MEAC/SWAC/OVC Sports: This Week in Review

Kirsten Stallings, a 6-0 junior forward from Memphis, Tenn. Ridgeway HS has transferred from FAMU to Augusta State University, Columbus, GA.








University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Mishayla Truttman of Gresham graduated in three years from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Spanish. In addition to graduating with a 4.0 grade point average, she was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Softball Team and received the MEAC First Team All-Conference award. Mishayla is the daughter of Paul and Marguerite Truttman and a 2006 graduate of Gresham High School. She plans to attend law school.

Hampton University
The Saskatchewan Roughriders, CFL have signed receiver and kick returner Jeremy Gilchrist, the team announced on Wednesday. Gilchrist, at 5'10 and 174 pounds, spent two seasons at Hampton University after transferring there from Virginia Tech. The Riders said they felt it was necessary to add some depth to their roster to take part of the load off their bigger players. Gilchrist had 40 catches for 544 yard and two touchdowns in his senior year, averaging 15.6 yards on punt returns with three touchdowns. The 23-year-old was a first-team all-conference player in 2007 and made the second-team All-MEAC in 2008. Financial details of the contract were not released.

Hampton University's Jeremy Gilchrist will get pro football opportunity with the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders.

South Carolina State University
S.C. State Bulldogs builds on ‘08 success with early top 20 ranking for ‘09: Going undefeated in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play and a strong first-round showing in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in 2008 more than earned South Carolina State long-sought respect nationally.At season’s end, the Bulldogs finished with their highest season-ending rankings in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs since 1997. They were ranked as high as 12th in FCS Coaches Poll and 13th in both the Sports Network and Any Given Saturday.com season-ending poll. Based on the new AGS poll, it appears national observers still hold S.C. State in high regard. The AGS Web site ranked the Bulldogs 17th in its sixth annual preseason poll, the highest showing for any historically black college and university.

Gamezone: S.C. State creates paid area for tailgating: Bulldog football fans are going to need a ticket if they want to get close to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on game days this fall. South Carolina State University is implementing a policy establishing a “Gamezone” surrounding the stadium where patrons will have to pay for parking and must have a ticket to gain entry. President Dr. George Cooper said the zone will generate revenue for the university during tight financial times. In addition, he believes it will cut down on loitering and get more fans into the stands. Board Chairman Lumus Byrd said more fans need to go inside the stadium, which has the capacity to hold 24,500 people, instead of tailgating. “The program is well funded but poorly supported. We have to start running this like a business,” he said.

A fenced-in perimeter will be placed around the zone. It will extend from the Chestnut Street side of campus to the end of Mitchell and Felton Fields.Five kiosks are going to be outside of the zone where tickets can be purchased. Special parking passes for the zone must be purchased in advance. Cars entering from Russell and Magnolia streets will be charged $5 to park on campus.

Florida A&M University
Derrick Shaw has been named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team, it was announced Wednesday by Collegiate Baseball. Shaw made the team as one of the best designated hitters in the nation. Derrick Shaw, Florida A&M — A first team MEAC selection, Shaw hit .366 with 9 doubles, 42 RBIs and 9 stolen bases.

Jarquella Woods, a 5-2 sophomore guard from Columbus, Georgia/Hardaway HS has transferred from FAMU to Augusta State University, located in her hometown.








Augusta State University (NCAA Division II-Peach Belt Conference) head women’s basketball coach Tes Sobomehin announced the addition of a pair of Division I transfers to the Lady Jaguar program. Kirsten Stallings, a 6-0 forward from Memphis, Tenn., and Jarquella Woods, a 5-2 point guard from Columbus, Ga., come to ASU from Florida A&M. Stallings will have one year of eligibility remaining while Woods will have two years of eligibility left. Stallings, who spent three seasons at FAMU, played in 28 games and made one start for the Lady Rattlers as a junior in 2008-09. She averaged 8.7 minutes, 1.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting 36.4 percent from the field. “Woods, who prepped at Hardaway High in Columbus, Ga., played two seasons in the Lady Rattler program. As a sophomore, she appeared in 30 games, making five starts and averaging 2.9 points and 1.3 assists per game. She shot 31.9 percent from the field, including 30.5 percent from 3-point range. student and we are glad to have her join the family.” The Lady Jags return four starters and seven letter winners from the 2008-09 squad, including all-conference performer Jasmine Godwin.

