Top-Ranked Appalachian State Mountaineers Hosts Furman Paladins: Part 3

Previewing Appalachian State's Defense

So far this season, Appalachian State hasn’t needed to be great on defense, with the offense providing so much potency and efficiency to this point, but anyone will tell you the Mountaineers need to improve in certain areas on the defensive side if they want to challenge for a fourth national title in six seasons.

It’s not a question of talent the defensive side of the football for the Black and Gold, as three Buck Buchanan Award candidates highlight what is an experienced, athletic group.

Coming into Saturday’s contest against the Paladins, the Mountaineers rank 53rd in the nation in total defense (350.1 YPG), 29th in scoring defense (20.4 PPG), 35th in rushing defense (131.4 YPG), 73rd in pass defense (218.7 YPG) and ninth in turnover margin (+8). The Black and Gold also lead the league in sacks with 19.

One of the areas that was dealt a tough early blow this season was the Mountaineer defensive line, which lost defensive end Lanston Tanyi early, as he had to have season-ending surgery.

Coming into the season, the Mountaineers also had to replace both defensive tackles from a year ago, as starters Anthony Williams and Malcolm Bennett graduated.

However, one of those returnees on the defensive line is Buck Buchanan Award candidate defensive end Jabari Fletcher (63 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR). Fletcher is coming off a strong effort in the Mountaineers' 37-14 win over Western Carolina last Saturday, as he garnered SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Mountaineers’ lopsided road win.

He contributed 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks and a fumble recovery to the Mountaineers’ defensive cause last Saturday.

Against the Paladins last season, Fletcher had a couple of tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss in the 52-27 Mountaineer romp. The Paladins have had trouble blocking some of the league’s more talented, athletic defensive ends this season, which means Fletcher might have a big afternoon.

Set to start opposite Fletcher on Saturday will be sophomore sensation John Rizor (20 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF). Rizor was going to challenge for serious playing time at defensive end even if Tanyi hadn’t had to end his season prematurely.

Like Fletcher, Rizor is a physical, athletic specimen at defensive end, and he will bear the torch as the Mountaineers’ premier pass-rusher after Fletcher graduates.

In the 37-14 win at Western Carolina last Saturday, Rizor finished the contest with six tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack and recovered a fumble.

The two starting defensive tackles for the Mountaineers will be JUCO transfer Dan Wylie (18 tackles, 1.5 TFLs) at left defensive tackle and Bobby Bozzo (20 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF) at right defensive tackle.

Wylie has seen action in all seven games for the Mountaineers this season, and he will be making his third-straight start on Saturday against the Paladins.

Like his predecessor Bennett, Wylie matriculated to Boone, N.C., from the Georgia Military College pipeline, where the Mountaineers have gotten plenty of talent over the years.

In the win over Western Carolina last Saturday, Wylie had four tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss.

Bozzo, a senior from Waldwick, N.J., rounds out the starters along the Mountaineer defensive front and will be making his eighth start of the campaign on Saturday.

Bozzo has good size and experience, and there has been virtually no drop-off at defensive tackle, despite the graduation of two-time All-SoCon and ‘07 third-team All-America selection Anthony Williams, who Bozzo replaced.

In the win over the Catamounts last week, Bozzo had three tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss. In the 52-27 win at Furman last season, Bozzo played but did not record any statistics.

Since 2006, the Mountaineers have fielded one the nation’s elite corps of linebackers each of the past five seasons, including this one. Leading the group this season once again in D.J. Smith (75 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FR, 3 PBUs).

Smith is having another sensational campaign for the Mountaineers and enters Saturday’s contest with the Paladins having recorded 456 career stops, which is third on the school’s all-time ledger.

Prior to last Saturday’s win at Western Carolina, Smith showed his versatility, as he started three-straight games at middle linebacker for the Mountaineers before moving back to his weakside post.

In the 37-14 win over the Catamounts last Saturday, Smith contributed 13 tackles and has amassed double-digit tackle efforts in each of the last five games for the Mountaineers.

In the win at Furman last season, Smith had six tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. He will start at weakside linebacker once again on Saturday and will be starting his 45th consecutive game of his career.

The starter at strongside linebacker on Saturday afternoon will be sophomore Justin Wray (39 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 blocked kicks, 1 FF), who actually started the season playing safety for the Mountaineers, but has now moved permanently to strongside linebacker. Wray is an extremely physical player, and he’s one of the biggest hitters on defense.

In the victory last Saturday at Western Carolina, Wray put forth a strong effort, as he finished with five stops. Wray saw action on special teams against Furman last season, but did not record any statistics.

