Appalachian State 45, Coastal Carolina 28
November 25, 2006 - BOONE, N.C. ? No. 1 Appalachian State University racked up 356 yards of offense in the first half alone -- 179 of them on the ground -- to open up an insurmountable 31-0 lead and went on to coast to a 45-28 victory over No. 13 Coastal Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
With the triumph, top-seeded Appalachian (11-1) hosts Montana State (8-4), a 31-13 winner over Furman on Saturday, in next Saturday’s national quarterfinals at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff time will be announced on Sunday.
Quarterback Armanti Edwards ran for 172 yards, Walter Payton Award finalist Kevin Richardson added 156 on the ground and the duo combined to account for all six Mountaineer touchdowns to lead the Apps to 45 points on 560 yards of total offense, both school playoff records.
Appalachian came into the contest averaging 33.5 points and 399.5 yards per game (good for seventh and eighth in the nation, respectively), but nearly matched those marks its 31 points and 356 yards in the first half alone.
Touchdown catches of 13 and 29 yards by reserve tight ends Nic Cardwell and Dominique Wilson, sandwiched around a 33-yard Julian Rauch field goal, gave the Mountaineers a 17-0 advantage after just one quarter. Richardson scored from six yards out early in the second period and the Apps closed the half with a five-play, 66-yard drive that took just 41 seconds, capped by a 36-yard catch-and-run from Edwards to T.J. Courman with 15 seconds left to play before the intermission.
For the ninth time in 12 games this season, ASU’s defense did not allow a touchdown in the first half. Appalachian limited CCU to just 115 yards before halftime en route to pitching its fifth first-half shutout of the year.
Coastal Carolina (9-3) came out of locker room strong, as Payton Award finalist Tyler Thigpen accounted for the first 13 points of the second half with a one-yard touchdown run and a 14-yard scoring strike to Jerome Simpson (the two point conversion attempt failed).
However, Edwards kept the Chanticleers from getting too close with touchdown runs of 15 and one yards in the final 17 minutes of the contest.
In all, the 560 yards of total offense and 45 points were both all-time bests for the Mountaineers in 23 all-time NCAA Division I Football Championship (formerly Division I-AA) playoff games.
Edwards’ 398 yards of total offense fell just five yards shy of the ASU playoff record of 403 set by Richie Williams in last year’s quarterfinal win over Southern Illinois. The true freshman completed 14-of-28 passes for 226 yards, no interceptions and three scores. The three touchdown passes also tied a school playoff record set by Williams in last season’s wins over Lafayette and SIU.
Additionally Edwards’ 172 rushing yards were the most ever by an ASU quarterback and the fifth-best mark for any Mountaineer in a playoff game. Richardson’s 156 on the ground are tied for the eighth-best rushing performance in ASU playoff history.
Defensively, Buck Buchanan Award candidate Marques Murrell registered 1.5 sacks, giving him 8.5 for the season. Defensive tackle Daniel Orlebar led the squad with seven stops and linebacker Monte Smith added six tackles, including 1.5 behind the line of scrimmage.
Thigpen threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns, both good for the best numbers ever put up against the Mountaineers in a playoff game. Simpson caught seven Thigpen passes for 132 yards and a pair of scores.
NOTES: A Kidd Brewer Stadium postseason-record crowd of 16,223 witnessed the Appalachian’s fifth-straight playoff win, dating back to beginning of last year's national championship run ... ASU stretched its home winning streak to 25 games, the longest in NCAA Division I Championship Subdivision football (FCS) and second longest in all of Division I (31 ? Southern California) ... Richardson’s touchdown was his 20th rushing TD of the season, tying the school record set by John Settle in 1986 .. Cardwell’s touchdown catch was the first of his career and first overall reception of the season (second of his career) ... Wilson, a redshirt freshman, has two career receptions ? both for scores ... Appalachian is now 2-0 all-time versus Coastal Carolina ... in the first meeting between the two schools, ASU opened up a 30-0 halftime lead en route to a 30-3 win (Sept. 17, 2005).
Montana State 31, Furman 13
BOZEMAN, MONT. -- Jack Rolovich passed for 272 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third score to lead Montana State to a 31-13 win over Furman in NCAA Division Championship first round playoff action Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium.
Rolovich connected with Donell Wheaton on a 51-yard touchdown strike less than three minutes into the game to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead and added a 25-yard scoring toss to Michael Jefferson midway through the second quarter to stake MSU to a 24-0 advantage.
The Bobcats stretched their margin to 31-0 early in the second half with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown sneak by Rolovich.
Furman finally got on the board late in the third quarter after an Austin Holmes fumble recovery at the Montana State 27. Three plays later quarterback Renaldo Gray connected with Cedrick Gipson on a screen pass in the flat, and Gipson raced into the end zone to make it 31-7.
Jerome Felton's 1-yard touchdown plunge on the final play of the game accounted for the contest's final points.
Montana State (8-4) forged a 355-273 advantage in total offense. The Bobcats used a stout first half defense, limiting Furman (8-4) to only 53 total yards over the game's first 30 minutes, strong special teams play, and favorable field position to take control of contest.
Sporting a 10-0 lead, Montana State's Jesse Anderson blocked a punt by Furman's Trent Hawk and recovered a fumble on the play in the end zone to give the Bobcats a 17-0 advantage with 9:23 to go in the first half.
On the ensuing kickoff, MSU's Kory Austin pounced on a fumble by Paladin return man William Middleton at the Furman 25, and on the next play Rolovich drilled a perfectly thrown ball to Jefferson in the corner of the end zone to make it 24-0.
Furman was continually hurt by poor field position, initiating five of their 15 possessions on their 16, 9, 10, 2, and 11 yard lines. The Paladins' average field position in the contest was their 25 while Montana State's was the Bobcat 44.
Gipson led all rushers with 93 yards on 22 carries. Renaldo Gray completed 13-of-28 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown (one interception). Wheaton led all receivers with six catches for 88 yards.
Austin Holmes topped all defenders with a career high 11 tackles, including two-for-loss, and a fumble recovery. Jeremy Blocker notched his team leading fourth interception of the season