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.

Local knows what SCSU is up against

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Daniel Yawn is still "flying high" two years after earning his commission at the Air Force Academy.

Now a first lieutenant completing Pilot Instructor Training at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, the former Holly Hill Academy graduate and a three-sport athlete still has fond memories of his days as a cadet.

An Air Force tradition, Yawn most enjoyed was "Parents’ Weekend." Usually taking place the weekend of Air Force Academy’s first home game, it was a time where Yawn could spend time with his visiting parents and attend a football game at Falcon Stadium.

"Parents get to tour the grounds, see what kind of classes they’re taking," he said. "You get to sit in on a class with your parents and take them to the different monuments and stuff and they come to see the football game which is always a highlight."

While not exactly as loud or festive on Gameday as the University of South Carolina or Clemson University, Yawn said a spirited student section and large military presence around Colorado Springs still provide a somewhat intimidating presence for opponents.


"For one, there’s usually a ton of local fans," he said. "It’s a rowdy student section. You kind of feel outnumbered out there, at least from what I saw, because there’s so much military down there."

There’s pre-game traditions which include flybys and the cadets storming the field after each Falcons’ score to do pushups. And the, there’s the altitude. South Carolina State will see a new sign standing above the bus entrance at Falcon Stadium which reads ‘Welcome to 6,621 feet’ - referencing the stadium’s elevation level in the Rocky Mountains.

"That’s a huge thing that (South Carolina) State will definitely feel, because you’re just not used to it," he said. "You just can’t get use to it in a day."

"You get short of breath just walking up the stairs. An athletic person feels very non-athletic at the time. It takes a couple of weeks to acclimate. So just showing up for the weekend doesn’t give you time to do that, no matter how good of shape you’re in. You’ll still feel short of breath."

And what does Yawn expect from his alma mater and new head coach Troy Calhoun? "From what I can tell, Air Force has always been a running team," he said. "With the new coach in place, it opens up for maybe more of a balanced attack."

Mutual respect obvious: JSU vs. Delta State

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Any rivalry friendly in first Delta State-Jackson State football game, but precious pride will be on line

Flipping his cell phone open and pointing to the screen, Jackson State receivers coach Jerry Mack has proof that today's football game isn't the usual ho-hum college opener.

Mack's phone has dozens of messages from some guy named "Roberts."

Turns out that's short for Delta State first-year head coach Ron Roberts.

Mack and Roberts are friends and worked together as assistants at DSU before Mack took the receivers job in Jackson and Roberts became the Statesmen's head coach in the off-season.

"Look at this, he's been talking smack for the past few weeks," Mack said while thumbing through the messages.

But then he shrugs his shoulders, grins and makes an admission.

"Of course, I've been giving him a little bit to chew on, too," he said. "You know what, I might have even started it."

Jackson State hosts Delta State at 6 p.m. today at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. It is the first meeting in football between the schools.

The barbs between coaches are all good natured, but the tone has been set. There's a lot of pride at stake when these two proud programs take the field.

Both could claim to be the favorite in today's game and have a decent argument. Consider the following:

Jackson State is a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) team with 63 scholarships, 28 more than Division II Delta State can offer under NCAA guidelines.

JSU is entering its second season under coach Rick Comegy, who led the Tigers to their first winning season since 2002 and return 17 starters.

But on the other side, No. 12-ranked Delta State is one of the nation's elite teams at the Division II level. Last season, the Statesmen posted a 12-3 record and advanced to the national semifinals.

DSU has beaten Division I-AA teams in the recent past, including a 17-14 victory at Stephen F. Austin last year. Earlier in the decade, the Statesmen beat Southwestern Athletic Conference member Mississippi Valley State three out of four years, including a 45-0 drubbing in 2003.

"I've coached at Delta State and let me tell you something - they're no joke," Mack said. "If we don't respect their athleticism and strength, we'll have trouble. Knowing Coach Roberts, they'll be a very physical team."

Much like Mack, Jackson State's players and coaches express nothing but respect for Delta State and say they understand the danger the Statesmen pose.

But linebacker Marcellus Speaks, who transferred from Delta State two years ago, said that respect for the Statesmen doesn't mean the Tigers have an excuse to falter.

Because no matter how good Delta State may be, it won't look pretty to lose a home opener to a Division II program.

"Delta State's going to be a great football team and we know and respect that," Speaks said. "But if we really want to be a great team in the SWAC, these are games we have to win."


Keys for Jackson State

NO. 1

PROTECT THE QUARTERBACK

Led by Division II All-American Michael Eubanks, Delta State's linebackers are exceptional. JSU's offensive line needs to figure out a way to keep Eubanks and Co. out of the backfield and give quarterback Jimmy Oliver some time in the pocket.

NO. 2

SECONDARY RENAISSANCE

Jackson State's secondary was picked on without mercy last season when the team lost four of its final five games. Much of the same group returns and they'll have a huge test right off the bat trying to contain Delta State's spread offense. In particular, CB Keith Camp and S LaBrose Hedgemon need to show improvement.

NO. 3

PUT PRESSURE ON WILSON

Delta State junior Dedrick Wilson will be making his first start for the Statesmen and the JSU defensive front needs to make sure it's unpleasant. If Corey Clark, Daniel Brooks and Marcus Benard can put pressure on Wilson and force him into a few turnovers early, the Tigers could grab a large lead early.

Look out for...

MICHAEL EUBANKS

Delta State linebacker

The Statesmen had nine players receive some sort of preseason All-America honors this summer, but none is more feared than outside linebacker Michael Eubanks.

Coming into his senior season, Eubanks (6 feet 2, 225 pounds) is just two sacks shy of tying the school record. He had 24 tackles for a loss and 10 1/2 sacks during last season's run to the NCAA Division II national semifinals despite being double- and triple-teamed in many games.

After watching film of Delta State, Jackson State coach Rick Comegy said Eubanks would have the full attention of his offense.

"Their entire defense is fast, but that Eubanks guy is at a whole other level," Comegy said. "He's the type of guy that could end up playing on Sundays with his speed and strength. Right now, we're trying to figure out a way to slow him down."

Eubanks, the son of former Alcorn State star Melvin Eubanks, leads a defense that returns nine starters and last year led the Gulf South Conference in scoring defense, total defense and rush defense. Much of the same is expected this year.

And football isn't where Eubanks' prowess stops. He's also working on a double major in biology (pre-med) and chemistry.

It's Halftime!!!!!!

By Michael-Louis Ingram

PHILADELPHIA -- Saturday afternoons in the fall mean college football. But Saturday afternoons at historically Black colleges and universities mean Showtime!

