Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Pough bearing down on SCSU offense following defeat by CMU

Bulldogs Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough 
Orangeburg, SC - Just as in years past, Labor Day was "celebrated" by the South Carolina State football team with a regularly scheduled football practice.

Coming off a season-opening 21-6 loss at Division I Central Michigan four days earlier and facing co-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Bethune-Cookman Saturday at Daytona Beach, Fla., there's no time to take a break even for a cold-ridden Bulldogs' head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough.

"We've got a lot of work to do," he said at Monday's press conference. "It's pretty clear that offensively we need to be more productive and I think we understand that. We've got to play better in a lot of positions. We didn't throw the ball nearly as well as we needed to do to be successful in a situation like that. We've got work to do in our passing game along with some run stuff as well."


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B-CU's big win nets ranking in 1st FCS poll

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Bethune-Cookman jumped right out of the gate to dominate Prairie View A&M on Sunday in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

The Wildcats also jumped out of the gate into The Sports Network/Fathead.com Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 poll. B-CU rolled out to a 42-0 lead in the first half, and never looked back in a 63-14 season-opening rout Sunday.

The poll, released Monday, had the Wildcats at 25th with 377 points. Eastern Washington, ranked first in the preseason poll last week, was still first with 3,653 points.

South Carolina State just missed making the top 25 with 335 points. The Wildcats and the Bulldogs -- 21-6 losers at Central Michigan on Thursday -- meet at 4 p.m. Saturday at B-CU.

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XU's Pieri, Jackson, Reuther sweep GCAC weekly awards


Matt Pieri

Matt Pieri
    Zahri Jackson

Zahri Jackson
    Taylor Reuther

Taylor Reuthe

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Matt Pieri, Zahri Jackson and Taylor Reuther swept the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference weekly awards for Aug. 29-Sept. 4.

Pieri and Jackson are the GCAC's inaugural Runners of the Week of the 2011 cross country season. Reuther is the GCAC Player of the Week in women's volleyball for the second consecutive time.

Pieri, a junior from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, ran 5,000 meters in a career-best 16 minutes, 55.71 seconds Thursday to finish eighth out of 83 runners in the Mississippi College Opener at Clinton, Miss. It's the seventh time that Pieri has won a GCAC weekly award.

Jackson, a freshman from Kingwood, Texas, and a graduate of Kingwood Park High School, made her collegiate debut by running 4,000 meters in a school-record 16:27.58 to finish seventh out of 102 runners at the Mississippi College Opener. Jackson broke the Xavier record by more than 30 seconds.

Reuther, a freshman from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans, had 12 kills and 15 digs to lead the Gold Nuggets to a five-set victory against Mobile in XU's home opener. Reuther has kill-dig double-doubles in both Xavier matches this season.

Xavier's volleyball team will travel to Mobile, Ala., to play Spring Hill at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Xavier's next cross country meet will be the Four Points by Sheraton Loyola Wolfpack Invitational at Metairie's Lafreniere Park on Saturday. The meet, Xavier's only local competition of the season, will start at 8 a.m.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

WSSU Rams have tough test coming up

Winston Salem, NC - It's a safe bet that when coach Connell Maynor and his staff reviewed the tape of WSSU's 22-17 win over Elizabeth City State they had to be encouraged.

One reason for that would be the crispness of the offense despite the bevy of mistakes. When the Rams weren't getting penalized their offense was very good. They started out scoring on three of their first five possessions of the game, and that's pretty good for an opener.

The task this week will not be any easier because the Rams will play at Virginia Union on Saturday. The Panthers, who are coached by Michael Bailey, who flirted with the vacant AD job at WSSU before Bill Hayes was hired, are 2-0 with two straight shutouts.

The Panthers have beaten St. Aug's and Benedict. On Saturday the Panthers won 27-0 and will look to avenge last year's loss to the Rams.


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Monday, September 5, 2011

2011 John Merritt Classic Battle of the Bands: Tennessee State Aristocrat vs. Southern Human Jukebox
















Familiar traits back in SU loss

Baton Rouge, LA - It all started well enough. In the opening minutes of an otherwise gruesome season-opening 33-7 loss, the Southern football team looked like it might actually stand toe-to-toe with Tennessee State.

