Lowe, Shaputis Shine as Langston Defeats WBU

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- - Two pivotal plays in the second half turned the tide for the No. 14 Langston Lions on Saturday afternoon as they remained unbeaten in Sooner Athletic Conference play by defeating Wayland Baptist 31-20.

Leading 20-17 with 17 ticks remaining in the third, senior quarterback Jaylen Lowe (SR/Collinsville, Okla.) capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. The Lions tacked on the two-point conversion and lead 25-20 after three quarters of play.

Lowe sealed the game for Langston late in the fourth quarter with a 42-yard touchdown lob into the hands of Joe Lewis (JR/Houston, Texas) to increase the Lions' advantage to 31-20 at the 2:27 mark in the fourth. The Pioneers were unable to muster any type of comeback, turning the ball over on down the following possession at the Wayland Baptist 43-yard line.

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Collectively, the Lions amassed 434 yards of total offense with 319 coming through the air. Lowe finished 25-of-37 with 319 passing yards and two touchdowns while tacking on 32 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Isaiah Shaputis (JR/Guthrie, Okla.) finished the day with nine receptions for 130 yards and one touchdown; Shaputis becomes the first Lion to eclipse the 100-yard receiving mark this season. Joe Lewis finished with three catches for 57 yards and one score.

Langston (3-1, 3-0 SAC) plays at Texas Wesleyan next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY LIONS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

WVSU Yellow Jackets Roll to 31-17 Road Win

GLENVILLE, West Virginia -- They and it are back.

The Yellow Jackets and their high-powered offense came to life in the second quarter Saturday at Glenville State.

All it took was one pass play to re-ignite the offensive fire that had been seemingly dormant for the previous five quarters.

Trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter WVSU quarterback Faustino Saucedo dropped back to throw on a third and 10 from his own 34 yard-line.



He looked downfield and saw senior Tyrell Henderson break free from coverage and quickly fired in his direction. Seconds later Henderson crossed the goal line to tie the score and open the flood gates.

The Yellow Jackets scored on their next three possessions to pull out to a 24-7 lead on the way to a 31-17 win.

"The offense looked explosive in the pass game and made huge improvements on third down conversions," WVSU Head Coach John Pennington Said. "Tyrell Henderson is playing really well right now and made some big plays downfield."

Faustino finished 19-of-34 passing for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both to Henderson. 

Sophomore Calil Wilkins carried the ball 27 times for 102 yards.

Henderson ended up with seven catches for 171 yards.

But it was not only the WVSU offense that looked reinvigorated.

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"The defense did a great job of getting stops on third downs," Pennington said. "Special teams made a big play on a kick return to set up a score and made some big hits."

The Pioneers were only able to convert 4-of-16 third down situations.

WVSU gained 458 yards total while holding Glenville State to 311.

"I am proud of our team for staying focused the whole game and playing together as a team," 

Pennington said. "We have to make some major improvements over the next few weeks but as long as we stay focused on going 1-0 in everything we do and Winning the Moment we will end up with the success we crave."

Saturday's win in Glenville was only the third for the Yellow Jackets in their last 11 visits there.
WVSU improves to 2-3 with a chance to even its record at Homecoming next week against Kentucky State.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY YELLOW JACKETS SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Grounds NCCU Eagles with 55-14 Romp in Durham

Rattlers ground Eagles 55-14. Ryan Stanley threw for 254 yards. Chad Hunter caught 7 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns. @MEACSports @FAMU_1887 pic.twitter.com/7QOwf9772S

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) September 30, 2018

DURHAM, North Carolina -- The Florida A&M Rattlers (3-2, 2-0 MEAC) reeled off 40 points in the first half for the first time since 1999 and cruised to a 55-14 win over the NCCU Eagles (1-3, 0-1 MEAC). This marks the first time since 2009 the Rattlers have ended September with a winning record.

Wide receiver Chad Hunter had a career game, hauling in three touchdown to lead the Rattlers in scoring. Hunter finished with 135 yards on seven catches to lead all receivers.

Quarterback Ryan Stanley went 13-of-18 for 254 yards and four touchdowns. He hit Marcus Williams for a 43-yard touchdown completion in the first quarter to tie the game, following a touchdown reception from Nalil Ramadan to Jordan Freeman with 11:56 remaining in the first half.

Yahia Aly kicked a 27-yard field goal with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter to give FAMU a lead they would not relinquish. Following the field goal, Stanley and Hunter would go to work on NCCU. Hunter hauled in a 28-yard TD from Stanley with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter to give the Rattlers a 17-7 lead.

FAMU’s special team performed virtually flawlessly in the win over NCCU. The Rattlers blocked a punt with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter, which was scooped up by Jalene Douse an crossed the end zone for the final score of the first quarter.

Stanley would hit Hunter on scores of 21 and 10 yards to help the Rattlers pull away to a 38-7 lead in the second quarter. Aly tacked on a 33-yard field goal to conclude the scoring with FAMU leading 41-7 at halftime.

