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Post by aggiejazz on Jun 4, 2009 8:13:45 GMT -5
THE SPORTING NEWS MEAC PRESEASON PREPICTIONS
1. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
2. FLORIDA A&M
3. BETHUNE-COOKMAN
4. HAMPTON
5. NORFOLK STATE
6. MORGAN STATE
7. DELAWARE STATE
8. NORTH CAROLINA A&T
9. HOWARD
TOP PLAYERS
OFFENSE.... CURTUIS PULLEY, QB , FLORIDA A&M DEFENSE.... TERRELL WHITE, FS, NORFOLK STATE NEWCOMER....CHRIS BELL, WR, NORFOLK STATE
GAME TO WATCH 10/17/2009 FLORIDA A&M @ SOUTH CAROLINA STATE.
THIS GAME WILL FEATURE A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE S.C. STATE DUO OF QB MALCOLM LONG AND RUNNING BACK WILL FORD, AND FAMU QB CURT IS PULLEY AND RUNNING BACK PHILLP SYLVESTER.
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Post by Bornthrilla on Jun 4, 2009 8:15:49 GMT -5
Without any significant offensive line improvements, that sounds about right ...
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Maxell
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Post by Maxell on Jun 4, 2009 10:17:12 GMT -5
I refuse to believe that the only team worse than us will be Howard.
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oleschoolaggie
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Post by oleschoolaggie on Jun 4, 2009 10:28:39 GMT -5
i agree, maxell. i think nsu, msu, and dsu may be vulnerable this season...
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Post by Bornthrilla on Jun 4, 2009 10:40:23 GMT -5
Morgan State will definitely be looking to beat us next year ... especially after Alonzo-gate.
We haven't come close to beating DSU in about 5 years. I don't see how the gap has closed that much.
NSU hasn't gotten any worse, but we do tend to play them better in Greensboro.
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oleschoolaggie
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Post by oleschoolaggie on Jun 4, 2009 10:52:31 GMT -5
i'm sure my emotions may play a role in my optimism but i just think having a new coach with a new attitude who doesn't take any shiggidy from nobody will make a huge difference. if the rumor is true that a good number of the players will attend summer school, i think that will make a big difference as well.
i discount some of the blowouts we took last year, especially after the nccu game. i think the players basically quit on the coach at that point and our performances from that point going forward didn't reflect the true potential of our team. i think lee has re-energized our team and i look for a much improved team this year.
i dunno, i just have a gut feeling that we won't be as bad as a lot of folks think we will be...
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Post by thefriscotxaggie on Jun 4, 2009 11:21:47 GMT -5
I agree the key will be if we can move the ball. Three downs and punt wears out your defense. I'll bet next year we win every game that we score 24 points or more. Big question is can we score ? If we can put points on the board we win 6 to 7 games. If we can just move the ball and sustain a drive we win 3 to 4 games. If the offense is not much better than last year we win 1 or 2 games. My gut says we wil be at minimum 500 by seasons end.
Thrilla's right the play of the offensive line and QB will determine the entire season. I think there are several 2008 redshirt freshman that had pretty good credentials. Hopefully the O-Limne will represent a good portion of the kids that spend the summer in G'boro.
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oleschoolaggie
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Post by oleschoolaggie on Jun 4, 2009 11:47:50 GMT -5
Morgan State will definitely be looking to beat us next year ... especially after Alonzo-gate. We haven't come close to beating DSU in about 5 years. I don't see how the gap has closed that much. NSU hasn't gotten any worse, but we do tend to play them better in Greensboro. morgan will definitely be looking to beat us this year but they no longer have the general on their sideline and it was morgan's defense that made them competitive last year. their offense wasn't very lethal, except against us. but that was right after we'd loss to central. plus, morgan basically didn't have a true recruiting class at all this year. you're right about us not playing well against dsu in recent years but that was before sessoms resigned as president of dsu. i believe you're gonna see a significant drop in dsu athletics now that sessoms is gone. sessoms allocated boatloads of money to athletics when he was president and i don't expect that to continue. case in point, dsu's men's basketball team nose dived last season and the football team wasn't all that great either. yeah, they blew us out but again, that was 2 games after we'd loss to central. but all of that is a mute point 'cause we already have a "w" against dsu for this season! don't forget the freebie from dsu! and as far as nsu is concerned, we should have beaten their azzes last year in norfolk! i was at that game and we legitimately had a chance to win that game on their home field. norfolk did not have a very impressive season last year. folks seem to latch onto that 2007 season, but 2008 was nothing to write home to mom about. in my eyes, they're vulnerable. hey, we're already 1-0. if we win 5 more games, we'll finish above .500 for the season...
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Post by pj on Jun 4, 2009 16:54:04 GMT -5
I think that we will be better also. When Oleschool mentioned NSU, I thought about the Hampton game when that brother "Devin Hestered" us for two runbacks. I'm still mad....& even that NCCU game...not going for two. The Eagles are still all in my ear here in Durham. I'm ready for the Blue Death to come back and make people PAY!
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Post by aggierattler on Jun 4, 2009 23:40:38 GMT -5
BORNTHRILLA says, "...We haven't come close to beating DSU in about 5 years. ..."
What are you talking about??? We've already whipped them this season!! (LOL!)
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Post by Bornthrilla on Jun 5, 2009 7:32:47 GMT -5
I can't believe I forgot about the forfeit. Maybe because the whole idea is bush league.
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oleschoolaggie
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Post by oleschoolaggie on Jun 5, 2009 7:56:16 GMT -5
I think that we will be better also. When Oleschool mentioned NSU, I thought about the Hampton game when that brother "Devin Hestered" us for two runbacks. I'm still mad....& even that NCCU game...not going for two. The Eagles are still all in my ear here in Durham. I'm ready for the Blue Death to come back and make people PAY! "devin hestered" us! ;D man, that's hilarious!! pj, when it comes to creating new grammar, you're the best! anyway, the dude from hampton that "devin hestered" us was jeremy gilchrist. i was at that game too and he made us look like a pop warner team. as i remember, early on we went toe to toe with hampton in that game until we got "devin hestered" by gilchrist. that's what broke the game open. whew, "devin hestered" us. man, i can't stop laughing... ;D
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oleschoolaggie
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Post by oleschoolaggie on Jun 5, 2009 7:59:56 GMT -5
by the way, gilchrist recently signed a contract to play pro ball in the cfl with the saskatchewan roughriders. that surprised me because i thought for sure he'd make an nfl roster. i expect to see him in the nfl one day...
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Post by aggiejazz on Jun 5, 2009 8:56:22 GMT -5
i agree, maxell. i think nsu, msu, and dsu may be vulnerable this season... These teams may be vulnerable but one good thing they have is stability with maybe the exception of Morgan State, defensively. I think right now every team in the MEAC has a good coach. Like always, two or three plays normally make the difference in a win or loss, when two good teams or similar teams play each other in the MEAC. I don't see any logical reason for A&T to be picked higher than 8th. A&T is a perennial loser with a new coaching staff headed by a first time head coach in his first year, albeit he is a very good veteran defensive coordinator.
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DECKS
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Post by DECKS on Jun 5, 2009 9:53:11 GMT -5
I think 8th place is a fair prediction for now. If 85% of our players come back then I'll pick us a little higher.
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