The defense held TSU on its first possession, and Jaguars quarterback Dray Joseph went to work. Working on scripted, predetermined plays, he connected on each of his first three passes — quick throws on three-step drops to his two best receivers, LaQuinton Evans and Charles Hawkins.

The old feeling was on its way back. Maybe Southern, in its second opener under coach Stump Mitchell, really was on its way back to respectability.

Just like that, the feeling was blown away for good. Joseph’s next pass, though high, fluttered off the hands of receiver Jared Green, then into the hands of TSU defender Joseph Wylie. He promptly returned his interception for a touchdown.  And the rout was on.

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UNO to Face Alcorn State in Tuesday Volleyball Home Opener

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans volleyball program will play the first of 10 home matches on Tuesday as they host Alcorn State at 7 p.m. at the Human Performance Center.

Tuesday's contest is one of two home matches on the 2011 slate scheduled to take place at the HPC. The remaining home events with the exception of a Nov. 2 match against Southern (N.O.) will occur at Lakefront Arena.

UNO (0-4) enters the week seeking their first win of the campaign after dropping all four contests at the Millsaps Invitational in Jackson, Miss. this past weekend.

With eight freshmen on the roster, second-year head coach Kim Young is letting her young program grow with on the court experience. As the team put more sets under their belt as the opening weekend wore on, the squad showed vast improvement.

Freshman outside hitter Laila Hansen (Chugiak, Ak.) was the top offensive threat through four matches. Hansen accumulated 46 kills for a team-best 3.54 kills per set which included a season-best 17 in a four-set loss to Martin Methodist.

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In-Match Updates on Twitter (@UNOPrivateers)
Laila Hansen - UNOPrivateers.com Student-Athlete of the Week

WEEK-ONE HSRN NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK FAN POLL NOMINEES

Hartly, DE – The 2011 college football season kicked off in full swing this past weekend and the Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) national player of the week fan poll voting has started. Each week, HSRN will announce a national player of the week from both the top DI-FCS and Division II action.

The top performance each week will be selected and the HBCU fans across the country will get a chance to cast their vote for who they think had the best game. The Fan Poll is designed to get fans involved with the excitement of the HBCU college football action. Fans are asked to log on to HSRN.com and cast their vote for the top performance. Fans can vote on the poll today (Mon., Sept. 5) thru Wednesday (Aug. 7) until 11 am CT. The nominees are below:

Div. I FCS
Jamarr Robinson – Bethune Cookman – QB – 6’0, 195 – SR/Charlotte, NC
In his first start for the Wildcats, Robinson completed 22 of 31 (70%) for 251 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 35 yards on five carries, with two going for touchdowns. Finishing the afternoon with 286 yards of total offense, leading the Wildcats to an impressive 63-14 win over Prairie View in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Nick Andrews – Alabama St. – WR – 5’9 – SR/Maplesville, AL
Andrews had a career high 10 receptions for 104 yards and a career high three touchdowns. He caught scoring passes for 36, five, and eight yards in the first half. He also moved up ASU career charts and now ranks second in career receptions (134), seventh in yards (1,764) and fifth in touchdown receptions (20). The Hornets defeated MS Valley St. 41-9.

Chris Walley – Norfolk St. – QB – 6’2, 200 – SR/Tallahassee, FL
In the Annual Labor Day Classic, Walley led the Spartans to 37-3 win over Virginia St. completing 25-29 (0 INT) passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 10 rushes for 42 yards, finishing the game with 297 yards of total offense.

Trabis Ward – Tennessee St. – RB – 5’10, 200 – SO/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ward had an impressive 141 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown. He also caught two passes for 16 yards, giving him 157 all-purpose yards. The Tigers defeated Southern 33-7 in the John Merritt Classic.

Div. II
Jerrel Noland – Kentucky St. – QB – 6’0, 249 – SR/Detroit, MI
Noland led the Thorobreds to a 39-21 victory over Central St. completing 13 of 16 passes for 218 yards (No INT) and four touchdowns. He also had nine rushes for 55 yards, finishing with 273 yards of total offense.

