Broadway gives Grambling rebuilding plan

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

New coach aware of past, but he's stressing patience

Rod Broadway knows all about Grambling. He knows about legendary coach Eddie Robinson, famed quarterback Doug Williams and all of the other great players who played for the Tigers.

But Broadway also knows winning takes time. Particularly after inheriting a team that went 3-8 last season and lost five of its last six games. That's why Broadway got the job in the first place.

"We're honored to be here and be a part of something Coach Robinson built and we're going to try to add to that," Broadway said. "One of the things that we are dealing with, going into this season, is going through this transitional period.

"It's new to them ... it's new to us. We're still trying to get a feel for them (and) they're still trying to get a feel for us. The only ure for that is time."

Unfortunately for Broadway, Grambling fans want to win now.

"Any time you come into a new situation, you have to change the culture and the attitude of the players," he said. "If we can do that, we'll have a chance to have a pretty good team. I think our guys are buying into what we are trying to do. Hopefully, we can win enough games to stay around here a long time."

Beating Alabama A&M, the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, Saturday night will certainly help Broadway's cause.

The Tigers host the Bulldogs at Robinson Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 and the game will be televised on a tape-delayed basis at 9 on ESPNU.

"This will be a great challenge for us," Broadway said. "We're looking forward to playing this game."

Grambling opened the season with a 31-10 win over Alcorn State.

The Tigers fell 34-10 at Pittsburgh two weeks ago in a game that was much closer than the score indicated. Grambling was victimized by three turnovers and a couple of special teams miscues led to Pittsburgh scores.

"We played well in the second half," said Broadway, whose team held Pittsburgh to three points in the final 30 minutes. "We were in the red zone five times and came away with three points.

"We played for 60 minutes. They didn't quit. Learning to play through adversity is a big thing."

The Tigers' effort against the Panthers, even in defeat, impressed Broadway.

"I like this team," he said. "I like the direction we're going. We have enough talent to be a good football team, but we've got a lot of work to do here. We're just trying to do what gives us the best chance to win football games."

Broadway says he has studied how A&M coach Anthony Jones has made the Bulldogs' program into one of the league's best. He's using Saturday's game as a measuring stick.

"That's not by accident," Broadway said when asked about A&M's success. "They've had a good program year in and year out. I'm envious of what they've done. Hopefully, we can do as well as they've done."

ASU's Mitchell makes most of opportunity

By CASSANDRA M. TAYLOR, Press-Register

Quarterback and LeFlore graduate has led Hornets to 3-0 start

During Alabama State's summer workout sessions, Chris Mitchell knew he'd have to be patient to get his shot.

The LeFlore graduate didn't have to wait long.

Mitchell took over at quarterback in the second quarter of the season opener against Jacksonville State. The result has been the team's first 3-0 start since the 2004 season when the Hornets claimed the SWAC Championship.

"My dream was to be the starter, but, prior to the season, I knew because of my lack of play during the summer that I'd have to wait my turn," Mitchell said. "There was also a case of learning the offensive plays and signals. But I knew once I eventually got in the game I'd be ready to play."

Mitchell, who has completed 37 of 51 passes for 485 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions, transferred from East Mississippi Community College where he started his freshman and sophomore seasons.

He led the Hornets to their third consecutive fourth-quarter comeback win this season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff last week.

"Chris' laid-back style contributes to our ability to be successful in the fourth quarter and in close games," first-year coach Reggie Barlow said. "Nothing seems to rattle him which concerned me at first, but now I understand that's just his style."

Mitchell admits his style of leadership may have given coaches some misconceptions about his ability to lead the team.

"I'm just a really calm guy most of the time and when game time comes I know what I'm there for and what I need to do," Mitchell said. "I guess that could be confusing to coaches because they couldn't get a clear picture of me as a player. During summer drills, the lack of repetitions bothered me a little but now everyone has shown they have confidence in me."

Mitchell is looking forward to Gulf Coast Classic in Mobile on Sept. 29 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium but knows he can't look past Saturday night's showdown with Alcorn State at the Cramton Bowl.

"We're definitely not looking past Alcorn," he said. "They're a good team, and we expect a hard-fought game. But I'm really looking forward to coming home to Mobile and facing Southern University in this year's Gulf Coast Classic.

"That's going to be very exciting. I'm counting down the days. It's always a blessing to be able to come back home to play in front of family, friends and your old high school coaches."

Lack of consistency pains Mississippi Valley coach

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

THE JSU GAME
What: Jackson State (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) at Mississippi Valley (1-2, 1-2)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Radio: JSU Network (WOAD-1300 AM)

ITTA BENA — After watching three weeks of dropped passes and bad reads, Willie Totten's voice is beginning to turn hoarse.

The Mississippi Valley State football coach has dealt with the offensive problems the best he knows how. Sometimes he yells and gets in players' faces. Sometimes he pleads. Sometimes he says nothing and lets his assistants take a crack at motivation.

But with the Delta Devils stuck in a two-game losing slump and archrival Jackson State waiting for them on Saturday, Totten has come to this conclusion: Nothing he says can make the players execute on game day.

"I've said all there is to say on the subject. All of the coaches have. When we start making plays, we'll start winning games again," Totten said. "Instead of watching someone else make the plays, our guys have to want to make that play themselves. It's something that has to come from within."

MVSU (1-2 overall, 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is a much different team than a year ago, when it fielded a veteran nucleus including senior quarterback Aries Nelson, linebacker Tyler Knight and wide receiver Tyrone Timmons that led the Delta Devils to consecutive 6-5 seasons.

This year, Totten looks on the field and sees a bunch of young faces. And when one of the freshmen or sophomores is screwing up, the only people to replace them are usually more freshmen and sophomores.

That's part of the reason the MVSU offense has scored just 12 points per game and had less than 200 total yards per game through the season's first three weeks.

"Every time we get something going, we do something to shoot ourselves in the foot," Totten said. "Sometimes it's penalties. Sometimes a missed block. We're missing that continuity."

But with that considerable frustration has also been a dose of encouragement because of several promising young players.

One of them is quarterback Paul Roberts (6-foot-2, 196 pounds), a sophomore from St. John in Gulfport who played sparingly as a true freshman. So far this season, he's thrown for 367 yards, three touchdowns and most importantly - no interceptions.

"I may be young, but if I'm on the field I'm expected to get the job done," Roberts said.

Roberts' favorite target has been tight end Abner Brown, a junior college transfer from Daytona Beach, Fla., who's caught 12 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Ronald Brewer, a redshirt freshman from Germantown, Tenn., also turned heads last week when he racked up 146 rushing yards on just 21 carries against Alabama A&M last week.

A compact 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, Brewer - at least for now - has won the starting spot from junior Johey Hargrett, who led the Delta Devils with 698 rushing yards last season.

"It's kind of hard to keep Brewer off the field when he's running for those big gains," Totten said. "I think that's the first time since I've been here that we've ever had a guy rush for 100 yards against A&M."

Brewer's breakout performance was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing 45-14 loss to Alabama A&M, the defending SWAC champion. The Delta Devils trailed just 10-7 at halftime before falling apart in the second half.

"We weren't tired - we just stopped executing," Totten said. "We turned the ball over a few times and showed our youth. Some of our guys are learning what's expected at the college level."

And now, many on this young MVSU team are learning about the intense buzz created in the Delta when JSU comes to town.

Even Totten admits that if Valley wins this game, many fans will consider the entire season a success even if the team never wins another game.

It's been 12 years since MVSU took a victory from Jackson State.

NCCU's hoops schedule has the Eagles bouncing all over the country -- and vs. Duke on Nov. 9

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

Nov. 9 is going to be a big night for the N.C. Central athletics program.

The Eagles are in their first season in NCAA Division I, and so far they have had pretty good results against a primarily Division II football schedule and a handful of high-profile opponents in other fall sports.

But on Nov. 9, the Eagles really join the club of Division I programs as a couple of local rivalries will begin in earnest. The Eagles men's basketball team will play its first official game with Duke at 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium, while women's team goes against North Carolina at 8:30 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium.

Those games were among the highlights of Wednesday's official release of the Eagles' first basketball schedules as Division I members. The men's schedule will be among the toughest in the country, while the women's schedule certainly is the strongest the Eagles have ever played.

