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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Taylor Lamb is mobbed by his teammate Collin Reed after a touchdown run against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Lamb eyes chance at coaching post graduation BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com BOONE — When somebody at a Lamb family reunion says, “Hey, coach,” more than one person turns around. There’s his father Bobby Lamb, the head coach of the Mercer football team and the former head coach at Furman. Then there’s Lamb’s brother, Hal, who is the head football coach and athletic director at Calhoun (Ga.) High School. Up next could be Taylor Lamb, the fifthyear senior quarterback at Appalachian State. Lamb leads the Mountaineers into the Dollar General Bowl on Dec. 23 to face Toledo in his final game at App State. “It feels good,” Lamb said. “It probably won’t feel as good after — it will feel good if we win — but it’s been a good ride here during my time. It feels weird that it’s over. You’d like things to last forever, but it doesn’t.” If it’s up to him, Lamb will stay close to football through coaching. “At this point in my life, I’m just looking for (graduate assistant) jobs,” Lamb said. “After this bowl game ends, get my coaching career started. My time here has been great playing football, but it’s got to end some time. I’m ready to roll into that and start a new chapter.” It’s a chapter that App State head coach Scott Satterfield said has, in a way, already started. Satterfield said Lamb’s ability to see things on the field, and then convey them to the coaching staff, separates him from other quarterbacks. It doesn’t surprise Satterfield since Taylor Lamb often went to Furman practices when his father was the head coach. “He’s one of those kids who grew up in it and he’s actually one of those kids who liked it when he was little,” Satterfield said. “He was always there with his dad and saw his dad communicate with the players. That’s a unique thing that he has. He’s able to relate to players, but also relate to coaches. So, on game day, he’s able to come to the sidelines, he’s in a calm demeanor.”
PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR
Appalachian State quarterback Taylor Lamb has thrown for 90 touchdowns during his collegiate career with the Mountaineers. Lamb needed that calm demeanor in his first game, which was in 2014 in the second half in the Big House at Michigan. Lamb started his first drive of the half on the 4-yard line, but led the Mountaineers on a 19-play, 96-yard touchdown drive. Lamb said a completion on a third down that extended the drive helped calm him down and get to the matter of just playing football and not being intimidated by a crowd of 106,811 fans. “You still can still feel that feeling of being a freshman backed up in your end
zone,” Lamb said. “You’re a kid and you just want to have fun playing football. I had fun that first drive of my career and it hadn’t changed.” He got his first start two weeks later at Southern Miss, where the Mountaineers lost 21-20 after the extra point following his 2-yard touchdown pass to Simms McElfresh was blocked. App State went 4-8 that season, but 3-2 in its final five games. After the Mountaineers lost two Sun Belt Conference games in 2015, Lamb has led the Mountaineers to a
28-3 conference record and two Sun Belt co-championships. Lamb is 35-13 as a starter and has played in 50 games. He holds the App State and Sun Belt career record with 90 touchdown passes, including an App State record tying four TDs in the Mountaineers’ 63-14 win over Louisiana on Dec. 2. His longevity has allowed him to not miss a start since taking over the position. It’s not like Lamb has never been hurt. He has just always been able to play through the pain. Lamb has a tear in his knee his freshman year and has had trouble with his AC joints in both of his shoulders. None of that forced him to miss a start. “I’ve been blessed, really,” Lamb said. “Injuries are a part of the game and you never want to see a bad injury. Fortunately, I’ve never had a bad injury. I’ve had nicks I’ve played through. I’ve had some bad injuries, but the doctors always said that it’s not going to be any worse if you play through it. There are no major surgeries, so I’ve been very blessed.” So, how does Lamb want his App State career to end? It starts with the Mountaineers beating Toledo in the Dollar General Bowl. It also includes him scoring the winning touchdown. “It goes with us running for a million yards and me crossing the goal line with 0.001 seconds left,” Lamb said. “And the whole world goes crazy.” O.K., so maybe he is kidding — a little bit. “I think just a solid win because Toledo is a really good football team,” Lamb said. “We looked back at the film last year and they were really good last year.” Even with a loss, Lamb said he has no regrets spending the past five years in Boone. “I was reflecting this past week when we had practice earlier in the week,” Lamb said. “I was thinking about all of the games we’ve played and all the games we’ve won and the tough losses we took. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s been a good ride.”
