Top-Ranked Appalachian State Hosts Furman (Part 2 of 3)

Appalachian State and Furman will be meeting for the 41st time on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium, with the Furman Paladins holding a 21-16-3 all-time series edge.

The Black and Gold have won five in a row against the Paladins, and eight of the past nine, in Bobby Lamb’s tenure as the head coach of the tradition-rich program.

Series History

For a long time, Furman was the program to be both emulated and hated during its "Decade of Dominance" in the 1980s.

Predictably, Furman dominated the Mountaineers during that stretch, as the Paladins claimed seven of the 10 meetings between the two, with ASU garnering its breakthrough victory in 1984.

In that 1984 matchup, ASU posted one of its biggest wins in program history, with a 21-14 win over No. 6 Furman at Conrad Stadium. It was a Furman team quarterbacked by current head coach Bobby Lamb, and one that would go on to make its first of three national title appearances a year later. It was a program-defining win for ASU.

Two decades later, ASU would clear the Furman hurdle once again, winning 29-23 in the FCS semifinals to win its first of three national titles a week later.

Part of the 40 previous meetings between the two is, of course, the famous "miracle on the mountain" in 2002, which was Lamb’s first season at the helm of the Furman program.

After a 36-28 home loss to Chattanooga (after leading 28-10 entering the final quarter), Lamb may be coaching for his livelihood on the latest edition of "Black Saturday."

Appalachian State has been one of the torch-bearing programs for the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) over the past 25 years, and the Black and Gold have been linked to Furman throughout that stretch.

Appalachian State's Offense

Since 2004, ASU has consistently been one of the premier offenses at the FCS level.

In seven meetings with the Paladins since 2004, the Mountaineer offense has been held under 30 points only twice, scoring 29 in the 2005 FCS semifinal win and 26 in the 2008 win at The Rock. Since switching to the spread offense, the Mountaineers have averaged 32 points against the Furman defense.

Coming into Saturday’s contest, Appalachian State’s offense will again present problems for Furman, ranking third nationally in total offense (479.1 YPG), third in scoring offense (39.4 PPG) and 25th in passing offense (238.5 YPG). ASU, with five offensive linemen with starting experience, has also allowed a league-low six sacks coming into Saturday’s rivalry contest.

The top-ranked Mountaineers continue to be led offensively by junior quarterback DeAndre Presley (114-172, 1,526 yards, 14 TDs, zero INTs), who hasn’t missed a beat since taking over for two-time Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback Armanti Edwards. In fact, Presley has thrust his own name into the 2010 Walter Payton Award discussion.

Not only has Presley gotten the job done as a passer, he also enters Saturday’s contest as ASU’s leading rusher, with 564 yards and 10 TDs on 84 attempts this season.

As a passer, Presley is on record pace, as he has yet to throw an INT in 172 pass attempts this season. The current SoCon record-holder is a former Furman quarterback who threw 215 passes without an INT in 1996.

Presley is coming off a strong performance in a 37-14 win at Western Carolina last week. He connected on 21 of 29 passes for 185 yards, while rushing for 87 yards and three TDs on nine rush attempts.

Presley ranks second in the nation in passing efficiency (167.67), fifth in total offense (298.4 YPG) and seventh in scoring (9.4 PPG). Presley also ranks second in the nation in points responsible for (21.4 PPG).

This will mark Presley's first start against Furman. 

Much like the 2007 Mountaineer team, this squad features the spread attack and prides itself on grinding out yardage on the ground.

Just as Edwards had a talented supporting cast of Kevin Richardson and Devon Moore in 2007, Presley has a machine-like ground attack averaging 240.7 YPG, good for eighth in the nation.

Leading the supporting cast is backup quarterback-turned-receiver-turned-tailback Travaris Cadet (48 attempts, 378 yds, two TDs, 7.9 YPC).

Like Kevin Richardson, Cadet is a threat running and receiving. Cadet’s speed makes him a danger to break the big play anytime he gets his hands on the football. 

In the win at Western Carolina, it was Cadet’s ability as a running threat that caused the Catamounts the most trouble, as he finished the afternoon with 80 yards and a TD on nine attempts.

