WSSU Rams’ record of success is a big help in recruiting

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- There’s no standard formula for recruiting in Division II football, but NCAA rules open more avenues than in Division I.

Winston-Salem State has carefully constructed a talented team, combining players leaving Division I teams in search of more playing time, players seeking second or third chances because of trouble at a previous stop and graduate transfers who have their degrees but still have eligibility remaining.

On this season’s team, center Bryan Davis (Boston College) and defensive back Jerome Junior (Connecticut) already have degrees.



Coach Connell Maynor doesn’t limit his assistants to any one area, and they pursue high-school players as diligently as they pursue transfers.

WSSU’s current roster, though predominantly packed with North Carolina players, has players from 13 states, including California, Connecticut, Florida and Washington.

"Everybody on my staff is a good recruiter,” Maynor said. “And they don’t just recruit for the position they coach, and I think that’s a big key. It’s a team effort, and I don’t think there’s one coach who recruits better than anybody else. They all have their strong points, and they all make it work.”

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Albany State Golden Rams maul Morehouse Maroon Tigers

ALBANY, Georgia -- Junior quarterback Frank Rivers was 10-16 for 194 yards and had five touchdowns to lead the Albany State Golden Rams to a homecoming massacre of Morehouse College. ASU scored often and early and dismantled the Maroon Tigers 42-20. With the victory, Albany State improves to 2-4 overall, 1-2 in the SIAC. Morehouse dips to 2-5, 0-3.

The Golden Rams' scoring parade started early in the first quarter. ASU went on a 4-play, 67-yard drive that ended when Rivers found Jessie Atkins in the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown at the 11:21 mark. Zachery Gayden-Holley's PAT made it 7-0.

After the Dirty Blue Defense held Morehouse in check and forced it to punt, Quintory Braswell returned the kick 57 yards for another touchdown. Gayden-Holley's kick was good to give the Golden Rams a 14-0 lead with 9:30 left in the period.

Albany State ended the first quarter with another score to take a commanding lead. This time, ASU went on a 4-play, 65-yard drive that culminated when Rivers found Orion Ponder for a 25-yard strike with 19 seconds left in the quarter. Gayden-Holley was good again on his PAT, giving the Golden Rams a 21-0 lead.

In the second quarter, The Golden Rams took a 28-0 lead at the 8:09 mark. That score materialized after a 2-play, 14-yard drive that ended when Rivers connected with Jarvis Small for a 12-yard touchdown. Gayden-Holley connected on the PAT.

Morehouse finally got on the scoreboard at the 6:13 mark with a 51-yard rushing touchdown to cut their deficit to 28-6. The PAT failed.

The Golden Rams ended the first half on another quick drive. Rivers threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Isom to cap a 2-play, 56-yard drive that gave ASU a 35-6 lead with 1:10 left in the first half.

The Maroon Tigers opened the third quarter witha 6-yard touchdown at the 9:21 mark to bring the score to 35-13. ASU answered with 1:34 left in the period. After an interception by Braswell, the Golden Rams used two plays to get into the end zone. Rivers final touchdown was an 8-yard pass to Jaquan Rivers, and ASU went ahead 42-13.

Morehouse ended the game scoring with a 4-yard touchdown at the 13:02 mark of the fourth quarter.

Atkins caught three passes for 53 yards. Braswell returned five punts for 128 yards. Larry Whitfield led the Golden Rams, defense with nine tackles and also recorded an interception. Jonathan Toliver added seven tackles and two sacks.

The Albany State Golden Rams return to action on Saturday, October 26^th when they travel to Atlanta, Georgia to face the Clark Atlanta University Panthers. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.

Box Score

COURTESY ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Back-to-Back Honors, Fitzpatrick Earns OVC Defensive Player of the Week

Daniel Fitzpatrick

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- For the second week in a row, TSU junior safety Daniel Fitzpatrick was honored as the OVC defensive player of the week.

 

Fitzpatrick keyed the Big Blue defense, racking up tackles with one pass break up. The safety’s biggest moment came just after the Tigers grabbed the 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Skyhawks were facing a 2nd-and-13 when Fitzpatick picked off UT Martin quarterback Jarod Neal.

 

From there the race was on as the Ft. Wayne, Ind. native returned the interception for a touchdown, giving TSU the 21-0 lead. The interception was Fitzpatrick’s fifth of the season and his second pick six of the year.

 

Tennessee State’s defense also recorded a safety, which gave the unit eight points in the game, aiding the Tigers 29-15 win over the Skyhawks.

 

Big Blue returns home to LP Field for the 83^rd annual homecoming game. TSU will welcome No. 3 Eastern Illinois in a match-up of the only two remaining teams left in OVC play. Saturday’s game is set to kick-off at 4 p.m.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Benedict Shut Down CAU Panthers For 24-0 Homecoming Win

COLUMBIA, South Carolina  --  Sophomore quarterback Brandon Thompson rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 103 yards in his first start as the Benedict College Tigers shut down Clark Atlanta for a 24-0 victory on Saturday.

The Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SIAC. The win was Benedict's fourth straight on Homecoming. Clark Atlanta dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the SIAC.

Benedict held Clark Atlanta to just 115 yards of total offense. The Panthers entered the game with the 14^th-best rushing offense in NCAA Division II at 283.6 yards per game, but Benedict held the Panthers to a season-low 89 yards rushing on 41 attempts. It was also the first shutout for Benedict since beating Stillman 35-0 in 2010.


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"The defense played phenomenal today," Benedict coach James Woody said. "I'm very happy with these guys. We challenged them before this game to shut this team out and stop that run, and we did that today."

Clark Atlanta was 1-of-11 on third-down conversions, 1-of-4 on fourth-down conversions and had the ball for slightly more than 25 minutes of the game. Benedict, on the other hand, was 8-of-13 on third downs, picked up 20 first downs, and had the ball for nearly 35 minutes.

"We had a lot of success doing the things we needed to do," Woody said.

After Marcus Graham struggled last week against Stillman, Woody and the coaching staff started Thompson at quarterback. He guided the Tigers on a 10-play, 59-yard drive on their second possession of the game, resulting in a 39-yard field goal by Eduardo Hernandez. The Tigers had a long, time-consuming drive in the second quarter, but Hernandez missed a 31-yard field goal attempt, and Benedict took a 3-0 lead at the half.