No matter how good or bad a team is, no matter how good or bad the game is, two things are a given at a HBCU game One, someone goes home happy -- after all, their team won. Two, and most important -- no one goes to the bathroom during halftime.
Let's be real here -- while normal Division I school bands march -- HBCU bands strut. Division I school bands sing fight songs; HBCUs live them. Division I schools play; HBCUs perform.

From the hot stepping of the drum majors, the precision of the flag bearers, and the universal sounds produced from an army of wood, brass and steel, HBCU bands have transformed halftimes into their personal 15 minutes of fame.

Although the movie "Drumline" focused on the competitive nature between schools, it is usually not considered a complete victory until the school's band kicks butt along with the football team during the unofficial "battle of the bands" at halftime.

Of all those HBCU bands that have graced the gridiron, some have reached mythic status.

In northern Florida , you will find the capital, Tallahassee , and snakes. Children raised in Florida know early on not to walk in tall grass because a snake may be lurking. But opponents of Florida A&M University (FAMU) know a Rattler can strike anywhere.

The Green and Orange of FAMU, while just across the tracks from their Division I neighbor Florida State, has enjoyed its own niche as a HBC power, winning the inaugural Division I-AA title in 1978.

Self-proclaimed as the "marchingest, baddest, most electrifying band in the world", the "Marching 100's" accomplishments stand on their own as well. In 1985, FAMU was awarded the Sudler Trophy, the highest honor a collegiate marching band can receive.

FAMU's Marching 100 became the first Southern band, the first HBCU band, and first and only in the MEAC to receive the award, considered by many to be the "Heisman Trophy for college bands."

Hampton University has become a bellwether franchise for academic and athletic excellence, and their band has been trumpeting their success for decades. Al Davis, band director for the 220 members of the "Marching Force" gives a "Who's Who?" dialogue on bands at HBCUs:

"The Hampton Band program goes back to the late 1800s," reveals Davis . "And my working experience included influences by some of the greatest band directors of all time. People like Isaac Gregg (Southern University), Merritt at Tennessee State, Harold Harden ( Jackson State ) and Donovan Walls down at Bethune-Cookman."


"All of these gentlemen strove not only for technical excellence, but always sought to entertain and give the audience their very best each and every show."

Davis says many schools work the kinks out at band camp, which can sometimes be as demanding as any football practice. "We don't practice as much -- our kids are students and degrees are important. At band camp we go from 8 am to 11 pm for about three weeks, usually around the second week in August." "And we do strive for perfection -- it doesn't matter how much you shake that tail if the music ain't right."

While "Drumline" focused on this aspect of Black college life, Davis says the producers were about 80% right in their depiction."Incorporating popular music has always a staple of most bands repertoire," says Davis . "If it's hot on the radio, we'll play it. And certain bands get more play because of their style, along with fight songs and alma mater songs."

"Many of the HBCU bands will jump on new stuff that comes out -- but the better stuff that becomes standards come from the funk/jazz fusion coming from the 1970s and 1980s." Asked who stands out among that, Davis replied, "Without a doubt, Cameo. Before they revised their group, they had 12-13 cats in their first lineup. Their horn arrangements and rhythm fit what we do like a glove."

"We have performed to Cameo songs like "Talking out the Side of Your Neck", "Skin I'm In", "Knights of the Sound Table" and "Word Up" -- and many other schools have as well."

If you happen to dote on the sound coming down from Washington , D.C., then the 160- piece Howard University Showtime Band may be your on-field cup of turf. John Newson has been a band director for 35 years, and says Howard knows how to go to the go-go.

From recording albums, commercials (remember the Coca-Cola spot?) movie appearances, playing in the first Super Bowl (as well as SB's IX and XX) and performing in nearly every domed and open-air stadium in North America (often times for teams other than Grambling), they epitomize the spirit of the Black college experience.

Jay Walker perfect for MEAC/SWAC Challenge

By St. Clair Murraine, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Jay Walker came down from his hotel room to meet a visitor, with a clipboard clutched in his hand. Among the pages were football rosters with players' names circled. Notes were jotted next to each one.

"Right now this is my lifeblood," said Walker, a former quarterback at Howard University who later played in the NFL. "This separates No. 80 from me knowing No. 80. We all know that No. 80 is Gerard Lambert from Southern University, but do we know he's been out for a couple weeks and do we know he is big, strong and powerful?"

Walker spent the past week getting to know every player on the rosters of Southern and Florida A&M. He'll do the same throughout the season as he works a slate of games that ESPN will televise, especially those involving black college teams.

It hasn't been an easy task, though. He gets what information he can from each school's sports information staff. The rest he collects from the internet and through conversations with players and coaches.

Today's game is special. ESPN is treating it as it would a bowl game with several high-profile events as a prelude.

This third edition of the MEAC-SWAC Challenge revives the second longest rivalry series in FAMU's history. Both schools will cash in big with each getting a portion of an estimated $300,000 that includes expenses and a portion that will go to both leagues, said Pete Derzis, vice president and general manager of ESPN's regional television.

ESPN also has renewed a three-year agreement to promote and televise the Challenge through 2010, Derzis said.

"We have tremendous commitment to continue building the event; putting together all of the partners that make an event like this really work," he said. "There is a lot of people committed to this event and it really provides and initiative for our diversity program.

"With the MEAC-SWAC Challenge reaching a constituency, that's an extremely important fan base for our network. We see a very bright future as this continues to grow."

Having Walker, a product of black college football, as analyst is part of the push for ESPN to reach its targeted audience. For Walker, working as analyst when the Challenge is broadcast on ESPN Classic, is also part of his development.

He's learning from some of the veteran analysts and play-by-play figures such as John Madden and Keith Jackson, he said.

"I actually study the broadcasters more than I study the X's and O's," Walker said. "Football is football. The different broadcasting styles and techniques; I'm studying those consistently. I find myself watching John Madden anytime he's on TV because I love his pace. He talks so that you can always understand him."

Walker has become a fixture with the Challenge, as much as ESPN since its inception two seasons ago. The Challenge is gaining popularity among television viewers and Walker is getting valuable on-the-job experience in his fledgling role as an analyst.

But as brief as his career has been with the network, Walker is still the best for the job, Derzis said.

"There is no question that he can provide a unique insight that other analysts that we have in our stable of analysts would not be able to provide; a much greater appreciation and understanding," Derzis said. "That's what makes this weekend special."

