Florida A&M 31, North Carolina A&T 27

Rattlers win isn't pretty, but it counts

The one quarter Alonzo Lee’s team has dominated all season turned out to be the difference in an unpredictable game between North Carolina A&T and Florida A&M. A four-point halftime lead disappeared in the third quarter as the Rattlers (7-2, 5-1) overcame fumbles, and the loss of quarterback Curtis Pulley to take a lead they would not relinquish in a 31-27 victory over North Carolina A&T. Heading into the game the Aggies (5-5, 3-4) had allowed only six points in the third quarter all season; however touchdowns by Philip Sylvester and LeRoy Vann led the Rattler revival and overshadowed fumbles from both men. “We’re a long ways from playing our best ball game,” FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. “At some point that is going to have to happen, but we will have to make plays.”

Record-setting performance lifts Rattlers over Aggies

The Florida A&M University Rattlers defeated the North Carolina A&T Aggies in their regular season home finale at Bragg Stadium 31-27 in front of 8,034 fans. The game, which was the last home game for 28 Rattler seniors, was one of ups and downs. Senior LeRoy Vann returned a punt 51 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to help seal the game for Rattlers, who improved to 7-2 overall, 5-1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Vann has now returned five punts for a touchdown this season tying an NCAA FCS single-season record set ironically by North Carolina A&T’s Curtis Deloach in 2001. Vann also broke single-season school records for punts returned for a touchdown (five) and for punt return yards (540), both previously set by Howard Huckaby in 1988.

Vann ties a pair of NCAA records, sparks Florida A&M in 31-27 win over N.C. A&T

LeRoy Vann's punt return for a score tied two NCAA records to lead Florida A&M to a 31-27 win over North Carolina A&T on Saturday. Vann's 51-yard touchdown on a punt return in the third quarter was the senior's fifth of the season and his eighth career punt return for a score. He tied both the NCAA single-season and career records, along with setting the Football Championship Subdivision record for career returns. Vann now shares the Football Bowl Subdivision and FCS records for single-season punt return touchdowns with Hawaii's Chad Owens (2004) and North Carolina A&T's Curtis DeLoatch (2001).

Aggies come up short in upset bid

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Turnovers gave N.C. A&T a chance to defeat Florida A&M. The Aggies returned the favor. Two fumbles, an interception and a missed extra point hurt N.C. A&T as the Rattlers held on for a 31-27 victory on Saturday in MEAC football at Bragg Memorial Stadium. N.C. A&T (5-5, 3-4 MEAC) still had a final shot to pull off the upset, using a fake punt to extend the drive and push farther into FAMU territory. But the Aggies' Dontavious Payne, who graduated from Tallahassee's FAMU High School and played his home games at Bragg Stadium, was stopped on fourth-and-2 at the Rattlers' 22. Aggies coach Alonzo Lee said he thought Payne was close to a first down. "We didn't get a measurement," Lee said. "It was a situation where I was crying and hollering for a measurement -- but they couldn't because they had already moved the sticks."


Houston's mom allowed to cherish this special day at FAMU

She couldn't hold back the tears. Carron Brown's son had made her that proud. So there she was near the FAMU sideline on the football field at Bragg Stadium in front of thousands Saturday afternoon. Photographers snapped pictures of her and her boy, Cameron Houston. She only knew a few in the crowd who came with her, but this was her moment and not even being in front of a crowd of 8,034 fans for the first time in her life intimidated her. Saturday was one of two days she's been waiting for since her son enrolled at FAMU. "I'm happy," she said, wiping way tears. "I'm sure any mother would be happy to see this day." The next big occasion will be graduation. This day was special. The day that her son got his recognition for working his way to one last semester of college. Nobody kept count of the hits Cameron Houston took at nose guard. They only counted the ones he gave. He had six tackles, giving him 26 for the season.

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FAMU 31 Aggies 27

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Jackson State Tigers 19, Alabama State Hornets 7

JSU wins 19-7, leads SWAC East

Jackson State used the first-half running of Bloi-Dei Dorzon and a strong game-long showing by its defense to beat Alabama State 19-7 tonight in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. JSU (3-5 overall) took sole possession of first place in the SWAC East with a 3-2 record. With victories in its final two games against Alabama A&M and Alcorn State, JSU will advance to the SWAC title game for the third straight season. ASU fell to 4-5 overall and 1-5 in the SWAC. A homecoming crowd announced at 18,510 watched the game. Dorzon ran for 108 yards, including 102 in the first half, when he helped JSU jump to a 19-7 lead.

Final: Jackson State 19, Alabama State 7

JACKSON, Miss. --- All the points were scored in the first half as both teams had offensive troubles against two of the SWAC’s top defensive units. ASU (4-5, 1-5 Southwestern Athletic Conference) finished with 159 total yards for the game while JSU (3-5, 3-3 SWAC) amassed 212. Hornets quarterback Chris Mitchell connected with Nick Andrews for a 6-yard TD pass for ASU's only score.

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Florida A&M 31, Morgan State 28

Morgan passes up field goal for tie in 31-28 OT loss

Morgan never led in a topsy-turvy contest after one of the league's top offenses struck its defense for two quick touchdowns to start the game. But the Bears kept battling back and eventually had a chance to pull it out after Florida A&M settled for a 35-yard field goal by Trevor Scott on its overtime possession. When the Bears took the ball, Jackson was sacked for a 9-yard loss by LeRoy Vann, the Rattlers' nationally rated kick retrurner. But a 15-yard completion to Terrell White and Jackson's 3-yard gain carried the ball to the Rattler 16 and set up the strange ending.

Donald HIll-Eley said he never considered the field-goal attempt to force a second overtime because "we were down by three and at home and we only needed inches." He applauded his team for consistently fighting back against the offensive assault of Florida A&M quarterback Curtis Pulley, who rushed for 231 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 174 more yard and another TD. We're always going to battle," said Hill-Eley. "We did what we had to do. Jackson played well (16 for 22, 207 yards, two touchdowns) and moved us down the field.."

Scott's 35-yard field goal in overtime lifts Florida A&M to 31-28 victory over ...

