Sunday, October 18, 2009

South Carolina State 35, Florida A&M 20

FAMU vs. SCSU REPLAY: Watch Replay »

Victory a big rush for SC State

ORANGEBURG - Will Ford picked the perfect stage to make history on Saturday before 24,449 fans at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The senior running back from Travelers Rest ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns to help the 12th-ranked Bulldogs score a 35-20 win over No. 22 Florida A&M in a key MEAC game. It was the Bulldogs' 14th consecutive conference win - a school record - and their seventh victory in a row against Florida A&M. In the process, Ford became S.C. State's all-time leading rusher. His 7-yard run on the first play of the second half allowed him to surpass previous leader Michael Hicks.

Ford, who has 4,164 rushing yards, also moved into second place on the MEAC rushing chart. He needs 480 yards to surpass Hampton's Alonzo Hampton. "Getting a win is always the first priority, but luckily I was able to get the record too," Ford said. "It was a great day all the way around. We knew this was a game we had to win, and playing in front of a crowd like that made it even more special."

Famu's MEAC hopes bitten by Bulldogs

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — FAMU is going to need a lot of help from somebody else in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to remain in contention for the league title. South Carolina State simply refused to give the Rattlers an assist. Saturday, the Rattlers sputtered in every way possible, falling prey to costly mistakes and an SCSU defense that allowed only 35 yards rushing. FAMU got 320 yards in the air but that meant little in a 35-20 loss that jeopardizes its chances of winning its first conference title in more than a decade.

"They just played a little harder than we did for whatever reason," said Coach Joe Taylor after FAMU's first conference loss this season at Dawson Stadium. "Their defensive line kept on our offensive line and rushed (quarterback Curtis) Pulley the whole day." Both teams came into the game with undefeated MEAC records, their only losses being to BCS schools. Conference championship implications and even a post-season berth added to the hype that drew the second largest crowd (24,496) to attend a home game for the Bulldogs.

Photo Gallery: FAMU v SC State

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Ford Powers SCSU Over FAMU 35-20

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