JSU looking into possible NCAA rules violation

Jackson State is investigating whether its football program violated NCAA rules by allowing quarterback Domonick Britt to participate in practice, compliance director Alethea Ringo confirmed this morning.

Britt, the star of the 2008 recruiting class, has not yet been cleared academically by the NCAA but has been practicing with the team. NCAA bylaw 14.3.5.1.1 says a recruited athlete may practice during a 14-day period after reporting for athletic competition without being cleared academically. After 14 days the institution cannot provide athletically related financial aid and the player cannot practice until being cleared.

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Norfolk State's QB Dennis Brown is ready to go

NORFOLK, VA -- He has yet to throw a pass, but Dennis Brown is already the talk of Norfolk State football. Frankly, the guy everybody calls Dino says he'd rather be just another Spartan. But there's no chance of that with all the hype around the transfer from the University of Connecticut, despite his efforts to make himself just one of the guys since he set foot on campus in January. Coach Pete Adrian raves about his new quarterback's arm, talks up his ability to scramble and even suggests that the magnetic Brown is almost too mentally sharp.

"Sometimes I have to calm him down. I don't want him to think he has to go out against Virginia State and win the game by himself," Adrian said. "He doesn't have to throw the ball 200 mph. He's really hyped up. He's not a milquetoast guy who hangs in the corner. He's someone who can walk in a room and immediately start talking to everyone there."

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Virginia State University 'Trojan Explosion' Marching Band

Virginia State University Cheerleaders "Woo Woos"

Transfer-heavy TSU aiming for turnaround

James Webster accepted the daunting task three years ago of trying to rebuild Tennessee State's football program. It has been a slow go - the Tigers are just 13-20 during his tenure - but he says this year's team is ready to turn the corner. "This should be our best team since I've been here," said Webster, whose team went 5-6 last season, losing four games by 16 points. "It's not the most experienced team, but as far as talent is concerned, it is the best team."

The Tigers did that with nine Division-I transfers. Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones, whose Bulldogs host the Tigers in Saturday's season opener, has taken notice. "We're expecting a very, very talented team to come in here," Jones said. "They've got good size and speed in all the right places. They're going to be a tough opponent. "Based on what I'm seeing, they're going to beat a lot of teams this year. Hopefully, we won't be one of them."

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SWAC: In with the new

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff head football coach Monte Coleman

Fresh faces, schedule changes could impact SWAC

So many new quarterbacks. Another crop of new coaches. And a return to the seven-game format, along with a new tweak to the master schedule. This is Southwestern Athletic Conference football 2008.

New quarterbacks

Southern, with SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Bryant Lee, and Prairie View, with Mark Spivey getting a sixth season of eligibility for a medical hardship after going 5-1 as a starter in the Panthers’ last six games, are the two known, successful constants. The rest of the conference spent the spring and preseason camp and this week evaluating quarterbacks.

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Grambling names Greg Dillon starting QB

Grambling, LA --Sophomore Greg Dillon has emerged from a three-man quarterback derby to be named the starting quarterback, Grambling coach Rod Broadway announced Tuesday. Dillon, on the scout team last season, edged out redshirt sophomore J.P. Tillman, a Missouri transfer. Broadway said both should play Saturday at Nevada. (Freshman Brendan Crawford was also in the race.) Dillon threw the only touchdown pass in two scrimmages. The derby became necessary after senior Brandon Landers was ruled academically ineligible in the summer.

Grambling coach Rod Broadway opens second season as head of the Tigers at the University of Nevada on Saturday.

“We’re not going to ask our quarterback to do a lot for us,” Broadway said. “We just want him to learn how to manage the game.” Though Frank Warren, last season’s SWAC Freshman of the Year, returns at running back, the offense is in for a major overhaul. Two freshmen — Quint Roberts (6-3, 325) at right tackle and Greg McGrue (6-foot-8, 360 pounds) at right guard — are expected to start. Another, Sanford Banks (6-5, 303), could play at right tackle.