Nunnally among seven to enter the FAMU athletics: Four-time All-American football player Jacquay Nunnally is among the newest class of inductees to the Florida A&M University Sports Hall of Fame. The group of seven will be enshrined as the Hall's 34th induction class during ceremonies on Sept. 4 at the Civic Center. Nunnally, a receiver who played from 1997-2000 and who still reigns as the NCAA Division I FCS career pass receiving leader with 318 regular-season receptions.



















Rattlers last Four-time All-American, Jacquay Nunnally,#85 will be inducted into FAMU Athletics Hall of Fame. Nunnally played for Coach William "Billy" Joe in his legendary "Gulf Coast Offense" that destroyed 1-AA defenses.

Joining Nunnally is two-time All-America left tackle Terry Beauford (1989, 1990), who played several seasons in the National Football League (Green Bay, San Diego) and his FAMU teammate, quarterback Antoine "Tony" Ezell (1988-91), who was the first Rattler quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season and who finished his career with 6,620 yards — the third-highest total in school history. Also slated for induction is basketball star Aldwin Ware (1984-88), a Black College All-American in 1988, who led NCAA Division I in steals with 142, helping lead the Rattlers to a 22-8 finish and a berth in the finals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament.

Leon "Tex' Collier (1956-59), a strapping 6-foot-9 two-way tackle for the FAMU Football team, who also played forward for the Rattler Basketball team. Collier played on the 1957 and 1958 basketball conference title winners, three football conference championship teams (1956, 1957, 1958) and the 1957 national championship football team.

FAMU finds its punter in a waiter: Just a few months ago, Branden Holdren was serving meals to customers at a Jacksonville restaurant. In two months, he's expected to be kicking punts on special teams for FAMU's football team. Holdren can thank his former Jacksonville First Coast High School teammate Trevor Platt for making the pitch that gives him the chance he didn't get coming out of high school last year. Holdren is getting the shot at becoming the Rattlers starting punter after Troy Walker, who had an impressive spring, became academically ineligible. Up to then, he had the job locked down following Will Platt's unexpected withdrawal from classes. Holdren, 6-foot-2, 210, is expected to report to preseason camp on Aug. 10 for the opening of two-a-days drills.

Alabama State University
Alabama State's SWAC opener against Mississippi Valley State will be played at Chicago's Soldier Field and its season-ending game with traditional rival Tuskegee University will kick off two hours later than normal to accommodate a national television audience. The Sept. 26 game against MVSU has been moved to Chicago's Soldier Field as the Hornets and Delta Devils participate in the 10th annual Chicago Football Classic. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. ASU's Nov. 26 season-ending contest against Tuskegee will be televised live on ESPNU. The Hornets and Tigers will kick off the Turkey Day Classic at 3 p.m. from historic Cramton Bowl. HORNETS' 2009 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Practice field renovation now under way at ASU: Alabama State University has started work to replace the sod on its football practice field with artificial turf, the first phase of a planned $7 million renovation of the football complex. The $600,000 practice field project should be completed by the end of July. “This is a great improvement over the existing grass field because the synthetic field material will allow the team to practice year round, and is identical to the type of surface our team plays on throughout the Southwestern Athletic Conference,” said Kippy Tate, ASU’s vice president for buildings and grounds. Tate and ASU President William Harris were present Friday morning as a fleet of earth-moving equipment converged on ASU to scoop up all the old sod and dirt in preparation for the installation of the new synthetic field material.

Tennessee State University
John Jones, a linebacker who played the past two seasons at Florida, is transferring to Tennessee State. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound Sarasota, Fla., native played in 11 games last season and recorded 18 tackles, including a career-high seven against The Citadel. He had four tackles against South Carolina. As a freshman, Jones played in nine games, though most of his action came on special teams. Jones said he was seeking the opportunity for more playing time and consulted with his friend Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie about playing at TSU. Rodgers-Cromartie is a former TSU cornerback who also is from Sarasota (Booker High School) and a NFL 1st round draft choice. As a high school senior, Jones was rated eighth nationally among middle linebackers by Scout.com and 26th by Rivals.com. He also started at wide receiver in high school. Along with Florida, Jones was recruited by Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Michigan.

