Five-Way Tie for MEAC Football Title; Morgan State Earns AQ

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Following an exciting finish to the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football season, the Morgan State Bears (7-5, 6-2 MEAC) earns a share of the conference's title and be awarded the MEAC's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Championship.

The Bears, led by first year head coach Lee Hull, defeated Delaware State 69-7 to remain in the hunt for the title and berth. The win, combined with a loss by North Carolina A&T State to North Carolina Central, 21-14, sealed the playoff opportunity for the Bears.

This will be the first MEAC football title, outright or share, for the Bears and their first berth to the NCAA Division I Championship.

Morgan State vaulted to the top of the five-way tiebreaker process based on wins over tied conference opponents North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.

Along with Morgan State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State, all finishing at 6-2 in MEAC play, will share the conference title. This is the first time in conference history that five teams earned a share the title.

The last time multiple teams earned a share of the MEAC title was in 2010 when Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and South Carolina State were all named co-champions.

The 2014 NCAA Division I Championship selection show will ta
ke place on Sunday, November 23 at 11 a.m. (ET) on ESPNU and ESPN Watch App.

For more information on MEAC Football, visit www.MEACsports.com.

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Bethune-Cookman goes for two to down FAMU in Florida Classic overtime thriller

ORLANDO, Florida -- All week leading into the Florida Classic, Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins heard the same message from his 14-year-old son, Brian Jenkins Jr.

“If you got a chance to go for two, dad, go for two,” Jenkins recalled his son saying.

The advice felt prescient when the Wildcats scored what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown in overtime against Florida A&M on Saturday evening, so Jenkins looked out on the field and delivered the call to his quarterback, Larry Brihm: “We’re going for two.”

The decision would provide another memorable Florida Classic finish.

Lined up in an unconventional formation, Brihm took the snap and rushed to his left, barreling into the end zone to lift the Wildcats (9-3, 6-2 MEAC) to a thrilling 18-17 victory in front of an announced crowd of 41,126. It was B-CU’s fourth consecutive win in the Classic, the Wildcats’ longest winning streak in the history of a rivalry that dates back to 1925.

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NCCU Eagles Earns Share of MEAC Championship in 21-14 Victory Against NC A&T Aggies

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University earned a share of the MEAC football championship, as the Eagles battled the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University in a 21-14 victory Saturday, Nov. 22 in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. 

With a packed-out stadium, attendance at 13,326, and screaming Eagle fans, NCCU produced its first MEAC co-championship win since transitioning to Division I athletics in 2007.

NC A&T was ranked No. 24 in the nation, and the Eagles earned their first win against a nationally-ranked FCS opponent since the Division I transition.


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The NCCU defense stood strong with redshirt senior Ty Brown contributing six tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Theo Livingston and Ryan Smith also added eight tackles to the Eagles' defense.

Eagles' running back Andre Clarke obtained his 30th career rushing touchdown and his 15th of the season, placing him second in career and single-season categories at NCCU.

On the air attack, quarterback Malcolm Bell threw for 121 yards, with 195 total offensive yards, including a rushing touchdown.

The Aggies managed an early score in the contest with a 35-yard rushing touchdown from sophomore Tarik Cohen, giving NC A&T its first, and only lead at 7-0 with 12:46 on the clock in first-quarter play.

The Eagles were unable to create an immediate response. It wasn't until the late second quarter that the NCCU offense found its rhythm.

With 4:18 on the clock in the second quarter, Bell threw to redshirt senior Jazz King, who grabbed a tight pass in between two Aggie defenders for NCCU's first touchdown of the game. Kicker Eric Fenton was good on the extra point and the game was tied at seven.

The NCCU defense held A&T to zero scores in the second quarter.

Post-halftime was the deal breaker for NC A&T, with two third-quarter rushing touchdowns by the Eagles to gain their lead.