Doug Cook – Lincoln (PA) – QB – 6’0, 170 – FR/Diana Beach, FL
In his first collegiate start, Cook completed 30 of 47 passes for 317 yards and one touchdown. His performance was not enough as the Lions came up short to arch-rival Cheyney 21-19 in the Annual Wade Wilson Classic.

Stanley Jennings – Albany St. – QB – 6’2, 250 – SR/Marietta, GA
Jennings led the Golden Rams to a come from behind 37-34 win with his 12 yard TD run with 19 seconds on the clock. He completed 16 of 35 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 25 yards, finishing the game with 265 yards of total offense.

Jamian Smith – St. Augustine’s – WR – 6’0, 185 – SR/Kenansville, NC
Smith caught nine passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Falcons to a dominating 30-5 win over Catawba. With that performance he moved up to #2 on the Falcons career reception list. He has 87 career catches and needs nine more to become the all-time leader.

VISIT: HSRN FrontPage

Morehouse rolls to 47-9 win over Miles in Labor Day Golden Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- By the start of the third quarter, the light rain falling on the turf at Legion Field had turned into a downpour. Tropical Storm Lee was announcing its presence at the fifth Labor Day Golden Classic, but Morehouse College had already stolen the show.

The Maroon Tigers jumped all over Miles College from the start, grabbing a 23-point halftime lead and running away with a 47-9 victory Sunday to spoil Reginald Ruffin's debut as Golden Bears' head coach.

"I put all the blame on myself," said Ruffin, who came to Miles after five years as the defensive coordinator at Tuskegee. "I didn't have the guys ready to play. I thought we were ready to play, but unfortunately we weren't. I'm just very disappointed in myself, and I apologize to my coaches, I apologize to my team for not having them ready to play."

Led by junior quarterback Byron Ingram's two rushing touchdowns and one through the air, Morehouse encountered minimal resistance on its way to 427 yards of total ...

PHOTO GALLERY: Miles vs. Morehouse 2011

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SWAC Shellacking: Bethune-Cookman opens with 63-14 rout

ORLANDO, FL -- New season. New quarterback. Same old Wildcats. Bethune-Cookman started its second season under head coach Brian Jenkins a lot like it started its first -- with a thorough thrashing of an overmatched opponent.

Last year, B-CU pummeled an NAIA team -- Edward Waters (70-10) -- in Jenkins' debut. On Sunday, the Wildcats cruised to a 63-14 victory over Prairie View A&M before an announced crowd of 17,337 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Prairie View of the Southwestern Athletic Conference is coming off a 7-4 season, but the Panthers (0-1) are rebuilding under new coach Heishma Northern, while the Wildcats (1-0) are reloading with a new quarterback.

Senior Jamarr Robinson, who transferred from the University of Maryland, passed for 251 yards and a touchdown and added two scoring runs while playing just one series into the third quarter, when the 'Cats took a commanding 49-7 lead.

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Eastern Michigan beats Howard 41-9 in game postponed by thunderstorms

YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University football team had to wait 17 hours to finally get on the field to play its 2011 home opener, but in the end the wait was worth it for the Eagles in a 41-9 win over a visiting Howard University team Sunday, Sept. 4, here in Rynearson Stadium.

Eastern and season-opening opponent Howard University both went through pre-game warmups on Saturday, Sept. 3, before a series of lightning strikes forced both teams into their respective locker rooms just after 6 p.m.

The teams did not return to the field Saturday as the storm, with lightning and rain present, swept through the area for most of the evening, forcing the postponement of the game until Sunday, Sept. 4, at noon.

Despite the long wait to get back on the field, the Eagles responded with a strong effort on both sides of the ball to post the 32-point win.



Senior tailback Dominique Sherrer (Cincinnati, Ohio-Colerain) came up with an electrifying 77-yard run from scrimmage in the third quarter to give the Eagles a comfortable 34-9 lead with 14:05 left in the third quarter.

That Sherrer run, the first touchdown of his career, was the second longest for an EMU player in Rynearson Stadium-history and tied for the fifth-best single-rush effort in the EMU rushing record book.

