South Carolina State moves Into the Top 10

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Appalachian State holds the No. 1 spot for the third straight week in the Football Championships Subdivision Coaches Poll. The Mountaineers lost a first-place vote from the previous week, but still received 16 of the 28 votes and 681 total points to remain the top-ranked team in the nation.

South Carolina States moves into the top 10 for the first time this season at No. 9, while Montana State completes the top 10. The Bulldogs travels to Florida A&M Saturday to face a highly regarded Rattlers team that was demolished 29-18 by rival Tennessee State in the Atlanta Football Classic. TSU limited the Rattlers rushers to 24 yards and registered 11 sacks on defense. The 6 p.m. contest will be delayed broadcast at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.

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S.C. State-Benedict game could be one-year deal

It was a study in contrasts at Monday’s news conference kicking off a week of activities leading up to Saturday’s South Carolina HBCU Classic football game between South Carolina State and Benedict at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium. A parade of Benedict spokespersons, including football coach Stan Conner and athletics director Willie Washington, were effusive in praise and support of the first-time event.

Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough, one of two S.C. State representatives on hand, tried to be noncommittal about the future of the game, but he seemed to indicate the HBCU Classic might be a one-year deal. “We’re happy to be part of this event and looking forward to playing in Columbia. But as far as us playing again in the future, that is a question for our athletic director,” Pough said.

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SWAC coach says S.C. State should stay in FCS playoffs

Coach Karl Morgan and his Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils received a first hand view Saturday evening of a potential FCS National Championship football program at S.C. State.

Sitting outside the visitors locker room Saturday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, a drained Mississippi Valley State head coach Karl Morgan watched his players limp quietly into the dressing quarters.

His Delta Devils were physically pounded on both sides of the football by 15th-ranked South Carolina State, 44-0. Compared to what it showed against the Bulldogs, Mississippi Valley State looked more competitive a week earlier in scoring two field goals in a 34-6 loss at Alabama State.

On Saturday, the Delta Devils managed just 44 total yards and were held to just six first downs, two aided by penalties. Despite their constant blitzes which at times disrupted S.C. State's passing game, Mississippi Valley State allowed 489 total yards and this does not include the 117 in kick return yards.

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S.C. State 44, Mississippi Valley State 0 Final

Elmore Leads SC State To Victory Over Mississippi Valley State 44-0

ORANGEBURG, SC-- Sophomore wide receiver Lennel Elmore had a career-night with 12 catches for 156 yards, breaking former All-MEAC standout Tavarus Morgan record for Total Receptions in game. While, SC State cruised to an 44-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State Saturday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

Senior quarterback Malcolm Long tied Reese Mc Campbell record for Most Career Passing Attempts throwing 21-28 for 232 yards and one touchdown. Long now has 707 for a career. "We executed well tonight with a lot of new guys in the mix," stated SC State head coach Buddy Pough. They had hard time blocking us up front and we made some big plays to take control of the game."

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Early evalution: Five things we learned from S.C. State's loss to Georgia Tech

ATLANTA, GA - Buddy Pough plopped down in a chair in the middle of the visitors locker room at Bobby Dodd Stadium Saturday afternoon and opened himself up for questions. "Shoot," the coach said. "Anything you want."

Around him, Pough's players, some hobbled from battling one of the top teams in the country, Georgia Tech, slowly finished their postgame treatments and packed up for the road trip back to Orangeburg. Some held their heads. There was obvious disappointment, but there was also a sense of accomplishment.

Did Pough, who has said countless times that he wasn't one for moral victories, feel better about the way his team took on Georgia Tech?

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Senior leadership of QB Malcolm Long and a huge offensive line should make this a memorable game for SCSU.

ATLANTA - It's been just under 20 years since The Citadel upset the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Lost in the excitement of Appalachian State's shocking win over Michigan in 2007 were victories by Northern Iowa over Iowa State, North Dakota State over both Central Michigan and Minnesota, Nicholls State over Rice, Southern Illinois over Northern Illinois and New Hampshire over Marshall.

