Right back to work for UAPB

By Mike Marzelli/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

ITTA BENA, Miss. — The good news for Arkansas-Pine Bluff is that it couldn't have played much better defensively in Saturday afternoon's season opener. The bad news is that its offense couldn't have been much worse.

With its Week Two contest at Alcorn State four days away, UAPB must find a way to right the ship in a hurry after starting the season with a loss to Mississippi Valley State for the third consecutive year.

Much, if not all, of what the Golden Lions need to improve on is exactly what head coach Mo Forte expected his team to struggle with in the early going: Consistent execution up front from the offensive line.

UAPB's inexperienced line never got untracked Saturday afternoon. It allowed defenders to come across the line of scrimmage throughout the game and never built any momentum going forward in the running game.

The center-quarterback exchange was also problematic, as quarterback Chris Wallace and new center Patrick Kapunaia never seemed comfortable with each other. The result was a handful of muffed snaps and numerous blown chances for the offense.

"There's no secret that the offensive line was a big concern of mine and I knew we would struggle as these guys gained experience early on," Forte said. "We hoped that we would still manage to be better than we were but really after the first week is when you can get to work because you see where you're seriously hurting.

"We have just two days now and we know this was coming because we knew we had a tough schedule. That's just how it goes."

Even if the line is able to correct its flaws in time for the Thursday night clash with the Braves, the potential absence of Southwestern Athletic Conference rushing champion Martell Mallett is a major concern for Forte.

Mallett saw limited snaps during camp after experiencing shin splints and the hip injury he suffered Saturday came after he was bent backwards while taking a head-on shot along the visiting sidelines late in the first quarter.

"Not having Mallett is something that worries me, there's no doubt about that," Forte said. "We're going to have to wait and see what the doctors have to say about him and about whether he'll be ready to go."

If UAPB can hang its hat on anything that came out of Saturday, it was the play of Monte Coleman's defense.

Both Delta Devil touchdowns came after a turnover and a penalty gave them field position inside the Lions 40-yard line and aside from that, UAPB's defense was rock solid.

The Lions gave up just 138 total yards, including 97 passing yards and 41 rushing yards, while their offense produced only 123 yards of their own.

"The defense played an outstanding game and without it, we would have had no chance in this game at all," Forte said. "We talked about it in camp that if we struggled early we would have to rely on our defense and it looks like that will be the case."

King redeems self, leads B-CU

By BRENT WORONOFF, Staff Writer

Russell throws, runs for 100 yards

DAYTONA BEACH -- Defensive end Dennis King took a step back into coverage and immediately knew he had made a mistake.

Before the Bethune-Cookman defensive end could reverse his momentum, Jacksonville running back Tommie Rodgers ran by him on a 28-yard screen pass for a first-quarter touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

But while King was not able to reverse his momentum on that play, he and his B-CU teammates were able to reverse the Dolphins' early momentum and grind out a 31-17 season-opening victory Saturday before an announced crowd of 7,845 at Municipal Stadium.

B-CU quarterback Jimmie Russell ran for three touchdowns and surpassed 100 yards in both rushing and passing, while fullback Justin Brannon also rushed for more than 100 yards.

"When we can establish the B-back (Brannon) like we did today, our offense can really go," B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats' defense, which found itself back on its heels in the first quarter, took over the game in the second half.

King, who was victimized early, helped put the game away late in the third quarter with a 15-yard interception return for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 24-10 lead.

"We adjusted by eliminating our ends from dropping down to the backs and putting our linebackers on the backs," Wyatt said. "Dennis King sure made up for that mistake by getting that touchdown."

King score turned the game around, said Jacksonville coach Kerwin Bell, the former Florida quarterback who lost in his college head-coaching debut Saturday.

"We were still within one touchdown before that interception," Bell said. "Chris (Horton) got hit when he threw it."

It was King's third touchdown of his career and the second by an interception return.

SEE B-CU, PAGE 10D

B-CUCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D

"I saw (Horton) back up, and he took more steps than he usually took," King said. "Two outside guys were under pressure, so I just stepped back and it was right there."

Russell passed for 103 yards and rushed for 114 yards, including touchdown runs of 13, 33 and 8 yards.

While the Wildcats' offense began establishing the running game late in the first quarter, the defense slowed down Bell's wide-open offense with three second-half interceptions. Bobbie Williams and Cedric Mason had the other two interceptions.

"It made me think back to when I first put this offense in at (Ocala Trinity Catholic High School) with people going to all the wrong places. It's not natural for everybody right now," Bell said. "It's a work in process. When you're down you can't go into rush mode, you've got to be patient. We can't have three turnovers in the passing game for us to be very good."

The Dolphins looked very good running their multiple sets on a 76-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter, despite committing three offensive penalties inside the 'Cats' 30. JU converted on a fourth-and-one at B-CU's 31 to keep the drive alive.

But B-CU tied the score on its next possession as Russell scored on a 13-yard run. Russell's 33-yard touchdown run, which featured a dive across the goal line starting from the 5, put the 'Cats ahead 14-10 with 3:32 left in the second quarter. Lucas Esquivel added a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Russell put the game out of reach with his final score with 4:25 left in the game. The Dolphins scored on Jeremy Brown's 1-yard run with 2:10 remaining.


QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE

Today's compelling questions -- and maybe a few actual answers

Were the Wildcats caught by surprise by the Dolphins' multiple formations on offense early in the game?

They expected Jacksonville to keep running the middle screen, but they were burned by that play often early on, until adjusting in the second quarter. What hurt B-CU most was playing without five projected starters from spring practice.

How could so many players get hurt before the season even started?

Safety Travis Roland had shoulder surgery in the offseason. Defensive back James Monds and Michael Williams, and linebackers Ronnie McCullough and Rodney Hughes were hurt during preseason practice.

Are any of the injuries serious?

Besides Roland, who will redshirt this season, the most devastating blow was Hughes' recent hand surgery. The middle linebacker was expected to be a leader of the defense this season. But he will miss 6-8 weeks.

Did any young players step up?

Antwane and Antonio Cox, identical twins who transferred from USF, both played well at cornerback. Coach Alvin Wyatt was pleased with speedy freshman running back Brian Sumlar, who gained 22 yards on eight carries in the second half. Sumlar needs to work on holding onto the ball however. He fumbled on two returns, losing one of them and allowing the Dolphins to down a kickoff at the B-CU 1 on the other.

Could the Wildcats have been looking past this non-scholarship team with South Carolina State coming to town next week?

S.C. State is picked to win the MEAC this season and is always the September game circled in red, sort of like Tennessee is to Florida. But if JU did not have B-CU's attention early, it did once the Wildcats fell behind 7-0.

BCU Wyattbone is alive and well

By Sean Kernan , Daytona Beach News-Journal

Wyattbone is alive and well

It's back!

Like a movie sequel, the Wyattbone offense has returned to Bethune-Cookman's playbook. And for at least one day, all of the Wildcats had a reason to smile. The old-look 'Cats gained nearly 300 yards on the ground while defeating Jacksonville University 31-17 on Saturday at Municipal Stadium.

The first game under "The Return of the Wyattbone" resulted in two 100-yard rushing efforts. Senior quarterback Jimmie Russell ran for 114 yards and three TDs on scores from 13, 33 and 8 yards. Senior B-back Justin Brannon gave the Wildcats a 103-yard effort in his first start at the position more commonly referred to as fullback.

Russell appreciated the extra help. He and Brannon each had 16 carries and both appeared relatively fresh after the game, unlike many contests last year when Russell looked as if he needed to make a stop at the emergency room before returning to his dorm at B-CU.

Getting production out of the B-back position is a priority for the coaching staff, which includes newcomer C. Ray Gregory. While Gregory is a newcomer to B-CU, he is hardly a newbie when it comes to the option offense or coaching in general. The guy's been around, including a stop at Georgia Southern, where he mastered the triple-option techniques and one of his players was current B-CU offensive coordinator Brad Bernard.

Gregory has made his mark already with players like Russell and Brannon. The new Wildcat was upstairs calling the plays to Bernard, who relayed them to Russell.

"Coach Gregory knows this offense inside and out," Russell said. "Coach Wyatt has assembled the best offensive coaching staff since I've been here. I'm just doing what's expected of me. It's expected of me to go out and orchestrate this thing we call the Wyattbone."

PROPS FOR QB

Russell is in his last season at B-CU and nothing has come easy. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder from Jonesboro, Ga., has had to battle injuries and other QBs for playing time in each of the past three years. He split starting duties his freshman season, started nine games his sophomore campaign and started just three games last season.

But Wyatt has seen glimpses of two other former Wildcats quarterbacks this year. Russell has drawn deserved praise comparing him to Patel Troutman and Allen Suber.

"He has gotten more speed, and he has picked up some more weight," Wyatt said. "In practice, he has been more Suber- and Patel-like. Not over either of those guys, but he's getting there, and the more he can run it without any injuries the better he's going to get. And it will be great for him if we can continue to block and make those holes like he got today to make the easy reads. The most important thing is we've been crying for years to get ourselves a B-back who can get over a thousand yards."

That B-back could very well be Brannon, who turned in the first 100-yard performance from that position in nearly two years.

