By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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App St. football held an entertaining 54-play intrasquad scrimmage in front of over 8,000 fans during Appalachian’s annual Fan Fest.

BOONE, N.C. — Saturday’s scrimmage pitted ASU’s first-team offense versus its second-team defense and its first-team defense against its second-team offense and both first units looked strong with the season opener at Virginia Tech just two weeks away.

The Mountaineers’ first-team offense scored three touchdowns in six possessions while the first-team defense surrendered only one first down in its six series on the field. In all, the offensive starters racked up 251 yards on 33 plays (7.6 yards per play) while the starting defense allowed a paltry 15 yards on 21 snaps (0.7 yards per play).

Offensively, Appalachian was led by quarterback DeAndre Presley (Tampa, Fla./Middleton), who completed 10-of-13 passes for two touchdowns and ran twice for 13 yards in just three series. The All-America senior almost led the Mountaineers to scores on all three of his drives but was intercepted in the end zone by freshman Henry Barnes (Newton Grove, N.C./Hobbton) after moving the offense 51 yards on the opening series of the scrimmage.

Newcomers Steven Miller (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) and Bobo Beathard (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) also impressed in their first action in front of the Mountaineer faithful. Miller, a junior-college transfer running back, ran for a scrimmage-best 84 yards on just five carries, highlighted by an electrifying 74-yard touchdown run. Beathard, a freshman wideout, was the day’s leading receiver with four catches for 54 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown from Presley. Senior all-American Brian Quick (Columbia, S.C./Ridge View) continued his strong preseason with two catches for 43 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown from Presley. He just missed out on a second touchdown when he was ruled out of bounds on an acrobatic catch in the corner of the end zone.

Defensively, Troy Sanders (Chester, S.C./Chester), Lanston Tanyi (Shelby, N.C./Shelby) and Dan Wylie (Washington, Ga./Washington-Wilkes) highlighted the first-team defense’s prolific performance with two tackles for loss apiece. Ed Gainey (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor), Jeremy Kimbrough (Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove), Demetrius McCray (Covington, Ga./Newton) and John Rizor (Fayetteville, N.C./Jack Britt) led the first-teamers with three tackles apiece.

Saturday’s scrimmage was the Mountaineers’ final intrasquad duel before the Sept. 3 season opener at Virginia Tech. Appalachian wraps up fall camp with a pair of practices on Monday before turning its full attention to game-planning for the Hokies on Tuesday.

NOTES: The following Mountaineers did not participate in Saturday’s scrimmage due to minor injuries/ailments: OL Alex Acey (head), LB Zac Baker (head), RB Cedric Baker Boney (thigh), OL Dylan Bostick (illness), DL Davante Harris (ankle), OL Ron Henderson (hand), WR Jamill Lott (knee), P/PK Sam Martin (thigh), WR Andrew Peacock (illness), DL Adam Scott (shoulder), WR Tony Washington (thigh) and RB Travis Wilson (abdomen) … all are expected to be at 100 percent for the opener in Blacksburg … Mountaineer legend and current Carolina Panther Armanti Edwards was in attendance for the scrimmage … after the scrimmage, the Mountaineers signed autographs and took pictures with fans for two hours while kids enjoyed inflatable rides and football-related activities on the Kidd Brewer Stadium turf … ASU head coach Jerry Moore introduced country-music star Corey Smith for his concert which capped the fun-filled day at The Rock … the 8,000-plus fans that attended Saturday’s Fan Fest were more than 67 NCAA Division I FCS teams averaged for home games in 2010.

INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGE STATISTICS

Passing
Presley 10-13-1, 133 yds. 2TD; Jackson 3-3-0, 24 yds.; K. Barnes 3-3-0, 21 yds.; Bryant 1-2-0, 6 yds.

Rushing
Miller 5-84, TD; Beathard 2-38; Cadet 6-16; Presley 2-13; D. Smith 2-7; Bryant 3-(-1); McLean 1-(-2); Frazer 8-(-6); Barnes 3-(-13); Jackson 2-(-15)

Receiving
Beathard 4-57, TD; Cadet 5-50; Quick 2-43, TD; McLean 2-14; Moll 1-10; Hallock 1-7; Shively 1-3; Price 1-0

Field Goals
Powell 1-1 (32 yds.); Matics 1-1 (32 yds.); Stewart 1-2 (32, missed-49 yds.); Pickard 0-1 (missed-32 yds.)

Interception
Barnes (11 yd. return)

Sacks
Robinson 1.5-5 yds.; Bronson 1.0-7 yds.; Machanic 1.0-6 yds.; Wylie 1.0-5 yds.; Brewer 0.5-4 yds.; Canepa 0.5-4 yds.; Rizor 0.5-2 yds.

Tackles for Loss
Robinson 4; Sanders 2; Tanyi 2; Wylie 2; Blair; Brewer; Bronson; Burns; Canepa, Gainey; Grier; Machanic; McGowan; Rizor; Shaffer

Tackles
Anderson 7; McGowan 7; Robinson 7; Ware 4; Barnes 3; Brewer 3; Burns 3; Canepa 3; Gainey 3; Kimbrough 3; Lloyd 3; McCray 3; Rizor 3; Bell 2; Bronson 2; Corbin 2; Dowdy 2; Gore 2; Grier 2; Sanders 2; Shaffer 2; Tanyi 2; Wylie 2; Aiken; Blair; Blalock; Machanic; McDuffie; Shuemake; Walker; Wilson

Pass Break-ups
Shaffer; Walker

Quarterback Hurry
Shuemake
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