by ROB JENKINS
Sports Editor

The Matchup
McNeese State is 1-0 coming off a 27-24 win over Division II Henderson State.

Appalachian State is 0-1 after dropping their opening game of the year to FBS East Carolina, 29-24.

Last season, Pendland was nothing short of spectacular for the Cowboys.

In only 11 games, Pendland rushed for 1,431 yards, scored 15 total touchdowns and averaged 171.4 yards per game of total offense.

In the Cowboys’ opening game, Pendland ran for 152 yards and two scores. To stop Pendland, the Mountaineers will have to play much better run defense than they did during the first half against ECU.

The Apps lost the battle at the line of scrimmage versus the Pirates, and the team missed a number of tackles.

The Mountaineers will need to clog the interior of the Cowboy line in order to control the running game.

Appalachian must also be able to contain quarterback Derrick Fourroux.

Fourroux threw for 2,205 yards last year while racking up 18 touchdowns to five interceptions.

Against Henderson, Fourroux spread the ball around well, completing passes to six different receivers.

ASU will need to get outside pressure from the defensive ends and outside linebackers to keep Fourroux in the pocket, since he has demonstrated ability to run when a play breaks down. Fourroux ran for 447 yards last season and scored 11 touchdowns.

Finally, even though Armanti Edwards is scheduled to make the start, the Mountaineers will likely need another solid effort from Travaris Cadet.

Edwards has not seen game action since last year’s playoffs and he has not been able to do much conditioning since suffering a foot injury.

If Edwards is not as productive as he has been in season’s past, ASU will need Cadet to step up and command the Mountaineer offense.

How McNeese can win
Disrupt the Mountaineer rushing attack.

The normally potent Appalachian running game was stifled by East Carolina, as the Apps mustered only 102 yards rushing and 2.1 yards per attempt.

The Cowboys will need to copy the same formula the Pirates used early in the game: force the zone read outside and to the sidelines by getting penetration at the line.

McNeese must also be able to run the ball effectively when on offense. The Mountaineers looked vulnerable against the run at ECU, with the Pirates gaining 189 yards on the ground.

Running the ball well would allow the Cowboys to manage the clock and limit the amount of time the ASU offense sees the field.

The Bottom Line
Look for Appalachian to come out and play with a massive chip on their shoulder. They believe they should have beaten the Pirates, even with the way they played in the first 20 minutes.

The Mountaineers will come out firing and will put points on the board early in the contest. McNeese will not be able to keep up.

ASU 45, McNeese State 21

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