Southern Conference Football Preview Week 4

                                  Previewing Week Four In Southern Conference Football

        "Monumental League Clash Between Appalachian State and Chattanooga Highlights Week"

Appalachian State vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga

Four key Southern Conference matchups highlight Week Four. However, no match is bigger than the one between No. 3 Appalachian State (2-1, 0-0 SoCon) and No. 13 Chattanooga (2-1, 0-0 SoCon), which will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at the Rock.

For the first time since 1997 and just the third time in what will be the 35th meeting between the two schools on Saturday, Appalachian State and Chattanooga will meet as ranked foes.

In 1997 the Mountaineers were ranked No. 18 in FCS football, while the Mocs were ranked No. 23 nationally. The only other time the two met as ranked foes was in 1987, when the Black and Gold were ranked No. 2 and the Mocs No. 17 in the country.

Appalachian State leads the all-time series between the two clubs, with a 24-10 edge, and the Mocs enter the country mountain air looking for their first victory in Boone since a 30-9 triumph on October 9, 1983. The Mocs are just 3-14 all-time at Kidd Brewer/Conrad Stadium.

Chattanooga has lost six straight to the Mountaineers, dating back to October 30, 2004, when the Mocs claimed a wild 59-56 win over ASU in what is the highest-scoring game in Southern Conference history.

Of course, Chattanooga's football tradition pales in comparison to that of Appalachian State, but the Mocs do have four Southern Conference titles to their credit since joining the league as an official member in 1976, the same year Appalachian State joined the league.

To win their fifth SoCon title and first since 1986, the Mocs will need to find a way to come up with a win in Boone.

Likewise, Appalachian State will need to play its best game of the season on Saturday against the Mocs to commence its bid for an unprecedented seventh-straight, and league-standard-tying 12th, Southern Conference title. The Mountaineers are 73-48-1 all-time against ranked FCS foes.

The two teams certainly provided plenty of drama last season, as Appalachian State needed a strong 4th quarter charge to overcome a 35-14 deficit and come up with a thrilling 42-41 win at Finley Stadium in what was one of the most exciting games in the history of gridiron clashes in the Southern Conference.

The Black and Gold needed a 28-point 4th quarter, scoring four TDs in a 7:51 span and then stymieing a potential game-winning 2-point conversion attempt by the Mocs, to hold on for the narrow victory.

Both clubs enter Saturday's matchup coming off of wins: the Mocs won 23-14 on the road at Eastern Kentucky, while the Mountaineers strolled to a 41-6 win over Savannah State in a rare night game at The Rock to notch their second-straight victory.

With the win, the Apps improved to 57-4 inside the friendly confines, dating back to November 2002. The last SoCon team to post a win at The Rock was Georgia Southern on October 20, 2007, as the Eagles ended ASU's home winning streak at 31 games with a 38-35 win over the Mountaineers.

After dropping its season-opener 66-13 to then-No. 13 Virginia Tech, the Mountaineers have outscored their last two opponents 99-12 to improve to 2-1. It marked the first time the Appalachian State defense has held consecutive opponents under 10 points since November 1998, when the Black and Gold shut out VMI (51-0) and Eastern Kentucky (19-0) in back-to-back weeks.

The Mountaineers produced six sacks in the win over Savannah State and enter Saturday afternoon's matchup with seven sacks on the season. That sack total ties the Mountaineers for second in the league, along with Chattanooga, Elon and Wofford.

The game offers an intriguing matchup of two "high-octane" offenses, led by the league's top two signal-callers.

Appalachian State's offense is paced by DeAndre Presley (37-of-58 passing, 472 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT/27 rush att., 88 yds, 3 TDs, 3.3 yards per carry), who has recovered nicely in his past two outings after having one of his worst games as ASU's primary signal-caller in the season-opening loss at Virginia Tech.

Presley, who led the Mountaineers in rushing last season with 1,039 yards and 13 TDs on 162 attempts (6.4 average), has yet to get untracked this season. However, his afternoon has ended early the past two weeks in lopsided victories over MEAC teams.

Presley enjoyed one of his best career games in Week 1 against the Mocs last season, as he connected on 22 of 29 passes for 340 yards and three TDs, while rushing for another TD, to garner national recognition. Presley amassed 365 yards of total offense in the Mountaineers' 1-point road win over the Mocs to open the 2010 season.

Presley leads an Appalachian State spread offense that enters Saturday's showdown ranked 13th nationally in scoring offense (37.3 PPG) and 31st in total offense (401.33 YPG). The Mountaineers come into the matchup ranked fifth in the SoCon in both rushing offense (202.1 YPG) and passing offense (199.3 YPG). It does not get much more balanced than that.

B.J. Coleman (68-of-106 passing, 747 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs) leads an explosive offense, as the Mocs rank 34th nationally in passing offense (247.6 YPG) and 52nd in total offense (371.6 YPG). The Mocs average 22.7 PPG, which ranks seventh in the SoCon through the first three games.

Coleman is the top pro prospect at the quarterback position in the FCS. His offensive numbers early in this season are a bit deceiving, as the Mocs have played three solid defenses.

In last season's loss to the Mountaineers, Coleman enjoyed an outstanding day under center for the Mocs, as he completed 23 of 37 passes for 349 yards, with three TD passes and two TD runs. Coleman has been surprisingly effective as a rushing threat so far this season for the Mocs, rushing 16 times for 54 yards.

Both teams have two of the league's top wideouts, and overall, it might be the meeting of the top two receiving units in the SoCon.