Clarke took a quick three-yard run to finish off a six-play, 84-yard drive by the Eagles, leaving 12:42 on the third-quarter clock; plenty of time for NCCU to keep the momentum.

The Eagles warmed up a rather chilly afternoon when they recovered an Aggie fumble on Nathaniel Tilque's punt. Bell hit the NC A&T defense with a quarterback keeper to run 37 yards into the end zone.

NCCU was ahead two scores at 21-7 and 6:45 was left in the third quarter.

NC A&T snuck up behind NCCU with an easy three-yard rushing touchdown from Cohen, trimming the Eagle lead to 21-14. Only 45 seconds remained in the third quarter, and the game was too close for comfort for the Eagles.  

The fourth quarter was a matter of back-and-forth battling between the offenses and defenses, as no scores were obtained from either team.

With Brown's forced fumble of Cohen, that was recovered by Smith at the NCCU one-yard line, the Eagles put a stop to what could have been the game-tying touchdown for NC A&T midway through the fourth quarter.

NCCU's defense shut down the Aggies on their last two drives of the game, leading to the Eagles' victory.

Cohen gave NC A&T 203 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Landis Shoffner added to the Aggie defense with nine tackles.

The NCCU football team ended its season with an overall record of 7-5 and a MEAC co-championship record of 6-2.

MEAC Football Standings as of 11/22/2014
Team     MEAC Record        Overall
Bethune-Cookman   6 - 2*      9 - 3
North Carolina A&T 6 - 2*     9 - 3
South Carolina State 6 - 2*      8 - 4
Morgan State            6 - 2*      7 - 5
North Carolina Central 6 - 2*  7 - 5
Norfolk State                4 - 4  4 - 8
Howard                         3 - 5  5 - 7
Florida A&M                3 - 5  3 - 9
Hampton                       2 - 6  3 - 9
Delaware State              2 - 6  2-10
Savannah State              0 - 8  0-12

*2014 MEAC Co-Champions

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ASU NOTES: Bright's interception return comes up short

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Najee Bright did his best to turn his fifth interception into something more.

Bright's third-quarter interception quickly led to an Alabama State touchdown in Saturday's 30-27 win over Stillman.

It just didn't lead to a Bright touchdown.

"The defensive linemen created a lot of pressure and somebody tipped the ball, so I went an got it," Bright said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't score."



Bright's 9-yard return left the Hornets at the Stillman 7-yard line. Running back Malcolm Cyrus took it the rest of the way on the next play.

"Cyrus, he totes the rock, and he scored," Bright said.

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ASU's Cyrus: Win over record any day

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Malcolm Cyrus' persistent smile wasn't dampened by what he didn't quite pull off Saturday.

Cyrus helped Alabama State to a 30-27 season-ending victory over Stillman, but the senior running back fell short of a school record.

His 162 yards left him with 1,662 this season, 43 shy of tying a 28-year-old school mark.

"I didn't want to be No. 2 — second is the first loser — but I had a good career," Cyrus said. "I'd rather win my last game than get a record.

"Now, if we could have won and I had got the record, I'd be happy, too."

The Hornets (7-5) were committed to giving Cyrus every chance at school history.

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Alcorn State needs to regroup before SWAC championship

LORMAN, Mississippi – Alcorn State received the same send-off gift it gave Jackson State last year. A loss.

The Braves punched their ticket to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game two weeks ago.

And what seemed to be a final tuneup before that trip to Houston on Dec. 6 turned out to be something else.

The Braves were upset by the Tigers 34-31 Saturday at Jack Spinks-Casem Stadium, leaving a crowd of 27,533 (mostly Braves fans) silent, wondering what happened in the final five minutes of the game.

“We didn’t execute on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively, to do the things we needed to do to be successful,” Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson said. “We had some plays too that we thought were big plays but wound up not being big plays.”

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JSU closes out disappointing season with upset of Alcorn State

LORMAN, Mississippi – This is exactly what Harold Jackson and Jackson State needed.

