SU Jaguars show heart, character

Photo: SU Head Coach Pete Richardson

By SCOTT RABALAIS, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jarmaul George stood on Legion Field’s legendary turf, dancing and swaying in time to the boisterous tune being belted out by the Southern University band.

Victory was Southern’s once again, by a 33-27 count Saturday over occasional MEAC rival Florida A&M. It was sweet music to George and his Jaguars teammates. Made sweeter still because it was dearly bought and even a tad unexpected.

An offseason of tumult and uncertainty — “distractions” as Southern coach Pete Richardson described with his low-key spin — left even him wondering how his team would perform in its maiden voyage without 15 players lost since spring practice.

“There were a whole lot of distractions to this point,” said Richardson, whose tenure at SU has moved into the embattled category after two straight losing seasons. “We didn’t really know how we would stand against a good FAMU team. We feel fortunate to come out on top.”

Fortune seemed to smile on the Jaguars from the start. Florida A&M looked like the more dangerous team starting out. But after allowing a first down, Southern forced a punt, taking over deep in a hole at their own 10. It was a hole tailback Darren Coates quickly sprinted out of, breaking through a big hole and tightroping up the FAMU sideline en route to the opposite end zone 90 yards away.

Southern missed the extra point and spent the rest of the first half playing catch up with the Rattlers. It didn’t help the Jaguars’ cause when, driving inside FAMU’s 30 down 7-6, Southern was victimized by another one of those classically dreadful officials’ calls.

Coates, taking a pass in the left flat from SU MVP Bryant Lee, bobbled the ball through his hands and replays clearly showed he didn’t have possession. But the play was ruled a fumble, the Rattlers took over at their 26 and marched for a touchdown and a 14-6 lead.

It was a ridiculously bad break. But what do you expect from an officiating crew that didn’t know enough to let FAMU run an untimed play at the end of the first quarter following a defensive penalty on Southern? If I were the SWAC or MEAC commissioner, my first priority would be improving officiating.

Southern’s season outlook can only be improving after taking the measure of a FAMU team that, while not great or predicted to win its conference, was supposed to be superior to the Jaguars.

Then again, the Jaguars have been here before. A 2-0 start last season dissolved into losses in five of the next six games leading to a 5-6 record.

“We’ll see what we’re made of,” George said philosophically. “We had a couple of games we didn’t close out last year when we should have. We closed one out here today.”

One. Just one. It’s first down and a long season to go. But the Jaguars showed a lot of heart and character to win this one. The kind of win you can build on. The kind of win that leaves you dancing for joy.

Nice start, better finish for Southern

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Jaguars open season with ‘gut check’ win over FAMU

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Southern started nicely enough, with Darren Coates bolting for a 90-yard touchdown run on the offense’s first play. But the Jaguars finished even better, overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit to score a 33-27 victory over Florida A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday in Legion Field.

After an offseason in which SU lost at least 15 players since the spring, an attrition that thinned the offensive and defensive lines, the Jaguars were supposed to be the team that wore down. Instead, the opposite proved true.

“It comes a point in a game like this of who’s going to survive,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “Now it’s a gut-check time. That’s what we had to do at halftime.”

First, Southern’s offense drove 68 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half. Then the defense made three big plays: a Jarmaul George interception that turned into the go-ahead TD, a fourth-and-1 stop at the Southern 25-yard line with five minutes left in the third quarter, which turned into a long touchdown drive for Southern, and then a Glenn Bell interception in the end zone three minutes into the fourth quarter.

“They only thing (the attrition) did with our football team was bring out the character,” Richardson said.

“They did an excellent job of pressing through. They kept playing hard, with a lot of perseverance,” FAMU coach Rubin Carter said.
Southern quarterback Bryant Lee was 22 of 29 for 215 yards and one touchdown and ran for 50 yards and another score. He was named Southern’s MVP of the game, echoing his finish last season as the school’s Bayou Classic MVP.

Plus, Coates ran for a career-high 142 yards and two touchdowns, with the senior, starting for the first time, outdistancing his career totals of 119 yards and one TD set last season. And wide receiver Gerard Landry had seven catches for 81 yards, including a 46-yard, second-quarter touchdown in which he blasted through two defensive backs and sprinted away.

In front of 30,106, Southern (1-0) became the first Southwestern Athletic Conference team to win a MEAC/SWAC Challenge, now in its third year.

Photo: Southern’s Darren Coates (43) is inches from being out of bounds, but tightropes his way down the sideline on a 90-yard TD run as a diving Dannel Shepard (27) and Jason Beach (28) can’t catch him on SU’s first play on offense. Photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING

“(Defensive coordinator Terrence) Graves challenged us to search our souls,” Bell said. “He knew we were a better team than the way we were playing. Coach Graves got on us a little bit. But that’s what we needed to get rid of those butterflies.”

Though both teams had plenty of mistakes in the first half, from Southern’s muffed punts to FAMU’s false starts, the Rattlers turned in more big plays to go ahead 20-12 at halftime.

Particularly troubling to SU, after taking a 6-0 lead on Coates’ burst two minutes into the game, was Chad Harris muffing a punt return at the SU 9 to serve up a Leon Camel 9-yard TD run on the next play. Southern then gave up a 45-yard Phillip Sylvester TD run on a second-and-10 and allowed a 40-yard TD pass from Camel to Javares Knight. That left the Jaguars down 20-12 with 2:19 before halftime.

“A large part of it came at halftime, with senior leadership stepping up in the locker room and calling some individuals out,” Richardson said. “We gave up a few cheap touchdowns in the second quarter that almost cost us the game.”

The next 18 minutes were telling, beginning with a steady, five-play, 68-yard scoring drive, capped by sophomore Brian Threat’s 14-yard touchdown run to get SU within 20-19 with 12:46 left in the third quarter.

“Coach Pete and (offensive coordinator Mark) Orlando told us we were still in the game; that execution was the main thing,” Lee said of the halftime message to the offense. “If we go out and execute, the game will come to us and we’ll win.”

George’s interception and 24-yard return set up the go-ahead score, with the Jaguars taking over at the FAMU 24. Three plays later, Lee scored from 3 yards out, giving SU a 26-20 lead with 8:03 left in the third quarter.

Lee cramped up after with a calf muscle tightening that delivering shooting pain. Tellingly, a host of teammates grabbed him by his limbs and carried him off the field.

“We’re a team, so they helped me out,” said Lee, who returned after getting treatment on the sideline.

SU’s defense turned in a huge stop of Sylvester, with defensive end Vince Lands snagging Sylvester for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 at the SU 25 with five minutes left in the third quarter. With Lee back, the SU offense then uncorked a 14-play, 74-yard masterpiece with Coates plunging in for a 1-yard TD and a 33-20 lead with 14:11 left in the game.

Bell then intercepted starter Albert Chester II on a 39-yard heave to the end zone.

The surge was important, because fatigue and cramps started to hamper both teams, with the game taking 3 hours and 45 minutes to play.

“Everybody was going down and we were able to hang on and survive,” Richardson said. “It almost became a mystery there at the end, who would be on the defensive line, because they were going down also.”

FAMU got within 33-27 on Sylvester’s 4-yard run with 16 seconds to play, but Southern wide receiver Juamorris Stewart recovered the onside kick to effectively end the game.

“Don’t give up on Southern,” Southern defensive tackle Dwayne Charles said. “We’re here to stay.”

Lagniappe
All SWAC teams will wear stickers honoring Grambling great Eddie Robinson. The stickers have Robinson’s initials, EGR, over 408, Robinson’s win total. There was a moment of silence before the game for Robinson. Wide receivers Del Roberts and Nick Benjamin sported Mohawk haircuts. SU and FAMU, longtime rivals who last met in 2001, meet again Sept. 20, 2008, in Baton Rouge to start a four-game series. SU junior RB Kendrick Smith, who was cleared to play Friday, drove up that night to meet with the team. Sophomore C Ramon Chinyoung also made the trip up, but is not cleared. Senior C Demarcus Stewart started in his place. In the booth for SU: offensive coordinator Mark Orlando, first-year RB coach Elvis Joseph, DL coach David Geralds and first-year LB coach Todd Middleton.

WSSU Rams 28, NCA&T Aggies 7

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Monte Purvis threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third, leading Winston-Salem to a smooth 28-7 win over North Carolina A&T on Saturday.

Purvis earned his fifth career rushing touchdown nine minutes into the game, capping a five-play, 23-yard drive for a 7-0 lead for the Rams (1-0). Five minutes later, he found Bryant Bayne in the end zone from 19 yards out to push the lead to 14-0.

He capped the score at 12:19 of the fourth quarter with a 16-yard pass to Brent Thomas. Brandon McRae rounded out the Rams' scoring with a 30-yard TD run in the third.

The Aggies' (0-1) sole score came on a 21-yard pass by Herbert Miller to Curtis Walls at 7:46 of the third.

Purvis completed 9 of 15 passes for 96 yards out of the Rams' total 382 offensive yards.


