No Change: NC A&T, Tuskegee Still Lead the Pack in Week 7 of HSRN Polls

HARTLY, Delaware –North Carolina A&T and Tuskegee maintained their leads in this week’s HSRN Football Polls.

N. C. A&T has been ranked #1 for seven consecutive weeks in the HSRN FCS Poll. Undefeated Tuskegee University, who had the week off,  has held on to the top position in the Division II/NAIA Poll since the beginning of the season.

The top seven positions in the Division I FCS poll remained the same from last week.  Grambling State remained in second place with Tennessee State close behind in third after rebounding from their first loss of the season.  North Carolina Central, Southern, Prairie View A&M and South Carolina State complete the top seven.  Alcorn State moved up to #8 and Hampton and Texas Southern returned to the top 10.  

In Division II/NAIA, Despite a week off,Tuskegee’s Golden Tigers captured all but one of the first place votes of the HSRN pollsters ahead of a strong representation from the CIAA, who shuffled their positions but still took the next five places in the poll.

Bowie State remained in second place.  Winston-Salem State and Chowan jumped to third and fourth  ahead of Virginia State and Virginia Union.  Kentucky State’s homecoming win over Miles propelled the Thorobreds into the top 10.

Division I FCS School (First Place Votes) Record Pts Last Week 1. North Carolina A&T (13) 5-1 148 1 2. Grambling State (1) 4-1 132 2 3. Tennessee State (1) 5-1 125 3 4. North Carolina Central 5-2 102 4 5. Southern U. 3-2 78 5 6. Prairie View A&M 4-2 73 6 7. South Carolina State 2-3 50 7 8. Alcorn State 3-3 41 9 9. Hampton 3-3 35 NR 10. Texas Southern 3-3 28 NR Others receiving votes Hampton, Jackson State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Bethune-Cookman & Delaware State Division II/NAIA School (First Place Votes) Record Pts Last Week 1. Tuskegee (12) 6-0 138 1 2. Bowie State (2) 5-2 127 2 3. Winston-Salem State 5-2 99 5 4. Chowan 5-2 96 7 5. Virginia State 5-2 73 4 6. Virginia Union 4-3 61 3 7. Albany State 3-2 54 8 8. Clark Atlanta 5-2 46 9 9. Miles College 3-3 21 6 10. Kentucky State 3-4 14 NR Others receiving votes Lane, Langston, Morehouse, Central State, Shaw, West Va. State, Livingstone, Benedict

Bowie State Rallies to Defeat Virginia State 38-37 on Homecoming

BOWIE, Maryland -- Sophomore quarterback Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) scored on a 2-yard run with 9:46 remaining in the game to lift Bowie State University to a thrilling 38-37 come from behind Homecoming victory over Virginia State University on Saturday afternoon. The win puts the BSU Bulldogs in sole possession of first place in the CIAA North.
 
Hall completed 25-of-36 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns to pace Bowie State's offense. His primary target, senior Nyme Manns(Baltimore, Md.), recorded game-highs of 129 yards on eight receptions and scored two touchdowns. Junior Daivon Nixon (Laurel, Md.) and graduate student Kevaugn Townsend (Fort Washington, Md.) tallied a game-high 10 tackles each for the Bulldogs.
 
Bowie State (5-2, 4-0 CIAA, 2-0 North) drew first blood at the 9:20 mark of the first quarter on a Hall Manns 16-yard pass and catch for a 6-0 lead.
 
Virginia State's Kevin Bellamy (Hampton, Va.) put the visitors in front 14-6 by the end of the first quarter with TD runs of two and 24 yards.
 
Hall and Manns teamed up again to pull the Bulldogs within one at 14-13 at the 9:38 mark of the second quarter, this time for an 18-yard score.
 
The Trojans quickly responded on their next possession as Cannon rumbled for a 76 yard touchdown run to set the score at 21-13 with 9:16 on the second quarter clock.
 
Just over a minute later (8:17), Bulldogs' redshirt sophomore Brandon Britton (Columbia, Md.) caught a Hall pass for a 60 yard touchdown reception, closing Virginia State's lead to 21-20.
 
A Matthew Hillquist (Glen Allen, Va.) 29-yard field goal with 19 seconds left on the first half clock sent Virginia State into halftime with a 24-20 advantage.
 
Virginia State had back-to-back third quarter scores to give the Trojans a 37-20 cushion. Christian Harden (Richmond, Va.) recorded an 11-yard TD reception and Cannon tallied a 30-yard receiving touchdown, both from Ayres.
 
However, the Bowie State defense turned it up at this point, holding Virginia State scoreless over the final 23:46. Bulldogs sophomore Deron Smith (Bowie, Md.) notched his fourth TD reception of the season with six minutes left in the third quarter, pulling in a 13 yard pass from Hall.  BSU's Chesson recorded his seventh touchdown of the year at the 3:55 mark, rushing for a 24 yard score that cut the deficit to 37-32.
 
The Bulldogs put together an eight play, 69-yard fourth quarter drive, capped off by Halls eventual game winning touchdown.
 
