kept the Mountaineers out of the winners circle. Scoring points is the obvious outlier. The inopportune turnovers have also hamstrung the Mountaineers, along with an offense that has sputtered enough to keep the defense on the field for long spells. A lot of things work well most of the time, but it is always that one play or one bad bounce that has killed everything they have worked for in a game.

So what is it this week that has to change in order to beat Georgia Southern? We don’t necessarily feel like something has to or must change. The formula is close to working, it just has not added up. It is similar to a chef in the kitchen. You may have great ingredients, and all the potential for a final product to delicious, but if you leave out one or two ingredients, it changes everything. Appalachian can take care of the ball better this week, but it doesn’t mean that will be the reason they win or lose. The Mountaineers could avoid giving up the big play at the wrong time, but that also will not make the entire difference. It all has to come together at once. Eventually it will, but that might not be in 2013. If the Mountaineers are up to the challenge, they can beat the Eagles this Saturday. Southern has put the ball on the turf an average of three times a game, but have luckily fell on all but four of them. The temperature on Saturday is going to be typical for late October in Boone, and perfect recipe for cold hands to hold onto a football. The Southern defense has given up close to 400 yards a game on defense this season, so moving the ball on them isn’t extremely difficult. The Eagles are suspect to the run, giving up 4.8 yards per carry to opponents. The Eagles also lead the conference in penalty yards per game. The Mountaineers don’t have to take advantage of all of the Georgia Southern shortcomings, but they must do it selectively and carefully. The Eagles surely do not care what Appalachian’s record is, and it is their turn to steal one from the Mountaineers.

The First Pick:

Eagle Creek 27

Mountaineers 22

Samford @ Appalachian Football

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Charles

Here we go with Week 6:

#23 Samford (4-2, 2-0) @ Appalachian State (1-4, 1-1)

Time: 3:30 pm

TV/Video:

http://www.nmnathletics.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?&&&&&DB_OEM_ID=21500

Kidd Brewer Stadium

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 24,050

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:  

App State: 49.21

Samford: 57.39

Home: 4.04

Samford is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 4 points (rounded).

Series: Appalachian leads 6-1

Last Meeting: Appalachian 28, Samford 25, October 13, 2012, Birmingham

WXAPP’s Boone Gameday Weather Trends:

Partly cloudy skies with mostly sunny skies possible. Dry. Temps in the mid 60’s for most of the game. Great weather expected.

The same results are beginning to become more annoying with each passing week. The Mountaineers may be getting closer to the desired result, but the pain of getting to that moment is also becoming more excruciating. A third game in a four week span was decided by three points. This time, an overtime period was played after Appalachian was in a calm control of the game in the first half. The Mountaineers were looking good, with a 14-7 lead in the late stages of the first half. Appalachian was to receive the second half kickoff. The Mountaineers had plenty of time to work a drive, kill some clock and at minimum, put the Citadel in a position where they were not going to possess the ball with the likelihood of scoring. After two plays, Kam Bryant fumbles deep on the Mountaineer side of the fifty yard line, and gives the Citadel prime real estate and clock in which to score. The Citadel tied it at half, and got themselves back in control of the game on the backs of another costly Mountaineer mistake. To open the second half, Appalachian punished The Citadel, lining up for a total of thirteen plays on offense, but the drive amounted to zero points. Two plays later, The Citadel was in the end zone again, this time with a seven point lead. Take away that fumble, and this game ends differently. It was a game changer. Appalachian could have gone up two or three scores before giving the ball back to the Bulldogs in the third quarter, but instead, turned it over once by fumbling and a second time on downs. It was a near identical script to North Carolina A&T, which was a product of not getting in the end zone enough on offense, which kept the Mountaineers from being winners.

The Mountaineers took a step forward against The Citadel, when Scott Satterfield went with sophomore Kam Bryant to start the game. That was the right decision that should have been made a couple games before. It has to be incredibly tough to tell your senior quarterback that he will not be getting the ball to start the game. Jamal Londry-Jackson should be familiar with this script. He was on the other end of it two seasons ago, when he took over for a senior in De’Andre Presley who had lost his confidence and gained a fear of being subjected to defenses who could do what they wished to a below average Mountaineer offensive line. Appalachian is in the business of winning football games, and right now, the best man to lead this team is Kam Bryant. An occasional Bryant fumble, or interception, will not be welcomed, but it will be tolerated in the learning process. Bryant needs to make the strides now to be better situated for the years to come.

Take away the fumble at the end of the first half, and the interception in overtime in which he was trying to make a play, Kam Bryant played just about as well as you could imagine in his first college start. Bryant completed 19 of his 23 pass attempts and moved the ball well enough when he decided to run. Bryant has now completed 72% of his passes on the season for 900 yards and six touchdowns. Bryant will start again this weekend, and outside of an injury or terribly bad game, should play every series in our minds. Too much pressure can be placed on quarterbacks if they believe any mistake could cost them playing time. It’s better to make the mistake and correct it quickly on the next drive. Otherwise, that fumble, or bad throw will always haunt you.

Marcus Cox continued to Marcus Cox things on the football field last weekend. Once again, he was dangerously close to century mark in both rushing and receiving yards, coming up a total of 7 yards shorts over the two categories. Cox led the team with seven receptions and scored two touchdowns on the ground on a total of twenty six touches. He averaged 7.4 yards per touch. Cox now has 813 total yards on the season and ten total touchdowns.

In the past, Samford has typically been a tough team to play. Even though the Mountaineers have not lost to Samford in SoCon play, very few games have been easy. Last year the Mountaineers needed a late score to prevail. The games in 2010 and 2011 included final scored that were both 35-17. Samford hung around in 2009 for a 20-7 setback during a game that was dominated by the rain. In the years, that Appalachian had some great offenses in the last half decade, Samford never once allowed more than 35 points to the Mountaineers, but did give up 35 points on three occasions. Samford entered the Sports Network Top 25 this week for the first time since last season, which was also the same week before they played the Mountaineers.

Samford returns a lot of their same weapons from a year ago. Fabian Truss the leading running back who carried a heavy workload in the early part of the season. Truss has carried 102 times on the season, but only 34 times in the last three games. Last weekend against Georgia Southern, Truss had his best game of the season, with 125 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries. The Mountaineers kept Truss in check last season, giving up only 46 yards on 18 carries. Quarterback Andy Summerlin has thrown for 1300 yards and ten touchdowns in last three games alone. Prior to this three week stretch, Summerlin had not gone over 200 yards passing in the season’s first three games. Samford has found more offense and better results with Summerlin throwing the ball more, which is somewhat out of character for a Samford team that has preferred a run heavy offense. Kelsey Pope has also been tearing it up the last three weeks. Pope leads the team with twenty-five catches on the season, with fifteen coming in the last three games. Of his 441 receiving yards on the season, nearly 88% of them (384) have come in the last three games.