Football fever lures legions to Legion Field

TORAINE NORRIS, Birmingham News staff writer

College, high school contests are big draws

More than 50,000 football fans are expected this weekend at Legion Field over three days packed with the MEAC-SWAC Challenge, the annual Miles College matchup against Tuskegee University and a Birmingham high school doubleheader.

A crowd of 25,000 football fans is expected for today's MEAC-SWAC Challenge, pitting the Southern University Jaguars of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the Florida A&M University Rattlers of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The game kicks off at 2 p.m. ESPN Classic will broadcast it nationally. The Southern-FAMU rivalry dates to 1941 but this is the first meeting since 2001.

The Challenge will not return to Birmingham next year. A three-year agreement between the city and ESPN Regional to host it ends with today's game.

ESPN officials said Friday they are considering a site within MEAC territory. Birmingham is the home of the SWAC offices.

"We haven't decided at this point, but we are strongly considering a MEAC site," said Tilea Coleman, spokeswoman for ESPN Regional.

Coleman said the plan was to rotate sites between SWAC and MEAC cities when ESPN initiated the Challenge concept.

The MEAC-SWAC Challenge is projected to pump $16 million into Birmingham's economy, said Barry Hoehn, director of convention sales for the Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Last year's matchup of Hampton University and Grambling State attracted 19,000 fans to Legion Field and had an economic impact of $12 million to $13 million, Hoehn said.

Hoehn said hundreds of MEAC-SWAC fans have called for information on restaurants and other attractions in the city. "I had to put data on the Web site a month earlier because of the number of phone calls we were getting."

Miles signs for 5 years:

While losing the MEAC-SWAC would be a blow, Legion Field is not without candidates for future Labor Day weekend games.

Miles College, which will host Tuskegee at 6 p.m. Sunday in the first Labor Day Golden Classic, has a five-year deal to play at Legion Field on Labor Day weekend, Miller said. This year's matchup is the first of those games, he said.

There had been talk initially of a college doubleheader on Sunday, with the MEAC-SWAC game preceding the Labor Day Golden Classic. However, Miles officials nixed that idea.

Miller said Legion Field could have handled the doubleheaders, with its artificial turf.

"We're able to do 30 events this year," he said. "We've been able to do a lot of things with the field now that it has got the stability to it with the turf."

Expecting 20,000:

Birmingham city schools officials are hoping the doubleheader Monday will serve as a financial boost to the nine high schools.

"We're trying to come up with a formula where we can use the top teams to market them on a game like this and then we can help ourselves," said George Moore, city schools athletics director.

Moore said the system is projecting a crowd of 20,000 for the Wenonah-Carver and Huffman-Parker matchups at 4 and 7 p.m., respectively. Previous high school games played on the Labor Day weekend have attracted crowds approaching 30,000, Moore said.

Moore said the system would like to play the doubleheader next year.

"The teams may not be the same, but we're going to do it again," he said

Southern-FAMU Matchups

Southern-FAMU Matchups

VIDEO: http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate_Sports/08312007-25.high.flash8.html



PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southern RB Darren Coates

2006 stats: 31 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD

Coates, a senior, gets his first career start. It’s up to him and sophomore Brian Threat to get the SU running game going. SU is trying to incorporate a zone-blocking scheme, which could help a young line as well as the running backs, and the addition of first-year RB coach Elvis Joseph seems to have invigorated the running backs as well. Coates has confidence from his performance in the Bayou Classic and got leaner and stronger in the offseason.

Florida A&M DE Tyrone McGriff Jr.

2006 stats: 35 tackles, two sacks

McGriff, a senior, is the son of the late Tyrone McGriff Sr., a College Football Hall of Fame guard for the Rattlers in the 1970s, and the cousin of both Charlie Ward, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida State, and Major League Baseball star Fred McGriff. He’s also a speedy, accomplished pass rusher who will test Southern’s makeshift offensive line. He has 8.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss in the previous two seasons. The Rattlers were young on defense last season, but that’s not the case this season.

WHO HAS THE EDGE

Quarterbacks: Florida A&M

Running backs: Florida A&M

Offensive line: Florida A&M

Wide receivers: Florida A&M

Tight ends: Florida A&M

Defensive line: Florida A&M

Linebackers: Florida A&M

Defensive backs: Southern

Kickers: Florida A&M

Kick returners: Southern

Intangibles: Florida A&M

Coaching: Even

PREDICTION

Here comes the bill for Southern’s offseason of attrition. The Jaguars might match up better across the offensive and defensive lines in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, but today they’ll be much smaller and less experienced. Southern will hope its speedy playmakers, at quarterback, wide receiver, running back and defensive secondary, can make enough big plays to offset the disadvantage up front. Keep an eye on the turnover ratio.

Florida A&M 31, Southern 17

Southern-FAMU Depth Charts

SOUTHERN

Offense

LT 84 Trent Thomas 6-2 255 Sr.
72 Leslie Dvis 6-6 260 Fr.
LG 77 Rafael Louis 6-2 270 Jr.
66 Frank Harry 6-4 300 Jr.
C 75 DeMarcus Stewart 6-0 285 Sr.
68 Daniel Stephens 6-2 285 So.
RG 67 Roddrell Stewart 6-3 305 Fr.
63 Chris Neal 6-0 280 So.
RT 76 Myles Williams 6-2 275 Sr.
74 Reuben Oliver 6-4 300 Jr.
TE 81 Evan Alexander 6-3 250 Jr.
45 Atuanya Antoine 5-9 220 Jr.
WR 80 Gerard Landry 6-2 230 Sr.
86 Mark Henderson 6-1 270 Jr.
WR 1 Del Roberts 5-8 190 So.
36 Nicholas Benjamin 5-9 185 Sr.
WR 88 Juamorris Stewart 6-3 195 So.
13 A.J. Turner 5-8 185 Sr.
QB 16 Bryant Lee 6-2 195 So.
11 Warren Matthews 6-3 230 So.
RB 43 Darren Coates 6-1 200 Sr.
32 Kendrick Smith 6-1 217 Jr.
FB 34 Brian Threat 6-2 210 So.
81 Evan Alexander 6-3 250 Jr.

