Sept. 27, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem State University Rams (1-3) return home this weekend to the friendly confines of Bowman Gray Stadium as they play host to the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina University (2-2, 0-0 Big South). The contest will mark the first meeting between the two teams. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time.
Venue...Bowman Gray Stadium in
The Event...The fifth game of the 2006 season for the Rams, this weekend's contest will be only the second home contest for the Rams. The game will mark WSSU's participation in the NCAA-sponsored "Take A Kid To The Game" day where up to two children ages 12 and under receive free admission with a paying adult. The game is the second of only four home contests that the Rams will play in 2006.
Television Coverage...There is no national television coverage for this contest versus the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina University. However, the game will air on RAM TV on campus at WSSU in a tape-delay format.
Radio Coverage...This weekend's contest will be available to listeners in the greater Winston-Salem, NC area live on WSNC, 90.5 FM with Maurice "Big Mo" Stanfield calling all the play-by-play action and L.A. Batchelor providing the color commentary, as well as live nationally on the internet at www.WSSU.edu by clicking on the link: "Listen to WSNC." The Chanticleers will air a radio broadcast on the Coastal Carolina Sports Radio Network with the following affiliates carrying the game: 93.9 FM, 93.7 FM, 1050 AM "The Team".
Live Statistical Broadcast Online...A live statistical broadcast of the game, utilizing CSTV's "Gametracker" statistical software will be available on the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com.
Weather Forecast...Saturday's contest is set to be played in good weather as the forecast calls for a high temperature of 82 degrees and a low of 66 degrees with possible isolated thunderstorms and a 40% chance of precipitation.
Setting The Scene...The matchup between the Rams and Chanticleers will mark the fifth game of the season for both teams. The Rams are coming off of a game in which they allowed their opponent to come back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to steal a win from the jaws of defeat as the Rattlers of Florida A&M University scored 15 unanswered points in the game's final nine minutes last Saturday evening in Tallahassee, FL to defeat the Rams 25-21 to drop WSSU to 1-3 on the season. The Chanticleers are coming off of a 33-14 win over the South Carolina State University Bulldogs in
Next Up...The Rams will stay at home for the second consecutive weekend as they play host to the Bison of Howard University for WSSU Homecoming 2006. The Rams will host Howard at Bowman Gray Stadium at 2:00 pm as WSSU looks to avenge their 20-6 loss in
2005 Results...The Rams are coming off of a 2005 season in which they posted a 6-4 record overall (6-1 CIAA) and narrowly missed a CIAA title-game appearance. The Chanticleers posted a 9-2 overall record in 2005 and turned in a 3-1 record in the Big South Conference. The 3-1 conference mark earned them their second consecutive Big South Conference Championship. The Chants, despite being in only their fourth year of football existence, finished 2005 ranked 24th in the nation in the Sports Network poll, 24th in the USA Today/ESPN poll, 25th in Don Hansen's Football Gazette poll, and 27th in the I-AA.org national poll.
Rankings...Neither the Rams nor the Chants are currently receiving any votes in any of the major, national, college football polls.
The Last Meeting...This is the first meeting between the two teams. This is the first game of a home-and-home series between the two teams. WSSU will travel to
The Series...
"Loaded" Doesn't Cover It...To say that the Chanticleers are "loaded" does not begin to describe how much talent that Coastal Carolina possesses. The Chants return 21 starters from a team which won its second consecutive Big South Conference title last season. The Chants return seven players who started a game on offense and nine who started a game on defense as well as 15 players who made a start on one of the various special teams units last season.
Young Team, Accomplished Team...Though the Chants have fielded a varsity football team for only four seasons (the fourth season being the 2006 season), the Chants have already won back-to-back Big South Conference championships and have posted an all-time record of 27-10.
What Is A "Chanticleer"?...Coastal Carolina has one of the most unique mascots in all of the over 700 Division I member institutions. The "Chanticleers" are the only such mascot in the nation at any intercollegiate athletics level. But what is it?...The Chanticleers derive their nickname from Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canturberry Tales." The Chanticleer appears in the "Nun's Priest Tale" as a rooster who defeats his opponents with cunning, guile, wit, and knowledge and always comes out on top.
Common Opponents...The Rams and Chants, in addition to facing each other, face two common opponents in 2006. WSSU and CCU have both played games against
A Win This Week Would...
...give the Rams their second win of the 2006 season and move
...snap the Rams two-game losing streak
...give WSSU head coach Kermit Blount his 79th win at WSSU pulling him within two wins of Thomas "Tank" Conrad (81 wins) for second place on the WSSU all-time win list (behind only Bill Hayes with an all-time best 89 wins).
...earn the Rams their second win over an NCAA Division I-AA opponent this season (a 39-28 win at South Carolina State that came during the 2000 season being the most recent non-2006 win over a Division I-AA team).
...earn the Rams their second win as an NCAA Division I-AA program.
...drop Coastal Carolina to 2-3 for the first time in their four-year history.
...pull current WSSU head coach Kermit Blount's overall record versus
...earn WSSU their second win over a Division I opponent during the tenure of Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell.
...mark WSSU's second road win over a Division I-AA team.
A Loss This Week Would...
...move
...push the Chanticleers' win streak to two consecutive games.
...give WSSU head coach Kermit Blount his 61st loss, putting him only 18 losses shy of the WSSU all-time loss record held by Thomas "Tank" Conrad (79 total).
...keep the Rams with only one win versus a Division I opponent (North Carolina A&T) since a 39-28 win at
...move
...earn
...drop WSSU head coach Kermit Blount's record versus
...Give the Chants a 1-0 lead in the all-time series between the two teams. This Saturday's contest marks the first meeting between the two teams.
Understanding The Injury Chart...The Rams use the National Football League's injury chart model which separates injuries into four categories: (1) "Out" which indicates that a player will not play in the upcoming game and will not be dressed for the contest. (2) "Doubtful" which indicates that a player will have only a 25% chance of playing. (3) "Questionable" which indicates that a player will have a 50% chance of playing, and (4) "Probable" which indicates that the player has a 75% chance of playing.
Lost To Injury...The Rams have lost five players to injury already this season. Most recently WSSU lost defensive lineman Detron Hart to a cervical sprain. Hart was injured in last weekend's game versus Florida A&M. He is currently wearing a cervical collar, yet is very anxious to get back to practice.WSSU lost starting defensive lineman Quentin Jones to a knee injury that he sustained in the game versus
No Doubts...WSSU has no one placed on the doubtful list.
No Questions...WSSU has no one placed on the questionable list.
He will probably give it a go...WSSU Head Athletic Trainer, Darrell Turner has placed Samuel Robinson on the probable list. The 6'2", junior linebacker is still nursing a subluxation of his left shoulder which he sustained in the Rams 41-14 win over
WSSU Players To Watch...Junior quarterback #4 Monte Purvis; senior tight end #81 Stan Wright; redshirt freshman running back #26 Brandon McRae; senior wide receiver #8 Brad Herring; junior linebacker #33 Darrian Bynum; junior linebacker #45 Thadeus Griffin; junior right spur/cornerback #10 De'Ron Middleton; senior left defensive end #90 Jason Holman.
Coastal Carolina Players To Watch ...Senior quarterback Tyler Thigpen; senior fullback Aundres Perkins; junior wide receiver Jerome Simpson; junior wide receiver Santini Washington; senior defensive end Adrian Grady; senior defensive lineman Sam Harper; junior outside linebacker Anthony Steele.
12th MEAC Member...On July 20, 2006, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced that it will expand its membership to 12 members next year, as the league voted to admit
Going To Have A New Home...The Winston-Salem State University Rams will have a new home in 2007. On Wednesday, August 30, 2006, the Rams broke ground on a new 12,000 square-foot fieldhouse that will house all of the WSSU Athletic Department offices, a rehabilitation and sports medicine center, a new weightroom, and a press deck with a high-definition video board. The $4.2 million dollar project is a collaborative effort between
Its About The Rush...The Rams are 1-2 in 2006 when they do not have a player record at least 100 yards rushing in a contest. Last season the Rams posted a 6-4 record when a running back had at least 100 yards rushing. WSSU's game versus Catawba was the first time in 13 games that the Rams did not have a 100-yard rusher. Tionti Powell was the Rams' leading rusher with 59 yards on 13 carries. In the contest versus North Carolina A&T the Rams nearly recorded their first 100-yard rusher as Tionti Powell tallied 95 yards on 13 carries for an average of 7.1 yards per carry. Brandon McRae earned 82 yards on 12 carries. The Rams recorded their first 100-yard rusher of the season this past weekend as running back Tionti Powell eclipsed the 100-yard rushing plateau.
To The House...The last time that the Rams' defense scored was also the last time that the Rams intercepted a pass and took it for a touchdown. De'Ron Middleton's 74-yard interception return for a touchdown against Saint Augustine's College on October 29, 2005 was the last time that the Rams' defense recorded a touchdown.
Its Been Awhile...The last time that the Rams defeated a team that was ranked in the AFCA Coaches' Poll was during the 2003 season when WSSU defeated then-#19 Fort Valley State University in Macon, GA by the score of 27-21. Since that time, the Rams have fallen to three ranked opponents.