In the final game of a disappointing season, the Tigers scored two quick touchdowns in the final five minutes to upset the Southwestern Athletic Conference East champion Alcorn State 34-31 on Saturday at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.

“This is going into next season,” wide receiver Jairus Moll said. “(Alcorn State) did the same thing to us last season going into the SWAC championship. So I’m really excited about next season. I think we’ve gelled together now.”

It wasn’t the way the Braves (9-3, 7-2 SWAC) wanted to enter the conference championship game in Houston on Dec. 6.

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Virginia State victorious in first NCAA Division II playoff appearance

ETTRICK, Virginia -- Rewriting Virginia State history by making it into the playoffs and hosting a first-round game wasn’t enough for the 2014 Trojans.

They’re not done yet.

Kavon Bellamy scored twice on the ground, Tarian Ayres rushed for a touchdown and defensive back Andre Rawls recorded a pick-6 as the Trojans defeated Long Island University-Post 28-17 on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs.

Third-seeded Virginia State will travel to Bloomsburg (Pa.) to face the second-seeded Huskies (10-1) next Saturday.

“We’re proud of our kids,” Trojan head coach Latrell Scott said. “We’re extremely excited to be able to do this for our school, for our fans and for the community.”

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Despite late rally, Tuskegee falls 20-17 to West Georgia in playoff's first round

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The Tuskegee Golden Tigers scored a late touchdown in Saturday's opening round of the Division II playoffs, but fell 20-17 to West Georgia.

Tuskegee was held scoreless in the first half, as West Georgia scored off a Seth Hinsley one-yard rush and a 15-yard pass from Dallas Dickey to Earvin Anumgba within a minute of each other in the second quarter.

A failed extra point on the second touchdown had the game at 13-7 as it moved to halftime.

Tuskegee jumped on the board first in the second half with a Michael Thor two-yard touchdown run with 3:18 left in the third quarter.

Dickey's 26-yard touchdown pass to Shaq Hall put the Wolves up 20-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, and then both defenses held each other in check until Thor ran for a second touchdown at the 2:37 mark for Tuskegee.

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A&T Loses At NCCU, Share MEAC Title

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T head coach Rod Broadway did not mince words when asked to make his case for an Aggies at-large bid into the NCAA FCS playoffs next week.

“We just made our case,” said Broadway. “We had an opportunity to speak volumes and we just didn’t. We are going to let the committee do their job the best they can as we did the best we can today. We had a chance to get into the playoffs ourselves and we didn’t. We don’t have anyone to fault but ourselves.”

The 24th-ranked Aggies (9-3, 6-2 MEAC) lost 21-14 to their chief nemesis N.C. Central Saturday evening at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The loss put the Aggies’ playoff hopes into serious jeopardy as they will have to share the MEAC championship with four other teams – Morgan State, NCCU, Bethune-Cookman and S.C. State. A win would have given the Aggies the outright title and the MEAC’s automatic qualifier into the playoffs. As it stands now, the Aggies will have to get one of the 13 at-large bids in order to play next week.

By virtue of the five-way tie, Morgan State secured the tiebreaker and will represent the MEAC as its conference champion.

The Aggies lost despite rushing for 307 yards led by sophomore running back Tarik Cohen who had 203 yards and two touchdowns. His day also put him in position to win the MEAC rushing title as he past Morgan State’s Herb Walker, Jr., for the rushing lead on Saturday. But Walker is guaranteed a chance to play one more game.

Cohen’s one hiccup on the day came in the fourth quarter, however. With the Aggies trailing 21-14, Cohen took the handoff from quarterback Kwashaun Quick, darted left and made a dash for the goal line. As Cohen reached the NCCU 3-yard line, he was hit by NCCU defensive lineman Ty Brown. Brown jarred the ball loose and the Eagles recovered at the 1-yard line with 4:31 to play.

“It happens and that is football,” said Broadway about the Cohen play. “Tarik has been great for us all year. He is probably one of the best players in this conference. His contribution to this football team is unbelievable, and I love him for it.”

