Aggies, Golden Tigers Remain On Top in Week 3 of HSRN Polls

HARTLY, Delaware – Despite a loss to Tulsa, North Carolina A&T maintained its top spot in the HSRN FCS Football Poll. Tuskegee University remained on top in the Division II/NAIA Poll thanks to a come-from-behind win over Florida A&M in the 5th Quarter Classic in Mobile, AL.

In the Division I FCS poll, Tennessee State jumped from 4th to 2nd and picked up three first place votes. Grambling State, Prairie View A&M and Alcorn State completed the top five. Hampton and Arkansas-Pine Bluff entered the top ten for the first time this season. The Pirates claimed the moniker of “The Real HU” by knocking off Howard, 34-7, in the Nation’s Football Classic. UAPB edged Alcorn State, 45-43, in three overtimes before a national television audience on ESPNU.

In Division II, Tuskegee’s 20-17 win over Florida A&M left no doubt about their strength in the division. The Golden Tigers are undefeated and captured 11 of 12 first place votes of the HSRN pollsters.

Virginia State held on to second place leading a strong representation for the CIAA. Virginia Union, Lane and Bowie State complete the top five. VUU (8th to 3rd) and Albany State (9th to 6th) made the biggest jumps this week. Chowan returned to the top ten following a 35-28 win over West Florida.

Week 3 – Rankings
Division I FCS
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts	Last Week
1	North Carolina A&T (10)	2-1	125	1
2	Tennessee State (3)	3-0	111	4
3	Grambling State	1-1	108	3
4	Prairie View A&M	2-1	81	5
5	Alcorn State	1-1	73	2
6	Southern	1-2	64	6
7	Bethune-Cookman	0-2	51	5
8	North Carolina Central	1-2	33	9T
9	Hampton	1-2	25	NR
10	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	1-2	13	NR
	Others receiving votes
	S.C. State, Alabama A&M, Texas Southern
	Alabama State, Morgan State
Division II/NAIA
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts	Last Week
1	Tuskegee (11)	3-0	116	1
2	Virginia State	3-0	101	2
3	Virginia Union	1-2	63	8
4	Lane	3-0	62	5
5	Bowie State	1-2	61	3
6	Albany State	1-2	44	9
7	Winston-Salem State	1-2	31	4
8	Miles	1-1	26	7
9	Chowan	2-1	25	NR
10	Morehouse	2-1	23	6
	Others receiving votes
	Langston (1), Fort Valley St., Elizabeth City St.,Benedict,
	Johnson C. Smith, Shaw, Fayetteville St.

Mizzou Football Looks For Rebound vs. Delaware State

GAME 4: Mizzou (1-4) vs. Delaware State (0-2) | GAME NOTES | DEPTH CHART
Date: Saturday, Sept. 24	SEC Network Dave Neal, Matt Stinchcomb Olivia Harlan
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
City: Columbia, Mo.	Tiger Network (Sirius 93 / XM 192) Mike Kelly, Howard Richards, Chris Gervino
Site: Faurot Field / Memorial Stadium (71,168)

COLUMBIA, Missouri -- Mizzou Football and head coach Barry Odom will look for a bounce-back win as they welcome Delaware State of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to The Zou on Saturday (Sept. 24) for a 3 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. Mizzou is 15-0 all-time against teams from the FCS, including a 34-3 win over Southeast Missouri in last year's season-opener.

Coach Odom's team suffered a 28-27 setback at the hands of Georgia last weekend as the Bulldogs scored the go-ahead score with 1:29 remaining on a 20-yard TD pass from Jacob Eason to WR Isaiah McKenzie on 4th-and-10 to stun the Tigers, who led for much of the game. Mizzou nearly got into field goal range after WR J'Mon Moore took his eighth catch into Bulldog territory on the first play of the ensuing drive, but a fumble gave the ball to Georgia to seal the win for the Bulldogs. Despite the fumble, Moore was outstanding in the game, totaling 196 yards on eight catches with a pair of scores. It was the ninth-best performance ever by a Mizzou wideout.

