Florida A&M Rattlers 31, Norfolk State Spartans 28
The Joe Taylor two-headed Rattler experiment is over at the expense of the Norfolk State Spartans. Starter Eddie Battle gave the Spartans homecoming crowd hope, with two interceptions thrown and a fumble in completing 3 of 7 passes for 10 yards in the first quarter action. With the Spartans leading 14-0, in steps QB Curtis Pulley to get the Rattlers focused with his running and passing. Pulley completed 13 of 27 passes for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns, and ran for another 101 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries.
RB Philip Sylvester had 16 carries for 105 yards, with a 44 yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave FAMU a 21-14 lead. Rattler receiver Kevin Elliott had seven catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns (16 and 25 yards). Isaac West hauled in a fourth quarter bomb of 60 yards from Pulley to give the Rattlers a 28-21 lead that the Spartans would match with a Dennis Brown 37 yard pass completion to Dario Walker for a touchdown to tie the game again, with .35 seconds remaining.
FAMU's Pulley then drove the Rattlers 67 yards in 5 plays (.31 seconds) to set up Rattlers kicker Trevor Scott for the game winner from the 26 yard line.
Spartans 1-A transfer QB Dennis Brown ( UConn.) and Miami (FL) Booker T. Washington H.S., had a magnificent game completing 22/37 for 192 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Brown lead the NSU rushing attack with 131 yards on 16 carries for one touchdown.
The FAMU defense has shown little improvement--allowing Norfolk State to score with 35 seconds remaining in the game with a blown coverage on a 37 yard touchdown pass and allowing the Spartans to be successful on 3 of 4 fourth down plays. The inspired 2-6 Spartans were able to gain 371 yards and control the clock for 29 minutes against the Rattlers.
The Rattlers FAMCAST system failed again! As advertised, the game was not broadcasted at the appointed 1:00 p.m. and video was not received until the second half. Audio was picked up with about three minutes remaining in the 1st quarter. For a first class university, this streaming video/audio system sucks and is not representative of the fine work that this university can produce. No excuses--this needs to be fixed as this signal is being sent globally and fans expect to be able to tune in.
Charge a fee if you must--but develop a first class, reliable and dependable FAMCAST system that fans can enjoy watching--all of the Rattlers sports and other events.
Final Observations....The Rattlers need to stop playing to the level of their competition in the MEAC or they may be sitting at home with a 10-2 record come time for the 2008 FCS (1-AA) playoffs. Eddie Battle should remain on the bench as Curtis Pulley is the superior QB and is getting the job done. Battle is a good kid, but he does not have the running talents of Pulley, who is to valuable for FAMU's success to be platooned. Overall, the FAMU defense sucks and needs a complete makeover.
Attendance: 13,889 (46%) at Dick Price Stadium, Norfolk, VA (Capacity: 30,000).
Morgan State Bears 20, Delaware State Hornets 3
The Bears did the entire MEAC a favor by blasting the Hornets at Hughes Stadium before 6,312 Bear fans to drop DSU out of the MEAC race with a 3-4, 3-2 record. The Hornets self-destructed with 31 yards passing, 87 yards rushing, and four turnovers for the entire game. What happen to all those celebrated Division I transfers that were going to make the Delaware State Hornets Kings of the MEAC?
We will find out how good the Bears really are next week as they are scheduled as the homecoming opponent for the fast charging FAMU Rattlers. The Bears are returning to glory with a 5-3, 3-1 MEAC record.
Attendance: 6312 (63%) at Hughes Stadium, Baltimore, MD (Capacity: 10,000).
South Carolina State University 35, Hampton University 13
S.C. State's Buddy Pough now has a clear path to the MEAC championship and FCS Playoffs. Hampton got hammered by the Bulldogs power running game on Saturday afternoon. No need to over analyze the why's and how's, as 316 yards on the ground speaks volumes about the prowess of the Bulldogs running game.
Will Ford did his thing, gaining 182 yards on 25 carries for one touchdown. But, the surprise of the day was Travil Jamison who exploded for four touchdowns on 10 carries, for 152 yards. We had rain, but SCSU brought thunder and lightning to the Pirates.
The Pirates didn't give themselves a chance getting whistled for 13 penalties for 154 yards. RB LaMarcus Coker was held scoreless on 22 rushes for 109 yards, but caught a 10 yard pass for touchdown from QB Herbert Bynes. Bynes also hit Damon McDaniel on a beautiful 43-yard touchdown pass and completed 27/40 for 272 yards for two touchdowns.
The Pirates season and playoff dreams may be over if Coach Holmes cannot motivate his defense to stop the run.
Attendance: 17,159 (78%) at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Orangeburg, S.C. (Capacity: 22,000).
North Carolina A&T Aggies 21, Howard University Bison 20
North Carolina A&T (3-6, 1-4) drop kicked head coach Lee Fobbs, Jr. on Monday. And with his assistant coach George Ragsdale in the driver seat, the Aggies kicked the Howard Bison (1-6, 0-4) under the bus to end a six game losing streak. With the Aggies headed in a new direction, one has to ask the question--what direction is Howard headed with only one win this season against the Savannah State Tigers? What has Coach Carey Bailey done for the Bison lately, as he was 4-7 in his first season with the Bison and currently 1-6, 0-4 MEAC?
This victory is the first conference win for the Aggies since October 2005. Michael Ferguson scored two touchdowns to lead the Aggies offense and North Carolina A&T defense recovered a Bison fumble in the last minute to preserve the win. This is the second week that the Bison offense has self-destructed in the final minutes of a game they could have won.
Bethune Cookman Wildcats 27, Winston Salem State Rams 6
The Wildcats are 5-2, 3-2 MEAC and can end the season with 7-8 wins. Winston Salem (1-6, 1-4) is reason #1 the MEAC should move to a seven game North/South divisional format.
Attendance: 12,121 ( 67%) at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston Salem, N.C. (Capacity: 18,000).
Alabama A&M Bulldogs 17, Alabama State Hornets 16
The Bulldogs move to 4-5, 3-1 SWAC and ASU falls to 1-6, 1-3 SWAC in the annual Magic City Classic affair. It really didn't matter what the records were for this Alabama rivarly, as 69, 113 attended this game, making the Magic City Classic the #1 ranked HBCU/FCS/Division I-AA game in attendance.
Attendance: 69,113 (86%) at Legion Field, Birmingham, AL (Capacity: 80,391).
Texas Southern 30, Alcorn State University 29
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff 42, Lincoln (Mo) 0
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 27, Tennessee State Tigers 20 (OT)
Jackson State 29, Mississippi Valley State 27
Prairie View A&M 24, Southern 23
Idle: Grambling, Savannah State (I-AA Indep.) and N.C. Central (I-AA Indep.).
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A winning season and conference championship are out of reach, and the coach has been fired. Yet, as they enter their final two football games of 2008, the N.C. A&T Aggies swear the search for significance isn't as tough as finding Sasquatch in Summerfield. "Florida A&M and South Carolina State: the big boys," interim coach George Ragsdale said. "And we're a big boy. We've got to get our place back."
