'If you build it they will come'

Washington, D.C. - This past week, we have endured an 5.8 earthquake and a category 1 hurricane, but this is nothing for the struggles and life work of many of our visionary educators and artists.

There are three outstanding articles coming from Savannah State University, North Carolina Central University and Elizabeth City State University, that you do not want to miss reading today.

The first, 'If you build it they will come' is an eye opener, especially for those who do not know the true value of our national treasure -- historically black colleges and universities.

Read the story for yourself, but there is one very important statistic that jumps off the page -- "This semester there are 103 undergraduate students and 25 graduate students. Nineteen percent of undergraduates go on to master’s programs. Thirty percent of the master’s degree graduates enter doctoral programs. Thirty-three percent of all the master’s degrees in __________ earned by African-Americans in the U.S. between 2004 and 2007 came from SSU."

The "blank" is insert here purposely, so that we don't spoil the story for the readers.

The second article, "The Middle Passage", is about a current exhibit at North Carolina Central University, created and presented by Stephen Hayes, a 2006 graduate of the university's Art Department. Mr. Hayes has earned his masters of fine arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, Georgia. His exhibit, "Cash Crop" has been described as simply overwhelming, and two photos are provided in the article for your viewing.

The final article, "Air traffic program at ECSU ready for takeoff" shows you how some HBCUs are on the cutting-edge of technology and are playing a major role in the nation's transportation networks. This is a tremendous program that can lead program graduates to a six figure Federal career with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The link highlights above will take you directly to each of the articles.

Lets talk sports now that the student portion of "student-athlete" has been somewhat addressed...

Yes, its football season but we do not want to forget about NAIA and NCAA women's volleyball, SWAC women's soccer, Fall golf in the SWAC and preparations for the upcoming basketball season. We will continue to post timely links and a segue to as many HBCU sports articles as possible -- when we are not on road trips to specific games.

We think the hot topic this season will be the surprise competitiveness of MEAC football, with the new coaches--Henry Frazier III (North Carolina Central), Rod Broadway (North Carolina A&T), Kermit Blount (Delaware State), Gary Harrell (Howard) and Steve Davenport (Savannah State). This is a four horse race with South Carolina State (Oliver "Buddy" Pough) in the driver's seat, with Bethune-Cookman (Brian Jenkins), Florida A&M (Joe Taylor), and Norfolk State (Pete Adrian) able to control their own destiny for the MEAC Championship.

It's too early to guess how this is going to play out for this season.

Give credit to Elizabeth City State University for taking Delta State (ranked second in Division II) to overtime, before falling 21-28 (O.T.) on the road.

In other CIAA football action, Virginia Union University Panthers outlasted both Hurricane Irene and Saint Augustine's College Falcon's 12-0 to kick-off the 2011 season. With heavy rain and wind gusts up to 25-45 miles per hour at game time, only 100 fans loved football enough to sit 2.5 hours in the fury of Hurricane Irene for CIAA football.

This is one for the record books at historic Hovey Field -- all while Norfolk and Hampton, Virginia were being clobbered with storm surge, flooding, tornadoes and 85-100 mile per hour winds. Did I mention the coast is only 94 miles away from Virginia Union campus?

Poor Texas College Steers got pounded again-- this time 3-47 by Belhaven University Blazers (Jackson, Mississippi). The Steers were held to a total of 69 yards of total offense. For the love of building character... go Steers!

-beepbeep

Main Street Expands With CIAA and SIAC Sports

After 4,189 postings on black college sports, I believe we have learned a few things about the main stream press coverage of our Division I historical black colleges and universities.

First, the coverage is not equal, especially for institutions located in the States of Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Secondly, HBCUs can help themselves by updating their own athletic websites (daily) with future events, breaking news stories and press releases on the sport news on their campus. Finally, for changeovers in coaching personnel, HBCUs should release the story first on their school websites, so that their Administration's perspective gets out on the Internet before the facts get twisted by the local press corps.

For sometime now, I have been attempting to stop blogging and posting at "MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street" due to a need to devote time to other interests. But, I have a burning passion for HBCU sports and bands and can never find enough real-time information on either topic at one site--the very basis of this blog.

