Southern WR Landry to sit out first half because of ejection

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Jacobs to fill in

Southern University has confirmed with the Southwestern Athletic Conference that its top offensive playmaker, wide receiver Gerard Landry, will have to sit out the first half of Saturday’s home game with Tennessee State, SU coach Pete Richardson said.

Landry was ejected for fighting after throwing a swing at a Prairie View player with 8:16 left in the fourth quarter.

According to Rule 9-5 of the NCAA rulebook, the penalty is “disqualification for the remainder of the game and the first half of the next game.”

“We called (SWAC Interim Commissioner Duer Sharp) and, in fact, I’ve got a fax back from him,” Richardson said.

SU (3-0) hosts Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Landry leads Southern with both three touchdowns — one in each game — and 172 yards (on 12 catches).

“I’ll be ready to go,” said Landry, who has a catch in 28 consecutive games.

Senior RaShon Jacobs will start in place of Landry at the “X” receiver position.

“He’s about the same type of receiver,” Richardson said. “He catches the ball well, and he can knock some folks around.”

Jacobs has three catches for 53 yards. He averages a team-best 17.7 yards per reception.

Jacobs did not play last season after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. Though he practiced last year at SU, he was held back in preseason camp after injuries to both feet, a chipped bone on the ankle in April and a fractured bone during camp.

“I think I’m OK. I’ll just go out there and play, take advantage of the opportunity,” said Jacobs, a three-sport star at Woodlawn High School who played football and basketball for three years at ULM. “I have to go out there and continue what I’ve been doing, make plays when I have to. That’s it.”

Chinyoung ineligible
Sophomore center Ramon Chinyoung will be ineligible this season, Richardson confirmed.
Chinyoung’s process seeking to be declared eligible ended this week.

Chinyoung was to have been the team’s starting center. He finished in that role last season as a true freshman.

Instead, senior Demarcus Stewart, who started at center at the beginning of last season, has been Southern’s starting center this season. Stewart would have been the starting right guard, but Reuben Oliver moved inside from tackle to handle that role.

Chinyoung is the sixth offensive linemen to be ruled academically ineligible, joining junior guard Adrian Banks, junior tackle Allen Buckner, senior guard Jacoby Collins, freshman guard Joshua Keelen and sophomore tight end Joshua Nixon.

Also, freshman guard Brian Bridges practiced during preseason camp while awaiting a decision from the NCAA Clearinghouse, which rendered him a nonqualifier. Plus, three other signees who play offensive line are nonqualifiers this year.

Williams out for season
Richardson said sophomore Tremaine Williams, a reserve cornerback, is resting at home after having knee surgery Monday. Williams is out for the season. He severely injured the knee on kickoff return coverage in the third quarter Sept. 8 against Mississippi Valley State.
Richardson said Williams, who missed last season as a nonqualifier, will require additional surgery in six weeks.

Richardson said his staff was trying to find out if Williams could take correspondence courses for this semester.

Watch these two
Tennessee State senior cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Southern free safety Jarmaul George are both on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. The award honors the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Rodgers-Cromartie, a preseason first-team FCS All-American selection by The Sports Network, had six interceptions and five pass breakups last season and has eight tackles, three breakups and two blocked kicks this season.

Rodgers-Cromartie is also one of the best track athletes in the OVC.

TSU defensive backs coach Randy Fuller told The Tennesseean newspaper Rodgers-Cromartie could be a first-round pick in the NFL draft. If so, he’d be TSU’s first first-rounder since linebacker Waymond Bryant went to the Dallas Cowboys with the fourth pick of the 1974 draft.

“He’s a guy, when we needed a play to be made, he’s made that play,” Tennessee State coach James Webster said.

George, a preseason second-team FCS All-American selection and the SWAC’s preseason defensive player of the year, had 51 tackles, five interceptions and 10 breakups last season and has 20 tackles and two interceptions this season.

Notes
SU sophomore CB Ronald Wade will be out two more games. He is serving a three-game suspension for violating team rules. That suspension started Saturday. A Cincinnati Bengals scout stopped by SU on Tuesday.

Grambling's Broadway uses bye to evaluate, correct mistakes

By Nick Deriso, the News-Star

GRAMBLING — A bye week, even in the best of times, gives football coaches a time to reflect. Grambling coach Rod Broadway, fresh off a gut-wrenching loss to Pittsburgh, wasn't happy with what he found.

He's looked at the tape. Given extra time, he's examined it both forwards and backwards.

"We had an extra week to go through it," Broadway said. "Usually, you watch it on Sunday, maybe a little on Monday, then you put it away."

Four times, his new team had the ball in Pittsburgh's red zone, with three drives inside the 10-yard line. But Grambling was held scoreless in the second half, eventually falling 34-10 in non-conference action.

Grambling also committed 14 penalties for 108 yards, converted only 6 of 17 third downs, and saw two mishaps on special teams lead to Pitt scores.

Even the defense, in an otherwise solid performance, saw two seniors gave up a pair of huge plays that accounted for more than 100 yards of offense by the Panthers.

"We got burned up with turnovers, with four of them," Broadway said, during a Monday morning news conference on campus. "That will kill you in any league. You're not going to win too many games with that many turnovers."

Evaluation involved not just player execution but also things like play selection.

"We've got to come up with a better plan to get the ball in the hands of guys that can make plays for us," Broadway said.

His hope is that film work, and additional time to prepare, will help Grambling clean up some of these basic errors.

"Mentally, I think the guys are buying into what we are trying to do," Broadway said. "The coaches are getting a better understanding of exactly how we want to do things."

This young season reaches a critical crossroads with Saturday's home opener against Alabama A&M, the Southwestern Athletic Conference's reigning champion. The game, set for kickoff at 6 p.m. at Robinson Stadium, will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.

Broadway, who called the contest an important measuring stick, admits that the team and coaches are still meshing. He said he learned as much from the win over Alcorn State in Week 1 as he did in the stumble at Pittsburgh.

Lessons from both should help Grambling improve, he said.

"One of the things that we are dealing with, going into this season, is going through this transitional period," Broadway said. "It's new to them; it's new to us. We're still trying to get a feel for them; they're still trying to get a feel for us. The only cure for that is time."

AAMU Bulldogs not running away from a problem

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

A&M is 3-0 and ranked but stopping the run is a concern

Alabama A&M always has prided itself on stopping opposing teams from running the football. In 2000, the Bulldogs led the nation in rushing defense, allowing a paltry 30 yards per game, and they have led the Southwestern Athletic Conference in that category over the last several years in addition to being ranked nationally.

This season, however, defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns figured A&M would have some problems stopping the run. After all, the Bulldogs lost All-SWAC defensive tackle Kevin Lockhart, a four-year starter. Justin Harper, a starter last season, had surgery during preseason practice on his left thumb and hasn't returned to form yet.

Even so, Towns didn't expect the Bulldogs (3-0 overall, 1-0 SWAC, ranked 23rd by Sports Network FCS poll, 25th in the coaches poll) to have as many problems as they have had through the first three games.

Tennessee State, led by Javarris Williams' 123 yards on 20 carries, rushed for 206 yards against A&M, while Mississippi Valley State, led by Ronald Brewer's 146 yards on 21 carries, finished with 161 yards on the ground.

Through three games, A&M is allowing 121.7 yards rushing per game and has allowed two backs to top the 100-yard mark. Last season, the Bulldogs allowed 113.8 yards per game and allowed only four 100-yard rushers.

What's the problem? Here is Towns' assessment:

"We've got some young linemen in there that really don't understand our gap control principles," said Towns, whose unit includes previously seldom-used juniors Whitney Garrett and David Winston, sophomore Renaldo Askew and freshman Frank Kearse.

"Their job is to stay in their gaps with their outside arm free and make some plays. That didn't happen much against Tennessee State or Mississippi Valley and if we're going to be the kind of defensive football team we want to be, we've got to get that corrected."

As a result, when the Bulldogs begin preparations this afternoon for Saturday's SWAC showdown with Grambling, those fundamentals will be a major part of practice.

Grambling running back Frank Warren had more than 130 yards rushing in the season opener against Alcorn State. If A&M is to come away with a win, Towns and company will have to slow Warren down.

"We're going to work on that a lot this week to make sure we stay in our gaps," Towns said. "I was surprised Mississippi Valley State was able to run the ball on us like that. Our strong safeties and will linebackers missed some tackles that enabled them to get some more yards.

