Dogs' new defense ready for Armanti

Back during spring practice, a reporter asked Citadel football coach Kevin Higgins if the Bulldogs' shift to a new defense was aimed at better tackling Armanti Edwards.

"Part of it is that, for sure," Higgins said.

Today is the day the Bulldogs find out if their move from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 — featuring smaller but speedier players — is enough to slow down Edwards, the record-setting Appalachian State quarterback.

If it is, and if the FCS 20th-ranked Bulldogs can beat FCS No. 3 App State in Boone, N.C., for the first time since 1992, it will mark The Citadel's most important Southern Conference victory since a 20-14 win over Furman clinched a SoCon title that same season.

The key to victory involves somehow containing Edwards, the fleet-footed junior from Greenwood who toasted the Bulldogs for 291 rushing yards and four touchdowns (two passing) in a 45-24 victory last season. App State went on to win its third straight FCS national title in 2007.

That game was one reason The Citadel switched from a defense featuring four down linemen and three linebackers to the 3-4, which has converted defensive backs Jonathan Vest and Mel Capers at the outside linebacker spots. More speed will help the Bulldogs' better cope with running quarterbacks such as Edwards, the thinking goes.

"I think it will," Higgins said this week. "It allows you to do more than you can with four down linemen. But the bottom line is, our guys have to play fundamental football. Everybody has a gap and it still comes down to playing assignments and playing technique, and making sure the guys on the field are physically able to do the things they need to do."

The Citadel ranks fifth in the SoCon in rushing defense this season, allowing 150 yards per game. The bulk of those yards came in a 45-17 loss to Clemson, when the Tigers ran for 252 yards.

App State is second in the league with 282 rushing yards per game, but Edwards is not running nearly as often as he did last year, when he averaged 144 yards per game. Instead, running backs Robert Welton (81.2 ypg) and Devin Radford, who had 179 yards against Presbyterian last week, are carrying the load. Also, Edwards is likely to be less than 100 percent after spraining his left ankle against the Blue Hose.

For his part, Edwards expects The Citadel to load up against the run and says App State must pass the ball better. He's hit just 48.1 percent of his passes with four touchdowns this season after completing 66.7 percent of his throws for 17 TDs last year.

"A lot of teams are going to stack the box on us," Edwards said. "So we have to able to throw the ball, too. We were dropping balls and missing some wide open people (against PC). Everybody is trying to not let us run it this year, so we have to try to throw it, too."

Citadel quarterback Bart Blanchard made his first career start in last year's loss to App State, hitting 20-of-36 passes for 197 yards and a TD while running for 64 yards and another score.

"We know App State is going to be good, but I think our guys are confident," Blanchard said.

The Bulldogs have lost 13 of 14 to App State, but there seems to be a feeling they match up better this year than they have in a long time.

"They've lost some good players," Higgins said when asked how this App State team matched up to the last three championship teams. "I don't think they are the same team as they were then."

--App State will observe a moment of silence before today's game to honor two alumni, including 2002 graduate Richie Cliff. Cliff is the Wando High School graduate who was killed in Afghanistan while serving in the U.S. Army. The American flag at Kidd Brewer Stadium will be flown at half-staff.

--Today's homecoming game is sold out, App State announced.