Code Orange

Final

And it’s over.  Appalachian State becomes the first team to ever win 3 straight I-AA/FCS titles in a row, defeating Delaware 49-21.

3:16 4th Quarter

Delaware runs the kickoff back for a touchdown, but it’s a little too little too late as it’s 49-21.

3:29 4th Quarter

Elder has a 53 yard rush for a touchdown, and ASU is piling it on now to make it 49-14.

3:45 4th Quarter

As Delaware goes through it’s death throws, they turn the ball over on downs one final time, and ASU should be able to pretty much run out the clock.

6:02 4th Quarter

Once again, Appalachian State is able to grind a drive down the field, burning clock, and putting another touchdown up on the board to go with it with a 6 yard run by Richardson as the Mountaineers go up 42-14.

11:03 4th Quarter

Delaware passes down to inside the Appalachian State 10 but once again can’t do anything with it as Delaware eventually turns it over on downs. This is now at least 17 points that Delaware has given up either in the red zone or in missed field goals.

14:08 4th Quarter

Delaware holds ASU and they have to punt.

End 3rd Quarter

ASU will have a 3rd and 1 on their own 31 when the 4th quarter comes around as the Mountaineers are only 15 minutes away from 3-peating with a 35-14 lead.

0:54 3rd Quarter

Delaware is able to execute a long, methodical drive down the field to get on the board for the first time in the 2nd half to narrow the lead down to 35-14. However, they have less than 16 minutes to make up 21 points, and they still have to stop the Mountaineer offense.

4:56 3rd Quarter

Just a reminder. Record for points scored by a single team in a I-AA title is 59. Biggest margin of victory is 40 points, which was done by Delaware in 2003.

4:56 3rd Quarter

The Mountaineers pass and run down the field, picking up several 3rd downs as well as a 4th down along the way to a touchdown on a 8 yard pass to Richardson. ASU now goes up 35-7 on a drive that took over 6 minutes (a very unusual thing for the Mountaineers).

11:34 3rd Quarter

After getting one first down, Appalachian State holds Delaware and the Blue Hens have to punt again.

13:29 3rd Quarter

ASU starts the 2nd half with a three-and-out after briefly considering going for it on 4th down near midfield.

Halftime

Well, Delaware showed that they can hang in there with tough teams by defeating Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois both on the road. However, one has to wonder whether playing two tough road games in a row, with some rough weather in between finally took it’s toll on this Delaware team.

There is also the matter that, even though ASU has 2 losses, they occurred when Edwards was either out or in his first game back from injury. If Edwards was healthy all year, ASU may be undefeated at this point. Also, ASU really turned it on in the playoffs, especially last week.

Delaware is still in the game, only down 21, but they have to stop ASU’s offense, which they haven’t been able to do very well so far. First, ASU ran all over them, and once Delaware stopped them a couple times by putting more people in the box, the Mountaineers went to the air and hurt Delaware that way. Meanwhile, ASU is playing a sort of bend-but-don’t-break defense by giving Delaware yards, but keeping them off the scoreboard.

ASU has had a tendency to let down in the 2nd half of games, but one can’t believe that that will happen in the national championship game. Delaware is probably going to have to figure out how to come back on their own.