FAMU vs Tenn. State: Atlanta Classic sure to be close

Photo: FAMU Head Football Coach Rubin Carter

By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Considering the way the last four Atlanta Classics have finished, you can expect just about anything to happen when Florida A&M and Tennessee State clash for the 47th time Saturday.

"It's always a tough game against Tennessee State," said FAMU coach Rubin Carter. "They don't quit and we also have that identity. The game is a real fan pleaser. It's tough on the coaches, though. It's come down to the wire the past two years."

Each of the last four games has been decided by less than seven points, with FAMU coming out on top in all four. Carter has been on the sideline for the last two FAMU-TSU nail-biters.

Photo: Albert Chester II gets congratulated by Coach Carter for win over Howard.

Defensive tackle Steve St. Felix intercepted a pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter to preserve a 12-7 FAMU victory in 2005.

Linebacker Dannel Shepard used his head in overtime to knock the ball out of running back Javarris Williams' grasp to set up Wesley Taylor's game-winning field goal.

"I can't take all the credit for that play," Sheppard said. "There were 10 other guys out there. Without those other 10 guys executing their assignments that play wouldn't have been made."

The FAMU players at Tuesday's weekly press luncheon seemed prepared for another down-to-the-wire battle in the Georgia Dome.

"This game always seems to be close," said senior defensive end Tyrone McGriff. "You know every year it is going to come down to a couple points.

"Even though it is a nonconference game, it is a big game for us. Our nonconference games count for a lot if we hope to get an at-large bid to the playoffs."


Last go-around
For seniors such as Shepard and running back Anthony Edwards, Saturday's game will be the last chance to make memories in the Georgia Dome.

"The atmosphere is great," Shepard said. "When you walk out on that field, the first thing you have to realize is that you have to be focused. It's the biggest adrenaline rush you can imagine."

For Edwards, an Atlanta native, playing in his hometown once again is even more special.

"It's always good to come home and play," Edwards said. "All my family and friends can come watch me play. I get real excited going inside of the Dome. I grew up watching the Falcons play in middle school and high school and working at the Dome.

"I saw all the high-school games in the Dome. It's always a good feeling going there, and I won't let anybody down."

Love that surface
Although FAMU plays its home game on grass, the players seem to have a fondness for the artificial turf in the Georgia Dome.

Former linebacker Shedrick Copeland, who blocked a Tennessee State field goal that led to a winning touchdown in 2003, said he liked the spring of the carpet.

Senior defensive end Tyrone McGriff said the Dome turf plays into the Rattlers' principal strength.

"Our defense is designed for speed," McGriff said. "We have the advantage in that area against most teams we play. We're smaller than most teams, but we're faster. When we get on turf, it is the closest thing to a track meet."

Enjoying the bye
Sheppard said the bye week was just what his team needed, especially after picking up a win heading into it.

"There is nothing like going into a bye week with a victory," Sheppard said. "You walk around smiling, feeling real good wearing your colors. You feel like it's only going to get better. Coming off the bye week, I think we are focused and ready to do what we need to do."

Hawaii players having Devil of a time at MVSU

By Kalani Takase, The Honolulu Advertiser Staff Writer

The small town of Itta Bena, Miss. has a population of just over 2,000 and if not for a former All-Pro receiver, it may have never become more than a dot on a map.

Instead, Itta Bena is home to Mississippi Valley State University, whose most famous alumnus is future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and the impact on the school's football team is reaching further than ever.

The Delta Devils went 21-9-1 during Rice's tenure (1981-84), including a school-best 9-2 in 1984.

A wave of players from Hawai'i are hoping to re-create that success at the 450-acre campus located 100 miles north of Jackson, Miss. and 120 south of Memphis.

Kicker Zack Gilarski (King Kekaulike '06 of Ha'iku), considered to be the best in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, kicked a 42-yard field goal in the season opener, a 16-9 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. However, MVSU has lost its next three games, including Saturday's game against Jackson State.

Backup kicker Jamie Whitworth (Radford '06) kicked a 25-yard field goal Saturday. Holding for Whitworth was sophomore reserve quarterback Ryan Burciaga (Radford '06 of Honolulu). Sophomore linebacker Kevin Aguigui (Campbell '06 of 'Ewa Beach) also sees special teams action.

Freshman Marc Moody (Saint Louis '07 of 'Ewa Beach) has ascended to the top of the depth chart at one of the defensive back positions.

Also on the MVSU roster is freshman offensive lineman Esrom Pascual (Saint Louis '06 of Wai'anae).

The Delta Devils (1-3) compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA). Other notable schools in the SWAC are Grambling State, Southern and Alcorn State.

Tennessee State Hall returns to field; two others hurt

Photo: TSU RB Jarvarrius Williams rushed for over 200 yards against FAMU in 2006 Atlanta Football Classic.

By MIKE ORGAN, Tennessean Staff Writer

Tennessee State's defense may get one of its best players back, but could be without two others for Saturday's game against Florida A&M.

Starting cornerback Marquez Hall, a transfer from Vanderbilt who missed the last two games with a high ankle sprain, is expected to play when the Tigers meet Florida A&M in the Atlanta Football Classic at 2 p.m. in the Georgia Dome.

Starting defensive end Shaun Richardson and nose guard Harold Ayodele, however,
are "doubtful" for this week's game, according to Coach James Webster. Richardson is hampered by a bruised shoulder and sprained knee, while Ayodele has a sprained ankle.

Hall was back for Tuesday's practice. Richardson and Ayodele did not practice.

Hall sprained his ankle late in the Sept. 15 game at Austin Peay. The staff considered playing him last week at Southern, but rain and sloppy field conditions kept him sidelined.

"The field was in such bad shape — it was a grass field and it had lumps in it and holes and divots — that we just didn't want to take a chance because he's too valuable to us,'' Webster said.
Hall has a better chance of playing Saturday because the Georgia Dome has an artificial surface.

Travis Stubblefield, a freshman from Beech, replaced Ayodele in Tuesday's practice while several players were rotated at Richardson's position.

Richardson leads the team in sacks (4), tackles for loss (6), and quarterback hurries (3). He also has forced two fumbles and recovered one.

"Shaun has been huge — when he's healthy he's as good as there is,'' Webster said. "But right now he's beat up."

Work to do: After committing five turnovers in the second half of last week's 41-34 loss to Southern, the Tigers' offensive players spent extra time Tuesday working on ball-handling drills.

TSU has dropped to last in the Ohio Valley Conference and 113th out of 116
teams nationally in turnover margin at minus-2.25. The Tigers have committed
15 turnovers (8 fumbles, 7 interceptions) while gaining six (5 fumbles, 1 interception).

"We've been putting a lot of effort into protecting the football and we'll continue to do that,'' Webster said.

Top 10: TSU receiver Chris Johnson is ranked ninth nationally in receiving yards per game, averaging 98 yards a game. The junior from Glencliff High School had six catches for 119 yards and a TD against Southern.

