ECSU still confident despite 0-2 mark

Elizabeth City, NC - Elizabeth City State’s football team was a confident bunch heading into the season. After two games and two losses, it would be understandable if that confidence was waning. But coach Waverly Tillar says it is business as usual around the Vikings’ facility.

“They really feel like they didn’t play well Saturday night (in a 22-17 loss to Winston-Salem State) and they know they need to come out big this week to set them on the right course for an eight-game run,” Tillar said. “The attitude has been up tempo, execution has been sharp and the camaraderie has been good.”

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President Obama Presents American Jobs Act (Enhanced Version)

September 08, 2011 | 32:50 | Public Domain

Shares plan to create jobs with joint session of Congress.

Read the Transcript

President Obama Presents American Jobs Act - 9/8/2011

Adams spending long hours getting S.C. State's defense ready for B-CU

Orangeburg, S.C. - Long hours watching film is usually the norm for South Carolina State defensive coordinator Mike Adams.

Preparing a game plan for Saturday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against an explosive Bethune-Cookman offense, now under the direction of former Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence, has only further extended Adams' time spent the past seven days in his Rowe Hall office.

"It's definitely been a long week," he said. "You don't want to leave anything uncovered when it comes to preparing for these guys. It's a situation where although they had a lot of success against Prairie View in their opener (Bethune-Cookman amassed 500 total yards and scored seven touchdowns in a 63-14 win in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge this past Sunday).

You know they're going ...

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Ex-ODU standout joins NSU staff to help defense

Norfolk, VA - Norfolk State's post players won't shake hands with each other anymore. Norfolk native and Old Dominion great Wilson Washington, hired as a part-time men's basketball coach for the Spartans on Thursday, plans to ban the practice.

"My four and my five guys don't shake hands, they exchange forearms," Washington said. "It's about embracing contact. The step after that is initiating contact. If we do that, it won't take long for our defense to improve."

Washington, 56, played high school basketball at Booker T. Washington and was a three-time All-American at Old Dominion, twice at the Division II level and once at Division I, then went on to play two years in the NBA with Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Washington averaged 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds during his pro years and, while at ODU, collected nearly as many rebounds (1,011) as points (1,366), while also blocking 363 shots. He had four career triple-doubles. His jersey number, 52, has been retired at ODU and he led the Monarchs to a Division II national championship in 1975.

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N.C. Central & Savannah State Become Full Members Of MEAC

NORFOLK, Va..- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) confirmed today that North Carolina Central University and Savannah State University have met the criteria to become full members of the conference effective September 1, 2011.

"We are elated to have North Carolina Central and Savannah State to become full members of the MEAC family," said Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "I am pleased to announce that both institutions have done a great job at meeting detailed criteria to be confirmed for full membership."

Thomas added, "Their additions sustain our long range and strategic plan of adding up to 14 members. Adding these outstanding academic institutions completes the geographical footprint that bridges our South Carolina and Florida institutions. "

As a full member, North Carolina Central and Savannah State are immediately eligible to participate in all conference championships and earn the conference's automatic berth to NCAA postseason competition in all sponsored sports.

The additions give the MEAC a total of 13 conference members with 11 football playing institutions. The conference is in its 42nd year of operation heading into the 2011-12 academic school year. The MEAC sponsors 15 Division I (FCS) sports with automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason competition in baseball, bowling, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, softball, and volleyball.

Today's announcement reaffirms the provisional membership status North Carolina Central received in 2009 and Savannah State received in 2010.

North Carolina Central recently received approval from the NCAA to reclassify from Division II to active Division I status. NCCU is one of seven founding member institutions of the MEAC.

Savannah State, which previously competed as a Division I independent, is the only institution in the MEAC from the state of Georgia.

Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 13 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.

Carson Newman crushes Fayetteville State

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The No. 20-ranked Carson-Newman College football team dismantled visiting Fayetteville State Thursday night. The Eagles defense recorded five sacks and the offense scored eight touchdowns on its way to a 56-7 victory over the Broncos at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

“It was very pleasing,” head coach Ken Sparks said. “I was excited about how they responded. We just have to keep it going. We’re glad to be where we are right now. I think we’ve got something special going. I thought the offense, at times, was very solid and the defense, at times, was almost spectacular. ”



It was a banner day for the Eagles defense. In addition to the five sacks and seven tackles for a loss, Carson-Newman picked off two passes and held Fayetteville State to just 165 total yards.

