Monday, September 24, 2007

Pearlman adds nothing new to debate of UD vs. DSU

By JASON LEVINE, The News Journal

One day before Delaware State University made national headlines in the wake of an on-campus shooting early Friday, the historically black college made national news of a different sort.

I guess "news" is a relative term.

Jeff Pearlman, a University of Delaware graduate and former Sports Illustrated writer, penned a piece on ESPN.com about the fact that his alma mater has never played DSU in football.

Pearlman called UD officials racist. He has some experience covering the subject. Remember John Rocker? It was Pearlman's article that made Rocker what he is today.

Anyway, Pearlman didn't tell us anything we didn't already know, though his charge of racism is nothing more than a very logical hypothesis.

We in The News Journal sports department have made our views abundantly clear over the past several years. This game should be played.

For those of you new to the debate, here are the basics: DSU officials, for their part, have stated publicly that they would welcome a game against UD. UD officials, as they do in today's story by Kevin Tresolini, say the game will happen, they just don't know when.

Over the past few years, UD has had ample opportunity to schedule the game. The Blue Hens have filled holes in their schedule with teams like Albany. A few years back, they even plugged a hole with a nonconference game against fellow conference power New Hampshire. And, yes, they continue to maintain the "tradition" of playing Division II West Chester every single season.

Four years ago, our research revealed that Delaware was (and remains) the only state with two or more Division I football teams and those teams have not played each other in at least one game.

Pearlman was not the first person to call UD racist. Won't be the last, either. We in the sports department have speculated for years about who doesn't want the bigger, richer, whiter upstate school playing the smaller, poorer, blacker downstate school.

The question is whether putting this story on a national stage will make a difference or, more to the point, make a game.

What kind of game would it be? You know the Hornets would circle it on their schedule ahead of almost any Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup. And UD? The Hens would be favored, at least for the first few years.

But then DSU would get stronger from playing a perennial I-AA power every year. And then, sometime down the road, they'd beat UD and celebrate all weekend in Dover.

Meanwhile, in Newark, the Hens staff and players would go back to work, just as after any other game, win or lose. And in the back of their minds, they'd think about the next time they face that school. Not that smaller, poorer, blacker school. The school that plays Division I college football in Delaware, just like them.

University of Delaware's refusal to play Delaware State University goes national

By KEVIN TRESOLINI, The News Journal

NEWARK -- The University of Delaware and Delaware State University have never played a football game against each other, despite being located less than an hour's drive apart and sharing the same NCAA Division I-AA classification.

Delaware, the more established and successful of the two programs, has been the unwilling partner, steadfastly refusing to even discuss setting a date for a game many fans from both schools have long craved.

That has led to frequent charges that UD's constant snubbing is a vestige of the schools' racial histories. Delaware had a segregated school system until the 1950s. Delaware State was created in the late 19th Century as a college for black students, who still make up almost 80 percent of its enrollment.

But the often-heated debate, which had largely been confined to the state of Delaware and fans and alumni of the two schools, spilled into the national media last week.

Jeff Pearlman, a University of Delaware graduate, wrote a scathing column on ESPN.com, the country's most widely viewed sports Web site. It was headlined "Is race the reason Delaware won't play Delaware State?"

Pearlman, as many others have, concluded it must be a factor, since UD has given no sound reason for its ongoing snub of DSU. He wrote the column as an open letter to a prospective UD football recruit, urging him to "Say no to the Blue Hens."

Pearlman wrote: "The University of Delaware's persistent refusal to face Delaware State University in football is cowardly, pig-headed, self-righteous and, worst of all, oozing with racism."

The story quickly became the talk of the town after being posted Thursday. On Friday, a printout of it sat on the check-in table at the Blue Hen Touchdown Club's weekly luncheon at the Newark Country Club, where all of the more than 50 who attended were white and most were more than 50 years old.

Still, some believed Pearlman had made some valid points, though they wished he hadn't worded it so strongly. Gene Trivits also has wondered why the state's two I-AA schools haven't met yet and hates the black eye it gives UD's reputation.

"How long are we going to keep taking this hit?" said Trivits, 75, who received bachelor's and master's degrees from UD. "I've said that to Edgar [Johnson, UD's athletic director], and we're friends. The easiest way is to just schedule the game. I don't understand why we don't -- it would be so convenient -- and then we go out and play Albany and Monmouth. And I don't like West Chester being here, either."

Albany, which Delaware played in 2006 and will play again in 2008, and next Saturday's opponent Monmouth are limited-scholarship I-AA programs from the Northeast Conference, which does not warrant automatic inclusion in the NCAA playoffs. Delaware State is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which does qualify its champion for the NCAA tourney, as does Delaware's Colonial Athletic Association.

West Chester is a Division II school located 45 minutes away that Delaware has scheduled annually since 1968, always at Delaware Stadium, and beaten 36 of 39 times.

Some UD fans, however, believe Delaware State, which has never made the I-AA playoffs, hasn't earned the right to play Delaware, a perennial playoff contender and frequent qualifier that has won six national championships.

"Four or five years ago, I would have said, 'No way,' " said UD graduate Tom Runnels. "I just don't think Delaware State has played the competitive level of football Delaware has. They have gotten a lot better, so a couple years down the road, maybe ..."

Runnels added, however, that the schools' geographic proximity "cannot be denied" in reasoning why they should play and agreed that "the division clearly has racial roots."

A guest speaker at Friday's touchdown club luncheon was Nate Beasley, who has a unique perspective on the issue, having played football for both schools.

The Dover Air Force Base High graduate played a year at Delaware State, then transferred to Delaware and played three more. He became one of the Blue Hens' all-time leading rushers from 1973 to '75.

"A football game between Delaware and Delaware State would be such a wonderful thing for the state," said Beasley, who is black. "It just doesn't seem to make any sense that it hasn't happened. It makes you wonder."

Including, he added, for lack of any other valid explanations, where racial histories might fit in.

Pearlman's column had generated about 600 comments as of Saturday.

Johnson, as has been his policy, would not publicly discuss the issue or the ESPN.com piece, other than to deliver what has been his standard line for almost 20 years:

"The game will happen," Johnson said.

He wouldn't say when. Delaware recently scheduled three games with South Dakota State -- one there and two in Newark -- in the next decade, when West Chester also is on the schedule.

"My position, as an alum, is that the mere implication that race has anything to do with it is further proof that they just need to schedule the game," said Paul Zoppi, a 1990 UD graduate. "By avoiding Delaware State, Delaware has turned this into something much bigger than it should be, and I'm embarrassed."

New UD president Patrick Harker, in an e-mail response Saturday, said he is giving the topic close scrutiny.

Harker, who took office this summer, has spoken about the issue with athletic department personnel as he familiarizes himself with UD.

Delaware State needs no arm-twisting, new athletic director Rick Costello said.

"We want to play anywhere, any time," Costello said. "It'll be great for the kids, great for school sprit, great for the state. I see nothing but positives. ... It's mind-boggling that it has happened yet."

Featured Gallery: Alabama State University vs. Alcorn State University 9/22/07

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Battle of the Bands: Tennessee State, Southern University, North Carolina A&T & North Carolina Central 9/22/07

Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands

Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band


North Carolina A&T State University Blue & Gold Marching Machine


North Carolina Central University Marching Maroon and White Band

Miners cruise to victory over Texas Southern

Photo: UTEP running back Marcus Thomas (8) rumbled down the sideline Saturday after making Texas Southern defenders miss at the Sun Bowl.

By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times

What, if anything, should be made of the UTEP football team's 52-12 demolition of overmatched Texas Southern Saturday is a valid question.

Then again, that's not a question the Miners really have to answer.

After two consecutive losses, what mattered to UTEP was that it put on a commanding performance against a team it was a whole bunch better than.


The defense dominated from the first snap, the offense finally produced a 100-yard rusher while moving the ball at will, and third-string quarterback Kyle Wright was sent in to mop up with four minutes still remaining in the second quarter.

The lead was 38-0 by then, giving a banged up Miner team a chance to rest its best players for the Conference USA opener against SMU next week.

They head into that game with a level 2-2 mark and in a good frame of mind following a night when they were as businesslike as the situation called for. The Miners made the layup.

If there were any doubts about how seriously UTEP would take a game against a winless 1-AA foe, they were put to rest quickly in a perfect first few minutes.

Jose Martinez sent the opening kickoff out of the end zone, the defense held Texas Southern without a yard on three plays, Quintin Demps nearly broke the punt return, and Marcus Thomas needed just three carries to take care of the 39 yards the Miners were left with.

Thomas' 11th and final carry of the night was a 27-yard touchdown run that pushed him to 105 yards for the night, snapping a 16-game streak without a 100-yard rusher.

UTEP was actually held to a field goal on its second possession, then Trevor Vittatoe hit Brandon Moturi for a 25-yard touchdown and a 17-0 lead at the 1:12 mark of the first quarter.