Azende Rey got the scoring started again in the third quarter with a one-yard run. NCCU responded with their second and final score of the game with a one-yard run from Jordan Phillips.

Redshirt freshman quarterback DJ Phillips came in for Stanley for most of the fourth quarter. He would find the end zone with 8:56 remaining in the game for his first collegiate touchdown.

Running back Deshawn Smith was the workhorse in the backfield carrying 20 times for 152 yards. Bishop Bonnet had a solid game as well, reeling of a 68-yard run and was also responsible for blocking the punt on special teams.

Derrick Mayweather led the Rattler defense with four solo tackles and one unassisted. Demontre Moore and Elijah Richardson each had two tackles and two assists. FAMU punter Chrs Faddoul had a monsterous game, booting four times for a 51.8 yard average.

The Rattlers prepare for homecoming and another MEAC game as they host the Spartans of Norfolk State University on L. 6, with a 4:00 PM kickoff time. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN3.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY RATTLERS SPORTS INFORMATION

FIU Takes Care of Business Against UAPB 55-9

MIAMI, Florida --  FIU's bye week is next Saturday, Oct. 6, but the Panthers started it early by blasting Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 55-9, Saturday night at Riccardo Silva Stadium.

For notes from tonight's game, click here.

The Panthers built a 38-3 halftime lead and cruised from there as several reserves saw action.

After the Golden Lions kicked a 37-yard field goal on the game's first possession, the Panthers scored 38 unanswered points.

On its third offensive play of the game, FIU quarterback James Morgan connected with Maurice Alexander on a short pass before Alexander sprinted 76 yards for a touchdown. CJ Worton delivered a key block to help Alexander on the score.

Alexander finished with a career-high and game-high 144 yards.

After a 23-yard field goal by Jose Borregales, Morgan found a wide-open Worton for a 52-yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Panthers.

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Morgan was 9 of 14 for 341 yards and four touchdowns. The four passing touchdowns equals the FIU single-game record held by Jamie Burke and Paul McCall, who did it most recently in 2008 against Florida Atlantic.

The third passing touchdown for Morgan was a wild one.

Morgan completed the pass to Alexander at the FIU 37 before Alexander fumbled the ball at the UAPB 37 where Austin Maloney scooped the loose ball and ran it in for a touchdown.

Touchdown runs by Napoleon Maxwell (44 yards) and D'Vonte Price (10 yards) capped off the first half scoring for FIU.

Price added a 70-yard touchdown run on a sweep in the second half. The sophomore tallied a career-high 110 rushing yards with two touchdowns.

On the first play of the second half, Morgan hit Cadarius Gaskin in stride for a 75-yard touchdown. It was Gaskin's first career touchdown.

Sage Lewis led the FIU defense with 16 tackles. It was Lewis's third double-digit tackles game of the season. Lewis's season-high was 18 tackles against Indiana in the season opener.

FIU has next Saturday off before returning to Conference USA play. The Panthers host Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY PANTHERS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

PVAMU Panthers Win State Fair Classic, End Grambling 26-Game SWAC Winning Streak

DALLAS, Texas – The Prairie View A&M University football team lead from start to finish in defeating Grambling 22-16 in the 93rd State Fair Classic.

The Panthers (3-3 overall, 2-0 SWAC) defeated Grambling (1-3, 1-1) for the first time since 2013 as well as ending the Tigers' 26-game Southwestern Athletic Conference winning streak, which began in 2015.



Jalen Morton completed 23-of-34 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and also rushed 13 times for 62 yards. Dawonya Tucker, the leading rusher in all of Division I football, rushed 19 times for 72 yards and also caught three passes for 89 yards and a touchdown.

The Panthers' defense kept Grambling out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, registering 10 sacks, including three by DE Willie Green. After the Tigers scored on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter, and recovered an on-side kick, Prairie View A&M CB Ju'Anthony Parker's interception with 1:42 remaining sealed the win.

Prairie View A&M scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter less than three minutes apart. Morton completed the first scoring drive with a short pass to Markcus Hardy, who outleaped a Grambling defender, then shook off another tackle on a 38-yard scoring pass on the far sideline to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead with 4:20 to play in the opening quarter.

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ATTENDANCE: 47921

On the second play of the next Panthers' drive, Morton flipped a screen pass to Tucker, who got a big block from OL Christian Rice and then maneuvered through the Grambling defense on an 80-yard scoring play for a 12-0 lead with 1:33 to play in the first quarter.

A Zach Elder field goal extended the PVAMU lead to 15-0 with 6:31 to play in the second quarter, as a late Grambling safety gave the Panthers a 15-2 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, a nine-play, 61-yard drive ended with a four-yard scoring pass from Morton to Zarrian Holcombe to give Prairie View A&M its largest lead of the night at 22-2 with just over four minutes to play in the third quarter, setting up the dramatic fourth-quarter finish.

