Sept. 22, 2004
Winston-Salem State 1-3 (1-0 CIAA) Vs. Bowie State 2-2 (1-1 CIAA)
Saturday, September 25th, 2004 (1:00 pm in Bowie, MD)
Rams vs. Bulldogs...The matchup between the Rams and Bulldogs marks the fifth game of the 2004 season for both teams. The two teams both enter the contest sitting in the middle of the pack in their respective CIAA divisions. Last weekend the Rams defeated Virginia Union in Winston-Salem, NC by the score of 20-13 to help break a three-game losing streak, giving the Rams their first win of the 2004 season. The Bulldogs fell in defeat to the Eagles of North Carolina Central by the score of 31-28. Both teams enter the contest looking for yet another CIAA victory with hopes of making it to the CIAA Championship game.
The Series...The Rams and Bulldogs have met 16 times prior to Saturday's matchup. The Rams own the series edge as WSSU is 12-4 all-time versus Bowie State. Kermit Blount has posted a 5-2 record versus the Bulldogs since taking over the WSSU program in 1993, losing to BSU in the 1993 and 1995 seasons.
Fun Facts and Numbers...WSSU's record versus the Bulldogs all time is 12-4...Largest WSSU win - 44 (51-7 in 1984)...Largest Bowie State win - 13 (20-7 in 1995)...Longest WSSU win streak - 6 games (1983-1988)...Longest Bowie State win streak - 2 (1989 [Rams lost two times to BSU during the 1989 season]).
The Last Meeting...The last meeting between the two teams came during the 2002 season with the Rams earning the 24-12 road victory. In that game, WSSU used a powerful running game to sneak out of Bowie, MD with the CIAA victory.
TV Coverage...There is no television coverage for this game.
Radio Coverage...This weekend's contest will be available to listeners in the greater Winston-Salem area on WSNC, FM 90.5 with George Croom, Al Roseboro, Ted Fichiolas and Sam Harley calling all the action as well as nationally on the internet at www.wssu.edu by clicking on the link: "Listen to WSNC."
WSSU Linebacker Anthony Robinson:
How important is the win over Virginia Union for the team?
Very important. Not only do we get a win, we get a CIAA win. We didn't win like we wanted and it wasn't a pretty one, but a win is a win. 1-0 in the CIAA now, and we just have to continue it.
The blocked kick, some say that a blocked kick is lucky, but there is effort there, right?
Yeah, we work on that stuff every day in practice. We say, never concede the point. The coaches always talk about PAT's not being a sure thing. And to have a fellow linebacker get the block, that is great. It just shows the pride that we have.
What are you looking for from Bowie?
They are a balanced team. They will show a little shotgun a little zone, but we have seen it before from teams like Tusculum and Fort Valley State. Bowie is a good team. There is no mystery there. We just have to do what we have to do to get a win.
Other important things people should know about the weekend?
I guess it is just important to know that we are going to be coming out hard trying to get to 2-0 in the conference. We need to get on a roll like last season.
Switching to outside linebacker again [from inside linebacker], are your numbers going up or down?
When it comes to number, I don't pay attention to that. Wherever I am, it doesn't matter. We have a great group of linebackers and so, we can all bounce around, move around and we just do whatever we have to to get the win.
How important is your leadership on the field?
I watch a lot of film. Not just for me, but for my teammates. I try to lead by alerting my guys out there what might be happening. Study whatever it takes to try to help out the team. I think that I hadn't been playing like I could, and I think that last week was a step back in the right direction for me.
Are you more comfortable now? It looks like it.
I don't know about that. I mean we played some very stiff competition in the first few games, and now we are starting to click. Some say that we have a bad defense, because of the stats posted against us when we played those first three teams. But we brush that off, because we know what we have, the talent that we have on this defense.
How do you prepare for an elusive quarterback like that [the one at Bowie State]?
Elusive quarterbacks are no mystery for us. We have seen it before. I mean we practice against Monte Purvis, and he is the most elusive quarterback I have ever seen, or played against. So it's not a big deal, its not something that is new to us.
Linebacker Levern Bynum:
How does the first win feel?
It feels great. It gets the monkey off our back. With the win, we can try to get the ball rolling like last year [when we ended on a winning streak].
It was close, they had a chance, but you guys stopped them. Is that heart that showed the factor in this team?
A win is a win. Whether you win by a hundred or win by one. Like Tony [Robinson] said, we never concede the point. Never. It is something that shows. Blocking kicks and special teams are all heart.
Bowie State, what do you expect to see?
They are going to air it out. They are going to try to beat us in the air. But we have great corners and great safeties, who are underrated, and so it might not be such a good idea for them to throw it. We will shut them down if they do.
The Rams have not had great success against elusive quarterbacks this season. What do you guys need to do to adjust to Bowie State's QB?
The adjustments have been made. We need to hit and wrap. Wrap up our tackles and we will be fine. We need to do what we were taught and we will be fine.
You need to be a leader, with Tony, and now, your younger brother is out there with you. How do you feel you lead?
We are the guys (Tony and I) that need to make sure we get the alignments right. We have seen more things, being around longer, and we have to help show the young guys what needs to be done. We just lead like the guys before us led us.
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" We have to take them one at a time and we can't look past anything or anyone because you can't lose in the conference. And that is the great thing about this conference right now is that in football, the parity is so great that you can't afford to slip up."
WSSU Head Football Coach, Kermit Blount
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How does last week carry you into this week?
I think a win gets us pumped even more. Gets our focus up, our intensity up. We needed to keep it going this week, practice hard. Bowie isn't going to let us come into their house and beat them up. We needed to make sure we had our heads on right and that we were on point.
Is there competition between you and your brother?
No. I learn from him. He has seen more and I just listen to him. He won't sugar coat things and he won't lie to me. I just really value having him around.
Is that the same answer you will give off-camera?
Uh, yeah (laughs)
Head Coach Kermit Blount: This week, obviously there is not much time for celebration, right? No, not at all. That game is in the past [Virginia Union] and we have to get ready for Bowie State. The new-look Bowie State.
Bowie State is a little more offensive minded this year, don't you think?
I'll tell you what, that is a good football team we are going to play. A lot of juniors and seniors, a lot of junior college transfers, a lot of four-year college transfers. Our young guys are going to have to play. They are pretty good up front. They are pretty good defensively, but we feel very good about what we are doing, and think that we can compete. I don't think that they've had the opportunity to line down against some of the teams that we have s we don't fear Bowie, we just want to go in and play hard and things will take care of themselves this weekend.
Do you think that you guys can get on a roll now hopefully?
Oh yeah. I think that the guys like the feeling that they had on Saturday. Even though I don't think that we played all that well we were still able to come out with a win. I think that it is a very positive thing for us.
What problems does Bowie State present? I hear from their coach that they rotate quarterbacks, it really depends on how the game is progressing. What problems does that present?
I think that they are a good team. They have some real talent at the quarterback position, and they have some good skill guys. Couple that with the good guys they have up front, and its going to be a good football team that we have to line down and play against. We need to protect the football, and try to establish the game, with time of possession, and trying to put points on the board.
There really is no room for error in this conference is there? You guys just have to win every conference game basically, right?
It is tough. We have to take them one at a time and we can't look past anything or anyone because you can't lose in the conference. And that is the great thing about this conference right now is that in football, the parity is so great that you can't afford to slip up.
Coach, you got your first win on Saturday, how does it feel?
Anytime you get a win, it's a good thing. I was not overly pleased with our overall play, but we were able to pull a win out of it. Above anything else, it told me a lot about the character of our team. We played through some flat spots and continued to play, and so we are beginning to mature as a team. I'm just looking forward to going out again on Saturday and looking to see if we can accomplish the same thing.
That blocked kick. That doesn't happen that often. So talk about that.
Yeah. It is nice. We made a few subtle adjustments, especially using our big offensive lineman Emmanuel Akah to get some push and create a lane and Brandon McLelland was the young man who stepped in and made that play. And that was a big play for us. And I think Levern [Bynum] eluded to it earlier that Brandon maybe only played a few plays for us on special teams in the entire game and he came in and made a big play like that. That shows the character of this team.
The Rams take on the Bowie State University Bulldogs from Bulldog Stadium in Bowie, MD on Saturday at 1:00 pm.
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