The Aggies earned two more possessions in the game. There best chance to tie the game in the final four minutes came on a 3rd-and-13 from the NCCU 46. Quick’s pass landed in the arms of sophomore Denzel Keyes but as he went to the ground the ball hit the turf for an incompletion.

“I am proud of our guys,” said Broadway. “To win nine football games at this time, at this university, with the things we had to overcome; I’m proud of them. To be co-champions is not that bad, but it’s not as good as being champion.”

Cohen was spectacular Saturday. On the game’s first play he ran off-tackle 25 yards to the 50. A&T’s opening drive ended with a 35-yard Cohen TD run. The Eagles then scored 21 unanswered points to position themselves for the upset. NCCU’s scoring started with a Malcolm Bell 10-yard touchdown pass to Jazz King that tied the game at 7 in the second quarter. It marked the first time in 9 ½ quarters the Aggies surrendered a point.

There was a bit of controversy toward the end of the half as Zerius Lockhart forced Quentin Atkinson to fumble. The Aggies recovered at their 32 and advanced to the NCCU 43 with six seconds remaining. Quick heaved a Hail Mary toward the end zone that Xavier Griffin appeared to catch, but it was ruled he did not get at least one foot in.

The Eagles took their first lead of the game as they scored on their opening drive of the second. Andre Clark scored on a 3-yard touchdown to give NCCU a 14-7 advantage. The Eagles final touchdown came courtesy of a muffed punt by returner Khris Gardin.

NCCU gained possession at the A&T 37 after the muff. On the next play, Bell kept the ball on a read option and scored from 37 yards out to give the Eagles the two touchdown lead.

Cohen came to the Aggies rescue again as his 67-yard run toward the end of the third quarter set up his 3-yard touchdown run to pull the Aggies to within 7.

“We knew going in we had a lot of work to do, but 9-3 is nothing to be embarrassed about so we are going to keep our heads up and walk out of here with dignity. We are going to continue to grind and build this thing the right way.”

The NCAA FCS playoff selection show is 11 a.m., Sunday on ESPNU. The Aggies hope their one-point loss to top-ranked Coastal Carolina, their national ranking and their nine wins is enough to get them in.

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After 35-year drought, Morgan State football wins share of MEAC title

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- When North Carolina Central closed out a 21-14 win over North Carolina A&T Saturday, the reverberations were felt 300 miles north in Baltimore.

When the Eagles won, that meant Morgan State had clinched a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and earned the league’s automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Minutes after the Bears routed Delaware State, 69-7, at Hughes Stadium Saturday, players and coaches rushed into the fieldhouse to watch the North Carolina Central-North Carolina A&T game and then, celebrate.

“It erupted knowing that we were at least co-champs,” coach Lee Hull said. “We reached our goal. That was our No. 1 goal, to be MEAC champs. So the place erupted, and the players were going crazy.”

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DSU Hornets Mauled by Morgan State Bears in Season Finale

HORNETS ENDS SEASON AT 2-10, 2-6 MEAC
Photo Courtesy: DSU Athletics

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Delaware State’s 2014 season came to a humbling end with a 69-7 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to Morgan State at Hughes Stadium this afternoon.

The Hornets ended the season with five straight losses to finish with a 2-10 overall record and 2-6 in the MEAC. Morgan State, which began the day in a four-way tie for second place in the MEAC standings and a longshot chance to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs, ends the regular season at
7-5 and 6-2.

Morgan State quarterback Moses Skillon completed 16-of-24 passes for 261 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 64 yards and a score on six carries.

MSU receiver Andrew King had eight catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns.

Delaware State scored its only touchdown on a three-yard pass from Marlon Kelley to Milton Williams III with 50 seconds left in the first quarter to cut the Bears lead to 14-7. The score capped off a 12-play, 69-yard drive that raised hopes for the Hornets. DSU rushed for 59 yards during the march, including 28 by Lamar Shaw and 21 for Jamaal Jackson.