Defense

LE 94 Wesley King 6-2 275 So.
92 Don Holloway 6-2 275 So.
LT 91 Dwayne Charles 6-2 280 So.
66 Frank Harry 6-4 300 Jr.
NT 71 Joseph Selders 6-2 318 Jr.
98 Calvin Cunningham 6-1 255 Fr.
RE 33 Vince Lands 6-1 250 Jr.
97 Steven Williams 6-1 250 Fr.
OLB 39 Gary Chapman 6-0 225 So.
47 Andre’ Coleman 6-0 220 Fr.
MLB 58 Allan Baugh 6-0 225 So.
56 Brian Lewis 6-2 245 So.
OLB 49 Brian Malveaux 6-0 245 Jr.
46 Donald Steele 6-0 250 Jr.
LCB 7 Michael Williams 5-11 195 Jr.
22 Tremaine Williams 6-1 185 So.
RCB 3 Efe Osawemwenze 6-1 185 Sr.
41 Ronald Wade 6-0 185 So.
SS 5 Glenn Bell 5-9 175 Sr.
23 Toyin Akinwale 5-10 190 Jr.
FS 2 Jarmaul George 6-1 190 Jr.
27 Anthony Wells 6-0 185 So.

Specialists

PK 17 Josh Duran 5-10 180 Fr.
P 17 Josh Duran 5-10 180 Fr.
H 36 Nicholas Benjamin 5-9 185 Sr.
DS 54 DeMarcus Turner 5-9 220 Jr.
KR 13 A.J. Turner 5-8 185 Sr.
1 Del Roberts 5-9 190 Jr.
PR 1 Del Roberts 5-9 190 Jr.

FLORIDA A&M

Offense

QB 2 Albert Chester II 5-11 190 Sr.
16 Leon Camel 5-6 170 Sr.
TB 30 Phillip Sylvester 5-10 185 Fr.
33 Greg Arline 5-9 190 Jr.
FB 49 Kalif Sheppard 6-2 245 Sr.
47 Demarius Folsom 6-0 215 Fr.
TE 82 Taj Jenkines 6-2 240 Fr.
81 Max Percell 6-2 240 Jr.
LT 70 Justin Delancy 6-2 328 Sr.
73 Cristopher Snds 6-8 315 Fr.
LG 60 Anthony Collins 6-3 355 S0.
72 Sean Mendez 6-1 275 Fr.
C 51 Kwame Akkebela 6-4 255 So.
58 Devin Turner 6-1 285 Fr.
RG 61 Javier Wallace 6-3 270 So.
78 Franklin Carter 6-3 370 Fr.
RT 75 Robert Okeafor 6-4 295 So.
76 Kenneth Lanier 6-7 315 So.
WR 87 Adrian Smith 6-2 175 Fr.
15 Javares Knight 6-4 190 So.
WR 89 Ronald Wright 6-0 202 Sr.
83 Jarvis Funderburk 5-11 165 Fr.
WR 3 Willie Hayward 6-4 190 Sr.
80 Isaac West 6-2 200 Fr.

Defense

DE 90 Carlos Rolle 6-1 235 Sr.
92 Marquis Matthews 6-3 220 Fr.
DT 96 Demetrius Lane 6-2 295 So.
99 Joseph Wims 6-5 250 So.
DT 71 Cameron Houston 6-0 285 So.
93 Lyman Reed 5-11 271 So.
DE 10 Tyrone McGriff 6-1 217 Sr.
97 Kendrick Washingtn 6-5 245 Fr.
LB 27 Danell Shepard 5-9 180 Sr.
57 Bryan Parker 6-3 220 So.
MLB 44 Vernon Wilder 6-0 248 Jr.
56 Damien Priester 6-1 220 Fr.
LB 4 Michael McMillan 6-2 195 So.
48 Vic Arboleda 5-10 190 Jr.
CB 21 Michael Creary 5-9 180 So.
1 Quier Hall 6-2 175 Fr.
FS 28 Jason Beach 6-2 198 Jr.
14 Anthony Johnson 6-0 180 Fr.
SS 25 Ernest Williams 5-10 189 Sr.
34 Donnie Alexander 6-0 200 Fr.
CB 12 Donovan Johnson 5-11 181 So.
24 Curtis Holcomb 5-10 170 Fr.

Specialists

PK 20 Wesley Taylor 5-7 170 Sr.
PK 20 Wesley Taylor 5-7 170 Sr.
19 Troy Walker 5-11 185 Fr.
KR 12 Donovan Johnson 5-11 181 So.
1 Quier Hall 6-2 175 Fr.
PR 18 Gregory Clark 5-8 180 So.
1 Quier Hall 6-2 175 Fr.
H 16 Leon Camel 5-6 170 Sr.
93 Lymon Reed 5-11 271 So.
LS 77 Doug Peeler 6-2 265 Sr.
93 Lymon Reed 5-11 271 So.

-- Joseph Schiefelbein

Southern University RB Smith cleared to play

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Southern junior running back Kendrick Smith got cleared to play Friday afternoon and was expected to travel here in the evening in order to play in today’s season opener.

“He’ll be here for the game, some kind of way,” SU spokesman Kevin Manns said.

Smith was one of two Jaguars not to get on the bus when the team left campus Thursday. Sophomore center Ramon Chinyoung, the team’s No. 1 option on a line decimated by academic casualties since the spring, was the other. Chinyoung, who practiced earlier in the week, was not cleared yet.

Southern, which plays Florida A&M at 2 p.m. in Legion Field, packed the gear for both players on the bus in hopes one or both would become eligible.

SU coach Pete Richardson said earlier in the week he was optimistic of Smith’s chances of getting cleared.

Despite not playing last season, Smith is expected to add punch to Southern’s running game, along with improved senior Darren Coates and sophomore Brian Threat.

A star at Patterson High who was once offered a scholarship by LSU, Smith ran for 1,902 yards and 24 touchdowns in two years at Coffeyville Community College. He signed with Southern Illinois, a Division I-AA member like Southern, in February 2006 but never played there, instead transferring to SU a year ago.

Without Chinyoung, senior Demarcus Stewart will start at center. Stewart started last season at center but Chinyoung’s improvement last season allowed him to move to guard. Sophomore Daniel Stephens, a nonqualifier last season, and junior Myles Williams, the starter at right tackle, can back Demarcus Stewart. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Rodrell Stewart should start at right guard.

SU fans want wins

By SCOTT RABALAIS, Advocate sportswriter

SU VIDEO: http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate_Sports/08312007-25.high.flash8.html

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With all that Pete Richardson has done for Southern — all the championships, all the Bayou Classic victories, all the glory — you would think the one question this legendary coach wouldn’t have to answer is “What have you done for me lately?”

If nothing else, and there is so much else, Richardson knows how the game is played. And the one thing fans expect when you win is to win more. When you start losing they ask why. Or they quickly ask you to leave.

“Apparently it’s the nature of the beast,” Richardson said. “People are not patient. They expect you to have success. And expectations should be big.”

