Richardson praises SU O-line

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern coach Pete Richardson’s offensive player of the week will have to be shared by at least five guys.

Richardson gave his personal award from Saturday’s 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State to the entire offensive line.

“(Center Demarcus) Stewart, right tackle Myles (Williams), (left guard Rafael) Louis and (right guard Reuben) Oliver and also (left tackle Trent) Thomas did a good job,” said Richardson, naming the starters.

SU ran for 293 yards — the biggest total since Sept. 2003 — and had 499 total yards — the best total since Nov. 2005 — in Chicago.

“I think that’s great. That’s where it all starts: the offensive line,” said sophomore running back Brian Threat, who ran for a career-best 106 yards on 11 carries. “They were low on numbers, but they came out here and worked hard every day. We appreciate that. It’s good for the team.”

SU ran for 58 yards through two games last season, despite a 2-0 start.

This season, the Jaguars (2-0, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference), who host Prairie View (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium, have run for 531 yards.

Since the spring, the line lost five veterans to academics and reshuffled the unit through preseason camp.

“So far, we feel good,” first-year offensive line coach Damon Nivens said. “We’ve been making some things happen up front. We’ve got a pretty smart front, engineering majors. We’re trying to get better as each game goes on. There was a big change from game one.

“The biggest thing is getting confidence up front, knowing what you’re doing and going full speed.”

Southern has instituted a zone blocking scheme under Nivens and the Jaguars have a nice blend in running backs Darren Coates, Kendrick Smith and Threat.

“It’s like we have three first-string running backs,” Threat said.

Already, Coates and Threat have had their first career 100-yard games and Smith, from Saturday, was named the SWAC Newcomer of the Week.

“We’re very satisfied with it,” offensive coordinator Mark Orlando said. “The kids are getting more confidence in it. Football is about confidence.”

Whitewash
Southern is encouraging its fans to wear white for Saturday’s game, the Jaguars’ first home game of the season. Top Choice, a local store selling Southern paraphernalia, is selling a white T-shirt for the event, dubbed a “Whitewash Weekend.”

“It’s tough to play up here. The noise level is sky high, and most teams can’t concentrate up in here,” junior linebacker Johnathan Malveaux said. “It’s not hard for us to concentrate. This is our house.”

SU Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said single-game ticket sales have accelerated in the wake of the team’s 2-0 start.

“It’s a big boost for our fans to see how our team is looking, see what we’ve been doing on the road,” free safety Jarmaul George said.

Duran Duran
With Southern at the Mississippi Valley State 39-yard line, SU true freshman Josh Duran shanked his first punt Saturday, for minus-1 yard. But Duran recovered to average 35.6 yards per punt by getting off punts of 45, 45 and 53.

“He was trying to coffin (corner) kick the ball, and I guess he didn’t hit it right,” Richardson said.
Saturday, PV blocked two punts and a field-goal try, providing 13 points, in a 22-7 win over North Carolina A&T.

“We have to be concerned,” Richardson said.

Notes
Richardson said SS Glenn Bell (eight tackles, ‰ sack) and Duran were his defensive and special teams players of the week. … Richardson said junior QB C.J. Byrd, who was in a car accident in late July and recently returned to practice, could play if needed. … Sophomore QB Bryant Lee (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday. … SU has outscored its foes 30-7 (a Florida A&M TD with 16 seconds remaining) in the second half this season

No need to remind players of loss to PVU

VIDEO: http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate_Sports/09122007-28.high.flash8.html

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern coach Pete Richardson said he’s not talking up last season’s 26-23 overtime loss to Prairie View as incentive for his players before the teams meet at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

He’s either taking the high road or he’s choosing not to waste time stating the obvious.

“I’m not using that as a motivation,” Richardson said. “We have enough individuals who played in that game who understand what happened.

“Our thing is making sure we get focused, get ready to play. Our goal is to get to the championship; it’s not to kill anybody.”

That being said, SU’s first loss in the series since 1971 and the manner in which the game dissolved both stung hard.

“We’ve been looking for this game for 365 days,” said SU linebacker Johnathan Malveaux, who was carted off the field before overtime began and treated for heat exhaustion. “They really embarrassed us, but now we call this the payback.”

Southern blew a 14-point lead, at 20-6, and had the ball at the PV 15-yard line with 5:15 remaining before fumbling consecutive snaps, with the Panthers turning those into touchdowns to tie the game and bring on overtime.

“It was a game we should have won,” George said.

In the three preceding meetings alone, Southern had scored blowouts of 38-0, 42-12 and 62-7, continuing a series that’s been lopsided since the 1970s.

PV has improved under Henry Frazier III, and this season’s edition, at 2-0 like SU, may be the best yet. The school has restored scholarships after not having any in the 1990s, when PV set a record with 80 straight losses. Last season, though, even with five minutes left, the game didn’t seem to be the one that would provide a breakthrough against one of the SWAC’s traditional powers.

“It was horrible,” said sophomore running back Brian Threat, who had season bests of six carries and 26 yards that day. “I never want to re-live that again.”

The instant aftermath came with Prairie View players celebrating wildly and some taunting as Southern players stared on in disbelief.

“I have a memory of a guy taunting me, standing over my head, laughing at me,” senior strong safety Jarmaul George, a team co-captain this year, who was stretched out on the Tully Stadium artificial surface as a PV player danced atop him. “But now this is our year.”

Then, as Southern players got on the buses heading home, the cell calls started coming. And then they had to answer more questions from stunned classmates the next week.

Players this week have talked about how much last season’s loss hurt the older players.

“The main thing is, it’s payback week,” junior defensive tackle Joseph Selders said. “We were 2-0 going into Prairie View last year and we had a letdown late in the game. We’re going to try to pay them back this year.

“We’re going to show them Saturday who the real Jaguars are.”

Southern University 's 'Sunshine' walks off into sunset

Photo: #12 J.C. Lewis

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

There’s a redshirt sophomore running Southern’s offense these days, and Bryant Lee has shown he can be a pretty good one.

The thing is, though, the last guy to start as a redshirt sophomore, J.C. Lewis, can tell him all about how uncertain the road can be.

Lewis — a fifth-year senior known as “Sunshine” after the cool, California quarterback in “Remember the Titans” — walked into coach Pete Richardson’s office and called it a career Monday.

It’s a sad ending. It’s life. It’s football.

He finished as SU’s sixth-best passer all-time. And like Lee, Lewis once had so much going for him. Early last year, Lewis seemed a shoe-in to make the top two on that all-time list, behind Eric Randall.

First, the overtime disaster to Prairie View and a concussion/five-interception loss to North Carolina Central. Lewis, out for two games, started just one more game, in November against Texas Southern, but his last play came as he lowered his throwing shoulder on a block and got hurt. Lee has since become the starter.

So, after watching from the sideline for two games, Lewis went to see Richardson on Monday.

Said Lewis, “It was hard. Coach told me he appreciated the time I was here. It was more kind of a mutual thing. I guess he was kind of sad for me to go, but he also respected my decision to go.”

Said Richardson, “I’m kind of proud he made a decision he felt comfortable with.”

Lewis — who came to SU in June 2003 on a Monday after graduating that Friday — missed a lot of spring practice to finish his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in May. Then he spent the summer working for his mom’s real estate investment company in Houston.

He said he thought about not returning this fall, but when he was accepted to graduate school in mathematics, he came back.

But then his classes are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and conflicted with quarterbacks meetings.

“Eventually, that was going to put me further and further behind,” Lewis said.

Lewis has done what his parents insisted: gotten a degree and starting on another, while on scholarship.

“It really just came down to I just wasn’t going to play at all,” said Lewis, who will now sit down with his parents and talk about the future this weekend. “For me to play, two guys in front of me had to get hurt or we had to be doing really bad. I felt it was time for me to move on.”

Lewis also has done all a school can ask as well. He’ll be remembered for his coolness — as in easy-going, likeable and hard-to-rattle. Teammates named him a co-captain entering last season.

He’ll also be remembered for taking vicious blows (28 sacks in a nine-game 2005 season) that made Richardson, even after a lifetime around the game, wince. The elbow. The ribs. The shoulder. And most importantly, the noggin. Hits add up.

Lewis, who still throws a pretty ball, picked the right time to leave the pocket for good. The thing is, though, new days come, no matter how fondly the days of Sunshine are remembered.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

MVSU to challengeBulldogs' offense

Anthony Jones says Alabama A&M's high-powered offense will be challenged Saturday night when Mississippi Valley State comes to town. Kickoff is at 6:30 at Louis Crews Stadium.