Evan Pegues recovered a Clark Atlanta fumble on the second play of the second half, giving the Tigers the ball at the Clark 30. Four plays later, Thompson ran into the end zone from 8-yards out to put the Tigers ahead 10-0.

After forcing the Panthers to punt on the next series, the Tigers took over at midfield and ran the ball on seven of eight plays. Thompson ran the final two plays, gaining 14 yards and then powering in from 8-yards out for his second touchdown.

Rodney Hall intercepted Trenton Earl's pass on Clark Atlanta's next play, but the Tigers couldn't capitalize. Clark Atlanta punted the ball back to Benedict after a three-and-out, and Harlon Samuels returned the ball 52 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown, giving the Tigers a 24-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.


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Benedict was moving the ball deep into Clark territory in the fourth quarter, but a fumble by Thompson ended that drive. The Panthers took over and marched the ball down the Benedict 4-yard line, but Aquimial Burton fumbled the ball and Benedict's Brandon Beech recovered to preserve the shutout.

"We needed a spark at quarterback," Woody said. "Nothing against Marcus, he played well at receiver. Brandon gave us an extra depth to the offense with his legs. He made a lot of things happen running the football. He is very mobile. He brings a lot of excitement to our offense."

Lamarcus Hudson led the Benedict defense with six tackles, including two tackles for loss.

The Tigers are on the road next week to face Morehouse. Kickoff in Atlanta is 2 p.m.
 Thompson gained a team-high 91 yards on the ground on 18 carries with two touchdowns. He was 11-of-21 passing for 103 yards. Graham moved to receiver and caught three passes for 32 yards.

Box Score

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

ECSU's Boone Sets Career Highs in Rushing, Touchdowns in Win Over The Lincoln University

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University breezed past Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in a 56-14 Homecoming win on Saturday at Roebuck Stadium.

ECSU scored 14 points in each quarter in the blowout victory. The Lions slip to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in CIAA play.  Petey Boone set a career high in rushing yards (182 on 21 carries) and posted a personal best with 4 touchdowns on the ground. His first score of the day was also a career high, when he broke for a 73 yard TD at with 9:47 left in the first half.

Boone tacked on a 3-yard score with 31 seconds left in the second quarter, giving ECSU a 28-7 lead at the intermission.  He capped an 8-play 55 yard drive with a 15 scoring yard run at the 10:48 mark of the 3rd quarter and took a direct snap 39 yards to the end zone with 5:23 left in the game.

The Viking offense displayed a balanced attack on Saturday with the backfield accounting for 256 of the 585 yards of total offense. Tyrell Houghton spread the ball around to 7 different receivers, going 15-26 for 284 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Antonio Huff, Keith Strickland, Gary Langston and Javoris Bryant were all on the receiving end of touchdown passes, the latter coming from backup quarterback Will Boyette on his only throw of the afternoon with 11:15 left in the contest.

The Lions ran the same number of plays (69) as the Vikings but were more than doubled up in offensive output 585-203. The yardage and points (14) allowed were a lows for an ECSU opponent in 2013.

The Viking defense also had a season best four sacks on the afternoon.  Kendall Sellars led all ECSU defenders with 9 tackles (6 solo) including a sack for a loss of 10 yards. ECSU (2-5, CIAA 2-2) will hit the road next weekend to take on Chowan University. Game time is scheduled for 3:00pm.

Follow us on Twitter @ECSUVikings and logo onto www.ecsuvikings.com for more information.

Final Stats

COURTESY ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

VUU Panthers Down Chowan for Third Straight Win

RICHMOND, Virginia  -- Virginia Union University's Eric Shaw rushed for 125 yards while Kenneth Graham passed for 112 yards as VUU downed Chowan University 24-14 for the Panthers' third straight win.

The win marked the first time a VUU football team has won three straight games since the 2009 season.

VUU got on the board first when Anthony Davis recovered a blocked punt in the end zone to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 9:18 left in the first quarter.

Union built the lead to 10-0 when Troy Krepich connected on a 40-yard field goal with 2:22 left in the first quarter.

After Chowan scored a touchdown, VUU's Wyman Powell hauled in a two-yard pass from Graham with five seconds left in the first half to give VUU a 17-7 halftime lead.

Chowan scored again in the third quarter, but Union put the game away when Matias Parker caught an 11-yard pass from Graham with 4:22 left in the game to provide the 24-14 final score.

VUU is now 3-4 on the season and 3-1 in CIAA play.  Chowan drops to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the CIAA.

Virginia Union now travels to Bowie, Md., to meet Bowie State University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 26.

Box Score
PHOTO GALLERY

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Offense Finds Its Footing; Powers Shaw Past Livingstone 45-21

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The Shaw University offense - which has struggled at times this year - came alive for homecoming to the tune of a 498-yard, 45-point performance as the Bears downed Livingstone Saturday afternoon at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

 

With the win, the Bears improve to 4-3 on the season and evens their conference mark at 2-2.  Livingstone falls to 2-5, 1-2 in the CIAA.

 

The win on homecoming day is the Bears first in three years after two straight losses.  "It feels good, kind of getting that monkey off our back," said head coach Robert Massey of the homecoming win.  "It feels real good.  I thought we could have played better offensively and defensively, but we'll take the win."

 

It may be hard to imagine the offense topping their 498 yards - 214 on the ground and 284 through the air.  The Bears converted all five drives into the red zone into points, and were three of four on fourth down attempts.

 

Massey, though, sees room for improvement, "Talentwise, we should put up more points.  I just think we're that good.  We should put up more points talentwise."

 

The Shaw defense gave up 298 yards, but held the Blue Bear offense to only 65 yards on the ground.  They gave up 233 passing yards, but hauled in three interceptions, likely good enough to keep them among the top in the nation.

 

The Bears committed 12 penalties - many of them on defense - for 95 yards, and that's what Massey took exception to.

 

"Defensively, we kept drives alive with the dumb penalties, again.  Roughing the passer - we don't practice that.  That should never happen.  We've got to be smarter.  Once the quarterback throws the ball, we have to leave him alone.  We've got to get better."

 

The Shaw faithful might have feared another homecoming letdown after Livingstone opened the game with an 11-play, 65-yard drive that ended when Drew Powell hit Avery Collins on a 12-yard pass that gave the Blue Bears a 7-0 lead.