Alcorn State University
Brenda T. Square, chief of staff and executive assistant to Alcorn State President George E. Ross, has been named the school’s interim athletics director. Square replaces Darren Hamilton, who left Alcorn to become athletic director at Livingstone College in North Carolina. Square was hired in 2008 to serve as Ross’ chief of staff and executive assistant.

Jackson State University
Jackson State has earned the Dr. James Frank Commissioner’s Cup Award for all-sports competition in the Southwestern Athletic Conference for the third consecutive year and the women’s Barbara Jacket/Sadie Magee sports award for the fourth consecutive year. On the men’s side, Grambling claimed the C.D. Henry sports award. JSU totaled 160 points by winning conference titles in men’s and women’s golf, women’s tennis and women’s outdoor track. Jackson State had second-place finishes in football, men’s basketball, men’s outdoor track, women’s cross country, women’s soccer and women’s indoor track, and third-place finishes in volleyball, bowling and softball and tied for third in men’s tennis. In the all-sports competition, Grambling finished second (153.5 points) and Alabama State third (136.5 points). In women’s competition, Jackson State’s 96 points led all schools. Grambling (82 points) was second and Southern (78 points) third.

Cy Alexander is fired as TSU basketball coach

Dismissal comes after 67-106 record

Tennessee State fired men's basketball Coach Cy Alexander yesterday after more than five seasons, during which the Tigers program went 67-106. "I'm very close to Coach Alexander," TSU Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. "I hired him six years ago. He and I both had big visions for the program. … We've had success off the court. Our young men are graduating. … (But) somewhere in here we have to have the on-the-court success and that just has not happened."

Alexander will be replaced on an interim basis by assistant Mark Pittman, who will be on the sideline for today's 7:30 p.m. home game against UT Martin. A message left for the outgoing coach at his home was not returned Friday. Alexander, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., took the job on April 1, 2003, after 16 seasons at South Carolina State. He led the Bulldogs to five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

He went to the Orangeburg, S.C., campus in 1987 after working 11 years as an assistant coach at Howard. In his first year at South Carolina State, Alexander took over a team that had seen nine straight losing seasons and turned them into a winner with a 16-13 mark. The following year, the Bulldogs went a school-record 25-8, won the MEAC title and played in their first-ever NCAA Tournament game.

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TSU stays unbeaten despite sloppy play

PHOTO GALLERY: TSU vs. Eastern Kentucky
Click here for official box score.

Even with three turnovers, Tigers are 4-0

Sometimes it's good to be bad. Tennessee State was not as good as it could be Saturday night, but still managed to beat arch-nemesis and Ohio Valley Conference power Eastern Kentucky 34-20. An LP Field crowd of 8,276 watched the Tigers commit costly turnovers and a flurry of frustrating penalties while still handily beating a team it hadn't beaten since 1999.

"We won despite having some penalties and having some turnovers and that's a testament to how good this football team can be,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "It's also a testament to the heart of this football team. We had some fumbles and interceptions at key times and they could have folded, but they were very confident in what they were doing." TSU (4-0, 1-0 OVC) committed 11 penalties for 103 yards, while EKU (1-4, 0-1 OVC) had three penalties for 20 yards. The Tigers also had three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble — yet improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2001.

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Attendance: 8,276 (12%) at LP Field, Nashville, TN (Capacity: 68,800).

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TSU shores up holes on defense with new faces

TSU defensive coordinator Rod Reed.

Tennessee State's new defensive linemen are facing old problems. Not only did the unit struggle against the run last year, but the top linemen also are gone. So Rod Reed, who coached linebackers last year and took over as defensive coordinator this year, is trying to make improvements with young and inexperienced players.

"They get to go against a pretty good offensive line every day in practice so they get their noses bloodied a little bit,'' Reed said. "It's good to watch them sit in there and fight." Even with likes of All-OVC defensive end Shaun Richardson and nose tackle Lamar Divens, who signed with San Diego, TSU finished 88th nationally in run defense (193.5 yards per game) and 74th in total defense (386.4). Harold Ayodele, who rotated at tackle with Maurice Davis, did not to return for his final year of eligibility.

