2010 Sprite Queen City Battle of the Bands

All eyes will be on the marching bands from six historically black colleges and universities as they take the field to perform at the first annual Sprite Queen City Battle of the Bands.

The invitational showcase will be held in Charlotte's Memorial Stadium, 310 N. Kings Drive, on August 28, 2010 at 7 p.m. The inaugural event will feature the bands from Florida A&M University, Johnson C. Smith University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Shaw University and South Carolina State University.



Bragging rights and more than $60,000 in scholarship money will be on the line as the talented band members display their school's dynamic music programs during show-stopping performances.

Tickets for the Sprite Queen City Battle of the Bands can be purchased for $15 in advance at www.QueenCityBattleoftheBands.com and for $20 the day of the event at the stadium box office.



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Loss Of Starters May Hurt Morgan Bears

2010 preseason All-MEAC first team senior defensive back Darren McKhan

Following a promising start to the 2009 season in which Morgan State won five of its first six games, the Bears stumbled down the stretch to a 6-5 record. The fourth-place Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference finish is nearly the same conclusion predicted for the 2010 season; preseason polls tab the Bears to finish fifth.

This year’s squad will look fairly different after the departures of five starters on both offense and defense. The three most significant losses include starting quarterback Carlton Jackson, MEAC Defensive Player of the Year George Howard, and All-MEAC first-team defender Justin Lawrence. Devan James, the team’s leading rusher who totaled 639 yards, also moved on.

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ASU Hornets find positives from first scrimmage

Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow stood near midfield, challenging his players to keep up their intensity in sprints as the Hornets' first scrimmage drew to a close.

There were positives he saw in the offense's performance, hard licks passed by the defense and surprisingly few errors on Saturday morning at Hornet Stadium. But as he urged his players on, the one negative that stayed at the forefront of his mind was his players' conditioning. To win the game, he told them, they had to win the fourth quarter. To win the fourth quarter, he added, they had to be in shape.

"We need to get in shape," Barlow said. "The offensive line was a bit lethargic. They have the talent but they're not in very good shape. They're going to have to do some extra running."

Overall, though, he had to be pleased with the effort. The offense wasn't as explosive as he had hoped, but it was productive. And that was without star receiver Nick Andrews, who made an exciting 35-yard catch and run on the scrimmage's first play, then sat out most of the remaining 60 plays.



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Southern irons out wrinkles with first scrimmage of fall

Southern running back Gary Hollimon runs away from defense during scrimmage.

OK, so maybe fall classes haven’t yet begun at Southern University.

But by Saturday morning, the football program had time to do a little bit of simple math. Between Aug. 3 and Saturday morning, the team had practiced 11 times during preseason camp. Each session lasted about 2 1/2 hours. That, in theory, gave the Jaguars some 30 hours to improve by the time Saturday’s first scrimmage of the season got under way. So what else, exactly, did the Southern football team learn about itself by the end of the scrimmage?

Two things, in particular. No. 1: This week, when a few key starters recover from some minor setbacks, the team will probably look a lot better. No. 2: No matter who returns and who doesn’t, the Jaguars have work to do between now and their Sept. 5 season opener in Orlando, Fla., against Delaware State. “This was really the first time it was a game-type atmosphere for them. So it’s good to get the jitters out,” first-year coach Stump Mitchell said. “We do have two more scrimmages, and that’s a good thing that I’m taking.”

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Southern Notes for Aug. 15, 2010

SU puts it on the line with sprints

The voice of black college sports

Cueing a voice-over introduction, Donal Ware bobs his head while punching computer keys and adjusting a microphone. It takes only a second for him to slip into a high-pitched, rapid-fire radio voice where sentences pour from his mouth. "Two more weeks before the start of the college football season," he says. "Thanks for joining me on another edition of 'From the Press Box to Press Row.'"

Ware, 35, sits in a high-back chair in a studio office in his Fuquay-Varina home. His equipment rests on a custom-made wooden bar top, a fitting place for someone whose preoccupation is talking about sports. In Ware's case, it's black college sports. His radio program celebrates its fifth anniversary this week, a major milestone for a niche show that focuses mostly on sports news involving historically black colleges and universities.