The Bulldogs are averaging 45 points and 529 yards in total offense through their first two games. The Delta Devils, while they are next-to-last in the league in total defense, allowing more than 360 yards per game, but coach Willie Totten's team has given up just 16 points per game.

"Their defense is playing solid," Jones said. "They've changed their scheme a little bit and they're going to present some problems for us. They're not giving up a lot of points. Southern had a good day against them, but they shut Arkansas-Pine Bluff down. They've done a good job defensively and we've got to be ready for them."

MVSU has been led by defensive lineman Ronald Green, a 6-foot, 320-pound junior. A first-team, preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection, Green has 23 tackles through two games. In fact, the Delta Devils' defensive line has been very productive.

Delta Devils strugglingwithout Nelson:Life after Aries Nelson hasn't been too kind to MVSU coach Willie Totten.

Nelson, MVSU's do-it-all quarterback, guided the Delta Devils to back-to-back winning seasons the last two years. Now that he's gone, the Delta Devils offense hasn't run nearly as smooth. Through two games, MVSU is ninth in the SWAC in scoring (11.0) and passing (137.0) and last in rushing (35.5) and total offense (172.5).

Paul Roberts moved into the starting lineup after Nelson left and has completed 55 percent of his passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns, but MVSU hasn't been able to get much going offensively.

"Our quarterback has to grow up," Totten said. "We have to be patient with him. We may be doing a little too much with him right now and that's something we've got to look at. He has the potential to be good."

Towns not fooled by MVSU's offense:A&M defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns says he won't be fooled by MVSU's paltry numbers on offense.

Running back Johey Hargrett, who rushed for 104 yards on 22 carries and scored a touchdown against the Bulldogs last season, is back along with Roberts and wide receiver Clarence Cotton.

Roberts started against A&M last season and was 4-of-6 for 72 yards as MVSU won 23-20. Cotton had two catches for 17 yards.

"Cotton is a good wide receiver and he's an excellent return man," Towns said. "Hargrett is a good running back and Roberts is very agile. We've got to contain those three guys if we expect to have a chance to win."

Reggie Benson

AAMU Bulldogs-MVSU Devils 100 percent Totten

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Brothers coaching on opposing teams won't spill secrets

When Roger Totten's phone rang almost six years ago at 2:30 a.m., he anticipated somebody was in trouble. After all, isn't that usually the case when the phone rings that early?

In this case, however, Roger's younger brother, Willie, was calling with good news.

Willie Totten had just been hired as the head football coach at Mississippi Valley State, their alma mater, and he called to invite his older brother to join his staff. Roger, now at Alabama A&M, was an assistant coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the time.

"Don't you want to come back and work at a place where your name is on the stadium?" Roger recalled his brother asking. "Don't you want to come back and help me restore this program?

"In all honesty, he blackmailed me into coming back to Valley."

The stadium at MVSU was renamed Rice-Totten Stadium in 1999 in honor of Willie and Jerry Rice, one of the most electrifying quarterback/wide receiver tandems in the country in the mid-1980s. Roger played receiver in Rice's shadow and they were both seniors in 1984. Roger stayed at MVSU in 1985 and helped coach Willie, a senior that season.

Willie used the stadium name to lure his brother back.

"We had gone through a lot," said Roger, who took on a leadership role in the family while in college after their father died.

"We had helped turn the program around as players, and we believed we could turn it around as coaches."

It took a year after Willie became the head coach at MVSU in 2002 before Roger could accept his invitation and join the Delta Devils' staff.

After posting back-to-back losing seasons in 2003 and 2004, MVSU put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in two decades and came within a win of playing for the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship last season.

But despite their success, things weren't all rosy for Roger at his alma mater, and he elected during the past offseason to take a job as receivers coach at Alabama A&M.

As a result, Roger, 46, and Willie, 45, will be on opposite sidelines Saturday night when the Delta Devils take on the Bulldogs at Louis Crews Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30.

"Expectations were really high at Mississippi Valley last year for us to win (the SWAC) and things didn't work out," Roger said this week. "Once expectations are high and you don't meet them, people want to do something different.

"I felt if I left it would take some of the pressure off of Willie. It was nothing negative against Mississippi Valley. Mississippi Valley has been very good to me and my family. There's eight of us and five of us graduated from Valley. We felt like the program was moving in the right direction, but I guess it was time for me to do something different and let Willie run his own program."

Willie told a much different story earlier this week.

"I blame a lot of people for that," said Willie, referring to his brother's departure but refusing to elaborate. "When you have a seasoned coach. ... Roger has over 20 years experience in the game. He's been around the league and knows a lot of football.

"To lose him was very, very crucial for us. But we have to move on."

The Delta Devils haven't moved on very well.

Normally among the league's most potent offenses, MVSU is last or next to last in all four of the major statistical categories this year.

Meanwhile, A&M's offense has undergone an awakening since Roger arrived.

The Bulldogs, a ground-oriented offense during Anthony Jones' first five seasons as head coach, have not only been good on the ground but have been terrific through the air. A&M is averaging 45 points, to rank seventh nationally, and 529 yards in total offense after two games.

"Roger has added an attitude to our receiving corps," Jones said. "He's a no-excuse kind of guy. He brings some toughness to those guys and he has raised their level of expectation. He's really done a nice job of getting those guys to compete and play at a high level."

MVSU's loss has clearly been A&M's gain.

Willie and Roger, who grew up in Greenwood, Miss., say they haven't discussed Saturday's game. In fact, they haven't communicated in months.

"We haven't spoken since he left in June," Willie said. "That's normally how we operate. We both have a job to do. Both of us are loyal to our programs. When he was at Alcorn and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, we never talked during the season because it's strictly business.

"We talk family business, but not football business."

Added Roger: "We don't talk during football season. We've been doing that since we got in the business. We're very serious about what we're doing and it's all business to us."

They'll likely talk a little Saturday night. Approximately 25 of their family members are expected to attend the game.

Football Game Canceled: West Alabama vs. NCCU

WEST ALABAMA - West Alabama officials have canceled the Oct. 6 game with North Carolina Central, which had been scheduled for Birmingham's Legion Field.

The university cited problems with the game's promoter, Varsity Sports Marketing Group. The game promoter’s breach of contract forces cancellation of Oct. 6 contest.

"We want all of the UWA and NCCU fans to know that our great universities really wanted to play this football game and we did everything possible to salvage it, but we were unable to resolve the contract difficulties with the game's promoter," West Alabama athletic director E.J. Brophy said.

West Alabama and NCCU will have an open date on Oct. 6.

“We are disappointed that our football program and our fans will not have the opportunity to travel to Alabama for this event,” said NCCU Director of Athletics Bill Hayes. “We have developed a wonderful relationship with the administration of UWA and we were looking forward to the match-up on the gridiron. All possible efforts were exhausted by NCCU and UWA before having to come to this decision. This is quite unfortunate.”

NCCU, currently 2-1 after back-to-back shutouts of Fayetteville State and Saint Augustine’s, will play Elizabeth City State this Saturday (Sept. 15) in the New York Urban League's 37th Annual Whitney Young Football Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The contest will kickoff at 2 p.m. with live coverage on WRJD 1410 AM beginning with a pre-game show at 1:30 p.m.

SSU's Justiniano gets a "kick" out of football

By Noell Barnidge, Savannah Morning News

Savannah State kicker Luis Justiniano moved from Bolivia to the United States in 2003 in search of a better life.

"Me and my mom flew to the States for me to get a better opportunity," he said. "And it's something that I've found at Savannah State."

Justiniano and his mother, Maria Lola Saldama, lived in Miami for six months before they settled in Bluffton, S.C., where he attended Bluffton High School.

During his senior season in 2005, his mother had to return to work in Miami, where she now lives, so Justiniano moved in with the family of the Bobcats' quarterback at the time.

At first, Justiniano watched Bluffton's football practices and counted the minutes until they would end so he could ride home with the quarterback. Eventually, the lifelong soccer player became intrigued with football. "The coaches knew I played soccer, so I figured why not (try football)? I might as well," he said.

The Bobcats did not attempt a field goal during Justiniano's only season of football, but he did handle kickoffs, extra points and punts.

"My first game ever in football, I didn't know how much a field goal was worth," he said, smiling. "I didn't know when I was supposed to go in the game. I actually had a couple of friends who were like, 'Luis, go in.' I got yelled at one time because the coaches were calling for the punt team and I didn't know it was me. I got yelled at and we had to call timeout."

After graduating, Justiniano gave up football and attended Armstrong Atlantic State. But AASU does not have a men's soccer program, and he missed organized sports. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound sophomore transferred to SSU this year and made the football team as a walk-on.

