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.”

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Tulsa Topples North Carolina A&T 58-21

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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,

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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."



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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.

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Chowan Hawks Roll past West Florida Argonants

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University football team picked up a 35-28 victory over the University of West Florida on Saturday evening. The Hawks move to 2-1 on the season with the win and handed the Argonauts their first loss of their inaugural season. West Florida stands 2-1 on the year with the setback.

Chowan collected 529 yards of total offense on the day; 130 on the ground and 399 passing. West Florida rolled up 450 yards of offense in the setback and were held to just 44 yards on the ground over the course of the contest.

Randall Dixon completed 28-44 pass attempts for a school record 399 yards and two touchdowns for the Hawks. He connected with four different Chowan receivers including Tyrone Carter 11 times for 188 yards and one touchdown. Tyree Lee totaled 30 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Kaleb Nobles threw for 398 yards on Saturday, completing 29-48 pass attempts including three touchdown passes. Ishmel Morrow hauled in 12 receptions on the day for 161 yards with Anas Hasic adding nine receptions for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Tim Bellinger recorded 10 carrries for 29 yards on the night.

Defensively, Demetrius Newberry led the way with 14 tackles (seven solo, seven assisted) and one sack. Luis Zequeira and Vicente` Stafford added eight stops each in the win. Marvin Conley recorded 11 tackles for West Florida (seven solo, four assisted) while Joshua Smiley added 10 (six solo, four assisted).

The Hawks quickly took matters into their own hands at the start of the contest as Lee concluded a seven-play, 65 yard drive with a seven yard touchdown run to put Chowan on the board in their first drive. Connor Killeen's point after attempt was good, handing the Hawks an early 7-0 advantage.

West Florida promptly answered with a three-play, 75 yard scoring drive after Hasic hauled in a 58 yard touchdown pass from Nobles. Austin Peffers made good on the point after attempt, knotting the score 7-7. The Hawks would answer back at the 10:50 mark in the first quarter after Carter grabbed a 29 yard touchdown pass from Dixon. The Hawks led 14-7 after Killeen's point after attempt.

The Argos responded late in the first quarter with a 10 play, 84 yard touchdown drive. Nobles connected with Hasic on a 16 yard pass and Peffers' point after attempt was successful, knotting the score 14-14.

With 10:36 on the clock in the second quarter, Kemaree Alcorn intercepted a pass from Nobles on the West Florida 15 yard line to shift the momentum back in Chowan's favor. After a trio of runs by Lee, Nolan's one yard touchdown run and Killeen's successful point after attempt pushed the Hawks ahead 21-14. The Hawks tacked on an additional score before the end of the first half, using a 29 yard touchdown run by Lee and Killeen's point after to take a 28-14 lead heading into the halftime break.

Down but not out, the Argos fought back at the start of the second half. Nobles opened the third quarter with a 71 yard touchdown pass to Morrow and Peffers made good on the point after attempt. At the 11:40 mark, an interception by West Florida led to a six play, 31 yard touchdown drive for the Argos. Peffers' point after tied the score 28-28.

Dixon gave the Hawks all they would need in the fourth quarter, connecting with Kaine Lombard on a four yard touchdown pass to push Chowan ahead 34-28. The play concluded a four play, 69 yard drive. Killeen's point after attempt solidified the 35-28 advantage. West Florida was unable to answer back offensively, resulting in the victory for Chowan.

The Hawks return to action on September 24th. Chowan travels to take on Livingstone College in a 1pm contest. The game marks the first CIAA match-up of the season.

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Badgers prevail in three-set sweep of Gold Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana led late in each of the first two sets, but Spring Hill rallied for a 26-24, 25-22, 25-13 non-conference volleyball victory Thursday at the Convocation Center.
     
In a matchup of conference leaders, the Badgers (9-3, NCAA Division II's SIAC) snapped the four-match win streak of the Gold Nuggets (6-11, NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic).
     
Spring Hill overcame Xavier leads of 22-21 in the first set and 17-16 in the second.
     
Molly Griffin had 10 kills and seven digs for the Badgers. Madison Seuzeneau and Sarah Senft had nine kills apiece, and Cassidi Sterrett had 20 digs, 12 in the second set.
     
Adili Rikondja had eight kills and hit .467 for the Gold Nuggets. Monet Fontaine and Hasani Salaamhad six kills apiece, and Tiffany Phillips had 21 assists and 10 digs in her ninth double-double of the season. Amanda Perry had 21 digs and Juliana Tomasoni 15, with Perry extending to 16 her XULA record for consecutive matches with double-figure digs.
     
