Richmond Football Unveils Future Opponents Through 2016

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND -- The University of Richmond has announced its non-conference football opponents through the 2016 season, highlighted by 11 games versus Commonwealth teams.

The Spiders series versus the University of Virginia continues through 2016, while the long-standing VMI series is extended through 2015. Richmond and North Carolina State meet in 2013 and the Spiders have not yet announced a BCS opponent in 2015.

Also highlighting the Spiders' future schedule are home-and-home series with in-state foes Liberty and Hampton University, along with a series versus Gardner-Webb and home games versus Charlotte, Morehead State and Norfolk State. The Spiders and Flames have never met on the gridiron, while Richmond has played Hampton just once previously - with the Spiders winning 38-10, in the 2005 NCAA FCS Playoffs First Round.

Game dates and times have yet to be announced and match-ups are subject to change.

FUTURE FOOTBALL NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
2012: HOME: Gardner-Webb. AWAY: at Virginia; at VMI
*2013: HOME: Liberty; VMI. AWAY: at N.C. State; at Gardner-Webb
*2014: HOME: Hampton; Morehead State; AWAY: at Virginia; at Liberty
2015: HOME: VMI; AWAY: at TBA (BCS opponent); at Hampton
2016: HOME: Charlotte; Norfolk State. AWAY: at Virginia
* 12-game regular-season schedule

GSU Panthers look to get back on track at South Carolina State

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- After a poor showing against Murray state, the Panthers will travel to South Carolina State University.

The Bulldogs are coming off of their homecoming game, and will look to dismantle the Panther defense in their pursuit of a fourth straight Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference title. With redshirt junior quarterback Derrick Wiley leading the way, the Panthers will be up against another prolific offense.

In a 69-0 victory over Delaware State on Sept. 24, Wiley threw for 250 yards and four touchdowns through the air. The 6'1 200 pound Wiley completed 12 of his 20 attempted passes. Along with torching Delaware State through the air Wiley rushed for 2 touchdowns on the ground. With his monster offensive show out, Wiley tied 2 school single game records.

These included the four passing touchdowns, and total touchdowns posted in a game with six.
Luckily for the Panthers, they won't have to face Wiley, who is out with a torn knee meniscus. Due to this injury Wiley could potentially miss the remainder of the season.

Richard Cue will be starting at quarterback in place of the injured Wiley.

In his first start last weekend, Cue completed 15 of his 22 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Although Wiley will be out due to injury, they still have freshman running back Jalen Simmons empowering the Bulldogs offense. In the 69 – 0 route of Delaware State Simmons set up two touchdowns for his team. Simmons rushed for 92 yards on 11 carries, averaging a stellar 8.36 yards per carry.




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Scouting report: Towson vs. Morgan State

MORGAN STATE @ TOWSON
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WNST-1570 AM
Series: Towson leads, 16-6

What's at stake: Saturday's season opener will be a game of bragging rights for these two in-state rivals, whose campuses are separated by just five miles. The host in this series has won 15 of the past 22 games, and the Tigers have won 11 of 13 games against Morgan at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Both teams are looking to start the season strong after disappointing 2010 campaigns. The Bears finished 4-7 and had the last-ranked offense in the 117-team Football Championship Subdivision. The Tigers, meanwhile, were 1-10 a year ago, and finished with the No. 109 offense in FCS.

Key matchup: Junior Tremayne Dameron, who has run for 1,065 yards and 13 touchdowns in his career, leads the Tigers rushing attack against a tenacious Morgan State defense. The Bears welcome back Alonzo Lee as their defensive coordinator after he spent the previous two seasons as North Carolina A&T's head coach. Under Lee's defensive direction, Morgan State led ...

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Battle For Atlanta: Clark Atlanta Panthers vs. Georgia State Panthers

BATTLE DATE: FRIDAY, SEPT. 2, 2011 GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA, GA 7:30 p.m. ET

Battle For Atlanta: Clark Atlanta Panthers vs. Georgia State Panthers

BATTLE DATE: FRIDAY, SEPT. 2, 2011 GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA, GA 7:30 p.m. ET

Battle For Atlanta: Clark Atlanta Panthers vs. Georgia State Panthers

BATTLE DATE: FRIDAY, SEPT. 2, 2011 GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA, GA 7:30 p.m. ET

FCS playoffs: UNH rolls past Bethune-Cookman

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – The University of New Hampshire survived a very shaky second period and roared back in the third behind junior quarterback Kevin Decker on the way to a 45-20 FCS playoff win over Bethune-Cookman University Saturday at Municipal Field.