Seeing Samford sitting atop of the SoCon standings is weird looking to say the least. Their two conference wins were both at home, a blowout win over Western Carolina and a ten point win over Georgia Southern. The Samford offense has been noticeable more potent in the last three games than the seasons first three games. The difference has been the Bulldogs playing at home. Although the difference in playing at home resulted in only one more win on the schedule, it did result in 20 more points scored per game. Scoring six to eight points more at home is a big deal. Twenty is insane. A lot these points have come via the big play, something Appalachian has struggled with all season long. Five touchdowns against Western Carolina came on plays of 25 yards or longer. Against Georgia Southern, the Bulldogs produced three touchdown passes over 50 yards. Two more touchdown passes against SE Louisiana were over forty yards. The point is clear. The Mountaineers have to avoid the big play. Appalachian has done well to avoid the big pass play this season, but that is because other teams have not had the need to pass on Appalachian to move the ball. This will be a big test for Appalachian as the weather is expected ideal for throwing conditions this weekend. The Mountaineers may benefit from Samford experiencing much cooler weather during the game as a colder, harder football is not as easy to catch. Appalachian ran the ball well last week at times, but a bigger commitment to the run is needed to keep Samford off the field. Samford gives up over 200 yards a game on the ground and 4.5 yards per attempt to opposing teams. Appalachian needs to make that commitment to give Bryant the throwing lanes he needs. If the Mountaineers fall behind by a big margin early, it could be serious trouble. The best chance the Mountaineers have of winning this game is feeding Marcus Cox and others in the running game by making the Samford defense chase.

The First Pick:

More Bulldogs 24

Mountaineers 25

Appalachian Football @ The Citadel

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Charles

Here we go with Week 5:

Appalachian State (1-3, 1-0) @ The Citadel (1-4, 1-2)

Time: 2:00 pm

TV/Video: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/citadel.portal#

Johnson Hagood Stadium

Surface: Natural Grass

Capacity: 21,000

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:  

App State: 49.39

The Citadel: 48.52

Home: 4.34

The Citadel is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 3.5 points (rounded).

Series: Appalachian leads 29-12

Last Meeting: The Citadel 52, Appalachian 28, September 15^th 2012, Boone, NC

WXAPP’s Charleston Gameday Weather Trends:

Mostly Sunny and humid, temps in the mid 80’s at kickoff

For the second time this season, an overachieving team from a perceived lesser conference came to Boone and easily outworked the Mountaineers by playing their style of football to perfection. Three weeks ago, North Carolina A&T lulled Appalachian to sleep with solid defense and won a game of field position while capitalizing on the Mountaineer mistakes. Charleston Southern used a slightly different tactic, but was equally as successful. The Buccaneers’ plan was to take the air out of the ball by running as many play as possible while maintaining possession. Charleston Southern used second downs as a precursor of establishing what they wanted to do on third downs. It was a brilliant plan that worked the game clock to their favor on a massive scale. Winning the time of possession battle is important when you can hold the ball five to six minutes longer than your opponent. When the time of possession gap (24 minutes) is greater than your total time of possession, (Appalachian possessed the ball 18 minutes), it becomes the story of the game. Think about it in a point per possession/minute ratio. The Mountaineers held the ball 18 minutes and scored 24 points. That’s an average of 1.33 points scored per minute of possession. If Appalachian would have held the ball seven more minutes, they would have been more likely to score 32.5 points. Now imagine the same scenario with Charleston Southern, which averaged just two-thirds of a point per minute of possession. Take seven minutes away from their game total and they score right at 22.5 points. That kind of split would still have given the Buccaneers a possession edge of about ten minutes, but also a differential on the scoreboard that would have left them on the wrong end of the game. This provides a perfect example going into a game at The Citadel, which will likely employ a similar strategy of keeping the ball away from Appalachian with their option oriented offense. The Mountaineers have to get off the field, not just on third down, but on any down, by forcing the action to the offense this weekend.

Much of the blame for losing to Charleston Southern is placed on a defense that had trouble containing the running game. We feel the Mountaineer offense is still not holding up to their part of the bargain this season. It’s understandable to see why Appalachian had trouble getting on the scoreboard, considering their lack of possession, but the Mountaineers still averaged 8.3 yards per play. They were moving the ball, but not getting into the red zone often enough, garnering only three trips inside the opponents’ twenty yard line. Two touchdowns and a field goal were scored on those chances, which should have been three touchdowns. A Sean Price drop on the goal line on a third a five stole four points from the Mountaineers that were desperately needed in such a close game. Once again, it’s the little things that have kept the Mountaineers out of the win column for the first third of the season.

Marcus Cox may have cemented himself as the starting running back for years to come with his second straight solid performance. He is extremely versatile as a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. Despite only getting seventeen carries, he was productive with eighty-nine yards and two touchdowns on the ground and another ninety-one yards receiving to go along with another receiving touchdown. That gives him six touchdowns in two weeks as a starting running back. Cox is averaging 5.5 yards per carry, and 21.3 yards per catch. He scores a touchdown every 8.625 times he touches the ball and he is only going to get better.

Coming into the season, The Citadel was looking to build on a successful season in 2012 in which they finished 7-4, and had wins over Appalachian State and Georgia Southern on consecutive weekends. Some have called 2013 the most anticipated Citadel season in decades, until they hit the thud that is now a 5-0 Charleston Southern team. Oddly enough, Charleston Southern beat both The Citadel and Appalachian on the road, by three points, in games where they trailed in the second half. The Citadel now sits at 1-4, with their lone win over Western Carolina. Looking at the remainder of their schedule, you can only count two probable wins in games against VMI and Elon. Clemson is likely the only guaranteed loss, while the group of Appalachian, Georgia Southern, Samford and Chattanooga are all games that could go either way.

The Citadel’s offense revolves around the quarterback Ben Dupree, who torched the Mountaineers last year for 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns runs of 57 and 46 yards. The Citadel scored 31 points before Appalachian got on the board and started matching scores for the rest of the game. Dupree leads the team with eighty-one rushing attempts for 383 yards and eight of the team’s fourteen rushing touchdowns. Five of Dupree’s rushing touchdown runs came against Old Dominion, which has been historically known for poor defenses in the few years of their programs existence. The Monarchs have given up 484 yards a game this season, and twenty-four touchdowns to their opponents. Dupree’s three touchdown runs that were not against teams named Old Dominion went for 4, 1, and 1 yards respectively. His touchdown runs against Old Dominion went for 33, 13, 7, 2, and 19 yards. Dupree’s 4.7 yards per carry is decent, but is ballooned by a 6.2 yard per carry average against ODU and Western Carolina. Take out those two games, and Dupree has 29 carries for 108 yards against Furman, Wofford and Charleston Southern. We would like to think Appalachian’s defense is closer to the latter three teams than the previous two teams. The Mountaineers must contain Dupree and disrupt his rhythm. If you can get a quarterback in a triple option offense thinking twice, you have won the down. It only takes one down to get a triple option team behind the chains, and out of sync.

