College Football: Week 1 Watchlist APPALACHIAN STATE v LSU

Appalachian State at LSU

Last year’s win over Michigan in the “Big House” was no fluke App. State is a solid team. They’ve won 3 strait D II (FCS) titles. This is a good team but they have to replace three big starters from last year, RB Kevin Richardson (1,394 rushing yards 21 T D’s) and two wide outs Dexter Jackson (688 receiving yards 8 TD’s) and Hans Batichon (819 yds 7 TD’s). As big of a loss as those guys are they still have one of the best QB’s in the nation. That’s right, the nation; not the FCS or FBS, combine all the people who play QB in college and he’s in the top five. Armanti Edwards, remember that name now because you will hear it later. Michigan players and fans know his name well. He ran for 1,588 years and 21 TD’s while throwing for 1,948 and 17 TD’s last year. Edwards is great and makes App. St. better but he’s on a team built around speed and recruiting players who don’t have typical D I size.

It was speed that beat a bigger slower Michigan team and unfortunately LSU has size and speed.
LSU would have had a great chance at repeating their National Championship run of last year had Ryan Perrilloux not been a hyped up trouble making quarterback version of Maurice Clarett. The Tigers lose a great football player but can stop taking aspirin because the headache is gone. The weight and hopes of the Tigers now rest on redshirt freshman Jarret Lee or Andrew Hatch. The official starter is not known but each QB brings a different skill set to the table Lee brings athleticism and mobility while Hatch is more in the mold of Matt Flyn, drop back passer Andrew Hatch. We may and probably will see both QB’s this year, but it will be up to RB Keiland Williams and big wide receivers Brandon LaFell (6-3 194) and Demetrius Byrd (6-2 195) to help out the inexperienced QB who ever it may be.

This game "could" be close if App. ST. can score on the LSU D, which lost big starters Glen “big daddy” Dorsey and ball hawking safety Craig Steltz. But like all good programs LSU has stars waiting to shine when the right time comes around. Ricky Jean-Francois was the best lineman on the field in the National championship game and will give App. St problems all day. This LSU D is good and players filling in will step up no doubt about it. Lucky for App. St. their D is still intact returning all starters from their front seven. App. St. D needs to be stellar and be ready for a war behind their General Armanti at Tiger Stadium if they want to win the battle of last years Champions.

PREDICTION
Appalachian State LSU
24 38