FAMU Marching 100 debut first new uniforms in 15 years

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The FAMU Marching 100 debuted their first new uniforms in nearly 15 years.

The new uniforms, along with new instruments and a branded trailer to carry band equipment, were revealed at the Florida Classic on Saturday thanks to over $500,000 in donations. The orange, green and black outfits began with a donation from FAMU alumni Bernard and Shirley Kinsey who put in $250,000. That was quickly matched by the Office of Academic Affairs.

"Now, with the new uniforms, begins a new era," Band President Justin Fitzpatrick said. "It will be exciting to see where the program goes from here."

More than 300 uniforms were custom designed for all 241 band members, including special uniforms for the drum majors and flag corps. The uniforms also include a patch on the cuffs of the original Rattler mascot the band has used sinice 1972.

The uniforms, along with the band, will be in the national spotlight when the Marching 100 take part in the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

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Delaware State Fires Athletic Director and Head Football Coach

Delaware State Hornets embarrassed by Florida State 77-6; Kenneth Carter ends DSU Career with 3-30 record (1-10, 0-11, and 2-9).  

DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State University on Sunday announced it has promoted a senior associate athletics director to interim athletics director and won't extend the contact of its head football coach.

Mary Hill, senior associate athletics director for internal operations and senior woman administrator, is in her fifth year at DSU and already is supervising seven major sports, according to a university news release. She'll now serve as interim director of athletics.

“Mary enjoys the trust of all our coaches and athletes,” Vice President for Student Affairs Stacy Downing said in the release. "We expect the transition to be a seamless one.”

Delaware State paid $475,000 guarantee for the game with FSU Seminoles.

Hill came to DSU from South Carolina State University after a career in both coaching and sports administration, according to the news release.

The university decided not to continue its relationship with former athletics director Louis "Skip" Perkins, who came to DSU in 2015 as the interim athletics director. He'd served in similar roles at Howard University and the University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff.

Head football coach Kenneth Carter's contact ends Jan. 31, and the university won't extend his contact. The process to recruit a new coach begins in December.

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Spady not returning to Alabama A&M as head football coach

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Alabama A&M University announced Sunday that James Spady will not return as Head Football Coach. The announcement was made by Director of Athletics Bryan Hicks.

"After careful and deliberate observation of our football program, we felt a change was needed. We thank Coach Spady for his efforts and leadership of the football program and wish him much success in his future endeavors," Hicks said

Alabama A&M University will be making a personnel decision in the immediate future.

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Gold Rush grab homecoming win vs. Huston-Tillotson

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana overcame a season-worst 27 turnovers by shooting a season-best 52.5 percent from the floor, making nine 3-pointers and outrebounding Huston-Tillotson by 16 Saturday in an 82-68 men's basketball homecoming victory before 1,911 fans at the Convocation Center.

The Gold Rush (5-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and won at home for the second time in as many attempts this season.

XULA junior guard Virgil Davison, who entered the game shooting 32.1 percent from the floor, was 6-of-10 from the floor and made 5-of-7 3-pointers to score a game-high 17 points. Davison led the Gold Rush in scoring for the fifth time this season.

Jeff Dixon snapped out of a four-game scoring slump with 11 points for XULA, and Mike Williams made a pair of threes and scored eight points. But the Gold Rush had more players with turnovers (13) than with points (11).


Kalil Potts scored 14 points, Ray Edwards 13 and Evan Stewart 11 for Huston-Tillotson (0-2).

XULA maintained a double-digit lead the final 29:17, led 42-25 at halftime and held its largest advantage, 60-33, on a Jalen David basket with 11:46 remaining.

The Rams shot 36.1 from the floor — the sixth time in seven games that XULA held an opponent to less than 40 percent — and was outrebounded 42-26. Elex Carter grabbed a game-high seven rebounds for the Gold Rush, and Dixon had six. Donovan Armstrong, in his second start of the season, had a season-high five assists. Joseph Williams blocked a season-high three shots.

Heading the homecoming court, which was introduced at halftime, were Miss Xavier, Shalani Taylor of Reno, Nev., and Mr. Xavier, Hassan Owens of St. Louis. Retired XULA biology professor, longtime faculty athletics representative and NAIA Hall of Fame member Sister Grace Mary Flickinger also was honored with a permanent banner.

The Gold Rush will play Mobile at 7 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Marian rallies to beat XULA in 5 in NAIA 1st round

NEW ORLEANS — Kacee Salyers produced 14 of her 20 kills in the final three sets Saturday to rally Marian (Ind.) to a 19-25, 22-25, 25-12, 25-18, 15-8 victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the 2017 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Opening Round at the Convocation Center.

The Knights (28-5) advanced to the NAIA National Championship Final Site at Sioux City, Iowa, with pool play beginning Nov. 28 for 32 teams. Marian snapped the 13-match win streak of the Gold Nuggets (23-3), who finished with the best winning percentage in the program's 10-season history.
Salyers, the Crossroads League Player of the Year, hit .406 in the final three sets after hitting .056 in the first two. Marian outhit XULA .288 to .040 in the final three sets after the Nuggets outhit the Knights .266 to .127 in taking a 2-sets-to-zero lead.



Marian closed the third set with a 17-2 run, ended the fourth set with a 13-4 run and held momentum in the fifth after scoring six of the first seven points. An Anne Strevels kill ended the two-hour, four-minute match.

Frannie Stephenson had 13 kills for Marian, and Sarah Clem and Hannah Trout had eight apiece. Vanessa Lay had 30 digs to lead five Knights in double figures. Strevels had seven blocks, and Clem had five.

Freshman Anna Dalla Vecchia set a school record with 34 digs — she held the previous mark of 31 with two others — and she had 10 assists to became the first XULA libero to produce a double-double. Juliana Tomasoni closed her collegiate career with 15 kills and a season-high 25 digs, and Kayla Black had 11 kills and 15 digs. Tiffany Phillips also produced a double-double with 12 assists and 12 digs. Adili Rikondja had seven kills and three blocks, Lauryn Taylor had nine kills, and Eva Le Guillou had 25 assists.

For the match Marian outhit XULA .221 to .127 and had advantages of 63-55 in kills, 101-97 in digs and 13-4 in blocks.

