SCSU dominates everywhere except final score

By BRIAN LINDER, T&D Sports Editor

Cleve McCoy grinned, shook his head and held his hand up -- thumb and index finger about an inch apart -- in front of his face.

"We have got to push it," McCoy, South Carolina State's senior quarterback said following his team's win over Winston-Salem State Saturday night. "We are here, we are this close. But, we are going to get it. It's one mistake that is killing us every time, but we will get it."

SC State obliterated the Rams Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in every stat category except the one that mattered -- the final score. The Bulldogs won, but they did so in less than convincing fashion. In fact, the game was in doubt until Travil Jamison's 1-yard touchdown run with 1:07 to go helped increase the Bulldogs' lead from 13-7 to the final, 20-7.

Following his postgame press conference, SCSU head coach Buddy Pough picked up a stat packet and gave it a thumb through. As reporters walked away, he started to smile as well. McCoy accounted for 241 yards of offense; tailback William Ford rushed for 162 yards on 27 carries and caught one pass for 29 yards, and Travil Jamison emerged as another viable option in the backfield, rushing for 83 yards on 16 carries. SCSU outgained the Rams 493-200 on offense, racking up 25 first downs.

Pough looked up from the paper, smile still on his face. What was he thinking in the moments before Jamison's score, his team having moved the ball up and down the field yet still in position to lose?

"I was bordering on going crazy," he said.

SCSU's day began with a bang, a 71-yard touchdown pass from McCoy to Terrance Smith with 12:15 to play in the first quarter. But, the majority of the next three quarters were a decisive thud with only two field goals, a 28 and 38-yarder from Stephen Grantham to tide the Bulldog faithful over.

"We continued to move the football," Pough said. "But, we didn't consummate in all ways. You can put all kinds of reasons behind it, but the bottom line is we need to do better."

Doing better could mean getting healthier. Earlier in the week, Pough said McCoy and Ford "looked like they had been in the ring with Muhammad Ali for 18 rounds ... and Ali was mad." Junior offensive lineman Nygel Pearson has yet to play this season, and backup tailback Jonathan Woods has also been banged up.

With that in mind and an open date in the schedule next Saturday, Pough said the Bulldogs would take it easy this week.

"This open week couldn't come at a better time," he said. "We have five, six or seven guys that are a vital part of what we do that are down and hurting, and we can't seem to get straight. Hopefully, we can get them all back feeling well in the next couple of weeks."

And, while the win may not have been as decisive as SCSU faithful may have liked, the Bulldogs will go through the light week with a win under their belt.

"People don't remember how you won the game," McCoy said. "They just remember if you won or not ... so, that is the best thing."