The Wildcats, now 8-4, head to the NCAA playoff quarterfinal round for the sixth time in the last seven years, and will travel to Newark, Del., to take on No. 3 seed Delaware next weekend. Bethune-Cookman, which won its first 10 games of the season, lost its last two games and finished at 10-2.

B-CU backup QB played tough

DAYTONA BEACH -- It wasn't ideal circumstances for Bethune-Cookman quarterback Jackie Wilson to make his first college start on Saturday. To say the odds were against the true freshman would be an understatement. Wilson wasn't fully recovered from a high ankle sprain sustained two weeks earlier in B-CU's loss to Florida A&M, yet he was the best option for coach Brian Jenkins because Matt Johnson -- the senior who started every other game -- has a shoulder injury.

Playing against a New Hampshire team that has years of playoff experience, Wilson was sacked five times, fumbled twice and threw two interceptions in the 45-20 loss at Municipal Stadium.



Wildcats kept it close early on

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman sophomore Kory Kowalski nailed a 44-yard punt and then was leveled by New Hampshire's Chris Setian in the second quarter Saturday. Kowalski lay flat on Municipal Stadium's Field Turf as trainers attended to him. Then he got up and fell down again.

Many of the 5,738 fans at Muncipal Stadium had to be wondering what B-CU would do if it had to go the rest of the game without the only healthy punter and kicker on its team. But Kowalski, who bruised his left knee on the play, admitted after the game that his second collapse was just milking the situation, giving B-CU's offense a little time to rest.

Backup QB Decker leads UNH football to 45-20 playoff win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Making his first start of the season in place of injured starter R.J. Toman, junior quarterback Kevin Decker threw for three second-half touchdowns to lead the University of New Hampshire football team to a 45-20 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the second round of the Division I playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

Tenth-ranked UNH, which improved to 8-4 with the win, will meet No. 3 seed Delaware next weekend in the quarterfinals. The Blue Hens dispatched Lehigh, 42-20, in their second-round game Saturday. The Wildcats won a postseason game for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Bethune-Cookman, the MEAC champion making its first postseason appearance since 2003, saw its season end with a record of 10-2.



Bethune-Cookman loses in 2nd round of FCS playoffs

DAYTONA BEACH — Game-changing adjustments usually happen on the field. But the decision to bench starting quarterbacks for both Bethune-Cookman University and New Hampshire came just hours before their 1 p.m. kickoff at Municipal Stadium.

BCU coach Brian Jenkins chose to sit Matt Johnson, voted MEAC offensive player of the year, Saturday despite receiving clearance from team doctors for a left shoulder injury. Jackie Wilson, a freshman backup, quarterbacked the Wildacts in a 45-20 loss in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Meltdown

DAYTONA BEACH -- For Matt Johnson the toughest game was his last one. And he never got off the sideline. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year had to stand and watch as his Bethune-Cookman Wildcats succumbed to a second-half offensive barrage that propelled visiting New Hampshire to a 45-20 victory Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division I playoffs at Municipal Stadium.

"It was hard -- very, very hard. I couldn't even put it in words," said Johnson, who broke his left shoulder blade two weeks ago in a loss to Florida A&M.

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ATTENDANCE: 5,738



BCU Wildcats 2010 a mix of success, promise

DAYTONA BEACH -- It was nearly 10 minutes into the third quarter when it began looking like Bethune-Cookman's football season would finally end on its 12th Saturday of the fall.

New Hampshire quarterback Kevin Decker lobbed a pass toward the right sideline, where receiver Chris Chandler, angling toward the B-CU bench, had a half-step on B-CU defender Dion Hanks. Chandler made the catch; Hanks missed the tackle. As Hanks fell aside, Chandler gathered his footing and took off down the sideline toward the end zone, with B-CU's Chris Perry giving a desperate chase that came up just short.

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I-AA Playoff fever captures Bethune-Cookman football

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Author a successful season at the highest level of college football, you're rewarded with a bowl game. It's a trip that includes gift bags, fancy downtown dinners and, depending on the host city, anything from a cow-milking contest to a group hug with Minnie Mouse.

But outside of that marquee world -- where the Alabamas, Ohio States and Floridas reside -- the rest of college football rewards its best with a different type of post-season action, the type recognized by nearly every other sport at every level: Playoffs. Win and continue; lose and go home. Or, in Bethune-Cookman's case, lose and stay home.

Quarterback Matt Johnson still a question mark as Bethune-Cookman hosts New Hampshire today

There will be one anxious moment at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium Saturday when the Bethune-Cookman offense first takes the field. Fans will be waiting to see if No. 13 runs onto the field to take his usual spot in the huddle.

