Some shock, some awe, a lot of pride--SCSU

By BOB GILLESPIE, The State

Coach keeps emotions positive while guiding team on historic day

On a night when, as expected, not much went right for his S.C. State football team, Buddy Pough did have a pregame wish fulfilled.

Before South Carolina’s workman-like 38-3 victory against the Bulldogs in a Saturday contest with more history than drama, S.C. State’s coach was asked, given USC’s advantage in practically every category, what he was hoping for.

Pough talked about “a good-case scenario” — the best-case scenario would have been a stunning upset, of course — in which his team played well against the Gamecocks. Then he smiled.

“I want to give ’em a good shock,” he said. “I want to make it loud in Williams-Brice (Stadium).”

Mission accomplished, at least temporarily.

When defensive back Markee Hamlin intercepted USC quarterback Blake Mitchell on the game’s third play to put the Bulldogs at USC’s 12-yard line, the ensuing roar from the partisan USC crowd of 73,095 (largest ever to see S.C. State play) drowned out everything — including Bulldogs’ quarterback Cleveland McCoy’s signals, as three penalties (one declined) the next three plays demonstrated.

Still, when sophomore kicker Aaron Haire booted a 37-yard field goal, Pough had the satisfaction of his team putting a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard. This night, that would have to suffice.

USC, despite throwing three first-half interceptions, led 17-3 at the break. S.C. State back Jonathan Woods’ fumble at the USC 12 late in the half killed a promising drive, and two quick third-quarter scores by the Gamecocks removed any doubt as to the outcome.

“I felt decent about what we were getting done (in the first half), but after the fumble, we struggled to find things we could consistently do (on offense),” Pough said.

“We played pretty well early (on defense), but as the game went along they softened our defense because we didn’t get enough done on offense.”

Yet even as USC pulled away, Pough rarely showed signs of the frustration he had to be feeling.

Twice in the first half, he demonstrated just how much the game meant — and how much he enjoyed the experience.

When USC quarterback Tommy Beecher sneaked for an apparent first down on fourth-and-short, Pough challenged the call. When officials reversed it, giving S.C. State the ball, a broad grin split his face.

Later, facing third-and-3, offensive coordinator Joe Blackwell appeared to attempt to call time out. Pough, who limps visibly as he awaits hip surgery, hobbled frantically toward an official to make sure the call was made.

When Blackwell informed his boss that was a mistake, Pough grinned. “I’m sorry, I did what you told me to do — (shoot)!” he said.

Otherwise, the image of the Orangeburg native, former Bulldogs player and son of S.C. State graduates consisted of Pough with his arms crossed, a stoic expression on his face. Occasionally, for variety, he adjusted his headset.

“He’s a little laid back,” assistant head coach David Blanchard said of his boss. “He probably had butterflies, but he preaches to us (assistants), ‘Be calm.’”

Why not? Pough, who served five years as a USC assistant under Brad Scott and Lou Holtz, knew what to expect.

“I told our guys, it’s just a football game,” Pough said, and laughed. “One thing I might’ve omitted was (USC) might have bigger, faster guys.”

Rarely, though, did he allow that reality to ruin what he knew was a unique moment for S.C. State and for him.

“I’m proud to be the guy who’s somewhat in charge when our university went into this new portion of our history,” he said.

“Some fans of ours appreciate the fact that, for a long time, we were the school of our people, and USC was not. But it was a strange feeling for me, me being a fan of USC, too.”

Willie Jeffries, S.C. State’s iconic former coach and Pough’s mentor, said the Bulldogs couldn’t have had a better man in charge for a historic night.

“He’s a true South Carolinian, a real Bulldog,” Jeffries said. “This will be the highlight of his career.”

SCSU - USC Football proves its power

By BOB SPEAR, The State

Never again doubt the power of football.

Not after Saturday night.

Not after South Carolina and South Carolina State squared off at Williams-Brice Stadium.

A 60-minute game contested on a plot of grass that measures 100 yards by 53 yards scraped away years of unwanted history and helped the state take another positive step into the future.

Combine the expectations in the week leading to the game with the blocking and tackling on a late-summer Saturday night, and the sum of good feeling accomplished more than all the rhetoric through the years.

"Historic" and "symbolic" often found their way into media reports centering on the first football game between the "big" state university, South Carolina, and the historical black college-university, South Carolina State. The words fit.

Stories focused on the monetary gain of S.C. State, and certainly the Bulldogs' athletic treasury benefits from the transfusion of cash. Fans who believed the racial divide would never permit the game basked in the attention and reveled in anticipation.

All those factors matter, of course. Bundle them into one package and discover the real reason to celebrate a football game that figured to be one-sided on the scoreboard: the visibility and credibility showered on S.C. State.

Those two elements could not be bought at any price, and that is the power and passion of football.

Priceless exposure. For those who still do not believe, consider this: The schools have faced each other in their second-most popular sport, men's basketball, periodically through the years. The series dates to Frank McGuire's days with the Gamecocks.

Some of those basketball games turned into nail-biters. Indeed, some of the S.C. State faithful believe the Bulldogs fell victim to a classic "homer" job one year at Carolina Coliseum, and last season's game at the Colonial Center went to the wire.

The Gamecocks won 55-52 before an announced crowd of 6,307 in the most recent game. The season before, USC won in a walk before a gathering listed at 5,014.

No one noticed, or if they did, the attendance figures suggest no one cared.

Compare that to Saturday night's scramble for tickets and a reported sellout crowd.

That is football.

"Without question, Saturday will be a great night for South Carolina State University," Donnie Shell, a former Bulldogs star who had a glittering career in the National Football League, said in previewing the game. "You can't buy this type of exposure through any kind of advertising. The money for the budget is great, but the visibility will mean more."

Like most S.C. State fans, Shell — a season-ticket holder who works for the Carolina Panthers — believes this game should have happen long before now, but he did not dwell on that point.

"It's good that schools within the state play each other," he said. "It's good for everybody, both our school and South Carolina."

The pregame anticipation drives that fact home.

Shell grew up in Whitmire in the early days of public-school integration. He had one scholarship offer — to Belmont Abbey to play basketball. Instead, he went to S.C. State and played on a defense that included future pros Harry Carson, Mickey Sims and Barney Chavous.

"I wish we could have played (USC) then, but when I played, I never saw this happening," he said. "I couldn't have imagined it then. Now, I'm pleased the teams are playing, that (administrators) made it possible."

How his Bulldogs would have fared against the Gamecocks "is something we will never know," said Shell, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and an All-Pro safety on the Pittsburgh Steelers' Steel Curtain defense in the pros. "We had confidence we could play football. Football is blocking and tackling and running, and if you could do those things, you can play on any level."

The "big" schools with far larger resources generally dominate in games like this one, but the Gamecocks had to work harder than expected Saturday night.

The crowd had to be wondering at halftime if the Gamecocks are "average stiffs" — coach Steve Spurrier's characterization after their 28-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette — or the team that knocked off nationally ranked Georgia a week ago. Five first-half turnovers created plenty of reason for indigestion with a date with LSU on the horizon.

But more than the numbers on the scoreboard mattered Saturday night. At long last, these neighboring teams squared off in a game that illustrates the power of football.

Gamecocks turn to dominant ground game to run away from scrappy S.C. State

By KENT BABB, the State

Photo Gallery: SC vs. SCSU http://www.thestate.com/photo-galleries/gallery/175056.html

Neighborly knock-down

USC was in no rush to clinch victory against S.C. State. When the Gamecocks did, they rushed their way to a lopsided win.

After a sloppy first half in which both schools’ marching bands received louder ovations than the teams, tailbacks Cory Boyd and Mike Davis high-stepped their way into USC’s record book, carrying the No. 17 Gamecocks past S.C. State 38-3 and continuing a rhythm the pair started last week in an upset at Georgia.

That rhythm came after the Bulldogs sniffed out four interceptions against the Gamecocks’ struggling quarterbacks.

USC, which climbed into the top 25 this week, proved Saturday its two-man rushing unit also might be among the nation’s best.

Boyd and Davis each surpassed 100 yards rushing, the first time a pair of USC backs reached triple digits since Derek Watson (105) and Andrew Pinnock (106) did so against Vanderbilt on Oct. 20, 2001.

“It was a shocker tonight,” said Boyd, who had a game-high 132 yards rushing. “The game started falling in the running backs’ laps.”

The running backs took over and helped the Gamecocks pull away in the second half — USC scored 21 unanswered points after halftime — and that forced coach Steve Spurrier to re-assess his game planning.

“At halftime, obviously, we had to tell our guys, ‘We’re going to have to start running,’ ” Spurrier said.

That’s when the music started.

A one ...

The Gamecocks’ passing attack might be the centerpiece of Spurrier’s Cock ‘n’ Fire offense. But it took more than a half of watching quarterbacks Blake Mitchell and Tommy Beecher combine for six turnovers — Mitchell’s three interceptions and fumble and Beecher’s fumble and interception — to all but scrap his trademark strategy. When he turned Davis and Boyd loose, they were dazzling. Boyd, a fifth-year senior and the Gamecocks’ starter, finished averaging 12 yards per carry.