A year later, New Hampshire did it again with a win over Army. And last year, Colonial Athletic Association teams Richmond, William and Mary and eventual Football Championship Subdivision national champion Villanova accomplished similar feats against Duke, Virginia and Temple, respectively.



WATCH GAME at 1 PM TODAY at ESPN3 (http://espn.go.com/espn3/index/_/sport/football)

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Preview: Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina State

Toe meets leather this Saturday at one o'clock in Boddy Dodd Stadium as the 2010 edition of the Yellow Jackets defend their ACC title in Paul Johnson's third campaign as head coach at Tech. The Jackets play host to the South Carolina State Bulldogs, a team coming off their own conference championship and an impressive 10-2 season that ended with an FCS playoff loss at Appalachian State.

This will be the first time Tech has ever played an historically black college or university, either home or away, and while an FCS team, South Carolina State features several key players with significant ability & experience. Although the Bulldogs lose fourteen starters off last year's squad, they return an all-conference quarterback and their entire offensive line along with four quality linebackers, one an All-American. A closer look at South Carolina State:

Offense:
Coach Buddy Pough runs a spread offense similar to what Urban Meyer runs at Florida. Pough's key offensive weapon is quarterback Malcolm Long, the 2009 MEAC offensive player of the year and a 2010 Payton Award (best FCS player) watch list member. A hulking QB at 6'3" and 260 pounds, Long stylistically will remind Jacket fans of a young Daunte Culpepper with his size and ability to both run when necessary and throw the ball accurately. Long's first choice will be to throw, mind you, but he can run the ball effectively when called upon.



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Legacy Bowl decision off until spring

What looked like a full-speed effort toward holding the Legacy Bowl has apparently slowed down for now.

On Monday, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Commissioner Dennis Thomas said the conference's executive council is still involved in the vetting process on the viability of the joint venture with the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It now appears a final vote on whether to participate in the ESPN-sponsored postseason football game will not take place in the fall as Thomas previously indicated, but instead will be pushed to as late as March 2011.

The news comes six days after a teleconference with council members and a week after Thomas sent a response letter to ....

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S.C. State bringing big dogs to Ga. Tech

South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough and his football team have been in this situation before, looked upon as lambs about to be led in for slaughter. The Bulldogs, however, do not look the part. Georgia Tech’s season-opening opponent may be a Football Championship Series program, but the Bulldogs have a chip on their collective shoulders. Those are big, veteran shoulders.

Senior quarterback Malcolm Long is 6 feet 1 and weighs 262 pounds. His offensive line goes 310, 330, 280, 290 and 310. Just as importantly, that line includes two fifth-year seniors, a senior and two fourth-year juniors. The Bulldogs have won 19 straight conference games and back-to-back titles in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, were named black college champions last season and again rest atop that poll. They have big plans for Saturday in Bobby Dodd Stadium.

“A whole lot of our fans go wherever we go...



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SC State looks to continue its trend of success‎ -

S.C. State looks to continue its trend of success

Most college coaches would consider this a rebuilding year. South Carolina State starts this season minus its all-time leading rusher and four other star players who have moved on to professional football. But head coach Buddy Pough isn't most coaches, and South Carolina State isn't most college football programs.

While there are still plenty of questions left to be answered by the two-time defending Mid-Eastern American Conference champions, Pough thinks like this might be the most talented bunch he's had since returning to his alma mater eight years ago.

Gone from last year's 10-2 team is running back Will Ford, who finished his career as the leading rusher at S.C. State and in the MEAC.

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SC State looks poised for a 3rd consecutive MEAC title‎

South Carolina State football coach Buddy Pough might have to get in touch with former Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley. In 1989, Riley had the term "three-peat" trademarked and as a result gets a percentage of the royalties from any merchandise sold with the slogan on it. The Bulldogs, who notched their second straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football title last season, can nab their own version of the "three-peat" this fall.

"Hey, I might have to have a conversation with Coach Riley," Pough chuckled. "But we're getting way ahead of ourselves. It's not going to be easy getting back to the mountaintop for the third straight time."

