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Grid challenges begin immediately
Brutal heatwave the first of many challenges in 2006; Games begin Aug. 26
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
The clock is officially ticking towards the kickoff of what should be a "challenging" 2006 black college football season.
Players from most schools are reporting this week, some next week, and will face their first challenge in surviving the brutal heat wave sweeping the country during preseason practice.
If they can make it through these 'dog days' of summer _ and we
pray they do _ a limited schedule of 12 games gets the season started on
Saturday, August 26. That's also when the first of two intriguing matchups
carrying the "Challenge" moniker
take place.
"Challenges"
Defending champions Albany State of the
SIAC and North Carolina Central of the
CIAA clash in Durham, N.C. Aug. 26 in what's
being dubbed the first CIAA/SIAC Challenge. Here's hoping there'll be plenty more.
If CIAA/SIAC challenges are your thing _ other than the Dec. 2 Pioneer Bowl and a possible date in the Div. II playoffs _ the only other one in the regular season will be Lane's date in Raleigh with St. Augustine's on Sept. 2.
The other game carrying the Challenge name is on that same date (Sat., Sept. 2), when 2005 SWAC champion, Grambling State meets MEAC champ Hampton in the second annual SWAC/MEAC Challenge in Birmingham. That game will be carried live on ESPN2 at 6:00 p.m.
The MEAC is up 1-0 after the first such meeting last season when South Carolina State downed Alabama State 27-14 and got this "Challenge" thing started.
This year's date is the highlight of a full weekend of 33 games which really gets the season kick-started. By the way, if you're looking for another SWAC/MEAC challenge, try Southern's battle with Bethune-Cookman in Jacksonville, Fl. on the same date (Sept. 2.). It's the only other one.
And since we're on the subject of cross-conference challenges, how about Fort Valley State's date against Howard on Sept. 30 in this season's only SIAC/MEAC showdown.
The closest things to a MEAC/CIAA challenge are the in-state battles between Norfolk State and Virginia State on Sept. 2, and Bowie State and Morgan State on Sept. 16.
If SWAC/CIAA matchups are your thing, try out the Sept. 23 date
in Baton Rouge between Southern and North Carolina
Central. Again, it's the only one on the schedule.
If SWAC/SIAC tussles turn you on, you'll have to settle for Arkansas-Pine Bluff taking on Tuskegee in St. Louis on Sept. 30, Alabama A&M hosting Stillman for homecoming on Oct. 14 or the Turkey Day Classic on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23) pitting Tuskegee against Alabama State.
The Mother of all . . .
OK, if the aforementioned challenges don't get your blood boiling,
then there's one final one that's sure to.
Plans are in the works, pending NCAA approval, for the first Motherland Classic, sponsored by the Eddie Robinson Foundation (eddie robinson.com), to be staged on Christmas Day pitting the winner of the Pioneer Bowl against the SWAC champion in Banjul, The Gambia. That's in the Motherland, Africa, get it?
I thinks it's a great idea whose time has come. Another reason for us to find out from whence we came.
Boldly going . . .
But all the challenges this
season are not of the cross-conference variety. Several bold (or foolish) teams are
venturing into the NCAA Div. IA ranks for a test.
Alcorn State is at Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 2. Alabama State is at Troy on Sept. 2. Florida A&M plays at national power Miami on Sept. 9. Grambling travels to Houston and Texas Southern is at New Mexico State on Sept. 16. Howard takes on Rutgers on Sept. 23.
Inside the Ropes
Challenges also abound in conference play.
SIAC
When it comes to challenging two-time champion Albany State, the usual suspects, Tuskegee and Fort Valley State are at the head of the class. Problem is, both challengers have new head coaches and assistant coaches. Advantage Albany State.MEAC
Two-time champion Hampton will face perhaps its biggest challenges on the road (and in the I-AA playoffs where they haven't won a game in four tries).
The Pirates have to travel to Delaware State on Sept. 30, to South Carolina State on Oct. 21 and to Florida A&M on Nov. 11. League coaches picked S.C. State second and DelState and FAMU tied for third behind Hampton in their preseason poll.
SC State (14-10), Bethune-Cookman (24-10) and Howard (22-12) all had legitimate shots to knock off the Pirates last year but couldn't get it done. In two of those games, B-CC and Howard, the Pirates were on the road.
SWAC
Is Southern up to the challenge of dethroning a talented Grambling State squad in the SWAC West. The SWAC head coaches think so. But looking over Grambling's roster, I find that hard to believe. Granted, prolific QB Bruce Eugene is gone, but perhaps the coaches didn't know so many of his cohorts from last year are back.I'm sticking with the G-Men.
The coaches also picked Alabama A&M to repeat in the SWAC East. Alabama teams have had a lock on the East Division championship for six years now. It's time for Mississippi schools Alcorn State, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State to step up to the challenge.
MVSU, with head coach Willie Totten and talented QB Aries Nelson will do it.
CIAA
There are more than a few coaches who think defending champ North Carolina Central will get a serious challenge in the CIAA. They picked Fayetteville State to unseat the Eagles in the league's West Division. I'm not so sure.It's true, NCCU had a major shake-up in its coaching staff, and this year's schedule likely favors FSU, but I don't think that's enough to dethrone the Eagles.
In the East, Bowie State, who was challenged by Virginia State and St. Paul's last season, will not be challenged by anyone this year.
In fact, I'm picking the Bulldogs to win the whole shebang.
Coaching challenges
North Carolina Central Athletic Director,
Bill Hayes, who used to regularly complain when he was
a head coach at North Carolina A&T about the tough schedules
ADs handed him, has done the same to his head coach, Rod
Broadway.
The defending CIAA champion Eagles open with SIAC champ Albany State, then face Triangle rival Shaw and tough non-conference foe, Lenoir-Rhyne. But those games are at home.
After a week's break, Broadway and the Eagles come back to face SWAC member Southern, CIAA East Division champ Bowie State, and West Division foes St. Augustine's and Fayetteville State, all on the road in succession. Maybe Hayes is trying to prepare Broadway for the rigors of I-AA, where the Eagles are likely to move after this season.
The coaches who have the challenge of getting things started with a new team are former Temple assistant Willie Slater at Tuskegee, Deondri Clark who left Shaw to lead Fort Valley State, veteran Div. I assistant Lee Fobbs who gets his first head coaching stint at North Carolina A&T, former NC Central Offensive Coordinator Darrell Asberry who takes over at Shaw and former Tuskegee head man Rick Comegy who has assumed the reins at Jackson State.
Personal challenges
Hampton senior RB Alonzo Coleman, with 3,586 yards under his
belt, needs 242 rushing yards to become the Pirates' all-time
leading rusher and 546 yards to break the MEAC mark.
The Pirates, seeking their third straight MEAC title – a first since South Carolina State did it between 1980-83, are also facing the challenge of getting a I-AA playoff win. The theme of their 2006 Media Guide is "Seasoned for the Challenge."
Daunting Challenge
Finally, it will be quite a
challenge for some to stay up late to watch seven of the 37 black college games to
be broadcast on national television this season. ESPNU has five of its 12
games on after 10 p.m. (They call it tape
delay. I call it bedtime. Others call it
party time.) The smallest member of "The worldwide leader" also
has three Thursday and two Sunday games. CSTV is airing one game
at 9:30 p.m. and another at 11:30.
© 2006 Azeez Communications, Inc.