Rams 28, Aggies 7
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 11 20
Total Yards 216 382
Passing 73 96
Rushing 143 286
Penalties 6-56 6-66
3rd Down Conversions 4-15 3-11
4th Down Conversions 2-3 1-1
Turnovers 3 1
Possession 28:54 31:06

Individual Leaders
North Carolina A&T Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Miller 10/21 73 1 3
Winston-Salem Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Purvis 9/15 96 2 0

North Carolina A&T Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Ferguson 16 64 0 17
Robinson 10 33 0 9
Miller 7 28 0 10
Winston-Salem Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Bines 16 125 0 55
McRae 15 85 1 30
Purvis 15 63 1 32

North Carolina A&T Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Walls 3 31 1 21
Robinson 2 -5 0 5
Dawson 1 21 0 21
Caldwell 1 15 0 15
Winston-Salem Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Bayne 3 23 1 19
Thomas 1 16 1 16
Scarborough 1 15 0 15
Reaves 1 15 0 15


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER NCAT --
TD 6:02 MONTE PURVIS 1 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 23 yards. 0 7
SECOND QUARTER NCAT --
TD 13:16 BRYANT BAYNE 19 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 92 yards. 0 14
THIRD QUARTER NCAT --
TD 10:53 BRANDON MCRAE 30 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 60 yards. 0 21
TD 7:46 CURTIS WALLS 21 YD PASS FROM HERBERT MILLER (ERIC HOUSTON KICK)
Drive info: 3 plays, 26 yards. 7 21
FOURTH QUARTER NCAT --
TD 12:19 BRENT THOMAS 16 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 80 yards. 7 28

Rams 28, Aggies 7
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 11 20
Total Yards 216 382
Passing 73 96
Rushing 143 286
Penalties 6-56 6-66
3rd Down Conversions 4-15 3-11
4th Down Conversions 2-3 1-1
Turnovers 3 1
Possession 28:54 31:06

Individual Leaders
North Carolina A&T Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Miller 10/21 73 1 3
Winston-Salem Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Purvis 9/15 96 2 0

North Carolina A&T Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Ferguson 16 64 0 17
Robinson 10 33 0 9
Miller 7 28 0 10
Winston-Salem Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Bines 16 125 0 55
McRae 15 85 1 30
Purvis 15 63 1 32

North Carolina A&T Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Walls 3 31 1 21
Robinson 2 -5 0 5
Dawson 1 21 0 21
Caldwell 1 15 0 15
Winston-Salem Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Bayne 3 23 1 19
Thomas 1 16 1 16
Scarborough 1 15 0 15
Reaves 1 15 0 15


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER NCAT --
TD 6:02 MONTE PURVIS 1 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 23 yards. 0 7
SECOND QUARTER NCAT --
TD 13:16 BRYANT BAYNE 19 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 92 yards. 0 14
THIRD QUARTER NCAT --
TD 10:53 BRANDON MCRAE 30 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 60 yards. 0 21
TD 7:46 CURTIS WALLS 21 YD PASS FROM HERBERT MILLER (ERIC HOUSTON KICK)
Drive info: 3 plays, 26 yards. 7 21
FOURTH QUARTER NCAT --
TD 12:19 BRENT THOMAS 16 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 80 yards. 7 28

NSU 33, Virginia State U 7

Spartans 33, Trojans 7

NORFOLK, Va. --Daryl Jones had two touchdown runs and Justin Castellat kicked four field goals to lead Norfolk State to a 33-7 win over Division II Virginia State on Saturday night.

The Spartans (1-0) trailed 7-6 at the end of the first quarter after Virginia State's Devon Wiggins intercepted a pass from Casey Hansen that resulted in a 34-yard interception return.

Jones put Norfolk State ahead for good at the end of the second. Jones rushed for 125 yards for the Spartans, but both touchdowns came on one-yard runs.

Vince Hicks had a 4-yard run in the third quarter and Castellat padded the Spartan's lead.

Hansen was 22-of-42 for 245 yards for the Spartans.

Norfolk State, who lost 27 seniors from last season's team, kept the Trojans (0-2) to 92 yards passing. The Spartans rushed for a total of 232 yards.

BCU Wildcats 31, Jacksonville U Dolphins 17

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.-- Quarterback Jimmie Russell rushed for 114 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead Bethune-Cookman to a 31-17 win over Jacksonville on Saturday.

Russell completed 7 of 19 passes for 103 yards and running back Justin Brannon added 103 rushing yards on 16 carries, as the Wildcats amassed 398 yards of offense.

Jacksonville quarterback Chris Horton threw for 177 yards, completing 15 of 39 attempts, but Bethune-Cookman defenders intercepted three of his passes -- including one for a touchdown and one in the end zone.

Horton connected on a 28-yard pass to receiver Tommie Rogers in the first quarter to put Jacksonville on the board first.

Russell scored Bethune-Cookman's two first-half touchdowns, including one that tied the scored at 7-all.

Michael Zacco kicked a 30-yard field goal at 12:09 of the second quarter to give the Dolphins a 10-7 lead.

Russell's second touchdown -- a 33-yard run -- came at the end of a 74-yard drive and pushed the Wildcats to a 14-10 advantage with 3:32 remaining in the half. Bethune-Cookman's Lucas Esquivel added a 33-yard field goal on the last play of the first half for a 17-10 edge.

The only points in the third quarter came on a 15-yard interception return by Bethune-Cookman linebacker Dennis King.

Russell's final touchdown came on an eight-yard run with 4:25 remaining in the game. It culminated an 80-yard, seven-play drive.

Jacksonville also scored on a one-yard dive by Jeremy Brown.

Wildcats 31, Dolphins 17
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 16 23
Total Yards 264 398
Passing 195 115
Rushing 69 283
Penalties 8-77 4-42
3rd Down Conversions 4-16 4-14
4th Down Conversions 1-2 1-1
Turnovers 3 1
Possession 26:58 33:02

Individual Leaders
Jacksonville Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Horton 15/39 177 1 3
Jenner 1/1 18 0 0
Bethune-Cookman Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Russell 7/19 103 0 0
Souverai... 1/2 12 0 0

Jacksonville Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Coltrane 14 53 0 12
Horton 6 9 0 4
Rogers 1 5 0 5
Bethune-Cookman Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Russell 16 114 3 33
Brannon 16 103 0 38
Kirkland 4 38 0 16

Jacksonville Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Jenner 4 26 0 10
Rogers 2 60 1 32
Nelson 2 37 0 22
Brown 2 24 0 18
Bethune-Cookman Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Neufville 4 37 0 15
Pope 1 48 0 48
Singleton 1 12 0 12
Kirkland 1 10 0 10


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER JAC BCC
TD 6:28 TOMMIE ROGERS 28 YD PASS FROM CHRIS HORTON (MICHAEL ZACCO KICK)
Drive info: 9 plays, 76 yards. 7 0
TD 0:39 JIMMIE RUSSELL 13 YD RUN (LUCAS ESQUIVEL KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 47 yards. 7 7
SECOND QUARTER JAC BCC
FG 12:09 MICHAEL ZACCO 30 YD FG
Drive info: 7 plays, 33 yards. 10 7
TD 3:32 JIMMIE RUSSELL 33 YD RUN (ADAM WARD KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 74 yards. 10 14
FG 0:00 LUCAS ESQUIVEL 33 YD FG
Drive info: 8 plays, 82 yards. 10 17
THIRD QUARTER JAC BCC
TD 1:58 DENNIS KING 15 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (LUCAS ESQUIVEL KICK) 10 24
FOURTH QUARTER JAC BCC
TD 4:25 JIMMIE RUSSELL 8 YD RUN (LUCAS ESQUIVEL KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 80 yards. 10 31
TD 2:10 JEREMY BROWN 1 YD RUN (MICHAEL ZACCO KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 67 yards. 17 31

Air Force Academy Falcons 34, SCSU Bulldogs 3

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.-- So much for the question of whether Air Force could successfully implement its new offense.

Shaun Carney passed for 176 yards and a touchdown, and Kip McCarthy ran for 129 yards to lead Air Force past South Carolina State 34-3 Saturday.

"After the game I feel 100 percent," Carney said about the new offense. "Before, I felt about 85 percent. Were we going to be able to do this? The way we moved the ball gave us some confidence, and it's going to give us some confidence over the next couple of weeks."

New coach Troy Calhoun brought with him a book of new plays for the Falcons' attack, and many of them worked against the Bulldogs. At one point, Air Force (1-0) lined up with five wide receivers and only Carney in the backfield. The next play, three running backs lined up directly behind the Falcons' quarterback.

It all seemed to confuse the Bulldogs (0-1), who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA. South Carolina State forced Air Force to punt only once with it's first-team offense on the field.

The triple-option attack so famous under former coach Fisher DeBerry wasn't entirely scrapped, but the Falcons relied more on their passing game than the grind-it-out style from the DeBerry era. All four of the Air Force touchdowns were scored on drives 70 yards or more.

"They made an adjustment or two and kind of put a little pressure on us," South Carolina State coach Oliver Pough said. "We just kind of just stumbled around for the rest of the day."

The senior quarterback Carney led the Falcons 79 yards on 13 plays for a touchdown on the team's first drive, going 3-for-4 for 49 yards. McCarthy capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, the first of his career.

"We were all nervous just to see what was going to happen with this offense," Carney said. "That first touchdown was a huge monkey off our back."

