It’s been a while, I know.  I’ve mentioned it before on this site that I work in fundraising in college athletics.  The past two weeks have been the busiest of my career for reasons which I won’t go into.  As a result, I’ve had to put GFWA on the backburner, but I’m back and will continue regularly scheduled programming.  Go Apps!!

Celebrate! Another 6-0 week last week. Here’s this week’s predictions:

FBS

No. 5 Texas vs. No. 1 Oklahoma – The biggest game of the weekend and the the one with the biggest capacity to shape the national championship race. Two Heisman quality quarterbacks (Bradford and McCoy) face off as Mack Brown hopes to shake off Bob Stoops’ hold on the Red River Rivalry. Oklahoma 24, Texas 17.

No. 13 Vanderbilt @ Mississippi State – Along with the improvements of Northwestern and Duke, Vanderbilt has been one of the turnaround stories of the season so far. After a huge win over Auburn on a primetime audience, the Commodores will hope to avoid a letdown on the road against the Bulldogs. It’ll be close, but Vandy plays smart enough to get out of Starkville with a win. Vanderbilt 17, Mississippi State 14.

Notre Dame @ No. 22 North Carolina – Butch Davis has the Heels back in the Top 25, but an unranked 4-1 Notre Dame will be eager to take out North Carolina at Kenan Stadium. Notre Dame 24, North Carolina 21.

No. 17 Oklahoma State @ No. 3 Missouri – The Cowboys average over 300 yards per game on the ground while the Tigers average over 300 in the air. Something’s gotta give and I think Chase Daniel has the edge. Missouri 35, Oklahoma State 17.

No. 4 LSU @ No. 11 Florida – Urban Meyer and his Gators have had this match-up circled on their schedule for months after losing so closely to Florida last season. Is the Florida offense talented enough to move the ball on LSU’s downright nasty defense? I have to give the edge to Les Miles here. LSU 17, Florida 13.

No. 6 Penn State @ Wisconsin – Penn State faces a tough road test at Wisconsin this weekend as the Badgers hope to avoid three straight Big Ten losses. The Nittany Lions’ spread attack averages nearly 500 yards per game and should be too much for a emotionally drained Wisconsin team. Penn State 28, Wisconsin 13.

FCS

No. 6 Elon @ No. 21 The Citadel – The Citadel is certainly an improved team but unfortunately for them, they have the play App State and Elon back to back. I think the Bulldogs will get back in the Top 25 by the end of the season, but this loss will knock them out. Elon 28, The Citadel 13.

Season Record

Overall: 29-10

FBS: 24-7

FCS: 5-3

An introduction to…the newest member of the Southern Conference – the Samford Bulldogs. Samford University is a private, Baptist-affiliated school located in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Bobby Bowden and his son Terry Bowden have both been head coaches at the school. Their highest-ever attendance at a home football game is 11,189. (That record might fall this weekend). Educational-related fact: In 2006, the school was listed in the top 10 in the South for master’s degree institutions. Samford also has a $301 million endowment.

The Season so far: Samford started the sesaon with two comfortable wins over West Georgia and Faulkner – not quite powerhouse opponents.  The Bulldogs predictably lost to Ole Miss 34-10.  I think a lot of people expected Samford to struggle simply because they were new to the conference and were an unfamiliar foe.  However, the Bulldogs’ next loss really opened my eyes.  On the road at No. 8 Elon, Samford battled the talented Phoenix to the end before falling 23-17.  The Bulldogs had tied the score 17-17 with 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.  Elon took the lead for good on a field goal with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Last Week: The Bulldogs picked up their first-ever Southern Conference win against Western Carolina, defeating the Catamounts 21-6. Samford rode the legs of back Chris Evans as he carried the ball 34 times for 166 yards rushing. True freshman quarterback Dustin Talliaferro was 14-of-16 for 154 yards and two touchdown passes. Speaking of Western Carolina, how bad has it gotten for them? I’m sure they picked the Samford game for homecoming because they thought they’d walk all over the new boys on the block and end up getting spanked. Is it possible that we’ll beat them even worse than we did last year?

Stat Leaders: Passing – Dustin Talliaferro 62-of-93, 640 yards, 5 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 135.8 QB rating.  Rushing – Chris Evans 109 carries for 579 yards, 6 touchdowns. Receiving – Jonathan Lowery 15 receptions for 197 yards, 3 touchdowns; Riley Hawkins 8 receptions for 147 yards, 1 touchdown.

Team Offense: 26.2 points per game, 203.8 rushing yards per game, 158.8 passing yards per game.

Team Defense: 16.4 points per game, 83.2 rushing yards per game, 223.2 passing yards per game.

Record: 3-2 overall, 1-1 Southern Conference.

Good article on Western Kentucky’s move up to the FBS level in USA Today here.  Key points:

But the school must pony up. Going from 63 football scholarships to the FBS cap of 85 will cost close to $370,000 annually. Coach David Elson’s salary is going from $195,000 this season to $250,000 in 2009, and he gets three additional full-time assistants. Summer-school expenses are rising by close to $500,000. Two or three team charter flights a season, at $150,000 a pop, will increase travel costs.

The football budget has jumped from $2.4 million in 2006 to $4.6 million this year, and Selig projects it will rise by an additional 27% — to $5.8 million — by the 2012 season.