BALTIMORE — Trevor Scott kicked a 35-yard field goal on the first series of overtime, and the Florida A&M defense made a fourth-down stop for a 31-28 victory over Morgan State on Saturday. Scott's field goal gave Florida A&M (6-2, 4-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) a three-point lead. On the next series, the Bears tried to convert a fourth-and-1 instead of trying a game-tying field goal, but Florida A&M's Cameron Houston stopped Carlton Jackson to end the game.

"It was a heavyweight fight," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "I'm just proud of the way we hung in there, persevered and made the plays."


Around FCS: Florida A&M continues resurgence

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Since their last FCS playoff appearance in 2001, the Florida A&M Rattlers have looked to re-establish themselves atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings. Now, halfway through the 2009 season, the Rattlers are well on their way to accomplishing that goal. The rebuilding stage really took hold in 2008. After the 2007 season in which the Rattlers finished 3-8, Joe Taylor was named the team's third coach in five years, as Rattler fans scratched their collective heads in uncertainty.

The highly respected Taylor wasted no time instilling confidence in FAMU supporters as his team, under then-new Kentucky transfer quarterback Curtis Pulley, went 9-3 in 2008, finishing second in the league behind South Carolina State. Pulley took over the starting duties mid-season in 2008 and proved to be the dynamic leader the Rattlers desperately needed.

Rattlesnake has a fun bite to it

BALTIMORE, MD -- This Rattlesnake thing might just become a common occurrence for FAMU — just as much as coach Joe Taylor loves running the ball. Both times the Rattlers put something a little tricky into the offensive scheme, it produced points Saturday at Hughes Stadium. First it was LeRoy Vann lining up in the backfield. He ran for 12 yards and three plays later the Rattlers were in the end zone. On the next series, running back Philip Sylvester took a direct snap and ran 5 yards. On the next play, Sylvester scooted into the end zone from 19 yards out.

Just like that FAMU was on top. The new formation has to be a keeper. And, apparently, it has to have a unique name — or at least something other than Wildcat, the name of the Rattlers' fiercest rival. So, Rattlesnake it is. Of course, all the points the single-wing formation produced came before Morgan State University fought back and forced overtime. The idea of changing up the offense had been discussed during the first spring after Taylor took over the program two years ago. He and offensive coordinator Lawrence Kershaw hedged.

Vann is searching for the longest yards

BALTIMORE, MD — As elusive as getting one more punt return for a touchdown has become, FAMU return specialist LeRoy Vann isn't giving up on his chase for the NCAA record. Vann took two punts back for touchdowns in two consecutive games earlier this season, but hasn't had a good shot since. He came close Saturday against Morgan State and will have to try again in the Rattlers' three remaining games. Vann's stretch of frustration reached five games going into the game at Hughes Stadium. He needed one punt TD return, which would give him the NCAA record for total TD returns. That one also would tie the FCS single-season mark of five that was set by Curtis Deloach of North Carolina A&T eight years ago.

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Bethune Cookman 31, North Carolina A&T 13

NC A&T Loses Homecoming to Bethune-Cookman 31-13

Greensboro - Bethune Cookman amassed 357 yards of total offense and controlled the time of possession, as the Wildcats spoiled North Carolina A&T's homecoming and Senior Day with a 31-13 victory Saturday. Bethune's sophomore quarterback Maurice Francois ran for 73 yards and a touchdown and threw for another 85 yards, helping his team keep the ball for over 37 minutes in the game. After the Wildcats' Keith Courtney scored from 5-yards out, the Aggies' lone bright spot came on Quay Long's 96-yard punt return for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 going into halftime. Long's return was a school record. In the second half, however, Bethune scored 24 unanswered points, the last touchdown coming on a Ryan Lewis 28-yard interception of North Carolina A&T quarterback Carlton Fears to seal the game.

Bethune crashes the party at A&T

GREENSBORO — Carlton Fears lingered long after all his N.C. A&T teammates had showered and left. Homecoming was over, but the Aggies’ senior quarterback seemed to not want it to end. Not like this. Not with a 31-13 loss to Bethune-Cookman, a wounded, shorthanded team with a gadget option offense and a 3-5 record. Not in the last home game of his college career. So he walked back out into empty Aggie Stadium, clad in his street clothes and letterman’s jacket, for a slow stroll next to the quiet field. Outside in the tent city of tailgating, the party went on and on. But inside, all was quiet and still.

It was as if it had never happened. But it did. The Aggies lost their sixth consecutive homecoming game, sending even the fifth-year seniors away winless on the biggest weekend of the A&T school year. “It feels real bad,” Fears said. “I mean, it’s homecoming and it’s our last game at home. It hurts. It hurts real bad, because we really wanted to go out with a bang this time.” Instead, the Aggies (5-4, 3-3 MEAC) went quietly. They dropped passes. They took bad penalties. They missed tackles and blocks.

Photo Gallery: Bethune-Cookman beats Aggies
Photo Gallery: N.C. A&T homecoming

B-CU's offense explodes

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- They made the long trip shorthanded, bringing along an option offense built on running the ball and milking the clock. But in the second half at sold-out Aggie Stadium, Maurice Francois and the rest of the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats scored 24 straight points and blew out N.C. A&T before a homecoming crowd of 21,500 Saturday afternoon.Francois, B-CU's sophomore quarterback, ran for 73 yards and a touchdown and completed 5-of-7 passes for 85 more yards to lead the suddenly explosive Wildcats (3-5, 2-3 MEAC) to their third win in the last four games.

"The victory here is so sweet, especially after losing our homecoming," B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said. "We came in here and played against a team that has mostly the same players but with a different attitude and different leadership. They're very impressive on tape and a team that was fierce coming off the football. We knew we had to be at the top of our game." Thing is, they weren't. The Wildcats played without both their starting offensive guards. They moved a linebacker to defensive tackle out of necessity. Running backs Androse Bell (injury) and Joe Morris (illness) didn't make the trip, and neither did the team's leading receiver, JeVaughn Reams.

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Week Eight: No Suprises in MEAC/SWAC

Prarie View A&M head football coach Henry Frazier III and the Panthers are doing the laughing now as the team to beat in the SWAC.