It is very difficult to argue with the facts--the data shows that this blog serves a very useful purpose and generates a considerable following around the globe. Here is what today's Google Analytic metrics says about the MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street blog:

• Over 253,623 visits have been made to the site this year, using 82 languages. There has been 429,355 page views and over 20,000 visitors have visited the site over 201+ times. The 253,623 visits came from 164 countries/territories; and approximately 239,904 from the United States, 3199 from Canada, 1217 from the United Kingdom, 946 from Germany, 477 from France and 69 from Iraq, just to name a few.

• Within the U.S., the top States with visitors to this blog are: Florida (39,394), Georgia (19,433), North Carolina (18,976), Texas (18,050), Virginia (14,172), Maryland (13,024), New York (10,817), Alabama (9,304), and California (9,218). Visitors came from all states with a high number from states with no HBCU or HBCU Division I institutions -- like California, New Jersey (4497), Michigan (3536), Pennsylvania (4338) and Illinois (5509). One could conclude that these states have a high concentration of HBCU graduates or fans/followers of black college Division I sports.

• In examining the data from Florida and the 39,394 visits via 562 cities, Tallahassee lead the pack with over 8,903 visits, followed by Orlando (2,652), Hialeah (2155), Miami (2000), Jacksonville (1723) and Lakeland (944). The greater number of visitors to the site in Florida are located in the big cities and urban areas. But more importantly, the fans in small towns and communities, visit the site just as often as fans in urban areas, according to the data.

Effective today, we are going to broaden our content to include the Division II, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). There is no reason not to give the CIAA and the SIAC the same level of exposure that the MEAC and SWAC have enjoyed from this ONE MAN-- three year effort. Our goal is simply to provide greater global exposure and expand interests in our Historical Black Colleges and Universities athletic programs and their exceptional student-athletes.

We have a wonderful story to tell and it should be told from both a black perspective that accentuate the positives of HBCU culture and athletic accomplishments.

Recently, we did a blog on the football accomplishments of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The school was formally know as Maryland State College and played football in the CIAA, prior to ending the football program in 1980. The school's football coach, Vernon "Skip" McCain was legendary, but has been generally forgotten by main street America.

We are talking about a school--UMES-- that produced over 25 NFL players, including Pro Football Hall of Famer and the first African American NFL head coach of the modern era in Art Shell ( Oakland Raiders); College Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl III star half-back Emerson Boozer of the New York Jets; and Roger Brown, an anchor of the Fearsome Foursome of the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. Both Brown and Coach Skip McCain have been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Few articles are written on trailblazing pioneers of HBCU sports like Skip McCain (UMES), Jake Gaither (FAMU), John Merritt (TSU) , Clarence Big House Gaines (WSSU), Willie Jefferies (SCSU), Davey L. Whitney (Alcorn St.) and many other black icons of the modern era.

Few know that five UMES Hawks played in Super Bowl III, tying an NFL record with Florida State University for the most players in a single Super Bowl game from the same college.

How many know of Rudy Hubbard, Marino Casem, William "Billy Joe" or Arnett Mumford accomplishments. How many of you grasshoppers know that the second African American coach to win an NBA championship is none other than Alvin Attles from North Carolina A&T State University.

Attles is in the CIAA Hall of Fame, played 11 seasons in the NBA as a guard and ended his NBA coaching career with 588-548 overall in 14 seasons with 6 playoff appearances. His #16 was retired by the Golden State Warriors.

If you are interested in blogging and/or providing e-press clippings of your HBCU press releases, or local articles, please send me a message as I can use the help. The pay is zero but the greater reward is that your postings will get exposure annually to over 500,000 fans and readers in 164 countries and territories. Talk to me at email: oneproposal@yahoo.com.

Thank you readers for providing your feedback on this project and for your continued loyalty in reading the articles posted at MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street. To my alma mater, Florida A&M University, thank you for giving me the gift of sharing. On gridiron, diamond, track and field, Thy sons thy victory never yield, And while they tread a broader life, Thy love shall stay them in the strife. Hubba, Rattlers!

