|
Mountaineers
begin title quest with Liberty
Chris
Boyce and James Nix - Sports Beat
Two
NCAA Division I schools and a matchup with Division I-AA preseason
number one Georgia Southern highlight one of Appalachian State footballÕs
toughest schedules in recent years.
Despite all the hype around the Mountaineers high-profile schedule
and high ranks in preseason polls, head coach Jerry Moore has his
sights firmly set on the Liberty Flames on Sept. 1, ASUÕs opening
game at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
ÒWeÕve
gotta handle Liberty first,Ó said Moore. ÒThey are the number one
priority.Ó
The
Flames come off a 3-8 2000 campaign and bring a lot of new faces
to the team after losing 12 starters including six from offense
and five from defense.
ÒTheyÕve
got about eight or nine transfer guys and theyÕre gonna be a little
bit of an unknown to us,Ó said Moore.
This
is LibertyÕs coaching staffÕs second year, said Moore. Also, the
Flames have added a new secondary coach and a new offensive line
coach.
ÒWe
donÕt know what kind of difference that will make in their philosophy
or what theyÕre gonna do,Ó said Moore.
To
prepare for the upcoming match, Moore plans on viewing tape from
last seasonÕs game against the Flames, a game ASU won 34-13.
ÒYou
just try to prepare where youÕre pretty solid and sound. WeÕll spend
a lot of time looking at what they did last year against us and
their whole season last year,Ó said Moore.
The
Mountaineers will test their luck on the road this season early,
battling Wake Forest and Troy State on Sept. 8 and 15, respectively.
ASU
defeated Wake Forest last season 20-16, after the Demon DeaconÕs
1999 Aloha Bowl victory against Arizona State University 23-3. The
Mountaineers met Troy State twice last year, once during the regular
season, losing 34-28, and then in the first round of the NCAA Division
I-AA playoffs. ASU won the rematch 33-30. The Trojans made the jump
to Division I this season after spending the last eight years as
a Division I-AA powerhouse.
ASU
will stay on the road to face The Citadel Sept. 22, and then come
back to Kidd Brewer to host East Tennessee State.
The
month of October pits the Mountaineers against three of the Southern
ConferenceÕs best when they meet Furman on Oct. 6, Georgia Southern
on Oct. 13 and Wofford on Oct. 20 in Spartanburg, S.C.
These
games will be ASUÕs toughest of the season as Furman and GSU are
both ranked high in the preseason polls. GSU is also the two-time
defending national champion.
ÒItÕs
a tough schedule but weÕve always played a pretty tough schedule,Ó
said Moore. ÒWe just have to go play good and I think the challenge
is there for us.Ó
To
close the season, Appalachian will take on University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga, this seasonÕs homecoming game, then travel to the
Virginia Military Institute before hosting rival Western Carolina
to battle for the Old Mountain Jug.
Appalachian
State is ranked third in SoCon preseason polls behind Furman and
favorite Georgia Southern, a ranking that Mountaineer defensive
end Josh Jeffries questions.
ÒI
think weÕre better than that but itÕs preseason rankings which doesnÕt
mean too much,Ó said Jeffries.
With
Furman and Georgia Southern back-to-back, the ASU defense is sure
to get a big dose of the two schoolsÕ feature running backs, Louis
Ivory and Adrian Peterson.
ÒThose teams are dangerous with so many weapons,Ó said Jeffries.
ÒIvory and Peterson are both great players.Ó
But,
with a little luck and some great play, the Mountaineers should
have a successful season.
ÒWeÕve
got the best teams in the country in the Southern Conference. If
we can beat Furman, Georgia Southern and Wofford, then I think the
road to the national championship will take care of itself,Ó Jeffries
said.
Rash
of preseason injur ies sends three starters to sidelines
Chris
Boyce, Andy Morris and James Nix - Sports Beat
A
rash of injuries have hit the Appalachian State University football
team this fall, leaving the Mountaineers without key starters for
their opener Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium against Liberty University.
The
biggest injury loss of the season, of course, has been to starting
tailback and seasoned veteran Karim Razzak, out for the season with
ligament damage in his left knee.
