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Nationally-aired games on cable television and playing in the month of November.
Those two factors have served as good omens for the South Carolina State football team under head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough. Since 2002, the Bulldogs are a perfect 14-0 in games aired nationally on cable and have won 17 consecutive games in the 11th month of the year.
S.C. State can only hope the good karma carries over for its Nov. 1 clash at defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Delaware State. It’s one of two contests ESPNU (Channel 160 on Digital Time Warner Cable, Channel 148 on DirecTV ) will air featuring the Bulldogs in a span of 10 days.
“This gives us a chance to showcase our program on a national venue and hopefully, we’ll make our fans proud,” Pough said.
While the Bulldogs have won seven straight games aired by ESPNU, they have lost their last two meetings against Delaware State, each by a single point. The Hornets edged S.C. State 10-9 on a cold, windy October night in Dover in 2006, then spoiled S.C. State’s Homecoming by pulling off a 17-16 victory at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on Peter Gaertner’s 38-yard field goal with 2.8 seconds left last season.
Along with the incentive for revenge, Pough is hoping the Bulldogs will enter this year’s game still in the race for the conference title.
“We lost to them the past two years by a total of two points,” Pough said. “I’m going to be honest with you - that’s rubbing on all of us. We’ve got to create some sense of urgency and clean that up. But that’s a game that’s so far away, you really don’t think about it this time of year. We’re thinking about Central Florida (the Aug. 30 season-opener), Benedict College (the Sept. 7 home opener), Bethune-Cookman (the Sept. 14 opponent in the Lowcountry Country Classic in Charleston). Some of those kind of folks. But, we’ve got to do better against (Delaware State).”
Five days later on Nov. 6, S.C. State returns to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium for another nationally televised ESPNU contest against Howard. Unlike the Delaware State game which will take place at 1 p.m. but will air on a tape-delay later that evening, the matchup with the Bison will be shown live starting at 7:30 p.m.
It’s also a “Homecoming” for 14 Howard players from the Palmetto State, including eight from the T&D Region. Quarterback Floyd Haigler is one of three returning Bison who graduated from Orangeburg-Wilkinson and assistant coach and former Bruin James Moses signed five local players this past February.
On Monday, former Clemson tailback Ray Ray McElrathbey transferred to Howard. The 22-year-old, who earned awards for raising his 13-year-old brother Fahmarr, will have two years of eligibility remaining.
The ESPN network will air a total of nine MEAC games starting with the fourth annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge featuring Hampton University and non-conference opponent Jackson State University on Aug. 31 in Orlando, Florida beginning at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 (Channel 27 on Digital Time Warner Cable).
“We are excited and eager to kick off the 2008 ESPN television schedule,” said MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas in a press release. “This football season promises to be another competitive season with many teams capable of being in the hunt for the conference title. The 2008 television schedule highlights our fine institutions, athletic programs, coaches and student-athletes by showcasing their tremendous talents on a national platform.”
2008 MEAC TV SCHEDULE
Sunday, Aug. 31 Hampton v. Jackson State ESPN2 2 p.m.
(MEAC/SWAC Challenge)
Thursday, Sept. 4 Florida A&M @ Delaware State ESPNU 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 13 North Carolina A&T @ Norfolk St. ESPNU 4 p.m.
(taped delayed)
Thursday, Oct. 9 Winston-Salem State @ Florida A&M ESPNU 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1 South Carolina State @ Delaware State ESPNU TBD
(taped delayed)
Thursday, Nov. 6 Howard @ South Carolina State ESPNU 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 8 Bethune-Cookman @ Hampton ESPNU TBD
(taped delayed)
Saturday, Nov. 15 Delaware State @ Norfolk State ESPNU TBD
(taped delayed)
Saturday, Nov. 22 Bethune-Cookman v. Florida A&M ESPN Classic TBA
Live (Florida Classic)
LISTING OF SCSU’S NATIONALLY-AIRED CABLE TELEVISION WINS UNDER OLIVER ‘BUDDY’ POUGH
2002
SCSU 52, BENEDICT 7 (MBC/BLACK FAMILY CHANNEL)
SCSU 26, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 9 (BET)
2003
SCSU 41, BENEDICT 7 (MBC/BLACK FAMILY CHANNEL)
SCSU 27, FLORIDA A&M 15 (MBC/BLACK FAMILY CHANNEL)
SCSU 49, NORTH CAROLINA A&T 9 (MBC/BLACK FAMILY CHANNEL)
2004
SCSU 30, TENNESSEE STATE 13 (BET)
2005
SCSU 27, ALABAMA STATE 14 (ESPN2)
SCSU 35, NORFOLK STATE 21 (ESPNU)
SCSU 23, HOWARD 9 (ESPNU)
SCSU 65, MORGAN STATE 15 (ESPNU)
2006
SCSU 13, HAMPTON 6 (ESPNU)
SCSU 28, HOWARD 10 (ESPNU)
2007
SCSU 49, FAMU 14 (ESPNU)
SCSU 28, HAMPTON 24 (ESPNU)
ESPNU has secured distribution agreements with Charter, Cox, DirecTV (Channel 609), Echostar’s DISH Network (Channel 148), Insight Communications, Mediacom, Time Warner, and Verizon, along with many smaller affiliates, and is close to distribution agreements with others. ESPNU reached 20 million households at the start of the 2007 college football season.
Listed below is the complete 2008 MEAC Television Football Schedule.