NCCU adjusts to life without its star kicker

Jaymes Powell Jr., The News & Observer

DURHAM - Unfortunately, N.C. Central's football plan has to change.
As NCCU coach Mose Rison prepares to lead the Eagles into Saturday's Urban League Football Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., against Elizabeth City State, he'll have to do so without perhaps his best weapon -- his kicker.

NCCU senior kicker Brandon Gilbert, the school's all-time leading scorer with 234 points, was declared out for the season last week after a painful left quadriceps injury failed to subside.

That's an issue for Rison, because the former New York Jets receivers coach knew coming into the season that the Eagles' offense would be limited, and that NCCU would have to get by with great defense and stellar kicking.

"Instead of kicking a 30-yard field goal, now I'll take a shot on fourth-and-8 to get a first down," said Rison, after noting that NCCU's offense has been struggling.

The Eagles (2-1) have won their past two games, 17-0 and 6-0, respectively. Gilbert would have been a great help Saturday when the Eagles scored one touchdown, had two missed field goals by backup Taylor Gray and had to rely on a last-second defensive stand to win the game.

Gilbert is something of a living legend at NCCU. The kicker booted last-second field goals in both of the past two CIAA title games, giving the Eagles the championship.

Since the kicking game is often a struggle in black college football, Gilbert said he realizes his place in Eagles' history.

"I've had a great career so far. It's something that I never would have imagined. But that's how it ended up," said Gilbert, who was 2-for-3 this season and is hoping for a medical redshirt. "[But] this is a big deal to me, because I don't think I've missed a game since I've been playing football. It's new to me ... but it's gotten to where it's unbearable for me to play."

The Eagles, who have moved on to the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), won the CIAA last year by beating the Vikings (0-2), so playing them again could be emotional, Rison said.

Returning to Giants Stadium with his own team in tow is a matter of pride for the coach. Longtime NFL coach Jimmy Raye, now the Jets' running backs coach, told Rison -- a first-time head coach -- to just relax because football is football.

"He said he was excited about us coming to town this weekend ... he said just continue coaching hard and do a good job. He's been a mentor of mine for a long time," Rison said.

"Having an opportunity to play in that venue, the fact that I've coached in that stadium, that's a great atmosphere."

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Martin likely to sit out again this week

Alabama A&M will likely be without running back Max Martin for the third straight week and possibly longer, coach Anthony Jones said Tuesday afternoon.

Martin, who played at Bob Jones High School and transferred to A&M from Alabama inJanuary, has been unable to play this season pending some issues with the NCAA and it doesn't appear he will play anytime soon.

"I got a phone call today saying the NCAA needed more information," Jones said. "What? I don't know. That's all I know."

Jones had hoped Martin would be available for Saturday's Southwestern Athletic Conference opener against Mississippi Valley State. But it doesn't appear he will be.

"Is he eligible? No," Jones said. "Am I frustrated about it? Yes, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Jones said when A&M officials find out what information the NCAA wants, they will try to get it to them as quickly as possible.

"I'm waiting for the NCAA to get back to our people," he said. "Once that happens, we'll try to get it done and wait for the NCAA to give us its ruling."

Jones said he was given no time frame as to when the NCAA would rule on Martin's status.

Jones praises Pearl:Jones heaped heavy praise on offensive coordinator Cedric Pearl on Monday.

Pearl, who was given the job during the spring after Stanley Conner left to become the head coach at Benedict College, has A&M's offense playing as well as it ever has during Jones' tenure.

Through two games, the Bulldogs are averaging 45 points and 529 yards per game.

"Coach Pearl is doing an excellent job," Jones said. "He's my eyes upstairs. Our communication is excellent. He understands the game plan and he's making some great suggestions and ideas."

Totten praises A&M: Mississippi Valley State coach Willie Totten said Monday that his team will be in for a heck of a battle Saturday night when it takes on Alabama A&M at Louis Crews Stadium. Totten says the Bulldogs are doing things he's never seen them do before.

"We're going against the best team in our conference in the Eastern Division," Totten said. "They are doing a lot of exciting things offensively and they're always good on defense. This is the best I've seen A&M look this early.

"They have a lot of speed on defense and they're more balanced offensively. They're throwing the ball extremely well and they run the ball extremely well. We've got to be polished this week."

Reggie Benson

AAMU Bulldogs hope they're on solid footing

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

It's been a few years since the Alabama A&M men's soccer team was a national contender. Coach Salah Yousif, who has longed to get A&M's program back to national prominence like it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, says this could be the year.

With a number of starters and key lettermen returning, Yousif says the Bulldogs could field one of their better teams in quite some time.

"This could be my best team in the last four or five years," said Yousif, whose team is 1-3 with all three losses by one goal, including a pair of 3-2 losses at fifth-ranked Santa Clara and San Francisco, respectively.

"We've got 11 starters back and they're all very talented players. The only thing slowing us down right now is injuries. Once we get healthy, we should be in good shape."

MfanaFuthi Bhembe and Mosito Ranko are A&M's top returning players.

Bhembe led the Bulldogs with 16 points, including a team-high seven goals. Ranko finished with 12 points, including five goals. Yousif also highlighted goalkeeper Paul Musoke and defenders David Kimbugwe and Mutumba Ssemagulu.

"Bhembe is one of our most outstanding players," Yousif said. "Paul is outstanding and David and Mutumba are very, very good.

"Mosito and Jabulani (Selumane) are coming back from knee surgery, but they're very important parts of our team. We're not in full force yet, but once we get there, we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."

The Bulldogs picked up their first victory of the season last weekend, beating Georgia Southern 3-0 in the Mercer Tournament, before falling 1-0 Sunday to the University of California-Riverside.

"I'm excited about this season," said Yousif, who has compiled a 217-96-19 record entering his 20th season at A&M, including Division II national championships in 1977 and 1979.

"We're looking forward to better things."

Southern QB Lewis quits team

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern fifth-year senior quarterback J.C. Lewis has left the team, head coach Pete Richardson confirmed Tuesday.

Lewis met with Richardson on Monday afternoon, two days after Lewis stayed on the bench for the second straight game. SU did not practice Monday, returning to the practice fields Tuesday without Lewis for the first time since he came to school in 2003.

“He decided it’s in his best interests that he doesn’t want to play anymore,” Richardson said.

Known for his cool demeanor, Lewis was Southern’s top starter the last two seasons and was one of two team captains last season.

However, Lewis missed two games after suffering from concussions and, after regaining his starting role Nov. 4 (after two appearances off the bench), he injured his shoulder making a block in the second quarter and never played in a game again.

After the shoulder injury, Bryant Lee came off the bench to lead a 34-17 win over Texas Southern and since has gone 3-1 as a starter, winning his last three starts, including two this season.

“He was one of the most courageous quarterbacks to ever play here,” SU offensive coordinator Mark Orlando said of the culmination of hits Lewis took. Lewis was also sacked 28 times in nine games in 2005.

Lewis’ departure brings an end to a career that was once so full of promise.

Lewis finishes as the school’s sixth-best all-time passer, with 3,667 yards (335-for-536, 62.5 percent, with 30 touchdowns to 16 interceptions). Early last season, he seemed poised to reach the top three by the end of his career.

He threw for 558 yards and seven touchdowns in the first two games last season, with the Jaguars starting 2-0. But Lewis suffered from big blows in the next two games, starting with Prairie View, and threw seven interceptions and two touchdowns in those two games, both losses.

Lewis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in May and returned to pursue graduate studies in mathematics this fall.

Class conflicts limited Lewis’ availability in the spring, and faced with choosing between Lee, Lewis and a fast-closing Warren Matthews, SU’s staff left the quarterback derby open. However, after Lewis did not attend any of the summer sessions or the voluntary conditioning, Richardson said in late July, on the eve of preseason camp, that Lee and Matthews would be the only contenders.

Lewis was a solid third choice, but his lack of mobility didn’t help, considering the team was moving to an offense based on the quarterback running.

“I thought he did an outstanding job for us, but it boils down to competition,” Richardson said. “He lost a lot of time in the spring and really wasn’t fit when he came back. It was just a matter of him making a decision for himself.”

Matthews, who saw his first collegiate action running in the season opener but has yet to throw a pass, is No. 2 behind Lee. SU also has redshirt freshman Gary Hollimon and junior C.J. Byrd, who returned to practice early this month after being out since a late July car accident.

“It hurts us from the aspect of depth,” Richardson said. “But our quarterbacks are gaining experience. The more they play, the better understanding of the system they get and the better they’ll be.”

Williams to have surgery
Sophomore Tremaine Williams, a special teams player and reserve cornerback, will have surgery on his right knee, Richardson said, and likely is out for the season.