"I'm hoping that my performance today was what we need to get this offense back to where we need it to be," Brannon said. "Coach Gregory has played a big role in establishing the B-backs and getting this offense to where it's supposed to be."

Strong production out of the B-back position will do another very important thing: help keep Russell healthy.

That might be the most important factor of all for the success of "The Return of the Wyattbone."

BCU Russell steals show as JU falls

By DEVON JEFFREYS, Jacksonville Times-Union correspondent

DAYTONA BEACH - The Kerwin Bell era at Jacksonville University began Saturday, but Bethune-Cookman College's Jimmie Russell was too much for the Dolphins to handle.

The senior quarterback passed for 103 yards, but it was his running ability that dominated the game. Russell rushed for 122 yards, including three touchdowns, in a 31-17 victory for the Wildcats.

It was the season opener for both teams.

"We knew he was a guy we had to put our marks on," Bell, a former University of Florida quarterback and the new JU coach, said of Russell. "He makes a lot of plays, and he has the ball in his hands a lot. We had him in the backfield two or three times, but he made some great plays."

JU started the scoring in the first quarter when quarterback Chris Horton capped a nine-play, 76-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to running back Tommie Rogers.

"It was a play we had been working on in practice," Horton said. "[Rogers] is real fast, and we got him matched up on a linebacker who couldn't cover him."

B-CC answered late in the first quarter on a 13-yard run by Russell. The point-after kick tied the score at 7.

A field goal in the second quarter gave the Dolphins a 10-7 lead before Russell busted out on the ground. He scored from 33 yards out for the second Wildcats touchdown and added a third score late to put an exclamation point on the win.


















"It's positive," Russell said. "We went in at halftime, made our adjustments, and you see the final score."

B-CC, which led 17-10 at halftime, took over in the second half, intercepting three Horton passes. Dennis King returned one of the interceptions for a 15-yard touchdown that gave the Wildcats a 24-10 lead.

"We came out a little flat on offense in the second half," Horton said. "I know I made some mistakes today. I had some open receivers here and there, and I didn't hit them. If I hit them, it's a different ballgame."

Horton was 15-of-39 passing for 177 yards and a touchdown.

"Basically, this is just a test," Dolphins running back Cecil Coltrane said. "We showed that when we're high with intensity and tempo, we can't be stopped. We just need to focus."

Coltrane finished with 59 yards on 14 carries.

Late in the fourth quarter, Jeremy Brown scored JU's lone rushing touchdown on a 1-yard dive.

Efficient Purvis leads new-look WSSU Rams over NCA&T Aggies 28-7

By Craig T. Greenlee, SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL

Photo: Jed Bines (1) gets a crushing block from WSSU teammate Roderick Fluellen.

During Winston-Salem State’s walk-through before last night’s season opener against rival N.C. A&T, quarterback Monte Purvis was asked to take stock of his supporting cast. Offensive coordinator Nick Calcutta reminded Purvis that he had sufficient help and wouldn’t have to serve as a one-man show in order for the Rams to win.

It didn’t take long for Purvis to discover that Calcutta’s observations were on target. Purvis got all the help he needed as WSSU delivered the offensive balance that it has been seeking during pre-season drills.

Purvis scored on a quarterback sneak and threw two touchdown passes as the Rams beat the Aggies 28-7 in front of a sellout crowd of 22,000 at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The game was also the MEAC opener for both teams, but the game won’t count in the standings for Winston-Salem State, which will not eligible to compete for a league title until 2010. Even so, that fact didn’t curb any enthusiasm on Winston-Salem State’s part.

“It felt great to be able to air it out a little bit,” said Purvis, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 96 yards. “Coach Calcutta pulled me to the side and explained that I need to consider all the (offensive) weapons we have this year. Looking around at who we have, there’s no reason for me to feel like everything is on my back.”

Purvis’ passing stats weren’t eye-catching, but efficient and effective. He connected with seven different receivers, which adds to the Rams’ offensive diversity. It also helped that the running game operated smoothly as Jed Bines and Brandon McRae combined to rush for more than 200 yards.

“It’s good to get that first win right out of the box to start the season,” Blount said. “Our running game opened things up for the pass. When you can be two-fold in how you attack offensively, you have a chance to be a very good football team.”

Bines, a fifth-year senior who was ruled academically ineligible for the ’06 season, didn’t display much rust from his long layoff. He ran for 125 yards on 16 carries, and McRae, his counterpart, scored on a 30-yard run and finished with 85 yards.

“I was happy to get to see Jed run again after missing him all of last season,” Blount said. “There’s going to be some very good competition between them this year. Hopefully, we can keep both of them healthy.”

Bines was elated to return to the lineup. “I just tried to do the best I was capable of doing,” he said. “Our offensive line opened some holes and I just ran through them.”

WSSU linebacker Thaddeus Griffin deflated A&T with two drive-killing interceptions that led to scores for Winston-Salem State. Griffin’s 22-yard interception return in the first quarter put the ball on A&T’s 23-yard line, which set up the Rams’ first score of the game on Purvis’ 1-yard run. WSSU added to its lead in the next quarter on an eight-play, 92-yard drive that culminated in a 19-yard scoring pass from Purvis to Bryant Bane.

Griffin got his second interception in the third quarter and the Rams seized the opportunity and went up 21-0 on McRae’s touchdown run. Purvis finished off the Aggies with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brent Thomas on a post pattern early in the fourth quarter. The Rams drove 80 yards in five plays.

A&T answered with its only score of the evening midway through the third quarter. David Irizarry of WSSU fumbled on a punt return and A&T’s Joseph Taylor recovered on WSSU’s 26-yard line. Three plays later, Herb Miller threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Wall.

After stopping the Rams on downs, The Aggies put together another promising drive and had a second-and-goal from the WSSU 8. The Rams’ defense, however, delivered another key stop when Reginald Johnson intercepted Miller’s pass in the end zone.

“We really worked hard all during pre-season camp and it paid off tonight,” said Griffin, who recorded a team-high 10 tackles. “Our aim is to play hard and get 11 hats to the ball on every play.”

For A&T, Miller hit on 10 of 23 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times.

“He (Miller) tried to make something happen when it wasn’t there,” Coach Lee Fobbs of the Aggies said.

N.C. A&T ran for 143 yards. Michael Ferguson led the way with 72 yards.

N.C. A&T 0 0 7 0 - 7

WSSU 7 7 7 7 - 28

First Quarter

WSSU-Purvis 1 run (M.Mitchell kick), 6:02.

Second Quarter

WSSU-Bayne 19 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick), 13:16.

Third Quarter

WSSU-McRae 30 run (M.Mitchell kick), 10:53.

NCAT-Walls 21 pass from Miller (Houston kick), 7:46.

Fourth Quarter

WSSU-Thomas 16 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick), 12:19.

Attendance-22,000.

TEAM STATISTICS

NCAT WSSU

First downs 11 20

Rushes-yards 38-143 47-286

Passing 73 96

Comp-Att-Int 10-21-3 9-15-0

Return Yards 33 51

Punts-Avg. 7-36.0 7-35.7

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1

Penalties-Yards 6-56 6-66

Possession 28:54 31:06

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-N.C A&T, Ferguson 16-64, Robinson 10-33, Miller 7-28, Chancellor 3-17, McNair 2-1. WSSU, Bines 16-125, McRae 15-85, Purvis 15-63, Harris 1-13.

PASSING-N.C. A&T, Miller 10-21-3-73. WSSU, Purvis 9-15-0-96.

RECEIVING-N.C. A&T, Walls 3-31, Robinson 2-(minus 5), C.Dawson 1-21, Caldwell 1-15, Lowrance 1-14, Ferguson 1-4, Chancellor 1-(minus 7). WSSU, Bayne 3-23, Thomas 1-16, Reaves 1-15, Scarborough 1-15, Hubbard 1-12, Kinzer 1-10, Fluellen 1-5.

Prairie View dismantles Texas Southern U

By BRANDON C. WILLIAMS, Houston Chronicle

Gibson, Panthers throw balanced attack at Tigers in 34-14 win

Mother Nature provided her share of thunder and lightning around Reliant Stadium on Saturday night. The Prairie View A&M defense delivered the rest.

The Panthers forced five turnovers as they manhandled rival Texas Southern 34-14 in the 23rd annual Labor Day Classic. Despite being outgained 463-301, Prairie View used its defense to set the tone by engulfing the Tigers with a third-quarter storm that drowned any chance of a TSU comeback.

"We started out a little rusty, but once we settled down, we took care of business," Prairie View coach Henry Frazier III said.

The Panthers (1-0) more than took care of their end, harassing TSU quarterback Tino Edgecome into three interceptions and sacking him five times. The Tigers (0-1) were able to move the ball all night long, but they constantly shot themselves in the foot, committing nine penalties and missing two field goals.

"We have the best defense in the (Southwestern Athletic) Conference," Panthers quarterback Chris Gibson said.

Edgecome's second interception proved to be the backbreaker. Trailing 20-0, TSU was threatening to score when Anthony Beck picked off an Edgecome pass and scampered 92 yards for a touchdown that gave Prairie View a 27-0 lead, sending most of the 16,827 in attendance home with 9:34 remaining.

