ALABAMA STATE 38, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 31: Rickerson revs up Hornets for key win

Alabama State was slowly wearing down and the Hornets were in need of a big play. And early in the second half Jacques Rickerson delivered. The Hornets' defensive back had asked for the assignment of covering Arkansas-Pine Bluff receiver Raymond Webber and when quarterback Josh Boudreaux threw his first pass of the second half toward Webber, Rickerson was waiting.

"They started running crossing routes against the zone, so we came out in the second half and decided to 'man' up," Rickerson said. "I told Coach I wanted 86 (Webber) and he put me on him the rest of the game."

Rickerson's 17-yard interception return on the second play of the third quarter set up the Hornets' go-ahead touchdown and Alabama State went on to win 38-31 before 14,199 fans at Cramton Bowl on Saturday night.

Photo Gallery: ASU battles Arkansas Pine Bluff

Fumble return keys Norfolk State's 23-14 win

NORFOLK, VA - Hit them when they're up, hit them when they're (headed) down. That's Norfolk State linebacker Corwin Hammond's philosophy on dealing with quarterbacks. Hammond said he was just trying to punish North Carolina A&T quarterback Shelton Morgan when he helped Norfolk State pull away in a 23-14 win in front of 14,550 at Dick Price Stadium on Saturday.

"He was going down, so you might as well hit him," Hammond said. "You might as well. If he's going to run it, he's going to get hit." Trailing 13-7 with 8:12 left in the third quarter, the Aggies (0-2) were moving the ball well for the first time against NSU (1-1). North Carolina A&T finished with just six first downs, but Morgan looked ready to move the chains for the third time on the drive.

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Viewings of North Carolina A&T's "Bed Intruder Song" arrangement has now reached over 631,400 on YouTube within 30 days.

Fort Valley State overpowers Savannah State

Savannah State was in need of a win, and so was Fort Valley State. Both teams were coming off losses that left a different flavor of bitter tastes, and each wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. The Wildcats will enjoy their meals Sunday a lot more than the Tigers.

FVSU scored 41 straight points and shut the door on the Savannah State offense for the final three quarters en route to a 41-10 win Saturday afternoon at Henderson Stadium.
The Wildcats, 47-34 losers at home last week to Morehouse, improved to 2-1 with the win over the FCS Tigers, who dropped to 0-2. FVSU outgained Savannah State 345-131 and ran 73 plays to 56 for the Tigers.

Final: Division II Fort Valley State 41, SSU 10

Fort Valley State scored 41 unanswered points to beat Savannah State, 41-10, in the Music City Classic at Henderson Stadium in Macon on Saturday. FVSU, an NCAA Division II team, improved to 2-1. SSU, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), dropped to 0-2.

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Week 2 Score Card: Contenders vs. Pretenders

If you are keeping score on the Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) upsets, here are some real eye openers.

James Madison University (Colonial Athletic Conference) smacked #13 ranked Virginia Tech 21-16, at Lane Stadium. Liberty University Flames (Big South) outlasted Ball State (Mid-American) 27-23 on the road.

Independent South Dakota Coyotes in their third year in the FCS, bounced back from a 38-7 lost to Central Florida in Week One to defeat the Minnesota Gophers (Big Ten) 41-38. Southern University (SWAC) was steamrolled in an easy home opener to invited Division II, University of Arkansas - Monticello (Gulf South Conference), 31-7. So, what does that say about the strength of Coach Stump Mitchell's Jaguars -- that he predicted would win 12 games this season?

The Big South is on a roll...Gardner-Webb edged FBS Akron 38-37 on the Zips home field. Savannah State Tigers continued its FCS struggles by getting outplayed by Division II SIAC power, Fort Valley State 41-10 in the Music City Classic in Macon, Georgia. Winston-Salem State Rams (3-0) are proving to be better as a member of the Division II, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as it whipped its second in-state rival, North Carolina Central Eagles (MEAC), 34-27 on the road. Rams first year coach Connell Maynor is now 3-0, with last season's 1-10 Rams program, scoring road wins over Virginia Union, North Carolina A&T and NCCU.