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‘Four-Headed Monster’: SCSU could have its hands full with UCF backfield

ORLANDO, Fla. - The good news for South Carolina State’s defense is All-American running back Kevin Smith no longer carries the football for Central Florida. Instead, the Bulldogs will have to deal with what the Knights hope will be a “four-headed monster” out of the backfield. With four freshman tailbacks on the depth chart, head coach George O’Leary plans to use a “running back by committee” for Saturday’s season-opener against S.C. State and beyond.

“I’m going to possibly play all four of them and each and every game,” O’Leary said. “They all bring something different to the table. The freshmen have great speed and vision and that’s what I look at. The one thing I think that I was concerned about was obviously pass protection and they all bow up and put a hat on people which is what you’re looking for in the protection.”

In Ronnie Weaver (6-0, 202 lbs.), Brynn Harvey (6-1, 215), Latavius Murphy (6-3, 215) and Brandon Davis (5-9, 190), the defending Conference USA champions will try to reproduce the NCAA-leading 2,567 yards and 29 touchdowns posted last season by Smith (currently with the Detroit Lions).

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Southern battling unknowns vs. Houston

Not only will Southern be playing up a level on Saturday, but the Jaguars will also be faced with a huge dose of the unknown. Houston’s Kevin Sumlin is in his first year as a head coach anywhere. “That’s the puzzle in this,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “We go into the game having to prepare for almost anything because we really haven’t seen them play. “We don’t know what type of philosophy they have. The only thing we can do is look at the coordinators, see where they came from, and hopefully they’ll utilize some of their philosophy.”

By land or air, RS - Junior QB Bryant Lee is ready to lead the Jaguars to victory. The 6-2/200 quarterback is from Boutte, LA/Hahnville H.S.

Southern, a Championship Subdivision team that went 8-3 last season, visits Houston, a Bowl Subdivision team that went 8-5 a year ago, at 6 p.m. Saturday at Robertson Stadium in Houston. Houston had an explosive offense last season, averaging 34.5 points per game, but former Texas Tech offensive co-coordinator Dana Holgorsen could give that spread offense even more oomph. Texas Tech ranked first in passing offense (470.3 yards per game), second in total offense (529.6 ypg) and seventh in scoring offense (40.9 points per game) in the Big 12.

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Skid vs. Alabama State won't bother FAMU's Wilder

Linebacker Vernon Wilder wasn't even born the last time FAMU won a game against Alabama State. A year before he became a Rattler, FAMU lost to the Hornets. But Wilder, not known for much trash-talking, couldn't help letting it know Tuesday that FAMU's skid against the Hornets should end Saturday.

"We are going to blitz them — it ain't no secret," Wilder said at the team's first weekly meeting with the media. "We're going to make them force quick passes and make mistakes. Everybody has to do their job. Everybody has to do what's expected." FAMU hasn't had a win over ASU since 1977, and the Hornets lead the series 20-15-2. The fact that Saturday's game is a matchup of FAMU from the MEAC and ASU of the SWAC is another incentive, Wilder said.
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Beast of the East: UMES, Great Expectations

After last season's 24-4 record, Hawks feeling confident

PRINCESS ANNE, MD -- With a new coach and numerous new players in the mix in 2007, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team came out and surprised a number of people with a 24-4 season, which included 22 consecutive match victories and a trip to the MEAC tournament title match against Florida A&M. This season, the Hawks were selected as the preseason pick to repeat as the conference's Northern Division champion, and they return nearly every starter from last year, leading to optimism heading into the '08 campaign.

"The first year I got hired, I knew I had a couple good recruits, but I didn't have any expectations," UMES second-year coach Don Metil said. "But going 10-and-oh in the conference last year, and having my five, six returners and being first in the preseason poll, there's a lot of expectations, not only intrasquad, but outside the UMES community. And I think that's why I've been really, really hard on the girls, because now we do have expectations and I think they're playing well, but I think there are still a lot of errors that need to be cleaned up."

