Fresh off his first 100-yard game of the season, Walter Payton Award candidate Kevin Richardson and the Mountaineers take on Gardner-Webb Saturday at The Rock (photo courtesy of Keith Cline) Game statistics

ASU Ready for Homecoming Showdown versus Gardner-Webb
by Appalachian Sports Information

October 6, 2007 - No. 5 Appalachian State University plays its final non-conference game of the regular season when it hosts local foe Gardner-Webb at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

NOTING SATURDAY'S GAME
• Appalachian (4-1, 1-1 Southern Conference) is 32-11-2 (.750) during ASU homecoming, including wins in 21 of its last 25 homecoming matchups.

• The Mountaineers haven’t lost to a non-conference foe on homecoming since dropping a 38-7 decision to Ball State in 1977.

• With a win, ASU will extend its home winning streak to 30 games (tops in NCAA Division I FCS, second in all of Division I behind USC’s 35-game winning streak at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum).

• Despite being separated by just 87 miles, Appalachian and Gardner-Webb (2-2, 0-4 Big South) have met just four times on the gridiron, including ASU’s 41-6 rout last season in Boiling Springs, N.C.

• The Bulldogs are making their first visit to Boone since 1989, when the Apps claimed a 43-7 triumph in Jerry Moore’s first game as ASU’s head coach.

• ASU is 32-6-2 (.825) all-time versus current members of the Big South Conference (Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Liberty and VMI).

• The game’s key matchup may be Appalachian’s defensive front versus Gardner-Webb’s offensive line. Led by 3.5 sacks from Tim Washington, ASU sacked Elon quarterback Scott Riddle five times last Saturday. GWU has allowed 15 sacks in four games this season, which ranks 111th out of 116 Division I FCS teams

• For the first time in school history, Appalachian has scored 30 or more points in each of the first five games of the season.

• Last season, ASU’s Dexter Jackson set a school record with two punt returns for touchdowns (86 and 60 yards) versus GWU.

• The Bulldogs are led by wide receiver Duvaughn Flagler, who is tied for fifth nationally with 29 receptions on the season, and defensive end Brian Johnston, who is tied for sixth nationally with 7.5 tackles for loss.

HOMECOMING PARKING
Due to the annual homecoming parade, Yosef Club parking lots along Rivers Street will have limited access on Saturday morning.

Raley Lot - Those who park in the Raley Lot will not be able to enter the lot, which serves as a staging area for the parade, until the parade clears the area at approximately 11:15 a.m.

Duncan Lot - Those who park in the Duncan Lot can access the lot before 10 a.m. Those who don't access the lot before 10 a.m. must wait until after the parade clears the area at approximately 11:15 a.m.

Also, as a reminder, handicap parking has been moved to the Holmes Center lot. For more information, click here.

SATURDAY'S APPALACHIAN ISP SPORTS NETWORK AFFILIATES
The Appalachian ISP Sports Network's broadcast of Saturday's game can be heard across the region on the following network affiliates:

WKBC-FM 97.3 - North Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Hickory, High Country - The Flagship Station of the Appalachian ISP Sports Network
WATA-AM 1450 - Boone, Blowing Rock
WAVO-AM 1150 - Rock Hill, S.C., Charlotte
WBLO-AM 790 – Greensboro, High-Point, Thomasville
WCGC-AM 1270 -Gastonia, Charlotte
WDNC-AM 620 - Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill***
WKRX-FM 96.7 - Roxboro **
WPCM-AM 920 - Burlington
WPWT-AM 870 - Bristol,Tenn./Va., Johnson City, Tenn., Abingdon, Va.
WTOE-AM 1470 - Spruce Pine, Burnsville, Marion
WXIT-AM 1200 Blowing Rock, Boone, Lenoir
87.7 FM - In-stadium broadcast feed

Fans can also click here to listen to the broadcast worldwide.

** - Will join in progress following Duke-Wake Forest
*** - Will air tape delay of broadcast following Duke-Wake Forest

For more on Saturday's game, including game notes, rosters, depth charts, video and audio reports and the Appalachian ISP Sports Network's live broadcast link, visit GoASU.com's Gameday Central page by clicking HERE.