Perry reached 20 digs for the fourth time and the first time in a three-set match.
     
Rikondja, the reigning GCAC Attacker of the Week, hit .400 or better for the third time in the last four matches.
     
Spring Hill outhit XULA .233 to .091 and had advantages of 44-29 in kills and 4-2 in aces. The Gold Nuggets held advantages of 65-58 in digs and 9-2 in blocks. Salaam's five blocks are the most in a match by a XULA player this season, and Bria Moore had a career-best four blocks.
     
The Badgers are 18-0 all-time against the Gold Nuggets. They'll meet again Oct. 24 at Mobile, Ala.
     
XULA's next match will start at 6 p.m. next Thursday at GCAC and city rival Dillard. The next XULA home match will start at 3 p.m. Sept. 23 — one week from Friday — against Faulkner.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Southern defense dominates Alabama State in SWAC opener

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Questions surrounded Southern’s defense Saturday night when it faced Alabama State.

Would the Jaguars 4-2-5 formation hold up against SWAC competition? Was the porous showing by the rush defense in the first two games a reflection of Southern or its opponents?

Early in the game, if there were answers to be found it didn’t appear that Southern’s defense had them. But, boosted by strong play from the Jaguars offense and special teams, the defense settled in to do its part in a game that Southern dominated in every phase.



By the fourth quarter, the only question that remained was whether Southern would pick up its first shutout since 2013. Southern settled for a 64-6 win and the satisfaction of playing a complete game.

“We’re all coming together as one,” SU cornerback Danny Johnson said. “That’s why we take it day by day. We struggled a little bit in the first two games but we’ve come together. It makes us better.”

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Willie Quinn's four TDs key Southern's demolishing win over Alabama State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- In Saturday's 64-6 blowout win, Southern's Willie Quinn outscored Alabama State 24-6 all on his own — and he didn’t even get credit for the points on the 30-yard touchdown pass he threw.

The rest of his Southern teammates fared pretty well, too. The Jaguars (1-2, 1-0) dismantled Alabama State (0-3, 0-2), a team many pegged as a contender in the SWAC’s Eastern Division, during a blowout at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

“It was great to see the focus,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “I thought from start to finish, they were locked into this football game.”

It was a total team win for the Jaguars, who forced six turnovers, racked up 541 yards of offense and scored in all three phases. After a pair of season-opening losses to FBS squads UL-Monroe and Tulane, it was their first win since November.

“We were thirsty for a win. We wanted it. We practiced like we wanted to win,” junior defensive end Aaron Tiller said. “It was like we missed winning. We didn’t like feeling like we did those first two weeks.”

Photos: Southern holds home opener against Alabama State

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Tuskegee comes from behind for victory over FAMU

MOBILE,Alabama -- After a 20-year hiatus, the 5th Quarter Classic proved to be worth the wait as the 13th-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers scored with just over two minutes to play, coming from behind for a 20-17 victory over FCS-member Florida A&M University on a rainy Saturday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Tuskegee (3-0) trailed for much of the second half, by as many as four with just 4:11 left to play in the game and Florida A&M (0-3) in possession of the ball. The Golden Tigers relied on a defense that forced a three-and-out for Florida A&M, forcing the Rattlers to punt.

The punt, off the foot of Colby Blanton, found its way to Ladarell Pettway at his own 40-yard line. The redshirt freshman weaved his way through defenders to the Florida A&M 33-yard line, and looked as though he was able to keep his knee off the ground and racing into the end zone. However, the officials say his knee touched and gave Tuskegee the ball at that spot and they didn't waste any time.

Kevin Lacey took the first play from scrimmage, rolling to the right and finding his way to a first down with a 10-yard rush. He followed that up a strike to senior receiver Desmond Reece, the offensive MVP in the game, for a 23-yard touchdown down the seam with 2:21 to play in the contest. The touchdown and extra point gave Tuskegee a three-point lead at 20-17.

However, Florida A&M came back quickly as they moved the ball down the field on Tuskegee with time ticking away. After a long pass play was brought back due to a personal foul on the Rattlers, they needed a big play to keep the drive alive. Kenneth Coleman hit receiver Kevin Troutman, who was stripped by Tuskegee's Darnell Hill. The ball was recovered Hill, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

As the clock ticked down on fourth down, Lacey knelt for the final play and the Tuskegee fan base charged the field as the Golden Tigers claimed victory over a FCS school.

