Treatment of QB Long leaves S.C. State coach, players with sour taste

It was the thud heard round the MEAC.

Late in Saturday's game, trailing 14-0, S.C. State quarterback Malcolm Long let fly with a pass across the middle of the field that slammed square into the chest of Bethune-Cookman linebacker Ryan Lewis. Lewis promptly secured the ball and plopped down in the middle of the field.

And, that was the end of the Bulldogs' 21-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference winning streak. Then again, it wasn't so easy to decipher that the Bulldogs had experienced so much success from the sidelines at Oliver C. Dawson because of what was taking place in the stands.



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S.C. State faces surprise unbeaten Bethune-Cookman

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina State on top of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is no surprise. But Saturday's opponent, Bethune-Cookman, wasn't expected to be anywhere near first place at this point in the season.

Picked to finish eighth in the MEAC, the Wildcats (5-0, 3-0) have won their first five games by an average of 34 points. Now they get a chance to knock off the big dogs in the league. The Bulldogs (4-1, 2-0) have won 21 games in a row in the conference.

"Any time you're playing a hot team, it's gonna be tough to get ready," Pough said. "They seem to be excited about what they're doing."



Top Video: Coach Mark Orlando brings the "Speedway O" to Bethune Cookman.

B-CU gets big chance to prove self vs. S.C. State

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Quarterback Matt Johnson was not exactly jumping for joy when Bethune-Cookman received a national football ranking Monday for the first time in his five years with the program. Neither were his teammates.

"No, there really wasn't a big reaction at all, because we're not happy at being (No.) 23," Johnson said. "There's nothing really to be happy about. I think everybody heard about it and went about their day." Rest assured, if the Wildcats win this week to stretch their record to 6-0...

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Former S.C. State Bulldogs to get their rightful recognition

CHARLIE BROWN PLAYED in a couple of Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins and has a pair of rings to show for it. He also had a 1,000-yard receiving season in the NFL during his six-year career.

Still, the one-time South Carolina State standout carries a couple of beefs with him. He believes his beloved Bulldogs were slighted in 1980 when they were not invited to play in the Division I-AA playoffs, and two of his fingers have never been fitted for the pair of national black college championships S.C. State won while he was there.

Brown can never rectify the 1980 NCAA ruling, but he will right the latter wrong Friday night when members of the 1976 and 1980 coaching staffs and players will be presented with national championship rings.

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FAMU falls to South Carolina State

Almost every time that camera operators panned the Florida A&M sideline, head football coach Joe Taylor had one arm locked under his chest and the other under his chin.

It seemed like he was trying to find answers on how to ignite the Rattlers' anemic offense that struggled to get first downs and couldn't put a single point on the scoreboard. Not even a field goal to give a near-capacity crowd something to feel good about.

Quarterback Martin Ukpai wasn't getting it done and was benched after a half in favor of Eddie Battle. He couldn't get the offense moving either and as a result FAMU was beaten 19-0 for a loss that might just wreck its MEAC title hopes.

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Tailgate Cam - FAMU vs. S.C. State

Fan Cam - FAMU vs. S.C. State

Rattlers' defense looks crisp, even in defeat »

A dam can only hold water, or hold back the South Carolina State offense, for so long.

After watching the Florida A&M offense constantly cede field position, time of possession and turnovers to their opponent the Rattlers' defense was worn down by an extended drive by the visitors early in the fourth quarter.

Bulldogs Blank Rattlers 19-0

TALLAHASSE , Fla. - South Carolina State had a back to rush for the century mark as well a receiver to finish over the century mark as the Bulldogs extended their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win streak to 20 as they defeated the Florida A&M University, 19-0 here Saturday evening at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Blake Erickson scored the Bulldogs first nine points as he connected on a pair of 39-yard field goal, the first with 10:35 to in the first and the second with six seconds to in the first half, giving SCSU a 6-0 lead into the break.

SC State 19, Florida A&M 0 Final

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It was a 'Blackout' Saturday at Bragg Memorial Stadium and not just in the stands. For the first time since 1934, the Bulldogs shut out Florida A&M on the scoreboard to post their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference-record 20th consecutive victory. It's also the eight straight win over the Rattlers, the Bulldogs' 11th straight road conference win and 26th consecutive win over a historically black college.

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S.C. State extends contracts of Carter, Robertson

South Carolina State Bulldogs at Florida A&M Rattlers
Saturday, 6 p.m., LIVE: ESPN3 (Internet); Delayed TV Tape: 10:30 p.m. ESPNU.