SWAC
UConn 62, Texas Southern 3
So. Miss 34, Prairie View A&M 7
Arkansas-Monticello 31, Southern 7
Jackson State 33, Tennessee State 26
Alabama A&M 45, Central State (OH) 0
South Carolina State 44, Mississippi Valley 0
Alabama State 38, UAPB 31

MEAC
Bethune-Cookman (bye)
Maryland 62, Morgan State 3
FAMU 17, Delaware State 14
Hampton 31, Howard 21
Norfolk State 23, North Carolina A&T 14
Fort Valley State 41, Savannah State 10
Winston Salem State 34, North Carolina Central 27

SIAC
Albany State (Ga.) 28, Clark Atlanta 13
Morehouse 49, Lane 6
Tuskegee 41, Stillman 15
Kentucky State 26, Benedict 21
Concordia 52, Miles 20

CIAA
Fayetteville State 27, Bowie State 7
Mars Hill 41, Saint Augustine's 12
N.C. Pembroke 42, Saint Paul's 14
Virginia State 34, West Virginia State 21
New Haven 30, Lincoln (Pa.) 0
Johnson C. Smith 45, West Virginia Tech 21
Catawba 59, Livingstone 8
Elon 55, Shaw 26

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SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY HUMAN JUKEBOX BAND - 5TH QUARTER - 9/11/2010

Elmore Leads SC State To Victory Over Mississippi Valley State 44-0

ORANGEBURG, SC-- Sophomore wide receiver Lennel Elmore had a career-night with 12 catches for 156 yards, breaking former All-MEAC standout Tavarus Morgan record for Total Receptions in game. While, SC State cruised to an 44-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State Saturday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

Senior quarterback Malcolm Long tied Reese Mc Campbell record for Most Career Passing Attempts throwing 21-28 for 232 yards and one touchdown. Long now has 707 for a career. "We executed well tonight with a lot of new guys in the mix," stated SC State head coach Buddy Pough. They had hard time blocking us up front and we made some big plays to take control of the game."

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Morehouse crushes Lane, goes to 3-0

Morehouse is serving notice to the SIAC that they are for real. Just as clear though: Lane College isn’t a team by which to judge that. The Maroon Tigers (3-0, 2-0) pounded Lane 49-6, taking advantage of some, but not all, of Lane’s many miscues. The Dragons routinely went backward on offense, some which could be credited to the Morehouse defense, but some was the result of bad snaps, poor decisions and fumbled punt attempts.

David Carter led Morehouse with 71 yards in the first half. Derrin Nettles had 15 tackles and a sack, and Chigbo Annunoby had 13 tackles.

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The hardest working band in Division II--Morehouse College! The "House of Funk" didn't let a rainy night in Georgia stop their field show performance for the home team fans... Look Mom, no rain coats!!

Jackson State wins Southern Heritage Classic, 33-26

Quarterback Therriault is MVP, stars with four TD passes

Memphis, TN - In the past, Jackson State coach Rick Comegy would have been hoping, perhaps praying, that his defense would be able to hold off a late Tennessee State rally. That’s because his team has fallen too many times to their Southern Heritage Classic rivals not to worry. But Saturday night, with his team clinging to a seven-point lead and TSU having five cracks inside JSU’s 10-yard line at a game-tying touchdown, Comegy was confident his Tigers would prevail.

And when JSU held on for the 33-26 win, snapping a seven-game slide to TSU in front of 44,688 Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Comegy declared it the beginning of something special.

Johnson's knee injury a blow to secondary

MEMPHIS — The 33-26 win over Tennessee State on Saturday night didn't come without an unfortunate loss for Jackson State. Starting cornerback Anthony Johnson is likely out for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Saturday's win. The diagnosis of a torn ACL is a preliminary one, a school official said during the game.