Nuuese Punimata returned an interception to the 7-yard line on the next Texas Southern series, and Lorne Sam carried the ball in a play later for a 24-0 lead on the final play of the first quarter.

At that point, Texas Southern had just two first downs, and one of those was on a late hit penalty.

The Tigers did start to do a few things as UTEP reserves trickled into the game in the second quarter, though the starters hung around long enough to tack two more touchdowns on the board.

In that span, Demps picked off the 14th pass of his career to move into a tie for first among active Division 1-A players, Moturi caught a second touchdown pass for his first multi-touchdown game of his career and Thomas reached his 100-yard milestone.

Texas Southern University Tigers--Ocean of Soul Marching Band

By halftime, about the only thing left for UTEP to play for was the shutout, but Texas Southern quickly dashed that with a 21-yard strike from Tino Edgecomb to William Osborne on its first possession of the third quarter.

In fact, the Tigers were able to play the second half on even terms against the Miner deep reserves, but on this night, that mattered little.

Photo: UTEP fans braved the rain to cheer on their Miners Saturday agaisnt Texas Southern at the Sun Bowl.

Notebook: Tigers' improving O-line clears way for 473 yards


By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

ITTA BENA - It's been less than a month ago that Jackson State's offensive line was trashed after getting manhandled by Division II Delta State in a 27-15 loss.

But quietly, the Tigers' big boys up front have turned in three good games in a row. On Saturday, they allowed no sacks on quarterback Jimmy Oliver and cleared some decent room for the running game.

JSU racked up 473 total yards as 12 offensive linemen played against the Delta Devils. Offensive coordinator James Woody said he made it a point to keep the line fresh in the muggy weather.

"The offensive line took a lot of criticism (early in the year), so we shuffled a lot today and they all did a good job," Woody said. "Sometimes, people don't see that in the stands."

"We got off to a rough start, but we made some adjustments," center Lorenzo Breland said. "I was proud of our guys because we voluntarily watched some film on our off day this week and I think that helped us get better."

SACK ATTACK

Jackson State's defense was once again stout, giving up 253 total yards.

Though MVSU scored 16 points, seven of those weren't the fault of the defense. MVSU's Marc Moody picked up a fumble and ran 25 yards for a touchdown against the JSU offense.

JSU put never-ending pressure on MVSU's Paul Roberts, who was sacked four times and flushed from the pocket on several other occasions.

The only black mark was MVSU running back Ronald Brewer, who rushed for 146 yards.

"We missed a lot of tackles," JSU defensive end Daniel Brooks said. "But we made some good plays, too. We've just got to keep improving."

GREAT RETURNS

Jackson State speedster Lavarius Giles had his second monster play in four games, starting the second half with a 66-yard kickoff return to give the Tigers excellent field position.

Five plays later, Cody Hull rushed for 3-yard touchdown and Jackson State had a 27-13 lead.

Jaymar Johnson also got in on the special teams fun, returning a punt 42 yards in the fourth quarter.

EXTRA POINTS

Jackson State kicker Eric Perri turned in a very good game, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points. ...

Jackson State's 50 points on Saturday night were the most the team has scored in a game since 2001. Amazingly, JSU lost that game 61-58 to Alabama State. The last time JSU scored more than 50 points in a win was in 2001 during a 66-36 victory over Mississippi Valley. ...

MVSU tight end Abner Brown caught five passes for 42 yards to lead the team.


Freshman RB Brewer bright spot for MVSU with 148-yard game

Photo:Valley quarterback Paul Roberts hands off to Ronald Brewer in the first half.

By Rusty Hampton, Clarion Ledger

ITTA BENA — Mississippi Valley State lost the football game by a wide margin Saturday, but in the process the Delta Devils took another step in developing a potential star at running back.

Ronald Brewer, a freshman from Germantown, Tenn., led all rushers during Jackson State's 50-16 victory with 148 yards on 28 carries.

Brewer scored on a 4-yard run to give the Delta Devils a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter. By halftime, he had 71 yards on 11 carries. His longest run covered 23 yards and he ripped off several others of 10 or more yards.

Afterwards, coach Willie Totten questioned the play of his quarterbacks - "Right now, I don't know where our quarterbacks' heads are," he said - but he had no questions about the running game.

Brewer improved his season rushing average to 85 yards per game.

"We know that Ronald can run the football," Totten said. "He's a very unselfish kid. The thing is, he trains like that in practice, and if we can get a few more guys to train like that in practice we'll be better."

Brewer's 148 yards were more than half of MVSU's total net offense.

"But my production wasn't enough," he said. "We've got to start getting better every week."

JSU had four sacks and chased MVSU starting quarterback Paul Roberts all over the field. Totten tried two others in the second half. Overall, MVSU threw for just 99 yards.

"I can't make the system any simpler," said Totten, a college Hall of Fame quarterback in the 1980s for Valley. "But right now, we're making a lot of mistakes. A lot of bad reads, and then they're getting down on themselves too quick."

Photo: Ronald Brewer scores a Delta Devils touchdown past JSU's Marsellus Speaks.

JSU Football: Tigers' run now 13

Photo: Jackson State wide receiver Jaymar Johnson is surrounded by the Mississippi Valley State defense after making one of his two catches that produced 32 yards.

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Comegy: JSU 'starting to put it back together'

ITTA BENA — By midway through the fourth quarter, Jackson State's players were exchanging chest bumps and laughing while re-enacting their numerous touchdown drives.

Third-string quarterback Joseph Hawkins was warming up on the sidelines as the JSU crowd danced in the stands to the Sonic Boom's tunes.

It's been the same scene for 13 straight years - Jackson State celebrating at the expense of Mississippi Valley State. This time it wasn't even close, especially in the second half, as the Tigers ripped off a 50-16 victory in front of an announced crowd of 11,700 at Rice-Totten Stadium.

Saturday's victory signified a huge momentum swing for the Jackson State program. Two weeks ago, the Tigers were 0-2 and appeared lost on offense. But with two straight victories, JSU coach Rick Comegy said he's beginning to see his team develop into the powerhouse he imagined when he took over the program less than two years ago.

"I was hoping to build a team that could score a lot of points and keep the other (team) off the board," Comegy said. "And that's starting to come around now. We're still in the early stages...but we're starting to put it back together and Jackson State football is starting to develop."

A seesaw first half ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by JSU quarterback Jimmy Oliver, giving the Tigers a 20-13 lead. But in the second half, Jackson State (2-2 overall, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) unleashed a furious wave of offense that dominated the Delta Devils 30-3 in the second half.

Oliver was 15-of-23 passing for 262 yards and a touchdown. JSU's running backs combined to rush for 169 yards and 10 different JSU receivers had a reception.

"A few hours before the game, the coaches came up to me and said this was the night when we were going to open up the offense and hold nothing back," Oliver said. "That got me excited right there. Then all my receivers started making catches and we were moving that football like we used to do."

Photo: Jimmy Oliver directs traffic.

Though Jackson State hasn't lost to MVSU (1-3 overall, 1-3 SWAC) since 1995, many of the games have come down to the final couple minutes. That wasn't the case on Saturday, and a dejected Delta Devils' coach Willie Totten questioned his players.

"We've got to find some guys that can adjust to adversity," Totten said. "We had a few bad plays and the offense shut down. ... We didn't play good football. We haven't played good football in three weeks."

Jackson State outgained MVSU 473 yards to 253. The two game-breaking touchdowns came early in the third quarter, when JSU stretched a 20-13 halftime advantage to a 34-13 blowout in barely more than seven minutes.

The Delta Devils had little answer for Oliver, who carved up the MVSU defense. The Tigers also had a breakout game from running back Cody Hull, who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

"We made a few (plays), but we gave up a thousand plays," MVSU defensive end Ronald Green said.

MVSU got another great game from freshman running back Ronald Brewer, who rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. He rushed for 148 yards against last week against Alabama A&M.

But it wasn't enough to offset an anemic passing game. Sophomore quarterback Paul Roberts completed 9-of-17 passes for 73 yards before being replaced in the fourth quarter.

The Jackson State defense put constant pressure on Roberts, sacking him four times. Sophomore safety Malcolm Palmer continued his impressive first season as a starter with 12 tackles, a forced fumble and half a sack.

"That first half we gave up some big plays, but later we tightened up," said senior Willie Williams, who had an interception in the third quarter. "It's great to see us really finish a game off. I'm proud of this group tonight."

UAPB Forte comes off loud and clear


By Mike Marzelli, Pine Bluff Commercial

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Mo Forte lit into his Arkansas-Pine Bluff football team in the locker room following its embarrassing 58-3 loss to Southern Illinois, his voice booming through the locker room doors in the bowels of McArthur Stadium.

The message was loud and clear to the Golden Lions: Their performance Saturday was unacceptable.

