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The I-AA Way: You've Got to Have Heart
David Coulson, I-AA.org senior columnist
It's hard to measure heart and character on the football field. But by any instrument, or device, it has been easy to see those qualities in abundance for Appalachian State and Northern Iowa this season.
Which is precisely why those two teams will face off Friday night in Chattanooga, Tenn. for the NCAA I-AA national football championship.
If there was ever any doubt about the determination of the Panthers and the Mountaineers, it was displayed this weekend in Northern Iowa's 40-37 overtime victory over Texas State and Appalachian State's 29-23 win against Furman in the national semifinals.
These are two teams that could have been twins, separated at birth.
The two most successful programs in I-AA history never to have appeared in a championship game, Northern Iowa had been in 11 previous tournaments and five semifinals without reaching a single final, while ASU had made 12 playoff trips and two semifinals appearances without a title-game invite.
They are two squads that had endured the disappointment of missing the playoffs altogether in the past two seasons and schools that were picked by hardly anyone to be among the championship contenders in the preseason. Most folks wouldn't have even chosen either of these teams to be the best in their conferences, let alone to be on top of the I-AA world.
If you need further links, just look at the coaching staffs.
UNI head coach Mark Farley, a one-time walk-on, had worked his way up to All-American status by the time he graduated from the Cedar Falls, Iowa campus. He bleeds Panther purple and knows full well the disappointment of losing in the semifinals in 1985, 40-33, to eventual national champion Georgia Southern.
Scott Satterfield, the ASU quarterback coach and defacto offensive coordinator, and offensive line coach Shawn Elliott were walk-ons for the Mountaineers that became All-Southern Conference performers. Satterfield was the quarterback and Elliott was a defensive end on the 1995 Appalachian squad that won 12 games in a row and appeared poised for a national championship run before injuries unraveled their season.
Speaking of injuries, the way that the two clubs have overcome adversity of the medical variety is still another parallel.
When quarterback Eric Sanders suffered a high ankle sprain early against Missouri State in the fifth week of the season, it almost ruined the Panthers' season. Without their efficient passer in the lineup, UNI lost to Missouri State (24-21) and Illinois State (38-3) in a three-game stretch and were on the verge of playoff elimination.
But when Sanders returned, the Panthers scored dramatic wins over Youngstown State (21-7), Western Kentucky (23-20 in double overtime) and Southern Illinois (25-24) to win the Gateway Conference automatic bid and finished the regular season with a victory over Northern Arizona (41-17). In the playoffs, UNI continued the dramatics with wins over Eastern Washington (41-38) at home and No. 1 ranked New Hampshire (24-21) on the road.
Sanders showed his full worth on Friday night in San Marcos, Tex. against Texas State, as he completed 24-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns. After leading the Panthers on a 10-play, 72-yard drive to set up David Horne's two-yard scoring run with 1:27 remaining in regulation, Sanders made a Joe Montana-like play, staying alive long enough to loft a two-point conversion pass to a leaping Justin Surrency in the back of the end zone to tie the score.
In overtime, Sanders got UNI into position for Brian Wingert's 25-yard field goal. Safety Matt Tharp's interception of an under-pressure Texas State quarterback Barrick Nealy ended the game.
Appalachian State had largely avoided major injuries until top receiver Jermane Little broke his leg at LSU on Nov. 5. But rather than stumbling, the Mountaineers used that misfortune to develop junior William Mayfield and freshman T.J. Courman into offensive threats.
The Mountaineers faced a more serious injury on Saturday afternoon when seemingly indestructible quarterback Richie Williams ruptured a ligament in his left ankle midway through the first quarter.
The heart and soul of this Appalachian team on and off the field, Williams could only watch the rest of the way as the Mountaineers battled a tough and talented Furman team.
But Williams' replacement, sophomore Trey Elder, threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Dexter Jackson on his first play and then led the Mountaineers on an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive in the final quarter to turn a 23-21 Furman lead into a 29-23 lead.
Elder capped off the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak for the touchdown with 2:17 remaining and then added a two-point conversion pass to Mayfield.
ASU had been in a similar position with a 31-26 lead on Oct. 8 in Greenville, S.C., only to see Ingle Martin throw a TD pass to Patrick Sprague with 31 seconds left to help the Paladins pull out a 34-31 win.
But like UNI on Friday, the Mountaineers came up with the one defensive play it needed in the final seconds. Defensive end Jason Hunter blindsided a scrambling Martin just before Martin was going to pass the ball to Daric Carter.
Martin fumbled and defensive tackle Omarr Byrom scooped the ball up on one bounce and returned it 61 yards to the Furman one with 13 seconds remaining to clinch the victory.
When someone asked me during a radio broadcast on the Sunday that the playoff field was announced, I said that I thought a Northern Iowa-Appalachian State championship game would be great for I-AA.
And after watching the way that the Panthers and Mountaineers earned their respective trips to Chattanooga, I am even more excited. Whoever comes out on top, you know that these two teams will give every ounce of effort to win a national championship.
As far as title games go, you can't ask for a matchup much better than that.
