Appalachian State University's football program finished as one of the hottest teams in the country in 2003, winning six of its last seven games, en route to a 7-4 overall record. Appalachian's 6-2 mark in Southern Conference play was good for second place, but the storied program sat out the I-AA Playoffs last fall for the first time in six years. With the return of 12 starters, including eight on offense, and one of the top punt returners in the nation in DaVon Fowlkes, returning to postseason play is an attainable goal. Armed with one of the league's top aerial attacks and a defense that finished ranked 11th in the nation in turnover margin, Head Coach Jerry Moore's club prepares for the upcoming season poised to challenge for its sixth Southern Conference title. Symbolized by the black and white uniforms, with gold trim, the Mountaineers boast a legacy as a football team with a penchant for aggressive, hard-hitting play. With a defense that has produced at least one All-America defensive lineman in each of the past five years, the offense is loaded with talented players ready to return to the postseason in 2004. Defense Appalachian's string of bad luck with injuries last season had its inception before the opening game with Hawaii. Nygel Rogers, a preseason All-America hopeful a year ago and the two-year starter at strong safety, missed the entire 2003 campaign after a knee injury. A rigorous rehabilitation year behind him, Rogers figures to return to the form that earned him back-to-back all-SoCon plaudits. Two of the top defensive leaders from last fall are both sophomore safeties. All-America hopeful Corey Lynch led the SoCon in takeaways with 10 from his free safety spot last fall. A starter in every game minus the season opener, Lynch proved to have a nose for the football by recording six interceptions and four fumble recoveries. The top tackler last season, Jeremy Wiggins is back for his second season. Moved to strong safety after the loss of Rogers, Wiggins finished fifth in the league in tackles with 90. The Macon, Ga. product became the first rookie to lead the Mountaineers in tackles since Dexter Coakley in 1993 and is set to battle Rogers for the strong safety spot. The departure of both starting cornerbacks from a year ago opened the doors for a fight during spring drills. Redshirt Justin Woazeah made his case to be the starter at the left side cornerback this past spring. Preseason competition between the redshirt freshman and newcomers Dominic Dingle and Jerome Touchstone will decide who starts at Wyoming. Leading the linebacking corps is the two-year starter at middle linebacker, Jerelle Carter. One of the top athletes on the squad, Carter combines quickness and toughness to patrol the middle. He finished third on the team in tackles last fall with 71 and snagged two interceptions. Stewart Adams returns to the defensive side to compete for the middle linebacker job. Another versatile athlete, Adams moved to fullback during the preseason a year ago and contributed immediately. More comfortable on the defensive side, the Laurinburg, N.C. native has been a staple on special teams. The starting spot on the strong side heading into the preseason belongs to William Mayfield. Mayfield filled in admirably as a reserve in all 11 games last season and made 18 tackles. Monte Smith, another constant on special teams, is battling with Matt Curtis for the backup strong side linebacker spot. Juniors Zodd Kelly and Joe Lowman, as well as freshman Cam Speer are also pushing for playing time at linebacker. One of the most hotly contest battles in the spring was for the weak side linebacker duties. Projected starter Brad West totaled 26 tackles last season. West enjoyed his top game of the year at Furman, where he finished with 10 tackles. Charles King, the second option at weak side linebacker, enjoyed a productive spring and is ready to play after a shoulder injury sidelined him in the first game of year. Both starting defensive ends from last season graduated, setting the stage for an intense battle among inexperienced hopefuls to take over first-team berths. The most experienced member of the group is Joe Suiter. A starter in two games a year ago, Suiter totaled 26 tackles at defensive tackle. Boone product Tommy Sofield and Austin Guarino are expected to contend for the reserve post. Sophomore Marques Murrell earned the left defensive end position. The talented pass rusher tallied 12 tackles, including three sacks in a limited role as a rookie. Marcial Medina, a transfer from El Camino College will push Murrell for the starting honors. Omarr Byrom is hopeful to become a two-year starter at defensive tackle. Byrom started seven games last year and totaled 47 tackles. He finished third on the team in tackles for loss with 10. Brothers Arthur and Daniel Orlebar transferred following the 2003 season from Wake Forest and immediately bolster the Mountaineer defensive interior. Arthur Orlebar started three games at defensive tackle last fall for the Demon Deacons. A sophomore, Daniel Orlebar fits the defensive line mold and has showed signs of development during the spring. Offense Appalachian returns eight starters from last season's offense, including three of five offensive linemen. Balance has been a hallmark of Mountaineer teams. Improving