Prairie View A&M has a bye next week and will play its home opener Saturday, Oct. 13 vs. Southern at 5 p.m. at Panther Stadium. The game will be video streamed live at ESPN3.com, with the Panther Sports Network Radio Broadcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. at pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork. Tickets for all Panther Football home games are on sale online at pvpanthers.com/tickets.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Roger Thomas Rushes for 115 Yards and a TD As CAU Defeats Allen 31-6

CAU ATHLETICS

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Roger Thomas led a Clark Atlanta rushing game that picked up 201 yards on the ground as the Panthers defeated Allen University 31-6 at Panther Stadium Saturday night.

Thomas led CAU (1-4, 0-1 SIAC) with 115 yards rushing and was part of a three-touchdown, 1st quarter Clark Atlanta enslaught that put the game out of reach early. Allen, an NAIA school, falls to 2-2 this season.

Elijah Odom, getting his first start at quarterback this season, scampered 24 yards for a touchdown six minutes into the game. Thomas then followed with a 30-yard TD run with 4:12 left in the quarter, and then Ezekiel Edmonds picked off a Gary Tyner pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown, making it 21-0 with 55 seconds left before the end of the first quarter.

Not long after that, CAU's Darius Blackmon blocked an Allen punt and took it 13 yards into the end zone put Clark Atlanta up 28-0, a lead they held at halftime.

The CAU defense made things tough for the Yellow Jackets, holding them to only 74 yards of offense in the first half.

The second half wasn't much different as the Panther defense flirted with a shutout until allowing an Ashton Duncan to Diquan Brown TD pass with less than a minute remaining the in game. Carlos Saldana had already booted a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter for CAU.

Kirey Thompson led the CAU defense with nine tackles, five solo, while Tyrone Mixon had eight stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. Kameron Rogers had three tackles, 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks, while Joseph Culpepper had four tackles, one for loss and a sack. William Profit had seven tackles, five solo, and 1.5 for losses.

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On offense, Odom finished 5-of-10 for 56 yards in the air for CAU and rushed for 47 yards and a TD. He threw two interceptions. Tyler Rauls had seven rushes for 40 yards.
Jonathan Sanders caught two passes for 25 yards while Deondre McNeil caught one pass for 33 yards.

Allen's Richard Hayes led the Yellow Jackets with nine tackles, while Tyner passed for 78 yards.

Clark Atlanta heads back into Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action next week when they visit Fort Valley State. That game kicks off at 6 p.m.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY PANTHERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Tuskegee opens conference play with a 17-8 win over Lane

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The Tuskegee University football team held Lane College scoreless through three quarters before finally giving up a touchdown in the final five minutes of the game, on its way to a 17-8 victory Saturday afternoon at Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium. The win gave the Golden Tigers its first conference victory of the season as they now improve to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

TU got on the board early in the second quarter when Javarrius Cheatham hauled in a one-handed six yard touchdown pass from Ahmad Deramus. The drive only took four plays and 31 yards to execute. The Golden Tigers would go ahead 10-0 with 1:32 left just before halftime when Huskic Arnes connected on a 35 yard field. goal.

Davoris Thomas led the Golden Tigers on defense with 12 tackles, one tackle for a loss and a forced fumble. Kalil Gray ended with eight stops while Kevin Dawson added six. Cornerback Rorrick Steward also earned his third interception of the season to go along with four tackles on the afternoon for TU.

Midway through the third quarter, it would appear as if the Golden Tigers put things away when Chardian Johnson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Deramus, which made the score 17-0 after the PAT from Arnes. However, Justin Hill scored on a nine yard run for Lane to narrow the margin to 17-7, leaving the Dragons with a little life. Linebacker Thomas would take the remaining life away for TU after he recovered a fumble in Lane's red zone with 1:07 left in the game.

Deramus completed 9-of-16 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He now has seven on the season.

BOX SCORE

Tuskegee will face Morehouse in Columbus, Ga. next week in the annual Tuskegee/Morehouse Classic. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CST.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

B-CU Wildcats Takes 35-20 MEAC Road Win At SSU

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Akevious Williams accounted for 233 total yards and three touchdowns -- two rushing and one passing -- as Bethune-Cookman pulled away to a 35-20 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Savannah State Saturday night at Ted Wright Stadium.

Keavon Mitchell caught two touchdown passes -- one from Williams and one from David Israel as the Wildcats (2-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC) snapped a two-game losing streak while denying B-CU grad and former Wildcat Sports Information Director Opio Mashariki a victory in his first game as Savannah State's Interim Athletic Director.

The Wildcat defense held the Tigers (0-4,0-2) to six first down and 131 total yards in the first three quarter as Bethune-Cookman pulled away from a 14-14 first-half tie.

Tupac Isme's three-yard run and Mitchell's 11-yarder from Israel in the third quarter helped B-CU take a commanding 35-14 lead.

Williams finished 18 of 25 for 177 yards and one touchdown in the air while rushing for 56 yards and two scores. Mitchell had a season-high five catches for 57 yards and the two touchdowns Isaac Washington rushed for 90 yards, followed by Isme with 62.  