Stopping Sylvester: TSU's defense will have its hands full trying to stop Florida A&M freshman running back Phillip Sylvester. He was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week after A&M's last game (Sept. 15) when he rushed for 222 yards on just 21 carries and returned a trap play 94 yards for a TD in a 30-17 win over Howard.

Jackson finally catching on at Grambling State

Photo: Reginald Jackson leads GSU with 20 catches for 291 yards and three touchdowns.

By Nick Deriso, The News Star

GRAMBLING — Senior Grambling receiver Clyde Edwards, as his coaches like to say, is a marked man. That's meant an already-remarkable start for unheralded fellow senior Reginald Jackson.

Three games into this new season, Jackson is suddenly GSU's leading receiver for catches, total yards and yards per game.

"I'm finally getting a chance to showcase myself," Jackson said. "Clyde draws a whole lot of attention from defenses. The respect he gets, opens up things for me."

Always a standout in practice, Jackson has long labored in quiet obscurity behind record-smashing GSU products like Moses Harris and Henry Tolbert.

Jackson's career totals barely register: No catches as a freshman, seven as a sophomore (though three were for scores) and 12 as a junior. He'd caught just four touchdowns coming into 2007.

Even so, a new staff at GSU saw something in him that others perhaps hadn't.

"Reggie was good in the spring, he's been good since we've been here," said first-year coach Rod Broadway. "Everybody knows about Clyde; he's a marked man. So we had to find a couple more guys to get involved. We've got to spread it around."

Through it all, Jackson somehow remained focused and ready.

"You've got to stay humble, but you stay hungry at the same time," he said. "Other players had their chances. You've got to keep continuing to tell yourself that your chance will also come. When it was my time, I told myself that I would make the best of it."

He has.

In fact, "he might be stealing the show," as Edwards conceded.

Jackson scored the first touchdown of the Broadway era in Week 1, dashing 44 yards against Alcorn. Jackson then capped a six-play third-quarter drive with a stunning 69-yard TD in a blow out victory.

He added five catches a week later, though Grambling fell at upper-division Pittsburgh.

Then Jackson sparked an emotional win in last Saturday's game against reigning league champ Alabama A&M with a trick-play touchdown from 26 yards out.

"Everyday in practice, I kept saying we are going to score on this," Jackson said. "I was thinking 'six' the whole time."

It was.

A&M, which came into the game averaging 45 points a game, never scored again on the way to a 25-point loss to Grambling.

Jackson's backbreaking touchdown had a lot to do with that.

"At that point, once the other team gets hit with a play like that, it takes the swagger and the fight out of them," said Jackson, who then finished the scoring with a seven-yard TD.

Teammates say it was only a matter of time before Jackson's star rose.

"Coming into this year, we had to find another receiver, somebody to compliment Clyde," said redshirt junior quarterback Brandon Landers. "He brings that deceptive speed — people underestimate that — and he catches the ball well. He's taking advantage of his final year to shine."

Edwards, meanwhile, sits on the cusp of besting career marks across the Grambling receiving record book. He also sees Jackson as the wingman who can help pilot him there.

"I'm happy for him," Edwards said. "He's always practiced well, but hasn't always gotten the opportunity to perform on Saturdays. This year, he's finally in a situation where he can make some plays."

The 5-9, 170-pound Jackson, whose nickname is "Dee," was a celebrated Birmingham, Ala., recruit after being named all-city as a junior and senior. He considered at least four SWAC schools along with Alabama-Birmingham before becoming a member of one of former coach Doug Williams' last signing classes at GSU.

That followed a final prep season where Jackson scored on five receptions, three punt returns and a kickoff, helping his team to a 10-2 record at Parker High — a legendary Grambling recruiting stronghold that has produced Tolbert, Robert Taylor, Junious "Buck" Buchanan and his former high school coach Andre Robinson, who now oversees linebackers at GSU.

Could Jackson add his name to that list of Grambling greats? He's making a case so far this season.

A career spent waiting on the sidelines has put that goal into tight focus.

"You want to play every game like it's your last," Jackson said. "Every snap, every play, every quarter, I want to take that opportunity," Jackson said. "I want to fulfill every one of those dreams."

DSU Hornets' Lavan understands heated rivalries

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

N.C. brawl shouldn't deter DSU-UD push.

DOVER -- Delaware State football coach Al Lavan said Tuesday he understands the tensions that led to a postgame fight between players from North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central last Saturday.

"There is disdain, but there's respect [for the opposition]," said Lavan, in his fourth season at DSU after being an assistant coach at, among other stops, Colorado State, Washington and Georgia Tech. Those programs play annual in-state rivals in what often can become the most important game of the season.

"It's almost a contradiction," Lavan said. "There's a healthy disdain for the guy you're playing. I mean, guys who are injured are suddenly healthy enough to play.

"I've never experienced anything like [the A&T-Central fight], but there are some serious emotions involved in rivalry games. There are no guarantees that won't happen again."

Lavan, who said he learned of the A&T-Central incident Monday, said that despite the emotions of an in-state rivalry he still would like to see the Hornets play the University of Delaware in a regular-season football game.

The two schools have played each other in most sports, but never in football.

The issue drew national attention last week after an ESPN.com column by UD graduate and former Sports Illustrated reporter Jeff Pearlman.

"On the playground, no one asks you where you're from," Lavan said. "If we play the game, we play it. If we don't, we don't. But, to me, it's very simple."

Lavan said an in-state rivalry is among the best features of college football. He said some of his fondest memories of coaching and playing at Colorado State came from facing the University of Colorado.

He said coaches must instill in their players the sportsmanship needed in rivalry situations to prevent misconduct on the field.

"It's how you approach it," Lavan said. "There are no guarantees. Anything can happen. But I'd be shocked if something like that happened [in a UD-DSU game]."

North Carolina A&T, a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member from Greensboro, has a longstanding football rivalry with North Carolina Central, located in Durham. The teams have played each other nearly every season since 1924, which also was the first year DSU fielded a team.

According to published reports, some North Carolina Central players initiated an altercation after their team's 27-22 victory at North Carolina A&T when they danced on A&T's midfield logo and then tore up pieces of the field.

Reports said police used pepper spray to subdue some players, leading some to vomit on the field.

In the aftermath, North Carolina A&T athletic director Dee Todd said the school is considering canceling next year's game between the teams.

Second-year A&T coach Lee Fobbs said he believed the two schools could move on and not have to eliminate the game.

"I learned a little more of the rivalry as the year went on and prior to the game, but that's rivalry football," Fobbs said.

Said North Carolina Central coach Mose Rison: "We've moved on, and we're looking forward to playing Presbyterian this weekend."

On Tuesday, MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said he would analyze the circumstances surrounding the brawl before taking any action. He would not say if the league would intervene in order to keep the game from being canceled.

North Carolina Central, a provisional NCAA Division I-AA program, has petitioned to join the MEAC on a probationary basis beginning next year.

DSU senior defensive end Kelly Rouse said the tensions surrounding a potential DSU-UD game would be similar to what he expects Saturday when the Hornets play at 13th-ranked Hampton.

Rouse said the passion generated between North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central is inevitable.

"That's got to go somewhere," Rouse said.