TSU also struggled with holding on to the ball. Running back Brent Wilson fumbled twice, including at the Panthers' 4 late in the third quarter.

"The turnovers inside the red zone hurt us," said TSU coach Steve Wilson, who lost his third Labor Day Classic in four attempts. "That kind of ineffectiveness led to the change in momentum."

Momentum began to slip away from the Tigers early in the third quarter when Gibson scored the game's first touchdown on a 51-yard run at the 13:27 mark. Gibson accounted for 226 yards of offense, including 123 rushing yards on 14 carries.

"Football is all about momentum," Gibson said. "Once we scored, it seemed like everyone else began to play loose and played the way we know we're capable of."

While Gibson's passing numbers (10-for-21, 103 yards and an interception) weren't gaudy, the senior did a masterful job of moving the offense and keeping the Panthers almost mistake-free.

"He came out and did an exceptional job," Frazier said. "We made some adjustments at the half, and the offense came out and stepped up."

The Prairie View special-teams unit helped turn a 3-0 halftime lead into a one-sided win. A blocked punt put the Panthers at the Texas Southern 27. Calvin Harris eventually scored from 6 yards out to make it 17-0.

Prairie View's Pedro Ventura, who averaged 44.9 yards on his seven punts, allowed the Panthers to dominate the field-position battle. Fellow freshman Brady Faggard connected on a pair of field goals from 34 and 23 yards.

TSU was able to avert a shutout when backup quarterback Donnie Shorts found Brian Wilson for a 54-yard touchdown pass with 4:32 remaining. Shorts also connected with B.J. Haith on a 32-yard scoring toss with 1:18 left.

"We just couldn't finish drives," Wilson said. "We couldn't block, we couldn't run, and we threw interceptions. We did everything we didn't need to do. We've got to plug the holes and make the moves we need to make. (But) the bottom line is about scoring points."

DSU Hornets open with a bang

Photo: RB Kareem Jones 74 yard kickoff return

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

New running back Jones dominates in close win

DOVER -- Sure, there are lots of new faces wanting to make their case for stardom on the Delaware State football team.

But on a warm Saturday night, under the glow of Alumni Stadium's lights, the familiar faces also had their say in the team's season opener.

Syracuse transfer Kareem Jones made a splash as DSU's new headline running back. And quarterback Vashon Winton and receiver Shaheer McBride picked up right where they left off as the Hornets earned one of their biggest wins in more than two decades.

Avenging a loss two seasons ago on the road, Delaware State looked like a potential NCAA Division I-AA playoff contender in a 23-18 win over No. 23 Coastal Carolina before a packed house.

"It was all of them," a hoarse DSU coach Al Lavan said. "Vashon managed the game. McBride, he was himself. And Kareem, he surprised me."

The Hornets hadn't opened the season with a win over a Division I-AA nonconference opponent since 1986 against Southern University. And this one came against a team that earned a playoff berth last year.

Jones rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. He also returned a kickoff 74 yards.

"I was really surprised by his stamina," Lavan said. "His endurance is what set him apart. I didn't really expect to play him all the way to the end."

Winton and McBride connected for two third-quarter touchdowns as the Hornets took control.

Photo: DSU FB Adam Shrewsbury looks for yardage as Coastal Carolina's D.J. Rice (55) and Anthony Steele give chase Saturday night
















McBride finished with four catches for 81 yards. He broke the school's career record for receiving yards with 2,501, surpassing the 2,491 yards gained by Albert Horsey from 1997 to 2000. McBride has 155 career receptions, five shy of Horsey's record of 160.

DSU led 20-6 before CCU scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

All-American receiver Jerome Simpson played for Coastal Carolina despite being charged with simple assault and battery Thursday after he allegedly struck his girlfriend. Simpson caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Will Richardson to cut the lead to 20-12 with 11:04 left.

Peter Gaertner's field goal gave DSU a 23-12 lead before Coastal Carolina's Tommy Fraser broke through for a 5-yard TD run with 3:58 left. The Chanticleers failed on a two-point conversion attempt.

Coastal Carolina battled to the DSU 22-yard line on its final drive as time expired.

"We had burned one timeout accidentally, so we didn't have any left on that last drive," Chanticleers coach David Bennett said. "All we wanted to do was get out of bounds, and we couldn't do it.

"I said I thought [DSU] would compete for a MEAC [Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference] championship."

Simpson had three catches for 68 yards.

DSU put together 351 yards of offense against a highly touted CCU team that lost 36 seniors, but still is expected to challenge for a fourth straight Big South Conference championship.

Jones' 63-yard run in the first quarter gave DSU a 7-3 lead. The Hornets never trailed again.

Photo: DSU defender Brandon Hudson closes in on Coastal Carolina quarterback Ren McKinnon behind the line of scrimmage in second quarter.

If there was one criticism for the Hornets, it was that they didn't give Jones the ball often enough.

On one drive, with DSU moving on Jones' repeated gains, CCU recovered a fumble by backup Lennox Norville, who was in the game to give Jones a rest. On another drive where Jones was having his way against the CCU defense, the Hornets called for a pass. Eddie Brown dropped the ball in the end zone, and the drive fizzled.

The DSU defense came up with three big stops in the red zone.

On CCU's second possession, after a 51-yard punt return by Marrio Norman, the Chants were stopped on third-and-goal and settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

DSU cornerback Akeem Green intercepted Ren McKinnon's pass in the end zone on another third-down attempt.

A third third-and-goal stop resulted in the Chants' second field goal.

DSU senior linebacker Russell Reeves played a big part in those stops, finishing with a team-high 12 tackles and a sack.

Winton, playing his first game since sustaining two broken bones in his left leg late last season, completed 7-of-12 passes for 84 yards and the two touchdowns to McBride.

The Hornets begin MEAC play at Florida A&M next Saturday.

Alcorn falls in season opener at home to Grambling State

By Matt Burrowes, Natchez Democrat

Lorman — Plagued by miscues on offense, penalties and the inability to stop the surging Grambling State offense, Alcorn State had little chance of turning things around Saturday night.

The Braves fell behind early, losing their home opener 31-10.

“Grambling came in here to play and they beat us up and down the field,” Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas. “They pretty much handed us our lunch.”

Photo by Marcus Frazier

Grambling State University's Kenneth Wilborn, Jr. moves in for the kill as Alcorn State University's Vernadus Cooper attempts to move the ball down the field Saturday evening. The tigers were victorious over the Braves with a win of 31-10.

Thomas said Grambling is a very talented team and sound in every aspect of the game.

The Braves couldn’t maintain a drive the first half due to the aggressiveness of Grambling’s defense.

“The game plan was there,” Alcorn starting quarterback Chris Walker said. “We just couldn’t execute it.”

Grambling’s first down touchdown came from a 44-yard pass from Brandon Landers to wide receiver Reginald Jackson.

Jackson outran two Alcorn defenders for the score.

“Brandon has gotten a lot better,” Grambling head coach Rod Broadway said. “He has improved all around, especially in the way he manages the game.”

Photo: Alcorn's Roderick Williams and Grambling's Stephen Polk battle for the ball as they leap into the air.

Landers went on to throw for 303 yards and four touchdowns.

The Tiger offense totaled 479 yards on offense. They rushed for 176 yards.

“This was a nice win for us,” Broadway said. “We started to get sloppy at the end, allowing penalties. But we should have put at least 17 more points on the scoreboard.”

Broadway said the way Alcorn was playing on defense dangerous.

“Their defense told us what we wanted to do,” Broadway said. “They would crowd the line, knowing we have great receivers. We just blew by them.”

Walker took a vicious hit by Grambling defensive back Zaire Wilborn in the second quarter that sidelined him for the rest of the game.

“I hate he got hurt,” Thomas said. “Bringing in (backup quarterback Tony Hobson Jr.) didn’t change much. It wasn’t like we were doing much before Chris got hurt.”

Walker said it looked like it was a deep thigh bruise and he would probably be out for a couple of weeks.

The Braves have a short week before they go up against University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Thursday night on national television aired on ESPN.

“This is going to be a very short week,” Thomas said. “We will start (Sunday) and work all week. We have to forget about this one and prepare for UAPB. They are going to be tough and ready to win.”

How They Scored: SU-FAMU

First quarter
SOUTHERN: Tailback Darren Coates takes a handoff out of shotgun formation, runs off right tackle and sprints down the sideline for a 90-yard touchdown on the Jaguars first play from scrimmage with 12:15 remaining. Josh Duran’s extra point attempt is blocked. DRIVE: 90 yards on 1 play. TIME OF POSSESSION: 0:21. Southern 6, Florida A&M 0.

FLORIDA A&M: Quarterback Leon Camel keeps around right end on a 9-yard touchdown run with 4:47 remaining on FAMU’s first play from scrimmage (Wesley Taylor kick). The score is set up when Southern’s Chad Harris muffs a Taylor punt, the ball recovered by FAMU’s LeRoy Vann. DRIVE: 9 yards on 1 play. TIME OF POSSESSION: 0:08. Florida A&M 7, Southern 6.


