Armanti Edwards ran for four touchdowns Saturday to lead No. 6 Appalachian State to a 37-17 Southern Conference victory over Chattanooga.
Edwards, the ASU quarterback, scored on runs of seven, 28, 40 and two as the Mountaineers held off a valiant Chattanooga effort. The Mocs got to within 21-17 right before halftime but could not scratch the scoreboard in the second half.
“Our defense did a great job of adjusting during the game,” UTC Head Coach Rodney Allison said. “Offensively, we executed but we just didn't make enough plays. I'm proud of the way we played. We stood toe-to-toe with them for the most part but just couldn't get it done.”
The Mountaineers, who end the regular season with a 9-2 record and a tie for the SoCon title with Wofford, made it look like it would be a run-a-way in the first quarter. Edwards had 129 rushing yards in the opening period with three of his touchdowns.
Edwards cashed in on the Mountaineers' first possession, reaching the end zone on a seven-yard run at 8:26. The sophomore found the end zone 2:22 later, extending the lead to 14-0 on a 28-yard run. His 41-yard sprint with 26 seconds left in the first quarter pushed ASU's margin to 21-7.
The Mocs, 2-9 and 2-5 SoCon, got on the scoreboard with 1:39 left in the first quarter. Quarterback Antonio Miller hit tight end Joseph Pitman on a three-yard scoring pass at the 1:39 mark of the first quarter. It was Pitman's fourth touchdown catch of the season on just eight receptions.
The Mocs controlled the second quarter, forcing three ASU punts and keeping the Mountaineers off the scoreboard.
Spencer Nolen booted a 36-yard field goal at 7:05 of the second quarter, and Clint Woods hauled in a Miller three-yard scoring pass with 17 seconds to play in the half to trim the margin to 21-17. Miller threw two touchdown passes on the day to end his career with 22 and rank No. 8 on the school's career touchdown pass list. Miller was 15-for-32 passing for 136 yards and two interceptions.
Running backs Bryan Fitzgerald and Erroll Wynn each surpassed 100 yards in the first half. Fitzgerald gained 116 yards while Wynn was at 101 at the break.
The Mocs had an opportunity to tack on 10 more points to their first-half total. Nolen missed a 34-yard field goal at 4:01 of the second quarter, and a fourth-and-one pass play from the ASU two-yard line fell incomplete, handing the ball over to the Mountaineers.
ASU kicker Julian Rauch was wide right on a 52-yard field goal attempt at the half to leave the Mountaineers with a 21-17 lead.
The Mountaineers held UTC to 98 offensive yards in the second half, and the Mocs failed to score.
After a scoreless third quarter, Edwards' fourth touchdown run was a two-yarder at the 13:52 mark of the fourth quarter to push the margin to 27-17.
Rauch added a 23-yard field goal with 8:54 remaining, and Justin Woazeah ran back a Woods fumble 32 yards for a score with 36 seconds left on the clock for the final margin.
UTC outgained the Mountaineers for the game, 398 yards to 364. Fitzgerald led the Mocs' runners with 134 yards on 16 carries. Wynn finished with 115 yards on 20 carries. Woods was Miller's favorite target, catching six balls for 58 yards.
Edwards totaled 157 rushing yards on 25 runs. He was 8-of-15 passing for 59 yards. Kevin Richardson became ASU's all-time leading rusher and surpassed 1,000 yards on the season with 103 yards on 23 carries.
Safety Chris Camacho, the SoCon's leading tackler, led the Mocs with 12 stops. Joseph Thornton added a fumble recovery to his nine tackles, and Chris Johnson made nine hits as well.