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UMES 2008-2009 VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

VT Hokie Invite
08/29/08 at Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET
08/30/08 vs. Coastal Carolina Blacksburg, Va. 10:00 a.m. ET
vs. Winston-Salem State Blacksburg, Va. 4:00 p.m. ET

UMBC Tournament
09/05/08 at UMBC Baltimore, Md. 10:00 a.m. ET
09/06/08 vs. Duquesne Baltimore, Md. 10:00 a.m. ET
vs. Niagara Baltimore, Md. 2:00 p.m. ET

Ramada Invitational
09/12/08 vs. Butler Buffalo, N.Y. 12:00 p.m. ET
at Buffalo Buffalo, N.Y. 7:00 p.m. ET
09/13/08 vs. Maine Buffalo, N.Y. 1:00 p.m. ET

09/16/08 at Norfolk State Norfolk, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET

Colonial Challenge
09/19/08 at William & Mary Williamsburg, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET
09/20/08 vs. Elon Williamsburg, Va. 10:30 a.m. ET
vs. Radford Williamsburg, Va. 4:30 p.m. ET

NCA&T Tournament
09/26/08 at North Carolina A&T Greensboro, N.C. TBA
09/27/08 vs. Alabama State Greensboro, N.C. TBA
vs. Kentucky State Greensboro, N.C. TBA

09/28/08 at North Carolina Central Durham, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET
10/03/08 vs. Morgan State * Princess Anne, Md. 7:00 p.m. ET
10/05/08 vs. Delaware State * Princess Anne, Md. 3:00 p.m. ET
10/08/08 at Delaware Newark, Del. 7:00 p.m. ET
10/10/08 at Hampton University * Hampton, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET
10/12/08 vs. Coppin State * Princess Anne, Md. 3:00 p.m. ET
10/15/08 at American Washington, D.C. 7:00 p.m. ET
10/17/08 vs. Howard * Princess Anne, Md. 6:00 p.m. ET
10/19/08 at Morgan State * Baltimore, Md. 3:00 p.m. ET
10/24/08 at Delaware State * Dover, Del. 6:00 p.m. ET
10/26/08 vs. Hampton University * Princess Anne, Md. 3:00 p.m. ET
10/31/08 at Coppin State * Baltimore, Md. 7:00 p.m. ET
11/02/08 at Howard * Washington, D.C. 2:00 p.m. ET

MEAC Championships
11/14/08 MEAC Championships Hampton, Va. TBA
11/15/08 MEAC Championships Hampton, Va. TBA
11/16/08 MEAC Championships Hampton, Va. TBA

*Conference Event

DSU finds all-purpose playmaker in Wilder

Senior defensive end has eyes on another title

DOVER, DE -- Alimayo Wilder might cause some confusion for opposing quarterbacks when they see the No. 12 for Delaware State University's football team crashing through their offensive line in hot pursuit. That's because that number is usually reserved for quarterbacks. Instead, Wilder is one player who hopes to eat quarterbacks when it comes to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Football Conference this fall.

Delaware State opens its season on Sept. 4 when it hosts Florida A&M at Alumni Stadium at 7:30 p.m.

"This is the number [12] that I've had since high school," said Wilder, a native of Baltimore. "It's the number that I've always worn and I've embraced it. "In high school [at Baltimore Polytechnic] I played quarterback, wide receiver and a lot of different positions, so I just stuck with that number. It's an all-purpose number to me." Wilder has grown into an all-purpose player in DSU defensive coordinator Ray Petty's 4-3 defense.

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NCCU Eagles continue upgrading

Excerpt:

This season, as they face nine FCS opponents, NCCU athletic director Ingrid Wicker-McCree said the school has negotiated -- not counting gate proceeds -- guaranteed revenues of $300,000, which includes a game against Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., that will pay $135,000. It's a revenue stream generated by the toughest schedule in school history. The Eagles host Fayetteville State in their season-opener on Sunday.

They play four games at home and seven on the road, where they travel to five states, including California for the first time since Nov. 27, 1988. Still, the Eagles could claim a school-record fifth consecutive winning season. But it will be a challenge, with the Eagles (who finished last season 6-4 overall with one victory over a Division I team) facing three FCS teams ranked in national preseason polls, including James Madison (Sept. 6) and Cal Poly (Nov. 8). JMU will pay the Eagles $75,000 for participating in that second-week contest.