Second quarter
FLORIDA A&M: Tailback Phillip Sylvester slips through a seam at left tackle and runs 45 yards for a touchdown with 6:05 remaining (Taylor kick). DRIVE: 74 yards on 7 plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 2:41. KEY PLAYS: Southern quarterback Bryant Lee’s throw to Coates appears to be incomplete but is ruled a fumble, recovered by FAMU at its 26. Three plays later on third-and-4 from the FAMU 32, the Rattlers keep the drive alive when Camel hits wide receiver Willie Hayward for a 5-yard gain. Florida A&M 14, Southern 6.

SOUTHERN: Lee goes over the middle for wide receiver Gerard Landry, who bounces off two defensive backs en route to the end zone on a 46-yard touchdown pass with 4:26 remaining. Lee’s two-point conversion pass for wide receiver Del Roberts is incomplete. DRIVE: 63 yards on 4 plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 1:39. Florida A&M 14, Southern 12.

FLORIDA A&M: Camel goes deep in the end zone over two Southern defenders to complete a 40-yard touchdown pass to Javares Knight with 2:19 remaining (Taylor kick wide right). DRIVE: 78 yards in 6 plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 2:07. KEY PLAY: On first-and-10 from the FAMU 33, Camel hits Hayward along the left sideline for a 26-yard gain. Florida A&M 20, Southern 12.


Third quarter
SOUTHERN: Fullback Brian Threat takes a handoff from Lee and cuts left up the middle to score on a 15-yard touchdown run with 12:46 remaining (Duran kick). DRIVE: 68 yards on 5 plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 2:14. KEY PLAYS: The Jaguars open the first drive of the second half with a pair of 22-yard gains — a keeper around right end by Lee and a pitch right by Coates. Florida A&M 20, Southern 19.

SOUTHERN: Running out of the shotgun, Lee runs off right end for a 3-yard touchdown with 8:03 remaining (Duran kick). Injured on the play, Lee is then carried back to the sideline by his teammates. DRIVE: 24 yards on 3 plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 0:55. KEY PLAYS: The score is set up when Southern free safety Jarmaul George goes high at the FAMU 48 to pick off a pass from Camel, who is injured on the play. George returns the ball 24 yards to the FAMU 24, where Lee hits Landry with a 17-yard gain to the 7. Southern 26, Florida A&M 20.


Fourth quarter
SOUTHERN: Coates smashes in from the 1 on third-and-goal with 14:11 remaining (Duran kick), the Jaguars third touchdown in its first four second-half possessions. DRIVE: 74 yards on 14 plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 5:55. KEY PLAYS: The Jaguars convert a pair of third downs on the drive — an 11-yard pass from Lee to Coates on third-and-3 at the SU 45 and a 19-yard pass from Lee to RaShon Jacobs on third-and-16 at the 50. Southern 33, Florida A&M 20.

FLORIDA A&M: Sylvester scores on a 4-yard run with 0:16 remaining. Taylor’s extra point kick hits the left upright but goes through. DRIVE: 80 yards on 14 plays. TIME OF POSSESSION: 3:15. KEY PLAY: The Rattlers convert a pair of fourth downs on the drive, including a 7-yard pass from Albert Chester to Jarvis Funderburk on fourth-and-3 to set up the score. Southern 33, Florida A&M 27.

FINAL SCORE: Southern 33, FAMU 27

RECORDS: SU 1-0, FAMU 0-1
NEXT: Southern plays Mississippi Valley State at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Chicago Football Classic at Soldier Field. Florida A&M hosts Delaware State on Saturday in Tallahassee.

Attendance: 30,016


NCAA Football Boxscore - Florida A&M at Southern U
Final 1 2 3 4 Score
Florida A&M 7 13 0 7 27
Southern U « 6 6 14 7 33

1st Quarter
Southern U Touchdown - 90-yard run by Darren Coates. (kick failed). 12:15 Remaining.
Florida A&M Touchdown - 9-yard run by Leon Camel. (Wesley Taylor kick). 4:47 Remaining.
2nd Quarter
Florida A&M Touchdown - 45-yard run by PhillipSylvester. (Wesley Taylor kick). 6:05 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 46-yard pass from Bryant Lee to Gerard Landry. (pass failed). 4:26 Remaining.
Florida A&M Touchdown - 40-yard pass from Leon Camel to Javares Knight. (kick failed). 2:14 Remaining.
3rd Quarter
Southern U Touchdown - 14-yard run by Brian Threat. (Josh Duran kick). 12:46 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 3-yard run by Bryant Lee (Josh Duran kick). 8:03 Remaining.
4th Quarter
Southern U Touchdown - 1-yard run by Darren Coates. (Josh Duran kick). 14:11 Remaining.
Florida A&M Touchdown - 4-yard run by Phillip Sylvester. (Wesley taylor kick). 0:16 Remaining.


Final Team Statistics

Florida A&M Southern U
First Downs 20 21
Rushes - Yards 43-238 33-194
Passing Yards 215 244
Return Yards 36 19
Passing (Att-Comp-Int) 30-22-0 44-21-2
Punts - Average 6-42.3 6-41.7
Fumbles - Lost 5-3 4-2
Penalties - Yards 5-53 13-95
Time of Possession 30:44 29:16

Individual Statistics
Passing
Florida A&M Att Comp Yards Int TD
Albert Chester II 23 14 150 1 0
Leon Camel 21 7 94 1 1

Southern U Att Comp Yards Int TD
Bryant Lee 29 22 215 0 1
Team 1 0 0 0 0

Rushing
Florida A&M Att Yards Average TD
Philip Sylvester 14 101 7.2 2
Greg Arline 7 36 5.1 0
Albert Chester II 5 27 5.4 0
Adrian Smith 2 18 9.0 0
Leon Camel 5 12 2.4 1

Southern U Att Yards Average TD
Darren Coates 10 142 14.2 2
Bryant Lee 18 50 2.8 1
Warren Matthews 7 23 3.3 0
Brian Threat 4 16 4.0 1
Marquarius 'Del' Roberts 1 4 4.0 0
Kendrick Smith 2 3 1.5 0
Team 1 0 0.0 0

Receiving
Florida A&M Rec Yards Average TD
Philip Sylvester 5 40 8.0 0
Jarvis Funderburk 5 58 11.6 0
Willie Hayward 3 31 10.3 0
Taj Jenkines 3 13 4.3 0
Javares Knight 3 81 27.0 1
Isaac West 1 3 3.0 0
Adrian Smith 1 18 18.0 0

Southern U Rec Yards Average TD
Gerard Landry 7 81 11.6 1
Marquarius 'Del' Roberts 3 25 8.3 0
Darren Coates 3 22 7.3 0
Clevon White 3 23 7.7 0
Juamorris Stewart 2 20 10.0 0
RaShon Jacobs 2 34 17.0 0
Evan Alexander 1 5 5.0 0
Kendrick Smith 1 5 5.0 0

Kicking
Florida A&M FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt
Wesley Taylor 0 0 0 3 4

Southern U FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt
Josh Duran 0 0 0 3 4

Rattlers left snakebit

By SCOTT RABALAIS, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just as Florida A&M quarterback Leon Camel went back to throw, he could feel the cramp that started in his arm and would eventually put him on his back in full body agony.

He said the cramp took something off his deep pass over the middle, a pass that wound up in the hands of Southern free safety Jarmaul George. He returned the interception 24 yards to the FAMU 24, setting up the score that would permanently put the Jaguars ahead in Saturday’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge III.

The play typified a frustrating afternoon for the Rattlers. Afterward, Camel had to grudgingly admit the Legion Field scoreboards that read — Southern 33, FAMU 27 — didn’t lie.

But he contended the loss had as much to do with what the Rattlers did to themselves instead of what the Jaguars were able to do to them.

“We beat ourselves,” said Camel, who threw for a touchdown and ran for another in relief of starting quarterback Albert Chester. “Everything coach talked to us about in practice, we did.

“They beat us on the scoreboard, but the score doesn’t tell it all.’

Four turnovers, 13 penalties, numerous missed tackles. They all conspired to send the Rattlers down to their third season-opening defeat in as many years under coach Rubin Carter.

“A lot of it was our own fault,” Carter said. “Penalties. Turnovers. We didn’t take advantage of the situation before us.”

A defensive tackle who played in two Super Bowls during his 12 years with the Denver Broncos, Carter was especially critical of his team’s tackling.

The Jaguars rolled through the Rattlers for 453 yards of total offense, including 238 on the ground. Southern’s rush to victory was keyed by Darren Coates’ 90-yard touchdown sprint on the Jaguars’ first offensive snap.

“We’re going to have to evaluate every play and scheme,” Carter said. “I thought it (FAMU’s tackling) was horrendous. Awful. We didn’t wrap up very well and that led to a lot of missed tackles and yards after contact. That we can fix.”

Chester outperformed Camel, completing 14 of 23 passes for 150 yards to Camel’s 7 of 21 for 94 yards. Still, Carter said he made the switch because Camel was better at dealing with his team’s no huddle offense and the quick trigger officials put on the 25-second play clock.

After Camel’s interception led to Southern’s go-ahead touchdown, Chester returned. But he was unable to push the Rattlers into the end zone after they looked so impressive in taking a 20-12 lead at intermission. Meanwhile, Southern plowed through FAMU’s defense to score on three of their first four second-half possessions.

