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What was seen by a homecoming crowd of 14,687 at Golden Lion Stadium on Saturday was the type of offensive superiority Arkansas-Pine Bluff envisioned when it shifted philosophies before this season.
Led by quarterback Josh Boudreaux, who had a hand in all seven of UAPB’s touchdowns, the Golden Lions scored on four of their first five possessions, added another touchdown before halftime and scored twice more in the fourth quarter as they coasted to a 49-20 victory over winless Mississippi Valley State.
As UAPB Coach Monte Coleman watched the convincing blowout from the home sideline, he couldn’t help but think he was seeing the smoothest of any of UAPB’s performances in his three seasons. “I’m ... Boudreaux has 7 TDs as Ark.-Pine Bluff beats MVSU 49-20
PINE BLUFF, AR - Josh Boudreaux threw for 329 yards and five touchdowns and ran for two more scores as Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeated Mississippi Valley State 49-20 Saturday. Boudreaux was 23 of 31 and connected with Raymond Webber nine times for 159 yards and two TDs as the Golden Lions (5-4, 4-3 SWAC) had their highest-scoring output of the season. Boudreaux had scoring throws of 14, 10, 23, 46 and 42 yards while adding touchdown runs of 3 and 43 yards.
Oliver Hughes threw for 315 yards and two TDs for the Delta Devils (0-9, 0-8), who have lost 10 straight dating back to last season. Paul Cox caught 8 passes for 145 yards and a TD and Tristian Hudnall had 7 receptions for 102 yards and a score. MVSU was hampered by 13 penalties covering 177 yards.
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ATTENDANCE: 14,687
UAPB Golden Girls; Videographer: GoldenLionAllstars (11/1/10)
Norfolk, VA - Chris Walley passed for season highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns for Norfolk State (4-5, 3-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) and set a single-game school record for completion percentage Saturday in a 37-25 win against visiting Morgan State (4-5, 3-3 MEAC).
After Kemar Scarlett's second field goal gave the Bears the 6-3 lead, Walley capped a 10-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Garrett. Walley scored again for Norfolk in the second quarter on a 45-yard pass to Nigel McCowan, and Scarlett added two more field goals, bringing Morgan to a 20-12 deficit at halftime.
NORFOLK, VA - From nearly invisible to nearly unstoppable. The Norfolk State offense, missing for much of the year, put together its best effort against an FCS opponent and never punted in a 37-25 win over Morgan State at Dick Price Stadium on Saturday.
Chris Walley completed his first 12 passes, connected for touchdown passes with four different receivers and finished with a school record for completion percentage (90.9 percent) after a 20-for-22, 305-yard effort. "It's hard to be much better than that, isn't it?" Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian said.
NORFOLK, VA - When Norfolk State head coach Pete Adrian took over six years ago, his first goal was to put out a team that wouldn't quit over four quarters. On Saturday, Adrian reaped the benefits for finding players willing to fight for a full season.
Quarterback Chris Walley, kicker Ryan Estep and wide receiver Nigel McCowan have struggled at times this season, yet all delivered big plays Saturday. Walley was the day's highlight, Estep made three key kicks, but McCowan's moment excited the Spartans the most. The senior wide receiver began the year as a starter, was demoted to reserve, hadn't made a catch and cost the team a touchdown with a holding penalty in a 17-13 loss to Florida A&M.
Norfolk State University Spartans Legion Marching Band, Videographer: kevinrharris1 (11/1/10)
The Spartans bounced back from a lackluster performance offensively last week against Howard University to defeat the Morgan St. Bears 37-25.
In the second week since the Spartans changed their offensive coordinator to Joe Blackwell, the offense played excellent the whole game. Running back DeAngelo Branche had 23 carries for 111 yards. Quarterback Chris Walley played the best game of his NSU career as he was 20-22 for 305 yards and four touchdowns and an interception. Wide receiver Reggie Garrett caught the first receiving touchdown of his career on a 10-yard fade route and wide receiver Nigel McCowan caught a 45-yard touchdown pass as Walley rolled out to the right to avoid a sack. Walley completed a pass to nine different players and the most was to wide receiver Victor Hairston who had seven catches for 92 yards.
