Albany State, ECSU, Winston-Salem State Earn D-II Playoff Berths

Undefeated Winston-Salem State earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Division II playoffs, while Albany State and Elizabeth City State received at-large bids. ASU (8-3) and ECSU (8-3) were both runners-up for the SIAC and CIAA championships respectively.

Miles (7-4), which defeated then 15th-ranked Albany State, 20-17, in the SIAC championship Saturday, missed the playoffs. Of the 24 teams selected (six each in four regions), Concord (7-3) had the worst record.

Albany State will travel to North Greenville (9-2) for a noon contest on Saturday. The winner will face Mars Hill Nov. 26 at noon.

Elizabeth City State goes to California (Pa.), the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference winner, for a first-round game Saturday at noon as well. The winner between those two meets Winston-Salem State Nov. 26 at noon. WSSU is undefeated at 11-0 and dominated ECSU this past weekend, 38-18, in the CIAA championship.

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Miles College upsets Albany State 20-17 to win SIAC championship

Atlanta, Georgia -- The Miles College Golden Bears, under first-year coach Reginald Ruffin, are the champions of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Bears upset Albany State 20-17 on a 29-yard Patton Chambers field goal with nine seconds left in the first SIAC Championship Game on Saturday in Atlanta.

Miles, 7-4 and the Western Division champs going into the game, ended Albany State's bid for a seventh straight bid in the Division II football playoffs.

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Miles upsets Albany State for SIAC championship

Make room for Miles at the top of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Golden Bears stunned Albany State for a 20-17 victory on Patton Chambers’ 29-yard field goal with nine seconds left for a 20-17 victory at Clark Atlanta’s Panther Stadium. Miles (7-4) earned its first SIAC championship and knocked Albany State (8-3) out of contention for its seventh consecutive bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

It’s the first time since 2000 that either Albany State or Tuskegee didn’t win the SIAC. With only four winning seasons since 1963 and a 3-8 record in 2010, Miles seemed like an unlikely candidate to break through. But first-year coach Reginald Ruffin led Miles to the West division championship and won the league’s first championship game.

“When I interviewed for the job, we didn’t talk about just competing,” Ruffin said. “We talked about winning, and winning right now.”

 photo gallery

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2011 SIAC Football Championship

Championship Saturday for CIAA and SIAC

Stanley Jennings leads Albany State to brink of SIAC title

QB Stanley Jennings

Atlanta, Georgia -- Stanley Jennings says it’s not in his nature to be a vocal leader, but there came a point during Albany State’s season when he realized he had no choice. His position, quarterback, demands it. His team needed him to speak up if it hoped to repeat as Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions. His coaches prodded him to do it.

“That was one thing I lacked, being a great vocal leader,” said Jennings, a former Marietta High School standout. “I got a little help from Coach [Uyl] Joyner [the offensive coordinator]. He was telling me that everybody is going to look at me because I am the quarterback.”

Eventually Jennings started speaking up, the Golden Rams picked up their play and now they are in position to win another SIAC title. East division champion Albany State (8-2, 6-1 SIAC) faces Miles (6-4, 5-2) in the inaugural SIAC championship game Saturday at Clark Atlanta.

The Golden Rams are seeking their sixth SIAC title in 12 seasons under coach Mike White. A victory Saturday also likely would assure Albany State of its eighth consecutive berth in the Division II playoffs when bids are announced Sunday.

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2011 Road To The SIAC Championship Episode 9

The Clark Atlanta Panthers duel the Stillman Tigers in their last game of the season.

CIAA, SIAC championship games set

Every year, there will be decisions and losses that will haunt head coaches throughout the winter. The game most likely to be on the mind for Jackson State head coach Rick Comegy is Saturday’s 26-23 loss at home to Grambling.

It will be a memorable game because the special teams for JSU (7-2, 5-2) were not special at all. Jackson State missed a field goal and its porous kick coverage set GSU (5-4, 4-3) up with short fields to work with all day. Then there was a fumbled punt by JSU freshman Antonio Sutton that helped put Grambling ahead for good.

“You are going to get those types of mistakes,” Comegy said. “It happens. We have to get better at executing plays late in the game.”

Indeed. A pass play gave Jackson State a first down on the Grambling 14 with just 14 seconds remaining and JSU trailing 26-23. With a timeout remaining Jackson State seemingly had enough time to run a play or two aiming for the end zone and the go-ahead touchdown, or at the very least set up an attempt at a field goal to send the game into overtime. JSU, however, mismanaged its opportunity and left the game and the timeout on the field.



