Grambling Makes A Comeback, Win Big Over Alabama State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- The G-Men gave Alabama State University some big payback after the Hornets beat the Tigers last season and each of the last four years with a big win, 34-10.

The Grambling State University  football team G-Men left the ASU Stadium with their first SWAC win of the season.

"I think our kids played well," said head coach Broderick Fobbs, "and we ran the ball well, which is good because it keeps the defense off the field."

While ASU gave up 34 points, the G-Men's defense held ASU to only 3 points until less than 3 minutes left in the game when  the Hornets scored their only touchdown.

GSU remembered the Hornets' sting last year, and that was on their minds as they entered Saturday's game. "They started the losing streak, and that's what I remember," said offensive line Coach Reginald Nelson at a Monday news conference.

Defenses on both teams took over the first quarter, leaving Alabama State leading by 3 after a 33-yard field goal.

An early second quarter touchdown by running back Verlan Hunter at 14:00 turned things around.

On the G-Men's next possession, Ka'Jandre Domino forced another 6 points for GSU, and he finished the night with 50 yards and a touchdown.

At halftime, Grambling led 14-3.

A couple touchdowns late in the third quarter by Chad Williams and Chester Rogers gave Grambling a cushion for the win.

"The turnover early in the third quarter allowed us to put some more points on the board," said Fobbs after the game. "I think it somewhat sealed the door."

Quarterback Johnathan Williams threw for over 200 yards with four touchdowns.

Fobbs put his starting  quarterback's play in context. "I thought he played well in some spots. I still think from time to time he presses the ball too much and he's always trying to make a play and I think that's what makes him good, but it also can get you in trouble a little bit."

Freshmen quarterback Trevon Cherry had the opportunity to take the field in the second half. "I wanted to get him in there, you know, get some snaps because it's always good to have a backup.

Coming off their first win of the season, Grambling State will take on Prairie View A&M University at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, Saturday at 4 p.m.

By KASSANDRA MERRITT

COURTESY GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

PVAMU Panthers Win Wild Shootout Over AAMU 53-49

WALLER, Texas – Prairie View A&M kept fans on the edge of their seats from start-to-finish as they withstood a furious second half rally by Alabama A&M to claim a 53-49 win in an offensive shootout at Waller ISD Stadium.

 

AAMU came out and set the tone via the run on its opening drive as they marched 75 yards in seven plays to claim an early 7-0 lead following De'Angelo Ballard's 5-yard touchdown run and the PAT.  The Panthers were forced to punt on their opening possession but the PVAMU defense responded and forced AAMU's second drive to end with a punt which followed with PVAMU's second punt of the night on its second possession.

 

After an AAMU punt, the Panther offense finally broke through as wideout Nick Pitre became quarterback Trey Green's favorite target as Pitre caught a 12-yard first down pass and a 38-yard touchdown strike on consecutive plays for a 7-7 tie after the PAT.  AAMU would answer with 2-yard touchdown run from Tevin McKenzie to lead 14-7 very early in the second quarter but the Green to Pitre connection struck again as the Lake Charles, La. native needed only one play to strike big as he caught an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive to bring PVAMU within one at 14-13 followed by Owen Hoolihan's game-tying PAT.

The Panther defense forced an AAMU punt on the ensuing possession and the offense went back to work as the running game came alive and moved the Panthers down the field.  Seven plays into the drive, Green threw his third touchdown of the night as he found wideout Raymond Jackson on a 29-yard touchdown reception.  Hoolihan's PAT was blocked as the Panthers now led 20-14 at the 11:20 mark.

 

AAMU continued to struggle against the Panther defense as they were forced to punt once again and the Panther offense made the most of their next situation as they were pinned back at their own 1.  The Green-to-Pitre connection on 2^nd-and-10 got the Panthers out of their jam as a 30-yard reception gave PVAMU plenty of field to work with.  From there, the Panthers turned to Green to march down the field as he connected with four receivers and the team converted three 3^rd down conversions as Courtney Brown capped off the 15-play, 99-yard drive with a 12-yard run for a 26-14 lead as the PAT failed.

 

PVAMU opened the second half with a bang as Johnta' Hebert showed why he's an all-American kick returner as he returned the opening kickoff 84 yards to the AAMU 12.  One play later, Green hit Pitre for the third time of the night as PVAMU was coasting with a 33-14 lead 21 seconds into the third quarter.

 

However, AAMU refused to go down easily as they converted two third down conversions with the latter ending with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ballard to Octayvius Miles followed by the PAT for a 33-21 PVAMU lead.  The Panthers punted on their next drive and once again on 3^rd-and-9, Ballard threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to draw AAMU within five points (33-28) after the PAT.  With momentum all the way in AAMU's corner, the Panthers avoided a major mistake as they fumbled the ensuing kickoff but received new life as the play was wiped away thanks to a Bulldog penalty.

 

With new life, the Panthers mixed up the run and pass to perfection as they marched 70 yards in 13 plays as De'Auntre Smiley scored from 2 yards out.  The PAT was good as PVAMU led 40-28 with 3:13 remaining.

 

Both teams would trade punts as the fourth quarter approached and AAMU struck first in the final stanza as Ballard converted a key 4^th down run into a touchdown as AAMU trailed 40-35.  After a big kickoff return by Tommie Robins, the Panthers responded and was on the verge of punching it in but Green's pass from the AAMU 5 sailed into multiple coverage and was picked off.   AAMU converted a 4^th down play on the ensuing drive and used the momentum to pull ahead for the first time since the second quarter after Harvey Harris' 2-yard jump into the end zone.

 

Trailing 43-40 with less than five minutes remaining, PVAMU dug deep as Hebert returned the kickoff 48 yards to the AAMU 44 for solid field position.  The Panthers appeared to convert their first 3^rd down conversion of the drive as Hebert rushed all way to the AAMU 1 but a spot holding penalty put PVAMU in a negative predicament as it was now 3^rd-and-11.  On the next play, Pitre caught a 9-yard pass from Green and was two yards short but a late unsportsmanlike penalty from AAMU turned the tide as Brown took advantage of the new set of downs and rushed 21 yards for the touchdown and a 47-43 lead after the PAT.

