Apps Set Sail for Charleston to Battle the Citadel In a Key League Tilt

Having passed its first league test against Bulldogs of a different sort, Appalachian State travels to the Port City of Charleston, S.C., to battle the SoCon’s lone service academy, when the Mountaineers face The Citadel on Saturday afternoon.

The Mountaineers have had tremendous run of success against the Bulldogs over the past couple of decades, which includes winning 14 of the last 15 tilts with the Bulldogs. The only loss during that 15-year period came back in 2003, when the Mountaineers were 24-21 losers to the Cadets, accounting for only one of two league games the Apps would drop during that particular campaign.

Appalachian State and The Citadel will be squaring off for the 38th time when the two meet on Saturday, with the Black and Gold holding a commanding 26-11 all-time series edge.

After beginning the season with a 40-6 loss to 20th-ranked North Carolina, the Bulldogs have rebounded to win two contests, getting consecutive victories over Princeton (38-7) and Presbyterian (46-21). In the preseason polls voted on by the league’s media and coaches, the Bulldogs were selected to finish sixth by the coaches and seventh by the media.

The Bulldogs have 13 starters back from a team that finished 4-8 last season. Leading that Citadel attack on the offensive side of the football is junior signal-caller Bart Blanchard. Last season was Blanchard’s first full season as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs, but actually took over the role late in the 2007 season, when starting quarterback Duran Lawson actually went down with a season-ending injury in a loss at Georgia Southern.

His first start in the ‘07 season came against eventual national champion Appalachian State. Blanchard finished the ‘08 season by connecting on 20-of-345 passes for 2,436 yards, 19 TDs and 11 INTs. In last season’s 47-21 loss in Boone, Blanchard connected on 17-of-41 passes for 172 yards, with a TD and an interception. So far this season, Blanchard has connected on 57-of-93 passes for 574 yards, with seven TD passes and five INTs. Blanchard is coming off an impressive performance in The Citadel’s 46-21 win over Presbyterian last Saturday, Blanchard was impressive, completing 20-of-30 passes for 263 yards, tying a school-record with six TD passes and threw a couple of INTs. For his efforts, Blanchard was named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week.

Blanchard has one of the top receivers in the nation to throw the ball to, in Walter Payton Award candidate Andre Roberts. Roberts finally got untracked in the ‘09 season in Saturday night’s win over Presbyterian, as he caught 12 passes for 184 yards and was on the other end of four of those six TD passes from Blanchard. His four TD receptions also accounted for a school-record for most TD receptions in a game for a Bulldog player. He increased his career receiving yards to 3,221 improving him to third all-time in the Southern Conference, while his 233 catches improved him to second all-time in the SoCon.

The talented senior wide receiver is also one of the nation’s most-talented punt return men, as evidenced by his 50-yard punt return for a score in The Citadel’s loss to Appalachian State last fall. In the 47-21 loss to the Mountaineers last season, Roberts caught six passes for 52 yards. Appalachian managed to do one of the best jobs in limiting Roberts’ success in the passing game last season.

So far this season, Roberts is the league’s second-leading receiver, having caught 25 passes for 270 yards and four TDs, including averaging 10.8 yards-per-reception in three outings this season. As a punt return threat this season, Roberts has three returns for 66 yards on the campaign.

Joining Roberts as a legitimate receiving option for the Bulldogs entering Saturday’s showdown with Appalachian State is sophomore speedster Kevin Hardy. The 6-0, 184-pound native of Ocala, FL., also excels as a member of The Citadel’s track team. Hardy is a player that saw very limited action as a freshman wide receiver last fall. On the season, Hardy has five receptions for 49 yards, averaging 9.8 YPR.

The Bulldogs second-leading pass-catcher and the team’s most-reliable possession receiver is junior Scott Harward. Harward, a 5-10, 190-pound native of Spartanburg, S.C., is seeing his first action in the Bulldogs’ starting wide receiver rotation this season, after catching only one pass for four yards as a reserve wide receiver last season. This season, Harward, despite the lack of previous playing time, has proven to be a reliable receiving option, having caught 15 passes for 166 yards, averaging 11.1 YPR.

Another big target in the receiving game for the Bulldogs is tight end Alex Sellars. Sellars, a 6-5, 245-pound product of Greenwood, S.C., has acquitted himself as one of the SoCon’s best pass-catching tight ends. Sellars should challenge for All-SoCon honors this season, and when the Mountaineers secondary did a sound job of helping shutdown Roberts in last year’s game between the Bulldogs and Mountaineers, Sellars was able to be a significant factor himself, as he hauled in a nine-yard TD pass from Blanchard-the Bulldogs’ lone passing touchdown of the day. So far this fall, Sellars has hauled in four passes for 47 yards, three of which are TD catches.

