S.C. State Looking for Respect

[bosshogg]

Bulldogs out for respect
S.C. State football team feels overlooked in preseason voting
By PATRICK OBLEY
[email protected]

ORANGEBURG — The signs outside the Oliver C. Dawson stadium say “Danger: Construction Area.”

Inside the locker room, all signs point to a breakout season for the South Carolina State Bulldogs.

The usual rallying cries of revenge and disrepect have echoed among the players during their offseason workouts and have continued during this first week of practice. Those cries were well-earned.

Want revenge? S.C. State is coming off a 9-2 season in which the two losses came by a total of five points. Both of those opponents — Coastal Carolina and defending MEAC champ Hampton — are on the 2006 slate, with Hampton making a gut-check trip to Orangeburg on Oct. 21.

Want disrespect? That one’s easy, too. Despite returning a boatload of starters from a team that finished second in scoring offense and defense in the MEAC, only three Bulldogs made the league’s preseason all-conference first team and no defensive player was listed among the first or second teams.

“Yeah, we heard about that,” said sophomore linebacker Tony White, one of the Bulldogs’ leading tacklers in 2005. “We’re pretty upset about that, so we’ll just have to make a statement. We’re going to prepare better than we did last year and we’re going to finish games better.”

White’s last words were directed toward the Bulldogs’ collapse at the end of last year’s 24-23 loss against Coastal Carolina. That defeat, more than the 14-10 setback at Hampton, most likely kept the Bulldogs out of the playoffs.

“We let up against Coastal. We’re not going to do that again,” White said. “This year, we have unity. We all walk around together, we live together. We all know we just have to go out and do what we are taught.”

Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough, fresh off a trip to Canton, Ohio to watch alum Harry Carson’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said the team’s unity is nice ... almost as nice as the depth returning on offense and the many key additions made during the offseason.

Quarterback Cleveland McCoy and running back DeShawn Baker, both all-conference first-team selections, head a group of nine or 11 returning starters on offense, depending on which formation the Bulldogs employ. Behind Baker are newcomers Will Ford (Travelers Rest) and Travil Jamison (Greenville), who two years earlier battled for top rushing honors among the state’s high school running backs.

Meanwhile, former Clemson transfer Xavier Littleberry will team with senior DeLorean Shaw to shore up the Bulldogs’ offensive line in front of a stout group of returning linebackers that include White.

It all adds up to a potential big season in Orangeburg. That is, for what little time the team will spend there. Due to contractual obligations, the Bulldogs have just four home games this season and might have to move the first one to Charleston as work continues on the installation of FieldTurf at the stadium.

Still, 5,000 season tickets have been sold.

“And our fans,” said Pough, “I get the feeling they like being on the road more than being at home. We always have good support on the road.”

The Bulldogs open at Wofford and will make a trip to Myrtle Beach later in the month for the rematch with Coastal Carolina. Get through those games unbeaten, then the road to the MEAC title begins and ends in Orangeburg with visits from Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 16) and Hampton.

“We always want to go undefeated,” White said. “But this year, we want to shock the world ... or at least the MEAC.”

Reach Obley at (803) 771-8473

[GannonFan]

Barring a great year from all the MEAC teams (big wins against other playoff conferences OOC) SC St needs to either win the conference or finish 10-1 with only Hampton being a loss to get into the playoffs. SC St is certainly in the hunt for a playoff spot (figure they were very even with Coastal last year, despite the loss to Coastal, and Coastal was just seconds way from making the playoffs) but the opportunities to impress are few - win both those OOC games on the road would help a whole lot.

[Catmendue2]

Barring a great year from all the MEAC teams (big wins against other playoff conferences OOC) SC St needs to either win the conference or finish 10-1 with only Hampton being a loss to get into the playoffs. SC St is certainly in the hunt for a playoff spot (figure they were very even with Coastal last year, despite the loss to Coastal, and Coastal was just seconds way from making the playoffs) but the opportunities to impress are few - win both those OOC games on the road would help a whole lot.


The runnerup in da MEac won't be making no playoffs and everybody here knows that. They rather have 7-4 and 8-3 from any PWC conference.

[89Hen]

The runnerup in da MEac won't be making no playoffs and everybody here knows that. They rather have 7-4 and 8-3 from any PWC conference.
:nonono2: :nonono2: Oh Christ here we go again. The MEAC runner-up got in as recently as 2003 and NO 7-4 team has received an at-large bid from the NCAA. Got ANY kind of proof that would support your claim? :nonono2: :nonono2: :nonono2:

[GannonFan]

The runnerup in da MEac won't be making no playoffs and everybody here knows that. They rather have 7-4 and 8-3 from any PWC conference.

Agreed - that's nonsense - they've done it before, and very recently at that, so it's a very real possibility. No 7-4 PWC team makes the playoffs unless they happen to have won a conference with an automatic qualifier. Geesh.

[OL FU]

I think this year the MEAC is set up pretty well to get to teams in the playoffs.

Hampton gets beat by SC State. and goes 10-1. SC State wins the MEAC. I don't see Hampton being passed over at 10-1 no matter what most think of the schedule.

[89Hen]

I don't see Hampton being passed over at 10-1 no matter what most think of the schedule.
They would have a win over Grambling, but two DII wins. WSSU is still considered DII this year aren't they? That would make them 8-1 in the eyes of the selection committee. :twocents:

[Catmendue2]

They would have a win over Grambling, but two DII wins. WSSU is still considered DII this year aren't they? That would make them 8-1 in the eyes of the selection committee. :twocents:

See my point already looking for an angle.

[OL FU]

They would have a win over Grambling, but two DII wins. WSSU is still considered DII this year aren't they? That would make them 8-1 in the eyes of the selection committee. :twocents:

That was Appalachian's record last year:)

In fact there has been talk in Furman land about scheduling two I-A's a year just so we can lose large twice and get seeded in the playoffs:D

[89Hen]

See my point already looking for an angle.
Funny, I was thinking the same about you. The only difference between you and I though is I back up my comments with facts and stats, you make wild racist accusations and don't back them up with a thing.

BTW, I was one of Hampton's biggest supporters here last year when they were getting bashed as overranked, so you've got nothing on me. :nono:

[TexasTerror]

The runnerup in da MEac won't be making no playoffs and everybody here knows that. They rather have 7-4 and 8-3 from any PWC conference.

What 7-4 teams do you talk about?

There were some pretty solid squads that have been left out of the playoffs every year. SC State had a great argument to get in, but those losses to Hampton (which went on and got blown out) and Coastal Carolina (which couldn't finish their season off as well - knocking them out of the playoff race) did not help.

SC State at 10-1 would be hard to pass up, especially with the MEAC building stronger OOC games. Hampton getting a win over Grambling would start things off in the right direction. We'll see what the Bulldogs do this year, but ultimately it comes down to beating Hampton and winning the conference title...

