 Linebacker Jacque Roman flies over an Elon player in last year’s game. File Photo
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by LINDSEY HUNTSINGER
Sports Reporter
For every team, each season eventually boils down to one pivotal, must-win game that will measure the success of an entire year.
For the Mountaineers that game will take place Saturday against the Phoenix of Elon (8-1, 6-0 Southern Conference).
“This has kind of been boiling up the last two or three weeks to Elon, Appalachian, and here it is,” defensive coordinator John Wiley said. “They’re waiting for us to come in there and they’re going to try and knock us off.”
The Phoenix have
the top scoring defense in the SoCon, having allowed only 13 touchdowns
on the season, and giving up an average of only 12 points per outing.
Elon is No. 1 in the SoCon for total defense, while Appalachian sits in
the middle of the pack at fourth place.
The Phoenix are also at the top of the boards in pass defense, rush defense, total defense and sacks.
“They
come up and they challenge you physically, and they bring guys from all
over,” wide receivers coach Lance Taylor said. “They blitz from
different areas, they mix things up, they disguise well. All those
things when you do them defensively, they mess with your rhythm
offensively.”
The Phoenix’s offense is led by 2008 first team All-SoCon wide receiver Terrell Hudgins.
Hudgins is the Division I receptions leader (362), and holds the FCS record for 100-yard games (25).
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