Has Appalachian State's Rivalry With Furman Become Stagnant? Part 1 of 3

If you rewind your calendar about five years, you’ll surely find that certain things in your life, whether it be people or events, have undergone substantial change during that span. Some of you have given birth to a child, gotten married or have earned a great accomplishment, such as graduating with a master’s or an undergraduate degree.

While events and experiences help shape what we are from where we were, much is the same with the rivalry that is between Appalachian State and Furman. The Mountaineers have eight wins in the past nine meetings against Furman, including having won five straight, which is the longest winning streak by Appalachian State in the 40 meetings between the two schools.

Appalachian State, which now trails the series by just five games (21-16-3), entered the new millennium trailing the series by a substantial margin, as Furman held a commanding 12-game edge (19-7-3) in the all-time series prior to the 2000 campaign.

Since then, however, the rivalry has gone through a significant transition, with ASU winning nine out of the last 11 and eight of out of the last nine, which includes the current five-game winning streak.

A Quick Review Of Furman's Season So Far

Furman still maintains the second-best league ledger since 2000, having compiled a 55-25 mark since the beginning of the new millennium. Now, the more realistic goal for Furman might be saving what was a promising season a month-and-a-half ago from being a complete disaster a month-and-a-half later.

Many around the Furman program found promise in how the previous season ended, especially after a young Furman team ended the season with impressive wins at Georgia Southern (30-22) and dominated ailing Wofford (58-21).

That notion seemed to be given even further credence when Furman opened the season with a 45-15 win over FCS No. 25 Colgate, then turned in a respectable performance at FBS No. 13 South Carolina (38-17) in the second week.

Coming into the 2010 season, much was made about the quarterback battle for the Paladins, which was between fifth-year senior Cody Worley and junior UCLA transfer Chris Forcier, who the Mountaineers got a glimpse of last season in the 54-27 win in Greenville.

But, Forcier’s season and the prospects of Furman’s offensive success suffered one of its biggest blows on Sept. 18, as Forcier went down in the second quarter with a season-ending injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

The two quarterback system of Worley and Forcier, which the Paladin coaching staff used to near perfection in the season-opening win over Colgate, was now just a one-man show.

Furman head coach Bobby Lamb even admitted prior to the season he wasn’t a big fan of the two-quarterback system. He probably realized he had a rare case in Worley and Forcier, and with Forcier’s game-changing speed, it’s easy to see why getting him the ball in the open field as much as possible was important to FU’s offensive cause in 2010.

But, the loss of Forcier seems to have caused the most problems along the Furman offense along the offensive line, with its blocking schemes, and the domino effect has had a tremendous impact on FU’s ground game, or lack thereof, this season.

From the looks of things, Furman was going to have a hard time being able to run in-between the tackles, but Forcier’s speed and ability to make things happen with his quickness helped masked Furman’s weakness, which was the offensive line. That plan seems to have been a good one as long as the one thing never happened, and that was Forcier going down for the entire season.

Furman’s feature back was going to be its quarterback, Chris Forcier, coming into the 2010 season, and the spring and fall had been spent in preparing an offensive package to better accommodate Forcier’s speed, and Worley, who was a better passer, was there as the passing threat. Forcier’s weakness was his passing; though he had a strong arm, he was still unpolished.

After Forcier’s season-ending injury, it didn’t take long for the offensive problems to surface, occurring in Furman’s opening league win, which was a 31-14 win over The Citadel.

The game saw a Furman offense, which had been explosive at times against an SEC East defense just a week earlier, gain only 254 yards of total offense, but most attributed that to the Bulldogs controlling the game with their ground game, and the fact that the Bulldogs had the ball for 28 more plays (78-50) than the Paladins in the contest.

Another problem, which may have been masked by the Paladins’ FCS ranking of 114 in pass defense last season, was Furman’s struggle to stop the Bulldogs ground attack, which amassed 299 yards on the ground in the loss. This was a Citadel team that was in its first year utilizing the triple-option attack, but had little trouble gaining yards against the Furman defense.

The problems on both sides of the football for the Paladins would be no more evident than a week later, when Wofford’s physical toughness in the trenches exposed the extent of Furman’s massive weaknesses for all to see in a 38-17 thumping of the Paladins at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg.