"We did a bad job of tackling and a few times we were lined up wrong. In fact, we were lined up wrong right before halftime and that allowed them to score."

While Towns appeared to be concerned with A&M's inability to stop the run in two of its first three games, coach Anthony Jones wasn't as stressed.

"People are opting to run the ball against us because when we get them in passing situations because we can get after the quarterback," Jones said.

"They're trying to run the ball to slow down our pass rush. Nobody has been able to beat us just running the football, so I'm really not concerned with where we are in terms of rushing defense because it's misleading."

SCSU Pough concerned with injured Bulldogs

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

RAMS vs. BULLDOGS
WHO: Winston-Salem State (2-1) at South Carolina State (1-2, 1-0)
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Oliver C. Dawson Stadium
RADIO: WQKI 93.5 FM in Orangeburg, ESPN 93.1 FM in Columbia

The foul sheet detailing the 10 penalties South Carolina State received during Saturday’s historic game at Williams-Brice Stadium was not the only two-page document getting head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough’s attention.

SCSU’s injury list was just as long following the 38-3 loss to the University of South Carolina. Along with season-ending knee injuries suffered prior to the game to wide receiver Tron Jackson and linebacker David Erby, wide receiver Tre’ Young is expected to miss Saturday’s game against Winston-Salem State with a thigh contusion and quarterback Cleveland McCoy and running back Will Ford were among several of the Bulldogs’ "walking wounded" being treated Sunday for various bumps and bruises.

"Both Cleve and Will Ford both look like they went through an 18-round bout with (Muhammad) Ali and Ali was mad," said Pough at Monday’s press conference. "Both of those guys yesterday couldn’t hardly walk just from soreness."

Yet despite the toll taken from playing three straight road games, Pough said he would still open the season against two Football Bowl Subdivision games if given the opportunity again. If anything, he believes the experience will give the Bulldogs confidence going against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams.

"We’re beat up and bloodied, but I think we’re better off for the experience," he said. "I feel like we will continue to improve to match up to these football games. The only way we can get better is to compete with better. If we can get to the point where we get a little bit better understanding and get a little better feel, then I think that will be us getting better as a team also.

"We now know that we can compete with these kind of guys. We understand now that we can tackle, we can block them and at certain points, we can scheme with them. It gives us some confidence in the fact that if we are to really clean our mistakes up and refine some of the things that we do to the point where we execute better, we have a chance to be okay."

Compounding SCSU’s effort to get healthy is facing a Rams’ team which is coming off a 19-17 road victory over Morgan State. Although this contest does not count in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings (WSSU is in the second year of a transitional period to obtain full membership), the last thing Pough wants to dwell on during the ‘bye’ week is a loss.

"It would be awful," he said. "We would be back to where we were last year as far as record is concerned. The fact that we’ve beaten our only conference opponent (Bethune-Cookman) so far means a world of difference. We will at some point maybe try to get some of our guys healthy. We haven’t exactly figured out how we do that. I don’t know if we sacrifice say the Winston-Salem State game for the overall season with our injury situation as it is and I’m awfully, awfully concerned about that situation and whether we can get back to full speed by the Norfolk (State) game. We’ve got some thoughts to put together there to figure out how we handle this week."

Pough does plan to play more freshmen like offensive linemen Johnny Culbreath and Josh Harrison, mostly due to merit. The two showed they belonged this past Saturday against USC, according to Pough, and he’s looking forward to seeing their progress.

The Bulldogs will also get back place-kicker Stephen Grantham, wide receivers Terrance Smith and Phillip Morris and defensive lineman Patrick Brooks following their one-game suspension for team rules violations.

SCSU has won four of the five meetings with Winston-Salem State, including last year’s 35-6 win at Winston-Salem. This time around, Pough expects a more spirited effort from the Rams, coached by former SCSU assistant coach Kermit Blount.

"Winston’s got a good team and a large portion of what they’re about is that they hired (former SCSU running backs coach) Nick Calcutta...as their offensive coordinator and if you remember seeing Howard last year and what Howard put us through last year at ‘Homecoming’ which was a tough football game, that’s what you’ll see with Winston-Salem."

If there’s one lesson Pough said his team learned from the games against Air Force and USC is to be more consistent on offense. The Bulldogs are ranked near the both of the MEAC in points scored, although Pough said that has more to do with the competition level.

"Go check Norfolk’s stats and see where they’re at because they’ve played the same people we played," he said. "Go check some of the other (MEAC) teams and see who they played. I can throw the football against Savannah State. I’ve got a problem throwing the football against Air Force and South Carolina. We’ve had a problem protecting against those guys sometimes because of the fact they gave us some things that stressed us out some that we didn’t get in other instances. I think it’s more the people we’ve played. Our stats will come up as we get into our schedule."

No ‘Spy-gate’ around here

The recent controversy surrounding the New England Patriots violating NFL rules when it was caught videotaping the New York Jets’ sidelines has spurred talk about coaching ethics and cheating.

According to Pough, he does not see such practices as a major issue among MEAC teams as he relies mostly on scouting, knowing team tendences and watching game film.

"Most of the people that I play can’t afford enough cameras to film the sidelines and end zone shot, much less cameras to put on our coaches," he said. "There’s a little gamesmanship there. You kind of look at a guy, kind of see if you can tell, but that’s as far as we go. We don’t have the resources to do that like the NFL."

A&T Aggies expect full house for N.C. Central

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record

N.C. CENTRAL AT N.C. A&T
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Aggie Stadium, Greensboro
Radio: WNAA-90.1
Records: N.C. Central 3-1; N.C. A&T 0-3
Tickets: Call 334-7749 or
$20 online at http://www.ncataggies.com

GREENSBORO -- Think of homecoming without the parade or the other ancillary events. An oxymoron? Sure. But that's the sort of crowd and stadium atmosphere N.C. A&T officials anticipate Saturday when the Aggies (0-3) will play host to N.C. Central (3-1) for the first time in 16 years.

The Aggie-Eagle Classic, which became its own contradiction in terms when the third-party organizers failed to deliver on financial guarantees, has died and been replaced by a conventional home-field arrangement. Central's first trip to Greensboro since 1991 is expected to produce a sellout, even though tickets remained available Monday afternoon, and A&T administrators say they're preparing accordingly.

Security, ticket-sales agents and other game-day personnel will be at homecoming levels for a rivalry that drew an announced crowd of 35,000 at N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium in 2005. Aggie Stadium seats 21,500.

"I've heard about the Aggie-Eagle Classic because my grandfather used to talk about it," said A&T defensive end Keith Holiday. "It brings a lot of pride and school spirit out. This is going to be fun."

The series will be played for the 79th time in a history that began in 1924 and has shifted from campus to neutral sites before. A fight in the 1950s compelled a move to Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium, where, in one memorable game, a man drove his car right onto the field and parked at the 50-yard line. At least he had the good sense to wait until the previous play had been whistled dead.

"He left the motor running," said Spencer Gwynn, A&T's radio play-by-play man of four decades. "And he was quickly apprehended by the gendarmes."

In its most recent reincarnation, the game was run by a tax-exempt outfit known as the Capital Area Sports Foundation, which guaranteed each school $150,000 for the 2005 matchup. In its tax return for that year, the foundation reported more than $160,000 in payouts to A&T, but the university said it has received less than $100,000 and doesn't expect to see anything more.

"We can probably kiss that money goodbye," athletics director Dee Todd said Monday.

A year ago, Lawrence Wray, the group's chief administrator, said the foundation had run out of money, but it reported remaining assets of $12,285 as of Dec. 31.

The arrangement clearly is better for A&T now that it has cut the middle man out of the equation. That should hold true for a two-year period, even though Central gets next year's gate receipts. If A&T sells only 10,000 general-admission tickets this year, it will take in $200,000 and won't have to wait for anybody else to cut a check.

"You go to the Aggie-Eagle and you're dealing with a third party," Todd said. "Here, the gate is ours."

The Eagles surely understand. Last week, the West Alabama said that its game with Central, scheduled for Oct. 6 in Birmingham, Ala., had been canceled because of a "breach in the game contract by the Varsity Sports Marketing Group, the game's promoter."

Traditionalists might mourn the further migration of Central-A&T from its roots as the Turkey Day Classic, but future schedules should ensure A&T of at least two home sellouts a year -- one for homecoming and the other from Central or Winston-Salem State, which will alternate appearances at Aggie Stadium.

