Alabama A&M Bulldogs 31, Hampton Pirates 24

A&M makes key stops down stretch

Alabama A&M's defense, under pressure for most of the second half Saturday night against Hampton University, thought it had come away with a game-saving stand with less than two minutes remaining. The Bulldogs had stopped the Pirates, giving the ball back to their offense. However, running back Ulysses Banks fumbled on the ensuing play and Hampton recovered it, forcing A&M's defense to come up with yet another stop. Jeremy Maddox, who had been held in check for much of the game, came to the Bulldogs' rescue.

A 6-foot, 263-pound All-Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive end, Maddox had managed just one sack and a tackle for loss against the Pirates. However, with the game on the line, he broke through and sacked Hampton quarterback David Legree, and the Bulldogs hung on for a 31-24 victory before an announced crowd of 6,377 at Louis Crews Stadium. "I missed three sacks," said Maddox, clearly upset with himself, "but I got the one that counted. I knew we had to make a stop for us to win. I think we got a little ahead of ourselves and didn't play as well in the third quarter, but we came together and stepped it up in the fourth quarter and got the win."

Finally, Segura has some good news for Mom

New Orleans native is an A&M starter after three years of injuries, disappointments. Raymond Segura calls his mother back home in New Orleans almost nightly. Unfortunately for Segura, the Alabama A&M weakside linebacker hasn't had much to offer his mom, Angela Waxter, concerning his football career. Truth be told, Segura's first three seasons have been filled with one injury after another. The list includes shoulder, back, foot and knee injuries. "I've dealt with just about every injury you can have," Segura said. Still, despite all of his ailments, Segura kept the faith and, because of an injury to one of his teammates, was inserted into the starting lineup last week against Tennessee State. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound redshirt junior didn't disappoint. He had plenty to tell his mother after the game.

Mitchell:Study in perseverance

Losing two years to ineligibility fails to faze A&M receiver. Anthony Mitchell was headed for stardom. A 6-foot-2, 197-pound receiver, Mitchell was supposed to team with Thomas Harris to give Alabama A&M one of the best tandems in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Unfortunately, eligibility issues got in the way. Mitchell was the team's third-leading receiver in 2006 as a sophomore when A&M downed Arkansas-Pine Bluff to win the SWAC championship. With quarterback Kelcy Luke back along with a number of returning offensive starters, the Bulldogs were expected to repeat the following year. However, Mitchell, who had 20 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns during A&M's championship year, wasn't there to participate, having been ruled academically ineligible for the 2007 season. Jackson State beat A&M late that season and went on to win the SWAC title.

A & M holds off Hampton

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Over and over, Alabama A&M quarterback Kevin Atkins dropped back to pass and scanned the field for wide receiver Thomas Harris. The Hampton University defense could do nothing to stop it. Harris caught 10 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns, and the Bulldogs held on to beat the Pirates 31-24 Saturday night at Louis Crews Stadium. It was the first loss for Hampton coach Donovan Rose, whose Pirates fell to 0-5 on the road against Southwestern Athletic Conference schools.

"Defensively, we've got to find a way to stop the pass," Rose said. "They threw the ball something like 36 times in the first half, and I'm still waiting on our guys to recover. We've got to find a way to stop that and give our offense the ball. Thirty-one points and 24 points in two games, defensively, we've got to find a way to stop that."Twelve seconds into the game, it appeared as if the Pirates could name their score. Senior running back LaMarcus Coker took the A&M kickoff at the 13, cut up the middle, faked his way past a couple of Bulldog defenders and returned the kick 87 yards for a touchdown. Jordan Stovall's extra point gave Hampton a 7-0 lead before the echoes of the national anthem had died down.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK EACH BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
A&M student shot on Huntsville campus
Alabama State, Alabama A&M both improve to 2-0

Special: Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) Leaves Its Mark on I-A Teams

Last weekend's victories by William & Mary over Virginia, Richmond over Duke and Villanova over Temple reinforced the notion that the Colonial Athletic Association remains one of the strongest leagues in division I-AA football, if not the most powerful. Should James Madison knock off Maryland (Maryland won 38-35 in OT) and New Hampshire topple Ball State (NH won 23-16) on Saturday, it will further enhance the CAA's reputation and strengthen the argument that the talent gap between division I-A teams and the top programs in I-AA is shrinking.

"I've always told people that when Appalachian [State] beat Michigan [in 2007] . . . it was all the talking heads on television that were talking about what a huge upset it was," James Madison Coach Mickey Matthews said. "You didn't hear any coaches in the Big Ten and the CAA saying it was a huge upset. The top 10 or 15 teams in I-AA football can play with anyone in the country. I'm not saying we're going to beat them, but we certainly can compete against anyone."

This is the fourth year in a row that at least one CAA team has defeated a division I-A team. New Hampshire is going for its fifth consecutive win against a division I-A team this weekend. Since 1997, CAA teams boast 19 wins against division I-A opponents; no other I-AA conference comes close to matching that number. CAA teams have also fared well within their own classification. The league sent a record five teams to the division I-AA playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Last year in the 16-team field, four of the final eight teams and two of the final four teams were from the CAA.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

QUESTION FOR OUR READERS: Is South Carolina State, Florida A&M and Grambling competive with "any" of the ranked teams of the CAA? You may want to wait until after this Saturday's games to answer the question, although, other MEAC/SWAC teams are not as competitive as SCSU, FAMU or Grambling. Two CAA vs. MEAC games are on tap:

William and Mary (2-0) @ Norfolk State (1-1): 6 p.m.
Delaware State (0-1) @ Delaware (1-1) 12:00 noon

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Terps Win, but Suffer Loss
ACC Football Leads the Nation in Irrelevance
'Vacancy' Sign Still Flashing for Byrd Stadium Suites

S.C. State 24, Bethune-Cookman 3

Wyatt-Bone dry: B-CU TD-less again

DAYTONA BEACH -- South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough hates to line up against Bethune-Cookman's triple-option offense. "That offense always give us problems," Pough said. But on Saturday, B-CU repeatedly struck out on all three options and the 15th-ranked Bulldogs rolled to a 24-3 victory over the Wildcats in front of 5,745 fans at Municipal Stadium. The 'Cats (0-2, 0-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) gained just 14 yards on the ground and finished with less than 100 yards of offense.