Appalachian State will look to pro prospect, and one of the most dangerous big-play wide receivers in the FCS, in senior Brian Quick (19 receptions, 304 yds, 16.0 YPR).

Quick ranks second in the SoCon in receiving and is on pace to become the school's all-time leading receiver. Quick caught his 24th career TD for the Apps last Saturday to tie Bob Agle (1965-68) for the school's career standard. A TD reception against the Mocs on Saturday would give Quick the milestone.

Additionally, Quick enters the contest with 2,626 receiving yards and needs 599 yards the remainder of the season to surpass Rick Beasley (1981-84) as the school's all-time leader in receiving yards. Quick had a solid performance against the Mocs last season, as he hauled in five passes for 121 yards, including a 49-yard reception, to lead ASU's receiving efforts in the victory.

Behind Quick, the Apps are really young at wide receiver this season, but have gotten some solid performances out of those inexperienced receivers. One of the young wideouts that has emerged behind Quick as a solid option in the passing game is sophomore Andrew Peacock, who ranks second in receiving for the Mountaineers with seven catches for 82 yards, averaging 11.7 yards per catch.

ASU also still has an All-America candidate in tight end Ben Jorden (1 reception, 19 yards). Jorden, one of the nation's top receiving tight ends, has yet to get untracked this season. He was key in ASU's win in the Scenic City last season, hauling in three passes for 45 yards and a TD.

The Mocs have another of the nation's top wide receivers in junior Joel Bradford (25 receptions, 294 yards, 2 TDs, 8.3 YPG). Bradford will pose a challenge to a young Appalachian State secondary.

Bradford has what head coach Russ Huesman calls "deceptive speed." Bradford only became a full-time wideout for the Mocs last season, as he spent his true freshman season playing defensive back for the Mocs. In the game against the Mountaineers last season, Bradford hauled in five passes for 85 yards.

Marlon Anthony (7 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TDs, 15.7 YPR) is another big-time option in the Chattanooga passing attack. Anthony has figured more prominently into the Chattanooga passing attack this season. Anthony has been the "big-play" receiver for the Mocs, and his 6'5" frame makes him a tough matchup for the ASU secondary. Anthony's only reception against the Apps last season was for a 9-yard score.

Appalachian State has established a solid ground attack the past couple of weeks after struggling in the season opener against the Hokies. Aside from Presley, the Mountaineers have used the trio of Cedric Baker Boney (25 rushes, 178 yards, 1 TD, 7.1 yards per carry), Travaris Cadet (23 rushes, 117 yds, 1 TD, 5.1 yards per carry) and newcomer Steven Miller (21 rushes., 108 yds., 1 TD, 5.1 yards per carry).

Baker-Boney began his career as a walk-on, but he has developed into a solid back for the Mountaineers, complementing Cadet's powerful and physical running style. Baker Boney adds speed, especially in the perimeter.

Baker Boney was instrumental in ASU's win at Chattanooga last season, as he helped tag-team the rushing efforts along with Cadet in relief of an injured Devon Moore. Baker Boney finished with 13 rush attempts for 44 yards and a couple of TDs.

He also has the only 100-yard rushing performance of the season for the Mountaineers, with 111 yards on 12 carries in the 58-6 win over North Carolina A&T a couple of weeks ago.

Cadet is ASU's most complete running back, as he has also proven to be a solid option catching the football out of the backfield, hauling in five passes for 49 yards so far this season. An NFL prospect in the ASU backfield, Cadet had only three rushes for three yards against Chattanooga last season. Like Baker Boney, Cadet enjoyed his best rushing effort of the season against the Aggies a couple of weeks ago, totaling 71 yards on seven carries in the 58-6 triumph.

Miller transferred into Appalachian State last spring from Nassau Community College in Piscataway, New Jersey, where he was a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) first-team All-American after leading the Northeast Conference with 1,180 rushing yards and 12 TDs.

This season, Miller has provided the Apps another speed option out of the backfield and is coming off his best performance as a Mountaineer, rushing nine times for 60 yards and his first-career score in ASU's 41-6 thumping of Savannah State last week. Miller also has four catches for 54 yards (16.0 yards per catch), proving he can also be a factor with his speed at wide receiver.

Chattanooga has some impressive running backs of its own, and one of the concerns entering the season was finding viable replacements for Erroll Wynn and Keon Williams, the Mocs' top two rushers last season. The Mocs currently rank last in the SoCon in rushing offense (124.0 yards per game), but in defense of UTC, the Mocs have faced three solid defenses.

The two backs who have been most effective in toting the pigskin for the Mocs are Marquis Green (39 rushes, 164 yards, 1 TD, 4.2 yards per carry/5 receptions, 19 yards) and Chris Awuah (34 rushes, 127 yards, 2 TDs, 3.7 YPC/8 receptions, 107 yards, 13.4 yards per catch).

Awuah has seen the majority of the action in the backfield this season, and he enjoyed his best game of the season against then 10th-ranked Jacksonville State, as he rushed for 77 yards and a couple of TDs on 17 rush attempts. Awuah didn't see all that much action as a running option last season for the Mocs. However, he did manage to finish with a 9-yard TD pass to Marlon Anthony on a trick play against the Mountaineers in 2010, and also had two rushes for eight yards .

Green, a true freshman, saw most of the action in the win at Eastern Kentucky last week, with Awuah nursing a bit of a nagging injury. In the win over the Colonels, Green carried the ball a season-high 21 times for 68 yards, and he scored his first TD as a Moc last Saturday.

