Four Rattlers Named to Preseason All-Conference Teams; Three Games to be Televised
Michael Lovejoy Keonte Cash Jacques Bryant Akil Blount
Special to the Outlook
Senior defensive lineman Michael Lovejoy was selected to the All-Conference football team, leading a quartet of FAMU players who were named All-Conference preseason picks during the recent Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Media Day in Norfolk, Va.
Joining Lovejoy from FAMU were senior linebacker Akil Blount, who was a second-team selection, along with junior offensive guard Keonte Cash and junior defensive back Jacques Bryant who were both third-team selections.
Meanwhile, the Rattlers were picked to finish eighth in their first season under new head coach Alex Wood in a poll conducted by the league’s head coaches and media relations directors.
The North Carolina A&T Aggies were predicted to win the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship
The announcement of the 2015 predicted order of finish and the preseason all-conference team were made during the annual MEAC Football Press Luncheon at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside Hotel.
Following the Aggies in order in the preseason poll were South Carolina State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina Central and Morgan State, all five of whom shared the 2014 MEAC title after finishing with identical 6-2 league records. After that first five, Hampton, Norfolk State, FAMU, Howard, Delaware State and Savannah State were predicted to finish in that order.
However, due to NCAA postseason bans over Academic Progress Rating penalties, FAMU, Howard and Savannah State are ineligible for the 2015 MEAC title.
The MEAC also announced that FAMU will have two of three televised games shown live as part of the 2015 MEAC’s television schedule. The Rattlers’ Sept. 17 matchup with South Carolina State will be shown on ESPNU, beginning at 7:30 p.m. FAMU closes out the season with its final television appearance when the Rattlers face Bethune-Cookman University on Nov. 21 in the Florida Blue Florida Classic. That game, scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. start, will be shown live on ESPN3 then tape-delayed on ESPN Classic and ESPNU.
FAMU opens fall camp on Aug. 3 and plays its season-opener Sept. 5 at South Florida in Tampa in the other game that will be telecast live on ESPN3 at 7 p.m.
