Game Notes (PDF)
THE GAME
North Carolina Central University “Eagles” vs. No. 2/1 Appalachian State University “Mountaineers”
THE KICKOFF
Saturday, September 18, 2010 – Kickoff at 3:30 p.m.
THE SITE
Kidd Brewer Stadium (21,650 capacity / FieldTurf) - Boone, N.C.
2010 RECORDS
North Carolina Central (1-1 overall); Appalachian State (2-0 overall)
MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network - flagship station WRJD 1410 AM (Durham), WHNC 890 AM (Henderson), WELS 1010 AM (Kinston), WYRN 1480 AM (Louisburg), WCBQ 1340 AM (Oxford), WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount), WXKL 1290 AM (Sanford); NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 3:00 p.m.
THE EVENT
North Carolina Central University takes on its highest-ranked opponent in program history, as the Eagles travel to Boone, N.C., to challenge No. 2/1 Appalachian State University. The Mountaineers (2-0) are the top-ranked team in the country, according to the American Football Coaches Association, while The Sports Network poll ranks ASU No. 2. Appalachian edged Chattanooga 42-41 on the road to open the season and cruised to a 45-14 victory over Jacksonville in the Mountaineers’ home-opener last week. NCCU looks to rebound from a heartbreaking 34-27 loss to rival Winston-Salem State University.
EAGLES AGAINST NATIONALLY-RANKED OPPOSITION
Appalachian State represents the highest-ranked opposing team in NCCU gridiron history. The Mountaineers enter the contest with a national ranking of No. 2 in The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top-25 College Football Poll and No. 1 in the American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division I FCS poll. Saturday will be the fifth time NCCU has lined up against a nationally-ranked opponent in the past three seasons. The Eagles played No. 8 James Madison on Sept. 6, 2008 (56-7 L), No. 3 Cal Poly on Nov. 8, 2008 (49-3 L), No. 24 Liberty on Sept. 12, 2009 (35-10 L), and No. 9 Appalachian State on Oct. 10, 2009 (55-21 L).
THE SERIES
This will be the second meeting between North Carolina Central University and Appalachian State University. The Mountaineers won the first meeting between the two North Carolina institutions by a score of 55-21 on Oct. 10, 2009.
THE LAST MEETING
(Oct. 10, 2009 - Appalachian State 55, NCCU 21 - Boone, N.C.) North Carolina Central University silenced a sellout homecoming crowd with a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but the ninth-ranked Mountaineers of Appalachian State University scored 27 unanswered points over the next two quarters to cruise to a 55-21 victory inside Kidd Brewer Stadium on Oct. 10, 2009. After ASU running back Devon Moore raced 73 yards for the first score of the game at 10:14 of the opening stanza, NCCU junior linebacker Calvin Hillie stepped in front of a pass from Armanti Edwards and returned the interception 35 yards to the Mountaineer 11-yard line. Two plays later, Tim Shankle took advantage of Edwards’ first interception of the season with a two-yard touchdown scamper to tie the game at 7-7 at the 5:57 mark of the first quarter. On Appalachian’s next offensive play, Hillie recovered a fumble at the ASU 24-yard line to set up a two-yard touchdown pass from Michael Johnson to tight end Earthan Ward. Frankie Cardelle’s extra-point kick gave the visiting Eagles a 14-7 lead with 34 seconds remaining in the opening 15 minutes of play. The second quarter was a different story. After NCCU held the nationally-ranked Mountaineers to just 70 total yards and two first downs in the first quarter, Appalachian exploded for 208 yards and 12 first downs in the second stanza. ASU scored two touchdowns and a field goal to take a 24-14 cushion into the locker room at intermission. The Mountaineers posted a field goal and another touchdown in the third quarter, before NCCU struck again with a 44-yard touchdown catch by Andrew Johnson to make the deficit 34-21 with 14:28 left in the contest. ASU pulled away with three more touchdowns, including a three-yard rush with only 13 seconds remaining. ASU amassed 644 yards of total offense, more than any other opponent in NCCU history. The Mountaineers held an impressive 407-to-5 advantage in the ground game, topped by Moore’s 124-yard, 2-touchdown performance. Edwards, a three-time All-American and winner of the 2008 Walter Payton Award, recorded 334 total yards (237 passing, 97 rushing) and accounted for three touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 passing). Johnson completed 16-of-23 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Eagles. The NCCU defense was led by senior safety Derek Harvey with a career-high 11 tackles (6 solo), while corner back Rashad Fox added eight stops for the Eagles.