"The reality is that you've got to look at the financial amounts," Gwynn said.

MEAC week three football honors

Photo: FAMU #10, Tyrone McGriff smashes Howard University offense for two sacks, 11 tackles.

By MEAC Sports information

Senior runningback Chad Simpson of Morgan State University and Tyrone McGriff of Florida A&M University were selected as the MEAC Football Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Phillip Sylvester also of Florida A&M earned his second Rookie of the Week accolade, while teammates Dennis Conley and Kevin Teel of Hampton earned offensive lineman and special team’s player of the week honors respectively.

Simpson (RB, 5-9, 210, Sr., Miami, Fla.) ran for a career-best 221 yards on 41 carries including a 33 yard touchdown run as the Bears fell in the final seconds to Winston Salem State, 19-17. He also had 68 yards on three kickoff returns. Simpson is currently averaging 186.0 yards, third best among NCAA D-I (FCS) players, in three games and has rushed for five TDs.

McGriff (DE, 6-1, 217, Sr., Tallahassee, Fla.) led the Rattlers in tackles with 11, eight solo, in a 30-17 win over Howard. McGriff also recorded two sacks for a loss of 16 yards and four and a half tackles for a loss of 20 yards.

Sylvester (RB, 5-10, 185, Fr., Marianna, Fla.) was one-of-two players to post over 200 yards rushing in MEAC action this week. Sylvester rushed for 222 yards on 21 carries and tallied nine yards on two receptions. He also ran back two kickoffs for 41 yards. His longest run of 94 yards resulted in a touchdown, giving the Rattlers the 20-10 lead over Howard. The freshman, who also received Rookie of the Week honors in week one, accounted for 276 all-purpose yards in the win. Sylvester currently ranks 15th in rushing among NCAA D-I (FCS) players.

Photo: FAMU #30, Phillip Sylvester takes it 94 yards through Howard University defense for TD.

Conley (LG, 6-4, 257, r-So., Suffolk, Va.) graded out at 94-percent on assignments as he aided the Pirates to 438 total offensive yards in a win over N.C. A&T. Conley led the way for the Pirates’ 228 yards on the ground and 210 yards passing that resulted in three touchdowns for quarterback TJ Mitchell. He also collected two pancake blocks in the win.

Teel (WR, 5-9, 168, Jr., Bowie, MD) recorded a 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Pirates win. He amassed 95 total yards on returns and also notched 68 yards receiving with a touchdown.

Other Top Performers

Josh Brite (DSU) had eight punts for 321 yards (40.1 average) with one inside the 20 and one touchback for the Hornets.

Rafael Bush (SCSU) tallied nine tackles, with all but one unassisted, against the nationally ranked South Carolina Gamecocks.

Will Ford (SCSU) rushed for 112 yards on 17 carries against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Jerrell Guyton (MSU) collected a career-high 14 tackles (10 solo) and a sack in the Bears slim loss to the Winston-Salem State Rams.

Dakarai Grimsley (MSU) graded out a 98-percent on his assignments and collected five pancake blocks as he led the Bears to 366 total offensive yards against the Rams.

Justin Keable (BCU) punt for 191 yards on five attempts including a 48-yarder that pinned the Tigers deep in their own territory as Bethune-Cookman posted their second win of the season.

James Lee (SCSU) had two pancake blocks as he helped the Bulldogs to 196 yards rushing against intrastate rival South Carolina.

Van Morgan (HAM) rushed for 154 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns in the win over N.C. A&T State.

Russell Reeves (DSU) led all tackles with 14, eight solo, and one sack for a loss of three yards in the Hornets loss to Kent State. He also posted a forced fumble and one pass breakup for the Hornets defense.

Jimmie Russell (BCU) scored three rushing touchdowns with 65 yards on 12 carries in the Wildcats win over Savannah State. Russell also completed 10-of-15 passes for 112 yards in the victory.

Carlo Turavani (HAM) scored 11 points completing 8-of-8 extra point attempts and a 28-yard field goal as the Pirates defeated N.C. A&T 59-14.

Bobbie Williams (BCU) accounted for 10 tackles, five solo, and three pass breakups in the Wildcats 38-13 victory over Savannah State.

Defense sparks Southern University’s 3-0 start

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Tennessee State at Southern
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: A.W. Mumford Stadium
TV: Tape-delay, 3:30 p.m. Sun., CST
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5

Southern has allowed one second-half touchdown all season — with 16 seconds left in the opener as the Jaguars played more for time than score.

That’s not how this was supposed to happen.

The thinking going in was, Southern’s offseason attrition left the Jaguars thin and young and that combination would have them wearing down as games wore on.

Not so.

Southern (3-0, 2-0), which hosts Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium, has gotten better throughout the games.

A big reason for the undefeated start is the way SU has played in the second half, outscoring the opposition 36-9.

Between substitution patterns and coaching adjustments, Southern’s defense has been stingy and dominating after halftime.

Mississippi Valley State got 9 yards in the entire second half. Prairie View changed quarterbacks, with its playmaker Chris Gibson ineffective, and couldn’t convert on fourth-and-3 at the SU 28-yard line. Florida A&M couldn’t convert a key fourth-and-1 at the SU 25 in the third quarter and threw two interceptions, one setting up the go-ahead score and the other in the Southern end zone.

“The thing that helps is, we do a game plan and we actually have adjustments in the gameplan,” said SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves, who is also the defensive backs coach. “We practice it throughout the week, so it’s nothing they haven’t seen for the most part. Little, subtle adjustments.

“Those guys understand the little wrinkles, adjust to them and do a good job of executing.”

After getting burned for two long touchdowns in the second quarter of the season opener with FAMU, Southern has clamped down, allowing just two touchdowns (and a safety, charged to the punting unit) in the last 10 quarters.

“Those guys are doing a good job of really just executing the defense,” Graves said. “That’s a credit to them, because it means something to them.”

Southern had three interceptions, three sacks and two fourth-down stops in a 12-2 win over Prairie View on Saturday.

Gibson came in averaging 99.5 rushing yards per game. He had minus-17 and suffered his first two sacks of the season.

“They took away some of the things we wanted to do,” Prairie View coach Henry Frazier III said. “Coach Graves and his staff were on it. &hellip We’re going to look at where they were robbing us &hellip see how they took it away and we’ll correct it.”

Remember, though, that there is not a senior among Southern’s front seven (its linebackers and line).

“(First-year linebackers coach Todd) Middleton and (defensive line coach David) Geralds are doing a good job up front of making those guys aware of what to look for and what to respond to, making sure they’re in the right places and paying attention to detail,” Graves said. “They’re playing well together.”

At the core of this success, the team’s playmakers have made plays, as Southern head coach Pete Richardson has pointed out.

The secondary, headlined by the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s preseason defensive player of the year in free safety Jarmaul George and a three-year starter in cornerback Michael Williams (11 tackles), has lived up to expectations.

Strong safety Glenn Bell, the team’s top tackler last season, has 23 tackles, with that interception in the end zone and a fumble recovery in the end zone. &hellip George has 20 tackles and two interceptions.

Junior Johnathan Malveaux, the most veteran of linebackers, leads the team in tackles at 29.

The two veterans on the defensive line, end Vince Lands and tackle Joseph Selders, have produced.

Lands, this week’s SWAC Defensive Player of the Week, has 13 tackles, with 5.5 for losses, including 2.5 sacks, along with three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. And Selders has 14 tackles.

Meanwhile, junior defensive tackle Dwayne Charles (13 tackles) continues to make the progression coaches expected.

And sophomore drop linebacker Gary Chapman (14 tackles) is showing he can be what he looked like he could be in preseason camp.

And the tag-team of Allan Baugh (11 tackles, one interception) and Brian Lewis (eight tackles, one sack) has worked at eagle linebacker.

“We’ve got some guys who are coming in and making plays, just doing a good job of understanding what to do and how to do it,” Graves said. “We emphasize playing fast and playing hard.”

Southern has totaled five interceptions, 14 pass breakups, six sacks and two fumble recoveries.

“We made big plays at the right time,” George said.

AAMU Bulldogs' road gets rougher

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Grambling bigger challenge than first 3 A&M opponents

Tennessee State didn't test Alabama A&M. Neither did Clark Atlanta nor Mississippi Valley State.