Williams, who did not practice or play as a nonqualifier last season, had one tackle this season. He was injured covering a kickoff with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter of a 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State in Chicago.

Richardson said the school would look into the possibility of obtaining a medical redshirt for this season for Williams.

Bridges doesn’t qualify
Southern true freshman guard Brian Bridges will be a nonqualifier this season, Richardson said. As such, Bridges will not be able to practice or play. He can become eligible as a sophomore but will have to earn a fourth season if he maintains satisfactory academic progress.

Bridges practiced with the team in the first few weeks of preseason camp as the NCAA Clearinghouse had yet to render a decision on his eligibility.

Including Bridges, four of SU’s five offensive linemen signees are not initially eligible. The only one to qualify is late signee Leslie Davis, a tackle.

Notes
Lee did not practice Tuesday to rest a sore ankle. He’s expected to practice today. Both SU and PV have three-game winning streaks dating to winning their season finales last season. Scouts from the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills attended practice Tuesday. Southern is seeking to become 3-0 for the first time since winning the first seven games of 2003, when the Jaguars went 12-1 and won SWAC and black college national titles.

Around the SWAC

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Grambling

In normal seasons, Grambling coach Rod Broadway would rather an off week later in the schedule. But given that this is his first year and his team is coming off a 34-10 loss at Pittsburgh, three weeks in is fine.

Broadway had previously lamented he didn’t know his team well enough after 15 days of spring practice and then preseason camp.

“We’ve learned a little bit,” Broadway said. “We have a base to build on now. This is definitely a good time to have it. We have to get better.”

Broadway said former starting QB Larry Kerlegan, who has yet to play this season, will play against defending SWAC champ Alabama A&M, on Sept. 22. Kerlegan could be at QB, WR or RB. Grambling held Pitt to 119 rushing yards on 35 carries.

Alabama A&M

A&M, which averaged 23.8 ppg last season and has been known for its defense, is averaging 45.0 ppg — seventh best nationally — despite replacing three offensive linemen, two tailbacks, two fullbacks and three of four receivers.

Senior QB Kelcy Luke, the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week, threw for a career bests of 301 yards and four TDs in a 41-10 rout of Division II Clark Atlanta on Saturday. Plus, sophomore Ulysses Banks, the nation’s top kickoff returner last year, ran for a school-best 211 yards and two TDs.

“Kelcy is the anchor,” A&M coach Anthony Jones said. “We have some speed and we have some big-play capability.”

A&M wide receivers coach Roger Totten spent the last four seasons as an assistant with his brother Willie, the head coach at Mississippi Valley State. Willie Totten said, “I blame a lot of people for that,” but would not go further.

“To lose him was very, very crucial for us,” Willie Totten said. “But we have to move on.”

Willie Totten said he hasn’t spoken to his brother since Roger’s departure in June, but the silence wasn’t unusual. The two were competitors with Roger Totten at UAPB and Alcorn State.

“That’s normally how we operate. We never talk during football season,” Willie Totten said.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Senior quarterback Chris Wallace, last season’s SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, got pulled in the third quarter of a 21-3 win Thursday at Alcorn State.

Junior Johnathan Moore, who was 5-for-10 for 64 yards and a touchdown, relieved Wallace and went 8-for-18 for 67 yards and a TD.

UAPB coach Mo Forte said Monday he’d use practice to determine this week’s starter.

The offensive line, with three to four new starters, remains a concern. The unit gave up 10 sacks (six on Moore, four on Wallace) Thursday after allowing four the week before.

“Any time your offensive line is struggling, your entire offense is struggling, and certainly our quarterback was struggling,” Forte said. “We’re not able to establish our running game like we have in the past.”

So far, Martell Mallett has 93 yards and one TD on 25 carries and Mickey Dean 39 yards on 17 carries.

Alcorn State

Alcorn (0-2) has just 13 points so far. Last season, the Braves had 20 points in an 0-2 start but finished 6-5. Tony Hobson, the planned starter, didn’t play against UAPB after injuring two fingers in practice Tuesday. Sophomore Tim Buckley (2-for-2, 18 yards) started, but was pulled for veteran Chris Walker (12-for-24, 164 yards and two INTs), who had a thigh bruise.

Jackson State

Sophomore Eric Perri, whose overtime kick beat Southern last season, made a school-record 50-yard field goal (after hitting a 44-yarder earlier) in a 16-13 loss to Tennessee State.

SWAC officials

Harold Mitchell Sr. has been named the interim coordinator of football officials. Mitchell replaces Gil Marchman. Mitchell will coordinate the scheduling, training and supervision of all the conference’s football officials.

THE RATING GAME

1. Alabama A&M

Defending champ continues to impress with big-play offense

2. Southern

Surprising running game has grounded SU’s early success

3. Grambling

Tigers put in solid effort at Pittsburgh, now get week off

4. Alabama State

Two straight long trips: at TSU on Saturday, now at UAPB Thursday

5. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Ugly win at Alcorn; offensive line has to get better quickly

6. Prairie View

Making it happen in all phases: offense, defense, special teams

7. Jackson State

Comegy feels good entering SWAC play, but JSU 1-6 in last 7

8. Miss. Valley State

Defense may be good; but offense will hold back Valley

9. Texas Southern

Tigers have been in games, but still looking for first win

10. Alcorn State

Went 6-3 after 0-2 start last season, but injuries troubling

THE BIG GAME

Prairie View at Southern

6 p.m. Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium

Prairie View, which has been resuscitating its program, could make a statement with back-to-back wins over Southern for first time since three in a row from 1962-64. SU, which blew a two-TD, fourth-quarter lead in losing to PV for the first time since 1971, can’t afford to let the Panthers steal early-season momentum for the second straight season. Home opener for SU should be big draw after impressive 2-0 start.

Confident PVU comes to town undefeated

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

The last time Prairie View was 2-0 came in 2004 in its first two games under Henry Frazier III. That start, though, came to a crashing halt in the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, where Southern blasted the Panthers, 42-12.

“My first year, we were 2-0 and it didn’t matter,” said Frazier, who used that film, which he said showed the physical dominance of Southern, as teaching and motivational tools early on for his program. “Coach (Pete) Richardson and his staff don’t care about us being 2-0.”

Prairie View finds itself back at the same juncture, at 2-0 again, as the Panthers (2-0, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference visits Southern (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Jaguars’ home opener.

Prairie View was last 3-0 in 1964, when the team went 9-0 and was the SWAC and black college national champion.

That’s also the last year PV had won consecutive games over Southern — winning three in a row from 1962-64.
“It’s the most experienced team he’s had,” Richardson said. “Individuals are buying into the system offensively and defensively. He’s got them excited and they’re playing hard. It’s a matter of them continuing to grow.”

Both teams want to find out how good they are and a showdown game like this will tell much.

Prairie View’s 2-0 start came against Texas Southern, which is 4-31 under Steve Wilson, and North Carolina A&T, which has now lost 18 consecutive games.

Southern, after going 2-0 and falling through a trap door of a 1-5 slide, isn’t taking any game for granted.

“It would be safe to say (PV is better), but we have a lot of football left to be played,” said Frazier, 13-21 at Prairie View.

“We do have better athletes. They’re in better shape. They understand the system a little better.”

Memories of Prairie View players gleefully taunting Jaguars after PV scored its first win over SU since 1971 serve as cautions for Southern.

“They understand what happened,” Richardson said. “There’s no personal vendetta. Our thing is to find a way to win. We know they’re improved.”

Prairie View didn’t follow up that stunner over SU, though.
The Panthers, 2-1 after that win, won just one more game.

Although PV had the best total defense and scoring defense in the SWAC, the Panthers’ weaknesses in special teams and the passing games hurt, leaving them with a 3-7 mark (after a promising 5-6 in 2005).

“Our guys showed we can play with the best in the conference,” said Frazier, whose team finished the season with a 13-7 win over eventual SWAC champion Alabama A&M.

Frazier said his staff harped on eight plays in the offseason, challenging players, “Are you working as hard as you can?”

Of PV’s seven losses, five were by a touchdown or less, including three games by three points and one by four.

The Panthers returned 55 lettermen and 16 starters for this season.

“They see we were right there,” Frazier said. “Now we have to finish what we started.

“We’ve laid out the plan as coaches. … We’ve got to ride it, see what happens. It’s going to be fun.”

Panthers honored

The Sports Network named Prairie View’s Val Ford as its Football Championship Subdivision national special teams player of the week for his returning of two blocked punts for touchdowns and making a tackle for a safety Saturday in a 22-7 win over North Carolina A&T. Previously, Ford was named the SWAC specialist of the week and Ford and Riante Jones, who blocked the two punts as well as a field-goal try, were College Sporting News’ national special teamers of the week.

