Norfolk State's sparse scoring ranks last in league

NORFOLK, VA - The Norfolk State offense has scored 13 points in its last six quarters. It's no surprise, then, to see the Spartans ranked last offensively in the MEAC, a statistic the team must improve in order to remain competitive in the conference. NSU meets Bethune-Cookman at 4 p.m. today in Daytona Beach. The Spartans won in Jacksonville when the teams played there in 1996 but haven't won in the past six games played in Daytona Beach.

UConn transfer QB Dennis Brown, #10 was a no show at William and Mary as the Spartans were embarrassed 42-12, by a CAA cellar dweller.

"We're looking to reduce a few things, simplify the offense," NSU coach Pete Adrian said. We don't need 60 plays and 10 formations." The Spartans faltered badly in a 42-12 loss at William and Mary because of five turnovers, drive-killing penalties and an inability to move the ball. NSU was 3 of 18 on third-down opportunities, and many of Dennis Brown's passes were either dropped, thrown too hard or tossed behind receivers.

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FAMU and Tennessee State supporters will bring up $30 million into Atlanta economy this weekend

Joey Walters said events like today’s Atlanta Football Classic may have a comparable economic impact and visitor estimates as smaller bowl games. Such comments may exemplify the spending power that fans from Historically Black Colleges have when it comes to classics. Walters is the director of the Florida Classic for Florida Citrus Sports in Orlando, a game where Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman supporters infuse up to $30 million in the Central Florida economy each November.

This weekend the 20th annual match-up between Florida A&M and Tennessee State is expected to bring $30 million into the Atlanta economy according to estimates from the Atlanta Sports Council. The SEC Championship Game and the Chick-fil-A bowl, by comparison, bring $25 and $30 million respectively into the Atlanta economy.

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Tennessee State seeks to end Atlanta Classic heartbreak

Florida A&M has won the last five games in rivalry

Tennessee State loves playing in the Georgia Dome every year. And because Atlanta is the school’s largest alumni base outside of Nashville, Saturday’s Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic has become like a Bowl game for Tigers fans. But there’s only so much heartbreak a team can take. When the classic kicks off at 4 p.m., the Tigers will be trying to break a six-game losing streak in the series that’s been unusually painful.

The Rattlers have won the last five by six points or fewer. In 2006, they won 25-22 in overtime following a Tigers’ fumble. Last year, FAMU overcame a 14-5 halftime deficit and held on 18-17 when Tennessee State missed a short field goal at the end. The Tigers say this year will be different. “These seniors have never beaten them and there’s a commitment to winning this game,” coach James Webster said. “Our faith is strong and we believe we will be victorious.”

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Tennessee State University vs. Jackson State University

TSU gives transfer opportunity to shine

Tennessee State University DB Anthony Levine #6 and Ozzie Harrell #3 closing in on EKU receiver.

Former Ohio St. player is Tigers' new defensive star

Tennessee State needed help in the secondary. Eugene Clifford needed a place to play. It was a match made in football heaven. The Tigers were looking for an impact player to replace All-American cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Who knew they would be able to find one so quickly? "As coaches, we knew what Eugene Clifford could do when he came here,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "He was a five-star athlete coming out of Ohio. We knew he was going to be a dominant player for us and he was going to be an impact player."

Clifford, a safety who transferred from Ohio State, displays a hard-hitting physical style of play that is much different from the electrifying speed and quickness Rodgers-Cromartie provided. But the impact on the secondary has been the same. Opposing offenses would avoid Rodgers-Cromartie, seldom throwing the ball his way. Now it's Clifford who has their attention.

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FAMU will try to stay calm on big stage

Qier Hall could hardly believe what he'd done in the Georgia Dome. After all, he was just a freshman coping with the fascination of playing in a pro venue. He certainly wasn't expected to be the one making a play to change the momentum in Florida A&M's favor. But his 83-yard punt return turned out to be the touchdown by which his career as a cornerback at FAMU might well be defined.

