Mountaineers Get Back to Business, Conference Play with Trip to Wofford

After a brief hiatus from Southern Conference play, the Mountaineers get back to business this Saturday with a trip to Wofford to take on a Terrier team that has been hit by a rash of injuries through its first five games.

The youthful Wofford squad has limped to a 1-4 start and is still in search of its first win in SoCon play, getting off to a disappointing 0-2 start.

It won’t be a game the Mountaineers regard lightly. After all, the Terriers are the very team that brought the Mountaineers back to earth after ASU’s victory over Michigan a couple of years ago, getting a 42-31 victory over the Mountaineers in the friendly confines of Gibbs Stadium.

Though the Terriers are a far cry from that experienced, talented team that knocked off the Mountaineers in ‘07, there are no off week’s in arguably the nation’s toughest FCS conference. In that victory for Wofford back in ‘07, it snapped the Mountaineers’ Division I (FBS or FCS)-best 17-game winning streak.

Saturday’s meeting between the Mountaineers and Terriers will mark the 26th all-time meeting between the two schools, with the Mountaineers holding a 15-10 all-time series advantage. In front of a national television audience last season on ESPN2, the Mountaineers blitzkrieged the Terriers, hanging a 70-24 loss on Wofford in ASU’s best performance of the ‘08 season.

The Terriers came into the season with just nine returning starters, which was the least amount of returning talent among the nine member institutions. Injuries, which included losing the Terriers’ top rusher (Eric Breitenstein) and top tackler (Mike Niam) to season-ending injuries, have added to what was already going to be a rebuilding season for the Terriers.

Leading the offensive attack for Wofford this season has been quarterback Mitch Allen. The 6', 190-pound native of Cincinnati, Ohio, will start at quarterback for the Terriers on Saturday. Allen has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but has also made some mistakes that can only be attributed to inexperience. As a passer this season, Allen has connected on 22-of-49 passes for for 308 yards and four TDs.

Allen has also been effective as a running threat for the Terriers this season, ranking second on the team in total rushing output this season. Allen has rushed for 233 yards and a couple of TDs on 62 rush attempts, averaging 3.8 YPC.

At times this season, Allen has split time with Stan Davitte, who has come in and played sparingly in the first five games in the signal-caller’s role. After Robbie Davis decided he was going to lead the team, Davitte was moved from the wide receiver position back to the signal-callers’ role. Davitte originally came to Wofford as a quarterback, but was moved to wide receiver because of his speed and athleticism. In five games this season, Davitte has connected on 4-of-5 passes for 27 yards, while rushing for 72 yards on 11 attempts.

One area that was hit especially hard by graduation was the offensive line. The Terriers had to bid farewell to three starters who were integral parts of the offensive line over the past four years, and among those three losses was all-league honorees Derek Wooten and Derek Tiller.

That was a Wofford offense that finished the 2008 season ranking tops in the FCS, averaging 467.2 YPG. This season, the offense has come back to earth a bit, as the Terriers rank fifth in the SoCon in total offense (299.0 YPG.), while also ranking eighth in scoring offense (18.6 PPG.), first in rushing offense (232.0 YPG.), and ninth in passing offense (67.0 YPG.).

Anchoring the Terriers offensive front coming into Saturday’s game will be junior left guard Pat Illig. The 6'5", 330-pound native of Pittsburgh, Penn., has all the tools to challenge for all-league honors for the Terriers this season. He has started 17-consecutive games at the left guard position coming into Saturday’s contest with Appalachian State. He is the most physical of Wofford’s offensive linemen and finished third on the team in knockdown blocks last season with 117 knockdowns.

Illig will be joined up front along the offensive line by Ben Wilmoth (RG), Trey Johnson (C), Matt Vick (LT), and Clark Bishop (RT). The Terriers are tied for first in the league in the sacks-allowed category, having allowed only five quarterback hits this season.

Since the season-ending injury to fullback Eric Breitenstein, the Terriers have been led in the running game by junior running back Mike Rucker. The 5'8", 185-pound junior is a speedy, shifty running back that is cast much in the same mold of former Terrier running back Gabriel Jackson.

