South Carolina Gamecocks 38, South Carolina State Bulldogs 14

South Carolina State Bulldogs QB Malcolm Long scores first TD against FBC competition in 2nd quarter.

Long stays cool with the heat on

Malcolm Long has had his share of success at Williams-Brice Stadium, twice hoisting the Class 4A state championship trophy as the quarterback for Gaffney High School. But with South Carolina State 5 yards from the USC end zone, a place that had eluded the Bulldogs in their four prior meetings with FBS teams, even the 235-pound Long was shocked after being charged to chase down that feat, which he did. "I don't know what possessed him (coach Buddy Pough) to call that for me, but he did," said Long, who also rushed for 1-yard score to cap the scoring in the Bulldogs' 38-14 loss. "I'm not a speedy guy, but I have a lot of power behind me, where I can push for 10, maybe 15 yards."

And the Bulldogs gave the Gamecocks more than a playful shove during a closely contested first half. Much of that had to do with Long's pocket presence and his ability to avoid the pass rush. On four occasions, the junior escaped potential sacks, converting three consecutive third downs on a 75-yard scoring drive that cut USC's lead to 10-7. "I was just taking what the defense was giving me," Long said. "I was feeling good on that drive, and we were clicking as an offense."

Long scores first Bulldogs' touchdown against FBS school

COLUMBIA — Oddsmakers had South Carolina State listed as a 37½-point underdog Saturday night against the University of South Carolina. The odds were arguably even longer of Bulldog quarterback Malcolm Long using his legs to score the team’s first touchdown against a Division I school. Yet it’s exactly what happened with 17 seconds left in the first half when the Gaffney native once again wrote his name in the S.C. State history books with a 5-yard touchdown run. For Long, who won three state championships with the Indians in the same stadium – two as a starting quarterback – he found the achievement more surprising than how it was accomplished.
USC breaks free of SC State

COLUMBIA -- Steve Spurrier predicted a dogfight with South Carolina State. He was right. For a half. South Carolina turned a three-point halftime lead into a 38-14 rout Saturday night in front of a crowd of 77,066 at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks scored 28 consecutive points against their FCS counterpart before the Bulldogs punched a second score in with four seconds left in the game. Spurrier had warned all that would listen that the Bulldogs weren't to be taken lightly.

"South Carolina State is a good team," Spurrier said. "They played with us. They played just as well as we did in the first half -- maybe a little bit better." Despite being down a field goal, the Bulldogs (3-1) did in fact outgain the Gamecocks (4-1) 159-149 through two quarters. The word used to describe the first half for the offense -- by both quarterback Stephen Garcia and running back Kenny Miles -- was flat.

South Carolina State University RB Will Ford rushes away from USC Gamecock defender.

South Carolina rolls past SC State, 38-14

COLUMBIA — Steve Spurrier predicted a “dogfight” with South Carolina State. He was right. For a half. The Gamecocks turned a three-point halftime lead into a 38-14 rout Saturday night in front of 77,066 at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina scored 28 consecutive points against its FCS counterpart, until the Bulldogs punched a second score in with four seconds left in the game. Playing despite a bruised left side, Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia was needed for a good portion of the evening.

And his throws - mostly to senior Moe Brown - made the difference in the team’s third-quarter push. Garcia found Brown for a 40-yard score that pushed the Gamecocks ahead 24-7 at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter. On the following drive, facing third-and-5 inside the S.C. State 10, Garcia lobbed the ball over a Bulldogs defender for a 9-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 31-7. Garcia and Brown also hooked up for a 23-yard play earlier in that scoring drive.

Gillespie: Pough's gambling ways give game spark

SO WHO KNEW BUDDY Pough had so much riverboat gambler in his soul? Heck, the guy grew up in Orangeburg, a stone's throw from the South Carolina State campus where he now plies his trade as the Bulldogs' coach. Closest thing to "gambling" in his hometown back then was bingo on Wednesday nights - and that was the Episcopalians. But when you're coaching a lower-division team - even one coming in 3-0 and ranked No. 15 in the FCS - and going up against a South Carolina team fresh off a 16-10 manhandling of then-No. 4 Ole Miss, you figure: What have I got to lose?

So in the first half of Saturday night's 38-14 USC win, a game that all along figured to be a blowout - they don't do point-spreads for games involving FCS teams, but 35 points is a good number - Pough threw caution to the wind early and often. First, with S.C. State backed up on its own 2-yard line, quarterback Malcolm Long stepped back and heaved a 38-yard rainbow to receiver Tre Young, whose acrobatic catch got the Bulldogs out of the hole. In fact, "if (Long) puts more air under the ball, that's 99 yards for a touchdown, you know," Pough said. "It takes a pretty cool guy to stand in that end zone knowing he'd better hurry and get that sucker out of there."

Attendance: 77,066 @ William Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.

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Circle City Classic: Alabama A&M Bulldogs 35, Tuskegee Golden Tigers 15

Alabama A&M rallies to win Circle City Classic, 35-15

Taking advantage of four second-half turnovers and a blocked punt for a touchdown, Alabama A&M rallied past Tuskegee 35-15 today in the Circle City Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium.Alabama A&M trailed 15-0 but scored 35 unanswered points. Tuskegee (4-2) lost two fumbles, had two interceptions and had a punt blocked that Larry Lumpkin fell on for a score. The two traditional rivals from Alabama were playing a rematch of last year’s game, won 34-24 by Tuskegee, an NCAA Division II school. Ulysses Banks ran for 104 yards and a touchdown for A&M (4-1), an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivsion (formerly I-AA) program. Korey Morrison also had a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown for A&M, alma mater of Colts defensive end Robert Mathis.

A time to rise

INDIANAPOLIS - For 30 minutes, Alabama A&M's defense had no answers against Tuskegee's offense. The Golden Tigers had their way against the Bulldogs in the first half, accumulating almost 230 yards, but only had an eight-point lead at intermission. The second half was totally different. The result was a 35-15 A&M victory before an announced crowd of 35,289 in the 26th annual Circle City Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Bulldogs blanked Tuskegee over the final 30 minutes, holding the Golden Tigers to 23 yards in total offense while blocking a punt for a touchdown and forcing four turnovers that led to 17 points.