A huge question mark coming into the 2011 season for both Appalachian State and Chattanooga was the two clubs respective offensive lines. The Mountaineers had to replace center Brett Irvin, left tackle Daniel Kilgore and left guard Pat Mills, who all graduated. The Mocs had to replace three starters as well, as left tackle Chris Harr, offensive guard T.J. Hurless and center Justin Gaylon all graduated.

Understandably, both the Mocs and Mountaineers OLs struggled in their openers against Nebraska and Virginia Tech, but both have rebounded to play well in the past couple of weeks. ASU's young offensive front is anchored by offensive tackle Orrye Frye and right guard Matt Ruff, while UTC's front is led by center Adam Miller and left guard Austin Wilson.

Both teams have done a good job of protecting the quarterback after struggling in their respective openers, as Chattanooga has yielded eight sacks, while ASU has surrendered three sacks this season. Five of Chattanooga's eight sacks were given up in the opener against Nebraska, which traditionally fields one of the nation's top defensive lines.

The biggest surprise for the Mocs has been the play of the defense. Chattanooga finished the 2010 season sixth in the SoCon in total defense, surrendering 370.0 yards per game. With nine starters returning for the 2011 season, the spring and preseason was devoted to improving defensively. The Mocs were most concerned about the pass rush, as sack leader Chris Donald decided to forego his final season with a badly injured wrist.

With the defensive line a little undermanned, Chattanooga has gotten a huge season out of bookend Joshua Williams (13 tackles, 4.5 for losses, 4.0 sacks, 5 quarterback hits). Williams' four sacks have him tied with Wofford linebacker Alvin Scioneaux for tops in the league through the first three weeks of the season.

With two sacks in Chattanooga's 23-14 win at Eastern Kentucky last Saturday, Williams was able to break Kenny Sanders' (1995-98) school-record of 14.5 sacks in a career, as he now has 15.5 sacks in just his third season as a part of the Mocs' defense. Against the Apps last season, Williams was able to post three tackles in the season-opening loss.

Also along the defensive line for the Mocs on Saturday will be defensive Davis Tull (6 tackles, 1 for loss, 3 quarterback hits) and defensive tackles Devin Scates (3 tackles, 1 for loss) and Josh Freeman (1 tackle in 2011). With the injury to defensive tackle Nick Davison, the Mocs are inexperienced on the defensive line, with only one starter back from last season.

While the Mocs may be inexperienced up front, the linebackers and secondary are very experienced. Leading the way at linebacker will be All-America candidate linebacker Ryan Consiglio (23 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 1 pass broken up, 1 forced fumble).

Consiglio, who will start at strong-side linebacker, is one of the anchors of the Chattanooga defense. Consiglio enjoyed his top game of the 2011 season in the season opener, recording his lone double-digit tackle performance in a 40-7 loss to Nebraska, with 14 stops against the Cornhuskers. Against Appalachian State last season, Consiglio turned in a solid effort with seven stops. Consiglio was a preseason first-team All-SoCon selection.

Joining Consiglio as starters at linebacker on Saturday will be Wes Dothard (22 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 3 passes broken up, 1 TD in 2011) at middle linebacker and talented sophomore Gunner Miller at weak-side linebacker.

Dothard has been a breakout player on the Chattanooga defense this season, garnering SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors a couple of weeks ago in the Mocs' 38-17 win over No. 10 Jacksonville State. In that game, Dothard had five tackles, forced a fumble and returned an INT 30 yards for a score to seal the win over the Gamecocks. Dothard had a couple of tackles as a reserve on the UTC defense last fall in the loss to Appalachian State.

Miller was a SoCon All-Freshman team selection last season, enjoying his best game of the season in the season-opener against the Cornhuskers, with nine stops. Miller had one tackle in the season-opener against Appalachian State in 2010.

Chattanooga will bring one of the top secondaries in the SoCon to the High Country this fall. The Mocs come off a 2010 season in which they led the league with 14 INTs, and they have picked off three passes through three games so far this season.

Six of last year's INTs for the Mocs came from left cornerback Kadeem Wise (8 tackles, 1.0 for loss, 3 passes broken up), who finished the season with six of the Mocs' 14 picks. That kind of performance was good enough to allow Wise to be named the SoCon's Freshman of the Year last season.

Wise has recorded a pass breakup in all three games this season and posted three tackles both against Nebraska and this past week against Eastern Kentucky. Wise started his first game for the Mocs against the Mountaineers last season, but did not record any stats.

Set to start at the other three positions in the secondary for the Mocs will be Chris Lewis-Harris (13 tackles, 1 for loss, 2 passes broken up) at the other cornerback spot, while Jordan Tippitt (10 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT, 1 passes broken up) starts at strong safety and D.J. Key (26 tackles, 3.0 for loss, 1.0 sack, 3 passes broken up, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered, 1 INT) starts at free safety.

The secondary for the Mocs is thought of as one of the top secondary units in the SoCon, and free safety D.J. Key is off to a strong start to the 2011 season for the Mocs. He finished the 2010 season second on the team in tackles. Key enjoyed his best game of the season in the opener against Nebraska, posting 11 tackles and had six stops in the loss to the Mountaineers last season.

Appalachian State comes in still adjusting to its new 3-4 defensive scheme this season, and the Mountaineers come into Saturday's showdown ranking seventh in the league in scoring defense (26.0 PPG), seventh in total defense (379.3 YPG), sixth in rushing defense (158.7 YPG) and sixth in pass defense (224.7 YPG).

