Box Score Nov. 11, 2006
Final Stats
Cullowhee, N.C. - Freshman quarterback Armanti Edwards rushed for 119 yards, with Kevin Richardson adding 96 to eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier for the season, to lead top-ranked Appalachian State to a 31-9 victory over Western Carolina before a sell-out crowd of 13,742 Saturday afternoon at E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field. With the victory, the Mountaineers sealed their second straight Southern Conference championship, going 10-1 overall and 7-0 in the league, and allowed them to retain the Old Mountain Jug.
Edwards carried the ball 18 times, scoring on runs of 14 yards and 1 yard, while completing 13-of-20 passes for 85 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Richardson had 19 rushing attempts, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, with a one-yard TD.
For the Catamounts (2-8, 0-7 SoCon), senior tailback
Darius Fudge was looking to join Richardson in the 1,000-yard club for the season. Needing just 96 prior to the game, he only managed 53 on 22 carries. However, he had a career day as a receiver, catching three passes for 84 yards, including a WCU season-long 48 yarder.
Heavy rain and the emotions of a rivalry game kept the game close with Appalachian's high-powered offense managing just a 33-yard Julian Rauch field goal. Western answered with an impressive drive, but would turn the ball over on downs on the ASU 30 as the first quarter drew to a close.
Early in the second quarter, Edwards got the Mountaineers in gear as he had four rushes for 59 yards, including his 14-yard TD, during a nine-play drive, 81-yard drive to give the Apps a 10-0 lead. On the Mountaineers' next possession, Edwards capped a 10-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dexter Jackson and ASU took a 17-0 lead at the break.
Western looked to wrestle the momentum to start the second half. Thanks to a 48-yard screen pass from Bennett Swygert to Fudge, the Catamounts would have first and goal on the ASU one. However, the Mountaineer defense stiffened and would keep Western out of the endzone on each of the Cats' four chances.
The Catamounts would get points on the next play as the ASU snap from center went over Edwards' head for a WCU safety, Western's first since Jeff Chambers was credited with one in the 2001 season opener versus Mars Hill.
Western would not capitalize and be forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, which started on the WCU 40, Appalachian would face first and 30 thanks to three straight penalties. However, Edwards would convert a third and 11 on a 13-yard pass to Jackson, followed by a 27-yard pass to William Mayfield to get to the WCU one. Edwards gave the Apps a 24-2 lead with a one-yard run.
The end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth featured some sloppy play by both teams. Western's Antoine George had two interceptions, ASU's Justin Woazeah had one and ASU's Pierre Banks, who led the Mountaineers with eight tackles, forced a fumble, which was recovered by Daniel Orlebar.
After Orlebar's recovery, Richardson did most of the work on the 23-yard drive, including a one-yard plung to put his Apps up 31-2.
Western responded with its lone scoring drive of the game. Swygert found senior
J.C. Brown for a 25-yard pass across the middle, then completed a 16-yard pass to
Eddie Cohen. Four plays later, Swygert hit Cohen with a fade route to the right corner of the endzone for a 15-yard score to provide the final 31-9 score.
Swygert, who completed 7-of-16 passes for 126 yards, entered the game in the second quarter when WCU starter Todd Spitzer (5-of-10 for 60 yards) left the game with an injury. Defensively for the Catamounts, senior Shelton Gaffney tallied 12 stops, one shy of a career high, while Bruce Lee and Kadeem Morgan each had six.
Western Carolina will conclude the 2006 season facing Florida, who is currently ranked sixth in the nation and coming off a 17-16 victory over South Carolina. Kickoff has been moved up to Noon at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium/Florida Field.