 

The Panther defense turned up the heat with a strip sack on the next possession and it took Brown only two plays to increase the lead to 53-43 with 2:14 remaining.  Once again though, AAMU would use 3^rd down magic with two big conversions to set up a 53-yard strike from Ballard to O'Darius Williams.  The PAT failed as PVAMU recovered the onside kick and escaped with the emotional win and its second straight comeback victory over AAMU.

 

PVAMU finished with 522 total yards with 349 coming via the air and 173 on the ground.  Green threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns on 27-of-40 passing while Brown rushed for 114 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns.  Pitre exploded for 196 yards on eight receptions and three touchdowns.  Foster Brown II had a team-high seven tackles.

 

The State Fair Classic is now on the horizon as the Panthers will head to Dallas to face Grambling State at 4 p.m. in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 26 in the 90^th anniversary of the game.

 

BOX SCORE

 

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

24th-Ranked Tuskegee Golden Tigers Defeat Winston-Salem

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

TUSKEGEE, Alabama | The 24th-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers used all three phases of the game to beat Winston-Salem State 28-13 at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium in front of a national audience.

Winston-Salem State (0-3) struck first in the contest as they drove the ball down the field in 11 plays. The drive took 77 yards and used 6:21 of the first quarter, when it ended with a Tyree Massey eight-yard touchdown run. However, the drive stalled after three plays and the Rams were bailed out with a roughing the kicker penalty that allowed the drive to continue.

Although the Rams scored first, it was the last they scored until the fourth quarter.

Tuskegee (3-0) used a stingy defense to allow just two field goals late in the game, and finished by allowing just 152 yards over the next three quarters to Winston-Salem.

Winston-Salem State held the lead through the first quarter, the first time this season that the Golden Tigers have trailed after the opening stanza. But it didn't take long for Tuskegee to respond.

The Golden Tigers got the ball with 11:14 to play in the half and marched down the field in just four plays. The drive covered 42 yards and ended with a touchdown pass, but not from the quarterback. Facing a second down from the Winston-Salem 24 yard line, quarterback Kevin Lacey tossed the ball back to Dennis Norfleet who then in turn launched a pass in which freshman Javarrius Cheatham out jumped the defender for the touchdown.

The touchdown was the first of Cheatham's career and tied the game up with 9:11 remaining in the half.

After the defense stuffed a Winston-Salem drive again, the offense got the ball on their own 42-yard line and marched down the field. This time Lacey hit senior Marquel Gardner over the middle, and the senior bounced off a tackle and ran into the end zone for an 18-yard score. The touchdown gave Tuskegee a one-touchdown lead heading into halftime, 14-7.

The Golden Tigers outgained Winston-Salem State 180-47 in yards in the second quarter to grab the lead.

Tuskegee didn't waste any time coming out in the second half putting points on the board as they drove 75 yards on the opening drive for a score. The Golden Tigers used a mix of run and pass to get down inside the five-yard line before Jerome Lewis dove in from a yard out to give the Golden Tigers an insurmountable 21-7 lead early in the second half.

After a pair of field goals trimmed the lead to 21-13, the Golden Tigers were forced to punt the ball with less then three minutes to play. The punt by Kemuel Lawrence hit at the one-yard line where Reggie Wilkins attempted to field it. However, the ball bounced off of his hands into the hands of Tuskegee's Travis Hawkins for an apparent touchdown. After the referees deemed the ball down at the one, Lewis ran in for his second touchdown of the game, and the final score of the contest.

Tuskegee dominated the game as they outgained Winston-Salem State 368-229 on offense and picked up 22 first downs.

Lacey led the way for Tuskegee with 78 yards on the ground, on just nine carries, and completed 13 of his 26 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. Norfleet finished the day with 52 yards on eight carries and added a 24-yard scoring strike through the air. Desmond Reece led all receivers with three catches for 38 yards, while three others each picked up a pair.

Senior Jewell Ratliff paced the defense with 15 tackles, including a sack and a pair of tackles for loss. Michael Robinson added nine tackles, Jason Ashley and Osband Thompson each added eight, and safety Jonah McCutcheon picked up an interception in the victory.

Lawrence had another outstanding day kicking the ball as he finished with five punts for an average of 45 yards, and also connected on all four of his extra points.

Tuskegee returns to action next weekend as they open up conference play in Jackson, Tenn. against Lane. It will be first of three consecutive games on the road for the Golden Tigers.

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

BOX SCORE

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Virginia State Special Teams Dominate Trojan End Zone

ETTRICK, Virginia  --  Special Teams dominated the end zone for the Trojans to push them past Kentucky State University 14 - 7. "A football team is like a spear. You have offense on the top of the spear, defense on the bottom, but what makes that tip is the special teams. That's the point, that's the dagger, and that's how you finish the game," said Head Coach Byron Thweatt.

The Trojans special teams were responsible for the Trojans 14 points of the contest. With,3:10,remaining in the third quarter, the Trojans defense forced the Thorobreds to punt on 4th down and 3. Senior wide receiver Jaivon Smallwood (Virginia Beach, VA) returned the 32 yard punt for a 44 yard touchdown. Smallwood's punt return gave the Trojans a 7-0 lead to end the third quarter.

"The guys did a good job blocking for me. I just made the run, and they did the rest," said Smallwood.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Thorobreds are locked down by the Trojan defense and forced to punt on 4th down and 20 after a pair of sacks by sophomore linebacker Brandon Lynch (Norfolk, VA) and junior linebacker Geo Feggins (South Hill, VA).

With,2:04,remaining in the fourth quarter Junior cornerback Trevon Byron (Virginia Beach, VA) blocks the punt and recovers the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

Scoreless and trailing by two touchdowns, the Thorobreds completed a pass to Charles Johnson for a 36 yard gain on 2nd down and 10 in the fourth quarter . The Thorobreds were able to get down the field after three complete passes to get to the VSU 13 yard line. On 1st down and 10 at the VSU 13 yard line, the Thorobreds were able to get into the end zone on a 13 yard pass from Alex Spriggs to Bryan Henderson with only 34 seconds remaining on the game clock.