The Bulldogs disposed of the Tigers and the Delta Devils with big second-half efforts. A&M built a 21-7 lead at intermission against Clark Atlanta and coasted the rest of the way.

Although the Bulldogs' first three opponents didn't provide much competition, coach Anthony Jones said that will change Saturday night when A&M visits Grambling in an important Southwestern Athletic Conference game. Kickoff is at 6 at Robinson Stadium and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

"This is a big game for us," Jones said Sunday afternoon before meeting with his team. "Grambling is playing probably as well as anybody in the West Division. They'll be, without a doubt, our biggest test to date."

The Bulldogs are 3-0 and 1-0 in league play. The Tigers, who were idle last week, are 1-1 and 1-0.

During a six-year span from 2000 through 2005, Grambling won four SWAC championships. However, the Tigers struggled last season, finishing 3-8, and coach Melvin Spears was fired. Rod Broadway was hired earlier this year, and Jones says he has already paid dividends.

"They're much better this year," he said. "They've got talent down there. Broadway is an excellent coach.

"Watching them on film, they do a lot of good things. You can tell that they're well-coached. They've got their swagger back."

This A&M team is playing with a swagger, particularly on offense, unlike any of Jones' previous five teams.

The Bulldogs are averaging 45 points and 519 yards per game through their first three games.

"We've got some weapons we've never had in the past," Jones said.

After struggling throughout the first half and leading just 10-7 at intermission against MVSU, A&M erupted for 35 points in the second half.

Quarterback Kelcy Luke, after going 8-of-18 in the first half for 56 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, completed 8-of-11 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Wide receiver Thomas Harris had three catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. Running back Ulysses Banks scored two touchdowns, one on a 70-yard screen pass and another one on a 15-yard run. Banks finished with 103 rushing yards on 11 carries.

A&M had a pair of two-play, 70- and 78-yard drives for touchdowns, but also had a six-play, 75-yard drive and a 13-play, 90-yard drive for touchdowns.

"This team has been able to score on big plays and long drives," Jones said. "We haven't been able to do that in the past."

Monday after

Who's hot: Wide receiver Thomas Harris had four catches for 137 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's game.

Who's not: The Bulldogs' run defense. Mississippi Valley State freshman Ronald Brewer rushed for 146 yards on 21 carries, averaging a whopping 7.0 yards per carry. It is the second time in three games A&M has allowed a 100-yard rusher.

Who's hurt: Wide receiver Nate Baxter sustained an ankle injury in the first quarter against MVSU and never returned. His status is day-to-day.

Who's next: The Bulldogs visit Grambling in a Southwestern Athletic Conference showdown Saturday night. Kickoff is at 6 (ESPNU) at Robinson Stadium.

SCSU Historic day comes with a price

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

COLUMBIA - For the 73,095 fans in attendance Saturday night, the first-ever matchup between the University of South Carolina and South Carolina State was a festive experience.

Although the 38-3 outcome clearly went in favor of the host team and 12th-ranked Gamecocks, even Bulldog fans had to take pride in how the team and the Marching 101 looked in front of the largest audience either has ever performed before in school history.

The closer to the gridiron, however, the more it became obvious the inaugural meeting was a painful experience for the Bulldogs. As SCSU huddled with USC players at midfield for a post-game prayer, both defensive backs Markee Hamlin and Travance Jackson were staying upright on crutches.

The same was true for linebacker David Erby, who along with wide receiver Tron Jackson, suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice. Add BANDIT Marshall McFadden’s right elbow injury and the fact running back William Ford, who had his first 100-yard game this season, tight end Octavius Darby and wide receiver Tre’ Young were dealing with ankle and leg injuries and it would have been easy for SCSU head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough to second-guess his decision to play two Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the first three weeks of the season.

Instead, Pough would not change a thing save for the outcome and the rash of injuries. If anything, he believes even stronger that the Bulldogs will reap benefits from arguably the toughest opening three-game stretch any SCSU team has faced in its 100 years of existence.

"I’m encouraged," he said. "I think we’ll be okay. We’ve got some big, big football games left and we go back home next week, finally. This has been a long stretch. That three games on the road. One week, we’re in the Rocky Mountains and the next week, we’re on the Atlantic Ocean (in Daytona Beach, Fla. at Bethune-Cookman) and now, heck, we’re in the earthquake, doggone Williams-Brice (Stadium). It’s been a tough three weeks, but I’m glad to be getting back home and hopefully, we can go back home and play good the next week (against Winston-Salem State) and have a week up and heal up from our injuries."

The key for SCSU is getting most of the injured players healed up in time for the resumption of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. With Saturday’s home game against Winston-Salem State not counting in the standings, the Bulldogs could conceivably use the game the same way USC had hoped to do - give the starters enough time to stay sharp then pull them for the rest of the game.

Getting back four players (wide receivers Terrance Smith and Phillip Morris, defensive lineman Patrick Brooks and place-kicker Stephen Grantham) suspended for Saturday’s game for team rule violations should help in the depth department.

Even with Smith’s return, the Bulldogs will need to find a way to help an anemic passing game. Through three games, the Bulldogs rank last in the MEAC in passing offense, passing efficiency and next to last in Red Zone Offense.

Although backup Malcolm Long appeared in two series for the Bulldogs, Pough is not ready to rush the former ‘Mr. Football’ into the limelight.

"Cleve (McCoy) is our guy," he said. "He’s going to be our guy and Malcolm will be our guy down the road. All we’re trying to do with him right now is give him a little taste from time to time."

Bruised Gamecocks

Even in victory, USC took its lumps as two key starters in defensive back Brandon Isaac and defensive tackle Nathan Pepper left the game with injuries.

For Isaac, it was his oft-troubled right shoulder which once again betrayed the former T&D Region Player of the Year out of Blackville-Hilda. It was listed as a sprain, although USC head football coach Steve Spurrier gave no indication as to when Isaac will return.

In Pepper’s case, the pain came as made one of the biggest defensive plays of his career. With SCSU up 3-0 early, Pepper stepped in front of a Cleveland McCoy pass and returned it 19 yards for the school’s first interception return for a touchdown in two years.

As Peppers galloped untouched into the endzone, he quickly went down with was later diagnosed as a sprained left knee. He’s scheduled for an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

"An injury is something you can’t predict," USC defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. "If you’re going to get hurt, get hurt scoring."

Instant replay works for SCSU

Playing at Williams-Brice Stadium afforded SCSU the rare opportunity of challenge questionable plays through instant replay. In two instances during the first half, the protested calls went in the Bulldogs’ favor.

SCSU challenged the spotting of a fourth-and-one quarterback sneak by USC backup quarterback Tommy Beecher. After a five-minute review, the review overturned the original call and gave possession back to the Bulldogs.

Minutes later, USC challenged a fumble recovered by SCSU defensive lineman Keyon Brooks which was caused by a hard hit by a blitzing Ryan Botts. The ruling on the field stood and SCSU won its second challenge.

Record game crowd for SCSU

The 73,095 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium was the largest crowd an SCSU football team had play before, breaking the mark of 68,000 set in 2004 when the Bulldogs played Tennessee State at the Circle City Classic held in Indianapolis, Ind.

Lesson learned

SCSU’s inability to deal with the crowd noise at Williams-Brice Stadium resulted in four false start penalties in the first half. In the long run, however, Pough believes those difficulties will help the Bulldogs in future FBS matchups, including a 2011 rematch with USC.

"It’s a learning experience," he said. "Now that we’ve done it one time under these circumstances, the next time we’ll do better."

Playing from behind

SCSU dropped to 4-14 overall in games in which it trailed at halftime under Pough. The 3-0 deficit was also the first time USC had trailed in a game all season. The lead lasted exactly 80 seconds for SCSU.

Rutgers rubs it in--Runs it up on Norfolk State

Greg Schiano padded Ray Rice's stats late in a win over Navy on Sept. 7. But after being criticized for a bush-league move, the Rutgers head coach only seemed even more determined to rub it in the face of an opponent.

Saturday against tiny Norfolk State, Schiano called a bevy of timeouts in short succession while his team held a 45-0 lead at the end of the second quarter. NSU coach Pete Adrian had a right to be upset, and the fact that the controversy was the lead item in the Associated Press' (usually) bland game report shows you how much this story matters. It overshadowed anything and everything that Rutgers might have achieved in this game.