ALBANY, GA (WALB) - It wasn't easy or pretty but Albany State got the job done. The Rams held off Fort Valley State 12-7 in the Fountain City Classic to claim their first SIAC title since 2006. Stanley Jennings connected on 2 touchdown passes to Ronnie Childs in the second half after both teams failed to get on the score board in the first half.
The Rams' defense stepped up big in the 4th quarter with less than a minute left. ASU held Fort Valley out of the end zone after a blocked punt gave the Wildcats possession at the Ram 10 yard line. The win closes out a 10-0 regular season for the Rams.
This year's Fountain City Classic was more than a rivalry game. The SIAC Championship was at stake in Columbus between the 6th ranked undefeated Albany State Rams, and No. 25 Fort Valley State, winners of seven straight.
After battling to a scoreless tie in the first, the Wildcats' Emanuel Williams scooped up a fumble by LiRonnie Davis and took it to the end zone to give FVSU a 7-0 edge. The Rams responded with back-to-back touchdown passes from Stanley Jennings to Ronnie Childs to put Albany State ahead 12-7.
COLUMBUS — Tony Reid could only kneel down and watch, listen and stare blankly ahead as fans in blue and gold celebrated. The problem for the junior running back was simple — the wrong fans in the wrong blue and gold were happy.
“We came in and won last year and Albany State looked at it as a fluke, it just so happened we got lucky,” the Fort Valley State running back said. “We knew that it wasn’t luck last year. We had to do it again and make them respect us. We didn’t do that.”
Greensboro, N.C. - Redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Trainor has never been shy about saying he could take the Florida A&M football team to a possible Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
He got off to a good start Saturday in his first collegiate start, carrying the Rattlers to a 22-19 victory in overtime over North Carolina A&T. Trainor, who just two years ago was playing for North Florida Christian, spent the afternoon at Aggies Stadium mixing his booming passes with the bulldozing running of Philip Sylvester. What the duo accomplished, along with two big interceptions by linebacker Brandon Hepburn, kept alive FAMU's chance at the MEAC title. It improved to 6-3, 5-1 in the MEAC with two games remaining.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — One heck of a chess match unfolded Saturday afternoon at Aggie Stadium. Joe Taylor sent his Florida A&M Rattlers to checkmate Alonzo Lee's North Carolina A&T Aggies. At the end, the Rattlers captured Lee's king, 22-19, even though it took overtime.
No surprise there that the football game played out the way it did. Joe Taylor knows Alonzo Lee and vice versa. They went at each other with a sense of purpose — Lee looking for a win and Taylor looking for something spectacular from the redshirt freshman he decided to start at quarterback over Martin Ukpai.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Despite its losing record coming into Saturday's game, North Carolina A&T has been getting impressive individual performances each week. The list includes former Lincoln High School standout D'Vonte Graham.
Never mind that at times he has to cope with homesickness. Graham has been the most efficient player in the secondary for the Aggies. Coming into the game Graham was tied for the most interceptions in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with four. In addition to 11 tackles, he also has eight pass breakups. He picked off Florida A&M's Austin Trainor twice Saturday.
SOUTH HILL, VA - Most people turn their clocks back an hour in the fall, but the Virginia State University football team went back 14 years. VSU clinched its first CIAA North Division title since 1996 by defeating St. Paul's College 34-14 in the regular season finale on Saturday in South Hill.
The team from Ettrick will fight for the conference title next Saturday, something not too many people saw coming a the start of the season. The Trojans were picked to finish eighth in the 13-team league this year. The preseason snub did not sit well with the VSU. The Trojans have won their last four games, decidedly dispatching those opponents by a combined score of 126-21.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- For the third time in four years, the Shaw Bears are returning to the 'ship. The CIAA championship game, that is. In a game that didn't live up to its billing until the fourth quarter, Shaw defeated neighboring rival St. Augustine's 10-6 on Saturday at Broughton High School. The win gives the Bears (8-2, 7-0 CIAA) the CIAA Southern Division title and a chance to meet Virginia State, winner of the Northern Division, at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Durham County Stadium. St. Augustine's Fumbles Away CIAA Title Berth to Shaw
Rico Brown recovered a fumble and Raymond Williams took advantage with a 35-yard touchdown run as Shaw upset nationally-ranked St. Augustine's, 10-6, at Broughton High School in Raleigh Saturday. The victory gave the Bears (8-2, 7-0) the CIAA southern division title and, more importantly, a berth in the CIAA championship next Saturday in Durham against Virginia State. Shaw will make its third appearance in the conference title game in four years.