In the Tigers' 24-10 victory over Johnson C. Smith last Saturday, he attempted a field goal for the first time in his life during a game and made it. Justiniano's 41-yard field goal was SSU's first since Nov. 5, 2005, at Coastal Carolina. The Tigers did not attempt a field goal last season. It also was SSU's longest field goal since 2002.

"It feels pretty awesome," he said, moments after the victory. "It feels good to know that Coach (Theo) Lemon trusts me enough to kick."

Justiniano also made all three of his extra-point attempts, and he handled SSU's kickoffs. He attempted a 47-yard field goal, but the ball was deflected and fell wide left.

When SSU (1-1) plays host to Bethune-Cookman (1-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Lemon said he intends to give Justiniano the call if an offensive drive stalls and the Tigers are within field-goal range.

"We'll go to Justiniano a lot this season," Lemon said. "I have a lot of confidence in him. I think he's going to be a star here."

Lemon was so impressed with Justiniano that he offered the walk-on a partial scholarship. Justiniano, who is majoring in electrical engineering, works part time at Domino's Pizza in order to make ends meet.

"I got a little bit of scholarship money," he said, "But it wasn't enough to cover all of my books. I had to get a book for a class and it cost $140, and it's a used book!"

Justiniano's mother has to work each Saturday at a Rooms to Go furniture store in Miami, so she can not attend his games.

"I'm not sure if she's going to be able to make it to any of my games," he said.
Justiniano's father, Walter Justiniano, sister and brother live in Bolivia. "I told my sister to type in my name in Google and it shows up on ESPN," he said, smiling.

After SSU's win against JCSU, Justiniano called his mother and shared his good news. He hopes to continue calling with news of SSU victories.

SCSU Raymond Harrison heads back to Williams-Brice

SCSU RB Will Ford vs. Air Force

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

COLUMBIA - As a sophomore linebacker at Richland Northeast High School, Rodney Paulk paid his dues on the scout team lining up against an established starting senior center in Raymond "Duck" Harrison.

For the most part, the more experienced Harrison got the better of the hungry, shorter Paulk. Yet while Harrison’s main scholarship offer came from South Carolina State, it was Paulk who ended up a year later at the University of South Carolina competing in the more high profile conference - the SEC.

When the Gamecocks play host to the Bulldogs Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, the 6-foot, 217-pound Paulk cannot wait for the first opportunity to show his former Cavalier teammate how much better he’s gotten.

"He used to really beat me down until I told him that it wasn’t happening this year because I grew up," Paulk said Tuesday. "He use to really beat me in high school, so I’m looking forward to this time and showing him that I’m a lot better than I was."

Harrison is just as anxious to show off the skills which made him a preseason All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference first-team selection and perennial starter for the Bulldogs since his freshman year.

"Right now, he’s (Paulk) playing in the SEC and I’m playing in the MEAC," he said. "So, he’s playing a little more big time football as far as bigger schools and more TV time and stuff. But it’s still football."

Although more a Clemson fan growing up in Columbia than USC, the 6-2, 275-pound Harrison was never seriously recruited by either the Tigers or the Gamecocks.

"Raymond’s a great player," said Paulk, who’s fourth on the team in tackles (12). "He was a great player in high school. That’s the only thing that got him was his size. That’s the one thing that got me too from getting offers out of high school. But, he’s a real good player. He could play Division I if the coaches would have looked at him."

According to Harrison, he’s not the only Bulldog itching to play well the second time around against a Football Bowl Subdivision foe.

"Just about everybody has something to prove," Harrison said. "We’ve got to play with a little chip on our shoulder because a lot of us were told we couldn’t play on the Division I-A level. So, we want to show that we can play a little bit."

Expect the Bulldogs to come out more confident and better prepared this Saturday having had the experience against Air Force Academy, according to Harrison. He said the initial shock of going into an FBS environment with bigger crowds and tougher, more conditioned players will not play a role against the Gamecocks.

Despite not allowing a single sack against Bethune-Cookman, Harrison said the offense did not play up to its capability.

"We feel like last week we left too many points out on the field," he said. "I feel we beat them way more than about 11 despite what the score says. So right now, we’re trying to get the early kinks out that teams have early in the season such as the false starts and stuff like that and a lot of penalties. We’re trying to get rid of all of that."

SCSU will not have at its disposal the possible element of surprise. With two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State’s stunning win over Michigan, even Harrison acknowledges it’s wishful thinking to believe the Gamecocks will look pass the Bulldogs to concentrate on second-ranked LSU.

"As far as the players, they are not going to overlook a team much anymore," Harrison said. "They may overlook us because they’re coming off a big game against Georgia, beating Georgia, so they’re real high right now looking forward to LSU. So, I hope they do come out sleeping on us a little bit."

"We’re going out there to play the best we can," Paulk said. "I know people are talking about ‘you guys should have beat them by 50 or beat them by 40’ and we end up beating them by five. Just because they’re I-AA doesn’t mean they’re lower."

RETURN TO GLORY

SCSU freshman quarterback Malcolm Long expects to be greeted by a larger, though more hostile audience at Williams-Brice Stadium compared to his two previous visits.

Yet the raucous atmosphere will not prevent the former South Carolina "Mr. Football" from reminiscing of past championship glory experienced in the stadium where he and SCSU linebacker Julius Wilkerson played together on the first of Gaffney’s two consecutive Class 4-A Division I championships.

"It was just a great place to win back-to-back," Long said. "I know I’ll have flashbacks the moment I look at the field."

In 2005 against Summerville, Long rallied the Indians from a 26-7 halftime deficit to a come-from-behind 33-32 victory. The comeback was capped by an 11-play, 90-yard scoring drive orchestrated by Long in the final 2:12.

"That was a big moment in my life," Long remembered. "I just kept my poise out there and didn’t panic,"

Last year, Long was even more dominant in the state title game with three touchdown passes and two rushes for scores in a 45-0 victory over Irmo. He would go on to earn the prestigious "Mr. Football" Award and MVP honors at the North-South All-Star Game.

Like Harrison, SCSU was the only in-state school which made him a serious offer - a subject he declined to discuss. In fact, Long is more interested in helping the Bulldogs get the upset rather than proving a point if he enters the game.

"It’s a game of football and you’re trying to get a win and beat a good football team," Long said.

NSU Preston pleased to be getting an opportunity

By KEITH IDEC, HERALD NEWS

Markeece Preston braces himself for the trash talk each time Al-Ghaffaar Lane's name pops up on his cell phone.

He laughs it all off, of course, because Lane wouldn't be Lane if he wasn't talking smack. Preston's former Paterson Catholic teammate and close friend has especially enjoyed himself this week because Preston's Norfolk State Spartans are preparing to play Saturday at 13th-ranked Rutgers (3:30 p.m.; MSG Network), for which Lane likely will redshirt as a freshman. Sports books don't offer odds on games between I-A and I-AA teams, but NSU, a Division I-AA program that hasn't had a winning season since 1996, is considered a huge underdog, the easiest mark on Rutgers' 12-game schedule.

And Lane let Preston know about their teams' obviously different levels every day this week.

"He's saying how the All-Americans are going to tear me apart and stuff like that," Preston said. "I really don't listen to him. I just laugh at him."

All kidding aside, Preston probably will play with more purpose than usual Saturday, when the true freshman figures to see plenty of time as part of NSU's offensive line rotation.

The Paterson native wanted nothing more than to join Lane and fellow Paterson Catholic alum Chenry Lewis on Rutgers' roster, but coaches at the state university stopped recruiting him when they learned he stands 6-foot-2. Although the University of Cincinnati, another Big East school, offered him a scholarship in 2006, before the Bearcats' coaching staff completely changed, Preston's height was a concern for most other Division I-A coaching staffs, too. Rutgers' starting guards, Mike Fladell and Kevin Haslam, are listed at 6-8 and 6-7, respectively.

Preston, a versatile four-year starter and a two-time Associated Press All-State selection for the Cougars, ultimately chose between Norfolk State, St. Francis (Pa.) College and Wagner College, a perceived recruiting mystery that completely surprised Paterson Catholic coach Benjie Wimberly.

"Markeece is an unbelievable athlete," Wimberly said, "and he's unbelievably strong. It's just now, though, if you look at the major offensive linemen, these guys are all starting off, even centers, at 6-4, 6-5. Markeece is right around 6-2, so height was definitely an issue. (College coaches) were looking for sleeker, taller guys. Now you've got guys 6-6, 275 or 6-5, 280. Markeece kind of looked like the linemen of the past."