"I think they understand where I'm coming from and if they didn't, that's a problem," Forte said. "We played a terrible football game and we need to take responsibility for all the things we did wrong and correct them because that type of game is not indicative of our program."

Forte didn't speak long, delivering his fiery speech in under five minutes, as he made sure the Lions know that there is still a tough road ahead of them.

"We come right back and have an opportunity to go out and play a mid-level Division I football team in New Mexico State that has a good program going," he said. "We need to turn things around in a hurry to be ready for that and I wanted to make sure the guys kept sight of that because there is no way we can play like we did [yesterday] again next week."

Wallace returns

Senior quarterback Chris Wallace got back on the field for the Lions late in the third quarter, leading a pair of promising drives that both came up short.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year looked more like his old self than he did in either of his previous two starts this season, showing good mobility and his trademark soft touch in completing four passes for 69 yards and running for 11 yards.

Esaw impresses

While UAPB's two-headed backfield of Martell Mallett and Mickey Dean combined for just 14 total yards in the game, reserve tailback Kenneth Esaw made the most of his opportunity in the fourth quarter.

Esaw carried the load on UAPB's final three drives and finished with 63 yards on seven carries to outgain the rest of his team combined.

Just for kicks

The effectiveness of Southern Illinois' offense spoke for itself. The Salukis put up 44 points and over 500 yards of offense before they were forced to punt for the first time. SIU punter Scott Ravanesi's first kick came with 11:35 to play in the fourth quarter.

New Look

The Golden Lions have added a new decal to the sides of their gold helmets. Debuted in last week's Arkansas Classic, a script "Golden Lions' emblem written in white arches across the crest of the headgear on both sides.

UAPB had not worn a helmet decal since 2003, when the traditional Golden Lion logo was emblazoned on the sides of the old black helmet that was discontinued after last season.

Forte had elected to go with a blank helmet during his three-plus year tenure until last week.

M4 absent

Much to the dismay of the Southern Illinois fans and a number of local high school bands who had gathered for the university's 'Band Day,' the Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South did not make the six-hour trip from Pine Bluff.

M4 is also not expected to attend next week's game at New Mexico State.

UAPB loss the worst in Forte era


BY BECK CROSS, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s suspect offense wasn’t in the same league with one of the more prolific teams in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Southern Illinois (4-0 ), No. 6 in the FCS, racked up 585 yards in total offense and led 30-0 at halftime before rolling to a 58-3 victory Saturday before 11,316 at McAndrew Stadium.

UAPB (1-3 ) was held to 51 yards of total offense in the first half before padding the statistics to a more respectable 299 for the game after the Salukis had pulled most of their starters. The 55-point loss was the worst for UAPB in four seasons under Coach Mo Forte.

The nonconference schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Golden Lions take on New Mexico State on Saturday in Las Cruces, N. M.

“We can bounce back by doing it mentally,” Forte said. “We played a great football team out there, and those guys are going to go a long way in the playoffs. The [offensive ] line play deteriorated once again, but there were some things we can build on.”

Southern Illinois, which defeated its first three opponents by an average margin of 27. 3 points, didn’t ease up on the Golden Lions. The Salukis scored on 5 of 6 first-half possessions and piled up 371 yards of total offense in running out to a 30-0 lead.

UAPB, which had the topranked defense in the Southwestern Athletic Conference going into the game, put up a fight in the early going. The Salukis had a first-and-goal at the 10 on their opening possession but settled for a 29-yard field goal by Kyle Dougherty after three consecutive incomplete passes.

The Golden Lions’ offense netted minus-16 yards on its first two possessions before Southern Illinois padded its advantage to 10-0 with 2: 20 remaining in the opening quarter. In the threeplay, 58-yard drive, Nick Hill was 2 of 2 passing for 41 yards, capped by a 36-yard scoring pass to Phil Goforth.

UAPB got its initial first down late in the quarter on a 5-yard run by Mickey Dean, but the offense again sputtered well short of midfield with two incomplete passes, a holding call and an 8-yard sack.

The Salukis needed only five plays to cover 83 yards. Facing a third-and-5 play, Deji Karim broke free on a 37-yard scoring run. The missed extra point left the margin 16-0 with 13: 03 left in the half.

After the UAPB offense again went three plays and out, Southern Illinois relied primarily on the run in grinding out a sevenplay, 81-yard scoring drive.

John Randle had two carries for 29 yards to set up Joe Allaria’s 8-yard scoring run. Dougherty’s extra point extended the Salukis’ advantage to 23-0 with 8: 23 left in the second quarter.

Southern Illinois scored again with 2: 55 left in the first half. Hill was 3 of 3 passing for 51 yards, and Randle scored on a 10-yard run.

“The first half we just didn’t play,” Forte said. “It’s like we were in sleep mode out there in the beginning. You can’t give away points the way we did and expect to win against a top-10 team.”

The Golden Lions had some bright spots in the second half. On the first series of the third quarter, Johnathan Moore was 5 of 8 passing for 50 yards, helping UAPB gain a first down at the Southern Illinois 24, but UAPB stalled and settled for Brodie Heflin’s 38-yard field goal to prevent the shutout with 10: 07 remaining in the quarter.

Southern Illinois added two third-quarter touchdowns before Chris Wallace came on in relief of Moore on the opening series of the fourth quarter. Wallace completed a 33-yard pass to Jason Jones, but UAPB came away empty after Heflin’s 42-yard fieldgoal attempt was blocked.

The Salukis scored two more touchdowns in the final 5: 02.

“I think we have it in us, but we just have to bring it out to the field,” Forte said. “I’ve never seen the guys, what they did [Saturday ], I’ve never seen that side of them and that kind of bothers me. By the time we woke up, it was too late.

“ The effort they gave in the second half was better, but we have to take advantage of the opportunities. We killed ourselves on offense.”

S.C. State holds off WSSU 20-7

By Shawn Singleton, SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL

ORANGEBURG, S.C.- S.C. State, despite outgaining Winston-Salem State by nearly 300 yards, committed four turnovers but still pulled out a 20-7 win at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

“We’re not as good as we thought we were,” said Coach Buddy Pough, whose Bulldogs outgained the Rams 493-200. “We made a lot of mistakes.

“But we’re happy to get the win.”

After a punt by the Rams, it took two plays and 21 seconds for the Bulldogs to score on their first possession. From the Bulldogs’ 21-yard line, quarterback Cleve McCoy went deep and found Terrance Smith uncovered for a 71-yard touchdown pass.

Steven Grantham added the extra point, and S.C. State led 7-0 at the 12:15 mark of the first quarter.

Grantham later capped a 14-play, 5:06 drive with a 28-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 10-0 lead with 10:48 left in the second quarter.

S.C. State attempted to add to its lead on its final possession of the first half. On second-and-goal from the Winston-Salem 1, miscommunication between McCoy and center Raymond Harrison led to a fumble that Brand McClellan recovered in the end zone for a Winston-Salem State touchback with 2:08 left before halftime.

After Grantham opened the second half with a 38-yard field goal to boost the Bulldogs’ lead to 13-0, S.C. State tried to put WSSU away. But McCoy was picked off in the end zone by Nathaniel Biggs. Biggs, a free safety, took the interception 89 yards to the S.C. State 12.

Quarterback Monte Purvis took advantage, finding Bryant Bayne for a 12-yard touchdown pass. S.C. State’s lead was sliced to 13-7 with 2:43 left in the third quarter but the Rams could score no more.

“We played well in some spots, but we weren’t consistent,” said Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams. “We didn’t move the ball as smoothly as we would have liked offensively.”

WSSU 0 0 7 0 - 7

SCSU 7 3 3 7 - 20

First Quarter

SCSU-Smith 71 pass from McCoy (Grantham kick), 12:15.

Second Quarter

SCSU-FG Grantham 28, 10:48.

Third Quarter

SCSU-FG Grantham 38, 8:59.

WSSU-Bayne 8 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick), 2:43.

Fourth Quarter

SCSU-Jamison 1 run (Grantham kick), 1:07.

A-8,222.

TEAM STATISTICS

WSSU SCSU

First downs 12 25

Rushes-yards 37-113 57-289

Passing 87 204

Comp-Att-Int 12-21-1 12-24-1

Return Yards 87 1

Punts-Avg. 7-34.3 1-47.0

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 3-3

Penalties-Yards 10-109 9-103

Time of Possession 26:23 33:37

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - WSSU, Bines 10-53, Fluellen 10-42, Purvis 15-11, Dunston 1-6, Bayne 1-1. SCSU, Ford 27-162, Jamison 16-83, McCoy 10-37, Woods 4-7.

PASSING - WSSU, Purvis 12-19-1-87, Dunston 0-2-0-0. SCSU, McCoy 12-24-1-204.

RECEIVING - WSSU, Bayne 4-21, Fluellen 2-40, Bines 2-11, Kizzie 2-(minus 1), Kinzer 1-9, Thomas 1-7. SCSU, DuBose 3-47, Morris 3-20, Smith 2-89, Ford 1-29, B.Bush 1-11, Washington 1-8, Capers 1-0.

