WSSU's Ketchum tinkers with defense

Defense was a strength for Winston-Salem State last season, and it should be even stronger next season. To get it there, however, coordinator Mike Ketchum has become a mad scientist and is experimenting during spring practice. One experiment involves correcting a flaw with his base defense against opponents that use tight ends. The Rams' base last year was a 3-3, but Ketchum has converted it to a 3-4.

Juan Corders, a talented 6-2, 250-pound senior, is a linebacker by definition but also quick enough to cover tight ends. He has been shifted around in the new alignment. "We're experimenting to try and become a little stronger against tight-end sets," Ketchum said. "It gives you a little better look with Juan on the tight end, and it gives you a bigger body. And if they spread it, we'll jump back into the 3-3 some." The tight end who hurt the Rams most last season might have been Octavius Darby of S.C. State. He had three catches for 108 yards in a 43-17 win. On one of those catches, a 79-yard touchdown play, he was unguarded and untouched.

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SSU starts spring drills down one

Offensive coordinator Alan Hall accepts post at Winston-Salem State

Savannah State's football team began spring practice Tuesday without an offensive coordinator. Alan Hall resigned Monday after one season to take the same position at Winston-Salem (N.C.) State, a historically black college and member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. "It's tough when you get close to your kids, but that's the business side of it," Hall said Tuesday night via cell phone as he drove to Winston-Salem, N.C. "It's a move I felt I needed to make, professionally. I'm looking to be a head coach, and I need to put myself in a position to make that happen.

"(WSSU) is where Savannah State is working to be at in the coming years. (WSSU) is in its infancy in the MEAC, but they're a larger school with twice as many students, so they've got a larger revenue stream." Hall, who turned 36 last Tuesday, also served as SSU's quarterbacks coach. He came to SSU from East Mississippi Community College, where he served as offensive coordinator for two years.

WSSU offensive coordinator, Alan Hall

"Your window in coaching doesn't stay open very long," said Hall, a member of the Miami Hurricanes' 1991 national championship team and a backup to Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Gino Torretta. "It was a tough decision. I got the call (from WSSU) Sunday night. It was so close to the start of spring (practice) that I felt bad about the timing. But you don't get that call very often, and it was the time to strike."

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Rams to be host to MEAC party they can't enjoy

Imagine having a party in your own backyard and being unable to get closer than a look through the sliding-glass door. That's the situation Winston-Salem State is in as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournaments roll into Joel Coliseum this week. WSSU is still in transition to Division I, and if it decides to stay on that path, it would be eligible for the tournament in 2011. Nobody said that the transition would be easy, but men's coach Bobby Collins said that having the tournament here makes it tougher on his Rams.

"That's what has made it worse is everybody is coming here for the tournament, and we can't be there to compete in it," Collins said. "We are hosting and are the home team, and it's now hitting home that we aren't invited." At least the WSSU men's team will get to play -- it will meet N.C. Central in a bonus game on Saturday between the women's and men's championship games. But that's just an exhibition to try to draw more fans to Joel Coliseum for the title games.

"It's a party we can't come to, but we are going to crash the party anyway," Collins said, referring to the game against N.C. Central. Adding to the disappointment for the Rams is that WSSU has spring break this week, so friends of players are taking vacations far from campus. The Rams will practice most of the week, and some will venture to Joel Coliseum to watch, said guard Brian Fisher. "We'll sit in the stands and maybe heckle some of the players," Fisher said jokingly. "Nobody wants to just watch, but that's what we'll do until the game with N.C. Central on Saturday."

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Caldwell, former athletics director, hires attorney to get his job back with WSSU

Chico Caldwell, fired as Winston-Salem State's athletics director on Feb. 9, has hired an attorney and is hoping to get paid for the last two years of his contract. Chancellor Donald Reaves fired Caldwell, saying he wanted "fresh ideas" for the athletics department. Caldwell, who hired Robert Elliot as his attorney, had contract worth about $125,000 a year. Elliot said that Caldwell is due the rest of the money on his contract.