[89Hen]

That was Appalachian's record last year
ASU was actually 8-3, worse. But since they're a PWC, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Nevermind that they actually beat another team that went to the playoffs and two others that would have been in the playoffs without a loss to ASU.

[OL FU]

ASU was actually 8-3, worse. But since they're a PWC, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Nevermind that they actually beat another team that went to the playoffs and two others that would have been in the playoffs without a loss to ASU.

The committee had to look at them as 8-1, zeroed out the losses to the I-A's.

[Catmendue2]

What 7-4 teams do you talk about?

There were some pretty solid squads that have been left out of the playoffs every year. SC State had a great argument to get in, but those losses to Hampton (which went on and got blown out) and Coastal Carolina (which couldn't finish their season off as well - knocking them out of the playoff race) did not help.

SC State at 10-1 would be hard to pass up, especially with the MEAC building stronger OOC games. Hampton getting a win over Grambling would start things off in the right direction. We'll see what the Bulldogs do this year, but ultimately it comes down to beating Hampton and winning the conference title...

Problem here is Grambling gonna beat Hampton handily, where do you go from there.

[OL FU]

Problem here is Grambling gonna beat Hampton handily, where do you go from there.


hhmmmm:eyebrow:

you gotta confidence:nod:

even if it is misplaced:smiley_wi

[jstate83]

hhmmmm:eyebrow:

you gotta confidence:nod:

even if it is misplaced:smiley_wi

Gram will beat Hampton...............And I don't even like the ICON.xlolx

He!!..................If we woulda had more than 4 decent players last year, we woulda beat Hampton.

It ain't like they lit up the scoreboard on us..........20-7............which in the past 3 years was not hard to do.

[89Hen]

The committee had to look at them as 8-1, zeroed out the losses to the I-A's.
Not AFAIK. DI games count as games. DII games are the only ones tossed.

[TexasTerror]

Problem here is Grambling gonna beat Hampton handily, where do you go from there.

I do not think that's a guarantee at all. Grambling vs Hampton is the first week of the season. No clue what's going to happen at all, though lots is at stake for both schools...

[Catmendue2]

hhmmmm:eyebrow:

you gotta confidence:nod:

even if it is misplaced:smiley_wi



Yes I do, Anybody that sleeps on Grambling gonna get bigtyme blasted. Hampton might have lost more from last year than Grambling did and they were already suspect on offense. Grambling defense was just as good as Hampton, they returned most of the starters and pick up several good transfers.

[MarkCCU]

You won't be shown any respesct in Conway. We barely won last year, this year we're gonna go the distance....lol

[Mr. C]

:nonono2: :nonono2: Oh Christ here we go again. The MEAC runner-up got in as recently as 2003 and NO 7-4 team has received an at-large bid from the NCAA. Got ANY kind of proof that would support your claim? :nonono2: :nonono2: :nonono2:
Correction: 7-4 teams have made the playoffs with at-large bids. Appalachian State was the last to do it in 1992. The Mountaineers lost two I-A games that year (Wake Forest and N.C. State) and needed a last-second Hail Mary pass to cap off a ferocious comeback against James Madison, but they still got in.

What OL FU was refering to is that the committee members basically told some of us that they more or less threw out ASU's two I-A losses (the loss to LSU was considered a plus in ranking them, rather than a loss) and were focusing on the fact that the Mountaineers were 8-1 against I-AA teams. That's what got them the No. 2 seed.

I'll be surprised if Grambling beats Hampton. I just think Hampton is better. And if a team takes care of business in their own league, then they don't have to worry about at-large bids. South Carolina State was considered at 9-2 last season (the committee chairman told me so), but the losses to Hampton and Coastal Carolina in the only two real tests on the Bulldogs' schedule really hurt. When CCU lost in the OT at Charleston Southern, there was no way the committee could justify taking South Carolina State and leaving CCU home. If CCU had gotten in at 10-1 (which the committee said the Chanticleers would have), then the Bulldogs would have had a stronger argument.

[blukeys]

Correction: 7-4 teams have made the playoffs with at-large bids. Appalachian State was the last to do it in 1992. The Mountaineers lost two I-A games that year (Wake Forest and N.C. State) and needed a last-second Hail Mary pass to cap off a ferocious comeback against James Madison, but they still got in.

What OL FU was refering to is that the committee members basically told some of us that they more or less threw out ASU's two I-A losses (the loss to LSU was considered a plus in ranking them, rather than a loss) and were focusing on the fact that the Mountaineers were 8-1 against I-AA teams. That's what got them the No. 2 seed.

I'll be surprised if Grambling beats Hampton. I just think Hampton is better. And if a team takes care of business in their own league, then they don't have to worry about at-large bids. South Carolina State was considered at 9-2 last season (the committee chairman told me so), but the losses to Hampton and Coastal Carolina in the only two real tests on the Bulldogs' schedule really hurt. When CCU lost in the OT at Charleston Southern, there was no way the committee could justify taking South Carolina State and leaving CCU home. If CCU had gotten in at 10-1 (which the committee said the Chanticleers would have), then the Bulldogs would have had a stronger argument.


It would take a lot for me to recommend 2 MEAC teams to get bids to the playoffs. For one I would like to see them win one playoff game in the 21st century. My other problem is that I have seen MEAC teams lose ground in the talent war steadily in the last 15 years. During this time the A-10 and the other conferences such as the Southern have made significant strides in recruiting. The MEAC has at best stayed in the same place. That is not to say the MEAC does not get great individual talent especially at the skill positions. However overall especially on the front 7 units of the offense and defense the MEAC teams are weaker (Check out the Richmond - Hampton 2005 playoff game to see proof of this)

I thought the 2003 decision to include 2 MEAC teams was a total joke. There were much better teams available than Bethune Cookman for a playoff slot.

[Bulldog87]

Most of the SWAC posters last year felt that Jackson and ASU were going to run SCSU out of Alabama in The SWAC/MEAC challenge. SCSU rolled them in essentially what was a home game for ASU. The Pirates will beat The G-MEN by 10. As for SCSU making the playoffs we have to beat Hampton(SCSU 10-HU 0) at halftime. We lost 14-10. CCU(SCSU 23-CCU 10)with 6 minutes left. CCU scores a TD on 4th down with 17 seconds left. We lose 24-23. We have to finish better in big games this year. Obviously a loss at Wofford,CCU or to Hampton will kill us this year. 10-1 beating those 3 teams and not WSSU being one of the losses and we're in. 2 losses and we're outside again.

[bosshogg]

bottom line, SCSU ain't for handouts....yeah, we lost those games close, but we should have won them...thats why we didn't get in....I love SCSU, but I want SCSU to take care of business..then we won't have to bite our fingernails hoping we get in....win the d@mn autobid, and EARN your way in.....

we have the talent ot go 11-0 this year.....9-2 will be a let down for me......SCSU is moving up to another level.....good isn't good any more....great is what we want now...

