Darel Strong was pumping gas for his car recently when “some random guy” approached him and asked him if he played football.
After Strong told the man he plays for Clark Atlanta, the conversation turned to the Panthers’ game against Georgia State on Friday at the Georgia Dome.
“You get that a lot wherever you go,” said Strong, a senior defensive end. “It’s around the city.”
Clark already has a rivalry with Morehouse, its Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe. Now the Panthers get their first shot at Georgia State, the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) team to their east.
A victory for Clark Atlanta would mean local bragging rights and also its first victory in 18 games against opponents from the higher division. Just getting to play in the Georgia Dome is a treat.
“It’s a dream come true for me, personally, being from here and being a Falcons fan,” said Panthers quarterback T.J. Smith of Lawrenceville. “I never got the chance to do it in high school, so it’s a blessing to be able to play in a facility like that against a team like this.”
Clark Atlanta coach Daryl McNeill said his friendship with Georgia State coach Bill Curry goes back to Curry’s days at Georgia Tech. They have a mutual tie in Dorothy Yancy, a long-time Tech professor and member of the athletic committee who later was president at Johnson C. Smith when McNeill coached there.
When McNeill was hired at Clark Atlanta last year, he received a congratulatory call from Curry.
“We spoke about the job and things we can do for each other, but we never spoke about playing,” McNeill said, chuckling. “[The decision] was kind of above us. ... It’s always great to start a rivalry so close to home. Now you have a community of people coming together.”
Despite its disadvantage in numbers — Division II schools are allowed 36 scholarships compared to 63 for FCS — there are signs that Clark Atlanta can be competitive.
The Panthers return nine starters from a defense that ranked No. 11 overall last season, including No. 1 against the pass. Georgia State will start converted punter Bo Schlecter at quarterback after defections and suspensions thinned out the position.
Clark Atlanta’s Smith also will make his first start at quarterback. He said he feels ready to run the offense because he has been a quarterback since he started playing football and was tutored by his father, Tyrone, who played quarterback at West Virginia State.
“It’s kind of a natural thing with me,” Smith said.
Clark Atlanta last faced an FCS opponent in 2010, losing 35-19 to Arkansas Pine-Bluff. The Panthers trailed 14-13 at halftime before fading.
This time it’s the Georgia Dome and a neighboring FCS opponent for Clark Atlanta.
“If we win this one, it is going to make a lot of teams scared in our conference,” Strong said.
New era in Savannah?
It doesn’t seem like a good time for Savannah State to make the move to full membership in FCS.
The Tigers lost nine games last season by an average margin of 37 points. Savannah State hasn’t had a winning season since 1998 with just two seasons of more than two victories over that span.
Nevertheless, the Tigers are beginning their first season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Before beginning MEAC play, the Tigers face a tough non-conference schedule that begins with defending SIAC champion Albany State on Saturday.
“We feel good about what we have going on,” coach Steve Davenport said. “We have 19 seniors [and] that’s the most Savannah State has had in a long, long time. They’ve shown tremendous leadership.
“Obviously things have been kind of rough and tough around here, but the day I met the kids I told them we were not going to focus on the past. We just focus on the present and the future.”
Etc.
No. 20 Valdosta State gets an immediate test by opening at No. 14 Wingate on Saturday. The Blazers also opened the 2010 season against Wingate and won with a 42-yard field goal as time expired. It’s the first time since 2006 that Valdosta State has opened the season with a road game. ... Delta State’s Gulf South Conference rivals had to be heartened by the Statesmen’s lackluster 28-21 victory over Elizabeth City State on Saturday. Delta State, ranked No. 2 after its national runner-up finish in 2010, needed 21 consecutive points to win in overtime. ... Shorter said more than 25 of its former players are on coaching staffs at high schools in Georgia and Alabama. Among them is Shorter’s first All-American, Zach Morrison, who is the offensive line coach at Coosa, and Ben Williams, an assistant at Star’s Mill.
Quotable
“It was deliberate on our part. When we drafted our recruiting policy, we put a strong emphasis on local players. We knew that we would win on two fronts with that approach. Not only would we get quality student-athletes, we also knew we would get a loyal following of fans.” — Fort Valley State coach Donald Pittman on the 18 players from Middle Georgia on his team’s roster.
“From the standpoint of team and what we need and as sharp as we are now, no we are not ready to play. ... I feel OK. I don’t feel real good. I still don’t sleep good at night. I sleep a little better, but not well enough.” — Valdosta State coach David Dean to the Valdosta Daily Times.
By the numbers
2 FCS opponents on Fort Valley State’s schedule.
0 Open weeks this season for Clark Atlanta and Morehouse.
Schedule
Friday
Clark Atlanta vs. Georgia State (Georgia Dome), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Albany State vs. Savannah State (Macon), 5 p.m.
Fort Valley State at Florida A&M, 6 p.m.
Valdosta State at Wingate, 6:30 p.m.
West Georgia at Tusculum, 7 p.m.
Sunday
Morehouse at Miles College, 7 p.m.