Morgan State responded with eight unanswered touchdowns, three coming in the second quarter to build a 34-7 lead at the half.

The Bears added five touchdowns in the second half, including two by their defense.

Morgan State dominated the total yardage, outgaining the Hornets 529-to-177. The Bears showed a great deal of balance, rushing for 268 yards and tallying 261 by the pass.

The Hornets rushed for 146 yards and were held to a season-low 31 yards passing.

DSU was also plagued by three turnovers in the contest.

Jackson rushed for 77 yards on 19 carries (4.1 ypc) to lead the Hornets in rushing for the sixth
straight game. Shaw had a career-high 65 yards rushing on 10 attempts.

Defensively, free safety Davon Moore had six tackles (each unassisted) for the Hornets, including two behind the line of scrimmage. Linebacker Mike Davis shared the team lead with six tackles, five solo.

Williams III had four catches for 19 yards, ending his DSU career with 126 receptions for 1612 yards and 11 touchdowns. He ranks seventh on the Hornets’ all-time list for receptions and 10th in receiving yards.

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MEAC sheds light on conference title race and football tiebreaker

NORFOLK, Virginia (11/19/14) –  Heading into the final regular season games of the year, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) hopes to shed light on the conference title race and football tiebreaker procedures.

The MEAC’s tiebreaker process is solely to determine which team will receive the Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I FCS Championship. In the event of a tie for the Conference title, all teams included in the tie will share the title and be named co-champions.

First and foremost, if North Carolina A&T State defeats North Carolina Central, then North Carolina A&T State will earn the conference’s regular season title and MEAC’s automatic bid to the FCS Championship.

A loss by North Carolina A&T State would trigger one or multiple ties that could affect Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Morgan State and South Carolina State based on each team’s regular season finish.

In the event of a tie, the head-to-head criteria would be used first. The automatic bid will be awarded to the team with the best record against the other tied teams, regardless if all have played each other. If a tie still remains, a points system based on the tied teams’ non-conference record would determine the team that will be awarded the Conference’s automatic bid.

If North Carolina A&T State and North Carolina Central tie for first, then North Carolina Central earns the automatic bid based on its head-to-head win over North Carolina A&T State.

Three (3) three-way ties are possible.

The three-way tie including Morgan State, North Carolina A&T State, and North Carolina Central all finishing at number one would give North Carolina A&T State the Conference’s automatic bid. North Carolina A&T State would earn the bid based on its eight (8) point advantage in non-conference play. Because all teams remained tied after the first criteria, head-to-head, then the automatic bid was awarded based on non-conference wins.

If North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State finish at number one, a three-way tie would occur and North Carolina Central would earn the Conference’s automatic bid. In this scenario N.C. Central would hold head-to-head wins over both North Carolina A&T State and South Carolina State.

If Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, and North Carolina Central finish at number one, three-way tie, then Bethune-Cookman will receive the conference’s automatic bid based on its record versus all-tied teams.

Three (3) four-way ties are possible.

If North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Morgan State and South Carolina State all finish in first place, then Morgan State will receive the conference’s automatic bid based on its record versus all-tied teams.

If Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State finish first, then North Carolina Central will receive the Conference’s automatic bid. Again, this determination would be based on N.C. Central’s record versus all-tied teams.

If Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, and Morgan State finish at number one, then Bethune-Cookman will receive the Conference’s automatic bid. The determination of the bid is based on the B-CU’s record versus all-tied teams.

A five-way tie is possible.

The possibility of a five-way tie exists if Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Morgan State and South Carolina State all finish at 6-2 in conference play. Each team will share the conference title and Morgan State will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS Championship based on its record versus all-tied teams.