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Satterfield faces good friend in Toledo coach BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com BOONE — Most head coaches in college football have served some type of apprenticeship as an assistant coach at one time or another. Some take the fast track to a head coaching position. Some take a while to get to that top job. Many have been on the same staff at a school before leaving, often for another job as an assistant, before becoming a head coach. App State head coach Scott Satterfield took that route, having been a longtime assistant at Appalachian State before leaving for Toledo for a season and then to Florida International for two seasons before returning to Appalachian. One year later, Satterfield was named head coach of the Mountaineers. Before that, he was part of a Toledo staff that included assistant coach Jason Candle, which was in 2009. Fast-forward to 2017 and Candle is head coach of the same Toledo Rockets that face App State in the Dollar General Bowl on Dec. 23 in Mobile, Ala. It’s the second time in as many years that Satterfield’s Mountaineers face Candle’s Rockets in a bowl game. Appalachian State beat Toledo 31-28 in the 2016 Camellia Bowl with a fourth-quarter field
PHOTO BY STEVE BEHR
Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield is good friends with Toledo head coach Jason Candle. The two were on the same Toledo staff in 2009. goal. App State goes into the game 8-4 and is the co-champion of the Sun Belt Conference. Satterfield won’t do any favors
for Candle once the game begins. Toledo goes into the game with an 11-2 record and is the Mid-American Conference champion, so it’s not like the Rockets
need any aid from Satterfield. “Our relationship doesn’t change. No matter what happens on the 23rd, like last year, we still hang out and talk,” Satterfield said. “You don’t have many friends in the business, but the ones you do have you respect and I have a tremendous amount of respect, for him and his football team and I know we’ll get their best shot.” The two coaches started a friendship in Toledo that still exists today. It’s not like Candle makes yearly visits to Boone, or vice-versa with Satterfield making a yearly trip to Toledo, Ohio. But the two keep in touch often. “We’ll hang out if we go to an ASCA convention or in Arizona where head coaches go out and meet every year, we’ll hang out there,” Satterfield said. “Whenever there are spots where we are actually together, we’ll get together and hang out and just converse about old times and things.” Satterfield took the App State coaching staff to Toledo in 2012, his first season as head coach of the Mountaineers. The teams run a similar spread offense, and Satterfield wanted his staff to see just how then-Toledo head coach Matt Campbell ran his workouts. “In this profession, you really don’t talk to a lot of coaches out there,” Satterfield said. “He’s one of the ones I do. We kind of bounce ideas off each other and that kind of thing, and our programs are very similar. I was up there for a year and he’s visited down here in the past, so we are doing a lot of the same things we know each other for doing and our cultures are very similar. Both teams play extremely hard.”
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Appalachian State quarterback Curtis Fitch (17) celebrates his touchdown with his teammates Collin Reed and Zeb Speir Dec. 2 against Louisiana.
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Runningback Daetrich Harrington celebrates with members of the team after a touchdown against rival Georgia Southern.
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App State faces Toledo at Dollar General Bowl BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com BOONE — Get ready for round two of Appalachian State’s bowl series with Toledo. Appalachian State took the first game last season with a 31-28 victory over the Rockets in the 2016 Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The Mountaineers and Toledo went into the fourth quarter tied 28-28 before a Michael Rubino 39-yard field goal with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter turned out to be the game-winner. The game had four ties and 790 yards of total offense gained between the teams. The two teams are ready for the rematch at the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which is at 7 p.m. on Dec. 23. Both teams go into the game as conference champions. Toledo won the Mid-American Conference with an 11-2 record and by beating Akron 45-28 in the MAC championship game. App State is 8-4, with a nonconference loss to national semifinalist Georgia and a one-point loss to Wake Forest, which is playing in the Belk Bowl. Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield has seen his share of bowl games despite spending much of his playing and coaching career in Division I-AA/FCS with Appalachian State. He has led the Mountaineers to a pair of Camellia Bowl wins, including his second against Toledo. He also coached in a bowl game at Florida International, which beat Toledo 34-32 in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in 2010. “This is my fifth bowl game and my third against Toledo, so of all the teams in the country, you have to play them a third time,” Satterfield said. “We look at it each year as an individual team. This year it’s the same thing. We’re breaking down games from this season to see tendencies.” That does not mean there is any been
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Appalachian State receiver Thomas Hennigan makes a one-handed catch against Wake Forest. there, done that with Satterfield. The coach said getting to a bowl game is difficult enough and does not care which bowl it might be, even if it meant a third visit to the Camellia Bowl.
Going to a different bowl might be more appealing for the fans and the older players, but it’s the first bowl game for the freshmen. “No. 1, we’re happy to go to a bowl
game. I never want to take that for granted. It’s an extra chance for practices and to give these guys a reward for a really good season, which is great. It’s neat for these seniors to go to a different city and experience a different vibe of a bowl game.” Toledo head coach Jason Candle is also not taking a trip to the Dollar General Bowl for granted. Candle and Satterfield became good friends when both were on the Toledo coaching staff in 2009. “We’re looking forward to bringing our team down here and playing a tremendous opponent in App State,” Candle said at a news conference in Mobile. “We had a tremendous year this year winning our conference and certainly it would be awesome for our seniors to finish out with a win. We know that’s easier said than done, so we do get a chance to play such a tremendous opponent and another conference champion that I have so much respect for and coaches I know very well.” Toledo is a familiar foe to Satterfield. Not only is the upcoming game his third bowl game against Toledo, he also was the passing coordinator for the Rockets in 2009. He is familiar with the Toledo spread offense, especially Rockets quarterback Logan Woodside, who has thrown for 3,758 yards and 28 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He leads an offense that scores 39.2 yards per game. When Woodside is not throwing it, Terry Swanson is running it. He finished the season with 1,319 yards and 14 touchdowns and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Satterfield knows the Mountaineers must find a way to contain Woodside, but must keep an eye on Swanson. Appalachian State’s defense, led by first-team, all-Sun Belt linebacker Eric Boggs and SEE PREVIEW ON PAGE 8
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GAME AT A GLANCE APPALACHIAN STATE 8-4 (7-1 SUN BELT)
TOLEDO 10-2 (7-1 MAC)