Nevertheless, Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian still believes Preston is one of his program's future standouts.

"He played quite a bit in our first ball game," Adrian said of NSU's season-opening blowout win against Division II Virginia State on Sept. 1. "He's a big kid, at (6-2) and 320 pounds, and has got great athletic ability. When you're a freshman, especially on the offensive line, there are a lot of things that happen to you, with all the different fronts and blitz pickups. It's more of a learning thing (for Preston). Physically, this young man can play. He'll only get better as he gets older, you know, as he matures as a man. So we think we've got a great player right there."

Preston is listed second on NSU's depth chart at left guard, behind 6-4, 280-pound Jamien Banks, a redshirt junior who started only two games in 2006. The Spartans' right guard, Jason Kressen, is a redshirt senior who was once their starting center, so Preston should at least enter training camp next season as a possible starter. He also played center during his freshman season at PC and is a capable long snapper, so those skills should help his cause as well.

No matter how much time Preston spends Saturday trying to prevent disruptions by Rutgers defensive tackles Eric Foster, an All-America candidate, and Pete Tverdov, he'll have plenty of support within the otherwise unfriendly confines of Rutgers Stadium. He expects nearly 20 family members to attend the game.

"I was really interested in going (to Rutgers) because my family always likes to come see me play," Preston said. "I wanted to be able to go there so they could come see every game. They were recruiting me, but then they found out I wasn't as tall as they thought. So they just stopped recruiting me. They didn't think I'd be able to play on their O-line.

"I thought it was the player that counts, not the height and stuff like that. But the coaches here at Norfolk State, they thought I had perfect height and that I'd be able to play here. I'm so happy that Norfolk State picked me up because I'm playing early and there's nothing better than that."

JSU, Look out for...

TINO EDGECOMBE

Quarterback, Texas Southern

Tino Edgecombe's seen some rough times as Texas Southern's quarterback.

When he was thrown into the lineup as a true freshman, the Maroon Tigers finished with an 0-11 record in 2004. Things have slightly improved since then, with TSU finishing 1-10 in 2005 and 3-8 last year.

But now that Edgecombe is a senior, Texas Southern coach Steve Wilson said he expects more wins to follow.

"We're very happy with the development of Tino," Wilson said. "... We've seen him battle back and learn and now he has some weapons around him."

Texas Southern has started the season with an 0-2 record, but the Maroon Tigers have a passing offense that averages more than 300 yards per game.

"Most of the things we do will start and finish with (Edgecombe)," Wilson said. "We've been a running team in the past, but now we think we can be a little more balanced."

Last season, Edgecombe was in the middle of a breakout season before injuries sidelined him for most of four games - all losses - in the middle of the season. Even with the missed time, he finished the year with 1,292 passing yards and nine touchdowns.


3 Keys for Jackson State

NO. 1

RUN THAT FOOTBALL

Texas Southern has the worst rushing defense in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, giving up more than 213 yards on the ground per game. Jackson State can exploit that weakness with the combination of running backs Erik Haw and Lavarius Giles. The two combined for 156 rushing yards against Tennessee State.

NO. 2

GET PRESSURE ON THE QB

Texas Southern can throw the football, averaging more than 305 passing yards per game. But TSU quarterback Tino Edgecombe has been error-prone with one touchdown pass and four interceptions. A good push by JSU's defensive line could force Edgecombe into some bad decisions.

NO. 3

QUARTERBACK CONFIDENCE

So far this season, Jackson State has used both Jimmy Oliver and Tray Rutland at quarterback, but neither has had much success. Between bad throws by the two QBs and bad drops by the wide receivers, nothing has been in sync. A couple of good pass plays early could help the Tigers have a more balanced offense.

- David Brandt

'Seeing daylight' makes Jackson State's Haw think his time is near

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

There were three times last Saturday night when Jackson State running back Erik Haw took the handoff, made his cut and then saw a glorious sight.

Lots of green grass and plenty of room to run on it.

Haw had three runs of 10 yards or more during JSU's 16-13 loss to Tennessee State on Saturday. The junior finished with 82 yards rushing on 17 carries.

Sure, there's nothing eye-popping about those numbers, but considering how much the once highly touted transfer from Ohio State has struggled over the past year, he won't take those solid gains for granted.

"It felt good for me," Haw said. "Anytime you can see some daylight and your offensive line is working for you - there's no better feeling. You always know that the next run could be the big one."

And for the first time since midway through last season, he'll be one of the focal points of the Tigers' offense when Jackson State (0-2 overall, 0-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) hosts Texas Southern (0-2, 0-2) at 6:30 p.m. today at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

"We feel good about Erik right now and he looks like he feels good about himself," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "When he's healthy and running the ball well, he's as good as anybody in the SWAC."

And that's exactly what the Tigers expected last season, when Haw was arguably the most highly touted of nine Division I-A transfers to grace the JSU roster.

But his first season at Jackson State was pockmarked with injuries and ineffectiveness. Haw rushed for just 371 yards and was basically non-existent in the second half of the season when the Tigers lost four of five games.

His status was put further in doubt when he missed much of spring practice with a broken bone in his foot.
























Photo: Jackson State running back Erik Haw, a former Ohio State Buckeye, runs for some of his 82 yards against Tennessee State on Saturday.

So when fall camp opened in August, Haw was far from a sure bet to retain the No. 1 running back position.

But slowly, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has regained his strength and speed, and his 82 rushing yards on Saturday matched his career high set last season against Southern U.

"There's a certain amount of cohesiveness that goes with a running back and his offensive line," Haw said. "When the line gets comfortable with a running back, they realize different tendencies, like maybe I like to bounce it outside sometimes."

And with Haw completely healthy, he's teaming with senior speedster Lavarius Giles to provide an intriguing 1-2 backfield punch. The two combined for 156 rushing yards against Tennessee State.

"We've got something pretty good going back there," JSU quarterback Jimmy Oliver. "Both those guys are running the ball real hard."

Even though Haw had a breakthrough game last week, he was still kicking himself over "a few decisions that could have led to longer runs if I had read the hole properly."

Among them was a 4th-and-1 situation deep in Tennessee State territory where Haw fell just short of the first down.

"When I'm completely right, that won't happen," Haw said. "I'll bounce to the outside and get that first down. If I had, we might have won that game."

Oliver to start for JSU tonight

Senior Jimmy Oliver will be the starting quarterback when Jackson State hosts Texas Southern tonight at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Oliver and sophomore Tray Rutland have been battling for starting job, struggling while completing less than 33 percent of their passes.

JSU coach Rick Comegy said Oliver's track record from last season, when he threw for 1,906 and 14 touchdowns, was the deciding factor.

"We just feel that Jimmy's the man to lead us because he's done it before," Comegy said.

Oliver is 10-for-30 passing this season for 121 yards, one TD and one interception. Rutland is 9-for-28 for 112 yards, no TDs and two interceptions.

After Rutland played most of last Saturday's 16-13 loss to Tennessee State, Oliver skipped a film session on Sunday. But both Comegy and Oliver have said it was an isolated incident that won't happen again.

"That was just the devil right there," Oliver said. "But now I'm back right and ready to go. It's time to get this offense going and it's time to show coach that I'm a winner."

INJURY REPORT

Jackson State offensive tackle Terrael Williams will likely miss tonight's game with a strained back muscle. Williams, a 6-foot-8, 390-pound freshman, should return within a few weeks...Fullback Edward Lee (ankle) is schedule to make his debut after missing the first two games of the season.

- David Brandt

Peay-TSU rivalry didn't die despite gap

Photo: Austin Peay's Terrence Holt returns a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown against Bethel in the first quarter of the Governors' season opener. Holt, a freshman who was recruited by Austin Peay and TSU, said Saturday's game is 'a big deal.'

By JAMES D. HORNE, Gannett Tennessee

CLARKSVILLE — Terrence Holt may understand the renewed football rivalry between Austin Peay and Tennessee State better than anyone.

The current Austin Peay freshman, and former Maplewood standout, was recruited by both schools.

The Govs won that competition.

But won't be the last matchup between Austin Peay (2-0) and TSU (1-1).

The teams last met in 1996, a 38-14 TSU victory. The rivalry will be renewed Saturday at 6 p.m. in Governors Stadium.

The two schools met every year from 1988 to 1996 with TSU leading the series 6-3.

"We're right up the interstate from each other," said Holt, a wide receiver and kick returner, who took a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown the first time he touched the ball this season. "Being so close, we (team members from Austin Peay and Tennessee State) sometimes run into each other, and especially when I go home, so it's a big deal. A lot of friends are going to be playing against each other. We've both been practicing hard, so whomever has practiced the hardest will come out on top."