Losing at Grambling a hard habit for Alabama A&M to break

By Paul J. Letlow, the Monroe Newsstar

GRAMBLING — Defending SWAC champion Alabama A&M has never won a game at Grambling State's Robinson Stadium.
Some habits are hard to break.

Grambling extended that drought Saturday night in the home opener at "The Rob" with a dominating 31-6 win over A&M.

The home win before 7,831 was a first for first-year coach Rod Broadway, now 2-1 at Grambling and 2-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. A&M fell to 3-1, 1-1.

Grambling's defense engulfed a potent A&M attack that entered the day averaging 45 points and 519 yards. A&M was limited 147 yards and two field goals (36 and 37 yards) from place-kicker Jeremy Licea in the first half.

Grambling quarterback Brandon Landers completed 22-of-32 attempts for 235 yards and two touchdowns while senior receiver Reginald Jackson caught nine passes for 61 yards and a touchdown and ran three times for 30 yards and another score.

Landers used a short passing game early to move the chains and help his team build a 17-6 halftime lead. The Carroll product hit 13-of-16 attempts in the first two quarters, including an 18-yard touchdown to Clyde Edwards — the first score ever for Grambling's star receiver against A&M.

Grambling's other scoring drive finished with a diving touchdown plunge from freshman running back Cornelius "Sky" Walker, who leaped over the pile for to reach the end zone.

Grambling extended its lead to 24-6 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter on a trick play that netted a 24-yard touchdown run by Jackson. Landers faked a broken play and a fumble before handing off to Jackson, who darted around left end for a back-breaking touchdown.

Jackson caught a touchdown pass from Landers with 6:22 remaining to finish off his night.


GRAMBLING 31, ALABAMA A&M 6
AAM................. 3 3 0 0 - 6 Record: (3-1,1-1)
GSU................. 10 7 7 7 - 31 Record: (2-1,2-0)



Scoring Summary:
1st 10:33 GSU - EDWARDS,Clyde 18 yd pass from LANDERS,Brandon (MANUEL,Tim kick), 11-66 4:27, AAM 0 - GSU 7
07:37 AAM - LICEA,Jeremy 37 yd field goal, 4-8 1:08, AAM 3 - GSU 7
03:23 GSU - MANUEL,Tim 29 yd field goal, 10-50 4:00, AAM 3 - GSU 10
2nd 08:24 GSU - WALKER,Corneliu 2 yd run (MANUEL,Tim kick), 7-73 2:43, AAM 3 - GSU 17
00:06 AAM - LICEA,Jeremy 36 yd field goal, 11-60 4:25, AAM 6 - GSU 17
3rd 00:30 GSU - JACKSON,Reginal 26 yd run (MANUEL,Tim kick), 8-65 3:24, AAM 6 - GSU 24
4th 06:22 GSU - JACKSON,Reginal 7 yd pass from LANDERS,Brandon (MANUEL,Tim kick), 9-31 3:18, AAM 6 - GSU 31



AAM GSU
FIRST DOWNS................... 7 22
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 23-30 43-143
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 117 235
Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 26-14-0 32-22-0
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 49-147 75-378
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 0-0
Punt Returns-Yards............ 3-31 2-28
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 6-122 2-46
Interception Returns-Yards.... 0-0 0-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 9-43.1 5-43.8
Fumbles-Lost.................. 1-1 1-1
Penalties-Yards............... 7-55 1-5
Possession Time............... 25:11 34:49
Third-Down Conversions........ 4 of 15 9 of 16
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 0 of 0 1 of 1
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 2-2 4-4
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 1-9 3-19


RUSHING: AAM-BANKS,Ulysses 12-37; GREEN,Anthony 3-1; LUKE,Kelcy 8-minus
8. GSU-WARREN,Frank 19-65; JACKSON,Reginal 3-30; EDWARDS,Clyde 4-27;
WALKER,Corneliu 12-25; KERLEGAN,Larry 1-7; LANDERS,Brandon 4-minus 11.

PASSING: AAM-LUKE,Kelcy 14-26-0-117. GSU-LANDERS,Brandon 22-32-0-235.

RECEIVING: AAM-SMITH,John 3-40; MOODY,Charles 3-24; HARRIS,Thomas 3-20;
BANKS,Ulysses 2-20; McCLAIN,Bobby 1-13; STOCKDALE,Geral 1-2; JOHNSON,Rashad
1-minus 2. GSU-JACKSON,Reginal 9-61; EDWARDS,Clyde 5-51; HILLS,Kovarus 4-83;
ABNEY,Tim 3-16; WALKER,Corneliu 1-24.

INTERCEPTIONS: AAM-None. GSU-None.

FUMBLES: AAM-BANKS,Ulysses 1-1. GSU-ABNEY,Tim 1-1.

NC A&T loss leads to scuffle















Photo: NCA&T and NCCU getting pepper sprayed by stadium security during after game brawl at mid-field.

Slide Show: The NCCU/A&T Scuffle and Pepper Spray Dance:
http://mm.news-record.com/legacy/indepth/07/ncat_092207/

By Keith Tolbert, Special to the News & Record

GREENSBORO -- N.C. A&T was 6 yards from ending almost two years of futility, but fell short of victory once again Saturday night.

The Aggies drove 74 yards in the game's final two minutes and had a second-and-goal at the N.C. Central 6 with 23 seconds left. Quarterback Herbert Miller dropped back and tried to hit a receiver in the slot, but the pass was intercepted by Central's Eric Ray, who preserved a 27-22 Eagles victory before a near-sellout crowd at Aggie Stadium.

After the game, some N.C. Central players stomped on the Aggies' logo at midfield, causing a shoving match among players and prompting at least one security officer to use pepper spray. The teams were separated after about two minutes.

"I can still taste the pepper spray," said A&T coach Lee Fobbs, who was in the middle trying to break up the scuffle. "It was very unfortunate that it happened, and we will deal with our guys."

Players wouldn't comment on the scuffle.

"It was two rival schools ... it was a lot of emotion," said Rod Gray, an assistant in the A&T sports information department. "The coaches did a good job of separating everybody."

Central coach Mose Rison said: "I'm disappointed in what happened."

The loss was the 20th straight for A&T (0-4), which hasn't won since 2005. Central raised its record to 4-1.

The midfield incident overshadowed a fine football game in which the lead changed four times.

The Aggies outgained the Eagles in yardage 412-199 and entered the fourth quarter with a 19-14 lead.

But it was all downhill for A&T after that.

On the fifth play of the fourth quarter, Aggies quarterback Shelton Morgan tried to throw a short out pass to a receiver, but Derrick Ray jumped in front of it and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 21-19 lead.

On the Aggies' next possession, Morgan took them deep into Eagles territory, but he overthrew a receiver. This time defensive back Jeffrey Henderson was there, and he returned the interception 72 yards for a touchdown. That made the score 27-19 with 8:30 to play.

Eric Houston kicked an A&T field goal with 4:51 left, and the Aggies drove to the Central 6 on their next possession. Then came the final interception.

"The opportunity we had was taken away on a great play by the defender," Fobbs said of Eric Ray. "We thought we had something, but he just stepped in front and made a great play."

It was Central's third interception of the fourth quarter.

"You've got to take care of the football," Fobbs said. "We thought we could do some things against them and we did, but we didn't take care of the football."

While the Aggies were making plenty of mistakes, the N.C. Central offense was quietly efficient. Although the Eagles were outgained, they made no turnovers.

Staff writer Jason Hardin contributed to this report.


N.C. Central 7 7 0 13 -- 27

N.C. A&T 0 9 10 3 -- 22

NCCe--Scott 44 pass from S.Brown (Gray kick)

NCAT--Safety

NCAT--Ferguson 1 run (Houston kick)

NCCe--Chr.Edwards 4 pass from S.Brown (Gray kick), :48.

NCAT--McNair 1 run (Houston kick)

NCAT--FG Houston 27

NCCe--D.Ray 23 interception return (Gray kick)

NCCe--Henderson 72 interception return (kick failed)

NCAT--FG Houston 39

A--19,320.


NCCe NCAT
First downs 11 18

Rushes-yards 32-102 42-164

Passing 97 248

Comp-Att-Int 11-18-0 22-30-3

Return Yards 116 56

Punts-Avg. 6-28.0 3-39.3

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-0

Penalties-Yards 7-35 9-80

Time of Possession 27:11 32:49

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--N.C. Central, Shankle 14-66, J.Campbell 8-36, Abdul-Azeez 5-16, Team 1-(minus 4), S.Brown 4-(minus 12). N.C. A&T, Ferguson 13-113, Miller 7-27, McNair 5-18, Robinson 9-11, Parnell 1-3, Morgan 7-(minus 8).

