Louisiana State 24, Appalachian State 0

 

BATON ROUGE, La. ? No. 7 Appalachian State University more than held its own against one of the top teams in all of college football, falling to the nation’s sixth-ranked I-A team, LSU, 24-0 on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.

Appalachian held the Southeastern Conference’s second-best offensive team to its third-lowest scoring output of the season, nearly nine points below its average. The Mountaineers also ran for 176 yards against I-A’s eighth-ranked rushing defense, en route to out-gaining the Tigers 176-163 on the ground.

Appalachian ran for 108 yards on 17 rushes in the first half alone versus an LSU defense that came in giving up just 98 rushing yards per game. Walter Payton Award candidate Richie Williams led the Mountaineers’ impressive performance on the ground with 80 yards on 10 attempts, while running back Kevin Richardson added 15 carries for 59 yards.

Despite the Apps holding statistical advantages in rushing yards (108-76) and time of possession (16:30-13:30) in the first half, LSU took a 14-0 lead into the locker room thanks to touchdown drives on its first possession of each quarter.

ASU had a chance to cut the halftime deficit in half on its first possession after the break whenWilliams found a wide open Richardson up the seam for what looked to be a sure touchdown. However, the ball slipped through the sophomore’s hands and the Mountaineers were forced to punt.

Appalachian just missed on another opportunity to put points on the board on its second series of the third quarter. The Apps drove 64 yards in 14 plays and chewed 7:10 off of the clock, only to have a 33-yard field-goal attempt by Julian Rauch bounce off of the upright and miss wide right. Despite holding the ball for 8:49 of the third quarter, ASU went into the final period still trailing 14-0.

The Tigers finally took advantage of the Mountaineers’ misfortunes on their first drive after the missed field goal when they capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass from JaMarcus Russell to Kieth Zinger to stretch their lead to 21-0 with 13:22 to go in the ballgame.

LSU tacked on 34-yard field goal by Chris Jackson with 7:01 remaining to account for the final margin.

In all, the Mountaineers held the Bayou Bengals to 371 yards of total offense. Sophomore linebacker Pierre Banks, making only his second-career start in place of injured senior Brad West, recorded a career-high 11 tackles (10 solo) to lead Appalachian’s valiant defensive effort. Safety Jeremy Wiggins added eight stops and linebacker Monte Smith made three tackles behind the line of scrimmage for the Apps.

Williams finished with 150 yards of total offense in three quarters of play to lead ASU offensively.

Despite the loss, Appalachian took control of its own destiny for a SoCon championship and automatic bid to the NCAA I-AA playoffs when Georgia Southern knocked off No. 1 Furman, 27-24, earlier in the day. With victories in its final two games versus Western Carolina and Elon, the Mountaineers will earn their first outright league title since 1995.

Appalachian (6-3, 4-1 SoCon) will look to clinch at least a share of the conference championship when it hosts its arch-rival WCU next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

NOTES: A crowd of 91,414 was on hand in “Death Valley,” the largest to ever witness an Appalachian contest by more than 13,000 fans (78,128 at Auburn on Sept. 5, 1999) ... ASU athletics director Charlie Cobb, faculty athletics representative Dr. Alan Hauser and student body president Jud Watkins presented a $20,000 check to the LSU Foundation for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts between the first and second quarter ... WR Jermane Little suffered a fractured fibula on the opening kickoff of the second half and is expected to be out for four weeks ... ASU was shut out for the first time since a 25-0 loss to The Citadel in 1992, a SoCon-long span of 160 games.

 

Chattanooga 31, The Citadel 21

 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team ensured itself of its first winning season since 1997 with a 31-21 Southern Conference victory over The Citadel Saturday.

UTC tailback Eldra Buckley ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns and became the first Mocs’ back to surpass 1,000 rushing yards on the season since Tyrone Coleman in 1998.

“It’s huge,” UTC Head Coach Rodney Allison said of the winning season.  “The way we did it and with all the adversity we’ve had and the microscope that has been on this program the last couple of weeks.  These kids have done a great job.