In
addition to Razzak, the injury bug has plagued defensive starters
Justin Seaverns and Steve Kitchens as well as running back Jerry
Beard, guard Larry Brock and even starting quarterback Joe Burchette.
ÒThe
injuries have been horrendous for us, but weÕre a physical team
and we like to be a physical team,Ó said head coach Jerry Moore.
ÒI donÕt want anybody to get hurt but to maintain the level we want
to maintain, weÕve gotta practice like we practice. Anytime youÕre
banging around out there thereÕs a chance somebody might get hurt.Ó
Razzak
tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and his lateral collateral
ligament on Aug. 14. Kitchens is expected back within a month and
should be running within a week after having a pin inserted to help
repair a broken foot on Aug. 15. The defensive back will definitely
be back for Southern Conference play starting Sept. 22 with The
Citadel.
SeavernsÕ
injury is an ÒiffyÓ deal, said Moore. He is suffering from a foot
sprain received weeks earlier in practice. Although the senior might
actually practice before the opener on Sept. 1, Moore didnÕt rule
out the possibility of Seaverns taking a medical redshirt if heÕs
not back healthy within a month.
Also,
Moore said the injury relates more to whether the pain will hinder
SeavernsÕ effectiveness than actual structural damage.
Sore
shoulders have also been a major concern for the Appalachian State
offense.
Burchette
had a partially torn triceps repaired, causing him to miss spring
practice but has since increased his repetitions in practice and
the shoulder is now back at 100 percent.
Beard
also missed the spring practices and some of the early fall practices
after shoulder surgery to repair a chronic injury.
Fortunately
for ASU, both Burchette and Beard will be healthy for the opener.
Finally
for the offense, Brock underwent arthroscopic surgery on Aug. 13
to clear out some loose cartilage from his knee.
ASU
will rely early in the season on some of its defensive depth to
fill the void left from Seaverns and Kitchens, but depth can get
you only so far, said Moore.
ÒFortunately
we have good depth there, but nothing replaces experience,Ó said
Moore.
The
wave of injuries the Mountaineers have been subjected to are out
of the teamÕs hands.
ÒThereÕs
nothing we can do about that,Ó said Moore. ÒI think somebody will
step up and take these guysÕ place. WeÕre not gonna miss them for
the year. WeÕre gonna get them back; itÕs just a matter of when.Ó
Under
the Gun
Pressure
mounts as Burchette assumes full-time role as starting quarterback
Chris
Boyce - Sports Beat
The
fate of Appalachian State football rests heavily on the 6-foot-4-inch,
235-pound frame of Mountaineer quarterback Joe Burchette.
Sure
the Mountaineers will rely on their trademark stifling defense and
bruising ground game, but the bulk of the offenseÕs success will
be dependent upon the performance of the junior from Clemmons. ÒThereÕs
a lot more pressure, and I guess it comes with the territory,Ó said
Burchette. Head coach Jerry Moore knows thereÕs more pressure on
his quarterback this season, but said that Burchette is ready for
it.
ÒLast
year, particularly early in the season, he [Burchette] had a backup
role, and heÕd been on the scout team his freshman year. He had
two proven quarterbacks in front of him that obviously took the
pressure off him,Ó said Moore. Even if he hadnÕt done well, it wouldnÕt
have been the end of the world because one of those other guys couldÕve
come in and done a good job,Ó said Moore.
Moore
also added that without a proven quarterback behind Burchette on
the depth chart, he knows Burchette is the MountaineersÕ lone hope
at quarterback.
ÒThereÕs
not a proven quarterback behind him, and thatÕs the difference.
I think Joe has felt that pressure a little bit in practice, but
I think heÕs ready for that,Ó said Moore.
With
the graduation of Daniel Jeremiah and David Reaves, BurchetteÕs
backups have a total of zero snaps between them.
Also
graduated is the plethora of talented and experienced receivers
that Burchette effectively utilized during the MountaineersÕ 10-4
season, which ended with an overtime loss to Montana University
in the Division I-AA semi-finals last December.
