SAVANNAH, Ga. – With Savannah State University's Homecoming on the horizon, football head coach Earnest Wilson III said the time has come for his players to grow and show they can adapt to the game at the college level.

"I don't think these guys are ready for the college game yet," Wilson said following the Tigers' practice Tuesday. "So I've got to pick it up and make sure that they're getting ready for the college game. (The learning curve from high school to college) is a little tough for some. I think they are ready to play. They just still have that 'scared' in them. And they can't have that 'scared' in them. Once they come out of that, they'll be pretty good."

SSU (0-4 overall, 0-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will play Norfolk State (1-4 overall, 1-0 MEAC) at 2 p.m. Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium. The game will be radio-broadcast by WHCJ 90.3 FM.

The Tigers are 1-8 in the series against the Spartans. Last season, Norfolk State beat SSU, 26-24, in Norfolk, Va. SSU's lone victory in the series was a 41-34 in double-overtime decision in 2004 in Norfolk, Va.

"We just want to get a win for our program," said Wilson. "That's all we're looking for."

SSU is coming off a 35-10 loss to Delaware State last Saturday in Dover, Del. The Tigers committed five turnovers, losing four fumbles and throwing an interception. Three of the fumbles occurred in the first quarter.

"We lost, 35-10, and if we hadn't put ourselves down, 28-0, in the first quarter and had all those turnovers, we should have won that game," Wilson said. "I feel like that's two games (Fort Valley State being the other) that we should have won but I know that's part of growing and getting to the next level."
Wilson said he has been more critical of his coaches this week, too.

"It's reps for our coaches to make sure that every time somebody gets in a crowd, we put two hands on the ball," he said. "Just the same attitude that you teach in high school, or even elementary school, that (the players) are not doing."

Norfolk State is coming off a 15-14 victory over Morgan State in the Fish Bowl Classic last Saturday in Norfolk, Va.
"We have to pick it up, No. 1, because we haven't done more in the last four games," Wilson said. "We've been watching what we're doing wrong and now we're ready to go."

PRUNTY TO START AT QB
Leon Prunty will make his first start at quarterback this season against Norfolk State, Wilson said. Prunty, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound sophomore from Stockbridge, Ga., served a 3 ½-game suspension because of an undisclosed violation of team and university rules. He played in the second half against Delaware State and finished 14-of-20 passing (70 percent) for 116 yards.
Prunty's performance convinced Wilson to start him against Norfolk State, which means Tino Smith's streak of consecutive starts at quarterback will end. Smith, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound freshman transfer from Fork Union Military Academy, is 28-of-52 passing (53.8 percent) for 202 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He finished 6-of-15 passing for 28 yards and an interception against Delaware State.

"Prunty is going to start," Wilson said. "Tino is now the backup quarterback. I don't think any quarterback enjoys being a backup. I think he understands that there's competition and at any time, one can go down and the other can go right back up."

KER-SEAN WILSON MOVES TO WR
Ker-Sean Wilson, who started SSU's season opener at quarterback, has moved to wide receiver.
"Ker-Sean has moved to receiver," Earnest Wilson said. "He's still our No. 3 quarterback but he wants to get more reps at receiver and I told him he can."
Ker-Sean Wilson is 36-of-82 passing (43.9 percent) for 263 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior transferred from Eastern Arizona Community College.

NORFOLK STATE OUTLOOK
Norfolk State's team strength is its defense, which leads the MEAC and is ranked ninth in the nation in total defense, allowing 274.8 yards per game.
Linebacker Marcell Coke, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior from Orlando, Fla., leads Norfolk State in tackles with 43. Linebacker Lynden Trail, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound redshirt senior from Miami, Fla., is second on the team in tackles with 36. Linebacker Lamar Neal, a 6-foot, 250-pound junior from Virginia Beach, Va., is third with 33 tackles.

"They run a 3-4 defense," Earnest Wilson said. "Their coach (Pete Adrian) does a great job of preparing them. They're one of the top defenses in the country. They've got about nine seniors who are coming back so we're going to have to be ready and hitting on all cylinders."

The Spartans beat Morgan State when backup quarterback Tyler Clark ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 29 seconds to play. Norfolk State ran for a season-high 238 yards, led by freshman Eric Pittman's career-high 81 yards and Brendon Riddick's 64 yards.

Running back Aaron Daniels, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound redshirt sophomore from St. Louis, has run 50 times for a team-high 213 yards and a touchdown. Riddick, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound redshirt junior from Richmond, Va., has run 46 times for 156 yards without a touchdown.
"They are a running team. They run but they can throw," Earnest Wilson said. "They've got a passer, a kid that I looked at when I was at Hampton, who can do some things. And he can run a little bit so we're going to have to be ready."

Quarterback Terrance Ervin, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound freshman from Richmond, Va., is 39-of-75 passing (52 percent) for 399 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. His favorite target is wide receiver Isaac White, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior from Portsmouth, Va., who has made 21 catches for a team-high 242 yards and a touchdown.

On special teams, kicker Cameron Marouf on Monday was named the MEAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Morgan State. Marouf, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound sophomore from Woodbridge, Va., made a career-best three field goals against the Bears. He connected from 26, 43 and 44 yards.