Richmond Football Unveils Future Opponents Through 2016

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

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

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

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

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

Homecoming Preview: NCCU Eagles at Hampton Pirates

HAMPTON, Virginia – The Hampton University football team will look to get back into the win column on Saturday, when the Pirates welcome North Carolina Central to Armstrong Stadium to celebrate Homecoming.

Kickoff will be at 2 p.m.

The Pirates (3-3, 1-2 MEAC) are coming off a 34-24 loss at Norfolk State this past Saturday, while the Eagles (1-5, 0-3 MEAC), in their first year in the conference, lost their fourth straight game this past Saturday 52-3 to Morgan State.

The Pirates are 48-33-2 all-time in their Homecoming contests – though Hampton has not won a Homecoming game since 2006, when the Pirates beat Winston-Salem State 13-3. Bethune-Cookman spoiled Hampton’s Homecoming last season with a 23-18 win. Hampton won its first-ever Homecoming game, beating Virginia Union 25-0 in 1928. The Pirates won 11 straight Homecoming games from 1980-1990, and had won six straight from 2001-06.

For the season, senior quarterback David Legree (Brooklyn, N.Y.) is completing 59.3 percent of his passes (115-for-194) for 1,338 yards and nine touchdowns. Legree is second in the MEAC in passing, averaging 223.0 yards per game in the air.

Game Notes



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North Carolina A&T Aggies, Howard Bison Renew Rivalry in D.C.

Greensboro, North Carolina -- Over the last six seasons, Howard and North Carolina A&T have stumbled to the bottom of the MEAC standings. Howard has not had a winning season since 2004 and the Aggies last winning season occurred in 2003. Over the previous six seasons, the two teams have combined to go 29-104.

In the same time frame, S.C. State is 52-18. But the trends are changing for both schools.

The Aggies and the Bison were picked to finish 9th and 11th respectively in the conference during the preseason, but the Aggies are 3-0 in the MEAC and the Bison is 2-2 with a win over MEAC co-champion Florida A&M. Perhaps the reasons behind the turnarounds are the two first-year head coaches. Rod Broadway is in his first season as the Aggies head coach, while Gary Harrell took over it is alma mater.

The Polls

As the wins continue to pour in, North Carolina A&T is starting to be recognized nationally. In this week's Sports Network Top 25 Poll, the Aggies received four votes. The Aggies entered the Sheridan Broadcasting Network Poll for the first time in seven years this week as the No. 9 team. The SBN Poll traditionally determines who the Black College National Champion is. The Aggies last won the title in 1999.

Aggie Game Notesv.Howard

2011 SBN Poll Previous Week
Team Record Pts.
1. Alabama State 6-1 259
2. Norfolk State 6-1 246
3. S.C. State 4-3 178
4. Jackson State 6-1 145
5. WSSU 7-0 121
6. Bethune-Cookman3-3 97
7. Albany State 4-2 82
8. Alabama A&M 4-2 56
9. N.C. A&T 4-2 51
10. Hampton 3-3 39

Others receiving votes: Stillman 34, Florida A&M 28, Morehouse 23, Elizabeth City State 19, Morgan State 15.

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information

VISIT: NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: NCATAGGIES

Bethune-Cookman shuts down Norfolk State, hands Spartans first MEAC loss

Norfolk, Virginia -- Isidore Jackson rushed for a career-high 206 yards on 34 carries, and Dion Hanks intercepted a Chris Walley pass in the end zone in the final minute to seal Bethune-Cookman’s 14-6 win over Norfolk State in an ESPNU-televised MEAC contest Thursday evening at Dick Price Stadium.

The loss is the first in MEAC play for the Spartans (6-2, 4-1), who had their five-game winning streak snapped and had made the national polls -- at No. 24 in The Sports Network rankings -- for the first time since 2007. B-CU improved to 4-3, 2-2.

NSU was held to a season-low 249 yards of offense by the Wildcats, who never trailed. NSU failed to score a TD against an FCS opponent for the first time since a 43-3 loss to B-CU in 2004, a span of 70 games.

