Spotlight on Appalachian State

First of all, Michigan did not lose to Appalachian State. The Mountaineers beat Michigan, let's get that straight. Was it a huge upset? Sure it was. It was the first time a non Division 1 team has ever beaten one of the Top 20 ranked NCAA Football Teams. People that claim that it was the biggest upset in sports history just don't understand how good the Appalachian State football program has become. It seemed to all start in 2005, playing against a highly ranked LSU squad in Baton Rouge, the Mountaineers gave them quite a game and played them tough. They (Mountaineers) only trailed 14-0 at halftime, eventually losing 24-0, but they actually outrushed the LSU Tigers 176 yards to 163, and showed everyone that they can play with the big boys. Since that game they have won two consecutive Division 1AA championships and are heavily favored to win a third this year (2007).

Playing at home in Ann Arbor Michigan the Wolverines were clearly not prepared for a fast, spread offense and it's clear that the Wolverines defense was built to stop a power running game, which is typical Big Ten style. The Wolverines don't have much speed in the defensive secondary. But this article is about Appalachian State, not Michigan.

Coach Jerry Moore deserves a lot of credit for building this franchise into a perennial powerhouse. Since his arrival to Boone North Carolina in 1989 the Mountaineers have a record of 154 wins with only 68 losses. Coach Moore has the credentials; he was a former coach of Texas Tech and North Texas and was developed under the tutelage of two hall of fame coaches, Nebraska's Tom Osborne and Iowa's Hayden Frye.

Appalachian State is clearly the class of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) or better known as 1AA. By the way, I wish they wouldn't have changed it to FCS, Division 1AA was so much simpler to understand. The Mountaineers have some serious talent, a few of their player could start for almost any division one team and some even have legitimate potential for the NFL Draft.

The best NFL Prospect on the team might be offensive lineman Kerry Brown (6' 6" 312 lbs). Brown is the defending Southern Conference Jacobs Blocking Trophy recipient and first-team All-American. He has started 31 consecutive games at left guard and has great strength, and athletic ability. NFL Draft Dog has Brown ranked among the nation's top guards for the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sophomore quarterback Armanti Edwards (6' 0 " 182 lbs.) might be a little short to play QB in the NFL, but this kid showed everyone that he could play the position at the collegiate level. Against Michigan he looked faster than any player on the Michigan defense. He finished the game passing for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns, he also ran for 78 yards and another touchdown. Last year (2006) as a freshman, he didn't start until the third game of the season, but once he got rolling he turned in one of the best seasons in college football history at any level. He became just the fifth player in NCAA Division I history (and only the second freshman) to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. Those statistics rank him right up there with Tennessee Titans' quarterback Vince Young.

Michigan must have been worried about All-American running back Kevin Richardson, because they let loose Wide Receiver Dexter Jackson. He (Jackson) was about the only player on the football field that looked faster than the Appalachian quarterback (Edwards). I watched the game film again and number 2 jumped out with his breath taking speed. The 5' 10" 185 pound receiver and return specialist caught 3 passes for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jackson will be the go-to receiver this year and he is rated as one of the better receiver prospects for the 2008 NFL Draft.

I have been touting Safety Corey Lynch, (6' 0" 205 lbs.) for a while now. He made his debut on the Sports Center highlight reel by blocking Michigan's potential game winning field goal in the waning minutes to seal the win for the Mountaineers. Lynch is another Mountaineer player with legitimate potential for the NFL Draft.

So in closing, don't despair Michigan fans, you got beat by a darn good football team. In fact, I will give the Michigan athletic department credit for scheduling them for their first game of the year. Most Division 1 schools don't want anything to do with playing the two time Division 1AA champion Appalachian Mountaineers.