Southern Football: Practice heats up for Tulane with home football opener looming

NEW ORLEANS -- Preparation for the 2016 home opener heated up, literally, as the Tulane football team practiced for just over two hours at Yulman Stadium on Tuesday morning.

The Green Wave (0-1, 0-0 American West) braved the hot Louisiana sun with a morning workout in light pads and shorts. First-year head coach Willie Fritz’ squad got down to business with the team’s home opener against Southern (0-1, 0-0 SWAC West) just four days away. Kickoff for Saturday’s matchup is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN3.

“It was a little warm out there today,” said Fritz. “We just have to fight through it. It’s just the way of the world. There’s nothing we can do about. We just have to go out there and practice. Some of the guys had a great practice and some had a little difficult practice.”

Fritz and the rest of the coaching staff hopes practice makes perfect as the Olive and Blue are working hard to notch that first win of the season in front of what is projected to be a capacity crowd under the lights at Yulman on Saturday night.

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Jenkins: Young-Battle ‘decent’ in first ASU start

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- It’s time to hit the reset button for the Alabama State quarterback rotation.

Both junior college transfer JuJuan Young-Battle and senior Quinterris Toppings both saw action for the Hornets during Saturday’s 26-13 loss at UTSA.

Overall, the Alabama State offense was stymied after the first quarter against UTSA. As a team, the Hornets gained just 289 total yards and went 2-for 14 on third downs in the game.

Young-Battle earned the start, played three quarters and completed 11 of 18 passes for 102 yards while being sacked six times. Toppings led a fourth-quarter scoring drive.

“(Young-Battle)’s the guy we went with on Saturday, and he did a very decent job,” ASU head coach Brian Jenkins said. “We didn’t play well enough to win, but we showed a lot of promising things. We’ll evaluate both guys throughout this week.”

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NCCU Men’s Basketball Announces 2016-17 Recruiting Class

DURHAM, North Carolina -- The North Carolina Central University men's basketball program has restocked for the upcoming season as head coach LeVelle Moton has announced a signing class of six newcomers.

Alex Mills (McLennan College), Pablo Rivas (Sheridan College), Ron Trapps (Coastal Carolina University), Michael Wolfe (South Plains College), Raasean Davis (Kent State University), and Rashann London (Drexel University) all join the program as transfers.

"We're excited about our incoming class," said Moton said of the newcomers. "We felt that we needed older and mature players in the program to compete with the new landscape in the MEAC."

Alex Mills (6-1, Laurens, S.C.) competed in 11 games during an injury-shortened 2015-16 season at McLennan College, averaging 12.7 points per game as a shooting guard in his sophomore year. Mills hit the floor 30 times in his freshman campaign and put up 12.9 and 1.4 boards per outing.

"Alex will add much needed perimeter shooting to our team," said Moton. "He suffered an unfortunate Achilles injury last year, so once he is cleared, we look forward to him being a key contributor."

Pablo Rivas (6-5, Phoenix, Ariz.) logged 28 games with 22 starts at Sheridan College as a forward during the 2015-16 season. He contributed 19.5 and 8.5 caroms per game during his sophomore year. Rivas knocked down 44 treys during the season and shot 36.4 percent from downtown and 51.1 percent from the floor.

"Pablo is a do-it-all athlete that can play on the perimeter and inside," Moton said. "We hope he adds much needed depth and athleticism to our team."

Ron Trapps (6-4, 200, Lancaster, S.C.) transfers to NCCU after a three-year career at Coastal Carolina University, where he made 49 appearances for the Chanticleers. As a guard, he averaged 5.2 points per game during the 2015-16 season and knocked down 33 three-pointers, while contributing 1.7 rebounds per contest.

"Ron is a mature wing that comes from a winning program at Coastal Carolina," Moton said. "He will bring an element of leadership, toughness, and perimeter scoring to our team."

Michael Wolfe (6-9, Germantown, Md.) played 28 games with 13 starts during the 2015-16 campaign at South Plains College. He averaged 4.1 points per game in his sophomore year and knocked down shots from the field at a rate of 49.5 percent.

"Michael will provide much needed length and athleticism to our program," Moton said. "He has the ability to knock down perimeter shots and change shots at the rim."

Raasean Davis (6-8, 260, Chicago, Ill.) joins NCCU from Kent State University, where he appeared in 25 games during his sophomore season. The 6-8 forward batted away 10 shots and during the 2015-16 campaign, and played a total of 46 games over two years.

"Raasean is a big, polished, and very skilled big man that transferred from Kent State and will sit out this season," Moton said. "His skill level at the center position is something that's a novelty in the MEAC."