“They have kept their focus.  They played a great game at Appalachian State last week, came back and played well today for the most part.  It wasn’t pretty.  I mean most of our wins are ugly.  We’re going in the right direction.  I think this just kind of put the stamp on it.  Were going to see if we can get number seven.”

UTC quarterback Antonio Miller scored on a seven-yard run with 2:28 remaining to provide what proved to be the game-winning points.  His touchdown run gave the Mocs, now 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the SoCon, a 10-point margin, 31-21.

The Citadel, 2-7 and 1-5, traveled inside UTC territory twice in the fourth quarter, but threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-five at the Mocs’ 34-yard line and had a pass intercepted at the goal line on fourth-and-four from the UTC 20.

The Bulldogs scored first.  Quarterback Steve Tumbleston, making his first career start, drove The Citadel 63 yards in six plays and scored himself on a seven-yard run to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead at 10:49 of the first quarter.

After the Mocs came up empty on their first offensive possession, they found a groove following The Citadel’s first score.  Buckley ran for 58 yards on a 78-yard drive and found the end zone on a 25-yard run to tie the score at 8:03 of the first period.

The Mocs earned their first lead of the game on their next series.  Beginning the drive at The Citadel 36-yard line after a punt, UTC needed just three plays and cashed in on a four-yard Buckley run for a 14-7 lead with 5:56 left in the opening quarter.

Buckley, who gained 187 yards on 30 carries, went over the 1,000-yard mark on his 11th carry of the game.  On first-and-10 from the 35-yard line, Buckley burst through the right side of the line and raced 35 yards for his third touchdown of the day.  The extra point made it 21-7 at 14:28 of the second quarter.

“Buckley is an outstanding running back, and we knew that he’d be a challenge,” Bulldogs’ Head Coach Kevin Higgins said.  “Their offensive line did a good job blocking for him.”

The Bulldogs bounced back with a touchdown in both the second and third quarters.  Following a 23-yard Esteban Lopez field goal to increase UTC’s advantage to 24-7 at 5:42 of the second quarter, The Citadel trimmed its deficit by seven on Nuru Goodrum’s one-yard touchdown run with 52 seconds left in the half.

Goodrum, who finished two yards shy of 100 yards on 22 carries, scored again from a yard away at 8:14 of the third quarter, and The Citadel was within three points, 24-21.

Miller’s touchdown on the following possession capped a 75-yard, 13-play march that gave the Mocs a 10-point cushion.

Miller ran for 54 yards and completed 6-of-13 passes for 73 yards.  Miller also caught a seven-yard pass from Buckley.  Emanuel Hassell led the UTC receivers with three catches for 43 yards.  Fullback Levonte Barber caught two balls for 24 yards.

Tumbleston threw 10 times and completed three passes for 31 yards.  True freshman Ben Carnell, playing for the first time all season, entered the game in the second half and completed 18-of-31 passes for 197 yards.  He threw two interceptions.

Wideout Kinta Palmer made four receptions for 73 yards for The Citadel, and Aaron Kelly added three catches for 56 yards.

Defensively, outside linebacker Jeff Phillips and safety Lonnie McCowan led the Mocs with nine hits apiece.  Cornerback Quintez Smith picked off his third pass of the season, and safety Thomas Graham III intercepted the ball at the goal line in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Rowell led The Citadel defenders with nine stops and two behind the line.

The Mocs have an open date next week for the first time this season and host Furman Nov. 19 at 3:30 p.m. in the regular-season finale.  The Citadel hosts Elon for Homecoming with a 2 p.m. kickoff

 

Georgia Southern 27, Furman 24

 

STATESBORO, Ga. ? On a night in which Georgia Southern honored the 1985 National Championship team and their thrilling win over Furman, the current Eagles pulled out another last minute win over the Paladins. Jermaine Austin’s 4-yard touchdown run with 62 seconds left capped a 27-24 comeback win over the top-ranked Paladins... the first time Georgia Southern (7-3 overall, 5-2 SoCon) defeated the No. 1 team in the country in a regular season game.

 

During the Eagles’ first of an unprecedented six National Championships, a potent Southern passing attack was the key during a final minute 44-42 win over Furman. This time, they needed just one key pass to keep the go-ahead drive alive.

