Greg Schiano padded Ray Rice's stats late in a win over Navy on Sept. 7. But after being criticized for a bush-league move, the Rutgers head coach only seemed even more determined to rub it in the face of an opponent.
Saturday against tiny Norfolk State, Schiano called a bevy of timeouts in short succession while his team held a 45-0 lead at the end of the second quarter. NSU coach Pete Adrian had a right to be upset, and the fact that the controversy was the lead item in the Associated Press' (usually) bland game report shows you how much this story matters. It overshadowed anything and everything that Rutgers might have achieved in this game.
Okay, coach Schiano, it's time to throw down some tough talk: before this season, you did the right things in the right way for all the right reasons at Rutgers. After several years of hard work — and justified patience from your athletic director — you've gained the right results as well. You were a model for all other coaches in every possible way.
But now, after two straight weeks of stat-padding, with one of them coming in a classic paycheck game, all the goodwill and political capital of Rutgers University's football program are being thrown out the window. This on-field controversy involving Schiano's methods (and motives) accompanies the off-field developments concerning the unruly and unbecoming behavior of the Rutgers student body at home games in Piscataway, N.J.
Coach, your reasoning after the Norfolk State game was pretty lame. You said that as long as your starters are in the game, you play the way you coach: all-out, with a complete focus on performance and excellence. That statement leaves a lot to be desired for a number of reasons.
First, you can justify leaving your starters in the game far longer than they should. If Ray Rice is on the field, you think you can do whatever you want. So you leave Rice in the game, and you do whatever you want. Twisted logic, to say the very least.
Secondly, one would think that with backups in the game, you would actually work harder as a coach. When first-string players are competing against a grossly inferior opponent, you don't need to trick up your playbook or complicate your game plan. With dominant players, you can do the simplest things and still score points. If that happens, then you can't be accused of stat-padding.
But with backup players who need exposure to live-action game management situations, it's justifiable to provide trick plays and special strategies.
Second- or third-string players deserve the right to work with the gadgets, exotics and wrinkles normally reserved for the first-teamers. If your bench-warmers get a full playbook and a complex offensive package, no opposing coach could argue: second-stringers don't get much work, so they need exposure to everything. The logic is clear and convincing.
Long story short, you can't have it both ways, Mr. Schiano: either you keep your first string in the game and don't call the timeouts, or you put in your backups and call the timeouts. If you were a really nice guy, you'd put in second-stringers and not call the timeouts, but we'll be reasonable and ask for only one action, not both. But you did neither; you kept in the first-team offense AND called the three timeouts in a 45-point game against a paycheck school whom you should treat with a little more respect. It's not just Pete Adrian who should be angry at you; it's an entire college football community that suddenly doesn't feel that Rutgers is a feel-good story anymore.
Not with the embarrassing way in which you're conducting yourself on gamedays, Mr. Schiano.
— Matthew Zemek, Foxsports.com
Monday, September 17, 2007
HU's kickoff return provides a kick-start
BY KEITH CANNON, Special to the Daily Press
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A confusing set of circumstances led to one of the biggest plays in Hampton's 59-14 victory over North Carolina A&T on Saturday night at Aggie Stadium.
A premature call by the A&T captains after the opening coin toss led to the Pirates receiving both the first- and second-half kickoffs. Kevin Teel returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, sparking Hampton's big third quarter.
Quarterback T.J. Mitchell, one of Hampton's game captains, explained that the Pirates lost the coin toss, but when asked what they wanted to do, the Aggie captains identified which goal they wanted to defend instead of the expected decision to defer to the second half. So, naturally, the Pirates elected to receive for the second half.
Hampton coach Joe Taylor said he was surprised by the whole incident. "First time in my life I've ever seen that," he said.
SHORT SCHEDULE
The Pirates home opener at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Morgan State (TV: ESPNU) will result in changes in the team's routine this week, Taylor said.
"We won't grade this game's film yet, but we'll look at Morgan first," he said. "We usually take Monday off and introduce the next team on Tuesday," he said. "But this time our next day off will be Friday."
TURNOVER STREAK STAYS ALIVE
Kendall Langford's 23-yard interception return for a score late in the third quarter marked the 28th consecutive game in which the Pirates defense has forced at least one turnover. The last time the Pirates didn't get a giveaway from the opposition was on Nov. 8, 2003 at Bethune-Cookman.
THE LAST TIME
Teel's kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half was the second of his career. He repeated the feat he accomplished last season when the opened the second half with a 92-yard return for a score in a 29-14 victory over Delaware State on Sept. 30, 2006, in Dover, Del...It also hasn't been that long since the Pirates scored 59 points in a game. They did it last season in a 59-7 victory over Florida A&M in Tallahassee, Fla. on Nov. 11, 2006.
N.C. CONNECTION
Four players on the Hampton roster hail from North Carolina, including senior safety Henti Baird, a Greensboro Page graduate playing in front of a hometown crowd for the final time. There's also a Hampton connection on the A&T side as Aggie linebacker coach Travis Oliver is a 2003 Hampton graduate. He was a two-time All-MEAC safety for the Pirates.
ALL-TIME SERIES
With the victory, the Pirates' all-time record against North Carolina A&T is now 22-15-2. Hampton has won the last four, and have scored more than 40 points in three of the four. Hampton has a 9-4 advantage in MEAC games between the teams and Pirates coach Joe Taylor is 9-3 against the Aggies in his career at Hampton.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - A confusing set of circumstances led to one of the biggest plays in Hampton's 59-14 victory over North Carolina A&T on Saturday night at Aggie Stadium.
A premature call by the A&T captains after the opening coin toss led to the Pirates receiving both the first- and second-half kickoffs. Kevin Teel returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, sparking Hampton's big third quarter.
Quarterback T.J. Mitchell, one of Hampton's game captains, explained that the Pirates lost the coin toss, but when asked what they wanted to do, the Aggie captains identified which goal they wanted to defend instead of the expected decision to defer to the second half. So, naturally, the Pirates elected to receive for the second half.
Hampton coach Joe Taylor said he was surprised by the whole incident. "First time in my life I've ever seen that," he said.
SHORT SCHEDULE
The Pirates home opener at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Morgan State (TV: ESPNU) will result in changes in the team's routine this week, Taylor said.
"We won't grade this game's film yet, but we'll look at Morgan first," he said. "We usually take Monday off and introduce the next team on Tuesday," he said. "But this time our next day off will be Friday."
TURNOVER STREAK STAYS ALIVE
Kendall Langford's 23-yard interception return for a score late in the third quarter marked the 28th consecutive game in which the Pirates defense has forced at least one turnover. The last time the Pirates didn't get a giveaway from the opposition was on Nov. 8, 2003 at Bethune-Cookman.
THE LAST TIME
Teel's kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half was the second of his career. He repeated the feat he accomplished last season when the opened the second half with a 92-yard return for a score in a 29-14 victory over Delaware State on Sept. 30, 2006, in Dover, Del...It also hasn't been that long since the Pirates scored 59 points in a game. They did it last season in a 59-7 victory over Florida A&M in Tallahassee, Fla. on Nov. 11, 2006.
N.C. CONNECTION
Four players on the Hampton roster hail from North Carolina, including senior safety Henti Baird, a Greensboro Page graduate playing in front of a hometown crowd for the final time. There's also a Hampton connection on the A&T side as Aggie linebacker coach Travis Oliver is a 2003 Hampton graduate. He was a two-time All-MEAC safety for the Pirates.
ALL-TIME SERIES
With the victory, the Pirates' all-time record against North Carolina A&T is now 22-15-2. Hampton has won the last four, and have scored more than 40 points in three of the four. Hampton has a 9-4 advantage in MEAC games between the teams and Pirates coach Joe Taylor is 9-3 against the Aggies in his career at Hampton.
Fans stay away in droves for Flashes' home opener with Delaware State
By David Carducci, Record-Courier
The jam-packed gold bleachers behind Kent State's bench shook as if they were hit by a seismic wave as students celebrated a 31-point win over Delaware State Saturday in the Golden Flashes' first home game of 2006.
It was a real Division I-A college-football atmosphere, but unfortunately it was limited to just the one small corner of Dix Stadium.
While the student section was filled to capacity with kids eager to embrace a team picked to contend for its first league championship in 35 years, the other three grandstands surrounding the playing field looked almost desolate.
An embarrassing opening-day crowd of just 8,455 filled Dix Stadium to just under 29-percent capacity.
The dreadful community showing left KSU head coach Doug Martin wondering what his team needs to do to finally pique the interest of fans living in and around Kent.
KSU has more than just a football program that is finally capable of winning a MAC title. It boasts an exciting team filled with playmakers who should have built up some equity in a season-opening win over a Big 12 school at Iowa State. The Golden Flashes hadn't enjoyed that kind of marquee win against a BCS program since 1987.
At least the students noticed.
"I want to thank our student section. They were unbelievable again," Martin said following the 38-7 win over Delaware State. "If the people of Kent, the community of Kent, would take a clue and follow this student body, we are going to have something really special here. If you are driving from Kent to go watch somebody else play, you are nuts. You've got a pretty good product here."
Lesser products in the Mid-American Conference have welcomed much larger crowds to their home stadiums already this season. Average home attendance for MAC schools in the season's first three weeks has been 21,270, and that does not include "home" games played at neutral sites like Cleveland Browns Stadium or Chicago's Soldier Field. Those are home games at campus sites.
Only lowly Eastern Michigan drew fewer fans for a home game this season when 5,794 showed up to see a Sept. 8 game in Ypsilanti. Other than KSU and Eastern's home openers, the smallest crowd in a MAC stadium was the 15,488 that showed in Muncie, Ind. to see Ball State beat Miami.
"I'm disappointed, but I'm still optimistic we will turn this around," said Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy. "I think it's going to happen very soon with this team."
Kent State pointed to temperatures in the high-50s as one reason fans may have decided to stay home.
"Five degrees warmer and we probably have a bigger box office," said Kennedy. "This has always been a walk-up community, not a pre-sale community."
Playing a little known I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) school like Delaware State also couldn't have helped. Of course, Ohio University enjoyed an opening-day crowd of 19,823 when it hosted Gardner-Webb on Sept. 1. Any fans out there know where Gardner Webb is? At least most middle-school students can find Delaware on a map.
Kennedy also acknowledged that the 4 p.m. start could have been a mistake because it forced fans to decide between going out to Dix Stadium or staying home to watch Ohio State at Washington on ESPN. Saturday would have been the first opportunity for most Northeast Ohio college football fans to see the Buckeyes on television. The first two OSU games were broadcast on the new Big Ten Network -- a channel not found on most local cable systems.
None of those factors excuse a crowd of 8,455.
This team deserves better.
"I'm disappointed for our players and for our administration," said Martin. "We've done such a great job with the improvements that have been made to this stadium. This is one of the nicest stadiums in the Mid-American Conference."
Saturday was the debut of the first stage of a multi-million dollar facelift to Dix Stadium that will completely change the look of the 38-year-old stadium by the start of the 2008 season.
"We have a great product here, and we are doing things the right way," said Martin. "Our players graduate. Our players are taking care of themselves. They are doing the right things. They are good kids.
"We could have something really special here as a community, something the community could have great pride in, just like the (men's) basketball team we have here. That is a source of great pride in the community, and this football program is going to be the same thing. We just need the people of Kent and the surrounding communities to get on board with us. We would welcome them."
*
2007 MAC HOME GAMES AND ATTENDANCE -- Sept. 8, Indiana at Western Michigan, 32,129; Aug. 31, Navy at Temple, 30,368; Sept. 1, Purdue at Toledo, 26,100; Sept. 8, Southern Illinois at Northern Illinois, 24,182; Sept. 15, Cincinnati at Miami, 22,421; Sept. 8, Toledo at Central Michigan, 22,031; Sept. 15, Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois, 20,012; Sept. 1, Gardner-Webb at Ohio, 19,823; Aug. 31, Miami at Ball State, 15,488; Sept. 8, Buffalo at Temple, 15,629; Sept. 15, Delaware State at Kent State, 8,455; Sept. 8, Ball State at Eastern Michigan, 5,794.
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Howard University vs. Hampton University attendance was over 10,000 at Greene Stadium, Washington, DC for Howard's home opener. Let's see what the turnout will be for Howard at Eastern Michigan this weekend. Other than rivalry games and Classics, attendance is declining in the FCS as folks opt to watch from their computers, TVs or not at all. (beepbeep)
The jam-packed gold bleachers behind Kent State's bench shook as if they were hit by a seismic wave as students celebrated a 31-point win over Delaware State Saturday in the Golden Flashes' first home game of 2006.
It was a real Division I-A college-football atmosphere, but unfortunately it was limited to just the one small corner of Dix Stadium.
While the student section was filled to capacity with kids eager to embrace a team picked to contend for its first league championship in 35 years, the other three grandstands surrounding the playing field looked almost desolate.
An embarrassing opening-day crowd of just 8,455 filled Dix Stadium to just under 29-percent capacity.
The dreadful community showing left KSU head coach Doug Martin wondering what his team needs to do to finally pique the interest of fans living in and around Kent.
KSU has more than just a football program that is finally capable of winning a MAC title. It boasts an exciting team filled with playmakers who should have built up some equity in a season-opening win over a Big 12 school at Iowa State. The Golden Flashes hadn't enjoyed that kind of marquee win against a BCS program since 1987.
At least the students noticed.
"I want to thank our student section. They were unbelievable again," Martin said following the 38-7 win over Delaware State. "If the people of Kent, the community of Kent, would take a clue and follow this student body, we are going to have something really special here. If you are driving from Kent to go watch somebody else play, you are nuts. You've got a pretty good product here."
Lesser products in the Mid-American Conference have welcomed much larger crowds to their home stadiums already this season. Average home attendance for MAC schools in the season's first three weeks has been 21,270, and that does not include "home" games played at neutral sites like Cleveland Browns Stadium or Chicago's Soldier Field. Those are home games at campus sites.
Only lowly Eastern Michigan drew fewer fans for a home game this season when 5,794 showed up to see a Sept. 8 game in Ypsilanti. Other than KSU and Eastern's home openers, the smallest crowd in a MAC stadium was the 15,488 that showed in Muncie, Ind. to see Ball State beat Miami.
"I'm disappointed, but I'm still optimistic we will turn this around," said Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy. "I think it's going to happen very soon with this team."
Kent State pointed to temperatures in the high-50s as one reason fans may have decided to stay home.