Tight end Travis Dekker, who had only four receptions and no touchdowns last year, was Carney's primary target in the first half. The senior had three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Calhoun dialed back the passing attempts in the second half with a big lead, but he felt the Falcons did exactly what he wanted them to offensively.

"By and large, we did some good things," Calhoun said. "When you are effective running the ball, then bootlegs and play-action passes, you can go after some big plays."

Chad Hall, the Falcons' leading rusher last season who was moved to wide receiver in the spring, took a reverse for an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

South Carolina State led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in rushing last year, but was held to just 70 yards on 34 carries. Air Force pressured quarterback Cleveland McCoy all afternoon, collecting six sacks and forcing two turnovers. Cornerback Carson Bird was in on both with a fumble recovery and an interception.

The Bulldogs' brightest spot of the afternoon was the kicking game. Punter Aaron Haire had a 61-yard punt, and kicker Stephen Grantham tied a school-record with a 51-yard field goal.

Air Force snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to last year.

"The past couple years it seemed like such a one-dimensional offense," McCarthy said. "To have Shaun go out there and throw the ball like he did...that balance of pass and run is really going to throw opponents off this year."

Falcons 34, Bulldogs 3
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 14 27
Total Yards 160 455
Passing 90 176
Rushing 70 279
Penalties 9-56 7-54
3rd Down Conversions 6-15 9-16
4th Down Conversions 0-0 1-2
Turnovers 2 1
Possession 26:03 33:57

Individual Leaders
South Carolina State Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
McCoy 10/22 84 0 1
Long 1/5 6 0 0
Air Force Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Carney 11/18 176 1 1

South Carolina State Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Ford 12 73 0 18
Woods 8 22 0 10
McFadden 3 5 0 5
Air Force Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
McCarthy 22 129 1 50
Carney 11 50 0 10
Stephens 7 29 1 13

South Carolina State Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Smith 5 45 0 13
Ford 2 18 0 10
Dubose 1 15 0 15
Washington 1 6 0 6
Air Force Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Dekker 3 64 1 31
Root 2 38 0 21
Hall 2 31 0 23
Madsen 1 15 0 15


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCSU AFA
TD 8:28 KIP MCCARTHY 1 YD RUN (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 13 plays, 79 yards. 0 7
SECOND QUARTER SCSU AFA
TD 10:03 TRAVIS DEKKER 10 YD PASS FROM SHAUN CARNEY (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 11 plays, 70 yards. 0 14
FG 7:13 RYAN HARRISON 48 YD FG
Drive info: 4 plays, 1 yards. 0 17
TD 2:03 CHAD HALL 4 YD RUN (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 12 plays, 76 yards. 0 24
FG 0:00 STEPHEN GRANTHAM 51 YD FG
Drive info: 7 plays, 26 yards. 3 24
THIRD QUARTER SCSU AFA
TD 12:57 SAVIER STEPHENS 1 YD RUN (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 80 yards. 3 31
FOURTH QUARTER SCSU AFA
FG 14:08 RYAN HARRISON 22 YD FG
Drive info: 10 plays, 40 yards. 3 34

SU Jaguars 33, FAMU Rattlers 27

SU Jaguars 33, FAMU Rattlers 27

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Bryant Lee completed 22 of 29 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown and Darren Coates rushed for 142 yards and two scores to lead Southern University to a 33-27 victory over Florida A&M in the third annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday.

The Jaguars (1-0) trailed 20-12 at halftime, but scored three touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half to jump to a 33-20 lead. Lee put Southern in front 26-20 with a 3-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter and then Coates' 1-yard plunge early in the fourth made the score 33-20.

The Rattlers (0-1) were unable to overcome injuries to their top two quarterbacks. Backup Leon Camel played most of the first half because of a shoulder injury to starter Albert Chester. Camel then left the game with a foot injury in the third quarter, forcing Chester to return.

The Jaguars took the lead on their first offensive play of the game as Coates broke loose for a 90-yard touchdown run. FAMU answered with a 9-yard touchdown run from Camel and a 45-yard scoring run by Phillip Sylvester, giving the Rattlers a 14-6 lead with 6:05 left in the first half.

Southern cut the lead to 14-12 less than two minutes later on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Lee to Gerard Landry. Camel then connected with Javares Knight for a 40-yard touchdown pass to make the score 20-12 at the half.

Attendance: 30,106

MVSU Delta Devils 16, UAPB Golden Lions 9

ITTA BENA, Miss. -- Abner Brown caught a game-clinching 15-yard touchdown pass and Mississippi Valley State upset Arkansas-Pine Bluff 16-9 on Saturday.

Brown caught eight passes -- five more than any other player in the game -- for 87 yards and put the Delta Devils (1-0) up 16-3 on a pass from Paul Roberts with 3 seconds left in the first half.

The Golden Lions (0-1), the Southwestern Athletic Conference runner-up last year, gained more yards than the Delta Devils and held the ball for 5 minutes longer.

But MVSU jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on Ronald Brewer's 2-yard touchdown run and Zack Gilarski's 42-yard field goal, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff couldn't rally.

The Golden Lions' John Heflin hit a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter, but missed an extra point after Kenneth Esaw's 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Delta Devils 16, Golden Lions 9
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 16 14
Total Yards 224 183
Passing 154 153
Rushing 70 30
Penalties 9-66 9-102
3rd Down Conversions 6-15 6-15
4th Down Conversions 0-3 0-1
Turnovers 2 1
Possession 32:27 27:33

Individual Leaders
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Wallace 14/27 154 0 0
Mississippi Valley State Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Roberts 15/27 153 1 0

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Mallett 5 23 0 8
Dean 9 19 0 8
Esaw 8 17 1 10
Mississippi Valley State Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Brewer 11 19 1 10
Hargrett 7 17 0 8
Gilarski 1 4 0 5

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Jones 3 29 0 12
Beverly 2 34 0 25
Webber 2 21 0 14
Gay 1 25 0 25
Mississippi Valley State Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Brown 8 87 1 26
Stargell 3 40 0 16
Cotton 2 8 0 8
Fox 1 11 0 11


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER APB MVSU
TD 12:31 RONALD BREWER 2 YD RUN (ZACK GILARSKI KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 36 yards. 0 7
FG 7:50 ZACK GILARSKI 42 YD FG
Drive info: 10 plays, 25 yards. 0 10
SECOND QUARTER APB MVSU
FG 2:11 JOHN HEFLIN 22 YD FG
Drive info: 17 plays, 74 yards. 3 10
TD 0:03 ABNER BROWN 15 YD PASS FROM PAUL ROBERTS (BLOCKED XP)
Drive info: 8 plays, 44 yards. 3 16
FOURTH QUARTER APB MVSU
TD 9:35 KENNETH ESAW 3 YD RUN (MISSED KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 37 yards. 9 16

MEAC/SWAC Scoreboard September 1st

MEAC Scoreboard - Week 2

Savannah State (7)
@ Morgan State (47) Final
7:00 PM Thu Aug 30

South Carolina State (3)
@ Air Force (34) Final
2:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Southern University (33) Final
@ Florida A&M (27)
Birmingham, AL
3:00 PM Sat Sep 1
ESPN Classic & ESPN 360

Jacksonville (17)
@ Bethune-Cookman (31) Final
4:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Virginia State (7)
@ Norfolk State (33) Final
6:00 PM Sat Sep 1

North Carolina A&T (7)
@ Winston-Salem (28) Final
6:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Coastal Carolina (18)
@ Delaware State (23) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

SWAC Scoreboard - Week 1

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (9)
@ Mississippi Valley State (16) Final
2:00 PM Sat Sep 1
CSTV live

Southern University (33)
@ Florida A&M (27) Final
Birmingham, AL
3:00 PM Sat Sep 1
ESPN Classic & ESPN 360

Grambling State (31)
@ Alcorn State (10) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Delta State (27)
@ Jackson State (15) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Alabama A&M (49)
@ Tennessee State (23) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Jacksonville State (19)
@ Alabama State (24) Final
8:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Prairie View A&M (34)
@ Texas Southern (14) Final
8:00 PM Sat Sep 1
ESPNU

Division I Independent - Scoreboard Week 1

August 23
North Carolina Central--(10)
at Albany State U (16) Final

Savannah State (7)
@ Morgan State (47) Final
7:00 PM Thu Aug 30

Fayetteville State (0)
@North Carolina Central (17)
4:00 p.m., Sunday Sept 2


FCS UPSET OF THE YEAR: Appalachian State University (34) @
#5 University of Michigan (32) Final

NSU Spartan Men Win Opening Cross Country Meet at UMES

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The Norfolk State men’s cross country team opened its 2007 season by winning the Maryland Eastern Shore Lid-Lifter Invitational on Saturday morning. The Spartans tallied 29 points as each of their five runners finished in the top nine.

NSU finished ahead of second-place UMES (38 points), Delaware State (68) and University of the District of Columbia (96).

Junior Hillary Cheruiyot (Eldoret, Kenya) led the way for NSU with a second-place finish, completing the 5k course in 25:44.56. Sophomore Jonathan Soimo (Kapsabet, Kenya) was fourth overall in 26:11.71, and senior Dominic Luka (Marietta, N.Y.) was sixth in 26:48.69.

