DSU football: Explosive and elusive; Hornet ‘O’ shines in opening win

By Chris Gasiewski, Delaware State News

DOVER — Kareem Jones rested on a bucket against the building that houses the Delaware State football team’s locker room Saturday night.

It was only minutes after DSU had dismissed No. 23 Coastal Carolina 23-18 at Alumni Stadium and the senior running back was becoming reacquainted with his father, Willie, as star wide receiver Shaheer McBride walked by.

“You’ve got a one-two punch going there,” Willie Jones said. “You’ll be great this year if you guys can keep playing like that.”

The elder Jones wasn’t kidding. His son transferred from Syracuse University late this summer and fit perfectly into DSU’s offensive scheme. Joining McBride, the preseason Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and quarterback Vashon Winton, Jones looked like the final piece to the Hornets’ attack.

Saturday night, Jones powered through Coastal to rush for 171 yards and a score on 24 carries. He also returned a kick 74 yards.

“Soon enough you have players that fit,” coach Al Lavan said with a raspy voice. “Vashon managed the game well. McBride did what he does. Then Kareem comes in and I didn’t expect that kind of endurance.”

Lavan was emphatically pleased with Jones, who quickly won the starting job in training camp despite missing spring practice. But did he prove himself?

“Prove myself? Nah,” Jones said. “I made a lot of mistakes. There were a couple of protection mishaps. But I’m going to go out there and make progress each week.”

Photo: RB Kareem Jones on 74 yard return

So is McBride, if that’s possible. Saturday night, the Chester, Pa., native broke Albert Horsey’s school all-time receiving yards record after catching four passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns. McBride has 2,501 career receiving yards.

He also had two touchdown receptions in the second half that proved to be the difference.

“That kid is a phenomenal athlete, a phenomenal football player,” Lavan said. “He’s the ultimate competitor. You see him out at practice diving everywhere without pads on.”

A confident DSU heads to Florida A&M Saturday for its MEAC opener and the beginning of a three-game road stretch.

Saturday night’s win was the Hornets’ first against a ranked opponent in the four-year Lavan era, since DSU beat conference rival Hampton in the final game of the 2004 season. It has DSU believing it will find its name in the Top 25 when the Sports Network announces this week’s rankings today.

“We should be ranked,” Jones said. “We have a lot of talent down there. We showed our talent to the nation.”

Showing that talent on a consistent basis is what DSU needs to compete for the MEAC title and its first playoff appearance in program history.

“There’s still more to come,” McBride said. “Hopefully we can build off of this win.”

SU Jaguars cautiously optimistic after win

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Southern got off to a great start to its 2007 football season Saturday.

Then again, the Jaguars did so last year as well.

One game is still just one game. There are 10 more to go.

“It’s not a statement game for us,” SU coach Pete Richardson said. “We’ve just got to grow. We have a young football team. They have to develop the confidence, and the main thing we have to guard against is injuries.”

A strong surge in the first 18 minutes of the second half — 21 unanswered points and three big defensive plays (an interception setting up the go-ahead touchdown, a fourth-down stop deep in Southern territory and an interception in the SU end zone) — powered the Jaguars to a 33-27 victory over Florida A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Legion Field.

Southern started last season 2-0, including a 30-29 season-opening victory over Bethune-Cookman College, another Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team. But the Jaguars collapsed from there, finishing 5-6.

The day that doomed SU most was its fourth-quarter collapse to Prairie View, what became a 26-23 overtime loss in the third game of the season.

Photo: Southern’s Frank Harry (66) dives after a loose ball over FAMU's Philip Sylvester on Saturday.

A year ago, Southern seemed to be a team with a strong future in preseason camp and then seemed to confirm that in those first two games. Then the season unraveled.

“We almost got decimated at quarterback. A lot of our defensive personnel were banged up going into the last part of the year,” Richardson said.

This season, Southern is thinner and younger on its offensive lines, but there is the knowledge of what happened last season. There’s a realization of how tenuous a season can be, of how Southern must avoid injuries.

“(The offensive line) held up well,” Richardson said. “We’re going to have to be able to stay injury-free. If we can do that, and learn from every game, that will be the keys.”

So, Saturday’s victory leaves Southern with cautious optimism.

Oh, and confidence. And confidence is big. Never underestimate confidence.

“We have a lot of good character on this team,” said SU senior free safety Jarmaul George, one of the team’s two captains and the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s preseason defensive player of the year. “Like we say, we have to play with some type of swagger. That’s what a football team’s supposed to do, come together and play with some swagger. That leads to big things.”

Do more of this
In its final three games of last season, with Mark Orlando as the offensive coordinator, SU ran for 236, 152 and 131 yards.
That trend continued Saturday.

Southern ran for 238 yards on 43 carries, highlighted by Darren Coates going for career highs of 142 yards and two touchdowns in his first start, which was, in turn, highlighted, by his 90-yard TD burst on the offense’s first play.

“I think people thought we were just jiving around, but we’ve got to be able to run the football to take pressure off that young quarterback,” Richardson said. “We spread the field, but we have to be able to run the football.”

Do less of this
Southern’s punt returners were awfully sloppy in the first quarter, with Ronald Wade, in his first collegiate game, fumbling on a return and Chad Harris, a veteran, muffing a punt. FAMU fumbled the ball at the Southern 1 after Wade’s fumble, and scored on a 9-yard run one play after Harris’ bobble. Wade, to be fair, came back and recovered a fumble forced by Coates on a FAMU punt return.

Quick hits
SU quarterback Bryant Lee is 2-1 in three career starts (he would have earned a win in baseball parlance for his work off the bench against Texas Southern as well). He was 9-for-10 after halftime, directing a much-smoother offense, after going 13-for-19 in the first half (including 3-for-5 for minus-5 yards in the first quarter). FAMU’s MVP for the game was freshman running back Phillip Sylvester, with 101 yards and two TDs in his first college game. Southern held the ball for 9:35 of the third quarter.

