RaiderZord
12-14-2005, 04:51 PM
http://www.chattanoogafun.com/images_2/05football_m1AAc.jpg
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Northern_Iowa.gif vs http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Appalachian_St.gif
Friday, December 16, 2005
8:00 PM ET on ESPN2
Chattanooga, TN - W. Max Finley Stadium
Back in September, no one would have guessed Appalachian State could make it this far. By October, plenty of folks in I-AA circles were ready to write the obituaries for the Northern Iowa football season. But, two months later, the Mountaineers and Panthers got past their expectations and emerged as the best two teams in the nation. UNI is on a seven-game win streak, while Appalachian State has not lost to a I-AA opponent since October 8th.
Appalachian State was outside the top 25 to begin the season after going 6-5 in 2004 and losing first-team All-American wide receiver DaVon Fowlkes. But the Mountaineers quickly showed that improvement in other areas could make up for the loss of Fowlkes. Appalachian State broke out a strong running game and defense in impressive early victories against Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina, and played well in a loss at Furman. When the Mountaineers thumped Georgia Southern and Wofford in back to back weeks in October, it was obvious that Appalachian State would be in the title chase until the end. Appalachian State continued to roll in a tough Southern Conference with wins against Chattanooga and Western Carolina, and played very well in a loss at LSU. A pair of I-A losses kept the Mountaineers from joining the revolving door at the No. 1 spot in The Sports Network top 25, but Appalachian State proved it was a worthy championship game contender early in the season.
For UNI, the road to the title game was paved with a few more potholes. The Panthers actually had much greater preseason expectations with a No. 12 ranking. The first three games didn’t indicate much (wins against Drake and Minnesota-Duluth and a loss at Iowa), but the Panthers appeared to be headed for the middle of the Gateway standings after opening conference play with a 2-2 mark. However, quarterback Eric Sanders missed most or all of the losses to Missouri State and Illinois State. When Sanders returned against Youngstown State, the Panthers were back to being a title contender, even though it never came easy. UNI defeated the Penguins, 21-7, before staring down playoff elimination and coming out alive with an overtime victory against Western Kentucky and one-point home triumph over Southern Illinois. The playoffs were no different for the Panthers, who emerged as a title contender by taking down three strong teams in the final minutes. UNI staged a comeback to beat Eastern Washington (41-38), held off No. 1 seed New Hampshire (24-21), and won in overtime at Texas State (40-37).
Any teams that made it through the treacherous road that UNI navigated or emerged as a dominant team like Appalachian State would make for a thrilling title contest. But having two traditional powers here makes the title game even more interesting. Appalachian State will bring its legions of fans from Boone, while plenty of Panther supporters will journey from Cedar Falls. The subplot around the status of Appalachian State quarteback Richie Williams adds suspense, as does UNI's effort to complete one of the most amazing runs in I-AA history with a seventh win against a top 15 team in the last eight weeks.
The programs had combined for 23 playoff appearances and seven semifinal visits before this season, but are both in the title game for the first time. For one group of supporters, the long wait for a national title will also come to an end on Friday night.
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Keys-to-game.gif
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Northern_Iowa.gif
* Get to Soph back up QB Trey Elder and force some INTs/fumbles.
* Stop the App State Running Attack.
* Use the run to setup the passing game .
* Play solid, hard nose D, create sacks & force turnovers...capitalize and score early.
* Protect the QB and Don't turn the ball over!
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Appalachian_St.gif
* Keep constant pressure on Eric Sanders.
* Take away the passing game and force them to run the ball.
* Run the ball to set up the Pass and control the clock.
* Force turnovers and run the score up fast.
* NO MISTAKES!
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Players-Watch.gif
http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/niwa/sports/m-footbl/auto_headshot/191499.jpeg http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/niwa/sports/m-footbl/auto_headshot/195069.jpeg
QB Eric Sanders and PK Brian Wingert
Last week Sanders had a career game, completing 24-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns, to lift the Panthers to the I-AA championship game with a 41-38 overtime win at No. 4 seed Texas State. Sanders helped UNI to a 23-17 halftime lead, tossing three touchdown passes of 30 yards to Justin Surrency, 12 yards to Brian Cutright and 69 yards to Patrick Hunter. After the Panther fell behind 24-23 in the third period, Sanders needed just one play to give UNI back the lead when he threw a 65-yard scoring strike to Hunter. But Sanders saved his best moments for the end of the game. He led the Panthers on a 10-play, 72-yard drive, with a handoff to David Horne for a four-yard TD making it a 38-36 game. Sanders then scrambled around long enough to fire a high-arching pass past three Bobcat defenders in the back of the end zone to a leaping Surrency for the two-point conversion that tied the game with 1:27 remaining in the fourth period. Sanders then directed the Panthers 17 yards in six plays from the 25 to set up Brian Wingert's game-winning field goal in overtime.
