6:50 PM - Tavaris Cadet eclipses the 100-yard mark with 26 carries for 106 yards thus far. Furman has taken a pair of timeouts with just over one minute to play, but the Mountaineers appear poised to keep a perfect record for 2010. One more first down should help the Black and Gold seal the victory. Appalachian gets a first down on a Cadet carry on fourth and short to seal the win. Black and Gold go 8-0 with a hard-fought 37-26 victory. ASU travels to Statesboro to take on Georgia Southern next Saturday afternoon!
6:45 PM -- Paladins working with urgency now trying to get the football into the end zone and do so with a five-yard touchdown pass from Worley to Daniel McFadden with 2:38 left to play.
The PAT attempt, however, is BLOCKED by ASU, and Troy Sanders scoops up the blocked kick and dashes to Purple paydirt for the two points! Shades of the "Miracle on the Mountain" as ASU gets the two and makes the score 37-26, still a two-score contest. Big momentum swinger and perhaps the final dagger to help the Mountaineers move to 8-0.
6:35 PM -- Following another stop on defense, the Mountaineer offense trots back out on the field with 8:09 to play and a 15-point advantage. ASU kept the game on the ground to run some time off the clock. The Black and Gold march past midfield. Today's attendance: 29,093 (the 8th largest crowd in stadium history). Half of the top ten largest crowds in stadium history have come this season.
As the attendance is announced, Cadet fumbles and Furman recovers to turn the ball over near midfield, giving the Paladins new life. Furman takes timeout and is currently at the ASU 32-yard line with 4:03 left in the game.
6:30 PM - ASU holds Furman to a three-and-out and the offense gets the football back with 12:21 to play in the game. The Mountaineers drive the field and move inside the Furman 5-yard line, but Cadet is stripped of the football just as he is about to cross the goal line.
The ball is slapped out of the end zone by Furman, but the touch is a penalty against the Paladins, giving ASU the football at the Furman 1. From there Cadet scores on the next play to give ASU another score. Furman head coach Bobby Lamb is irate at the officials over the call, but the score remains and the Mountaineers lead 35-20 with 9:27 left in the game.
Appalachian has had 10 penalties for 106 yards thus far in the game, but a huge call goes for ASU as the Black and Gold lead by 15.
6:08 PM -- A pass connection from Pressley to Brian Quick makes the wide receiver only the fourth player in ASU history to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a career. Appalachian is near midfield on offense as the third quarter closes. Mountaineers lead 28-13.
6:02 PM -- A six-yard pass play from quarterback Cody Worley to running back Jerry Williams puts the Paladins back in the scoring column. The extra point is successful to cap an 8 play, 70 yard drive elapsing 3:05 off the clock. With 1:45 left in the third period, the new score is 28-20 in favor of ASU.
5:55 PM -- The ASU defense surrenders one first down but the Paladins are shut down at its own 39 to force a punt. Appalachian takes over 1st and 10 at its own 29-yard line.
Shadows have fallen over Kidd Brewer Stadium as the Mountaineers must kick the ball away after a three-and-out. On the punt, Sam Martin has a Paladin collide into him, and the officials after a conference they signal running into the kicker for a five-yard penalty and not the personal foul, automatic first-down variety. The Mountaineers kick the ball away a second time and the Paladins will take over at its own 30 yard line with 4:50 left in the third quarter trailing 28-13.
5:45 PM -- Appalachian answers the Furman score with a touchdown drive of its own capped by a TD pass of 5 yards to tight end Ben Jorden. The drive took 11 plays, 64 yards, and used a little over four minutes off the third quarter clock. Mountaineer lead back to double digits at 28-13 with 8:44 left in the third period.
5:40 PM-- The Mountaineers kick off from its 25 yard line, then a personal foul facemask adds 15 yards at the end of the Furman return, setting up the Paladins at the App 41. A pass connection is complete to the ASU 2-yard line and Furman scores one play later on a two-yard run by Tersoo Uhaa. The PAT makes teh score 21-13 with 13:36 left in the third quarter.
5:30 PM -- A fumble by the Furman quarterback is picked up by Jabari Fletcher, who picks up the pigskin and rumbles 40 yards for an ASU score, his first in his ASU career. The Mountaineers are assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for somersaulting into the end zone. The extra point by Vitaris clangs off the upright and through for the point, giving the Apps a 21-6 lead with 14:14 left in the third period.
5:00 PM -- ASU pins its ears back and sacks Furman QB Cody Worley on third down, then takes a timeout as it will force a Paladin punt with 1:17 left to play in the half. ASU hopes for one final shot to add to its lead before intermission.