One of the real question marks for the ASU defense heading into Saturday's game with the Mocs will be the status of OLB Lanston Tanyi (11 tackles, 2.0 for loss) and DB Ed Gainey (4 tackles in 2011), who were both suspended last week for undisclosed team violations.

A couple of new starters have emerged along the defensive line for the Black and Gold this season, as freshman James Robinson (6 tackles, 3.0 for loss, 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble) will start at one defensive end, while freshman Ronald Blair (6 tackles, 3.0 for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 quarterback hit) will start at at the other bookend.

Robinson had a breakout game against Savannah State last week, as he posted a couple of sacks and forced a fumble in ASU's 41-6 win. Lining up on the other side will be Ronald Blair, who's another player that has gotten off to a solid start to his Appalachian career. Blair is coming off a game in which he had three tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack in the win over the Tigers.

Rounding out the starters along the three-man front for ASU will be senior nose tackle Dan Wylie (9 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovered). The only veteran along the defensive front, Wylie is off to a solid start this season, recording his best overall performance against North Carolina A&T a couple of weeks ago, recording five stops. Against the Mountaineers last season, Wylie posted a tackle.

Leading the four starters at linebacker heading into Saturday afternoon's showdown with the Mocs will be middle linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough (20 tackles, 2 for loss). After battling injuries last season, Kimbrough is off to a solid start this fall. Kimbrough enjoyed his best outing of the season against North Carolina A&T, as he recorded eight stops and 1.5 tackles for loss. Against the Mocs last season, Kimbrough recorded eight stops.

Joining Kimbrough at linebacker on Saturday afternoon against the Mocs will be John Rizor (10 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 0.5 sack, 3 quarterback hits) at strong-side linebacker, while Bradon Grier (18 tackles, 3.0 for loss, 1.0 sack, 1 quarterback hits) will start at weakside linebacker. Should Tanyi be suspended for a second-straight game, look for Demery Brewer (10 tackles, 0.5 for loss) to draw his second-straight start at 'bandit' linebacker.

Grier is off to a strong start once again this season and is one of the most active LBs for the Mountaineers. Grier enjoyed his best outing this season in the season opener against Virginia Tech, racking up eight tackles. Grier dd not play the opener against the Mocs last season, as he was out with an injury.

Rizor was a defensive end for the Mountaineers the last time they faced the Mocs, and he can get tremendous pressure on the passer from his outside linebacker position. He enjoyed his best outing of the season for the Apps against North Carolina A&T, as he recorded seven tackles, while recording a tackle-for-loss last week.

Tanyi, arguably regarded as the top player on the ASU defense coming into the 2011 season, sat out the 2010 season with a toe injury. Tanyi recorded his season high of six tackles in the win over North Carolina A&T, and has recorded tackles-for-loss in both games in which he has seen action this season for the Apps. In his last meeting against the Mocs back in 2009, Tanyi recorded four stops in ASU's 38-24 win.

The unit most affected by a potential suspension on Saturday is the secondary, where the possibility exists that Ed Gainey will join Tanyi in being suspended a second-straight week.

Leading the secondary for the Apps so far this season is strong safety Troy Sanders (21 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT), who enters Saturday's game with the Mocs leading the team in tackles. Sanders is physical and has adjusted to his new position well, as he made the transition from cornerback to safety during the spring.

Sanders posted his top performance of the 2011 campaign in the opener against Virginia Tech, tying his career high with 10 stops. In last year's contest at Chattanooga, Sanders registered seven tackles and a pass breakup.

Sanders will be joined at safety on Saturday by Patrick Blalock (9 tackles in 2011), who garnered SoCon All-Freshman accolades last season. Blalock has yet to make a huge impact this season, but make no mistake about it, he can be a factor as a playmaker on the ASU defense this season. Blalock saw a majority of his action last season as a member of the ASU special teams.

The question mark that has remained as one of the few clouds over ASU's defense since 2009 has been the play at cornerback. If Gainey can't go on Saturday, look for freshman Doug Middleton (7 tackles, 0.5 for loss, 1 INT, 1 pass broken up, 1 INT) to draw the start.

Gainey had his string of 38 straight starts come to an end last week. Middleton might be the fastest player on the ASU defense, and gave credence to that fact with his 97-yard INT return for a score against North Carolina A&T a couple of weeks ago.

Last year, this game saw special teams make a huge difference, as Chattanooga missed three extra points and struggled in the kicking game all afternoon, forcing the Mocs to have to go for two at the end of the game. Set to handle the kicking duties for the Mocs this season will be Nick Pollard, who comes into the contest having connected on 2-of-5 field goals this season, while going 6-of-7 on PATs this season.

The punting duties will be handled by Mike Hammons, who is averaging 38.1 yards-per-punt, which ranks third in the SoCon so far this season. Running back Chris Awuah will handle the kick return duties, averaging 21.6 yards-per-return, while Joel Bradford will once again return punts for the Mocs, averaging 4.2 yards-per-return so far in 2011.

Appalachian State has done well in the kicking game so far this season, led by Sam Martin, who earned SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season last week. Martin comes into Saturday's contest leading the nation in punting average at 47.4 yards-per-punt this season, while having kicked two of his five field goals in excess of 50 yards this season. For his efforts last week, Martin was also named The Sports Network's national special teams player of the week.

With just three field-goal attempts in his career, Martin is already only the third player in ASU history with two field goals of 51 yards or longer, joining Bjorn Nittmo (3, 1985-88) and Gary Davis (2, 1974-77). Martin is a perfect 7-of-7 on PATs this season.

