SAVANNAH, Ga. - Savannah State University head coach Earnest Wilson III on Wednesday said he believes redshirt freshman quarterback Leon Prunty will break many NCAA records during his SSU career.

Both the coach and his quarterback will experience their first game as Tigers on Saturday when SSU plays Georgia Southern in both teams' season opener at 6 p.m. at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro.

Wilson, who was hired June 7 from Hampton (Va.) University, where he was the Pirates' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, will start Prunty at quarterback. Wilson's decision was made public earlier this week after senior Antonio Bostick, SSU's starting quarterback last season, was suspended by the NCAA for at least the first two games.

Wilson said Bostick was suspended "for academic reasons" and will miss games at Georgia Southern and Troy University (Sept. 7). Bostick's return "depends on the NCAA," Wilson said.

For those who think SSU suffered a major blow by losing Bostick, Wilson hinted that Prunty has been contending for the starting job the entire preseason.

"Only outside of Savannah State football did people think Antonio would be the starting quarterback," Wilson said. "Inside of Savannah State football, everyone knows that all jobs are up in the air.

"There's a new attitude here at Savannah State. All jobs are open. Until we get a winning program, until we see that everybody is doing everything right, all jobs are open. Each week they will compete for their job."

Victorian Hardison, a 6-foot, 180-pound junior, and transfer Zach Hutcheson, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound sophomore, could get playing time depending on how Prunty fares against GSU. But Prunty's performances during fall camp and in preseason practices impressed Wilson.

"He's a freshman but he has a heck of an arm," Wilson said of Prunty, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound graduate of Stockbridge High School. "He can move well. He's big. He'strong. And he can do a lot of things. As I develop him as a quarterback, I think he's just going to break many records in the NCAA."

SSU also will be without senior wide receiver Dylan Cook, who will miss the first two games because of academic issues.

"I like to think that in the first two or three games, we're going to find out who we are and I get to really find out who they are," Wilson said of his players.

GSU OUTLOOK
Georgia Southern is 9-0 in the series against SSU. The Eagles beat the Tigers, 48-3, when the teams last met Sept. 4, 2010, at Paulson Stadium. It was Jeff Monken's head coaching debut at GSU. It also marked the largest margin of victory for an Eagle football head coach in his first game.

GSU has advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals in each of the past three seasons, while SSU has finished 1-10 in each of the past three seasons.

"They've got a coach that's all-world," Wilson said. "They've got a quarterback that's all-world, who rushed for so many yards. They have a killer defense. They have everything that's great."

GSU features four preseason All-America selections in quarterback Jerick McKinnon, a 5-foot-9, 210-pound senior; B-back Dominique Swope, a 5-foot-11, 201-pound junior; right tackle Dorian Byrd, a 6-foot-1, 269-pound senior; and left tackle Garrett Frye, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior. McKinnon ran for 1,817 yards and 20 touchdowns on 269 carries last season.

"We're going to have to be physical," Wilson said. "We're going to have to be disciplined. We're going to have to be focused. We're going to have to work hard. There are many areas where we're going to have to out-work them. We can't let them out-work us. If they make a big play then what we've got to do is regroup and play the next snap. That's what's going to give us an opportunity to win, just keep playing the next play."

NASH CHALLENGES SSU ALUMNI
Henry Nash, a 1974 graduate of SSU and a resident of Washington, D.C., has pledged to donate $20 to the athletics department for each point the football team scores this season.
Nash hopes his donations will inspire other SSU alumni, boosters and stakeholders to join him. SSU's athletics department will accept pledges of any amount for every point the football team scores this season.

Nash's challenge has been accepted by the Grovner Family: Arthur and Judy, of the Augusta Alumni Chapter. They have pledged to give $4 for every point scored this season.

Anyone interested in donating is encouraged to contact athletics business manager Selena Warner at (912) 358-3429 or warners@savannahstate.edu.