The Hoggies went hog wild for SSU win over JCSU

Offensive line clears way for SSU running game

By Noell Barnidge

Created 2007-09-08 23:30

"The Hoggies," Savannah State's starting offensive linemen, went hog wild on Saturday.

Right tackle Derrick Dorsey, right guard Algernon Wright, center Kenny Andrew, left guard Justin Norton, left tackle Rashad Jackson and tight end Joshua Marshall pushed Johnson C. Smith's defensive line all over the field in SSU's 24-10 victory.

Six players, led by freshman tailback Antwan Edwards, combined for 328 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 53 carries against the NCAA Division II school from Charlotte, N.C. It was SSU's most yards rushing since the Tigers ran for 330 yards at Fort Valley State in 1999.

Edwards, who made his first start at tailback, ran for a game-high 103 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown, on 14 carries. The 5-foot-9 177-pound Miami native became the first SSU running back to run for over 100 yards since Chad Cone gained 169 yards against Morehouse last October.

"Our offensive line worked hard this week and it showed in the game," Edwards said.

"The Hoggies," whose largest player, Wright, is 6-foot-2, 432 pounds, redeemed themselves after a 47-7 season-opening loss at Morgan State in which SSU ran for only 29 yards without a touchdown on 32 carries.

Saturday, SSU's offensive line created running lanes that resulted in touchdown drives of 77, 94 and 52 yards, and netted a field goal on a 30-yard drive. "The Hoggies" also did not allow a sack.

"My hat goes off to our offensive line," SSU second-year coach Theo Lemon said. "Those guys did a great job of blocking and sustaining."

SSU (1-1) primarily was a passing team under former coach Richard Basil. Lemon's offensive philosophy is based on the running game.

It has taken time, including last season's 2-9 campaign, for SSU's running attack to develop. But Saturday, the running game that Lemon vowed "will come" made its much-anticipated debut.

SSU's ball-carriers, most of them members of Lemon's first full recruiting class this season, bulled their way to the most yards rushing during the Lemon era. The previous high was 204 yards rushing in a 24-20 victory over Division II Morehouse last season.

"We wanted to run the ball. That was the game plan: to control the clock," said Jackson, a 6-4, 317-pound senior from Jacksonville, Fla. "We probably only ran about seven plays. We tried more plays against Morgan State, but we realized what our limitations were.

"Today, we had different backs for different situations. We have our power backs and we have our speedy backs. When they run for a lot of yards it's a good feeling. It makes us know we're making holes and they're capitalizing on what we make.

"This is big for the school, the city and also for us."

SSU quarterback JaCorey Kilcrease raved about "The Hoggies" and their ability to spring the Tigers' stable of running backs.

"Our offensive line, those boys went out and executed," he said. "Without them we can't do anything."