Bethune-Cookman ran up 243 total yards of offense the first half and took a 21-14 lead on Williams' 4-yard keeper 14 seconds before halftime. The Wildcats matriculated the ball on scoring drives of 68- and 62 yards, and also took advantage of a short field for a 25-yard pass from Williams to  Mitchell with on the first play of the second quarter.

Savannah State, despite just 90 total yards, capitalized on its opportunities.

JaMichael Baldwin's 62-yard punt return gave the Tigers the ball on the B-CU 9, and Paris Baker caught an 8-yard touchdown from TJ Bell two plays later.

In the second quarter, SSU'S James Kicklighter turned a deflected pass into a 28-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14 with 11:59 remaining in the second quarter.

Bethune-Cookman hosts Mississippi Valley State for homecoming next Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
FIVE NOTES

1. Williams has now rushed for a touchdown in four consecutive games. This was his first two touchdown game since the 2016 Florida Classic.
2. Finishing with 455 total yards, the Wildcats registered back-to-back games with over 400 total yards for the first time since Morgan State and Florida A&M in 2016.
3.    Mitchell has had four catches or more in three games this season.
4.    Washington's 90-yards were the most for a Wildcat running back this year.
5.    This was Bethune-Cookman first game in Savannah since dropping the 2016 game that ended  a 16-game Wildcat winning streak in the series. B-CU leads the all-time series 38-8-3.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Albany State Golden Rams'Ground Game Topples Miles

ALBANY, Georgia -- The Albany State University Golden Rams improved to 2-3 overall and remained perfect in SIAC play with a 30-24 triumph over Miles College Saturday evening at ASU Coliseum.

With the loss, Miles drops to 0-5 on the season (SIAC 0-2)

Saturday's initial kickoff was delayed due to lightning and heavy rain however the teams were eventually able to take the field and the contest kicked off about an hour late at 8:05pm.

The teams were virtually even in total offense; 342 yards for Miles to 357 for ASU. The Golden Bears ran 72 plays for an average of 4.8 yards per play while the Rams averaged 6.6 yards on 54 plays from scrimmage.

Defensively ASU was paced by Coemba Jones who finished the night with 9 tackles (7 solo) and two pass breakups.

The Golden Rams and Golden Tigers both came up empty on their first two offensive drives. Miles would get on the board first in the game's fifth offensive set when a 9-play, 35-yard drive resulted in a 33-yard field goal from Jackson Spradlin with 53 seconds left in the opening quarter.

ASU's rushing attack averaged 7.2 yards per carry on the night and gained 303 yards (279 net) including four rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Kelias Williams called his own number seven times for 41 yards and two scores while Tracy Scott and Kelan Fraise also registered rushing touchdowns.

McKinley Habersham led the charge for the Golden Rams with a season high 140 yards on 15 touches.



BOX SCORE

The first play of the second half came courtesy of Habersham, a 46-yard carry down to the Golden Bears' 26-yard line. Two plays later Fraise scampered to the end zone from 20-yards out and an extra point later ASU led 14-10.

Two ASU drives later, all it took was a single touch after Mike Green returned a punt into Miles' territory. On snap later, Tracy Scott scored on a 36-yard scoring run, pushing the Rams' lead to 21-10 with 6:08 left in the third.

On the ensuing drive, and aided by two personal fouls by the Rams, Miles tightened the score at 21-17 with an 86-yard drive that was capped by a 2-yard rushing TD from Justin Hardy.

With 11:15 left in the game, the Golden Rams got some much-needed cushion when Gabriel Ballinas hit a field goal from 41 yards out. Kelias Williams later extended the lead to 30-17 with his second rushing score of the night, an 11-yard run with 8:35 remaining. The Bears responded with a touchdown on the end of an 86-yard drive with 2:58 to go but it consumed nearly five and a half minutes off the game clock.

Facing a 3rdand 11, the Rams reached the Miles 40 on a 10 yard on pass from Williams to Ta'Keevian Harris. After two called timeouts, Albany State sealed the win with a 4thdown conversion on a one yard carry by Habersham.

The Rams lost their initial lead right before the first half expired when the Bears' Daniel Smith connected with Padarius Martin on a 29-yard passing touchdown to put Miles ahead 10-7 at halftime.

The Golden Rams will hit the road next weekend when they travel to Salisbury, North Carolina to face off against Catawba College in a non-conference tilt. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 pm.

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Bowie State Bulldogs Nip Winston Salem State 20-17

BOWIE, Maryland  – The Bowie State University Bulldogs trailed the entire game, but senior Amir Hall (Baltimore, Md.) connected with fellow senior Lansana Sesay(Bowie, Md.) for 34-yard touchdown with 1:14 remaining in the game to pull out a dramatic 20-17 home debut victory over Winston-Salem State University on Saturday afternoon. The 20 points was Bowie State's lowest point production since falling (17-14) to Winston-Salem State in the 2015 CIAA Championship.
 
Bowie State (4-1, 2-0 CIAA) accumulated 394 yards in total offense compared to 251 for Winston-Salem State (1-3, 0-2 CIAA). The Bulldogs also held advantages in first downs 21-15 and total plays 81-69.
 