The Thorobreds attempt an onside kick with 34 seconds remaining in the game, but the Trojans were quick to recover the kick and close out the ball game with their first home victory of the season.,

Offensively Jaivon Smallwood led the Trojans in receptions with 46 yards on 5 receptions. Trent Cannon added 93 yards on on 18 carries. Trevon Byron led the Trojan defense with 8 solo tackles. Geo Feggins also contributed 6 tackles (5 solo) and 2.5 sacks for losses.

Today's victory was cheered on by members of the army from, Ft. Lee Military base as the Trojans celebrated their annual Military Appreciation Day at Rogers Stadium.

Next week the Trojans will host Fayetteville State University at Rogers Stadium at 12 p.m , The contest will be broadcasted live by the Sinc
lair Broadcast Group and ASN (American Sports Network).
Box Score

Sports Information GA- Shalyn Moore
COURTESY VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Chowan Hawks Survive Late Rally, Earn Historic Win over Delaware State

DOVER, Delaware -- The Chowan University football team held off a late rally by Delaware State University and took home a thrilling 31-30 victory against the Hornets on Saturday afternoon.  The victory was the first win over an NCAA Division I opponent for the football team in program history.  The Hawks improve to 2-1 on the season with the win while the Hornets drop to 0-3 on the year.

Head Coach Tim Place noted, "Today's victory is a good win for the program, the athletic department and for Chowan University.  I'm proud of my staff and all of our young student-athletes in the program.  We will be back at it tomorrow and we will be getting ready for Saint Augustine's University."

Chowan tallied 503 total offensive yards in the contest while holding Delaware State to 266 yards over the course of the competition. Randall Dixon threw for 200 yards in the win, completing 13 of 22 passes for two touchdowns.  He connected with five different Chowan receivers including Kaine Lombard seven times for 95 yards and one touchdown, Damian Ellis three times for 64 yards, and Anthony Elliot twice for 51 yards and one touchdown.   Marcus Hampton led the Hawks on the ground with 29 carries for 126 yards and one touchdown while Tyree Lee tallied eight carries for 64 yards highlighted by one touchdown run.

Willie Thompson had five total tackles in the win for Chowan (four solo, one assisted) followed by Demetrius Newberry with four tackles (three solo, one assisted).  The Hawks' defense accounted for three tackles for loss (14 yards), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception (17 yards), and six pass breakups.

 Jamaal Jackson led the effort for the Hornets with 16 carries for 81 yards and one touchdown while Esayah Obada completed a mere seven passes out of 21 attempts for 71 yards and one touchdown.  Gil Rivera entered the game in-relief and threw one touchdown pass in the setback.  Aris Scott had two receptions for a team-high 38 yards while Malik Golson accounted for a Delaware State score with two receptions totaling 20 yards.

Jihad Abdur-Rahman totaled 13 tackles in the setback (seven solo, six assisted), leading all players in the contest.  Malik Harris followed with 12 tackles (six solo, six assisted), one tackle for loss (four yards) and one interception (46 yards).

The Hawks wasted no time grabbing control of the momentum, scoring each of their first three possessions of the game.

 With 12:21 on the clock in the first quarter, Lee's three yard touchdown run capped a four play, 66 yard drive to quickly leave the Hornets trailing.  Nick Hahula made good on the point after attempt to give Chowan a 7-0 advantage less than four minutes into the game.  Dixon later found Anthony Elliot on an 11 yard pass with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter and Hahula's point after attempt was good to give Chowan a comfortable 14-0 lead. At the start of the second quarter, a five play, 54 yard drive concluded with Dixon's 23 yard pass to Lombard and another score for the Chowan Blue and White.  The successful point after attempt pushed the Hawks ahead 21-0.

Down but not out, the Hornets rallied to score 14 unanswered points before halftime to cut the deficit to 21-14.

At the start of the third quarter, the Hornets and Hawks exchanged field goals, making the score 24-17.  Chowan responded at the 5:58 mark in the third quarter when Torell Saffold intercepted a pass from Obado and returned it 17 yards to Delaware State's 24-yard line.  The Hawks capitalized on the situation and used eight plays before Hampton's one yard touchdown run lifted Chowan to a 30-17 advantage.  Hahula's point after attempt was good, leaving the Hornets trailing 31-17 by the end of the third quarter.

Delaware State opened the fourth quarter with a three play, 51 yard touchdown drive to put the Hornets back within striking distance.  The point after attempt was good, making the score 31-24 with 13:33 left in the game.

The Hornets forced the Hawks to turn the ball over on downs with just under two minutes remaining in the contest and the ball at the Delaware State 31-yard line.  A 69 yard drive highlighted by Rivera's seven yard touchdown pass to Kamal Abrams made the score 31-30 with under one minute to play.  The point after attempt missed wide right, giving the Hawks all they would need to secure the historic victory.
Chowan looks to continue the momentum on Saturday, September 26^th when the Hawks begin CIAA play against Saint Augustine's University.  Kick-off is slated for 1:00pm.  Saturday's contest is Chowan's home opener and is also the annual Hall of Fame game.

Box Score

 

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Norfolk State Spartans Fall at Marshall in Final MEAC Tuneup

HUNTINGTON, West Virginia – Chase Litton passed for 270 yards and four touchdowns and Devon Johnson ran for 122 yards as Marshall topped Norfolk State 45-7 in the Spartans' final non-conference game of the season on Saturday at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

NSU (0-3) opened the game with a crisp 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Greg Hankerson Jr. to Gerard Johnson. But it was all Marshall (2-1) after that, as the Thundering Herd scored the game's final 45 points en route to victory. The Thundering Herd were the third straight Division I FBS opponent to begin the year for NSU.

For the second time in three games this year, the Spartans took the game's opening kickoff and drove for a touchdown. On the second play of the game, Hankerson found Johnson for a 40-yard pass play into Marshall territory. Those two would hook up on the seventh and final play of the drive as well for a 14-yard TD pass on 3rd-and-3, getting NSU on the board just 3:02 into the contest.