Richardson freely admits he constructed the monster that threatens to consume him in his football laboratory. He took over a moribund Southern program back in 1993, one that had fallen far from the glory days of A.W. Mumford, and made the Jaguars into an instant winner. From 1993-2003 his teams won five Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and four black college national titles. Only Mumford, the man who has his name on Southern’s stadium, has a better résumé.

The last three years, though, the wins have come at a much slower trickle. Seasons of 8-4, 4-5 and 5-6 have left Southern fans fed on a bountiful buffet of winning, fans who had forgotten the struggles of the 1970s and 80s, feeling starved. Maybe Richardson had lost his edge. Stayed too long. Needed to give way to someone else.

Support from Southern’s administration has eroded to the point that his contract ends after this season. While no one is showing him the door, they aren’t showering him with praise, either.


If Richardson is frustrated by all of the criticism and second-guessing, he rarely lets it show. And, more importantly, he hardly seems ready to give in.

“I built a tradition at Southern,” said Richardson in a rare prideful moment. “You understand the expectations. It’s my responsibility to get it back where it needs to be.”

Looking fit and sharp Friday as he prepared to enter the ballroom for a luncheon to kickoff today’s SWAC/MEAC Challenge game here against Florida A&M, Richardson appears ready for a fight. Since having long-needed knee surgery a couple of years ago, he physically feels rejuvenated. And he is determined to stay long enough to see Southern finally enclose the north end zone of Mumford stadium, building well-overdue facilities that will benefit football and several other programs.

Construction, if it indeed ever comes (some trees on the site have recently been cleared) could be completed in less than two years. Of course, Richardson has been waiting far longer than that, showing blueprints and sketches to recruits who have often been lured away to other more well-equipped programs.

While the responsibility for winning football games ultimate stops with Richardson, he has consistently been asked to produce a diamond of a program in coal mine conditions. The notion that players will gravitate to Southern because it is Southern is false and dangerous.

For someone who has given so much to not only a football program but a university, you want things to end well for Richardson. That means going out on his own terms, and preferably at the top of his game.

Right now that looks like a reach. It was a devastating summer for the program, with 15 players having left since the end of spring practice. Depth has taken a major hit, and won’t make the task of getting off to a momentum-building start against a formidable FAMU team any easier.

Despite it all, the doubts and defections, Richardson appears energized on the eve of a new campaign.

“I expect we will play well” today, Richardson said.

It would be a start. If not, Richardson and Southern may not have too many tomorrows left together.

Southern Jaguars depending on Lee

Photo: SU QB Bryant Lee

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Call it football sense. Southern University wide receiver Gerard Landry knew, deep down, as he saw quarterback Bryant Lee taking off for the south end zone of A.W. Mumford Stadium on a quarterback draw.

The game with Texas Southern was tied late into the third quarter. Lee was a redshirt freshman filling in for J.C. Lewis, who injured his throwing shoulder early in the second quarter. And the Jaguars were in a three-game losing spiral, having just changed offensive coordinators.

Right there, that skinny kid bolted, following his tackle Myles Williams by design, and raced free, 28 yards, for the go-ahead touchdown as SU pulled away.

“The moment that got me was that Texas Southern game, when they put him in and he housed that thing right here in the south end zone and gave thanks to God,” Landry said. “I always remember that play.”

Lee begins this season as Southern’s starting quarterback with the Jaguars, who have had two straight losing seasons, playing Florida A&M at 2 p.m. today in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Legion Field.

So what does Southern have in Lee? A lot of who Lee is was on display in that play: rising to the occasion, flashing speed and remembering his faith.

“He showed me he was grateful,” Landry said. “He waited his turn. He waited all this time, and when he got his opportunity to shine, he went out there and shined and he gave thanks to the man above.”

His momma, Southern grad Patricia Lee, was proud.

“He’s a Christian kid, for sure,” Patricia Lee said. “That’s what I taught him, the Christian life. He’s never been a cocky player. He’s always been a team player.”

Lee, starting with that game, became known as a playmaker. He held off a challenge from fast-rising fellow sophomore Warren Matthews in preseason camp pretty much on his reputation of being what coaches call a “gamer.”

Lee, from Boutte, likes the rep. He went 27-1 as a starter at Hahnville, threw a record-tying four touchdowns in beating powerhouse Evangel Christian Academy of Shreveport in the 2003 Class 5A state title game and twice beat LSU’s highly touted Ryan Perilloux of East St. John in LaPlace.

“It means a lot to me,” Lee said. “I get a lot of confidence from the team when they say I’m a gamer. They know, when the lights are on, I’ll play to the best of my ability.”

Patricia Lee said she thought her son would be a baseball player and always remembers him uncorking a long throw from the outfield. His dad, Michael Lee, however, told Hahnville coaches about Bryant’s arm, and remembered Bryant once replacing cousin LaRon Landry and throwing a touchdown pass on the next play.

“That’s when I knew, once he got his opportunity, he was going to take advantage,” Michael Lee said, echoing how things have gone down at SU.

The last time Southern turned to a redshirt sophomore as its No. 1 quarterback wasn’t that long ago. Lewis, now a fifth-year senior, took over in 2005, following two SWAC offensive players of the year (quarterbacks Quincy Richard, in 2003, and Thomas Ricks, in ’04). Lewis, now in graduate school and third on the current depth chart, started the last two seasons and ascended to fifth on the school’s all-time passing chart.

While Lewis still throws a great ball, the one mark against him is his lack of mobility. He was sacked 28 times in nine games in 2005 and was knocked out of games with concussions last season.

A more mobile quarterback is a necessity this season.

For one, the offense has been revamped under Mark Orlando, who revised his familiar role as offensive coordinator starting with that Texas Southern game (with Lee, then, becoming the team’s main quarterback pretty much at the same time). The offense is designed for guys with skills like those of Lee and Matthews.


More pressing, though, is SU, because of academic attrition, has piece-mealed its offensive line. The Jaguars are young and thin, highlighted by the drastic camp move of making a tight end, Trent Thomas, into the left tackle.

“You have to be patient, but they have confidence in me and I have confidence in them,” Lee said of his line.

Then, tellingly, he didn’t shy away from saying he wouldn’t be afraid to get on the guys up front, either.

“In the game it’s high intensity, so I’ll probably get on them,” Lee said.

That’s the take-charge coaches want to see. That’s what they liked seeing in two scrimmages after tapping Lee as the winner in the quarterback duel. He was sharp and in control.

Lee enters this season with more experience than Lewis in 2005. He threw for 571 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 58.6 percent of his passes last season. He also is the team’s top returning rusher, with 67 carries for 302 yards and five TDs.