Boone, N.C. ................................................................................................................................. Location ...............................................................................................................................Toledo, Ohio 1899........................................................................................................................................... Founded ......................................................................................................................................... 1872 18,026...................................................................................................................................... Enrollment .................................................................................................................................... 23,085 Mountaineers ............................................................................................................................... Mascot .......................................................................................................................................Rockets Black and Gold .............................................................................................................................. Colors .............................................................................................................................. Blue and Gold Sun Belt ....................................................................................................................................Conference ...........................................................................................................................Mid-American Kidd Brewer (23,150) ................................................................................................................. Stadium....................................................................................................................Glass Bowl (26,248) Scott Satterfield .........................................................................................................................Head coach ............................................................................................................................Jason Candle 40-22 (5th year) .......................................................................................................Head coach’s record at school ....................................................................................................... 21-6 (3rd year) Same ..........................................................................................................................Head coach’s overall record.........................................................................................................................Same None ....................................................................................................................................National ranking .................................................................................................................................. None Multiple spread.............................................................................................................................Offense ........................................................................................................................... Multiple spread 30.7..................................................................................................................................... Points per game ................................................................................................................................... 39.2 202.1 ........................................................................................................................... Rushing yards per game .......................................................................................................................... 218.0 220.8.............................................................................................................................Passing yards per game........................................................................................................................... 291.9 422.9 .............................................................................................................................. Total yards per game ............................................................................................................................. 509.9 3-4 ........................................................................................................................................Basic defense ................................................................................................................................. Multiple 22.6..............................................................................................................................Points allowed per game ............................................................................................................................ 25.6 145.9.....................................................................................................................Rushing yards allowed per game ................................................................................................................... 166.4 212.3..................................................................................................................... Passing yards allowed per game ................................................................................................................... 213.0 358.2........................................................................................................................Total yards allowed per game...................................................................................................................... 379.4 D. Louisiana 63-14 .....................................................................................................................Last game.........................................................................................................................D. Akron 45-28
Passing leaders APPALACHIAN STATE PLAYER Comp-Att-Int Taylor Lamb 198-321-6 Zac Thomas 6-10-0 Team totals 207-339-6 Opp. totals 203-351-15 TOLEDO PLAYER Comp-Att-Int Logan Woodside 248-382-5 Michael Julian 2-6-0 Team totals 251-394-6 Opp. totals 223-423-15
Pct. 61.7 60.0 61.1 57.8
Yards 2,606 33 2,680 2,542
TDs 27 0 24 14
Avg game 217.2 16.5 233.3 211.8
Pct. 64.9 33.3 63.7 52.7
Yards 3,758 21 3,795 2,769
TDs 28 0 0 20
Avg game 289.1 2.1 291.9 213.0
Receiving leaders APPALACHIAN STATE Player Rec. Yards Ike Lewis 47 666 Thomas Hennigan 44 556 T.J. Watkins 21 295 Team totals 207 2,680 Opp. totals 203 2,542 TOLEDO Diontae Johnson 72 1,257 Jon’Vae Johnson 41 675 Cody Thompson 28 537 Team totals 251 3,795 Opp. totals 223 2,969
Sun Belt Conference Standings Troy Appalachian State Arkansas State Georgia State New Mexico State Louisiana Louisiana-Monroe Idaho South Alabama Coastal Carolina Georgia Southern Texas State Dec. 16 games (Sun Belt Conference teams)
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: North Texas vs. Troy in New Orleans, 1 p.m. ESPN AutoNation Cure Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State in Orlando, Fla., 2:30 p.m. CBSSN
Conf 7-1 7-1 6-2 5-3 4-4 4-4 4-4 3-5 3-5 2-6 2-5 1-7
Overall 10-2 8-4 7-4 6-5 6-6 5-7 4-8 4-8 4-8 3-9 2-10 2-10
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Arkansas State in Montgomery, Ala., 8 p.m. ESPN
Dec. 23 game
Avg. 14.2 12.6 14.0 12.9 12.5
TDs 8 7 1 28 14
Avg. game 55.5 46.3 29.5 223.3 211.8
17.5 16.5 19.2 15.1 12.4
13 5 4 28 20
96.7 51.9 107.4 291.5 213.0
Rushing leaders APPALACHIAN STATE PLAYER ATT YARDS Jalin Moore 161 912 Taylor Lamb 70 539 M. Williams 88 432 Team totals 477 2,796 Opp. totals 438 2,088 TOLEDO Terry Swanson 231 1,319 Shakif Seymour 113 704 Art Thompkins 102 618 Team totals 537 3,062 Opp. totals 465 2,389
AVG. 5.7 7.7 4.9 5.4 4.0
TD 9 5 2 23 14
AVG GAME 91.2 44.9 61.7 215.0 147.2
5.7 6.2 6.1 5.3 4.7
14 12 2 32 23
109.9 54.2 47.5 218.0 166.4
Mid-American Conference Standings EAST DIVISION Akron Ohio Miami (Ohio) Buffalo Bowling Green Kent State
Conf 6-2 5-3 4-4 4-4 2-6 1-7
Overall 7-6 8-4 5-7 6-6 2-10 2-10
WEST DIVISION Toledo Central Michigan Northern Illinois Western Michigan Eastern Michigan Ball State
7-1 6-2 6-2 4-4 3-5 0-8
11-2 8-4 8-4 6-6 5-7 2-10
Dollar General Bowl: Toledo vs. Appalachian State in Mobile, Ala., 7 p.m. ESPN
When Appalachian State has the ball: The Mountaineers have rediscovered their running game the past three weeks. App State rushed for 357 yards in its 63-14 victory over Louisiana on Dec. 2. Jalin Moore ran for 239 yards and finished with 912 yards this season despite missing two full games and parts of other because of a variety of injuries and a bout with the flu. App State quarterback Taylor Lamb threw for four touchdowns to freshman Thomas Hennigan against Louisiana, giving the Mountaineers a run-first, but balanced offense. Lamb finished the season with 2,606 yards and 27 touchdown passes against just six interceptions.