Running back Travaris Cadet will handle both the kickoff and punt return duties for the Apps on Saturday afternoon. Cadet comes into Saturday's contest averaging 21.5 yards per kick return this season, while averaging 6.0 yards per punt return on the campaign.

In what will obviously be the monumental SoCon matchup on Saturday, look for Chattanooga's defense to be the difference in the Mocs picking up a surprising win on the road over the six-time defending league champs.

Citadel vs. Elon

Another intriguing Southern Conference matchup set to take place on Saturday is the one between The Citadel (1-1, 0-1 SoCon) and Elon (2-1, 0-0 SoCon).

The Bulldogs had last week off, while Elon held on to get a 23-22 road win at North Carolina Central. The Bulldogs did not play well in their last trip to Elon's Rhodes Stadium, as The Citadel dropped a 43-7 decision to the Phoenix back in 2009.

The Citadel and Elon will meet for the 11th time on Saturday, with the Bulldogs holding a 6-4 all-time advantage. However, Elon has controlled the series as of late, having won the last three meetings between the two clubs, including a 27-18 win by the Phoenix in Charleston last season.

The last time the Bulldogs claimed a win over Elon was at Rhodes Stadium back in 2007, as the Bulldogs posted a 42-31 win over the Phoenix. That win prevented the Phoenix from making the postseason. The Bulldogs can't afford to go down 0-2 in league play, as The Citadel dropped its SoCon opener a couple of weeks ago to Furman, 16-6.

The Citadel defeated Jacksonville, 31-9 in the opening week and are a much improved team this season, especially offensively. Jason Swepson has gotten off to a positive start as the head coach of Elon, winning his last two games.

Swepson inherited a program that has been used to winning of late, as the Phoenix have posted four-straight winning seasons and have been among the league and national leaders in total offense the past four years. However, he did not the luxury of having Scott Riddle under center this season.

Despite that, the Phoenix have managed to put up a solid offensive effort through the first three games of the 2011 season, as Elon enters Saturday's game with The Citadel ranked sixth in the league in scoring offense (26.2 PPG) and fourth in total offense (416.0 YPG), and once again leads the league in passing offense (285.7 YPG).

It hasn't been Riddle leading that passing attack, but his backup, Thomas Wilson (73-of-102 passing, 850 yds, 5 INTs in 2011), and Wilson recorded his first start last season against the Bulldogs. In the 27-16 win over The Citadel in Charleston, Wilson helped the Phoenix battle back from a 10-7 deficit and post the 11-point win.

He connected on 15-of-21 passes for 145 yards, while also posting a couple of TD runs. Wilson might not be Riddle, but he's good enough to make this Phoenix offense dangerous yet again in 2011. In last week's victory at North Carolina Central, Wilson connected on 34-of-48 passes for 416 yards and three scores to lead the Phoenix to their second-straight win.

Wilson obviously has some help in leading the nation's 14th-best passing offense, as he has the luxury of throwing Walter Payton Award-candidate wide receiver Aaron Mellette (36 rec., 494 yds, 3 TDs, 13.7 YPR in 2011).

Mellette was named the national player of the week by College Football Performance Awards, as well as Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, after hauling in a career-high 16 passes for 237 yards and a TD in the 23-22 win over North Carolina Central. His 12 receptions per game lead the nation, while his 164.7 receiving yards per outing rank second nationally. However, Mellette caught only three passes for 21 yards last season for the Phoenix against The Citadel.

The Elon running game was a point of emphasis for improvement by Swepson and staff coming into the season. However, Elon ranks next to last in the league in rushing offense (130.3 YPG) entering Saturday afternoon's contest. The leading ground gainers for the Phoenix are Dontay Taylor (39 rush att., 154 yds., 2 TDs, 3.9 YPC in 2011) and A.J. Harris (34 rush att., 116 yds, 3.4 YPC in 2011).

Harris catches the ball extremely well coming out of the backfield and has 11 catches for 75 yards this season. Harris had 11 carries for 39 yards and a reception for 35 yards in the win over the Bulldogs last season.

The Citadel had one of its worst seasons in memory on the offensive side of the football last season, but things seem to be much improved this fall. Leading the offensive attack this season has been Ben Dupree (13-of-23 passing, 135 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT/39 rush att., 219 yds, 2 TDs, 5.6 YPC in 2011) under center.

Dupree leads a Citadel offense, which enters the matchup ranking ninth in the SoCon in scoring offense (18.5 PPG), seventh in scoring offense (386.5 YPG), first in rushing offense (319.0 YPG) and ninth in passing offense (67.5 YPG).

Dupree started last season's game for the Bulldogs against the Phoenix, and he finished the game by completing 3-of-6 passes for 48 yards, while rushing 23 times for 85 yards to lead The Citadel's ground efforts in the 27-16 loss.

Expected to be back carrying the football this week for the Bulldogs is Terrell Dallas, who suffered a knee injury on the very first play of the 2011 season against Jacksonville, which forced him to miss the Bulldogs' conference opener against Furman.

Dallas entered the season as an All-SoCon candidate at running back and is coming off a 2010 season, which saw him post 665 rushing yards and six TDs on 135 attempts (4.9 YPC). In the loss to the Phoenix last season, Dallas posted 64 yards and a TD on 19 rush attempts.

Dallas will have some company in the backfield for the Bulldogs on Saturday, and he will be backed up by talented freshman fullback Darien Robinson (16 rush att., 115 yds). The Bulldogs will also have the talented Dalton Trevino (14 rush att., 90 yds, 1 TD, 6. YPC) in the backfield at slotback on Saturday. Though he hasn't caught a pass yet in his career, Trevino is a valuable asset catching the football out of the backfield for the Bulldogs.