Up next
Southern (1-0, 0-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) plays Mississippi Valley State (1-0, 1-0) in the Chicago Football Classic at 4 p.m. Saturday at Soldier Field. Valley beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the defending Western Division Champion and considered a contender to make a run for the SWAC title this season as well, 16-9 Saturday in Itta Bena, Miss. SU beat Valley 31-14 in A.W. Mumford Stadium a year ago in the second game last season.

Slide Show: DSU slams #23 Coastal Carolina

DSU gets respect it's been dreaming of with victory

Kevin Noonan, The News Journal

DOVER -- It was a win-win situation for the Delaware State Hornets -- they won a game and also won some respect.

The Hornets sent a message to the college football world when they upset No. 23 Coastal Carolina 23-18 on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium.

It was a big victory, maybe the biggest of Al Lavan's tenure as coach, because the Hornets dream big dreams. Delaware State wants a new and improved stadium and it wants to make the jump to NCAA Division I-A, the highest level of college football. Most people snicker when they hear that, because the unranked Hornets aren't even big fish in the I-AA pond, yet they want to go diving into the I-A ocean.

Lavan has made DSU one of the top teams in its conference, but it's a conference that doesn't get much respect because it hasn't earned it -- the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has lost eight straight I-AA playoff games by an average score of 38-19.

So, the only way for the Hornets to get the respect they crave is to beat a respected opponent outside the MEAC -- an opponent like Coastal Carolina, which has won the Big South Conference the past three years and has consistently been ranked in the Division I-AA Top 25.

And the Hornets finally did it -- they beat a pedigreed nonconference opponent for the first time under Lavan.




















"A game like this gives kids a vision of what they can do," Lavan said. "It's one thing to be confident you can beat a team, but you have to win the game to solidify that thought in your own mind."

The Hornets hadn't fared well when they stepped outside the MEAC in recent years -- they lost 51-0 to Massachusetts and 49-0 to Southern Illinois in 2004, Lavan's first season, and 24-6 to Coastal Carolina in 2005.

Overall, in its first three years under Lavan, Delaware State was 16-7 in the MEAC, but just 3-7 against nonconference foes. And even their three victories were less than impressive -- they beat two Division II schools (Millersville in 2005 and Concord in 2006) and a I-AA team with a losing record (St. Francis in 2006).

And when the Hornets did step up in class, they got knocked back down, losing to James Madison 65-7 in 2005 and Northwestern State 23-3 in 2006. In eight nonconference games against I-AA teams over the past three years, Delaware State was outscored by an average of 34-19 per game.

That's why this victory was so important to a team that dreams big dreams.

In fact, the Hornets should have won going away, but they made more mental mistakes in this game than some teams make in a season, including dropped touchdown passes and dropped interceptions, as well as some dumb penalties and costly fumbles.

But that makes the victory over Coastal Carolina even more impressive -- Delaware State didn't come close to playing its best game and still beat a nationally ranked team.

"We've come a long way since I've been here," senior guard Jeremy Breath said. "And we still have a long way to go. But now we know we can get there, and that's what a game like this can do for you.

"It makes you believe that anything is possible."

FAMU vs. SU Game Photos & FAMU Marching 100

Florida A&M University Marching 100---Song: Black and Blues

An encouraging loss for North Carolina A&T

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record

The end is near.

N.C. A&T fans may have been muttering that for a while, having seen their team drop 17 straight games now. But on Saturday, that concept took on another -- slightly more hopeful -- meaning.

While falling to Winston-Salem State 28-7, the Aggies at least suggested the longest active losing streak at the second-highest level of college football might be drawing to a conclusion one of these weeks.

"I'm pleased but not happy," coach Lee Fobbs said. "We could have played better in the first half. We've just to come out of the chutes better."

A year after being thoroughly outclassed by the Rams 41-14, the Aggies were merely beaten this time. For the first time in 23 months, they made an opponent worry about the outcome into the fourth quarter, and they got on the bus thinking about one game-changing moment rather than an avalanche.

It came early in the fourth as A&T faced second and goal from the Ram 9 while trailing 21-7. Quarterback Herb Miller rolled out of trouble, neared the sideline, declined what would have been a short running gain and tossed one across his body for Curtis Walls in the end zone.

"I ran around and saw Walls sitting on the spot," Miller said. "I tried to get to him, which I shouldn't have done."

The pass was thrown behind the Aggies' best receiver, who managed to get a hand on it and juggle it for an agonizing second. The ball seemed to disappear in a confluence of red and white jerseys before winding up in the hands of the Rams' Thaddeus Griffin, who was flat on his back.

Two witnesses said the ball hit the ground first, which suggests the play would have been vigorously reviewed by video if this had been a Division I-A game.

The Aggies had no avenues of appeal, but Walls didn't seek them.

"Anything I touch, I'm supposed to pull it in," he said. "I'm supposed to be the dependable receiver for this team."

A chance to close the gap was gone, and when the Rams followed the play with an 80-yard touchdown drive, the outcome was effectively sealed.

Nobody's going to admit a three-touchdown defeat is satisfactory, but A&T displayed more defensive speed than at any time in 2006.

The Rams found the holes to the tune of 303 rushing yards, but A&T reorganized after a skittish start and pursued the ball reasonably well.

Football statistics are notoriously specious anyway, and Saturday was a study in deception.

"I liked the aggression," sophomore defensive end Andre Thornton said. "We had 11 hats to the ball. If they got a first down, we didn't lollygag down the field. We all ran down the field."


Fobbs does have options in the running game, as Michael Ferguson got 16 carries, junior-college transfer David "Speedy" Robinson had 10 and former Clemson Tiger Demerick Chancellor was called upon three times.

