Notebook: Tigers' improving O-line clears way for 473 yards

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

ITTA BENA - It's been less than a month ago that Jackson State's offensive line was trashed after getting manhandled by Division II Delta State in a 27-15 loss.

But quietly, the Tigers' big boys up front have turned in three good games in a row. On Saturday, they allowed no sacks on quarterback Jimmy Oliver and cleared some decent room for the running game.

JSU racked up 473 total yards as 12 offensive linemen played against the Delta Devils. Offensive coordinator James Woody said he made it a point to keep the line fresh in the muggy weather.

"The offensive line took a lot of criticism (early in the year), so we shuffled a lot today and they all did a good job," Woody said. "Sometimes, people don't see that in the stands."

"We got off to a rough start, but we made some adjustments," center Lorenzo Breland said. "I was proud of our guys because we voluntarily watched some film on our off day this week and I think that helped us get better."

SACK ATTACK

Jackson State's defense was once again stout, giving up 253 total yards.

Though MVSU scored 16 points, seven of those weren't the fault of the defense. MVSU's Marc Moody picked up a fumble and ran 25 yards for a touchdown against the JSU offense.

JSU put never-ending pressure on MVSU's Paul Roberts, who was sacked four times and flushed from the pocket on several other occasions.

The only black mark was MVSU running back Ronald Brewer, who rushed for 146 yards.

"We missed a lot of tackles," JSU defensive end Daniel Brooks said. "But we made some good plays, too. We've just got to keep improving."

GREAT RETURNS

Jackson State speedster Lavarius Giles had his second monster play in four games, starting the second half with a 66-yard kickoff return to give the Tigers excellent field position.

Five plays later, Cody Hull rushed for 3-yard touchdown and Jackson State had a 27-13 lead.

Jaymar Johnson also got in on the special teams fun, returning a punt 42 yards in the fourth quarter.

EXTRA POINTS

Jackson State kicker Eric Perri turned in a very good game, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points. ...

Jackson State's 50 points on Saturday night were the most the team has scored in a game since 2001. Amazingly, JSU lost that game 61-58 to Alabama State. The last time JSU scored more than 50 points in a win was in 2001 during a 66-36 victory over Mississippi Valley. ...

MVSU tight end Abner Brown caught five passes for 42 yards to lead the team.

Freshman RB Brewer bright spot for MVSU with 148-yard game

Photo:Valley quarterback Paul Roberts hands off to Ronald Brewer in the first half.

By Rusty Hampton, Clarion Ledger

ITTA BENA — Mississippi Valley State lost the football game by a wide margin Saturday, but in the process the Delta Devils took another step in developing a potential star at running back.

Ronald Brewer, a freshman from Germantown, Tenn., led all rushers during Jackson State's 50-16 victory with 148 yards on 28 carries.

Brewer scored on a 4-yard run to give the Delta Devils a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter. By halftime, he had 71 yards on 11 carries. His longest run covered 23 yards and he ripped off several others of 10 or more yards.

Afterwards, coach Willie Totten questioned the play of his quarterbacks - "Right now, I don't know where our quarterbacks' heads are," he said - but he had no questions about the running game.

Brewer improved his season rushing average to 85 yards per game.

"We know that Ronald can run the football," Totten said. "He's a very unselfish kid. The thing is, he trains like that in practice, and if we can get a few more guys to train like that in practice we'll be better."

Brewer's 148 yards were more than half of MVSU's total net offense.

"But my production wasn't enough," he said. "We've got to start getting better every week."

JSU had four sacks and chased MVSU starting quarterback Paul Roberts all over the field. Totten tried two others in the second half. Overall, MVSU threw for just 99 yards.

"I can't make the system any simpler," said Totten, a college Hall of Fame quarterback in the 1980s for Valley. "But right now, we're making a lot of mistakes. A lot of bad reads, and then they're getting down on themselves too quick."

Photo: Ronald Brewer scores a Delta Devils touchdown past JSU's Marsellus Speaks.

JSU Football: Tigers' run now 13

Photo: Jackson State wide receiver Jaymar Johnson is surrounded by the Mississippi Valley State defense after making one of his two catches that produced 32 yards.

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Comegy: JSU 'starting to put it back together'

ITTA BENA — By midway through the fourth quarter, Jackson State's players were exchanging chest bumps and laughing while re-enacting their numerous touchdown drives.

Third-string quarterback Joseph Hawkins was warming up on the sidelines as the JSU crowd danced in the stands to the Sonic Boom's tunes.

It's been the same scene for 13 straight years - Jackson State celebrating at the expense of Mississippi Valley State. This time it wasn't even close, especially in the second half, as the Tigers ripped off a 50-16 victory in front of an announced crowd of 11,700 at Rice-Totten Stadium.

Saturday's victory signified a huge momentum swing for the Jackson State program. Two weeks ago, the Tigers were 0-2 and appeared lost on offense. But with two straight victories, JSU coach Rick Comegy said he's beginning to see his team develop into the powerhouse he imagined when he took over the program less than two years ago.

"I was hoping to build a team that could score a lot of points and keep the other (team) off the board," Comegy said. "And that's starting to come around now. We're still in the early stages...but we're starting to put it back together and Jackson State football is starting to develop."

A seesaw first half ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by JSU quarterback Jimmy Oliver, giving the Tigers a 20-13 lead. But in the second half, Jackson State (2-2 overall, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) unleashed a furious wave of offense that dominated the Delta Devils 30-3 in the second half.

Oliver was 15-of-23 passing for 262 yards and a touchdown. JSU's running backs combined to rush for 169 yards and 10 different JSU receivers had a reception.

"A few hours before the game, the coaches came up to me and said this was the night when we were going to open up the offense and hold nothing back," Oliver said. "That got me excited right there. Then all my receivers started making catches and we were moving that football like we used to do."

Photo: Jimmy Oliver directs traffic.

Though Jackson State hasn't lost to MVSU (1-3 overall, 1-3 SWAC) since 1995, many of the games have come down to the final couple minutes. That wasn't the case on Saturday, and a dejected Delta Devils' coach Willie Totten questioned his players.

"We've got to find some guys that can adjust to adversity," Totten said. "We had a few bad plays and the offense shut down. ... We didn't play good football. We haven't played good football in three weeks."

Jackson State outgained MVSU 473 yards to 253. The two game-breaking touchdowns came early in the third quarter, when JSU stretched a 20-13 halftime advantage to a 34-13 blowout in barely more than seven minutes.

The Delta Devils had little answer for Oliver, who carved up the MVSU defense. The Tigers also had a breakout game from running back Cody Hull, who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

"We made a few (plays), but we gave up a thousand plays," MVSU defensive end Ronald Green said.

MVSU got another great game from freshman running back Ronald Brewer, who rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. He rushed for 148 yards against last week against Alabama A&M.

But it wasn't enough to offset an anemic passing game. Sophomore quarterback Paul Roberts completed 9-of-17 passes for 73 yards before being replaced in the fourth quarter.

The Jackson State defense put constant pressure on Roberts, sacking him four times. Sophomore safety Malcolm Palmer continued his impressive first season as a starter with 12 tackles, a forced fumble and half a sack.

"That first half we gave up some big plays, but later we tightened up," said senior Willie Williams, who had an interception in the third quarter. "It's great to see us really finish a game off. I'm proud of this group tonight."

S.C. State holds off WSSU 20-7

By Shawn Singleton, SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL

ORANGEBURG, S.C.- S.C. State, despite outgaining Winston-Salem State by nearly 300 yards, committed four turnovers but still pulled out a 20-7 win at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

“We’re not as good as we thought we were,” said Coach Buddy Pough, whose Bulldogs outgained the Rams 493-200. “We made a lot of mistakes.

“But we’re happy to get the win.”

After a punt by the Rams, it took two plays and 21 seconds for the Bulldogs to score on their first possession. From the Bulldogs’ 21-yard line, quarterback Cleve McCoy went deep and found Terrance Smith uncovered for a 71-yard touchdown pass.

Steven Grantham added the extra point, and S.C. State led 7-0 at the 12:15 mark of the first quarter.