Virginia State (5-2, 2-2 CIAA, 1-1 North) was led by the ground attack of Trenton Cannon (Hampton, Va.) and Bellamy with 138 and 104 rushing yards respectively. Cannon had a touchdown run of 76 yards to go along with 197 kickoff return yards while Bellamy accounted for two scores. Tarian Ayres (Buckingham, Va.) recorded 118 passing yards, completing 16-of-31 passes (one interception) and two touchdowns. Brandon Lynch (Norfolk, Va.) led the Trojans on defense with nine total tackles (7 solo and 2 assisted) which included 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss.
 
The Trojans led the team statistics, holding advantages in first downs (23 to 20), total yards (415 to 385) and possession time (33:49 to 26:11.).
 
The Bulldogs head south next Saturday (10/22) to face the Panthers of Virginia Union University in a key conference Northern Division contest. Game time at VUU's Hovey Field is 1 p.m. and will nationally televised on ESPN3.

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BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Questions at quarterback begin again for Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State may have another quarterback competition coming.

Junior Jarin Morikawa made his debut in Saturday’s 28-24 home loss to Southern after breaking his left (non-throwing) hand before the season. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown, a performance that buoyed the Tigers’ offense.

“I feel comfortable getting back from my injuries,” Morikawa said. “We had the bye week (two weeks ago), so I got that week to get back into the flow of things and then game week I was getting reps in practice so I felt like I was ready to go this week.”

Morikawa’s solid outing came after he replaced redshirt freshman Brent Lyles, who has struggled since taking the spot from senior LaMontiez Ivy. Lyles has completed just 47.2 percent of his passes and has thrown for just three touchdowns and four interceptions.

Morikawa, Ivy and Lyles competed with sophomore Jordan Williams and true freshman Juwan Adams during preseason camp for the starting role, which Ivy earned. Despite his experience, Ivy, a senior, struggled over the first three games after performing well last year and has completed 47.1 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and three interceptions.



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Salem, Va. officials excited about CIAA football championship

Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia will host the 2016 Football Championship on Nov. 12, 2016.

SALEM, Virginia -- The city of Salem, Va., will put its best foot forward next month as it plays host to the CIAA championship football game for the first time.

Salem Football Stadium, which can seat just over 7,000 fans, will be the site of the championship game after the conference moved it from the state of North Carolina because of the controversy around House Bill 2.

“This is found money,” said Carey Harveycutter, who works for the city of Salem tourism department. “Who would have thought that we would be hosting the CIAA championship game, but we’re excited about it.”

Harveycutter said the CIAA called city officials to inquire about the date of Nov. 12 and if there was a chance the stadium could hold the championship.

“We, obviously, were interested because we are well aware of the CIAA and its history in football,” Harveycutter said.

Harveycutter said attendance figures he’s seen in past games were a good sign. He also said Winston-Salem State, which has been in the CIAA championship game the last five years, has a reputation of its fans travelling well.



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BOOMBOX CLASSIC 2016 --Jackson State Sonic Boom vs. Southern Human Jukebox

Southern notebook: Quinn's record setting return called back for taunting penalty

JACKSON, Mississippi — For a moment, senior receiver Willie Quinn had not only swung the momentum of the game decidedly in Southern’s favor, but he tied a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) record for career return touchdowns.

There was a minute left in the first half when Quinn took a kickoff 85 yards down the left sideline and into the endzone, momentarily giving Southern a 27-17 lead and responding to Jackson State’s blocked punt touchdown.

But the referees flagged Quinn for taunting, deeming that Quinn pointed the ball behind him at Jackson State before crossing the goal line.

“He was pointing while he was running,” Odums said. “If you get called for unsportsmanlike taunting before you enter the endzone, it’s a spot foul from right there.”

The touchdown was taken off the board, and it came back to bite the Jaguars.



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More GCAC weekly honors for XULA's August and Price

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Christopher August and Taylor Price remain the standard-bearers for Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country in 2016. The Houston-area student-athletes are repeat choices as GCAC Runners of the Week.
     
August and Price have combined to win 7-of-8 possible conference awards this season — August four times and Price three.
     
August, a senior from Spring, Texas, and a graduate of Klein Collins High School, ran 8,000 meters in 28 minutes, 28.80 seconds to finish 23rd out of 93 non-NCAA Division I runners in the Watson Ford Invitational at Clinton, Miss. August also was faster than 24 of the 27 NCAA DI men. August was XULA's fastest finisher for the ninth consecutive meet — that streak began at the start of the 2015 season.
     
Price, a freshman from Missouri City, Texas, and a graduate of Ridge Point High School, ran the Watson Ford 6K in 25:42.23 to place 30th out of 81 non-DI women. Price was faster than 33 of the 34 NCAA DI finishers.
     
The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will compete Friday in the Crimson Classic at Tuscaloosa, Ala. The men's 8K will start at 9 a.m., followed by the women 6K at 9:45.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Nuggets lose in 4 sets; Perry sets XULA season record

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana'sAmanda Perry set a school record for digs in a season, but the Gold Nuggets' season-high five-match win streak ended Saturday in a 20-25, 25-10, 25-21, 25-18 non-conference volleyball loss to Mobile.
     