Matt Johnson suffered a dislocation of his left, non-throwing shoulder two weeks ago in the Wildcats' loss to Florida A&M and B-CU coach Brian Jenkins has danced around questions about his senior signal caller's availability since then.

Saturday, however, will finally shed light on the mystery of Johnson, the MEAC offensive player of the year, when BCU takes on New Hampshire in the second round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and NCAA.com is supposed to have live coverage of the game.

New Hampshire (7-4) at Bethune-Cookman (10-1)
1 p.m. Saturday, Municipal Stadium, Daytona Beach, FL
Local Radio: WELE 1380-AM
LIVE GAME VIDEO BROADCAST VIA NCAA.COM - CLICK HERE

Eddie Poole helps lead Bethune-Cookman into NCAA Division I-AA playoffs

Eddie Poole has a steel rod in his left leg, the result of surgical procedures to support a broken fibula he suffered last year. One would figure, with the changing Central Florida weather this week, that the star Bethune-Cookman wide receiver might be having issues with his repaired leg. Of course, if he was hurting, as Wildcats' head coach Brian Jenkins has come to know, he wouldn't admit it.

"He'll just tell me, 'I ain't coming out, coach,' " said Jenkins, the first year coach who...

Dueling 'Cats face QB dilemmas: Bethune-Cookman, UNH ready for Saturday's battle

DURHAM, NH - Who will be playing quarterback? If it is the expected starters, how well will they be able to play through nagging injuries? Whether you're a University of New Hampshire Wildcat or a Bethune-Cookman Wildcat, those questions are being asked about your own QB and the other team's signal-caller. UNH senior R.J. Toman is nursing an ankle sprain. Bethune-Cookman run-pass threat Matt Johnson has an injured left (non-throwing) shoulder.

The two teams will meet for the first time Saturday in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. No. 13 Bethune-Cookman (10-1), champions of the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference is hosting No. 10/11 UNH (7-4), which finished third in the Colonial Athletic Association, at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. Game time is 1 p.m. The game will not be televised. It will be broadcast live on radio (WGIN-AM 930, WQSO-FM 96.7, WASR-AM 1420).

UNH, Jellison now have totake it one game at a time

Thanksgiving was a little bit different this year for Amherst’s Sean Jellison. He was able to spend it at home instead of with his University of New Hampshire football teammates. But the Wildcats reassembled last weekend in preparation for Saturday’s game in Daytona, Fla., against Bethune-Cookman.

It’s the seventh straight post-season appearance for the Wildcats, who recovered from a rocky start to finish 7-4 and gain one of the 20 playoff bids in the Football Championship Subdivision. Because the field was expanded to 20 teams and UNH drew a first-round bye, the Wildcats had Thanksgiving weekend off for the first time in a long time.

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B-CU: Change for good

B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins

Bethune-Cookman finished just 5-6 last season and Alvin Wyatt, the winningest coach in school history, was fired after 13 years on the job. The man replacing him, Brian Jenkins, had never been a head coach before and the Wildcats were picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The initial transition was hardly smooth for Jenkins, 39. He dismissed 20 players from the team as he established a strict set of rules for the program. But rather than turn the team against the coach, that proved to be the first step in a fast rebuilding process that has led No. 13 Bethune-Cookman (10-1) into Saturday's FCS second-round playoff game against No. 10 New Hampshire (7-4).

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Battle of UNH and B-CU 'Cats could be classic

DURHAM, NH — Four days before football teams from the University of New Hampshire and Bethune-Cookman square off in the Division I playoffs, the first-ever matchup between the two unfamiliar foes is shaping up to be a handicapper's nightmare.

Bethune-Cookman (10-1) boasts a better record and home-field advantage, hosting Saturday's game at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. Meanwhile, the lineup for UNH (7-4) is littered with veterans of past playoff runs and tough CAA battles. So, who's the favorite when these teams square off in the Round of 16 on Saturday?



Hugo Souza headed to playoffs with UNH football

Marshfield, NH - The University of New Hampshire has earned a bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship for the seventh consecutive season, the longest current streak in the nation.

The 7-4 Wildcats will visit Bethune-Cookman University (10-1), champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, in a second-round game Saturday, Dec. 4, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Souza, a 6-foot, 213-pound free safety, has 83 total tackles (46 solo) and one interception this season for the Wildcats. His tackles, both total and solo, rank Souza second on the team. In four years, Souza has 319 tackles and five interceptions for UNH.

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University of New Hampshire Wildcat Marching Band (Oct. 11, 2010)

NCCU Eagles falls to ODU

DURHAM, N.C. -- In its final game playing as an independent, the Monarchs downed North Carolina Central at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, 33-21, to close out the 2010 season.