B-CU struck first on a 2-yard Anthony Jordan run with 4:08 left in the first quarter. That capped a 14-play, 88-yard drive. The Spartans cut the deficit to 7-3 on a 50-yard Everett Goldberg field goal with just 2:18 left before halftime.

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Bethune-Cookman stuns Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Viriginia -- With Ryan Davis wreaking havoc on defense and Isidore Jackson doing the same on offense, Bethune-Cookman overpowered 24th-ranked Norfolk State 14-6 Thursday night at Dick Price Stadium.

B-CU shut down Norfolk State's high-powered offense most of the night, but the Spartans drove to B-CU's 4 in the final minute with a chance to pull out the win until Dion Hanks intercepted a Chris Walley pass in the end zone to clinch the victory.

The Wildcats (4-3, 2-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) have little hope of winning the conference championship this year, but they were able to play spoiler in handing the Spartans (6-2, 4-1) their first MEAC loss.

They did it by playing power football. Led by defensive end Davis, B-CU kept pressure on Walley all game, holding the conference's top quarterback to 88 yards passing. On offense, the 'Cats kept handing the ball to the rugged Jackson, and he continuously punched holes through the Spartans' defensive front.

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Though at home, NSU looked out of its element

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State on Thursday night played its first football game in four years as a nationally ranked team. The Spartans, 24th in the Football Championship Subdivision, also played their third game in 13 days.

They looked significantly more like a team running on fumes, from the 94-yard touchdown drive they yielded to Bethune-Cookman in the first quarter to the interception at the goal line that ended their hopes in the final minute.

Whether it was fatigue, malaise or the unfamiliar dynamic of a midweek night game Dick Price Stadium hasn’t seen since 2005 – likely it was a stew of them all – Norfolk State sputtered through a 14-6 loss to the MEAC-rival Wildcats.

The bright side of NSU’s uncharacteristic display for a crowd announced at 10,053 is that, in this interesting season’s scheme of things, the loss is immaterial to the Spartans’ drive for their first conference title.

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QB battle: Norfolk's stability, vs. B-CU's versatility

Daytona Beach, Florida - They say that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. So what does it mean if you have three? The perfect situation, according to Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins. Norfolk State, on the other hand, has one established starter under center in Chris Walley, who leads the Mid Eastern-Athletic Conference with 1,660 yards passing.

The approaches may be different, but you can't argue with the results. The top two offensive teams in the conference will square off tonight in Norfolk, Va., in front of a nationally televised audience. "It's going to be a good football game," Jenkins said. "A good football game."

Bethune-Cookman at Norfolk State

WHERE: Dick Price Stadium, Norfolk, Virginia
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU 
INTERNET: ESPN3
RADIO: WELE (1380 AM), Daytona Beach 



Norfolk State (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) is trying to remain undefeated in the conference, while B-CU (3-3, 1-2) is trying to get back in the race.

 "Bethune-Cookman is another great football team with a lot of great talent. They have three quarterbacks and they can all play," said Spartans coach Pete Adrian, a former defensive coordinator at B-CU and head coach at Deltona High.

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Norfolk State - Bethune-Cookman to play in prime time

Norfolk, Virginia -- Norfolk State didn't have much time to celebrate last weekend's 34-24 win over Hampton in the annual Battle of the Bay or the program's first FCS ranking (No. 25) since 2007.

The Spartans (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) meet visiting Bethune-Cookman (3-3, 1-2) on Thursday night at 7:30 in a game that will be televised by ESPNU. With the condensed week, NSU coach Pete Adrian said he began preparations Saturday night, shortly after the win over HU.

"It does make it very interesting, and for some extremely long hours," he said. "But that's what you've got to do." The Spartans haven't been ranked since a two-week stay in the poll four years ago.

"It's nice to see one of our conference teams get some national recognition, but it really doesn't mean a whole lot," Adrian said of the ranking. "You've got to just keep on playing and trying to win. If you keep winning, it will take care of itself."