Rashann London (6-2, 185, Philadelphia, Pa.) appeared in all 31 games at Drexel during the 2015-16 season and started 24 contests, averaging 30.1 minutes per game. London averaged 7.5 points with 2.3 assists per game in his sophomore year, and also started every game during his freshman season in 2014-15.

"Rashann is a talented wing guard from Drexel that will also sit out this year," said Moton. "He has proven to be an elite guard at the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) level."

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELAITONS

Five things UNT fans should know about Bethune-Cookman

DENTON, Texas -- North Texas will try to bounce back from a season-opening loss to rival SMU this week at home against Bethune-Cookman.

The Mean Green will kick off their game against the Wildcats at 6 p.m. Here are five things UNT fans should know about UNT’s Week 2 opponent.

1. Bethune-Cookman has some athletes

UNT coach Seth Littrell is familiar with teams from the MEAC conference from his time at North Carolina. He left little doubt as to the talent level of teams in the league.

“When you turn on the tape, their athleticism shows,” Litrrell said.

Bethune-Cookman finished 9-2 a year ago and had seven players named to the preseason all-conference first team.

The Wildcats will have players who will present a challenge.

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S.C. State Bulldogs earn NFL roster spots

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Four players from South Carolina State’s 2015 football squad have earned roster spots on National Football League teams.

Bulldog standouts Javon Hargrave (Pittsburgh), Temmarick Hemingway (Los Angeles Rams) and Antonio Hamilton (Oakland Raiders) secured positions on the 53-man roster, while Jalen "Scoot" Simmons (Carolina Panthers) was signed to the practice squad.

• Hargrave (6-2, 305), a third-round pick by the Steelers, was the most notable rookie to make an NFL roster. The Bulldog defensive lineman, who earned All-America honors and several other accolades at S.C. State, had an outstanding preseason for the Steelers and is listed as No. 2 on the depth chart at nose guard.

• Hemingway (6-5, 245), an All-America tight end for the Bulldogs and a sixth-round pick by the Rams, was one of the first tight ends taken in this year’s draft. In preseason action, Hemingway had five catches for 70 yards (14 yards per catch).

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Morgan State Takes on Marshall in Week 2

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GAME TIME
Morgan State (0-1) will travel to face Conference USA foe Marshall (0-0) for the Thundering Herd's home-opener at Joan C. Edwards Stadium this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and will be televised by the BeIN Sports Network. The Bears are coming off a 51-24 home loss to Holy Cross last week. Marshall finished the 2015 season with a 10-3 overall mark and was 6-2 in C-USA play, including a 6-0 home record.

RADIO: WEAA, 88.9 FM is the flagship station for the Morgan State Bears. Lamont Germany will call the play-by-play with former Bear coach Kelvin Bridgers in the booth. The game will be broadcast live on 88.9 FM and streamed on WEAA.org.

THE SERIES
• Saturday marks the first meeting in the series between the two schools.

QUICK HITS
• Graduate student transfer QB Chris Andrews made 10 starts in three seasons at Wagner College, and completed 21-of-34 passes for 240 yards, including a TD and INT in his debut as the Bears' starting QB against Holy Cross.

• MSU senior RB Orlando Johnson led the Bears in rushing last season with 583 yards (4.1 avg) and six TDs in 10 games. He led the Bears with 71 yards on 10 carries and scored a pair of TDs against Holy Cross.

• In both their returns to the gridrion last week against Holy Cross,Herb Walker Jr. ran for 22 yards on 9 carries and Lamont Brown III had 12 carries for 46 yards.

• With 29 yards rushing, redshirt junior RB Herb Walker Jr. can tie Bradshaw Littlejohn (2002-04) for 9th place on the Morgan State career rushing list with 1,849 yards; and with 38 yards rushing, he can tie Jason Jackson (2004-05) for 8th place with 1,858 yards.

• NT Jai Franklin finished the 2015 season with 38 stops, 8.5 TFL and three sacks. He posted five stops against Holy Cross.

• LB Damare' Whitaker led the Bears in 2015 with 66 stops, 6 TFL and 2.5 sacks. He recorded a team-high nine tackles last week versus Holy Cross.

• The Bears were their own worst enemy Saturday against Holy Cross committing 14 penalties for 115 yards in a 51-24 loss to the Crusaders.

• The Bears defense recorded a pair of interceptions against Holy Cross (Darius Johnson, Eric Alvis Jr.).

• Last Saturday, Fred T. Farrier played against his alma mater (Holy Cross) for his first game back as a head football coach.

