Two seasons ago, Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards dissected the Michigan defense for nearly 300 total yards and four total touchdowns, leading to one of the biggest upsets in college football history. It looked as if nothing could stop him from wreaking havoc on the football field.

But on Aug. 5 of this year, a lawnmower nearly did what opposing defenses could not.

Edwards’ right foot got caught in while he was cutting the grass outside his off-campus apartment, leaving a deep gash that required nearly 35 stitches.

‘I’m just like everyone else,’ Edwards said. ‘Me and my roommate take care of mowing the grass, and it was just my turn.’

After the accident, teammates and coaches were worried he might miss significant playing time this season. But sure enough, there was Edwards, back on the field and starting in last week’s home opener – a 40-35 loss to McNeese State.

Add coming back from a lawnmower incident within a few short weeks to his impressive list of accomplishments. In his storied career at ASU, Edwards has manned two Division I-AA championship teams, won the Walter Payton Award in 2008 as the Division I-AA Player of the Year, and led the historic upset over Michigan at ‘The Big House’ in Ann Arbor, Mich.

‘I would say beating Michigan,’ said ASU senior wide receiver Matt Cline, when asked whether engineering the upset or returning from the accident, was more impressive. ‘But it’s pretty close, because he’s such a tough player. You wouldn’t even know he was injured out there.’

The mark of Edwards’ career at ASU, teammates and coaches said, is his toughness and that he plays well above his 6-foot, 184-pound stature. It’s that kind of toughness that allowed him to return the practice field just four weeks after a career-threatening accident.

‘After I did it, I could wiggle all my toes,’ Edwards said. ‘It was a sense of relief, because I knew I would be out there soon again.’

Edwards had the reputation of a fierce competitor from the moment he stepped foot on campus. As a freshman, in only his second season of quarterbacking experience, Edwards faced a tough Georgia Southern defense on the road.

In the third quarter of that game, Edwards scrambled out of the pocket and looked to run in for the score. He plowed head-on into a defender, knocking the defender’s helmet off and forcing his way into the end zone for a touchdown. The score helped the Mountaineers on their way to a thrilling double overtime victory.

‘The kids bought into him then,’ Mountaineers head coach Jerry Moore said.

Moore had a hunch he was coaching a special quarterback then. And now, Edwards is poised to break every significant school and conference quarterback record. He’s already the school and conference leader in total offense, total touchdowns, touchdown passes, and rushing yards by a quarterback.

His numbers last year -1,169 yards rushing, over 2,900 yards passing, 41 total touchdowns, and a 64 percent completion percentage – even earned him a ‘darkhorse’ status in last year’s Heisman Trophy race from a few national media outlets.

‘The things he can do with the ball in his hands are just amazing,’ Cline said. ‘He’s just a special player.’

That’s pretty good for a player who many thought wouldn’t even be able to be a quarterback at the collegiate level.

As a high school senior, Edwards accumulated over 3,000 total yards at South Carolina’s Greenwood High School in his only season at quarterback. But that was only enough to merit consideration from most Division I schools as a wide receiver.

ASU took advantage of the opportunity, agreeing to let Edwards play quarterback in a spread system similar to the one he had been a part of in high school. Edwards’ elusiveness and quickness made him an ideal fit in the offense, and by the Mountaineers’ third game that season he had replaced junior starter Trey Elder.

‘It’s been great,’ Edwards said of his time at ASU. ‘They’ve let me play the game the way I know how to play it.’

And he still has one more chance to lead ASU to a third Division I-AA championship under his tenure as a starter.

After his first game back – a 300-plus total yard, two-touchdown performance in a loss to McNeese State Saturday – Edwards said his injured foot isn’t causing him any problems. And Cline expects even bigger things from him in the coming weeks.

‘I think he’s going to be even better than he was last year,’ Cline said. ‘He looked like the same player, and with the work we did this summer, I think he’s going to have a great year.’

Well on his way to owning the Appalachian State and Southern Conference record books, Cline was hard pressed to think of something Edwards can’t do on the football field.

But Moore begged to differ.

‘Punt,’ Moore said. ‘He’s awful at that.’

Back on Top

In a year of revival of many once-proud programs, Miami is the latest in line to return to national relevance.

The Hurricanes dismantled then-No. 14 Georgia Tech, 33-17, last Thursday, vaulting to No. 9 in the Associated Press poll and No. 13 in the USA Today coaches’ poll.

Leading the way has been sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris, who took over the starting job this season after Robert Marve transferred to Purdue in the offseason.

Harris has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 656 yards and five touchdowns in Miami’s first two games.

Harris is halfway to a 4-0 start not even the most optimistic of Hurricanes fans could have predicted. This despite being in the midst of facing four ranked opponents in a row to open the season, something no other Miami quarterback has done.

‘Jacory has confidence in this football team, the guys protecting him and his receivers,’ Miami coach Randy Shannon said after his team’s win against Georgia Tech. ‘When you have confidence like he does, the sky is the limit.’

Game to Watch: No. 9 Miami at No. 11 Virginia Tech

Miami quarterback Jacory Harris, in the midst of a brutal four-game stretch against ranked opponents, is again tested this week at Virginia Tech. After this week against the Hokies, the Hurricanes will travel back home to await defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma.

Virginia Tech is coming off two straight wins after an opening week loss to now-No. 3 Alabama. The Hokies escaped with a 16-15 victory at home last week against No. 25 Nebraska on the strength of a last drive that included an 80-yard pass play from quarterback Tyrod Taylor to receiver Danny Coale.

bplogiur@syr.edu

Published on September 22, 2009 at 12:00 pm