Southern Conference Week 3 Recap

No. 21 The Citadel 52, No. 8 Appalachian State 28 (Boone, N.C., Kidd Brewer Stadium)

When The Citadel took the field against Appalachian State on Saturday afternoon, it was certainly fighting the odds. After all, the Bulldogs hadn’t won in Boone in two decades and hadn’t beaten two Top 10 foes in a single season in 21 years.

The Bulldogs were also fighting the odds against ASU, who entered the contest with a 62-5 record in its last 67 games at Kidd Brewer Stadium–a place formerly known a Conrad Stadium and was celebrating its 50th anniversary on Saturday afternoon.

The game was billed as what was to be a “throwback” games of sorts. The Citadel hadn’t really been competitive against Appalachian State in recent meetings, losing their last nine games in Boone by an average of a 41-17 score, but during his weekly press conference, Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore remarked at The Citadel being in the same ilk as some of those Citadel teams he faced early in his career when Charlie Taafe was at the helm of the program in the early 1990’s, which is what many consider the “golden era” of Citadel fooball.

The Citadel could still hear the cannons booming in the wake of its 23-21 win over No. 3 Georgia Southern, while Appalachian State had also raised some eyebrows with 35-27 win over No. 12 Montana in its home opener last week.

However, The Citadel may not have been firing cannons in Johnson-Hagood Stadium after beating No.3 Georgia Southern 23-21 last Saturday, but the Bulldogs were certainly dropping bombs on Appalachian State’s defense on the ground and through the air en route to a shocking 52-28 win.

The game that was supposed to be a solid test for Appalachian State to open SoCon play, turned into an epic fail and the game never really had any tense moments, as the Bulldogs decided the contest in the opening 30 minutes.

The Bulldogs scored points on their first five possessions of the contest, and added a blocked punt to take an astonishing 38-7 lead into the locker room, and left little doubt in staking their claim as the top team on the SoCon gridiron to this point in the season.

The five scoring drives on the first five possessions for the Bulldogs weren’t exactly set up by Mountaineer fortuitously setting up cadets in scoring territory either, as all five scoring drives were 70 or more yards in distance, including a seven-play, 97-yard drive that was capped by a 57-yard scoring scamper from senior quarterback Ben Dupree.

It was part of a masterful performance for Dupree, who along with cohort signal-caller Aaron Miller, helped engineer an offensive showcase Saturday afternoon in the High Country, blitzing the highly-decorated Appalachian State defense that featured a pair of Buck Buchanan Award candidates to the tune of 618 yards of total offense.

Dupree was one of three Bulldog players to eclipse the century mark on the ground on Saturday, as he rushed 20 times for 180 yards (9.0 YPC) and a pair of TDs, while connecting on 2-of-4 passes for 56 yards. Miller, who is more the passer of the two Bulldog signal-callers, connected on all four of his passes for 99 yards, while also rushing for 24 yards and a score.

Joining Dupree in eclipsing the 100-yard rushing yard plateau on Saturday for the Bulldogs were Darien Robinson (13 rush att, 113 yds, 1 TD) and slotback Rickey Anderson (9 rush att, 102 yds).

Only two Citadel players made receptions on the day, but it was a former quarterback that did the most damage, as Matt Thompson hauled in three passes for 123 yards (41.0 YPR). Domonic Jones had the only other reception for the Bulldogs, with one catch for 32 yards.

In total, the Bulldogs out-gained ASU 618-417 in total offensive yards and finished the day with 496 yards on the ground.

ASU, which had been so impressive passing the ball in last week’s game and came into today’s game averaging 280.0 YPG through the air to rank 16th in the FCS ranks in passing offense nationally, were held to a meager 164 yards through the air on Saturday. ASU quarterback Jamal Jackson was able to connect on 23-of-32 passes for 164 yards and an INT.

The lone bright spot for the Mountaineers was Steven Miller, who has strapped it on to play the past two weeks, as he went for a career best 167 yards and scored three of ASU’s four TDs on 21 carries.