 

The Eagles took over on their own 13 with 8:40 left in the game down four. GSU staged its longest scoring drive of the season, needing 17 plays. Jayson Foster kept the drive alive on 4th-and-1 from the Furman 39, sneaking for three yards.

 

Two plays later, Foster looked to have scored from 33 yards out, however (much like the loss to McNeese State) it was negated on a holding call. That would eventually set up 3rd-and-17 from the 43. Chris Dickerson outdualed two Paladins to grab Foster’s pass netting 35 yards, down to the eight. Dickerson’s only other reception this year came on a similar catch, a 23-yard TD grab against The Citadel.

 

Foster rushed for four yards on first down then Austin scored the go ahead score. The top-ranked Paladins (7-2, 3-2) have been used to this situation as four of their wins were keyed by scores on their final drive. Ingle Martin completed three passes for eight, 13 and 10 yards moving the Paladins down to the GSU 30. However, Terence McBride intercepted his pass on the nine yard line, and the Eagles took a knee to close out the comeback win.

 

Said head coach Mike Sewak, “It was a great ballgame. It was very reminiscent of the 1985 season. Our guys showed a lot of heart and desire... It was a great interception at the end of the game.  The defensive coaches did a great job tonight.”

 

Furman struck first when they recovered a fumble in the endzone. Jerome Felton got down to the four yard line but Brian Kranz forced a fumble. John Rust recovered in the endzone for an early 7-0 lead.

 

Foster and the Eagles quickly responded. The sophomore quarterback broke two long runs, the second from 26 yards out eluding several Paladin defenders to cap a 6-play, 76-yard drive that tied the game.

 

On the ensuing drive, Furman marched deep into Southern territory. However, an illegal forward pass penalty on consecutive plays, the latter erasing a touchdown, stalled the Paladins. They had to settle for a Scott Beckler 29-yard field goal.

 

Austin gave the Eagles their first lead, scoring on a 4-yard plunge midway through the second. Late in the quarter Georgia Southern missed a golden opportunity to pad its lead. From Furman's three, the officials ruled Foster fumbled before he crossed the goal line and Andrew Thacker recovered the ball in the endzone.The Eagles still took a 14-10 lead into the locker room.

 

To start the second half, Furman wasted to time marching down the field. The Paladins regained the lead when a scrambling Martin found Justin Stepp for a 39-yard TD pass, a 17-14 advantage.

 

Austin led the offense on a 12-play, 77-yard drive. He fought off tacklers for a 17 yard gain on third down. On the next play he got his second touchdown, scoring from two yards, however Jonathan Dudley missed the extra point making it 20-17.

 

Martin completed another long pass to a wide open Daric Carter, in what would have been a touchdown but the Paladins had their second TD called back due to a penalty. However, two plays later Felton scored from 26 yards out giving Furman a 24-20 lead.

 

Foster improved on his career-high rushing yards for the second straight week, this time going for 191 yards on 33 carries. He completed 3-of-7 passes for 80 yards. Austin added 142 yards to go with his three scores.

 

John Mohring paced the defense making a career-high 13 tackles.

 

Southern held a 430-144 edge in rushing and also held the nation’s number two team in total offense to nearly 100 yards below their average, just 384 compared to its 510.

 

Martin completed 16-of-21 for 240 yards. Felton finished with 81 rushing yards while William Freeman, one of four Paladin defenders in double-digits, recorded a career-high 17 tackles.

 

Georgia Southern closes out the regular season next Saturday (Nov. 12), hosting Morehead State in a non-conference tilt. Kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. Furman hosts Wofford next Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

 

GAME NOTES: Foster moved past Jack Douglas (1,152 in 1991) for second place among the SoCon season leaders for most rushing yards by a quarterback. He now has 1,282 this season... The announced attendance was 19,808... The Eagles failed to score in the first quarter, just the sixth time they did not score in a quarter this year... GSU had missed just five fourth-down attempts this year (21-26) but Furman stopped the Eagles twice in four attempts... Austin got his 31st career 100-yard game while Foster broke 100 for the ninth time.