The Citadel defense has held their own this season, ranking second in the SoCon only allowing 183 rushing yards a game and allowing only 4.1 yards per attempt while giving up 26 points per game. The points given up are about average, and are slightly skewed from giving up 59 points to Old Dominion. Where the Bulldogs get in trouble is in their defensive secondary. The Citadel allows 200 yards a game passing, but has faced some run heavy team in Charleston Southern, Wofford and Furman. The Citadel secondary allows opposing quarterbacks to complete 69.2% of their passes including 8.6 yards per attempt. Their pass efficiency defense is dead last in the conference while giving up 47% of their opponents third down conversions. The Mountaineers can be quite dynamic in the passing game with their ability to go over the top with Sean Price and the playmaking of Marcus Cox that can turn any short pass into a long gain. Getting the intermediate passing attack going in the middle of the defense will open up the edge for Appalachian.

All week long, this game feels like another one of those “uh-oh”, “here we go again” games against on offense Appalachian could barely get two hands on last year. The inability of Appalachian to stop the straight ahead run game last week, or the methodical approach of Elon two weeks prior can really make the mind wonder what the Mountaineers are in for. However, if Appalachian wants to win this weekend, we believe it starts on the offensive side of the ball. The longer The Citadel gets to play their style of offense, the more likely they are to win this game. The only way Appalachian is going to be able to force the issue against the Bulldogs is by taking advantage when they have the ball. It is going to be a hot day in the low country, and the Mountaineer defense cannot afford to be on the field for another forty minutes as they were last Saturday. Appalachian must score at will, and at the same time, slow the game down a little bit. Offenses that are high in tempo are all the rage across all levels of football and most teams have been conditioned for it. We believe an old-fashioned grind it out affair will help the Mountaineers work the passing attack into the game slowly, and help the quarterbacks, whether it being Jamal Londry-Jackson or Kam Bryant, to find some open throwing lanes. Something has to give this weekend. Either Citadel wins their first home game of the season, or Appalachian contains the running game. We would like to think the defense will be more prepared for an offense that Nate Woody has seen before. It worked pretty well against Elon, forcing them out of their passing game. Woody’s defenses have beat The Citadel fourteen straight games since 1999, giving up an average of 13.5 points per game, allowing twenty points or more on only three occasions.

The First Pick:

Knobs 16

Mountaineers 21

Charleston Southern @ Appalachian Football

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Charles

Here we go with Week 4:

Charleston Southern (4-0) @ Appalachian State 1-2

Time: 3:30 pm

TV/Video: appstatesports.com

Kidd Brewer Stadium

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 23,150

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:  

App State: 56.54

CSU: 45.14

Home: 4.60

Appalachian is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 16 points (rounded).

5dimes.com: off

Series: First Meeting

Last Meeting: N/A

WXAPP’s Boone Gameday Weather Trends:

Tailgate: Mostly Sunny, warming up into the mid 50’s

Noon: Mostly Sunny, temps in the lower 60’s

Kickoff: Mostly Sunny, temps in the mid 60’s

End of game: Mostly Clear, temps in the mid 60’s

The Mountaineers and Scott Satterfield got their first win of the season last weekend, but it was not particularly easy in the second half. Appalachian was unable to keep its foot on the pedal after nearly shutting out Elon in the first half of play and slowly allowed the Phoenix to creep back into the game. Elon had been struggling in the rushing department in its first three games and obviously made it a point to improve on those numbers, perhaps considering the impending weather conditions, Elon believed a wet surface would be just the game to hit the ground running. The Phoenix may have caught the Mountaineers off guard a little bit with their patient attack, and never wavered even after being down 24-0 in the second quarter. The Mountaineers never adjusted and it might not have ever been their intent to do so. Appalachian was ok with being undermanned in the box as long as the game was in front of them. After Appalachian took their largest lead, Elon managed eight plays over ten yards the remainder of the game, and only one true big play, a 31-yard pass, in the games final thirty-three minutes. Elon ran 48 of their 79 plays in those final thirty-three minutes. The Appalachian defense was not on the field a ton in the second half, only 10:29 of actual game time, but defended forty plays over that period of time. Elon was forcing tempo at a grinding pace and the Mountaineer defense calmly defended the game that was in front of them. Nate Woody was probably pleased the see the Phoenix stick to the ground game to an extent, but at the same time Elon could never get their passing game going, as they could only muster 6.1 yards per attempt. It wasn’t perfect, but all the Apps needed was a win, and that is exactly what they accomplished.

Last week, we wanted a better start from Appalachian in the opening half. After scoring only nine points in the first half in the seasons first two games, the Mountaineers exploded for twenty-four points. It might not have appeared to be an explosion of offense, but in comparison to the previous two contests, it was. After an opening drive three and out from the defense, Jamal Londry-Jackson started at quarterback and directed a six-play, ninety yard drive that was finished off by Marcus Cox’ 50-yard TD reception. Cox was in the right spot as Londry-Jackson’s pass was tipped but caught, and Cox broke two tackles as he raced from one sideline to the other for the score. In the second quarter, Cox ripped a Kam Bryant pass from a defenders grasp and won a foot race down the sideline for a 73-yard TD reception. On both touchdown catches, Cox was not in the ideal placement or situation to make a great play, but he did anyway. We have wanted to see more of Marcus Cox and we got our wish to the tune of twenty-six carries for 159 rushing yards and five catches for 143 yards and three total touchdowns.

The performance by Cox slightly overshadowed the return of Sean Price, who may or may not have completed all of his conditions that warranted his return. The word was mum all week on Price’s return, and we would not have expected any different. Why else would a head coach warn his opposition that his most talented downfield receiving threat was making his season debut? Regardless, Price showed some slight rust, but it was not much. Price caught eight passes for ninety-nine yards and added a 41-yard touchdown catch from Kam Bryant. The Mountaineers move to 7-0 all time when Sean Price catches a touchdown pass.

If you have been living under a rock this football season, we have learned one thing: the Big South is playing football very well. With their geographical similarities, the Big South and the SoCon have always played a lot of non-conference games against one another. Occasionally, a school from the Big South will test a SoCon school and every now and then, grab a win against the conference that is viewed as being their superior. If there was a gap in talent between the two conferences, it has shrunk tremendously in the very recent past. Just last weekend, Gardner Webb knocked off Wofford, and beat Furman in their season opener. Earlier this season, Charleston Southern defeated The Citadel in a “road” game. Presbyterian came up two points short in a game at Furman, while Coastal Carolina managed to defeat the Paladins. Furman has been the common denominator in most of these games, but no matter how you look at it, every SoCon school from South Carolina has lost a football game to the Big South.

Charleston Southern will come to Boone with their shiny 4-0 record and win over The Citadel, but that unblemished record is slightly tarnished if you give it a close look. The Buccaneers’ opponents sport a combined record of 2-11. Charleston Southern has beat a team whose only win is Western Carolina, in The Citadel, and another team whose only win is over Virginia-Wise, in Campbell. That resume is not as strong as it looks in the end. Their competition certainly has not been that strong since their opening season win, and this weekend will be the first time they play in a stadium with an actual home crowd to deal with. In the past couple seasons, the Buccaneers have not played well on the road in hostile environments against the likes of Illinois, Florida State, Central Florida and Hawaii. In those games, Charleston Southern was outscored 234-17, giving up 60 or more points in three of those contests.

