Rams' football schedule has five games at home

By: By John Dell | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: January 28, 2009

Winston-Salem State's 2009 football schedule has a little of everything.

The Rams will play Morgan State at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in the New York Urban League Football Classic on Sept. 19 and will travel cross-country to play California-Davis on Oct. 17. WSSU also will have home games against N.C. A&T and Florida A&M.

"I think we've got a good schedule with several highlights," Athletics Director Chico Caldwell said. "We'll be in the Urban League Classic at Giants Stadium, and we have Florida A&M coming here for a change."

The Rams will open the season Sept. 5 against N.C. A&T at Bowman Gray Stadium. After a Saturday off, they'll will play Morgan State in New Jersey (Sept. 19) and at defending MEAC champion S.C. State (Sept. 26).

In October, the Rams will be at home against Florida A&M (Oct. 10) and Hampton (Oct. 31) and will play at Howard (Oct. 3), Cal-Davis (Oct. 17) and Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 17). The game against Hampton will be homecoming.

Two of the final three games will be at home -- Delaware State (Nov. 7) and N.C. Central (Nov. 14) -- and the Rams will end the season at Norfolk State (Nov. 21).

It's uncertain whether Florida A&M will bring its famous 424-member band to Winston-Salem.

"I don't know if their band is coming, because I know we can't pay for it -- they have a big band," Caldwell said. "We're excited about them coming to Bowman Gray Stadium."

The game at Cal-Davis will be the Rams' first in California since a 1999 game against Grambling State in San Diego.

"It's pretty balanced with five home games and six road games, so we like that ratio," Caldwell said. "We go out to California and play Cal-Davis, and we have Hampton for homecoming."

■ John Dell can be reached at 727-4081 or jdell@wsjournal.com