 

Shaw answered with a scoring drive, but only for three points as the drive stalled on the Livingstone ten, leaving a relative chip shot for field goal kicker Andres Magallon, who nailed the kick to trim the Blue Bear lead to 7-3.

Both defenses stiffened, with three short drives divided between the two teams, but Darnell Evans broke free on a 27-yard punt return, giving Shaw outstanding field position at the Livingstone 34.  Quinshon Odom completed two passes, then Marquise Grizzle got some strong blocking and broke left and scrambled the 12 yards into the end zone for a Shaw 10-7 lead with 1:03 left in the first quarter.

 

The majority of the second quarter was a defensive battle, highlighted by an interception by Darnell Evans - who leads Division II in picks - with neither team mounting a sustained drive until the final five minutes of the half.

 

In between short rushes for Grizzle, Odom completed four passes, including a 17 yarder to Kelvin Wagner in the end zone to give Shaw a 17-7 lead as the final seconds ticked off the clock in the first half.

 

Shaw started the second half as they'd ended the first - scoring.  On the first offensive play of the half, Odom found Ta'Juan Brown, who broke free of tacklers and covered 50 yards for a touchdown and a 24-7 Shaw lead.

 

The defense held Livingstone to a three-and-out, then took over the ball on the Shaw 35.  Over the next five minutes on the clock, the Bears chewed up yardage with only two plays of more than 10 yards.  After a 16-yard pass completion to Tyrone Craig put the Bears on the doorstep of the goal line, it took four tries, but Odom finally got the touchdown on a keeper up the middle for a yard.  This gave Shaw a 31-7 lead.

 

Livingstone responded with a drive of their own, culminating with a 36-yard pass from Drew Powell to Jalen Hendricks to trim the Shaw lead to 31-14.

 

As the fourth quarter opened, a botched punt put Livingstone back in good field position on the Shaw 19.  It took only two plays for Powell to find Anthony Holland in the end zone, trimming the Shaw lead to ten points, 31-21.

 

With 12:30 left in the game, Shaw took possession of the ball and Grizzle powered the Bears down the field.  Once the Bears were inside the Livingstone 20, Odom put the ball up twice, eventually finding Brown for another touchdown strike - this one for 15 yards.

 

Livingstone then started their own drive, but on the seventh play, Shaw's Chris Ellerbe jumped the pass route and pulled in the interception, giving the Bears back the ball with 6:10 remaining.

 

The intention may well have been to simply grind down the clock with a series of rushing plays on the next Shaw drive, but on the first play from scrimmage, Grizzle broke tackles and sprinted free of the defense, covering 74 yards for a Shaw touchdown.  The Bears now led 45-21.

 

Ellerbe put an end to the next Livingstone drive with his second interception of the game, giving Shaw back the ball with five minutes left in the game.   Neither team mounted a serious drive the rest of the way, leaving the final score 45-21 in Shaw's favor.

 

Grizzle finished the day with 161 yards on 30 attempts and two touchdowns.  Odom was 20 for 30 with no interceptions for 284 yards and three touchdowns.  Brown was the leading receiver with five catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Defensively, in addition to the three interceptions, the Shaw defensive backfield was stellar with Arthur Williams tallying nine tackles, including eight solo hits and two and a half tackles for a loss.  Darius Moffett also had nine tackles, with four and a half tackles for a loss.

 

For Livingstone, Justin Forte was the leading rusher with 43 yards.  Powell Finished with 221 yards on a 20-for-38 performance.  He gave up two of the three interceptions.  Hendricks was his top receiver with seven catches for 94 yards.

 

Kenneth White led the Blue Bears with nine solo tackles, including one tackle for a loss.  Andrew Fox had eight solo tackles and a tackle for a loss.

 

Next week, the Bears return to the road, when they travel to Charlotte for a date with Johnson C. Smith.   Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.  Shaw does not return home until November 9 when they host Saint Augustine's in the season finale at 1:00 p.m. at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

Box Score

COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alcorn Braves Spoil Texas Southern's Homecoming with 20-13 Victory

HOUSTON, Texas  --  Sophomore wide receiver LaDarrien Davis raced to the end zone on a 39-yard pass from John Gibbs, Jr. to score the game-winning touchdown vs. Texas Southern this evening.

The Braves battled with the Tigers the entire game and came out with the victory, 20-13, to spoil the Tigers homecoming.

The Braves offense got off to a slow start going three and out on their first drive of the game but picked it up the pace on their next drive after forcing a Texas Southern punt.

After back-to-back incompletions, Gibbs, Jr. was able to find Jarvis Turner for a 13-yard strike to give the Braves a first down. The next play Joe Price picked up 15 yards to give the Braves another first down. Gibbs, Jr. completed two more passes while senior running back Arnold Walker rushed four times for positive yards to set up a Haiden McCraney 40-yard field goal to put the Braves up 3-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, Texas Southern returner Erick Mitchell fumbled the ball on the return and Tavoris Doss recovered the ball in TSU territory.

The Braves capitalized on the Texas Southern turnover with McCraney nailing a 27-yard field goal to make the score 6-0 with 6:04 left in the first quarter.

Texas Southern took the lead when Daveonn Porter pounded his way into the end zone to give the Tigers a 7-6 at the 2:48 in the first quarter.

Texas Southern added three more points to the scoreboard on a 30-yard field goal by Eric Medina to increase their lead to 10-7.

Late in the second quarter, Gibbs, Jr. connected with Anthony Williams III and he blazed down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown giving the Braves the lead once again 13-10 with 4:05 to play before the half.

The Braves allowed Texas Southern to drive down the field and come away with 44-yard field goal with just .01 second on the clock before halftime. The scored with both teams headed to locker room was knotted at 13-13.

Not too much action happened in the third quarter which left the score tied at 13-13.

In the fourth quarter, the defense shut down the Texas Southern offense forcing the Tigers to back-to-back three and outs which set up the play of the game.

A bad punt by the Texas Southern gave the Braves excellent field position and on third down Gibbs hit Davis across the middle for a 39-yard touchdown.

Texas Southern had two more opportunities to score after the Braves go-ahead touchdown. Medina missed a 46-yard field goal and quarterback, Homer Causey was sacked by Deion McNair and fumbled the ball. Damon Watkins recovered the fumble which ended the game.