[bosshogg]

Newberry out, SCSU in for Willis
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published Friday, August 11, 2006
Add Comment

On second thought, former Bluffton High School football standout Henry Willis is headed to South Carolina State University.

Willis had planned to play at Newberry College, where former Bobcats teammate Brandon Frazier will suit up. But Willis said he thought he would have a tough time covering the cost of attending the private school, so he started checking out other options.

Lonnie Roberts, Bluffton's girls basketball coach and an assistant on the football staff last year, helped arrange a meeting, Willis said, and the Bulldogs coaching staff offered Willis a spot on the roster. Willis said he will not receive a scholarship this season, but federal financial aid will cover most of the in-state tuition bill.

"You know, it's a Division I-AA school, whereas Newberry is Division II," Willis said. "I'm all for the better competition."

As a senior, Willis led the Bobcats in tackles at middle linebacker and was the team's No. 3 rusher as a fullback.

[MACHIAVELLI]

I do not think that's a guarantee at all. Grambling vs Hampton is the first week of the season. No clue what's going to happen at all, though lots is at stake for both schools...

What is at stake for THE ICON? Good luck SCSU.

[Bulldog87]

Well said my fellow BULLDOG. I wish we had a few more home games.

[OL FU]

Most of the SWAC posters last year felt that Jackson and ASU were going to run SCSU out of Alabama in The SWAC/MEAC challenge. SCSU rolled them in essentially what was a home game for ASU. The Pirates will beat The G-MEN by 10. As for SCSU making the playoffs we have to beat Hampton(SCSU 10-HU 0) at halftime. We lost 14-10. CCU(SCSU 23-CCU 10)with 6 minutes left. CCU scores a TD on 4th down with 17 seconds left. We lose 24-23. We have to finish better in big games this year. Obviously a loss at Wofford,CCU or to Hampton will kill us this year. 10-1 beating those 3 teams and not WSSU being one of the losses and we're in. 2 losses and we're outside again.

Two losses and win the MEAC and you are in.

[89Hen]

Correction: 7-4 teams have made the playoffs with at-large bids. Appalachian State was the last to do it in 1992.
I stand corrected. But the I-AA landscape was very different 14 years ago. The fact that it hasn't happened since is pretty good indication that it probably won't happen again.

[bosshogg]

SCSU to hold first full contact scrimmage today at 1 p.m.
SCSU to hold first full contact scrimmage today at 1 p.m.


By THOMAS GRANT JR.,T&D Senior Sports Writer
Sunday, August 13, 2006

Incessant rainfall put a damper on the South Carolina State football team's plans on "looking good" Saturday.

With Picture Day postponed and the first full contact scrimmage pushed back to 1 p.m. today at the Oliver C. Dawson Stadium practice field, some of the players spent a portion of their morning at Staley Hall answering questions about the upcoming season with local and visiting media from Columbia and Charleston.

To a man, the players spoke about how highly motivated and unified the Bulldogs to finally win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship outright and earn the automatic Division I-AA playoff bid. More important, the players believe a good showing during the early stretch of the schedule in which three of the first four games are on the road can set the tone for the rest of the season for SCSU.

"We were 9-2 for two seasons and we're trying to break that jinx," sophomore BANDIT Marshall McFadden said. "Second place you're not a winner. Third place, nobody remembers. It's like this. We've been in second place for two years and we still haven't gone anywhere. So in order for us to get somewhere, go to the next level, we've got to get first."

"We've been 9-2 and come in second place twice in a row," linebacker Tony White said. "So we've got to go out and prove that we can be in first place and we can go to the playoffs and go far. And that's our goal this year -- win the MEAC and win the (Division I-AA) championship. That's our mindset so that's what we're going to do."

Senior offensive lineman Clyde Reed even went as far as to declare this the best Bulldog team he's played on because of its tight knit camaraderie.

"All of us played together," he said. "All of the offensive lineman are returning together. We're very experienced, we have mad chemistry. We know what to do right when you talk to the other person. We know what the other person is thinking."

While meeting with the media, SCSU head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough touched on a bevy of topics ranging from the Division I-AA playoffs to the massive number of personnel and gameplan changes made during the off-season.

"We are trying to make our guys understand that what we've done is good, but not quite good enough," he said. "Our kids did everything they could to be here during the off-season so that we would have a smoother preseason camp. I think our kids feel a lot better about themselves because they're in better condition. They feel like they're stronger. They've got a little better understanding of some of the things that we do.

"We've changed some of the styles of our attack. We've changed coordinators on both sides of the ball. We tried to make some of the language friendlier, make some of the series and systems we have in place make more sense. I think all that kind of stuff together kind of gives them a little different sense of confidence and also it gives them a sense of the fact that we're not satisfied that we keep tweaking the system in order to get improvement."

Look for the Bulldogs to be more multidimensional on offense, one which will utilize a conventional backfield with two running backs and rely more on the tight end rather than fooling opponents with the four-wide spread.

As for the Division I-AA playoffs, Pough said the Bulldogs are taking the approach that the only way in is to win the conference championship outright. Despite seeing schools like Delaware State, Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T investing more resources into their respective football programs and even with wins over Wofford and Coastal Carolina, he does not believe the playoff committee will give a MEAC school an at-large bid.

"I'm telling our guys that we can't depend on at all the at-large bid to the Division I-AA playoffs," he said. "We've got to win our league. With what happened to Hampton last year in the (first round of the) playoffs (losing at home to Richmond 38-10 after the Spiders scored 28 unanswered second-half points), it's now more imperative that we win our league because not only do we feel like we won't be as respected as much, but we also feel like we want to go out and show that if we get the opportunity to get in that we can play better than what I saw Hampton play last year."

Pough did express concern about the team's depth on the offensive line, with Nygel Pearson out of action after re-injuring his foot during voluntary workouts. He did not appear overly concerned about the possibility of moving the Sept. 16 home opener against Bethune-Cookman to another location if installation of the new artificial grass at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium remains incomplete.

"I don't care that much," he said. "If it gets done, we'll play there. If for some reasons it does not get done, then I'm sure that my people will have some kind of plan in place to handle that effect. I don't think that's a problem, but we'll see."

Pough also downplayed any concern about the effect of not practicing in a football stadium environment prior to the Sept. 9 season-opener against Wofford.

"I've told a lot of guys when they start talking about coaching at this level as opposed to coaching say at a Carolina or in high school, once you turn your back on the fans, you don't know what the heck's going on back there anyway."

SCSU players were in agreement with their head coach.

"We've got a good practice field that's like a (Division) I practice field, so it's not that big of a deal for us," White said. "We're getting the job done every day, so it's cool."

"Football players or great football players, they can play anywhere," McFadden said. "I don't care if it's in the desert. You'll go out in the desert and they'll play football. They're going to play their hearts out. It's really not a factor."