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Lane Dragons end season with fourth win

COLUMBIA, South Carolina — This season has been up and down for the Lane Dragons, which is better than the previous two seasons when they failed to win a game. 2011 ended on the up-side when the Dragons defeated Benedict College 19-13 to go into the offseason on a positive note.

"It was definitely good to get a win today and end the season like that," said Lane head coach Derrick Burroughs. "But we've got work to do to get better for next season, especially on offense."

The Dragons scored all of their points in the first half. A safety and a 37-yard field goal by Ryan Bullock gave the Dragons a 5-0 lead in the first quarter.

Alan Ferguson ran a yard for a touchdown late in the second quarter, and Ferguson threw to William Golston for 19 yards for another touchdown 15 seconds later after the Dragons' defense recovered a fumble.

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Benedict closes season with 19-13 defeat

COLUMBIA, S.C. - There was no miracle finish for the 2011 Benedict College Tigers football team, as a last-second, last-ditch effort fell short and Lane College took a 19-13 victory Saturday in a NCAA Division II contest at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

Trailing 19-0 at the half, Benedict rallied with a pair of touchdowns in the second half and got the ball with 1:01 left in the game and 77 yards away from a potential game-winning touchdown and extra point.

The Tigers picked up some big yardage, as quarterback Simeon Kelley rushed for gains of 12 and 20 yards, and then completed a 17-yard pass to Harlon Samuels for a first down at the 23-yard line. But then the Tigers stalled, with Kelley throwing an incomplete pass on first down, a delay of game penalty on second down pushed them back five yards, and Kelley was sacked on the next play.

He spiked the ball to stop the clock ...



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Albany State Headed to SIAC Title Game

COLUMBUS, Georgia -- One more win and the Albany State Golden Rams were in next week's SIAC title game. All the Rams had to do was beat their pesky rival Fort Valley State in the 22nd Annual Fountain City Classic. Pesky is an apt word for the Wildcats on Saturday at Columbus’ McClung Memorial Stadium.

Fort Valley State (2-5, 2-8) had nothing to lose in trying to ruin Albany State's season. The Wildcats played up to the part in the first half by taking a 14-10 lead at the break. However, Albany State returned to field in the second half calm and collected. The ASU offense came alive in the second half for a 38-29 win over Fort Valley State.

Freshman running back Adrian Alexander started the second half scoring onslaught with a 69 yard touchdown run in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Alexander led the Rams rushing attack with 110 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Wide receiver Darius Nelson moved the ASU lead to 23-14 with a short touchdown reception two minutes later in the quarter.

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Albany State pulls away from Fort Valley State

COLUMBUS, GA -- It took a while for No. 21 Albany State to get going in Saturday’s 22nd annual Fountain City Classic at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, but for the Golden Rams, it was case of better late than never.

Overcoming an early 14-point deficit, Albany State scored 28 second-half points to take control and earn a 38-29 win over Fort Valley State that punched the Rams’ ticket to this week’s inaugural SIAC championship game in Atlanta.

“(Making it to the championship game) means a lot to me,” said Albany State senior quarterback Stanley Jennings, who was 12-for-25 for 286 yards and two touchdowns in the win. “We knew coming in (Fort Valley State) was going to give us a run for our money, and they did. But it was important for us to get to the championship game. Now we just have to have another good week of practice and go get it.”

Albany State -- which won the Eastern Division of the SIAC -- will take on Western Division champion Miles (6-4) for the SIAC title at Panther Stadium on the campus of Clark Atlanta. Kickoff for that game is set for 1 p.m.



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Tuskegee uses late fumble to beat Miles 27-25

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- A Ryan Crespo 2-yard run in the fourth quarter gave Tuskegee the winning margin in a 27-25 victory over Miles College on Saturday. That play was set up when Miles quarterback David Thomas was sacked by Aaron Bennett and fumbled. Tuskegee returned the ball to the Miles 6-yard line.

Miles falls to 6-4 and 5-2 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while Tuskegee improves to 4-5 and 4-3 with its homecoming victory. The game was the first meeting between new Miles coach Reggie Ruffin and his former boss, Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater.

Miles scored on a 16-yard run by Thomas later in the fourth quarter to make it 27-25, but Thomas' rush for a 2-point conversion failed.

Miles got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining and reached the Tuskegee 30-yard line, but the Golden Tigers kept the Golden Bears out of the end zone.



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Kentucky State wraps up season with loss to Morehouse

Frankfort, Kentucky - The Kentucky State football team wrapped up its season Saturday at Alumni Stadium with a tough 28-24 loss to Morehouse College. The loss was tough not only because it was Senior Day for the Thorobreds but because they took the lead 24-21 with 5:49 left in the game – after being down 21-7 at halftime – only to have the Tigers march down the field and score the game-winning touchdown in a little over three minutes.

