SSU starts football practice at midnight

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Others have tried. Others have failed. Savannah State’s new football coach Earnest Wilson understands there will be comparisons, but he doesn’t want to be lumped in with the others.

“I think this is a great situation,” said Wilson, about taking over a program that hasn’t won more than one game during the last three seasons. “They have talent here. Don’t be fooled.”

Wilson was the offensive coordinator at Hampton University last season and has more than 20 years of coaching experience. He’ll take over for coach Steve Davenport, who was fired in April.

And Wilson is looking to change things up. To get an early start on the task of turning around a program that went 1-10 last season, he will begin preseason workouts tonight at midnight at T.A. Wright Stadium.



“I thought it would be a little fun, kick (preseason camp) off the right way,” Wilson said. “Get two good hours in, and when you’re finished get back to bed.”

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2013 SSU TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date     Opponent     Location     Time

8/31 @ Georgia Southern, Statesboro, Ga. - Paulson Stadium 6 p.m. 
9/7   @ Troy University, Troy, Ala. - Veterans Memorial Stadium 6 p.m.
9/14      Fort Valley State, Savannah, Ga. - Ted Wright Stadium 6 p.m.
9/21 @ University of Miami, Miami, Fla. - Sun Life Stadium TBA
9/28      Delaware State, Savannah, Ga. - Ted Wright Stadium 6 p.m.*
10/5 @ Norfolk State, Norfolk, Va. - William 'Dick' Price Stadium 1 p.m. *
10/12    Florida A&M, Savannah, Ga. - Ted Wright Stadium 6 p.m. *
10/19@ Bethune-Cookman, Daytona Beach, Fla. - Municipal Stadium 4 p.m. *
10/26    N.C. Central, "Homecoming," Savannah, Ga. - Ted Wright Stadium 2 p.m. *
11/2       S. Carolina State, Savannah, Ga. - Ted Wright Stadium 2 p.m. *
11/9   @ Howard University, Washington, D.C., William H. Greene Stadium 1 p.m.*
11/16 @ North Carolina A&T University Greensboro, N.C. - Aggie Stadium 1 p.m*

BOLD: Home Games
* MEAC Games

Hotard: Southern Jaguars have reason for optimism

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- No matter their win-loss record the previous season, coaches and players from all regions, all divisions and all kinds of programs hit the practice fields in August convinced this will be their year.

Such will be the vibe at Southern on Wednesday when the Jaguars report for their first preseason camp under coach Dawson Odums.

But this year, for the first time in a while, there is no reason to dismiss Southern’s optimism as foolish or misguided.

This year, the optimism on the Bluff will be realistic and genuine.

Southern returns three players, Lee Doss, Virgil Williams and Anthony Balancier, who were named to the preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference first team at SWAC media day earlier this month. It returns two more players, Dray Joseph and Arthur Miley, who were named to the second team.

Joseph led the SWAC in passing as a junior last season, but you have ...

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Rattlers' Big Challenge: FAMU tangles with Ohio State on 9/21

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU won’t play Ohio State until the fourth game of the season. But between now and then, coach Earl Holmes will take a page from his personal playbook to let his players know how they could make the game competitive – just like he did when he was a Rattler.

FAMU played Miami twice when Holmes was linebacker during the early 1990s.

“My focus was I didn’t concern myself with the school’s name,” Holmes said.

“I just wanted to play my game. My job was to stop the run, drop off in the pass coverage and disrupt some things. I was so focused on playing well. I did the small things in order to play well.”

Playing at least one game against a BCS school has long been the norm for FAMU and many other small programs that use the financial ...

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Hampton Pirates getting set for the upcoming season

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Football is back.

The Hampton University football team will report to camp on Wednesday and will hold its first fall practice on Thursday at the practice field behind Armstrong Stadium at 3 p.m.

Hampton will open the 2013 season on Thursday, Aug. 29, when the Pirates head to Macomb, Ill. to take on Western Illinois at 7 p.m. EST. The Pirates are coming off a 3-7 season in 2012, with a 3-5 mark in MEAC play.

The Pirates are coming into their fifth season under head coach Donovan Rose.

Approximately 90 players will check into the dorms on Wednesday and get down to business on the practice field Thursday at 3 p.m.