Lacey finished 13-for-25, throwing for 137 yards and touchdown for the Golden Tigers, while Jayjerien Craig led the way on the ground with 62 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown for an offense that put 328 yards up on Florida A&M. Meanwhile, the Rattlers struggled on offense, held to just 169 yards of offense and their scoring drives all started inside the Tuskegee 30-yard line.

Tuskegee took an early lead in the game after a Florida A&M field goal went wide left, the Golden Tigers took the ensuing drive 60 yards in six plays – highlighted by a 44-yard run from Lacey on the first play from scrimmage. The Golden Tigers took a 3-0 lead when Dalton Hall connected on a 32-yard field goal with just over six minutes to play in the opening quarter.

The Golden Tigers extended the lead to six when they drove 65 yards in 10 plays, finishing off a drive with a 31-yard field with 1:49 to play in the first half. Florida A&M took their first lead of the game, at 7-6, when Coleman hit Brandon Norwood from 28-yards out on the first play from scrimmage after a miscue from the Golden Tigers with 6:01 remaining in the opening half.

Tuskegee went 65 yards in nine plays on their next possession to take a 13-7 lead with 2:29 remaining in the half. Craig took the handoff from Lacey, after a third down pass interference call gave Tuskegee a first down, racing around left end for the 19-yard touchdown.

Florida A&M scored on two possessions after inheriting the ball inside the Tuskegee 30 to take the 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for the final minutes.

Defensively, Quavon Taylor led Tuskegee with 10 tackles (all solo) and Osband Thompson with five. As a team, Tuskegee finished with 11 tackles for loss and one sack on the night, while Darius Holmes – the defensive MVP – finished with four tackles and two for loss from his defensive back position.

Tuskegee will play their first home game of the season against Lane College in an SAIC West Division showdown next weekend. The kicks off at 1 pm (cst) at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium, and can be seen on the Tuskegee Digital Network.

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics,
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GAMEPLAN: New Classic test for FAMU

FAMU ATHLETICS

MOBILE, Alabama -- When Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. arrived at Florida A&M, he said he wanted to establish classics for the university’s football team to play.

Classic games played at neutral sites have the potential to bring in massive amounts of cash for Florida A&M’s athletic program. The always-popular Florida Classic, which drew 45,728 fans in 2015, brought in more than $800,000 for the athletic department.

The Tuskegee game, dubbed the 5th Quarter Classic, will earn FAMU about $350,000, Overton said in March. The game will be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., which has a 33,471 capacity.

Overton said classics are the way to avoid “money games” against teams like Miami and Arkansas (FAMU plays the Razorbacks in 2017).

“The surveys, the data and the money all make sense,” Overton said in a previous interview with the Tallahassee Democrat.

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Fixer upper: Tigers look for big improvements vs. S.C. State

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- Believe it or not, Buddy Pough is looking forward to playing Clemson for the third time in four years.

It’s just that the timing leaves something to be desired.

“It’s a bigger task now that it would have been because Clemson really hasn’t played all that well,” Pough said. “I’m sure the fact that they’re searching themselves for that vibe that they had last year at the end of the year is going to mean they’re going to be more attentive to detail than ever in their process. So we’ll have our work cut out for us.”



Pough is right. Despite being 2-0, the Tigers haven’t looked like their former selves in any regard this season, and S.C. State hopes that early season funk extends for another week.

“We’ve got to have some success early to be able to play with these guys,” said Pough, whose team has been outscored 125-20 in its last two games at Memorial Stadium. “That in itself would be something we could take some pleasure in.

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Norfolk State looks to rebound at No. 13 William & Mary

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia -- Norfolk State’s final non-conference test will be more than a run-of-the-mill football game.

When the Spartans visit FCS No. 13 William & Mary at 6 p.m. today, they hope to prove their reslience. And they’ll have to do it in front of what is likely to be an enthusiastic road fan base in a newly refurbished stadium.

NSU (1-1) is coming off a 34-0 loss at No. 2 Richmond, a game in which the Spiders turned a 14-0 halftime lead into a runaway.

Spartans senior quarterback Greg Hankerson completed just 6 of 18 pass attempts for 37 yards – by far his lowest output since transferring from Florida Atlantic before last season.

As Tribe fans attending the home opener get their first look at an overhauled Zable Stadium – with a new upper deck, press box and additional restrooms and concession locations at a cost of $27 million – NSU will try to right its teetering ship before opening the MEAC schedule against North Carolina Central next week.

