Rivalry is personal for TSU's Heffner

NO. 23 TSU (4-0) VS. FLA. A&M (2-1)
Where: Georgia Dome
Last meeting: FAMU 18, TSU 17 (2007)
Key matchup: FAMU RB Philip Sylvester vs. TSU DT Maurice Davis. Sylvester carried the ball 25 times for 131 yards in last year's game. Davis helped TSU hold Eastern Kentucky to 9 rushing yards last week and is tied as the Tigers' leading tackler among linemen with 13 total stops.
TV: Versus Sports Channel (LIVE nationally) -- Cable Systems, Dish Network and Direct TV
Time: 4:00 PM ET

Tennessee State quarterback Antonio Heffner made his way past a teammate being interviewed by a reporter earlier this week and offered a directive. "Talk about the team Cliff — it's all about the team,'' Heffner said to safety Eugene Clifford. This team is very special to Heffner. Just how special a team the Tigers are could be answered if they finally beat Florida A&M (2-1) at 3 p.m. today in the Atlanta Classic at the Georgia Dome.

TSU QB Antonio Heffner proposed to girlfriend after Southern Heritage Classic victory in Memphis on Sept. 13, 2008. She said "yes", and since he has the girl, he now plans to get first victory in his career against FAMU.

It has been a great start for the No. 23 Tigers (4-0), but today's test might be the stiffest they've faced so far. Playing before a large crowd that could be in excess of 50,000, TSU hopes to snap a six-year losing streak to an opponent Coach James Webster calls "our No. 1 rival." Heffner agrees. "Not only is this our No. 1 rival, (but) it's about the event, all the hype that comes along with this game,'' Heffner said. "We haven't beaten them in a long time and not since I've been here." More fanfare was added last week when the Versus cable sports network announced it would televise the game live nationally for the first time.

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Three more I-A road games will raise profile, boost coffers for NSU

NORFOLK, VA - Rutgers and Kentucky were only the beginning. Norfolk State's future includes more games against Division I-A opponents - three more in the next four years, in fact. The Scarlet Knights are on tap again for Sept. 10, 2010, in Piscataway, N.J. Rutgers beat NSU 59-0 on Sept. 16, 2007, in the first-ever I-A game played by a Spartans football team.

NSU meets West Virginia in Morgantown on Sept. 10, 2011. On Sept. 8, 2012, Norfolk State plays Ohio University in Athens. NSU has never faced either team, though West Virginia is coach Pete Adrian's alma mater. "In four years, to be able to play three Division I-A football teams is something I don't know any other school in the MEAC can match," Adrian said. "It's a good thing to mention when you're recruiting a young man."

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Let's Call It Like We See It

We're not impressed, especially after the Spartans got kicked to sleep 42-12 by a bottom feeder, 1-AA William and Mary, last Saturday. No chance of beating 1-A Rutgers, West Virginia or Ohio on their worst days. So, let's call it like we see it ---an easy paycheck game for the Spartans athletic budget and another over-matched, non-competitive football game that makes the MEAC look like a cupcake Division III league, like most of the SWAC.

Norfolk State, the MEAC does not need your help on deteriorating the conference image further--North Carolina A&T did an exceptional job in that department with 27 straight losses and Howard is working diligently towards replacing the Aggies and Savannah State as the #1 cupcake in 1-AA football. At least attempt to schedule a 1-A team that you can at least stick with for a half, before getting crushed by 50-60 points.

Getting shellacked 97-3 in two "practices" with Rutgers and Kentucky, and losing to W&M by five TDs would be enough for us to seek developing a new marketing plan for filling beautiful 30,000 seat Dick Price Stadium with one of your old CIAA rivalry opponents like Fayetteville State, to boost the coffers $325,000. We would even suggest scheduling Division II Tuskegee University (who will beat the socks off the Spartans) or 1-AA Tennessee State, Southern or Jackson State, teams that travel well that will pack out Price Stadium to see the Spartans get steamrolled by the road team.

With all of the infrastructure in place, why go build the other guys fan base and business community, and give them a guaranteed victory on a platter for a few hundred thousand dollars? Why leave your Stadium empty with only five home games and your local business community and employers losing another $6-$12 million dollars of fan revenues on NSU game day because the 1-A will never sign a home and home contract with you?

Please focus on renewal of your past rivalry games in the CIAA, as games with W&M, Virginia Military and ODU does nothing for your bottom line. Forget playing Virginia and Virginia Tech, as they don't need you and the guaranteed 60-70 point loss for a paycheck that you are pimping. Moreover, it is not worth the national humiliation for the conference and University to have the Spartans flashed on ESPN being cremated by 8-9 touchdowns by a second or third tier 1-A in a so-called "tune-up" game for the opponent.

