N.C. Central Eagles looking forward to MEAC membership

DURHAM, N.C. -- N.C. Central men's basketball coach Levelle Moton was welcomed into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Thursday when the league held its preseason coaches' teleconference.

Moton said he was glad the Eagles have found another home in the MEAC after three seasons of barnstorming the country playing games. NCCU still is in transition to full NCAA Division I membership and full participation in the MEAC, but the Eagles will be competing against more teams from the conference this season.

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NCCU Eagles return to MEAC with win over NC A&T Aggies

DURHAM, N.C. -- Based on the recent history of the series, N.C. Central's 27-16 win over North Carolina A&T might count as a blowout in favor of the Eagles. Thanks to seven turnovers by the Aggies, NCCU was able to wrap up its biggest win over its biggest rival since winning 15-2 in 1988.

The past five game went down to the wire, with each settled on the final possession. A year ago, the Aggies took a 23-17 win in double overtime to break a three-game winning streak by NCCU. Now the Eagles (2-2) can claim four wins in five years over N.C. A T (0-4). After the game, NCCU coach Mose Rison was doused by his players with a cooler full of water as they all celebrated in front of the student section and band.

The crowd of 15,173 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium was the largest in school history, with more than 5,000 standing-room tickets being sold as festival admission at the track adjoining the stadium. The overflow crowd was on hand to watch the first game in Durham between the teams since 1992, which A T won 49-7.

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A&M investigates Thomas' eligibility

HUNTSVILLE, Al. - Alabama A&M conducted an internal investigation late last week on the eligibility of wide receiver Demetrius Thomas, The Times has learned.

Thomas, a transfer from Marshall, apparently spent four or five days at Texas Southern, sources said, before coming to A&M last month. A&M coach Anthony Jones said he couldn't comment on the matter Sunday and Monday. Sources say Thomas is the reason Jones and Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole got in a heated exchange after the Tigers whipped the Bulldogs 32-9 on Saturday. Sources also say Jones and Cole reached a mutual agreement that Thomas, a 6-0, 170-pound redshirt sophomore from Mobile, wouldn't play Saturday. Thomas didn't make the trip with the team and wasn't made available to the media on Monday during Jones' weekly press conference. He also didn't practice Tuesday.

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Alabama A&M University Bulldogs Fight Song

STAND UP AND CHEER
CHEER LOUD AND LONG FOR DEAR OLD NORMAL
FOR TODAY WE RAISE
THE MAROON ABOVE ALL OTHERS

OUR NOBLE TEAM IS NOW FIGHTING
IS FIGHTING TO HARD TO WIN THE FRAY
WE'VE GOT TO WIN! WE'RE SURE TO WIN!
FOR THIS IS DEAR OLD NORMAL'S DAY

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Hampton Humbles Howard 31-21 in Battle of the “Real HU”

The crowd. The colors. The camaraderie. Hampton vs. Howard is more than just a football game; it’s the battle for the title “The Real HU.” But lately it hasn’t been much of a battle at all on the gridiron between the schools.

The Hampton Pirates have tamed the Bison 13 years in a row and in front of a packed Greene Stadium on Sept. 11, Virginia’s HU version won a 14th claim for the undisputed title. Hampton’s 31-21 road victory over Howard extended its win streak in this long-standing rivalry and resolved any doubt about who holds the title of the Real HU— at least for another year.

Early in the first half however, it appeared the Bison (0-2) and third string quarterback Casey Council were ready to shake the rivalry up a little.

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UTEP Miners wear down UAPB Lions 31-10

El Paso, TX - UTEP has been rather inconsistent in its openers under Mike Price, but there has been a common thread in those seven games -- when the Miners outclass their opponent, they muddle through.

A Donald Buckram-less UTEP certainly didn't outclass the FCS's Arkansas-Pine Bluff as badly as it hoped Saturday, but the Miners' superior talent and numbers finally wore down the feisty Golden Lions for a 31-10 victory. Price improved to 4-3 in openers in front of 30,029 fans and UTEP came away with a list of things to fix.

"It was a good way we won it. It was a little bit frustrating at times, a lot of opportunities blown, particularly the first half. But we stuck together and that's good," Price said. "It was a good win because we're not fat and sassy. We've got a lot of work to do and the kids know that." The new 4-3 defense, after giving up an embarrassing 80-yard touchdown drive to UAPB to start the game....



