Mountaineers & Spiders again

Armanti Edwards sees a lot of similarity between Appalachian State and Richmond.

"They're just like us, they know how it feels to win a championship," said Edwards, Appalachian's quarterback.

But only one will survive and advance for a chance to relive that championship feeling. The Mountaineers and Spiders will square off at 7 o'clock tonight at UR Stadium in Richmond, Va., i n the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Su b d i v i s i o n playoffs.

ASU won national titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Richmond derailed ASU in the quarterfinals last season and went on to win its first national title.

The Spiders, 11-1 and one of four Colonial Athletic Association teams in the final eight, are the most experienced team the Mountaineers will have faced, Coach Jerry Moore said.

"When we got their roster, I took an orange highlighter and marked all their redshirt seniors and I took a red highlighter and did the redshirt juniors," Moore said. "I came up with 36 players, 38 counting two seniors that didn't redshirt, that have been there four years."

Both teams feature experienced quarterbacks — Edwards and Richmond's Eric Ward each have won 41 games in four seasons in the starting lineup.

"It's amazing," Coach Mike London of Richmond said. "Armanti has 14,000 yards. Eric has 10,000. That's a lot of mileage right there between those two guys.

"Both teams have quarterbacks that are very established, can take games over and can win games. Both teams have experienced players that have been in the playoffs and have won championships." The Spiders rely on a ballcontrol attack, running behind a big and experienced offensive line and Ward (6-2, 210) and Justin Forte, who has followed Tim Hightower and Josh Vaughan as the marquee running back.

They'll be up against an ASU defense that has allowed just three touchdowns the past three games.

The Spiders' defense allows just 14.8 points a game and has been particularly strong against the run — allowing just 67 yards a game.

Moore, asked about his team's biggest challenge, said: "Just to be able to move the ball on them with consistency. We did when we played them in '07, but last year we struggled…. Everybody has had trouble scoring on them."

The Spiders will face an ASU offense that averages 34.4 points and 464 yards and will have to contain Edwards, who said he has recovered well from a sprained ligament in his right knee sustained three weeks ago.

"Our ability to make sure that we limit any damage that Armanti and their other skill players can inflict on us I think is going to be key," London said. ASU (10-2) is in the quarterfinals for the fifth straight year and will be facing Richmond for the third straight year.

The Mountaineers won 55-25 in a 2007 semifinal when Edwards rushed for a school-record 313 yards, ran for four touchdowns and passed for three.

Richmond won 33-13 last season. Edwards, playing with knee and hip injuries, had only 8 yards rushing and was intercepted a career-high five times.

Patrick Weldon, a linebacker for the Spiders, said: "I think last year one of the main differences was our confidence level going into that game. We felt like we belonged. So I'm not going to say it had anything to do with the physical ability of (Edwards). He's a great player, but I just think last year our mindset was there and that's something we need to carry into this game as well."

Turnovers have been an issue in the playoffs for the Mountaineers. They had five Saturday in an opening-round win over S.C. State and seven last season against Richmond.

"You don't make a huge issue of it, but you can't bury your head in the sand, either," Moore said. "You've got to correct the things if it's carelessness and lack of concentration."

The Mountaineers have a playoff game on the road for the first time since 2001, not counting three title games at neutralsite Chattanooga.

"It's been a privilege to have home-field advantage in the four years I've been here but we've been on the road for (regularseason) games so we'll just treat it like those games," Edwards said.

Forte said: "I'm anxious to see how App State is going to take this. A lot of their fans are talking about making this a home game, too, because they travel so well.

I know our fans aren't going to let that happen. I know they're going to be out there in force and they're going to be loud…. This is the first time in a long time Appalachian State has actually had to travel for the playoffs."

tbowman@wsjournal.com.
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