Still, the climb is decidedly steep. Western Kentucky’s football outlay remains meager by FBS standards. Southeastern Conference member Kentucky has budgeted a little more than $11 million for the sport this year. Alabama will spend about $18 million.

47-21.  That’s more like it.  A thrashing of a SoCon opponent and Armanti racking up yardage.  Don’t let the name of the opponent and its history against us fool you.  The Citadel is an improved team (don’t forget that they were ranked No. 12 in the nation coming into Saturday’s game).  With several new pieces to our offense and Armanti’s early-season struggles, the App offense has lacked the explosiveness and consistency we’ve seen in the last three years.  The Mountaineer offense erased any doubts about their abilities on Saturday, jumping out to a 41-7 lead by halftime.  The Apps racked up 363 yards of offense in just the first half and scored a touchdown on their last six possessions of the first half. 

Armanti set another personal milestone on Saturday, becoming just the 12th Division I player (FCS or FBS) in history to have 3,000 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards in his career.  (A reminder to all:  He’s only a junior.)  The Citadel will certainly be one team that will be glad when Edwards finally finishes his career.  A year after gashing the Bulldogs for 291 rushing, Armanti picked them apart with his arm, going 14-for-18 for 225 yards and four touchdowns.  He added 80 yards on the ground on 15 carries.  In his three career games against the Bulldogs, Armanti has accounted for 953 yards (547 passing, 406 rushing) and 12 touchdowns (seven passing and five rushing). 

Devin Radford’s talents were also on display as he rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.  Radford also took a screen pass with 15 seconds left in the first half 68 yards for a back-breaking touchdown. 

The defense was also solid, holding The Citadel to 170 yards below their season average.  The Bulldogs entered the game ranked as the SoCon’s second-highest scoring offense, averaging 35.5 points per game. 

However, despite all the positive performances, the team appeared to let up in the second half again.  The Citadel cut the lead to 41-21 on a 50-yard punt return TD and a TD pass from Bulldog QB Bart Blanchard. 

Coach Moore:  “The intensity level was considerably higher than it’s been in a while.  We really played solid football, especially in the first half. … We did a lot of things we wanted to do, on offense and defense.  (But) we never really took control of the second half of the game. We lost a little bit of our edge, and that gave them a little momentum.”

 The Mountaineers need to remember that no matter the score, the intensity level needs to remain high.  Blowing a 21-0 lead at James Madison proves that no lead is safe.  I hope the coaching staff is reminding the team of that second half and our players keep it in the back of their heads the rest of the season. 

 Up next for the Mountaineers – SoCon newcomer Samford.  Preview coming up on Wednesday.

Game Links:

The Citadel can’t stop Appalachian State’s Edwards (Rocky Mount Telegram)

Mountaineers storm The Citadel (Watauga Democrat)

No. 2 Mountaineers roll over No. 12 The Citadel (GoASU.com)

Hoping to gather some momentum from my perfect week, I stumbled mightily last week. I’m not going to jinx myself for this week – here’s the picks.

FBS

Duke @ Georgia Tech – Has David Cutcliffe ushered in a new era of Duke Football? Standing at 3-1 and 1-0 in the ACC, the Blue Devils are different. I’d love to see Duke make a bowl game this year but Georgia Tech is rolling under Paul Johnson. I think the Blue Devils can get to six wins this year, but this won’t be one of them. Georgia Tech 24, Duke 13.

South Carolina @ Ole Miss – Houston Nutt has already earned his first big win as a Rebel coach, upsetting No. 4 Florida in the Swamp last week. The Gamecocks, despite boasting the nation’s No. 1 defense, have looked totally inept on offense. Redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia appears to have injected some excitement and may be too unpredictable for the Ole Miss defense to contain. South Carolina 17, Ole Miss 14.

No. 13 Auburn @ No. 19 Vanderbilt – Wow, how far has Vanderbilt come? Hosting Gameday for the first time ever and standing alone at the top of the SEC East, the Commodores have a legitimate shot at going bowling this year. Auburn may be ranked higher but they haven’t looked very good on offense. Last week’s match-up against Tennessee was a display of offensive ineptitude by both teams. Vanderbilt 17, Auburn 13.

No. 23 Oregon @ No. 9 USC – In what might stand as the upset of the season, USC dropped a game (and possibly out of the national championship game). It was the first time in nearly 25 years that the nation’s No. 1 team had lost to an unranked team. If this game was at Oregon and the Ducks weren’t playing their backup QB, I MIGHT have given them edge. But that’s not the case – USC rolls at home. USC 31, Oregon 10.

No. 14 Ohio State @ No. 18 Wisconsin – The Terrelle Pryor Experiment continues at Ohio State. Wisconsin is coming off a huge and embarrassing loss against a very poor Michigan team. A few weeks ago, I would’ve picked the Badgers without a second thought but the Buckeyes appear energized by the freshman QB. After stumbling last week, I’m also not sold on Wisconsin. I like the Buckeyes to get the road win here. Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 17.

FCS

No. 15 Furman @ No. 7 Elon – I wasn’t expecting a big year from the Paladins this season, but their win against Delaware served notice that they might be a factor in the SoCon race. Elon has been rolling along and will be a big challenge for the Mountaineers late in the season. Elon 28, Furman 14.