"Five degrees warmer and we probably have a bigger box office," said Kennedy. "This has always been a walk-up community, not a pre-sale community."
Playing a little known I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) school like Delaware State also couldn't have helped. Of course, Ohio University enjoyed an opening-day crowd of 19,823 when it hosted Gardner-Webb on Sept. 1. Any fans out there know where Gardner Webb is? At least most middle-school students can find Delaware on a map.
Kennedy also acknowledged that the 4 p.m. start could have been a mistake because it forced fans to decide between going out to Dix Stadium or staying home to watch Ohio State at Washington on ESPN. Saturday would have been the first opportunity for most Northeast Ohio college football fans to see the Buckeyes on television. The first two OSU games were broadcast on the new Big Ten Network -- a channel not found on most local cable systems.
None of those factors excuse a crowd of 8,455.
This team deserves better.
"I'm disappointed for our players and for our administration," said Martin. "We've done such a great job with the improvements that have been made to this stadium. This is one of the nicest stadiums in the Mid-American Conference."
Saturday was the debut of the first stage of a multi-million dollar facelift to Dix Stadium that will completely change the look of the 38-year-old stadium by the start of the 2008 season.
"We have a great product here, and we are doing things the right way," said Martin. "Our players graduate. Our players are taking care of themselves. They are doing the right things. They are good kids.
"We could have something really special here as a community, something the community could have great pride in, just like the (men's) basketball team we have here. That is a source of great pride in the community, and this football program is going to be the same thing. We just need the people of Kent and the surrounding communities to get on board with us. We would welcome them."
*
2007 MAC HOME GAMES AND ATTENDANCE -- Sept. 8, Indiana at Western Michigan, 32,129; Aug. 31, Navy at Temple, 30,368; Sept. 1, Purdue at Toledo, 26,100; Sept. 8, Southern Illinois at Northern Illinois, 24,182; Sept. 15, Cincinnati at Miami, 22,421; Sept. 8, Toledo at Central Michigan, 22,031; Sept. 15, Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois, 20,012; Sept. 1, Gardner-Webb at Ohio, 19,823; Aug. 31, Miami at Ball State, 15,488; Sept. 8, Buffalo at Temple, 15,629; Sept. 15, Delaware State at Kent State, 8,455; Sept. 8, Ball State at Eastern Michigan, 5,794.
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Howard University vs. Hampton University attendance was over 10,000 at Greene Stadium, Washington, DC for Howard's home opener. Let's see what the turnout will be for Howard at Eastern Michigan this weekend. Other than rivalry games and Classics, attendance is declining in the FCS as folks opt to watch from their computers, TVs or not at all. (beepbeep)
Southern defense gets 'moral shutout' against PVAMU
Photo: Southern’s Jarmal George (2) leaps over Prairie View’s Chris Gibson (10) during Southern’s 12-2 victory.
By JOE SCHIEFELBEIN, The Advocate
Do they have things called “moral shutouts?”
That’s what Southern’s defense scored in a 12-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory over Prairie View on Saturday.
Prairie View’s only score came when Southern was called for holding in the end zone while attempting a punt in the fourth quarter.
“We had a shutout defensively,” said senior free safety Jarmaul George, the SWAC’s preseason defensive player of the year.
George’s interception at the Southern 15-yard line with 4:41 to play ended the Panthers’ last good chance to score. SU’s last shutout came in September 2005, 38-0 over Prairie View.
“We expect bigger things out of the defense. That’s just the beginning of what we want to do right there,” George said.
After giving up what SU head coach Pete Richardson called two “cheap” touchdowns in the second quarter of the season opener against Florida A&M (a 45-yard touchdown run and a 40-yard TD pass), Southern’s defense has been crazy good.
In the last 10 quarters, Southern (3-0, 2-0 SWAC) has allowed just two touchdowns. One of those came with 16 seconds left against FAMU, when the Jaguars were more concerned with time, and the other came with 6 seconds to go in the first half of a 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State.
Saturday, unlike the previous two games when the offense got on a roll after slow starts, Saturday’s defensive effort was so crucial because this was a defensive battle.
For the second straight season, Prairie View defensive coordinator Heisma Northern has kept Southern from finding any offensive continuity. Last season, PV headed off SU’s passing game and kept the Panthers in the game to make an amazing comeback in the final five minutes. This time, the Panthers (2-1, 1-1) took away the running game — just 67 yards on the ground after SU had totaled 293 the week before.
SU’s defense answered the challenge.
“We wanted to bring the pressure to (PV quarterback Chris Gibson),” George said. “We knew the defense would step up to the challenge if we went man-to-man on the defense.”
A year ago, PV had 251 rushing yards. This time, the Panthers had 52 (suffering 61 yards in losses after gaining 113).
Prairie View hadn’t given up a sack this season, but SU got to the Panthers for three, including 2.5 from defensive end Vince Lands.
Southern came up with three interceptions and twice made fourth-down stops deep in Jaguars territory.
“I can’t say enough about our defense,” senior wide receiver Gerard Landry said.
Do more of this
SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves has been making all the right moves. Down 20-12 at halftime to FAMU, Southern’s defense rallied in the second half, paving the way for a 33-27 victory. Burned by the late TD to Valley, the Jaguars stoned the Delta Devils in the second half (9 yards of offense after halftime). And after Prairie View totaled 88 yards in the first quarter, Graves’ adjustments kept the Panthers to 109 yards in the rest of the game.
Work more on this
Again, Southern needs to find a rhythm on offense more quickly. Saturday was the Jaguars’ worst start of the season: three three-and-outs and minus-6 yards (on 10 plays) in the first quarter. SU didn’t have its initial first down until 12:38 before halftime. By that time, SU’s defense had already held twice in its territory (at the SU 17-yard line and 38) and made an interception.
Quick hits
SU has not trailed in its last two games or its last nine quarters. SU’s four-game winning streak, dating to the Bayou Classic last season, is its longest since a six-win run in 2004, when the Jaguars were 8-4 and won the Western Division. Prairie View has scored two points total in its last two trips to Mumford Stadium — losing 12-2 Saturday and 38-0 in 2005. SU won 62-7 in ’03, but that game was held in Shreveport.
Up next
Southern hosts Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference at 6 p.m. Saturday in Mumford Stadium. TSU has won two straight games on thrillers, with the same key players coming up big each time. Saturday, in a 33-32 OVC win over Austin Peay, Eric Benson scored the game-winner on his PAT in overtime after he kicked a 43-yard field goal with 9 seconds left to tie the game in regulation. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked a PAT after Austin Peay scored a touchdown on its possession. A week earlier, Benson made a 35-yarder with no time left to beat Jackson State 16-13 (after TSU trailed 13-6 heading into the final quarter). Rodgers-Cromartie blocked a 22-yard Eric Perri field-goal attempt just moments earlier.
The teams have not played since 1996, when SU won 19-18. TSU has played two SWAC teams so far this season, losing 49-23 to defending SWAC champ Alabama A&M in the season opener and beating Jackson State.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
FAMU retires #78 Jersey of Henry "Killer" Lawrence
From Press ReleaseFlorida A&M University Retires #78 Jersey of Henry "Killer Lawrence," FAMU's Greatest Football Player (1971-73), Former Oakland Raider, 3-time SuperBowl Veteran and Future NFL Hall of Famer
On September 15, 2007 at 7:00pm Eastern in Tallahassee, Nelson Townsend FAMU Director of Athletics said the number #78 worn by Henry "Killer" Lawrence (1972-1973) will not be worn by another FAMU football player again, as they retire Henry "Killer" Lawrence jersey. Henry Lawrence retires his jersey as the greatest football player to play the game for the FAMU Rattlers. Henry joins the family of the deceased Tyrone McGriff (1976-1979) and Ulysses Curtis (1945-48) as the FAMU 2007 Jersey Retirement Honorees.
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Atlanta, Gerogia (PRWEB) September 16, 2007 -- The Greatest FAMU Football Player and NFL Future Hall of Famer, Henry "Killer" Lawrence retires his #78 Football Jersey among thousands FAMU Sports fans during half-time of the Howard Bison and FAMU home game on September 15, 2007.
Henry "Killer" Lawrence, former offensive tackle for the FAMU rattlers, became a superstar at a young age, when his athletic excellence captured the pro-scouts at the 1974 Senior Bowl. Virtually unknown to Division One Schools, Henry excelled and beat out his major contenders "Too Tall Jones and John Makusak" to become the 1974 Oakland Raider No.#1 draft pick. Henry played with the Oakland Raiders for over 13 years, and is a three-time Superbowl Veteran. In 2005 and 2006, Henry was nominated for the NFL Hall of Fame. Henry was also named a 2006 Sportsmavericks' Legend along with Chris Leak of the World Champion Florida Gators.
For many of Henry's fans, Henry's enshrinement into the NFL Football Hall of Fame is not far away, but Henry believes that he will earned his spot in the NFL Hall of Fame, when God says so and not a minute sooner. And he adds to this question, "I am thankful for all the great gifts that God has given me from my life experience as a migrant worker, to a top college graduate from Florida A&M University, No.1 Draft pick of the Oakland Raiders, thirteen year NFL career, three super bowl rings, inducted in the FAMU College Hall of Fame and now the honor of having my college jersey retired. The NFL Hall of Fame is in God's hands."
Today, Henry has a diverse career as a Sports Executive and Entertainer. Many football fans call him "killer," and others call him the "reincarnation of Sam Cooke." Henry is known as a great football player, but to music fans worldwide, he is the sweet crooner. Henry and his bands perform at national and international concerts, NFL events and corporate parties every year, while he does double duty as Sports Executive. Henry talent was recently showcased at the 2007 Jokaba Film Festival in Blakely, Georgia.
On the Sports side, Henry continues to be an mentor for migrant workers, aspiring athletes and serves a prison ministry as a volunteer. Henry also serves on the Board of Sportsmavericks, Inc. a multi-media sports and production company, and holds the position of Vice-President of Sports Initiatives. Henry is presently spearheading up the Sportsmavericks' Strategic Partnership with Peace Sport, a Worldwide Initiative out of Monaco to wage peace with sports in war torn areas with Eric Davis, a standout at University of Wisconsin in Basketball.
Many fans and admirers of Henry Lawrence can get a second chance to experience Henry's enthusiasm, passion and love for football on Sportsmavericks' new Audiobooks. Henry is featured on Sportsmavericks' new Five Star Education Collection entitled: "Pro-Ready Coach! Survival Guide for Student Athletes and Sports Parents." In 2008, Henry will returned to the national spotlight as the Music director for the upcoming Television Show entitled Sportsmavericks Talk Show " Smarttalk For Parents and Athletes hosted by Ida R. Muorie.
Rutgers' 42-point second quarter buries Spartans
By VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, The Virginian-PilotPISCATAWAY, N.J.
Rutgers promotes Heisman Trophy candidate Ray Rice on a Web site called SeeRayRun.com.
Saturday's game with Norfolk State was all about SeeRutgersScoreQuickly.
The 13th-ranked Scarlet Knights mauled the Spartans 59-0 before a homecoming crowd of 43,712, the third-largest to watch a game in Rutgers Stadium.
That the Spartans received a drubbing at the hands of a nationally ranked foe - the first Division I-A team NSU has faced in its history - was hardly surprising. The speed, efficiency and at times outright ruthlessness with which the Scarlet Knights operated was a bit startling.
Calling it a two-minute offense would be selling Rutgers short. The Scarlet Knights accomplished their 42 second-quarter points - a Big East record - in 11 plays and 91
seconds. Five of the six Scarlet Knights "drives" were two plays or fewer; the other took three.
"That second quarter was probably the longest one of my 39-year coaching career," NSU's Pete Adrian said.
"One long commercial," Spartans linebacker Maguell Davis added.
Ahead 45-0 with 2:12 left in the half, Rutgers used all of its timeouts, looking to strike again, anticipating that the NSU offense would be unable to come up with a first down.
The plan backfired when Ron Girault roughed up NSU punter Brian Jackson. But the play also cost the Spartans, as Jackson's kicking leg got caught in Girault's helmet, sending the freshman from Tallwood High School limping off the field. On crutches the remainder of the game due to a strained right Achilles, Jackson was replaced by kicker Justin Castellat.
Jackson excused Girault's hit as unintentional.
As for the timeouts, he wasn't as forgiving.
"They did have a good enough lead already," he said. "I believe it was unnecessary. What did they have to prove?"
Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano explained his philosophy this way: "It was the first half of the game. You coach and teach your kids to play. If your starters are in there, you play the game the way you coach it."
After a competitive first quarter in which the Spartans held Rutgers to three points, things unraveled quickly with NSU's second mistake of the game. The first - an errant toss by NSU long snapper Stephen Coffin - led to Jeremy Ito's 30-yard field goal. Then, Casey Hansen, hurried by an oversized Rutgers defe nsive line all afternoon, floated one over the middle that turned into Eric Foster's first career interception.
Two plays and 16 seconds later, Kenny Britt caught Mike Teel's pretty pass and the 43-yard score made it 10-0.
NSU then went four plays and out. Rutgers? One play and a score. Teel to Tiquan Underwood for 28 yards.
"They were fast, big, had good hands, ran good routes," cornerback Don Carey said. "They were extremely tough. I can't take anything from them."
And so it went. Rutgers finished with 537 offensive yards to NSU's 122, outgaining the Spartans on the ground 240-10. It could have been worse; Teel was replaced with backup Jabu Lovelace to start the second half. Rice also had a short afternoon, sitting out the second half after carrying 12 times for 72 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite the lopsided outcome, the NSU players refused to be discouraged, many stopping afterward to salute the school's band, which was a bigger hit than Rutgers' with the home crowd during halftime.
"It's just a privilege getting to play against them and seeing how we match up," Davis said. "We had fun out there. We're not worried about the score."
NCCU Eagles capture another 'Classic'
By MATT AGNOLI, The Herald-Sun
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tim Shankle hardly could suppress a smile when asked about his performance. After all, the freshman running back had no idea his talents would shine so soon and in a game dubbed the "Battle for North Carolina."
Inside a cauldron of wind at Giants Stadium, N.C. Central sacked its West Coast offense late in the game and summoned Shankle, who said he was inspired by a late-night call from injured senior back Jeff Toliver.
Shankle answered by rushing for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, lifting the Eagles (3-1) to an 18-10 victory in front of 43,006 fans at the New York Urban League's Whitney Young Classic.
