SoCon Week 8 Review and an Early Look Ahead to Week 9

Obviously the game everyone is talking about from this past Saturday is Furman's 26-21 win over No. 5-ranked Wofford. It was a complete game for Bruce Fowler's Paladins, who for the first time this season put it all together and gave Furman fans a glimpse of what Furman football once was on the Southern Conference gridiron. That was a disciplined, physical football team that won games by sheer will rather than athleticism.

The ironic thing for the game at Paladin Stadium on Saturday was the M.O. for the Terriers coming into that contest. But the Paladins were the better team on the day, rushing for 208 yards on the afternoon and holding the Terriers' high-powered ground attack to 284 rushing yards on the day. The Paladins held the Terriers 69 yards below the 353 yards they averaged coming into the contest. Meanwhile, Furman's ground attack was simply sensational, as the 208 yards were 96 more yards than the Terriers were surrendering coming into the contest.

The win sets up a huge SoCon game in the Scenic City next weekend, as the Paladins will travel to Chattanooga to take on the Mocs. It was Chattanooga that ended a 16-game losing streak to the Paladins last season, with a 36-28 win in Greenville. Both teams are looking to end playoff droughts, as Furman hasn't qualified for the FCS postseason since 2006, while the Mocs last enjoyed bonus football in 1984.

Appalachian State continued to get its act together offensively last Saturday, under the direction of signal-caller Jamal Jackson for the second straight Saturday. After Jackson led the Paladins to a season-high 552 yards in a wild 49-42 win at The Citadel last Saturday, Jackson and the Apps continued that theme on Saturday in what could have been a dangerous game the way the red-hot Samford Bulldogs had been playing of late.

After falling behind 3-0 in the opening quarter, the Apps would explode in the second quarter for 21 points, taking a 21-10 lead to the locker room and never looked back en route to the 35-17 win. For Jackson in the ASU offense, the Mountaineers would roll up half-a-thousand yards for the second straight week. The balanced offensive effort saw ASU roll up 290 yards through the air, while posting 229 yards on the ground.

The ASU defense, which has simply been one of the stoutest in the league at times this season and at others has shown its inexperience—especially in the secondary—shined on Saturday. The Mountaineers held the Bulldogs to just 380 yards of total offense, including just 84 yards on the ground. Reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Week Fabian Truss, who rushed for 193 yards in Samford's win over Elon, was held to just 65 yards on 16 carries this past Saturday.

The win by the Mountaineers sets up an absolutely huge game with Georgia Southern this coming Saturday. It will be "Black Saturday" in Boone and attendance records are expected to fall when the top-ranked Eagles pay a visit to the High Country on Saturday to face the No. 5 Mountaineers. It will mark the first time the two have met as Top Five foes since the 2001 season, when GSU came in ranked No. 1 in the nation, while ASU ranked No. 5.

It will also mark the first time a No. 1 foe has faced ASU at "The Rock" since the Eagles last paid a visit sporting the nation's top ranking a decade ago. The Mountaineers are 2-5 against No. 1-ranked foes all-time, and haven't faced a No.1-ranked foe since the 2009 season, when the Mountaineers faced Montana in the FCS semifinals in Missoula. The Mountaineers would drop a 24-17 contest in that contest and haven't defeated a top-ranked foe since 1999, when ASU posted a 17-16 win over Georgia Southern. Interestingly enough, in that loss in Missoula two years ago, the Mountaineers entered the contest ranked No. 5.

Chattanooga and The Citadel got big road wins, as the Mocs posted a 42-18 win at Elon, The Citadel rebounded from their loss to Appalachian State last week in a big way, posting a 35-7 win at Western Carolina Saturday. Below are the detailed recaps from this past Saturday and early previews for next week's decisive week nine of Southern Conference football.

Furman 26, No. 5 Wofford 21

With its 26-21 win over fifth-ranked Wofford on Saturday, Furman defeated its first Top Five foe since a 23-21 win over Delaware in 2008, as the Paladins improved to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in Southern Conference play with the homecoming win on Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium.