Both season-opening games had been announced previously. But the totality of the schedules -- particularly on the men's side where they will be raking in big money on road trips, which include 15 of their first 16 games -- shows what life is going to be like for the Eagles as big-time expansion teams.

NCCU men's coach Henry Dickerson's club (13-15 last season), which has only seven home games, visits three members of the ACC with trips to Wake Forest on Nov. 19 and N.C. State on Jan. 9. A game at two-time defending NCAA champion Florida on Nov. 14 is on the schedule as part of the Blue Ribbon Challenge that gave the Eagles trips to Rutgers (Nov. 12) and North Dakota State (Nov. 17) as well as the Eagles' home opener against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 21.

Another huge opponent looms on Dec. 22 when the Eagles visit Nebraska, two days after visiting Creighton in their journey to the Cornhusker State. The Eagles will also travel to the Iowa Realty Tournament at Drake Nov. 30-Dec. 1, taking on the host Bulldogs in the first round with Duquesne and Cal State-Northridge in the field.

"This is going to be a big challenge, especially for a young team," Dickerson said. "We're going to be playing some of the best teams in the country, and our guys will know they have to play hard every night. It's going to be about learning to trust each other, and to keep getting better whether we win or lose."

Nine in-state opponents dot the men's schedule. Along with the ACC members the Eagles will travel to Davidson on Nov. 24, Western Carolina on Dec. 5, UNC Wilmington on Dec. 16, East Carolina on Jan. 5, then host Chowan on Feb. 16 and Lenoir-Rhyne on Feb. 20.

ECU, which defeated the Eagles 68-47 in Greenville, is the only holdover from last year's regular-season schedule. NCCU lost its exhibition games at Duke (92-63) and Wake Forest (68-60) last season.

NCCU will host the RTP Hilton Classic on Dec. 29-30 at McLendon-McDougald Gym, taking on Houston Baptist and Concord with former CIAA rival Elizabeth City State the other team in the doubleheaders. The Classic opponents along with Chowan and Lenoir-Rhyne are the only non-Division I foes on the schedule.

As an independent, Dickerson's club will have home-and-home series with just two teams, Coppin State (home on Jan. 16 and away on Jan. 30) and Utah Valley State (away on Jan. 22 and at home on Feb. 19). Except for those two games and the trip to Colgate on Feb. 23 (the Red Raiders will return the visit during the 2008-09 season), the Eagles will collect checks from the other road games. The total will be between $400,000 and $450,000, Dickerson said.

Without the pressure --or ability -- to raise tens of thousands of dollars from road games, the NCCU women's schedule does not have the same recurring David and Goliath theme as the men's. The biggest ongoing challenge for women's coach Joli Robinson and her squad (26-6 last season) is the fact it will have just six home games.

The Eagles will play at cross-town rival Duke for the first time under Robinson on Jan. 3. But after the Tar Heels and Blue Devils the next biggest name on the schedule is Duquesne, where NCCU will visit on Jan. 7.

"This is going to be a good experience for us," said Robinson, who is 177-135 as the Eagles' head coach. "When you're at the Division I level, you're going to play some very tough teams. Playing at Duke and Carolina gives our student-athletes some great opportunities, and this is about them.

"We're also going to be traveling and seeing some places they've never seen before. Sometimes we're not going to know what to expect."

The regular-season women's slate features 11 in-state opponents, including the Lady Eagle Classic against Elizabeth City State on Dec. 7 and Fayetteville State on Dec. 8. NCCU will travel to Elon on Nov. 12, Appalachian State on Nov. 16, take on Lenoir-Rhyne on Nov. 23 and host Catawba Nov. 24 in the Comfort Suites Classic in Salisbury, visit High Point on Jan. 5, return the visit to Fayetteville State on Feb. 4 and host Livingstone on Feb. 16.

The Eagles will play 13 regular-season games against Historically Black colleges. Foremost among those games is the Eagles' Nov. 20 visit to Coppin State, as the two teams shared the Black College national title last year. Norfolk State will visit on Jan. 9, the Eagles' only home game against a Division I team.

Robinson's team will also play a pair of exhibition games, hosting former CIAA rival Virginia State on Nov. 3 and traveling to Wake Forest on Nov. 7.

FAMU Rattlers show some bite in the classroom

Photo: #28, Jason Beach

By St. Clair Murraine, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Long before loading up to leave Cincinnati for FAMU four years ago, linebacker Dannel Shepard heard constant reminders about the distractions that could beset a freshman football player with star potential.

"Coming down here," Shepard said, "one thing everybody told me is, 'You're going to Florida; you're going to see the girls and you're going to have the parties.'

"My whole thing was I have to prove everybody wrong. I can't be one of the ones that come far away from home and fall off because I have a lot riding on my shoulders."

Shepard, a senior majoring in business administration, is one of four football players who have consistently stayed on the honor roll at FAMU. They've debunked everything they've heard about how easy it is to be taken off course academically, maintaining a 3.0 or better grade-point average.

Two of the others are defensive players: redshirt sophomore linebacker Michael McMillan and redshirt junior defensive back Jason Beach. Redshirt sophomore offensive right tackle Kenneth Lanier is a regular on the honor roll.

Photo: #76 Michael McMillan

They're also performing above average on the football field, with Shepard atop the chart of defensive leaders. In three games he has 28 tackles, five for loss and two quarterback sacks.

McMillan has recorded 11 tackles and Beach 9.

With no game on their schedule this weekend and a lighter week of practice than usual week, the Rattlers can enjoy a little leisure. But the classroom routine remains the same for the players.

"During free time, I know a lot of people have got video games or go clubbing (but) you've got to pick certain days," said McMillan, a pharmacy major who was named to the MEAC All-Academic team this past spring. "I play with my boys and I have fun, but at the same time I've got to study when I get free time.

"I look at it like this: My parents sent me here to get an education and, of course, play football. I'm just trying to balance both of them and keep my grades up while I'm on the field. I just want to be something in life."

While the four student-athletes might be exceptional in their commitment to academics, every player on the team puts in his share of overtime to prepare for classes. There is study hall, tutoring and whatever else it takes for the players to maintain academic standards, said coach Rubin Carter.

Photo: #27, Dannel Shepard

His biggest challenge, Carter said, is with freshmen. They usually come in with big dreams of using college football to get to the next level, sometimes forgetting the balance between the playing field and the classroom.

Most freshmen make the adjustment quickly, though, he said.

"You try to keep things in perspective and also to prioritize - college is first," Carter said. "Academics are first (and) everything else is an addition to what they get here.

"We surround them with a network of people to help them by conveying the message of doing things they need to do."

And then some. Staying above average in the classroom takes more than study hall, said Shepard, recalling the nights he stayed up into the wee hours.

"I just told myself to get focused on my books when I'm tired and sleepy and really don't want to. I just force myself to do better," he said. "I treat it like a football game, start on it as soon as I get the information. I keep going over and as it (the exam) gets closer, I pile it all together and try to get the most I can."

SU tries to get ground attack on track

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

One week after Southern ran for 293 yards against Mississippi Valley State, the Jaguars came down to earth, with 67 yards on 31 carries in a 12-2 win over Prairie View.

The rushing total against Valley was the best total since September 2003 and reinforced the 238 rushing yards from the season opener.

Though the rushing total against PV was still better than five anemic totals last season, it was the worst since Mark Orlando became the team’s offensive coordinator for the final three games of last season.

“We have to get our running game started back,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “We cannot afford to just sporadically try to throw the football. Our throwing game has evolved around us running the football.”

Southern (3-0) hosts Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The Jaguars are 5-1 since making the move to Orlando after a 26-10 loss at Alcorn State in which SU ran for 53 yards on 34 carries.

Saturday’s output, however, was the worst rushing game since SU made the staff move and, concurrent with that, emphasized the ground game.

In the first eight games of last season, Southern had running game clunkers of 1, 57, 63 (against Prairie View), 95, 61 and 53 yards. Since then, SU has run for, in order, 236, 152, 131, 238 and 293 before PV (2-1) corralled the Jaguars to the 67 yards Saturday.

There’s a realization Prairie View, in its third season under defensive coordinator Heishma Northern and with linebacker Zach East, is pretty stout defensively.