"We're excited; because it has been a long offseason," Rose said. "Many of the guys worked hard during spring ball and with some staff additions, I feel we are ready to get back on the field."

The Pirates welcome new offensive coordinator Glen Ferebee, who comes to Hampton after serving as the head coach at Lakeland High School in Suffolk, Va., as well as Bernard Clark as defensive coordinator and Cordell Taylor as secondary coach. 

Hampton has been picked to finish ninth in the MEAC this season.

For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.



PRACTICE SCHEDULE
 Aug. 1: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 2: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 4: 2 p.m.
 Aug. 5: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 6: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 7: 8:30 a.m. & 3 p.m. (Full Gear)
 Aug. 8: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 9: 8:30 a.m. & 3 p.m. (Full Gear)
 Aug. 10: 12 p.m./Meet the Pirates (Full Pads)
 Aug. 12: 8:30 a.m. & 3 p.m. (Full Gear)
 Aug. 13: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 14: 8:30 a.m. & 3 p.m. (Full Gear)
 Aug. 15: 3 p.m. (Full Gear)
 Aug. 16: 8:30 a.m. & 3 p.m. (Full Gear)
 Aug. 17: First Scrimmage, 1 p.m.
 Aug. 19: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 20: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 21: 3 p.m.
 Aug. 22: Second Scrimmage, 7 p.m.


COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

HBU Football Game vs. Texas College Moved to Nov. 2

HOUSTON, Texas – The startup Houston Baptist University (HBU) football program has moved its game against Texas College to Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory's Crusader Stadium due to a scheduling conflict, HBU Director of Athletics Steve Moniaci announced Monday
 
“Any time you start up a football program, there are going to be some challenges,” Moniaci said. “Fortunately, we were able to find a common open date and were able to save the game. We are now looking forward to the home opener against Oklahoma Baptist and playing our final two games of the season at home.”

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21, which would have been the Huskies' home opener, but Texas College's previous administration had the Steers also scheduled to play Hardin-Simmons on that date. HBU will now play its home opener on Family Weekend against Oklahoma Baptist Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at Crusader Stadium.

With Nov. 2 an open date for both HBU and Texas College, the two schools agreed to move the game to that date.

The Huskies open the 2013 season at Sam Houston State Aug. 31, followed by another road game at Wayland Baptist on Sept. 14. HBU plays four of its last five at home, first against Oklahoma Baptist, then against future Southland Conference rival Abilene Christian Oct. 12 at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Huskies travel to another future conference foe, Incarnate Word, Oct. 26, before hosting Texas College, then wrapping up the season on Homecoming against Texas A&M-Commerce Nov. 9.

HBU's football student-athletes report for the first fall workout next Monday, Aug. 5.

COURTESY HOUSTON BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Tigers Football Sets Senior Kick-Off Luncheon for Aug. 23

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  On Tuesday Aug. 23, the Tennessee State football team will hold its annual Senior Kick-Off Luncheon, nine days prior to Big Blue’s first contest against Bethune-Cookman.

 

The event will take place at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel at 11 a.m. and will serve to both honor TSU’s 17 four-year letter winners and generate excitement for the squad’s upcoming campaign.

Tiger supporters can purchase ticket packages that start at $65 for an individual to the luncheon or buy sets that include multiple seats and season tickets. Fans can also pay for advertisements that will run in the luncheon’s program.

For more information, please contact Natasha Plant at 615-963-7562 or read the full brochure, here.

 

    2013 Football Senior Kick-Off Luncheon Brochure

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Training camp preview: Southern football

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  FIVE STORYLINES TO WATCH

1. Backing up Dray Joseph

Southern has the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference passing champion in Dray Joseph to guide the offense, but one of the big questions entering camp is who will back him up. No other quarterback on the roster has thrown a pass in a college game. Junior Wynton Perro has moved from the secondary to join a battle that will soon include Francis Kennah from Robbinsdale, Minn., and Southern Lab product Deonte Shorts, a pair of freshmen who join the fray this week. Coach Dawson Odums said Cedric McCloud, who signed in February out of Arizona Western Community College, will not be part of the team. In case Joseph is lost to injury, the Jaguars need a reliable No. 2 to come forth.

2. Discovering a ground game

Southern finished last in the SWAC last year at 79.5 rushing yards per game and hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since ...

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