Marshall answered quickly with a 38-yard Nick Smith field goal, then took a 10-7 lead on Litton's 13-yard TD pass to Deandre Reaves with four seconds left in the first quarter.

Reaves and Litton hooked up again early in the second, punctuating a quick six-play drive with a 36-yard touchdown hookup to extend the Herd's lead to 17-7.



The Herd's next drive went 83 yards in 13 plays and ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Devon Johnson with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter.

Litton added an 11-yard TD pass to Davonte Allen and Keion Davis scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter. A 25-yard Litton-to-Justin Hunt TD pass in the fourth quarter capped the scoring.

Hankerson passed for 95 yards and a touchdown in a little over three quarters of work. Johnson had a season-high 99 all-purpose yards (65 receiving, 34 rushing) and a score for the Spartans. Johnson and Isaac White had three receptions each.

Linebacker Deon King did yeoman's work again on defense for the Spartans, tallying 21 tackles to match his career high from last week at ODU. The FCS leader in total tackles coming in became the first Spartan since Kevin Talley in 2004 to amass back-to-back 20-tackle games. Cornerback D'Metrius Williams made six tackles, one for loss, deflected two passes and forced a fumble. Fellow cornerback Sandy Chapman notched a fourth-quarter interception for the defense.

NSU will finally play its home opener next Saturday when the Spartans welcome rival Hampton to Dick Price Stadium for a 4 p.m. kickoff. The game will also be NSU's MEAC opener.

Box Score

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

Xavier Gold Rush win 4 titles and team scoring at HBCU National Championships

Xavier University of Louisiana Gold Rush win team scoring at HBCU National
Tennis Championships in College Park, Georgia

COLLEGE PARK, Georgia -- Xavier University of Louisiana, led by double winners Karan Salwan and Manav Chakma, won four men's finals and the team scoring Saturday at the HBCU National Tennis Championships.

All four victories by Xavier, a longtime NAIA member, occurred against NCAA Division I opponents

Salwan -- in his first XU tournament after transferring from Utah State -- defeated Bethune-Cookman's Alexander Chepik 7-5, 6-3 in the A-bracket singles final and teamed with Tushar Mandlekar to beat Florida A&M's Walner Espinoza and Courage Okungbowa 8-4 for the A-doubles title.

Chakma, in the B-singles consolation final, defeated Bethune-Cookman's Greg Almeida 8-1. Chakma and Adam Albrecht beat North Carolina Central's Gabriel Cucalon and Tamina Kienka 8-6 in the B-doubles final.

North Carolina Central was second to Xavier in the men's team scoring, and Florida A&M and Shaw tied for third.

"We won the team title by a pretty good margin," said Alan Green, in his 13th year as coach of Xavier's men and women. "Our point total almost doubled the second-place team."

Also contributing to the team title was three-time All-American Kyle Montrel, who reached the A-singles semifinals and the A-doubles semifinals with Kevin Chaouat.

"All the guys played well this weekend," Green said. "This looks to be a promising season for the Rush. Karan has made an immediate impact and looks to be a guy that can help lead us."

Xavier had no women's matches Saturday. Sha'Nel Bruins was a singles semifinalist in the C bracket.

"The Nuggets were low on numbers for this tournament, but we had some good individual performances on that side," Green said. "Sha'Nel Bruins stood out and had a really good tournament. This was a good tuneup for next weekend's regional."

Xavier will play host to the USTA/ITA NAIA South Regional Championships beginning Friday. City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center will be the venue the first two days, with finals Sept. 27 at XU Tennis Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Musical Highlights of 2015 JSU-SU Boom Box Classic

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XU Nuggets earn 62nd straight win against GCAC opposition

NEW ORLEANS -- Senior middle blockers Claudia Haywood and Jodi Hill combined for 17 kills and a .519 hitting percentage Saturday, leading Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-7, 25-9, 25-16 decision against Tougaloo that extended the Gold Nuggets' volleyball win streak against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents to 62 matches.

The Gold Nuggets (7-4, 3-0 GCAC) extended their overall season win streak to five. Their GCAC streak includes 50 victories in the regular season.

Hill had six first-set kills, and Haywood had six in the final set. For the match, Haywood hit a season-best .615 with a season-high-tying nine kills and one error in 13 attacks, and Hill had eight kills and two errors in 14 attacks for a .429 percentage. Haywood and Kayla Jones served their first aces of the season.

"We did a good job with serve-receive and getting first-ball kills," XU coach Hannah Lawing said.

The Gold Nuggets hit a season-best .333 and had their best day defensively, limiting the Lady Bulldogs (5-8, 1-2) to minus-.179. Through three conference matches, Xavier is outhitting opponents .281 to minus-.071.

CeCe Williams and Ruby Hunt-Thompson had five kills apiece for Xavier, and Hunt-Thompson had three blocks. Darian Harris led the back row with six digs. Franziska Pirkl had 15 assists and Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova had 10 -- the third consecutive match and the fourth time in five matches that both reached double figures. But handling the third-set setting was freshman walk-on Arielle Sears, who racked up six assists in her collegiate debut.

Xavier produced advantages of 38-11 in kills, 4-0 in aces and 33-21 in digs. Chassidy Harris had three kills for Tougaloo, which is 0-11 all-time against Xavier, and Obadiah Montgomery had three blocks. The teams will meet again Oct. 24 at Tougaloo, Miss.

Xavier's next match will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday against longtime GCAC and city rival Dillard (2-9, 1-0) at XU's Convocation Center. Admission is free.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Quarterback Austin Howard’s career effort leads parade of strong efforts in 50-31 win over Jackson State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern was looking to jumpstart its passing game Saturday night against Jackson State, and it didn’t take long to make a statement.

Quarterback Austin Howard was sharp from the beginning as he led Southern to a huge halftime lead and an eventual 50-31 win over its SWAC rival at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Howard had thrown for 245 yards in Southern’s first two games, but he eclipsed that mark in the first half alone. In fact, Howard’s first half total of 336 yards was already a career high and bettered his 291 yards that came against Alabama State last year.