Lookin' Ahead

As expected, South Carolina State is steamrolling everyone in the MEAC and Prairie View A&M is the class of the SWAC. We don't see South Carolina State stumbling with a remaining schedule consisting of Howard, Morgan State and North Carolina A&T. If the Bulldogs stay healthy, they should make some real noise in the FCS Playoffs.

The only unanswered MEAC question is--will the FCS Playoff Selection Committee invite Florida A&M with only two losses? FAMU loss two road games, to #11 ranked Miami and highly regarded MEAC power S.C. State. Just expect the Rattlers to continue to find a way to win with QB Curtis Pulley and electrifying kick returner, LeRoy Vann leading the way. The Rattlers remaining games starts with North Carolina A&T at home next Saturday. Coach Joe Taylor has a homecoming date with Hampton on Nov. 14. But the snakes must face an in-state rival with no place to go and nothing up for grabs other than state bragging rights. Look for the regular season final with Bethune Cookman to be a game where legends are born--for Curtis Pulley, LeRoy Vann and a host of Rattlers defenders. You don't want to miss this barn burner on Nov. 21 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.

Close call, but expect to see Joe Taylor's FAMU Rattlers in the FCS Playoffs! Now, let's catch up on last week games.

Florida A&M 34, Norfolk St. 20
South Carolina St. 21, Hampton 9
North Carolina A&T 30, Howard 19
Delaware St. 35, Morgan St. 22
Winston Salem St. 16, Bethune Cookman 10
Alabama St. 24, Alcorn St. 17
Jackson St. 25, MVSU 16
Arkansas Pine Bluff 38, Edward Waters 12
Prairie View 16, Southern 14
Old Dominion 38, Savannah St. 17

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South Carolina State 35, Florida A&M 20

FAMU vs. SCSU REPLAY: Watch Replay »

Victory a big rush for SC State

ORANGEBURG - Will Ford picked the perfect stage to make history on Saturday before 24,449 fans at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The senior running back from Travelers Rest ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns to help the 12th-ranked Bulldogs score a 35-20 win over No. 22 Florida A&M in a key MEAC game. It was the Bulldogs' 14th consecutive conference win - a school record - and their seventh victory in a row against Florida A&M. In the process, Ford became S.C. State's all-time leading rusher. His 7-yard run on the first play of the second half allowed him to surpass previous leader Michael Hicks.

Ford, who has 4,164 rushing yards, also moved into second place on the MEAC rushing chart. He needs 480 yards to surpass Hampton's Alonzo Hampton. "Getting a win is always the first priority, but luckily I was able to get the record too," Ford said. "It was a great day all the way around. We knew this was a game we had to win, and playing in front of a crowd like that made it even more special."

Famu's MEAC hopes bitten by Bulldogs

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — FAMU is going to need a lot of help from somebody else in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to remain in contention for the league title. South Carolina State simply refused to give the Rattlers an assist. Saturday, the Rattlers sputtered in every way possible, falling prey to costly mistakes and an SCSU defense that allowed only 35 yards rushing. FAMU got 320 yards in the air but that meant little in a 35-20 loss that jeopardizes its chances of winning its first conference title in more than a decade.

"They just played a little harder than we did for whatever reason," said Coach Joe Taylor after FAMU's first conference loss this season at Dawson Stadium. "Their defensive line kept on our offensive line and rushed (quarterback Curtis) Pulley the whole day." Both teams came into the game with undefeated MEAC records, their only losses being to BCS schools. Conference championship implications and even a post-season berth added to the hype that drew the second largest crowd (24,496) to attend a home game for the Bulldogs.

Photo Gallery: FAMU v SC State

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Grambling State Tigers 41, Alabama A&M Bulldogs 20

Grambling goes 'wild': New formation earns A&M victory

GRAMBLING, LA -— The Wildcat offense is the latest trend to permeate throughout the football world. It’s seen every Friday night in the high school ranks. Arkansas put it on the map two years ago. It’s even in the NFL, with the Miami Dolphins leading the charge. And on Saturday, it made its first big splash at Grambling. With dual-threat quarterback Greg Dillon hobbled by an injury, Grambling inserted backup wide receiver Rodale Pippen into the lineup as its Wildcat quarterback, and Pippen ran for two scores in Grambling’s 41-20 victory over Alabama A&M.

A&M still has no wins at Grambling

GRAMBLING, La. - There's something about Robinson Stadium that brings out the worst in Alabama A&M. It happened to the Bulldogs again Saturday as the Tigers broke open a close game in the second half and won going away. Trailing by a point early in the second quarter, A&M watched Grambling score 27 unanswered points en route to yet another lopsided loss - this time 41-20 - before an announced crowd of 2,661 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game. "We played poorly today," A&M inside linebacker Afu Okosun said. "They hit us with a lot of quick stuff, and we didn't make the plays to stop them from driving down the field. Once they got rolling, it was hard for us to stop them."

Grambling earns first conference win over Alabama A&M

Grambling earned its first conference win of the season on Saturday, pulling away from Alabama A&M in the second half for a 41-20 victory. It was Grambling's first win in three games, and it came on the heels of losses to Oklahoma State and Prairie View A&M. The first half was a back-and-forth affair. Grambling scored on its first possession, marching 88 yards in just four plays, capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Greg Dillon to wide receiver Bakari Maxwell. It didn't take long for Alabama A&M to respond. Quarterback Kevin Atkins moved the Bulldogs deep into Grambling territory, and Jeremy Licea narrowed the GSU lead with a 27-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

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Ala A&M vs Grambling
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Alabama A&M University Maroon and White Marching Band @ Drumline 2009 show in Chattanooga, Tennessee 10/5/2009

Rutgers 42, Texas Southern Tigers 0

Rutgers' defense comes up big in 42-0 victory over Texas Southern

It’s easy to look at Rutgers’ dominant defensive performance Saturday and pooh-pooh it because it came against an overmatched Texas Southern team, and not, say, Pittsburgh. But it’s not David Rowe’s fault that Texas Southern was Rutgers’ opponent. So Rowe won’t make any apologies for his first career interception, which he returned 56 yards for his first college touchdown in Rutgers’ 42-0 demolition of Texas Southern Saturday on Homecoming Day at Rutgers Stadium. Instead, Rowe will focus on the fact that his play, which opened the scoring, got the Scarlet Knights off and running to the easy victory that will serve to prep them for this Friday’s visit by 5-1 Pittsburgh.