For the third week in a row, Wingert converted a pressure field goal to lift the Panther to a playoff victory. Wingert nailed a 25-yard kick to open overtime and give Northern Iowa a 40-37 lead at Texas State. The Panthers then clinched the win with an interception by safety Matt Sharp. Wingert had a 41-yard field goal at the end of the first half to give UNI a 23-17 advantage and converted his first two extra points of the game before missing one wide with UNI ahead 20-7 early in the second period. It was just the second missed PAT all year for the preseason All-American. Wingert also helped give UNI good field position with three touchbacks and seven kickoffs for 440 yards and a 62.9 average. Wingert had converted a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to help UNI to a 24-21 victory the week before at No. 1 seed New Hampshire and kicked a 31-yard field goal with 51 seconds left against Eastern Washington at home in the first round of the playoffs. During the playoffs, Wingert has converted 10 of 11 extra points and all five of his field goal attempts.
http://goasu.com/autoimage/pgmOZiz.jpg http://goasu.com/autoimage/pjYMubV.jpg
QB Trey Elder and DE Jason Hunter
Last week Elder came off the bench to replace injured starter Richie Williams midway through the first quarter and threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the Mountaineers beat Furman 29-23 in the I-AA semifinals at home. Elder (12-of-17 for 165 yards passing, 13 carries for 69 yards rushing) faked an option on his first play and fired a 45-yard scoring strike to Dexter Jackson to give ASU a 14-0 lead. Elder was 7-of-8 for 94 yards passing and had six carries for 50 yards in the first half. He then overcame a pair of fumbles to lead the Mountaineers on an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive to put Appalachian in front for the first time in the second half. Getting the ball with 7:06 remaining, Elder completed passes of 28 yards to Brandon Turner and 10 yards to Jackson for first downs. He then capped the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak for the touchdown with 2:17 left. After Elder's two-point conversion run was wiped out by a questionable false start penalty call, he came right back to complete a seven-yard pass to William Mayfield for the two points. Elder came into the game 22-of-37 for 311 yards and four touchdowns passing and had rushed 28 times for 113 yards. Note: Status of ASU's QB day-to-day.A magnetic resonance imaging revealed Appalachian State quarterback Richie Williams strained a tendon in his left ankle in the NCAA Division I-AA semifinal game Saturday. Whether the injury -- which forced Williams out of much of Appalachian's 29-23 victory against Furman -- keeps him out of Friday's championship game against Northern Iowa remains to be seen. School spokesman Mike Flynn said the status of Williams, who didn't practice Monday, is day-to-day
Last week Hunter led an Appalachian State defensive charge with the two biggest plays of the game as the Mountaineers beat Furman 29-23 Saturday at home to advance to the I-AA championship game. Hunter had the main hit on Furman fullback Jerome Felton for a two-yard loss on fourth and goal from the ASU one. Furman had started that series with a first down at the five and was unable to score. Hunter combined for the tackle on second down that held Cedric Gipson to two yards. But Hunter's biggest play came with less than 40 seconds remaining when he blindsided scrambling Furman quarterback Ingle Martin and forced a fumble at the ASU 38 just before Martin was going to pass the ball. Teammate Omarr Byrom recovered the fumble and returned it to the Paladin one to clinch the win. Overall, Hunter finished with 10 tackles for the second week in a row. He had four solo stops, six assists, two and half tackles for five yards of losses, one forced fumble, one sack and one quarterback hurry. The Appalachian defense helped the Mountaineers recover from a 23-21 halftime deficit by holding Furman scoreless in the second half.