CONTINUE READING

Historically Black Schools Pay the Price for a Football Paycheck

CLEMSON, South Carolina — Clemson played South Carolina State in college football on Saturday. Both universities field Division I teams, and that is pretty much where the similarities end in terms of athletics.

The No. 5 Tigers have an $83.5 million athletic budget, which includes six strength and conditioning coaches, and chartered jets for some road games. South Carolina State, a historically black school, has an athletic budget of a little more than $9 million and just one strength coach. It travels to games on a bus.

As part of the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference, Clemson is a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, the top level of college football. The Bulldogs play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which is made up of small historically black colleges and universities (known as H.B.C.U. teams). Under N.C.A.A. rules, big-time schools like Clemson can hand out 85 football scholarships, while the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision schools like South Carolina State can offer only 63. You get the picture.

Is there anyone who thought that the Bulldogs had a chance at an upset, like that time in 2007 when Appalachian State beat Michigan? Or like that time (Saturday) when North Dakota State knocked of No. 13 Iowa? No. The last time Clemson and South Carolina State played, the Tigers won, 73-7.

Buddy Pough, the Bulldogs’ coach, acknowledged last week that his team’s task was hopeless.



CONTINUE READING

HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard Week 3

Saturday, September 17, 2016

SIAC
Tuskegee 20, Florida A&M 17
Albany State 24, Southeastern U. 2
Fort Valley State 37, Clark Atlanta 31
Elizabeth City State 35, Morehouse 30
Lane 46, Langston 0
Benedict 42, Central State 6

OVC
Tennessee State 31, Bethune-Cookman 24



Other HBCUs
Jacksonville 41, Edward Waters 7
West Virginia Wesleyan 35, West Virginia State 14
Indiana (PA) 55, Cheyney 0
McMurry 63, Texas College 6
Quincy 40, Lincoln (Mo.) 14

CIAA
Chowan 35, West Florida 28
Virginia State 20, Kentucky State 7
Virginia Union 37. Winston-Salem State 14
Davidson 38, Livingstone 12
Morehead State 56, Lincoln (Pa.) 6
Elon 26, Fayetteville State 3
Central Connecticut 44, Bowie State 35
Wofford 59, Johnson C. Smith 0
UNC Pembroke 38, Shaw 19



SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff 45, Alcorn State 43
Grambling State 35, Jackson State 14
Prairie View A&M 41, Alabama A&M 20
Southern 64, Alabama State 6
Texas Southern 31, Mississippi Valley 0

MEAC
Hampton 34, Howard 7
North Carolina Central 65, Saint Augustine's 7
Tulsa 58, North Carolina A&T 21
William & Mary 35, Norfolk State 10
Clemson 59, South Carolina State 0

Johnson: Southern put the SWAC on notice with dominant performance against Alabama State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The topic of conversation among us media folks in the immediate aftermath of Southern’s 64-6 dismantling of Alabama State was the last time Southern had beaten someone that badly.

I couldn’t chip in on that conversation, since this was the fourth time I’d ever seen Southern play and the first time I’d seen it win. But I was still listening intently.

Even without the memory of Southern games gone by, I was thinking the same thing most people were after the game: When was the last time I saw someone beat someone else that badly, regardless of who was doing the beating?

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it that bad, not live at least. From start to finish, in all three phases of the game, the Jaguars gave Alabama State a good ol’ fashioned whupping.

hat performance should’ve put the rest of the SWAC on notice.

Alabama State, despite the conclusion at which most people quickly arrived on Twitter, is a good SWAC team. Even after their 0-3 start, the Hornets should contend in the SWAC’s eastern division this season.



CONTINUE READING

Tribe Football 2016: Norfolk State Game Highlights

NCCU Cruises to 65-7 Win over St. Augustine's

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University scored nine touchdowns during a 65-7 home-opening victory over Saint Augustine's University on Saturday inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. But it was a 2-yard rumble into the end zone by senior center Carl Jones, who lined up in the backfield for his first career score, that highlighted the night.