Starting with the concussion to Lewis and continuing with the ineffectiveness of C.J. Byrd, Lee rose from third on the depth chart at this point a year ago. But even with not getting the reps, Lee would throw extra after practice.

“He had a good offseason, got bigger and stronger,” SU coach Pete Richardson said.

Though Landry gave in that Lee can play a bit of a jokester in the locker room, that’s not how things go down between the sidelines.

“Bryant Lee has really been stepping up,” Landry said. “He’s going to step up and get the job done. He knows when to clown and when to work. &hellip He’ll work hard. All you have to do (during the summer) is say, ‘Let’s go throw, Lee,’ and he’s ready to go.”

Almost ready.

“I think everybody’s a little nervous,” Lee said. “After that first hit, I’ll be ready.”

Tennessee State has a long road ahead

By MIKE ORGAN, Staff Writer, Tennessean

After tonight, Tigers stay away until Oct. 27

Tennessee State football fans get a glimpse tonight of the Tigers.

And that is all it will be, only a glimpse.

Because of a road schedule, after playing Alabama A&M in the John Merritt Classic tonight at LP Field, the Tigers won't play another home game until Oct. 27.

Throw in a bye week on Oct. 6, and it means TSU won't play at home again for seven weeks after trying to avenge back-to-back losses to Alabama A&M.

It is going to be a tough road to hoe, and it is why Coach James Webster put his team through such a demanding preseason camp, one made even more challenging by an intense heat wave that lasted for most of the month of August.

"Everybody says, 'Coach you're tough on them aren't you?' '' Webster said. "And I say, 'Yeah I'm tough on them. I'm tough on them because we've got a tough schedule.' We're going to be on the road for six straight games, and we've got some tough games in that stretch."'

No creampuffs

The brutal road trip will include three Ohio Valley Conference games — Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky — along with three games against rivals Jackson State (Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis), Florida A&M (Atlanta Classic) and Southern.

While tonight's game is at home, it also will be a steep challenge. A&M spoiled TSU's opener the past two years, with a 27-14 victory in 2005 and a 27-20 win last year.


Naturally, Webster is thankful at least to be opening the season at home. He's also eager to see how his team performs against A&M. It should provide a reliable measuring stick for the difficult preseason he put the Tigers through.

"Alabama A&M is a good football program,'' Webster said. "They're picked to win the (Southwest Athletic Conference) again. It will be a good test to see where we are."

A better start

TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner is confident the Tigers are better than last year, when A&M visited and came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat the Tigers.

"We think we're a better football team coming into this season than we were going into last season,'' said Heffner, who made his first start against A&M after transferring from South Carolina. "We didn't have that chemistry bond like we have now. We expect a tough battle from them, but I bet they expect a tough battle from us, too.

"We really need to get off to a good start, a better start than last year, since we have all those road games coming up."

Predictions for Alabama A&M to repeat were made before several key players were declared ineligible and will miss tonight's game.

On Wednesday, Coach Anthony Jones said running back Max Martin, a transfer from Alabama, and wide receiver Anthony Mitchell, who both were expected to start, were not cleared to play by the NCAA along with offensive linemen Anquez Jackson and Antonio Regist, and reserve defensive end Jonathan Jones.

Alabama A&M faces deja vu moment

By REGGIE BENSON, Times Sports Staff

Inexperience on field, sidelines worries Jones as 'Dogs go to Tennessee State

NASHVILLE - There was a time when Tennessee State dominated Alabama A&M, winning the first 15 meetings.

But since the series was renewed in the late 1990s, it has been dead even. In fact, A&M has held the upper hand in recent years, winning four of the last five.

That doesn't sit well with TSU coach James Webster, who is 0-2 against the Bulldogs. A&M and TSU will meet tonight in the John Merritt Classic at LP Field. Kickoff is at 6.

"This is the most important game of the season," Webster said earlier this week. "It's our Classic. We've lost two years in a row. We've got to get off to a positive start.

"With us being in our third year, it's important for us to win the football game and prove to ourselves and our fans that we've made progress."

A&M coach Anthony Jones is 4-1 against TSU, but he says none of that will matter tonight.

Jones' lone loss came in 2004 when he took a young bunch of Bulldogs to Nashville and got embarrassed 42-7.

Jones will send yet another young football team on the field against the Tigers.

"We're going to have new guys all over the place - particularly on offense," said Jones, who will have six players on offense making their first career starts.

"We're confident with what we've been doing with those guys, but we'll just have to see what happens when the lights come on."

In addition to his young team, Jones also has three new offensive assistant coaches.

"This will be their first real test as far as coaching on the run and making adjustments," Jones said.

The Bulldogs also lost five players, including three critical ones, earlier this week when wide receiver Anthony Mitchell, offensive linemen Anquez Jackson and Antonio Regist and defensive end Jonathan Jones were declared academically ineligible. Running back Max Martin has yet to be cleared pending an NCAA issue.

"I anticipated we might have a problem, but some of those guys were still working and making plays," Jones said. "Then, all of a sudden, they're gone. That makes a difference.

"TSU is a good football team, and when you play a good football team, you want to go in there full tilt. When you lose guys, it hurts."

However, the Bulldogs have moved on and Jones said they've made the necessary adjustments.

But he knows the Tigers will be sky high come game time.

"You don't appreciate the value of some of these Classics until you lose," Jones said. "I know they appreciate the value of their Classic because that's all they've talked about. When they come out of that tunnel, their intensity will be off the charts. They have a lot of guys coming back that have experienced losing this game. We've got a lot of guys that don't have a clue what they're getting into.

"The intensity they're going to bring is going to be so high that if we don't match it or exceed it, it may be more than we can handle."

BCU--Gateway Classic never a let down

Photo: BCU Head Football Coach Alvin B. Wyatt, Sr.

By BRENT WORONOFF, Staff Writer, Daytona News-Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- Jack "Cy" McClairen had not arrived at Bethune-Cookman's campus yet when the Wildcats hosted its first Gateway Classic in Jacksonville in 1948.

The former B-CU player and coach does have vivid memories of the second Classic in 1952, however. He was a senior on the Wildcats team that lost in the final minutes to Morris Brown, 12-6.

"We thought we had them, but they made a spectacular catch to beat us," McClairen recalled. "It was a super game."

Last year's Gateway Classic was just as exciting and devastating for the 'Cats, who fell to Southern 30-29. That may not be the way B-CU would like to end an historic series, but the Gateway Classic's future now is as murkier than the Mississippi River.

