One more turkey to bag
After winning six straight games and grabbing the SIAC football title last week, Miles coach
Reginald Ruffin has no qualms with his team preparing for a game this week instead of celebrating his second conference championship.
While some would like to see the Golden Bears participating in the opening round of the NCAA Division II playoffs, Ruffin will lead his team into a season-ending matchup at Division I FCS opponent Alabama State on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The fifth-year head coach said his team is postponing its championship celebration because there is still work to be done on the 2015 season. In fact, the caliber of opponent gives his team an opportunity to showcase its wares against top talent.
 "Our kids know this is a big game for them, playing a Division I team. But I think we're up for the challenge," Ruffin said. " We don't start something and not finish. Alabama State is the last team on our schedule and we're going to play them and have a strong showing in that football game."
The players do not seem to lament the fact that there will be no additional postseason action. But it appears that they have marked this game on the schedule for a big grand finale.
"It's not over with. We've got Alabama State and once again, we'll be the underdogs," said junior quarterback
David Whipple. "They've got us for their homecoming. But we're undefeated in homecomings this year. So we just want to keep the streak going."
Miles won its own homecoming game against Kentucky State and has also won at Central State and Tuskegee during their homecoming festivities. But Alabama State brings a different challenge, not only because of its Division I status, but because Ruffin said he has very little idea of what the Hornets will do because they did not exchange game film.
Still, Ruffin is not worried that his coaching staff will not be able to make the adjustments necessary to take down the Hornets.
"We have great leadership from the seniors and great leadership from the coaches," Ruffin said. "There's no quit in this group and that is what I admire most about them."
Alabama State has also shown a propensity to struggle in its annual homecoming game, which has featured two other SIAC opponents in recent years: Stillman, which nearly upset ASU in 2013, and Tuskegee, where Ruffin used to coach and tasted victory against the Hornets on several occasions.
"Football is football. It's going to come down to Xs and Os. Teams that don't make mistakes and can make the big plays are the ones that come out on top," Ruffin said.
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