David Coulson, I-AA.org senior columnist
It's hard to measure heart and character on the football field. But by any instrument, or device, it has been easy to see those qualities in abundance for Appalachian State and Northern Iowa this season.
Which is precisely why those two teams will face off Friday night in Chattanooga, Tenn. for the NCAA I-AA national football championship.
If there was ever any doubt about the determination of the Panthers and the Mountaineers, it was displayed this weekend in Northern Iowa's 40-37 overtime victory over Texas State and Appalachian State's 29-23 win against Furman in the national semifinals.
These are two teams that could have been twins, separated at birth.
The two most successful programs in I-AA history never to have appeared in a championship game, Northern Iowa had been in 11 previous tournaments and five semifinals without reaching a single final, while ASU had made 12 playoff trips and two semifinals appearances without a title-game invite.
They are two squads that had endured the disappointment of missing the playoffs altogether in the past two seasons and schools that were picked by hardly anyone to be among the championship contenders in the preseason. Most folks wouldn't have even chosen either of these teams to be the best in their conferences, let alone to be on top of the I-AA world.
If you need further links, just look at the coaching staffs.
UNI head coach Mark Farley, a one-time walk-on, had worked his way up to All-American status by the time he graduated from the Cedar Falls, Iowa campus. He bleeds Panther purple and knows full well the disappointment of losing in the semifinals in 1985, 40-33, to eventual national champion Georgia Southern.
Scott Satterfield, the ASU quarterback coach and defacto offensive coordinator, and offensive line coach Shawn Elliott were walk-ons for the Mountaineers that became All-Southern Conference performers. Satterfield was the quarterback and Elliott was a defensive end on the 1995 Appalachian squad that won 12 games in a row and appeared poised for a national championship run before injuries unraveled their season.
Speaking of injuries, the way that the two clubs have overcome adversity of the medical variety is still another parallel.
When quarterback Eric Sanders suffered a high ankle sprain early against Missouri State in the fifth week of the season, it almost ruined the Panthers' season. Without their efficient passer in the lineup, UNI lost to Missouri State (24-21) and Illinois State (38-3) in a three-game stretch and were on the verge of playoff elimination.
But when Sanders returned, the Panthers scored dramatic wins over Youngstown State (21-7), Western Kentucky (23-20 in double overtime) and Southern Illinois (25-24) to win the Gateway Conference automatic bid and finished the regular season with a victory over Northern Arizona (41-17). In the playoffs, UNI continued the dramatics with wins over Eastern Washington (41-38) at home and No. 1 ranked New Hampshire (24-21) on the road.
Sanders showed his full worth on Friday night in San Marcos, Tex. against Texas State, as he completed 24-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns. After leading the Panthers on a 10-play, 72-yard drive to set up David Horne's two-yard scoring run with 1:27 remaining in regulation, Sanders made a Joe Montana-like play, staying alive long enough to loft a two-point conversion pass to a leaping Justin Surrency in the back of the end zone to tie the score.
In overtime, Sanders got UNI into position for Brian Wingert's 25-yard field goal. Safety Matt Tharp's interception of an under-pressure Texas State quarterback Barrick Nealy ended the game.
Appalachian State had largely avoided major injuries until top receiver Jermane Little broke his leg at LSU on Nov. 5. But rather than stumbling, the Mountaineers used that misfortune to develop junior William Mayfield and freshman T.J. Courman into offensive threats.
The Mountaineers faced a more serious injury on Saturday afternoon when seemingly indestructible quarterback Richie Williams ruptured a ligament in his left ankle midway through the first quarter.
The heart and soul of this Appalachian team on and off the field, Williams could only watch the rest of the way as the Mountaineers battled a tough and talented Furman team.
But Williams' replacement, sophomore Trey Elder, threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Dexter Jackson on his first play and then led the Mountaineers on an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive in the final quarter to turn a 23-21 Furman lead into a 29-23 lead.
Elder capped off the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak for the touchdown with 2:17 remaining and then added a two-point conversion pass to Mayfield.
ASU had been in a similar position with a 31-26 lead on Oct. 8 in Greenville, S.C., only to see Ingle Martin throw a TD pass to Patrick Sprague with 31 seconds left to help the Paladins pull out a 34-31 win.
But like UNI on Friday, the Mountaineers came up with the one defensive play it needed in the final seconds. Defensive end Jason Hunter blindsided a scrambling Martin just before Martin was going to pass the ball to Daric Carter.
Martin fumbled and defensive tackle Omarr Byrom scooped the ball up on one bounce and returned it 61 yards to the Furman one with 13 seconds remaining to clinch the victory.
When someone asked me during a radio broadcast on the Sunday that the playoff field was announced, I said that I thought a Northern Iowa-Appalachian State championship game would be great for I-AA.
And after watching the way that the Panthers and Mountaineers earned their respective trips to Chattanooga, I am even more excited. Whoever comes out on top, you know that these two teams will give every ounce of effort to win a national championship.
As far as title games go, you can't ask for a matchup much better than that.