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

[Catmendue2]

Most of the SWAC posters last year felt that Jackson and ASU were going to run SCSU out of Alabama in The SWAC/MEAC challenge. SCSU rolled them in essentially what was a home game for ASU. The Pirates will beat The G-MEN by 10. As for SCSU making the playoffs we have to beat Hampton(SCSU 10-HU 0) at halftime. We lost 14-10. CCU(SCSU 23-CCU 10)with 6 minutes left. CCU scores a TD on 4th down with 17 seconds left. We lose 24-23. We have to finish better in big games this year. Obviously a loss at Wofford,CCU or to Hampton will kill us this year. 10-1 beating those 3 teams and not WSSU being one of the losses and we're in. 2 losses and we're outside again.


Nobody in the SWAC thought that JSU was gonna beat anybody, actually everybody in the SWAC was shocked that JSU still had a chance to win that game after halftime. Now I was shocked that ASU didn't play better but I had prior knowledge that they were young and was very small in both interior lines and I knew that SCSU was a good team that I predicted should have won the MEAC last year and was mad as hell they weren't in the playoffs the prior year. I even voiced my anger right here on AGS.

[bosshogg]

Nothing but 11-0 will feed the Bulldogs this season
S.C. State aims to go unbeaten after being held back by Hampton the past two years
By JIM MCLAURIN
[email protected]
ORANGEBURG — The South Carolina State Bulldogs could use Harry Carson tomorrow, but coach Buddy Pough may just hold him out until the Hampton game.

“You know, it’s hard to get a feel for the fact that most of these guys were born after Harry retired,” Pough said Saturday during the Bulldogs’ rained-out photo day. “They don’t have a clue, except for the fact that I talk about him a good bit.

“But they heard enough about him the last two weeks, and the fact that he’s gotten inducted kind of brings him back to life. It gives me a little more substance I can push at them.”

No doubt that Pough’s old teammate Carson, who last week was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is a motivational tool, coming from a small school like S.C. State to the pinnacle of the football world.

But on the point of motivation, Pough doesn’t have to worry. Going 9-2 for two consecutive seasons and sitting at home during the playoffs is powerful incentive for going 10-1, or 11-0.

“It hurt,” said All-MEAC junior quarterback Cleveland McCoy, after the Bulldogs rallied to beat North Carolina A&T in the 2005 season finale. “The next morning we just knew. We were getting ready to practice on Monday, but we found out we didn’t make it.

“I’m sorry for the seniors who left, but that just motivates us now.”

There is a quiet air of enthusiasm — or better, resolve — in the Bulldogs preseason camp that is almost palpable. And it’s backed by some hard facts.

With a season under his belt, McCoy has stepped into his role as a team leader. Plus, his roommate is healthy.

DeShawn Baker gained 1,037 yards last year despite playing on a left knee that was, in his words, 85 percent at best. This year, he said, it is completely rehabilitated.

“I’ve got my explosiveness back,” Baker said. “I’m ready to play.”

Add the fact that the offensive line returns intact, and it gives Pough’s offense a chance to be more versatile.

“I think we’ll become more multiple,” Pough said. “In the past, we had not been very physical on either side of the ball. As we get stronger, we can get into some of the different styles of tight end games, two-back games, along with our spread game.

“We were mostly a four-wide spread to see if we could fool teams in the past, and hopefully we’ll get to the point where we can become a little more conventional.”

Despite losing seven starters, 17 lettermen return to the MEAC’s second-ranked defense, and according to senior lineman Eric Turner, second place won’t feed the bulldog.

“We posted pretty good defensive statistics, but we understand that it was not good enough,” Turner said. “We understand that 9-2 is no longer respectable, and we’re willing to accept the challenge to be a better unit.

“We have a lot of speed, strength, and we’re fierce.”

Which brings us back to Hampton. The only two conference losses the Bulldogs have suffered in the last two seasons were to the Pirates. The league itself, according to Pough, is not strong enough to warrant a second place team getting into the Division I-AA playoffs on an at-large bid.

“I will not depend on us winning all our games and losing to Hampton and getting into the playoffs,” he said. “I don’t think 10-1 will get us in.

“That’s the way I’ve got to approach it. With that being the case, it’s an all or nothing year for us.”

Then it might be time to pull old No. 75 down off the wall?

“We’ve got some guys on this team who would really enjoy meeting Harry,” Pough said. “I think we’ll get him down here.

“I don’t know exactly when, but that would be great.”

Reach McLaurin at 803-240-3514.

[arranger101]

The DAWGS are on a mission this year!

[bosshogg]

Tough dog

Ex-Clemson player sees challenging
SCSU receivers as way to next level

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The final whistle has just sounded to end the 2-1/2-hour practice session and, following a final team huddle, many of the South Carolina State players happily hurry to the locker room.

Just before leaving the Oliver C. Dawson Stadium practice field, however, the wide receivers are frozen in place by a loud, forceful voice from new position coach Tony Elliott. The first-year assistant and former Clemson University wide receiver has one more exercise in mind involving his weary players catching several footballs fired at them at a high speed from a passing machine.

Before turning on the machine, Elliott hears an unwanted, flippant remark laced with an expletive from one of his players about the pass-catching drill. He angrily points to the locker room area and tells the guilty party to keep walking.

Soon after, the rest of the receiving corps lines up and proceeds to spend 10 minutes catching several passes from different stances and angles zipped their way in rapid succession by the intense young assistant. To an outsider, the challenging exercise serves as a way to test the wide receivers' resolve and willingness to make tough catches.

In light of his rough upbringing, Elliott knows no other way to success.

"I push them as hard as I can," he said. "I go by the motto that 'I'm going to push you to the edge and teach you that you can fly' and that's why everything is up-tempo. Every day, we're coming out here getting better, going 110 percent and hard work. That's all it is. It's hard work which is going to get us to the next level.''

Overcoming adversity

Such a strong approach is exactly what SCSU head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough had in mind when hiring a receivers' coach. Recruited by defensive coordinator Tom Evangelista, who was a Clemson graduate assistant during Elliott's final two seasons, the 26-year-old brings a competitive fire and mental toughness to a group that lost a player epitomizing those traits in Rondriekas Darby.

"Our receivers in general have been decent, but have not been great," Pough said. "Hopefully, what will happen is those guys will take on some of his toughness and at that point, maybe we'll have a group we can depend on to make some big plays for us."

SCSU wide receiver Dustin Dubose had been an early beneficiary of Elliott's ''tough love.''

''He teaches us to go hard every day," Dubose said. "I think it's good to have a coach that actually has experience playing your position so he can tell us what we did wrong, what to do right, things like that."

"I came from a very shaky background," Elliott said. "I didn't have a mother, didn't have a father. So I empathize with your situation, but I have no sympathy for you. If I can make it out, you can make it out, so I don't feel sorry for you and I'm going to push you and show you that you can fly."