When Toledo has the ball: Toledo’s offense is centered around quarterback Logan Woodside, who has thrown for 3,758 yards and 28 touchdowns. Toledo’s offense can be explosive as the Rockets average 39.2 points per game. Woodside has plenty of weapons to work with, starting with receiver Diontae Johnson, who has 72 receptions for 1,257 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jon’Vea Johnson has caught 41 passes for 675 yards and five touchdowns. When the Rockets run the ball, they give it to Terry Swanson, who gained 1,319 yards and 14 touchdowns. Toledo beat Akron 45-28 in the Mid-American Conference championship game and goes into the Dollar General Bowl with an 11-2 overall record.
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PHOTO/GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROB MOORE
Freshman wide receiver Thomas Hennigan beats his defender, DeMarcus Owens, for a touchdown during a Sun Belt matchup with New Mexico State earlier this year. The ‘Double Pass’ scored for the Mountaineers more than once as the season progressed.
SEASON
HIGHLIGHTS PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Taylor Lamb rushes in for a touchdown against Toledo in the 2016 Camellia Bowl.
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Senior lineman Beau Nunn and Freshman center Noah Hannon get ready to hit the field against rival Georgia Southern.
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Mountaineer faithful pack the bleachers at the 2016 Camellia Bowl with a familiar santa from the playoff years in FCS.
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Coach Satterfield looks onto the field during a game. He took the Mountaineers to another bowl and an 8-4 (7-1) season record. PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
The ASU Cheer Team waves to the fans in celebration.
PHOTOS BY ROB MOORE
Above, Marching Mountaineer Shawn Hart is all smiles after another performance. Left, the ASU dance team worked hard during the season to bring entertainment to the fans and to keep the 12th man in the game. From left, Emily Davis, Kelly Carrazzone, Blakely Philbeck, and Cori Hurm.
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Halftime of the Georgia Southern game had a solid performance from Kitty Amaral & Marching Mountaineers who played ‘The devil went down to Georgia.’
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cornerback Clifton Duck, face a tall order. Boggs, a senior, finished the season with 97 tackles, 8.5 for a loss. Boggs is the only FBS player who has at least 342 career tackles, 12 career sacks and eight career interceptions. Duck, a sophomore, has five interceptions this season, including three against New Mexico State. He also racked up 48 tackles this season and is one of 22 active FBS players with at least 10 career interceptions. “(Woodside’s) a really good football player,” Satterfield said. “You couple that
with a really good offensive line and now they have another running back this year — I think he’s first-team (all-MAC) running back — so they can run the football and now you’re looking at a double-headed monster who make you stop the run and stop the pass.” Maintaining the ball offensively will be key for App State. The Mountaineers had a 10-minute time of possession advantage against the Rockets in their 2016 matchup in the Camellia Bowl, and Satterfield would like the Mountaineers’ offense to do the same on Dec. 23. “They’re able to score a lot of points on teams and when they take care of the football, they’re hard to stop, so obviously we’ve got our work cut out for us on that
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
side of the football and now I think we have to help offensively,” Satterfield said. “We have to keep their offense off the field, so I think as we get into this we have to devise a game plan for both sides to feed off of each other and that will give us an opportunity to win this football game.” Appalachian State has a few weapons of its own, led by its quarterback Taylor Lamb. The fifth-year senior, who has thrown for 90 career touchdowns, tossed 27 TDs in 2017. He also completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 2,606 yards. Lamb can also run the ball if needed. He has run for 539 yards and five on just 70 carries, an average of 7.7 yards per carry. App State, which averages 33.4 points
per game, also has running back Jalin Moore, who has gained 912 yards and scored nine touchdowns this year despite missing two games. “The last three games we’ve played complete games on every side of the ball,” Satterfield said. “Our offense has been able to run the football, and if we’re able to do that, it gives us a chance. The last few weeks we’ve gotten a lot accomplished running the ball. Our guys up front have been blocking well and the guys have been running good. Taylor’s running the ball good and we’ve been able to hit some plays down the field and I think that opens things up as well. We’re really confident right now and I’d like to bring that confidence into the 23rd.”
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Taylor Lamb will face Toledo, a team they played last year in the Camellia Bowl, at the Dollar General Bowl Dec. 23, 2017.
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Confetti flies as Coach Satterfield hoists the Camelia Bowl trophy overhead to the players, families and Mountaineer faithful.