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Spartans, 'Cats still rivals

Daytona Beach, Florida -- If you want to know what's become of the recent Norfolk State-Bethune-Cookman rivalry, listen to Wildcats second-year coach Brian Jenkins' appraisal of the Spartans' program. "Norfolk State has always been a good football team," Jenkins said. "They were a good football team last year, and they're a good football team this year."

And that's just it. Jenkins' history with Norfolk State goes back just two years. His Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will try to hand the Spartans (6-1, 4-0) their first conference loss of the season Thursday night in Norfolk, Va., in a game nationally televised by ESPNU.

Norfolk State has not always been a good football team. When head coach Pete Adrian arrived in 2005, the Spartans were coming off two successive one-win seasons. Just two years later, Adrian's team finished 8-3 and came within one game (an overtime loss to eventual champ Delaware State) of winning its first MEAC title.

Adrian again has the Spartans in position to win the conference. So there's plenty of incentive for Norfolk State to be fired up Thursday night when it meets the high-scoring Wildcats. But just a couple of years ago, just the mention of the other school would fire up the teams.

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GAME TIME: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
INTERNET: ESPN3

Norfolk State wins Battle of the Bay, beats Hampton U. 34-24

Norfolk, Virginia -- Norfolk State's first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship is now a little closer to reality, while Hampton's first league title since 2006 slipped further out of reach.

The Spartans jumped out to a 20-point lead, then held off a second-half rally to beat the Pirates 34-24 on Saturday at Dick Price Stadium in the 49th annual Battle of the Bay. Norfolk State improved to 6-1 for the second time since joining the Division I ranks in 1997 and 4-0 in the MEAC for the first time since 2007, while Hampton fell to 3-3 and 1-2.

"We preached to our guys all week: This is why you play the game, to be in a position like this and kind of control your destiny," third-year HU coach Donovan Rose said. " … It's real tough. You can't allow a team to get 27 points in the first half."



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Norfolk State loving its spread, thriving in Walley World

NORFOLK, Virginia — With Saturday's 34-24 win over Hampton University, Norfolk State is 6-1 for only the second time since becoming moving up to Division I in 1997. But to trace the Spartans' success, go back to a four-game stretch last fall in which they went 0-4 and scored only two offensive touchdowns.

No coach relishes changing his offensive scheme with four weeks left in the season, but that's what NSU's Pete Adrian felt compelled to do. And ever they ditched the power game and went with the no-huddle spread, the Spartans are 10-1 and averaging 29 points a game.

Norfolk State raced out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead thanks to premium field position. Hampton won the opening coin toss and elected to receive, leaving the Pirates playing into a stiff wind that played a role in punts of 23 and 28 yards on their first two possessions. Those kicks gave the Spartans the ball at the Hampton 39 and 29, and Norfolk State scored touchdowns on both abbreviated drives.

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Big plays at right time put Walley, NSU in rarefied air

NORFOLK, Virginia - A few minutes before kickoff Saturday, the Norfolk State band played its team onto the field to "We Are the Champions." The Spartans, who remain undefeated in the MEAC, like the sound of that, but for the time being, they'd be happy to be included in the FCS top 25. They will be now.

"Hard to keep us out at six and one," coach Pete Adrian said after his team defeated Hampton 34-24 at Dick Price Stadium.

Norfolk State knocked on the door last week, finishing 26th in the vote. The door started to come off its hinges when the Spartans jumped to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. By then, Chris Walley had already thrown two of his three first-half touchdown passes en route to racking up 265 yards through the air.

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N.C. A&T ends years of frustration with a homecoming victory

Greensboro, North Carolina -- "Now this is how a homecoming game should be," said an N.C. A&T fan after the Aggies scored an early touchdown during their game against Delaware State.

That was one of four scores in the first half as A&T rolled to a 42-24 win over the Hornets. It was the first homecoming win for A&T at Aggie Stadium since 2003.

"I'm excited for our players, for them to have had an opportunity to taste some success, win the first homecoming they've won since they've been here and mostly for playing the way they are playing," said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway. "We still have a lot of work to do before we develop into the type of football team we are capable of having here. Like any win, it's a good win."

