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| Key second half changes lead to dominating
Mountaineer performance |
Josh
Dernosek
Sports Beat |
One great half of football
can produce a victory.
The Appalachian State University football team
put visiting Eastern Kentucky University away with a phenomenal
performance in the second half after a damp opening half on Saturday.
The Mountaineers looked good early as they scored
on their first drive down field with a four-yard touchdown run by
Jerry Beard. Mark Wright hit the extra point to put Appalachian
up 7-0 and Appalachian did not see another point on the board for
the remainder of the half.
Flashbacks to two weeks ago were in the heads of many, including
head coach Jerry Moore.
“We couldn’t put anything together offensively in the
first half,” said Moore. “We had the good first drive
against Marshall, we had the good first drive against these guys,
but they were short drives and didn’t amount to anything, we
just got points.”
Eastern Kentucky bounced back with a lucky touchdown run by punter
Phil Kuhl when the snap soared high and he was forced to walk into
the end zone untouched.
Everything seemed to be going right for the Colonels as they added
two more touchdowns on the legs of running back C.J. Hudson to give
them the 21-7 halftime lead.
Then it was half time and during the intermission something happened.
“It was intense,” said freshman quarterback Richie Williams.
“The seniors got us up and told us what we needed to do and
they got the team ready to go out and perform how we needed to perform
to be successful.”
“Some people were quiet and some people were talking, but everybody
knew that we had to come out and do what we had to do to win this
ball game,” said wide receiver Jermane Little.
Whatever happened in the Mountaineer locker room during the break
worked.
The Mountaineers came out ready to play with a new intensity and
a new half of football to make up for a poor start.
“We just talked about what we were going to do in the second
half, and the good thing is that we did what we talked about,”
said Moore.
Williams opened the half with his second interception but it set
up possibly the biggest momentum turn in the Mountaineers favor:
a 48-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Derrick Black.
“We make an interception, we are going to have great field
position, we get a fifteen-yard penalty and then Hudson makes a
nice run and then he fumbles the ball. Then the momentum of the
game changed,” said Eastern Kentucky head coach Roy Kidd.
As 11,211 people cheered and the band played the fight song there
was a feeling in the air that the Mountaineers were not going to
just roll over and die: Appalachian was ready to play football.
Later in the third Appalachian ran an option which freed Richie
Williams for an easy five-yard touchdown run. After the successful
two-point conversion by Sean Jackson, the Mountaineers tied the
game, making it a brand new ball game.
Five minutes later, Williams connected with Jermane Little for a
25-yard touchdown pass giving Appalachian the lead for the first
time since the opening drive.
“I think Richie did a great job and he played like a senior
today,” said running back Jerry Beard. “He played like
he had a lot of experience and with time he will continue to get
better.”
The Colonel’s rushed for one more touchdown by Hudson to tie
the game at 28, but that was all the Appalachian defense was going
to allow.
A huge sack on the one-yard line by Josh Jeffries followed by a
safety from Sam Smalls was the nail in the coffin for a frustrated
Eastern Kentucky team.
Mark Wright added two field goals late to raise the Appalachian
lead to 36-28 where he stayed until the final whistle blew.
Appalachian pulled out the victory over the Colonels with a great
second half of football, beating Eastern Kentucky 29-7 in the final
act.
Moore said he believes the change in play from half to half was
based on ball control.
“In the first half we never really could not get Beard, our
running back, established. Richie made a few bad decisions, but
we knew that was going to happen, we didn’t even say anything
to him,” said Moore. “While in the second half we knew
a little bit more of what we could do, and what we couldn’t
do. We got into somewhat of a rhythm as far as running the ball
and we were trying to eat up the clock, we were able to have some
six to seven minute drives even when we wouldn’t score.”
This win proves to the Mountaineers that even a bad first half is
not something to lay down about and give up over. A big win in the
home opener is just what Appalachian needed to get up after the
loss to Marshall two weeks ago.
“It let us know that we are not a team that will quit. We get
beat down and we go out there and continue to play hard, hopefully
the game will turn in our favor and we will come out with a ‘W’,”
said Sam Smalls.
The victory was obtained and some believe that this win will strengthen
the team for opponents down the line.
“Being down going into half time and then coming out and pulling
out the win will strengthen any ball club,” said Beard. |
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| Mountaineers adapt to life without
senior quarterback Joe Burchette |
Jennifer Brannock
Staff Writer |
Despite the temporary loss
of starting quarterback senior Joe Burchette, Appalachian State
University head football coach Jerry Moore is optimistic about
his team’s performance this season.
Obvious concern has been voiced regarding the
momentary absence of Burchette, who is recovering from recent
back surgery, and how his injury will affect the team. Burchette
is a fifth year senior who has started at quarterback since mid-season
in 2000 and has led the Mountaineers to a 4-2 record in the I-AA
playoffs.
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