SCSU’S Bellamy is hardest working man in ‘Bulldog Business’

South Carolina State center Tristan Bellamy took a moment to think about what to say next.

The Strom Thurmond alum couldn't find a feasible answer when asked what his toughest challenge was and that could be a good sign of things to come out of the young offensive lineman.

"He's probably been the hardest working man in Bulldog business," Bulldogs head coach Buddy Pough said. "He's taken pretty much every rep for the last eight practices. We actually have another guy that we were working as his backup, but he had a little bit of an injury situation. So, he was out for a few days. Then, we got some other guys banged up and we ended up moving him to guard. But it just kind of gets him to the point where he gets the work that he needs anyway."

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VISIT: SCSUEDU
VISIT: SCSUATHLETICS

Carter finds way to Florida A&M after all

 Rattlers Head Football Coach Joe Taylor

A little more than a year ago, when Jimmie Tyson was recruiting Ravonne Carter out of Hialeah High School, Tyson saw all sorts of possibilities. Tyson, secondary coach at Florida A&M, saw a lot of Carter at cornerback, but figured he'd be the perfect nickel back. Special teams was also an option.

Tyson felt that the special relationship he'd developed with Carter meant he was on his way to FAMU. He went to New Mexico State instead. But right after the Lobos completed their second 1-11 season, Carter headed out. One of his first calls was to Tyson, who didn't hesitate to let Carter know he could come to FAMU.

"Things didn't work out as I had planned, and I felt like I needed to be closer to home," said Carter, who was a highly-touted player in high school. "FAMU was my only hope.

FAMU High grad set to make mark with Rattlers

At the urging of some parents who were watching him coach a pee-wee flag football team, George Stanley inserted his son, Jordan. Jordan was only 4 years old, but what happened next pretty much explains why he excelled at FAMU High and is hoping to do the same at Florida A&M.

"He scored a touchdown," the older Stanley said, recalling his son's first touchdown. "He was so happy, he took off running. He didn't realize that we had to finish the game. He didn't care. He was having fun."

Jordan Stanley, 5-feet-9, 190 pounds, is having even more fun nowadays for two reasons: First, he is playing his favorite position at running back; and second, he'll be playing the next three seasons as a Rattler. He's already making an impression in spring practice as he competes against Eddie Rocker and LaVante Page for a spot on the depth chart.

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Williams, Grambling expect to win

Philadelphia, PA - He's only an internet search away, but Doug Williams laughs that some of his Grambling State football players may not know a lot about what he has accomplished within the storied program or during his NFL career.

"Those young guys, sometimes they don't keep up with stuff. They might not," he said, chuckling. "They don't have to embrace me. I think it's important they embrace Grambling - the legacy and the history of Grambling."

There's no escaping that Williams has been a big part of the program that legendary coach Eddie Robinson built, first as a player from 1973-77 and then as Robinson's successor during a six-year coaching tenure from 1998-2003.

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Feggins out as S.C. State offense moves in new direction

SCSU new offense will cater to QB Derrick Wiley's
strengths and running abilities

We are looking at having a spread offense, a high-tempo offense and we will run some of the Auburn, Oregon ... maybe even some of the style things Clemson is doing." - Coach Buddy Pough

Orangeburg, S.C. - South Carolina State's offense will have a different look when the Bulldogs open spring practice Tuesday night.

And, that look won't include the team's wide receivers coach of the past three seasons, Howard Feggins. Friday, The T&D confirmed that Feggins will not return to the S.C. State program.

"We are looking at (filling the position)," S.C. State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough said Friday night. "We haven't quite gotten it done. We are just in the process of trying to decide exactly what we are going to do. It looks like he is not going to come back. It appears he may stay in the profession, but he may decide to move on as well."

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Hampton Pirates Releases 2011 Football Schedule

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team, under the direction of head coach Donovan Rose, has released its 2011 schedule – a slate that includes seven home games.

The Pirates (6-5, 5-3 MEAC in 2010) will open the season on Sept. 3 at Armstrong Stadium against Alabama A&M at 6 p.m., before playing host to Florida A&M in the first conference game of the season on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.

