AAMU Bulldogs will have to contend with Hamilton

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M had little success last week against Jackson State largely because of defensive ends Joseph Lebeau and Donovan Robinson. The Bulldogs will face another dynamic defensive Saturday when they visit Prairie View.

The Panthers feature arguably the best defensive end in the country in Adrian Hamilton. A transfer from Texas Tech, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Hamilton has 74 tackles and leads the Football Championship Subdivision in sacks with 15.5.

"He's a hell of a football player," A&M coach Anthony Jones said of Hamilton. "He's going to be very similar to what we saw last weekend with LeBeau and Robinson. He's quick. He's strong. He's relentless. He jumps off the screen."

Prairie View coach Heishma Northern said ...

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KEYS: Recruiting landscape tougher for Southern

Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Fresh off their most impressive win of the Stump Mitchell era, Southern football players returned to campus this week, reinvested and ready to prepare for the Bayou Classic. The big game, of course, is still nine days away; Southern and Grambling both have an open date Saturday.

Meanwhile, this week, between light practices and study halls, SU coaches spent part of their time evaluating recruits - the lifeblood of any program. “We’re trying to get a kicker, of course, and some defensive tackles to help our young guys that played as true freshmen on defense,” Mitchell said. Give the man high marks for recognizing the obvious.

In the offseason, Southern lost a very valuable player when place-kicker William Griswold, who made 15 of 20 field goals last season, withdrew from the university, citing, among other things, a fading interest in football.

It’s not a wild leap to think that if ...

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Arkansas State Red Wolves Add Alcorn State To 2012 Schedule

JONESBORO, Arkansas -- Arkansas State Director of Athletics Dr. Dean Lee announced Wednesday the addition of a home game against FCS member Alcorn State to ASU's 2012 football schedule, completing the Red Wolves' non-conference lineup of opponents for next season.

The Red Wolves will play their fourth game of the season when they host SWAC member Alcorn State on Sept. 22, catching the Braves for the first time in school history. The Red Wolves first four games will all be against non-conference opponents, including longtime rival Memphis in their home opener on Sept. 8.

A-State will open its 2012 campaign on the road at Oregon on Sept. 1 and play at Nebraska a week before its game against Alcorn State.  With the addition of Alcorn State to its schedule, the Red Wolves will have six home games on its schedule for the second consecutive year and the third time over the last five. Arkansas State is 5-0 at home this season and has put together seven consecutive seasons with a winning record at ASU Stadium.

The Sun Belt Conference office will set the dates early next year for ASU's eight league games.

"We are thrilled to complete our 2012 non-conference schedule with the addition of Alcorn State," said Lee.  "We feel like alternating home and road games to complete our non-conference schedule before starting conference play benefitted our team this year, so we are excited that the 2012 schedule will mirror that layout. We feel like this schedule is built for success."

While ASU has never played Alcorn State, the Red Wolves have played four current SWAC members a combined five times and hold a 5-0 record in those games. A-State most recently defeated Mississippi Valley State 61-0 in its 2009 season opener, but also defeated the Delta Devils in 1995 and holds additional victories over Jackson State, Grambling and Texas Southern. The Red Wolves will play an FCS opponent for the second consecutive season and for the third time over the last four seasons.

Courtesy: Arkansas State

Hartnell's Thomas signs D-I letter with Coppin State Eagles

Salinas, California -- Daryl Thomas, a sophomore guard on the Hartnell College men's basketball team, has signed a national letter-of-intent to play basketball at Division-I Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD. Thomas is the first Hartnell player from a local high school to sign a letter-of-intent to play D-I basketball since Eric Petty from North Salinas High signed to play at Mississippi Valley State University in 2008.

"I really don't care too much about my individual stats," Thomas said. "I'm more worried about helping this team win conference and getting to the state tournament. We have a really good defensive style of play this year, and I think we can go far."

The former Monterey Toreadore red-shirted his first year at Hartnell, and made second-team all- conference last season.

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ASU Hornets' fate in rival's hands

Montgomery, AL -- Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow called it one of the worst feelings he's ever had. Four days after losing to Southern University on a last-second touchdown, the Hornets once again are picking up the pieces and wondering what might have been.

Two weeks after dropping what would have been a division-clinching game to Alabama A&M, the Hornets had the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division title within their grasp once again Saturday.

Jackson State had pounded Alabama A&M, and for the second time in three weeks, the Hornets were on the verge of clinching a berth in the SWAC title game.

But J.P. Douglas drove the Jaguars 73 yards in just under three minutes. Brian McCain scored on a 1-yard plunge with nine seconds remaining to give Southern an improbable 26-23 victory.

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Alabama State highlights vs. Southern University on Saturday, Nov. 12.

For now, uncertain futures at Capital City Classic

Jackson, Miss. -- The Capital City Classic may be the final game for Jackson State coach Rick Comegy. The No. 21 Tigers (7-2, 6-2 SWAC) entertain Alcorn State (2-6, 1-6) on Saturday at 1 p.m at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Comegy’s contract expires after the Tigers’ season finale. School officials didn’t try to give him an extension during the season. Alcorn State coach Melvin Spears may also not return, as school officials plan to evaluate the program.