Johnson, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior who transferred from Mississippi State before last season, will be re-evaluated at a later date. Johnson suffered the injury while running down to cover a punt early in the first quarter. Johnson, who scouts say is JSU's best chance to get a player picked in the upcoming NFL draft, had to be assisted off the field by three people. He put no weight on his right leg.

Euphoric breakthrough

MEMPHIS — With a flabbergasted look rolling across his face, Jackson State linebacker Ryan Rich looked for someone - anyone - as he ran about the Liberty Bowl field. Someone to hug. Someone to smile with. Someone to share this oh-so-fantastic feeling with. It's a feeling that comes eight years in the making.

Jackson State beat Tennessee State 33-26 on Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd at the Liberty Bowl, knocking off the Tigers from Nashville for the first time in eight years in the Southern Heritage Classic. Not only that, but the Tigers from Mississippi's Capital City are 2-0 for the first time since 2001.

PHOTO GALLERIES

• Jackson State - Tennessee State

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Maryland football has few problems with Morgan State in 62-3 blowout

College Park, MD - Before Maryland's demolition of an inferior opponent was even complete Saturday night, focus in College Park had already shifted to a quarterback situation that becomes more intriguing by the week.

Starting quarterback Jamarr Robinson threw two touchdown passes in a 62-3 rout of Morgan State, helping the Terrapins pile up more points than they had in 35 years. But Robinson was replaced in the second quarter by backup Danny O'Brien, who wowed coaches and fans alike by throwing three touchdowns in the first four pass attempts of his career. Maryland's coaches had planned to play both quarterbacks, much like they did in the season-opening victory against Navy.

But the combination of O'Brien's impressive showing and Robinson's tendency to miss some open receivers Saturday adds uncertainty to the quarterback position as the team prepares for what should be a difficult game at West Virginia next Saturday.



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WSSU Rams improve to 3-0 with win over NCCU Eagles

DURHAM, N.C. - In a game of big plays, Rashaun Jones made the biggest for Winston-Salem State. Jones had a big interception with 1:59 left to help the Rams win 34-27 over the N.C. Central Eagles last night at sold-out (9,711) O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

With the game tied at 27 and the Eagles driving quarterback Michael Johnson tried to hit Geovonie Irvine on a fly pattern but Jones made a leaping interception in the end zone for the Rams first interception of the season. Not content with that, the Rams then went 80 yards for the game winning touchdown when Tehyvn Brantley caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kameron Smith with 1:34 left.

"Coach just told us to stay calm and focused because we'd have to win it on the back end," said Jones, who transferred to WSSU from Miami last spring. "I'm just glad I could help the team win the game."

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Southern's Stunning defeat

The Jaguars had minus-22 rushing yards on 24 attempts.

They had the entire fourth quarter to accept what happened Saturday night, when a Division II team called Arkansas-Monticello came into A.W. Mumford Stadium and manhandled the Southern University football team in Stump Mitchell’s home debut. The 31-7 final score was no fluke.

Still, when time ran out, some of the SU players were motionless on the sideline, in a fog, stunned at the outcome. Defensive tackles Casey Narcisse and Jordan Miller sat on the bench, staring directly at the grass in front of them. Later, linebacker Corey Ray shook his head in disbelief. “We didn’t come to play,” Ray said. “We didn’t do what we were coached to do. ... It wasn’t about Xs and Os. We just didn’t give the effort we were supposed to give.”

Ground game freezes

Center Ramon Chinyoung glanced at the game clock during the final seconds of Saturday night’s 31-7 loss to Division II Arkansas-Monticello, visibly disgusted at himself and offensive teammates. That’s because Southern University finished its nonconference game with minus-22 rushing yards, what should be one of the worst efforts in recent memory.

Chinyoung, one of the team captains, could only point the proverbial finger of blame at himself. “I feel like I’m the reason why we lost the game because this is my O-Line,” said Chinyoung, a fifth-year senior. “Because I’m the general.”