Season Record

Overall: 23-10

FBS: 19-7

FCS: 4-3

An introduction to…The Citadel Bulldogs. App State has played The Citadel every year since the Mountaineers joined the Southern Conference in 1972. Appalachian and The Citadel have faced each other 36 times, with the Mountaineers holding a 25-11 edge. The Bulldogs have only defeated the Mountaineers three times in their history in Boone. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 45-24 beatdown by the Mountaineers in Charleston. Armanti Edwards accounted for 291 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the game. The Bulldogs lean a bit more to the rushing game with their offense, but do have the ability to accumulate some yards through the air. I’m sure they’ll look to pass more this weekend as the Mountaineers did show some weakness defending the pass against Presbyterian.

The Season so far: The Citadel’s only loss this weekend came against in-state FBS opponent Clemson (45-17 loss).  The Bulldogs’ three other wins have come against Webber International, Princeton and Western Carolina.  How that results in a No. 12 ranking is beyond me.

Last Week: The Bulldogs rolled over Western Carolina last week 34-14 at home, improving their national ranking to No. 12 in the process. The Citadel racked up 541 yards of offense and ran for a season-best 276 yards in handing the Catamounts their 16th straight Southern Conference loss. Quarterback Bart Blanchard ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in the win. Blancard was also 19-of-28 for 265 yards. Freshman running back Asheton Jordan had 110 yards on 18 carries.

Stat Leaders: Passing – Bart Blanchard, 65 for 100, 65% completion rate, 832 yards, 7 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 146.0 QB rating; Rushing – Asheton Jordan, 48 carries for 268 yards, 3 TDs; Receiving – Andre Roberts, 26 catches for 440 yards, 6 touchdowns.

Team Offense: 35.5 points per game, 178.8 rushing yards per game, 236.2 passing yards per game.

Team Defense: 22.5 points per game, 150.2 rushing yards per game, 172 passing yards per game.

Record: 3-1, 1-0 SoCon.

Gametime is set for 3 p.m. at Kidd-Brewer Stadium. For those of you with SportSouth, the game will be televised live.

Sorry for the delay in posting this – yesterday was a long day at work and I didn’t get a chance to get on here.  So for what it’s worth - here’s a recap. 

At first glance of a 48-14 scoreline, one might think that it was all Apps from start to finish.  But for the first half of play, that was far from the case.  PC scored on their first drive and remained close throughout the entire half.  The Blue Hose passing attack kept the Mountaineers on their heels and went in the locker room trailing only 17-14 at the half.

Second half – different story.  407 yards of offense (367 on the ground) and four touchdowns later and the Mountaineers had a nice victory to celebrate.  One of the most encouraging aspects of the second half point explosion is that the production came from young, untested players.  Virginia Tech transfer Devin Radford racked up 251 yards of offense (179 on the ground, 72 in the air) and three touchdowns.  Backup quarterback DeAndre Presley ran the ball 5 times for 37 yards and two scores and also completed a pass for 58 yards.

Fun fact:  After his performance on Saturday, Armanti Edwards now sits at third in Southern Conference history with 7,747 total yards of offense in his career. 

Here’s this game’s story links:

Big Second Half Propels Appalachian Past Presbyterian 48-14   (GoASU.com)

Mountaineers Rebound   (News & Observer)

Big Second Half lifts Mountaineers to win  (Winston-Salem Journal)

So what’s next? The non-conference schedule is done and it’s time for the Southern Conference.  Five teams are currently ranked.  The Mountaineers rose to No. 2 this weekend after Richmond’s loss to Villanova knocked them down a few pegs.  James Madison sits atop the poll.  Elon is No. 7, Wofford is No. 9, The Citadel is No. 12 and Furman is No. 15.  Georgia Southern could easily be ranked as well, losing two very close games to Elon and Wofford. 

Four games in and the Mountaineers have yet to put two halves of football together (except for the Jacksonville win – which doesn’t count).  All five of these games will require the Mountaineers’ best efforts if Appalachian hopes win a fourth straight conference title.  With the strength of the Southern Conference this season, I think it’s a safe bet that you’ll see three SoCon teams get bids to the playoffs.  The question remains, can this team finish in the top three?

After a couple of weeks of knocking on the door of a perfect week of picks, I finally broke through and went 6-0 last week. I was particularly pleased with my picks of the LSU, Wake Forest and VT wins. I even called the Georgia score exactly. The lesson here – I’m a genius. Here’s your genius picks for the week:

FBS

North Carolina @ Miami – UNC had their chance to establish themselves at the top of the ACC with a win over VT, but blew the lead and lost their starting quarterback. The loss could send the rest of the Heels’ season into a tailspin. Miami, despite its youth, is definitely on the upswing with a dominant win over Texas A&M last week. Miami 24, UNC 10.

Colorado @ Florida State – The Seminoles’ program is a smoldering heap of what it used to be. Last week’s loss to Wake Forest established the passing of the torch. FSU needs to find a way to force Bowden out before things get even worse. Colorado 21, Florida State 14.

Tennessee @ No. 15 Auburn – With all the SEC spotlight on this weekend’s Bama-Georgia game, this game hasn’t received the attention that it might on a different week. Tennessee (and Phil Fulmer) need a win to right the ship after an unimpressive start to the season. The loss to UCLA looks even worse now and the Gators took apart the Vols with ease. A 1-3 start to the season is the last thing the Vols need. BUT – they now have to travel to Auburn who threw away a lead against the defending national champions. Auburn 21, Tennessee 6.