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NAME POS IKE LEWIS WR ZEB SPEIR QB DARRYNTON EVANS WR CLIFTON DUCK DB THOMAS HENNIGAN WR DESMOND FRANKLIN DB SHAEDON MEADORS WR JACOB HUESMAN QB JOSH THOMAS DB SHEMAR JEAN-CHARLES DB JAKE EASTER QB AUSTIN EXFORD DB A.J. HOWARD DB TANNER WILSON QB TAYLOR LAMB QB JEREMY LEVEL DB BRANDON PINCKNEY DB ZAC THOMAS QB PEYTON DERRICK QB DANTE JONES WR MALIK WILLIAMS WR MOCK ADAMS WR MICHAEL QUEEN WR DE’VONTA SMITH RB CURTIS FITCH QB TAE HAYES DB BRAD ABSHER WR DAETRICH HARRINGTONRB JOHN JENNINGS WR BROCK GUSLER WR A’DARIUS PURIFOY DB RYAN HUFF DB TERRENCE UPSHAW RB D’ANDRE HICKS DB AKEEM DAVIS LB JALIN MOORE RB DEMARCUS HARPER RB MARCUS WILLIAMS JR. RB DEVAN STRINGER LB DEVONTE HARRISON DB GEORGE VINSON TE RASHAAD TOWNES LB EDWARD DAVIS LB SHAUN JOLLY DB STEVEN JONES DB KAIDEN SMITH DB XAVIER SUBOTSCH P TIM FRIZZELL LB MICHAEL RUBINO PK ANTONIOUS SIMS DL CLAYTON HOWELL P ANTHONY FLORY LB ERIC BOGGS LB BILL CECIL TE OKON GODWIN DL DEMETRIUS TAYLOR LB BLYTHE HALL LB BEAU NUNN OL CALEB FULLER DL TOBIAS EDGE-CAMPBELL OL D’MARCO JACKSON LB
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APPALACHIAN STATE 2017 ROSTER HT. 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-11 6-4 6-1 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-3 5-9 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-1
WT. 180 200 185 175 210 200 185 215 200 180 190 200 200 210 200 195 190 205 185 185 180 200 190 185 195 175 173 175 190 180 195 195 210 160 200 205 190 195 200 185 225 230 230 170 180 190 200 215 210 260 185 235 235 225 250 215 260 300 241 295 205
YR. SR FR SO SO FR SO SR FR JR FR SO JR SR FR SR FR SR FR FR SR FR SO FR FR JR JR JR FR FR FR FR FR SR FR SO JR FR FR SR FR SR SR SO FR FR FR FR FR SO SR FR JR SR SR JR FR SO SR SR JR FR
HOMETOWN SIMPSONVILLE, SC SYLVA, NC OAK HILL, FL MATTHEWS, NC GREENSBORO, NC INVERNESS, FL DUNCAN, SC BRADENTON, FL MONTGOMERY, AL MIRAMAR, FL PFAFFTOWN, NC SNELLVILLE, GA HAMILTON, GA REIDSVILLE, NC CALHOUN, GA GREENSBORO, NC SPARTANBURG, SC TRUSSVILLE, AL CONWAY, SC RALEIGH, NC CHESTER, SC GREENWOOD, SC PITTSBORO, NC BROOKSVILLE, FL LUTZ, FL DECATUR, AL TROY, NC DOUGLASVILLE, GA CHARLOTTE, NC STATESVILLE, NC PENSACOLA, FL WRENS, GA DULUTH, GA PUNTA GORDA, FL THOMASVILLE, NC SHELBY, NC BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC ROCKY MOUNT, NC GAINESVILLE, GA JACKSONVILLE, FL DAMASCUS, MD MACON, GA FARMVILLE, NC STONE MOUNTAIN, GA ROCKINGHAM, NC LAWRENCEVILLE, GA -KNOXVILLE, TN APEX, NC COVINGTON, GA HIGH POINT, NC FORT LAUDERDALE, FL BELTON, SC ASHEVILLE, NC COVINGTON, GA MIAMI, FL GREENSBORO, NC YORK, SC WILMINGTON, NC RAEFORD, NC SPARTANBURG, SC
NO. 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 60 61 63 64 65 68 69 70 73 74 75 76 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 88 90 91 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
NAME POS NOEL COOK LB JERMAINE MCDANIEL JR. DL MATT WILLIAMS OL NATE HASKINS OL ELIJAH DIARRASSOUBA DL RYAN NEUZIL OL JORDAN FEHR LB NOAH HANNON OL LOGAN WRIGHT OL AIDAN NESVISKY OL IVAN REYES OL JAKE APPLING OL GAGE BLACKSTON OL BRODY BARRETT DL JOE HARTUNG OL COLBY GOSSETT OL COLE GARRISON OL BROCK MACAULAY OL VICTOR JOHNSON OL MADISON MALONE OL CHANDLER GREER OL WILL HARDIN OL COREY SUTTON WR JALEN VIRGIL WR ZY LETMAN WR JAKE HENRY WR CRISJOHN ROSCOE WR ZEKE BRANDLE TE LEVI DUFFIELD TE COLLIN REED TE CAMERON PACK LB T.J. WATKINS WR CHRIS WILLIS DL TOMMY DAWKINS DL CHANDLER STATON PK MYQUON STOUT DL ELIAS MCMURRY LS RYLEE CRITCHER PK DEVIN PAPENHEIM DL MARKELL CLARK DL CALEB SPURLIN DL E.J. SCOTT DB JOHN HUNTER DL
HT. 6-0 6-3 6-6 6-5 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-3 5-11 6-2 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-6 6-2 5-10 6-2 6-3
WT. 200 235 280 270 250 280 220 260 315 260 290 295 280 305 250 315 280 290 290 280 280 280 200 210 200 170 200 255 235 240 210 165 241 223 180 275 240 195 250 265 230 280 265
YR. SO FR FR FR FR FR SO FR FR FR FR FR FR SO FR SR FR SR SO JR JR SO FR FR SR FR FR FR SR SO FR JR FR FR FR JR JR FR SO FR SO SO FR
HOMETOWN REIDSVILLE, NC DILLON, SC LEHIGH ACRES, FL ORLANDO, FL GREENSBORO, NC BRADENTON, FL CHARLOTTE, NC GREER, SC KERNERSVILLE, NC RALEIGH, NC HICKORY, NC SHELBY, NC SAVANNAH, GA SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA GREENWOOD, SC CUMMING, GA PINSON, AL BIG PRAIRIE, OH NORTH AUGUSTA, SC MEMPHIS, TN KNOXVILLE, TN GREENSBORO, NC CHARLOTTE, NC LAWRENCEVILLE, GA LINCOLNTON, GA CANTONMENT, FL NEPTUNE BEACH, FL FOREST CITY, NC WAYNESVILLE, NC BOILING SPRINGS, SC MOUNT AIRY, NC FOREST CITY, NC SHELBY, NC CONCORD, NC GAINESVILLE, GA CHINA GROVE, NC STATESVILLE, NC BOONE, NC BUSHNELL, FL HOOVER, AL GALAX, VA FARMVILLE, NC CLEMMONS, NC
GO ASU! PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford is tackled by App State Okon Godwin (47) and Rashaad Townes.
