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UAB head football coach Neil Callaway could take a stroll down memory lane today when he arrives at Legion Field.
His Legion Field memories began as a player at the University of Alabama and stretched over coaching stops at Alabama and Auburn. He acknowledged earlier this week that he has plenty of good and bad Legion Field memories but added that today is no time to dive into those memories.
In other words, for Callaway, it's all about business today when the Blazers (0-2) play host to Alcorn State (0-2) in a non-conference game scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m.
"It's our first home ball game, it's our home field, it's our house,"
Callaway said. "We need to represent ourselves well there. It's a lot of tradition there, which is great, but all I'm worried about right now is UAB."
Look at today's game on paper and it appears that Callaway has an excellent chance to get his first win as a head coach in his team's first home game. However, listen to Callaway's scouting report and Alcorn State doesn't sound like a team that has been outscored 52-13 by Grambling State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
"They are very multiple offensive and defensive schemes," Callaway said.
"It's going to create some problems for you with all the stuff that they do on both sides of the ball," Callaway said. "They have eight starters on both sides of the ball. I'm very impressed even though they have not won a ball game, I was very impressed on how they play on both sides of the ball and how well they are coached and how well they do the things they do."
Alcorn State hasn't necessarily looked like an experienced team thus far.
Part of that comes from an unsettled feeling at quarterback because of injuries. Senior Chris Walker started against Grambling before leaving with a thigh bruise. Junior Tony Hobson Jr. was the scheduled starter against Arkansas-Pine Bluff but he hurt his hand in practice last week. Sophomore Tim Buckley got the start at quarterback in the second game but was replaced quickly by Walker.
Put all that together and it's tough to find some offensive consistency.
UAB's difficulty in finding offensive consistency in the season-opening loss to Michigan State came largely because an offensive line that was breaking in three new starters and had little experienced depth. The offensive line played much better in the loss to Florida State last week.
Now the Blazers need to find more offensive playmakers to go with quarterback Sam Hunt and wide receiver Joseph Webb. Hunt has thrown for 440 yards and two touchdowns and his 31-yard run last week is the only double-digit rush the Blazers have thus far. Webb, who is still slated to play quarterback at some point, has a team-high 12 catches for 187 yards and the only two receiving touchdowns.
Running back Rashaud Slaughter is averaging just 3.3 yards per touch - rushing and receiving - and no other running back has more than four carries. Fullback/H-back David Sigler is averaging 15 yards per catch but has only four catches.
The buzz: Norfolk State of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) is playing its first Division I-A opponent since starting football 10 years ago, and coach Pete Adrian raised some eyebrows by commenting that he would rather be playing Michigan than Rutgers. . . . As many eyes may be on the stands today as on the field. In last week's win over Navy, a handful of Rutgers fans booed and shouted vulgarities at the Mids, forcing athletic director Bob Mulcahy and president Richard McCormick to issue public apologies to the Naval Academy.
Last week: No. 13 Rutgers continued its balanced attack, rushing for 210 yards and passing for 266 in a 41-24 win over Navy. Tailback Ray Rice set the school's career rushing record. The Scarlet Knights committed 11 penalties for 100 yards.
While Rutgers, No. 13 in the Associated Press poll, figures to dispatch Norfolk State today, ticket demand remains at an unprecedented level. Even a game against a Norfolk State team that plays in a level of football one division below Rutgers, will produce another sellout, of about 43,000.
This week a block of tickets, typically set aside for the visiting team to Rutgers Stadium, were returned by Norfolk State and were made available to members of the Rutgers Alumni. The block of tickets sold out in less than half an hour, according to athletics department officials, who in prior years had tens of thousands of tickets available for some games.
"Gone are the old days of being able to pick up game-day tickets," said Brian Crockett, head of the Rutgers Foundation, which oversees the alumni programs.
"Everywhere I go in the state it's so much easier to bring Rutgers football into the conversation. When you mention Rutgers you get a new sparkle," said Crockett.
Next week: Rutgers has a bye before hosting Maryland.
Senior apologizes, prepares to face I-A Kent State
DOVER -- It may have been a private affair, but Kelly Rouse made an important public gesture at the start of this week.
He stood up and apologized to his football team.
Rouse, a senior defensive lineman at Delaware State, said he let his teammates and coaches down while serving a two-game suspension for violating school policy. Rouse was told by the coaching staff to decline from publicly saying what he did to get pulled from the season's first two games. However, he said the issue wasn't academics.
"For me, as a senior, not to be out there, I disappointed myself but mostly I disappointed my team and coaches and my family," Rouse said. "I wanted to make an apology to the alumni and students and my family. All I want to do now is make a tackle."
After missing DSU's victories over Coastal Carolina and Florida A&M, Rouse returned to practice this week heading into perhaps the program's biggest game of the season.
The Hornets will play against their first NCAA Division I-A opponent since 1987 when they visit Kent State of the Mid-American Conference today at 4 p.m.
Rouse is considered a leader for the Hornets defense.
"When I was on the sidelines for the first two games, I felt like I was killing my team," Rouse said. "You just get that feeling. When I saw these guys playing hard in the fourth quarter and I couldn't get in there, it felt like they were saying, 'You're killing us.' "
Rouse had been alerted before the season opener that he'd broken a new school rule. But he said he wasn't told that new athletic director Rick Costello had suspended him until a day before the Sept. 1 game.
"I don't know if they wanted to make an example of me," Rouse said. "When one guy does it, you have to do something. But they're more strict now."
If DSU has any chance to beat Kent State, coach Al Lavan, who was comfortable with suspending Rouse for two games, said it could happen only with Rouse, arguably his best defensive player, on the field.
Last season, Rouse, from Newark, N.J., made 47 tackles and 3.5 sacks in nine games.
The Golden Flashes (1-1) run a spread offense, but they have the 15th-best rushing offense in Division I-A, averaging 263 yards per game.
"We can't afford to lose his type of speed on the field," Lavan said. "But we have procedures and policies that have to be adhered to. That didn't happen with Kelly."
Rouse, who moved from linebacker to the defensive line in the spring under new defensive coordinator Ray Petty, will line up on the left side against Kent State. Rouse said he believes this game is his chance to prove himself as a player who can compete at the highest level of college football.
Though the Golden Flashes are a mid-major school, Rouse and his DSU teammates are viewing this as a rare opportunity for a I-AA program.
"They haven't seen me play at all," Rouse said. "They have no idea if I'm even coming. What I want to do is create an unfamiliar atmosphere around their quarterback [Julian Edelman]. I'm not the kind of player looking for stats, but I have some catching up to do."
ITTA BENA, Miss. -- Alabama A&M hosts Mississippi Valley State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference clash on Saturday and is hoping for a happier ending than last year.
MVSU (1-1, 1-1 SWAC) won that game 23-20 on a 48-yard field goal with only seconds left.
"A&M is always good, but this year they're scoring a lot more points," MVSU head coach Willie Totten said.
A&M (2-0, 0-0) is averaging 529 yards of total offense compared to MVSU's 173.
A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke passed for 301 yards and four touchdowns against Clark Atlanta last week.
The Delta Devils lost 23-6 last Saturday to Southern and Totten wants his players to put that game behind them before the kickoff in Normal, Ala.
"We knew Southern would be a tough opponent, and we'll face an even tougher opponent in Alabama A&M," Totten said.
Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said the Bulldogs can't be satisfied being 2-0.
"I don't want our guys to think we're great because we're not," Jones said. "We've played two good football games, and now we're ready to get into conference play. We have to continue to get better. If we don't, everything we've done will be for naught."
In other games Saturday involving Mississippi's smaller colleges, Alcorn State goes to Alabama-Birmingham; Delta State hosts Henderson State; Mississippi College hosts Texas Lutheran; Belhaven hosts Texas College; and Millsaps plays Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
Alcorn (0-2, 0-2 SWAC) has scored just 13 points in losses to Grambling State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Alcorn goes up against the Division I-A opponent in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday. UAB (0-2) has not won since a 35-29 win over Memphis last Oct. 7. This season, UAB has lost to Florida State and Michigan State.
"We're up beat and we know what we have to do," said Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas. "Our main thing is that we've got to be more consistent on offense and improve. Our defense has to continue to be aggressive."
UAB head coach Neil Callaway said Alcorn has a cadre of veteran players and that experience is important to any team.
"They do a lot of multiple things on both sides of the ball. From a defensive standpoint, we have to recognize what's going on. The same goes for offense because they bring a lot of types and forms blitzes and they will create problems if we're not sharp," Callaway said.
■ Winston-Salem State could have a change on its offensive line this week - the possible promotion of freshman Nazir Levine to the starting lineup.
Offensive coordinator Nick Calcutta said that Levine played well last week after entering the game against Coastal Carolina in the second half.
“More than likely we are going to start Nazir Levine at left guard,” Calcutta said. “We’re hoping we can get the same kind of production out of him this weekend.”
Calcutta said that Bo Adams probably will get more playing time as well. Adams, a redshirt sophomore, has had some nagging injuries this season.
“It’s been a difficult task finding the right five guys to be a unit, but we are slowly getting there,” Calcutta said.
■ Roderick Fluellen, a running back last season, has played primarily receiver this season, and he’s slowly adjusting to his new role.
“Right now I’m getting used to it,” he said. “When camp first started, it was different on how I ran routes and other things. I feel like I’m starting to learn it a lot better at this point.”
One reason that Fluellen was moved was the return of Jed Bines. Brandon McRae and Bines are the main ball-carriers.
“We need to execute better,” Fluellen said of the offense. “I felt like we played hard last week but we didn’t execute like we should have. This week we are more focused. We had a hard loss last week, and we didn’t like that feeling, so hopefully we’ll never have that feeling the rest of the year.”
■ WSSU will play Morgan State for the first time Saturday, with kickoff at 4 p.m. in Baltimore. But coaches Donald Hill-Eley of Morgan State and Kermit Blount of WSSU know each other well. “Donald and I go back a long ways,” Blount said. “He was actually the offensive coordinator at Hampton for a while when we played against Hampton a few years ago. But this will be the first time we’ll get to do battle against each other as head coaches.”
Hill-Eley, a 1991 graduate of Virginia Union, was on some of the great Virginia Union teams of the late 1980s that battled WSSU every year in the CIAA.
“I know all about the Rams and their history,” Hill-Eley said.
Blount said that the teams have exchanged game films.
“He thinks that we have a pretty good football team, and we are thinking they have a pretty good football team as we look at them on film,” Blount said. “So it should be a good ballgame. The team that has the least turnovers will win the ballgame.”
■ Jed Bines, who is No. 4 on WSSU’s all-time rushing list, needs 77 yards to reach 3,000 for his career. He also is sixth in school history with 28 career touchdowns…. Punter Jermaine Mack is averaging 34.3 yards a punt. Mack, a junior defensive back, won the job in preseason camp…. Place-kicker Matt Mitchell, a freshman, has yet to attempt a field goal through two games but is 5 for 5 on point-after attempts…. WSSU’s offensive line did not allow a sack in the opener against N.C. A&T but gave up five sacks in Saturday’s loss to Coastal Carolina.
UAPB Moore to start Junior quarterback Johnathan Moore, who came on in relief of senior starter Chris Wallace and threw two touchdown passes in last week’s 21-3 victory at Alcorn State, will start Saturday against Alabama State at Golden Lion Stadium. Wallace, the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has not practiced this week and likely will not play Saturday because of a bout with the flu. “He [Wallace ] has been sick all week and I didn’t let him practice this week and he’s not going to play this week,” UAPB Coach Mo Forte said. “He’s had the flu and has been coughing... It’s exhaustion and his body is just run down.”
Saturday will mark Moore’s third career start. He started last year’s SWAC championship game against Alabama A&M and led the Golden Lions to a 7-6 halftime advantage before Wallace entered the game in the second half. UAPB lost 22-13.
“I feel good with Johnathan,” Forte said. “He’s been waiting for his opportunity and he has talent and skills. I’m looking forward to seeing him manage this football team.” Defense shines
UAPB’s offense has struggled in its first two games, but there’s no complaining about the defense’s play under coordinator Monte Coleman.
UAPB’s defense leads the SWAC, yielding only 190. 5 yards per game and also boasts the top run defense, which is giving up 23 yards per game.
Junior end Ledarious Anthony, who was named the SWAC’s defensive player of the week, has 19 total tackles and leads the conference with 1 3 / 2 sacks. Mental block ?
Alabama State remains the only team in the SWAC that UAPB has yet to beat in three seasons under Coach Mo Forte.
In fact, the Hornets have beaten the Golden Lions in four consecutive matchups and six out of the past seven, capped by last year’s 31-13 victory in Montgomery, Ala. It marked the most lopsided loss of the season for UAPB, which went on to win the West Division title.
Alabama State, which was picked in preseason to finish third in the East Division, could be the surprise team of the conference. The Hornets are 2-0 with victories against perennial power Jacksonville State (24-19 ) and at Texas Southern (21-10 ). UAPB to honor 10
UAPB will add 10 members to its sports hall of fame at its annual banquet tonight at the Junior League Building in Little Rock.
Those being inducted former football and basketball Coach Charles “Pop” Spearman, football standout Allie Freeman, former Little Rock Hall Coach Oliver Elders, former NFL player Caesar Belser, track standout Aaron Harris, All-SWAC basketball player Jesse Mason, Jr., former Little Rock Hall football Coach Roy Wade, women’s basketball players Helen Hughes-Smith and Susan Weaver-Vasser and 1996 Olympic trials participant Demetrica Hayes-Thomas.
PINE BLUFF — Louis “Skip” Perkins has been on the job for just over a month as Arkansas-Pine Bluff ’s athletic director, but there’s little doubt he has the program moving in the right direction.
Perkins, 35, who is one of the youngest athletic directors in NCAA Division I, is engaging and infectious when he talks about his goals for the UAPB athletic program.
Perkins took over for Craig Curry, whose three-year contract was not renewed in June by UAPB Chancellor Lawrence Davis.
“My immediate goals are fundraising and bringing all sports on campus,” said Perkins, who signed a three-year contract with UAPB. “But one of my major goals is to win a SWAC [Southwestern Athletic Conference ] championship. It’s been over 30 years since we’ve won a SWAC title in any sport and that’s going to change. We’ve been ninth and 10 th, respectively, in a lot of sports and that’s not good enough. We’re going to install a winning attitude here.”
Perkins’ first order of business was making the football schedule more fan accessible. He was aghast when he learned the defending West Division champion Golden Lions were playing only three games in Pine Bluff and one in Little Rock.
Lewis, who vowed the Golden Lions will play no fewer than five in-state games a year in his tenure, immediately went to work to put Central Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello on next year’s schedule. UAPB has a two-year deal to play UCA at War Memorial Stadium and a three-year deal to play UAM at Golden Lion Stadium.
This year, UAPB plays its two nonconference opponents — Southern Illinois and New Mexico State — on the road.
“This was an easy fix for me,” Perkins said. “I know what a paid game is and what a classic is, and the games on this [2007 ] schedule wouldn’t be considered either of those two. Southern Illinois is a home-and-home agreement and by the time we pay all of the bills from going to New Mexico State, we’re coming home with nothing. We’re better off playing at home and we’ve added two in-state rivals that everybody’s going to love to be a part of.”
Perkins also fits the bill as a strong fundraiser. Before taking the UAPB job, he was an assistant athletic director at his alma mater, North Carolina Central, and spearheaded a drive that raised more than $ 1. 8 million in a fiscal year.
“The reason that’s so special is because we have so much competition,” Perkins said. “There’s Duke, there’s North Carolina, there’s North Carolina State and everybody is going after the same person [for fundraising ].
“ Some of it was not taking no for an answer but a lot of it was asking. We just didn’t ask before. It’s simple as that. Raising funds is my No. 1 priority at UAPB and we’re the only shop in town. Some progress has been made but I’m ready to take it to the next level.”
Perkins heard about the UAPB vacancy in July and was immediately interested.
“I heard that they were looking for someone who could raise some funds and someone who had energy,” Perkins said. “I thought I had what they needed so I immediately applied.”
Davis agreed after bringing Perkins in for an interview.
“We brought him down and let him meet the appropriate people and his background in fundraising, his contacts and his energy made him very attractive to us,” Davis said. “We have great anticipation and we’re very optimistic about our future under his leadership.”
Perkins also has the endorsement of head football Coach Mo Forte, who has done his part to bring excitement to the athletic program by leading the Golden Lions to their first SWAC West Division title in 2006.
“The time I’ve been around him he is enthusiastic and he has a lot of energy,” Forte said. “I think he’s going to be able to go out and raise money, which is what they brought him in here to do. He’s got a good personality and I think he’s going to do a good job.”
Perkins insisted the UAPB job isn’t a stepping stone.
“This community is wonderful and my wife and I can’t go anywhere without someone stopping us and telling us how glad they are we’re here and that we can do it,” Perkins said. “I don’t know how much higher I can go because I’m an athletic director in the SWAC conference. I’m embedded in this community and I’m here for the long run. I want to win a SWAC championship and then I want to compete for the all-SWAC trophy, and that’s going to take time. We’re going to have continuity.”
Southern sophomore linebacker Allan Baugh’s mother, Judy, graduated from the University of Texas and his brother, Kenny, was a star pitcher at Rice.
But his father, Kenneth, and his sister, Erika, both went to Prairie View.
Southern (2-0, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) hosts PV (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium in the Jaguars’ home opener.
After Southern’s shocking 26-23 overtime loss to PV a year ago, Allan said his dad, an electrical engineering major at PV who is now an attorney in Houston, didn’t tease him about the loss – My dad was rooting for Southern,” he said.
Big sister, also an electrical engineering major who now works for American Airlines in Dallas, may have had something to say, however.
“She probably gave me a little bit,” Baugh said. “She probably wasn’t used to them winning though.”
Baugh had been recruited by Rice and other schools, but chose Southern.
“They didn’t put any pressure on me to go to a (historically black college); whatever decision I made, they were fine with,” said Baugh, a civil engineering major.
Passing notice Last season, Prairie View was 112th of 116 Division I-AA teams in passing (100.6 ypg), though a respectable 33rd in rushing (189.9 ypg).
So, shoring up the passing attack (13 interceptions to nine TDs) was a priority.
How’s it going? The Panthers are averaging 146.5 ypg on the ground — despite losing its top rushing tandem of last season, Arnell Fontenot and Kerry Wilson, and are averaging 143.0 ypg in the air.
“We’ve made a concerted effort to improve our passing game,” PV coach Henry Frazier III said. “That’s the last piece of the puzzle. We know we can run the ball. We’re going to see what happens. If you see us handing it over to the other team, you’ll see me grind it out.”
Senior quarterback Chris Gibson is 26-for-49 (53.1 percent) for 248 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. He is a career 42.0-percent passer for 2,143 yards, 16 interceptions and eight touchdowns.
Gibson has been PV’s top rusher, with 199 yards — averaging 8.3 yards per carry and third best in the SWAC — and two TDs on 24 carries. He’s run for 678 yards and 12 TDs in his career.
“Our mission is to try to control him,” Richardson said. “He likes to run the football. He’s an exceptional athlete and he makes a lot of big plays once he gets to the flank. We have to apply pressure selectively. And also we have to do a great job of man-to-man coverage.”
Gibson, who is 4-for-16 for 41 yards and an interception in his career against Southern, had an injured shoulder but came off the bench in the final few minutes to help the Panthers to their stunning comeback.
Roberts can run, catch
SU junior wide receiver Del Roberts has been the ‘X’ factor coaches envisioned. Roberts has 10 catches, tied for the team lead with Gerard Landry, for 99 yards and has four rushes for 37 yards (9.9 yards per carry).
Saturday, in a 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State, Roberts had 33 rushing yards (three carries) and a team-best 74 receiving yards (seven catches) for 107 total yards.
“They double-teamed (Gerard) Landry on the other side after (a 54-yard touchdown), and we had to go someplace else,” Richardson said.
Notes PV’s top pass catcher is 5-foot-5 Anthony Weeden, with 10 grabs for 98 yards. SU QB Bryant Lee’s pass efficiency is 151.87, 19th best in the nation. Prairie View has been undefeated entering the Southern game all four seasons under Frazier – 2-0 in 2004 (losing 42-12), 1-0 in 2005 (losing 38-0 and 1-0 last season (winning 26-23 in overtime). Frazier is 13-21 in three-plus seasons at PV. That’s the best record of any coach since Hoover Wright went 17-53-1 from 1973-79. There were 10 different coaches from 1980-2003. Two had no wins, three had one win, one had two wins, one had three wins and Larry Dorsey was 5-27 from 2000-02.
Ticket sales for the Tennessee State-Austin Peay football game Saturday in Clarksville have been brisk and a sellout is possible, according to APSU athletic spokesman Cody Bush.
The 6 p.m. game at Governors Stadium (capacity 10,000) marks the return for Austin Peay to the Ohio Valley Conference after dropping to non-scholarship football in 1996.
APSU's 1977 OVC championship team, which was coached by Boots Donnelly, has been invited back and will be recognized during a halftime ceremony.
Ticket prices are $7 for seniors/students and $12 for adults. Special rates are available for groups of 25 or more.
Frank Staley Jr. and Geb Runager have nothing but love for their college alma maters.
Runager earned his masters’ degree in education from the University of South Carolina and sent four of his five children there, including the school’s first-ever female trainer and NFL All-Pro punter Max Runager. Staley is a proud second-generation graduate of South Carolina State University whose father has a building named on campus in his honor and remains a fixture around the football team as one of its biggest fans.
Given Staley and Runager’s devout allegiances to USC and SCSU, Saturday’s first-ever meeting between the two in-state schools would seem like the time to put aside their longtime friendship. Instead of exchanging trash talk and ugly stares, however, it was all smiles between the two men at Thursday’s Orangeburg Touchdown Club meeting.
"I think it’s great," Runager said. "I think it’s long overdue and you can tell just from the Touchdown Club meeting today the excitement it’s been generating not only in this room, but the community and the entire state. So it’s long overdue as far as a football game is concerned and Coach Pough is not looking up so high to South Carolina, he’s looking at an equal level playing field and he’s anxious to find out how his players are going to go. So I think it’s long overdue."
"It’s long overdue and we’re going to be representative," Staley said. "We at South Carolina State with the Bulldogs, we go into a game and go in to win and hopefully, we can win this one."
Runager acknowledged most Gamecock fans see the game with the Bulldogs as a ‘breather’ before next week’s matchup against second-ranked LSU. At the same time, Runager’s personal ties to SCSU, dating back to Willie Jeffries, in working with the Bulldog kickers makes it difficult to develop a healthy ‘hatred’ entering Saturday’s game.
"(Punter and Saturday’s place-kicker) Aaron Haire is doing quite well as a punter and holder," Runager said. "He and I have been working together since he was in middle school. How am I going to pull against him. I cannot do anything but wish him the best."
The two men are also linked by their years of community service. From Runager’s work with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to Staley’s 30-plus years as a teacher at SCSU, their strong commitment to helping young people serves as a common bond between them.
"I think both of our backgrounds have involved working with kids," Staley said. "We’ve done that all of our lives and I guess we’re going to do that until we pass on to the Good Father.
"And that will transition itself into the game on Saturday due to the total respect we have for what the coaches do and how well they’re working with those kids and what it means to them to work with those kids because we’ve worked with kids all our professional lives and the kids are the same," Runager said. "That’s who it’s all about. It’s not about us. It’s about the kids.
