Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Bulldogs bite early

After struggling early in last week's season opener against Tennessee State, Alabama A&M's offense wasted little time in getting it going Saturday night against Clark Atlanta.

The Bulldogs went 73 yards in just five plays to take the lead two minutes into the game.

Quarterback Kelcy Luke found Thomas Harris for a pair of 13-yard gains and tailback Ulysses Banks ripped off a 39-yard gain down to the Clark Atlanta 3 and scored one play later.

Garrett on the prowl

Defensive tackle Whitney Garrett hasn't been much of a sackmaster during his first two seasons with the Bulldogs. Garrett had one sack in 2005 and was credited with half a sack last season.

It didn't take him long to get his first sack of the season Saturday night.

On the Panthers' third play from scrimmage, Whitney, a 6-foot-3, 287-pound junior from Talladega, broke through and sacked Clark Atlanta quarterback Corey Jones for a 3-yard loss.

Tucker takes a seat

A week after being called out by defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns for gambling defensively and giving up a 66-yard pass play that led to a Tennessee State touchdown, defensive back Stephan Tucker was beaten for a long touchdown pass midway through the first quarter against Clark Atlanta.

Mortimer Lightburn got behind Tucker and hauled in a 61-yard touchdown pass from Jones. Henry Boynton's extra made tied the game at 7-all. Frank Moore replaced Tucker two possessions later.

Moore, a preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection, didn't start after violating a team rule, Towns said. Moore, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound junior from Gadsden, led the league in interceptions last season with six.

Sophomore Maurice Thomas, who came on last season after Tucker sustained an ankle injury against Arkansas-Pine Bluff during the regular season, started in place of Moore.

Johnson goes long

Rashad Johnson sat out last a season as a academic casualty. After two games, he has already made his presence felt.

Johnson, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound wide receiver out of Murphy High School, caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Luke with just less than three minutes remaining to give Alabama A&M a 21-7 advantage.

Harper takes the field

Defensive tackle Justin Harper, who underwent surgery on his left thumb during preseason practice and wasn't expected to return until the Grambling game on Sept. 22, entered the Clark Atlanta game late in the first quarter.

Banks burns up field

Banks had a huge first half Saturday night. Banks, who led the nation in kickoff returns last season, had 122 yards on just nine carries in the first 30 minutes, including a pair of touchdowns.

New Bulldogs in lineup

Alabama A&M had two new starters in the lineup on defense Saturday night.

David Winston, who sustained a back injury during preseason practice, started at left defensive tackle, while Dominique Cummings was back in the starting lineup at right end.

Winston replaced Renaldo Askew in the starting lineup, while Cummings replaced Jeremy Maddox.

Rematch may be ahead

Clark Atlanta athletics director Brenda Edmond-Square said she would be more than happy to play Alabama A&M again.

Edmond-Square said Clark Atlanta received "more than $20,000" to play A&M.

"We're interested in doing it again if the opportunity presented itself," she said.

Edmond-Square and A&M athletics director Betty Austin have had a long-going relationship and that led to the schools playing each other.

Edmond-Square said the game serves as more than a payday for Clark Atlanta.

"It puts a little money in our pocket, but we also saw this as a test," she said. "We've been rebuilding. We saw a big improvement in our team last year and we saw this game as an opportunity to see how much we've grown."

'Dogs no stranger to Georgia

Alabama A&M's roster is filled with players from Georgia. Thirteen Bulldogs call the Peach State home.

The list includes outside linebackers Bobby McClain (Atlanta) and Dorian Waluyn (Tucker), defensive back Jonathan McConico (Atlanta), punter Rashan Cylar (Stone Mountain), inside linebackers Quinton Holmes (Norcross) and Afu Okusun (College Park), defensive ends Chris Traylor (West Point) and Dominique Cummings (Atlanta), offensive linemen Russell Jackson (Riverdale) and Leon Thompson (Roswell), wide receiver Darius Griffin (Decatur) and defensive tackles Frank Kearse (Savannah) and Renaldo Askew (Atlanta).

Clark Atlanta's roster included three players from Alabama.

The list included running backs Arthur Stokes (Montgomery), linebacker Joel Allen (Mobile) and offensive lineman Alphonso Johnson (Montgomery).

Seven inducted to A&M Hall

Seven new members were added to the Alabama A&M Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night at the Ernest L. Knight Reception Center. They were recognized during halftime of Saturday's game.

The list included wide receiver Roy Dean, Ernest French, who played football and baseball for the Bulldogs, running back Reginald Gipson, former head football coach Ray Greene, Ananias Harris, who played football and baseball for the Bulldogs, defensive back Cleveland Jarman Jr. and former basketball standout Frank Sillmon.

French was a four-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference performer in football and a three-time pick in baseball.

He finished his career with 22 interceptions, 347 tackles and was twice named the league's Defensive Back of the Year. In baseball, French led the nation in hitting with a .525 batting average in 1980.

Gipson was the SIAC Player of the Year in 1981 when he set the A&M single-season rushing record.

Green compiled a 53-27-5 record during eight seasons and won three SIAC championships and led the Bulldogs to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1979.

Sillmon helped A&M compile a 55-9 record during two seasons in the late 1980s.

Furthermore

Alabama A&M had 318 yards - 157 rushing and 161 passing - in the first half. ... Quinton Carlock made his A&M debut as a punt returner and had two for 19 yards in the first half. ... Jeremy Licea's consecutive extra point streak was snapped at 17 in a row when Clark Atlanta's Michael Porter broke through to block his point after following Alabama A&M's first touchdown of the third quarter. .... Traylor, who has more sacks in the SWAC than anybody the last three seasons, picked up his first one of the season midway through the third quarter.

-Reggie Benson

Banks rushes for an Alabama A&M-record 211 yards in victory

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Banks rushes for an A&M-record 211 yards in victory.

There was some concern about Alabama A&M's running game entering the season. After all, the Bulldogs had lost Nic Luke and Ta'mar Scott, who had combined for more than 3,500 yards the last three years, and didn't have a tailback on their roster that had carried the ball from scrimmage.

That concern grew even more after the Bulldogs managed just 147 yards last week against Tennessee State. In fact, many of those yards came late after the game had long been decided.

Saturday night, A&M fans began to put those concerns to rest after Ulysses Banks, in only his second career start, put together a game for the ages.

Banks, a 5-foot-8, 172-pound redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, set a school record with 211 yards on just 19 carries and scored two touchdowns and A&M finished with 608 yards in total offense in a 41-10 shellacking of Clark Atlanta in its home opener at Louis Crews Stadium.

Banks, who averaged a whopping 11.1 yards per carry, broke the record of Jeremiah Bonds, who had 197 yards rushing against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 20, 2003.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Banks said when asked about his record-breaking performance. "The offensive line blocked excellent tonight. They opened up the holes, I saw them and I tried to hit them hard. It was good blocking, good vision and good running."

A&M's offense overpowered Clark Atlanta's defense.

The Bulldogs rushed for 307 yards and threw for 301. It is the second time in Football Championship Subdivision play that an A&M offense has surpassed 600 yards in total offense. The Bulldogs had 650 yards in a 52-6 win over Jackson State in 2005.

"We came out clicking," said A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke, after compiling his first career 300-yard passing game, going 21-of-32 for 301 yards and four touchdowns. "Everybody was on the same page. We knew what we wanted to do and we executed the game plan."

It is the first time in school history A&M has opened the season with back-to-back 40-point plus games.

The offense is vastly different from the ball-control units seen from Anthony Jones' teams the past five years.

"We've got some speed out there now," Jones said. "We had some guys on the shelf last year because we decided to go with experience. We rode that experience to a championship.

"Now, we're trying to do the same thing with speed. We've got some young guys who are making big plays for us."

Banks is one of them.

He led the nation in kickoff returns last season and if he can have a few more games like he had Saturday night, he could lead the nation in rushing.

"He did a great job of running the football," Jones said. "He made some great reads and some great cuts. I'm happy for Banks because he worked extremely hard to put himself in the position he's in now."

The win lifted A&M to 2-0 for the only second time since 1966, when the Bulldogs finished 8-1.

A&M wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard.

The Bulldogs went 73 yards in just five plays to take the lead as Banks scored on a 3-yard run barely two minutes into the game.

After Clark Atlanta tied the game, the Bulldogs scored a pair of touchdowns within a four-minute span to take control.

Banks scored on a 4-yard run and Luke found Rashad Johnson with a 65-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.

"We wanted to break their will," Jones said.

Johnson, who had a 20-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter, finished with three catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. He was one of nine players to catch passes. Thomas Harris finished with a team-high six catches for 92 yards, while tight end Charles Moody had five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.

"We've got some good receivers outside and we're going to take advantage of them," Luke said.

The Panthers pulled within 21-10 after Henry Boynton kicked a 39-yard field goal to open the third quarter, but Luke found Nate Baxter with a 15-yard touchdown pass to complete a seven-play, 76-yard drive with nine minutes remaining and Johnson's second touchdown iced the game.

"We've got the right kids with us and they're believing in what we're saying," Jones said.