Photo Gallery: UTEP Miners defeat Arkansas-Pine Bluff

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S.C. State bringing big dogs to Ga. Tech

South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough and his football team have been in this situation before, looked upon as lambs about to be led in for slaughter. The Bulldogs, however, do not look the part. Georgia Tech’s season-opening opponent may be a Football Championship Series program, but the Bulldogs have a chip on their collective shoulders. Those are big, veteran shoulders.

Senior quarterback Malcolm Long is 6 feet 1 and weighs 262 pounds. His offensive line goes 310, 330, 280, 290 and 310. Just as importantly, that line includes two fifth-year seniors, a senior and two fourth-year juniors. The Bulldogs have won 19 straight conference games and back-to-back titles in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, were named black college champions last season and again rest atop that poll. They have big plans for Saturday in Bobby Dodd Stadium.

“A whole lot of our fans go wherever we go...



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Getting to know SC State

SC State looks to continue its trend of success‎ -

New faces abound in Southern Jaguars secondary

On the football field, Demetric Rogers was accustomed to looking good. A versatile-but-undersized athlete, Rogers played offense and defense at Northeast High School. Then he walked on at Southern University last summer, and the coaching staff issued the 5-foot-10, 190-pound strong safety his gameday uniform. He got No. 45. Forty-five? Isn’t that for fullbacks? Linebackers? Kickers?

“I was upset, all the way to the (first) game,” Rogers said. “After a while, I figured I might as well make the best of this number. The number doesn’t make the person. It’s the other way around. So after that, I got my first start and made some plays, and before long, everybody knew there was a No. 45 out there.”

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the Southern football team last season, Rogers played strong safety for the first time in his life and slowly worked his way up the depth chart during preseason camp, from fourth-string to second-string.

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Tennessee State turns to tradition‎

NASHVILLE, TN -- New head coach Rod Reed hopes to revive a proud tradition that he and his father helped establish in a golden age of Tennessee State football. Robert Reed Jr., Rod's father, was an All-America offensive lineman on iconic coach John Merritt's first two teams, in 1963 and 1964. Rod won four varsity letters at TSU from 1984-88 as a linebacker, and still holds the Tigers' season record for tackles (197 in 1987).

"It means the world to me to be the head coach here," Reed said as practices began in August. "I'm so excited just to be out here on the grass again."

Tigers defensive lineman Malcolm Crawford, a former Kingsbury standout, says of the new attitude, "everything around this team picked up." Last year, the Tigers went 4-7 under James Webster and 3-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference. TSU lost four of its last five games. The Tigers led the league in total defense with Reed as coordinator, but their offense was last in the OVC in points scored.



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S.C. State looks to continue its trend of success

Most college coaches would consider this a rebuilding year. South Carolina State starts this season minus its all-time leading rusher and four other star players who have moved on to professional football. But head coach Buddy Pough isn't most coaches, and South Carolina State isn't most college football programs.

While there are still plenty of questions left to be answered by the two-time defending Mid-Eastern American Conference champions, Pough thinks like this might be the most talented bunch he's had since returning to his alma mater eight years ago.

Gone from last year's 10-2 team is running back Will Ford, who finished his career as the leading rusher at S.C. State and in the MEAC.

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Taylor extends challenge to Rattlers offense, defense

As challenges go at the start of each season from football coaches, the one that Joe Taylor laid down for Florida A&M might seem a bit ambitious. But the Rattlers aren't backing down from what their coach is calling his 40-30 club.

What Taylor wants are improvements in some key statistical areas that he believes will put FAMU in position to finish this season with a winning record.

His expectation from the defense is 40 turnovers and 30 sacks for the season. He would like his offense to keep the ball for 40 minutes and get 30 first downs per game. The challenge of a 40-yard punt average and a 30-yard return average on kickoffs per game is also included.

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Jaguars not settled on starter at QB

Fall semester is under way at Southern University, and on most nights, the Human Jukebox is hard at work, preparing and refining for the start of football season. It’s less than two weeks away now. As for the team, it doesn’t yet have a starting quarterback. Not officially, anyway.

First-year coach Stump Mitchell hasn’t named his starting No. 1 — but after Saturday’s preseason scrimmage, sophomore Jeremiah McGinty may have re-established himself as the leading candidate.

McGinty sat out the Jaguars’ first scrimmage of the preseason Aug. 14, having been hospitalized...