“We’ve got to re-evaluate our passing game and figure out if we can throw or not,” said Spurrier, who last coached a pair of 100-yard rushers in 1997 when Florida beat Central Michigan 82-6. “I’ve got to figure out whether to call those pass plays or call the old off-tackle play.”

A one, two ...

It was Davis, a junior, who came in late for Saturday’s duet. After rushing for 17 yards in the first half, Davis carried six times for 58 yards in a 10-play drive. He finished it by catching a Mitchell pass and dancing his way 9 yards into the end zone. Davis passed 100 yards rushing on his final carry, an 8-yarder, and finished with 102.

Davis and Boyd brightened a game that appeared to be headed in either direction at halftime. S.C. State’s Markee Hamlin intercepted Mitchell’s first pass, and the Bulldogs hit a 37-yard field goal.

“I guess this game, we kind of took it as, ‘It’s South Carolina State,’ ” freshman receiver Mark Barnes said. “It was probably an easy game or whatnot.”

S.C. State made it look like anything but an easy game. In forcing USC’s six turnovers, the Bulldogs looked far from intimidated by Spurrier’s offense or the Gamecocks, who might enter the nation’s top 15 when rankings are released today.

Ignoring a season-high 14 penalties, the Bulldogs appeared unfazed that administrators had ignored a USC-S.C. State matchup the past 100 years.

“I wanted them (S.C. State players) to come in here and play good, hard-nosed, clean football,” said coach Buddy Pough, a former USC assistant. “I was A-No. 1 for today, and I think we hit that right on the head.”

According to Spurrier, USC did not hit on their scoring potential.

The Gamecocks led 17-3 at halftime, a lead that Spurrier said was the confidence boost the team needed.

“We had a chance to score 60 or so,” Spurrier said, “but we didn’t do it.”

Such a questionable performance could not have come at a worse time. Despite the fact USC is 3-0 for the first time since 2001, the Gamecocks’ next SEC test is at No. 2 LSU, whose offense has proved it will not forgive mistakes. The Tigers’ defense is strong, and its offense is quick ... two things Spurrier is in no rush to think about.

“We’ll worry about that come Monday,” he said.

A one, two, three ...

The Gamecocks do, however, have something to be optimistic about — two running backs that proved they could be among the SEC’s best rushers. Together, they are among the nation’s best tandems.

If USC’s quarterbacks catch up with the team’s tailbacks, the Gamecocks might have something worth dancing about.

DSU can't stop Kent State in second half

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Hornets unable to contain I-A foe

KENT, Ohio -- Kelly Rouse had just been stood up straight by an opposing lineman, causing him to miss an easy sack. As he left the field due to fatigue, he was met with some unpleasant prodding by Delaware State defensive teammate Ronn Spinner.

Had Rouse made the sack, the Hornets would have forced Kent State into a fourth-down situation. Instead, on the following play, the Golden Flashes scored, a jagged pill for a DSU defense that had to that point prevented them from reaching the end zone.

The sequence was brief but served as a clear example of what happened to the Hornets on Saturday afternoon.

Playing against their first opponent in 20 years from what's regarded as the upper class of college football -- NCAA Division I-A -- the Hornets couldn't match the level of their opponent, or their own expectations, in a 38-7 loss at Dix Stadium.

Delaware State (2-1), ranked No. 24 among I-AA teams, found itself matched evenly with Kent State for one half. Then, everything seemed to go haywire.

Kent State, held out of the end zone for the majority of the first half, scored three touchdowns in a span of 8:43 from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third quarter to pull away without further challenge.

"The only reason we're where we are and they're here is we didn't have the same SAT scores," Rouse said after the game, his first since serving a two-game suspension for violating school policy. "We really are all at the same level. They just found ways to change the momentum."

The Golden Flashes (2-1), with the 15th-ranked rushing offense in the nation, found success often. They gained 201 yards rushing, while quarterback Julian Edelman added 267 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Eugene Jarvis led Kent State with 136 yards rushing and one TD. He also caught a scoring pass.

But it didn't come easily against Delaware State, playing its first I-A foe since a 1987 victory at Akron.

The Hornets received three first-half turnovers (one interception and two fumbles), but couldn't turn them into points.

Kent State's second offensive possession, 18 plays in length, ended with a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. Two possessions later, DSU linebacker Russell Reeves forced an Edelman fumble that was scooped up by defensive back Ryan Robinson and returned to the Kent State 41-yard line.

Edelman had four first-half passes batted down in the end zone by DSU defenders.

"It was frustrating, especially against a team like that," Edelman said. "I'm not trying to say anything bad about them, but we were supposed to win by a lot."

After Robinson's fumble recovery, Delaware State fullback Adam Shrewsbury took a pitch and threw a pass to Shaheer McBride. McBride found the end zone, but the play was called back because of an illegal man downfield.

With Kent State driving again at the end of the first half, Rouse nearly sacked Edelman, who found Phil Garner with a 7-yard pass. On the next play, Edelman connected with Shawn Bayes for a 42-yard touchdown to cap a 94-yard drive with 1:37 left.

"The feeling was, if we didn't let them score, we'd win," Reeves said. "We had a job to do. We were down, but we never thought we were out."

Kent State opened the second half with a 4-yard TD run by Jarvis and followed with Edelman's 56-yard TD pass to Rashad Tukes for a 21-0 lead.

Trailing 31-0, DSU scored its lone touchdown on a 1-yard run by quarterback Vashon Winton with 35 seconds left in the game.

By that time, the damage and result were complete.

"We did not return the challenge," DSU coach Al Lavan said. "

KSU 38, Delaware State 7: Kent State puts pedal to mettle

By Nate Ulrich, Beacon Journal sportswriter

Golden Flashes don't let last week affect this week

KENT: The Kent State University football team was on the receiving end of a second-half slaughter last week. On Saturday, the Golden Flashes were the ones who punished their opponents after halftime.

Kent State rebounded from a lopsided loss to Kentucky by thrashing Delaware State 38-7 before a crowd of 8,455 in the Golden Flashes' home opener at Dix Stadium.

‘‘We talked all week about not losing two games in a row,’’ KSU coach Doug Martin said. ‘‘And that is a big thing for Kent State. That's a character issue.’’

Delaware State, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team, appeared capable of hanging with KSU (2-1) in the first half.

The Flashes squandered several scoring opportunities and drives with two lost fumbles, an interception and a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. They didn't score until junior quarterback Julian Edelman hit junior wide receiver Shawn Bayes with a pass in the end zone with 1:37 left in the second quarter. Delaware State junior defensive back James Romain was in perfect position for an interception, but Bayes jumped over him and grabbed the 42-yard touchdown pass to give the Flashes a 7-0 lead at halftime.

‘‘I just got a great opportunity,’’ said Bayes, who finished with four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. ‘‘Coach always told me to use my speed to my advantage, and I got a chance to make a play by getting behind the coverage.’’

KSU lost to Kentucky 56-20 after the score was tied 14-14 at halftime last week. However, the second half Saturday was a different story for the Flashes.

KSU's defense set the tone during the first series of the third quarter, when junior defensive back Rico Murray intercepted Hornets junior quarterback Vashon Winton's pass at the KSU 40-yard line. The Flashes capitalized with a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive that was capped by sophomore running back Eugene Jarvis' 4-yard touchdown run with 11:43 left in the third quarter.

Photo: A mob of Kent State defenders smothers Delaware State running back Chris Strother for no gain during first-half action in the Golden Flashes game against the Hornets at Dix Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, in Kent, Ohio.

KSU's defense then forced Delaware State to go three-and-out during its ensuing possession, and the Flashes' offense took advantage again with a five-play, 68-yard scoring drive. Freshman wide receiver Rashad Tukes had his first career reception and touchdown during the same play, a 56-yard scoring strike from Edelman. Tukes almost fell after making the catch, but he pushed himself with his hand and kept his balance.

‘‘It was a big time play by him,’’ Edelman said of Tukes' touchdown catch. ‘‘I thought he was going down, but he kept his feet. You get excited when you see that stuff as a quarterback.’’

Edelman added a 42-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter to give KSU a 28-0 lead. Edelman completed 18-of-33 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Jarvis finished with 22 carries, 136 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

KSU's defense held Delaware State to 191 total yards. The Hornets were 0-for-14 on third-down conversions. Sophomore defensive tackle Kevin Hogan and senior defensive back Fritz Jacques led KSU's defense with eight tackles each.

After Delaware State scored its lone touchdown with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Bayes returned the ensuing kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown. It was the first time KSU had a kickoff returned for a score since 1999.

‘‘To come back out and finish with 31 points in the second half is really big for our football program and these players,’’ Martin said. ‘‘They're buying into what we're talking about, and I was really pleased with that.’’

UAPB Golden Lions drop a frustrating Arkansas Classic

By Mike Marzelli, Pine Bluff Commercial

Hard to swallow

Arkansas-Pine Bluff can't help but feel like it got robbed in Saturday night's Arkansas Classic.

The Golden Lions' defense appeared to do enough to outlast Alabama State in what amounted to a war of attrition between the two teams, but two questionable penalties led to the Hornets' only two scores of the night as UAPB dropped a 12-10 heartbreaker before 10,012 at Golden Lions Stadium.