Walker rushed a season-high 130 yards on 23 carries. Gibbs completed 15 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

The Braves defense was led by junior safety Devon Francois, who made a couple of hard-hitting tackles in the Braves victory, recorded a game-high 11 tackles. Damon Watkins racked up six tackles, two tackles for a loss, and a sack. Watkins also forced and recovered a fumble.

Up next for the Braves (6-2, 4-1) is a trip to the "Bluff" next Saturday to take on the Southern Jaguars for their homecoming. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

North Carolina A&T Aggies' offense sputters again

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — A trip home wasn’t enough to cure all that ailed N.C. A&T’s football team.

The Aggies’ offense couldn’t get anything going until the final drive, and Delaware State came away with a 12-7 win in a sloppy MEAC game Saturday at Aggie Stadium.

The Hornets never trailed, and by the time A&T finally found the end zone with 1:57 to play, it was all but over.

It was the Aggies’ third straight loss after a 3-0 start.

“It was a heartbreaking loss. As you could see, we couldn’t quite establish anything,” A&T coach Rod Broadway said. “... We weren’t very good this week.”

The Hornets’ defenders had been good in its previous two games, but A&T made things easy for them in the first half.




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WSSU finds its stride in second half, rolls past St. Aug’s 35-17

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RALEIGH, North Carolina  — It turns out Winston-Salem State can also grind out a win when it has to.      

On a dreary, overcast afternoon, Winston-Salem State won its sixth straight with a 35-17 win over scrappy St. Augustine’s at Sanderson High School in front of just over 4,000.                 
The Rams (6-1, 2-0 CIAA Southern Division) also won their 21st straight CIAA game but had to dig in to hold off the Falcons (3-4, 1-1).

"There was a little adversity in the first half and we only had the ball four times but you have to give credit to St. Aug’s,” Coach Connell Maynor of WSSU said. “We knew they would be tough…. So, we had to match their intensity — and we did that in the second half.”

The Rams, who came in averaging 45 points a game, led just 7-3 at halftime but found some rhythm with their offense in the second half thanks to a solid running game.

Maurice Lewis, a junior running back, led the way with 90 yards on 15 carries. His first touchdown was a 40-yard scamper in the first quarter that staked the Rams to a 7-0 lead.



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HU Pirates Force Late Turnovers, Win Battle of the Bay

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- The Hampton University football team forced two turnovers in the fourth quarter at a cloudy Dick Price Stadium on Saturday, capitalizing and beating rival Norfolk State 27-17 in the Battle of the Bay.

It marked the first time since 2005 that the road team won in this rivalry. Hampton has now won back-to-back games after opening the season with five straight losses.

The Pirates (2-5, 2-1 MEAC) broke a 17-17 tie with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter, after freshman Anthony Prevost (Chesterfield, Va.) nailed a 40-yard field goal. Norfolk State took over on the next drive, but sophomore Denzel Heath (Charlotte, N.C.) picked off a pass from Omari Timmons near mid-field and returned it to the Spartans' 13-yard line.

Three plays later, junior Jorrian Washington (Los Angeles, Calif.) punched it in from two yards out to give the Pirates a 27-17 lead with 2:14 left to play.

Norfolk State gained big yards in its first two plays of the next drive, but senior Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) picked off Timmons just short of the goal line on the next play to give the ball back to Hampton.

Washington gained 22 yards on the next three plays to ice the game.

Washington rushed for 119 yards on 23 carries, recording 100 rushing yards in a game for the first time in his collegiate career. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in picking up Hampton's first 100-yard rushing effort of the season.


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Freshman quarterback Bryan Bailey (Woodruff, S.C.) went 19-for-27 in the air for a career-best 263 yards and a touchdown. It was the first time this season a Hampton quarterback eclipsed the 200-yard mark in passing yards.

Wide receivers Leon Shorter (Fort Pierce, Fla.) and Twarn Mixson (Charlotte, N.C.) each caught four passes and eclipsed 100 receiving yards – Shorter had a team-high 111 yards through the air, and Mixson had 105 receiving yards.

The Pirates amassed a season-high 451 yards of total offense.

The Pirates took the game's opening drive 51 yards in 10 plays before Prevost got Hampton on the board with a 27-yard field goal at the 11:47 mark of the first quarter to put the Pirates up 3-0.

Norfolk State (2-5, 2-2 MEAC) answered with a touchdown drive early in the second quarter, when Timmons scored on a 16-yard run with 11:42 left in the first half to give the Spartans a 7-3 lead.

Hampton took a 10-7 lead with 3:19 left in the half, when junior Morris Brailsford (Westbury, N.Y.) capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

The Pirates took that lead into the half.

The Spartans opened the second half with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal from Cameron Marouf at the 9:37 mark of the third quarter to tie the game at 10-10.

Hampton drove on its next drive, but wound up turning the ball over on downs. The Pirates then forced the Spartans into a three-and-out, before Hampton needed just three plays to find the end zone again. Bailey hit Mixson for a 32-yard strike, giving Hampton a 17-10 lead with 5:11 left in the third quarter.

Timmons rushed into the end zone from 11 yards out with 14:40 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17-17.

Senior Delbert Tyler (Monroeville, Pa.) led the Pirates defense with 13 tackles, while Johnson added 11 tackles. Sophomore Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md.) had two sacks. The Pirates intercepted Timmons three times on Saturday, including twice in the final quarter.

The Pirates will return to action on Saturday, taking on Delaware State at Armstrong Stadium at 1 p.m. For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.


COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FSU Broncos Stampedes Johnson C. Smith, 35-26

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- Fayetteville State (4-3 overall, 3-1 CIAA) stampeded through Johnson C. Smith with 488 offensive yards in their 35-26 win at the Irwin Belk Complex.

Quarterback Derrick Bryant (Carrboro, NC), who had his first career start, threw for 418 yards on 24-of-38 attempts; with three touchdowns. Two Broncos combined for 304 yards. Tavon Gatlin (Virginia Beach, VA) finished with 145 yards with eight receptions and one touchdown. Dwayne Lorrick (Washington, DC) had seven catches for 159 yards and a score. Gatlin hauled in a 68-yard touchdown pass for the longest of the game while Lorrick pulled in a 65-yard mark. Colon Bailey, Jr. (Manteo, NC) scored two rushing touchdowns with a net 40 yards gained.