No. 25 Fresno State @ UCLA – After an exciting win on the opening weekend, things have gotten progessively worse for Rick Neuheisel’s reclamation project at UCLA. After an embarrassing loss to one of the nation’s best non-BCS teams, the Bruins follow it up with another lopsided loss to one of the worst teams in the Pac-10. Fresno State rolls. Fresno State 31, UCLA 7.

No. 8 Alabama @ No. 3 Georgia – The game of the week – an epic showdown between two of the SEC’s best. Georgia’s fans and team are planning a blackout to add some extra hype to the game. However, according to one of the Alabama’s coaches, Georgia is only wearing black because they are “going to a motherf*****g funeral.” I’m not completely sold on Bama yet and I don’t think they are truly the 8th best in the nation. I’m going to stick with the smart bet here. Georgia 17, Alabama 10.

No. 22 Illinois @ No. 12 Penn State – Penn State has comprehensively dismantled every team it’s played this season. Even with JoePa coaching from the box, this is a REALLY good football team. I think they’ve managed to stay under the radar with all the attention on Ohio State this year. The Nittany Lions are my pick to win the Big Ten this year. Penn State 30, Illinois 14.

FCS

No. 14 Wofford @ No. 24 Georgia Southern – Another big SoCon game for both of these teams. The Eagles faltered late last week and lost on a late field goal to Elon. Wofford’s offense looked impressive, putting up more yards on the South Carolina defense than Georgia did. I’m giving the edge to Wofford. Wofford 27, Georgia Southern 21.

Season Record

Overall: 19-7

FBS: 16-4

FCS: 3-3

An introduction: The Presbyterian Blue Hose (their mascot is a Scotsman clad in a kilt with blue stockings) come from Clinton, South Carolina. Presbyterian is a private liberal arts school with approximately 1,300 students. Fun fact: PC is also home to Cyrus, the largest bronze statue of a Scotsman in the world (per Wikipedia). The Blue Hose are in the second year of a 4-year transition into competition at the FCS level. Last year was their first year at the level and the team finished with a 6-5 record. Presbyterian competes in the Big South Conference.

Last season and this season, so far: As mentioned above, PC ended their first campaign at the FCS on a winning note. The Blue Hose played only three homes games, winning all three. Common opponents with the Apps – Furman (40-16 loss) and Western Carolina (33-20 loss). This year, PC is getting a heavy dose of Southern Conference football. Four of their seven non-conference games are against SoCon teams (Wofford, Elon, Western Carolina and Appalachian State). The results so far: Three losses. The Blue Hose’s only win came at home against Fayetteville State. Worst loss: A 66-12 hammering by Elon. PC allowed 667 yards of offense as Elon QB Scott Riddle lit them up for 386 yards and three touchdowns.

Last week: PC blew a second half lead against Western Carolina last week to lose 23-21 at home. The Blue Hose took a 14-9 lead into the fourth quarter but the Catamounts scored 14 of the game’s final 21 points to break PC’s six-game home winning streak. Needless to say, a loss to the hapless Catamounts doesn’t strike much fear in the hearts of your next opponent.

Stat Leaders: Passing – Tim Webb, 91-152, 59.9% completion rate, 956 yards, 7 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 125.3 QB rating; Rushing – S.J. Worrell, 40 carries for 146 yards, 1 TD; Receiving – Terrance Butler, 24 catches for 317 yards, 4 TDs.

Team Offense: 23 points per game, 83.8 rushing yards per game, 239 passing yards per game.

Team Defense: 38.8 points per game, 250 rushing yards per game, 258 passing yards per game.

Record: 1-3.

I’ve been delaying this post all weekend.  I still don’t know what to write about this tough loss.  In a reversal of fortune, it was a late fumble that cost the Apps this time and not the Dukes.  If the game had been televised on ESPN, it’d be replayed on ESPN Classic almost immediately.  However, that’s little solace for an Appalachian fan.  Despite falling behind 21-0, James Madison never got down and powered their way back for the win.  Key quote from Coach Moore:

“They did a terrific job of fighting back in the second half,” said Moore. “Really good teams become great teams doing what they did tonight. They got some good momentum in the third quarter and played off that.”

 So, speaking of going from good to great, where does this Appalachian team go next? We’re not in mayday mode or anything yet.  Some who had predicted us to be at 1-2 at this point in the season wouldn’t be crazy.  We lost as expected at LSU, defeated a much weaker opponent (Jacksonville), and lost a tough road game against a very talented James Madison team looking for revenge.  I don’t want to get all Mickey Matthews on everyone and start talking about a bunch of what-ifs and could’ve-beens, but the No. 1 team in the nation shouldn’t blow a 21-0 halftime lead.  We really should be 2-1.  But we’re not and we have to move forward.  Looking ahead, we have three VERY winnable games (Presbyterian, Citadel, Samford) before our shot at Georgia Southern.  Let’s hope the team responds like it did last year and wins out on the way to the playoffs.   