"We feel there was no cause for termination," Elliot said. "…Chico really wants to feel whole again and get this behind him." Elliot said that he and Caldwell have sent a letter to WSSU officials hoping to resolve the situation. Elliot also released a statement detailing Caldwell's accomplishments during his eight years of service to WSSU. The statement outlines Caldwell's arguments that his firing was unjustified. "Chancellor Reaves has announced that he wished to replace Dr. Caldwell with a new athletics director of his choosing," the statement reads.

"Given Dr. Caldwell's performance, there is no justifiable cause for Chancellor Reaves' action which constitutes a break of Dr. Caldwell's employment contract." A spokesman in Reaves' office said that Reaves would not comment about the firing or the contract status. Caldwell's statement said that he remains committed to Winston-Salem State. "While Dr. Caldwell will exercise all legal remedies available to him to correct this wrongful action, he remains committed and loyal to Winston-Salem State which he has served so well for the last eight years," the statement said.

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Money to be top priority for next athletics director at WSSU

Chancellor Reaves says he wants to pick replacement for fired Caldwell quickly

There's no mystery about the primary duty of Winston-Salem State's next director of athletics. "Raising money is paramount," Chancellor Donald Reaves said. "We need somebody who can raise money and engage the community in trying to get support for athletics." Reaves, hoping to act quickly in replacing Chico Caldwell, spent the weekend writing a job description for the advertisement that WSSU will run as part of its national search. "I don't have a timetable, but I do want to get this done as fast as possible," Reaves said.

Caldwell, who was fired Feb. 9 after nine years, had his critics and his allies. Although Caldwell spent time traveling around the country and attending alumni meetings to talk about WSSU's program, some older alumni have said they felt as if they weren't being heard. On the other side, current athletes wonder what Caldwell did to get fired. Bryant Bayne, a senior wide receiver, said he thought that Caldwell worked very hard behind the scenes, especially with the football program.

"I know he worked very closely with our program, and I really didn't know him that well, but once I did get to know him, I thought he was a good guy," Bayne said. Reaves would not go into detail about why he fired Caldwell, saying only that he is looking for fresh ideas. Also unresolved is the status of Caldwell's contract. Caldwell had two years left at an annual salary of about $107,000, according to the university. Neither Reaves nor Caldwell would discuss the contract buyout.

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WSSU's 31% athletic fee increase rejected

WSSU pays $15,000 per game to rent Bowman Gray Stadium and $3,500 to rent the Coliseum or the Coliseum Annex. Shouldn't the alleged "revenue sports" have generated some revenue before officials committing to a move to Division I?

RALEIGH, N.C. - Winston-Salem State University was dealt another setback yesterday in its bid to join Division I athletics. The university wanted to substantially raise the athletics fee that students pay to raise money for more scholarships, more coaches and other requirements of Division I. But the fee increase was rejected by the UNC board of governors, which met to approve tuition and fees at all 16 campuses in the UNC system.

The board approved tuition and fee increases that were generally smaller than what most schools had requested. Overall, average in-state tuition and fees for undergraduates in the UNC system will go up 3.9 percent, or $162, in the school year that will begin this fall. Specific increases vary from school to school. Those rates still must be approved by the General Assembly. Erskine Bowles, the president of the UNC system, said that it is especially important to avoid dramatic tuition increases during a recession. "In these times, it's really hard to raise tuition, because we know that families are suffering, that they're hurting, and we want to keep this university accessible and affordable," Bowles said.

Bowman Gray Stadium is the home of the Winston-Salem State Rams and has been hosting stock car races every saturday night during summer since 1949 (this is the minor leagues of NASCAR) on a 1/4 mile oval track surrounding the football field.

At WSSU, in-state tuition will go up by 4 percent, to $1,769 for a full-time undergraduate. The athletics fee, however, will remain the same, at $579 for a full-time student -- and that will make it difficult for the school to close a $1.5 million deficit in its athletics budget. If the school can't raise money for athletics some other way, it will be much tougher for the school to meet the standards that the NCAA requires of Division I programs.

