Mountaineers peak again

Appalachian State rolls over Delaware in championship game

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. -- The season began for Appalachian State, stunningly, on a September afternoon in Ann Arbor, Mich.

It ended, fittingly, on a chilly night in Chattanooga, where the Mountaineers capped perhaps their most memorable season Friday with a third straight NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title.

In beating Delaware 49-21 in front of a crowd of 23,010 at Finley Stadium, the Mountaineers finished off a season that -- with an early upset of Michigan -- was already of historical proportions.

Appalachian State (13-2) became the first FCS program to win three straight championships. It was also the easiest of the Mountaineers' three title-game victories. Appalachian beat Northern Iowa 21-16 for the 2005 championship and Massachusetts 27-17 last year. The Mountaineers trailed in both those games.

"But this season took a lot more work," said running back Kevin Richardson, Appalachian's leading career rusher who ran for 118 yards against the Blue Hens (11-4). "We had more adversity this year than other years, so for us to win this is really big."

The Mountaineers were never threatened by the Blue Hens (11-4), who tied for third place in the Colonial Athletic Association's South Division. Appalachian jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and maintained a comfortable cushion throughout, all the way to backup quarterback Trey Elder's 53-yard touchdown run with three minutes, nine seconds remaining.

"They were as good as advertised," said Delaware coach K.C. Keeler, whose defense couldn't handle Appalachian State players like Richardson (one rushing touchdown, two scoring receptions) and quarterback Armanti Edwards (198 yards passing for three touchdowns, 89 yards running on 18 carries).

Appalachian State got to work quickly in a first half during which just about everything went wrong for Delaware.

After holding the Blue Hens to a three-and-out on their first offensive series, the Mountaineers went 58 yards on six plays for their first touchdown. The touchdown came on a 19-yard screen pass from Edwards to Richardson, who ran over Delaware's Walter Blair on his way to the end zone.

The Mountaineers then got another lift with a goal-line stand on the Blue Hens' next possession.

After running back Omar Cuff was turned away on a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line by the Appalachian State defensive front, quarterback Joe Flacco overthrew tight end Josh Baker in the end zone.

That gave the ball back to Mountaineers on the 1. As Delaware keyed on Edwards, running backs Richardson and Devon Moore took over. And five plays later it was 14-0, thanks to a 46-yard touchdown run by Moore.

Delaware again was able to move on the Mountaineers defense, but Jon Striefsky missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt late in the first period, a try that was nearly blocked by Appalachian's Corey Lynch.

Then bad luck again struck the Blue Hens.

The Mountaineers -- with the help of a pass interference call at the goal line -- were quickly back at the Delaware 1. After Richardson lost a yard, he again tried to score, this time from the 2.

But he fumbled into the end zone.

The Mountaineers' Daniel Kilgore recovered and it was 21-0 with 10:22 left in the half.

"This is the way you want to go out," said Richardson, a former walk-on who didn't last through his first practice at Appalachian State because he wasn't in good enough physical shape. "You always want to go out on top. There's no other way to go out."