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Key-Stats.gif
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Northern_Iowa.gif
PANTHERS LEADERS:
PASSING:
Eric Sanders - 281 Att, 196 Cmp, 5 Ints, 69.8%, 2748 Yds, 23 TDs
Dexter Hill - 64 Att, 42 Cmp, 3 Ints, 65.6%, 573 Yds, 1 TDs
RUSHING:
David Horne - 219 Att, 1102 Yds, 4.7 Ave, 16 TDs
Terrance Freeney - 164 Att, 666 Yds, 3.8 Ave, 9 TDs
Corey Lewis - 52 Att, 292 Yds, 5.4 Ave, 2 TDs
RECEIVING:
Patrick Hunter - 33 Rec, 632 Yds, 19.2 Ave, 5 TDs
Justin Surrency - 42 Rec, 604 Yds, 14.4 Ave, 7 TDs
Jamie Goodwin - 26 Rec, 544 Yds, 20.9 Ave, 4 TDs
James Lindgrin - 25 Rec, 320 Yds, 12.8 Ave, 1 TDs
Brian Cutright - 21 Rec, 318 Yds, 15.1 Ave, 3 TDs
SACKS:
John Herman - 11 Solo, 3 Ast
Brett Koebcke - 3 Solo, 3 Ast
INTs:
Dre Dokes - 3 Ints, 5 Yds
Brett Koebcke - 2 Ints, 7 Yds
Tanner Varner - 2 Ints, 95 Yds
Chris Parsons - 2 Ints, 24 Yds
Fumble Returns:
Tanner Varner - 2, 23 Yds
Kick Returns:
Jamie Goodwin - 26 Returns, 578 Yds, 22.2 Ave, Long of 78 Yds
Punt Returns:
Johnny Gray - 22 Returns, 257 Yds, 11.7 Ave. Long of 70 Yds, 1 TD
PUNTING:
Adam Kos - 60 Punts, 2408 Yds, 40.1 Ave, 6 TBs, 13 FCs, 13 I20, 1 Blkd
KICKING:
Brian Wingert - 13 FGM, 20 FGA, 65.0%
PANTHERS TEAM RANK:
OFFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Offense -- 57 TDs, 50 XPs, 1 2XPs, 13 FGs, 433 Points (30.9 Ave)
Rushing Offense -- 168.1 ypg, 594 Att, 2354 Yds, 4.0 Avg, 31 TDs
Passing Offense -- 240.8 ypg, 352 Att, 242 Cmp, 3371 Yds, 8 Ints, 25 TDs
Redzone Offense -- 43-57, 75.4%, 33 TDs, 4 Fum, 1 Int
Total Offense -- 408.9 ypg, 946 Plays, 5725 Yds, 56 TDs
DEFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Defense -- 43 TDs, 40 XPs, 1 2XP, 12 FGs, 336 Points (24.0 Ave)
Rushing Defense -- 132.9 ypg, 540 Att, 1861 Yds, 3.4 Ave, 13 TDs
Passing Defense -- 248.1 ypg, 465 Att, 293 Cmp, 11 Ints, 3473 Yds, 28 TDs
Redzone Defense -- 37-47, 78.7%, 27 TDs, 3 Fum Rec, 1 INT
Total Defense -- 381.0 ypg, 1005 Plays, 5334 Yds, 41 TDs
TAKE/GIVE: +3
Gained: 13 Fum, 11 Int (+24)
Lost: 13 Fum, 8 Int (-21)
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Appalachian_St.gif
MOUNTAINEERS LEADERS:
PASSING:
Richie Williams - 312 Att, 201 Cmp, 4 Ints, 64.4%, 2680 Yds, 20 TDs
Trey Elder 54 Att, 34 Cmp, 3 Ints, 63%, 476 Yds, 5 TDs
RUSHING:
Kevin Richardson - 249 Att, 1396 Yds, 5.6 Ave, 17 TDs
Richie Williams (QB) - 163 Att, 1009 Yds, 5.7 Ave, 5 TDs
RECEIVING:
Jermane Little - 39 Rec, 577 Yds, 14.8 Ave, 2 TDs
Kevin Richardson (RB) - 49 Rec, 524 Yds, 10.7 Ave, 2 TDs
Dexter Jackson - 27 Rec, 424 Yds, 15.7 Ave, 5 TDs
William Mayfield - 22 Rec, 354 Yds, 16.1 Ave, 4 TDs
Daniel Bettis - 28 Rec, 337 Yds, 12.0 Ave, 8 TDs
Zach Johnson - 22 Rec, 282 Yds, 12.8 Ave, 1 TD
SACKS:
Marques Murrell - 8 Solo, 6 Ast
Jason Hunter - 9 Solo, 2 Ast
Joe Suiter - 4 Solo, 2 Ast
INTs:
Corey Lynch - 6 Ints, 121 Yds
Justin Woazeah - 4 Ints, 156 Yds
Jeremy Wiggins - 2 Ints, 39 Yds
Fumble Returns:
Marques Murrell - 2, 85 Yds, 1 TD
Kick Returns:
Dexter Jackson - 10 Returns, 165 Yds, 16.5 Ave, Long of 25 Yds