“Prairie View really came to play,” junior running back Kendrick Smith said.

However, there’s also a concern Northern might have laid down a plan for stopping the Jaguars.

“Prairie View did an outstanding job,” Richardson said. “People will take a look at that.”

Another concern for Saturday is, SU will have to play the first half without senior wide receiver Gerard Landry, who has scored a touchdown in all three games and is the unit’s emotional leader. Landry was ejected midway through the fourth quarter and, by NCAA rules, must sit out the first half.

“You have to be concerned. &hellip It’s going to be a struggle getting to the second half, because he’s made some outstanding plays for us,” Richardson said.

Lee’s completion percentage Saturday was a strong 61.1 percent, but PV kept SU from turning short passes into long gains. Receiver Del Roberts, who turned dink passes into big plays the week before, was held to 38 yards on nine catches.

“It was bad for everybody,” said sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee, 4-1 as a starter. “We just didn’t execute the way we wanted to.”

Lee threw for 144 yards and a touchdown and ran for a season-low 21 yards (also a career low in games in which he’s played at least a half).

“He’s a young quarterback and he’s learning, but we were inconsistent, dropping some passes that cost him some big plays,” Richardson said. “Overall, we hung in there with a good football team.”

SU’s offense, meanwhile, has started slowly all season. The Jaguars had minus-6 yards on 10 plays, with three, three-and-outs, in the first quarter.

The Jaguars had to come up with big plays to score Saturday.

Lee hit Landry on a hot read for a 15-yard touchdown on a third-and-9 in the final minute of the first half.

And holder Nick Benjamin found tight end Evan Alexander for a 12-yard TD on a fake field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.

“The play was inconsistent, offensively, for us,” Richardson said. “Missed assignments caused some problems for us. Of course, a lot of that was caused by Prairie View putting the pressure on us.”

Southern players lauded Tennessee State as having a physical defense and said getting back offensive rhythm will be a challenge.

“We didn’t perform like we were supposed but the defense stepped up,” Smith said. “We have to execute better than we did. In the game we had some mental busts.”

Southern University Lands makes grade on, off the field

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern junior defensive end Vince Lands is late to practice, really late, every Tuesday and Thursday.

Nobody minds much.

The players and coaches know what a special student Lands is. He majors in microbiology and minors in chemistry, with an A average, and earned Southwestern Athletic Conference All-Academic honors last year.

They also realize what a special player he is. After getting out of class around 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Lands goes to practice, which has already been going on for about two hours.

“Once he gets there, he’s all football player,” SU coach Pete Richardson said.

The SWAC honored Lands as its defensive player of the week, with eight tackles and 2 1/2 sacks in a 12-2 win over Prairie View on Saturday. Richardson gave Lands his personal coach’s award as well. A week earlier, against Florida A&M, he was named the defensive MVP of the Chicago Football Classic.

Putting in the work is the underpinning for everything:

“After film, late at night, I’ll just run around the neighborhood or something,” Lands said of Tuesdays and Thursdays. “I’ll study in the late hours of the night, up to two in the morning,” Lands said of the everyday routine.

At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, Lands’ game is all about quickness, strength and, of course, plenty of smarts. Lands did a team-best 30 straight bench presses of 275 pounds. For perspective, during the NFL’s combine, the players do the same type of test, only at 225, and 30 would be outstanding even for that lesser weight.

After struggling early last season with cramping late in games, Lands knew conditioning would be a priority this season. So, even while on an internship, the work had to get done.

“His conditioning before we got started is really paying dividends for him,” Richardson said.

Lands didn’t get that strong by toting textbooks, but that’s not far off. His biochemistry and microbial physiology books are companions on road trips — right next to the playbook.

“Even on the road, I bring my books with me, try to catch up with my studies there,” said Lands, who plans on a career as a geriatric internal physician.

Lands spent May and June at an internship at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. He took the Medical College Admission Test during preseason camp.

The overachieving started as a two-way player at Glen Oaks High, where Lands was on Class 4A Academic All-State team in 2003 and on The Advocate’s All-Metro team in ’02. Plus, he was on the track team as a runner. (He’s helped the SU track team, as a thrower.)

At the same time, he was in a medical magnet program and worked Fridays, after games, at a nursing home.

Relentlessness pays off.

“He’s going to be successful — I don’t care what he does — because he’s going to put the time in and he expects results from it,” Richardson said.

Keeping up with Lands on the field or off is nearly impossible for mortals.

Delaware State Lavan wants Jones healthy before return

Photo: #4 - Jones, Kareem, RB, 5-11/200, Jr., Lansingburg, NY (Lansingburg HS)

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

DOVER -- What's the deal with Kareem Jones?

After rushing for 171 yards in his Delaware State University football debut against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 1, Jones has carried the ball four times in two games.

Hornets coach Al Lavan said Jones injured his knee in the 23-18 win over Coastal Carolina. That led Lavan to limit Jones to four carries in a win over Florida A&M.

Then, last Saturday at Division I-A Kent State, Jones was dressed and looked healthy on the sidelines but did not see action.

And Jones was missed -- at least in the first half -- as his replacement, Chris Strother, rushed for 30 yards on 20 carries.

"I'm heading to practice right now," Jones said as he jogged to the field on Wednesday. "I was ready to play at Kent State. I'll play [the next game]."

Jones practiced with the first team on Wednesday, but it's still too early to know if he'll start at Hampton on Sept. 29.

The Pirates are the three-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions and are the odds-on favorite to win a fourth title.

The game should determine DSU's chances for its first championship since 1991 when it won a share of it with North Carolina A&T.

When asked how his knee felt, Jones said, "It's a little tight."

Lavan said Jones has not undergone any diagnostic scans or X-rays of his knee, nor has he worn a brace.

After beating FAMU 20-7 to improve to 2-0, Lavan admitted not using Jones in the game because he didn't want to risk a more significant injury.

This week, Lavan has been a little more aloof as to why he didn't play Jones against Kent State.

"Kareem is ready to go," Lavan said earlier this week. "It's just the normal bumps and bruises. We made a decision to go with a two-back set [in the 38-7 loss at Kent State]. I told him I would not play him. It's better in the long run for him to be totally healthy."

Even with his team trailing 7-0 at halftime, Lavan stuck with Strother and third option Lennox Norville while Jones walked around the sideline.

Jones, a transfer from Syracuse, gives the Hornets a different look offensively. A straight-ahead runner, Jones has also spent time on the kickoff return team and brought one back 74 yards.

"It was hard to watch the Kent game from the sidelines," Jones said. "I was really looking forward to showing them what I could do."

Jones left Syracuse over the summer due to a bloated Orange backfield. At the time, Jones' high school coach, Pete Porcelli, said the Jones was interested in landing at either Delaware State or Hampton.

Jones said Wednesday he never visited Hampton.

HU Juniors filling two huge holes impressively

Photo: Van Morgan, #27 RB, 6-0/218 Sr., New Smyrna Beach H.S., Florida

By MARTY O'BRIEN, Daily Press

Thursday Night game
WHO: Morgan State (1-2, 0-0 MEAC) at Hampton (2-0, 2-0).
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
TV: ESPNU.

Wakeem Goode and Van Morgan are trying to replace two of HU's greatest players.

Wakeem Goode and Van Morgan might have the toughest jobs on Hampton University's football team. How much fun can it be following in the footsteps of players considered the best in school history at their respective positions?

Goode stepped into the starting middle-linebacker spot vacated by Justin Durant. Durant, the three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Defensive Player of the Year, started last weekend for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

Morgan will start at tailback for the second consecutive game when the Pirates (2-0, 2-0 MEAC) host Morgan State (1-2, 0-0) tonight at 7:30.

He succeeds Alonzo Coleman, the MEAC's all-time leading rusher, now employed on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad.

By the looks of it, neither appears to be intimidated by the challenge, or even worried about it because they took advantage of the time spent as back-ups to learn from the men they would be replacing.

Photo: Wakeem Goode, #49 LB, 5-11/227 Jr., Benedictine H.S., Cleveland, Ohio

Goode, a 5-foot-11, 227-pound junior, made a team-high 19 tackles the first two games. Morgan, a 6-0, 218-pound junior, started for the first time last Saturday and had 154 yards and two touchdowns in the Pirates' 59-14 win at North Carolina A&T.