NCCU's offensive output against the Falcons broke one school record and came close to a few others. The Eagles tallied 32 first downs, the most in school history. NCCU's 676 yards of total offense ranks second only to the 684 total yards amassed by the 1982 Eagles against Bowie State. The 414 passing yards on Saturday places fourth in the NCCU record books and are the most by the Eagles since 1988.

NCCU senior quarterback Malcolm Bell accounted for 270 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, while he also rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown.



Bell spread the wealth in the passing attack, connecting with nine different receivers. His favorite target was senior receiver Quentin Atkinson, who finished with six catches for 95 yards, followed by David Miller with four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Wilkes made the most of his two catches, finding the end zone both times on plays of 27 and 32 yards. True freshman tight end Maleek Henderson caught three passes for 28 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown, the first of his career.

NCCU enjoyed a steady ground game as well, accumulating 262 rushing yards for an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Sophomore Dorrel McClain recorded 130 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns, while back-up quarterback Naiil Ramadan also scored on a 7-yard scamper. The redshirt freshman also passed for 144 yards and a touchdown.

NCCU junior punter Nathaniel Tilque almost had the night off, but he made the most of his one punt… a 58-yard boot that pinned the Falcons at their own 2-yard line.

Sophomore safety Alden McClellon topped the NCCU defensive effort with 10 tackles, including one of the Eagles 10 stops for a loss. The unit's three sacks were posted by linebacker Reggie Hunter (6 tackles), and defensive ends Kawuan Cox (4 tackles) and Antonio Brown (4 tackles). Cox also contributed another hit for a loss and a forced fumble, which he recovered.

Saint Augustine's (0-3) finished with 246 yards of total offense, most coming by way of sophomore quarterback D.J. Johnson with 193 yards passing and 26 yards rushing. Johnson connected with Sam Boyd on a 40-yard touchdown in the second quarter for the Falcons lone score.

NCCU (1-2) now prepares for conference play as the Eagles visit MEAC foe Norfolk State University on Sept. 24 in Virginia.

BOX SCORE

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Albany State Golden Rams earn first win after weather delays cause game to end

LAKELAND, Florida -- In only two and a half quarters, Caleb Edmonds completed 14-of-24 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns to lead Albany State to a 24-2 win over Southeastern University. The contest experienced two weather delays and was called after the second thunderstorm with a little over eight minutes left in the third quarter.

With the victory, the Golden Rams gain their first win of the season and improve to 1-2. SEU, an NAIA member, falls to 1-1 overall.

After the Albany State special team provided the host team with a safety in the first quarter, ASU began their scoring barrage in the second. At the 11:09 mark, Edmonds found Ta'Keevian Harris, who sparked the drive with a 43-yard catch two plays before, for a 17-yard touchdown. The drive went eight plays for 78 yards in 3:38. The Golden led 7-2 after Emilio Maldonado made the PAT.

The Golden Rams defense also provided the team with some unexpected points in the latter part of the stanza. Ra'shaan Johnson sacked Southeastern quarterback Jonathan Pearce to force a fumble. Monte Taylor recovered the loose ball and returned it 53 yards for the score. Maldonado was good on the PAT, and Albany State led 14-2 with 1:39 remaining in the half.

Less than 20 seconds later, Nick Scott recorded his second interception of the game to set up the Gold Rush's final score of the half. Maldonado connected on a 33-yard field goal to send ASU into intermission with a 17-2 advantage. The drive used five plays and 39 yards in 30 seconds.

CONTINUE READING

Winston-Salem State pounded by Virginia Union

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It’s not often Winston-Salem State gets embarrassed in front of its home crowd, but fired up Virginia Union was on a mission Saturday night.

“I don’t know what it was but we just didn’t have the energy like we needed,” said offensive lineman Jac’que Polite of the Rams about the 37-14 loss.



