The “Carolinas Classic” could become known as the “Lowcountry Classic” this fall. South Carolina State University has reportedly inquired with The Citadel about holding its Nov. 20 contest against North Carolina A&T at Johnson Hagood Stadium. The contest was initially scheduled to occur at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium after taking place the past four years in Charlotte, NC.
While Ray Whiteman, senior associate athletics director for internal affairs at The Citadel, said Monday the school had made the 23,025-seat stadium available for that November date, neither he nor SCSU officials would confirm any ongoing contract negotiations.
This would mark the second straight season and third time since 2003 that SCSU would play a home game at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Last year’s planned home-opener against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 16 was moved from Orangeburg to Charleston in order to complete stadium enhancements, which included the replacement of the grass field with synthetic turf and the installation of a state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard with video replay capabilities.
In front of 15,825 spectators, the Wildcats handed the Bulldogs their worst loss under head coach Oli,ver “Buddy” Pough by a score of 45-14. Back on Sept. 23, 2003, SCSU routed Savannah State 53-0 before 10,200 people in the inaugural “Lowcountry Classic.”
If the game is moved to Charleston, it would also be just the second meeting since 1995 between the two long-time rivals which did not take place in Charlotte. The previous time was in 2001 when the Bulldogs rallied at home from a 14-3 deficit with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to defeat the Aggies 15-14.
The victory in Willie Jeffries’ next-to-last game as SCSU head coach snapped a three-game losing streak to North Carolina A&T and started the Bulldogs’ current six-game winning streak in the series. SCSU leads the all-time series 25-17-2.
n Former FAMU head coach
to become Hampton OC
Looking for his third offensive coordinator in the last two months, Hampton University head football coach Joe Taylor has reportedly turned to an old rival.
Taylor told the Daily Press Tuesday he has hired former Florida A&M head football coach Billy Joe as his new offensive coordinator. Joe, who last coached in 2005, replaces Charles Bankins, who resigned this week to become the running backs coach at the University of Richmond. This came after Bankins replaced first-year offensive coordinator Chris Beatty, who left in February to become the new running backs coach at Northern Illinois.
“Coach Joe has put four or five quarterbacks in the NFL,” Taylor told the Daily Press. “We need that kind of high-level success to keep us moving in the right direction. We have two young quarterbacks, and I believe he’ll do a great job developing them.”
Among the winningest head coaches in black college football, Joe has won 237 career games in 31 seasons as a head coach. After leading Central State to NAIA national titles in 1990 and 1992, he went to FAMU where in 11 seasons, the Rattlers posted an 86-46 record, won four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles and made seven post-season appearances.
Joe’s legacy, however, was tarnished after the school was placed on probation following an investigation into 196 rules violations in 15 men’s and women’s sports. An ensuing investigation by the MEAC resulted in FAMU forfeiting several conference titles, including the 2000 and 2001 football championships won under Joe.
FAMU fired Joe in June 2005, only to have the NCAA clear him months later of any wrongdoing. Joe promptly sued FAMU for breach of contract and reached a settlement last December in which he was paid $135,000.
Look for the Pirates to adopt the same “Gulf Coast Offense” which FAMU utilized with great success under Joe.