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FCS Season Preview: MEAC

Norfolk, VA - To gain favor with the coaching staff, some South Carolina State football players stage a little competition. They talk the talk, pointing out what they do well and what the others at their position don't. It's all in fun, and some of the players, like the linebackers, are always chirping.

"They all run 4.6's and some change, so they can all fly," head coach Buddy Pough said. "And to hear them talk how slow he is ..."

In truth, some of the players have to look hard to find chinks in others' armor. South Carolina State is quite talented. In fact, there might not be an FCS team favored more heavily than the Bulldogs are to win their conference title this season.

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S.C. State holds 2nd scrimmage, Fan Fest

SCSU quarterback Malcoln Long (#7) is the key to the Bulldogs offensive success.

Orangeburg -- South Carolina State began the day with a morning scrimmage and followed that with the annual Meet the Players Day and Fan Fest.

The priority for Bulldogs head coach Buddy Pough and his staff in the approximately 80-snap scrimmage was how much his team had improved from the Aug. 14 scrimmage, but the highlight for the players, perhaps, was receiving their 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Sheridan Broadcasting Network championship rings.

Pough said that he and his staff were looking for a more productive performance from his team, however, he noted the anticipation of meeting the fans and receiving the rings may have been somewhat of a distraction for the Bulldogs.

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S.C. State Football Practice Report

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- South Carolina State, following its first day away from the gridiron Sunday, resumed preseason workouts Monday with a morning and evening practice. In the 8:30 a.m. drill in full pads, the Bulldogs devoted much of the session to reviewing and correcting mistakes made in Saturday’s scrimmage. The evening session was a light one in shorts and helmets only.

”It was back to work for us today,” said Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough following Monday’s morning drill. “We worked much of the period trying to correct mistakes made in the scrimmage on Saturday. We are pass the installation stage and are attempting to develop...

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SCSU Bulldogs run through first of ‘two-a-days'

The mere mention of "two-a-days" draws one thing to mind for South Carolina State linebacker David Erby. "Work, more work, more work," he said. "Everybody out here's legs are tired, but everybody's fighting through it to get the extra work." Back in head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough's playing days as a Bulldog, "two-a-day" practices were a staple of preseason camp. A physical morning practice was followed in the afternoon by an equally grueling regimen and this usually took place on consecutive days.

Now, NCAA restrictions and a change of philosophy on Pough's part has seen a diminished number of "two-a-days" in the preseason. Tuesday was the first of only four such practices on alternating days scheduled by S.C. State with the morning session in full pads followed in the early evening by a lighter workout in just shells and shorts.

"We don't try to become so overbearing in our ‘two-a-day' routine, that it just becomes a total grind for our players," Pough said. "We want to try to get as much work as we can get. We need to get some work in. But at the same time, we've got to be conscious of the fact that it's really hot and we've got to understand that we've got to be able to save our legs to a certain degree so that we can continue to go at it at a fairly decent pace."

PHOTO GALLERY: Trench warfare

PHOTO GALLERY: SCSU's first practice

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Wanted: South Carolina State runners

All-MEAC senior quarterback Malcolm Long returns seeking a third conference championship with a new stable of running backs.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- For South Carolina State to win its third straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title the Bulldogs' untested running backs are going to have to perform. Gone are Will Ford, the Bulldogs all-time leading rusher, and his backfield mate, Travil Jamison, who accounted for 21 touchdowns the past two seasons. The pair took nearly two-thirds of the carries last year, leaving few opportunities for the Bulldogs other runners.

Left tackle Johnny Culbreath remembers how much fun it was block for Ford the past three years. All he had to do was get in his stance, fire out and, more times than not, Ford was already past the line and headed for a big gain. "All you got to do is put your hands on your guy and in about two seconds, Will's going to come blowing by," Culbreath said. "That's all you've got to know about him."

Culbreath and the rest of the Bulldogs know they must adjust this season since Ford's successful run ended last fall as the MEAC's all-time leading career rusher with 4,660 yards. How quickly South Carolina State's backups fill Ford's shoes could determine if the Bulldogs have what it takes for a third straight conference title.