"That question of moving on to Division I is still up in the air," WSSU Chancellor Donald Reaves said in an interview yesterday. "It was a big percentage of the funding that's needed to close the gap, and without it, it will be difficult." WSSU is in its third year of a complicated transition that is supposed to end in 2011 with the university joining the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It is currently classified as a Division II program.

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A victory for students was snatched from jaws of conceit

UNC President Erskine Bowles and board members demonstrated far more concern for the students than some WSSU officials whose heads were swollen by pipe dreams of big-time athletics success.

With a precious few free minutes to squeeze in some extra study time before an exam at Winston-Salem State University, Cynthia Tart was focused Friday morning on the heavy textbooks weighing down her oversize bag and not the potential lightening of her wallet being considered by the UNC board of governors 80 miles away in Chapel Hill. "I heard about it, but I haven't had a lot of time to think about it," Tart said shortly after leaving an early class. "I'm barely covering my bills as is, so it'd be another strain, that's for sure."

"It" was the whopping 31.3 percent increase in the student athletics fee that university officials had sought from the board of governors to support an ill-advised move to Division I. The proposal would have raised WSSU's athletics fee to $760, up from the current $579 that is built into the (roughly) $3,800 annual bill for in-state tuition and assorted fees. "It'd be a terribly big bite for me and people like me," said Tart, 53, who is a full-time student who's studying gerontology. "What about the people who don't participate or don't have the time to participate? It just doesn't excite me. I have a job to keep up with, too."

Maintaining focus

Forcing students such as Tart to support an athletics program that's running a deficit would have been a crime in this economic climate. In addition to carrying 12 classroom hours a week this semester, Tart works three 12-hour overnight shifts as a health-care worker. She couldn't care less whether WSSU's teams compete in the Division I MEAC, the Division II CIAA or any of the other athletics alphabet-soup leagues. Tart enrolled at WSSU to learn and to improve her standing in the job market by getting the bachelor's degree that she has been coveting for years. "Education has always been my No. 1 thing," she said. "Even after I dropped out of high school to go to work, I knew I had to get back to school."

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Tuition increases

Leaders of the UNC system approved yesterday an average 3.9 percent increase of in-state undergraduate tuition and fees at its 16 campuses:

■ Winston-Salem State University: 4 percent, from $3,338 to $3,471.
■ UNC School of the Arts: 4.2 percent, from $5,015 to $5,227.
■ Appalachian State University: 3.5 percent, from $4,274 to $4,424.
■ UNC Chapel Hill: 4.4 percent from $5,228 to $5,456.
■ N.C. State University: 4.9 percent, from $5,143 to $5,396.
■ UNC Greensboro: 2.5 percent, from $4,084 to $4,186.
■ N.C. A&T University: 2.5 percent, from $3,512 to $3,600.
■ Western Carolina University: 3.1 percent, from $4,085 to $4,214.
■ East Carolina University: 1.7 percent, from $4,149 to $4,220.
■ UNC Charlotte: 3.1 percent, from $4,226 to $4,356.
■ N.C. Central University: 3.5 percent, from $3,729 to $3,861.
■ UNC Pembroke: 3.6 percent, from $3,527 to $3,655.
■ UNC Asheville: 3.7 percent, from $4,174 to $4,329.
■ Elizabeth City State University: 3.8 percent, from $2,920 to $3,031.
■ Fayetteville State University: 4.4 percent, from $3,020 to $3,152.
■ UNC Wilmington: 9.7 percent, from $4,441 to $4,873.

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WSSU fires athletics director of 9 years

On Friday, the board of governors of the University of North Carolina system will vote on WSSU's request to increase student athletics fees. That vote could determine whether WSSU continues to Division I or returns to Division II and the CIAA.

Dr. Percy "Chico" Caldwell, the athletics director at Winston-Salem State since 2000, was fired yesterday by Chancellor Donald Reaves. Caldwell, who was hired by former chancellor Harold Martin, had been instrumental in steering the Rams athletics program to NCAA Division I status. The program is in its third year of transition after having left Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. When reached yesterday by phone and asked why he was fired, Caldwell said: "I don't know -- that's what I'm trying to find out."