"We've got to get the offense right. It's no one particular area," B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said. "When you don't score points, it can't be just one area. We have to take our time and re-evaluate our kids." Even without much offense, the Wildcats were able to stay close until two third-quarter mistakes took the wind out of their sails. "We got a break or two and we got it done," said Pough, whose squad improved to 2-0, 1-0 in the MEAC. "But it was nip-and-tuck for a long time. It was a little closer game than the score indicated."

Erby Leads Bulldog Defense To 24-3 Win Over BC-U

The South Carolina State Bulldogs once again proved why they are the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Champions Saturday cruising to a 24-3 victory over Bethune-Cookman at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida. This is the first 2-0 start since 2005 for Coach Pough and the Bulldogs. SCSU the top-ranked team in Black College Football and ranked #15 nationally in three FCS major polls redeemed themselves from last week giving up 426 total yards against Grambling, while the Bulldog defense allowed just 97 yards on the day to BC-U offense.

Junior linebacker David Erby led all defensive leaders with 11 tackles and a sack, with the Bulldog defense picking off three passes on the day from sophomore quarterback Maurice Francois. SC State jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first-half on a 1-yard scoring run from Senior Travil Jamison and a 23 yard pass from Long to Will Ford at the 12:02 mark. Bethune-Cookman got on the board on a 31-yard field goal by freshman Kory Kowalski with a 1:50 left in the third quarter to make the score 14-3.

The Bulldogs sealed the deal on the next possession when senior Tre' Oliver scored on an 86-yard kickoff return to go ahead 21-3 closing out the third quarter. The final points of the day came on a career long 40-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Black Erickson. South Carolina State improved to 2-0, 1-0 in the MEAC with the victory, while Bethune-Cookman falls to 0-2, 0-1 in the MEAC on the season.

Other, Bulldogs making noise was junior quarterback Malcolm Long connecting 14-22 for 148 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Senior Tre' Oliver had five catches for 55 yards, while All-MEAC running back Will Ford finished with 40 yards on 12 carries. SC State will be idle next week and will return to action on September 26, when they host Winston-Salem State in a 6 p.m. contest. Courtesy: SC State Athletics

Lewis' hustle play sparks SC State

"Superman" came to the rescue on a Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. With South Carolina State holding a 14-3 lead in the third quarter, Bethune-Cookman linebacker Ryan Lewis intercepted quarterback Malcolm Long at the 45-yard line. As Lewis raced down the sidelines followed by Wildcats teammates to the end zone, he appeared headed for a game-changing touchdown. Sprinting in pursuit was Bulldogs redshirt freshman receiver Lennel Elmore, known to teammates as "Superman." He lived up to his Man of Steel moniker by chasing down Lewis at the 1-yard line.

Instead of a touchdown- saving tackle, Elmore managed to force the football free from Lewis and out of the end zone. The play was ruled a touchback, denying the Wildcats their best chance at a touchdown. S.C. State added an 86-yard kickoff return from Charleston native Tre Young and a career-high 39-yard field goal from Blake Erickson to pull away for a 24-3 victory. "I just had to hustle," Elmore said. "He had the ball out, so I just knocked it out. He wanted to show off, so I just hit the ball out of his hands."

"That play Lennel Elmore made was an unbelievable daggone play," S.C. State coach Buddy Pough said. "He runs his butt down there and strips that ball out of there and saves us seven points." It was the 12th straight win in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play for the Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0).

Black College football trends beginning to develop

Week three of the Black College football season is in the books and there are some interesting trends that are starting to develop. It appears that South Carolina State and Florida A&M are the class of the MEAC. The Bulldogs followed their win over Grambling last week with a 24-3 thumping of Bethune-Cookman. The Rattlers improved to 2-0 with a 24-point win at Winston-Salem State.

In the SWAC, Grambling bounced back from its loss to S.C. State by defeating Northwestern State 38-17 while Alabama A&M, which won at Tennessee State in its opener, added another win by defeating Hampton 31-24.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK EACH BLOG TITLE.

North Carolina Central University wins admission to MEAC

North Carolina Central University has won admission to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, returning the Durham institution to a league it helped found but then left 30 years ago. The conference said Thursday that its Council of Chief Executive Officers voted to admit NCCU as the MEAC’s 13th member effective July 1, 2010.

The decision gives NCCU a conference home as it continues to make the transition from a NCAA Division II athletics program to one competing in the top-level, and more expensive, Division I. NCCU is entering its third season of competition in Division I. "This is a significant milestone in North Carolina Central University's transition to Division I," said NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms. "Membership in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a win-win proposition for our student-athletes, alumni and fans – indeed, all our university constituents."