“I saw the quarterback’s eyes go that way, I just jumped the corner route and I looked to my left I saw a whole bunch of blockers, so I figured I could get into the zone,” Rowe said. “When the defense puts the first points on the board, it’s kind of like the defense set the tone.” In a game where the biggest question going in was how quarterback Tom Savage would look in his first action since suffering a concussion against Florida International Sept. 19, the Rutgers defense made a statement that it is playing a whole lot better than it did in that embarrassing season-opening loss to Cincinnati. The RU defense held Texas Southern to 147 yards in total offense, including minus-3 yards rushing. Rutgers also piled up seven sacks — the most they have recorded in a game since they had seven against South Florida in 2007 — and forced four turnovers.



The Morning After: Breaking down Rutgers' 42-0 victory over Texas Southern

A GLORIFIED SCRIMMAGE

Yes, that’s all this game amounted to. But with an important game coming up Friday against Pittsburgh, it was important to get everybody on the field after a weekend off and run through the plays and get tuned up. Tom Savage returned to action for the first time since suffering a concussion Sept. 19 against Florida International. Savage (14-for-21, 150 yards, one TD) looked fine in everything he did in his three quarters-plus of action. He connected on a 53-yard pass to Mohamed Sanu in the first series of the third quarter that was wiped out by a holding penalty, and he ran six times for 32 yards. He had one 28-yard run in the second quarter where he passed up an opportunity to run out of bounds or slide to avoid the hit. Instead he kept going until he was tackled. He also was sacked twice and hit hard on several of his runs, but appeared fine.

ABOUT THAT DEFENSE

David Rowe’s 56-yard interception return for a touchdown was the Scarlet Knights’ fourth defensive touchdown on the season, and gave them a three-game streak in which they have scored at least one defensive touchdown. Texas Southern did a bunch of spread formation, empty-backfield stuff, with lots of no-huddle. But the Rutgers defense was not confused. It gave up a few medium-range passes early on, but had seven sacks, forced four turnovers, and surrendered just 126 yards.

Sidelights: Rutgers routs Texas Southern for 600th victory - NCAA College ...


Excerpts:
Rutgers scheduled the bottom of the SWAC and MEAC as part of its 12-game slate for this season. The Scarlett Knights beat Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Howard University 45-7 on Sept. 12. The positive for Texas Southern was that it got a $400,000 payday to come to the birthplace of college football. Rutgers played the first college game against Princeton in 1869. The Scarlet Knights are now 600-591-42 in their 140-year history. They are the 38th FCS school to win 600 games. Texas Southern will forever be in Rutger's football history as the 600th win. The NCAA allows Football Bowl Subdivision schools to count only one victory over an FCS opponent (Howard and Texas Southern) toward the six-win minimum to qualify for a bowl berth.

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Attendance: 50,169@ Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, NJ

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Texas Southern at Rutgers "Homecoming"
Slideshow: Rutgers 42, Texas Southern 0

Tennessee State 20, Eastern Kentucky 17

Late Touchdown Leads Tennessee State to 20-17 Win Over EKU

RICHMOND, KY. – Preston Brown’s two-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left in the game gave Tennessee State a 20-17 win over No. 16 Eastern Kentucky Saturday night at Roy Kidd Stadium. The Tigers (3-3, 2-0 OVC) rushed for 159 yards on a Colonel (3-2, 3-1 OVC) defense that had not given up more than 100 yards on the ground all season. Tennessee State’s game-winning drive began with 5:48 left in the game. On 3rd-and-14, quarterback Calvin McNairl found Joseph Hills for 15 yards to the EKU 48-yard line. McNairl connected with Marquez Wilkens on the very next play for 29 yards to move the ball to the Eastern 19-yard line. The Tigers then put the ball in Preston Brown’s hands on six straight plays. Brown picked up 12 yards on the first two carries to get to the seven-yard line. On 3rd-and-4, Brown picked up only two to set up a huge fourth down. After a time out by both teams, Brown scored the game-winner from two yards out.

Tigers score late to top Colonels

RICHMOND, KY — With the outcome of a first-place Ohio Valley Conference showdown hanging in the balance, Preston Brown powered Tennessee State to an impressive victory. Brown scored a pair of second-half touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 1:34 left in the game, as the Tigers stunned the two-time defending conference champion Colonels (3-2, 3-1 OVC), 20-17, Saturday at Roy Kidd Stadium. Tennessee State (3-3, 2-0 OVC) put together a 10-play, 59-yard scoring drive in the closing minutes, then stopped EKU on its final possession to wrap up the win.

The victory was the second-straight for the Tigers over the Colonels. It was also just the second-ever win for TSU in Richmond. “That’s what the last drive was about — guts and pride,” TSU coach James Webster said. “That’s all that it was about. Guts and pride.” The loss snaps the Colonels’ 10-game OVC winning streak. In the past three seasons, EKU is 22-2 against league opponents, with both losses coming against Tennessee State. The Colonels ranked third in the nation (FCS) in rush defense heading into the game, but allowed a season-high 159 yards rushing to the Tigers. With Jacksonville State ineligible for the title because of NCAA-imposed sanctions, Tennessee State is the only remaining undefeated team left in the OVC.

Attendance: 7,100 @Roy Kidd Stadium, Richmond, Kentucky

Injuries take toll on TSU offensive line

Tennessee State Coach James Webster hoped to get more of his offensive line starters back before today's road game with Eastern Kentucky, but that didn't happen. The Colonels (3-1, 3-0) recorded seven sacks in last week's 36-31 win over Eastern Illinois and are ranked third in the Football Championship Subdivision against the run (52.3 yards). TSU (2-3, 1-0 OVC) will be without starting guard Justin Ridgeway (sprained ankle) and tackle Darius Myers, who underwent knee surgery Tuesday. Starting tackle Alex Davis (knee) missed his third game last week but practiced some this week and could play. Starting center Dumaka Atkins broke his ankle last season and is limited to one practice per week because of the pain he experiences after each game. "It's a big concern not having so many of our starters against Eastern Kentucky,'' Webster said. "Their front seven are very active. They're not what you might consider a big group physically. They're very quick. They don't stay blocked."