Hampton’s first road game will be on Sept. 17, when the Pirates head to Foreman Field to take on Old Dominion at 6 p.m., before they head to Daytona Beach, Fla. on Sept. 24 to face defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman.

The Pirates’ bye week will be on Oct. 1.

Hampton will play host to Princeton on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m., before heading to Dick Price Stadium on Oct. 15 for the annual Battle of the Bay against Norfolk State. North Carolina Central will come to Armstrong Stadium on Oct. 22 for a 2 p.m. kickoff, and the Pirates will close out the month on Oct. 29 at Savannah State.

All three of Hampton’s games in November will be at home: Nov. 5 against Howard at 1 p.m., against Delaware State on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. in the annual Hall of Fame Game and against Morgan State on Nov. 19 at 1 p.m.



Pirates 2011 Football Schedule

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION GAME TAG TIME
9/3/2011 Alabama A&M Hampton, Va. Alumni Day 6 pm 
9/10/2011 Florida A&M Hampton, Va. Take-A-Kid-to-the-Game Day/Greek Day 6 pm 
9/17/2011 Old Dominion Norfolk, Va. 6 pm
9/24/2011 Bethune-Cookman Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA
10/8/2011 Princeton Hampton, Va. Military Appreciation Day, Parents’ Weekend 1 pm 
10/15/2011 Norfolk State Norfolk, Va. Battle of the bay 1 pm
10/22/2011 North Carolina Central Hampton, Va. Homecoming 2 pm 
10/29/2011 Savannah State Savannah, Ga. 2 pm
11/5/2011 Howard Hampton, Va. Battle of the “Real” HU 1 pm 
11/12/2011 Delaware State Hampton, Va. Athletics Hall of Fame Game, Take-A-Kid-to-the-Game Day 1 pm 
11/19/2011 Morgan State Hampton, Va. Community Appreciation Day 1 pm

Home Games are in bold
* denotes a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest

By Hampton University Media Relations

Jackson State QB's recovery is 'going well'

Quarterback Casey Therriault's recovery from a broken collarbone is "going well," Jackson State coach Rick Comegy said.

A right-handed thrower, Therriault broke his right collarbone in the second quarter of JSU's season-ending win over Alcorn State. Comegy said his quarterback is no longer wearing an arm sling and should participate in spring practice. "We're going to be very careful with him," Comegy said.

Therriault finished with the second most passing yards in the Football Championship Subdivision last season and a school record-tying 31 touchdowns.



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NCAA Investigating Texas Southern University Athletics

The investigation is on inconsistent Academic Performance Program data provided to NCAA for the years of 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, found by the present university administration and self-reported.

HOUSTON - FOX 26 Sports has learned the NCAA is investigating the athletics programs at Texas Southern University. The school was formally notified of the investigation on Oct. 18, 2010. The investigation is scheduled to be completed next month according to a letter written by NCAA vice-president of enforcement David Price and sent to TSU president John Rudley.


NCAA Investigating TSU Athletics: MyFoxHOUSTON.com
LINKS:
READ NCAA Letter, Page 1
READ NCAA Letter, Page 2

TSU probe nears end

The NCAA’s investigation into possible violations committed by the Texas Southern athletic department is expected to be completed in February, according to a letter the NCAA sent the school Oct. 18.

The letter, which was obtained through an open records request, was written by NCAA vice president of enforcement David Price and addressed to TSU president John Rudley. It indicated that violations mostly involve those found by the institution and the NCAA during an Academic Performance Program data review.

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Savannah State University Hires Davenport To Lead Football Program

Davenport said the SSU job appealed to him because of the MEAC

SSU hires Davenport as new football coach

Excerpt:
Davenport was chosen from more than 200 applicants, SSU athletics director Marilynn Suggs said. He will be paid $125,000 annually - more than Wells ($90,000), Theo Lemon ($65,000), Richard Basil ($61,164) and Ken Pettiford ($61,000), the Tigers' coaches since moving up to the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) in 2002.