In ASU’s previous win over The Citadel, Cadet showed what he could do as a wide receiver, hauling in three passes for 79 yards and a score, including a 73-yard scoring reception in the fourth quarter of the 39-10 win.

In total, Cadet has caught 10 passes for 137 yards and a TD (13.7 YPR). Cadet did see some mop-up duty at quarterback in ASU’s 52-27 win in Greenville last season, as he connected on one of two passes for 21 yards while rushing seven times for 16 yards.

Coming into the 2010 season, senior running back Devon Moore (55 attempts, 171 yards, five TDs, 3.1 YPC) was one of the favorites for the prestigious Walter Payton Award. That is understandable, coming off a season in which he rushed for 1,374 yards and 19 TDs.

However, this season has been a tough one for Moore, who has struggled to shake off a nagging injury suffered before the season.

Against the Citadel, Moore rushed for -12 yards on four carries. In the win over the Catamounts, he rushed for 12 yards on five carries.

He hasn’t been much of a receiving threat either, as Moore has hauled in five passes for 25 yards this season.

Moore may be due for a breakout game against Furman. In the 52-27 win at Paladin Stadium last season, Moore rushed for 37 yards and a score on 11 attempts. 

Rounding out the ground threats will be walk-on running back Cedric Baker (41 att, 217 yds, 4 TDs, 5.3 YPC). Baker has been a pleasant surprise for the ASU ground attack this season and has become a receiving threat out of the backfield.

Baker didn’t see much of the ball in the win over the Catamounts, carrying only four times for eight yards.

ASU has one of the nation’s most-decorated wide receiving corps and one of the biggest weapons in all of FCS football. Six-foot-five junior wideout Brian Quick (23 receptions, 487 yds, 5 TDs, 21.2 YPR) is nearly an impossible matchup for opposing defensive backs with his size and leaping ability.

Quick had a breakout performance against the Paladins two years ago in a 26-14 win, as he hauled in two passes for 61 yards. In the 52-27 win last season, Quick hauled in four passes for 70 yards.

Senior Matt Cline (31 rec, 295 yds, 1 TD, 9.5 YPR) will once again start on Saturday. Cline probably has the most reliable pair of hands for the Mountaineers, and is coming off a seven-catch, 60-yard performance in the 37-14 win over the Catamounts.

Cline has traditionally excelled in games against the Paladins, including a career-best performance in terms of receiving yardage, as he hauled in eight passes for 122 yards in a win. He had three receptions for 16 yards against the Paladins in 2008.

Palmetto State product CoCo Hillary (11 rec, 142 yds, 2 TDS, 12.9 ypr) is another receiving option that is hitting his stride after serving a three-game suspension to start the season.

Hillary enjoyed his best game since his return against Elon, as he hauled in three passes for 76 yards and a TD in the 34-31 homecoming win. In last week’s win at Western Carolina, Hillary had two catches for 10 yards.

Hillary had a great day against Furman last season, as he was able to haul in six passes for 83 yards, including a 21-yard TD in the third quarter. Hillary will split time with B.J. Frazier (3 rec, 52 yds, 17.3 YPR) at the "Z" wide receiver position in the contest.

Frazier, a 5'10," 175-pound senior from Beaufort, N.C., is a fast, sure-handed receiver that can be a deep threat for the Mountaineers with his ability to get behind opposing defenses.

Rounding out the starters at wide receiver will be senior leader Blake Elder (10 rec, 121 yds, 12.1 YPR) as the "X" wide receiver.

Elder is the team’s spiritual leader and has a blue-collar work ethic, doing the little things to help the Mountaineers be effective offensively. He especially draws notice for his perimeter blocking.

He had a solid game against the Paladins last season, hauling in three passes for 35 yards.

ASU has one of the top tight ends in the country in junior Ben Jorden (17 rec, 205 yds, 4 TDs, 12.1 YPR). Jorden had three catches for 21 yards against Western Carolina and is second only to Quick in TD receptions for the Mountaineers this season.

Jorden has been particularly effective catching the football against the Paladins. His 16-yard first-quarter scoring reception from Edwards in last season’s win got the Black and Gold offense started out on the right foot.