Rounding out NSU’s top five were junior Keenan Harris (Norfolk, Va.), who finished eighth overall in 28:08.84, and sophomore Liam Arocho (Virginia Beach, Va.), who was ninth overall in 28:25.25.

The Spartan men are back in action next Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Lou Onesty Invitational at the University of Virginia.

NSU Spartans know first foe's no pushover

By VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, The Virginian-Pilot

Pete Adrian calls it the Super Bowl.

Sounds a little over the top, even for pregame hype, doesn't it, considering it's only Division I-AA Norfolk State taking on Division II Virginia State? Today's Labor Day Classic kicks off the Spartans' season at 6 p.m., at Dick Price Stadium.

Yet, consider this. In 10 years as a Division I-AA team, the Spartans are 5-5 against the Trojans. Adrian is 1-1, with last year's 29-14 victory breaking a three-game losing streak to Virginia State.

Jason Kressen, a redshirt senior looks almost pained when he says, "I don't know what it feels like to walk off the field having beaten Virginia State." Kressen was sidelined last year when NSU recorded the victory.

"This year is about vindication for me," he said.

"We showed them the film from two years ago," Adrian said. "It was ugly."

The Spartans have stressed all preseason that they want this year to be about making a statement in the MEAC, so is this non-league game a must-win? Hardly. But anything less than a manhandling of Virginia State from a team that appears ready to have a breakthrough season would be disappointing.

A year ago, the Spartans led the Trojans 22-0, earning two touchdowns via special teams before the opponent made the final score respectable.

"I've been on our offense because we won last year, but we had 190 yards and we ran 39 plays," Adrian said. "We've got to come out and dominate."

These Spartans, who say they formed a unique bond by lifting each other during the wicked heat that made two-a-days more difficult than normal, say they are stronger than in years past. Adrian says they are deeper at every position, too, but also younger. Twenty-seven seniors are gone from last year's team, and 50 of the 89 players on the roster are either freshmen or sophomores.

If Virginia State has any advantage, it is that the Trojans have already played a game. They fell 52-21 last week to Carson-Newman, a I-AA team ranked 22nd in the preseason Sports Network Poll.

A history-making game awaits in two weeks when NSU travels to Rutgers to takes on its first Division I-A opponent, but for now it's Virginia State, and Adrian promises no Spartan is looking ahead.

Virginia State, he said, "is all we've talked about."

Now it's time to play.

Scouting N.C. A&T football team

SCOUTING THE AGGIES

Coach: Lee Fobbs (0-11 overall and in one season at N.C. A&T)

2006 record: 0-11 overall, 0-8 MEAC

Home field: Aggie Stadium (21,500), Greensboro

KEY QUESTIONS FOR N.C. A&T

Will the Aggies be any better this year?

Yes. Coach Lee Fobbs is a bright guy who has addressed personnel needs by different means. The influx of several transfers -- from Division I-A schools and junior colleges -- should make A&T more competitive. The Aggies' losing streak, currently at 16 games, is the longest by six in the NCAA division formerly called I-AA.

What's the biggest offensive concern?

Four true freshmen dot the two-deep on the line. At least early, that puts a premium on the health of veteran C Tim Bess and RG Andrew Sagote. Fobbs likes his young guys -- Enoch Cohen, Adrian Carter, Jason Valmont and Alex Harper should have a chance to play -- but he knows they're a year away from being major contributors. The Aggies have RB Michael Ferguson healthy again, and Demerick Chancellor is a Clemson transfer who did well when he got to play for the Tigers.

And the chief issue on defense?

When you were next to last in the country in stopping the run and scoring defense and 114th out of 116 in total defense, there's no isolated issue to tackle. You just have to tackle anything you can. It's safe to say that rushing defense must come first in the MEAC, in which five of last year's nine teams finished 99th or lower nationally in passing yards per game. Sophomore DE Andre Thornton led the team in tackles as a rookie. Junior college transfers Ihsan Shaheed and Michael Pace are expected to start in the secondary. In light of the way things worked out last year, that can't be bad.

How long will the rebuilding take?

Don't expect it to be quick. Of the 18 players signed in 2006, only 10 are still on the roster. The departed include QB Wayne Campbell, CB J.J. Yates and K Ross Vosburg, all of whom played in every game; and TE Spenser Spane, who caught one of the team's nine TD passes.

2006 results

Winston-Salem State L 41-14

at Hampton L 48-14

at Louisiana-Lafayette L 48-7

at Norfolk State L 42-20

Morgan State L 32-0

at Delaware State L 37-21

Howard L 26-0

at Bethune-Cookman L 70-7

Florida A&M L 45-12

Elon L 45-0

vs. S.C. State (Charlotte) L 41-19

Schedule
Saturday at Winston-Salem State 6

Sept. 8 vs. Prairie View A&M-a 5:30

Sept. 15 Hampton 6 (ESPNU-b)

Sept. 22 N.C. Central 6:30

Sept. 27 Norfolk State 7:30 (ESPNU)

Oct. 6 at Morgan State 4

Oct. 13 Delaware State 1:30

Oct. 20 at Howard 1

Oct. 27 Bethune-Cookman 1:30 (HC)

Nov. 3 at Florida A&M 3

Nov. 17 vs. S.C. State (Charleston) 1

a-Angel City Classic (Los Angeles) b-tape-delayed telecast, 10 p.m.

N.C. A&T INFO

Tickets: Home games vs. Hampton, N.C. Central, Norfolk State, Delaware State, $20; Bethune-Cookman (homecoming), $35. Call 334-7749 or go to www.ncataggies.com.

Official Web site: www.ncataggies.com

Local radio affiliate: WNAA-90.1


Offense

POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. YR.

WR 15 Giorgio Lowrance 6-4 200 So.

85 Terrence Whitaker 6-2 170 Fr.

LT 73 Chad Wiley 6-4 280 Jr.

74 Enoch Cohen 6-4 285 Fr.

LG 61 Jonathan Carter 6-4 305 Jr.

78 Adrian Carter 6-2 295 Fr.

C 75 Tim Bess 6-2 330 So.

74 Enoch Cohen 6-4 285 Fr.

RG 57 Andrew Sagote 6-1 320 Jr.

70 Jason Valmont 6-3 305 Fr.

RT 67 Juan Williams 6-3 315 Jr.

77 Alex Harper 6-5 280 Fr.

TE 84 Brett Fisher 6-1 225 So.

24 Michael Christen 6-2 275 Jr.

WR 1 Curtis Walls 5-10 170 Sr.

87 Mike Caldwell 5-9 165 Sr.

QB 18 Herbert Miller 6-2 180 So.

19 Shelton Morgan 6-1 200 Fr.

FB 44 Ortiz Green 5-11 240 Sr.

32 Eugene Parnell 5-10 245 So.

TB 28 Michael Ferguson 5-11 185 Jr.

8 Demerick Chancellor 6-1 205 Jr.

K 37 Elliott Simmonds 6-5 210 Fr.

Defense
POS. NO. PLAYER HT. WT. YR.

LE 52 Joe Taylor 6-2 230 Jr.

93 Tyre Glasper 6-2 300 Jr.

DT 71 Kelvin Jackson 6-4 340 Fr.

98 LaShawn McLean 6-3 285 Sr.

RE 51 Antonio Johnson 6-3 230 Sr.

90 Phillip Sumlin 6-2 240 Jr.

OLB 33 Tim Shropshire 6-1 230 Jr.

46 Andre Thornton 6-3 230 So.

MLB 59 Robert Russell 6-0 240 Jr.

34 Davion Hemphill 6-1 215 Jr.

OLB 16 Brandon Long 6-1 225 Jr.

53 Jamison Hedgepeth 6-2 213 Jr.

SS 21 Nick Clement 6-0 190 So.

10 Brandon Jackson 5-11 200 So.

CB 7 Ihsan Shaheed 5-10 175 Jr.

4 Deshaun Graham 5-11 170 So.

CB 26 Michael Pace 5-11 175 Jr.

20 Simeon Platt 5-10 185 So.

CB 2 Donald Dorsey 6-2 180 So.

9 Brandon Croley 5-11 200 Jr.

WS 25 Marques Ruffin 6-2 190 Jr.

35 Quentin Caple 6-0 185 Fr.

P 43 Lee Woodson 6-0 215 Jr.

-- Compiled by Rob Daniels

NCAT Aggies quarterback comes back fast

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News & Record

Photo: N.C. A&T quarterback Herb Miller

GREENSBORO -- Herb Miller didn't want to do anything halfway, which is why he got everything done in half the time.

"The trainer told me it was unheard of," said N.C. A&T's starting quarterback.

Miller was talking about his recovery from two torn knee ligaments and one ripped biceps tendon in four months instead of the projected eight. The comeback allowed Miller to play unabated throughout spring practice and be fully ready for Saturday's opener at Winston-Salem State, and the Aggies would like it to be a metaphor for their renaissance. There were no shortcuts for the quarterback, and there won't be any for a team that was winless in 2006. But A&T won't rule out an accelerated timetable for respectability, either.

"Sometimes you have to get pinned in a hole," linebacker Tim Shropshire said. "And then you rocket out."

With nobody else on the team to give him a legitimate fight for the job, Miller had the starting gig locked up even if he didn't take a snap until August. What was the rush? And why work like crazy to direct what was the worst offense in NCAA Division I-AA last season?