Rucker, a halfback, has seen his carries increase since the injury to Breitenstein, and he’s the type of running back that if he gets into the secondary, he can take it the distance. In five games this fall, Rucker has rushed for 311 yards and two TDs on 34 rush attempts (9.1 YPC.) so far in ‘09. Against the Mountaineers last season, Rucker set a school record with 212 return yards on 11 kick returns.

Joining Rucker in aiding the running game so far this season has been sophomore halfback Sean Lees. Lees is another player that has seen more action come his way since the loss of Breitenstein. Lees is maybe the fastest player on the offensive side of the football, and is another player that can be a danger on the perimeter in the option game. The 5-11, 198-pound sophomore from Libertyville, IL., has rushed for 41 yards on 11 attempts (3.7 YPC.) this season.

Rounding out the starters in the backfield for the Terriers is fullback Michael Scott. The 5-9, 210-pound sophomore from Geneva, AL., is a tremendous physical presence in the backfield for the Terriers this season. He excels in short-yardage situations and also serves effectively as a lead blocker for the Terriers. Scott even saw some action in his freshman season at the fullback position, completing the season with 82 yards on 27 carries. Scott has been a solid option in the running game so far this season.

Joining Scott in sharing the fullback responsibilities since the injury to Breitenstein has been senior Austin Palmer. The 6-0, 233-pound senior from Gainesville, GA., has seen some action in all five games this season for the Terriers. In those five contests, Palmer has rushed for 91 yards and a couple of TDs on 21 carries this season. His two rushing TDs this fall are the first two rushing TDs of Palmer’s career as a Terrier.

The Terriers have played pretty solid on the defensive side of the football so far this season. Coming into the ‘09 season, the Terriers welcomed back five starters on the defensive side of the ball, however, were dealt a blow when linebacker and leading tackler Mike Niam went down with a season-ending knee injury against Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago.

One of the bright spots for the Terriers came a couple of weeks ago when rush end Mitch Clark made his return to the Wofford lineup after having battled a preseason injury. Clark, a 6-1, 255-pound senior from New Philadelphia, OH., garnered First-Team All-SoCon honors last season and was slated as one of the nation’s top defensive ends coming into the 2009 season. Clark tied for the SoCon lead with eight sacks last fall. In limited action this season, Clark has a tackle-for-loss.

Starting at the other defensive end position for the Terriers coming into Saturday’s contest will be Ameet Paul. The 5-11, 235-pound sophomore has done well in his first season as a starter for the Terriers and has all-conference potential. He even saw some action last season as a true freshman, as he played as a reserve defensive end. Pall finished his initial season in the Black and Old Gold, recording 27 tackles and had 6.5 tackles-for-loss. This season, Pall has started all five games and has recorded 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and has two sacks.

Another player that figures to play a prominent role at defensive end on Saturday, likely sharing time with Clark will be bookend Alex Goultry. Goultry, a 6-1, 240-pound sophomore from Knoxville, TN., has had a strong season in the absence of Clark. He has gotten valuable playing time in Clark’s absence and will look to disrupt the Mountaineer hurry-up offense that dictates the cadence of the game. So far this season, Goultry leads the team with three sacks and has recorded 10 tackles and 4.5 tackles-for-loss through five games.

Set to start at the nose tackle position for the Terriers coming into Saturday’s contest against Appalachian State will be Eric Eberhardt. The 6-1, 275-pound sophomore from Suwanee, GA., is another young player that has gotten valuable reps along the defensive line for the Terriers this season. Eberhardt made an immediate impact as a part of the defensive line as a true freshman last season, seeing action in all 12 games last season. He finished the campaign with 20 tackles and 3.5 tackles-for-loss. He has excellent quickness and strength, adding to an already talented defensive front for Wofford. This season, Eberhardt has managed to record 11 tackles and has a fumble recovery through the first five games.