 

Western Carolina 24, Wofford 0

 

Cullowhee, N.C. ? Western Carolina had a punt blocked on its first offensive possession, giving Wofford the ball on the WCU 27. However, the Catamount defense forced a Terrier field goal, which was wide left and set the stage for Western’s 24-0 victory Saturday afternoon at E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field. The game marked just the fourth time Western has recorded a shutout versus a league opponent since joining the Southern Conference in 1977 and was Wofford’s first time being shutout in a conference game since joining the league in 1997.

 

Also, Western held Wofford to just 182 yards of total offense (163 rushing), while generating 336 yards of total offense on its own. The Terriers came into the game ranking fourth in the nation in rushing offense, rolling up an average of 296.13 yards per game.

 

After the missed Wofford field goal, Western (5-3, 4-2 SoCon) had perhaps its best of offensive drive of the season, using 13 plays and 6:33 on the clock. Tailback Lamont Reid got things started with a 23-yard pass completion to J.C. Brown. Quarterback Justin Clark, who was 4-of-4 on the drive, also had completions of 15 yards and 22 yards to Michael Hines. Reid capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run.

 

The teams traded punts over the four series until Western’s Corey Ellison caused a fumble, which was recovered by Randy Birch. With 4:29 left before break, Western used 3:51 off the clock before Jonathan Parsons connected on a 34-yard field goal. Wofford got a good return on the ensuing kickoff and would get to the WCU 34. The Terriers would attempt a 51-yard field goal on the final play of the half, but Western’s Felipe Foster blocked the kick to leave the score 10-0 at the half.

 

The third quarter featured a defensive battle, with a combined four punts and WCU turning the ball over on downs. On final drive of the third quarter, with the Terriers starting on Western’s 48 thanks to a 31-yard punt return, Wofford got down to Western’s 19 before being forced to kick a field goal. However, the Terriers’ third kicker of the game missed Wofford’s third field goal attempt of the contest, sailing wide left.

 

With Wofford (5-4, 3-3 SoCon) facing fourth-and-four on its own 44 to start the fourth period, Western’s Rico Reese sacked Terrier quarterback Josh Collier  to give the Cats the ball on downs. Clark came out and hit J.C.  Brown on a 23-yard pass on the first play, followed by an 11-yard Reid touchdown run to give WCU a 17-0 cushion.

 

Western, after forcing punts on Wofford’s next two possessions, started its final offensive drive of the game with 5:19 remaining. Darius Fudge, who rushed for 97 yards, got 36 of those yards on one run, getting to the Terrier two. After two plays without scoring, the Cats got a lucky break on third and goal. Clark fumbled at the line of scrimmage. The ball bounced around, ended up in the Catamount endzone and was recovered by Reid for his third score of the game.

 

The Terriers had 3:13 left in the game to get on the board. Starting on its own 25, Wofford got to Western’s 30 yard line before time ran out, giving the Cats the shutout.

 

Individually for Western, Clark was 16-of-23 for 162 yards and completed his first nine passes of the game. For the third consecutive game, Fudge flirted with a 100-yard game, getting 97 on 16 carries for an average of 6.1 yards. At Chattanooga, Fudge had 95 yards, while he tallied 99 last week in a win over Elon. Reid had 52 yards on 11 carries, completing a 23-yard pass on his only attempt on the day. Hines hauled in five passes for 51 yards, while J.C.  Brown had 79 yards on four catches. Defensively, Western was led by Primus Glover’s eight stops, followed by seven each from Reese and James Conklin.

 

For Wofford, Collier had 69 rushing yards on 14 attempts, while completing just 1-of-10 passes for two yards. Adrian Young had 21 rushes for 64 yards. Ben Widmyer completed 1-of-2 passes for 17 yards. Justin Franklin had a game-high 11 tackles, while Jim Thurman added seven.

 

Western Carolina will wrap up the regular season next Saturday (Nov. 12), facing rival Appalachian State in the annual “Battle for the Old Mountain Jug.” Kickoff in Boone is set for 3:30 and the game will be telecast on Comcast-Charter Sports Southeast. Wofford will continue its four-game road swing to end the season, traveling to Furman next Saturday at 3:30 pm.