"Why? Because he wanted to," quarterbacks coach Dwike Wilson said. "It's attitude. Going 0-11 on his watch, he couldn't let his team down. That's all it was."

The debacle of last season can't fall entirely on Miller's shoulders. Wayne Campbell started at quarterback part of the season, and Miller missed the final four games after somebody backed into him in the Howard game. He had surgery the day after the Aggies lost 70-7 at Bethune-Cookman, which he watched on TV from his dorm room.

"I'm sitting there, and I can't believe what's going on," said Miller, who threw for 236 yards and ran for 138 before his injury.

Two or three sessions a day with trainer Rob Woodall brought Miller's strength up quickly. The original prognosis of an eight-month recovery was shaved to six. And then six became four.

"I knew I was going to make it in four," Miller said, "when I went into the training room and instead of going through the normal regimen, (Woodall) told me, 'We're going to go outside and run today. The way you run today is going to tell when you're going to come back.' He had me running full sprints, cutting drills and everything."

It wasn't all for show and inspiration. And the time off, Miller said, made him wiser. Now he thinks it's OK to slide or hop out of bounds as defenders are giving chase.

"In the spring game, for the first time in my career of playing quarterback, I slid," said Miller, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore from Carver. "That wowed myself. I went home, and that's all my mom and dad could talk about: getting down and getting out of bounds."

The seemingly contradictory corollary is Miller's newfound willingness to stand in the pocket and perhaps take a hit.

"He understands his value to the team is on the field and not on the sideline next to me," coach Lee Fobbs said.

Which is not to say the intensity is gone. While coaching receivers in the spring, Wilson pointed to Miller as an example of intelligent aggression.

"He's a small quarterback who understands the game," senior wideout Curtis Walls said. "He's not just an athlete. I'm exceptionally happy with how far Herb has come."

The tenor Miller established last winter helps explain why the coaches think offseason workouts have been more productive this year. If they hadn't been, you could reasonably expect pulled hamstrings or other nagging things to be accumulating about now. They're not.

It would be foolish to decree that all is well with this team. But the safe arrival of the only experienced guy at the most important position is a start.

WSSU's first 'official' MEAC game is a big one

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER

Any Winston-Salem State fans wondering why the school would jump from the comfortable world of the CIAA and Division II to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference might find their answer today at Bowman Gray Stadium.

WSSU will take on rival N.C. A&T at 6 p.m. in front of what is expected to be one of the largest non-homecoming crowds in school history. Bowman Gray’s capacity is about 18,000, and WSSU officials are hoping for a sellout.

The Aggies last played in Winston-Salem in 1999 and defeated the Rams 20-7 in front of 17,500. WSSU won the last game 41-14 in Greensboro last season.

Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU said that keeping his team from getting too excited about the game - the season opener for both schools - was a priority this week.

“It’s a huge game for us,” Blount said. “This is kind of our first official MEAC game, even though we don’t count in the standings yet. We want to come away with the win, not only because it’s A&T but because a win would get our season started in the right way.”

One of the byproducts of the Rams joining the MEAC is the renewed rivalry. The two schools are a little more than 30 miles apart, and they have one of the state’s longest rivalries. The series started in 1944, and the teams met regularly until 1999.

“We try to not listen to all the pregame talk and the hype,” Blount said. “There’s all that talk coming from both sides, but we don’t want to talk, we want to play. We are going to keep our kids settled down and keep them as focused as we can.”

Last season, Blount sold his team on the fact that he had never coached in a victory against A&T, and the Rams responded. Blount, now 1-7 against A&T, said he used other means to motivate his veteran team this time.

“What we are selling them now is we are building a program in this conference,” Blount said. “In order to build, we have to win games against MEAC teams. I think these kids have bought into that.”

Coach Lee Fobbs didn’t know much about the rivalry last year, his first season at A&T. He does now.

“We will tell our guys not to get caught up in the trash talking,” Fobbs said. “We’ll tell them to keep their heads during the game, but the back and forth (talk) is going to happen. There is nothing you can do about that.

“But I’ve discovered the person who says less is usually ready to play, and the one who talks the most really isn’t ready at all. We want our guys to be excited, but we want them to be smart, too.”

The Aggies lead the series with the Rams 35-10, but they have a 16-game losing streak that dates to the 2005 season, and they’ll be facing a deep and experienced Rams’ defense.

WSSU lost just one starter from last season’s defense - end Jason Holman - and coordinator Mike Ketchum says that the defense is “further advanced than we’ve ever been.”

Ketchum said it’s likely that all 11 of his starters today will have made at least one college start, a luxury he has never had before.

“I think the biggest thing now that we didn’t have when I first got here (three years ago) is we can replace guys and not lose much,” Ketchum said. “That overall depth really comes in handy.”

Senior Nate Biggs, who has roamed the WSSU defensive backfield for three years, started his career at Appalachian State. He smiles when he is reminded that he could have been on two national-championship teams had he stayed in Boone.

“I still keep in touch with some of those guys,” Biggs said. “But I made a good choice to come here.

“I’m really excited about this season because we’ve got most everybody back among the starters on defense. We are hoping to have a great year.”

Biggs said that the biggest change he has seen since arriving at WSSU has been an increase in team speed.

“Speed is our best friend, and we just try to get to the ball,” Biggs said. “We attack, and Coach Ketchum likes to blitz a lot, but that’s because of our speed.”

Blount said: “Our defense will be as good as William Hayes and Thad Griffin and some other veterans can be. With guys like Nate Biggs and DeRon Middleton and Dimetrius Rivers, they are going to have to anchor the defense.”

Hampton, S.C. State to jockey for MEAC

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Hampton trying for fourth championship

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Their feeling of abandonment was palpable at July's preseason meeting of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football coaches.

And little old Winston-Salem State didn't even have a home to be abandoned from. Technically.

But there sat the school's football contingent, led by head coach Kermit Blount, ready to answer questions about his program's first year as a "member" of the conference. WSSU is now considered a provisional Division I program until 2010-2011.

Which means, according to a MEAC spokesperson, WSSU's football games against league opponents won't be counted toward the final standings for three more seasons. Nor will the team be eligible for the league's weekly awards and postseason honors.

For WSSU it all means one thing: forget about having to compete with South Carolina State and Hampton for the league championship and Division I-AA playoff berth.

Once again, the MEAC will mainly be a two-team race between defending champion Hampton and South Carolina State.

Hampton loses 13 starters but has more than enough talent -- like defensive player of the year junior end Kendall Langford -- to compete for a fourth-straight regular-season championship. Receiver Jeremy Gilchrist (Virginia Tech) and quarterback TJ Mitchell (West Virginia) will be a powerful tandem for coach Joe Taylor.

"That's what I respect about this conference," Taylor said. "It's gotten better and better. If we can lose that many starters and still be considered for a championship, that shows a lot of respect for our program."

South Carolina State, the preseason pick among coaches and school sports information directors, is a team that needs to win the championship outright. It hasn't done so since 1994 and coach Buddy Pough is feeling the pressure to deliver and get his team to the postseason under his leadership.

"We're at the point where we need to make the playoffs," Pough said. "It appears we have the staff to do it. This is a business of nerves."

Here are a few items to keep an eye on as the season begins:

Coach(es) on the run: Look out Pough and Alvin Wyatt. Pough's 40-17 record at SCSU won't help him if he misses the playoffs. Wyatt, who claims to be college football's best-dressed coach, might be shopping at the Goodwill store if his Wildcats finish in sixth place.

You'll hear from him again: Howard senior defensive lineman Rudy Hardy. With new defensive coordinator Andre Creamer (discarded from DSU's staff), the 6-1, 270-pounder should land an invite to the NFL combine.

Make the trip: South Carolina State comes to Hampton on Oct. 20, and at least one of these teams will be vying for a championship.

DSU Hornets QB never doubted comeback from leg surgery

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

After injury, Winton set to return for season opener

DOVER -- Hobbling off the artificial turf last November at Dick Price Stadium in Norfolk, Va., Vashon Winton never doubted himself.

When he heard the extent of his injury, Winton stayed strong.

In the operating room, before he was put to sleep and the surgeon carved into his left leg, Winton still exuded confidence.

Almost a year after season-ending surgery to repair a broken fibula, a fractured tibia and a torn ligament, Winton, a junior quarterback at Delaware State, says the only thing he wants to remember about his injury last November is his confidence to return just as he departed: as the most important player to the Hornets' success.

"Sometimes," Winton said, "I even forget which leg I hurt."

Winton, a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder from Chicago's Simeon High, holds a lot in his hands. With him, the Hornets -- who open the season tonight against nonconference Coastal Carolina -- could be among the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams vying for the regular-season championship.

Without Winton, the 2005 MEAC rookie of the year, DSU's season could be in doubt. But he had no doubts he would be on the Alumni Stadium field tonight.

For Winton, that realization was built one month at a time.

Nov. 11, 2006

"All I saw was the end zone. I just wanted to reach the end zone."

It was the Hornets' 10th game of the season. Two weeks prior, they celebrated one of the program's biggest wins under coach Al Lavan, a 10-9 victory over MEAC title contender South Carolina State.

