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Tuesday, 19 September 2006 16:46 |
WCU stages rally to upset
No. 19 E. Kentucky 20-17
CULLOWHEE ÇƒÓ Western Carolina University rallied to upset No. 19 Eastern Kentucky 20-17 in football at Whitmire Stadium last Saturday night
At the half, WCU trailed 17-7 and had amassed no first downs. However, in the second half, the Catamountsë offense clicked on all cylinders, gaining 219 yards while limiting the Colonels to 77 yards.
With the win, WCU improved to 2-0, while EK dropped to1-2. Catamountsë coach Kent Briggs, who has been criticized for his teamës failures against nationally ranked 1-AA teams, is now 2-11 against the best.
WCU scored 10 third-quarter points, including a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bennett Swygert to Chris Jefferson and a 30-yard field goal by Jonathan Parsons.
Tied 17-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Catamounts clinched a victory with a 25-yard field goal from Parsons. His winning kick was set up by freshman linebacker Kadeem Morganës diving interception at the Colonelsë 14-yard line. Morgan, a former Asheville High player, caught the ball inches from the ground off a deflection.
EK made a number of mistakes, including three interceptions, a touchdown nullified by a penalty, 10 penalties and two missed field goals, including a 43-yarder with two minutes left that could have tied the score.
WCU travels to Furman for a kickoff at 7 p.m. next Saturday.
In 1st meeting, ASU stomps
WNC neighbor MHC 41-0
BOONE ÇƒÏ No. 2 Appalachian State University racked up 571 yards of total offense and limited visiting Mars Hill College to just 87 yards in a resounding 41-0 victory at Kidd Brewer Stadium last Saturday afternoon
ASUës first shutout in nearly six years extended its school-record home winning streak to 20 games. It was the first clash in football between the two neighboring Western North Carolina schools. The loss dropped MHC to 2-1, while ASU improved to 2-1.
The Mountaineers tallied 285 rushing yards and 286 passing yards in their best offensive performance since posting 582 yards of total offense in last yearës 30-3 win over Coastal Carolina. The 87 yards allowed were ASUës fewest since holding North Carolina A&T to 87 in 1994.
Making his first-career start, quarterback Armanti Edwards led the offensive outburst. The true freshman completed 15-of-29 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown and ran five times for 48 yards and another score in just one half of work.
Behind Edwards, the Mountaineers scored on five of their first six drives to grab a 27-0 halftime lead.
Julian Rauch booted field goals of 32 and 46 yards, Walter Payton Award candidate Kevin Richardson found the end zone for the fourth time on the season and Edwards scored on a four-yard run and tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to William Mayfield to give the Apps the 27-point advantage with 5:29 still to play before the intermission.
However, Edwardsë first career interceptions on the final two series of the half limited the damage going into halftime.
In the first series of the second half, junior quarterback Trey Elder led the Mountaineers on a nine-play, 55-yard scoring drive, culminated by a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Bettis that stretched ASUës lead to 34-0.
In just one period of work, Elder put up his biggest numbers of the season with 60 yards on 6-of-12 passing and 50 yards on nine rushes.
Third-string signal-caller Chase Laws put a cap on the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman Tavaris Washington with 2:16 left to play.
Playing just one half like most of the ASU starters, Richardson racked up 84 yards on 13 runs. Mayfield caught four passes for 75 yards to lead nine Mountaineers with at least one reception.
Despite the offensive outburst, the story of the day was the ASU defense. In recording ASUës first shutout since blanking VMI, 52-0, in 2000, the defense held MHC to just 1.7 yards per play and five first downs. In the second quarter, the Lions managed just one yard against the stifling Mountaineersë defense.
Ends Marques Murrell and Gary Tharrington led the stingy defense. Murrell, a senior Buck Buchanan Award candidate, had a team-high eight tackles, including 2.5 for loss, a half sack and a quarterback hurry. Tharrington, a redshirt freshman making just his second career start, had 2.5 sacks and 3.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage among his five total tackles.
As for MHC, Trandon Dendy rushed for 47 yards, while quarterback Brandon Sims completed six of 11 passes for 36 yards.
An overflow crowd of 24,346, the third-largest in the schoolës history, witnessed the dismantling, marking the sixth-straight regular-season crowd of 20,000-plus at The Rock.
ASU returns to action with a kickoff at 6 p.m. next Saturday, when it makes its first-ever trip to Boiling Springs to challenge local-rival Gardner-Webb in Spangler Stadium. The contest will be televised on tape delay on ESPNU, beginning at 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, MHC will host St. Augustineës at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Brevard remains winless;
crushed 45-0 by Newberry
NEWBERRY, S.C. ÇƒÓ The duo of Deshon Rodell and Josh Stepp combined for 378 yards of total offense while the Indian defense pitched its second shutout of the season as Newberry College defeated winless Brevard College 45-0 in front of 1,683 last Saturday night at Setzler Field.
Rodell lead the Indians (3-0) on the ground with 120 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while Stepp was nearly flawless in the game, completing 11-of-12 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns. The Indian offense scored touchdowns on its first six possessions.
BC (0-4), which reinstated football this season after a 56-year lapse, is fielding a team comprised of almost all true freshmen.
The Indian defense held the Tornados to just 176 yards of total offense. The defense combined for six tackles-for-loss. Linebackers Will Newell and Brandon Clontz led the team with nine tackles apiece.
The Tornadosë offense was led by running back Tyrone Arrington, who amassed 56 yards rushing.
BC, which was stomped 55-0 by Mars Hill College two weeks ago, will host Tusculum College at 2 p.m. next Saturday at Brevard Highës football stadium.
In overtime, Timberwolves
get jump on Grizzlies 12-6
The Carolina Timberwolves beat the Asheville Grizzlies 12-6 in overtime in minor league football at Memorial Stadium last Saturday.
The Timberwolves won the coin toss in overtime and scored on their first possession to secure the victory over the Grizzlies (6-3).
Asheville quarterback Frank Mead finished 7 for 17 for 133 aerial yards and a 23-yard touchdown to wide receiver Patric Johnson.
Grizzliesë running back Cortez Oliver led all rushers with 10 carries for 95 yards.
Next, Asheville will visit the Timberwolves in Columbia, S.C., at noon Sept. 30.
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