A GLANCE AT THE THUNDERING HERD
• Marshall finished the 2015 season with a 10-3 overall mark and was 6-2 in C-USA play, including a 6-0 home record.They capped the season with a 49-28 loss at Western Kentucky.

• The Thundering Herd has won at least 10 games in three straight years, including one Conference USA crown.

• The Thundering Herd return quarterback Chase Litton who passed for 2,605 yards, 23 touchdowns and 8 INTs as a rookie a season ago. Also back are TEs Ryan Yurachek and Emanuel Byrd and an O-line that returns four starters and is led by two-time all-star OT Clint Van Horn. who caught eight passes for 85 yards and a pair of TDs. Tailback Hyleck Foster returns from a season in which he finished with 450 yards on 99 carries and scored three TDs. Litton will also look to target big WRs Deon-Tay McManus (35 rec., 334 yds,TD), Justin Hunt (20 rec., 295 yds, 4 TDs) and former basketball player Michael Clark.

• Defensively, the Herd return a pair of tough defensive ends in Gary Thompson and Ryan Bee. The linebackers are expected to be led by a pair of former transfers with Davon Durant (Arizona State) and Shawn Petty (Maryland). The secondary led by Rodney Allen (30 tackles, 3 INTs, FR) will also include some talented transfers with C.J. Reavis (Virginia Tech) at safety and Terry Richardson (Michigan) manning one of the cornerback positions.

• The Herd has yielded fewer than 23 points per game in each of the last three seasons. Last year's team, for instance, led Conference USA in scoring D, allowing just 17.8 points per game.

• Doc Holliday (West Virginia, '79) enters his 7th season at the helm of the Thundering Herd.

PRESEASON PICKED LAST
Morgan State, who finished T-4th place a season ago, was picked to finish seventh (7th) to co-defending MEAC champions and Preseason #1 North Carolina A&T, #2 Bethune-Cookman and #3 N.C. Central.

PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
Five (5) Morgan State football players were named to the 2016 MEAC preseason team, which was voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Redshirt senior cornerback Delonta Hall was named first-team All-MEAC, while senior running back Orlando Johnson was a second-team selection. Redshirt senior tight end Willie Gillus, junior offensive lineman Joshua Miles and junior defensive lineman Jai Franklin were third-team picks.

BEARS OPEN 118th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 118th season of football, and the first under interim head coach Fred T. Farrier.

RETURN MEN
The 2016 Morgan State Bears return 66 letterwinners, including 15 starters - 9 on offense, 8 on defense and 1 on special teams.

CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2016 season looking to post their first winning season since going 7-6 in 2014.

NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The Bears will open the 2016 campaign against two of its first three non-conference matchups. MSU opens the season at home against Holy Cross (Sept. 3), followed by a road game at Marshall (Sept. 10). The Bears round out non-conference in a season-finale matchup at Army (Nov.19).

BEARS NAME TEAM CAPTAINS
The MSU Bears wrapped up the preseason by naming the team captains for the 2016 season. The leadership group is comprised of four seniors and a junior ... offense - Thomas Martin (Naples, Fla.), Dominique Woods (Skyline, Texas) - defense - Greg Gibson (Houston, Texas), Ayodeji Agbelese (Lanham, Md.) and special teams - Willie Gillus III (Suffolk, Va.).

BEARS OPEN 40th SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 40th season in the MEAC when they host the Howard Bison on Sept. 24.

• The Bears opened the 2015 MEAC schedule with a 21-13 victory against Howard at the 18th Annual Chicago Football Classic at Soldier Field.

• The Bears kicked off its first season in the MEAC in 1971. Morgan State withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979-80 fiscal year, before returning to the MEAC in 1984.

MSU IN THE CIAA
Morgan State was a power as a former member of the CIAA. The Bears posted 173 wins between 1929 and 1959 when Edward P. Hurt was the head coach and the Bears won 14 CIAA championships. Earl Banks added to the championship collection by winning four titles during the 1960s.

HOME AT THE CAVE
Morgan State opened its 2016 season with a home-opener against Holy Cross on Sept. 3. The Bears 2016 schedule features five home games in Hughes Stadium, including a meeting with MEAC co-champion Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 5 in Baltimore.

UNDER THE LIGHTS
Morgan State will not only have its first home night game since 2010, but it will also mark the Bears' first home matchup against the Howard Bison in seven years. The Bears will open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play when they host their Beltway rival on Sept. 24 at Hughes Stadium. The actual kickoff time is set for 7 p.m.