Grantham later capped a 14-play, 5:06 drive with a 28-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 10-0 lead with 10:48 left in the second quarter.

S.C. State attempted to add to its lead on its final possession of the first half. On second-and-goal from the Winston-Salem 1, miscommunication between McCoy and center Raymond Harrison led to a fumble that Brand McClellan recovered in the end zone for a Winston-Salem State touchback with 2:08 left before halftime.

After Grantham opened the second half with a 38-yard field goal to boost the Bulldogs’ lead to 13-0, S.C. State tried to put WSSU away. But McCoy was picked off in the end zone by Nathaniel Biggs. Biggs, a free safety, took the interception 89 yards to the S.C. State 12.

Quarterback Monte Purvis took advantage, finding Bryant Bayne for a 12-yard touchdown pass. S.C. State’s lead was sliced to 13-7 with 2:43 left in the third quarter but the Rams could score no more.

“We played well in some spots, but we weren’t consistent,” said Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams. “We didn’t move the ball as smoothly as we would have liked offensively.”

WSSU 0 0 7 0 - 7

SCSU 7 3 3 7 - 20

First Quarter

SCSU-Smith 71 pass from McCoy (Grantham kick), 12:15.

Second Quarter

SCSU-FG Grantham 28, 10:48.

Third Quarter

SCSU-FG Grantham 38, 8:59.

WSSU-Bayne 8 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick), 2:43.

Fourth Quarter

SCSU-Jamison 1 run (Grantham kick), 1:07.

A-8,222.

TEAM STATISTICS

WSSU SCSU

First downs 12 25

Rushes-yards 37-113 57-289

Passing 87 204

Comp-Att-Int 12-21-1 12-24-1

Return Yards 87 1

Punts-Avg. 7-34.3 1-47.0

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 3-3

Penalties-Yards 10-109 9-103

Time of Possession 26:23 33:37

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - WSSU, Bines 10-53, Fluellen 10-42, Purvis 15-11, Dunston 1-6, Bayne 1-1. SCSU, Ford 27-162, Jamison 16-83, McCoy 10-37, Woods 4-7.

PASSING - WSSU, Purvis 12-19-1-87, Dunston 0-2-0-0. SCSU, McCoy 12-24-1-204.

RECEIVING - WSSU, Bayne 4-21, Fluellen 2-40, Bines 2-11, Kizzie 2-(minus 1), Kinzer 1-9, Thomas 1-7. SCSU, DuBose 3-47, Morris 3-20, Smith 2-89, Ford 1-29, B.Bush 1-11, Washington 1-8, Capers 1-0.

NC A&T loss leads to scuffle

Photo: NCA&T and NCCU getting pepper sprayed by stadium security during after game brawl at mid-field.

Slide Show: The NCCU/A&T Scuffle and Pepper Spray Dance:
http://mm.news-record.com/legacy/indepth/07/ncat_092207/

By Keith Tolbert, Special to the News & Record

GREENSBORO -- N.C. A&T was 6 yards from ending almost two years of futility, but fell short of victory once again Saturday night.

The Aggies drove 74 yards in the game's final two minutes and had a second-and-goal at the N.C. Central 6 with 23 seconds left. Quarterback Herbert Miller dropped back and tried to hit a receiver in the slot, but the pass was intercepted by Central's Eric Ray, who preserved a 27-22 Eagles victory before a near-sellout crowd at Aggie Stadium.

After the game, some N.C. Central players stomped on the Aggies' logo at midfield, causing a shoving match among players and prompting at least one security officer to use pepper spray. The teams were separated after about two minutes.

"I can still taste the pepper spray," said A&T coach Lee Fobbs, who was in the middle trying to break up the scuffle. "It was very unfortunate that it happened, and we will deal with our guys."

Players wouldn't comment on the scuffle.

"It was two rival schools ... it was a lot of emotion," said Rod Gray, an assistant in the A&T sports information department. "The coaches did a good job of separating everybody."

Central coach Mose Rison said: "I'm disappointed in what happened."

The loss was the 20th straight for A&T (0-4), which hasn't won since 2005. Central raised its record to 4-1.

The midfield incident overshadowed a fine football game in which the lead changed four times.

The Aggies outgained the Eagles in yardage 412-199 and entered the fourth quarter with a 19-14 lead.

But it was all downhill for A&T after that.

On the fifth play of the fourth quarter, Aggies quarterback Shelton Morgan tried to throw a short out pass to a receiver, but Derrick Ray jumped in front of it and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 21-19 lead.

On the Aggies' next possession, Morgan took them deep into Eagles territory, but he overthrew a receiver. This time defensive back Jeffrey Henderson was there, and he returned the interception 72 yards for a touchdown. That made the score 27-19 with 8:30 to play.

Eric Houston kicked an A&T field goal with 4:51 left, and the Aggies drove to the Central 6 on their next possession. Then came the final interception.

"The opportunity we had was taken away on a great play by the defender," Fobbs said of Eric Ray. "We thought we had something, but he just stepped in front and made a great play."

It was Central's third interception of the fourth quarter.

"You've got to take care of the football," Fobbs said. "We thought we could do some things against them and we did, but we didn't take care of the football."

While the Aggies were making plenty of mistakes, the N.C. Central offense was quietly efficient. Although the Eagles were outgained, they made no turnovers.

Staff writer Jason Hardin contributed to this report.


N.C. Central 7 7 0 13 -- 27

N.C. A&T 0 9 10 3 -- 22

NCCe--Scott 44 pass from S.Brown (Gray kick)

NCAT--Safety

NCAT--Ferguson 1 run (Houston kick)

NCCe--Chr.Edwards 4 pass from S.Brown (Gray kick), :48.

NCAT--McNair 1 run (Houston kick)

NCAT--FG Houston 27

NCCe--D.Ray 23 interception return (Gray kick)

NCCe--Henderson 72 interception return (kick failed)

NCAT--FG Houston 39

A--19,320.


NCCe NCAT
First downs 11 18

Rushes-yards 32-102 42-164

Passing 97 248

Comp-Att-Int 11-18-0 22-30-3

Return Yards 116 56

Punts-Avg. 6-28.0 3-39.3

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-0

Penalties-Yards 7-35 9-80

Time of Possession 27:11 32:49

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--N.C. Central, Shankle 14-66, J.Campbell 8-36, Abdul-Azeez 5-16, Team 1-(minus 4), S.Brown 4-(minus 12). N.C. A&T, Ferguson 13-113, Miller 7-27, McNair 5-18, Robinson 9-11, Parnell 1-3, Morgan 7-(minus 8).

PASSING--N.C. Central, S.Brown 11-18-0-97. N.C. A&T, Morgan 13-17-2-121, Miller 9-13-1-127.

RECEIVING--N.C. Central, Blackwell 4-18, Spears 3-19, Scott 1-44, Alston 1-16, Chr.Edwards 1-4, J.Campbell 1-(minus 4). N.C. A&T, Walls 6-42, Caldwell 5-69, C.Dawson 3-30, Lowrance 2-11, Morgan 1-35, Miller 1-15, Whitaker 1-15, Ferguson 1-14, Fisher 1-12, Christen 1-5.

Postgame scuffle mars NCCU's win over NCA&T

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

GREENSBORO -- It may not have had the designation this time, but once again N.C. Central's game with rival North Carolina A&T was an Aggie-Eagle classic.

It wasn't decided until the Eagles' Eric Ray intercepted a Herb Miller pass at the goal line with 14 seconds left, preserving the Eagles' 27-22 victory on Saturday night at Aggie Stadium.

The minutes after the game were marred by a scuffle after a large group of NCCU players celebrated on the Bulldog logo at midfield and the Aggies strongly objected. But pepper-spray wielding campus police quickly dispersed the mob.

"I'm not happy about what happened at the end -- I just didn't like the scene," NCCU coach Mose Rison said.

Said N.C. A&T coach Lee Fobbs: "What happened after the game ended was very unfortunate, and we'll deal with it with our guys. I'm just concerned about our players and our fans. We'll let the powers-that-be deal with it."

But before the postgame disturbance, the Eagles won with defense. Three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, helped NCCU (4-1) overcome A&T's 412-199 advantage in total offense.

