The Rematch - Appalachian State home to S.C. State; both teams improved over last season

Appalachian State's try for a fourth national title will start at noon today.

ASU will play host to S.C. State, a team it defeated 37-21 in last year's first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Both teams are a year better, according to their coaches.

"I've looked at every tape of every game that S.C. State has played this year, and there is no drop-off," Coach Jerry Moore of the Mountaineers said. "I think they are a better football team this year than they were last year.

"They've got a great scheme offensive and defensively. Every phase of their football team is very solid and sound. They've got good players, and Buddy (Pough, the Bulldogs' coach) has been around football all his life. Those kids are really, really well coached. They just don't make very many mistakes and generally, if mistakes are made, they're made going full speed."

Pough offered similar compliments.

"They are a team that is a good bit better than last year," Pough said. "They have most of last year's team back…. I think that we will be better, but they will be, too."

Last year's game was close most of the way. The Mountaineers led 24-21 midway through the fourth quarter before pulling away with two touchdown passes from Armanti Edwards to Brian Quick.

Edwards wound up passing for a school-record 433 yards.

"I don't think there's a person walking down Main Street in Orangeburg that I could walk up to and say ‘Armanti Edwards' and they wouldn't know who we were talking about," Pough said. "He may be the most recognized guy in our division."

Pough said he has considered asking some of the people on Main Street how to contain Edwards.

"You better have more than one plan," he said. "You better have a plan A, B, C, D and maybe even E. Hopefully we can figure which is best."

Edwards sat out last weekend's regular-season finale recovering from a sprained medial-collateral ligament in his right knee, but he has practiced all week and is expected to start today.

Edwards said last year's plan in the playoffs was to pass, out of necessity. Edwards, with knee and hip injuries, wasn't as effective as a runner and the running backs also were battling injuries. Edwards might not be at full speed this year when running the ball, but he said that having a healthy and stable running back in 1,000-yard rusher Devon Moore should allow for more of a mix.

The Mountaineers (9-2, ranked No. 5 in FCS polls) are averaging 479 yards and 36 points a game.

"We haven't been much of a time-of-possession team -- and you would ideally like to keep the ball so their offense won't have it -- but that's not our style," Pough said. "I don't know that we've won the time of possession one time this year. So we've got to be business as usual and mix it up.

"We've got to score enough points to stay in it, and then maybe catch a break or two at the end…. The one thing that I can tell you from going though the experience last year is that I felt like we could execute against them."

The Bulldogs (10-1, No. 7) have their own offensive juggernauts in senior running back Will Ford and junior quarterback Malcolm Long. Ford ran for 117 yards against ASU last year and is the MEAC's all-time leading rusher with 4,650 yards.

"He's an awfully good back," Moore said. "They use him well. Their offense is very similar to ours. He's a terrific back, and we had a problem with a back like him when we played McNeese State earlier this year. He's a guy that can pop one on you any time."

Long (6-3, 257) has passed for 2,314 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2009.

"He's a playmaker," Moore said. "He's got a great arm. They do a good job of protecting him, and they've got a great throwing package. He's a big guy but he can run the football. They get him out on the corner with some boots, and he can turn it up the field and run….

"They've got a lot of players back from last year. I think they're probably a little bit like us in that they're probably a little bit better football team this year than last year."

tbowman@wsjournal.com
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