Appalachian State looks for return trip to I-AA title game

Dec 9, 2006 - 2:41 PM MISSOULA, Montana (Ticker) - Appalachian State is on quite a roll and looks for another trip to the Division I-AA championship game on Saturday.

The defending national champion, Appalachian State (12-1) will try to join UMass in the title game when it puts its 26-game home winning streak on the line against Youngstown State (11-2).

The top-ranked Mountaineers have won 12 straight since a season-opening 23-10 loss at North Carolina State. They have scored 83 points in their two playoff games so far and will be facing the fourth-seeded Penguins for the first time.

Appalachian State and Youngstown State have combined for 11 semifinal appearances and five national titles. The Mountaineers claimed their first national championship last season.

The Penguins are in the final four for the first time since 1999. They are 6-0 all-time in the semifinals and won four national championships in the 90s under Jim Tressel, now the coach at Ohio State.

The game will feature teams that both have a Walter Payton Award finalists at running back. Appalachian State's all-time leader in points, touchdowns and rushing touchdowns in a season and career, junior Kevin Richardson has rushed for 1,352 yards this season.

The Penguins' offensive attack is sparked by the nation's second-leading rusher, senior Marcus Mason. Mason racked up a school-record 1,726 rushing yards on the season

On Friday Steve Baylark carried Massachusetts to the brink of a title.

Baylark rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns as Massachusetts posted a 19-17 victory over Montana in the Division I-AA semifinals Friday night.

With the win, third-ranked Massachusetts (13-1) advanced to next week's championship game in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Minutemen are in the championship game for the third time in school history. They won the title in 1998.

"It was an unbelievable environment here," Massachusetts coach Don Brown said. "It was a great testament to our players for what they were able to accomplish tonight. We have focused on a one-game approach all season and now we can say we're going to Chattanooga."

Chris Koepplin provided the go-ahead points for the Minutemen with a 43-yard field goal less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Baylark opened the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and reached the end zone on a five-yard run in the second quarter. He also had five receptions for 76 yards.

"He has told me that he was going to get us to the national championship game; that he wanted to get me back there," said Brown, who was the defensive coordinator for the '98 title team. "He really put us on his back tonight with a wonderful performance."

Muckie Foreman returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown and Brady Green scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter for Montana (12-2), which had its 12-game winning streak stopped.