Reaves, who was hired in February 2007, did not return a phone call to discuss his decision but said in a prepared statement that it was time for "new leadership." "A stated goal in my short tenure as chancellor is to implement a talent strategy that has the right people in the right position at the right time," Reaves said in the statement. "The university, including its athletics program, is at a critical transition point where fresh ideas and approaches are needed, and in keeping with my commitment to the talent strategy, I believe that the athletics program and our student-athletes will benefit from new leadership."

Reaves named Tonia Walker, the associate director of athletics and senior women's administrator, as the interim AD. She has been at the school since August 2000, when she was hired as the volleyball coach and assistant AD after spending eight years as the director of public relations for the CIAA. Walker, a two-sport athlete in college, received a bachelor's degree from Hampton in 1993 and a master's degree from Old Dominion in 1998. At WSSU, she has twice been named the CIAA senior women's administrator of the year.

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WSSU Athletics Director Leaves Post

Note: The Winston-Salem Journal reports the candidates to replace Caldwell include Tim Grant, a former basketball player and assistant coach at WSSU, and Dee Todd, a former basketball player at WSSU and former AD at N.C. A&T. Please! You're $1.5 million in the tank heading to athletic purgatory and your top candidates are "unequipped retreads" with no fundraising skills. Time for the Rams to move away from X-HBCU retreads.

Only wish one president would make the same move at FAMU--Bill Hayes.

-beepbeep

WSSU Athletics Releases 2009 Football Schedule

by WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations

Rams to play five home contests and UC Davis in California

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Winston-Salem State University Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell officially released the 2009 Ram football schedule on Wednesday morning with several highlights of the 11-game slate being WSSU's five home games to take place at Bowman Gray Stadium, the Urban League Classic in East Rutherford, N.J. and a West coast road trip to Davis, Calif. to face the Aggies of UC Davis.

The Rams will play a full complement of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games with only two non-conference opponents gracing the schedule in longtime rival, North Carolina Central University (November 14) and Great West Football Conference member, the University of California, Davis (October 17). WSSU, who will enter into their fourth year of a five-year transition to the NCAA Division I level in the fall of 2009, will play nine MEAC contests highlighted by MEAC home games against North Carolina A&T in the Battle of I-40 Classic (September 5), Florida A&M (October 10), Hampton for Homecoming 2009 (October 31), Delaware State (November 7).

The Rams will take to the road to face Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member South Carolina State in Orangeburg (September 26) before traveling to the nation’s capital to kickoff versus Howard in Washington, D.C. (October 3) on back-to-back weeks. WSSU will also travel to points south as they visit Daytona Beach, Fla. to face Bethune-Cookman (October 24) before completing their road schedule in Norfolk, Va. against Norfolk State University in the final week of the season (November 21).

Highlighting the Rams’ games away from home marks dates at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. with the Bears of Morgan State University in the Urban League Classic and a cross-country trip to Davis, Calif. to face the Aggies of UC Davis. The Aggies, a team that recently completed a five-year transition to NCAA Division I will face the Rams in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

“We are extremely pleased with our 2009 football schedule” WSSU Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell commented. “We have a good schedule with several highlights.”

“We’ll be in the Urban League Classic at Giants Stadium and we have Florida A&M coming into Bowman Gray Stadium, which is something that our fans are excited about. We have a very balanced schedule with five home games and six games away from home and we get to take our team out to California to play UC Davis as well as playing host to Hampton at Bowman Gray Stadium for Homecoming” Caldwell added. It's uncertain whether Florida A&M will bring its famous 424-member band to Winston-Salem. "I don't know if their band is coming, because I know we can't pay for it -- they have a big band," Caldwell said. "We're excited about them coming to Bowman Gray Stadium."

Season tickets for 2009 WSSU football will go on sale on Monday, July 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the WSSU Ticket Office. Tickets may be purchase in person, or by phone via credit card at (336) 750-3220. For additional information on WSSU football, log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at http://www.wssurams.com/.

Click here for 2009 Printable Schedule.