The prediction: SCSU vs. SC

Hawgs Illustrated.com

South Carolina State (1-1) at South Carolina (2-0) 7:00 PM GamePlan

Why to Watch: While the world will gloss over this game as an easy blowout for South Carolina, it's a game of historic and symbolic significance, as it's the first time the two programs have ever faced each other. The historically black South Carolina State will get its first shot at the big boys just a few miles down the road. On the field, the Gamecocks get a breather after a 16-12 win at Georgia that made an SEC East statement. With a trip to LSU next week, and a chance to make some thunderous national noise, SCSU will be used to as a scrimmage to make everything is working well. The Bulldogs lost to Air Force 34-3 in the season opener before beating Bethune-Cookman 24-13.

Why South Carolina State Might Win: Talk about your letdowns, after beating Georgia and with LSU ahead, you'll have to forgive everyone around the USC program if the bags are already packed for Baton Rouge. Considering how much the offense struggled in the first two weeks, that could be a major mistake. Another big problem is a Gamecock run defense that's allowing 190 yards per game. The Bulldogs don't throw, but they can certainly run.

Why South Carolina Might Win: SCSU won't be able to throw for more than 100 yards on the Gamecock secondary, so as long as the front seven is actually trying, it should be able to tee off. How bad are things for the Bulldog passing game? The pass protection has been non-existent, which has caused the quarterbacks to scramble, which has added up to 178 passing yards combined in the first two weeks.

Who to Watch: If South Carolina has any dreams of beating LSU, it needs Blake Mitchell and the passing game to be able to open things up more than they were able to against Georgia. Mitchell was fine at controlling the tempo and making the short to midrange throws, but 20 of 31 for 174 yards isn't going to cut it next week. Even at the expense of appearances, USC has to throw and keep throwing just to get Mitchell, who was suspended for the season opener, more live reps.

What Will Happen: South Carolina will need about 20 minutes to wake up, and then it'll be over by halftime.

CFN Prediction: South Carolina 38 ... South Carolina State 0 ... Line: No Line

SCSU Pough excited for return to Williams-Brice

By Lou Bezjak , SCnow.com

Buddy Pough knows this isn’t a normal game week.
With the extra media at his weekly press conference and practice, the S.C. State coach can sense the buildup for the Bulldogs’ first game in school history against No. 17 South Carolina on Saturday.

“It has been an unbelievable atmosphere,” Pough said Tuesday during the MEAC teleconference. “It’s neat that the kids can compete in a venue that is as exciting as Williams-Brice.”

S.C. State’s fans are sharing in the excitement. The school went through its allotted 3,000 tickets, given to them by South Carolina, very quickly. When the school received 1,500 more in August, they were scooped up in less than a week.
“It’s almost going to be like a home game for us with our fans coming there to see us,” Pough said.

Pough is no stranger to Williams-Brice Stadium. He was an assistant with the Gamecocks under Lou Holtz from 1999-2001. He was in charge of the running backs and coached Troy Hambrick and Derek Watson during his time there.

“It was an enjoyable time for me and my family to coach there,” Pough said. “I look forward to going back there this weekend.”

While Pough was at USC, the Gamecocks made back-to-back trips to the Outback Bowl and were close to competing for SEC titles both years.

Current coach Steve Spurrier, who is in his third year at USC, has said he believes he has a team that could contend for the school’s first SEC championship.
“I think so,” Pough said. “Spurrier has the best credibility and has been honest since he got there, and I think right now he believes he can do it.

“We were close, winning those two Outback Bowls. We had a shot. And when you get that close and you have been successful, it’s not a big stretch to think you can compete.”

Pough said he hopes his team can match up with the Bulldogs this weekend. S.C. State’s spread shotgun offense might give USC trouble like the team had in its opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Ragin’ Cajuns racked up 315 yards of offense, including 252 on the ground. Quarterback Michael Desormeaux did most of the damage, rushing for 116 yards.
Bulldogs quarterback Cleveland McCoy is of the same mold, presenting a dual threat to the South Carolina defense. McCoy rushed for more than 400 yards and threw for more than 1,200 each of the past two seasons.

“We feel like we can go in and compete,” Pough said. “We might try and do some things that (Louisiana-Lafayette coach) Ricky Bustle did and were successful with.
“But we want to set up a scheme that will give us the best chance for success Saturday.”

Notes
Pough said safety Marshall McFadden is out for Saturday’s game. McFadden, a former Lamar standout, will miss two to three weeks after he hyperextended his knee Saturday against Bethune-Cookman. McFadden is tied for third on the team with 12 tackles. ... Pough said running back Will Ford is questionable for Saturday’s game. ... The Bulldogs will receive $230,000 from USC for playing the game. The teams will meet again in 2011.

SCSU 'X' Factor

Photo: SCSU defensive end Xavier Littleberry, a former Clemson Tiger, is looking forward to Saturday's game against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

By BRIAN LINDER, T&D Sports Editor

Remember 2004?

Xavier Littleberry does. In 2004, he was on Clemson’s sidelines when the Gamecocks and Tigers butted heads in a brawl that made national headlines. It was an ugly chapter in a rivalry that Littleberry was thrown into the middle of the second he signed on the dotted line to become a Tiger. It was a rivalry he counted on, and a rivalry that was taken away the day he was dismissed from Clemson’s team ... or so he thought.

Saturday, Littleberry, who had 1.5 sacks in last week’s 24-13 win over Bethune-Cookman, will take his first snaps against South Carolina when his South Carolina State Bulldogs take the short trip up I-26 to face the Gamecocks. If it was ever a secret that he’s not a Carolina fan, well, it isn’t anymore.

"I will tell coach (Buddy) Pough, he should know how I feel about this game," the Bulldogs’ defensive end said. "I told my position coach (David Blanchard) yesterday and my defensive coordinator (John Hendrick) ... I am ready.

"The brawl itself is a real good reason that I can’t wait for this weekend," he added. "When I first got here, I started figuring out there was a rivalry between them and South Carolina State too."

It doesn’t matter that this will be the first time the two schools have met on the football field, Littleberry said the close proximity makes it a rivalry nonetheless.

"I think (the distance) is why," he said. "And, then it’s a real big game for us. Nobody on our team likes South Carolina.

"Before I got here, they were telling me they were going to try to schedule South Carolina for this year, and I was happy about that," he continued. "I was transferring, and I had other (Division I) offers, but two of my coaches that coached me at Clemson wanted me to come here so I felt comfortable because they were here. They were telling me about South Carolina being on the schedule, and I felt real good about that because I was like, ‘Oh, I’m at Clemson now, and we don’t like them. If I go to South Carolina State, I’ll still have a chance to play them.’"

So, Saturday Littleberry will take his first snaps against South Carolina (he didn’t play in the brawl game, and sat out the 05 season), and he will take them with bad intentions.

"Saturday, I set a goal for at least four sacks," he said. "If I can go out there and get two or three sacks and maybe three tackles, that is a good game for me. I am 100 percent the whole game. I am a little messed up in my wrist, but I don’t care. As long as I beat up Blake Mitchell that is a perfect game for me. I want to shine and just put on a show.

"My true pass-rush skill is going to shine this game," he continued. "If (Mitchell) wants to have a big game, I don’t think he should hold the ball for more than three or four seconds because I am most definitely coming. I watched film on both of their tackles, I play right end, but their left tackle -- he looked athletic -- but he is still, my speed -- I am 260 pounds and I run a low 4.6 40. He is 300-something pounds, and I am going to try to make him work this game."

Bulletin board material, but Littleberry said he didn’t care about that. Everything that has happened over the past three years has built up into the perfect storm of emotion inside the former recruit from Camden Military. This was a game he was supposed to play in four times, not once. And, while he said he still has some Clemson blood running through his veins, he isn’t shy when it comes to talking about the sour taste his dismissal from the Tigers has left in his mouth.

"I am doing real good (at SC State)," he said. "I still think about what happened ... my last days at Clemson, and I don’t want to get into too much detail. But, the whole thing was a fluke. My thing was, if coach (Tommy) Bowden didn’t want me there all he had to do was tell me. I got into an incident in 04, and that kind of had some lean into him releasing me from the team, but the other incident was ‘BS’. People can think what they want and say what they want. But, unless they were actually there ... and, then all they have to do is read about what happened and pay attention."

Thankfully, that’s all behind him now and Saturday -- if things go the way he wants them to -- he could put a whole lot of "what might have beens" to rest.

"First of all, that feeling, I came from that environment," he said. "The feeling of going back to that environment ... it’s going to feel like I never left. We don’t have to worry about the options and the quarterback scrambling and all that stuff. I think my game is really going to come out.