Rounding out the starters at linebacker for the Mountaineers heading into Saturday afternoon’s contest with the Paladins will be middle linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough (24 tackles, half-a-tackle-for-loss, 2 PBUs).

It was Kimbrough, a sophomore, who came into the 2010 season with some huge shoes to fill on the Mountaineers defense, as he was asked to replace two-time All-SoCon linebacker and ‘08 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Jacque Roman at middle linebacker.

The native of Decatur, Ga., enters Saturday’s showdown with the Paladins having started four games so far in 2010.

Kimbrough is a big, physical presence in the middle, turning in his best performance of the campaign in his first start as a Mountaineer, as he recorded eight stops in the season-opening 42-41 win over Chattanooga.

Kimbrough has been bothered by a nagging thigh injury, but finally appears to be back to full health. In the win over the Catamounts last Saturday, Kimbrough finished with four tackles.

If Smith starts at weakside linebacker Saturday against Furman, look for Brandon Grier (33 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack, 1 FF) to draw the starting assignment for the Mountaineers at weakside linebacker.

Grier has split time with Smith at the weakside linebacker position this fall, as he started three straight games at weakside linebacker, when Smith moved to the middle as a result of Kimbrough’s thigh injury.

In the Mountaineers’ 37-14 win at Western Carolina last Saturday, Grier turned in a strong effort, racking up seven tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass.

The Mountaineers' secondary will be anchored by the third Buck Buchanan Award candidate in safety Mark LeGree (35 tackles, 5 INTs, 5 PBUs). With his interception in last week’s 37-14 win at Western Carolina, LeGree now has 22-career INTs, which ranks him third on the school’s all-time ledger and fourth on the league’s all-time scroll.

LeGree needs just four INTs the rest of the season to break Larry Harbin’s (1961-64) all-time school mark of 25 INTs in a career. In addition to his INT against Western Carolina last Saturday, LeGree also had eight tackles in ASU’s sixth straight triumph for the Mountain Jug.

LeGree had a solid effort against the Paladins last season, recording five tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a PBU. He’s another physical player on the Mountaineer defense and a knack for making the big play.

Another proven playmaker in the Mountaineers secondary is free safety Dominique McDuffie (25 tackles, 1 INT). McDuffie hasn’t had quite the season he had last year, but he’s still a playmaker on the defensive side of the football for the Mountaineers. McDuffie is coming off a six-tackle performance in the win over the Catamounts last season.

He had a strong effort in the 52-27 win in Greenville last season, as he had three tackles and an interception, which he returned 40 yards to give the Mountaineers offense the ball deep inside Paladin territory.

Completing the starting 11 on the defensive side of the football on Saturday afternoon against the Paladins will be cornerbacks Ed Gainey (34 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 1 INT, 8 PBUs) and Troy Sanders (36 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 5 PBUs, 1 blocked kick).

Gainey, an All-SoCon selection last season, has been one of the more criticized players on the defensive side of the football for the Mountaineers. At times, Gainey has a tendency to let opposing receivers get behind him.

Last week, Gainey six tackles and three pass breakups in the 37-14 win, which was one of his best performances of the season. In the 52-27 win over Furman last fall, Gainey recorded five tackles and a tackle for a loss.

Sanders is in his first season as a starter on the Mountaineers defense and the sophomore came into the campaign with some really big shoes to fill, taking over the position for departed all-league corner Cortez Gilbert. Sanders is coming off a solid performance in the win at Western Carolina, totaling three tackles and a PBU.

For the Mountaineers, a chance to get the defense more improvement this week is a possibility, especially with Furman’s documented struggles blocking this season. The Mountaineer defense held Furman to 350 yards of total offense in last season’s 52-27 win in Greenville.

Previewing Furman's Offense

Furman will bring an offense that ranks 69th in total offense (337.1 YPG), 18th in scoring offense (31.8 YPG), 48th in rushing offense (156.0 YPG) and 70th in passing offense (181.1 YPG).

Leading the Furman offense this season has been senior signal-caller Cody Worley (93-of-155 passing, 1,094 yds., 10 TDs, 7 INTs). The Calhoun, Ga., native has played well this season in what has otherwise been a tough campaign for the Paladins as a whole.

Worley, a fifth-year senior, started the season splitting time with Chris Forcier, but when Forcier went down win a season-ending shoulder injury, the job became Worley’s.

