Gridiron action will be fast and furious when the Fort Valley State University Wildcats begin the race for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football Championship. The Wildcats kick off the 2009 football season at home, when they battle the Clark Atlanta University Panthers at 8 p.m. (EDT) Saturday, Aug. 29 in the newly-constructed Wildcat Stadium (10,000 seats, natural grass). THE COACHES: Donald Pittman (Adams State University, ’74) begins his first season at the helm of the Wildcat football program. Pittman is the former offensive coordinator for the Albany State University Golden Rams. Ted Bahhur (Kent State, ’90) enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Clark Atlanta Panthers football program. Last season, CAU finished with a 6-5 record. Bahhur’s career record is 11-21. THE SERIES: This is the second longest series in the history of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) football. The series dates back to 1950 when CAU won the first match up, 12-0. The Wildcats claimed their first win against CAU in 1952 when they defeated the Panthers 12-7. Currently, the Wildcats have 17 consecutive wins against the Panthers. The series stands at 42-13-4, which includes last year’s 24-19 Wildcat win. The Panther’s last win over the Wildcats was in 1991 when they pulled off a 14-12 upset in the rain at Wildcat Stadium. THE TEAMS: Last year, the FVSU Wildcats closed the season with a slugfest over the Stillman College Tigers (15-6). The Wildcats finished the season with an overall record of 6-5 and 6-3 in the SIAC. As this season begins, the starting quarterback position continues to be hotly contested at FVSU. Senior Nathan Samas, junior Terrance Ransom, and junior transfer Eugene Smith remain in contention for starting spot. Clark Atlanta’s Mark Wright is the projected starter at quarterback and All-SIAC running back Winston Thompson, who led the conference with 1,134 yards rushing last season, returns to the Panther backfield. Marcus Winston, who finished with 8.5 sacks last season, leads the defense. PITTMAN ON THE WILDCATS: “I know that the fans have high expectations for the Wildcats this season. Our practices have been very intense and we’ve been paying close attention to details. We’ll be prepared for Clark Atlanta, which is a very good team. The game against the Panthers will be a confidence builder. We’ll know how the team will react to competition and pressure on a big stage, playing in a new stadium before a sold out crowd.” PITTMAN ON THE PANTHERS: “I expect CAU to start the season strong. “I anticipate that they will play fast and physical against us. They’ll make limited mistakes because of their experience. It will be a challenge to go against them, but we’ll be ready for them in Saturday’s game.” RADIO BROADCST: WFVS-LP (104.3) will broadcast the game live from Wildcat Stadium in Fort Valley. The game can also be heard via the internet on the FVSU Web site at http://www.fvsu.edu NEXT WEEK: The Wildcats will meet the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at B.T. Harvey Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The Panthers travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a 5 p.m. (CST) match up with the Tigers of Stillman College. --30--