The biggest option when the Bulldogs go to the air will be Dominic Jones (3 rec., 45 yds, 15,0 YPR in 2011). Jones, a sophomore, is a big target at 6-foot-5. Last season, Jones led the Bulldogs in catching the football, as hauled in 12 passes for 192 yards and two scores (16.0 YPR) last season.

The Bulldogs returned three starters on the offensive line for the 2011 season, and the unit is anchored by right tackle Tyler Thornton, who will be making his 14th-straight start for the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, it's been a strong start for the Elon defense this fall, as the Phoenix come into Saturday afternoon's league showdown with the Bulldogs ranking second in the SoCon in total defense and 10th nationally, allowing just 260.0 yards of total offense to opponents this season.

Up front, the Phoenix have been paced by talented bookend Jordan Jones (8 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack in 2011). Jones will tandem with sophomore Jay Brown (6 tackles, 1.0 TFL in 2011) at defensive end, while set to start inside will be sophomore nose tackle Tony Thompson (5 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 3 QBHs in 2011) and defensive lineman Olufemi Lamikanra (5 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks in 2011).

The Phoenix have one of the top linebackers in the SoCon, in senior Joshua Jones (20 tackles, 3.5 TFLs in 2011), who comes in leading the team in overall tackles. The solid corps of linebackers is completed by strong-side linebacker Dale Riley (10 tackles, 2.5 TFLs in 2011) and Zach Henderson (10 tackles, 1.5 TFL in 2011) at weak-side linebacker.

Elon's secondary will be anchored by safeties Chandler Wrightenberry (14 tackles, 4 PBUs in 2011) and Blake Thompson (15 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack in 2011). Wrightenberry will start at the strong safety position, while Thompson will hold down the free safety position.

The question mark for Elon for the second-straight season might be its starting cornerbacks, as two first-year starters will be in the lineup for the Phoenix on Saturday: senior Jonathan Connor (12 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT, 1 TD) and sophomore Ed Burns (5 tackles, 2 PBUs in 2011). Connor had a 99-yard INT return against Concord a couple of weeks ago.

The Bulldogs come into the contest leading the SoCon in total defense and have one of the best defensive lines in the league coming into Saturday's league showdown with the Phoenix. The Citadel will utilize a 4-2-5 defense heading into Saturday and rank fifth nationally in total defense, coming into the contest allowing 228.5 YPG this season.

Leading that defensive front coming into Saturday afternoon's contest will be Derek Douglas (5 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 1 FR in 2011). Douglas was honored by College Football's Performance Awards for his outstanding game he had in the season opener against Jacksonville.

Set to start inside alongside Douglas will be DeMarrio Sims (12 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack in 2011), while veterans Chris Billinslea (10 tackles, 1.5 TFLS, 0.5 sack, 1 PBU in 2011) and Jeremy Buncum (13 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 0.5 sack, 1 FF in 2011).

The two starters at linebacker will also be veterans for The Citadel on Saturday afternoon, in Tolu Akindele (21 tackles, 1 PBU in 2011) and DeAndre Smith (14 tackles, 1.5 TFLs in 2011). Akindele continues to anchor the Bulldogs' defense in the middle, as he is coming off a 2010 season in which he led the Bulldogs in total tackles.

The Bulldogs have a solid secondary, led by veteran safeties Rod Harland (21 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 0.5 sack, 1 FF in 2011) and Joseph Boateng (13 tackles, 0.5 TFL in 2011) at two of the safety positions for the Bulldogs. Set to man the respective cornerback positions will be Brandon McCladdie (11 tackles, 1.0 TFL in 2011) and Keith Gamble (9 tackles in 2011).

Elon will bring the league's top offense into Saturday afternoon's SoCon opener with the Bulldogs, as the Phoenix come into the contest averaging 416.0 yards of total offense per game. The Phoenix also bring in the league's top passing offense, as Elon is averaging 285.7 YPG through the air this season.

Leading the aerial attack for the Phoenix this season has been junior quarterback Thomas Wilson (73-of-102 passing, 850 yds, 7 TDs, 5 INTs in 2011), who is off to a strong start in his first season as a full-time starter under center for the Phoenix. Wilson has been nursing some nagging injuries the past couple of weeks, but should be near 100-percent in Saturday's league opener.

One of the reasons that Wilson has been able to enjoy so much success as a full-time starter this season is the fact that he has the league's top receiver, in All-American Aaron Mellette (36 rec., 494 yds, 3 TDs, 13.7 YPR in 2011). Mellette is coming off a memorable performance last week against North Carolina Central, hauling in a career-high 16 passes for 237 yards and a TD in the 23-22 win over North Carolina Central.

Joining Mellette in the receiving corps on Saturday afternoon for the Phoenix will be Christian Dennis (9 rec., 113 yds, 2 TDs, 12.6 YPR in 2011) and Darrius McQueen (9 rec., 99 yds, 11.0 YPR in 2011). Both have been nice compliments to Mellette at wide receiver so far this season.

The ground game for the Phoenix has been led by the tandem of Dontay Taylor (39 rush att., 154 yds, 2 TDs, 3.9 YPC in 2011) and A.J. Harris (34 rush att., 116 yds, 3.4 YPC in 2011) so far this season. Both players catch the ball well out of the backfield, with Harris ranking second on the team in receiving this season, having caught 11 passes for 75 yards this season.