The loss was XULA's first at home this season and the first since a three-set loss to Saint Francis (Ill.) in the 2016 NAIA nationals opening round. It was the Gold Nuggets' seventh consecutive appearance at nationals and their seventh consecutive first-round exit. This is Marian's first appearance at nationals.

Honored before the match as their teams' NAIA Champions of Character recipients were Rikondja and Marian's Julie Hoying.

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Vaughan leads Nuggets at nationals a 2nd straight year

VANCOUVER, Washington — Maliya Vaughan was Xavier's University of Louisiana's fastest finisher at the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships for the second straight year, running the 5,000-meter course at Fort Vancouver National Historical Site in 21 minutes, 24 seconds Saturday.
     
Vaughan, a junior, was 311th out of 338 runners.
     
The Gold Nuggets' other finishers were Taylor Price, 318th in 21:35; Brianna Pace, 324th in 21:53; Hajjia Mohammed, 332nd in 23:11; and Carlie Calais, 336th in 23:45.
     
XULA was 36th in team scoring with 1,189 points. The University of British Columbia scored 109 points to win the team title for the second straight year and the fifth time in six years, and Oklahoma City's Aminat Olowora was individual champion in 16:50.
     
XULA's lone male runner was freshman Camren Sewell, who finished 306th out of 328 runners. His time for the 8K route was 29:19. Oklahoma City's Mark Shaw was individual champion in 24:09, and British Columbia won its first men's title and had five runners in the top 19. The Thunderbirds' 41 points were the fewest by an NAIA men's team since Life won with the same score in 1998.
     
Pace was honored Friday as the Gold Nuggets' NAIA Champions of Character recipient. Pace also was named a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
     
The XULA distance runners will resume competition in early March during the outdoor track and field season.

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It's Okay Not to Share: North Carolina A&T Aggies are ELEVEN-AND-OH

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Technically, the 2017 outright Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship belonged to the North Carolina A&T football team at 3:39 p.m., eastern when Hampton defeated Howard.

But who cares about technicalities?

N.C. A&T needed to defeat North Carolina Central after three straight defeats to their No. 1 football nemesis cost them three outright conference titles, a playoff berth in 2014 and a Celebration Bowl bid and an undefeated MEAC season in 2016.

And defeat NCCU is what the Aggies did Saturday evening in a 24-10 win at Aggie Stadium that led to Aggie fans storming the field to celebrate both an undefeated regular season (11-0) and their first undefeated MEAC season (8-0) in 18 years. In the process, the Aggies also captured their first outright title in 14 years. The Aggies, who knew they were headed to the Celebration Bowl last week, will go there with a chance to complete the first-ever undefeated season by a MEAC team since the league started in 1971.

“Being 11-0 is special,” said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway. “It was a good win and a good competitive football game. It was a very physical football game. I thought it got to be a dumb football game at times, especially that one drive in the fourth quarter. That was so unlike us to commit that many penalties. That's not how we play around here, and that's not how we are going to play. But the guys fought, and I thought they showed a lot of class with the way they fought.”

It was Aggie-Eagle so the game was chippie. The two teams combined for 27 penalties for 217 yards. When the game ended, there were a total of 16 unsportsmanlike penalties, two face masks calls and one roughing the passer. In between the things that make the rivalry so heated, the two premier teams in the conference did showcase why they have been the only two teams to represent the MEAC in the Celebration Bowl since it started in 2015.

It took nearly 21 minutes before either team could score, and it was graduate running back Jamari Smith, playing in his first Aggie-Eagle contest that ignited N.C. A&T’s offense. But it was sophomore Elijah Bell who closed it out with a 13-yard leaping grab over NCCU’s De’Mario Evans for a 7-0 Aggies lead. Smith caught a 20-yard pass and rushed for 28 more to set up the score in which Bell broke the school’s single-season touchdown receptions record with his 11th TD grab of the season. He surpassed former teammate Denzel Keyes (2016) and Craig Thompson (1991).

Smith ended his day with a season-high 99 yards on 14 carries. He also caught two passes for 23 yards. In addition to his record-breaking catch, Bell had four receptions for 82 yards.



NCCU (7-4, 5-3 MEAC) did not get on the scoreboard until the end of the first half. It was set up by a 40-yard run by Isaiah Totten to the N.C. A&T 35-yard line. With time running down, Eagles kicker Aedan Johnson stepped on the field and kicked an Aggie-Stadium record 52-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 halftime score.

““They have a good defense,” said Broadway. “I'll give them credit, they know how to win. It's a winning program the last three, four years, and they've done an outstanding job. We weren't playing against some nobodies. I think we were playing on emotion to start with. Once we settled down we started to focus a little bit better and started playing like we're capable of playing we were okay.”

That type of play started early in the third quarter, a quarter the Aggies dominated. It started with a 25-yard kickoff return by senior Khris Gardin and a 15-yard NCCU unsportsmanlike penalty to give the Aggies the ball at the NCCU 45. Junior quarterback Lamar Raynard then completed a 17-yard pass to Gardin before a completion to Bell appeared to go for a touchdown, but after a replay review, it was determined Bell stepped out of bounds at the 1 for a 23-yard reception. Junior running back Marquell Cartwright put the ball in the end zone for a 14-3 Aggies lead. The Aggies took a 21-3 lead on another 1-yard Cartwright run. All 63 yards on the drive came on the ground as the Aggies compiled 205 yards rushing for the game.

“We really committed to the run today,” said Raynard. The o-line blocked very well, the receivers blocked downfield and our running backs took advantage of what was there. To throw the ball effectively you have to run the ball, so that’s what we did.”

The Eagles did try to make it interesting late in the third quarter. Aided by four N.C. A&T penalties – three unsportsmanlike and one face mask – the Eagles scored on a three-yard touchdown by Totten to cut N.C. A&T’s lead to 21-10.

N.C. A&T gave the Eagles nothing else the rest of the game. NCCU compiled only seven yards of offense the rest of the game. Bell put the game away with an unbelievable one-hand catch in which he extended his right arm on a ball that was slightly overthrown to secure it for a 38-yard reception. It led to a 31-yard field goal from Noel Ruiz to give the Aggies a 24-10 advantage with 7:10 to play.