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NO. 2 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 15 15 15 17 17 19 20 21 21 23 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 32 33
APP STATE BOWL GUIDE
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
NAME POS TERRY SWANSON RB DIONTAE JOHNSON WR DANZEL MCKINLEY-LEWIS RONNIE JONES RB MICHAEL JULIAN QB MITCHELL GUADAGNI QB TREVON MATHIS CB OBI ANUNIKE DE JON’VEA JOHNSON WR ANDREW DAVIS WR JOSH TEACHEY CB OLASUNKANMI ADENIYI DE DESMOND PHILLIPS WR MARCUS WHITFIELD CB LOGAN WOODSIDE QB DEAMONTE KING DB ELI PETERS QB KA’DAR HOLLMAN DB JALEN REESE QB REGGIE GILLIAM TE TYCEN ANDERSON DB JAKE FLORIEA QB NERU N’SHAKA WR CALEB MARTIN QB TYLER TAAFE LB SAM WOMACK DB BRAD SMITH RB DEDARALLO BLUE S SHAKIF SEYMOUR RB NICHOLAS SIMS RB JUSTIN CLARK CB CALVIN BRANSFORD S CODY THOMPSON WR KENNEDY FRAZIER DB KAHLIL ROBINSON DB VICTOR WILLIAMS DB JACK LINCH LB JA’WUAN WOODLEY LB ZACH QUINN DE RHETT BLACKMAN WR KEELEN ROBERTS CB ART THOMPKINS RB
HT. 5-10 5-11 WR 6-1 6-5 6-2 6-0 6-4 6-0 6-4 5-11 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-2 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-1 5-10 5-8 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-3 5-9 5-11 5-8
WT. 205 181 5-10 197 250 200 180 240 188 197 190 248 185 178 210 175 190 190 205 235 185 190 182 200 230 183 200 200 218 205 175 195 205 191 175 185 225 228 240 187 180 180
YR. SR SO 183 SO SR SO SR FR JR JR JR JR SO JR SR FR FR JR JR SO FR FR FR FR JR FR SR SO FR FR FR SO SR SR SO FR SR SR SR SO FR SO
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
TOLEDO 2017 ROSTER
HOMETOWN ALIQUIPPA, PA RUSKIN, FL SO PITTSBURGH, PA PITTSBURGH, PA HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC HUDSON, OH PITTSBURGH, PA LEWIS CENTER, OH GARY, IN -POMFRET, MD HOUSTON, TX MIAMI, FL MASSILLON, OH FRANKFORT, KY AKRON, OH JACKSONVILLE, FL BURLINGTON, NJ MANSFIELD, OH COLUMBUS, OH TOLEDO, OH MENTOR, OH MIAMI GARDENS, FL FORT RECOVERY, OH HUBBARD, OH -CLYDE, OH SEFFNER, FL CLEVELAND, OH MOBILE, AL WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI DAYTON, OH HURON, OH BALTIMORE, MD CHARLOTTE, NC WARREN, OH TOLEDO, OH COLUMBUS, OH AURORA, OH LANSING, MI MIAMI GARDENS, FL PITTSBURGH, PA
NO. 34 34 35 37 38 39 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 76 78 80 80 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
NAME POS NEVONE MCCRIMMON RB JORDAN WILLIAMS S AJ CRIDER LB JAMESON VEST PK ZACHARY FORD DB QUINCY IVERSON DB SAMUEL VUCELICH PK TRE’SHUN WILSON LB NATE SWART TE RICHARD OLEKANMA LB ERIK DAVIS LB TADARRIUS PATTERSON LB ADAM KULON FB ANDREW BOCZAR DE BRAD SPELMAN LS NATE GIVHAN DL BAILEY FLINT P CONNOR LANCIA LB CHRIS NORWOOD LB MARQUISE MOORE DT DEVONTE’ DUNN DL LUCAS MAYNARD DE CHANDLER COTTERMAN OL BRANDON HEIDECKER OL CAMERON BELL OL JOSH SPURGEON DT NATE JEPPESEN OL KELVIN ATEMAN OL JORDAN FAIR OL WOODFORD LANKFORDOL LUKE DOERGER OL SAMI KASSEM OL MITCHELL BERG OL KEDONIS HASLEM OL RODERICK PETERSON OL BRANT WEISS OL BRYCE HARRIS OL CHAD COELING DL ELIJAH NKANSAH OL YAZEED ATARIWA OL BRYCE MITCHELL WR JAMAL TURNER TE NICK KOVACS WR DARRYL RICHARDS WR JORDAN FISHER TE LIAM ALLEN WR ELIJAH MORANT WR DARIUS CORBETT WR DREW ROSI TE LAMARR DAVIS DL MALIK JONES DE DANIEL DAVIS DE NATE CHILDRESS DL EDRICK MATHEWS DT WILLIE ROSS JR. DT DAVID HOOD DT REGGIE HOWARD DT TYRONE CHAMBERS DL TUZAR SKIPPER DL
HT. 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-10 6-3 5-9 5-11 6-0 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-8 6-1 6-3 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-3 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-5 6-3
WT. 230 185 215 190 192 189 177 225 240 245 210 215 258 260 225 230 228 212 247 300 290 242 296 312 345 278 282 315 282 270 285 320 305 290 280 292 285 285 316 315 196 230 200 195 225 182 196 165 245 296 260 280 292 290 278 247 275 325 246
YR. FR SO FR JR FR JR SR FR FR JR SO FR SR SO SR FR FR SO SO SR FR SO SO SO SO FR SR FR SO FR FR SR FR FR JR SR SO SO SR JR FR FR FR SR SO SR SR FR FR SO SR SR SO FR SO FR JR FR SR