NCCU improved to 19-8 all-time against the Vikings (0-3), and have won nine of the last 11 meetings against their rivals.
"I never thought Tim Shankle would be in this position," said NCCU coach Mose Rison, who improved to 3-1 overall in his first season.
"After we lost Jeff [Toliver], I talked to 'Shank' and said 'You are due to have a breakout game.' Being a freshman and forced in this position earlier than we thought it would be, he did an outstanding job."
NCCU looked to the running game late. On their final scoring drive early in the fourth, Rison called for the run on seven straight plays. Shankle rewarded his coach, lunging over the defensive line for a 2-yard run, his first collegiate touchdown.
"I wanted to run the ball well," said Shankle, who's a bruiser at 5-10 and 220 pounds. "I wanted to have a big game."
In his telephone conversation with Toliver, the injured back told Shankle to keep his head upfield and to always look for open spaces. And most importantly, hold onto the ball.
"He said that the running game will open up sooner or later, and my offensive line came ready to play today," Shankle said.
NCCU lost a ton of talent off its offensive line from a year ago, but they opened up enough holes to dominate the battle in the trenches.
Defensively, the Eagles were opportunistic. Craig Amos was named the defensive player of the game. He recovered a bad snap on a punt attempt in the end zone for a first-quarter scored. Mendez missed left on the extra point.
Offensively, NCCU's freshman sensation from a year ago, quarterback Stadford Brown (10-for-23, 103 yards and a touchdown), didn't miss a beat.
Or, more importantly, Brown protected the ball. Vikings quarterbacks were intercepted three times, and a lot more were left on the table because of drops by NCCU defensive backs.
But Brown again showed poise in directing the Eagles to the win. A good mix of run and pass kept their opponents off balance, resulting in the Eagles finishing 7-of-18 on third-down conversions.
"Stadford got it going," Rison said. "He was seeing the field extremely well. ... He was directing traffic like he always does. He is a tremendous football player and is the reason we always have a chance to win on Saturday."
Brown was at his best in the spread offense. With his team trailing 7-6, Brown calmly engineered a quarter-eating 12-play, 65-yard drive before the half.
Using his fleet feet and sturdy arm, he set up the offense inside the red zone with consecutive scrambles, finishing the surge when he hit Wayne Blackwell (three receptions, 30 yards) crossing over the middle for a 9-yard touchdown. Eagles place kicker Taylor gray had his extra point blocked, his third miss of the game. NCCU's all-time scoring leader Brandon Gilbert is out for the season with a leg injury.
Good thing it didn't matter.
The Vikings, looking for a late spark, substituted in their third quarterback in Dominic Strand (4-for-10, 50 yards). With 3:50 left in the fourth, he led a drive that resulted in a 26-yard field goal from Daniel Mendez to shave their deficit to 18-10.
Rison knew that without his injured kicker, getting a comfortable lead was a decisive edge.
"We didn't want to make this a game where this was decided by a field goal," he said.
With help from the freshman, the Eagles survived without having some of their starters.
"It's a young football team, and these guys have been forced into some roles that would not have been there if not for some situations happened," said Rison. "But they're growing up fast, and that's all you can ask."
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tim Shankle hardly could suppress a smile when asked about his performance. After all, the freshman running back had no idea his talents would shine so soon and in a game dubbed the "Battle for North Carolina."
Inside a cauldron of wind at Giants Stadium, N.C. Central sacked its West Coast offense late in the game and summoned Shankle, who said he was inspired by a late-night call from injured senior back Jeff Toliver.
Shankle answered by rushing for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, lifting the Eagles (3-1) to an 18-10 victory in front of 43,006 fans at the New York Urban League's Whitney Young Classic.
NCCU improved to 19-8 all-time against the Vikings (0-3), and have won nine of the last 11 meetings against their rivals.
"I never thought Tim Shankle would be in this position," said NCCU coach Mose Rison, who improved to 3-1 overall in his first season.
"After we lost Jeff [Toliver], I talked to 'Shank' and said 'You are due to have a breakout game.' Being a freshman and forced in this position earlier than we thought it would be, he did an outstanding job."
NCCU looked to the running game late. On their final scoring drive early in the fourth, Rison called for the run on seven straight plays. Shankle rewarded his coach, lunging over the defensive line for a 2-yard run, his first collegiate touchdown.
"I wanted to run the ball well," said Shankle, who's a bruiser at 5-10 and 220 pounds. "I wanted to have a big game."
In his telephone conversation with Toliver, the injured back told Shankle to keep his head upfield and to always look for open spaces. And most importantly, hold onto the ball.
"He said that the running game will open up sooner or later, and my offensive line came ready to play today," Shankle said.
NCCU lost a ton of talent off its offensive line from a year ago, but they opened up enough holes to dominate the battle in the trenches.
Defensively, the Eagles were opportunistic. Craig Amos was named the defensive player of the game. He recovered a bad snap on a punt attempt in the end zone for a first-quarter scored. Mendez missed left on the extra point.
Offensively, NCCU's freshman sensation from a year ago, quarterback Stadford Brown (10-for-23, 103 yards and a touchdown), didn't miss a beat.
Or, more importantly, Brown protected the ball. Vikings quarterbacks were intercepted three times, and a lot more were left on the table because of drops by NCCU defensive backs.
But Brown again showed poise in directing the Eagles to the win. A good mix of run and pass kept their opponents off balance, resulting in the Eagles finishing 7-of-18 on third-down conversions.
"Stadford got it going," Rison said. "He was seeing the field extremely well. ... He was directing traffic like he always does. He is a tremendous football player and is the reason we always have a chance to win on Saturday."
Brown was at his best in the spread offense. With his team trailing 7-6, Brown calmly engineered a quarter-eating 12-play, 65-yard drive before the half.
Using his fleet feet and sturdy arm, he set up the offense inside the red zone with consecutive scrambles, finishing the surge when he hit Wayne Blackwell (three receptions, 30 yards) crossing over the middle for a 9-yard touchdown. Eagles place kicker Taylor gray had his extra point blocked, his third miss of the game. NCCU's all-time scoring leader Brandon Gilbert is out for the season with a leg injury.
Good thing it didn't matter.
The Vikings, looking for a late spark, substituted in their third quarterback in Dominic Strand (4-for-10, 50 yards). With 3:50 left in the fourth, he led a drive that resulted in a 26-yard field goal from Daniel Mendez to shave their deficit to 18-10.
Rison knew that without his injured kicker, getting a comfortable lead was a decisive edge.
"We didn't want to make this a game where this was decided by a field goal," he said.
With help from the freshman, the Eagles survived without having some of their starters.
"It's a young football team, and these guys have been forced into some roles that would not have been there if not for some situations happened," said Rison. "But they're growing up fast, and that's all you can ask."
Scarlet Knights rout outmanned Norfolk State
BY KEITH SARGEANT, Asbury Park PressPISCATAWAY — Bring on Appalachian State!
The reigning two-time Division I-AA champions certainly would be no match for this Rutgers University football team, not after the Scarlet Knights trounced fellow former I-AA member Norfolk State, 59-0, before 43,712 on Saturday at Rutgers Stadium.
Rutgers scored six touchdowns in a record-setting second quarter to make it a laugher, going into intermission with a 45-0 lead.
The 42 points were the most ever scored by a Big East team in a quarter, and the 45 points were the most Rutgers has scored in a half in its 138-year history.
"I've been on the other end of these (blowouts) and I know how it feels," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "I'm glad that they kept chopping away and that they got cooking in the second quarter."
In the NFL, they call games like these the preseason. In college football, it's called halfway to bowl eligibility.
The Scarlet Knights are 3-0 following their third straight convincing victory, but now the hard work begins. After a bye next weekend, ACC-foe Maryland will arrive at Rutgers Stadium on Sept. 29 to offer the Scarlet Knights their stiffest test to date.
And after Maryland leaves, the Big East sched-ule kicks in, with unbeaten Cincinnati the first on the conference slate.
"You're never where you want to be," quarterback Mike Teel said, when asked if he believes Rutgers is ready for the meat of its schedule. "There's always room to get better. One thing we can't do is we can't be sluggish like we were today. It's a matter of not executing and it's something I'm sure we're going to work on this week."
Rutgers started slow, punting on its first two possessions and only managing a Jeremy Ito 30-yard field goal in a opening quarter.
But it only took one play in the second quarter for the Scarlet Knights to finally get some separation. Teel's 43-yard touchdown strike to Kenny Britt put to rest any thoughts of an upset the likes of Appalachian State's shocker of Michigan three weeks ago.
The floodgates opened from there, with Teel drilling Tiquan Underwood for a 28-yard touchdown one minute later . . . Rice scampering in from 22 yards five minutes after that . . . Rice scoring two more runs three minutes apart . . . and Teel completing the scoring blur with a 34-yard strike to Britt.
"The plus 25-yard plays are great when you get them," Schiano said. "Mike was on the money, and they weren't just 10- or 12-yard passes. These were down the field passes."
Rutgers exploded for 277 yards of total offense in scoring its six second-quarter touchdowns. The scoring drives each spanned less than 30 seconds, with the Scarlet Knights needing only 11 plays and 91 seconds of elapsed time to erupt for a 45-0 lead with 2:17 left in the half.
But even with the 45-point lead, Schiano wanted more. Though less than two minutes remained on Norfolk State's final series of the half, Schiano called timeouts on three consecutive plays before sending a punt block after the Spartans' drive stalled.
While a roughing-the-punter penalty ended up giving Norfolk a first down, Spartans coach Pete Adrian was visably upset when his punter, Brian Jackson, came up lame.
"Forty-five zip and you're calling three timeouts at the end," Adrian said. "If that turns you on, that's fine. Everyone has a reason for what they are doing."
Schiano said he wanted to coach through the first half, and only regretted that Jackson got hurt.
"I asked Coach and he said he's going to be all right, so that's good," Schiano said. "You coach and teach your kids to play. First half of a football game you better play the game the way you preach to them. And you better coach that way, too."
Teel contributed to the onslaught, shaking off a 1-for-7 opening quarter by completing seven of his eight passes for 244 yards in the second stanza. The junior quarterback finished 8-for-15 for 269 yards and three touchdowns overall before sitting out the entire second half.
Britt and Underwood each went over the 100-yard receiving plateau, with Britt hauling in four passes for 121 yards and two scores.
Underwood, meanwhile, continued his torrid stretch with four receptions for 148 yards. The junior receiver now has 500 yards through three games, putting him on pace for a 2,000-yard regular season.
Rice's 72-yard tally snapped a string of five-straight 100-yard rushing performances, but the Heisman candidate still managed to score three touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards on his 12 carries.
Rice said afterward the only numbers he cared about were 3-0.
"It's another stepping stone for us," he said. "We're exactly where we need to be."
Winston-Salem's late pass, field goal beat Morgan State
By Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun
Winston-Salem State 19, Morgan State 17
Morgan State went from bad to worse, from losing to a crosstown rival a week ago to losing to the newest entry in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference yesterday.
A 42-yard pass play and a 24-yard field goal by Winston-Salem State in the final minute sent the Bears reeling to a 19-17 loss before an announced 8,953 at Hughes Stadium.
"Just a gloomy day all around," Morgan coach Donald Hill-Eley said.
Morgan (1-2) learned earlier that it would have to play without star wide receiver Roderick Wolfe, who was taken to Central Booking on a warrant for failing to appear in court last summer for traffic violations, and cornerback Darren McKahn, who was benched for missing team meetings last week.
The Bears proceeded to play like a team that had lost its spark. They piled up 15 penalties for 145 yards, lost three turnovers and gave Winston-Salem (2-1) a gift touchdown in the fourth quarter when tailback Chad Simpson fumbled at the Morgan 3-yard line.
Photo: Morgan State running back Chad Simpson ran for a career-high 221 yards but also fumbled, leading to aWinston-Salem State touchdown.
It spoiled an otherwise spectacular game for Simpson, who rushed for a career-high 221 yards on 41 carries.
Hill-Eley even changed kickers during the game after Johnathan Skeete missed a 33-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter. Two of Skeete's kicks were blocked by Towson last week.
When his replacement, James Meade, connected on a 43-yard field goal with 1:13 left in the game, the Bears took a 17-16 lead and appeared to get a reprieve for all their miscues.
It was not to be.
Winston-Salem's Monte Purvis completed a 42-yard pass to Bryant Bayne against Morgan's prevent defense to put the Rams in field-goal position at the Bears' 9-yard line. The Rams ran one play, let the clock run to 4.6 seconds, and sent freshman Matt Mitchell onto the field for a game-winning 24-yard kick.
Purvis, who has had more success running than throwing this season, passed for 141 yards in the game and was sacked four times. With four receivers running deep, he hit Bayne on a slant across the middle.
"We had enough time, so we wanted to hit the underneath guy," Rams coach Kermit Blount said.
Hill-Eley said Bayne came open on a botched coverage.
"We were in quarters, a prevent defense," Hill-Eley said of the game's big pass play. "When [Bayne] ran across the field, the back-side safety ran with the front-side vertical [receiver]. It left a big hole in there. We have to play better in the secondary."
Winston-Salem State 19, Morgan State 17
Morgan State went from bad to worse, from losing to a crosstown rival a week ago to losing to the newest entry in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference yesterday.
A 42-yard pass play and a 24-yard field goal by Winston-Salem State in the final minute sent the Bears reeling to a 19-17 loss before an announced 8,953 at Hughes Stadium.
"Just a gloomy day all around," Morgan coach Donald Hill-Eley said.
Morgan (1-2) learned earlier that it would have to play without star wide receiver Roderick Wolfe, who was taken to Central Booking on a warrant for failing to appear in court last summer for traffic violations, and cornerback Darren McKahn, who was benched for missing team meetings last week.
The Bears proceeded to play like a team that had lost its spark. They piled up 15 penalties for 145 yards, lost three turnovers and gave Winston-Salem (2-1) a gift touchdown in the fourth quarter when tailback Chad Simpson fumbled at the Morgan 3-yard line.
Photo: Morgan State running back Chad Simpson ran for a career-high 221 yards but also fumbled, leading to aWinston-Salem State touchdown.It spoiled an otherwise spectacular game for Simpson, who rushed for a career-high 221 yards on 41 carries.
Hill-Eley even changed kickers during the game after Johnathan Skeete missed a 33-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter. Two of Skeete's kicks were blocked by Towson last week.
