Tuesday, August 23, 2016
S.C. State must survive early challenges to make run at another MEAC title
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough joked that he should fire the person responsible for the Bulldogs’ 2016 football schedule.
Of course, that would mean Pough would have to dismiss himself.
The Bulldogs, coming off a 7-4 season and a respectable 6-2 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, should be league contenders this fall.
That is, if they can survive the first month of the season.
With the university and athletic department financially strapped, Pough had to schedule what in the business are known as “money games” to generate revenue for the cash-starved football program.
Not only do the Bulldogs open the season with three straight games against FBS teams, including Clemson, but all three games are on the road.
CONTINUE READING
Monday, August 22, 2016
from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU vs. Tuskegee University Football Game Three Pre-season Pick
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- I would like to say that Tuskegee playing FAMU is like FAMU competing against Miami, but that is not quite the case.
Tuskegee is ranked in Division II polls and has the potential to beat a Division 1 team. It has happened before!
Tuskegee will not beat FAMU 53without FAMU’s help though. Should FAMU come to the game focused and ready to go all out, they should, that is, they are supposed to win this game.
At halftime Tuskegee will attempt to beat FAMU at their own game. The one thing that the Tuskegee band won’t be able to do is mimic the FAMU sound. No one will leave the stands at halftime and FAMU will take the show.
CONTNUE READING
'I'm having a blast': Former Spurrier QB coach Mangus likes life with S.C. State program
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- For more than a month now, G.A. Mangus has been making the trip from his home in Columbia to Orangeburg for South Carolina State football activities and practices.The quarterbacks coach for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina for the past seven seasons has yet to get a signed contract with the SCSU program, but Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough says he is sure the contract will be taken care of by the athletic department in the near future.
“I think he’s (Mangus) right on the verge (of being under contract),” Pough said with a smile after a recent workout. “Maybe in the next month or so we will have it all straight; maybe by the time we play game three, we will have it all straight.”
The same goes for former South Carolina and Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cory Peoples, most recently cornerbacks coach at Charleston Southern. Both Mangus and Peoples were positioned directly behind the backfields of their respective sides of the ball during the entirety of the first scrimmage of the preseason at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
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ULM Know A Foe: Southern
MONROE, Louisiana -- The countdown begins today with the Southern Jaguars.
The 2016 season opener marks the first ever meeting between ULM and Southern. ULM is 6-0 all-time against SWAC schools, including a 3-0 records against Southern’s archrival Grambling. The Warhawks last faced a SWAC opponent in 2013 when they beat Grambling 48-10 inside JPS Field at Malone Stadium.
A look at 2016: Coming off last season’s disappointment, Odums returns a relatively talented roster by SWAC standards. Tillery led the conference in rushing with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Jaguars return seven total starters on offense including Howard, who finished third in the SWAC in passing with 2,292 and 16 touchdowns to four interceptions. New defensive coordinator Trei Oliver has a capable pass rusher to work with in Tiller, who led the SWAC with 10 sacks. Johnson was an all-conference selection last season at defensive back. Southern was once again prohibited from going through spring practice this offseason due to NCAA sanctions related to poor APR scores.
CONTINUE READING
Camp is over, but QB competition still alive at JSU
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Training camp is over at Jackson State.
The quarterback competition marches on for another day though.
Tony Hughes declared all five of the Tigers quarterbacks are still in the mix to be named the starter. JSU's season opener at UNLV is just 10 days away.
"We'll make an announcement before the first game (who) that will be," Hughes said. "We'll sit down as a staff and make that decision, but right now we have two weeks to make that (call)."
LaMontiez Ivy, who is is the incumbent at the position and the most experienced option, started throughout the spring and was the first-team quarterback in JSU's first scrimmage.
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The quarterback competition marches on for another day though.
Tony Hughes declared all five of the Tigers quarterbacks are still in the mix to be named the starter. JSU's season opener at UNLV is just 10 days away.
"We'll make an announcement before the first game (who) that will be," Hughes said. "We'll sit down as a staff and make that decision, but right now we have two weeks to make that (call)."
