2013 SoCon Football Preview: Part I

BOONE, N.C.--With the season a little over a month away, AppNation247 takes a look at how the Southern Conference race shapes up for the 2013 season.

Photo Courtesy Keith Cline/Appstatesports.com

This will be part of a two-part preview, which takes a look at the 2013 season in the Southern Conference, along with each Appalachian State Southern Conference opponent, both as a historical rival, and for what each foe brings to the gridiron this fall.

Part II will take a look at the rest of Appalachian's league slate, as well as other opponent news and notes heading into the season. It will also include news and notes from the SoCon's Media Rouser coming up next week in Spartanburg, S.C.

With the Apps joining the Sun Belt Conference next fall and an increase in scholarships, the Mountaineers will not be eligible to claim a Southern Conference crown this fall.

Appalachian is one of three teams departing the SoCon following the 2013 season, as the Mountaineers will be joined by Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) and Elon (CAA) who will also be leaving the league following the 2013 season.

Axis Powers:

With the departure of Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, it marks the end of truly a remarkable era of football in the Southern Conference. With Appalachian State and Georgia Southern go nine national titles, with five combined titles coming as Southern Conference members, with the Black and Gold of course owning three of those crowns.

The biggest thing that leaves the SoCon with the departures of Appalachian State and Georgia Southern is of course tradition. The Mountaineers and Eagles are part of a legacy that likely won't ever be matched again in the Southern Conference, and perhaps the FCS.

Appalachian State, which joined the league back in 1972, has made plenty of great memories inside one of the toughest conferences inside the Football Championship Subdivision, and though both Appalachian State and Georgia Southern will both be moving on to the Sun Belt in 2014, both schools passionate fans will carry with them many of the significant moments inside the league etched in their collective memories for years to come.

The Black and Gold fan base will carry with them the memories of 12 Southern Conference championships (1986, ?87, ?91, ?95, ?99, 2005, ?06, ?07, ?08, ?09, ?10 and ?12) and three-straight national titles (2005, ?06 and ?07) and a win over FBS No. 5-ranked Michigan, 34-32, in 2007.

It was a memorable run to say the least for the Mountaineers, who have a string of 19-straight winning seasons, including 27 of the last 29. The 12 league crowns are tied for the most all-time in conference titles, with only charter member Furman (12 titles) matching ASU?s feat.

On an individual level, ASU produced two of the greatest players to ever play in the Football Championship Subdivision, producing the only two-time winners of the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top performer at the FCS level each season by The Sports Network, (QB Armanti Edwards, 2008 and ?09) and the Buck Buchanan Award (LB Dexter Coakley, 1995 and ?96), which is given to the top defensive player each season, also presented by The Sports Network.

The ?07 win over Michigan set a precedent, as the two-point win at The Big House got the nation talking about Appalachian State and FCS football, which eventually allowed the Black and Gold to make the inevitable leap into the FBS waters next season. The win over the Wolverines allowed ASU to become the first FCS school in the history of the Associated Press FBS Top 25 poll.

Georgia Southern faithful, too, have reason to be proud of their Southern Conference heritage. After all, the Eagles won an unprecedented six national titles at the FCS level after only resurrected their program in 1982. It took only three years for Erk Russell?s boys to raise their first national title, and it was the beginning of a truly remarkable rise to prominence.

The Eagles would not join the Southern Conference until 1993, winning the league title in their first season as a member in the league. It would be the first of 10 Southern Conference titles (1993, ?97, ?98, ?99, ?00, ?01, ?02, ?04, ?11 and ?12) for Georgia Southern.

The Eagles claimed four titles (1985, ?86, ?89 and ?90) before joining the SoCon, and claimed two as a league member, which came under current Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson in 1999 and 2000.

Like ASU, the Eagles, too, had great players. No one will soon forget Adrian Peterson, who finished as the league and FCS all-time leading rusher (6,559 yards), while claiming the 1999 Walter Payton Award. Or what about Jayson Foster?s remarkable performance in 2007, which saw him become Georgia Southern?s second winner of the prestigious individual accolade.