"It's been such a tradition for us," B-CU athletics director Lynn Thompson said. "But now we don't know what will occur in the future."

The 53rd annual Gateway Classic was supposed to be contested today at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (formerly Alltel Stadium) between B-CU and Jacksonville University.

Thompson said the city of Jacksonville informed B-CU in April that it could no longer provide the school free use of the stadium. B-CU could not afford to pay a fee of between $90,000 and $120,000 to lease the facility, Thompson said, so today's season opener was moved to Daytona Beach.

B-CU will play JU at 4 p.m. at Municipal Stadium here.

"Bethune's known for quite a while that they needed to work to be self-sufficient," said Michael Bouda, the manager of the Jacksonville Economic and Development Commission's Sports and Entertainment Board. "They've known for three years that (the Classic) wasn't going to be funded this year."

Not only were the Wildcats disappointed to not be playing in Jacksonville this year, but so were the JU Dolphins, who had never played in the Jaguars' facility before.

"There was a lot of excitement about this game," said JU athletics director Alan Verlander. "And then we hired Kerwin Bell (as the team's new head coach) and there was even greater interest. But the bottom line is with all the stuff going on in Tallahassee with tax reform, it's hard to justify the city spending six figures for a football game when they're talking about cutting police officers."

Bouda said the Classic hasn't attracted enough people in recent years to justify the city footing the bill. Last year's game with Southern drew a record crowd of 23,241, according to paid attendance figures released by B-CU. But the actual attendance count in the 73,000-seat facility was only about 17,000, Bouda said.

Thompson said even if the school could schedule strong opponents like Southern every year it would not be able to pay stadium fees. Corporate sponsorships, would help, he said, but the school would still require assistance from the city.

Thompson said the school's administration will meet with Jacksonville city officials in the "foreseeable future" to discuss possible solutions.

"Just because they're going to play in Daytona now does not preclude them from going back to Jacksonville in the future," Bouda said. "But I think you have to build the game with a strong opponent every year. To come back this year with JU in a game that they don't anticipate a very big crowd is a step back."

OF NOTE:

B-CU receiver Paul Neufville was awarded a medical redshirt by the NCAA on Friday and will be eligible to play this season. A fifth-year senior last year, Neufville played in three games before a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Jacksonville at B-CU

WHERE: Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium

KICKOFF: 4 p.m.

RADIO: 1380-AM

2006 RECORDS: Jacksonville 4-6, Bethune-Cookman 5-6

SERIES: First meeting

PLAYMAKERS: Jacksonville, QB Chris Horton, Sr., third-year starter is third in school record book in passing with 2,910 yards and 23 TDs; FS Robson Noel, Jr., played cornerback last year. B-CU, QB Jimmie Russell, Sr., is eighth in school history in career passing TDs (20) and also eighth in career rushing TDs (16); FS Bobbie Williams, Sr., has intercepted three passes in a game twice.

STORYLINE: Jacksonville coach Kerwin Bell, a former star quarterback at the University of Florida, is making his college coaching debut. B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said the Wildcats are going into this game blind. "We don't know anything about them. We'll just have to play it by ear and adjust after the first quarter," he said. The Wildcats have a new play-caller in assistant C. Ray Gregory, and are expected to focus on the triple-option.

DID YOU KNOW: B-CU defensive back Stephen Berthelot has a brother who will be on the opposite sideline today -- Jacksonville DB Byron Berthelot.

UAPB Report

BY BECK CROSS, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Heat will be on for first game

Preparing for the season opener at Mississippi Valley State on Saturday has kept Arkansas-Pine Bluff Coach Mo Forte plenty busy in the preseason.

Factoring in a 1 p. m. kickoff in Itta Bena, Miss., when temperatures could be in the mid-90 s, brings a few extra challenges. The start time was moved up five hours to accommodate a broadcast by CSTV (College Sports Television ).

“You certainly have to be aware of the conditions you’re playing in,” Forte said. “You have to have more people ready to play in order to get your starters some time on the bench to gather their strength and get their breath. It’s a tough situation for both teams.”

Forte hasn’t adjusted practice times to avoid the hottest hours of the day.

“I would be doing the kids an injustice if I did that,” Forte said. “They’ll have to play in the heat of the day [in the opener ] and I think they’ll be ready.” So many choices

Arkansas-Pine Bluff is armed with the one of the best quarterbacks in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in senior Chris Wallace, who was named the 2006 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for almost 2, 000 yards and finished with a conference-best ©. 8 pass efficiency rating.

As proficient as Wallace’s passing was in leading the team to a seven-game winning streak and the school’s first West Division title, UAPB by no means will abandon the run with Martell Mallett and Mickey Dean in the backfield.

Mallett, who was named All-SWAC last season, led the conference with an average of 100. 4 rushing yards per game and scored a SWAC-high 92 points.

Dean, who opened last season as a starter before leaving the first game with a high ankle sprain, was the 2005 SWAC Freshman of the Year after rushing for almost 700 yards. Dean is back this season at full speed.

“We’ve always tried to be as balanced as we can be but we’re still a little heavier on the run than the pass,” Coach Mo Forte said. “We’ve never had Martell and Mickey at the same time and we want to get them the football. At the same time, we have a pretty good passer in Chris Wallace and receiver [Jason Jones ].” Heflin on target

The kicking game at Arkansas-Pine Bluff has been more miss than hit since the Golden Lions made the move to the Division I-AA level in 1996.

But with place-kicker Brodie Heflin back for his senior season, UAPB will have one of the more respected kicking games in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Heflin, who is a preseason All-SWAC selection, made 35 of 37 extra-point attempts and had a career-long 48-yard field goal last season.

SWAC previews

By Reggie Benson, Huntsville Times

Today's games

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Mississippi Valley State; 1 p.m. at Rice-Totten Stadium, Itta Bena, Miss.; CSTV.

UAPB reached the SWAC Championship Game and has been tabbed the favorite to repeat as West Division champion. The Golden Lions boast the most explosive offense in the league behind quarterback Chris Wallace, running backs Martell Malett and Mickey Dean and wide receiver Jason Jones.

MVSU has posted back-to-back winning seasons, but coach Willie Totten has new starters at quarterback and at seven defensive positions.

Prediction: UAPB 28, MVSU 10


Southern vs. Florida A&M; 2 p.m. at Legion Field, Birmingham; ESPN Classic.

This used to be one of the great football series for historically black colleges, but the Jaguars and Rattlers haven't played since 2001. Southern coach Pete Richardson has posted back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in his career and his contract expires at the end of December. The Jaguars have lost a number of key players to academics since last spring.