PASSING--N.C. Central, S.Brown 11-18-0-97. N.C. A&T, Morgan 13-17-2-121, Miller 9-13-1-127.

RECEIVING--N.C. Central, Blackwell 4-18, Spears 3-19, Scott 1-44, Alston 1-16, Chr.Edwards 1-4, J.Campbell 1-(minus 4). N.C. A&T, Walls 6-42, Caldwell 5-69, C.Dawson 3-30, Lowrance 2-11, Morgan 1-35, Miller 1-15, Whitaker 1-15, Ferguson 1-14, Fisher 1-12, Christen 1-5.

Postgame scuffle mars NCCU's win over NCA&T


By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

GREENSBORO -- It may not have had the designation this time, but once again N.C. Central's game with rival North Carolina A&T was an Aggie-Eagle classic.

It wasn't decided until the Eagles' Eric Ray intercepted a Herb Miller pass at the goal line with 14 seconds left, preserving the Eagles' 27-22 victory on Saturday night at Aggie Stadium.

The minutes after the game were marred by a scuffle after a large group of NCCU players celebrated on the Bulldog logo at midfield and the Aggies strongly objected. But pepper-spray wielding campus police quickly dispersed the mob.

"I'm not happy about what happened at the end -- I just didn't like the scene," NCCU coach Mose Rison said.

Said N.C. A&T coach Lee Fobbs: "What happened after the game ended was very unfortunate, and we'll deal with it with our guys. I'm just concerned about our players and our fans. We'll let the powers-that-be deal with it."

But before the postgame disturbance, the Eagles won with defense. Three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, helped NCCU (4-1) overcome A&T's 412-199 advantage in total offense.

"Give credit where credit is due," said Rison, the first NCCU coach to win four of his first five games since Larry Little went 4-1 in 1993. "Coach Fobbs and his staff did an outstanding coaching job, and like I said, they were the best football team we've played this season. But I'm extremely proud of my team. We hung in to the bitter end."

Fobbs also gave his team credit for a good effort.

"We had a chance to win the game right up until the finish and played hard on both sides of the ball," Fobbs said. "We were in position to win it, and then [Eric Ray] stepped up and made a great play.

"That's the game. You've got to take care of the ball."

Eric's brother Derrick Ray returned one interception for a 23-yard score, while true freshman Jeffery Henderson returned another 72 yards for a touchdown.

"The last time both of us got picks was in high school [at Raleigh Millbrook], and we both took them back for touchdowns," Derrick Ray said. "Tonight, we just played good team football on defense and made big plays."

Stadford Brown led the Eagles' offense, completing 11 of 18 passes for 97 yards and the other two touchdowns. Tim Shankle added 66 yards on 14 carries. "I guess I was good enough," Brown said with a smile. "The important thing is that we won."

Northern High alumnus Michael Ferguson led the Aggies with 113 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Two A&T quarterbacks, Shelton Morgan and Miller, combined for 248 passing yards on the night.

"It's really tough to lose this one after we played so well," Ferguson said. "Losing at the end like that is hard. It hurts."

The Eagles scored on their first possession when Brown tossed a short pass up the middle to Will Scott, who sprinted 44 yards for the touchdown to complete a six-play, 65-yard drive. Taylor Gray added his first successful conversion kick, and NCCU led 7-0 with 12:33 left in the quarter.
A&T got on the board with 11:23 left in the half, as Nick Johnson blocked Gray's punt from the NCCU 19 and Gray recovered in the end zone for a safety. The Aggies kept their momentum going on the ensuing possession, going 58 yards in 10 plays with Ferguson taking it in from 1 yard out for A&T's first lead of the season. Eric Houston added the conversion kick, and it was 9-7 with 6:41 left in the half.

But the Eagles recovered with a balanced 14-play, 75-yard drive that included three runs of at least 10 yards from Shankle. Brown connected with Brandon Alston for a 15-yard pass on fourth-and-11 from the A&T 24, and two plays later found tight end Christopher Edwards in the back of the end zone from 4 yards out. Gray added the boot and the Eagles led 14-9 with 48 seconds left in the half.

A&T found some lightning on its first play of the second half, as Ferguson burst up the middle for a 74-yard gain to the Eagles' 16. Dion McNair's 1-yard run completed a seven-play, 89-yard drive and Houston's kick made it 16-14 at 11:30.

The Aggies scored again on their next possession, going 65 yards in nine plays to set up Houston's 27-yard field goal, their first 3-pointer in 17 games.

But the Eagles struck with a big play early in the fourth quarter, as Derrick Ray stepped in front of a Morgan pass intended for David Robinson and rambled down the left sideline for the touchdown. Gray's kick gave the Eagles a 21-19 lead with 12:30 to play.

Four minutes later, they came up with a bigger one, as Henderson intercepted a Morgan pass at his own 28, got several blocks through traffic and finished a 72-yard return. Gray's kick was blocked, leaving the score at 27-19 with 8:30 left.

A&T cut the margin back to 27-22 with 4:51 to go on Houston's 39-yard field goal.

Gray punted into the Aggies' end zone with 2:24 remaining, giving A&T one last chance for victory before the interception sealed the result.

NOTES -- The renewal of the rivalry after a one-year hiatus was NCCU's first game as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team against another FCS team. ... A&T (0-4) had its losing streak extended to 20 games, the longest slide in the nation among FCS teams. ... Along with NCCU's 23-22 victory in Raleigh in 2005, the wins were the Eagles' first back-to-back victories in the series since 1987-88. This was the fourth time in the last five meetings in the series that a game had been determined by no more than five points, with NCCU winning three. … A&T leads the series 45-29-5. … The Eagles host Presbyterian on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the schools' first meeting. It will be a matchup between the only two teams in their first season in the FCS. … A&T hosts MEAC foe Norfolk State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Special teams propel Alabama State Hornets over Alcorn State


Photo: Alabama State running back Jay Peck struggles past Alcorn State's Benjamin Griffin on Saturday at Cramton Bowl.

By A. Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser

The rain came down in sheets, peppering the Cramton Bowl crowd and sending the fans scurrying for umbrellas and cover.

Considering Alabama State's fourth-quarter habits this season, few of them left to dodge a first-half rainstorm.

The Hornets rallied in the final period for a victory for the fourth time in four games this season, scoring two late touchdowns and picking up three key plays on special teams to beat Alcorn State 28-25 on Saturday.

"The best teams win close games," junior defensive back Travis Rayford said. "It may be scary, but we did it when we had to."

Quarterback Chris Mitchell ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the last set up when Rayford recovered a fumbled kickoff return, and the Hornets improved to 4-0 for the first time since their 1991 national championship team.

Mitchell scored on a 23-yard run with 91/2 minutes to play to give the Hornets (3-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) the lead and jumped in from the 1 with eight minutes remaining to make it 28-18.

"This is too scary for me," Mitchell said. "But it doesn't matter how we win, as long as we win."

Alcorn State (0-4, 0-3 SWAC) scored only one touchdown in its first three games, but scored three Saturday -- two on Chris Walker passes -- and led 18-14 when the fourth quarter started.

But a late deficit is a ho-hum thing for the Hornets.

Bama State beat Jacksonville State 24-19 on a touchdown with three minutes left, downed Texas Southern 21-10 behind two touchdowns in the final three minutes and stopped Arkansas-Pine Bluff 12-10 last week on a last-minute touchdown.

"Every team has its personality," first-year ASU coach Reggie Barlow said. "It seems that ours is taking on a 'come back in the fourth quarter' one.

"We don't want to continue that," he said, "but we'll take them however we can."

Mitchell and special teams provided the path Saturday.

Joel Raggins had a 41-yard punt return that put Alabama State at the Alcorn 37 to set up Mitchell's first fourth-quarter score. The Hornets ran an option and Mitchell -- after a sweet pitch fake -- kept the ball and ran for the score.

"It's just something I picked up," Mitchell said. "I've been working on it."

On the ensuing kickoff, Alcorn's Nate Hughes fumbled the return. Jimmy Toussaint forced it and Rayford recovered at the 11. Four plays later, Mitchell had a 1-yard touchdown and the Hornets led 28-18.

"That fumble gave us more momentum," Mitchell said. "That gets the offense the ball back and gives us a chance again right away."

The second score became important.

Alcorn needed only four plays to make it 28-25 on Tony Hobson's 18-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Arceneaux and soon had the ball back. Alabama State went three-and-out and on came its new punter.

Alex Engram, ASU's backup quarterback, boomed a 54-yarder that pushed the Braves back to their 7-yard line. Alcorn State didn't run another play outside its 25-yard line.

Engram averaged more than 42 yards on his six punts, dropping two inside the 20.

"He just learned how to punt this week," Barlow said. "He took one for the team and learned how to punt."

Mitchell was 9-of-20 passing for 136 yards and a first-half touchdown, while running back Jay Peck posted his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game. Peck totaled 143 yards, including a career-high 69-yard carry.