“It is joy and relief,” said senior rover Jeremy Taylor about beating NCCU. “They have beaten us three years back-to-back-to-back, so finally for us to come out on top on our last go around, feels great. That’s the joy. After three years, there’s a new sheriff in town.”

Taylor was one of 19 seniors honored before the game. He joined linebacker Marcus Albert, right guard Daquan Blake, wide receiver Jaquil Capel, punter Dominic Frescura, wide receiver Caleb Gabriel, wide receiver/return specialist Khris Gardin, center Darriel Mack, right tackle Christian Marshall, left guard Joshua Mattocks, defensive back Tard McCoy, left tackle Brandon Parker, punter/holder Garrett Nestor, rover David Pulliam, tight end Trey Scott, running back Jamari Smith, Taylor and defensive back Taylor Wilson as players who played their final game at Aggie Stadium on Saturday.

There is one more game to play for them, however. The Aggies were officially invited to the 2017 Celebration Bowl after the game. The game will be played live on ABC, Saturday, Dec. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at noon.

“To end the regular-season season 11-0 I think says a lot about our coaching staff and the job they have done,” said Broadway. “I think we have a great coaching staff and of course we have some great players. One thing about coaching is you don't have time to enjoy it as its happening.

Once it's over, you get a chance to look back and enjoy it a little bit more. Normally, we have a game next week, so let’ move on, go home and get a cigar so we can get ready for tomorrow because you have to start working on the next game. But this time we get to stay home tomorrow, so it may give me a chance to reflect on 11-0. I'm going lay around a watch football all day tomorrow.”

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

State Rep. Alexander walks back Twitter comment calling for FAMU coach's firing

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- In a statement released Sunday morning, Florida Rep. Ramon Alexander said he could have "handled his personal thoughts and frustrations differently" in regards to a Twitter post calling for the firing of FAMU football coach Alex Wood.

The Rattlers blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter of Saturday's Florida Classic against arch rival Bethune-Cookman in Orlando, losing 29-24 in front of a crowd of 47,819 in Camping World Stadium.

It was FAMU's seventh loss in a row in the annual Florida Classic.

Alexander, a Florida A&M graduate, took to Twitter following the loss, saying Wood needed to be "immediately" fired after a fake punt was stopped in the fourth quarter of the game.

In Sunday's statement, Alexander said he was frustrated with the loss.

"To be very clear my reaction and personal opinions were in no way intended to directly influence the leadership of FAMU to make a specific decision about the future of Rattler Football," Alexander wrote.

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AAMU Bulldogs' tenacious D helps send seniors out on a winning note

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The Bulldogs sent their seniors off on a winning note Saturday with a 21-13 win over Kentucky State.

The Bulldogs held a pregame ceremony to recognize the 19 seniors who wore the Maroon and White for the final time.

For Alabama A&M (4-7 overall), the defense, as it has been all year, was the story. The Bulldogs, the SWAC's number 2 defense, held the Thorobreds (3-8) to just 135 yards in total offense.

Kenneth Davis, in his final game in a Bulldogs uniform, recorded 13 tackles (5 solo, 8 assists) along with a sack and 1½ tackles for loss.

Yurik Bethune contributed six tackles (five solo, one assist), 2 1/2 tackles for loss and one sack and Vernon Moland had five tackles, 2 1/2 tackles for loss and a sack.

Senior punter Nick Carden, like Davis, a preseason All-SWAC selection, had one of his strongest games with six punts for a 45.5-yard average.

With A&M trailing 7-0 late in the second quarter, Jordan Bentley scored on a one-yard dive and Carden's point-after tied the score.

The Bulldogs then used a pair of 90-plus yard, clock-eating drives to take the lead and ensure the win.

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With 1:50 to go in the third quarter and A&M down 13-7, Roderick Randolph caught a 10-yard pass from Dylan Smith and barreled through three defenders for the touchdown. Carden's PAT put the Bulldogs up 14-13.

The score capped a 14-play, 91-yard drive that took 6:56 off the clock.

The Bulldogs offense did a near-replay of that drive early in the fourth-quarter.

Smith engineered a 96-yard, 12-play march over 6:08 that culminated with Isaiah Bailey catching an 11-yard fade pass in the endzone with 7:19 left in the game. Carden again was good on the PAT for the final 21-13 score.

Smith came off the bench and was 6-of-8 passing for 85 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

No. 7 Langsron Falls to No. 10 Northwestern in NAIA Playoffs

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- The No. 7 Langston Lions perfect season came to a close on Saturday as they fell to the No. 10 Northwestern Red Raiders 55-7 in the first round of the NAIA Football Championship Series.

The loss puts a cap on a remarkable season for the Langston Lions and second-year head coach Quinton Morgan as they clinched the Central States Football League title, hosted the first home playoff game in school history and became the first team since 1973 to finish the regular season undefeated.

"I told our team to keep their heads up, we accomplished a huge milestone here at Langston University," Morgan said. "These kids are now a part of history at Langston. It's not how we wanted to finish the season but I'm very proud with what they've done throughout the season."

The Lions were making their seventh postseason appearance in the NAIA and fall to 2-7 overall in NAIA championship series history; the Red Raiders were making their 19th NAIA championship appearance and improve to 21-16 all-time in the playoffs.

From the outset, the Red Raiders set the tempo by scoring on their first two drives of the game which ended with a three-yard run by Tyson Kooima and a 14-yard scoring run by Jacob Kalogonis to give Northwestern a 14-0 advantage at the 3:40 mark in the first quarter.

Red Raiders head coach Matt McCarty emphasized throughout the week the need for a quick start.

"We were able to get Jacob (Kalogonis) going early and he was able to bust some big runs early," McCarty noted. "That was big for him and that was big for our confidence, we got that early lead with the wind so we were able to let our defense play fast and attack."

The Red Raiders tacked on one more touchdown prior to halftime when Kooima hooked up with Kalogonis for a 42-yard scoring strike to cap a seven-play, 81-yard drive.

Northwestern built a 45-0 advantage before the Lions hit pay dirt following a 14-yard touchdown run by Timothy Whitfield at the 9:43 mark in the fourth quarter.

Kooima finished 16-for-22 for 196 yards with two touchdown tosses; he picked up 18 yards on the ground with two touchdowns as well.