Alex Karcher and Hannah Wentland had season highs of 14 kills apiece for the Lady Rams (19-6), who have won 10 of their last 11, and Hannah Buck had 13 kills.
     
Perry, a freshman from Bolingbrook, Ill., and a graduate of Bolingbrook High School, had 19 digs to raise her season total to a XULA-record 422.Darian Harris set the previous mark of 412 a year ago. Earlier this season, Perry set a school record of 18 consecutive matches with double-figure digs.
    
 Monet Fontaine matched her career highs with 11 kills and five digs for the Gold Nuggets (12-14), and Juliana Tomasoni and Terri Drake had nine kills apiece. Drake had six blocks, the most by a XULA player this season.
     
It was senior day for XULA's Ralitsa Slanchev and Kayla Jones, who were honored in a pre-match ceremony. Slanchev produced the second double-double of her career — 18 assists and a career-high 16 digs — and Jones had six digs. Each served an ace.

XULA outhit Mobile, the co-leader in the Southern States Athletic Conference, .407 to .156 in the first set — but the Lady Rams outhit the Gold Nuggets .299 to .107 in the final three sets.
     
For the match Mobile outhit XULA .268 to .162 and had advantages of 56-44 in kills, 6-4 in aces and 77-74 in digs. XULA had an 8-4 advantage in blocks.
     
Mobile served five aces in the second set, four by Annie Kate Hudson, to build a 14-2 lead.
     
The Gold Nuggets will visit SUNO at 6 p.m. Thursday, and a victory would give XULA an outright Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship. XULA clinched a tie for the title Thursday by defeating Dillard. The Gold Nuggets have one home match remaining, 7 p.m. Oct. 31 against Tougaloo.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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REPLAY: Florida A&M Rattlers vs. Delaware State Hornets

AAMU Bulldogs play spoiler to UAPB Homecoming

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The Bulldogs played a nearly flawless first half Saturday and kept their foot on the pedal in the second half of a 40-7 win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, tarnishing the Homecoming festivities for the Golden Lions..

The win lifted the Bulldogs to 2-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and 2-5 overall.

A&M scored touchdowns on its first four possessions and seven of the first eight en route to a 40-0 lead in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback De'Angelo Ballard had a standout day running and passing for the Bulldogs. He was 17 for 27 passing for 214 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he had 15 carries for 89 yards and three touchdowns.

Freshman running back Jordan Bentley rushed for 91 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.

Nick Carden had a pair of field goals, including a 46-yarder, and Marceles Clash scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass.

The Bulldogs defense forced the Golden Lions into a three-and-out on their first possession and took on their own 24.

Ballard then guided the Bulldogs on a six-play, 76-yard drive, culminating with his 26-yard touchdown run. Ballard was five-of-six passing in the series as the Bulldogs took a 6-0 lead.

On their next series, A&M drove 75 yards in just four plays. Ballard combined with Jonathan Dorsey on a 47-yard pass play to the one-yard line, setting up Bentley's touchdown run. After Carden's point-after, the Bulldogs led 13-0 with 7:05 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs opened the second quarter on a drive that started with three minutes left in the first quarter. On second and 9, Ballard was under pressure but scrambled loose, looked up and found Clash wide open in the endzone.for the 19-yard touchdown pass. The Bulldogs led 20-0 with 13:42 left in the quarter.

Ballard capped a four-play, 55-yard drive on the Bulldogs' next possession with a six-yard touchdown run up the middle. Carden's point-after made the score 27-0 with 10:04 to go in the quarter.

Carden kicked a 36-yard field goal with 32 seconds left in the half and the Bulldogs held a 30-0 lead.

Ballard added a nine-yard TD run and Carden's 46-yard field goal ran the score to 40-0 at the end of the third quarter.

Kenneth Davis, who came into the game with a SWAC-leading 60 tackles, had 10 tackles to lead the A&M defense and Embrel Vaughn added seven tackles. The Bulldogs sacked UAPB quarterback Brandon Duncan three times and held the Golden Lions to just 221 yards of offense.

The Bulldogs' balanced attack churned up 253 yards rushing and 214 yards passing.

A&M has a bye next weekend as they prepare for the Magic City Classic on Oct. 29.

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ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Three Observations from TSU Men’s Basketball Practice – Week Two

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State men’s basketball team is now in its second full week of practice in preparation for the 2016-17 season. Here are three observations from practice this week.

1. Defense is Still a PriorityT
From closeouts to defensive rebounding drills to defensive shell drills, much of TSU’s early-season practices have focused on defense. At Head Coach Dana Ford’s introductory press conference on April 21, 2014, he promised his players would “defend with their hair on fire and rebound like mad men.” That vision came to fruition last season as the Tigers led the Ohio Valley Conference in field goal percentage defense (.413) and were second in scoring defense (68.8 points per game).