Elon's offensive line has returned three starters from a year ago, and the unit is anchored by left tackle Ned Cuthbertson. The Phoenix offensive line has yielded three sacks this season.

Saturday's contest between the Phoenix and Bulldogs should prove to be an exciting affair, with Elon having the slight advantage as a result of the home field, and I expect them to come out on top in its league opener.

Wofford vs. Samford

No. 9 Wofford (1-1, 0-0 SoCon) will host Samford (1-1, 0-1 SoCon) in a game that could be another intriguing league clash. The Terriers will be playing their first league game of the 2011 season, while Samford has already played a league game, as the Bulldogs were 31-17 losers to Georgia Southern to open the season.

Last season, Wofford survived a scare in what was a defensive struggle, as the Terriers got a 10-3 win at Seibert Stadium. Saturday's meeting between the Terriers and Bulldogs will mark just the ninth all-time meeting between the two, with Samford holding the 5-3 all-time series edge. Since joining the SoCon in 2008, Samford is just 1-2 against Wofford, however, with the Bulldogs' lone win over Wofford coming in 2009, with a 34-27 victory at Gibbs Stadium.

I wouldn't expect Wofford will do much harm in its home opener against Samford, as the Terriers should pick up their first SoCon win of the 2011 season heading into next week's monumental clash with Appalachian State at Gibbs Stadium.

Georgia Southern vs. Western Carolina

No. 1 Georgia Southern (2-0, 1-0 SoCon) will step back into SoCon play on Saturday when the Eagles host Western Carolina (1-1, 0-0 SoCon) at Allen E. Paulson Stadium on Saturday night. The Eagles own the longest winning streak for a conference opponent over another league foe, as the Eagles have claimed 16 straight wins over the Catamounts.

Georgia Southern and Western Carolina will be meeting for the meeting for the 22nd time in series history, with the Eagles holding a commanding 19-2 all-time series edge. The Eagles claimed a 28-6 win over Western Carolina in Cullowhee last November.

The Catamounts last win over the Eagles came in 1994, as WCU claimed a 35-31 win in Cullowhee. Western's only other win over the Eagles came in 1941, as the Catamounts were 14-7 victors in Cullowhee. The Catamounts are 0-9 all-time at Paulson Stadium. Georgia Southern should pick up its 17th straight win over the Catamounts,

Non-league: Furman vs. Presbyterian

The lone non-league game of the weekend will be a Palmetto State battle, as Furman will host Presbyterian College. The Paladins and Blue Hose will be meeting for the 53rd time in series history, with Furman holding a commanding 40-11-1 all-time series edge, including 12 straight in the series dating back to a 17-10 PC win in 1979 at Sirrine Stadium (Furman's home prior to Paladin Stadium).

PC is 0-13 against Southern Conference competition since its first official Division I slate in 2007. Two of those 13 losses have come against the Paladins.

The last time the two teams met each other on the gridiron was 2009, with the Paladins opening the campaign with a 45-21 win over the Blue Hose a couple of years ago. Presbyterian is off to a 1-2 start to the campaign, getting a 38-21 win over North Greenville, while dropping contests to Wofford (35-27) and California (63-12).

The Blue Hose appear to be much improved on both sides of the football under third-year head coach Harold Nichols. The Blue Hose played especially well in their home opener against SoCon power Wofford, as the Blue Hose stormed back from a 28-7 deficit to eventually tie the game, 28-28, in the fourth quarter before the Blue Hose finally yielded a late TD to the Terriers to lose the game, 35-28.

The Blue Hose spread offense has been rather anemic this season, as PC comes into Saturday's non-league affair averaging 26.0 PPG, while averaging 26.0 PPG, posting 250.3 YPG of total offense. The Blue Hose come into the contest averaging 125.7 YPG passing, while posting 124.7 YPG on the ground.

The Blue Hose will employ the services of two quarterbacks on Saturday afternoon against the Paladins, with both Ryan Singer (28-of-57 passing, 257 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs/24 rush att., 14 yds, 1 TD in 2011) and Brandon Miley (12-of-24 passing, 93 yds, 1 INT/4 rush att., -13 yds in 2011).

The Blue Hose have a couple of significant offensive weapons, including wide receivers Michael Ruff (13 rec., 103 yds, 7.4 YPR in 2011) and Patrick McKoy (8 rec., 109 yds, 13.6 YPR). Both are homerun hitters in the passing game for the Blue Hose and will be looked to on Saturday to soften up Furman's talented secondary. Ruff turned in his best effort against Wofford earlier this season, as he hauled in six passes for 50 yards against the Terriers.

The Blue Hose ground game will be headed up by running back Lance Byrd (48 rush att., 235 yds, 2 TDs, 4.9 YPR in 2011). Byrd has his strongest performance of the 2011 season against North Greenville in PC's lone win of the campaign, as he rushed for 153 yards and a TD on 20 carries against the Crusaders in a 38-21 win. Byrd has also hauled in three passes for 16 yards this season for the Blue Hose.

PC has an experienced offensive line back, though only two full-time starters return from the 2010 unit. Anchoring the Blue Hose offensive front this season have been center Blake Dowd and right tackle Max Travis, who both have the talent to garner All-Big South honors this fall.

After struggling some defensively in its opener against Coastal Carolina, Furman rebounded nicely in its 16-6 win over The Citadel a couple of weeks ago on the defensive side of the ball.

The Paladins have a solid outfit on defense, but are a little undersized on the defensive interior. Set to start up front on the defensive line for the Paladins on Saturday will be Josh Lynn (6 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack in 2011 ) and Shawn Boone (7 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack in 2011) at the respective defensive end positions, while Colton Keig (5 tackles in 2011) and Neal Rodgers (6 tackles, 0.5 TFL) will start at the respective defensive tackle positions.