The Rattlers didn’t score again until there were 16 seconds remaining. An onside kick snared by SU’s Juamorris Stewart snuffed out FAMU’s last fleeting hope.

“It’s not a good feeling,” Camel said. “We have to build from this. This game is said and done.”

Southern defense makes stand

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southern defense has made a living out of big stands in its last two games.

Saturday, the Jaguars stuffed Florida A&M for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 at the Southern 25-yard line with five minutes left in the third quarter to propel SU to a 33-27 victory in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge at Legion Field.

The stop was reminiscent, though less dramatic, than the fourth-and-inches stop made at the SU 2 with 1:43 left in the game to preserve the Jaguars’ 21-17 Bayou Classic win in November.

Still, Southern was supposed to be vulnerable to this kind of play. The Jaguars had lost five defensive linemen since the spring and were especially thin inside at tackle. They were supposed to wear down this late in a game, right?

Instead, they proved themselves. Twice, really, because Sylvester was held to 1 yard while going inside on the previous play, a third-and-2.

“We stood up to the challenge,” defensive tackle Dwayne Charles said.

Charles led the surge inside, as Florida A&M running back Phillip Sylvester went to his right. Meanwhile, defensive end Vince Lands, who was in on the Grambling stop (holding up Grambling’s Ab Kuuan until free safety Jarmaul George could apply the boom), grabbed Sylvester from behind.

“The tackle blocked down and I fought over it,” Lands said. “He (Sylvester) tried to cut it back and I made sure he couldn’t get the first down.”

The other similarity to the Bayou Classic stop besides Lands being in on the play was that SU’s defense showed one look to coax the opponent into going a certain way.

This time, in fact, SU’s staff called for the Jaguars to line up where they were at the snap, only the players took it on themselves to run the ruse, at first lining up in their base defense another way.

“They thought we were out-flanked, and they checked into it,” Graves said. “And right before the snap, the defense shifted to that side. That was a testament to (the defense).

“We called it, but instead of the defense just lining up, the guys showed one thing and then slanted to what was called.”


Trick or not, SU then still had to make the play.
“We read the flow,” Charles said. “We fired off the ball, going hard and made the play, got our offense back on the field.”

The stop preserved a 26-20 lead with 5:06 left in the third quarter. Southern’s offense then put together its longest and best sustained drive, 76 yards in 14 plays. Darren Coates’ 1-yard plunge gave SU a 33-20 lead with 14:11 left.

Graves and George, a team captain, went into halftime upset after the defense gave up two big plays, a 45-yard Sylvester TD run (on second-and-10) and a 40-yard Leon Camel TD pass (on a third-and-9) in the second quarter as the Rattlers took a 20-12 lead.

“I told those guys, we knew we had let them in the ballgame,” Graves said. “I challenged those guys, and those guys stepped up and answered.”

How well did the Jaguars answer the challenge? Southern came up with that big stop and made two big interceptions on three consecutive series.

First, George’s interception set up the Jaguars at the FAMU 24. SU got the go-ahead score, at 26-20, three plays later. Then there was the stop. Glenn Bell’s interception in the end zone (on an underthrown pass from the SU 39) kept the Rattlers from getting back in the game.

“Now we now we can close out games and get the victory,” George said.

With limited depth up front and no seniors among its linebackers or line, Southern’s defense relied on mixing schemes — from heavy fronts to three-man fronts — and using speed from all 11.

FAMU was 2-of-14, including 0-for-7 in the second half, in converting third downs.

“That was the game plan,” Graves said. “Our intent was to come out and give them a lot of different looks. We have some athletes on this team. We said coming in, we didn’t want to make any excuses. We were going to deal with the personnel we had.”

Challenge moving to MEAC site

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Saturday’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge was the last of three straight at Legion Field, with the event moving to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference territory next season.

Though Birmingham will be considered again for future challenges, a year and a rotation basis is not established. The next site will not necessarily host the Challenge for a three-year run like Birmingham did.

“The original idea was to rotate each year,” said ESPN spokesperson Tilea Coleman, who said with Birmingham being such a strong host that the city would certainly be considered again in the future.

Neither Coleman nor SWAC Interim Commissioner Duer Sharp could say what cities are being considered next season.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference’s offices are located in Birmingham; SWAC members Alabama A&M (in Huntsville) and Alabama State (in Montgomery) meet here in the Magic City Classic; and the SWAC Championship Game is played here as well.

Heritage Bowl return?
Meanwhile, the two conferences might renew their postseason meeting, the Heritage Bowl, a 1990s phenomenon, with Sharp confirming there were “preliminary talks.”

“We would love to do it. I think it would be great,” Sharp said.

“The talk is of trying to restart the Heritage Bowl,” SU Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said. “If we can get the MEAC to send its best, ESPN is considering Orlando (Fla.).”

Previously, the games were in Atlanta. One big holdup is the MEAC champion has an automatic bid to the football championship subdivision playoffs. The last time the game was played, in Dec. 1999, the third-place MEAC team, Hampton, played SWAC champion Southern, fresh off its win in the first SWAC Championship Game.

“It will only work if it’s a one versus a one,” Sharp said. “To be a true Heritage Bowl, it has to be a one versus a one.”

Sharp said the SWAC could do away with its championship game in order to make a Heritage Bowl work.

Game ball
To Southern. A team with depth concerns going in got stronger as the game progressed, scoring an impressive season-opening 33-27 win over Florida A&M in the process.

Play of the game
With the Jaguars holding a 26-20 lead and FAMU facing a fourth-and-1 at the Southern 25-yard line, SU end Vince Lands shot through to snare FAMU runner Phillip Sylvester from behind, with tackle Dwayne Charles riding the surge to force Sylvester to a 1-yard loss with 5:06 left in the third quarter. The SU offense then drove 74 yards in 14 plays to take a 13-point lead.

Crunching the numbers
Last year, SU had 1 rushing yard (on 20 attempts) in a 30-29 win over Bethune-Cookman. This time, SU broke a 90-yard TD run by Darren Coates on its first play and finished with 238 total. That bettered last season’s best of 236 in a win over Texas Southern.

Did you notice?
Southern wore all-white uniforms, with gold piping on the pants, for the first time since the 2005 Bayou Classic in Houston, a 50-35 loss to Grambling. “I decided to do something a little different,” said SU equipment manager Derek Price, who said the Jaguars may wear the getup at least one more time this season — as long as there’s an artificial surface. Carl “Doc” Williams, Southern’s longtime director of sports medicine, worked the sideline for the first time since the Bayou Classic 2002. SU junior Frank Harry, who had been training as an offensive guard lately, played exclusively as a tackle on defense.

SU Jaguars show heart, character

Photo: SU Head Coach Pete Richardson

By SCOTT RABALAIS, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jarmaul George stood on Legion Field’s legendary turf, dancing and swaying in time to the boisterous tune being belted out by the Southern University band.

Victory was Southern’s once again, by a 33-27 count Saturday over occasional MEAC rival Florida A&M. It was sweet music to George and his Jaguars teammates. Made sweeter still because it was dearly bought and even a tad unexpected.

An offseason of tumult and uncertainty — “distractions” as Southern coach Pete Richardson described with his low-key spin — left even him wondering how his team would perform in its maiden voyage without 15 players lost since spring practice.

“There were a whole lot of distractions to this point,” said Richardson, whose tenure at SU has moved into the embattled category after two straight losing seasons. “We didn’t really know how we would stand against a good FAMU team. We feel fortunate to come out on top.”

Fortune seemed to smile on the Jaguars from the start. Florida A&M looked like the more dangerous team starting out. But after allowing a first down, Southern forced a punt, taking over deep in a hole at their own 10. It was a hole tailback Darren Coates quickly sprinted out of, breaking through a big hole and tightroping up the FAMU sideline en route to the opposite end zone 90 yards away.

Southern missed the extra point and spent the rest of the first half playing catch up with the Rattlers. It didn’t help the Jaguars’ cause when, driving inside FAMU’s 30 down 7-6, Southern was victimized by another one of those classically dreadful officials’ calls.

Coates, taking a pass in the left flat from SU MVP Bryant Lee, bobbled the ball through his hands and replays clearly showed he didn’t have possession. But the play was ruled a fumble, the Rattlers took over at their 26 and marched for a touchdown and a 14-6 lead.

It was a ridiculously bad break. But what do you expect from an officiating crew that didn’t know enough to let FAMU run an untimed play at the end of the first quarter following a defensive penalty on Southern? If I were the SWAC or MEAC commissioner, my first priority would be improving officiating.

Southern’s season outlook can only be improving after taking the measure of a FAMU team that, while not great or predicted to win its conference, was supposed to be superior to the Jaguars.

Then again, the Jaguars have been here before. A 2-0 start last season dissolved into losses in five of the next six games leading to a 5-6 record.

“We’ll see what we’re made of,” George said philosophically. “We had a couple of games we didn’t close out last year when we should have. We closed one out here today.”

One. Just one. It’s first down and a long season to go. But the Jaguars showed a lot of heart and character to win this one. The kind of win you can build on. The kind of win that leaves you dancing for joy.