With its return to the MEAC, NCCU will now play in the same conference as its most fierce rival, North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, and another in-state school that recently made the jump to Division I, Winston-Salem State University. WSSU, which became the MEAC’s 12th member in 2007, was a rival of NCCU’s in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a Division II conference. The highlight of NCCU’s time in the CIAA was winning the Division II national men’s basketball championship in 1989.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
NCCU to join MEAC
Eagles land: NC Central rejoins MEAC as part of Division I climb Coaches excited about the step up
Eagles Back In The MEAC
NCCU Athletics Introduces New Sports Radio Show

MEAC/SWAC: HBCUs' real challenge is survival

SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp, "Disney and the City of Orlando have done an excellent job, but I want to bring it [MEAC/SWAC Challenge] back to Birmingham," Sharp said.

The lousy economy has long tentacles. It's all about survival, whether it's a distressed auto industry or banks trying to regain their footing. No different whether the business model involves Manolo Blahniks or football cleats. There are 105 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in this nation. Two of them gathered their football teams, fans and alumni in Central Florida this weekend for a smorgasbord of events meant to pump up not only interest but financial stability.

MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas, "The landscape is tough but it's nothing that we haven't experienced over an extended period of time."

South Carolina State University and Grambling State University put on an entertaining show during the Fifth Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge at the Florida Citrus Bowl Sunday afternoon. South Carolina State won, 34-31, on a defensive stop in the final minutes when cornerback Semaj Moody intercepted a pass by Greg Dillon. It was a pleasant way to spend three-plus hours despite the occasional drop of rain. But when everybody packs up and goes home, it's time to put away the party favors and deal with the economic realities: Many non-state-supported HBCUs are trying to stay solvent, given increased educational costs, and drops in endowments and financial aid for students.

2009 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Attendance: 21,367.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Arkansas State 61, Mississippi Valley 0

MVSU Delta Devils head coach Willie Totten

Red Wolves Roll Past Mississippi Valley State in Season Opener

Senior tailback Reggie Arnold rushed for 126 yards and four touchdowns and senior quarterback Corey Leonard became the Arkansas State all-time yardage leader as the Red Wolves rolled to 61-0 victory over the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in the season opener Saturday night at ASU Stadium. Leonard passed for 129 yards and a touchdown and rushed for seven more to finish the night with 7,433 career yards, surpassing Cleo Lemon's mark of 7,309 set from 1997-2000.

Arkansas State piled up 496 yards on the night while holding the Delta Devils to 69 yards of total offense. The shutout was the Red Wolves' first since a 3-0 overtime victory over Florida Atlantic during the 2005 season. "We did what we needed to do, we came out and got a victory," said ASU head coach Steve Roberts. "I was very proud of the preparation of our young men, coming out and taking care of business. We got to play a lot of people tonight and got sloppy towards the end on special teams, but I thought our offense and defense continued to play well. We got a lot of guys on scout team who never get an opportunity to play, and we rewarded them by letting them play in the 3rd and 4th quarters."

Next up for Arkansas St.: Nebraska

Arkansas State won't have long to savor its 61-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State. Next up for the Red Wolves is a trip Saturday to Nebraska, which opened its season with a 49-3 victory over Florida Atlantic. Like ASU, Florida Atlantic is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Against Mississippi Valley, Reggie Arnold scored four touchdowns for the Red Wolves and rushed for 126 yards on 12 carries. Corey Leonard completed 8 of 13 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for another 10 yards. Leonard became ASU's leader in career total offense, with 7,433 yards. ASU's defense held the Delta Devils to 69 total yards.

Delta Devils Armon Williams goes in for the tackle.

Valley braced for brutal first game

Mississippi Valley State's first game will be its toughest. Trying to rebound from back-to-back 3-9 seasons, the Delta Devils kick off the 2009 season Saturday at Arkansas State - a Football Bowl Subdivision team (formerly known as Division I-A) that returns 17 starters from last year's team that went 6-6 and defeated Texas A&M."No doubt this will be a challenge for us," Valley coach Willie Totten said. "They play a lot of tough competition in Division I-A in the Sun Belt conference."The good news is that we will know exactly where we are with this team, and with an open date coming up, we will have two weeks to get it right before we open conference play.

"The Red Wolves are 4-0 against Southwestern Athletic Conference teams, with the last two wins coming in major blowouts (55-3 over MVSU in 1995 and 83-10 over Texas Southern in 2008). This is obviously not the way Totten would have preferred to open the season, but this game gives Valley's strapped athletic budget a boost because Arkansas State will pay MVSU $200,000 to play Saturday. Totten says the program should net at least $185,000 once all the travel expenses are paid.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Southern Mississippi 52, Alcorn State Braves 0

Davis fuels rout

HATTIESBURG, MS - Austin Davis directed the Southern Miss offense with efficiency Saturday night against Alcorn State, finding everyone of his playmakers with ease in the first game of the season. With his biggest target, DeAndre Brown, standing on the sideline in jeans, Davis picked apart the Alcorn State defense as every key player on the Golden Eagles offense had several opportunities with the ball in their hands.

"What Austin has done is he's doing a better job of managing the offense," coach Larry Fedora said. "He's got a fresh understanding of what we want him to accomplish. He's going to take the open receiver because he's reading the coverage to see where it should go." Southern Miss cruised to a 52-0 victory over the SWAC team from Lorman before a record crowd of 36,232 at M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Collins: character will show on film

First-year Alcorn State head football coach Earnest Collins Jr. has much better memories from his first visit to Roberts Stadium than the ones he and his Braves carried back to Lorman on Saturday night. In 2007, Collins was defensive backs coach for Central Florida when the Knights left Hattiesburg with a Conference USA victory over Southern Miss. Saturday night was a completely different story, as the Golden Eagles struck early and often, handing the Braves a 52-0 thumping before the largest crowd in stadium history - 36,232 - in the season opener for both teams.

"I'm a realist," said Collins, who was associate head coach/defensive coordinator for the Braves last season. "The first part is, we didn't execute like we should have. The second part is, to put it bluntly, we were outmanned." Collins paused, offering a possible third part.