MSU Bears at BC-U Homecoming on Saturday

Photo: All-MEAC RB Chad Simpson ran over Hampton for 142 yards on 33 carries last week.

Morgan State University Sports Information

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Bears travel to Daytona Beach to take on Bethune-Cookman during the Wildcats Homecoming on Saturday

MORGAN STATE “BEARS” (1-3, 0-2 MEAC)
BETHUNE-COOKMAN “WILDCATS” (2-2, 0-2 MEAC)
GAME #5
Saturday, September 29, 2007 • 4:00 p.m.
Municipal Stadium (Capacity 10,000) • Daytona Beach, Fla.
RADIO: Morgan State Radio Network WEAA - 88.9 FM:
Rob Long (play-by-play) & Kelvin Bridgers (color).
INTERNET: www.MorganStateBears.com; www.BCCathletics.com/
INTERNET COVERAGE: Live Audio and Live Stats

Setting the Scene

• Morgan State fell in dramatic fashion last Thursday night at Hampton. T.J. Mitchell threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Justin Brown to clinch a thrilling 24-17 overtime victory against the Bears. The Bears were once again led by All-MEAC RB Chad Simpson who posted a game-best 142 yards on 33 carries and scored two touchdowns. MSU’s offensive unit racked up 438 total yards, 270 on the ground. MSU will look to get back in the win column when they take on Bethune-Cookman.

• Bethune-Cookman is coming off a disappointing 38-31 loss at Norfolk State. The Wilcats had two critical tunovers to help Norfolk State walk off the field with the Fish Bowl Classic victory. Bethune-Cookman QB Jimmie Russell led the Cats by completing 8-of-15 passes for 86 yards with a touchdown, and rushing for 100 yards with a TD. Defensively, Ben Ballard collected a team-high eight tackles (7 solo), while Anotnio Cox finished with three tackles and a 42 yard interception return. With the loss the Wildcats dropped to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in the MEAC. Saturday night’s contest will mark the 22nd meeting between Morgan State and Bethune-Cookman.

• QB Jimmie Russell (Sr./5-9/175/Jonesboro, Ga./Rivedale HS)will be one to watch as the Wildcats prepare for Morgan State this Saturday at Municipal Stadium. Russell is ranked 5th in the MECA in total offense having completed 30-of-61 passes for 358 yards and rushing for 336 yards. Russell has accounted for eight touchdowns so far this season ... he was named MVP of the Fish Bowl as a result of throwing for 86 yards and running for 100 yards in a tough 38-31 loss at Norfolk State last Saturday night.

• The Bears defensive unit will attempt to contain running backs Justin Brannon (Sr./5-10/190/Jacksonville,Fla./Mandarin HS) and Brian Sumlar (Fr./5-11/180/Jacksonville,Fla./Orange Park HS) The duo has combined for 299 yards on 61 carries through four games... Brannon rushed for 54 yards (4.8) and Sumlar had 52 yards (4.3) and scored a touchdown in last week’s loss to the Spartans...Brannon ranks 10th in the MEAC with 177 yards on 33 carries game.

• SEE CHAD RUN … INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS - Chad Simpson entered the Towson game just needing 63 yards to reach 1,000 yards in his Morgan State career…he ended up rushing for 195 yards! The All-MEAC running back rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opener vs. Savannah State and has increased his career total to 1,495 yards following a game-high 142 yards against #12 Hampton ... he now sits 16 yards behind T.J. Stallings (1999-02) who ranked #7 in the Bears rushing annals. As a result of his career-high 221 yard output against the Winston-Salem State Rams in Week 3, Simpson was selected as the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week.

Photo: MSU Defense controlled MEAC Champs Hampton University for four quarters to give the Bears an opportunity to win in overtime.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Totten looking for leaders at receiver.

Alabama A&M receivers coach Roger Totten has been pleased with the play of his young group, but admits he's looking for some of them to emerge as leaders.

The Bulldogs have used five different players at wide receiver, but there are no seniors among the bunch.

The group includes seldom-used juniors Gerald Stockdale and Paul Kellum, sophomore Thomas Harris and redshirt freshmen Nate Baxter and Rashad Johnson.

"I'm trying to find a leader," Totten said. "That's something we haven't found yet ... a guy that's going to step up. Leadership is very important when you have a lot of young players.

"Sometimes, guys have to be put in leadership roles when they don't want to be or they have to be put in roles because they're in a position to be a leader. We need some of those guys to step up."

Totten said the likely candidates include Stockdale, Harris, Baxter and Johnson.

"All four of those guys have the same personality," he said. "We need them to be more involved in what we're doing and be more vocal."

Jones excited about practice:

The Bulldogs practiced for more than two hours Tuesday as they began preparations for Saturday's homecoming game against Texas Southern. Kickoff is 3 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium.

"We had a real good practice," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "Our guys were attentive. They had a desire to learn. We made some mistakes, but it wasn't because of a lack of effort ... it wasn't because guys weren't trying to understand. This was a good bounce back day for us."

Baxter status up in the air: Baxter, who sustained an ankle injury against Mississippi Valley State and didn't play in last week's 31-6 loss to Grambling, didn't practice Tuesday.

His status for Saturday's game against Texas Southern is up in the air.

Totten was unsure if Baxter would be available against the Tigers.

"I really don't know," Totten said. "He's still working on it ... trying to get it ready, but I really don't know."

Reggie Benson

Wyatt: Official's call costs B-CU

Photo: BC-U Head Coach Alvin Wyatt

By BRENT WORONOFF, Daytona Beach News-Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman football coach Alvin Wyatt claims an official's rule interpretation did more than move a slotback a few feet closer to the middle, it impaired the Wildcats' ability to run their offense at Norfolk State on Saturday.

Norfolk State, coached by former B-CU defensive coordinator Pete Adrian, rallied from a 21-10 halftime deficit to defeat the 'Cats 38-31. On the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's weekly media teleconference call Tuesday, Wyatt said based on a tip from Norfolk State coaches in the days leading up to the game, officials forced B-CU out of a perfectly legal formation in the second half.

The result, he said, was that B-CU was forced to abandon a base formation because the alteration tipped off the defense to the Wildcats' plays.

"The way they had us lining up, the defense definitely knew what we were going to do," Wyatt said. "It was the only thing that stopped us, because we were ripping them apart. It was wrong. It was dead wrong."

NSU Head Football Coach Pete Adrian

Wyatt said B-CU sent tapes of the game to the conference commissioner's office for an interpretation. MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said his office was awaiting the tape.

"Coach Wyatt apprised me of his concern," Thomas said Tuesday afternoon from the MEAC office in Virginia Beach, Va. "I asked him to send us a tape. Once we get the tape, we'll review it and see if there are legitimate concerns to his complaint."

The rule in question has to do with where a slotback must line up at the snap to be eligible to block below the waist. According to the NCAA's "Football Rules and Interpretations," the back must be lined up inside of the offensive tackle in front of him. Wyatt said after an illegal cut block was called against B-CU in the second quarter, officials told the Wildcats the player would have to move.