Former Alabama State QB Tarvaris Jackson ready to lead NFL Minnesota Vikings

Photo: Vikings Starting QB #7, Tarvaris Jackson (Alabama State University)

BY SEAN JENSEN, Twin Cities Pioneer Press

'I'm doing this because he's ready'

Everyone is looking at Tarvaris Jackson now after coach Brad Childress named him the starting quarterback. What the second-year pro shows them in his first full season as the starter should determine the Vikings' fortune in 2007.

This wasn't about his ego, Vikings coach Brad Childress will tell you.

That's not why he jettisoned Brad Johnson, ignored a handful of veteran replacements and thrust second-year quarterback Tarvaris Jackson into the starting role.

This wasn't simply about trying to copy the template of his last prodigy, Donovan McNabb, who in his second season led the Philadelphia Eagles to the playoffs. Or about trying to legitimize his team's decision to trade up and, by some accounts, "reach" on the Division I-AA quarterback at the end of the second round.

After inheriting a 9-7 team and struggling to 6-10 last season, Childress wasn't going to sabotage himself and his veteran roster just to make a point with Jackson.

"I'm doing this," Childress said, "because he's ready."

How ready? That will be the biggest question facing Childress and the Vikings in 2007.

With only four December games, including two nondescript starts, behind him, with so little national exposure before that to judge him, Jackson will lead the Vikings into their opener today against Atlanta in a Metrodome packed with skeptics.

"I haven't given anyone a reason not to question me," Jackson said. "I've started two games, and we're 0-2, so I can't get mad when people question, 'OK, is this guy ready?' That's just how it is.

"I have to go out there and prove them wrong."

For Childress, ready is a relative term.

"Does that mean that all of a sudden he's a seven-year pro?" Childress said. "No. But if I turned on the film here and had you watch (Jay) Cutler against the Dallas Cowboys, you'd say, 'Wait a minute now. Who's the first-round (pick)? Who's the second-round (pick)?' "

Denver drafted Cutler out of Vanderbilt 11th overall in 2006, 53 spots ahead of Jackson, and he looked anything but comfortable in that exhibition game two weeks ago against Dallas, when he completed 7 of 13 passes for 58 yards and lost a fumble. Still, during Cutler's five December games last season, he passed for nine touchdowns with five interceptions. Jackson finished with two TD passes and four interceptions.

Too much has been made of Jackson's tenure at Alabama State, according to Childress. Jackson has impressed the Vikings' coaches with his work ethic and his physical and mental makeup, and Childress points out that Jackson began his career at Arkansas.

In the Southeastern Conference.

Same as Cutler.

"He started out at a pretty high-end program and, but for a twist or turned ankle, he could have been the quarterback and Matt Jones a receiver," Childress said, referring to Jones getting the nod to start ahead of Jackson, prompting Jackson's transfer to Alabama State. "But I never begrudge a guy for wanting to play.

"I don't worry about the stage. I worry about, 'Does he have the physical skills? Does he have the mind?' "

THE CHALLENGE

Over the past eight seasons, three second-year quarterbacks have led their teams to Super Bowl titles. One was mostly a backup at a major program (Tom Brady at Michigan), one starred at the other Miami (Ben Roethlisberger at the Mid-American Conference school), and one started only his senior year at Northern Iowa but had a stint in the Arena League (Kurt Warner).


Photo: Tarvaris Jackson enters his first season as the starting quarterback with support from veteran teammates who noted Jackson's offseason dedication in the video room at Winter Park. "He just shows up every day, busting his butt," fullback Tony Richardson said. "He's in the weight room, he runs with us, and he spends that extra time with coach Rogers. So he's really put the time in, and, as a veteran player, that's what you want to see."

Jackson knows his NFL history, and he knows a quarterback often struggles in his first full year as a starter.

"But you have to start somewhere," he said. "Do you want a guy who sits out five or six years before he starts? Guys that are doing good right now, they went through growing pains, except for Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. They're the only two who came in just winning. Other guys had losing records. Peyton Manning started kind of slow, but look at where he's at right now. He got better each year, and now he's a Hall of Fame quarterback."

Phil Simms said the Vikings opted for Jackson because of their own tempered expectations.

"I do not think Tarvaris Jackson would be the starting quarterback of the Vikings, if the Vikings, deep down, believed they were a Super Bowl contender," said Simms, an analyst for CBS who led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl championships. "Now it could still happen. But if they thought they were that close, then they would go get a veteran quarterback that would not make youthful mistakes."

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski said the Vikings have to exercise patience with Jackson.

"That's absolutely critical," said Jaworski, the color commentator for ESPN's "Monday Night Football." "There are going to be some bumps in the road. I don't care who it is."

Childress understood the template for developing a young quarterback, based on the 2000 NFL season. He was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia at the time, and the Eagles boasted an elite and experienced defense. The Eagles won 11 games and advanced to the postseason behind McNabb's 21 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.

Childress said continuity is essential for a young quarterback, which is why he worked so hard to keep quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers from leaving for the University of Miami offensive coordinator job during the offseason. Rogers, who coached McNabb at Syracuse, has worked closely with Childress in scrutinizing every aspect of Jackson's development.

Childress said the lessons from his development of McNabb in Philadelphia are "too voluminous to enumerate." But he has addressed his quarterbacks on everything from how to lead the team to how to act on Monday mornings.

When you are the quarterback, Childress said, "everybody is looking."

Childress is guarded about his game plan. Childress acknowledged the strength of his defense and run offense, saying it doesn't hurt to put a young quarterback in that situation, but adds he won't harness Jackson.

"I'm not silly enough to think you're going to be able to run it 50 out of 60 snaps," Childress said.

"Coach always stresses the running game, which is our strong point, and we're going to feed off of that," Jackson said. "But I'm not just out here to hand the football off. I'm here to make plays."

Jackson impressed Simms and Jaworski coming out of Alabama State. Simms remembers seeing out of the corner of his eye a clip of Jackson on the NFL Network and thinking, "Wow, that was really good." Simms says Jackson might have been the "best thrower" he saw entering the 2006 draft. Jaworski said Jackson did have the best arm in a class that included Cutler, Matt Leinart and Vince Young.

There isn't a quarterback play, Jackson said, he can't make.

"I just feel I can do everything," he said. "I just bring that full dimension to our offense."

He is mobile enough to flee the pocket and accurate enough to pass the ball into a tight spot. He also needs to be disciplined enough to know when to simply get rid of the ball, a message Childress and Rogers have drilled into him.

"Nothing good ever happens when you hold onto the football. Nothing," Childress said. "I think it's an art to learn how to live to play another day, throw the ball away."

THE PREPARATION

As quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia, Childress received credit for McNabb's development into a Pro Bowl quarterback. This exhibition season, Childress said that Jackson in some regards is further ahead of where McNabb was at the same point in his career.

Childress said McNabb, the second overall pick in the 1999 draft, didn't spend all his time at the Eagles' headquarters during the offseason. Except for about a month he spent visiting his family in Montgomery, Ala., Jackson all but lived at Winter Park. He worked out with strength and conditioning coach Tom Kanavy and his staff, and he reviewed every offensive snap from the 2006 season, including Johnson's. He analyzed the play-action passes, the handoffs, the decisions, all in hopes of picking up tips.

He would pop into Rogers', Childress' or offensive coordinator Darrel Bevell's office, and he was sometimes at Winter Park when no coaches were around. Whenever possible, he worked with receivers, tight ends or running backs on deep balls, hooks and handoffs.

"When I say further ahead, I'm talking about the time that he spent at it, to build that equity, that knowledge," Childress said of Jackson vs. McNabb. "Donovan would drop in and drop out. But Tarvaris was here for the long haul."

After the draft, as Rogers worked closely with seventh-round pick Tyler Thigpen, Jackson joined them for all the classroom and field sessions.

"He took advantage of it," Rogers said. "Any time I was meeting with Tyler, (Jackson) was in there too, at his own discretion. He put in the time."

His teammates noticed. Among the players impressed: cornerback Antoine Winfield, linebacker Ben Leber, guard Steve Hutchinson, fullback Tony Richardson, center Matt Birk, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and receivers Bobby Wade and Troy Williamson.

"He just shows up every day, busting his butt," Richardson said. "He's in the weight room, he runs with us, and he spends that extra time with coach Rogers. So he's really put the time in, and, as a veteran player, that's what you want to see."

Several veterans indicated Jackson is further along than they expected. In 2005, Shiancoe was playing for the New York Giants when Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft, was set to take over as the starting quarterback. This offseason and exhibition season, Shiancoe said he was impressed with Jackson's accuracy, athleticism and, most importantly, poise.

"As far as talent, Tarvaris Jackson is probably the best quarterback I've seen in my football career," said Shiancoe, who also played with Warner and Kerry Collins. "Physically he's there, and mentally he's willing."

Shiancoe was careful not to toss any barbs at Manning but said, "All I know is, with this team here, Tarvaris is where he needs to be right now. Tarvaris has picked up this offense, and he can lead this team very far."

Jaworski and former Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon said the Vikings can be playoff contenders. But Gannon, who spent a day with Jackson during the spring, said the Vikings' ability to succeed is almost foolproof.