The Buccaneers run the all too familiar triple option offense, but not exclusively. Quarterback Malcolm Dixon has thrown for 470 yards and five touchdowns in the first four games. His stats are very consistent, throwing no more than 16 times in any game, and no fewer than 13 times. Dixon can run too, but the Bucs will go away from Dixon in the run game if it isn’t working. Against The Citadel and Norfolk State, Dixon ran 12 times for a total of 5 yards. In the games against Campbell and Shorter, two inferior opponents, Dixon ran 34 times for 237 yards. Seems to be a good idea to keep Dixon in the pocket, as he only completes about 58% of his passes, but containing him will be a key. Dixon had not been sacked all season until last week, when Norfolk State accumulated three sacks and forced Dixon’s only interception of the season as well. Christian Reyes is the leading rusher for the Bucs, who usually gets a heavy volume of the carries. Three times this season, Reyes has carried the ball twenty times or more, and he can take it 5’10 and 218 pounds. That makes Reyes the heaviest player on the Buc offense outside the offensive line and tight end.

Charleston Southern runs the ball on average on three out of every four plays they run. The hard part about a triple option offense is guessing when they will throw the ball. Unlike your typical Wofford and Georgia Southern offenses, who generally pass the ball less often, and are under center on most plays, Charleston Southern will pass out of the shotgun formation. That makes it quite easier on the defensive coordinator to scheme against an offense. Similar to Elon last weekend, Charleston Southern will stick to their game plan regardless of the score. In their win over The Citadel, the Bucs had fallen behind 16-0 late in the first half, but were able to take advantage of a Citadel defensive mistake and a turnover on a punt return to bring the score to 16-14 at half. In the second half, the Bucs rushed for 131 yards and scored all of their touchdowns in the second half on the ground to defeat the Bulldogs. Appalachian will need to adjust to this hard headed game plan, something they were not able to do last week. Luckily Appalachian scored just enough points and use a ground attack of their own to seal the game. It was something special to see last weekend, watching the Mountaineer offense looking more like what it is supposed to. Despite 400 combined passing yards from two different quarterbacks, the Mountaineers ran the ball down the throat of the Elon defense when it mattered. Marcus Cox put on a performance that Appalachian fans had never seen. Cox became the first player in school history to record 100 receiving yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game. Kevin Richardson, Steven Miller, Travaris Cadet, Jimmy Watkins, Damon Scott, John Settle and many others before had never accomplished that feat until Marcus Cox started his first game. Obviously expectations for the remainder of his career will be high, but those should be tempered, as he is still just a true freshman, but it seems the Mountaineers have found their back of the future.

The First Pick:

The other Bucs 24

Mountaineers 38

Appalachian Football @ Elon

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Charles

Here we go with Week 3:

Appalachian State (0-2) @ Elon (1-2)

Time: 6 pm EST

TV/Video: elonphoenix.com

Rhodes Stadium

Surface: Natural Grass

Capacity: 11,250

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:  

App State: 58.12

Elon: 48.39

Home: 5.04

Appalachian is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 4.5 points (rounded).

5dimes.com: App State -5.5

Series: Appalachian leads 31-9-1

Last Meeting: Appalachian 35, Elon 23, October 6^th 2012, Boone

WXAPP’s Burlington Gameday Weather Trends:

Gameday: Chance for a few showers through the day, but wouldn’t bet the farm on a washout

Kickoff: Temps near 80

End of Game: Temps in the mid 70’s

We could almost write the same paragraph today as we did two weeks ago. Luckily, we have all had time to mellow out after a surprising loss to North Carolina A&T. It was Appalachian’s first home loss to an in-state non-conference opponent in a very long time. It was nearly a repeat of the week before. A sluggish offense could only muster six first half points after missing a two point conversion attempt on its first touchdown drive. More importantly, a couple of poor coaching decisions put the Mountaineers in a do or die situation at the end of the game. Late in the fourth quarter, after the Appalachian defense had done their part to keep the Aggies off the scoreboard, the Mountaineer offense decided to go for it on fourth down near midfield. The offense couldn’t stay on the field, and gave up valuable field position at a critical point in the game. The defense forced a three and out, but Appalachian was given a long field. Had the field position been better, there might have been more time left in the game to attempt a shorter field goal or possibly get in position to go ahead with a touchdown. In the first half, the Mountaineers attempted to drive the length of the field in the closing minute, but Jamal Londry-Jackson threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Perhaps the Mountaineers were better suited to take a 14-6 halftime deficit into halftime instead of forcing the issue which eventually backfired.

We have to come to a realization that something has to change. There may not be a championship banner to hang at the end of the season, or a playoff berth to deem success, but plenty can be lost, and gained, over the next ten weeks. Appalachian has scored nine points in the first half this season. It’s not easy coming from behind to win games. It simply is not a winning formula on a week to week basis. Appalachian has to get off to a better start in games. Whether Jamal-Londry Jackson has cured what has ailed him over the last two weeks remains to be seen. Frankly, we don’t care who plays, but whoever it is has to be ready to go without any hesitation. Londry-Jackson has been as scared as a mouse in the pocket, looking down and flinching at the closest defender. Once that happens, the play is over. Kam Bryant may have more flaws that are consistent with someone who has played as little as he has, but Bryant has stepped into his throws in the pocket, and delivered the ball with greater accuracy than his senior counterpart. Bryant is also the future, and the next ten games could give him the work he needs heading into Appalachian’s first year in FBS football in 2014.

We predicted a defensive shutout. It was quite a bold call that nearly came true. The Appalachian defense gave up ten points, and on most Saturday’s in the new era of college football, that is going to be enough to win to you a lot of games. The problem was the offense and special teams giving up fourteen points. We mentioned a “defensive or return touchdown” would be the way the Aggies got on the board, but unfortunately we were too good on this prediction as A&T scored two non-offensive touchdowns. The defense went on to give up only twelve first downs for the game, two of those coming by penalty. The defense also only allowed 244 total yards while only giving up 3.8 yards per play. Elon will provide a different challenge as they will test the Mountaineer secondary. The Phoenix prefers to throw the ball, averaging forty-one pass attempts a game.

Elon has had an up and down season, having played their money game, their cupcake, and then the in-state opponent that they also expected to beat, but did not. Not only did North Carolina A&T knock off Appalachian two weeks ago, but they went home on a high and beat Elon the following week, and did it in somewhat convincing fashion. The Aggies held the Phoenix to ten points and only twenty-three yards rushing. Elon did not gain a first down by running the ball the entire game, and averaged less than two yards per carry in the game. Elon has never been very successful in the run game, focusing more on the air attack, but what A&T did to Elon is impressive. In its other games, Elon was trounced by Georgia Tech 70-0 and then they picked up a win over West Virginia Wesleyan 49-7.