When his replacement, James Meade, connected on a 43-yard field goal with 1:13 left in the game, the Bears took a 17-16 lead and appeared to get a reprieve for all their miscues.
It was not to be.
Winston-Salem's Monte Purvis completed a 42-yard pass to Bryant Bayne against Morgan's prevent defense to put the Rams in field-goal position at the Bears' 9-yard line. The Rams ran one play, let the clock run to 4.6 seconds, and sent freshman Matt Mitchell onto the field for a game-winning 24-yard kick.
Purvis, who has had more success running than throwing this season, passed for 141 yards in the game and was sacked four times. With four receivers running deep, he hit Bayne on a slant across the middle.
"We had enough time, so we wanted to hit the underneath guy," Rams coach Kermit Blount said.
Hill-Eley said Bayne came open on a botched coverage.
"We were in quarters, a prevent defense," Hill-Eley said of the game's big pass play. "When [Bayne] ran across the field, the back-side safety ran with the front-side vertical [receiver]. It left a big hole in there. We have to play better in the secondary."
USC wears down S.C. State in second half
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer
COLUMBIA -- Playing a Football Bowl Subdivision team was not a new experience for South Carolina State Saturday night.
Having to face the University of South Carolina before 73,095 screaming fans inside Williams-Brice Stadium, however, was another story and it showed in the 38-3 loss to the 17th-ranked Gamecocks.
In losing the first-ever meeting with its biggest in-state foe, SCSU (1-2, 1-0) once again only managed a field goal against an FCS team. Despite 112 rushing yards from William Ford and forcing six USC turnovers, the Bulldogs’ struggling offense was unable to put together scoring drives against the Gamecocks’ defense which intercepted quarterback Cleveland McCoy three times.
Meanwhile, USC (3-0, 1-0) capitalized on its opportunities as Blake Mitchell overcame three interceptions and the constant pressure up front by SCSU’s defensive line to throw three touchdowns on 14-21 passing for 147 yards.
In the second half, USC used its one-two punch of running backs Mike Davis and Cory Boyd to dominate the game on the ground. The duo combined for 234 rushing yards and two of the Gamecocks’ three touchdowns in the second half.
"They wore us down," said McCoy, who finished 9-18 passing for 62 yards and rushed for 58 yards. "Their depth wore us down. We came out fighting, but they came away with the win."
An even bigger factor working against SCSU was the crowd noise. In the first half alone, the Bulldogs were whistled for four false start penalties as the high decibel level made communication among the players and with the sidelines difficult.
"I’ve got to credit Carolina’s fans," SCSU head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough said. "They did a nice job at being very loud at just the right time for them, and we struggled. If you take the 5-yard penalties ... my foul sheet that the officials give after the game was two pages long and most of them were 5-yard stuff, procedure stuff, false starts, that kind of stuff, and that was all attributed to the crowd noise and that’s something we’ll have to get better at.
"We’ve got an experience dealing with it ... We haven’t had it quite to this extent before, but it was nothing like what we had done in our preparations. I guarantee you."
While Xavier Littleberry did not fulfill his promise of sacking Mitchell four times, finishing with just one tackle, the USC senior quarterback was harassed early by the Bulldog defense. On the first series, Mitchell was sacked by James Simmons and Keyon Brooks, then threw an interception to Markee Hamlin who returned it 41 yards to the Gamecocks’ 12-yard line.
A penalty-plagued opening drive forced SCSU to settle for a 37-yard field goal with 12:21 remaining in the first half by Aaron Haire of Orangeburg-Wilkinson. It came off the left goal post before landing through the nets.
The lead stood for 82 seconds as USC’s defense turned opportunistic. After SCSU’s third false-start penalty of the game pushed it back to the 21, McCoy’s pass was intercepted at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Nathan Pepper.
The 6-1, 291-pound junior rumbled 19 yards into the end zone for the touchdown. Pepper’s score came at a price as he suffered a sprained left knee on the score and did not return.
USC also lost senior safety Brandon Isaac of Blackville-Hilda, who reportedly reinjured his right shoulder in the first half. The former T&D Region Player of the Year sat out last season following surgery to repair the same shoulder.
As SCSU’s offense continued to struggle with the crowd noise, USC added a 40-yard field goal by Ryan Succup to make it 10-3 with 4:46 remaining in the first quarter.
After a 15-yard punt by Haire gave USC possession at the SCSU 41, Mitchell connected with Kenneth McKinley for two, 12-yard passes in leading the Gamecocks to their only offensive touchdown of the first half. The first reception by McKinley converted a fourth down and his second catch in the end zone put USC up 17-3 with 47 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
SCSU’s defense continued to keep the game within striking distance. Keyon Brooks forced and recovered two fumbles, Phillip Adams and Terrance Allen each collected an interception, and SCSU stopped USC on fourth down on a call overturned on an instant replay review.
The Bulldogs proceeded to put together their most consistent drive of the game. Runs of 14 yards by McCoy and 13 by Ford helped bring the Bulldogs to the USC 16. With 38 seconds remaining, USC’s Captain Munnerlyn stripped the football from running back Jonathan Woods and safety Darien Stewart recovered it at the 12-yard line to end the threat.
"That probably was the biggest play of the game for us because up to that point, we really had a chance to really get it down to a one score game," Pough said.
"Maybe if we had scored right before the half, this thing might have been different."
In the second half, USC began to overwhelm the wearied and injury-riddled SCSU defense on the ground. After forcing SCSU to punt, the Gamecocks went 91 yards relying strictly on Davis and Boyd picking up long yards on the ground. On the 10th play of the scoring drive, Davis’ number was called for a screen pass from Mitchell which he turned into a 9-yard touchdown.
The two teams traded interceptions on their next series, with Jasper Brinkley and Bailey Brinson collecting the picks for their respective teams. SCSU could not capitalize and after a fake punt attempt by Haire was stopped short on fourth down, USC took over on downs at the SCSU 38.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Boyd extended the Gamecocks’ lead to 31-3 with a 29-yard touchdown run. Almost five minutes later, Mark Barnes closed out the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell.
"As the game went along, because we played pretty good on defense for a while ... they softened our defense some because of the fact that we didn’t do enough on offense," Pough said.
With the two FCS games out of the way, the Bulldogs can finally turn their attention to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Up next is the home opener against conference newcomer Winston-Salem State, a game that does not figure in the MEAC standings as the school is still in the transitional period.
"We’ve just got to carry it over," McCoy said. "We’re going to win the conference hands down. We’re just going to have to play ball. We’re going to get it. We’ve taken a setback, but they’re Division I. They’re supposed to beat us."
BULLDOG NOTES: The victory improved USC’s all-time record to 518-517-44...Rafael Bush led the team in tackles with nine...Both defensive backs Markee Hamlin and Travance Jackson left the game on crutches...Quarterback Malcolm Long saw action on two series, completing just one pass for six yards. It was his first appearance in the stadium where he led Gaffney to back-to-back Class 4-A Division I teams...SCSU was penalized 14 times for 98 yards, compared to five penalties for 58 yards for USC...USC head football coach Steve Spurrier improved to 17-4 against Palmetto State teams in his coaching career.
COLUMBIA -- Playing a Football Bowl Subdivision team was not a new experience for South Carolina State Saturday night.
Having to face the University of South Carolina before 73,095 screaming fans inside Williams-Brice Stadium, however, was another story and it showed in the 38-3 loss to the 17th-ranked Gamecocks.
In losing the first-ever meeting with its biggest in-state foe, SCSU (1-2, 1-0) once again only managed a field goal against an FCS team. Despite 112 rushing yards from William Ford and forcing six USC turnovers, the Bulldogs’ struggling offense was unable to put together scoring drives against the Gamecocks’ defense which intercepted quarterback Cleveland McCoy three times.
Meanwhile, USC (3-0, 1-0) capitalized on its opportunities as Blake Mitchell overcame three interceptions and the constant pressure up front by SCSU’s defensive line to throw three touchdowns on 14-21 passing for 147 yards.
In the second half, USC used its one-two punch of running backs Mike Davis and Cory Boyd to dominate the game on the ground. The duo combined for 234 rushing yards and two of the Gamecocks’ three touchdowns in the second half.
"They wore us down," said McCoy, who finished 9-18 passing for 62 yards and rushed for 58 yards. "Their depth wore us down. We came out fighting, but they came away with the win."
An even bigger factor working against SCSU was the crowd noise. In the first half alone, the Bulldogs were whistled for four false start penalties as the high decibel level made communication among the players and with the sidelines difficult.
"I’ve got to credit Carolina’s fans," SCSU head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough said. "They did a nice job at being very loud at just the right time for them, and we struggled. If you take the 5-yard penalties ... my foul sheet that the officials give after the game was two pages long and most of them were 5-yard stuff, procedure stuff, false starts, that kind of stuff, and that was all attributed to the crowd noise and that’s something we’ll have to get better at.
"We’ve got an experience dealing with it ... We haven’t had it quite to this extent before, but it was nothing like what we had done in our preparations. I guarantee you."
While Xavier Littleberry did not fulfill his promise of sacking Mitchell four times, finishing with just one tackle, the USC senior quarterback was harassed early by the Bulldog defense. On the first series, Mitchell was sacked by James Simmons and Keyon Brooks, then threw an interception to Markee Hamlin who returned it 41 yards to the Gamecocks’ 12-yard line.
A penalty-plagued opening drive forced SCSU to settle for a 37-yard field goal with 12:21 remaining in the first half by Aaron Haire of Orangeburg-Wilkinson. It came off the left goal post before landing through the nets.
The lead stood for 82 seconds as USC’s defense turned opportunistic. After SCSU’s third false-start penalty of the game pushed it back to the 21, McCoy’s pass was intercepted at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Nathan Pepper.
The 6-1, 291-pound junior rumbled 19 yards into the end zone for the touchdown. Pepper’s score came at a price as he suffered a sprained left knee on the score and did not return.
USC also lost senior safety Brandon Isaac of Blackville-Hilda, who reportedly reinjured his right shoulder in the first half. The former T&D Region Player of the Year sat out last season following surgery to repair the same shoulder.
As SCSU’s offense continued to struggle with the crowd noise, USC added a 40-yard field goal by Ryan Succup to make it 10-3 with 4:46 remaining in the first quarter.
After a 15-yard punt by Haire gave USC possession at the SCSU 41, Mitchell connected with Kenneth McKinley for two, 12-yard passes in leading the Gamecocks to their only offensive touchdown of the first half. The first reception by McKinley converted a fourth down and his second catch in the end zone put USC up 17-3 with 47 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
SCSU’s defense continued to keep the game within striking distance. Keyon Brooks forced and recovered two fumbles, Phillip Adams and Terrance Allen each collected an interception, and SCSU stopped USC on fourth down on a call overturned on an instant replay review.
The Bulldogs proceeded to put together their most consistent drive of the game. Runs of 14 yards by McCoy and 13 by Ford helped bring the Bulldogs to the USC 16. With 38 seconds remaining, USC’s Captain Munnerlyn stripped the football from running back Jonathan Woods and safety Darien Stewart recovered it at the 12-yard line to end the threat.
"That probably was the biggest play of the game for us because up to that point, we really had a chance to really get it down to a one score game," Pough said.
"Maybe if we had scored right before the half, this thing might have been different."
In the second half, USC began to overwhelm the wearied and injury-riddled SCSU defense on the ground. After forcing SCSU to punt, the Gamecocks went 91 yards relying strictly on Davis and Boyd picking up long yards on the ground. On the 10th play of the scoring drive, Davis’ number was called for a screen pass from Mitchell which he turned into a 9-yard touchdown.
The two teams traded interceptions on their next series, with Jasper Brinkley and Bailey Brinson collecting the picks for their respective teams. SCSU could not capitalize and after a fake punt attempt by Haire was stopped short on fourth down, USC took over on downs at the SCSU 38.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Boyd extended the Gamecocks’ lead to 31-3 with a 29-yard touchdown run. Almost five minutes later, Mark Barnes closed out the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell.
"As the game went along, because we played pretty good on defense for a while ... they softened our defense some because of the fact that we didn’t do enough on offense," Pough said.
With the two FCS games out of the way, the Bulldogs can finally turn their attention to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Up next is the home opener against conference newcomer Winston-Salem State, a game that does not figure in the MEAC standings as the school is still in the transitional period.
"We’ve just got to carry it over," McCoy said. "We’re going to win the conference hands down. We’re just going to have to play ball. We’re going to get it. We’ve taken a setback, but they’re Division I. They’re supposed to beat us."
BULLDOG NOTES: The victory improved USC’s all-time record to 518-517-44...Rafael Bush led the team in tackles with nine...Both defensive backs Markee Hamlin and Travance Jackson left the game on crutches...Quarterback Malcolm Long saw action on two series, completing just one pass for six yards. It was his first appearance in the stadium where he led Gaffney to back-to-back Class 4-A Division I teams...SCSU was penalized 14 times for 98 yards, compared to five penalties for 58 yards for USC...USC head football coach Steve Spurrier improved to 17-4 against Palmetto State teams in his coaching career.
SCSU 101 does the job, puts on great show
By TRAVIS BOLAND, T&D Sports WriterThe one complaint Gamecock fans have had for the past few years is the lack of an "SEC-caliber" marching band.
Fans on message boards all over the state knew that the score of the game would never be in doubt against S.C. State, but a lot of them didn’t know what to expect from the Marching 101.
The South Carolina State Bulldog marching band is well known not only in the state, but all over the country. Many USC fans were excited to see this new style of band play at halftime, and the Marching 101 was happy to oblige.
"Our band came to put on a good show, and they’re very excited to do so," Assistant Director of Bands Donald Lee said Saturday night. "The kids have worked very hard, and it’s going to be an exciting show."
Now, I’ve never seen the 101 perform, I’ve heard the drum line play at a couple of functions in Orangeburg, but I’ve never seen the whole group do a show. I didn’t know what to expect.
I watched the band march into the stadium, and they looked as good as any band in the SEC, then when they started playing -- an hour before kickoff -- it was clear they came to party.
The 101 did exactly what it had to do, pump up the crowd. But they also riled up the crowd in a bad way.
Through no fault of their own, the band ended up taking up almost an entire section at Williams-Brice Stadium. The only problem, people had bought those tickets. Scores of Bulldog fans who purchased tickets were left standing and scrambling for any piece of real estate in the visitors’ section.