 Here’s your story links:

Second Half Rally Stuns App at JMU  (GoASU.com)

JMU dethrones No. 1 Appalachian State (The Sports Network)

JMU surprises Appalachian State 35-32 (Winston-Salem Journal)

No. 5 JMU knocks off No. 1 Appalachian State (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

This picture sums the game up:

Another good 4-1 performance last week in FBS games continue to make me look good in that category, however I’ve struggled in the FCS category. I really didn’t expect James Madison to roll over UMass like they did and I really didn’t expect them to put up 866 yards of offense. For the first time this season, we’ve finally got a full slate of some potentially exciting games. All of the games I’m going to attempt to pick this week will have an impact on either a conference title or who plays in the national title game. Since I haven’t done very well in the FCS games, I’m going to start to focus on Southern Conference games to have a better chance at success.

FBS

No. 4 Florida @ Tennessee – Tennessee has not looked very sharp so far this season, blowing a game to an average UCLA team on Labor Day and then struggling early against powerhouse (feel the sarcasm) UAB last week before blowing the game wide open. Tim Tebow and Co. come to town for their first true test of the season. Even though the Gators have played two Division I teams, they really haven’t been challenged. I really think Tennessee is going to have a down year this season and expect the Gators to stroll. Florida 24, Tennessee 10.

Virginia Tech @ North Carolina – The Hokies have not looked impressive at all in 2008. This isn’t your typical Frank Beamer team. The Heels are hoping to continue their “resurgence” under Butch Davis. I use that term loosely because of the usual arrogance of your sterotypical Tar Heels fan. Regardless of how these teams stand nationally, this is an important match-up in the abysmal ACC. I’ve seen experts who have circled this game as THE game for determining the winner of the division. I think Tech does just enough to keep the Heels on the back foot. Virginia Tech 17, UNC 13.

No. 18 Wake Forest @ No. 24 Florida State – Any joker who has actually ranked Florida State simply because they’ve obliterated two FCS teams is an idiot. Blowing out two of the WORST teams in the Southern Conference does not make you the 24th best team in the land. I still think the Seminoles are no better than an 8-win team. Wake Forest is the class of the ACC (wow, weird to say). I think the Demon Deacons win in Tallahassee and force ol’ Bobby a little closer to the exit. Wake Forest 23, Florida State 17.

No. 6 LSU @ No. 10 Auburn – This may be the most crucial game of the week. The winner here sets the pace in the SEC West and is in the driver’s seat to get to the SEC Title game. I remain steadfast in my belief that the winner of the SEC absolutely should be in the national title game. The stakes here are huge and this is a titanic showdown. The home team has won this game the last eight times. Auburn won a slugfest last week against Miss State and LSU has not been tested yet. However, Auburn’s offense has looked a little sloppy while trying to implement the spread offense which could be trouble against LSU’s fast and talented defense. Home-field advantage aside, I have to go with LSU. LSU 16, Auburn 9.

No. 3 Georgia @ Arizona State – The Bulldogs survived a scare at South Carolina last week (and really should’ve lost). Arizona State suffered a shocking upset against UNLV and will be looking to prove themselves again. Side note, this is Georgia’s first trip outside of the Southeast (not including bowl games) since the 1960s. Despite the new surroundings, UGA is too good. Georgia 27, Arizona State 10.

FCS

No. 17 Elon @ No. 16 Georgia Southern – Big game for both teams.  Georgia Southern is trying to return to prominence and Elon is trying to prove to doubters that they are a playoff team.  Elon is the better team here.  Elon 28, Ga. Southern 17.

Season Record:

Overall: 13-7

FBS: 11-4

FCS: 2-3

An introduction to the James Madison Dukes…As if any Appalachian fan needs an introduction to the Dukes from James Madison.  The Dukes came to Boone in Year 2 of the Dynasty in a game billed as a Battle of Champions (JMU won the national title in 2004).  The Apps won 21-10 as we saw the first glimpses of ability from Armanti Edwards.  The next meeting would have a lot more on the line when the Dukes came back to Boone last November for a first-round playoff showdown at The Rock.  JMU managed to keep the potent ASU off the field with over 40 minutes of possession.  However, a few bonehead calls by coach Mickey Matthews fumbled (literally) the game away and the Dukes were sent home crying.  The key play (and the one that I’m sure has motivated JMU all off-season) – Trailing 28-27 and deep in Appalachian territory with only seconds remaining, the Dukes elect to run one more play before attempting a chip-shot field goal that would win the game.  The result – a fumble recovered by the Apps to preserve the Dynasty.   

Last season: See above for the only thing you really need to know about last season for the Dukes.  Cue redemption article here.

Last week: James Madison is coming off a MASSIVE win 52-38 win over CAA foe UMass. JMU QB Rodney Landers exploded for over 200 yards of rushing in a game that featured 866 total yards of offense from both teams.  The Dukes raced to a 31-10 lead at halftime but the Minutemen managed to cut the score to 45-38 with six minutes remaining.  However, JMU’s Griff Yancey scored his third TD of the second half with 1:56 left to secure the win. 

Stat Leaders: Passing – Rodney Landers, 21-32, 300 yards, 66% completion rate, 158.8 QB Rating; Rushing – Rodney Landers, 45 carries for 333 yards, 4 TD (Longest carry: 47 yards, TD); Receiving – Kerby Long, 6 receptions for 95 yards, 1 TD, (Longest catch: 47 yards, TD).

Team Offense: 38 points per game, 267 yards rushing per game; 103 yards passing per game.