Rivalry weekend: FAMU (2-1) vs. Tennessee State (4-0) at Atlanta Football Classic; view live (nation-wide) at 3:00 p.m. ET on "Versus Channel" on Cable, Dish Network or Direct TV. Photo: CB LeRoy Vann.

"It was unbelievable that a freshman could change the whole game around like I did," said Hall, whose touchdown last season put the Rattlers in position to win on a field goal over Tennessee State. "It felt good." That's the feeling every freshman who gets on the field Saturday wants to experience when they make their first appearance on the Atlanta Falcons' home field. But as much as the younger players want to shine, rookie mistakes are a concern going against an undefeated Tennessee State (4-0) team.

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MEAC Notebook: Taylor has Florida A&M rolling

Coach Joe Taylor of Florida A&M has his team playing very well and is 2-1 heading into Saturday's game against Tennessee State in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. Taylor, a former coach at Hampton, said that Tennessee State is very talented. "I think they have seven Division I transfers on offense and six on defense," Taylor said.

Taylor inherited a young team but said he doesn't like to talk about that aspect. "I usually don't talk about how young they are because I don't want to scare the hell out of them," Taylor said. Taylor has a chance to get his 200th career win on Saturday. "That just speaks to the fact that you've been around a lot of good people and outstanding young men," Taylor said.

Taylor also said that getting 200 wins also means: "I'm getting old."

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ASU 47, MVSU 7: Hornets gain 1st victory of season

Photo Galleries:

• ASU plays Miss Valley for homecoming
• ASU Hornet Walk
• ASU Pep Rally

After opening the season with three straight losses, the Alabama State football team needed something to go right. Enter Mississippi Valley State: the cure for every strug­gling football program. The Hornets (1-3, 1-0 in the SWAC) turned in their most dominating performance in years, as they breezed to their first win, 47-7, at Cramton Bowl.

"(The first three weeks have) been rough on us," ASU head coach Reggie Barlow said. "We needed (this game) bad. We needed the good feelings. We needed the confidence. This was very good for us, very good for our offense." It was very bad for Valley. For three hours Thursday night, the Delta Devils provided a clin­ic on how not to play organized football. And ASU took full advan­tage.

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Homecoming Attendance: 7,783 (31.8%) at Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL (Capacity: 24,500).

Rutgers football: Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley meets the media

With Morgan State (2-1) set to visit Rutgers on Saturday -- a Championship Subdivision School looking for its first-ever victory over a BCS opponent -- head coach Donald Hill-Eley met with the media on Monday to discuss the game and the prospects of an upset.

Here is what the sixth-year coach had to say:

Q. As fragile as Rutgers' psyche seems to be, is it important for your team to have some early success to have a chance?

Hill-Eley: As with any game, it's important to try to get some success early, moving the ball to get that confidence that we can compete with them.

Q. What type of matchup problems does your quarterback, Carlton Jackson, create with his athleticism and running ability?

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No game here, folks...Rutgers by 55! The only suspense is will Morgan score 3. No need for wishful thinking, the MEAC and SWAC have proven they can't beat an average FCS/1-AA outside the MEAC. This is simply a paycheck game for the Bears. Just pray Hill-Eley makes a better showing than the Norfolk State Spartans that got shellacked 59-0 last season by the Scarlett Knights.

FAMU vs. Tennessee State is on nation-wide TV at 3:00 p.m. and the Rattlers will give the MEAC something to cheer about in this OVC-MEAC rivalry game before a packed house at the Atlanta Football Classic.

Florida home to many successful programs

Except:

We take an inside look at the state of Florida's programs.

8. BETHUNE-COOKMAN

It's not often that a team out of the MEAC causes headaches for opposing teams, but Bethune-Cookman certainly is the exception. The Wildcats haven't been able to make a huge splash on the national stage, but have caused some waves inside the state of Florida. Long-time coach Mervyl Melendez has done a tremendous job at BCC, and the Wildcats continued their winning ways last season by going 17-1 in conference, 36-22 overall.