Box score

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EASTERN MICHIGAN USES RUNNING GAME TO GET BY HOWARD

Ypsilanti, MI—September 4--Eastern Michigan parlayed its power running game and good field positon into a 41-9 win over Howard University in a non-conference game at Rynearson Stadium. The game had been scheduled for Saturday but the weather conditions forced the change to Sunday.

The game marked the debut of Howard head coach Gary “Flea” Harrell, who was a standout performer at wide receiver and kick returner from 1990-93.

The Bison struck first when sophomore safety Julian David stepped in front of an EMU receiver, wrestled the pass from him, and raced 29 yards for his first career touchdown less than five minutes into the game. Howard failed to convert on the PAT, but led, 6-0.

The Eagles (1-0) responded with a short drive but the Howard defense stiffened and forced the hosts into a Kody Fulkerson 45-yard field goal, making it 6-3 at the 7:43 mark of the first quarter.

The Bison (0-1) countered with a drive of its own, going 44 yards in nine plays before settling for a 39-yard field by sophomore placekicker Parker Munoz.

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JCSU bust open season with 64-27 win over West Virginia State

Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University football ignited with a 64-27 season opener win against West Virginia State University on Saturday afternoon inside the Irwin Belk Complex. J.C. Smith is 1-0 for the first time since their 24-0 season opening win over Edward Waters in 2007; prior to the coaching leadership from Steven Aycock.

Believe it or not, this game started off a little shaky for the Golden Bulls. With just two plays, the Yellow Jackets had put a touchdown on the scoreboard. After a rush for no gain, Ricky Phillips connected with Ervin Kent for a 74 yard touchdown reception for a 7-0 WVSU lead. It would be the last time Johnson C. Smith trailed in the game.

The Golden Bulls did not flinch after the opposition's score; they calmly put together a drive down the field with three first downs. This drive was led and capped off by freshman quarterback Keahn Wallace (Homestead, FL) with a seven yard TD pass to sophomore receiver Avius Capers (Charlotte, NC). Senior defensive tackle Rashad Dukes (Charlotte, NC) put in some work with two tackles on a three and out on the next WVSU possession.

Yet another freshman came up big, this time receiver William (B.J.) Trimble (Fayetteville, GA) returned a punt 70 yards to the house for a 14-7 JCSU advantage. West Virginia State managed to produce another score on the following drive off a 25 yard touchdown rush from LeFloyd Phillip.



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Norfolk State Labor Day Classic Tail Gate Party 2011




Lane Dragons get first win since 2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Lane’s football team made history on Saturday. The Dragons traveled to Edward Waters in Florida and came away with a 17-10 win, their first victory since November of 2008.

Lane took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter when Ryan Bullock hit a 22-yard field goal about eight minutes into the game. No one scored after that until Darren Henry ran 16 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Lane scored about three minutes later when Alan Ferguson took a quarterback keeper over the goal line from a yard out. The Dragons scored on the quick possession after the defense recovered a fumble on about the Edward Waters 35-yard line.

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NSU dominates in 6th straight win over Virginia State

Norfolk, VA - No more replays. No more jokes. Safety Ricardo Volcin put an end to all of them late in the first half, breaking on an out route and returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown and breaking open a 37-3 win for Norfolk State in the Labor Day Classic.

Head coach Pete Adrian estimated NSU dropped five interceptions the previous year. "He replayed it at least 30 times," Volcin said. "Every time I came in, he was making gestures like, 'Oh, I can't catch a ball. Oh, I need stick 'em or something.' "

It was the sixth consecutive win in the Labor Day Classic series for Norfolk State over rival Virginia State, with the Spartans winning by an average of 26 points.

If there were fans who believed, themselves, that the Trojans had a chance before the opening kickoff, Volcin's return convinced them otherwise. The Trojans had been thoroughly outplayed by that point but trailed just 13-0, twice reducing long NSU drives to field goals.




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Virginia University of Lynchburg football team plays first game in decades

Lynchburg, VA - Deep in the third quarter, with zero points on the scoreboard, Virginia University of Lynchburg’s football team pulled off a clutch pass that put the ball in the end zone. “Touchdooooown” boomed the announcer at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. to a crowd almost 12,000 spectators.