"I know what we were doing was legal. Everyone in football will tell you that," Wyatt said. "(The officials) put us in a suicidal position."

In fact, Adrian agreed the Wildcats never did anything illegal. He said it was a halftime adjustment by his team that neutralized the slotback's ability to cut block and not anything the officials did.

"They were in the same formation the entire game," Adrian said. "We simply moved our linebackers up, so they couldn't cut them."

Wyatt said he was upset an opposing head coach would go to officials during game week to complain about an opponent's formations.

"Our team was hurt. We were frustrated. It was wrong to be influenced like that," Wyatt said.

But Thomas and Adrian said it is common practice for coaches to talk to officials during the week.

"Coach Wyatt talks to officials. Other coaches talk to officials. I don't see how that's an issue," Thomas said.

Adrian said that it was actually another formation he inquired about during the week, one in which two split ends line up on the same side. He said the Wildcats also lined up correctly in that formation.

Adrian, who was Wyatt's defensive coordinator for seven seasons before he went to Norfolk State in 2005, said he was surprised Wyatt would use Tuesday's teleconference to complain about his tactics.

"He can do what he wants to do, he's a grown man," Adrian said. "I'm not losing any sleep over it, that's for sure."

Cut-Block Rule

Backs at the snap positioned with the frame of their body completely outside the frame of the body of the normal tackle (second player from the snapper) positioned in either direction toward a sideline, or in motion at the snap, are prohibted from blocking below the waist toward the original position of the ball in or behind the neutral zone and within 10 yards beyond the neutral zone. The frame of the body does not include arms or legs extended sideways.

Source: 2007 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations on NCAA.org

NCCU-NCA&T future remains in question

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

N.C. Central and North Carolina A&T may or may not meet on the football field next season.

Apparently, everyone will just have to wait a few days to find out.

After the teams' postgame fight Saturday night after NCCU won 27-22 at Aggie Stadium, A&T athletics director Dee Todd reportedly told The News & Observer that she didn't want the Eagles and Aggies to play in 2008.

Chancellors Charlie Nelms of NCCU and Stanley Battle of N.C. A&T spoke by telephone concerning the situation, and they released a joint statement Monday evening.

"Presently, we have not made a decision regarding the future athletic events between our teams but we are jointly collaborating as sister institutions to decide the best course," Battle and Nelms said in the statement (the entire text is on Page D5). "The primary factor in making our final decision will be our responsibility to our students."

Earlier Monday, Battle said he will release a statement "later on this week concerning when N.C. A&T plans to play the return game against N.C. Central."

"The North Carolina A&T logo was stomped following a very spirited football game, where athletes competed vigorously on Saturday night," according to an official statement released by the Aggies' athletics department. "We regret the conflict that ensued, for this is not indicative of what we represent. The teams were immediately separated. N.C. A&T Police and Public Safety officials were on the scene. No one was hurt.

"Please keep in mind, this is an isolated incident. No charges have been filed to this point. N.C. A&T and N.C. Central have had a long relationship as athletic rivals in many different sports. Saturday's brief incident is in no way indicative of the prestigious and proud history of both universities. Both schools have produced some of the most famous, distinguished and brightest citizens in our society today. Therefore, in the end, our common ground and number one mission is educating young people."

Todd also was quoted as saying: "A couple of their coaches led them out there and were in the middle. One of the coaches picked up a patch of dirt off the dog [logo on the field] and threw it. You know, that's just disrespectful and terribly unsportsmanlike. ... Coaches are your leaders, and if a coach does that, then, you can't really expect the kids to do anything different."

When contacted Monday afternoon, NCCU head coach Mose Rison said his coaching staff acted appropriately during the incident and referred to a written statement that was released Sunday night.

"On behalf of my staff, I will state that I believe we acted immediately and properly, and that our student-athletes responded accordingly to our instructions," Rison said, adding he planned no further comment on the postgame incident.

The Eagles improved to 4-1 with the victory Saturday night and stretched A&T's losing streak to 20 games -- the longest in the Football Championship Subdivision. NCCU has won two straight in the 83-year-old series, which was not contested in 2006.

After the end of the contest, which was sealed by Eric Ray's interception at the goal line in the closing seconds, there was a fight at midfield involving perhaps a couple of dozen players. A line of several NCCU players had been dancing at midfield when several A&T players took exception and began pushing and shoving before punches were thrown.

The altercation ended after less than two minutes, dispersed by pepper-spray wielding campus police from both schools. No fans were involved, no one was arrested and no one was seriously injured.

One unnamed NCCU player is serving a team-imposed one-week suspension for his part in the scuffle.

A&T is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while NCCU currently competes as an independent. MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said his conference can sanction players for misbehavior associated with non-conference games.

"The situation is still being investigated," Thomas said. "We will have a comment when the investigation is complete."

Off week a drag for Jackson State Tigers offense

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

THE JSU GAME
What: Alabama State at Jackson State
When: Oct. 6, 3 p.m.
Radio: JSU Network (WOAD-1300 AM)

Jackson State's offense put up 50 points in Saturday's victory for the first time under second-year coach Rick Comegy. In fact, the blowout over Mississippi Valley State was the first time JSU has scored that many points in nearly six years.

But just when the Tigers are achieving offensive continuity, the team will have to wait two weeks to play because they have an open date this weekend.

"You sort of wish you could keep things going," Comegy said. "But we've got a really tough road ahead of us. Getting to have a week off and rest those nicks and bruises should be good for us."

Comegy said the team would have a normal week of practice before giving players some time off over the weekend. The Tigers will play host to Alabama State (4-0 overall, 3-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) on Oct. 6.

HIGH MARKS

JSU sophomore safety Malcolm Palmer continues his breakout season, earning SWAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after the Tigers' Saturday victory.

Palmer had 12 tackles, (including seven solo) one sack, a forced fumble and a blocked kick against MVSU. For the season, Palmer is second on the team with 31 tackles and also has two interceptions.

Eric Perri was the co-Specialist of the Week, converting 3 of 3 field goal attempts and 5 of 6 extra point attempts.

HAW STILL STARTING

Comegy said that while senior Cody Hull gave the team a fresh look against MVSU with 64 rushing yards, junior Erik Haw (24 rushing yards on Saturday) was still the starter.

But that doesn't mean Haw will see the majority of the carries.

"We like the competition that's been created," Comegy said. "They all really are hungry to carry the ball, and we think they can all bring different things to our offense."

SCSU Pough happy for a bye

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

Monday was business as usual for the South Carolina State football coaching staff.

The desk of head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough was stacked with videotapes from Saturday’s 20-7 victory over Winston-Salem State. In the adjacent offices, assistant coaches were at work studying film and reviewing plays from the previous contest.

The only thing not taking place was any type of game plan preparation. For the first time in over a month, the Bulldogs do not have an immediate opponent to strategize for this week as the team’s next game is not scheduled until Oct. 6 at Norfolk State.

Having seen his injured list grow to unfathomable lengths the past three games, Pough more than welcomes the bye week to regroup as a staff and evaluate the team’s progress.