13. FLORIDA A&M

There's no question Florida A&M has the worst program in the state of Florida. The Rattlers consistently finish near the top of the MEAC, but that obviously doesn't mean much considering they've finished the last two seasons with overall records of 20-22 and 16-36. FAMU should look at Bethune-Cookman as a perfect example.

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Hampton U. win comes easy over A&T

Photo Gallery: Hampton vs. North Carolina A&T

Hampton 44, North Carolina A&T 7

HAMPTON, VA - It was plenty impressive that Jeremy Gilchrist returned three punts for touchdowns in 11 games last season, particularly since that number led the Football Championship Subdivision. Even more spectacular was Gilchrist returning two punts for touchdowns Saturday in a span of 1 minute, 59 seconds. His first, for 56 yards, gave Hampton University the lead in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game against North Carolina A&T. His second, for 88 yards, turned the game into a rout before halftime as the Pirates crushed the Aggies 44-7.

The return touchdowns were the fourth for the Pirates within four quarters. Kevin Teel returned kickoffs 87 and 90 yards for touchdowns a week earlier in the Pirates' 38-27 win over Howard.

Hampton's WR/KR Kevin Teel

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Attendance: 5,103 (30%) at Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, VA (Capacity: 17,000)
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TSU stays unbeaten despite sloppy play

PHOTO GALLERY: TSU vs. Eastern Kentucky
Click here for official box score.

Even with three turnovers, Tigers are 4-0

Sometimes it's good to be bad. Tennessee State was not as good as it could be Saturday night, but still managed to beat arch-nemesis and Ohio Valley Conference power Eastern Kentucky 34-20. An LP Field crowd of 8,276 watched the Tigers commit costly turnovers and a flurry of frustrating penalties while still handily beating a team it hadn't beaten since 1999.

"We won despite having some penalties and having some turnovers and that's a testament to how good this football team can be,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "It's also a testament to the heart of this football team. We had some fumbles and interceptions at key times and they could have folded, but they were very confident in what they were doing." TSU (4-0, 1-0 OVC) committed 11 penalties for 103 yards, while EKU (1-4, 0-1 OVC) had three penalties for 20 yards. The Tigers also had three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble — yet improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2001.

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Attendance: 8,276 (12%) at LP Field, Nashville, TN (Capacity: 68,800).

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FAMU blasts Howard Bison

PHOTO GALLERIES:
FAMU at Howard Pregame
FAMU 51 Howard 24

Even a certain gentleman who lives in a big white house several blocks from here would have struggled to bail out the hometown Howard University Bison. Like the Bison, he probably would have never had time to react to a Florida A&M football team that simply came on too strong -- too early. Now 17 days removed from a game they lost in overtime, the Rattlers appeared to need little time to overwhelm the Bison on their way to a 51-24 road win.

In less than one minute, the Rattlers turned a 3-0 lead in the first quarter into 17-0 with two long defensive touchdowns. First, FAMU defensive end Joseph Wims picked up a fumbled snap and made a mad 65-yard dash for a touchdown, the first of his career. "Before the game, (head coach Joe Taylor) was talking about 'Start out fast. Start out fast,?' " Wims said. "When they made errors, we just capitalized on it. We just do our job. We expect to win. That's why we got up at 5:45 in the morning all spring -- for this."

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ATTENDANCE: 5,297 (53%) at William H. Greene Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Capacity: 10,000).

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UAB Blazers burn Alabama State Hornets, 45-10

PHOTO GALLERY: ASU loses to UAB in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, AL -- Alabama State came to Birmingham looking for answers to its recent struggles. The Hornets left Legion Field with more questions. UAB kept the struggling ASU offense in check and, surprisingly, sliced through the Hornets' defense with ease. The Blazers (1-2) were as dominating as the 45-10 final looked.
























Coach Reggie Barlow's ASU Hornets (0-3) have absolutely nothing to cheer about after getting a beat down by a terrible UAB Blazer team (1-2) that was win less prior to facing the Hornets.

