SCSU Raymond Harrison heads back to Williams-Brice

SCSU RB Will Ford vs. Air Force

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

COLUMBIA - As a sophomore linebacker at Richland Northeast High School, Rodney Paulk paid his dues on the scout team lining up against an established starting senior center in Raymond "Duck" Harrison.

For the most part, the more experienced Harrison got the better of the hungry, shorter Paulk. Yet while Harrison’s main scholarship offer came from South Carolina State, it was Paulk who ended up a year later at the University of South Carolina competing in the more high profile conference - the SEC.

When the Gamecocks play host to the Bulldogs Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, the 6-foot, 217-pound Paulk cannot wait for the first opportunity to show his former Cavalier teammate how much better he’s gotten.

"He used to really beat me down until I told him that it wasn’t happening this year because I grew up," Paulk said Tuesday. "He use to really beat me in high school, so I’m looking forward to this time and showing him that I’m a lot better than I was."

Harrison is just as anxious to show off the skills which made him a preseason All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference first-team selection and perennial starter for the Bulldogs since his freshman year.

"Right now, he’s (Paulk) playing in the SEC and I’m playing in the MEAC," he said. "So, he’s playing a little more big time football as far as bigger schools and more TV time and stuff. But it’s still football."

Although more a Clemson fan growing up in Columbia than USC, the 6-2, 275-pound Harrison was never seriously recruited by either the Tigers or the Gamecocks.

"Raymond’s a great player," said Paulk, who’s fourth on the team in tackles (12). "He was a great player in high school. That’s the only thing that got him was his size. That’s the one thing that got me too from getting offers out of high school. But, he’s a real good player. He could play Division I if the coaches would have looked at him."

According to Harrison, he’s not the only Bulldog itching to play well the second time around against a Football Bowl Subdivision foe.

"Just about everybody has something to prove," Harrison said. "We’ve got to play with a little chip on our shoulder because a lot of us were told we couldn’t play on the Division I-A level. So, we want to show that we can play a little bit."

Expect the Bulldogs to come out more confident and better prepared this Saturday having had the experience against Air Force Academy, according to Harrison. He said the initial shock of going into an FBS environment with bigger crowds and tougher, more conditioned players will not play a role against the Gamecocks.

Despite not allowing a single sack against Bethune-Cookman, Harrison said the offense did not play up to its capability.

"We feel like last week we left too many points out on the field," he said. "I feel we beat them way more than about 11 despite what the score says. So right now, we’re trying to get the early kinks out that teams have early in the season such as the false starts and stuff like that and a lot of penalties. We’re trying to get rid of all of that."

SCSU will not have at its disposal the possible element of surprise. With two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State’s stunning win over Michigan, even Harrison acknowledges it’s wishful thinking to believe the Gamecocks will look pass the Bulldogs to concentrate on second-ranked LSU.

"As far as the players, they are not going to overlook a team much anymore," Harrison said. "They may overlook us because they’re coming off a big game against Georgia, beating Georgia, so they’re real high right now looking forward to LSU. So, I hope they do come out sleeping on us a little bit."

"We’re going out there to play the best we can," Paulk said. "I know people are talking about ‘you guys should have beat them by 50 or beat them by 40’ and we end up beating them by five. Just because they’re I-AA doesn’t mean they’re lower."

RETURN TO GLORY

SCSU freshman quarterback Malcolm Long expects to be greeted by a larger, though more hostile audience at Williams-Brice Stadium compared to his two previous visits.

Yet the raucous atmosphere will not prevent the former South Carolina "Mr. Football" from reminiscing of past championship glory experienced in the stadium where he and SCSU linebacker Julius Wilkerson played together on the first of Gaffney’s two consecutive Class 4-A Division I championships.

"It was just a great place to win back-to-back," Long said. "I know I’ll have flashbacks the moment I look at the field."

In 2005 against Summerville, Long rallied the Indians from a 26-7 halftime deficit to a come-from-behind 33-32 victory. The comeback was capped by an 11-play, 90-yard scoring drive orchestrated by Long in the final 2:12.

"That was a big moment in my life," Long remembered. "I just kept my poise out there and didn’t panic,"

Last year, Long was even more dominant in the state title game with three touchdown passes and two rushes for scores in a 45-0 victory over Irmo. He would go on to earn the prestigious "Mr. Football" Award and MVP honors at the North-South All-Star Game.

Like Harrison, SCSU was the only in-state school which made him a serious offer - a subject he declined to discuss. In fact, Long is more interested in helping the Bulldogs get the upset rather than proving a point if he enters the game.

"It’s a game of football and you’re trying to get a win and beat a good football team," Long said.