By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - For all the talk about the disadvantages South Carolina State faces playing in the thin air of Falcon Stadium, Friday’s final preparations confirmed a major asset.
Place-kicker Stephen Grantham booted a 60-yard field goal a couple of yards beyond the center post and had several kick-off land in the end zone during a brief 45-minute walk through.
He did carom a couple of kicks off each of the uprights, but Grantham showed enough to give the coaching staff the confidence of using him for long field goal attempts Saturday against Air Force Academy.
"It’s a whole lot better than kicking in South Carolina," said Grantham, who’s making his return after sitting out last season. "I guess the altitude’s a whole lot higer, the ball travels a whole lot further. You get a bad hit, it’s still going to go to the goalline."
"I think it's psychological as much as physical," Pough told the Denver Post. "We're trying to treat it as just another game."
Yet it is a big deal for SCSU as it’s facing a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the first time. It’s also the first of two FBS opponents in the first three games with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener at Bethune-Cookman squeezed in between.
According to SCSU Sports Information Director Bill Hamilton, the school has sold at least 250 tickets for the game, which also coincides with "Parents’ Weekend" at the Academy.
Today also marks the Falcons’ head coaching debut of Troy Calhoun. The former Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator will try to revive a program which has posted three straight losing streaks and enter the game on a four-game losing streak.
Air Force Academy is 11-0 against Football Championship Subdivision teams, while SCSU is 3-2 in season-openers under Pough.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - For all the talk about the disadvantages South Carolina State faces playing in the thin air of Falcon Stadium, Friday’s final preparations confirmed a major asset.
Place-kicker Stephen Grantham booted a 60-yard field goal a couple of yards beyond the center post and had several kick-off land in the end zone during a brief 45-minute walk through.
He did carom a couple of kicks off each of the uprights, but Grantham showed enough to give the coaching staff the confidence of using him for long field goal attempts Saturday against Air Force Academy.
"It’s a whole lot better than kicking in South Carolina," said Grantham, who’s making his return after sitting out last season. "I guess the altitude’s a whole lot higer, the ball travels a whole lot further. You get a bad hit, it’s still going to go to the goalline."
"I think it's psychological as much as physical," Pough told the Denver Post. "We're trying to treat it as just another game."
Yet it is a big deal for SCSU as it’s facing a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the first time. It’s also the first of two FBS opponents in the first three games with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener at Bethune-Cookman squeezed in between.
According to SCSU Sports Information Director Bill Hamilton, the school has sold at least 250 tickets for the game, which also coincides with "Parents’ Weekend" at the Academy.
Today also marks the Falcons’ head coaching debut of Troy Calhoun. The former Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator will try to revive a program which has posted three straight losing streaks and enter the game on a four-game losing streak.
Air Force Academy is 11-0 against Football Championship Subdivision teams, while SCSU is 3-2 in season-openers under Pough.
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