Lowe led the Langston aerial attack and finished 13-for-22 for 73 yards with one interception; he picked up 47 yards on 14 carries.

Kalogonis led Northwestern with 140 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown; Whitfield finished with 64 yards on eight carries and one score.

Northwestern (10-1) advances to the second of the NAIA Football Championship Series.

Langston (10-1) concludes their season at 10-1 overall.

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LANGSTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Capital City Classic: BOTB Jackson State vs. Alcorn State

#5 Delta State Slips By #4 Bowie State Football 45-35 to Advance in NCAA Playoffs

BOWIE, Maryland -- The #4 seed Bulldogs left it all on the field in Saturday's (11/18) NCAA Super Region 2 – First Round contest against the visiting #5 Delta State Statesmen, falling short in the end by a score of 45-35 to conclude the Bowie State football season at 9-2. This was Bowie State's first time hosting an NCAA football playoff game.

Junior Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) led Bowie State in passing (332 yards) and rushing (66 yards) while redshirt freshman Montez Clay (Baltimore, Md.) paced the Bulldogs with 80 reception yards. Senior Daivon Nixon (Laurel, Md.) and junior Derrick Tate (Baltimore, Md.) were Bowie State's top tacklers with seven each in the loss.

Delta State opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal from Vince Sciorrotta at the 8:28 mark of the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead. Bowie State responded with a 10-play, 87-yard drive that Hall capped with a two-yard touchdown pass to Lansana Sesay (Bowie, Md.) as the Bulldogs grabbed a 7-3 lead.

The Statesmen answered the call by rattling off 28 straight points on their next four drives as Delta State took a 31-7 lead with 2:54 to go in the first half of play.

The Statesmen's Breck Ruddick's first touchdown of the afternoon gave Delta State the lead back at 10-7 with 2:15 to play in the first quarter, and after the defense forced a three-and-out, Kam Myers hauled in one of only four completed passes by DSU in the game for a 15-yard touchdown that gave the visitors a 17-7 lead after one quarter.

Delta State (9-3) kept their foot on the gas pedal to open the second stanza, as a 41-yard touchdown scamper by Ruddick and a 32-yard touchdown rush from Chris Robinson put the Statesmen on top 31-7 with 2:54 left in the half.

The Bulldogs took the ensuing kickoff and covered 59 yards in 11 plays, and Hall found redshirt senior Brandon Britton from 13 yards out to cut the lead down to 17 (31-14), where it would remain as the first half ended.

The third quarter belonged to the homestanding Bulldogs, who put up 21 unanswered third quarter points to storm back and take a 35-31 lead as the two teams headed to the final stanza.

Bowie State's Hall rushed for a score from two-yards out at the 9:28 mark of the third quarter to trim the deficit to 31-21, and forced a Statesmen fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up a Robert Chesson (Annapolis, Md.) one-yard touchdown run just 24 seconds later to pull within three points at 31-28. Chesson was held to a season-low 18 rushing yards.

Just over four minutes later, Hall led a 6-play, 71-yard drive that he punctuated himself on a 14-yard touchdown rush, his second of the game, and the Bulldogs carried the 35-31 lead into the final quarter of action.

Delta State leaned on Chris Robinson in the final quarter of play as he responded with a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs as the Statesmen outscored the Bulldogs 14-0 in the fourth to secure the win. Robinson scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:58 left in the fourth, and then helped ice the game away as the Statesmen drove 97 yards on just six plays to take a 45-35 lead that proved to be the final score.

Like BSU's Hall, Ruddick led Delta State in rushing (164 yards) and passing (61 yards). Landry Tullo garnered a game-high nine tackles for the Statesmen and Dante Will
iams recorded eight tackles.

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UAPB falls in season finale to Texas Southern, 24-10

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Just as predicted at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Media Day prior to the start of the season, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions (2-9, 1-6) will finish in last place in the SWAC Western division for the fourth straight season.

The Texas Southern University Tigers (2-8, 2-5) waltzed out of a near-empty War Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon with a 24-10 win over the Golden Lions in the season finale.



UAPB redshirt sophomore quarterback Roger Totten II got the start for the Golden Lions, making him the fourth to take on the role this year. Along with three quarterbacks, the Golden Lions were missing a host of former starters, and the most notable of that group is running back KeShawn Williams. Entering the game fourth in the SWAC in total rushing yards, Williams didn’t make an appearance at all.

Totten led the Golden Lions down the field on their first possession of the game to draw first blood. Freshman running back Christian Jordan got the start at running back, and he was effective early on. With heavy wind in the air, senior place kicker Jamie Gillan was able to connect on a 30-yard field goal to give UAPB their only lead of the game at 3-0.

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Bayou The Numbers: A look at Grambling State, Southern offenses before Bayou Classic

GRAMBLING, Louisiana – Postseason implications packs an added punch for the 44th annual Bayou Classic in the yearly regular season finale showdown between rivals Grambling State and Southern next Saturday.

For the second straight season, the SWAC Western Divisional title is up for grabs inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Tigers beat the Jaguars, 52-30, to earn the conference championship game berth in 2016. A league title game spot on the line etches the storyline, and similarly, the offenses could provide the ink.



Over the last three years, Grambling and Southern have combined to score 236 total points, setting an average of 78 points scored per meeting. This year could be much of the same as both offenses enter the rivalry matchup ranking in the top-five in every major offensive category in the SWAC.

Behind seniors DeVante Kincade at quarterback and Martez Carter at running back, Grambling State (9-1, 6-0) owns the league’s second-best scoring offense, putting up 32.2 points per game. Kincade paces the SWAC with 18 passing touchdowns, 2,238 passing yards, a 61.2 completion percentage and in total yards with 2,454. In nine games played,

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Lawmaker calls for FAMU head coach's firing

ORLANDO, Florida -- State Rep. Ramon Alexander, a Florida A&M University graduate, wasn't a happy fan Saturday. 

Alexander went to Twitter following FAMU's 29-24 loss to Bethune-Cookman to call for head coach Alex Wood’s immediate firing.

Wood's contract is up next month.

“It is extremely rare that I will make this type of public comment...,” Alexander wrote after the game.

“Coach Alex Wood MUST be fired immediately for the fake punt call in the 4th Quarter of the Florida Classic....and I mean immediately.”