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Note to Dr. Caldwell... Great move scheduling a weaken Hampton for homecoming. The unofficial FAMU answer is no, the Marching 100 will not be coming to Winston Salem. The policy is simple--no Money, No Marching 100 Band. Nine buses, hotel and food is not free for 450 members of the hundred. Still, the price of admission is worth the trip to WSSU for the fans to see Joe Taylor's Rattlers steamroll the Rams on their way to the MEAC Championship.

Not sure who has the correct date for the Rams vs. Rattlers game -- FAMU schedule shows the game scheduled on September 12th, the Rams current OPEN DATE. The Rattlers plan to be at Miami on Oct 10 for a $400,000 payday and another demoralizing D-I flattening by the Hurricanes.

-beepbeep

Hampton tops WSSU 59-43

Reeling Rams commit 25 turnovers, lose their fourth straight

RICHMOND,VA - Another game, another loss for Winston-Salem State. The pattern was all too familiar for Coach Bobby Collins of the Rams. After sleepwalking through the early parts of the first half against Hampton, the Rams fell in a deep hole and spent the rest of the way trying to climb out. It all added up to a 59-43 loss to the Pirates in the Freedom Classic at the Richmond Coliseum.

In his postgame address to his team, Collins spent about 20 extra minutes in the locker room and his message was clear. "He just wants us to stay positive and he said we lost this game, it wasn't anything that Hampton did, we lost it," said reserve guard Brandon Hobbs of the Rams. The Rams (4-12) had a season-high 25 turnovers, shot 33 percent and looked out of sorts most of the game. It was the Rams' fourth straight loss.

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WSSU gives Blount extension through 2015

Blount will get a raise of about $20,000 a year; A&T had talked to him about vacancy

Football coach Kermit Blount and Winston-Salem State have reached an agreement on a contract extension. The deal was completed shortly after the season ended Nov. 22 but still needs the approval of the school's board of trustees, which is expected soon. "I'm happy that this is taken care of because it means a lot to me to have that security," Blount said. "But at the same time, I've learned you just have to do your job, and things will take care of themselves, so this wasn't something that was keeping me awake at night."

Blount has a 90-77-3 record in 16 seasons at WSSU, his alma mater, and holds the school record for career victories. The Rams, however, had their worst season under Blount this year, finishing 3-8 despite road wins over Hampton and Florida A&M, future Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents. The extension comes at a time when Winston-Salem State's fiercest rival, N.C. A&T, is seeking a head coach. Athletics Director Chico Caldwell of WSSU and Blount both said that A&T expressed interest in Blount.

"I did talk to them, but they weren't any kind of serious talks," said Blount, pointing out that he did not have a formal interview.

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Correction: This writer did little research for this article...Winston Salem's three victories were again Howard, Hampton and Delaware State. FAMU embarrassed WSSU on a ESPNU nationally televised Thursday night game, 23-0 in Tallahassee, Florida on October 9, 2008. The Rams road wins were at DSU (27-26) and Hampton (35-30).

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Branche's late score rallies Spartans in season finale

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - It's basketball season, and Norfolk State football won Saturday thanks to an assist from DeAngelo Branche. The running back out of Maury High School rumbled his way to a career-high 181 yards, lifting the Spartans to a 17-14 victory over Winston-Salem State at Bowman-Gray Stadium in the season finale for both teams. Branche, who eclipsed his previous career-high by one yard, finished the season with 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back barreled for 154 of those in a second half that saw NSU rally twice to get past a team that beat Hampton and Delaware State in the last three weeks.

"My offensive line gave me the blocks I needed," Branche said. "We're going into the offseason with a win. That's better than a loss." The Spartans (5-7) ended the season by winning three of their final four. Saturday's nonconference match-up with the Rams (3-8) wasn't without some anxious moments for NSU, particularly when a turnover on their fifth play from scrimmage resulted in a Winston-Salem touchdown.

Nigel McGowen's 10-yard catch was good for an NSU first down, but the sophomore fumbled after a blistering hit by Alton Keaton. Alex Chandler scooped up the loose ball for a 52-yard return to the end zone. The Spartans, 1 of 6 on third-down conversions in the first half, got their lone points of the period from Justin Castellat's 36-yard field goal.

