Football Southern Conference

Saturday's Football Roundup

#3 Appalachian State 43, #3 Wofford 13

BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University football jumped out to an early lead and stymied Wofford's offensive attack throughout the first half to cement a 43-13 win and claim a share of the Southern Conference title and the league's automatic NCAA Division I playoff bid.

Senior Devon Moore rushed 17 times for 115 yards and a season-high three touchdowns while quarterback DeAndre Presley connected on 17-of-26 passes for 192 yards and two scores.

The Mountaineers (9-1, 7-1 SoCon) received the opening kickoff and drove 71 yards to set up an 11-yard Moore scoring run to set the tone for the game. The Apps then tacked on 17 more points before halftime to take a 24-0 advantage into the locker room.

Appalachian added two more touchdowns in the third quarter before the Terriers (8-2, 6-1) found paydirt for the first time.

From there, the teams traded one more touchdown each and Jason Vitaris nailed a 50-yard field goal to provide the final margin.

Brian Quick caught five passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns, including a 34-yarder.

Defensively, D.J. Smith led ASU with 10 tackles, while John Rizor and Brandon Grier recorded nine each.

Wofford recorded 189 yards rushing and 86 more through the air, as quarterback ran 11 times for 42 yards and a score in addition to four completions in 11 passing attempts for 86 yards and a touchdown.


Elon 30, Furman 25

ELON, N.C. -- Scott Riddle became the all-time leader in completions at the FCS level with 1,143 while throwing for 311 yards and a touchdown to lead the Elon Phoenix to a thrilling 30-25 Southern Conference football victory over the visiting Furman Paladins from Rhodes Stadium on Saturday afternoon.  Elon was also bolstered by the 103-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance by A.J. Harris as the Phoenix improved to 5-5 on the season and 4-3 in SoCon play.  Furman fell to 5-5, 3-4 on the year.

During Elon's drive to start the second half, Riddle found Aaron Mellette over the middle for a 15-yard gain.  The completion moved Riddle atop the FCS career completions chart, surpassing Holy Cross' Dominic Randolph (2006-09).

After the teams traded punts on their first possession, Furman marched 78 yards for the first points of the game.  Tersoo Uhaa gained 12 yards on the ground on the first play of the drive that used up 6:29 of game time on 13 plays.  After another first down moved the ball to the Paladin 42, quarterback Dakota Derrick raced for 18 yards into Elon territory at the 40-yard line.  Furman picked up 14 yards on three straight carries before Derrick's screen pass to Uhaa gained 15 yards to the Elon 11.  On third and four from the five Derrick's pass was deflected by Elon's Tevin James to force a 22-yard field goal by Ray Early that put the Paladins on top 3-0 with 6:02 to play in the first quarter.

Elon countered on its next drive, moving 53 yards on six plays over 1:34 to take a 7-3 lead after Harris made multiple Furman defenders miss and ran it in from 27 yards out.  Harris carried on the first three plays of the possession, gaining 17 yards.  Riddle then completed a nine-yard pass to Sean Jeffcoat on third-and-six at the Paladin 27.

The Phoenix upped its advantage to 14-3 after an 11-play, 70-yard drive. Elon converted a third-and-two from its own 38 when Brandon Newsome rumbled 37 yards for a first down at the Furman 24.  A pass interference call against Furman in the end zone gave Elon a first-and-goal from the two and three plays later #Lance Camp# would rush in from a yard out for the score with 10:15 remaining in the first half.

After Furman took over at the Elon 30-yard line after a short punt new Paladin quarterback Cody Worley found Sederrick Cunningham for a 16-yard completion to the 14.  On third-and four from the eight, Colin Anderson ran a reverse for a first down at the Elon two before Uhaa plunged it in to cap a five-play drive to make it a 14-10 game with just under two minutes to play in the first half.

With a four-yard completion to Harris on Elon's next drive, Riddle moved into second place on the FCS' career list.  It was the fourth completion of the drive for Riddle as the Phoenix moved from its own 10 to its own 45.  Riddle completed his next four passes for gains of 15, five, nine and 11 yards as the march continued to the Paladin 26.  After losing yardage on the next two plays, Elon faced a fourth-and-14 and Adam Shreiner came on to boot a 37-yard field goal to give Elon a 17-10 lead at the break.

Late in the third quarter the Phoenix drove 76 yards in 1:45 to claim a 24-10 lead thanks to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Riddle to Jeffcoat.  Elon got into the red zone on a 36-yard scamper from Harris on a second-and-four from the Furman 45.

On third-and-10 from the Elon 39, Worley found David Hendrix across the middle for 26 yards and a first down.  After an Elon penalty set Furman up at the 16-yard line, Worley hit Ryan Culbreath for a TD in the front corner of the end zone.  The score pulled the Paladins within one score at 24-17 with 11:04 remaining in the game.

After a misplay on the kickoff gave Elon the ball at the two, Furman's Shawn Boone caught Newsome in the end zone for a safety to make it 24-19.  It was the first safety against Elon since Nov. 15, 2003 against Georgia Southern.