Suggs said a search committee, chaired by prominent booster Henry Nash, submitted a list of three finalists: Davenport, Jackson (Miss.) State University offensive coordinator Earnest Wilson and The Citadel running backs coach Everette Sands. They interviewed at SSU on Tuesday.

"And after meeting with them, the choice was clear," Suggs said. "After making my recommendation to the university president (Earl Yarbrough), who concurred, I contacted and offered this man."

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SSU OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE 

SAVANNAH, Ga.- Savannah State University has hired Steve Davenport as the Tigers’ new head football coach, Athletics Director Marilynn Stacey-Suggs announced today.

Davenport’s appointment is effective immediately. He replaces Julius Dixon, who served as the interim coach for the 2010 season.

The Decatur, Ga., native comes to SSU from the University of Alabama-Birmingham where he served as the Blazers running back coach since December 2006.

While at UAB he also served as the Director of Community Relations, where he organized and facilitated all community service programs.

Davenport, 43, spent two years (2005-06) as the offensive coordinator at Rockdale County High School in Conyers, Ga. At Rockdale County, he joined a staff that previously went 1-9 in 2004 and finished runner-up in Region 8-AAAA, and advanced into the second round of the state playoffs.

He was the head coach at Decatur High School for two seasons (2003-04) and in 2003 was named the Georgia Class AA State Coach-of-the-Year as his team finished 13-1, losing in the state semifinals.


Videographer: KEN SLATS, WSAV 3

Davenport also spent four seasons (1997-2001) as the head coach at Redan High School in Lithonia, Ga., and served as the offensive coordinator at Southwest DeKalb High School in Atlanta from 1994-96, when the school won the 1995 Georgia State AAAAA state championship. He also worked as a defensive backs coach at Southwest DeKalb (1990-91) and helped the team reach the 1990 AAAA State Championship game.

Davenport was a graduate assistant coach at Georgia Tech during the1992 and 1993 seasons. Under head coach Bill Lewis, he assisted in coaching the wide receivers; served as assistant recruiting coordinator; aided in coordinating recruiting weekends, breaking down film and assisting in game plan preparations; and was responsible for the defensive scout team during practices.

Davenport was a four-year letterwinner as a player at Georgia Tech from 1985-88. He was a member of the Yellow Jacket team that defeated Michigan State in the 1985 All-American Bowl played at Legion Field.

A three-year starter at wide receiver, Davenport earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech in 1990 and his master’s degree from Tech in 1994.

He is married to the former Stephanie Gilstrap.

From: SSU Press Release 1/7/2011

FAMU Rattlers will get shot at MEAC title

The football season has come to this for Florida A&M. Sudden death against Bethune-Cookman for at least a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.

The Rattlers got this far after sputtering early in the season, but for the second game behind redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Trainor they live for one more chance to stay in the league championship race. Hampton kept threatening to deny FAMU, but in the end the Rattlers' defense was too stingy, securing a 17-13 victory in front 10,306 at Bragg Stadium.

It was FAMU's fifth straight win after ...

Defense steps up, punches ticket for championship game

Florida A&M's defense made plays when it mattered and took advantage of Hampton's eighth-ranked scoring offense en route to a 17-12 victory at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

The Hampton University Pirates (5-5, 4-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) turned up the defense pressure in the second half but could not overcome the pressure from the Rattlers' defense. The Pirates only managed six points in the second half, and couldn't erase an 11-point halftime deficit.

FAMU receivers focus more after dropped passes

The first two throws of the game could not have been tighter spirals. Yet both of them still ended up on the turf as Rattler wide receivers let the ball hit them in the hands before it fell incomplete. But trust is built on the practice field, not on Saturdays. So FAMU quarterback Austin Trainor kept firing away to his receivers.

Kevin Elliot, Isaac West and tight end Max Purcell combined for five drops on the afternoon, but each made a contribution to the team that bailed out their freshman quarterback. West and Elliot led FAMU with four receptions and accounted for 104 of the team's 156 passing yards.