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Attendance: 1,428 at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, N.C.

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NCCU Eagles beat WSSU Rams 23-16

DURHAM, NC - Winston-Salem State played give away yesterday and N.C. Central was more than happy to accept the gifts. The Eagles feasted on four turnovers from quarterback Jarrett Dunston and a poor snap on a punt in a 23-16 on Saturday afternoon at muddy O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The field, which took on quite a bit of rain in the morning, was more suited for mud wrestling than a football game.

Because of the sloppy conditions the teams combined for six turnovers, but it was Dunston who struggled the most. "Any time you are playing no matter what the field looks like you have to take care of the football," said Dunston, who had two interceptions and two fumbles and was sacked six times. "And I didn't do that today. "The plays were there and they were bringing the pressure, but whenever you have four turnovers it's hard to win a game."

North Carolina Central University Marching Band - "Car Wash"


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Attendance: 6,294

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Late score lifts WSSU by Delaware State 27-26

Coach Kermit Blount breaks Willam "Bill" Hayes career record for wins at WSSU with his 90th career victory in defeat of the DSU Hornets.

DOVER, DE - Winston-Salem State rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Delaware State, the defending MEAC champion, 27-26 yesterday at Alumni Stadium. The Rams were down 26-21 with 10:12 to go, but put together a 13-play drive that covered 66 yards. Quarterback Jarrett Dunston scored on a 1-yard run on fourth and goal with 4:19 to play. Dunston's touchdown gave the Rams a 27-26 lead after the two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Hornets (3-6) got the ball back and drove to the Rams' 20, but on fourth and 1, instead of trying a 37-yard field-goal attempt, tried to go for it and were stopped short as the Rams took over with 38 seconds left. Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams won his 90th career game to become the all-time wins leader in school history. Blount, in his 16th season, passed Bill Hayes (currently Florida A&M's Athletic Director). Blount is 90-75-3 as the coach of his alma mater.

"This is very emotional for me; I didn't think I'd be this emotional, but my players really showed they loved me in this game," Blount said. "They really stuck to it in the second half, never let up, and we came away with the win."

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Attendance: 891 (13%) at Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE (Capacity: 6828).

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Comments by Hampton Pirates' coach annoy WSSU Rams

The rivalry that existed between Winston-Salem State and Hampton when both played in the CIAA is back in full swing. It was evident Saturday, after WSSU spoiled Hampton's homecoming with a 35-30 victory. Jerry Holmes, in his first season as the Pirates' coach, had a few choice words that didn't sit well with some of the Rams' coaches and players.

"Any time we have that much talent, there's no way they should beat us," Holmes said after the game. "We've got speed, we've got guys up front -- there's no way. There's no way they should have beat us." Hampton also has 10 transfers from Bowl Subdivision teams to WSSU's two, but WSSU had a 100-yard return for a touchdown by David Irizarry after Hampton missed a field-goal attempt. Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams said he didn't take what Holmes said personally.

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'Cats take over WSSU homecoming

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- It took a little more than nine minutes for Bethune-Cookman to turn a tightly contested Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game against Winston-Salem State into a blowout. B-CU delivered the knock-out punch in the fourth quarter, and the result was a 27-6 victory at Bowman-Gray Stadium on Saturday. The Wildcats left town with the added satisfaction of knowing they put a serious damper on WSSU's homecoming celebration.

"We really wanted to flip the script, and that's just what we did," B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said. "Last year, we were 2-4 and we lost to them and fell to 2-5. This year, we come in and beat them, and now we're 5-2 for the first time in three years. "We made some adjustments with our blocking schemes, and that helped open things up when we ran the option (in the second half)."

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http://extras.journalnow.com/photogallery/2008/wssu_homecoming_102608/slideshow.html

WSSU struggles in loss to FAMU

Rams able to cross midfield only once; band the main highlight

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Winston-Salem State's not-ready-for-prime time Rams had a rough go of it last night against Florida A&M. The game was televised by ESPNU, but the Rams probably wished nobody had seen a 23-0 loss in which they crossed midfield once. About the only bright spot for WSSU was the performance of its band at halftime. It more than held its own against the more famous FAMU band that has nearly 450 members.