The Rattlers blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in the game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

At one point in the fourth quarter, ahead 24-17, the Rattlers tried a fake punt, which was stuffed.

Bethune-Cookman scored a touchdown on the next possession, though FAMU held on to its lead.

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BCU Wins another Florida CLASSIC

ORLANDO, Florida -- Make that a seventh win in a row for Bethune-Cookman Football against Florida A&M.

Larry Brihm, Jr. rushed for a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown on a two-yard naked bootleg with 1:15 remaining as Bethune-Cookman rallied for a 29-24 come-from-behind victory over Florida A&M in the Florida Blue Florida Classic before a Camping World Stadium crowd of 47,819 and a national ESPN audience.

The redshirt senior quarterback concluded his career by manufacturing a 14-point fourth quarter comeback to deliver the Wildcats' seventh consecutive victory in the series and conclude Bethune-Cookman's 2017 campaign at 7-4 (6-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).

Brihm finished with 280 yards and one touchdown passing in addition to the two rushing touchdowns.



Florida A&M (3-8, 2-6 MEAC) outgained the Wildcats 136-8 as they took a 24-10 lead on Ricky Henrilus' 4-yard run and Devin Powers' 8-yarder to start the fourth quarter.

Bethune-Cookman quickly closed to within one touchdown with a 9-play, 52-yard drive that produced Brihm's 5-yarder with 11:27 left. Completions of 15 yards to Frank Brown and 20 yards to Jawill Davis sparked the drive.

The Wildcats then received a golden opportunity thanks to Cameron Rigby, who eluded two Rattlers blockers to tackle punter Chris Faddoul shy of the marker on a fake punt.

The quick 32-yard march produced Michael D. Jones's 4-yarder with 7:02 remaining, but Florida A&M kept the 24-23 lead when Antonio Miller blocked the PAT from junior kicker Uriel Hernandez.

After the Maroon and Gold defense registered a three-and-out, Brihm's final drive as a Wildcats student-athlete was a 13-play work of art.

Jamaruz Thompkins runs of 14 and 7, respectfully, set the tone for drive, and Brihm went 3-for-4 on the march that got BCU down to the one yard line after a Michael D. Jones run.

Brihm scored two plays later.

Senior safety Diquan Richardson's second interception of the game preserved the victory with a leaping grab in the end zone as the Rattlers threatened with under a minute to play. With BCU featured on SportsCenter's "Geared Up" segment to begin the day, the Wildcats were able to show off the uniforms in "victory formation" fashion as Brihm kneeled for one last time to run out the clock.

Brihm's touchdown pass was a 35-yarder to senior tight end and Orlando native Ja-Quan Lumas in the first quarter.

Hernandez gave BCU, wearing the "Daytona Nights" uniforms, a 10-3 lead with a 31-yard field goal with 6:22 left in the first half. But Florida A&M managed a 10-10 halftime time on Ryan Stanley's 31-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Smith.

Redshirt senior Frank Brown led the Wildcats receivers with seven catches for 72 yards, while fellow redshirt senior Jawill Davis had six catches for 74 yards. Last weekend's hero, Keavon Mitchell, added five catches for 44 yards. And it was Michael D. Jones who led the rushing attack with 39 yards on 13 carries. Thompkins added 36 on seven carries.

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HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard -- Week 12

NOVEMBER 18, 2017

NCAA Division II National Playoffs
Delta State 45,  Bowie State 35
West Georgia 35, Virginia State 9

NAIA National Football Championship Playoffs
Northwestern (Iowa) 55,  Langston 7

MEAC
Florida State 77, Delaware State 6 
North Carolina A&T 24, North Carolina Central 10 
Hampton 20, Howard 17 
Norfolk State 45, Morgan State 32
Savannah State 34, South Carolina State 10 
Bethune-Cookman 29, Florida A&M 24, Florida Classic



OVC
Jacksonville State 36, Tennessee State 6 (Nov. 16)

SWAC
Prairie View A&M 42, Incarnate Word 28 (Nov. 16)
Alabama State 16, Mississippi Valley State 10
Alabama A&M 21, Kentucky State 13 
Jackson State 7, Alcorn State 3 
Texas Southern 24, Arkansas Pine Bluff 10`

Late interception propels Alabama State to victory

ITTA BENA, Mississippi | Three Hunter Hanson field goals and a late interception by Ronnie Scott helped Alabama hold on to defeat Mississippi Valley State 16-10 Saturday afternoon at Rice-Totten Stadium.

"The game was played exactly how I was afraid of how it would be," Alabama State interim head coach Donald Hill-Eley said. "They played so high against Grambling State, coming in here lulls you to sleep. It's a tough place to play."

The win by Alabama State (4-6, 4-3 SWAC), coupled with an Alcorn State loss to Jackson State later in the day, allowed the Hornets to tie the Braves with the best record in the SWAC East Division. However, due to their head-to-head matchup earlier in the season, the Braves will represent the division in the SWAC championship game due to one-game difference in overall conference record.

With adverse weather conditions throughout the game, the Hornets struggled to move the ball offensively in the first quarter as they went against winds that were gusting into the mid-20s. They took advantage a Mississippi Valley State special teams miscue as punter Ruben Piraquive had his knee touch when fielding a snap to set Alabama State up at the 15-yard line. Five plays later, Darryl Pearson, Jr. ran the ball in from three yards for a 7-0 lead with 3:59 to play in the opening quarter.



"We were able to move the ball," Eley said. "You move the ball into plus territory and we need a play here or three, and we start moving backwards. That is the stuff we can't do, we have to find a way to make those plays. We left a lot of points and a lot of plays out there on that field."

The lead was extended to 10-0 in the second quarter, when Hanson drilled the first of three field goals through the uprights. His first field goal was a new career long of 48 yards with 10:32 to play in the first half.

Mississippi Valley State trimmed the lead to 10-3 on a field goal with 5:15 remaining, but it was Hanson again with one minutes to go in the half with a 40-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-3 heading to the locker room.

The freshman kicked his final field goal with 7:37 to play it the third, this one a 39-yard field goal to push the lead to 16-3. However, Mississippi Valley State (2-9, 1-6 SWAC) trimmed the lead to 16-10 with 11:19 to play on Quinn McElfresh touchdown reception.