"Everybody has been saying we could be the next App State," he added. "I really agree. I really feel like we can beat these cats."

Gamecocks not taking anything (SCSU) for granted

By THOMAS GRANT JR.. T&D Senior Sports Writer

In terms of favorable rankings, the South Carolina State football team and head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough enjoy a higher rating with Steve Spurrier these days than ESPN’s "College Gameday".

The University of South Carolina head football coach made a guest appearance on Pough’s highlight show Sunday, just six days prior to the two squaring off at Williams-Brice Stadium. On Tuesday, Spurrier said he was very much looking forward to the first-ever meeting between the two schools separated by only 40 miles.

"They’ve got a bunch of good athletes," he said. "They’ve got a bunch of guys who can play for us. I know that. And I’m sure they’re be excited to play their very best and do everything to beat us. But we’re really looking forward to the game too."

So much so that Spurrier said he would have scheduled the Bulldogs if he was Gamecocks’ head coach 10-12 years ago. Although fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school Florida A&M never faced the University of Florida teams during Spurrier’s 11-year tenure, he did face and defeat Palmetto State Football Championship Subdivision teams Furman (27-3 in 1990) and The Citadel (49-10 in 1993).

"I think it’s a good game," he said. "Instead of bringing in a team like (Lafayette-Louisiana), bring South Carolina State, Wofford. Do we play Furman in the next year or two? If they beat us, they beat us. I see a lot of coaches always worry about somebody beating you. Everyone of the schedule can beat you just about. So, it’s in-state. What’s the difference? It doesn’t bother me the way I read it bother some other coaches.

"I think it’s a good game. Buddy Pough said it’s wonderful for their program and, shoot, whatever we can do to financially maybe help those guys out, other Division I-AA schools, heck, we should do that I think."

While the oddsmakers may see the undefeated, 17th-ranked Gamecocks (2-0, 1-0) as capable of producing such a one-sided outcome against the Bulldogs (1-1, 1-0) enroute to next week’s showdown with second-ranked LSU, Spurrier cautioned about assuming his team has reached the level where it can overlook opponents.

"We’re not good enough to be overconfident," he said. "We’re not a big powerhouse here that think we can pick our opponents.

"Every win is precious to the South Carolina football team. We don’t take anything for granted, because none of them are for granted. We have to scratch and claw and make a few goal line stands and force field goals and all that kind of stuff so far. So we’ll be ready to play Saturday night. We’re looking forward to it. We’re not very happy with the way we played and the coaches aren’t very pleased with the way their players have performed either."

So displeased with his special teams’ play against Georgia that Spurrier said he plans to use starting running backs Mike Davis and Corey Boyd and even linebackers Jasper and Casper Brinkley as part of the kick return and coverage teams. Spurrier also voiced displeasure with his team’s mistake-prone play on both sides of the football.

He was particularly vocal about his offensive line’s struggles in pass protection and whether they can be effective against SCSU and the wide receivers’ inability to get open against man-to-man coverage.

"Georgia found out they could play man-to-man on us the whole game," he said. "The whole second half, they were just bump-and-run, man-to-man saying ‘you guys can’t get away from our guys’ and they were pretty much right. So, South Carolina State, their DBs may say ‘Hey, we can cover those dudes they got. Coach, let us have a go at that. So, that maybe the plan."

Spurrier did want to clarify critical comments regarding his defense attributed to him by ESPN College GameDay’s Chris Fowler. During Saturday’s telecast, Fowler quoted Spurrier as calling his defense ‘a bunch of average stiffs’.

"I don’t appreciate the guy misquoting what I say," Spurrier said. "If he can’t get it correct, then maybe he shouldn’t talk about South Carolina. Let him talk about all them other teams. But I never called a group of our players (that). I’d call our entire team a bunch of average stiffs."

A victory would move the Gamecocks (517-517-44) to the .500 mark in its 114-year history of football, but Spurrier knows the Bulldogs are motivated to pull off what would be the biggest win in the program’s 100-year history.

"We know they want to beat us," he said. "They want to beat us badly. This is a chance to create a memory of a lifetime if they come in here and beat us and they could beat us. They could beat us. Sometimes, the way we play we could lose to these guys. We know that."

FORMER HAWK MOVED

University of South Carolina strong safety Brandon Isaac of Blackville-Hilda will back up Saturday’s defensive hero, safety Darian Stewart against SCSU.

The sophomore safety Stewart had a team-high nine tackles and two pass breakups against Georgia. Isaac, who had a stellar game in the season-opener against Louisiana-Lafayette and is making a return from a shoulder injury which sidelined him last season, injured it again against Georgia but did return.

LS-WHO?

With exception to a hand-written 2007 schedule on the board behind him, Spurrier did his best not to give an impression his team was looking ahead to Sept. 22 against Louisiana State.

"Most of my guys don’t know who we’re playing next week," he said. "Go ask a few of them."

Both Boyd and linebacker Rodney Paulk, a former Richland Northeast teammate of SCSU center Raymond ‘Duck’ Harrison, just happened to be in attendance and stood by the same company line.

"We’re definitely trying to focus on this week," Boyd said. "We’re not focusing on LSU. That’s another week ahead. But we’re going to take the South Carolina State game and we’re going sit back and see exactly what they have to offer, what they’re going to bring to the table and we’re not going to overlook them. We’re going to play to the best of our ability. We’re not going to pay attention to the rankings right now because you can be in there one time and the next week, we can be out. So we’re going to let the pollsters do what they have to do and we’re going to control what we can do on the field."

"Don’t take any team lightly," Paulk said. "We’re still trying to work, get better each day. So we’re looking forward to playing them."

NSU hits paydirt - and it hopes more - with Rutgers game

By Vicki L. Friedman, Virginian-Pilot

Rutgers will pay Norfolk State $275,000 for coming on the road for Saturday's game.

NORFOLK - The idea that Norfolk State might be overmatched against nationally-ranked Rutgers on Saturday doesn’t concern wide receiver Dario Walker.

“They bleed just like we bleed,” he said dismissively.

To Walker, this weekend’s game is about opportunity.

NSU graduate Curtis Hodge plans to be among the half-dozen busloads of fans who will make the seven-hour trek from Norfolk to Piscataway, N.J. He will be showing his colors – “I’ll be wearing green and gold from head to toe,” he said – and hopes the university will benefit, whether it be recruiting athletes or just students.

But the bottom line is the bottom line: More than anything, Saturday’s game at Rutgers Stadium, before a sellout homecoming crowd, is about money.

Rutgers rakes it in from being able to fill its stadium . Norfolk State collects $275,000 from Rutgers for being willing to play a I-A team on the road.

And while $275,000 isn’t exactly big bucks to the folks at major-college programs – Rutgers’ football budget exceeds NSU’s by $11 million – that kind of money is a windfall for I-AA teams like the Spartans.

NSU has struggled to meet the financial demands of Division I since it made the move up 10 years ago from DivisionII. Just as Murray State’s season-opening 73-10 loss to Louisville translated into a weight room , NSU athletic director Marty Miller has his own wish list. Some of them can be checked off through the added revenue this week.

And more is on the way . NSU has scheduled a game at Kentucky for next September, with the financial details similar to the ones with Rutgers.

The money from these games will go into the general athletic fund, but Spartans coach Pete Adrian had two requests for football and was granted both.

For one, the Spartans will not have to bus to Tallahassee, Fla., for next month’s game at Florida A&M or to next fall’s game in Daytona Beach, Fla., to play Bethune-Cookman. That’s good news considering Adrian’s bad memories from the 13-hour road trip the Spartans made two years ago to Tallahassee.

“It was 17-10 in the fourth quarter and we died,” Adrian said. “And I know why.

“It wasn’t that we couldn’t fly, but if we did, then I’d have to take $40,000 from somewhere else and say, 'We can’t do this.’”

Adrian also wanted to make sure enough money is available to cover tuition if his players choose to take summer school.

“We’ve been able to do that for the two years I’ve been here, but it puts a strain on other things,” he said. “This is more like a guarantee.”

Fifth-year seniors will also benefit from the money, Miller said.

“This game will help us with those students who come back, whether it be to finish up one semester or 23 hours or even three hours,” Miller said. “Those student-athletes are very valuable to us, and I wanted to be able to provide a way they could finish their education.”

No renovations are planned “this go-round,” said Miller, though the wish list includes upgrading NSU’s track facilities and improving all the locker rooms. Revenue from the Kentucky game may be able to provide that next fall.

So while it’s a no-brainer to figure out why I-AA schools would seek this type of payday, it is curious why NSU would be so ambitious with its first foray into I-A football. The Scarlet Knights are ranked 13th in the country, after all.