“I think it’s something that we try to hang out hats on,” Ford said. “Last year’s team bought into the defensive philosophy. There are still some areas in terms of program-wise that we’d like to tighten up, which is one of the reasons we went out and tried to get bigger. Rebounding is something that we’ve got to get better at, but I think the guys are trying. It’s new for the newcomers, but I think we can put it together to the point where we’re defending right on pace with last year’s team."

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2. The Off-Season Conditioning Program Worked
Just two weeks into practices it is clear that the Tigers are fit. Practices are intense with drills at game speed and some, including fast-break offense and defense, are full court.

Working under the direction of Coordinator of Strength and Conditioning TJ Greenstone and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Tersoo Uhaa, the Tigers got a head start on conditioning this summer, and it has paid off. Maintaining intensity throughout practice is a testament to the work put in by the players, coaching staff and strength and conditioning staff during the offseason.

“I think our strength and conditioning staff does a good job of putting plans together,” Ford commented. “At the end of the day, you have to individually push yourself. I like the conditioning of a lot of our guys. I think overall as a unit, we don’t seem to be sucking wind. It’s not so much about being in shape, but being able to sustain it all year long and finish a lot stronger than we did last year.”

3. The Newcomers are Catching on Quickly
Six players on the 2016-17 team are in their first season on campus. The coaching staff has leaned on veterans like Tahjere McCall, Wayne Martin and Darreon Reddick to help the newcomers understand the flow of practice and what the coaches are looking for with different drills. So far, the newcomers are picking up information quickly, helping to make practice more seamless.

“I think the older guys are really helping a lot with bringing the newcomers along," Ford said. "If the new guys are good followers, I think we’ll be ok because I think we have good leadership. When you’re new, there’s a learning curve. Once our new guys figure out how we do things here, that’s really going to help them in terms of playing time and things of that nature. It will open up the door for them to step in and see what they can do.”



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Tennessee State Tigers Bounce Back with 35-28 Win over EKU in Homecoming Game

PHOTO GALLERY

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Chris Collins stepped in front of a Bennie Coyne pass at the TSU nine yard line with 11 seconds on the clock to secure a 35-28 victory over Eastern Kentucky. The interception was the fourth of the game for the Tigers and the fifth turnover against the Colonels on Saturday night at Nissan Stadium in front of 21,053 fans.

Tennessee State (5-1, 2-1) sprinted out to a 35-3 halftime lead and held on for the Ohio Valley Conference win. Redshirt senior Ezra Robinson registered two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown to lead the TSU defense.

Ronald Butler sparked the offense rushing for a pair of touchdowns while gaining 81 yards on the ground and 181 through the air as he completed 13-of-24.

The quarterback received help from a pair of freshman as redshirt Andrew Knox and first year Sabree Curtis, Jr., also added touchdowns.

TSU forced three turnovers on the first three EKU drives and turned them into a 21-0 lead. Larry Wilhoite recorded the first turnover as he picked off Coyne deep in TSU territory and returned it 45 yards to the EKU 32.

The Tigers needed just four plays to get into the end zone as Butler called his own number and scampered 20 yards to give TSU an early 7-0 lead.

The Colonels were driving again when Henry Enyenhi fumbled at the TSU 35 allowing Antonio Justice to fall on the ball at the 31. TSU went to the ground game running the ball seven consecutive times to open the series. Erick Evans was called upon for the first five carries for 29 yards. Curtis carried on the next two plays for five yards.

The only pass on the drive followed as Steven Newbold out leaped his defender hauling in a 30 yard reception. The play took the Tigers down to the two yard line. Two plays later, Knox barreled in for the first touchdown of his career, increasing the lead to 14-0.

Robinson completed the trifecta as he jumped an outside route at the Tiger seven yard line and raced down the right sideline, avoiding one defender, before entering the end zone 93 yards later. The second longest interception in TSU history increased the score to 21-0.

After forcing the Colonels to punt, the Tigers went back on the attack with a nine yard run by Evans and a 21 yard pass play from Butler to tight end Mahlon Medley. Two plays later, Butler came up with his longest run of his career as he evaded and out ran the defenders down the right sideline for a 61 yard touchdown run.

After an EKU field goal made the score 28-3, the Tigers closed out the half with a scoring drive that lasted just under five minutes. Curtis outran the EKU defense to the left sideline and dove for the end zone, breaking the plain of the end zone with no time remaining on the clock.

The second half proved to be all EKU, as they outscored TSU 25-0. The Colonels scored on the first possession of the second half cutting the score to 35-10.



EKU continued their comeback with a field goal and an interception of Butler late in the third. The fourth quarter opened with the Colonels scoring on the first play. Eastern Kentucky made good on the two-point conversion bringing the deficit to within two touchdowns.

With the Colonels threatening in the red zone, Robinson picked off his second pass on a tip drill, giving the Tigers the ball back with 10 minutes to play. EKU would keep the pressure on scoring another touchdown to pull within seven with 5:41 to play.

EKU would get the ball back with one minute remaining and moved 60 yards to the Tigers 17. Coney quickly surveyed the field before dumping to the middle of the field. Collins chose the perfect time to break on the ball as he ended the Colonels chances of a spectacular comeback.