On offense, the Eagles were nearly unstoppable. C-N piled up 478 total yards, with 417 coming on the ground. Carson-Newman was 7-of-9 on third down conversions and 5-for-5 in the red zone. The Eagles’ first punt came with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter.

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Morehouse looks for upset of Howard

Washington, D.C. - The idea of the Nation’s Football Classic is to pit Morehouse against Howard in a meeting of two prominent historically black colleges and universities.

By the time the game kicks off Saturday at RFK Stadium, there will have been plenty of activities surrounding the game. The schedule started Thursday with a symposium at Howard and continued with events that included student debates and step shows for fraternities and sororities.

But for the Morehouse football team, all the hoopla of the weekend boils down to a chance to make a statement against the Bison.

“Kids at a Division II school always have chip on their shoulders that they didn’t get a chance to get recruited by I-AA [now FCS],” Morehouse coach Rich Freeman said. The Maroon Tigers may be fired up for an upset, but they will have a significant disadvantage in manpower. Freeman said his team has 22 scholarships compared to 55 for Howard, which plays at the FCS level.

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NEXT GAME: Morehouse vs. Howard , (RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C), 3:30 p.m.

KSU-Lincoln game will be battle of QBs

Frankfort, KY -- Kentucky State’s football home opener could be an air show. The Thorobreds (1-0) host Lincoln University Saturday with kickoff set for 5 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

Both teams’ quarterbacks had big days in their season openers last week.

Lincoln lost on the road last Saturday to Cheyney, 21-19. In that game freshman quarterback Doug Cook went 30-for-47 for 317 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions.

Senior quarterback Jerel Noland earned SIAC offensive player of the week honors for his performance in the Thorobreds’ 39-21 win over Central State Sunday in the Dayton Classic. Noland went 13-for-16 for 218 yards. He threw for four touchdowns and had no interceptions.

Lincoln rallied late last week before falling to Cheyney.

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Florida A&M falls to Hampton, 23-17

Hampton, VA - This time was a little better. But for the second consecutive visit, the Florida A&M football team was turned away at Armstrong Stadium and unable to give coach Joe Taylor his first victory on the same field where he had won hundreds of football games.

Taylor's former team took advantage of a FAMU offense that misfired all night and a defense that gave Hampton University one opportunity after another. When the Pirates were done, they racked up 428 yards in total offense and earned a 23-17 victory Thursday night.

Through the first three quarters, FAMU ran 51 plays that produced 164 yards of total offense. By that time, the Pirates had 334 yards on 60 plays. Quarterback David Legree threw for 261 of those yards.

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Saint Augustine's, UNH have something in common

New Haven, CT - Saturday's meeting between Saint Augustine's College and the University of New Haven (1 p.m., DellaCamera Stadium in West Haven) is the first between the schools, although the two teams have something in common: Both have recently reinstated their football programs. In 2002, Saint Augustine's revived football, while the Chargers did the same in 2009 as a varsity sport. Both schools also finished 8-2 last season, barely missing NCAA bids.

Junior quarterback Ryan Osiecki will lead the Chargers after sparking their 35-32, season-opening win over West Chester last Saturday. Osiecki went 16-for-27 and threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns, including the clincher in OT. Saint Augustine's (1-1, 0-1 CIAA) defeated Catawba 30-5 last weekend.

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Kirk's a big hit in Gold Nuggets' victory against Judson

NEW ORLEANS — Moira Kirk produced 14 kills, a .619 attack percentage, five aces and three blocks Thursday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-12, 25-11, 25-17 women's volleyball victory against Judson (Ala.) at The Barn.

Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills for the Gold Nuggets (2-2), and Taylor Reuther had five kills, eight digs and three aces. Celeste Poe served a career-high-tying four aces and had nine digs.

Xavier served 14 aces and had a .200 attack percentage, both season bests. The Gold Nuggets are 2-0 at home for the first time in the program's four-year history.

Judson is 4-2.

The Nuggets served six first-set aces — three by Poe during a 9-0 run, two in a row by Kirk to give Xavier a 19-10 lead, and the last by Reuther to end the set. Kirk served three consecutive aces to give Xavier a 16-6 lead in the second set.