Welcome fans of the CIAA and SIAC. Let's talk HBCU Division I and II sports!!

CIAA - "Established in 1912"

Northern Division

Bowie State University

Chowan University

Elizabeth City State University

Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)

Saint Paul's College

Virginia State University

Virginia Union University

Southern Division

Fayetteville State University

Johnson C. Smith University

Livingstone College

Saint Augustine's College

Shaw University

Winston Salem State University

SIAC - "Established in 1913"
School: Location: Year Joined SIAC:
Albany State University, Albany, GA 1969
Benedict College, Columbia, SC 1932
Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC 2008
Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA * 1913
Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 1941
Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY 1997
Lane College, Jackson, TN 1929
LeMoyne-Owen College, Memphis, TN 1932
Miles College, Fairfield, AL 1927
Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA * 1913
Paine College, Augusta, GA 1985
Stillman College, Tuscaloosa, AL 1978
Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL * 1913

*Founding Member Institution of the SIAC

-beepbeep

MEAC/SWAC Sports Clipboard: ASU and FAMU makes progress

by beepbeep, MEAC/SWAC Sports Mainstreet

Alcorn State University has indicated that they have received 30 applications in response to the posted vacancy to replace the fired head football coach, Dr. Johnny Thomas. The interim athletic director, Wiley Jones said the search committee is made up of nine people associated with the university and they are expected to have a short list ready by next week.

The Braves, who finished 2-8 this past season are expected to have a new coach hired before the end of the month. Jones said that three and no more than five names will be presented to Alcorn State Interim President Malvin A. Williams for his consideration.

Jones said the committee’s first choice would be someone with Division I coaching experience but that is not a requirement. “We haven’t made any decisions yet,” Jones said. “We’re looking at everybody. No one has been eliminated.” Thomas finished with an overall record of 48-61 and a SWAC record of 34-41 in his 10 years at the helm of the Alcorn State program.

Florida A&M University Lady Rattlers Basketball Head Coach Debra Clark is headed for the NCAA Tournament in 2008. If the first seven games are any indication, Coach Clark and the 7-0 FAMU Lady Rattlers will overcome every adversity placed in their path to reach this goal.

First, before the season begin, Clark lost 2007 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference All-Rookie performers Secrett Anderson and Marke Freeman, due to transfer. No problem, as two players don't define the success of the FAMU progam. Then Coach Clark had to have surgery to remove her thyroid on November 14. Again, no problem as her trusted assistant coaches and the Lady Rattlers were successful in defeating Albany State (76-73) and Savannah State on the road 71-54 to raise the season record to 4-0.

More importantly, Coach Clark signed to a national letter-of-intent Ashley Hampton, a senior forward with St. John Lutheran, who is a top basketball player in the Ocala, Florida region. Hampton will be a very important piece for the 2008-09 Lady Rattlers program. All of these events occurred while the coach was out recovering from her surgery.

Then Clark returns and runs over Bethune Cookman on the road 78-65; uses Stetson for a home scrimmage with a final score of 54-37; and then clobbers a good Jacksonville Dolphin squad at home 66-57 for a 7-0 record. The Dolphins are no scrub team having beaten Miami and Florida on the road for a 6-3 season record.

The Lady Rattlers are off to their best start ever and the 7-0 record ties the 1983-84 FAMU women team coached by Mickey Clayton.

The Lady Rattlers are going to Tampa on Saturday to play South Florida on Sunday at the Sun Dome. New FAMU athletic director Bill Hayes will get a homecoming of sorts when North Carolina Central University Eagles comes to Tallahassee on December 15. Then its Florida Gulf Coast at Gaither Gym on December 17 to close out 2007.

In the MEAC Standings, the FAMU Lady Rattlers are in a three way tie for first place with North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies and Morgan State Lady Bears with one victory in the conference.

So, who are the stars on the Lady Rattlers team that finished 2006-07 with a 16-16 record?

Photo: FAMU Guard Joslyn Jackson, 5-7 senior guard,
Marietta, GA McEachern HS leads Lady Rattlers in scoring.

