Pioneer Bowl takes on added significance
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Tuskegee has a final chance to make its case as the top black college team of the year as it represents the SIAC at Pioneer Bowl VII in Mobile, Al., Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. CIAA champion, Shaw.
The Tigers, 10-1 this season under Rick Comegy their highly successful head coach whose name has already come up in discussions about real and potential I-AA black college job openings, have returned to their dominant ways.
After winning 33 of 35 games between 2000 and 2002 including a 12-0 national title year in 2000, the Golden Tigers slipped to 5-6 a year ago. This season, they are a Hail Mary pass against Albany State (a 33-29 loss) away from repeating their 2000 exploits. They come in as runners-up in the SIAC and are winners of seven straight games.
And with losses by the top four teams in the BCSP Top Ten (see Story below), the Golden Tigers can make their case for the number one ranking with a dominating performance against Shaw.
Shaw (9-2) earned its first conference grid title since 1947 in just its third year back playing football after a 24-year absence.
The Bears avenged an earlier defeat by knocking off two-time champ Fayetteville State 10-7 in the CIAA Championship Game but were left out of the Div. II playoffs while FSU got in. They also have something to prove.
Head coach Deondri Clark, in his second year at the helm, has the goal of making the Bears a national power and he could take no bigger step than playing with and defeating Tuskegee.
"This game is huge for us,"" said Clark. "To play a team of Tuskegee's caliber is a big step for us. We just hope to match them, toe-to-toe. We're the last two teams standing and who knows, we might just sneak into the black college national championship picture."
Tuskegee and Shaw have two common opponents this season, St. Augustine's and Kentucky State. Tuskegee defeated St. Aug's 40-28 to open the season and waxed Kentucky State 41-15 late in the season.
Shaw played perhaps its worst game of the season in losing to St. Aug's 34-6 on Sept. 18. The Bears got by KSU, 34-28 on Oct. 30. The Bears have not played in since their CIAA title game victory on Nov. 6 and come in on a six-game winning streak dating back to their Sept. 25 loss to FSU.
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.