For South Carolina State seniors center Raymond Harrison and linebacker Tony White, 2007’s “Homecoming” was comparable to taking a Mike Tyson right hand while simultaneously getting tackled by Ray Lewis.

It was excruciating enough witnessing the Bulldogs’ Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title sail through the uprights courtesy of a 38-yard field goal with two seconds left by Delaware State’s Peter Gaertner. The fact that the 17-16 loss took place during “Homecoming” remains a bitter pill for the proud Bulldogs.

“I was like ‘Man, not again!?,” said White, referencing another one-point 2006 loss to the Hornets “for ‘Homecoming’.” The last play, I was like ‘not again’ and plus, we lost on ‘Homecoming’ in front of our home fans. I felt like we had disappointed our fans, our family who came to see us.”

“When I saw the field goal go through and it was good, my heart just dropped,” Harrison said. “I felt like our chance for the MEAC was over.

“It wasn’t just ‘Homecoming.’ It was the MEAC championship game for us. Basically, we were trying to kill two birds with one stone -- win ‘Homecoming’ and capture the MEAC crown. It was a ‘double-trouble’ thing for us.”

Making the loss so costly for S.C. State was a 20-13 double-overtime setback three weeks earlier to Norfolk State Today, S.C. State once again gets the opportunity to kill the proverbial “two birds” by winning on “Homecoming” and avenging last year’s loss to the Spartans.

“We want to get back at them for beating us last year up there in double overtime in Norfolk State,” Harrison said. “This is a chance to play the same team again and get a ‘W’ this time.”

“This year, we do have a little bit of revenge in our hearts,” White said. “We feel that we need to make a statement early in the game as far as jumping on top of them and keeping them down when we get them down. We’ve been emphasizing a ‘beat-down’ mentality all week.”

More than just gaining payback and redeeming themselves before the home crowd, the Bulldogs know a victory will allow them to keep pace with Hampton for first place in the MEAC standings. As head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough succinctly put it Monday, S.C. State cannot afford another early “slip up.”

“We’re looking at every game as if it is a MEAC championship game because we know we can’t have any let-ups this year,” Harrison said. “Once again it’s ‘Homecoming’ again, but we’re looking at it as another game in our MEAC playoff race. We’ve got to win every game to stay in the race.”

“With this approach, we’re more focused instead of more lackadaisical,” White said. “We’ve practiced harder and the coach’s mindset is that everything has to be perfect. If it ain’t perfect, we’re going to run, we’re going to do some kind of punishment.”

As a way to encourage a higher turnout for this year’s “Homecoming,” the school is encouraging all fans to wear garnet colors. After the lower-than-usual turnout last year, the Bulldog players are hoping for better fan support.

“Last year, that was a low participation for the game,” White said.

“Hopefully, this game will be pretty packed and everything and we’ll put on a good show.”

“I feel like the more people in the stands, the more it helps us out,” Harrison said. “The more noise going on, the more it will motivate us on the field, especially in crucial situations when the defense is on the field in a third-and-short situation. The crowd gets loud, the defense feeds off of that.

“Last year, we lost ‘Homecoming.’ This year, we can’t avoid a big letdown.”

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547.

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