Okay, coach Schiano, it's time to throw down some tough talk: before this season, you did the right things in the right way for all the right reasons at Rutgers. After several years of hard work — and justified patience from your athletic director — you've gained the right results as well. You were a model for all other coaches in every possible way.

But now, after two straight weeks of stat-padding, with one of them coming in a classic paycheck game, all the goodwill and political capital of Rutgers University's football program are being thrown out the window. This on-field controversy involving Schiano's methods (and motives) accompanies the off-field developments concerning the unruly and unbecoming behavior of the Rutgers student body at home games in Piscataway, N.J.

Coach, your reasoning after the Norfolk State game was pretty lame. You said that as long as your starters are in the game, you play the way you coach: all-out, with a complete focus on performance and excellence. That statement leaves a lot to be desired for a number of reasons.

First, you can justify leaving your starters in the game far longer than they should. If Ray Rice is on the field, you think you can do whatever you want. So you leave Rice in the game, and you do whatever you want. Twisted logic, to say the very least.

Secondly, one would think that with backups in the game, you would actually work harder as a coach. When first-string players are competing against a grossly inferior opponent, you don't need to trick up your playbook or complicate your game plan. With dominant players, you can do the simplest things and still score points. If that happens, then you can't be accused of stat-padding.

But with backup players who need exposure to live-action game management situations, it's justifiable to provide trick plays and special strategies.

Second- or third-string players deserve the right to work with the gadgets, exotics and wrinkles normally reserved for the first-teamers. If your bench-warmers get a full playbook and a complex offensive package, no opposing coach could argue: second-stringers don't get much work, so they need exposure to everything. The logic is clear and convincing.

Long story short, you can't have it both ways, Mr. Schiano: either you keep your first string in the game and don't call the timeouts, or you put in your backups and call the timeouts. If you were a really nice guy, you'd put in second-stringers and not call the timeouts, but we'll be reasonable and ask for only one action, not both. But you did neither; you kept in the first-team offense AND called the three timeouts in a 45-point game against a paycheck school whom you should treat with a little more respect. It's not just Pete Adrian who should be angry at you; it's an entire college football community that suddenly doesn't feel that Rutgers is a feel-good story anymore.

Not with the embarrassing way in which you're conducting yourself on gamedays, Mr. Schiano.

— Matthew Zemek, Foxsports.com

HU's kickoff return provides a kick-start

BY KEITH CANNON, Special to the Daily Press

GREENSBORO, N.C. - A confusing set of circumstances led to one of the biggest plays in Hampton's 59-14 victory over North Carolina A&T on Saturday night at Aggie Stadium.

A premature call by the A&T captains after the opening coin toss led to the Pirates receiving both the first- and second-half kickoffs. Kevin Teel returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, sparking Hampton's big third quarter.

Quarterback T.J. Mitchell, one of Hampton's game captains, explained that the Pirates lost the coin toss, but when asked what they wanted to do, the Aggie captains identified which goal they wanted to defend instead of the expected decision to defer to the second half. So, naturally, the Pirates elected to receive for the second half.

Hampton coach Joe Taylor said he was surprised by the whole incident. "First time in my life I've ever seen that," he said.

SHORT SCHEDULE
The Pirates home opener at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Morgan State (TV: ESPNU) will result in changes in the team's routine this week, Taylor said.

"We won't grade this game's film yet, but we'll look at Morgan first," he said. "We usually take Monday off and introduce the next team on Tuesday," he said. "But this time our next day off will be Friday."

TURNOVER STREAK STAYS ALIVE
Kendall Langford's 23-yard interception return for a score late in the third quarter marked the 28th consecutive game in which the Pirates defense has forced at least one turnover. The last time the Pirates didn't get a giveaway from the opposition was on Nov. 8, 2003 at Bethune-Cookman.

THE LAST TIME
Teel's kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half was the second of his career. He repeated the feat he accomplished last season when the opened the second half with a 92-yard return for a score in a 29-14 victory over Delaware State on Sept. 30, 2006, in Dover, Del...It also hasn't been that long since the Pirates scored 59 points in a game. They did it last season in a 59-7 victory over Florida A&M in Tallahassee, Fla. on Nov. 11, 2006.

N.C. CONNECTION
Four players on the Hampton roster hail from North Carolina, including senior safety Henti Baird, a Greensboro Page graduate playing in front of a hometown crowd for the final time. There's also a Hampton connection on the A&T side as Aggie linebacker coach Travis Oliver is a 2003 Hampton graduate. He was a two-time All-MEAC safety for the Pirates.


ALL-TIME SERIES
With the victory, the Pirates' all-time record against North Carolina A&T is now 22-15-2. Hampton has won the last four, and have scored more than 40 points in three of the four. Hampton has a 9-4 advantage in MEAC games between the teams and Pirates coach Joe Taylor is 9-3 against the Aggies in his career at Hampton.

Southern defense gets 'moral shutout' against PVAMU

Photo: Southern’s Jarmal George (2) leaps over Prairie View’s Chris Gibson (10) during Southern’s 12-2 victory.











By JOE SCHIEFELBEIN, The Advocate

Do they have things called “moral shutouts?”

That’s what Southern’s defense scored in a 12-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory over Prairie View on Saturday.

Prairie View’s only score came when Southern was called for holding in the end zone while attempting a punt in the fourth quarter.

“We had a shutout defensively,” said senior free safety Jarmaul George, the SWAC’s preseason defensive player of the year.

George’s interception at the Southern 15-yard line with 4:41 to play ended the Panthers’ last good chance to score. SU’s last shutout came in September 2005, 38-0 over Prairie View.

“We expect bigger things out of the defense. That’s just the beginning of what we want to do right there,” George said.

After giving up what SU head coach Pete Richardson called two “cheap” touchdowns in the second quarter of the season opener against Florida A&M (a 45-yard touchdown run and a 40-yard TD pass), Southern’s defense has been crazy good.

In the last 10 quarters, Southern (3-0, 2-0 SWAC) has allowed just two touchdowns. One of those came with 16 seconds left against FAMU, when the Jaguars were more concerned with time, and the other came with 6 seconds to go in the first half of a 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State.

Saturday, unlike the previous two games when the offense got on a roll after slow starts, Saturday’s defensive effort was so crucial because this was a defensive battle.

For the second straight season, Prairie View defensive coordinator Heisma Northern has kept Southern from finding any offensive continuity. Last season, PV headed off SU’s passing game and kept the Panthers in the game to make an amazing comeback in the final five minutes. This time, the Panthers (2-1, 1-1) took away the running game — just 67 yards on the ground after SU had totaled 293 the week before.

SU’s defense answered the challenge.

“We wanted to bring the pressure to (PV quarterback Chris Gibson),” George said. “We knew the defense would step up to the challenge if we went man-to-man on the defense.”

A year ago, PV had 251 rushing yards. This time, the Panthers had 52 (suffering 61 yards in losses after gaining 113).

Prairie View hadn’t given up a sack this season, but SU got to the Panthers for three, including 2.5 from defensive end Vince Lands.

Southern came up with three interceptions and twice made fourth-down stops deep in Jaguars territory.

“I can’t say enough about our defense,” senior wide receiver Gerard Landry said.

Do more of this
SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves has been making all the right moves. Down 20-12 at halftime to FAMU, Southern’s defense rallied in the second half, paving the way for a 33-27 victory. Burned by the late TD to Valley, the Jaguars stoned the Delta Devils in the second half (9 yards of offense after halftime). And after Prairie View totaled 88 yards in the first quarter, Graves’ adjustments kept the Panthers to 109 yards in the rest of the game.

Work more on this
Again, Southern needs to find a rhythm on offense more quickly. Saturday was the Jaguars’ worst start of the season: three three-and-outs and minus-6 yards (on 10 plays) in the first quarter. SU didn’t have its initial first down until 12:38 before halftime. By that time, SU’s defense had already held twice in its territory (at the SU 17-yard line and 38) and made an interception.

Quick hits
SU has not trailed in its last two games or its last nine quarters. SU’s four-game winning streak, dating to the Bayou Classic last season, is its longest since a six-win run in 2004, when the Jaguars were 8-4 and won the Western Division. Prairie View has scored two points total in its last two trips to Mumford Stadium — losing 12-2 Saturday and 38-0 in 2005. SU won 62-7 in ’03, but that game was held in Shreveport.