In
addition, the Mountaineers leading receiver returning from last
year, tailback Karim Razzak, was lost for the year with two torn
ligaments in his left knee.
Appalachian
State wideout Sterling Hayward and a group of talented yet unproven
youngsters will bear the duty of catching BurchetteÕs passes this
season.
Along
with Hayward, five freshman including Victor Chavis, Jermaine Little,
Brandon Turner, Chris Thomas and Andrew Layton, in addition to junior
Joe Hamilton, senior Dane Honeycutt, redshirt freshman DaVon Fowlkes
and recently converted wide receiver Jose White, hope to haul in
the bombs Burchette plans to launch this season.
But
the receiving unit has yet to work out all the kinks.
ÒThe
thing thatÕs been hard for Joe is weÕre having guys run the wrong
route. HeÕs ready to throw it, and the guyÕs running a different
cut. ItÕs just getting used to those guys as much as anything, and
itÕs better than two weeks ago,Ó said Moore.
Hopefully
Burchette and his receiving corps will run effectively once the
coaching staff figures out which receivers will play and who will
redshirt this season.
ÒI
donÕt think thereÕs gonna be much drop-off from last year to this
year,Ó said Burchette. ÒWeÕre gonna throw in and weÕre gonna run
it. WeÕre going to be Appalachian football just like last year.Ó
Despite
the loss of Razzak, the Mountaineers will use their depth and experience
at the running back position in Jerry Beard and Jimmy Watkins to
perhaps compensate for the lack of experience at receiver.
ÒOur
tailback position is deep and all of them bring something different
to the table. JerryÕs powerful and Jimmy and Sean [Jackson] bring
speed,Ó said Burchette. ÒTheyÕre all three different runners and
all three run different plays.Ó
Joe
Burchette is ready to see just how far his Mountaineers can go this
season, and heÕs prepared to do what it takes to get them there.
ÒWe
know how good we are, and we know come December where weÕre gonna
be. WeÕre just ready to get this year started, play as well as we
can, and just see what happens at the end.Ó
Preparing
Kidd Brewer Stadium for Game Day is no small task
Andy
morris - Sports Beat
What
does it take to transform Kidd Brewer Stadium from an empty concrete
structure to the beating heart of Appalachian State University football?
ÒA
lot of pre-planning,Ó said Mark Dreibelbis, associate athletic director
for Appalachian and in charge of operations for football games.
ÒMost of the details are not observed by the general public.Ó
These
details include preparing restrooms, concessions, ticket booths
and gift shops, printing tickets and game programs; issuing press
credentials, coordinating sideline communication for the home and
visiting team; preparing the press box, vacuuming the turf and even
knowing when the ice is delivered. ÒThe ice can be the biggest pain
of all,Ó Dreibelbis said with a laugh.
The
planning began in July and requires coordination among a variety
of groups to make sure that the event is a success for the 12,000
spectators estimated to attend SaturdayÕs 7 p.m. game against Liberty
University.
ÒYou
have to give each agency involved their list of responsibilities
to produce a game, and my job is to oversee that every one of those
responsibilities are taken care of,Ó he said. ÒWe have meetings
with the police, ushers, ticket takers, concessions. It takes a
lot of communication to make sure itÕs all done.Ó
When
the details are worked out, Dreibelbis scripts the game from about
an hour and half before kickoff to the end of the game. The script
includes when the gates will open, when the ushers will arrive,
when and what music is played, what is going to be on the video
screen and even what happens between quarters and time outs.
ÒWe
try to be as point-specific as possible, so that weÕre prepared
for any situation that can arise,Ó he said. ÒWe make all our plans
in advance, so the public is not infringed upon. We donÕt want the
lights to go out or the concessions to run out of food. We do as
much in advance as we can so that they can enjoy the game.Ó
Once
all the concessions are ordered, the tickets are sold and the script
is written, it is all a matter of waiting for game day.
For
the Liberty game, Dreibelbis and his operations staff will arrive
at Kidd Brewer at about 8 a.m.