The win was ODU's fifth straight since its loss against #14/16 Cal Poly that dropped the Monarchs to 3-3 on the season. The Monarchs conclude the season at 8-3 and bring its two-year total to 17-5 overall and head into the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) next year.

Redshirt junior Thomas DeMarco passed for 286 yards and a touchdown before being sidelined in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. Redshirt sophomore Reid Evans led the receiving corps with 111 yards on eight catches, while Mario Crawford, who last week become the second Monarch to surpass the 1,000 yard career rushing mark, ran the ball 15 times for 55 yards.



ODU closes second season with 33-21 win at NC Central

DURHAM, N.C. —  Old Dominion got only a bit more than a half from quarterback Thomas DeMarco but that's all the Monarchs needed to beat North Carolina Central 33-21 on Saturday at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in the season finale for both teams.

DeMarco led Old Dominion to a 30-14 halftime lead as he passed for 281 yards in the first half. He added five more on his lone completion of the second half before leaving the game with an injured shoulder after the first series of the third quarter following a long interception. He finished 22 of 32 for 286 yards and a touchdown.

ATTENDANCE: 4107

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SSU falls behind fast and furious in loss

NORFOLK, Va. - Savannah State's stumbling, bumbling, fumbling ways continued Saturday afternoon as the Tigers lost their 11th straight, falling 57-9, this time to Old Dominion on a crisp Saturday afternoon at Foreman Field.

Doom found the Tigers (0-9) immediately when the Monarchs converted a pooch kickoff recovery and were in the end zone four plays later. The afternoon just seemed to worsen as the sun went down.



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ODU's just too much for Savannah State 57-9

NORFOLK, VA - It was a day of firsts for Old Dominion's football team. First kickoff returned for a touchdown. First interception returned for a touchdown. First ridiculous, one-sided blowout.

The Monarchs, in the last stages of prepping for entry into the Colonial Athletic Association, dismantled struggling Savannah State 57-9 on a brisk Saturday afternoon at Foreman Field. ODU's 57 points were the most scored by the Monarchs in a game, surpassing a 49-point output last season against Division II Virginia Union. The school record for points against a Division I program is 44, set earlier this year against Campbell.

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ATTENDANCE: 19,782

Old Dominion Monarchs plunder Hampton Pirates

Hampton, VA - The Monarch special teams unit blocked two punts and rushed Pirate punter Jordan Stoval to start a drive on Hampton's own one-yard line all by halftime in ODU's 28-14 win in its 15-mile road trip to Hampton Saturday afternoon. The win ups ODU's overall mark to 5-3 overall and 6-1 all-time on the road. The Pirates meanwhile drop to 5-3 on the season.

Quarterback Thomas DeMarco (Palm Desert, Calif.) passed for 182 yards and ran for a pair of touchdowns, while Prentice Gill (Los Angles, Calif.) led the receiving corps with 67 yards, seven receptions, and a score.

ODU wins Round 1 of start-up rivalry with Hampton

Hampton's offense had just put together its first cohesive drive to pull within two scores with an entire fourth quarter to play, and Ricardo Silva's interception gave it the ball right back for what could be a game-changing possession. "I thought so," Silva said. "But it didn't happen."

Three straight incompletions forced the Pirates' ninth punt and personified their continuing offensive struggles in a 28-14 loss to Old Dominion in the first meeting of a home-and-away series between the nearby rivals on Saturday in front of 8,605 fans at Armstrong Stadium.

ODU victory will help it win recruiting battles

HAMPTON, VA - Old Dominion won a football game Saturday afternoon at Hampton University. But in addition to prevailing over its cross-the-water neighbors, the Monarchs also won a recruiting battle. That's one of the reasons Bobby Wilder characterized his team's 28-14 victory as "a very big win for our program." For now and the immediate future.

Winning the favor of impressionable, fickle high school athletes is how a successful football program is established and maintained. Now, when dealing with recruits from the Peninsula who are on the radar of both ODU and Hampton, the Monarchs should have a leg up.

Attendance: 8,605

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Already battling for recruits, ODU-HU set to battle on the field

Hampton University was first. But Old Dominion was shinier. Colby Goodwyn rushed for 1,869 yards and 29 touchdowns in a senior season at Phoebus High that culminated in the 2009 Group AAA Division 5 state title. The Pirates took notice early on, making Goodwyn his first scholarship offer during the season.

The Monarchs, in their second season of FCS play, came later, with a phone call during a celebratory post-championship dinner. Goodwyn excused the tardiness. “I was thinking, ‘I want to see what else might come open,’ ” he said. “The facilities are real nice (at ODU), and the teaching and all that stuff. Everything’s brand-new here. I like it a lot.”