"Much needed," Eley said of Hanson. "We figured we had the win on the extremely long one and ended up getting a low snap that threw us off all together. But he did his job and got us some points."

That was as close as Mississippi Valley State would get as the Hornet defense would not allow the Delta Devils any closer than their 19 yard line. On fourth down, Scott stepped in front of a pass intended for McElfresh for the interception to help seal the game.

Alabama State held Mississippi Valley State to 179 yards of total offense, with 168 of those coming through the air. They also forced two turnovers and recorded four sacks, as well as 11 tackles for loss. Jeffrey Hill and Andrew Wilson each recorded seven tackles for the Hornets in the win.

"They got after us today," Eley said. "That is what you expect when you have team that is playing their last game, every trick and every fake we could see today. The defense has been steady all year, and the only things that kept them on the field were penalties but they did their job like they have been doing."

Meanwhile, offensively, Alex Anderson led the rushing attack with 46 yards on 11 carries, while Pearson added 38 on 11 carries. The Hornets ran the ball 43 times for 161 yards on the day.

Alabama State returns to action Thanksgiving Day as they face Edward Waters in the Turkey Day Classic at ASU Stadium, with kickoff set for 2 pm.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University football, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateFB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

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4th Quarter Surge Lifts NSU Over Morgan State, 45-32

BALTIMORE, Maryland – Baltimore native Aaron Savage ran for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 11-yard score in the fourth quarter, and Isaiah Winstead's 24-yard TD reception later in the period sealed Norfolk State's 45-32 win over Morgan State in the season finale for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Hughes Stadium.

One week after the Spartans (4-7, 4-4 MEAC) saw a fourth-quarter lead slip away in a last-second loss at Howard, the Spartans surged in the final period Saturday, outscoring the Bears (1-10, 1-7) 15-0 in the final 15 minutes.

Savage's 11-yard TD run with 9:55 left to play and the ensuing two-point conversion pass from Juwan Carter to George Wahee gave NSU a 38-32 lead. The Bears answered by driving to the NSU 23 on the next possession, but NSU forced a turnover on downs to get the ball back midway through the period.

NSU then marched 77 yards in 10 plays for another score. Carter connected with his classmate and former high school teammate Winstead on the back-breaking 24-yard TD play on a 3rd-and-14 play with 2:02 remaining in the game. Winstead caught the pass near the Bears 10-yard line, spun away from a defender and picked up a block downfield en route to his third touchdown reception of the year.

Cornerback J.T. Wahee's interception in the end zone ended the Bears' final drive and allowed NSU to run out the final minute of the game.

The first half saw the Bears control the time of possession and total yardage, yet the Spartans led 21-20 thanks to touchdowns by their offense, defense and special teams units. MSU led 8-0 after its second possession ended with a 12-yard TD pass from DeAndre Harris to Daylin Baldwin and Harris' two-point conversion pass to Amonta Poteat.

The Spartans answered less than three minutes later. Poteat fielded a punt by NSU's Taylor Goettie at his own 31, and after running backwards, was stripped by reserve linebacker Tim Flood. Chuma Awanna scooped up the fumble and returned it 20 yards for the score to bring NSU within 8-7 with 4:27 left to play in the opening quarter.

Herb Walker's 8-yard TD run at the 11:13 mark of the second quarter pushed the Bears' lead to 14-7. But the Spartans scored two touchdowns in an 11-second span midway through the quarter to regain the lead. Freshman C.J. Jones scored on a 4-yard run with 7:27 left before halftime to tie the score. On the first play from scrimmage on the Bears' next possession, NSU cornerback Aaron Chandler scored on a 30-yard interception return for a 21-14 NSU lead at the 7:16 mark.

The teams continued trading points in furious fashion. DuShon David caught a 7-yard TD pass just before the half to bring the Bears within 21-20 going into the locker room. NSU took its first possession of the second half and drove 65 yards in eight plays, with Savage scoring from 1 yard out to push the lead to 28-20.

But the Bears scored touchdowns on both of their third-quarter drives. Manassah Bailey caught a 34-yard TD pass from Harris to slice NSU's lead to 28-26. But on the two-point conversion try, J.T. Wahee intercepted a pass by Harris and returned it nearly 100 yards for a defensive two-point conversion, pushing NSU's advantage to 30-26.

The Bears kept coming. Harris finished off a 10-play, 64-yard Morgan drive with a 2-yard TD run to give MSU a 32-30 lead with 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

But the Spartans executed on offense and defense to near perfection in the final period. Savage churned out 42 of his 76 rushing yards and Carter went 5-of-6 for 64 yards and also ran for 31 more yards as the Spartans cashed in their first two possessions of the final period. The NSU defense, meanwhile, forced two turnovers, one on downs, to finish off the Spartans' 11th straight win on the field over MSU.

MSU held a 438-276 edge in total offense. Savage ran 15 times for 76 yards and notched his first collegiate two-touchdown game. He scored all three of his touchdowns this year in the final two games. Jones, meanwhile, rushed eight times for 40 yards and Carter rushed for 30.

Carter also completed 14 of 22 passes for 139 yards, with Winstead leading the Spartans with four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Walker rushed for 139 yards and a score for the Bears. Harris passed for 187 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 79 and another score for MSU. But he was intercepted twice and fumbled once, part of a four-takeaway day by the Spartans.

J.T. Wahee and Nigel Chavis both had 11 tackles to lead the Spartans. Wahee and Chris Lee both had two tackles for loss, with Lee also notching a sack in his final game as a Spartan. Linebackers Anthony Smith (nine) and Kyle Archie (six), two more NSU seniors, combined for 15 stops and three pass breakups in the win.

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Jackson State knocks off SWAC East champ Alcorn 7-3 in Capitol City Classic

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State's defensive leaders had walked from the field at Veterans Memorial Stadium having played their hearts out in losses all season.

They were determined Saturday would be different, and it was.

The Tiger defense bent but never broke in the annual Capitol City Classic, and Jackson State handed the SWAC East champion Alcorn Braves a 7-3 loss.

"Nobody gave us a chance," JSU coach Tony Hughes said. "Nobody but us. We fully expected to come in here and win this game."

The Tigers closed the season by winning three of their last four games under Hughes, who wrapped up his second season at 3-8 overall and 3-5 in SWAC play - a record identical to his first year.

