“I think this was a great night for PC,” head coach Harold Nichols said. “Our fans and alumni were very excited to be at BB&T Field playing against Coach Grobe’s football team. They’re an outstanding football team, well coached and he has done a great job over the past 10 years building this football program. It’s something I aspire to do at PC. Being a transitional team, being in the Big South Conference and being in the fourth year of our transition, I think going and having the opportunity to come and play in this kind of arena and atmosphere is a great experience for our young football team.”

The Blue Hose are now 0-1 on the season while the Demon Deacons improve to 1-0. Nichols, who is known for pulling out all the stops, called one of the gutsiest plays in PC’s history. Trailing 28-0, Brandon Miley took the snap from Jared Tavernier and threw the ball toward Derrick Overholt. The ball skipped off the ground directly to Overholt, who then picked up the ball and smacked it, seemingly upset. As the Wake Forest players stopped thinking the pass was incomplete, Overholt lofted a pass deep to Mike Ruff, who raced past the defense for the 68-yard touchdown completion.

“We’ve been working on it for a couple of weeks,” Nichols said. “Sometimes it’s just trying to find the right time in the course of the game and Doug picked a good play. We got to midfield there and our back-up receiver (Overholt) threw the ball pretty well. He did a good job acting and Wake Forest’s defense relaxed a little bit and then we just kind of rose up and hit them off guard. It worked just like we practiced.”

Down 35-7 at the break, PC drove the ball 80 yards in eight plays, taking 3:20 off the clock to start the second half. Miley ended the beautifully-called drive by offensive coordinator Doug Malone by connecting on an 18-yard pass to Anderico Bailey on a flag route. The Demon Deacons blocked the point after attempt and returned it for two points, making the score 37-13 with 11:40 left in the third quarter.

Nichols went into his bag of tricks on the ensuing kick-off, calling for an onsides kick that his team recovered. However, the Blue Hose were whistled for being slightly off-sides on the play. PC was unable to get back into scoring territory the rest of the night, but the young Blue Hose played valiantly the rest of the way. In the third period, PC controlled the time of possession and outscored the home team 6-2, with the only points coming on the touchdown pass from Miley to Bailey and the ensuing point after return by Wake Forest.

The Blue Hose recovered from not getting the onsides kick after forcing a 43-yard punt by Wake Forest with 5:33 to play in the third. At that point, rookie Seth Moreland scampered 11 yards on a reverse to the 31-yard line and a first down. On the next play, Overholt took another lateral and hit Jeremy Cole for a 15-yard gainer to the 46. Miley and Byrd each rushed for three yards before Miley hit Robert Bumgarner for a first down. Facing third and 10, Miley went back to the well, drilling Bumgarner for 14 yards, moving PC to the home 27. After two plays that resulted in a loss of eight yards, Miley could not connect with Bailey for a first down. On fourth and 18 from the 35, Nichols’ team punted the ball back to the home squad.

In the fourth, the Demon Deacons took a 44-13 lead, but the Blue Hose once again headed toward the red zone. Starting on its own 29, PC moved to the Wake Forest 43 before being stopped on fourth-and-four with 8:39 to play. Later in the quarter, Myron Gary returned to the field on what turned out to be the final possession of the Blue Hose. Gary hit Lance Byrd for an eight-yard gainer. Byrd then rushed for five yards and a first down. Gary got hot, hitting Jeremy Cole on back-to-back plays for a total of 29 yards before missing on second-and-six. On fourth down, Byrd bull-dozed his way to the 23 before time expired.

For the game, Miley connected on 18-34 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Overholt went 2-2 for 83 yards and a touchdown while Gary was 4-6 for 44 yards. Ruff hauled in a career-high 122 yards and a touchdown, including the 68-yard gainer for a score. Bailey had the other touchdown reception. Cole pulled in a game-high six passes for 76 yards. Dendy led the rushing attack with 49 yards on 16 carries. Byrd had eight for 19 yards while Moreland had one carry for 11 yards. Moreland posted a game-high 136 return yards on seven returns.

Defensively, CeeJay Harris notched a team-high seven tackles, including four solo stops. Justin Bethel had six solo stops. Derek Brown and Cedric Byrd each had six stops for the night. Brown added 1.5 tackles for loss. Xavier Boatwright, LJ Perry, Matthan Burton, Connor Hawkins, Nathaniel Wuellner and Iouli Burroughs all had tackles for loss. Brian Wilson recovered a fumble while Brown and Damon Lawrence had pass break-ups.