Facing Norfolk State, DSU was closing in on a share of the school's first MEAC title since 1991. Winton had a lot to do with it.

"I've always been very pleased with Vashon," Lavan said. "One thing about him, he's always understood the game. He can absorb the game mentally very well."

On the Hornets' second possession, a play called for Winton to run the ball. As he broke for the sideline, Winton saw the end zone. He suddenly was met by Spartans freshman defensive back Terrell Whitehead.

Winton, a shifty runner, went right. Whitehead, Winton remembers, went left.

As the two crumpled to the ground, Whitehead rolled on top of Winton, forcing his ankle to twist awkwardly.

"I didn't think it was broken," Winton said. "It felt like a sprain."

As it turned out, DSU didn't need Winton against a young Norfolk State team and won, 33-10. But Winton's status, and perhaps his career, remained in question.

DSU quarterback Vashon Winton (with ball) runs through drills with his offensive teammates in Friday's practice. Winton has recovered from a serious leg injury last November to start tonight's season opener

Nov. 13, 2006

"I don't think there was any doubt I'd come back normal."

Two breaks. Both clean. Couldn't hope for anything better, Winton was told.

Fibula, broken. Tibia, fractured. One ligament, torn.

Winton points to just above his left ankle. He said the X-ray displayed a quarter-inch gap on his fibula where the actual break took place.

DSU's coaching staff initially believed Winton would be out a year. They said that if he stayed to his regimen of therapy, he might return sooner.

Winton said he instinctively knew he'd need surgery. But he had never had an injury that required an operation.

"I was nervous," he said. "It was just something I knew I had to do."

Lavan, whose NFL career ended due to an injury, understood.

"It's the unknown that can be very scary," Lavan said. "His was a leg injury. Those are your wheels, you know? Every step he takes is critical."

Winton said he constantly secured help from his teammates. Lineman Addison Wright, whom he knew from Chicago, would bus food to Winton from the school cafeteria.

Returning to the field was going to take time, however. With his focus squarely on playing again, Winton remained positive.

"Yeah, that's me," Winton said. "Everyone knows it's me. That's my confidence."






















January 2007

"I wanted to come back sooner. If the bone healed better, I would have."

By January, Winton was back at DSU, off crutches, for winter classes. Trainers let him lift weights and take part in a water therapy program.

Lavan believes DSU's success depends on Winton's recovery.

"The process of his rehab, its cumulative effects, it has all pleased me," Lavan said.

Last season, Winton completed 99-of-167 passes for 1,171 yards. He threw two interceptions. Most importantly, he rushed for 234 yards and seven touchdowns.

The play on which he was injured -- a basic quarterback keeper -- is something the Hornets need him to execute successfully if they are to compete for the MEAC title.

Spring practice, in April, is a crucial time for developing players or athletes recovering from injury. However, Winton was not allowed to participate in full-speed plays.

Sitting out led to something Winton didn't expect. He became more enlightened.

Ideas bounced in his head. He saw mistakes he was making. And he found solutions.

Just watching, Winton said, will make a noticeable difference this season. And it all started, he said, in November.

"I never doubted myself," he said. "I knew it was a season-ending injury, but luckily that only meant one game for me. I just kept believing."

Game Notes: Grambling State at Alcorn State

By GSU Sports Information

THE GAME:
When: Saturday, Sept. 1
Where: Alcorn State, Miss.
Stadium: Jack Spinks
Press Box No.: (601) 877-6520/6521
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m.
Series Rec.: GSU leads 36-18-3
Last GSU Win: 46-19, 2005
Last ASU Win: 21-14, 2006
Current Win Streak: ASU, 1
Biggest Margin of Victory (GSU): 53-0,1957
Biggest Margin of Victory (ASU): 34-6, 1996
Longest Winning Streak (GSU): 10 (1955-67)
Longest Winning Streak (ASU): 3 (1968-70) & (1991-93)

THE COACHES:
Rod Broadway (North Carolina ‘77)
GSU Record:………………..………..0-0 (1st year)
Overall:………………………..…...33-11 (5th year)
Broadway vs. ASU..……….………………..…..0-0

Dr. Johnny Thomas (Alcorn State ‘78)
ASU Record:…..…………..…..46-53 (10th year)
Overall:…………………………...46-53 (10th year)
Thomas vs GSU:….….…………………………...2-7

TELEVISION:
N/A

RADIO:
This weekend’s contest will be broadcasted by the Grambling Sports Radio Network (three stations) with KPCH Radio 99.3 FM in Ruston, La. serving as the flagship station. The radio crew consists of Santoria Black (pbp), Eric Lydell (sideline) and Ossie Clark (color commentator).

INTERNET:
Streamed live on
www.amistadradiogroup.com

THIS WEEK’S GAME
The Rod Broadway era officially gets underway on Saturday evening as the Grambling State Tigers travel east to the state of Mississippi for a match-up against the Braves of Alcorn State.
Saturday’s match-up also marks the first time since 2004 that both teams will open the season against each other after back-to-back December contests.

In 2005, both teams were scheduled to open the season against each other but the traditional opening month match-up was moved due to the effects Hurricane Katrina. Last year’s meeting was scheduled late in the year as GSU opened the 2006 season against Hampton in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Birmingham, Ala.

ABOUT THE TIGERS
Grambling State enters the 2007 season under the direction of new head coach Rod Broadway. The Tigers feature an abundance of youth on the roster in addition to 33 letterwinners and 13 starters.

Despite finishing 3-8 in 2007, the Tigers were picked to finish second in the SWAC West during the annual preseason poll in addition to four preseason All-SWAC Selections.
Leading the way for GSU offensively is 5-10 senior wide receiver Clyde Edwards and quarterback Brandon Landers.

Edwards is a third team preseason FCS All-American and is within several receiving records at GSU. Landers, a 6-0 junior from Monroe, will start at quarterback for the second consecutive season and looks to improve on a 2006 season that saw him throw for more than 2,000 yards.
On the offensive line, three starters return and they’ll be charged with providing protection for a very young backfield that features a depth chart which lists one redshirt and five true freshmen in the backfield.

Defensively, GSU returns seven starters under the scheme of defensive coordinator Cliff Yoshida. Preseason All-SWAC defensive back Zaire Wilborn leads the way along with defensive lineman Jason Banks, linebacker John Scroggins and rover Jeffrey Jack.

On special teams, Tim Manuel returns as the team’s punter and kicker for the third consecutive season. Due to the graduation of several specialists in 2006, GSU will feature several new faces returning punts and kicks in 2007.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
Alcorn State returns 16 starters (eight offense and eight defense) from a 2006 team that finished tied for second in the SWAC East with a 6-5 (5-4 SWAC) overall record.
Under the direction of 10th-year head coach Johnny Thomas, ASU was picked to finish third in the east and return four preseason All-SWAC selections.

Offensively, both of ASU’s top passers in Chris Walker and Tony Hobson return from 2006 and will have wide receiver Nate Hughes (40r) on the outside to throw to. In the backfield, senior Vernardus Cooper is back at running back and will have All-SWAC senior Justin Telemaque leading the way on the offensive line.

On defense, seniors Antonio Cooper and Lee Robinson will be expected to step up their play in 2007 while the secondary returns three starters.

FOUR TIGERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-SWAC
The Grambling State University Tiger football team placed four players on the 2007 Preseason All-SWAC Football Team.

Named to the All-SWAC First Team were the tandem of Clyde Edwards and Zaire Wilborn. Edwards, a 5-10, 175-pound senior from Houston, Texas, finished as Grambling State’s top wide receiver with 56 receptions for 789 yards and 11 touchdowns. This marks the second preseason honor for Edwards as he was named to the College Sporting News 2007 Division I Football Championship Subdivision Preseason All-American Team.

Wilborn, a 6-2, 200-pound three-year letterwinner from Houston, Texas, played both defensive back and linebacker for the Tigers in 2006 and concluded the season as the second-leading tackler on the team with 80.

Earning second team honors for the Tigers were the duet of quarterback Brandon Landers and punter Tim Manuel.

Landers finished as the SWAC’s top passer with 2,138 yards and 17 touchdown passes last season. Named as the SWAC’s Player of the Week on two occasions in 2006, the Monroe, La. native ranked 35th nationally in total offense with 205.5 yards per game and 44th with a pass efficiency rating of 124.13.

Manuel, a New Iberia, La. native who serves as Grambling State’s kicker and punter, is the top returning punter in the SWAC with an average of 41.9 yards per punt. He also connected on 6-of-10 field goals and finished second on the team in scoring with 47 points.

THE LAST TIME
The last time Alcorn State defeated GSU in a season opener occured in 2004 by a score of 34-23 in GSU’s home opener and the debut for then-GSU interim head coach Melvin Spears. Prior to that, the last time both teams met in a season opener was a 37-22 victory by GSU in 2001.

FIRST-YEAR DEBUTS
Since former head coach Doug Williams took control of the program in 1998, Grambling State head coaches are 1-1 in head coaching debuts versus Alcorn State.

With both games played in the friendly confines of Robinson Stadium on campus, Williams blanked Alcorn State 11-0 in 1998 while former head coach Melvin Spears lost 34-23 to the Braves in 2004.