The Aggies improved to 4-2 on the season and, more importantly, 3-0 in the MEAC, and Broadway said his team is beginning to understand that success in one game doesn't always equal success in the next. A&T faces four consecutive conference road games starting with Howard next Saturday.

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Cue comes alive in second half, guides SCSU Bulldogs over Georgia State

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Rallying from a halftime deficit has rarely served as a winning proposition for South Carolina State in the Buddy Pough era.

The 2011 Bulldogs appear more than comfortable in that role. Down 6-3, the Bulldogs completed their third halftime comeback of the season in defeating upstart Georgia State 23-13 before 11,517 fans at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

"We generally seem to somehow or another just score more points in the second half than we do in the first," said Pough, who picked up his 80th career victory and improved to 8-27 when trailing at halftime as S.C. State head football coach.

"I think we had 37 more points ...

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Bulldog notebook: Erickson not surprised by kicking success

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- It was just another typical Saturday afternoon for South Carolina State place-kicker Blake Erickson.

Given his early season struggles that included five straight missed attempts, the senior Bulldog could have acted more exuberant over going a perfect 3-3 in field goals in the 23-13 win over Georgia State. Instead, the preseason All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection and school career leader in field goals acted not surprised by his latest performance.

"That's why Coach (Buddy) Pough put me in and that's my job," Erickson said. "It's not a big deal really. Everything I'm supposed to do is what I'm supposed to do."

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NCCU takes beating from Morgan State

Durham, North Carolina -- The last time Morgan State visited Durham was Oct. 10, 1981, when the Bears won 35-27. N.C. Central would like to make it another 30 years after Saturday's 52-3 drubbing - its worse home loss since a 67-6 thrashing by Florida A&M in 1951.

All but 10 of Morgan State's points were in the first half.

The Bears have now won five of the last six meetings, including last year's 49-7 victory in Baltimore. The loss is NCCU's fourth straight, but this one, undoubtedly, is the most embarrassing.



"We got our tails whipped," NCCU coach Henry Frazier said. "We committed every penalty there is to commit in football. You name it, we did it."

Morgan State held the Eagles to minus-17 yards rushing, 52 total yards and just three first downs in the first half.

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Georgetown defeats Howard, 21-3, to win Mayor’s Cup

Washington, D.C. -- For most of Saturday’s matchup between Howard and Georgetown, the District’s two Football Championship Subdivision teams, neither the Bison nor Hoyas generated much offense. Too many off-target passes, false-start penalties and missed field goals made for short stints for the offenses and little rest for the defenses.

But heading into the fourth quarter of the third Mayor’s Cup game, Howard’s defense began to wear down and Georgetown capitalized. The Hoyas scored two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes to win, 21-3, at Greene Stadium.

The victory capped a successful five-game stretch of away games for the Hoyas (5-2), who have won more games this season than in any of Coach Kevin Kelly’s six seasons at Georgetown.



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A&T defensive challenge awaits Delaware State Hornets

DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State's football team did not make its last scheduled trip to North Carolina A&T. Instead, the Hornets forfeited the 2009 game because they scheduled a trip to play at the University of Michigan that same weekend. DSU lost that game 63-6 but earned more than $500,000 in the process.

Since those days, DSU has added a new athletic director in Derek Carter, a new head football coach in Kermit Blount and a renewed commitment to being a member of the MEAC. This afternoon, Delaware State (2-4, 0-3 in the MEAC) tries to stop a four-game losing streak when it visits North Carolina A&T (3-2, 2-0) at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

"I've been saying all along that this thing is going to turn and we're just not an inch, a half-inch, a quarter-inch, we're maybe a 16th-of-an-inch from being able to flip it around and make something real positive happen," Blount said.