"Give credit where credit is due," said Rison, the first NCCU coach to win four of his first five games since Larry Little went 4-1 in 1993. "Coach Fobbs and his staff did an outstanding coaching job, and like I said, they were the best football team we've played this season. But I'm extremely proud of my team. We hung in to the bitter end."

Fobbs also gave his team credit for a good effort.

"We had a chance to win the game right up until the finish and played hard on both sides of the ball," Fobbs said. "We were in position to win it, and then [Eric Ray] stepped up and made a great play.

"That's the game. You've got to take care of the ball."

Eric's brother Derrick Ray returned one interception for a 23-yard score, while true freshman Jeffery Henderson returned another 72 yards for a touchdown.

"The last time both of us got picks was in high school [at Raleigh Millbrook], and we both took them back for touchdowns," Derrick Ray said. "Tonight, we just played good team football on defense and made big plays."

Stadford Brown led the Eagles' offense, completing 11 of 18 passes for 97 yards and the other two touchdowns. Tim Shankle added 66 yards on 14 carries. "I guess I was good enough," Brown said with a smile. "The important thing is that we won."

Northern High alumnus Michael Ferguson led the Aggies with 113 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Two A&T quarterbacks, Shelton Morgan and Miller, combined for 248 passing yards on the night.

"It's really tough to lose this one after we played so well," Ferguson said. "Losing at the end like that is hard. It hurts."

The Eagles scored on their first possession when Brown tossed a short pass up the middle to Will Scott, who sprinted 44 yards for the touchdown to complete a six-play, 65-yard drive. Taylor Gray added his first successful conversion kick, and NCCU led 7-0 with 12:33 left in the quarter.
A&T got on the board with 11:23 left in the half, as Nick Johnson blocked Gray's punt from the NCCU 19 and Gray recovered in the end zone for a safety. The Aggies kept their momentum going on the ensuing possession, going 58 yards in 10 plays with Ferguson taking it in from 1 yard out for A&T's first lead of the season. Eric Houston added the conversion kick, and it was 9-7 with 6:41 left in the half.

But the Eagles recovered with a balanced 14-play, 75-yard drive that included three runs of at least 10 yards from Shankle. Brown connected with Brandon Alston for a 15-yard pass on fourth-and-11 from the A&T 24, and two plays later found tight end Christopher Edwards in the back of the end zone from 4 yards out. Gray added the boot and the Eagles led 14-9 with 48 seconds left in the half.

A&T found some lightning on its first play of the second half, as Ferguson burst up the middle for a 74-yard gain to the Eagles' 16. Dion McNair's 1-yard run completed a seven-play, 89-yard drive and Houston's kick made it 16-14 at 11:30.

The Aggies scored again on their next possession, going 65 yards in nine plays to set up Houston's 27-yard field goal, their first 3-pointer in 17 games.

But the Eagles struck with a big play early in the fourth quarter, as Derrick Ray stepped in front of a Morgan pass intended for David Robinson and rambled down the left sideline for the touchdown. Gray's kick gave the Eagles a 21-19 lead with 12:30 to play.

Four minutes later, they came up with a bigger one, as Henderson intercepted a Morgan pass at his own 28, got several blocks through traffic and finished a 72-yard return. Gray's kick was blocked, leaving the score at 27-19 with 8:30 left.

A&T cut the margin back to 27-22 with 4:51 to go on Houston's 39-yard field goal.

Gray punted into the Aggies' end zone with 2:24 remaining, giving A&T one last chance for victory before the interception sealed the result.

NOTES -- The renewal of the rivalry after a one-year hiatus was NCCU's first game as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team against another FCS team. ... A&T (0-4) had its losing streak extended to 20 games, the longest slide in the nation among FCS teams. ... Along with NCCU's 23-22 victory in Raleigh in 2005, the wins were the Eagles' first back-to-back victories in the series since 1987-88. This was the fourth time in the last five meetings in the series that a game had been determined by no more than five points, with NCCU winning three. … A&T leads the series 45-29-5. … The Eagles host Presbyterian on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the schools' first meeting. It will be a matchup between the only two teams in their first season in the FCS. … A&T hosts MEAC foe Norfolk State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Alabama A&M finds moving difficult against Grambling

Huntsville Times

GRAMBLING, La. - Alabama A&M's offense, which entered Saturday's game averaging 45 points and 519 yards, misfired throughout the first half against Grambling.

The Bulldogs went three-and-out on their first possession, failed to get a first down on their second possession after getting a first down at the GSU 27 and had to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Jeremy Licea, and went three-and-out on their third possession.

A&M finished the first half with five first downs and 101 yards in total offense, including 21 on the ground. Three of those first downs came on A&M's last possession of the half.

Execution a problem

A&M tailback Ulysses Banks, held to 37 yards on 12 carries, blamed the A&M downfall on "execution. We just didn't execute. And we had our defense out there too long. You can only have them on the field so long. They can only do so much. They're not Superman. They try to be, but we had them on the field too long.

"They (Grambling) did the same game plan, they did the same thing we saw on film. We just didn't execute. They didn't do anything different than what they do to anybody else. And it worked."

Landers loosens up

Grambling quarterback Brandon Landers had a big first half against Alabama A&M.

Landers, who entered the game 0-2 against the Bulldogs, completed 13-of-16 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown to lead the Tigers to a 17-6 halftime lead. Four players caught passes for the Tigers.

Luke looks tight early

Alabama A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke didn't look sharp in the first half against Grambling. Luke was 1-for-5 for 7 yards on the Bulldogs' first three possessions and never appeared to be comfortable early on. He finished the first half 10-of-19 for 80 yards and was sacked once.

And the Oscar goes to ...

Bad enough that Grambling State was already beating Alabama A&M straight-up with conventional football. The Tigers tacked on their third TD when they had a bunch-up third-and-short alignment.

After a quick snap and some Oscar-worthy acting among the Tigers, as if there were a fumble, wide receiver Reginald Jackson came out of the scrum with the football and ran unmolested for 24 yards and a score. "It was like hurry, hurry, hurry to the line. The quarterback hid it some way to a guy ducked down behind the line. The offense ran one way and he went the other. It's easy to see from the sidelines, but on the field it wasn't that obvious," said linebacker Carlton Rice.

Grambling gobbles yards

Alabama A&M had a hard time slowing down Grambling in the first half Saturday night.

The Tigers went 66 yards in 11 plays on their first possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. Tim Manuel kicked a 29-yard field on Grambling's third possession to give the Tigers a 10-3 advantage and the Tigers scored again on their first possession of the second quarter as Cornelius Walker scored on a 2-yard run to cap a six-play, 73-yard drive to take a 16-3 advantage.

Grambling finished the first half with 194 yards in total offense. A&M entered the game allowing only 278 yards per game.

Busy night for Licea

Licea, who made only four field goals last season, has three this year after hitting a pair in the first half against Grambling.

Licea, who made three field goals in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game to help Alabama A&M beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff in December, hit a 37-yarder midway through the first quarter to pull the Bulldogs within 7-3. He made another one from 36 yards out near the end of the first half as A&M pulled within 17-6 at intermission.

Jones praises Grambling

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones has been up for the Grambling job twice in the last four years. Although Jones didn't get the job on either occasion, that hasn't diminished his affection for one of black college football's top programs.

"I've always had a lot of respect for Grambling," he said. "The Grambling name has its own legacy. We're trying to build our name into something similar to what they've built over the years. We want people to respect our program throughout the country."

Good to be home

This was the first home game and only the third Grambling will play at Robinson Stadium this season. The Tigers have a long history of playing neutral-site games, especially from the days of legendary Eddie Robinson. Now, it's an essential budget matter for Grambling and most other SWAC teams to play "classic" games to draw larger crowds.

Grambling has future games in Dallas against Prairie View and in Little Rock against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as well as the annual Bayou Classic in New Orleans against Southern.

In the 12 neutral-field games last year, SWAC team drew an average of 33,457, according to announced crowd reports. Meanwhile, average SWAC home attendance was 11,593. Nearly 45 percent of those who watched an SWAC team in '06 were attending a neutral-site game.