"They have a good offensive line, and they have two really solid backs that could be 1,000-yard rushers," said Gannon, who will be an analyst for CBS this season. "If they can run the ball and play defense like they did last year and kick the ball well, they can win.

"I could come back and play for the Vikings and win 10 games. Brad has a formula in place, that if (Jackson) manages the game, and he doesn't turn the ball over, that's the formula for success."

Jackson hasn't set any firm statistical goals, but he doesn't want to reach double digits in interceptions, and he wants to rank among the top dozen or so quarterbacks in the league. To Jackson, it's about the W's - winning and taking care of the football.

"I want to be with the playoff guys, but you want to be the best," Jackson said. "There are a lot of people who are very good right now. But you strive to be the best. I'm not going to say, 'I want to be the second best.'

"That's just not me."

Last-gasp field goal lifts TSU

Photo: TSU's Javarris Williams (28) breaks free on a first-half run. He finished with 94 yards on 21 carries.

By MIKE ORGAN, the Tennessean

MEMPHIS — Tennessee State's Eric Benson had to be reminded afterward that his game-winning field goal had come in a torrential downpour.

Benson waded onto the field at the Liberty Bowl and booted a 35-yarder with no time left that lifted TSU to a 16-13 victory over Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic.

"At first the rain bothered me — while I was standing on the sideline, I was a little worried," Benson said.

"But once you get out there, you can't think about anything but the kick. That's what I did. The rain didn't affect me at all. I forgot all about it."

Most of the 50,987 fans missed the thrilling finish. They had been chased away by the rain that started in the fourth quarter.

Benson had made another critical, pressure-packed kick earlier in the fourth quarter. After Terrence Wright raced 11 yards for a touchdown, which cut the deficit to 13-12, TSU was penalized for excessive celebration.

That moved the extra point attempt back 15 yards, but Benson still was able to connect.

"Benson is a warrior,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "Maybe people don't think about kickers being warriors, but he is a warrior. He kicked that long extra point and then came back with the field goal in the rain."

Benson's winning boot helped TSU avoid a third consecutive overtime in the Southern Heritage Classic.

The Tigers needed a two-point conversion in overtime last year to beat Jackson State 31-30, and they edged JSU 20-14 in overtime the year before.

It was TSU's fifth consecutive win over Jackson State and helped the Tigers (1-1) bounce back after losing last week to Alabama A&M 49-23. JSU fell to 0-2 after falling last week to Delta State 27-15.

TSU never led before Benson's end-game field goal.

In fact, Jackson State kicker Eric Perri had been the star of the game up to that point.

Perri kicked a school-record 50-yard field goal early in the second half, which followed a 44-yarder at the end of the first half. His second field goal gave Jackson State a 13-6 lead.

TSU's offense, which moved the ball well at times as it did last week — but also failed to capitalize, just like last week — took advantage of a huge Jackson State blunder on the final drive. TSU punted from its own 40, but JSU was penalized for having too many men on the field.

That gave TSU a first down, and quarterback Antonio Heffner took advantage on the next play by tossing a 30-yard strike to Antonio Graham, who was down at Jackson State's 25.

Even with the rain, Webster said he was confident in Benson and planned to rely on a field goal to win the game.

"I wasn't thinking about overtime; I was thinking about winning the game on Benson's kick," Webster said.

Prairie View A&M rocks LA Coliseum in win

The Panthers beat North Carolina A & T, 22-7, before 32,278 in the Angel City Classic.

By Lonnie White, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

The celebrated Angel City Classic halftime battle of the bands lived up to its billing as both North Carolina A&T and Prairie View A&M rocked the Coliseum crowd with music and dance on Saturday.

But when it came to the football game, it was a much different story, especially for the Aggies, who lost their 18th consecutive game.

Defensive back Val Ford returned two blocked punts for touchdowns and recorded a safety for Prairie View, which won easily, 22-7, before an estimated crowd of 32,278.

"I guess that I was Johnny-on-the-spot all day today," said Ford, a junior from Canton Springs, Md. "Every day in practice, we work on scoop-and-score and today, I got two of them."

Prairie View, which set an NCAA record for ineptitude with an 80-game losing streak from 1989 to '98, improved to 2-0.

North Carolina A&T, which moved within two defeats of matching the third-worst losing streak in NCAA history, dropped to 0-2.

"It's one of those things where we keep making too many mental mistakes," North Carolina A&T receiver Curtis Walls said. "If we can get rid of those mistakes, we'd be a dominant team. We just have to find a way to finish off plays."

North Carolina A&T, which lost to Winston Salem to open the season, started off like a team determined to end its losing streak.

The Aggies took the opening kickoff and drove the ball deep into Prairie View's territory behind the passing and running of quarterback Herbert Miller -- who even caught a pass on the drive.

But the Panthers got tough near the goal line and North Carolina A&T failed to score when Eric Houston missed a 26-yard field goal.

Prairie View's special teams made the game's first big play early in the second quarter when North Carolina A&T punter Lee Woodson's kick was blocked by Riante Jones and returned for a score by Ford, who gave the Panthers a 7-0.

Before halftime, Prairie View extended its lead to two scores when Ford returned the Panthers' second blocked punt for a touchdown to extend their lead to 13-0.

"They were moving the ball, but just like last week when we gave up over 500 yards -- we still won the football game," Prairie View Coach Henry Frazier III said.

"We made too many mistakes where we left points on the board, but we did what we had to do coming out to California."

The Panthers added to their score at the end of the third quarter when quarterback Chris Gibson scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown run and they clinched the victory in the fourth quarter when Ford tackled David Robinson for a safety.

North Carolina A&T, which will play its first home game of the season next week against Hampton, avoided a shutout with a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass from backup quarterback Shelton Morgan to Giorgio Lowrance that covered 32 yards.

WSSU Purvis can't lift Rams to win

By Travis Sawchik, Special to the Winston Salem Journal

CONWAY, S.C.- The Monte Purvis Show wasn’t enough to top Coastal Carolina, which defeated Winston-Salem State 28-21 last night at Brooks Stadium.

Purvis rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries but the Chanticleers rallied late behind quarterback Will Richardson to score twice in the fourth quarter.

“Every day, Coach tells us to come out and prove ourselves,” Purvis said. “(Teams) are not just going to lie down for us.”

With the Rams trailing 18-7 early the third quarter, Purvis rushed for 66- and 80-yard touchdowns to give them a 21-18 lead with 1:24 to play in the quarter.

“(Coach) said to make a play for the team,” Purvis said, “They were taking away our receivers and running backs.”

While Purvis was electric on the ground, Richardson was very good through the air. Richardson was 19 of 26 passing for 301 yards with a touchdown pass and a 50-yard pass to Jerome Simpson that set up the winning touchdown.

Richardson’s sharp play prevented Winston-Salem State from improving to 2-0 after topping N.C.A&T last week.

Coastal built a 6-0 lead early thanks to Justin Durham’s two field goals. Richardson finished off a 70-yard second-quarter drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jamar Anderson that gave Coastal a 12-0 lead.

WSSU answered with its own touchdown drive, keyed by Jed Bines’ 43-yard run, followed by a 1-yard scoring plunge by Purvis to cut Coastal’s lead to 12-7.

After the Rams lost a fumble, Tommy Fraser punched the ball in from the 1 to give Coastal an 18-7 lead.

Purvis then put on a show, but the Chanticleers survived Purvis, and survived the day.

WSSU 0 7 14 0 - 21

Coastal 6 6 6 10 - 28

First quarter

CC-FG Durham 24, 6:18

CC-FG Durham 44, 1:48

Second quarter

CC-Anderson 10 pass from Richardson (kick failed), 7:20

WSSU-Purvis 1 run (Mitchell kick), 2:23

Third quarter

CC-Fraser 1 run (pass failed), 10:21

WSSU-Purvis 66 run (run failed), 4:53

WSSU-Purvis 80 run (Reaves pass from Purvis), 1:24

Fourth quarter

CC-FG Durham 28, 11:15

CC-Fraser 1 run (Durham kick), 08:15

TEAM STATISTICS

WSSU CC

First downs 12 22

Rushes-yards 47-300 52-96

Passing yards 11 301

Comp-Att-Int 10-2-0 24-16-0

Return Yards 82 106

Punts-Avg 6-32.7 3-34.7

Fumbles-Lost 3-3 7-1

Penalties-Yards 13-90 7-45

Possession 26:08 33:52

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-WSSU, Purvis 19-165, Bines 18-123, Fluellen 4-23, McRae 3-14, Johnson 1-3, Dunston 1-2, Team 1-(minus-30). Coastal Carolina-O’Neal 17-77, Fordham 15-47, Tolbert 5-26, Fortson 3-4, Fraser 3-3, Richardson 5-(minus-14), Team 4-(minus-47).

PASSING - WSSU, Purvis 2-10-0-11. Coastal Carolina, Richardson 16-24-0-301.

RECEIVING - WSSU, Scarbrough 1-10, Bryant 1-1. Coastal Carolina, Simpson 3-90, Fordham 3-52, Washington 3-23, O’Neal 2-44, Anderson 2-12, Usher 1-36, Fambrough 1-30, Tolbert 1-14.