Furman has three of the best linebackers in the Southern Conference this season, led by preseason All-American and Buck Buchanan Award candidate Kadarron Anderson (17 tackles, 1 PBU in 2011). Anderson is off to a strong start in his senior season, and he had nine tackles and a PBU last time out against The Citadel.

Set to team with Anderson at linebacker on Saturday afternoon against the Blue Hose will be Chris Wiley (19 tackles in 2011), who leads the Paladins in tackles so far this season, and Mitch McGrath (17 tackles, 3.0 TFLs in 2011), who will start at 'bandit' linebacker and is off to a strong start this fall.

Furman will field an athletic, talented secondary against the Blue Hose on Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium, as the unit will be anchored by preseason All-America and Buck Buchanan Award-candidate selection, in cornerback Ryan Steed (8 tackles in 2011). Steed will team with Austin Williams (3 tackles, 1 PBU in 2011) at cornerback, while Greg Worthy (14 tackles, 1 PBU in 2011) will start at free safety, and E.J. Vinsang (11 tackles, 1.0 TFL in 2011) will start at strong safety.

On the defensive side of the football for the Blue Hose, PC has 10 starters back from a year ago and will utilize a 4-3 defensive scheme. The Blue Hose have played some tough offensive football teams coming into Saturday's game at Furman, so the defensive stats are a little skewed. As a defense this season, the Blue Hose are surrendering 39.7 PPG and 480.0 YPG this season.

Up front, the Blue Hose will rely on preseason All Big South selection senior nose tackle Brian Davis (17 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 blocked kick in 2011). Williams will team with junior Xavier Boatwright (11 tackles in 2011) at defensive tackle, while Derren Evans (7 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1.5 sack in 2011) and Keyadd Miller (7 tackles, 1.0 TFL in 2011) will start at the respective bookend positions for the Blue Hose on Saturday afternoon.

The Blue Hose also have some talented linebackers to keep an eye on Saturday afternoon, led by outside linebacker CeeJay Harris (15 tackles in 2011), who leads the corps in tackles so far this season. Joining Harris on the defensive perimeter for the Blue Hose this season will be L.J. Perry (14 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 1 INT in 2011), while Joe Wideman (11 tackles in 2011) will start at the 'MIKE' linebacker for the Blue Hose against the Paladins.

The PC secondary will be highlighted by leading tackler Justin Bethel (22 tackles, 3 INTs, 4 PBUs, 1 TFL in 2011) at free safety. Bethel is one of the ringleaders of the PC defense this fall. Bethel is already having a year worthy of All-America consideration, having picked off three passes on the campaign. He was honored as the Big South's Special Teams Player of the Week last week, as he blocked a California punt and returned it 17 yards for a score in the road loss.

Joining Bethel at safety as a starter on Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium will be "rover" safety Matthan Burton (10 tackles, 1 PBU in 2011). Burton enjoyed his best performance of the season in his last outing, as he recorded a season-high six tackles against the Bears last week.

Rounding out the starting 11 on the defensive side of the football for the Blue Hose on Saturday afternoon will be cornerbacks Damon Lawrence (2 tackles, 3 PBUs in 2011) and Cedric Byrd (14 tackles, 1.0 TFL in 2011).

Furman counters the PC defense with an offense that enters Saturday's home opener averaging 19.5 PPG and 314.5 YPG. The Paladins are averaging 199.5 YPG on the ground, while posting 115.0 YPG through the air.

Leading the Paladin offense on Saturday afternoon will be the speedy Chris Forcier (23-of-30 passing, 208 yds., 1 TD/17 rush att., 79 yds, 4.6 YPC in 2011), who led the Paladins to a 16-6 win against The Citadel a couple of weeks ago for his first win under center as a Paladin signal-caller.

Forcier's speed could be a factor in the rushing game on Saturday, but he has also been very efficient in the passing game for the Paladins this season. The Paladin coaching staff has put him into position where he has been able to succeed this season.

The leading offensive weapon for the Paladins this season is also the Southern Conference's leading rusher so far this season, in Jerodis Williams (43 rush att., 264 yds, 3 TDs, 6.1 YPC in 2011). Williams rushed for a career-high 142 yards and 3 TDs in the season-opening 30-23 loss at Coastal Carolina.

When Furman decides to go to the air on Saturday, three viable options highlight Furman's aerial attack, led by senior slot receiver Tyler Maples (8 rec., 76 yds, 9.5 YPR in 2011). Maples will be joined by flanker Sederrik Cunningham (4 rec., 28 yds, 7.0 YPR, 1 TD in 2011) and tight end Colin Anderson (6 rec., 60 yds, 10.0 YPR in 2011).

The Paladins have three starters back on the offensive line, including a couple of a players that were preseason All-SoCon picks, in tackles Dakota Dozier and Ryan Lee. The Paladins are talented across the front five this season, but lack depth behind the starting five.

Add to the fact that Furman has some of the best special teams in the Southern Conference, led by place-kicker/punter Chas Short (4-of-4 on FGs, 39.0 YPP in 2011), and the Paladins look to be the favorites to claim their second straight win and their 21st-straight win in the regular-season over a non-league foe.

Predicting The Scores:

Chattanooga 27

Appalachian State 24

Elon 17

The Citadel 13

Georgia Southern 52

Western Carolina 30

Wofford 35

Samford 20

Furman 28

Presbyterian 13