Nice start, better finish for Southern

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Jaguars open season with ‘gut check’ win over FAMU

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Southern started nicely enough, with Darren Coates bolting for a 90-yard touchdown run on the offense’s first play. But the Jaguars finished even better, overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit to score a 33-27 victory over Florida A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday in Legion Field.

After an offseason in which SU lost at least 15 players since the spring, an attrition that thinned the offensive and defensive lines, the Jaguars were supposed to be the team that wore down. Instead, the opposite proved true.

“It comes a point in a game like this of who’s going to survive,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “Now it’s a gut-check time. That’s what we had to do at halftime.”

First, Southern’s offense drove 68 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half. Then the defense made three big plays: a Jarmaul George interception that turned into the go-ahead TD, a fourth-and-1 stop at the Southern 25-yard line with five minutes left in the third quarter, which turned into a long touchdown drive for Southern, and then a Glenn Bell interception in the end zone three minutes into the fourth quarter.

“They only thing (the attrition) did with our football team was bring out the character,” Richardson said.

“They did an excellent job of pressing through. They kept playing hard, with a lot of perseverance,” FAMU coach Rubin Carter said.
Southern quarterback Bryant Lee was 22 of 29 for 215 yards and one touchdown and ran for 50 yards and another score. He was named Southern’s MVP of the game, echoing his finish last season as the school’s Bayou Classic MVP.

Plus, Coates ran for a career-high 142 yards and two touchdowns, with the senior, starting for the first time, outdistancing his career totals of 119 yards and one TD set last season. And wide receiver Gerard Landry had seven catches for 81 yards, including a 46-yard, second-quarter touchdown in which he blasted through two defensive backs and sprinted away.

In front of 30,106, Southern (1-0) became the first Southwestern Athletic Conference team to win a MEAC/SWAC Challenge, now in its third year.

Photo: Southern’s Darren Coates (43) is inches from being out of bounds, but tightropes his way down the sideline on a 90-yard TD run as a diving Dannel Shepard (27) and Jason Beach (28) can’t catch him on SU’s first play on offense. Photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING

“(Defensive coordinator Terrence) Graves challenged us to search our souls,” Bell said. “He knew we were a better team than the way we were playing. Coach Graves got on us a little bit. But that’s what we needed to get rid of those butterflies.”

Though both teams had plenty of mistakes in the first half, from Southern’s muffed punts to FAMU’s false starts, the Rattlers turned in more big plays to go ahead 20-12 at halftime.

Particularly troubling to SU, after taking a 6-0 lead on Coates’ burst two minutes into the game, was Chad Harris muffing a punt return at the SU 9 to serve up a Leon Camel 9-yard TD run on the next play. Southern then gave up a 45-yard Phillip Sylvester TD run on a second-and-10 and allowed a 40-yard TD pass from Camel to Javares Knight. That left the Jaguars down 20-12 with 2:19 before halftime.

“A large part of it came at halftime, with senior leadership stepping up in the locker room and calling some individuals out,” Richardson said. “We gave up a few cheap touchdowns in the second quarter that almost cost us the game.”

The next 18 minutes were telling, beginning with a steady, five-play, 68-yard scoring drive, capped by sophomore Brian Threat’s 14-yard touchdown run to get SU within 20-19 with 12:46 left in the third quarter.

“Coach Pete and (offensive coordinator Mark) Orlando told us we were still in the game; that execution was the main thing,” Lee said of the halftime message to the offense. “If we go out and execute, the game will come to us and we’ll win.”

George’s interception and 24-yard return set up the go-ahead score, with the Jaguars taking over at the FAMU 24. Three plays later, Lee scored from 3 yards out, giving SU a 26-20 lead with 8:03 left in the third quarter.

Lee cramped up after with a calf muscle tightening that delivering shooting pain. Tellingly, a host of teammates grabbed him by his limbs and carried him off the field.

“We’re a team, so they helped me out,” said Lee, who returned after getting treatment on the sideline.

SU’s defense turned in a huge stop of Sylvester, with defensive end Vince Lands snagging Sylvester for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 at the SU 25 with five minutes left in the third quarter. With Lee back, the SU offense then uncorked a 14-play, 74-yard masterpiece with Coates plunging in for a 1-yard TD and a 33-20 lead with 14:11 left in the game.

Bell then intercepted starter Albert Chester II on a 39-yard heave to the end zone.

The surge was important, because fatigue and cramps started to hamper both teams, with the game taking 3 hours and 45 minutes to play.

“Everybody was going down and we were able to hang on and survive,” Richardson said. “It almost became a mystery there at the end, who would be on the defensive line, because they were going down also.”

FAMU got within 33-27 on Sylvester’s 4-yard run with 16 seconds to play, but Southern wide receiver Juamorris Stewart recovered the onside kick to effectively end the game.

“Don’t give up on Southern,” Southern defensive tackle Dwayne Charles said. “We’re here to stay.”

Lagniappe
All SWAC teams will wear stickers honoring Grambling great Eddie Robinson. The stickers have Robinson’s initials, EGR, over 408, Robinson’s win total. There was a moment of silence before the game for Robinson. Wide receivers Del Roberts and Nick Benjamin sported Mohawk haircuts. SU and FAMU, longtime rivals who last met in 2001, meet again Sept. 20, 2008, in Baton Rouge to start a four-game series. SU junior RB Kendrick Smith, who was cleared to play Friday, drove up that night to meet with the team. Sophomore C Ramon Chinyoung also made the trip up, but is not cleared. Senior C Demarcus Stewart started in his place. In the booth for SU: offensive coordinator Mark Orlando, first-year RB coach Elvis Joseph, DL coach David Geralds and first-year LB coach Todd Middleton.

WSSU Rams 28, NCA&T Aggies 7

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Monte Purvis threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third, leading Winston-Salem to a smooth 28-7 win over North Carolina A&T on Saturday.

Purvis earned his fifth career rushing touchdown nine minutes into the game, capping a five-play, 23-yard drive for a 7-0 lead for the Rams (1-0). Five minutes later, he found Bryant Bayne in the end zone from 19 yards out to push the lead to 14-0.

He capped the score at 12:19 of the fourth quarter with a 16-yard pass to Brent Thomas. Brandon McRae rounded out the Rams' scoring with a 30-yard TD run in the third.

The Aggies' (0-1) sole score came on a 21-yard pass by Herbert Miller to Curtis Walls at 7:46 of the third.

Purvis completed 9 of 15 passes for 96 yards out of the Rams' total 382 offensive yards.


Rams 28, Aggies 7
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 11 20
Total Yards 216 382
Passing 73 96
Rushing 143 286
Penalties 6-56 6-66
3rd Down Conversions 4-15 3-11
4th Down Conversions 2-3 1-1
Turnovers 3 1
Possession 28:54 31:06

Individual Leaders
North Carolina A&T Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Miller 10/21 73 1 3
Winston-Salem Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Purvis 9/15 96 2 0

North Carolina A&T Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Ferguson 16 64 0 17
Robinson 10 33 0 9
Miller 7 28 0 10
Winston-Salem Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Bines 16 125 0 55
McRae 15 85 1 30
Purvis 15 63 1 32

North Carolina A&T Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Walls 3 31 1 21
Robinson 2 -5 0 5
Dawson 1 21 0 21
Caldwell 1 15 0 15
Winston-Salem Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Bayne 3 23 1 19
Thomas 1 16 1 16
Scarborough 1 15 0 15
Reaves 1 15 0 15


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER NCAT --
TD 6:02 MONTE PURVIS 1 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 23 yards. 0 7
SECOND QUARTER NCAT --
TD 13:16 BRYANT BAYNE 19 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 92 yards. 0 14
THIRD QUARTER NCAT --
TD 10:53 BRANDON MCRAE 30 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 60 yards. 0 21
TD 7:46 CURTIS WALLS 21 YD PASS FROM HERBERT MILLER (ERIC HOUSTON KICK)
Drive info: 3 plays, 26 yards. 7 21
FOURTH QUARTER NCAT --
TD 12:19 BRENT THOMAS 16 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 80 yards. 7 28

Rams 28, Aggies 7
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 11 20
Total Yards 216 382
Passing 73 96
Rushing 143 286
Penalties 6-56 6-66
3rd Down Conversions 4-15 3-11
4th Down Conversions 2-3 1-1
Turnovers 3 1
Possession 28:54 31:06

Individual Leaders
North Carolina A&T Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Miller 10/21 73 1 3
Winston-Salem Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Purvis 9/15 96 2 0

North Carolina A&T Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Ferguson 16 64 0 17
Robinson 10 33 0 9
Miller 7 28 0 10
Winston-Salem Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Bines 16 125 0 55
McRae 15 85 1 30
Purvis 15 63 1 32

North Carolina A&T Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Walls 3 31 1 21
Robinson 2 -5 0 5
Dawson 1 21 0 21
Caldwell 1 15 0 15
Winston-Salem Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Bayne 3 23 1 19
Thomas 1 16 1 16
Scarborough 1 15 0 15
Reaves 1 15 0 15


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER NCAT --
TD 6:02 MONTE PURVIS 1 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 23 yards. 0 7
SECOND QUARTER NCAT --
TD 13:16 BRYANT BAYNE 19 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 8 plays, 92 yards. 0 14
THIRD QUARTER NCAT --
TD 10:53 BRANDON MCRAE 30 YD RUN (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 60 yards. 0 21
TD 7:46 CURTIS WALLS 21 YD PASS FROM HERBERT MILLER (ERIC HOUSTON KICK)
Drive info: 3 plays, 26 yards. 7 21
FOURTH QUARTER NCAT --
TD 12:19 BRENT THOMAS 16 YD PASS FROM MONTE PURVIS (MATT MITCHELL KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 80 yards. 7 28

NSU 33, Virginia State U 7

Spartans 33, Trojans 7

NORFOLK, Va. --Daryl Jones had two touchdown runs and Justin Castellat kicked four field goals to lead Norfolk State to a 33-7 win over Division II Virginia State on Saturday night.

