SoCon Championship: Wofford @ App State

[SpeedkingATL]

There's another stake in this game that has not been mentioned yet. An App. win tomorrow means that App. State ties GSU's record of six straight SoCon championships. Even Marshall never came close to doing that. It's been a long time since I have pulled for App. State to win a conference game, but I may just have to suck it up and do so this weekend and that fact makes it even harder. GSU needs a playoff appearance more than we need App. to fail to tie our record, and a win over a 9-2 App is better than a win over an 8-3 App. Of course, if GSU is not destined to get into the playoff field no matter what then I hope the ankle-biters stomp a mudhole in the hillbillies.

Here's how I see the game...I said on AGS before the GSU-ASU game that GSU wouldn't score many on App and it would come down to how much pressure GSU would get on Presley, and if we could get good pressure we'd have a decent chance to come away with it. Wofford is very much like GSU on defense...very tough up front and so-so in the secondary. Offensively Wofford is better than GSU, especially on the OL.

I say the same thing I did about the GSU game. App. must give Presley enough time to throw and CoCo Quick and the gang will get the job done and App. will win it in a shoot-out. If Wofford's DL gets the pressure the ankle-biters win by double digits.

Very good accessment. This game obviously means even more that the GaSo game did and playing at The Rock should give the Apps an advantage. Apps need this game or they will likely be playing a 1st round game the Saturday after Turkey Day a week after a physical game against the Gators.

[mountain_man]

As bad as I hate to say this, I think our coaches and kids knew last week didn't matter. We came out on the gas, and then let up. A lot of what GS did made that happen, but we didn't play spectacular either. If App would have went up 21-0, the game would have been over, as I feel we would have been up enough to hold on. This is the mentality of this team, and it drives me crazy. This Mountaineer team has done just enough to get by every week. It didn't work last week, and it won't get it done from here on out. Wearing that block A don't mean crap to Wofford or Florida. It won't intimidate or worry either of them one bit. The quicker we realize that, the better.

Will playing 2 option teams in a row help or hurt? It is a good thing to have seen the OOO the week prior, but it also gives Wofford a chance to see what GS was able to do with us. The D is playing great at this point, but we have been lagging behind on the O side of the ball. Will the D keep it up? Are we disciplined enough to stop the option two weeks in a row? Will the O coaches throw the ball up to our play makers and run the system at full speed? We look better in 2 minute drill mode than anything else we do. Why not push the pace a little more?

Turnovers and penalties will determine our fate. These are attitude and discipline related factors that we can control. We also need to create 3rd and long situations for Wofford to dig out of. I was reading AppFan, and Wofford has the fewest amount of 3rd down attempts in the SoCon (103). They are eating up yards in the first 2 downs. We have to force 3rd down, and make it a 3rd and long if we expect to have any chance. Get em' off the field, and put that hot rod offense to work...