Walker was 18-of-31 for 216 yards to lead Alcorn, while a Montgomery native made his season debut with 101 yards rushing. G.W. Carver High graduate Eric Relf, who didn't play in the Braves' first three games due to a leg injury, carried 11 times and lost a second-half fumble.

"It's real disappointing because this is my first game back," Relf said. "The offensive line did a great job, and I wanted to come out and play hard. I did well, except for that fumble."

Alabama A&M finds moving difficult against Grambling


Huntsville Times

GRAMBLING, La. - Alabama A&M's offense, which entered Saturday's game averaging 45 points and 519 yards, misfired throughout the first half against Grambling.

The Bulldogs went three-and-out on their first possession, failed to get a first down on their second possession after getting a first down at the GSU 27 and had to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Jeremy Licea, and went three-and-out on their third possession.

A&M finished the first half with five first downs and 101 yards in total offense, including 21 on the ground. Three of those first downs came on A&M's last possession of the half.

Execution a problem

A&M tailback Ulysses Banks, held to 37 yards on 12 carries, blamed the A&M downfall on "execution. We just didn't execute. And we had our defense out there too long. You can only have them on the field so long. They can only do so much. They're not Superman. They try to be, but we had them on the field too long.

"They (Grambling) did the same game plan, they did the same thing we saw on film. We just didn't execute. They didn't do anything different than what they do to anybody else. And it worked."

Landers loosens up

Grambling quarterback Brandon Landers had a big first half against Alabama A&M.

Landers, who entered the game 0-2 against the Bulldogs, completed 13-of-16 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown to lead the Tigers to a 17-6 halftime lead. Four players caught passes for the Tigers.

Luke looks tight early

Alabama A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke didn't look sharp in the first half against Grambling. Luke was 1-for-5 for 7 yards on the Bulldogs' first three possessions and never appeared to be comfortable early on. He finished the first half 10-of-19 for 80 yards and was sacked once.

And the Oscar goes to ...

Bad enough that Grambling State was already beating Alabama A&M straight-up with conventional football. The Tigers tacked on their third TD when they had a bunch-up third-and-short alignment.

After a quick snap and some Oscar-worthy acting among the Tigers, as if there were a fumble, wide receiver Reginald Jackson came out of the scrum with the football and ran unmolested for 24 yards and a score. "It was like hurry, hurry, hurry to the line. The quarterback hid it some way to a guy ducked down behind the line. The offense ran one way and he went the other. It's easy to see from the sidelines, but on the field it wasn't that obvious," said linebacker Carlton Rice.

Grambling gobbles yards

Alabama A&M had a hard time slowing down Grambling in the first half Saturday night.

The Tigers went 66 yards in 11 plays on their first possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead. Tim Manuel kicked a 29-yard field on Grambling's third possession to give the Tigers a 10-3 advantage and the Tigers scored again on their first possession of the second quarter as Cornelius Walker scored on a 2-yard run to cap a six-play, 73-yard drive to take a 16-3 advantage.

Grambling finished the first half with 194 yards in total offense. A&M entered the game allowing only 278 yards per game.

Busy night for Licea

Licea, who made only four field goals last season, has three this year after hitting a pair in the first half against Grambling.

Licea, who made three field goals in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game to help Alabama A&M beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff in December, hit a 37-yarder midway through the first quarter to pull the Bulldogs within 7-3. He made another one from 36 yards out near the end of the first half as A&M pulled within 17-6 at intermission.

Jones praises Grambling

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones has been up for the Grambling job twice in the last four years. Although Jones didn't get the job on either occasion, that hasn't diminished his affection for one of black college football's top programs.

"I've always had a lot of respect for Grambling," he said. "The Grambling name has its own legacy. We're trying to build our name into something similar to what they've built over the years. We want people to respect our program throughout the country."

Good to be home

This was the first home game and only the third Grambling will play at Robinson Stadium this season. The Tigers have a long history of playing neutral-site games, especially from the days of legendary Eddie Robinson. Now, it's an essential budget matter for Grambling and most other SWAC teams to play "classic" games to draw larger crowds.

Grambling has future games in Dallas against Prairie View and in Little Rock against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as well as the annual Bayou Classic in New Orleans against Southern.

In the 12 neutral-field games last year, SWAC team drew an average of 33,457, according to announced crowd reports. Meanwhile, average SWAC home attendance was 11,593. Nearly 45 percent of those who watched an SWAC team in '06 were attending a neutral-site game.

Reggie Benson and Mark McCarter

Top 100 of 100 years


By T&D Staff

As part of the ongoing 100th anniversary celebration of South Carolina State football, the school will begin today announcing the names on its list of the top 100 players in school history.

The first 34 names will be shown on the electronic scoreboard during the SCSU/Winston-Salem State contest. The next 32 names will be revealed during the nationally televised Oct. 13 game against Florida A&M and the final 34 for the Oct. 27 "Homecoming" game against Delaware State.

During the weekend of Nov. 9-10, those living players or representatives of the deceased on the list will be honored at a banquet as part of "Extravaganza Friday" the night before the Morgan State game. They will also be presented to the crowd during the game.

These 34 names on the South Carolina State list of Top 100 Players that will be recognized today:

Marion Motley (deceased), 1943

Henry F. "Bo" Bowman (deceased), 1948

William "Bucky" Harris (deceased), 1949

Kermit "Chubby" Booker, 1950

Eugene Lindsay (deceased), 1953

Napoleon "Nap" Ford (deceased), 1956

David "Deacon" Jones, 1958

Harry Hoskins, 1964

John R. Gilliam, 1967

Louis Ross, 1971

Rufus Bess, Jr., 1978

Phillip Murphy, 1980

Dexter Clinkscale, 1981

Orlando Brown, 1993

Angelo King, 1981

Michael Hicks, 1996

Robert "Mickey" Sims, (deceased) 1977

John Courtney, 1983

Thomas Tutson, 1982 (deceased)

Raleigh Roundtree, 1997

Reese McCampbell, 2003

Tyrone Caldwell, 1967

Albert Lester (deceased), 1979

H.G. Simpson (deceased), 1938

Sidney Fulton, 1981

Dwayne Jackson, 1982

Ralph Green, 1982

Tyrone Davis, 1994

Jerrell Moore, 1997

Derek Harrison, 2001

Corey Haynes, 2003

Clyde Reed, 2007

DeShawn Baker, 2007

Anthony Clay, 1977

SCSU dominates everywhere except final score


By BRIAN LINDER, T&D Sports Editor

Cleve McCoy grinned, shook his head and held his hand up -- thumb and index finger about an inch apart -- in front of his face.

"We have got to push it," McCoy, South Carolina State's senior quarterback said following his team's win over Winston-Salem State Saturday night. "We are here, we are this close. But, we are going to get it. It's one mistake that is killing us every time, but we will get it."

SC State obliterated the Rams Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in every stat category except the one that mattered -- the final score. The Bulldogs won, but they did so in less than convincing fashion. In fact, the game was in doubt until Travil Jamison's 1-yard touchdown run with 1:07 to go helped increase the Bulldogs' lead from 13-7 to the final, 20-7.

Following his postgame press conference, SCSU head coach Buddy Pough picked up a stat packet and gave it a thumb through. As reporters walked away, he started to smile as well. McCoy accounted for 241 yards of offense; tailback William Ford rushed for 162 yards on 27 carries and caught one pass for 29 yards, and Travil Jamison emerged as another viable option in the backfield, rushing for 83 yards on 16 carries. SCSU outgained the Rams 493-200 on offense, racking up 25 first downs.

Pough looked up from the paper, smile still on his face. What was he thinking in the moments before Jamison's score, his team having moved the ball up and down the field yet still in position to lose?

"I was bordering on going crazy," he said.

SCSU's day began with a bang, a 71-yard touchdown pass from McCoy to Terrance Smith with 12:15 to play in the first quarter. But, the majority of the next three quarters were a decisive thud with only two field goals, a 28 and 38-yarder from Stephen Grantham to tide the Bulldog faithful over.

"We continued to move the football," Pough said. "But, we didn't consummate in all ways. You can put all kinds of reasons behind it, but the bottom line is we need to do better."

Doing better could mean getting healthier. Earlier in the week, Pough said McCoy and Ford "looked like they had been in the ring with Muhammad Ali for 18 rounds ... and Ali was mad." Junior offensive lineman Nygel Pearson has yet to play this season, and backup tailback Jonathan Woods has also been banged up.

With that in mind and an open date in the schedule next Saturday, Pough said the Bulldogs would take it easy this week.

"This open week couldn't come at a better time," he said. "We have five, six or seven guys that are a vital part of what we do that are down and hurting, and we can't seem to get straight. Hopefully, we can get them all back feeling well in the next couple of weeks."

And, while the win may not have been as decisive as SCSU faithful may have liked, the Bulldogs will go through the light week with a win under their belt.