Judson offered its most resistance in the final set, leading 6-4 and 11-10 before Xavier scored 12 of the final 16 points to break out of a 13-all tie. Three Kirk kills and a Joyy Joseph ace keyed an 8-0 run which gave the Nuggets their first of two match points.

Kirk's attack percentage and aces are the best by a Xavier player in a match this season. She entered the match with one ace this season.

Xavier is 3-0 all-time against Judson and will visit the Eagles on Oct. 15.

The Nuggets will continue a busy stretch — four matches in five days — when they travel to Alcorn State for a 7 p.m. Friday contest. Xavier will play Mississippi Valley at The Barn at 3 p.m. Saturday. Alcorn and MVSU are NCAA Division I opponents.

NOTES: Five freshmen started for Xavier — Kirk, Echebelem, Reuther, Jeanay Butler and Alexandra Rencher . . . Reuther's streak of three consecutive matches with 10 or more kills ended . . . Alcorn will be the first of seven XU matches this season against NCAA D-Is . . . Alcorn is 1-6 after a 22-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-17 loss Thurs OF day at SUNO, a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival of Xavier. Alcorn won in five sets Wednesday at Dillard, the defending GCAC Tournament champion.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITYLOUISIANA 
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Alabama A&M: Fuller named Bulldogs' running backs coach

Coach Andy Fuller
(Photo courtesy AAMU Athletics)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Andy Fuller, who has been a part-time assistant coach at Alabama A&M over the last five years under head coach Anthony Jones, has moved up to full-time status. Fuller, who has served as the Bulldogs' tight ends coach over the years, is now the running backs coach. His new position became official late last week.

"I want to thank Coach Jones for this opportunity," Fuller said. "I'm going to be the best coach I can be and help us win the SWAC championship." Fuller replaces Errol Jones, who left just before training camp began to become the boys basketball coach and assistant football coach at Deshler High School.

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Murray State Racers Travel to face Mississippi Valley

Murray State (0-1, 0-0 OVC) vs. Mississippi Valley State (0-1, 0-1 SWAC)
Time: Sept. 10 - 4 p.m.
Location: Rice-Totten Stadium - Itta Bena, Miss.
TV: Racer TV Network and ESPN3 (Internet)

STORY LINES
The Racers look to avoid their second-straight 0-2 as they travel to Mississippi Valley State for the first meeting between to two schools. It also marks the first time Murray State will play a team from the SWAC.

Murray State running back Mike Harris became just the second Racer back to go over 100 yards against an FBS opponent when he rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown against Louisville. He carried the ball 26 times in the opener, the second-most attempts in his career.

The Racer defense held Louisville scoreless over the final 43:20 of the game. MSU held the Cardinals to just 131 second-half yards and forced two turnovers in each half.

Saturday's game will mark the first of five televised games on the Racer Television Network. The network will also carry the games against Georgia State (Oct. 8), Eastern Illinois (Oct. 15), Tennessee Tech (Nov. 5) and Southeast Missouri (Nov. 19).

The Game
The Racers play their second non-conference road game in as many weeks as they travel to face Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. The game will be carried on the Racer Television Network, as well ESPN3.

vs. Mississippi Valley State
The contest between the two schools will be the first meeting on the gridiron. It is also the first road trip to Mississippi since the Racers played Mississippi State in 2005.

vs. the SWAC
The contest also marks the first time Murray State will play a team from the SWAC.



Racers Receiving Votes
The Racers continue to receive national recognition as they are receiving votes in both the national polls for the second-straight week. MSU moved up a couple spots in each poll, and now rank 29th in both polls.

On Grass
The game against Mississippi Valley State will mark the only time this season the Racers will play on grass. Last season, MSU lost 21-20 to Central Arkansas in their only game on natural grass.

Two Racers Return Home
Two members of the Racer football team will have a homecoming of sorts as they will be playing within two hours of their hometowns. Safety Darius Buck is from Vicksburg (2 hours) and linebacker Sam Small is from Winona (49 minutes).

Fewest Points vs FBS
Murray State held its own against Louisville as the Racers only allowed 21 points, including no points in the second half. It is the fewest points allowed to an FBS team since the Racers tied Memphis 10-10 in 1985.