"We realized they couldn't hang with us if we played the way we were supposed to play," said A&M inside linebacker Afu Okosun, whose interception early in the fourth quarter helped set up Tony Green's 1-yard run that gave the Bulldogs a 25-15 lead with just less than nine minutes remaining. "We dominated the way we were supposed to dominate." With the win, A&M avenged last year's 34-24 loss to Tuskegee, and improved to 4-1 on the season. Tuskegee fell to 4-2.

Circle City Classic -

Alabama A&M makes it a rivalry

For a half, it appeared Robert Mathis might be upset with his alma mater for the second year in a row. The Indianapolis Colts defensive end delivered a pregame speech to Alabama A&M prior to its 35-15 victory over Tuskegee in Saturday's Circle City Classic. The Bulldogs fell behind 15-0 before turning four second-half turnovers and a blocked punt in the end zone into a lopsided victory in the recently resurrected rivalry between the two Alabama schools. A&M lost 34-24 to Tuskegee in last year's Classic, the first time the schools had played since 1999 in a rivalry that dates to 1932. Mathis let the Bulldogs know what he thought about losing to the Golden Tigers.

"He was talking about last year's game and how he was down about that," said A&M running back Tony Green, whose 1-yard touchdown run was part of 20 fourth-quarter points. "He was here and wanted to see us whoop up on them." Alabama A&M leads the series 23-20-4, but when the schools next play is up in the air. The rivalry stopped after A&M won 54-0 in 1999 and moved from NCAA Division II to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) while Tuskegee remained Division II.

Circle City Classic Attendance: 35,289 @Lucus Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN.

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Jackson State Tigers 22, Southern Jaguars 14

JSU Coach Rick Comegy

Southern falls to JSU, 22-14

JACKSON, Miss. -- Southern suffered a 22-14 loss to Jackson State tonight. The Jaguars (3-2) led 7-3 at halftime, but they fell victim to 12 points by the Tigers in the final quarter. Quarterback Trae Rutland threw for 236 yards and rushed for another 127 as JSU (1-3) picked up its first victory of the season. Southern led 14-10 in the fourth quarter, but Jackson State's Eric Perri hit field goals of 38 and 43 yards to give the Tigers a 16-14 edge with 3:44 remaining. JSU pushed its edge to 22-14 on Bloi-Dei Dorzon's 9-yard TD run with 1:14 to go. Southern blocked the extra-point attempt to leave open a chance for overtime.

Massive letdown

JACKSON, Miss. — Fans filled every section. The bands blared. The stadium came alive. It was Jackson State and Southern, going full-tilt for four quarters. This was what the SU athletic department had in mind when it moved Saturday’s home game to Veterans Memorial Stadium. From a dollars-and-cents standpoint, the operation was a success. And while Southern’s hopes of a Southwestern Athletic Conference title didn’t die Saturday night, the Jaguars walked off the field with their heads searching every inch of the grass after a stunning 22-14 loss before 33,977 fans. Players knew their championship hopes had been severely crippled.

Quick trip home lets Southern wear blue

JACKSON, Miss. — All along, Southern had planned to wear its new blue jerseys for Saturday’s game against Jackson State. The Jaguars wore blue jerseys, all right. Just not the blue jerseys they planned on wearing. Between the team’s walk through Friday and their warmups Saturday, four of SU’s new blue game jerseys went missing from Veterans Memorial Stadium, SU spokesman Kevin Manns said. Equipment manager Derek Price drove home to Baton Rouge and boxed up last year’s home jerseys, which he’d kept in storage. Price spent much of Saturday morning and afternoon removing name plates from the jerseys and preparing them for the game, Manns said. The last time SU wore those jerseys was in a 15-0 win Nov. 15 against Alabama State in Mobile, Ala.

SU unable to close deal

JACKSON, Miss. — Southern had the ball on its 25-yard line, down 16-14, with 3:35 left to play. Bryant Lee, Brian Threat and Juamorris Stewart had been bottled up all game. It was time for someone to step forward and make a play. Lee jogged out and readied himself for the drive that would have put his team ahead. At that point a field goal was all the Jaguars needed. What happened next, Lee would like to forget. Hit as he threw, Lee dropped back and floated the ball 10 yards. Breaking on the ball, Jackson State’s Ryan Rich moved in for the interception. Just like that, the SU defense was thrust back onto the field and asked to make a stop. Setting up shop at the SU 35 with 3:30 remaining, JSU quarterback Trae Rutland preceded to hand the ball off to Bloi-Dei Dorzan and let him go to work.

Rutland gets the job done

It wasn't a perfect day for Tray Rutland, but it was surely good enough. In four games the senior quarterback has gone from starter, to being benched for an entire game, to playing the second half, to starting again on Saturday. His topsy-turvy season went hand-in-hand with Jackson State's 0-3 start. Thanks to Rutland's best performance of the year, Jackson State pulled out a much-needed 22-14 victory over Southern in front of an announced 33,977. Rutland finished with 236 passing yards and 47 rushing yards. He didn't throw a touchdown and had an interception. Not exactly most valuable player numbers, but Rutland did enough. And for the first time this season, the quarterback position wasn't a negative for Jackson State.

Attendance: 33,977 @ Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS

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State Fair Classic: Prairie View A&M 35, Grambling State 32

Prairie View A&M gets first win over Grambling State since 1986

The clock was ticking down, and the Prairie View A&M players were jumping. The program had waited a long time to celebrate against Grambling State. So when the game officially ended with The Panthers on top, 35-32, they stormed the field and tossed up a banner in the rain. Horns blared. Quarterback K.J. Black waved a golden champions belt. For the first time since 1986, Prairie View (2-1) had defeated Grambling (2-3), and this wasn't a celebration. This was catharsis, soaking-wet catharsis.