Starting guards Joslyne Jackson and Deidra Jones are scoring 16.5 and 14.8 points per game, respectively. Jones is snatching 8.0 boards. Stephanie Foster is scoring 12.3 per game and our girl, Q'Vaunda Curry is hitting an average of 9.7 points and 43 percent of her 3 point shots. Taniyah Dawson is averaging 30 minutes per game and 6.2 points, with 3.2 steals and 4.3 assists. Forward Denise Tate and center Thyeis Halley are clocking 24 and 16 minutes each game and 5.3 points each. Tate is pulling down 9.3 rebounds to lead the team. Forward Kirsten Stallings, center Melissa Daniels, guards Evette Young and Jarquella Woods have played important minutes as they develop the needed bench depth for the Lady Rattlers.

The entire Lady Rattlers team is listed below and their schedule for 2007/08. This team is worth the price of admissions, so go out and see them play when they come to your area, HBCU sports fans.

NO NAME HT POS Year Hometown Last School
1 Jarquella Woods 5-1 G FR Columbus, GA Hardaway HS
2 Deidra Jones 5-10 G JR Powder Springs, GA McEachern HS
5 Evette Young 5-6 G RS JR Sunrise, FL Ft. Lauderdale HS
11 Taniyah Dawson 5-7 G JR Mesquite, TX Poteet HS
15 Chelsea Pennick 5-11 G FR Orlando, FL Orlando Christian Prep
20 Q'Vaunda Curry 5-6 G SR Quincy, FL East Gadsden HS
21 Joslyne Jackson 5-7 G SR Marietta, GA McEachern HS
22 Devin Williams 5-9 F FR Sarasota, FL Sarasota HS
23 Stephanie Foster 6-0 G/F JR Columbus, OH Brookhaven HS
25 Leanne Randall 6-0 G FR Fayetteville, N.C. Trinity Christian Prep
31 Melissa Daniels 6-3 C JR Jasper, FL Hamilton Co. HS
35 Kirsten Stallings 6-0 F SO Memphis, TN Ridgeway, HS
40 Denise Tate 6-1 F JR Cleveland, OH Glenville HS
42 Thyeis Halley 6-1 F/C SR Cleveland, OH Lakeland CC
44 Brandi Hollingsworth 6-2 F/C FR Columbus, GA Pacelli HS

Coaches

Debra Clark - Head Coach
John Clark - Assistant Coach
Niki Washington - Assistant Coach
Melaney Denson - Assistant Coach

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result

11/01/07 at Valdosta State ! Valdosta, GA 5:00 p.m. ET
11/09/07 at Georgia State Atlanta, GA W, 60-58 (F)
11/13/07 vs. Mercer Tallahassee, FL W, 78-57 (F)
11/14/07 vs. Albany State Tallahassee, FL W, 76-73 (F)
11/20/07 at Savannah State Savannah, GA W, 71-54 (F)
12/01/07 at Bethune Cookman @ Daytona Beach, FL W, 78-65 (F)
12/03/07 vs. Stetson Tallahassee, FL W, 54-37 (F)
12/06/07 vs. Jacksonville @ Tallahassee, FL W, 66-57 (F)
12/09/07 at USF Tampa, FL TBA
12/15/07 vs. North Carolina Central Tallahassee, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
12/17/07 vs. Florida Gulf Coast Tallahassee, FL 5:00 p.m. ET
01/02/08 at Florida Gainesville, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
01/04/08 vs. Savannah State Tallahassee, FL 7:00 p.m. ET
01/12/08 at Howard @ Washington, D.C. 2:00 p.m. ET
01/14/08 at Hampton University @ Hampton, VA 6:00 p.m. ET
01/19/08 at Morgan State @ Baltimore, MD 2:00 p.m. ET
01/21/08 at Coppin State @ Baltimore, MD 5:30 p.m. ET
01/26/08 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore @ Tallahassee, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
01/28/08 vs. Delaware State @ Tallahassee, FL 5:30 p.m. ET
02/02/08 at Winston-Salem State @ Winston-Salem, N.C. 2:00 p.m.