A&T lacks bulk among its wide receivers and may need to get creative in order to run effectively to the sideline.

Fifth-year seniors Jed Bines and Monte Purvis give the Rams a seasoned and swift backfield pair for a team that ran for 180 yards a game a year ago.

Winston-Salem State, still in a transition phase toward full second-tier membership, will play a full MEAC schedule but not be eligible for the league title. There's enough on the Ram sideline to suggest this would be an intriguing team under normal membership circumstances.

A&T gets another crack at stopping the streak when it plays Prairie View A&M, which lost an untouchable 80 straight games from 1989-98, in Los Angeles next week.

And the Aggies keep thinking they'll be OK.

"Every day. Every day," Walls said. "And if I don't think that, then I need to be off this team."

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

Winston-Salem State 7 7 7 7 --28

WiSa--Purvis 1 run (M.Mitchell kick)

WiSa--Bayne 19 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick)

WiSa--McRae 30 run (M.Mitchell kick)

NCAT--Walls 21 pass from Miller (Houston kick)

WiSa--Thomas 16 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick)

A--22,000.

NCAT WiSa
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

Time of 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. Winston-Salem, Bines 16-125, McRae 15-85, Purvis 15-63, Harris 1-13.

PASSING--N. Carolina A&T, Miller 10-21-3-73. Winston-Salem, Purvis 9-15-0-96.

RECEIVING--N. Carolina 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). Winston-Salem, Bayne 3-23, Thomas 1-16, Reaves 1-15, Scarborough 1-15, Hubbard 1-12, Kinzer 1-10, Fluellen 1-5.

S.C. State struggles against dominant Air Force defense

BY JOHN DEVLIN, Special to The Post and Courier

Air Force 34, S.C. State 3

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — South Carolina State finally got its chance to take on a major college football opponent Saturday in the shadow of Pikes Peak against Air Force at Falcon Stadium.

Buddy Pough's Bulldogs didn't exactly distinguish themselves in a 34-3 loss against a team that was unveiling a new offense installed by first-year coach Troy Calhoun and coming off its worst season (4-8) in 26 years.

"We played hard, but we played poorly on both sides of the ball," said Pough. "I have no way to dress it up and make it sound pretty — it was just ugly. We have a lot of work to do before we play Bethune-Cookman (next week)."

A tepid performance by S.C. State's veteran offensive unit was most disappointing. The Bulldogs managed a paltry 160 yards and just 2.6 yards per play, and failed to reach the red zone.

"I thought after the first few series that we were going to be OK, but (Air Force) made an adjustment or two and put some pressure on us and we sort of stumbled around the rest of the day," said Pough.

Quarterback Cleveland McCoy, a three-year starter and the key to the Bulldogs' offensive success, went 10 for 22 passing for 84 yards, and was sacked six times.

"(Cleve) wasn't good, let's just leave it at that," said Pough. "We got beaten up inside and that surprised me a little bit."

The Bulldogs weren't much better on defense, surrendering 455 yards and 27 first downs. Air Force, for one game at least, had the offensive balance Calhoun craves — 279 yards rushing, 176 passing.

"I was impressed by our energy and, by and large, our execution," said Calhoun.

The Falcons' headliners were quarterback Shaun Carney, a four-year starter, and new feature running back Kip McCarthy.

Carney completed 11 of 18 passes to seven different receivers and also ran for 50 yards on 13 carries, and orchestrated four touchdowns and a field goal on the Falcons first six possessions.

"Getting off to a good start with the new offense takes a little pressure off our backs," said Carney, who went over the 6,000-yard career total offense mark in his senior season opener.

McCarthy, a senior who came into the game with 144 yards rushing on 29 carries on his AFA resume, darted for 129 yards and one touchdown on 22 yards vs. the Bulldogs.

S.C. State's lone highlights came in the kicking game.

Florence native Stephen Grantham drilled a 51-yard field goal on the last play of the first half, and Aaron Haire averaged 40.9 yards on seven points, including a booming 61-yarder in the first quarter.

"Kicking at altitude is a lot better than kicking in South Carolina," said Grantham.

Grantham, who missed a 49-yarder late in the first quarter, just missed matching the school record distance of 52 yards set by Cedric Oglesby in 1998.

"I overcompensated for a little cross wind on that first one, but I hit (the 51-yarder) pretty good and knew it was good right away."

It's official: Jaguars cut Leftwich; FAMU's Quinn Gray #2 QB

Photo: Jacksonville Jaguar #2 Quarterback Quinn Gray
It was expected, but still a shocker: Byron Leftwich was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.

The seventh overall pick in the 2003 draft and the Jags' starting quarterback for nearly every game since then when he was healthy, Leftwich was released after losing the starting job to David Garrard.

Coach Jack Del Rio had said Friday, when he made the decision, that Leftwich would either be traded or released but that announcement in itself made it difficult to make a deal for him.

Leftwich, often troubled by injuries and lacking mobility, missed 10 games last season because of an ankle injury. He was 19-of-38 passing for 226 yards and a touchdown in three preseason games.

But he played with the starters while Garrard completed 36 of 47 passes for 456 yards and a touchdown, mostly against backups. Garrard has started 18 regular-season games in his career and had a passer rating of 80.5 in 10 starts last season with 10 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

"It's bittersweet news," Garrard said Friday when he heard that Leftwich would go. "I'm definitely shocked. I didn't see this happening. I'm beyond shocked. I really feel like this is a dream, but I know it's not and I know I'm ready."