The Demon Deacons totaled 509 yards to 362 by PC. The Blue Hose totaled 292 passing yards to 94 by the home squad.

The Blue Hose return to action next Saturday at 3:30 p.m., when they travel to Clemson, S.C. PC will take on the Tigers in its second consecutive battle with an ACC foe – as it will also be broadcast on ESPN3.com.

“We are really making progress on the defensive side of the ball,” head coach Harold Nichols said. “That will pay dividends for our team in the long run. Today, the heat got to us a little bit, but that’s to be expected after a good scrimmage last night.

 “Tomorrow is the third two-a-day,” Nichols continued. “We are going to work on our kicking game. Currently, we are almost done with the installation of the offense and defense; pretty soon we will begin refining those.

“The team is making progress, but we have a long way to go before our season-opening game Sept. 2 at Wake Forest. I really like the chemistry and enthusiasm of the team.”

• QB Brandon Miley and CB Justin Bethel sat down with the Korn first tonight.

PC Players with The Korn

Brandon Miley Justin Bethel Presbyterian

• Next up, Harold Nichols recited the school fight song for Phil and talked about the current losing streak the Blue Hose have and the tough schedule they face this upcoming season.

PC Head Coach Harold Nichols

Harold Nichols

• As PC plays in their first official season in the Big South Conference, raising money to compete with the other schools in the league becomes even more important.  Brian Reece sat down with Korn to talk about it.

PC Athletic Director Brian Reece

Brian Reece Presbyterian-AD

• The Braves blew a lead in the ninth but got a grand slam from Brian McCann off the bench in the tenth to win 8-2 this afternoon.  Mike Morgan joined us for a couple of minutes before his cell phone gave out in tonight’s Braves Report.

Mike Morgan of The Braves Network

braves report 8-11

• The Tigers have their second two-a-day practice this week.  After this morning’s session, Dabo Swinney talked about his team and the progression of the offensive line and of the quarterbacks.

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney

dabo swinney 8-11 morning

• Ellis Johnson spoke after today’s practice in lieu of Spurrier.  He says his guys are working really hard.

USC Assistant Head Coach in charge of the Defense Ellis Johnson

ellis johnson 8-11

• We move back to the SEC today as Florida is up.

Patrick Daniel takes a look at Florida

FLORIDAGATORS

• You knew we would have something on recruiting as one of Clemson’s targets committed to Alabama today.

Wednesday night’s Recruiting Report

rec 8-11

• Marcos Ambrose finished third at Watkins Glen this past weekend and, today, his crew chief Frank Kerr joined us “In the Pits”. 

No. 47 car Crew Chief Frank Kerr

frank kerr 8-11

“The effort today was pretty good,” head coach Harold Nichols said. “We pushed through the heat of the day. There was tremendous effort and great attitude today.

“I am proud of our team. We had a good practice. We worked on our kick-off return and our punt teams; there are a lot of young guys on those teams that will help us make a difference.

“At the end of practice, we had a spirited team session,” Nichols continued. “The offense did a good job executing. Trandon Dendy and Seth Moreland ran well during that period.

“LJ Perry made a nice open-field tackle as well. He has started showing up and has been doing some good things for us.”

The Blue Hose return to two-a-days tomorrow beginning with an 8:15 a.m. practice in shorts, helmets and shoulder pads.

SIDE NOTES

During the team period near the end of practice, Trandon Dendy ran for three touchdowns … Seth Moreland accounted for two … The defense made a great stop on a first-and-goal situation from the four … On the next play, the defense made a great tackle behind the line … PC also had great pursuit defense, forcing a rusher out of bounds and not letting him get the corner.

 ”Overall it has been a success since we’ve been in full pads,” head coach Harold Nichols said. “There have been a few bumps and bruises along the way, but that’s just part of the game. We are working a lot of guys and they are getting a lot of repetitions. “Offensively, we threw and caught the ball well,” Nichols continued. “Myron did a nice job and Brandon had a good practice. Our receivers are playing better, which bodes well for our team.

