WSSU Football Closes Out Season At Norfolk State On Saturday :: Rams' Seniors To Play In Their Final Game Of WSSU Careers

Nov. 14, 2007

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - For the senior student-athletes on the WSSU football team, it all comes down to Saturday when they will wear the Rams' uniform for the final time as Winston-Salem State University closes out the 2007 season with a game versus the Norfolk State University Spartans on November 17, 2007 at 1:00 pm.

Game Details...The Winston-Salem State University Rams (6-4, 0-0 MEAC) versus the Norfolk State University Spartans (7-3, 6-2 MEAC) at William "Dick" Stadium (30,000 capacity/natural grass surface) in Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 1:00 pm.

The Event....The 11^th, and final game of the season for both teams. The contest will mark the Rams' final road game of the season and the concluding game of the year for WSSU as they will travel to Norfolk State University this weekend (November 17) to close out the season. The contest will mark the 21st game all-time between the two programs and will mark the second consecutive year that the Rams end their regular season with a road trip to Norfolk, VA to face the Spartans.

The Series...The series between the two teams is nearly even as the Spartans of Norfolk State enjoy a 9-8-3 all-time advantage. The Spartans won last year's meeting between the two programs by the score of 31-14 in front of 3,902 fans in Norfolk, VA on November 18, 2006. The Spartans have won two of the last three meetings with the last WSSU win coming in 1996 as the Rams earned a 13-7 victory at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.

Series Superlatives...The Rams largest win over the Spartans was a 19-point advantage that they enjoyed during a 25-6 win in 1981. The Spartans largest win over the Rams was a 28-point margin that they earned during the 1975 season. The Rams longest win streak over the Spartans was a two-game span, two different times, most recently from 1987-88, The longest Norfolk State win streak over the Rams was a four-game stretch from 1973-76.

Four Losses In The Last 10...Despite the fact that the Spartans own a one-game win streak over the Rams in head-to-head action, the Rams have only lost four of the last 10 contests versus the Spartans. Winston-Salem State earned wins in 1980 (17-13), 1981 (25-6), 1987 (36-20), 1988 (31-14), and 1996 (13-7), as well as earning a tie with the Spartans in 1993 (54-54).

Combining For A Record...Winston-Salem State University and Norfolk State University own a combined record as the two teams paired to record the highest scoring tie game in NCAA Division II history as the two teams tied 54-54 on October 9, 1993.

WSSU Television Coverage...There will be no live television broadcast of the contest between the Rams and the Spartans. The contest may air on RAM-TV next week in a tape-delay format, but as of press time details had yet to be finalized. For additional broadcast information, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at WSSURAMS.com.

Norfolk State Television Coverage...As of press time the Spartans are not planning to air the contest live on TV or air the contest live on the Internet. For additional possible broadcast details, contact NSU Assistant Director of Athletics, Matt Mihalec at (757) 823-2628 for additional information.

Radio Coverage...This weekend's contest will be available to listeners in the greater Winston-Salem, NC area live on WSNC, 90.5 FM with Ted Fichialos calling all the play-by-play action and Ben Donnelly providing the color commentary, as well as being available nationally on the internet at www.WSSU.edu by clicking on the link: "Listen to WSNC." Sharrod Patterson will serve as the engineer on the broadcast. The Spartans will be covered by WNSB 91.1 FM. Ross Gordon (play-by-play) and Terence Green (color) will have the call for NSU on Hot 91. Log onto NSU's new athletics web site, www.nsuspartans.com, and click the `Live Audio' link to hear the audio stream of the game.

Live Statistical Broadcast Online...The WSSU Department of Athletics will air a live statistical broadcast of the game between the Rams and the Spartans utilizing CSTV's "Gametracker" software. The live statistical broadcast is accessible by visiting the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at WSSURAMS.com and by viewing the 2007 schedule/results page and clicking the "Gametracker" link. There is no cost for this service.

