Published: 12:04 PM, 11/05/2009

Last updated: 12:52 PM, 11/17/2009

By: Steve Behr Sports Editor

This is generally the time of year when it is a bad idea to play Appalachian State.
The Mountaineers are in the middle of their stretch run to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs when they host Chattanooga at The Rock Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
There have been times, twice actually, when the Mocs have interrupted the Mountaineers' path. In 2000, a late field goal, in Chattanooga, beat the Mountaineers 30-27.
"You would have to bring that up," Mountaineers coach Jerry Moore said on the SoCon teleconference call.
The other time was a wild 59-56 loss, also in Chattanooga, that knocked Appalachian State out of the playoffs.
But that was in 2004.  And it was on the road. And though Chattanooga's offense may have played its best game in school history that day, odds are that won't happen Saturday in Boone.
Judging on what the Mountaineers' offense has done lately, it won't matter. You wonder if it will take the New Orleans Saints to outscore them, and the U.S.Army to keep them out of the end zone. Appalachian State is no stranger to scoring points or piling up big yards.
But this year's totals, especially in the last four games, have soared off the charts. I had to give a slight chuckle when I read a press release about their 52-27 win over Furman that more or less said "despite not gaining 600 yards" in the game.
But when a team gains 713 against Georgia Southern and over 600 in wins over Wofford and N.C. Central, well, maybe 554 is a bit of a letdown.
As the Mountaineers head into Sunday, there are two questions I keep hearing. One is: Can they do the same to Elon two games from now?
The second is: Can Armanti Edwards play in the NFL?
Sorry. I don't have any sure answers for either one. In past years, the Mountaineers have been very good at not overlooking opponents when a big game is on the horizon. Their showdown with Elon qualifies as not only the biggest game on the ASU schedule, but in the Southern Conference this year.
Winner wins the SoCon title. Loser probably still makes the playoffs,  but may have to travel during the first round. That happened to Wofford last year when the Terriers had to play at James Madison.
As for the second question, well, Edwards deserves his shot. He's not 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, but he just knows how to play football.
He knows how to get out of trouble when the pass rush closes in on him, and when he has time, he is as accurate as any quarterback he's outplayed who is currently in the NFL.
Or did you forget, or do NFL scouts know, he outplayed Michigan's Chad Henne, now with the Dolphins, or Delaware's Joe Flacco, now with the Ravens in bookend games in 2007?
Whether Edwards is NFL bound or not, the senior has been virtually unstoppable the last four weeks. He's thrown for over 300 yards the last two games, both wins over Georgia Southern and Furman, despite being pulled early in the third quarter in each.
Watching Appalachian State play Elon should be fun - kind of ASU's irresistible force meets Elon's immovable object. The Phoenix have the top defense in the SoCon in both points and yards allowed.
But an improved Chattanooga team is up first. The same Richmond defensive coordinator that slowed down an injured Edwards in the playoffs last year is now the head coach of the Mocs.
Even if the rest of us can't resist looking into the future, the Mountaineers are focused on Chattanooga. It's the best way to keep history repeating itself.

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