MEAC Tiebreaker:
1. If NCAT wins: (AQ: NCAT)
2. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU loses, SCSU loses and MSU loses: (AQ: NCCU)
3. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU loses, MSU wins, SCSU loses (AQ: NCAT)
4. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU loses, MSU loses, and SCSU wins (AQ: NCCU)
5. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU wins, SCSU loses and MSU loses (AQ: BCU)
6. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU loses, MSU wins, and SCSU wins (AQ: MSU)
7. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU wins, MSU loses and SCSU wins (AQ: NCCU)
8. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU wins, MSU wins and SCSU loses (AQ: BCU)
9. If NCCU wins, NCAT loses, BCU wins, MSU wins, and SCSU wins: (AQ: MSU)

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Week 13: HBCU ScoreCard

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014

NCAA Division II Playoffs
Virginia State 28, LIU Post 17
West Georgia 20, Tuskegee 17

OVC
Tennessee State 48, Murray State 33

MEAC
Howard 30, Hampton 29
Morgan State 69, Delaware State 7
South Carolina State 30, Norfolk State 20
Bethune-Cookman 18, Florida A&M 17 O.T.
North Carolina Central 21, North Carolina A&T 14
Brigham Young 64, Savannah State 0

SWAC
Alabama State 30, Stillman 27
Jackson State 34, Alcorn State 31
Arkansas Pine Bluff 20, Alabama A&M 19


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S.C. State aims for co-MEAC championship

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Points will most likely be at a premium today at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, where two of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s best meet in the season finale for both teams.

S.C. State, allowing just 20.9 points per game, ranks third in the league in scoring defense. Meanwhile, Norfolk State is second, allowing just 16.5 points per game.

“The best defense we’ve played all year; that kind of says it all,” S.C. State Coach Buddy Pough said. “They match up very, very badly for us, when you take that defense and put it against our offense.”

And the Bulldogs (7-4, 5-2) catch the Spartans (4-7, 4-3) on the heels of one of S.C. State’s poorest offensive performances of Pough’s 13-year tenure as coach. The team managed just 207 total yards in last week’s 24-21 loss at Morgan State.

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Game preview: Alabama State vs. Stillman

FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY

1 First one: Alabama State picked up its first road win with a 37-23 victory at Grambling.

“What better way against the No. 1 team that was in HBCU at the time,” ASU coach Reggie Barlow said. “Just a great, great, great thing for our guys, and I’m proud of them for that.” The Hornets were 0-5 on the road with one of those losses coming against Alabama A&M in the Magic City Classic in Birmingham.”

2 Record chaser: Senior tailback Malcolm Cyrus is 206 yards shy of breaking the Alabama State single-season record for rushing yards set by Brad Baxter in 1986 with 1,705 yards on 302 carries. “I think these guys want to make that happen for him,” Barlow said. Cyrus has 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns on 237 carries. “It’s pretty remarkable. I don’t think it could happen to a better guy.”

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A CLASSIC: NCCU hosts N.C. A&T in MEAC title tilt

DURHAM, North Carolina -- With UNC’s 45-20 Thursday night win over Duke in the rearview mirror and N.C. State enjoying a bye week, all eyes in the Triangle will be on O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium today.

That’s where MEAC leader North Carolina A&T will visit N.C. Central (2 p.m., NCCUEaglePride.com) with the possibility of one of the largest conference title logjams ever on the line.

If A&T wins, it will claim the MEAC title outright.

If the second-place Eagles (6-5, 5-2 MEAC) manage to upset A&T (9-2, 6-1 MEAC), they’ll share the conference title and could earn the league’s one guaranteed slot in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs — maybe.

Complicating matters is the fact that Morgan State (6-5, 5-2), S.C. State (7-4, 5-2) and Bethune-Cookman (8-3, 5-2) could easily tie a victorious NCCU and A&T in a five-way co-championship.

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Fans ready for 35th Florida Classic at newly renovated Citrus Bowl

ORLANDO, Florida -- Festivities for the 35th Florida Classic are set to kick off Friday at the newly renovated Citrus Bowl.