"They were in backup roles in the past, but they never had any problem (waiting)," Pirates coach Joe Taylor said. "You can see how good they are. Usually those kinds of kids want to play quickly and ask, 'Why am I not playing more?'

"They just waited their turns and kept on working and working. When they got their opportunities, they made the most of them."

While waiting, they filled in capably as part-time players. Morgan, for instance, became the ball-carrier in the second half of the 2006 opener against Grambling State because Coleman was sidelined by cramps.

He employed his power running style to gain 82 yards on 14 carries, helping the Pirates edge the Tigers 27-26. But he left the game late in the fourth quarter with a deep thigh bruise that limited his playing time the remainder of the season.

When he returned to action he dedicated himself to contributing on special teams and to learning everything he could from Coleman.

"What impressed me most about Alonzo was his attitude toward the game," Morgan said. "He played with an attitude I had never seen before. He approached everything with toughness and had confidence in everything he did.

"I picked up on the focus and fearlessness he carried into every game."

Goode adopted Durant as his role model and shadowed him to the film room regularly. When Durant missed the Norfolk State game last season with a sore back, Goode replaced him. He made six tackles, including three sacks, to earn defensive player of the game honors.

"I learned a lot from Justin," Goode said, "He reacted to things so quickly. Watching film with him he taught me about reacting to the ball before things happened."

Taylor sees a similarity between Goode and Durant because both possess non-stop motors.

"You look at Wakeem's body and you'd say he's too short or not the fastest," Taylor said. "But if you see him in the weight room, you'd understand why he moves so well. He's a tremendous worker.

"He always working some kind of move, a swim technique or a rip technique. That's what allows him to break free of blockers and stay on his feet."

Goode says that he feels no pressure to be another Durant, a sentiment Morgan echoes when asked about Coleman. Then again, both understand they'd better come close or someone on the roster will be ready to step in.

"Expectations are always going to be high because there are so many athletes in this program," Morgan said. "We've had Ardell (Daniels) and Alonzo (Coleman) and Kevin Beverly all do well.

"I feel like any running back in our program could do the same thing, because we know what the expectations are."

Mercer Volleyball Falls at FAMU

Photo: FAMU's Zaira Manzo, Sophomore, 5-10, S., Santa Maria of Fatima High School, Lima, Peru

The Mercer volleyball squad dropped a 3-1 decision to Florida A&M Wednesday evening at the Gaither Center.

After taking the first game of the match, 31-29, the Bears fell in the final three games, 30-19, 30-27 and 30-22.

Florida A&M improves to 2-5 on the season, while Mercer falls to 2-11.

The Bears fell behind early in the first game as the Lady Rattlers took the first four points of the set.

Mercer battled to get within two at the 10-8 mark when FAMU went on a 9-2 run to take a firm lead.

A kill by Julie Darty sparked a 5-1 run for the Bears, narrowing the Lady Rattler lead to four points.

FAMU answered with a 7-1 run to take their largest lead of the game, 25-16.

Drennan Dexheimer notched a kill as the Bears scored seven of the next nine points to put the game at 27-23.

Florida A&M head coach Tony Trifonov called a timeout to regroup his team and the Lady Rattlers came out of the break to score the next two points and put FAMU at game point, 29-23.

The Bears did not give up, reeling off the next eight points to take the come-back win, 31-29.

In the second game, Mercer took the first point on a kill by Julie Darty, but Florida A&M scored the next nine points to jump out to an early 9-1 lead.

The Bears battled back, getting within four points of the Lady Rattlers at the 13-9 mark but back-to-back kills and errors by Mercer once again put FAMU up by eight, 17-9.

Mercer fought to the end but was unable to catch up to the early deficit, falling 20-19 in the game.

Florida A&M took an 11-5 lead in the third game and held on to its lead to the 28-23 mark.

After a timeout called by Mercer head coach Noelle Hughes, the Bears scored four consecutive points to get within one of the Lady Rattlers, 28-27.

FAMU grabbed the final two points to take a 30-27 win in the set.

Mercer fell behind 14-7 in the final game of the match when freshman Erica Vrvilo notched four kills to lead the Bears on a 6-2 run and narrow the Lady Rattlers' lead to three points, 16-13.

The teams battled evenly to 20-17 when Florida A&M scored three straight points to widen its lead once again.

The Lady Rattlers maintained their lead, taking the game, 30-22.

"After being in such a huge deficit in the first game, we fought back to take a great win, but we didn’t control the game on our side for the remainder of the match and committed too many unforced errors, making it easy for FAMU to win," said Hughes.

The Lady Rattlers (2-5) were senior led by Iva Lakic with 27 kills, followed by freshman Jovana Blazeski with 16. Sophomore Zaira Manzo led the team in assists and digs with 52 and 10.

The Lady Rattlers are scheduled to face the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL on September 25 at 6:00 p.m. ET and Bethune Cookman University on September 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Gaither Gym in Tallahassee, FL.

-Contributed by Mercer Media Relations and FAMU Sports Information

TSU corner Hall expected back for Southern game

By MIKE ORGAN, the Tennessean

Tennessee State starting cornerback Marquez Hall, who missed last week's game at Austin Peay, returned to the practice field Tuesday and expects to play when the Tigers play at Southern at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Hall, a freshman transfer from Vanderbilt, suffered a high ankle sprain late in the game against Jackson State on Sept. 8.

"He says he's ready to go,'' said TSU Coach James Webster. "Southern throws the ball well and it would be a huge boost for us if he's able to play."

Webster said he thought about allowing Hall to play against Austin Peay but worried about causing further damage.

In two games, Hall recorded six tackles and came up with TSU's only interception of the season when he picked off a pass against Alabama A&M.

"It's an ankle injury and he's a skill kid and I just didn't want to take the chance of playing him (against Austin Peay),'' Webster said. "We really needed him, but his health was our number one concern."

Junior Kevin Bledsoe, a former Stratford star who made his first start, replaced Hall. Bledsoe played admirably, making three tackles and breaking up a pass, Webster said.

"I thought he played well,'' Webster said. "He had a penalty (pass interference) and it was a big penalty. It was a tough call. But other than that, I was real pleased with the way Bledsoe played."

Feeling better: Two key defensive players suffered from strep throat last week but were feeling better Monday. Starting free safety Anthony Levine didn't make the trip to Austin Peay, while starting tackle Lamar Divens played but was not in the starting lineup.

Both players practiced Monday and are expected to be with the first team Saturday against Southern.

"We need Divens. He's been sick and he's lost a lot of weight,'' Webster said. "That may be good if we can get him back in shape because he'll be lighter. He's coming back to see if he's going to be OK."

UAPB Moore slated to start against Southern Illinois University

By Mike Marzelli, Pine Bluff Commercial

Johnathan Moore will remain as Arkansas-Pine Bluff's starting quarterback for Saturday's game at Southern Illinois and it appears as though the job will belong to the former Dollarway star for the foreseeable future.
Moore, who replaced Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Chris Wallace under center in Saturday's 12-10 loss to Alabama State after Wallace had missed the previous week of practice with exhaustion, completed 8-of-25 passes for 83 yards and also ran for a score against the Hornets. His start this weekend will be the fourth of his three-year college career.

“Johnathan Moore is still our guy,” Forte said. “The thing he has to do is look at some more film and really study some film of himself and our opponents and just increase his knowledge of the position and what we need from him. We don't need him to go out there and win the game for us, he just needs to play within himself and manage the game and make good decisions.”

Wallace, who spent Saturday on the sidelines in street clothes, has returned to full practice this week and got a number of snaps with the first-team offense on Tuesday. The senior looks to have regained his strength and is slated to be Moore's backup.

“It is great to have Chris back out here,” Forte said. “Any time a member of our UAPB family is sick or hurt or has anything wrong you just pray for him and you want him back out here so it's good to see him back.”

Continued struggles up front

Forte continues to be frustrated by the ongoing struggles of his offensive line, which was unable to hold the line of scrimmage in either facet of the offense for the third straight contest Saturday.

Offensive coordinator and line coach Jonathan Cannon, a former UAPB offensive lineman himself, continues to work long and hard with the group but Forte says there is only so much a coach can do.