HOMETOWN BALTIMORE, MD PFLUGERVILLE, TX CLINTON, PA PEACHTREE CITY, GA CLEVELAND, OH COPLEY, OH POWELL, OH MONTGOMERY, AL WASHINGTON, PA DOWNERS GROVE, IL ROSSFORD, OH BIRMINGHAM, AL ALGONQUIN, IL MONROE, MI HILLIARD, OH MONTGOMERY, AL -GALLOWAY, OH TOLEDO, OH TOLEDO, OH PLAINFIELD, IL ASHVILLE, OH ANNA, OH COLUMBIA STATION, OH SAGAMORE HILLS, OH NAPOLEON, OH PORTAGE, MI DETROIT, MI MASON, OH PARIS, KY CINCINNATI, OH CINCINNATI, OH MAUMEE, OH MIAMI, FL TAYLOR, MI SUNBURY, OH AKRON, OH CENTERVILLE, OH MASON, OH STERLING, VA TOLEDO, OH MONTGOMERY, AL SPRINGBORO, OH CHAGRIN FALLS, OH LEESBURG, VA TOLEDO, OH TOLEDO, OH TAMPA, FL POWELL, OH GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OH BALTIMORE, MD FLINT, MI ROSSFORD, OH DETROIT, MI RAVENNA, OH MIAMI GARDENS, FL CINCINNATI, OH CLEVELAND, OH NORWICH, CT
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Georgia running back Nick Chubb is tackled by App State’s Myquon Stout.
APP STATE BOWL GUIDE
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
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App State repeats as Sun Belt co-champ BY STEVE BEHR sports@wataugademocrat.com
a 27-yard touchdown pass with 5:45 left in the game. Jalin Moore ran for 241 yards and two touchdowns for the Mountaineers (3-2, 2-0), who improved to 3-2 for the season. Moore closed out the scoring with a 56yard run with 2:12 left, which followed a fourth-down stop by linebacker Eric Boggs.
BOONE — After 12 games, Appalachian State’s football team is co-champion of the Sun Belt Conference. There were games against two power five teams, a brief two-game losing streak, and a season-ending three-game winning streak. There was also a Dollar General Bowl bid against Toledo on Dec. 23 in Mobile, Ala. Here’s a look at the 2017 Mountaineers game-by-game.
App State 23, Idaho 20
Georgia 31, App State 10
ATHENS, Ga. — Appalachian State became the first team in the country to find out that Georgia had the potential to be one of the best teams in America on Sept. 2. The Bulldogs, behind freshman backup Jake Fromm, who replaced injured sophomore incumbent quarterback Jacob Eason, raced out to a 31-0 third-quarter lead before the Mountaineers scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Georgia took a 21-yard lead on a 1-yard run by Nick Chubb, a 34-yard Fromm pass to Javon Wims and a Sony Michel 6-yard run just before halftime. App State quarterback Taylor Lamb took advantage of a Desmond Franklin interception by scoring on a 20-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to get the Mountaineers (0-1) on the scoreboard with 5:41 left. Lamb completed 18-of-27 passes for 128 yards, and would have rushed for 90 yards had he not been sacked twice for minus 24 yards. “I was proud of the way our guys finished,” App State head coach Scott Satterfield said. “We talk in our program
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
App State tight end Collin Reed scores a touchdown against Wake Forest. all the time about how we finish. That’s what we’re made of and what we did in the fourth quarter is going to make our football team. We’ll build off that and take a positive out of this game.”
App State 54, Savannah State 7
BOONE — Appalachian State had little trouble with FCS Savannah State after rolling up 619 yards in total offense in a 54-7 win over the Tigers Sept. 9. The Mountaineers (1-1) led 45-0 by halftime and Lamb passed for five touchdowns. Collin Reed caught touchdown passes of 68 and 16 yards, and the Appalachian State defense held Savannah State to just 114 yards of
total offense. App State rushed for 274 yards, led by Terrance Upshaw, who gained 50 of his game-high 86 yards on a fourth-quarter touchdown. “We wanted to push the ball down the field today,” Satterfield said. “It’s got to be a part of our offense to help open up the run game.”
App State 20, Texas State 13
SAN MARCOS, Texas — Appalachian State held off a near-miracle drive executed by Texas State in beating the Bobcats 20-13 Sept. 16. Texas State, which recovered an App State fumble at its own 1-yard line with 2:26 left in the game, marched 92 yards down to the Mountaineers’ 7-yard line with 10 seconds left. But App State (2-1, 1-0) safety A.J. Howard caught Bobcats receiver Elijah King before he could cross the goal line with a pass as time expired, which preserved the Mountaineers’ victory. Texas State held App State’s offense to 283 total yards, including 116 on the ground. Thomas Hennigan scored on a 6-yard TD pass from Taylor Lamb and Terrance Upshaw scored on a 1-yard run. Michael Rubino hit field goals from 27 and 46 yards.