Other Notes:

• It was the worst loss in eight years in league play for the Apps, as the Mountaineers dropped a 54-7 decision at Georgia Southern in 2004. It was also ASU’s worst conference loss inside the friendly confines since 1978, when Furman claimed a 52-34 win over ASU. The 1-2 start for ASU also marks the third 1-2 start in the past five seasons. Only three other teams have started Southern Conference play 0-1 and gone on to claim the league title (William & Mary-1970, Georgia Southern 2002 and Appalachian State 2007).
• The Citadel’s win marked its first over ASU at Kidd Brewer Stadium since 1992 (25-0, Oct. 3, 1992), snapping a streak of nine-straight wins by ASU over the Bulldogs at The Rock. The win also helped The Citadel head coach Kevin Higgins to his first win over ASU in now his eighth season at the helm at The Citadel, as Higgins moves to 1-7 against ASU in his career.

• The win by the Bulldogs snapped an eight-game skid to the Mountaineers, dating back to a 24-21 win in 2003.

• The win by The Citadel snapped ASU’s 18-game home winning streak in regular-season games, and also snapped an 18-game winning streak in league home openers.

• The 3-0 start marks The Citadel’s best start to a season since 1992, which interestingly enough, was the last time the Bulldogs claimed a Southern Conference crown.

Memories of 2003 and ’07 For Bulldogs:

The fast start to the 2012 season has many Bulldogs reminiscing back to a season that “could have been” for Citadel football fans.In the summer of ’03, hopes were high when Willie Simmons decided to play his final season of college football in the Port City for The Citadel after learning he would not be a significant part of Clemson’s high-octane offense with the progression of the new golden arm of Clemson football, Charlie Whitehurst.

Simmons joined Nehemiah Broughton in the backfield and had one of the most dynamic receivers in the SoCon, in quarterback-turned-receiver Scooter Johnson. The Bulldogs figured to have comprised one of FCS football’s more potent offenses.

However, Bulldogs started the season just 1-3, and opened the season with a 63-10 win over Charleston Southern before losing consecutive games to eventual national champion Delaware (41-7), ACC Champion Maryland (61-0) and Western Carolina (28-21) to open Southern Conference play.

However, despite the poor start, the Bulldogs would become Southern Conference contenders by turning in an October that won’t soon be forgotten by Citadel fans, as the Bulldogs reeled off wins against Appalachian State (24-21), Elon (31-7), Furman (10-9) and claimed their first win in Statesboro, with a 28-24 win over  Georgia Southern.

But this story has a sour ending for Bulldog fans, as The Citadel had a game for all the marbles and perhaps a breakthrough for its first playoff bid since that ’92 season, however, it was not to be for the Bulldogs, who dropped a 42-16 contest to eventual Southern Conference champion and ninth-ranked Wofford. The Bulldogs were never the same that season after the loss to the Terriers, as The Citadel two of its last three to close the campaign, finishing with a 6-6 record and a 4-4 record in the SoCon.

Four years removed from that ’03 team and with Kevin Higgins in his third season at the helm of The Citadel football program, the Bulldogs had their best contingent of talent since that ’03 squad, and perhaps even that ’92 squad in the Charlie Taafe era.

That talent included arguably the greatest offensive weapon to suit up for the Bulldogs-wide receiver Andre Roberts, and record-breaking signal-caller Duran Lawson. Roberts, who was one of first recruits brought in by Higgins and a player that is now plying his trade as a major part of the Arizona Cardinals’ passing attack on Sunday afternoons, had a huge season in what was a record-setting season for The Citadel offense, which set a program record for points in a season (434).

The Bulldogs would finish the season with an impressive 7-4 record, recording wins over: Charleston Southern (35-14), Webber International (76-0), at Chattanooga (41-16), Furman (54-51, OT), at Western Carolina (37-31), Elon (42-31) and at VMI (70-28).

In what was one of the toughest schedules in recent memory, The Citadel’s losses came to: at No. 7 Wisconsin (45-31), vs. No. 8 Wofford (28-7), at No. 22 Georgia Southern (21-17), vs. No. 9 Appalachian State (45-24).

The Bulldogs’ 4-3 conference record in ’07 helped the Bulldogs tie for third place in the league standings, which marked the best finish in league play in a decade.