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Rattler Nation expects MEAC championship season

Florida A&M University head football coach Joe Taylor's Rattlers have enough maturity and talent in key positions to challenge conference power South Carolina State Bulldogs for MEAC supremacy.

FAMU defense gets best of offense in scrimmage

Defense ruled during the first preseason scrimmage for the Florida A&M football team, but the unit was overshadowed by two interceptions thrown by quarterback Martin Ukpai and high snaps that left coach Joe Taylor scolding his offense.

"The fact of it is we've got to get more protection," Taylor said following Saturday's scrimmage that was witnessed by a larger than usual crowd from the parking lot adjacent to FAMU's practice field. "Everything starts with the snap (and) when you get a bad snap nothing behind is going to go good. You just can't have miscues and expect to win. No matter how good you are you just can't give extra opportunities to the opponent."

Photo Gallery: Rattler football scrimmage

FAMU's Ojo overcomes tough injury

The excruciating pain began to feel more familiar the longer Oye Ojo waited on the sidelines for it to subside. He was in his first college football game and wanted to be a part of the Florida A&M special teams unit until the end. He wouldn't return after finding out midway through the fourth quarter that the ankle he'd fractured once before in high school was broken.

Stewart has potential as fan favorite

If there is one player who will be on the radar of every fan of Florida A&M football, it has to be Jerral Stewart. He is the heir apparent to LeRoy Vann, who set multiple NCAA and school records in his senior year as a punt and kickoff returner. Fair or not, Stewart knew it was coming because of the excitement that Vann created whenever he touched the ball. He was so effective that last season ESPN sent a crew to dissect his every move.

New faces add plenty of spice to FAMU

With the loss of 24 players who played their final game last season, Florida A&M football coach Joe Taylor turned to transfers to reload both on offense and defense. In the mix are a few who never played a down of college football and some who played sparingly. But while all of the newcomers bring different strengths to the Rattlers program, they all have one thing in common — they want to contribute.

Rattlers beef up along the offensive line

During his end-of-the-season rewind, FAMU coach Joe Taylor made an observation from game film that he suspected was the reason that Florida A&M struggled in some games and suffered a season-defining loss to South Carolina State. He noticed that the Rattlers gave up too much on the offensive line.

"We knew the assignment," Taylor said. "We were into our responsibilities; we made contact but at some point I didn't think we had great mobility."

Ukpai back under center to lead Rattlers this year

Martin Ukpai got his first shot at playing quarterback because the starter on his high school team was suspended.

Up until the Florida Classic last season, it seemed he would have to wait at least two full seasons before he got a chance to compete for the starting job at Florida A&M. But when Curtis Pulley couldn't make the start in the season finale, coach Joe Taylor summoned Ukpai to another stand-in role. His performance was so dominating that it earned him the game's MVP trophy.

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NCCU: Saturday's scrimmage shows progress

An eager crowd of devoted fans braved 90-degree heat to "Meet the Eagles" on Saturday as the NCCU football team made its public debut. The 85-member team signed autographs and chatted with fans before entertaining the crowd with a 61-play scrimmage at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham.

Coach Mose Rison said he is pleased with the progress of the team. "I think it's been a good fall camp, and I know come the second of September it'll be a good turnout," Rison said of the Eagles' season-opener against Johnson C. Smith.

In limited action under center, junior quarterback Michael Johnson completed 2 of 7 passes for 70 yards. Winston-Salem State transfer Jordan Reid took a majority of the snaps, collecting 176 yards on 8-of-16 passing. Junior Keon Johnson was 3-for-8 with 56 yards passing and 22 yards rushing.

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Hampton University head coach Donovan Rose is ready for CMU

In the 20 years Hampton head coach Donovan Rose has been associated with Hampton University he has never had the opportunity to play a D-1 team. Rose will get his chance when he steps into Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on Sept. 2nd to take on the reigning Mid American Conference champions, the Central Michigan Chippewas.

In only his second season as the head coach, Rose is looking to improve upon a 5-6 campaign last year by catching newly minted CMU head coach Dan Enos off guard.

Rose admits the task of beating the Chips' won't be easy; he fully expects them to unleash their full arsenal of weapons...