No teams in the 92-year history of the Southern Conference won more consecutive titles on the gridiron than either Georgia Southern or Appalachian State, which claimed at least a share of six-straight, with the Eagles claiming the feat from 1997-2002, while Appalachian State was the most recent to accomplish this rare feat from 2005-2010.

Amazingly since 1993, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have claimed an outright or shared Southern Conference title in 16 of 19 seasons, with the last time neither did so being 2003, when Wofford was declared the outright champs. Along with the 2003 campaign, only the 1996 (Marshall) and the 1994 seasons (Marshall) did neither program claim at least a share of the SoCon prize.

But, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern owe a lot of gratitude to the SoCon, because it is the SoCon that helped make those programs into the tradition-rich programs they are to this day. And it is the SoCon, who should thank Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, for taking the league to places it has never been and could have never hoped for on the NCAA Division I college football map.

Predicted Order of Finish:

1. Chattanooga
2. The Citadel
3. Wofford
4. Samford
5. Furman
6. Western Carolina
7. Elon
*Appalachian State
*Georgia Southern

*?denotes Ineligible for Southern Conference Title in 2013 per transition to FBS in 2014

Power Rankings Heading Into The Season:

1. Appalachian State
2. Georgia Southern
3. Chattanooga
4. The Citadel
5. Samford
6. Furman
7. Wofford
8. Western Carolina
9. Elon

2013 All-SoCon Team (Offense):

QB?Jamal Jackson (Appalachian State)
RB?Fabian Truss (Samford)
RB?Dominique Swope (Georgia Southern)
OL?Dakota Dozier (Furman)
OL?Kendall Lamm (Appalachian State)
OL?Garrett Frye (Georgia Southern)
OL?Jared Singleton (Wofford)
OL?Dorian Byrd (Georgia Southern)
TE?Faysal Shafaat (Chattanooga)
WR?Kelsey Pope (Samford)
WR?Sean Price (Appalachian State)

2013 All-SoCon First-Team Defense:

DL?Davis Tull (Chattanooga)
DL?Tarek Odom (Wofford)
DL?Ronald Blair (Appalachian State)
DL?Derek Douglas (The Citadel)
LB?Wes Dothard (Chattanooga)
LB?Courtland Carson (Western Carolina)
LB?Alvin Scioneaux (Wofford)
DB?Reggie Thomas (Furman)
DB?Greg Worthy (Furman)
DB?Kadeem Wise (Chattanooga)
DB?D.J. Key (Chattanooga)

Specialists:
PK?Ray Early (Furman)
P?Nick Pollard (Chattanooga)
RS?Tony Washington (Appalachian State)

Offensive Player of the Year: Jamal Jackson (Appalachian State)
Defensive Player of the Year: Davis Tull (Chattanooga)
Newcomer of the Year: Tolerance Shepherd (Chattanooga)
Jacobs Blocking Award Winner: Dakota Dozier (Furman)
Coach of the Year: Russ Huesman (Chattanooga)

Appalachian's 2013 SoCon Opposition

1. Chattanooga (6-5, 5-3/t-4th in SoCon in 2012)

Returning Starters: 19 (10-defense, 9-offense)

Head Coach: Russ Huesman (23-21, 5th Year)

2012 Record: 6-5, 5-3 SoCon/tied for 4th

Top Returning Player Offense: QB-Jacob Huesman (167-of-256 passing,1,712 yds, 13 TDs, 5 INTs/904 rush yds, 7 TDs )

Top Returning Player Defense: DE-Davis Tull (56 tackles, 19.0 TFL, 12.5 sacks, 3 FFs)

Total Offense: 349.4 YPG

Total Defense: 307.9 YPG

Nov. 2 at Appalachian State--If Chattanooga hopes to claim its fifth Southern Conference title, it might come down to a crucial trip to Boone late in the season to face Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers were simply sensational for the final three quarters of the 2012 matchup, and despite missing a pair of starting offensive linemen, Appalachian State went on to a 34-17 win. Acrobatic catches by Sean Price, who finished the night with 143 yards receiving and a pair of scores, helped the Apps create the distance they needed in the second half to get the win.