Only Two...The Rams will play only two non-Division I teams this season as they face off against only Catawba College (lost on August 26 by the score of 21-7) and Saint Augustine's College (November 4). The Rams will face nine Division I-AA programs this season, including three teams that were ranked in the Division I-AA AFCA Coaches' Poll in 2006 (Hampton, S.C. State and Coastal Carolina). WSSU faces four conferences this season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (seven times), the Big South (once), the South Atlantic Conference (once), and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (once). The Rams also face one independent team in the Tigers of South Carolina State University.
Scoring Plenty, But Not Like The Chants...The Rams have scored 75 points in four games and are averaging 18.8 points per game. In order for the Rams to earn the win this weekend, they must stop the Chanticleers prolific passing offense, an offense that returns all but two starters from 2005. Coastal
Stop The Madness...The Rams have committed 33 penalties this season, resulting in 258 yards for their opposition. In the game versus North Carolina A&T, the Rams gave the Aggies three consecutive third-down conversions due to penalties on the same drive resulting in North Carolina A&T's first touchdown of the game. Versus the Florida A&M the Rams gave the Rattlers a key first down due to a roughing the passer call. Penalties have cost the Rams five automatic first downs through four games of the 2006 football season.
More Second-Half Production...The Rams have scored 48 of their 75 total points in the first half of games. WSSU must get more second-half production if they plan on continuing their win streak this weekend. The Rams have scored only 27 points in the second half of games this season. They have two touchdowns in the third quarters and two in the fourth quarters.
Outside of North Carolina...The Rams' first battle outside of the State of North Carolina was last Saturday evening as the Rams traveled to Tallahassee, FL to face the Florida A&M University Rattlers. The trip to
Six Pack Of Sacks...Through four games of the season, the Rams are currently sporting a "six pack of sacks". William Hayes leads WSSU with two-and-a-half sacks and he is joined by
Extending Success...Winston-Salem State University Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell announced on September 6, 2006 that the WSSU Department of Athletics has extended the contract of Head Football Coach Kermit Blount for three more years, taking him through the 2010 season. Blount's current contract took him through the 2007 season and with the extension, will ensure that he remains the head football coach at
Kicking It Up A Notch...Senior punter Chad Oakley continues to prove that he is one of the most valuable players on the Rams' roster. Through three games, Oakley has kicked 17 punts for 733 yards for an average of 43.1 yards per kick. He has recorded four touch backs, two fair catches, and has pinned three different opponents inside their own 20-yard line. He has not had a punt blocked since the 2004 season.
75-25 Breakdown...Despite a promise to try to pass the ball more, Head Coach Kermit Blount's Rams have run the ball 75.3% of the time thus far in the 2006 season. The Rams have 215 total plays on offense, with 162 of them being rushing attempts. WSSU has thrown only 53 passes on the season, 24 of which have been caught for positive yardage. The Rams have recorded eight rushing touchdowns and two passing TD's. Quarterback Monte Purvis has as many rushing touchdowns as he does passing.
Doing Fine After The Injury...Winston-Salem State University defensive end Detron Hart who was injured in the Rams' game versus Florida A&M University last Saturday has suffered a cervical sprain and will be inactive until further notice according to a statement issued by WSSU Head Athletic Trainer, Darrell Turner late Tuesday afternoon. "While we are still waiting on the release of all of the films from the hospital in
Competing Well In Division I...
Audibles
"As we continue along in this transition to Division I, one of the things that we value the most is stability, and extending Coach Blount's contract for the next three years will help us to do that. He is a proven winner and we have now ensured that he will be our head football coach through the 2010 season. This provides us with the stability and direction that will be necessary to build successful teams as we transition to the NCAA Division I level"
WSSU Director of Athletics, Dr.
"We have yet to realize how good a football team that we really are. Good teams close out games, and this past weekend versus the Rattlers we just didn't do that. When you lead like we did, [by 11 with under nine minutes to play] you expect that you will be able to win a ball game. We didn't do that. That is the sign of a young team that is maturing. I think that we definitely learned alot from that game, and we have been building on all of our setbacks, and we are moving forward as a team. Although it sounds cliche, we really are becoming a better football team through these experiences. "
WSSU head football coach, Kermit Blount on his own team
"I think Winston is a very good football team and they get some good players up there," said Carter, a former NFL player who spent 12 seasons playing for the Denver Broncos. "They have talent at the skill positions and are a good football team. They've already beaten a MEAC team in A&T so when you look at them, they can move the ball on the ground but can also mix it up pretty well."
Florida A&M head football coach, Ruben Carter on the Rams
Despite The Misses... "I don't want to beat up on Marvin," Blount said. "I'm just going to try and coach him up and get him more confident and consistent. This kid has been productive when he was at Allen (University), and he was productive through the A&T game. We just have to figure out what's twitching him right now."
WSSU Head Coach Kermit Blount
Did You Know?...
For additional information on WSSU football, contact the WSSU Office of Sports Information at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com.
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