HISTORY NOT WORTH REPEATING
Grambling State’s 3-8 finish in 2006 marked its worst record since the 1997 season when the Tigers finished the season 3-8.

Losing seasons are rare as Grambling State hasn’t loss more than six games in a season since identical 3-8 seasons in 1996 and 1997. GSU has only posted eight seasons since 1950 with a losing record.

BROADWAY IN SEASON OPENERS
In season openers, head coach Rod Broadway is 3-1 with two shutouts. He has combined to outscore opponents 167-37 in season openers.

OPENING UP IN STYLE
Dating back to 1950, the Tigers are an impressive 41-15-1 (73%) in season openers with a 4-4 record since 2000.

BROADWAY IN SEPTEMBER
The month of September has been generous to head coach Rod Broadway as he’s 14-2 in the month.
Broadway posted back-to-back 3-1 September records in 2003 and 2004 before netting consecutive 4-0 campaigns in 2005 and 2006.

SPINKS JINX?
Since opening Jack Spinks Stadium in 1992, Alcorn State has proclaimed a “Spinks Jinx” as the Braves were pretty stout at home against their opponents.

However, Grambling State is one of few teams who’ve overcome the jinx as they’re 4-2 in the stadium.

CLYDE’S TIME TO GLYDE
Senior wide receiver Clyde Edwards is quietly closing in on several marks as he closes out his career at Grambling State.

The senior from Houston, Texas is tied for 11th among SWAC All-Time receiving leaders with an 11-touchdown performance last season and currently ranks 13th among the SWAC’s career receiving leaders with 2,412 yards. In addition, he has caught at least one pass in 26 consecutive games dating back to his freshman season and enters the 2007 season ranked as the 7th best receiver in the Football Championship Subdivision by The Sports Network.

An honor student in the classroom (3.9 GPA), here are the records Edwards is within reach of:

Needs 771 yards to surpass Scotty Anderson (3,182) as Grambling State’s all-time leader in receiving yards.

Needs 11 touchdowns to surpass Anderson (35) as the Tigers’ all-time leader for career receiving touchdowns.

Needs 54 receptions to become GSU’s all-time leader in receptions. Tramon Douglas leads with 193.

EDWARDS VS. ALCORN STATE
Against Alcorn State, Clyde Edwards has caught seven receptions for 120 yards and one touchdown. He also posted two tackles at defensive back during the 2006 campaign.

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE REMIXED
While most teams in collegiate athletics struggle to find one quality quarterback, Grambling State had success at times last season with the quarterback tandem of Larry Kerlegan and Brandon Landers.

A senior from LaMarque, Texas, Kerlegan is the team’s top returning rusher with 30.7 yards per game in addition to throwing for 633 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions.
However, while Kerlegan may see time at quarterback, he’ll also spend time at wide receiver as the coaching staff made it a point during practices to find a spot on the field for the talented senior.

For the season, the tandem combined for 145-of-284 passes with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. They’ve also rushed for 310 yards and two touchdowns.

Grambling State was 1-5 when Landers starts on the season and is 2-3 in appearances off the bench while the team was 2-2 with Kerlegan starting and 0-3 in relief appearances.

ASU’S TWO-HEADED QB MONSTER
While GSU went back-and-forth with their quarterback situation this season, ASU encountered the same thing with Chris Walker and Tony Hobson.

Walker played in nine games with five starts while Hobson saw action in seven games with six starts. Walker threw for 1,233 yards and 10 touchdowns while Hobson passed for 669 yards and four touchdowns.

As a starter, Hobson holds a 3-3 record with Walker holding a 3-2 record. Hobson started the first six games of ASU’s season before giving way to Walker the past five games.

The quarterback situation at ASU was still up for grabs entering summer camp so it won’t be a surprise if both quarterbacks see playing time on Saturday.

ANOTHER JUNIOR HIGH?
For the past several Grambling State wide receivers that have posted incredible numbers, their junior year on the field has proven to be the most productive. Similar to Henry Tolbert’s 1,391-yard performance in 2005, senior Clyde Edwards caught a career-high 56 receptions and 11 touchdowns in 2006.

As a junior in 2005, Tolbert had a breakout campaign which saw him catch 74 passes for a total of 1,391 yards and 19 touchdowns. In 2002, then-junior Tramon Douglas had an outstanding season as he caught 92 passes for 1,704 yards and 18 touchdowns.

With Edwards headlining a young group of receivers this season, don’t be surprised if a receiver pops out of nowhere to have a productive junior campaign.

AN UNFRIENDLY PIT
Defensive back Zaire Wilborn enters the 2007 campaign as the team’s top defensive player.
The senior from Houston, Texas, known as “Pit Bull” to teammates, had a strong junior campaign as he posted a career-high 16 tackles in his hometown on Sept. 16 and was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 1 for his performance against Prairie View A&M.
He concluded the season as the Tigers’ second-leading tackler with 80.

HEAD COACH ROD BROADWAY
Grambling State‘s Rod Broadway, formerly of North Carolina Central University, is the ninth head football coach in school history. Broadway was recently selected as the 2006 “Sheridan Broadcasting Network Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year” and his North Carolina Central team was voted as the 2006 Sheridan Black College National Champions.

A native of Oakboro, N.C., the 28-year veteran of the coaching ranks wasted no time in putting his stamp on the NCCU program by posting three consecutive winning seasons of eight or more games after a 4-6 record in his inaugural campaign.

In the 2006 season, Broadway made history as he led the Eagles to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II’s Southeast Region, a No. 1 ranking in the SBN Poll and back-to-back CIAA titles for the first time since the 1953-54 seasons. In addition, the Eagles also fielded the CIAA’s top-ranked offense (345.1 ypg) along with the 15th ranked defense in NCAA Division II (250.7 ypg). Broadway’s 2006 team also featured four players who earned SBN All-American honors including the SBN’s Offensive Player of the Year in freshman quarterback Stadford Brown, 12 All-CIAA selections, 10 Daktronics All-Southeast Region honorees and two Associated Press Little All-Americans.

He closed out his four-year career at NCCU with a decorated resume’ that includes multiple honors by the Pigskin Club of Washington D.C., Inc., a 33-11 overall record, back-to-back CIAA titles, two consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, a 16-game regular season winning streak and a 29-4 record over the past three seasons. In addition, Broadway also collected the school’s first-ever victory over a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opponent with a victory over Southern University in 2006.

Prior to his tenure at NCCU, Broadway honed his skills on the NCAA football’s highest level as the defensive line coach of the University of North Carolina (2001-02), University of Florida (1995-00), Duke (1981-94) and East Carolina (1979-80).

As an assistant coach at North Carolina, Broadway helped the Tar Heels to a No. 15 national ranking in total defense and an appearance in the Peach Bowl. While at Florida, he served as a member of Steve Spurrier’s staff and helped the Gators attain four SEC Championships, six bowl appearances and one national championship in 1996. Broadway’s defensive units at Florida led the SEC in sacks from 1996-99 with the 1997 team setting a school record for rush defense with 70.7 yards per game.

A 1977 graduate of the University of North Carolina, Broadway played on the defensive line from 1974-77 and helped lead Carolina to the 1974 Sun Bowl and the 1977 Liberty Bowl. Among the honors he earned were the team’s “Outstanding Freshman” in 1974 and “Most Outstanding Senior” along with All-ACC honors in 1977.

EXCELLENCE OFF THE FIELD
Two members of the Tiger football team are playing the 2007 season with their degrees already in hand.

Playing the season as graduate students are tight end Tim Abney and defensive back Brandon Logan. Abney earned a degree in business management in 2006 and is pursuing another bachelor’s in marketing while Logan earned a business degree in 2006 and is pursuing a master’s in sports administration.

HONORING GSU LEGENDS
The past two years saw Grambling State lose two of its biggest athletic program ambassadors in former head football coach Eddie Robinson and former Sports Information Director Collie J. Nicholson. The Tigers will wear a patch on their jerseys honoring Coach Robinson this season and donned the letters CJN in honor of Nicholson last season.

Coach Robinson, who passed away on Apr. 3, 2007, spent 57 seasons consistently fielding stellar football teams and guiding his young charges to successful lives both on and off the gridiron. His unprecedented 408 college football victories set the NCAA’s benchmark for wins in Division I. Coach Robinson retired with an overall record of 408 wins, 165 losses, and 15 ties.

More than 200 of his players went on to play in the National Football League, including Super Bowl XXII MVP quarterback Doug Williams, who would ultimately succeed Robinson as Grambling's head coach in 1998.

Coach Robinson finally relinquished his reigns to the Tigers following the 1997 season, but his contribution to the game will be remembered forever. Also during the same year, he was officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Nicholson, the former SID who helped make Grambling State a household name, was fresh out of the Marines following a three-year stint during World War II, joined the Grambling State University staff in 1948 under former president Dr. Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones.

During his 30-year tenure at Grambling State, Nicholson put the Grambling State name on the map as he helped arrange for the band and football team to appear in venues across the world. He also arranged for the first-ever televised game between two black colleges on ABC in 1968 and was the brainchild of the highly successful Bayou Classic between Grambling State and Southern.

In addition, Nicholson’s legacy was honored at Grambling State in the summer of 2006 as the pressbox at Robinson Stadium was renamed in his honor. He passed away in Shreveport, La. on Sept. 13, 2006.