LAST WEEK
(Winston-Salem State 34, NCCU 27 - Durham, N.C.) North Carolina Central University rallied back from a 20-6 deficit to take a fourth quarter lead, but Winston-Salem State University intercepted a pass in the end zone with less than two minutes left and scored the game-winning touchdown just 25 seconds later for a 34-27 victory in front of 9,711 fans inside NCCU’s O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.WSSU (3-0) gained a 20-6 advantage on a 50-yard pass play from Kameron Smith to Dominique Fitzgerald with 4:15 remaining in the third quarter. Just when it appeared that the visiting Rams had total control of the game, NCCU sophomore Arthur Goforth returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, equaling the third-longest kickoff return in school history. After a defensive stop by the Eagles, NCCU senior running back Tim Shankle capped a five-play, 66-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown scamper. Frankie Cardelle’s extra-point kick evened the score at 20-20 just four seconds into the final stanza. The NCCU defense held the Rams to a three-and-out on the following possession and the WSSU punt pushed the Eagles back to their own 7-yard line. On NCCU’s first play from scrimmage, a school record 93-yard touchdown run by senior running back Tony McCord capped a 21-0 run to give the Eagles a 27-20 at 12:09 of the fourth quarter. WSSU answered the challenge by converting on a fourth-down-and-12 play with a 27-yard connection from Smith to Tevin Brantley, giving the Rams a first down from the Eagles’ 2-yard line. On the next play, Smith found running back Tyrone Goldson for a touchdown to tie the score at 27-27 with 8:22 left in the contest. The two rivals exchanged possessions before NCCU used six plays to move 25 yards to the Rams’ 33-yard line. On first and 10 with just over two minutes remaining, NCCU junior quarterback Michael Johnson under-threw a pass intended for Geovonie Irvine in the end zone that was intercepted by Miami transfer Rashaun Jones for a touchback. With the NCCU fans deflated, WSSU wasted little time for the game-winner. Following an incomplete pass, Nicholas Cooper raced 49 yards to the Eagles’ 31-yard line. Smith then lofted a 31-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown pass to Brantley with just 94 seconds left. NCCU managed to move the pigskin to the Rams’ 24-yard line, but on third down with just eight ticks on the clock Johnson was hit as he threw and WSSU’s Jared Mitchell intercepted the wobbling pass to seal the victory. WSSU amassed 419 yards of total offense, with quarterback Smith accounting for 317 total yards. The Navy transfer completed 18-of-29 passes for 294 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for 23 yards. Brantley was on the receiving end of six passes for 166 yards and two scores. The WSSU ground game was topped by Cooper with 88 yards on 14 carries. NCCU (1-1) posted 365 total yards with a balanced 193 yards passing and 172 yards rushing. Johnson completed 22-of-39 passes for 193 yards, but snapped a seven-game streak with a touchdown passes and threw a pair of interceptions. Irvine gathered a career-best eight receptions for 95 yards. Cardelle added to the scoring ledger with field goals of 20 and 34 yards. Defensive back Alton Keaton collected a game-high 11 tackles along with a fumble recovery to top the WSSU defense, while junior linebacker Eliezer Sandifer paced the Eagles with nine stops, a forced fumble and a pass break-up.