"People here have been waiting on this a long time," Black said. Black fooled them Saturday at the Cotton Bowl's State Fair Classic. He fooled everyone. His fake, one that hadn't worked all game, sealed the victory. It was fourth-and-1 with 1:22 to go. The Panthers needed a foot. Run it up the middle, right? Instead, coach Henry Frazier called a play that would let Black decide his team's fate. He took the snap with the option to hand off the ball or run it outside. Black saw a linebacker coming and sprinted outside for a major gain. No one saw it coming. "That was all K.J.," Frazier said. Black capped off his big day after running for two touchdowns and throwing for two more.



GSU loses to Prairie View

DALLAS — Greg Dillon did what Greg Dillon does against Prairie View. It just wasn't enough this time, as Prairie View won an historic State Fair Classic, 35-32. The Panthers hadn't beaten Grambling State since 1986 --- and had only bested its Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional rival 11 times since 1950. "The ball bounces a lot of different ways, and that has determined the winner," Grambling coach Rod Broadway said. "Prairie View has been good since we've been here."

Last year, Dillon secured the starting position in GSU's dominating win at the State Fair Classic. He found his long-lost rhythm again against these Panthers --- exploding for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns, two in the air and one on the ground. But Prairie View had this game in hand from the first, jumping out to a two-score lead, and only briefly falling behind as Grambling came alive in the third-period to make it interesting with three quick scores. "If you want to be the champs," Prairie View coach Henry Frazier said, as GSU's players silently filed off the field, "then you have to beat the champs."



State Fair Classic Attendance: 42,786 @ Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

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Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University Marching Storm Band @ State Fair Classic 10/3/09, Dallas, Texas

Tennessee State 23, S.E. Missouri State 17

TSU head coach James Webster is 2-3, 1-0 OVC on the season.

TSU beats SEMO in OVC opener

One quarterback turned out to be all Tennessee State needed to beat Southeast Missouri State Saturday night. Calvin McNairl, who shared time at quarterback last week with Dominic Grooms, ran the offense the entire game and led the Tigers to a 23-17 win. An LP Field crowd of 6,314 watched McNairl, a sophomore from Henry County, run for two touchdowns and throw for another as TSU (2-3, 1-0) won its Ohio Valley Conference opener. SEMO (1-4, 0-2) gave TSU its first OVC loss last year in Cape Girardeau but is now 0-5 against the Tigers at LP Field. Grooms started the first game of the season but injured his hamstring in the second quarter. He returned last week against Florida A&M, but had to leave in the fourth quarter when his hamstring started tightening up. Grooms returned to practice this week and hoped to play but did not dress.

TSU's McNairl more comfortable passing

Earlier in the week Coach James Webster said Tennessee State’s coaches were putting in a passing package Calvin McNairl would find more comfortable, and the sophomore certainly looked at ease Saturday night against Southeast Missouri State. McNairl threw the ball more efficiently in the 23-17 victory than he has in any of his four starts this season or in the four starts he had as a freshman in 2007 when he replaced Antonio Heffner because of injury. “I’ve told people Calvin can throw the football and he showed that tonight,’’ Webster said. “I think the offensive coaches did a great job of putting together a package for him and that really helped us.”

Attendance: 6,314 @ L.P. Field, Nashville, TN

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Touchdown Saturday: South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks

Bulldogs brace for USC test

Winston-Salem State was a trap game. Now S.C. State is readying itself to enter a proverbial "hornet's nest" Saturday at South Carolina. That is how Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough is approaching the second meeting between the schools. While S.C. State (3-0) has the national ranking (No. 14 by the FCS coaches poll) and is seeking its first 4-0 start since 1997, the Gamecocks (3-1) are riding high following their 16-10 win over previously fourth-ranked Mississippi. That goes without mentioning the adjustment the Bulldogs face in playing at raucous Williams-Brice Stadium. "But at the same time, we'd like to try to get in there and try to run it down their throat and control the ball for 40 minutes, said Pough. "

Bulldogs turn attention to game against South Carolina

A weary Malcolm Long would have rather put off a day talking about this Saturday’s nationally-televised game against the University of South Carolina. The Gaffney native and junior quarterback had just posted his best statistical game as a college player, throwing for 274 yards on 22 of 33 passing in a 27-10 victory over Winston-Salem State Saturday. Instead of just celebrating the win as the Palmetto State’s only undefeated team, he took rapid questions from the media about the second game in three years between the two in-state schools.

S.C. State Bulldogs best defense for the Gamecocks may be a punishing running game with RBs Travil Jamison (32) and speedster Will Ford.

South Carolina's best since Holtz

COLUMBIA -- Mississippi might have been the worst No. 4-ranked college football team in poll history, though the Rebels are probably at least the fourth-best team in the state of Mississippi. It was not even close to a sellout, though a hundred thousand more Gamecock fans will swear they were at Williams-Brice Stadium to see South Carolina's first-ever home win over a top 5 opponent. But this is Steve Spurrier's best South Carolina team and the soon-to-be-ranked Gamecocks proved it Thursday night with a 16-10 Southeastern Conference win. "Our fans needed this one," Spurrier said, "as well as all of us." C'mon, now. Admit it.

SC State hopes for glory in nationally-televised USC game

SC State is getting ready to make its second trip ever to Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday to play the Gamecocks. There are going to be plenty of eyeballs on this game since it's nationally-televised. The Bulldogs are excited about the big-time exposure. SC State's visit to Air Force in September 2007 was the program's first taste of division one football. These days, you can call the Bulldogs veterans. Over the past two seasons, they've traveled to UCF, Clemson and South Carolina, but Saturday's game against the Gamecocks has the added bonus of national airtime.

"I think it means a lot," said SC State Coach Buddy Pough. "I think if anytime you've got an opportunity to have that kind of publicity and notoriety around the whole world -- because that's what you deal with when you deal with the ESPN family of channels -- I think it's really, really special."