Furman began its next drive at its own 47 and promptly picked up 31 yards on a Worley pass to Anderson.  A screen pass to Uhaa gained another 17 yards as the Paladins set up with goal to go at the Elon four.  Uhaa followed by plunging in to give Furman its first lead since it was up 3-0 early.  The two-point try failed and the Paladins moved on top 25-24 with 8:57 to play.

Once again the Phoenix responded, driving 70 yards on eight plays with Harris scoring his second touchdown of the day on a seven-yard run around the right end.  Elon's two-point attempt was also unsuccessful and the Phoenix led 30-25 with 5:21 showing on the clock.  Riddle completed six-of-seven passes on the drive.

Elon forced Furman into a three-and-out to get the ball back at its own 34 with 4:20 on the clock.  Looking to run as much time off the clock as possible, the Phoenix converted a third-and-eight with a 12-yard gain on a pass to Jeremy Peterson.  Elon would end up punting, but the kick was blocked and the Paladins took possession at the Elon 36 with just 10 seconds still to play.  Worley dropped back and rolled to his left before sending a jump ball into the back corner of the end zone where Blake Thompson came down with the interception, his team-leading fourth of the year, to secure the five-point victory for the Phoenix.

Riddle ended the day completing 31 of his 46 pass attempts for 311 yards, the 22nd 300-yard game of his stellar career.  He also equaled his own SoCon mark of having thrown at least one touchdown pass in 21 consecutive outings.  The senior has now climbed to fifth in FCS history in passing yards, having thrown for 12,812 yards in his four seasons.

Harris' 100-yard performance was his second of the season and the third of his career. He has now rushed for eight scores during his junior campaign and 15 during his time in the maroon and gold.  Mellette posted his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season, snaring six balls for 107 yards.

The trio helped lead the Phoenix to 430 total yards of offense on 79 plays.

Elon's defense was led by yet another double-digit tackle performance by Brandon Wiggins who racked up a team-leading 10 tackles.  Andrew Straus finished with career-best nine takedowns.

Furman's Worley completed seven of his 17 passes for 116 yards and a score while Uhaa carried 16 times for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

The Paladin defense saw Chris Wiley total 12 tackles, including two stops for a loss, while Max Lerner notched 11 tackles.


Chattanooga 48, Samford 14

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- It was a dominant performance by the Chattanooga Mocs on a beautiful afternoon at Finley Stadium against the Samford Bulldogs today.  UTC (6-4, 5-2 SoCon) sent 11 seniors off in style by commanding both sides of the ball from the opening drive in the 48-14 win in the Southern Rail Rivalry.

The Mocs posted 550 yards of total offense featuring a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver.  Junior B.J. Coleman topped the 5,000-yard mark in his career with 319 yards on 12 completions in 20 attempts with four scores.

Sophomore Brian Sutherland had a career-high 167 yards receiving on five catches with three touchdowns.  In the last two games, Sutherland has 15 catches and 264 yards with four TDs.

It was a memorable senior day for running back Erroll Wynn.  Wynn posted a 100-yard effort (21 carries) in his regular-season finale on Davenport Field.

Chattanooga's defense was smothering allowing just 232 yards of offense.  It limited Samford's Chris Evans to 57 yards rushing although he did move past the 1,000 yard mark (1,015) for the year with one touchdown.

The Mocs limited the Bulldogs (4-6/2-5) to six three-and-outs and only one sustained drive. D.J. Key and Ryan Consiglio each had eight tackles with two-and-half stops for loss by Consiglio. 

Senior Jaron Norfleet led a defensive line that dominated the line of scrimmage with five tackles.  Seven-and-a-half of UTC's 10 tackles for loss and both sacks can from the defensive line.

Chattanooga set the tone on the opening drive.  Wynn carried the ball six times for 49 yards keying an 11-play, 62-yard drive that was capped by sophomore J.J. Jackson's three-yard run.  Coleman's 4th down strike to Chris Marshall at Samford's 26 set up Jackson's score.

The Mocs kept the pressure on at the start of the second quarter with its second scoring drive.  It was a quick strike offense after Keon Williams ran three straight times for 30 yards, Coleman found Sutherland from 45 yards for the first of his three scoring catches.

UTC's defense held the Bulldogs to a three-and-out, Coleman went back to work on his own 18 yard line.  On the first play of the drive, Coleman and Sutherland hooked up for a 35-yard gain.  Four plays and 27 yards later, Coleman lofted a 20-yard pass to the back corner of the end zone that Sutherland ran a perfect route on for a 21-0 lead.

The Samford offense answered.  Evans broke a tackle to narrowly convert a fourth-and-inches on his own 41.  The Bulldogs converted three more third downs to set up an Evans six-yard touchdown run, needing a strong second and third effort to close the Mocs' lead to 21-7.

On the Bulldogs' next possession, the offense continued its momentum moving inside Chattanooga territory.  Going for it on fourth and three from the Mocs' 35, quarterback Dustin Taliaferro's pass was intercepted by safety Jordan Tippit who bobbed and weaved his way 66 yards for the final tally of the half giving UTC a 27-7 cushion at the break.