KSU finishes 6-4, and while a winning record the year after going 3-8 might cause some to celebrate, coach Wayne Dickens said he was disappointed considering his team’s potential.



“That’s probably looking at the glass half full but as a coach, no, I’m not satisfied,” he said. “We had the ability and potential to be better. If we’re two games better, and those two games are Stillman and Miles, we’re lining up to play a championship game next week. “I’m unhappy with the way we finished but the record is what it is.”

The Thorobreds got off to a rough start in the first quarter as ...

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FVSU set for rivalry showdown

Columbus, Georgia -- The senior season of Bernard Goodrum has been more forgettable than not. Beating Stillman by 49 points wasn’t expected to be the highlight for a team expected to contend for the SIAC East Division title.

And that was all but erased by a 49-12 loss a week later to Morehouse during which running back David Carter rolled the Wildcats for 351 yards. So here Fort Valley State sits, however, at 2-7, guaranteed to finish with its worst season in years. But the possibility of a measure of salvation awaits -- Albany State and the Fountain City Classic.

“We’ve got to win the Classic,” said Goodrum, a senior from Spalding. “The Classic is our championship game.”

FVSU and Albany State meet in the 22nd Fountain City Classic at McClung Stadium in Columbus. Head coach Donald Pittman said that the Wildcats have rebounded from their Morehouse loss to focus on their rival.

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Fountain City Classic: Fort Valley State seeks upset of Albany State

At first glance, it appears Albany State’s football team with a 7-2 record shouldn’t have much trouble against Fort Valley State, 2-7, in today’s 22nd annual Fountain City Classic. Ask folks at Stillman College about that.

On Oct. 22, Fort Valley State was 1-6 and played host to Stillman College, then 6-1. At the finish, Fort Valley State had a homecoming victory by an astonishing 52-3 score. “Everything clicked for us that day,” coach Donald Pittman said. He hopes it does again at 2 p.m., when his Wildcats clash with the Golden Rams at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium.

A sellout crowd of 15,000 is expected. Pittman’s team has no chance at playoff action so, he said, “We’ve got one last time to get it right.”

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Fountain City Classic 'is very big for Columbus'

Columbus, Georgia - Jean Lynn knows some local people think of the Fountain City Classic pitting Albany State University against Fort Valley State University as the “other football game,” one not as important to Columbus as the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic. She says nothing is further from the truth.

“We left Tuskegee and Morehouse behind six years ago,” said Lynn, a retired teacher here who now recruits for her alma mater Albany State. “What goes on here this week for this game is very big for Columbus.”

The 22nd annual playing of the classic will be 2 p.m. Saturday at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. The Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic, which was played Oct. 8, has been here for 76 years.

“Tuskegee and Morehouse have played here longer and it is a great game, but ...

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KSU Thoroughbreds thwart Lane Dragons' efforts

Jackson, Tennessee -- Lane went into Saturday's game with Kentucky State with a skeleton crew defense in some areas, but the Dragons helped the Thoroughbreds to three points after halftime.
The problem was Kentucky State scored two touchdowns in the first half en route to a 17-6 win at Lane Field.

"We're just not very good offensively right now," said Lane head coach Derrick Burroughs. "A lot of teams had scored a lot of points on their defense, and I thought we would have a chance to do so, too. "To only get one offensive touchdown, that's not good at all."

Lane was the first team to score as Evan Yabu ran 49 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter, but that was the only time the Dragons would cross the goal line. The Dragons had their opportunities as well.



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24-3 Tuskegee victory a bright spot on difficult year

Tuskegee, Alabama -- The 2011 campaign has been difficult in many ways for Willie Slater and his program. Tuskegee isn't comfortably resting atop the conference standings like in seasons past and Slater will finish with his worst record as head football coach since taking over in 2006. Saturday afternoon, however, brought some normalcy and smiles back to the Golden Tigers in the form of a 24-3 victory over Clark Atlanta.

"I think we've been getting better all year," said Slater, whose worst season at TU was last year's 9-2 mark. "We've gotten better every week, but we're still making a lot of mistakes. We needed this win, so we'll take whatever we can get and any way we can get it right about now."

It was the fifth consecutive win over the visiting Panthers (2-7, 1-5 SIAC), who trail 58-15-3 all-time in a series that dates back to 1902. Tuskegee's last loss in the series came during Slater's inaugural campaign. Tuskegee (3-5, 3-3) aims to string together its first pair of wins when Miles College visits Abbott Memorial Stadium next week.