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Game Time: 7 pm ET, Columbia, S.C.
Saturday 10/3/09
TV: ESPN Classic
South Carolina State Bulldogs at South Carolina Gamecocks

Battle of Bands 9/26/09: Florida A&M vs. Tennessee State

Florida A&M Rattlers 31, Tennessee State Tigers 12

FAMU Marching 100 Baritone Horn section get down in dance routine at Atlanta Football Classic.

FAMU wins again in Atlanta Football Classic

Florida A&M continued its dominance of Tennessee State in the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic on Saturday, rolling to a 31-12 victory before a crowd of nearly 52,000 at the Georgia Dome. It was the eighth straight win in the series for the Rattlers (4-0), who were led by QB Curtis Pulley’s 315 passing yards and two second-half TD passes. Those passes helped FAMU pull away from the Tigers (1-3), who had a 12-10 halftime lead behind TD runs from Preston Brown and Calvin McNairl.

Florida A&M rolls

Tennessee State already knew Curtis Pulley could win a game with his legs. This time, he proved his arm was just as useful. Pulley, Florida A&M's quarterback, was 24-of-34 for a career-high 315 yards and two touchdowns to earn his second consecutive Bank of America Football Classic Most Valuable Player award and lead his team to a 31-12 victory at the Georgia Dome on Saturday. Most of Pulley's production came when it was most needed, as the Rattlers pulled away in the second half to remain undefeated.

The Tigers looked strong in the first two quarters, keeping Pulley from hurting them too badly and taking a 12-10 lead into the locker room. But 192 of Pulley's passing yards and both touchdowns came in the final 30 minutes, and the reason for A&M's resounding win was evident to Tennessee State coach James Webster Jr. "The difference in the ball game was the quarterback, Pulley," Webster said. "He took it to another level in the second half. Pulley made the plays with his legs and his arm. He found the receivers, and we didn't challenge the receivers like we should have challenged them."

FAMU cruises past Tennessee State, 31-12

ATLANTA — Quarterback Curtis Pulley stood on the small stage, the Atlanta Classic MVP trophy latched in his arms, while cameras snapped away. The eyes of the media might have been on Pulley, but he wouldn't forget the rest of the FAMU players that were spread around the field level. "It's great to have those guys as my teammates," Pulley said after leading the Rattlers to a 31-12 victory over Tennessee State at the Georgia Dome.

Later on, Pulley would thank his receivers who helped him to a career-high 315 passing yards. "It was just great to make plays with our receivers," he said. "We have been kind of balanced in the first couple of games, but we just opened it up. The O-line did a great job of not letting any pressure get back there (to the pocket) and the receivers did a good job of getting open." Pulley never stopped relying on what he could do with his arm, and for the first game this season he didn't outdo himself running the ball. He carried nine times for 23 yards, a career low.

FAMU receiver Elliott has good outing despite drops

ATLANTA — After dropping four passes last week against Howard University, FAMU receiver Kevin Elliott fired off a text to offensive coordinator Lawrence Kershaw. "I apologized and I told him I would never play like that again," Elliott said after finishing the Atlanta Classic on Saturday with six catches for 64 yards. "I'm real hard on myself." Elliott might have to beg Kershaw to give him more time in the passing game because he dropped three in FAMU's 31-12 win over Tennessee State. However, he was the second leading receiver behind Isaac West's 134 yards on a day that quarterback Curtis Pulley threw for a career-best 315 yards.
























FAMU WR Javares Knight fights for additonal yardage against TSU Tigers.

Preserving Atlanta Classic makes financial sense

ATLANTA — Ken Howard came early before a mid-afternoon downpour disrupted tailgating. He and his buddy Robert Mosby had to make the rounds. Always a lot of folks to meet and greet whenever they come to the Atlanta Football Classic. They don't know everybody who calls out their names in the tailgating crowd, but they respond. Been almost 30 years since they graduated from FAMU, where Howard was batter known as "White Man." They called Mosby "Big Dog," the names they heard a lot this weekend.

Howard is teaching music now and brings the message of what black college football meant to him as a younger man and what it still means. He still comes to these games, the high cost of driving from Fort Lauderdale notwithstanding. Reports of flooding in Atlanta weren't going to deter him, either. "It means a lot to us," he said, explaining why he spent $200 for tickets to share Saturday's experience. "I'm an educator and I tell my kids a lot of those black athletes played at FAMU." He doesn't have many to talk about right now, but maybe one day they'll be talking about the tandem of quarterback Curtis Pulley and receiver Isaac West who both had a career days in beating the Tigers 31-12.

Attendance: 51,950 at the Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

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Battle of Bands 9/26/09: Alcorn State vs. Southern University

Southern Jaguars 48, Alcorn State Braves 42

Jaguars offense heats up

Southern University senior wide receiver Juamorris Stewart might have said it best following the Jaguars 48-42 win over Alcorn State on Saturday night. “Anything can happen in the SWAC,” Stewart said. “We’ve got to come out every week and play our best.” Southern had just built a seemingly comfortable 20-point fourth-quarter lead only to have Alcorn State rally for three late scores. As things turned out, Southern couldn’t breathe easy until Evan Alexander recovered an onside kick with 19 seconds left.

The play put a cap on a wild finish that seemed improbable early on as both the Southern and Alcorn State offenses took their time heating up. “We had to find our rhythm and chemistry on the field,” Southern center Ramon Chinyoung said. “Of course, in the second half we made a lot of adjustments. We knew what we could and couldn’t do, and that’s how we were victorious in the second half.”

Southern University Coach Pete Richardson had to work to the last 10 seconds to pull-out the victory over Alcorn State.

SU wins thriller

So when Byron Williams darted up the right sideline, broke a tackle near midfield and broke loose for a 91-yard kickoff return that gave Southern a 20-point lead over Alcorn State in the fourth quarter Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium, what, exactly, was he thinking? “I was like, ‘Yes, it really hurt ’em.’ But I didn’t really pay attention to the clock,” Williams said. “They had a lot of time to get the ball back and score.” And the Braves scored. A lot. As the final minutes came to a close in this Southwestern Athletic Conference opener, the Jaguars had to hold on for dear life as Alcorn erupted for four touchdowns in a rally that just fell short in a 48-42 thriller.

