It's Senior Day at Kidd-Brewer Stadium as the Mountaineers play host to the Western Carolina Catamounts in the Battle for the Old Mountain Jug. A number of seniors, including quarterback Armanti Edwards, are playing their final regiular season home game before the Black and Gold faithful.ASU clinched at least a share of the Southern Conference title last week in its win over Elon, and hope to improve seeding and increase the likelihood of home field advantage through the playoffs with its ninth win of the season and an undefeated conference season.
We'll be here providing updates throughout the afternoon live from the press box!
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Update #1: WCU is held to a three-and-out on its first series. Tavaris Cadet returned the ensuing punt for a touchdown, only to see it called back by a penalty. Cadet is also starting for Armanti Edwards at QB on the Apps' opening drive The Mountaineers are held to three-and-out as well and have to kick it back to the Catamounts. Opening minutes first quarter: scoreless.
Update #2: WCU is held on its second series and pins ASU back with a punt to its own 9 yard line. Bad field position didn't matter, however, as the Mountaineers used a big gainer on a run by Devon Mooreto get into Catamount territory. ASU managed to drive the football inside the WCU 15-yard line, but the Catamount defense holds. The 11 play, 76-yard drive ends with a field goal of 32 yards from Jason Vitaris. 5:45 remains in the opening quarter and the Black and Gold lead 3-0.
Update #3: Western is threatening to
score as a 47-yard scamper by WCU running back Michael Johnson gives the purple and gold a first and goal inside the Mountaineer ten-yard line. Western ends up going for it on fourth down from the one yard line, and two old Western North Carolina high school names, former Pisgah quarterback Zach Jaynes and former Owen running back Dion Wilson, connect on a one-yard scoring pass. The PAT puts the Catamounds ahead 7-3 with 2:42 to play in the opening quarter.Update#4: Western's defense holds ASU's offense to another three-and-out despite a kickoff out of bounds following their touchdown. WCU takes over at its own 20 yard line. Western has advanced the ball to the 40 yard line as the first quarter clock expires. Western Carolina leads it 7-3 after one quarter of action from The Rock.
Update#5: Western again advanced the ball into ASU territory, but the Black and Gold defense stiffens thanks to a pair of stops for loss by lineman Langston Tanyi. WCU punts the ball back to App, where they start 1st and 10 from its own 9-yard line with just under ten minutes remaining before halftime.
Western's defense has been solid thus far, holding the Mountaineers to yet another three-and-out to force another Sam Martin ASU punt. WCU takes over at midfield for the next Catamount offensive series. 8:48 left before halftime and the Catamounts cling to a 7-3 lead. WCU is held to another three-and-out series and kicks the ball back to Appalachian. 7:00 exactly remains on the second quarter clock and Appalachian trails Western 7-3.
Appalachian finally gets something moving offensively, moving the football to the WCU 32 yard line, but are facing a 4th and 5 play, enticing the coaching staff at ASU to go for the first down rather than kick the field goal attempt. ASU goes for the first down, but the WCU defense deflects the pass, turning the ball over on downs to the Catamounts with 2:32 to go before halftime. Great defensive effort thus far from WCU. App seems a little sluggish without all-everything QB Edwards in the game. We may see #14 in the game come second half for the Mountaineers.
Update #6: Western Carolina drives into Appalachian territory in its final series of the first half, but a holding call pushes the Catamounts back near midfield. The connection of Jaynes to Wilson connects again on a screen pass to move Western to the Appalachian 26-yard line with under 40 seconds to play. A third down pass play to the end zone is ruled caught out of bounds, forcing WCU to settle for a field goal attempt, which was no good.Appalachian takes over and runs out the clock. Western Carolina leads it at the half 7-3. We'll have stats and more during the half from The Rock!
Update #7: As the second half begins, it appears that the Mountaineer offense behind the running of Devon Moore has awakened. With its first drive of the second half, Appalachian maneuvers 73 yards over six plays, capping the drive with a 25-yard touchdown run by Moore. The extra point gives ASU the lead back at 10-7 with 13:06 to play in the third quarter.
The Mountaineer offense was held to only 147 total yards at halftime (126 on the ground), Tavaris Cadet was only 4 of 10 for 21 yards passing in the first half.
Update #8: The teams have traded punts and Western has possession at its own 30 yard line with 6:48 to play in the third period. Appalachian moved the ball to near midfield, but the Western defense held to force another ASU punt. The third quarter clock expires with the Mountaineers holding a narrow 10-7 lead.
Langston Tanyi and Jabari Fletcher sack Zach Jaynes on third down from the WCU 15-yard line for a SAFETY! The gaffe adds a pair to the ASU ledger, as the Mountaineers lead it 12-7. ASU then gets the football back on the free kick. Big defensive play by the Black and Gold in this afternoon's struggle.
A 43-yard pass connection from Cadet to DeAndre Pressley moves the Mountaineers to the WCU 2-yard line, where Devon Moore punches the football over the goal line on the next play. The PAT makes the score 19-7. A four play, 45-yard drive taking only 1:43 off the fourth quarter clock gives the Apps the dozen-point advantage. 19-7 ASU leads it with 12:57 left to play. Note: Devon Moore has rushed for 190 yards in today's game, a career high.
Following a Mountaineer punt in the final two minutes, Western shows that it refuses to go away silently, driving the field quickly to score on a 2-yard touchdown run by Michael Johnson score to cap a six-play, 59-yard drive. Johnson goes over 100 yards on the day with the run, and the PAT cuts the deficit to 19-14 with only 39 seconds left in the game.
Western attempts the onside kick, but Brian Quick of the Mountaineers recovers the ball, stepping out of bounds at the WCU 37. Appalachian appears to have sealed its 23rd win in 25 games in the Battle for the Old Mountain Jug. The Mountaineers improve to 9-2 for the regular season and awaits its playoff seeding and opponent to be released Sunday afternoon.
We'll have some final stats from this big Mountaineer victory momenta
9:00: The second half has just gotten on the way here in Neyland Stadium as the Vols took a 24 to 10 lead into the the locker room.
At the end of the third quarter, UT continues to lead 24 to 13 over Vandy.
