After earning a bye week with a road win over Elon that saw Appalachian State erase a 21-0 first quarter deficit, the Mountaineers turn their focus to the Maine Black Bears as they prepare for their 2nd round match-up in the 2011 FCS Playoffs this Saturday. Most ASU fans would rather forget the last time that the Bears paid a visit to Boone, when Maine engineered a 14-13 upset at Kidd Brewer Stadium in the first round of the 2002 postseason. The Mountaineers hope to exact some revenge, even the all-time series with the Black Bears and most importantly, advance to the National Quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive season. Kick-off is set for 2:00 PM at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Maine (8-3, 6-2 CAA) and Appalachian State (8-3, 6-2 SoCon) enter the postseason from power conferences with matching overall and league records, but the similarities do not stop there. The Maine passing attack focuses heavily on first team all-CAA wide receiver Maurice McDonald, who leads the Bears in catches (58), yards (591) and touchdown receptions (5). The Maine passing game will go as far as McDonald takes them, much the same as the Mountaineer aerial attack relies on production from fist team all-SoCon performer Brian Quick. Quick finished the 2011 regular season with 64 receptions, 1,055 yards and 11 touchdowns, all of which are tops on the team.
Edit: It has been brought to my attention by one of our friends in the Maine crowd that McDonald is suffering from a foot injury and may not be able to play this weekend. His status is currently listed as doubtful, which is certainly a story worth watching between now and kick-off. It would be a shame to see such a valuable player miss time in the postseason and I hope his health allows him to participate. Here's to a quick recovery for Maurice.
Both teams boast very strong play from the secondary, as each placed a representative on their conference first and second teams. Ball-hawking cornerback Demetrius McCray earned Southern Conference first team recognition after finishing the regular season with 43 tackles, 2 sacks, 9 pass break-ups and a league-leading 5 interceptions. Safety Troy Sanders landed on the Southern Conference second team with 68 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 tackle for loss and 3 pass break-ups. Black Bears' strong safety Jerron McMillian racked up 83 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 1 interception, which placed him on the CAA first team. Trevor Coston, his counterpart at free safety, was voted to the league's second team with 75 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 6 interceptions and 8 pass break-ups. With each defense possessing a tandem of defensive backs that can disrupt the line of scrimmage and sniff out an errant pass, ball control will be a focal point for both quarterbacks.
These duties will fall on the shoulders of senior Warren Smith for Maine and sophomore Jamal Jackson for the Mountaineers. While Smith certainly has the advantage in overall experience, both signal callers will be making their first postseason starts on Saturday. Jamal took over the first team offense mid-season, has started 6 games and enters the playoffs with 1,729 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He has also rushed for 379 yards and 7 scores on the ground. Warren Smith has started all 11 games for the Black Bears and earned a spot on the CAA second team with 2,643 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, along with 396 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Quarterback play is always of the utmost importance in the playoffs when any mistakes are magnified and both teams have talent at the position. Smith and Jackson have both shown the ability to make plays in the air and on the ground throughout the season. There is not a large statistical gap between the two and the difference will likely come down to poise with the season on the line.
Both rushing attacks will be led by senior running backs as the Mountaineers will turn to Travaris Cadet and the Black Bears lean on Pushaun Brown. Cadet has tallied 706 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground, while Brown ran for 994 yards and 10 touchdowns in the regular season. Both players lead their team in each category and have one receiving score as well. A bright spot for the Mountaineers will be the return of senior running back Cedric Baker Boney, who has missed the last 5 games after a shoulder injury suffered against The Citadel. Having an experienced runner return with fresh legs for the postseason could be a key difference, as Baker Boney has proven to be a strong runner between the tackles.
Preparing to stop these talented backs will be a pair of second team all-conference linebackers, as junior Jeremy Kimbrough anchors the ASU front seven and senior Vinson Givans quarterbacks the Maine defense. Kimbrough had an excellent 2011 campaign with a team-leading 93 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and a game-winning interception returned for a touchdown against Chattanooga. Givans led the Black Bears with 85 total tackles, while also notching 4.5 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions. These young men will each be asked to not only get off their blocks and make plays, but also to read the opposing offense and ensure that their teammates are properly aligned. As is the case in several other positions, the linebacker position is a strength for both teams.
In analyzing the full body of work for both teams, this is a very even match-up across the board. Each team has talent on both sides of the ball with experienced runners in the backfield, talented secondaries that can change the game by forcing turnovers, quarterbacks that keep the defense honest with their rushing ability and a pair of stars at the wide receiver position that must be accounted for at all times. I would give Maine the slight edge at quarterback due simply to experience, while the talent of Brian Quick tilts the receiving corps in Appalachian's favor. Pushaun Brown may be the best individual back in this game but the depth of the ASU backfield will be valuable as Travaris Cadet, Steven Miller and Cedric Baker Boney each figure to be key contributors. Both defensive units have considerable talent but have also been prone to inconsistent play throughout the season.
Given the comparable level of talent, I think there are three keys for each team that will go a long way in determining the outcome: the ability of the offensive line to provide a pocket for the quarterback, protecting the ball against a pair of opportunistic defenses and the home-field advantage in Boone. If the young ASU offensive line can hold up against a stout Maine front seven, allowing Jamal Jackson time to make good decisions and get the crowd involved, ASU has a great chance to advance. For Maine to come in and knock off Appalachian once again, they will need to score early and keep the crowd quiet. This game will not be televised, the weather looks to be gorgeous and free admission has been granted to ASU students. These factors should make for a good turnout at Kidd Brewer Stadium, where the Mountaineers have been a different team all season. For that reason, I like ASU to start off fast and hang on for a close win against a very talented, formidable opponent.
My prediction:
Appalachian State 31
Maine 27
*Photo from GoBlackBears.com
No comments:
Post a Comment