Jermane Little - 9 Returns, 259 Yds, 28.8 Ave, Long of 49 Yds
Punt Returns:
Dexter Jackson - 27 Returns, 236 Yds, 8.7 Ave. Long of 34 Yds
PUNTING:
Matt Dodge - 34 Punts, 1333 Yds, 39.2 Ave, 1 TB, 6 FC, 2 I20, 0 Blkd
Julian Rauch - 14 Punts, 483 Yds, 34.5 Ave, 2 FC, 5 I20, 1 Blkd
KICKING:
Julian Rauch - 9 FGM, 17 FGA, 52.9%
MOUNTAINEERS TEAM RANK:
OFFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Offense -- 58 TDs, 55 XPs, 2 2XPs, 9 FGs, 434 Points (31.0 Ave)
Rushing Offense -- 204.4 ypg, 563 Att, 2862 Yds, 5.1 Avg, 28 TDs
Passing Offense -- 227.6 ypg, 368 Att, 236 Cmp, 3187 Yds, 7 Ints, 25 TDs
Redzone Offense -- 45-60, 75%, 37 TDs, 3 Fum, 2 Ints
Total Offense -- 432.1 ypg, 931 Plays, 6049 Yds, 53 TDs
DEFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Defense -- 33 TDs, 24 XPs, 1 2XP, 14 FGs, 266 Points (19.0 Ave)
Rushing Defense -- 171.1 ypg, 619 Att, 2395 Yds, 3.9 Ave, 19 TDs
Passing Defense -- 163.1 ypg, 358 Att, 199 Cmp, 18 Ints, 2283 Yds, 12 TDs
Redzone Defense -- 38-50, 76%, 26 TDs, 2 Fum Rec
Total Defense -- 334.1 ypg, 977 Plays, 4678 Yds, 31 TDs
TAKE/GIVE: +10
Gained: 10 Fum, 18 Int (+28)
Lost: 11 Fum, 7 Int (-18)
STANDINGS:
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2460.gif (11-3), 5-2 Div. 5-2 Conf.
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2026.gif (11-3), 7-1 Div, 6-1 Conf. #2 Seed
ROAD/HOME RECORDS:
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2460.gif 7-0 at home, 4-3 on the road.
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2026.gif 7-0 at home, 4-3 on the road.
INTANGIBLES:
Both teams are in their first championship game, which should mean the rabid fan bases will travel to Chattanooga in hopes of celebrating a title. But Appalachian State’s fans only have a four and a half hour drive to make, while UNI faithful need to arrange flights or making a long trek from Cedar Falls. Appalachian State should have its own crowd there, and the Southern Conference locals from Chattanooga will probably lend their support to the Mountaineers as well. Appalachian State will have the luxury of the crowd advantage, but not the familiarity of playing away from home in the playoffs. The Panthers have won their last two games on the road against seeded teams, while Appalachian State won all three of its contests at home. That’s not to say the Mountaineers can’t win on the road after playing seven contests away from Kidd-Brewer Stadium this season, but they have not needed to do it lately. If the game comes down to the final minutes, UNI has to like its chances. The Panthers have won the last three games with a fourth quarter or overtime field goal by Brian Wingert. UNI certainly has the edge in the kicking game and Wingert is confident.
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Predictions.gif
UNI has enjoyed an unbelievable run through the last four games of the regular season and into the playoffs, but this has just felt like Appalachian State’s title to take since October. The Mountaineers win by a touchdown to bring the title home to Boone for the first time.