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TSU tries to plug hole at cornerback

Tigers foursome works to replace NFL draft pick

Cornerbacks are supposed to apply pressure on receivers, but at Tennessee State, it's the cornerbacks who are under heavy pressure.The players vying for the starting cornerback assignments face extra scrutiny because the position was a glaring strength of the defense during the four years Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was on the roster.

The consensus All-American is no longer around. He was taken in the first round of the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals, leaving several players with the challenge of carrying on TSU's tradition for strong cornerback play. "It's a little bit different back there now,'' defensive backs coach John Parker said. "It's hard to replace Dominique because he's such a great athlete. But we've got good people athleticism-wise. We've got some young ones and we're doing the best we can to get them ready to go."

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Tennessee State University Athletics Unveils new Big Blue Sports Network

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information.
Logo Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics.

Affiliates in Nashville, Columbia and Jackson

Tennessee State University Athletics announced yesterday the creation of a new Big Blue Sports Network with radio affiliates in Nashville, Columbia and Jackson. The network will greatly expand the coverage area for Tiger football and men’s basketball broadcasts throughout middle and west Tennessee, while reaching into southern Kentucky and northern Mississippi.

The TSU athletic broadcast rights were recently awarded to B2C Media. The company is co-owned by Danny Clay and TSU alumnus Fred Beasley. “We are excited to partner with TSU Athletics and to know that Tiger fans all over the state of Tennessee will be able to enjoy the excitement of the Big Blue broadcasts on their radio,” said Beasley.

The Big Blue Sports Network will consist of flagship station, WVOL 1470 AM in Nashville, WMRB 910 AM in Columbia and WOJG- 94.7 FM in Bolivar/Jackson.

WVOL served as the home for Tiger broadcasts for more than 30 years and will see the Big Blue return to their airwaves for the first time since 1998. “This is a great day for WVOL,” said TSU alumnus John Heidelberg, the owner and general manager of WVOL. “Many unforgettable moments in Tiger history were broadcast on WVOL and we are thrilled to serve as the flagship station for the new network.”

For the first time ever, Tiger broadcasts will be available on the air in Columbia on WMRB 910 AM. "I am excited about having the Tennessee State University Big Blue Sports Network on the radio here in Maury County because it allows WMRB listeners to experience the excitement of Tiger pride,” said Rev. Trent Ogilvie President of WMRB 910 AM.

WOJG 94.7 FM will take TSU broadcasts into west Tennessee for the first time ever as well. The 6,000 watt FM station’s coverage area includes 10 west Tennessee counties and four counties in northern Mississippi.

“Tennessee State has a tremendous following in west Tennessee and we know that our listeners are going to be excited to know that they can hear the games right here on WOJG,” said State Representative Johnny Shaw, owner of WOJG.

The entire 12 game TSU football schedule will be broadcast on the Big Blue Sports Network beginning with the Tigers season opener on August 30 at Alabama A&M. The TSU basketball game broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.

In addition to the game broadcasts, Tiger Talk with Coach James Webster will also be carried on the network. The one hour weekly coach’s call-in show will air every Tuesday night at 6:00 PM, beginning August 26. Barry Gresham, TSU Associate Athletic Director for Broadcasting and Sales, will return for his fourth season as the play-by-play voice of Tiger football. He will also serve as host of Tiger Talk. Albert Dawson will begin his 18th season as analyst and statistician for the Tiger broadcasts.

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TSU back, Conditioning test is no sweat

Javarris Williams (#28) hits defenders like a Mack truck but his only concern Sunday night was hitting the sack early. The annual conditioning test for Tennessee State's senior football players is at 6:30 a.m. today and Williams wanted to be rested and ready. While he has finished each of the past two seasons with more than 1,000 rushing yards, he has not started well. He has had trouble meeting the conditioning test standards.

And though by any measure Williams is an NFL prospect, his poor conditioning cost him his starting job for last year's opener. This year will be different, Williams promised during Sunday's team photo session at Hale Stadium. "As soon as we get done eating dinner I'm going straight to the room,'' he said. "No TV, just music and bed, that's it."

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Tennessee State offense not a problem

Offensively, the Tigers return 10 of 12 starters, including the OVC's leading passer, senior quarterback Antonio Heffner. Heffner completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,486 yards and 10 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the seventh game of the season.