There was no energy for the Rams (1-2) from the start as the Panthers (1-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead and coasted in front of just over 4,000 fans at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Rams have lost both of their home games this season, but this one was never close. By halftime the Panthers, a team that made the Division II playoffs last season, were ahead 27-7.

“We beat ourselves with costly penalties and the stats show that,” Polite said about the 104 yards in penalties. “We can’t do that and expect to win, so we have to focus and be much more energetic. We just didn’t have it tonight.”

CONTINUE READING

Tulsa Topples North Carolina A&T 58-21

PDF STATS  |  HTML STATS  |  POSTGAME NOTES  |  POSTGAME QUOTES  |  PHOTO GALLERY

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Special teams and defense gave Tulsa early momentum as the Golden Hurricane cruised to a 58-21 victory over FCS' No. 19-ranked North Carolina A&T Aggies Saturday afternoon in front of 16,111 fans at H.A. Chapman Stadium.

Tulsa built a 24-0 first quarter lead and led 48-0 at halftime en route to the victory. Tulsa's punt coverage team blocked two punts that ended in points, and the Hurricane defense had two interceptions in the first half that led to Tulsa taking a 31-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of the game. For the game, Tulsa totaled 28 points off of two takeaways and the two punt blocks.



Tulsa put up 493 yards of total offense, while holding NC A&T to 368 yards, and only 215 yards and a 3.6 average per play through the first three quarters when the game was already out-of-reach with the Hurricane leading 58-7. Dane Evans completed 19-of-29 passes for 282 yards and three TDs on the day, all going to Keevan Lucas, as Lucas had 119 yards on four catches, all coming in the first 30 minutes. Justin Hobbs had seven catches for 114 yards for Tulsa.

"I thought we made plays, obviously, on special teams early in the game, which kind of really kicked the momentum to our side. Defensively we played lights out. I thought especially early in the game," said Tulsa Head Coach Philip Montgomery.

CONTINUE READING 

Southern University Human Jukebox Vs. Alabama State Mighty Marching Hornets

Howard football suffers demoralizing loss to Hampton in Nation’s Football Classic

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Howard football team opened the season by facing consecutive Big Ten opponents, losing in lopsided fashion both times. On Saturday afternoon, the Bison finally drew a lower-division adversary in Hampton for the Nation’s Football Classic at RFK Stadium.

Players for Howard, particularly upperclassmen, entered the renewal of one of the longest running rivalries among historically black colleges and universities with the added incentive of redeeming themselves for last year’s loss to the Pirates.

What unfolded instead was another demoralizing result, 34-7, in which significant breakdowns in all three phases sent the Bison to their sixth consecutive defeat dating from last season.



“I can accept losing, but I can’t accept the way we lost,” Bison Coach Gary “Flea” Harrell said. “We’ve got to find out who we are, going back to our identity. Are we tough enough to move forward?”

In the MEAC opener for both schools, Howard (0-3) absorbed its most lopsided loss to Hampton (1-2) since a 37-0 defeat in 2009. The Bison’s only points this time came courtesy of tailback Anthony Philyaw’s three-yard run with 13 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. The touchdown ended Howard’s streak of six straight quarters without scoring.

CONTINUE READING

3-GAME GRIND ENDS: Pough says team played hard, will be ready for MEAC

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

CLEMSON, South Carolina – South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough was aware Clemson, despite a 2-0 start and a No. 5 national ranking, had not reached its stride, especially on offense.

The Bulldog mentor and S.C. State graduate was hoping Dabo Swinney’s Tigers would have another un-Tiger-like outing against his team on Saturday. That was not to be.

Clemson quickly shook off what was ailing it, scoring a school-record 31 first-quarter points on its way to a 45-0 halftime lead and an eventual 59-0 triumph over Pough’s team.