Johnson C. Smith (4-3 overall, 2-3 CIAA) had 412 yards of total offense. Back-up quarterback Andrew Alexander completed 13-of-20 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. Terrell Hutchison caught seven passes for 95 yards; along with Fred Scott, who also had seven with 92 yards.

The Golden Bulls struggled throughout the game with the Bronco defense. The secondary had a big night; picking off four interceptions. JCSU also failed on two two-point conversion attempts.


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Fayetteville State was the first to hit the scoreboard with a 20-yd pass from Bryant to Christopher Hubert (Apex, NC) at 10:14 in the 1st quarter. FSU started the scoring drive with an interception by Kwamere Bailey (Manteo, NC). Bryant converted a 3rd-and-10 situation with an 18-yard strike to Lorrick.  

Johnson C. Smith replied back on the following drive with LeAnder Barney's two-yard run. Keahn Wallace put the Golden Bulls in scoring position with a 27-yard pass to Scott on a 3rd-and-15 play. Wallace finished 9-of-16 for 82 yards; but also accounted for two thrown interceptions.

The Broncos answered the response with a three-play scoring drive for 75 yards. Bryant delivered a 65-yard bomb to Lorrick that advanced the Broncos; 14-7.

On FSU's first possession of the second quarter, Colon Bailey, Jr. squeezed in his first touchdown with a two-yard run that energized the Broncos at 21-7. Lorrick and Gatlin had 31 receiving yards each which set-up the score. The drive covered 80 yards in ten plays.

The Golden Bulls scored prior to halftime with Barney's 13-yard rush; but his two-point conversion attempt was foiled which left the score 21-13 with 1:07 left in the half.

Johnson C. Smith moved the chains on their first possession after intermission from the Fayetteville State 41-yard line into the red-zone. Through eight plays, JCSU landed at the FSU five-yard line with a first-and-goal situation. The Bronco defense stood its ground and stopped the Golden Bulls on fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line.

Four plays later with 6:14 left, Bryant successfully found Gatlin streaking down the middle with a 68-yard pass for a 28-13 lead.

Alexander pieced together two scoring drives to bring JCSU with two points of the Broncos; 26-28. He capped a seven play 77-yard scoring drive with a one-yard quarterback keeper with two minutes left in the third quarter. His two-point conversion pass was unsuccessful.

After the Broncos failed on a fourth-and-two conversion, Alexander drove the Golden Bulls 70 yards for a 33-yard scoring play. The quarterback completed the pass to Chris Patterson and Erik Amaya made the PAT kick.

Feeling the pressure of games past, Fayetteville State quickly responded with a 75-yard drive for the winning 35-26 score. Colon Bailey ran the clock and ball 36 of the 75 yards. His final ten yards was for his second TD. Bryant connected with Lorrick for 20 yards and Gatlin for 11 yards on the drive.

The Bronco defense put an end to JCSU's comeback efforts when Michael Johnson snatched his second interception of the game for a touchback. Johnson has now matched last season's performance of four INT's. Courtney Tate led all with ten total tackles and one sack for eight yards.

Fayetteville State will host St. Augustine's for homecoming next weekend in Luther Nick Jeralds Stadium. The Broncos will defend its second place standings against the 3-4 Falcons; who are 2-2 in conference play.

COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan St. jumps out early, holds off NCCU charge for road win

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Morgan State University dominated the first quarter of play then held off a persistent North Carolina Central University squad the rest of the way as the visiting Bears spoiled the Eagles' homecoming celebration with a 34-22 road win in front of a sellout crowd of 11,763 fans packed inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday.

Morgan State (2-5, 2-1 MEAC) scored the first 21 points of the game, all coming in the opening 15 minutes. The Bears amassed 155 yards of total offense in the first quarter, compared to just 20 yards by NCCU (3-4, 1-2 MEAC).

The Eagles, who entered the contest with the best turnover margin in the conference, did not help themselves by turning the ball over four times on the afternoon, including twice in the opening quarter that resulted in touchdowns.

NCCU battled back by scoring the next 10 points in the second quarter on a 9-yard run by quarterback Jordan Reid and a 41-yard field goal by Oleg Parent, but Morgan State responded with a 21-yard field goal by Chris Moller with 30 seconds left before intermission to take a 24-10 lead into the locker room.



In the third quarter, Morgan State took advantage of another NCCU turnover to extend its advantage to 27-10 courtesy of a 26-yard field goal by Moller with 3:19 remaining in the third stanza.

The Bears added to the cushion at 10:45 of the fourth quarter with a 14-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Robert Council to make the score 34-10.

NCCU sophomore Adrian Wilkins gave the home fans a ray of hope with a flashy 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to trim the deficit to 34-16 at the 10:29 mark.

With less than six minutes remaining, NCCU back-up quarterback Malcolm Bell engineered a 9-play, 68-yard scoring drive that resulted in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Bell to DeMario Johnson with 4:22 remaining.

On the ensuing drive, Morgan State dashed any chances of a comeback by converting three first downs and running the rest of the game clock for a 34-22 victory.

The Bears finished with 385 yards of total offense, including 288 yards on the ground. Redshirt freshman running back Lamont Brown topped the Bears with 98 rushing yards and a touchdown. MSU quarterback Seth Higgins completed 5-of-8 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the second quarter with an injury.

NCCU managed 246 total yards, but only 44 rushing yards. The Eagles also lost 115 yards on an uncommon 13 penalties.

Reid completed 12-of-22 passes for 124 yards, but also threw two interceptions. NCCU senior receiver Lamar Scruggs caught seven passes for 92 yards, while Wilkins had four receptions for 31 yards to finish with 129 all-purpose yards.

NCCU senior linebacker Tazmon Foster, the league's leading tackler, collected a game-high 13 tackles with a sack, while redshirt freshman linebacker Jordan Miles recorded 11 stops and juMSU junior safety Paul Eatman intercepted two passes and tallied five solo tackles, while junior linebacker Cody Acker made four stops, recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass for the Bears.

NCCU returns to action on Oct. 26 to take on Savannah Stativersity in Savannah, Ga.

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Hayes, former WSSU star, eager for Sunday’s game against Panthers

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- NFL players don’t like to admit circling a game on the calendar in anticipation of playing a particular opponent.

But William Hayes, a run-stopping defensive end for the St. Louis Rams, couldn’t help but look ahead to Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte. Hayes, a former Winston-Salem State star from High Point, said that playing in his home state is a big deal.