"We’ll go back and actually study -- self-scout -- and figure out what we’ve done," he said. "Get a feel for what we’ve been for four weeks as a football team. It’s also an opportunity for us to plan for the rest of the year. We’ll spend the first part of the week just working on things that will help us overall for the rest of our schedule and then, towards the back part of the week, then we’ll start preparing for Norfolk."

Given the Bulldogs’ brutal early-season schedule which included two games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents Air Force and the University of South Carolina, Pough said the team is "fortunate" to be 2-2 overall, 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. While disappointed with the offense’s inconsistency and the high number of infractions the Bulldogs have committed this season Pough is ecstatic about the play of his defense which leads the MEAC in sacks (15) and is third in points allowed per game.

"We’ve had way more penalties this year than we had before," he said. "That’s a sore thumb of sorts that I’m embarrassed about a little bit. I’d like to think that we would be more consistent on offense. Defensively, we had a struggle or two adjustment wise against the (FBS) teams. I thought we played extremely well against Bethune-Cookman and Winston-Salem State, defensively. I’m hoping that will be a sign of things to come as we get to the rest of our season. Hopefully, our defense is going to continue to be somewhat dominant."

SCSU’s defense has accomplished this despite the absence due to injury of key players like BANDIT Marshall McFadden (elbow), linebacker David Erby (ACL, out for the season) and defensive linemen Steven Jacobs and Sterling Blunt (ankle sprains). The offensive line has been equally hit hard by the injury bug starting with the offensive line where tackle Nygel Pearson has missed all four games with a broken hand, center Raymond "Duck" Harrison played through a hand injury last Saturday and Devon Dawson suffered with the flu.

Both quarterback Cleveland McCoy and running back Will Ford also played with nagging injuries, but finished with season-high numbers.

On both sides of the football, the Bulldogs have received contributions from unlikely parties like defensive back Rafael Bush of Williston-Elko, defensive linemen Jayson Ayers and Sam Chester and offensive linemen Josh Harrison and Johnny Culbreath.

On Monday, Culbreath was named MEAC Rookie of the Week after posting four knockdown blocks, five domination blocks and allowed no sacks in assisting the SCSU offense with amassing 493 total yards.

"We’d like for it to be somewhat of a distraction ... a little bit of a confidence builder for us in the fact that we can go out and play these guys knowing that when we put another group in, we don’t have much of a drop off," Pough said. "As teams see us, I would hope that they would feel a little bit uncomfortable with the fact that we can continuously roll those guys and we’ve got really high level play at all times."

The various lineup changes have produced one negative when it comes to a lack of continuity on the offensive line. This has been especially troublesome on field goal attempts where Stephen Grantham has had four kicks blocked this season, two Pough blamed on an offensive lineman missing a block in his zone.

After giving his players some down time, Pough plans to address those areas of concern on offense and special teams as well as counting on his athletic training staff to keep his team close to full strength by Oct. 6.

"Our athletic trainer is really going to earn their keep this week," Pough said. "That staff’s going to earn their keep because we’ve got so many guys that are beat up."

Southern QB Lee racking up stats, wins

Photo: SU QB Bryant Lee

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Honors from all around.

The accolades are getting stacked right alongside the victories for Southern sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee. Monday, the Southwestern Athletic Conference named Lee as its Offensive Player of the Week.

That continues a trend for Lee, who is 5-1 as a starter at Southern.

In every victory in which Lee has had a meaningful role, save for a 12-2 win over Prairie View on Sept. 15, he has received some form of honor.

In chronological order:

*SWAC Newcomer of the Week in coming off the bench, tag-teaming with C.J. Byrd and running and throwing for his first collegiate touchdowns in a 38-20 win over Alabama State a year ago.

*SWAC Newcomer of the Week in coming off the bench in the second quarter and rallying SU to a second-half, 34-17 win over Texas Southern.

*Southern’s Bayou Classic MVP in his second game as a starter, leading the Jaguars to a 21-17, fourth-quarter win over Grambling.

*Southern’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge MVP and Louisiana Sports Writers Association *Offensive Player of the Week after leading SU’s rally in the second half for a 33-27 win over Florida A&M.

*The Chicago Football Classic Offensive MVP in a 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State.

The latest SWAC honor came after Lee was 23-for-33 for career highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns as the Jaguars overcame a 21-point, second-quarter deficit to beat Tennessee State 41-34 Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

“It was great. Execution, that’s all it takes,” Lee said.

Saturday, the Jaguars played the first half without their top playmaker, senior wide receiver Gerard Landry, who had been suspended after being ejected for throwing a swing in the fourth quarter of the previous game.

“The offensive line blocked great for me,” Lee said. “They gave me the time to get the ball to the playmakers.”
Lee, who redshirted in 2005, has won his last five starts after a three-interception debacle in a blowout loss to eventual Western Division champ Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

In the five-game run, he’s 108-for-157 (68.8 percent) for 1,124 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. Twice, he’s rallied SU in the fourth quarter (against Grambling and Tennessee State) and once, against Florida A&M, he led a second-half comeback.

Plus, he came off the bench in the second quarter against Texas Southern, notching a second-half comeback victory.

“You have to stay pretty calm, on and off the field,” Lee said. “Just going over reads and key is the main thing.”

Including his run at Hahnville High, Lee is now 32-2 as a starting quarterback.

“He’s making progress,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “He still missed some key reads (Saturday), but overall he has the confidence of the team. They know he’s going to deliver when he gets an opportunity.

“The more he plays, the better experience he gets, the more the game will slow down for him.”

ASU Reggie Barlow praises SU coach Richardson

Photo: ASU Rookie Coach (4-0) faces SU (4-0) Pete Richardson in the Gulf Coast Classic this week. Game televised by ESPNU.

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern’s Pete Richardson is the dean of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, establishing a tradition on par with some of the league’s storied coaches.

His counterpart Saturday, first-year Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow, is off to a strong start, 4-0, just like Southern, and exceeding expectations, just like Southern.

“When you talk about the SWAC and talk about doing it the right way, he’s done it a long time,” said Barlow, a former Alabama State standout who coached quarterbacks at the school the last two seasons.

“I have a lot of respect for him and his program. I’m a young coach, and, wanting to have a program that’s solid, you look to a guy like coach Richardson.”

Southern (4-0, 2-0 SWAC) faces Alabama State (4-0, 3-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Gulf Coast Classic at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.

The game will be televised on ESPNU.

“The players are buying into his system,” Richardson said. “They’ve come from behind (four times) and that’s got to help their confidence out. It’s going to be a good game for us, going against them at this time and seeing what type of football team we have.”

Richardson is at 118-49 (70.7 percent) in 15 seasons at Southern and 160-63-1 (71.7 percent) in 20 seasons and 224 games overall.

“I’m a young coach, and wanting to have a program that’s solid, you look to a guy like coach Richardson,” Barlow said.

SU is 4-0 for the sixth time in 15 seasons under Richardson.

However, hanging over this season is the question of what the future will be for the Southern program.

Richardson is in the final season of his latest contract with the school, a three-year deal.