Alcorn’s Buckley shines in air

Alcorn State senior quarterback Timothy Buckley didn’t want to leave Southern’s campus with a loss. Neither did his offensive mates, or first-year coach Earnest Collins Jr. Don’t get this misunderstood. Though Alcorn was outscored 100-0 in its first two games, its opponents were Football Bowl Subdivision foes. On the road. Against fellow Football Championship Subdivision foe Southern (3-1, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference), Alcorn (0-3, 0-1) put together a performance that would have made former quarterback Steve McNair proud. And if the Braves could have gotten another defensive stop or sustained another offensive drive, his five-touchdown performance may have been enough to win. Instead, his Braves fell 48-42 Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

How They Scored: Southern-Alcorn State

First quarter
SOUTHERN — Juamorris Stewart 11 pass from Bryant Lee (Josh Duran kick) at :11. DRIVE: 6 plays, 40 yards, 1:55. KEY PLAYS: SU goes for it on fourth-and-6 at the Alcorn 25, converting when Lee hits Stewart on a stop route. One play later, Stewart gets a key block from wideout Corey Cushingberry and hops into the end zone. Southern 7, Alcorn 0.

Chatman returns to field

After missing two games and sitting on the bench for the first half of Southern’s 48-42 victory over Alcorn State, strong safety Gary Chatman finally got back on the field. But he didn’t do it at strong safety. Chatman, a starter at drop linebacker the past two years, returned to his old position during the third quarter of Saturday’s wild game, and he did so out of necessity. SU’s linebacker corps was already thin heading into this game, thanks to a handful of minor injuries and a virus that spread through the unit.

Drop linebacker David Daye didn’t dress out because of flu-like symptoms. Then, during the game, linebackers Marcus Clark missed time because he was getting re-taped, and André Coleman stepped out with an apparent injury to his left arm. In stepped Chatman, who’s still recovering from a sprained ankle, which he suffered in the season opener at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Attendance: 16,940 at Mumford Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

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Coastal Carolina 28. North Carolina A&T 7

Quarterbacks falter in Aggies' loss to Coastal

CONWAY, S.C. -- The way N.C. A&T's offense failed to move the ball in the first half, a two-touchdown halftime deficit appeared insurmountable. Outside of one second-half series, the Aggies did little but confirm that in the third and fourth quarters. A&T lost 28-7 to Coastal Carolina on the road Saturday night, leaving coach Alonzo Lee's team still searching for answers on offense. "We have to execute better with our quarterbacks," Lee said. "We've been back and forth; we've shown spurts of doing really good things. And then, boom, we fall on our face. &ellipses; We're going to simplify a little bit more. We simplified some this week. We'll simplify a little more next week until we can get the nuts and the bolts."

Even with a scaled-back playbook, A&T (2-2 overall) quarterbacks Carlton Fears and Lewis Kindle struggled, overthrowing and undershooting receivers throughout the night. Fears -- who finished the game 7-of-22 with two interceptions -- didn't help his cause of holding on to the quarterback job. His first pick, a second-quarter job by Coastal Carolina defensive back and North Carolina transfer Tavorris Jolly, looked all too easy for the CCU player, who barely moved to cause the turnover. Kindle was inserted on the Aggies' next possession. But after three running plays, he drilled CCU (2-2) linebacker E.J. Brown in the chest with his first pass attempt. The Chanticleers squeezed a field goal out of that turnover.

Box Score Photo Gallery

Chants pound out win

CONWAY -- Teams typically spend their bye weeks focusing on their weaknesses. Coastal Carolina began working on its ailments a week early. Despite a passing game that may have taken a step back, the Chanticleers established the running game and began to find an offensive rhythm in the second half of a 28-7 win over North Carolina A&T Saturday. The Chants rushed for 304 yards, including a combined 239 yards from tailbacks Eric O'Neal and Tommy Fraser, and their defense was solid for a fourth consecutive week, sending Coastal to its off week at 2-2.

Quarter-by-quarter breakdown

First quarter
Key moment Coastal Carolina was gashing North Carolina A&T's defense for big gains on its second drive. Tailback Eric O'Neal and quarterback Jamie Childers had several long runs, helping the Chanticleers drive to A&T's 23 before Childers' first-down pass was picked off in the end zone by Quay Long. The man A&T punter Alex Grubb had three first-quarter punts and pinned all of them inside Coastal's 20-yard line: one at the 8, one at the 15 and one at the 3.

Attendance: 7, 367 (Sold-Out) at Brooke Stadium, Conway, S.C.

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Norfolk State Spartans 40, Bethune Cookman Wildcats 14

5 interceptions drop B-CU to 0-3

NORFOLK, Va. -- A Saturday off last weekend didn't cure what ails the Bethune-Cookman football team. Fumbles, which haunted B-CU in its first two losses, weren't a problem Saturday. The Wildcats held on to the ball after losing seven fumbles in the first two games. But B-CU quarterbacks combined to throw five interceptions, as B-CU fell into a 23-0 hole on its way to a 40-14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to Norfolk State at William "Dick" Price Stadium.

The loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-3 for the first time since 1993, when they started 0-9 under Sylvester Collins. The 26-point loss, the Spartans' largest margin of victory in the 20-game series, also dropped the 'Cats to 0-2 in the MEAC. Injuries hit B-CU as hard as Norfolk State did, as the 'Cats lost senior running back Phillip Kirkland on their first offensive play (high ankle sprain) and senior defensive back Antonio Cox (dislocated shoulder). The 'Cats' highlight was a rally late in the first half when they scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes to cut their halftime deficit to 23-14. Sophomore back Jonathan Moment capped scoring drives of 78 and 80 yards with TD runs from the 1.

Spartans QB Dennis Brown had a career-high 270 yards on 16-of-28 passing with one interception against BCU.