Furman got a strong effort from its ground attack, which amassed 208 yards, led by junior running back Jerodis Williams, who posted 155 yards and a couple of rushing scores on 22 rush attempts Saturday to power the Paladins' ground attack. Wofford did out-gain Furman, 351-318 in total yards on the day, however, the Paladins held a powerful Wofford ground attack well under its second-ranked national average, as the Paladins limited the Terriers to just 284 yards on the ground for the afternoon.

The Terriers were led in the contest SoCon Preseason Player of the Eric Breitenstein, as he rushed for 130 yards and a couple of TDs on 24 attempts in the losing effort. Forcier completed 9-of-11 passes for 110 yards and a TD to lead the aerial attack for the Paladins. Wofford's Mitch Allen was able to connect on 5-of-10 passes for 67 yards with a couple of INTs. Allen also rushed for 46 yards on 14 attempts.

Furman never trailed in the contest and established its prowess early on in the contest, taking the opening drive down and moved 70 yards on 10 play to take a 7-0 lead on a four-yard scoring run with 10:25 remaining in the opening quarter.

Wofford would answer that Furman score with a TD of its own, as Donovan Johnson scored on a one-yard plunge with 4:17 remaining in the opening quarter to tie the game. That Johnson scoring run concluded a 13-play, 74-yard scoring drive for the Terriers, which took 6:03 off the game clock.

Furman would re-take the lead in the contest midway through the second quarter, taking advantage of good field position as a result of a 36-yard Wofford punt. The Paladins would open the possession at its own 49-yard line, and on the opening play of the drive, Forcier connected with Paladin tight end Colin Anderson for a 30-yard connection, getting Furman to the Wofford 21-yard line.

Six plays later, the Paladins would find paydirt again, as Williams would score his second TD of the day, giving Furman a 13-7 lead after a Ray Early missed PAT, with 8:55 remaining in the opening half. Furman would carry that lead into the halftime locker room, as Paladin All-America cornerback Ryan Steed picked off Mitch Allen's Hail Mary attempt just before the break.

Furman would assert its control of the game even more after the break, as the Paladin defense came up with a huge stop when Furman stopped the Wofford offense on a 4th-and-3 play at the Furman 35, giving the ball back over to the Paladin offense.

The Furman offense would get the football back and responded with a 65-yard scoring drive to take a two-score advantage. It was Forcier that would get the drive off to a flying start, with completions of 21 and 26 yards to Tyler Maples and Anderson on consecutive plays, getting the Paladin offense to the Wofford 17.

The drive was capped when Forcier tossed his lone scoring pass of the afternoon, finding Anderson on a two-yard scoring pass, giving the Paladins a 19-7 lead after another missed extra point by Early. It concluded an eight-play, 65-yard scoring drive with 6:28 remaining.

Allen would throw his second INT of the day on the ensuing Terrier drive, as Paladin safety Greg Worthy recorded the pick at the Paladin 9-yard line to end the Wofford scoring threat. However, the Terriers would cut the Furman lead to just one possession once again, as Breitenstein found the end zone for the second time in the contest on a five-yard scoring run, just two minutes into the final quarter.

For the third week in a row, wide receiver Sederrik Cunningham would use a strong kick return to set up the final Furman score of the day. His 38-yard kick return following the Terrier TD drive would set up the Paladin offense in tremendous field position once again. The Paladins would again go up by two scores, as Tersoo Uhaa scored on a three-yard run to conclude an eight-play, 48-yard drive, giving the Paladins a 26-14 lead with 8:59 play in the game.

Wofford would make things interesting in the late going, as the Terriers countered with a 12-play, 80-yard drive to make it a 26-21 contest, with another Breitenstein scoring run with 4:47 remaining. However, Furman would seal the victory on 19- and 22-yard runs on Furman's final possession to seal the win.

Appalachian State 35, Samford 17

Appalachian State would use a second-quarter explosion, which saw the Mountaineers score 21 points and turn a 3-0 deficit into a 21-10 halftime lead, as the Mountaineers were able to cruise to the 35-17 win on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers improved to 4-0 against the Bulldogs since Samford joined the SoCon in 2008.