And the atmosphere surrounding the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams makes it seem like there hasn't been an 11-year break.

For the Govs, who left the OVC and dropped scholarship football after the 1996 season, it will be their first OVC game in 11 years. Austin Peay's last OVC contest was a 55-24 win over Tennessee Martin on Nov. 23, 1996.

Already a rivalry

"It's a great rivalry to start with because they (TSU) are only 40 miles away and there's a lot of Tennessee State fans in Clarksville, and a lot of people here who have ties to Tennessee State," Govs Coach Rick Christophel said. "Plus, we're going to recruit in Nashville, so that will help build the rivalry over the years. Hopefully, it will be something good, something big and something the fans will really enjoy."

Check that, the Govs and Tigers are rivals, if you ask TSU Coach James Webster.

"We don't think it (this game) has a chance to be a rivalry, it is a rivalry," he said. "It has all the makings of a rivalry, and that makes it a rivalry. They want to beat us and we want to beat them."

TSU has 10 Nashville natives, and Austin Peay has 15 players with Nashville ties.

"This is a big game," said sophomore free safety Tremayne Townsend, a Brentwood Academy graduate who has 10 tackles.

"With our being 2-0 and getting back into the OVC, that makes it a big game, too. A lot of people are coming up just to see what I can do."

The Sgt. York Trophy will go to the winner of the round-robin series between Peay, Tennessee Martin, TSU and Tennessee Tech.

S.C. State coach prepares team for Gamecocks

By JAMES T. HAMMOND, The State

No matter the score, game will be one for the history books

Robert Howard, South Carolina State University class of 1941, expects 15 relatives in the Williams-Brice Stadium stands on Saturday to see their beloved Bulldogs football team face the USC Gamecocks for the first time.

“That’s including cousins,” said the retired Orangeburg public-school administrator.

For Howard, Saturday’s game will be an opportunity to showcase a small-school football program he considers to be above average and capable of a Saturday surprise against a much larger — and richer — team.

“We are capable of an Appalachian State-type surprise,” said the fervent S.C. State fan. “It gives us a chance to show the people of South Carolina what we are trying to do here in Orangeburg.”

None but the most die-hard Bulldog football fans are predicting an upset like Appalachian State University pulled on the No. 5-ranked University of Michigan Wolverines at the beginning of this season.

Nevertheless, S.C. State officials, alumni and fans are proud of this year of firsts, which has included Democratic candidates for president taking over the campus for several days in April for a debate that put the Orangeburg campus on the national map.

Saturday’s match — which many, including USC coach Steve Spurrier, believe is overdue — will be rich with symbolism for S.C. State fans.

The historically black college, founded in 1896 as a small teacher’s college for the children and grandchildren of former slaves, has evolved into a full-fledged state university that offers graduate-level education and conducts research.

For the second year, the college has been recognized among the Top 10 national universities ranked by Washington Monthly. The magazine bases its rankings upon an institution’s track record of service — as illustrated by the large number of black officers it has provided for the military — and upon its record of providing social and economic mobility for low-income South Carolinians.

The school has a student population of 4,500 and offers more than 50 fields of study on the undergraduate and graduate levels.

But it’s football that gets emotions running the highest for many in the S.C. State family.

Bernard Cook of Atlanta, class of 1995, tries to make it to at least four games a year.

“I’m an optimist. I’m hoping S.C. State can pull off a miracle,” Cook said. But he acknowledged the game involves “two different levels of football.”

“I know it’s going to be tough.”

Cook, who played football at S.C. State for one season in 1994, believes the match is “long overdue.”

“It’s the sort of friendly rivalry that could be developed. If we are not cheering for the Bulldogs, we’d be cheering for USC. It will be good interaction for the two colleges, from the social level right on up to the academic level.”

Playing a big-league Southeastern Conference football team will bring a new level of visibility for the Bulldogs, a team that has sent players to the NFL and three into the professional Hall of Fame, and some years has been a legend in small-college football.

Photo: SCSU Head Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough

Maurice Washington, class of 1985 and chairman of the S.C. State board of trustees, said the Gamecocks-Bulldogs matchup should have become an annual tradition years ago.

“This game has great value for the state of South Carolina,” Washington said. “It brings people together and gets them talking to each other. We’ve been playing football for 100 years and we’ve learned to do it pretty well.”The significance of the game can hardly be viewed as a confrontation between black and white institutions; those barriers fell long ago. USC had its first black football player, Jackie Brown, in 1970. Today, about 70 percent of USC’s football players are black.

But because USC grew into an SEC behemoth, while S.C. State remained in a sports category more akin to Furman or Wofford, the two schools followed different paths.

The opportunity to meet on the football field arose when the major schools added a game to their schedules. Rather than offer a day in the sun to another minor college out of state, USC officials decided to invite S.C. State.

“When I got here, somebody said, ‘You want to play South Carolina State?’ I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ ” said USC coach Steve Spurrier. “They’re an in-state (college); we need that fourth (nonconference) game for when the 12 games came open. I said, ‘Sure, let’s go play them.’ ”

“I really did not realize at the time that (the schools) had never played before,” Spurrier said. “I didn’t realize it was that big a deal. If I’d have been here 10, 12 years ago, I would have certainly wanted to schedule a game.”

S.C. State’s legendary coach Willie Jeffries said Saturday’s game is the talking point all over Orangeburg.

“It’s being talked about by blacks and whites,” Jeffries said. “Everyone wants to go to the game.”

USC tailback Cory Boyd, a fifth-year senior from Orange, N.J., said he wished the teams had played sooner.

“This sets the stage for years to come,” Boyd said. “They’re right here in Orangeburg. We’re looking forward to playing them. Coach always talks about doing things for the first time, and he’s making history with this game.”

Reach Hammond at (803) 771-8474. Joseph Person and Bob Gillespie contributed to this article.

GAMECOCKS VS. BULLDOGS

WHO: S.C. State (1-1) at USC (2-0)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Williams-Brice Stadium

TV: Pay-per-view, Time Warner Cable, (866) 892-7201; DirecTV, (800) 531-5000; Dish Network, 888) 284-7116

RADIO: WISW-AM 1320, WTCB-FM 106.7

TICKETS: Sold out

DAVID VS. GOLIATH?

ENROLLMENT

USC — 27,000

S.C. State — 4,500

ATHLETICS BUDGET

USC — $58 million

S.C. State — $9 million

FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS

USC — 85

S.C. State — 63

USC vs. S.C. State: A perfect (mis)match

Photo: SCSU Receivers Corps

By JAMES T. HAMMOND, The State

No matter the score, game will be one for the history books.

Robert Howard, South Carolina State University class of 1941, expects 15 relatives in the Williams-Brice Stadium stands on Saturday to see their beloved Bulldogs football team face the USC Gamecocks for the first time.

“That’s including cousins,” said the retired Orangeburg public-school administrator.

For Howard, Saturday’s game will be an opportunity to showcase a small-school football program he considers to be above average and capable of a Saturday surprise against a much larger — and richer — team.

“We are capable of an Appalachian State-type surprise,” said the fervent S.C. State fan. “It gives us a chance to show the people of South Carolina what we are trying to do here in Orangeburg.”

None but the most die-hard Bulldog football fans are predicting an upset like Appalachian State University pulled on the No. 5-ranked University of Michigan Wolverines at the beginning of this season.

Nevertheless, S.C. State officials, alumni and fans are proud of this year of firsts, which has included Democratic candidates for president taking over the campus for several days in April for a debate that put the Orangeburg campus on the national map.

Saturday’s match — which many, including USC coach Steve Spurrier, believe is overdue — will be rich with symbolism for S.C. State fans.

The historically black college, founded in 1896 as a small teacher’s college for the children and grandchildren of former slaves, has evolved into a full-fledged state university that offers graduate-level education and conducts research.

For the second year, the college has been recognized among the Top 10 national universities ranked by Washington Monthly. The magazine bases its rankings upon an institution’s track record of service — as illustrated by the large number of black officers it has provided for the military — and upon its record of providing social and economic mobility for low-income South Carolinians.

The school has a student population of 4,500 and offers more than 50 fields of study on the undergraduate and graduate levels.

But it’s football that gets emotions running the highest for many in the S.C. State family.

Bernard Cook of Atlanta, class of 1995, tries to make it to at least four games a year.

“I’m an optimist. I’m hoping S.C. State can pull off a miracle,” Cook said. But he acknowledged the game involves “two different levels of football.”

“I know it’s going to be tough.”

Cook, who played football at S.C. State for one season in 1994, believes the match is “long overdue.”

