We are live again this afternoon from a gusty and cool Kidd Brewer Stadium for today's Black Saturday contest between App and Furman. This game has had many great memories, most memorably the Miracle on the Mountain in 2002. The Apps are 5-2, 3-0 in the SOCON and the Palladins of Furman are 6-2, 3-1 in SOCON play.We'll do our best to keep things updated and flowing from The Rock, as long as the fingers don't freeze up!
3:30 PM - Coming up to kickoff. The weather is brisk and windy, with temps in the 40s. The breeze will wreak havoc on kicks today, which may be something worth remembering.
Opening drive of the game: Armanti Edwards is in the end zone on a 14- yard quarterback draw. Extra point no good. App leads 6-0 at the 12:29 mark.
Furman is held to three-and-out on its first drive, giving the Mountaineers back the football near the Furman 40 after the punt. Appalachian drove to near the Furman 20, but could not convert a fourth and two pass play. 8:53 left in the first, still 6-0 ASU.
3:55 PM - Furman with another three-and-out, and the third Mountaineers offensive series begins at their own 32 yard line. Three and out by the ASU offense, a Neil Young punt puts the Palladans back inside their own 30 yard line to open possession. 5:53 left in the first, 6-0 ASU.
Furman had a solid drive downfield, converting on a fourth and short, plus getting the benefit of a pass interference call against the Mountaineers. However, a fumble inside the ASU 5 yard line was recovered by the Apps, turning the Palladins away from their first points of the game. After one period of action, it's 6-0 ASU.
4:10 PM = from inside its own 5 yard line, App drives it downfield quickly to open the second period. An 84-yard run from Devin Radford was capped off one play later by a four-yard run by Josh Jackson, putting the Mountaineers up by two scores. A Vitaris PAT gives the Apps a 13-0 lead at the 13:22 mark of the second quarter. ASU's scoring drive was six plays, covering 99 yards in only 2;33.
4:
25 PM - Furman's offense is on the move, driving the field into the ASU red zone. A four yard touchdown run by Tersoo Uhaa puts the Palladins on the board capping a 12 play, 85 yard drive. The PAT is good. 13-7 Appalachian with 7:00 left in the half.4:55 PM - App leads at the half 13-7. Furman has outgained App. 224-207 and had another opportunity to score late in the half, but fumbled the play away as Jacque Roman came up with a recovery.
Armanti Edwards was 6 for 10 passing in the half for only 57 yards, while rushing for only 21. Great job thus far by the Palladins in containing the all-everything quarterback.
Second half of play coming up!
5:20 PM -- The teams have traded punts thus far in the third qua
rter. Furman football just past midfield with 7:16 left in the quarter. Mountaineers still lead 13-7.Appalachian drives inside the Furman 30, but a quick snap sails past QB Edwards, rolls all the way back to the ASU 29, where the Palladins recover. Furman runs uses the run and is first and goal at the ASU 4 yard line as the quarter expires. End of three quarters. 13-7 ASU.
5:35 PM - Two plays into the fourth quarter, Furman scores on a two yard run. The PAT was successful, giving the Palladins a 14-13 lead with 14:20 left to go in the game.
Appalachian scores just three plays after the Furman score. A 44 yard pass from Edwards to Quick was followed immediately by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to tight end Ben Jordan. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but App regains the lead at 19-14 with 13:12 left in the game.
5:50 PM The Appalachian defense does it again! A blindskde hit on the Furman quarterback resulted in a fumble which was scooped up by the Mountaineers and returned to the Furman 40 yard line. The third costly fumble for the Palladins today.
Furman held Appalachian to fourth down from the Furman 33, but a pass interference call on an incompletion kept the drive alive. Appalachian made the penalty cost the Palladins as TJ Courman caught a TD pass from Armanti Edwards for 15 yards. The PAT is good, and App leads 26-14 with 5:45 left in the ballgame.
6:10 PM -- Furman had one final drive in them, moving the ball all the way to the ASU 12 yard line, but an incompletion on fourth down with 1:50 remaining gives the Black and Gold back possession of the football holding a 26-14 lead.
Armanti Edwards picks up a first down on a QB draw to pick up a first down. Furman is unable to stop the clock with no timeouts remaining. ASU takes a couple of knees to run out the clock. ASU picks up a tough 26-14 victory at chilly Kidd-Brewer today.
Appalachian improves to 6-2, 4-0 in SoCon play, while Furman drops to 6-3, 3-2 in SoCon play. Congratulations to Mountaineers head coach Jerry Moore on career coaching victory #200 with todsy's win.
That is it from Boone this evening. Thanks for following the Blog!
10:30PM: Updated with pictures from today's game.