"It looked bad scoreboard-wise," ASU head coach Reggie Barlow said. "Whenever you go up against a I-A school, there is some unbalance there. You don't want to dwell on that, but it's a fact. Still, we come to play and we didn't get the job done." UAB quarterback Joe Webb did. Webb completed 14 of 22 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 121 yards on 14 attempts and added another TD.

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ATTENDANCE: 26,414 (32.8%) at Legion Field, Birmingham, AL (Capacity: 80,391).

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William & Mary routs NSU in first meeting since '87

Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, VA - Both teams wore green and gold at Zable Stadium on Saturday night. That's where the similarities ended between Norfolk State and William and Mary in the first meeting between the schools in 23 years. For the Tribe (2-1), it was a night of big plays in a 42-12 rout. For the Spartans (2-2), it was a frustrating evening of missed opportunities, blown coverages and offensive ineptitude.

NSU Coach Pete Adrian and the Spartans were steamrolled by William and Mary Tribe 42 -12, Saturday. However, the Spartan Legions Band did play and may have won the so-called mystical battle of the bands. It appears that Spartans football was out of their league in facing divisional foe, William and Mary. The Spartans were validated by the Tribe as being "certified pretenders" for the MEAC Crown and a FCS playoff berth.

NSU had four turnovers, committed 12 penalties and converted just three of 18 third-down opportunities. William and Mary's Jake Phillips, meanwhile, had his third straight game with three or more touchdown passes, throwing four four scores. "We played very poorly and I'm not happy with it at all," NSU coach Pete Adrian said. DeAngelo Branche's 1-yard run with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter was the lone touchdown by the Spartans.

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ATTENDANCE: 10,152 (82.8%) at Zable Stadium, Williamsburg, VA (Capacity: 12,259).

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Clemson routs overmatched S.C. State, 54-0

Final Stats Photo Gallery

CLEMSON, S.C. — A tired-looking Vic Koening met with reporters earlier this week, explaining that his lack of sleep was due to anxiety over facing South Carolina State. Clemson’s defensive coordinator and his fellow coaches pushed the right buttons with their players as the Tigers matched the underdog Bulldogs’ intensity Saturday. Early in the second half it was most of those in attendance at Death Valley stifling yawns during No. 23 Clemson’s 54-0 win.

“We did what we needed to do,” head coach Tommy Bowden said. “We were focused and played with a lot of energy, and that’s all we can ask for right now from the players.” Clemson’s coaching strategy was to preach all week that S.C. State featured many players who had been recruited by the Tigers and the talent level was not to be taken lightly. “I think Coach Koenning did (over-hype the Bulldogs),” senior safety Michael Hamlin said. “That’s any coach’s job, to blow them up bigger than they really are. He told us how good they were and really opened everybody’s eyes up.”

S.C. State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough has been stomped 143-6 in four "practices" with Clemson, Central Florida, South Carolina and Air Force Academy the past two seasons. Should SCSU spare themselves and their fans the embarrassment and cancel the Georgia Tech game for '09, as the Bulldogs have proven they are not competitive with middle of the pack FCS and FBS teams? Clearly the Bulldogs are pretenders and are guilty of being over-hyped by their AD and SID.

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ATTENDANCE: 78,000 (97.2%) at Death Valley (Memorial Stadium), Clemson, S.C. (Capacity: 80,301)

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Florida A&M University's opponent Howard not living in the past

Howard vs. Florida A&M
When: 1 p.m.
Where: Greene Stadium (7,000).
Records: Bison 0-2, 0-1 MEAC; Rattlers 1-1, 0-1.
Complete Game Notes
Webcast (audio only), notes and more
http://www.howard-bison.com/ Play-by-Play: Ron Harris
Radio: 96.1 (Tallahassee)

Florida A&M has a 24-6 lead in its all-time series against Howard, which is coming off back-to-back losses to start the 2008 season. Bison coach Carey Bailey wants his players to forget all that by kickoff, as well as anything else that might have gone wrong. "You live in the past and you have no future," Bailey said earlier this week during MEAC coaches conference call. "The thing about football is you don't have a lot of time to celebrate or mourn. You have to go get your mind on the next game."