“It’s the sort of friendly rivalry that could be developed. If we are not cheering for the Bulldogs, we’d be cheering for USC. It will be good interaction for the two colleges, from the social level right on up to the academic level.”

Playing a big-league Southeastern Conference football team will bring a new level of visibility for the Bulldogs, a team that has sent players to the NFL and three into the professional Hall of Fame, and some years has been a legend in small-college football.

Maurice Washington, class of 1985 and chairman of the S.C. State board of trustees, said the Gamecocks-Bulldogs matchup should have become an annual tradition years ago.

“This game has great value for the state of South Carolina,” Washington said. “It brings people together and gets them talking to each other. We’ve been playing football for 100 years and we’ve learned to do it pretty well.”The significance of the game can hardly be viewed as a confrontation between black and white institutions; those barriers fell long ago. USC had its first black football player, Jackie Brown, in 1970. Today, about 70 percent of USC’s football players are black.

But because USC grew into an SEC behemoth, while S.C. State remained in a sports category more akin to Furman or Wofford, the two schools followed different paths.

The opportunity to meet on the football field arose when the major schools added a game to their schedules. Rather than offer a day in the sun to another minor college out of state, USC officials decided to invite S.C. State.

“When I got here, somebody said, ‘You want to play South Carolina State?’ I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ ” said USC coach Steve Spurrier. “They’re an in-state (college); we need that fourth (nonconference) game for when the 12 games came open. I said, ‘Sure, let’s go play them.’ ”

“I really did not realize at the time that (the schools) had never played before,” Spurrier said. “I didn’t realize it was that big a deal. If I’d have been here 10, 12 years ago, I would have certainly wanted to schedule a game.”

S.C. State’s legendary coach Willie Jeffries said Saturday’s game is the talking point all over Orangeburg.

“It’s being talked about by blacks and whites,” Jeffries said. “Everyone wants to go to the game.”

USC tailback Cory Boyd, a fifth-year senior from Orange, N.J., said he wished the teams had played sooner.

“This sets the stage for years to come,” Boyd said. “They’re right here in Orangeburg. We’re looking forward to playing them. Coach always talks about doing things for the first time, and he’s making history with this game.”

Reach Hammond at (803) 771-8474. Joseph Person and Bob Gillespie contributed to this article.

GAMECOCKS VS. BULLDOGS

WHO: S.C. State (1-1) at USC (2-0)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Williams-Brice Stadium

TV: Pay-per-view, Time Warner Cable, (866) 892-7201; DirecTV, (800) 531-5000; Dish Network, 888) 284-7116

RADIO: WISW-AM 1320, WTCB-FM 106.7

TICKETS: Sold out

DAVID VS. GOLIATH?

ENROLLMENT

USC — 27,000

S.C. State — 4,500

ATHLETICS BUDGET

USC — $58 million

S.C. State — $9 million

FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS

USC — 85

S.C. State — 63

Alabama State runs over Jacksonville State

Alabama State University Marching Hornets Band

TSU to narrow hoops coaching search to three

By BRANDON C. WILLIAMS, Houston Chronicle

The search for Texas Southern University's next men's basketball coach will be narrowed to three by Friday as the school's board of regents will unveil the candidates to succeed Ronnie Courtney, who was fired in July.

Former TSU basketball standout Kevin Granger -- currently the head boys basketball at Worthing High School -- and Baylor University coordinator of men's basketball operations Paul Mills are two of the names confirmed.

Granger, who will have his second interview with the school on Thursday afternoon, has received considerable support from TSU alumni, including TSU national alumni president Chris Le Blanc. Le Blanc said that an assortment of alumni, boosters and current and former National Basketball Association players have given contingency checks to the school in the event if Granger gets the job.

The board will evaluate the candidates and will make a formal decision as early as Monday.

Saturday is SCSU Bulldogs’ payday

Photo: S.C. State offensive linemen, from left, Earl Wilson, Chris Nelson, Derrell Pringle, Travis Ashford and Casey Fortune leave the field during practice Tuesday.

In-state visitors look forward to profiting from their first-ever Gamecocks contest.

GAMECOCKS VS. BULLDOGS
WHO: S.C. State (1-1) at USC (2-0)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Williams-Brice Stadium
TV: Pay-per-view (Time Warner Cable, (866) 892-2701; DirecTV, (800) 531-5000; Dish Network, (800) 301-3744)
RADIO: WISW-AM 1320, WTCB-FM 106.7
TICKETS: Sold out

ORANGEBURG - ERIC HYMAN is a new favorite son of South Carolina State University athletics. The school might want to consider naming its proposed weight-room and locker-room renovations after the USC athletics director.

It was Hyman who conceived the idea of including S.C. State in a rotation of in-state schools that annually will play football against USC at Williams-Brice Stadium. Wofford, Furman and The Citadel are the others.

After expenses, S.C. State will add approximately $207,000 to its general athletic department budget for playing Saturday’s game, the first between the schools, which are located about 40 miles apart.

S.C. State cleared about $125,000 for its opening game this season at Air Force and expects to make about $250,000 from its second annual Low Country Classic game on Nov. 17 against North Carolina A&T in Charleston. That comes to $582,000 generated from three football games.

“That’s a nice little chunk of it right there,” S.C. State coach Buddy Pough says of his program’s $2 million budget.

Historically black colleges such as S.C. State have long played annual “classic” games at neutral sites as a way to generate revenue for their athletic programs. Grambling and Florida A&M once were the leaders in playing classic games, toting their teams and bands throughout the country.

Classic games began in the 1970s, and S.C. State was quick to jump on board, playing over the years in Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia, Indianapolis and Birmingham, Ala.

Then, two years ago, the upper-division programs expanded their schedules to 12 games. Along with the expansion, upper-division schools were allowed to count one win per season against lower-division programs toward being bowl eligible (previously, they were able to count one win every third season).

That was sweet music to Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA, schools.

“We still entertain classics, but certainly going this direction is beneficial as well,” S.C. State athletics director Charlene Johnson says.

She says S.C. State will continue to play one classic game a season and attempt to schedule one game each year against a Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, team. S.C. State opens the 2008 season at Central Florida and is close to a deal to play at Georgia Tech in 2010.

Not long after top-level programs were allowed to play a 12th game each season, USC’s Hyman began charting a strategy for scheduling. USC plays eight games each season against SEC opponents and one against Clemson. Hyman would like to play one other game against a “natural” rival, such as North Carolina, N.C. State or East Carolina.

That left two games, and Hyman did not like the idea of USC playing both against a no-name opponent from Florida or Louisiana, as it has done in the past. Instead, he proposed playing one game each season against an in-state school.

Hyman took the proposal to Steve Spurrier, and the USC coach liked the idea of keeping the guaranteed money to the visiting team in state. Spurrier was so enamored with the idea, he went on Pough’s TV show Sunday to help promote the game.

It helped also that the in-state games are less expensive for USC, which paid Louisiana-Lafayette $475,000 to play in Columbia two weeks ago. All the in-state schools are guaranteed $230,000 by USC, plus 300 complimentary tickets.

Because there is so much interest from S.C. State fans in Saturday’s game, USC modified the contract and granted S.C. State 600 complimentary tickets. After S.C. State quickly sold its allotment of 2,000 tickets, it was given 1,700 more, which also have been sold.

Most contracts for such games do not cover a team’s travel expenses. S.C. State spent approximately $100,000 of its $225,000 guarantee in travel expenses to Air Force. The Bulldogs will stay Friday night in a Columbia hotel and spend $23,000 of the $230,000 guarantee from USC.

Through most of S.C. State’s 100 years of football, segregation prevented it from playing USC. Then there was a time when S.C. State fans believed USC did not want to risk losing to the Bulldogs.

That might have been true during the early 1980s, when USC was going through difficult times and S.C. State was a small-college power. USC lost to Furman in 1982, the same season S.C. State defeated the Paladins in the first round of the Division I-AA playoffs. Two years earlier, S.C. State went 10-1 and sent eight players to the NFL.

Pough admits there exists a much greater disparity in talent today between his team and USC. He says Saturday’s game will give his team a chance to size itself up against a nationally ranked team in front of 70,000-plus fans.

“We’ll bring a little extra income into our family,” Pough says, “and for us, we get the added advantage of the competition factor. The positive for us is to have an opportunity to match up with a team of this sort. You’ve got the chance to play with arguably one of the top maybe 10 to 15 teams in the nation. I think it’s an honor and privilege to be out there with a team such as that.”