---------

Dumb move by the Jacksonville Jaguars as they received zero in return for a first round starting quarterback. Garrard will take them to the bottom of the standings. Get ready Quinn Gray, as your number will be called often to bail the Jags out from under a three interception game orchestrated by Garrard. In one respect, this gives Leftwich a complete fresh start and provides Quinn Gray with an opportuntiy to move into the starter role, upon the collapse of Garrard. Make the MEAC and FAMU proud, Quinn Gray. Be ready!

ASU overcomes 10-point deficit to down Jacksonville State

By CASSANDRA M. TAYLOR, Sports Reporter

Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow debuts with 24-19 victory

MONTGOMERY -- Alabama State rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to pull off one of the biggest wins in the program's history Saturday night, knocking off state rival Jacksonville State 24-19 in Reggie Barlow's coaching debut.

Running back Jay Peck fought through cramps the entire game, but managed a 15-yard touchdown run with three minutes left for the win. Peck finished with 16 carries for 79 yards and the score.

Former LeFlore High quarterback Chris Mitchell proved to be the Hornets' best-kept secret. He came off the bench and completed 10 of 11 passes for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

"Chris Mitchell has all the tools, he can run, he can throw and he's a smart guy," Barlow said. "Right now, Chris is doing an outstanding job. Our players are responding to him and he's our guy."

Jacksonville State got a pair of 36-yard field goals from Gavin Halford and the Gamecocks stretched the lead to 13-0 with 1:48 remaining in the half on T.J. Heath's 18-yard interception return for a touchdown off an errant Alex Engram pass.

Mitchell entered the game with a little over a minute remaining in the half tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Marcus McCall with seven seconds left to make it 13-6.

"I thought Alex was going to play the entire game," Mitchell said. "He's been working hard for this, but once I saw he was struggling, I started warming up. I just felt like I could get in and hopefully make something happen."

Halford kicked a 21-yard field goal with 5:22 to go in the third quarter to make it 16-6, and Barlow thought forcing JSU into field goals was big for the Hornets after the Gamecocks reached the red zone seven times.

"Our defense played well all last season and have been playing at a high level at camp," Barlow said. "If we have an opportunity to win a championship, it will be because of our defense. It's scary how fast and hard those guys play."

Down by 10 points, Mitchell connected with Antonion James from 61 yards out with 4:59 on the clock in the third to trim the deficit to 16-12.

Alabama State overtook Jacksonville State early in the fourth quarter on Rahmod Traylor's 66-yard run, but Jeremy Fetterhoff missed his third PAT kick.

Halford gave the Gamecocks a 19-18 lead on a 42-yard field goal with 6:34 left in the game.

Alabama A&M humbles TSU

Photo: TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner (16) looks for a receiver during the Tennessee State University vs. Alabama A&M John Merritt Classic football game.

By MIKE ORGAN, Staff Writer

Tigers suffer third consecutive defeat in Merritt Classic

Alabama A&M didn't wait so late in the game this year to spoil the John Merritt Classic for Tennessee State.

After winning the previous two festive season-openers with come-from-behind fourth-quarter rallies, the Bulldogs skipped the drama Saturday night on the way to a 49-23 victory.

An LP Field crowd of 23,440 watched the Bulldogs make it three straight over the Tigers. It was TSU's last chance to avenge two previous losses to A&M. Southern replaces Alabama A&M as TSU's foe in the 2008 John Merritt Classic.

The last time TSU gave up 49 points was in 2005 in a 49-0 loss to Eastern Kentucky.

Alabama A&M rallied in the last quarter in 2005 to beat TSU 27-14, and then in 2006 scored two fourth-quarter TDs to claim a 27-20 victory.

Saturday night's crowd was significantly larger than last year's (an increase of 3,953), many of whom were there hoping to see the Tigers manage to hold on until the very end.

But that chance was blown well before the game reached the fourth quarter. Alabama A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke saw to that. He completed 18-of-29 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

TSU Coach James Webster refused to lay blame for the loss solely on his defense, which gave up 450 yards of total offense.

"Give Alabama A&M credit," Webster said. "Luke is a winner. I love the guy. When they needed to have plays made, he made the plays."

While Luke played better as the game went on, TSU suffered mostly because the offense was unable to sustain drive. The Tigers converted on just 3-of-13 first downs.

Luke the leader

With his team clinging to a 14-13 lead midway through the third quarter, Luke completed a 33-yard touchdown strike to running back Ulysses Banks. Luke followed with a 34-yard TD to tight end John Smith, putting the Bulldogs up 28-13.

"We settled down and we got things going — we executed our game plan," Luke said. "I didn't expect us to score 49 points, but I knew we had some playmakers on our offense.''

TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner, meanwhile, could not keep the Tigers offense in gear. It was Heffner who set up Luke's TD pass to Smith. Heffner rolled left under heavy pressure from defensive tackle Frank Kearse and let the ball slip out of his hands as he went to throw it. Kearse recovered, and Luke's scoring pass to Smith came on the next play.

Heffner completed only 15-of-30 passes for 173 yards and had three intercepted.

"I'm not going to blame it all on Antonio," Webster said. "We didn't help him very much."

The Tigers threatened on the next drive, but that stalled at the A&M 12. They had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Eric Benson, which left A&M in front 28-16.

Luke then capped a 5-play, 50-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run midway in the fourth quarter. Anthony Green then destroyed any hope of a TSU comeback when he ran 25 yards for a TD with 8:28 left to play, giving the Bulldogs a 42-16 lead.

TSU running back Javarris Williams, who did not start, eventually came in and rushed for 123 yards on 20 carries.

Alabama A&M and Tennessee State close to deal

Reggie Benson, Huntsville Times

Young Bulldogs start slow

NASHVILLE - With six new starters, Alabama A&M's offense struggled early.

The Bulldogs were penalized three times on their first possession and then went three-and-out on three of their next four possessions.

A&M's running game was nonexistent as the Bulldogs finished with only one yard rushing and had the ball for just under five minutes in the first quarter.