Weather Forecast...Saturday's contest is set to be played in fair weather as the forecast calls for high temperatures of 55 degrees with a low of 37 degrees and a 30% chance of precipitation under partly cloudy skies with the possibility of light showers. Humidity is slated to be 52% with winds out of the Southwest at six miles per hour with a UV index of three (moderate). Sunrise will take place at 6:56 am Eastern and will set at 5:13 pm Eastern.

Setting The Scene...The match up between the Rams and the Spartans will mark the final contest of the season for both teams as Winston-Salem State University and Norfolk State University play their final regular-season game of 2007. The Rams are ineligible for post-season play as they are in year three of a five-year reclassification to the NCAA Division I level from NCAA Division II. The Spartans are coming off of a devastating loss at Delaware State last weekend and have likely been eliminated from consideration for the NCAA Division I-FCS playoffs. Had the Spartans won last weekend versus Delaware State they would have won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and been automatically entered into the Division I-FCS Playoffs.

The Coaches...The Rams are coached by 15th-year man Kermit Blount. Blount has posted an impressive 87-68-3 record at WSSU and has led the Rams to two CIAA titles (1999 and 2000) en route to second place on the WSSU football all-time wins list. Blount has faced Norfolk State University four times with Saturday's contest marking the fifth meeting between WSSU's head man and the Spartans. Blount has posted a 1-2-1 record versus the Spartans and has posted an 0-1 record against NSU head coach Pete Adrian. Pete Adrian in is his 10^th season as a Division I collegiate head coach where he has posted an overall coaching record of 51-54-1. Adrian is in his third year at Norfolk State where he has led the Spartans to a 15-17-0 record and a 1-0 record versus the Rams. Adrian is 1-0 all time versus WSSU head coach Kermit Blount.

Increasing Success...The Rams are coming off of a 2006 season in which they made their first foray into competition at the Division I-Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. WSSU posted an impressive 4-7 overall record and recorded wins over MEAC opponents North Carolina A&T and Howard while narrowly losing to fellow MEAC members Hampton, Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M. WSSU has already bettered last season's total of four wins and has two games left to play during the 2007 season as they strive to increase their 2007 win total.

Rankings...The Rams enter into this weekend's action unranked in any of the four major Division I-FCS college polls. The Spartans enter into the weekend unranked in any of the four major Division I-FCS college polls. Both teams are ranked in the Sheridan Broadcasting Networks (SBN) Black College Football Poll as the Rams come in in 10^th place and the Spartans are ranked seventh.

A Win This Week Would...

...give the Rams their seventh win of the 2007 season and move Winston-Salem State to 6-4 overall.

...give WSSU head coach Kermit Blount his 88th win at WSSU putting him eight wins ahead of Thomas "Tank" Conrad in sole possession of second place on the WSSU all-time win list (behind only Bill Hayes with an all-time best 89 wins).

...earn the Rams their 11th win over a Division I opponent since making the move to Division I-FCS in 2006.

...earn the Rams their 12th win as an NCAA Division I-FCS program.

...move the Rams to 9-9-3 overall in the head-to-head series versus Norfolk State.

...pull current WSSU head coach Kermit Blount's overall record versus Norfolk State University to 2-2-1 overall.

...give the Rams and head coach Kermit Blount the first win over Norfolk State University since 1996's 13-7 win.

...snap the Spartan's one-game win streak over the Rams.

All-Time Mark...The Rams have been playing football for 65 years and have posted an overall all-time mark of 340-249-21 en route to an overall winning percentage of 55.9%.

Winning Season Assured...With their convincing 35-10 win over the Eagles of North Carolina Central last Saturday, the Rams are assured of finishing the season no worse than 6-5 as WSSU is guaranteed to earn a winning season. The Rams will finish the season with a winning record for the first time since 2005, a season in which WSSU finished 6-4. If the Rams defeat Norfolk State they will earn their first seven-win season since 2003 when they finished 7-3.