DSU Hornets (2-4, 0-3) at North Carolina A&T (2-0, 3-2)
TIME: 1:30 p.m.
RADIO: WWTX-1290, WDOV-1410


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SSU tries to rebound at home against FAMU

Savannah, Georgia -- After having five of his first six games on the road, Savannah State football coach Steve Davenport is looking forward to being close to home the rest of the season. Four of the Tigers’ last five games are in SSU’s T.A. Wright Stadium, beginning tonight at 7 against Florida A&M. State’s lone road game during the season-ending stretch is Nov. 12 in Daytona Beach against Bethune-Cookman.

“We spent 12½-13 hours on the bus going to and coming back from Morgan State last week, so we’re looking forward to getting some normalcy around here,” Davenport said.



The Tigers (1-5, 1-2 MEAC) may be at home, but they’ll be playing probably the most difficult part of their conference schedule. Three of SSU’s remaining five opponents — FAMU, Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State — shared the league title last season.

Norfolk State is 5-1 (the only loss at West Virginia) and atop the MEAC with a 3-0 league record this season.

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Hampton, Norfolk State to renew 'Battle of the Bay'

Norfolk, Virginia – Hampton football coach Don Rose is headed to his native Norfolk on Saturday, but he laughs nobody will be giving him a homecoming. He knows Norfolk State is not in the giving mood this season. The Spartans have surrendered the ball only three times this season, which is tied for the fewest turnovers in the FCS.

Not surprisingly, Norfolk State is off to a 5-1 start and sits atop the MEAC with a 3-0 conference record. That factor adds to the Spartans' 49th meeting with neighboring Hampton in the "Battle of the Bay" at Dick Price Stadium.




Hampton (3-2, 1-1) risks falling out of the MEAC title race if it doesn't pull an upset. The meeting features an excellent showdown of two of the conference's top quarterbacks, Hampton's David Legree and Norfolk State's Chris Walley. Each signal-caller went over 300 passing yards last weekend to set a career high.

"The conference standings, that's fine. And the rivalry, that's fine," Rose said. "You know it comes down to you've got two teams and there's only one that's going to come out victorous. The team that executes the best (in) the six inches between the ears will take care of that battle."



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Georgetown Football Travels Across Town to Howard to Play for Mayor's Cup

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Georgetown University football team (4-2, 1-1 Patriot League) travels across town to face Howard University (3-3, 2-2 MEAC) in the third meeting for the Mayor's Cup, on Saturday, at 1 p.m., at Greene Stadium. The Hoyas and Bison have split its prior two games, with Howard winning the last meeting, 14-11 in 2009.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Fans can listen to the game live on HoyaVision, broadcast on Georgetown's official athletic website - http://www.guhoyas.com/ - with Chuck Timanus providing the call. A live game day blog featuring all of the action and notes from Greene Stadium will also be available on GUHoyas.com. Fans can also receive live updates by following Hoyas_Football on Twitter.

LAST WEEK: The Hoyas overcame five turnovers, as the defense held one of the nation's top running backs to half of his season average in a 24-10 victory over Wagner. Brett Weiss hit a 49-yard field goal the longest in the PL this season, helping him earn Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Junior SLOT Max Waizenegger (Fairfax, Va./W.T. Woodson) hauled in a 71-yard touchdown pass from junior QB Isaiah Kempf(Glendale, Calif./Bridgton Academy), the Hoyas longest scoring play since 2006 to help seal the victory.



NO SHORTAGE OF WEAPONS IN THE PASSING GAME...Junior SLOT Max Waizenegger (Fairfax, Va./W.T. Woodson) was the second different GU pass-catcher to eclipse the 100-yard mark in consecutive weeks, as his late fourth quarter 71-yard touchdown catch got him to 104 yards against Wagner. One week earlier, against Bucknell, sophomore WR Jamal Davis (North Lauderdale, Fla./Coral Springs) 10 catches and 102 receiving yards. Georgetown quarterbacks have had a wealth of other options. Georgetown has 11 players with at least five catches, and freshman Kevin Macari (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) has 161 yards on the season and senior Patrick Ryan(Westlake,Ohio/St. Ignatius) has 123 yards to join Waizenegger and Davis with over 100 yards receiving on the season.