Reggie Benson and Mark McCarter

TSU/SU Final Stats: Benjamin key figure in SU deception

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

He’s developing a reputation as “Slick Nick.”

For the second straight game, Southern University wide receiver Nick Benjamin was good with a pass on a trick play. This time, Benjamin found wide receiver A.J. Turner for a 37-yard gain, setting up the first of Southern’s four scores in a 41-34 comeback win over Tennessee State on Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

A week earlier, his 12-yard touchdown toss to tight end Evan Alexander on a fake field goal provided precious fourth quarter cushion in a 12-2 victory over Prairie View.

SU put in the play Tuesday afternoon, the Jaguars’ first real game-week practice.

“They feel like, with me playing quarterback in high school, I had the arm to throw it if need be,” Benjamin said. “We said we were going to do it at halftime. We came out and executed the play.”

Catching and scoring

SU senior wide receiver RaShon Jacobs, a Louisiana-Monroe transfer starting in place of Gerard Landry, caught his first TD pass at Southern. It was the third TD of the former Woodlawn High standout’s collegiate career. He sat out last season after transferring and last scored on Oct. 4, 2003, when he caught his only previous scores, two touchdowns in a 44-41 loss at Arkansas State. Also, senior RB Darren Coates’ 31-yard TD catch was the first of his career.

Landry, who went for a third-down converting 21 yards on his first catch, grabbed a 6-yard TD on his second one. That gave him a receiving TD in all four Jaguars games this season.

Game ball

To SU quarterback Bryant Lee. The sophomore improved to 5-1 as a starter (and he also won the Texas Southern game in relief). He had career highs with 305 yards and four TDs. For the season, he’s thrown for 870 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.

Plays of the game

Strong safety/nickel back Toyin Akinwale and eagle linebacker Donald Steele, in for the injured Johnathan Malveaux (ankle), came heavy on the pressure on a third-and-6 at the Southern 33-yard line. Their rush forced an intentional grounding from TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner and instead of converting or even being in field-goal range, the Tigers were back at their own 49 and had to punt four minutes into the fourth quarter.

That stop led to SU’s go-ahead score three offensive plays later: with Del Roberts getting back in bounds after being interfered with, catching a Lee pass and weaving the rest of the way to complete a 48-yard touchdown. That gave the Jaguars a 38-34 lead with 10:16 to play.

Numbers-crunching

How tough of a first quarter was it for Southern in falling behind 20-6? Tennessee State had scored just 16 first-quarter points in its first three games of the season before putting up 20 against Southern, which had allowed just two touchdowns in the previous 10 quarters. … SU had held Prairie View to 197 yards for the entire game the week before, but Tennessee State had 221 on 19 plays. … But TSU managed just 228 in the final three quarters.

Did you notice?

Only one of Southern’s two captains, free safety Jarmaul George, went out for the pregame coin toss. The other captain, Landry, was suspended for the first half after being ejected for swinging at a player midway through the fourth quarter in the win over Prairie View. … Landry and George were back together as the captains met with the referee at midfield before the start of the second half. … Until Josh Duran made good on a PAT with 3:24 until halftime, Southern had not converted an extra point after its previous five touchdowns (one kick blocked, two missed PATs and two incomplete two-point conversion passes.)

NCAA Football Boxscore - Tennessee St at Southern U

Attendance: 15,371

Final 1 2 3 4 Score
Tennessee St 20 7 7 0 34
Southern U « 6 13 13 9 41

1st Quarter
Tennessee St Touchdown - 1-yard run by Antonio Heffner. (Eric Benson kick). 11:33 Remaining.
Tennessee St Touchdown - 61-yard pass from Antonio Heffner to Brandon Belvin. (Kick failed). 9:13 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 13-yard pass from Bryant Lee to RoShon Jacobs. (Kick failed). 6:23 Remaining.
Tennessee St Touchdown - 49-yard run by Javarris Williams. (Eric Benson kick). 0:29 Remaining.

2nd Quarter
Tennessee St Touchdown - 4-yard pass from Antonio Heffner to Chris Johnson. (Eric Benson kick). 6:36 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 31-yard pass from Bryant Lee to Darren Coates. (Pass failed). 6:03 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 1-yard run by Darren Coates. (Josh Duran kick). 3:24 Remaining.

3rd Quarter
Southern U Touchdown - 6-yard pass from Bryant Lee to Gerard Landry. (Pass failed). 5:42 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 1-yard run by Darren Coates. (Josh Duran kick). 2:41 Remaining.
Tennessee St Touchdown - 38-yard pass from Antonio Heffner to Ronald Evans. (Eric Benson kick). 1:48 Remaining.

4th Quarter
Southern U Touchdown - 48-yard pass from Bryant Lee to Del Roberts. (Kick blocked). 10:16 Remaining.
Southern U Field Goal - 31-yarder by Josh Duran. 3:56 Remaining.

Final Team Statistics

Tennessee St Southern U
First Downs 17 21
Rushes - Yards 49-133 43-138
Passing Yards 316 342
Return Yards 15 61
Passing (Att-Comp-Int) 27-13-2 34-24-0
Punts - Average 7-34 5-40
Fumbles - Lost 4-3 3-2
Penalties - Yards 11-131 5-40
Time of Possession 29:53 30:07

Individual Statistics
Passing
Tennessee St Att Comp Yards Int TD
Antonio Heffner 26 13 316 2 3
Calvin McNairl 1 0 0 0 0

Southern U Att Comp Yards Int TD
Bryant Lee 33 23 305 0 4
Nick Benjamin 1 1 37 0 0

Rushing
Tennessee St Att Yards Average TD
Javarris Williams 14 107 7.6 1
Terrence Wright 11 17 1.5 0
Calvin McNairl 4 11 2.8 0
Sherrod Graddick 1 5 5.0 0
Ronald Evans 2 4 2.0 0
Antonio Heffner 17 -11 -0.6 1

Southern U Att Yards Average TD
Darren Coates 17 115 6.8 2
Kendrick Smith 5 34 6.8 0
Bryant Lee 12 -2 -0.2 0
Brian Threat 5 -3 -0.6 0
Team 4 -6 -1.5 0

Receiving
Tennessee St Rec Yards Average TD
Chris Johnson 6 119 19.8 1
Brandon Belvin 3 106 35.3 1
Troy Smith 1 22 22.0 0
Terrence Wright 1 15 15.0 0
Ronald Evans 1 38 38.0 1
Kwame Patrick 1 16 16.0 0

Southern U Rec Yards Average TD
Marquarius 'Del' Roberts 6 110 18.3 1
Mark Henderson 5 55 11.0 0
Darren Coates 3 45 15.0 1
RaShon Jacobs 3 40 13.3 1
Albert Turner 2 50 25.0 0
Gerard Landry 2 27 13.5 1
Kendrick Smith 2 11 5.5 0
Juamorris Stewart 1 4 4.0 0

Kicking
Tennessee St FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt
Eric Benson 0 0 0 4 5

Southern U FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt
Josh Duran 1 2 31 2 4

Southern Jaguars stick with their game

By CHARLES SALZER, Special to The Advocate

Tennessee State might have slipped into a false sense of security after building a 21-point second quarter lead. Southern might have waited until midway through the first half to start playing on either side of the ball, but the final score was ultimately all that mattered.

Southern’s 41-34 come-from-way-behind win over the visiting Tigers proved that the Jaguars have too much pride to let an early deficit take them out of their game.

With Bryant Lee throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns, and Darren Coates rushing for 115 yards and two scores, Southern outscored Tennessee State 35-7 in the final 2&permil quarters to erase an inept start on both sides of the ball.

“It takes a lot of heart and that’s what we have,” Lee said. “The defense came through for us in big time situations, and the offense made plays when they got us the ball.”

It didn’t start out that way. Quarterback Antonio Heffner and the rest of his TSU teammates shredded Southern’s defense en route to a 27-6 lead with 6:36 left in the first half. Southern pulled itself up off the turf, and surged for two scores before the break.

“We just started picking each other up,” Coates said. “We told everyone we could do it, and once we got rolling we just kept it moving.”