A Lone Tie At Bowman Gray...The Rams, who have posted an all-time mark at Bowman Gray Stadium under current head coach Kermit Blount of 42-24-1 have only posted one home-game tie in the 15 seasons of Blount's tenure. That tie came versus Norfolk State University during the 1993 season, Blount's first season as head coach. That tie, a 54-54 affair, marks the Division II record for the highest-scoring tie game in history. The contest was played on October 9, 1993.

The Killer Strike...The Rams have recorded 34 big plays (defined as a play of 20 yards or longer) this season. WSSU has tallied 19 running plays of 20 yards or longer; 10 receiving plays of 20 yards or longer; one kickoff return of 20 yards or longer; one punt return of 20 yards or longer and three interception returns of 20 yards or longer.

Longest Pass Play Of The Season...The Rams recorded their longest passing play of the season last Saturday versus the Eagles of North Carolina Central as quarterback Monte Purvis found Bryant Bayne for a 63 yard receiving touchdown. The strike was 10 yards longer than Omar Kizzie's 53-yard catch versus Bethune-Cookman, the season's previous high.

Back For The Last Time...WSSU fifth-year senior running back Jed Bines (Winston-Salem, NC/Parkland) has rejoined the team for his final year of eligibility in 2007 after sitting out 2006 to focus on academics. Bines is a welcome addition to the Rams' backfield as he recorded 964 yards on 166 carries in 2005 and led the team with nine touchdowns. Bines sits third in all-time rushing yards at WSSU with 3,524 yards on 475 carries. He also ranks fifth in rushing touchdowns with 34.

Climbing The Record Books...Fifth-year senior running back Jed Bines moved up another place in the record books three weekends ago as his 146 yards rushing versus the Hampton Pirates moved him into sole possession of third place on the all-time rushing yardage chart with 3,400 rushing yards. Bines jumped over his former backfield mate and two-year teammate Martin Hicks (3,386 yards) with his stellar performance two weekends ago. Bines and his 3,524 career rushing yards need only 319 yards to jump over Timmy Newsome (3,843) and into second-place all time. He has no chance to catch all-time yardage leader Richard Huntley who amassed 6,286 rushing yards and ranks first in Rams' history.

Over 3,000 Yards...WSSU running back Jed Bines is just the fourth Rams' student-athlete to surpass the 3,000 career yards rushing mark. Bines joins the likes of Martin Hicks (3,386), Timmy Newsome (3,843), and Richard Huntley (6,286) with over 3,000 yards as he heads into action this Saturday with 3,524 career rushing yards.

Bines Has 100-Yard Games In Bunches...Running back Jed Bines recorded the 18th 100-yard rushing game of his career two weekends ago when he tallied 146 yards versus Hampton University at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. Bines has recorded four 100-yard rushing games this season.

Additional 100-Yard Games...Jed Bines is not the only WSSU player that has recorded a 100-yard game this season as quarterback Monte Purvis has recorded three 100-yard rushing games this season and Roderick Fluellen has recorded a pair of 100-yard rushing games. Mike Scarbrough is the only other WSSU player to record a 100-yard game as he tallied a 100-yard receiving game versus Howard.

Two To Go For Fourth Place...WSSU running back Jed Bines needs only one more touchdown to tie Broderick Graves (35) on the Rams' all-time rushing touchdown career list. Bines heads into this weekend's contest with 34 career rushing touchdowns. With his five touchdown runs in the month of October WSSU senior running back Jed Bines climbed to fifth place on the all-time WSSU rushing touchdowns chart. Bines currently possesses 34 rushing touchdowns, five rushing scores ahead of Leonardo Horn's (1983-86) 29. Jed is one rushing TD away from tying for fourth on the all-time list with Broderick Graves' (1987-89) 35.

On The Plus Side Again...Dating back to the Rams' first game in recorded history (which came in 1941), WSSU had posted an overall record of 31-31-4 in season openers until September 1, 2007's season-opening victory moved WSSU to 32-31-4 in "first games" of the season. The win was important to the Rams because, as of late, history had not been kind to the Rams as they had dropped five consecutive season-openers dating back to the 2001 season before WSSU's victory over the Aggies of North Carolina A&T.

