Coastal Edged by S.C. Sate in Carolinas Challenge

MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina - Shatia Cole knocked down a three from the left wing with 1:05 remaining to give Coastal Carolina a one point advantage; however, the Chanticleers would not hold on as South Carolina State converted six free throws down the stretch to secure the 61-59 victory in the third game of the Crescent Bank Carolinas Challenge on Sunday.

The setback moves Coastal to 6-2 on the season as SC State improves to 4-6.

For the second time in as many games, four Chants scored in double figures as Shanika Maddox led the way with 14 points. Cole poured in 13 followed by Taylor Epley's career-high 11 points and Kayla Cook's 10. Maddox and Epley each finished with a game-high nine boards.

The teams exchanged baskets in the early going of the second half before the Chants took a four point advantage, 38-34, with 16:49 remaining. The Bulldogs then used a 5-1 run to take their first lead of the game at 39-38 at the 15:18 mark. SC State extended its lead to nine points thanks to several Coastal turnovers the Bulldogs turned into a 13-2 run over the ensuing 7:30.

Final Stats

NEXT GAME: S.C. STATE LADY BULLDOGS VS. UNC-ASHVILLE

MONDAY, DEC. 19 at 6:00 p.m. @ the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Physical Education Center (Tullis Arena) on the campus of Claflin University (adjacent to SC State Campus). Tullis Arena is located at 400 Magnolia Street in Orangeburg, S.C.

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Hoops for lunch: SCSU Lady Bulldogs vs. SC Lady Gamecocks today

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Head coaches Dawn Staley of the University of South Carolina and South Carolina State's Doug Robertson will share a milestone at Colonial Life Arena today.

The noon matinee contest between their teams will mark each coach's 100th game in four seasons at the helm of their respective programs. A victory today for Staley will even her mark at .500 with the Lady Gamecocks (7-2) and give them their best start in eight years.

"I think we're getting better," Staley said. "I think time will tell whether we've turned the corner. I think we are beating some teams that we're supposed to beat. I think we need to make a move and beat some teams that are very competitive, Top 25 teams, to really say that we've turned the corner."

Meanwhile, a Lady Bulldogs' win would give Robertson ...

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Bell City's Johnson signs to play volleyball at South Carolina State

Bell City, Missouri -- South Carolina State volleyball coach Donika Sutton discovered a gem during her trip to a Missouri Class 1 sectional volleyball match last season. Sutton, who is from Hayti, Missouri, and was an assistant coach at South Carolina State last season, watched Bell City's Jasmine Johnson lead the Cubs into the state quarterfinal round last season.

"She approached me and was like, 'We're thinking about looking at you from South Carolina State,'" Johnson said. "I didn't know where it was or even heard of it. It's a four-year university, and I was like, 'OK, I want to go there.'"

Johnson visited the South Carolina State campus in early October and finalized her decision last week when she signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball career with the Bulldogs. "The campus, I like that, the dorm, the team," Johnson said. "The coach I liked a lot. Plus the coach is from down here, so I was like, 'OK.'"

Johnson said she also considered Southeast Missouri State and Murray State as well as some junior colleges before deciding on South Carolina State, which ...

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S.C. State announces signing of five hoops players

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- S.C. State officially announced the signing of five men's and women's basketball players for the 2012-13 season.

The newest Bulldogs include Orangeburg-Wilkinson point guard Patrick Myers, Timberland forward Darryl Palmer, Baptist Hill point guard Shaquille Mitchell and junior college guard Louis Adams.

S.C. State women's basketball coach Doug Robertson Jr. announced the signing of Spring Valley point guard Shaquita Walker. The 5-5 point guard averaged 7.1 points 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 4.1 assists for the defending Class 4-A champions last year.

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S.C. State Bulldogs hold on for 30-22 victory over N.C. A&T

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- "Seniors Day" for Devonne Quattlebaum and his fellow 17 South Carolina State honorees was not going according to form Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

With the Bulldogs down 11 points to North Carolina A&T in the first half, the senior DOG safety was determined to change things in his fellow seniors' favor during their final home game.

"At the moment, I was talking to my guy (linebacker) Donovan Richard," he said. "I told him either me or you were going to make a play, so one of us had to make a play."

It was Quattlebaum who reached out to intercept Aggies' quarterback Lewis Kindle and returned the football 55 yards for the touchdown. He injured his hamstring on the score and did not return to action, but ignited a rally of 30 unanswered points for S.C. State, which held on for a 30-22 victory before 16,224 fans.