Coastal rallies over WSSU for first victory

Coastal rallies for first victory

By Travis Sawchik, The Sun News

The journey for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleer on Saturday, with all its young hands on deck, again had its rough patches.

Seven CCU fumbles were akin to cut rigging and there was a snapped mast in the form of two long touchdown runs surrendered. But unlike the Dover experience, CCU hung on and sailed into port with a 28-21 win to even its record on the season.

"Every win is going to be gutty," CCU coach David Bennett said of his young team. "We did improve."

Starting quarterback Will Richardson was among those who improved.

After missing his first seven passes last week - though several catchable balls were dropped - the CCU starting quarterback completed 9 of 12 passes in the first half for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Richardson finished 16 of 24 for 301 yards (his first 300-yard game), with a touchdown pass and a strike to Jerome Simpson that setup up the game-winning touchdown. Richardson said of the 50-yard strike that it was "probably" the best pass he had thrown.

His sharp play rolled over to a better performance on third downs.

At Delaware State, CCU converted just 1-of-16. On Saturday, the Chants were 7-of-15, including a Richardson to Trent Usher 36-yard connection on third-and-30 to set up the game's first score, a 24-yard field goal from freshman kicker Justin Durham.

"I never [lacked] confidence," Richardson said. "The [two late touchdown drives at Dover] carried over.

"You can't replicate game speed but I've been in this offense so long I've practiced against the first team defense. I know where to look."

Among the others who improved were freshman Eric O'Neal, who gained 132 of the Chants' 483 yards.

And of course Simpson was, well, Simpson. He had three catches for 90 yards and come up one yard short of lengthening his touchdown streak to 10 games. That particular catch setup Tommy Fraser's go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Still, the Chants are not without their flaws.

Bennett had spoken at length this week about how his defense preformed well at Dover, if you takeaway a 53-yard touchdown pass, a 63-yard touchdown run and a long reverse gain. And again the defense played well in spurts but fell victim to big plays as the third quarter turned in the Monte Purvis Show.

In the quarter, the Rams' quarterback rushed for 66- and 80-yard touchdown runs to turn a five-point Winston Salem State halftime deficit into a 21-18 lead with 1:24 to play in the third.

"Missed assignments," Bennett said of the plays.

The miscues momentarily pulled CCU heads down on the sideline as the Chants trailed for the first time in the game and were staring at an 0-2 start.

CCU had built a lead early thanks to Justin Durham's two field goals. Richardson added to it by finishing off a 70-yard second-quarter drive with a 10-yard touchdown strike to Jamar Anderson to give Coastal a 12-0 lead.

Winston Salem-State answered with its own touchdown drive, a Jed Bines' 43-yard run shortly followed by a one-yard touchdown dive by Purvis that cut CCU's lead to 12-7.

The Rams continued to threaten, but a second fumble lost cost them as a few shifty runs from O'Neal led to a Fraser touchdown from one-yard out to give Coastal a 18-7 lead.

NCCU Eagles finally get past St. Aug's in Durham

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

N.C. Central broke one of its worst football curses on Saturday night.

But it certainly wasn't easy, and it wasn't over until all zeros appeared on the clock.

Stadford Brown's 21-yard touchdown pass to Wayne Blackwell early in the third quarter provided the only points of the game as the Eagles blanked St. Augustine's 6-0 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

It was the Eagles' second straight shutout, following a 17-0 victory over Fayetteville State six days earlier. The blanking marked the first time in 11 years the Eagles had back-to-back shutouts.

And oddly enough, it was NCCU's first win over the Falcons in Durham since 1964. A 35-year hiatus in the St. Aug football program was a big factor in that, but the Falcons had scored upsets on their past two visits here including a 22-8 homecoming spoiler two seasons ago. That 2005 loss to the Falcons was NCCU's last regular-season defeat at home.

The result wasn't safe until the last play of the contest, when Donald Laster corralled a scrambling Falcons quarterback Kevin Williams at the NCCU 12 after Williams had gained 16 yards.

"To be honest, on their last drive I was thinking about all the mistakes we had made when we had a chance to put the ball game away," said NCCU coach Mose Rison, whose team improved to 2-1 on the season while the Falcons fell to 0-2. "We had a missed field goal and a blocked field goal and a fumble on their 5-yard line after a turnover.

"St. Aug is a tough football team, and they played hard all night. But I can't say enough about the defense, defensive coordinator John Morgan and the staff -- they were the reason we won the football game."

The Falcons finished with 226 yards to NCCU's 148. Arnold Mullins rushed for 77 yards for the visitors, Tim Lovick caught three passes for 75 yards and three quarterbacks combined to complete 12 of 28 for 125 yards with one Craig Amos interception.

"It went down to the wire, that's for sure," said Amos, who continues to be a big-play man for the Eagles' defense. "At the end, we were all just saying, 'Don't let the big play happen!' Our defense can still get better and we know the offense can get better, too."

The Eagles had one first down and zero yards total offense in the first half, while St. Aug's had six first downs and 136 yards.

"Our defense played well, and overall we just played good enough to win," Falcons coach Mike Costa said. "We just made too many mistakes on offense. Central has a very good defense, but we just had too many mistakes."

The only serious threat before halftime came on the second play of the second quarter, when a 38-yard field-goal attempt by the Falcons' Adison Daniels' was wide right.

NCCU started with great field position on its second possession of the second half, as Brandon Alston returned a punt 10 yards to the Falcons' 25. Three plays later Brown found Blackwell down the right sideline from 21 yards out, and after a bad snap on the conversion attempt the Eagles led 6-0 with 10:08 left in the quarter.

"We just made too many mistakes and kept them in the ball game," said Brown, who completed 8 of 23 passes for 123 yards and was sacked four times. "They gave our line more trouble than they had all year. I made too many mistakes when we had the chance to put the game away. But we've just got to keep getting better."

The Eagles had a chance for some breathing room with 10:22 left in the game when Taylor Gray set up for a 36-yard field goal, but the Falcons' Alex Hall blocked the attempt. And again at 5:16, when Gray's 41-yard try was wide left. And again with 4:04 left, when they took over on the Falcons' 10 following a bad snap on a punt but Brown and Tim Shankle lost the ball on the exchange on the very next play.

"On their last drive everybody was just saying, 'Make a play!'" said defensive end Xavier Joe, who was in on seven tackles including three for losses with two sacks, two hurries and a breakup. "We're playing hard on defense. We're just good. And the offense got the touchdown we needed to win the game."

NOTES -- N.C. Central senior kicker Brandon Gilbert's injury will keep him out for the rest of the season, the school has announced. Also out for the year is senior running back Jeff Toliver. Gilbert, the school's all-time scoring leader with 234 points who gave the Eagles the winning points in the CIAA championship games each of the past two seasons, has a torn quadriceps muscle in his left (kicking) leg. Toliver, who was one of the Eagles' four captains and their rushing leader this season with 92 yards, has a torn ligament in his right foot. Both players will seek medical redshirts to complete their playing careers in 2008. ... NCCU leads the all-time series 26-2-1. ... The Eagles take on Elizabeth City State on Saturday in the Whitney Young Classic in East Rutherford, N.J. ... St. Aug's travels to Carson-Newman on Saturday.

Offensive line clears way for SSU running game

By Noell Barnidge, Savannah Morning News

"The Hoggies," Savannah State's starting offensive linemen, went hog wild on Saturday.

Right tackle Derrick Dorsey, right guard Algernon Wright, center Kenny Andrew, left guard Justin Norton, left tackle Rashad Jackson and tight end Joshua Marshall pushed Johnson C. Smith's defensive line all over the field in SSU's 24-10 victory.

Six players, led by freshman tailback Antwan Edwards, combined for 328 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 53 carries against the NCAA Division II school from Charlotte, N.C. It was SSU's most yards rushing since the Tigers ran for 330 yards at Fort Valley State in 1999.

Edwards, who made his first start at tailback, ran for a game-high 103 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown, on 14 carries. The 5-foot-9 177-pound Miami native became the first SSU running back to run for over 100 yards since Chad Cone gained 169 yards against Morehouse last October.

"Our offensive line worked hard this week and it showed in the game," Edwards said.
"The Hoggies," whose largest player, Wright, is 6-foot-2, 432 pounds, redeemed themselves after a 47-7 season-opening loss at Morgan State in which SSU ran for only 29 yards without a touchdown on 32 carries.

Photo: Savannah State running back Justin Babb (20) hits a wall of Johnson C. Smith University defenders during Saturday's game at Memorial Stadium.

Saturday, SSU's offensive line created running lanes that resulted in touchdown drives of 77, 94 and 52 yards, and netted a field goal on a 30-yard drive. "The Hoggies" also did not allow a sack.

"My hat goes off to our offensive line," SSU second-year coach Theo Lemon said. "Those guys did a great job of blocking and sustaining."

SSU (1-1) primarily was a passing team under former coach Richard Basil. Lemon's offensive philosophy is based on the running game.

It has taken time, including last season's 2-9 campaign, for SSU's running attack to develop. But Saturday, the running game that Lemon vowed "will come" made its much-anticipated debut.