Collins finished the game leading all players with 11 tackles, nine solos and two tackles for loss. Collins also forced a fumble and registered a quarterback hurry.

Next up for TSU is a road game at SEC opponent Vanderbilt on Saturday, Oct. 22, in a game that will air on ESPNU.

NOTES: Kickoff was a 6:07 p.m. … Official attendance was 21,053… TSU’s captains were Patrick Smith, Chris Collins, Lane Clark, Ronald Butler and Thomas Burton… Eastern Kentucky won the coin toss and chose to defer… Weather at kickoff was 79 degrees and partly sunny… Redshirt-freshman fullback Andrew Knox recorded his first career touchdown on a three-yard rush in the first quarter... Freshman safety Larry Wilhoite picked up his first career interception in the first quarter… Ezra Robinson’s 93-yard interception return for a touchdown was tied for the second-longest in TSU history. The school record was a 97-yard interception return by Dave Coleman in 1997. It was Robinson’s fifth career interception… TSU held a 35-3 halftime lead on Saturday. It was the Tigers’ biggest halftime lead over an OVC opponent since Oct. 8, 2011 when TSU had a 41-0 halftime lead over Southeast Missouri… TSU’s record in the all-time series with EKU is now 23-6.

TSU Cornerback Ezra Robinson
“I felt like the first half was great for us. I felt in the second half we came out kind of slow, but all in all, we got the ‘W’ and we played a pretty good game overall.”
- On how the defense played

“On the first interception, I was baiting him to throw the out route and he threw the out route straight to me. I just did what I could to make a play on it. On the second interception, it was the same route. He threw the out route again and the receiver tipped it and I took advantage of my opportunity.”
- On his two interceptions

“I feel like every time I touch the ball I’m going to score to be honest with you. An interception to me is a touchdown when I touch it.”
- On scoring on his first interception

TSU Safety Larry Wilhoite
“Coaches have been talking about all week about how every game we’ve played this year we haven’t come out that fast. Today we had to come out and set the tempo for the rest of the game. We just executed what they’ve been preaching all week.”
- On setting the tone with an early interception

“We were in cover two, so I had the overtop (route). The corners and nickels had their guys covered up, and it was an easy play for me. They did a great job, so that made it easy for me.”
- On his interception

TSU Linebacker Antonio Justice, Jr.
“I think we came out fast in the first half and did everything we could. We didn’t give up any big plays. I think in the second half we came out lax, but we picked it up at the end. We made a couple of big plays.”
- On how the defense played

“It means a lot. Our confidence is back up. We needed this win big time. To be 2-1 in the conference, that’s all we can ask for at this point.”
- On responding from last week’s loss to Eastern Illinois

TSU Linebacker Chris Collins
“We’ve been pressing it all week. In practice, we’ve been focused on starting fast from the stretch line also with starting off practice with high-tempo things. Defense versus offense, ones versus ones, so that helped out a lot.”
- On starting fast

“I prayed about it, so when it happened, I just broke on the ball. I thought about the timing of the quarterback. He had to dump it down, so I thought about the timing and broke on it.”
- On his interception to seal the win

TSU Tight End Mahlon Medley
“We game planned for this all week. They did what we expected them to do. They made some adjustments and it kind of messed up our game plan, but we got it going again.”
- On the play of the offense

“The whole season, we haven’t started fast. We’ve been talking about it all week after that loss to EIU. We just harped on it all week, and we executed tonight.”
- On starting fast



TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard - Week 7

Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016

OVC
Tennessee State  35, Eastern Kentucky 28

SWAC
Alabama A&M 40, Arkansas Pine Bluff 7
Alabama State 56, Mississippi Valley State 24
Alcorn State 23, Texas Southern 20
Southern 28, Jackson State 24

MEAC
Florida A&M 41, Delaware State 27
South Carolina State 14, Howard 9
Hampton 21, Morgan State 12
North Carolina Central 33, Savannah State 3
North Carolina A&T 52, Bethune-Cookman 35

SIAC
Clark Atlanta 27, Benedict 14
Albany State 26, Morehouse 21
Kentucky State 28, Miles 24
Central State 27, Lane 10
Florida Tech 48, Fort Valley State 14

CIAA
Winston-Salem State 45, Saint Augustine's 10
Fayetteville State 37, Johnson C. Smith 21
Elizabeth City State 33, Lincoln (Pa.) 23
Livingstone 23, Shaw 12
Chowan 54, Virginia Union 21
Bowie State 38, Virginia State 37

OTHER HBCUs
Edward Waters 45, University of Faith 7
Arizona Christian 57, Texas College 7
Missouri S&T 65, Lincoln (Mo.) 16
Shippensburg 76, Cheyney 0
Shepard 70, West Virginia State 24

Southern hangs on to beat rival Jackson State 28-24, stay undefeated in SWAC play

JACKSON, Mississippi — Unlike its first two Southwestern Athletic Conference games, Southern did not turn in a pretty performance Saturday.

The result was still the same, though.