Hard work is all Elliott has known as it has taken him to heights unfathomable for someone who's overcome various hardships. A native of Charleston, Elliott was 4 years old when he suffered a ruptured spleen and four broken ribs when he was hit by a truck.

With him having to relearn how to work, Elliott suffered mightily five years later when his mother was killed by a drunk driver. With both parents gone, relatives in Charleston and Georgia helped care for Elliott and provide a semblance of a stable environment as he entered James Island High School.

Despite the adversities, a determined Elliott went out and made a name for himself in athletics. He lettered in three sports, winning a Class 3-A title in baseball in 1995 and playing in the North-South All-Star football game after catching 56 passes for 773 and six touchdowns.

Elliott was also strong in the classroom and the combination of solid academics and athletics earned him an appointment to the Air Force Academy in 1998. Yet despite the opportunity to become a military officer, Elliott never enrolled and opted to take another, more difficult path to college by walking on with the Tigers.

Success in Death Valley

Not only would Elliott make the team but he would go on to play in four bowl games at Clemson. In 2000 and 2001, he played alongside former Orangeburg-Wilkinson standout and Tigers' quarterback Woodrow Dantzler as Dantzler became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to pass for 2,000 and rush for 1,000 yards.

Elliott's lone catch that season came in the Humanitarian Bowl. Off the field, he was the recipient of the highest GPA awards on the team and earned his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering with a 3.55 career GPA.

As a junior, Elliott caught his first collegiate touchdown on a 44-yard pass from Willie Simmons against Georgia Tech. His final season with the Tigers was a memorable one as Elliott more than doubled his receiving totals from the previous three seasons, catching 23 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown as Clemson finished 9-4, won the Peach Bowl and placed in the final Top 25 rankings.

'Very impressed'

Elliott now becomes the latest SCSU assistant coach with Clemson ties to join Pough's staff, following in the path of Evangelista, former defensive tackles coach Dejuan Polk and former quarterbacks coach Billy Napier.

"It's really probably an incidental kind of deal," he said. "I've some close friends on my staff and I depend a lot on people like Brad Scott and some of those kind of people for advice on certain kinds of things and these guys run across people that they feel really good about. When you sit down and talk to them, you get the same kind of sensation and you make a move based on people that you had a chance to know."

In Elliott's case, Pough found an assistant coach who shared a similar if not higher hunger for success and concern about young people.

"In order to be a great player, he's going to teach us to be a great person on the field and off the field," Dubose said. "By doing that, it's going to help us."

"You're talking about a guy who had an appointment to the Air Force Academy," Pough said. "You're talking about a guy who wanted to play at a higher level of football. He left there to go to Clemson and walked on and became a really good player for them and a leader of their team for the most crucial times that they had.

"He came highly recommended and now that's he's been here a couple of months, I can see why the recommendation came so highly. I've been very, very impressed."

So far, Elliott has found a home on the SCSU staff and is hoping to play a part in helping the Bulldogs reach a level of success even greater than what he enjoyed at Clemson.

And the only way he knows how to accomplish that is through hard work and determination.

It's full-speed intensity all the time and that's what I'm trying to teach my guys and that's what we're trying to accomplish here because we have things in place to be a very, very special team, a very good team in our conference."

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

[bosshogg]

Q&A with SCSU BANDIT Marshall McFadden


By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
Thursday, August 17, 2006

With three state championships in football and track and a defensive MVP award from the North/South All-Star Game, Marshall McFadden brought an impressive resume to South Carolina State University.

Yet even Bulldogs' head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough could not fathom the Lamar High School standout would make such a "natural" transition to the college ranks. From the BANDIT position, the 6-2, 195-pound true freshman wrecked havoc on opposing defenses and even blocked a potential game-tying field goal to preserve a win over Bethune-Cookman last season.

In starting nine games, McFadden finished third on the team in tackles (62). Returning for his sophomore season with a different number (5), the same work ethic and commitment to excellence is very much evident in this Question and Answer session:

About being one of several players who've changed numbers and insisted wearing the number five jersey after the graduation of Kevin Corley had nothing to do with confusing the opponents.

"Last year, I was wearing number 42," he said. "I was weighing a buck 87 (187 pounds) and the guy that was in it before (former SCSU linebacker Cody Lucas), he was real big and so my jersey was real loosey goosey. I asked the coaches to stich it up and they never had the chance. So after the season, I asked the coaches if I could get number five and they were like 'sure'.

"It's not a mind game or anything like that. I just wanted a better-fitting jersey."

Avoiding the sophomore jinx:

"I'm just going to go out there and play. I've got some new guys behind me. I've got a guy from Georgia Military (Dana Grayden), a good quality player. I've got a true freshman from Rock Hill (linebacker David Erby), a good quality player. He was the best in the state. I have some competition...I'm out there working hard. I feel like I'm working hard, lifting some weights. This will probably be the best season I'll ever have."

Returning to the Pee Dee area when South Carolina State faces Coastal Carolina on Sept. 23:

"There's going to be a lot of motivation because that's where my family at in the Pee Dee. We've got a couple of guys from the Pee Dee in Laquinn Ellerbe (Lamar), Dustin Dubose (Darlington), Nygel Pearson (Darlington). You've got Markee Hamlin (Lamar). You've got all sorts of people, so it's going to be a lot of our family done there.

About the possibility of watching his alma mater Lamar High School play for a state championship at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium this November:

"It really couldn't get any better. I really don't have a chance to come home, so Lamar, if they can make it to the championship, that would be great for me because I can see my family and see them play on top of that. I can get sideline passes to the game. I can just have a great time.

The trash-talking between he and SCSU defensive lineman Travis Wilson, a graduate of Bamberg-Ehrhardt, following the Red Raiders' 10-7 win over the then three-time defending Class A champion Silver Foxes in the Lower State semifinals:

"Aww, man! This guy! I was bragging about Lamar was going to beat up on his boys. We were on a road trip and I was on the phone and towards the end of the game, I got the bad news. On top of that, he (Wilson) was in the room with me and he just talked trash and it kind of hurt me a little bit. It's all good because I think we're stronger and better this year."

(If Lamar would meet B-E in the Class A playoffs this year), "that would be great so I could get Travis Wilson back before he leaves here."

NOTE: Bamberg-Ehrhardt and Lamar are in opposite brackets for the newly-aligned Class A Division I playoffs. The only way the two teams could meet would be in the finals, which will be held at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium this November.

[bosshogg]

Veteran
Member # 1101

posted August 20, 2006 03:31 AM
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S.C. State's Baker ready to run again
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Posted: August 18, 2006

Associated Press

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- South Carolina State tailback DeShawn Baker remembers the moment like it was yesterday instead of almost 18 months ago.

