Mountain of Expectations

Appalachian State will be going for a fourth straight national title, but there won't be any open talk of a dynasty from the Mountaineers.

First things first, quarterback Armanti Edwards said.

"We know it's out there," Edwards said. "But it won't happen if we don't get through the Southern Conference."

The Mountaineers are expected to do that. They lost their share of key players from last year's team but appear to have plenty of offensive weapons and the promise of an improved defensive front.

Those components should allow them to weather challenges from SoCon opponents, who, for the most part, relied on senior stars last season in one of the most competitive races ever.

Coach Jerry Moore is cautiously optimistic.

"What kind of team you turn out to be, who knows?" Moore said. "It's too early to assess that. There are so many good football teams in this league. And, like usual, a lot of it comes down to depth and staying healthy."

The bottom line for Moore?

"If we find the kind of leadership we've had, we'll be good," Moore said.

ASU hopes to stay ahead of the fray in the SoCon, which ended in a logjam last season. The Mountaineers won the FCS national championship, but they had to share the conference title with Wofford. And four other teams finished in a tie for third, just one game behind the leaders.

The majority of stars in a high-scoring SoCon were seniors last season, so there could be some separation among teams this season. Only Elon, with 17 of 22 starters back, escaped graduation decimation.

The Mountaineers lost key players -- including record-breaking rusher Kevin Richardson; receiver Dexter Jackson, a second-round NFL pick; and big-play defender Corey Lynch -- but they appear to have more than enough talent to make another title run.

Armanti Edwards, who has rushed for 2,741 yards and 36 touchdowns and has passed for 4,199 yards and 32 touchdowns in two seasons, is back as a dual-threat quarterback and could be even more effective now that he's 10 pounds heavier and recovered from a shoulder injury that nagged him last season.

And despite the loss of Richardson, the Mountaineers appear to be well-stocked at running back with the return of top backup Devon Moore, the promise of power runner Robert Welton and the speed of Devin Radford, who transferred from Virginia Tech.

The Mountaineers are also relatively deep and experienced at receiver. Playmaker CoCo Hillary and senior T.J Courman are back, and Josh Johnson (6-3, 190) and Brian Quick (6-5, 200) are big targets.

"We have a stable of running backs and receivers," said Scott Satterfield, the quarterbacks coach. "The bottom line is if we can take care of the football, I think we can go score as many points as we need to score."

The Mountaineers -- who averaged 42.7 points last season and led the nation with 488 yards a game -- lost three starters on the offensive line, but have experienced players at every position.

There are questions on defense, but the Mountaineers do expect to be stronger against the run after allowing 193 rushing yards a game, sixth among SoCon teams.

The addition of 6-2, 255-pound Malcolm Bennett, a transfer from Georgia Military College; the emergence of Gordy Witte, a 6-6, 285-pound redshirt freshman; and the return of 6-1, 285-pound Anthony Williams are expected to make for a stronger interior on the defensive front.

"Bennett is a strong, physical football player who will help us a great deal inside," defensive coordinator John Wiley said. "(Witte) adds some size, and if he keeps progressing like he has, we think he may be a force to be reckoned with."

Tony Robertson -- who ranked second in the SoCon with 5.5 sacks -- returns at one defensive end. Quavian Lewis, a speedy transfer from Vanderbilt, and athletic Jabari Fletcher are in the mix at the other end to replace Gary Tharrington, who is academically ineligible.

The Mountaineers are set at linebacker with the return of all three starters.

Pierre Banks, voted the preseason defensive player of the year by SoCon coaches, returns along with Jacque Roman, who led ASU with 127 tackles last season, and D.J. Smith, who was an impact player as a freshman and might be the most talented of the group.

Perhaps the biggest question is the secondary, where the Mountaineers lost all four starters. They go, however, have players with game experience -- including nickel back Leonard Love and cornerback Cortez Gilbert, both seniors. Billy Riddle, a senior safety, also returns after taking a year off to do mission work.

"We may not be as young as people might think," Wiley said. "We won't have the overall experience, but we'll be very athletic. I'm not really concerned about having people there, I'm kind of excited about it. "

Neil Young returns for his third season as the punter, but the Mountaineers must replace dependable place-kicker Julian Rauch. Jason Vitaris, last season's backup, is the leading contender to do that.