Appalachian State 34, UNI 27
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Northern_Iowa.gif vs http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Appalachian_St.gif
Friday, December 16, 2005
8:00 PM ET on ESPN2
Chattanooga, TN - W. Max Finley Stadium
Back in September, no one would have guessed Appalachian State could make it this far. By October, plenty of folks in I-AA circles were ready to write the obituaries for the Northern Iowa football season. But, two months later, the Mountaineers and Panthers got past their expectations and emerged as the best two teams in the nation. UNI is on a seven-game win streak, while Appalachian State has not lost to a I-AA opponent since October 8th.
Appalachian State was outside the top 25 to begin the season after going 6-5 in 2004 and losing first-team All-American wide receiver DaVon Fowlkes. But the Mountaineers quickly showed that improvement in other areas could make up for the loss of Fowlkes. Appalachian State broke out a strong running game and defense in impressive early victories against Eastern Kentucky and Coastal Carolina, and played well in a loss at Furman. When the Mountaineers thumped Georgia Southern and Wofford in back to back weeks in October, it was obvious that Appalachian State would be in the title chase until the end. Appalachian State continued to roll in a tough Southern Conference with wins against Chattanooga and Western Carolina, and played very well in a loss at LSU. A pair of I-A losses kept the Mountaineers from joining the revolving door at the No. 1 spot in The Sports Network top 25, but Appalachian State proved it was a worthy championship game contender early in the season.
For UNI, the road to the title game was paved with a few more potholes. The Panthers actually had much greater preseason expectations with a No. 12 ranking. The first three games didn’t indicate much (wins against Drake and Minnesota-Duluth and a loss at Iowa), but the Panthers appeared to be headed for the middle of the Gateway standings after opening conference play with a 2-2 mark. However, quarterback Eric Sanders missed most or all of the losses to Missouri State and Illinois State. When Sanders returned against Youngstown State, the Panthers were back to being a title contender, even though it never came easy. UNI defeated the Penguins, 21-7, before staring down playoff elimination and coming out alive with an overtime victory against Western Kentucky and one-point home triumph over Southern Illinois. The playoffs were no different for the Panthers, who emerged as a title contender by taking down three strong teams in the final minutes. UNI staged a comeback to beat Eastern Washington (41-38), held off No. 1 seed New Hampshire (24-21), and won in overtime at Texas State (40-37).
Any teams that made it through the treacherous road that UNI navigated or emerged as a dominant team like Appalachian State would make for a thrilling title contest. But having two traditional powers here makes the title game even more interesting. Appalachian State will bring its legions of fans from Boone, while plenty of Panther supporters will journey from Cedar Falls. The subplot around the status of Appalachian State quarteback Richie Williams adds suspense, as does UNI's effort to complete one of the most amazing runs in I-AA history with a seventh win against a top 15 team in the last eight weeks.
The programs had combined for 23 playoff appearances and seven semifinal visits before this season, but are both in the title game for the first time. For one group of supporters, the long wait for a national title will also come to an end on Friday night.
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Keys-to-game.gif
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Northern_Iowa.gif
* Get to Soph back up QB Trey Elder and force some INTs/fumbles.
* Stop the App State Running Attack.
* Use the run to setup the passing game .
* Play solid, hard nose D, create sacks & force turnovers...capitalize and score early.
* Protect the QB and Don't turn the ball over!
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Appalachian_St.gif
* Keep constant pressure on Eric Sanders.
* Take away the passing game and force them to run the ball.
* Run the ball to set up the Pass and control the clock.
* Force turnovers and run the score up fast.
* NO MISTAKES!
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Players-Watch.gif
http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/niwa/sports/m-footbl/auto_headshot/191499.jpeg http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/niwa/sports/m-footbl/auto_headshot/195069.jpeg
QB Eric Sanders and PK Brian Wingert
Last week Sanders had a career game, completing 24-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns, to lift the Panthers to the I-AA championship game with a 41-38 overtime win at No. 4 seed Texas State. Sanders helped UNI to a 23-17 halftime lead, tossing three touchdown passes of 30 yards to Justin Surrency, 12 yards to Brian Cutright and 69 yards to Patrick Hunter. After the Panther fell behind 24-23 in the third period, Sanders needed just one play to give UNI back the lead when he threw a 65-yard scoring strike to Hunter. But Sanders saved his best moments for the end of the game. He led the Panthers on a 10-play, 72-yard drive, with a handoff to David Horne for a four-yard TD making it a 38-36 game. Sanders then scrambled around long enough to fire a high-arching pass past three Bobcat defenders in the back of the end zone to a leaping Surrency for the two-point conversion that tied the game with 1:27 remaining in the fourth period. Sanders then directed the Panthers 17 yards in six plays from the 25 to set up Brian Wingert's game-winning field goal in overtime.