The Appalachian offense was the story of the day and dominated the contest from the outset, but a couple of turnovers deep in Samford territory and a missed field goal early in the contest left the Mountaineers empty-handed as the opening quarter wound down and the Mountaineers trailing 3-0, thanks to a Cameron Yaw 39-yard field goal for the Bulldogs.

Led by starting quarterback Jamal Jackson for the second straight week, the Mountaineers put together three consecutive scoring drives of 74 or more yards, allowing the Black and Gold to turn the 3-0 first-quarter deficit into a 21-10 halftime lead as the teams entered the locker room. Jackson capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive with a two-yard TD run to give Appalachian its first lead of the afternoon, at 7-3.

One series later, ASU marched 84 yards on seven plays, buoyed by 18- and 13-yard runs by Travaris Cadet and a 27-yard gain on a screen pass to Steven Miller. Cadet closed out the impressive drive with a five-yard touchdown run to stretch the ASU advantage to 14-3.

Samford (4-3, 2-3 SoCon) appeared to regain a bit of momentum when it cut the lead to 14-10 with 2:38 to go in the first half but Appalachian quickly turned the tables back in its favor five plays later when Jackson hit Brian Quick in stride over the middle and Quick sped untouched past several Bulldog defenders for a 69-yard touchdown.

The score not only gave the Mountaineers a 21-10 lead going into halftime but was also the 26th of Quick's career, breaking the 43-year-old ASU record for touchdown receptions in a career, previously held by Bob Agle (1965-68).

Appalachian put the game away for all intents and purposes on its second possession of the second half when, after a 37-yard punt return by Cadet gave the Mountaineers terrific field position in Samford territory, Jackson found Tony Washington for a 41-yard touchdown strike that stretched the Mountaineers' advantage to 28-10.

ASU erased any doubts about the final outcome when it put together a clock-milking, 13-play, 86-yard touchdown drive that spanned 6:41 late in the third quarter and early in the fourth that extended its lead to 35-10. The back-breaking drive was highlighted by 20-yard completions to both Washington and Andrew Peacock and capped by Cadet's second touchdown run of the day from 12 yards out.

In all, Appalachian's offense racked up over 500 yards of offense for the second straight week, out-gaining Samford 519-380 and averaging 7.2 yards per snap. The balanced ASU attack included 290 passing yards and 229 yards on the ground.

Cadet and Quick led the onslaught with 139 yards on 22 carries and 100 yards on four receptions, respectively. The 100-yard game was the 10th of Quick's career and his fourth this season while Cadet surpassed the century mark for the fifth time overall and first time in back-to-back games (he rushed for 133 yards in last week's win at The Citadel).

Chattanooga 42, Elon 18

Chattanooga ended a six-game losing streak to Elon, as the Mocs posted a 41-18 win over the Phoenix on Saturday, spoiling the homecoming festivities on Saturday afternoon at Rhodes Stadium.

Elon held the Mocs to only four yards of offense in the third quarter and managed to claw within 10 points, but a first-half deficit of 28 was too large to overcome. Elon fell to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Southern Conference, while Chattanooga improved to 4-4, 2-3.

Aaron Mellette registered his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season in the setback, going for 107 yards on eight catches. Today's game marked the first time this season the opposition held Mellette without a touchdown, as his streak of eight consecutive games with a TD grab came to an end.

Chattanooga's Wes Dothard led all players with 15 tackles, while Ryan Consiglio finished the game with 11 tackles and a sack.

The Citadel 35, Western Carolina 7

Five different Bulldogs rushed for a touchdown on Saturday as The Citadel racked up 435 rushing yards in a 35-7 romp over Western Carolina in front of 7,277 fans on homecoming at E.J. Whitmire Stadium.

The Citadel scored on its first two possessions of the game and took a commanding 21-0 lead into halftime. The 28-point margin of victory is the biggest for the Bulldogs in the all-time series with the Catamounts, surpassing the 25-point victory in 1991. It is also the third victory for the Bulldogs in their last four road contests, dating back to the 2010 season.