Up next
Southern hosts Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference at 6 p.m. Saturday in Mumford Stadium. TSU has won two straight games on thrillers, with the same key players coming up big each time. Saturday, in a 33-32 OVC win over Austin Peay, Eric Benson scored the game-winner on his PAT in overtime after he kicked a 43-yard field goal with 9 seconds left to tie the game in regulation. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked a PAT after Austin Peay scored a touchdown on its possession. A week earlier, Benson made a 35-yarder with no time left to beat Jackson State 16-13 (after TSU trailed 13-6 heading into the final quarter). Rodgers-Cromartie blocked a 22-yard Eric Perri field-goal attempt just moments earlier.

The teams have not played since 1996, when SU won 19-18. TSU has played two SWAC teams so far this season, losing 49-23 to defending SWAC champ Alabama A&M in the season opener and beating Jackson State.

Scarlet Knights rout outmanned Norfolk State

BY KEITH SARGEANT, Asbury Park Press

PISCATAWAY — Bring on Appalachian State!

The reigning two-time Division I-AA champions certainly would be no match for this Rutgers University football team, not after the Scarlet Knights trounced fellow former I-AA member Norfolk State, 59-0, before 43,712 on Saturday at Rutgers Stadium.

Rutgers scored six touchdowns in a record-setting second quarter to make it a laugher, going into intermission with a 45-0 lead.

The 42 points were the most ever scored by a Big East team in a quarter, and the 45 points were the most Rutgers has scored in a half in its 138-year history.

"I've been on the other end of these (blowouts) and I know how it feels," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "I'm glad that they kept chopping away and that they got cooking in the second quarter."

In the NFL, they call games like these the preseason. In college football, it's called halfway to bowl eligibility.

The Scarlet Knights are 3-0 following their third straight convincing victory, but now the hard work begins. After a bye next weekend, ACC-foe Maryland will arrive at Rutgers Stadium on Sept. 29 to offer the Scarlet Knights their stiffest test to date.

And after Maryland leaves, the Big East sched-ule kicks in, with unbeaten Cincinnati the first on the conference slate.

"You're never where you want to be," quarterback Mike Teel said, when asked if he believes Rutgers is ready for the meat of its schedule. "There's always room to get better. One thing we can't do is we can't be sluggish like we were today. It's a matter of not executing and it's something I'm sure we're going to work on this week."

Rutgers started slow, punting on its first two possessions and only managing a Jeremy Ito 30-yard field goal in a opening quarter.

But it only took one play in the second quarter for the Scarlet Knights to finally get some separation. Teel's 43-yard touchdown strike to Kenny Britt put to rest any thoughts of an upset the likes of Appalachian State's shocker of Michigan three weeks ago.

The floodgates opened from there, with Teel drilling Tiquan Underwood for a 28-yard touchdown one minute later . . . Rice scampering in from 22 yards five minutes after that . . . Rice scoring two more runs three minutes apart . . . and Teel completing the scoring blur with a 34-yard strike to Britt.

"The plus 25-yard plays are great when you get them," Schiano said. "Mike was on the money, and they weren't just 10- or 12-yard passes. These were down the field passes."

Rutgers exploded for 277 yards of total offense in scoring its six second-quarter touchdowns. The scoring drives each spanned less than 30 seconds, with the Scarlet Knights needing only 11 plays and 91 seconds of elapsed time to erupt for a 45-0 lead with 2:17 left in the half.

But even with the 45-point lead, Schiano wanted more. Though less than two minutes remained on Norfolk State's final series of the half, Schiano called timeouts on three consecutive plays before sending a punt block after the Spartans' drive stalled.

While a roughing-the-punter penalty ended up giving Norfolk a first down, Spartans coach Pete Adrian was visably upset when his punter, Brian Jackson, came up lame.

"Forty-five zip and you're calling three timeouts at the end," Adrian said. "If that turns you on, that's fine. Everyone has a reason for what they are doing."

Schiano said he wanted to coach through the first half, and only regretted that Jackson got hurt.

"I asked Coach and he said he's going to be all right, so that's good," Schiano said. "You coach and teach your kids to play. First half of a football game you better play the game the way you preach to them. And you better coach that way, too."

Teel contributed to the onslaught, shaking off a 1-for-7 opening quarter by completing seven of his eight passes for 244 yards in the second stanza. The junior quarterback finished 8-for-15 for 269 yards and three touchdowns overall before sitting out the entire second half.

Britt and Underwood each went over the 100-yard receiving plateau, with Britt hauling in four passes for 121 yards and two scores.

Underwood, meanwhile, continued his torrid stretch with four receptions for 148 yards. The junior receiver now has 500 yards through three games, putting him on pace for a 2,000-yard regular season.

Rice's 72-yard tally snapped a string of five-straight 100-yard rushing performances, but the Heisman candidate still managed to score three touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards on his 12 carries.

Rice said afterward the only numbers he cared about were 3-0.

"It's another stepping stone for us," he said. "We're exactly where we need to be."

Winston-Salem's late pass, field goal beat Morgan State

By Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun

Winston-Salem State 19, Morgan State 17

Morgan State went from bad to worse, from losing to a crosstown rival a week ago to losing to the newest entry in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference yesterday.

A 42-yard pass play and a 24-yard field goal by Winston-Salem State in the final minute sent the Bears reeling to a 19-17 loss before an announced 8,953 at Hughes Stadium.

"Just a gloomy day all around," Morgan coach Donald Hill-Eley said.

Morgan (1-2) learned earlier that it would have to play without star wide receiver Roderick Wolfe, who was taken to Central Booking on a warrant for failing to appear in court last summer for traffic violations, and cornerback Darren McKahn, who was benched for missing team meetings last week.

The Bears proceeded to play like a team that had lost its spark. They piled up 15 penalties for 145 yards, lost three turnovers and gave Winston-Salem (2-1) a gift touchdown in the fourth quarter when tailback Chad Simpson fumbled at the Morgan 3-yard line.

Photo: Morgan State running back Chad Simpson ran for a career-high 221 yards but also fumbled, leading to aWinston-Salem State touchdown.

It spoiled an otherwise spectacular game for Simpson, who rushed for a career-high 221 yards on 41 carries.

Hill-Eley even changed kickers during the game after Johnathan Skeete missed a 33-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter. Two of Skeete's kicks were blocked by Towson last week.

When his replacement, James Meade, connected on a 43-yard field goal with 1:13 left in the game, the Bears took a 17-16 lead and appeared to get a reprieve for all their miscues.

It was not to be.

Winston-Salem's Monte Purvis completed a 42-yard pass to Bryant Bayne against Morgan's prevent defense to put the Rams in field-goal position at the Bears' 9-yard line. The Rams ran one play, let the clock run to 4.6 seconds, and sent freshman Matt Mitchell onto the field for a game-winning 24-yard kick.

Purvis, who has had more success running than throwing this season, passed for 141 yards in the game and was sacked four times. With four receivers running deep, he hit Bayne on a slant across the middle.

"We had enough time, so we wanted to hit the underneath guy," Rams coach Kermit Blount said.
Hill-Eley said Bayne came open on a botched coverage.

"We were in quarters, a prevent defense," Hill-Eley said of the game's big pass play. "When [Bayne] ran across the field, the back-side safety ran with the front-side vertical [receiver]. It left a big hole in there. We have to play better in the secondary."

SCSU 101 does the job, puts on great show

By TRAVIS BOLAND, T&D Sports Writer

The one complaint Gamecock fans have had for the past few years is the lack of an "SEC-caliber" marching band.

Fans on message boards all over the state knew that the score of the game would never be in doubt against S.C. State, but a lot of them didn’t know what to expect from the Marching 101.

The South Carolina State Bulldog marching band is well known not only in the state, but all over the country. Many USC fans were excited to see this new style of band play at halftime, and the Marching 101 was happy to oblige.

"Our band came to put on a good show, and they’re very excited to do so," Assistant Director of Bands Donald Lee said Saturday night. "The kids have worked very hard, and it’s going to be an exciting show."

Now, I’ve never seen the 101 perform, I’ve heard the drum line play at a couple of functions in Orangeburg, but I’ve never seen the whole group do a show. I didn’t know what to expect.

I watched the band march into the stadium, and they looked as good as any band in the SEC, then when they started playing -- an hour before kickoff -- it was clear they came to party.

