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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SC State Leads MEAC 2010 Preseason Poll

NORFOLK, VA – Two-time defending champion South Carolina State has been picked to win the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title by a poll of league coaches and sports Information directors, the league announced Friday at its annual press luncheon at the downtown Marriott. SC State head football coach emeritus Willie Jeffries served as Em Cee for the event.

Friday's predictions marked the fourth consecutive time Coach Buddy Pough's team has been picked to win the coveted crown which the Bulldogs have captured each of the last two seasons. The only season SC State did not live up to its previous preseason billing was the 2008 campaign when Pough's team finished second.

S.C. State Coach Oliver "Buddy Pough Bulldogs are once again the MEAC favorite to three-peat as conference champions.

Pough, who has to find replacements for 10 starters -- including All-America running back Will Ford, who ended his career as the all-time leading rusher in SC State and MEAC history – said the selection of his team as this year's preseason favorite, demonstrates the respect the conference has for the Bulldog program.

"It's a tremendous tribute to our program to be selected to win our league again," Pough said. "It shows the respect the coaches and SIDs around the league has for our program, our players, and our staff and also for what we have managed to do the last two years.

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South Carolina State's Wiley down, what now?

The bad news for South Carolina State fans broke Wednesday evening when Bulldogs backup quarterback Derrick Wiley showed up at the player's only practice with a cast on his leg.

Turns out Wiley, the MVP of last season's season-opening win over Grambling, broke a bone in his foot earlier in the summer and just recently underwent surgery to correct the problem. The injury puts Wiley's early season availability in doubt, and for that matter, should his recovery take longer than expected there is a chance that Wiley could miss the entire season.

It's not that Wiley, a player that S.C. State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough has compared to former Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards several times over, had big-time stats a season ago. In fact, after the Grambling game, Wiley didn't do much, finishing with 224 rushing yards and just 101 passing yards on 11 of 20 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

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Catching up with South Carolina State kicker Blake Erickson is not hard.

Just try Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on Sunday afternoons, around 1 p.m., and Erickson will likely be there aiming at the uprights. "I'm there anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half," Erickson said. "Just trying to get better."

An improving Erickson isn't good news for the MEAC because last season, he was as good as they come in the conference. Erickson, a junior this season, led the MEAC in scoring (87 points), field goals (12 of 14), field-goal percentage (82.4) and point after attempt percentage (97.8). He also led the conference in points scored per game (7.2).

"I thought I did pretty well," Erickson said Monday. "But, I want to keep getting better. Every year I want to keep getting better. I try to set my goal every year to ... I don't want to miss at all. I don't want to miss any field goals or extra points, and punting wise, I want to help the team and keep getting better at that." They key to getting better, according to Erickson, is those Sunday after noon sessions as well as the work with new S.C. State strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton.



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Secondary thoughts

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Time for SCSU to talk, do the right thing

Athletic director Charlene Johnson is now working under a one-year contract and has been totally silent on the ESPN proposed Legacy Bowl with the Bulldogs supporters and fans.

Fans and boosters of South Carolina State athletics spoke loudly with their financial support of the "Lift-A-Bulldog" program. If only the administration and school leaders were not the total opposite in addressing issues with the athletics department. Since School President George Cooper was told in March to make a decision in regards to athletics director Charlene Johnson's future after June 30, both he and the Board of Trustees went silent on the matter. No word publicly was given as to whether Cooper quietly allowed Johnson's contract to roll over for another year, as is his right according to school by-laws, or if he would request a multi-year deal to the board.

On Wednesday, Board chairman Jonathan Pinson indicated the former had apparently taken place with a one-year contract extension for Johnson. According to Pinson, it was handled as an "internal personnel matter" where Cooper did not have to inform the board of his decision. The secretive manner in which this was handled was disappointing to board member Maurice Washington. What had him especially miffed was the news about a second major issue regarding S.C. State athletics.

As reported by College Sporting News, a tentative agreement...

