SCSUBULLDOG1
November 17th, 2009, 07:50 AM
.C. State guards against letdown against Aggies
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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Head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough was already cognizant about insuring South Carolina State avoids a letdown entering the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
After the seventh-ranked Bulldogs clinched a second straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and postseason berth Saturday, he received a friendly reminder the next day from his mother, M.T. Pough.
“My mama called me last night and she said ‘Remember the time when (North Carolina) A&T had won all their conference games and we played them in Charlotte and embarrassed them right before the playoffs?’”, said Pough at Monday’s press conference. “She said ‘Don’t let that be you!’”
Pough’s mother referred to the 49-9 rout by the Bulldogs in 2003 which sent the Aggies’ program into a six-year tailspin. North Carolina A&T has gone 14-54 since that fateful day in November, but this season has shown signs of rebirth under first-year head coach Alonzo Lee.
Pough praised the work Lee and his coaching staff has done in reviving the Aggies and the inroads he’s made in the Greensboro community. It’s one reason why the Bulldogs (9-1, 7-0) are taking a “business as usual” approach towards Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Aggies (5-5, 3-4) at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
Another is solidifying S.C. State’s case for a first, first-round home playoff game by extending its MEAC-record winning streak to 18 games and conference wins in November to 23 in a row.
“We’re trying to do all kinds of things that we haven’t gotten done yet,” Pough said. “We think we’ve got the possibility of having a home game. We weren’t excited by the fact (that Elon lost to Appalachian State 27-10), but we thought that helped us some. Anytime you’re trying to make yourself as attractive as you possibly can at the end of the schedule, you’ve got to do all you can to make sure that no one says anything negative about you as you go into the selection process.”
Despite scoring 37 points against Morgan State, Pough thought his offense could have performed better. He was not totally pleased the team’s Red Zone efficiency in settling for three field goals by Blake Erickson, but was encouraged by the fact they were still found a way to gain points.
Saturday is “Seniors’ Day” which puts an even brighter spotlight on running back Will Ford. He needs 156 yards to surpass Hampton’s Alonzo Coleman for the most career rushing yards in MEAC history and faces a North Carolina A&T team he has averaged 182 yards against during his career.
“We haven’t done anything unusual trying to just feed him yards,” Pough said. “We kept him in a little bit longer Saturday than I would have liked, but at the same time, we didn’t have that many points. I think we’ll probably go ‘business as usual’ with him, continue to mix our offense in a way where we don’t give an indication of whether or not we’re going to be running or passing. And then, at that point, when we get close to the end, we’ll see where we’re at and make adjustments.”
Pough expects the Aggies to target stopping Ford defensively, even with the current torrid play of quarterback Malcolm Long. The Gaffney native became the first Bulldog quarterback in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards in a season and broke his own single-season school record for completions (173).
With a completion percentage of 67.3, Long is on pace to shatter his school record for completion percentage. The last time the Bulldogs faced a team coming off a “bye” they rolled past Norfolk State 37-10. Pough said his team needs a similar quick start against the upset-minded Aggies.
“The longer a team stays in a game with you early, the longer they keep you from scoring, the more confidence they gather,” he said. “We need to do all we can to try to knock the wind out of their sails as early as we can.”
Young wins MEAC POW
A record-setting performance by Charleston native Oliver “Tre” Young has earned him MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The senior wide receiver caught six passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45-yard scoring play which helped Young set a new school career record for receptions. He also had four punt returns for 104 yards and a 39-yard kickoff return to finish with 313 all-purpose yards.
For the season, Young leads the MEAC in punt return yards.
Another Record Setter
It turns out a third Bulldog etched his way into the school record books this past Saturday.
With three field goals made against Morgan State, place-kicker Blake Erickson set a single-season school record with 12 field goals made this season. The Florida native surpassed the previous mark of 11 set by Cedric Oglesby in 1998.
Tickets on sale for NC A&T
There will be a special discount general admission ticket price of $15 each for groups who purchase 10 or more tickets for Saturday’s game against North Carolina A&T.
Students 17 and under and college students with ID can also purchase general admission tickets for $15. Regular general admission prices are $25 and $30 for reserved seats.
For more information, call the S.C. State Ticket Office at (803) 536-8579.
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 on-line at TheTandD.com.
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Leave a Comment | Default | Large
Head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough was already cognizant about insuring South Carolina State avoids a letdown entering the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
After the seventh-ranked Bulldogs clinched a second straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and postseason berth Saturday, he received a friendly reminder the next day from his mother, M.T. Pough.
“My mama called me last night and she said ‘Remember the time when (North Carolina) A&T had won all their conference games and we played them in Charlotte and embarrassed them right before the playoffs?’”, said Pough at Monday’s press conference. “She said ‘Don’t let that be you!’”
Pough’s mother referred to the 49-9 rout by the Bulldogs in 2003 which sent the Aggies’ program into a six-year tailspin. North Carolina A&T has gone 14-54 since that fateful day in November, but this season has shown signs of rebirth under first-year head coach Alonzo Lee.
Pough praised the work Lee and his coaching staff has done in reviving the Aggies and the inroads he’s made in the Greensboro community. It’s one reason why the Bulldogs (9-1, 7-0) are taking a “business as usual” approach towards Saturday’s regular-season finale against the Aggies (5-5, 3-4) at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
Another is solidifying S.C. State’s case for a first, first-round home playoff game by extending its MEAC-record winning streak to 18 games and conference wins in November to 23 in a row.
“We’re trying to do all kinds of things that we haven’t gotten done yet,” Pough said. “We think we’ve got the possibility of having a home game. We weren’t excited by the fact (that Elon lost to Appalachian State 27-10), but we thought that helped us some. Anytime you’re trying to make yourself as attractive as you possibly can at the end of the schedule, you’ve got to do all you can to make sure that no one says anything negative about you as you go into the selection process.”
Despite scoring 37 points against Morgan State, Pough thought his offense could have performed better. He was not totally pleased the team’s Red Zone efficiency in settling for three field goals by Blake Erickson, but was encouraged by the fact they were still found a way to gain points.
Saturday is “Seniors’ Day” which puts an even brighter spotlight on running back Will Ford. He needs 156 yards to surpass Hampton’s Alonzo Coleman for the most career rushing yards in MEAC history and faces a North Carolina A&T team he has averaged 182 yards against during his career.
“We haven’t done anything unusual trying to just feed him yards,” Pough said. “We kept him in a little bit longer Saturday than I would have liked, but at the same time, we didn’t have that many points. I think we’ll probably go ‘business as usual’ with him, continue to mix our offense in a way where we don’t give an indication of whether or not we’re going to be running or passing. And then, at that point, when we get close to the end, we’ll see where we’re at and make adjustments.”
Pough expects the Aggies to target stopping Ford defensively, even with the current torrid play of quarterback Malcolm Long. The Gaffney native became the first Bulldog quarterback in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards in a season and broke his own single-season school record for completions (173).
With a completion percentage of 67.3, Long is on pace to shatter his school record for completion percentage. The last time the Bulldogs faced a team coming off a “bye” they rolled past Norfolk State 37-10. Pough said his team needs a similar quick start against the upset-minded Aggies.
“The longer a team stays in a game with you early, the longer they keep you from scoring, the more confidence they gather,” he said. “We need to do all we can to try to knock the wind out of their sails as early as we can.”
Young wins MEAC POW
A record-setting performance by Charleston native Oliver “Tre” Young has earned him MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The senior wide receiver caught six passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45-yard scoring play which helped Young set a new school career record for receptions. He also had four punt returns for 104 yards and a 39-yard kickoff return to finish with 313 all-purpose yards.
For the season, Young leads the MEAC in punt return yards.
Another Record Setter
It turns out a third Bulldog etched his way into the school record books this past Saturday.
With three field goals made against Morgan State, place-kicker Blake Erickson set a single-season school record with 12 field goals made this season. The Florida native surpassed the previous mark of 11 set by Cedric Oglesby in 1998.
Tickets on sale for NC A&T
There will be a special discount general admission ticket price of $15 each for groups who purchase 10 or more tickets for Saturday’s game against North Carolina A&T.
Students 17 and under and college students with ID can also purchase general admission tickets for $15. Regular general admission prices are $25 and $30 for reserved seats.
For more information, call the S.C. State Ticket Office at (803) 536-8579.
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 on-line at TheTandD.com.