“We weren’t supposed to play this Rutgers,” Adrian said with a laugh, explaining that talk of an NSU-Rutgers game came when the Scarlet Knights weren’t so successful.

The Rutgers team the Spartans face is fresh off its first bowl appearance in 27 years and is led by running back Ray Rice, whose Heisman candidacy is touted at the university’s SeeRayRun.com Web site. More than 6,000 names are on a waiting list for tickets to home games.

The Rutgers that Adrian initially had in mind to play was a far different team. After going 7-3 in 1984, Rutgers’ next 20 years produced three winning seasons. Greg Schiano took over as coach in 2001, and the Scarlet Knights were 3-20 in his first two years. In 2004, they closed with five straight losses.

It wasn’t unusual for marketing folks at Rutgers to give tickets away to Pop Warner groups and senior citizens so the stadium didn’t appear quite so empty.

Adrian wanted a I-A game, so he started making phone calls. Flipping through a notebook recently, he reviewed some of the contacts he made:

“I was calling everybody. UCF, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Northeastern, Ohio U., UNLV, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, SMU, New Mexico, North Carolina. Those are all people I had conversation with.”

Along with Rutgers, fresh off a 7-5 season in 2005.

Any coach will tell you the trouble with scheduling is matching up dates that work for both programs.

“You latch on to somebody and bingo!” Adrian said.

Howard played the Scarlet Knights last season with Rutgers initially asking for a two-year agreement, Adrian said. When Howard didn’t want that, Adrian asked if NSU could have it and eventually ended up with Saturday’s date.

And given the attention the game is bringing to the program, he isn’t complaining.

“From a media standpoint, from a national standpoint, we heard all summer long from our boosters up there,” Adrian said. “There’s a lot of hype.”

All 1,000 of NSU’s tickets sold almost instantly, and the game is on ESPN’s Game Plan package.

As far as the X’s and O’s, despite the mismatch in budgets, size of linemen and depth, Adrian likes to remind his Spartans that they play 11 guys at a time, just like the Scarlet Knights, and that Rutgers Stadium is still 100 yards from goal line to goal line.

“You prepare the best you can,” he said. “We’re going to give it the best shot we’ve got.”

SSU needs good running game to beat Bethune-Cookman

By Noell Barnidge, Savannah Morning News

During halftime of Savannah State's game against Johnson C. Smith last Saturday, SSU coach Theo Lemon reminded his Tigers that the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats were coming to Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m. this Saturday.

"Coach (Lemon) stressed that we make sure we get a win so we can have more confidence going into the Bethune game," SSU quarterback JaCorey Kilcrease said.
The Tigers listened and produced a 24-10 victory over the NCAA Division II Golden Bulls.

SSU rushed for 328 yards and three touchdowns on 53 carries, the most yards rushing since the Tigers ran for 330 yards at Division II Fort Valley State in 1999.
SSU (1-1) hopes it can be as productive running the ball against Bethune-Cookman (1-1), but playing the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) Wildcats should be more challenging than playing a Division II team.
Bethune-Cookman beat SSU 55-6 last season. The Wildcats are 29-8 in the series, and have not lost to SSU since 1992, when the late Bill Davis coached the Tigers to a 31-21 victory.

But Bethune-Cookman (1-1) is beatable.
Last Saturday, the Wildcats lost 23-14 to South Carolina State in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Last season, the Wildcats finished 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

If SSU has any shot at beating Bethune-Cookman, the Tigers must produce a running game like they did against JCSU. SSU can not afford to run the ball like it did in the season opener at Morgan State, when the Tigers gained 29 yards on 32 carries in a 47-7 loss.

As SSU's running game blossoms so, too, will the passing game.
"Our running game opens the passing game," Lemon said. "I think our offensive staff did a good job preparing our players (for JCSU). JaCorey was on target. He did really well."

Kilcrease was 7-for-11 passing for 47 yards against the Golden Bulls. He did not throw a touchdown, but he did not make any turnovers and he was not sacked.
"We were pretty effective when we did pass," Kilcrease said. "We were just nickel-and-diming, not trying to go for the home run all the time. Just take what they give you."

Defensive standouts
Overshadowed by SSU's dominant running game against JCSU was the stellar play of the Tigers' defense.

SSU sacked JCSU quarterback Carlton Richardson three times and intercepted him twice. SSU strong safety Antwan Allen registered a sack and picked off a pass. Allen fumbled after the interception, but only after returning the ball 65 yards to the Golden Bulls' 15-yard line.

SSU free safety Javorris Jackson made seven tackles. He also intercepted a pass for the second consecutive game. Weak-side linebacker Chris Herans made a game-high 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Middle linebacker Calvin Leonard forced a fumble and made six tackles, including a sack. Defensive end Dominique Clark registered a sack, and cornerback Marcus Darrisaw made seven tackles.

This and that
SSU must reduce its penalties. The Tigers were penalized 10 times for 115 yards against Morgan State, and they were flagged 10 times for 96 yards against JCSU. ...SSU did not have any red-zone scoring chances against MSU, but the Tigers were 3-for-3 against JCSU. ...SSU is 6-50 since leaving Division II in 2002, and 1-40 against its Football Championship Subdivision peers. In 2004, the Tigers defeated Norfolk State, 41-34, in double overtime in Norfolk, Va.

Bethune-Cookman (1-1) at Savannah St. (1-1)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Memorial Stadium

Delaware State Hornet women to host Michigan State

Delaware State News

DOVER — A visit to the University of Delaware in the opening round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament and a home contest against national power Michigan State highlights the 2007-08 Delaware State University women’s basketball schedule released Tuesday.

DSU, the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champ, opens its title defense in the opening round against Delaware on Nov. 9. It will be the first intra-state game between the two since 2001 and the ninth meeting overall.

The Delaware State/Delaware winner will take on Maryland or Princeton in the NIT’s second round.

DSU’s regular-season schedule features 12 home games, including an appearance by Big 10 powerhouse Michigan State on Nov. 26. The Spartans, led by 6-9 sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan, were 24-9 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Michigan State has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and reached the Final Four in 2005.


The Hornets’ home opener is Nov. 20 against St. Peter’s. The Hornets, who went 20-13 in 2006 and will return all five starters, will also welcome first-time opponent Army to Memorial Hall on Dec. 1.

Later in December, DSU will head to the University of Alabama-Birmingham tournament and the University of Virginia tournament.

The Hornets also travel to Colonial Athletic Association power Old Dominion for the second straight year on Dec. 20. Old Dominion has won the last 16 CAA Tournament titles.

The MEAC opener is Jan. 12 at South Carolina State, and the Hornets’ first MEAC home game is Jan. 19 against Norfolk State.

DSU Lavan gets reacquainted with MAC

Photo: Delaware State Head Football Coach Al Lavan

DSU at KENT STATE, Saturday, 4 p.m., WXXY/1660 AM

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Hornets coach recalls being snubbed at Eastern Michigan for full-time post.

DOVER -- Al Lavan had just led Eastern Michigan to a 2-1 record as interim football coach when he made one last attempt to secure the full-time job.

After the 2003 season finale, Lavan walked from his office to the school's secretary for athletics and turned in a job application.

He knew it was a fruitless gesture. If he was wanted, Lavan thought, EMU surely would have asked him to apply. "You kind of know the handwriting is on the wall at that point," Lavan said Tuesday.

On Saturday, Lavan, now Delaware State's coach, is heading back to the Mid-American Conference, which includes Eastern Michigan.

The Hornets will visit Kent State, their first NCAA Division I-A opponent since 1987. DSU, 2-0 and ranked No. 24 in Division I-AA by The Sports Network, plays the Golden Flashes (1-1) at 4 p.m. at Dix Stadium.

Lavan vividly remembers his MAC experience. After starting the 2003 season 1-8, Eastern Michigan fired Jeff Woodruff and turned to Lavan, the running backs coach.

As interim coach, Lavan's team beat Central Florida and Ball State before losing to Northern Illinois.

Even so, Lavan was not considered for the full-time job, he said. Had he been hired, it would have been his first full-time head coaching job at any level. He had been a I-A and NFL assistant since 1970.

"I was given the opportunity to be a head coach, and I did what I thought should be done," Lavan said. "They chose to go in another direction. It turned out to be more experience that I can put in my pocket."

Instead, Eastern Michigan hired Northwestern assistant Jeff Genyk, who has gone 9-27 over four years. Lavan, in his fourth year at DSU, is 21-14.