For the third week in a row, Wingert converted a pressure field goal to lift the Panther to a playoff victory. Wingert nailed a 25-yard kick to open overtime and give Northern Iowa a 40-37 lead at Texas State. The Panthers then clinched the win with an interception by safety Matt Sharp. Wingert had a 41-yard field goal at the end of the first half to give UNI a 23-17 advantage and converted his first two extra points of the game before missing one wide with UNI ahead 20-7 early in the second period. It was just the second missed PAT all year for the preseason All-American. Wingert also helped give UNI good field position with three touchbacks and seven kickoffs for 440 yards and a 62.9 average. Wingert had converted a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to help UNI to a 24-21 victory the week before at No. 1 seed New Hampshire and kicked a 31-yard field goal with 51 seconds left against Eastern Washington at home in the first round of the playoffs. During the playoffs, Wingert has converted 10 of 11 extra points and all five of his field goal attempts.
http://goasu.com/autoimage/pgmOZiz.jpg http://goasu.com/autoimage/pjYMubV.jpg
QB Trey Elder and DE Jason Hunter
Last week Elder came off the bench to replace injured starter Richie Williams midway through the first quarter and threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the Mountaineers beat Furman 29-23 in the I-AA semifinals at home. Elder (12-of-17 for 165 yards passing, 13 carries for 69 yards rushing) faked an option on his first play and fired a 45-yard scoring strike to Dexter Jackson to give ASU a 14-0 lead. Elder was 7-of-8 for 94 yards passing and had six carries for 50 yards in the first half. He then overcame a pair of fumbles to lead the Mountaineers on an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive to put Appalachian in front for the first time in the second half. Getting the ball with 7:06 remaining, Elder completed passes of 28 yards to Brandon Turner and 10 yards to Jackson for first downs. He then capped the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak for the touchdown with 2:17 left. After Elder's two-point conversion run was wiped out by a questionable false start penalty call, he came right back to complete a seven-yard pass to William Mayfield for the two points. Elder came into the game 22-of-37 for 311 yards and four touchdowns passing and had rushed 28 times for 113 yards. Note: Status of ASU's QB day-to-day.A magnetic resonance imaging revealed Appalachian State quarterback Richie Williams strained a tendon in his left ankle in the NCAA Division I-AA semifinal game Saturday. Whether the injury -- which forced Williams out of much of Appalachian's 29-23 victory against Furman -- keeps him out of Friday's championship game against Northern Iowa remains to be seen. School spokesman Mike Flynn said the status of Williams, who didn't practice Monday, is day-to-day
Last week Hunter led an Appalachian State defensive charge with the two biggest plays of the game as the Mountaineers beat Furman 29-23 Saturday at home to advance to the I-AA championship game. Hunter had the main hit on Furman fullback Jerome Felton for a two-yard loss on fourth and goal from the ASU one. Furman had started that series with a first down at the five and was unable to score. Hunter combined for the tackle on second down that held Cedric Gipson to two yards. But Hunter's biggest play came with less than 40 seconds remaining when he blindsided scrambling Furman quarterback Ingle Martin and forced a fumble at the ASU 38 just before Martin was going to pass the ball. Teammate Omarr Byrom recovered the fumble and returned it to the Paladin one to clinch the win. Overall, Hunter finished with 10 tackles for the second week in a row. He had four solo stops, six assists, two and half tackles for five yards of losses, one forced fumble, one sack and one quarterback hurry. The Appalachian defense helped the Mountaineers recover from a 23-21 halftime deficit by holding Furman scoreless in the second half.