"Absolutely; I knew exactly when that game was going to be played because when you get a chance to play near where you grew up and in front of your family and friends, it’s a great day,” said Hayes, a six-year NFL veteran who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round in 2008.

Hayes, in his second season with the Rams (3-3), injured a knee injury earlier this season but said he is back to nearly 100 percent after missing two games. He has five tackles and one sack for the season.

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Homecoming Ends On Happy Note As PVAMU Panthers Claim 51-14 Win Over Mississippi Valley State

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M capped off a successful homecoming as they exploded for 38 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to claim a 51-14 win before a sold out crowd at Blackshear Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

After suffering an early turnover on its opening drive, PVAMU responded on its second drive of the afternoon as freshman Anthony Wiltz ran a punt back 34 yards to the MVSU 16. Junior running back Courtney Brown opened the drive with an 11-yard burst followed by Jerry Lovelocke's five-yard touchdown pass to senior wide out Deandre Cooper with 10:06 on the clock in the first quarter.

MVSU's defense held its ground after the early touchdown and forced the Panthers to punt once and turn the ball over on downs. On the opposite end, the Panther defense played inspired football as they forced MVSU to punt four consecutive times before MVSU jumped on the board with an eight-play, 63-yard drive that was capped off by Patrick Durr's 7-yard touchdown run and Cherchen Galon's PAT for the 7-7 tie in the second quarter.
 

Both teams kept up the defensive battle once again as they traded punts before the PVAMU coaching staff made the game's biggest adjustment early in the second quarter. With MVSU's defense nipping on their heels, the staff made a major adjustment midway through the second quarter and went with short passes and quarterback draws to keep MVSU's aggressive defense at bay. The adjustment worked successfully as they went on a 15-play, 90-yard drive which ended with quarterback De'Auntre Smiley running in from eight yards out. Chris Barrick's PAT was good as the Panthers led 14-7 with 5:24 left in the half.
 

Before the crowd could finish cheering for the last score, junior linebacker Jerome Howard picked off a MVSU pass on the opening play of the drive and ran it in untouched for a touchdown. The PAT was good as the Panthers led 21-7 17 seconds later. Once again, the Panther defense forced its second straight turnover as senior linebacker Korey Alston forced a fumble which was recovered by freshman safety Kenneth Maxwell. Four plays later, Smiley found Cooper for a 34-yard scoring strike as the Panthers went into the half ahead 28-7 following Barrick's PAT.
 

After several games of allowing teams to creep back in despite having big leads, the second half was all PVAMU as Smiley found freshman wide out Nick Pitre for a 20-yard touchdown pass followed by Cooper's third touchdown of the afternoon on an 11-yard pass from Smiley for a 44-7 third quarter lead. MVSU added a touchdown early in the fourth quarter but PVAMU capped it off with its running game as Levon Castillo scored from 17 yards out with 2:35 left to send the homecoming crowd home happy.
 

The Panthers were effective on both sides of the ball as they finished with 532 total offensive yards while allowing a season-low 178 yards to MVSU. Cooper led the way with nine receptions for 96 yards while Lovelocke and Smiley combined to throw four touchdowns and 29 completions on 43 attempts. Junior running back Fred Anderson picked up a team-high 69 yards on nine carries in the second half followed by 57 yards and six receptions from Patrick Gant. Defensively, Howard led the way with six tackles, a half-sack, three tackles for loss and a 23-yard interception return for a TD while

 

 Raheem Cardwell finished with six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
 

PVAMU returns to action next week in the Port City as they'll face Jackson State in a huge SWAC match up in the fourth annual Shreveport Classic. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. inside Independence Stadium.

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Jackson State keeps homecoming festivities despite Grambling no-show

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JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Grambling’s decision not to travel to Jackson State for Saturday’s football game did not stop the homecoming festivities on the Mississippi campus.

The music was blaring, the barbecue roasting and good times were all around outside of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday morning.

It looked like a typical JSU homecoming celebration, complete with gorgeous 70-degree weather, a parade and — of course — a performance by the school’s popular marching band, the Sonic Boom of the South.

The game between Grambling (0-8) and Jackson State (6-2) was canceled and declared a forfeit on Friday after disgruntled Grambling players refused to travel from their Louisiana campus because of issues they have with leaders of the athletic department and the university.

“It’s not the way I really like to win, but I’ll take it,” Jackson State coach Rick Comegy said on Saturday.

“I feel sorry for our kids, the seniors, who are playing their last homecoming game, not having the opportunity to have their families enjoy it like in the past.”

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'I wanted to play:' Jackson State players roll with news of Grambling State's forfeit 

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Jackson State had its team dinner on Friday, stayed at the hotel and boarded a bus to the stadium on Saturday morning. The players wore dress shirts and ties.

Going through its usual routine, the team treated Saturday like any other game day.

Except it wasn’t.

After days of turmoil, Grambling State forfeited its matchup against Jackson State less than 24 hours before kickoff. The homecoming preparations had already been set, and all the JSU players could do was roll with the news.
“I really don’t know what to say how I feel about it, because it’s very unexpected,” Jackson State quarterback Clayton Moore said. “I woke up this morning, I did my normal pushups. I had my butterflies, but I was like wait, I’m not playing. ... It’s tough. Selfishly, I wanted to play, just for selfish reasons. But my body needed a rest.”

Jackson State’s second string scrimmaged for 30 minutes in front of a smaller-than usual homecoming crowd. In the past few years, JSU homecoming games had an average attendance of 35,000. That wasn’t the case Saturday, even with Jackson State making the event free.

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Southern dumps Pine Bluff for fourth win in five games

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas — Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s recent mastery of Southern is over.

The Jaguars defeated the Golden Lions for the first time since 2009 as Lenard Tillery rushed for a career-high 136 yards and a score, and quarterback Dray Joseph added 231 yards through the air with two touchdowns for a 29-21 victory Saturday afternoon in Southwestern Athletic Conference play at Golden Lion Stadium.

The Jaguars, who had lost three straight to UAPB and have won four of five overall, seized control when Joseph plunged in on a quarterback sneak from a yard out to extend the Jaguars’ lead to 29-21 with 8:34 left.

Southern (4-3, 4-1) came out with a determined rushing attack against the country’s worst rush defense. The Jaguars ran the ball five consecutive times on their second possession before Tillery broke loose for a touchdown run on third-and-1 from the UAPB 26.