He wasn't supposed to be out there for one of South Carolina State's spring scrimmage plays in 2005, but got the call to block a rushing defensive back. "The corner came on a blitz. He hit my knee," Baker said quietly.

Just like that the 1,000-yard rusher went down, his left knee in pain. He was unable to get up. The results were crushing. He had a torn meniscus and sprained ligaments. Surgery was required and Baker immediately thought his junior season was over.

"I wanted to redshirt last year," said Baker, a senior from Charlotte, N.C. Instead, Baker had a long talk with Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough. "He told me don't give up on it too early," Baker recalled. "I didn't. I just fought through it."

Despite pain that frequently made it hard to stand on the sidelines, Baker played in eight games last fall, leading the team with 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Not that it was ever easy.

Baker had the operation to repair the meniscus, cartilage that sits between the femur in your thigh and the tibia in your leg, about a week after the injury and began his recovery. But when doctors found the knee was not healing as expected, they performed a second surgery about two weeks before South Carolina State started practice.

Instead of working on his technique or ball carrying with his teammates, Baker was running a mile backward with a 20-pound vest to increase his strength. He did left leg raises by himself to speed the recovery. And there was Baker -- in for last fall's opener, a 27-14 win over Alabama State.

When the Bulldogs ran a play for Baker, "Braves 82" he remembers, "I was scared, nervous. That first hit, they didn't get the knee."

Mentally, Baker said the action relieved him. He says he couldn't shake the thought, "Can they hit your knee? Can they hit your knee?"

Baker finished with a team-high 71 yards and had a 1-yard touchdown run.

"At the beginning of the season, all my pressure was on my right knee," he said. "I couldn't even tell my left leg was there, really, it was hurting so bad."

Baker had daily ice and steam treatments. He needed a heating pad just to loosen the joint enough to get out of bed and walk to breakfast.

He plowed through the season, missing the Bethune-Cookman game because of the injury. As the year wore on, Baker's knee began to improve. He said the second half of the season wasn't nearly the struggle as it was at the beginning.

Baker felt his best in the Bulldogs' finale, rushing for a career-high 211 yards in a 43-27 victory over North Carolina A&T. Baker and his teammates had hopes their 9-2 mark would be good enough for an NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth.

But when the Bulldogs were left out, Baker finally rested his knee.

To someone who's watched players work through injuries for decades, Pough thought Baker's effort to stay on the field stood out.

"He was really in pain," Pough said.

When Baker didn't play against Bethune-Cookman, Pough planned to keep him out for the year. But after a week off, Pough said Baker couldn't handle missing the action. "So he said, 'Well, I'm going to fight through this and work my butt off to rehab this thing,"' Pough said. "Every week, he got a little bit better and by the end of the year he was really good again. It's really been fun to watch."

This spring, Baker felt like he did two years ago. He gave up the knee brace that had been his constant companion since the injury. Another 1,000-yard season would tie Baker with Michael Hicks, South Carolina State's all-time career rushing leader.

The way Baker feels right now, surpassing Hicks career mark of 4,093 yards -- Baker is 1,677 yards away -- isn't a stretch.

"I got my explosiveness back and my strength," Baker said. "I'm feeling good about this season, I'm ready to play."

[blukeys]

By JIM MCLAURIN
[email protected]
ORANGEBURG — “I
I think we’ll become more multiple,” Pough said. “In the past, we had not been very physical on either side of the ball. As we get stronger, we can get into some of the different styles of tight end games, two-back games, along with our spread game.

“We were mostly a four-wide spread to see if we could fool teams in the past, and hopefully we’ll get to the point where we can become a little more conventional.”“



I remember the days when SC STATE was a Wing-T team and they would run it down your throat and CHALLENGE anyone in the MEAC to stop them.:nod: :nod: :nod: Like everything else it looks as if things have changed. I'm Sad to see that part of SC State Tradition go.

[bosshogg]

Fans have message; team vows to deliver


By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
Sunday, August 20, 2006

A unified atmosphere was very evident Saturday during South Carolina State’s “Meet The Players Day.”

As the Bulldog football players and coaches dined and commiserated with fans outside Staley Hall following their second scrimmage, there was a sense of a mutual pride in the latter’s support and the former’s accomplishments during the past four seasons under SCSU head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough.

Amid the spirit of friendship and unity, however, Bulldog fans also had a message to convey to their team:

“The time is now!”

While proud of the Bulldogs’ 18-4 record the past two seasons, which includes back-to-back Top 25 Division I-AA poll finishes and co-sharing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in 2004, Bulldog Nation believes it’s time for the team to take the next step toward greatness. That natural progression involves upending Hampton for the conference championship and earning an automatic bid to compete for a national championship in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Fans should be happy to know the Bulldog players and coaches “feel their pain.” In fact, the one sentence that sums up the team’s response for the fans’ demands is, “We’ll Do Our Best To Make It Happen!”

“I know that they’re not happy with 9-2,” quarterback Cleveland McCoy said. “I understand that and it’s my job and it’s the whole team’s job to get it done for them.”

“The fans, they’re tired of 9-2 like we are,” defensive end Delorean Shaw said. “Two years in a row and, as we all can see, it’s not good enough to get into the playoffs. So right now, the team motto is 15-0 and national champions. Just go ahead and leave everything (on the field) ... with no questions asked about it. Once you see this record at the end of us, you’ll be like, ’We should have been given those guys a chance.”’

The frustration of being denied at-large post-season bids for the Division I-AA playoffs has served as motivation for SCSU. Throughout two-a-days and team scrimmages, the level of intensity has increased on a daily basis as the players work to avoid history repeating itself for a third straight year.

At the same time, Pough cautions fans about thinking it will be an easy progression for the Bulldogs to improve from 9-2 to 10-1 or even going undefeated.

“Everybody just naturally thinks that we can win them all because we’ve won close to them all the last two years,” Pough said. “The problem with that is that you talk about the teams we’ve got to beat to win them all. Wofford will be good up there. Coastal returns all of their people – they won nine themselves last year. Hampton returns 19 or 22 starters. You’ve got a lot of people back in this schedule. So we think that we’re good enough to compete with everybody, but we need a break or two to make it all fall together.

“Anytime you change as much as we have, you’re going to hit bumps on the road. You expect to go out and do the kinds of things that you know you’ve been doing well in the past and sometimes, even those come back to bite you. I don’t think you can worry about wins and losses, I think you’ve got to worry about ... getting yourself sharpened up and let the wins and losses worry take care of themselves.”

It may be too much to ask for a perfect season for the Bulldogs. Both in-state contests with Wofford and Coastal Carolina are away from Orangeburg, they’ve yet to defeat both Hampton and Bethune-Cookman in the same year under Pough, and Delaware State and Florida A&M lurk as dangerous road games.

For all the challenges, SCSU players are not shy about displaying their confidence about the upcoming season.

“We’re going to get it done this year,” Shaw said. “This is the Year of the Bulldogs.”

