HBCU football: WSSU looks to dominate in season opener

WINSTON-SALEM, NC — HBCU Winston-Salem State (WSSU) football may be coming off a 4-6 season, but it doesn’t lack for confidence heading into the season opener against Bluefield State.

Camar Kyle’s expectations are pretty high coming off last year’s 30-0 win over BSU. The All-CIAA defensive end was asked about his opponents’ social media message that the “rent is due. ”

“30 to 0. Domination,” Kyle said, repeating the score last season’s game with a stoic face. When asked if he expected a repeat performance, he didn’t back down.

“60 to nothing,” he said, with his quarterback Daylin Lee cracking a smile and nodding.

WSSU head coach Robert Massey was a little more deliberate with his commentary on the opener.

“They got new staff up there. Coach (Davon) Morgan has done a real good job. They’re excited,” Massey said of Bluefield State. “But again, I really feel like this team has been committed all summer. Definitely during the camp. And we are committed. We have a mission.”

The mission will be to start the season with a win. But unlike last season’s blowout victory of the CIAA’s newest school, the Rams will have to hit the road this weekend. It’s a roughly two hour trip to the remote HBCU, but playing outside the confines of Bowman Gray hasn’t been kind to them recently. They have gone just 3-14 on the road since 2021.

“When you’re a good team, you have to be able to win on the road. So we want to go on the road and win in an impressive manner. We’re going to get out of that game obviously healthy as well, but we definitely going to play for keeps,” Massey said. “So if there rent is due —  we plan to keep it.

One of the key additions for WSSU has been former Bluefield State defensive lineman Jaylen Norris. Norris recorded six sacks last season for BSU, and now he will be facing his old squad on Saturday.

Kyle says his new teammate is ‘a character, and that he’s excited about playing his former team in the opener.

“They’re not going to want you to make plays. And everybody out of the 11, they’re not going to want you to make the play,” Kyle said. “So you just gotta fight through it. Make a play for your new team.”

WSSU was picked to finish sixth in the 11-team CIAA, which is made up of all HBCU programs. Bluefield State was predicted to finish last.

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