As Appalachian State football fans try to get over that rare FCS playoff loss -- Richmond's 33-13 quarterfinal win in Boone Saturday was the Mountaineers' first in 14 postseason games -- they might consider this:
ASU could be the preseason favorite in 2009, picked to win its fourth national championship in five years.
It starts with quarterback Armanti Edwards, a marvelous player who could win the Payton Award (the FCS version of Heisman) and who has already said he will return for his senior season.
Including Edwards, 17 of the 22 starters on Saturday's depth chart return. And 21 of the 22 backups are underclassmen, meaning 38 of the Apps' top 44 players will be back.
While punter Neil Young graduates, kicker Jason Vitaris is a sophomore.
Of 44 players on this year's two-deep roster, only six were seniors.
Don't forget that three key players--junior running back Devon Moore, junior defensive lineman Tony Robertson and freshman defensive back Dominique McDuffie -- were all lost to season-ending injuries, and should return.
Another boost could come from defensive end Gary Tharrington and tight end Jordan Gary, if they become academically eligible.
"We wasted a lot of time out there, and we're going to learn from it," Appalachian coach Jerry Moore said of the loss. "That's the way we're going to approach the winter, the spring and the summer. We're a relatively young football team. ... Guys just kept stepping up and making plays all year long, and (against Richmond) we just weren't able to do it. On either side of the ball, offense or defense."
Expect the Mountaineers to make adjustments. And to be back in the hunt next year.
--Stan Olson
Monday, December 8, 2008
Fret not, App fans: Mountaineers will be back
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29 comments:
This loss will fuel a strong off-season. When we lost to Western Carolina in 2004, that bad taste in our mouth led to the 2005 title run.
The SoCon and the rest of FCS knows we'll be back. ECU may start underestimating us without a 4th title. That will be a big mistake.
I hope that ASU can get back to being the best JV program in the nation.
Best JV team in the nation... Ahhh yes... another upset MISSAGAIN fan.
I hope the 5 INT game by Edwards finally proves to the mouth-breathers in Boone that he is NOT the best QB in North Carolina. "JV football program" hahahahaha! Spot on!
I am a douche that uses "Spot on"!
Step on the field and see what JV feels like! Think about the fact that App gets fewer scholarships... meaning more people are there because they love the game and not because of $.
ECU... ASU... what approximately 20 scholarship difference. Let's see how that turns out!
So much for all that talk about Armanti Edwards being the best QB in the state. In one game, he threw 5 interceptions. Russell Wilson threw ONE interception ALL SEASON and he played against SUPERIOR COMPETITION. Case closed.
Having covered the game, Edwards easily could have had one interception instead of five: Great read on the first, second went right through WR's hands, third, WR fell down, fourth, arm hit as he threw, fifth, last-ditch when the game was over. Call 'em excuses if you want; didn't even mention that he was banged up. No slam on Wilson, he's good and getting better. But just because one is, doesn't mean the other can't be as well...
Pirates are going to crush the Mountaineers. You got lucky in one game two seasons ago. Fairy tale is over hippies, back to reality
AE--196 of 306 passing for 2902 yards, 30 TD's, 9 INT's, 170.10 Passer Rating
941 yards rushing and 11 TD's rushing
Wilson- 139 of 252, 16 TD's 1 INT, 134.29 Passer Rating
349 yards rushing and 4 TD's
There's no comparison, AE is easily the best in the state.
State's celebrating bowl eligibility, App's disappointed because they didn't win it all. The program expectations aren't even close.
BTW, who's coaching the Pirates next year????
State fans, you're so desperate for a reason to argue that Wilson is better.
AE threw five interceptions, four of which (as Stan Olson points out) were not his fault.
Since when does one off game define a quarterback. Do I need to remind you of that oh-so-sweet upset in your program's history back in 1998? Chris Weinke threw six (SIX!) interceptions against your Wolfpack. Did that one game make him a bad college quarterback? Absolutely not. The dude went on to win the national title the next year and the Heisman the year after.
Once again, you fail to explain what Wilson did that was better than what Edwards did this year. You argue that he played tougher competition. How does that matter? John Parker Wilson has led Alabama to a 12-1 record against the SEC, but that doesn't mean that he's a great QB.
You can also stop defending Wilson's shortcoming on stats compared with Armanti Edwards. AE has missed at least one game each year of his career due to injury.
Give us something besides the quality of competition BS. People said Joe Flacco couldn't make it in the NFL because he played 1-AA; instead, he's a Rookie of the Year candidate. I'm sure the same arguments were made against Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Rich Gannon, Nate Newton, Terrell Owens, etc.
There is only one college football program in North Carolina that has ever won any National Title. Oh, and make that program a 3-peat National Champion - ASU - enough said!
You App fans are delusional. You won a national championship in a second rate division. It is not the same as the big boys. By your belief you were better than everyone last year. Are you kidding. Over the last ten years you are 4-34 against Div 1A teams. Those are not michigan by the way those are schools we have never heard of. by the way Michigan stunk when you beat them.
Not an ECU fan, but God I hope they kill you so you will be quiet.
Yay, you are the tallest midget, but you are still a midget. No on badmouthed you guys until you got so obnoxious. You think you can beat schools like ECU, NCSU, UNC, wand Wake the majority of the time? You would steal a few but 80% of the time you lose.Get real guys, come on.
People have to care if you play football to matter. Step up to the big boys and Happy Appy would be worth my time. What was App's most anticipated home game?? Elon?? Enough said.