The Phoenix will certainly be up for Appalachian as they always have been, and might hope to catch the Mountaineers while they are down, but Elon has gone backwards since Pete Lembo left for Ball State. Current Head Coach Jason Swepson is 9-16 overall in now his third season, and has yet to record a winning season. Of his nine wins, you can count Western Carolina (2), NC Central (2), Concord, WV Wesleyan, WV State, Furman and The Citadel. The Furman win in 2011 represents his only win over a SoCon opponent with a winning record. Swepson could be on the chopping block if he cannot turn it around quickly this season.

Elon has been spreading the ball around well to begin their season. They have featured a three man rotation at running back between Tracey Coppedge, BJ Bennett and Karl Bostick. All three have rushed the ball between 27-29 times, with Coppedge carrying a 5.2 yard per carry average compared to Bennett (3.7), and Bostick (3.1). Coppedge also leads the team with 151 yards rushing. As a team, the Phoenix are averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Thirteen different receivers have caught a pass, with veterans Rasaun Rorie and Kierre Brown leading the way with over a dozen catches each. Six Elon receivers have caught seven passes or more. In comparison, only eight Mountaineers have caught a pass, with only four players catching more than six passes.

The typical statistics come up every year when Appalachian and Elon face off on the gridiron. Elon hasn’t beaten Appalachian since 1964, a span of seventeen games. This might be Elon’s last chance to beat the Mountaineers as both teams are changing conferences in the future and both schools future conferences take them in different geographical directions. In the SoCon era, Appalachian has scored no fewer than 24 points in every game against Elon, and has scored 34 points or more in seven of those ten games. The Phoenix have only managed 30 points on two occasions against Appalachian. Expect Elon to try and jump on Appalachian early like they did in 2011. The Phoenix raced out to a 21-0 lead before Appalachian eventually won 28-24. In that game, Elon tried to burn clock long before the game was over. Elon’s offensive line couldn’t hold up, and the Mountaineers covered better in the secondary, leading to five sacks. The Mountaineer defense could be the difference again this time in Burlington, assuming they can get some help. We still believe the Appalachian defense has held its own this season. Only ten points were given up two weeks ago, and the defense kept Appalachian in the game as long as they could in Missoula in the opening game. Elon looks average on paper and has not shown many signs of being all that competitive in the last season or so. Elon’s defense has yet to record a sack this season and only has one interception in three games, while only recording four quarterback hurries and have only forced one fumble. Appalachian should use that vanilla defense to their advantage and get the running game going. If the Mountaineers are going to struggle running the ball like they have thus far for the rest of the season, it could be a long final season in FCS. Scott Satterfield has some big decisions to make in the 72 hours or so. Does he go with Kam Bryant? Does he reinstate Sean Price if his punishment has been served? How does he treat the more recent off field issues of Ronald Blair? Does he make a change at running back? All of these questions will be answered by 6pm on Saturday, but the real quandary resides with how the players who are on the field respond when it is their time to shine.

The First Pick:

Ashy Birds 20

Mountaineers 27

North Carolina A&T @ Appalachian Football

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Charles

Here we go with Week 2:

North Carolina A&T (0-0) @ #21 Appalachian State (0-1)

Time: 6 pm

TV/Video: appstatesports.com

Kidd Brewer Stadium

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 23,150

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:  

App State: 61.32

North Carolina A&T: 42.83

Home: 6.49 points

Appalachian is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 25 points (rounded).

5dimes.com: App State -14

Series: Appalachian leads 5-1

Last Meeting: Appalachian 58, North Carolina A&T 6, September 10, 2011

WXAPP’s Boone Gameday Weather Trends:

Gameday: Slight risk for shower or isolated storm

Tailgate: Temps in the lower to mid 70’s

Kickoff: Temps in the lower 70’s

End of Game: Temps in the mid 60’s

Last week was not what anyone expected. Many could accept a loss in the opening game, as so many indicators in the past could have pointed out. Appalachian was winless to the west of the Mississippi River, playing a tough opponent, at a tougher venue. The most surprising aspect of the game that everyone wants to forget is the poor performance of the offense, especially one that had all the makings of being exceptional. What we feared the most was the health of the starting quarterback, Jamal Londry-Jackson. We predicted that Londry-Jackson would not be healthy once the season started. Whether or not he was 100% recovered from knee surgery was also speculated. Seems we nailed that one, as Londry-Jackson suffered a pinched nerve that caused numbness in the left arm for a brief period during the game, which caused him to miss over a quarter of action. Londry-Jackson carried the ball six times in the game, a far cry from his 16 carries against the Griz a year ago. We called for eight carries, and even that seemed to be high. We also wanted to see Londry-Jackson showcase his passing ability, which is any area he also struggled. The total yardage (89) and yards per attempt (4.2) were easily the worst of his career. Only at Western Carolina last year has Londry-Jackson thrown for fewer yards in a game he started. Coincidentally, Londry-Jackson was also injured in that game.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, the reason Appalachian lost last week was not all on the shoulders of the quarterback. An offensive line that terribly outmatched was dominated by the Griz. Even when backup Kameron Bryant entered the game, he needed to buy time in the pocket and create offense on his own down the field. The front five had difficulty protecting the quarterback, allowing for routes to develop downfield, and also could not open holes for the Appalachian run game. No rhythm was established, and that is what “Always Attack” is all about. We have always felt that Scott Satterfield and his play calling were most successful when a rhythm was created. With the play caller now being on the sidelines, it provided an arduous task for the rookie head coach.

Disregarding the obvious downfalls of the offense, the defense was easily the best group on the field for the Mountaineers last weekend. The new look defense with plenty of fresh faces held off Montana as long as they could. On Montana’s first drive, the Griz methodically marched 53 yards on 12 plays, only to see it end on a failed fourth-down conversion. On that drive, eventual SoCon freshman of the week John Law made two tackles, on the first play from scrimmage, and on the last one. On the Griz’ second drive, they strung together eleven plays that ended when Ronald Blair recovered a fumble inside the Mountaineer’s own ten yard line. Montana would score on their next three drives, but the 16-0 halftime score still had the Mountaineers in the game. Montana’s next fourteen plays in the second half went for a total of 50 yards, as the Mountaineers scratched to within ten points. However, the Griz sealed the game with two fourth quarter touchdowns after a Kameron Bryant fumble inside the Griz red zone. The defense kept it a game for a lot longer than they probably should have, and that is something to look forward to as this young group only gets more experienced each week.

It is not often we start with a review of the last the game for so long, but it was needed. North Carolina A&T provides a different challenge. Usually all teams have played on opening weekend, but A&T did not play last week, and got an extra week to prepare, and rest for the first test of the season. The Aggies are coming off a decent 7-4 season from a year ago and they did all on defense. Statistically, the Aggies had the second ranked defense in the FCS, giving up only 253 yards a game. In turn, they only gave up fourteen points per game and less than 100 yards a game on the ground. D’Vonte Grant led the team a year ago with 88 tackles from his weakside linebacker position. Travis Crosby is the team’s second leading tackler (87) who also returns at rover, which is generally a hybrid of the safety position. D’Vonte Graham, is the leading cornerback for the Aggies, who is coming off a season where he picked off four passes. Graham is also an established punt returner who averaged over ten yards per return last season, including one that went the distance for a touchdown.

On offense, A&T is a team that is very methodical and prefers a slower pace. The Aggies ran the ball 476 times last season, right at 43 times per game, yet only gained 1,861 rushing yards on those carries. On the year, they averaged 3.9 yards per carry and managed an 800 yard rusher and 400 yard rusher on the season. Twenty-three of the team’s touchdowns came on the ground, compared to only four touchdowns in the air.

The Aggies returned a senior quarterback in Kindle Lewis, but he is suspended currently due to a couple unfortunate traffic charges. In his stead, A&T will run with Kwashaun Quick, a sophomore who played in ten games last year. Quick completed half of his passes (25/50) for 256 yards, but did throw four interceptions to just one touchdown pass. Quick also ran the ball 46 times for 196 yards. Quick is 6’0, 185 pounds and his backup a true freshman from Washington, DC is Oluwafemi Bamiro, who is 6’4 and 209 pounds. We have a good feeling we will see both of these quarterbacks at some point on Saturday.

Appalachian fans will hopefully give their team a pass for the poor performance in the first game. Luckily, the loss at Montana does not put the Mountaineers in jeopardy of any potential playoff situations. However, one does have to ask the question about the balance of team, considering the impending future of the program. We all want to see the seniors go out on a good note, yet if the season does not turn out the way it is expected, at what point do you start looking toward 2014 and beyond? Easy, we are not jumping off the bus just yet, nor will we ever. We just feel the question needs to be out there. North Carolina A&T may provide a small cure for what ails the Mountaineers this weekend, but an early open week might have an adverse affect on the Apps in the following week. We all want to say last week was an aberration, but what if it just a sign of things to come? Rarely do we cast so much doubt, but once again, we want to put it all out there. We have been all over the board on this prediction. One part wants to predict a closer than it should be game, where Appalachian struggles on offense before pulling away. However, the devilish feelings will prevail. Last week we hit on Montana’s total rushing yards, predicting 250 yards, and the Griz rolled up 246. We also feel good about mentioning the penalty flags, in which the Mountaineers were called for eight total infractions for sixty-eight yards. This week, I am going with a defensive shutout, but the Aggies will score some points. Whether it is by defensive or return touchdown, the Aggies will get on the board somehow. We might be slightly too confident in the Appalachian defense, but last week was a rather strong performance considering the situation. Certainly the Appalachian offense will find a groove, no matter who is taking snaps. I could see Scott Satterfield go with a platoon late in the game, simply as a way to get the younger players some reps for the future, and more importantly to keep Jamal Londry-Jackson as healthy as possible.

The First Pick:

Old Yellar 14

Mountaineers 56

Appalachian Football @ Montana

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles

Here we go with Week 1:

#12 Appalachian State (0-0) @ #20 Montana (0-0)

Time: 9 pm EST

TV/Video: ESPN3, ESPN Gameplan

Washington-Grizzly Stadium

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 25,217

Jeff Sagarin Ratings:  

App State: 62.99

Montana: 61.61

Home: 3.01 points

Montana is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 1 ½ points (rounded).

Series: Montana leads 2-1

Last Meeting: Appalachian 35, Montana 27, September 8, 2012

WXAPP’s Missoula Gameday Weather Trends:

Mostly Sunny Skies, Kickoff Temps: Mid 80’s, Halftime: Mid to upper 70’s, End of game: Lower 70’s. Mostly clear throughout

It has been a quarter century since there has been this much change in the Appalachian State football program. The offseason after the 1988 campaign still does not compare to the earth shaking changes that were made earlier this spring and summer. The Mountaineers will begin the 2013 season with a brand spanking new coach, a new helmet logo, and a new conference affiliation to look forward to in 2014. There are now more scholarships in the future, as well as a twelve game season that will become the norm. Lost in the shuffle is the old traditional playoff format, whose field was increasing despite the lack of talent, and the odds of hosting a game in the typically rough December weather of the High Country. Also new on Jack Branch Drive is a defensive coordinator that hopes to restore the era of a dominant Appalachian defense, one that used to put more points on the board than the offense in some instances. There has been plenty of change in the mountains these past few months. The teacher has made way for the pupil, and he brings with him all of the lessons that make Appalachian a special place. What occurs off the field will be dealt with in the same manners as they always have, yet what happens between the lines might be what changes the most.

Nearly a year ago, Montana visited Appalachian for the first time to open the home slate for the Mountaineers. The much anticipated contest was the first between the two schools in the regular season. Twice before, the Mountaineers had fallen on the games final play in the playoffs in Missoula. Last year was somewhat of a victory for Appalachian that healed some old wounds. It wasn’t quite a semifinal playoff win, but it was enough to quench the thirst. A thrilling game saw Appalachian bolt to a quick lead in the first quarter and clinch the victory in the closing minutes by current Jacksonville Jaguar Demetrius McCray. It was a win that was sorely needed for the Mountaineers to avoid starting the season 0-2.

The star of the game for the Mountaineers on that night was Jamal Jackson. For Jackson, who now honors his mother after changing his last name to Londry-Jackson, 2012 was his first year as a full blown starter for the black and gold. Jackson was unconscious, completing 70% of this passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another touchdown along with 65 yards on the ground. As has been the theme this off season, those numbers will likely change. Londry-Jackson underwent knee surgery after last season to fully repair the injury he suffered in the Western Carolina game. Londry-Jackson is reportedly nearing 100%, but may never be fully healthy once the season starts. Londry-Jackson carried the ball 16 times in that game, and I would be surprised if we see half as many attempts. Also on that night a year ago, Londry-Jackson had Sean Price to throw it to, who caught a team high eight passes that night. Price will most likely not play this weekend has he serves a suspension for some ill-advised decision making. The Mountaineers will only fly as high Londry-Jackson. He needs to stay healthy throughout the season and showcase his passing ability versus his agility in the run game this weekend in Missoula.

If a team is going to have some bad luck, and lose a player to suspension, it might as well come from the most talented position on the roster. Losing Price this weekend is a big hit, but the Mountaineers will have many weapons running routes on Saturday. Tony Washington and Andrew Peacock provide a perfect combination in all aspects for Appalachian. Washington is perhaps more of the possession receiver than Peacock, but also has game breaking ability. Washington has been honored by several media outlets for his skills in the return game. Peacock is slighter than Washington by an inch and ten pounds, but is a true x-factor on the field. Peacock was second on the team with 79 catches a year ago, and caught five or more passes in eleven games. Peacock also threw two touchdown passes in the final two games last season.