(Appalachian State 45, Jacksonville 14 - Boone, N.C.) Led by 386 yards of total offense from DeAndre Presley, No. 3 Appalachian State University football overcame its second-straight slow start to rout visiting Jacksonville, 45-14, on Saturday afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Presley became the first player in Appalachian history to rack up 300 yards of total offense in three of his first four career starts by throwing for 285 yards and rushing for 101 in the home-opening win. The junior completed 20-of-31 passes without an interception and threw for a career-best four touchdowns. His 386 yards of total offense were a career high and rank 20th all-time at ASU. Despite Presley’s heroics, Saturday’s victory did not come easy at first, as first-half turnovers plagued the Mountaineers for the second-straight week. ASU did not punt in the first half but led only 17-7 at halftime thanks to losing two fumbles, like it did in last Saturday’s opener at Chattanooga, and having a third drive stall on downs inside the Jacksonville 20. The slim lead became even more tenuous when Jacksonville marched 78 yards on its first possession of the second half and scored on a two-yard run by J.J. Laster to cut the deficit to 17-14. From there, however, it was all Appalachian (2-0, 1-0 SoCon). Each of the Mountaineers’ next four possessions ended in touchdowns, with the first three drives all covering at least 82 yards. The highlight of the onslaught was a diving 41-yard touchdown catch by Brian Quick, his third score of the afternoon. The junior finished with 132 receiving yards on six receptions, including the career-high-tying three touchdowns. The 100-yard receiving effort was the fifth of his career and his second in two games this season, giving him back-to-back 100-yard performances for the first time. He also hauled in multiple touchdown passes for the fourth time in his career. ASU’s defense also played a huge role in the late surge, as it limited JU’s dangerous offense to just 52 yards over the final 25:02 of the ballgame. Buck Buchanan Award candidate Mark LeGree led the defensive effort with a team-high eight tackles and an interception in the ASU end zone that thwarted the Dolphins’ final scoring opportunity of the afternoon. In all, Appalachian out-gained Jacksonville (1-1), 620-257, and held a 36-13 edge in first downs. Besides Quick’s three touchdowns, tight end Ben Jorden hauled in Presley’s fourth scoring strike from six yards out and Devon Moore and Jamal Jackson found paydirt on runs of two and three yards, respectively, to round out the scoring for the Apps.However, the player of the game may have been true freshman walk-on Patrick Blalock, who enjoyed a spectacular day on special teams. Blalock recorded ASU’s first punt block in three years and nearly became the just the third player in school history to notch two blocked punts in a game, only to have his second block negated by an offsides penalty. In addition to the blocked punt — ASU’s first since current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Corey Lynch did it at Elon in 2007 — and the near block, Blalock also registered four tackles on special teams. Jacksonville quarterback Josh McGregor completed just 13-of-30 passes for 169 yards, 142 less than he posted in last week’s win over Old Dominion. Running back Rudell Smith was limited to just 44 yards — 74 less than he had at ODU — and wide receiver Josh Philpart, who caught six passes for 115 yards last week was held without a reception.
THE COACHES
Mose Rison is in his fourth season as head coach at NCCU with an overall record of 15-19. Rison was announced as the school’s 19th head football coach on Feb. 6, 2007, assuming the role of head coach for the first time in his 25-year coaching career. Rison served as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the Eagles historic 11-1 campaign in 2006. With Rison directing NCCU’s offense, the 2006 Eagles scored 371 points (30.9 per game), the most in school history. Under Rison’s tutelage, freshman quarterback Stadford Brown was named as the “SBN Sports Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year,” the 2006 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year and CIAA Rookie of the Year. A 1978 graduate of Central Michigan University, Rison spent the 2005 season as the Quarterbacks Coach/Passing Coordinator at Davidson College, where the Wildcats averaged more than 200 yards passing per game running a West Coast offensive system. He has also held positions at Livingstone College (Offensive Coordinator, 2004), the University of Arizona (Wide Receivers/Passing Coordinator, 2003), Stanford University (Wide Receivers, 1995-2000), Rutgers University (Wide Receivers/Tight Ends, 1991-94), the U.S. Naval Academy (Wide Receivers, 1988-90), and Central Michigan University (Wide Receivers, 1981-87). During his tenure at Stanford, Rison coached in three bowl games, including the 2000 Rose Bowl. Rison, the cousin of five-time NFL All-Pro receiver Andre Rison, spent two seasons (2001-02) in the National Football League coaching ranks as the wide receivers coach with the New York Jets, helping to develop Laveranues Coles and Santana Moss. He has also held NFL summer internships with the Baltimore Ravens (2000), Chicago Bears (1999), New York Jets (1993) and Detroit Lions (1988). A standout running back for Central Michigan from 1974-77, Rison helped the Chippewas to a 13-1 record and a Division II national title as a freshman. He rushed for 1,283 yards and scored 12 touchdowns as a senior to earn all-conference and team MVP honors. Rison and his wife, Marilynn, have two daughters, Dominique and Tara.