Hampton, Old Dominion launch new rivalry Saturday

Just down the road at Hampton University's Armstrong Stadium on Saturday afternoon, they'll stage a football game that doubles as a socially competitive exercise. Or vice versa. Hampton U. and Old Dominion meet at 1 p.m. in a game with no tradition and little bearing on the big-picture aspirations of both programs, yet is widely anticipated in both camps.

In the football offices at Hampton U. and on Norfolk's Powhatan Avenue, they're calling this a big game. Not in the "Every game is a big game" or "It's a big game because it's the next game on our schedule" coaches' mantra that provokes reflexive eye-rolls among non-believers.

Hampton-Old Dominion: The preview, our prediction

HAMPTON (5-2, 4-1 MEAC) vs. OLD DOMINION (4-3)
WHEN: 1 p.m.
WHERE: Armstrong Stadium
TV/RADIO: 88.1 FM

THE BUZZ: The Pirates play host to ODU in the first game of a home-and-away series with the second-year Monarchs. Hampton's defense ranks 13th in the country, allowing opponents less than 290 yards per game, but its offense has scored just 14 points in its last two games. ODU averages 29.4 points, but gives up 23.9.

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Hampton Pirates Football Set To Take On Old Dominion

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will look to get back in the win column on Saturday, when they return to Armstrong Stadium to take on Old Dominion at 1 p.m.

The Pirates (5-2) had their five-game winning streak snapped with a 10-7 loss on the road to South Carolina State this past Saturday, while the second-year Monarchs (4-3), under the direction of head coach Bobby Wilder, have won three of their last four after a 34-20 Homecoming win over Georgia State.

Saturday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between Hampton and Old Dominion; the Monarchs are in just their second year of competition after going nearly 70 years without a football team. After a 9-2 debut in 2009, ODU now holds the mark for the most wins ever for an FCS program in its first season.

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N.C. Central Eagles not sure what to expect against Ga. State

DURHAM, N.C. -- Georgia State may be an upstart program, but it's football team isn't playing like one. The Panthers, who are playing their first season, are coached by Bill Curry and are on a three-game winning streak. NCCU coach Mose Rison said his team needs to be ready to play or it could be a long day against Georgia State (4-2).

"They're a good football team," Rison said. "They have played some pretty good football team in the first six weeks. "They don't look like a team that just got started. They've recruited well. They've got some transfers."

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Maryland (Morgan State, Towson) Football Act unlikely to pass

Morgan State University gets short end of the stick as Colonial Athletic Conference Towson University backs out of supporting Delegate Jay Walker's bill. TU dropped Baltimore rivalry game with the Bears this season to open at Indiana on 9/2/2010 in a money game. MSU and TU are located 4.8 miles from each other, and 31 miles from the University of Maryland.

AD Hermann blocks bill that would require TU to play Terps.

A proposed bill that would force the University of Maryland play both Towson University and Morgan State University in football at least once every four years will most likely not pass, following a hearing in front of the state appropriations committee. State delegate Jay Walker (D), author of the Maryland Football Act, is not optimistic about its fate.

“I think Maryland would like to say ‘Hey, let us do this on our own,’” Walker, a former NFL quarterback and Howard University star, said. “With Morgan State playing Maryland next year and Towson playing Maryland the following year, we want to ensure that it doesn’t happen once in a lifetime.” Towson athletic director Mike Hermann was present at the hearing but was not in support of the bill. Towson is scheduled to play Maryland in 2011 and is working towards doing so again in 2015, according to Hermann.

“For me and for Towson, it’s an awkward situation,” Hermann said. “We want to play Maryland on a regular basis and we are on a path to do so. We are not in favor of the legal requirement not because we don’t want to do it, but I don’t think it should be legally required or that the state legislature should be stepping into college football scheduling. We want to play Maryland regularly and we see great value in that for our fans, for the media buzz it would create and for our student athletes.”

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Morgan State University 2010 Football Schedule

9/4/2010 Bowie State University Hughes Stadium 6 p.m.
9/11/2010 University of Maryland College Park, MD 6 p.m.
9/25/2010 * Howard University East Rutherford, NJ 2 p.m.
10/2/2010 * Bethune-Cookman College Hughes Stadium 4 p.m.
10/9/2010 * North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, NC 1 p.m.
10/23/2010 * Delaware State University (Homecoming) Hughes Stadium 1 p.m.
10/30/2010 * Florida A&M University Tallahassee, FL TBA
11/6/2010 * Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA TBA
11/13/2010 * South Carolina State University Hughes Stadium 4 p.m.
11/20/2010 * Hampton University Hughes Stadium 4 p.m.