The 101 did exactly what it had to do, pump up the crowd. But they also riled up the crowd in a bad way.

Through no fault of their own, the band ended up taking up almost an entire section at Williams-Brice Stadium. The only problem, people had bought those tickets. Scores of Bulldog fans who purchased tickets were left standing and scrambling for any piece of real estate in the visitors’ section.

Needless to say, this didn’t make a lot of people happy.

But the band played on, with the fight song and other music. Every time they picked up their instruments it was going to be a show. I had a front-row seat, watching from the bottom of the stands and rocking right along with the students and fans who made the trip. But as the 101 started to make their way to the field for the halftime show, I wanted to get a better seat.

I raced up the ramp and stood in the corner to watch this famous formation.

The 101 put on a great show that included the popular rap song "Soldier Boy" and a tribute to the fire fighters who lost their lives in Charleston. The band’s sound was just as loud as any other band that has played Williams-Brice, including Carolina, Clemson, Tennessee and Georgia.
The 101 should be very proud. They did exactly what they set out to do, put on a good show. It not only had the Bulldog fans up in their chairs, but I think I even saw some Gamecock fans bobbing their heads near the end.

SCSU - USC Football proves its power

By BOB SPEAR, The State

Never again doubt the power of football.

Not after Saturday night.

Not after South Carolina and South Carolina State squared off at Williams-Brice Stadium.

A 60-minute game contested on a plot of grass that measures 100 yards by 53 yards scraped away years of unwanted history and helped the state take another positive step into the future.

Combine the expectations in the week leading to the game with the blocking and tackling on a late-summer Saturday night, and the sum of good feeling accomplished more than all the rhetoric through the years.

"Historic" and "symbolic" often found their way into media reports centering on the first football game between the "big" state university, South Carolina, and the historical black college-university, South Carolina State. The words fit.

Stories focused on the monetary gain of S.C. State, and certainly the Bulldogs' athletic treasury benefits from the transfusion of cash. Fans who believed the racial divide would never permit the game basked in the attention and reveled in anticipation.

All those factors matter, of course. Bundle them into one package and discover the real reason to celebrate a football game that figured to be one-sided on the scoreboard: the visibility and credibility showered on S.C. State.

Those two elements could not be bought at any price, and that is the power and passion of football.

Priceless exposure. For those who still do not believe, consider this: The schools have faced each other in their second-most popular sport, men's basketball, periodically through the years. The series dates to Frank McGuire's days with the Gamecocks.

Some of those basketball games turned into nail-biters. Indeed, some of the S.C. State faithful believe the Bulldogs fell victim to a classic "homer" job one year at Carolina Coliseum, and last season's game at the Colonial Center went to the wire.

The Gamecocks won 55-52 before an announced crowd of 6,307 in the most recent game. The season before, USC won in a walk before a gathering listed at 5,014.

No one noticed, or if they did, the attendance figures suggest no one cared.

Compare that to Saturday night's scramble for tickets and a reported sellout crowd.

That is football.

"Without question, Saturday will be a great night for South Carolina State University," Donnie Shell, a former Bulldogs star who had a glittering career in the National Football League, said in previewing the game. "You can't buy this type of exposure through any kind of advertising. The money for the budget is great, but the visibility will mean more."

Like most S.C. State fans, Shell — a season-ticket holder who works for the Carolina Panthers — believes this game should have happen long before now, but he did not dwell on that point.

"It's good that schools within the state play each other," he said. "It's good for everybody, both our school and South Carolina."

The pregame anticipation drives that fact home.

Shell grew up in Whitmire in the early days of public-school integration. He had one scholarship offer — to Belmont Abbey to play basketball. Instead, he went to S.C. State and played on a defense that included future pros Harry Carson, Mickey Sims and Barney Chavous.

"I wish we could have played (USC) then, but when I played, I never saw this happening," he said. "I couldn't have imagined it then. Now, I'm pleased the teams are playing, that (administrators) made it possible."

How his Bulldogs would have fared against the Gamecocks "is something we will never know," said Shell, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and an All-Pro safety on the Pittsburgh Steelers' Steel Curtain defense in the pros. "We had confidence we could play football. Football is blocking and tackling and running, and if you could do those things, you can play on any level."

The "big" schools with far larger resources generally dominate in games like this one, but the Gamecocks had to work harder than expected Saturday night.

The crowd had to be wondering at halftime if the Gamecocks are "average stiffs" — coach Steve Spurrier's characterization after their 28-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette — or the team that knocked off nationally ranked Georgia a week ago. Five first-half turnovers created plenty of reason for indigestion with a date with LSU on the horizon.

But more than the numbers on the scoreboard mattered Saturday night. At long last, these neighboring teams squared off in a game that illustrates the power of football.

DSU can't stop Kent State in second half

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Hornets unable to contain I-A foe

KENT, Ohio -- Kelly Rouse had just been stood up straight by an opposing lineman, causing him to miss an easy sack. As he left the field due to fatigue, he was met with some unpleasant prodding by Delaware State defensive teammate Ronn Spinner.

Had Rouse made the sack, the Hornets would have forced Kent State into a fourth-down situation. Instead, on the following play, the Golden Flashes scored, a jagged pill for a DSU defense that had to that point prevented them from reaching the end zone.

The sequence was brief but served as a clear example of what happened to the Hornets on Saturday afternoon.

Playing against their first opponent in 20 years from what's regarded as the upper class of college football -- NCAA Division I-A -- the Hornets couldn't match the level of their opponent, or their own expectations, in a 38-7 loss at Dix Stadium.

Delaware State (2-1), ranked No. 24 among I-AA teams, found itself matched evenly with Kent State for one half. Then, everything seemed to go haywire.

Kent State, held out of the end zone for the majority of the first half, scored three touchdowns in a span of 8:43 from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third quarter to pull away without further challenge.

"The only reason we're where we are and they're here is we didn't have the same SAT scores," Rouse said after the game, his first since serving a two-game suspension for violating school policy. "We really are all at the same level. They just found ways to change the momentum."

The Golden Flashes (2-1), with the 15th-ranked rushing offense in the nation, found success often. They gained 201 yards rushing, while quarterback Julian Edelman added 267 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Eugene Jarvis led Kent State with 136 yards rushing and one TD. He also caught a scoring pass.

But it didn't come easily against Delaware State, playing its first I-A foe since a 1987 victory at Akron.

The Hornets received three first-half turnovers (one interception and two fumbles), but couldn't turn them into points.

Kent State's second offensive possession, 18 plays in length, ended with a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. Two possessions later, DSU linebacker Russell Reeves forced an Edelman fumble that was scooped up by defensive back Ryan Robinson and returned to the Kent State 41-yard line.

Edelman had four first-half passes batted down in the end zone by DSU defenders.

"It was frustrating, especially against a team like that," Edelman said. "I'm not trying to say anything bad about them, but we were supposed to win by a lot."

After Robinson's fumble recovery, Delaware State fullback Adam Shrewsbury took a pitch and threw a pass to Shaheer McBride. McBride found the end zone, but the play was called back because of an illegal man downfield.

With Kent State driving again at the end of the first half, Rouse nearly sacked Edelman, who found Phil Garner with a 7-yard pass. On the next play, Edelman connected with Shawn Bayes for a 42-yard touchdown to cap a 94-yard drive with 1:37 left.

"The feeling was, if we didn't let them score, we'd win," Reeves said. "We had a job to do. We were down, but we never thought we were out."

Kent State opened the second half with a 4-yard TD run by Jarvis and followed with Edelman's 56-yard TD pass to Rashad Tukes for a 21-0 lead.

Trailing 31-0, DSU scored its lone touchdown on a 1-yard run by quarterback Vashon Winton with 35 seconds left in the game.

By that time, the damage and result were complete.

"We did not return the challenge," DSU coach Al Lavan said. "

UAPB Golden Lions drop a frustrating Arkansas Classic

By Mike Marzelli, Pine Bluff Commercial

Hard to swallow

Arkansas-Pine Bluff can't help but feel like it got robbed in Saturday night's Arkansas Classic.

The Golden Lions' defense appeared to do enough to outlast Alabama State in what amounted to a war of attrition between the two teams, but two questionable penalties led to the Hornets' only two scores of the night as UAPB dropped a 12-10 heartbreaker before 10,012 at Golden Lions Stadium.

