BOONE, N.C. (AP) -Armanti Edwards scored on a 5-yard run with 1:10 left, and Appalachian State forced a late fumble in a 28-27 win over James Madison on Saturday in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Mountaineers (10-2), who started with the season with a stunning win at Michigan, kept their season alive with late-game heroics after a surprising move by James Madison coach Mickey Matthews.
Facing a fourth-and-1 from its own 32, Matthews decided to go for it. Quarterback Rodney Landers was stopped for no gain, giving the Mountaineers the ball with 2:35 left. Edwards later converted a fourth-and-4 from the 25 with a 20-yard pass to Devon Moore. On the next play, Edwards scampered in for the score.
James Madison (8-4) then drove to the Appalachian 9. But Jamal Sullivan fumbled and it was recovered by Pierre Banks with 22 seconds left.
Edwards rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 126 yards as Appalachian State advanced to play the Eastern Washington-McNeese State winner.
Wofford 23, Montana 22
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) – Michael Hobbs scored on a 6-yard run with 32 seconds remaining to lift Wofford past previously unbeaten Montana.
Montana (11-1) had a chance to win the game on a 47-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining, but Dan Carpenter pulled the kick left.
Wofford (9-3) advanced to the second round of the playoffs against the winner of the Richmond-Eastern Kentucky game.
Wofford trailed 22-17 with 6 minutes remaining after Lex Hilliard, who rushed for 119 yards, scored on a 1-yard run for Montana.
Wofford’s Kevious Johnson ran for 145 yards, while Hobbs had 67, Dane Romero 57 and quarterback Josh Collier 54.
Massachusetts 49, Fordham 35
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) – Liam Coen passed for 419 yards and four touchdowns, and Matt Lawrence ran for 167 yards and three touchdowns for Massachusetts.
With the game at 35, Lawrence scored on a 13-yard run with 9:25 to play to put the Minutemen (10-2) ahead 42-35. After Charles Walker’s interception, Lawrence added a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:15 remaining for the final score.
UMass will travel to Southern Illinois for a quarterfinal matchup next weekend.
Fordham finished the season 8-4.
S. Illinois 30, E. Illinois 11
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) – Nick Hill threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another score to help Southern Illinois beat Eastern Illinois.
Hill passed for 234 yards and ran for 32 yards for the Salukis (11-1) in their third consecutive first-round playoff victory.
Eastern Illinois finished the season 8-4.
Add A Comment