A pass to Matt Cline nets a first down, but the Mountaineers are eventually forced to punt the ball away with 35 seconds left. Furman is content to run the football and go into halftime down by 8 points. Halftime at the Rock, and the Mountaineers lead it 14-6. We'll be back with second half action in a few minutes!
4:50 PM -- On Appalachian's ensuing series, a long running play by Cadet, followed by a pass from Pressley to Coco Hillary sets up the Mountaineers inside the Furman 5-yard line. A defensive hold call against Furman makes it first-and-goal at the two-yard line. Cadet scores from a yard out and the Vitaris PAT is good as the Mountaineers lead 14-6 with 3:28 left in the half. The scoring drive takes 6 plays, 60 yards, and elapses just over three minutes off the clock.
4:42 PM -- DeAndre Pressley is intercpted for the first time in 189 attempts and Furman eventually cashes in with a 21-yard Early field goal. 6:35 to play before halftime and ASU's lead is cut to one at 7-6. Appalachian also snaps a string of passes where it had not thrown an interception vs. Furman since 2002.
4:25 PM -- ASU picks up one first down, but Furman holds and the Mountaineers punt the football again. Furman starts at its own 35-yard line. A roughing the passer call on ASU's defense on Furman's first offensive play of the series moves the football to midfield. Running back Jerry Williams then breaks off a 40-yard run to the ASU 10 yard line to set up first-and-goal. The Mountaineers keep Furman out of the end zone on three plays and Furman must settle for a 20-yard field goal from kicker Ray Early, capping a 6-play, 62-yard drive that takes 2:39 off the clock. 10:21 left to play in the second period and Furman cuts the ASU lead to 7-3.
4:15 PM - ASU shoots itself with a couple of penalties on its series and has to punt the ball back to the Paladins. The APP defense forces another three-and-out, but the Furman punt pins ASU back inside the 10-yard line to start another drive. Appalachian runs one play before the first period clock expires. One quarter in the books and the Mountaineers lead 7-0 on Black Saturday!
4:05 PM -- ASU's Tavaris Washington puts a big hit on special teams and forced a fumble on the ensuing kick return, but Furman retains possession inside of its own 15-yard line. Mountaineers defense forces a three-and-out, and Furman punts the ball away, where it gets a favorable roll, 62 yards in all to the Appalachian 21-yard line. A personal foul facemask penalty pushes App back to its own 10-yard line to start offensive series #3.
4:00 PM -- ASU kept the football on the ground to the Furman red zone, and Tavaris Cadet finds the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately, a holding call negated the score. No worries for the Black and Gold, however. A few plays later, ASU's Cadet scores on a 9-yard run. The score caps off a 8-play, 37-yard scoring drive that elapsed 3:06 off the first quarter clock. Mountaineers draw first blood and leads it 7-0 with 6:34 to play in the period.
3:50 PM -- The Mountaineer defense surrenders just two yards on three plays, and the Paladins are forced to punt in the shadow of its own goal post. ASU starts its second drive inside Furman territory at the 37-yard line.
3:34 PM -- ASU gets the football on offense to start the game as Furman won the toss and elected to defer.
ASU starts its opening drive at its own 24-yard line. Paladins getting a heavy dose of DeAndre Pressley to start the drive.
Three first downs so far for the Mountaineers as they move inside Paladin territory. The Furman defense stiffens and forces incomplete passes on 2nd and 3rd down to force a Sam Martin punt. Great job by the special teams of ASU to down the 46-yard punt at the 1-yard line as Furman opens its first offensive series.
3:30 PM - Ready for football from a rockin' Kidd Brewer! The teams have made it out on the field and it is youth football day today at The Rock as well. North Avery and South Avery 's youth football teams are among several who are on the field to welcome the Mountaineers as they come out of the tunnel to tangle with the Paladins this afternoon! Congrats to these young players on a one-of-a-kind experience! Kickoff coming up in minutes from Kidd Brewer!
We're live at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone for this afternoon's Southern Conference donnybrook between the Furman Paladins and the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Furman enters this afternoon's game with a 4-3 mark, while the top-ranked ASU club stands at a perfect 7-0.
Furman is coming off a heartbreaking 36-28 loss to Chattanooga last week, while the Mountaineers defeated Western Carolina 37-14 in Cullowee last Saturday. Appalachian has won five consecutive games in the series with Furman, and home to keep the streak alive this evening.
Today is Black Saturday at The Rock, and it is an absolutely beautiful afternoon for football in the High Country. We'll be updating from the press box throughout the game with scores and informational tidbits. Thanks for reading and we'll be back around 3:30 pm with the opening kickoff from Boone!
