Sept. 7, 2005
Kickoff...
Venue...Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium in
Television Coverage...There is no television coverage for this contest versus the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University. The Rams currently have no games in the 2005 season that are slated for television broadcasts, however there is discussion about televising the October 15th, 2005 contest versus the North Carolina Central University Eagles.
Radio Coverage...This weekend's contest will be available to listeners in the greater Winston-Salem area live on WSNC, FM 90.5 with Doc Love and George Croom calling all the action as well as live nationally on the internet at www.WSSU.edu by clicking on the link: "Listen to WSNC."
Live Statistical Broadcast Online...Can't make it to the game, but want to keep tabs on what the Rams are doing as it happens? Then log on to the official live statistical broadcast of the game on GAMETRACKER. Catch all WSSU home games as each one takes advantage of the Rams' enhanced partnership with College Sports Television as WSSU became the 72nd NCAA member school to use the GAMETRACKER software that enables a live statistical broadcast of the entire game to be seen on the World Wide Web. To access the GAMETRACKER webcast, fans may visit the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com, accessing the football schedule page and then clicking on the GAMETRACKER link to view all the statistical action and information.
Electronic Link To Game Notes...The Link, via wssurams.com to the Rams' weekly media release...
http://www.collegesports.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/wssu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/weekly-release
Electronic Link To Depth Chart...The link, via wssurams.com to the Ram's weekly depth chart...
http://www.collegesports.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/wssu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/depth-chart
Setting The Scene...The matchup between the Rams and Bulldogs marks the second game of the season for SCSU and marks the third contest of the year for the winless Rams. WSSU lost to Howard University 20-6 last weekend in Washington, DC and SCSU defeated Alabama State 27-14 in Birmingham, AL in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge.
The Series...The Rams and Bulldogs have met only three other times in the history of both programs. The first meeting occurred in 1977 as the Rams fell to SCSU by the score of 10-7 at a neutral venue. The second meeting between the two teams came in 1994 when the Rams fell 48-27 in
Fun Facts and Numbers...Since coming to Winston-Salem State University in 1993 to coach his alma mater, head football coach Kermit Blount is 2-12-1 all-time versus teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Rams' last win against a MEAC school came in 2000 when they defeated
Purvis Takes Over...With the conclusion of the 2004 season, the Rams lost the services of quarterback Joshua McGee, who has since moved on to become a member of the Ram coaching staff. With the move from the playing field to the sidelines, the Rams have crowned a new starting quarterback in
The Brothers Bynum...The Rams have a tradition of football excellence, and also have a tradition of family that permeates not only the football program, but the athletic program in general. The Rams currently have two sets of brothers on the team, the most valuable of which are the Bynum Brothers. The brothers, Darrian Bynum (sophomore LB), and Levern Bynum (senior LB), will both make starts during the 2005 season. Levern has appeared in 31 games during his Ram career, starting 23 while Darrian appeared in eight games his freshman year in 2004, starting six and started the last two weeks. Darrian currently leads the Rams in tackles with 18 (12 solo, 6 assisted). Levern has four tackles thus far in 2005 (1 solo, 4 assisted).
The Coaches...The coaches for this game are very evenly matched-up and both captain two football programs rich in tradition, both of which are accustomed to winning. The Rams are led by 13th-year man and WSSU alum (1980), Kermit Blount. Blount has an overall record of 71-55-3 overall for a winning percentage of .550. He has faced the Bulldogs twice, posting a loss by the score of 48-27 during the 1994 season and a win in 2000 by the score of 39-28. SCSU is led by Oliver "Buddy" Pough who is entering into his fourth season with the Bulldogs. He has posted a 24-11 overall record for a winning percentage of .685. Pough has never faced the Rams and will be facing Kermit Blount for the first time in his three-year coaching tenure.
From Standard To Unconventional...The Rams are sporting a new defensive look this season as they have trashed the conventional 4-3 defensive scheme in favor of a more unconventional 3-5-3 defense under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Mike Ketchum. The
 Monte Purvis And The Rams Will Attempt To Earn Their First Win Of The Season On Saturday  |
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New Threads For The Rams...The Rams will have one set of new threads for the 2005 season as they have brand new Russell road white uniforms. WSSU unveiled the new uniforms this past weekend (
Rams Picked Third...The verdict came in on
Only Scoring Once...The Rams' defense will have to step up in 2005 as WSSU only scored one defensive touchdown in 2004. That touchdown, a 94-yard interception return for a TD versus
WSSU Jumps Out Early...The 2004 Rams liked to jump out on opponents early as the Rams posted a 4-2 record when they scored the first points of the game. This season, in both of the Rams' games, WSSU jumped out to early leads before relinquishing them both to their opponents before being saddled with losses.
Still No 100-Yard Rusher...Last week marked the second consecutive game where the Rams failed to have a 100-yard rusher. With the talented Jed Bines and Martin Hicks on the roster, the fact that the Rams were unable to break for at least one 100-yard rusher is something that mystifies the coaching staff and fans.
Possession Time Not Kind...Again...The Rams once again controlled the clock, and once again lost. The 2005 Rams are 0-1 when leading the possession battle. The 2004 Rams were 3-6 when leading in possession time. WSSU won the only game of the season in which they were out-possessed (versus
Artificial Turf Isn't Kind...The Rams lost last weekend on the artificial turf surface. WSSU has not won on turf since the 2003 season when they defeated West Virginia Tech 35-33 in
Players To Watch (WSSU)...#1 Jed Bines, junior running back; #27 Martin Hicks, senior running back; #4 Monte Purvis, sophomore quarterback; #9 Brandon Hussey, senior wide receiver and kick returner; #5 Chad Oakley, senior, punter.
99 Problems, But Numbers Ain't One...The Rams are loaded...literally. On August 27th, versus Catawba, the Rams had 97 players dressed in uniform. That 97 players is only two short of the NCAA maximum of 99 players that can dress for a team's home games. That means that the Rams have a roster that is 97.9% full. According to head equipment manager Jay Robinson, the Rams may very well fill all 99 uniforms on Saturday, September 17th, when they host
Running For Home...The Rams are very proficient at running the ball. There is no doubt about that. As a team, the Rams averaged 246.7 yards per game on the ground last season. However, in home games, the Rams averaged a stunning 298.7 yards per game on the ground.
Secondary Solution...If there was one glaring weakness in the 2004 Rams, it would have been the WSSU secondary. The Rams were ranked second to last, or last, in every pass defense statistic in the CIAA. WSSU has tried to remedy the situation by bringing in a new defensive coordinator in Mike Ketchum, and has switched from a 4-3 to a
New Season, New Announcers...The 2005 season will mark the debut of the new WSNC Radio 90.5 FM radio broadcast crew. The Rams' flagship station has recently revamped its entire WSSU Football broadcast crew. Ram fans will now hear all the on-field action brought to them by George Croom and Doc Love. The pair will combine for a tag-team play-by-play effort that will keep all those displaced Ram fans "in the know" with live action. As well, the duo are planning to launch a coaches show live, every Monday, starting on
Blount, All-Time...Most Ram fans know that current WSSU Head Football Coach Kermit Blount has amassed a career record of 71-55-3, for a career winning percentage of .550 en route to earning the Rams, and WSSU, a pair of CIAA football championships. However, very few people realize that, during his 12 year tenure, Blount has coached 36 players to All-CIAA First-Team honors. Among those 36 different players, 11 have earned the honor more than once, and two have earned the honor three times during their four-year career. Current Rams Martin Hicks and Jed Bines will look to earn the honor for their third time this season, and Brandon Hussey and Chad Oakley will look to earn the honor for the second time. Blount has coached four players that have gone on to play professional football in the NFL in Tory Woodbury (NY Jets and Denver Broncos), Richard Huntley (Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers), Orande Gadsen (Miami Dolphins) and Stephon Kelly (Cincinnati Bengals - since released).
7 Out Of 50...One look at the
The Tarheel State, Represented...Despite having players on the roster from seven of the 50 United States, South Carolina State has four active team members from the Tarheel State, two of them from Charlotte, NC and two of them from New Bern, NC.
Sophomore Sensation...The Rams' Darrian Bynum currently ranks third in the CIAA in tackles with 18. Bynum recorded six solo tackles and six assists versus Catawba and picked up six more solo tackles versus Howard. He also ranks sixth in the CIAA in tackles for loss as he recorded 2.5 tackles behind the opponent's line of scrimmage versus the Indians as well.
Injury Update...The 2005 Rams havfaced several injuries already, and will be traveling to
Back Again...The Rams benefit from the fact that Lamont Williamson (6'1", 220 lbs., senior) returns to the lineup after missing last week's game versus Howard University due to a death in his family. Williamson has returned to the Ram lineup and will more than likely make the start this weekend for the Rams.
X-Fer, X-Factor?...The Bulldogs, a very talented team that earned a share of the 2004 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship benefits from the addition of six Division I transfers. The Bulldogs added two transfer student-athletes from Morris Brown, one from the Citadel, one from Furman, one from
Statistics Are Deceiving...As any statistician can tell you, statistics can be deceiving If one briefly looks at the Rams' stats for this season, one would notice that WSSU is a perfect 100% in the red-zone. This does not tell the story as the Rams have been in the red-zone only once this season. WSSU turned in a perfect 1-1 showing inside the 20 yard-line versus Catawba in a 20-10 loss and did not enter the red zone on offense versus the Bison of Howard University last weekend as the Rams turned in only 58 yards of total offense in a 20-6 loss in
Red-Zone Efficiency, On The Flipside...The Rams are a perfect 1-1 in the red zone this season, however, their opponents are also turning in a red-zone efficiency of 100% as well as they are a perfect 7-for-7 inside the Rams' 20-yard line.
Four In Double Digits...The Rams have only four players who have ten or more tackles on the season. Though 28 players have recorded at least one tackle through two games, only Darrian Bynum (18), Thadeus Griffin (12), Nathaniel Biggs (10), and Raynard Crawley (10) have ten or more tackles thus far in 2005.
Connections With SCSU...The Rams have several connections with
Storyline, Division I...The 2005 season marks the first time since the 2000 season that the Rams have faced two Division I football opponents. That season, the Rams faced the Bulldogs of South Carolina State and the Pirates of Hampton.
Largest Stadium Thus Far...This Saturday's contest will see the Rams play in the largest stadium, in terms of fan capacity, that they will play in all season.
You guys have got to get back on a winning track. How do you do that?
Well, this weekend, we have
Oh absolutely, and a very talented team as well. They have a very talented football coach in Buddy Pough, and we go back a long ways. We are just going back at it again. But they are a very good team.
You have won at
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"Well, this weekend, we have South Carolina State, a great football team. The positive things that I have pulled out of both ball games, and we have had some negatives, as offensively we didn't move the football very well. But defensively, we played well. But even offensively, we have had some opportunities, and that is good, because once you get the opportunities, as we have had, something good will eventually, is bound to, happen."
Kermit Blount, WSSU Head Football Coach
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That was a totally different ball club, the one that we won at
How do you get Martin (Hicks) and Jed (Bines) more into the game and make the running game as important as it has been in past seasons?
I think that once we get either of those guys to the point where they have a big run here or there, I think we will be just fine. If we take a look at our offense, and especially out offense up front, I think that we will be just fine.
The offensive line is you up front, but you have some talent, right?
Yes. We are young, there is no doubt about that, but we do have some very talented young men up on that line, and when they get it, we will be in very good shape. We have had some injuries however, and have moved some people around.
Yes, one of your new, talented, freshman, Joe Blanks, didn't make the trip to Howard. Why is that?
He didn't make the trip, and I will leave it that. Nothing major, just one of those things. But yes, to answer your question, we were missing one of our guns up front and that hurt us. And Joe, he is a young gun also. We did not get a chance to stretch it out as much as we wanted to. So we have to make those adjustments.
So Joe will play this week?
Yeah.
He just broke a team rule then, I would assume?
Yeah. But, we made a point, and these kids are learning on the run. We have some young guys on this team. Michael Helton, a redshirt freshman center, Joe (Blanks) a true freshman, and then you look at Steve Jordan, a redshirt freshman, and Michael Champaign, he hasn't played in a year in a half, and really Jerome Dunbar is the only guy with any experience who is out there. We are kind of glad the way that we are playing the stiff competition now so it gives those guys the ability to go back and assess how they did and what they need to work on.
Injury wise, Matt is going to punt again? And William Hayes, he might be back next week?
Yeah, Matt is going to punt, and William, hopefully next week. He is walking pretty well right now, and we want him back, but in no way are we going to get him back before he is ready. We definitely don't want to do anything that is going to cause him any further injury or cause him any medical problem at all. We will only let him go when the doctors clear him and he, himself, feels ready to go.
What will be the primary key against
We just need to play well. We need to primarily avoid giving up the big play, and honestly, as far as this season has gone, we have avoided doing so. We need to keep the big play out of it, and we need to control the flow and tempo of the game on offense.
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