One of Heffner's favorite targets, senior receiver Chris Johnson, grabbed 41 passes for 740 yards and four touchdowns last year. He'll be a key part of the Tigers' effort to end an eight-year OVC title drought. "We always had the pieces, but we didn't have the mental toughness to do what we needed to do," Johnson said. "But now since we have matured, we believe we can break a lot of school records and we'll make a deep playoff run."

Photo: TSU QB Antonio Heffner is back for his senior campaign to lead the big blue Tigers.

TSU travels to Normal, Ala., for its first test of the season against Alabama A&M. The Tigers then return to LP Field to face Southern in the 10th annual John Merritt Classic, a game that honors the Tigers' late coach and helps raise scholarship money for TSU students.

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TSU center leaves to be closer to family

Photo: James Craft, Jr., is a native of Glen Allen (Richmond), Virginia and a graduate of Mercerburg Academy.

James Craft, a 7-foot center, has decided to leave the Tennessee State men's basketball team and transfer to Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho. Craft spent only one season at TSU after transferring from Wright State in 2005-06. He sat out the 2006-07 season and then started four games for the Tigers last season.

Craft, who will be a junior this season, played in 25 games and averaged 7.5 minutes per game. He averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds while blocking 11 shots. TSU Coach Cy Alexander said Craft left so he could be closer to his fiancée, who lives in Oregon. It wasn't anything against TSU or anything negative against James," Alexander said. "He wanted to be closer to his family and I applaud him for that and wish him the best in what he is trying to do."

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New Jacksonville State basketball coach aims to build program with good citizens

JACKSONVILLE, AL - New Jacksonville State University men's basketball coach James Green promised to develop good players and good citizens as he was introduced to supporters and media on Wednesday. Green's contract at JSU will be for five years and is expected to pay approximately the same as the $106,000 paid LaPlante.

Video: http://www.annistonstar.com/PDF/video/042408jsu.htm

Green, who also coached eight years at Southern Mississippi, becomes the first black head coach in a major sport at JSU and just the second in any sport there. He will also be the second black men's head coach in the Ohio Valley Conference, joining Cy Alexander of historically black Tennessee State University.

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TSU Tigers’ OVC Championship Bid Falls Short with 82-64 Loss to Austin Peay

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Jerrell Houston Scores Career High 25 points

The Tennessee State Tigers (15-17) bid for an Ohio Valley Conference championship came up short with an 82-64 loss to Austin Peay (24-10) at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium on ESPN2 television.

Junior forward Jerrell Houston scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds in the game. Reiley Ervin, playing in his last game for the Big Blue contributed 13 points and freshman Darius Cox added 12 points with seven rebounds.

Todd Babington led Austin Peay with 24 points, including 6-8 from 3-point range. Three other Governors added double figure support, Derek Wright (13), Drake Reed (11) and Fernandez Lockett (10).

The Tigers entered their first OVC championship game in ten years as a sixth seed and were currently on a three-game winning streak. They were not able to sustain the same intensity in the championship game that had propelled them through wins at Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and in the semifinal game against Murray State.

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Tennessee State University softball team to host Alabama A&M in season opener

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Nashville--- The Tennessee State University softball team will kick off the 2008 season with a double header against Alabama A&M Saturday, Feb. 16 at Tiger Field. The first game of the double header is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

Last season the Tigers recorded their best record in the history of the program (35-23). In addition to that history making accomplishment, Head Coach Joyce Maudie was named the 2007 OVC Coach of the Year while returning players Amanda Vaught and Tamara Perkins also received OVC honors.

Following the contest against Alabama A&M, TSU will host cross-town Lipscomb on Wednesday, February 20. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.

TSU Tigers Rally for 75-70 Win Over Murray State

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

The Tennessee State Tigers (11-15, 8-9) rallied back from a thirteen point second half deficit to defeat the Murray State Racers (15-10, 11-6) in Nashville on Thursday (2/14) at the Gentry Center.

TSU senior Andrae Belton came off the bench to lead all-scorers with 16 points, including a game deciding 3-pointer with 0:18 remaining in the game. Bruce Price added 15 points, Reiley Ervin tallied 14 points and Darius Cox chipped in 11 points. Cox barely missed a double-double as he pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds.

Murray State was led in scoring by Bruce Carter and Ray George who scored 13 points each, with Danero Thomas chipping in 11 points.