"This conference is tough; everyone is on the same playing level," said Kent State coach Doug Martin, who was hired in 2004, the same year Lavan took over at DSU. "There isn't anyone who has a talent disadvantage. It makes you be sharp as a player, especially watching a team like Delaware State. They have a lot of guys who could play in the MAC."

During the offseason, Lavan said, DSU had "multiple offers" to play Division I-A opponents more successful than Kent State.

But it was Lavan's previous MAC experience that proved to be the clincher in deciding to accept the Golden Flashes' offer. DSU will receive about $100,000 to play at Kent State.

"It was an opportunity we couldn't pass up," Lavan said. "You don't get them very often. This was an opportunity to play a team that's going to challenge for the MAC title."

The Hornets' only other game against a I-A foe was a 1987 win over current MAC member Akron.

Kent State was picked to win the league's East Division in several preseason guides. So far, it has a 23-14 victory at Iowa State and a 56-20 loss last weekend at Kentucky.

Lavan said he will reinforce to his players what lies ahead in facing a Division I-A opponent.

"The quality of preparation is always king," Lavan said. "Emotionally, we're trying to teach them to appreciate the caliber of opponent. It's always different when you play someone new."

Hornets buzz

DSU running back Kareem Jones (knee) and receiver Shaheer McBride (shoulder) are listed as day-to-day, but should be ready to play against Kent State, Lavan said. Jones was held out of the starting lineup in last Saturday's 20-7 win at Florida A&M to protect his knee, which was injured in the season opener. McBride hurt his shoulder late in the FAMU game and was held out of practice for precautionary reasons. ... The Golden Flashes defense is allowing 35 points a game, but the offense features two players averaging more than 100 yards rushing a game. Running back Eugene Jarvis averages 122 yards, while spread-offense quarterback Julian Edelman adds 105 yards per game. Edelman has 290 yards passing with two touchdowns.

Kent State welcomes Delaware State for home opener

Kent State Athletic Communications

THE OPENING KICKOFF

After splitting a pair of season-opening road games at a pair of BCS schools, Kent State makes its 2007 debut at Dix Stadium at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 against Delaware State.
The game will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and the Golden Flashes’ first contest against a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponent. KSU will be attempting to improve to 6-1 in its last seven home openers as the Football Championship Subdivision Hornets play their final game of the season outside of the MEAC.

The contest marks the Flashes’ only appearance at home over the course of the first five weeks of the season.

FLASH FACTS

• A win over the Hornets would move Kent State to 2-1 for the first time since 2003.
• Delaware State is the only opponent on this year’s schedule that the Flashes have never faced before. The Flashes are 25-22-1 all-time against FCS schools (formerly I-AA).
• Running back Eugene Jarvis is 22nd in the nation at 122.0 rushing yards per game, while quarterback Julian Edelman had a career-high 135 rushing yards at Kentucky. The pair have helped KSU to 263.0 ypg (15th in the nation).
• Defensive backs Jack Williams and Fritz Jaques lead the Flashes with 16 tackles each, while linebacker Jameson Konz has a pair of sacks.

THE SERIES

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Kent State and Delaware State, with the Hornets being the only new opponent on the Flashes’ 2007 schedule. KSU has never faced a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school before and is 25-22-1 all-time against Football Championship Subdivision schools (formerly I-AA).

KSU VS. FCS SCHOOLS UNDER MARTIN
YEAR OPPONENT RESULT SCORE

2003 Youngstown St. W 16-13

2004 Liberty W 38-10

2005 SE Missouri St. W 33-12

The Flashes have won six straight against FCS opponents dating back to a 26-20 loss to Youngstown State on Sept. 16, 2000.

TELEVISION

None, although live video of the game can be seen via the K-Zone on http://www.kentstatesports.com/

RADIO

Together for the sixth straight year, Bill Needle (play-by-play), Tom Linder (color analyst) and Ty Linder (sidelines) call the excitement of Golden Flashes football on the Kent State Sports Network. KSU football may be heard on flagship station WNIR 100.1 FM in Northeast Ohio.

WEBSITE

Live audio for all Kent State football game broadcasts, live video of select games and live stats are available via the K-Zone on the official athletic department web site (http://www.kentstatesports.com/).

THE COACHES

• Doug Martin (Kentucky ‘85) is in his fourth season as a head coach, owning a 13-23 record at the helm of the Golden Flashes. He was promoted to head coach March 1, 2004, after serving as Kent State’s offensive coordinator in 2003.
• Al Lavan has a 20-14 record in his fourth season at Delaware State. Overall, he is 22-15 in five seasons as a head coach, including a 2-1 mark at Eastern Michigan in 2003 after taking over for Jeff Woodruff, who was fired after the Eagles started 1-8.

UP NEXT

Kent State makes the short trip west to visit arch rival Akron on Sept. 22 at noon. The Mid-American Conference opener for both schools will be broadcast on ESPN Regional. Meanwhile, after a week off, Delaware State returns to MEAC action at Hampton on Sept. 29.

Prairie View's 'special' play

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

For this season’s first two weeks, Prairie View has had the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Specialist of the Week.

In week two, it was junior free safety Val Ford, who returned two blocked punts for touchdowns and made a tackle for a safety, accounting for 15 points in a 22-7 win over North Carolina A&T on Saturday.

In week one, it was freshman kicker Brady Faggard, who kicked two field goals and was 4-for-4 on PATs in a 34-14 win over Texas Southern. PV made three field goals all last season.

The importance of this can’t be underestimated.
Prairie View (2-0, 1-0 SWAC), which visits Southern (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium, struggled mightily on special teams last season.

Punter Eric Hernandez, a three-time all-conference talent, had to also place-kick after preseason All-SWAC selection Mario Sanchez was academically ineligible. Then Hernandez struggled with a quad injury.

“That really hurt us last year,” Prairie View coach Henry Frazier III said. “Especially because we had so many close games.”

To that end, PV signed three kickers in the offseason. And the team had to replace the steady Hernandez.

Well, freshman Pedro Ventura is ninth nationally (and leads the SWAC) in punting, at 44.4 yards per punt. The Panthers are eighth in net punting (40.8 yards).

And Faggard is already 6-for-7 on PATs and 2-for-3 on field-goal tries. Last season, PV was 11-for-18 on PATs and 3-for-9 on field-goal tries.

More, College Sporting News, which covers the Football Championship Subdivision, named Ford and junior cornerback Riante Jones as its national special teams players of the week.

Jones blocked three kicks: the punts returned for TDs by Ford and a field-goal try.

Plus, against TSU, strong safety Anthony Beck blocked a field-goal try (and had a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown).

“Special teams has been huge for us,” Frazier said. “We were able to make some depth. We’re making plays.”

SU’s Smith honored

SU junior running back Kendrick Smith, who transferred from Southern Illinois and sat out last season after starring at Coffeyville Community College, was the SWAC Newcomer of the Week.

Smith turned two catches into two TDs and 32 yards and he came on late to run for 58 yards on seven carries.

Because of Smith’s offseason and because of hamstring issues in spring and early in preseason camp, the staff has worked him in slowly. But he’s shown spurts of some special talent.

“His thing is learning the system,” SU offensive coordinator Mark Orlando said. “He hits that hole. He’s got big-play ability.”

Yellow flags
Prairie View has been penalized 26 times for a SWAC-worst 278 yards in two games — 15 for 141 in the season opener, a 34-14 win over Texas Southern and 11 for 137 in a 22-7 win over North Carolina A&T.

“We have to do a better job in terms of discipline,” Frazier said. “That’s one thing we’re going to harp on this week.”

SU has been flagged nine times for 79 yards. Both totals are SWAC lows.

Quick view of Prairie View

Said SU coach Pete Richardson, “Coach Frazier is doing an outstanding job with that team. His kids are playing hard. They’re making plays. He has 22 seniors, led by his quarterback. He understands the systems and makes the plays.

“Defensively, they fly around to the football. Offensively, they do a lot of things to cause some problems.”

Quick view of Southern

Said Frazier, “They’re much better (than last season, when SU went 5-6, including a 26-23 overtime loss to PV in Houston), a little more physical. Coach Richardson does a great job. I have tremendous respect for him. This year is a new year. I know they’ll be ready.”

The work
SU took Monday off, in what is becoming its first normal work week of the season.

The norm the last few seasons has been a short workout Sunday — “to get the soreness out,” Richardson said — and off Monday because players usually have many class conflicts with a 3:30 p.m. practice.

Last week, SU practiced at 6 p.m. Monday and did not practice Thursday. The previous week, coming off preseason camp, SU did not work Sunday.