The Spartans (1-0) trailed 7-6 at the end of the first quarter after Virginia State's Devon Wiggins intercepted a pass from Casey Hansen that resulted in a 34-yard interception return.

Jones put Norfolk State ahead for good at the end of the second. Jones rushed for 125 yards for the Spartans, but both touchdowns came on one-yard runs.

Vince Hicks had a 4-yard run in the third quarter and Castellat padded the Spartan's lead.

Hansen was 22-of-42 for 245 yards for the Spartans.

Norfolk State, who lost 27 seniors from last season's team, kept the Trojans (0-2) to 92 yards passing. The Spartans rushed for a total of 232 yards.

BCU Wildcats 31, Jacksonville U Dolphins 17

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.-- Quarterback Jimmie Russell rushed for 114 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead Bethune-Cookman to a 31-17 win over Jacksonville on Saturday.

Russell completed 7 of 19 passes for 103 yards and running back Justin Brannon added 103 rushing yards on 16 carries, as the Wildcats amassed 398 yards of offense.

Jacksonville quarterback Chris Horton threw for 177 yards, completing 15 of 39 attempts, but Bethune-Cookman defenders intercepted three of his passes -- including one for a touchdown and one in the end zone.

Horton connected on a 28-yard pass to receiver Tommie Rogers in the first quarter to put Jacksonville on the board first.

Russell scored Bethune-Cookman's two first-half touchdowns, including one that tied the scored at 7-all.

Michael Zacco kicked a 30-yard field goal at 12:09 of the second quarter to give the Dolphins a 10-7 lead.

Russell's second touchdown -- a 33-yard run -- came at the end of a 74-yard drive and pushed the Wildcats to a 14-10 advantage with 3:32 remaining in the half. Bethune-Cookman's Lucas Esquivel added a 33-yard field goal on the last play of the first half for a 17-10 edge.

The only points in the third quarter came on a 15-yard interception return by Bethune-Cookman linebacker Dennis King.

Russell's final touchdown came on an eight-yard run with 4:25 remaining in the game. It culminated an 80-yard, seven-play drive.

Jacksonville also scored on a one-yard dive by Jeremy Brown.

Wildcats 31, Dolphins 17
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 16 23
Total Yards 264 398
Passing 195 115
Rushing 69 283
Penalties 8-77 4-42
3rd Down Conversions 4-16 4-14
4th Down Conversions 1-2 1-1
Turnovers 3 1
Possession 26:58 33:02

Individual Leaders
Jacksonville Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Horton 15/39 177 1 3
Jenner 1/1 18 0 0
Bethune-Cookman Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Russell 7/19 103 0 0
Souverai... 1/2 12 0 0

Jacksonville Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Coltrane 14 53 0 12
Horton 6 9 0 4
Rogers 1 5 0 5
Bethune-Cookman Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Russell 16 114 3 33
Brannon 16 103 0 38
Kirkland 4 38 0 16

Jacksonville Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Jenner 4 26 0 10
Rogers 2 60 1 32
Nelson 2 37 0 22
Brown 2 24 0 18
Bethune-Cookman Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Neufville 4 37 0 15
Pope 1 48 0 48
Singleton 1 12 0 12
Kirkland 1 10 0 10


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER JAC BCC
TD 6:28 TOMMIE ROGERS 28 YD PASS FROM CHRIS HORTON (MICHAEL ZACCO KICK)
Drive info: 9 plays, 76 yards. 7 0
TD 0:39 JIMMIE RUSSELL 13 YD RUN (LUCAS ESQUIVEL KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 47 yards. 7 7
SECOND QUARTER JAC BCC
FG 12:09 MICHAEL ZACCO 30 YD FG
Drive info: 7 plays, 33 yards. 10 7
TD 3:32 JIMMIE RUSSELL 33 YD RUN (ADAM WARD KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 74 yards. 10 14
FG 0:00 LUCAS ESQUIVEL 33 YD FG
Drive info: 8 plays, 82 yards. 10 17
THIRD QUARTER JAC BCC
TD 1:58 DENNIS KING 15 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (LUCAS ESQUIVEL KICK) 10 24
FOURTH QUARTER JAC BCC
TD 4:25 JIMMIE RUSSELL 8 YD RUN (LUCAS ESQUIVEL KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 80 yards. 10 31
TD 2:10 JEREMY BROWN 1 YD RUN (MICHAEL ZACCO KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 67 yards. 17 31

Air Force Academy Falcons 34, SCSU Bulldogs 3

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.-- So much for the question of whether Air Force could successfully implement its new offense.

Shaun Carney passed for 176 yards and a touchdown, and Kip McCarthy ran for 129 yards to lead Air Force past South Carolina State 34-3 Saturday.

"After the game I feel 100 percent," Carney said about the new offense. "Before, I felt about 85 percent. Were we going to be able to do this? The way we moved the ball gave us some confidence, and it's going to give us some confidence over the next couple of weeks."

New coach Troy Calhoun brought with him a book of new plays for the Falcons' attack, and many of them worked against the Bulldogs. At one point, Air Force (1-0) lined up with five wide receivers and only Carney in the backfield. The next play, three running backs lined up directly behind the Falcons' quarterback.

It all seemed to confuse the Bulldogs (0-1), who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA. South Carolina State forced Air Force to punt only once with it's first-team offense on the field.

The triple-option attack so famous under former coach Fisher DeBerry wasn't entirely scrapped, but the Falcons relied more on their passing game than the grind-it-out style from the DeBerry era. All four of the Air Force touchdowns were scored on drives 70 yards or more.

"They made an adjustment or two and kind of put a little pressure on us," South Carolina State coach Oliver Pough said. "We just kind of just stumbled around for the rest of the day."

The senior quarterback Carney led the Falcons 79 yards on 13 plays for a touchdown on the team's first drive, going 3-for-4 for 49 yards. McCarthy capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, the first of his career.

"We were all nervous just to see what was going to happen with this offense," Carney said. "That first touchdown was a huge monkey off our back."

Tight end Travis Dekker, who had only four receptions and no touchdowns last year, was Carney's primary target in the first half. The senior had three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Calhoun dialed back the passing attempts in the second half with a big lead, but he felt the Falcons did exactly what he wanted them to offensively.

"By and large, we did some good things," Calhoun said. "When you are effective running the ball, then bootlegs and play-action passes, you can go after some big plays."

Chad Hall, the Falcons' leading rusher last season who was moved to wide receiver in the spring, took a reverse for an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

South Carolina State led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in rushing last year, but was held to just 70 yards on 34 carries. Air Force pressured quarterback Cleveland McCoy all afternoon, collecting six sacks and forcing two turnovers. Cornerback Carson Bird was in on both with a fumble recovery and an interception.

The Bulldogs' brightest spot of the afternoon was the kicking game. Punter Aaron Haire had a 61-yard punt, and kicker Stephen Grantham tied a school-record with a 51-yard field goal.

Air Force snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to last year.

"The past couple years it seemed like such a one-dimensional offense," McCarthy said. "To have Shaun go out there and throw the ball like he did...that balance of pass and run is really going to throw opponents off this year."

Falcons 34, Bulldogs 3
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 14 27
Total Yards 160 455
Passing 90 176
Rushing 70 279
Penalties 9-56 7-54
3rd Down Conversions 6-15 9-16
4th Down Conversions 0-0 1-2
Turnovers 2 1
Possession 26:03 33:57

Individual Leaders
South Carolina State Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
McCoy 10/22 84 0 1
Long 1/5 6 0 0
Air Force Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Carney 11/18 176 1 1

South Carolina State Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Ford 12 73 0 18
Woods 8 22 0 10
McFadden 3 5 0 5
Air Force Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
McCarthy 22 129 1 50
Carney 11 50 0 10
Stephens 7 29 1 13

South Carolina State Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Smith 5 45 0 13
Ford 2 18 0 10
Dubose 1 15 0 15
Washington 1 6 0 6
Air Force Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Dekker 3 64 1 31
Root 2 38 0 21
Hall 2 31 0 23
Madsen 1 15 0 15


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCSU AFA
TD 8:28 KIP MCCARTHY 1 YD RUN (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 13 plays, 79 yards. 0 7
SECOND QUARTER SCSU AFA
TD 10:03 TRAVIS DEKKER 10 YD PASS FROM SHAUN CARNEY (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 11 plays, 70 yards. 0 14
FG 7:13 RYAN HARRISON 48 YD FG
Drive info: 4 plays, 1 yards. 0 17
TD 2:03 CHAD HALL 4 YD RUN (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 12 plays, 76 yards. 0 24
FG 0:00 STEPHEN GRANTHAM 51 YD FG
Drive info: 7 plays, 26 yards. 3 24
THIRD QUARTER SCSU AFA
TD 12:57 SAVIER STEPHENS 1 YD RUN (RYAN HARRISON KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 80 yards. 3 31
FOURTH QUARTER SCSU AFA
FG 14:08 RYAN HARRISON 22 YD FG
Drive info: 10 plays, 40 yards. 3 34

SU Jaguars 33, FAMU Rattlers 27

SU Jaguars 33, FAMU Rattlers 27

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Bryant Lee completed 22 of 29 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown and Darren Coates rushed for 142 yards and two scores to lead Southern University to a 33-27 victory over Florida A&M in the third annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday.