Needless to say, this didn’t make a lot of people happy.
But the band played on, with the fight song and other music. Every time they picked up their instruments it was going to be a show. I had a front-row seat, watching from the bottom of the stands and rocking right along with the students and fans who made the trip. But as the 101 started to make their way to the field for the halftime show, I wanted to get a better seat.
I raced up the ramp and stood in the corner to watch this famous formation.
The 101 put on a great show that included the popular rap song "Soldier Boy" and a tribute to the fire fighters who lost their lives in Charleston. The band’s sound was just as loud as any other band that has played Williams-Brice, including Carolina, Clemson, Tennessee and Georgia.
The 101 should be very proud. They did exactly what they set out to do, put on a good show. It not only had the Bulldog fans up in their chairs, but I think I even saw some Gamecock fans bobbing their heads near the end.
Some shock, some awe, a lot of pride--SCSU
By BOB GILLESPIE, The State
Coach keeps emotions positive while guiding team on historic day
On a night when, as expected, not much went right for his S.C. State football team, Buddy Pough did have a pregame wish fulfilled.
Before South Carolina’s workman-like 38-3 victory against the Bulldogs in a Saturday contest with more history than drama, S.C. State’s coach was asked, given USC’s advantage in practically every category, what he was hoping for.
Pough talked about “a good-case scenario” — the best-case scenario would have been a stunning upset, of course — in which his team played well against the Gamecocks. Then he smiled.
“I want to give ’em a good shock,” he said. “I want to make it loud in Williams-Brice (Stadium).”
Mission accomplished, at least temporarily.
When defensive back Markee Hamlin intercepted USC quarterback Blake Mitchell on the game’s third play to put the Bulldogs at USC’s 12-yard line, the ensuing roar from the partisan USC crowd of 73,095 (largest ever to see S.C. State play) drowned out everything — including Bulldogs’ quarterback Cleveland McCoy’s signals, as three penalties (one declined) the next three plays demonstrated.
Still, when sophomore kicker Aaron Haire booted a 37-yard field goal, Pough had the satisfaction of his team putting a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard. This night, that would have to suffice.
USC, despite throwing three first-half interceptions, led 17-3 at the break. S.C. State back Jonathan Woods’ fumble at the USC 12 late in the half killed a promising drive, and two quick third-quarter scores by the Gamecocks removed any doubt as to the outcome.
“I felt decent about what we were getting done (in the first half), but after the fumble, we struggled to find things we could consistently do (on offense),” Pough said.
“We played pretty well early (on defense), but as the game went along they softened our defense because we didn’t get enough done on offense.”
Yet even as USC pulled away, Pough rarely showed signs of the frustration he had to be feeling.
Twice in the first half, he demonstrated just how much the game meant — and how much he enjoyed the experience.
When USC quarterback Tommy Beecher sneaked for an apparent first down on fourth-and-short, Pough challenged the call. When officials reversed it, giving S.C. State the ball, a broad grin split his face.
Later, facing third-and-3, offensive coordinator Joe Blackwell appeared to attempt to call time out. Pough, who limps visibly as he awaits hip surgery, hobbled frantically toward an official to make sure the call was made.
When Blackwell informed his boss that was a mistake, Pough grinned. “I’m sorry, I did what you told me to do — (shoot)!” he said.
Otherwise, the image of the Orangeburg native, former Bulldogs player and son of S.C. State graduates consisted of Pough with his arms crossed, a stoic expression on his face. Occasionally, for variety, he adjusted his headset.
“He’s a little laid back,” assistant head coach David Blanchard said of his boss. “He probably had butterflies, but he preaches to us (assistants), ‘Be calm.’”
Why not? Pough, who served five years as a USC assistant under Brad Scott and Lou Holtz, knew what to expect.
“I told our guys, it’s just a football game,” Pough said, and laughed. “One thing I might’ve omitted was (USC) might have bigger, faster guys.”
Rarely, though, did he allow that reality to ruin what he knew was a unique moment for S.C. State and for him.
“I’m proud to be the guy who’s somewhat in charge when our university went into this new portion of our history,” he said.
“Some fans of ours appreciate the fact that, for a long time, we were the school of our people, and USC was not. But it was a strange feeling for me, me being a fan of USC, too.”
Willie Jeffries, S.C. State’s iconic former coach and Pough’s mentor, said the Bulldogs couldn’t have had a better man in charge for a historic night.
“He’s a true South Carolinian, a real Bulldog,” Jeffries said. “This will be the highlight of his career.”
Coach keeps emotions positive while guiding team on historic day
On a night when, as expected, not much went right for his S.C. State football team, Buddy Pough did have a pregame wish fulfilled.
Before South Carolina’s workman-like 38-3 victory against the Bulldogs in a Saturday contest with more history than drama, S.C. State’s coach was asked, given USC’s advantage in practically every category, what he was hoping for.
Pough talked about “a good-case scenario” — the best-case scenario would have been a stunning upset, of course — in which his team played well against the Gamecocks. Then he smiled.
“I want to give ’em a good shock,” he said. “I want to make it loud in Williams-Brice (Stadium).”
Mission accomplished, at least temporarily.
When defensive back Markee Hamlin intercepted USC quarterback Blake Mitchell on the game’s third play to put the Bulldogs at USC’s 12-yard line, the ensuing roar from the partisan USC crowd of 73,095 (largest ever to see S.C. State play) drowned out everything — including Bulldogs’ quarterback Cleveland McCoy’s signals, as three penalties (one declined) the next three plays demonstrated.
Still, when sophomore kicker Aaron Haire booted a 37-yard field goal, Pough had the satisfaction of his team putting a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard. This night, that would have to suffice.
USC, despite throwing three first-half interceptions, led 17-3 at the break. S.C. State back Jonathan Woods’ fumble at the USC 12 late in the half killed a promising drive, and two quick third-quarter scores by the Gamecocks removed any doubt as to the outcome.
“I felt decent about what we were getting done (in the first half), but after the fumble, we struggled to find things we could consistently do (on offense),” Pough said.
“We played pretty well early (on defense), but as the game went along they softened our defense because we didn’t get enough done on offense.”
Yet even as USC pulled away, Pough rarely showed signs of the frustration he had to be feeling.
Twice in the first half, he demonstrated just how much the game meant — and how much he enjoyed the experience.
When USC quarterback Tommy Beecher sneaked for an apparent first down on fourth-and-short, Pough challenged the call. When officials reversed it, giving S.C. State the ball, a broad grin split his face.
Later, facing third-and-3, offensive coordinator Joe Blackwell appeared to attempt to call time out. Pough, who limps visibly as he awaits hip surgery, hobbled frantically toward an official to make sure the call was made.
When Blackwell informed his boss that was a mistake, Pough grinned. “I’m sorry, I did what you told me to do — (shoot)!” he said.
Otherwise, the image of the Orangeburg native, former Bulldogs player and son of S.C. State graduates consisted of Pough with his arms crossed, a stoic expression on his face. Occasionally, for variety, he adjusted his headset.
“He’s a little laid back,” assistant head coach David Blanchard said of his boss. “He probably had butterflies, but he preaches to us (assistants), ‘Be calm.’”
Why not? Pough, who served five years as a USC assistant under Brad Scott and Lou Holtz, knew what to expect.
“I told our guys, it’s just a football game,” Pough said, and laughed. “One thing I might’ve omitted was (USC) might have bigger, faster guys.”
Rarely, though, did he allow that reality to ruin what he knew was a unique moment for S.C. State and for him.
“I’m proud to be the guy who’s somewhat in charge when our university went into this new portion of our history,” he said.
“Some fans of ours appreciate the fact that, for a long time, we were the school of our people, and USC was not. But it was a strange feeling for me, me being a fan of USC, too.”
Willie Jeffries, S.C. State’s iconic former coach and Pough’s mentor, said the Bulldogs couldn’t have had a better man in charge for a historic night.
“He’s a true South Carolinian, a real Bulldog,” Jeffries said. “This will be the highlight of his career.”
SCSU - USC Football proves its power
By BOB SPEAR, The State
Never again doubt the power of football.
Not after Saturday night.
Not after South Carolina and South Carolina State squared off at Williams-Brice Stadium.
A 60-minute game contested on a plot of grass that measures 100 yards by 53 yards scraped away years of unwanted history and helped the state take another positive step into the future.
Combine the expectations in the week leading to the game with the blocking and tackling on a late-summer Saturday night, and the sum of good feeling accomplished more than all the rhetoric through the years.
"Historic" and "symbolic" often found their way into media reports centering on the first football game between the "big" state university, South Carolina, and the historical black college-university, South Carolina State. The words fit.
Stories focused on the monetary gain of S.C. State, and certainly the Bulldogs' athletic treasury benefits from the transfusion of cash. Fans who believed the racial divide would never permit the game basked in the attention and reveled in anticipation.
All those factors matter, of course. Bundle them into one package and discover the real reason to celebrate a football game that figured to be one-sided on the scoreboard: the visibility and credibility showered on S.C. State.
Those two elements could not be bought at any price, and that is the power and passion of football.
Priceless exposure. For those who still do not believe, consider this: The schools have faced each other in their second-most popular sport, men's basketball, periodically through the years. The series dates to Frank McGuire's days with the Gamecocks.
Some of those basketball games turned into nail-biters. Indeed, some of the S.C. State faithful believe the Bulldogs fell victim to a classic "homer" job one year at Carolina Coliseum, and last season's game at the Colonial Center went to the wire.
The Gamecocks won 55-52 before an announced crowd of 6,307 in the most recent game. The season before, USC won in a walk before a gathering listed at 5,014.
No one noticed, or if they did, the attendance figures suggest no one cared.
Compare that to Saturday night's scramble for tickets and a reported sellout crowd.
That is football.
"Without question, Saturday will be a great night for South Carolina State University," Donnie Shell, a former Bulldogs star who had a glittering career in the National Football League, said in previewing the game. "You can't buy this type of exposure through any kind of advertising. The money for the budget is great, but the visibility will mean more."
Like most S.C. State fans, Shell — a season-ticket holder who works for the Carolina Panthers — believes this game should have happen long before now, but he did not dwell on that point.
"It's good that schools within the state play each other," he said. "It's good for everybody, both our school and South Carolina."
The pregame anticipation drives that fact home.
Shell grew up in Whitmire in the early days of public-school integration. He had one scholarship offer — to Belmont Abbey to play basketball. Instead, he went to S.C. State and played on a defense that included future pros Harry Carson, Mickey Sims and Barney Chavous.
"I wish we could have played (USC) then, but when I played, I never saw this happening," he said. "I couldn't have imagined it then. Now, I'm pleased the teams are playing, that (administrators) made it possible."
How his Bulldogs would have fared against the Gamecocks "is something we will never know," said Shell, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and an All-Pro safety on the Pittsburgh Steelers' Steel Curtain defense in the pros. "We had confidence we could play football. Football is blocking and tackling and running, and if you could do those things, you can play on any level."
The "big" schools with far larger resources generally dominate in games like this one, but the Gamecocks had to work harder than expected Saturday night.
The crowd had to be wondering at halftime if the Gamecocks are "average stiffs" — coach Steve Spurrier's characterization after their 28-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette — or the team that knocked off nationally ranked Georgia a week ago. Five first-half turnovers created plenty of reason for indigestion with a date with LSU on the horizon.
But more than the numbers on the scoreboard mattered Saturday night. At long last, these neighboring teams squared off in a game that illustrates the power of football.
Never again doubt the power of football.
Not after Saturday night.
Not after South Carolina and South Carolina State squared off at Williams-Brice Stadium.
A 60-minute game contested on a plot of grass that measures 100 yards by 53 yards scraped away years of unwanted history and helped the state take another positive step into the future.
Combine the expectations in the week leading to the game with the blocking and tackling on a late-summer Saturday night, and the sum of good feeling accomplished more than all the rhetoric through the years.
"Historic" and "symbolic" often found their way into media reports centering on the first football game between the "big" state university, South Carolina, and the historical black college-university, South Carolina State. The words fit.
Stories focused on the monetary gain of S.C. State, and certainly the Bulldogs' athletic treasury benefits from the transfusion of cash. Fans who believed the racial divide would never permit the game basked in the attention and reveled in anticipation.
All those factors matter, of course. Bundle them into one package and discover the real reason to celebrate a football game that figured to be one-sided on the scoreboard: the visibility and credibility showered on S.C. State.
Those two elements could not be bought at any price, and that is the power and passion of football.
Priceless exposure. For those who still do not believe, consider this: The schools have faced each other in their second-most popular sport, men's basketball, periodically through the years. The series dates to Frank McGuire's days with the Gamecocks.
Some of those basketball games turned into nail-biters. Indeed, some of the S.C. State faithful believe the Bulldogs fell victim to a classic "homer" job one year at Carolina Coliseum, and last season's game at the Colonial Center went to the wire.
The Gamecocks won 55-52 before an announced crowd of 6,307 in the most recent game. The season before, USC won in a walk before a gathering listed at 5,014.
No one noticed, or if they did, the attendance figures suggest no one cared.
Compare that to Saturday night's scramble for tickets and a reported sellout crowd.
That is football.
"Without question, Saturday will be a great night for South Carolina State University," Donnie Shell, a former Bulldogs star who had a glittering career in the National Football League, said in previewing the game. "You can't buy this type of exposure through any kind of advertising. The money for the budget is great, but the visibility will mean more."
Like most S.C. State fans, Shell — a season-ticket holder who works for the Carolina Panthers — believes this game should have happen long before now, but he did not dwell on that point.
"It's good that schools within the state play each other," he said. "It's good for everybody, both our school and South Carolina."
The pregame anticipation drives that fact home.
Shell grew up in Whitmire in the early days of public-school integration. He had one scholarship offer — to Belmont Abbey to play basketball. Instead, he went to S.C. State and played on a defense that included future pros Harry Carson, Mickey Sims and Barney Chavous.
"I wish we could have played (USC) then, but when I played, I never saw this happening," he said. "I couldn't have imagined it then. Now, I'm pleased the teams are playing, that (administrators) made it possible."
How his Bulldogs would have fared against the Gamecocks "is something we will never know," said Shell, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and an All-Pro safety on the Pittsburgh Steelers' Steel Curtain defense in the pros. "We had confidence we could play football. Football is blocking and tackling and running, and if you could do those things, you can play on any level."