Having signed a five-year extension that will pay him $1 million over the next five years, Pough is taking the Alfred E. Neuman (What, me worry?) toward dealing with fan pressure and meeting the high expectations he’s set for his program.

“Kids feel no pressure,” he said. “It’s a neat thing for me that I don’t feel a whole lot of pressure either. What I do is go out to do the very best I can and at that point, you just let the chips fall. I’d like to see us play better every game, but it doesn’t happen. So you go out and do the very best you can and you leave the pressure to those people who can apply it.”

SCSU fans are hoping Pough’s best is an NCAA Division I-AA bid. Anything short and next season they might start saying “Time’s up!”

[Mr. Tiger]

It is amazing that so many are picking Hampton over Grambling. Did any of these so-called expert handicappers see the Jackson State-Hampton game last year and Hampton's game against Richmond in the playoffs?South Carolina State has a good chance of winning the MEAC this year. I actually would pick them to receive the playoff bid over Hampton.

By the way, to those so-called experts, the loss of Bruce Eugene isn't going to kill Grambling. New/Old QB Brandon Landers is not Eugene, but he doesn't need to be for Gram to be a tough team to beat.

[bosshogg]

Bulldogs Conduct Second Scrimmage By sports information 8/20/2006 7:59:00 AM


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SCSU Practice Brief
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08-19-06



SCSU Practice Brief



ORANGEBURG, SC – South Carolina State held its second scrimmage of the preseason Saturday and it was the Bulldog defense getting most of the kudos from Coach Buddy Pough.

“The defense played really well,” Pough said. “They made some outstanding plays and really stepped up to the plate, however, we didn’t match that intensity on offense. In fact, we didn’t play very well on offense at all. In a word, we were ‘ugly’ on offense.

“I thought we were a little further along on offense,” he continued, “but it appeared we took a step backwards today. I’m disappointed, but not overly concerned. When you make as many changes that we have made on both sides of the ball, you can expect a few bumps in the road, especially on offense.”

All three SCSU quarterbacks were in the rotation during the scrimmage, but each had trouble directing sustained drives against a very active Bulldog defense. Junior Cleve McCoy, the 2005 starter and a first-team all-conference selection, is being challenged by sophomore Bryan Hardy and transfer Russell Hemby, a former Orangeburg-Wilkinson standout.

“We like our quarterbacks and expect them to do well this season,” Pough said, “but today (Saturday) was just one of those days. We are experiencing a little growing pains but we need to start coming along because we have a tough challenge ahead of us this season.

“I figure we are good enough to compete this year, but we need to win our league (the MEAC) in order to make the playoffs. And, most of the time, playing well may not be enough. You have to get a few breaks as well.”

On Sunday, the Bulldogs will attend morning worship service at Andrew Chapel Baptist Church on 301 North, and then conduct an afternoon workout at approximately 4 p.m., according to Pough.

[arranger101]

It is going to be a long game for Wofford.
:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

[catdaddy2402]

Glad to see Tony Elliot passing on his work ethic to a younger generation. He wasn't going to ever be an all american, and he wasn't going to lead the team in receptions...but it always seemed that when the Tigers needed the tough yards he was the one they looked to.

Ya'll got a good young coach there.:thumbsup:

[bosshogg]

SCSU linebacker: Team ‘stronger, faster’


By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
Monday, August 21, 2006

When it comes to respect from teammates and coaches, sophomore linebacker Tony White gets it in bunches.

Getting it from the rest of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is different story.

The Bulldogs’ leading tackler last season, the Seneca native was one of the top Rookies in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season. Yet, much like his fellow former Defensive MVP of the North-South All-Star Game and teammate Marshall McFadden, post-season honors last season and preseason recognition did not come his way.

The 6-0, 220-pound redshirt was named MEAC Rookie of the Week twice last season. With the move to inside linebacker, White is expected to make even more plays while helping the Bulldogs reach their goal of reaching the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

White recently answered questions about his linebacking position, as well as receiving recognition and the reason for the domination of high school football by the Upstate:

Being overlooked for All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors, despite leading the team in tackles (66) last season:

“I do feel (overlooked) at times, but I do realize I have a lot of talented players around me; they deserve to get the kind of respect they need. I feel like I’ve been overlooked a couple of times, but that’s all good. I’m going to come out this year and I’ll do the same thing I did last year and a little bit more.”

The importance of the voluntary summer workouts to team unity:

“Last year, we didn’t have a lot of unity. This year, we stayed together and everything. We were down here during the summer working out. We got used to the heat. We’re in better shape ... We’ll be able to finish games stronger. We’re bigger, stronger, faster, so the summer workouts helped out a lot.”

What lessons the Bulldogs learned last year in squandering double-digit leads in the losses to Hampton and Coastal Carolina:

“We learned that when you have a team down, you’ve got to keep them down. You can’t just let up because if you let up, you’ll lose like we did down at Hampton. Against Coastal, we started out slow and then came back strong; then in the fourth quarter, we let up and the end result, we lost. But ... we’ve been down here all summer working together. Hopefully, we won’t have that problem this year because we’ve been working hard.”

As a graduate of Seneca High School, explain the domination of the Upstate in football:

“The Upstate pretty much dominates football in South Carolina. When you look at it, across the board, we always win championships. It’s always some team from the Upstate. I guess you can say we’re more hungry than the Lower State. Not taking anything from the Lower State, but we get after it a little bit more. I guess that’s the difference between us.”

The difference between playing SAM linebacker and WILL linebacker:

A SAM linebacker is more of a bruiser. A WILL linebacker, he’s fast-flowing. He’s a little faster than the SAM. He gets to the ball a little quicker. The SAM linebacker turns the ball back towards the WILL. He’s the enforcer. The BANDIT, he’s another outside linebacker. He’s kind of like the WILL linebacker – fast-flowing, everything – and usually makes more plays than the SAM linebacker. The WILL and the BANDIT usually makes the most plays.

Tom Evangelista as defensive coordinator compared to his predecessor Robby Wells:

“Working with Coach E, he practices more fundamentals. Coach Wells, he’s a fundamental guy, but he really didn’t stress it that much. That’s pretty much the difference.”

Having new assistant coaches who are more intense and less hesitant when it comes to giving a player “an earful”:

“That’s a good thing because you have guys that get comfortable and think that they have arrived and they don’t have to do what other guys have to do. When you have coaches that discipline everybody the same way, it keeps everybody on the same level and the team is a lot better because you don’t have someone on the team who thinks they’re better than everybody else. Everybody’s equal, so that’s a good thing.”

[bosshogg]

Bulldogs stand up to high heat By SCSU Sports Information 8/22/2006 6:44:00 PM


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SCSU Football
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ORANGEBURG, SC – Though hot temperatures pounded the state Tuesday afternoon, the heat was not enough to keep the Bulldogs from having a quality practice session. With yesterday signaling the end of two-a-day practice sessions, the Bulldogs had a little more energy and displayed it with a solid effort in their one practice of the day.

