It seems that questions about quarterbacks is not limited to Appalachian State.

When the Mountaineers face The Citadel in a key Southern Conference showdown at Johnson Hagood Stadium, they will not know which quarterback will be facing them.

Will it be the slick senior Duran Lawson, or will it be redshirt freshman Bart Blanchard?

For the Bulldogs’ sake, it better be Lawson, a three-year starter who has led the Bulldogs to a 5-3 overall record, 3-2 in the Southern Conference. Lawson has completed 158-of-238 passes for 1,879 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Bulldogs average 37 point and 433.5 yards per game with Lawson in the lineup.

Blanchard, on the other hand, had hit 4-of-8 passes for 36 yards in four games. It’s a tough break for the Bulldogs, who are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 1991.

Still, the stakes are high for Appalachian State. The Mountaineers (6-2, 2-2 SoCon) must win their final four games and then hope for help if they want to claim at least a share of the SoCon championship. If that’s not possible, then a 9-2 record would be tough to ignore when it came to handing out at-large bids to the playoffs.

“It’s another big conference game,” Mountaineers coach Jerry Moore said. “It’s like back in ’05, we started taking one game at a time. It didn’t make any difference who it was or what happened. We sort of stayed with that routine.”

Lawson, one of several talented quarterbacks in the SoCon, sprained his knee in the Bulldogs’ 21-17 loss to Georgia Southern last Saturday.

“With Duran being questionable, Bart Blanchard will be our go-to guy,” Citadel coach Kevin Higgins said on The Citadel’s Web site. “Blanchard, a red-shirt freshman, will need to step up. He has a strong arm and has been poised under pressure. I have a lot of faith in him.”

It was news to Appalachian State cornerback Jerome Touchstone following Tuesday’s practice. He has been practicing this week expecting to see Lawson play.

“They’re a very good team,” Touchstone said. “Everyone is good in the conference this year. It’s crazy. It depends on who wants it more.”

The Mountaineers are no stranger to questions at quarterback. When starter Armanti Edwards injured his shoulder, senior Trey Elder took over and led the Mountaineers to wins over Lenoir-Rhyne, Northern Arizona, Elon and Gardner-Webb.

But Elder had already played in big games, while Blanchard has not. Elder started the 2005 national championship game, started against N.C. State in 2006 and started four games this year.

“The offense will have to take Blanchard under our wings and keep him calm and confident,” Citadel receiver Joshua Haney.

The Appalachian State offense has plenty of confidence heading into the game. They took a 24-7 halftime lead and beat Furman 34-27 last Saturday in an important SoCon road game.

Edwards, making his second start since returning to the lineup, hit 16-of-24 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 126 yards, giving him 337 total yards. One week earlier, while shaking off some rust in a 38-35 loss to Georgia Southern, Edwards ran for 220 yards and passes for 178 more, leaving the sophomore with 735 total yards in just two games.

The Citadel runs the same spread offense the Mountaineers use. Touchstone said that because the Bulldogs like to use short crossing patterns over the middle, it’s important for the Appalachian State secondary to communicate with the linebackers, so they don’t run into each other in coverage.

“They run a lot of under routes that can be confusing,” Touchstone said. “As long as you stay disciplined as a defense, you’ll be all right.”

Appalachian State’s depth in its secondary could get tested Saturday. Cornerback Justin Woazeah did not practice Tuesday, but was not listed on the Mountaineers’ injury report. Backup cornerback Cortez Gilbert also did not practice because of a sore ankle injured against Furman and is doubtful. That leaves Leonard Love and Touchstone as the two starters, if Woazeah and Gilbert can’t play.

Love started the Mountaineers’ first two games for Titus Howard at safety. Love intercepted a pass in Appalachian State’s 34-32 win over Michigan.

A rash of injuries also has hit the Mountaineers’ defensive line. Tim Washington is doubtful at defensive end because of a broken foot, but defensive tackle Gary Tharrington is probable despite two sore knees and a sore shoulder. Tharrington practiced Tuesday.

Offensively, receiver Matt Cline (ribs) is probable, tackle Pat Mills (ankle) is doubtful, while tackle Mario Acitelli (broken leg) and guard Daniel Kilgore (broken leg) are both out four to six weeks.

“We’ve had things happen that are a little uncharacteristic,” Moore said. “We’ve had a high amount of injuries and our kids have played through it.”