The no. 19 Falcons (8-2, 6-1), meanwhile, had their seven-game winning streak snapped and will wait to see if they can get an at-large berth in the Division II playoffs.
Honoring the man that set the bar so high for all of us to meet, took center stage yesterday at South Carolina State University, Oliver C. Dawson Stadium at Willie Jeffries Field. On "Willie Jeffries Day", the legendary, iconic coach was presented a Plaque by the College Football Hall of Fame representative, and the football field at the Stadium was officially named "Willie Jeffries Field" in his honor. More important, Coach Jeffries watched the Bulldogs thump the Howard Bison 54-14, the other team that he lead to the 1987 MEAC championship. Jeffries clearly enjoyed the camaraderie of generations of former Bulldogs and Bison players that he coached, that came to see him honored.
Read the following stories on how Coach Jeffries was honored:
In a made for television game, that was not televised, Albany State fans came out in droves to overflow A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Georgia in the 20th Fountain City Classic. The 14,000 seat stadium, also site of the12th annual Pioneer Bowl (Dec. 4, 2010), packed in 23,966 fans to watch a defensive battle between Albany State and Fort Valley State. The ASU Golden Rams prevailed over their rivals, 12-7 to win the SIAC championship and a bye in next weeks NCAA Division II Playoffs.
The #25 ranked Fort Valley State (8-2, 7-2 SIAC) has a slim chance of being selected to an at-large berth in the Division II playoffs. The pairings will be announced on Monday. Jackson State fans are disappointed this morning, as the Alabama State Hornets claimed first place in the SWAC East with a 32-30 win at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. The Tigers didn't help themselves with four turnovers and 17 penalties for -143 yards.
Bethune-Cookman rolled over the best defense remaining on its 2010 schedule and defeated the Hampton Pirates on their homecoming 23-18 before 12,244 at Armstrong Stadium. The Pirates offense sputtered in the second half and did not have enough firepower to overtake the undefeated Wildcats (9-0, 6-0 MEAC). With only a home date with Howard and FAMU (Florida Classic) remaining on the Wildcats schedule, there is a 99% probability the Wildcats will end the regular season undefeated, win the MEAC title and the automatic berth into the FCS playoffs. Florida A&M Rattlers had to go into overtime to beat the same North Carolina A&T (1-9, 1-6) team that B-CU walloped 67-17 on Oct. 28. The Rattlers offense, with Redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Trainor in his first start, was able to overcome the Aggies 22-19. Coach Joe Taylor has apparently dumped his starting quarterback sophomore Martin Ukpai after eight games and senior Eddie Battle, due to unspecified reasons.
Let's be honest here--Joe Taylor is not talking yet, but it's clear to the blog that Ukpai has fallen far short of expectations in the passing game. When provided the opportunity to play, senior Eddie Battle also has killed drives and momentum with untimely interceptions. He has been nailed to the bench and rightfully so, by Taylor. We wrote about this lack of experience issue back in April 2010, under the blog "Help Wanted (FAMU): Division I Transfer QB",regarding the forthcoming deficiencies at quarterback for this season.
Trainor is not the answer. Ukpai and Battle weren't the answer! Trainor lacks game experience and will need more time to develop, as a redshirt freshman.
Too bad for the Rattlers, they had all the other pieces in place necessary to compete for the MEAC championship this season, except a serviceable quarterback. But--there is always next year to look forward to and the opportunity for another Tallahassee area star quarterback like Savannah State's Antonio Bostick and Norfolk State's Chris Walley to go totally unnoticed by the Rattlers recruiters.
T.J. Lawrence appears to be one of the best athletes on the FAMU team. A good offensive coordinator would give him a try for a few series in the "Wildcat" at QB with the speedsters, Jerral Stewart and Philip Sylvester as the running backs. If nothing else, it would be entertaining to see an offense series with these three talented players handling the ball.
Now the rest of the story...