Defense Forces Turnovers in Opener
The Racers defense forced four turnovers in the season opener against Louisville. It marked the fourth-straight season that the Racers forced at least two turnovers in the season opener.

Two-Way Barnett
Senior Dexter Barnett proved his value to the team in the opener as he played on both sides of the ball against Louisville. Barnett, who is a receiver, also saw time at corner in the fourth quarter. Throughout camp, Barnett spent time working at safety and corner to provide depth in the secondary.

Davis Gets Two
Senior Darrell Davis was pushed into action early in the contest against Louisville and responded in a major way. The St. Louis, Mo., native intercepted a pass in the first half and recovered a fumble in the second half.

Scouting Mississippi Valley State
The Delta Devils enter the contest with an overall record of 0-1, and an 0-1 record in the SWAC. MVSU opened its season at home against Alabama State, falling 41-9. The Delta Devils rushed for 155 yards and threw for 172 yards.  The defense allowed 123 yards on the ground and 196 yards through the air. Quarterback Garrick Jones led the offense by rushing for 113 yards and passing for 121 more yards. Turnovers were the problem in the opener as the Delta Devils lost five fumbles and threw two interceptions. Wide receiver Paul Cox caught four passes for 86 yards, while Kenneth Dabney had four grabs for 43 yards.

Dabney also returned seven kickoffs for 121 yards. Kicker Carlos Sanchez supplied the points as he went 3-of-4 on field goal attempts, connecting from 30, 32 and 32. Linebacker Terrell Johnson led the defense with eight tackles, including a tackle-for-loss. Rico Mazique also added eight stops. Javaris Fritz registered two sacks and blocked a field goal.

Whitehead Impresses in Opener
Transfer Julian Whitehead quietly went about his business Thursday evening and led the Racer defense with nine tackles. The junior has quickly made himself a leader of the defense.

Defense Posts 2nd Half Shutout
The Murray State defense entered the season as a question mark, but they made their presence known in the season opener as they shutout Louisville over the final 43:20 of the game. It was the first time the defense pitched a second-half shutout since Oct. 4, 2008 against Austin Peay (APSU scored a safety in 3rd quarter). The last time the Racers allowed no points in the second half was the 2007 season opener against Lambuth.

Defense Limits Cards in 2nd Half
The Racer defense dominated the second half as they limited Louisville to just 131 yards of offense in the second half. The defense also forced a pair of turnovers in the second half.

Harris Carries Load
Senior Mike Harris carried the load for the offense in the season opener as he carried the ball 26 times against Louisville. The 26 carries are the second most in his career, behind only his 30 attempts against Missouri State last season.

GAME NOTES
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Lee and Wallace sign scholarships with Gold Nuggets

Cleosha Lee

Crystal Wallace

NEW ORLEANS — Guard/forward Cleosha Lee of Memphis, Tenn., and center Crystal Wallace of College Park, Ga., have signed athletic scholarships with Xavier University of Louisiana. Both will be freshmen on XU's 2011-12 women's basketball roster.

Lee, 5-feet-9, averaged 12 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists per game this past season at East High School. She led the Lady Mustangs in rebounding and steals and shared the team lead in scoring. Lee shot 52 percent from the floor and 79 percent from the line as a senior.

"Cleo Lee is a guard who can really defend," Xavier coach Bo Browder said, "and she has a very skilled mid-range game."

Lee was all-district in basketball and volleyball and a four-year varsity starter in both sports. As a freshman Lee was a teammate of Brandi Young, a senior guard at Xavier this season. East also produced Jarryn Cleaves, who finished her XU career in 2008 as the program's No. 5 scorer.

Wallace, 6-feet-3, played in every game as a reserve her senior year at Westlake High School in Atlanta and had single-game bests of eight points and 11 rebounds. She first played basketball in 10th grade after competing several years in netball in her native Brooklyn, N.Y.

As a junior Wallace was a teammate of Dalila Robinson, a redshirt freshman guard at Xavier this season.

"Crystal Wallace is the best sleeper of a prospect that we've signed in the last 10 years," Browder said. "She has the potential to be an outstanding post player."

The Nuggets' other signee for 2011-12 is guard/forward Jessica Savannah of Shreveport, La., who was announced in December.

Xavier was 27-7 this past season, repeated as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament champion, reached the second round of the NAIA Division I National Championship and led NAIA Division I in scoring defense for the second consecutive season.

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

FLORIDA A&M at HAMPTON

FLORIDA A&M (1-0, 0-0 MEAC) at HAMPTON (1-0, 0-0 MEAC)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY, SEPT. 8, 2011
TV: ESPNU
WHERE: Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, Virginia

THE BUZZ: The Pirates and the Rattlers open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference season play in a clash of coaches who know each other very well. Donovan Rose, whose Pirates beat Alabama A&M 21-20 on Saturday, coached for many years on the staff of Joe Taylor, whose Rattlers are coming off a 28-22 win against Fort Valley State. Taylor went 136-49-1 in 16 seasons at HU before leaving in December 2007 for FAMU, where he's gone 25-9 in three seasons. Rattlers sophomore quarterback Austin Trainor threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns last week.



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Hampton University's Ian Davidson wants to make his own mark

HAMPTON, VA —— Ian Davidson arrived to Hampton University determined to make the most of his final season of college football. He's off to a pretty good start.

Davidson, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound defensive tackle who transferred to HU after four seasons, including a redshirt year, at Maryland, blocked a field goal on the final play of the Pirates' 21-20, season-opening win against Alabama A&M on Saturday.

"It was my first game as a Hampton Pirate, and coming from a D-I program, I knew I had a lot to prove to my team," said Davidson, who also had five tackles (two for loss). "Earlier in the week, our special teams coach (Michael Villagrana) and I talked, and I told him I was definitely going to try to block a field goal. He put me on all these special teams, and with the help of our D-line — they were tired and beat up, but they were able to get enough push, and I just got my hand up."

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2011 Battle of Bands -- Chicago Classic: AAMU vs. Hampton

HBCU Sports Nation's Weekend Preview

Harrell aiming for change as Howard begins new season

Washington, D.C. - As the final days of last November came to a close, Howard University athletic director Louis “Skip” Perkins faced a daunting challenge: turn around a withering football program that bore a 4-29 record from 2008 to 2010. That task will begin in earnest Saturday RFK Stadium to glimpse the renewal of a prominent rivalry that has laid dormant for the past 14 years.

Leading Howard into battle against old foe Morehouse College this weekend will be the man Perkins believes can reinvigorate both an aged rivalry and past glory: Gary “The Flea” Harrell. After all, who better to carry the torch than the player who set Howard’s all-time record for career receptions in a game against Morehouse that capped a perfect 11-0 season?

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Eastern Michigan Eagles hosts Alabama State Hornets

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- With a season-opening 41-9 victory over Howard University under its belt, the Eastern Michigan University football team turns its attention to Alabama State University. Saturday's, Sept. 10, kickoff is scheduled for 1:06 p.m. at Rynearson Stadium.

The Eagles and the Hornets are meeting for the first time on the gridiron. In fact, Eastern Michigan has never played a team from the state of Alabama in its 120-year history. Meanwhile, Alabama State, the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division champions, will be playing its first Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) opponent.

STRIVING FOR A 2-0 START: Eastern Michigan will look for its first 2-0 start to a campaign since the 1989 season, when the then-Hurons downed Kent State University, Sept. 2, and Youngstown State University, Sept. 9. That season the Eagles posted a 5-0-1 record through its first six games en route to a 7-3-1 finish.

COACH ENGLISH: EMU Head Coach Ron English got to sing the fight song and celebrate a victory at home following the 32-point decision over Howard, Sept. 4. It also marked the first time under the Eagles' third-year mentor that the Green and White held a team under 250 yards of total offense, limiting the Bison to just 201 yards (96 rush; 105 pass). Conversely, Eastern Michigan rolled up 441 total yards of offense, including 326 yards rushing, and advanced into Howard territory on 10 of its 14 drives.

WINNING STREAK: The Eagles have posted a 7-3 record against Football Championship Subdivision opponents since the 2001 campaign. However, EMU is currently riding a three-game winning streak that includes a 38-15 decision over Howard, Sept. 22, 2007, a 52-0 victory over Indiana State, Aug. 28, 2008, and a 41-9 win against Howard, Sept. 4, 2011.

During the 10-game span, the Green and White have averaged 31.2 points and 416.1 total yards of offense per game, while giving up an average of 22.0 points and 356.8 yards per contest.

WINNING STREAK: The Eagles have posted a 7-3 record against Football Championship Subdivision opponents since the 2001 campaign. However, EMU is currently riding a three-game winning streak that includes a 38-15 decision over Howard, Sept. 22, 2007, a 52-0 victory over Indiana State, Aug. 28, 2008, and a 41-9 win against Howard, Sept. 4, 2011.

During the 10-game span, the Green and White have averaged 31.2 points and 416.1 total yards
of offense per game, while giving up an average of 22.0 points and 356.8 yards per contest.

Click Here for the Complete Release.
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ASU Hornets hyped in taking on MAC team

Montgomery, AL - It's not the type of big-name opponent you would circle on the schedule. But Alabama State's trip this weekend to face Eastern Michigan represents the first time the Hornets have ever ventured out of the state to face a Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) opponent.

It gives the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division champions a chance to gauge their brand of football with a team from other regions of the country.

"It's a good opportunity, not only for the program, but as individuals you want to compare yourself to those type of guys that are playing at a bigger level," said Hornets receiver Nick Andrews. "You want to see how well you match up with those guys. It means a lot more. In the SWAC, we're basically at a lower level, so they're looking down on us since we're a historically black college. We just have to go out there and play football," Andrews said.

The two teams have never met in any sport, but ...

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Fort Valley Wildcats look to bounce back

Fort Valley, GA - It was right there, the big season-opening surprise win. Fort Valley State was less than a minute away from knocking off an FCS team that went 8-3 a year earlier.

The Wildcats had taken the lead with 1:59 left, and Florida A&M faced a second-and-4 at its 32. And just like that, the upset was gone. A medium pass into good coverage was deflected, and the Wildcats went from being in good position to watching Lenworth Lennon take that tipped ball in for a 68-yard game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left.

A 22-21 upset Saturday became a 28-22 loss, one that more than a few hours later still had FVSU defensive coordinator Haskel Buff unsettled.

“It was just a crying shame,” he said ... 

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NEXT GAME:  Delta State at Fort Valley State, 6 p.m.

NAIA kills leader helps 7-0 Badgers defeat Xavier in three

MOBILE, Ala. — Yiting Cao, the NAIA leader in kills per set and a third-team All-American in 2010, had 15 kills, a .542 attack percentage, 12 digs and two aces Tuesday to lead Spring Hill to a 25-10, 25-20, 25-12 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Badgers, 7-0 for the first time in the program's history, never trailed in any set and outhit the Gold Nuggets .442 to .061. Spring Hill also had advantages of 43-24 in kills, 7-3 in aces and 46-33 in digs.

Taylor Reuther led Xavier (1-2) with 12 kills, three digs and three aces but was denied a third consecutive kill-dig double-double. Moira Kirk had six kills and four digs, and Celeste Poe had nine digs. Alexandra Rencher, a freshman setter playing in her hometown, led the Nuggets with 18 assists.

Four XU errors in the first seven rallies helped Spring Hill grab an 8-1 lead. The Nuggets closed to 9-4 after a Reuther kill, but Cao produced a kill and an ace to start the Badgers on an 8-3 run. Cao finished the set with her sixth kill, three more than Xavier.

Xavier and Spring Hill traded points on the first 14 rallies of the second set, then consecutive kills by Megan Haber, Sha Sha Buchanan and Cao put Spring Hill ahead to stay at 10-7. Xavier was within 16-14 after Reuther's kill and consecutive aces, but three Cao kills helped the Badgers clinch.

Abbey Roam led the Badgers in the final set with four kills, including the match-ending attack.

Buchanan finished with 12 kills, a .611 attack percentage and three aces. Roam had seven kills and 12 digs.

Spring Hill is 34-5 since the start of the 2010 season and has won 14 of its last 15 at home. The Badgers are 10-0 all-time against Xavier and have the most victories of any XU opponent.

It was Xavier's third consecutive match against a Southern States Athletic Conference opponent to start the season, but it was the first time the Nuggets failed to win a set. They lost in five sets at Belhaven on Aug. 26 and defeated Mobile in five at The Barn on Aug. 29. Spring Hill has lost just one set this season.

Xavier will play Judson (Ala.) at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Barn in the first of three matches in as many days. The Nuggets will travel to Alcorn State on Friday and play Mississippi Valley at 3 p.m. Saturday at The Barn.

NOTES: XU's match against Judson will be White Out Night — fans are encouraged to wear a white shirt Thursday . . . Spring Hill received four points in the Tachikara-NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday and ranked 39th overall . . . Xavier will play four of its next five matches at home.

Box score

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

Norfolk State Spartans at West Virginia Mountaineers

Norfolk State Spartans Coach Pete Adrian

When: Sept. 10, 2011 - 1 p.m. (BIG EAST Network)
Where: Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000), Morgantown, W.Va.

The Game: West Virginia (1-0, No. 19 Associated Press/No. 24 USA Today Coaches Poll)) faces Norfolk State (1-0) in a non-conference game on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000) at 1 p.m. The game will be televised live on the BIG EAST Network.

This marks the first meeting between the two schools and the two coaches. WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen is 1-0 on the young season, and Spartan head coach Pete Adrian (West Virginia, ‘70) is 35-33 in seven seasons at Norfolk State and 37-37-1 in eight seasons overall as a head coach. Adrian played three seasons at West Virginia and was the freshman football coach in 1969 under then-head coach Jim Carlen.

Game Coverage
Television: BIG EAST Network - (Rob King - play-by-play, John Thornton - analyst) will broadcast the game live. The game will be televised on Root Sports in West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania and on MASN in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.  It will be shown on a delay basis on SNY in New York on Sept. 13 at 7 a.m.

Radio: Mountaineer Sports Network - (Tony Caridi - play-by-play, Dwight Wallace - analyst, Hoppy Kercheval - host, Jed Drenning - sideline) will broadcast the game live.
Satellite Radio Broadcast: The West Virginia - Norfolk State game can be heard live on Sirius Channel 93 with the MSN broadcast.
Live Statistics:  MSNsportsNET.com
Twitter Updates: Twitter.com/WVUSportsScores; Twitter.com/WVUSportsBuzz

Against the FCS ...
Heading into Saturday’s contest against Norfolk State, West Virginia is riding an 11-game winning streak against NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponents. The Mountaineers are 11-0 all-time against the division with all games being played at Milan Puskar Stadium. Last season, WVU defeated Coastal Carolina, 31-0, in the 2010 season opener.

Non-Conference Play
West Virginia has a 1-0 record in non-conference action in 2011, defeating Marshall, 34-13, in the season opener. Currently, West Virginia is riding a 17 game non-conference home winning streak. West Virginia’s last non-conference loss at home was a 34-17 defeat to Virginia Tech on Oct. 1, 2005.  On their way to the 17 game non-conference home winning streak, the Mountaineers have defeated Marshall, Eastern Washington and Maryland in 2006, Western Michigan, East Carolina and Mississippi State in 2007,  Villanova, Marshall and Auburn in 2008, Liberty, East Carolina, Colorado and Marshall in 2009, Coastal Carolina, Maryland and UNLV in 2010 and Marshall in 2011.

COMPLETE WVU VS. NSU GAME NOTES
2011 NSU Media Guide

A Step Up in Class: NCCU Sights and Sounds at Rutgers

The NCCU Sports Network gives fans an inside look to the Eagles first-ever contest as an FCS member against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from the Big East Conference. This video gives fans a chance to see inside the tunnel as the team hits the field, and the atmosphere surrounding the game.



VISIT: NCCUEAGLEPRIDE

Central State displays fight in ‘Classic’ defeat

Dayton, OH - Down by 25 points to Kentucky State in the closing minutes of the Dayton Classic at Welcome Stadium Sunday night, Central State took over the football at its own 6-yard line.

From there, many of the Marauder players couldn’t see the riches of the far end zone, much less anything else except the big loss about to be hung on them in their season opener. Some guys on the CSU bench were hanging their heads, a couple were in tears, but then there was quarterback Jeff Brooks, one of just a handful of seniors on his baby-faced team.

He was a man possessed. He had been sacked several times during the night and had come limping to the sidelines more than once, but now he was back on the field, willing life into his offensive troops as he began to make play after play.

“I’m never gonna quit on these guys ...





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NEXT GAME: CENTRAL STATE VS. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL -- CLEVELAND CLASSIC, CLEVELAND BROWNS STADIUM, OHIO, 12:00 Noon, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011