Unlike the Citadel game, the stats sheet made no excuses for the 21-point loss, as there was not a huge disparity in offensive plays or time of possession, only showing the extent of how bad Furman was beaten and where it was beaten. 

However, the one thing that a stats sheet cannot reveal is what the human eye can. The Terriers had thoroughly dominated the Paladins on both sides of the ball where it counted most, in the trenches. In the setback to the Terriers, Furman allowed its most rushing yards on defense (430 yds) since a 2005 loss to Georgia Southern.

In fact, Wofford fullback Eric Breitenstein, who hails from the High Country, rushed for the most yards against a Furman defense (230 yds.) since ASU’s John Settle’s 246 yards against the Furman defense in 1986.

On offense, Furman had only one offensive weapon against the Terriers, and that was Adam Mims, who caught 10 passes for 122 yards and a TD. The ground game had been a non-factor for the third straight week, as Furman rushed for only 47 yards.

A week later, Furman played its final non-league game of the year, as it faced the MEAC’s Howard Bison. No one in attendance, even the most casual of fans, couldn’t help but notice the disparity in talent between the two clubs, which was bared out in the Paladins’ 56-14 win over the Bison.

Furman rushed for 289 yards, which was it’s second-highest rushing effort as a team on the season, bested only by the season-opening effort of 377 yards in the 45-15 win over Colgate. In total, Furman has rushed for 666 yards, while having rushed for only a total of 426 yards in the other four games.

The last time the Paladins were really able to move the football well in-between the tackles on the ground was Jerome Felton’s final season toting the pigskin in the Furman backfield, which was 2007.

Furman’s defensive effort was also skewed in the win over the Bison, as the Paladins faced an anemic Howard offense. The Paladins held the Bison to just 126 yards on the ground and limited them to just 273 yards of total offense.

Just hours after the win over Howard, more bad news hit the Furman football team, as this time the authorities were involved. Junior all-conference left guard Ryan Lee was arrested for shoplifting beer from a local Wal-Mart in the wee hours of the following morning, following the win over Howard.

It was a blow to an already struggling offensive line and another hindrance to an offense that was already struggling. Lee was suspended by coach Lamb for the remainder of the 2010 season.

With the momentum of the win over Howard, Furman jumped back into SoCon play and looked to get its second win in league play.

The first half was pretty much dominated by Samford, however, mistakes had kept Furman in the game, despite apparently being overmatched on both the offensive and defensive lines, with the teams heading to the halftime locker room with the score knotted, 10-10.

The second half was a different story, and for the first time since the season-opener against Colgate, the Paladins rode the legs of Mike Brown and Jerry Williams while Cody Worley and wide receiver Sederrick Cunningham provided timely passing plays to help Furman field a consistent second-half attack.

Worley was efficient, throwing the football after looking a bit off in the opening half of play, and Cunningham saw his most substantial action in the Wildcat offense, which included throwing a 29-yard pass to David Hendrix, which gave the Paladin offense the ball inside the 1-yard line.

Furman would score the go-ahead TD one play later and never looked back in the 27-10 win.

Furman’s defense would also do its part in the second half of the win, posting its second shutout in one half of football on the season. Despite a day that saw Samford All-American and Walter Payton Award candidate running back Chris Evans post 137 yards and a TD on 23 attempts, Furman limited his overall effectiveness in the second half, which allowed Furman to completely shut down the Samford offense.

It wasn’t until well into the fourth quarter that Samford reached 100 yards of total offense for the second half. Still, Samford managed to record an advantage in total offense, out-gaining the Paladins, 328-283, in the contest.  

At 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play, the Paladins were ranked back in the Top 25 in the national polls and embarked upon perhaps their biggest game since facing No. 6 Elon at Paladin Stadium last season, when 24th-ranked Chattanooga came calling last Saturday.

Having beaten the Mocs 15 straight times wouldn’t be enough to help the Paladins last Saturday, and sporting their first national ranking since 1997, the Mocs certainly played like a ranked team.

Furman built a 28-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but, again, the inability to create anything offensively saw the Mocs post an amazing 26-point fourth quarter to come from behind and get a 36-28 victory.