Moody makes a move early

Charles Moody, Alabama A&M's All-Southwestern Athletic Conference tight end, made his presence felt early Saturday night against Tennessee State.

A 6-foot, 249-pound senior from Daleville, Moody caught two passes for 35 yards and both resulted in first downs for the Bulldogs.

On a third-and-seven play from the A&M 15, quarterback Kelcy Luke found Moody on a drag route for a 17-yard gain to give the Bulldogs their first first down of the season. Three plays later, Luke found Moody for 18 more yards on a second-and-15 play to give A&M a first down at the TSU 42.

Ex-Johnson star steps up

Former Johnson High star Carlton Rice, who transferred to Alabama A&M from Mississippi State in January, came up with the Bulldogs' first big defensive play of the season.

With Tennessee State leading 7-0 and threatening to score again late in the first quarter, Rice recorded his first career interception.

On a third-and-seven play from A&M 19, TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner rolled to his left and tried to find wide receiver Chris Johnson. An A&M defender tipped the ball, then Johnson tipped it and it fell into the Rice's arms.

Rice had a game-high seven tackles at intermission to go along with his interception.

Stockdale hurls downfield

Alabama A&M wide receiver Gerald Stockdale hadn't thrown a pass since his days at Talladega Central High School. After Saturday's effort, perhaps A&M coach Anthony Jones might want to consider letting Stockdale throw a few more balls.

With A&M backed up deep in its own territory late in the first half, Jones called for a reverse pass. Luke pitched the ball to Stockdale. After evading a tackle, Stockdale heaved a pass downfield to wide receiver Thomas Harris for a 42-yard gain down to the Tennessee State 44.

On the next play, Luke found Harris for a 44-yard touchdown pass to help A&M tied the game at 7-7.

Bulldogs too relaxed early

Alabama A&M's kickoff coverage team relaxed on the opening kickoff and allowed Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie a big return.

Rashad Cylar's kickoff bounced near the back of the end zone, but Rodgers-Cromartie, one of the top defensive backs in the country, brought it out and picked up 35 yards on the return.

Tucker makes a pick

Defensive back Stephan Tucker gambled and lost to help set up Tennessee State's first touchdown midway through the first quarter.

On a second-and-nine play from the TSU 32, Tucker tried to intercept Heffner's pass, but instead of coming away with the football, it landed in the arms of Chris Johnson, who raced 66 yards down to the A&M 2. The Tigers scored two plays later to take the lead.

Tucker got his interception as time expired to end the first half.

Maddox earns two flags

Alabama A&M defensive end Jeremy Maddox was hit with two big penalties early in the third quarter that allowed Tennessee State to get back in the game.

With the Tigers facing a third-and-10 at the A&M 44, Maddox was called for roughing the passer against Heffner and was also called for a personal foul for shoving a TSU offensive lineman. A&M was penalized 31 yards down to the TSU 13 and the Tigers scored two plays later to pull to within 14-13.

First-time starters take field

Nine Alabama A&M players made their first career starts Saturday night against Tennessee State.

Offensively, sophomore Ulysses Banks started at tailback, sophomore Kevin McCants started at fullback, freshman Nate Baxter started at wide receiver, freshman Russell Jackson started at left guard, sophomore Xavier Manuel started at center and sophomore Charles Meade started at left guard.

Defensively, sophomore Renaldo Askew started at left tackle, junior Whitney Garrett started at right tackle and Rice started at inside linebacker.

A&M, TSU close to deal

Alabama A&M and Tennessee State officials are close to signing a two-year, home-and-home agreement, A&M athletics director Betty Austin said Saturday afternoon.

Austin said she and TSU athletics director Teresa Phillips have tentatively agreed on a two-year deal that would bring the Tigers to Louis Crews Stadium next year with the Bulldogs returning to LP Field in 2009.

"We've been talking about it for about six weeks," Austin said.

This is the third straight year that A&M and TSU have met in the John Merritt Classic. Southern will replace A&M in next year's game, but Austin was eager to have TSU on the schedule.

"I'm hoping it will be a long-term deal," she said. "Teresa asked me to wait until we got this game behind us, but I'm hoping we can finalize a deal in the next few weeks.

"It's a good game. Our fans enjoy it. The schools are in close proximity. The bottom line is we need to play each other."

AA&M explodes after first quarter to bash Tennessee State

By REGGIE BENSON, Times Sports Staff

A&M explodes after first quarter to bash Tennessee State

NASHVILLE - Perhaps Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones should call his carpenter. After all, he's going to need a little more room in his trophy case after the way his team has beaten Tennessee State in recent years.

Quarterback Kelcy Luke completed 18-of-29 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another one and and the Bulldogs' defense was brilliant the last three quarters as A&M whipped the Tigers 49-23 in the ninth annual John Merritt Classic Saturday night at LP Field in the season opener for both teams.

An announced crowd of 23,440 looked as A&M beat TSU for the third straight year and the fifth time in the last six years.

"We've been blessed," said Jones, who ran his record to 5-1 against the Tigers. "We made a few mistakes early tonight, but our guys settled down, got used to the speed of the game and made plays.

"We had some great plays. Our kids executed and I'm proud of the way they played."

The win lifted A&M to 1-0 on the season. TSU is 0-1.

Six Bulldogs scored touchdowns and A&M finished with 450 yards in total offense.

Trailing 7-0 and deep in his own territory, Jones went into his bag of tricks to get the Bulldogs' offense untracked.

Wide receiver Gerald Stockdale, on a reverse pass, found wide receiver Thomas Harris for a 42-yard gain down to the TSU 44. One play later, Luke found Harris with a 44-yard touchdown pass and Jeremy Licea kicked the first of his seven extra points to make it 7-all.