Hampton U falls to .500 with 17-12 loss at Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — — Dyrii McCain sat in the back of the end zone with his hands on his head, panting, in part amazement and mostly frustration as yet another game slipped away from his Hampton football team. McCain and Donte Davis were the targets of a last-second heave from quarterback David Legree as the Pirates tried to ruin the Florida A&M football season for the second straight season.

But before either could come down with the football, the ball was intercepted and the Pirates dropped a fourth straight game, falling 17-12 in a tightly contested Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game that dropped them to .500.

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ATTENDANCE: 10,306


Videographer: mad1sir

SCSU Bulldogs get Long on success

ORANGEBURG — Senior quarterback Malcolm Long threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns to become South Carolina State’s career passing leader (6,363 yards) as the Bulldogs cruised to a 54-14 victory against Howard on Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

The Bulldogs (7-2, 5-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic) jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter off a 40-yard inception return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Marshall McFadden. Senior running back Chris Merrill scored the first of two touchdowns with a 4-yard run and Long connected with Thomas Williams on a 31-yard touchdown pass to make the score 20-0 in the first quarter.

Howard Bison Drops Fourth-Straight, 54-14 to South Carolina State

The season is coming to a close but the losses continue to pile up for the Howard Bison, who suffered their fourth-straight defeat Nov. 6 in a 54-14 shellacking by the South Carolina State Bulldogs in Orangeburg, S.C.



S.C. quarterback Malcolm Long threw for 275 yards and two scores, powering S.C. State to a 37-7 halftime lead. When Long wasn’t torching Howard through the air, running back Chris Merrill was gashing them on the ground, accounting for three scores on just 42 yards rushing.

Ex-Lamar Star Leads SC State Past Howard

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- Former WPDE All-Zoner Marshall McFadden, a product of Lamar, returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown to help South Carolina State to a 54-14 win over Howard on Saturday. QB Malcolm Long passed for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Long became the school's all-time leader in total yards with 6,363 eclipsing the old record held by Cleve McCoy.

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ATTENDANCE: 8,007

Videographer: grossb78

Williams shakes off three interceptions, rallies Morgan State past Delaware State, 34-24

Morgan State quarterback Delonte Williams had already thrown three interceptions, two of which resulted in Delaware State touchdowns, when he calmly walked into the huddle with just over three minutes left in the game. Williams said that even though the Bears were down by three, they'd be just fine.

The redshirt freshman then directed an 85-yard drive, capped by his 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Hendrix with 20 seconds left. Sheldon Jacques added another touchdown on a 2-yard fumble return as time ran out to give Morgan State a 34-24 victory in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Saturday before an announced 14,312 at Hughes Stadium.

Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley liked how his team overcame adversity on the last drive.

In seconds, DSU Hornets squanders victory

BALTIMORE, MD -- Delaware State has struggled all season when it comes to stopping the opponent in the fourth quarter. Saturday saw that problem reach a new extreme. With time winding down, Morgan State overcame a fourth-and-10 from its own 15-yard line and rallied for 13 points in the final 20 seconds to pull off a 34-24 victory in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game.

"That's why you have to play for every snap that's required in a football game," DSU head coach Al Lavan said. "It's not a mystery as to what happened. It's very clear as to what happened -- we didn't make enough plays when we were given the opportunity to."

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huevoicesdotcom captures sights and sounds from Morgan State's 2010 Homecoming game. Check out Bobby Marvin's blog site at:  http://www.huevoices.com
huevoicesdotcom is a blog that provides news,one on one interviews, features, and commentary on the African-American community of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

PVAMU Panthers Roll Past Lincoln 45-12

K.J. Black passed for two touchdowns and Chris Adingupu recorded a 53-yard interception return as Prairie View A&M defeated Lincoln University 45-12 before an overflow homecoming crowd at Blackshear Field.