Coates took a short pass in the right flat 31 yards for a touchdown to start the comeback. The score was the first of 26 straight points for Southern, which allowed more points in the first quarter (20) than it had in its previous two games combined (8).

Southern wasn’t done for the half, and Coates 54-yard run with less than four minutes to go set up his own 1-yard scoring run. Southern trailed 27-19 at the half, but had seized all the momentum behind Coates’ strong finish..

“Coming into the game coach told us not to wait for anybody else to make a big play,” Coates said. “He told us to take it on yourself to make a big play and that’s what I did.

“This means a lot to us and the fans. It shows that we can last the whole game and we’re going to fight to the end. We have a lot of pride inside us. We’re not quitters.”

Senior receiver Gerard Landry helped provide a spark in the second half after sitting out the first half because of a suspension. He made his presence felt quickly with a 21-yard reception, and later a 6-yard touchdown catch that brought Southern within 27-25.

“I just wanted an opportunity to make something happen and that’s what I did,” Landry said. “(At halftime) coach Richardson told us to settle down and execute because everything we did was working. He told us to stay within ourselves and fill our roles.”

Southern fought back to take its first lead late in the third quarter. Coates picked up 32 yards on five straight carries, the last a 1-yard score putting Southern up 32-27.

Tennessee State briefly retook the lead at 34-32, but by that time the Southern defense was revved up for the fourth quarter. The Tigers had five fourth-quarter possessions and were forced to punt twice while their other drives ended with turnovers.

“The defense held them and we just executed on the offensive side of the ball,” Lee said. “We played hard for 60 minutes and that’s what it takes.”

Landry was equally complimentary of the poise Lee showed after the Jaguars got down.

“I can’t say enough about Bryant,” Landry said. “When he was in trouble he made things happen. When he came to the sidelines a little frustrated, I just told him to relax and he settled down.”

It was advice that served Lee and Southern well.

SU Jaguars rally, stay unbeaten

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

To put Southern’s 41-34 thriller of a comeback win over Tennessee State into perspective, look no further than the play that put Southern ahead for good.

Though wide receiver Del Roberts got pushed out of bounds by cornerback Ozzie Harrell along the right sideline, Roberts came back onto the field, hauled in a Bryant Lee pass and picked his way through the defense to complete a 48-yard touchdown.

“He pushed me out of bounds and I never gave up on the play. I kept going,” Roberts said. “That’s the way it works. &hellip I saw the ball the whole time and I had to find it, had to go get it.”

Roberts may just as well have been talking about his entire team.

Southern, showing relentlessness and resilience Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium, overcame a 21-point deficit in the final 36 minutes to overcome Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee State (2-2) and remain undefeated through four games this season.

“We have a lot of character on this team,” Southern wide receiver/holder Nick Benjamin said. “I feel like we’re building every week. We’re getting better every week, and we’re getting better as a whole, not individually.”

Photo: SU's Alvin Fosselman celebrates the Jaguars’ victory.

Lee, a sophomore, threw for career highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns, with Roberts adding a career-best 110 yards and his first receiving score this season. Senior running back Darren Coates ran for 115 yards and a career-high two TDs while also catching his first career touchdown, a 31-yarder in the second quarter.

The Jaguars played without playmaker Gerard Landry, who was suspended for the first half after being ejected in the fourth quarter of a 12-2 win over Prairie View the week before, but Landry scored on his second catch, a 6-yarder in the third quarter. RaShon Jacobs, starting for Landry, had his first touchdown as a Jaguar.

“They’re playing hard,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “A lot of them are playing over their heads, but then the fever is starting to set in. They’ve got that tradition.”

For TSU, Javarris Williams ran for 107 yars and one TD on only 14 carries. And Antonio Heffner threw for 316 yards – even with just 13 completions – and three touchdowns, but his two interceptions came late in the fourth quarter as the Tigers tried to rally. He also fumbled on the final possession, at the TSU 15-yard line, with 1:45 to play.

“I don’t think there was any momentum swing,” TSU coach James Webster said. “The game was in doubt until the very end, until we fumbled the football at the end.

“We got up on them, and we relaxed on some things. And you can’t relax against a good football team. You just can’t do that.”

No momentum swing? Really?

Southern, once down 27-6 with 6:36 before halftime, outscored Tennessee State 35-7 the rest of the way.

“We had to bounce back,” Southern defensive tackle Dwayne Charles said. “We talked it up. We don’t have any fighting, any arguments. We’re a team, as one. We told (the secondary) to shake it off. Bad things happen. Good teams accomplish stuff when they can overcome the mistakes they make. And that’s what we did.”

The SU defense, mirroring the way they responded after giving up two long touchdowns to Florida A&M in the season opener, clamped down after halftime like the unit has all season.

“The offense loves that,” Lee said.

SU has allowed just two second-half touchdowns this season. The Jaguars forced five turnovers — three fumbles and two interceptions — in the second half against TSU, which has been turnover-prone this season but had none in the first half.

“We had to come back in the second half, get our mind right and make up for those plays in the first half,” said strong safety Jarmaul George, the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s preseason defensive player of the year.

George set up a 31-yard Josh Duran field goal for a 41-34 lead with 3:56 remaining with a 30-yard interception return. George has had one interception in three of SU’s four games.

Though the Tigers had slow starts in their first three games, that wasn’t the case Saturday.

A 60-yard flea flicker set up TSU’s first score, a 1-yard Heffner run. Heffner then hit Brandon Belvin on a 61-yard touchdown pass for a 13-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first quarter.

After Jacobs’ TD grab, TSU responded with a 49-yard Williams TD run with 29 seconds left in the first quarter and went up 27-6 on Heffner’s 4-yard pass to Chris Johnson with 6:36 until halftime.

“We had to make adjustments coverage-wise, went to another package and we just went after them,” SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves said. “The guys just stepped up and made plays. God bless them. Those guys have the heart of a champion.”

Southern made a move late in the second quarter, with Darren Coates scoring on easy 31-yard touchdown on a swing pass with 6:03 until halftime and Coates scoring on a 1-yard plunge, one play after breaking loose on a 54-yard burst up the middle.

And two fumble recoveries led to two SU scores in the third quarter.

First, Charles’ recovery of a Heffner fumble at the SU 48 set up Landry’s six-yard score six plays later, closing the Jaguars within 27-25 with 5:42 left in the third. Then, Efe Osawemwenze recovered a Williams fumble at the SU 47, with Coates giving SU a 32-27 lead, also six plays later, with 2:41 left in the third.

Two offensive plays later, TSU answered with Heffner’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Ronald Evans to put the Tigers up 34-32.

Then a defensive stand, with TSU facing a third-and-6 at the SU 33, led the Tigers to punt. Heffner was called for intentional grounding as Toyin Akinwale and Donald Steele swarmed him at the Southern 49.

Three plays later, Lee found Roberts for the go-ahead score to put Southern up 38-34 with 10:16 left.

“B. Lee’s a gamer. He does what it takes,” Landry said.

Sounds like Landry could have been talking about all the Jaguars.

TSU's turnovers blow 21-point lead in loss

Photo: Tennessee State's Chris Johnson, left, catches a pass in front of Southern's Michael Williams during the first half.

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, The(Baton Rouge)Advocate

BATON ROUGE, La. — Tennessee State squandered a 21-point lead in the final 36 minutes and fell to undefeated Southern University in a 41-34 thriller on Saturday.

TSU running back Javarris Williams ran for 107 yards and one touchdown on only 14 carries.

And Antonio Heffner threw for 316 yards — even with just 13 completions — and three touchdowns, but his two interceptions came late in the fourth quarter as the Tigers tried to rally.

He also fumbled on the final possession, at the TSU 15, with 1:45 to play.

"I don't think there was any momentum swing," TSU Coach James Webster said. "The game was in doubt until the very end, until we fumbled the football at the end.

"We got up on them, and we relaxed on some things. And you can't relax against a good football team. You just can't do that."

Southern (4-0), once down 27-6 with 6:36 before halftime, outscored Tennessee State 35-7 the rest of the way.

TSU (2-2) committed five turnovers — three fumbles and two interceptions — in the second half after committing none in the first half.