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Key-Stats.gif
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Northern_Iowa.gif
PANTHERS LEADERS:
PASSING:
Eric Sanders - 281 Att, 196 Cmp, 5 Ints, 69.8%, 2748 Yds, 23 TDs
Dexter Hill - 64 Att, 42 Cmp, 3 Ints, 65.6%, 573 Yds, 1 TDs
RUSHING:
David Horne - 219 Att, 1102 Yds, 4.7 Ave, 16 TDs
Terrance Freeney - 164 Att, 666 Yds, 3.8 Ave, 9 TDs
Corey Lewis - 52 Att, 292 Yds, 5.4 Ave, 2 TDs
RECEIVING:
Patrick Hunter - 33 Rec, 632 Yds, 19.2 Ave, 5 TDs
Justin Surrency - 42 Rec, 604 Yds, 14.4 Ave, 7 TDs
Jamie Goodwin - 26 Rec, 544 Yds, 20.9 Ave, 4 TDs
James Lindgrin - 25 Rec, 320 Yds, 12.8 Ave, 1 TDs
Brian Cutright - 21 Rec, 318 Yds, 15.1 Ave, 3 TDs
SACKS:
John Herman - 11 Solo, 3 Ast
Brett Koebcke - 3 Solo, 3 Ast
INTs:
Dre Dokes - 3 Ints, 5 Yds
Brett Koebcke - 2 Ints, 7 Yds
Tanner Varner - 2 Ints, 95 Yds
Chris Parsons - 2 Ints, 24 Yds
Fumble Returns:
Tanner Varner - 2, 23 Yds
Kick Returns:
Jamie Goodwin - 26 Returns, 578 Yds, 22.2 Ave, Long of 78 Yds
Punt Returns:
Johnny Gray - 22 Returns, 257 Yds, 11.7 Ave. Long of 70 Yds, 1 TD
PUNTING:
Adam Kos - 60 Punts, 2408 Yds, 40.1 Ave, 6 TBs, 13 FCs, 13 I20, 1 Blkd
KICKING:
Brian Wingert - 13 FGM, 20 FGA, 65.0%
PANTHERS TEAM RANK:
OFFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Offense -- 57 TDs, 50 XPs, 1 2XPs, 13 FGs, 433 Points (30.9 Ave)
Rushing Offense -- 168.1 ypg, 594 Att, 2354 Yds, 4.0 Avg, 31 TDs
Passing Offense -- 240.8 ypg, 352 Att, 242 Cmp, 3371 Yds, 8 Ints, 25 TDs
Redzone Offense -- 43-57, 75.4%, 33 TDs, 4 Fum, 1 Int
Total Offense -- 408.9 ypg, 946 Plays, 5725 Yds, 56 TDs
DEFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Defense -- 43 TDs, 40 XPs, 1 2XP, 12 FGs, 336 Points (24.0 Ave)
Rushing Defense -- 132.9 ypg, 540 Att, 1861 Yds, 3.4 Ave, 13 TDs
Passing Defense -- 248.1 ypg, 465 Att, 293 Cmp, 11 Ints, 3473 Yds, 28 TDs
Redzone Defense -- 37-47, 78.7%, 27 TDs, 3 Fum Rec, 1 INT
Total Defense -- 381.0 ypg, 1005 Plays, 5334 Yds, 41 TDs
TAKE/GIVE: +3
Gained: 13 Fum, 11 Int (+24)
Lost: 13 Fum, 8 Int (-21)
http://fantasy.pigskinheaven.com/Pool/assets/logos/Appalachian_St.gif
MOUNTAINEERS LEADERS:
PASSING:
Richie Williams - 312 Att, 201 Cmp, 4 Ints, 64.4%, 2680 Yds, 20 TDs
Trey Elder 54 Att, 34 Cmp, 3 Ints, 63%, 476 Yds, 5 TDs
RUSHING:
Kevin Richardson - 249 Att, 1396 Yds, 5.6 Ave, 17 TDs
Richie Williams (QB) - 163 Att, 1009 Yds, 5.7 Ave, 5 TDs
RECEIVING:
Jermane Little - 39 Rec, 577 Yds, 14.8 Ave, 2 TDs
Kevin Richardson (RB) - 49 Rec, 524 Yds, 10.7 Ave, 2 TDs
Dexter Jackson - 27 Rec, 424 Yds, 15.7 Ave, 5 TDs
William Mayfield - 22 Rec, 354 Yds, 16.1 Ave, 4 TDs
Daniel Bettis - 28 Rec, 337 Yds, 12.0 Ave, 8 TDs
Zach Johnson - 22 Rec, 282 Yds, 12.8 Ave, 1 TD
SACKS:
Marques Murrell - 8 Solo, 6 Ast
Jason Hunter - 9 Solo, 2 Ast
Joe Suiter - 4 Solo, 2 Ast
INTs:
Corey Lynch - 6 Ints, 121 Yds
Justin Woazeah - 4 Ints, 156 Yds
Jeremy Wiggins - 2 Ints, 39 Yds
Fumble Returns:
Marques Murrell - 2, 85 Yds, 1 TD
Kick Returns:
Dexter Jackson - 10 Returns, 165 Yds, 16.5 Ave, Long of 25 Yds