Maryland Bill would mandate Morgan State, Towson football match-ups with the Terps

Maryland Delegate Jay "Sky" Walker has introduced legislation that would require the University of Maryland to play the Tigers (Towson) and Bears (Morgan State) once every four years in a "money" football game. Terps, Tigers and Bears! Oh, my!

Bill would mandate Towson, Morgan State football match-ups‎

The University of Maryland Terrapin football team is scheduled to play Morgan State this fall (Sept. 11, 2010) and Towson in 2011. But if a state legislator has his way, there might be rematches — a lot of them. Del. Jay "Sky" Walker (D-Prince George’s) has introduced a bill requiring the Terps to play either Morgan State or Towson once every four years, arguing it would help fund the two smaller schools’ football programs. But university officials are opposing the bill, saying it would strip the Athletics Department of flexibility in scheduling and force it to subsidize the smaller programs.

“The university should be making its decisions on scheduling football, not the legislature,” university lobbyist Ross Stern said. “This really is stepping on the university’s autonomy.” The Terps are generally regarded as the most prestigious football program in the state, but Walker said the state’s two Football Championship Series (formerly called Division 1-AA) teams would benefit financially and otherwise from playing their in-state ACC counterpart. Instead of playing out-of-state FCS schools, he said, the Terps should play the Tigers or the Bears.

“It’s definitely about keeping money in the state of Maryland,” said Walker, a former NFL quarterback who also works as a college football commentator for ESPN. “In the past two years, Maryland has played James Madison and Delaware, which are both FCS schools. We have two FCS schools right here in Maryland. “Now we can have these schools play all the time, not just once in a lifetime,” added Walker, who starred for Howard University before playing for the New England Patriots, Barcelona Dragons and Minnesota Vikings as a professional in the 1990s.

House bill would require more in-state matchups

State Del. Jay Walker, an ESPN college football commentator and former NFL player, has introduced House Bill 482, the Maryland Football Act, which would require the University of Maryland, a Football Bowl Subdivision school, to play at least one game every four years against Morgan State or Towson, two Football Championship Subdivision schools. Walker said he was inspired to create the bill when he saw Maryland schedule FCS team James Madison instead of one of the state schools.

"The football commentator in me understands football," Walker said. "The legislator in me sees a way to help fund the football programs at our FCS schools properly. We've got one flagship program, Maryland, and two FCS teams, Towson and Morgan State. When you see Maryland play James Madison, you say: 'Wait - we have Towson and Morgan State. They could do so much for their programs with the proceeds from that game.' "And Morgan and Towson should have the ability to play Maryland more than once in a lifetime. We want to see it happen on a more frequent basis."

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READ Jay "Sky" Walker BIO:
www.friendsofjaywalker.com/bio.htm
Jay Walker, Maryland State Delegate

Note to Fans: In the past, Maryland has scheduled games with Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) members James Madison, William and Mary and Villanova. Towson is also a member of the CAA and is scheduled to open the 2010 season at Indiana (money game). The Tigers recently have played money games at Northwestern (2009) and Navy (2008). Morgan State (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) has played money games at Akron (2009), Rutgers (2008) and San Jose State (2004). Both are experienced at taking a butt kicking and picking up a $100,000 to $350,000 check from the home team. If Maryland does not want to play Tigers and Bears --the 1-AA Howard Bison (MEAC) are less than 15 miles away from Byrd Stadium and does not recruit the same type student/athletes as Maryland. Howard standards are higher on the academics.

No excuse for the Terps not playing two local teams twice in a decade which are located within a 50 mile radius of College Park. "Sky" Walker is right--keep some of the money in Maryland and give the local teams an opportunity to knock off the Terrapins. We expect House Bill 482 to get some traction with the push from state delegates from Towson and Morgan. All three are state-supported and funded schools. Terps, Tigers and Bears! Oh my!

-beepbeep

Hampton Pirates adds Old Dominion, Central Michigan to 2010 Football Schedule

Hampton University Pirates second year head football coach Donovan Rose faces new opponents Old Dominion and Central Michigan in 2010.

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team, under second-year head coach Donovan Rose, will play an exciting schedule of games next fall that will include four marquee home games and two new opponents. HU officials released the school’s 2010 football schedule on Saturday, noting that the school has entered into a two-year contract to play Old Dominion University of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and a one-year pact with Central Michigan University of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

“This will be a challenging and exciting schedule for Hampton,” said HU athletics director Lonza Hardy Jr. “Playing ODU fits in well with our goal of playing more NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams in our region. Our vision is to play more CAA teams as well as forging relationships with other conferences, such as the Ivy League, the Atlantic 10 and the Big South. Adding Central Michigan gives our team the chance to step into the Bowl Subdivision arena and showcase our program.”