His defense played a splendid game in the season finale against their bitter rivals, despite giving up 339 yards of total offense.



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SSU beats S.C. State, 34-10, to end season

SAVANNAH, Georgia – Savannah State's football team defeated South Carolina State, 34-10, in both teams' season finale Saturday. It was the Tigers' third victory in their last four games, all Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contests, after earlier beating Delaware State and Norfolk State.

A T.A. Wright Stadium of 3,015 celebrated Senior Day/Community & High School Band Day by watching SSU beat S.C. State for the first time since a 14-9 win in 2001. SSU (3-8 overall, 3-5 MEAC) improved to 2-18 in the series against S.C. State (3-7, 2-6).

"Hopefully, this gives us some momentum going into the offseason that we can carry into recruiting and also into the offseason workouts," SSU second-year head coach Erik Raeburn said. "We talked about how many true freshmen we've played all season. They showed me these last four weeks they have the talent to compete in the MEAC. But we've got to develop in the weight room and get more physical. Man, if we do that, we've got a really good, young nucleus to build around."

SSU took a 7-0 lead on freshman running back Jaylen McCloud's 6-yard touchdown run with 10:21 left in the first quarter, and Giovanni Lugo kicked the first of his four extra points, to cap a 10-play, 68-yard drive.

SSU made it 14-0 with 6:15 left in the first quarter when freshman quarterback D'Vonn Gibbons connected with junior tight end Paris Baker for a 90-yard touchdown. Gibbons held onto the ball until the last possible second and he was drilled by an S.C. State defender a split-second after he threw it. Baker, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound graduate of Savannah's Jenkins High School, caught the ball despite double-coverage by defenders and rumbled about 45 yards to the end zone.

"I saw him stop in his route and come back to me so I threw it," said Gibbons, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound graduate of Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain. "I wasn't worried about the hit. I was just worried about delivering the ball."

Sprawled on the turf, Gibbons said he heard the roar of the crowd and knew something good happened.

"I peeked my head up at the end of the play and I was like, 'Oh, he's still running!" said Gibbons, who finished 13-of-23 passing for 267 yards and two touchdowns.

As Baker lumbered toward the end zone, he used the sun of the afternoon game as a guide.

"All I was doing was looking at my shadow (on the turf)," he said. "I saw my shadow, and my shadow only, so I just kept running."

During S.C. State's ensuing series, SSU senior defensive back Juwuan Tolbert, after dropping a potential interception, made up for it on the next play by picking off S.C. State quarterback Dewann Ford's pass.

SSU's ensuing drive ended when Gibbons fumbled and S.C. State linebacker Damu Ford recovered at the Tigers' 31-yard line. The Bulldogs cut the score to 14-7 on Dewann Ford's 24-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Baxley with 1:25 left in the first quarter. Tyler Scandrett kicked the extra point.

"I thought this was maybe their most solid performance this season," Raeburn said of SSU's defense. "They played excellent against Delaware State as well. I thought they really played well (today). The only touchdown, (S.C. State) got the ball in good field position. That doesn't excuse giving up a big pass play. But other than that, they played really physical all day."

Late in the second quarter, SSU's Gibbons connected with senior wide receiver Cameron White for a 51-yard gain to S.C. State's 29-yard line. Three plays later, Gibbons found senior wide receiver Tino Smith for an 8-yard gain that extended the drive. Three plays after that, Gibbons connected with senior wide receiver Steven "Tyler" Hagan for a 10-yard pickup that kept the chains moving. SSU decided to attempt a 28-yard field goal on third down and Lugo made it to put the Tigers up 17-7 with 19 seconds left before halftime. SSU's 10-play, 69-yard drive took 2:21 to complete.

With 8:34 remaining in the third quarter, S.C. State cut it to 17-10 on Scandrett's 29-yard field goal, capping a 14-play, 57-yard drive that took 6:26 off the game clock.

With 6:18 to go in the third quarter, SSU junior defensive back Darrell "Vanquez" Bonner forced S.C. State quarterback Dewann Ford to fumble and freshman Jeremiah Bundrage recovered for the Tigers at the 50-yard line.

SSU's Gibbons connected with junior wide receiver James Kicklighter, a graduate of Savannah's Windsor Forest High School, for a 47-yard gain to the Bulldogs' 3-yard line. SSU settled for a 22-yard field goal by Lugo that made it 20-10 with 4:28 remaining in the third quarter.

After S.C. State's drive ended with a punt, SSU's White made an acrobatic catch for a 25-yard gain to the Bulldogs' 5-yard line, ending the third quarter. On the next play to start the fourth quarter, Gibbons threw a 5-yard touchdown strike to Smith that made it 27-10. The Tigers' six-play drive covered 52 yards. During the touchdown pass, Gibbons again held onto the ball until the last possible second before enduring another vicious hit.

"He took some shots," Raeburn said of Gibbons. "They're good on defense. It's a combination. It's some poise and a lot of courage. It's hard to stare down, when you know you're going to take a shot, it's hard to hang in there and deliver the ball, and he did it a bunch of times today.

"He's done a great job," Raeburn continued. "He's really improved every week. The plan was to redshirt him and give him some time to develop in our program but he got thrown into the fire and he really responded. I'm so proud of the way he progressed."

With 5:27 to play, SSU faced a fourth-and-goal from S.C. State's 2-yard line. The Tigers elected to go for it but Gibbons was sacked for a 6-yard loss and the Bulldogs took over on downs. But two plays later, SSU sophomore defensive back Terrance McCray intercepted S.C. State's Dewann Ford and returned the ball for a 27-yard touchdown, making it 34-10 with 5:15 to go.

SSU's White finished with three catches for 90 yards. Hagan, a graduate of Guyton's South Effingham High School, made three catches for 17 yards. Baker finished had two catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, SSU was led by defensive end Stefen Banks, who made a team-high 10 tackles, including three sacks. Banks, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound junior from Columbus, Ohio, made four tackles for losses of 26 yards and forced a fumble.

"We just wanted to come out and set the tone early," Banks said. "Last year, they came out and set the tone on us. We wanted to make sure that we came out with the gas pedal down."