Jermane Little - 9 Returns, 259 Yds, 28.8 Ave, Long of 49 Yds
Punt Returns:
Dexter Jackson - 27 Returns, 236 Yds, 8.7 Ave. Long of 34 Yds
PUNTING:
Matt Dodge - 34 Punts, 1333 Yds, 39.2 Ave, 1 TB, 6 FC, 2 I20, 0 Blkd
Julian Rauch - 14 Punts, 483 Yds, 34.5 Ave, 2 FC, 5 I20, 1 Blkd
KICKING:
Julian Rauch - 9 FGM, 17 FGA, 52.9%
MOUNTAINEERS TEAM RANK:
OFFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Offense -- 58 TDs, 55 XPs, 2 2XPs, 9 FGs, 434 Points (31.0 Ave)
Rushing Offense -- 204.4 ypg, 563 Att, 2862 Yds, 5.1 Avg, 28 TDs
Passing Offense -- 227.6 ypg, 368 Att, 236 Cmp, 3187 Yds, 7 Ints, 25 TDs
Redzone Offense -- 45-60, 75%, 37 TDs, 3 Fum, 2 Ints
Total Offense -- 432.1 ypg, 931 Plays, 6049 Yds, 53 TDs
DEFENSE: (14 Games)
Scoring Defense -- 33 TDs, 24 XPs, 1 2XP, 14 FGs, 266 Points (19.0 Ave)
Rushing Defense -- 171.1 ypg, 619 Att, 2395 Yds, 3.9 Ave, 19 TDs
Passing Defense -- 163.1 ypg, 358 Att, 199 Cmp, 18 Ints, 2283 Yds, 12 TDs
Redzone Defense -- 38-50, 76%, 26 TDs, 2 Fum Rec
Total Defense -- 334.1 ypg, 977 Plays, 4678 Yds, 31 TDs
TAKE/GIVE: +10
Gained: 10 Fum, 18 Int (+28)
Lost: 11 Fum, 7 Int (-18)
STANDINGS:
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2460.gif (11-3), 5-2 Div. 5-2 Conf.
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2026.gif (11-3), 7-1 Div, 6-1 Conf. #2 Seed
ROAD/HOME RECORDS:
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2460.gif 7-0 at home, 4-3 on the road.
http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/teamlogos/ncaa/sml/trans/2026.gif 7-0 at home, 4-3 on the road.
INTANGIBLES:
Both teams are in their first championship game, which should mean the rabid fan bases will travel to Chattanooga in hopes of celebrating a title. But Appalachian State’s fans only have a four and a half hour drive to make, while UNI faithful need to arrange flights or making a long trek from Cedar Falls. Appalachian State should have its own crowd there, and the Southern Conference locals from Chattanooga will probably lend their support to the Mountaineers as well. Appalachian State will have the luxury of the crowd advantage, but not the familiarity of playing away from home in the playoffs. The Panthers have won their last two games on the road against seeded teams, while Appalachian State won all three of its contests at home. That’s not to say the Mountaineers can’t win on the road after playing seven contests away from Kidd-Brewer Stadium this season, but they have not needed to do it lately. If the game comes down to the final minutes, UNI has to like its chances. The Panthers have won the last three games with a fourth quarter or overtime field goal by Brian Wingert. UNI certainly has the edge in the kicking game and Wingert is confident.
http://www.pigskinheaven.com/gallery/files/3/9/1/Predictions.gif
UNI has enjoyed an unbelievable run through the last four games of the regular season and into the playoffs, but this has just felt like Appalachian State’s title to take since October. The Mountaineers win by a touchdown to bring the title home to Boone for the first time.
Appalachian State 34, UNI 27