In search of it’s unprecedented fifth-straight victory over Furman, Appalachian State must avoid a letdown coming off their most-complete performance of the 2009 campaign.
The Paladins and Mountaineers will be meet for the 40th time on Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium, with the Paladins holding a 21-15-3 lead in the all-time series edge, however, the Mountaineers come to Greenville riding their most successful streak in the series that began in 1971, with an uncanny, 0-0 tie.
For a rivalry that saw its beginning with a dull 0-0 draw, the past decade has provided perhaps more fantastic finishes than any other Division I football rivalry during that same time period.
The Mountaineers, who rolled up 712 yards of total offense against Georgia Southern Saturday (one yard from tying a school record set against Piedmont in 1936), also put together one of its most-impressive defensive performances of the season, limiting the Eagles to just 171 yards of total offense.
The 712 yards by the Mountaineers were the most yards ever allowed by an Eagle defense, surpassing the 680 yards the Florida Gators gained against an Eagle defense in 1996. The 52-16 victory by the Mountaineers was the largest margin of victory against the traditional SoCon titans in the modern era.
Defending Walter Payton Award winner Armanti Edwards, who became one of two Division I college football other Division I college quarterbacks to ever pass for 8,000 yards and rush for 2,000 yards, was able to help the Apps compile much of the offensive damage in just over two quarters of play last Saturday.
In the win over the Eagles, Edwards, a senior, led the assault with 381 yards of total offense, despite being removed from the game after just two second-half series. Three-hundred and twenty of the yards came through the air on 26-of-34 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 61 yards on six carries.
Meanwhile, Furman entered it’s game with arch-rival The Citadel with similar aspirations as their Black and Gold counterparts when it made its trek to the Low Country, but things were a ‘Stark’ contrast to what happened in the High Country.
Redshirt freshman Miguel Starks made his first collegiate start against the Paladins, and exposed the Furman defense in almost every possible way in a, 38-28, homestanding Bulldogs—a team that also carried the Mountaineers to overtime in a 30-27 setback three weeks ago.
The Citadel rolled up 479 yards of total offense, including a season-high 296 yards against an ailing Furman defense. Starks had 327 yards and accounted for five TDs, without an interception.
The Paladins are a team that are much in the same place that many thought they might be hard to be at the beginning of the season—a team’s that’s success hinged on a defense that returned just four starters. So far, the theme has played out as many had prognosticated. The Paladins sport one of the league’s top offenses entering Saturday afternoon’s contest (383.3 YPG., 3rd in SoCon), while posting the league’s worst defense (411.9 YPG, 9th in SoCon).
Furman is led by senior signal-caller Jordan Sorrells. The Greenville native is on the cusp of an impressive individual mark on Saturday, as he looks to surpass Ingle Martin as the school’s all-time passing leader. In his career to this point, Sorrells has passed for 5,414 yards in his and needs just 238 yards passing to set the school’s all-time mark Saturday.
To this point in 2009, Sorrells has 150-of-234 passes for 1,573 yards, 12 TDs and five interceptions. In last season’s 26-14 loss in Boone, Sorrells was able to make good on 18-of-33 throws for 147 yards and an interception. In Sorrells’ career against the Apps, he has connected on 19-of-36 passes for 139 yards and an interception.
Furman, which brings the league’s third-ranked passing attack (236.3 YPG.). Sorrells’ favorite target this season has been Adam Mims. (50 rec., 511 yards, 1 TD and 10.2 YPR.). Mims currently ranks second in the league in receiving, including catching five passes for 46 yards against the Mountaineers last season.
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