Team Defense: 25 points per game, 134 yards rushing per game, 202 yards passing per game.

Talk about a bounceback.  Solid win for the Apps (and great throwbacks!) as we rolled on Jacksonville 56-7.  Add in a school-record crowd of over 30,000 at Kidd Brewer Stadium and you’ve got a great win to carry into the bye week before traveling to Harrisonburg on Sept. 20. 

540 yards of offense – that’s the Mountaineer offensive machine that we all remember from last season.  The defense was stout, allowing only 43 yards of rushing on the day.  Here’s some articles and excerpts highlighting the first home win of the season.

From the Winston-Salem Journal – Record crowd see ASU rip Jacksonville 56-7

 The Mountaineers wore throwback uniforms — black jerseys, gold pants and helmets with a stripe — to commemorate Moore’s 20th season as coach of the Mountaineers. Moore’s first ASU team in 1989 wore the same style uniforms.

And the Steeler-esque color scheme was backed by a steel-curtain defensive performance that set the tone early.

From the Florida Times-Union – Fast start too much for Dolphins in rout

“Appalachian State is a very good team with a lot of very talented players that are big-play makers,” JU coach Kerwin Bell said. “I’m proud of how hard our kids played throughout the game, and they never quit. This was a great experience for our kids and our program as we look to build a program like theirs.”

From GoASU.com – Mountaineers open home slate with 56-7 romp over Jacksonville

Appalachian (1-1) scored early and often, finding the end zone on four of its first six possessions en route to a commanding 28-0 halftime lead, while ASU’s defense pitched a shutout on the afternoon, with Jacksonville’s only points came on a 60-yard punt return midway through the third period.

The contest was decided in the trenches, as the Appalachian’s offensive and defensive lines generated a 448-43 advantage in rushing yards in favor of the Black and Gold.

There should really be no question as to whether or not Appalachian will win this game.  In an almost reverse of last week’s game, the Mountaineers have too much talent for Jacksonville to compete.  I fully expect this game to be a rout by halftime.

The real challenge will be picking up the players after what had to be a disheartening performance in Baton Rouge.  Granted, we did play much better in the second half.  Hopefully, our coaches and players have kept their heads up this week and realized that the season really starts on Saturday. 

On a different note, I really hope that our fan base hasn’t taken the LSU loss too hard and would rather us stop scheduling FBS teams.  I think the ability of our athletic department to schedule games with schools such as LSU, Michigan, Georgia, Virginia Tech and Florida is a benefit to our players.  It certainly is a positive for recruiting.  If a coach is recruiting a kid who is seriously considering the FCS level and he can tell that young player that in his four years, he’ll have the opportunity to play a game at some of the schools I just mentioned versus another FCS school that won’t schedule such games, I would think the kid would take us.  Secondly, what better way to blood young players than against the very best the nation has to offer.  If a player can hold his own against the defending BCS national champion, then who could he possibly fear at the FCS level?  I hope we continue to schedule these games (and not just for the financial benefit). 

Saturday Prediction: App 48, Jacksonville 3.

Last week was a pretty solid start (if I can say so). I managed to call the ECU upset pick but Clemson and Tennessee dropped the ball and prevented a perfect start for me. I don’t feel too bad about those picks. On paper, both the Tigers and the Vols win those games. I guess that’s why they play them.

FBS Picks

Georgia Tech @ Boston College – This is the first conference game for each of these teams. GT looked solid against Jacksonville State as they showcased Paul Johnson’s new offense for the Ramblin’ Wreck. BC looked unimpressive against MAC foe Kent State. Georgia Tech 23, Boston College 17.

Oregon State @ No. 19 Penn State – The Beavers surprisingly lost to Stanford on the opening week of the season, despite outgaining The Cardinal by nearly 200 yards. Turnovers were costly as Oregon State fell 36-28. Penn State smashed Coastal Carolina in its season opener, 66-10. This one will be closer than people think, but Paterno adds one more win to the total. Penn State 31, Oregon State 21.

No. 8 West Virginia @ East Carolina – Fresh off their thrilling upset win over Virginia Tech, the Pirates would love to claim an even bigger scalp at home with a win over the Mountaineers. Too bad it’s not going to happen. West Virginia 35, East Carolina 20.

Ole Miss @ No. 20 Wake Forest – Both teams had solid debuts as Ole Miss pounded on Memphis and the Demon Deacons rolled on Baylor. Ole Miss will be better this year under Houston Nutt, but Wake Forest will be better on Saturday. Wake Forest 24, Ole Miss 14.

Miami (FL) @ No. 5 Florida – This is kind of a gimme pick as the Hurricanes are 21-point underdogs to the Gators. The U is looking to get to back to its winning ways but they’ll have to start after Saturday. Florida 42, Miami 14.

FCS Picks

No. 14 Youngstown State @ No. 21 South Dakota St – Both teams are coming off big losses to BCS opponents – Youngstown St losing to Ohio State 43-0 and S.D. State dropping a 44-17 game to Iowa State. I’m giving the edge to the Penguins. Youngstown State 28, S.D. State 17.

No. 5 Montana @ No. 11 Cal Poly – Cal Poly was the only team from the FCS ranks to score an “upset” over an FBS opponent on the opening weekend of the season, knocking off San Diego State 29-27 on a last-second field goal. Montana, a perennial national championship contender, plays their first game of the season after ending last season on a losing note. The Grizzlies were upset by Wofford at home in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Cal Poly 24, Montana 21.