Despite turning the ball over six times, four of which were interceptions by B.J. Coleman, the Mocs were able to thoroughly dominate the Paladins in the second half of the contest. Coleman, whose four INTs made Furman look like the nation’s second-best pass defense in the nation at times, ended up completing 33-of-59 passes for 432 yards and two TD passes.

In total, the Mocs were able to out-gain Furman by a substantial total in the contest, as UTC rolled up 568 yards of total offense, while the Paladins could muster only 227 yards of total offense. The most alarming statistic from the Furman perspective would have to be the fact that the Mocs had the ball for 48 more plays (102-54) in the contest.

Coleman’s favorite target was Joel Bradford, who, alone, out-gained the Furman offense by 47 yards, as he had 15 catches for 274 yards and a TD, setting a Paladin Stadium record for receiving yards.

The Furman ground game was once again "grounded," as the Paladins were only able to churn out 98 yards on the ground. Mike Brown led the ground attack, with 58 yards on 12 carries.

Furman hasn’t had a 100-yard rusher since the season opening win over Colgate, but the running game should be given a bit of a boost this week, with the return of Tersoo Uhaa to the lineup.

Cody Worley was given a little bit better protection in the pocket on Saturday, but Furman’s pass protection is certainly lacking, as the Paladins yielded another three sacks on Saturday, bringing their "sacks against" total to 19 on the season, which is eighth in the league. Worley finished the day connecting on 12-of-21 passes for 129 yards, two TDs and an INT.

The leading option in the passing game was tight end Colin Anderson, who had the best game of his career, with four catches for 70 yards and a couple of TDs. He became the first Furman tight end to catch two scoring passes in a game since Luther Broughton hauled in two scoring passes in a 35-20 win over The Citadel in 1996.

Chattanooga did a good job of holding Furman All-America wide receiver Adam Mims under wraps on Saturday, holding the senior from Birmingham, AL., to six catches for 45 yards.

On defense, Furman cornerback Ryan Steed recorded his second-straight pick six in the opening quarter, as he intercepted a Coleman pass and returned it 63 yards for a score.

Last week, Steed intercepted a Connor Lowery pass and brought it back 52 yards for a score, also in the opening quarter of that contest. He now has three INT returns for TDs in his career, and Furman has four INT returns for a score in this season alone.

With the loss to Chattanooga last week, Furman’s road is now nearly impossible, and it looks very likely the Paladins will miss the postseason for a fourth consecutive season unless they win the remainder of their four games.

Furman is 2-5 against No. 1 teams all-time and will be playing its first top-ranked team since the 2001 national title loss (13-6) to Montana. Furman has recorded wins over first-ranked foes Georgia Southern (45-10, 2000) and Idaho (38-7, 1988). Both of those wins came at Paladin Stadium, with the win over Idaho coming in the 1988 Division I-AA semifinals. 

A Quick Review of Appalachian State’s Season So Far

In contrast, Appalachian State is once again sitting pretty and looking like a prime candidate to contend for the school’s fourth national title this season. If the rivalry is becoming stagnant, Appalachian State has certainly done its part to keep this rivalry from becoming a shell of what it once was.

Off to its best start since 1995, the Mountaineers have won 25 consecutive league games and haven’t lost to Furman in Boone since 1996 and haven’t lost in general to Furman since 2005. The Mountaineers might even have a more versatile offense than the one that was led by Armanti Edwards last season.

Under the direction of DeAndre Presley, the fourth-ranked Mountaineers got the season underway with a tough SoCon battle at Chattanooga. After three quarters of play, it looked as if the SoCon might be undergoing a transfer of power, as the Mocs held a commanding 35-10 lead over the Mountaineers.

However, many questions about the Armanti Edwards-less Mountaineers would be answered that very afternoon in Finley Stadium. While ASU had many great evenings lifting national title trophies in the stadium, its 42-41 come-from-behind win over the Mocs might go down as one its greatest moments in a regular-season game.

In its miraculous come-from-behind win over the Mocs in the season opener, ASU trailed by 21 points with 14 minutes remaining in the contest. However, the Mountaineers showed their offensive explosiveness and an opportunistic instinct on the defensive side of the football, scoring four TDs over a 7:51 span to claim the miraculous win. ASU actually got out-gained, 492-486, by the Mocs in the contest.