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Home sweet home: Albany State Rams trample Tigers in rout

Albany, Georgia -- One win away. Albany State's 37-13 Homecoming victory against Benedict on Saturday has the Rams one win away from an SIAC East Division Championship. One win away from extending their season. One win away from Rams coach Mike White getting a Gatorade bath. On Saturday, ASU defensive leader Justin Blash almost jumped the gun on that Gatorade bath.

"I was standing beside (White at the end of the game), and I was acting like somebody was getting ready to hit coach White with the Gatorade," said Blash, a 320-pound defensive tackle. "I said, 'Watch out, they have the Gatorade!' He tensed up for it. But I was just playing."

Blash may have been joking at the end of the game, but the No. 22 nationally ranked Rams were all business early in the game Saturday. They held Benedict to zero offensive yards in the first half and scored about every way possible to take an insurmountable 31-0 lead into intermission.

Even though the Rams (7-2, 5-1) came out with little ...



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Morehouse, Carter take care of FVSU

Fort Valley, Georgia -- Morehouse’s David Carter wears No. 32 on game days. The running back, however, might as well have had a question mark embroidered on his jersey Saturday at Wildcat Stadium. Fort Valley State simply had no answer for the SIAC’s leading rusher.

Carter needed merely a half to break the Morehouse single-game program record for rushing yards, finishing with 351 on 32 carries. The junior also scored on touchdown runs of 60, 45, 22 and 2 yards as Morehouse throttled FVSU 49-12.

Morehouse rang up 536 of its 662 yards on the ground.

“We couldn’t tackle the big running back,” FVSU head coach Donald Pittman said. “Defending the run has been our Achilles’ heel. “We gave them a short field a lot of times to work with, and we had some key people that did not make plays. That kept the defense out on the field.”

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Stillman Tigers falls in close one against Miles Golden Bears

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Oct.27, 2011) | The Miles College Golden Bears squeaked by rival Stillman College to claim the Southern Intercollegeate Athletic Conference Western Division title with a 9-7 victory, one year after going 3-8 and finishing in near the bottom in the conference.

The Golden Bears (6-3) won with a suffocating defense, holding the Tigers (6-3) to just 210 yards of offense and forcing three interceptions, including two in the fourth quarter. They also got just enough offense, led by quarterback David Thomas who went 17 of 25 for 180 yards.

“It’s been a long time coming for Miles College,” first-year coach Reginald Ruffin said. “I asked these guys to just to buy, and these guys have bought in.”

The Golden Bears got off to a fast start, starting the game with a trick play. Quarterback David Thomas threw a 50-yard bomb to D.J. Fife on a flea-flicker pass on the first play from scrimmage. Several plays later, running back Jordan Lewis took a pitch in from four yards out for the score, diving into the end zone to cap off the scoring drive. The extra point was blocked.



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Seniors eye another upset in FVSU home finale

Fort Valley, Georgia -- Senior night is always an emotional one for a team, regardless of how a season has gone. The players preparing for their final home game start thinking about how fast their career has gone and how their lives have changed.

It’s no cakewalk for coaches, for similar reasons. They’ve watched players grow from green, wide-eyed freshmen who were either timid or arrogant upon arrival turn into young men. The Wildcats will honor 16 seniors before the home finale, and it will be a little painful for the FVSU coaches to watch.

Nine position players are basically starters, and one position player, wideout Demario Barber, is one of the nation’s top punt returners. Nearly all in the group are regulars who get substantive snaps. Head coach Donald Pittman noted how many played only on special teams as freshmen and can only wonder about if they had been redshirted.

“If those guys would be able to play next year?” Pittman said. “Wow. What an impact.”



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This week in Georgia HBCU Football

Macon, Georgia -- The SIAC race has come down to the end. Albany State controls their own destiny. The Rams can represent the SIAC East with wins vs. Benedict and FVSU in the final 2 games. Morehouse is in good position if they win the 2 remaining games and Albany State loses one of the 2 remaining games.

Morehouse Tigers - As you all know the Maroon Tigers have been my pick since the beginning. The Tigers won on homecoming in a come from behind win 37-31 last saturday vs. Benedict. RB David Carter turned in 111 yards and the game winning touchdown. The Maroon Tigers are in the mix, but are in a peculiar position as they no longer control their own destiny. Morehouse is such a quality team that I still believe even if they don't get into the conference championship game a Division II playoff game is in store. A worst Morehouse is looking at a Pioneer Bowl bid, and they have had a very good season.

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Fort Valley State vs. Stillman College - 2011 Pregame Battle