VIDEO: N.C. A&T vs. S.C. State


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S.C. State Hands A&T Another Disappointing Loss

ORANGEBURG, S.C. - As Norfolk State turned the fortunes of its program around on Saturday by clinching its first-ever MEAC football title, a North Carolina A&T team looking to change its losing image this season could only sit back and think about what could have been.

Coming through on a 1st-and-goal at the 3-yard line, making a catch in the end zone or converting in the final seconds, and the Aggies might be celebrating an historic season. Instead, they lost another close one on Saturday.

S.C. State came back from an 11-point deficit and won its 11th straight over the Aggies with a 30-22 victory at Oliver C. Stadium Saturday afternoon. S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough remained undefeated (10-0) against the Aggies.



"I don't think we've accomplished anything this season," said N.C. A&T head coach Rod Broadway. "Here we are sitting at 4-6 even though we had an opportunity to have a really good football team. But we're not coached well enough and we don't play well enough. But we're going to get this fixed."

One of Broadway's main concerns is the Aggies inability to score points. For the third straight week, the Aggies offense failed to score any second-half points. Playing without starting running back Mike Mayhew most of the game didn't help matters.



N.C. A&T's defense gave the Aggies a chance as safety Travis Crosby intercepted quarterback Richard Cue's pass and returned it 55 yards to put the Aggies within eight with 12 minutes remaining. But the Aggies could not advance the football beyond the S.C. State 43.

The Aggies last attempt started at its own 20. After two completions to Demonta Brown, quarterback Lewis Kindle's last-second effort to Larry Raper only went 19 yards as the Aggies (4-6, 3-4) dropped their fourth straight.

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Virginia Cavaliers battle South Carolina State at John Paul Jones Arena Sunday

 Charlottesville, Virginia -- The Virginia men's basketball team's season-opening game with South Carolina State at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday (Nov. 13) will be carried on ESPN3, ESPN's live multi-screen sports network. Joe Beninati will handle the play-by-play and Dan Bonner is the analyst for the game.

 The Virginia men’s basketball team looks to begin its season on a high note, its first game since a disastrous ACC Tournament departure last year, in which the squad surrendered a 10-point lead in the final minute against Miami.

South Carolina State finished 10-22 overall and eighth in the MEAC last season, its worst record under coach Tim Carter during his four-year tenure. The Bulldogs lost two starters to graduation but return senior guard Brandon Riley, senior forward Omar Sanders and junior guard Khalif Toombs. Riley finished second on the team with 9.4 points per game, behind then-senior guard Darnell Porter.

The Bulldogs added depth by bringing in three freshman and two transfers, all of whom will be fighting for playing time at the onset of the season.

The Cavaliers plan to counter questions about court time by ...

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N.C. A&T coach gets reprimand, will face S.C. State from pressbox

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Rod Broadway sounded like a frustrated head football coach Tuesday morning. Just three weeks ago, he had North Carolina A&T among the leaders in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in his first season at the helm. After three straight competitive road losses, the Aggies (4-5, 3-3) find themselves in danger of finishing under .500 for the eight consecutive year with a loss Saturday at South Carolina State (5-4, 4-2).

"We're getting so close, but we can't close the deal," Broadway said during the MEAC teleconference.

The news only got worse for Broadway later in the day when the conference announced he was being reprimanded for displaying unsportsmanlike conduct during the Aggies' 26-20 loss at Florida A&M. In the statement, MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas said "the conference expects all student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff to demonstrate good sportsmanship before, during and after all athletic events."

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Pough prepared for tougher N.C. A&T team

Orangburg, South Carolina -- It seems like ancient history to Buddy Pough now.

On Nov. 22, 2003, the fortunes of South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T took a precipitous turn. The Aggies had just clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title, while the Bulldogs were looking for their third straight win in the long-running series.

S.C. State routed North Carolina A&T 49-9 that day in Charlotte and the two programs began to head in opposite directions. The Bulldogs have gone on to post a 67-23 record and win four MEAC titles while making three Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances. The Aggies have had four head coaches combine for a 20-70 mark during that span.

Despite the recent history of dominance, Pough does not see it playing a major role in the outcome of Saturday's latest matchup at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

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Howard sees win over S.C. State as step in return to prominence

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Gary Harrell remembers fondly the proud days of Howard University football.