“There isn't one thing that we need to focus on or spend extra time on, they just need to keep working and keep getting better and they can't quit,” he said. “It's really just the whole thing that offensive lines work on throughout the season that they need to spend their time in practice doing because we just haven't been good enough.”

Tough loss

The Golden Lions are still stung by their last-second loss in Saturday's Arkansas Classic but the coaching staff has made sure to emphasize the need to move on.

Practice has been crisp to begin the week, especially on Tuesday when UAPB has its longest workout of the week, but the disappointment from the loss still lingers.

“It's been rough,” Forte said. “That's as tough a loss as any right here but these kids are resilient and they know we need to look ahead and never look back anymore.”

A tough test

Southern Illinois will be as tough an opponent as UAPB faces all season. The Salukis are currently ranked sixth in the Football Championship Subdivision after reaching the national semifinals a year ago.

It's a challenge UAPB is welcoming for the second straight year.

“Some teams don't get the chance to play a top ten team but we do and we're going to make the most of it,” Forte said. “They're an outstanding football team with so many talented athletes and they're going to be very tough but we're a good football team and we like challenges.

Last season UAPB hung with SIU for a little over a half and trailed 21-16 early in the third quarter before the Salukis ripped off five straight scores and 27 consecutive points to close the game.

“We were right there in a tough game and then they just broke it open,” Forte said. “It gives our kids confidence that they can compete with them if we play every play and we all know it would be great to go in there and pull an upset.”

Reynolds in running for TSU basketball coaching job

By BRANDON C. WILLIAMS, Houston Chronicle

The latest name to toss in his hat for the Texas Southern men's basketball coaching job is a familiar one to longtime Tigers fans.

Dr. Lacey Reynolds, who is currently an instructor at the school, was confirmed as the third man who applied for the position, joining former TSU basketball star and current Worthing boys basketball Kevin Granger and Paul Mills, coordinator of men's basketball operations at Baylor. Candidates are vying to replace Ronnie Courtney, who was fired in July after four seasons with the Tigers.

Reynolds served as an assistant coach at TSU from 1983-95, where he helped guide the Tigers to four Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season titles and three trips to the NCAA tournament. Among the players he helped bring to the school as chief recruiter was Granger, who starred for the team from 1993-97.

Reynolds was the head coach at Grambling from 1995-99 before returning to TSU as the women's basketball coach from 2000-03. A graduate of Delta State University, he began his collegiate coaching career at the age of 23 when he led Mississippi Industrial College to a 19-10 record during the 1975-76 season. He recently received his educational doctorate in curriculum and instructions.

Granger was the latest to have a formal interview, having met with school officials on Friday.

Whoever is named for the job will face the challenge of putting together a full roster before fall practice begins on Oct. 15. The Tigers have only six players on scholarship returning from a team that finished 14-17 last season.

NCCU prepares for rivalry game

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

Mose Rison was a part of some huge rivalries during his long career as an assistant football coach.

During his three seasons at Navy from 1988-90, it was the classic season-ender with Army that could make a bad season good or put a sour note on an otherwise successful year.

Ditto for his six seasons at Stanford from 1995-2000, where a win or loss in "The Big Game" with rival California could do the same thing.

And maybe, just maybe those experiences have prepared N.C. Central's first-year head coach for what he's about to see this weekend.

"Rivalry renewed," said the headline on the Eagles' weekly media notes for their game against North Carolina A&T, their bitterest historic rival, on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Aggie Stadium.

Fittingly, it's NCCU's first football game as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision against another FCS team. The Eagles, who were members of NCAA Division II until this season, are 3-1 against an all-Division II schedule so far and riding a three-game winning streak. A&T is 0-3, has a 19-game losing streak that is the longest in the FCS and is coming off a 59-14 home loss to Hampton.

So does all that make NCCU a prohibitive favorite?

Not on this planet, Rison said Tuesday during his weekly news conference.

"A&T will be the best football team we've played all season," Rison said. "As soon as we finished our game Saturday [an 18-10 victory over Elizabeth City State at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.], I told our players 'Let's not get caught up in the hype.' We all know what this means to both universities."

Rison said beating the Aggies, coached by Lee Fobbs, won't be easy, but the formula is simple.

"I know I don't want to be part of history," Rison said. "We just have to go out and do what we have to do to get ready. We know what we have to do defensively -- we've got to create second- or third-and-long situations. Offensively, we need to avoid giving our defense short fields. And on special teams, we have to figure out a way to hit extra points."

Rison said he has plenty of respect for the Aggies' defense, even in the loss to Hampton.

"They played a very good football team," he said. "But their defense is getting better at running to the football. They tackle well, and they're physical."

The Aggies' sophomore middle linebacker Andre Thornton (6-3, 230) has been in on 25 tackles including 16 solos and four for losses, while junior back Marques Ruffin (6-2, 190) has 22 tackles including 12 solos and two for losses.

NCCU's strength also has been on defense.

"I tell them every week I hope we go on defense first so I can see what they can do," Rison said.

The Eagles' win in New Jersey was a coming-out party of sorts for redshirt freshman Tim Shankle, who picked up 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Rison said he liked the way sophomore quarterback Stadford Brown (10-of-23 for 103 yards and a TD) directed the offense and freshman Deshawn Spears (four catches for 28 yards) caught the ball against the Vikings.

NOTES -- A&T leads the series, which was interrupted last season, 45-28-5. ... The Aggies won the last meeting in Greensboro 48-0 in 1991, but three of the past four meetings have been classics at Raleigh's Carter-Finley Stadium. NCCU won 23-22 in 2005, lost 16-15 on Carlos Davalos' 50-yard field goal at the horn in 2004, and won 33-30 in overtime in 2002 after trailing 27-0 heading into the second quarter.

Texas Southern vs. UTEP Miners

UTEP (1-2, 0-0 C-USA) will host Texas Southern (0-3, 0-3 SWAC) of the Championship Subdivision on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. MST. The Miners will be home for four of their next five games. Following next week's conference opener at SMU, UTEP will take on Tulsa (Oct. 6), East Carolina (Oct. 13) and Houston (Oct. 27) in succession at the Sun Bowl. The Miners were dealt a 29-24 loss at I-10 rival New Mexico State last week.

Texas Southern remained winless with a 28-7 setback at Jackson State on Sept. 13. The Tigers have scored 31 points in their first three contests. UTEP is 14-5 in the Sun Bowl under head coach Mike Price. The Miners are 1-0 in the venue in 2007, a season-opening 10-6 triumph over New Mexico. Texas Southern is 0-1 on the road with the aforementioned loss to Jackson State.

The UTEP-Texas Southern Ledger

UTEP has won the two previous matchups between the schools, both in the Sun Bowl. The Miners beat the Tigers 52-6 in 2001 and 45-0 in 2005.

The Last Meeting

UTEP limited Texas Southern to 146 yards of offense in a 45-0 blanking of the Tigers on Nov. 12, 2005 in the Sun Bowl. UTEP won its ninth straight game in the Sun Bowl, extending a school-record streak in the process. Jordan Palmer completed 16 of 23 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns, breaking Billy Stevens' career record for passing yardage. Palmer helped the Miners to a 28-0 halftime lead, connecting with Marcus Thomas, David Sutton, Chris Marrow and Joe West for scores. He extended the lead to 35-0 on a three-yard touchdown run of his own midway through the third period. A 26-yard field goal by Reagan Schneider and a two-yard run by El Paso native Jon Lane completed the scoring.

Texas Southern missed its best scoring opportunity with 31 seconds remaining in the first half, when Kyle Watson's 22-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Brent Wilson rushed 22 times for 90 yards for the Tigers. Thomas rushed for 112 yards on 18 carries for the Miners, and caught four passes totaling 69 yards. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. chipped in with three receptions for 73 yards.

Howard University vs. Eastern Michigan

Click Here to Listen to the Game via WEMU.

Click Here for Live Statistics.

The Eastern Michigan University football team returns home Saturday afternoon, Sept. 22, to host Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference foe Howard University. The highlight of the afternoon will be the appearance and performance of the renowned Howard "Showtime" Marching Band. "Showtime" is recognized nationally as one of the finest marching bands in the land and has a long and distinguished history of excellence and showmanship.