"People don't remember how you won the game," McCoy said. "They just remember if you won or not ... so, that is the best thing."

TSU/SU Final Stats: Benjamin key figure in SU deception


By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

He’s developing a reputation as “Slick Nick.”

For the second straight game, Southern University wide receiver Nick Benjamin was good with a pass on a trick play. This time, Benjamin found wide receiver A.J. Turner for a 37-yard gain, setting up the first of Southern’s four scores in a 41-34 comeback win over Tennessee State on Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

A week earlier, his 12-yard touchdown toss to tight end Evan Alexander on a fake field goal provided precious fourth quarter cushion in a 12-2 victory over Prairie View.

SU put in the play Tuesday afternoon, the Jaguars’ first real game-week practice.

“They feel like, with me playing quarterback in high school, I had the arm to throw it if need be,” Benjamin said. “We said we were going to do it at halftime. We came out and executed the play.”

Catching and scoring

SU senior wide receiver RaShon Jacobs, a Louisiana-Monroe transfer starting in place of Gerard Landry, caught his first TD pass at Southern. It was the third TD of the former Woodlawn High standout’s collegiate career. He sat out last season after transferring and last scored on Oct. 4, 2003, when he caught his only previous scores, two touchdowns in a 44-41 loss at Arkansas State. Also, senior RB Darren Coates’ 31-yard TD catch was the first of his career.

Landry, who went for a third-down converting 21 yards on his first catch, grabbed a 6-yard TD on his second one. That gave him a receiving TD in all four Jaguars games this season.

Game ball

To SU quarterback Bryant Lee. The sophomore improved to 5-1 as a starter (and he also won the Texas Southern game in relief). He had career highs with 305 yards and four TDs. For the season, he’s thrown for 870 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.

Plays of the game

Strong safety/nickel back Toyin Akinwale and eagle linebacker Donald Steele, in for the injured Johnathan Malveaux (ankle), came heavy on the pressure on a third-and-6 at the Southern 33-yard line. Their rush forced an intentional grounding from TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner and instead of converting or even being in field-goal range, the Tigers were back at their own 49 and had to punt four minutes into the fourth quarter.

That stop led to SU’s go-ahead score three offensive plays later: with Del Roberts getting back in bounds after being interfered with, catching a Lee pass and weaving the rest of the way to complete a 48-yard touchdown. That gave the Jaguars a 38-34 lead with 10:16 to play.

Numbers-crunching

How tough of a first quarter was it for Southern in falling behind 20-6? Tennessee State had scored just 16 first-quarter points in its first three games of the season before putting up 20 against Southern, which had allowed just two touchdowns in the previous 10 quarters. … SU had held Prairie View to 197 yards for the entire game the week before, but Tennessee State had 221 on 19 plays. … But TSU managed just 228 in the final three quarters.

Did you notice?

Only one of Southern’s two captains, free safety Jarmaul George, went out for the pregame coin toss. The other captain, Landry, was suspended for the first half after being ejected for swinging at a player midway through the fourth quarter in the win over Prairie View. … Landry and George were back together as the captains met with the referee at midfield before the start of the second half. … Until Josh Duran made good on a PAT with 3:24 until halftime, Southern had not converted an extra point after its previous five touchdowns (one kick blocked, two missed PATs and two incomplete two-point conversion passes.)

NCAA Football Boxscore - Tennessee St at Southern U

Attendance: 15,371

Final 1 2 3 4 Score
Tennessee St 20 7 7 0 34
Southern U « 6 13 13 9 41

1st Quarter
Tennessee St Touchdown - 1-yard run by Antonio Heffner. (Eric Benson kick). 11:33 Remaining.
Tennessee St Touchdown - 61-yard pass from Antonio Heffner to Brandon Belvin. (Kick failed). 9:13 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 13-yard pass from Bryant Lee to RoShon Jacobs. (Kick failed). 6:23 Remaining.
Tennessee St Touchdown - 49-yard run by Javarris Williams. (Eric Benson kick). 0:29 Remaining.

2nd Quarter
Tennessee St Touchdown - 4-yard pass from Antonio Heffner to Chris Johnson. (Eric Benson kick). 6:36 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 31-yard pass from Bryant Lee to Darren Coates. (Pass failed). 6:03 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 1-yard run by Darren Coates. (Josh Duran kick). 3:24 Remaining.

3rd Quarter
Southern U Touchdown - 6-yard pass from Bryant Lee to Gerard Landry. (Pass failed). 5:42 Remaining.
Southern U Touchdown - 1-yard run by Darren Coates. (Josh Duran kick). 2:41 Remaining.
Tennessee St Touchdown - 38-yard pass from Antonio Heffner to Ronald Evans. (Eric Benson kick). 1:48 Remaining.

4th Quarter
Southern U Touchdown - 48-yard pass from Bryant Lee to Del Roberts. (Kick blocked). 10:16 Remaining.
Southern U Field Goal - 31-yarder by Josh Duran. 3:56 Remaining.

Final Team Statistics

Tennessee St Southern U
First Downs 17 21
Rushes - Yards 49-133 43-138
Passing Yards 316 342
Return Yards 15 61
Passing (Att-Comp-Int) 27-13-2 34-24-0
Punts - Average 7-34 5-40
Fumbles - Lost 4-3 3-2
Penalties - Yards 11-131 5-40
Time of Possession 29:53 30:07

Individual Statistics
Passing
Tennessee St Att Comp Yards Int TD
Antonio Heffner 26 13 316 2 3
Calvin McNairl 1 0 0 0 0

Southern U Att Comp Yards Int TD
Bryant Lee 33 23 305 0 4
Nick Benjamin 1 1 37 0 0

Rushing
Tennessee St Att Yards Average TD
Javarris Williams 14 107 7.6 1
Terrence Wright 11 17 1.5 0
Calvin McNairl 4 11 2.8 0
Sherrod Graddick 1 5 5.0 0
Ronald Evans 2 4 2.0 0
Antonio Heffner 17 -11 -0.6 1

Southern U Att Yards Average TD
Darren Coates 17 115 6.8 2
Kendrick Smith 5 34 6.8 0
Bryant Lee 12 -2 -0.2 0
Brian Threat 5 -3 -0.6 0
Team 4 -6 -1.5 0

Receiving
Tennessee St Rec Yards Average TD
Chris Johnson 6 119 19.8 1
Brandon Belvin 3 106 35.3 1
Troy Smith 1 22 22.0 0
Terrence Wright 1 15 15.0 0
Ronald Evans 1 38 38.0 1
Kwame Patrick 1 16 16.0 0

Southern U Rec Yards Average TD
Marquarius 'Del' Roberts 6 110 18.3 1
Mark Henderson 5 55 11.0 0
Darren Coates 3 45 15.0 1
RaShon Jacobs 3 40 13.3 1
Albert Turner 2 50 25.0 0
Gerard Landry 2 27 13.5 1
Kendrick Smith 2 11 5.5 0
Juamorris Stewart 1 4 4.0 0

Kicking
Tennessee St FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt
Eric Benson 0 0 0 4 5

Southern U FGMade FGAtt Long EPMade EPAtt
Josh Duran 1 2 31 2 4

Southern Jaguars stick with their game


By CHARLES SALZER, Special to The Advocate

Tennessee State might have slipped into a false sense of security after building a 21-point second quarter lead. Southern might have waited until midway through the first half to start playing on either side of the ball, but the final score was ultimately all that mattered.

Southern’s 41-34 come-from-way-behind win over the visiting Tigers proved that the Jaguars have too much pride to let an early deficit take them out of their game.

With Bryant Lee throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns, and Darren Coates rushing for 115 yards and two scores, Southern outscored Tennessee State 35-7 in the final 2&permil quarters to erase an inept start on both sides of the ball.

“It takes a lot of heart and that’s what we have,” Lee said. “The defense came through for us in big time situations, and the offense made plays when they got us the ball.”

It didn’t start out that way. Quarterback Antonio Heffner and the rest of his TSU teammates shredded Southern’s defense en route to a 27-6 lead with 6:36 left in the first half. Southern pulled itself up off the turf, and surged for two scores before the break.

“We just started picking each other up,” Coates said. “We told everyone we could do it, and once we got rolling we just kept it moving.”

Coates took a short pass in the right flat 31 yards for a touchdown to start the comeback. The score was the first of 26 straight points for Southern, which allowed more points in the first quarter (20) than it had in its previous two games combined (8).

Southern wasn’t done for the half, and Coates 54-yard run with less than four minutes to go set up his own 1-yard scoring run. Southern trailed 27-19 at the half, but had seized all the momentum behind Coates’ strong finish..

“Coming into the game coach told us not to wait for anybody else to make a big play,” Coates said. “He told us to take it on yourself to make a big play and that’s what I did.

“This means a lot to us and the fans. It shows that we can last the whole game and we’re going to fight to the end. We have a lot of pride inside us. We’re not quitters.”