The Pirates will open the season on Sept. 2, when they head to Mount Pleasant, Mich. to face Central Michigan. From there, Hampton will head to Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11 to take on Howard in its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game of the year. Hampton’s first home game of the season will come on Sept. 18, when the Pirates take on North Carolina A&T at Armstrong Stadium at 6 p.m. as part of Parents’ Weekend, Alumni Day and Military Appreciation Day.

The Pirates will have a bye on Sept. 25. After a trip to Dover, Del. on Oct. 2 to face Delaware State, the Pirates will head to Durham, N.C. for a non-conference game against North Carolina Central. The Pirates will then return to Armstrong Stadium for the annual Battle of the Bay Classic, held Oct. 16 against Norfolk State at 1 p.m. From there, the Pirates head to Orangeburg, S.C. on Oct. 23 to face defending MEAC champion South Carolina State.

The Pirates will close out October with its second annual Hall of Fame Game, which will be Oct. 30 against second-year program Old Dominion. Kick-off will be 2 p.m. at Armstrong Stadium. Hampton’s home schedule will conclude on Nov. 6, when the Pirates face Bethune-Cookman for homecoming at 1 p.m. Hampton will close out the season with a pair of road games -- Nov. 13 at Florida A&M and Nov. 20 at Morgan State.

“I think playing Central Michigan is a great opportunity for us to not only play a Bowl Subdivision team, but it also gives us added incentives to work out hard this spring,” said Rose. “It’ll also help us to see where we are as a program and to see how to measure ourselves. The guys and the staff are all excited. “Playing ODU will be great in that it’ll bring the whole community together,” added Rose. “ODU did a great job of getting its program started back last season. Playing teams like this outside the conference, in addition to our conference opponents, will hopefully help us in taking our program where we want it to be.”

Hampton finished last season at 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the MEAC and qualified for the I-AA/FCS play-offs five times in its history, including a three-year run in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Hampton University Pirates 2010 Schedule

9/2 at Central Michigan, Mt. Pleasant, MI
9/11 at Howard University, Washington, D.C.
9/18 North Carolina A&T, Hampton, VA
9/25 OPEN
10/2 at Delaware State, Dover, DE
10/9 at North Carolina Central, Durham, N.C.
10/16 Norfolk State, Hampton, VA
10/23 at South Carolina State, Orangeburg, S.C.
10/30 Old Dominion, Hampton, VA
11/6 Bethune-Cookman, Hampton, VA (Homecoming)
11/13 at Florida A&M, Tallahassee, FL
11/20 at Morgan State, Baltimore, MD
11/28 NCAA FCS Division I Playoffs

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Former Hampton Pirates All-American Latrell Scott Named Head Football Coach at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond has introduced Latrell Scott as its new head football coach. Scott, who has previously served as assistant coach with the Spiders, was introduced by Director of Athletics Jim Miller as the school’s 34th football coach during a press conference December 15th at the Robins Center. A highly-regarded recruiter and graduate of nearby Lee-Davis High School, Scott brings 11 years of coaching experience back to the Spiders after spending the last two seasons as the wide receivers coach at the University of Tennessee and the University of Virginia, respectively.

“Coach Scott will provide great leadership for our football program,” said Miller. “He is an energetic young coach and proven recruiter who many of our players know and respect. He is a Richmond native, former assistant head coach here, and a great fit for the University. Latrell Scott will continue the Richmond tradition of attracting student-athletes of high-character who are champions on and off the field.”

“Growing up in Richmond, and having the experience of coaching at the University of Richmond previously, the opportunity to be the head coach is incredible,” said Scott. “The students, faculty, staff, and administration of this University are second-to-none, and with their continued support, we will continue the success that we have come to expect from the Richmond Football program.”

Prior to joining the Volunteers’ staff in 2008, Scott, 34, served for three years at Richmond under former head coach Dave Clawson as the wide receivers coach. He was promoted to assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator before the 2007 campaign. Richmond was 26-12, made two NCAA Playoff appearances and beat a BCS team (Duke) with Scott on staff. The Spiders shattered the offensive record books in 2007, which ended with a then-school record 11 wins and the school’s first-ever appearance in the National Semifinals.

Richmond’s leading pass-catcher was now-rising senior Kevin Grayson with a school-record 68 receptions for a freshman-record 970 yards and seven TDs. Then-senior Arman Shields began 2007 with a monster effort against Vanderbilt, catching 12 balls for 107 yards, before an injury limited him to just two more brief appearances. His skills and development under Scott, however, were enough to earn him a spot in the NFL Combine and a fourth-round NFL Draft selection by the Oakland Raiders. Of the 10 team records eclipsed in that season, Scott’s wide receivers helped the Spiders set new standards for scoring average (34.9), touchdowns (63) and total offense (5,675).