App St will lose to ECU and their fans will still think they're better. Congrats on your win over Michigan but you're in fairy tale land if you think that somehow makes you better than every team in the state. You lost to Richmond for God's sakes.
Give us 22 more schollies and we'll compete with anyone in the state all the time!
Last time East Carolina played APP is in 1979 we when beat yall to win the SOCON Championship. The following year we left to move on to D-1. If we could get out 30 years ago of the SoCon and move to Division-1 Football, why didn’t app do the same, so they could get the scholarships that all their fans seem to think they are robbed of? Do you really think APP couldn’t move up to DIV-1 in the past 30 years? They are happy with playing mediocre teams and always having a chance at winning. Can’t blame them who doesn’t like winning and always having a shot, so I’m sure they will continue to schedule one FBS opponent a season like they have done for the past 31 season to give their fans a glimmer of hope that they are actually a real football team.
Hey Stan Olsen - why don't you spend more time on covering a 9 school with 9 Big Boy wins like East Carolina instead of ASU - Ain't Special University?
Do you really think 30yrs ago Bonne could hold a DI/BCS football school? It's no metropolis.And don't hate on Olsen, he actually can see outside of the $$$$$ and knows that there is good football outside of $$$$$.
Actually, anon, I cover ASU football because it's my beat. Simple as that. And Edwards made me a believer because he is very, VERY good...
Continue to diss us at your peril....love ya..mean it....ASU
Delsuional would be you folks at EZU that believe you play big time football. You're happy playing mediocre teams so you have a chance to win a mediocre & meaningless bowl. You're playing in the Liberty Bowl. It has what significance? Oh yeah, it's just an exhibition game after the season with no bearing on anything. Have fun in your mediocrity.
anybody that comes on here and mouths off about ASU is straight GREEN with jealousy. ASU has probably the best college win in the State of North Carolina over the past 5 years, maybe even 10, can't remember every game. State fans are jealous because AE is clearly better than their freshman quarterback, who is going to be good, but is no AE. ECU fans are jealous because, well they are EZU haha, enough said. Have fun in the durex bowl, enjoy your complimentary condoms they hand out (although you guys don't use them, if everyone has STD's, nothing to worry about, right?).
Meanwhile, well just continue to be one of the most popular schools in our region, handle the thousands of applicants, go further with our academic programs, and enjoy our damn fine football team. I live in South Charlotte, and see more ASU stuff daily then everyone sans Chapel Hill. Thats what really chaps everyones ass on here. ASU is becoming one of the most popular schools in the state. Guess what? Get used to it. Peace.
To Anonymous who posted the migrane inducing manifesto at 12:24 - Huh? ECU didn't leave the Socon to go D-I. They already were D-I as was App State. App State and the Socon, along with other schools such as La Tech, Boise State, etc. were classified as the newly created I-AA. By the way, if the logic and grammar in that post is the result of an ECU education ("If we could get out 30 years ago of the SoCon "), you have my sympathy.
To the idiot that said Michigan "stunk" when we beat them - are you sure about that? Does "stinking" mean going 8-4 and beating Florida in the Capital One Bowl? If that's "stinking", then what the hell were you doing then?
Outside of Wake getting lucky in winning the ACC, when has a Carolinas ACC school done anything worth a damn on the football field? As was stated before, your goal for a good season is 6-6. It's good to keep your goals low, that way you might achieve them once in a while.
Then again the comment was probably made by a Wal-Mart ACC fan who couldn't spell the name of the school they root for.
I wish that all of these ACC fans would stop talking **** about App. Sure some App fans talk ****, but the thing is, we win championships! When has an NC ACC school won a championship? Not in a while. App has won three national titles in a row, as well as the only FCS school to have a 3-PEAT.
I think the reasons for why we lost the championship this year were that three of our original starters were hurt for the entire season and our DT was academically ineligible. Our backup QB wasn't as experienced to help out AE.
So I guess if you a so damn proud of getting into a bowl game, then have fun. We're proud when we win championships. It's already noticeable that our expectations are much higher than yours.
BTW, on the last paragraph of the last post, it's "and", not "a"
Both teams have great fan support....App State could have 100,000 at some games if they had the seats for them....also,ECU tries so hard....App State leads the series 19-10, even with some of that with ECU having and being able to recruit and use 22 more scholarships than App State....some ECTC moron will say, well that goes back a long way....sure it does, but is also indicative of how football players rather go to "The Mountain" than to "the real swamp". Just hope the EZU crowd can knuckle-drag themselves out of the swamps around Greenville to see their football team, and their new coach, lose another one to the "Best Football Program in the Carolinas" !!!
Some of you are disrespecting a group of young men that have accomplished great things on and off of the football field. The dedication, character, and heart that this group has shown is admirable no matter who your favorite team is. Many of them are involved in charity programs such as Samaritan's Purse and Why The Woods among others. They have a voluntary Bible Study group that the players run themselves. ASU has one of the highest athlete graduation rates and athlete GPA's in the state system.
LSU and ECU are SUPPOSED to win those games. Hello! More $$$, more scholarships, if you can't win with that you have to wonder. I will take the fine players and coaches in Boone any day over a million bowl games. They carry themselves with pride and discipline and Coach Moore is one of the finest men I've ever known. Unlike the vast majority of D1 teams all players are held to academic and conduct standards. As proof, one of the star players last year - a senior -broke a team rule right before the championship game. He was not even allowed to travel with the team. Integrity. Enough said.
It's great to be a Mountaineer!!!
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