MEAC Bethune-Cookman 23, Hampton 18 South Carolina State 54, Howard 14 Florida A&M 22, North Carolina A&T 19 (O.T.) Delaware State 29, North Carolina Central 7 Norfolk State 37, Morgan State 25 Old Dominion 57, Savannah State 9
SWAC Grambling State 35, Concordia 0 Alabama State 32, Jackson State 30 Texas Southern 54, Southern 7 Arkansas Pine Bluff 49, Mississippi Valley 20 Alcorn State 41, Alabama A&M 24
CIAA Shaw 10, Saint Augustine's 6 Fayetteville State 44, Virginia Union 27 Virginia State 34, Saint Paul's 14 Elizabeth City State 36, Lincoln (Pa.) 6 Bowie State 59, Chowan 19
SIAC Albany State (Ga.) 12, Fort Valley State 7 Morehouse 13, Miles 3 Tuskegee 28, Lane 6 Stillman 23, Kentucky State 12 Benedict 20, Clark Atlanta 17
OVC Eastern Illinois 31, Tennessee State 28 (O.T.)
OTHERS Azusa Pacific 59, Lincoln (Mo.) 14 Urbana 40, Central State (Oh.) 12 West Virginia Wesleyan 50, West Virginia State 28 LIU-C.W. Post 63, Cheyney 28 Lambuth 44, Edward Waters 27
B-CU and Norfolk State performing exhibition shows at Kings Fork High School. Videographer, Gentleman1911.
Texas Southern has spent much of this season fighting to earn respect. Southern, a once-proud program, is doing all it can to keep the respect it has left. Thus, it will be an unusual matchup when the two Southwestern Athletic Conference programs meet today in Baton Rouge, La. TSU (5-3, 5-1 SWAC) has won four consecutive games and remains on track to challenge Grambling State for the SWAC Western Division crown. The Tigers have the SWAC’s No. 1 and the Football Championship Subdivision No. 2 defense (223.6 yards per game) to go with a power rushing attack (232.8-yard average the past five games) that continues to stymie defensive coordinators.
The Southern Jaguars have lost three consecutive games and sunk into last place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Western Division. That's the bad news for the Jaguars. The good news? Well, there's not much good news — at least not this week. Texas Southern (5-3, 5-1 SWAC) brings a four-game winning streak into Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge to face Southern (2-6, 1-5). "They are one of the best defenses in the SWAC and in the country when you talk about statistics," Southern coach Stump Mitchell said. Worth repeating: Johnnie Cole In a teleconference earlier this week, Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole discussed Saturday's game against Southern, the rise of his football program and an upcoming showdown against Grambling, likely for control of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division: The Wright change
Marcus Wright employs a simple yet effective rushing style, a method which has transformed Texas Southern’s offense. “I’d rather hit them before they hit me,” said Wright, who is listed at 5 feet-10, 210 pounds. Strong words for a running back, but his coach, Johnnie Cole, said he can shoulder the load. So much so that Cole, whose offenses are known for their passing, opted for the change in philosophy midway through the season.
You first meet Roddrell Stewart — a massive fifth-year senior guard, a mainstay of the Southern University football program, a jolly young man with a neatly trimmed beard, an ever-present grin and no visible neck — and you see any number of things.
You see a natural-born character. He is a 6-foot-3, 315-pounder whose size is only outmatched by his personality. Think of a cross between Keenen Ivory Wayans and George Foreman, and you’re in the ballpark.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Trainor will start today for the Florida A&M football team against North Carolina A&T. FAMU coach Joe Taylor said late Friday night that Trainor, a North Florida Christian graduate, is getting the start while Martin Ukpai works through personal issues. Taylor denied rumors that Ukpai had withdrawn from a class and became ineligible to finish the season.
Even with North Carolina A&T having a 1-8 record, Florida A&M coach Joe Taylor wasn't just spewing out some quotable lines for the media during his weekly news conference when he tried to explain how dangerous the Aggies are. "I know what type of guy he is," Taylor said, referring to Aggies coach Alonzo Lee. "He is not a quitter and his team won't quit."
One of the first calls that Oye Ojo received soon after he sustained a broken foot in his first college football game came from his high school coach Jarrod Hickman. The conversation wasn't long but Hickman said enough to lift the spirits of his disappointed protege.