SSU's ball-carriers, most of them members of Lemon's first full recruiting class this season, bulled their way to the most yards rushing during the Lemon era. The previous high was 204 yards rushing in a 24-20 victory over Division II Morehouse last season.

"We wanted to run the ball. That was the game plan: to control the clock," said Jackson, a 6-4, 317-pound senior from Jacksonville, Fla. "We probably only ran about seven plays. We tried more plays against Morgan State, but we realized what our limitations were.

"Today, we had different backs for different situations. We have our power backs and we have our speedy backs. When they run for a lot of yards it's a good feeling. It makes us know we're making holes and they're capitalizing on what we make.
"This is big for the school, the city and also for us."

SSU quarterback JaCorey Kilcrease raved about "The Hoggies" and their ability to spring the Tigers' stable of running backs.

"Our offensive line, those boys went out and executed," he said. "Without them we can't do anything."

Opinion: BCU pitches game away

By KEN WILLIS, Daytona News Journal

Opinion: MY TWO CENTS

In baseball, a wild pitch can lead to big trouble. In football, it can be death.

Two wild pitches double the chances.

And when it happens, there's no lonelier person on earth than the quarterback. No one unluckier, no one sicker.

"When I pitch it, most of the time I don't see the ball," Bethune-Cookman quarterback Jimmie Russell said. "I pitched it, then I looked. And I was like, 'Awwww.' That's when your stomach goes in your throat."

When the option play is working well, it's a beautiful piece of choreography. But when it's not, there's no uglier clunker. In better years -- with Pa'tel Troutman and Allen Suber at the controls -- the Wildcat offense was worth the price of admission.

Not Saturday, when a whole afternoon of erratic play included two ill-advised option pitches by Russell -- one in the first quarter and another in the third -- led to S.C. State touchdowns.

"One or two plays can make the difference in a game," Russell said. "It just wasn't a good game on my behalf."

On the opposing sideline, senior quarterback Cleveland McCoy knew exactly what Russell was going through. The Bulldogs' option game looked well-oiled for much of Saturday afternoon, but he's been on the bad side of that fine line and knows how bad it can turn when mistakes are made.

"It's tough. It rattles the quarterback a lot," said McCoy, whose offense gained 271 rushing yards Saturday. "Couple of fumbles, and once he makes several bad decisions . . . "

That's the way it goes with an option team. Blocking assignments can be missed left and right (and they were, by the way), but when the prescribed offense includes just that -- options -- the quarterback is expected to find a way. Therefore, right or wrong, Russell was doing the admirable thing by falling on his sword.

MISTAKES ALL AROUND

It wasn't for lack of effort that B-CU managed just 247 offensive yards. It was simply a lack of rhythm, which eventually became a lack of confidence. And once an option team loses control, it's like a pilot trying to recover from a spiral. Very, very tough.

"It's easy to get the confidence back when the offense isn't running smoothly," Russell said. "But when you're the person messing up, it's hard to get your confidence back. I didn't play a good game. I didn't play a good game at all."

If the offense could've found any footing at all, the Wildcats might've found a way to win, because S.C. State spent a good part of the day stepping on rakes -- 11 penalties for 155 yards, three field goals blocked, a fumble after a pass completion that was returned to the S.C. State 12.

"We won the football game, but I tell you, we were a stumblin', bumblin' bunch," Bulldogs head coach Buddy Pough said. "We just did so many silly things to not score points -- blocked field goals, off-sides. Ugly things."

When both sides watch the game film, there'll be plenty of flinching all around. This wasn't two teams at midseason form. For B-CU, the Wildcats will be able to count the ways things went bad. Up in Orangeburg, S.C., the Bulldogs will exhale and be reminded that victory is a great salve.

The Bulldogs go to Columbia next weekend for a play-for-pay date with big-league South Carolina, and while they don't go in with all their oars in the water, things could be worse.

"I feel better about next week because we don't go in there 0-2," Pough said. "We had this game sandwiched between Air Force and South Carolina. I was really worried about us coming down here and either not playing well because we didn't pay enough attention to these people, or we'd just come down here and get beat.

"Last year, you gotta remember how badly this team beat us. I'm happy with the fact that we won the football game. It at least puts us in a good enough frame of mind that we can go into Columbia and be excited about going."

BCU mistakes doom Wildcats' cause

Photo: South Carolina State's Travil Jamison dives through Bethune-Cookman University defenders for a first quarter score during Saturday's game.

By BRENT WORONOFF, Daytona Beach News Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- All Jimmie Russell could do was take the blame and look ahead to better games to come.

"I didn't have a good game at all," Bethune-Cookman's senior quarterback said Saturday. "I wish I could have one or two plays back, but I don't have a magic wand."

Just a few plays would have made the difference for the Wildcats, who lost a mistake-filled 23-14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest to South Carolina State at Municipal Stadium.

Two bad pitches led to South Carolina State touchdowns. B-CU (1-1, 0-1 MEAC) also came away with just three points off two third-quarter drives inside the Bulldogs 10-yard line.

Photo: BCU quarterback Jimmie Russell pitches the ball out to his running back.

"We've got to go back to the drawing board and hash some things out on offense as well as special teams," said B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt.

Wyatt and S.C. State coach Buddy Pough were pleased with their defenses, but both teams self-destructed on offense and special teams. The Wildcats' mistakes were costlier.

But Russell said it was nobody's fault but his own that his errant option pitch intended for Corey Council in the first quarter landed on the ground and was scooped up by S.C. State's LaQuinn Ellerbe, who ran the ball back 21 yards to the B-CU 3.

Another option toss -- this one too high for Phillip Kirkland to handle on the first drive of the second half -- was recovered by the Bulldogs' Rafael Bush at the Wildcats 32.

Both plays led to Bulldog touchdowns.

"Our defense played great," said Pough, whose team held the Wildcats to 172 yards. "I thought our defense put them out of sync."

Travil Jamison scored on a 3-yard run to give S.C. State (1-1, 1-0) a 10-3 lead after the first fumble. And Cleveland McCoy's 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Spencer Miller followed Bush's recovery to push the visitors' advantage to 17-3.

But Council followed that score with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that charged up the crowd of 9,147 and renewed the Wildcats' confidence and make it 17-10.

"We've been coming close to breaking one," Council said. "We finally got all of our blocks. We said that we were just one man away. We finally got that man."

The Wildcats, who had rallied from a 14-0 deficit to defeat the Bulldogs 45-21 last year, seemed to be on the verge of another comeback. After Council's score, free safety Bobbie Williams forced a fumble by S.C. state receiver Octavius Darby, and cornerback Antonio Cox ran the ball back fumble 52 yards to the Bulldogs 12.

A penalty against S.C. State for interfering with the officials pushed the ball to the 6, but a sack, a Russell run for no gain and an incomplete pass forced the 'Cats to attempt a field goal. Lucas Esquivel's 27-yard try went wide right.

B-CU drove to the Bulldogs 9 on its next possession. This time Esquivel converted a 27-yarder to pull the Wildcats within 17-13.

Photo: South Carolina State quarterback Cleveland McCoy leaves the pocket and maneuvers over Bethune-Cookman's Cedric Mason.

TAKE FIVE

Big Foot

Bethune-Cookman punter Justin Keable, a DeLand High graduate, averaged 47 yards on three punts, including a long of 58 to South Carolina State's 10, on Saturday. Keable also had a 42-yard boot that was downed on the Bulldogs' 3-yard line.

This Kicker Can Hit

After B-CU's Corey Council ran back a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, S.C. State's William Ford was on his way to matching Council's feat on the Wildcats' ensuing kickoff. Ford scurried 38 yards past would-be tacklers to the Bulldogs' 44, where the last man wearing a maroon jersey in front of him -- kicker Adam Ward -- brought him down.

Block Party

B-CU middle linebacker Brendan Odom saved seven points and then three points on the same drive. With S.C. State driving at B-CU's 11-yard line late in the second quarter, the sophomore broke up a pass intended for Octavius Darby in the end zone. After a penalty pushed the Bulldogs back, Odom blocked a 40-yard field-goal attempt by Stephen Grantham. It was one of three field goals the Wildcats blocked or tipped.

Cousins Lead The Way

B-CU's Ronnie McCullough (hamstring) was not expected to play Saturday, but the senior linebacker wound up leading the Wildcats in tackles with 11. McCullough's cousin, Josh Balloon, was tied for second on the team with eight tackles. Odom also had eight tackles.

Brothers Make Noise

B-CU sophomore transfer Antwane Cox earned a starting cornerback spot coming into the season. But it was his twin brother, Antonio Cox, who had a big play Saturday. Antonio returned a Bulldog fumble 52 yards to S.C. State's 12-yard line in the third quarter. The Wildcats could not take advantage of the play, however, as they missed a 27-yard field-goal attempt. Each of the Cox brothers had three tackles in the game.

-- Brent Woronoff

QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE

Couldn't that third-quarter penalty against South Carolina State have been better described simply as unsportsmanlike conduct?

Could be, but when you give the referee a microphone, you never know what you're gonna get. It happened after Bethune-Cookman's Antonio Cox recovered a fumble following a pass to S.C. State's Darris Jackson. The S.C. State bench wanted the play ruled an incomplete pass, and coaches on the Bulldogs' sideline got up close and personal with the nearest official. The penalty was described as "Interfering with the official's ability to do his job."