Team Effort Leads Boll Weevils Past Southern

The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team responded from its season opening loss with a 31-7 rout of Southern University on Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium. The Boll Weevils even their season record at 1-1 with its third victory in as many seasons over an NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision. UAM defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff in each of the past two seasons. The Jaguars also evened their record at 1-1.

UAM had production in all aspects of the game with 371 yards of total offense, only 117 yards of total offense allowed, 149 punt return yards and a blocked punt. In the first half, UAM pitched a shutout, holding a 24-0 advantage going into the locker room.

Southern says it wasn't ready to play in loss to Arkansas-Monticello

Led by senior quarterback Scott Buisson's 274 total-yard performance, Arkansas-Monticello (1-1), a Division II school, routed Southern (1-1) 31-7 at A.W. Mumford Stadium in Stump Mitchell's first game on the bluff as Southern's coach. Southern gained only 117 yards and allowed 371, along with 18 first downs and 149 returns yards. Mitchell and players admitted they weren't quite ready to play against Arkansas-Monticello.

"We've just got to do what we're supposed to do. That's just the bottom line. And that starts with me, " Mitchell said. "I was really pleased with the turnout of the fans -- not pleased with how we played. That's part of the game, though."

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Stunning defeat

USM Golden Eagle '7s' play well against Prairie View

Forgive the Prairie View A&M Panthers for seeing double Saturday night against the University of Southern Mississippi. Not only did the visitors get knocked loopy by the Golden Eagles at Roberts Stadium, losing 34-7, but it was a pair of “Sevens” playing on either side of the football for USM that helped apply some of the most-telling, early shots.

Sophomore running back Desmond Johnson, No. 7 on offense, carried seven times for 32 yards in the first half and scored the Golden Eagles’ first two rushing touchdowns of the season, getting USM off to a 17-0 lead before an announced 27,316. Red-shirt freshman cornerback Deron Wilson, No. 7 on defense, made a splash in his second consecutive start, with four tackles, including a jarring, helmet-popping hit on Panther running back Donald Babers for a 4-yard loss, and broke up two passes.

Prairie View A&M vs Southern Miss gallery (29 photos)

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Corcordia adds win notch over Miles

SELMA, AL — Concordia College weathered two rain showers, a lightning delay and a host of injuries to win its home opener, 52-20 over Miles College on Saturday.

After trading scores — and leads — in the first half, Concordia shut out the Bears in the second half and racked up four touchdowns to win going away. “We know we can play at a high level,” Concordia quarterback T’chelipo Woods, said. “We were playing fast and executed. We hit on all cylinders.”

Hornets coach Shepherd Skanes was less enthusiastic, but happy with the win.
“I wanted them to close it out,” Skanes said. “We had West Georgia (last week), but we left some points out on the grass. They closed it out today, and did a good job.”

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UConn Huskies take care of business, pummel Texas Southern

East Hartford, CT — UConn did exactly what you would expect it to do against an inferior opponent. The Huskies never gave Texas Southern a chance to breathe, scoring on their first five possessions, converting a pair of first-half turnovers into touchdowns and allowing the Tigers no room to roam on offense.

The result: After building a 45-0 halftime lead, UConn's reserves got the bulk of the work in the second half of a 62-3 victory over Texas Southern before 37,359 in the home opener at Rentschler Field.

In the first half, Jordan Todman rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns, Zach Frazer threw a pair of touchdown passes and the UConn defense, which couldn't get off the field on third down a week earlier at Michigan, allowed only one first down. That's all you really need to take from this game, although you must applaud the Huskies for coming out prepared, not taking the Tigers lightly, and dominating from the start.

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Defense prevails in FAMU's first win

DOVER, Del. — A lot of what coach Joe Taylor expected from his Florida A&M football team didn't materialize, but he was thankful Saturday night at Alumni Stadium. Taylor's biggest thank you after watching the film could go the Rattlers' defense, which turned away Delaware State twice during the final seven minutes to secure a 17-14 victory in FAMU's first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game.

