Around the FCS: N.C. Central excited about first D-I game

NCAA Football Betting Lines

08/24/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While most of the Football Championship Subdivision is eagerly anticipating season-opening games next week, one team is ready to get a head start on Saturday evening.

And it is a game of historical importance for everyone at North Carolina Central. The Eagles will be playing the first Division I game in school history.

NCCU will be heading to southwest Georgia for a 6 p.m. game against Division II Albany State.

After announcing intentions to move up and complete a transition year, folks at this historic Durham, N.C. campus are excited about the changes.

The school is heavily promoting its first D-I athletic event on campus, a volleyball tournament being held on campus on Friday and Saturday. But many alumni can hardly wait for Saturday night, when they can watch the score of the NCCU-Albany State football game crawl across sports tickers around the country.

"Everyone around here is very excited," said Kyle Serba, the school's longtime sports information director. "The downside is that the game is at Albany. We'd love to have it here. The community is ready."

The home opener will have to wait for Sept. 2, when the Eagles play a 4 p.m. Sunday game, called the Labor Day Classic, against Fayetteville State.

Overall, NCCU's schedule is a mix of Division II and Division I games, just four at home. After Albany State and Fayetteville State, the Eagles play two more D-II games before traveling to FCS rival North Carolina A&T in a game that should draw more than 20,000 fans.

Then there is a game against transitional Presbyterian before two more D-II opponents. The Eagles close the year with three Division I foes, Savannah State, Western Kentucky - a team transitioning from FCS to FBS - and arch- rival Winston-Salem State.

The timing of the move to FCS couldn't be better in some respects. NCCU is coming off an 11-1 campaign where it was named as the Black College national champion. Outstanding defensive lineman Greg Peterson was a fifth-round choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and running back Greg Pruitt Jr. is in camp as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens.

The downside to the success was the loss of coach Rod Broadway and most of his staff to Grambling. But offensive coordinator Mose Rison remains with the same west-coast offensive scheme that was so successful in 2006.

Rison will build his attack around sophomore quarterback Stadford Brown, an athletic runner and thrower, who was named CIAA offensive player of the year and the Black College player of the year.

NCCU isn't just another school making the move to Division I to reap the rewards of football and basketball success. The Eagles have developed a balanced athletic program that is strong in many areas.

NCCU teams appeared in the playoffs in nine NCAA sports last season and won CIAA titles in football, women's cross country, volleyball and women's basketball. The volleyball program has won three consecutive titles and was competitive last fall against D-I opponents, while the softball program won a league championship in 2006.

"Before the 2005-06 season we didn't bother checking the Director's Cup standings," said Serba. "We knew we wouldn't be anywhere near the top."

But in 2005-06, the Eagles finished 42nd among Division II schools for overall athletic success and last season NCCU improved to 24th.

"For us, that was huge," said Serba.

One of the main reasons for the move to Division I was a desire to continue close ties with longtime rivals such as North Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State, which made the move up from the CIAA and Division II a year ahead of NCCU. On the horizon is an expected move back to the MEAC, a league where the Eagles were charter members from 1971 until downgrading to Division II in 1980.

"I don't think that's going to be an issue," said Serba.

It also won't be an issue about getting support for the program. The Eagles are looking into expanding their 10,000-seat stadium, or building an entirely new facility. They are also exploring options such as renting Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium for next year's home game against North Carolina A&T.

It is indeed a fun time to be a fan at North Carolina Central.

Game of the Week

North Carolina Central at Albany State 6 p.m., Albany Municipal Stadium, Albany, Ga.

The NCCU Eagles begin life as a Division I school and should have enough talent left over from last year to even their series with Albany State at 2-2. Albany State had the third-best defense in terms of points allowed last season in Division II, but were still beaten 20-0 by the high-flying Eagles to open the 2006 season. Quarterback Stadford Brown should be even better this season for NCCU, after directing an offense that averaged 31 points, 218 passing yards and 345 yards of total offense last season. NCCU returns 30 lettermen and 13 starters from its 2006 Black national championship club. Jeff Toliver and freshman Tim Shankle will be counted on to replace Greg Pruitt Jr. in the backfield, while Wayne Blackwell is the most experienced of a young group of receivers. Seven starters return on defense for the Eagles, but they must replace the forceful Greg Peterson on the defensive line, New defensive coordinator John Morgan can rely on Philadelphia product Paul Johnson and Charles Edwards up front and the hard-hitting Ray brothers, Derrick and Eric, at linebacker. Three of four defensive backs, D-II All-American Craig Amos, Tyrone Williams and Darren Brothers are also back. The Eagles may need a little time to get going, but once they brush off the rust, they should roll to a win.

North Carolina Central 34, Albany State 10.

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Where Is Dave?

I got a taste of media days and fan days at three FCS schools last week, making a whirlwind tour of Towson, Delaware and Appalachian State.

On Thursday afternoon, the Towson Tigers took advantage of a hot, sunny day for picture day. After falling a game short of the playoffs last season, the Tigers are a confident lot heading into 2007.

