TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With 210 career victories over three decades, Florida A&M head coach Joe Taylor is considered among the current deans of black college football.

Taylor’s quick work in restoring the Rattlers to national prominence in two short seasons has only enhanced the resume he built most notably during a successful 16-year tenure at Hampton.

Yet he remains humbled when mentioned Tuesday in the same breath as Grambling’s Eddie Robinson and even contemporaries like Southern’s Pete Richardson and South Carolina State’s Oliver “Buddy” Pough.

In his eyes, Taylor is just the beneficiary from having surrounded himself with talented individuals.

“It’s a great testimony to the fact that I’ve been blessed to be around some good people, supportive administrations, great coaches and more so than anything else, great student-athletes,” Taylor said during Tuesday’s teleconference. “I was down in Miami last week and Kendall Langford (former Hampton defensive end now with the Miami Dolphins) came by and spoke to the fellas on Friday night and just to see that guy and, of course, all those who are out there and not just playing football - guys at Harvard who are full-time faculty - that’s just the humbling part of it. It just says that I’ve been blessed to be around good people.”

Taylor’s respect for Pough was evident as he discussed Saturday’s showdown in Orangeburg between the 11th-ranked Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0) and 22nd-ranked Rattlers (4-1, 2-0).

“It’s much anticipated,” said Taylor about the matchup. “Both teams came into the season 1-2 in terms of predicted order of finish. Buddy has done an outstanding job since returning to South Carolina State. He does a good job in recruiting. They have some outstanding athletes and the key is, looking at their film, they know what they’re trying to do and that’s the best compliment for any coach. You can look on film and see the guys do what you’ve asked them to do. It’s going to be a tough matchup.”

He even hinted at taking a cue from Pough scheduling Division I teams as a way of preparing his teams for the rigors of conference play. The Rattlers are coming off Saturday’s 48-16 loss to ninth-ranked University of Miami.

“It’s not all about money,” said Taylor about the game for which FAMU received a six-figure check from the Hurricanes. “You want to test your guys. You want them to see ... following Buddy’s lead, you look at what he’s done over the last couple of years. You go outside, get some great experience and once you come back, you play better within your own conference. In our mind, it’s a good thing to do.”

Taylor was pleased with the way his team competed against the Hurricanes. FAMU scored a field goal on the opening drive, forced two field goals and All-MEAC quarterback Curtis Pulley completed 10-15 passes for 144 yards and scored a touchdown.

For all the challenges Pulley presents to S.C. State’s defense, Taylor sees similar problems defending Bulldog quarterback Malcolm Long.

“He’s a big fullback,” Taylor said. “He’s run the ball more this year than he ran last year. In fact, both quarterbacks do a great job of running. He has a very strong arm. A lot of velocity whenever he throws it. He’s got a good group of receivers to throw to. But again, he’s a great runner. So he’s a double threat.”

Taylor also sees similar attributes with both teams’ top kick returners in FAMU defensive back Leroy Vann and S.C. State wide receiver Tre Young. While Vann has gained national attention for his four punt returns for touchdowns, seven in his career, Young leads the MEAC in kick returns average.

“They’re both are great contributors to their team,” Taylor said. “Vann plays defense, Tre plays the offensive line. When it comes to special teams, I think both teams realize it is important to bring that third phase along and you’re talking about two guys who are great contributors from the line of scrimmage as well as special teams.”

FAMU will look to snap a six-game losing streak to the Bulldogs dating back to 2002 and have not won at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium since 1997. Taylor does not expect his team to be motivated by past history this Saturday, however.

“It’s two outstanding teams,” he said. “The MEAC conference has really gotten more competitive over the years. You just kind of recruit. You bring them in and try to have a program and each year, you just try to back it up and whomever makes the less mistakes is going to probably win this thing. It’s hard to compare it to previous years.”

New location for Buddy Pough Show

Fans accustomed to sitting in during the Buddy Pough show which airs every Thursday at 6 p.m on WQKI (102.9 FM) can do so at a new location.

Starting this Thursday, Pough and co-host Steve Wannamaker will conduct the show at The End Zone Sports Bar and Grill on Highway 601 next to the Comfort Inn. Fans can call the show live at (803) 378-7605 or e-mail prior to the show at talktobuddy@gmail.com to ask Pough questions.

Tickets still available for FAMU game

Time is running out for fans to purchase advanced tickets for Saturday’s game. The event is “Youth Day” and fans can take advantage of several special offers:

$10 - A group of 10 students or more or a youngster under 18 accompanied by a chaperone.

$15 - All youth under 18 years of age or a group of 20 or more adults

$25 - a group of less than 20 adults or general admission single tickets

$30 - reserved tickets

School officials are encouraging fans to make ticket purchases in advance by Friday. On Saturday, tickets will only be available at selected locations around the “Game Zone” and fans must have a ticket to gain entry.

For more information, call the S.C. State Ticket Office at (803) 536-8579 or visit the website at www.scsuathletics.com to learn more about the “Game Zone.”

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. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

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