The running game has done better than expected, especially since the return of Terrell Dallas to the running game in week two versus Princeton. Dallas is a player that has become the lynchpin of the running game this season, especially since the departure of All-Freshman team running back Asheton Jordan during the off-season. In two games this fall, Dallas has carried the ball on 15 occasions for 53 yards and has scored two TDs so far this season.

The other two significant parties in the running game this season have been backup quarterback Miguel Starks and running back Van Dyke Jones. Starks, a 6-2, 219-pound redshirt freshman has proved to be the best option in the running game this season, leading the team in rushing with 156 yards rushing and a TD on 25 attempts, including averaging 6.2 YPC.

Van Dyke Jones has been another surprising, youthful edition to the running game this season, ranking second on the team in rushing. The 5-10, 180-pound native of Norfolk, VA., is the speediest player in the Bulldogs running game. He is the Bulldogs’ second-leading rusher this season, having amassed 80 yards and a TD on 19 attempts, averaging 4.2 YPC.

Perhaps the biggest reason for such improvement on the offensive side of the football this season can be directly attributed to the play of The Citadel’s offensive line. A young contingent last season, the Bulldogs welcomed back four starters to the fold this season, including two fifth-year seniors. The top player along the talented OL is preseason First-Team All-SoCon selection Daniel DeHaven. The 6-5, 290-pound senior from Charleston, S.C., has been a starter for the Bulldogs at one of the offensive tackle positions since the latter part of the 2006 season.

DeHaven is joined up front by Colton Clifton (LG), Thomas Suggs (C), Cory Pope (RG) and Lincoln King (RT). Clifton is the other of the fifth-year senior starters along the offensive line for the Bulldogs. This contingent has helped the Bulldogs offense average 30.0 PPG. and 316.0 YPG. coming into Saturday’s contest against the Mountaineers.

The defense returned eight starters from last season’s unit, and has been solid so far in the ‘09 season for the Bulldogs. The unit is led by one of the premier defensive lines in the SoCon this season, which is anchored by all-league nose tackle Terrence Reese and all-league bookend DeWitt Jones. Reese, a 6-0, 286-pound senior from North, S.C., is one of the veteran leaders on the defensive side of the football. Reese garnered First-Team All-SoCon honors last fall, after completing the ‘08 season with 49 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks to garner all-league honors. So far this season, Reese has recorded 12 tackles and a tackle-for-loss.

DeWitt Jones is coming off a ‘08 season in which he was able to lead the team in sacks last fall, completing the ‘08 season with four sacks. In total, Jones completed the ‘08 season with 66 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks. Jones is a tremendous athlete and will be one of the best pure pass-rusher’s the Apps have faced this season. Jones is off to a solid start to the ‘09 season, having registered 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and has a sack.

Rounding out the starters along the defensive line for the Bulldogs going into Saturday’s contest against the Black and Gold are defesive tackle Demarrio Sims and defensive end Erik Clanton. Sims was the lone non-returning starter coming into the ‘09 season, and has done a nice job of filling his role at the starting defensive tackle position so far this fall. Simms, a 6-2, 258-pound from Reddick, FL., is a bit undersized, but for what he lacks in size, he makes up for in quickness and overall athleticism. So far this season, the redshirt freshman has recorded five tackles.

Erik Clanton, a 6-3, 235-pound junior from Columbia, S.C., saw action in 12 games last fall, starting two games. Clanton is a solid, experienced defensive end, and is another player that could give the Mountaineers’ offensive line some problems as a pass-rusher on Saturday. In action mostly as a reserve last season, Clanton recorded 22 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks. Clanton has done well so far in ‘09, as he has registered seven tackles on the season.

The linebacking unit for the Bulldogs is led by a potential all-league honoree Jordan Gilmore, who led the Bulldogs in tackles last season. Gilmore, a 5-11, 220-pound junior from Belmont, N.C., has acquitted himself as one of the best middle linebacker’s in the SoCon over the past year-and-a-half. Gilmore is coming off a season in which he led the Bulldogs in tackles, recording 93 stops, to go with two tackles-for-loss and  one sacks. Gilmore seems to have picked up where he left off last season, as through three games this season, Gilmore has registered 24 tackles, which is the tops on the team’s tackle ledger.