"It's always been tough to play up here," Taylor said, "but we will take a victory." Neither team could do much offensively early on. The teams mustered just 16 points in the first half with the Rattlers taking a 10-6 lead at halftime.

PHOTO GALLERIES

• FAMU 17, DSU 14

Without kicker, DSU loses close one

DOVER, DE -- The good thing is that Delaware State's football team might be just one swift kick away from solving its problems. The bad thing is that Mario Diaz-Aviles, the Hornets' freshman placekicker, sat on the bench with a severely injured ankle against Florida A&M University and won't be ready to come back anytime soon.

The lack of a reliable placekicker put DSU coach Al Lavan and his Hornets at a sizable disadvantage in field position -- and scoring -- against the Rattlers.

Hornets quick hits

Delaware State's football team wore stickers with the initials "KG" on their helmets during Saturday's game against Florida A&M in honor of New York City firefighter Keith Glascoe, a DSU graduate who played for the Hornets in the early 1980s and was among those killed while performing rescue efforts at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

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FCS teams optimistic about early upsets

Prairie View, TSU see chance to prove ability

Jacksonville State inspired Football Championship Subdivision programs across the country when it stunned Mississippi in a 49-48 double-overtime victory last Saturday at Oxford, Miss. Later that evening, North Dakota State outlasted Kansas 6-3 in Lawrence, Kan., to gain another upset for the FCS.

Today, Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M will have their shot at shocking the Football Bowl Subdivision establishment. TSU will face Connecticut at 11 a.m. in East Hartford, Conn.; Prairie View will take on Southern Mississippi at 6 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Miss.

First USM home game today

The Southern Miss football team holds its home opener at 6 p.m. today against Prairie View A&M, trying to bury last week’s disappointing 41-13 loss at South Carolina. USM has never lost to an opponent from the SWAC, but the Panthers are the best team that the league offers after a 9-1 season in 2009 and a season-opening 16-14 win over Texas Southern.

Southern Miss players admit that Ole Miss’ loss to another FCS team, Jacksonville State, last week has been a refresher on what can happen when you don’t play your best against a lesser opponent. The Golden Eagles went 6-0 at home last season, and have an eight-game home winning streak going.

UCONN FOOTBALL: Huskies eager for home opener

STORRS, CT — Following up last weekend’s season-opener at Michigan to Saturday’s game with Texas Southern is a little like going from playing Carnegie Hall to the local fair in consecutive weeks for the UConn football team. Then again, beggars can’t be choosers. The Huskies are fairly lucky to have landed anyone at all for today’s home-opener at Rentschler Field (noon, SNY).

Northeastern, an old Yankee Conference rival from UConn’s Division I-AA football days, was the original opponent. But when it abruptly ended its football program last December it left UConn coach Randy Edsall scrambling to fill the open date.

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DSU, Florida A&M both seek first win

DOVER, DE -- Both Delaware State University and Florida A&M lost their season openers last week.

For the Hornets, it was a second-half breakdown that led to a 37-27 loss to Southern. For FAMU, it was a 45-0 rout at the hands of national power Miami. So both will be eager to get their seasons headed in the right direction in tonight's match-up between the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rivals at Alumni Stadium.

Hornets defensive lineman Andre Caroll set a career high with 13 tackles against Southern. He cannot wait to get back onto the football field. "Honestly, I was really heartbroken after that game," Caroll said. "I felt like we all played hard, we just messed up on the little things. Then in the fourth quarter I think we all got tired and that Florida sun really took a toll on us. Fatigue set in.

Delaware State looks to come of age quickly

DOVER, Del. — With his Delaware State football team having just three seniors on offense, Al Lavan still isn't too sure about the character of the Hornets. But he insists his younger players don't have much time to show how good they could become.

"We are evolving into a maturing football team," Lavan said as he prepared DSU to face Florida A&M today. "We've got a very young squad in most areas. We've got a couple of positions and personnel that have played a little bit, but overall it's a mixture. We will just have to grow up fast and become more resilient and tougher mentally."

