Armanti Edwards has a big game Saturday, but that's not all that's on his agenda this weekend.

Edwards, Appalachian State's record-setting quarterback, will graduate Sunday. He'll return with his team from Montana and the Mountaineers semifinal game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in the wee hours of Sunday morning, in plenty of time to get his diploma at 2 p.m.

"It means a lot," said Edwards, who will receive a bachelor's degree in graphic arts and imaging technology. "It's what you go to school for, to try to get a degree and get the best job possible for you when you get out of school."

Of course, Edwards hopes to land a job in the NFL, but he will have something to fall back on if that doesn't work out.

Edwards has been impressive on the football field -- he is the only player in NCAA Division I history to pass for more than 10,000 yards and rush for more than 4,000 -- but another impressive statistic is that he will graduate in 3½ years.

In ASU's most recent graduating class, only 2.8 percent of undergraduates obtained a degree in less than four years.

"I take a lot of pride in it," Edwards said. "I just like to succeed in everything I'm doing. I hate failing, I hate losing.

"It was hard work trying to graduate in 3½ years and play football at the same time.

"But it's not impossible."

Coach Jerry Moore of the Mountaineers said: "One of the intangibles for Armanti is that he's a very smart kid. He's on the dean's list, and he'll graduate in 3½ years and he didn't even go to summer school his freshman year. He's a pretty sharp kid. He took 18 hours this semester."

Edwards said that at least 10 family members will attend his graduation on Sunday, and he hopes he has two reasons to celebrate afterward.

With a win over Montana, Edwards could tie Raymond Gross of Georgia Southern for a record of 12 postseason wins by a starting quarterback in the FCS playoffs. He hopes he's in a great mood Sunday.

"I really don't want to go into graduation mad, coming in there with a loss," Edwards said.

Three other ASU players, all fifth-year seniors, also will graduate Sunday: defensive tackle Daniel Finnerty, linebacker Jacque Roman and receiver Tavaris Washington.

Edwards will have a slight challenge today when the team leaves for Montana.

He doesn't like heights and consequently doesn't like to fly.

"I hate it," he said.

"I hope he goes with us," Moore said.

Edwards took his first plane trip in 2007 when the Mountaineers played at Michigan. He said he wanted to ride the bus with the band on that trip.

"I was miserable, to be honest," Edwards said.

He said it wasn't much easier his second flight, when the team flew to play LSU, but conceded: "It was cloudy. I got a little curious and started looking out the window."

Teammate D.J. Smith said: "It seems like every time we're on a plane, I sit a couple of rows in front of him. I look back and he's just gritting his teeth. But he'll be all right."

tbowman@wsjournal.com

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