Howard finished 21 of 32 for 395 yards with a touchdown and one interception.

“He’s been waiting on a breakout game, and he finally had it,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “I thought he managed the game well. He had the oCONne interception, but I’ll take that match up. Other than that I thought he played a complete game.”

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Xavier Nuggets beat 3 NCAA DI teams at LSU meet

First time since Sept. 22, 2012, that NAIA member XULA finishes ahead of
3 NCAA Division I teams in a women's cross country meet.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Eight-of-10 from Xavier University of Louisiana produced career- or season-best times, and the Gold Nuggets finished ahead of three NCAA Division I teams Saturday at the LSU Invitational cross country meet.

Led by freshman Brianna Pace's career-best time of 21 minutes, 2.50 seconds for 5,000 meters, NAIA member Xavier scored 131 points to finish fourth out of eight women's teams. The Gold Nuggets finished ahead of NCAA DIs Alcorn State (fifth place, 154 points), Nicholls State (sixth, 176) and New Orleans (eighth, 184).

It was the first time since Sept. 22, 2012, that the Gold Nuggets finished ahead of three NCAA Division I teams in a meet.

Pace finished 28th out of 66 women and was the Nuggets' fastest runner for the third consecutive meet. Also finishing for Xavier were Zahri Jackson (31st, season-best 21:21.67), Dionysia Love (33rd, career-best 21:24.49), Brianna Simms (41st, 22:19.49), Hannah Finnegan (50th, season-best 23:15.11) and Kailey Williams (55th, career-best 24:33.11). Jackson made the most dramatic drop, running 65 seconds faster. Love dropped by nearly 53 seconds.

Three of Xavier's four men improved. Christopher August, the top Gold Rush finisher in all four meets this year, placed 20th out of 49 runners with a season-best 5K of 16:57.90. The other Rush finishers were Darrick Williams (41st, 19:47.13), Xaiver Latting (43rd, career-best 22:18.91) and Felipe Perrier (45th, career-best 23:19.16).

August's time was his second-fastest at Xavier and No. 15 on the Gold Rush 5K performance list of the past 13 seasons. "I expected to go even faster," August said, "but I had a little trouble with my calf the last 800 meters. But I was still happy to drop time and get under 17 minutes."

Southern Miss (18 points, five of the six fastest women) and LSU (18 points, seven of the nine fastest men) won team titles. Rebecca Ulrich (17:44.99) of Southern Miss was the fastest woman, and Dajour Braxton (15:20.65) of LSU was the fastest man.

It was Xavier's final competition before the Red River Athletic Conference Championships Nov. 6 at San Antonio, Texas. Coach Joseph Moses said his teams will not compete Oct. 9 in the Mississippi College/Watson Ford Invitational as originally scheduled. Instead they'll participate Oct. 10 in the 28th annual UNCF 5K Run/Walk for Education at 8:30 a.m. at the Audubon Park Riverview in New Orleans.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard - Week 3

Southern University vs. Talladega College
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SWAC
Alcorn State 55, Mississippi Valley State 14
Southern 50, Jackson State 31
Prairie View A&M 53, Alabama A&M 49
Grambling State 34, Alabama State 10
Texas Southern 24, Arkansas Pine Bluff 20

OVC
Jacksonville State 48, Tennessee State 13

MEAC
Hampton 37, Howard 19, AT&T Nations Football Classic
South Carolina State 36, Florida A&M 0 
Akron 52, Savannah State 9
Chowan 31, Delaware State 30
Marshall 45, Norfolk State 7
Bethune-Cookman 7, Lane 3
Morgan State 61, Virginia University Lynchburg 0
North Carolina A&T State 14, Elon 7
Florida International 39, North Carolina Central 14



PSAC
Clarion 59, Cheyney 6

CFSL
McMurray 40, Texas College 0
Oklahoma Panhandle State 40, Langston 35 

GLVC
 Quincy 42, Lincoln (Mo.) 37

MWC
West Virginia State 52, West Virginia Wesleyan 31

CIAA
Livingstone 40, Central International 0
Alderson Broaddus 28, Lincoln(Pa.) 24
Virginia State 14, Kentucky State 7
Chowan 31, Delaware State 30
West Georgia 57, Fayetteville State 27
Tuskegee 28, Winston-Salem State 13
Gardner-Webb 13, Virginia Union 9
Central Connecticut State 21, Bowie State 14
Morehouse 37. Johnson C. Smith 35
UNC Pembroke 15, Shaw 6

SIAC
Tuskegee 28, Winston-Salem State 13
Virginia State 14, Kentucky State 7
Fort Valley State 35, Clark Atlanta 13
Bethune - Cookman 7, Lane 3
West Alabama 13, Miles 10
Central State 24, Benedict 0
Morehouse 37. Johnson C. Smith 35
Albany State 21, Stillman 6

INDEPENDENTS
Southeastern U. 37, Concordia-Selma 7
Morgan State 61, Virginia University-Lynchburg 0


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Central State prepares for Saturday night showdown against Benedict College

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Marauders of Central State will try to climb above .500 on Saturday night when the team travels to South Carolina to take on Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent Benedict College.

After dropping the season opener to Alderson-Broaddus, CSU rebounded nicely with a 49-12 thrashing of Clark-Atlanta last weekend to even the 2015 ledger to 1-1. Last weekend’s 49-point performance was the most points scored by a Marauder team since 2012. The win also snapped a nine-game road losing streak which dated back to the 2013 season.

While the offense hopes last week’s momentum carries over into Saturday night’s contest, the defense is looking forward to continuing its dominance. After two weeks, the Marauders are ranked third in the nation in takeaways. The CSU pass defense has come up with seven interceptions led by two picks each from Dashad Tucker and newcomer Clim Robbins. Linebacker Gervell Morgan, who leads the team in tackles with 17, preached preparation heading into this week’s game.