No doubt, Spartans athletic director Marty Miller is fast becoming the Number One, 1-A scheduler (pimp) in the MEAC. We only wish greater efforts would be placed in the development and execution of sustainable marketing plans by MEAC and SWAC athletic directors to fill the coffers. Scheduling 1-A power conference teams for a pay-check is just a band-aid solution to the greater problems in the MEAC and SWAC. And that's how we see it!

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Norfolk State's sparse scoring ranks last in league

NORFOLK, VA - The Norfolk State offense has scored 13 points in its last six quarters. It's no surprise, then, to see the Spartans ranked last offensively in the MEAC, a statistic the team must improve in order to remain competitive in the conference. NSU meets Bethune-Cookman at 4 p.m. today in Daytona Beach. The Spartans won in Jacksonville when the teams played there in 1996 but haven't won in the past six games played in Daytona Beach.

UConn transfer QB Dennis Brown, #10 was a no show at William and Mary as the Spartans were embarrassed 42-12, by a CAA cellar dweller.

"We're looking to reduce a few things, simplify the offense," NSU coach Pete Adrian said. We don't need 60 plays and 10 formations." The Spartans faltered badly in a 42-12 loss at William and Mary because of five turnovers, drive-killing penalties and an inability to move the ball. NSU was 3 of 18 on third-down opportunities, and many of Dennis Brown's passes were either dropped, thrown too hard or tossed behind receivers.

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FAMU and Tennessee State supporters will bring up $30 million into Atlanta economy this weekend

Joey Walters said events like today’s Atlanta Football Classic may have a comparable economic impact and visitor estimates as smaller bowl games. Such comments may exemplify the spending power that fans from Historically Black Colleges have when it comes to classics. Walters is the director of the Florida Classic for Florida Citrus Sports in Orlando, a game where Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman supporters infuse up to $30 million in the Central Florida economy each November.

This weekend the 20th annual match-up between Florida A&M and Tennessee State is expected to bring $30 million into the Atlanta economy according to estimates from the Atlanta Sports Council. The SEC Championship Game and the Chick-fil-A bowl, by comparison, bring $25 and $30 million respectively into the Atlanta economy.

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Tennessee State seeks to end Atlanta Classic heartbreak

Florida A&M has won the last five games in rivalry

Tennessee State loves playing in the Georgia Dome every year. And because Atlanta is the school’s largest alumni base outside of Nashville, Saturday’s Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic has become like a Bowl game for Tigers fans. But there’s only so much heartbreak a team can take. When the classic kicks off at 4 p.m., the Tigers will be trying to break a six-game losing streak in the series that’s been unusually painful.

The Rattlers have won the last five by six points or fewer. In 2006, they won 25-22 in overtime following a Tigers’ fumble. Last year, FAMU overcame a 14-5 halftime deficit and held on 18-17 when Tennessee State missed a short field goal at the end. The Tigers say this year will be different. “These seniors have never beaten them and there’s a commitment to winning this game,” coach James Webster said. “Our faith is strong and we believe we will be victorious.”

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Former Ohio St. player is Tigers' new defensive star

Tennessee State needed help in the secondary. Eugene Clifford needed a place to play. It was a match made in football heaven. The Tigers were looking for an impact player to replace All-American cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Who knew they would be able to find one so quickly? "As coaches, we knew what Eugene Clifford could do when he came here,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "He was a five-star athlete coming out of Ohio. We knew he was going to be a dominant player for us and he was going to be an impact player."

Clifford, a safety who transferred from Ohio State, displays a hard-hitting physical style of play that is much different from the electrifying speed and quickness Rodgers-Cromartie provided. But the impact on the secondary has been the same. Opposing offenses would avoid Rodgers-Cromartie, seldom throwing the ball his way. Now it's Clifford who has their attention.

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FAMU will try to stay calm on big stage

Qier Hall could hardly believe what he'd done in the Georgia Dome. After all, he was just a freshman coping with the fascination of playing in a pro venue. He certainly wasn't expected to be the one making a play to change the momentum in Florida A&M's favor. But his 83-yard punt return turned out to be the touchdown by which his career as a cornerback at FAMU might well be defined.

Rivalry weekend: FAMU (2-1) vs. Tennessee State (4-0) at Atlanta Football Classic; view live (nation-wide) at 3:00 p.m. ET on "Versus Channel" on Cable, Dish Network or Direct TV. Photo: CB LeRoy Vann.

"It was unbelievable that a freshman could change the whole game around like I did," said Hall, whose touchdown last season put the Rattlers in position to win on a field goal over Tennessee State. "It felt good." That's the feeling every freshman who gets on the field Saturday wants to experience when they make their first appearance on the Atlanta Falcons' home field. But as much as the younger players want to shine, rookie mistakes are a concern going against an undefeated Tennessee State (4-0) team.

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