October 21, 2002
APPALACHIAN STATE USES LAST SECOND
PAT RETURN TO SLIP PAST FURMAN, 16-15
BOONE, N.C. -- Derrick Black took a pitch following an interception by teammate Josh Jeffries on a Furman two-point conversion attempt and completed a 96-yard return for two points with 7.4 seconds left in the game to lift NCAA I-AA nationally fourth-ranked Appalachian State to a 16-15 win over fifth-rated Furman Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Appalachian Statešs improbable last second heroics came after Furman appeared set to finish off the Mountaineers after marching 73 yards in 13 plays for the go-ahead touchdown, which came on a 12-yard strike from quarterback Billy Napier to flanker Bear Rinehart to put the Paladins ahead 15-14. But the Paladins elected to go for two points and Napier's pass was picked off by Jeffries at the 4-yard line. Jeffries ran 20 yards before pitching it to Black, who covered the distance for the gamešs decisive points.
"I've been a part of some losses over the years but nothing like that," said a despondent head coach Bobby Lamb. "I take full responsibility for what happened. We didn't have a time out and had some confusion about what play to run. We wanted to run a sprint out, but instead we threw the tunnel screen, and they picked it off. Our defense deserved better. They played their rear ends off."
Furman outgained Appalachian State 323-204 and hogged the football for most of the game, piling up 77 snaps and 40:21 of possession to the Mountaineers' 44 offensive plays and 19:39 of possession. Appalachian State only had 17 snaps in the second half and 98 total yards over the game's final 30 minutes, but the Mountaineer defense accounted for nine points on two plays.
The first Appalachian State defensive score came with the Mountaineers trailing 6-0 late in the third quarter and Furman seemingly about to gain the upperhand. Bottled up at its own 2 following a 61-yard Nate McKinney punt, the Paladin offensive line cleared the way for three first downs to the 39, but on the next play Jay Lyles stepped in front of a Napier sideline pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown to give the Mountaineers a 7-6 lead with 2:00 to go in the quarter.
Furman then used a 48-yard Brian Bratton kickoff return to set up a 10-play, 33-yard penetration, which resulted in a Danny Marshall 36-yard field goal at the 11:03 mark and a 9-7 Furman advantage.
Appalachian State answered with its only noteworthy offensive possession of the contest, moving 79 yards in 10 plays for a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Burchette to a wide open Joey Hoover that put the Mountaineers ahead 14-9 with 5:39 remaining.
Furman then took over at its own 27 and methodically moved down the field with several between the tackle runs and a pair of 22-yard pass plays to Rinehart and Bratton, with the latter moving the football to the ASU 15. From there, the Paladins lost eight yards on a pair of plays before Napier completed a 16-yard pass to tailback Hindley Brigham to the 7, setting up a fourth-and-two play. A quick pitch to Brigham netted five yards and a first down to the ASU 2, but an incomplete pass and two delay of game penalties pushed the ball back to the 12. The Paladins came back, however, when, on third down, Napier drilled a 12-yard scoring strike to Rinehart to give Furman the short-lived 15-14 advatange.
Rinehart paced Furman offensively with eight receptions for 84 yards and Napier, the nation's passing efficiency leader entering the contest, completed 20-of-29 passes for 170 yards and a score. Brigham ran for 49 yards on 10 carries to lead the Paladin ground attack. ASU quarterback Joe Burchette, who was picked off in the first half by free safety Cam Newton to set up a 29-yard Danny Marshall field goal, completed 11-of-17 passes for 117 yards and score.
Cedrick Ritter led Furman's strong defensive effort with 10 tackles.