A 60-yard flea flicker set up TSU's first score, a 1-yard Heffner run. Heffner then hit Brandon Belvin on a
61-yard touchdown pass for a 13-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first quarter.

After a Jaguars' touchdown, TSU responded with a 49-yard Williams TD run with 29 seconds left in the first quarter and went up
27-6 on Heffner's 4-yard pass to Chris Johnson with 6:36 until halftime.

Southern made a move late in the second quarter, with Darren Coates scoring on easy 31-yard touchdown on a swing pass and Coates scoring on a 1-yard plunge, one play after breaking loose on a 54-yard burst up the middle.

Two fumble recoveries led to two Southern scores in the third quarter.

First, Southern recovered a Heffner fumble at the Jaguars 48 that set up a 6-yard score six plays later, closing to within 27-25 with 5:42 left in the third.

Then, Southern recovered a Williams fumble at the Jaguars 47, with Coates giving Southern a 32-27 lead, also six plays later, with 2:41 left in the third.

TSU answered with Heffner's 38-yard touchdown pass to Ronald Evans to put the Tigers up 34-32.

Then a defensive stand, with TSU facing a third-and-6 at the SU 33, led the Tigers to punt. Heffner was called for intentional grounding as Toyin Akinwale and Donald Steele swarmed him at the Southern 49.

Three plays later, Southern threw a touchdown pass for the go-ahead score for a 38-34 lead with 10:16 left.

Thriller has happy ending: NSU Spartans 1-0 in the MEAC

By VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, The Virginian-Pilot

Wow.

This time, Norfolk State found out what it’s like to be on the winning end of a thriller against Bethune-Cookman, stunning the Wildcats 38-31 on Saturday at Price Stadium.

In doing so, the Spartans produced arguably their biggest victory since moving up to Division I a decade ago.

“We’re 1-0 in the MEAC; that’s never happened,” said coach Pete Adrian, whose Spartans had lost all nine of their conference openers prior to Saturday. “Had we lost, it would have been, 'It’s the same old Norfolk State.’”

For even the most devout Spartans fan, ill-timed penalties and costly turnovers had to conjure up bad memories of past years, including the last two games against the Wildcats, which NSU lost by a total of three points.

This time, celebration replaced heartbreak with the Spartans rallying from 12 down in the second half to score 15 fourth-quarter points. That included a two-point conversion to tie the game, a Terrell Whitehead interception to save the game, and Daryl Jones’ fourth touchdown of the day to win the game on legs so hobbled, two teammates carried him off the field.

“There’s really no words for this,” Jones said after emerging from an ice bath in the training room.

Photo: Norfolk State’s Daryl Jones, right, fends off Bethune-Cookman’s Ben Ballard en route to one of his four touchdowns Saturday.

A 33-yard Bethune-Cookman field goal put the Wildcats on top 31-23 with 7:30 remaining, but the Spartans pulled even for the first time all afternoon on a seven-play, 53-yard drive. The highlight: a 45-yard completion from Casey Hansen to Dario Walker on third-and-16, NSU’s longest pass play of the season.

“I knew we had to take a shot deep,” said Hansen, who completed 12 of 24 passes for 153 yards. “I thought Dario had his man beat and I just went for it.”

Five plays later and aided by defensive pass interference, NSU scored with Jones bulldozing in from a yard out. The big back had been sidelined for all but one play of the drive, slowed by cramps in both legs on a humid afternoon in which the temperature soared close to 90 degrees.

“Daryl’s just a moose; he’s 5-10, 242 pounds, got that low center of gravity and as hard as he runs, he’s hard to tackle,” Adrian said.

“I knew my team needed me,” Jones said.

NSU (2-1, 1-0) also needed two more points for the tie. On the conversion, Hansen bailed out of Plan A, meant for Jones, who was covered in the flat. Instead, he found Jamar Johnson, whose catch knotted it at 31 with 3:49 left.

The Wildcats (2-2, 0-2) started on their own 22 on the ensuing kickoff, but Kempsville High graduate Whitehead picked off Jimmie Russell’s soft floater over the middle on the third play from scrimmage. Whitehead ran it all the way back, but a clipping call placed the ball on the 7 and allowed the Spartans to work the clock.

After R.J. Waters got the call on the first three plays, an exhausted-looking Jones trotted in to the delight of the 12,736 giddy fans with time ticking down. He needed 1 yard and got it, lifting NSU to its first lead of the afternoon with 36 seconds on the clock.

Though Jones looked too tired to celebrate – teammates Sherron Childress and Tommy Moore ran onto the field to carry him off – the Spartans couldn’t contain their glee.

“It’s been nine years since we’ve beaten Bethune-Cookman, so this is a huge win for us,” Hansen said. Actually, the Spartans’ last win over the Wildcats was 21-7 in 1997.

The Wildcats, who had squandered all their timeouts, had a final gasp when Corey Council returned the kickoff to the NSU 43. A 27-yard completion gave Bethune-Cookman a first down at the 19, but Russell didn’t have time to get another play off.

Bethune-Cookman played without rusher Justin Brannon for all but one play of the second half. The Wildcats’ starting B-back, who finished with 11 carries for 53 yards, is integral to his team’s “Wyattbone” offense, dubbed for coach Alvin Wyatt. Using crutches on the sidelines, Brannon favored his right knee, and Wyatt’s offense, which produced 163 rushing yards after one half, was limited to 63 in the second.

“That hurt us,” Wyatt said. “The other players we had weren’t experienced enough to get the job done.”

Speaking of hurt, Jones has five days to heal before NSU’s Thursday night meeting with North Carolina A&T. His expression still pained a half hour after the final whistle, he thought about it a moment when asked if this was the biggest win of his four years at NSU before answering, “It will be.”

S. Carolina St. 20, Winston-Salem 7

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- Cleveland McCoy threw for 204 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown strike, to lead South Carolina State to a 20-7 win against Winston Salem State on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs (2-2) racked up 493 total yards, including 162 yards rushing from William Ford on 27 carries and 83 yards from Travil Jamison, including a TD run.

The Rams (2-2) were led by Monte Purvis who went 12-for-19 for 87 yards including an 8-yarder to Bryant Bayne for Winston-Salem's only score.

After McCoy's scoring pass to Terrance Smith early in the first, South Carolina State added two Stephan Grantham field goals to go up 13-0 with 8:59 left in the third.

The Rams' score came with 2:43 left in the third and the Bulldogs wrapped up scoring on Travil Jamison's 1-yard TD run with 1:07 left in the game.

ATTENDANCE: 8,222

Southern Illinois crushes Arkansas-Pine Bluff 58-3

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University had 586 yards of total offense and set a school-record 36 first downs in a 58-3 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday at McAndrew Stadium.

The Salukis (4-0) scored 30 unanswered points in the first half in route to their fourth straight win.

The only score of the game for the Golden Lions (1-3) came when John Heflin made a 38 yard field goal in the third quarter; he had two other field goal attempts blocked.

SIU quarterback Nick Hill was 18-for-24 for 244 yards passing and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Phil Goforth had 74 yards receiving and a touchdown. Running back John Randle had a touchdown and gained 113 yards on the ground.

SIU, which gained 314 yards rushing and 273 yards passing as a team on Saturday, have now outscored their opponents 117-17 in two games at home. The Salukis defeated Quincy 59-14 in their first home game on Aug. 30.

Both the Salukis and Golden Lions are in the Football Championship Subdivision _ the former Division I-AA.

Attendance: 11,316

E. Michigan 38, Howard 15

YPSILANTI, Michigan -- Andy Schmitt threw for 214 yards and four touchdowns Saturday, leading Eastern Michigan to a 38-15 victory over Howard.

Schmitt connected with Ken Bohnet, Tyrone Burke and Dwayne Priest as Eastern Michigan (2-2) built a 31-0 lead. The sophomore threw for his final touchdown with 35 seconds remaining, hitting Travis Lewis on a 10-yard pass.

Howard (1-3) was hurt by four turnovers and failed to reach the end zone until Brian Johnson hit Jarahn Williams with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Howard added its second TD with 6:19 remaining when Johnson connected with Michael Harper for a 27-yard pass. Johnson led the Bison offense with 167 yards passing and 136 yards rushing. Howard tallied 434 yards in total offense to the Eagles' 329.