LaMontiez Ivy, who is is the incumbent at the position and the most experienced option, started throughout the spring and was the first-team quarterback in JSU's first scrimmage.
CONTINUE READING
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Gulfport’s Cleveland Ford finds right fit at Alcorn State
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Expectations are high at Gulfport — both externally and internally.With the Admirals projected to be a Class 6A contender again this season, quarterback Cleveland Ford felt it best if he went ahead and ended his recruitment. Sunday, the senior athlete committed to Alcorn State over interest from Texas Tech, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgetown and others.
“I just have a lot of things going on and I wanted to get it out of the way so I could focus on football and the season coming up,” Ford said. “I just felt like it was time. I didn’t want to prolong it and have them think I wasn’t as interested as I really am.”
Ford’s athleticism was on display a year ago when he passed for nearly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns, and rushed for another 231 yards and three touchdowns.
CONTINUE READING
Howard Women's Basketball Releases Stout 2016-17 Schedule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard University women's basketball team has finalized its schedule for the 2016-17 season, as announced by head coach Ty Grace on Monday. The 28-game slate includes matchups with three teams that made the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
The 2016-17 regular season opens with a seven-game road trip, beginning at Brown on Friday, Nov. 11. The Bison will head to face West Virginia on Nov. 15, who made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Howard will spend the rest of November making stops at Michigan (11/18), Cornell (11/22), Cincinnati (11/26) and St. Francis (N.Y.) (11/30).
After a Dec. 4 game at Robert Morris, the squad will have its 2016-17 home opener on Saturday, Dec. 10 when it welcomes Mount St. Mary's to the Nation's Capital. The Bison travel to NJIT on Dec. 16 before coming back home to face UIC on Dec. 19. The team will have a quick turnaround to play at Fairleigh Dickinson (12/22) then hosts Vermont (12/30) to close out the year and non-conference schedule.
Howard commences Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) action with a showdown against Florida A&M on Jan. 4 in Burr Gymnasium. The Bison will play home-and-home series against Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T, the 2016 MEAC Champion. The rest of the conference schedule will be single-play matchups.
The Bison will play their final home game on Feb. 27 when it battles UMES before closing out the regular season on the road against Delaware State on Mar. 2.
"I felt we did a good job putting together a diverse schedule," said Ty Grace. "While we are playing some of the best teams in the country in West Virginia and Michigan, we are also giving ourselves an opportunity to be competitive and pick up some wins in our non-conference action. I think our non-conference schedule will definitely help us prepare for the MEAC season, which I know will be tough once again."
"I felt we did a good job putting together a diverse schedule," said Ty Grace. "While we are playing some of the best teams in the country in West Virginia and Michigan, we are also giving ourselves an opportunity to be competitive and pick up some wins in our non-conference action. I think our non-conference schedule will definitely help us prepare for the MEAC season, which I know will be tough once again."
The 2017 MEAC Tournament will be played from Mar. 6-11 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
Full schedule listed below:
DATE
|
OPPONENT
|
LOCATION
|
TIME (ET)
|
11/11/16
|
at Brown
|
Providence, R.I.
|
TBA
|
11/15/16
|
at West Virginia
|
Morgantown, W. Va.
|
TBA
|
11/18/16
|
at Michigan
|
Ann Arbor, Mich.
|
TBA
|
11/22/16
|
at Cornell
|
Ithaca, N.Y.
|
TBA
|
11/26/16
|
at Cincinnati
|
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
TBA
|
11/30/16
|
at St. Francis (N.Y.)
|
Brooklyn, N.Y.
|
TBA
|
12/4/16
|
at Robert Morris
|
Pittsburgh, Pa.
|
TBA
|
12/10/16
|
Mt. St. Mary's
|
Washington, D.C.
|
2 p.m.
|
12/16/16
|
at NJIT
|
Newark, N.J.
|
7 p.m.
|
12/19/16
|
UIC
|
Washington, D.C.
|
2 p.m.