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6 from XULA advance to quarterfinals at HBCU tourney

COLLEGE PARK, Georgia — Four men and two women from Xavier University of Louisiana advanced Thursday to main-draw singles quarterfinals of the 16th annual HBCU National Tennis Championships.
     
XULA's four men were a combined 6-0 in singles. Advancing were:

     •  Top-seeded and defending champion Karan Salwan, a 4-6, 7-6 (11-9), 1-0 (9-4, retired) winner against Howard's Ismael Kaovache in the A-bracket.
     •  Thomas Setodji, who won 6-3, 6-2 against Jackson State's Andrey Alawi and 6-2, 6-3 against Tennessee State's Daniel Bernal in the A-bracket.
     •  B-bracket top seed Tushar Mandlekar, who beat Alabama A&M's Masteo Monroy 6-1, 6-3.
     •  C-bracket top seed Adam Albrecht, who defeated Benedict's Malek Selmen 6-0, 6-0 and Howard's Dylan Paul 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9).
     
The Gold Nuggets still in the main draw are:
     •  Charlene Goreau, who won 3-0, retired against Alabama State's Marine Cartier in the A-bracket.
     •  Freshman Lacee Ancar, who began her collegiate career by defeating Florida A&M's Kiara Shaw 6-1, 6-2 and Jackson State's Oni Jones 7-6, 6-2 in the C-bracket.
     
The Gold Nuggets' Emma Kranendonk and Dasia Harris also won singles matches before being eliminated. Kranendonk, a transfer from South Dakota of NCAA Division I, won her first XULA match 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-8) against Alabama State's Gabriela Lackova in the B-bracket.
     
More singles matches and the opening rounds of doubles are scheduled for Friday. This is the first of three fall tournaments for the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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UMES Hawks have new baseball coach; O'Neil to stay on staff

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- Charlie Goens is the new head coach for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s baseball team.

Which seems odd, because the Hawks already had John O’Neil, who had been the interim head coach for the past two seasons. O’Neil will remain on the staff as an associate head coach, but Goens will be the head skipper.

Eastern Shore announced the hiring of Goens on Wednesday, Sept. 14, but he announced that he would be the new head coach in Princess Anne on his Twitter account on Aug. 30. Goens comes to Princess Anne after taking a season off from coaching college baseball.

“Charlie emerged as the top candidate from a lengthy list of qualified candidates,” said Keith Davidson, Eastern Shore’s athletic director. “His experience at many levels and a proven record of finding top talent to play for his teams will help us continue moving this program in the right direction.”

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XULA's August, Price are GCAC Runners of the Week

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Christopher August and Taylor Price are the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Runners of the Week in cross country for Sept. 5-11.
     
Both are from the Houston suburbs. August, a senior from Spring, Texas, and a graduate of Klein Collins High School, finished 20th this past weekend in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Festival at Metairie, La. His career-best time of 15 minutes, 41.6 seconds is the second-fastest at 5,000 meters for the Gold Rush in the last 14 seasons. August finished ahead of 13 runners from NCAA Division I schools.
     
At that same meet, Price — a freshman from Missouri City, Texas, and a graduate of Ridge Point High School — set a XULA 5K women's record of 18:07.5 in her collegiate debut. She placed ninth overall and was faster than 23 NCAA Division I runners.
     
The conference award is August's second this season and the seventh of his career. Price is the fourth Gold Nuggets freshman in seven years to be honored.
     
Both XULA teams will run a 5K Saturday morning in the LSU Invitational at Highland Road Park in Baton Rouge, La. The women's race will start at 7:30, and the men will run at 8:10.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Nuggets, Rush open fall at HBCU Championships

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana's men's and women's tennis teams will open their fall schedule Thursday in the HBCU National Championships at South Fulton Tennis Center in College Park, Ga.
    
The Gold Rush won the team title at last year's HBCU tourney en route to an NAIA national runner-up finish and No. 2 postseason ranking in May.

Alan Green, back for his 14th season as coach of the XULA men and women, announced Wednesday three more signees for the Gold Nuggets. All three will compete this week. They are:
     •  Lyndsey Clark, a freshman from Jacksonville, Fla., and Stanton College Preparatory School. She is a chemistry/pre-medical major.
     •  Emma Kranendonk, a senior from Heemskerk, The Netherlands, and a transfer from an NCAA Division I member, the University of South Dakota. She is majoring in psychology.
     •  Whitney Vilmaure, a sophomore from Paris and a transfer from NAIA member Reinhardt University. She is a biology major.
    