“The guys showed a good bit of excitement about two-a-days being over, which led to a better practice” SCSU head coach Oliver ‘Buddy’ Pough said following practice.

Tuesday’s practice included significant work on special teams and situational drills combined with live one-on-one drills.

“We worked on a lot of special situations, and did some good work in live one-on-one drills,” Pough added. “We’ve shown some good life on offense and have been able to improve our tempo.”

While the Bulldogs’ defense has shown a bit of an edge on the offense, the Bulldogs’ efforts on both sides of the ball have really impressed Pough.

“The defense is a little ahead of our offense right now, which is a good thing as they are showing that they can keep us in games,” Pough said. However, the Bulldog head coach is quick to point out that the already potent Bulldog offense has shown some significant improvement as well.

“Our offense keeps getting better,” Pough said. “We are building a much better foundation on offense as we get to know what to look for as both coaches and players.”

The Bulldogs will not take the field tomorrow as it is the first day of classes. However, the team will return to the practice field on Friday for an evening session.

[bosshogg]

Pough looks for first win over Terriers as head coach of the SCSU Bulldogs
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Aside from nonappearance in the Division I-AA playoffs, going 0-3 against Wofford is the only other blemish on South Carolina State University head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough’s resume during his tenure.

While the Bulldogs’ last trip to Gibbs Stadium was a turnover-plagued 35-13 loss three years ago, the 2002 and 2005 contests played in Orangeburg saw the Terriers capitalize on missed PATs to escape with victories by margins of just three points.

“The two times that they played here, and that’s what we’re most concerned about is that they seem to be just good enough to beat us,” Pough said during his first weekly press conference on Monday. “They find a way. They run a kick back to start the game down here a couple of years ago (a 90-yard game-opening kickoff return by reinstated junior running back Kevious Johnson). They just do things to make plays and give themselves an opportunity to win where the time we played there in the past, they beat the starch out of us and is was mostly because we turned the football over.”

SCSU fumbled the football away six times in that 2003 contest, five occurring in the first half, which Wofford turned into 21 unanswered points. To insure history does not repeat itself, especially against the Terriers, every fumble committed in practice since the start of training camp has resulted in an immediate punishment drill for the offense.

“I think Wofford will depend on us not being protective of the football again and I’m hoping that won’t be the case this time,” Pough said. “It’s a little scary because we didn’t play all that well the last time. We’ve got a big obstacle to overcome. Not only do we have to try to beat these guys for the first time since I’ve been here, we also have to try to beat them at their place.”

The Bulldogs are also hoping to snap a seven-game losing streak to Southern Conference foes since defeating Furman 17-7 in 1997. For its history, SCSU is only 8-25 against the SoCon and just 5-12 against teams from non-historically black colleges since 1995, three of the wins coming against Charleston Southern and two against Furman University.

Such numbers explain why Pough believes Saturday’s game puts SCSU in the role of being a flag-bearer for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

“We desperately need a win against those folks and we need a win for our league’s credibility,” he said. “We need to win against some of the better out-of-conference teams when we play out of league. There’s all kind of scenarios that we need to win because of. Hopefully, we can go up there and get the job done.”

Perhaps giving Pough some comfort is the likelihood of another strong turnout of Bulldog fans. Garnet and White supporters made up a large portion of the then-stadium record 11,486 fans at Gibbs Stadium for that 2003 contest. He’s also pleased with how the team has progressed on both sides of the football to the point where some players expected to make an immediate impact find themselves in a reserve role.

“We’ve got a pretty good preseason behind us,” he said. “Probably the most impressive thing was the fact that the older guys didn’t yield to some of the younger guys. They were determined that they were not going to give up their spots. Defensive end, you’d think that (Clemson transfer defensive lineman Xavier) Littleberry might have come in and kind of run roughshod over those guys, and they weren’t hearing it. Now that we’ve gotten that far, I don’t know if Littleberry is going to survive. He’s going to have to fight his way up.”

Pough added redshirt freshman running back and Greenville native Travil Jamison has come on strong after a slow start in training camp and that the challenge he faces is trying to find ways to utilize his various talents.

While the Bulldogs are coming off back-to-back 9-2 campaigns, the Terriers look to rebound from last season’s aberrant 6-5 mark. A big reason for optimism from head coach Mike Ayers is the return of Johnson, who sat out last season for academic reasons after rushing for 1,035 yards and nine touchdowns in 2004.

“I’m mad that he’s back,” joked Pough. “Actually, I’m happy for Kevious. He’s a good kid. I’ve had a chance to meet him a time or two. You’re always happy when a guy gets an opportunity to get back in school, so hopefully, the mistake he made is one that’s behind us and he’ll go out and play great and have 100 yards against everybody except us.”

Another concern for Pough is how his young wide receiving corps will match up against an experienced Wofford secondary led by preseason All-SoCon free safety Brian Ford, who led the conference with six interceptions last season.

“We’ve got to get out there and give them a chance to do good by doing a great job of keeping them off-balance a little bit as far as we call a game,” he said. “If we just were to go out and line up in four wides and just throw the football around on every game, it would be a mismatch in their favor. But if we can run the football a little bit effectively, throw some of the emphasis on the offensive line and the running backs, then I think we can take some of the pressure off our wide receivers where we can keep them off guard enough where our guys won’t have an opportunity to match up with their experienced secondary.”

With four games to open the season away from Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Pough sees Saturday’s opener as vital toward building regular-season momentum. He remembers how nerve wracking things were three years ago after the Wofford loss dropped SCSU to 0-2 and created a “must-win” conference-opener a week later against Morgan State.

The Bulldogs won that contest and ended up 8-4 on the season. However, it’s a scenario Pough does not want to revisit with games at Winston-Salem State, against Bethune-Cookman at The Citadel’s Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston and at Coastal Carolina to follow.

“It’s very, very important to win now because we’ll need that inspiration for games on down in the schedule,” he said.

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is 7 p.m. at Gibbs Stadium.

n Series history

Wofford owns a 5-2 edge in the series with SCSU dating back to 1974. The Bulldogs’ lone victories came in 1975 and 1976 under Willie Jeffries.

n Piedmont

homecoming

Saturday’s contest will serve as a return to the Upstate for several Bulldog players, including Spartanburg native and defensive back Terrance Allen and linebacker Ben Williams from nearby Duncan. Linebacker Tony White attended Seneca High School, offensive lineman Jeremy Davis made the Shrine Bowl out of Pickens High School, defensive lineman James Simmons is from Greenville and offensive lineman Devon Dawson played at Greer High School.

n T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

[arranger101]

Yeah, that 2003 game was awful, they had maybe 2 successful drives, but the other 21 points were gift-wrapped by us. : smh :