The strong-armed signal-caller is coming off a pretty solid performance in the 36-28 loss to Chattanooga last Saturday, as he connected on 12-of-21 passes for 129 yards, two TDs and an INT. Worley has been battle-tested this season and when given time to throw, he can be one of the more dangerous passers in the league.

He leads a Furman offense that enters Saturday’s game at No. 1 Appalachian State that ranks 69th in total offense (337.1 YPG), 18th in scoring offense (31.8 YPG), 48th in rushing offense (156.0 YPG) and 70th in passing offense (181.1 YPG).

Worley has one of the best receivers in the league to throw to in senior wideout Adam Mims (42 rec., 553 yds, 4 TDs, 13.2 YPR) and is one of the top receivers in the Southern Conference, if not the FCS.

Mims has great speed and elusiveness and needs just 77 yards receiving on Saturday to become the school’s all-time receiving yardage record holder.

In a 38-19 loss earlier this season to then-No.13-ranked South Carolina in Columbia, Mims hauled in 10 passes for 202 yards and a TD. In total, Mims comes into Saturday afternoon’s showdown with the Mountaineers having caught 185 passes for 2,262 yards and 12 TDs.

In the loss to the Mocs last week, Mims hauled in six passes for 45 yards. Despite the lopsided loss to the Mountaineers last season, Mims was Furman’s top offensive weapon, hauling in five passes for 102 yards, including a 72-yard scoring reception in the third quarter.

Another solid option in the passing game for the Paladins is starting flanker Sederrik Cunningham (12 rec., 173 yds., 14.4 YPR). Cunningham is an all-purpose wide receiver, as he has been utilized in the Wildcat offense, and it was Cunningham who appeared to be headed to the end zone against the Mountaineers a couple of years ago before having the ball jarred loose by a defender prior to crossing the goal line.

In the loss to the Mocs last week, Cunningham did not catch a pass for the second week in a row. Prior to the UTC game, Cunningham had caught a pass in every game of his career.

He threw a 29-yard pass in the 27-10 win at Samford a couple of weeks ago out of the Wildcat, which set up the go-ahead TD for the Paladins. Against the Mountaineers last season, Cunningham caught one pass for four yards.

David Hendrix (6 rec., 84 yds., 14.0 YPR) will round out the starters at wide receiver for the Paladins, as he will start at split end on Saturday afternoon against the Mountaineers.

His 6'4" frame makes him a big target at wide receiver for the Paladins and he also excels as a perimeter blocker. He caught one pass for eight yards, but did not have a reception against the Mountaineers last season.

University of Tennessee transfer Tyler Maples (9 rec., 93 yds., 2 TDs, 10.3 YPR) backs up Adam Mims in the slot, and he has been a nice change-up to the Furman passing attack when giving Mims a respite. Like Mims, Maples has good speed and a good pair of hands. In the loss to the Mountaineers last season, Maples had a carry for seven yards, but fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Mountaineers early in that contest.

Over the past couple of weeks, Worley’s most-effective receiving option has been tight end Colin Anderson (12 rec., 171 yds., 3 TDs, 14.2 YPR). Anderson had a career game last Saturday in the loss to Chattanooga, as the former walk-on quarterback-turned-tight end caught four passes for 70 yards and a couple of TDs.

Furman comes into the Saturday afternoon’s contest with top-ranked Appalachian State sputtering on the offensive side of the football at this particular juncture in the 2010 season. However, the Paladins have shown the ability to be potent this season.

Anderson became the first tight end to catch two TD passes in a game since 1996, when former Furman tight end great Luther Broughton caught a couple of scoring passes in a 35-20 win over The Citadel. Anderson was also effective in the 52-27 loss to Appalachian State last season, as he hauled in a 33-yard TD pass.

Furman’s running game, which has struggled mightily this season, was given a huge boost with the return of Tersoo Uhaa (24 att., 142 yds., 1 TD, 5.9 YPC), who will see his first action for the Paladins since the second game of the season.

Uhaa ran strong in the season-opener against Colgate, as Uhaa finished the contest with 125 yards and a TD on 16 rush attempts. He also was able to haul in two passes for 27 yards and a TD in that contest. Uhaa entered the season as an All-America pick by The Sports Network, coming off an ‘09 season, which saw him rush for 535 yards and 13 TDs on 13 attempts last fall.

Uhaa has done particularly well in his two games against the Mountaineers in his career. In the 52-27 loss to the Black and Gold last season, Uhaa rushed for a then career-best 104 yards and a TD on 19 carries. In Furman’s last trip to Boone in ‘08, Uhaa rushed for a season-high 99 yards and two scores, but also had a key fumble late in that contest.