Photo Gallery: USM-Alcorn

Schools, fans honor McNair

Roars reverberated at Roberts Stadium Saturday well before the University of Southern Mississippi and Alcorn State University lined up in the historic first meeting between the intrastate rivals. Damion Fletcher’s picture, looming from the big board over the south end of the stadium, revved up the Black and Gold faithful every time. The U.S. Army’s parachutist team turned the crowd into children, with eyes turned to the sky and fingers pointing at the smoky, red swirls following the Black Daggers descent into the stadium.

But the most poignant applause came during a video tribute to the late Steve McNair, the Mount Olive native who rose to national prominence while quarterbacking the Braves and whose summer football camp was an annual fixture on the USM campus. McNair, who went on to become a standout in the National Football League with the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens during a 13-year career, was shot and killed on July 4 in Nashville. Thousands attended a memorial service a week later at USM’s basketball arena, Green Coliseum.


CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Big crowd sets Roberts Stadium record
Southern Miss Blanks Braves
YS - MSU/JSU and USM/ASU - It's a good thing
USM rolls up 631 yards of offense
Eagles soar by Alcorn
Golden Eagles rout Alcorn in opener
Southern Miss sets attendance record in season-opening win

North Carolina A&T 19, Winston Salem State 10

Aggies start Lee era with statement win

Alonzo Lee built a reputation as an aggressive defensive coordinator in 12 seasons coaching in the MEAC. Turns out Alonzo Lee the head coach is even more aggressive. Senior quarterback Carlton Fears passed for 131 yards and ran for 78 and a touchdown to lead N.C. A&T's offense during a 19-10 victory over Winston-Salem State in Lee's debut as the Aggies' head coach Saturday night at Bowman Gray Stadium. It wasn't that close.

The Aggies' offense left some scoring chances on the field. They missed a field-goal attempt, saw another field-goal try blocked, got stopped on a fourth-and-3 gamble at the 8 and let the first-half clock run out 2 yards short of the end zone. "I thought we moved the ball well, but we've got to get better in the red zone," Lee said. "We were in the red zone too many times where we did not come up with points. We've got to work on it. We're going to go back to the drawing board and find our best red-zone plays and get better." On this night, the Aggies didn't need those points because their defense was flat-out dominant. A&T grudgingly surrendered just 90 total yards, had four sacks and recovered two fumbles.

Photo Gallery: N.C. A&T 19, Winston-Salem State 10

Aggies beat Rams 19-10

N.C. A&T won the backyard battle with Winston-Salem State, mainly because it had fewer mistakes. The Aggies won 19-10 in front of a sellout crowd of 22,000 at Bowman Gray Stadium. Coach Alonzo Lee of the Aggies, making his debut, built his reputation on defense as an assistant coach. That trait has carried over because the Aggies held the offensive-stagnant Rams to just 90 yards. The Rams' defense, spending way too much time on the field, tired in the fourth quarter and the Aggies took advantage. Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams summed it up best: "The bottom line is we can't turn the ball over and we can't keep our defense out there as long as we did."

The game was tied at 10 going into the fourth quarter, but the momentum swung toward the Aggies after a bad snap on a punt by long-snapper Rodney Taylor of the Rams. Pinned deep in their own territory punter Landon Thayer had to fall on a bad snap that nearly sailed all the way over his head. The Aggies took over on the Rams' 10 and after the defense held again; freshman place-kicker Patrick Courtney made a 25-yard field goal for a 13-10 lead with 7:54 left. The way the Rams' offense was going, the field goal was enough.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
FEARS, DEFENSE LEAD AGGIES
LEE COMES TO AGGIES DEFENSE
Scouting the Aggies
Panthers sweep Winston-Salem State 3-0
Fullback Hickman is cleared to play for WSSU

Louisiana-Lafayette 42, Southern Jaguars 19

Southern University Jaguars Coach Pete Richards begins 17th season on the Bluff with expectations of winning the 2009 SWAC Championship after blowing a 12-7 lead at ULL.

Missed opportunities

Jaguars lead early, but fall to Cajuns...Wherever and whenever this season ends, the Southern football team probably won’t remember the final score of Saturday’s season opener — a 42-19 runaway for Louisiana-Lafayette, a game that started with a bevy of big plays and ended as a snoozer. The Jaguars might remember the record crowd of 41,357 at Cajun Field and how lively it seemed for the first two quarters. They’ll remember other things, too.

As they walked off the field, outmatched against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent that controlled the line of scrimmage and cashed in on their mistakes, the Jaguars were left to lament the opportunities they missed, the mistakes they made and the potential for a strong season that might still lie ahead. “Our goal is to get to the (Southwestern Athletic Conference) championship game,” 17th-year coach Pete Richardson said. “Now, we’ve just got to get back home and try to get some of our guys back together. “Every time we play up, it’s such a physical type game — and it’s a numbers game.

SU shakes off bumps, bruises

Southern coach Pete Richardson said his No. 1 priority in Saturday’s season opener at Louisiana-Lafayette — aside from winning, of course — was escaping Cajun Field with relatively few injuries. At the end of the Jaguars’ 42-19 loss, they appeared to get lucky. With 8:54 left in the first quarter, freshman cornerback Pierre Warford and senior free safety Anthony Wells collided while trying to make an interception near the Southern 10-yard line. Warford suffered a rib injury and did not return. Jeremy Ivory came off the bench to play corner, while House replaced Wells at free safety. Wells returned to the field later, but junior Jason House played much of the rest of the game.


Stewart keeps SU close

Jaguars leave opportunities on the field... For all of the success that Louisiana-Lafayette had operating against Southern’s defense, the Cajuns were in a tight battle for most of the first half of Saturday’s season-opening game. With wideout Juamorris Stewart threatening all of his single-game best numbers, Southern came away from a 42-19 loss at Cajun Field feeling like it left too many opportunities on the field. “We know, as an offense, we left a lot of points out there,” Stewart said. “We’re just going to have to get in the film room and work it out.”

Game Statistics: SU-ULL

Photo Gallery
Photos: ULL 42, Southern 19

DSU putting final polish on preseason

DOVER, DE -- Having wrapped up a busy preseason camp with a pair of practice sessions Friday, Delaware State University's football team is now focusing on dotting the i's and crossing the t's. The Hornets will conduct a "game simulation" scrimmage at 6 tonight at Alumni Stadium before turning their eyes toward their season opener on Sept. 5 at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Florida A&M. DSU coach Al Lavan will be looking closely at all the details in tonight's scrimmage.

"We plan to focus on simulating game situations these next couple of days," said Lavan, who is 34-22 in five seasons with the Hornets. "During [today's] final session, we'll try to go over all situations that may be encountered in a game, from A to Z. "We'll focus on everything from our various packages to sideline and press box personnel. It will amount to a mental exercise to determine how prepared we are for next week's opener." There is a sense of anticipation among the Hornets as the regular season looms.

Anthony Glaud, who earned the job as DSU's starting quarterback, has been studying and working to be as prepared as he can be. "Right now, we are working on execution and polishing up the playbook," Glaud said. "We are trying to get in as many plays and formations as possible before the end of camp. About 95 percent of the offense is in place."

Coach Al Lavan (center).

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

2009 Hornets Football Schedule (Record: 0-1; Forfeit to NCAT)

Date Opponent Location Time (ET)

Sat, Sep 05 Florida A&M * at Tallahassee, Fla. 6:00 p.m.
Sat, Sep 19 Delaware at Newark, Del. 12:00 p.m.
Sat, Sep 26 Hampton * at Hampton, Va. 6:00 p.m.
Sat, Oct 10 Bethune-Cookman * Dover, Del. 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Oct 17 Michigan at Ann Arbor, Mich. TBA
Sat, Oct 24 Morgan State * Dover, Del. 1:00 p.m.
Sat, Oct 31 South Carolina State * at Orangeburg, S.C. 1:30 p.m.
Sat, Nov 07 Winston-Salem State at Winston-Salem, N.C. 1:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 14 Norfolk State * Dover, Del. 1:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 21 Howard * Dover, Del. 1:00 p.m.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Hornets tapping into Philly area talent
Freshman looks to make impact
Hard-working Glaud gets nod as DSU's starting QB
DSU Putting Finishing Touches On Camp

South Carolina State team preview

QB Malcolm Long, 6-3 Jr., Gaffney, SC/Gaffney HS will lead the defending MEAC Champion Bulldogs in a strong season opener against 2008 SWAC Champions, Grambling State Tigers at the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando, FL on Sept 6.

Bulldog Offense: South Carolina State running back Will Ford is a guy that many FBS coaches would gladly add to their offense. The 5-foot-11-inch senior from Travelers Rest, S.C. was picked as the MEAC's preseason Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. In the last two years combined, Ford has rushed for 2,888 yards and 17 touchdowns, including a 112-yard effort against the Gamecocks in 2007. Ford is joined in the backfield by quarterback Malcolm Long, a 6-foot-3 senior that set two school passing records last season. Long and Ford headline an experienced offense that returns six starters from their 2008 MEAC Championship squad.

Bulldog Defense: The Bulldog defense allowed only 17 points per game last season, including a stretch of three straight shutouts against MEAC rivals Howard, Morgan State and North Carolina A&T. That defensive squad returns seven starters, headlined by linebacker Marshall McFadden and safety Marquais Hamlin, who were both preseason All-MEAC selections. The one glaring blemish on SCSU's record last year was a 54-0 defeat at the hands of Clemson. The Tigers racked up 416 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns on the Bulldogs.

2009 Bulldogs Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time/Result Details
9/6/2009 Grambling State@ Orlando, Fla. 2 PM
9/12/2009 * Bethune-Cookman University Daytona Beach, FL 4 PM
9/26/2009 Winston-Salem State# Orangeburg, SC 6 PM
10/3/2009 University of South Carolina Columbia, SC TBA
10/10/2009 * Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA 1 PM
10/17/2009 * Florida A&M University$ Orangeburg, SC 2 PM
10/24/2009 * Hampton University Hampton, VA 2 PM
10/31/2009 * Delaware State^ Orangeburg, SC 1:30 PM
11/7/2009 * Howard University Washington, DC 1 PM
11/14/2009 * Morgan State University& Orangeburg, SC 1:30 PM
11/21/2009 * NC A&T State University Orangeburg, SC 1:30 PM

Home Games are in bold
* denotes a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest
@ MEAC-SWAC Challenge
# Faculty & Staff/Senior Citizen Appreciation Day
$ Greek Day/Youth Day
^ Homecoming
& Senior Day

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Black College football powers prepare for showdown
SCSU ranks in Football Championship Coaches Poll
Orangeburg kicks off Bulldogs' football season
Rally connects Bulldogs with community
Bulldogs turn full focus towards Grambling ...

College Football Preview '09: Grambling State Tigers

GRAMBLING, LA - Rod Broadway gets a great deal of credit for the recent revival of Grambling State football, and well he should. The Tigers put together an 8-4 record in Broadway's first year as head coach in 2007 and reached the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game, even though losses to Southern in the Bayou Classic and to Jackson State in the title game marred that debut season. GSU avenged those two setbacks in a big way last fall, as the Tigers handled Southern 29-14 in the Bayou Classic and pounded JSU 41-9 for the conference title. That capped an 11-2 season and convinced the voters in the Sheridan Poll to declare Grambling the black college national champions.