After 'Bama State's second score gave it the lead with 41 seconds to play, the Lions had a chance to get in position for a potential game-winning field goal after taking over on their own 35-yard line with 33 seconds left. Quarterback Johnathan Moore took off on a 27-yard scamper on the first play and crossed the ASU 40-yard line but had the ball popped out of his hands from behind and the Hornets recovered to ice the game.

Still, it was the two plays UAPB (1-2 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) had no control over — a pass interference call that gave Alabama State a 1st-and-goal at the end of the first half and a holding call that gave the Hornets the same scenario at the end of the game - that had the Lions steamed after the game.

The second of the two calls came with Alabama State (3-0 2-0 SWAC) down 10-6 and facing a 3rd-and-11 from the 20-yard line with under a minute to play. A pass from quarterback Chris Mitchell fell incomplete in the end zone but a late flag came in after the play for holding away from the play, giving State a 1st-and-goal from the 10-yard line instead of a fourth down scenario.

Four plays later, Mitchell floated a ball down the left sideline for receiver Fred Ragsdale, who dove into the end zone with arms outstretched and made a spectacular catch just over the goal line for what proved to be the winning touchdown.

"I'll tell you what, there were some calls that were questionable," Forte said. "It's unfortunate because I never want to make excuses for anything but you can't help but be upset about the type of calls that were made.

"I don't question the catch, [Ragsdale] made a great catch. It's the things after the catch that I question."

Forte spent the final minute of the contest in the ear of referee Keith Moore and headed straight to the locker room once the final horn sounded. He wasn't the only UAPB coach who was peeved.

"The last call was the worst call I've seen in football in a long time," UAPB defensive coordinator Monte Coleman said. "The guy who called it was 40 yards from the play and he came in two seconds after it was over and threw a flag for something that wasn't even a factor in the play.

"It hurts that they made a call like that on something that was so insignificant."

The first questionable call came with under 30 seconds to play in the first half on a ball that was severely overthrown near the goal line by Mitchell but drew a flag for pass interference. The result was another 1st-and-goal for the Hornets, who capitalized when Mitchell hit Darius Mathis with an 11-yard touchdown pass that gave ASU a 6-0 lead at halftime.

That was how the score remained until UAPB's special teams did what its struggling offense couldn't. The Lions capitalized on a bad snap from center on an ASU punt deep in its own territory when Marion Alridge fell on the ball at the Hornets' 9-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

Two plays later Moore found the end zone on a 9-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 7-6 lead. UAPB then added a 26-yard Brodie Heflin field goal early in the fourth quarter that looked like it would stand up at the time.

Nonetheless, UAPB's struggling offense put all the pressure on the defense to make it stand up, which put the Lions in position to be affected by outside sources. Moore, who was making his first start of the season, finished just 8-of-25 for 83 yards as the offense managed just 159 total yards. Running backs Martell Mallett and Mickey Dean combined to carry 20 times for 34 yards.

"We're still a struggling offensive football team and we're not getting better as fast as I'd like," Forte said. "Johnathan fell victim to the offensive line again and we just couldn't sustain anything. Our defense played an outstanding game and our special teams were excellent so it's frustrating to not be able to have anything to show for it."

UAPB returns to action next Saturday in a non-conference game at Southern Illinois.

ALABAMA STATE 12, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 10: Mitchell throws for 2 TDs to lead Hornets

Montgomery Advertiser

PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Trailing 10-6 with less than one minute remaining and Alabama State facing a 4th and 10 on Arkansas-Pine Bluff's 10 yard line, it looked like the Hornets would be suffering the first defeat of the Reggie Barlow era.

However, quarterback Chris Mitchell darted out of the pocket and floated a pass into the arms of a diving Fred Ragsdale.

It was a touchdown that gave ASU an exciting 12-10 win.

"These guys, these guys just refused to quit fighting," Barlow said. "We were down and in a tough spot but we never quit."

The Hornets gave UAPB several opportunities to win a game that ASU statistically dominated, and the Golden Lions tried to take advantage.

ASU led only 6-0 after a lackluster first half, as Mitchell hit converted QB Darius Mitchell for an 11-yard touchdown just before the first half expired.

That score held up until UABP got a 26-yard field goal by John Heflin that was set up by a blocked punt. On the very next possession, a bad snap on a punt attempt gave the Golden Lions the ball on the ASU 23-yard line.

Quarterback Jonathan Moore -- subbing for 2006 SWAC player of the year Chris Wallace -- took it in from six yards out and UAPB had a 10-6 lead, setting the stage for Ragsdale's heroics.

"That kid (Ragsdale) worked so hard this summer," Barlow said. "I'm really happy for him and this whole team. We have a lot of things we need to correct, but I'm really proud of them for this effort tonight."

Jay Peck had his second consecutive 100-yard night, picking up 146 yards on 35 carries. ASU's defense held the vaunted one-two rushing punch of Martell Mallet and Mickey Dean to 34 yards on 20 rushes. For the game, UAPB only mustered 159 yards of total offense and converted just 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions.

"There is no doubt that if we want to play for a championship, we'll lean on this defense," Barlow said. "They really play hard and fly around out there. The offense puts them in tough situations and they still give us a chance to win.

"I'm glad the offense was able to make a play to contribute to this big win."

After two weeks on the road, the Hornets return home to face Alcorn State Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Crampton Bowl.

Notes: This was Jay Peck's 7th career 100 yard rushing effort. . . .Chris Mitchell finished 16-27 for 175 yards and 2 TDs. . . .Barlow will host his weekly media/fan luncheon on Monday at 11:45 am in the Acadome Banquet room. Admission is $10 for fans.

A&T's losing streak stretches to 19

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record

GREENSBORO -- ESPNU's telecast of Saturday's N.C. A&T-Hampton game didn't start until 10 p.m., and for the Aggies, the hour was appropriate. Perhaps suitable for television, the Aggies aren't yet ready for prime time.

Burned by big plays in all phases, A&T absorbed its 19th straight loss after Hampton used a long punt return to set up a field goal, a 65-yard return of the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and two defensive TDs in a 59-14 victory.

The Pirates, the three-time defending MEAC champions, won their 22nd straight regular-season game.

A&T took positive vibes into halftime after redshirt freshman quarterback Shelton Morgan led a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that he finished with a 10-yard pass to fullback Trey Green, slicing the Pirates' lead to 17-7.

"We were still in the game," Green said. "We were excited. We had the momentum."

The Aggies (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) hoped for a big special-teams play to start the third quarter, but those aspirations were complicated by A&T's decision to kick off to start the game after winning the coin toss.

"I'll take the blame for that," Aggies coach Lee Fobbs said. "We wanted to defer until the second half. Coaching error."

The Pirates (2-0, 2-0) had the choice for the second half, and they wanted the ball. The rules of the game were also uncooperative. Under new NCAA regulations, kickoffs now come from the 30, which means those who can't smack the ball to the end zone are often tempted to pop up high, intentionally short kicks in the name of coverage.

That was fine with the Pirates, whose special-teams play has complemented offensive and defensive units armed with NFL prospects in the past three years. Kevin Teel took this one at his 30, bolted laterally, made the turn upfield at the precisely the right moment and went the distance.

"We expected them to kick it short because they did it on the last one and kind of caught us off guard," Teel said. "We made the correction, and we executed our assignment."

The Pirates, whose offense includes transfers from Virginia Tech, Kent State and West Virginia, were vastly superior anyway. The addition of excellence in the kicking game merely compounded the Aggies' difficulties.

Morgan, the Aggies' only viable option at quarterback now that Herb Miller is out with another knee injury, had some encouraging moments in facing an often oppressive defensive line. His two touchdown passes came on screens that beat blitzes and showed appropriate recognition of the situations.

"That's something we like to run near the goal line," Morgan said. "That's the first read on the play, and it was open."

Morgan had a poised and credible first half but saw his evening take a downturn when he threw one in the flat that he instantly regretted. Roaming in pursuit of a running back, defensive end Kendall Lankford saw the pass was overthrown, and when he snared it at the 22, he had nothing but turf in his way.

Morgan was 3-for-16 in the second half but showed off enough of an arm to encourage offensive coordinator Kenneth Ray to throw several deep balls and open the playbook.

"After the first interception, I started rushing things, and the game got out of control," Morgan said. "But overall, I laid a foundation, something to build on for next week."

Second half big for HU

By KEITH CANNON, Special to the Daily Press

The Pirates struggle in the first half, then blow out N.C. A & T.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - After a listless first half, the Hampton University Pirates came out flying in the second half of their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game against North Carolina A&T Saturday night.

Quarterback T.J. Mitchell passed for three touchdowns, two of them in a 28-point third quarter, and 210 yards, and the Pirates' defense scored twice as Hampton beat the Aggies 59-14 in front of 12,547 fans at Aggie Stadium. For a long time, it wasn't as easy as that final score indicated.

The Pirates (2-0, 2-0 MEAC) had to overcome their own mistakes — two lost fumbles and a pair of interceptions — and a spirited effort by the Aggies (0-3, 0-1), who entered the game on a 18-game losing streak, the longest in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision.

"Any time you win a conference game, it's important," Hampton coach Joe Taylor said. "We ended up with enough players making plays, but we just didn't look as polished as we should be."

The Pirates hung on to a 17-7 lead at halftime but turned the game into a rout in the third quarter, which ended with Hampton up 45-14. Kevin Teel's 70-yard return of the second-half kickoff for a touchdown was the turning point.

