East: Giving thanks in the Louisiana sports world

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- It’s Thanksgiving, and people in the local sports world have much for which to give thanks.

First and foremost, fans should be thankful to the players and coaches who go to work on the holiday to play or prepare to play for our entertainment this weekend.

Southern will be practicing Thursday morning for its annual Bayou Classic game against Grambling on Saturday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, a staple of Thanksgiving weekend.

And the Jaguars players, coaches and staff are grateful for the generous folks in A Nation of Dominance support group, who provide them with a traditional Thanksgiving meal after practice.  Fans should also be thankful that across town LSU will be working on the holiday to prepare for its annual Black Friday game against Arkansas, a much-needed break from — or alternative to — frenetic mall hopping on the most stressful shopping day of the year.

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B-CU Brian Jenkins Weekly Conference

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- Bethune-Cookman University football head coach Brian Jenkins met with members of the media on Weds., Nov. 27, discussing his teams upcoming trip to Coastal Carolina opening the 2013 NCAA FCS Playoffs in Conway, S.C.

The Wildcats and Chanticleers each sport similar 10-2 records and earned automatic bids to the playoffs via winning the MEAC and Big South titles, respectively. The game will be played at Brooks Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina, while kickoff is set for Sat., Nov. 30 at 1 p.m.

The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app on any and all mobile devices. Tickets for the FCS Playoff first round game between Bethune-Cookman and Coastal Carolina may be purchased through the CCU ticket office for $20 (upper section) and $15 (lower section).



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Alabama State football: What's a Turkey Day without Tuskegee?

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  There’ll still be a parade through the streets of downtown Montgomery and a football game to celebrate homecoming, but what is a Turkey Day Classic without Tuskegee?

The Golden Tigers opted out of the nation’s oldest HBCU classic this season to focus on the NCAA Division II playoffs, leaving the Hornets scrambling to find Stillman College as a replacement opponent. But while it may still be the Turkey Day Classic, it’s a safe bet that attendance and buzz around the game won’t compete with the former annual clash with Tuskegee.



“It’s a great game, a family tradition,” Jones said. “My mother was a cheerleader, my dad was a player. My family was season ticketholders and have been for years. I’ve been to probably about 15 (Turkey Day) games over my time span. The Magic City Classic is big, but nothing’s better than Turkey Day.

“It’s tough (without Tuskegee) ... but we’re still going to accept the challenge. In a way, it’s kind of a different aspect because we know Tuskegee always brings a big crowd and that atmosphere we love to see. We understand we’re not just playing for a team, we’re playing for our fans that come to watch us every year.”

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Southern-Grambling series neck-and-neck

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern-Grambling rivalry is often considered one of the best in college football. It’s also among the most closely contested.

The overall series is tied at 30, though Grambling holds a 20-19 advantage over the Jaguars in Bayou Classic games.

Additionally, Grambling has emerged victorious in four of the past five meetings.

Yet Southern coach Dawson Odums sees the matchup becoming even, and more clear after Saturday, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Bayou Classic.

“We understand we’re playing Grambling,” Odums said. “And it is 20-19 Grambling right now, but my vision is 20-20.”

Doss eyeing milestone
Southern senior receiver Lee Doss needs 70 receiving yards this season to reach the 1,000-yard mark.

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North Carolina A&T Blue & Gold Marching Machine Ends Football Season on a High Note

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FAMU's Shouppe picks up early signees

COACH JAMEY SHOUPPE
COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Jamey Shouppe, who built a reputation as a top college baseball recruiter, isn’t waiting to put his fingerprint on FAMU’s program.

His early approach features a local touch, too.

Former local stars and current junior-college players Tay Jerger of Rickards and Sawyer Betts of Godby will join the Rattlers in 2014-2015.

Right-handed pitcher/outfielder Ronnie Williams, of Miami American Senior High, also signed with the Rattlers during last week’s early signing period.

It’s believed to be the first time that FAMU has signed baseball players in the fall, according to Shouppe, the former associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State.

“You are talking about, not just players who signed early to play with us, but good players that had opportunities to play elsewhere, so I think it’s a great statement for where we are,” said Shouppe, who is working to turn around FAMU’s baseball program after being hired last summer.

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Like Pough, Furman's Fowler engineers turnaround

GREENVILLE, South Carolina – Head coaches Bruce Fowler of Furman and Buddy Pough of South Carolina State share much in common from a football career standpoint.

Both men either played in Pough’s case at Orangeburg High School or was an assistant coach as Fowler was at North Carolina State under Dick Sheridan. Each also made the most of their opportunity at a Southeastern Conference school, Fowler as a defensive coordinator for Vanderbilt, Pough coaching running backs at the University of South Carolina.

Now coaching at their respective alma maters, Fowler and Pough have orchestrated one-year turnarounds from losing seasons to face each other Saturday on Willie Jeffries Field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Like the Bulldogs, who started 0-2 before winning nine of their last 10 games, the Paladins (7-5) labored from a 2-4 start. Once starting quarterback Reese Hannon returned from injury and the younger players began to mature, Furman won five of its last six games to earn a share of the Southern Conference title with Samford and Chattanooga.

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