Where'd South Carolina get that extra fan support behind the bench?

Probably a hardware store. The Bulldogs own six high-powered, oscillating fans, complete with misters, and in the early part of the season particularly, they take them everywhere to help beat the heat. It's the first time a visiting team has added that big-league touch to the sidelines at Municipal Stadium.

What's up with S.C. State's early-season schedule?

It took many, many years, but the Bulldogs finally employed the time-honored method for a smaller school to puts its athletic program into the black financially. They opened last week at Air Force, and next week they make the short road-trip from Orangeburg to Columbia to play South Carolina -- it's S.C. State's first two ventures into college football's upper division. Combined, the two games will gross the Bulldog program just under a half-million dollars.

Doesn't Appalachian State's monumental win at Michigan last week give hope to all underdogs like S.C. State?

You'd think, but S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough laughed when asked if he'd draw such inspiration when his team plays the Gamecocks next weekend. "Noooo," he said. "The difference is, Appalachian is a helluva lot better than South Carolina State."

-- Ken Willis

Towson escapes Morgan State

Scott's interception for 68 yards helps set up winning score for Tigers

By Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun

A local rivalry known for bizarre plays and crazy finishes played to its reputation yesterday. Towson University, which usually wins these affairs, beat Morgan State again, but barely.

The Tigers waded through high-snap misadventures, a two-interception game from quarterback Sean Schaefer, and a depleting run of cramps before escaping Hughes Stadium with a 28-21 victory.

Just when Morgan State had seemingly wrestled control of the game away from the Tigers with a dazzling 56-yard touchdown run by Chad Simpson and a gift safety, the Tigers took it right back.

Photo: Morgan State University RB Chad Simpson

Towson safety Kenny Scott stepped in front of Morgan's Roderick Wolfe to make the play of the game, a fourth-quarter interception he returned 68 yards to the Bears' 2.

On the next play, Schaefer waited in the pocket for tight end John Godlasky - Towson almost never throws to its tight ends - to clear in the back of the end zone and lobbed a 2-yard touchdown pass that broke Morgan's back.

"They ran a lot of pick routes, and I had to do a good job of fighting over the picks and make the play," Scott, a team co-captain, said of his game-changing play. "Coach was saying all week long we've got to make a play when we get the chance."

After getting shredded for 245 rushing yards, 195 by Simpson, coach Gordy Combs reached for a bottom line that has Towson off to a 2-0 start.

"We stopped them when we had to," Combs said. "That's the big thing. I'm not going to get overly concerned about how much yardage we gave up."

The Tigers were resilient on defense and methodical on offense. Schaefer more than offset his two interceptions with four touchdown passes to four different receivers.

But when Austin Weibley sent a shotgun snap over Schaefer's head into the end zone for a safety less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, Morgan had come back from a 14-3 deficit to tie the game at 21.

When quarterback Mario Melton sprung Simpson for a 16-yard gain on Morgan's ensuing possession with a knockdown block, the Bears (1-1) looked like they would take over the game.

They chewed up 36 more yards on the ground before Melton, on second-and-one, tossed an option pitch high and behind Devan James, who was filling in for a cramping Simpson.

James took a 6-yard loss on the play. On third-and-seven, Melton threw his costly interception.

"The play call was an inside slant because we knew they were coming with a blitz off the edge," Morgan coach Donald Hill-Eley said. "But rather than the quarterback throwing to his hot read, which was the slant that was wide open, he decided to throw the ball outside to Wolfe. ... It ended up costing us.

"But that one play doesn't make the game. We left about 24 points on the field."

The stadium's new FieldTurf was littered with squandered opportunities for Morgan.

Bears kicker Johnathan Skeete had two blocked field goals. Wolfe, who later made a sensational 44-yard catch, had a touchdown pass knocked from his hands in the end zone by Ollie Thomas. And a long pass to wide-out Edwin Baptiste was ruled incomplete in the end zone because he did not have control.

Simpson powered Morgan's second-half comeback with 110 yards on just 10 carries before going off with cramps. "I was cramping up the whole game," he said.

Towson's depth was a factor as Combs went deep into his bench.

"We were able to play 15, 16, 17 defensive players, 10 offensive linemen, all three tailbacks, a host of receivers and all three tight ends," he said.

When starting center Nick Bradway broke his right hand, he was replaced by Weibley and the Tigers were forced to pull back on offense. Without Rasheed McClaude (cramps), tailback Nick Williams pounded for 91 yards.

HU notes: Pope enjoys a block party

By David Driver, Correspondent Daily Press

WASHINGTON - Hampton cornerback Sam Pope blocked a field goal attempt by John Mendoza in the second quarter.

"There was a lot of pressure from the interior, and that broke me free. No one touched me," Pope said.

Pope also made a catch in the end zone for a near interception, but he was ruled out of bounds in the first half.

"It was a pick," said senior defensive end Kendall Langford.

CONNECTIONS

Howard played its first game under new coach Carey Bailey, a former defensive line coach at the University of Minnesota. He also made stops at Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana Lafayette and VMI.

Hampton coach Taylor, in his 16th season, was a Howard assistant in 1982 and the Bison head coach in 1983. Former Redskins defensive back Barry Wilburn is in his first season as a defensive secondary coach for Howard. He played for the Redskins from 1985-91, and was an All-Pro in 1987 when he led the league in interceptions.

HEAT IS ON

Hampton senior Qutrell Payton was taken to a local hospital for dehydration during the second quarter, according to coach Joe Taylor.

EXTRA POINTS

On a clear, dry day, players from both teams slipped several times on Howard's artificial grass field. ... Hampton has now won 11 openers in a row in the conference. ...Jahmal Blanchard of Hampton averaged 53 yards on five punts.

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Attendance for the game was 7,035.

HU continues dominance of Howard

T.J. Mitchell throws three late touchdowns to lead the Pirates to their 11th straight win in the MEAC series.

By David Driver, Correspondent Daily Press

WASHINGTON - For more than three quarters on a humid Saturday afternoon, Hampton quarterback T.J. Mitchell completed passes all over the field.

He had little to show for his effort.

The only touchdown at that point for the Pirates came on a run by Kevin Beverly in the first quarter.

But on third-and-15 late in the third quarter, a screen pass in the left flat from Mitchell to Van Morgan went 38 yards for a touchdown to give Hampton a seven-point lead.

That was the first of three touchdown passes in a matter of minutes for Mitchell, lifting the Pirates to a 31-24 win over Howard in the opener for both MEAC teams.

Hampton, ranked 11th in the Sports Network I-AA poll, beat Howard 46-7 last year en route to a record of 10-2 and a berth in the Division I-AA playoffs.

Hampton has won the last 11 games between the two teams, but this was one was not easy.

"It was just great execution," Hampton coach Joe Taylor said of the screen to Morgan.

"It was a very big play. When you get a strong rush, that is when you want to call that play."

"It was good play-calling," said Morgan, who broke several tackles on the score that put Hampton ahead to stay with 11 minutes and 36 seconds left.

The Hampton defense then forced Howard to punt, and the Pirates' offense took over with about nine minutes left.

On the second play Mitchell connected on a completion on the right sideline to Kevin Teel, who broke a tackle and went down the sidelines for a 78-yard touchdown as Hampton took a 24-10 lead with 8:14 remaining in the game.

Mitchell's third scoring pass later in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach, as Jeremy Gilchrist scored from 21 yards with 3:29 left to make it 31-17.

Mitchell completed 13 of 27 passes in the first three quarters, including six to Gilchrist.

Mitchell ended up 19 of 36 for 310 yards and no interceptions.

"I just have to stay positive. I wasn't frustrated," Mitchell said. "Players make plays."

Beverly, from nearby New Carrollton, Md., gave the Pirates the lead with a 6-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

The senior, who began his college career at Kent State, played his final game at Howard on Saturday.

Taylor said Beverly was not at 100 percent due to the heat.

"It was fun. You get to play in front of family," Beverly said. "But we came up here for a reason."

After the teams traded field goals, the Bison tied the score with nine seconds left in the third quarter on a pass from Brian Johnson to Jarahn Williams. The PAT by John Mendoza made the score 10-10.

Hampton got the ball back and went 62 yards on eight plays, with the screen play in the left flat giving the Pirates the lead for good on a day the temperature hovered around 90 degrees.

"It was certainly a very warm day. The team that was in the best condition would have an edge," said Taylor.

The coach credited the team's diet the week before the game as a key.

Despite the win, the Pirates feel they have plenty to work on before next Saturday's game at North Carolina A&T.

Howard had 161 rusing yards and 244 passing yards.

Howard was successful on six of its first 14 plays on third down.

"We as a defensive unit need to improve, and not let them have big plays on third down," said senior defensive end Kendall Langford, the preseason player of the year in the MEAC.