Since that opening season win, ASU has been nearly unstoppable on the offensive side of the football. And the questions about how you replace a two-time Walter Payton award winner were quickly answered by DeAndre Presley, who finished that Mocs game by connecting on 22-of-29 passes for 340 yards and two TDs, while rushing for 25 yards and a TD on 11 attempts.

It was clear that the Mountaineers, who have routinely ranked among the nation’s top offenses since their transition to the spread offense in 2004, would once again field one of the nation’s elite offensive units. And, if there was a flaw in Appalachian State's amazing win over the Mocs, it once again appeared to be defending the pass, as ASU surrendered 349 yards through the air to the Mocs.

Named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the first of four times on the season, Presley and the Mountaineers would open the home slate in strong fashion, knocking off a formidable FCS foe, Pioneer Football League member Jacksonville, with a 45-14 win over the Dolphins.

ASU's highly-decorated wide receiving corps was the story of the game, and in particular, junior wideout Brian Quick, who hauled in six passes for 132 yards, with three of those receptions going for scores. Quick caught scoring tosses of 41, 15 and 41 yards in the win.

Meanwhile, preseason All-America tight end Ben Jorden was also impressive, as he completed the afternoon with three receptions for 43 yards and had a TD catch. It was also another highly effective afternoon for Presley in his first start at Kidd Brewer Stadium, as he totaled 386 yards (101 rushing, 285 passing) and had three TD passes.

The Mountaineers out-gained the pesky Dolphins, 620-257, which represents a season-standard for total offense. On the defensive side of the football, the Mountaineers were led by Buck Buchanan Award candidate Mark LeGree’s INT and team-high eight tackles. The pass defense looked much better in the second week win over the Dolphins, allowing just 187 yards through the air.

The third week of the 2010 season saw the Mountaineers, now up to No. 2 in the Sports Network poll, face another overmatched opponent at The Rock, as the Mountaineers welcomed North Carolina Central. In what was another solid performance by the ASU offense, the Mountaineers made easy work of the visiting Eagles for the second-straight season, getting a 44-16 victory.

Presley led the offensive efforts once again, totaling 152 yards of total offense (95 passing, 57 rushing) and a TD run. In all, ASU out-gained the Eagles, 524-330, in total offensive yardage, flexing its offensive muscle.

It was a breakout game for Travaris Cadet at running back. The former backup running back carried the ball eight times for 149 yards, which included a 52-yard TD scamper.

Aside from a couple of big pass plays, ASU looked good against NCCU defending the pass, holding the Eagles to just 194 yards through the air. It was a big day for Buck Buchanan Award candidate defensive end Jabari Fletcher, who finished the day with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, half-a-sack and recorded his first career INT.

The Mountaineers would jump back into conference play in what was supposed to be a tough league clash with Samford in Birmingham, however, the opportunistic ASU pass defense made sure it would be an easier day at the office than many expected against upset-minded Samford.

ASU picked off Samford quarterbacks four times on the afternoon, while DeAndre Presley was leading the potent offensive attack, once again totaling 273 yards of total offense (97 rushing, 176 passing). The Black and Gold jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 35-17 triumph at Seibert Stadium.

The Mountaineers were led once again by Presley’s efforts on the ground, as he rushed for 97 yards and two TDs, while connecting on 16-of-27 passes for 176 yards and two TDs. In all, Presley helped the Apps out-gain the Bulldogs, 459-323, in total yards and limited Samford to 152 yards through the air.

The Samford win also marked a significant day for ASU, as wide receiver CoCo Hillary, a part of arguably the most-decorated and talented group of receivers in ASU history, returned to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension after an off-the-field situation during the offseason.

Hillary was able to haul in three passes for 30 yards, while tight end Ben Jorden turned in another solid effort, hauling in three passes for 40 yards, including a TD reception.

During the off-week following the win over the Bulldogs, the biggest story was ASU launching a feasibility study for its entire athletics program, which will help them gauge the program’s status and whether a move to the FBS is possible.

ASU would need the off-week to prepare for new rival Elon, who have established themselves as the "new kids" on the SoCon block. Last season, it was Elon that had boasted being the ones to end ASU’s SoCon dominance. However, after a 27-10 setback, those thoughts were quickly extinguished.