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Judgment Day: HBCU Football Schedule - Week 3 (Sept.17-19)

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015
South Carolina State 36, Florida A&M 0  TV: ESPNU

Friday, Sept. 18, 2015
Hampton 37, Howard 19, AT&T Nations Football Classic, TV: ESPNU

Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015

SWAC
Mississippi Valley State at Alcorn State, 5 p.m.
Jackson State at Southern, 6 p.m., TV: ESPN3
Alabama A&M at Prairie View A&M, 7 p.m.
Grambling State at Alabama State, 7 p.m.
Texas Southern at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 7 p.m.

OVC
Tennessee State at Jacksonville State, 2 p.m., TV: ESPN3

MEAC
Savannah State at Akron, 12 Noon, TV: ESPN3
Chowan at Delaware State, 2 p.m.
Norfolk State at Marshall, 3:30 p.m.
Lane at Bethune-Cookman, 4 p.m.
Virginia University Lynchburg at Morgan State, 4 p.m,
North Carolina A&T State at Elon, 6 p.m. Elon FREE Streaming Video Starts at 5:50 p.m.
North Carolina Central at Florida International, 6 p.m.



PSAC
Cheyney at Clarion, 1 p.m.

CSFL
McMurray at Texas College, 3 p.m.
Langston at  Oklahoma Panhandle State, 3 p.m.

GLVC
Lincoln (Mo.) at Quincy, 2 p.m.

MWC
West Virginia State at West Virginia Wesleyan, 1 p.m.

CIAA
Central International at Livingstone, 1 p.m.
Alderson Broaddus at Lincoln(Pa.), 1 p.m.
Kentucky State at Virginia State, 2 p.m.
Chowan at Delaware State, 2 p.m.
Fayetteville State at West Georgia, 2 p.m.
Winston-Salem State at Tuskegee, 2 p.m. TV: ESPN3
Virginia Union at Gardner-Webb, 6 p.m.
Bowie State at Central Connecticut State, 7 p.m.
Johnson C. Smith at Morehouse, 7 p.m.
Shaw at UNC Pembroke, 7 p.m.

SIAC
Winston-Salem State at Tuskegee, 2 p.m. TV: ESPN3
Kentucky State at Virginia State, 2 p.m.
Fort Valley State at Clark Atlanta, 2 p.m.
Lane at Bethune - Cookman, 4 p.m,
West Alabama at Miles, 4 p.m,
Central State at Benedict, 6 p.m.
Johnson C. Smith at Morehouse, 7 p.m.
Stillman at Albany State, 7 p.m.

ALL GAMES TIMES STATED IN EASTERN TIME ZONE

Watford leads Hampton U. to 37-19 win vs. Howard at RFK Stadium

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hampton’s 1,000th game will not go down in the record books as an undeniable blowout, a legendary comeback win or even a particularly pretty contest. But it will go down as a win, and that’s all coach Connell Maynor and the Pirates are concerned about.

Despite committing five turnovers and again struggling with penalties, Hampton took a quick lead and never trailed on its way to a 37-19 win against Howard in the Nation’s Football Classic before a crowd of 16,342 at RFK Stadium.



“We got off to a good start, but then were a little sloppy,” Maynor said. “We didn’t really know what to expect from Howard … but they beat us last year. We had to stay solid.”

The Pirates (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) appeared ready to name their score after the first quarter. They carved through the Bison defense on their first drive, capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass from David Watford to a very open Thomas Allen. They stopped a Howard drive when Jaston George picked off a Jamie Cunningham pass at Hampton’s 19-yard line. And they ended the quarter with a 15-play, 72-yard drive that ate up nearly eight minutes and culminated with a 9-yard scoring run by Watford.

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Game Day: Norfolk State

HUNTINGTON, West Virginia -- The Thundering Herd is concentrating on the two “F’s” as it takes the field against Norfolk State Saturday afternoon at Joan C. Edwards Stadium: focus and fundamentals. Both were lacking in the 21-10 loss to rival Ohio University seven days ago.

“Any time you have that many missed assignments, your team is not on the same page, you’re not playing together. We put ourselves in a hole early. I think five of the first six possessions we had were first-and-20 and first-and-25. We’ve just got to do a better job of being mentally locked in and with our technique just working the heck out of that in practice this week,” assessed senior offensive lineman Clint Van Horn.

The lack of mental focus was evident in the 16 penalties for over 150 yards last Saturday.

We had way too many penalties. Every time I looked up it was first down and 25, we gain eight then it’s second and 17,” said Doc Holliday. “I know we were prepared and I know the hotel was no different. We won eight straight games on the road and we were no different in the hotel or wherever we went. We just didn’t execute on offense.”

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Hampton Beats Howard in Nation's Football Classic

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In racking up almost 500 yards of total offense Friday night at historic RFK Stadium, the Hampton University football team defeated rival Howard 37-19 in the AT&T Nation's Football Classic and celebrated a milestone.

In what was the program's 1,000th all-time game, Hampton picked up its 550th win.

The Pirates (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) also snapped Howard's four-game winning streak in the series.


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Hampton amassed 460 total yards of offense in the game – a season-high 181 of which came on the ground. Four of the Pirates' five touchdowns on the night came on the ground – two of them from quarterback David Watford.

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Watford rushed 12 times for 58 yards, while also completing 22 of 36 passes for 279 yards and a score. He has nine touchdown passes in three games this season, and he has yet to be sacked.

Chris Dukes rushed 13 times for a team-best 70 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Dwayne Garrett also had a rushing touchdown.

Twarn Mixson led the Pirates on the receiving end, catching six passes for 119 yards. Thomas Allen caught Watford's lone touchdown pass of the night.

After Howard failed to score on the game's opening drive, the Pirates went 87 yards in five plays, taking a 7-0 lead with 10:10 left in the first quarter after Watford hit Allen from 21 yards. Howard turned the ball over on the ensuing possession when Jamie Cunningham threw an interception to Jaston George.

From there, Hampton went on a 16-play, 72-yard drive that ate up nearly eight minutes before Watford scored on his first rushing touchdown of the season – a 9-yard scamper. The PAT failed, giving the Pirates a 13-0 lead with 16 seconds left in the first quarter.

