CSN So South: Fall Schedules Offer Exciting Matchups

I could say the hibernation is over, but the winter and early spring have been too busy to say that. All I know is it’s time to get back to some columns on the football programs of the Southern and Big South conferences.

By Myron Hosea
CSN So South Columnist
College Sporting News

The place where I’ll start is the calendar – the fall calendar, that is. All of the SoCon schedules are out, so I’ll begin with those nine teams. The following are some of my thoughts on the schedules followed by each team’s 2012 slate.

Intriguing Games vs. FCS Teams – Chief among these games is Montana’s visit to the Rock on Sept. 8 to play Appalachian State. This game should draw lots of attention. Other good matchups include Chattanooga at Jacksonville State (Sept. 8) and Jacksonville at Georgia Southern (Sept. 1).

vs. FBS – The SoCon’s trend of having teams play members of the Southeastern Conference will continue in 2012 and grow to four games on Saturday, Nov. 17. Georgia Southern stays instate with a visit to Georgia, Samford ventures to Kentucky, Western Carolina travels to defending BCS champ Alabama, and Wofford makes the short trip to Columbia to play South Carolina. At the start of the season, Appalachian State visits East Carolina, Elon goes to North Carolina, and Chattanooga travels to South Florida. Western Carolina does the double dip in the FBS pool, playing at Marshall on Sept. 8 in addition to the game at Alabama. Furman visits Clemson on Sept. 15 while The Citadel plays at North Carolina State on Sept. 22.

vs. the Big South – The 2012 slate features some intriguing contests between Big South and SoCon teams. Two of them occur on Sept. 1 and involve short trips. Gardner-Webb ventures about an hour down I-85 to play at Wofford. The other game is an in-town game as Charleston Southern visits The Citadel. A few years ago when these teams played, they dubbed it the Chucktown Throwdown or something like that. I wonder if that will be the name this time. Samford also plays Gardner-Webb in a road game on Sept. 15. Furman hosts Coastal Carolina on Sept. 8 and then makes a rare visit to Presbyterian College on Sept. 22. Coastal Carolina has a date at Appalachian State on Sept. 29. The Citadel travels to VMI for the Military Classic of the South on Nov. 10.

Early Conference Start – The SoCon once again starts the league slate in week one. The contestants this time are Furman and Samford, who will meet in Birmingham on Sept. 1. Basically, the league scheduled at least one conference game each weekend of the regular season.

Back Where It Was – After being played mid-season or earlier for several years, the Furman-Citadel rivalry game returns to the last week of the regular season. Many alumni and fans of both schools have felt the game should never have left that spot.

Tough Stretches – These teams have a string of games that seem particularly challenging.
The Citadel: Georgia Southern, at Appalachian State, at North Carolina State, Chattanooga (Sept. 8-Sept. 29)
Elon: at Georgia Southern, Wofford, at Appalachian State (Sept. 22-Oct. 6)
Furman: at Wofford, Chattanooga, Georgia Southern, at Elon (Oct. 6-Oct. 27)
Georgia Southern: Wofford, at Furman, at Chattanooga, Appalachian State (Oct. 13-Nov. 3)
Wofford: at Elon, Furman, at Georgia Southern, at Wofford (Sept. 29-Oct. 20)

Other Notes – Five of Furman’s 11 opponents are Palmetto State teams. In addition to the SoCon games against Wofford (away) and The Citadel (home), the Paladins host Coastal Carolina and visit Clemson and Presbyterian College.

THE SCHEDULES
(# = SoCon game)

Appalachian State
Sept. 1 at East Carolina
Sept. 8 Montana
Sept. 15 The Citadel #
Sept. 22 at Chattanooga #
Sept. 29 Coastal Carolina
Oct. 6 Elon #
Oct. 13 at Samford #
Oct. 20 Wofford #
Oct. 27 at Western Carolina #
Nov. 3 at Georgia Southern #
Nov. 10 Furman #
Nov. 17 Open Date

Chattanooga
Sept. 1 at South Florida
Sept. 8 at Jacksonville State
Sept. 15 Glenville State
Sept. 22 Appalachian State #
Sept. 29 at The Citadel #
Oct. 6 Open Date
Oct. 13 at Furman #
Oct. 20 Samford #
Oct. 27 Georgia Southern #
Nov. 3 at Western Carolina #
Nov. 10 at Wofford #
Nov. 17 Elon #

The Citadel
Sept. 1 Charleston Southern
Sept. 8 Georgia Southern #
Sept. 15 at Appalachian State #
Sept. 22 at North Carolina State
Sept. 29 Chattanooga #
Oct. 6 at Samford #
Oct. 13 Western Carolina #
Oct. 20 Open Date
Oct. 27 at Wofford #
Nov. 3 Elon #
Nov. 10 at VMI
Nov. 17 at Furman #

Elon
Sept. 1 at North Carolina
Sept. 8 North Carolina Central
Sept. 15 West Virginia State
Sept. 22 at Georgia Southern #
Sept. 29 Wofford #
Oct. 6 at Appalachian State #
Oct. 13 Open Date
Oct. 20 Western Carolina #
Oct. 27 Furman #
Nov. 3 at The Citadel #
Nov. 10 Samford #
Nov. 17 at Chattanooga #

Furman
Sept. 1 at Samford #
Sept. 8 Coastal Carolina
Sept. 15 at Clemson
Sept. 22 at Presbyterian College
Sept. 29 Western Carolina #
Oct. 6 at Wofford #
Oct. 13 Chattanooga #
Oct. 20 Georgia Southern #
Oct. 27 at Elon
Nov. 3 Open Date
Nov. 10 at Appalachian State #
Nov. 17 The Citadel #

Georgia Southern
Sept. 1 Jacksonville
Sept. 8 at The Citadel #
Sept. 15 Open Date
Sept. 22 Elon #
Sept. 29 Samford #
Oct. 6 at Western Carolina #
Oct. 13 Wofford #
Oct. 20 at Furman #
Oct. 27 at Chattanooga #
Nov. 3 Appalachian State #
Nov. 10 Howard
Nov. 17 at Georgia

Samford
Sept. 1 Furman #
Sept. 8 West Alabama
Sept. 15 at Gardner-Webb
Sept. 22 at Western Carolina #
Sept. 29 at Georgia Southern #
Oct. 6 The Citadel #
Oct. 13 Appalachian State #
Oct. 20 at Chattanooga #
Oct. 27 Open Date
Nov. 3 Wofford #
Nov. 10 at Elon #
Nov. 17 at Kentucky

Western Carolina
Aug. 30 Mars Hill
Sept. 8 at Marshall
Sept. 15 at Wofford #
Sept. 22 Samford #
Sept. 29 at Furman #
Oct. 6 Georgia Southern #
Oct. 13 at The Citadel #
Oct. 20 at Elon #
Oct. 27 Appalachian State #
Nov. 3 Chattanooga #
Nov. 10 Open Date
Nov. 17 at Alabama

Wofford
Sept. 1 at Gardner-Webb
Sept. 8 Lincoln University
Sept. 15 Western Carolina #
Sept. 22 Open Date
Sept. 29 at Elon #
Oct. 6 Furman #
Oct. 13 at Georgia Southern #
Oct. 20 at Appalachian State #
Oct. 27 The Citadel #
Nov. 3 at Samford #
Nov. 10 Chattanooga #
Nov. 17 at South Carolina