The linebacking unit actually came into the ‘09 season returning two starters from a year ago, prior to losing Mike Niam to the season-ending knee injury. Since that injury to Niam, the Terriers’ defense has been led by outside linebacker Keaton Thompson. The 6-0, 230-pound junior from Eastonollee, GA., has started all five games at outside linebacker for the Terriers this season and has had a solid season, especially since Niam went down with the injury. After seeing only limited action as a reserve linebacker last season, recording 10 tackles in 12 games, he has managed to assert himself as one of the defensive leaders as a starter in ‘09. So far in ‘09, Thompson leads the Terrier defense with 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack.

The other outside linebacker position will be occupied by senior Gary Blount. The 6-2, 236-pound senior from St. Mary’s, GA., is the emotional leader of the defense. Blount is a versatile linebacker in that he can play either inside or outside linebacker for the Terriers. He is one of the best athletes on the defensive side of the football for the Terriers and came into the season as the team’s leading returning tackler. So far this season, Blount has managed to record 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, two pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.

The two inside linebacker positions will be manned by a couple of freshmen, in SeQuan Stanley and Anthony Carden. Stanley, a 5-8, 205-pound true freshman from Darien, GA., has been one of the most impressive newcomers on the team this season. Stanley is an active player and is a playmaker on the defensive side of the football for the Terriers. Stanley has enjoyed a solid first season on the collegiate gridiron, having recorded 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks so far on the ‘09 season.

Carden, a 6-0, 210-pound true freshman from Lexington, S.C., is another young linebacker that has impressed so far this season. Carden, who has seen action mainly as a reserve role in the first five games this season, will be making his first start at inside linebacker for the Terriers on Saturday afternoon against Appalachian State. Carden has managed to record four tackles in limited action.

The secondary has been strong for the most part this season, and is the most-experienced aspect of the Wofford defense this season. Anchoring the defensive backfield for the Terriers is senior free safety Mychal Johnson. The 5-10, 175-pound senior from Fayetteville, N.C., started all 12 games for the Terriers last season. Johnson is a playmaker in the secondary for the Terriers and possesses excellent speed and athleticsm. So far this season, Johnson has managed to record 15 tackles from his free safety position.

Wofford also returns some solid talent at the strong safety position, in Tommy Irvin. The 6-1, 212-pound native of Davidson, N.C., is off to a strong start to the ‘09 season. So far this season, Irvin has registered 24 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, three fumble recoveries and an interception.

The Terriers are young, but talented at the respective cornerback positions. Leading the way at cornerback this season has been sophomore speedster Preston Roseboro. The 5-9, 180-pound cornerback, who hails from Shelby, N.C., started all 12 games at cornerback for the Terriers last season. In three outings this season, Roseboro has 16 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Another talented sophomore, Kendall Bratcher, will start at the other cornerback position, rounding out the starters in the secondary for the Terriers. Bratcher, a 5-8, 185-pound native of Greensboro, N.C., saw action in 12 games as a true freshman last season, and has proven to be a solid edition to the secondary this season as a young starter. Bratcher has 12 tackles, two pass break-ups and a fumble recovery so far in ‘09.

Noting Last Season’s Game Between Wofford and Appalachian State

–Behind Armanti Edwards’ school-record tying five TD passes, No. 2 Appalachian State routed No.3 Wofford, 70-24, in front of a raucous, school-record Halloween crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium. With 440 yards of total offense (367 passing, 73 rushing), Edwards became the Southern Conference’s all-time leader in total offensive yardage, with 9,397 yards of total offense, surpassing his predecessor, Richie Williams. In all, Appalachian State rolled up 620 yards of total offense and scored its most points and notched its largest margin of victory in 25 all-time meetings with the Terriers.

 

Extra Notes

–Appalachian State enters Saturday afternoon’s contest with a 14-game Southern Conference winning streak on the line. The Mountaineers last lost a SoCon game on Oct. 20, 2007, when the Mountaineers dropped a 38-35 decision to Georgia Southern at The Rock.

 

–Wofford will be looking to avoid an 0-3 start in SoCon play for the first time since the 1998 season. The Terriers have never started a season 1-5 since joining the Division I ranks in 1995.