“We knew what could happen when you are facing one of the top teams in the nation,” Pough said. “But we were hoping it would not. They had not been playing well and I thought maybe they would struggle a bit for one more week. But you knew it was just a matter of time (before) they would get untracked and start executing well.

“Things didn’t go well for us from the start and we certainly would have liked to have played better. But I appreciate our players battling hard right to the end,” Pough said.

CONTINUE READING

Coach gets first win as TSU blanks Mississippi Valley State

HOUSTON, Texas -- In his third attempt, Michael Haywood got his first win as coach of Texas Southern. Tylor Cook accounted for two touchdown and the Tigers' defense was lights out in a 31-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night.

TSU's win in its home opener at BBVA Compass Stadium was decisive, giving the Tigers' first-year head coach plenty to be pleased about, and keeping the Delta Devils (0-3, 0-2 SWAC) winless.

TSU (1-2, 1-1) scored on its first two possessions and remained in control throughout the game.

"What a great way to open our first home game with a win," Haywood said. "Our job is just to be better than the opponent that's on the field. Tonight, we're better than the team we faced."

TSU outgained MVSU 374-160 in yards and forced the Delta Devils to punt on all seven of their first-half possessions and on their first eight series. Dondre Dobbins and Rayvon Beard intercepted Mississippi Valley's Austin Bray and linebacker Sean Jones had a team-high 10 tackles, with 31/2 tackles for loss.

CONTINUE READING

PVAMU Marching Storm - Halftime Show at Texas A&M University (2016)

Tennessee State Tigers Move to 3-0 with 31-24 Win at Bethune-Cookman

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- For the second consecutive week the Tigers fought off miscues to secure a 31-24 victory at Bethune-Cookman on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers were called for 15 penalties for close to 150 yards and committed three turnovers.

Tennessee State improved to 3-0 on the season as cornerback Terrell Bonds pulled down a tipped ball by Gabe Scott with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The interception was the second of the game for Bonds, helping the Wildcats fall to 0-2.

O’Shay Ackerman-Carter connected on a 71-yard touchdown pass to Steven Newbold and finished with 112 yards as he completed three passes in seven attempts.  The redshirt-sophomore quarterback left the game in the second quarter due to an undisclosed injury.

Senior Ronald Butler finished the game for the Big Blue completing 8-of-16 for 68 yards and two touchdowns in relief. Both signal callers tossed an interception in the contest.

The Tigers ground attack was the story of the game as they rushed 44 times for 200 yards. Freshman Earl Harrison led the way with 110 yards on 13 carries. The Memphis native highlighted his day with a 46 yard run for a second quarter touchdown.

The Tigers struck first on a 44-yard field goal off the foot of Lane Clark. TSU used a 30-yard pass play from Ackerman-Carter to Patrick Smith to move into the Wildcats territory.

B-CU took advantage of an Ackerman-Carter interception and moved the ball 25 yards on five plays to take a 7-3 lead with 4:47 remaining in the first quarter.

On the ensuing drive, Ackerman-Carter escaped the pocket on a third-and-five and found Newbold ten yards down the field. The freshman spun out of the first tackle and avoided another Wildcat and sprinted down the right sideline for the longest play from scrimmage this season for the Tigers.

The 10-7 lead was short-lived as B-CU answered with a rushing touchdown on their next series, taking a 14-10 advantage.

Not to be outdone, the Tigers needed three plays and just over a minute to regain the lead at 17-14 on Harrison’s scoring scamper. The Wildcats would even the score at 17-17 on a field goal just before half.

The Tigers took the lead in the third quarter on the first of Butler’s two scoring passes. The senior tossed a jump ball in the corner of the end zone, allowing Chris Sanders-McCollum to out jump a defender to haul in his first touchdown of the season.

Bethune-Cookman once again pulled even with the Tigers in the first minute of the final stanza. The teams battled back and forth before TSU used the first of Bonds’ picks and began a 5:48 scoring drive late in the fourth. The Tigers covered 48 yards on nine plays and was capped off with a seven-yard scoring toss to Patrick Smith.