Propelled by a return from Kevin Hardy, who took the opening kickoff 59 yards to the Western Carolina 24-yard line, the Bulldogs needed just five plays to score. Rickey Anderson's nine-yard touchdown run, his first rushing touchdown of the season, gave the Bulldogs a quick 7-0 lead.

The Bulldog defense then forced a punt on the Catamounts' first possession as Rod Harland picked up a big sack on the drive of WCU quarterback Zac Brindise. The offense then needed just six plays to go 81 yards for their second score in as many possessions. Four of the Bulldogs' six plays on the drive went for runs of 10 or more yards as Darien Robinson capped the drive with a 31-yard run. Ryan Seller's extra point put The Citadel in front, 14-0.

Each team then turned the ball over on their next possession as Brindise was stripped of the ball on 3rd-and-long by Quintin Turner and the ball was recovered by Chris Billingslea. The Bulldogs then drove 35 yards into the WCU red zone but a fumble by VanDyke Jones gave Western Carolina the ball back deep in their own territory.

After forcing another punt by the Catamounts, the offense would capitalize once again heading into the second quarter. Jones reeled off a 21-yard burst to get into WCU territory on the final play of the first quarter. The Bulldogs then methodically drove down and scored on a seven-yard rush by Jones to make it, 21-0. That would cap the scoring in the first half as the Bulldogs held an opponent scoreless on the road for the first time since Oct. 17, 2009, which was also in Cullowhee against Western Carolina.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Bulldogs took the ball 81 yards on 18 plays and erased over 10 minutes off the clock. Aaron Miller capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run up the middle early in the fourth quarter to put The Citadel in front, 28-0.

After forcing another Catamount punt, the Bulldogs drove into WCU territory but turned it over on downs. On the ensuing possession for Western Carolina, a fumble by Michael Johnson on fourth down was forced and recovered by Jeremy Buncum on the WCU 45-yard line. The Citadel would capitalize as it took five plays to move 45 yards with Christian Graham scoring his first career touchdown on a 26-yard scamper into the end zone with just under two minutes to play in the contest that make it 35-0.

The Catamounts would finally get on the board late as Brindise found a wide open Garrett Brown for a 61-yard touchdown with 1:23 left on the cock. That would cap the scoring as the Bulldogs ran out the rest of the clock to preserve the victory.

A Quick Look at Saturday's Previews

No. 1 Georgia Southern (7-0, 5-0 SoCon) at No. 5 Appalachian State (5-2, 3-1 SoCon)

It will mark the first time since 2000 that this rivalry will see a matchup between two Top Five foes, and it will be the first time a top-ranked Georgia Southern has taken the field against the Mountaineers since 2001. Georgia Southern's 7-0 start to the 2011 season is its best in a decade and it has been ranked 13 straight weeks after last year's win over the top-ranked Mountaineers as an unranked team.

Of Appalachian State's five losses to SoCon competition since the beginning of 2005, two of those setbacks have come against the Eagles, and those losses have been streak-snapping victories for the Eagles. Last year's win by Georgia Southern snapped a 26-game league winning streak by Appalachian State, which dated back to the Mountaineers' previous loss to the Eagles. That loss was a 38-35 setback to the Eagles in Boone in 2007, which brought an end to ASU's 31-game winning streak at Kidd Brewer Stadium, which dated back to the 2002 Division I-AA playoffs.

ASU seems to finally be hitting its stride coming into Saturday's showdown with the Eagles, as the Mountaineers go in search of an unprecedented seventh consecutive league title. A win would give the Mountaineers a great shot of eclipsing GSU for most consecutive outright or shared league titles, as ASU remains tied with GSU in consecutive titles won. The Eagles claimed six straight from 1997-2002.

Saturday's matchup between the Appalachian State and Georgia Southern will match two of the league's most electrifying offenses, as the Eagles lead the league and the nation in scoring offense (44.6 PPG), while the Mountaineers bring the SoCon's third-best scoring offense (32.0 PPG) into Saturday's matchup.