"I was listening because I knew he knows what he is talking about," said Ojo, a redshirt sophomore safety on the Florida A&M football team. "The first time that I was injured (in high school) he was there for me so I knew he would give me good advice."
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Shaw football coach Darrell Asberry enjoys conversations about championship trophies. His Bears claimed Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships in 2007 and 2008. He wants another. "They make my office look good," Asberry said.
To earn the opportunity to play for a third championship in four seasons, the Bears (7-2, 6-0 CIAA) must defeat St. Augustine's (8-1, 6-0) on Saturday at Broughton High School in what is the final regular-season game for both teams.
Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman remembers the days of fielding phones call from coaches telling him about players they thought could play for the Bears.
Bozeman, now in his fourth season, politely rejected those suggestions and continued to pursue players who could compete in higher conferences, but wanted to play for Morgan State. After two consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championships, two straight trips to the NCAA tournament and an appearance in the NIT, the Bears are landing marquee players and are now considered one of the top mid-major programs in the nation.
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - OUTLOOK: Morgan State ran away with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last year, finishing with a 15-1 record. The Bears, who logged 27 total wins, claimed their second MEAC Tournament title and coach Todd Bozeman has a roster full of talent this season, giving the Bears another shot at having another highly successful campaign.
LeDawn Gibson, the former head coach of the Winter Haven girl's basketball team, is no stranger to exceeding expectations. During her first season as the head coach of the Florida A&M women's basketball team, she coached the Lady Rattlers to a victory over then-favored Coppin State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
In her second season, despite a heavily depleted roster caused by injuries, she led the team to an 18-11 overall record, its best win total since a 17-win season in 2003. The season included victories over out-of-conference opponents South Florida and Florida.
Season Opener: Nov. 12, 2010 - At University of Arkansas, 12 noon, Little Rock, AR
Safety Anthony Shutt went out with a minor injury. Cornerback Qier Hall was cramping, while defensive back Curtis Holcomb was still hobbling from an old ankle injury. That was just last Saturday against Morgan State for Florida A&M. Each unit has been hit, but no unit was hit as hard all season with injuries as the secondary last week.
When Jerral Stewart blew a coverage that allowed a Morgan State touchdown, the Florida A&M cornerback shrugged it off as just another situation that he'd have to overcome. On the ensuing Bears possession, Stewart snagged an interception that he returned for a touchdown. He felt a bit of redemption.
Florida A&M University is going the way of the heavyweights of college athletics in hopes of cashing in on its name and tradition in athletics.
The university announced Tuesday that it has signed a three-year agreement with International Management Group for the mega marketing company to encourage Corporate America to spend some of its advertising dollars with the school. The partnership is believed to be the first between IMG and a school in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Florida A&M University officials on Tuesday announced a multi-year deal with IMG College that will put at least $250,000 (annually) of extra revenue in the athletics department.
IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide, is considered the leader in developing integrated licensing marketing and multimedia opportunities for collegiate brands across a regional and national platform. The company has a partnership with the NCAA and its 88 championships, leading conferences and universities.
Florida A&M center Shelley Anthony heard enough about linebacker Brandon Jackson to know that he'll be the main player who could cause havoc for the Rattlers' offense, although he couldn't readily recall his name.
"We've got to block, whoever he is," Anthony said during Tuesday's team press conference. "What's his name, Jackson?
The Battle Presented by AT&T – an inside look at the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Marching Bands from Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M – will air five 30-minute shows during four straight weeks, every Thursday from Nov. 4 to Nov. 25, on ESPNU. The shows reach into the training, discipline, heart and soul that make up HBCU bands. The bands train rigorously day-in and day-out for the football games and rivalries that date back decades as part of the HBCU culture.
Predicting a champion for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division is no easy task these days. The scenarios seem endless. The ifs are everywhere. And the tiebreakers are a headache.
For Jackson State, it's simple enough: If the Tigers beat Alabama State on Saturday, they'll have a great chance to win the East and go to Birmingham for the SWAC Championship. They know it, too.
Filling a team with transfers was never W.C. Gorden's style. Gorden, the winningest coach in Jackson State football history, isn't saying it's wrong. He just never did it. Not many, he said, did back then.
