Mountaineers storm

the Citadel
By Steve Behr
 After Appalachian State’s win over Presbyterian, Jerry Moore reminded the media that it might take a few extra games for the Mountaineers’ offense to gel.

In their 47-21 victory over the 12th-ranked Citadel Saturday, that might have happened.

Appalachian State (3-2, 1-0), ranked No. 2 in The Sports Network, No. 3 in the coaches’ poll, scored 34 points in the second quarter and took a 41-7 lead on the Bulldogs (3-2, 1-1).

Combined with their second half against Presbyterian, the Mountaineers scored 72 points and rang up over 1,000 yards in total offense.

Things did not go as smoothly in the second half as the Mountaineers were limited to one fourth-quarter touchdown. But by then, the outcome of the game was not in doubt.

The Mountaineers are likely to be ranked second in the coaches poll since Montana, the No. 2 team last week, lost 45-28 to Weber State.

Appalachian State did not have a runner gain over 100 yards, but rolled up 295 yards rushing and 520 yards in total offense. Armanti Edwards became the 12th quarterback in Division I history to break both the career 3,000-yard passing and rushing barriers by gaining 80 yards on the ground in 15 carries. He scored on touchdown runs of 16 and 3 yards.

Edwards also connected on 14-of-18 passes — two were dropped — for 225 yards and four touchdowns. In three games against The Citadel, Edwards, a junior, has 953 total yards — 547 passing and 406 on the ground. He’s also tossed seven touchdown passes and run for five more.

Devin Radford followed is 179-yard output against Presbyterian with 72 yards on 10 carries, including a 29-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Radford also went 68 yards for a touchdown with an Edwards screen pass with 15.1 seconds left in the second quarter after the Mountaineers got the ball back at their own 37-yard line with 28.4 seconds left in the first half.

Added to the already deep Appalachian State backfield was Matt Cline, who caught a 25-yard touchdown pass with 13:57 left in the second quarter, giving the Mountaineers a 13-0 lead. Cline, who has been hampered with a pulled left hamstring, added 49 yards on just four carries. 

The Citadel settled for 245 total yards, just 73 on the ground. Quarterback Bart Blanchard hit 17-of-41 passes for 172 yards and a 9-yard touchdown to Alex Sellars in the fourth quarter. Though Blanchard was not sacked, he was harassed by Appalachian State’s pass rush for much of the game.