No. 9 Appalachian State 44, Wofford 34
Final Stats
SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Wofford College used big plays in the first half to take a lead, but Appalachian State scored 17 unanswered in the fourth quarter for a 44-34 win on Saturday afternoon at Gibbs Stadium. The teams combined for 1148 yards of total offense in the game that featured three touchdowns of over 64 yards for the Terriers.
The Terriers fall to 1-5 on the season and 0-3 in the SoCon, while Appalachian State is 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference. The Terriers were led by Mike Rucker with 104 yards rushing and a touchdown, while Derek Boyce, Mitch Allen and Austin Palmer all added rushing touchdowns. The Mountaineers were led by All-American Armanti Edwards with 415 passing yards. Devon Moore had 180 rushing yards and Brian Quick had 181 receiving yards, with both scoring two touchdowns.
“We played extremely hard against a very good football team,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “I thought that our kids did not back down. When you look at what occurred last year, there was a lot to get over. We came into this game a beat up team and we lost some more guys early. At the same time, we fought the fight. I told them that I am as proud of them right now as if we had won the game. We got better and that is the whole focus right now ? getting better each week. We got better this week. This one is over and we have to get back to work and understand that you can’t beat yourself first and foremost. The next challenge is on the road and these guys are going to need to let go of this one and get on to the next one. I am proud of my guys.”
The Mountaineers opened the game with a 57-yard pass completion to CoCo Hillary from Armanti Edwards, which set-up a 30-yard field goal from Jason Vitaris at 10:23 for an early lead.
Wofford answered on their first play from scrimmage when Derek Boyce raced 74-yards down the near sideline for the touchdown at 10:08 in the first. The extra point was missed, making it a 6-3 game. Both teams then traded punts. On the third drive of the day for ASU, Blake Wylie forced and recovered a fumble for the Terriers.
The Terriers turned the ball over on downs after not converting a fourth-and-one. With the ball back, the Mountaineers attempted a 43-yard field goal, but it was wide right. Wofford used another big play with a 64-yard touchdown run up the middle from Mike Rucker to take a 13-3 lead at 13:47.
Appalachian State responded with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Armanti Edwards to Brian Quick at 11:23 to make it a 13-10 game. The Terriers used a big play again to regain the lead when on third and one, Mitch Allen found Brenton Bersin for a 66-yard touchdown at 9:57 for a 20-10 lead.
The Mountaineers were able to cut into the Terrier’s lead with a 39-yard field goal from Jason Vitaris at 7:06 for a 20-13 score. But Wofford answered again with a four-yard touchdown run by Mitch Allen with 47 seconds left in the first half to take a 27-13 lead. However with time left, Armanti Edwards was able to put together a five-play drive to cover 53 yards that was capped by a three-yard run by Edwards to make it a 27-20 score at the half.
On the first drive of the second half for Wofford, Austin Palmer ended the drive with a two-yard run with 12:22 on the clock for a 34-20 lead. The Terriers defense forced a three-and-out, but on the next possession Mitch Allen was intercepted by Mark LeGree. The Mountaineers were able to convert the turnover into points when Devon Moore had a 48-yard touchdown run for a 34-27 score with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
After a three-and-out for Wofford, the Mountaineers drove inside the ten-yard line. Josh Roseborough sacked Armanti Edwards for a loss of 22 yards, which forced ASU to settle for a 49-yard field goal by Vitaris at 14:54 in the fourth for a 34-30 margin.
The Terriers had a long kickoff return by Stephon Shelton, but Wofford turned the ball over on a fumble on fourth down. Appalachian State was able to drive down the field and score on a two-yard touchdown by Devon Moore at the 10:00 mark to give the Mountaineers a 37-34 lead.
With the ball back, Stev Davitte was under center for the Terriers. After gaining one first down, Wofford punted with 8:02 on the clock. The Mountaineers needed only three plays to extend the lead with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Armanti Edwards to Brian Quick for a 44-34 advantage.
Wofford got the ball back and drove to the ASU 21-yard line, but a fumble gave the ball back to the Mountaineers with 4:01 left on the clock. Appalachian State was able to hold the ball and punted with just twenty seconds left in the game. The Terriers had two 20+ gains on passes to Brenton Bersin and Justice Joslin, but a throw to the end zone on the final play of the game by Chris White was intercepted to end the game.
The Terriers had 537 total yards, including 384 on the ground. Appalachian State had 611 total yards, with 415 through the air. The Mountaineers had the time of possession advantage. Wofford was 6-of-12 on third downs and 1-of-3 on fourth down. Appalachian State was 5-of-14 on third down and two-of-two on fourth down.