Hall had an off afternoon, completing just 28-of-52 passes for a game-high 281 yards but was intercepted twice. Hall also led the Bulldogs with 59 rushing yards on 11 carries. Sesay led all receivers with 117 reception yards on 10 catches and redshirt junior Geordan Clark (White Plains, Md.) was the games' second leading receiver with 44 yards on four receptions. Redshirt Joshua Pryor(Baltimore, Md.) paced the Bowie State defense with seven total tackles which included one sack and 2.5 tackles for a loss. Seniors DeVonta' High (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Roger Richardson (Glenn Dale, Md.) tallied a half dozen tackles each.

BOX SCORE
 
The Winston-Salem State Rams scored the first points of the contest at the 6:42 mark of the opening quarter following a 3-yard touchdown run by Kerrion Moore (Gastonia, N.C.). Riley Robbins (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) added the extra point for the 7-0 lead. The score was setup by a blocked punt by WSSU's Cameron Williams (Greensboro, N.C.).
 
The Bulldogs put together a 21-play, 82-yard drive to start the second quarter but the Rams defense snuffed out Bowie State at the goal line and took over on downs at the 7:32 mark. However, Bowie State's defense forced a Winston-Salem State fumble in the end zone that resulted in a safety and two points for the Bulldogs.
 
Bowie State trimmed the deficit to 7-5 with 2:28 remaining before halftime following a 22-yard field goal by junior Gene Carson, II (Accokeek, Md.).
 
Winston-Salem State quarterback Emiere Scaife (Charlotte, N.C.) hooked up with Darren Dowdell (Atlanta, Ga.) for an 8-yard pass, catch and score to give the Rams a 14-5 advantage, capping off a 9-play, 72-yard drive.
 
Redshirt junior Brandon Abrams (Baltimore, Md.) notched his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, pounded up the gut for 2-yard score. Carson added the PAT, cutting the Rams lead to 14-12 with 7:39 on the third quarter clock.
 
Winston-Salem State's Riley booted a 28-yard field at the 1:41 mark to give the Rams a slight edge at 17-12 heading into the final quarter.  
 
The teams traded the first seven possessions of the fourth quarter, setting up Hall's clutch drive with 2:39 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs went 80-yards in seven plays to snatch the thrilling 20-17 victory for Bowie State.  
 
Scaife completed 14-of-25 passes for 142 yards to pace the Rams on offense while Moore toted the ball 22 times for a game-high 85 yards. Moore was Winston-Salem State's top receiver as well, with 28 yards.
 
The Bulldogs hit the road for the fifth time this season next Saturday (October 6th) traveling to Murfreesboro (N.C.) to tangle with the Chowan Hawks. Kickoff time in Garrison Stadium is set for 1 p.m.

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Coppin State Takes MEAC Opener over NSU, 3-0

NORFOLK, Virginia – Led by Miajavon Coleman's big performance, Coppin State earned a 3-0 win over the Norfolk State volleyball team on Friday night in both teams' MEAC opener at Gill Gymnasium.

Coleman tallied 16 kills and hit .536 as the Eagles won 25-20, 25-18 and 25-23. The Spartans nearly forced a fourth set, but CSU scored eight straight near the end of the third to secure the win.

On the other side, junior Anna Rupertova led the way for the Spartans (1-10, 0-1 MEAC), totaling nine kills and seven digs while hitting .292. As a team, NSU hit .155. Junior Bojana Bolozan added six kills and three blocks for the Spartans.



BOX SCORE

CSU (5-14, 1-0 MEAC) had its best overall performance in the first set, hitting .600 on the way to a .276 attack percentage for the night. The Eagles jumped out to the early four-point lead to force the Spartans to play catch up. They eventually did, scoring three straight to tie the opening set at 16-16. The Eagles, however, scored six straight a short time later to help surge ahead for good.

They also did the same in the third set. Down 22-16, Coppin State scored six in a row to go ahead by two. After a kill by Rupertova made it 24-23, Coleman landed one last kill to end the match.

Rupertova had four kills in the third set, which began with NSU up 9-5. Kills from freshman Brenna Ankrum and sophomore Taylor Eichelberger pushed the score to 15-10, and Bolozan started a 4-0 run with a pair of kills to extend the lead to 20-14. The teams traded points before the Eagles started their final push.

The Spartans also had the early lead in the second set, but it was short lived after the Eagles scored seven of eight points for a four-point advantage. Kills by three different players over a four-serve span helped the Spartans cut the deficit to one, 13-12, but Coppin State started an 8-2 run for a seven-point edge.

For the Eagles, Brianna Lang added 30 assists and 10 digs for the double-double.

The Spartans will host Morgan State on Sunday at 3 p.m. to close out the opening weekend of conference play.