the ground game which finished 101st in the nation last fall is a must. The question at quarterback is not what Richie Williams is capable of delivering - the junior is a proven quantity - but what will he do to raise his stock? The top rated passer in the Southern Conference in 2003, Williams also led the league in touchdown strikes with 14. Not only did the 6-3, 185-pound signal caller connect for the second-longest touchdown play in school history with an 88-yard strike at Wofford, he also threw four touchdowns at Elon and both rushed for 100 yards and passed for 100 yards against Morehead State. Pressed into action after Williams was injured, last year's backup, Eric Elsener saved the lead and the win versus Georgia Southern. Elsener displayed some deft running last fall, but needs to make strides in his passing to give coaches the same comfort level they feel when Williams is in the lineup. Determination of who mans the backup slot at quarterback will be one of the key elements in forming the 2004 offense. Freshmen Roy Bracey and Trey Elder and junior Perry Woolbright have all joined the battle for the backup role. One of the many Mountaineers who enjoyed ample playing time last season at running back, Alan Atwater plans to cling to the starting tailback assignment in 2004. The sturdy sophomore showed that workhorse responsibilities suit him fine when he carried the ball 25 times for 207 yards against Chattanooga. The top freshman running back in the SoCon, Atwater handled the ball 174 times for 873 yards on the ground. It is not as though Atwater has a lock on the job, as junior Michael Metcalf is waiting in the wings, challenging for more playing time. Metcalf gained 166 yards to average 5.4 yards per carry in 2003. He came off the bench to total 101 yards on 14 carries against Chattanooga. A bruising runner and punishing blocker, Corey Jones worked hard in the spring to improve his pass catching abilities and his vision when carrying the ball. Chances for Jones to run with the ball were limited - six carries for eight yards- but the Indiana native made eight starts because of his willingness to lay it on the line as a blocker. Clint Manuel is listed as Jones' backup. Fans should not be surprised when Manuel lines up at fullback in keeping with plans to always have reserves prepared to perform. DaVon Fowlkes is the most experienced of the receivers group. The senior wideout heads into the year carrying a streak of 25-straight games with at least one catch. He finished 2003 seventh in the league with 39 catches and fifth in receiving yards with 639. Victor Chavis claimed the top spot at split end after showcasing his wares this past spring. Owning just one career catch, Chavis is loaded with potential. Zach Johnson is also a top choice returning as a reserve at wide receiver. Johnson totaled six catches for 71 yards a year ago including a touchdown. Brandon Turner has a chance to fight for a starting spot. Turner caught four passes for 35 yards in 2003. Finally, freshmen Dexter Jackson, Hans Batichon and Andrew Cruver could all see time on the field at receiver. At tight end, the Mountaineers are hopeful Daniel Bettis can return to the form that saw him in the starting lineup before an injury cut short his season. Andrew Stamey and Sean Dunaway shared the role for the final eight games of last season, after the loss of Bettis. Dunaway started twice and Stamey caught two touchdown passes before suffering a knee injury in the season finale. Youngsters competed for a tight end job during the spring and Nic Cardwell emerged as the backup when it was done. Vance Gonzales and Jeff Butler are also in the mix. On the offensive line, Grant Oliver moves from right tackle to left tackle and is counted on to make his junior campaign his best so far following two years as a starter. A starter as a true freshman, Matt Isenhour moves from right guard to fill the right tackle slot. Kyle Knox improved so much that he is ready to claim the center position. The starting center a year ago, Ross Grall slides to right guard this fall. The question at left guard revolves around who will emerge from a collection of underclassmen. John Holt used the most of his early graduation in the spring. After shifting positions during spring practice, Holt entered the preseason as the starter at left guard. Special Teams At Appalachian, where the kicking game has been king over the Jerry Moore Era, for the first time in a long time, both the punting and place kicking duties are being decided during the preseason. Zach Oller was perfect splitting the uprights on two field goals and six PAT's in two games as a freshman. Oller finished the spring poised to kick placements. A transfer from East Carolina, Julian Rauch equaled Oller for much of the spring. Stephen Pressley is also looking for an opportunity to kick. The punting chores are open after the graduation of the No. 2 punter in the nation last season, Nate McKinney. Another ECU transfer, Will Herlocker, has been impressive so far in workouts, but will continue to be challenged by Zach Burnop, Will Dedmon and Pressley as the season draws near. Fowlkes, the top punt returner in the SoCon in 2003, is approaching Appalachian's career records in the specialty, needing just 66 yards to break Devon Ford's school record for