Despite ending up on the wrong end of the turnover battle and making a bevy of mistakes that allowed Jackson State to stay in the game until the end, Southern beat its rival 28-24 to stay undefeated in league play.

Despite a series of costly mistakes, Southern (3-2, 3-0) went to the locker room at halftime clinging to a four-point lead.

Southern held Jackson State to a three-and-out on its first possession of the game, then wasted no time going to work on offense.

The Jaguars turned to their star offensive players to get them off to a fast start, exclusively putting the ball in the hands of Lenard Tillery and Willie Quinn on the first drive. They needed two minutes and six plays to cover 69 yards, culminating with a 6-yard scoring run by Tillery.

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Turner’s Blocked Punt, Rushing Touchdown Leads Alcorn to Homecoming Victory

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Junior De'Lance Turner changed the game with a special teams play, followed by a touchdown to headline the 23-20 win for the Alcorn State University football program over Texas Southern on Saturday at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium on homecoming.

The Braves (3-3, 3-2 SWAC) were struggling to move the ball offensively in the second half after junior quarterback Lenorris Footman left with a shoulder injury. With the defense stepping up and holding the Tigers (3-3, 3-2 SWAC) in-check, Turner came through with a blocked punt to give the Braves the ball at the two-yard line. Turner then punched it in on a two-yard rush for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

It marked the second week in a row that Turner blocked a punt.

TXSO had one last chance late in the game as it moved the ball into Alcorn territory trailing by three points, but good coverage on third down by junior Jayron Harness, followed by a batted-down pass by Harness on fourth down sealed the win.

Junior wide receiver Norlando Veals had a career day with 106 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches. Footman, the reigning SWAC and College Sports Madness Offensive Player of the Week winner, was 17-for-24 throwing with two touchdown throws and 45 yards rushing before he left on the first series of the third quarter.

Alcorn's defense limited TXSO quarterback Averion Hurts to just 14-for-37 throwing and an interception by freshman Javen Morrison. Hurts was sacked twice in the game, once each by senior Darien Anderson and junior Michael Brooks.

Anderson led the team defensively with a career-high 13 tackles and three tackles for a loss resulting in negative 22 yards. Senior Michael Hurns was also all over the field with nine tackles. Reigning SWAC Newcomer of the Week winner sophomore Trae Ferrell ended with four tackles

Austin Watts was TXSO's top offensive player with 111 receiver yards and a touchdown catch. Sean Jones recorded a game-high 16 tackles for the Tigers.

PLAY-BY-PLAY SUMMARY
The Tigers scored on their opening drive on a 39-yard touchdown pass over-the-middle to Watts. It came after a seven-play, 75-yard drive which included a 25-yard pass to Malik Webb.

The Braves quickly responded on their first series with a nine-play, 88-yard touchdown drive capped by a 21-yard pass to Veals to even the score 7-7. Footman rushed for 32 yards on the drive, while Turner ran for 24.

On the first play of the Tigers second drive, they found Watts for a 66-yard pass on a deep ball through the middle to get into the redzone. TXSO scored on a three-yard quarterback-keeper by Hurts to make it 14-7 at the 5:49 mark.

After the Braves were forced to punt, the Tigers tried the deep ball again but were intercepted by Morrison on their first play. Morrison ran it back to the Alcorn 49-yard line to give the Braves good field position. The Braves cut the deficit to 14-10 early in the second quarter after a 39-yard field goal by senior Haiden McCraney.

Still trailing, the Braves took over at their own 12-yard line with 3:25 left in the half. Alcorn slowly moved down the field and converted on a pair of big third-down passes to senior Collins Moore to keep the drive alive. With 27 seconds left, Footman found Veals over-the-middle for a 32-yard touchdown pass to put the Braves ahead 17-14 after a 10-play drive.

Alcorn got the ball first in the second half, but Footman left the game with an upper body injury and the Braves were forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, the Tigers leveled the score 17-17 after a 48-yard field goal by Eric Medina.

Both defenses stood strong for the rest of the third quarter as the team's punted to each other back-and-forth.

Another stop by Alcorn's defense early in the fourth quarter brought out the TXSO punting unit, and the big blocked punt by Turner set up the Braves at the two-yard line. Turner was handed the ball on the first play and scored on a two-yard rush to put Alcorn ahead 23-17 after a blocked extra point.

The Braves were driving again inside the TXSO 30-yard line when it got penalized 15 yards, and then lost a fumble after a sack as the Tigers took over at the Alcorn 47-yard line. On the following drive, the Braves got a pair of third down stops, but both times a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty was called on them to keep TXSO's drive going. Alcorn's defense got another stop, resulting in a 35-yard field goal which made it a 23-20 game with 5:14 remaining.

After a three-and-out, the Tigers took over at their own 27-yard line with 3:36 to go. They converted a fourth-and-six to move into Alcorn territory with a little over a minute left. TXSO kept throwing, but did not get closer than the Alcorn 46-yard line after Harness' defensive plays.