GSU Tigers head coach Rod Broadway, third year, 19-6.

Broadway's name and stamp is on those teams, but Cliff Yoshida should get his share of acclaim - especially last year, when the Tigers fielded a defensive unit worthy of mention with Grambling's all-time best. Yoshida, in his second year as defensive coordinator under Broadway, engineered a platoon that recorded 29 interceptions and 44 quarterback sacks (double the previous year's total). GSU held opponents well under 30 percent on third-down conversions, and led the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision with a plus-1.85 turnover margin. More importantly, 43 percent of the time that Grambling opponents penetrated the Tiger 20-yard-line, they didn't score.

2009 GSU Tigers Schedule

Sept. 6 South Carolina St. (1 p.m., Orlando), MEAC/SWAC Challenge
Sept. 12 Northwestern State (6 p.m.)
Sept. 19 at Jackson State (3:30 p.m.)
Sept. 26 at Oklahoma State (6 p.m.)
Oct. 3 *vs. Prairie View A&M (6 p.m., Dallas), State Fair Classic
Oct. 10 Alabama A&M (3 p.m.)
Oct. 17 *at Alabama State (TBA)
Oct. 31 *Mississippi Valley State (2 p.m.)
Nov. 7 *vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4 p.m., Little Rock), Literacy Classic
Nov. 12 *Texas Southern (7 p.m.)
Nov. 28 *vs. Southern (1 p.m., New Orleans), Bayou Classic
Home games in bold. *denotes Southwestern Athletic Conference games

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
GSU basketball player dies after a heat stroke
MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff Banquet on Sept. 4
As usual, Grambling opens season with a target on its back
Grambling State preparing for Orlando
South Carolina State, Grambling prepare to face off in MEAC/SWAC ...
ULS board approves measures for Grambling
GSU hoops player dies
Grambling relying on its defense
Chasing history
Grambling enters new season with future in sight but past goals in ...

History maker: JSU-MSU is 1st SEC-SWAC football matchup

Little did Greg Byrne know it when he did it, but the first football game contract he signed as athletic director at Mississippi State made college football history. That would be the one that pays Jackson State $315,000 to come play at Starkville on Saturday. It will mark the first football meeting in history between a school from the Southeastern Conference and a school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

"To be honest, we weren't thinking of it in terms of a historical perspective," Byrne said. "We want to play one game a year against a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly Division I-AA) team. "We felt it made more sense to play, if possible, a regional team or someone in our own state. It also made sense to find a team that has a history of its fans traveling well. That was what we had in mind when I approached Bob Braddy (JSU's athletic director).

"Now, we're excited about bringing their band, their team, their fans to our campus. The historical part? We're honored to be a part of that." A week out, the game is nearing a sellout. From Braddy's point of view, it's a no-brainer: the largest payday in Jackson State history and a short trip besides. There is some historical irony at work here: The sons and grandsons of players who once made the SWAC perhaps one of the most talent-laden conferences in college football, now do the same for the SEC.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Alcorn, MVSU could be MSU's radar in future

MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street...
Memo to A.D. Bob Brady--You gotta push the money envelop back for more cash in negotiations, especially with the Sonic Boom Marching Band and possibly 8,000+ JSU fans travelling to MSU. With only 148 miles separating MSU and JSU, the Bulldogs need only 7,326 additional fans to cover the JSU payout of $315,000. JSU averaged 21,263 fans for four home games in 2008, ranking #4 in the FCS in attendance. MSU averaged 43,453, ranking #54 in FBS average home attendance, with only one saleout (#7 ranked Auburn) at 55,082 Davis Wade Stadium. Expect the stadium record for attendance at 56,188 to be broken for this anticipated game. Game tickets are $43.00 each for JSU fans.

$315,000!! We're talking about a SEC school buying a FCS victory to become bowl eligible with a 6 win season. Surely a guaranteed victory is worth more...even for a bottom dwelling SEC Bulldog program.

NSU wants a day off; foe wants to cash in

NSU president Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers says DSU offered to pay NSU between $25,000 and $30,000 for changing their schedule.

Delaware State wants a record pay day. Norfolk State just wants a day off. The conference rivals, accustomed to knocking heads on the football field, are beginning early this year, in a tussle over scheduling. The Hornets, hoping to bank $500,000 by playing at Michigan, have asked Norfolk State to move a game at Delaware State from Nov. 14 to Oct. 3. The problem, that's the Spartans' open date. Move the game, and NSU would play 10 straight weeks without a break - after four weeks of preseason camp.

That's unacceptable, said school officials, who went on the public relations offensive by holding a news conference Friday. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule has been set for more than a year. Delaware State knew that when Michigan called, offering what is believed to be the most lucrative "guarantee" game in MEAC history. "We should not have to be disadvantaged because another university did not respect the conference schedule," NSU president Carolyn W. Meyers said.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

MEAC finally set to welcome Eagles

After almost a two-year wait, N.C. Central University is about to get its wish. On Feb. 23, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference finally lifted its ban on membership expansion. Its Council of Chief Executive Officers has begun the application review process of the Eagles and Savannah (Ga.) State as the 13th and 14th members of the historically black Division I conference. NCCU is in the second year of its five-year reclassification process into Division I. The Eagles have been playing an independent schedule since leaving the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2006.