The "big" schools with far larger resources generally dominate in games like this one, but the Gamecocks had to work harder than expected Saturday night.
The crowd had to be wondering at halftime if the Gamecocks are "average stiffs" — coach Steve Spurrier's characterization after their 28-14 win over Louisiana-Lafayette — or the team that knocked off nationally ranked Georgia a week ago. Five first-half turnovers created plenty of reason for indigestion with a date with LSU on the horizon.
But more than the numbers on the scoreboard mattered Saturday night. At long last, these neighboring teams squared off in a game that illustrates the power of football.
Gamecocks turn to dominant ground game to run away from scrappy S.C. State
By KENT BABB, the State
Photo Gallery: SC vs. SCSU http://www.thestate.com/photo-galleries/gallery/175056.html
Photo Gallery: SC vs. SCSU http://www.thestate.com/photo-galleries/gallery/175056.html
Neighborly knock-down
USC was in no rush to clinch victory against S.C. State. When the Gamecocks did, they rushed their way to a lopsided win.
After a sloppy first half in which both schools’ marching bands received louder ovations than the teams, tailbacks Cory Boyd and Mike Davis high-stepped their way into USC’s record book, carrying the No. 17 Gamecocks past S.C. State 38-3 and continuing a rhythm the pair started last week in an upset at Georgia.
That rhythm came after the Bulldogs sniffed out four interceptions against the Gamecocks’ struggling quarterbacks.
USC, which climbed into the top 25 this week, proved Saturday its two-man rushing unit also might be among the nation’s best.
Boyd and Davis each surpassed 100 yards rushing, the first time a pair of USC backs reached triple digits since Derek Watson (105) and Andrew Pinnock (106) did so against Vanderbilt on Oct. 20, 2001.
“It was a shocker tonight,” said Boyd, who had a game-high 132 yards rushing. “The game started falling in the running backs’ laps.”
The running backs took over and helped the Gamecocks pull away in the second half — USC scored 21 unanswered points after halftime — and that forced coach Steve Spurrier to re-assess his game planning.
“At halftime, obviously, we had to tell our guys, ‘We’re going to have to start running,’ ” Spurrier said.
That’s when the music started.
A one ...
The Gamecocks’ passing attack might be the centerpiece of Spurrier’s Cock ‘n’ Fire offense. But it took more than a half of watching quarterbacks Blake Mitchell and Tommy Beecher combine for six turnovers — Mitchell’s three interceptions and fumble and Beecher’s fumble and interception — to all but scrap his trademark strategy. When he turned Davis and Boyd loose, they were dazzling. Boyd, a fifth-year senior and the Gamecocks’ starter, finished averaging 12 yards per carry.
“We’ve got to re-evaluate our passing game and figure out if we can throw or not,” said Spurrier, who last coached a pair of 100-yard rushers in 1997 when Florida beat Central Michigan 82-6. “I’ve got to figure out whether to call those pass plays or call the old off-tackle play.”
A one, two ...
It was Davis, a junior, who came in late for Saturday’s duet. After rushing for 17 yards in the first half, Davis carried six times for 58 yards in a 10-play drive. He finished it by catching a Mitchell pass and dancing his way 9 yards into the end zone. Davis passed 100 yards rushing on his final carry, an 8-yarder, and finished with 102.
Davis and Boyd brightened a game that appeared to be headed in either direction at halftime. S.C. State’s Markee Hamlin intercepted Mitchell’s first pass, and the Bulldogs hit a 37-yard field goal.
“I guess this game, we kind of took it as, ‘It’s South Carolina State,’ ” freshman receiver Mark Barnes said. “It was probably an easy game or whatnot.”
S.C. State made it look like anything but an easy game. In forcing USC’s six turnovers, the Bulldogs looked far from intimidated by Spurrier’s offense or the Gamecocks, who might enter the nation’s top 15 when rankings are released today.
Ignoring a season-high 14 penalties, the Bulldogs appeared unfazed that administrators had ignored a USC-S.C. State matchup the past 100 years.
“I wanted them (S.C. State players) to come in here and play good, hard-nosed, clean football,” said coach Buddy Pough, a former USC assistant. “I was A-No. 1 for today, and I think we hit that right on the head.”
According to Spurrier, USC did not hit on their scoring potential.
The Gamecocks led 17-3 at halftime, a lead that Spurrier said was the confidence boost the team needed.
“We had a chance to score 60 or so,” Spurrier said, “but we didn’t do it.”
Such a questionable performance could not have come at a worse time. Despite the fact USC is 3-0 for the first time since 2001, the Gamecocks’ next SEC test is at No. 2 LSU, whose offense has proved it will not forgive mistakes. The Tigers’ defense is strong, and its offense is quick ... two things Spurrier is in no rush to think about.
“We’ll worry about that come Monday,” he said.
A one, two, three ...
The Gamecocks do, however, have something to be optimistic about — two running backs that proved they could be among the SEC’s best rushers. Together, they are among the nation’s best tandems.
If USC’s quarterbacks catch up with the team’s tailbacks, the Gamecocks might have something worth dancing about.
USC was in no rush to clinch victory against S.C. State. When the Gamecocks did, they rushed their way to a lopsided win.
After a sloppy first half in which both schools’ marching bands received louder ovations than the teams, tailbacks Cory Boyd and Mike Davis high-stepped their way into USC’s record book, carrying the No. 17 Gamecocks past S.C. State 38-3 and continuing a rhythm the pair started last week in an upset at Georgia.
That rhythm came after the Bulldogs sniffed out four interceptions against the Gamecocks’ struggling quarterbacks.
USC, which climbed into the top 25 this week, proved Saturday its two-man rushing unit also might be among the nation’s best.
Boyd and Davis each surpassed 100 yards rushing, the first time a pair of USC backs reached triple digits since Derek Watson (105) and Andrew Pinnock (106) did so against Vanderbilt on Oct. 20, 2001.
“It was a shocker tonight,” said Boyd, who had a game-high 132 yards rushing. “The game started falling in the running backs’ laps.”
The running backs took over and helped the Gamecocks pull away in the second half — USC scored 21 unanswered points after halftime — and that forced coach Steve Spurrier to re-assess his game planning.
“At halftime, obviously, we had to tell our guys, ‘We’re going to have to start running,’ ” Spurrier said.
That’s when the music started.
A one ...
The Gamecocks’ passing attack might be the centerpiece of Spurrier’s Cock ‘n’ Fire offense. But it took more than a half of watching quarterbacks Blake Mitchell and Tommy Beecher combine for six turnovers — Mitchell’s three interceptions and fumble and Beecher’s fumble and interception — to all but scrap his trademark strategy. When he turned Davis and Boyd loose, they were dazzling. Boyd, a fifth-year senior and the Gamecocks’ starter, finished averaging 12 yards per carry.
“We’ve got to re-evaluate our passing game and figure out if we can throw or not,” said Spurrier, who last coached a pair of 100-yard rushers in 1997 when Florida beat Central Michigan 82-6. “I’ve got to figure out whether to call those pass plays or call the old off-tackle play.”
A one, two ...
It was Davis, a junior, who came in late for Saturday’s duet. After rushing for 17 yards in the first half, Davis carried six times for 58 yards in a 10-play drive. He finished it by catching a Mitchell pass and dancing his way 9 yards into the end zone. Davis passed 100 yards rushing on his final carry, an 8-yarder, and finished with 102.
Davis and Boyd brightened a game that appeared to be headed in either direction at halftime. S.C. State’s Markee Hamlin intercepted Mitchell’s first pass, and the Bulldogs hit a 37-yard field goal.
“I guess this game, we kind of took it as, ‘It’s South Carolina State,’ ” freshman receiver Mark Barnes said. “It was probably an easy game or whatnot.”
S.C. State made it look like anything but an easy game. In forcing USC’s six turnovers, the Bulldogs looked far from intimidated by Spurrier’s offense or the Gamecocks, who might enter the nation’s top 15 when rankings are released today.
Ignoring a season-high 14 penalties, the Bulldogs appeared unfazed that administrators had ignored a USC-S.C. State matchup the past 100 years.
“I wanted them (S.C. State players) to come in here and play good, hard-nosed, clean football,” said coach Buddy Pough, a former USC assistant. “I was A-No. 1 for today, and I think we hit that right on the head.”
According to Spurrier, USC did not hit on their scoring potential.
The Gamecocks led 17-3 at halftime, a lead that Spurrier said was the confidence boost the team needed.
“We had a chance to score 60 or so,” Spurrier said, “but we didn’t do it.”
Such a questionable performance could not have come at a worse time. Despite the fact USC is 3-0 for the first time since 2001, the Gamecocks’ next SEC test is at No. 2 LSU, whose offense has proved it will not forgive mistakes. The Tigers’ defense is strong, and its offense is quick ... two things Spurrier is in no rush to think about.
“We’ll worry about that come Monday,” he said.
A one, two, three ...
The Gamecocks do, however, have something to be optimistic about — two running backs that proved they could be among the SEC’s best rushers. Together, they are among the nation’s best tandems.
If USC’s quarterbacks catch up with the team’s tailbacks, the Gamecocks might have something worth dancing about.
DSU can't stop Kent State in second half
By KRISTIAN POPE, The News JournalHornets unable to contain I-A foe
KENT, Ohio -- Kelly Rouse had just been stood up straight by an opposing lineman, causing him to miss an easy sack. As he left the field due to fatigue, he was met with some unpleasant prodding by Delaware State defensive teammate Ronn Spinner.
Had Rouse made the sack, the Hornets would have forced Kent State into a fourth-down situation. Instead, on the following play, the Golden Flashes scored, a jagged pill for a DSU defense that had to that point prevented them from reaching the end zone.
The sequence was brief but served as a clear example of what happened to the Hornets on Saturday afternoon.
Playing against their first opponent in 20 years from what's regarded as the upper class of college football -- NCAA Division I-A -- the Hornets couldn't match the level of their opponent, or their own expectations, in a 38-7 loss at Dix Stadium.
Delaware State (2-1), ranked No. 24 among I-AA teams, found itself matched evenly with Kent State for one half. Then, everything seemed to go haywire.
Kent State, held out of the end zone for the majority of the first half, scored three touchdowns in a span of 8:43 from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third quarter to pull away without further challenge.
"The only reason we're where we are and they're here is we didn't have the same SAT scores," Rouse said after the game, his first since serving a two-game suspension for violating school policy. "We really are all at the same level. They just found ways to change the momentum."
The Golden Flashes (2-1), with the 15th-ranked rushing offense in the nation, found success often. They gained 201 yards rushing, while quarterback Julian Edelman added 267 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Eugene Jarvis led Kent State with 136 yards rushing and one TD. He also caught a scoring pass.
But it didn't come easily against Delaware State, playing its first I-A foe since a 1987 victory at Akron.
The Hornets received three first-half turnovers (one interception and two fumbles), but couldn't turn them into points.
Kent State's second offensive possession, 18 plays in length, ended with a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. Two possessions later, DSU linebacker Russell Reeves forced an Edelman fumble that was scooped up by defensive back Ryan Robinson and returned to the Kent State 41-yard line.
Edelman had four first-half passes batted down in the end zone by DSU defenders.
"It was frustrating, especially against a team like that," Edelman said. "I'm not trying to say anything bad about them, but we were supposed to win by a lot."
After Robinson's fumble recovery, Delaware State fullback Adam Shrewsbury took a pitch and threw a pass to Shaheer McBride. McBride found the end zone, but the play was called back because of an illegal man downfield.
With Kent State driving again at the end of the first half, Rouse nearly sacked Edelman, who found Phil Garner with a 7-yard pass. On the next play, Edelman connected with Shawn Bayes for a 42-yard touchdown to cap a 94-yard drive with 1:37 left.
"The feeling was, if we didn't let them score, we'd win," Reeves said. "We had a job to do. We were down, but we never thought we were out."
Kent State opened the second half with a 4-yard TD run by Jarvis and followed with Edelman's 56-yard TD pass to Rashad Tukes for a 21-0 lead.
Trailing 31-0, DSU scored its lone touchdown on a 1-yard run by quarterback Vashon Winton with 35 seconds left in the game.
By that time, the damage and result were complete.
"We did not return the challenge," DSU coach Al Lavan said. "
KSU 38, Delaware State 7: Kent State puts pedal to mettle
By Nate Ulrich, Beacon Journal sportswriter
Golden Flashes don't let last week affect this week
KENT: The Kent State University football team was on the receiving end of a second-half slaughter last week. On Saturday, the Golden Flashes were the ones who punished their opponents after halftime.
Kent State rebounded from a lopsided loss to Kentucky by thrashing Delaware State 38-7 before a crowd of 8,455 in the Golden Flashes' home opener at Dix Stadium.
‘‘We talked all week about not losing two games in a row,’’ KSU coach Doug Martin said. ‘‘And that is a big thing for Kent State. That's a character issue.’’
Delaware State, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team, appeared capable of hanging with KSU (2-1) in the first half.
The Flashes squandered several scoring opportunities and drives with two lost fumbles, an interception and a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. They didn't score until junior quarterback Julian Edelman hit junior wide receiver Shawn Bayes with a pass in the end zone with 1:37 left in the second quarter. Delaware State junior defensive back James Romain was in perfect position for an interception, but Bayes jumped over him and grabbed the 42-yard touchdown pass to give the Flashes a 7-0 lead at halftime.
‘‘I just got a great opportunity,’’ said Bayes, who finished with four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. ‘‘Coach always told me to use my speed to my advantage, and I got a chance to make a play by getting behind the coverage.’’
KSU lost to Kentucky 56-20 after the score was tied 14-14 at halftime last week. However, the second half Saturday was a different story for the Flashes.
KSU's defense set the tone during the first series of the third quarter, when junior defensive back Rico Murray intercepted Hornets junior quarterback Vashon Winton's pass at the KSU 40-yard line. The Flashes capitalized with a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive that was capped by sophomore running back Eugene Jarvis' 4-yard touchdown run with 11:43 left in the third quarter.
Photo: A mob of Kent State defenders smothers Delaware State running back Chris Strother for no gain during first-half action in the Golden Flashes game against the Hornets at Dix Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, in Kent, Ohio.
KSU's defense then forced Delaware State to go three-and-out during its ensuing possession, and the Flashes' offense took advantage again with a five-play, 68-yard scoring drive. Freshman wide receiver Rashad Tukes had his first career reception and touchdown during the same play, a 56-yard scoring strike from Edelman. Tukes almost fell after making the catch, but he pushed himself with his hand and kept his balance.