The next game is FAMU today at Green Stadium in Washington, D.C., where Howard used a spread offense to baffle Hampton before falling 38-27 last weekend. The loss kept Howard winless on a day that quarterback Floyd Haigler put himself in the program's record book by passing for 456 yards. The offense that Haigler is directing could make the afternoon interesting for the FAMU defense because of similarities to what the Rattlers saw in their first game against Alabama State. FAMU could not get more than a seven-point lead, mostly because of the short underneath passes that often caught the defense off-guard. That and Haigler's speed has been a concern for FAMU head coach Joe Taylor this week.

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Sorry sports fans, this one is in our backyard, so the "Beep" will be attending the Howard vs. FAMU game this afternoon. We will update the blog on our return late this evening. Have a great football day! Go Rattlers, Pirates, Wildcats, Bears, Bulldogs, Tigers, Eagles and Spartans!!!

Week 3: MEAC/SWAC Battle of the Bands

Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands (So. Heritage Classic)

South Carolina State University Marching 101

Bethune-Cookman University Marching Wildcats

Jackson State University Sonic Boom Marching Band

Mississippi Valley State University


Alcorn State University Sounds of Dynomite and the Golden Girls
ASU Golden Girls

Stronger quarterback gives TSU power lift

Heffner spent time in weight room

Antonio Heffner is off-limits to the media this week because Tennessee State Coach James Webster doesn't want him bothered by questions about facing Eastern Kentucky. If only it were that easy to keep EKU's defense away from the TSU quarterback. It was against the Colonels that Heffner's 2007 season abruptly ended when he broke his leg trying to escape a heavy rush.

No. 25 TSU (3-0) faces EKU (1-2) in Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference opener at LP Field. And the Colonels might not recognize Heffner. Not only is he back on his feet, he is bigger and stronger than when they saw him last.It was the second straight year Heffner was seriously hurt. It inspired him to do whatever was necessary to change his bad luck. He hurt his shoulder the year before. After his leg healed last winter he headed for the weight room to become sturdier.

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Versus selects TSU-Florida A&M

Versus announced Thursday it will broadcast the Atlanta Football Classic game between Tennessee State and Florida A&M on Sept. 27. It is the first time in the game's 20-year history that is has been televised nationally. Versus reaches approximately 73 million homes.

"We feel that given the tradition and historic rivalries featured … it is truly an event of national significance,'' said Marc Fein, executive vice president of programming, production and business operations for Versus. Kickoff will be at 3 p.m. This will mark the 10th consecutive year that TSU and Florida A&M have appeared in the Atlanta game. Florida A&M has won the last six.

Click here for details on this year’s event and the exciting history of the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic. http://www.atlantafootballclassic.com/.

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CLICK LINK TO CHECK FOR VERSUS TV CHANNEL IN YOUR AREA: http://affiliate.zap2it.com/channelfinder/versus

Howard U. transfer athletes hit a wall with eligibility

Office of Compliance Receives Students, Parent Complaints

The Howard University football team has not only been battling opposing teams, but also the Howard University Compliance Office. The office ensures that student athletes meet NCAA requirements. Two football players and one parent have accused Chief Compliance Officer Altha B. Williamson of being unprofessional, rude and having a complete lack of care about their situations.

"Mr. Williamson told me he's going to do everything in his power to get me kicked out of Howard University," said Oscar Gonzales, a transfer student-athlete. The Hilltop contacted Williamson and he directed questions on the matter to the Office of the Provost. Gonzales enrolled at Howard in January for the spring semester. He transferred from Auburn University and signed a scholarship to be on the Bison football team. Gonzales thought everything was fine and that he would be able to play in the 2008 season. However...

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I-AA play has been king in Virginia

Richmond and James Madison are in the top 5. Liberty is in the Top 25. Norfolk State and Hampton are knocking on the door. Even William and Mary is receiving votes in the national poll. Virginia's Division I-AA football - the Football Championship Subdivision, as the NCAA likes to call it - is thriving these days and threatening to take center stage this weekend, when No. 5 JMU hosts three-time defending national champion and top-ranked Appalachian State.