02/04/08 at South Carolina State @ Orangeburg, S.C. 5:30 p.m. ET
02/09/08 vs. North Carolina A&T @ Tallahassee, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
02/11/08 vs. Norfolk State @ Tallahassee, FL 5:30 p.m. ET
02/16/08 vs. Morgan State Tallahassee, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
02/18/08 vs. Coppin State @ Tallahassee, FL 5:30 p.m. ET
02/23/08 at Maryland Eastern Shore @ Princess Anne, MD 2:00 p.m.
02/25/08 at Delaware State @ Dover, MD 5:30 p.m. ET
03/01/08 vs. Winston-Salem State @ Tallahassee, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
03/03/08 vs. South Carolina State @ Tallahassee, FL 5:30 p.m. ET
03/06/08 vs. Bethune Cookman @ Tallahassee, FL 5:30 p.m. ET

MEAC Tournament:TBA
NCAA Tournament: TBA

Some Names are just funny--or are they if you have to spell it for the 6 millionth time.

If you have been a long time Florida A&M University sports fan, you may recall a basketball player that played guard at FAMU with center Jerome James (NBA New York Knicks) during the 1995-96 season. The fellow name is Mapp--Scientific Mapp. No, I'm not kidding and his brother played basketball for Virginia and his name is Majestic Mapp. Well, we found a few more this morning that are surely the best names in college hoops history.

Alabama State University currently has a 7-1/265 starting junior center from Boyton Beach, Florida that has our vote for the most unique name in sports history but the guy can play basketball and is a force in the middle. When was the last time the SWAC had a seven footer that could actually play? Yes, it has be a while. Here is our list:

Photo: Alabama State University basketball junior center Chief Kickingstallionsims

1. Grlenntys "Chief" Kickingstallionsims Jr., Alabama State University
(Goes by "Chief Kickingstallionsims") with his given first name being Grlenntys, whose name means “Strength of Fallen Rocks.” He is a member of the Navajo nation. Chief transferred from Stetson University (Deland, Fla) to Alabama State University and is playing his first season for the Hornets. He is a graduate of Blanche Ely High School.

2. Scientific Mapp--5-10 starting guard on 1995-96 FAMU men basketball team with current NBA Knicks center Jerome James. No, he did not major in Geography.

3. Majestic Mapp, Virginia/West Georgia --brother of Scientific Mapp.

4. God Shamgod, Providence College

5. Pops Mensah-Bonsu, George Washington

6. Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown

Photo: FAMU Basketball senior center Akini Akini

Florida A&M current 6-10/231 senior center "Akini Akini" is a tremendous student-athlete, so we are going to cut this brother some slack and leave him off our list because he has the same first and last name. Akini Ferdinand Akini is married and a native of Cameroon majoring in construction engineering. He is an excellent Rattler!

Saay What! MEAC/SWAC sports and people

by beepbeep

Saay What, ya'll!

Morgan State University men basketballers nearly pulled off an upset of the Connecticut Huskies last night in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic at Storrs, Connecticut. The Bears in their season opener, held the Huskies to 42 percent shooting from the floor, busted a 14-2 run in the second half and tied UConn at 52 with seven minutes remaining in the game. However, the Huskies prevailed 69-65 over the Bears.

MSU head coach Todd Bozeman crew was able to overcome a 37-28 first half lead over the Bears and outscore UConn 37-32 in the second half. Guard Reggie Holmes came off the bench for MSU to throw down 6 of 12 shots to lead the Bears with 18 points; Boubacar Coley hit a double/double with 12 points and 10 rebounds; and senior guard Jamar Smith popped in 16 points to lead the Bears. Morgan State shot 50 percent from 3-point land (11-22), had 11 steals and 24 personal fouls. UConn shot 24-33 free throws (72%) where as, Morgan hit only 4-9 (44%). If they quit fouling ya'll, the Bears walks away with the win. Coach Bozeman is in his second season at Morgan State and it appears the Bears are ready to compete...

