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BOONE Appalachian State defensive back Mark LeGree remembers the feeling of seeing the Football Championship Series playoffs go on without Appalachian State after the second weekend last fall.
"Since we lost last year, it's bothered lots of guys," LeGree said. "We've change things. We have a lot of motivation. We want to win another national championship."
LeGree and the Mountaineers (9-2) will begin their chase for a fourth national championship in five years today with a noon game in Kidd Brewer Stadium against S.C. State (10-1).
It is a rematch of their first-round match-up last season when the Mountaineers trailed before rallying for a 37-21 victory.
Quarterback Armanti Edwards is expected to be back after sitting out the Mountaineers' regular-season finale against Western Carolina last Saturday to rest a minor knee injury.
The winner today will advance to a second-round match-up against the winner of the Richmond-Elon game.
After a long regular season, being fresh for the playoffs is critical.
"One of the things is that you don't get tired, you're still hungry to play," said Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore. "It's more of a mental thing now. It's keeping the adrenalin flowing and really wanting to go win a championship."
This is familiar territory for the Mountaineers, who had their streak of three consecutive national championships snapped by a turnover-filled loss to Richmond last season.
It's also familiar to the Bulldogs, whose only loss this season was a 38-14 defeat at South Carolina in early October.
S.C. State had hoped to host a playoff game, given its success this season, but was sent to Boone where it's forecast to be chilly at game time. It has been 10 years since a team from the MEAC has won a playoff game.
In Appalachian State's victory last year, Edwards set a school record by passing for 433 yards against S.C. State.
The defensive challenge for the Mountaineers will center on containing running back Will Ford, the MEAC's all-time leading rusher, quarterback Malcolm Long (20 touchdown passes) and wide receiver Tre Young. "Their offense is very similar to ours," Moore said. "We had a problem with a back like (Long) against McNeese State earlier this year. He can pop one on you any time."