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NC A&T Holds Picture Day For The Aggies

Greensboro, NC - The school year is gearing up to start, which means it's time to dust off the cleats, wash the jerseys and of course, put on your best smile. Today was picture day for NC A&T State University's football team. The entire Aggie squad, in their yellow and blue, was on the 50 yard line of Aggie Stadium in Greensboro.





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Delaware State Hornets vs. Hampton Pirates kickoff changed for ESPNU

DOVER, DE -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced that the 2010 Delaware State University vs. Hampton University football contest has been moved to Thursday, September 30 at 7:30 p.m. at DSU's Alumni Stadium. The contest, originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2, will be televised live on ESPNU as part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference television agreement with ESPN.

This will mark the second national television appearance for the Hornets during the 2010 season. Delaware State will kick off the upcoming season against Southern University in the Sixth Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Sunday, Sep. 5 at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando. The MEAC/SWAC Challenge will be televised live on ESPN, ESPN HD and ESPN3.com at 12:00 p.m.

This year's DSU/Hampton contest will also mark the second Thursday night game at Alumni Stadium. The Hornets defeated Florida A&M 35-28 in overtime in the first Thursday night Alumni Stadium contest in 2008.

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Five burning questions for Grambling football

The Grambling State Tigers opened their fall camp on Saturday in preparation for the team's season opener on Sept. 4 against Louisiana Tech in Shreveport. The Tigers' camp, though, was somewhat overshadowed by the news on Friday that Grambling quarterback Greg Dillon's request for a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA was denied.

"I see this as one of the unfortunate and, to an extent, tragic times when a rule that was created to keep universities from abusing the system penalized the courage of a young man to play through pain," Grambling athletic director J. Lin Dawson wrote in an e-mail to The Times. "In the last five years, Greg has played on two years, and we fought to get him another year in which I believe he deserves."

The quarterback question looms over Grambling's fall camp.

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S.C. State has big goals in 2010

Bulldogs determined to win MEAC and a playoff game this season

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Buddy Pough fielded familiar questions on Saturday at South Carolina State media day at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Will the Bulldogs win the MEAC football championship again? Will the team get its first NCAA playoff win since 1981? Will SC State impress the FCS committee enough to rate a first-round bye and/or an opening home game?

“The first thing is we have to win the conference championship, or all this talk means nothing,” said Pough, who has guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back 10-2 records, MEAC titles and automatic NCAA postseason berths. “We have some holes to fill, but the guys we have back seem to have the right stuff. The goal is to win the conference again and see what happens in the playoffs.” Pough believes his team has its best chance yet to rate a high enough national seed to open at home.

“We’ll start with a high enough ranking that if we handle our end of things, we should be in good shape there,” he said. “Our attendance at home should also come into play and be a factor.



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A&T anxious to work on rebuilding

Year 2 of N.C. A&T’s rebuilding campaign is underway.

The Aggies reported to preseason camp on Sunday; the first practice was Tuesday. “My coaching staff is excited about getting out there,’’ said second-year coach Alonzo Lee. “We believe the players have really put in the hard work necessary to be successful, so we are eager to see how that translates to the field.”

Two Aggies – safety Justin Ferrell and cornerback Quay Long (West Charlotte High) – earned first-team All-MEAC preseason honors. The Aggies ranked ninth in the nation in pass defense last season. Ferrell, who led the conference with six interceptions, started the season at cornerback before moving to safety. “Justin makes us a team that can really get after you blitz-wise because he can cover like a corner,’’ said Lee. “It gives us a chance to play a little more man coverage. His presence really makes us a better defense.”

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Back to work for the North Carolina A&T Aggies‎

GREENSBORO, N.C. — He is N.C. A&T’s most decorated returning football player, the kind of guy any coach would eagerly build his defense around. And yet, Justin Ferrell stood on the lush, manicured grass of Aggie Stadium on Tuesday morning and pointed out his own flaws. Drenched in sweat from A&T’s first football practice under the August sun, Ferrell vowed to be better.

“I really looked forward to this practice because my last two years, as a freshman and sophomore, I really didn’t show the passion I should have,” Ferrell said. “I didn’t show the intensity in practice I should have to get better, to take heed to what the coaches are putting forth to make us better in life and on the field.” This from a first-team All-MEAC defensive back. This from a player who volunteered to move from cornerback to safety last season to help his team. This from the guy who led the league with six interceptions last season.

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• Gallery:Photos from the first day of practice
• Html:N.C. A&T football: Official site