Despite losing Steven Miller and his 1,750 total yards and fifteen touchdowns to the NFL’s Detroit Lions, the Appalachian running back situation may have improved. Former walk-on Ricky Fergerson, a sophomore, has earned the starting running back role. Behind him are converted quarterback Paul Magloire and true freshman Marcus Cox. Magloire is a true downhill runner with tremendous upper body strength while Cox can stretch the field on the ground and in the passing game. Fergerson is a bit of an unknown with only five career carries, but can hide behind the line at 5’8” and is maybe the better option in pass protection. Chances are high that all three get significant playing time on Saturday.

The biggest question of the season is found on the defensive side of the ball. There is no question that Nate Woody has brought with him a formula that has worked in the past with what many would consider lesser talent than his previous coaching stop. Eventually it will work, but how long will it take for a very young group to really grasp the scheme? In the trenches the Mountaineers feature a pair of seasoned defensive ends in Ronald Blair and Deuce Robinson. In the middle Thomas Bronson anchors the line. Stephen Burns who started most of the season in 2012 and Greg Milhouse will also see their share of snaps at the tackle position in Woody’s 3-4 alignment. The linebackers are where the youth is officially served. Two freshmen will join two seniors who have not seen a ton of playing time over the years. John Law and Rashaad Townes are the young duo who will be joined by Michael Frazier, who is back on defense after a year at H-back, and Karl Anderson, who has played well when needed in the past. This youth at linebacker occurs every three or four years at Appalachian and the Mountaineers always seem to reload at that position. The secondary provides almost as much turnover in names as the linebackers, especially at the safety position. Joel Ross and Rodger Walker are both all-SoCon caliber bookends on their good days. Freshman Alex Gray may remind some of Corey Hall who played in the late 1990’s as a long and rangy safety that hardly ever let a receiver get behind him.

Montana looks to be about the typical Montana from past decades. They are big on the offensive line and rely heavily on the running game. They are also experienced on that side of the ball, as the starting five have earned eleven varsity letters. Last year, despite trailing for nearly the entire game, the Grizzlies still ran the ball 45 times, even without being incredibly effective as a team. Montana averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Last year the Griz started freshman Trent McKinney at quarterback against Appalachian, who completed half of his attempts for over three hundred yards and three touchdowns, but was doomed by his trio of interceptions. McKinney is listed as the backup to Jordan Johnson for Saturday. Johnson did not play last year dealing with his own legal troubles in which he was eventually acquitted. How Johnson will adjust to the year off from live football will be something to watch. Halfback Jordan Canada returns from a near 600 yard season. The bulk of Canada’s carries came late in the season, and he was effective much of the time, averaging right at five yards per carry.

The Montana defense has received some credit from last year being a team that was stingy against the run, allowing less than 100 yards a game on the ground. Looking at the flipside, the Griz were second to last in passing yards allowed, ranking 120^th in the country. Part of that ranking was helped by giving up a 660 yard passing day to North Dakota State, but the Griz also gave up a three 300 yard passing games, and four more games they allowed 247 yards passing or more. There are a bunch of upperclassmen in the Montana secondary which makes one believe that they might have improved in that area, at least with experience, but a complete turnaround is going to take some time.

There are certainly questions marks on both defenses. One team has a very youthful group while the other has shown their holes last season. Appalachian and Scott Satterfield have embraced a mentality, “Always Attack”, that promotes running to the line quickly between offensive snaps. The quicker you go, the less time the defense has to react, and to substitute. We have seen instances of this attitude in the past, but never a full onslaught for sixty minutes. In his first game under the helm, what exactly can we expect from the virgin head coach? With all this change, one may wonder if it might be too much all at once, and wonder how long this transition will take. If there is anything about Saturday night that we can be certain of, is that Appalachian is probably going to throw the ball close to forty times. Jamal Londry-Jackson may run a few times, but if anything, it will be to keep the defense honest and it will be toward the sideline, away from any trouble. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that the Mountaineers leading rusher, in way of yards and carries will not be Ricky Fergerson, who was not extremely healthy for the entirety of fall camp. The Appalachian defense may look rough in spots, but I believe they will be very opportunistic by forcing a key turnover. I could easily see Montana rolling up 250 yards on the ground, as the physicality of the opening game and the volume of Washington-Grizzly Stadium take a toll on a young defense. The last time the Mountaineers played in Missoula, they were flagged for ten penalties for nearly a hundred yards. That lack of focus can prolong drives, and usually favors the home team. Although Montana is coming off a 5-6 season, this is their first regular season night game in school history. The Griz have also scheduled a “Maroon Out”, where fans are encouraged to wear nothing but the schools most dominant color on Saturday evening. Appalachian has had good success on the road when schools have scheduled similar events. Appalachian is 0-9 east of the Mississippi, but that will have to change if they want to guarantee success in the Sun Belt and FBS in years to come. Conversely, the Mountaineers have faired well all time in televised games, including a 5-2 mark on ESPN Gameplan.

The First Pick:

Care Bears 28

Mountaineers 31

Baseball struggles continue

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Charles

Through forty-one games, the Mountaineer baseball team has experienced a season up high highs and low lows. The traditional wording sounds something like, “an up and down season”, but those words do not explain the roller coaster ride the season has been. Wins are rarely convincing in the past month, and the losses are extremely are extremely brutal. Unfortunately, there are several areas of the game where this team needs to improve, and they are running out of games. For several weeks, it was obvious any postseason play would hinge solely on the conference tournament. The conference as a whole is weaker than last year, and it appears only one team will play baseball into June.

The most glaring of weaknesses is the lack on consistent pitching throughout an entire weekend series. You can’t ask for much more from Jamie Nunn on Friday nights. Nunn is 8-3 on the season, leading the conference in wins, and is fourth in total ERA. Nunn leads all SoCon pitchers in innings pitched. If there is a team MVP for the season award, Nunn is certainly worthy of that billing.

The real issues regarding the pitching staff, is the uncertainty in what kind of starts you are going to get from the Sam Agnew-Wieland and Jeffrey Srpings. Agnew-Wieland recorded back to back complete game shutouts over a month ago, but has been struggling since then. It was seemed to good to be be true, and Sam has currently returned back to earth. Springs has been a mess as well. With your third starter, you would like to think you can get more than four innings a game. Springs has started nine games this season, and appeared in relief on three occasions, and has only recorded 43.2 innings pitched. Springs and Agnew-Wieland have given up the exact same number of runs, unearned, yet Springs has pitched 22 fewer innings.

Another glaring sore spot with the pitching is that first year head coach Billy Jones has had a real difficulty in deciding when to pull a pitcher from a game. Jones has a tendency to allow a pitcher to work through the troubles that he created, or the defense creates for him. From a fan perspective, Jones is slow to make the change, where Chris Pollard, the previous head coach, was well known for a very quick decision to replace a pitcher. To experience one extreme to another has been frustrating for all parties involved.