Smith has caught a touchdown in each of the first three games and registered the 13th in his career.

The defense secured the win for TSU, who will have a week off before starting Ohio Valley Conference play. UT Martin will be the first challenge for the Tigers on Oct. 1 at Halle Stadium.

GAME NOTES: Captains for TSU were Jessamen Dunker, Chris Collins, Kevin Kenton, O’Shay Ackerman-Carter… TSU won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff… Time of the opening kickoff was 3:59 p.m. (EST)… Weather at the time of kickoff was 86 degrees and sunny… The halftime score was tied for the first time this season… TSU running back Earl Harrison scored his first career touchdown… Wide Receiver Chris Sanders-McCollum registered his seventh career receiving touchdown… TSU moves to 3-0 for the first time since 2012 and the second time overall under Head Coach Rod Reed… TSU improves to 8-1 versus MEAC teams under Rod Reed… The Tigers are now 7-2 all-time versus Bethune-Cookman.

TSU Quarterback Ronald Butler
“I had to do what I had to do to step up and help my team win today.”
- On Stepping in at the Quarterback Position

“I definitely need to represent for the hometown, but it’s not about that. We’re here on a business trip. We’re here to get his ‘W’ and stay undefeated and keep it going.”
- On Playing in Florida

TSU Cornerback Terrell Bonds
“We started off slow. They played us tough, but we came back in the second half and made plays, and that’s what it took to win.”
- On the win tonight

“I prayed for it. That’s my first game in my career with two picks but I’m just happy we came through. We fought tough, battled back and got a win.”
- On two interceptions

TSU Linebacker Chris Collins
“Any win is a good win. We just feel like we have a lot of work to put in. We’ve got the off week and we need the time to get healthy and come out strong for conference play.”
- On the win

“It’s really good. We haven’t been 3-0 since I’ve been here, so that’s a good accomplishment, but we have a lot of work to do. It’s on to the next one.”
- On improving to 3-0

TSU Running Back Earl Harrison
“I had to wait my turn, but thank God I was waiting patiently. I got in and I was ready.”
- On his performance

“That was my second time getting in. I was nervous, but I told myself, ‘it’s no time to be nervous.’ It’s my turn and it’s my chance, and thank God it worked out.”
- On his first career touchdown,

BOX SCORE

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Is the future football series between Grambling and JSU in jeopardy?

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Grambling's third straight road trip to Jackson State finally comes to an end with Saturday's tilt at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

As punishment for a 2013 forfeit on Jackson State's homecoming, Grambling was forced to pay a $50,000 and play at Jackson State in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The assumption was the annual rivalry would return to Grambling in 2017, but that may not be the case. And the future in football between the two schools is very much uncertain.

"From my standpoint, we certainly would love to play Jackson in Grambling next year getting back to what would our normal series with them home-and-home," Grambling president Rick Gallot said Friday night via telephone in Jackson. "I will make it very clear from our standpoint we certainly want to get back in the sequence if possible. It would take their willingness to play us in Grambling for that to happen."



CONTINUE READING

SWAC teams scrambling after scheduling rule change

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Athletic directors across the SWAC still appear to be in scramble mode.

The conference plans to switch from the current round-robin format of nine league games to seven starting with the 2017 season, a decision that came in May of last year. The change leaves SWAC teams struggling to find two more nonconference opponents on short notice.

“I think the biggest thing you see in Year 1 is it might be a scramble because everybody’s already gone three to five years out (in setting up their schedules),” Alcorn State athletic director Derek Horne said. “You have to be very aggressive in how you move toward it.”

SWAC teams will play a designated rival and two rotating home and home games with opponents from the opposite division in addition to their current four games in their division.

The SWAC has bounced between a seven- and nine-game conference schedule since expanding to 10 teams in 1999. Conference programs played seven league games from 2000-04 and 2008-09 before switching to the current format in 2010.

CONTINUE READING