#21 WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS (8-4)
at #2 APPALACHIAN STATE MOUNTAINEERS (9-2)
Saturday, December 4  •  11 a.m. (Central)  •  Boone, N.C.
Kidd Brewer Stadium (Field Turf/21,650 capacity)
All-Time Series: First Meeting

THE GAME: Western Illinois will look to make it three straight wins over conference regular season champions when it travels to Appalachian State for the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs... The Leathernecks handled Missouri Valley Football Conference champion Northern Iowa in the regular season finale, then defeated Big South Conference tri-champ Coastal Carolina in the opening round of the playoffs... Appalachian State won the Southern Conference title outright... This is the first meeting all-time between the two programs... Western is 0-2 all-time against the SoCon, losing to eventual runner-up Georgia Southern in the 1998 semifinals (42-14) and at then-member Marshall in the first round of the 1991 playoffs (20-17 in overtime).

THE RANKINGS: Western enters the game ranked 21st in The Sports Network/Fathead.com poll and 24th in the FCS Coaches poll... Appalachian State is the top-seeded team in the 20-team playoff field... Appy is ranked second in the November 22nd Network/Fathead.com poll and third in the FCS Coaches poll.

THE SCHEMES: Western Illinois will line up in a multiple formation on offense and defense... Appalachian State runs a multiple formation on offense and 4-3 alignment on defense.

THE COACHES: Mark Hendrickson is in his 12th year with the Leatherneck Football program, first as the head coach. He owns an 8-4 record this season, 13-14 record in three years (parts of two years as acting head coach)... Coach Hendrickson is joined by Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore as finalists for the 2010 Eddie Robinson Award... Moore is 198-78 in his 22nd year at App State, 225-126-2 in 29 years overall as a head coach.

RADIO: Every Western Illinois Football game can be listed to on the Leatherneck Sports Network: 88.3 FM (Flagship) Macomb, WJEQ 102.7 FM in Macomb and WRMS 94.3 FM in Beardstown... Brock Wissmiller (Play by Play) and Mark Bloom (color analyst) will call the action.

TELEVISION: The game will be broadcasted as part of the ESPN's GamePlan package. It may also be available locally (WGEM-TV Fox in Quincy) and regionally through ESPN Syndication. Additionally, viewers around the world can tune in live at ESPN3.com. Michael Reghi (Play by Play) and Charles Arbuckle (color analyst) will call the game.

INTERNET: Fans can listen to the game on the internet at: www.GoLeathernecks.com... The game can also be seen on the NCAA website (www.NCAA.com).

TICKETS: Fans can call the Western Illinois ticket office at (309) 298-1190 to purchase tickets. For more gameday information fans can go to the Appalachian State website at www.goasu.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES: This will be the first time Western Illinois and Appalachian State will meet in football... Western is looking for a change in fortunes against the Southern Conference, currently 0-2 against members - both losses coming in the FCS playoffs.

NCAA PLAYOFF HISTORY: Appalachian State is no stranger to the NCAA FCS Playoffs making its 18th all-time appearance in the postseason... The Mountaineers won three consecutive titles from 2005-07, joining Georgia Southern (3x) and Youngstown State as the only three programs to win consecutive titles... Appy is 23-14 all-time in the playoffs, including a 16-6 mark at home... That streak at The Rock includes winning 11 of the last 12 home playoff games.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS: Appalachian State spent part of the 2010 season ranked first in the polls, but Appy enters the game having lost two of its last three (at Georgia Southern, at Florida)... Like Western Illinois, App State is represented on all three final ballots for the national awards: head coach Jerry Moore (Eddie Robinson Award), quarterback DeAndre Presley (Walter Payton Award), defensive end Jabari Fletcher and defensive back Mark LeGree (Buck Buchanan Award)... Presley has rushed for a team-leading 753 yards and 11 touchdowns, and completed 63.2 percent of his passes totaling 2,223 yards and 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions... Devon Moore has rushed for nine TDs... Brian Quick (42 rec.) has caught seven touchdowns and totaled 741 yards... Matt Cline has caught 37 passes for 360 yards and Ben Jorden has five touchdowns on 25 receptions totaling 279 yards... LeGree leads the defense recording five interceptions... All-America candidate at linebacker D.J. Smith leads the way making 122 tackles... Fletcher owns a team-leading 12 TFL and 7.0 sacks... Appy is seventh in scoring offense, ninth in passing efficiency and fifth in fewest sacks allowed.