Recent meetings between the two have been nailbiters, including the 2011 meeting in the High Country, which saw Appalachian claim a 14-12 win in Boone, as the Black and Gold did so without an offensive TD.

Appalachian State has claimed eight-straight wins against the Mocs on the gridiron, and have won 25 of the last 28 meetings between the two programs.

Appalachian holds a commanding 15-3 advantage against the Mocs in the series, with the Mocs having last won in the High Country during the Sparky Woods era, claiming a 21-20 win over Appalachian in 1984.

That '84 season was one of four title-winning campaigns for UTC, who joined the SoCon in 1977. ASU's home winning streak against UTC stands at 14-straight triumphs.

All-Time Series: App St. leads 26-10

Largest ASU win: 62-14 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in 1999

Largest UTC win: 72-14 at Chattanooga's Chamberlain Field in 1978

AppNation247 Predicted Final Score: App St. 21, UTC 10

2. The Citadel

Returning Starters: 17 (9-offense, 6-defense, 2-specialist)

Head Coach: Kevin Higgins (38-51, 8th year)

2012 Record: 7-4, 5-3/tied for 4th

Top Returning Player Offense: RB-Darien Robinson (140 att, 1,007 yds, 6 TDs, 7.2 YPC)

Top Returning Player Defense: DE-Derek Douglas (17 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, 1 TD)

2012 Total Offense AVG: 382.5 YPG

2012 Total Defense AVG: 383.5 YPG

Oct. 5 vs. Appalachian State--The Citadel started to chart quite a journey for itself in a two-week period in the 2012 season, as the Bulldogs knocked off No. 3 Georgia Southern (23-21) and No.8 Appalachian State (52-28) in a two-week period, marking one of the best two-week stretches in school history.

The Bulldogs' win in Boone was their first in the High Country since 1992, and first win over the Apps since 2003, when the Bulldogs claimed a 24-21 victory over the Apps.

Last season's win by the Bulldogs saw the Mountaineers give up a record yardage total (618) to an opponent on their home field, and it was a game that would get away from Appalachian early, and the Mountaineers were never able to recover.

Ben Dupree torched the Appalachian defense for 191 rush yards, while also passing for 56 yards. Darien Robinson, who became the first 1,000-yard rusher for the Bulldogs since 2007, is also back, and he rushed for 113 yards in the big win over the Black and Gold last season.

There were some great matchups between the Apps and Bulldogs during the early 1990's during the Charlie Taafe era in the Port City.

Players like QB Jack Douglas and FB Everette Sands were part of a powerful wishbone offense, which helped the Bulldogs knock off the likes of South Carolina, Arkansas and Navy during the highly successful era. From 1989-93, the Apps lost four out of five to the Bulldogs, which marks the most success the Bulldogs have had in the 41 meetings between the two.

The win by the Bulldogs last season snapped streaks of nine-straight home wins by the Apps, and eight straight victories overall. The loss to The Citadel matches the largest home to defeat to an opponent in the history of Kidd Brewer/Conrad Stadium. East Tennessee State claimed a 52-28 win at The Rock in 1997.

Johnson-Hagood Stadium, which was once known as the "Boneyard" until it was discovered that the facility was in actuality a "Boneyard" as it was built on top of an ancient Native American cemetery in Charleston, so the popular nickname and sign inside the stadium were removed. The facility can be one of the most difficult in the SoCon for opponents to come away with a win.

It was certainly that way for Scott Satterfield in 1995, as the Mountaineers were able to get a hail mary answered win Satterfield high-arching pass found Ron Gilliam for a 37-yard scoring pass late in the game to help the Black and Gold to a 28-24 win over the winless Cadets.