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La Vergne's Gray commits to Tennessee State

La VERGNE, TN — All-State wide receiver Chris Gray has committed to play football next season at Tennessee State University. Gray caught 54 passes for 814 yards and nine touchdowns for the Wolverines last fall, which made him one of the most productive receivers in all of Middle Tennessee. He also was named All-Region 4-5A and first team All-Area by The Daily News Journal.

“I think there’s no doubt that he can play at that level,” La Vergne coach Will Hester said. “From my personal perspective, TSU got a steal. I feel he can play at that level and play at any level above that.”

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Gray is 6-0/189 and runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds. You may view the Rivals.com two star receiver highlight videos by clicking on this link:

http://purdue.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=61273

Tennessee State University athletic historian Kindell Stephens dies

Kindell Stephens, a longtime prominent Tennessee State athletics department employee, died Wednesday after a lengthy illness.

Stephens, 64, celebrated his 30th year at TSU last summer. He spent many years as the Tigers' sports information director and radio broadcaster and was a standout basketball player at Fisk University.

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MEAC, SWAC and TSU Gallery

Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands

TSU's sights set on OVC title run

By MIKE ORGAN, The Tennessean

Coaches pick Tigers to finish sixth

The middle of the pack is not where Cy Alexander expected Tennessee State's men's basketball team to be headed into his fifth season with the Tigers.

But that's where the coaches and sports information directors in the Ohio Valley Conference picked TSU at Wednesday's media day at LP Field.

Austin Peay was the overwhelming pick to win the conference, Eastern Kentucky was second, and Tennessee Tech third. TSU was picked sixth.

It's hard for Alexander to paint a brighter picture than what was predicted and he admitted the team's inability to reach the upper-echelon of the conference has created a sense of urgency.

"We had to take a step back last year and that was disappointing,'' Alexander said. "I felt the pain every time we lost. There is a sense of urgency because we want to turn the corner. We've been close, but we haven't really turned this program back into a winning and championship caliber program."

Over the past three years TSU regressed. The Tigers went 14-17 and finished sixth in the OVC in 2004-05; 13-15 and a seventh-place finish in 2005-06, and 12-20, finishing eighth in 2006-07.

Missing key players

Alexander said losing key players in each of the last two seasons has been the reason TSU has failed to gain ground.

In 2005-06, the Tigers lost 6-foot-1 guard Bruce Price to a knee injury and Eric King, a 6-7 senior, who abruptly quit the team. Then last year, Price re-injured his knee and Jerrell Houston, a 6-8 transfer from Mississippi State, became eligible only for the final five games.

"We've had two years in a row where two of our better players haven't been able to play,'' Alexander said.

"You go two years without arguably your two best players and there were a lot of close games over that span that you could argue, had those two guys each year been on the court, possibly the outcome of those games might have been different."

TSU lost five games last season by six points or fewer.

Price returns

With Price healthy again this year and Houston's eligibility problems resolved, at least Alexander's expectations, if not the rest of the league's coaches, are rising again.

"Bruce is a warrior and he also has the capabilities of being a very good leader because he plays hard all the time and practices hard,'' Alexander said.

"Jerrell wasn't able to do much for us last year because he had missed 20-something games and he was anxious and he really didn't know our system very well because he was on the scout team when he wasn't eligible. We expect a lot more out of him.''


OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE FORECAST
Predicted order of finish as voted by conference coaches and sports information directors, with first-place votes in parentheses. Teams selected by coaches and sports information directors:

OVC MEN
1. Austin Peay (19) 199
2. E. Kentucky (1) 166
3. Tennessee Tech (2) 160
4. Murray St. 149
5. SE Missouri 131
6. Tennessee St. 101
7. Samford 85
8. Eastern Illinois 75
9. Jacksonville St. 61
10. Morehead St. 50
11. Tennessee Martin 33

Preseason top players
G-Bruce Carter, Murray State
G-Anthony Fisher, Tennessee Tech
F-Brandon Foust, SE Missouri
G-Adam Leonard, E. Kentucky
G/F-Fernandez Lockett, Austin Peay
G-Romain Martin, E. Illinois
F-Amadi McKenzie, Tennessee Tech
C-Travis Peterson, Samford
F-Drake Reed, Austin Peay
G-Mike Rose, E. Kentucky
Preseason player of the year: Drake Reed, Austin Peay