FIRST MEAC TEAM IN RYNEARSON: When EMU plays host to Howard University Saturday, it will mark the first appearance in Rynearson Stadium for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) team. The MEAC is comprised of: Howard, Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State.

ANOTHER TELEVISION APPEARANCE: Saturday’s EMU-Howard game is one of eight television appearances this season for EMU. The Sept. 8 Ball State game and the Howard contest are both Comcast Local TV productions as are the EMU-Western Michigan (Oct. 27) and Central Michigan (Nov. 16) games. The EMU-Northern Illinois game (Sept. 15) and the EMU at Ohio (Oct. 13) games are both slated for ESPN Regional action and the EMU-Northwestern (Oct. 19) and EMU-BGSU (Nov. 9) games are scheduled for ESPNU.

THE HEAD COACHES: EMU head coach Jeff Genyk (Bowling Green, ‘82) is in his fourth year as head coach after serving the previous 12 years working for Northwestern University. Howard head coach Carey Bailey (Tennessee, ’92) is in his first season.

GREEN EGGS AND COFFEE: EMU head football coach Jeff Genyk will be the featured guest on the Monday evening radio show, "Green Eggs and Coffee", from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. each Monday of the football season. The shows, with WTKA radio’s Jeff Radford and WEMU radio reporter Brian Nemerovski serving as co-hosts.

PROJECT PERFECT: EMU would like to recognize Saturday’s guests that are part of the Project Perfect program. The incentive program is designed to honor and recognize top students at local elementary and middle schools. Project Perfect rewards perfect grades, perfect attendance, and/or exemplary citizenship.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The labels Division I-A and I-AA have been deleted from NCAA use and replaced by the terms "Football Bowl Subdivision" and "NCAA Football Championship Subdivision." The FBS is used to describe football programs like Eastern Michigan that compete to participate in the postseason bowl system that includes the 32 NCAA-licensed bowls that make up the Bowl Championship Series. The FCS is used for schools such as Howard that participate in the NCAA championship postseason structure.

COACH HAS A VOTE: EMU head football coach Jeff Genyk will be involved in weekly coaches’ polls for 2007. Genyk, the fourth-year head coach of the Eagles’ football squad, will be one of 60 head coaches that will vote in the weekly USA Today Coaches’ Poll that will pick the top 25 teams in the NCAA Bowl Championship Series each week of the season.

COLLEGIATE CLASH SET FOR OCT. 19: For the fourth year in a row the EMU football team will be taking one of its home games on the road, hosting a Big Ten team for the first time ever in the fourth annual Collegiate Clash at Ford Field in Detroit. EMU will be the host team for the non-conference battle against Northwestern University with game time set for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19. The Eagles hosted Central Michigan in the inaugural Collegiate Clash, Nov. 6, 2004, and Eastern won a thriller, 61-58, in four overtimes. In 2005 EMU hosted Western Michigan, Nov. 5, 2005, and lost a 44-36 shoot-out. Last year Navy recorded a 49-21 win, Nov. 5, 2006, in the game at Ford Field.

CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: EMU will have five captains for the 2007 season. The captains, as voted by the players, are: Ken Bohnet, Jason Jones, Darran Matthews, Andy Schmitt and Pierre Walker.

STATELY BREAKDOWN: The 2007 EMU football roster has 60 players from the state of Michigan, 16 from Ohio, eight from Florida, two each from Indiana and Virginia, and one apiece from Washington D.C., Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Illinois, New York and Georgia.

Jackson State TE Frost in doubt for season

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Jackson State tight end Marcel Frost said on Tuesday that if his left leg hasn't healed enough to play by the Tigers' Oct. 6 game against Alabama State, he'll likely seek a medical redshirt and come back next season.

Frost, a senior, broke his leg in the JSU spring game last March. He was cleared to practice three weeks ago, but his leg and ankle have been slow to recover.

As a junior, he caught 10 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.

"Really, my leg is feeling pretty good," Frost said. "Now it's my ankle. After being in a cast for a month and a half, I lost a lot of strength down there. It's really frustrating to keep having problems."

In Frost's place, Jackson State has mainly used redshirt freshman Cedric Dixon. Dixon caught a touchdown pass in JSU's opening game against Delta State.

JSU coach Rick Comegy said even if Frost can't contribute on the field this year, he'll still be useful.

"Frost is a smart guy who's been around football for a lot of years," Comegy said. "Even if he can't play, we'll have him working with the coaches in some way."

INJURY REPORT

JSU receiver Kethonne McLaurin (shoulder) will likely miss two to three weeks after an injury in Thursday's game against Texas Southern. Before he was hurt, McLaurin had a touchdown catch against the Maroon Tigers...Offensive guard Michael Harness (knee) sat out practice, but said he expects to be ready for Saturday's game.

JSU Football: Tigers reap benefits of depth on defense

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

THE JSU GAME
What: Jackson State (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) at Mississippi Valley (1-2, 1-2)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Radio: JSU Network (WOAD-1300 AM)

Jackson State defensive tackle Corey Clark, No. 97, is hopeful that having capable backups on the defensive side this fall will help the Tigers stay fresh and aggressive late in the season.

Despite being a huge human being, Jackson State defensive tackle Corey Clark is an athlete who's in pretty decent physical shape.

But when he's flinging his 6-foot-3, 320-pound body all around the field, crashing into running backs and quarterbacks, he gets tired once in a while. During those times, it would be nice to have a break.

That was a problem last season.

Because when Clark - or any of the other defensive starters - turned to the sideline and asked for a play or two to catch his breath, the answer from the sideline was almost always this: Sorry, guys. There's nobody that can take your place. Suck it up.

JSU started 5-1 last season before losing four of its last five games and finishing with a 6-5 record. Defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes said that's not a coincidence.

"We had guys that were tired and dinged up that couldn't sit because we didn't have the talent behind them," Hayes said. "By the last few games, fresh legs were pretty hard to find. That's when you started seeing all those blown assignments and mental mistakes."

That's why it was so refreshing for Clark and most of the other starters to get the opportunity to watch from the sideline for part of last Thursday's 28-7 victory over Texas Southern.

Instead of Clark in the fourth quarter, it was Neal Pogue or Antonio Atkins plugging holes on the defensive line.

Instead of regular cornerbacks Keith Camp and Domonique Johnson, it was Jeremy Pierce and Oliver McNeil batting away passes.

And you know what? Clark admits it was hard to tell much of a difference between those guys and the first team.

"We were all talking about how good the backups looked," Clark said. "It's so much different than last season. We're really comfortable no matter who's on the field. Hopefully, it will make us a better team in the long run."

So far, Jackson State's defense has been the strength of a team with a disappointing 1-2 record (1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference).

The Tigers rank second in the conference in passing defense (122.7 yards per game), fourth in rushing defense (99.3) and second in total defense (222).

In Thursday's game, Jackson State held Texas Southern to just 30 total yards and minus-39 on the ground. Poor field conditions because of constant rainfall certainly helped keep the Texas Southern offense under wraps, but Hayes acknowledged that added depth and intensity is turning the defense into an impressive group.

"It's always been our goal to have a defense that's two-tiered," Hayes said. "Now we've got backups who are nearly as good as the starters and that's helping everybody keep fresh."

Arguably the deepest spot is the defensive line, where coaches felt comfortable enough to move Jamile Owens, a starting defensive tackle last season, to fullback without worrying about the consequences.

"No way that happens last year. Absolutely not," Hayes said. "We just wouldn't have been able to afford it. Now we barely thought twice because it makes us a better team."

Up next for the JSU defense is a Mississippi Valley State offense that's averaged just 12 points and less than 200 total yards through three games. Add in the fact that the Tigers have beaten MVSU 12 times in a row, dating back to 1995, and it appears to be a mismatch.

JSU coach Rick Comegy couldn't disagree more. But he likes his chances with the defense that's been assembled.

"I know (MVSU has) struggled, but they've got all the ingredients of a great offense," Comegy said. "One of these weeks very soon they'll put it together. I'm just glad we've got a strong, athletic defense because I think we're going to need all of it to stop Valley on Saturday."

Morgan's Wolfe to play; QB spot up for grabs

By Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun

Morgan State's Roderick Wolfe will return from a one-game exile tomorrow night when the Bears open their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference season with a trip to Hampton (Va.) University.

Who will be throwing to the senior wide receiver is another matter.