A bona fide legend in the college football coaching ranks, 2010 is Jerry Moore’s 22nd year at the helm of Appalachian State University’s football program. In 22 seasons at Appalachian, Moore has compiled a 191-76 record, making him the winningest coach in Southern Conference history. In 29 years as a head coach, he is 218-123-2, making him one of only four active NCAA Division I FCS head coaches with 200 career victories. Moore led Appalachian to three-consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS - formerly Division I-AA) national titles from 2005-07, making ASU the first program to ever win three-straight championships at the FCS/I-AA level and the first Division I program, FCS or FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision - formerly Division I-A) to accomplish the feat in 61 years. Moore also led Appalachian to its five-straight SoCon titles with perfect 8-0 conference records in 2008 and 2009, marking just the second time in the 77-year history of the venerable league that a team has won as many as five championships in a row. Moore has been selected as the AFCA National Coach of the Year (2005, 2006, 2007), the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (1994, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009), and the SoCon Coach of the Year (1991, 1994, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009).
SHANKLE 73 YARDS AWAY FROM 2,000 CAREER RUSHING YARDS
NCCU senior running back Tim Shankle is 73 yards away from becoming the seventh Eagle in school history to rush for 2,000 yards. The Gainesville, Fla., native has amassed 1,927 yards during his NCCU career, including 148 yards in the first two games of 2010.
EAGLES MAKE BIG PLAYS IN ALL THREE PHASES
In the first two games of the 2010 season, the Eagles have already posted three of the biggest plays in NCCU gridiron history. Against Johnson C. Smith on Sept. 2, junior linebacker Roger Stewart intercepted a pass and raced 83 yards for a touchdown, matching the ninth-longest interception return in school history. On Sept. 11 versus Winston-Salem State, sophomore Arthur Goforth returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to equal the third-longest kickoff return in the NCCU record books, followed by senior running back Tony McCord’s 93-yard touchdown scamper to set a new school record for the longest run from scrimmage.
NCCU DUO EARN NATIONAL FOOTBALL PERFORMER OF THE WEEK HONORS
A pair of North Carolina Central University sophomores – return specialist Arthur Goforth and kicker/punter Frankie Cardelle – have been recognized by College Football Performance Awards as Division I-FCS National Performers of the Week for their efforts during Saturday’s setback to Winston-Salem State. Goforth, a native of Columbia, S.C., was chosen as the National FCS Kickoff Return Performer of the Week after amassing 126 yards on three kickoff returns, including a 97-yard dash for a touchdown to equal the third-longest kickoff return in NCCU gridiron history. Cardelle, a native of Salisbury, N.C., claimed honorable mention honors as a punter after averaging 47.5 yards per punt. He covered 285 yards on six boots with a long effort of 55 yards, while also placing three balls inside the 20-yard line. Cardelle also made two field goals (20, 34 yards) and handled the kickoff duties. College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) is a Division I Football awards organization that recognizes weekly, annual, and career trophy recipients. The stated purpose of the organization is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. CFPA also strives to eliminate the politics in the awards process, promote scientific literacy, foster rational discourse, and establish a culture of objectivity and fairness in college football. For more information, visit http://collegefootballperformance.com.
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