SSU committed only one penalty for 15 yards compared to S.C. State's 11 penalties for 79 yards. The Tigers were 4-of-5 on red zone scoring opportunities, while the Bulldogs were 1-of-1.

"Part of (SSU's strong finish) was all these young guys that we're playing just getting some experience, growing up a little bit," Raeburn said. "The older guys hung in there and kept the faith. I'm really proud of them how they played today but also the way we finished the season."

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Norfolk State needs to think boldly about its future following Hampton's departure from MEAC

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Give Hampton University President William Harvey credit for thinking big. Historically black colleges and universities tend to remain in their comfort zones, and that means in HBCU athletic leagues.

Only one Division I HBCU school currently competes outside of the Mid-Eastern Athletic or Southwestern Athletic conferences: Tennessee State, which joined the Ohio Valley in 1986.

Harvey announced Thursday that Hampton will become the second to compete in a league with majority-white schools when it joins the Big South Conference in July. It’s a move with deep implications not only for HU, but also the MEAC and Norfolk State.



Harvey has been Hampton’s president for almost four decades, and has always been something of a dreamer and innovator. That’s why Hampton, which does not have a medical school, opened the region’s first proton therapy center, which uses an advanced technology to fight cancer.

Reaction to Hampton’s move to the Big South on social media has been mixed. Many alumni are happy the Pirates are moving up. And although it’s only a marginal step up, the Big South has better football and basketball, and a better TV presence, than the MEAC.

But other fans are miffed, wondering why Hampton officials believe they have to leave an HBCU league to better themselves.

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Hampton caps winning season with victory over Howard

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Senior Yahkee Johnson rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns to push Hampton to a 20-17 win over rival Howard on Saturday afternoon at Armstrong Stadium.

Delmon Williams added 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground and passed for 150 yards as the Pirates (6-5, 5-3 in MEAC) picked up their third straight win over the Bison.

The Pirates win deprived Bethel High graduate Mike London of a pleasant homecoming. London, who led Richmond and Virginia, is in his first year as the head coach at Howard.

Hampton’s Dereon Carr intercepted Caylin Newton as time expired to preserve the victory. Howard started its final possession at its 20 with 1:32 to play, but the Bison could only advance to its 42. Steve Smith and Darius Commissiong sacked Newton in the final series, which ended with Carr’s interception at the Hampton 32.

Hampton led 20-10 early in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run by Johnson, who started the scoring with a 2-yard score in the first quarter. Newton answered with a 1-yard touchdown with 8:14 to play in the game to pull within 3 points, but that was as close as Howard would get.

The Bison (7-4, 6-2) gained 416 yards of total offense, but the Bison struggled to find the end zone. Newton — younger brother of Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton — passed for 259 yards but was intercepted twice. He rushed for 26 yards and a score. He entered the game leading the MEAC in rushing with 102 yards per game.

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#7 West Georgia denies #2 Virginia State 35-9 in first round of NCAA Playoffs

ETTRICK, Virginia -- One of the Trojans’ best-ever seasons by the numbers has drawn to a close.

West Georgia quarterback Willie Candler engineered four of his team’s five touchdowns to lead the visiting #7 Wolves past #2 Virginia State Football 35-9 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

“We just had some breaks go our way, we made some key plays at the right time, interception there early in the second half that set up a big score for us,” said West Georgia head coach David Dean. “I thought our defense played very, very good against an offense that scores a lot of points, and offensively we put together drives at the right time and we were able to capitalize on some mistakes that they made and put some points on the board.”

After the Trojans went 10-0 for the first time in the program’s history and won their 12th CIAA Championship over Fayetteville State 42-19, their 2017 campaign concluded on a final mark of 10-1.

“We were really glad to be able to host a playoff game here. I’m proud of our team. I thought they played the game the right way,” said Virginia State head coach Reggie Barlow. “They have overcome a lot all season, and it’s been a great season for us. I’m proud of them, and unfortunately it had to end this way. We give West Georgia a lot of credit. They were a good team, well-coached, played hard, and they were able to pull it out today, but I’m proud of our guys.”

The Wolves were able to shut down Virginia State’s all-time leading rusher Trent Cannon, limiting him to 65 yards on 21 carries.

“They had a good team. Their defensive line was good,” Cannon agreed. “I had a couple of opportunities, I could’ve made it happen, but I don’t regret anything. We played hard as a team.”

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PVAMU Panthers Football Wins At Incarnate Word

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M University football team posted a 42-28 win at Incarnate Word Thursday night at Benson Stadium.

QB Neiko Hollins completed 23 of 35 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Darius Floyd, who had a career-high 11 receptions for 148 yards. Floyd also had 109 yards on three kickoff returns.

After a three-and-out on the opening possession, Prairie View A&M (5-5) scored on three straight possessions. Floyd took a screen pass 48 yards for a touchdown to give the Panthers a 7-0 with 10:40 to play in the opening quarter.

DeVohn Reed's fumble recovery led to a touchdown on the ensuing possession. Hodge's 11-yard touchdown reception in the back corner of the end zone gave the Panthers a 14-0 with just over five minutes to play in the first quarter.



In the second quarter, Caleb Broach's three-yard scoring run ended a nine-play, 88-yard drive to give PVAMU a 21-0 lead with 11:23 to play until halftime.

Following an Incarnate Word touchdown, Prairie View A&M came right back with a touchdown of its own. A 50-yard kickoff return by Floyd set up a seven-play, 46-yard scoring drive. Floyd's 28-yard touchdown reception on fourth and two gave the Panthers a 28-7 lead with 3:31 to play until halftime.

Incarnate Word (1-10) would rally to tie the score at 28-all late in the third quarter before the Panthers regained control.

On the ensuing play from scrimmage following the kickoff, Dawonya Tucker sprinted 72 yards for a touchdown to put Prairie View A&M back in front at 35-28 with 34 seconds remaining in the quarter. Tucker rushed for 97 yards on only four carries.

The Panthers put the game away in the fourth. A 49-yard scoring pass from Hollins to Hodge was the final margin for PVAMU. Hodge caught six passes for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Panthers will end the 2017 season at Saturday, Nov. 25 in the Labor Day Classic at Texas Southern at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at pvpanthers.com/labordayclassic.

Next Game: at Texas Southern, 11/25/2017 - 6 p.m.

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