Appalachian State-Georgia Southern. Enough Said.
Nothing seems to matter when the fourth week of October rolls around and Appalachian State takes to the gridiron against the Georgia Southern Eagles.
Despite the Mountaineers being the only team sporting a ranking entering this season’s matchup, the prestige can be gauged in the fact that the two schools have combined for nine national championships and 17 SoCon titles.
In fact, the last two meetings between Georgia Southern and Appalachian State have been decided by a total of four points and in 2006, the game was decided by seven points in favor of the Mountaineers in overtime at Paulson Stadium. At the Division I level, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rivalry that boasts that type of success.
Appalachian State enters Saturday’s contest against the Eagles, winners of 15-straight Southern Conference games, with the last team to defeat the Black and Gold being Georgia Southern back on Oct. 20, 2007.
The Eagles and Mountaineers will be squaring off for the 25th time on Saturday afternoon, with the Mountaineers holding a 12-11-1 all-time series edge. The game is especially crucial for the Eagles, who are in search of their post-season bid in four years, which is Georgia Southern’s longest playoff drought since the rebirth of football in Statesboro in 1982.
Georgia Southern’s playoff hopes hang by a tiny thread entering Saturday’s showdown at The Rock, having already dropped three games on the 2009 season. A fourth loss to Appalachian State on Saturday would likely spell the end of Georgia Southern’s playoff hopes for a fifth-straight season.
The Eagles and Mountaineers always know what’s at stake when the two square off on 24. the gridiron in mid-late October. No other rivalry at the FCS level boasts two programs with as much success as the two that will square off on Saturday afternoon at The Rock.
Georgia Southern, which enters Saturday’s contest with its only conference loss coming to Elon (28-14) back on Sept. 29, could go a long way in getting back some of that swagger the Eagles once had earlier this decade under the direction of current Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson.
The Eagles and Mountaineers are two of the most successful FCS programs this decade. Appalachian State, which boasts a 94-32 (.744) record since 2000, is second to only Montana in wins and winning percentage. Georgia Southern, who has compiled an 80-38 mark (.675), is eighth in victories and winning percentage during that same time span.
The Mountaineers and Eagles have also combined to win four of the 10 national titles in the past 10 years.
Georgia Southern enters Saturday’s contest with Appalachian State riding a bit of a wave of momentum, having won a 30-20 decision over Chattanooga on Saturday evening at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. In the victory over Chattanooga on Saturday, it was a banner day for the running game, as Adam Urbano rushed for a career-high 153 yards and a couple of TDs en route to the victory over the Mocs.
Coming into Saturday’s game against Appalachian State, Georgia Southern is led by quarterback Lee Chapple.
The 6'1", 190-pound sophomore from Alpharetta, GA, has had an up-and-down season thus far for the Eagles, but the Georgia Southern offense is playing the best it has played all season coming into Saturday’s contest with Appalachian State. So far this season, Chapple has connected on 154-of-235 passes for 1,188 yards and seven TDs and nine interceptions this season.
Chapple’s favorite target coming into Saturday’s contest has been true freshman wide receiver Jamere Valentine. Valentine, a 6'1", 200-pound native of Myrtle Beach, SC, has been one of the top young receivers in the league so far this season.
Valentine possesses good speed and excellent hands. Valentine has been consistently good all season and leads the team, having hauled in 34 passes for 294 yards and has a team-leading four TD receptions. He’s averaging 8.6 yards-per-reception.
Two other top options in the passing game for the Eagles this season have been Mitch Williford and Patrick Barker. Williford, a 6'3", 180-pound true freshman wide receiver from Duluth, GA, is a big, physical wide receiver that, like Valentine, has proven to be a reliable option in the passing game for the Eagles this fall.
So far this season, Williford has been able to haul in 21 passes for 176 yards, averaging 8.4 yards per reception.
Rounding out the young receiving options for Georgia Southern coming into Saturday’s contest is Patrick Barker. The 6'1", 165-pound native of Ponte Vedra, FL, is pure speed and he is the main long ball threat for the Eagles. Barker has caught 23 passes for 174 passes and a TD this season. Barker is averaging 7.6 yards-per-reception.
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete