ORANGEBURG, SC - South Carolina State will play a 12-game football
schedule for a second consecutive year, according to a slate
released by the university. Six of the twelve contests will
be played in the Palmetto State, however, only three are currently
scheduled for Orangeburg and Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, according
to the slate and Bulldog head football coach and interim athletics
director Oliver “Buddy” Pough.
The Bulldogs open play Aug. 30 at Tennessee State in Nashville, travel to Spartanburg Sept. 6 to meet Wofford, and follow with a trip to Baltimore for their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against Morgan State Sept. 13.
On Sept. 20, the Bulldogs will host Savannah State, mostly likely in Charleston, as school officials are negotiating with The Citadel for use of Johnson C. Hagood Stadium. That contest will be followed by the second annual Palmetto Capital City Classic against Benedict at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
After an open date Oct. 4, the Bulldogs will play their home opener Nov. 11 when they host Norfolk State. Other games at Orangeburg are Delaware State, Nov. 1, in the annual Homecoming game, and Florida A&M Nov. 15.
Additional road games are at Hampton, Oct. 25, Howard, Nov. 8 and North Carolina A&T, probably at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta Nov. 22.
“I know it’s unusual to have just three home games,” said Pough when announcing the 2003 schedule. “But, what our alumni, fans and supporters should remember is that six of our 12 games are in South Carolina.
“We will be playing,” he continued “in the Upper State (Spartanburg), the Midlands (Columbia), and the Lower State (Charleston). And, the proximity of those games will give our fans an opportunity to support the team outside of Orangeburg.”
Pough said that plans are still under discussion to determine the upcoming season-ticket package, which will include some of the classics. Starting times for the games will also be finalized soon.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 7-5 season, the first under Pough, who succeeded Willie Jeffries, who retired following the 2001 campaign after 19 seasons as Bulldog head coach and over forty years in coaching.