It will also be a showcase of two of the SoCon's top offensive players at their respective positions, as the Eagles bring the league's third-leading rusher, Robert Brown (91 CAR 687 YDS 5 TDs 7.5 YPC), into the matchup, while ASU's Brian Quick (38 REC 615 YDS 6 TDs 16.2 YPR) enters as the SoCon's third-leading wide receiver. With a big day Saturday, Quick could become Appalachian State's all-time leading wide receiver.

Furman (4-3, 3-2 SoCon) at Chattanooga (4-4, 2-3 SoCon)

Furman and Chattanooga will be meeting for the 31st time on Saturday, with the Paladins holding a commanding 26-14 all-time series edge against the Mocs. Furman comes into the matchup coming off of an impressive 26-21 victory over then-No.5 Wofford to revive its playoff hopes. It was Furman's first win over a Top Five foe since a 23-21 win over No. 3 Delaware in 2008 at Paladin Stadium. It also marked Furman's first win over a Top Five in the SoCon since a 29-22 win over Georgia Southern, also at Paladin Stadium in 2004.

Meanwhile, after starting conference play with a three straight losses by a mere four points, the Mocs have rebounded to win back-to-back games in the league, including an impressive 42-18 win at Elon last week. The Mocs have outscored their opponents 93-25 in their two conference victories this season.

The last time Furman suffered a defeat in the "Scenic City" of Chattanooga, Tenn., was way back in the 1993 campaign, as the Paladins lost a wild 45-42 decision to the Mocs in the regular-season finale. The loss prevented Furman from a winning season, as the Paladins finished 5-5-1 to snap a streak of 13 consecutive winning seasons for the program. Furman's only loss at Finley Stadium came in the 2001 national title game, as the Paladins dropped a 13-6 decision to Montana.

There are plenty of similarities between the two schools heading into Saturday's matchup, starting with the respective head coaches. Russ Huesman, head coach of the Chattanooga Mocs, is now in his third season in the process of "Restoring The Glory" at Chattanooga and enjoyed a fine career as a defensive back at Chattanooga, as he was a member of Chattanooga's co-championship team of 1978.

While Huesman was a freshman on that '78 team, the other part of that shared SoCon title went to the Furman Paladins, as Bruce Fowler, the first-year head coach at Furman, was a walk-on defensive back on that title-winning Paladin team. That title would be the first of a league-leading 12 SoCon titles for the Paladins. Both teams would finish 4-1 in the SoCon in that '78 season, with Chattanooga handing Furman its only league loss, with a 13-9 win in Greenville.

The similarities don't stop with the head coaches either. Both Furman and Chattanooga have transfer QBs from major schools, with Chattanooga's B.J. Coleman (111-of-186 1,295 YDS 6 TDs 6 INTs) and Furman's Chris Forcier (98-of-142 1,354 YDS 17 TDs, 4 INTs 54 CAR 167 YDS 1 TD 3.1 YPC) having transferred in from big, FBS programs. Coleman transferred to Chattanooga from the University of Tennessee and Forcier came to Furman from UCLA.

Prior to transferring into Chattanooga, Coleman had seriously entertained the thought of becoming a Paladin. That's because his high school coach was George Quarles at Maryville High School. Quarles starred as a Furman wide receiver in 1987 and on the '88 national title team.

Had Coleman come to Furman, it's likely that his high school teammate, record-breaking wide receiver Joel Bradford (45 REC 603 YDS 4 TDs 13.4 YPR) would have also been a Paladin. While Bradford did not find his way to Furman to play receiver, one of Coleman's favorite targets during his time as a quarterback at Maryville did, as Tyler Maples (27 REC 428 YDS 3 TDs 15.9 YPR), Furman's second-leading receiver and Forcier's roommate, decided to transfer to Furman from Tennessee in 2009. Both Forcier and Coleman are tremendous leaders and are two of the top quarterbacks in the SoCon this season.

Both coaches are well on their way to leading their respective schools back to the top of the SoCon, as the Mocs remain in contention for their first FCS postseason appearance since 1984, while the Paladins are still alive for their first postseason appearance since 2006.

