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Before the college football season started, William Ford was selected as the MEAC's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

So far, Ford has lived up to that billing. The junior running back from South Carolina State has 114 carries for 613 yards and seven touchdowns. He's averaging 5.4 yards a carry. A week ago, Ford showcased his speed and open-field moves by rushing for 149 yards on 23 attempts and leading the Bulldogs to a 28-21 victory over Florida A&M.

"Will has been all that's been advertised," said South Carolina State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough. "He's actually had two games that have been throwaway games. The Central Florida and Clemson games were not quite as good as he normally has for us. But even with that, he still averaged over 100 yards a game. He's done quite well. He'll get 1,000 to 1,500 yards this season."

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The 5-foot-11 185-pounder plays a lot bigger than his size. In addition, he has been able to absorb a lot of pounding each game, and has done a great job of carrying the load for the Bulldogs.

"He's a down-to-earth, hardworking tough guy," Pough said. "He's fast. He has the kind of mentality where he wants to get better. We have to stop him from doing too much. You have some running backs who don't want to do anything but run the football. He can block and catch the football. He gets the ball anywhere between 20 to 30 times a game. They're all touches. You don't ever have to question his determination. He's just an all-around get-it-done kind of guy."

South Carolina State (4-2 overall, 2-0 MEAC) will host Norfolk State (2-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC) on Saturday in Orangeburg, S.C.

Pough knows that most teams will focus on stopping Ford.

"He's as big a part of our plans as anybody on our team," Pough said. "He's got to be aware of the fact that teams are going to design some things to stop him. For that reason, we have to make sure we don't overdo it. He's still going to get the ball. We'll do a lot of things with him. He's played some receiver for us. We have a young quarterback in Malcolm Long. We have a good offensive line and some playmakers."

Ford is the Bulldogs' biggest playmaker. Three years ago, Pough recruited him out of Travelers Rest High School from Travelers Rest, S.C., near Greenville. Ford made an immediate impact as a freshman, rushing for 752 yards and scoring 10 TDs. He was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year. Last season, he rushed for 1,389 yards and tallied four TDs to garner all-conference honors. NFL scouts have already seen him on several occasions, and Pough feels the scouts like Ford's versatility.

"He's done a great job since he's been here," Pough said. "He can run, catch the football and block. If a guy is going to play at the next level, he has to show he can do a lot of good things on the field. All the scouts who have come in here like him. Actually, what's not to like?"

HBCU notes

• Keep your eye on the Texas Southern-Southern matchup this week. This contest will feature the SWAC's top quarterbacks: Bobby Reid (Texas Southern) and Bryant Lee (Southern). After an 0-2 start, Oklahoma State transfer Reid guided the Tigers to a three-game winning streak before losing to Texas State on Saturday. Over the past four games, he has thrown for 1,168 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 165 yards and seven TDs.

Lee has been sharp over his past four games, too. He has thrown for 1,045 yards with 11 TDs and two interceptions. This includes a game-winning TD pass in a 15-12 victory over Alcorn State on Sept. 27

• The Grambling State at Texas Southern game scheduled for Nov. 20 in San Antonio has been moved to Houston. The game will be played at Houston Independent School District's Delmar Stadium. The kickoff is set for 9:05 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPNU.

• Texas Southern QB Reid has been named the SWAC offensive player of the week. Reid completed 38 of 64 passes for 481 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed 18 times for 54 yards and one TD.

Jackson State DE Sam Washington has been selected as the SWAC defensive player of the week. Washington had 12 tackles (four for loss), one sack, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in the Tigers' loss to Southern.

• Bethune-Cookman WR Phillip Kirkland was chosen as the MEAC offensive player of the week. Kirkland led the Wildcats to a 31-27 win over Morgan State. He had 125 reception yards on four catches with one touchdown.

Bethune-Cookman DB Travis Roland was named the MEAC defensive player of the week. Roland led the team with 10 tackles, five solo, in the Wildcats' win over Morgan State.

• Tuskegee (5-0) remains No. 1 in the Sheridan Broadcast Network Black College Football Poll. The Golden Tigers defeated Alabama A&M 34-24 last week in the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis.

Donald Hunt is a columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune. You can reach him at dhunt37261@aol.com.