The one-hour show airs in Raleigh every Saturday on St. Augustine's College's WAUG station and is syndicated nationally on 30 stations, airing in such major markets as Washington and San Francisco. "I'm not saying that we've made it," Ware says, "but we've come a long way."



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FAMU's Sylvester set to strike

Healthy from injuries, strong RB takes more prominent role.

Just for the record, Florida A&M senior running back Philip Sylvester tried to count how many times he's been injured during the past three seasons. He recollected three, then paused to be sure there was a fourth time. Staying true to his mild-mannered demeanor, Sylvester chalked up the days he couldn't play as just being part of life as a football player.

"You're always going to have ups and downs over the course of a career," he said, "but the thing is overcoming those obstacles; keep fighting back and don't quit." He hasn't. In fact, running back coach Aaron Taylor said that Sylvester was the one who raised the coaching staff's spirits when they were concerned about how he would perform. He'd always take things in stride.



None of his injuries was as bothersome as a case of turf toe that has affected his performance every season. But all that is behind him and Sylvester only wants to look to the future, which seemed to be promising considering that head coach Joe Taylor has tweaked the offense to give his star running back a more prominent role in the Rattlers' offense.

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WSSU football player exemplifies 'student-athlete'

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- You hear many times of the prototypical "student-athlete." Khendra Reid, a strong safety at Winston-Salem State, exemplifies that term.

Despite nursing a pulled hamstring, Reid is a threat on the gridiron. "He goes the extra mile," said WSSU Head Football Coach, Connell Maynor. "He gets his weights in with everybody else and I see him in there some days when everybody's finished, he's there doing extra. Or he'll come in early and do some extra. He's a tough guy, he's a big hitter, so them wide receivers better be looking out."

Khendra's discipline on the field and in the weight room carries over to the classroom. The sophomore computer science major studies and designs search and rescue robots. "When I was in middle school, I had to choose between being in the band or learning more about computers because I wanted a computer," said Reid. "So my parents gave me that ultimatum of choosing one or the other and I chose computers. I took one class and I fell in love with it since then, and I try learning more and more about it everyday."

Khendra takes part in the ARTSI program, which stands for "Advancing Robotics Through Social Impact." Winston-Salem State is among eight Research I schools, like Carnegie Mellon and Brown, and 15 other historically black colleges and universities taking part in the program.

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NC A&T Holds Picture Day For The Aggies

Greensboro, NC - The school year is gearing up to start, which means it's time to dust off the cleats, wash the jerseys and of course, put on your best smile. Today was picture day for NC A&T State University's football team. The entire Aggie squad, in their yellow and blue, was on the 50 yard line of Aggie Stadium in Greensboro.





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Social Change Through Hoops

Shooting Touch helps kids excel in basketball and life.

Excerpt:

Another of the organization’s programs, the Shooting Touch Sabbatical Program, gives one post-grad (in the year following his or her college or graduate school education) a $25,000 grant to travel the world giving back to the community through the game of basketball. The first recipient, Hampton University graduate Tome Barros, is currently abroad, and has already made a huge impact. In his first 35 days, Barros has helped build two basketball courts and ran a three-week camp in Dakar, Senegal, teaching basketball, leadership and how to maintain good health.

Kittredge and his supporters are spreading word of the sabbatical, with hopes that even more young adults will apply. “We’ve had a great response from the first year with applicants, but the more people find out about this program, the more applicants we’re going to get because of what a great opportunity this is,” he says.

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Alabama State offense finally shows consistency

ASU junior Devin Dominquez is in a quarterback battle among true freshman Demetric Price and redshirt freshman Rashard Burkette.

Alabama State University's offense has looked good at times this fall, but has not shown enough consistency. In Wednesday's practice sessions, the offense showed the consistency it had lacked in earlier practices. The offense did not turn the ball over during the full 11-on-11 session and scored on each possession. Quarterbacks Devin Dominguez, Rashard Burkette and Demetric Price all threw touchdown passes.