Eastern led 17-0 at halftime. Pierre Walker scored on a 7-yard run on the Eagles' first possession, Zach Johnson kicked a 22-yard field goal with 6:22 left in the second quarter and Schmitt threw a 24-yard scoring pass to Priest two minutes later.

Howard twice drove deep into Eastern Michigan territory during the first half, but failed to score. One of the drives ended when Johnson fumbled on the Eagles' 9-yard line. Johnson then threw an interception at the Eastern Michigan 7 early in the second quarter before again being picked off in the final minute of the second quarter.

Attendance: 10,141

Alabama A&M striving for top

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Grambling history, present give 'Dogs worthy goal

GRAMBLING, La. - When Anthony Jones was named the football coach at Alabama A&M six years ago, he wanted his program to emulate the program that Eddie Robinson had built at Grambling.

The Tigers, who have won more Southwestern Athletic Conference championships than any team in league history, have long been the measuring stick among black college programs.

Under Jones, the Bulldogs have been the league's best team the last five years. A&M has appeared in the SWAC Championship Game three times in that span and finally won it last season by beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Despite the success, Jones and A&M have struggled against Grambling. Jones is 2-5 against the Tigers, several of the losses being blowouts - with two of them coming in the SWAC Championship Game. Over the past four years, the teams have split four meetings.

"When I first came here, that was the program I wanted my program to aspire to be," Jones said. "We're close, but we're not there yet."

Jones will try to get his program a little closer tonight when No. 23 A&M visits Grambling at Robinson Stadium. The Bulldogs are 3-0 overall and 1-0 in league play. The Tigers are 1-1 and 1-0. Kickoff is at 6 and the game will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on ESPNU at 9.

Some are calling tonight's game a preview of the SWAC Championship Game. Jones disagrees.

"It's still early," he said. "Anything can happen. We're playing well, they're playing well. But the season is still young."

A&M has easily disposed of its first three opponents, having outscored Tennessee State, Clark Atlanta and Mississippi Valley State by a combined score of 135-47. Meanwhile, Grambling whipped Alcorn State 31-10 before falling at Pittsburgh 34-10.

After watching the film, Jones seems sold on the Tigers.

"This will be our toughest test to date," he said. "This is a good football team. They can beat you in all three phases of the game. We feel the same way.

"If everybody shows up to play, it's going to be a hell of a football game."

Jones said the outcome will be decided on three things: turnovers, big plays and special teams.

"Turnovers are always a premium," he said. "When you start turning the ball over, you shorten the field for the opposing offense and you give them opportunities to score. That changes the complexion of the game.

"We have been a big-play offense. They have been a big-play offense in the past and they still have some of those people on their team. Big plays are always going to be a big deal. Special teams will be a key factor. Who's going to have field position due to special teams and who's going to get points due to special teams?"

Tonight's game is Grambling's home opener. It is also the Tigers' first home game since Robinson died earlier this year. Those factors haven't been lost on Jones.

"It's going to be a tough situation for us to go into," he said. "I'm sure the crowd is going to be loud and supportive, but we'll be ready."

Grambling coach Rod Broadway expects nothing less.

"This will be a great challenge for us," he said. "We're looking forward to playing this game. It will give us an indication of what we can accomplish in this conference."

MVSU Delta Devils try new approach

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Mississippi Valley State sophomore quarterback Paul Roberts sits on a bench after practice and takes off his helmet. Underneath is a haircut that is interesting to say the least - it's a mohawk with Roberts No. 1 shaved into the side of his head.

Look across the field and there's junior tight end Abner Brown, who also has the same strange homemade mohawk. His is complete with a spiderweb shaved into the side.

Roberts admits they both look ridiculous. He's still not quite sure what possessed them to do it.

"It seemed like a pretty good idea at the time - something to get us going for this week," Roberts said. "Coach (Willie Totten) has been treating this like a normal game. But we all sense a little something different this week."

Such is the feeling at MVSU, where the Delta Devils have tried a little bit of everything over the years to break a 12-game losing streak against rival Jackson State.

MVSU hosts Jackson State at 4 p.m. today at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena.

There's a certain amount of goofiness attached to Roberts' and Abner's mohawks, but Totten also said he appreciates the two players because it represents the loose demeanor of the team.

Instead of last year's veteran roster, the Delta Devils have a large swath of freshmen and sophomores on this team. That just might work to MVSU's advantage.

"It's impossible to walk around campus and not understand how important this game is," Totten said. "But at the same time, this is a pretty calm group. Some of the guys are so young, I'm not sure if they understand the magnitude. But that might be good, because they won't be pressing."

Freshman Ronald Brewer, who rushed for 146 yards last week against Alabama A&M, admitted he was stunned at how psyched everyone was for today's game.

"It's actually a lot of fun, but it's been pretty crazy," Brewer said. "Everywhere you go, people are talking about it. I'm not sure what I expected, but I know it's been bigger than I thought it would be."

Last year, Jackson State beat MVSU 29-24 when the Delta Devils had arguably their most talented team since the mid-1980s. Loaded with veterans, Totten hyped the game because he figured his team had the talent to finally pull off a win.

And early on, it appeared he was correct. MVSU jumped out to a 10-0 lead and beat Jackson State in almost every offensive statistic. But by the end of the night, it was the same old frustration and result.

This year, he's keeping the big game more low-key with his players. And who knows? Maybe something like a couple of mohawks will be the missing ingredient.

"There's always been some sort of jinx surrounding this game," Totten said. "For some reason Jackson State has had our number lately. Who can say what will turn the tide in our favor? We've just got to be opportunistic when we get our chances."

TSU season receives kick-start

by MIKE ORGAN, The Tennessean

TENNESSEE STATE (2-1) AT SOUTHERN (3-0)
Where: A.W. Mumford Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
Time: 6 p.m.
Radio: 560-AM
Last meeting: Southern 19, TSU 18 (1996)
Key matchup: TSU QB Antonio Heffner vs. Southern DE Vincent Lands. Heffner, a dual threat, has thrown for 638 yards and three touchdowns and run for 123 yards and a touchdown. Lands was the Southwest Athletic Conference defensive player of the week after making eight tackles, including three sacks, in Saturday's 12-2 win over Prairie View A&M.

Field goals key Tigers' two wins

Tennessee State has produced some outstanding football players at a number of different positions with one exception — kicker.

Of the 115 former Tigers who have gone on to the NFL, every position has been represented except kicker. That is what makes Eric Benson, a junior kicker, so peculiar.

Benson's boots have led TSU (2-1) to both of its wins this season and he could play a key role again tonight when the Tigers play at Southern (3-0) in Baton Rouge, La.

"Right now, I don't know that anybody in the country is kicking better than Benson,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "I don't want to jinx the guy, but he's kicking real well. He's kicking kickoffs real well, he's kicking field goals and extra points real well."

In fact, Benson is a perfect 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts.

Game winners

Benson's 35-yarder in the rain with no time left lifted the Tigers to a 16-13 win over Jackson State on Sept. 8. And his career-long 43-yarder at Austin Peay on Saturday with nine seconds remaining, sent the game into overtime. Benson then kicked an extra point, giving TSU a 33-32 win.

He was named the Ohio Valley Conference specialist of the week, making him the first kicker from TSU to receive the honor since 1999.

Benson's performance so far has been what he assured Webster he was capable of after a mediocre season last year, when he was plagued by back problems.

"When he came to camp he came with confidence,'' Webster said. "He said, 'Coach, I'm ready this year.' He had a so-so year last year. His back was hurting him but he toughed it out."

Benson spent the summer at home in Rowlett, Texas, working more intensely on his kicking than ever before.

It helped him to handle the pressure that has come with the kicks he's attempted in TSU's two wins.

No longer a head case

"I've not always been reliable in those situations,'' Benson said. "Coaches here have always called me a head case, especially when I was younger. I think I've grown up and matured and haven't let things bother me as much."

Benson said Webster and special teams coach Canute Curtis teased him in the past about not being able to handle the stress that comes with being put in such a pivotal position. But they've had nothing but praise for him this year.