NSU cruises to victory

NORFOLK -- DeAngelo Branche rushed for three touchdowns and Dennis Brown threw two scoring passes to Chris Bell as Norfolk State routed Bethune-Cookman 40-14 yesterday. Branche had 106 yards on 20 carries and scored on touchdown runs of 1, 3 and 1 yards for the Spartans (1-1 MEAC 2-2). Brown had a career-high 270 yards on 16-of-28 passing with one interception, while Bell's 213 yards receiving on nine catches was also a career high. The pair connected on touchdown passes of 62 and 26 yards.

The win was Norfolk State's most lopsided in the 20-game series. Johnathan Moment scored on two 1-yard runs for the Wildcats (0-2, 0-3) to cut the Spartans' lead to 23-14 at halftime. Norfolk State scored twice in 27 seconds in the third quarter. After Bell's second touchdown, Terrell Whitehead had a 57-yard interception return to set up Branche's last score.

Attendance: 7,040 at Dick Price Stadium, Norfolk, VA

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Oklahoma State Cowboys 52, Grambling State Tigers 6

Cowboys climb two spots in AP poll

Following Saturday's 56-6 win over Grambling State, the Oklahoma State Cowboys improved two spots in this week's Associated Press poll, released Sunday. OSU (3-1) is ranked No. 14 after spending the last two weeks at No. 16. The Cowboys reached a high of No. 5 in the AP after beating Georgia to start the season, but fell to 16th with the loss to Houston. The Cougars, who beat Texas Tech Saturday night, are No. 12 this week. Florida remained No. 1, with Texas second, Alabama third, LSU fourth and Boise State fifth.




Slideshow: Oklahoma State Football vs Grambling

Offensive line gets back to the basics in victory

Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston’s only job is to run through the gaps that his offensive line makes, so he knows those spaces well. Against Grambling State on Saturday, he noticed his job was somewhat easier than usual. “The holes were a little bit bigger than normal,” he said. OSU’s much-needed crushing of Grambling State helped to improve the performance and mood of the Cowboy offensive line, but there’s still a long way to go. OSU racked up 56 points on the Tigers’ defense and totaled 587 yards of total offense. The running game, where offensive lines shine in their blocking ability, was key for OSU’s victory. The Cowboys had 43 carries for 321 yards.

“Of course, those are the type of numbers you like, we prefer not to pass that ball at all,” senior offensive tackle Russell Okung said. “You’re just seeing things all come together and things starting to work. We are still a ways off, but we are seeing improvement each week.” But all of the line’s responsibilities don’t lie within the running game. Quarterback Zac Robinson needs time to make a read and find the right receiver in the passing game. The O-line fended off the GSU defense, allowing Robinson to go 13 of 16 for 189 of OSU’s 266 passing yards.



Rookies play well

If Oklahoma State had any questions about the future of its running attack, they were answered on Saturday night. True freshman Jeremy Smith saw the first action of his collegiate career and set a record for the most rushing yards ever by an Oklahoma State freshman in his first game. The Tulsa Union product carried the ball 15 times for 160 yards and one touchdown, becoming the third Oklahoma State running back to record more than 100 yards in a freshman debut. Smith is at the top of the list.

Terry Miller held the previous record of 128 yards against Wichita State in 1974. Vernand Morency ran for 108 yards against Louisiana Tech in 2002. But Oklahoma State expected this from the running back, whose redshirt was removed Saturday. “I think everybody on the team saw that one coming,” quarterback Zac Robinson said. “He can make you miss and has great speed.”

Oklahoma State rolls past Grambling 56-6

Saturday night went about as expected. Oklahoma State dominated the football game. Grambling State’s marching band dominated halftime. Next up for the 16th-ranked Cowboys after their 56-6 rout over the lower-division Tigers is some much-needed rest. Perhaps never before in the history of OSU football could a bye week have been more well-timed. With all due respect to the visitors from northern Louisiana, getting to play Grambling essentially equates to a bye-and-a-half for the Cowboys as they enter Big 12 play with a 3-1 record. OSU is nicked up, and among the injured are three players who many categorized as preseason All-Americans — wide receiver Dez Bryant (hamstring), cornerback/kick returner Perrish Cox (shoulder) and running back Kendall Hunter (ankle). None of the aforementioned played against the Tigers, nor did starting defensive end Jermiah Price.



OSU notebook: Cowboys defense shines, too

While the OSU offense featured old and new stars in rolling up big yards and points, the Cowboys defense did its job, too. Grambling State managed just 156 total yards, 66 of which came in the fourth quarter against mostly reserves. The Tigers scored with two field goals, one coming after an OSU turnover. "I think anytime you play a game, you’d like to get a shutout,” said Cowboys defensive coordinator Bill Young. "We didn’t get that done. But we hold them to two field goals, and we feel awful good about that. And we were able to play a lot of people.” For what it’s worth, the Tigers entered the game as the second-ranked scoring offense in the SWAC, averaging 32 points a game.

Loud and proud
The Grambling band, considered quite a bonus in the visit by the Louisiana program, did not disappoint, although there was some concern before the game even began. The band actually exited the stadium just before kickoff. While gone, OSU security and police emptied a scattering of fans from the section devoted to the visiting band. Eventually, the Grambling band returned and delivered on its halftime show to a rousing response, playing – and dancing – to Michael Jackson’s "Thriller.”

Just what the doctor ordered

Two of Oklahoma State’s preseason All-Americans attended the game in street clothes. Several other Cowboys also were no-shows Saturday against Grambling State. The highlight for many of the record crowd of 56,901 came when neither team was on the field (Grambling State’s Tiger Band was worth the price of a ticket, by the way). And with all the that the game against the Tigers couldn’t have gone any better if OSU coach Mike Gundy had scripted it. Well, maybe he did. I would imagine in his dreams he envisioned something like a 56-6 win where everybody wearing an OSU uniform got a chance to play and nobody got hurt any more than they already were.

Saturday’s victory over Grambling was the perfect cure to what had been ailing the Cowboys the past two weeks. It was a win that should put a little swagger back in a team that had plenty of it coming off its win against Georgia to open the season.