Sibling Rivalry...WSSU red shirt freshman quarterback Tienne Jefferson (Washington, D.C./Fork Union Military Academy) is no stranger to the competition that he may see this season in the MEAC as his brother Theo is a safety for the Delaware State University Hornets. The two teams meet in WSSU's 2007 Homecoming game on November 3, 2007.

Ram Family...WSSU freshman linebacker Colby Morris (Elizabeth City, NC/Northeastern) won't be homesick during his freshman season with the Rams as he brought a little piece of home with him. In fact Colby brought a big piece of home with him as he brought his brother Corey to WSSU. The 6'10", 255-pound Corey Morris will play basketball for the Rams this season and is one of WSSU's most highly recruited players. The WSSU men's basketball team begins their season in two weeks when they travel to Ames, Iowa to face the Iowa State Cyclones and either the Lipscomb Bison or Centenary Gents in the Cyclone Basketball Classic.

Striking First...When the Rams score first in contests this season Winston-Salem State University is a near perfect 4-1. When WSSU is scored on first the Rams are posting at 2-3 record.

Start Streak Snapped...WSSU red shirt senior quarterback Monte Purvis saw his streak of 23 consecutive starts snapped at Howard University when Jarrett Dunston started versus the Bison. Dunston played only the first two series before Purvis, who was hampered by an injured non-throwing shoulder, replaced him. Purvis went on to record the largest passing output of his career (261 yards) in the Rams' overtime loss. Monte began a new start streak on October 6, 2007 when he led the Rams to a win in the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, IN. Purvis ran his start streak to five games when he and the Rams cruised by the Eagles of North Carolina Central 35-10 last Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium.

New Start Streak Leader...With Purvis' streak of 23 starts snapped, WSSU's new longest active start streak leader is Joe Blanks. Blanks, a 6'5", 320-pound junior offensive lineman from Erie, PA has started 29 consecutive games for the Rams. The Rams' all-time start streak leader is former tight end Stan Wright who recorded 41 consecutive starts during his WSSU career.

In, But Not Completely...Though the Rams are considered a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference they are unable to compete for a championship until the 2009 season (per NCAA mandates). The Rams will play a full slate of MEAC games but will be ineligible for a conference title, ineligible for postseason awards, and will not be listed in the MEAC statistics at seasons' end.

Facilities Upgrade...The Rams officially opened the brand new, state-of-the-art WSSU Athletic Field house on Friday, November 2, 2007, one day prior to the Homecoming game versus Delaware State. The new 12,000 square foot building which is projected to have a final cost of 5.1 million dollars, will house many of the WSSU Athletic Department's administrative offices, the football staff offices as well as the Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning offices.

Home Cooking...The Rams like to recruit local talent. Winston-Salem State University has 58 players on the roster from the State of North Carolina as more than half of the team is playing college football in the state in which they reside. WSSU has 10 players from South Carolina, four from the District of Columbia, four from Virginia, two from Georgia, and one each from the states of Florida and Pennsylvania.

Injury Update...Players who are listed as OUT for Saturday's game are: Edward Jordan, a 6'0", 330-pound offensive lineman who is out with a right knee injury; Brandon McRae, a 5'10", 225-pound red shirt sophomore running back who is out with a right wrist injury; Andrew Morgan, a 6'2", 235-pound freshman linebacker who is out with a left knee injury; Wayne Noble, a 5'11", 175 pound redshirt sophomore defensive back who is out with a right knee injury; Justin Sherrod, a 6'1", 190 pound redshirt sophomore quarterback who is out with a right knee injury; and Julian Gray, a 6'4", 275-pound freshman offensive lineman who is out with a left knee injury. Players who are listed as PROBABLE for Saturday's game are: Jed Bines, a 5'10", 190-pound red shirt senior running back who is probable with a right shoulder injury and Shawn Kearney, a 6'2", 200-pound sophomore linebacker who is probable with a left ankle injury.