The first two seasons have produced the only losing marks of Richardson’s career.

The school has said they’ll evaluate Richardson after the season.

“How fast do we forget? It’s a shame people forget and don’t appreciate greatness. That’s what he’s done there at Southern,” Barlow said. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for him and the way he runs his program. He’s a great coach. It’s obvious he’s always been a good coach.

“The people there at Southern should be happy to have him.”

Malveaux likely out
Richardson said junior eagle linebacker Johnathan Malveaux, the team’s top tackler with 33 stops and four pass breakups, is likely out with a high ankle sprain that will be evaluated week to week.

“He probably won’t be able to play for us. He’s pretty sore,” Richardson said.

Malveaux came down with the injury to his right ankle with 5:16 left in the third quarter, on a play in which cornerback Efe Osawemwenze recovered a fumble forced by Chapman.

Junior Donald Steele (four tackles) is Malveaux’s primary backup.

“He’s got experience, and he’ll have an opportunity to play,” Richardson said.
Chapman, Lee honored

The SWAC named sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee as its Offensive Player of the Week and sophomore drop linebacker Gary Chapman as its Newcomer of the Week.

Lee was 23-for-33 for career highs of 303 yards and four touchdowns and Chapman, a nonqualifier last season, had a career- and game-high 11 tackles, including his first sack, and forced a fumble in a 41-34 victory over Tennessee State on Saturday.

Lee is Southern’s first SWAC Offensive Player of the Week since quarterback J.C. Lewis, who left the team earlier this month, in the 2006 season opener.

Earlier this season, junior running back Kendrick Smith was a Newcomer of the Week.

Quick look at Southern
Barlow said, “Watching those guys on tape is scary. They have a lot of playmakers. They fly around to the ball and they’re having a lot of fun. It’s going to be a big challenge for us to try to contain them. &hellip We’re going to have to go and see if we can find someone to emulate all these fast guys so we can practice and get our guys up to par on the tempo these guys have.”

Quick look at Alabama St.
Richardson said, “Jay Peck is an outstanding running back and catches the ball extremely well. We’re going to have to stop him or at least slow him down.”

Century mark
SU has produced three 100-yard rushers (Darren Coates twice, Brian Threat once) in four games this season. Last season, SU had four 100-yard games, including Lee and running back Kendall Addison each topping 100 against Texas Southern. Addison had two other 100-yard games.

In total, SU has had at least one 100-yard individual effort in six of the last 10 games.

Notes
Scouts from the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans visited Monday. SU hadn’t trailed in the nine previous quarters (since the third quarter of the season opener) until falling behind Tennessee State 7-0 four minutes into Saturday’s game. SU overcame a 21-point second-quarter deficit to win 41-34. Alabama State punt returner Joel Ragins is seventh nationally, at 17.2 yards per return.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Jones says Bulldogswere trapped by success

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said Monday his team started reading its press clippings instead of preparing for Grambling.

The Tigers whipped the Bulldogs 31-6 Saturday night, handing A&M its first loss of the season.

"If you go back and listen to me talk, I've been trying to warn against this," Jones said. "When you score 45 points per game and you do it consistently, people tend to see that and I think our kids bought into it.

"Then we lined up against our best opponent, and we didn't prepare mentally the way we should have. ... We got a little ahead of ourselves and you saw what happened."

As a result, when A&M returns to practice today, Jones said he won't have any problem getting his team to focus on Texas Southern.

"We understand where we are and where we need to be," he said. "It's going to be a lot easier getting their attention now."

Crowd a factor: Tight end John Smith said Grambling's crowd played a part in the Bulldogs' poor play.

The announced crowd of 7,831, Smith said, made it difficult on A&M.

"Most of our guys weren't used to playing in that environment," Smith said. "The crowd was hostile. When we were warming up, they were talking to us. They were rough, but you've got to be able to perform in that type of environment and we didn't do it."

A&M's offense, which entered the game averaging 45 points and 519 yards, managed just six points and 147 total yards.

"It was difficult because we know what we're capable of when we're clicking on all cylinders," said Smith, who caught three passes for 40 yards. "We just couldn't get going. We didn't execute like we did the first three games. We had a good game plan. We just didn't play like we're supposed to play."

Four honored: Tight end John Smith, defensive tackle Justin Harper, inside linebacker Avery Moland and kicker Jeremy Licea were honored as players of the week by the coaching staff for their play in the loss to Grambling.

Smith received recognition on offense after catching three passes for 40 yards. Smith's 24-yard catch before halftime helped set up Licea's 36-yard field goal with six seconds left in the half to allow A&M to pull within 17-6.

Harper and Moland shared the team defensive honor. Harper finished with nine tackles, including six solos, two tackles for loss and a sack while grading out 92 percent. Moland finished with 11 tackles, including nine solos, and one tackle for loss as he graded out 89 percent.

Licea was 2-for-2 on field goals. His 37-yarder was the longest of his career.

Reggie Benson

Pressure on Alabama A&M not new

Photo: AAMU expecting to get back to same form that brought defeat to TSU. This week, its Texas Southern University; not Tennessee State.

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Bulldogs say they'll bounce back - as they have in past

Alabama A&M fans upset about Saturday's 31-6 shellacking at the hands of Grambling, should take a deep breath and review the Bulldogs' history.

That wasn't the first time the Tigers whipped the Bulldogs, and it certainly won't be the last. But A&M has shown it is capable of bouncing back after losing to Grambling, and the Bulldogs vow they will do it again.

Grambling won 23-13 in 2002 to put the Bulldogs in an 0-2 hole, but A&M won eight of its next nine games to reach the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game.

The next year, Grambling won 45-14 to drop A&M to 1-2, but the Bulldogs won seven of their next nine games and finished 8-4. In 2005, Grambling won 44-0 but A&M rallied to win eight of its next nine games to reach the SWAC title game.

"We've been down this road before," said cornerback Stephan Tucker, a fifth-year senior. "We had some guys that probably didn't know how important that game was down there and we didn't match their intensity.

"We've got to go back to basics, practice our techniques and fundamentals and we'll bounce back. If we do what we've got to do, we can't be beat. We'll be all right this week. There's no doubt in my mind."

A&M, 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the SWAC, plays Texas Southern (0-4, 0-3) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Louis Crews Stadium.

Although the winless Tigers - who have been outscored 135-43 - appear to be an ideal opponent for the Bulldogs after the Grambling debacle, coach Anthony Jones has warned his team about taking Texas Southern for granted.

"This is not what the doctor ordered," Jones said Monday. "We've got to line up against a team that always plays us tough. They beat us two years ago on homecoming and last year it came down to the wire.

"This is going to be a very, very tough ballgame. I expect them to come here and play with great effort and great emotion."

Since A&M embarrassed Texas Southern 63-0 in 2003, each of the last three games has been more competitive.

The Bulldogs won 22-3 in 2004, lost 17-7 in 2005 and won 19-14 last season on strong safety Marcus Black's interception in the end zone.

"This is a team that if you're not alert in handling all your P's and Q's can be very scary," Jones said. "This is not a team to be joking with. They've made it tough on us. I expect it will be tough again this weekend."