The same couldn't be said on the field for the Rams, who fell to 1-5. The Rattlers (4-2) had a lethal combination -- an efficient offense that picked apart the Rams' secondary, and a defense that was relentless. The best chance the Rams had to score came early in the third quarter when linebacker Marcus Coates stepped in front of a pass from Curtis Pulley in the flat, but Coates couldn't handle it. Had he caught it, he had 25 yards of daylight in front of him and a sure touchdown.

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FAMU Marching 100 - "Cash Flow"


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FAMU 23, Winston-Salem State 0
FAN CAM- FAMU vs. Winston-Salem State
FAMU vs. Winston-Salem State pregame

FAMU's Vann downplays his success
Plummer makes special teams FAMU's specialty
Rattlers' defense superb vs. Rams
FAMU defense stands tall, pitches shutout over Rams
Rattlers put on big show on national stage
Taylor happy with Rattlers so far
FAMU vs. Winston-Salem State blog: Final: FAMU 23, Winston-Salem State 0
FAMU still has eye on postseason prize as it faces off against Winston-Salem State
FAMU's Gilmore satisfied with his position

ATTENDANCE: 15,448 (60.6%) @ Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, FL (Capacity: 25,500).

WSSU hopes for defensive game against Howard

Howard University LB Endor Cooper is the best defensive player in the MEAC and is having an All-American season.

When Winston-Salem State and Howard play, odds are good that the game will be close. That's the history between the teams, which will meet tonight at 6 at Bowman Gray Stadium. "I really don't know why that is, but it just seems to me that it's a good rivalry game where the two schools are always pretty evenly matched," Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU said. Blount also is a former assistant at Howard, and he was on staff there in 1985 when the programs met for the first time. WSSU won 12-7.

Howard won last season's game 24-21 in overtime in Washington, D.C., and WSSU won 12-0 at Bowman Gray Stadium in 2006. This season, the Rams (0-4) are averaging just 11.2 points and hoping for another defensive battle against the Bison (1-3). If it works out that way, WSSU's secondary will have to play well against one of the top offenses in the MEAC. Howard averages 312 passing yards a game and leads the MEAC in total offense with 417 yards a game.

Winston Salem State University Marching Rams Band


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WSSU ousts football assistant Calcutta

Caldwell cites the need to avoid distractions

Nicholas "Nick" Calcutta, the offensive coordinator at Winston-Salem State, has been fired. Calcutta had been suspended last week by Chico Caldwell, the school's athletics director, for using a racial epithet in a team meeting, according to several sources. Caldwell and Coach Kermit Blount wound not reveal the reasons for Calcutta's dismissal. "In the best interest of the football program, the team, the athletics department and the university mutual separation was the right thing to do," Caldwell said in a statement.

When reached by telephone, Caldwell later said that Calcutta wasn't fired, only that "he was no longer the offensive coordinator." Calcutta, 50, has been an assistant coach at several schools for the last 18 years, with most of those stops being at historically black universities. Among the schools at which Calcutta spent time were Howard, S.C. State, Savannah State, Delaware State and Tennessee State. Calcutta was in his second year as offensive coordinator at WSSU.

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Savannah State Tigers nips WSSU

Savannah State University freshman QB Kurvin Curry and the Tigers embarrassed Winston Salem State with a rare road victory.

Blount says Rams not tough

Winston-Salem State dropped into an early-season hole last night after upstart Savannah State held on for a 16-13 victory at Bowman Gray Stadium. The Tigers (2-1) won their second straight game, a feat they hadn't accomplished since 2000, by beating the Rams (0-2) at their own game.

Quarterback Kurvin Curry and running back Justin Babb led a high-speed Spread offense that wore out the Rams' defense when it mattered most, in the second half. "They out-toughed us," Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU said. "We have to be tougher as a team. In football you are going to get those runs and those spurts, but we just have to buckle down and play better football.

"That's what it boils down to."

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Attendance:5,112 (28%) at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston Salem, N.C. (Capacity: 18,000)

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