"Part of being the head coach is saying, 'Hey, the offense looked good today,'" head coach Reggie Barlow said. "But then you have to turn around and say the defense really did not do well during the scrimmage. "It was good to see the offense score down inside the red zone on those five consecutive possessions. It is something we have worked on. I was also disappointed the defense was unable to make the right corrections and stop the offense."

The defense may have had a bad practice, but overall Barlow has been pleased with what he has seen along the defensive front.

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KSU Thorobreds embracing excellence

Kentucky State University head coach Wayne Dickens returns two 1,000 yard rushers in the backfield (senior Anthony Boykins and junior Shannon Frieson)and a 1,600 passer in junior quarterback Jerrell Noland.

It was only four weeks from kickoff, but 2009 looked to be a lost season for the Kentucky State football team. After losing their head coach a month before the first game and being picked to finish last in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), KSU’s motto could have easily been, “no expectations.” But after finishing with a 6-5 record, including four conference wins, a more appropriate motto would’ve been, “turning heads.”

This season, under coach Wayne Dickens, KSU has come up with their own motto as they look to build on last season’s success: embracing excellence. “To be excellent isn’t just a sometime thing,” Dickens said. “You can’t just do it at practice today. You need to do it everyday.” Part of that excellence involved implementing a new weight lifting program in the offseason that should improve the team’s strength and conditioning. Dickens said there were times last season when his team was physically overmatched, including a 45-0 loss to conference rival Albany State.

“We believe we need to be stronger in our physical core to have the stamina to play later in games,” Dickens said. Late–game performance proved to be a major issue for KSU last season, as four of their five losses came with the team in contention late in the fourth quarter. “We found a way to not quite get over the hump,” Dickens said. “We lacked some poise last year and made some critical mistakes that cost you football games.”

Dickens hopes to find that offensive poise this season in his duo of star running backs. Both senior Anthony Boykins and junior Shannon Frieson rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, and return this year to anchor an offense that’s had plenty of success on the ground.

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Ex-Creek star changes position to help B-CU

Howard OK with being put in 'corner'

DAYTONA BEACH -- D.J. Howard has never been one to shy away from change. Although the former Spruce Creek High standout signed a football scholarship with Bethune-Cookman three years ago primarily to learn from two renowned coaches of defensive backs -- head coach Alvin Wyatt and defensive backs coach Terry Williams -- Howard was excited when new head coach Brian Jenkins was hired last December.

He had been disappointed when Wyatt, who along with Williams had played defensive back in the NFL, was fired two days after the end of last season, but Howard welcomed a fresh start and a new system and all the hard work and eventual payoff those changes would entail. "The training methods are different, the styles of practice are different," the redshirt sophomore said Friday evening, one week into Jenkins' first preseason camp with the team.

"With a new coach, everybody has to come back and compete for their jobs, and that's a great thing because it brings back a spark. Everybody has to work hard."

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Southern Jaguars puts it on the line with sprints

Step outside, feel the heat, close your eyes and imagine this:

You are a football player at Southern University. Preseason camp is in full swing. It is 94 degrees with a heat index of 105. The team is 22 periods deep into a 24-period practice — the second of the day — and your body has started to seize and cramp. And then, with the end almost in sight, you hear the most crushing four-word phrase of all: “Everybody on the line!”

Welcome to the latest round of post-practice conditioning. Others call them sprints. Some teams call them “gassers.” Others call them “suicides.” Most players don’t really care what you call them, as long as you call them off. Are we having fun yet?

“It’s rough, man. I’m not going to lie,” senior wideout Curry Allen says. “I mean, we were already practicing in 110-degree weather. We’re in two-a-days, and it’s hot. And every period, the coaches want you to go full-speed. You get a water break here and there, but they want you to go full-speed. And then you’re almost at the end. And then you hear it: ‘On the line!’ ”

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Nothing holds back FAMU's Willis

FAMU Rattlers head coach Joe Taylor.