Morgan coach Donald Hill-Eley said yesterday that he likely will alternate Mario Melton and Byron Selby at quarterback and that the hotter passer will play more.

Hill-Eley also said Wolfe will play after sitting out last week's 19-17 loss to Winston-Salem State. Wolfe was picked up Saturday morning on an active warrant for failing to appear in court in July on previous traffic violations.

After making a $350 bail payment, Wolfe was released Sunday, and he practiced with the team Monday.

Cornerback Darren McKahn, who was benched Saturday for missing team meetings, also will play tomorrow, Hill-Eley said.

Melton, a junior, has started the team's past 10 games going back to last season. He has completed just 45.5 percent of his passes with two interceptions this season. Selby, a senior who played at Dunbar, led the MEAC in passing in 2005.

Hill-Eley said Melton has struggled since throwing a critical interception against Towson.

"He's been very reluctant to deliver the ball since then," the coach said. "Up to that point, he was throwing the ball.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Game holds no added incentive for Jones

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones interviewed for the Grambling job on two occasions last January.

Grambling officials eventually hired former North Carolina Central coach Rod Broadway to lead the school's football program.

But Jones doesn't plan to add anything extra to Saturday's game when the Bulldogs and Tigers meet at Robinson Stadium in a big Southwestern Athletic Conference game.

"This game is important to me because it's the next game," he said. "It's important to me because it's a conference game. I don't care if USC was in our conference. If that was the next game on our schedule, that would would be the next important game.

"I don't try to build ballgames up more than what they are. The game is big because it's our next game, it's a conference game and it's against a good football team."

Tough crowd: Alabama A&M has beaten every team in the SWAC on the road except Grambling.

The Tigers hold a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series against the Bulldogs, but the teams have split the last four meetings.

However, A&M's last three trips to play the Tigers in Louisiana haven't been fun.

Grambling won 30-7 in 2001, 45-14 in 2003 in Shreveport and 44-0 in 2005.

"It would be nice to get a win down there," senior defensive end Chris Traylor said. "My favorite wins are road wins. Hopefully, we can pull it off this time."

After watching Grambling's game against Pittsburgh, Jones said it won't be easy.

"They played Pittsburgh tough," he said. "They didn't lay down. They had opportunities to win the game. If they had had a little more success in the red zone, that game is a different ballgame.

"They had a punt blocked and three turnovers in the red zone. It wasn't like they went up there and got sandblasted. They went up there to win the ballgame and I admire that."

Grambling had the ball in the red zone four times, including three times inside Pittsburgh's 10-yard line, but came away with just three points.

The Tigers also were whistled for 14 penalties for 108 yards, were 6-of-17 on third down and allowed two touchdowns on special teams in the 34-10 loss.

Baxter likely out: Wide receiver Nate Baxter, who sprained his right ankle in the first quarter Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State and never returned, will likely miss the Grambling game, Jones said.

A redshirt freshman from Enterprise, Baxter has five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.

"It's too tender," Jones said of the ankle. "He's still not walking on it."

-Reggie Benson

AAMU: Catch him if you can

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Alabama A&M sophomore blossoms into big-time receiver

There are days when Thomas Harris hardly says a word. Unlike a lot of wide receivers, Harris doesn't desire the spotlight. In fact, he shies away from it.

But the Alabama A&M sophomore can't help but be in it as a result of his spectacular play through the Bulldogs' first three games.

"Coach (Anthony) Jones has put me in the right position to make plays," Harris said. "I'm having fun."

While that may be true, A&M receivers coach Roger Totten said Harris deserves a lot of the credit.

"Thomas is a kid that is very serious about what he's doing," said Totten, who has had a major impact on the Bulldogs' receivers since arriving in July. "I like him because he works and he wants to be good. He doesn't talk a whole lot. He just wants to do his job and that's what you want as a coach."

And what a job Harris has done.

He has been one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's best receivers thus far, having hauled in 14 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging a league-best 23.5 yards per catch and 109.7 yards per game.

Harris, a native of Alexander City, is second in the league in receiving yards per game (109.7), fifth in all-purpose yards per game (121.3) and sixth in receptions per game (4.67).

This after catching 27 balls for 327 yards and two touchdowns in helping A&M win its first SWAC championship a year ago.

"I think I'm going to put up big numbers this year," Harris said.

Jones started preparing Harris for this season shortly after the Bulldogs finished spring practice. A&M lost two of its top four receivers to graduation and Anthony Mitchell, who eventually was ruled academically ineligible, was borderline on being able to play. Jones went to Harris and told him he needed to be ready for more.

"He told me he was looking forward to me catching up to 60 balls and being the leader among our receivers," Harris said. "I think I can be a leader, but I'm not a vocal leader. I lead through practicing and playing."

Totten certainly can attest to that.

"Thomas leads by example," he said. "He lets his work speak for him and I have no problem with that. I'm trying to bring a little more emotion out of him because I think he has the potential to be one of the leaders in our receiving corps.

"He's kind of laid-back. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It's just the way he is, but he performs.

Check out his numbers.

Harris had four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in A&M's 49-23 season-opening win over Tennessee State. In fact, he had back-to-back catches - a 42-yarder from wide receiver Gerald Stockdale and a 44-yarder from quarterback Kelcy Luke - to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard against the Tigers.

He had six catches for 92 yards in a 41-10 thumping of Clark Atlanta and torched Mississippi Valley State with four catches for 137 yards and a touchdown in Saturday night's 45-14 win.

Harris had three catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in the second half alone against the Delta Devils.

"We expected him to do that last year," Luke said. "He kind of deferred to the seniors because he was the new guy. He's the only receiver we have back that played a lot last year and he's stepped it up. This year, our offense has opened up and he's taking advantage of it."

Jones isn't surprised.

"Thomas made a lot of big plays last year and we knew he had that big-play potential," he said.

"Last year, he was a young guy surrounded by a bunch of veterans. This year, he was going to have to be the guy and we challenged him. He accepted that challenge."

Harris will try to continue his strong play Saturday night when A&M visits Grambling.

Kickoff is 6 and the game will be tape-delayed on ESPNU, beginning at 9.

It will be Harris' first visit to Grambling.

"I've heard it's very hostile - very loud," Harris said. "I've never been there so I don't know what to expect. I'm just going to go out there focused and ready to play."

Just like he's been through A&M's first three games.

WSSU prepared for a tough SCSU team

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

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The "new kid on the block" has wasted little time making an impression of the veteran teams on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Still in the early stages of a five-year transitional period from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Rams are off to a 2-1 start following last Saturday’s 19-17 road win over Morgan State. True freshman Matt Mitchell’s 24-yard field goal with one second left was the difference as Winston-Salem State overcame the loss of running backs Brandon McRae (broken right wrist) and leading rusher Jed Bines (sprained ankle) and a 221-yard rushing effort from the Bears’ Chad Simpson to pull off the victory.

"That was a victory that we needed," Rams’ head coach Kermit Blount said Tuesday. "We played a very good football team in Morgan State. I have a lot of respect for Donald Hill and his program and what he’s doing. A very class act guy. The program is class act now, unlike the last time I was there in 1990 or 1991 when I was at South Carolina State (as an offensive coordinator for Willie Jeffries). It’s a totally different atmosphere up there and his teams played tremendously well and hard.

"We just happen to get the edge in the end with the pass up under the coverage and were able to get the ball in around the 6-yard line and kick the field goal."

Bines should be fine, according to Blount, and active for Saturday’s return to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium to face his former employer. It’s a matchup Blount sees as one which could provide a measuring stick as to where WSSU stands in the MEAC and how it should pursue its long-term plans.

"The one thing I think we understand and our administration understands is that we’re going to build a program by taking steps," Blount said. "Right now, it’s not about all wins and losses. It’s about building a program to compete at that level and anytime you start building a program, you can do it one or two ways. You can do a quick fix where you can win now or pay later or you can do the young fix way - you do it with high school kids and building a program where it’s going to pay off later.

"We don’t want to pay later. We want it to pay off later, so we’re building it in steps and we’re doing it with young kids, trying to keep them in the program and keep that graduation rate up and just trying to do it the right way. We just want to be competitive."