ÒOn
a day where the game starts at 2 p.m., we usually arrive between
5 a.m. and 6 a.m.,Ó he said. ÒItÕs necessary to go through all the
checklists we have to make sure all things are done.Ó
The
referees arrive early in the afternoon, as they are required to
have a three and a half hour pre-game conference. They have to observe
two hours of video as part of that conference. The ticket staff
will get to the stadium around 3 p.m., and the usher and gate personnel
will arrive around 5 p.m.
ÒNot
everyone gets there when I get there,Ó Dreibelbis said. ÒMy crew
and I usually do stuff a skeleton crew can do, such as hanging signs
or putting out programs.Ó
The
teams will reach the stadium around 5 p.m. to get taped and dressed
in the locker room. Some players will go out for individual warm-ups
early, but most teams come out for team warm-ups about an hour before
kickoff, Dreibelbis said.
Once
the ball leaves the tee for kickoff and the special team races downfield
to tackle the kick returner, it is time to make sure the fans have
an enjoyable experience. That experience includes providing refreshments
for an estimated 12,000 people. The stadium has six different concession
areas as well as vendors walking through the stands. Dreibelbis
said the staff tries to estimate the number of people and then plan
for more.
ÒMost
of what we have is dry goods and we try to get the perishables close
to the number, so we donÕt have any waste products,Ó he said. ÒWe
try not to run out for the interest of the patrons.Ó
The
estimate consumption per person is 1.5 sodas and .5 for candy and
dry goods. Dreibelbis said not everyone will buy candy or food,
so they order half of that food item for what they estimate for
attendance. As far as stocking products, they work with history
of past games.
ÒWe
usually sell more on the west stands than the east stands, so we
stock them with more products,Ó he said. ÒWe know that Papa JohnÕs
has a pizza stand, so we stock more drinks in the concession areas
adjacent to Papa JohnÕs.Ó
Once
the game ends and the fans leave, the stadium will be open for about
another three hours. The coaches talk to their teams for about 10
minutes and then the players that the media wants to interview go
to the designated areas.
ÒBy
about 45 minutes to an hour, most of the players and coaches are
gone,Ó he said.
But
once the reporters get their interviews, they go back to the press
box to write their stories and send them over the phone lines to
their respective newspapers. The Appalachian Sports Information
staff compiles statistics to be released to the media and the coaches.
While
the media completes their tasks, the Appalachian baseball team will
clean the stands. Dreibelbis said the team normally cleans the stands
the next day if the weather is expected to be nice, but since there
is a field hockey and soccer game on Sunday, the bottom stands will
have to be cleaned.
So
after a long day, the ÒRock,Ó as Kidd Brewer is known, closes down
for the next Mountaineer event.
Georgia
Southern tops loaded SoCon field
Running
back Peterson spearheads defending national champion EaglesÕ quest
to repeat; improved Wofford team hopes to make 2001 a four-way battle
in war for conference title
Chattanooga
Last Season: 5-6 (Overall); 3-5 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001:
Second-year head coach Donnie Kirkpatrick hopes the air-raid offense
that upended Appalachian StateÕs SoCon title hopes last season will
translate into a playoff berth in 2001. For that to happen, Kilpatrick
will be forced to overcome the departure of the three main cogs
in last seasonÕs offensive machine. Quarterback Chris Sanders and
talented receivers Richmond Flowers and Ronnie Strickland have all
completed their eligibility, meaning their young replacements must
step to the forefront if the Mocs are able to break through and
become one of the elite members of the SoCon. The Mocs suffered
a major set back on the defensive side last week when Kilpatrick
announced defensive back Temus Terry is out indefinitely due to
a chronic knee ailment. Last season versus ASU: Mocs 30, ASU 27
2001 Schedule: Thursday at Samford; Sept. 8 at Memphis; Sept. 15
Kentucky State; Sept. 22 Georgia Southern; Sept. 29 Wofford; Oct.
6 Bye; Oct.13 at Virginia Military Institute; Oct. 18 Western Carolina;
Oct. 27 at Appalachian State; Nov. 3 The Citadel; Nov. 10 at East
Tennessee State; Nov. 17 Furman.
The
Citadel
Last
Season: 2-9 (Overall); 1-7 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001: First-year
head coach Ellis Johnson made a statement about the future of his
program when he named true freshman Mazzie Drummond the BulldogsÕ
starting quarterback. Drummond would be the first Citadel freshman
quarterback to start a game since Drew Johnson replaced Chris Eckert
in game six of the 1999 season against Furman Oct. 16 at Johnson
Hagood Stadium. DrummondÕs development as the BulldogÕs signal caller
is only part of the difficult task facing Ellis as he begins his
quest to rebuild a team that finished in the SoCon cellar one season
ago. Last season versus ASU: ASU 61, The Citadel 14 2001 Schedule:
Sept. 1: at Georgia Tech; Sept. 8 Bye; Sept. 15 at Western Carolina;
Sept. 22 Appalachian State; Sept. 29 South Carolina State; Oct.
6 at East Tennessee State; Oct. 13 Furman; Oct. 20 at Georgia Southern;
Oct. 27 Wofford; Nov. 3 Chattanooga; Nov. 10 Virginia Military Institute.
East
Tennessee State University
Last
Season: 6-5 (Overall); 4-4 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001: Back-to-back
winning seasons and a strong recruiting class have some saying this
could be the deepest roster of head coach Paul HamiltonÕs tenure.
While the incoming class looks strong, gone are five Southern Conference
standouts, including the quarterback Todd Wells, the SoConÕs all-time
total offense leader. The Bucs will look to a pair of quarterbacks,
senior Matt Wilhjelm and junior Jatavis Sanders, to fill WellsÕ
shoes. Sophomore running back Corey Carter will make the conversion
from fullback to start at tailback for ETSU. CarterÕs new role as
the BucsÕ workhorse will be a major key for ETSU. Last season versus
ASU: ASU 30, ETSU 13. 2001 Schedule: Sept. 1 at Pittsburgh; Sept.
8 Gardner-Webb; Sept. 15 at Virginia Military Institute; Sept. 22
Western Carolina; Sept. 29 at Appalachian State; Oct. 4 The Citadel;
Oct. 20 at Furman; Oct. 27 Georgia Southern; Nov. 3 at Wofford;
Nov. 10 Chattanooga; Nov. 17 at Charleston Southern.
Furman
University
Last
Season: 9-3 (Overall); 6-2 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001: Head
coach Bobby Johnson led the Paladins into the NCAA Division I-AA
playoffs for the second consecutive season last year, and 19 starters
from that team return to this seasonÕs squad. Included in that group
is 2000 Walter Payton Award winning running back Louis Ivory. Ivory
became the first player in Southern Conference history to rush for
more than 2,000 yards last season, and will be the centerpiece of
the Paladin attack again this season. Defensively, 10 returning
players who saw regular action in 2000 will lead the Furman defense.
The return of All-America/SoCon Defensive Player of the Year middle
linebacker Will Bouton gives Furman a solid anchor in the middle
of a defense that must be strong against the run in the ground-attack
oriented SoCon. BoutonÕs 134 tackles and 14 tackles-for-loss paced
FurmanÕs defense in 2000. Furman dismantled eventual national champion
Georgia Southern 45-10 last season, and a Nov. 3 rematch in always-hostile
Statesboro, Ga., may be the game that decides the 2001 SoCon championship.
Last season versus ASU: ASU 18, Furman 17 2001 Schedule: Sept. 1
at Wyoming; Sept. 8 Elon; Sept. 15 at Liberty; Sept. 22 Virginia
Military Institute; Sept. 29 at Western Carolina; Oct. 6 Appalachian
State; Oct. 13 at The Citadel; Oct. 20 East Tennessee State; Oct.
27 Bye; Nov. 3 at Georgia Southern; Nov. 10 Wofford; Nov. 17 at
Chattanooga.
Georgia
Southern University
Last
Season: 13-2 (Overall); 7-1 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001: After
capturing its second consecutive and sixth all-time, the Eagles
are once again regarded by most college football experts as the
team to beat not only in the Southern Conference, but the nation
as a whole. Running back Adrian Peterson will once again be the
cornerstone of one of the nationÕs most dominant offenses. Peterson
boasts a career average of 164.5 career rushing yards a game and
has reached the end zone 69 times in his career. In the run-oriented
SoCon, the Eagles will depend heavily on pre-season All American
defensive tackle Freddy Pesqueira to keep opponents stifled. Last
season versus ASU: GSU 34, ASU 28 2001 Schedule: Sept. 1 Savannah
State; Sept. 8 Delaware; Sept. 15 at Wofford; Sept. 22 Chattanooga;
Sept. 29 at VMI; Oct. 6 Western Carolina; Oct. 13 at Appalachian
State; Oct. 20 The Citadel; Oct. 27 at East Tennessee State; Nov.
3 Furman; Nov. 10 at Elon.
Western
Carolina University
Last season: 4-7 (Overall); 3-5 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001:
Wide receiver Michael Banks was selected preseason first team All-Southern
Conference by the leagueÕs coaches, with second team honors going
to running back Fred Boateng, receiver Lamont Seward, offensive
tackle Jeremy Queen and defensive end Pablo Abraham. The Catamounts
success will be heavily dependent on its defense as several young
offensive players gains crucial game experience in what is touted
by some as the toughest conference in Division I-AA football. The
schedule will see the Catamounts travel to do battle with both Georgia
Southern and Appalachian State, a difficult task for any team. Last
season versus ASU: ASU 35, Western Carolina 28 2001 Schedule: Thursday
Mars Hill; Sept. 8 at Louisville; Sept. 15 The Citadel; Sept. 22
at East Tennessee State; Sept. 29 Furman; Oct. 6 at Georgia Southern;
Oct. 13 Wofford; Oct. 18 at Chattanooga; Oct. 27 Virginia Military
Institute; Nov. 3 Liberty; Nov. 10 at Appalachian State.
Wofford
College
Last
season: 7-4 (Overall); 5-3 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001: After
the Terriers earned the no. 23 ranking in the final ESPN/USA Today
poll last season, this could be the season the SoConÕs so-called
Ôbig threeÕ are joined by a fourth contender for the SoCon title.
Wofford returns six starters on both sides of the football return
from last seasonÕs squad. The TerriersÕ wingbone offensive scheme,
which ranked seventh in the nation in team rushing last season (281.6
yards per game), will again be led by quarterback Travis Wilson,
who is on pace to become WoffordÕs all-time passing and total offense
leader. Nose tackle Nathan Fuqua will anchor the Terrier defense.
Last season versus ASU: ASU 42, Wofford 16 2001 Schedule: Sept.
8 at Clemson; Sept. 15 Georgia Southern; Sept. 22 Charleston Southern;
Sept. 29 Chattanooga; Oct. 6 Virginia Military Institute; Oct. 13
at Western Carolina; Oct. 20 Appalachian State; Oct. 27 at The Citadel;
Nov. 3 East Tennessee State; Nov. 10 at Furman; Nov. 17 Youngstown
State.
Virginia
Military Institute
Last
season: 2-9 (Overall); 1-7 (SoCon) Things to watch in 2001: The
Keydets are coming off a 2-9 campaign in 2000, the most wins for
the VMI program since it went 3-8 in 1996. Despite the dismal mark,
the 2000 season produced the schoolÕs first Division I-AA victory
and a 41-21 victory over military school rival The Citadel as VMI
finished the season by winning two of its last four games. Eighteen
starters return, including the point man of the VMI offensive attack,
junior quarterback Joey Gibson who passed for 1,439 yards and 10
touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. Last season versus ASU:
ASU 52, VMI 0 2001 Schedule: Thursday Duquesne; Sept. 8 William
& Mary; Sept. 15 East Tennessee State; Sept. 22 at Furman; Sept.
29 Georgia Southern; Oct. 6 at Wofford; Oct. 13 Chattanooga; Oct.
20 Bye; Oct. 27 at Western Carolina; Nov. 3 Appalachian State; Nov.
10 at The Citadel; Nov. 17 Samford.
|