Wofford will play at Western Carolina next Saturday. The game will kickoff at 4:00 pm and be broadcast locally on WMYA-40.
Appalachian State hosts Georgia Southern next Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the SportSouth SoCon Saturday game of the week.
Furman 26, Samford 24
Final Stats
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Kyle McKinney blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game to deliver a 26-24 Furman homecoming day victory over Samford in Southern Conference football action Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium.
McKinney, a senior defensive end who last year blocked a potential game tying PAT attempt in the last minute of an eventual 28-27 Furman victory in Birmingham, broke through the left side of Samford’s line to deflect Cameron Yaw’s game winning attempt, allowing Furman (4-2, 3-1 SoCon) to hold on for the win ? its sixth straight over Samford (3-4, 1-3 SoCon) and 11th consecutive homecoming triumph.
“My hair is already gray, and this type of finish is making it even grayer,” said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb. “We played well in the first half and felt pretty good heading into the locker room at halftime after making a big goal line stand, but we just couldn’t sustain anything in the second half. Samford is one of the best second half teams I’ve seen, and we knew it would be a fight to the finish and it was. We just made one more play than they did.”
“This was a heck of a football game,” Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. “It was disappointing for us to lose it. That’s two years in a row (against Furman) where we had our chances. Cameron didn’t lose the game at the end, we had so many chances. Just one play here or there could have made a difference, but give Furman some credit.”
With Furman holding a 26-24 lead, Furman’s Matthew Cesari missed a 39-yard field attempt with 1:51 to go, and from there Samford used nine plays to drive from its own 21 to the Furman 22. A 39-yard completion by Bulldog quarterback Dustin Taliaferro to Jonathan Lowery to the Furman 36 helped set up Yaw’s game winning attempt, but McKinney’s deflection was recovered by Samford’s Richie Fordham, who was tackled by Furman’s Max Lerner at the Paladin 24-yard line to end the game.
Furman built a 20-7 lead in the first half behind two touchdown passes by quarterback Jordan Sorrells and 2-yard scoring run by Tersoo Uhaa. The Paladins preserved the lead with a goal line stand just before the break, stopping Taliaferro inches short of the end zone on a fourth down keeper to halt an 18-play, 88-yard drive.
Sorrells, who completed 21-of-28 passes for 205 yards, threw his third touchdown of the contest, an 8-yard strike to tight end Chris Truss, with 38 seconds to go in the third quarter to put Furman ahead 26-10. The Paladins, however, misfired on the PAT ? their second PAT failure of the contest ? to allow Samford to stay within two scores.
Alex Barnett’s 1-yard scoring plunge and enusing two-point conversion with 11:53 to go sliced Furman’s lead to 26-18.
After forcing a Furman punt, Samford put together an 11-play, 65-yard drive to make it 26-24 following Chris Evans’ 1-yard scoring run with 6:23 to go. The Bulldogs, however, could not convert on the the 2-point try.
Both teams traded punts, and following a 25-yard return by Furman’s Adam Mims to the Samford 22 with 3:35 left, the Paladins appeared to be set to run out the clock. On a third-and-two play from the Samford 14, however, Furman was flagged for false start penalty, and following a loss of two yards on third down Cesari’s 39-yard field goal attempt missed.
Samford outgained Furman 423-319 in total offense thanks, in large measure to a second half that saw the Bullodogs roll up 264 yards while limiting the Paladins to 91. Samford also registered 48 offensive snaps to Furman’s 22 over the final two periods.
Taliaferro completed 29-of-46 passes for 306 yards, including eight to Lowery, who finished with 143 yards.
Furman linebacker Kadarron Anderson notched a career high 19 tackles.
The Paladins play at The Citadel next Saturday in a 2:00 p.m. game.
Samford’s next game is also at The Citadel, on Oct. 31 following an open week next week.
Western Carolina 14, The Citadel 10
Final Stats
Cullowhee, N.C. - Red-shirt Freshman Dion Wilson rushed for a pair of second half touchdowns as the Western Carolina Catamounts erased a 10-0 halftime deficit to rally past The Citadel, 14-10, on Homecoming at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.
The season's first victory for the Catamounts also halted a seven-game slide which dates back to last season. The win also ended a three-game drought on Homecoming for WCU.
Despite the second half rally, it wasn't until junior Mitchell Bell batted down a fourth down pass in the end zone inside the closing seconds that the win was complete. Leading by four, the Catamount defense showed its teeth on both of The Citadel's final two possessions, forcing turnovers on downs as fourth down passes fell incomplete.
The Bulldogs drove 44 yards in 14 plays midway through the fourth quarter looking for the go-ahead score. On third and seven from the WCU 18 yard line, senior Gene Singletary sniffed out a rushing play by The Citadel's all-purpose receiver, Andre Roberts, and he and a host of teammates smothered Roberts for an 11-yard loss.