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S.C. State's Phillip Adams' four-year deal is worth $1.84 million‎

San Francisco 49ers rookie cornerback Phillip Adams' four-year deal is worth $1.84 million and includes a $57,900 signing bonus, according to a league source. The seventh-round draft pick received minimum base salaries of $320,000, $405,000, $490,000 and $575,000. The 5-foot-11, 192-pounder was a first-team All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection at South Carolina State, leading the team as a senior with three interceptions. He returned two for touchdowns and tied for first in the conference with 11 pass deflections. As a junior, he tied for first in the conference with five interceptions and returned 11 punts for two touchdowns.

Adams Doing It All Now: Pratice, Study, eye on Mom...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - There are the long, sweltering days sprinting and conditioning in the sunny yet cool Northern California climate. Just as much study time is spent behind closed doors studying a playbook as thick and in-depth as a dictionary. Through it all, time is always made to keep in touch with his mother back in the Palmetto State still recuperating from injuries suffered in an October car accident.

This is the daily grind post-South Carolina State football for San Francisco 49er rookie defensive back Phillip Adams. Since getting selected in the seventh round, the Rock Hill native has found himself balancing the NFL business with adjusting to the differences in time zone, location and personal responsibilities. "I'm just working hard, just trying to stay on top of my game and learn everything that I can learn," Adams said.

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S.C. State football expects even more improvement

Coach Buddy Pough's Bulldogs enter the 2010 pre-season ranked seventh in the nation in the FCS standings.

After two years of playing on an elite level, South Carolina State must replace key personnel entering this fall. But with the state of his program, coach Buddy Pough doesn't believe in using the 'R' word. "I don't think we can talk about rebuilding anymore," he said. "Our program's at the point now where we put some guys in some different spots and we continue to move on. We've got to be better. "Every year, regardless of who we lose, we expect to improve."

Pough and men's basketball coach Tim Carter spoke Thursday night to the university's Greater Augusta Alumni Chapter at Cafe 209. Pough has given the alumni reason to proudly wear their garnet and blue. The Bulldogs have won the past two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships with a combined 16-0 league mark. The team also went 10-3 and 10-2 the past two years, respectively, with losses to Appalachian State in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs each year.

The Bulldogs entered the 2009 postseason ranked seventh in the nation in the FCS standings. They also ended the year No. 1 in three polls that rank Historically Black Colleges and Universities. "We want to be one of the top Championship Subdivision programs in the country," Pough said. "We don't necessarily want to be just a top HBCU program. We are working really hard to be with the Appalachian States and Georgia Southerns. Hopefully, we'll continue to improve."

S.C. State must replace its top two running backs, top two wide receivers and top tackler from last season. The Bulldogs return their entire offensive line, entire linebacking corps and senior quarterback Malcolm Long. The team will begin the 2010 season with a challenge. After losing at South Carolina in 2009, the Bulldogs open Sept. 4 at Georgia Tech.

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Familiarity leads Bell to South Carolina State‎

South Carolina State University Bulldogs have signed Polk State College 6-8/230 basketball center Presano Bell to a National Letter of Intent.

Cracker Barrel, a retail store and restaurant, is an institution in much of American, offering southern comfort food, rocking chairs for post-meal relaxation, and a checker’s table within the dining room for an added country feel. It’s more than just a place to eat and relax for Presano Bell. The former Thomas Edison star developed a bond with South Carolina assistant coach Dwight Evans, talking about why the restaurant chain is absent in New York, one of only nine states in American it doesn’t exit. Soon, the two realized, they were not only both from New York, but from Springfield Gardens, Queens, and raised just a few blocks away from one another.

“We hit it off,” said Bell, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound center who plans to major in nursing and become an anesthesiologist. “That made me feel like I could trust him. That’s the most important thing in a relationship. He got that right away.” As a result of their bond, in addition to the immediate playing time the Bulldogs could offer, Bell signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) school recently. The decision ended a two-year journey for the physically imposing forward.