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South Carolina State Bulldogs: Brother Act, Part 2

Former Richmond Raiders Tedarrius Wiley, left, and his brother Derrick Wiley are quarterbacks on the South Carolina State 2010 football team.



ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Former Richmond Senior quarterback Tedarrius Wiley has always followed in his older brother Derrick’s footsteps. Derrick was a standout quarterback at Richmond who now plays for South Carolina State University. Tedarrius was a standout quarterback at Richmond who also led the Raiders to a North Carolina Class 4AA state championship in 2008.

And Tedarrius also now plays for South Carolina State. He signed a letter of intent with the school last February and reported for fall practice last week. After a few days of practice, Tedarrius is a quick study at the college game, according to Derrick. “He’s picking up the offense pretty quickly,” Derrick said before a Sunday afternoon workout at the Bulldogs’ practice facility. “He’s very coachable.”

Derrick, a 2008 Richmond graduate, is currently rehabbing a broken ankle suffered during the summer. He’s expected back by the fourth game of the season, when South Carolina State opens MEAC play on the road at Florida A&M. For now, Tedarrius is expected to redshirt. That would leave him four years of eligibility. Derrick, meanwhile, redshirted his freshman year as well. He’s now a redshirt sophomore and will back up senior QB Malcolm Long this year. S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough said Derrick is the Bulldogs’ “changeup” quarterback.

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S.C. State has big goals in 2010

Bulldogs determined to win MEAC and a playoff game this season

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Buddy Pough fielded familiar questions on Saturday at South Carolina State media day at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Will the Bulldogs win the MEAC football championship again? Will the team get its first NCAA playoff win since 1981? Will SC State impress the FCS committee enough to rate a first-round bye and/or an opening home game?

“The first thing is we have to win the conference championship, or all this talk means nothing,” said Pough, who has guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back 10-2 records, MEAC titles and automatic NCAA postseason berths. “We have some holes to fill, but the guys we have back seem to have the right stuff. The goal is to win the conference again and see what happens in the playoffs.” Pough believes his team has its best chance yet to rate a high enough national seed to open at home.

“We’ll start with a high enough ranking that if we handle our end of things, we should be in good shape there,” he said. “Our attendance at home should also come into play and be a factor.



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NORFOLK, VA - South Carolina State is the clear favorite to repeat as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champ, but league coaches say that if the Bulldogs win the title they will have earned it. The word "parity" was heard quite often Friday at the MEAC's football media shindig, where league coaches voted S.C. State quarterback Malcolm Long and Hampton linebacker Julio Sanchez preseason players of the year.

"I'd say this is the best it's ever been," said Norfolk State's Pete Adrian, who is in his 13th year in the conference as a head coach and assistant. "There might have been better teams, … but out of the original members that are here, every one of them can beat you. You have to be ready to play."



Florida A&M was picked to finish second. Adrian's Spartans, on paper he said the best returning team he's had, were voted third. Hampton University was picked fourth.

"That's what the coaches around the league think, but that's not something we use as a measuring stick," said Pirates coach Donovan Rose, who overhauled his staff after a 5-6 record and uncharacteristic sixth-place finish in the conference.

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SCSU's Young running route toward Panther position

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Graduating as the all-time leader in career receptions and yards at South Carolina State got Oliver "Tre" Young noticed by the Carolina Panthers. At least that's the opinion of his college head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough. "You know, that is always going to be one of the factors, the statistical information that people gather," Pough told PanthersInsider.com. "That's what they sometimes use in the evaluation process. I think they also look at his size, strength and athletic ability. I think it's a combination of things along with stats. When you look at him play, you think this is a guy who might have a shot at being good."

#3 Oliver "Tre" Young

The 6-2 undrafted free agent also understands those school-record numbers (135 receptions, 2,156 receiving yards) alone will not allow him continue his NFL career within proximity of his port city hometown. "We pretty much know that we have to prove ourselves," Young said. "For me, coming from a small school, I'm a little bit behind the 8 ball so I think that my level of play will have to be above and beyond."

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