On the ensuing fourth down and 18 play, junior Angelo Brown broke up a would-be pass to receiver Kevin Hardy to halt the Bulldog drive.
The drama was far from over, though, as The Citadel forced the Catamount offense into a three-and-out on its next possession. The rugby-style punt by WCU ricocheted off one of the personal protector's back, giving the Bulldogs possession at the WCU 34 yard line with 1:12 showing on the game clock.
The Citadel managed one first down on a fourth-and-two from the WCU 26. Then, with seconds winding off the clock, Bell was able to bat down what would have been a game-winning TD strike on a pass intended for tight end Alex Sellars in the end zone, setting off a wild post-game celebration.
"I was holding my breath and saying prayers that we would get this opportunity. That's what I told the guys at halftime. I told them to put themselves into the position where it goes down to the last play of the game. It just so happened to work out that way," said second-year head coach Dennis Wagner following Saturday night's win. "These guys haven't quit all season. They have worked hard and they have done everything we have asked them to do. They have responded to us, but we haven't got the results we want. Hopefully, this will be the turning point for us now to head down the right track."
He added, "The defense has done enough to win ball games all year, but not the offense. I think the offense is what helped us today. The defensive guys were down there when we scored our first touchdown."
Wilson only tallied 20 total yards on the ground, but his five-yard scamper off the left side on a crucial fourth-down play midway through the final quarter proved to be the difference. The Black Mountain, N.C., native who missed the previous game due to injury, also hauled in a pair of passes on screen plays for 24 yards. True freshman Michael Johnson recorded a career-best 92 yards on the ground to help the Catamount rushing attack.
The Citadel (2-4, 0-3) broke the scoreless deadlock on the first play of the second quarter as Sam Keeler capped an 11-play, 50-yard drive with a 32-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead.
With all signs pointing to a 3-0 game at halftime, The Citadel capitalized on a Catamount special teams miscue. Punter Blake Cain mishandled the snap on the chilly October evening and was corralled in the backfield giving the Bulldogs possession at the WCU 25 yard line with under a minute to play before intermission.
Seizing momentum on the quick change, Bulldog quarterback Bart Blanchard, who split time under center with Miguel Starks after injuring a toe on his left foot on his first possession, connected with Van Dyke Jones for a 23-yard pass play to set up a three-yard scoring strike to all-purpose receiver, Andre Roberts, with 18 seconds remaining on the first half clock to give The Citadel the 10-0 advantage at halftime.
Roberts finished with 78 yards receiving on nine catches, adding 16 yards rushing. Blanchard completed 9-of-11 passes for 94 yards and the TD, while Starks was 12-of-19 for 71 yards, adding 13 yards rushing despite being sacked twice.
The Bulldogs could not capitalize on a pair of scoring opportunities in the second half as kicker Sam Keeler missed on a pair of field goals from 44 and 43 yards, respectively. It was after the first miss that the Catamount offense began to come alive.
Sparked first by a 10-yard run on reverse end around by freshman George Richardson, WCU and the crowd of 6,821 were ignited by a 39-yard fake reverse pass play from Jaynes to Pittman that set the Catamounts up with first and goal at the seven. Johnson surged ahead to the one-yard line before Wilson plunged ahead two plays later from a yard out to put Western Carolina (1-5, 1-3 SoCon) on the board, 10-7.
Pittman finished with 75 yards receiving on four catches while Jaynes finished 15-of-22 for 166 yards to lead the Catamounts in the win.
Jaynes and Pittman again hooked up for a long pitch-and-catch on what proved to be WCU's game-winning drive On the first play of the fourth quarter, and with the Catamounts facing a third and long from its own 46, Jaynes found Pittman for a 24-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later with WCU again facing a third and long, Jaynes found a streaking Chris Everett for a 20-yard pick-up to The Citadel 14.
Three rushes later, the Catamounts were knocking on the door, facing a fourth and short at the Bulldogs' five yard line. Wagner and staff initially sent Blake Bostic and the field goal unit onto the turf, but called a timeout to rethink the strategy as the play clock winding down.
Spurred on by the crowd and the players on the bench, Wagner and staff sent the offensive unit back onto the field following the brief stoppage to go for the first down. Behind a solid push from the offensive line, Wilson rushed off left tackle and pranced untouched into the purple end zone for the go-ahead score.
The Catamounts will wrap-up their two-game home stand next Saturday, Oct. 24, hosting the Wofford Terriers at 4:00 pm on Family Weekend in Cullowhee.