After helping Edison reach the PSAL Class AA semifinals in 2008, Bell landed at Snead State in Alabama. It was a culture shock, he said, although Bell made the best out of it. Following his one year there, he transferred to Polk Community College (Fla.) and averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. His two JUCO years transformed Bell, as much as a player as a person. He improved academically in the classroom and defensively on the court, one of his shortcomings at Edison.

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South Carolina State Cornerback Phillip Adams Fits S.F. 49er's Tough Identity

Defensive Back Phillip Adams (7th Round, 224th overall) fills a need for the 49ers, who were hoping to come out of the draft with a cornerback. An All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection in 2009 at South Carolina State, Adams figures to challenge for a backup role as a rookie.

There's a common theme to the eight prospects selected by the San Francisco 49ers in this year's draft. "These players are guys who will hit you," coach Mike Singletary said Saturday. "When you look at the identity of the 49ers, I think every one of these guys that we pick fit the identity." Singletary is building a tough, physical squad in San Francisco, and the four players selected by the team Saturday to complete the draft definitely fit the mold.

They also fill needs as the 49ers selected power running back Anthony Dixon, blocking tight end Nate Byham and wide receiver/punt returner Kyle Williams in the sixth round, then added physical cornerback Phillip Adams with their final pick in round 7. Each comes to San Francisco with the type of attitude the 49ers have come to expect from their players. "I like to bloody noses," said Byham, a two-time All-Big East selection at the University of Pittsburgh who was considered one of the nation's best blocking tight ends last season. "I don't shy away from contact. I'm going into the hole and I'm trying to hit somebody. I'm trying to inflict pain when I'm in there as a tight end."

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Defense dominates in S.C. State Spring Game‎

The defending two-time MEAC Champion Bulldogs will open the season September 4 when they make the short trip to Atlanta to face ACC champion Georgia Tech.

The old adage “every dog has his day” proved true Saturday for South Carolina State Bulldog defensive lineman Joe Council. It’s been a quiet three seasons for the Walterboro native since his transfer from East Carolina. But, during Saturday’s Spring Game at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Council made plenty of noise with his aggressive play up front in helping the Blue (defense) pull away from the Garnet (offense) 24-13.

Though three players (linebacker Dawan Thompson, defensive back Titus Graham and linebacker Rashad Hampton) had one more tackle than Council’s six, the constant pressure and havoc he caused drew praise from the coaching staff and helped set the tone for the Blue.

“My coaches kept believing in me and kept telling me to concentrate on the little things and I started doing that and started seeing what they were talking about,” Council said. “Coach (David) Blanchard and (Coach) Adams, they believed in me and told me what I was doing wrong. I kept working, kept at it and had a good day.” “Joe is growing up a little bit,” S.C. State head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough said. “It’s good to see because we need those guys defensively to get going.”

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SCSU wraps up football practice today with Spring Game‎

South Carolina State Bulldogs All-MEAC linebacker Marshall McFadden returns from a season of inactivity due to a broken wrist.

From a team standpoint, head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough saw Friday’s practice as being just as important as today’s Spring Game.“We got enough done to make sure that we didn’t waste a day and that’s what we were trying to get done,” he said. “We wanted to get a good solid day’s work and I thought we got that done.”

While today’s 2 p.m. controlled scrimmage at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium is an opportunity for fans to get a slight “sneak preview” of the 2010 edition of the two-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, Friday’s session allowed the team to put the finishing touches on spring practices. With the work behind them, the Bulldogs look to put on a strong showing before the home fans.

“Saturday’s game is now more just a culmination of activities,” Pough said. “It’s not nearly as important as the practices that led up to Saturday. It’s more an opportunity for our fans to come out and see us play a little bit and kind of see themselves.”