What the heck is the Atlantic Sun Conference? Well--anyhow, Alabama A&M University Bulldogs drops two games to start the season in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic at Rupp Arena to Gardner-Webb University 69-55 in the first round and Central Arkansas 69-59 in the consolation game. That Gardner-Webb bunch pulls off the upset of the season by embarrassing the #22 ranked Kentucky Wildcats 84-68 before 20,000 Kentucky fans in their home arena. Yep, the Southeastern Conference gets steamrolled by the Atlantic Sun and Gardner-Webb University, a 2,474 student private school located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The Runnin' Bulldogs accomplished something above and beyond anything it had ever achieved in the sport. You can hold your heads up Alabama A&M Bulldogs as you held the Running' Bulldogs to 69 points, which Kentucky could not...

Photo: Head Coach Clemon Johnson, UAF

Former Florida A&M University and Philadelphia 76ers basketball star Clemon Johnson got a great start to his head coaching career as the new leader of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. Coach Johnson's team was able to put it on cruise control in two wins over Simpson University 110-84 and 93-81 on November 1 and 3rd, respectively. Just how good the Nanooks will be this season under Coach Clem Johnson will be revealed tonight in a Division I game at California and November 15, in the BP Top of the World Classic, where the Division II UAF club will face Tennessee State University Tigers in the hosted Division I classic. Johnson earned both his undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in Sports Management from FAMU. You can read more about the 6 foot-10 inch Clemon Johnson and the UFA basketball program at: http://www.uaf.edu/news/featured/07/coaches ...

The Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University are becoming a total embarrassment to Division I football. The Florida A&M University Rattlers were able to kick a field goal in the final minute of their homecoming contest to beat the Aggies 24-21 at Bragg Memorial Stadium for NCA&T's record 26 consecutive loss. We don't mean to rag on the Aggies but these guys are virgins when it comes to laying someone out and winning a ball game. Their last recorded victory came in the 2005 season and they now lead all of Division I with the current losing streak. Maybe the Aggies can pull off an upset at South Carolina State on November 17, 2007 at Charleston, South Carolina. Probably not on a well coached Buddy Pough team that fell short on the hype of being the favorite to win the MEAC. Coach Lee Fobbs Jr. is currently 0-21 in his second season as the head of the Aggies football program and if they don't win their final game with SCSU, it will give NCA&T two consecutive 0-11 virgin seasons. We understand abstention, but this is a bit much to stomach.

Aggies, please do your fans a favor and schedule Livingstone College or Savannah State as your 2008 season opener and end this streak. Strike that last suggestion--Savannah State University school colors does have Orange, so they probably will beat you too. Substitute Texas Southern University Tigers, who have their own dreadful losing streak going with 12 consecutive loses that should be at 14 by next season with UAPB and UHouston left on their schedule for this season. Saay What! ...

FAMU's Wesley Taylor #20 kicks winning field goal in last week homecoming game with North Carolina A&T State University. Rattlers win 24-21.

Hampton University head football coach Joe Taylor announced on Wednesday that T.J. Mitchell will be the starting quarterback against Florida A&M University Rattlers on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., in Armstrong Stadium. However, expect Herbert Bynes to play against FAMU, also. Mitchell had been benched in favor of freshman Herbert Bynes for arguing with teammates during games for missed plays during two previous games. This two head monster at quarterback may cause problems for FAMU as both played well in the 31-24 win last week over Bethune Cookman.

Expect Jeremy Gilchrist to hook up with T.J. to break the Hampton school record of 977 yards, held by Houston Texans Jerome Mathis. Gilchrist is currently 25 yards shy of this record and has 63 receptions on the season. The Rattlers owe the Pirates big time for a 59-7 azzkicking they received last season in Bragg Stadium. FAMU r-freshman Eddie Battle is expected to continue his development at quarterback with senior QB Leon Camel providing much needed leadership. FAMU sensational freshman running back Philip Sylvester leads the MEAC in all-purpose yards averaging 159.8 yards per game. The Pirates leads the MEAC in scoring offense (30.2 per game), 4th in scoring defense (22.0 per game), 1st in passing offense (238.0 per game), 1st in punting (39.3 net/P, 44.8 average yards)and first in first downs. On paper, Hampton beats FAMU in just about every statistical category, but nothing is worst than tangling with angry Rattlers. FAMU will not get blown out this weekend by the 5-4,4-3 MEAC Pirates. The Rattlers are 3-6,2-4 MEAC in a disappointing season...