In total, Jorden caught three passes for 40 yards, while catching two passes for 34 yards and a score in the 26-14 win over Furman at "The Rock" two years ago.

It’s been the offensive line, however that has been the biggest reason for ASU’s offensive success, and the 2010 season is no different. The Mountaineers lead the SoCon in sacks allowed, having allowed Presley to be sacked only four times all season.

It’s one of the most-experienced ASU offensive lines in school history. Since the beginning of the 2008 season, ASU has had virtually the same starting five along the offensive line, and came into the campaign returning four starters along the offensive front.

The leader of this talented offensive front is senior center and Jacobs Blocking Award candidate (awarded to the SoCon’s top offensive lineman) Brett Irvin. Irvin will be making his 37th start at center on Saturday, including his 35th in a row.

Amazingly, since 2004, ASU has finished among the nation’s top 25 in five major offensive statistical categories 22 out of a possible 30 times. Against the Paladins last season, the Black and Gold pretty much had their way against the Furman defense, amassing 554 yards of total offense (376 passing, 178 rushing yards).

Previewing Furman's Defense

Coming into the 2010 season, Furman certainly had its work cut out for it on the defensive end, as the Paladins fielded one of the worst defenses in school history last season.  

In fact, Furman finished the 2009 season ranked 114th nationally in total defense (431.3 YPG), 111th in pass defense (257.7 YPG), 107th in pass efficiency defense (143.56), 105th in scoring defense (31.4 PPG) and 94th in rush defense (173.5 YPG). The Paladins also ranked among the worst in the nation in sacks, recording only eight all season.

If you were to look at the stats of Furman's 36-28 loss to Chattanooga last week, which saw Furman surrender 568 yards (432 pass yards), you wouldn't figure much had changed on defense. 

The fact is, Furman is improved in some areas, particularly against the pass, ranking 10th in the nation (148.4 YPG), and is coming off a performance which saw the Paladins pick off four B.J. Coleman passes in the loss, including one returned for a score.

Furman has four INT returns for scores this season and is tied for the league lead with 13 total INTs. One of the factors for such a poor defensive performance against the Mocs last Saturday was the fact that UTC had the football for 48 more plays (102-54) in their come-from-behind win.

One of the problems for Furman is an undersized, inexperienced defensive front. The blitz is providing little, if any, pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Coming into Saturday’s contest, Furman’s defense has only six sacks, ranking 111th (.86 SPG) in that category. 

It’s clear the Paladins are getting pushed around up front, as Furman has struggled to stop anyone running the football.

Saturday will mark the second time this season that Furman faces a top 10-ranked ground attack.

Things didn’t go so well the first time, as Furman surrendered the most ground yardage since 2005 (400 yards)

The Paladins have played with the same starting four along their defensive front for pretty much the entire season. It’s a completely different starting front four than the one that faced off against the Black and Gold last fall. 

Leading the defensive front for the Paladins through the first seven games has been sophomore defensive end Josh Lynn (39 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 FR).

Lynn enjoyed his best performance earlier this season in FU’s 31-14 win over The Citadel. He recorded nine tackles while recording his first career sack in the opening two weeks of the season against Colgate and South Carolina.

Lynn saw only limited action against the Mountaineers last season, but he managed to finish that afternoon with four tackles.

Set to start at the other defensive end position will be either Aaron Riley (20 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF) or Ricky Lang (13 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1.0 sacks, 2 FRs).

Lang had a couple of back-to-back strong performances against The Citadel and Wofford earlier this season.

Against Wofford, Lang recorded three tackles and a sack, while contributing three tackles in his first career start against The Citadel. In the 36-28 setback to Chattanooga last Saturday, Lang had one tackle.

Riley has battled a nagging ankle injury since the win over The Citadel, but at 6'5", he’s an active player with good athleticism. His ability to get penetration and tip passes at the line of scrimmage has been key this season, helping compensate some for Furman’s inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

He had five tackles in last week’s loss to the Mocs and tallied one tackle in FU’s 52-27 setback to Appalachian State last season.

The starting tandem along the defensive interior for the Paladins will once again be Pete Sanders (28 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 1 blocked kick) and Colton Keig (10 tackles, 1 blocked kick). Sanders is the lone senior along the defensive front and one of only two senior defensive starters for the Paladins.