By Mike Bello, Asst. SID
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPARTANS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Volleyball Defeats Tennessee Tech in Four

COOKEVILLE, Tennessee --- The Tennessee State volleyball team continued its Ohio Valley Conference winning streak Saturday afternoon in Cookeville, Tennessee as the Tigers defeated 3-1 the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (25-23, 16-25, 26-24, 26-24).

TSU is now 4-0 in conference play, 6-8 overall. TTU is now 1-3 in OVC play, 7-11 overall.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Four Tigers registered season-or-career-highs. Freshman libero Gina Rivera Ortiz posted her career-high digs with 30. Khalia Jordan posted her career-high kills with 17. Julia Pierson posted her season-high kills with 20. Laken Te’o posted her career-high assists with 48.
• Two Tigers posted double-doubles; Laken Te’o recorded her ninth of the season with 48 assists and 13 digs, and Julia Pierson her fourth – second of the weekend – with 20 kills and 13 digs.
• Both teams combined for more than 185 digs – TSU with 95, TTU with 90.

HOW IT HAPPENED­

In a balanced first set consisting of 10 tie scores and 4 lead changes, the Eblen Center was left on the edge of their seats as TSU and TTU battled point for point. The purple and gold’s stat line would prove the Golden Eagles a first set victory, but the Tigers pulled out a 25-23 win.

The Golden Eagles took control of set two early on. Holding the Tigers to a .056 hitting percentage with three TTU blocks, TSU’s offense struggled to produce. Tennessee Tech’s Ali Verzani put up 6 kills leading the Golden Eagles to a 25-16 set two win.

Tennessee Tech led for much of the third set, but TSU pushed to tie it at 20. The Tigers heart showed. Pierson, Kruize and Henderson closed the match with kills, 26-24.

Big Blue visibly gained its energy that was absent throughout the match. In the final set, TSU hit for a match-best .222. Te’o found a rhythm with Jordan to register seven kills. Kruize, Pierson and Te’o combined for two Tiger blocks, and Rivera Ortiz finished the match with 5 kills in the final set. TSU improved to 4-0 in the conference with a fourth set score of 26-24.

MATCH NOTES

• Tigers won the coin toss and served first.
• TSU improves to 18-39 in the all-time series against the Golden Eagles.
• This serves as the ninth four-set match of the season. TSU is 4-5 when pushed to four sets.

BOX SCORE

UP NEXT

The Tigers head back to Kean Hall to kick off a five-game home stand. MTSU will be the first opponent. First serve is set for Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 6 p.m.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Delaware State Equestrian Falls To No. 6 TCU in Season Opener

DSU ROSTER

Fort Worth, Texas -- Texas Christian proved why it has one of the top women’s equestrian teams in the country with a 15-4 victory over Delaware State in the Hornets’ 2018-19 opener in the Lone Star State today.

The No. 6 Horned Frogs posted an 8-2 win in the Hunt Seat competition and were 7-2 winners in the Western rides. TCU also collected the four Most Outstanding Rider awards.

Delaware State was edged 3-2 in Equitation over Fences, although the Hornets won the raw scoring 369-351. Gabrielle Fourneir (78 on "Biggie") and Zoe Kirsch (68 on "Mabel") won in Fences for DSU, while Sydney Wicklund had a team-best score of 79 aboard “Fats.”

SCORESHEET

The Hornets also collected two wins in Horsemanship. Shelbe Jarrett, riding on “Flash,” earned a point with a score of 73, while DSU’s Elizabeth Lynch was a winner with 69.5 points on “Willy2.”

Kelsey McArthur led all Delaware State Western riders with a score of 73.5.

Delaware State will continue its Texas swing with competitions in Waco against Baylor and Fresno State on Friday (Sep. 28).

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Falls to Vanderbilt, 31-27, in Hard-Fought Battle

PHOTO GALLERY 

STATS 

Game 3: Tennessee State 27, Vanderbilt 31
Records: TSU (2-1), VU (3-2)
Venue: Vanderbilt Stadium
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Weather: Sunny, 63
Kickoff Time: 3:05 p.m.
Attendance: 27,340

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- The Tennessee State football team went toe-to-toe with SEC foe Vanderbilt, falling by a 31-27 final score in a game that went down to the wire on Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium. It was the first loss of the season for TSU.

Despite 269 yards passing and three touchdowns from junior quarterback Demry Croft, TSU (2-1) could not overcome the balanced attack of Vanderbilt (3-2).

TSU held a 13-7 halftime edge, but the Commodores bounced back by outscoring the Tigers, 24-14, in the second half.

The Tigers took a 27-24 lead with 8:02 to play on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Croft to Andrew Knox. On Vanderbilt’s ensuing possession, however, the Commodores took the lead for good with a touchdown pass with 6:20 left.

Dajour Nesbeth led TSU’s defense with 10 tackles and an interception. Terry Straughter also recorded an interception for the Tigers.