Saay What! brothers. The Florida A&M University Volleyball Team played just well enough to knockoff the University of North Florida at home on Tuesday night by a score of 30-25, 27-30, 30-22, 30-27 for a total 3-1 score. The Lady Rattlers are 13-6 on the season and usually plays to the level of the competition, which is not good especially playing a club that is 4-25 like the Ospreys. FAMU was coming off a spirited showing against #3 ranked Texas where they loss 3-0 to break a 14 game Rattlers win streak. The Lady Rattlers are undefeated in MEAC play and have a 96 game win streak intact in the conference. FAMU Seniors Hannah Uckelmann and Iva Lakic were honored and played their last home game as Rattlers. The next match is at South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs on November 10, 2007, at 5:00 p.m., Orangeburg, S.C....

Senior running back Chad Simpson, Morgan State University is MEAC leading rusher with 248 att/1272 yards, 12 TDs/10 games, 5.1 average/127.1 yards per game. Simpson is 2nd in all-purpose yards with 1589 yards at 158.9 per game.

The lotto question of the day--will Morgan State Bears end the football season on a winning note and with a winning record? Standing in the Bears (5-5, 4-3 MEAC) way for a winning season are the South Carolina State University Bulldogs (5-4, 4-2 MEAC), who have won 22 of the last 23 games in the series. MSU Coach Donald Hill-Eley is very close to leading the Bears over the hump but it will take a monster game (i.e. 250+ yards) from MEAC leading rusher Chad Simpson and a complete shutdown of SCSU running back Will Ford and quarterback Cleve McCoy for the Bears to win. This is going to be Morgan's Superbowl, so expect Hill-Eley to have the Bears in championship form and successfully pull off the upset. Saay What! Bears win...

Will it be #10 ranked Delaware State (8-1, 7-0 MEAC) or #26 ranked Norfolk State (7-2, 6-1 MEAC) crowned as MEAC Champions this Saturday? It's any body's guess, but Delaware State has found a way to overcome adversity the past few weeks to keep their undefeated conference record intact. However, the DSU Hornets does not dominate in any conference statistical category but just find ways to win. Norfolk State is a half game behind DSU in the MEAC standings.

On the other hand, Norfolk State Spartans has "the bus" at running back, who can takeover a running game. I'm speaking of none other than senior Daryl Jones who is tied for #2 in MEAC rushing with 989 yards and 12 TDs on 211 carries. Jones is a 250 pound load to tackle and will run over you in a one-on-five situation. If the Hornets focus solely on stopping Jones and company, the Spartan quarterback Casey Hansen will go over the top for completions to keep the drives alive. In ten seasons of division I football, NSU has never had a winning season nor won a MEAC championship in football. The Spartans should be ready to jump on the bus with Daryl Jones for this contest.

Delaware State has too much riding on this game to let Norfolk State march into Alumni Stadium and steal the victory. Not only will a win give the Hornets the MEAC crown and automatic bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs, but a date with in-state #6 ranked University of Delaware Hens (8-1, 5-1 CAA) in the first round of the playoff. UD and DSU have never met on the football field although they are both in the FCS and are located only 40 miles apart. Saay What!! This should be sufficient motivation for Coach Al Lavan Hornets to tell the Spartans to beat it, literally and musically. Expect DSU to clobber MEAC upstart Norfolk State, as it has been proven by Howard and SCSU that they can be stopped for -15 and 56 yards rushing. The Hornets balanced attack with several NFL prospects (junior RB Kareem Jones, junior QB Vashon Winton, senior WR Shahee McBride and senior kicker Peter Gaertner) may provide the MEAC with the best opportunity to get past round one of the FCS playoffs. Just beat it, Norfolk State University! Just beat it...

Norfolk State University Spartan Legion Marching Band (playing: "Beat It.")