UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
S&S PREDICTIONS: Street & Smith's College Football magazine is on newsstands
with all
its predictions for 2004 football including profiles of races
in the Mid Eastern Athletic and Southwestern
Athletic Conferences (SEE TOP BOX). New coaches at
four of the five West Division schools in the SWAC
may open the door for an East Division champ for the
first time in seven years. A strong cadre of returning
quarterbacks led by Alcorn State's Donald Carrie
also may boost chances for a champ from the East. Division
winner Alabama State, removed the interim tag from
coach Charles Coe, II, and looks to repeat. In the West, the
guys with perhaps the most weight on their shoulders
are Grambling State QB Bruce Eugene and new head
coach Melvin Spears. Spears is succeeding Grambling
legend Doug Williams at the helm of the program while Eugene
has I-AA all-American and Heisman Trophy expectations.
But don't count out league champ Southern, the dominant
team in all of black college football last year. League
offensive MVP, QB Quincy Richard is gone but
Pete Richardson is the lone holdover on the West Division
sideline. The MEAC will enter the 2004 season with
Florida A&M again out of the spotlight. After a brief flirtation with Div. IA
football status, the Rattlers retreated back to tUhe MEAC too late
to be eligible for the title. Five teams (North Carolina
A&T, Hampton, South Carolina State, Bethune-Cookman
and Morgan State) are considered legitimate contenders for
the crown with maybe only Norfolk State and
Delaware State out of the running in the eight-team league. The
standout position in the MEAC could be at running back with
top flight rushers at NC A&T (3), Hampton (2) and
Howard (2). Last year's freshman sensations,
Alonzo Coleman (Hampton) and Antoine Rutherford
(Howard), could be the best of the bunch. With so much being equal, the best
performance by a quarterback or a defense will likely open the door to
the MEAC title and I-AA playoff berth.
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.