The Golden Lions blocked Southern kicker Greg Pittman’s point-after attempt, but Pittman caught the ricochet and rumbled into the end zone to give Southern an 8-0 lead.

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Big plays get Miles back on track in 40-17 homecoming win against Kentucky State

FAIRFIELD, Alabama---Miles had to go back before it could get ahead.

The Golden Bears went back to quarterback David Thomas, inserting the redshirt senior into the starting lineup for the first time this season and the Opelika native led them to a 40-17 homecoming victory against Kentucky State.

Thomas finished with 195 yards and three touchdowns on 10-for-16 passing as the Golden Bears improved to .500 at 3-3 and more importantly 3-1 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

I'm proud of the guys. They bounced back.", coach Reginald Ruffin said of his team, which fell to previously winless Central State (Ohio) on the road last week. "We've had so many injuries and so many disciplinary (problems) that we probably kicked off five guys off the team last week before that Central State game last week. Our guys responded this week, had a great week of practice. And that's all we ask them to do, keep getting better when they step out on the field."

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2-Minute Drill: Miles College 40, Kentucky State 17

WHY MILES WON

The Golden Bears made big plays throughout and Kentucky State didn't.

It was simple as that.

In the first half alone Miles had touchdown passes of 27, 52 and 45 yards and a blocked field goal return for an 87 yard-score. It helped the Golden Bears build a 30-point lead, going into the break.

KEY MOMENT

The game looked like it prove to be competitive after all when Kentucky State kicker Cameron Lee connected on a 23-yard field goal with 8:38 to go in the second. But when the Miles added two touchdowns to tend the first half, any hope KSU might've had was gone.

STARS OF THE DAY

1. Miles College quarterback David Thomas. The senior quarterback made his final homecoming at Albert J. Sloan-Alumni stadium one to remember, finishing the night with 195 yards and three touchdowns against one interception on 10-for-16 passing.

2. Miles College wide receiver Darren Fife. The Cherokee County product Darren Fife didn't touch the ball much. But when he did, he made it count, adding a 45-yard touchdown reception and a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown.

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Tuskegee downs Stillman 35-7 at home to remain undefeated in SIAC play

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- Playing in wet conditions, Stillman fell victim to several big plays in the second half as the SC Tigers fell 35-7 to Tuskegee Saturday afternoon at Cleve L. Abbott Stadium in Tuskegee.

Tuskegee (6-1, 4-0) opened the scoring with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter with Kalee Williams caught a 35-yard pass from Rashad Burkett and scored, giving the Golden Tigers a 7-0 lead.

Stillman (4-3, 3-2) answered when Torrance Moise found Reese Sturgis for a two-yard strike - evening the game at 7-7 with 11:16 left in the first half.

Tuskegee would answer when Burkett found Marquez Gardner on an 18-yard pass play.  Tuskegee took a 14-7 lead into the locker room at intermission.



In the second half, Burkett found Gardner against, this time for a 37-yard scoring play to put Tuskegee ahead 21-7.  Tuskegee would open the lead further in the fourth quarter.  Running back Christopher Anderson found Larry Cobb for a 73-yard scoring play with 8:35 remaining in the game.  Four minutes later, Michael Robinson picked off a Stillman pass attempt and returned it 84 yards for the final score of the game.

Stillman - for most of the contest - outgained Tuskegee.  In the final tally, Tuskegee outgained Stillman offensively 391-374.  Stillman tallied 120 yards on the ground and 254 yards passing.

Moise finished the game with 68 yards rushing on 18 carries while completing 29-of-49 pass attempts for 254 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.  Dondre Purnell had 11 catches for 90 yards while Raymond Coats had five catches for 45 yards.  Defensively, Michael Herrod had eight solo tackles and a pass breakup while Robert Crosby, Cameron Stallings and Marcus Matthews each had six tackles.

The Stillman Tigers will have a short week as they host Central State on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Stillman Stadium.

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Alabama A&M mid-season review: Youth has served to hurt Bulldogs in 2013

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - There is at least this consolation for Alabama A&M's fan base: "We're not Grambling." Or, for that matter, Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The cyclical nature of college football at the FCS level, and particularly in the SWAC with its many recruiting disadvantages, has impacted Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs lost 23 seniors from a good 2012 football team that occasionally underachieved, leaving coach Anthony Jones and his staff with a major rebuilding project this go-'round.

None of the three quarterbacks had taken a snap in an NCAA game before this year and the offensive line started four rookies. There were other key positions on defense to be filled by young players. The Bulldogs graduated a dependable kicker and, on the eve of summer drills, lost a kicker to whom A&M had awarded a scholarship.

That's a reference to last weekend's debacle where officials originally proclaimed A&M the winner, then returned the teams to the field for one last play, and a more egregious call on a ...

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Howard Bison Snap Four-Game Skid With Win Over Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Freshman Athony Philyaw rushed for a career-high 121 yards and two touchdowns and Howard controlled the line of scrimmage as the Bison defeated Florida A&M, 21-10 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Bragg Memorial Stadium. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Howard.

The Bison (2-5, 1-3 in the MEAC) dominated the game from start to finish en route to amassing a season high 254 yards on the ground.

Howard set the tone from the beginning, taking the opening possession and going 77 yards on only five plays with William Parker capping off the drive with a one-yard plunge at the 12:47 mark. The score was set up by a 62-yard run by Philyaw, the longest of his young career.

The Bison defense held the Rattlers in check and then capitalized on their next possession. The Howard offensive line helped create the drive that went 80 yards and consumed almost five minutes off the clock. Philyaw capped off the drive with a 10-yard run as he ran through and over FAMU defenders en route to the end zone. There was a high snap on the PAT attempt, but the Bison led 13-0 at the 5:53 mark of the first quarter.

"We started the season with question marks about the offensive line," explained Howard Interim head coach Ray Petty. "But I think that they have played well all season and they were exceptional today. They came out in the first quarter and completely dominated the Florida A&M front seven. Our running backs were able to find the holes. They played a big role in keeping the chains moving and chewing up time late in the game."

FAMU threatened to score on its possession, driving 49 yards on 10 plays, but the Bison defense stood tall and forced a 33-yard field goal by Chase Varnadore with just six ticks on the first quarter clock.