A pair of fumbles lost and four sacks allowed were not the only problems WSSU ran into in losing 35-6 to SCSU last season at home. The Bulldogs racked up 467 total yards of offense, 197 coming from running back Will Ford who rushed for two scores.

This season, the Rams are operating a revamped offense led by senior quarterback Monte Purvis (5-11, 190), whose overall numbers through three games (22 of 44 passing, 248 yards, two touchdowns, one interception; 223 rushing yards, four touchdowns) are eerily similar to SCSU counterpart Cleveland McCoy. While hoping to open things up in the air, Blount said the Rams will not try to force things.

"The passing game actually comes off the rushing game," he said. "We all as coaches like talking about we want to be balanced, we want to run 50 percent and throw 50 percent. But we all know that the flow of the ballgame will dictate what we do. But we do what we normally do with our passing game. We work it every day and all we can do is continue to work to make it better.

"This is a new offense for our kids. They only had the spring to go through it. They’re starting to really now focus in and catch on to all the integral parts of the process. So it’s a building process in that aspect of it also. But we’re going to try to throw the football as we normally do and we’re going to try to take what South Carolina State gives us because that’s what Buddy Pough is going to do. He’s going to take what we give them."

The Rams also shook up their offensive line prior to last week’s game against Morgan State. Facing a physical team like SCSU (1-2, 1-0), which leads the MEAC in sacks, Blount said depth up front is a concern on the road.

This will mark the third time Blount is facing SCSU as a visiting coach. He led the Rams to a 39-28 victory in 2000 over his mentor Jeffries, their only win in five outings against SCSU, only to get routed 52-12 five years later in Orangeburg.

"The team we’re going to play on Saturday is probably be one of the best that we play all year," Blount said. "So we’re going to have to be ready to play football and we can’t make mistakes this weekend."

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Entering his 11th season at WSSU, Blount sees Saturday’s game as another part of a methodical building process towards developing a program which can compete in the MEAC as it did successfully in the CIAA.

A player Blount had hoped to snag as part of his building process was SCSU quarterback Malcolm Long. Right up until a week before signing day, WSSU battled SCSU as the two finalists for the services of South Carolina’s "Mr. Football".

"I had a chance to home visit him and sit with his family and I think they have his best interest at heart," Blount said. "They want to see the kid get a good education, play football second and have a good career. But I tell you what, he’s a difference-maker and I would have loved to have had him. That’s why we made the visit to Gaffney to see if we could steal him."

Long eventually signed with the Bulldogs and could potentially see action against the Rams this Saturday.

Jesse Jackson stops by SCSU Bulldogs' practice

By BRIAN LINDER, T&D Sports Editor

The South Carolina State University football team got a bit of a surprise when Jesse Jackson stopped in on practice following his speech at Martin Luther King Auditorium Tuesday afternoon. According to Bulldogs head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough, whose team was preparing for Saturday’s 6 p.m. home game against Winston-Salem State, the meeting was set up by former SCSU player Dexter Clinkscales who now works with Jackson.

"We could not get up there (to hear Jackson speak) because it was during our practice time, so we asked him to come down here," Pough said. "It was great. He talked about staying in school, getting an education and presenting your diploma to your mom ... real good things that we try to preach all the time. He also talked about voting and voter registration, and that’s stuff I think is important too. So, anytime you can get a good solid message to these guys -- we are in the business of educating -- and anytime you do things that can help them later in life I think that is good."

While Pough was expecting Jackson, defensive lineman James Simmons was not.

"I was kind of surprised," he said. "It was a good experience. I’m from Greenville and Jesse Jackson is from Greenville. My granddaddy told me they grew up in the same neighborhood."

Freshman tight end Sean Lampkin was also impressed by Jackson.

"It was a great experience," he said. "It helped us out a lot. He said a nice little prayer and gave us some good motivational words. It think that is going to go a long way with our team."

Before boarding a bus and heading out of Orangeburg, Jackson spoke just outside of the team’s practice field about the message he tried to convey.

"First, it is a privilege to play football, and they must use this moment to be first-class athletes and first-class students," he said. "This matters if it turns into a diploma. I went to college on a football scholarship. Anybody that can master this game can also master reading, writing, counting and thinking. So, apply leadership skills here and become leaders on campus and beyond that, graduate, go on to grad school and make a big difference.

"If they do that, they can be champions everywhere they go."

Southern WR Landry to sit out first half because of ejection

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Jacobs to fill in

Southern University has confirmed with the Southwestern Athletic Conference that its top offensive playmaker, wide receiver Gerard Landry, will have to sit out the first half of Saturday’s home game with Tennessee State, SU coach Pete Richardson said.

Landry was ejected for fighting after throwing a swing at a Prairie View player with 8:16 left in the fourth quarter.

According to Rule 9-5 of the NCAA rulebook, the penalty is “disqualification for the remainder of the game and the first half of the next game.”

“We called (SWAC Interim Commissioner Duer Sharp) and, in fact, I’ve got a fax back from him,” Richardson said.

SU (3-0) hosts Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Landry leads Southern with both three touchdowns — one in each game — and 172 yards (on 12 catches).

“I’ll be ready to go,” said Landry, who has a catch in 28 consecutive games.

Senior RaShon Jacobs will start in place of Landry at the “X” receiver position.

“He’s about the same type of receiver,” Richardson said. “He catches the ball well, and he can knock some folks around.”

Jacobs has three catches for 53 yards. He averages a team-best 17.7 yards per reception.

Jacobs did not play last season after transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. Though he practiced last year at SU, he was held back in preseason camp after injuries to both feet, a chipped bone on the ankle in April and a fractured bone during camp.

“I think I’m OK. I’ll just go out there and play, take advantage of the opportunity,” said Jacobs, a three-sport star at Woodlawn High School who played football and basketball for three years at ULM. “I have to go out there and continue what I’ve been doing, make plays when I have to. That’s it.”

Chinyoung ineligible
Sophomore center Ramon Chinyoung will be ineligible this season, Richardson confirmed.
Chinyoung’s process seeking to be declared eligible ended this week.

Chinyoung was to have been the team’s starting center. He finished in that role last season as a true freshman.

Instead, senior Demarcus Stewart, who started at center at the beginning of last season, has been Southern’s starting center this season. Stewart would have been the starting right guard, but Reuben Oliver moved inside from tackle to handle that role.

Chinyoung is the sixth offensive linemen to be ruled academically ineligible, joining junior guard Adrian Banks, junior tackle Allen Buckner, senior guard Jacoby Collins, freshman guard Joshua Keelen and sophomore tight end Joshua Nixon.

Also, freshman guard Brian Bridges practiced during preseason camp while awaiting a decision from the NCAA Clearinghouse, which rendered him a nonqualifier. Plus, three other signees who play offensive line are nonqualifiers this year.

Williams out for season
Richardson said sophomore Tremaine Williams, a reserve cornerback, is resting at home after having knee surgery Monday. Williams is out for the season. He severely injured the knee on kickoff return coverage in the third quarter Sept. 8 against Mississippi Valley State.
Richardson said Williams, who missed last season as a nonqualifier, will require additional surgery in six weeks.

Richardson said his staff was trying to find out if Williams could take correspondence courses for this semester.

Watch these two
Tennessee State senior cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Southern free safety Jarmaul George are both on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. The award honors the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Rodgers-Cromartie, a preseason first-team FCS All-American selection by The Sports Network, had six interceptions and five pass breakups last season and has eight tackles, three breakups and two blocked kicks this season.

Rodgers-Cromartie is also one of the best track athletes in the OVC.

TSU defensive backs coach Randy Fuller told The Tennesseean newspaper Rodgers-Cromartie could be a first-round pick in the NFL draft. If so, he’d be TSU’s first first-rounder since linebacker Waymond Bryant went to the Dallas Cowboys with the fourth pick of the 1974 draft.

“He’s a guy, when we needed a play to be made, he’s made that play,” Tennessee State coach James Webster said.

George, a preseason second-team FCS All-American selection and the SWAC’s preseason defensive player of the year, had 51 tackles, five interceptions and 10 breakups last season and has 20 tackles and two interceptions this season.

Notes
SU sophomore CB Ronald Wade will be out two more games. He is serving a three-game suspension for violating team rules. That suspension started Saturday. A Cincinnati Bengals scout stopped by SU on Tuesday.