For the second straight week, the Paladins will face one of FCS football's elite defenses, as Chattanooga enters the matchup ranked second nationally in total defense (295.88 YPG). Also, the Mocs will likely employ the services of two quarterbacks on Saturday, as B.J. Coleman is expected back from a shoulder injury, while Terrell Robinson (23-of-33 325 YDS 6 TDs 1 INT 49 CAR 301 YDS 3 TDs 6.1 YPC), who has been simply sensational in Coleman's absence, will likely draw the start under center. Furman brings the league's top tackler (81 tackles) and its second-leading rusher, Jerodis Williams (787 YDS 6 TDs) into Saturday's matchup.

Elon (4-4, 2-3 SoCon) at No. 12 Wofford (5-2, 3-1 SoCon)

Wofford and Elon will meet in a big Southern Conference clash on Saturday at Gibbs Stadium, with the Terriers looking to rebound from a tough 26-21 loss on the road at Furman last Saturday. The Terriers and Phoenix will be meeting on the gridiron for the 35th time on Saturday, as the two have previously been rivals at both the NAIA and the Division II levels, as members of the South Atlantic Conference. The Terriers hold a commanding 23-11 all-time series edge, while posting a 6-2 series edge since the Phoenix joined the SoCon as an official member in 2003.

Last season, it was Wofford that essentially ended Elon's playoff aspirations with a 28-21, last-second 40-yard TD pass from Mitch Allen to Brenton Bersin to break a 21-21 deadlock. It was homecoming at Gibbs Stadium and it appeared that Wofford would run away with the game, as the Terriers jumped out to a 21-0 lead. However, Elon stormed back behind the passing of Scott Riddle to tie the football game, only to lose in the most heartbreaking of fashions.

Saturday's game will be a matchup of two of the league's top offenses, with the Terriers ranking second in the league in rushing offense (343.3 YPG), while the Phoenix enter Saturday's game with the SoCon's top passing offense (266.4 YPG).

Elon quarterback Thomas Wilson (202-of-307 2,092 YDS 14 TDs 17 INTs), whose 2,175 yards of total offense leads SoCon, continues to lead the league in passing, while Wofford running back Eric Breitenstein (156 CAR 810 YDS 10 TDs 5.2 YPC) continues to live up to his preseason SoCon Player of the Year billing, leading the league in rushing. Elon's Aaron Mellette (82 REC 1,097 YDS 7 TDs 13.4 YPR) continues to have a huge season catching the football, continuing in the lineage of great Elon wideouts to lead the SoCon in receiving.

Western Carolina (1-6, 0-5 SoCon) at Samford (4-3, 2-3 SoCon)

Western Carolina and Samford will be meeting for the ninth time in series history on Saturday, with Samford holding a commanding 7-1 series edge in the series. Western's lone win over Samford came way back in 1969, as the Catamounts claimed a 47-13 win in Birmingham. Western Carolina is one of two schools that the Bulldogs hold an advantage against since joining the SoCon in 2008, as Samford is 3-0 against WCU as a league member.

Last season, Samford spoiled WCU's homecoming with a 38-7 win in Cullowhee. The Catamounts dropped a 35-7 game last week at home to The Citadel, while Samford dropped a 35-17 decision in Boone to Appalachian State.

The matchup will feature two of the league's top passing quarterbacks, with Samford being led by senior signal-caller Dustin Taliaferro (144-of-226 1,526 YDS 11 TDs 6 INTs) and Western Carolina sophomore quarterback Brandon Pechloff (95-of-177 1,280 YDS 7 TDs 9 INTs). Pechloff has split time with South Carolina transfer Zac Brindise (26-of-54 333 YDS 2 INTs 1 TD). A Samford win would give the Bulldogs three league wins for the first time since 2009.

The Catamounts are running out of chances to win more than one league game in league play for the first time since 2005. Since finishing 4-3 in SoCon play in '05, the Catamounts are an appalling 3-41 in league play.

Power Rankings after Week 8

1. Georgia Southern 7-0 5-0

2. Wofford 5-2 3-1

3. Appalachian State 5-2 3-1

4. Chattanooga 4-4 2-3

5. Furman 4-3 3-2

6. Samford 4-4 2-3

7. The Citadel 3-4, 2-4

8. Elon 4-4 2-3

9. Western Carolina 1-6 0-5