BARR LEADING THE VALLEY: Senior quarterback Matt Barr accounted for the fourth-most total yards in Missouri Valley Football Conference history against Illinois State (452 passing/40 rushing)... Entering this weekend Barr leads the MVFC and ranks among the national leaders:

• 5th in total offense (313.7 ypg)
• 2nd in passing efficiency (158.10)
• 7th in points responsible for (16.8)
• 6th in passing yards/game (276 ypg)

TOTAL OFFENSE, ANOTHER RECORD FOR BARR: In addition to his rewriting of the passing record books, Matt Barr broke another Western career record... He accouted for 278 yards in the win over Coastal Carolina, giving him 7,882 career total offense yards. Barr moved past Paul Singer (7,816: 8257 pass/-441 rush) for the all-time record.

BARR GOING AFTER PASSING MARK: Matt Barr did not start his senior year ranked among the Western career 'Top 10' passing leaders, but thanks to a All-America type year he did just that... Barr has jumped up to second place all-time throwing for 6,878 yards, likely where he will finish his standout Leatherneck career... Paul Singer holds that record as well with 8,257 yards.

AMONG THE NCAA ACTIVE LEADERS: Matt Barr also finds himself ranked among the active NCAA leaders in various offensive categories, including:
14th - Completions (489)
9th - Passing Yards (6,878)
T-11th - Touchdowns (44)
14th - Passing Efficiency (135.41)

GLAZIER STANDS SECOND NATIONALLY: Linebacker Kyle Glazier moved up a spot from third to second place nationally averaging 12.8 tackles per contest... The average went up following his 17-tackle performance at Coastal Carolina in the 2010 playoffs. He was noted by The Sports Network for his opening round performance in the win... In his four-year career he has recorded double-digit tackles 20 times... Glazier had four games in 2008, seven last year and nine times this season... Glazier leads the defense with 12.5 tackles for a loss and stands second with four sacks... He will make it three years in a row as the team's leading tackler... Glazier ranks ninth nationally among the NCAA active career leaders in total tackles (378).

30-PLUS AND COUNTING: Western Illinois boasts four players, all seniors, who have started at least 30 games in their career - and a fifth is scheduled to join this weekend... Offensive lineman Mike Lamphear has 35 consecutive starts and 36 in all... Linebacker Kyle Glazier is next with 34 consecutive... Quarterback Matt Barr has 36 career starts, but 12 straight due to missing the final seven games of the 2009 season due to an injury... Wide receiver Lito Senatus has 32 starts, 24 consecutive... Defensive lineman Victor Visoky returned to the starting lineup this year. He will make his 30th all-time start when he takes the field at Appalachian State.

SENATUS: ALL-AMERICAN CANDIDATE: Lito Senatus stands ninth nationally in receiving yards per game, averaging a MVFC-leading 93.3 yards... The First Team All-MVFC selection is 39th in the country with 5.2 receptions per game... Senatus became the season receiving yards leader following the Coastal Carolina game, currently with 1,120 yards and counting... His Western record streak of five consecutive 100-yard games came to an end during the regular season finale against Northern Iowa.

CRUMP MOVES INTO TOP 10: Junior wide receiver Terriun Crump led all receivers in the Leathernecks' opening round win at Coastal Carolina, totaling 102 yards on five catches... His personal-high 83-yard catch also tied a Western playoff record... With 54 catches totaling 876 yards he moved up to sixth place among the season 'Top 10' yardage leaders... He also is now tied for seventh with three 100-yard games.

PICKING OFF COASTAL: Western Illinois came up big against Coastal Carolina, recording five turnovers of which four came in the redzone... The last time Western had five turnovers was 2006 against Morehead State... The Leathernecks intercepted just five passes on the season... Tyler West now leads the team with two picks... Kieron James, Chris Boone and Victor Visoky each came up with their first career interception during the playoff win.