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Around FCS: Streak Busters

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - I was sitting in a press box that no longer even exists in Appalachian State's Kidd Brewer Stadium on that crisp, late November day in 2002 when Maine was thoroughly out-played for all but about three plays yet managed to sneak away with a 14-13 victory in the first round of the I-AA playoffs.

With the Mountaineers leading 10-0 late in the third quarter, Maine linebacker Stephen Cooper hit Joe Burchette as the quarterback threw the ball from the end zone. Joan Quezada intercepted the pass and returned it to the ASU 27.

One play later, Jon Meczywor - only starting because of a season-ending knee injury to Jake Eaton - hit Ryan Waller for a touchdown. After an ASU field goal made it 13-7 in the fourth quarter, the Black Bears' bruising tailback Marcus Williams burst untouched through the line for a 41-yard touchdown run and Mike Mellow's extra point gave Maine a lead with 9:41 remaining.

The Maine defense made that one-point advantage stand up, and Appalachian State's season ended.

No player on the current Appalachian State roster and only one from the 2006 squad (tight end Daniel Bettis) had ever lost a game at Kidd Brewer Stadium - until Saturday. The 30-game home winning streak was the longest in Division I football, was tied for the fifth longest in FCS history and was within nine games of Georgia Southern's all-time record of 39, which ran from 1997-2001.

Georgia Southern made sure the streak didn't get any closer to its all-time mark with a stunning 38-35 victory over the No. 5-ranked Mountaineers that left many wondering if the two-time defending national champs have what it takes to win an unprecedented third consecutive title.

The Eagles scored on their first drive when quarterback Jayson Foster scampered 56 yards for a touchdown in the fist minute of the game. Just 62 seconds later, Appalachian State QB Armanti Edwards threw an interception that Carson Hill returned 35 yards for a score, and it was 14-0 before the second- largest crowd in Kidd Brewer Stadium history (28,202) had a chance to get settled in their seats.

Foster carried 20 times for 175 yards - an average of nearly nine yards per carry - and also completed all three of his passes for 14 yards as the Eagles played keep-away the rest of the afternoon.

Appalachian State piled up 359 yards rushing - 220 on 29 carries by Edwards - and added 198 more through the air, but a pair of Edwards interceptions were crucial to the loss.

A year ago, Edwards could seemingly do no wrong as a freshman. After being inserted into the starting lineup in the third week of the season, Edwards proceeded to rush for 1,153 yards, pass for 2,251 and win 13 consecutive games as Appalachian State won its second straight national championship.

The seemingly unflappable speedster added to his lore when he directed the Mountaineers to a 34-32 victory over Michigan on Sept. 1. But some chinks in Edwards' armor were starting to show.

ASU had hidden the fact that Edwards had banged up his shoulder in the final scrimmage of training camp, at the Mountaineer Fan Fest in late August. With Appalachian State ahead 28-17 at halftime, Edwards helped Michigan get back into the game with three second-half turnovers, before recovering his composure and taking the team down for a game-winning drive.

Mountaineer coaches rested Edwards for two weeks, and Trey Elder came off the bench to lead ASU to wins over Division II Lenoir-Rhyne and Northern Arizona.

When Edwards returned to the lineup at Wofford in the Mountaineers' Southern Conference opener, he displayed obvious rustiness. Edwards rushed 11 times for 37 yards and a touchdown and was all over the place with his passes, hitting 11-of-18 throws for only 103 yards.

He also committed a pair of big turnovers before re-injuring his shoulder late in the first half. The Mountaineers saw their Division I-leading, 15-game winning streak come to an end, 42-31.

Edwards didn't play as Elder led the Mountaineers to wins over Elon and Gardner-Webb. Elder began settling in and showing the promise that had earned him the starting job in 2006, before off-season shoulder surgery derailed him and provided the opening for Edwards to burst on the FCS scene.

Elder ranks third nationally behind only San Diego All-American Josh Johnson and Cal Poly transfer Jonathan Dally in passing efficiency, completing almost 66% of his passes while tossing eight touchdowns compared to just two interceptions.

But playing a pivotal game against one of its biggest rivals at home on Saturday, Edwards was back in the starting lineup. There seemed to be little wrong with his legs, as Edwards shredded the Eagle defense, but his decision- making and throwing fundamentals in the passing game were obviously off- kilter.

Buckling under the Georgia Southern pass rush, Edwards was 10-of-21 for only 178 yards. He tossed a 24-yard scoring strike to running back Kevin Richardson in the first quarter, but couldn't come up with the key throws the rest of the game.

The Eagles built a shocking 31-17 halftime lead - scoring on four of their first five possessions - before the Mountaineer defense made adjustments to shut down Foster and company in the second half. ASU had pulled with 31-20 and was driving with a chance to make it a one-possession game in the third period when Edwards killed their momentum by throwing off his back foot and floating an interception up to GSU's Chris Covington, the Eagles' starting tailback last season.

That set up a seven-minute, 13-play, 78-yard Eagle drive that ended with Lamar Lewis' 15-yard scoring burst and a 38-20 Georgia Southern lead. With just 9:50 remaining, many of the Mountaineer fans flocked for the exits.

When Edwards was shaken up on the next drive, Elder rushed into the game and needed just four plays to guide the Mountaineers into the end zone. Elder's 19-yard scoring run allowed ASU to cut the score to 38-27 with 7:25 remaining.

After Appalachian State forced a Georgia Southern punt, some fans were shocked when it was Edwards that came back into the game instead of Elder. The Mountaineers managed to score again on Devon Moore's one-yard blast, and Elder came back in to throw a two-point pass to Hans Batichon that made it 38-35 with 2:02 left.

The Mountaineers kicked deep and the defense held GSU without a first down to force another punt. That strategy appeared to have worked when Dexter Jackson broke loose on a punt return and darted inside the Eagle 30. But the play was called back on a borderline blocking in the back penalty, and Edwards showed little magic on the final drive.

Edwards took a costly sack and the Mountaineers mismanaged the clock with no timeouts remaining. The final nail in Appalachian State's coffin was when Edwards scrambled on fourth down, only to step out of bounds one yard short of a first down with the clock showing one second left.

"We just made so many mistakes," said ASU coach Jerry Moore.

With two losses in league, the Mountaineers face a tough road to retain the SoCon title. But with every team in the conference having lost at least one game, seven of the eight teams are still alive for a share of the title and the automatic bid.

Appalachian State faces arch-rival Furman on the road next Saturday and then is on the road for another difficult road game at The Citadel the following week before closing with more winnable games against Western Carolina and Chattanooga at home.

By finishing 9-2 or 8-3, ASU would almost certainly be at home for at least one playoff game. Beyond that, the Mountaineers might be forced on the road to defend their national title.

Georgia Southern, meanwhile, can bask in a win that helped reestablish the Eagles' street credibility in FCS circles after last year's 3-8 disaster. The win also allowed the Eagles to stay alive in a playoff chase that is sure to get more interesting over the last month of the regular season.

10/22/2007 6:01:37 PM

 

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