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Morgan State Bears 24, Bethune Cookman Wildcats 13

· 'Cats better, but still 0-4

DAYTONA BEACH -- After every game so far this season, Bethune-Cookman announced its season would start anew the following week. Four straight losses will do that to team -- make it want to forget about the past and look ahead to a brighter future. But with the calendar now turned to October, there was something in the air Saturday at Municipal Stadium, and it wasn't a chill. It was the slightest hint of optimism.
Once again mistakes kept B-CU winless as Morgan State held off the Wildcats for a 24-13 victory in front of 3,428 mostly disappointed fans.

"You hate to take positives from losing," B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt. "But I think our kids have improved from game to game." Saturday's stats will certainly support that statement. The Wildcats (0-4, 0-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) came into the game with a rushing total of 255 yards and an average of 111.7 yards of offense per game. Against the Bears (3-1, 1-0), they rolled up 343 yards on offense, including 283 on the ground. They had three more first downs than Morgan State, and they held the ball for 6 1/2 minutes longer than the visitors. But two wide kicks and one dropped ball made a huge difference.

Photo Gallery: Bear Shots

Bears Hand Bethune-Cookman Fourth-Straight Loss, 24-13

DAYTONA, Fla. – Morgan State had its best scoring output of the season and the defense held when it counted most to help the Bears improve to a three-game winning streak and extend Bethune-Cookman’s rough season with a 24-13 win Saturday at Daytona Municipal Stadium. The Bears captured its first conference win of the season, and hold a 3-1 overall record for the first time since 1996. MSU held a 17-7 lead at the break, but the Wildcats came out with renewed energy in the second half.

Starting on its own 4 yardline, Francois opened the drive with an option pitch to Fred McCaskill for a 60-yard gain to help setup an 11-yard TD run by Courtney Keith with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter. Kory Kowalski’s point extra attempt was blocked by defensive tackle James Cole. It was senior’s second extra point block of the season. The Bears quickly countered on its next possession. Carlton Jackson guided the Bears 60 yards in six plays and connected with junior wideout Edwin Baptiste for a 19 yard touchdown pass to lift the Bears to a 24-13 advantage.

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Mississippi Valley 61, Texas College 6

MVSU Wins Homecoming

Paul Roberts threw five touchdown passes and Mississippi Valley State beat Texas College 61-6 on Saturday. Roberts passed for 329 yards and the Delta Devils (2-2) amassed 549 total yards of offense. Roberts, who is averaging 258 yards passing in the past three weeks, connected with Cameron Russ for touchdown passes of 4 and 23 yards in the first half. Stephen Robert scored on runs of 15 and 3 yards for the Delta Devils. MVSU had scored a total of 17 points in its first three games of the season. Texas College (0-4), an NAIA team, was led by X.Z. Bloodsaw, who scored on a 4-yard run. He was 20-for-32 for 137 yards and threw one interception.

Valley wins big

Mississippi Valley State got what it expected - and what it badly needed. MVSU saw its struggling offense finally get on track against a hapless Texas College team in a 61-6 homecoming victory in front of a sun-splashed crowd of 4,987 at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena Saturday. The Delta Devil offense had scored just 17 points in the team's first three games but found the going quite easy against the Steer defense, which came in allowing an average of 76 points a contest. Senior quarterback Paul Roberts carved up the Steers by completing 24-of-35 passes for 329 yards and five touchdowns with one interception in three quarters of play.

"We found some offensive continuity that we had been lacking, and that was good to see," Valley coach Willie Totten said. "Paul really played well and did a good job of distributing the ball." MVSU, which came in last in the SWAC in total offense and scoring offense, finished with 549 total yards. Totten knows things will get much tougher this week on the road against Alcorn, but he believes this win will be a confidence-booster for his guys."We can build off this. Hopefully, it will get us ready for Alcorn. That's a big game for us coming up," Totten said.Texas College, a NAIA team from Tyler, Texas, falls to 0-5 and has been outscored 348-12 so far this season.

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Tennessee State 23, S.E. Missouri State 17

TSU head coach James Webster is 2-3, 1-0 OVC on the season.

TSU beats SEMO in OVC opener

One quarterback turned out to be all Tennessee State needed to beat Southeast Missouri State Saturday night. Calvin McNairl, who shared time at quarterback last week with Dominic Grooms, ran the offense the entire game and led the Tigers to a 23-17 win. An LP Field crowd of 6,314 watched McNairl, a sophomore from Henry County, run for two touchdowns and throw for another as TSU (2-3, 1-0) won its Ohio Valley Conference opener. SEMO (1-4, 0-2) gave TSU its first OVC loss last year in Cape Girardeau but is now 0-5 against the Tigers at LP Field. Grooms started the first game of the season but injured his hamstring in the second quarter. He returned last week against Florida A&M, but had to leave in the fourth quarter when his hamstring started tightening up. Grooms returned to practice this week and hoped to play but did not dress.

TSU's McNairl more comfortable passing

Earlier in the week Coach James Webster said Tennessee State’s coaches were putting in a passing package Calvin McNairl would find more comfortable, and the sophomore certainly looked at ease Saturday night against Southeast Missouri State. McNairl threw the ball more efficiently in the 23-17 victory than he has in any of his four starts this season or in the four starts he had as a freshman in 2007 when he replaced Antonio Heffner because of injury. “I’ve told people Calvin can throw the football and he showed that tonight,’’ Webster said. “I think the offensive coaches did a great job of putting together a package for him and that really helped us.”

Attendance: 6,314 @ L.P. Field, Nashville, TN

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Norfolk State Spartans 40, Bethune Cookman Wildcats 14

5 interceptions drop B-CU to 0-3

NORFOLK, Va. -- A Saturday off last weekend didn't cure what ails the Bethune-Cookman football team. Fumbles, which haunted B-CU in its first two losses, weren't a problem Saturday. The Wildcats held on to the ball after losing seven fumbles in the first two games. But B-CU quarterbacks combined to throw five interceptions, as B-CU fell into a 23-0 hole on its way to a 40-14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to Norfolk State at William "Dick" Price Stadium.

The loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-3 for the first time since 1993, when they started 0-9 under Sylvester Collins. The 26-point loss, the Spartans' largest margin of victory in the 20-game series, also dropped the 'Cats to 0-2 in the MEAC. Injuries hit B-CU as hard as Norfolk State did, as the 'Cats lost senior running back Phillip Kirkland on their first offensive play (high ankle sprain) and senior defensive back Antonio Cox (dislocated shoulder). The 'Cats' highlight was a rally late in the first half when they scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes to cut their halftime deficit to 23-14. Sophomore back Jonathan Moment capped scoring drives of 78 and 80 yards with TD runs from the 1.

Spartans QB Dennis Brown had a career-high 270 yards on 16-of-28 passing with one interception against BCU.

NSU cruises to victory

NORFOLK -- DeAngelo Branche rushed for three touchdowns and Dennis Brown threw two scoring passes to Chris Bell as Norfolk State routed Bethune-Cookman 40-14 yesterday. Branche had 106 yards on 20 carries and scored on touchdown runs of 1, 3 and 1 yards for the Spartans (1-1 MEAC 2-2). Brown had a career-high 270 yards on 16-of-28 passing with one interception, while Bell's 213 yards receiving on nine catches was also a career high. The pair connected on touchdown passes of 62 and 26 yards.

The win was Norfolk State's most lopsided in the 20-game series. Johnathan Moment scored on two 1-yard runs for the Wildcats (0-2, 0-3) to cut the Spartans' lead to 23-14 at halftime. Norfolk State scored twice in 27 seconds in the third quarter. After Bell's second touchdown, Terrell Whitehead had a 57-yard interception return to set up Branche's last score.

Attendance: 7,040 at Dick Price Stadium, Norfolk, VA

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Oklahoma State Cowboys 52, Grambling State Tigers 6

Cowboys climb two spots in AP poll

Following Saturday's 56-6 win over Grambling State, the Oklahoma State Cowboys improved two spots in this week's Associated Press poll, released Sunday. OSU (3-1) is ranked No. 14 after spending the last two weeks at No. 16. The Cowboys reached a high of No. 5 in the AP after beating Georgia to start the season, but fell to 16th with the loss to Houston. The Cougars, who beat Texas Tech Saturday night, are No. 12 this week. Florida remained No. 1, with Texas second, Alabama third, LSU fourth and Boise State fifth.




Slideshow: Oklahoma State Football vs Grambling

Offensive line gets back to the basics in victory

Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston’s only job is to run through the gaps that his offensive line makes, so he knows those spaces well. Against Grambling State on Saturday, he noticed his job was somewhat easier than usual. “The holes were a little bit bigger than normal,” he said. OSU’s much-needed crushing of Grambling State helped to improve the performance and mood of the Cowboy offensive line, but there’s still a long way to go. OSU racked up 56 points on the Tigers’ defense and totaled 587 yards of total offense. The running game, where offensive lines shine in their blocking ability, was key for OSU’s victory. The Cowboys had 43 carries for 321 yards.

“Of course, those are the type of numbers you like, we prefer not to pass that ball at all,” senior offensive tackle Russell Okung said. “You’re just seeing things all come together and things starting to work. We are still a ways off, but we are seeing improvement each week.” But all of the line’s responsibilities don’t lie within the running game. Quarterback Zac Robinson needs time to make a read and find the right receiver in the passing game. The O-line fended off the GSU defense, allowing Robinson to go 13 of 16 for 189 of OSU’s 266 passing yards.



Rookies play well

If Oklahoma State had any questions about the future of its running attack, they were answered on Saturday night. True freshman Jeremy Smith saw the first action of his collegiate career and set a record for the most rushing yards ever by an Oklahoma State freshman in his first game. The Tulsa Union product carried the ball 15 times for 160 yards and one touchdown, becoming the third Oklahoma State running back to record more than 100 yards in a freshman debut. Smith is at the top of the list.

Terry Miller held the previous record of 128 yards against Wichita State in 1974. Vernand Morency ran for 108 yards against Louisiana Tech in 2002. But Oklahoma State expected this from the running back, whose redshirt was removed Saturday. “I think everybody on the team saw that one coming,” quarterback Zac Robinson said. “He can make you miss and has great speed.”

Oklahoma State rolls past Grambling 56-6

Saturday night went about as expected. Oklahoma State dominated the football game. Grambling State’s marching band dominated halftime. Next up for the 16th-ranked Cowboys after their 56-6 rout over the lower-division Tigers is some much-needed rest. Perhaps never before in the history of OSU football could a bye week have been more well-timed. With all due respect to the visitors from northern Louisiana, getting to play Grambling essentially equates to a bye-and-a-half for the Cowboys as they enter Big 12 play with a 3-1 record. OSU is nicked up, and among the injured are three players who many categorized as preseason All-Americans — wide receiver Dez Bryant (hamstring), cornerback/kick returner Perrish Cox (shoulder) and running back Kendall Hunter (ankle). None of the aforementioned played against the Tigers, nor did starting defensive end Jermiah Price.



OSU notebook: Cowboys defense shines, too

While the OSU offense featured old and new stars in rolling up big yards and points, the Cowboys defense did its job, too. Grambling State managed just 156 total yards, 66 of which came in the fourth quarter against mostly reserves. The Tigers scored with two field goals, one coming after an OSU turnover. "I think anytime you play a game, you’d like to get a shutout,” said Cowboys defensive coordinator Bill Young. "We didn’t get that done. But we hold them to two field goals, and we feel awful good about that. And we were able to play a lot of people.” For what it’s worth, the Tigers entered the game as the second-ranked scoring offense in the SWAC, averaging 32 points a game.