It was more of the same in the second half.  The Mocs' defense held the Bulldogs to a three-and-out on the first possession of the second half.  The Mocs' offense scored quickly thereafter moving 66 yards in four plays with Coleman going deep again for 53 yards to Joel Bradford.

On the ensuing possession, the Bulldogs were stymied by the Chattanooga defense.  The offense answered again as Coleman dialed long distance for a 65-yard score to Sutherland.  Coleman completed seven passes of 20 yards or more, three for more than 40 yards.

Samford had a big strike of its own midway through the third quarter.  Taliaferro hit Quin Roberson for a 51-yard catch and run to make it 41-14 at 7:07.

The Mocs put the game away to start the fourth quarter.  The offense mounted an impressive 17-play, 71-yard drive that lasted 9:42 of clock time.  UTC methodically moved the ball down the field rushing 15 of the 17 plays for 53 yards.  Senior Courtland Ellzey dove in from a yard out to end the scoring at 48-14.

Bradford just missed another 100-yard receiving effort with 98 yards on three catches with the score.  Williams rushed for 80 yards in 13 carries and he, Wynn and Chris Awuah combined for 218 of the Mocs' 231 rushing yards.

The defense was nearly perfect in stopping the Bulldogs twice on short fields following a turnover and blocked punt.  The blocked punt gave Samford the ball on the Mocs' 17, but five plays and negative 11 yards later, Cameron Yaw's 45-yard field goal attempt missed.

While UTC gained 550 yards of offense, the Bulldogs managed just 232.  The Chattanooga defense was stingy allowing just 3.7 yards per play, compared to 7.5 for UTC.

Taliaferro threw for 162 yards on 14 completions in 30 attempts with an interception.  Jeff Ogren caught five of his passes for 58 yards.  Bryce Smith recorded 15 tackles, two for loss, to lead the Bulldogs defensively.


Georgia Southern 28, Western Carolina 6

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Georgia Southern's Robert Brown rushed for a career-best 148 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Jaybo Shaw scored twice as the Eagles downed Western Carolina, 28-6, in the 2010 home finale Saturday afternoon at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

Western Carolina scored on its first two offensive possessions of the game on Saturday as senior Blake Bostic connected on field goals of 36 and 38 yards. However, six of WCU's final 11 possessions ended in turnovers including three interceptions, two fumbles and a blocked field goal as the Catamounts could not scratch the scoreboard over the final three quarters.

Aided by WCU's longest play from scrimmage coming on its first offensive snap - a 44 yard rush by sophomore tailback Michael Johnson - the Catamounts drove 51 yards before stalling with Bostic connecting from 36 yards out to give the squad an early, 3-0, advantage.

Georgia Southern (6-4, 4-3 SoCon) responded with a 65-yard drive that took nine plays to claim a lead it would never relinquish. J.J. Wilcox plunged in from two yards out to hand the Eagles a 7-3 advantage.

Late in the first quarter, WCU starting quarterback Zac Brindise guided the Catamounts into scoring position, but had the drive stall as two fade route passes to Marquel Pittman in the end zone fell incomplete. Bostic then came on and connected from 38 yards to pull WCU back within a point, 7-6.

On the ensuing possession, Western Carolina's defense gave the squad a golden opportunity to try and climb back on top. On the sixth play of GSU's drive, senior C.J. Johnson broke through on a third and long to sack Shaw, forcing the Eagles to punt. The snap to punter Charlie Edwards was high and as he landed, he slipped where redshirt freshman Mike Anderson smothered him to give the Catamounts possession at the GSU 18 yard line.

However, consecutive incomplete passes and a 16-yard loss on an Eagle sack pushed the Catamounts out of field goal range with WCU forced to punt.

Brindise finished 18-of-33 for 191 yards, but tossed three interceptions and was sacked three times. He found four different receivers with Jacoby Mitchell hauling in eight passes for 79 yards and Josh Cockrell catching five for 50. Both SoCon Freshman of the Year candidate, Deja Alexander, and junior tight end Andrew Rogers caught two passes with Alexander recording 44 yards and Rogers finishing with 15.

But perhaps the biggest momentum shift of the game came late in the third quarter. Four plays after a Laron Scott interception thwarted a would-be Catamount scoring drive in the end zone, converted defensive back Chris Everett jarred the football loose from Wilcox with another DB convert, Randy Pressley, snagging the bouncing ball on the fumble recovery and giving WCU possession at mid-field.

The Catamounts moved 32 yards before yet again stalling with Bostic called upon for a field goal attempt. Unfortunately, his low, line-drive 36-yard boot was blocked by Roderick Tinsley, ending another possible scoring threat.

Georgia Southern capped the momentum swing on the very next play as Brown broke into the open field for an 80-yard touchdown run and a 21-6 lead.

Shaw, who finished with just 20 yards rushing after losing 13 on a pair of Catamount sacks, added a one-yard score early in the fourth quarter, capping an 11-play drive to seal the victory for the Eagles, their second-straight on the year.

Everett led the Catamounts with a career-best 11 tackles while true freshman linebacker Courtland Carson recorded his career-best 10 stops. Senior defensive lineman Charles Johnson tallied a career-best eight stops in his final home appearance including a team-leading two tackles for loss.