news-record.com

SCOUTING REPORTS

APPALACHIAN STATE (9-2)

What: NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs

Who: S.C. State (10-1) When: Noon, today Where: Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone

Tickets: $25 adult, $15 fans 12 and younger available online at goasu.com or call (828) 262-2079.

TV: ESPNU Radio: WBLO-790

Watch for: Lots of recurring plot lines in this one. The two teams are meeting in Boone in the FCS playoff opener for the second straight season. Both teams return most of the key players from a year ago, and the Mountaineers are once again plagued by injuries. Last year, injuries to quarterback Armanti Edwards and most of his running backs forced ASU to employ a pass-oriented offense. This year, Edwards is again ailing, missing last week's game with a strained MCL. He likely will play today but won't have talented Z receiver CoCo Hillary (knee) to throw to. WRs Brian Quick (knee) and Matt Cline (foot) will likely play. The Bulldogs are led offensively by 2008 MEAC offensive player of the year Will Ford, who rushed for 1,010 yards this season, and Malcolm Long, SCSU's massive 6-foot-3, 240-pound quarterback. Ford also owns the league's career rushing record.

NORTH CAROLINA (8-3, 4-3 ACC) AT N.C. STATE (4-7, 1-6)

When: Noon today Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh Tickets : Sold out

TV: ESPN2 Radio: North Carolina -- WTHZ-94.1, WBAG-1150, WLXN-1440. N.C. State -- WSJS-600, WKXR-1260.

Watch for: North Carolina is bowl bound after four straight wins, but which bowl game and how warm and sunny the destination could depend on today's outcome in Raleigh. The Tar Heels come in with an improved running game, even though top TB Shaun Draughn was lost for the season two weeks ago with a broken shoulder. In his place, short-yardage back Ryan Houston has become a nightmare for opposing tacklers, especially late in games. That's taken some pressure off QB T.J. Yates. The Heels offense is nothing fancy, but their defense is among the best in the nation. DE Robert Quinn is an elite pass rusher, and DBs Kendric Burney, Da'Norris Searcy, Deunta Williams and Melvin Williams have nine interceptions in the last two games. For N.C. State, today is its bowl game. The Wolfpack has struggled with injuries all season, and will play this week without 16 hurt players. On top of that, offensive coordinator Dana Bible was diagnosed with leukemia last week and will miss his second straight game. But the Pack is dangerous -- just ask No. 8 Pitt -- with QB Russell Wilson, RB Toney Baker, DE Willie Young and DT Alan-Michael Cash all wrapping up strong individual seasons. The Wolfpack has won two in a row over North Carolina.

WAKE FOREST (4-7, 2-5 ACC) at DUKE (5-6, 3-4)

When: Noon today Where: Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham

Tickets: $15 online at goduke.com TV: WXLV-45

Radio: Wake Forest -- WBRF-98.1, WZTK-101.1. Duke -- WIST-98.3.

Watch for: It's all that's left for these two teams to play for. Both entered 2009 with bowl aspirations, and both wrap up disappointing seasons today. Each team's senior QB -- Wake's Riley Skinner and Duke's Thaddeus Lewis -- is a four-year starter, and each has more than 9,000 career passing yards. Lewis, playing in Duke's pass-happy offense, needs 322 yards today to go over 10,000. Skinner holds every significant passing record at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons come in on a five-game losing streak, but they feature a stronger running game than Duke. In last week's loss to Florida State, RBs Brandon Pendergrass, Josh Adams and Kevin Harris combined for 22 carries for 157 yards and three TDs. Remarkably, Wake has no defensive or special teams touchdowns this season. Duke, which has lost nine in a row against Wake including an overtime loss last season, has a chance to finish .500 for the first time since 1994. But a 6-6 record won't get the Blue Devils to a bowl game because the victory over N.C. Central -- a lower-division opponent with fewer than required scholarships -- doesn't count toward bowl eligibility.

ELON (9-2)

What: NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs

Who: Richmond (10-1) When: 1 p.m. today Where: Richmond (Va.) Stadium

Radio: WPCM-920

Watch for: Playoff jitters. Elon is making its first trip to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and the Phoenix's opponent, fourth-seeded Richmond, is the defending I-AA champion. The Spiders are flat-out good, and their record includes a convincing victory at Duke in which they shut down a high-powered passing offense. Bottom line? Elon cannot afford jitters. The Phoenix's pass-dominated offense is led by the record-setting tandem of QB Scott Riddle and WR Terrell Hudgins. Elon's defense ranks second in the nation, allowing just 12.9 points per game. But Richmond's defense isn't far behind, allowing just 14.9 points per game. Both offenses score around 32 ppg. Richmond QB Eric Ward completes 64 percent of his passes and has thrown 15 TDs, and RB Justin Forte aveages 82 rushing yards per game.

east carolina (7-4, 6-1 conference usa)

Who: Southern Miss (7-4, 5-2) When: 1:30 p.m. today

Where: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville

Tickets: $40 online at ecupirates.com or call (800) 342-5328

TV: CBS College Sports Radio: WPET-950

Watch for: Yet another pressure-packed game for the Pirates. The winner will play for the C-USA championship Dec. 5 and a Liberty Bowl berth. If ECU wins today, the C-USA title game will be in Greenville. The Pirates have been doing it with defense, holding opponents to 21.3 ppg. Southern Miss comes in averaging 34.1 ppg with an attack that features the passing of Martevious Young (94-152-1, 1,328 yards, 12 TDs) and the running of Damion Fletcher (877 yards, 8 TDs). Soph DeAndre Brown (36 catches, 575 yards, 7 TDs) is one of the nation's top young WRs.