"I've always said that FCS football is the equivalent of the mid-major programs in Division I basketball," JMU coach Mickey Matthew said. "I think everyone would agree that we have as many good mid-major programs in Virginia as anywhere, and the same can be said for football. "There are quality programs in the state, and Old Dominion starting football will only enhance that."

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NSU Spartans vs. W&M Tribe

Two weeks into the College of William and Mary’s 2008 season, the Tribe sits at 1-1 after playing two radically different teams. Week one opponent North Carolina State University was an athletic, deep Bowl Championship Series program with which the College did well to compete. Last week, the Tribe pounded an over matched Virginia Military Institute squad. Tomorrow, the College will get its first chance to match up against comparable talent when the Norfolk State University Spartans come to town.

Norfolk State University and QB Dennis Brown can lay the cornerstone for a possible At-Large 1-AA Playoff Berth for the Spartans with a victory at CAA foe William and Mary, Saturday.

“We want to come out and make a big statement to our future opponents,” senior linebacker Michael Pigram said. Such a statement will not come easily. The Spartans went 8-3 a year ago and head into tomorrow’s matchup at 2-1 on the season. The squad received 23 votes in The Sporting News’ most recent Football Championship Series poll to the Tribe’s single tally. “We haven’t played them in quite some time, but we know their reputation,” Head Coach Jimmye Laycock said. “We’ve looked at a little bit of tape and they’re a very good football team.”

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SCSU's Long, Clemson's Korn have a past coming into the present

Malcolm Long would rather focus on the present and future with South Carolina State rather than the past. Yet to Upstate football fans, he remains well-known as the quarterback who led Gaffney High School to back-to-back state titles in 2005 and 2006 and victories in three of four high-profile games against state powerhouse J.F. Byrnes and former starting quarterback Willy Korn.

S.C. State QB Malcolm Long.

The rivalry between the two championship rich programs, as well the high-profile coverage given to the games (the 2006 regular-season game was aired nationally by Fox Sports) would forever link the “Mr. South Carolina Football” and Parade All-American. It also forged a level of mutual respect and friendship between Korn and Long which continues to this day. “Out of all the guys that I played against in high school, he’s definitely by far the best quarterback I went against,” Korn said.

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Alcorn outduels UAPB 13-3 to give Jones 1st victory

LORMAN, MS — Alcorn State quarterback Tim Buckley threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Arceneaux in the second quarter Thursday night, and the Braves hammered out a 13-3 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The win, which didn't count in the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings, was the first for new Braves coach Ernest Jones and moved Alcorn to 1-3 on the season.

Alcorn's Taylor Richardson kicked a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter and another from the same distance in the fourth to give the Braves some breathing room on a night they were outgained 216-205 in total yardage.UAPB (0-4) scored in the first quarter on Carlos Reyes' 25-yard field goal. Buckley completed 9 of 18 passes for 118 yards with no interceptions. Arceneaux caught six balls for 79 yards.

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Attendance: 2,500 (11%) at Jack Spinks Stadium, Lorman, MS (Capacity: 22,500).

Pulley finding his niche at FAMU

Curtis Pulley stood in the middle of a crowd of players on the sideline his first day in a Florida A&M uniform, looking somewhat oblivious. A day later, he was under center directing the offense as if he was a seasoned veteran. Now, four weeks later, Pulley is raising eyebrows with the rapid pace at which he is getting comfortable in the Rattlers' offense. There is plenty of zing on his throws and he's speedy afoot.

"It fits my style perfectly," Pulley said. "The coaches are allowing me to run and they do a great job to put me in plays where the team will succeed. "I think there are some things that I still need to learn, but at the same time I feel confident enough to know I can go out there and call what coach (Lawrence Kershaw) asks me to do. I feel real comfortable in the offense right now."

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