FAMU to mix it up in the return game »

Florida A&M will mix and match instead of relying on one returner as it did during the past two seasons when LeRoy Vann ran his way into the NCAA and school record books. Jerral Stewart came out of spring camp as Vann's successor for both kick and punt returns, but coach Joe Taylor has decided to capitalize on the speed of University of Florida transfer receiver T.J. Lawrence. He will take the punt return job while Stewart will return kickoffs.

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Classic retains star power -- Founder Jones keeps game in spotlight

As the Southern Heritage Classic heads into its 21st game Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, one thing it's proven is that it has staying power.

Throughout the Classic's existence, founder Fred Jones has been able to keep the annual event, which culminates with Tennessee State meeting Jackson State, fresh, exciting, and more importantly, relevant.

Fans come to Memphis from across the Mid-South to attend the Classic Comedy Jam, the Classic R&B concert, the Ed "Too Tall" Jones Golf Classic, the SHC parade, the high school Battle of the Bands, the tailgating - and yes, the game itself.

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Valley's Morgan finds 'big guy' for his schedule

Yes, new Mississippi Valley State coach Karl Morgan might have been better off scheduling schools like Lincoln College and Texas College, two of three games the Delta Devils won last year. But he wanted to go bigger and better. So, Morgan scheduled South Carolina State.

"We want to build this program," Morgan said. "We are going to play the big guys." It's safe to say South Carolina State is a big guy. The Bulldogs are the unquestioned No. 1-ranked HBCU and the No. 13 Football Championship Subdivision team. They've won 10 games each of the last two years. They gave Southeastern Conference member South Carolina a test last season and nearly...

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Johnson Cleared to play for NCCU

DURHAM, N.C. -- N.C. Central quarterback Michael Johnson received clearance on Wednesday from the NCAA and will be able to play in Saturday's game at home against Winston-Salem State. Johnson, a red-shirt junior, was held out of NCCU's season opener against Johnson C. Smith while the school waited to hear from the NCAA on his playing status. The Eagles prevailed without Johnson as backup Keon Williams threw four touchdown passes in NCCU's 59-0 victory over the Golden Bulls.

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CIAA: Nonconference Season Continues in Week 3

BY CIAA SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE

Hampton, VA – Last weekend produced mixed results for the CIAA as it enjoyed exhilarating victories as well as disappointing defeats. This weekend, ten CIAA schools will be in action and eight of them will be meeting nonconference opponents. The lone contest featuring CIAA teams, Bowie State – Fayetteville State, is a rematch of the 2009 Championship Game. However, several nonconference tilts will be important as the league continues to raise its football reputation.

GAME OF THE WEEK: WINSTON-SALEM STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL: The Rams have come out of the gate fast with an impressive 2-0 start. With victories over Virginia Union and its long-time rival, North Carolina A&T, WSSU has already earned one more win than it did in 2009 (1-10). Last weekend’s comeback win over the Aggies is one of the best wins the Rams have enjoyed in years. After last weekend’s handling of VUU, the mettle of WSSU was put to the test. The Rams came through with flying colors. Two quarterbacks were necessary to orchestrate the win over the Aggies. This strategy might be necessary to knock off North Carolina Central. RB Nic Cooper has also provided a consistent running threat. Defensively, the Rams are giving up only 13.5 points per contest and will need to play solid against an NCCU team that won 59-0 last weekend. The Eagles knocked off WSSU 18-10 last season and the Rams once again seek revenge against its one-time CIAA divisional rival (6:00 p.m. at Durham). Players to watch: (Winston-Salem State: LB Carl Fields; DB Alton Keaton; RB Nic Cooper).