"We worked on that play for about two weeks," said Stockdale, who played quarterback at Talladega County Central High School. "We needed to make a play to spark the team. I knew Thomas going to make the play."

The Bulldogs took a lead they would never relinquish with just less than five minutes left before halftime when redshirt freshman Anthony Green scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard run to cap a nine-play, 53-yard drive to make it 14-7.

After the Tigers pulled to within 14-13 early in the third quarter on Antonio Heffner's 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson, the Bulldogs answered with back-to-back touchdowns within a two-minute span to break it open.

Luke found tailback Ulysses Banks on a beautifully executed screen pass for a 33-yard touchdown and followed that with a 34-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Smith with just more than seven minutes left in the third quarter to make it 28-13. Smith's touchdown was set up when freshman defensive tackle Frank Kearse recovered Heffner's fumble on the TSU 34.

The Bulldogs forced four turnovers and scored 21 points off of them.

"I saw the quarterback drop the ball and I tried to get it and take it to the house, but I stumbled on some grass," Kearse said. "I know I'm going to hear about that when we watch the film."

Eric Benson's 29-yard field goal pulled TSU within 28-16 late in the third quarter, but Luke scored on a 9-yard run and Anthony Green raced 25 yards for his second touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 42-16 as A&M broke it open.

"We had some first-game jitters early, but after that we settled down, got things going and executed our game plan," Luke said. "I didn't expect to score as many points as we did, but I knew we had some playmakers on offense and we did what we had to do."

Jones praised Luke's leadership.

"He started off a little rough, but I pulled him to the side and told him had had to make the rest of the guys better," Jones said. "My hat's off to him. He stepped up his game and you saw the results."

Freshman fullback Generion McWhorter scored A&M's last touchdown on a 12-yard run as he dragged at least five people into the end zone with him with just less than four minutes remaining.

Jones was worried coming into the game about his team's youth and inexperience. After Saturday night's win, he felt pretty good about his young squad.

"I don't know how good we can be," he said. "We beat a good football team tonight. We've got a chance to be pretty good.

"I'm just happy for our kids."

Luke leads Alabama A&M Bulldogs

Reggie Benson, Huntsville Times

Since Alabama A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke can't earn All-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors, maybe Tennessee State coach James Webster can vote him on to the All-Ohio Valley Conference team. After all, Luke has guided the Bulldogs to three straight wins over the Tigers.

Tennessee State coach James Webster won't keep his job if he continues to play running back Terrence Wright ahead of Javarris Williams. Williams rushed for 123 yards on 20 carries, while Wright had nine yards on seven carries.

Alabama A&M may be better than anybody expected on offense. The Bulldogs scored 49 points, finished with 450 yards and nine different players caught passes Saturday night.

Former Johnson High star Carlton Rice sat on the bench for three years at Mississippi State, but it didn't take him long to make his presence felt at Alabama A&M. Rice was named the John Merritt Classic's Most Valuable Defensive Player with eight tackles, including six solos, one tackle for loss and one interception.

Alabama A&M won't need Jeremy Licea to kick any field goals this season if it continues to score like it did against Tennessee State. However, it was refreshing to see Licea make all seven of his extra points after struggling last season.

Tennessee State lost the game, but the Tigers' band, the Aristocrats, won the halftime show.

DSU's Hicks nabs victory, fiancee at JSU game

By Rusty Hampton, Clarion Ledger

Nekelah Howard looked a bit stunned Saturday night as she stood near the football field at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, hugging friends, posing for pictures and trying to answer a reporter's questions.

And it wasn't because her current school, Delta State, had just whipped up on her former school, Jackson State, 27-15, in football.

It was because she had just received a diamond ring from linebacker Lardester Hicks, moments after he had helped the Statesmen win and some two hours after he had proposed to her during the game via a message splashed across the stadium video screen.

Howard, a junior from Mound Bayou, said she didn't know what to think when her name first appeared on the video screen.

"I thought I'd won a prize or something," she said.

But then this appeared: "Will you marry me?"

Moments later, Hicks made an interception that led to DSU's second touchdown.

Hicks, a sophomore from Chicago, led the Statesmen with nine total tackles, including three for losses.

He and his teammates were as prepared for the Tigers as Hicks was for his big moment.

He planned all summer. He contacted stadium officials and set it up, then had a trainer bring the ring from the locker room after the game.

"I wanted it to be big," he said.

Many teammates didn't know what was going on.

"I was shocked," said linebacker Michael Eubanks. "I was like, 'What? Where did that come from?' "

Hicks said he can separate his private life from his football life. "Right now, football's No. 1," he said. "I'm always focused and she understands that."

But after the game, football took a back seat.

"She said yes," Hicks said, smiling. "That's the most important part."

Minus Haw, JSU Tigers unable to produce ground game

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Jackson State starting running back Erik Haw missed Saturday's game with an injured ankle after coaches made a game time decision that the junior couldn't play.

Haw, who scored four touchdowns in Jackson State's opener against Paul Quinn last season, watched from the sideline as JSU dropped a 27-15 decision to Delta State at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

"It hurt us not to have Erik out on the field and it was a really tough decision to make," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "But we decided we didn't want to risk him in a non-conference game."

Jackson State was already shorthanded at running back because senior Cody Hull had to miss the game because of questions about his academic standing.

That meant sophomore L.D. Briscoe and senior Lavarius Giles had to carry the majority of the workload. The result wasn't pretty.

Jackson State rushed for minus-22 yards and was consistently stuffed in the backfield. Without the threat of a decent running game, Delta State ran an all-out blitz for much of the game.

"Briscoe and Giles are both really good backs," Comegy said. "But they're outside runners and we've got to have the ability to run between the tackles. We just didn't have that tonight without guys like Cody Hull and Haw."


QB CHANGES?