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ASU plays guessing game with Rattlers

Game week brought change to Alabama State's football practice on Monday, as the Hornets began focusing specifically on their first opponent, Florida A&M. Work for the third- and fourth-string players was cut drastically. The ASU offense and defense began using only the plays and formations the coaches feel will be most effective against FAMU. And the intensity turned up a notch.

Hornets wide receiver Cedric Harris (#82) 6-1/195 Junior, Hillsboro, AL beats Linebacker Adrian Hardy (#53) 6-2/202 Sophomore, Selma, AL during Hornets Spring game.

"We're ready to go," senior cornerback Brandon Averett said. "We've had a good camp and we're just ready to go play for real and see how we stack up." This will be the first big test for Averett and his defensive teammates. One of the knocks on the spread offense, which the Hornets began using in the spring, is that it has a softening effect on a team's defense. The theory is that because the defense is going against a finesse-style offense every day in practice, the defensive players become less physical and have problems stopping power teams.

FAMU is a power team.

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Senior Blanks has been anchor of WSSU's offensive line, making 31 consecutive starts

During yesterday's Meet the Rams Day at Bowman Gray Stadium, fans got to admire the new field house and the new large scoreboard. Just how much Winston-Salem State uses that scoreboard will likely come down to how well the offensive line performs this season.

Leading that unit will be senior Joe Blanks, who has made 31 straight starts and hasn't missed a game at right tackle since he left high school. It's rare for a lineman not to be moved around during his career, and it's even rarer when a lineman starts his first season out of high school.

Blanks, who was recruited by several Division I programs coming out of high school in Erie, Pa., signed with WSSU and has been everything that Coach Kermit Blount had hoped for. Blount likes to redshirt freshmen when they arrive, but Blanks was too good for that. "He's a right tackle and that's his position and he's anchored it the last four years," Blount said. "We are happy to have him right there."

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Ray Ray McElrathbey Begins a New Chapter at HU

There is a 13-year-old running around in Cook Hall, hanging out with the football players and playing video games. Fahmarr McElrathbey seems like a typical kid but he's far from that. He followed his brother Ramon "Ray Ray" McElrathbey to Howard University from Clemson University where his brother is an alum and also played football.

While most students have classes, extracurricular activities and maybe a job to juggle, McElrathbey who is a graduate student studying Mass Communications, has more responsibilities than the average college student. In 2006, he adopted Fahmarr from his mother who is a recovering drug addict. And wherever big brother goes, little brother isn't too far behind. Finding a place to live and searching for the perfect school for Fahmarr are some of the decisions the 21-year-old has to make.

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SSU strives for first winning season since 1998

Savannah State is at least nine months away from joining an athletic conference. The football program will complete its three-year NCAA probation in May, 2009. It is perhaps longer away from beating a Football Championship Subdivision opponent. Since joining the FCS in 2002, SSU has beaten only two FCS teams: Morris Brown in 2002 and Norfolk State in 2004. Morris Brown eliminated athletics in 2003.

SSU is 6-58 in that span, including two winless seasons (0-12 in 2003 and 0-11 in 2005). The Tigers haven't finished .500 or better since 1998, when they went 7-4 in Division II. With an aggressive new coach and an easier 12-game schedule featuring six non-FCS opponents, this might be the year SSU takes the next step toward progress and finishes .500 or better. "From a fan standpoint, I guess that's probably the goal," SSU coach Robby Wells said. "But from any coach who is competitive like me, I want to win every game."

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SSU 2008 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30 JACKSONVILLE 7 p.m. Memorial Stadium
Sept. 6 *LIVINGSTONE TBA TBA
Sept. 13 Winston-Salem St. 6 p.m. Winston-Salem, N.C.
Sept. 20 Bethune-Cookman 4 p.m. Daytona Beach, Fla.
Sept. 27 %Howard 6 p.m. Miami
Oct. 4 Clark Atlanta 1:30 p.m. Atlanta
Oct. 11 ^Ch. SOUTHERN 2 p.m. Memorial Stadium
Oct. 18 Mississippi Valley St. 1 p.m. Itta Bena, Miss.
Nov. 1 #CONCORDIA 2 p.m. T.A. Wright Stadium
Nov. 8 Edward Waters 5 p.m. Kingsland
Nov. 15 Webber International 1 p.m. Babson Park, Fla.
Nov. 22 North Carolina Central 1 p.m. Durham, N.C.