|
12/22/16
|
at Fairleigh Dickinson
|
Teaneck, N.J.
|
TBA
|
12/30/16
|
Vermont
|
Washington, D.C.
|
2 p.m.
|
1/4/17
|
FAMU*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
1/14/17
|
at UMES*
|
Princess Anne, Md.
|
TBA
|
1/16/17
|
Coppin State*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
1/21/17
|
at North Carolina A&T*
|
Greensboro, N.C.
|
TBA
|
1/23/17
|
at North Carolina Central*
|
Durham, N.C.
|
TBA
|
1/28/17
|
Savannah State*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
1/30/17
|
S.C. State*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
2/4/17
|
at FAMU*
|
Tallahassee, Fla.
|
TBA
|
2/6/17
|
at Bethune-Cookman*
|
Daytona Beach, Fla.
|
TBA
|
2/11/17
|
at Hampton*
|
Hampton, Va.
|
TBA
|
2/13/17
|
Morgan State*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
2/18/17
|
North Carolina A&T*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
2/20/17
|
North Carolina Central*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
2/25/17
|
at Norfolk State*
|
Norfolk, Va.
|
TBA
|
2/27/17
|
UMES*
|
Washington, D.C.
|
TBA
|
3/2/17
|
at Delaware State*
|
Dover, Del.
|
TBA
|
3/6-11/17
|
MEAC Tournament
|
Norfolk, Va.
|
TBA
|
Home Games in BOLD
*Denotes MEAC Contest
Here's how Southern's Jose De Leon made himself a prized L.A. Dodgers prospect
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma — Jose De Leon knew little to no English. He was a little pudgy — baby fat as some called it — and he was in a new world.
A freshman in his first semester at Southern University in 2010, De Leon was wide-eyed and struggling. Baton Rouge was different from Isabela, Puerto Rico, and he missed his family.
“I was lost,” De Leon said.
Then he stepped into the classroom of an aging history professor who possessed a deep Southern accent. Many students dropped the class, citing an inability to understand the professor.
De Leon moved closer to the front of the room.
“I was going to stay there because if I end up understanding him I could understand anybody,” De Leon said. “By the end of the year I was understanding.”
That was the first sign of what De Leon could do if he applied himself.
Four years later, De Leon became a “teacher’s pet” in a baseball classroom, taking the necessary steps to rise from the 24th-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers to a prized pitching prospect currently in Triple-A Oklahoma City.
CONTINUE READING
A freshman in his first semester at Southern University in 2010, De Leon was wide-eyed and struggling. Baton Rouge was different from Isabela, Puerto Rico, and he missed his family.
“I was lost,” De Leon said.
Then he stepped into the classroom of an aging history professor who possessed a deep Southern accent. Many students dropped the class, citing an inability to understand the professor.
De Leon moved closer to the front of the room.
“I was going to stay there because if I end up understanding him I could understand anybody,” De Leon said. “By the end of the year I was understanding.”
That was the first sign of what De Leon could do if he applied himself.
Four years later, De Leon became a “teacher’s pet” in a baseball classroom, taking the necessary steps to rise from the 24th-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers to a prized pitching prospect currently in Triple-A Oklahoma City.
CONTINUE READING
from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU at Coastal Carolina, Game 2 Preseason Pick
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Coastal Carolina is going to score. All of last year there was not a team that seriously slowed their offense. In the three games they lost they scored 21, 25, and 38 points.
The last time FAMU played them in 2014, the Rattlers gave the game away with interceptions and fumbles, but then again causing turnovers is a part of Coastal’s game. This time they will be playing a Carolina team that is ranked 16th in preseason polls.
The biggest advantage that Coastal Carolina will have is a successful offensive scheme they have been using for four years now. They also have solid running backs and big receivers. Coastal will have a new defensive coordinator to try to shore up their defense.
CONTINUE READING
ASU Up-Tempo Scrimmage Results in Big Plays on Both Sides of Ball
LORMAN, Mississippi -- Junior LENORRIS FOOTMAN threw for two touchdowns and ran for one to highlight the Alcorn State University football Purple vs. Gold preseason scrimmage Saturday in front of a strong turnout at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.