This is the final year for the senior class coach Gordy Combs brought in when Towson left the Patriot League for the Atlantic 10. With those A-10 teams now playing under the Colonial Athletic Association banner for the first time, Combs and company would like nothing more than to be the CAA's first champs.

"We had to start from the bottom up and we had to follow a blueprint," said Combs. "We were patient and now we are reaping the rewards of that patience."

Defense will likely hold the key for the Tigers, who want to cut down on the number of CAA shootouts they get involved in this season.

"When they brought in our class, we thought we had something special," said senior linebacker John Webb. "Now that we're seniors, we are ready for big things. We thought it was going to happen last year."

Webb said that the defense played with a lack of consistency last season, but is ready to turn a corner in 2007.

"It's all a part of growing," Webb said. "One of the biggest things is we are learning to communicate better."

One thing that the Tigers don't worry a lot about is the offense, with quarterback Sean Schaefer back for his junior year.

"We know if we get Schaefer on the field, he's going to make plays," said Webb.

"I'm glad he is on our side," said Combs. "The best thing about Sean is he has two years left."

Schaefer, however, is humble about his ability.

"You never win something by yourself," said the soft-spoken youngster with the big arm. "It's all about your team."

And Towson should have the team to compete with the best in the competitive CAA.

With some time to kill, I took a side trip on Thursday evening to RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The forlorn Washington Nationals were taking on the Philadelphia Phillies in the crumbling stadium that is counting down its last days as a baseball facility.

About the time that Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz hits a two-run homer in the top of the second, I realize there are more Phillies fans in the stands than Nationals fans. I guess it's tough getting tickets to Citizens Bank Park these days.

The Phillies took a 4-0 lead into the eighth before driving those loyal fans into fits. Tom "Flash" Gordon gave up two home runs in a three at-bat stretch to Ronnie Belliard and Dmitri Young to make it a game and only a base-running blunder by right-fielder Austin Kearns, who was doubled off second base to end the eighth, allows the Phils to escape with a 4-2 win.

It was late at night when I pulled into Newark, Del., but I couldn't resist the urge to drive a mile off Interstate 95 to see one of the icons of FCS - Tubby Raymond Field.

After a few hours of that precious commodity called sleep, I return to find the stadium glistening in the splendor of sunlight. This time, not only did I get an introduction to Tubby Raymond Field, I also got an introduction to the real Tubby Raymond, standing beside me with a wide-brimmed straw hat. After over 30 years in the sports writing business, I'm usually not awed by sports figures I meet. But I felt like a little kid when I met one of college football's greatest coaches.

Sitting in my car was a copy of USA Today that I had picked up as I left my hotel. Little did I know that the lead article of the sports section highlighted Raymond and his beloved Wing-T offense.

I couldn't help but notice Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, towering above me with his 6-6 frame. The low-keyed, but howitzer passer caught my attention with one quote.

"Quarterbacks get too much credit for wins," said Flacco.

I noticed another Delaware player for a different reason. The enthusiasm of running back Omar Cuff was almost contagious. If only someone could bottle Cuff's demeanor and market it as perky pills.

"I've got the itch to play William & Mary," Cuff said of the Blue Hens' season-opening game on Aug. 30. "There is a chip on our shoulder and I can't wait to start the season."

While Flacco and Cuff are the Delaware stars, coach K.C. Keeler, wearing his ever-present sunglasses, was showing more concern about his defense. But Keeler is also convinced that the Blue Hens won't finish last in the CAA defensively this season.

"Offensively, we're pretty far ahead," said Keeler. "Defensively, I love our aggressiveness and our talent."

Keeler also waxed historical about the Blue Hens' first game, which will also be the first football game in the CAA's annals.

"It's an honor to play in the first game in the history of our conference."

After leaving the friendly confines of Delaware Stadium, I learn about the fun of traveling through Washington, D.C. on a Friday afternoon. Three hours later, I'm glad D.C. is in my rear view mirror.

Then it was on to Boone, N.C. and the annual Appalachian State Fan Fest Saturday afternoon. Before the activities, I took time to check out a new restaurant in downtown Boone. It is a Brazilian all-you-can eat place called "Gol." Beef is what was for lunch. And chicken and pork. You get the picture. Everything they threw at us was good.

Several thousand fans showed up at Kidd Brewer Stadium for the chance to meet their Mountaineer heroes and take part in a plethora of activities. One of the most surreal moments of the day was when I noticed ASU cheerleaders holding tackling dummies, which were being hit by lines of little children.

That evening, the two-time defending national champions partake in a heated, four-quarter scrimmage, the final scrimmage before Sept. 1's opener at the Big House against Big 10 powerhouse Michigan.

"We have really been beating up on each other," said ASU coach Jerry Moore, last season's Eddie Robinson Award winner. "We're ready to go up against someone else."

The hitting was hard and the defense showed its stuff against the explosive Mountaineer offense.

"This was probably the hardest training camp we've ever had," said ASU running back and Walter Payton Award candidate Kevin Richardson.

As the fans filtered out of Kidd Brewer Stadium that night, there was a sense of excitement, just as there had been at Towson and Delaware. For every FCS team (and especially North Carolina Central), the football season is just around the corner.