The contingent of about 200 fans from Lynchburg erupted into cheers.

“They’re coming back, boy. The Dragon’s on the prowl,” said VUL president Ralph Reavis from his perch in the bleachers. Though the VUL Dragons ultimately lost to North Carolina A&T, 38 to 7, the team made history by playing its first game in over five decades.

In 1954, VUL — a small, historically black college nestled behind Campbell Avenue — disbanded its football team. The revival of the football program is part of a large-scale effort to bring back sports on campus. VUL plans to launch a total of 13 men’s and women’s sports teams this year.

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UNC-Pembroke tops Fayetteville State, 33-27, to claim 3rd straight Two Rivers Classic

Fayetteville, NC - UNC-Pembroke senior linebacker Fred Williams weaved through a maze of bodies and located the Two Rivers Classic trophy, which was hoisted above the heads of several teammates.

Williams, a Terry Sanford High School graduate, couldn't resist the urge. With a 33-27 victory against Fayetteville State in hand, he applied his lips to the coveted hardware.

"This rivalry means a lot to me," Williams said. "Just to win it three years in a row, it's something special, so I had to get that kiss in at the end."

UNC-Pembroke improved to 3-0 in the brief series, going ahead for good on a 15-yard touchdown run by Travis Daniels with ...

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Fayetteville State drum major Sharmila Lever rules the band, field for 8 minutes

Fayetteville, NC - Sharmila Lever can finally take a moment to relax. With the halftime show finished and Fayetteville State's Marching Bronco Express band back in the bleachers at Nick Jeralds Stadium, Lever removes her oversized drum major hat and raises a full bottle of water to her lips.

Sweat is covering her cheeks and seeping through her white headband, the remnants of a taxing eight-minute performance. "It's the longest eight minutes of your life," she says. As the head drum major at Fayetteville State, Lever oversees those eight minutes. And actively participates in them.

A 23-year-old Pine Forest High School graduate, she has one semester remaining to earn an elementary education degree, one football season left to serve as an extension of FSU band director Alfred Davis.

SLIDE SHOW:

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Sloppy Play Sends Shaw To 16-13 Defeat to Stillman

Tuscaloosa, AL - Shaw's offense could not find a rhythm, while the defense held homestanding Stillman to only 212 yards on the game, but gave up two touchdowns on the way to a 16-13 loss at Stillman Stadium.

"I don't think this team has a sense of urgency right now and until we have a sense of urgency we're going to have more nights like this one. Stillman didn't beat us, we beat us," said Shaw head coach Darrell Asberry.

The tale of the tape came on the ground, where Stillman's ball control offense rolled up 171 yards while Shaw lost five. The Tigers attempted only seven passes on the night - connecting on five - for 41 yards. As a team, Shaw was 18 for 32 for 176 yards with one interception.

The offensive woes were foremost in Asberry's mind after the game. "Offensively we need to improve at the quarterback position and we need to improve at the running back position right now. Defensively I thought we played Shaw football, we just didn't make one or two plays."

The performance by the defending CIAA champions baffled Shaw fans, but Asberry sees a difference in this team compared to his championship teams. "This team does not have a swagger or sense of arrogance about them. The championship teams had an arrogance to them. I saw that chemistry beginning in the second half, but we just ran out of time."

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Sunday, September 4, 2011

Saint Augustine's rips Catawba, 30-5

DURHAM, NC — It’s not easy to rush for minus-24 yards and still win easily, but Saint Augustine’s showed the world how it’s done on the steamy field turf of Durham County Stadium. Catawba entered a new season with high hopes, but exited Saturday’s opener with an 0-1 mark. Saint Augustine’s picked off four passes and ripped the Indians 30-5.

“We made too many simple mistakes and missed too many assignments,” safety L.J. McCray said. “That let them keep momentum the whole game.” Catawba’s awful outing merged bad luck (three of those four picks were deflections) with bad timing and bad execution.

“We looked like absolute garbage,” said disappointed Catawba coach Chip Hester, who wasn’t in a sugar-coating mood. “We looked like an inexperienced, bad football team, and that’s not to take away anything from Saint Aug’s because they looked good.”