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Wherry leads S.C.State offense in 1st scrimmage

Running back Devin Wherry had one mission in mind entering spring practice for South Carolina State. “I came with the mindset of getting me a job in a spot” he said. “I treat it as everything is open.” Used primarily as a blocking fullback as a freshman, Wherry used Saturday’s scrimmage at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium to display his versatility. He had a 2-yard touchdown run and was a primary receiving target out of the backfield.

“Devin is coming along real good,” quarterback Malcolm Long said. “He was a freshman last year, really didn’t a chance last year. He came out and had a really good day today running and catching.” Long led the Bulldogs on three scoring drives, utilizing short passes to Wherry, Lennel Elmore and Erin Norwood to move the football. “Our first offense had some some success against our second-team defense and that’s generally a possibility,” S.C. State head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough said.

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South Carolina State Coach Pough picks program progress over pay

Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough and FAMU's Coach Joe Taylor shares the same attorney in Ricky Lefft. However, Coach Pough owns the MEAC championship crown.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Joseph “Ricky” Lefft and his family go back a long way with South Carolina State head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough. If anyone can attest to Pough’s coaching credentials, it would be his friend, attorney and agent. “People know that Buddy is not just a good coach, he’s an exceptional coach,” Lefft said. “So his record (67-26 overall in eight seasons at S.C. State) speaks for itself. They haven’t backed down from anybody. He’s got a real good coaching staff. They’ve done it the right way. They’re extremely well-organized. They do it very professionally.”

Such insight was apparently not a secret to other schools like Southern University where rumors surfaced about interest in hiring a coach -- potentially Pough -- at an annual base salary of $300,000. Pough and Southern denied discussing that school’s opening, and the school eventually settled on Citadel graduate and former NFL running back Stump Mitchell, who has a contract that pays $200,000 per season. At the same time, Lefft was finalizing a contract extension which would keep Pough on the Bulldog sidelines through 2015.

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South Carolina State Releases 2010 Football Schedule

ORANGEBURG, SC – South Carolina State, Thursday, announced its 2010 football schedule, which includes five home games for a second straight year, one Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent and two new teams. The two teams on the 2010 slate that were not on last year’s schedule are Mississippi Valley of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and intrastate rival Benedict. SC State will host Mississippi Valley Sept. 11, renewing a rivalry that has been dormant since 1961, and meet Benedict a week later – Sept. 18 – in Columbia. The Tigers return to the schedule after a one-year hiatus.

The Bulldogs, two-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, open the 2010 campaign Sept. 4 at Georgia Tech, marking the fourth straight year Coach Buddy Pough’s squad will face an FBS team. In addition to Mississippi Valley State, other home games are Norfolk State (Oct. 9), Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 16), Hampton, the homecoming contest (Oct. 23), and Howard (Nov. 6).

SCSU Bulldogs Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough opens the 2010 schedule at Georgia Tech, 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions

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2010 SCSU Bulldogs Football Schedule
9/4 at Georgia Tech Atlanta, GA TBD
9/11 Mississippi Valley State Orangeburg, SC TBD
(Hall of Fame)
9/18 at Benedict Columbia, SC TBD
9/25 Open
10/2 at Florida A&M* Tallahassee, FL TBD
10/9 Norfolk State* Orangeburg, SC TBD
(Youth/ROTC Day)
10/16 Bethune-Cookman * Orangeburg, SC TBD
(Community Day)
10/23 Hampton* Orangeburg, SC TBD
(Homecoming)
10/30 at Delaware State* Dover, DE TBD
11/6 Howard* Orangeburg, SC TBD
(Senior Day)
11/13 at Morgan State* Baltimore, MD TBD
11/20 at North Carolina A&T* Greensboro, NC TDB

11/27 NCAA FCS Division I Playoffs
*MEAC Contest

S.C. State: 'Marshall Plan' goes into effect with return of McFadden

Sixth year senior line backer McFadden (206 tackles, eight sacks, two interceptions, one blocked field goal in his career) re-joins a Bulldog unit which returns intact with David Erby, Julius Wilkerson, La’Taris Douglas and Donovan Richard.