The Citadel returns home to host Furman next Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
Georgia Southern 30, Chattanooga 20
Final Stats
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Sophomore running back Adam Urbano rushed for a career-high 153 yards and two touchdowns leading Georgia Southern to a 30-20 Southern Conference win over Chattanooga at Paulson Stadium Saturday night (Oct. 17).
The Eagles, dealing with a steady rain and temperatures in the 50s, improved to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the SoCon while snapping Chattanooga’s (4-2, 2-2) three-game win streak.
The Eagles took the opening kickoff on their own 40 when Craig Camay kicked it out of bounds. Jamere Valentine picked up 21 yards on a double-reverse, and thought to have a touchdown reception but it was called back on a holding call. Two plays later Urbano got the Eagles in the endzone again, scoring from nine yards out. Adrian Mora converted the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Georgia Southern forced a UTC punt on the Mocs’ first drive. When the Eagles took over, Urbano fumbled the ball and the Mocs recovered on the GS 32. On the first play B.J. Coleman found Chris Pitchford down the middle for a touchdown with 6:41 left in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter Mora converted a 20-yard field goal to cap a 10-play drive, his 20th career field goal, to make it 10-7.
Camay kicked a 40-yard field goal during the final minute of the second quarter to tie the score at 10-all. Senior Tobi Akinniranye took the Mocs’ squib kick and returned it 27 yards into UTC territory, his first collegiate return. Urbano rushed 19 yards on a draw to get into field goal range. With 3.9 seconds remaining Mora nailed a 45-yarder to put the Eagles up 13-10.
Chattanooga took the opening kick of the second half and drove inside the GS 10. The defense held on three straight pass plays as the Mocs settled for a 25-yard field goal from Camay to tie the score.
On the Eagles ensuing drive and facing 3rd-and-5, Lee Chapple scrambled and found J.J. Wilcox for 37 yards. GS wasted no time capitalizing as on the next play Urbano took the handoff and scored from two yards out capping the 10-play, 65-yard drive.
Early in the fourth quarter, Chapple faced 3rd-and-short again and this time found a wide open Tyler Sumner for a 9-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 27-13. Later in the quarter Mora extended his career-high nailing his third field goal of the game, a 20-yarder.
Coleman’s pass to Terrance Davis for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:16 left proved to be the final margin.
Head coach Chris Hatcher and the Eagles were able to nearly double the points allowed by UTC’s defense coming in (16.0 ppg) and held the Mocs under their season-average (26.2 ppg).
“I thought we did a nice job, especially early in the game, of mixing in our quick passes with our run game. Adam Urbano did a great job of finding the holes and we just did a good job of executing. We were in good rhythm all night long,” said Hatcher.
Urbano’s previous high came last week at North Carolina (93 yards) and twice rushed 17 times. For the third time in his career he scored two touchdowns.
Chapple completed 16-of-24 passes for 132 yards and the TD. With 154 completions he now stands two shy of matching the season record. Valentine caught four passes for 21 yards and Patrick Barker also hauled in four passes totaling 18 yards. Urbano added 37 receiving yards on three catches.
Sophomore punter Charlie Edwards averaged 48.2 yards on four punts, including a 62-yard punt and a 61-yarder into the wind.
Redshirt-freshman Brent Russell, who entered the game with three sacks on the season, recorded two sacks on the same drive and finished with three tackles.
Dion DuBose led the team with seven stops. Laron Scott and Hudson Presume contributed six tackles each.
The Eagles out-gained UTC 320-241, the third straight week holding an opponent to under 320 yards, including 188-33 on the ground.
“Defensively we have played well all season. Right now we are playing with a ton of confidence on the defensive side of the ball. It really makes it easy for (defensive coordinator) coach (Ashley) Anders to call plays and dial up defenses when he knows the guys are going to execute. He had a great game plan to get the guys ready to play and they went out and played extremely well,” said Hatcher. “We were one play away from having our second straight second half shutout. In the first half our offense put our defense in a bad situation and they scored after two turnovers, which is something that is still plaguing us. At least after those initial turnovers we held on to the ball the rest of the game and again it was a complete effort. Our special team has continued to play solid. That was a big kick there at the end of the half by Mora. Those three points came back to be pretty big as far as how many possessions they had to have to score at the end of the game.”
Coleman completed 23-of-43 passes for 208 yards and two scores. Blue Cooper caught seven passes for 60 yards. Chris Awuah rushed for 41 yards but the Eagle defense sacked Coleman twice totaling 22 yards.
Jordan Tippit and Joseph Thornton had 12 tackles apiece.
Chattanooga travels to Elon next Saturday (Oct. 24). The Eagles travel to Appalachian State next Saturday (Oct. 24), for a 3 p.m. kickoff scheduled to be televised on SportSouth.