Finally, a result of short appearances from your starters, a first year head coach, and an inexperienced bullpen is the number of runs surrendered, and how often those runs are scored. Your opponents are going to score, but limiting those opportunities is what decided the difference between a win and a loss. On too many occasions this season, most recently against East Tennessee State on Wednesday, Appalachian has given up five runs in a single inning to their opponent. It has happened eight times, and Appalachian’s record in those games is 0-7. The Mountaineers are 24-17 on the season, and if they could only manage to limit those five run innings, their record could would be much better. Imagine how different we would feel about this team if they could add a couple more wins, and take some of those losses away. Imagine being 27-14. That is not a lot to ask for.

This season is certainly not finished. There are ten games remaining, and getting to 30 wins will not be easy. That would require six wins against the top two teams in the conference in Elon and Western Carolina, a three games series against West Coast conference leader Gonzaga, and a single game against North Carolina, who has the best record in college baseball at 41-4. Despite an extra challenging end of the season, it might be what the Mountaineers need. They have been a team this season that has played up, or down, to its competition, and perhaps the tough schedule at the end of the regular season can propel this team to a deep run in the SoCon tournament.

Ardrey Kell Spring Scrimmage

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Charles

The Appalachian State football team took its talents to south Charlotte on sunsplashed Saturday afternoon at Ardrey Kell High School. It was the first such event for football using this as a way to market the program off the mountain in the backyard of its most populous alumni base within the state. Although tailgating was permitted for the event, consumption of adult beverages was not permitted and made for a somewhat late arriving crowd. Anyone who knows anything about a football practice, knows that arriving when the event starts is not that exciting. The first half hour was used for warmups, drills and stretching. Actual eleven on eleven drills began right around 2:30 pm.

What we saw was plenty of the pistol formation, using the tight end or H-back in the backfield along with a running back. The same base formation and play, with several options was used for the majority of the scrimmage. It was pretty obvious that the players were being force-fed the concept of the offense. There was plenty of zone blocking. That concept still remains a very effective way to run the football and a major part of what Appalachian does. The tight end or H-back, which we will refer to as the “trigger” was used just like any other back in the backfield. The offense remains one based on reading the defense. The triggger either picked up a blitzer, helped the line, or read the defense and went out for a short pass, by reading the coverage.

Another base play used was almost like a quarterback sweep option, where the option was a nearly lateral pass to a running back or wide receiver to the sideline if a running lane did not exist for the sweep. This was a play that was fairly successful for the offense. When the quarterback runs down the line, it brings all the attention on him running, and sucks in the safety or outside linebacker to middle of the field. When that closed up, a quick sidearm pass to a receiver made it very difficult for the defense to recover. The play puts the defensive back on an island, where he is forced to make a one-on-one tackle in open space to keep the offense behind the chains. Defensive backs make fewer tackles than any other defender on the field, which gives all the advantage to the offense. Just like how quick ball movement creates open shots in basketball, quick ball movement creates open running lanes in football.

App. State Men and Women advance at SoCon Tournament

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Charles

Women:

Appalachian and Charleston played a really close game until the final few minutes when Appalachian’s pressure finally got to Charleston. Appalachian was in control for much of the game, but could never really extend their lead in the first half. Charleston led by a point on one occasion, but Appalachian quickly regained the lead. For much of the game, the Mountaineers led by just under ten points as Charleston hung around as long as they could.

The Cougars were still in the game with 2:09 remaining, as they only trailed by six points. The Mountaineers would finish the game on a 8-0 run to mark the final tally at 74-60. Six of those eight points came at the free throw line via Maryah Sydnor and Anna Freeman. Bria Huffman hit a basket as well in that final run by the Mountaineers.

Anna led all scorers with 23 points and added ten rebounds. Maryah Sydnor scored 17 points and added a half dozen rebounds. Raven Gary added 14 points, six rebouns and four assists. Courtney Freeman chipped in eleven points. Three Mountaineers, Sydnor, Anna, and Courtney accumulated twelve of the nineteen Appalachian fouls as all three were called for four. Charleston threw up another twenty three point attempts, and were mostly unsuccessful, hitting only five of them. The Cougars attempted 28 more shots than Appalachian, and the Mountaineers turned the ball over 13 more times than their opponent.

Appalachian gave up 20 offensive rebounds to Charleston, and must clean that up if they want to beat Chattanooga. The Mocs pounded Appalachian just eight days ago at home. The key to beating the Mocs is playing good perimeter defense and getting in the face of the Mocs three point shooters. Appalachian must also be very aware of Chattanooga’s post players, and do everything they can to limit the Mocs to one shot on the offensive end. Appalachian and Chattanooga will face off at noon on Sunday.

(We made the tough decision and attended the men’s game on Saturday)

Men:

Appalachian jumped all over a tired Furman team in the first half and never looked back. Appalachian used a 7-0 run the jump out to an 18-7 lead early in the first half. Moments later, a 10-2 run by Appalachian up by seventeen points, a lead they would two more times in the first half before heading to the locker room with a fourteen point halftime lead. Appalachian used active hands on the defensive end, something we had not seen all year long. Their hands were in the passing lanes on the wings, and once the ball was tipped, the Mountaineers were off and running for easy fast break points.

Furman cut the lead to five points at 38-33 early in the second half, but Appalachian once again answered with a huge run, another 7-0 run, that put that back up by double digits with 16:17 to play in the game. Furman would once again cut the lead back down to single digits at 47-40, before Appalachian finally put the Paladins away. Over the next 5:23 of game time, the Mountaineers went on a 19-5 run that gave them the Mountaineers their biggest lead of the game with just over eight minutes to play.

Furman responded with a 10-0 run, but it was too little too late for the Paladins. Tevin Baskin put a bow on the game as Furman went up for a breakaway dunk with 13 seconds left and Baskin emphatically blocked it away to preserve a 74-60 final margin.

In the earlier meeting against Furman, Appalachian had very balanced scoring, as four players scored 14 points. Scoring was very balanced against Furman in the tournament as no player scored more than 13 points. Nathan Healy and Jay Canty scored 13 as Jamaal Trice added twelve points to round out the Mountaineer double figure scorers. Baskin and Tab Hamilton added nine points each while Michael Obacha scored eight points and led the team with seven rebounds.

Next up for the Mountaineers is Davidson, who blistered Georgia Southern with three pointers, nailing ten in the first half, and thirteen for the game. Five Wildcats scored in double figures in the 86-59 win. Davidson handled Appalachian in both meeting this season, so this game will be a tall task for the Mountaineers. Most consider Appalachian the weakest of the four top seeds and predicted they would make an early exit in the tournament. Davidson and Appalachian have never met in the semifinals before and Appalachian is 1-3 all time against the Wildcats in the tournament. Davidson has easily brought the most fans to the tournament, but hopefully a 6pm start will bring a few more Mountaineers to Asheville.

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Baseball struggles continue

Ardrey Kell Spring Scrimmage

App. State Men and Women advance at SoCon Tournament