South Carolina State (4-1, 2-0 MEAC) hosts visiting Florida A&M (4-1, 2-0 MEAC) in a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest. Both teams are nationally ranked and sport identical overall and MEAC records, and are essentially tied for the top spot in the league standings with Morgan State (5-1, 3-0 MEAC), which defeated Howard 14-7 Thursday night in an ESPNU national telecast.
Today's contest will also be televised on a tape-delayed basis by ESPNU and can be seen at 10:30 p.m. The game can also be seen on ESPN360.com. No one is discounting the Bears of Morgan State, but most pundits give the winner of today's contest a leg up in the race for the coveted MEAC title, which the Bulldogs won with an unblemished 8-0 mark a year ago. The Bears still have to play both FAMU (Oct. 31) and SC State (Nov. 14). Coach Buddy Pough's team is coming off a 37-10 triumph at MEAC foe Norfolk State, while the Rattlers will be trying to rebound from a 48-16 loss to FBS member Miami (Fla.). Two weeks ago, it was the Bulldogs battling an FBS team in South Carolina, losing 38-14 to the Gamecocks
SCOUTING REPORT
Today's game has been circled on most people's calendar since last July when the Bulldogs and Rattlers were picked 1-2 in the preseason by a poll of MEAC head coaches and SIDs. The Bulldogs are defending MEAC champions after going through their league schedule undefeated at 8-0 last season. Among the wins was a 28-21 triumph at Tallahassee over the Rattlers, who finished second to SC State in Joe Taylor's first season at FAMU after an enviable record at Hampton. Both teams are very talented with “big play” capabilities on offense. For the Bulldogs, there's quarterback Malcolm Long, wide receivers Tre' Young and Terrance Smith and running back Will Ford. Ford needs just 73 yards to break the school mark of 4,093 yards piled up by Michael Hicks during the 1993 through 1995 seasons. The Rattlers counter with quarterback Curtis Pulley, wide receivers Isaac West and Kevin Elliott and punt/kick returner LeRoy Vann. Long leads the MEAC in completion percentage (63.4) and is second only to Pulley in passing yards.
The Gaffney junior has hit on 78-123 attempts for 869 yards and five TDs. Pulley, meanwhile, has connected on 74-121 for 990 yards and seven scores. Each player has suffered two interceptions. The Bulldogs' Young leads all receivers with 25 catches for 346 yards and two TDs. Smith has 15 catches for 181 yards and a score for the Bulldogs. For FAMU, West is third in the league in receiving yards 342 on 18 catches
and has two TDs, while teammate Elliott
ranks fifth with 31l yards, but is tied for
second to Young in catches with 21. Ford,
despite a slow start, is second in rushing
with 80 carries for 383 yards and two TDs.
Pulley is the top rusher for the Rattlers and
ranks third overall in the MEAC with 64
carries for 372 yards and two scores. The
Rattlers also get a big lift from Vann, one of
the top returners in the nation. He is
averaging 23.9 yards on punt returns and
has run back four for scores. He is also
impressive on kickoff returns with a 23.4
average. Most Rattler opponents have opted
not to kick to Vann. SC State's Pough has
not revealed the Bulldogs' strategy against
Vann who had a punt return for a touchdown
against Pough's team last season. On
defense, SC State has sustained some key
injuries on defense, especially along the
frontline, however, the Bulldogs still
managed to harass Norfolk State's Dennis
Brown into two fumbles, one which was
returned for a touchdown, and record four
sacks in a surprisingly 37-10 triumph by
the Bulldogs. The SC State secondary, led
by cornerback Phillip Adams, also held
Spartan wide receiver Chris Bell to zero
catches. Linebackers David Irby and Julius
Wilkerson, along with Adams, led the SC
State defensive charge, which has been
without top pass rusher Pat Washington two
weeks and played without its best lineman in
Markus James last week. Their status is un-
certain at this time. Leading the defense for
FAMU will be linebackers Alvin Graham
and Bryan Parker and safety Greg Harvey.
Vann gives the Rattlers a big edge on
special teams, however, Young has returned
a kickoff for a touchdown for the Bulldogs.
In the placekicking department, SC State's
Blake Erickson (6-7 FGs) and FAMU's
Trevor Scott (6-9 FGs) rank 1-2.
THE SERIES: South Carolina State has won six straight, however, Florida A&M leads the overall series 32-18-3. The Bulldogs squandered a 20-0 lead last year at Tallahassee, falling behind 21-20 when the Rattlers exploded for 21 third quarter points, before getting a 44-yard Will Ford touch-down run to pull out the win. FAMU's last win in the rivalry came in 2001 at Jackson-ville, 33-27. The Rattlers have lost on their last three trips to Orangeburg – 25-15 (2003), 49-3 (2005) and 49-14 (2007).
THE COACHES: SC State's Oliver “Buddy” Pough (SC State '75) is in his eighth season as Bulldog head coach and is 61-25 (45-12 MEAC) through the current campaign. Joe Taylor (Western Illinois '72) is in his 2nd season as head coach at FAMU, where he is 13-4 in two seasons. Taylor is 210-80-4 as a head coach.
2009 MEAC Standings
Last Week's Results (Oct. 10)
SC State 37, Norfolk State 10
Hampton 37, Howard 0
Morgan State 7, N.C. A&T 6
B-Cookman 9, Delaware State 7
Miami 48, Florida A&M 16
This Week's Schedule (Oct. 15, 17)
Morgan State 14, Howard (Oct. 15) 7
Florida A&M at SC State, 2
Bethune-Cookman @ Savannah St., 5
Norfolk State @ Hampton, 1
Idle, NC A&T, Del-State