Scott inherits a Richmond team that went 11-2 in 2009, won the CAA Football Championship and reached the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Playoffs – the program’s third-consecutive postseason appearance and 10th in school history. The 2008 National Champions return eight starters next season, including arguably the best receiving and linebacking corps in CAA Football. Scott arrived in Richmond after spending three seasons as wide receivers coach at VMI. During his tenure in Lexington, the Keydets led the Big South Conference in passing in 2003. His first coaching assignment was at Fork Union Military Academy, where he spent two seasons before being named an assistant at Western Carolina in 2001.

A three-year starter at tight end during his playing days at Hampton University, Scott earned All-America honors following his senior season. He played on two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and NCAA playoff teams and also competed in the Gridiron All-Star Classic in Orlando, Fla. Scott graduated with a sport management degree in 2001. Scott is married to the former Brandi Bradby of New Kent, Va.

Personal
Born: July 17, 1975 in Richmond, Va. Family: Wife, Brandi

Education
High School: Lee-Davis High School, Mechanicsville, Va. College: Hampton University (sport management), 2001

Playing Experience
Hampton University (1994-97)

Coaching Experience
1999-2000: Fork Union Military Academy
2001: Western Carolina (wide receivers)
2002-04: VMI (wide receivers)
2005-06: Richmond (wide receivers/recruiting coord.) **FCS Quarterfinals
2007: Richmond (asst. head coach/WRs/recruiting coord.) **FCS Semifinals
2008: Tennessee (wide receivers)
2009: Virginia (wide receivers)

What They're Saying About Latrell Scott

"Latrell Scott is an outstanding young coach. He brings great energy to recruiting and is dynamic on the field working with players. Latrell is trustworthy and engaged very well with families, prospects and staff. Richmond has made a great choice and I wish him very well."
--Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee Head Coach (1992-2008)

"This is a great hire by the University of Richmond. Latrell will do a great job. He knows the school, he knows Virginia and he knows the league. I'm confident he'll pick up right where Mike London left off." -- Joe Taylor, Florida A&M Head Coach and Scott's former coach at Hampton University.

"I'm very excited for Latrell. He is well-known in the coaching fraternity for his communication and recruiting ability. With him being at Richmond previously, he understands the academic requirements it takes to be successful. He's a good football coach and I'm confident he'll continue the championship tradition at my alma mater." --Mike London, Virginia Head Coach

Video: Former UVA Receivers Coach Named Richmond Head Coach

UR names Scott football coach

University of Richmond Athletic Director Jim Miller called Dave Clawson a few days ago. The subject: Latrell Scott, whom Miller was considering as the Spiders' football coach. Clawson, UR's coach during 2004-07 and now Bowling Green's coach, acknowledged the conventional wisdom that Scott, 34, was probably a couple of years away from having the background expected of a head-coaching candidate. But Clawson, for whom Scott worked at Richmond, also made a point that Miller noted.

"In two years, you're not going to be able to get him as a head coach," Clawson told Miller. "If you wait, he may not be available." Miller did not wait. UR named Scott its coach yesterday after an eight-day search that began with Mike London accepting the University of Virginia job vacated by Al Groh. Miller met with Scott, a Virginia assistant this season, over the weekend. Scott never has been an offensive or defensive coordinator, which bothered Miller less than it would have several years ago. "I think we're on the cutting edge of that, on the front side, of having more coaches who specialize in being the CEO of the program," Miller said.

Hampton University graduate Scott to coach Richmond Spiders in football

RICHMOND - Hampton University graduate Latrell Scott has received his first head-coaching job, and it's at one of the Football Championship Subdivision's top programs. Scott, 34, was introduced Tuesday as coach at the University of Richmond. He becomes the 34th head coach in program history, one of the youngest coaches in the country, and takes over at an opportune time. The Spiders won the national championship for the first time last season. This year, they spent time at No. 1 in the nation, shared the Colonial Athletic Association championship with Villanova and advanced to the playoff quarterfinals, losing to Appalachian State in the closing seconds.

Scott, who played tight end for HU and graduated in 1999, is widely respected as a dynamic recruiter. At his news conference, he said keeping the Spiders' 14 current verbal commitments is his top priority. "If you want to ask the question if I think I'm prepared, I think I've been prepared by some of the best," Scott said, mentioning coaching mentors like former Richmond coaches Dave Clawson and Mike London, former Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer and former Virginia coach Al Groh. "I've been raised by some of the best head coaches in the country."

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