The Bison countered at the beginning of the second period, this time going 75 yards in 11 plays with Philyaw scoring his second TD of the day from a yard out. The 6-1, 210-pound freshman scored untouched on the two-point conversion to make it, 21-3 with a little under 11 minutes left before halftime.

"He is going to be a great one," said Petty of his freshman running back. "We keep talking about him and he gets better and better each week. He is only a freshman and the conference is going to have a problem with him."

FAMU (2-5, 1-2 in the MEAC) put together its only drive of the day, 75 yards on 10 plays, using almost six minutes off the clock. Bruce Lemond bolted in from two yards out to close out the scoring for the half and ultimately, the game.

The Rattlers posed some mild threats in the second half, but the Bison thwarted their attempts and used the effective blocking of the offensive line and the running of Parker (20 carries for 61 yards) , Philyaw and quarterback Greg McGhee (11 carries for 57 yards) to control the clock and play keep away. Howard held the ball for almost 34 minutes while converting 50 percent (7 of 14) of its third down conversions.

"We were working consistently all week on our blocking schemes," said Howard center Joshua Matthews, the only senior on the offensive line. "They run a 3-4, so we knew if we controlled the inside, it would be a successful day."

The Bison held FAMU to 227 yards of total offense and three of 10 on third down conversions.

"It was pretty much a simple game plan," said Howard senior cornerback Ademola Olatunji. "Everybody stay in your gap and do your assignment. It proved to be very effective today." Olatunji led the team with seven tackles.

GAME NOTES: This was the first time that Howard has defeated the Rattlers three straight times in the series…McGhee had a career-low 67 yards passing despite completing 10 of 16…Fleck had the longest run of his career, a 27-yard jaunt on fourth down that set up a TD.

NEXT UP: Howard hosts Morgan State for homecoming on Saturday at 1 pm in Greene Stadium while the Rattlers host North Carolina A&T next Saturday at 2 pm.

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Tennessee State Tigers Clip UT-Martin Skyhawks, 29-15

MARTIN, Tennessee  --  A stout defensive effort from the nation’s No. 1 ranked unit helped the Tennessee State football team defeat UT Martin, 29-15, on Saturday.

 

The Tigers (7-1, 4-0 OVC) only allowed 4.1 yards per play, recorded 12 tackles for loss (five sacks), tallied two takeaways and forced 19 Skyhawk penalties.

Freshman quarterback Ronald Butler led the offense, completing 11-of-19 for 160 yards and one touchdown. Junior Ryan Mitchell was Butler’s favorite target, as the receiver caught five passes for 84 yards and a score.

The contest started with five straight three-and-outs in which the teams combined for a total of two yards. On TSU’s third drive, Butler completed a 33-yard pass to Lavatiae Kelly, but the big play only led to another Tiger punt.

After forcing the Skyhawk offense of the field, TSU finally struck pay dirt with its first play of its fourth series as Butler found Mitchell on a crossing route. A good play-action sucked the UT Martin (4-3, 2-2 OVC) safeties towards the line of scrimmage, and Mitchell was a few steps passed his defender when he caught the ball at the opposing 40-yard line. From there, Mitchell did the rest, beating his man further for the score.

The pass and catch totaled 61 yards and Jamin Godfrey’s point after put TSU up, 7-0, with two minutes to go in the first quarter.

UT Martin’s offense responded on the next drive by moving the ball all the way down to the TSU 31 yard-line. D.J. McNeal fumbled on the ensuing play, and Nick Thrasher recovered, giving the Big Blue offense possession.  The takeaway brought the first quarter to a close with the Tigers up by a touchdown.

The Tiger defense held the Skyhawks to 58 yards of total offense during the first 15 minutes. UT Martin quarterback Jarod Neal was just 2-of-6 for 12 yards and the Skyhawks committed six penalties for 30 yards.

Early in the second period, a fake punt from UT Martin sprung punter James Satterfield for a 21-yard gain – UT Martin’s longest of the game up to that point. The Skyhawks used short passes to ultimately set up a 40-yard field goal attempt. However, TSU’s Anthony Bass blocked the attempt and De’Ante Saunders returned the ball 54 yards for a Tiger touchdown.

The great play on special teams put Tennessee State in the driver’s seat, 14-0, with just over 10 minutes to go before halftime.

The Tigers struck again two plays later as Daniel Fitzpatrick picked off Neal at the 20-yard line and waltzed into the end zone untouched for TSU’s third touchdown of the game.

The interception was Fitzpatrick’s fifth this season and fourth in TSU’s last three games. He is now the FCS leader in interceptions.

The Big Blue defense came up with another key play on UT Martin’s next offensive possession. After two straight negative plays, Bass and Shipley wrapped up Skyhawk running back McNeal in the end zone for a safety. The score was TSU’s 23 point in a nine-minute and four seconds span.

UT Martin had one final chance to score before halftime, but a 68-yard drive yielded zero points, as the clock expired before the Skyhawks could attempt a 25-yard field goal.

The Tiger defense had eight tackles for loss in the first half, three of which were quarterback sacks.

TSU went three-and-out to start the third quarter and UT Martin took advantage with a 10-play, 49-yard scoring drive. Neal found Jeremy Butler on a fade route from 11-yards away to make the score, 23-7, in favor of the Tigers with six minutes gone in the second half.

Tennessee State could not answer on its next series, and was forced to punt. Martin bowled into Leon Holderhead, causing a running into the kicker penalty. On Holderhead’s next attempt, Jeremy Butler fumbled the kick and TSU’s Martine Stevenson recovered at the UT Martin 28-yard line.

The heads-up special teams play set up a 44-yard field goal from Godfery, putting TSU on top, 26-7, with under four minutes to play in the third.

Back-to-back sacks halted UT Martin’s next drive, and the Tigers took over on their own 15-yard line to begin the fourth. Butler engineered an 11-play, 82-yard drive that was aided by a 23-yard run from Broughton to set up a field goal attempt. Godfrey’s kick was deflected, but still went through the uprights from 20-yards away to put Big Blue in front, 29-7.

Broughton, who came into the game as the OVC’s leading rusher, finished the day with 86 yards on 22 carries for a 3.9 average.

The Skyhawks added a late touchdown when running back Trent Garland scored from two-yards out at the 1:33 mark. Garland then added the two-point conversion to make the final score, 29-15.

Tennessee State will go for its eighth straight win on Oct. 26 against No. 3 ranked Eastern Illinois for homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at LP Field.

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