It will most surely be hot and humid when the Apps visit in early October, and the Mountaineers will likely find themselves wearing all black on that afternoon, as a result of a little southern hospitality from the homestanding Bulldogs.

All-Time Series: App St. leads 29-12

Largest ASU win: 51-0 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in 1999

Largest Citadel win: 52-28 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in 2012

AppNation247 Predicted Final Score: App St. 35, The Citadel 24

3. Wofford

Returning Starters: 12 (5-offense, 5-defense, 2-specialists)

Head Coach: Mike Ayers (182-136-2, 28th year)

2012 Record:9-4, 6-2 SoCon/tied for Southern Conference Title

Top Returning Player Offense: RB-Donovan Johnson (73 rush att, 473 yds, 3 TDs, 6.5 YPC)

Top Returning Player Defense: LB-Alvin Scioneaux (70 tackles, 14.0 TFL, 7.0 sacks, 2 INTs)

2012 Total Offense AVG: 400.7 YPG

2012 Total Defense AVG: 305.5 YPG

Nov. 16 vs. Appalachian State--No team has had as much success in recent years as Wofford, and the Terriers have claimed back-to-back wins over the Mountaineers, with both wins coming by double digits.

In fact, the Mountaineers have not lost three-straight games to a current Southern Conference opponent since dropping four-straight to Georgia Southern from 2000-2002.

The Mountaineers and Eagles, of course, met twice during the '01 season, with Georgia Southern claiming both the regular-season (27-18) and the postseason (36-20) games.

Wofford and Eric Breitenstein were able to post 38-28 and 28-14 wins each of the past two seasons, but thankfully for Mountaineer fans, Breitenstein, the Valle Crucis native, has now graduated.

Appalachian was held to 363 yards of total offense, while the App State defense was ripped apart for 440 yards by the Terriers, including 393 rushing yards in last season's 38-28 win in Boone.

The Mountaineers now have within their coaching staff Nate Woody, who for the previous 13 years, was helping devise schemes to slow down Appalachian offenses, serving as the Terriers' defensive coordinator.

In fact, it could be argued that no defense did a better job of stopping the Apps in the spread era (2004-present) than Woody's Terrier defenses. Last season, Woody helped the Terriers lead the SoCon and ranked ninth in the FCS in total defense.

The Terriers have beaten Appalachian 12 times in the 29 all-time meetings between the two programs. In fact, the Terriers have five of the 12 games against the Appalachian Black and Gold since the Terriers joined the SoCon in 1997.

Appalachian had plenty of success early on in the series between the two, claiming the first five meetings between the two before Wofford sent shock-waves through the SoCon, claiming a 26-19 Homecoming win over the Southern Conference title favorite Mountaineers in 2002. Gabriel Jackson's late 62-yard TD scamper with 1:36 remaining was the difference in one of Wofford's biggest wins early in their SoCon membership.

It was a season that saw the Terriers also defeat Georgia Southern, 14-7, in Statesboro, but a late-season, 24-21, loss at home to Furman kept Wofford from the FCS playoffs despite a 9-3 regular-season record.

Wofford and Appalachian State also share another fascinating link, as the legendary Jim Brakefield coached at both Appalachian State and Wofford during his career.

Brakefield and offensive coordinator Fisher DeBerry made the wishbone offense into an artform, and Brakefield would become one of Jerry Moore and Mike Ayers' biggest mentors before he passed away in 2002. Brakefield had a large influence on the two programs.

The Mountaineers hold a 5-3 all-time edge at Gibbs Stadium, losing in 2011, '07 and '03. In two of those three losses, Wofford would go on to win Southern Conference titles. The Terriers have claimed four SoCon titles in total heading into 2013 and have made six FCS playoff appearances.