The Jaguars (1-0) trailed 20-12 at halftime, but scored three touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half to jump to a 33-20 lead. Lee put Southern in front 26-20 with a 3-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter and then Coates' 1-yard plunge early in the fourth made the score 33-20.

The Rattlers (0-1) were unable to overcome injuries to their top two quarterbacks. Backup Leon Camel played most of the first half because of a shoulder injury to starter Albert Chester. Camel then left the game with a foot injury in the third quarter, forcing Chester to return.

The Jaguars took the lead on their first offensive play of the game as Coates broke loose for a 90-yard touchdown run. FAMU answered with a 9-yard touchdown run from Camel and a 45-yard scoring run by Phillip Sylvester, giving the Rattlers a 14-6 lead with 6:05 left in the first half.

Southern cut the lead to 14-12 less than two minutes later on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Lee to Gerard Landry. Camel then connected with Javares Knight for a 40-yard touchdown pass to make the score 20-12 at the half.

Attendance: 30,106

MVSU Delta Devils 16, UAPB Golden Lions 9

ITTA BENA, Miss. -- Abner Brown caught a game-clinching 15-yard touchdown pass and Mississippi Valley State upset Arkansas-Pine Bluff 16-9 on Saturday.

Brown caught eight passes -- five more than any other player in the game -- for 87 yards and put the Delta Devils (1-0) up 16-3 on a pass from Paul Roberts with 3 seconds left in the first half.

The Golden Lions (0-1), the Southwestern Athletic Conference runner-up last year, gained more yards than the Delta Devils and held the ball for 5 minutes longer.

But MVSU jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on Ronald Brewer's 2-yard touchdown run and Zack Gilarski's 42-yard field goal, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff couldn't rally.

The Golden Lions' John Heflin hit a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter, but missed an extra point after Kenneth Esaw's 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Delta Devils 16, Golden Lions 9
Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 16 14
Total Yards 224 183
Passing 154 153
Rushing 70 30
Penalties 9-66 9-102
3rd Down Conversions 6-15 6-15
4th Down Conversions 0-3 0-1
Turnovers 2 1
Possession 32:27 27:33

Individual Leaders
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Wallace 14/27 154 0 0
Mississippi Valley State Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Roberts 15/27 153 1 0

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Mallett 5 23 0 8
Dean 9 19 0 8
Esaw 8 17 1 10
Mississippi Valley State Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Brewer 11 19 1 10
Hargrett 7 17 0 8
Gilarski 1 4 0 5

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Jones 3 29 0 12
Beverly 2 34 0 25
Webber 2 21 0 14
Gay 1 25 0 25
Mississippi Valley State Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Brown 8 87 1 26
Stargell 3 40 0 16
Cotton 2 8 0 8
Fox 1 11 0 11


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER APB MVSU
TD 12:31 RONALD BREWER 2 YD RUN (ZACK GILARSKI KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 36 yards. 0 7
FG 7:50 ZACK GILARSKI 42 YD FG
Drive info: 10 plays, 25 yards. 0 10
SECOND QUARTER APB MVSU
FG 2:11 JOHN HEFLIN 22 YD FG
Drive info: 17 plays, 74 yards. 3 10
TD 0:03 ABNER BROWN 15 YD PASS FROM PAUL ROBERTS (BLOCKED XP)
Drive info: 8 plays, 44 yards. 3 16
FOURTH QUARTER APB MVSU
TD 9:35 KENNETH ESAW 3 YD RUN (MISSED KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 37 yards. 9 16

MEAC/SWAC Scoreboard September 1st

MEAC Scoreboard - Week 2

Savannah State (7)
@ Morgan State (47) Final
7:00 PM Thu Aug 30

South Carolina State (3)
@ Air Force (34) Final
2:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Southern University (33) Final
@ Florida A&M (27)
Birmingham, AL
3:00 PM Sat Sep 1
ESPN Classic & ESPN 360

Jacksonville (17)
@ Bethune-Cookman (31) Final
4:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Virginia State (7)
@ Norfolk State (33) Final
6:00 PM Sat Sep 1

North Carolina A&T (7)
@ Winston-Salem (28) Final
6:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Coastal Carolina (18)
@ Delaware State (23) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

SWAC Scoreboard - Week 1

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (9)
@ Mississippi Valley State (16) Final
2:00 PM Sat Sep 1
CSTV live

Southern University (33)
@ Florida A&M (27) Final
Birmingham, AL
3:00 PM Sat Sep 1
ESPN Classic & ESPN 360

Grambling State (31)
@ Alcorn State (10) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Delta State (27)
@ Jackson State (15) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Alabama A&M (49)
@ Tennessee State (23) Final
7:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Jacksonville State (19)
@ Alabama State (24) Final
8:00 PM Sat Sep 1

Prairie View A&M (34)
@ Texas Southern (14) Final
8:00 PM Sat Sep 1
ESPNU

Division I Independent - Scoreboard Week 1

August 23
North Carolina Central--(10)
at Albany State U (16) Final

Savannah State (7)
@ Morgan State (47) Final
7:00 PM Thu Aug 30

Fayetteville State (0)
@North Carolina Central (17)
4:00 p.m., Sunday Sept 2


FCS UPSET OF THE YEAR: Appalachian State University (34) @
#5 University of Michigan (32) Final

NSU Spartan Men Win Opening Cross Country Meet at UMES

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The Norfolk State men’s cross country team opened its 2007 season by winning the Maryland Eastern Shore Lid-Lifter Invitational on Saturday morning. The Spartans tallied 29 points as each of their five runners finished in the top nine.

NSU finished ahead of second-place UMES (38 points), Delaware State (68) and University of the District of Columbia (96).

Junior Hillary Cheruiyot (Eldoret, Kenya) led the way for NSU with a second-place finish, completing the 5k course in 25:44.56. Sophomore Jonathan Soimo (Kapsabet, Kenya) was fourth overall in 26:11.71, and senior Dominic Luka (Marietta, N.Y.) was sixth in 26:48.69.

Rounding out NSU’s top five were junior Keenan Harris (Norfolk, Va.), who finished eighth overall in 28:08.84, and sophomore Liam Arocho (Virginia Beach, Va.), who was ninth overall in 28:25.25.

The Spartan men are back in action next Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Lou Onesty Invitational at the University of Virginia.

NSU Spartans know first foe's no pushover

By VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, The Virginian-Pilot

Pete Adrian calls it the Super Bowl.

Sounds a little over the top, even for pregame hype, doesn't it, considering it's only Division I-AA Norfolk State taking on Division II Virginia State? Today's Labor Day Classic kicks off the Spartans' season at 6 p.m., at Dick Price Stadium.

Yet, consider this. In 10 years as a Division I-AA team, the Spartans are 5-5 against the Trojans. Adrian is 1-1, with last year's 29-14 victory breaking a three-game losing streak to Virginia State.

Jason Kressen, a redshirt senior looks almost pained when he says, "I don't know what it feels like to walk off the field having beaten Virginia State." Kressen was sidelined last year when NSU recorded the victory.

"This year is about vindication for me," he said.

"We showed them the film from two years ago," Adrian said. "It was ugly."

The Spartans have stressed all preseason that they want this year to be about making a statement in the MEAC, so is this non-league game a must-win? Hardly. But anything less than a manhandling of Virginia State from a team that appears ready to have a breakthrough season would be disappointing.

A year ago, the Spartans led the Trojans 22-0, earning two touchdowns via special teams before the opponent made the final score respectable.

"I've been on our offense because we won last year, but we had 190 yards and we ran 39 plays," Adrian said. "We've got to come out and dominate."

These Spartans, who say they formed a unique bond by lifting each other during the wicked heat that made two-a-days more difficult than normal, say they are stronger than in years past. Adrian says they are deeper at every position, too, but also younger. Twenty-seven seniors are gone from last year's team, and 50 of the 89 players on the roster are either freshmen or sophomores.

If Virginia State has any advantage, it is that the Trojans have already played a game. They fell 52-21 last week to Carson-Newman, a I-AA team ranked 22nd in the preseason Sports Network Poll.

A history-making game awaits in two weeks when NSU travels to Rutgers to takes on its first Division I-A opponent, but for now it's Virginia State, and Adrian promises no Spartan is looking ahead.

Virginia State, he said, "is all we've talked about."

Now it's time to play.