"And these football players when they graduate from college, the majority of them aren’t going to be pros because there’s nothing but good players up there. What we’re doing is preparing them for life and what it is," Staley said.
Runager sees Saturday’s game as a chance to bring together two groups of fans who have more in common than they realize and will give fans statewide an unprecedented opportunity to see what SCSU is all about.
"The word is respect," Runager said. "That’s what it’s all about. That’s what this club is all about and I think our community has grown exponentially in that regard and in terms of respect for each other, no matter what your background or anything else and I think that’s what the game is going to do. It’s going to offer an opportunity to build respect because they’re going to look at a class program in South Carolina State University, which is coming in well-closed, well-played, the players are just really truly student-athletes and gentlemen and that level of respect just can’t help but increase remarkably in my view."
Staley holds Runager in equally high regard, stating he’s been someone who’s been a ‘father image’ for him for a long time. Regardless of the outcome, the two insists their friendship will endure.
"We’re going to be friends even after the game is over," Staley said. "We know he’s going to be rooting for Carolina because that’s where he’s had all his backing and I’m going to be rooting for the Bulldogs. I’ve been going around with Carolina because as a Boy Scout leader, I ushered up there for years. But Saturday, I’m a Bulldog!"
"No hate over here," Runager said. "We can’t work up a hate."
Already down one starter on defense, the South Carolina State football team will be missing two on offense for Saturday’s in-state clash with the University of South Carolina.
In a press release, Bulldog head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough announced one-game suspensions to place-kicker Stephen Grantham, wide receivers Terrance Smith and Phillip Brooks and defensive lineman Patrick Brooks for team rule violations. When contacted by telephone, Pough declined to elaborate on the reasons behind the suspensions save for what was stated in the release.
Grantham, who missed all of last season for academic reasons, will be replaced by punter and Orangeburg native Aaron Haire.
Also slated to miss Saturday’s contest is defensive back Marshall McFadden, who suffered a hyperextended right elbow in SCSU’s 24-13 win at Bethune-Cookman last Saturday. McFadden, a 6-2, 195 junior of Lamar who had started all 24 Bulldog games during his career, will miss 2-3 weeks due to the injury.
The historical significance of the first-ever football game against South Carolina isn't lost on South Carolina State's players and coaches, but they say they're a little more focused on the game itself than their place in history.
"It means a lot to our university and to our community, and we feel like we're the standard bearers for that," said South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough. "As far as the game is concerned, it's a game. What we'd like to do is go out and relax and play well. Whether that will happen, who knows? I can tell you that it's not a life-or-death thing for us. We'd like to go out and put on a good show and make a good accounting for ourselves."
Saturday's game, which is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff at South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium, may mean more to South Carolina State's alumni. The Bulldogs easily sold their allotment of 4,300 tickets.
As one of the few remaining S.C. State alumni still in the NFL, Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Chartric "Chuck" Darby said he was shocked to learn that the Bulldogs and Gamecocks had never played.
"I always figured they'd played a long time ago," said Darby, who grew up in North, S.C.
"It's a game I wish I could have played in when I was at S.C. State. I know we would have loved to have gone up to Columbia and played them. I grew up a South Carolina fan, it's where I wanted to go, so it means a lot to me that they're finally playing."
Darby said he and Seattle linebacker Lance Laury, a former South Carolina standout have been talking trash to each other all week.
"You've got to take up for your school," Darby said laughing. "I'm not going to let Lance talk to me about my school. We've been giving each other a hard time all week. We've got a little lunch bet on the game. The loser has to take the winner out to lunch."
South Carolina has been playing football for 116 years, while the Bulldogs are celebrating their 100th year of football.
Even though the two schools are approximately 40 miles apart, Saturday's game between the Football Championship Subdivision Bulldogs and the 17th-ranked Gamecocks has been a long time coming.
Since South Carolina State is an historically black school, the segregation practices that gripped the country for the better part of the 20th century explains much about why the two schools have never played.
Over the last 40 years, there has been no real reason why the schools shouldn't have played — other than USC really made no effort to schedule the game.
"This game is long overdue. It's something that should have happened a long time ago if you ask me," Darby said. "Why we had to wait until 2007 to play this game is something I don't understand. This is a game they need to play every year."
The Gamecocks have played nearly every other football-playing school in the state, including other subdivision schools like Wofford, The Citadel, and Furman.
Current South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman finally got the game on the schedule as part of an effort to schedule more in-state schools, a move that coach Steve Spurrier favors.
"They asked me, 'Do you want to play South Carolina State?' and I said, 'Sure, why not?' " Spurrier said. "I didn't realize at the time that they'd never played before. I didn't realize it was that big a deal. If I had been here, 10, 12 years ago, I certainly would have wanted to schedule the game.
"I think it's a good game. Instead of bringing Louisiana-Lafayette or one of those teams in, bring South Carolina State, Wofford, and Furman. If they beat us, they beat us."
Pough, who served as the Gamecocks running backs coach from 1999-2001 under former head coach Lou Holtz, said he has been working on scheduling South Carolina since he left USC to take over the South Carolina State program in 2002.
"There was nothing in writing when I left," Pough said. "We had kind of a gentleman's agreement. We'd tried to do it a couple of years ago, but it didn't work out. This was the first season we were able to get it done."
South Carolina State quarterback Cleve McCoy, who played at Baptist Hill High in Hollywood, says the game likely means more to the Bulldogs than the Gamecocks.
"It means a lot," McCoy said. "It might not be important to the players at South Carolina, but it's almost everything to us. We played ball with these guys, we talk to them all the time. We've always said, 'We wish we could play ya'll. Matter of fact, we're going to beat ya'll.' That's just talk, but it's a great opportunity."
The two teams will meet again in 2011, and Pough would like to see the game eventually contested on a semi-regular basis.
"I'd like to see it every other year, something of that nature," Pough said. "But you do what you can at the beginning and as you do, as the relationship develops, you get more of them. What is probably best is that we get South Carolina one year, we get Clemson one year eventually. We've got Georgia Tech down the road. Just kind of mix it in."
But there can be only one first meeting.
The current Bulldogs are excited to be a part of it — with one reservation.
"Well, it will be something to be proud of, but not if we go in there and lose 66-7," McCoy said. "Then I won't want to talk about it."
ORANGEBURG - This Saturday night, South Carolina State and South Carolina will play a football game for the ages. That's because the way you look at this game depends upon your age. If you're young, like the group of students I talked to on campus Thursday, you no doubt see it as a big football game, a chance for the underdog Bulldogs to play the nationally ranked Gamecocks.
Few, however, understand the true significance of this first-ever meeting between the Palmetto State's flagship school and the predominantly black university just down the road.
"I personally hope that South Carolina State wins the game," said Donovan McDaniel, a James Island High School graduate "But I think South Carolina has upper hand."
Corey Frasier, a Military Magnet graduate who attends S.C. State, said, "I think it's going to be a great game with a former NFL coach like Steve Spurrier coaching in it. It'll be a challenge for the Bulldogs, but it will boost our ratings up if we do a good job."
Jamal Watkins, of Goose Creek, said, "USC is coming off a win over Georgia and State just beat Bethune-Cookman. So I think it's a game about who runs South Carolina. It's all about bragging rights."
That's pretty much the sentiment of most 19-year-olds. For some reason, they think it's about football.
100 years later
That these two state-supported schools have been playing college football 40 miles from each other for more than 100 years and never played each other is a remnant of our state's unresolved racial history.
Grace Beahm The Post and Courier
Mary Jones, a South Carolina State University professor for more than 30 years, buys T-shirts at Orrick Dixon's stand Thursday outside the SCSU stadium as she and Veronica Mervin prepare for Saturday's football game against the University of South Carolina. 'Saturday is blue-and-white day,' Jones said as she picked out shirts.
Without delving too deep into the history books, suffice it to say it wasn't pretty, it wasn't fair and we all look back with regret.
"The game means nothing to these students as far as history is concerned," said S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough, who played for the Bulldogs in the bad old days. "I've had to educate them some. I even brought in coach Willie Jeffries who coached here before me, to give them a chance to understand some of the significance of it. But they don't know anything about segregation. All that kind of stuff was way behind them.
"But this is a big deal for all the South Carolina State constituency. All the friends and family and the community, it's big to them."
One of those people is Mary Jordan, an English professor who has been teaching at S.C. State for more than 30 years.
"I'm very excited to know that we are establishing a relationship," Jordan said as she purchased an S.C. State T-shirt for the weekend celebration. "I'm not so much concerned about who wins or who loses, but just to say that we have established a relationship with the university and that we can play sports and compete with each other."
A native of Orangeburg, Jordan said she has been encouraged to see S.C. State play The Citadel in recent years and for the Bulldogs to play their Palmetto Classic (against other black schools) in USC's stadium.
"But to actually play Carolina, that's historical," she said. "We need to get to be cooperative partners, because we're all working for the same goal."
Long overdue
As I walked around S.C. State Thursday it occurred to me how few of my white friends have ever set foot on this campus.
It might come as a surprise to many that these Bulldogs have been playing football for a century and sent more than their fair share of players to the pro ranks.
Names like Harry Carson (San Diego), Deacon Jones (L.A., San Diego, Washington) Donnie Shell (Pittsburgh), Barney Chavous (Denver), Jumpy Geathers (Buffalo), Chartric Darby (Baltimore, Tampa, Seattle), John Gilliam (New Orleans, St. Louis, Minnesota, Atlanta) and Robert Porcher (Detroit) to name only a handful of more than a hundred former Bulldogs who have played in the pros.
For decades this was where all the good, black players played. That was before the white-only colleges welcomed their talent with open arms and stole them away.
Now, the Bulldogs still attract some good players, but they play before home crowds of 20,000 or less, in the second-tier league formerly known as 1-AA, in places where television satellite trucks seldom show up.
That's part of the reason that this game with the Gamecocks is so important to S.C. State alums. It's a chance to bask underneath the bright lights of big-time football they seldom get to see.
The Bulldogs were given 600 complimentary tickets for staff members and 2,000 tickets to sell for this game. When those sold out so quickly, USC, to its credit, came up with another 1,700.
Still, S.C. State fans will be far outnumbered at Williams-Brice Saturday night, where 80,000 Gamecock fans will be in the majority. But that's OK. They're used to being outnumbered. They just want to be respected.
For State fans who can't get a ticket, the game will be televised on pay-per-view for $24.95. A small price to pay for a game so long overdue.
"There are a lot of things that need to be done to bridge the gap between these two schools and this game is a good start," said Laura Waters-Brown, a junior on the S.C. State volleyball team. "I think there may be some racial overtones to it, but I think that getting out on the football field where it will be a level playing field will help unite the state of South Carolina for the better."
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."
Ulysses Banks had no intentions of coming to Alabama A&M. He wanted to play in the Southeastern Conference and had verbally committed to the University of Kentucky, but that was before he failed to qualify academically after a star-studded career at Parker High School in Birmingham.
Even so, Kentucky wanted to send Banks to Butler Community (Kan.) College and re-sign him two years later. That's when Banks' mother - Shirley - stepped in.
"My mother helped me make up my mind," Banks said. "She told me you're not going way up there."
Good thing he didn't. If he had, Banks wouldn't hold the single-game rushing record at A&M.
Banks had a night to remember on Saturday night.
In just his second career start, Banks, a 5-foot-8, 172-pound sophomore, rushed for a school-record 211 yards on 19 carries in A&M's 41-10 trouncing of Clark Atlanta. Banks' 211 yards eclipsed the mark of Jeremiah Bonds, who rushed for 197 yards against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 20, 2003.
"We knew we could have a big night as an offensive unit, but I didn't know it was going to be that big," said Banks, whose father Kenny played for the Bulldogs in the 1980s. "I'm excited about it because it's my first 200-yard game and I've been playing football since I was 3.
"If I wouldn't have done it, it wouldn't have been right. The holes were so big that if I wouldn't have run for 200 yards, I would have let my linemen down because they worked so hard."
One of those linemen, left tackle Darius Turner, was mesmerized by Banks' effort. Turner has spent the last two years blocking for Nic Luke and Ta'mar Scott, more power runners than scat backs.
"I enjoyed his running," Turner said of Banks. "It's not something that I'm used to. He makes my job easy."
Turner and company made it easy for Banks, who admitted he was nervous Friday night and during Saturday's pre-game meal.
Banks shook off his butterflies and had 122 yards at halftime and never imagined he'd be around to top the 200-yard mark.
"I figured I'd play a little in the third quarter and then (Anthony) Green and (Sylvester) Steward would get in and have a big night," said Banks, who had runs of 39, 43 and 34 yards, respectively. "After the third quarter, they told me I needed six more yards and I said six more yards for what.
"They told me to just get six more yards and that's when I broke a long run and I was through for the night."
Banks picked up 34 yards on his final carry early in the fourth quarter to break the record.
Not bad for a guy who hadn't carried the ball in a game from scrimmage until this season.
"We saw what he could do in spring ball," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We knew he had the speed. We knew he had good vision. He's not a big kid, so we had to be smart how we used him."
Banks led the nation in kickoff returns last season, averaging 34.3 yards per return, including touchdowns against Southern and Alabama State.
"We don't win those games without him," Jones said. "We wouldn't have won the SWAC championship without him."
A&M probably won't win it without him this season, either.
Some think Hampton University's talented true freshmen compare to the legendary 2003 group.
HAMPTON - Jacobi Fenner was so nervous on his first play in a Hampton University uniform that he jogged downfield covering a kickoff Saturday at Howard.
Pirates coach Joe Taylor pulled him aside and chastised him.
"He told me, 'I brought you here for a reason, because you have speed and can hit, so hit somebody,' " Fenner said. "On the next two kickoffs, I sprinted downfield and was in on the tackles.
"Coach Taylor met me at the sideline, shook my hand and said, 'That's what I'm looking for, son.' Knowing he's there for me gives me faith."
Minus 14 senior starters from last year's team, Taylor will place his faith in more true freshmen than usual. He played eight in the 31-24 win at Howard: Fenner, cornerback James Butts, wide receiver Dyrri McCain, tailback Dennis Mathis, safety Jonathan Wade, safety Rasoul Wilson, place-kicker Carlo Turavani and linebacker Carson Byrd.
Photo: These Hampton University freshmen, from left, want to continue the Pirates' run of MEAC titles: Dyrri McCain, Rasoul Wilson, Jacobi Fenner, Dennis Mathis, James Butts, Carlo Turavani, Jonathan Wade and Carson Byrd. Turavani went 4-for-4 on extra points and made his only field-goal attempt. He was selected the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week.
Butts returned a kickoff 46 yards and held his own while playing most of the game at cornerback.
The others, like Fenner, got their feet wet without making any glaring mistakes.
Taylor expected nothing less.
"You've got to go through to get through," said Taylor, whose Pirates play Saturday at North Carolina A&T. "That's how you gain experience."
The number of true freshmen playing already has some comparing them to the 2003 group. It's probably too early for that.
Taylor played nine true freshmen in the '03 opener, and by season's end, seven were starters. Only Turavani starts at the moment.
These days, the Pirates tend more to supplement the lineup with Division I-A transfers, and five are starting this season.
All told, the '03 recruiting class produced 11 starters, a 38-9 record, three MEAC titles and six NFL rookie camp participants.
Ten seniors from last season were in rookie camps in the spring. Three are drawing NFL paychecks, and another plays in Canada.
Their legacy inspires, rather than intimidates, the newcomers.
"I think it's more motivation than pressure," Mathis said. "That class won three rings and raised the bar.
"If we learn from our juniors and seniors and put it all together, we can raise the bar at Hampton even further."
Byrd, a top-60 high-school recruit in Ohio last year, said last year's seniors attracted him to Hampton.
"The fact that 10 Hampton guys got a shot (in NFL camps) this year and that five went to the NFL combine was a real big bonus for me in making my decision," he said. "Even though I was from Ohio, I knew those guys' names."
Senior fullback Qutrell Payton likes to remind the newcomers that last year's seniors didn't win the MEAC title until he and the current seniors arrived on the scene.
He mentors them on the ingredients for becoming perennial MEAC champions.
"Coach Taylor taught us that it's about becoming a family and being your brother's keeper. I think that's why we've had so much success.
"I came in with 22 freshmen and 20 are still here. We take a lot of pride in what we've accomplished."
McCain said the new freshmen plan to help Payton and the other seniors earn a fourth MEAC title ring.
Then they'll look to create their own legacy.
"We had a team meeting Tuesday night and the guys were all getting their MEAC championship rings from last season," McCain said.
"Qutrell was talking about going for their fourth one. Coach Taylor said that if we win a national championship, we get a diamond in the ring.
"We're going for four straight, too, all with diamonds in them."
Saturday's game WHAT: Hampton vs. North Carolina A&T
Division 1-AA teams reap benefits when they take on the big boys
It's a win-win situation.
And who knows, you might even win.
Division 1-AA football teams get a pretty good deal when they add a Division 1-A team to their schedule. They receive attention, a chance to compete against the best and a significant payout from the team in question in return for a likely loss.
Norfolk State, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, will receive $265,000 from Rutgers when they play tomorrow, divided between cash, hotel rooms, tickets and other benefits like courtesy tents for alumni.
Now, Appalachian State showed that the rewards can extend much further.
With their win over Michigan two weeks ago, the Mountaineers of Boone, N.C., made two important announcements. The teams in the next tier, now known as the Football Championship Subdivision, are not only less fearsome of the bullies above them -- they're getting better, too.
If Michigan's unexpected loss this year was to Northwestern or Eastern Michigan, it would've been embarrassing. Losing to Appalachian State, however, is historic, and all it cost the Wolverines was a hefty $400,000 to become the butt of every college football joke for the next year. The payouts given to these schools in return for scheduling a game may be in jeopardy if the big names in the former Division 1-A (now the Football Bowl Subdivision) are less inclined to put themselves at risk.
Charlie Cobb, Appalachian State's athletic director, believes an already difficult process will only become more frustrating. He remembers trying to schedule another 1-A team which was offering $300,000 to a less prestigious 1-AA school. He called about five times, offering to play the game for $100,000, but the 1-A team wasn't interested in playing the more dangerous Mountaineers, the two-time defending 1-AA champion.
Norfolk State is adopting a similar attitude. Athletic director Marty Miller said the payout is not an inconsequential amount of money and has a vast impact on his program. The real value, however, comes from pitting his team against a program like Rutgers to see where they stand.
"This is a great opportunity to expose our football team to that level of competition," Miller said. "... (The money) does help our program, but we're going in with the mind-set that we're not going in to lose a ballgame. We're trying to be as competitive as possible."
Rutgers plans to continue scheduling 1-AA opponents even with the payouts rising year by year. Deputy director of athletics Kevin MacConnell said he will continue to make calls for future games but doesn't sense any backtracking from other top programs.
"I wouldn't know if schools are apprehensive after Appalachian State," MacConnell said.
There are certainly no reservations on the other side of the fence -- the experience of playing a 1-A team doesn't have a price tag. Cobb was excited to give his players a chance to play at Michigan's famed Big House in front of 109,000 fans, to give the school band an exciting venue at which to perform and to build the national exposure of his school.
And in the "1-in-100" chance that you win the game, he now knows that the benefits are immeasurable.
"Our university cannot buy the exposure that we've received in the last 10 days," Cobb said.
For a school with a $9.5 million budget for 20 sports, the $400,000 payout has serious impact. It can pay a number of salaries, improve facilities and pave the way for better things in the future. Cobb has received estimates that say by also winning the game and receiving unprecedented media coverage, the school "earned" anywhere from $10 to 20 million.
The top 1-AA schools have become more threatening because scheduling top teams shows recruits that they'll have the chance to play some prominent games, and you can't win without players. Pittsburgh is one of six Big East teams to play a 1-AA school this year. Last week it hosted Grambling State, whose athletic director, Troy Mathieu, said the team is trying to broaden its approach to tougher opponents.
"From our end, it helps with recruiting," Mathieu said. "They (the players) all have visions in high school of playing 1-A football. As the process unwinds, everyone can't go to a 1-A school ... you may have a better chance of getting a quality college football experience at a school our size. One of the tools that we use in recruiting is if you have a desire to play against the big boys, you will get the chance."
MacConnell said the payouts are often in the same range, anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000, depending on travel costs and familiarity between the schools.
Miller has scheduled a rising SEC school, Kentucky, for next season. Cobb's list of recent and future opponents reads like the annual preseason top 25: Michigan, Wake Forest, Auburn, LSU, NC State, Florida, Georgia and Virginia Tech.
The prospect of falling to a 1-AA school may be more likely, but that doesn't make it any easier to stomach. On a conference call Monday, Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian joked that after looking at the Scarlet Knights' game tape, he'd "rather play Michigan."
And considering the money saved and potential ridicule avoided, maybe Rutgers would, too. -------------
The game will be televised nationally on a pay-per-view basis on ESPN GamePlan and in the New York/New Jersey area on the MSG Network. Fans can hear the game in the Hampton Roads area on WNSB Hot 91.1 FM.
We gave our Rutgers writers six questions heading into Rutgers' game tomorrow against Norfolk State. Here's what they had to say:
1. Is there any cause for concern with Norfolk State? What can you tell us about them?
TOM LUICCI: Cause for concern? Norfolk State lost 13-10 to Howard last year -- a Howard team Rutgers beat 56-7. Norfolk State hasn't had a winning season since 1996 and has never faced a 1-A team before. This is Norfolk State, not Appalachian State. But why hear it from me? Take it from Spartans coach Pete Adrian.
"We're talking apples and oranges here," Adrian said of the Appalachian State comparisons. "Appalachian State won two national championships back to back, they've played a Division 1-A team for the last 20 years, every other year or whatever, and this is our first endeavor in playing a Division 1-A team. Like I've said, we haven't had a winning season in 10 years. There's a lot of Division 1-A teams that don't want to play Appalachian State with the speed they have."
STEVE POLITI: The only concern is a Rutgers injury. Norfolk State is 289-288-12 since 1938 in football, and this game will drop the Spartans to .500. Rutgers is past the days where it has to worry about Division 1-AA teams. Just make sure Ray Rice gets 200 yards and gets off the field without hurting himself, and this will be a successful day.
ALEX DELANIAN: I don't know how to be polite with this question. I think we all learned a nice lesson from Appalachian State never to underestimate, but this is going to be like a New Rochelle High School gym class and you just happen to have Ray Rice, Glen Lee and Courtney Greene on your side. With the wind at your backs. And you get to wear cleats while the other team plays barefoot. And their quarterback, a natural lefty, broke his hand and has to throw righty. And the cornerbacks are only named that because they prefer to sit in the corner and watch than play. I told you I didn't know how to be polite.
2. Assuming the game is a rout and leads to more reps for backups, who plays more: Young at RB or Lovelace at QB?
TL: I asked Rutgers coach Greg Schiano after practice on Thursday if there was any chance we would see redshirt freshman Chris Paul-Etienne, the No. 3 QB, if the game gets out of hand. Paul-Etienne hasn't played a down yet. Schiano indicated he wanted to get Jabu Lovelace as much work as possible. "We need to get him ready," he said. Kordell Young will get plenty of time at tailback, but I also think the coaching staff wants to see a little of true freshman Mason Robinson there. So Robinson could be in most of the fourth quarter -- working with Lovelace.
SP: I think you'll see more Lovelace, because they're more likely to work him earlier to use his speed against the Norfolk State defense. Here's one thing Rutgers fans should want to see: Lovelace throw some passes. Much like the Jets and Giants this weekend, the Scarlet Knights do not want to find out what life is like without their starting (and red hot) quarterback in a season like this.
AD: Lovelace. If only because if both of them are in the game, Young might not see the ball. From what we saw against Buffalo, the offensive package when Lovelace is in the game consists of snapping the ball to him and getting out of the way. Young can't catch a break, whether it's Rice in front of him on the depth chart or Tim Brown stepping in front of him on kickoff returns. We will see more of Lovelace, but it'd be nice for the backup running back to get some reps, just in case.
3. There's a fine line between getting your stats and running it up. What should be the goal of Rutgers for Ray Rice (100, 150, 200 yards) and how long should he play?
TL: The score and the tenor of the game -- not Rice's rushing yardage -- will dictate how long Rice plays. The fine line really is between getting your starters enough work to stay sharp, especially with a bye week coming up, and making sure you get out of a game like this healthy. Rice may play the first series of the second half if the games goes as I expect it will. Then he will get a nice ovation and take the rest of the day off. He may not need 20 carries to pile up solid rushing numbers.
SP: I'd say go for 200. There's no reason Rice shouldn't play well into the third quarter no matter what the score is. Look around the country -- these games are getting out of hand everywhere. The big boys in college football, a club Rutgers belongs to now, pay for the right to beat up on 1-AA teams. As long as Rutgers isn't throwing into the end zone in the fourth quarter, there won't be any hard feelings. Norfolk knows the drill.
AD: The goal is to get him a few carries and get him out of there. I can't fathom the backlash if Rice stays in one series too long and gets even a minor injury that keeps him out for one game.
4. The defense didn't bring its 'A' game in either of the first two games - though you could excuse both (they didn't force a turnover against Buffalo but held them to three points and Navy is Navy - an offense you only see once a year). Give me a way to measure their success in this one; should we look at points, total yards, turnovers ... you tell us.
TL: We will probably only be able to judge the defense off the first half, because that's as long as most of the starters figure to play. You want to see dominance in a game like this. You want to see some turnovers, but sacks and stuffing the run and making it nearly impossible for Norfolk State to function is what you want to look for. If Norfolk State has more than 140 yards of offense in the first half, the defense probably won't be happy. I think Rutgers will welcome the change back to a more traditional offense.
SP: This is another tough one to measure, but I'll throw one criteria out there: Get a shutout. Rutgers narrowly missed one last year against Howard, and playing a complete game (even if it's against an overmatched team) would be a confidence builder heading into the bye week.
AD: Keep an eye on penalties. There's no doubt that this is a talent mismatch, but stats can pile up in weird ways in a blowout. These guys are human, they will inevitably let up a little bit if they're winning by 30-40 points. You'll have a good idea of whether the players are doing their respective jobs the right way if the yellow flags stay in the referees' pockets. The 20 penalties accumulated in the team's first two games are very uncharacteristic, and not a good sign for tougher opponents. If we see the disciplined Rutgers again, it bodes well for the future.
5. Scrimmages (and games against 1-AA teams) are chances to work on different things. Anything we should look out for?
TL: The Norfolk State band. Rutgers' band has a score to settle after being soundly whipped by Howard's band last year. Reports are this was a good recruiting year for Norfolk State in brass section.
Injuries will be one thing to monitor. Seeing some backups get extensive time is another. It will be interesting to watch MLB Ryan D'Imperio if he plays for the first time since breaking his leg in three places in the spring. If he shows the mobility he needs, he could wind up as the starter by mid-season. Try not to blink too much in the first half. Rutgers should be able to break off some big plays that fans will not want to miss.
SP: For starters, look for more players to rotate in and out of this game than anyone all year. This is a good chance for the third stringers to get some valuable time on the field. If there's a starter who I'd like to see get passes thrown his way, it's Tim Brown, who is still recovering from a broken hand. He would have had his first touchdown against Navy if not for pass interference -- look for him to get his first this weekend.
AD: I've heard people questioning how "for real" Mike Teel's first two games were, playing against lesser defenses and throwing to superior talent. If it's smoke and mirrors, then that's fine, but every statistically impressive game he puts up can only help his confidence. If Teel and his crew of receivers continue to put up big numbers, even against this defense, it's a good sign.
6. Give us a score: at the half ... and a final.
TL: Rutgers 45, Norfolk State 0 at the half; Rutgers 62, Norfolk State 7 as the final.
SP: I'll go with Rutgers 31-7 at the half and Rutgers 52-7 final.
AD: Halftime: 35-0. Final: 45-0. Um, I'm picking Rutgers, by the way.
As dusk settled over Hughes Stadium Saturday night, Towson coach Gordy Combs made a pitch to keep alive the football rivalry with Morgan State.
And it didn't have anything to do with the fact Towson has won 15 of the past 17 meetings between the schools.
"We still have a contract for 2008 and '09, and I hope we can extend the contract for another four or five years after that," Combs said. "I think it's a great game for both teams."
It's a game of local interest, easy travel arrangements and familiar opponents. But beyond 2009, the future of the series is uncertain.
Because the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has expanded to 10 teams this season --- and is considering further growth - the Bears are reluctant to commit to an extension.
A nine-game MEAC schedule leaves Morgan with two nonconference games each of the next three years. Morgan athletic director Floyd Kerr said discussions are ongoing in the MEAC over how the conference will reconfigure and how the schedule will be played.
"Where we are right now, we have to solve the internal part to it," Kerr said yesterday. "Are all 10 going to play each other [every year], or will we have divisional play or something else?"
Winston-Salem State, which plays at Morgan tomorrow in a game that will not count in the MEAC standings, became the 10th team in the conference last July. Other schools, such as North Carolina Central and Savannah State, also have applied.
Kerr likes the idea of extending the Towson series, but said he owes return games to Savannah and Maine in the near future.
"I think it's a good series, good for both schools, good for the community," Kerr said of the Towson rivalry. "It's all good, and in good spirit."
Photo: JSU defensive end Marcus Benard prepares to sack Tino Edgecombe.
Rain doesn't dampen JSU's solid performance against Texas visitors
By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger
By the end of the evening, the turf at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium was nothing more than a slip-and-slide and the marching bands had long since left the stands.
But none of that mattered to Jackson State's football team, which happily took a 28-7 victory over Texas Southern on Thursday night in front of an announced crowd of 5,513 hearty souls.
Thanks to the remains of Hurricane Humberto, the game was played in a constant downpour that never let up. Botched snaps and dropped passes were the norm for both teams, especially in the third quarter when the rain intensified.
But for Jackson State, the foul weather only served to begin washing off the bad vibes of the team's early-season stuggles.
"This feels really good, and we really needed it," JSU receiver Jaymar Johnson said. "But we've got a lot bigger things to accomplish than this. We're going for that championship."
Now, instead of focusing on the season's opening two losses, Jackson State (1-2 overall, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) can trumpet its undefeated league standing going into next week's game against Mississippi Valley State.
JSU quarterback Jimmy Oliver was more than adequate in his return to a starting role, completing 9-of-18 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 48 yards on 10 carries. His best work was early, leading the Tigers on two touchdown drives in the first quarter.
"When I looked out and saw the rain, I was kind of worried because I hate the rain," Oliver said. "But I knew I had to do my part tonight so I just got tough."
Oliver's first touchdown drive ended on a 23-yard pass to Kethonne McLaurin, who broke several tackles on the way to the end zone. The second was a 24-yard touchdown pass to Johnson.
Johnson added a 75-yard touchdown on a punt return sandwiched between those two drives, and the Tigers had a 21-0 lead before the end of the first quarter. That margin remained the same going into halftime.
The first-quarter outburst was a far cry from a Jackson State team that managed just three offensive touchdowns during the first two games of the season combined.
Oliver's solid game should lay to rest a quarterback controversy that hounded Jackson State through the first two games of the season. Oliver and Tray Rutland had split time under center in the losses, combining to complete just 32.7 percent of their passes.
But on Wednesday, JSU coach Rick Comegy said he would go with Oliver for better or worse against Texas Southern. The senior rewarded Comegy with a performance reminiscent of last season when Oliver led the SWAC in total offense and threw for 1,906 yards and 14 touchdowns. "Jimmy made a few mistakes out there, but he also made some plays to help us win the ballgame," Comegy said. "That's the Jimmy Oliver we need on the field."
Erik Haw added an 11-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to stretch Jackson State's lead to 28-0. Haw finished with 59 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in the brutal conditions.
Photo: The wet conditions forced the bands to perform their halftime show in the stands.
Texas Southern finally got on the scoreboard later in the third when Brent Wilson rumbled 2 yards for a touchdown, but the weather and JSU's defense wouldn't allow any miracle comebacks.
Texas Southern (0-3, 0-3) came into the game with the SWAC's most prolific passing offense, but was held to only 69 passing yards by the elements and a dogged Jackson State defense. The Maroon Tigers completed only 8 of 45 passes and had just 30 total yards.
JSU thrived on the wet surface, putting pressure on Texas Southern's quarterback nearly every play.
The Tigers picked off three TSU passes, including two by junior Domonique Johnson - who transferred from Missouri in the offseason.
"We've got guys on defense that will rock you," Comegy said. "We've got a little mean streak on defense that I really like to see."
Photo: Carlos Simpson (right) tries to catch a pass against the Lamar Herron who was called for holding on the play.
In this case, it was the winners who couldn't be choosy. Jackson State, which had lost its first two games this season and six of seven dating back to last October, wasn't about to complain.
Not about the rain, which was monotonously steady. Not about the playing conditions, which were miserable.
Not about the crowd, which was limited to an announced 5,513 hearty souls.
Jackson State needed a victory, any kind of victory, period.
And the Tigers got it, trouncing visiting Texas Southern 28-7 Thursday in JSU's 2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference debut.
"It wasn't the best game we've ever played and it certainly wasn't the best conditions, but I'm happy for our guys," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "I thought we showed a lot of spunk out there. Our guys come from all over the place, but tonight they were playing for the blue and white. They weren't playing for themselves. I'm proud of them."
In a game marked by numerous fumbled snaps and false starts, JSU proved to be by far the better mudders.
Texas Southern played three quarterbacks and all had trouble handling the snaps. They were no match at all for Jackson State's swarming defense that allowed only eight first downs and an amazing 30 yards of total offense.
How wet was it?
The bands, always so much a part of the SWAC football experience, couldn't even take the field at halftime. Five minutes into the third quarter both bands exited the stadium, presumably so their horns wouldn't rust.
How wet was it?
During one of the interminable ESPNU timeouts in the fourth quarter, I counted through the sheets of rain 44 people still sitting on the Texas Southern side of the stadium. They must have been parents.
Loving, doting parents.
Photo: Wide receiver Jaymar Johnson pulls in a catch after the JSU Tigers suffered several penalties prior to the snap.
OLIVER IS THE QUARTERBACK
So what did we learn about Jackson State from this game?
First and foremost, we learned Jimmy Oliver, the slippery and slightly built senior, is this team's quarterback. Oliver started and played the first three quarters. He completed nine of 18 passes for two touchdowns and ran 10 times for 48 yards. He threw for both touchdowns in the first quarter before the rain made throwing and catching all but impossible.
"I hate to play in weather like that," Oliver said afterward. "It's hard for a quarterback to make plays. It's hard just to hold onto the ball. It wasn't all that wet at first, and we took advantage of that. It feels good. There's nothing like a win."
We learned that rain doesn't slow wide receiver Jaymar Johnson much at all. Johnson, a senior from Gary, Ind., made Texas Southern players look like statues when he ran through them and then away from them on a 75-yard first-quarter punt return touchdown. He also caught three passes for 67 yards and another TD.
We learned that Jackson State's defense doesn't mind a muddy track either. The Tigers "D"dominated and gave up TSU's only score after a blocked punt gave the visitors a short field.
We learned that the press box at The Vet still leaks.
We learned that relatively small hurricanes that come ashore in Texas can still mess up a football game in Mississippi.
BRING ON THE DELTA DEVILS
Jackson State now has eight days to prepare for its next game, another conference game, this one against rival Mississippi Valley State at Itta Bena on Sept. 22.
Comegy expects even better things from Oliver.
"Jimmy's a winner; he's always been a winner," Comegy said. "He knows how to make plays when there doesn't seem to be anything there. He made some mistakes tonight, but nothing he can't correct."
Oliver would surely agree. And, no doubt, he'd like to make the corrections on a much drier field.
Photo: JSU wide receiver Jaymar Johnson checks his back after returning a punt for a 75-yard touchdown to make the score 13-0 with 3:14 left in the first quarter.
By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger
Jackson State senior Jaymar Johnson was supposed to be the Tigers' premier playmaker this season, with the speed to be both a primary receiver and the main return specialist.
But through two games, both losses, Johnson was mostly a non-factor, catching two passes for 47 yards and failing to break any big gains on special teams.
That all changed during the first quarter of Thursday night's game against Texas Southern, with Johnson involved in three huge plays to spark the Tigers' offense.
First, he caught a 44-yard pass on a third-and-31 situation to keep a touchdown drive alive. Quarterback Jimmy Oliver found Johnson in stride over the middle of the field and the JSU offense finally had the big play it craved.
"That reminded me of the old days last year with the Jimmy-to-Jaymar connection," Johnson said with a grin. "He put that pass right where it needed to be."
Johnson's second big play was a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead. He caught the ball on JSU's 25-yard line and was barely touched as he sprinted down the sideline on his way to six points.
"That's great to see because that punt return unit is my baby," said JSU coach Rick Comegy, who is heavily involved in special teams. "We did a good job blocking and then Jaymar has more than enough speed to get the job done from his end."
"There's no better feeling for a quarterback than to see seven points go on the board without you having to move," Oliver said. "That really put us in a good position."
And finally, Johnson ended his superb first quarter with a 24-yard touchdown reception from Oliver to give JSU the 21-0 lead.
When it was all over, Johnson had 143 total yards before the second quarter began. He finished the game with 201.
"We know when Jaymar touches the ball, he's capable of anything. Tonight he proved it," Comegy said.
Photo: The rain started to fall 30-minutes before game time. Many fans spent the game just trying to keep dry.
Jackson State splashed to a 28-7 victory over Texas Southern at rain-soaked Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Thursday night.
That's the good news for Jackson State fans.
The bad: Steady rain before and during the game helped keep the crowd down. The bands could not perform on the field at halftime and exited early in the third quarter.
The announced attendance was 5,513.
Jackson State depends on walk-up, game-day sales for the bulk of its attendance. Inclement weather can cost the athletic department tens of thousands of dollars.
The silver lining: JSU doubled its season ticket sales to more than 6,000 this season, said athletic director Bob Braddy. Those season tickets were scaled from $85 to $145.
"So a night like tonight doesn't hurt us quite as bad this year as it would have last year," Braddy said. "We are trying to impress upon our fans how important it is to build our season ticket base just because of days like this.
"We really need to get that base up to 20,000, and we're pushing in that direction."
The game was moved to Thursday to be televised by ESPNU through a contract with the SWAC that earns JSU about $25,000 a year.
JSU offered special group night ticket sales.
"A lot of those church and school groups chose not to come in this weather," Braddy said.
Braddy said he had hoped for a crowd of between 12,000 and 15,000.
"But given the weather, I thought it was a good crowd, an enthusiastic crowd," Braddy said. "Hey, at least I know we sold 6,000."
STEVE IRVINE, The Birmingham News