Season Record

Overall: 5-2

FBS: 3-2

FCS: 2-0

Dick Brown, author of King of the Mountain: The Jerry Moore Story, announced two more book signings. He will be in Boone at the Apps’ first home game. He’ll also be at the Literary Book Post in Salisbury, NC on Sept. 13 and at Peak Fitness Center in Winston-Salem on Sept. 15.

It’s a great book and I highly recommend you pick up a copy.

Jacksonville Dolphins

An introduction to the Jacksonville Dolphins…The Dolphins come from the Pioneer Football League. Here’s a little “Did you know?” – The PFL is a football-only athletic conference which includes schools that, while playing in the FCS classification of Division I, do not award athletic scholarships to football players. PFL schools are eligible to participate in the FCS playoffs, but the conference does not receive an automatic berth.
Member schools include Butler, Campbell, Dayton, Drake, Marist, Morehead State, Valparaiso, the University of San Diego and our SoCon brethren, Davidson College.

A private school with 3,100 students, Jacksonville (located in Jacksonville, Florida) is also the first NCAA school to have chosen the Dolphin as a mascot. Quite pioneering.

Last season: Last year wasn’t one to remember for the Dolphins as they stumbled to a 3-8 overall record under first year coach Kerwin Bell. From the St. Petersburg Times:

Kerwin Bell begins his second season with the unpleasant task of replacing 11 starters from a three-win team. Bell’s offense set plenty of school passing records despite struggling in the conference with the worst scoring offense (21.8 points per game). The Dolphins will likely look to sophomore Erik Stepelton to replace three-year starter Chris Horton, JU’s all-time leading passer. He’ll look to develop some chemistry with senior receiver Geavon Tribble, who replaces a pair of career 1,000-yard receivers in Nate Conner and Michael Jenner. That could mean more of a running game with sophomore Rudell Small returning after rushing for 490 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the Dolphins lose five starters from a group that ranked last in the conference in several categories, including total defense (427.3 yards per game) and scoring defense (31.9 points per game). JU cornerback Robson Noel returns after leading the team with 88 tackles.

Last week: Jacksonville comes into Boone fresh off a 20-7 victory over Savannah State. Freshman QB Josh McGregor lead the Dolphins to three scoring drives and finished the game with 159 yards on 9-of-14 passing. He also rushed for a 13-yard touchdown to score Jacksonville’s first TD of the season. After their road trip to App State, the Dolphins will play their first home game of the season against Campbell University.

Stat Leaders: Passing – Josh McGregor, 9-14, 159 yards, 64.3% completion rate, 159.7 QB Rating; Rushing – Rudell Small, 25 carries for 109 yards, 0 TD (Longest carry: 13 yards); Receiving – Geavon Tribble, 5 receptions for 81 yards, 0 TD, (Longest catch: 35 yards).

Team Offense: 20 points per game, 102 yards rushing per game; 252 yards passing per game.

Team Defense: 7 points per game, 125 yards rushing per game, 101 yards passing per game.

Ouch. That one hurt. Saturday’s game really showed the difference between FBS and FCS. I think the real difference was the strength and speed of LSU – we just couldn’t match them. It’s a tough one to take as I thought we would do a bit better but we’ll just move on and hope the team can bounce back strong. I’ll leave that as my comments on the LSU game. I’m not really in the mood to post up a bunch of highlights, etc.

In other news, I attended the Duke-James Madison game on Saturday night in Durham. Maybe Duke has improved significantly since David Cutcliffe’s arrival, but I was really surprised at how bad James Madison looked. I got to the game thinking that it would be a pretty close match-up (and it was at halftime), but Duke dominated in the second half. Rodney Landers looked confused for most of the game and threw a terrible interception that killed the Dukes.

The JMU defense was solid up front as Duke couldn’t really get anything going between the tackles but they used an intermediate passing attack with a lot of quick outs and screen passes and just methodically worked their way down the field. Duke had two really long drives that really demoralized the JMU team and fans. I spoke with a JMU fan and mentioned I was an App State grad – he didn’t seem too keen on facing us in September after watching how his team opened up the season.

Perhaps the lesson to take away from this weekend is that even though our record is 0-1 right now, we can still say that we lost to the defending BCS national champion and not the Duke Blue Devils.

We’re a day away from the start of another Appalachian football season. Is it possible for our Mountaineers to top what they accomplished last year? There couldn’t be a bigger challenge for App than to open the season in Death Valley against the defending BCS National Champion LSU Tigers.

Ever since the announcement of this season-opening game, I’ve been asked by numerous people what I think is going to happen. Are we going to shock the world again and beat LSU? It’s tough to give them a real answer. People want you to call an upset and claim that the Mountaineers will pull off the unthinkable.

Honestly, I think LSU just has too much talent. No one can question the heart or determination of the Apps, but the strength, speed and power of the Tigers will be a lot to overcome.

With that being said, our coaches and our players don’t back down from a challenge. I don’t expect the environment at Death Valley or the name of the opponent to intimidate our team. Regardless of the final result, the Mountaineers are going to be able to leave Baton Rouge with their heads held high. Nobody is expecting us to win (at least, they shouldn’t be) and I think the national respect we’ve earned from the Michigan win and the three national titles will still be intact after the game.

