BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University football gets a fresh start on its season on Saturday when it opens Southern Conference play on Saturday versus upstart Samford. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
No. 10 Appalachian (0-2) begins its quest for a fifth-straight SoCon championship when it welcomes Samford (2-1) to The Rock in the conference opener for both teams. ASU is one of only four SoCon programs to ever win as many as four league titles in a row and is looking to join Georgia Southern, which won a record six-straight championships from 1997-2002, as the only programs to boast five-consecutive SoCon titles.
Additionally, the Mountaineers carry a 12-game winning streak in SoCon games into the conference slate, which is tied for the ninth-longest in the league's 88-year football history. The Apps' 12-straight SoCon wins are also tied for the third-most in league games by any team since 1974, the fourth-most since 1959 and the fifth-most since World War II. West Virginia won a record 30-straight conference games from 1952-59.
Finally, ASU quarterback
Armanti Edwards is looking to become the first signal-caller in SoCon history to lead his team to four-straight conference titles. He is currently one of only three QBs to start for three-straight SoCon championship squads (Georgia Southern's Greg Hill - 1997-99 and Furman's Frankie DeBusk - 1988-90 are the others).
A very limited number of reserved seats remain for Saturday's contest and attendance is assured to be above KBS's official seating capacity of 21,650 for the 24th-consecutive regular-season game. To purchase tickets, click
HERE (ASU students click
HERE to print tickets).
MOUNTAINEER TALK RETURNS TO BEEF 'O' BRADY'S THURSDAY EVENING: As always,
Mountaineer Talk, the Appalachian ISP Sports Network’s weekly radio call-in show, will be on the air on Thursday at 7 p.m., live from Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Boone (located in the Watauga Village Shopping Center on Blowing Rock Road).
The “Voice of the Mountaineers”
David Jackson and head coach
Jerry Moore will be on hand to recap ASU's two-week preparations for the SoCon opener versus Samford answer questions from fans gathered at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and listening around the world. Jackson will also be joined by former Appalachian football analyst, current ASU trustee and Mountaineer Athletics Hall of Famer
Avery Hall, who will share his thoughts on the new class of honorees that will join him in the ASU Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend.
Fans that can’t be on hand at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s can tune in to the hour-long show on the following Appalachian ISP Sports Network affiliates: flagship station WKBC 97.3 FM (North Wilkesboro, Hickory, Charlotte, High Country), WATA 1450 AM (Boone), WDNC 620 AM (Durham) and WHKP 1450 AM (Hendersonville), as well as on tape delay at 6 p.m. Friday on WPCM 920 AM (Burlington). A free live stream can be heard by clicking
HERE.
GAMEDAY AT THE ROCK AIRS FRIDAY: Football weekend on the ASU campus kicks off on Friday at noon when Jackson and Appalachian ISP Sports Network sideline reporter
Randy Jackson host
Gameday At The Rock, live from Kidd Brewer Stadium at noon.
Gameday At The Rock, a 20-minute video-streaming broadcast, sets the scene on a football Friday in Boone and features an exclusive interview with head coach
Jerry Moore.
GoASU TV premium subscribers can watch
Gameday At The Rock on Friday prior to every home game at noon. Fans that miss the live broadcast can view it on-demand beginning later Friday afternoon. To watch Gameday At The Rock, click
HERE.
LYNCH RETURNS HOME: Florida native and former Appalachian All-America defensive back
Corey Lynch will continue his NFL career less than 150 miles from his home, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added him to their 53-man roster on Wednesday.
Lynch, a sixth-round selection of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2008 NFL Draft, spend the first two weeks of this season as a member of the Bengals' practice squad. Per league rules, Tampa must add Lynch to its 53-man roster after claiming him off Cincinnati's practice squad. The Cape Coral, Fla. native is already listed as the Bucs' backup at both safety positions and is expected to be active when they host the New York Giants on Sunday.
Lynch is one of three former Mountaineers currently on 53-man NFL rosters. Defensive end
Jason Hunter is a member of the Detroit Lions and linebacker
Marques Murrell plays for the New York Jets.
Courtesy: Dave Mayo (Appalachian, 1983)