Howard's first touchdown of the season came with 1:13 left in the half, when Aquinas Freeman rushed 35 yards for the score. The two-point conversion cut Hampton's lead to 13-8.

But Hampton got the ball back on its own 43-yard line and 1:05 on the clock, marching into field goal territory before Adam Brown connected on a 30-yarder as time expired in the half to send the Pirates into the locker room with a 16-8 lead.

The Pirates opened the second half by going 75 yards in 12 plays, taking a 23-8 lead after Dukes scored from four yards out.

But a Hampton turnover later in the third quarter set up Howard's next score – a 39-yard field goal from John Fleck that cut the Pirates' lead to 23-11 at the 6:05 mark.

Brendan Cole intercepted Cunningham in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, giving the Pirates the ball at Howard's 30-yard line. It took Hampton six plays to cash in on that turnover, and when Watford ran into the endzone from three yards out with 12:19 left, Hampton had a 30-11 lead.

After both teams punted on their respective possessions, Howard went on its most sustained drive of the night, taking 10 plays to go 83 yards before Cunningham threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Colvin with 8:10 remaining to cut the lead to 30-19 after the two-point conversion.


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But the Pirates answered on the ensuing drive; after a 9-play, 75-yard trek down the field, Garrett ran in from three yards out to give Hampton a 37-19 lead with 3:09 left to play.

Howard started the ensuing drive in Hampton territory, thanks to a lengthy return and a penalty, but Cunningham fumbled three plays later – with George recovering. Howard got the ball back after forcing a turnover on the next possession, but the Bison (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) could not convert and turned the ball over on downs.

Tyrone Ward led the Pirates defense with 10 tackles, 1.5 for loss, and a forced fumble. The Pirates forced three fumbles, recovering one, and had three interceptions on the night.

Keith McAfee had 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack, while also forcing a fumble.

George, Cole, and Dereon Carr had the Pirates' interceptions; Hampton came into the contest leading the MEAC in picks on defense.

The Pirates will be at Dick Price Stadium in Norfolk, Va. on Saturday, Sept. 26 for the State Farm Battle of the Bay against rival Norfolk State. For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

BOX SCORE

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Tennessee State Tigers Open OVC Play at No. 1 Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Tennessee State Game Notes | Jacksonville State Game Notes
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Twitter: @TSU_Tigers | Instagram: @TSUTigers
Facebook: Tennessee State University Tigers

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State will open Ohio Valley Conference this weekend with a trip to Jacksonville, Ala. The Tigers will face the top ranked team in FCS, Jacksonville State, on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

The game can be seen on ESPN3 with Kevin Ingram handling play-by-play duties and Bob Belvin providing analysis. Greg Pogue (play-by-play), Albert Dawson (analyst) and Gary Dawson (sideline) can be heard on WVOL 1470 AM. The pregame show will begin at 12:30 p.m.



TSU comes in with a 2-0 record, while JSU enters at 1-1. This marks the second 2-0 start in the Rod Reed era, as the Tigers began 7-0 in the 2012 season. The Gamecocks lone loss came last week as they dropped an overtime contest to No. 6 Auburn.

The meeting will be the 11th in the series with the Gamecocks holding an 8-2 advantage. The positive note for the Tigers heading into Burgess-Snow Field is both wins versus JSU have come in Jacksonville. The Big Blue earned wins on the road in 2006 and 2013.

The Gamecocks gained a 27-20 in last year’s meeting at Hale Stadium. JSU built a 27-6 lead late in the third quarter and had to withstand a charge from the Tigers who scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes bringing the score to 27-20. Jacksonville State’s Jermaine Hough intercepted a Mike German pass in the end zone with six seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory for the Gamecocks.

The game saw ten turnovers, six from TSU and four by JSU - each team fumbled twice. The Tigers outgained JSU through the air, 364 yards to 190 yards, while the Gamecocks won the battle on the ground outrushing the Tigers 213-43.

TSU is coming off a 35-25 win over Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic. The Tigers opened each half with a pair of touchdowns to build a 35-12 lead late in the third quarter. Patrick Smith was named the SHC Most Outstanding Player as he finished the evening with 107 yards on four receptions and a touchdown; Smith also averaged 16.0 yards on three punt returns.



Quarterback O’Shea Ackerman-Carter completed 15 passes on 26 attempts for 250 yards and three touchdowns. His performance led to being named STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week.

JSU opened the season with a 23-20 win at FCS No. 6 Chattanooga before falling at Auburn last week. Troymaine Pope is averaging 129.0 yards per game on the ground and 7.2 yards per carry as he has netted 258 yards on 36 carries. Eli Jenkins enters the game completing 63 percent (42-of-67) of his passes and averages 195 yards per game with two touchdowns and an interception.

On defense, four Gamecocks have amassed double-digit tackles, led by Brandon Bender with 14 - 12 solo. Darius Jackson, with 12 tackles, leads JSU with 4.5 tackles for loss.

Since 2012, Jacksonville State is the only OVC team to accrue more wins than the Tigers. JSU has 28 wins during that time period, while the Tigers have won 26 games.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern and Jackson State renew their rivalry Saturday at Mumford Stadium

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A buzz has been building around A.W. Mumford Stadium this week.

Yeah, it’s Southern’s season opener, and it has been 44 weeks since Jaguars fans have been able to see their team play on its home field.

But more than that, it’s Jackson State week. The longtime rivals — separated by a mere 175 miles yet joined by a mutual dislike — meet for the 58th time.



“I think the fans are what really make it a rivalry,” Jaguars coach Dawson Odums said. “They probably don’t have much good to say to each other, especially this time of year, but other than that I think it’s a fun atmosphere to play in. I think this is what college football is supposed to be about.

“I think the tradition of both schools, the history, the heritage and the close proximity of the two schools — I think that’s what creates a rivalry, and it’s not just dominant by one side or the other side. They’ve had some runs where they’ve won some games, and we’ve had some runs where we’ve won some games.”