Pickens Drills Deep Into Pockets for Oklahoma State Victories

Stillwater, OK -- T. Boone Pickens has donated $284 million to Oklahoma State University’s sports program the past six years and the billionaire oilman and hedge-fund manager says he’s confident his investment is about to pay off. His money renovated the stadium that bears his name, beefed up recruiting and now is helping win more football games. The Cowboys, ranked No. 9 by the Associated Press before the season started, opened with a 24-10 victory over No. 13 University of Georgia.

Pickens, a 1951 graduate of the Stillwater, Oklahoma, school, said the money has been spent well. Now the 81-year-old, who Forbes magazine reported in March had a net worth of $2 billion, is looking for the Cowboys to earn a slot in one of the five Bowl Championship Series postseason games. “I expect to get there,” Pickens said in an interview Sept. 4. “We have a good football team this year. If we can stay healthy, we’re going to be tough.”

Oklahoma State’s bid for a trip to this season’s national championship game took a hit in the second game of the season after it blew a fourth-quarter lead and lost to the University of Houston, 45-35. The Cowboys are ranked 16th in the AP poll this week after beating Rice, 41-24, Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

ATTENDANCE: (Stadium Record): 56,901 Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK.

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Delaware State Hornets 21, Hampton Pirates 6

DSU athletic director Derek A. Carter

DSU fights for first win

HAMPTON, Va. -- There would be no last-second heartbreak for Delaware State this year. A year after a late touchdown gave Hampton a win in Alumni Stadium, Delaware State's Olusegun Ayanbiola snatched an interception and ran it back 13 yards for a touchdown to seal the Hornets' 21-6 win over Hampton at Armstrong Stadium. A glance at the stats would indicate domination by Hampton, which had 390 yards of offense to the Hornets' 277. The Pirates also had more first downs and forced six punts. The Pirates also were flagged 14 times for 141 yards and were picked off three times.

Mistakes, flags doom Pirates

HAMPTON - It's tough to beat a quality team when you give away yards and the ball. That was the theme of the day as Hampton fell to Delaware State 21-6 at Armstrong Stadium. Hampton was flagged 14 times for 141 yards and intercepted off three times. "We kept shooting ourselves in the foot, but my hat goes off to them because they obviously did enough to win," Hampton coach Donovan Rose said. "I thought our offense was doing fine, but every time we got a good drive going, we'd get a big penalty or give the ball away. I know it's disappointing to our guys right now, but it's not the end of the world."

The statistics indicate domination by Hampton, which had 390 yards of offense to the Hornets' 277. The Pirates also had more first downs and forced six punts. Yet every time they seemed poised to break out, something held them back. Hampton threatened in the first quarter after a 31-yard run by LaMarcus Coker gave it the ball on the Hornets' 18. The Pirates lost three yards on the next three plays before Jordan Stovall came up short on a 38-yard field-goal try.

Attendance: 4,632 Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, VA

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Morgan State Bears 12. Towson Tigers 9

Morgan State's defense saves the day vs. Towson

Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley went conservative in Saturday's game with Towson. The rain started in the first quarter and got harder as time went on, so Hill-Eley decided to play the field-position game - and his plan worked perfectly. Darren McKhan returned a blocked extra point for a two-point conversion and made a crucial fourth-quarter interception, and Morgan's defense came up with several key plays late to help the Bears hang on for a 12-9 victory over Towson at Hughes Stadium. This was the Bears' first victory against the Tigers since 2003. Hill-Eley's plan worked because his defense came up big several times.

Morgan State Bears RB Darren McKhan scores one against Towson.

Towson ran up 344 yards of total offense, but the Bears forced three turnovers, blocked the extra point and limited the Tigers to two of 13 third-down conversions. Punter Nicholas Adams made a number of good kicks to pin Towson deep. "I didn't want to do anything that would give them any energy," Hill-Eley said. "Some coaches don't take it into consideration, but with me, we always take Mother Nature into consideration." The Morgan offense never really got going, finishing with only six first downs and 161 yards but had just one turnover. All three of Towson's turnovers came in the fourth quarter, ending its last three drives and handing the Tigers a 13th straight road loss.

Attendance: 4,307 at Hughes Stadium, Baltimore, MD

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Alabama A&M Bulldogs 28, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff 7

LIONS BATTERED BY THE BULLDOGS

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. —Arkansas-Pine Bluff dominated Mississippi Valley State last week in its Southwestern Athletic Conference opener. The Golden Lions were so dominant that coach Monte Coleman said he thought his team was on the verge of turning the corner. After Saturday’s beat down by Alabama A&M, Coleman is probably re-thinking that statement. The Golden Lions, who entered the game leading the league in rushing and total defense, had no answers for the Bulldogs, who gave UAPB a dose of its own medicine Saturday inside Louis Crews Stadium on homecoming.

A&M dominated UAPB, finishing with 448 yards in total offense en route to a workmanlike 28-7 victory before an announced crowd of 4,414. Coleman was at a loss for words. “This was very surprising,” he said. “They manhandled us today. For a team to beat us up the way we were beat up today, that’s very alarming and disappointing.” The loss, which snapped UAPB’s two-game winning streak, dropped the Golden Lions to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in league play. A&M improved to 3-1 and 1-0.

TAKEDOWN

Bulldogs shred SWAC's top-rated defense in homecoming romp ... Arkansas-Pine Bluff came to town with the Southwestern Athletic Conference's top-rated defense. The Golden Lions led the league in rushing and total defense and had dominated Mississippi Valley State a week ago. Those numbers took a beating Saturday. Alabama A&M, looking to send a message to the rest of the league in its conference opener, gave UAPB a dose of its own medicine at Louis Crews Stadium.

The Bulldogs dominated the Golden Lions, finishing with 448 yards in total offense en route to a workmanlike 28-7 homecoming win before an announced crowd of 4,414. "It was pretty easy," said A&M running back Ulysses Banks after rushing for 177 yards on a career-high 34 carries and scoring two touchdowns. "My offensive line blocked for me. They always block for me. I like those guys." The Bulldogs improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in league play. The Golden Lions fell to 2-2 and 1-1.