Notes
In FCS stats, SU is 11th in total offense (476.0 ypg), 13th in rushing offense (265.5 ypg) and 18th in pass efficiency defense. PV is seventh in scoring defense (10.5), 10th in tackles for loss (10.0 per game) and first in sacks allowed (none). &hellip SU sophomore Tremaine Williams, a reserve defensive back, had an MRI on a right knee injury Monday. Williams suffered the injury on kickoff coverage late in the third quarter Saturday. SU leads the SWAC in third-down conversions (15-for-31, 48.4 percent) and opponents’ third-down conversions (5-for-28, 17.9 percent).

Bears set to host new MEAC member Winston-Salem State

Photo: Senior RB Chad Simpson

MSU Sports Information

Morgan State's #1 ranked MEAC run defense will be tested when the Rams of Winston-Salem State come to Hughes Stadium on Saturday.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE “RAMS” (1-1)
MORGAN STATE “BEARS” (1-1, 0-0 MEAC)
GAME #3
Saturday, September 15, 2007 • 4:00 p.m.
Hughes Stadium (Capacity 10,000) • Baltimore, Md.
RADIO: Morgan State Radio Network WEAA - 88.9 FM:
Rob Long (play-by-play) & Kelvin Bridgers (color).
INTERNET: www.MorganStateBears.com ; http://wssurams.cstv.com/
INTERNET COVERAGE: Live Audio and Live Stats

Setting the Scene
• Morgan State let Towson off the hook last Saturday at Hughes Stadium as the Tigers were able to escape with a 28-21 victory at Hughes Stadium in front of 8,732 fans. The Bears were led by All-MEAC RB Chad Simpson who posted a career-best 195 yards and scored on a 56 yard touchdown dash. MSU’s offensive unit racked up 375 total yards, 245 on the ground. MSU will look to get back in the win column when they host a tough Winston-Salem State team.

• Winston-Salem State is coming off a 28-21 narrow loss against Coastal Carolina. Senior quarterback Monte Purvis led the Rams by rushing for 165 yards and three touchdowns, including TD runs of 65 yards and 80 yards. Jed Bines added 123 yards to a Rams offense that gained 311 total yards against the Chanticleers. Saturday night’s contest will mark the 1st meeting between Morgan State and Winston-Salem State.

• QB Monte Purvis will be one to watch as the Rams prepare for Morgan State this Saturday at Hughes Stadium. Purvis has completed 11-of-25 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, but has really been a problem for opposing defense on the ground where he has run for 228 yards and four touchdowns. Purvis rushed fo 165 yards and three touchdowns in a tough 28-21 loss against Coastal Carolina last Saturday.

• The Rams will not be able to compete for a conference title this year but will play a full-slate of MEAC games in 2007.

• SEE CHAD RUN …INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS - Chad Simpson entered the Towson game just needing 63 yards to reach 1,000 yards in his Morgan State career…he ended up rushing for a career-best 195 yards! The All-MEAC running back rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opener vs. Savannah State and has increased his career total to 1,132 yards, 248 yards behind Tony Phillips (1992-93) who ranked #10 in the Bears rushing annals.

Delaware State returns to Top 25 in I-AA poll

Delaware State University, off to a 2-0 start with wins over Coastal Carolina and Florida A&M, is ranked No. 24 in three Division I-AA top 25 football polls.

The Hornets have not been nationally ranked since last November, when they reached the 23rd spot before losing their season finale at Howard.

DSU takes on I-A opponent Kent State in Ohio at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Golden Flashes are 1-1 after opening the season with a win at Iowa State. Kent lost last Saturday 56-20 at Kentucky.

MEAC power Hampton University is ranked #13 and Norfolk State received 9 votes for their season opening spanking of Division II, Virginia State University.

Sports Network's FCS College Football Poll

Team (First-place votes) Record Points Previous Rank
1. Appalachian State Mountaineers (77) 2-0 1,925 1
2. Montana Grizzlies 2-0 1,849 3
3. Massachusetts Minutemen 2-0 1,726 2
4. Northern Iowa Panthers 2-0 1,630 8
5. North Dakota State Bison 1-0 1,625 4
6. Youngstown State Penguins 1-1 1,411 6
7. Southern Illinois Salukis 2-0 1,386 11
8. McNeese State Cowboys 1-0 1,374 7
9. James Madison Dukes 1-1 1,366 10
10. Delaware Blue Hens 2-0 1,051 13
11. Wofford Terriers 2-0 1,044 14
12. New Hampshire Wildcats 0-1 1,030 5
13. Hampton Pirates 1-0 826 15
14. Eastern Illinois Panthers 1-1 749 12
15. Furman Paladins 1-1 725 9
16. Sam Houston State Bearkats 2-0 709 16
17. Illinois State Redbirds 1-1 556 17
18. Nicholls State Colonels 2-0 475 25
19. Hofstra Pride 1-0 394 NR
20. Montana State Bobcats 0-1 356 21
21. Yale Bulldogs 0-0 280 23
22. Western Illinois Leathernecks 1-1 273 24
23. Towson Tigers 2-0 260 NR
24. Delaware State Hornets 2-0 214 NR
25. Lafayette Leopards 2-0 134 NR

Others receiving votes: Cal Poly 131, Northwestern State 96, Princeton 82, Richmond 81, Texas State 74, Alabama A&M 70, Drake 69, The Citadel 65, Missouri State 65, Tennessee-Martin 60, Portland State 58, Georgia Southern 50, South Carolina State 46, Eastern Washington 35, Eastern Kentucky 34, Southern 34, Northern Arizona 31, South Dakota State 29, Villanova 24, Alabama State 23, Liberty 23, San Diego 20, Austin Peay 14, Holy Corss 12, Maine 12, Stony Brook 10, Norfolk State 9, Grambling 7, Central Arkansas 6, Harvard 6, Colgate 4, Prairie View 4, Rhode Island 2, Tennessee State 2.

As of September 10, 2007, at 07:03 PM ET

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Luke gets SWAC'sweekly offensive honor

Alabama A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, league officials announced Monday.

Luke, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior from Phenix City, completed 21-of-32 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns to lead Alabama A&M to a 41-10 shellacking of Clark Atlanta.Through two games, Luke is 38-of-61 for 562 yards and seven touchdowns with just one interception.

A&M's honors: Luke, tailback Ulysses Banks, inside linebacker Quinton Holmes and punter Rashan Cylar were honored by the A&M coaching staff for their play Saturday.

Luke and Banks were named team co-offensive players of the week. Banks rushed for a school-record 211 yards on just 19 carries and scored two touchdowns. A&M finished the game with 608 yards in total offense.

Holmes was named the week's best defensive player after coming up with five tackles, including one tackle for loss and a sack, as the Bulldogs limited the Panthers to 198 yards in total offense.

Cylar was earned the A&M special teams honor. He averaged 34.8 yards on four kicks, including a long of 44 yards.

Bulldogs weren't perfect: Although coach Anthony Jones was pleased with A&M's effort in Saturday's win, the Bulldogs didn't play a perfect game.

A&M gave up a long kickoff return for the second week in a row that helped set up a Clark Atlanta field goal. The Bulldogs were penalized 10 times for 80 yards, gave up three sacks and missed numerous tackles.

"We blew a couple of protections that gave up some sacks," Jones said. "We had some missed assignments. If we clean up our details, we would have scored at least three more touchdowns."

Jones said his team must make corrections in those areas to beat Mississippi Valley State in its SWAC opener Saturday night. Kickoff is at 6:30 at Louis Crews Stadium.

"We've got to get ourselves ready," he said. "We've got to clean up the mistakes we made and try to come up with a good game plan."

Furthermore: With Saturday's victory, Jones tied former A&M coach George Hobson for third place on the school's wins list. Jones is 43-18 in his sixth season with the Bulldogs and needs 11 wins to pass Ray Greene, who was 53-27-5 in eight seasons. Hobson was 43-83-10 in 16 seasons. ... Luke's 301 passing yards left him one yard short of the school's Division I-AA record for a passing yards in a game. Chris Gunn had 302 yards passing against Southern on Oct. 7, 2000.

Reggie Benson

Jones says A&M can't be satisfied

Photo: AAMU quarterback Kelcy Luke, who set a personal best with 301 yards passing on 21 of 32 attempts, has been named Southwestern Athletic Conference offensive player of the week. The senior led the Bulldogs to a 41-10 victory over Clark-Atlanta.

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

The preseason is over for Alabama A&M and fun was had by all.

The Bulldogs' offense put together back-to-back dominating efforts against Tennessee State and Clark Atlanta and Brawnski Towns' defense wasn't too shabby either.

Still, those games won't matter if A&M doesn't take care of business Saturday night when it opens Southwestern Athletic Conference play against Mississippi Valley State. Kickoff will be at 6:30 at Louis Crews Stadium.