“Defensively, Derek Brown continued to be a leader,” Nichols said. “Greg Palmer showed up tonight and did a nice job. We need to focus on eliminating our turnovers and becoming a better tackling team. Tonight we continued working on our kicking game. “Overall, I am pleased with the way we’ve performed,” Nichols commented. “We are in the preseason grind, but it is helping us prepare to play the upcoming season.”

“Overall, we did pretty good today,” head coach Harold Nichols said. “We need to execute better on both sides of the ball, but it is an adjustment period as we went in full pads.

“Today we got in some good work on special teams, especially with our kick-off coverage,” Nichols stated. “There is some good competition going on in camp for spots on special teams.

“In the red zone, the defense did a nice job on the rushing and with the play-action pass,” Nichols said. “The defense has improved greatly since this time a season ago.”

“Brandon Miley played well,” Nichols said. “He did a nice job with his reads. Derek Brown and CeeJay Harris continued to play well and Brian Leonardi did some good things on the defensive line. Robert Bumgarner also practiced well. We are going to rely on him this year.

“The team was physical today, which was good,” Nichols stated. “We are playing a lot of young people in order to allow them to get repetitions and for us to build depth.

“We had a great experience this morning at New Bethel Ame,” Nichols continued. “There was a good congregation and our team really enjoyed the service.”

PC kicks off the season Sept. 2 at Wake Forest. The game is being broadcast by ESPN3.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are still available for the season-opening game and the following week’s game at Clemson. Fans can obtain tickets by clicking here or contacting the ticket office at 864-833-8240 or e-mailing Sherry Medlin at skmedlin@presby.edu.

The PC Athletic Department can be followed on twitter with exclusive news not available anywhere else. Be sure to follow PC Athletics on twitter at www.twitter.com/BlueHoseSports.

Other Notes

Trandon Dendy bounced a run outside for a solid 15-yard run before the play was whistled dead … The defense recorded two interceptions late in practice, one of which occurred during red zone drills … Seth Moreland burst up the middle for a 30-yard gain … Quad Roberts made a nice shoe-string tackle in the backfield for a tackle for loss … He disrupted the very next play, assisting on another backfield stop … Brandon Miley and Patrick McKoy connected for a 20-yard slant pattern on a third-and-eight play.

“Today there was great competition in the cross-over groups. I was impressed by newcomer Joey Gilkey, who caught a pass from Myron Gary on a post for a 70-yard touchdown.

“Lance Byrd had a couple of great runs today, including a 65-yard touchdown,” Nichols said. “CeeJay Harris played well – and he is going to be a huge addition for the defense.

“Overall, the effort and enthusiasm was good,” Nichols commented. “The execution needs to be a little better, but we are very encouraged by the way we’ve practiced.”

Sunday’s practice is slated to be the first day with full pads on. PC kicks off the season Sept. 2 at Wake Forest. The game is being broadcast by ESPN3.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are still available for the season-opening game and the following week’s game at Clemson.

The Blue Hose open their second practice under Harold Nichols

Under the direction of head coach Harold Nichols, the Presbyterian College football team had a successful first practice of the 2010 season.

“Today was the first step in a long journey,” Nichols said. “I believe there was some carry over from spring practice to today – and that is a good sign. “We put in a lot today and our players grasped what we were trying to accomplish. The effort level was very good. We are starting to get to where our goals are. The freshmen showed up today and mixed n well with the veterans. Overall, everyone did a good job.

“Today was the first time since I’ve been head coach that I saw leadership on our team. I am excited, but we have a long way to go.”

Click here to view a brief clip from practice.  The Blue Hose plan to return to practice tomorrow afternoon beginning at 3:40 p.m.

 The Flames, which have won or shared the Big South title each of the past three years, is the first team in League history to be chosen as the preseason favorite four-straight seasons. Liberty enters the 2010 campaign with 43 letterwinners returning, including 14 starters. Head coach Danny Rocco’s squad has gone 26-8 overall and 14-1 in the Big South the past three years, and is ranked No. 19 in the preseason College Sporting News poll. Liberty, which carries a Big South-record nine-game home Conference game win streak into the 2010 season, received 13 of 15 first-place votes cast and 103 total points to win the Big South football championship this season.

Big South associate member and 2009 co-champion Stony Brook is picked to finish second to the Flames in 2010. Chuck Priore’s Seawolves went 5-1 in the League last season and defeated Liberty 36-33 in the season finale to win a share of the League crown. Stony Brook, which returns 13 starters in 2010, collected one first-place vote and 81 total points in the voting. For the second-straight year, Coastal Carolina is predicted to finish third (68 total points), but have 22 starters back among head coach David Bennett’s 60 returning letterwinners.