Loud and proud
The Grambling band, considered quite a bonus in the visit by the Louisiana program, did not disappoint, although there was some concern before the game even began. The band actually exited the stadium just before kickoff. While gone, OSU security and police emptied a scattering of fans from the section devoted to the visiting band. Eventually, the Grambling band returned and delivered on its halftime show to a rousing response, playing – and dancing – to Michael Jackson’s "Thriller.”

Just what the doctor ordered

Two of Oklahoma State’s preseason All-Americans attended the game in street clothes. Several other Cowboys also were no-shows Saturday against Grambling State. The highlight for many of the record crowd of 56,901 came when neither team was on the field (Grambling State’s Tiger Band was worth the price of a ticket, by the way). And with all the that the game against the Tigers couldn’t have gone any better if OSU coach Mike Gundy had scripted it. Well, maybe he did. I would imagine in his dreams he envisioned something like a 56-6 win where everybody wearing an OSU uniform got a chance to play and nobody got hurt any more than they already were.

Saturday’s victory over Grambling was the perfect cure to what had been ailing the Cowboys the past two weeks. It was a win that should put a little swagger back in a team that had plenty of it coming off its win against Georgia to open the season.

Pickens Drills Deep Into Pockets for Oklahoma State Victories

Stillwater, OK -- T. Boone Pickens has donated $284 million to Oklahoma State University’s sports program the past six years and the billionaire oilman and hedge-fund manager says he’s confident his investment is about to pay off. His money renovated the stadium that bears his name, beefed up recruiting and now is helping win more football games. The Cowboys, ranked No. 9 by the Associated Press before the season started, opened with a 24-10 victory over No. 13 University of Georgia.

Pickens, a 1951 graduate of the Stillwater, Oklahoma, school, said the money has been spent well. Now the 81-year-old, who Forbes magazine reported in March had a net worth of $2 billion, is looking for the Cowboys to earn a slot in one of the five Bowl Championship Series postseason games. “I expect to get there,” Pickens said in an interview Sept. 4. “We have a good football team this year. If we can stay healthy, we’re going to be tough.”

Oklahoma State’s bid for a trip to this season’s national championship game took a hit in the second game of the season after it blew a fourth-quarter lead and lost to the University of Houston, 45-35. The Cowboys are ranked 16th in the AP poll this week after beating Rice, 41-24, Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

ATTENDANCE: (Stadium Record): 56,901 Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK.

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Delaware State Hornets 21, Hampton Pirates 6

DSU athletic director Derek A. Carter

DSU fights for first win

HAMPTON, Va. -- There would be no last-second heartbreak for Delaware State this year. A year after a late touchdown gave Hampton a win in Alumni Stadium, Delaware State's Olusegun Ayanbiola snatched an interception and ran it back 13 yards for a touchdown to seal the Hornets' 21-6 win over Hampton at Armstrong Stadium. A glance at the stats would indicate domination by Hampton, which had 390 yards of offense to the Hornets' 277. The Pirates also had more first downs and forced six punts. The Pirates also were flagged 14 times for 141 yards and were picked off three times.

Mistakes, flags doom Pirates

HAMPTON - It's tough to beat a quality team when you give away yards and the ball. That was the theme of the day as Hampton fell to Delaware State 21-6 at Armstrong Stadium. Hampton was flagged 14 times for 141 yards and intercepted off three times. "We kept shooting ourselves in the foot, but my hat goes off to them because they obviously did enough to win," Hampton coach Donovan Rose said. "I thought our offense was doing fine, but every time we got a good drive going, we'd get a big penalty or give the ball away. I know it's disappointing to our guys right now, but it's not the end of the world."

The statistics indicate domination by Hampton, which had 390 yards of offense to the Hornets' 277. The Pirates also had more first downs and forced six punts. Yet every time they seemed poised to break out, something held them back. Hampton threatened in the first quarter after a 31-yard run by LaMarcus Coker gave it the ball on the Hornets' 18. The Pirates lost three yards on the next three plays before Jordan Stovall came up short on a 38-yard field-goal try.

Attendance: 4,632 Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, VA

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Morgan State Bears 12. Towson Tigers 9

Morgan State's defense saves the day vs. Towson

Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley went conservative in Saturday's game with Towson. The rain started in the first quarter and got harder as time went on, so Hill-Eley decided to play the field-position game - and his plan worked perfectly. Darren McKhan returned a blocked extra point for a two-point conversion and made a crucial fourth-quarter interception, and Morgan's defense came up with several key plays late to help the Bears hang on for a 12-9 victory over Towson at Hughes Stadium. This was the Bears' first victory against the Tigers since 2003. Hill-Eley's plan worked because his defense came up big several times.

Morgan State Bears RB Darren McKhan scores one against Towson.

Towson ran up 344 yards of total offense, but the Bears forced three turnovers, blocked the extra point and limited the Tigers to two of 13 third-down conversions. Punter Nicholas Adams made a number of good kicks to pin Towson deep. "I didn't want to do anything that would give them any energy," Hill-Eley said. "Some coaches don't take it into consideration, but with me, we always take Mother Nature into consideration." The Morgan offense never really got going, finishing with only six first downs and 161 yards but had just one turnover. All three of Towson's turnovers came in the fourth quarter, ending its last three drives and handing the Tigers a 13th straight road loss.

Attendance: 4,307 at Hughes Stadium, Baltimore, MD

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MEAC/SWAC/OVC Week in Review

Last week held no surprises from my observation other than a continued drop in attendence at the HBCU stadiums. Not sure if it's a reflection of the product on the field, the match up or game time weather. You know how HBCU fans don't like to get their "outfits" wet. I have a simple solution--just wear the school colors in casual dress down Friday, and leave the Sunday best, gator and lizard shoes in the closet. Liz Taylor, Tommy, Kenneth and their fashion buddies can take the weekend off.

On the football front, McNeese State slammed Savannah State 56 to zip! But 13,912 showed up at Cowboy Stadium and no one left right after half-time. At the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama only 3,951 true Hornets made an appearance to see Alabama State steamroll Division II Edward Water, 38-6. Hey, a win is a win for Coach Barlow. In the OVC vs. SWAC Challenge (just kidding) at A.W. Mumford Stadium, the Southern Jaguars outlasted Tennessee State 21-17, with only 9,300 watching. I suppose the TSU fans were holding back to travel to Atlanta for their annual rivalry beat down with FAMU in the Atlanta Football Classic. FAMU (3-0) is the class of the MEAC with big games ahead with Miami and MEAC Champs South Carolina State. TSU--you are just a tune-up and Rattler bait!