CONVERTING IN THE REDZONE...The Hoyas converted on both trips inside Wagner's 20 yard line, scoring two touchdowns last week, as sophomore running back Nick Campanella(Roselle, Ill./Montini Catholic) picked up his fifth rushing TD. GU has the second best red zone offense efficiency in NCAA Division I FCS and the best in the Patriot League, converting on 20-of-21 trips with 17 touchdowns. Only UT-Martin has been better. Patriot League rival Holy Cross is just behind GU at third in the nation.



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Bethune-Cookman to host inaugural Biker Classic

Morgan State vs. NCCU to Kick-Off at 4 p.m. in Durham

DURHAM, North Carolina -- The Bears will face new conference member North Carolina Central when they hit the gridiron on Saturday (Oct. 15) at O'Kelly Riddick Stadium. The Eagles are coming off of a 49-38 heartbreaking loss at South Carolina State, and will attempt to snap a 3-game losing streak. MSU will try to make it two wins in a row following a 44-17 offensive explosion against Savannah State during last week's Homecoming festivities. Game time at O'Kelly Riddick Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m. and there will be a live radio broadcast of the game on WEAA, 88.9 FM.



THE BEAR-EAGLES MATCHUP
• The Bears and Tigers will meet for the 36th time in history ... Morgan leads the series 21-12-2.
• During their last matchup, MSU RB Devan James rushed for 114 yards and touchdown and the Bears collected a school record six interceptions, three returned for touchdowns, en route to a 49-7 win over North Carolina Central on Sept, 14, 2008 at Hughes Stadium.
• The last time the two teams met in Durham was on October 10, 1981. MSU defeated the Eagles 35-27 during Thomas Morris' first and only stint as the Bears head coach. The Bears finished the season with a 4-5 record.

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Hometown showdown between Old Dominion and Norfolk State?

Norfolk, Virginia -- Picture this: Thanksgiving weekend.

Perfect fall weather. And a playoff game between Old Dominion and Norfolk State at Foreman Field. It could be a reality. With both teams hot, ODU athletic director Wood Selig is moving forward with plans to make an official bid to host a first-round playoff game in this season's NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Selig said he will meet with a number of school officials today to discuss the prospects. The NCAA requires a minimum bid of $30,000 to host a first- or second-round game.

"I think it would be an interesting game in the fact that we just signed a six-year contract to play Norfolk State" beginning in 2013, Selig said. "It would be a great preview for what's coming down the road."

Selig received the NCAA's 40-page prechampionship manual Monday and believes the site selection criteria play to ODU's strengths.

Blount enjoying life at Delaware State

Dover, Delaware - Kermit Blount had no plans to give up on coaching. Relieved of his job in 2009 after a 1-10 finish in his 16th season at Winston-Salem State, Blount remained positive about his future.

He completed the obligations of his contract in 2010, spending the final year helping new athletics director Bill Hayes raise money, then landed the head-coaching job at Delaware State. His 2-4 Hornets will play Saturday at N.C. A&T.

"I'm doing what I love," Blount said recently. "You know my passion is coaching." Blount, WSSU's career leader in victories (91-87-3) and a 30-year veteran, said finding the right situation for him and his wife, Ava, was a key to his taking the job at Delaware State.

He has surrounded himself with assistants he can trust ...

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SSU NOTEBOOK: Tigers trying to regroup, get ready for FAMU

FLORIDA A&M (3-3, 1-2 MEAC) AT SAVANNAH STATE (1-5, 1-2 MEAC)

Savannah, Georgia -- It’s just past the midpoint of Savannah State’s football season. The Tigers have lost five of their six games, including the last two against teams expected to be in the lower half of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings.

First-year coach Steve Davenport said it was time for his players to regroup when they called a team meeting Monday. “Obviously, we’re disappointed, collectively,” Davenport said. “We had higher ideals than we’re meeting right now.”

There was some excitement after SSU defeated North Carolina Central in its first conference game two weeks ago. But the Tigers struggled in a 34-14 loss to Howard, snapping the Bison’s 29-game conference losing streak.

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