It will be if the Bulldogs play like they did last week against Grambling. A&M played with very little emotion against the Tigers.

Tight end John Smith, a fifth-year senior, said that won't be the case against Texas Southern.

"Being a senior, it's up to us to get this team ready to play," Smith said. "We've got to be ready because Texas Southern always comes in here and plays us tough. We've got to let the younger players know this won't be a cakewalk because they're 0-4.

"We've got to come out and play with energy, enthusiasm and emotion, and I believe we'll do that."

Jones has no answer for AAMU letdown

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Coach takes blame for blowout loss at hands of Grambling

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones didn't offer any excuses. He didn't need to, because this one was pretty easy to figure out.

"We got outplayed and that's my fault," Jones said Sunday afternoon. "My team wasn't prepared."

Jones' comments were in reference to A&M's 31-6 drubbing at the hands of Grambling on Saturday night.

Grambling led 17-6 at intermission and A&M never threatened.

"When you play a good football team on the road, if you don't play your best, you're going to be embarrassed," Jones said. "We didn't play our best. They had something to do with it, but so did we."

How bad did A&M play? Check out these numbers:

Offensively, the Bulldogs failed to score a touchdown for the first time since a 44-0 loss to Grambling in 2005.

The Bulldogs finished with 147 yards of total offense - 30 rushing and 117 passing. A&M entered the game averaging 519 yards - 225 on the ground and 294 through the air.

A&M was 4-of-15 on third-down conversions and was whistled for seven penalties for 55 yards.

Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed 378 yards and 9-of-16 third-down conversions. A&M had allowed only 47 points through its first three games and 278 yards per game.

"We just didn't play well as a team," Jones said. "I would have liked to have seen us play this team giving our best effort, but I don't think that happened Saturday. If we were the same team I saw those first three weeks and we got beat ... I could accept that, but that wasn't the case.

"When you're the head coach and people play well, you get praised. When they don't play well, you take the blame. I'm taking the blame for this one."

Despite the loss, A&M's season is far from over.

The Bulldogs' hopes of winning the Eastern Division title and reaching the SWAC championship game are still intact.

"Am I pushing the panic button?" Jones asked. "No. We lost one game. It's the way we lost that's so disappointing. Can we bounce back? I think we can. I'm going to work my hardest to make sure we do."

A&M (3-1, 1-1) will try to do so Saturday when Texas Southern (0-4, 0-3) come to town for homecoming.

Kickoff is at 3 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium.

The Tigers shocked the Bulldogs 17-7 on homecoming two years ago and A&M needed a late interception last year to come away with a hard-fought 19-14 victory.

"Texas Southern doesn't fear us," Jones said. "We've got to make sure we're ready for this team."

"We're going to be prepared - I guarantee you we're going to be prepared."

Grambling had no trouble with SWAC champ's offensive firepower

Photo: Grambling Coach Rod Broadway

By Nick Deriso, The NewsStar

GRAMBLING — That fumblerooskie trick play provided the sizzle in Grambling's big win over Alabama A&M. But its rapidly improving defense served the steak, manhandling the previously unbeaten Bulldogs.
A&M arrived at Robinson Stadium ranked in the Top 25 and putting up scary numbers — including more than 500 yards of total offense and an average of 45 points over its first three games.

Not this time, as GSU topped the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference champion 31-6.

Grambling, in fact, held A&M to 147 yards of total offense, seven first downs and just two first-half field goals.

First-year Grambling defensive coordinator Cliff Yoshida said the focus of the defense was corralling Kelcy Luke.

"We wanted to contain the quarterback so he couldn't get on the edge," said Yoshida, who has already taken a cellar-dwelling unit to No. 3 in total defense. "We kept him boxed up, and stayed with him. This was a great win for us."

Luke, who had been averaging 314 yards of total offense per game, was held to 109 — including minus-8 rushing. A&M rusher Ulysses Banks, a brilliant converted returner, was held to just 37 yards after putting up more than 100 yards on each of his previous opponents.

"That's the first thing we want to do, stop the run," said Grambling coach Rod Broadway. "Then, we had to keep (Luke) in the pocket. The guys did it this week. They played the way they practiced."

In the end, Bulldogs were left with a paltry average of 2.3 yards per play.

Brandon's big day: Grambling quarterback Brandon Landers, taking open underneath passes against a furious blitz, posted a career-best 69 percent completion rate against Alabama A&M.

He patiently executed the bubble screen with consistency, in keeping with the coaches' message all week.

"Take the little things," Broadway kept saying. "Take what they give you, and stop trying to make every play. Brandon doesn't have to try to win every game for us."

Landers' previous career best for completions was 64 percent against Prairie View a year ago, but he split time with backup Larry Kerlegan that night and only attempted 19 passes. He had also posted 60 percent completion rates against Southern in 2004 and '06.

Those numbers pale with what Landers accomplished this week.

"The coaches have stressed that I shouldn't press, to let the game come to me," said Landers, a product of Carroll High in Monroe. "I promised them I would do that. They had us well prepared for what the offense gave us."

Landers' overall completion numbers for the year now sit at 56 percent, with an efficiency rating of 125. Landers completed 53 percent of his passes in this year's opener against Alcorn, and then 48 percent at non-conference foe Pittsburgh.

Landers hadn't yet beaten A&M but both stumbles came at Huntsville, where he lost in 2004 and '06. Grambling has now outscored A&M 75-6 in its last two meetings at "The Rob," dating back to 2005.

No foul, no harm: A Grambling team that has consistently finished atop the conference in penalties lately drew only a single flag on Saturday against A&M.

Only one SWAC school had more penalty yards than Grambling in 2006, which posted a 78-yard average. None had more flags thrown a year ago.

That was actually an improvement over 2005, however, when Grambling drew a league-worst number of flags, giving up more than 1,200 penalty yards — or about 105 per game.

GSU was again ninth in the 10-team league in 2004, averaging 71 yards in flags.

Landry continues touchdown streak

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Slide Show of SU vs. TSU: http://www.2theadvocate.com/multimedia/9946676.html

Southern wide receiver Gerard Landry didn’t miss a step after having to sit out the first half.

And neither did his teammates.

Suspended by NCAA rules after being ejected for throwing a swing in the fourth quarter a week earlier, Landry came on to make a 6-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give him a touchdown catch in all four games this season as SU beat Tennessee State 41-34 Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Plus, RaShon Jacobs, a Louisiana-Monroe transfer who sat out last season and started in place of Landry, caught his first touchdown as a Jaguar and Del Roberts, a former North Carolina transfer, had a career-high 110 yards and his first score this season, a go-ahead 48-yard TD five minutes into the fourth quarter.

“I was very anxious to get in after I sat out the first half,” said Landry, who motioned to the crowd as he took the field in the second half. “It was good to see guys like Jacobs stepping up and making plays for us. That was a big for us.”

Jacobs’ 13-yard touchdown, on a third-and-11, came on a slant route against Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, whom his position coach called a first-round draft pick earlier in the week. It was Jacobs’ first collegiate score since Oct. 4, 2003.

