TheState.com: Breaking News

S.C. State to play Appalachain State in FCS playoffs

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:22 EST

The South Carolina State football team will get a rematch in Saturday’s first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs against Appalachian State. For the second consecutive season, the Bulldogs will travel to Boone, N.C., for a noon game to be televised on ESPNU.

The Bulldogs dropped a 37-21 decision to the Mountaineers last season. At the time, ASU was the three-time defending national champion while the Bulldogs were making their first trip to the playoffs since 1982.

Both teams enter this game on a roll. The Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 7 in the latest FCS national poll, finished the regular season with a 10-1 overall record, with the only loss coming to FBS opponent South Carolina, and an 8-0 mark in the MEAC. This is the second consecutive season they have won the league title by going unbeaten and have won a conference record 19 straight games dating back to 2007.

Fifth-ranked Appalachian State has won nine consecutive games on the way to claiming the Southern Conference title. The Mountaineers are 9-2 overall, which included an 8-0 conference record, heading into the playoffs, a single-elimination format that involves 16 teams, eight conference champions and eight at-large teams.

The winner between the Bulldogs and Mountaineers will play the winner of Saturday’s game between No. 4 Richmond (10-1) and No. 9 Elon (9-2) the following weekend.

Lights Before Christmas closed because of rain

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:54 EST

Due to inclement weather, Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden will be closed this evening but will reopen Monday, said Lindsey Burke, a zoo spokeswoman.

The show runs 6-9 p.m. through Jan. 3, with breaks on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The busiest nights always are the weekends closest to Christmas.

To avoid the lines at the ticket booths, you can purchase tickets online at riverbanks.org for $8 for adults and $6 for ages 3-12. -- Staff reports

Norwood among final five on Butkus list

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:29 EST

Three years after arriving at South Carolina as a defensive end, Eric Norwood is among five finalists for the award that goes to the nation's best linebacker.

Norwood, a two-time All-SEC selection, is one of three SEC players among the final five linebackers in contention for the Butkus Award.

The other finalists are Alabama's Rolando McClain, Florida's Brandon Spikes, Texas' Sergia Kindle and Missouri's Sean Weatherspoon.

Norwood, a senior from Acworth, Ga., who was a defensive end his first two seasons at USC, is second in the SEC with seven sacks and is tied for third with 10.5 tackles for loss. He leads the team with two interceptions and has blocked three kicks.

Norwood is No. 1 on USC's career lists for sacks and tackles for loss, and is the SEC's active leader in both categories.