Sunday, November 14, 2010

Week 11: Pretenders vs. Contenders

Great story this morning that sort through most of the scenarios for the FCS playoff picture, coming from The Sports Network, In the FCS Huddle: Will the bubble burst on your team?  For SWAC fans, this means nothing for your December 11 conference championship game.

Alabama State clinched the Eastern Division berth and improved to 7-3, 6-3 SWAC by holding on in the final seconds to defeat Stump Mitchell's Southern Jaguars (2-8, 1-7 SWAC) at A.W. Mumford Stadium, 21-19. Mitchell's Jags will make school history on November 27, in the Bayou Classic if they fall to Western Division contender, Grambling State (8-2, 7-1 SWAC). A loss will give the Jaguars their first nine loss season in the University's 130 year history.

Grambling is in a must win and hope situation after falling in overtime on Thursday to Texas Southern (7-3, 7-1 SWAC). The TSU Tigers were able to fight back from 17 points down in the 4th quarter to over take Grambling 41-34 in overtime. The only way GSU makes it to the SWAC Championship game is for UAPB (5-5, 4-4 SWAC) to upset TSU on next Saturday, and they take care of business with Southern in the Bayou Classic.

Based on past practice of the FCS Playoffs selection committee, a 9-2 Grambling State team will not receive an at-large berth to the FCS playoffs.  Those slots appears to be reserved for 6-4 teams from the CAA, based on strength of schedule, etc. etc.  Anyhow, Grambling State has a date with Southern in the highly successful/money mak'in State Farm Bayou Classic on November 27, 2010, and cannot participate in the FCS playoffs that starts on November 20 --even if they were interested.


Videographer: Bookman (Texas Southern @ Southern University 11/6/2010)

Congratulations to Savannah State Tigers (1-9) for clipping MEAC rival North Carolina Central Eagles 28-21 to record their first win of the season.  Great that it happened in your first home game of the season at Memorial Stadium as on-campus Ted Wright Stadium continues its renovation process. Talk about resiliency, Savannah State has it and has shown improvement with each game. The nucleus is there for a competitive club next season.

The MEAC championship will be decided Saturday at the Florida Classic in Orlando between Florida A&M (7-3, 6-1 MEAC) and Bethune Cookman (10-0, 7-0). Based on the total body of work for this season, FAMU shouldn't be on the same field with the B-CU Wildcats. However, this Rattlers team is very special after coming back from two devastating losses to Tennessee State (18-29)and South Carolina State (0-19) in weeks 4/5. The Rattlers have won five straight games and more important, found a true starting quarterback in redshirt freshman Austin Trainor and an energized run stopping defense.

If  Florida A&M has any hope of an at-large berth in the FCS playoffs, it must defeat B-CU and throw the MEAC championship into a three way tie with South Carolina State (8-2, 6-1 MEAC). The S.C. State Bulldogs must beat North Carolina A&T (1-9, 1-6) in the Battle of the Border for an at-large berth. All three MEAC teams deserve an FCS playoffs berth, but Bethune-Cookman is the only one guaranteed a seat at the table.

Regardless, the Florida Classic will be Rattlers and Wildcats Super Bowl, as more than 75,000 fans are expected along with an ESPN Classic/ESPN3 national television and Internet audience.  The game and battle of the bands is bigger than any FCS playoff game--including the national championship played in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Move over Magic City and Bayou Classics.  The Rattlers and Wildcats are getting ready to set an FCS attendance record in the Florida Classic!

How 'bout Rick  Comegy's Jackson State Tigers ( 7-3, 5-3 SWAC) blowing out  a strong Monte Coleman's Arkansas Pine Bluff  (5-5, 4-4 SWAC) defense 52-30 on the road (with the head coach out on suspension).  No doubt, Tigers quarterback Casey Therriault is the SWAC offensive player of the year. Therriault passed for 331 yards and five touchdowns and ran for two touchdown more in the win.

Jackson State offense is #1 in the FCS in total offense with 3385 total yards in 10 games. Therriault has completed 239 of 415 (57.59%) passes for 3272 yards with only 8 interceptions, and 29 touchdowns. The offense averaged 442 yards per game and scored 46 touchdowns.

The FCS leaders in individual rushing are:

FCS Rank 


  • 3. Frank Warren, Grambling State, 1,431 yards; 6.78 per rush, 143.10 ypg.
  • 16. DeAngelo Branche, Norfolk St. 1,097 yards; 4.75 per rush, 109.70 ypg.
  • 20. Mike Mayhew, N.C. A&T 1,073 yards; 5.09 per rush, 107.30 ypg.
  • 25. Marcus Wright, Texas Southern    943 yards; 4.79 per rush, 94.30 ypg.
  • 32. Tony Green, Alabama A&M 666 yards; 5.60 per rush 83.25 ypg.
  • 33. Philip Sylvester, Florida A&M 822 yards; 5.71 per rush 82.20 ypg.
  • 38. Chris Massey, South Carolina St. 639 5.15 per rush 79.88 ypg.
Shaw University (9-2) defeated Virginia State (8-3) 14-7 to win the 2010 CIAA Football Championship. The Bears are now scheduled to face WVIAC champion Shepherd (9-1), who was selected as the fourth seed in Super Region I, NCAA Division II football playoffs. The game is scheduled for noon on November 20 at -- you guessed it -- Shepherdstown, WV. Shaw is a fifth seed in Super Region 1.

#5 Morehouse (8-2) was selected for the playoffs and is on the road to Wingate, N.C. to faces #4Wingate Bulldogs (8-2) of the South Atlantic Conference.  It is the Bulldogs first bid to the NCAA Division II football playoffs.

The winner will travel to Albany, Georgia to face the #1 seed  in Super Region 2, Albany State (Ga.) Golden Rams. ASU has a first round bye this weekend.

Now, the rest of the story...

(beepbeep, 11/14/10)



Videographer: denomj07 (Alabama State at Southern U. 11/13/2010)

READ MORE, CLICK HERE

MEAC
Bethune Cookman 35, Howard 20
Florida A&M 17, Hampton 12
Savannah State 28, North Carolina Central 21
Norfolk State 31, Delaware State 21
South Carolina State 32, Morgan State 10 (Thursday)

SWAC
Alabama A&M 21, Mississippi Valley State 7
Prairie View A&M 35, Alcorn State 27
Jackson State 52, Arkansas Pine Bluff 30
*Alabama State 21, Southern 19
Texas Southern 41, Grambling State 34/O.T.(Thursday)
    (*SWAC Eastern Division Champion)

CIAA
**Shaw 14, Virginia State 7
**2010 CIAA Champions


OVC
Tennessee-Martin 37, Tennessee State 0

SIAC
Stillman 44, Central State (Oh.) 13

OTHERS
Concordia 36, Kentucky Wesleyan 35
Lincoln (Mo.) 21, Missouri S&T 20
California (Pa) 57, Cheyney 6
Fairmont State 63, West Virginia State 38


Videographer: Bookman (Southern U. vs. Texas Southern 11/13/2010)

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