‘‘It was a big time play by him,’’ Edelman said of Tukes' touchdown catch. ‘‘I thought he was going down, but he kept his feet. You get excited when you see that stuff as a quarterback.’’
Edelman added a 42-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter to give KSU a 28-0 lead. Edelman completed 18-of-33 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Jarvis finished with 22 carries, 136 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
KSU's defense held Delaware State to 191 total yards. The Hornets were 0-for-14 on third-down conversions. Sophomore defensive tackle Kevin Hogan and senior defensive back Fritz Jacques led KSU's defense with eight tackles each.
After Delaware State scored its lone touchdown with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Bayes returned the ensuing kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown. It was the first time KSU had a kickoff returned for a score since 1999.
‘‘To come back out and finish with 31 points in the second half is really big for our football program and these players,’’ Martin said. ‘‘They're buying into what we're talking about, and I was really pleased with that.’’
Golden Flashes don't let last week affect this week
KENT: The Kent State University football team was on the receiving end of a second-half slaughter last week. On Saturday, the Golden Flashes were the ones who punished their opponents after halftime.
Kent State rebounded from a lopsided loss to Kentucky by thrashing Delaware State 38-7 before a crowd of 8,455 in the Golden Flashes' home opener at Dix Stadium.
‘‘We talked all week about not losing two games in a row,’’ KSU coach Doug Martin said. ‘‘And that is a big thing for Kent State. That's a character issue.’’
Delaware State, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team, appeared capable of hanging with KSU (2-1) in the first half.
The Flashes squandered several scoring opportunities and drives with two lost fumbles, an interception and a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. They didn't score until junior quarterback Julian Edelman hit junior wide receiver Shawn Bayes with a pass in the end zone with 1:37 left in the second quarter. Delaware State junior defensive back James Romain was in perfect position for an interception, but Bayes jumped over him and grabbed the 42-yard touchdown pass to give the Flashes a 7-0 lead at halftime.
‘‘I just got a great opportunity,’’ said Bayes, who finished with four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. ‘‘Coach always told me to use my speed to my advantage, and I got a chance to make a play by getting behind the coverage.’’
KSU lost to Kentucky 56-20 after the score was tied 14-14 at halftime last week. However, the second half Saturday was a different story for the Flashes.
KSU's defense set the tone during the first series of the third quarter, when junior defensive back Rico Murray intercepted Hornets junior quarterback Vashon Winton's pass at the KSU 40-yard line. The Flashes capitalized with a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive that was capped by sophomore running back Eugene Jarvis' 4-yard touchdown run with 11:43 left in the third quarter.
Photo: A mob of Kent State defenders smothers Delaware State running back Chris Strother for no gain during first-half action in the Golden Flashes game against the Hornets at Dix Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, in Kent, Ohio.KSU's defense then forced Delaware State to go three-and-out during its ensuing possession, and the Flashes' offense took advantage again with a five-play, 68-yard scoring drive. Freshman wide receiver Rashad Tukes had his first career reception and touchdown during the same play, a 56-yard scoring strike from Edelman. Tukes almost fell after making the catch, but he pushed himself with his hand and kept his balance.
‘‘It was a big time play by him,’’ Edelman said of Tukes' touchdown catch. ‘‘I thought he was going down, but he kept his feet. You get excited when you see that stuff as a quarterback.’’
Edelman added a 42-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter to give KSU a 28-0 lead. Edelman completed 18-of-33 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Jarvis finished with 22 carries, 136 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
KSU's defense held Delaware State to 191 total yards. The Hornets were 0-for-14 on third-down conversions. Sophomore defensive tackle Kevin Hogan and senior defensive back Fritz Jacques led KSU's defense with eight tackles each.
After Delaware State scored its lone touchdown with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Bayes returned the ensuing kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown. It was the first time KSU had a kickoff returned for a score since 1999.
‘‘To come back out and finish with 31 points in the second half is really big for our football program and these players,’’ Martin said. ‘‘They're buying into what we're talking about, and I was really pleased with that.’’
UAPB Golden Lions drop a frustrating Arkansas Classic
By Mike Marzelli, Pine Bluff Commercial
Hard to swallow
Arkansas-Pine Bluff can't help but feel like it got robbed in Saturday night's Arkansas Classic.
The Golden Lions' defense appeared to do enough to outlast Alabama State in what amounted to a war of attrition between the two teams, but two questionable penalties led to the Hornets' only two scores of the night as UAPB dropped a 12-10 heartbreaker before 10,012 at Golden Lions Stadium.
After 'Bama State's second score gave it the lead with 41 seconds to play, the Lions had a chance to get in position for a potential game-winning field goal after taking over on their own 35-yard line with 33 seconds left. Quarterback Johnathan Moore took off on a 27-yard scamper on the first play and crossed the ASU 40-yard line but had the ball popped out of his hands from behind and the Hornets recovered to ice the game.
Still, it was the two plays UAPB (1-2 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) had no control over — a pass interference call that gave Alabama State a 1st-and-goal at the end of the first half and a holding call that gave the Hornets the same scenario at the end of the game - that had the Lions steamed after the game.
The second of the two calls came with Alabama State (3-0 2-0 SWAC) down 10-6 and facing a 3rd-and-11 from the 20-yard line with under a minute to play. A pass from quarterback Chris Mitchell fell incomplete in the end zone but a late flag came in after the play for holding away from the play, giving State a 1st-and-goal from the 10-yard line instead of a fourth down scenario.
Four plays later, Mitchell floated a ball down the left sideline for receiver Fred Ragsdale, who dove into the end zone with arms outstretched and made a spectacular catch just over the goal line for what proved to be the winning touchdown.
"I'll tell you what, there were some calls that were questionable," Forte said. "It's unfortunate because I never want to make excuses for anything but you can't help but be upset about the type of calls that were made.
"I don't question the catch, [Ragsdale] made a great catch. It's the things after the catch that I question."
Forte spent the final minute of the contest in the ear of referee Keith Moore and headed straight to the locker room once the final horn sounded. He wasn't the only UAPB coach who was peeved.
"The last call was the worst call I've seen in football in a long time," UAPB defensive coordinator Monte Coleman said. "The guy who called it was 40 yards from the play and he came in two seconds after it was over and threw a flag for something that wasn't even a factor in the play.
"It hurts that they made a call like that on something that was so insignificant."
The first questionable call came with under 30 seconds to play in the first half on a ball that was severely overthrown near the goal line by Mitchell but drew a flag for pass interference. The result was another 1st-and-goal for the Hornets, who capitalized when Mitchell hit Darius Mathis with an 11-yard touchdown pass that gave ASU a 6-0 lead at halftime.
That was how the score remained until UAPB's special teams did what its struggling offense couldn't. The Lions capitalized on a bad snap from center on an ASU punt deep in its own territory when Marion Alridge fell on the ball at the Hornets' 9-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Two plays later Moore found the end zone on a 9-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 7-6 lead. UAPB then added a 26-yard Brodie Heflin field goal early in the fourth quarter that looked like it would stand up at the time.
Nonetheless, UAPB's struggling offense put all the pressure on the defense to make it stand up, which put the Lions in position to be affected by outside sources. Moore, who was making his first start of the season, finished just 8-of-25 for 83 yards as the offense managed just 159 total yards. Running backs Martell Mallett and Mickey Dean combined to carry 20 times for 34 yards.
"We're still a struggling offensive football team and we're not getting better as fast as I'd like," Forte said. "Johnathan fell victim to the offensive line again and we just couldn't sustain anything. Our defense played an outstanding game and our special teams were excellent so it's frustrating to not be able to have anything to show for it."
UAPB returns to action next Saturday in a non-conference game at Southern Illinois.
Hard to swallow
Arkansas-Pine Bluff can't help but feel like it got robbed in Saturday night's Arkansas Classic.
The Golden Lions' defense appeared to do enough to outlast Alabama State in what amounted to a war of attrition between the two teams, but two questionable penalties led to the Hornets' only two scores of the night as UAPB dropped a 12-10 heartbreaker before 10,012 at Golden Lions Stadium.
After 'Bama State's second score gave it the lead with 41 seconds to play, the Lions had a chance to get in position for a potential game-winning field goal after taking over on their own 35-yard line with 33 seconds left. Quarterback Johnathan Moore took off on a 27-yard scamper on the first play and crossed the ASU 40-yard line but had the ball popped out of his hands from behind and the Hornets recovered to ice the game.
Still, it was the two plays UAPB (1-2 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) had no control over — a pass interference call that gave Alabama State a 1st-and-goal at the end of the first half and a holding call that gave the Hornets the same scenario at the end of the game - that had the Lions steamed after the game.
The second of the two calls came with Alabama State (3-0 2-0 SWAC) down 10-6 and facing a 3rd-and-11 from the 20-yard line with under a minute to play. A pass from quarterback Chris Mitchell fell incomplete in the end zone but a late flag came in after the play for holding away from the play, giving State a 1st-and-goal from the 10-yard line instead of a fourth down scenario.
Four plays later, Mitchell floated a ball down the left sideline for receiver Fred Ragsdale, who dove into the end zone with arms outstretched and made a spectacular catch just over the goal line for what proved to be the winning touchdown.
"I'll tell you what, there were some calls that were questionable," Forte said. "It's unfortunate because I never want to make excuses for anything but you can't help but be upset about the type of calls that were made.
"I don't question the catch, [Ragsdale] made a great catch. It's the things after the catch that I question."
Forte spent the final minute of the contest in the ear of referee Keith Moore and headed straight to the locker room once the final horn sounded. He wasn't the only UAPB coach who was peeved.
"The last call was the worst call I've seen in football in a long time," UAPB defensive coordinator Monte Coleman said. "The guy who called it was 40 yards from the play and he came in two seconds after it was over and threw a flag for something that wasn't even a factor in the play.
"It hurts that they made a call like that on something that was so insignificant."
The first questionable call came with under 30 seconds to play in the first half on a ball that was severely overthrown near the goal line by Mitchell but drew a flag for pass interference. The result was another 1st-and-goal for the Hornets, who capitalized when Mitchell hit Darius Mathis with an 11-yard touchdown pass that gave ASU a 6-0 lead at halftime.
That was how the score remained until UAPB's special teams did what its struggling offense couldn't. The Lions capitalized on a bad snap from center on an ASU punt deep in its own territory when Marion Alridge fell on the ball at the Hornets' 9-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Two plays later Moore found the end zone on a 9-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 7-6 lead. UAPB then added a 26-yard Brodie Heflin field goal early in the fourth quarter that looked like it would stand up at the time.
Nonetheless, UAPB's struggling offense put all the pressure on the defense to make it stand up, which put the Lions in position to be affected by outside sources. Moore, who was making his first start of the season, finished just 8-of-25 for 83 yards as the offense managed just 159 total yards. Running backs Martell Mallett and Mickey Dean combined to carry 20 times for 34 yards.
"We're still a struggling offensive football team and we're not getting better as fast as I'd like," Forte said. "Johnathan fell victim to the offensive line again and we just couldn't sustain anything. Our defense played an outstanding game and our special teams were excellent so it's frustrating to not be able to have anything to show for it."
UAPB returns to action next Saturday in a non-conference game at Southern Illinois.
ALABAMA STATE 12, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 10: Mitchell throws for 2 TDs to lead Hornets
Montgomery Advertiser
PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Trailing 10-6 with less than one minute remaining and Alabama State facing a 4th and 10 on Arkansas-Pine Bluff's 10 yard line, it looked like the Hornets would be suffering the first defeat of the Reggie Barlow era.
However, quarterback Chris Mitchell darted out of the pocket and floated a pass into the arms of a diving Fred Ragsdale.
It was a touchdown that gave ASU an exciting 12-10 win.
"These guys, these guys just refused to quit fighting," Barlow said. "We were down and in a tough spot but we never quit."
The Hornets gave UAPB several opportunities to win a game that ASU statistically dominated, and the Golden Lions tried to take advantage.
ASU led only 6-0 after a lackluster first half, as Mitchell hit converted QB Darius Mitchell for an 11-yard touchdown just before the first half expired.
That score held up until UABP got a 26-yard field goal by John Heflin that was set up by a blocked punt. On the very next possession, a bad snap on a punt attempt gave the Golden Lions the ball on the ASU 23-yard line.
Quarterback Jonathan Moore -- subbing for 2006 SWAC player of the year Chris Wallace -- took it in from six yards out and UAPB had a 10-6 lead, setting the stage for Ragsdale's heroics.
"That kid (Ragsdale) worked so hard this summer," Barlow said. "I'm really happy for him and this whole team. We have a lot of things we need to correct, but I'm really proud of them for this effort tonight."
Jay Peck had his second consecutive 100-yard night, picking up 146 yards on 35 carries. ASU's defense held the vaunted one-two rushing punch of Martell Mallet and Mickey Dean to 34 yards on 20 rushes. For the game, UAPB only mustered 159 yards of total offense and converted just 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions.
"There is no doubt that if we want to play for a championship, we'll lean on this defense," Barlow said. "They really play hard and fly around out there. The offense puts them in tough situations and they still give us a chance to win.
"I'm glad the offense was able to make a play to contribute to this big win."
After two weeks on the road, the Hornets return home to face Alcorn State Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Crampton Bowl.
Notes: This was Jay Peck's 7th career 100 yard rushing effort. . . .Chris Mitchell finished 16-27 for 175 yards and 2 TDs. . . .Barlow will host his weekly media/fan luncheon on Monday at 11:45 am in the Acadome Banquet room. Admission is $10 for fans.
PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Trailing 10-6 with less than one minute remaining and Alabama State facing a 4th and 10 on Arkansas-Pine Bluff's 10 yard line, it looked like the Hornets would be suffering the first defeat of the Reggie Barlow era.
However, quarterback Chris Mitchell darted out of the pocket and floated a pass into the arms of a diving Fred Ragsdale.
It was a touchdown that gave ASU an exciting 12-10 win.
"These guys, these guys just refused to quit fighting," Barlow said. "We were down and in a tough spot but we never quit."
The Hornets gave UAPB several opportunities to win a game that ASU statistically dominated, and the Golden Lions tried to take advantage.
ASU led only 6-0 after a lackluster first half, as Mitchell hit converted QB Darius Mitchell for an 11-yard touchdown just before the first half expired.