Against a Longtime Nemesis, Missed Opportunities Hurt Bison

Photo: Howard University Head Football Coach Carey Bailey

Hampton University 31, Howard University 24

By Matthew Stanmyre, Special to The Washington Post

Howard's football players, sweaty and battered, sat in clumps inside the school's musty auxiliary gymnasium yesterday as sun poured in through the windows above. It had been nearly 40 minutes since the Bison lost to Hampton, 31-24, at Greene Stadium, but first-year coach Carey Bailey wasn't ready to dismiss the game.

"I had a lot of things that were fresh in my mind," Bailey said.

Bailey and the Bison had plenty to mull. There was the missed tackle early in the fourth quarter that allowed the Pirates to take the lead for good. A few minutes later, another blown tackle enabled the Pirates to expand their lead with a 78-yard scoring pass. Even after Howard battled back to get within a touchdown, a missed assignment on the ensuing onside kick helped Hampton escape with its 11th straight victory against the Bison, a streak dating from 1996.

"We had four or five critical errors that took place that we have to eliminate," said Bailey, who made his head coaching debut in what was both teams' season opener. "It's not so much to have an error, but when it's a critical error, that's when it usually costs you points."

Howard learned the familiar lesson Saturday against Hampton, the three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion. When Bailey took over in February and reviewed game film from the 2006 season, he concluded that the Bison -- though usually competitive -- were often undone by untimely errors, a trend he sought to alleviate in preseason camp.

That continued yesterday. The Bison gained 405 yards of total offense in pushing the defending conference champion to its limit, but couldn't close the deal.

"They're going to be a good football team," said Hampton Coach Joe Taylor, who has won 192 games in 25 years. "There's no question that it's a team that knows what it's trying to get done, and that's a sign of good coaching."

Howard tied the score at 10 with nine seconds left in the third quarter, when quarterback Brian Johnson found wideout Jarahn Williams for a one-yard touchdown pass. But the Bison unraveled on Hampton's next two possessions -- they blew an assignment on a screen pass that went for a score, and then missed a tackle that led to a touchdown that put Hampton ahead 24-10 with 8:14 left.

Howard stayed close, getting within 31-24 with 1:45 left on a touchdown pass from Johnson to Arlandus Hood, but the error on the ensuing onside kick foiled the Bison's upset bid.

Johnson was 21 of 37 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and Hampton's T.J. Mitchell, a West Virginia transfer, was 19 of 36 for 310 yards and three scores.

"We played hard, but we didn't always play smart," said Bailey, who was the defensive line coach at Minnesota last season. "We'll go back and try and fix some things."

14,327 at Bragg Memorial Stadium see Rattlers fall to Hornets in MEAC matchup

Photo: DSU blocks FAMU's Westley Taylor punt.

Delaware State's special teams hand FAMU its 4th consecutive 0-2 start.

Tim Linafelt, Special to the Orlando Sentinel

TALLAHASSEE - Florida A&M couldn't find a spark to ignite its offense, but junior quarterback Vashon Winton was Delaware State's, which handed the Rattlers a 20-7 loss Saturday in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

Winton threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Hornets to their third consecutive victory against FAMU.

The loss also was the Rattlers' fourth consecutive 0-2 start.

After a scoreless first quarter, Delaware State's Alimayo Wilder blocked a punt to set up the Hornets on FAMU's 1-yard line. A play later, Winton found receiver Shaheer McBride in the end zone to give DSU a 7-0 lead.

"The real difference in the game was on special teams," FAMU Coach Rubin Carter said. "The blocked punt setting up Delaware State for a key first score -- those types of things have to be avoided in games."

FAMU responded later in the second quarter with its only score of the game: a 5-yard pass from Albert Chester to Taj Jenkins with 1 minute, 17 seconds remaining in the half.

It appeared the Rattlers would go into halftime with a tied score, but Delaware State quickly moved down the field, and Peter Gaertner's 34-yard field goal with 1 second remaining gave the Hornets a 10-7 lead.

DSU (2-0, 1-0 MEAC) opened the third quarter with a five-play, 49-yard drive, capped off by Winton's second touchdown pass of the night, a 19-yard strike to William Griggs. Another field goal by Gaertner, this one a 36-yarder, stretched the lead to 20-7.

"We just have to learn how to put together two halves of football," Carter said. "Defensively, we can't allow them to get the momentum back so quickly."

FAMU quarterback Chester was 19-of-34 for 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Running back Philip Sylvester led FAMU rushers with 39 yards on 11 carries.

The Rattlers, who host Howard next week, will look to avoid its first 0-3 start under Carter.

"We have to avoid that at all costs," Carter said. "We have to win the next ballgame, and our players understand that. That's the expectation, that's the standard."

DSU Wilder's blocked punt sparks Hornets over FAMU

Photo: Florida A&M quarterback Albert Chester II is dragged down for a sack by Delaware State's Keola Asuega in the first half Saturday night. Photo by Tallahassee Democrat/MIKE EWEN

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- There's a motto among Delaware State's football team that, essentially, says every player has one play just for himself.

No matter the game, no matter the circumstances, there's one play where anyone can become a star.

On a typically warm Saturday night in Florida, Alimayo Wilder got his chance to shine.

Wilder's second-quarter punt block served as a catalyst for the Hornets in their 20-7 victory over Florida A&M in their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener before 14,327 at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

For the second straight game, the Hornets started slowly. Quarterback Vashon Winton's passes weren't always on the mark and the team's running game became anemic behind Chris Strother, who started for the first time for an injured Kareem Jones.

Winton warmed up to complete 17-of-25 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Shaheer McBride caught five passes for 57 yards, tying the school record for career catches (160). Strother gained 35 yards on 11 carries and caught six passes for 73 yards. Peter Gaertner kicked field goals of 34 and 36 yards.

It started, however, with Wilder's game-changing play.

Courtesy of Wilder, a senior defensive lineman from Baltimore, the sound of a frenzied crowd decked out in obligatory orange and green turned into near silence for the game's duration.

"It's all about striving for excellence. That's what each play is about," Wilder said.

Delaware State recovered the blocked punt at the Rattlers 1-yard line, quickly scored its first touchdown and rode the momentum to its second straight victory and an unprecedented third in a row against FAMU.

"There's nothing like the death sound of a blocked punt," Hornets coach Al Lavan said.

The victory over FAMU (0-2, 0-1 MEAC) gives the Hornets (2-0, 1-0) an early boost in the race for the league championship. The Rattlers, picked fourth in the preseason, believed they were good enough to compete for the title.

The game-changing play came when FAMU's Wesley Taylor punted from his own 24-yard line. Before he could get his leg on the ball, Wilder zoomed in. The ball bounced backward, and DSU's Ryan Robinson grabbed it at the 1.

DSU's TD came when Winton found McBride on an 11-yard slant pattern.

"We really needed a big play, and he made the big play," Winton said of Wilder.

FAMU quarterback Albert Chester II, slowed by an ailing throwing arm, located Taj Jenkines in the back corner of the end zone for a 5-yard TD with 1:17 left to tie it 7-7.

But the Hornets responded by marching 57 yards on nine plays to set up Gaertner's 34-yard field goal for a 10-7 edge.

Winton threw another TD pass in the third quarter, a 19-yarder to William Griggs, that put DSU up 17-7 with 2:18 remaining.

"Everyone has a play," Lavan said. "Alimayo made one and so did Griggs. That's what you'll see from our team, different guys in different positions that give you a chance to win the game."


QUICK HITS
Strother's start

Chris Strother was uncertain he'd play at all earlier in the week. He certainly didn't expect to start Saturday night in his home state.

But just a week following running back Kareem Jones' 171-yard debut in the season opener, it was Strother's name that was called. And he helped Delaware State to a 20-7 victory at Florida A&M.

Jones, a junior transfer from Syracuse, was limited in the game by coach Al Lavan because of a strained knee suffered in last week's victory over Coastal Carolina.

Strother, a native of Miami who attended NCAA Division I-A Central Florida one season before transferring to DSU before the 2006 season, caught six passes for 73 yards. He rushed 11 times for 35 yards.

It felt good to Strother, whose family watched, including his 3-year-old son, Chris Strother Jr.

"I just wanted to do the best I could," he said. "It's not about me or Kareem. It's bigger than all that. This was a team thing."

Tasty Tallahassee

It's not all crazy around Florida A&M football in Tallahassee.

The festivities around Bragg Memorial Stadium might be among the coolest in college football. Especially if you like Southern food.

From turkey legs with lemon pepper to fish sandwiches and red velvet cake, Perry Street across from the stadium is filled vendors selling amazing food.

This and that

DSU will host FAMU next season for first time since 2002. In 2004, FAMU left the MEAC and tried to move to NCAA Division I-A. Last year, DSU and FAMU played at Detroit. ... Shaheer McBride tied Albert Horsey (1997-2000) as DSU's all-time leader in receptions with 160.

Final: Prairie View 22, North Carolina A&T 7

LOS ANGELES, CA - Val Ford returned two blocked punts for touchdowns in the first half and led Prairie View A&M to a 22-7 victory over North Carolina A&T in the the 2nd annual Angel City Classic Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

North Carolina A&T has now lost 18 consecutive games dating back to October 2005.