Prairie View’s Jarvis Wilson recorded the game’s first big play as he scooped up a fumble and raced 32 yards to Lincoln’s 8-yard line on their opening possession. Four plays later, Prairie View’s Brady Faggard connected on a 21-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Prairie View moved ahead 10-0 on its second offensive possession as Black connected with wideout Brandon Bell for a 42-yard strike and upped its lead to 17-0 several minutes later in the first quarter following Donald Babers’ 13-yard touchdown run.

LU trimmed its deficit to 17-12 midway through the second quarter following a 75-yard touchdown run from Joseph Snell and a 15-yard return off a blocked punt from Demarkis Smith. Prairie View added another touchdown run from Babers with 8:08 left in the second stanza to move ahead 24-12 and put the game away in the third quarter as they exploded for 21 points.

Attendance: 12,000

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Defense comes up big for Grambling 22-7 win

GRAMBLING, LA — Grambling State's defense came up with one of its best performances in recent years Saturday despite struggling with penalties at times. And in the end the flags and the Alabama State Hornets (3-3, 3-3) weren't enough to stop the Tigers (4-1, 4-0) from lighting a victory cigar for the fourth consecutive week.

The defense wrapped the game up with one final stop as ASU quarterback Demetric Price dropped back on a fourth-down play from his own 28-yard line with about a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

GRAMBLING STATE 22, ALABAMA STATE 7: Grambling humbles Hornets in SWAC

GRAMBLING, La. -- Zoltan Riazzo kicked three field goals and Anthony Carrothers accounted for a pair of touchdowns as Grambling State handed Alabama State its third consecutive loss on Saturday. The Tigers' freshman quarterback broke open a defensive struggle a minute into the fourth quarter when he hit Larry Donnell with a 4-yard touchdown pass for the game's final points and a 22-7 victory.

"I'm very disappointed," said Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow. "This is our third game in a row we've lost. Our defense played well enough to win this game. We had plenty of chances down in the red zone and couldn't score. We hurt ourselves with penalties and fumbles, especially in the first half when one of our fumbles killed a drive."

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Attendance: 4,360

Southern tries to regroup from defeat

First-year Southern head football coach Stump Mitchell has covered a wide range of emotions in just two weeks of the Jaguars' season. He experienced the thrill of a come-from-behind win in the season's first week against Delaware State. On Saturday, he got the opposite feeling as his team lost to NCAA Division II member Arkansas-Monticello at home.

"We had a bunch of mental mistakes in that ballgame," Mitchell said Monday. "It cost us. "It was the second week in a row we also had a special teams breakdown. We had a punt returned against us for a touchdown which put the defense in a bad position and we were inefficient in the red zone. We got down there a couple of times and were not able to score. As a result, we ended up losing that ballgame, 31-7."

State Roundup: Ark.-Monticello breezes past Southern

BATON ROUGE — Johnny Polite rushed for two touchdowns and Jywin Ceasar scored on a 94-yard punt return to help Arkansas-Monticello beat Southern University 31-7 on Saturday night. The Boll Weevils (1-1) jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter on Polite's 2-yard rushing score, Ceasar's punt return for a touchdown and a 1-yard touchdown by Nakita Myles.

Scott Buisson led Arkansas-Monticello with 101 yards rushing on 13 carries. He also completed 9 of 15 passes for 164 yards. Polite finished with 37 yards rushing on 11 attempts.

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TSU receiver takes hands-on approach

As Rod Reed became better acquainted with Tennessee State's offensive players after moving from defensive coordinator to head coach, he had a suggestion for wide receiver Joseph Hills. Reed knew enough about Hills to tell him the nickname he had chosen was not a good fit. "He was wearing No. 85 and calling himself (Bengals receiver Chad) Ochocinco and I told him, 'No, you're Ouchocinco' because when the ball hit him in the hands he dropped it like it hurt," Reed said.

Hills didn't allow the ribbing to rub him the wrong way. He used it as a catalyst to become a more dependable pass catcher and then spent the summer working with TSU's quarterbacks. The extra work paid off Saturday when Hills had five catches for 67 yards and a career-best two touchdowns in a 27-14 win over Alabama A&M. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound senior from Palmetto, Fla., led TSU in receiving...