"DJ" RISING IN THE SECONDARY
Sophomore safety Darius Johnson is off to a great start in 2016. In Saturday's loss against Holy Cross, the Baltimore native made his first career start and finished with a career-high seven tackles and had a 14-yard interception return (3rd career pick). "DJ" will continue to be one to watch as the season continues.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Week 1 of HBCU football: Canceled game, top performances

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Southern University running back Lenard Tillery continues to show everybody why he’s one of the top rushers in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Tillery, the SWAC preseason offensive player of the year, had a terrific performance Saturday, picking up 161 yards on 26 carries and scoring one touchdown as Southern lost to Louisiana Monroe 38-21 to open the season. He averaged 6.2 yards a carry in a losing effort for the Jaguars.

The Jaguars’ 5-10, 186-pound redshirt senior is already the fifth-leading rusher in the FCS. His ability to run between the tackles and get to the edge with his speed make him a big threat in the open field.

A year ago, Tillery gained 1,211 yards on 197 carries to lead the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in rushing. He seems to be on pace for another big season leading the team’s ground attack.

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2016 Golden Delight Highlights: Game 1- NC A&T vs St. Augustine

Gold Nuggets, on road, win GCAC volleyball opener

TOUGALOO, Mississippi -- Juliana Tomasoni and Adili Rikondja combined for 28 kills and a .393 hitting percentage Tuesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 23-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against Tougaloo.

The Gold Nuggets (4-10, 1-0) have won 73 of their last 74 matches against GCAC opponents. In regular-season GCAC matches, XULA has won 60 of its last 61.

Tomasoni produced 15 kills and 13 digs -- her seventh double-double of the season -- and hit .353. Rikondja hit .455 with a career-high 13 kills. Hasani Salaam had eight kills, and Monet Fontaine had seven.

Amanda Perry had 22 digs and extended to 13 her XULA record for consecutive double-figure matches. Taylor Ducros had 14 digs, and Ralitsa Slanchev produced a career-high 10. Ducros, Slanchev and Cara Ford served two aces apiece.

After dropping an opening set against Tougaloo for the first time, XULA trailed just twice more thereafter -- at 1-0 in the second set and 2-1 in the third. The Gold Nuggets had 7-0 runs in the second and third sets and an 8-0 burst in the final set to grab a 12-1 lead.

XULA outhit Tougaloo .205 to .070 -- the Gold Nuggets hit .252 the final three sets -- and had advantages of 59-27 in kills and 84-58 in digs. The Gold Nuggets' kill total was a season high.

Jessica Porter had eight kills, nine digs and two aces for the Lady Bulldogs (6-3, 2-1), who dropped their home opener.

The Gold Nuggets are 13-0 all-time against Tougaloo. The teams will meet again Halloween evening at XULA.

XULA will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to play GCAC opponent Edward Waters at noon EDT Saturday. The Gold Nuggets' next home match will start at 5 p.m. Monday against the GCAC's Philander Smith.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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North Carolina A&T, Tuskegee Open 2016 Season Atop HSRN Polls

HARTLEY, Delaware – Following a full schedule of games spanning September 1-4, the 2015 Conaway Cup winners have retained the top spots in the first week of the Division I FCS and Division II/NAIA HSRN Football Polls.

In the Division I FCS poll, the Aggies of North Carolina A&T begin the season ranked #1 following a season opening 62-0 shutout of former CIAA rival Saint Augustine’s University.

The 2015 Celebration Bowl Champions took the top spot over MEAC rival Bethune-Cookman, whose MEAC-SWAC Challenge appearance was cancelled due to weather conditions. 2015 SWAC runner-up Grambling State, 2015 SWAC Champion Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M round out the FCS top five.

In Division II, Tuskegee served notice that they have reloaded for the season heading a group that included a few surprise entrants. The Golden Tigers began their season with a regionally televised road victory over Clark Atlanta, 36-13. Bowie State, Miles and Virginia State were only separated by five points with Virginia Union completing the top five.

Division I FCS
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts
1	North Carolina A&T (9)	1-0	98
2	Bethune-Cookman	0-0	73
3	Grambling State (1)	0-0	72
4	Alcorn State	0-0	69
5	Prairie View A&M	1-0	66
6	Tennessee State	1-0	52
7	Southern	0-1	28
8	Alabama State	0-1	24
9	North Carolina Central	0-1	20
10	South Carolina State	0-1	18
	Others receiving votes
	Norfolk St. (14) Morgan St. (8), Texas Southern (5)
	Hampton (2), Howard (2)