The annual match-up between FAMU and Bethune-Cookman will be the first event held at the stadium after its $207 million renovation. The historic game between in-state rivals Bethune Cookman and FAMU has been played at the Citrus Bowl since 1997.

Some loyal fans parked their RVs outside the stadium Thursday night to guarantee they could wake up to the festivities Friday morning.

Tommy and Steve Bostick took off from Daytona Beach Thursday at 3 a.m. to secure a good spot.

"I'm just going to enjoy this weekend with my family. Just have a good time, laugh, joke. Life is short, you know? You still want to enjoy yourself," said Steve Bostick.



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Revamped Citrus Bowl ready for Saturday's Florida Classic game

ORLANDO, Florida — Final preparations are underway at the Citrus Bowl for the Florida Blue Florida Classic football game Saturday.

Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman universities will be the first teams to take the field in the revamped stadium, following a $200 million makeover.

As construction equipment moved out of the stadium football helmets replaced hard hats.
"New stadium, I think you're going to get a lot more folks here than you normally would as an opportunity to see the stadium," said football fan James McKinney.

Fans told Channel 9's Steve Barrett that they are ready and they believe the new stadium will bring back the excitement that's waned in recent years following the hazing death of FAMU drum major Robert Champion three years ago.



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Virginia State set to host first-ever playoff game

ETTRICK, Virginia -- For the first time in Virginia State University football history, the Trojans are in the NCAA Division II Football championship game and it’s coming to Ettrick.

The third-seeded Trojans host sixth-seeded Long Island University-Post on Saturday at noon in the first round. The winner will advance to play second-seeded Bloomsburg next weekend.

“I think it’s huge,” said Trojans coach Latrell Scott. “It’s huge for our team, it’s huge for our fans, it’s huge for our alumni, it’s huge for our school. It really gives us the ability to showcase what VSU really is and we’re looking forward to trying to get the entire city out to support our guys.”

 

Winning their first CIAA championship since 1996 was "a big thrill for us all. You saw ...

 

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Week 13: HBCU Football Schedule

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014

NCAA Division II Playoffs
LIU Post at Virginia State, 12 Noon
West Georgia at Tuskegee, 1 PM

OVC
Tennessee State at Murray State, 2 PM

MEAC
Hampton at Howard, 1 PM (The Real HU)
Delaware State at Morgan State, 1 PM
Norfolk State at South Carolina State, 1:30 PM
Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida A&M, 2 PM at Orlando, TV: ESPN Classic
North Carolina A&T at North Carolina Central, 2 PM
Savannah State at Brigham Young, 3 PM

SWAC
Stillman at Alabama State, 2 PM (Homecoming) Watch Live • Live Stats
Jackson State at Alcorn State 3 PM (Soul Bowl) Watch Live
Alabama A&M at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 3:30 PM Audio



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For XU athletics, it's the busiest day of the fall

NEW ORLEANS -- Here we go again. For the third time in four years, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is the busiest on the Xavier University of Louisiana athletics fall calendar.

Three teams -- women's volleyball, women's cross country and men's cross country -- will be on the road at NAIA National Championship events. And at XU's Convocation Center, the homecoming basketball doubleheader will start at noon.

The day's schedule:

* Men's Basketball: The Gold Rush, 7-1 and ranked 13th in NAIA Division I, will lead off the doubleheader against LeMoyne-Owen (0-2) of NCAA Division II. Xavier, winner of four straight, seeks revenge for a 63-62 road loss last season.

* Women's Basketball: The Gold Nuggets, 2-4 and ranked 18th, will play first-time Florida opponent Warner University (3-2) at 2 p.m. It's just the second home game this season for Xavier, which has a 20-game home winning streak. The Nuggets already have played four top-25 opponents, including a 71-66 victory against No. 22 Mobile in XU's home opener.