Later, on Landry’s first catch, he went for 21 yards and a first down — converting a third-and-7 — as Rodgers-Cromartie leaped with two hands unto Landry’s back, only to have Landry shrug him off and keep chugging.

“We wanted to execute every play, take advantage of him,” Landry said. “We weren’t going to stop throwing to his side just because he’s supposed to be a first-round draft pick. It didn’t make any difference. We were going to attack him, no matter what.”

Landry’s TD catch got the Jaguars within 27-25 with 5:42 left in the third quarter.
“When I got in there, I just made something happen,” said Landry, who has caught one TD pass in six of SU’s last seven games.

Jacobs had three catches for 40 yards, all in the first half. Landry finished with the two catches for 27 yards.

Roberts had four catches for 41 yards in the first half and six catches total.

On Roberts’ touchdown, he was pushed out of bounds by cornerback Ozzie Harrell, on what was ruled pass interference, along the right sideline but adjusted to get back to the ball and then weave through the defense to give SU a 38-34 lead with 10:16 to play.

“I knew it was going to be pass interference, so I just kept going,” Roberts said.

Quick hits
SU came up with seven sacks Saturday after totaling six in the previous three games. &hellip SU turned three of Tennessee State’s five second-half turnovers into 16 points. &hellip SU has won five consecutive games, dating to the Bayou Classic. &hellip Southern’s 41 points was its best total since a 44-20 win over Texas Southern in 2005. The Jaguars had gone 16 games without breaking 40 points.

Lagniappe
When Southern plays Tennessee State next season, the teams will play in the John Merritt Classic in Nashville, Tenn., at LP Field (home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans) on Sept. 6, 2008. That will be the second game of the season. SU opens at the University of Houston on Aug. 30. SU had its first sustained first-quarter scoring drive of the season, going 65 yards in nine plays for a TD. Previously, SU’s only first-quarter score came when RB Darren Coates broke a 90-yard TD run on the offense’s first play of the season. TSU stayed in New Orleans on Friday night. TSU CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s PAT block with 10:16 left gave him his third straight game with a blocked kick (one field goal and two PATs).

Southern University Jaguars Human Jukebox Marching Band

University of Delaware's refusal to play Delaware State University goes national

By KEVIN TRESOLINI, The News Journal

NEWARK -- The University of Delaware and Delaware State University have never played a football game against each other, despite being located less than an hour's drive apart and sharing the same NCAA Division I-AA classification.

Delaware, the more established and successful of the two programs, has been the unwilling partner, steadfastly refusing to even discuss setting a date for a game many fans from both schools have long craved.

That has led to frequent charges that UD's constant snubbing is a vestige of the schools' racial histories. Delaware had a segregated school system until the 1950s. Delaware State was created in the late 19th Century as a college for black students, who still make up almost 80 percent of its enrollment.

But the often-heated debate, which had largely been confined to the state of Delaware and fans and alumni of the two schools, spilled into the national media last week.

Jeff Pearlman, a University of Delaware graduate, wrote a scathing column on ESPN.com, the country's most widely viewed sports Web site. It was headlined "Is race the reason Delaware won't play Delaware State?"

Pearlman, as many others have, concluded it must be a factor, since UD has given no sound reason for its ongoing snub of DSU. He wrote the column as an open letter to a prospective UD football recruit, urging him to "Say no to the Blue Hens."

Pearlman wrote: "The University of Delaware's persistent refusal to face Delaware State University in football is cowardly, pig-headed, self-righteous and, worst of all, oozing with racism."

The story quickly became the talk of the town after being posted Thursday. On Friday, a printout of it sat on the check-in table at the Blue Hen Touchdown Club's weekly luncheon at the Newark Country Club, where all of the more than 50 who attended were white and most were more than 50 years old.

Still, some believed Pearlman had made some valid points, though they wished he hadn't worded it so strongly. Gene Trivits also has wondered why the state's two I-AA schools haven't met yet and hates the black eye it gives UD's reputation.

"How long are we going to keep taking this hit?" said Trivits, 75, who received bachelor's and master's degrees from UD. "I've said that to Edgar [Johnson, UD's athletic director], and we're friends. The easiest way is to just schedule the game. I don't understand why we don't -- it would be so convenient -- and then we go out and play Albany and Monmouth. And I don't like West Chester being here, either."

Albany, which Delaware played in 2006 and will play again in 2008, and next Saturday's opponent Monmouth are limited-scholarship I-AA programs from the Northeast Conference, which does not warrant automatic inclusion in the NCAA playoffs. Delaware State is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which does qualify its champion for the NCAA tourney, as does Delaware's Colonial Athletic Association.

West Chester is a Division II school located 45 minutes away that Delaware has scheduled annually since 1968, always at Delaware Stadium, and beaten 36 of 39 times.

Some UD fans, however, believe Delaware State, which has never made the I-AA playoffs, hasn't earned the right to play Delaware, a perennial playoff contender and frequent qualifier that has won six national championships.

"Four or five years ago, I would have said, 'No way,' " said UD graduate Tom Runnels. "I just don't think Delaware State has played the competitive level of football Delaware has. They have gotten a lot better, so a couple years down the road, maybe ..."

Runnels added, however, that the schools' geographic proximity "cannot be denied" in reasoning why they should play and agreed that "the division clearly has racial roots."

A guest speaker at Friday's touchdown club luncheon was Nate Beasley, who has a unique perspective on the issue, having played football for both schools.

The Dover Air Force Base High graduate played a year at Delaware State, then transferred to Delaware and played three more. He became one of the Blue Hens' all-time leading rushers from 1973 to '75.

"A football game between Delaware and Delaware State would be such a wonderful thing for the state," said Beasley, who is black. "It just doesn't seem to make any sense that it hasn't happened. It makes you wonder."

Including, he added, for lack of any other valid explanations, where racial histories might fit in.

Pearlman's column had generated about 600 comments as of Saturday.

Johnson, as has been his policy, would not publicly discuss the issue or the ESPN.com piece, other than to deliver what has been his standard line for almost 20 years:

"The game will happen," Johnson said.

He wouldn't say when. Delaware recently scheduled three games with South Dakota State -- one there and two in Newark -- in the next decade, when West Chester also is on the schedule.

"My position, as an alum, is that the mere implication that race has anything to do with it is further proof that they just need to schedule the game," said Paul Zoppi, a 1990 UD graduate. "By avoiding Delaware State, Delaware has turned this into something much bigger than it should be, and I'm embarrassed."

New UD president Patrick Harker, in an e-mail response Saturday, said he is giving the topic close scrutiny.

Harker, who took office this summer, has spoken about the issue with athletic department personnel as he familiarizes himself with UD.

Delaware State needs no arm-twisting, new athletic director Rick Costello said.

"We want to play anywhere, any time," Costello said. "It'll be great for the kids, great for school sprit, great for the state. I see nothing but positives. ... It's mind-boggling that it has happened yet."

Featured Gallery: Alabama State University vs. Alcorn State University 9/22/07