July 3, 2006
2006 WSSU Football Season Outlook
July 3, 2006
Overview
The 2006 football season at Winston-Salem State University will be one that lays witness to the writing of history as the program enters into the second year of a five-year transition process that will see the move from NCAA Division II classification to full-fledged Division I status (I-AA for football). The Rams completed an exploratory year in 2005 and are now set about moving to the Division I level as Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell and head football coach Kermit Blount have wasted no time in planning a schedule that is made up of 11 games, nine of which will see the Rams take the field versus Division I-AA opponents, most of which compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). With WSSU's membership to the MEAC pending, and a vote of institution presidents all that remains before the Rams become the 12th member of the conference, the Rams are already poised to integrate themselves into a highly competitive conference that will rekindle old rivalries and establish new ones.
The Rams will open the schedule versus NCAA Division II powerhouse Catawba College on the road in Salisbury, NC on August 26, 2006 as they face a Catawba Indians team that is coming off of yet another solid year in the South Atlantic Conference. The Rams will look for revenge against Catawba as the Catawba Indians doubled-up WSSU 20-10 last season at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.
Seven days later will see the Rams travel 30 miles east to face the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University in one of the most highly anticipated games in the last decade. The Rams and Aggies have not met since 1999 when the Rams fell by the score of 20-7 in the friendly confines of Bowman-Gray Stadium. The Rams will try to snap the Aggies eight-game win streak over WSSU and earn their first win over NC A&T since the 1991 season. The contest versus the Aggies will mark the first of eight straight games in which the Rams will face Division I-AA opponents.
The Rams return home the very next weekend as they welcome the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University to town in a 6:00 pm contest at Bowman-Gray Stadium. The Rams will again look for revenge as they try to prove that last season's 52-12 loss in Orangeburg, SC was a one-time event, one that will never be repeated. The game will mark the fifth meeting between the two teams with the Bulldogs holding the four games to one lead, with the lone WSSU victory coming in the 2000 season in Orangeburg, SC (39-28).
The weekend of September 16, 2006 will be a welcome respite for the Rams as WSSU will benefit from the first of their two open weekends during the 2006 season. The rest will be short-lived as the Rams travel 966 miles to Tallahassee, Florida the very next weekend to face the Rattlers of Florida A&M University. The two teams have never met, and the contest will write the first page of history in the new rivalry between two very storied football programs. The Rams will face a hostile environment in Bragg Memorial Stadium as a capacity crowd of 25,500 will be on hand to watch FAMU and WSSU battle for gridiron supremacy in the football-crazy state of Florida.
Coastal Carolina University will make the trip to Winston-Salem, NC the next weekend as the back-to-back Big South Champion Chanticleers will face the Rams for the first time in history. The Chants, a football program which has been in existence for only three short seasons have already proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with as they are coming off of back-to-back conference championships and a season in which they posted a 9-2 overall record and finished the season ranked in the top-25 nationally in five different football polls.
Following their bout with the Chants, the Rams will play their second consecutive home game as they prepare for a homecoming battle versus the Bison of Howard University. The history between the Rams and Bison is legendary as current WSSU head coach Kermit Blount was a member of the staff at Howard for three seasons prior to his matriculation back to his alma mater and Linwood Ferguson, a member of the Rams' coaching staff for two seasons, recently accepted a job as the Offensive Coordinator at Howard and will make his first return to Bowman-Gray Stadium, only this time, he will take his place on the opponent's side of the field. The Homecoming game will undoubtedly see a sellout crowd at Bowman-Gray Stadium as nearly 20,000 fans will watch the Rams try to avenge last season's 20-6 loss to Howard in Washington, DC.
October 7, 2006 will see the Rams return to the sunshine state for their second trip to Florida in a month's time as they travel to Daytona Beach to take on the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman College. The Rams and Wildcats have never met, and despite the infancy of the rivalry between the two teams, there will be added meaning for WSSU and BCC as the contest will be the Wildcat's Homecoming Game with over 10,000 fans slated to attend the game.
The Rams return home for only four days before taking to the road again as travel-tested WSSU will face the Savannah State University Tigers at Ted A. Wright Stadium in Savannah, GA on October 21, 2006. The lone meeting between the two combatants took place in 1997 with the Rams winning a tight 27-24 decision in Winston-Salem, NC.
WSSU will make their third consecutive road trip during the month of October the next weekend as they travel to Hampton, VA to reignite the still hot embers of their rivalry with the Pirates of Hampton University. The Rams, who hold the all-time series edge versus the Pirates by the count of 14-8-1 will face HU for the first time since suffering a 40-6 loss at the hands of the Pirates during the 2000 season. The Rams are slated to be the sacrificial lamb for a team's Homecoming as the Pirates have invited the Rams to town expecting a win. However, the Rams, and speedster quarterback Monte Purvis have other ideas as they attempt to escape the state of Virginia with a win.
The Rams will play three games in November as they close the season with a contest versus Saint Augustine's College on November 4, 2006, an open weekend on November 11, 2006 and a season-ending game at Norfolk State University on November 18, 2006. The Rams will attempt to run their win streak versus SAC to four games as they take their 10-10-1 all-time mark into what may very well prove to be WSSU's last contest versus the Falcons.
The season-ending contest will be versus the Spartans of Norfolk State University. The Rams and Spartans have faced each other 18 times with each team earning eight wins and a pair of ties. The November 18, 2006 contest will see one team assert itself enough to earn a win and the all-time series edge in the renewing of what was once a proud rivalry.
Offense
Starters Returning/Lost: 6/6
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 24/9
The keyword for the WSSU offense, is, and will be, "young"...Youth will prevail, or at least attempt to, in Winston-Salem, NC during the 2006 football season. The Rams are slated to start only one senior on offense as wide receiver Bradford Herring (5'11", 185) will be the only player in his final year of athletic eligibility. Herring played in eight games in 2005, recording a team-leading 25 catches for 383 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He will be the Rams' go-to receiver as he averaged nearly 15.3 yards per catch last season. Joining him on the flanks will be sophomore wideout Michael Scarborough (5'10", 180). Scarborough, a 5'10" speedster who has continued to bulk up his physique with hard work in the weight room in the offseason, looks to have a breakout year. His sheer athleticism helped him to appearances in four games last season as a true freshman and with a year of experience learning the Rams' intricate scheme, he is sure to continue to improve his numbers this season. Tight end Stan Wright may be the most undervalued player on the offensive side of the ball as the physically imposing Wright, who checks in at 6'6" tall and 250-plus pounds, is a sure-handed threat catching passes and is a technically-sound blocker. Wright, who is the Rams' second leading returning pass catcher, netted 159 yards on 10 catches with a lone touchdown last season. He is slated to become a more integral focal point on offense this season and will deviate from his usual pattern as a blocker and will likely develop into a more potent playmaker and option for WSSU. Calling the signals will once again fall on the broad shoulders of junior quarterback Monte Purvis (5'10", 190). Purvis, who took nearly every snap last season finally looks to have settled into the offensive system and judging from spring workouts, looks far more comfortable as a drop-back passer. Despite his passing prowess, Purvis will be again be feared for his ability to run the ball. An excellent athlete, Purvis has even appeared as a wide receiver for the Rams (during his freshman campaign). He is the Rams leading returning rusher (419 yards and two touchdowns on 102 carries) and passer (821 yards and three touchdowns on 116 attempts) and will continue to keep opponents guessing.
For once, the Rams rushing attack will not be the focal point of the WSSU offensive scheme. With the departure of three-time All-CIAA performer and CIAA Offensive Player of the Year Martin Hicks following his May 2006 graduation, the Rams will be without Hicks' nearly 1,000 yards per season. As well, the removal of Jerrick "Jed" bines from the roster (for unspecified reasons) will have the Rams without the services of the two-time All-CIAA rusher who also accounted for nearly 1,000 yards per season. Inheriting the job left behind by Bines will likely be incumbent running back Tionti Powell (5'8", 160). Unquestionably the fastest player on the WSSU roster, an athlete who runs a sub 4.4 40-yard dash, he is slated to be the Rams opening-day starter. Powell appeared in six games in 2005, carrying the ball only 16 times en route to 73 yards. Hot on Powell's heels is Brandon McRae, a redshirt freshman running back from Washington, DC. The 5'10", 225 pound McRae is an athletic marvel who is not only a straight-ahead power runner with unrivaled strength, but is a speedy slasher who can run around, as well as, over, opponents.
Defense
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/6
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 23/9
WSSU's defense will have its hands full this season as WSSU will face seven opponents who posted winning records last season as well as facing two conference champions. Among the nine Division I-AA opponents are seven AFCA All-Americans, five of which reside on the offensive side of the ball. The Rams will undoubtedly face some very stiff competition, and Mike Ketchum's defense will be up to the task as the Rams defensive corps are an experienced group of stellar athletes who have had the benefit of two season's worth of playing experience.
The Rams will once again employ a 3-5-3 defensive unit that will enable the coaching staff to more efficiently use all of the available defensive personnel. Once again, the Rams' strength will be the linebackers as Ketchum continues to believe that the linebackers are some of the most talented players on the roster.
The most experience resides in the Rams' front three as the trademark of Ketchum's defensive scheme is an athletic linebacking corps. A trio of juniors will grace the front three as Thaddeus Griffin (6'2", 225), Corey Swinnie (6,2", 235), and Darrian Bynum (6,0", 200) will return to the starting lineup. Griffin returns in 2006 as the leading returnee in tackles as he earned 49 total tackles in 2005 with 26 solo takedowns. He earned five tackles for loss and two sacks as well as a fumble recovery. Bynum returns only six tackles behind Griffin as he recorded 43 total tackles, 29 of which were of the solo tackle variety. His nine tackles for loss led the Rams and his lone sack placed him fifth on the roster. He forced two fumbles in 2005 and snared one interception. He will look to create havoc from the strong-side linebacker position as he uses his quickness to dominate larger, slower offensive lineman. Swinnie will likely occupy the third linebacker slot as he has worked hard in the offseason in the weight room improving not only his speed but his strength. He will undoubtedly improve upon his 2005 numbers which saw him record 26 total tackles, 17 of which were solo tackles.
The defensive backfield is no longer a detriment to the Rams as Ketchum has loaded the field with cornerbacks and safeties that are bigger and faster than many of the most recent WSSU backfields. Nathaniel Biggs and Maurice Reid will likely occupy the cornerback slots as both players placed in the top 10 in tackles last season. Biggs, a 6'1", 200 pound junior is the second leading returning tackler for the Rams as he recorded 46 tackles in 2005, 30 of which were unassisted. He led the Rams with three interceptions, one which he took 45 yards for a touchdown. He will be flanked by Reid who is a speedy 5'10", 170 pound senior who returns for his final year of eligibility. Reid placed sixth on the Rams' roster in tackles last season with 36, 30 of which were unassisted. He snared one interception, returning it 40 yards, and broke up 10 passes. He is the most seasoned player in the WSSU backfield and will use his speed to thwart opponent's air attacks.
"We are going to continue to improve defensively this season, and knowing the strength of the opponents that we will face this season, we are going to need to continue to improve, and do so in a hurry," Ketchum said. "If opponents want to put a lot of skill guys on the field, we can definitely combat that with additional defensive backs. However, if an opponent wants to put a bigger team on the field, then we can definitely battle that with our size, most certainly with our big linebackers. We are definitely going to be improved from a scheme standpoint."
Specialists
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/1
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 1/1
Special teams sees the loss of one starter, and the return of another as the Rams will continue to employ a solid special teams unit. Gone are the services of placekicker Matt Hind, the kicker who turned in a perfect eight-for-eight field-goal kicking performance during 2005 including two game-winners. Hind, who tallied game winning field goals versus Elizabeth City State and Fayetteville State University was lost to graduation and his kicking duties are likely to be filled by fifth-year senior Chad Oakley. In addition to his place-kicking duties, Hind also kicked 48 punts for 1786 yards last season as he filled in for two-time All-CIAA punter Chad Oakley who was sidelined following leg surgery. Oakley, a fifth-year senior who was granted an NCAA medical redshirt year in 2005 will look to return to the form that propelled him to back-to-back All-CIAA kicking honors during his sophomore and junior seasons. Oakley returned for the final game of the season in 2005 after appearing in the season opener as he tallied nine punts for 323 yards (35.3 yards per kick) in those two appearances. Fully healed from his surgery, Oakley will be the one constant on the WSSU special teams unit. He will likely assume the placekicking duties left behind by Hind who turned in the most successful season of his career in 2005.
Final Analysis
The 2006 season will be one of change for the Rams as they leave behind the comfortable surroundings of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) a conference in which they were extremely successful for 61 years for the opportunity for increased national exposure and recognition on the NCAA's highest stage, at the NCAA Division I level. The 2006 season will build the foundation for the years of success that is predicted for the Rams. Starting with the coaches, student-athletes and athletic administrators, all the way down to even the most casual of Ram fans, the 2006 season will be an exciting and trying year in which there will be highlights and setbacks as a nation of Ram fans and supporters watches and cheers as the Rams of Winston-Salem State University write history in a new chapter of athletic excellence.