 FIRST QUARTER

• Tennessee State started with the ball and had some success until a penalty to stalled the drive.
• The defense stood tall on Vanderbilt’s first possession as Terry Straughter intercepted a Kyle Shirmer fourth down pass attempt.
• The Tigers have stopped their opponents on four straight fourth down attempts, dating back to the opening season win against Bethune-Cookman.
• The Tigers moved down to the Commodores 25 on a pair of Te’kendrick Roberson runs and a 20 yard pass play from Demry Croft to Treon Harris.
• Antonio Zita fell short on his 46 yard field goal attempt with 5:08 remaining in the quarter.
• Dajour Nesbeth stepped in front of Shirmer pass in the end zone for an interception and returned it 65 yards to the Vanderbilt 35.
• After a DeMarco Corbin eight yard run and a 10 yard dash by Croft, the Tigers moved to the five as Croft hit Stephen Newbold for 12 yards.
• The quarter ended with The Tigers facing a second and goal from the five.
• TSU outgained Vanderbilt 88-75 in the quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

• On the second play of the quarter, Croft found Newbold in the end zone as the Tigers took a 7-0 lead.
• The Commodores responded with a seven play, 75 yard scoring drive to even the score at 7-7 with 11:23 on the clock.
• The Tigers came right back and scored in 4:51, to retake the lead at 13-6.
• The drive opened with a 12 yard pass play from Croft to Newbold and a 12 yard rush by the signal caller.
• Croft continued the drive with three passes to Harris for 12, seven and 31 yards, the last for a touchdown.
• Vanderbilt drove back down the field on their next possession, but the defense forced a field goal attempt which sailed wide right.
• The Commodores charged back down on their next series and kicked a 20 yard field goal just before half to cut into the Tigers lead, 13-10.

THIRD QUARTER

• Vanderbilt opened fast in the second half as they capped off a 76 yard scoring drive with a 38 yard touchdown pass, taking a 17-13 lead.
• The Commodores added another touchdown, a 78 yard rushing touchdown, two plays after stopping the Tigers at midfield.
• The Tigers bounced back, using an acrobatic catch by Steven Newbold for 20 yards to keep the drive alive.
• The play was called incomplete on the field and was overturned in review.
• Croft completed back-to-back passes to Newbold and DeVon Johnson for 15 and 20 yards, respectively, moving the ball to the VU two yard line.
• Corbin hit pay dirt on the next play, crashing through the middle of the line for a two yard touchdown blast.
• The quarter ended with the Tigers trailing 24-20.

NOTES

• TSU’s captains were Demry Croft, Micheal Hughes, Thomas Burton and LaQuarius Cook.
• TSU won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.
• Saturday’s game aired live on SEC Network Alternate.
• Tennessee State is 0-3 in the all-time series versus Vanderbilt.
• Treon Harris made his first start of the season at wide receiver. Neiman Armstrong (CB) and Jeremiah Caine (DL) also made their first starts of the season for the Tigers.
• Tennessee State received votes in the most-recent STATS FCS Top 25 poll.
• TSU’s defense has an interception in two of the first three games this season. It is the second time this season TSU has posted multiple interceptions.
• TSU led at the half for the second time this season.

 WHAT’S NEXT

TSU travels to Austin Peay for an Oct. 6 game in Clarksville, Tenn. at 6 p.m. 

QUOTES
RUNNING BACK DEMARCO CORBIN
(on scoring in three-consecutive games)
“It’s been a good feeling. For the past few years in college football, this has been my job. When we get near the goal line, it’s time to go. I think I’ve shown (the coaching staff) that they can trust me, and hopefully I can continue to show them that.”

(on playing a close game with an SEC opponent)
“To me, that shows me this is a special teams. It shows we can do some big things if we all believe.”

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN CHIDI OKEKE
(on the offense moving the ball)
“We do what we have to do all week. We watched Vanderbilt’s defense, and we believed we could match up with them and actually beat them. We kept what we were doing in practice and did it in the game.”

(on if the game gives him confidence)
“It gives me confidence moving forward because if we can play this way against OVC teams, it will be tough for them to match up with us.”

DEFENSIVE BACK LAQUARIUS COOK
(on the defense getting take aways)
“It’s pretty cool that we could do that against an SEC opponent, but we still came out trying to be the best we can be and give them nothing.”

(on building confidence from the game)
“It’s alright to play a close game, but we came here to win. We didn’t come here to play a close game.”

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

CSU Buccaneers utilize complete performance in topping Hampton, 48-14

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Charleston Southern played a complete game on Saturday afternoon as the Buccaneers dominated on offense, defense, and special teams in their 48-14 win over Hampton at Armstrong Stadium.

FB 1Q | CSU 7, Hampton 0@TerrenceWil23 takes the handoff and is gone - 68 yards for the touchdown on the opening drive #JoinTheSiege pic.twitter.com/xSVEJ1x88t

— CSU Game Day (@CSUGameDay) September 29, 2018

PDF Box Score

CSU (1-2) forced five turnovers, James Allen returned an interception and a kickoff for scores, and London Johnson connected on a pair of touchdown passes as the Buccaneers seized control with a 35-14 halftime lead on their way to coasting to their first win of the season.