 Jay Mills’ Charleston Southern Buccaneers, which have closed out each of the past two seasons with four consecutive wins, are predicted to finish fourth in 2010, having received one first-place vote and 65 total points. The Bucs have an experienced squad this season with 18 starters returning. Steven Patton’s Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs finished in the fifth-spot in the poll with 54 total points. It is the lowest Gardner-Webb has ever been predicted to finish since Big South football began in 2002. VMI and third-year head coach Sparky Woods are again predicted to finish sixth this season, having collected 31 points from the panel. Presbyterian College, under the direction of second-year head coach Harold Nichols, rounds out the preseason poll in seventh-place. The Blue Hose enter their final year of transitioning to Division I as official Conference opponents in 2010, but are not eligible for the Big South football championship until 2011.

 The 2010 season begins with Presbyterian College in action on Thursday night, Sept. 2 at FBS-member Wake Forest on ESPN3.com, the League’s first of a record 10 games against FBS schools. Conference play starts Saturday, Oct. 2 and the regular-season concludes Saturday, Nov. 20. The Big South’s football champion receives an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in League history.

2010 Preseason Poll

1. Liberty

2. Stony Brook

3. Coastal Carolina

4. Charleston Southern

5. Gardner-Webb

7. Presbyterian College

The Tigers improved to 34-19, while the Blue Hose dropped to 13-38.

The Blue Hose tied the score 2-2 with a run in the top of the third inning, but Clemson scored six runs over its next six innings at the plate and four Tiger hurlers held the Blue Hose scoreless from the fourth inning on to assist Clemson to its 34th win of the season.

Starter Scott Firth (2-1), a freshman righthander from Buffalo Grove, IL, earned the victory by tossing 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, two runs, and no walks with a career-high six strikeouts. Kevin Kyle, Kevin Brady, and Tomas Cruz combined to pitch the final 3.2 innings without allowing a run.

Jesse Harmon (2-8), the first of four Blue Hose hurlers, suffered the loss. He yielded seven hits, six runs, and three walks with five strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched.

Will Lamb led off the first inning with a single through the left side to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs but were unable to dent the scoreboard in the opening frame.

The Blue Hose took the game’s first lead in the top of the second inning. Nate Horton blooped a one-out single down the left-field line, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on Matt Hill’s double over the third-base bag.

Clemson responded with two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead. Richie Shaffer led off with a walk. Two batters later, Stolz lined a two-run homer to left field, his first long ball of the season. Stolz was making his first career start at shortstop and his first overall start since April 18.

In the top of the third inning, Mack Hite hit a one-out double off the third-base bag. Two batters later, Kenny Bryant grounded a two-out single up the middle to plate Hite and tie the score 2-2.

In the bottom of the third inning, Kyle Parker led off double down the left-field line, moved to third on Schaus’ groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.

The Tigers doubled their lead in the fifth inning. Parker was hit-by-pitch with one out, advanced to second on Schaus’ groundout, and scored on Wilson Boyd’s two-out double to center after Aaron Preston slipped and was unable to come up with the ball on his diving attempt.

Clemson doubled its lead once again when Schaus blasted a two-run homer down the right-field line, his 13th long ball of the season, in the seventh inning. Parker, who reached on a two-out walk, also scored on the play.

In the eighth inning, John Nester led off with a walk and advanced to third on Stolz’s single up the middle as Stolz moved to second on the throw to third base. Two batters later, Mike Freeman walked on four pitches and Nester scored on a wild pitch on the play. After John Hinson walked to load the bases, Parker walked to bring home Stolz.

Boyd went 3-for-5 with a double, RBI, and steal to lead the Tigers, who had nine hits, seven walks, two hit-by-pitches, and three stolen bases in the game. Stolz went 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs, and two runs, while Parker went 1-for-2 with a double, RBI, three runs, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch.

Hite, Horton, and Hill totaled two hits apiece to pace the Blue Hose, who had 11 hits. Hite and Hill had two doubles apiece as well.

Clemson will conclude the regular season with a three-game series against #7 Florida State at Doug Kingsmore Stadium starting Thursday at 7:00 PM. Thursday’s game will be televised live by CSS.