September 8, 2007, is a date Marshall McFadden vividly remembers like it was yesterday.

The South Carolina State linebacker can recall verbatim what took place that afternoon on Larry Kelly Field at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla., and the exact play during the second quarter against Bethune-Cookman which altered his career.

“It was on a third-down play,” he said. “The quarterback (Jimmie Russell) split and I went to tackle the quarterback. I got to him first, but the quarterback kind of dove. So my arm was extended from the ground, but the high safety, he came down with my elbow on the ground. He hit me in the back of the elbow and it had some force behind it.”

With his right arm heavily wrapped, McFadden could only watch the final two quarters from the sidelines as the Bulldogs captured a 24-13 victory. The win provided only temporary solace for McFadden as he later learned the injury was more than just a hyperextended elbow.

Given the length of recovery time for the torn UCL, the Bulldogs opted to redshirt McFadden for the remaining nine games.

A year later, a bigger, stronger and more focused McFadden is anxious to “reintroduce” himself to not just Bethune-Cookman, but the entire Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

“Basically, I’m back for revenge because it’s like they had forget about me,” he said. “A lot of people forgot about me. Now, I’m going to make my statement that I’m at the same place where I was before.”

Prior to the injury, the Lamar native was having in his mind “the game of his life.” He was a one-man force on defense, disrupting the Wildcats’ Wyatt-bone option attack with dexterity and sheer will.

“I was racking up about 9-10 tackles,” said McFadden, who was officially credited with four tackles and had a forced fumble which set up the Bulldogs’ first touchdown. “I was trying to break some records. A freak accident happened and next thing I know, I was out for the season.”

Looking to keep up his spirits, “The Natural” did what comes as second nature -- live in the weight room. By the time McFadden arrived for spring practice, he had added close to 15 pounds of muscle to his 6-2 frame. Currently weighing in at 225 pounds, McFadden hopes to bulk up to 235 for his senior season.

“If I’m stronger, I’m going to get faster,” McFadden said. “That’s what makes me feel good. Trying to be on top. Even when I go home for the summer, that’s all I do is chill and lift weights because I know that I have to play this role on South Carolina State’s defense.”

Having essentially outgrown his former BANDIT position, the coaching staff moved McFadden to MIKE linebacker. He’s currently sixth on the team in tackles (8) and one sack, but his presence inside has helped the Bulldogs’ defense hold opponents to 10 points per game.

“It’s been great working with the kid,” S.C. State assistant coach David Blanchard said. “We moved him from DOG safety to linebacker and to us, we thought that was his more natural position and he’s blessed with everything. He’s doing a great job. Fantastic.”

“At first, I didn’t want to go because I had played safety for so long, that’s where I wanted to be,” McFadden said. “But once they made that move, I started picking things up quicker and next thing you know, that’s what I want to do now.”

Having been a playmaker on defense throughout his Bulldog career, McFadden believes the move puts him in position to make more of an impact on defense. Two years after Bethune-Cookman embarrassed S.C. State 45-21 in Charleston, the “new and improved” McFadden and S.C. State defense wants to make amends.

“Now that I’m playing the MIKE linebacker on the defense, I think for me and a couple of people on defense such as (defensive lineman) Keyon Brooks, (safety) Markee Hamlin, (defensive back and co-captain) Terrance Allen and a lot of other guys on defense, it’s time for us to make a change and lead this defense because we have a chance to dominate this conference.”

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (1-1) vs. BETHUNE-COOKMAN (1-0) 4 p.m.

WHERE: Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston

AT STAKE: It’s the ‘Lowcountry Classic’ Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener between the Bulldogs and Wildcats. A win would give SCSU a leg up in the race for the conference championship, while a loss puts it back in the same position faced the past two years in having to win every MEAC game the rest of the way.

LAST OUTING: SCSU def. Benedict College 42-3; Bethune-Cookman def. Alabama State 28-7

LAST YEAR’S RECORDS: SCSU (7-4, 6-2 in the MEAC); Bethune-Cookman (5-6, 3-5)

THE LAST TIME THEY MET: (Sept. 8, 2007 in Daytona Beach, Fla,)

SERIES RECORD: SCSU leads 28-18-1

FIRST MEETING: 1956

ALL-TIME RECORDS: SCSU (378-244-28); Bethune-Cookman (413-283-22)

FIRST SEASONS OF FOOTBALL: SCSU (1907); Bethune-Cookman (1925)

HEAD COACHES & RECORDS: SCSU’s Oliver “Buddy” Pough (48-22 overall) 7th season; Bethune-Cookman’s Alvin Wyatt (78-44 overall), 11th season

DID YOU KNOW: Oliver “Buddy” Pough led Fairfield-Central to a Class 3-A title in 1996. He needs seven more victories to surpass Bill Davis for second on the all-time S.C. State list for career coaching wins..Alvin Wyatt Sr. was drafted out of college by the Oakland Raiders and spent three seasons with the Buffalo Bills..SCSU has three former players (Deacon Jones, Marion Motley and Harry Carson) inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, more than all the Palmetto State’s Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Division and Division II programs combined. Bethune-Cookman’s lone HOF inductee is former Miami Dolphin offensive tackle Larry Little...Currently, the two schools have five former players (Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle Chartric Darby, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive lineman James Lee, Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins, Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Eric Weems and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Rashean Mathis) in the NFL...Bethune-Cookman has no Palmetto State players. However, the Wildcats’ twin brothers Antonio and Antwane Cox attended the same high school (Killian in Miami) as SCSU’s Keyon Brooks...Under Pough, the Bulldogs are 43-6 when leading or tied at halftime and 5-16 when trailing

SHERIDAN BROADCASTING NETWORK

BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL

(WEEK THREE)

1. Tuskegee

2. Delaware State

3. Norfolk State

4. South Carolina State

5. Tennessee State

6. Albany State

7. Hampton

8. Grambling

9. Jackson State

10. Southern

n 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.

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