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CIAA WEEK 3 SCHEDULE

WINSTON-SALEM STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL

MARS HILL AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S

BOWIE STATE AT FAYETTEVILLE STATE

SHAW AT ELON

WEST VIRGINIA STATE AT VIRGINIA STATE

WEST VIRGINIA TECH AT JOHNSON C. SMITH

UNC-PEMBROKE AT ST. PAUL’S

CATAWBA AT LIVINGSTONE

LINCOLN (PA) AT NEW HAVEN

Who will play QB for Prairie View?

HATTIESBURG, MS — With Prairie View A&M star quarterback K.J. Black questionable for Saturday night's game against Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles have made sure to cover all their bases on defense.

If Black doesn't go at Roberts Stadium, Jonathan Troast will step in after leading the Panthers to a 16-14 win over Texas Southern in a defensive struggle on Sunday.

Prairie View coach Henry Frazier said that Black could return against USM but will more likely be held out until next week against Alabama State.

"I know (Black) is a really talented....

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Maryland, Morgan Prep For First Meeting

The University of Maryland’s 17-14 Labor Day win over Navy leaves Terrapin fans optimistic a successful start to the season signifies the revived team’s ability to play competitive football and hold its own in a talented conference.

Maryland defensive back Kenny Tate and defensive lineman Joe Vellano were awarded Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honors for their noteworthy roles in Monday’s win, but fans are already focusing on the future.

After upsetting Navy, led by Heisman trophy candidate Ricky Dobbs, Saturday’s home game against Morgan State (1-0) -- the first meeting between the two schools -- is predicted to be an old-fashioned beat-down. However, Maryland’s shocking losses last season, including to Middle Tennessee State, make a win tricky to guarantee.

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TSU receiver takes hands-on approach

As Rod Reed became better acquainted with Tennessee State's offensive players after moving from defensive coordinator to head coach, he had a suggestion for wide receiver Joseph Hills. Reed knew enough about Hills to tell him the nickname he had chosen was not a good fit. "He was wearing No. 85 and calling himself (Bengals receiver Chad) Ochocinco and I told him, 'No, you're Ouchocinco' because when the ball hit him in the hands he dropped it like it hurt," Reed said.

Hills didn't allow the ribbing to rub him the wrong way. He used it as a catalyst to become a more dependable pass catcher and then spent the summer working with TSU's quarterbacks. The extra work paid off Saturday when Hills had five catches for 67 yards and a career-best two touchdowns in a 27-14 win over Alabama A&M. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound senior from Palmetto, Fla., led TSU in receiving...

TSU freshman sets return record

Tennessee State Coach Rod Reed promised redshirt freshman Ray Weatherspoon playing time at cornerback heading into Saturday's game against Alabama A&M. Weatherspoon returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and said it was his way of making sure Reed didn't forget his promise in the Tigers' 27-14 win. The kickoff return was a John Merritt Classic record, erasing the 64-yard mark set last year by A&M's Ulysses Banks.

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JSU preps for blitz-happy TSU

Two things came to mind when QB Casey Therriault finished watching film of Tennessee State earlier this week. "They are big, big bodies," Therriault said. "They like to send a lot of blitz packages." During its 27-14 win over Alabama A&M last Saturday, Tennessee State sacked Bulldogs QB Deaunte Mason seven times for a loss of 48 yards.

With the game against TSU set for Saturday at 6 p.m. in Memphis, those aren't numbers Therriault wants to see. "They do a lot of stunts, twisting and turning. They got a lot of guys who keep on going," Therriault said. Therriault was sacked twice in JSU's 32-17 season-opening win over Delta State, but he was forced from the pocket several more times.

Kicking game experiences rough start

Renty Rollins immediately covered his head with his hands. He knew his snap was, by now, soaring high above Jackson State punter Reed Gallagher's head. Rollins, JSU's new snapper, wheeled around to see that he was, indeed, correct. "You hate to see it happen," Jackson State coach Rick Comegy said. "You think, 'Oh my God.'''

Most Jackson State fans likely had similar thoughts as Rollins' first punt snap flew over Gallagher's head less than five minutes into last Saturday's opener against Delta State. To his credit, though, Rollins' next three snaps were just fine.

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