"In the Southwestern Athletic Conference at that time, that wasn't a popular way that coaches built a championship team," Gorden said. "It just wasn't popular." Two decades later, things have drastically changed.
When Jackson State travels to Alabama State on Saturday, the pass-happy Tigers will meet another highly touted pass defense. The Hornets are tied for first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with 14 interceptions and rank No. 2 in the conference allowing just 159 passing yards a game.
It's the third time in three weeks that JSU has met a pass defense that's ranked at No. 2 or better in the SWAC. Jackson State coach Rick Comegy hints at his team's plans.
There's something different about Johnathan Billups these days. He moves quicker. He looks lighter. He seems faster. Lost some weight? "I've lost a little bit," the Jackson State defensive tackle says, a thanks-for-noticing grin sweeping across his face.
Known as "Big Bill" in the locker room, Billups is in the middle of the weight loss battle - the same one many Americans face. Since fall camp, he's trimmed his 325-pound frame by some 10 pounds, and it's noticeable.
Coach Rick Comegy is standing behind Alfred Moreland. Moreland, Jackson State's second-string running back and former kick returner, had his fourth fumble of the season Saturday in the win over Prairie View A&M.
That's not to say Comegy won't stick with him in a rotating role with starter B.J. Lee during Saturday's 7 p.m. game at Alabama State. "You just can't take him out because he's a good runner," Comegy said. "By no means am I planning on sitting him."
Stay tuned to all the sports happenings at Howard University by reading "The Bison." In the latest issue, Volume 2, Issue 3 of the weekly athletics newsletter, read about:
Football student-athlete Keith Pough has been named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week, and also leads the nation and the conference in tackles for losses
Football drops hard-fought battle to Norfolk State on homecoming
W. Soccer wraps up its regular season with 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Volleyball extends its win streak to three
Swimming/diving competes at American University
Athletics sits down with alum Dr. Todd Meiklejohn
Blue Crew and SAAC to sponsor canned food drive
The Bison, the official newsletter of Howard Athletics, can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
In other news coming from the Yard, the Bison basketball team has suffered a major set-back in its rebuilding efforts. Read on...
WASHINGTON, DC - The Howard University men's basketball team received a major blow to its program when top recruit Theodore Boyomo tore the ACL and MCL in his knee during a recent scrimmage that will require surgery and thus end his season before it begins. A 6-9, 225-pound freshman center from Cameroon, Boyomo played at the Kent School in Kent, MA last year and was heavily recruited. He was considered a key recruit for first year head coach Kevin Nickelberry.
Boyomo, who had an outstanding summer league, grabbed 21 rebounds during the scrimmage but would injure his knee, much to the disappointment of Nickelberry.
Jarne Gleaton’s never-give-up attitude seems to have rubbed off on her South Carolina State teammates. Gleaton, a former two-sport standout at Airport High, has overcome two knee surgeries to take her volleyball career at South Carolina State to new heights in her senior year. The Bulldogs also have overcome adversity this season to become a contender in the MEAC race.
“We’re finally finding our identity,” Gleaton said of the Bulldogs, who have won five of their past six matches and are tied for second in the MEAC Southern Division with a 4-2 record. “We were battling the entire season trying to find it. Now, I really have confidence in everybody. I feel we all have that confidence in each other now.”
Fort Valley State has finally made it into both national Division II football polls, in time for the Fountain City Classic against higher-ranked Albany State. The Wildcats improved to No. 22 in the American Football Coaches Association poll and made their season debut at No. 25 in the D2football.com poll.
And the Wildcats are No. 7 in the first NCAA Region 2 poll, behind No. 1 Albany State and No. 6 Morehouse. Albany State is fifth in the AFCA poll and sixth with D2football.com, as well as first in the region poll. The top six teams in each region earn invitations to the Division II playoffs.
ALBANY, GA — The verbal rivalry between Albany State and Valdosta State is no secret. Rams and Blazers? They just don’t mix. But despite the fact the two teams haven’t played each other this year — and haven’t faced off since 2007 — the smack talk has been as prevalent as ever this season.