Known as "The Flea," the 5-7 former wide receiver is the school's career leader in receptions (184) and a member of the 1993 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship Bison team led by quarterback Jay "Sky" Walker. Returning to his alma mater this past year as head coach, Harrell inherited a program far removed from those glory days and owners of the longest losing streak in conference play.

Even worse, Harrell saw a talented group that seemed more focused on individual goals and not sharing his same level of passion.

"The biggest problem here when I first got here was that the guys were separated," Harrell said during Tuesday's MEAC teleconference. "They didn't spend a whole lot of time with each other as far as the cafeteria and the dorm. They didn't spend enough time together, so we made sure we brought them together off the field and now you can see it on the field that they really trust each other. Now it's not (linebacker) Keith Pough making plays. He trusts his teammates that they're going to make the plays as well. So that was the biggest thing in changing the culture."



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FAMU Rattlers rally in fourth quarter to beat SCSU Bulldogs

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- As the Florida A&M football team began to gather for its postgame huddle with coach Joe Taylor, he did a right about-turn. Taylor led the way as the team rushed to the side where its band was playing. They had earned the right to celebrate Saturday afternoon at Oliver Dawson Stadium by defeating South Carolina State, 27-24.

A defensive stance unlike any that the Rattlers have shown all season limited the Bulldogs to 178 yards of rushing and just another 121 passing. FAMU capped off a fourth-quarter comeback with two rushing touchdown by LaVante Page and shut the door for good with a fake punt during the closing minutes.

South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough said he was considering possible plays for his Bulldogs team when FAMU struck with the fake.

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FAMU executes when it matters

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Florida A&M made its running plays count when it mattered most Saturday afternoon, although it managed fewer than 150 yards on the ground against South Carolina State.

The Rattlers ran the ball a total of 13 times during a fourth-quarter comeback in front of 17,153 in attendance. Both times FAMU got in the red zone, LaVante Page was the one who punched it in to secure a 27-24 victory. The win ended an eight-game losing streak for FAMU against SCSU, and also snapped a two-game home winning streak for the Bulldogs.

"It was just execution and the line blocking," said Page. "We executed."

SCSU came into the game with the third-best rushing attack in the MEAC. But while it won the battle on the ground (178 yards to 142 for FAMU), the Bulldogs didn't get the production that usually comes out of their backfield.

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Is the MEAC catching up to the Bulldogs?

Orangeburg, S.C. - Buddy Pough paused for a moment. With a small band of reporters in front of him, he gathered what he had just been told - Howard knocked off North Carolina A&T, the MEAC's only undefeated team - silently.

A win would have kept the Bulldogs in the battle for the conference heading down the stretch.
For the past three seasons, Pough's team has at least shared the MEAC title. But, as he heard the news, Pough was the head coach of a team that had freshly squandered a 24-13 third-quarter lead, surrendering two Florida A&M touchdowns in the fourth quarter to slide back into the peripheral of the conference-title race.

Finally, Pough spoke.

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MEAC standings grow more cluttered

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — No one saw this coming — Norfolk State leading the standings with a month left in the season. North Carolina A&T going undefeated in conference play through its first three games didn't even seem like a possibility.

That's what has transpired, though, and at a point when there should be some kind of clear-cut indication which team will win the MEAC title, things just keep getting cloudier. That's in part to Bethune-Cookman (4-3, 2-1) stunning NSU (6-2, 4-1) on Thursday night, which allowed the Aggies to take a 3-0 conference record into their game against Howard on Saturday.

That ended after two overtimes with Howard (4-4, 3-2) winning its homecoming game 35-28 over the Aggies (4-3, 3-1). A few days before Florida A&M (5-3, 3-2) hooked up with South Carolina State (4-4, 3-2), Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough was trying to put the unexpected occurrences into perspective.



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Florida A&M Rattlers Preps For South Carolina State Bulldogs

Tallahassee, Florida - FAMU was able to avoid a letdown after its homecoming loss to Howard and responded by thrashing the Tigers of Savannah State 47-7. "We measure greatness by how you respond to adversity and in my mind we really passed a major test," says Joe Taylor.

One exam to be followed by another. FAMU travels to South Carolina State this weekend in a game which the losers championship dreams will practically be erased. Taylor adds, "The bottom line is it's still a conference ballgame. We're on the road but from the way we play I'm really not concerned with the opponent anymore because seemingly we have our act together."