Clark won approximately 50 championships in junior tennis and was a 2014 ITA Georgia-Alabama section finalist in singles and doubles in 16s. At Stanton she was all-conference four years and helped her team finish third at the state tournament three times, including 2016. Clark is a third-generation HBCU athlete; her mother and grandmother played tennis for Florida A&M.
    
Kranendonk last season won a doubles championship at the Drake Invitational, produced a victory at No. 3 singles against the Big Ten's Minnesota and was second on the Coyotes in doubles victories with 15. She played for another NCAA DI school, Nicholls State, as a freshman and sophomore.
    
Vilmaure returns to college after helping Reinhardt finish second in the 2014 Appalachian Athletic Conference regular season and tournament and receive votes (29th place) in the NAIA coaches postseason poll. It was the first time the Lady Eagles reached a conference tournament final as an NAIA member.
    
In Green's first 13 seasons as coach, he had one Gold Nugget who was 5 feet 9 inches or taller. This season he has three — Clark is 5-11, Kranendonk is 5-10, and Vilmaure is 5-9.
    
The Gold Nuggets have four newcomers in all. XULA announced in February the signing of Lacee Ancar of Harvey, La., and John Curtis Christian School.
    
Xavier's other fall events will be the USTA/ITA NAIA South Regional Championships Sept. 23-25 at Lawrenceville, Ga., and the Big Easy Invitational Oct. 21-22 at the University of New Orleans.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Game Day Preview: Alabama State at Southern

FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY

1. Heavyweight battle: Alabama State took a tough 21-18 defeat at the hands of two-time defending SWAC champion Alcorn State last Saturday. Jenkins compared Saturday’s game to a heavyweight title fight from yesteryear. “It was an Ali-Frazier type event,” Jenkins said. “We went back-and-forth, and Alcorn deserves to be called the champions. They found a way to make a play when it was needed.” Alabama State is off to a 0-2 start for the second straight season and for the third time in four years.

2. Business as usual: Alabama State linebacker and reigning SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Kourtney Berry made his season debut last Saturday and picked up where he left off. Berry finished with 10 tackles and two forced fumbles against the Braves. Jenkins said Berry’s performance came as no surprise to him. “He did as he always does,” Jenkins said. “Kourtney has a certain level of play that he expects from himself and he did exactly what we needed him to do.”

3. Going deep: One area that Alabama State has struggled with early this season has been getting big plays in the passing game. So far, both ASU quarterbacks have a combined 211 passing yards. “It’s definitely an area where we need to upgrade our performance,” Jenkins said. “We’ll continue to work on things to get better. We feel that we can throw the ball pretty well.” Last week against Alcorn State, the Hornets only gained 69 yards through the air.

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Celebrated college football teams renew rivalry in 5th Quarter Classic

MOBILE, Alabama -- Among all of the celebrated Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) football teams in the United States, two that stand out are Tuskegee and Florida A&M. Going into this season, the Golden Tigers claim the most all-time wins among HBCU teams with 668, while the Rattlers are next at 574.

Now, for the first time since 1996, these two rivals will face each other during the 5th Quarter Classic at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17. The game, sponsored by the Mobile Sports Authority, will kick off at 6 p.m.

“One of the events which we at the Mobile Sports Authority thought was missing on our annual Mobile sports calendar was a ‘Classic-style’ college football game,” said Danny Corte, executive director of the MSA. “It’s been seven years since the last Classic was played here [in 2009]. So several years ago we started working to create another Classic game for Mobile.



“We’re very proud to have two traditional teams and former rivals, that being Florida A&M and Tuskegee, playing in Mobile on Sept. 17 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. We’re looking forward to welcoming the teams, officials and fans for both teams to Mobile.”

The most recent meeting between the two was a 56-0 shutout by FAMU in 1996. The Rattlers lead the overall series, which began in 1906, by a 27-15-2 margin.

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New challenges for Mangus, Botkin at S.C. State

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The chartered flights have been replaced by long bus rides. Instead of having access to the latest technology, finding a computer can often become a chore. In spite of the challenges, G.A. Mangus and Kirk Botkin are thankful to be doing what they love, coaching football.

The two former South Carolina assistants, under Steve Spurrier, found a new home at South Carolina State after not being retained by new Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp.

Botkin and Mangus said they had interest from other programs, but both have kids and decided to stay in the Columbia area and coach at the FCS level rather than move and force their children to attend a new school.

Botkin played in the NFL and had previous coaching stints at the high school level, at FCS programs and in the SEC. Mangus spent several years coaching Division III football before stops at Middle Tennessee State and South Carolina.

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