I’ve seen that we are 23-point underdogs and I’ve seen several predictions from expert sources that say we’ll give up 40-some points and only score about 14. Obviously, I’m biased but the one consistent thing I’ve told everyone who has asked me about the game is that we should cover the spread. I think a strong performance from Armanti and an inspired defensive outing will keep us within 23.

As Coach Moore always says, the team goal at the beginning of each season isn’t to go undefeated or win a national championship – it’s to win the Southern Conference and get in the playoffs. Last year, we won the game of the year but almost failed to reach the playoffs. Regardless of the Michigan win, last season would’ve been a failure if we hadn’t reached the playoffs. So, keep that in perspective this weekend when watching the Apps. We don’t NEED to beat LSU to have a good season. It’d be great, but I’ll trade a loss at LSU in exchange for another national title. I’ll still cheer my heart out on Saturday for our Mountaineers and I’m so excited it’s finally time for football season! Go Apps!

Will it happen again?

Louisiana State University Tigers

Stadium: Tiger Stadium, a.k.a Death Valley.

I’ve been to this stadium for an SEC conference game and it’s LOUD. There is a definite home-field advantage for the Tigers by playing in this 92,400-seat stadium. The tailgating atmosphere around the stadium is unbelievable. I don’t expect the Tiger faithful to be mean to any App fans in attendance (as long as App fans don’t try to provoke them). LSU also maintains a tiger cage for their live mascot, Mike the Tiger. Scary.

Last Season: I’m sure I don’t need to tell you because if you don’t know that LSU was the BCS National Champion, then you obviously haven’t followed college football.  Les Miles made several gutsy calls last year and even lost two games but managed to fight off the distraction of the Michigan job to lead the Tigers back to the BCS title game.  LSU finished the season 12-2 and is also the defending SEC champion.

This Season: The Tigers are slightly underrated this year, mainly because of the departure of defensive freak Glenn Dorsey and the uncertainty with their quarterback situation.  While this year’s unit might not have the star power of last season, the 2008 version will be fast and powerful.  As Richard from And the Valley Shook said, the QB controversy shouldn’t really be that much of a concern to LSU fans because their offensive line is going to be one of the best in the conference and they are deep at the RB position.  I know many of you have said this yourselves and know this, but it’s going to take a monumental effort for the Apps to knock off LSU.

Here’s the concluding questions to my Q&A with David Coulson. If you missed Part I, click here. Enjoy!

GFWA: Give me your diagnosis on the health/state of FCS right now.

DC: I think FCS has never been healthier. You have new teams coming into the subdivision every year and a number of programs making significant upgrades to facilities and others adding scholarship dollars. You have more exposure than ever before on television. It has been truly amazing to see how the attention that FCS receives has grown in the past 15 years. TV games, particularly in other regions of the country, were hard to find in the past. I love it that you can see almost any important game in FCS you want to see televised on a given weekend.

GFWA: Are dynasties such as Appalachian bad for the competitiveness of the division?

DC: You have had dynasties throughout the history of FCS. This is just the latest one. Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Southern, Youngstown State, Marshall and Montana have all had their time at the top. I think when you have a team vault its program above other programs that it forces the other programs to improve to keep pace. ASU’s success has also helped FCS gain more exposure than ever before and it has helped turn the championship game in Chattanooga into a special event.

GFWA: Who are the biggest challengers to App’s throne?

DC: I think someone from the Colonial Athletic Association will emerge over the course of the year. Richmond and James Madison have tremendous talent coming back and Massachusetts is hungry to return to the championship game after getting there in 2006. Villanova is a young team that should emerge as a special team this year. Eastern Washington is very talented and could be dangerous after last year’s playoff run. I’m not sure who will win the Missouri Valley Football Conference (formerly the Gateway), but one of those teams (Northern Iowa, Youngstown State, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, North Dakota State or South Dakota State) will be in the mix when the playoffs roll around. McNeese State and Cal Poly are outside threats, though Cal Poly must survive a brutal schedule. Northern Arizona is another potential dark horse.

GFWA: What are key FCS games that will shape this year’s playoff picture?

DC: Some of the ones I have my eyes on are Richmond at Elon (the game I’ll be at the first weekend), Montana at Cal Poly, Cal Poly at McNeese State, Montana at Eastern Washington, North Dakota State at Northern Iowa, all of the games involving Richmond, JMU, Villanova and Delaware in the competitive South Division of the CAA and UMass at James Madison and at home against Richmond. The game everyone wants to see, of course, is Appalachian State at James Madison on Sept. 20. I can’t wait for that one.

GFWA: FCS playoff expansion: good or bad?

DC: I am a bit of a traditionalist and I thought the 16-team playoff was perfect for FCS. However, with the growth of the subdivision, change was inevitable. You have to make room for conferences like the Big South and the Northeast. I think it will be expanded within four or five years to 24 teams. I hope that expansion includes the Ivy League deciding to accept an automatic bid. That would be great for FCS and would increase the exposure and prestige of the subdivision in ways that people would be shocked by. Can you imagine a playoff game being played at the Yale Bowl, Harvard Stadium or Penn’s historic Franklin Field. It would make for great television and would get tons of attention from the major press.