Huge cleats to fill

Junior Afu Okosun eager to step into role as one of great A&M linebackers ...
Afu Okosun heard so much about former Alabama A&M linebacker Jamaal Ware that it almost made him sick. Ware was the first great inside linebacker during the Anthony Jones era at A&M, earning first-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors in 2002. It was like Coach (Jay) Martin had a man crush," Okosun said, laughing.

Okosun was on a visit in 2005 when he got a chance to watch former A&M standout Johnny Baldwin. Okosun was a freshman on the Bulldogs' 2006 SWAC championship team and got a chance to see Baldwin up close and personal on a daily basis. Baldwin, a two-time first-team All-SWAC selection, was drafted in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions in 2007. "Johnny set the standard," Martin said. "Everybody that comes along will be compared to him."

Attendance: 4,414 at Louis Crews Stadium, Huntsville, AL

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Texas State Bobcats 52, Texas Southern Tigers 18

Texas Southern Coach Johnnie Cole Tigers get overwhelmed by Southland Conference power Texas State.

George shatters Bobcats' passing mark

SAN MARCOS — Texas Southern's four laterals that resulted in a 90-yard touchdown return off of a blocked field goal might be a candidate for the football highlight of the week. However, the effort ended up playing second fiddle to Texas State quarterback Bradley George's record-breaking performance in the Bobcats' 52-18 victory Saturday at Bobcat Stadium. The senior from New Braunfels Canyon became Texas State's career passing leader by throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns to increase his total to 7,287 yards and eclipse Barrick Nealy's mark of 7,206 yards set between 2003-05.

George also threw three interceptions for the first time since his freshman year, but he was still sharp enough to keep the Bobcats (2-1) in control. His favorite receiver was Da'Marcus Griggs, who came within one reception of tying the single-game record after finishing with 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. “I think the three picks are what stand out in my mind,” George said. “But we won and that means something. To be mentioned in the same breath as Barrick Nealy is still an honor. But records aren't what you shoot for in sports. I have a couple (Southland Conference) rings, and I would like to get a third.”

Texas State routs Tigers 52-18

SAN MARCOS — Statistics don’t always tell the story, especially on the football field. Texas State’s defense made a huge impact in forcing four fumbles and an interception that led to 28 points in the Bobcats’ 52-18 win Saturday at home over Texas Southern. But Texas State coach Brad Wright points to one play that will stick in his mind — one of the only defensive faux pas all game. “It was one of those games where so much happened, I don’t even know what we did right and what we did wrong,” said coach Brad Wright, “The only play that comes to mind is that blocked field goal right before half time. The guys in the locker room (at half time) looked like they just had a trophy stolen from them.”

The play in question was a bit of razzle dazzle by the Tigers as time expired in the first half.Texas Southern’s John Cole blocked a Justi Garelick field goal attempt with three seconds left on the clock. Tigers’ Harry Brown recovered the ball and four Texas Southern players would touch the ball — on a series of laterals — before DeMa Washington scampered 24 yards for the touchdown and cut the Bobcat lead to 24-12. “I’m sure I’ll catch that play on (ESPN) Sports Center,” Texas State quarterback Bradley George said. “I’d like to see it again though; it looked like he was down to me.”

Complete Game Statistics in PDF Format

Attendance: 12,048 at Bobcat Stadium, San Marcos, TX

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Duke Blue Devils 49, NCCU Eagles 14

Devils rule in cross-town romp

DURHAM, N.C. Early last week, Duke coach David Cutcliffe said the Blue Devils were not a "good" football team - a candid remark that represented the team's ineffectiveness and inconsistency in three previous games. On Saturday against N.C. Central, the Devils made strides to change their coaches' perspective, pounding the Eagles to capture a 49-14 victory at Wallace Wade Stadium in the first game between the neighboring schools.

The game, billed as the "Bull City Gridiron Classic," attracted 26,390 fans, many who showed up early to tailgate and enjoy the joint festivities planned by the two schools. A steady downpour did not turn away the faithful, who had talked about this game for weeks. The Eagles, who are in their third year of a transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, pulled the score to within a touchdown in the second quarter, cutting Duke's early lead to 21-14. Thereafter points were harder to acquire, with the Devils standing firm on defense and opening the game with an offensive outburst that continued into the fourth quarter.



Photo Gallery: Full Slideshow
Game summary

Rucker Understands What Tonight's Game Was All About

Kinney Rucker, more than any other Duke player -- with the possible exception of freshman running back Desmond Scott -- understood what the first Bull City Classic was all about. The Blue Devils' senior defensive tackle reveled in the moment as he walked out to the center of the field before the kickoff of Duke's 49-14 victory over North Carolina Central. The Durham native was appointed a co-captain for the first historic meeting between Durham's two universities. "I moved down here in the sixth grade," Rucker said. "I went to Central games. I went to Duke games. For this to happen, is huge. "I went to the pep rally Thursday, just to see the camaraderie. It is amazing how much this community has come together and how much times have changed. Growing up, you never thought you'd see Duke and Central playing on the same field. As they moved up another division, it made it possible."

NCCU Eagles Tim Shankle scores on 1-yard TD run against the Duke Blue Devils.

'A LONG TIME IN COMING'

DURHAM -- The rain fell, but it did not seem to bother Duke and N.C. Central University alumni who gathered late Saturday before the historic first meeting of the Blue Devils and the Eagles football teams at Wallace Wade Stadium. In addition to the rain, beer flowed, and there was plenty of chicken, barbecue and other good picnic food as fans gathered at Blue Devil Alley for the pregame tailgate parties for the historic first meeting of the two schools' teams. Much has been said and written about this game as an event that bridges a historical divide between Duke and historically black NCCU. Members of the Omega Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity -- the first black fraternity at Duke, established in 1974 -- were on hand celebrating that historic milestone along with the evening's game.

Attendance: 26,390 at Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, N.C.

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