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Gameday preview: Winston-Salam State at Tuskegee

THE GAME
When: 1:04 p.m. today
Where: Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium
Records: Tuskegee (2-0); Winston-Salem State (0-2)
On the air: TV – ESPN3; Radio – Tuskegee Sports Network
Twitter: @mgmsports @MyTUAthletics

FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY

1. Benchmark game: One of the few teams he hasn’t registered a win against, Tuskegee coach Willie Slater is 0-2 against Winston-Salem State. The Rams played in the 2012 Division II National Championship, a place the Golden Tigers hope to get this season. Slater said this game will be a measuring stick for his squad.

“They’re a very good football program. Their program is where we want to be. They’ve played for the national championship before, and we’d like to be in that position at some point,” Slater said. “It’s going to be a benchmark for us to be able to play on the same plane they’re playing on.”



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North Carolina Central vs. FIU Preview: Taking Care of Business

MIAMI, Florida -- Looking at the 2015 FIU home opener against North Carolina Central brings to mind the phrase, "taking care of business" or the song of the same name by BTO (Bachman-Turner Overdrive). As far as I know Fred Turner, the Turner in BTO, is no relation to FIU coach Ron Turner.

The reason "taking care of business" comes to mind is because if FIU does what it is supposed to do in Saturday's game then the Panthers will win and be 2-1 heading into its Conference USA opener at Louisiana Tech next Saturday.



First of all FIU cannot turn the ball over like it did last week at Indiana. Considering the Panthers and Eagles teams, turnovers are about the only thing that can keep NCC in Saturday's game. 

NCC is 1-1 and is the co-defending MEAC champion, but they have holes on their squad. The FIU offense should be able to exploit an inexperienced NCC defensive line with a combination of Alex Gardner and Anthon Samuel. NCC gives up 160 rushing yards per game. By running the ball effectively, FIU will give quarterback Alex McGough time to operate through the air and keep his jersey clean as well.

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XU's Salwan, Chakma to play for titles at HBCU National Tennis Championships

COLLEGE PARK, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's men's tennis team will play for a pair of titles in singles Saturday and possibly two more in doubles at the HBCU National Championships.
    
XU newcomer Karan Salwan will meet Bethune-Cookman's Alexander Chepik at 9 a.m. EDT in the A-flight final. Salwan defeated North Carolina Central's Kert Kilumets 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals Friday and Bluefield State's Jacob Carey 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. This is Salwan's first XU tournament after transferring from Utah State, where he was all-conference.

Chepik eliminated XU's Kyle Montrel 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the semifinals. Montrel beat North Carolina A&T's Dre Jarmon 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
    
The other Gold Rush finalist is Manav Chakma in the B-flight consolation bracket. Chakma defeated Howard's Myron Davis 8-2, North Carolina A&T's George Tojeda 8-1 and Tennessee State's Kyle Burton 8-5. Chakma will play Bethune-Cookman's Greg Almeida for the title at 9 a.m.
    
Salwan and Tushar Mandlekar reached the A-flight doubles semifinals with an 8-2 victory against A&T's Jarmon and John Wilson. The XU team will play Hampton's Luke Thompson and Matthew Foster-Estwick at 11 a.m.
    
Playing in the other half of that doubles bracket at 11 a.m. will be Montrel and Kevin Chaouat against Florida A&M's Walner Espinoza and Courage Okungbowa. Chaouat and Montrel defeated Bluefield State's Carey and Aziz Yuldashev 8-2 in the quarters.
    
Chakma and Adam Albrecht will meet Shaw's Guido Margiotta and Mauricio Gonzalez in the B-flight doubles semifinals. Chakma and Albrecht defeated Florida A&M's Heme Hasona and Jalen Evans 8-4 in the round of 16 and A&T's Tojeda and Brett Cobert 8-3 in the quarterfinals.
    
Sha'Nel Bruins had the best run for XU's women. She won three matches in the singles C-flight before losing 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals to FAMU's Arrice Robinson. Bruins defeated Bethune-Cookman's Ancia Fill 7-5, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Albany State looks to rebound against Stillman

ALBANY, Georgia — There’s good news and bad news for the Albany State football team.

The bad news is they’re 0-2.

The good news, depending on if you’re a glass half-full-type person, is that both games have been decided by less than two touchdowns. And in both games, the Rams seemed to be the biggest detriment to themselves.

As they host Stillman tonight at 7 p.m. at the Albany State University Coliseum and seek their first win of the season, head coach Dan Land is optimistic. After the heartbreaking loss to Tuskegee, he said he feels one of the biggest things they’ll have do is get out of their own way.

“I see we’re still beating ourselves,” he said. “We’re making mistakes and we’re giving up points that we shouldn’t give up,” he said. “We did it to ourselves and we’ve got to continue working and getting better at that…we didn’t play bad, we’ve just gotta play better.”

To do that, the Rams need to be sharper and focused from the opening kick. In both games, ASU allowed teams to return the opening kick inside their 20 yard line. From there Valdosta State and Tuskegee went on to score in the opening two minutes, forcing the Rams to play catchup.

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Notebook: Marshall QB battle changes nothing for Spartans

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- The quarterback shuffle at Marshall has not affected how Norfolk State has prepared for Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. game in Huntington, W.Va.

Thundering Herd coach Doc Holliday announced this week that he’ll use both junior Michael Birdsong, a transfer from James Madison who was intercepted twice in last week’s 21-10 loss at Ohio, and true freshman Chase Litton, who doesn’t have a college snap to his credit.

First-year NSU coach Latrell Scott, though, said the news didn’t alter his approach.

“They’re similar athletically,” said Scott, who was on JMU’s staff while Birdsong was there.

“I think they’re probably trying to create some consistency and some competition at the same time.”
While junior Greg Hankerson has won the competition to be NSU’s quarterback, the Spartans also seek consistency. Their offense has been lethargic at times and explosive in short bursts at others.
In last week’s rain-soaked 24-10 loss at Old Dominion, NSU took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter but failed to score in three trips into ODU territory in the second half.

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