Senior receiver Gerard Landry helped provide a spark in the second half after sitting out the first half because of a suspension. He made his presence felt quickly with a 21-yard reception, and later a 6-yard touchdown catch that brought Southern within 27-25.

“I just wanted an opportunity to make something happen and that’s what I did,” Landry said. “(At halftime) coach Richardson told us to settle down and execute because everything we did was working. He told us to stay within ourselves and fill our roles.”

Southern fought back to take its first lead late in the third quarter. Coates picked up 32 yards on five straight carries, the last a 1-yard score putting Southern up 32-27.

Tennessee State briefly retook the lead at 34-32, but by that time the Southern defense was revved up for the fourth quarter. The Tigers had five fourth-quarter possessions and were forced to punt twice while their other drives ended with turnovers.

“The defense held them and we just executed on the offensive side of the ball,” Lee said. “We played hard for 60 minutes and that’s what it takes.”

Landry was equally complimentary of the poise Lee showed after the Jaguars got down.

“I can’t say enough about Bryant,” Landry said. “When he was in trouble he made things happen. When he came to the sidelines a little frustrated, I just told him to relax and he settled down.”

It was advice that served Lee and Southern well.

SU Jaguars rally, stay unbeaten

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

To put Southern’s 41-34 thriller of a comeback win over Tennessee State into perspective, look no further than the play that put Southern ahead for good.

Though wide receiver Del Roberts got pushed out of bounds by cornerback Ozzie Harrell along the right sideline, Roberts came back onto the field, hauled in a Bryant Lee pass and picked his way through the defense to complete a 48-yard touchdown.

“He pushed me out of bounds and I never gave up on the play. I kept going,” Roberts said. “That’s the way it works. &hellip I saw the ball the whole time and I had to find it, had to go get it.”

Roberts may just as well have been talking about his entire team.

Southern, showing relentlessness and resilience Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium, overcame a 21-point deficit in the final 36 minutes to overcome Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee State (2-2) and remain undefeated through four games this season.

“We have a lot of character on this team,” Southern wide receiver/holder Nick Benjamin said. “I feel like we’re building every week. We’re getting better every week, and we’re getting better as a whole, not individually.”

Photo: SU's Alvin Fosselman celebrates the Jaguars’ victory.

Lee, a sophomore, threw for career highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns, with Roberts adding a career-best 110 yards and his first receiving score this season. Senior running back Darren Coates ran for 115 yards and a career-high two TDs while also catching his first career touchdown, a 31-yarder in the second quarter.

The Jaguars played without playmaker Gerard Landry, who was suspended for the first half after being ejected in the fourth quarter of a 12-2 win over Prairie View the week before, but Landry scored on his second catch, a 6-yarder in the third quarter. RaShon Jacobs, starting for Landry, had his first touchdown as a Jaguar.

“They’re playing hard,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “A lot of them are playing over their heads, but then the fever is starting to set in. They’ve got that tradition.”

For TSU, Javarris Williams ran for 107 yars and one TD on only 14 carries. And Antonio Heffner threw for 316 yards – even with just 13 completions – and three touchdowns, but his two interceptions came late in the fourth quarter as the Tigers tried to rally. He also fumbled on the final possession, at the TSU 15-yard line, with 1:45 to play.

“I don’t think there was any momentum swing,” TSU coach James Webster said. “The game was in doubt until the very end, until we fumbled the football at the end.

“We got up on them, and we relaxed on some things. And you can’t relax against a good football team. You just can’t do that.”

No momentum swing? Really?

Southern, once down 27-6 with 6:36 before halftime, outscored Tennessee State 35-7 the rest of the way.

“We had to bounce back,” Southern defensive tackle Dwayne Charles said. “We talked it up. We don’t have any fighting, any arguments. We’re a team, as one. We told (the secondary) to shake it off. Bad things happen. Good teams accomplish stuff when they can overcome the mistakes they make. And that’s what we did.”

The SU defense, mirroring the way they responded after giving up two long touchdowns to Florida A&M in the season opener, clamped down after halftime like the unit has all season.

“The offense loves that,” Lee said.

SU has allowed just two second-half touchdowns this season. The Jaguars forced five turnovers — three fumbles and two interceptions — in the second half against TSU, which has been turnover-prone this season but had none in the first half.

“We had to come back in the second half, get our mind right and make up for those plays in the first half,” said strong safety Jarmaul George, the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s preseason defensive player of the year.

George set up a 31-yard Josh Duran field goal for a 41-34 lead with 3:56 remaining with a 30-yard interception return. George has had one interception in three of SU’s four games.

Though the Tigers had slow starts in their first three games, that wasn’t the case Saturday.

A 60-yard flea flicker set up TSU’s first score, a 1-yard Heffner run. Heffner then hit Brandon Belvin on a 61-yard touchdown pass for a 13-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first quarter.

After Jacobs’ TD grab, TSU responded with a 49-yard Williams TD run with 29 seconds left in the first quarter and went up 27-6 on Heffner’s 4-yard pass to Chris Johnson with 6:36 until halftime.

“We had to make adjustments coverage-wise, went to another package and we just went after them,” SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves said. “The guys just stepped up and made plays. God bless them. Those guys have the heart of a champion.”

Southern made a move late in the second quarter, with Darren Coates scoring on easy 31-yard touchdown on a swing pass with 6:03 until halftime and Coates scoring on a 1-yard plunge, one play after breaking loose on a 54-yard burst up the middle.

And two fumble recoveries led to two SU scores in the third quarter.

First, Charles’ recovery of a Heffner fumble at the SU 48 set up Landry’s six-yard score six plays later, closing the Jaguars within 27-25 with 5:42 left in the third. Then, Efe Osawemwenze recovered a Williams fumble at the SU 47, with Coates giving SU a 32-27 lead, also six plays later, with 2:41 left in the third.

Two offensive plays later, TSU answered with Heffner’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Ronald Evans to put the Tigers up 34-32.

Then a defensive stand, with TSU facing a third-and-6 at the SU 33, led the Tigers to punt. Heffner was called for intentional grounding as Toyin Akinwale and Donald Steele swarmed him at the Southern 49.

Three plays later, Lee found Roberts for the go-ahead score to put Southern up 38-34 with 10:16 left.

“B. Lee’s a gamer. He does what it takes,” Landry said.

Sounds like Landry could have been talking about all the Jaguars.

TSU's turnovers blow 21-point lead in loss























Photo: Tennessee State's Chris Johnson, left, catches a pass in front of Southern's Michael Williams during the first half.

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, The(Baton Rouge)Advocate

BATON ROUGE, La. — Tennessee State squandered a 21-point lead in the final 36 minutes and fell to undefeated Southern University in a 41-34 thriller on Saturday.

TSU running back Javarris Williams ran for 107 yards and one touchdown on only 14 carries.

And Antonio Heffner threw for 316 yards — even with just 13 completions — and three touchdowns, but his two interceptions came late in the fourth quarter as the Tigers tried to rally.

He also fumbled on the final possession, at the TSU 15, with 1:45 to play.

"I don't think there was any momentum swing," TSU Coach James Webster said. "The game was in doubt until the very end, until we fumbled the football at the end.

"We got up on them, and we relaxed on some things. And you can't relax against a good football team. You just can't do that."

Southern (4-0), once down 27-6 with 6:36 before halftime, outscored Tennessee State 35-7 the rest of the way.

TSU (2-2) committed five turnovers — three fumbles and two interceptions — in the second half after committing none in the first half.

A 60-yard flea flicker set up TSU's first score, a 1-yard Heffner run. Heffner then hit Brandon Belvin on a
61-yard touchdown pass for a 13-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first quarter.

After a Jaguars' touchdown, TSU responded with a 49-yard Williams TD run with 29 seconds left in the first quarter and went up
27-6 on Heffner's 4-yard pass to Chris Johnson with 6:36 until halftime.

Southern made a move late in the second quarter, with Darren Coates scoring on easy 31-yard touchdown on a swing pass and Coates scoring on a 1-yard plunge, one play after breaking loose on a 54-yard burst up the middle.

Two fumble recoveries led to two Southern scores in the third quarter.

First, Southern recovered a Heffner fumble at the Jaguars 48 that set up a 6-yard score six plays later, closing to within 27-25 with 5:42 left in the third.

Then, Southern recovered a Williams fumble at the Jaguars 47, with Coates giving Southern a 32-27 lead, also six plays later, with 2:41 left in the third.

TSU answered with Heffner's 38-yard touchdown pass to Ronald Evans to put the Tigers up 34-32.

Then a defensive stand, with TSU facing a third-and-6 at the SU 33, led the Tigers to punt. Heffner was called for intentional grounding as Toyin Akinwale and Donald Steele swarmed him at the Southern 49.

Three plays later, Southern threw a touchdown pass for the go-ahead score for a 38-34 lead with 10:16 left.