A&M is 2-0. MVSU is 1-1 overall and in the league.

"We're not going to try to make our season against Tennessee State and Clark Atlanta," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We can't be satisfied being 2-0.

"I don't want our guys to think we're great because we're not. We've played two good football games and now we're ready to get into conference play. We have to continue to get better. If we don't, everything we've done will be for naught."

While the Bulldogs made it look easy against the Tigers and the Panthers - averaging 45 points and 529 yards in total offense - conference play, Jones says, will be vastly different.

"Everybody turns up the volume," he said. "There's a lot of parity in this league."

The Bulldogs had several newcomers on offense, and they have played major roles.

Tailbacks Ulysses Banks and Anthony Green have combined for 340 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Rashad Johnson is averaging a league-high 21.6 yards per catch and has two touchdowns. Three new starters along the offensive line - center Xavier Manuel and guards Charles Meade and Russell Jackson - have been solid in A&M's running game and in pass protection.

"We're not where we can be," Jones said. "We still have a lot of room for improvement."

UAB Blazers Excited for Home Opener Versus Alcorn State

Press Conference

Blazers Excited for Home Opener Versus Alcorn State In Monday's Media Luncheon.
UAB goes for fourth consecutive home-opening victory on Saturday.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB football team is gearing up for its 2007 home opener against the Alcorn State Braves on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Legion Field. The Blazers spent Monday's weekly Media Luncheon discussing the upcoming contest with the Braves, along with this past week's close call at Florida State, where the Blazers fell to the Seminoles 34-24.

"Even though we were very disappointed in the outcome, I do think we made a lot of progress, particularly on the defensive side of the ball," said UAB head coach Neil Callaway. "We want to get better every week and as long as we are getting better, we think we are making progress and we are going to be fine. So that was encouraging to see."

The Blazers gave Florida State all they could handle last weekend, and are looking to do the same this week at home versus Alcorn State.

"Looking at them on film, they have multiple offensive and defensive schemes," said Callaway of the outlook for this week's game against the Braves. "They have a very experienced football team coming back with eight starters on both sides of the ball. Even though they haven't won a ballgame, I have been very impressed with the way they play on both sides of the ball and how well they are coached."

Saturday will mark the first home contest of the '07 campaign for UAB. Callaway and company are excited to make their debut at Legion Field and emphasize the importance of protecting their home field.

"It's our first home ballgame," said Callaway. "We talk about it all the time. When we play in our house, we want to come out ready to play. We are looking forward to our game against Alcorn State and hopefully we will be productive.

"I really would hope the fans would come out to see us. I think the fact that our guys are playing hard and want to compete and do what's right, I hope that would be appealing to the people of Birmingham. Hopefully people will want to come out and support us and watch us play."

Developing story from MyFox Birmingham...

UAB Must 'Pay to Play' at Legion Field

The Birmingham Park and Recreation Board voted not to give UAB any more free rent to play football on Monday. The average fee UAB will be charged to play football at Legion Field is $10,000 per game.

On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council will vote on UAB's request for the city to continue to purchase $225,000 in Blazer football tickets over the next three years. UAB has contracted to continue playing at Legion Field.

---------------

Yep, you read it correctly! UAB will go from FREE to $10,000 per game, but City must buy $675,000 in football tickets over the next three years in TAX PAYERS MONEY. Just one question--did MEAC/SWAC Challenge get the same rump shaking deal? (beepbeep).

B-CU looks to get it done

By KEN WILLIS, Sports Columnist

DAYTONA BEACH -- One final question was posed to South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough, who was ready to pack his things for the bus ride back to Orangeburg, S.C.

Considering how disjointed Bethune-Cookman's offense looked in a 24-13 loss to Pough's Bulldogs, does it look like Alvin Wyatt and the Wildcats are in for another year of struggles?

Maybe he just didn't want to throw salt in the wounds, but most likely, Pough has seen B-CU do so much with so little for so long, he simply found the question a little silly.

"They'll be OK," Pough said. "You know, Wyatt has always found a way to get it done."

One way would be to shore up gaping holes in the special-teams play. S.C. State averaged 43 yards on four kickoff returns Saturday. B-CU kicker Lucas Esquivel, a first-year starter, hit two field goals but also saw two sail wide right. The worst special-teams episode came early in the fourth quarter when the B-CU return team watched a Bulldog kick land softly and flop around, near the Wildcat 30, where it was eventually recovered by S.C. State.

"Special teams . . . we really have to work on that," Wyatt said. "We were in situations where they could've scored 50 points on us."

On the upside, the 'Cats cleanly blocked two field goals and deflected a third. And Corey Council, a junior return specialist, provided the day's biggest highlight with a 98-yard touchdown return in the third quarter.

"It feels good to break a run," Council said of his first collegiate touchdown.

Council also gained 19 yards on a second-quarter toss-sweep, and appeared to be just one block away from breaking a couple of other runs during the game, which makes you wonder if they should make a conscious effort to put the ball in his hands more.

"No," Wyatt said, "the defense dictates who gets the ball in our offense. If they make a mistake, it could be the B-back or the quarterback or the A-back. It all depends on what the defense is giving."

B-CU goes on the road to Savannah State this week, and should find an opposing defense that's in a more giving mood. After that, though, it's back to league play with three straight games within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. None of the preseason MEAC polls tabbed B-CU as a favorite, and as of now, those polls look to be correct.

But the Wildcats consider two games into a season far too early to be writing off any goals or expectations. Especially when the Game 2 measuring stick was an S.C. State team considered one of the preseason MEAC favorites.

"They're a good football team, we're a good football team," Wyatt said. "We just couldn't answer the things they were putting out there on us. But we'll get better as we go along.

"I'm optimistic about our team, you know. We need to iron some things out offensively as well as on special teams. We may have our difficulties, but I think we can get it together and it'll be a great year for us."

Asked to define "great," Wyatt ignored numbers and focused on effort.

"As long as they compete," he said, "then I'm satisfied."

Delayed flight caps bad trip for NCA&T

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record

HAMPTON AT N.C. A&T
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Aggie Stadium, Greensboro
Records: Hampton 1-0 overall, 1-0 MEAC; N.C. A&T 0-2, 0-1
Tickets: $20. Call 334-7749 or go to http://www.ncataggies.com.
TV: ESPNU (taped telecast at 10 p.m.)
INSIDE: Aggies QB likely done for season.

First, N.C. A&T's football team loses to Prairie View. Then it gets stranded for an extra day in L.A.

GREENSBORO -- The event was called the Angel City Classic, but for N.C. A&T's football team and band, the trip back from Los Angeles resembled the Biblical afterlife destination devoid of angels and ethereal joy.

"It is a horror. No doubt," coach Lee Fobbs said shortly after getting off a chartered flight at 1:35 p.m. Monday -- nearly 24 hours later than originally scheduled.

The flight itself was smooth and without incident. It just took awhile to get started, having been compromised by mechanical problems and FAA regulations.

The Aggies' losing streak grew to 18 games when they fell to Prairie View A&M 22-7 on Saturday afternoon, and they were scheduled to leave Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday morning, according to an itinerary handled by the game's Texas-based promoter, John Fleming III.





















Fleming's company, Black Educational Events, had contracted with Premier Charter Network of Castle Rock, Colo., to provide two DC-10s owned and operated by American Trans Air. One aircraft would take the Prairie View traveling party to Houston; the other would transport the Aggies.

"The plane that was supposed to take Prairie View to Texas had a mechanical problem that couldn't be rectified until (Monday)," said Wheeler Brown, A&T's associate athletics director. "So what they wanted to do was use our plane to take Prairie View home (Sunday) and then come back and pick us up."

So the Panthers got out of town first. Pilots and flight attendants made the trip from Los Angeles to Houston and back, but under FAA safety policy they were required to rest before getting back in the air. When officially cleared to resume work, they were stuck with an itinerary that would put them in Greensboro after midnight -- at which time there would be no baggage handlers at Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Taking care of the luggage of 100 football players and coaches and 200 members of the university's band isn't exactly a do-it-yourself deal. The Aggies were stuck.

"It's just the nature of aviation," said Kim Butorac, president and chief executive officer of the charter service. "ATA did this event last year and the thing went flawlessly. The promoter has done a great job and the event was fine. It was just one of those things that can happen when you're trying to move people with machines."

Attempts to reach Fleming for comment were unsuccessful.

For the Aggies, the timing was unfortunate on a few levels. The players and band members missed a third day of classes for the trip. A&T's coaches found themselves a day behind in preparations for 2006 MEAC champion Hampton, which visits Aggie Stadium at 6 p.m. Saturday.

"We're going right now to the office and get to work," Fobbs said while walking through the PTI terminal.