Elon was off to a rocky start, already having three losses, so a chance to spoil homecoming for the Mountaineers would’ve allowed the Phoenix to keep their hopes of a SoCon title and a second-straight FCS playoff appearance alive. A loss meant Elon would be eliminated from either of the aforementioned conversations.

In what was one of the games of the season in league play, it was Scott Riddle and the Phoenix that tested the Mountaineers for the first time since the season opener, but fell 34-31 at The Rock in front of 31,500 fans. If you enjoyed offense, this was the game to see, as the two teams combined for 981 yards and 65 points.

Presley earned his third Offensive SoCon Player of the Week honor on the 2010 campaign, connecting on 14-of-19 throws for 204 yards and a TD, while rushing for a career-best 186 yards and two scores, which were scampers of 44 and 53 yards.

Walk-on running back Cedric Baker turned in one of his best games of the season, rushing for 41 yards on four carries, including a 36-yard scoring run in the second quarter. Hillary continued to see more of the football in the passing game, hauling in three passes for 76 yards, including his first TD reception since his return to the lineup.

Unfortunately, the news wasn’t all glamorous, and for the first time since the opening season win over Chattanooga, the Mountaineer pass defense was exposed in a major way by Riddle and the Phoenix, who passed for 394 yards against the Apps.

That helped Elon claim an advantage in total yards, as Elon out-gained ASU 503-478. The 503 yards surrendered by the ASU defense are the most allowed by the Black and Gold defense this season.

ASU stayed at The Rock the following Saturday to face The Citadel in a rare night game at The Rock. The Citadel came to The Rock struggling, and it was a place the Bulldogs hadn’t claimed victory since 1992.

DeAndre Presley would keep his bid alive to bring a third-consecutive Walter Payton Award back to the Owens Fieldhouse trophy case, putting forth another spectacular performance in the 39-10 win over The Citadel.

On the night, Presley connected on 14-of-25 passes for 241 yards and five TDs, in leading the top-ranked Mountaineers to another blowout win. He threw four of those TD passes in the opening half of play, while also finishing the cool High Country evening with 27 yards rushing on four carries, totaling 268 yards of total offense in the win.

His favorite target turned out to be his big-play wide receiver Brian Quick, who was able to haul in three passes for 99 yards, including a 65-yard scoring catch. The Mountaineers also got a 73-yard scoring reception by running back Travaris Cadet in the fourth quarter, capping a night of big plays for the ASU offense. Cadet also led the Mountaineers in rushing, toting the pigskin eight times for 59 yards.

In all, ASU manhandled the Bulldogs, out-gaining The Citadel 396-197 yards in total offense, and for the first time in school history, the much-maligned ASU pass defense held an opponent without a completed pass for the entire game. It was ASU’s signature performance of the season on the defensive side of the ball, and the 197 yards by The Citadel offense was a season low against the Black and Gold defense.

At 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the SoCon, ASU headed into its earliest battle for the Old Mountain Jug since the 1992 season. While it’s never easy facing an arch-rival, ASU raced out to a 20-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 37-14 win, which was its sixth straight and 24th in the last 26 meetings with the Catamounts.

Presley connected on 21-of-29 passes for 185 yards, while rushing for 87 yards and three scores on only nine attempts (9.7 YPC). Senior wide receiver Matt Cline led the receiving efforts with seven catches for 60 yards.

On defense, ASU was once again opportunistic, as the Mountaineers used a fumble and a thwarted faked punt to set up a short field, which led to early scores and the 20-point first quarter cushion. In total, ASU was able to out-gain the Catamounts, 391-349, on the afternoon, but had trouble limiting the WCU passing attack, as the Catamounts threw for 261 yards against the ASU secondary.

With the annual battle of Appalachian State-Furman taking place on Saturday afternoon, I will be looking to see if the rivalry continues to decline in overall interest, and if the once titanic annual SoCon rivalry has indeed become stagnant.

For Furman, the season hangs by a thread and a poor performance in Boone won't make head coach Bobby Lamb’s horrific last couple of seasons any easier.

For ASU, a win Saturday will pretty much lock up a playoff bid with an eighth win and will allow ASU to continue to chip away at what was once a significant series advantage held by its hated rival.