Comegy said he wasn't sure what his quarterback situation would be for next week's game against Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic.

Senior Jimmy Oliver started the game but was on the bench by the second quarter. Sophomore Tray Rutland proved to be just as ineffective in relief and the two ended up trading series. Combined, they were 11-of-34 through the air for 151 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

"We'll have to go back, look at the tape and try to figure this out," Comegy said. "I know both had some bad reads, but they were also under a lot of pressure tonight from Delta State."

BETTER SECONDARY

After being dominated for much of last season, Jackson State's secondary looked much better against Delta State, holding the Statesmen to 67 yards through the air.

Junior cornerback Domonique Johnson, a transfer from Missouri, had an interception, as did sophomore Malcolm Palmer, who was also making his first career start.

DSU's conquest not unexpected of JSU

Memo to Division I-AA athletic directors: Beware the Fighting Okra.

Scheduling Delta State might be hazardous to your football team's psyche.

New coach Rick Comegy helped revive the Jackson State program last year, but first-year DSU coach Ron Roberts and the Statesmen took the Tigers down a notch or three Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

The final score - 27-15 - doesn't begin to reflect the way the Statesmen dominated this game, nor should it shock you. The Statesmen lost star quarterback Scott Eyster from last year's team that reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals, but they returned 17 other starters.

"We believe we have a championship ballclub," said Roberts, who was the defensive coordinator on last year's DSU team that won 12 games.

PLENTY OF TALENT

DSU has 27 fewer scholarships than JSU's 63, but the Statesmen have no shortage of athletes. (That was obvious Saturday when JSU was on offense and it looked like DSU had 15 guys on the field.)

And Delta State has done this before. Last year, the Statesmen won at I-AA Stephen F. Austin. A few years ago, they clobbered Mississippi Valley State 45-0 in the finale of a four-game series that saw DSU win three out of four.

Except for Lavarius Giles' 92-yard kickoff return and a late touchdown drive there was nothing for Tigers fans to be happy about.

OK, the Sonic Boom was good.

But the football team stunk, and nothing deflates a season-opening crowd faster than being totally outplayed at home.

Delta State was the better-prepared team on both sides of the ball. The Statesmen kept the Tigers off balance with their spread offense and they completely smothered them defensively.

It didn't matter if Jimmy Oliver or Tray Rutland was at quarterback. If you don't have time to throw - or a hint of a hole to run through - you're not going to get any yards.

JSU had a net minus-29 yards rushing. Oliver and Rutland were sacked a combined six times and flushed from the pocket at least a dozen other times.

TIGERS' PRIDE SUFFERS

What's it all mean?

For JSU, that's difficult to tell.

Comegy and his assistants have some very bruised egos to massage before next Saturday's Southern Heritage Classic game against Tennessee State in Memphis.

DSU, ranked 12th in the national D-II coaches poll, showed that it is really good again.

Dedrick Wilson is not Scott Eyster, but he proved more than serviceable in his first start.

And defensively, the Statesmen are a blur.

"I really think we have a better defense than last year," said linebacker Lardester Hicks. "We have more talent and we're building. This game was a building block."

So did the Statesmen dominate the Tigers?

"That's too strong," said linebacker Michael Eubanks. "We played very well, but we're never satisfied."

"Every game we're looking for a goose egg," Hicks said.

"So to be honest with you," interjected Eubanks, "we're kind of upset. We're mad about this. We're mad as hell."

Eubanks, it should be noted, was smiling broadly as he spoke.

So was Roberts, the coach, when he said he'd like to play a game in Jackson every year.

Something tells me there won't be a rematch.

JSU Speedster Giles' 92-yard kick return shows major promise

Good news was a little hard to find on Saturday night as Jackson State limped away after a 27-15 loss to Delta State. But the emergence of Lavarius Giles on special teams could be the sign of good things to come.

Giles scored Jackson State's first touchdown of the season on a 92-yard kickoff return early in the fourth quarter, knifing through Delta State's would-be tacklers without being touched.

It was the first touchdown of his JSU career.

"That was really good to see out of Lavarius," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "He's got the kind of ability to make that happen a few more times this season. He really gave us a boost."

Giles' flat-out speed isn't a surprise to those have followed his track career. The senior won the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Southwestern Athletic Conference outdoor meet in the spring.

Last season, Jackson State's coaching staff raved about Giles' potential. But they had trouble finding room for him on the football field, shuffling him between running back, wide receiver and return specialist.

He accounted for only 85 total yards last season, but surpassed that total in this season's first game.

And the former Ray Brooks and Mississippi Delta Community College star says there's more where that first touchdown came from.

"You know, I do think it gave me a lot of confidence to actually get out there and make a big play," Giles said. "Now we've just got to get everything right as a team and get some wins."

-David Brandt

JSU Football: Statesmen deliver rude awakening

Photo: Jackson State quarterback Jimmy Oliver looks to pass as Delta State defensive lineman Michael Lewis closes in Saturday night.

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Division II power Delta State leaves town with convincing win over dazed Jackson State

After rewinding through the previous three hours in his head and then being honest with himself, Jackson State quarterback Tray Rutland realized he had a confession to make.

Maybe he hadn't given Delta State's football team the proper respect they deserved.

And for that oversight, Rutland and his team paid dearly as Delta State blasted Jackson State 27-15 in front of an announced crowd of 12,667 on Saturday night at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

"I'm not going to lie to you, (Delta State) was faster and just flat out better than I expected," Rutland said. "Their defense was very, very good and we just couldn't do anything. It was a really frustrating night."

By the end of the evening, the once-festive and partisan JSU crowd turned surprised and angry, with scattered boos heard throughout the stadium.

It was a stark downward turn for the Division I-AA program in its second season under coach Rick Comegy. Instead of showing progress after a rejuvenating 6-5 record last season, the Tigers were dismantled by a Division II team from the Gulf South Conference.