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LOCATION: OLIVER C. DAWSON STADIUM, ORANGEBURG, S.C.
GAME TIME: 1:30 PM
WATCH GAME LIVE ON INTERNET FREE: ESPN3
DELAYED TV BROADCAST: ESPNU @ 10:30 PM ET

FAMU's offense getting job done

The chase for the MEAC title might look a little bleak right now for Florida A&M but the Rattlers are proving that they have the offensive power that might land them in the thick of the race when it's all said and done.

Seven games into the season with a 4-3 overall record and 2-2 in conference play, FAMU is leading the league in scoring offense among the teams that have played as many games. Its 28 touchdowns is the most in the conference, three more than Bethune-Cookman University, which has played six games, and one more than South Carolina State, which has also played seven games.

FAMU has scored 209 points and is averaging 312 yards per game. FAMU also leads the league in the red zone, scoring on 26 of 28 chances.

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FAMU zoned in on chasing the MEAC title

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Through its seven games, Florida A&M has had enough ups and downs and that should help to get the Rattlers zoned in on their next game. At least that's the feeling expressed by coach Joe Taylor, whose team has left him with a few head-scratching moments.

FAMU plays a season-defining game with South Carolina State, a team that has also been having its struggles this season. But even so, a victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday is pivotal to FAMU remaining in the chase for a shot at the MEAC championship.

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Taylor, FAMU hoping to end S.C. State’s streak

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A question brought a brief chuckle from Florida A&M head football coach Joe Taylor during Tuesday's weekly teleconference.

It regarded the Rattlers' eight-game losing streak to South Carolina State dating back to Buddy Pough's arrival in 2002. Taylor was prompted to laugh after pointing out he's been at the helm for only three of those losses, although he has a five-game losing streak to the Bulldogs counting his final two seasons at Hampton.

"South Carolina State has just built a tremendous talent base over the years there and that's what is going to make a difference if that's ever going to end," Taylor said. "It's going to be because you had a chance to recruit and get your talent base up to a level where you can compete legitimately."

Entering Saturday's matchup at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium ...

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SCSU Bulldogs, FAMU Rattlers alike, Pough says

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Winning two straight games and climbing over the .500 mark for the first time all season is a positive in South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough's book.

It does not necessary mean in his eyes, however, the Bulldogs have "turned a corner" into becoming a complete Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship contender. On Monday, Pough said the team remains a work in progress although he believes a home win Saturday over Florida A&M would bring them a step closer towards becoming what he envisioned in the preseason.

"I think the jury is probably still out," he said. "We don't necessarily have the confidence to really say that we've got it pretty much on track. I can tell you though is that I think I see that happening. We need another win or two as this week will go big in that direction of trying to make that determination."




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Bulldogs’ basketball team full of excitement as practice begins

Orangeburg, South Carolina - The first official practice for men's basketball Saturday morning at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center marked an end and a beginning for South Carolina State.

As far as the players and head coach Tim Carter are concerned, the book on last year's 10-22 season was officially closed and they're determined to focus on producing a more successful account.

"Don't talk about it," Carter said. "I mean, that's a word we don't even say ‘last year' because it doesn't matter what happened last year other than you don't want it to happen again." "We've got that bad taste in our mouth from last year," point guard Khalif Toombs said. "We're ready to get that out and have a good season."

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Cue comes alive in second half, guides SCSU Bulldogs over Georgia State

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Rallying from a halftime deficit has rarely served as a winning proposition for South Carolina State in the Buddy Pough era.

The 2011 Bulldogs appear more than comfortable in that role. Down 6-3, the Bulldogs completed their third halftime comeback of the season in defeating upstart Georgia State 23-13 before 11,517 fans at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

"We generally seem to somehow or another just score more points in the second half than we do in the first," said Pough, who picked up his 80th career victory and improved to 8-27 when trailing at halftime as S.C. State head football coach.

"I think we had 37 more points ...

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Bulldog notebook: Erickson not surprised by kicking success

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- It was just another typical Saturday afternoon for South Carolina State place-kicker Blake Erickson.

Given his early season struggles that included five straight missed attempts, the senior Bulldog could have acted more exuberant over going a perfect 3-3 in field goals in the 23-13 win over Georgia State. Instead, the preseason All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection and school career leader in field goals acted not surprised by his latest performance.

"That's why Coach (Buddy) Pough put me in and that's my job," Erickson said. "It's not a big deal really. Everything I'm supposed to do is what I'm supposed to do."

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SCSU Bulldogs look to snap little-recognized 12-game skid

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- For a non-conference matchup, today's first-ever meeting between Georgia State and South Carolina State carries significant meaning for both teams.

The visiting Panthers (1-4) arrive at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium looking to snap a four-game skid with another setback matching last year's loss total in the program's inaugural season.

In the case of the Bulldogs, a victory would give the team its first two-game winning streak of the season. It would also snap a 12-game losing streak to non-HBCU Football Championship Subdivision programs dating back to 1999.




While head coach Buddy Pough, who's 0-9 during his tenure in such games, points out the losses have come against formidable FCS teams such as Wofford, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, the topic is still a sore one for S.C. State.

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Pough happy with performance, looks forward to Georgia State

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Saturday's victory over North Carolina Central did not just save South Carolina State's season.

For South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough, it was another eye-opener into the team's quality young depth and ability to respond to adversity.

"It was a struggle, but it was a good struggle," said Pough at Monday's weekly press conference. "When you get a situation where you're faced with adversity and you find a way to overcome it, it makes you feel good about ourselves. We've got work to do. Don't think in the smallest form that we don't understand what our issues are. But at the same time, I am proud of our guys that we got through it and I like our team and I hope I can get them back healthy."



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GSU Panthers look to get back on track at South Carolina State

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- After a poor showing against Murray state, the Panthers will travel to South Carolina State University.

The Bulldogs are coming off of their homecoming game, and will look to dismantle the Panther defense in their pursuit of a fourth straight Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference title. With redshirt junior quarterback Derrick Wiley leading the way, the Panthers will be up against another prolific offense.

In a 69-0 victory over Delaware State on Sept. 24, Wiley threw for 250 yards and four touchdowns through the air. The 6'1 200 pound Wiley completed 12 of his 20 attempted passes. Along with torching Delaware State through the air Wiley rushed for 2 touchdowns on the ground. With his monster offensive show out, Wiley tied 2 school single game records.

These included the four passing touchdowns, and total touchdowns posted in a game with six.
Luckily for the Panthers, they won't have to face Wiley, who is out with a torn knee meniscus. Due to this injury Wiley could potentially miss the remainder of the season.

Richard Cue will be starting at quarterback in place of the injured Wiley.

In his first start last weekend, Cue completed 15 of his 22 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Although Wiley will be out due to injury, they still have freshman running back Jalen Simmons empowering the Bulldogs offense. In the 69 – 0 route of Delaware State Simmons set up two touchdowns for his team. Simmons rushed for 92 yards on 11 carries, averaging a stellar 8.36 yards per carry.




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S.C. State Holds Off NCCU 49-38

ORANGEBURG, SC - Junior running back Asheton Jordan rushed for a career-high 226 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns to lead South Carolina State (3-3 overall, 3-1 MEAC) to a 49-38 victory over North Carolina Central (1-4, 0-2 MEAC) on Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson.

"First off, I didn't think our defense would give up 38 points, said SC State head coach Buddy Pough." "They took it to us and we were very lucky that they had the turnovers and we got a score off both."



Redshirt sophomore quarterback Richard Cue made the most of his first career start completing 15-of-22 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He is also rushed 92 yards on 17 carries on the day. Cue replaced starting quarterback Derrick Wiley who suffered a knee injury against Norfolk State on last week.

Pough stated about Cue, "I was very proud of his poise ad demeanor today. He did a good job in holding things together and made some very big plays."

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NCCU football coach Henry Frazier previews S.C. State game

G. Alan Inc. previews the 19th matchup between the Eagles of North Carolina Central University and the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University. NCCU enters the contest fresh after an off-week while the Bulldogs were upset last week in the Fish Bowl Classic against Norfolk State. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m., but tune in to Eagle Gameday built by Dayeco Construction Company beginning at 1:00 p.m. as play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks and Joe Simmons get fans revved up for NCCU Football.

S.C. State coach says he made error in key play before halftime

Orangeburg, SC - A week ago, Buddy Pough was concerned about keeping his South Carolina State football team level-headed after a resounding victory over Delaware State.

Coming off a crucial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference road loss at Norfolk State, the challenge for the Bulldog head football coach is keeping the team's morale and spirits up.

"We've got our work cut out for us," said Pough at Monday's press conference. "We've got to regroup. It's one of the tougher regroups we've had in a while. One of the toughest Sundays we've had in a while. A little bit unusual, but this team is a proud one. We've struggled a little bit with the understanding and the handling of this past Saturday's game, and we need to hurry up and get by this one so we can on to the next game."

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