That honor and privilege will have worn off by Saturday evening, and by Monday, S.C. State’s athletics department bank account will be much fatter. Eventually, when S.C. State renovates its weight room and locker rooms and puts a new floor in the campus gymnasium, it will have Eric Hyman to thank.

Delaware State's McBride and Green paying big dividends

By Donald Hunt, columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune

Delaware State did not have to go very far to land wide receiver Shaheer McBride and defensive back Akeem Green.

Hornets coach Al Lavan and his staff had to travel only 75 miles up the road to Philadelphia to recruit McBride and Green, who have helped Delaware State to a 2-0 record.

"We've been able to get some good players from the Philadelphia area," Lavan said. "So often times in the city, and especially the inner city, going back to when I came from the inner city of Newark, [N.J.], a long time ago, many people don't go into those areas very strongly. But for us, it's where we can locate the young men who want to come to Delaware State. Akeem and Shaheer are from those areas like Philadelphia where they can help build our program."

HBCU football on ESPNU:

• Texas Southern at Jackson State, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday

McBride was a terrific player at Chester High School, which is located on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Chester is better known for its basketball prowess (it produced the Orlando Magic's Jameer Nelson). Nevertheless, McBride made his name on the gridiron and made an immediate impact at Delaware State.

He was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2004, and he was an all-conference selection the past two seasons. In 2006, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver caught 55 passes for 852 yards and 11 touchdowns. Two games into his senior season, he has nine receptions for 138 yards and three TDs.

"We have a few more skilled players around him that we didn't have the first couple seasons," Lavan said. "I think that should enable McBride to continue to do what he's been doing. But more importantly, it enables us to be a little bit more balanced in our offensive approach in the passing game, which should make him more dangerous."

McBride has received plenty of help from quarterback Vashon Winton (24-of-37, 263 yards, 4 TDs, 1 interception) and running back Kareem Jones (28 carries, 178 yards, 1 TD).

Green had to work a little harder to climb the ladder of success. He was not highly recruited coming out of Philly's Bok Vo-Tech High School. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior had to perform extremely well on special teams his first two seasons before moving into the starting lineup as a defensive back last year. Green has 16 total tackles (14 solo), 1½ tackles-for-loss and one interception in two games.

"Akeem Green has been a player who has made great strides in the last two years and especially the latter part of the 2006 season," Lavan said. "He made his mark as a special teams player. He's the guy we call upon to block punts. In fact, Akeem blocked three or four last year. He has made most of his improvement in the secondary. He has the ability to cover. We're delighted with his progress. He has received some recognition as a preseason all-conference pick."

McBride also garnered some preseason honors as the offensive player of the year. Like Green, McBride has lived up to all the preseason expectations.

"Shaheer and I are good friends," Green said. "We talk all the time. This is a big year for us. We want to do as well as we can. We would like to get to the playoffs. In order to do that, we're going to have to win some games on the road against some good teams like Hampton and South Carolina State."

Delaware State will visit Kent State in Ohio this Saturday. The Golden Flashes (1-1) are coming off a 56-20 loss Kentucky. McBride is looking forward to playing a major college program from the MAC.

"I've never played a Division I-A team before," McBride said. "This is going to be a good chance for Akeem and myself, as well as rest of the team, to play against a big school. This should be a good test for us."

HBCU notes

• Ulysses Banks ran for a school-record 211 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries as Alabama A&M won its home opener over Division II Clark Atlanta, 41-10.

• Alabama A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke finished with a career-high 301 yards passing in the Bulldogs' victory, just missing the school record of 302. Luke completed 21 of 32 passes for four TDs and no interceptions. He was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week.

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff defensive end LaDarius Anthony was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week. Anthony had 11 total tackles (three solo), along with four tackles-for-loss and 2½ sacks in a conference win over Alcorn State.

• Southern QB Bryant Lee continues to play well. Lee was 16-of-28 for 206 yards and three TDs in a win over Mississippi Valley State. The Jaguars are 2-0 this season.

• Hampton QB T.J. Mitchell was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week. Mitchell connected on 19 of 36 passes for 310 yards and three TDs to help the Pirates get their first win.

• South Carolina State defensive back Markee Hamlin was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week. Hamlin led the Bulldogs with 11 tackles (four solo), with one for a loss of two yards in the victory over Bethune-Cookman.

• Bethune-Cookman's Corey Council was named the MEAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Council ran 98 yards for his first-ever kickoff-return touchdown against South Carolina State, tying him for second in the Wildcats' record book. He had three kickoff returns for 142 yards and one TD, as well as one punt return for 15 yards against the Bulldogs.

• Howard QB Brian Johnson compiled 323 total offensive yards and set career records in attempts (37), completions (21) and passing yards (244) in the Bison's home-opener loss to Hampton.

Pitts, Sweat to join Sports Hall of Fame

Daily Press

Richard "Pop" Pitts, a fixture in Peninsula District athletics for three decades and a standout basketball player at Norfolk State in the 1960s, is part of the 2007 induction class in the Hampton Roads African-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Pitts is joined by LaVerne Sweat, longtime track coach at Norfolk State and Hampton University, former Elizabeth City State basketball star Marvin Trotman, basketball and track standout Walter Green, and boxing instructor and trainer Earnest Green.

"It's probably the greatest honor that I've ever had," Pitts said. "For being out of college athletics for 40 years and to still be recognized as a good player is very satisfying."

Pitts, a Norfolk native, starred at Norfolk State in the mid-'60s. He earned All-CIAA regular season and tournament as a junior and senior. He averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds per game as a junior and 25.8 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior.

Pitts coached and taught at Peninsula Catholic from 1970-75, helping implement many of the school's athletic programs. After a year away from education, he went to Menchville High, where he served as coach and administrator from 1976-2004.

He coached basketball for the Monarchs from 1976-89 and served as athletic director from 1990 until his retirement.

He is also well-known in track and field circles. His presence and booming voice made him an institution as a starter and event official for years at track meets.

"I know that they put six (inductees) in per year," Pitts said. "When you look at all the athletes that have come from this area, it can take years to get recognized. I wasn't a flashy player, and people tend to notice flashy players. I was more of a blue-collar worker. To get inducted in the 10th class is quite an honor, considering it could have taken a lot longer."

Sweat coached at both Hampton and Norfolk State. She was track coach at Norfolk State from 1988-2005 and retired as senior women's administrator in 2006. Her teams won numerous CIAA and later Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles.

She was an assistant coach with the U.S. Olympic track team in Sydney in 2000. She also was head coach of the U.S. team at the World University Games in Romania in 1981 and the Junior Pan Am Games in Canada in 1993.

The HRAASHF induction banquet will be held Nov. 3 at the Norfolk Sheraton Waterside. Tickets are $70 and can be reserved by calling Yvette Todd at 404-1775 or at the Hall's Web site: www.hraashf.org.

Moore to start for UAPB Golden Lions

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Musical Marching Machine of the Mid-South



By Mike Marzelli, Pine Bluff Commercial

Junior Johnathan Moore will start at quarterback for the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff on Saturday against Alabama State, Golden Lions head coach Mo Forte announced Tuesday.

Moore, a Pine Bluff native and former Dollarway High star, will take over for Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Chris Wallace after he replaced Wallace in the third quarter of Thursday’s 21-3 win at Alcorn State. Forte cited Moore’s performance against the Braves and his work in two days of practice this week, along with the fact that Wallace has yet to practice this week due to an unspecified illness, as his reasoning behind the decision.

Moore finished Thursday’s win 5-of-10 for 64 yards and a touchdown in just under two quarters of play. Wallace was 8-of-18 for 67 yards and a touchdown and is 22-of-45 for 221 yards this season after leading the SWAC in passing efficiency and finishing second in passing yards last season.

“I want to see [Moore] start a game,” Forte said. “I think his arm is stronger than Chris’ and he has all the qualities you like to have in a quarterback. He did a great job [at Alcorn] because I think we managed the game offensively better than we were before he came in and that type of execution is what we want to see from him in this game.

“I had a chance to talk with him [Tuesday] and I told him, ‘just go out and play football’. That’s all we want him to do.”

Moore’s last start came in the 2006 SWAC Championship, when he stepped in for a suspended Wallace for the first half of play and completed 3-of-8 passes for 62 yards, with the majority of that coming on a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jason Jones. UAPB went on to lose the game 22-13. He did see relief action in other four games last season and finished with 229 yards and three touchdowns.

His only other collegiate start was on Oct. 29, 2005, when he completed 6-of-8 passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns in a 64-36 rout of Jackson State.