After 'Bama State's second score gave it the lead with 41 seconds to play, the Lions had a chance to get in position for a potential game-winning field goal after taking over on their own 35-yard line with 33 seconds left. Quarterback Johnathan Moore took off on a 27-yard scamper on the first play and crossed the ASU 40-yard line but had the ball popped out of his hands from behind and the Hornets recovered to ice the game.

Still, it was the two plays UAPB (1-2 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) had no control over — a pass interference call that gave Alabama State a 1st-and-goal at the end of the first half and a holding call that gave the Hornets the same scenario at the end of the game - that had the Lions steamed after the game.

The second of the two calls came with Alabama State (3-0 2-0 SWAC) down 10-6 and facing a 3rd-and-11 from the 20-yard line with under a minute to play. A pass from quarterback Chris Mitchell fell incomplete in the end zone but a late flag came in after the play for holding away from the play, giving State a 1st-and-goal from the 10-yard line instead of a fourth down scenario.

Four plays later, Mitchell floated a ball down the left sideline for receiver Fred Ragsdale, who dove into the end zone with arms outstretched and made a spectacular catch just over the goal line for what proved to be the winning touchdown.

"I'll tell you what, there were some calls that were questionable," Forte said. "It's unfortunate because I never want to make excuses for anything but you can't help but be upset about the type of calls that were made.

"I don't question the catch, [Ragsdale] made a great catch. It's the things after the catch that I question."

Forte spent the final minute of the contest in the ear of referee Keith Moore and headed straight to the locker room once the final horn sounded. He wasn't the only UAPB coach who was peeved.

"The last call was the worst call I've seen in football in a long time," UAPB defensive coordinator Monte Coleman said. "The guy who called it was 40 yards from the play and he came in two seconds after it was over and threw a flag for something that wasn't even a factor in the play.

"It hurts that they made a call like that on something that was so insignificant."

The first questionable call came with under 30 seconds to play in the first half on a ball that was severely overthrown near the goal line by Mitchell but drew a flag for pass interference. The result was another 1st-and-goal for the Hornets, who capitalized when Mitchell hit Darius Mathis with an 11-yard touchdown pass that gave ASU a 6-0 lead at halftime.

That was how the score remained until UAPB's special teams did what its struggling offense couldn't. The Lions capitalized on a bad snap from center on an ASU punt deep in its own territory when Marion Alridge fell on the ball at the Hornets' 9-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

Two plays later Moore found the end zone on a 9-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 7-6 lead. UAPB then added a 26-yard Brodie Heflin field goal early in the fourth quarter that looked like it would stand up at the time.

Nonetheless, UAPB's struggling offense put all the pressure on the defense to make it stand up, which put the Lions in position to be affected by outside sources. Moore, who was making his first start of the season, finished just 8-of-25 for 83 yards as the offense managed just 159 total yards. Running backs Martell Mallett and Mickey Dean combined to carry 20 times for 34 yards.

"We're still a struggling offensive football team and we're not getting better as fast as I'd like," Forte said. "Johnathan fell victim to the offensive line again and we just couldn't sustain anything. Our defense played an outstanding game and our special teams were excellent so it's frustrating to not be able to have anything to show for it."

UAPB returns to action next Saturday in a non-conference game at Southern Illinois.

ALABAMA STATE 12, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 10: Mitchell throws for 2 TDs to lead Hornets

Montgomery Advertiser

PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Trailing 10-6 with less than one minute remaining and Alabama State facing a 4th and 10 on Arkansas-Pine Bluff's 10 yard line, it looked like the Hornets would be suffering the first defeat of the Reggie Barlow era.

However, quarterback Chris Mitchell darted out of the pocket and floated a pass into the arms of a diving Fred Ragsdale.

It was a touchdown that gave ASU an exciting 12-10 win.

"These guys, these guys just refused to quit fighting," Barlow said. "We were down and in a tough spot but we never quit."

The Hornets gave UAPB several opportunities to win a game that ASU statistically dominated, and the Golden Lions tried to take advantage.

ASU led only 6-0 after a lackluster first half, as Mitchell hit converted QB Darius Mitchell for an 11-yard touchdown just before the first half expired.

That score held up until UABP got a 26-yard field goal by John Heflin that was set up by a blocked punt. On the very next possession, a bad snap on a punt attempt gave the Golden Lions the ball on the ASU 23-yard line.

Quarterback Jonathan Moore -- subbing for 2006 SWAC player of the year Chris Wallace -- took it in from six yards out and UAPB had a 10-6 lead, setting the stage for Ragsdale's heroics.

"That kid (Ragsdale) worked so hard this summer," Barlow said. "I'm really happy for him and this whole team. We have a lot of things we need to correct, but I'm really proud of them for this effort tonight."

Jay Peck had his second consecutive 100-yard night, picking up 146 yards on 35 carries. ASU's defense held the vaunted one-two rushing punch of Martell Mallet and Mickey Dean to 34 yards on 20 rushes. For the game, UAPB only mustered 159 yards of total offense and converted just 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions.

"There is no doubt that if we want to play for a championship, we'll lean on this defense," Barlow said. "They really play hard and fly around out there. The offense puts them in tough situations and they still give us a chance to win.

"I'm glad the offense was able to make a play to contribute to this big win."

After two weeks on the road, the Hornets return home to face Alcorn State Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Crampton Bowl.

Notes: This was Jay Peck's 7th career 100 yard rushing effort. . . .Chris Mitchell finished 16-27 for 175 yards and 2 TDs. . . .Barlow will host his weekly media/fan luncheon on Monday at 11:45 am in the Acadome Banquet room. Admission is $10 for fans.

A&T's losing streak stretches to 19

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record

GREENSBORO -- ESPNU's telecast of Saturday's N.C. A&T-Hampton game didn't start until 10 p.m., and for the Aggies, the hour was appropriate. Perhaps suitable for television, the Aggies aren't yet ready for prime time.

Burned by big plays in all phases, A&T absorbed its 19th straight loss after Hampton used a long punt return to set up a field goal, a 65-yard return of the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and two defensive TDs in a 59-14 victory.

The Pirates, the three-time defending MEAC champions, won their 22nd straight regular-season game.

A&T took positive vibes into halftime after redshirt freshman quarterback Shelton Morgan led a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that he finished with a 10-yard pass to fullback Trey Green, slicing the Pirates' lead to 17-7.

"We were still in the game," Green said. "We were excited. We had the momentum."

The Aggies (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) hoped for a big special-teams play to start the third quarter, but those aspirations were complicated by A&T's decision to kick off to start the game after winning the coin toss.

"I'll take the blame for that," Aggies coach Lee Fobbs said. "We wanted to defer until the second half. Coaching error."

The Pirates (2-0, 2-0) had the choice for the second half, and they wanted the ball. The rules of the game were also uncooperative. Under new NCAA regulations, kickoffs now come from the 30, which means those who can't smack the ball to the end zone are often tempted to pop up high, intentionally short kicks in the name of coverage.

That was fine with the Pirates, whose special-teams play has complemented offensive and defensive units armed with NFL prospects in the past three years. Kevin Teel took this one at his 30, bolted laterally, made the turn upfield at the precisely the right moment and went the distance.

"We expected them to kick it short because they did it on the last one and kind of caught us off guard," Teel said. "We made the correction, and we executed our assignment."

The Pirates, whose offense includes transfers from Virginia Tech, Kent State and West Virginia, were vastly superior anyway. The addition of excellence in the kicking game merely compounded the Aggies' difficulties.

Morgan, the Aggies' only viable option at quarterback now that Herb Miller is out with another knee injury, had some encouraging moments in facing an often oppressive defensive line. His two touchdown passes came on screens that beat blitzes and showed appropriate recognition of the situations.

"That's something we like to run near the goal line," Morgan said. "That's the first read on the play, and it was open."

Morgan had a poised and credible first half but saw his evening take a downturn when he threw one in the flat that he instantly regretted. Roaming in pursuit of a running back, defensive end Kendall Lankford saw the pass was overthrown, and when he snared it at the 22, he had nothing but turf in his way.

Morgan was 3-for-16 in the second half but showed off enough of an arm to encourage offensive coordinator Kenneth Ray to throw several deep balls and open the playbook.

"After the first interception, I started rushing things, and the game got out of control," Morgan said. "But overall, I laid a foundation, something to build on for next week."