CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -Armanti Edwards didn't come close Friday night to his record-setting mark in the semifinals, when he ran for more yards than any quarterback in FCS history.
Instead, he showed off his other talent: throwing.
Edwards threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns to lead Appalachian State to a 49-21 victory over Delaware on Friday night, the Mountaineers' record third consecutive FCS national championship. He ran for 89 yards.
Delaware got lots of looks at the back of Edwards, who blew by the Fightin' Blue Hens all night. But mostly, the left-hander threw over them.
Edwards' 60-yard pass to Dexter Jackson put the Mountaineers ahead 28-7 at halftime, and his 8-yard pass to Kevin Richardson stretched their lead to 35-7. He also had a 19-yard touchdown pass to Richardson in the first quarter.
Edwards saved his best games this season for the biggest stage.
He had 227 yards passing for three touchdowns to stun then-No. 5 Michigan the opening week in the Big House, the first time a school from the former Division I-AA beat a ranked Division I-A opponent.
Edwards also rushed for an FCS quarterback record 313 yards and four touchdowns last week against Richmond, and he threw for a 182 yards and three more scores.
Yet no major college offered him a spot at quarterback.
The speedster from Greenwood, S.C., didn't start playing quarterback until midway through his junior year in high school. Nearby Clemson recruited Edwards, but as a defensive back.
Edwards wanted to play quarterback, and Appalachian State happily took him.
Edwards injured his shoulder in the Michigan upset, and he missed four games later in the season. When he returned, his passing struggled and the Mountaineers lost to Wofford and Georgia Southern.
Luckily for Appalachian State, the FCS has a playoff.
Only a sophomore, Edwards will have two more chances to lead the Mountaineers to another championship.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