TSU freshman sets return record

Tennessee State Coach Rod Reed promised redshirt freshman Ray Weatherspoon playing time at cornerback heading into Saturday's game against Alabama A&M. Weatherspoon returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and said it was his way of making sure Reed didn't forget his promise in the Tigers' 27-14 win. The kickoff return was a John Merritt Classic record, erasing the 64-yard mark set last year by A&M's Ulysses Banks.

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Jackson State Tigers disdain substituting on D

Jackson State's starting defensive linemen and linebackers rarely came out of Saturday's win over Delta State. Starting defensive end Sam Washington said just two non-starters made brief appearances in the game. Those were end Javarius Conner and tackle Tim Johnson. "Come first game, the coaches are very strict about the first team," Washington said. "You get some rotation, but when it comes down to crunch time there was very little rotation."



Starting inside linebacker Milton Patterson said John McNabb was the only non-starting ILB to enter the game. Patterson and Todd Wilcher are the starters. Assistant coaches were not allowed to talk to the media Tuesday, but defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes said during fall camp that his starters wouldn't rotate much.

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Slide Show by "SGT" Kevin Maurice Robinson. The former 1990 JSU Sonic Boom Member is here to deliver. His website is http://kevinr316.smugmug.com

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Week 2: Around the MEAC

Week 2: Hampton at Howard; North Carolina A&T at Norfolk State; Morgan State at Maryland; Florida A&M at Delaware State; Mississippi Valley State at South Carolina State; Bethune-Cookman is on a bye week.

The MEAC didn’t fare too well in the first full week of the season, getting beaten up pretty good in games against FBS opponents and falling in the MEAC-SWAC challenge, none of which will be good for the conference’s power ratings.

Norfolk State fans will want to take note that linebacker Corwin Hammond’s big game against Rutgers earned him the league’s defensive player of the week award. Hammond had two tackles for loss and a sack among his 12 tackles.

Bethune-Cookman quarterback Matthew Johnson won offense Player of the Week honors.

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Ex-Bethune Cookman Wildcats star has shot to stay in NFL‎

Former Bethune-Cookman standout Stevie Baggs is doing everything he can to land a job in the NFL. He doesn't know if he'll get one of the four available roster spots at outside linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals, but he's certainly made an impression with his coaches and teammates.

"He came in here and made a quick splash with the players and coaches just because of his personality," Arizona linebackers coach Matt Raich said. "You can see they've taken to him. I'm anxious to see him in a few more games and to get him some reps."

Starting strong safety Adrian Wilson kids him while he does a phone interview, and veteran All-Pros Joey Porter and Darnell Dockett have taken a liking to the Canadian Football League sacks leader from 2009. Baggs is hard not to like.

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SC State looks poised for a 3rd consecutive MEAC title‎

South Carolina State football coach Buddy Pough might have to get in touch with former Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley. In 1989, Riley had the term "three-peat" trademarked and as a result gets a percentage of the royalties from any merchandise sold with the slogan on it. The Bulldogs, who notched their second straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football title last season, can nab their own version of the "three-peat" this fall.

"Hey, I might have to have a conversation with Coach Riley," Pough chuckled. "But we're getting way ahead of ourselves. It's not going to be easy getting back to the mountaintop for the third straight time."

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NCCU Eagles get a jump on the competition

DURHAM, NC -- After a tough start to the 2009 football season, when N.C. Central let several winnable games slip away late, the Eagles hope strength in numbers will make a difference in 2010. NCCU coach Mose Rison welcomed 88 players to the first practice on Monday night at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium as the Eagles tried to beat the heat. Rison said he didn't know what to expect with the weather to open camp after going through an oppressive July.

"It was really nice," Rison said. "We didn't have to worry about the heat. It was a good first practice." The Eagles open the 2010 season, their first in the MEAC at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level, at home against Johnson C. Smith on Sept 2 at 7 p.m. Rison said there were about 30 players out on the field horsing around and playing catch 45 minutes before practice was scheduled to start.

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Eagles are ready to Soar! Watchout MEAC!