Understanding The Injury Chart...The Rams use the National Football League's injury chart model which separates injuries into four categories: (1) "Out" which indicates that a player will not play in the upcoming game and will not be dressed for the contest. (2) "Doubtful" which indicates that a player will have only a 25% chance of playing. (3) "Questionable" which indicates that a player will have a 50% chance of playing, and (4) "Probable" which indicates that the player has a 75% chance of playing.

McRae Recovering Well...The Rams' Brandon McRae suffered a season-ending wrist injury in WSSU's 19-17 win over Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD and was lost for the season. However, McRae received the finest in medical care as he immediately underwent surgery at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, MD to repair complete fractures to both his radius and ulna. A titanium plate was inserted to stabilize the bones which will heal over the next six weeks before a soft cast is placed on his wrist and McRae begins rehab. McRae missed only two days of classes and is back in the classroom full time.

Break Out Game Vs. Howard...The Rams turned in a big aerial attack versus Howard on September 29 as WSSU recorded five big plays (defined as 20 yards or more) through the air. Headed into the contest versus Howard, and through four games of the 2007 season, the Rams had only recorded a pair of big plays through the air. Versus the Bison the Rams recorded catches of 41, 28 (TD), and 26 yards as well as tallying a pair of 20 yard catches. For the season the Rams have amassed eight receiving plays of 20 yards or longer.

Scarbrough Shines...WSSU sophomore wide receiver Michael Scarbrough recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career versus the Bison of Howard when he caught six passes for 107 yards and a touchdown versus the Bison. The 100-yard output not only marks the first such game for Scarbrough but marks the first time that the Rams have had a 100-yard receiving game since Brad Herring recorded 150 yards receiving versus Elizabeth City State University on September 17, 2005.

Purvis Posts Passing Numbers...WSSU red shirt senior quarterback Monte Purvis recorded the largest passing performance of his career versus Howard when he tallied 261 yards of passing offense when he completed 14 of 24 passes. It marks the largest passing output of Purvis' career and marks the largest WSSU team passing performance since Josh McGee recorded 275 yards passing versus Carson-Newman on August 29, 2002.

Possible Number Moves...Javon Hubbard, the Rams' backup tight end will wear #89 for the Rams when he lines up at his natural tight end position. However, Hubbard will switch his jersey number to #73 when he lines up at the center position if he is forced to fill in for starting center Michael Helton who has been slowed by a pair of knee injuries this season.

Get Ahead Early...The Rams are nearly perfect (4-1) when they score the game's first points. WSSU has jumped ahead early in four of their six wins this season (over North Carolina A&T, Morgan State, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman). The Rams are also 5-1 when leading after the first quarter.

The Pass Sets Up The Run...When the Rams, who are typically a running team, out pass their opponent they are a 2-1 this season. They nearly out-passed the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman when they posted 96 passing yards to B-CU's 100 yards passing. Despite being out passed, the Rams still earned the victory. WSSU is 4-2 this season when failing to better their opponents in passing yardage.

First Defensive Score...Versus the Delaware State University Hornets the Rams got their first defensive score of the season and first defensive tally since DeRon Middleton returned a Norfolk State University interception for a score on November 18, 2006, a span of nearly a year. The defensive scoring drought ended when senior defensive end William Hayes recorded a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a six-yard fumble return for a touchdown versus 13th-ranked Delaware State University on November 3, 2007.

Live By The Kick, Die By The Kick...The Rams earned a win over Hampton University on October 27, 2007 when they blocked a potentially game-winning field goal attempt. Two weeks ago versus Delaware State the Rams were saddled with a loss when Peter Gaertner's 37-yard field goal was successful as time expired to lift 13th-ranked Delaware State University past the Rams 23-20 at Bowman-Gray Stadium.

Big Blocked Kick...The Rams recorded their second blocked kick of the season on the evening of October 27, 2007 when Quentin Jones blocked a 49-yard, potentially game-winning, field goal versus Hampton that preserved WSSU's 20-19 win. This block marked the second blocked kick of the season for WSSU with the other coming versus Howard on September 29 when the Rams blocked a punt as Shawn Kearney got his hand on a punt that the Rams would recover in prime Bison territory. The blocked punt marked the first time in the Division I era that the Rams had blocked a kick.