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
10:34 – 39-yard pass from A. Hurts to A. Watts (E. Medina XP), 7-75-4:26, 7-0 TXSO
7:54 – 21-yard pass from L. Footman to N. Veals (H. McCraney XP), 9-88-2:40, 7-7
5:49 – 3-yard rush by A. Hurts (E. Medina XP), 4-75-2:05, 14-7 TXSO
2nd Quarter
14:10 – 39-yard field goal by H. McCraney, 8-29-4:15, 14-10 TXSO
0:27 – 32-yard pass from H. Footman to N. Veals (H. McCraney XP), 10-88-2:58, 17-14 Alcorn
3rd Quarter
7:24 – 48-yard field goal by E. Medina, 8-48-3:24, 17-17
4th Quarter
13:34 – 2-yard rush by D. Turner (H. McCraney XP blocked), 1-2-0:09, 23-17 Alcorn
5:14 – 35-yard field goal by E. Medina, 11-28-4:52, 23-20 Alcorn

NOTES
- Alcorn has not allowed a second half touchdown in two straight games. It combined to outscore Alabama A&M and TXSO 34-9 in the second half and 27-3 in the fourth quarter.

- The Braves posted their fifth consecutive victory over the Tigers. They won 65-13 last season, 40-25 in 2014, 20-13 in 2013 and 34-24 in 2012.

- Anderson entered the game ranked third in the SWAC in tackles with 8.4 per game, and increased it greatly with his 13 tackles. It broke his previous career-high of 12 set twice previously. Anderson was named Hero of the Week by HERO Sports on Friday, Sept. 30 after a monster performance against Grambling State which included 12 tackles and a career-high four sacks.

- Veals caught two touchdown passes in a single game for the first time in his career. His previous career-high in receiving yards was 92 against UAPB earlier this season. Veals' 32-yard touchdown catch was also a career-long reception.

- McCraney finished the game with 303 punting yards on seven attempts and a 43.3 average. It increased his season average of 39.7 coming into the game.

- Senior Haiden McCraney boomed a 70-yard punt earlier this year at Grambling State, which is the longest in the SWAC this season. It was the second-longest of his career after he blasted a 77-yarder last year against Concordia. McCraney ranks second in the league with 39.7 yards per punt on average.

- Alcorn's captains were freshman Tavares Johnson Jr. and seniors Detonio Dade and Anderson. The Braves won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.

Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair
Opening Statement
"I'm proud of these guys, they really fought their butts off in this game. Played a totally different game in the second half. The defense stepped up and made some really big plays in the time of need. That was a big 4th down play by Jayron, being able to break that final pass up. De'Lance kept doing what he does on punt return and continued to block punts. The team showed real effort today."

On injuries
"That injury bug is still hanging around us. We'll see what's really happening with everyone when the trainers get a good look at them tomorrow. [Jaborian] McKenzie went down with a knee and Footman is feeling funny in his shoulder. We had a couple us guys come back this week from injury, they played and gave us some depth. We are going to use this Bye week to get them back healthy."

Quoting junior De'Lance Turner
On his blocked punt
I just felt like I had to go out there and do my job. The field position really changed the game for the offense."

Quoting junior Jayron Harness
On the last 4th down
"We had to remember how coach always tells us to touch our temple and keep our head. We are going to always go through adversity. We kept saying fight, fight, fight. We knew the significance of this game especially going into the bye week."

On being near the top of the East Division
"We don't think about the other teams. We only think about Alcorn versus the Braves. If we show up to play no one can beat us."

UP NEXT
The Braves have a bye week coming up and will return to the field Saturday, Oct. 29 when they host Southern University. The game will be a Purple Out at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

Alcorn is looking for its fifth consecutive win over the Jaguars after posting a 48-7 victory on the road last year, 56-16 win at home in 2014, 44-38 result on the road in 2013 and 20-17 decision at home in 2012.

In the meeting last season, Footman ran for a career-high 274 yards. He accounted for six total touchdowns, another career-high, including four rushing and two throwing.

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Kentucky State Caps Off Homecoming Week with a 28-24 Comeback Win Against Miles College

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Kentucky State University football snatched a dramatic 28-24 win over SIAC foe Miles College snapping a six-game losing streak to the Golden Bears during the homecoming game Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.

"A win like this is a signature win for our program," said head coach John L. Smith. "Winning games like this on your home field against a conference opponent, shows we are heading in the right direction."

Freshman quarterback Jules St. Ge rushed for a team-high 117 yards while throwing for 76 more. St. Ge went 9-17 and threw for one touchdown and an interception. Senior running back Darmontre Warr proved to be a stud adding 92 yards on the ground to go along with a touchdown in the contest.

The defense was anchored by senior defensive back Vincent Edwards and sophomore linebacker Keonte Reynolds who each tied for a game-high, 15 tackles.

KSU (3-4, 3-1) fell to an early 10-0 deficit going into the second quarter before St. Ge tossed a nine-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Charles Johnson with 0:31 left in half to cut the lead to three.

The Thorobreds' momentum carried over into the third quarter after a 13-yard rushing touchdown from senior running back Reginal Harris giving the home team a 14-10 lead with 11:31 left in the quarter.