Three times in the second quarter the Panthers' (2-0, 0-0) defensive back and special teamer Riante Jones blocked three kicks that sparked Prairie View and led to two touchdowns. Early in the quarter Jones blocked Eric Houston's punt near the Aggies' 20-yard line. Ford picked up the loose ball and raced 18 yards into the end zone giving the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

The Aggies (0-2, 0-0) countered with a drive down to the Prairie View A&M nine-yard line but Jones blocked Lee Woodson's 27-yard field goal attempt, foiling the North Carolina A&T scoring threat.

With 2:03 remaining in the second quarter, Jones broke through the middle of the Aggies' front line for a third time and blocked Houston's punt for the second time in the game. This time Ford caught the ball in full stride and returned it three yards for a TD increasing the Panthers' lead to 13-0 The Aggies' offense moved the ball in the first-half but came up empty.

North Carolina A&T gained 182 yards in total offense and held the ball for over 20 minutes in the opening half, but was unable to score. In the second half the offense sputtered.

Late in the third quarter, QB Chris Gibson scored on a nine-yard TD run upping the Panthers' lead to 20-0. North Carolina A&T got on the board on a fourth quarter 32-yard TD pass from Shelton Morgan to Giorgio Lowrance.

Gibson completed 16 passes for 145 yards for the Panthers.

Anthony Weeden caught six passes and Joe Townsend and Shaun Stephens each had five catches for Prairie View. Michael Ferguson led the Aggies with 181 yards rushing on 22 carries.

Saturday's game was the first time the two teams have played each other.

Prairie View A&M holds the NCAA record of 80 straight losses between 1989 -- 1998.

Final: Delaware State 20, Florida A&M University 7

Photo: FAMU QB Albert Chester II

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Vashon Winton threw two touchdown passes to lead Delaware State to a 20-7 win over Florida A&M Saturday.

Delaware State (2-0, 1-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) led 10-7 at halftime and scored 10 points in the third quarter to take control of the game. Winton hit William Griggs with a 19-yard scoring pass on the first drive of the second half.

Albert Chester completed 19 of 34 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown for Florida A&M (0-2, 0-1 MEAC).

Delaware State took a 7-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, when Winton threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Shaheer McBride. The touchdown came after Delaware State's Alimayo Wilder blocked a punt by Florida A&M's Wesley Taylor.

Florida A&M scored its only points on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Chester to Taj Jenkines with 1:17 left in the second quarter. The score capped a 40-yard drive that began after the Rattlers' Curtis Holcomb intercepted a Winton pass.

Delaware State, which has beaten Florida A&M three consecutive times, scored its other points on two field goals by Peter Gaertner. The Hornets' Chris Strother caught six passes for 73 yards and also rushed for 35 yards.

Final: Southern U. 23, MVSU 6

CHICAGO - Bryant Lee threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns to lead Southern to a 23-6 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday in the Chicago Football Classic at Soldier Field.

Lee, a red shirt sophomore, connected with three different receivers as the Jaguars (2-0, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) built a 14-6 halftime lead.

Southern scored first early in the second quarter on a 54-yard toss from Lee to Gerard Landry. Later in the period, Lee found Kendrick Smith in the end zone with a 12-yard pass.

Mississippi Valley (1-1) got on the board on a 20-yard pass from quarterback Paul Roberts to Clarence Cotton with six seconds left in the half. The point-after by Jamie Whitworth was wide right.

"We really showed a lot of character coming back in the second half," said Jaguar head coach Pete Richardson, who admitted he feared the game's momentum had shifted to Mississippi Valley with their score late in the first half. "We were able to come back and shut them down."

Southern scored again midway in the third quarter on a 20 yard strike from Lee to Smith. The point-after kick by Josh Doran was blocked. Doran later connected on a 30-yard field goal.

Brian Threat led the rushing for Southern with 106 yards on 11 carries. Del Roberts was the leading receiver for the Jaguars, catching seven of Lee's passes for 74 yards.

"We really couldn't get anything going offensively when we needed to," said Delta Devils coach Willie Totten. "However, give them credit. They played a great game and were able to hold off our offense."

Southern's defense held Mississippi Valley to 162 yards and 11 first downs. Roberts accounted for 121 yards of the Delta Devils offense, completing 17 of 31 passes.

Final: Towson 28, Morgan State University 21

BALTIMORE-- Sean Schaefer threw for four touchdowns to lead Towson to a 28-21 victory over Morgan State on Saturday.

Towson was outgained 375-314 by Morgan State, but a fourth-quarter interception by safety Kenny Scott set up the winning touchdown.

Scott returned the interception 68 yards to the Bears' 2. Schaefer found tight end John Godlasky for the game-winning touchdown in the back of the end zone on the next play with 9:53 left in the fourth quarter.

Morgan State's Mario Melton hit Robert Surratt from 9 yards out with five seconds left in the half to make the score 14-10 at the half.

Chad Simpson raced 56-yards down the sideline to draw Morgan State within two.

The ensuing two-point conversion failed, but a bad snap to Schaefer on the next possession resulted in a safety that tied the game at 21-21.

1 2 3 4 T
TOW (2-0) 7 7 7 7 28
MORG (1-1) 0 10 3 8 21
Final

Final: South Carolina State 24, Bethune-Cookman 13

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.-- Cleveland McCoy passed for two touchdowns, propelling South Carolina State to a 24-13 win over Bethune-Cookman Saturday.

SCSU took the early lead (1-0) in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings, while Bethune-Cookman fell to 0-1 in the league and 1-1 overall.

McCoy threw an 11-yard strike to Spencer Miller early in the third quarter and a 49-yarder to Oliver Young in the fourth quarter. McCoy completed 10 of 18 passes for 88 yards and rushed seven times for 66 yards, as did teammate Travil Jamison.

The Bulldogs jumped to 10-0 midway through the first quarter. Stephen Grantham nailed a 35-yard field goal at 12:28 for the initial score.

Bethune-Cookman's Jimmie Russell pitched errantly toward Corey Council on an option play at the 26-yard line, with SCSU's LaQuinn Ellerbe grabbing the ball and racing 23 yards before being stopped at the 3-yard line.

Jamison then plunged across the goal line. Grantham's extra-point kick at 7:32 made it 10-0.

Bethune-Cookman's 83-yard, 17-play drive produced a 24-yard field goal by Lucas Esquivel at 4:24 of the second quarter.

Another Russell pitch, recovered by SCSU's Bailey Brinson at 31-yard line, led to McCoy's first TD toss and a 17-3 lead.

Council's 98-yard kickoff return and Esquivel's 27-yard field goal -- both in the third quarter -- cut the Bulldog advantage to 17-13.

Then came McCoy's second TD toss, which sealed the victory.


Team Stat Comparison

1st Downs 14 16
3rd down efficiency 2-12 4-13
4th down efficiency 0-0 1-3
Total Yards 359 247
Passing 88 130
Comp-Att 10-18 11-19
Yards per pass 4.9 6.8
Rushing 271 117
Rushing Attempts 40 43
Yards per rush 6.8 2.7
Penalties 11-155 8-70
Turnovers 1 2
Fumbles lost 1 2
Interceptions thrown 0 0
Possession 29:51 27:45

Individual Leaders
South Carolina State Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
McCoy 10/18 88 2 0
Bethune-Cookman Passing
C/ATT YDS TD INT
Souvera... 6/7 73 0 0
Russell 5/12 57 0 0

South Carolina State Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
McCoy 7 66 0 30
Jamison 6 66 1 57
Bethune-Cookman Rushing
CAR YDS TD LG
Russell 17 57 0 20
Council 6 27 0 19

South Carolina State Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Young 1 49 1 49
Dubose 2 13 0 9
Bethune-Cookman Receiving
REC YDS TD LG
Singlet... 3 46 0 29
Kirklan... 3 39 0 15


Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCSU BCC
FG 12:28 Stephen Grantham 35 yard field goal GOOD.
Drive info: 6 plays, 36 yds in 2:20 3 0
TD 7:32 Travil Jamison rush over left tackle for 3 yards for a TOUCHDOWN. Stephen Grantham extra point GOOD.
Drive info: 1 plays, 3 yds in 0:11 10 0
SECOND QUARTER SCSU BCC
FG 4:17 Lucas Esquivel 24 yard field goal GOOD.
Drive info: 17 plays, 73 yds in 7:33 10 3
THIRD QUARTER SCSU BCC
TD 12:00 Cleveland McCoy slant pass complete to Spencer Miller for 11 yards for a TOUCHDOWN. Stephen Grantham extra point GOOD.
Drive info: 4 plays, 32 yds in 2:14 17 3
TD 11:47 Stephen Grantham kickoff for 68 yards returned by Corey Council for 98 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
Drive info: 4 plays, 32 yds in 2:14 17 10
-- 11:47 Lucas Esquivel extra point GOOD.
Drive info: 1 plays, 98 yds in 0:00 17 10
FG 2:12 Lucas Esquivel 27 yard field goal GOOD.
Drive info: 7 plays, 40 yds in 3:01 17 13
FOURTH QUARTER SCSU BCC
TD 12:24 Cleveland McCoy middle pass complete to Oliver Young for 49 yards for a TOUCHDOWN. Stephen Grantham extra point GOOD.
Drive info: 2 plays, 56 yds in 1:01 24 13