FCS playoff: Eastern Washington at ASU, Saturday at noon
ASU must stop EWU’s air attack
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

Appalachian State has seen its share of good quarterbacks this season. When the Mountaineers host Eastern Washington at Kidd Brewer Saturday in a second-round FCS playoffs showdown, they may be looking at the best they’ve seen this season.

Certainly Eastern Washington’s Matt Nichols enters The Rock with a very hot hand. He shredded McNeese State’s defense, hitting 34-of-44 passes for 434 yards and two touchdowns, leading the No. 13 Eagles to a 44-15 thumping of the seeded Cowboys. It was Nichols’ fifth 300-yard passing game of the season and the sixth in the sophomore’s career.

Nichols, the Big Sky Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, has led the Eagles to a 9-3 record and a five-game winning streak. The Eagles average 470 yards per game, fourth in the FCS, and average 304 yards passing per contest.

Mountaineers coach Jerry Moore said the closest example to Eastern Washington in the Southern Conference was Elon, which averaged 357 yards per game. Moore said the Eastern Washington staff requested the tape from Appalachian State’s win over Elon.

“We’ve seen teams that do what they do,” Moore said. “We have not seen teams do as much as they do.”

Eastern Washington has one common opponent with the Mountaineers. Appalachian State (10-2) beat Northern Arizona 34-23, while the Eagles flattened Northern 52-24.

Appalachian State gave up plenty of yards in its 28-27 first-round win over James Madison, but the Mountaineers made key plays at the right times. The Mountaineers, which had allowed James Madison to convert 11-of-19 third downs and 4-of-4 fourth downs, stopped quarterback Rodney Landers on a fourth-and-two run. After converting a fourth down of its own, Appalachian State reached the end zone on an Armanti Edwards touchdown run, giving them a 28-27 lead.

James Madison moved the ball down the field, but Mountaineers linebacker Jacque Roman forced a fumble that Pierre Banks recovered at the 9-yard line, preserving the win.

Edwards rushed for 132 yards on 20 carries and scored touchdown runs of 4, 1 and 5 yards against the Dukes. Kevin Richardson added 55 yards, but is nursing a sore ankle.

Edwards also hit 12-of-17 passes for 126 yards and no interceptions.

Appalachian State is playing its 42nd game in the last three years. The Mountaineers are 9-0 in their last nine playoff games.