The Golden Bears reclaimed their lead following a rushing touchdown of their own with 7:13 left in the stanza before adding another score with 3:09 left to take a 24-14 lead into the final quarter.

KSU scored quickly with a rushing touchdown from Warr with 13:30 remaining in the final frame to bring the score to a 24-21 nail-biter.

Following a Golden Bears interception with 3:02 left in the game, the visitor's attempted to run the clock down, but were unsuccessful. Deep in their own end zone MC bobbled a handoff with 2:10 left in the game allowing senior defensive lineman Nick Beckhum to dive on the ball to score what would be the game-winning touchdown.

The KSU offense finished the day with 352 yards of total offense, notching the second game in a row of over 300 yards. On the ground, the Thorobreds marched for a season-high 276 yards, behind St. Ge, Harris, Warr, and sophomore running back Lavelle Cloyd.

The Thorobreds will travel to Tuskegee University for an SIAC matchup next Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Cody Arsenault, KSU volunteer SID
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FAMU QB Stanley, Rattlers roll by Delaware State

DOVER, Delaware -- Florida A&M has been a different team over its last three games – mostly thanks to the team’s new starting quarterback.

Redshirt freshman Ryan Stanley has been the starter for the Rattlers’ last three games, and he’s shaping up to be the signal-caller head coach Alex Wood expected when he brought him on before last season.

Stanley put on a show Saturday against Del. State while leading the Rattlers to a 41-27 victory in Dover. He completed 15 of his 29 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, but did most of his damage on the ground. He also carried the ball 12 times for 118 yards and three touchdowns.

“It feels good,” Stanley said. “The offense finally came together. It looks like I did a lot but I owe that to the O-line. My receivers made plays for me as well and the running backs did well. We finally all clicked as one.”

This is the third year in a row the Rattlers have put up at 41 points against Del. State and the third straight year FAMU has defeated the Hornets.

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Chowan Hawks Stun Virginia Uhion Panthers

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University football team downed Virginia Union University 54-21 on Saturday afternoon at Garrison Stadium. The Hawks move to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in CIAA play with the victory. Virginia Union falls to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in league play with the setback.

Chowan racked up 631 offensive yards in the win, propelled by Randall Dixon's school record 412 passing yards on the afternoon. He completed 22-38 pass attempts; connecting with six different receivers for two touchdowns in the victory. Tyrone Carter notched eight receptions for 194 yards and one touchdown for Chowan with Ryan Nolan recording 132 yards on six receptions and a 39-yard touchdown pass.

Tyree Lee paced the Hawks' running game with 25 carries for 154 yards. He tied the school's single game rushing touchdown record with four on the day while accounting for 22 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown to aid the effort.

Shawheem Dowdy completed 31-68 pass attempts for 380 yards and two touchdowns for Virginia Union. Jusse Yorke totaled 10 receptions for 87 yards while Lavatiae Kelley hauled in eight receptions for 127 yards.

Defensively, Willie Bailey led all players in the game with nine tackles (six solo, three assisted). Redeshawn Joseph followed with eight stops (seven solo, one assisted).

Vicente' Stafford paced the Hawks' defensive effort with seven tackles (five solo, two assisted), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and a pass breakup. Demetrius Newberry tallied six solo tackles in the victory with three tackles for loss (five yards).

Chowan took control of the momentum right from the start using a two-yard touchdown run by Lee on the Hawks' first drive to take an early lead. The play capped an eight-play, 65 yard drive. Connor Killeen's point after attempt was good, giving Chowan a quick 7-0 jump. Chowan built on the momentum with 3:59 on the clock in the first quarter after Dixon connected with Lee on an eight-yard touchdown pass.

Carrying a 13-0 lead heading into the second quarter, the Hawks capitalized on a 14-yard touchdown run by Lee and Nolan's 39-yard touchdown pass to Carter to quickly put the game out of reach. Killeen made good on both point after attempts, respectively; leaving the Panthers trailing 27-0 with 13:04 remaining before halftime.

Virginia Union ended the scoring drought with 4:41 on the clock. A one- yard touchdown run by William Stanback capped an eight-play, 90 yard drive for the Panthers. Jean Claude Brooks' point after attempt was successful.

Chowan answered back in their next possession and concluded a five- play, 79 yard scoring drive with a five- yard touchdown run by Lee. Killeen's point after attempt was successful. The Panthers closed out the second quarter with a score, but the Hawks rolled into the halftime break with a comfortable 34-14 advantage.

Less than five minutes into the third quarter, Aaron Matthews intercepted Dowdy's pass and returned it 24 yards for a Chowan touchdown, lifting the Hawks ahead 40-14. The Panthers responded with a touchdown drive of their own, along with a successful point after attempt on their next drive. With a 40-21 lead, Lee's one-yard touchdown run, Dixon's seven-yard touchdown pass to Torry Baker and two point after attempts in the fourth quarter solidified the 54-21 win for the Chowan Blue and White.

The Hawks hit the road next Saturday to take on Elizabeth City State University. Game time for the CIAA Northern Division match-up is slated for 1pm.

BOX SCORE

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