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Bowie State capitalize on Assumption quarterbacks’ miscues

WORCESTER, MA — Committing three turnovers in a game would drive any coach crazy. But three turnovers in a half?

Unfortunately for Assumption College football coach Cory Bailey, that’s what the Greyhounds did yesterday, turning the ball over three times before intermission, and five times overall, in a 28-7 loss to Bowie State in the season opener for both teams. Assumption used three quarterbacks, who combined for four of the five turnovers.

Sophomore Derek Fernandes threw an interception that was taken back 40 yards for a touchdown, and lost a fumble in the second half. Fernandes replaced freshman Sean Mayo after the first-year player injured his ankle. Kevin Bumpus, another freshman, started the second half, lost a fumble and was picked off.

“We’re young at a lot of spots,” Bailey said. “When you’re young at quarterback, turnovers kill you.”

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ASU Hornets blow out Mississippi Valley State 41-9

TTA BENA, Mississippi -- Nick Andrews caught a career-high 10 passes for 104 yards and a career-high three touchdowns as Alabama State defeated Mississippi Valley State 41-9 in the season opener for both teams at Rice-Totten Stadium.

Alabama State (1-0, 1-0 in Southwestern Athletic Conference) trailed 6-0 early before the offense got in gear. QB Greg Jenkins threw three first-half touchdown passes to Andrews, whose explosive night moved him up the Hornets' career receiving charts.



"It was the first-game jitters," head coach Reggie Barlow said of his team's slow start. "You never know how these guys will come out and play in the first game. We got off to a slow start, but once we got settled in and started playing, we played the way we know we can play. We were able to score some points and we're excited about that."

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Cheyney triumphs over Lincoln Lions

CHEYNEY --- For Cheyney University, Saturday's "Battle of the Firsts" with local rival Lincoln was filled with firsts.

The Wolves' 21-19 win in an exciting game that lived up to its hype marked the first time Cheyney had topped Lincoln in the history of the rivalry. It was the first opening day win for Cheyney since 1997. It was also the first victory for Wolves' head coach Kenny Lockard.

"It feels great," said Lockard. "But I'm just so happy for these kids. It goes to show that all that hard work they've put in paid off."

While quarterback Chris Anderson tossed a pair of touchdown passes, and the Wolves ground game piled up 191 yards, it was the work on the other side of the ball that ensured that Cheyney would come away with a victory.

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Virginia Union blanks Benedict to win Palmetto Capital City Classic, 27-0

COLUMBIA, SC - Virginia Union University capitalized on four Benedict College turnovers to beat the Tigers 27-0 in the 10th annual Palmetto Capital City Classic Saturday at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium on Saturday.

The Tigers (0-1) lost their season opener and the Palmetto Capital City Classic for the second straight year. Virginia Union improved to 2-0 on the season.

The Tigers took the opening kickoff and drove to the Virginia Union 12-yard line before losing the first fumble of the day and ending the scoring threat. After the Panthers had taken a 7-0 lead in the second quarter, the Tigers saw another drive snuffed when quarterback Johnny Carson had the ball ripped out of his hands and Virginia Union's Antonio Harris raced 58 yards for another VUU touchdown.

GALLERY:Palmetto Classic

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NAIA Langston Defeats UAPB Golden Lions

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Former Nebraska quarterback Mickey Joseph's debut are Langston University football coach started with the kind of surprise that would have even made his old coach smile.

It wasn't as imaginative as the Tom Osborne's Fumblerooskis. And for boldness, it wasn't in the same galaxy as going for victory instead of a tie that would ensure a national title. Heck, Langston's onside kick on the first play of its 19-12 victory Saturday night at Arkansas-Pine Bluff didn't even lead to a scores.

But Joseph's decision, Langston's execution and linebacker Robert Thomas' recovery sure made an interesting first impression at Langston this season.



"We let them know right away that we wasn't playing with them," said Joseph, who quarterbacked Langston to nine victories in 1990, "that we was going to use everything in the book to win the football game. We wanted them to start thinking a little bit. We wanted them to start scrambling, and when you do that to a team, you take them out of the game plan right away."

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