"They're backing off now and it feels good to know I have overcome that,'' Benson said.

Benson is one of just seven kickers in the Football Championship Subdivision — and the only one in the OVC — who has attempted at least four field goals and made every one.

"I know that from 45 yards and in I can hit, and if I had to, I can hit from 50 and in,'' he said.

It is comforting for TSU's offensive players to know that if a drive stalls in the opponent's territory that they still are likely to get three points.

"It's great knowing your hard work is going to pay off,'' quarterback Antonio Heffner said. "It makes you that much more determined to get the offense in field position so that Benson will have the opportunity to make a kick."

Howard at Eastern Michigan

BY JEFF ARNOLD, Ann Arbor News

It's EMU's turn for a I-AA foe
Eagles say they aren't taking Howard lightly

Carey Bailey understands the inspiration that many of his I-AA coaching brethren may draw from a certain season-opening victory by Appalachian State.

But the first-year Howard University head coach isn't buying it.

While Bailey can appreciate the aftershocks the Mountaineers' 34-32 win over then No. 5-ranked Michigan left among lower-division programs like his, he won't allow his team to think it has anything to do with its preparations for today's road test at Eastern Michigan.

"To us, this is just the next game on our schedule,'' Bailey said earlier this week. "I try and not get into the whole I-AA versus I-A thing. This is just another game for us to try and go out and execute. It doesn't matter who we're playing. We have to do that if we hope to win.''

Eastern Michigan (1-2) represents the lone I-A opponent for the Bisons (0-2), who are coming off a 30-17 loss at Florida A&M.

Howard, which posted a 6-6 record last season while competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, traveled to Rutgers in 2006, filling out a schedule comprised with the likes of Coppin State, Delaware State and North Carolina A&T.

And despite the differences in Eastern Michigan's weekly level of competition, coach Jeff Genyk refuses to consider Howard anything less than another challenge the Eagles have to contend with.

After all, Eastern's last I-AA test resulted in a 31-28 home loss to Eastern Illinois in 2005.

And with I-AA programs more than holding their own this season between Appalachian State's win at Michigan Stadium, Southern Illinois' victory over Northern Illinois and The Citadel remaining close with Wisconsin for three quarters, Genyk knows Howard will bring a competitive mentality into today's game.

Not to mention a spread

offense that possesses the ability to put points on the board and that will test Eastern's young secondary.

"You have to prepare very well for these games,'' Genyk said. "These teams are generally feeling (how other I-AA teams have fared) and realize that, 'Hey, we've got 63 scholarships, Eastern Michigan's got 85 - so what? Let's go steal one.' ''

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Records: Bison 0-2; Eagles 1-2.

Still Stinging: After staying close with Hampton in the season opener, the Bison gave a dispirited performance last week at Florida A&M. Howard surrendered more than 300 rushing yards in the 30-17 loss, 222 of them by freshman tailback Philip Sylvester. Brian Johnson completed 12 of 16 passes for 126 yards for the Bison, five of them to Jarahn Williams, including both touchdowns. Endor Cooper led Howard with 13 tackles, including 3 1/2 for losses.

Breaking Ground: This the first time the schools have met, and the Bison will be the first MEAC team to play in Rynearson Stadium.

NCCU-N.C. A&T will meet as I-AA foes for the first time

Today's game live on Internet streaming broadcast at 6:30 p.m. at: http://www.jarvistv.com/NCCU .


By MIKE POTTER, The HERALD-SUN

First-year N.C. Central head football coach Mose Rison said earlier this week he didn't want to be a part of history.

But he and his 3-1 Eagles can't help it.

When they put their three-game winning streak on the line tonight at 6:30 p.m. against historic arch-rival N.C. A&T (0-3) at Greensboro's Aggie Stadium, it will be the Eagles' first game as a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) against another team from the FCS.

That will be some good history the Eagles, and perhaps for both schools.

What Rison doesn't want to do is be part of breaking the Aggies' 19-game losing streak, currently the longest among FCS teams.

Although it wasn't likely to happen at any rate, he doesn't want the Eagles to be taking the Aggies lightly.

"They will be the best football team we have played this season," said Rison, whose team has played four NCAA Division II teams so far. "We just have to make sure our guys don't get caught up in the hype."

Aggies coach Lee Fobbs said his team desperately wants to end the losing streak, no matter what team turns out to be N.C. A&T's unfortunate victim.

"It's tough on the coaches, but it's tougher on the kids," Fobbs said. "I'm really proud of our guys. But they dropped their heads after they played so hard last week [in a 59-14 loss to Hampton].

"The staff and our kids have learned that the only way we can get this thing turned around is to get our chins up and get ready to practice hard every day. The important thing is that the kids love to play football."

Fobbs, who is looking for his first win with the program in his second season, said he knows all about how big tonight's game is for both schools.

"It's real important because it's the next game on our schedule," Fobbs said. "I know the rivalry dates back quite a few years. It's great for our area, and it's a game the fans really want to see. It's college football at its best. It's a big-time ball game in a lot of ways."

Indeed it is an ancient rivalry, going all the way back to a 13-13 tie at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in 1924. N.C. A&T leads the series 45-28-5.

Since 1945, the game has been contested every year except 1993 and last season. Both times, N.C. A&T administrators were trying to get away from playing a game against a Division II team.

The teams have split their last four meetings, all at N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium. And three of them were worth double the price of admission. In 2002, the Eagles recovered from a 27-0 deficit after the first quarter to win 33-30 in overtime, the second largest comeback in Division II history. After the Aggies rolled 25-0 in 2003, they won 16-15 the next year on Carlos Davalos' 50-yard field goal. It was almost déjà vu in 2005, but the Aggies missed their last-second field-goal attempt and NCCU survived 23-22.

The Aggies' leading rusher is junior tailback and Northern High alumnus Michael Ferguson. Ferguson is averaging 114.3 yards per game, but is still looking for his first touchdown of the season.

N.C. A&T's junior right tackle Juan Williams is a Durham native who played at Garner High. Also on the Aggies' roster are Corey Hairston, a junior wide receiver out of Hillside; and sophomore defensive end Woodrow Scrivens and freshman linebacker Jamal Wardlaw from Riverside. The Eagles have no players from Greensboro.

NOTES -- The Aggies won 48-0 the last time the teams met in Greensboro back in 1991. NCCU's most recent win in Greensboro was a 38-19 romp in 1987, in the final game for legendary Eagles quarterback Earl "Air" Harvey. …NCCU has no new injuries after kicker Brandon Gilbert and running back Jeff Toliver were declared out for the season. …A&T's injury list includes running backs Demerick Chancellor (shoulder, out) and Reginald James (shoulder, out), strong safety Brandon Jackson (knee, out), defensive back Brandon Long (knee, questionable), quarterback Herb Miller (knee, questionable), cornerback Simeon Platt (ankle, questionable), linebacker Robert Russell (back, probable) and defensive lineman Tyre Glasper (elbow, probable).

KEYS TO THE GAME

Can the Eagles move the ball consistently?

That question may be answered early in the game. The Eagles have been sleepily effective ever since the final period of their season-opening loss to Albany State. Tim Shankle's triple-digit rushing total last week was a very good sign, and quarterback Stadford Brown has been able to handle going for the little play instead of the big one. Middle linebacker Andre Thornton and defensive back Marques Ruffin are A&T's big weapons.

Will NCCU's defense continue to dominate?

There aren't many teams in the country that would turn down Eagles cornerback Craig Amos, and Derrick Ray has been a big-play guy at linebacker. But the Aggies' players were recruited to play Division I-AA football while the Eagles' veteran standouts were recruited at the Division II level. N.C. A&T running back and Northern High alumnus Michael Ferguson is hungry for the end zone.

What about the intangibles of the rivalry?

"Throw out the records" and all the other clichés fit. This is one of the most bitter rivalries in college sports. For over a generation, a win over N.C. A&T could make the Eagles' season. But now the shoe is on the other foot with the Eagles up and the Aggies down. If the Eagles don't play well early, their rivals' 19-game losing streak could be in jeopardy.

The Pick

N.C. Central 26, N.C. A&T 14

NCCU Eagles Marching Band