“I feel great about being able to start because I’ve been waiting a long time for it,” Moore said. “It’s a great feeling to know I’ll be starting in my home town in front of friends and family and all the fans and I’m just going to do my best to execute all my assignments and just keep everybody together and be a captain on the field.”

Forte did not say whether the shift in starting quarterbacks would be permanent but he did make it clear that there is no quarterback controversy surrounding his team.

“There isn’t one and there will never be a controversy,” he said. “I make the decision and that is that. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. I make decisions when I need to make them and outside of that, there is no controversy or anything else going on. The quarterback who I pick to start each game is the one who starts, it’s as simple as that.”

Wallace, who Forte described as being “a little under the weather”, has yet to practice this week and was unavailable for comment. The senior arrived at practice Monday despite being sick but was sent home by Forte for precautionary reasons.

“I have not really had a chance to speak with Chris about the situation just because I haven’t seen him,” Forte said. “There really isn’t a whole bunch to talk about. I’m just going to be up front with him and tell him that the decision is about the team and it’s not personal. Different people react differently to different situations and I don’t know him well enough to know how he’s going to react but I do know that he’s very mature and he’s a senior in college so I expect him to understand the situation.”

Moore, who has been Wallace’s roommate and one of his closest friends on the team, does not think the situation will negatively affect him or Wallace.

“It’s no controversy at all,” he said. “When he’s out there I root for him and I know when I’m out there he’ll root for me. It’s just a brother to brother thing.”

Go UAPB Golden Lions!! No one has better musicianship than you in the SWAC!!

Blount says WSSU needs better offense

By John Dell, Winston Salem Journal

Offensive linemen may be switched for Morgan State

Much has been made about Winston-Salem State’s change of philosophy on offense. There was supposed to be more emphasis on the passing game, but that aspect was missing in Saturday’s 28-21 loss to Coastal Carolina.

Coach Kermit Blount isn’t holding quarterback Monte Purvis responsible. Had it not been for Purvis’ ability to run - he had a career-high 165 yards on 19 carries and scored all three touchdowns - the Rams wouldn’t have been close.

“We had a couple of guys up front who didn’t play well, especially in the first half,” Blount said of the offensive line. “Certainly those things are correctable, and that’s what we’ll need to shore up before this week’s game.”

Blount said he might move some linemen around for Saturday’s game at Morgan State. Kickoff will be at 4 p.m., and both teams are 1-1.

Purvis was just 2 of 10 passing for 11 yards against Coastal Carolina, and there were some dropped passes.

Blount said that on the Rams’ final drive, Rod Fluellen dropped a pass of about 40 yards from Purvis that could have made a big difference.

“If Rod doesn’t drop that one, we could have been in position to keep things going,” Blount said.

Nick Calcutta was hired as the offensive coordinator this season, and he brought in a plan to spread out the offense to include more passing. In the win over N.C. A&T two weeks ago, Purvis hit seven different receivers, but he couldn’t get things going against Coastal.

To be competitive against teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Rams will have to be more balanced. When they played in the CIAA, they often could win by pounding teams with a steady running game.

Blount said he doesn’t want to peg his team as either a running or a passing team.

“I think the game dictates what you can do best,” he said. “It depends on what the defense gives you. We have a good running game with (Brandon McRae), (Jed) Bines and Monte, but we also have guys that can catch the football.”

Against a talented Morgan State team, finding a balance will be crucial.

“When you look at our football team, we have to be balanced,” Blount said. “And like I’ve always said, it starts with the guys up front.”

Winston Salem State University Marching Rams

Photo Show: Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul

JSU big bruiser Owens moves to fullback

Photo: JSU RB L.D. Briscoe

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Seeking a bigger body to bust open some running room, Jackson State has moved Jamile Owens from defensive tackle to starting fullback.

Owens (6-foot-2, 275 pounds) switched before the Tennessee State game and was one of the biggest reasons why JSU had 198 rushing yards.

“He was running down the field and busting up some of those linebackers,” JSU coach Rick Comegy said. “I think it will be a really good move for him and it’s a great thing for our running backs.”
Owens has experience at fullback, playing the position in high school at Starkville and also at East Mississippi Community College.

Moving into Owens’ spot on the defensive line is junior Dennis Coit, a transfer from Lackawanna (Penn.) CC.

Coit (6-1, 320) has impressed in practice with his big body and tenacity.
“You don’t realize Coit’s such a big boy until you get up next to him,” Comegy said. “He’s really proven to us that he’s ready to help this defense.”

INJURY REPORT

Tight end Marcel Frost (leg) and offensive tackle Wilson Manigat (knee) will not dress for Thursday’s game against Texas Southern. ... Running back L.D. Briscoe will miss the game because of personal reasons.

SCOUTING TEXAS SOUTHERN

This short week is weird. Here's a quick look at some of the guys on Texas Southern that are pretty good.

QB Tino Edgecombe 6-2, 185: Despite the two losses, TSU has proven it can move the ball through the air. The Maroon Tigers have more than 600 passing yards through two games. The problem is, Edgecombe has thrown for one touchdown and four interceptions. With that in mind, it would seem that if JSU's line can put some pressure on Edgecombe, it could force him into some bad decisions...

WR Brian Haith 6-2, 190: Just a sophomore, he's been Edgecombe's favorite target with 15 receptions for 215 yards and a TD. From tape, JSU safety Malcolm Palmer said he expects Haith and Co. to be the fastest receivers the team has seen this season...

TSU's defense: This is something that could play right into Jackson State's hands. TSU has been the worst in the SWAC at stopping the run and right now JSU has healthy RBs Lavarius Giles and Erik Haw to unleash. TSU's defense has been much better against the pass (2nd in the SWAC). Of course, these numbers could be a bit inflated each way considering TSU has played two teams (Alabama St. and Prairie View) that make a living on running the football...

Anyway, the Maroon Tigers should be a pretty dangerous team. They've proven they can move the football, but have had too many turnovers to win. If they take care of the football against JSU, this could get interesting.

JSU safety Palmer blossoms in sophomore season

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

When Malcolm Palmer arrived on Jackson State's campus last year, the coaches didn't know exactly what to think.

At 6-foot-2, he was a little gangly and hadn't grown into his body. He wasn't really a safety and he wasn't really a linebacker, but the kid could play some football.

So they stuck the freshman on special teams, where he became an afterthought, recording two tackles while rarely seeing the field.

"Malcolm had some talent, but he was kind of awkward on the field," defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes said. "We gave him a year to find his place, hoping he'd develop into the kind of talent we thought he could be."

Palmer, meanwhile, didn't sit back and wait for his chance. Instead, he spent a year in the weight room bulking up to a not-so-awkward 185 pounds.

"That was all just hard work," he said. "I basically lived in the weight room, trying to get big enough to play this game at the college level."

Palmer, from Autaugaville, Ala., earned a starting spot at safety this fall. With 13 tackles and a team-high two interceptions through two games, he has established himself as one of JSU's young stars on defense.

He's not a big talker, but coaches and teammates have come to appreciate Palmer's hard-hitting ways.

"Some people from the outside might be surprised Malcolm's this good, but I think most of the players knew about him," said senior safety LaBrose Hedgemon. "He was caught behind (former JSU star Vince Dancy) last season, but now it's his turn to be on the field and he's playing well."

Palmer has helped the defense become JSU's strength. Despite an 0-2 record, the Tigers are second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in pass defense (149.5 yards per game).

That's a big difference from a Tigers' secondary that was routinely torched last season - especially down the stretch when JSU lost four of its last five games.

Says Hayes: "Palmer's got the best instincts on the team. When there's a play being made, chances are you'll see his number (26) right in the mix."

During coach Rick Comegy's two years at Jackson State, much of the focus has been to quickly build a winning team through Division I-A and junior college transfers.

Out of the team's 22 starters, only seven began their college career at Jackson State.

But Palmer is one of a growing core of players - including linebacker Marcus Jamison (Noxubee County) and safety Kerry Hoskins (South Panola) - who are contributing to the defense after coming to Jackson State last season as freshmen.

"Malcolm's a young man that's really stepped up to the challenge," Comegy said. "It's always crucial to have a group of players that come in to the system as freshmen and work their way up."

Palmer and the rest of the secondary will likely face their toughest task of the season when JSU faces Texas Southern at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Texas Southern (0-2) is tops in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with 305 passing yards per game.

The Maroon Tigers' problem has been that quarterback Tino Edgecombe has thrown just one touchdown pass and four interceptions.

"We know they're going to come after us," Palmer said. "It's gonna be a fight and we'll be tested every down. But after playing well these first few games, this defense has got a lot of confidence."

Jackson State Unversity Sonic Boom of the South: Party Don't Stop