FAMU has had back-to-back winning seasons under Rubin Carter and appears ready to be a major contender in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Prediction: FAMU 21, Southern 17

Alabama A&M at Tennessee State; 6 p.m. at LP Field, Nashville.

The Bulldogs will try to make it three straight over the Tigers in the John Merritt Classic. A&M has had to revamp its offense after losing six starters and a number of lettermen, but quarterback Kelcy Luke is back after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back nine-win seasons. Defensively, A&M returns eight starters, including inside linebacker Avery Moland and end Chris Traylor.

TSU finished 6-5 last season and just missed a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title. The Tigers boast one of the OVC's top quarterbacks in Antonio Heffner and have solid running back Javarris Williams. They have added a handful of Division I transfers to their roster, including three who will start on defense.

Prediction: TSU 24, A&M 20

Grambling at Alcorn State; 6 p.m. Jack Spinks Stadium, Alcorn State, Miss.

First-year Grambling coach Rod Broadway will try to work his magic with the Tigers, who finished a disappointing 3-8 last season after winning the SWAC championship in 2005. Broadway won the black college national championship last season at North Carolina Central.

Alcorn State has six straight winning seasons under Johnny Thomas, but the Braves have yet to settle on a quarterback and have six new starters on defense.

Prediction: Grambling 17, Alcorn State 13

Delta State at Jackson State; 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Miss.

Division II power Delta State will try to upset Football Championship Subdivision big brother Jackson State in the first meeting between the two teams. The Statesmen fell in the Division II national championship game last season and finished 12-3 and return a number of starters from that team.

The Tigers finished 6-5 in Rick Comegy's first season, but lost four of their last five games. For the second year in a row, Comegy has stockpiled JSU's coffers with Division I transfers.

Prediction: Jackson State 24, Delta State 22

Prairie View at Texas Southern; 7 p.m. Reliant Stadium, Houston; ESPNU.

The Panthers believe they're ready to turn the corner after losing five games by a touchdown or less a year ago. Prairie View coach Henry Frazier believes his team will be better because it has developed a passing game. The Panthers' running game took a hit when senior Arnell Fontenot left the team. Frazier said Fontenot was having personal and medical issues, but the Houston Chronicle reported he was academically ineligible.

TSU, 4-29 during Steve Wilson's tenure, is a scary team despite its record.

Running back Brent Wilson, an All-SWAC pick two years, is back after dealing with injuries last season.

Prediction: Texas Southern 17, Prairie View 14

Labor Day Classic: It's more than just a game For PVAMU and TSU

Photo: The Texas Southern University marching band makes its entrance Friday night at TSU's campus during a battle of the bands with Prairie View A&M University.


For Prairie View and TSU students and alumni, this weekend is 'a big family reunion'

By LESLIE CASIMIR, Houston Chronicle

Today, Texas Southern University's Tigers will face Prairie View A&M University's Panthers in the Labor Day Classic football showdown at Reliant Stadium.

But that's beside the point. The game is just a traditional excuse for a weekend-long fete for TSU and Prairie View students, past and present, to descend on this city for a marathon of partying and primping, barbecuing and boasting.

"African-Americans in this city take pride in celebrating this event," said Kae Shakir, 32, a 1999 TSU graduate. "This is a big family reunion."

Women have been packing the beauty salons this week to get their hair and nails done for what many call a mini-fashion week — where old outfits at the flurry of parties, including the big game, will just not do. Men are buying the ribs and briskets for elaborate tailgate parties the day of the kickoff. No hotdogs, please.

"Women are getting facials done, manicures, pedicures, waxing, they're getting highlights, colors — they're going all out," said Johari Mills, owner of Flower Child Hair Salon on Westheimer Boulevard, who got her bachelor's degree from TSU in 2004 and a master's degree from Prairie View this year. "This is the last weekend to mark the summer and everybody is really trying to look their best."

Clearly conflicted, Mills insists she will be rooting for the hometown team.

"TSU is in my heart," said Mills, who on Thursday was rolling red curlers into Dia Tisdel's mane. Her 26-year-old customer graduated from TSU in 2003.

"I want to look fly," said Tisdel, who estimated that she'll spend around $200 for this Labor Day ritual, which is in its 23rd year. "This is like a treat — I'm going to be out and about."

The Labor Day Classic isn't all about looks, however. It's a big family reunion for two of Texas' historically black universities that are steeped in rich history and heaps of pride.

Historically black colleges and universities, largely concentrated in the South, were founded during Reconstruction. Some came about before the civil rights movement, when mainstream universities barred African-Americans from attending those institutions. There are 105 historically black colleges in the nation, and the rivalries between the schools are intense — but in an affectionate sibling sort of way, most say.

What makes this weekend huge in Houston can be found in the numbers: About 40,000 TSU grads remain in the city and about 22,000 Prairie View grads live here as well, according to both school's alumni associations.

"If you went to Texas Southern, your brother or sister went to Texas Southern, or they went to Prairie View," explained Chris Le Blanc, 35, president of TSU's National Alumni Association. "And so some families are torn down the middle."


Former Oakland Raiders running back Clem Daniels, 70, a Prairie View graduate of 1959, put it another way:

"I have distant cousins who went to TSU, and we forgave them for doing that because everybody can't go to Prairie View," said Daniels, who heads Prairie View's national alumni association. "We get the cream of the crop and the others have to go to school somewhere."

The rhetoric doesn't stop there. It extends to music and dancing as well.

On Friday night, the universities' famous marching bands and black fraternities and sororities duked it out on TSU's campus, taking part in a show-stopping competition of chanting and stomping.

At the same time, a black-tie dinner was taking place at the Sheraton Suites in the Galleria area.
Hundreds of students and alumni waited in line Friday evening to watch the battle of the bands at TSU's Health and Physical Education Arena.

Slade trial in background
China Scrogging, 20, a TSU junior, was decked out in skinny blue jeans, red pumps and a T-shirt that read, "Long Live Me."

"It rarely happens that the schools and students come together and have a good time," Scrogging, a marketing major from Denver, said as she waited in line.

Labor Day Classic attendees also have something else on their minds besides partying. TSU's former president, Priscilla Slade, is on trial for allegedly spending university money for her own benefit. Revelers don't want the ongoing criminal case to reflect on the students — future, past and present.

"Dr. Slade was, of course, our president and we acknowledge that, but it is time to move forward and go about the business of being productive," said Le Blanc, who graduated from TSU in 1996 and is a senior accountant. "We're moving forward."