App Ready for Maine

By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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Appalachian State is preparing to host Maine in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

• Both Appalachian and Maine bring 8-3 overall records into the postseason. The Mountaineers and Black Bears both tied for second in their respective conferences (Southern and Colonial Athletic Association) with 6-2 league records and received opening-round playoff byes.

• Appalachian has won six-straight playoff openers. Ironically, its last loss in a postseason opener came at the hands of Maine, a 14-13 defeat in the first round of what was then known as the NCAA Division I-AA Championship on Nov. 30, 2002 at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

• ASU is 12-6 all-time in Division I Football Championship openers, including opening wins in eight of its last nine postseasons.

• Appalachian’s current run of seven-straight postseason appearances is second among NCAA Division I FCS teams, behind only New Hampshire, which is making its eighth-consecutive playoff appearance this year.

• The Mountaineers are making their 19th playoff appearance, which ranks third all-time among DIvision I FCS programs.
No. 9/8 Appalachian State University football makes its seventh-consecutive postseason appearance on Saturday when it hosts 13th-ranked Maine in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

• For the eighth time in its last 13 playoff games, Appalachian is squaring off versus an opponent from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). ASU is 5-2 versus CAA foes in the postseason since 2006 and 9-3 all-time in the postseason against teams from the CAA/Atlantic 10/Yankee Conference.

• In their regular-season finale, the Mountaineers rallied from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit to defeat Elon, 28-24. The 21-point deficit matched the largest that ASU has ever overcome in a victory since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1972.

• Appalachian has won five of its last six games after opening the season at 3-2.

• Maine lost two of its final three games of the regular season but both defeats came at the hands of playoff teams — a 40-30 loss to eventual CAA champion Towson at home on Nov. 5 and a 30-27 setback at New Hampshire in the regular-season finale on Nov. 19.

• ASU is unseeded in the NCAA Division I Football Championship for the third time in five years. It is 6-1 in its last seven playoff games as an unseeded team, winning the 2007 national championship and advancing to the national semifinals in 2009 without the benefit of a seed.