All-Time Series: App St. leads 17-12

Largest ASU win: 70-24 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in 2008

Largest Wofford win: 37-13 at Franklin Stadium (Spartanburg, S.C.) in 1970

AppNation247 Predicted Final Score: App St. 28, Wofford 17

4 .Samford

Returning Starters: 14 (8-offense, 5-defense, 1 Specialist)

Head Coach: Pat Sullivan (56-76-1, 13th year)

2012 Record: 7-4, 5-3 SoCon/tied for 4th

Top Returning Player Offense: RB-Fabian Truss (206 att, 1,063 yds, 11 TDs, 5.2 YPC)

Top Returning Player Defense: DB-Jaquiski Tartt (94 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 4 INTs, 10 PBUs, 2 FR, 2 TDs)

2012 Total Offense AVG: 351.6 YPG

2012 Total Defense AVG: 335.6 YPG

Oct. 12 at Appalachian State--It was one of those losses that stays with a program for years after the result has collected dust in the annals of the programs history books. Samford's 28-25 loss to Appalachian State in 2012 was one that saw Mountaineer quarterback Jamal Jackson and wide receiver Sean Price simply steal what would have been Samford's first win over Appalachian since joining the league in 2008. Jackson and Price hooked up for a 22-yard scoring strike with only 22 seconds remaining in the game, transforming a 25-21 deficit into a 28-25 lead.

The Mountaineers and Bulldogs will be meeting for just the eighth time in series history when the two battle each other this fall, and the Bulldogs have won only once against the Mountaineers in those eight meetings, as the Bulldogs were able to get a 42-35 win over Appalachian State back in 1970.

Samford is a program on the rise in the Southern Conference, and Pat Sullivan's team will be looking for its first FCS playoff appearance since 1994. The Bulldogs will be once again have some of the SoCon's top offensive talent, in quarterback Andy Summerlin (244-of-365 passes for 2,269 yds, 10 TDs, 6 INTs), as well as wide receiver Kelsey Pope (68 rec, 552 yds, 4 TDs, 8.1 YPR), combining with Truss as a part of an offense that figures to be explosive this fall.

The Samford defense was decimated by graduation, especially at linebacker, where all three starters are gone, as well as the team's top defensive lineman, Nick Williams, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Samford does have potentially the top defensive player in the Southern Conference entering the 2013 season, in Jaquiski Tartt, who enters the season as a member of the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. Appalachian State is the lone team that Samford has not defeated since joining the SoCon five years ago.

All-Time Series: App St. leads 6-1

Largest ASU win: 35-17 (twice) at Kidd Brewer Stadium in '11; Seibert Stadium '10

Largest Samford win: 42-35 at Conrad Stadium in 1970

AppNation247 Predicted Final Score: App St. 42, Samford 28

5. Furman

Returning Starters: 15 (8-offense, 5-defense, 2-Specialist)

Head Coach: Bruce Fowler (9-13, 3rd year)

2012 Record: 3-8, 2-6 SoCon/tied for 7th

Top Returning Player Offense: LT-Dakota Dozier (Preseason First-Team All-America selection)

Top Returning Player Defense: DE/LB-Gary Wilkins(92 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD)

2012 Total Offense AVG: 368.5 YPG

2012 Total Defense AVG: 399.9 YPG

Oct. 19 vs. Appalachian State--It's the rivalry Appalachian State fans will miss most when the Mountaineers move up to FBS football next fall, but the great memories of the rivalry with Furman will live long into the future for fans of both programs, but most surely for the Black and Gold fan base.

Every Mountaineer fan knows where he or she was on Oct. 12, 2002, when Josh Jeffries picked off Billy Napier's two-point conversion pass and then lateraled to the fleeter Derrick Black, who returned it for two points to give Appalachian a 16-15 lead with 7.4 seconds remaining, ultimately proving to be one of the most remarkable wins in college football history.

It was the turning point in a heated rivalry between two schools, which had seen Furman dominate the series prior to that win. That play by Jeffries would set in motion a streak by the Black and Gold which would see the boys from Boone claim 11 of the next 13 games against the Paladins.

