WSSU's first 'official' MEAC game is a big one

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER

Any Winston-Salem State fans wondering why the school would jump from the comfortable world of the CIAA and Division II to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference might find their answer today at Bowman Gray Stadium.

WSSU will take on rival N.C. A&T at 6 p.m. in front of what is expected to be one of the largest non-homecoming crowds in school history. Bowman Gray’s capacity is about 18,000, and WSSU officials are hoping for a sellout.

The Aggies last played in Winston-Salem in 1999 and defeated the Rams 20-7 in front of 17,500. WSSU won the last game 41-14 in Greensboro last season.

Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU said that keeping his team from getting too excited about the game - the season opener for both schools - was a priority this week.

“It’s a huge game for us,” Blount said. “This is kind of our first official MEAC game, even though we don’t count in the standings yet. We want to come away with the win, not only because it’s A&T but because a win would get our season started in the right way.”

One of the byproducts of the Rams joining the MEAC is the renewed rivalry. The two schools are a little more than 30 miles apart, and they have one of the state’s longest rivalries. The series started in 1944, and the teams met regularly until 1999.

“We try to not listen to all the pregame talk and the hype,” Blount said. “There’s all that talk coming from both sides, but we don’t want to talk, we want to play. We are going to keep our kids settled down and keep them as focused as we can.”

Last season, Blount sold his team on the fact that he had never coached in a victory against A&T, and the Rams responded. Blount, now 1-7 against A&T, said he used other means to motivate his veteran team this time.

“What we are selling them now is we are building a program in this conference,” Blount said. “In order to build, we have to win games against MEAC teams. I think these kids have bought into that.”

Coach Lee Fobbs didn’t know much about the rivalry last year, his first season at A&T. He does now.

“We will tell our guys not to get caught up in the trash talking,” Fobbs said. “We’ll tell them to keep their heads during the game, but the back and forth (talk) is going to happen. There is nothing you can do about that.

“But I’ve discovered the person who says less is usually ready to play, and the one who talks the most really isn’t ready at all. We want our guys to be excited, but we want them to be smart, too.”

The Aggies lead the series with the Rams 35-10, but they have a 16-game losing streak that dates to the 2005 season, and they’ll be facing a deep and experienced Rams’ defense.

WSSU lost just one starter from last season’s defense - end Jason Holman - and coordinator Mike Ketchum says that the defense is “further advanced than we’ve ever been.”

Ketchum said it’s likely that all 11 of his starters today will have made at least one college start, a luxury he has never had before.

“I think the biggest thing now that we didn’t have when I first got here (three years ago) is we can replace guys and not lose much,” Ketchum said. “That overall depth really comes in handy.”

Senior Nate Biggs, who has roamed the WSSU defensive backfield for three years, started his career at Appalachian State. He smiles when he is reminded that he could have been on two national-championship teams had he stayed in Boone.

“I still keep in touch with some of those guys,” Biggs said. “But I made a good choice to come here.

“I’m really excited about this season because we’ve got most everybody back among the starters on defense. We are hoping to have a great year.”

Biggs said that the biggest change he has seen since arriving at WSSU has been an increase in team speed.

“Speed is our best friend, and we just try to get to the ball,” Biggs said. “We attack, and Coach Ketchum likes to blitz a lot, but that’s because of our speed.”

Blount said: “Our defense will be as good as William Hayes and Thad Griffin and some other veterans can be. With guys like Nate Biggs and DeRon Middleton and Dimetrius Rivers, they are going to have to anchor the defense.”