The new scoreboard was officially turned on for the first time and operated for the entire scrimmage. Fans got their first look at instant replays in addition to enhanced video and score content.
The scrimmage featured the entire offense wearing gold, playing against the entire defense wearing purple. A total of six touchdowns and two field goals were registered by the gold after two 15-minute halves.
The fast-tempo game also saw the defense record eight sacks, six pass break-ups and three quarterback-hurries.
Footman ended with 158 yards passing. He split time at quarterback with redshirt-freshman NOAH JOHNSON who also threw for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
The scoring began with a 40-yard field goal by freshman COREY MCCULLOUGH. The first touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from Footman to junior NORLANDO VEALS.
Also catching touchdowns on the day were junior JALEN WALKER and sophomore CORBIN JOHNSON.
The biggest play of the scrimmage came on a 40-yard spurt by junior ARRON BAKER who busted through the middle and could not be caught. Baker finished with 80 yards on seven carries.
Defensively, TERRY WHITTINGTON shined with 6.5 tackles including 3.0 sacks. Junior BRADY SMITH was also all over the field with 7.0 tackles and a pair of pass breakups.
Sophomore LASHAUN EALEY got his hands on the lone interception of the contest in the closing minutes.
On special teams, McCullough and fellow freshman VARRICK DYER JR. split duties between kicking and punting. Dyer drilled a 45-yarder on his lone field goal attempt.
Freshman Tavares Johnson broke-off a pair of big kick returns including a 53-yarder and a 47-yarder. Junior CHARLES HUGHES returned punts, with his longest of the day resulting in a 32-yarder.
Alcorn has two more weeks to prepare for its 2016 season opener as it takes on Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 4 at noon (CT) as part of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on ESPN.
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Dr. Darryl A. Pope Named Fort Valley State Director of Athletics
 |
| Dr. DARRYL A. POPE |
In announcing Pope's hiring, President Jones expressed confidence that FVSU's athletics teams will reach new heights in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and National Collegiate Athletics Association competitions.
"I'm excited about having someone with his extensive background and experience join the Wildcat family. I'm looking forward to his leadership during this exciting time in our university's history," said Jones.
With more than 20 years' experience, Pope has extensive knowledge in leadership and management in intercollegiate sports. His accomplishments include: developing compliance and fundraising programs, writing and managing strategic plans for a progressive and growing athletic program, oversight of facilities and athletic budgets, external relations and game-day management. He also served on the NCAA Peer Review Program, from 2000 to 2011, evaluating Division I institutions for compliance with NCAA guiding principles.
"I'm looking forward to working with the staff and administration at Fort Valley State University. FVSU has potential to make some great strides in athletics that will have a positive impact on the school and community. I enjoy moving programs forward and making a positive difference. I thank Dr. Jones for the opportunity and know that together we are going to do some great things at FVSU," stated Pope.
At FVSU, Pope will oversee 11 intercollegiate sports programs, including football, men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, track and cross country, tennis and softball.
Prior to his 2014 arrival at Lincoln, Pope spent two years as director of athletics and physical activity at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. He also worked in the Department of Athletics at Kennesaw State University and served as associate athletics director for internal affairs. He earned his bachelor's degree in communication management, with a minor in business administration from Howard University, a master's degree in sport administration from Grambling State University in Louisiana, and a doctoral degree in education in sports management and leisure studies from Temple University in Pennsylvania.
Tentatively, Pope begins Sept. 12, 2016.
FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Alcorn State Braves Unveil Loaded 2016-17 Schedule
LORMAN, Mississippi -- With eight of its 11 non-conference games on the road against bigger schools, the Alcorn State University men's basketball program released its 2016-17 schedule, head coach Montez Robinson announced Friday."I'm really excited for the upcoming season. We are going to play a very difficult non-conference slate which will have us well-prepared for conference play," said Robinson, who enters his second year at the helm. "Even our non-Division I games are against quality opponents and we'll have to play our best every night to win."
The Braves open the 2016-17 campaign Friday, Nov. 11, when they travel to Evanston, Ill., to take on Loyola-Chicago. Alcorn will hang around the Midwest a few more days to play at Evansville Monday, Nov. 14.
The home opener will be Friday, Nov. 18, when Selma University comes to town to play inside the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex. The Braves will stay at home to host Blue Mountain Tuesday, Nov. 22. Both games will begin at 7 p.m.
Alcorn will kick-off a big six game road trip starting Sunday, Nov. 27, which will include games at Colorado State, San Francisco, California, Louisiana Tech, Georgia Tech and Grand Canyon. After almost a month away from home, the Braves will play their non-conference finale at home against Rust College at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 22.
Southwestern Athletic Conference action starts Monday, Jan. 2 when the Braves host Texas Southern, followed by Prairie View A&M Wednesday, Jan. 4. SWAC play will feature a double round robin format where all 10 schools play each other twice, home and away, to complete an 18-game conference schedule.
The top-eight teams from the SWAC regular season standings will qualify for the 2017 conference tournament beginning Thursday, March 7. The higher seed will host the first round, and both the semifinals and finals will be held March 10-11 at a neutral site in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center.
Date Time Opponent Location Home / Away Conference Game Location
1/11/2016 TBA Loyola-Chicago Evanston, Ill. A Evanston, Ill. Fri.
11/14/2016 TBA Evansville Evansville, Ind. A Evansville, Ind. Mon.
11/18/2016 7 p.m. Selma University H Davey L. Whitney Complex Fri.
11/22/2016 7 p.m. Blue Mountain College H Davey L. Whitney Complex Tue.
11/27/2016 TBA Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO A Fort Collins, CO Sun.
11/30/2016 TBA San Francisco San Francisco, Calif. A San Francisco, Calif. Wed.
12/3/2016 TBA California Berkeley, Calif. A Berkeley, Calif. Sat.
12/5/2016 TBA Louisiana Tech Ruston, La. A Ruston, La. Mon.
12/18/2016 TBA Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. A Atlanta, Ga. Sun.
12/20/2016 TBA Grand Canyon Phoenix, Ariz. A Phoenix, Ariz. Tue.
12/22/2016 7 p.m. Rust College H Davey L. Whitney Complex Thu.
1/2/2017 7 p.m. Texas Southern H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon.
1/4/2017 7 p.m. Prairie View A&M H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Wed.
1/7/2017 TBA Jackson State Jackson, Miss. A Conference Game Jackson, Miss. Sat.
1/9/2017 TBA Grambling State Grambling, La. A Conference Game Grambling, La. Mon.
1/14/2017 5:50 p.m. Mississippi Valley State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat.
1/16/2017 7 p.m. Arkansas-Pine Bluff H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon.
1/21/2017 TBA Alabama State Montgomery, Ala. A Conference Game Montgomery, Ala. Sat.
1/23/2017 TBA Alabama A&M Huntsville, Ala. A Conference Game Huntsville, Ala. Mon.
1/28/2017 5:30 p.m. Southern H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat.
2/4/2017 5:30 p.m. Jackson State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat.
2/6/2017 7 p.m. Grambling State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon.
2/11/2017 TBA Mississippi Valley State Itta Bena, Miss. A Conference Game Itta Bena, Miss. Sat.
2/13/2017 TBA Arkansas-Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, Ark. A Conference Game Pine Bluff, Ark. Mon.
2/18/2017 5:30 p.m. Alabama State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat.
2/20/2017 7 p.m. Alabama A&M H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon.
2/25/2017 4 p.m. Southern Baton Rouge, La. A Conference Game Baton Rouge, La. Sat.
3/2/2017 TBA Texas Southern Houston, Texas A Conference Game Houston, Texas Thu.
3/4/2017 TBA Prairie View A&M Prairie View, Texas A Conference Game Prairie View, Texas Sat.
SWAC Tournament
3/7-11/2017 TBA TBA TBA N TBA Tue.-Sat.
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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