Wiley on field as S.C. State begins spring practice

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - The start of spring offered plenty of excitement for the South Carolina State football team Tuesday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

It was evident in the eyes and actions of quarterback Derrick Wiley. For the first time since tearing his meniscus five months ago, the rising senior was running, throwing and making plays on the field again.

“I’m happy to be back,” Wiley said. “For the first time, I’m excited. Very excited. Right now, I’m back at Square One. Taking mental reps. Taking it one day at a time with the knee. I’m still rehabbing. So I’m looking to move forward.”

Bulldogs’ head coach Buddy Pough also sensed a high level of enthusiasm despite coming off a 2011 in which his team failed to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and reach the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time in four years.

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Five questions facing the Bulldogs as spring practice begins

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - The arrival of spring today ushers in the return of football in Orangeburg at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

At 8 p.m. tonight, South Carolina State will hold the first of 15 spring practice in preparation for the 2012 season. Coming off a 7-4 season and a second-place finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference behind Norfolk State, the Bulldogs look to rebound from a season marked by inconsistency, injuries and an influx of new talent.

“We want to work hard this spring to get better and smarter,” S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough said. “A big part of this spring will be improving our short-yardage and goal-line offense. We need to figure out how to get our fullbacks and tight ends going, get them more involved in our offense.

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