Terrence Wilson sparked the offense early with a 68-yard touchdown run on the game's opening possession. The sophomore running back recorded his second career 100-yard rushing game in the win leading the Bucs with 10 carries for 103 yards and the score.

Johnson led CSU's passing attack with an 8-for-15 performance through the air for 63 yards and a score. Saire Davis and Ronnie Harris both recorded their first touchdown receptions of the season in the win.

James Allen led CSU's defensive efforts in the contest with a career-high three pass breakups, his first interception with the Bucs, and a pair of tackles. J.D. Sosebee added 10 tackles, a half sack, and two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in the win.

Shai McKenzie led Hampton (1-3) with 21 carries for 129 yards. Bruce Dixon paced the offensive efforts through the air with an 8-of-17 performance for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Kapri Doucet led the Pirates with three tackles for loss including a pair of sacks. Chaka Diarrassouba and Caleb Brown both added interceptions.

Key Sequence
Hampton appeared to be riding the tide following a Charleston Southern fumble deep in Buccaneer territory early in the second quarter. Bruce Dixon immediately took advantage of the turnover and converted it into an HU touchdown as the junior quarterback targeted Jadakis Bonds on the fade pattern in the left corner for the touchdown to narrow the CSU lead down to 14-7.

Facing a team looking to ride the momentum, James Allen quieted the crowd down with his second touchdown of the contest. Allen fielded the Evan Lomax kickoff at the CSU 20-yard line and weaved his way through the defense. The senior defensive back broke a tackle at the HU 40 and went the rest of the way untouched for the 80-yard touchdown return, CSU's first special teams touchdown of the contest.

Allen's touchdown sparked a 34-7 run over the final three quarters as the Bucs held off Hampton the rest of the game.

How They Scored

• Terrence Wilson put the Bucs on the board in the first quarter as the sophomore tailback took the handoff up the middle and made his way up the right sideline to the end zone for the 68-yard touchdown run to cap the 5-play, 84-yard opening drive for the Bucs.
• James Allen added another score shortly afterward for CSU as the senior cornerback recorded his first interception with the Bucs and returned it 16 yards for the score with 7:04 left in the first quarter.
• Bruce Dixon connected with Jadakis Bonds following a CSU fumble deep inside Buccaneer territory early in the second quarter with a six-yard fade into the left corner to put the Pirates on the board with the touchdown pass.
• James Allen immediately responded once again for the Buccaneers with an 80-yard kickoff return for the touchdown to put the Bucs ahead 21-7 with 14:35 to play in the first half.
• CSU added to the lead again with London Johnson connecting with Saire Davis on the post pattern over the middle for the 13-yard touchdown reception with 11:23 remaining in the first half.
• Hampton's Caleb Brown ended the CSU scoring run with a pick-six of his own with nine minutes left in the half as the defensive back stepped in front of the pass and returned it 28 yards for the touchdown.
• Johnson atoned for the interception with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ronnie Harris on the rollout left before the half to put the Bucs into the break leading 35-14.
• Turnovers led to another CSU touchdown as the Bucs took the 41-14 lead following Adam Allen's two-yard plunge up the middle with 7:38 left in the third quarter.

Inside the Numbers

• Charleston Southern won a sloppy game in the turnover battle as the Buccaneers forced five turnovers, but coughed up three of their own in the win over the Pirates.
• CSU outgained the opposition for the first time this season outpacing Hampton 297-225 in the game.
• The Buccaneers outrushed their opponents for the third time this year, 226-187, behind Terrence Wilson's second career 100-yard rushing effort.
• CSU narrowly won the time of possession battle, 30:02-29:58, against the Pirates.
• CSU missed a PAT for the third consecutive game with Tyler Tekac's attempt in the third quarter going wide.
• Kyle Reighard continued his punting ways with a 40.2 average in the game including pinning three inside the 20.
• J.D. Sosebee eclipsed 10 tackles for the second consecutive game in the win.
• Jonathan Glover II added a season-high six stops to his credit, while Johnny Robinson recorded a half sack in the win.

News & Notes of Interest

• CSU's five-turnover game defensively was the first time the Bucs had reached the mark since the 2009 season. The Bucs forced five turnovers back in 2009 at Presbyterian.
• CSU's four forced fumbles and fumble recoveries marked the fifth time in program history the Buccaneers had recorded at least four of each in a single game.
• James Allen's kickoff return for a touchdown was CSU's first since Gerald Stevenson took one back 81 yards back on October 16, 2010, against Gardner-Webb.
• Allen's interception also marked the first CSU defensive score since Sekwan Jenkins returned an interception 70 yards last season against Mississippi Valley State.
• Terrence Wilson's 100-yard rushing game was the second of his collegiate career and first since the speedster recorded 106 yards last season against Mississippi Valley State.
• London Johnson's pair of touchdown passes was the second multi-touchdown passing effort of his career – his first came against Savannah State last season with four touchdown passes.
• CSU topped Hampton in their first matchup between the two programs in each of their respective histories. The Bucs and Pirates start an annual rivalry next season when Hampton joins the Big South Conference.

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS