Friday, Nov. 27, 2009

S.C. State: Ford keeps motor running

With surge in previous game, senior is MEAC's all-time leading rusher

Will Ford gained one more yard than he needed last week.

The S.C. State senior running back entered the North Carolina A&T game with the hope of picking up 155 yards in order to become the MEAC's all-time leading rusher.

He gained 156 in the 28-10 victory to boost his record-breaking total to 4,650 yards, passing former Hampton running back Alonzo Coleman by 2 yards. He is happy the chase is behind him before the playoffs start.

"It was something that was just stuck in the back of my mind. I wasn't worried because I knew I was going to get it this season, but I can move on now. We're just on a mission," said the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Ford, whose 1,010 yards gives him three consecutive seasons over the 1,000-yard mark.

He hopes to add to that total Saturday against Appalachian State in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

ASU coach Jerry Moore, who saw Ford run for 117 yards and a touchdown against his team last season, knows how special he is.

"He's an awfully good back," Moore said. "They use him well. We had a problem with a back like him when we played McNeese State (in a 40-35 loss) earlier this year. He's a guy who can pop one on you at any time."

Playoff history. S.C. State last won playoff games in the 1981 and 1982 seasons, when the Bulldogs claimed first-round victories before falling in the second round. Last season's 37-21 loss to ASU left them with a 2-3 playoff record.

The Mountaineers have won three consecutive national titles from 2005-07. They have a 21-13 mark since first making the playoffs in 1986.

Record breakers. The Bulldogs don't just have a Ford in the garage. They also have a pair of record-setting performers in quarterback Malcolm Long and wide receiver Tre Young.

Long, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior, completed 191-of-288 passes for 2,313 yards and 20 touchdowns. The yardage and touchdown totals are school single-season records. His favorite target is Young, a 6-1, 190-pound senior, who caught 58 passes for 903 yards and nine touchdowns. He has set school career records for receptions with 128 and receiving yards with 2,064.

Erickson, the sophomore kicker, set a school single-season record with 12 field goals.

Streaking teams. The Bulldogs have won seven games in a row since a 38-14 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 3. The Mountaineers have won nine straight since back-to-back 5-point setbacks against East Carolina and McNeese State, the No. 8 team in FCS polls.

And while the Bulldogs have won an impressive 19 straight conference games to set a MEAC record, there is one team with a longer conference winning streak. That is Appalachian State, which has won 20 Southern Conference games in a row.

Quick hit. Appalachian State's biggest receiver, 6-5 sophomore Brian Quick, is a Columbia-area product out of Ridge View High. Quick has 43 receptions for 727 yards and three touchdowns this season.

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