But, in reality, there's nothing to review. From the day they made the decision to leave the CIAA, the Eagles' membership was a given. The only question is, what took so long? "We have a process," Commissioner Dennis Thomas said. "First, a strategic and long-range plan was done for the future of our conference, and membership expansion was a part of that. We completed that and the board approved lifting the moratorium in January."

That's executive speak. The bottom line is the MEAC needs N.C. Central just as much as N.C. Central needs it.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Alabama State Hornets cater to new football philosophy

Somewhere near the end of the 2008 season, Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow came to a decision. Win or lose, Bar­low decided he was going to run the ASU program the way he felt was best. He had a specific offensive system he liked, and he was will­ing to fire his second coordina­tor in two seasons in order to find a guy who shared his be­liefs. He also had a specific de­fensive plan he felt would work best, and he was willing to fire a popular and successful defen­sive coordinator in order to run it.

Last Wednesday, Barlow and his staff signed a class that re­flected those new philosophies. And in terms of filling needs, it was a successful signing day. ASU welcomed in 28 players, almost all of which addressed a hole created by a graduating senior or a change in philoso­phy. Offensively, for example, Barlow's game plan is to create a hybrid-style offense that uses el­ements of the spread offense's short passes and the pro forma­tion's power rushing attack.

As the Hornets learned last season, when they employed the spread, quick, agile receivers are a must. Without them, the short passes in the spread are just short passes. In one game, ASU completed 23 pass attempts for only 136 yards. To address that issue, the Hornets signed six receivers in this year's class. All of them have good speed and four of the six were signed specifically be­cause of their ability to run after the catch.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

PVAMU Frazier brings in stellar 2009 football signing class

PRAIRIE VIEW, TX - PVAMU Head Coach Henry Frazier III has set the precedent for excellence for the football program bringing another outstanding recruiting class to “the hill”.

The highlight of this year’s class is Quarterback Kenneth Black. Black transferred to PVAMU from Western Kentucky University after being named the starter in 2008 as a sophomore. KJ split time in all 12 games in 2007 and threw for 1,007 yards with eight touchdowns. “KJ is a guy who can go head-to-head with Jay Bluford but he will go into spring camp #2,” said Frazier. “Jay is a fifth year senior who knows our offense and a very capable signal caller that’s not going to just hand over the job.”















The Panthers accomplished their primary goal of filling voids at critical positions where key players were lost such as All-American LB Zack East. The team added three blue chip linebackers with high hopes of developing a core group that will eventually be able to lead the defense. “We definitely did a great job recruiting three safeties and three linebackers,” said Frazier. “Our coaching staff did an excellent job of addressing the needs of our program.”

Coach Frazier has had the luxury of being able to redshirt the past two freshman classes; but three players in this class who are physically ready to play right now are OL Aneus Ruiz, LB Marcus White and LB Raheem Cardwell. Ruiz is a physically dominating and intelligent offensive lineman that registered 40 pancake blocks. White registered 104 tackles and was a highly recruited local talent (Jones HS) who chose the Panthers over TSU, ULL and Kentucky while Cardwell hails from nationally ranked (Dematha HS - MD) where he was the team’s defensive MVP tallying 90 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and an interception. “Ruiz, White and Cardwell are physically ready to play at this level right now,” said Frazier. “When it’s all said and done all of these recruits are going to have the opportunity to come here and compete.”

PVAMU FOOTBALL TRANSFERS & SIGNEES

Kenneth Black,* QB, 6'4/220, Western Kentucky Univ. - Transfer-Louisville, KY
Michael Benson,* WR, 5'10/175, College of Sequoias, Houston, TX
Michael Robinson ,TE , 6'1/220, Steele HS - TX , Scherts, TX
Gabriel Young, TE, 6'4/220, Jones HS - TX, Houston, TX
Marcus White, LB, 6'0/205, Jones HS - TX, Houston, TX
Aneus Ruiz , OL, 6'4/300, North Forest HS-TX, Houston, TX
Christopher Townsend, LB, 6'0 /220, Bishop McNamara HS - MD, Ft. Washington, MD
Jared Williams, DB, 6'1/180, Bishop McNamara - MD, Bowie, MD
Davion Green,TE,6'3/230, Kimball High School - TX,Dallas, TX
Amir Smith,QB, 6'5/200, Lackey HS - MD, Port Tobacco, MD
Eric Moore,S, 6'4/215, City Coll.of San Fran. - CA - Transfer,San Bruno, CA
Raheem Cardwell, LB, 6'2/215, Dematha HS - MD, Alexandria, VA
Breon Johnson,S,6'0/180, Ozen High School - TX,Beaumont, TX
Adrien Grant,S,6'4/187, Carman Ainsworth - MI, Mt. Morris, MI
Marquis Holliie*, Ath, 5'10/175, Warren HS - San Antonio,San Antonio, TX

*Students currently enrolled at Prairie View A&M University

WSSU Athletics Releases 2009 Football Schedule

by WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations

Rams to play five home contests and UC Davis in California

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Winston-Salem State University Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell officially released the 2009 Ram football schedule on Wednesday morning with several highlights of the 11-game slate being WSSU's five home games to take place at Bowman Gray Stadium, the Urban League Classic in East Rutherford, N.J. and a West coast road trip to Davis, Calif. to face the Aggies of UC Davis.

The Rams will play a full complement of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games with only two non-conference opponents gracing the schedule in longtime rival, North Carolina Central University (November 14) and Great West Football Conference member, the University of California, Davis (October 17). WSSU, who will enter into their fourth year of a five-year transition to the NCAA Division I level in the fall of 2009, will play nine MEAC contests highlighted by MEAC home games against North Carolina A&T in the Battle of I-40 Classic (September 5), Florida A&M (October 10), Hampton for Homecoming 2009 (October 31), Delaware State (November 7).