Ghosts of 1998 Must Be Resurrected For Bulldogs To Claim First Title In Two Decades:

The Citadel faces Wofford in a potentially huge Southern Conference game with league title implications on the line on Oct. 27, when the Bulldogs travel to Spartanburg and Gibbs Stadium to battle the Terriers in the “Beacon Iced Tea Bowl.”

The Bulldogs certainly haven’t seen things go their way against the Terriers as of late, having lost 13-straight to the Terriers. It marks the second-longest winning streak by one SoCon foe over another, with the only streak longer being Georgia Southern’s 17-game winning streak over Western Carolina, dating back to 1994. The Bulldogs last tasted victory over the Terriers in the Hub City back in 1998, with The Citadel escaping with a 20-14 win.

Another key step towards league title will take place on Nov. 17, when the bitter rivalry between The Citadel and Furman will be played on the final week of the regular-season for the first time since 1993. Once a rivalry that was always played at the very end of the season, with seemingly the winner deciding the Southern Conference nearly every season in the late 1980’s and the early portion of the 1990’s.

The game was moved to the middle of the season, and the rivalry hasn’t enjoyed the same luster in some recent seasons as it did in that era. But, with The Citadel’s return to prominence and the game being moved back to the end of the season, the game could have that rekindled hatred once again. While victories have been hard to come by against Wofford, they have been equally as tough to come by against Furman in Paladin Stadium. The Bulldogs haven’t defeated Furman in its friendly confines since overcoming a 21-point first-half deficit for a 25-24 in 1998.

Saturday’s SoCon Quick Hits:

No. 11 Clemson 41, Furman 7 (Clemson, S.C., Memorial Stadium)

• Furman starts season 0-3 for the first time since 1979, but got another solid performance from true freshman Reese Hannon, who started his first game under center for the Paladins, completed 19-of-29 passes for 235 yards, with a TD and an INT.

• Furman First-Team All-SoCon running back rushed for 87 yards on 19 carries. Clemson and Furman played in front of 81,500 fans, which is the biggest crowd for Clemson in 26 meetings against FCS programs since 1982.

• Clemson quarterback Tahj Boyd passed for 310 yards and three TDs, leading an offense which generated 398 yards of offense on the day.

No. 9 Wofford 49, Western Carolina 20 (Spartanburg, S.C, Gibbs Stadium)

• Wofford rolled up 590 rushing yards, including having three Terriers eclipse the century mark en route to their seventh-straight win over Western Carolina.

• Preaseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Eric Breitenstein rushed for 160 yards and three scores to power Wofford’s ground attack.

• Western Carolina, which racked up 428 yards of total offensive output in the contest, were led by quarterback Eddie Sullivan, who completed 28-of-37 passes for 302 yards.

Samford 44, Gardner-Webb 23

• Fabian Truss scored four touchdowns, three rushing and one on a kickoff return, leading Samford to its first 3-0 start since 1995.

• Truss tallied 262 all-purpose yards, (84 rush, 32 rec, 146 KR yds). Truss led the Southern Conference in all-purpose yards last season.

• Gardner-Webb, who have now lost two of three games to SoCon foes, were led by quarterback Lucas Beatty, who completed 30-of-43 passes for 320 yards and an INT in the losing effort.

Elon 48, West Virginia State 14

• Without head coach Jason Swepson on the sidelines, who missed the game as a result of chest pains, senior quarterback Thomas Wilson completed 18-of-25 passes for 261 yards and four TDs to lead the Phoenix to its second win of the season and surpass the 4,000 yard plateau for his career.

• Preseason Walter Payton Award candidate Aaron Mellette finished the caught nine balls for 129 yards, surpassing the 3,000-yard career receiving plateau.

• In total, the Phoenix rolled up 571 yards on the day, with 301 of those yards coming via the ground.

SoCon Power Rankings Following Week 3

1.  The Citadel

2. Wofford

3. Georgia Southern

4. Appalachian State

5. Samford

6. Chattanooga

7. Furman

8. Elon

9. Western Carolina

SoCon Schedule For Sept. 27

*Appalachian State at Chattanooga

*Samford at Western Carolina

*Elon at Georgia Southern

The Citadel at North Carolina State

Furman at Presbyterian

*-Denotes Southern Conference Game