"We expected them to kick it short, because they had done that at the end of the first half and caught us off-guard," said Teel, who also caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell. "We set it up well and I found an opening."

But, typical of the kind of up-and-down night it was, Teel fumbled the ball away on the Pirates' next possession to set up the Aggies at the Hampton 39. Shelton Morgan fired a 6-yard scoring pass to tight end Michael Christen to cut the lead to 24-14 with 10:46 left in the third quarter.

But the Pirates came back with a 41-yard pass from Mitchell to Jeremy Gilchrist on the second play of the short drive. Mitchell and Gilchrist connected for a 22-yard touchdown pass on the next play. Gilchrist finished with 112 yards on six catches.

Hampton senior defensive end Kendall Langford lumbered 23 yards with an interception with four minutes left in the quarter for a 38-14 lead. It happened just one play after Mitchell had thrown an interception in Pirates territory. Mitchell threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Teel in the last minute of the quarter.

Van Morgan added a 2-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and safety Vaughn Mansfield returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown.

"At halftime we talked about them not having the energy level that we had in the first game," Taylor said. "We didn't seem to have a lot of focus, and they were playing pretty well."

The Pirates scored their first touchdown with 3:50 left in the first quarter. Mitchell directed a six-play, 66-yard drive ending in a 9-yard touchdown pass to Justin Brown. But the biggest play in the drive was a 41-yard strike across the middle from Mitchell to Teel. Teel raced to the Aggies' 9 and Hampton scored three plays later.

After that, the Pirates began to win the battle of field position. Hampton's defense backed A&T up to its 2 on the next possession, and Gilchrist set Hampton up at the Aggies' 16 with a 26-yard punt return. On third down at the A&T 11, tight end Ernie Lomax pulled in a high pass from Mitchell just across the end line, and Hampton settled for a 28-yard field goal by Carlo Turavani and a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Pirates' biggest mistake of the first half gave A&T a scoring opportunity midway through the second quarter. Mitchell lost control of the ball while fading back to pass, and A&T linebacker Jamison Hedgepath recovered at the Hampton 24. But three plays netted the Aggies 2 yards, and the Pirates partially blocked Michael Caldwell's 39-yard field-goal attempt.

Hampton didn't take long to score again. Morgan romped 47 yards to the Aggies' 30 on the first play of the drive, and he scored on a 6-yard run four plays later for a 17-0 lead with five minutes left in the half.

But that's as good as it got for the Pirates in the first half. The Aggies marched right back with their first touchdown, scoring on a 9-yard pass from Morgan to Ortiz Green with 47 seconds left in the half to end a 78-yard drive. And after some indecision on the kickoff return resulted in the Pirates starting from their own 9, A&T ended the half with an interception by Ihsan Shaheed at midfield.

TSU Tigers star untouched on blocked extra point

By MIKE ORGAN, The Tennessean

CLARKSVILLE — Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie fully expected to come up with a key blocked extra point kick in overtime Saturday against Austin Peay.

In fact, Rodgers-Cromartie had asked TSU Coach James Webster to send him from the corner to try to get the block.

Webster gave the go-ahead and Rodgers-Cromartie promptly blocked Isaac Ziolkowski's kick, holding APSU's lead to six (32-26).

TSU scored a touchdown on its possession in overtime and Tigers kicker Eric Benson won the game with his extra-point kick.

"Austin Peay blocked down and nobody extended a hand out to even touch me,'' Rodgers-Cromartie said. "They had been doing that the whole game, so I went to Coach and said, 'Let me go get it full speed.' He told me to go and I went. I knew if I blocked that kick then we were going to score and Benson was going to make the extra point like he did."

Webster said he encourages his players to come to him with ideas, even in the course of a game.

"We're a team and I listen to my players,'' Webster said. "I've got confidence in what they say and confidence in what they do. They know I'll listen to them when they come to me with something that they think will work."

Hall out: TSU starting cornerback Marquez Hall did not dress after suffering a high ankle sprain late last week against Jackson State.

Junior Kevin Bledsoe from Stratford, who made his first start, replaced Hall, a transfer from Vanderbilt. Bledsoe recorded three solo tackles and broke up a pass.

Under the weather: TSU defensive tackle Lamar Divens is recovering from a bout with strep throat and was replaced on the first team by junior Maurice Royster. Divens came in late in the first quarter and recorded one tackle, while Royster did not make a stop.

Vanatta hurt: Austin Peay strong safety Jason Vanatta left with 1:22 to go in the first quarter after spraining his left ankle. Vanatta did not return and could miss next week's game against UT Martin.

Butterfingers: There was a total of 10 fumbles in the game. TSU had six and lost three while Austin Peay had four and lost three. Neither team, however, had an interception.

Benson's overtime PAT gives TSU victory over Austin Peay

Photo: Austin Peay's Kit Hartsfield (43) and JayR Harper (28) force Tennessee State's Terrence Wright to fumble during the second quarter.



By MIKE ORGAN. The Tennnessean

CLARKSVILLE — For the second consecutive week, kicker Eric Benson lifted Tennessee State to a victory. This time, it was his extra-point kick in overtime that won the game for the Tigers, 33-32 over Austin Peay.

"It's the second week straight, but it's still nerve-racking," said Benson, who a week earlier kicked a decisive field goal in the Memphis rain to defeat Jackson State.

Benson's winning extra point against the Govs was actually his second clutch kick of the night. He connected on a career-long 43-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime at 26-26.

"That field goal was a little too close for comfort," Benson said. "I think God sent a little bit of wind to blow it in. That's how close it was."

It was surprising that TSU (2-1) needed divine intervention to beat the Governors (2-1).

It was Austin Peay's first game against an Ohio Valley Conference opponent since the Govs' return to the conference after leaving it and dropping scholarship football in 1996.

"I'm serious when I say I really hate that somebody had to lose this football game,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "For Austin Peay to only be giving scholarships for (two) years and play as they did, that's a tribute to their staff and their team. I've got all the respect in the world for their football team."

The Governors earned that respect by giving TSU fits in front of a capacity crowd (8,359) at Governors Stadium. It was the first sellout since the 1970s and would have been one of the Govs' most historic victories had they pulled it out.

Big plays, big trouble

Austin Peay scored on big plays and also made TSU pay for its mistakes.

The Govs scored first on a 58-yard pass from Mark Cunningham to Jeff Lyle on the third play of the game.

Austin Peay also scored on a 67-yard punt return by former Maplewood star Terrence Holt, which gave the Govs a 19-16 lead in the fourth quarter.

After TSU pulled ahead 23-19 on a 27-yard pass from Antonio Heffner to Chris Johnson, Austin Peay's Kevis Buckley scooped up a fumble by TSU's Antonio Graham and went 64 yards for a touchdown that gave the Govs a 26-23 lead.

Benson's game-tying kick came after a TSU drive had stalled at APSU's 25.

In overtime, Benson's extra-point kick was set up to be the game winner by TSU cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who moments earlier had blocked Austin Peay kicker Isaac Ziolkowski's extra-point try. This was after the Govs had scored first in overtime on Chris Fletcher's six-yard run.

On the ensuing possession, TSU running back Javarris Williams scored his first TD of the season from two yards out to tie the game at 32. Benson then connected on the game-winning extra point.

Alabama A&M notebook

Reggie Benson, Huntsville Times

A&M offense on hold early

Alabama A&M's offense, which had scored 28 points in the first quarter in its first two games, failed to score in the opening 15 minutes Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State.

On A&M's first offensive play from scrimmage, quarterback Kelcy Luke was picked off by Sam Irons. The Bulldogs were forced to punt on their next three possessions despite good field position.

The Bulldogs put together two drives in the second quarter as Luke found tight end Charles Moody with a 7-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play, 39-yard drive with 9:12 left in the half. Jeremy Licea kicked a 25-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 55-yard drive to give A&M a 10-0 lead with 2:29 before intermission.

A&M, who entered the game averaging 45 points and 529 yards per game, had only 166 yards at halftime.

Luke returns to earth

Luke, who was named Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after completing 21-of-32 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns last week in a 41-10 victory over Clark Atlanta, struggled in the first half against Mississippi Valley State.

Luke completed just 8-of-18 passes for 56 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He entered the game having completed 64 percent of his passes for 562 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception.

Nice timing

Inside linebacker Jimmy Richardson, who lost his starting job to former Johnson High star Carlton Rice, picked a good time to come up with his first career interception.

With the game scoreless early in the second quarter, Richardson picked off a Semaj Williams pass to give the Bulldogs a first down at the MVSU 39.

Six plays later, Luke found Moody for the touchdown.

Moving the chains

With Alabama A&M's offense struggling early in the second quarter, Moody took matters into his own hands Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State.

Facing a fourth-and-four at the Delta Devils' 33-yard line, Luke found Moody, but he was short of the first down. The 6-foot, 249-pound Moody refused to go down, dragging a number of tacklers 6 yards to pick up the first down.

Traylor stuck in neutral

Defensive end Chris Traylor, who has more sacks than anybody in the Southwestern Athletic Conference over the last three seasons, had been held in check through Alabama A&M's first two games.

Traylor was shut out in the season opener against Tennessee State and managed just one last week against lowly Clark Atlanta.

Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State, Traylor had two in the first half and also forced a fumble.

Moland makes presence felt

Entering Saturday's game against Mississippi Valley State, Alabama A&M inside linebacker Avery Moland hadn't done much this season.

He had been credited with only nine tackles through the Bulldogs' first two games.

But he more than made up for it against the Delta Devils. Moland had seven tackles in the first half, including five solos and 2.5 tackles for loss. He also had one sack and recovered a fumble.

Commish in attendance

Duer Sharp, the interim commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, attended Saturday night's Alabama A&M-Mississippi Valley State game.

Sharp, who took over June 15 when Robert Vowels left to take a job with the NCAA, was in Jackson, Miss., Thursday night to watch the Jackson State-Texas Southern game. He was in Montgomery on Friday watching the Alabama State Invitational volleyball tournament and came to Huntsville on Saturday. Sharp was heading to Indianapolis this morning to attend a two-day NCAA conference.

"We just want the student-athletes and coaches to know we're interested in what they're doing," Sharp said.

It was the second time in two weeks that Sharp has been at A&M.

He watched A&M's football team practice on Sept. 4 and stayed around to watch the Bulldogs' first volleyball match under new coach Nedra Brown that night.

"You just want them to know that you're out and if there's an issue we're here to talk about it and we can get it resolved," Sharp said.

Defensive changes

Alabama A&M's starting defense underwent some changes for the third straight week.

Left defensive tackle Renaldo Askew, who started the season opener against Tennessee State before losing his job to David Winston last week against Clark Atlanta, returned to the starting lineup against Mississippi Valley State.

Askew was not credited with a tackle against TSU, while Winston was credited with one stop. Askew had two tackles, including one tackle for loss and a sack against Clark Atlanta, while Winston didn't record a tackle.

Right cornerback Maurice Thomas started for the second week in a row after regular starter Frank Moore was out of the starting lineup for the second straight week after violating team rules.

Furthermore

Former Lee High standout Grant Mattix handled kickoff duties for A&M Saturday night. ... A&M failed to score in the first quarter for the first time this season. ... WR Nate Baxter sustained an ankle injury late in the first quarter and never returned. ... Licea's 25-yard field goal late in the first half was his first of the season. .... Combined, A&M and MVSU were 2-of-15 on third-down conversions in the first half. ... A&M had eight sacks through its first two games. The Bulldogs had four sacks in the first half against Mississippi Valley State.

Fumble returned for TD spurs AAMU rout

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Mississippi Valley State's defense had Alabama A&M's explosive offense stuck in neutral Saturday night. The Delta Devils held quarterback Kelcy Luke and company in check throughout the first half and forced the Bulldogs to punt on their first possession of the second half.

A&M's defense, which set up the Bulldogs' first touchdown and was terrific throughout much of the game, took it upon itself to turn the game around.

Defensive tackle Whitney Garrett sacked MVSU quarterback Paul Roberts, forced him to fumble and inside linebacker Carlton Rice, a former Johnson High star, picked it up and rambled 47 yards for a touchdown. Not only did Rice's touchdown ignite the fans, it ignited A&M's offense.

Luke found tailback Ulysses Banks with a 70-yard touchdown and Banks scored again from 15 yards out to cap a 21-point explosion over an eight-minute span in the third quarter and the Bulldogs went on to clobber the Delta Devils 45-14 before an announced crowd of 4,466.

"That play woke us up," said A&M coach Anthony Jones, referring to Rice's fumble return for a touchdown. "It was a heads-up play Rice made by outhustling their guy to the ball and picking it up and getting in for the touchdown.

"After that, we made big play after big play and they couldn't answer."

MVSU coach Willie Totten agreed with Jones that Rice's fumble return turned the game around, but he disagreed with the call.

"That played turned the game around, but it wasn't a fumble," Totten said. "It was an incomplete pass. That play was very questionable. After that, momentum swung their way."

The win lifted A&M to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It is the first time the Bulldogs have been 3-0 since 1966 when they were 8-0 before losing to Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic.

It is also the first time an A&M team has opened the season with three straight 40-plus point games.

"I've never seen them with that much firepower," Totten said. "They've got a good football team. A&M looks like they can repeat."

MVSU fell to 1-2 and 1-2.

Jeremy Licea's 25-yard field goal, his first one of the season, gave A&M a 10-0 lead with 2:29 before intermission, but MVSU answered when Johey Hargrett scored from 7 yards out to pull the Delta Devils to within 10-7 at halftime.

After forcing A&M to punt on its first possession of the third quarter, MVSU took over on its own 46. The Delta Devils moved to a first down at the Bulldogs' 42 before disaster struck.

Garrett separated Roberts from the ball and Rice picked it up and headed for the end zone.

"I didn't realize I had knocked it loose," Garrett said. "I got up and saw Rice running toward the end zone and I started running."

Added Rice: "I think it was a pass behind the line of scrimmage. I saw the ball and I scooped it up and scored the way they teach us."

Rice's touchdown woke up A&M's offense.

"Rice made a great play," Luke said. "The defense played hard the whole game. Hats off to them. They sparked us."

Luke found Banks on a screen pass on A&M's next possession and he raced 70 yards for a touchdown. to make it 24-7.

"I gave the linebacker a move and I got a great block from (wide receiver) Rashad Johnson and got in for the touchdown," Banks said.

Banks scored on a 15-yard run on A&M's next possession. The touchdown was set up when Luke found Thomas Harris for a 63-yard gain. Harris finished with four catches for 137 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Three of Harris' catches came in the second half for 124 yards.

"We regrouped after halftime and Coach Jones made some great adjustments and we went out there and started clicking," said Luke, who was 16-of-29 for 276 yards and three touchdowns and two sacks, including 8-of-11 for 220 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

In addition to his 70-yard touchdown reception, Banks rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries as the Bulldogs finished with 499 yards in total offense, including 333 in the second half.

BCU 'Wyattbone' put on hold in blowout'

By NOELL BARNIDGE, Special to The News-Journal

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Bethune-Cookman turned early Savannah State mistakes into scores, and quarterback Jimmie Russell's injured left knee appeared fine Saturday.

Russell, who was questionable for the game, started and ran 12 times for a team-high 65 yards and three touchdowns in B-CU's 45-13 victory.

A Memorial Stadium crowd of 5,063 watched quietly as B-CU (2-1) staked a 24-0 halftime lead against Savannah State (1-2).

B-CU's offense operated from the shotgun formation the majority of the game instead of from the "Wyattbone," coach Alvin Wyatt's mixture of the wishbone and hambone.

Wyatt said he did not employ the shotgun as a way to protect Russell, who was injured during the Wildcats' loss to South Carolina State. Wyatt said he simply wanted to confuse the Savannah State defense he believed spent the majority of its practices preparing for the "Wyattbone."

"We did not come out with our regular offensive set," Wyatt said, smiling. "We came out with a spread offense. We figured we'd give (Savannah State) more to prepare for."

Russell was 10-for-15 passing for 112 yards.

Savannah State quarterback JaCorey Kilcrease fumbled during the Tigers' first possession, and B-CU right tackle Chris Dirksz recovered at Savannah State's 44-yard line. The Wildcats scored seven plays later when Russell ran in a quarterback draw from 12 yards out. Lucas Esquivel kicked the first of his six extra points to give B-CU a 7-0 lead.

"We came out and attacked, offensively, and we were able to set the tone," Wyatt said. "That got us in a frame of mind where we didn't have to worry about what happened last week."

On the Wildcats' next possession, Esquivel's 38-yard field goal capped an eight-play drive that began at the 50 and gave the Wildcats a 10-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Russell's two-yard touchdown run on a sneak gave the Wildcats a 17-0 lead.

"This game was our steppingstone to get us ready for our MEAC game next week at Norfolk State," Russell said. "Coach (Wyatt) had a great game plan. He told us to forget everything about South Carolina State, and everything will work itself out."

During Savannah State's ensuing possession, the Tigers covered 44 yards in 13 plays, consuming 5:16. But Luis Justiniano's 45-yard field goal attempt was blocked by B-CU's James Monds and recovered by the Wildcats' Nick Mayant.

"Those little things will kill you," Lemon said. "That blocked field-goal attempt, things like that are just crushers."

B-CU's Antonio Cox jarred the ball loose and returned it to the Tigers' 20 with 2:35 left before halftime. Three plays later, Russell ran for a 10-yard touchdown up the middle to give B-CU the 24-0 halftime lead.

"The offensive line did a great job keeping me back there in the Shotgun," Russell said. "I felt at home back there. The play-calling was good."

Why did Savannah State and B-CU play at Memorial Stadium?

Because T.A. Wright Stadium is being renovated.Savannah State is playing its first three home games at Memorial Stadium, but the Tigers will play two games on campus later this season even though renovations will not be completed.

What did B-CU think of this season's Tigers team?

B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said this is not the same Savannah State team that finished 2-9 last season, Theo Lemon's first as the Tigers' coach. Wyatt said his Wildcats' 45-13 victory Saturday did not come as easily as BC-U's 55-6 win last season.

"Savannah State is a good football team," Wyatt said. "(Savannah State coach) Theo Lemon is doing a good job with them. They were much, much, much more physical than they were last year. They were very aggressive."

B-CU quarterback Jimmie Russell said Savannah State has better athletes than it did last season.

"They're a better team. They get better every year we play them," Russell said. "Me and my center (Deron Barnes) were talking about how we don't like playing Savannah State because they keep getting better."

What is B-CU's record against Savannah State?

B-CU owns a 30-8 series lead. Savannah State has not beaten B-CU since 1992, when the late Bill Davis coached the Tigers to a 31-21 victory.

-- Noell Barnidge


Council finally strikes

When Bethune-Cookman's Corey Council intercepted Savannah State backup quarterback Greg McCrary and returned the ball for an 85-yard touchdown with 39 seconds to play, many Savannah State supporters were not surprised. They were well aware of Council, who was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a South Carolina State kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown.

"I was wondering when he would strike," said Savannah State athletics director Robert "Tony" O'Neal, who was hired away from B-CU. "He told me before the game that he was going to bring one back to the house. I can't believe he did it on an interception."

More action for Souverain?

Depending on the status of Russell, who played despite a left-knee injury, B-CU backup quarterback McKinson Souverain might get more playing time, Wildcats coach Alvin Wyatt said.

If so, his performance against Savannah State will help in terms of experience. Souverain was 1-for-2 passing for 39 yards -- a touchdown strike to Paul Neufville in the third quarter.

Brothers Make Noise

B-CU twin brothers Antonio and Antwane Cox produced big plays.

With 2:35 remaining before halftime, Savannah State started its possession with a completion, but Antonio Cox jarred the ball loose, recovered it at Savannah State's 30-yard line and returned it to the Tigers' 20.

Antwane Cox later blocked an extra point attempt, forcing the Tigers to settle for a 31-13 score early in the fourth quarter.

B-CU brings marching band

Bethune-Cookman brought its marching band -- all 357 members -- and took up an entire section, from top to bottom, in the Memorial Stadium stands. B-CU's marching band is among the nation's largest, according to sports information director Bryan Harvey.

Harvey said B-CU's marching band is scheduled to perform today at halftime of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' NFL game.

Tigers' bad luck

It was bad enough for Savannah State fans their team lost to B-CU, but they couldn't even listen to the game on local radio.

SSU's game was not broadcast by WHCJ 90.3 FM in Savannah because the campus radio station was struck by lightning earlier in the week, sports information director Opio Mashariki said.

Mashariki was hired away from B-CU by O'Neal.

B-CU coach heaps praise on SSU Tigers

By Noell Barnidge, Savannah Morning News

This is not the same Savannah State football team, according to Bethune-Cookman coach Alvin Wyatt.

Wyatt said his Wildcats' 45-13 victory Saturday did not come as easily as BC-U's 55-6 win over SSU last season.

"Savannah State is a good football team," Wyatt said. "(SSU coach) Theo Lemon is doing a good job with them. They were much, much, much more physical than they were last year. They were very aggressive.

"They had great poise at times, too. You can see the improvement. As we continue to play, this series is going to get tougher and tougher. He's getting the best out of what he has over there."

B-CU owns a 30-8 series lead. SSU has not beaten B-CU since 1992, when the late Bill Davis coached the Tigers to a 31-21 victory.

B-CU quarterback Jimmie Russell of Jonesboro said SSU has better athletes than it did last season, when the Tigers finished 2-9 in Lemon's first season.

"They're a better team. They get better every year we play them," Russell said. "Me and my center (Deron Barnes) were talking about how we don't like playing Savannah State because they keep getting better.

"They were a lot more aggressive. Their middle linebacker, No. 51 (Calvin Leonard), he's a ballplayer. He made a lot of great plays. I guess he's their motivator on defense. He did a lot."

Too little, too late
SSU trailed, 24-0, at halftime and Lemon said the Tigers missed a great opportunity by waiting until the second half to score points.

"I thought we played real well, defensively," Lemon said. "But, offensively, we just couldn't generate anything until the second half.

"We moved the ball a little but, but with a team like Bethune-Cookman you can't be pretty good. You have to be on all cylinders."

McCrary scores first TD as a Tiger
SSU backup quarterback Greg McCrary ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was the first collegiate touchdown for the freshman from Stone Mountain.
"I'm not going to say I was happy about the touchdown because we were losing," McCrary said. "Scoring ain't on my mind. Winning is on my mind."

McCrary entered the game when starter JaCorey Kilcrease came out with 14 minutes, 4 seconds to play because of an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder.

In the season opener at Morgan State, McCrary was 0-for-4 passing with two interceptions. He appeared more poised against Bethune-Cookman, completing 2-for-11 passes for 29 yards, and rushing three times for 14 yards and a touchdown. He was, however, intercepted by B-CU's Corey Council, who ran the ball back for an 85-yard touchdown with 39 seconds to play.

"He threw the pick at the end, and that really hurt us, but he's young," Lemon said. "I told him when he went out there, 'We're going to take some chances.' And we took some chances. He threw that ball in the flat and the guy (Council) took it all the way back."

Council finally strikes
B-CU's Council, a Valdosta native, returned a kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown in the Wildcats' 23-14 loss to South Carolina State. He was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.

SSU limited Council to 24 yards on two punt returns until Council struck, defensively.

"That's my roommate," Russell said, smiling. "When he scores I know he's a much happier person at the house instead of walking around moping. That's two games in a row now that he's scored a touchdown."

Lemon was pleased with SSU's special teams effort against Council.

"Going into this game we knew he was a force to be reckoned with," Lemon said. "We wanted to kick the ball away from him and not give him a highlight show out there. Until he got that interception, I don't think he had done very much. But he's a good football player and good football players are going to find a way to make something happen."

Denson scores first TD as a Tiger
SSU wide receiver A.J. Denson, a freshman from Macon, scored his first collegiate touchdown when Kilcrease connected with him for a 39-yard scoring strike.
"I saw the middle of the field wide open so I just ran in that direction," Denson said. "My quarterback put it there like he was supposed to."

B-CU brings marching band
Bethune-Cookman brought its marching band - all 357 members - and took up an entire section, from top to bottom, in the Memorial Stadium stands.

B-CU's marching band is among the nation's largest, according to sports information director Bryan Harvey.

Harvey said B-CU's marching band is scheduled to perform today at halftime of the Tampa Bay Buccanners' NFL game.

No SSU game on the radio
SSU's game was not broadcast on WHCJ 90.3 FM because the radio station was struck by lightning earlier in the week, SSU sports information director Opio Mashariki said.

Field looked great
Memorial Stadium was in excellent condition Saturday, which pleased SSU athletics director Robert "Tony" O'Neal.

O'Neal was worried that the field would be a muddy mess because of Friday night's rain, but the field drained well.

It also helped that the high school game between Beach and Charlton County was cancelled because of lightning.

Prairie View offense grounded

By CHARLES SALZER, Special to The Advocate

Photo: PVAMU Head Coach Henry Frazier

Throughout its 3-7 campaign last season, Prairie View had a stalwart defense that seldom let it down.

Saturday night at Southern, the defense was there once again keeping the Panthers in the hunt throughout the game. But an improved Prairie View offense found the going tough against an equally improved Southern defense in a 12-2 loss at A.W. Mumford stadium.

In a game dominated by defense, Prairie View was able to move inside the SU 30 three times, but came away empty on each drive.

“You move the ball down the field, but you’ve still got to execute,” PVAM quarterback Chris Gibson said. “We’ve got to go over the X and O’s because when it came down to it we didn’t execute.”

Gibson finished the game with only 8 yards rushing, and completed 11 of 26 passes for 69 yards with two interceptions. In three games against Southern, Gibson was 15 for 42 for 110 yards with four interceptions and no touchdowns.

Prairie View coach Henry Frazier was frustrated with the lack of offensive production, and the fact the Panthers’ headsets were non-operational. It didn’t keep Frazier from praising the Southern defense.

“We didn’t have the answers, and our headphones didn’t work for whatever reason,” Frazier said. “When you take the coordinator out of the booth, its hard to see some of the things they’re doing from the sideline.

“I don’t want to make excuses because Southern was flying around, and they got turnovers. Throwing three interceptions doesn’t have anything to do with headsets.”

One of Prairie View’s best scoring chances came on the game’s opening possession. From the PVAM 37, Gibson directed the Panthers to a first at the SU 26. Three plays later, Gibson was stopped short on a fourth-and-2 quarterback sneak.

“(Gibson) was supposed to pull that back so we could kick a field goal,” Frazier said. “He said he saw a gap, and he thought he could get it. When you’ve got a senior quarterback that likes to run the ball you’re going to hang your hat on that.”

Prairie View only crossed midfield once more before halftime, initially gaining a first at the SU 34 before stalling. After a penalty, the Panthers gained just 1 yard on three downs and were forced to punt.

The third quarter began with promise as Prairie View used a field position advantage to force Southern to punt from its own end zone. With a drive that began at the SU 35, Prairie View eventually faced a fourth-and-3, but Gibson’s fourth down pass off a roll out fell incomplete.

“We wanted to get (Gibson) on the edge so he’d have a run-pass option,” Frazier said. “Southern did a good job of bringing the strong safety up to stop the run. They took that away so we had the tight end dragging across the backside and tried to lob it over. They were in a perfect defense, once again.”

The lack of offense eventually began to add pressure to the Panthers defense, but the most it could muster was a safety when Southern was flagged for holding in the end zone on a fourth-quarter punt.

“We played as hard as we could,” senior linebacker Zach East said. “As a defense I think we should have gotten more turnovers, and scored for our offense. Anytime our offense doesn’t score I feel like our defense should. We should score once in any game.

“We had a lot of pressure on us to score, get turnovers or give our offense good field position.”

It was pressure created by an opportunistic Southern team that made all the plays it had to.

Deception aids Southern win

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Had there been time, Southern would have tried a 29-yard Josh Duran field goal.

But the clock ran out on the third quarter, and as the teams changed sides, SU coach Pete Richardson called for the play his team had practiced all week: a fake, with holder Nick Benjamin connecting with tight end Evan Alexander for a 12-yard touchdown pass.

That play, combined with stout defense, gave SU a cushion to beat Prairie View 12-2 Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The touchdown pass was the first for Benjamin since 2002 as a quarterback at WS Neal High in East Brewton, Ala.

Benjamin had never thrown a pass, let alone for a score, at Southern.

“Coach really thought I could step up and make that throw,” Benjamin said. “I knew I had to do that for the team, so that’s what I did.”

Some factors for SU to consider: Duran, a true freshman, is 5-for-8 on PATs and 1-for-2 on field-goal tries this season. ... The field position change meant Duran would have been kicking into a brisk breeze. ... PV had blocked two punts and a field-goal try the week before. ... And PV had come strong so far Saturday night.

“We practiced on that all week,” Richardson said. “I knew they were going on an all-out block. That’s what they had been doing all the time, so we took a chance.”

So, Richardson told Benjamin of the change.

“When I went over, I kind of figured he’d change the call,” Benjamin said. “But when he did, it really brought it to realization it was really about to happen. I had to get my mind right. I knew I had to step up and make the throw in order to put some points on the board.”


No butterflies?
“Naaaah,” Benjamin said.
No problem.
Alexander, lined up on the right side, released at the snap. That meant that, if PV was already coming strong, that side, where Benjamin now was as he rolled, was more vulnerable.

Said Benjamin, “There was some pressure (coming), but it just went back to the old days: avoid the pressure and make the throw.”

Said Alexander, “It was a little pop pass. We knew they were going to be rushing real hard off my side. We had watched film. We had practiced it all week. I just released off my line and faded to the back of the end zone.”

Alexander created enough separation and the ball was on target.

“They blitzed hard, and I was wide-open in the back of the end zone,” Alexander said. “It was planned the whole time.”

The gutsy call extended Southern’s lead from a thin 6-0 (a missed extra point) to 12-0 (a failed two-point conversion pass) with 14:55 to play.

Here’s some weirdness. Southern scored on the first play of the fourth quarter against Prairie View for the second straight season.

But unlike the 20-6 lead on Kendall Addison’s 5-yard touchdown run with 14:54 remaining in a 26-23 overtime loss a year ago, the Jaguars made this 12-0 lead stand.

“We called it,” PV coach Henry Frazier III said. “We said, ‘Watch the fake.’ Their guy missed the extra point. They were kicking into the wind, and we said, ‘It’s a fake.’ We called it out and we didn’t make the play. We didn’t execute.”

How They Scored: SU-PVU

Second quarter

SOUTHERN: Quarterback Bryant Lee, with Prairie View blitzing, fires a 15-yard touchdown pass to Gerard Landry with 0:52 left in the first half (kick failed). DRIVE: 56 yards in eight plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 3:00. KEY PLAY: Lee starts the march with a 17-yard pass to Juamorris Stewart. SOUTHERN 6, PRAIRIE VIEW 0.

Fourth quarter

SOUTHERN: On a fake field-goal try, holder Nick Benjamin rolls right and flips a 12-yard touchdown pass to Evan Alexander, a tight end with 14:55 left in the game (pass failed). DRIVE: 59 yards in seven plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 3:09. KEY PLAYS: Kendrick Smith breaks free for gains of 13 and 9 yards and Prairie View is flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct as two defenders simulate cramps just as SU gets to the line of scrimmage.

SOUTHERN 12, PRAIRIE VIEW 0.

PRAIRIE VIEW: Safety with 12:39 remaining in the game. Southern is called for holding in the end zone during a Josh Duran punt.

SOUTHERN 12, PRAIRIE VIEW 2.

Final score: Southern 12, Prairie View 2.

Attendance: 16,372.

Next game: Southern hosts Tennessee State at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

SU Lands doesn’t let up for victorious Jaguars

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

A year ago, Southern defensive end Vince Lands couldn’t stop Prairie View from its stunning overtime victory, having already been carted off the field on a stretcher with dehydration.

A year later, Prairie View couldn’t stop Lands or his defensive mates.

The Jaguars defense, with Lands sacking Chris Gibson twice and teaming on another sack of backup Mark Spivey, came up with two fourth-and-short stops in Southern territory and totaled three interceptions to power a 12-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

“It really burned inside, because I couldn’t finish the game,” Lands said of the 26-23 overtime loss that started a tailspin after a promising start last season. “I felt like I left my team down, so I tried to lay it all on the line and stick it out, even when I was tired. It was just pride tonight.”

That time, in Prairie View’s first win over Southern since 1971, the Panthers turned two Southern fumbles into 14 points in the final 2:33. And that time, after the SU offense coughed up the ball on consecutive bad snaps, the defense didn’t hold up, even against a PV offense that struggled then and all season to pass the ball.

This time, Southern’s offense never could get rolling like the Jaguars had in their first two games, with SU totaling 223 total yards (67 rushing after 293 the week before) and getting a fourth-quarter touchdown on a fake field-goal try. But this time, Southern’s defense held strong and refused to let PV score — stopping the Panthers six times in Southern territory.

“The defense, we really stepped it up tonight,” said Lands, who had eight tackles, including 4&permil for losses.

Photo: Defensive end Vincent Lands sacks Prairie View A&M quarter-back Chris Gibson.










Southern (3-0, 2-0 SWAC) has kept opponents out of the end zone for six straight quarters. If not for a fourth quarter safety, for holding in the end zone during a punt, Prairie View (2-1, 1-1) would have been shut out.

Prairie View had 77 yards in the second half. The Panthers, down 6-0 at the time, were stopped after an incomplete Gibson pass on fourth-and-3 at the Southern 28-yard line and, after getting to the SU 15 down 12-2, free safety Jarmaul George picked off Spivey.

“We got a little more pressure on the quarterback, and once we started to do that, then he started to get a little antsy and we were able to do some things,” SU head coach Pete Richardson said. “That’s the thing we have to do: make them move their feet. Once we started doing that, Lands did a great job coming off that corner.”

How different than getting medical attention on a stretcher was this night for Lands? After sprinting to drag down the mobile Gibson from behind five minutes into the fourth quarter, Lands raced over to the SU sideline to leap into a chest bump with SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves.

“That’s just Coach Graves’ swagger. That’s just our chemistry,” Lands said.

Prairie View looked to take that oomph away early in the game, driving 46 yards on the opening drive to the SU 17. But on a fourth-and-1, Gibson saw a gap in Southern’s line and gambled, only to get denied for no gain. Cornerback Efe Osawemwenze intercepted Gibson on PV’s next touch.

“We want to come out of the locker room, playing fast, playing hard and making things happen,” Graves said.

Gibson finished 11-for-26 for 69 yards and two interceptions, with Spivey, entering in the fourth quarter, going 11-for-18 for 76 yards and an interception.

Although Calvin Harris rushed for 69 yards, Gibson, averaging 99.5 yards per game on the ground, had minus-17.

“We made some plays on defense,” Richardson said.

Meanwhile, Southern’s offense, which has had slow starts in all three games, made the most of two drives - finished by clutch plays—after good field position.

First, as free safety Anthnony Beck blitzed hard, quarterback Bryant Lee, who was 22-for-36 for 144 yards, zipped a 15-yard touchdown pass to Gerard Landry for a 6-0 lead with 52 seconds before halftime. The PAT by Josh Duran was no good.

Second, holder Nick Benjamin, a former high school quarterback, tossed a 12-yard TD pass to tight end Evan Alexander for a 12-yard TD five seconds into the fourth quarter.

On the possession after the safety, getting PV within 12-2 with 12:39 left in the game, the Panthers started at the Southern 49 but finished at their own 35. First, Lands hauled down Ben Boyd for a 7-yard loss. Then, PV went back 5 yards for a false start. Then, after a 2-yard gain, Lands blasted Gibson from behind.

The next PV touch was a three-and-out. The next ended in the George interception. The next closed out the game.

“Just a credit to the defense. Those guys are just playing hard,” Graves said. “We call it, and those guys are just executing at a high level.”

Southern has won four straight games, dating to last season. And after two straight losing seasons, the Jaguars are off to their first 3-0 start since 2003, when the team went 12-1 and won the SWAC and black college national titles.

“We’ve got to just live from week to week,” Richardson said. “We’re real thin on that offensive line. Injuries could make things real ugly for us. We just have to regroup and come on back.”

UAB plays like Alcorn State but wins 22-0

Photo: UAB Kicker Swayze Waters

STEVE IRVINE, Birmingham

Waters sets record as Blazers pitch shutout over Alcorn State

Want to take an optimistic view of UAB's 22-0 non-conference victory over Alcorn State on Saturday night at Legion Field?