Joining Uhaa as legitimate factors for the Furman ground attack on Saturday afternoon will be senior leading rusher Mike Brown (55 att., 266 yds., 1 TD, 4.8 YPC) and sophomore Jerry Williams (45 att., 188 yds., 5 TDs, 4.5 YPC).

Brown is coming off a 58-yard rushing effort on 12 attempts in the loss to the Mocs last week. Brown didn’t see action against the Mountaineers last season, but finished with 83 yards on 15 carries in the 26-14 loss in ‘08. Brown also has seven catches for 55 yards out of the Furman backfield.

Williams is another potential weapon for the Furman ground game, should it find its footing this season. Williams has been less effective this season for Furman than his freshman campaign, which saw him garner all-freshman recognition by the league, after rushing for 483 yards and three TDs last season.

Part of that "lack of effectiveness" this season has been a direct result of Brown having been 100-percent for the entire season.

The biggest problem for the Furman offense this season has been one that even the casual football fan would be able to spot—the offensive line. Not only have injuries and suspensions plagued the offensive front, Furman has continually struggled to keep pressure off of Worley this season.

In fact, coming into Saturday afternoon’s showdown with Appalachian State at The Rock, Furman has yielded 19 sacks this season, which ranks them eighth in the SoCon in the "sacks against" category.

Furman will be forced to make another change heading into Saturday’s contest with the Mountaineers, as left guard Ryan Storms is injured and will be replaced in the Furman starting lineup by David Barrington.

Senior right tackle Antonio Frazier is Furman’s most experienced offensive lineman, and will start for the 19th time in his career and will see action in his 38th career game.

Right guard Nic Ayoob will also being seeing action in his 39th career game for the Paladins, but will be making just his seventh start.

Junior center Daniel Spisak will be starting for the 19th time in 24 career games on Saturday, while red shirt freshman left tackle Dakota Dozier, who many say will be the best offensive lineman to ever suit up for the Paladins before his time is through in Greenville, will start his seventh game as a Paladin on Saturday.

Final Prediction

The simple fact about Saturday’s showdown between the Paladins and Mountaineers is that it’s a game that fans from both sides circle on their calendars before the season gets underway, despite Furman’s recent struggles.

For Furman head coach Bobby Lamb, games against the Mountaineers, and particularly ones on the mountain, have been particularly horrific.

Saturday’s game will either add to that nightmare, or offer a brief respite to what has been a forgettable decade for him and Furman fans against the juggernaut Mountaineers.

The fact is, two of Furman’s worst losses in series history (40-7, 2006 and 52-27, 2009) have come on Lamb’s watch, as well as one of the most bizarre setbacks (2002, 16-15, Appalachian State).

Coming off a particularly head-scratching loss to Chattanooga, which saw Lamb’s Paladins squander an 18-point fourth-quarter lead, despite blocking a field goal, punt and extra point, while also forcing five turnovers, stopping a two-point conversion and recording a pick-six in the wild 36-28 loss to the Mocs.

In similar fashion, Furman entered the 2009 game against the Mountaineers coming off a particularly demoralizing 38-28 loss at The Citadel. While Appalachian was a much better team to begin with, the Paladins put forth a demoralized effort in the 52-27 loss to the Armanti Edwards-led Mountaineers.

And just like last season, Furman’s playoff hopes hang in the balance, as the Paladins need to win out to get an at-large bid. Last season, Furman basically had to complete the same feat, with the likes of Appalachian State and Auburn still on the schedule.

Furman is an upper echelon team in the SoCon this season, and that couldn’t have been said of them last season. But Furman isn’t to the level of being able to go in and win a must-win game at Appalachian State—at least not without a lot of help from the top-ranked Mountaineers.

A loss to Appalachian State won’t cost Lamb his job, but it will make the seat a little warmer. If Furman does lose at Appalachian State, it will likely take wins in Furman’s final three games to ensure his return.

Appalachian State, on the other hand, knows that its final four games will be the true measuring stick by which this team will be gauged and this gauntlet of games will likely determine if Appalachian State is truly a contender for a fourth national title in six years.

The Mountaineers have been tested twice this season, both by SoCon opponents, winning an epic contest at Chattanooga (42-41) to begin the season, while holding off pesky Scott Riddle and the Elon Phoenix (34-31) on homecoming at The Rock three weeks ago.

Appalachian State will be tested for a third time on Saturday, and again the Mountaineers will rise to the challenge, knocking off the Paladins by 10.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Appalachian State 38, Furman 28