The Rams will take to the road to face Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member South Carolina State in Orangeburg (September 26) before traveling to the nation’s capital to kickoff versus Howard in Washington, D.C. (October 3) on back-to-back weeks. WSSU will also travel to points south as they visit Daytona Beach, Fla. to face Bethune-Cookman (October 24) before completing their road schedule in Norfolk, Va. against Norfolk State University in the final week of the season (November 21).

Highlighting the Rams’ games away from home marks dates at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. with the Bears of Morgan State University in the Urban League Classic and a cross-country trip to Davis, Calif. to face the Aggies of UC Davis. The Aggies, a team that recently completed a five-year transition to NCAA Division I will face the Rams in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

“We are extremely pleased with our 2009 football schedule” WSSU Director of Athletics, Dr. Chico Caldwell commented. “We have a good schedule with several highlights.”

“We’ll be in the Urban League Classic at Giants Stadium and we have Florida A&M coming into Bowman Gray Stadium, which is something that our fans are excited about. We have a very balanced schedule with five home games and six games away from home and we get to take our team out to California to play UC Davis as well as playing host to Hampton at Bowman Gray Stadium for Homecoming” Caldwell added. It's uncertain whether Florida A&M will bring its famous 424-member band to Winston-Salem. "I don't know if their band is coming, because I know we can't pay for it -- they have a big band," Caldwell said. "We're excited about them coming to Bowman Gray Stadium."

Season tickets for 2009 WSSU football will go on sale on Monday, July 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the WSSU Ticket Office. Tickets may be purchase in person, or by phone via credit card at (336) 750-3220. For additional information on WSSU football, log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at http://www.wssurams.com/.

Click here for 2009 Printable Schedule.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Rams' football schedule has five games at home

Note to Dr. Caldwell... Great move scheduling a weaken Hampton for homecoming. The unofficial FAMU answer is no, the Marching 100 will not be coming to Winston Salem. The policy is simple--no Money, No Marching 100 Band. Nine buses, hotel and food is not free for 450 members of the hundred. Still, the price of admission is worth the trip to WSSU for the fans to see Joe Taylor's Rattlers steamroll the Rams on their way to the MEAC Championship.

Not sure who has the correct date for the Rams vs. Rattlers game -- FAMU schedule shows the game scheduled on September 12th, the Rams current OPEN DATE. The Rattlers plan to be at Miami on Oct 10 for a $400,000 payday and another demoralizing D-I flattening by the Hurricanes.

-beepbeep

Barlow satisfied with new Alabama State Hornets staff

Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow went into this offseason with several ideas about how to improve his coaching staff. He wanted to fill his five vacant assistant positions with coaches who are loyal to the program and loyal to him. He wanted to add experience, specifically SWAC experience. And he wanted to put together a group of coaches that best fit the ASU program. In filling those slots, Barlow believes he's achieved every goal.

"I'm happy with the hires and believe they're really good fits here," said Barlow, who said it would be a few days before the hires are finalized. "We're happy to have them and feel all of these guys are quality coaches." There were a couple of familiar names among the group of new coaches. Roger Totten, who was Barlow's position coach when he was a player at ASU in the early 1990s, is leaving Alabama A&M to coach receivers again with the Hornets. And Cedric Thornton, a former linebacker who played with Barlow at ASU, will coach the linebackers.

Joining Totten and Thornton are defensive coordinator Jo Nixon, a former Florida State player and defensive coordinator at Langston University, running backs coach Vyron Brown, a former Grambling State running back and Doug Williams protg, and offensive line coach Kenneth Ray, a former Southern Miss player and offensive line coach at North Carolina A&T.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
ASU BASKETBALL: Hornets wary of Bulldogs
ASU track coach Crump in SWAC HoF class

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Hornets sweep Ark.-Pine Bluff

BASKETBALL: Lady Hornets band together after tragedy
Photo Gallery: ASU hosts Grambling
ASU BASKETBALL: Hornets handle Grambling 60-46

FAMU's Vann Earns His Place In History

A First-team All-American.

It is the goal of every elite college football player, but only a select few can be recognized with that special distinction. That's why Florida A&M University junior return specialist LeRoy Vann, a Blake High graduate, will always consider 2008 as his most special season. Vann, after a record-setting season, was named to the Walter Camp Foundation NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) All-America Team.

Vann runs into permanent Rattler lore with a sizzling 92 yards kickoff for TD against 2008 MEAC Champions, S.C. State Bulldogs 10/4/2008.


"He's creating a larger recognition base for himself, but it goes to show no matter where you are, if you work hard, it will not go unnoticed," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "Individually, it brings him great recognition, but it brings recognition to Florida A&M University in a very positive way. It's going to help with our recruiting, because young men are going to see that Florida A&M is where you can play and still get recognized."

FAMU's LeRoy Vann returns kickoff 80 yards for Rattler touchdown against MEAC foe Delaware State before national television audience on ESPNU Thursday Night game, 9/4/08 at Dover, DE.

His accomplishments were difficult to ignore. Vann, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound cornerback, was the only Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player to make the team. He set an FCS single-season record for combined kick-return yardage (1,583 yards), breaking the mark of 1,469, set by Samford's David Primus in 1989. Additionally, Vann had six touchdowns on kick returns, tying the single-season record of Eastern Washington's Bashir Levingston (1998) and Montana State's Corey Smith (2003). He had 66 combined returns - another national record - breaking the mark of 64, set by Connecticut's Joe Markus in 1981. Vann shared the glory, giving credit to FAMU special-teams coach Rod Plummer.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.