Blocked Punting History...WSSU is tied with the University of Southeastern Louisiana for the most opponent's punts blocked in a game with five (5) coming against North Carolina Central University on October 4, 1986.

Most Blocked Kicks In A Season...WSSU holds the NCAA Division II record for most blocked kicks in a season with 27 (16 punts, seven field goals and four PAT's) coming during the 1986 season.

Two More Wins To Tie...Current WSSU head coach Kermit Blount sits in sole possession of second place on the Rams all-time win list with 87 victories. Blount needs only two more head coaching wins to tie William "Bill" Hayes as the Rams' all-time wins leader with 89 victories. With one more contest remaining in 2007, Blount can pull within one win of Hayes' all-time win record but will have to wait until 2008 to pass him.

First Win Versus The State...The Rams 27-23 victory over Florida A&M on October 6, 2007 in the Circle City Classic marked the first time in history that WSSU earned a victory over a team from the state of Florida. The Rams then followed that win up with a win over Bethune-Cookman on October 20, 2007 marking the first time that the Rams have earned a win in the state of Florida.

Record-Setting Run...WSSU quarterback Monte Purvis' 80-yard touchdown run versus the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina University set a Brooks Stadium (home of Coastal Carolina's football team) record as both the longest run, and longest scoring run in the history of CCU football.

Touchdowns Come Fast...The Rams have 29 offensive touchdowns this season and have amassed a total scoring drive time of 90:30 (5,430 seconds) over those 29 scoring drives. WSSU is averaging only 3:12.7 per scoring drive with the longest touchdown drive of the season taking 7:05 (a 97-yard, 12-play drive against Hampton that came on October 27) and the shortest TD drive taking only :09 (a pair of Jed Bines one-yard touchdown runs that came versus Coastal Carolina on September 8, and versus Florida A&M on October 6). The Rams have scored 11 of their 29 touchdowns in drives of two minutes or shorter.

Hanging On To It More...The Rams are averaging 5.08 plays per drive this season and have scored 19 of their 29 touchdowns on drives of six plays or more. WSSU has scored only 10 touchdowns on drives of five plays or less. Conversely, the Rams' opponents are averaging 6.11 plays per possession in 2007.

Not Bad For A Defensive Back...The Rams' punter, junior defensive back Jamaine Mack, is turning in quite a punting average as he fills in as the Rams' punter. Mack has recorded 60 punts for 2,100 yards for an average of 35.0 net yards per punt. Mack has recorded a long punt of 52 yards and has pinned opponents inside their 20 yard line on 20 occasions. In addition to his punting duties Mack ranks seventh on the roster with 45 tackles including two tackles for loss with half a sack. Mack also has a forced fumble and one pass defended. He is nearly dead even with 23 solo and 22 assisted tackles.

Griffin Atop Tackle List...WSSU senior linebacker Thadeus Griffin (Sumter, SC) is once again atop the WSSU defensive statistics chart in terms of total tackles. Griffin, who has led the Rams in tackles for the past two seasons, is leading the Rams' tackle charts with 104 total tackles (44 solo and 60 assisted).

Hayes Being Watched Closely...This season the WSSU press box has been a virtual revolving door of NFL scouts who have come to see both senior running back Jed Bines (see above) and senior defensive end William Hayes. Hayes is third on the team in tackles with 66 tackles (38 solo) and has recorded a team-leading 18 tackles for loss with 7.5 sacks. He has broken up a pair of passes, forced six fumbles and recovered seven fumbles for the Rams. He also has a six yard fumble return for a touchdown (the Rams' lone defensive score of the 2007 season thus far).

247 To 1,000...Jed Bines is only 154 yards away from 1,000 rushing yards in 2007. If Bines can generate 154 yards rushing in the final contest of the season he will record the third 1,000 yard season of his career.