HEAC COI m UP
A & T Set to Repeat
*
As ME AC ChAMpioNS
As the Mid-Eastern Athletic Confer
ence (MEAC) enters its 23rd season of
football, North Carolina A&^ftate Uni
versity will be defending a cflmpionship
that became extremely elusive in the last
decade and the beginning of the current
one. There has been a repeat champion
only five times in the league's history, and
the title has changed hands five of the past
eight years. Although NCA&T has won
two straight, the Aggies shared the title
with Delaware State College in 1991 and
won it outright last season at 5-1 only after
Florida A&M University (4-2) suffered an
unexpected loss to Bethune-Cookman Col
lege to end the 1990 regular season. Flori
da A&M, which finished in a second-place
tie with SC State (4-2), handed NCA&T
its lone MEAC loss in 1992. FAMU had
won the title in 1990, and the Rattlers had
to win all six conference match-ups to
accomplish it.
elaware State secured the champi
I onship outright in 1989 but had
shared the title with both Bethune
Cookman and FAMU in 1988;
showing the competitive edge of the
league. Further evidence of MEAC parity
was displayed last season as Howard Uni
versity and DelState tied for fourth place
at 3-3 behind the FAMU-SCS second
place jam. Rounding out the order of fin
ish was B-CC at 2-4 and Morgan State
University at 0-6.
Delaware State won its first outright
title in 1985. Bethune-Cookman accom
plished the same in 1984, while FAMU
had shared the MEAC crown with South
Carolina State in 1982. North Carolina
A&T snared its first undisputed champi
onship in 19S6 and shared with South
Carolina State in 1975. Bethune-Cook
man's 1984 title ended a four-year reign
by South Carolina State (1980-83).
South Carolina State, with nine conference
crowns to its credit, also had a five-year
streak (1974-78) snapped by Morgan
State in 1979. Morgan won the inaugural
MEAC title in 1971 and tied South Caroli
na State in 1976. In the years with on-the
field ties, South Carolina State defeated
the co-champion all three times head-to
head, while Bethune-Cookman downed
both DelState and FAMU in 1988.
W organ resigned from the MEAC
following the 1979 athletic sea
son but was readmitted in 1984.
North Carolina Central Uni
versity, which won MEAC championships
in 1972 and 1973, also resigned in 1979,
opting to rejoin the Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association (CIAA). Both
Bethune-Cookman and FAMU began
MEAC football play in 1980, while the
others are all charter members. FAMU, '
however, resigned in 1984, but was read
mitted In 1986. The only member institu
tions without a football championship are
Howard University and the University of
Maryland Eastern Shore, which dropped
its football program in 1979. Howard had
won the 1987 title with a 5-0, 9-1 record
but later forfeited its victories, and second
place Del State was declared the champi
on. The ninth current MEAC member,
at-large berth was awarded in 1992. South
Carolina State defeated Tcaacace State
iiMhel981 first round before losing to
^RRBSl champion Idaho State. In 1982,
South Carolina State beat Furman in an
opening-round contest but dropped a sec
ond-round decision to Louisiana Tech.
North Carolina A&T received the
MEAC's berth in 1986 and absorbed a loss
Wesley Tate, Johnson C. Smith University* quarterback .
Coppin State College, has never fielded a
football team.
The MEAC plays under National Col
legiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divi
sion I and is a member of Division 1-AA
football, which has 89 schools in the fold
Automatic entries into the national 1-AA
championship series were granted to the
MEAC in 1981, 1982 and 1986, while an
in the first round to Georgia Southern,
which went on to win the national title.
NCA&T received the 1992 at-large and
lost to the Citadel in the opening round.
Despite some remarkable records during
the years between appearances, none o the
MEAC teams received an at-large entry
into the playoffs until 1992. The league
hopes to maintain that positive image
yearly.
There are no head coach changes in
the MEAC following the 1992 slate. The
league coaches are Sylvester Collins, sec
ond year at Bethune-Cookman; William
Collick, ninth year at Delaware State;
Ken Riley, eighth year at FAMU; Steve
Wilson, fifth year at Howard; Ricky
Diggs, third year at Morgan State; Bill
Hayes, sixth year at NC A&T; and Willie
Jeffries, 1 1th year at SC State. Jeffries had
previously coached SC State from 1973
78 before leaving for Wichita State
(1979-83) and later Howard University
(1984-88).
HEAC T6/IM KSVS Vl'll
Bethune-cookman col
lege WILDCATS (4-7, 2-4)
closed out last season with a strong
victory over rival Florida A&M and
return 58 lettermen, including 16 starters.
However, among the four lost on offense
was star quarterback J.D. Hall. Looking to
seal the void will be senior Michael Jack
son and Tony Kerrin, who also serves as
the punter. Jackson completed 25 of 59
passes for 268 yards and a touchdown. B
CC's top two receivers return in tight ends
Devon Cole (30 catches for 358 yards and
two TDs) and Willie Felton (28-403-5).
Wide-out John Jones (25-397-2) also
returns. Kelvin Daniels, who rushed for
350 yards and three TDs on 72 carries,
will lead the ninningbacks. The offensive
line appears to be in good shape, and kick
er Paul Thurmond returns. Defensively, B
CC will be guided by linebacker Terrance
Carey, who led the team in tackles with
7.9 per game, and deep back Tyrone
Laster, the MEAC tri-leader in intercep
tions with six. Help should come from
linebackers Vidal Mills (4.4 tackles per
game) and Willie Smith, and DBs Leotis
McNeil and Julius Gordon. David
Watkins, who had 24 unassisted stops and
two sacks, is the top lineman in camp.
BELAWARE STATE UNIVERSI
TY HORNETS (6-5, 3-3) comings
off a "high-low" year that saw them
win six of their first seven contests
and lose the final four, will try to recapture
the positives with the return of 45 letter
men. Leading seven starters on offense
will be double-threat senior quarterback
Erik Jones. He passed for 1,302 yards and
eight touchdowns and ran for 349 yards
and three score? on 134 keepers. Jones
completed 68 or 135 passes and suffered
just eight interceptions and will be throw
ing mostly to wide receivers Derrick Neal
and Curtis Thomas. Neal averaged 30
yards with his 11 receptions and scored