OVC WOMEN
1. SE Missouri (19) 199
2. Samford (2) 161
3. Murray State 155
4. Eastern Illinois (1) 119
5. Tennessee Tech 118
6. UT Martin 114
7. Eastern Kentucky 105
8. Morehead State 100
9. Austin Peay 69
10. Tennessee State 48
11. Jacksonville State 22

Preseason top players
F_Rachel Galligan, E. Illinois
G_Jessica Huffman, E. Illinois
G_Crystal Jones, E. Kentucky
G_Amber Guffey, Murray St.
F_Alex Munday, Samford
F/C_Missy Whitney, SE Missouri
G_Ashley N. Hayes, Murray St.
G/F_Sonya Daugherty, SE Missouri
F/C_Phyllisha Mitchell, Tenn.-Martin
G/F_Obiageli Okafor, Tennessee St.
Preseason player of the year: Missy Whitney, SE Missouri

Florida A&M wins Atlanta Football Classic

By STAN AWTREY, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Football Classic: Attendance - 56,990

Tennessee State misses late field goal attempt

Rubin Carter better be in church this morning.

After seeing his opponent rip 90 yards down the field with no timeouts in less than a minute, the Florida A&M coach knew it was time to put his trust in a higher power.

As he watched Tennessee State's sure-footed kicker Eric Benson lined up for the go-ahead 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left, Carter's only thought was, "Lord, I sure hope he misses this kick."

He did.

Photo: Tennessee State kicker Eric Benson (left) watches his field goal attempt sail wide left, while Florida A&M defensive back LeRoy Vann (right) celebrates.

Benson, who hadn't missed a kick all year, shanked it wide left. The missed kick, which never had a chance, enabled Florida A&M to escape the Georgia Dome with an 18-17 win over rival Tennessee State in the 19th annual Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic.

It was the fifth straight year the game has been decided in the final period and the sixth straight time FAMU has beaten TSU. Tennessee State leads the series 25-22, but FAMU is now 11-3 against the Tigers in the Atlanta Football Classic.

"I had all the confidence in the world that he was going to make that kick," said Tennessee State coach James Webster. "I thought when he lined up, game over, end of the streak. I was already starting to think about how we were going to squib the kickoff."

Carter admitted, "It didn't look real good with eight seconds left."

Tennessee State took possession with 50 seconds left, having spent its final timeout on FAMU's previous possession. The Tigers (2-3) began on their own 5 after a holding penalty on the punt return.

But quarterback Antonio Heffner put Tennessee State in position to win the game with a pair of clutch passes, a 25-yarder to Ronald Evans and a 55-yarder to Chris Johnson, who almost scored before being gang tackled at the 5. Tennessee State suffered a 5-yard penalty for illegal procedure, then waited through a FAMU timeout before Benson attempted the kick.

"He's a very poised young man," Webster said. "He just didn't kick it right."

FAMU (2-2) won the game with a strong second half. The Rattlers, who trailed 14-5 at halftime, were more aggressive on defense and became more effective on offense after Leon Camel replaced starter Albert Chester late in the third quarter.

"We played awful football in the first half, not up to game tempo," Carter said. "At halftime we talked about the urgency we needed to have in the second half."

Photo: The Rattlers' Philip Sylvester, left, stiff arms the Tigers' #10, Reno Thompson for extra yardage.

Freshman Qier Hall came up with the big plays the Rattlers needed in the third quarter. He returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown, then returned the next punt 20 yards to set up the go-ahead score.

"We told the special teams last night that we needed to make a big play and they did," Carter said. "That turned it around for us."

Webster agreed. "You take that [touchdown] away and we win the game," he said. "Those were two critical plays on the punt coverage team."

FAMU's Philip Sylvester provided the offensive stability needed. The freshman rushed 25 times for 131 yards and caught two passes. He was named the team's MVP.

Heffner, voted Tennessee State's MVP, led the Tigers by completing 12 of 22 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 67 yards and one touchdown. But Heffner was pursued more aggressively by the FAMU defense in the second half and could not produce another touchdown.

"They started taking more chances," Webster said. "The first half they sat back and let things happen. The second half they started blitzing and take chances.

The FAMU defense had only two sacks, but made eight tackles behind the line. Carlos Rolle led the Rattlers with nine tackles.