RADIO
Fans can follow the Tigers’ progress under first-year head coach Rod Broadway all season long in Ruston on KPCH 99.3 FM (flagship), KSYB 1300 AM in Shreveport, La. and KTGV 105.1 FM in Jonesville, La. with the pregame show beginning one hour before kickoff.
Santoria Black serves as the voice of the Tigers. Ossie Clark will handle the color commentating duties and Eric Lydell patrols the sidelines.

In addition to the weekly broadcasts, the Grambling State University Coaches Show airs live on ESPN Radio 97.7 FM beginning at 7:00 p.m. each week.

The show, which will feature Broadway and an assortment of special guests, will broadcast live from various locations on the I-20 corridor throughout the season.

Fans who can’t attend the live event can log on and listen to the show live via the World Wide Web at www.espn977.com.

Saturday’s game will be broadcasted live on the Grambling Sports Radio Network with ESPN Radio 99.3 FM in Ruston, La. serving as the flagship station.

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
Doug Williams was the first African-American quarterback to start in the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Grambling State was the first historically black college to play a game on national television. (ABC in 1968)

Running back Paul “Tank” Younger was the first player from a black college to make it in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams in 1949.

Junious “Buck” Buchanan was the first Grambling State football player to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Grambling State has four players inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame (Willie Brown, Junious (Buck) Buchanan, Willie Davis and Charlie Joiner).

There were five head football coaches at Grambling State before Eddie Robinson assumed control from 1945-1997.

Grambling State entered the SWAC in 1958.

Grambling State has had five name changes since being founded in 1901. From 1901 to 1904, GSU was known as the Colored Industrial and Agricultural School. In 1905, the name was changed to North Louisiana Agricultural and Industrial School before being changed to Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute in 1928. In 1946, the school was known as Grambling College before changing to its present name of Grambling State in 1974.

Game kicks off historical season for SCSU

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - There’s an added pride quarterback Cleveland McCoy and BANDIT Marshall McFadden take in wearing a South Carolina State uniform.

Each time the two Bulldog leaders suit up, they see themselves as carriers of a proud legacy of football which for 100 years has produced not only three NFL Hall of Fame players (more than all the other Palmetto State colleges combined) but legendary head coaches and future leaders on and off the gridiron.

"It’s very important that we uphold the SCSU name and title because you’ve got guys like Harry Carson and Robert Porcher," McCoy said. "Those guys set the tone for us. We’re just trying to follow in their footsteps."

"There’s so many people that wore number 42 (McFadden’s freshman year number) and number 5 and this year’s our 100th year," McFadden said. " With the history behind those people who have worn number five, it’s now on me now to make big plays and make history."

Today at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time at Falcon Stadium, the Bulldogs will begin another historic chapter in their long, illustrious history when they face Air Force Academy. The matchup is the first of an unprecedented two contests against Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) teams, with the second game two weeks from now against the University of South Carolina.

"It means a lot for the program," McCoy said. "Air Force is a pretty good team and it’s a great honor to be able to play those guys. It’s a great honor for the team and a great thing for me, especially the competition level."

From afar, former SCSU head football coach Willie Jeffries can only look with pride how much the program he turned into a national power during his 19 seasons as head coach has grown under his successor Oliver "Buddy" Pough. The winningest head coach in school history with 122 wins, Jeffries is also part of a committee which plans to hold several activities commemorating the 100 years of football.

Such commemorations can be seen at the 128 marker on Interstate 26 where a sign saluting SCSU’s 100 years of football is posted behind one displaying the school’s new slogan "A New State of Mind"

"I think it’s at another level where we’re playing 1-A schools and I think we’re going to fare well against those 1-A schools," Jeffries said. "With 16 wins in the last two years, we’ve never been at this level. I remember my first six years, we won the championship five of the six years and went to a bowl game every year. It has gotten so now that people like to go to the Division I-AA playoffs.

"I think (Pough’s) taking it to a new level. Not only is he competing well in the (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), we have a chance to get into these large stadiums where you have a lot of writers, a lot of media and we’re going to get a lot of exposure. So I really think he’s done well and taken us to another level."

McCoy credits Pough with running a first-class organization which models itself after other elite Division I-A programs.

"Coach Pough and took over from Coach Jeffries ... and he set the tone," McCoy said. "Coach Pough is a real good guy and he changed the program and put it in a positive direction."

. When asked about why the football program has had sustained success over the years through the different coaches, Jeffries said it’s because of the integrity of the coaches and players.

"We’ve never had an problem NCAA-wise or anything like that," Jeffries said. " Just to be a former player and a former coach, it gives me a lot of pride that we’ve had football for 100 years. The program has progressed so much. I think now it’s just going so well now and everybody’s proud of it and I think it adds to the flavor that we’re doing after 100 years, we’re finally playing a 1-A school and we’re playing the University (of South Carolina). It’s a lot going on and I’m proud to be a part of it."

Photo: From left, South Carolina State head coach Oliver 'Buddy' Pough, quarterback Cleve McCoy, defensive back Marshall McFadden and formal SCSU head football coach Willie Jefferies pose inside Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The Bulldogs are celebrating 100 years of football in 2007 by opening the season against their first Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Air Force, Saturday.



Much as John Martin, Roy D. Moore, George Bell and Oree Banks built upon the success established by predecessor Oliver C. Dawson, Pough has managed to, in Jeffries’ words, "continue to move the graph up" in terms of expanding on what Jeffries as well as Bill Davis accomplished during their tenure. .

"I had a part in the inside of both of those guys’ operations," Pough said. "I got a chance to play for and coach for Coach Jeffries. I got a chance to coach for Bill Davis. Both of them were magnificent human beings and really good football coaches. A lot of what I am, probably most of what I am I patterned after those guys. Anytime you think of guys being your mentors, you look back at the kinds of things that you’ve seen them done and try to see if you can do some things that are just as good or better."

Although Pough’s winning percentage (40-17) his first five seasons is almost comparable to what Jeffries accomplished during his first tenure (50-13-4) and he’s starting the first year of an extension which will pay him a school-record $1 million over the next five years, reaching the post-season remains the elusive goal.

It’s something Pough hopes to change this season, appropriately during the 100th season of celebration.

"I think you’ve got all types of things you can say would be reasons why we want to do what we want to do," he said. "I think more than anything else, I just think it’s time. I just think it’s a piece of the puzzle in that progression of us getting to where we want to get to that we want to reach now."

"This year, to me, is one of the biggest years," McFadden said. "Just look at our offense. Just look at our defense. We have no holes. We have no holes nowhere. That just comes to show what it means by the 100-year history. I think everything happens for a reason and this is the year to make history on top of history."

South Carolina State is celebrating its 100th year of football in 2007. A look at the program by the numbers:

Division I-A teams the Bulldogs played during the first 99 years: 0

Number of losing seasons under current head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough: 0

D-IA teams they play this season (Air Force, USC):2

Number of players in the Collegiate Hall of Fame (Harry Carson, Donnie Shell):2

Pro football Hall of Famers (Marion Motley, Harry Carson, Deacon Jones):3

10-win seasons, the last coming in 1994:4

Number of Bulldog players and coaches in the MEAC Hall of Fame:5

Games coached by W.C. Lewis, 10 of which were shutouts (6 wins, 4 losses):11

Number of victories without a loss in nationally televised games on cable under Pough:13

Number of SCSU players named MEAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year:14

Undefeated conference seasons since joining MEAC in 1971:18

Victories against Bethune-Cookman, Howard and Morgan State, the most against any single team:26

Losses against Florida A&M, the most against any single team:30

Points scored against N.C. Institute in 1926 during a 99-0 romp: 99

Bulldogs who reached the NFL:109

Total victories under Willie Jeffries in 19 seasons (a school record):122

SCSU Bulldogs wrap up final practice before Air Force game

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - For all the talk about the disadvantages South Carolina State faces playing in the thin air of Falcon Stadium, Friday’s final preparations confirmed a major asset.

Place-kicker Stephen Grantham booted a 60-yard field goal a couple of yards beyond the center post and had several kick-off land in the end zone during a brief 45-minute walk through.

He did carom a couple of kicks off each of the uprights, but Grantham showed enough to give the coaching staff the confidence of using him for long field goal attempts Saturday against Air Force Academy.

"It’s a whole lot better than kicking in South Carolina," said Grantham, who’s making his return after sitting out last season. "I guess the altitude’s a whole lot higer, the ball travels a whole lot further. You get a bad hit, it’s still going to go to the goalline."

"I think it's psychological as much as physical," Pough told the Denver Post. "We're trying to treat it as just another game."

Yet it is a big deal for SCSU as it’s facing a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the first time. It’s also the first of two FBS opponents in the first three games with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener at Bethune-Cookman squeezed in between.

According to SCSU Sports Information Director Bill Hamilton, the school has sold at least 250 tickets for the game, which also coincides with "Parents’ Weekend" at the Academy.

Today also marks the Falcons’ head coaching debut of Troy Calhoun. The former Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator will try to revive a program which has posted three straight losing streaks and enter the game on a four-game losing streak.

Air Force Academy is 11-0 against Football Championship Subdivision teams, while SCSU is 3-2 in season-openers under Pough.