HOME GAMES ALL CAPS
*Joe Turner Classic
%Miami Classic
^Military Appreciation Day
#Homecoming

Taylor upbeat after FAMU scrimmage

Coach Joe Taylor didn't see too many things that he didn't like during FAMU's final football scrimmage Monday afternoon. The defense dominated again, this time making five interceptions and taking one back for a touchdown. But in spite of that, the offense showed improvements from a week ago. "I saw some good things," Taylor said, following the scrimmage that was postponed three days by Tropical Strom Fay. "We scored (and) had some good hits on defense. We definitely needed this."

The Rattlers hadn't practice since Friday because of poor weather conditions caused by the storm. The inactivity was obvious in the first series of play with quarterback Eddie Battle running the offense, as was the case for back-up Curtis Pulley. But both of them settled down and managed to each throw a touchdown. After they got going, Taylor was able to get a better look at the offense against a simulation of the defense that they would see against Alabama State in Saturday's opener.

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AAMU hoping the acclaim will come

Thomas Harris took it all in stride. His teammates didn't. Despite leading the Southwestern Athletic Conference in receiving yards per game last season - and finishing fifth in receptions and eighth in all-purpose yards - Harris was left off the all-conference team.

Grambling's Clyde Edwards and Alcorn State's Nate Hughes were named to the first team, while Southern's Gerard Landry and Grambling's Reginald Jackson were second-teamers. Meanwhile, Harris caught 51 passes for 936 yards and seven touchdowns and led the Bulldogs within a game of their third straight Eastern Division title.

"It didn't really bother me," said Harris, who was named to the All-SWAC first-team preseason squad last month at the league's annual media day. "My teammates kept telling me I needed to be in there. I know I probably should have been in there ... at least second team.

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Grambling QB race 'wide open'

The Grambling State Tigers open their season Saturday at Football Bowl Subdivision Nevada, but the name of their starting quarterback hasn't been determined. Tigers coach Rod Broadway said in the Southwestern Athletic Conference weekly teleconference Monday the position is down to sophomores Greg Dillon (6-foot, 200 pounds) and J.P. Tillman (6-foot-3, 238 pounds) and freshman Brendan Crawford (6-foot-5, 205 pounds). He said a decision on his quarterback could be made as early as after Monday night's practice or this morning.

"It's wide open right now," Broadway said. "It's a toss up at this point. If we liked someone then we probably would have named the starter now. We're still in the process of going over some tapes and going over preseason tapes in trying to determine who will be our starter." Broadway said not having a starting quarterback named is adding to his nerves.

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JSU's Comegy torn between Mosley, Rutland at QB

The East and West representatives in the 2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game find themselves in a similar position, once again. Both Jackson State and Grambling State are looking to replace starting quarterbacks who played enormous roles in last year's title chase. And both JSU coach Rick Comegy and GSU coach Rick Broadway said their quarterbacks would have one last chance to sell themselves at practice Monday afternoon.

However, the two coaches went different directions when talking about their quarterback race on the SWAC teleconference Monday - with Comegy making a shocking statement that may have spoiled a planned announcement today.

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WSSU's Dunston, Jefferson are finalists at QB

With two weeks to go before Winston-Salem State's first game, the quarterback competition is down to two possible starters. Coach Kermit Blount said yesterday that either junior Jarrett Dunston or redshirt freshman Tienne Jefferson will be the starter when the Rams open at N.C. A&T on Sept. 6. "I knew you were going to ask that question," Blount said about the quarterback competition that began with four players vying for the job.

Redshirt sophomore Brian Wynn has been shifted to wide receiver and freshman Branden Williams will likely be redshirted. Whatever Blount and offensive coordinator Nick Calcutta decide, it's expected that Dunston and Jefferson will alternate during games. "I think Nick and I have agreed were going to wait another week to name the starter," Blount said. "We've got some time to figure it out and when we name the starter that guy will get more reps in practice. I feel confident with either one of them because we like some of things Jarrett can do and some of the things Tienne can do."

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