Junior defensive tackle possesses an All-American mindset

Tallahassee, FL - Jerry Willis wasn't even sure he would find enough money to pay his tuition for four years at Florida A&M when he walked into the football office and pleaded for a chance to play for the team. All he had was a passion for the game, a little experience and the goodwill of his girlfriend's father. Defensive ends coach Tim Edwards saw a little bit more that he thought might benefit the team — Willis' 6-foot-4, 280-pound physique. He figured that with a little work Willis could become a contributor.

"He didn't come out there stepping over his feet," Edwards said. "It wasn't like he came out there looking all goofy. The biggest thing that caught my eye is that he isn't a big talker. He's a laid back type of guy that has that look like he is serious about what he is trying to get done."

Willis has proven to be very serious. A native of Chicago who grew up on the tough South Side of the city, Willis is in contention to earn a starting job with the Rattlers. He's already earned a full scholarship, a lot more than he expected the day he walked into coach Joe Taylor's office looking for a chance to play. Willis figured nothing that he would face on the football field would be as tough as some of the adversity that he'd faced just to stay in school.

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Ex-TSU star Narcisse works way into CFL Hall of Fame

The origin of Don Narcisse's career is not one of a typical Hall of Famer. Before racking up 919 catches and 12,366 yards in the Canadian Football League, Narcisse's destiny on a football field was relegated to halftime.



"My mom didn't want me to play any sports,," said Narcisse, who grew up in Port Arthur. "She wanted me to be in the marching band. In junior high school I went out and tried out for football, while she thought I was trying out for the band. She was worried about me since I was a small kid and I also had a heart murmur, but it all worked out."

Narcisse, who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1987 to 1999, will be inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame today. But as the family prepared to leave for this week's events, Dorothy Narcisse, Don's mother, died of complications from congestive heart failure at the age of 73. "My mother was a great person," Narcisse said. "She never met a stranger. She was so proud of her kids. I wouldn't have accomplished any of my goals without her."

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JSU trip helped to convince QB

Quarterback Casey Therriault had planned to visit other schools this spring. Then he visited Jackson State. "I loved the campus atmosphere. It's not too big, not too small," Therriault said. "I really liked everybody I met." Therriault, who transferred to JSU from Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, scratched four scheduled trips to other schools after his visit to Jackson. He would not disclose what schools offered him scholarships but said none were "as relevant as Jackson State."

Therriault, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior, is locked in a battle for the starting spot with redshirt sophomore Dedric McDonald. Coaches have lauded Therriault's accurate arm, leadership skills and speed - attributes that led him to pass for more than 2,100 yards and 24 touchdowns last year at Grand Rapids.

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Down to two

Bowie State Upgrading Football Field With Synthetic Turf

Bowie State Sports Information

BOWIE, MD - Bowie State University Interim Athletic Director Arlene Creek and head football coach Damon Wilson officially announce that the Bulldogs football stadium natural grass field will be resurfaced with a $1 million synthetic turf.

Bowie State will be the second school in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association to shift from natural grass. Fayetteville State converted to a synthetic surface in 2007.

"I am very pleased and happy to be getting FieldTurf. This will give Bowie State University a great opportunity for more exposure, and I do believe that it will capture the attention of various teams wanting to play their games in Bulldogs Stadium”, said Creek.

The new surface will be made of the new grass-looking synthetic surface that is currently used by 20 NFL teams as well as over 50 NCAA Division I institutions. The patented FieldTurf infill is comprised of 70 percent silica sand and 30 percent cryogenic rubber. In addition to intercollegiate football, Creek said the new field can be used for soccer, lacrosse, intramural games, band performances and graduations -- without damage to the surface. Also, she hopes community organizations will want to use the field for a fee.

“This is a great step for Bowie State”, said Wilson. Wilson went on to say, “I thank Dr. Burnim and his administration for spearheading this project. This new field surface also gives us the opportunity to generate additional revenue by hosting camps and clinics in our facility.”

Construction has already begun and will completed in time for the BSU Bulldogs home opener versus the Panthers of Virginia Union University – Saturday, September 25th at 1 pm.

2010 HBCU Schedule of Televised Football Games

Listed below is the composite schedule for the 2010 football season of all games (HBCU) that are scheduled to be televised or available by access live and on-demand streaming video and audio. We will update this list within the next few weeks with Colleges/University websites that offer streaming video of all "home games" and their web link addresses. Some services may require user fees charged by the respective conference/university service. You know the deal! No free TV...

Thursday, September 2
FAMU at Miami (FL)

ESPN3.com - 7:30 p.m.

Norfolk State at Rutgers

ESPN3.com - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 4
South Carolina State at Georgia Tech
ESPN3.com - 1 p.m.

Alabama A&M at Tennessee State
John Merritt Classic

OVCSports.TV., 6 p.m.

Louisiana Tech vs. Grambling State
"Port City Classic"
ESPNU - (Tape delay)- 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 5
Delaware State v. Southern University
"2010 MEAC/SWAC Challenge"
ESPN – 12:00 p.m. – Live

Saturday, September 11
Morgan State at Maryland
ESPN3.com - 6 p.m.

Tennessee State vs. Jackson State

"Southern Heritage Classic"
Fox Sports South - 6 p.m. - Live

Thursday, September 16

Lane College at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m.

OVCSports.TV. , 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 18

Austin Peay at Tennessee State

Wazoo Sports/OVC Game of the Week - 6 p.m.

Saturday, September 25
Tennessee State vs. FAMU
Atlanta Football Classic
Versus - 3:30 p.m. - Live

Saturday, September 25
Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State
State Fair Classic
ESPNU - (Tape delay)- 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 30
Hampton at Delaware State s
ESPNU - 7:30 p.m. – Live

Saturday, October 2
Chowan vs. Virginia Union
CIAA Network - 1:00 p.m. - Live

Kentucky State at Eastern Kentucky.
OVCSports.TV. , 6 p.m.

South Carolina State at FAMU
ESPNU – 10:30 p.m. – Taped Delayed

Thursday, October 7
Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
ESPNU - 7:30 p.m. - Live

Saturday, October 9

Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri

OVCSports.TV., 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 14
Elizabeth City State at Virginia State
CBS College Sports Network - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 16

Tennessee State at Jacksonville State
OVCSports.TV., 3 p.m.

Thursday, October 21
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State

ESPNU - 7:30 p.m. - Live

Saturday, October 23

Tennessee Tech at Tennessee State

Wazoo Sports/OVC Game of the Week

OVCSports.TV. , 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 28
North Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman
ESPNU – 7:30 p.m. – Live

Saturday, October 30

Shaw vs. WSSU
CIAA Network - 1:00 p.m. - Live

Saturday, November 6

Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State

OVCSports.TV., 5 p.m.

Thursday, November 11
South Carolina State at Morgan State
ESPNU – 7:30 p.m. – Live

Grambling State at Texas Southern
ESPN Classic - 7:30 p.m. - Live

Saturday, November 13
CIAA Championship
CIAA Network - 1:00p.m.- Live

Tennessee State at UT Martin

Wazoo Sports/OVC Game of the Week

OVCSports.TV., 6 p.m.

Saturday, November 20
Tennessee State at Murray State

OVCSports.TV., 1 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman v. FAMU Rattlers
"The Florida Classic"
ESPN Classic – 2:30 p.m. - Live

Thursday, November 25
Tuskegee at Alabama State
"Turkey Day Classic"
ESPNU - 4 p.m.

Saturday, November 27
Grambling vs. Southern
"Bayou Classic"
NBC - 1:00 p.m. - Live

FCS Playoffs First Round (campus sites)

Saturday, December 4

FCS Playoffs Second Round (campus sites)

Friday, Dec.10/Saturday, Dec. 11

FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals (campus sites)

Saturday, December 11
2010 SWAC Championship Game
ESPN Classic - 2 p.m. - Live

Friday, Dec. 17/Saturday, Dec. 18

FCS Playoffs Semifinals (campus sites)

Friday, January 7, 2011

FCS National Championship (Frisco, Texas)

Alabama State golfers compete in MCC Invitational for first time

ASU Hornets golf coach, Dr. Gary Grandison.

The well-wishers were all around Alabama State golf coach Gary Grandison at Montgomery Country Club on Friday afternoon. "Glad to have you here," said one elderly gentleman, a longtime member. For the first time in the 92-year history of the MCC Invitational, Alabama State golfers competed in the tournament after a formal invitation from the club. "It shows progress," said an obviously pleased Grandison. Except in this case, Dr. Grandison was not talking about race relations in Montgomery. He was referring to the advancements made by his golf program.

"This is a quality tournament, and the exposure and experience we're getting is important to the growth and progress of our program," said Grandison, who is getting ready to start his fourth year as the head coach of the men's and women's golf teams at ASU.

College players from Alabama, Auburn, Troy, Huntingdon, Central Alabama, UAB -- and this year ASU -- compete in the MCC, but it is not a typical college tournament. Two-man teams from each school compete for the Dr. Hamp Greene III Collegiate Cup championship, but there are no overall team scores.

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New SU QB McGinty ready for pressure

You want pressure?

The new starting quarterback at Southern University will feel it. First, he’ll fill the role left behind by Bryant Lee, who led the Jaguars’ offense for so long he seemed like a faculty member. As a senior last season, Lee finished as the school’s all-time leading passer. Second, he’ll take control of the new, complex, pro-style offense installed by first-year coach Stump Mitchell — and Mitchell, who said he expects to win right away, won’t give the new guy an easy way out.

So who in the world is prepared to fill this role? Maybe no one. But among the candidates, maybe Jeremiah McGinty comes closest. McGinty has felt pressure. He’s been in a spot like this before. Mitchell has said he believes McGinty will start, but he hasn’t yet made a final decision. “The coaching staff — they’re more chilled about it,” McGinty said. “Whoever’s getting the job done, that’s who’s going to play. It’s a competition, and of course I’m trying to win. I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes, you know?”

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Taylor brings ref to discuss rules with Rattlers

The cerebral adventure continued Friday evening for the Florida A&M football team. After three days of walk through intended to enhance the Rattlers' mental approach, coach Joe Taylor invited one of the men who wear black and white stripes on game day to issue a reminder to his players about a few important things that they won't find in their playbooks — the rules of the game. Taylor has good reason to sit his team down. Last season FAMU committed 66 penalties for 608 yards, an improvement over the previous season by almost 200 yards. Still, the Rattlers were the third-most penalized team in the nine-team league.

MEAC referee Ryan Sbrissa used a PowerPoint presentation to emphasize how closely each play will be watched this season. He stressed that in addition to a handful of new rules, referees will be throwing a flag on any player caught making a helmet-first tackle or block. The league is being more strict about the rule as a result of the number of concussions in the game, Sbrissa warned. Violations will result in a 15-yard penalty or even ejection, Taylor said.

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SCSU Bulldogs run through first of ‘two-a-days'

The mere mention of "two-a-days" draws one thing to mind for South Carolina State linebacker David Erby. "Work, more work, more work," he said. "Everybody out here's legs are tired, but everybody's fighting through it to get the extra work." Back in head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough's playing days as a Bulldog, "two-a-day" practices were a staple of preseason camp. A physical morning practice was followed in the afternoon by an equally grueling regimen and this usually took place on consecutive days.

Now, NCAA restrictions and a change of philosophy on Pough's part has seen a diminished number of "two-a-days" in the preseason. Tuesday was the first of only four such practices on alternating days scheduled by S.C. State with the morning session in full pads followed in the early evening by a lighter workout in just shells and shorts.

"We don't try to become so overbearing in our ‘two-a-day' routine, that it just becomes a total grind for our players," Pough said. "We want to try to get as much work as we can get. We need to get some work in. But at the same time, we've got to be conscious of the fact that it's really hot and we've got to understand that we've got to be able to save our legs to a certain degree so that we can continue to go at it at a fairly decent pace."

PHOTO GALLERY: Trench warfare

PHOTO GALLERY: SCSU's first practice

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