That score held up until UABP got a 26-yard field goal by John Heflin that was set up by a blocked punt. On the very next possession, a bad snap on a punt attempt gave the Golden Lions the ball on the ASU 23-yard line.
Quarterback Jonathan Moore -- subbing for 2006 SWAC player of the year Chris Wallace -- took it in from six yards out and UAPB had a 10-6 lead, setting the stage for Ragsdale's heroics.
"That kid (Ragsdale) worked so hard this summer," Barlow said. "I'm really happy for him and this whole team. We have a lot of things we need to correct, but I'm really proud of them for this effort tonight."
Jay Peck had his second consecutive 100-yard night, picking up 146 yards on 35 carries. ASU's defense held the vaunted one-two rushing punch of Martell Mallet and Mickey Dean to 34 yards on 20 rushes. For the game, UAPB only mustered 159 yards of total offense and converted just 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions.
"There is no doubt that if we want to play for a championship, we'll lean on this defense," Barlow said. "They really play hard and fly around out there. The offense puts them in tough situations and they still give us a chance to win.
"I'm glad the offense was able to make a play to contribute to this big win."
After two weeks on the road, the Hornets return home to face Alcorn State Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Crampton Bowl.
Notes: This was Jay Peck's 7th career 100 yard rushing effort. . . .Chris Mitchell finished 16-27 for 175 yards and 2 TDs. . . .Barlow will host his weekly media/fan luncheon on Monday at 11:45 am in the Acadome Banquet room. Admission is $10 for fans.
A&T's losing streak stretches to 19
By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record
GREENSBORO -- ESPNU's telecast of Saturday's N.C. A&T-Hampton game didn't start until 10 p.m., and for the Aggies, the hour was appropriate. Perhaps suitable for television, the Aggies aren't yet ready for prime time.
Burned by big plays in all phases, A&T absorbed its 19th straight loss after Hampton used a long punt return to set up a field goal, a 65-yard return of the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and two defensive TDs in a 59-14 victory.
The Pirates, the three-time defending MEAC champions, won their 22nd straight regular-season game.
A&T took positive vibes into halftime after redshirt freshman quarterback Shelton Morgan led a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that he finished with a 10-yard pass to fullback Trey Green, slicing the Pirates' lead to 17-7.
"We were still in the game," Green said. "We were excited. We had the momentum."
The Aggies (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) hoped for a big special-teams play to start the third quarter, but those aspirations were complicated by A&T's decision to kick off to start the game after winning the coin toss.
"I'll take the blame for that," Aggies coach Lee Fobbs said. "We wanted to defer until the second half. Coaching error."
The Pirates (2-0, 2-0) had the choice for the second half, and they wanted the ball. The rules of the game were also uncooperative. Under new NCAA regulations, kickoffs now come from the 30, which means those who can't smack the ball to the end zone are often tempted to pop up high, intentionally short kicks in the name of coverage.
That was fine with the Pirates, whose special-teams play has complemented offensive and defensive units armed with NFL prospects in the past three years. Kevin Teel took this one at his 30, bolted laterally, made the turn upfield at the precisely the right moment and went the distance.
"We expected them to kick it short because they did it on the last one and kind of caught us off guard," Teel said. "We made the correction, and we executed our assignment."
The Pirates, whose offense includes transfers from Virginia Tech, Kent State and West Virginia, were vastly superior anyway. The addition of excellence in the kicking game merely compounded the Aggies' difficulties.
Morgan, the Aggies' only viable option at quarterback now that Herb Miller is out with another knee injury, had some encouraging moments in facing an often oppressive defensive line. His two touchdown passes came on screens that beat blitzes and showed appropriate recognition of the situations.
"That's something we like to run near the goal line," Morgan said. "That's the first read on the play, and it was open."
Morgan had a poised and credible first half but saw his evening take a downturn when he threw one in the flat that he instantly regretted. Roaming in pursuit of a running back, defensive end Kendall Lankford saw the pass was overthrown, and when he snared it at the 22, he had nothing but turf in his way.
Morgan was 3-for-16 in the second half but showed off enough of an arm to encourage offensive coordinator Kenneth Ray to throw several deep balls and open the playbook.
"After the first interception, I started rushing things, and the game got out of control," Morgan said. "But overall, I laid a foundation, something to build on for next week."
GREENSBORO -- ESPNU's telecast of Saturday's N.C. A&T-Hampton game didn't start until 10 p.m., and for the Aggies, the hour was appropriate. Perhaps suitable for television, the Aggies aren't yet ready for prime time.
Burned by big plays in all phases, A&T absorbed its 19th straight loss after Hampton used a long punt return to set up a field goal, a 65-yard return of the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and two defensive TDs in a 59-14 victory.
The Pirates, the three-time defending MEAC champions, won their 22nd straight regular-season game.
A&T took positive vibes into halftime after redshirt freshman quarterback Shelton Morgan led a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that he finished with a 10-yard pass to fullback Trey Green, slicing the Pirates' lead to 17-7.
"We were still in the game," Green said. "We were excited. We had the momentum."
The Aggies (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) hoped for a big special-teams play to start the third quarter, but those aspirations were complicated by A&T's decision to kick off to start the game after winning the coin toss.
"I'll take the blame for that," Aggies coach Lee Fobbs said. "We wanted to defer until the second half. Coaching error."
The Pirates (2-0, 2-0) had the choice for the second half, and they wanted the ball. The rules of the game were also uncooperative. Under new NCAA regulations, kickoffs now come from the 30, which means those who can't smack the ball to the end zone are often tempted to pop up high, intentionally short kicks in the name of coverage.
That was fine with the Pirates, whose special-teams play has complemented offensive and defensive units armed with NFL prospects in the past three years. Kevin Teel took this one at his 30, bolted laterally, made the turn upfield at the precisely the right moment and went the distance.
"We expected them to kick it short because they did it on the last one and kind of caught us off guard," Teel said. "We made the correction, and we executed our assignment."
The Pirates, whose offense includes transfers from Virginia Tech, Kent State and West Virginia, were vastly superior anyway. The addition of excellence in the kicking game merely compounded the Aggies' difficulties.
Morgan, the Aggies' only viable option at quarterback now that Herb Miller is out with another knee injury, had some encouraging moments in facing an often oppressive defensive line. His two touchdown passes came on screens that beat blitzes and showed appropriate recognition of the situations.
"That's something we like to run near the goal line," Morgan said. "That's the first read on the play, and it was open."
Morgan had a poised and credible first half but saw his evening take a downturn when he threw one in the flat that he instantly regretted. Roaming in pursuit of a running back, defensive end Kendall Lankford saw the pass was overthrown, and when he snared it at the 22, he had nothing but turf in his way.
Morgan was 3-for-16 in the second half but showed off enough of an arm to encourage offensive coordinator Kenneth Ray to throw several deep balls and open the playbook.
"After the first interception, I started rushing things, and the game got out of control," Morgan said. "But overall, I laid a foundation, something to build on for next week."
Second half big for HU
By KEITH CANNON, Special to the Daily PressThe Pirates struggle in the first half, then blow out N.C. A & T.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - After a listless first half, the Hampton University Pirates came out flying in the second half of their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game against North Carolina A&T Saturday night.
Quarterback T.J. Mitchell passed for three touchdowns, two of them in a 28-point third quarter, and 210 yards, and the Pirates' defense scored twice as Hampton beat the Aggies 59-14 in front of 12,547 fans at Aggie Stadium. For a long time, it wasn't as easy as that final score indicated.
The Pirates (2-0, 2-0 MEAC) had to overcome their own mistakes — two lost fumbles and a pair of interceptions — and a spirited effort by the Aggies (0-3, 0-1), who entered the game on a 18-game losing streak, the longest in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision.
"Any time you win a conference game, it's important," Hampton coach Joe Taylor said. "We ended up with enough players making plays, but we just didn't look as polished as we should be."
The Pirates hung on to a 17-7 lead at halftime but turned the game into a rout in the third quarter, which ended with Hampton up 45-14. Kevin Teel's 70-yard return of the second-half kickoff for a touchdown was the turning point.
"We expected them to kick it short, because they had done that at the end of the first half and caught us off-guard," said Teel, who also caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell. "We set it up well and I found an opening."
But, typical of the kind of up-and-down night it was, Teel fumbled the ball away on the Pirates' next possession to set up the Aggies at the Hampton 39. Shelton Morgan fired a 6-yard scoring pass to tight end Michael Christen to cut the lead to 24-14 with 10:46 left in the third quarter.
But the Pirates came back with a 41-yard pass from Mitchell to Jeremy Gilchrist on the second play of the short drive. Mitchell and Gilchrist connected for a 22-yard touchdown pass on the next play. Gilchrist finished with 112 yards on six catches.
Hampton senior defensive end Kendall Langford lumbered 23 yards with an interception with four minutes left in the quarter for a 38-14 lead. It happened just one play after Mitchell had thrown an interception in Pirates territory. Mitchell threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Teel in the last minute of the quarter.
Van Morgan added a 2-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and safety Vaughn Mansfield returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown.
"At halftime we talked about them not having the energy level that we had in the first game," Taylor said. "We didn't seem to have a lot of focus, and they were playing pretty well."
The Pirates scored their first touchdown with 3:50 left in the first quarter. Mitchell directed a six-play, 66-yard drive ending in a 9-yard touchdown pass to Justin Brown. But the biggest play in the drive was a 41-yard strike across the middle from Mitchell to Teel. Teel raced to the Aggies' 9 and Hampton scored three plays later.
After that, the Pirates began to win the battle of field position. Hampton's defense backed A&T up to its 2 on the next possession, and Gilchrist set Hampton up at the Aggies' 16 with a 26-yard punt return. On third down at the A&T 11, tight end Ernie Lomax pulled in a high pass from Mitchell just across the end line, and Hampton settled for a 28-yard field goal by Carlo Turavani and a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Pirates' biggest mistake of the first half gave A&T a scoring opportunity midway through the second quarter. Mitchell lost control of the ball while fading back to pass, and A&T linebacker Jamison Hedgepath recovered at the Hampton 24. But three plays netted the Aggies 2 yards, and the Pirates partially blocked Michael Caldwell's 39-yard field-goal attempt.
Hampton didn't take long to score again. Morgan romped 47 yards to the Aggies' 30 on the first play of the drive, and he scored on a 6-yard run four plays later for a 17-0 lead with five minutes left in the half.
But that's as good as it got for the Pirates in the first half. The Aggies marched right back with their first touchdown, scoring on a 9-yard pass from Morgan to Ortiz Green with 47 seconds left in the half to end a 78-yard drive. And after some indecision on the kickoff return resulted in the Pirates starting from their own 9, A&T ended the half with an interception by Ihsan Shaheed at midfield.
TSU Tigers star untouched on blocked extra point
By MIKE ORGAN, The Tennessean
CLARKSVILLE — Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie fully expected to come up with a key blocked extra point kick in overtime Saturday against Austin Peay.
In fact, Rodgers-Cromartie had asked TSU Coach James Webster to send him from the corner to try to get the block.
Webster gave the go-ahead and Rodgers-Cromartie promptly blocked Isaac Ziolkowski's kick, holding APSU's lead to six (32-26).
TSU scored a touchdown on its possession in overtime and Tigers kicker Eric Benson won the game with his extra-point kick.
"Austin Peay blocked down and nobody extended a hand out to even touch me,'' Rodgers-Cromartie said. "They had been doing that the whole game, so I went to Coach and said, 'Let me go get it full speed.' He told me to go and I went. I knew if I blocked that kick then we were going to score and Benson was going to make the extra point like he did."
Webster said he encourages his players to come to him with ideas, even in the course of a game.
"We're a team and I listen to my players,'' Webster said. "I've got confidence in what they say and confidence in what they do. They know I'll listen to them when they come to me with something that they think will work."
Hall out: TSU starting cornerback Marquez Hall did not dress after suffering a high ankle sprain late last week against Jackson State.
Junior Kevin Bledsoe from Stratford, who made his first start, replaced Hall, a transfer from Vanderbilt. Bledsoe recorded three solo tackles and broke up a pass.
Under the weather: TSU defensive tackle Lamar Divens is recovering from a bout with strep throat and was replaced on the first team by junior Maurice Royster. Divens came in late in the first quarter and recorded one tackle, while Royster did not make a stop.
Vanatta hurt: Austin Peay strong safety Jason Vanatta left with 1:22 to go in the first quarter after spraining his left ankle. Vanatta did not return and could miss next week's game against UT Martin.
Butterfingers: There was a total of 10 fumbles in the game. TSU had six and lost three while Austin Peay had four and lost three. Neither team, however, had an interception.
CLARKSVILLE — Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie fully expected to come up with a key blocked extra point kick in overtime Saturday against Austin Peay.
In fact, Rodgers-Cromartie had asked TSU Coach James Webster to send him from the corner to try to get the block.
Webster gave the go-ahead and Rodgers-Cromartie promptly blocked Isaac Ziolkowski's kick, holding APSU's lead to six (32-26).
TSU scored a touchdown on its possession in overtime and Tigers kicker Eric Benson won the game with his extra-point kick.
"Austin Peay blocked down and nobody extended a hand out to even touch me,'' Rodgers-Cromartie said. "They had been doing that the whole game, so I went to Coach and said, 'Let me go get it full speed.' He told me to go and I went. I knew if I blocked that kick then we were going to score and Benson was going to make the extra point like he did."
Webster said he encourages his players to come to him with ideas, even in the course of a game.
"We're a team and I listen to my players,'' Webster said. "I've got confidence in what they say and confidence in what they do. They know I'll listen to them when they come to me with something that they think will work."
Hall out: TSU starting cornerback Marquez Hall did not dress after suffering a high ankle sprain late last week against Jackson State.
Junior Kevin Bledsoe from Stratford, who made his first start, replaced Hall, a transfer from Vanderbilt. Bledsoe recorded three solo tackles and broke up a pass.
Under the weather: TSU defensive tackle Lamar Divens is recovering from a bout with strep throat and was replaced on the first team by junior Maurice Royster. Divens came in late in the first quarter and recorded one tackle, while Royster did not make a stop.
Vanatta hurt: Austin Peay strong safety Jason Vanatta left with 1:22 to go in the first quarter after spraining his left ankle. Vanatta did not return and could miss next week's game against UT Martin.
Butterfingers: There was a total of 10 fumbles in the game. TSU had six and lost three while Austin Peay had four and lost three. Neither team, however, had an interception.
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