Last March, South Carolina State came two wins shy of sending both its mens and womens basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament. With hopes of creating more "March Madness" the next three seasons, the school Board of Trustees approved contract extensions for both head coaches Tim Carter for the men and Doug Robertson for the women.

The three-year extensions would keep both men, whose contracts were due to expire after this season, on the Orangeburg sidelines through the 2013-14 school year.

Taylor, FAMU hope to get ground game going against SCSU

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - If Florida A&M was seeking a "model" to follow for Saturday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown against South Carolina State, it found one the hard way in Tennessee State.

Motivated by eight consecutive losses to the Rattlers, the Tigers roared to a 29-18 victory last Saturday at the Atlanta Football Classic. Now FAMU looks to emulate Tennessee State by attempting to end eight years of frustration by snapping a seven-game losing streak to the ninth-ranked Bulldogs.

"The last eight years, Florida A&M has not had a victory," Rattlers' head coach Joe Taylor said Tuesday. "There's no reason to deny it."

Ukpai stunned by slow start »

When Martin Ukpai made his first collegiate start in the Florida Classic last season and was named MVP of the annual season finale, the Florida A&M faithful raved over knowing that they had a solid quarterback for the future.

Four games into this season, Ukpai's rating in the poll of public opinion is questionable at best. Concerns mounted even more after the Rattlers suffered their first loss to a Division I-AA team when they fell 29-18 to Tennessee State University.

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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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Scouting the 2010 S.C. State Marching 101 Band

Hey fans...don't know who is going to get dropped from our Top 5 Marching Bands performances over the course of the next week, but evaluating the entire body of work produced by the South Carolina State University Marching 101 Band, and the Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band last weekend, somebody gotta go! Stay tune...

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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Tech defense adjusts on fly, catches Bulldogs

Asheton Jordon rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries for South Carolina State.

Atlanta, GA - The time came quickly in Georgia Tech’s season when coach Paul Johnson began to wonder about his offseason hiring of defensive coordinator Al Groh.

Specifically, as South Carolina State drove 58 yards in 17 plays to a field goal and 53 yards in 11 plays only to miss a field goal while burning a combined 11 minutes and 27 seconds on the Bulldogs’ first two possessions Saturday, “I was hoping [Groh] could go out there and tackle somebody,” Johnson said.

The head coach was kidding. In reality, he had faith in Groh...

Nesbitt scores three TDs on Jekyll & Hyde day

Joshua Nesbitt and his coach were able to joke about it after Saturday’s game because a 41-10 win over South Carolina State was good medicine for a bad passing attack. Nesbitt was fabulous running the ball against South Carolina State, rushing 16 times for 130 yards and tying a career high with three rushing touchdowns.

Throwing the ball? Humor seemed to be in vogue after Georgia Tech’s starting quarterback completed just one of his six passes for 6 yards with an interception.

Final Georgia Tech 41, South Carolina State 10

Joshua Nesbitt lived up to his Heisman Trophy credentials against South Carolina State, rushing for two of his three touchdowns on 4th and 3 conversions enroute to amassing 130 yards on the ground against the Bulldogs' defense. His efforts, along with a rash of mistakes, proved to be S.C. State's undoing in a 41-10 loss before 51,668 fans which included a strong contingent of Bulldog fans who filled portions of the lower stands near the visiting end zone and upper deck.

Jackets Defeat SC State 41-10

A few thoughts from today’s scrimmage against South Carolina State…

Pough happy that at least SCSU scored against their opponent

Moral victories are not something South Carolina State head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough uses as a measuring stick for his program.

Yet he had to acknowledge how much better the Bulldogs fared in Saturday's 41-10 loss at 16th-ranked Georgia Tech compared to his fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference members. This past Thursday, Hampton, Florida A&M and Norfolk State were all shut out by Division I foes and the combined margin of defeat was 119-0. "Well it says that at least we can score......."

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Watch Replay

Long, S.C. State Bulldogs hoping to knock off Georgia Tech today‎

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 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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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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South Carolina State Bulldogs not timid about goals

Despite significant losses, Buddy Pough’s program poised to continue its ascension in the FCS.

Despite heavy graduation losses, the South Carolina State football team has set its sights high again. The Bulldogs are focused on winning their third consecutive MEAC championship and earning their third FCS playoff berth in a row. This time, however, S.C. State will not be satisfied with merely making the playoffs.

“We want to win that third MEAC championship, but that’s not the real goal,” senior quarterback Malcolm Long said. “We want to win a national championship. That’s what we preach to each other every day.” Winning a postseason game or two would be the next step for a program that has raised expectations under coach Buddy Pough.

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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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