After leading the series 20-7-3 following a 28-22 win in 2001, the Paladins would see the Mountaineers close the overall series to 22-18-3 since the "Miracle on the Mountain."

Over the years, the rivalry between the Apps and Furman has truly become one of the most intriguing in NCAA Division I College Football. Who will ever forget the 26-23 triple-overtime win by the Apps in 1991, or the 29-23 dramatic win some 14 years later, which allowed the Black and Gold to advance to their first national title game, ultimately defeating Northern Iowa, 21-16, in 2005.

Then there was Richie Williams' dramatic, record-setting day in 2004, as he completed 28-straight passes en route to a 40-for-45 passing performance and a 30-29 win over Ingle Martin and No. 2 Furman at The Rock.

Fittingly, last season in what proved to be the last season in which Appalachian State was eligible for a Southern Conference title, it would be Furman standing in the way once again.

And like old times, it was the Paladins that wouldn't make things easy, pushing the Mountaineers to the limit before getting the 33-28 win. The five-point triumph meant the Mountaineers could lift a 12th Southern Conference title trophy, tying the Paladins for the most Southern Conference titles won in the history of the conference.

Furman has won just twice over the past 13 meetings between the two, with both victories coming in Greenville. In fact, Appalachian has won eight straight against the Paladins in Boone, dating back to a Furman 20-14 win in 1996.

On that October afternoon back in '96, Ernest Crosby ran wild for Furman, while quarterback Braniff Bonaventure and tight end Luther Broughton made key third down conversions time and time again in that game, helping the Paladins to hold on for what proved to be Furman's final win in the High Country.

The Paladins claimed a 34-31 win over the Mountaineers in an epic game in Greenville back in 2005, while Furman was a 20-10 winner over No. 3 Appalachian in Bruce Fowler's first season at the helm of the Furman football program back in 2011, bringing the Paladins to the brink of their first playoff berth since 2006.

For whatever reason, in recent seasons, it's been a case of two programs going in different directions. Furman was a program that early in former coach Jerry Moore's career, Appalachian patterned the Mountaineers after to help the Black and Gold capture some of the winning habits the Paladins had established, and do it better than Furman. Eventually, that would happen, but it would take plenty of frustrating Saturdays before the Mountaineers would get over that hump.

Still, Furman is a program that many Mountaineer fans will always respect, and even after the Mountaineers have moved on, they need only to look as far as Appalachian redshirt freshman QB Taylor Lamb to remember the program.

Of course, Lamb is the son of former legendary Furman quarterback and coach Bobby Lamb, who is now the head coach at Mercer. Players like Lamb, RB Louis Ivory, LBs Jeff Blankenship and Orlando Ruff are all greats that have come through the Furman program and players that ASU fans won't soon forget and will always respect.

Furman returns a talented, young signal-caller, in sophomore Reese Hannon (1,896 passing yds, 7 TDs, 8 INTs in 2012), while all five starters are back on the offensive front. Furman must replace its fifth all-time leading rusher, Jerodis Williams, who gave the Apps more trouble as a kick returner last season than anything else.

Defensively, Furman lost a lot, but return a secondary that features potentially three All-SoCon performers, with safeties Greg Worthy (77 tackles, 2.0 TFL) and Marcus McMorris (30 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 2 TDs) back, as well as cornerback Reggie Thomas (23 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 PBUs).

All-Time Series: Furman leads 22-18-3

Largest ASU win: 40-7 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in 2006

Largest Furman win: 49-0 at Paladin Stadium in 1983

AppNation247 Predicted Final Score: App St. 35, Furman 31

Source: http://appalachianstate.247sports.com/Article/2013-SoCon-Football-Preview-Part-I-139555

Mars landing Gabby Douglas John Orozco Garrett Reid shawn johnson Tony Sly Lauren Perdue