Division II/NAIA

	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts
1	Tuskegee (7)	1-0	93
2	Bowie State	0-1	67
3	Miles	1-0	64
4	Virginia State (1)	1-0	62
5	Virginia Union (1)	0-1	44
6	Lane	1-0	36
7	Albany State	0-1	35
8	Chowan	1-0	34
9	Winston-Salem State (1)	0-1	33
10	Morehouse	1-0	15
	Others receiving votes
	Benedict (13), Fayetteville St. (10), Cheyney (8), Ft. Valley St. (7)
	Johnson C. Smith (6), Elizabeth City St. (5), Central St. (3)
	Edward Waters (2), Langston (2)

About HSRN:
HSRN (Heritage Sports Radio Network) is the national leader in live radio broadcasts of mid-major athletics. HSRN combines innovative programming and production with a vast broadcast network. The SiriusXM platform avails partners of HSRN exposure on the world's largest radio broadcaster as measured by revenue and exposure to 28.3 million subscribers. In addition to SiriusXM, HSRN is available on terrestrial radio affiliates, smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at HSRN.com.

FAMU picks new 'Voice of Bragg'

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- After a selection process that began in June, Florida A&M has picked its new stadium announcer.

Kofi Hemmingway, 45, battled through a reality show produced by the athletic department to be named the school's new Voice of Bragg. Hemmingway, who attended Florida A&M and marched in the Marching 100 as a trombone player, steps in to fill the shoes left by longtime announcer Kenneth Jones.

"I do bleed orange and green and I love FAMU," Hemmingway said. "I’m really, really elated to be a part of the FAMU tradition."

Hemmingway said the reality show was a great way to find the school's next stadium announcer. He had the highest score of the three final competitors, and beat out Jacquell Lawson -- the show's only female competitor -- and Curtis Ford III for the job.

CONTINUE READING

WSSU Rams hope to regroup after opening season with a loss

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State is already hoping to regroup after Saturday's loss.

After WSSU bumbled away its opener against UNC Pembroke Saturday night, 20-17, after taking a 17-3 halftime lead, the Rams must adjust.

Kailan Chavis, who led the Rams with eight tackles Saturday, said they are too talented to panic at this point.



“We have to have thick skin, work hard and get back to the drawing board,” Chavis said. “We have to get more focused because we can’t dwell on this. We actually came out strong, but we have to close better, obviously.”

It was the Rams’ fourth straight non-conference, regular-season loss going back to a 0-3 mark in 2015.

Player after player for the Rams couldn’t pinpoint when the Braves grabbed the momentum, but it was pretty obvious.

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Norfolk State University v Elizabeth City State Highlights

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Culver Column: Are the ‘money games’ worth it?

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- I don’t care how much money is involved — no one likes losing.

Florida A&M’s latest “money game” — a contest against an FBS opponent with more money and resources — was another sad showing. The Rattlers were clobbered 70-3 by Miami in front of 60,703 and the players were noticeably and visibly dejected after the game.

Why shouldn’t they be? They were used as a punching bag by a team with more scholarships, playing in a stadium that seats tens of thousands of people.

“One game doesn’t make the season,” head coach Alex Wood said after the game.

He added, “We all know the deal. We know what the deal is with these games.”

Yes. We do. And, honestly, I wish there were a better way.

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Jackson State's Hughes finding positives heading into TSU

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State couldn’t give coach Tony Hughes his first career win last Thursday when the Tigers opened their season on the road with a 63-13 loss to UNLV.

But the first-year coach saw enough positives in the lopsided defeat that he’s confident heading into Saturday’s Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis against Tennessee State.

“If you watch the game, you know it’s one-sided and UNLV made all the plays,” Hughes told reporters after the game. “Our whole goal coming in the second half was to win the second half. Let’s score more points than they do in the second half, hold our head high with dignity and let’s get on the bus and go home and get ready for Tennessee State.

“I liked the way our kids competed. They never quit, they never started complaining or pointing the finger at one another, and we really grew as a team through the adversity. We have something to build on for the future, not just for Tennessee State, but for the rest of the year.”

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'It's all on me:' Southern quarterback Austin Howard shoulders blame for inconsistent night against ULM

MONROE, Louisiana — Southern junior quarterback Austin Howard was his own worst critic after Saturday’s 38-21 road loss to Louisiana-Monroe.

“I feel like everything was on me,” Howard said. “I made some bad throws early. I kind of killed our momentum. We just have to get back in practice and work even harder than we did last week.”



Howard completed 17 of 31 attempts for 137 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a fourth-quarter interception in the end zone, killing a drive that started at the ULM 36-yard line.

His overall numbers were mostly skewed by a poor start. He completed just four of his first 13 passes, and he was pressured on four of those attempts.

Those early attempts were also where his bad misses were — the worst coming when he overthrew tight end Dillon Beard, who was running free behind the ULM secondary.

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