* Women's Cross Country: The Gold Nuggets qualified for nationals as a team for the fifth time in seven years. They'll compete in the 5,000-meter race at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan., at 10:30 a.m. Xavier will be bolstered by the return of record-setting Catherine Fakler, who has not competed since Sept. 29 because of injury but was cleared last week for practice and competition.

* Men's Cross Country: The Gold Rush also qualified for nationals for the fifth time in seven years. The XU men -- led by Kwame Jackson, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference's first three-time individual champion -- will run 8,000 meters starting at 11:45 a.m. at Rim Rock Farm.

* Women's Volleyball: The Gold Nuggets (20-5) are on the road in the first round of nationals for the fourth consecutive year. This time they'll play 12th-ranked Lindsey Wilson (32-3) at 6:30 p.m. in Columbia, Ky. A victory would advance Xavier next month to Sioux City, Iowa, for the later rounds with 23 other schools.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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TSU's Ford Signs Armani Chaney to National Letter of Intent

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Head men’s Basketball coach Dana Ford announced the signing of Armani Chaney to a National Letter of Intent. Chaney is a 5’10 point guard will attend Tennessee State after his final season at St. Rita High School in Chicago, Ill. 

“We are really excited to bring in Armani and add him to our puzzle,” Ford said. “We are trying to bring in players that fit our coaching style and personality. We feel like he can come in right away and give us something we are lacking.” 

Chaney is a 2-Star prospect according to verbalcommits.com, who is a three year letter winner at St. Rita. As a junior, Chaney averaged 10 points and six assists per game. He is considered a true point guard who brings a strong handle and keen court instincts. Chaney has the ability to be a solid penetrator who is unselfish and can get to the rim. 

“He comes from a good school in St. Rita,” Ford added. “He is a quick scoring guard who has a tremendous ability to handle the basketball.” 

Chaney helped St. Rita to a Class 4A Oak Lawn Regional championship in 2014, giving the Mustangs their first regional title since 2003. It also marked the first championship for St. Rita after moving from Class 3A. 

Chaney is teamed at St. Rita with University of Kentucky signee, Charles Matthews. The duo, along with their teammates, is picked to be contenders in the race for the Regional Championship in 2015. 

 

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Hampton U. hopes to build on Bethune-Cookman win in finale at Howard

HAMPTON, Viriginia -- The lesson didn't take hold as quickly as Hampton U. coach Connell Maynor intended, but it finally produced a signature win. The next step in the Pirates' makeover is duplicating the process to conclude the season.

HU took down two-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champ Bethune-Cookman 40-35 last Thursday, an oasis in a frustrating season filled with competitive losses and missed opportunities.

"You showed that you could play with one of the best teams in the nation," Maynor said he told his players, "and not only play with them, you could beat them. You did it for 60 minutes, you outplayed them from the opening kickoff to the last second. We need to play like that every week — one play at a time, one drive at a time, one quarter at time, one half, one game, every single game. There's no reason you can't play like that every week."

The Pirates (3-8, 2-5 MEAC) aim for a season-ending win at Howard (4-7, 2-5 MEAC) Saturday at 1 p.m. in Washington, D.C. A 4-8 record is far from acceptable to Maynor and the program, but it would provide some momentum heading into the offseason and demonstrate that players listened.

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Transfer U: Former FBS players find a home at Bethune-Cookman

ORLANDO, Florida -- Joshua Richardson of Moss Point, Mississippi, said he learned about Bethune-Cookman from watching them play on ESPN.

Of B-CU's 25 Division I FBS transfers, Richardson is one of a very few who are not from a Florida high school.

“I saw Coach (Brian) Jenkins (on TV). He was real enthusiastic on the sidelines,” the cornerback said.

Richardson will join Jenkins and the rest of the Wildcats in the Citrus Bowl at 2 p.m. Saturday when they meet Florida A&M in the Florida Classic.

The game will be televised by ESPNClassic, providing B-CU a chance to be seen by more potential recruits and transfers.

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