Call it the post-Centennial season for the South Carolina State football team.

Last year was a season-long celebration for the Bulldogs as they commemorated a 100-years of football. The only thing missing was a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship - a goal which has eluded the Bulldogs the past two seasons. As S.C. State embarks on the start of fall practice today, it is once again a preseason favorite looking to live up to lofty expectations. Despite returning 44 letter winners and the conference’s top offensive player in running back William Ford, the Bulldogs also find themselves looking to answer several questions entering the Aug. 30 season-opener at Central Florida:

IS THE “LONG” WAIT OVER?

From the moment quarterback Malcolm Long stepped on the S.C. State campus, high expectations have encircled him. His performance in spot duty against Howard when he threw two touchdowns and was 5-for-8 passing for 172 yards only increased the anticipation for the day when he would take the reins from quarterback Cleveland McCoy.

The emergence of redshirt backup DeWain Clark following spring practice may have thrown a monkey wrench in the idea of Long being the heir apparent in some fans’ minds. As of now, however, Long is the starter going into the Aug. 30 season-opener against Central Florida.

IS THIS FINALLY THE YEAR?

In six seasons as head coach, only two things have eluded head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough:

- an outright Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.

- A berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The past two seasons were particularly frustrating for the Bulldogs, who talked openly about accomplishing those aforementioned goals. Instead, early season losses to Bethune-Cookman in 2006 and Norfolk State in 2007 put the team in a hole they never completely dug themselves out of, especially after heartbreaking one-point losses to Delaware State.

This season, the MEAC has once again made the Bulldogs the preseason favorite. However, don’t expect to hear much “barking” from S.C. State on the topic.

CAN WILL FORD KEEP UP HIS HISTORIC PACE?

In just two seasons, the Travelers Rest native is already one of the most decorated S.C. State players in school history. He was the MEAC Rookie of the Year as a redshirt freshman, earned first-team honors last season and was last week named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

With 2,161 career rushing yards, Ford is on pace to surpass Michael Hicks (4,093 yards) for most career yards as a Bulldog. His 6.65 rushing yards per carry is also 1.5 yards off the school record average set by Ricky Anderson from 1974-77. Having an experienced offensive line in front of him should help Ford stay on track the next two years.

IS CHANGE GOOD?

With six new assistant coaches entering the fold, the Bulldogs are about to find out. Even by Pough’s standards (defensive line coach David Blanchard is the lone holdover from his inaugural staff in 2002), this was truly a high turnover rate which may change the team’s identity for the better.

Along with the change at quarterback, S.C. State is trying to transition senior Terrance Smith from

game-changing wide receiver to playmaking defensive back. A safety at Aiken High School, Smith hopes to use his athleticism to help a position which has given up big passes in key situations the past three seasons.

ARE THE FOURTH QUARTER BLUES A THING OF THE PAST?

It’s a statistic which made Pough wince when it was pointed out to him. In the 10 games S.C. State has lost the past three seasons, it failed to score a single point in the fourth quarter (outscored 60-0 in those games).

Compounding things is S.C. State’s 4-15 record when trailing at halftime under Pough. In fact, last year’s 28-24 victory over Hampton marked the first since October 2004 that the Bulldogs had rallied from a halftime deficit to win a game.

Long or Clark give S.C. State a more vertical game at quarterback which should keep teams from packing the line of scrimmage.

WHO IS THIS YEAR’S MIB (Most Important Bulldog)?

Quarterback Cleveland McCoy would have been the obvious answer the past two seasons. The fact he broke two school records owned by Marvin Marshall for career yards and touchdowns reflects his importance. A similar argument can be made for center Raymond “Duck” Harrison, a mainstay on the offensive line since his freshman year.

BANDIT Marshall McFadden has had a similar impact on the defensive side of the football since his freshman year as well. The return of the Lamar native after missing the final nine games of last season with an arm injury gives the Bulldog defense more versatility at linebacker and even the secondary. Safety Markee Hamlin, who led the team in interceptions last season, cannot be overlooked as well.

Given the close losses S.C. State suffered last season, this year’s MIB could potentially be freshman kicker Blake Erickson. The Florida native was a second-team All-State Class 4-A punter at J.M. Tate High School and hopes to improve the Bulldogs’ percentage in field goals made (12-24), which ranked seventh out of nine conference teams.

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

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