South Carolina State may have the best linebacker corps in the entire Football Championship Subdivision.

Marshall McFadden sent a message following the opening of spring practice Monday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Sauntering through the locker room, the South Carolina State linebacker sported a sleek, black Jordan T-shirt with “Welcome Back!” inscribed in small, white letters across his chest. For McFadden, who missed the entire 2009 campaign with a torn UCL wrist ligament suffered in an accidental collision during an August preseason practice drill, it was his subtle yet resonating way of re-introducing himself to the team and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

“I got this shirt to let everybody know that I’m back, back in action and I’m ready to prove a point in my leadership,” McFadden said. Aside from the T-shirt, McFadden’s return after receiving clearance for a sixth year of eligibility was treated in a quiet, low-key manner. While the rest of the players participated in practice drills following warm-ups, “The Natural” worked on conditioning and stretching exercises on the sidelines under the watch of new strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton.

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Morris: FCS playoffs should be prize for South Carolina State

South Carolina State University highly talented quarterback Malcolm Long may have never played for the Bulldogs, if they were a none FCS Playoff participating program. The 2007 titled, "Mr. South Carolina" star player had may Division IA school choices available when coming out of Gaffney High School (S.C.) three seasons ago.

Worse ideas have come along in college football. It's just difficult to remember one. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is contemplating a requirement that its regular-season champion play against the champion from the Southwestern Athletic Conference for the historically black college national championship. It would be the revival of the Heritage Bowl, which died a slow death in the late 1990s when fans realized the game held little or no significance.

Such a game makes sense for one reason only - money. With a TV deal and a healthy gate at a neutral site, the black national title game could be a financial boom to both leagues. The problem is that by playing in the game, representatives from the MEAC and SWAC would forfeit any chance of playing in the FCS playoffs, which bring with it much national exposure for the participating team and its league. The SWAC already suffers from an inferiority complex and does not participate in the FCS playoffs.

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After 9 Years, South Carolina State's Buddy Pough Still Having Fun

S.C. State's Coach Buddy Pough is becoming a bigger name in South Carolina football than his previous mentor-employer at the University of South Carolina, Coach Steve Spurrier. Coach Pough was named the 2009 Palmetto State College Coach of the Year, amongst many other awards. (Photo: Spurrier and Pough at mid-field following hard fought 38-14 win by Gamecocks over Bulldogs in 2009).

After nine years, the job is still fun for South Carolina State head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough. What’s not to love about coaching his alma mater in his hometown? From leading the Bulldogs to three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles, two Top 15 finishes in the national Football Championship Subdivision rankings and a black college football national championship, Pough has reached many of his goals since succeeding Willie Jeffries in 2001.

Pough’s 67-26 record after eight seasons is virtually identical to the legendary Jeffries’ after nine seasons (66-27-4). Nevertheless, Pough begins preparation for Year Nine of his tenure with the start of spring practice Monday with many unattained goals on his agenda.

In this week’s Sunday Conversation, Pough discusses the program, life in Orangeburg and what to expect during the spring.

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Morgan falls to S.C. State, 71-68

South Carolina State punctured Morgan State's aura of invincibility at Hill Field House on Monday night and dealt the Bears their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss in nearly a year, 71-68. Led by Jason Flagler's 24 points, the Bulldogs hit 57.1 percent of their shots and held a 12-point lead with 6:39 to play. But Morgan had one final run and narrowly missed pulling off a dramatic comeback when a pair of 3-point shots missed in the final seconds.

The Bears battled foul trouble - they lost leading scorer Reggie Holmes and DeWayne Jackson in the final minute - but still got to within 70-68 on a runner by Joe Davis with 21 seconds left. Both teams missed free throws in the final minute. "It's a great win on their floor because they're a great team in our conference," South Carolina State coach Tim Carter said. "It's a great win because you don't go on their floor and beat them. We did a tremendous job executing the game plan, but we were frazzled the last two minutes."

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