“I have not seen them play this year, but everyone is going to cheer for their team,” said ASU head coach Mike White when told about the anti-Rams talk perpetuated by Valdosta fans over the Internet message boards, and specifically stories written by The Herald about Albany State this season. “We cheer for ours and I’m quite sure they cheer for theirs, so I’m not surprised.”
Donald Hunt has an excellent article posted on the ESPN.com site entitled, "HBCU players who could play in NFL." More important, Mr. Hunt makes a very positive statement regarding the high level of coaching that is going on at certain elite programs.
"NFL general managers and player personnel executives should be making a lot of trips to HBCU campuses around the country. These players are coached by some of the best coaches in the nation who don't get enough credit. Joe Taylor (Florida A&M), Buddy Pough (South Carolina State), Rod Broadway (Grambling State) and Rick Comegy (Jackson State) have done an outstanding job of developing these players over their careers."
Do not forget to watch the ESPNU special, "The Battle of HBCU Bands" on:
• Nov. 4, 6:30 p.m ET • Nov. 11, 6:30 p.m. ET • Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m. ET • Nov. 25, 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. ET
The Battle takes an inside look at the HBCU marching bands from Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University. ESPNU will air five 30-minute shows every Thursday from Nov. 4 to Nov. 25. This is something that every high school and college band student should not miss.
Did you see the battle of the bands for the 2010 Magic City Classic? No doubt, it was a complete tie between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University.
Based on our view, it has been an exceptional year for black college bands. The Florida A&M University Marching 100 is in a league of one--the musicianship of this band is head and shoulders above all the rest, and probably better than the FAMU bands of the past two decades.
For those of you who like to know why, the key is the Rattlers music arrangements created by Mr. Lindsey B. Sarjeant. Sarge is a certified musical genius, that creates the beautiful and powerful arrangements for the 365+ FAMU musicians. Like top football coaches at HBCUs, Mr. Sarjeant does not receive enough credit from the mainstream for the job he has been consistently doing at FAMU since 1973, as the University's music arranger.
I am not saying that Jackson State, Tennessee State, Southern, Alabama State, Alabama A&M, and to a lesser degree, Bethune Cookman, Grambling State, Prairie View A&M, North Carolina Central, North Carolina A&T State and many others -- are not outstanding band programs, but they are not on the same level as the FAMU Marching 100.
All of the bands are exceptional in serving as ambassadors for their respective institutions.
Do not forget to vote for your favorite HBCU band for the 2011 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase at: Honda Battle of the Bands.
The University of Memphis squad (0-0, 0-0 C-USA), ranked No. 19 in both preseason national polls, opens its 2010-11 exhibition season with a home contest versus LeMoyne-Owen College (0-0, 0-0 SIAC) on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Game time is 7 p.m. (CT) at FedExForum.
Memphis, picked to reclaim the Conference USA crown in most preseason publications and websites, returns three starters and six letterwinners from last year's squad that won 24 games (24-10 record) and advanced to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) second round. The Tigers finished second in the Conference USA regular season standings (13-3 league mark) and reached the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament.
Wednesday's exhibition is LeMoyne-Owen's first of 2010-11. The Magicians travel to Fayetteville, Ark., this weekend for their second exhibition against the Razorbacks.
Sacked quarterback kept bum knee under wraps to the point it crippled his skills. Former Florida A&M University Rattlers quarterback Printers played for Lions after 3rd game with a partial tear of his ACL and a torn meniscus in right knee, while B.C. Lions kept info on the hush-hush from league.
CALGARY - Quarterback Casey Printers still hasn't lost the ability to excite and inflame the passion of Lions fans, even when he is no longer a Lion.
On Thursday, TSN reported that Printers had undergone surgery on his right knee, eight days after his release by the Lions, and the news spurred those who believed Printers had stoically suffered in silence during his disappointing second go-round with the team to view him in a much different, more heroic light.
"I suspected all along that he was suffering the effects of his knee injury," said a blogger known as the Lion King, just one of many who weighed in on the lionbackers.com web-site. "Doesn't say much about [Wally] Buono blaming Printers for the Lions' offensive woes."
Time heals old wounds. It also distorts some facts, Wally Buono said Tuesday. Though Casey Printers is no longer with the B.C. Lions, the coach/GM of the CFL team is still having to answer questions about how the club handled the medical file of his former starting quarterback.
