by ROB JENKINS
Sports Editor

The Matchup
Appalachian State is 7-2 on the year after defeating Chattanooga last weekend 35-20 in Boone.

Elon is 8-1 after knocking off Western Carolina 42-17.

Both teams bring 6-0 Southern Conference records into the contest. The winner of the game will clinch at least a share of the SoCon championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship.

Hudgins, who is on pace for the best season of his career, is one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the FCS.

Appalachian held Hudgins to the worst game of his career in last year’s meeting: Hudgins only caught three passes for 23 yards and one touchdown.

It will be tough for the Apps to hold Hudgins to those kind of numbers again, but they will likely need to hold him under 100 yards and two touchdowns to have a good day on the defensive side.

ASU needs to have safety help on Hudgins’ side, and they must double cover him in the red zone where he can best use his 6-foot-2-inch, 236-pound frame to his advantage.

On offense the Mountaineers have to find a way to gain yards on the best defense in the nation.

Elon allows the fewest yards in the FCS (213.1 per game) and the second fewest points (12 per game).

With CoCo Hillary lost for the season, Devon Moore must run the ball effectively to take pressure off the passing game.

The Mountaineers need to work Ben Jorden into the passing game more to open up opportunities for Brian Quick and Matt Cline on the outside.

How Elon can win
Defensively, the Phoenix need to be prepared for the best offense they have faced all year. Appalachian boasts the No. 1 offense in yards per game (491.7) in the FCS.

The next best offense Elon faced was Furman, who averages 366.6 yards per game.

Elon should focus its attention on stopping the Appalachian run.

With Hillary gone, the only consistent Mountaineer receiver left is Cline; Quick and Jorden are good players, but they have been unreliable. If the Phoenix can stop the ASU run and force the Mountaineers to pass, they have a better chance of success.

Offensively, Elon needs to focus on getting players other than Hudgins involved in the game plan.

Hudgins has more receptions (91) than the next three leading receivers on the team combined (79).

Lance Camp and Sean Jeffcoat need to get open and make plays to take pressure off Hudgins and quarterback Scott Riddle.

Establishing the run early with Jamal Shuman and Brandon Newsome will also open up the passing attack.

The bottom line
Something’s gotta give.

Elon has the best defense in the nation. Appalachian has the best offense in the nation.

Don’t expect a blowout like the ASU-Wofford game from last year; this has the potential to be one of the best games of the last decade.

Elon gets the slight edge because they are playing at home, and because they are No. 5 in the FCS in total offense, whereas ASU is only No. 54 in total defense.

Elon 31, ASU 30

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