All the Mississippi programs got a licking at the gate and on the field . University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions came to Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena and plummeted Mississippi Valley State 27-7, with only 2,200 in the stands. Coach Totten needs to reserve the U-Haul as there is another story behind the attendance numbers at Valley this season. In the annual Tiger rivalry game, Grambling State knocked out Jackson State 27-17 but only 10,905 bothered to show up at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. We're talking about a JSU program that averaged over 20,000 last season in home games.

Alcorn State was pounded in a "money game" at Central Michigan 48-0 in a no-contest before 18,323 screaming Chippewas. It was the Chips home opener after a big win last week over Michigan State, and their first shutout in 13 years with the Braves doing the honors.

FAMU's All-American, sensational return specialist LeRoy Vann, is the talk of the nation. Vann has run back four returns for touchdowns in the last two games with outstanding play from all of FAMU's special team players.

At O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium the Eagles of North Carolina Central University dropped a double O.T. game to Morehead State 13-10. Only 7,017 Eagle fans left disappointed but encouraged with the way NCCU kept coming back. Texas Southern purchased a win over lowly Texas College Steers (0-4) and beat the Red River Athletic Conference NAIA program 75-6. Only one question--Did the Tigers save anything for the remainder of the SWAC schedule?

Norfolk State got a solid dose of reality in facing #5 ranked William and Mary at Dick Price Stadium. The Spartans were outclassed 27-15 and only 10,005 fans even bothered to watch. It's anybody's guess on how many Spartans and Tribe fans watched "on the radio." Morgan State prevailed over tough Winston Salem State Rams 16-10 at Giant Stadium with 25,604 watching the Whitney Young Classic. There nothing Division II about WSSU scholarship players who are now creating good film for transfer to higher profile programs (next season), as the Rams drop back to the D-II and the CIAA.

All we can say is the Aggies are back--competitive, that is. Hampton kicked the North Carolina A&T Aggiess 24-14, but the AggieNation came out at 13,502 at Aggie Stadium. Give Coach Alonzo Lee time... but this is a dangerous team for the rest of the MEAC to play. Aggie Pride! Watch Out! Delaware and Delaware State got it on in Newark and the Hornets made a game of it. Delaware prevailed 27-17, and their 20,585 fans now know physical football is played in Dover.

And finally, Alabama A&M embarrassed themselves in Louis Crews Stadium in falling to Jacksonville State 45-13. It's bad to get stomped in your home stadium, but it's worst when only 2,906 showed up counting the band, cheerleaders and players. This definitely was a not made for TV game.

Talking about television, LeRoy Vann is becoming a household word. Vann scored on two punt returns for touchdowns leading the FAMU Rattlers in a rout over the Howard Bison 48-10 on a Thursday night ESPNU broadcast. But, where were the Rattler fans? 7,668 True Rattlers showed up along with 17,832 empty seats. Folks, let's get serious. The season is 1/3 over! Let's leave that TV alone and let's go watch some HBCU football at the stadium! HBCU programs need the $$$$$.

-beepbeep

New Mexico State 21, Prairie View A&M 18

Aggie Football Beats Prairie View A&M

LAS CRUCES, N.M.-New Mexico State football head coach DeWayne Walker earned his first career victory with the 21-18 Aggie win over Prairie View A&M, Saturday, Sept. 12, at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M. Junior running back Seth Smith led the Aggies with a career-high 150 rushing yards. NM State hadn’t registered that many yards on the ground since 2003 when Eric Higgins recorded 218 against Louisiana-Monroe. Sophomore quarterback Jeff Fleming added two touchdown runs in the first half, while senior running back Marquell Colston put the Aggies up for good with a fourth-quarter score.

NMSU Aggies Coach DeWayne Walker--- Courtesy: New Mexico State University

After Prairie View A&M tallied the first points of the game with a 30-yard field goal, the Aggies responded with an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive of the game to take a 7-3 lead. Fleming posted his first career touchdown with a 10-yard run. Smith and Colston combined for 59 rushing on the drive, which also included Fleming’s first completion of the game. Sophomore wide receiver Todd Lee grabbed an 11-yard pass to continue the Aggie campaign. NM State established the running game early and recorded 100 yards on the ground after the first two series.


Pregame 9-12-2009, Prairie View vs. Aggies NMSU Las Cruces PRIDE Marching Band

Halftime 9 12 09 Prairie View vs. Aggies NMSU Las Cruces NM PRIDE Marching Band and Sundancers

In the second quarter, the Aggies scored again for a 14-3 advantage after 12 plays and 67 yards. Smith was the workhorse with 28 rushing yards. Fleming collected his second touchdown of the contest on a quarterback sneak. With less than a minute before the half, junior defensive back Alphonso Powell grabbed his first interception of the season. The turnover was the lone one in the first half.

Smith had 102 rushing yards on 14 carries at the break, and that mark was the first time an Aggie had achieved that feat since the Nevada win in 2008. Following a scoreless third quarter, the Aggie ground attack continued and NM State increased the lead to 21-3. Colston claimed his first of the touchdown of the year on a four-yard rush that concluded a 12-play, 71-yard drive. The Panthers scored a pair of late touchdowns to pull within three, 21-18.

Attendance: 15,902 @Aggie Memorial Stadium
NM State in-game notes
Box Score

Area Colleges: Prairie View has offensive issues

Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III was surprised to enter a mostly silent locker room after the Panthers' 17-7 season-opening win over Texas Southern in Saturday's Labor Day Classic. Several defensive players were excited about the performance of their unit, but members of the offense didn't see much reason to celebrate. After all, the offense recorded only 176 yards, converting just three of 15 third-down attempts. “I said, ‘It's so quiet in here; you guys act as if you lost the game,'” said Frazier, who won his third straight Labor Day Classic. “They were like, ‘We could have done a lot better, coach.'”

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