Wake Forest 20, App State 19
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BOONE — Facing its second ACC program at Kidd Brewer Stadium in its last two years, Appalachian State nearly pulled off an upset of the Demon Deacons on Sept. 23. But the Mountaineers saw a Michael Rubino field goal blocked as time expired, leaving a record Kidd Brewer crowd of 35,126 fans disappointed. Rubino gave the Mountaineers (2-2) a 19-17 lead with a 39-yard field goal, but Wake Forest’s Mike Weaver answered with a 25-yarder with 7:22 left in the game to put the Deacons in front 20-19. Taylor Lamb tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Levi Duffield and an 84-yarder to T.J. Watkins in the third quarter that gave App State a 16-10 lead. Lamb completed 25-of-50 passes for 372 yards and no interceptions as App State outgained Wake Forest 494-344 in total offense.
App State 45, New Mexico State 31
BOONE — The Mountaineers scored 28 points in the fourth quarter, and intercepted six passes to race past visiting New Mexico State on Oct. 7. App State cornerbacks Clifton Duck and Tae Hayes each picked off three passes, and former prep quarterback-turned receiver Malik Williams found Hennigan for
MOSCOW, Idaho — App State outscored Idaho 16-0 in the fourth quarter to claim a 23-20 win over the Vandals on Oct. 14. App State fell behind 20-0 by the third quarter, but three Taylor Lamb touchdown passes, two to Ike Lewis, helped pull the Mountaineers (4-2, 3-0) back. Michael Rubino added a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Jalin Moore was limited to just 49 yards rushing as Idaho outgained the Mountaineers 312-276 in total offense. Lamb completed 19-of-26 passes for 155 yards and an interception.
App State 37, Coastal Carolina 29
BOONE — App State outgained Coastal Carolina 549-434 in total offense in a shootout victory over the Chanticleers Oct. 21 in front of 30,179 fans at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Mountaineers quarterback Taylor Lamb set the App State (5-2, 4-0) all-time record for touchdown passes with 76 after tossing an 83-yarder to Jalin Virgil in the first quarter. Lamb completed 23-of-39 passes for 427 yards with no interceptions. Marcus Williams Jr., filling in for Jalin Moore, who was injured during the game, ran for 72 yards and scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs.
Massachusetts 30, App State 27 (2OTs)
AMHERST, Mass. — Critical mistakes proved to be costly in App State’s 30-27 loss to Massachusetts on Oct. 29. The Mountaineers (5-3) turned the ball over three times and committed 11 penalties for 104 yards. One of those flags cost App State a touchdown when Tae Hayes intercepted an Andrew Ford pass and returned it for a touchdown. It was called off because of a personal foul penalty on a block called on App State’s Myquon Stout, who was flagged for blocking Ford after Hayes had passed them. Taylor Lamb saw his 21-yard touchdown pass to Ike Lewis called back because of a holding penalty. Lamb connected on 14of-29 passes for 133 yards and an interception. App State’s defense was fairly solid, especially against the run, except for a 95yard touchdown run by Marquis Young.
Louisiana-Monroe 52, App State 45
MONROE, La. — This game had more than 1,000 yards of total offense and 97 points with two ties in the fourth quarter before ULM claimed a 52-45 victory on Nov. 4 at Malone Stadium. App State fell to 5-4 overall, 4-1 in the Sun Belt Conference. App State quarterback Taylor Lamb completed 20-of-29 passes or 339 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, including a 20-yard touchdown to Ike Lewis with 53 seconds let, but ULM countered with a 50-yard pass from Caleb Evans to R.J. Turner with 23 seconds left to win the game. Louisiana-Monroe outgained the Mountaineers 569-508 in total offense as both quarterbacks threw for more than 300 yards. Evans completed 24-of-32 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns with SEE APP STATE ON PAGE 12
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APP STATE BOWL GUIDE
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
The Mountaineers once again ended the season strong and earned a share of the conference title with Sun Belt rival Troy.
APP STATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
one interception. Jalin Moore, playing for the first time in two games, finished with 114 yards on 21 carries after nearly missing the game because of the flu.
App State 27, Georgia Southern 6
BOONE — Appalachian State (6-4, 5-1 Sun Belt) became bowl eligible with its 27-6 win over Georgia Southern at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Nov. 9. Ike Lewis scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Lamb and Daetrich Harrington added a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Mountaineers. Georgia Southern finished with just 181 total yards compared to 414 yards rolled up by the Mountaineers. Marcus Williams Jr. led App State with 130 yards rushing on 28 carries as the Mountaineers ran for 253 yards. Appalachian State moved to 18-13-1 against Georgia Southern and is 3-1 against the Eagles since both teams moved to the FBS.
App State 31, Georgia State 10
ATLANTA — Playing for first place in the Sun Belt Conference, Appalachian State got 239 yards rushing from Jalin Moore in beating the Panthers 31-10 at what used to be Turner Field on Nov. 25. The Mountaineers finished with 323 yards rushing and Taylor Lamb threw two touchdown passes, one each to Collin Reed and Ike Lewis. Lamb also scored on a 14-yard run. App State’s defense held Georgia State to 104 yards rushing in improving to 7-4, 6-1.
App State 63, Louisiana 14
BOONE — Appalachian State put an exclamation point on its regular season by dismantling Louisiana 63-14 on Dec. 2. The Mountaineers (8-4, 7-1) grabbed a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship by taking a 35-7 halftime lead on Louisiana. Lamb threw Thomas Hennigan four touchdown passes. App State’s running game provided 357 yards, including 118 from Daetrich Harrington and 110 from Jalin Moore. The Mountaineers rolled up 608 yards in total offense against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
PHOTO BY ROB MOORE
Mountaineer running back Jalin Moore Jr. would not be denied a touchdown by New Mexico State.