The ACL surgery performed on the right knee of Printers last week again raised questions about whether the Lions put pressure on him to play through the injury, which caused him to sit out three weeks after he was hurt July 16 against Montreal.
There was one less Cadillac Escalade with Texas plates in the parking lot, one less quarterback with an orange jersey at practice and one more open stall in the locker-room. Otherwise, life -- post-Casey Printers -- moved forward for the B.C. Lions Thursday.
"Honestly, it's still very recent," said Travis Lulay, the acknowledged starting quarterback following Printers' release two days ago. "I don't think a ton has changed. It's so new. I wouldn't say the atmosphere is dramatically different without Casey. But I do feel the team and the locker-room is in a good place. And I'm not saying that's because Casey is gone, or if the team would be in a good place with Casey here. It's impossible to say."
VANCOUVER -- The British Columbia Lions released quarterback Casey Printers on Wednesday. The 29-year-old started the first three games of the season before suffering a knee injury. He returned as a starter for Week 8 loss to Calgary, but had been relegated to backup status for the last two games against Winnipeg.
"At this time, we believe it's in the best interest of our club to part ways and move forward," said Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono. "We wish Casey the very best." Printers finished his 2010 tenure at B.C. with 1,731 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
After being released by the B.C. Lions on Thursday, Casey Printers' CFL future is up in the air. A statement from Printers passed on through his representative to CFL Insider Dave Naylor expressed his thoughts on the Lions' decision, the team's playoff chances and what comes next for the 29-year-old quarterback.
"It was with surprise and disappointment that I received the news of my release," said Printers. "I remained confident that we had an outstanding opportunity to challenge for the Grey Cup down the stretch and into the playoffs. Casey under the knife
The next team to take a shot with Casey Printers will have to wait until he recovers from ACL surgery he underwent Thursday. A report by TSN, which had the first word on Printers last weekend, indicated the former Lions quarterback underwent the procedure in Vancouver, which would hardly come as a surprise to Wally Buono.
Though he did not provide details at the time of his release a week ago, Buono told Printers the club would look after the costs of his medical recovery as he was going out the door.
For Southern men’s basketball coach Rob Spivery, the best news from an otherwise terrible 2009-10 season came more than a month after the Jaguars played their last game. That’s when Rivals.com named Spivery its Southwestern Athletic Conference coach of the decade. The website was serious.
To be sure, Spivery had earned the honor, having won three conference titles since 2001: two at Alabama State and another in 2005-06, his first season at SU. Since then however, the SU program has crumbled, managing 13 wins in the past two years. The Jaguars finished 5-25 overall last spring — the worst record in school history — and they finished ninth in the league standings, missing the SWAC tournament for the first time.
First-year Southern head football coach Stump Mitchell said he's not surprised by his team's struggles this season, but he urged patience with better days ahead. "This (2-6 overall, 1-5 SWAC record) was coming," Mitchell said on Monday. "The last two years we finished 6-5 and 6-5. We had some problems with guys that we're still paying for.
"It was my option as a coach and they're not on this football team. We're talking about guys who are academically ineligible, guys who would have been starters. I was hoping they would do what needed to be done...
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association voted unanimously Monday on a three-year extension that will keep its prestigious basketball tournament in Charlotte through 2014.
Commissioner Leon Kerry told The Associated Press the Division II league of mostly historically black colleges and universities decided to stray from past history and hold the event in the same spot for nine straight years.
"We usually move the tournament every six years," Kerry said. "We're here because the fans love Charlotte. They like the arena, they like the things you can do in Charlotte. And we did a survey and I think 98 percent of the fans said they'd return to Charlotte."
Durham, N.C. - It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Coach Connell Maynor shed some tears after Winston-Salem State’s season came to an end on Saturday as Shaw rallied to win 31-27.
Maynor, who was in his first season as a head coach, is passionate about winning, as evidenced by the many sprints he does up and down the sidelines in every game trying to get everything he can out of his players. But with the season over and the Rams finishing 8-2, Maynor’s body language said it all a few minutes after the loss that officially eliminated them from the CIAA’s Southern Division race.
While it was a boost to the program to make a turnaround after last season’s 1-10 record, Maynor said he was disappointed because for him, it’s about championships.