Flanking Gilmore at the two outside linebacker positions are Jeremy Buncum at weakside linebacker and Tolu Akindele at the strong-side spot. Buncum, a 6-0, 203-pound sophomore from Charleston, S.C., has had a strong season in his first campaign as a starting linebacker for the Bulldogs and is one of the best athlete’s on the roster. As a reserve linebacker last season, Buncum recorded 26 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and a sack. Buncum is a player that possesses the ability to drop into pass coverage if called upon to do so. So far in ‘09, Buncum has 17 tackles and an interception.

Akindele rounds out the starters at linebacker for the Bulldogs, starting at the strong-side LB position for the Bulldogs. The 5-10, 211-pound product of Houston, TX., is another good athlete in an already athletic linebacking unit. Akindele, a sophomore, saw action as a freshman linebacker last season for the Bulldogs, managing to complete the season with 20 tackles and a sack. In three games so far this fall, Akindele has recorded 10 tackles.

The Bulldogs have a talented, but young secondary. It’s a unit that figures to be severely tested by a prolific, experienced Mountaineer passing attack. The experienced leader of The Citadel’s secondary is senior field cornerback Ryan Jones. Jones, a 5-10, 175-pound senior from Lawrenceville, GA., saw action as a starter in eight games last fall, while seeing action in a total of 11 contests. He has 22 career starts in The Citadel blue and entered the ‘09 season as one of the league’s premier cover corners. Jones finished the ‘08 season with 37 tackles, three pass break-ups and had a tackle-for-loss. So far in the ‘09 season, Jones has been able to record six tackles.

Another key, experienced performer in the Bulldogs’ secondary entering Saturday’s contest with the Mountaineers is junior boundary cornerback Cortez Allen. Allen, a 6-2, 18-pound native of Ocala, FL., is one of the better athletes on the defensive side of the football. Allen saw his first real significant action as a part of The Citadel secondary last season, logging action in all 12 contests, with six starts. A talented athletic presence, Allen finished the ‘08 season, recording 39 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, five pass deflections and a fumble recovery. So far in the ‘09 season, Allen has been able to record 13 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery and leads the team with three pass break-ups.

Set to man the two safety positons when the Bulldogs defense takes the Johnson-Hagood Stadium turf on Saturday afternoon, are Demontrelle Smith and Joseph Boateng. Smith, a 6-1, 203-pound sophomore from Reddick, FL., will be the ‘rover’ safety for the Bulldogs on Saturday against the Mountaineers. Smith was a significant member of the Bulldogs’ seccondary last season, garnering SoCon All-Freshman Team accolades for his efforts in his initial season in Citadel Blue. In his knob season, Smith saw action in 11 games, registering a total of seven starts, completing the campaign with 36 tackles, a tackle-for-loss and five pass break-ups. This season, Smith has managed eight tackles, a tackle-for-loss and a couple of pass break-ups.

Boateng, a freshman walk-on, has made quite an impact for the Bulldogs, earning a starting position in the Bulldogs secondary at the ‘bandit’ safety position. Boateng is off to quite a start in the ‘09 season in the defensive backfield for the Bulldogs, recording 14 tackles, including recording two interceptions.

Noting Last Year’s Meeting Between The Two:

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Second-ranked Appalachian State University jumped out to a 41-7 halftime lead and never looked back en route to getting an impressive 47-21 victory over No.12 The Citadel at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Quarterback Armanti Edwards, who overcame an ankle injury suffered in the previous Saturday’s win over Presbyterian, highlighted the Mountaineers’ opening-half dominance, by rushing 11 times for 79 yards and completing 10-of-12 passes for 177 yards and three more scores prior to the break. He finished the contest, completing 14-of-18 throws for 225 yards and a career-best four TD passes. Edwards was also effective rushing the football in the win over the Bulldogs, as he finished the contest against Bulldogs with 15 rushes for 80 yards.

 

Extra Notes:

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Appalachian State enters Saturday’s contest against the Bulldogs looking for its 14th-straight SoCon win.

 

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Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards has had some of the top performances of his career against the Bulldogs. For his career against The Citadel, Edwards has connected on 40-of-64 passes for 547 yards, seven TDs and two interceptions, while having rushed the football for 42 times for 406 yards and five TDs. In all, Edwards has accounted for 953 yards of total offense and has 72 points responsible for in three games.