Sanders, who will start for the seventh time this season at nose tackle, turned in his top performance of the season in a 38-17 loss at Wofford on October 7, recording a career-high seven tackles.

In the loss to the Mocs last Saturday, Sanders had four tackles, half-a-tackle-for-loss, a pass breakup and a blocked kick. Sanders logged action against the Mountaineers last season, but did not record a tackle.

Keig rounds out the starters along the defensive line for Furman, and he’ll start at the defensive tackle on Saturday in Boone. Like Sanders, Keig is in his first season as a full-time starter along the defensive front.

He recorded his best game in his five starts this season against The Citadel, registering four stops in the win. He blocked a kick in the loss to Chattanooga.

Furman will bring a talented linebacking duo to "The Rock" on Saturday, led by preseason All-American middle linebacker Kadarron Anderson (79 tackles, 2nd in SoCon, 11.3 TPG, 5.5 TFLs, 1 FF) and 2009 all-league outside linebacker Chris Wiley (38 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 1 FR).

Anderson is having another big season for the Paladins, and is perhaps the best player on the defensive side of the football and one of the top linebackers in the SoCon.

Anderson turned in his top performance of 2010 in the loss to Wofford, tallying 15 stops. Against The Citadel, Anderson had 14 tackles, a TFL and forced and recovered a fumble.

The junior linebacker needs only two tackles against the Black and Gold to reach 200 career tackles.

Wiley has seen his numbers dwindle a bit this season, although he remains a key cog in the Furman defense. Like Anderson, Wiley is an active, athletic linebacker that has a knack for making the big hit. 

This season, Wiley enjoyed his top game in the 31-14 win over The Citadel, racking up 14 stops. Wiley had six tackles in the loss to UTC last Saturday.

Without question, Furman has shown marked improvement in its pass defense this season

Furman’s inability to get adequate pressure on UTC quarterback B.J. Coleman cost them. However, the Paladins still managed to pick him off four times last Saturday.

Furman has four INT returns for scores this season, and is tied with Samford for the league lead in INTs. Furman recorded only nine INTs for the entire 2009 season.

Leading that Furman secondary this season has been junior cornerback Ryan Steed (43 tackles, 4 INTs, 7 PBUs, 2 TDs), who has two TDs each of the last two weeks. In Furman’s 27-10 win at Samford, Steed picked off a Connor Lowery pass and took it back 52 yards for the game’s opening score, helping Furman set the tone in its first and only road win of the season.

Steed again provided Furman with its first points of the afternoon against Chattanooga, picking off B.J. Coleman’s pass and returning it 63 yards for a score. Steed now has three INT returns for scores this season.

In addition to his pick-six against Samford, Steed managed to turn in a SoCon Defensive Player of the Week performance, as he also tallied 10 tackles, a TFL and a PBU in addition to a momentum-setting INT return. Against ASU last season, Steed managed to record eight tackles and broke up two passes.

The one player that seems to get picked on in the Furman secondary is junior Jordan Griffin (23 tackles, 2 PBUs). It was Griffin that found himself chasing the league’s leading receiver, in UTC’s Joel Bradford, who set a school and Paladin Stadium record with 274 receiving yards in the Mocs’ 36-28 come-from-behind win.

In the setback to the Mocs last week, Griffin recorded eight tackles and a couple of pass breakups, and did not record a tackle in the loss to Appalachian State last season.

Alongside Steed, the other big-name player in the Furman defensive backfield is senior "rover" safety Max Lerner (58 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 3 INTs, 2 PBUs, 1 FF).

Lerner had one of the best games of his senior campaign last week, picking off passes on two straight UTC possessions. One of those picks set up a Paladin TD.

Lerner is one of the most physical players on the defensive side of the football for the Paladins. 

He has performed well against Appalachian State in his career, as recording eight stops in the loss last season, and had 10 stops and a PBU in the 26-14 loss in Boone in 2008.

Set to start at the "bandit" safety position once again on Saturday for the Paladins will be redshirt freshman Greg Worthy (17 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 FF).

Worthy will start in place of Sterling Johnson, who tweaked a hamstring in the loss to UTC last week.