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Measure highlights Mountaineers’ historic national championship three-peat

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx has introduced a Congressional resolution congratulating the Appalachian State Mountaineers for winning three-straight NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision titles.

“ASU is the first team from North Carolina to win a NCAA football championship and is now the first team to win three consecutive national championships,” Foxx said. “The Mountaineers have set the bar high and we are excited to see what the future holds for the Mountaineers in 2008.”

To view a video of Rep. Foxx congratulating the Mountaineers before the House of Representatives click here.

The text of the resolution follows:

H. RES. 929

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 17, 2008

Ms. FOXX (for herself and Mr. COBLE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

RESOLUTION

Commending the Appalachian State University Mountaineers for winning the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) title.

Whereas, in 2005, Appalachian State University became the first team from North Carolina to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association (`NCAA') football championship with its victory over the University of Northern Iowa;

Whereas, in 2006, Appalachian State University defeated the University of Massachusetts football team to win its second straight championship;

Whereas, in December 2007, the Appalachian State University Mountaineers won their third straight NCAA Division I national title by winning the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as the Division I-AA Championship), beating the University of Delaware (`Delaware') Blue Hens by a score of 49 to 21;

Whereas Appalachian State has become the first football team in history to win 3 consecutive national championships in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision;

Whereas, in the 2007 championship game, senior tailback Kevin Richardson opened the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass from Armanti Edwards;

Whereas Delaware responded by driving the ball to the Appalachian State 1-foot line, where the Mountaineers stonewalled the Blue Hens with an impressive defensive stand;

Whereas, on the ensuing possession, sophomore Devon Moore extended the lead to 14 to 0 in a touchdown run that capped a 5-play, 99-yard drive to set an Appalachian State school record for longest scoring drive;

Whereas Appalachian State extended the lead to 21 to 0 with 10:22 remaining in the second quarter as freshman tight end Daniel Kilgore recovered a fumble in the endzone for the touchdown as the Mountaineers scored on their first 3 drives of the game;

Whereas Delaware broke into the scoring column with only 1:10 remaining in the first half, in a play that was originally ruled incomplete, but upon official review was ruled a touchdown to bring the Appalachian State lead to 21 to 7;

Whereas Appalachian State scored 26 seconds later as Armanti Edwards threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to senior Dexter Jackson, in his fourth touchdown pass this season to Dexter Jackson for more than 59 yards;

Whereas Appalachian State opened scoring in the third quarter to extend their lead to 35 to 7;

Whereas Delaware countered to cut the Appalachian State lead to 35 to 14;

Whereas Kevin Richardson then ran the lead to 42 to 14 with a 6-yard touchdown for his second score of the game, in which he posted a total of 111 yards rushing and 27 yards receiving with touchdowns both on the ground and by air;

Whereas Kevin Richardson is Appalachian State's all-time leading rusher, closing his college career with 4,797 yards on the ground;

Whereas sophomore quarterback Armanti Edwards had 198 yards passing, 89 yards rushing and 3 passing touchdowns, and finishes the season with 1,948 yards passing and 1,587 yards rushing, falling just short of becoming the first player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards twice in his career;

Whereas Corey Lynch finishes his career with 52 pass breakups, capturing the NCAA Division I record for career passes defended;

Whereas the team's championship victory finished off a remarkable season for the Mountaineers, who, on September 1, 2007, in their first game of the 2007 season, beat the University of Michigan Wolverines, ranked fifth nationally at the time, by a score of 34 to 32 in front of 109,000 spectators at `The Big House' in Ann Arbor, Michigan, marking the first time a Division I-AA team has ever beaten a nationally ranked Division I-A team;

Whereas the Mountaineers finished off this impressive 2007 season with a 13 and 2 record;

Whereas the Appalachian State Mountaineers 2007 All-Americans include Pierre Banks, Kerry Brown, Armanti Edwards, John Holt, Corey Lynch, Julian Rauch, Kevin Richardson, Scott Suttle, Gary Tharrington, Jerome Touchstone, and Anthony Williams; and

Whereas the Mountaineers enjoy widespread support from their spirited and dedicated fans as well as the entire Appalachian State University community: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--

(1) applauds the Appalachian State University Mountaineers football team for its historic season and third straight National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision title; and

(2) recognizes the hard work and preparation of the players, Head Coach Jerry Moore, and the assistant coaches and support personnel who all played critical roles in this championship.

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