But Comegy wasn't in a mood to feel sorry for himself or his team.

"We've got 10 games to go so we're not going to sit around and suck our thumb over a game that doesn't mean anything as far as a SWAC championship," Comegy said. "I tried to tell everybody that this was a good team, but I'm not sure if everybody was listening."

Jackson State (0-1) can trace most of Saturday's woes to an offense that managed just 122 total yards and were stuffed for minus-22 yards on the ground.

Tigers' coaches agonized in the preseason over the choice between Jimmy Oliver and Rutland at quarterback, but both were ineffective as Delta State's defense had six sacks and countless more hurries.

The two quarterbacks combined to complete just 11-of-34 passes for 151 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

JSU made wholesale changes on the offensive line throughout the game to try to protect the quarterbacks, but nothing seemed to work.

"To put it bluntly, it was a bad game," JSU center Lorenzo Breland said. "Some of that was Delta State and some of that was us. But we've got to get better."

Jackson State avoided being shut out when Lavarius Giles returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but by then the game was basically decided.

And that's because Delta State (1-0) forced a steady diet of smashmouth football down the throat of Jackson State's defense. In his first start at DSU, quarterback Dedrick Wilson was a pedestrian 13-of-28 passing for 67 yards and two interceptions. But he also rushed for 34 yards and two touchdowns.

But on this night, he did have to be a star to help the Statesmen pick up the victory.

"We weren't perfect, but I thought our guys up front did a great job of dominating the line and taking (JSU's) defensive line out of the game," first-year coach Ron Roberts said. "This is a great game for in-state recruiting and for respect."

Delta State took a 13-0 lead into halftime thanks to two costly Jackson State miscues.

Jackson State punter Brett Bennett mishandled a snap midway through the first quarter, giving Delta State excellent field position at the JSU 22-yard line. Three plays later, DSU's Chad Schroeder scampered for a 9-yard touchdown to take a 6-0 lead.

Late in the first half, Delta State's Lardester Hicks intercepted a Jimmy Oliver pass at JSU's 20-yard line.

Minutes later, Delta State running back Ken Cox rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Statesmen a 13-0 lead.

UAPB Golden Lions come crashing back to Earth

By Mike Marzelli/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

ITTA BENA, Miss. - Any bad dreams Mo Forte may have had during Arkansas-Pine Bluff's preseason camp surely resembled his team's season-opening performance on Saturday.

The Golden Lions struggled mightily for much of the afternoon against cross-river rival Mississippi Valley State, shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly with poor blocking and execution, untimely fumbles and missed opportunities in a 16-9 loss at Rice-Totten Stadium.

UAPB's rebuilt offensive line was the most egregious culprit. With four new starters seeing their first action, it was unable to hold the line of scrimmage in the passing game and generated little push in the run game. As a result, the Lions' attack was stagnant and unable to develop any semblance of a rhythm.

To make matters worse for Forte and Co., they have just two full days of practice to patch up the leaks before they return to action Thursday night at Alcorn State.

"The biggest concern I had to begin the season was the offensive line and that concern was realized," Forte said. "I'm not going to pin all the blame on those guys because they're just young kids but we just can't allow a defense to penetrate our line like that. It kept us from developing any continuity on offense and we just weren't able to sustain anything."

The Golden Lions (0-1 0-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) pinned much of their optimism for this season on the backfield duo of SWAC rushing champion Martell Mallett and former SWAC Newcomer of the Year Mickey Dean, but the tandem never got off the ground in the sweltering Delta heat.

Mallett left the game early in the first quarter with an undisclosed hip injury after picking up just 23 yards and Dean gained just 19 yards on eight carries before leaving with cramps in the third quarter.

As a result, UAPB averaged less than two yards per carry and got no rush of more than 10 yards from a running back.

"Mickey really just had cramps but Mallett has something with his hip and I don't know what it is," Forte said. "Not having them hurt us and we never developed any kind of rhythm with the offense."

The Golden Lions had some golden opportunities to steal the game in the second half but couldn't convert. After junior defensive lineman John Sibley recovered a Valley fumble at the Devils' 3-yard line and UAPB took over 1st-and-goal towards the end of the third quarter, Dean was eventually stopped short on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

Two possessions later UAPB had a 1st-and-goal from the 9-yard line and botched a field goal snap on fourth down from the 4-yard line to again come away with nothing.

The Lions finally scored with just over nine minutes left in the game when reserve tailback Kenneth Esaw ripped off a five-yard touchdown run.

"We had a lot of opportunities and just weren't able to get it done," Forte said. "You can't play sloppy offense like we did and then not take advantage of the chances you finally do get."

Senior quarterback Chris Wallace, the reigning SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, was forced to dodge and weave his way past defenders in his backfield all game long and never got his feet under him in the passing game.

Wallace finished 14-of-27 for 154 yards.

"Things just didn't flow our way," he said. "We got some calls mixed up and blew some assignments and it was just one of those games, but we're not going to give up.

"As a quarterback and a leader I'll take responsibility for this one. It's just our first game and we're going to get back to practice and get it together."

Things began rolling downhill from the get-go for the Lions in the first half, as Jason Jones fumbled away the opening kickoff and Valley converted the turnover into a Ronald Brewer touchdown run.

UAPB endured three botched snaps, another fumble and four motion penalties before finally driving into Devils territory on its last possession of the half, but when Dean finally broke through with a seven-yard touchdown run it was called back on a holding penalty and UAPB had to settle for a 22-yard Brodie Heflin field goal.

The Delta Devils (1-0 1-0 SWAC) punched in the eventual game-winning touchdown with three seconds left in the first half when quarterback Paul Roberts hit Abner Brown with a 15-yard strike.

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."