Then focus on Swayze Waters' school-record five field goals and the Blazers' first defensive shutout since 1999.

For you pessimists out there, why couldn't UAB put the ball in the end zone more than once? And, really, how impressive is a shutout of an Alcorn State team that has scored 13 points in three games?

For the record, Neil Callaway can see both sides - at least as far as his offense is concerned.

"It was great what he (Waters) did because he made them all and, really, I don't think there was any question on any of them," said Callaway, after his team improved to 1-2. "On the other hand, we wished we could score a few more touchdowns."

Regardless, linebacker Joe Henderson was pleased Callaway won for the first time as a head coach.

"I felt good to get him a win and see a smile on his face because he doesn't smile very often," Henderson said. "He's tough on us, so we're happy to see him smiling and happy."

Take away the offense's inability to put the ball in the end zone and the Blazers did several things on Saturday night not only to make Callaway happy but to please a crowd of 21,828.

The most important thing was breaking an eight-game losing streak. Before Saturday night, the last time UAB went home victorious was when it beat Memphis at Legion Field on Oct. 7, 2006.

"It means a lot," said safety Will Dunbar. "That losing taste that you've got in your mouth is finally out. You got to get used to winning again. It just gives a big boost to us and is a confidence builder."

Obviously, it was the defense that spearheaded the streak-breaking victory.

The defense took turns being stifling and optimistic. The Blazers allowed the Braves (0-3) just 233 yards in offense. When Alcorn State did get moving in the first half, Henderson and Dunbar stepped up to end drives with interceptions. In the end, it was the Blazers' first shutout in the past 91 games - dating to a 47-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 2, 1999.

"We turned the ball over inside of their territory two or three times and that hurt us," said Alcorn State head coach Johnny Thomas. "You can't do that against a good football team like UAB."

The game would have been more nerve-wracking for the Blazers without those turnovers because UAB had trouble getting the ball in the end zone.

Three promising first-half drives ended up with Waters converting on field goals of 42, 32 and 52 yards. Two promising second-half drives ended with Waters drilling field goals of 22 and 38 yards.

When he was through, Waters set a school record and tied a Conference USA mark for field goals in a game. But the Blazers would have preferred that Waters wasn't so busy.

"It always drives you crazy when you can't score touchdowns," said fullback David Sigler. "But points are points. It was just a bunch of little things we need to correct to score some touchdowns."

The only touchdown of the night came when quarterback Sam Hunt floated a pass to Sigler in the right flat that Sigler turned into a 4-yard score.

It gave UAB a 16-0 halftime lead.

Other than Waters, the most promising offensive performance came from former Homewood standout Brandon Thornton, who started in place of a banged-up Rashaud Slaughter. Thornton, playing for the first time in a UAB uniform, carried the ball 21 times for 89 yards even though he claimed to be rusty. Jim Mitchell chipped in with 78 yards on 12 carries as the Blazers gained 211 net yards rushing on 45 carries.

Attendance: 21,828

Howard's Lead Is Short-Lived as Florida A&M Takes Over

by The Washington Post

Photo: FAMU RB Philip Sylvester takes it 94 yards to the house (Touchdown--FAMU)!

Albert Chester threw two touchdown passes and Philip Sylvester ran for 222 yards to lead Florida A&M to a 30-17 win over Howard last night in Tallahassee.

Brian Johnson threw two touchdown passes to Jarahn Williams for the Bison (0-2, 0-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).

The Rattlers (1-2, 1-1) dominated after falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter.

Sylvester gained 196 yards on nine carries in the first half, including a 94-yard touchdown run.

The Rattlers finished with 481 offensive yards, while Howard had 221.

Chester's two-yard touchdown run tied the score at 7 with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. Florida A&M took the lead for good in the second quarter when Chester scrambled and threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Demarius Folsom.

Sylvester's 94-yard touchdown came with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. He took a handoff up the middle, broke to the sideline and outran the Howard defenders.

Southern U. 12, Prairie View A&M 2

BATON ROUGE, LA -- Bryant Lee passed for 144 yards and a touchdown and Nick Benjamin connected on his only pass of the evening for another as Southern beat Prairie View 12-2 to remain undefeated Saturday night.

The Jaguars (3-0, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) also gave Prairie View (2-1, 1-1) its only score, when Southern was charged with a fourth-quarter safety for holding in its own end zone.

Lee, who got a 15-yard touchdown pass to Gerard Landry in the second quarter, was 22-of-36 for Southern. Benjamin's score was on a 12-yard pass in the fourth quarter to Evan Alexander.

Kendrick Smith rushed 10 times for 40 yards for Southern.

Calvin Harris led all rushes with 69 yards on 18 carries for Prairie View. Mark Spivey was 11-18-1 for 76 yards, and Chris Gibson was 11-26-2 for 69.

Tennessee State 33, Austin Peay 32

CLARKSVILLE, TN -- Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked a kick in overtime helping his team to a 33-32 victory over Austin Peay on Saturday.

Austin Peay (2-1, 0-1) needed only three plays to reach the end zone on its first possession of overtime. Mark Cunningham rolled right and connected a 12-yard pass to Terrence Holt.

Chris Fletcher used the next two plays to power his way into the end zone. But Isaac Ziolkowski's kick was blocked by Rodgers-Cromartie.

Tennessee State (2-1, 1-0 ) then methodically drove to the two-yard line where Javarris Williams pounded the ball over the goal line. The victory was sealed when Eric Benson's PAT sailed through the uprights.

ATTENDANCE: 8,539

North Carolina Central 18, Elizabeth City State 10,

ATTENDANCE: 43,006

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER ELI NC
NC TD 06:01 Craig Amos 0 Yd Fumble Return (Pat Failed) 0 6
SECOND QUARTER ELI NC
ELI TD 07:35 Jerome Smith 6 Yd Run (Daniel Mendez Kick) 7 6
NC TD 02:03 Wayne Blackwell 9 Yd Pass From Stadford Brown (Pat Blocked) 7 12
FOURTH QUARTER ELI NC
NC TD 10:07 Tim Shankle 2 Yd Run (Pat Blocked) 7 18
ELI FG 03:50 Daniel Mendez 26 Yd 10 18

South Carolina 38, SCSU Bulldogs 3

SCSU RB Will Ford takes 14 carries for 104 yards in front of 73,000 full house; SC pulls away in second half.

COLUMBIA, SC -- Blake Mitchell threw three touchdowns and No. 17 South Carolina defeated South Carolina State 38-3 Saturday to make the Gamecocks 3-0 for the first time in six years.

South Carolina won its sixth consecutive game and the defense didn't allow a touchdown for the second straight.

That streak -- and South Carolina's perfect start -- will get severely tested next week with a trip to No. 2 LSU.

The numbers looked strong for South Carolina.

Mitchell finished 14-for-21 for 147 yards. Cory Boyd (132) and Mike Davis (102) went over 100 yards rushing, but the Gamecocks' offense looked lost for a half against the Bulldogs (1-2).

Mitchell had three interceptions and a fumble to go with his touchdown throws. Backup Tommy Beecher added an interception and a fumble of his own.

It got so bad, Gamecock coach Steve Spurrier chose to run the ball much of the second half. And that's when South Carolina finally put away its Championship Subdivision rivals.

Davis rushed for 43 yards and finished a 91-yard TD drive with a 9-yard catch from Mitchell.

Two series later, Boyd broke free for a 29-yard scoring run and the Gamecocks were up 31-3.

Spurrier called only two passes in the third quarter. Then again, he didn't have to get creative the way South Carolina's defense played.

The Gamecocks picked off three passes of their own, lineman Nathan Pepper returning one 19-yards for a touchdown to put them ahead for good, 7-3.

South Carolina State had just 46 yards passing through three quarters.

The Bulldogs are celebrating 100 years of football at the historically black college. It's the first time, however, they've played their larger state rivals about 45 minutes up the road.

The 73,000 at Williams-Brice Stadium was the largest crowd South Carolina State had played in front of and it showed.

The Bulldogs got an early chance to make an impact when Markee Hamlin got Mitchell's first interception to set South Carolina State up on the Gamecocks 12.

But penalties for an illegal snap and illegal procedure pushed them back and they took a 3-0 lead on Aaron Haire's 37-yard field goal.

South Carolina settled down after that shaky start -- and looked ready to give Spurrier a Florida-style blowout.

Pepper went 19 yards to the end zone with Cleveland McCoy's interception to put the Gamecocks ahead 7-3.

Ryan Succop added a 40-yard field goal and Mitchell hit Kenny McKinley with a 12-yard touchdown pass on the Gamecocks next two series to increase the lead to 17-3.

Soon enough, though, South Carolina reverted to the "average stiffs" Spurrier spoke of two weeks ago in the opener with Louisiana-Lafayette.

The defense, though, was again above average. It didn't give up a touchdown at Georgia in South Carolina's 16-12 win a week ago and did not yield this time, either.

The closest South Carolina State got after its opening drive came in the third quarter after driving to the Gamecock 12, but Darian Stewart recovered Jonathan Woods' fumble to end the threat.

ATTENDANCE: 73,095