The former Tuskegee coach isn’t concerned about his contract status, only wanting Jackson State to beat its biggest rival. The Tigers defeated Mississippi Valley State earlier this season.

“It’s about playing football,” Comegy said in a SWAC Teleconference call. “We enjoy winning games at Jackson State. We want to win out and have the best season we possibly can.”

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Aggie-Eagle Classic 2011

Greensboro, North Carolina -- Dating all the way back to 1924, the N. C. A&T Aggies and the North Carolina Central Eagles will meet at the line of scrimmage to renew an 87-year-old rivalry.

The historical football game between A&T and the N. C. Central is perhaps one of the most anticipated, emotional, and oldest rivalry games in black college football.

"To me it's like a second homecoming of sorts," said Bonnie Newman Davis endowed A&T professor and alumna. The two teams played each other every year since 1924 except for six times. The last time they didn't meet was in 2006.

From 1994-2005 the two teams have met at a neutral site in Raleigh for the official "Aggie-Eagle Classic." However, now the game is technically no longer named the Aggie-Eagle Classic but is now just a regular season conference game, but the title since then has lived on.

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2011 SIAC Football Championship

The Albany State Golden Rams & The Miles College Golden Bears Battle For The Throne in The Inaugural SIAC Football Championship in Atlanta, GA.

Carter becomes breakout back at Morehouse

Marietta, Georgia -- Despite a successful career as a two-sport star at Sprayberry High School — excelling in football and baseball — David Carter thought it was all over once he graduated.

“I came in thinking that I would just go to school,” Carter said. “I thought my football career was over. My options were to go to Morehouse and maybe try to play baseball here. Or, I would go to (Kennesaw State) and walk on to their baseball team.”

Carter ultimately decided to enroll at Morehouse College, the historic black college in downtown Atlanta. He also decided to walk on to the football team and not the baseball team — a decision that has paid off.

Carter spent his freshman year in 2009 as a fourth-string running back, but injuries and eligibility issues near the end of the season allowed him to move up to No. 2 on the depth chart. He then earned his first chance to play for the Maroon Tigers in their final game of the ’09 season against Miles College. In that game, Carter finished with 133 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown on the way to a 13-3 win.



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The NCAA DII Football Championship Selection Show

Urban Sports Poll: Winston-Salem State 11-0 and top-ranked; Grambling hits top 10

Arlington, Texas— Winston-Salem State solidified its hold on the number one ranking in the Urban Sports News Black College Poll with its 38-18 victory over Elizabeth City State in the CIAA Conference Championship before 10,127 fans. The Rams ran their record to 11-0 and earned the number one seed in Super Region I of the NCAA D-II playoffs.

WSSU will have this weekend off and will await the winner of Saturday's game between Elizabeth City State and California (Pa.). The winner of that game will play the Rams at Bowman Gray Stadium at noon on Nov. 26. It is WSSU’s first appearance in the playoffs in 20 years.

                          USN Black College Football 2011 Poll: Week 11

Rank	Team	Record	Comment
1.	Winston-Salem State Rams	11-0	Beat Elizabeth City in CIAA Championship 38-18. Next Up: NCAA D-II playoffs.
2.	Norfolk State  Spartans	9-2	Won MEAC Championship outright with 49-14 beat down of Morgan State. Next Up:TBD
3.	Jackson State Tigers	8-2	Destroyed Alabama A&M 34-6. When Tigers are on, they can play with anyone. Next Up: Play Alcorn.
4.	Bethune-Cookman Wildcats	7-3	Defeated Savannah State 59-6. Next Up: FAMU in Florida Classic.
5.	Alabama State Hornets	7-3	Lost to Southern 26-23 on last second TD. Must hope for A&M loss to PV. Next Up: Tuskegee in Turkey Day Classic.
6.	FAMU Rattlers	7-3	Defeated North Central 34-10. Next Up: Meet Bethune in Florida Classic.
7.	Morehouse Maroon Tigers	8-2	Season Over.
8.	Alabama A&M Bulldogs	7-3	Blew chance to win SWAC East with 34-6 loss to Jackson State. Next Up: Travel to Prairie View for must win game.
9.	Grambling Tigers	6-4	G-Men have risen from the ashes. Grambling beat Texas Southern 29-25. Next Up: Meet Southern in Bayou Classic.
10.	Albany State Golden Rams	8-3	Lost SIAC Championship Game to Miles 20-17. Play at North Grenville State in D-II Playoffs.

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Miles College to play Johnson C. Smith in Pioneer Bowl

COLUMBUS, Georgia -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced Tuesday that Johnson C. Smith University and Miles College have been selected to play in the Dec. 3 Pioneer Bowl.  The game will be held at A.J. McClung Stadium in Columbus, with kickoff at noon.

Miles, under first-year head coach Reginald Ruffin, finished first in the SIAC West Division with a 5-2 record. Last week the Golden Bears won the inaugural SIAC Championship Game by upsetting Albany State to finish with a 7-4 record.

The Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls, led by head coach Steve Aycock, finished third in the CIAA Southern Division with a 5-5 overall record. They were 4-3 in conference play.

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Tillar leads ECSU Vikings turnaround

Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- At the end of the 2005 football season, Elizabeth City State football coach sat down with then-athletic director Dr. Edward McLean to discuss the direction of the Vikings football program. Given the state of the program at the time, no one would have been surprised if the Tillar era ended after three seasons.

“The pressure was not whether I was going to win or not, the pressure was whether I was going to stay here,” Tillar said. “If there is no improvement in your situation over a three-year period it looks kind of grim.”

Tillar’s record was an uninspiring 7-23 and his teams had been shut out eight times. ECSU football, which had just one winning record in the previous 14 seasons, was barely on the football map.

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CIAA Commissioner Retires

Leon G. Kerry Led Conference to Historic Level

HAMPTON, VA (11/15/2011) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and its Board of Directors announced today the retirement of Commissioner Leon G. Kerry for personal reasons effective immediately. Kerry, 63, had worked for the CIAA since 1988 and has been Commissioner of America’s oldest black college and university conference for the past twenty-two years.

“The CIAA Board of Directors would like to thank Leon for his years of service to this great conference. Our league has grown under his leadership and we are well-positioned to expand on that foundation”, stated Board President Dr. Mickey Burnim. Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator Monique Smith has been named interim commissioner.

Courtesy theCIAA.com

Davenport trying to steer SSU Tigers through tough times

Savannah, Georgia -- Steve Davenport remembers as a player going through a tough stretch at Georgia Tech. During coach Bobby Ross’ first two years, the Yellow Jackets won only one game against Division I-A competition.

But Ross stayed his course to turn the program around. He demanded discipline and 12 freshmen quit the team his first year. He demanded academics and nine players with bad grades were gone. During Davenport’s junior season in 1987 (Ross’ first), Tech went 2-9 and as a senior, the Jackets won three games.

“As a player, it was tough to understand,” Davenport said. “Some of the guys (Ross) brought in, we practiced against and they could play, but he was building for the future. In his grand scheme it worked out.”

Two years later, in 1990, Georgia Tech won the national championship.

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North Carolina Central visits for Wagner Seahawks' home opener

Staten Island, New York -- When Wagner College was scrambling to put another game on its schedule late this summer, the options that late in the process weren’t many.

Finally, just before the school year began, coach Dan Hurley received a hurried commitment from North Carolina Central, a program which graduated to Division I several seasons back and was about to begin its inaugural season in the MEAC.

It seemed, at first glance, like a pretty comfortable fit as a home opener for a team in a pinch. Until the Seahawks checked the fine print, that is.

The Division I newbie without a track record to check out turned out to be a team led by athletic forward Dominique Sutton, who went for 21 points and 10 rebounds against the Seahawks when he was wearing a Kansas State jersey in December of 2008.

11/16/2011 NCCU

at Wagner:

7:30 pm

Time Warner

Live Video

Live Stats

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Avenue of Opportunity

Savannah State finds first year in MEAC battle a ‘baptism’

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Regardless of the outcome, Saturday's regular-season finale at Theodore Wright Stadium against South Carolina State will conclude another losing campaign for Savannah State.

Since moving up to the Football Championship Subdivision level, the Tigers have compiled an 18-98 record. Their last winning season came in 1998 under former S.C. State offensive coordinator Daryl "Brick" McNeil as a member of the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Savannah State's results have not improved in their first season as a full-fledged member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Since rallying to defeat North Carolina Central 33-30 at home on Sept. 24, the Tigers (1-10, 1-6) have dropped six straight and have amassed a total of 18 points in getting held to single digits in their last four outings.

Nevertheless, first-year Savannah State head football coach Steve Davenport believes "the future's bright" for the program.

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READ RELATED ARTICLES:

Four S.C State basketball players hit with suspensions

S.C. State looks to close campaign on high note

Clemson hands S.C. State women an historic loss

Miller, Joseph help unbeaten Rush win 80-71 at Mobile

MOBILE, Alabama — Kevin Miller scored a career-high 20 points Monday, and Wanto Joseph had a season-high 16 to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to an 80-71 men's basketball victory at Mobile.

The Gold Rush (3-0) took the lead for good in the 18th minute when Miller grabbed an offensive rebound, then passed to Jamaan Kenner for a 3-pointer and a 37-35 advantage. Xavier led 44-41 at halftime and held its biggest lead, 73-59, on an Anthony Simmons basket with 2:39 remaining.

Miller reached double figures for the first time this season and shattered his previous career best of 13 points. Joseph, a 5-foot-9 reserve point guard and the team's shortest player, is the only XU player to reach double figures in all three regular-season games.

Ji Kimbrough scored 27 points, 17 in the first half, and made 14-of-14 free throws for Mobile (2-1), and Jonathan Tinch scored 15. The Rams were the preseason favorite in the Southern States Athletic Conference West Division.

Both teams shot 44 percent from the floor. Xavier made 28-of-37 free throws, and Mobile made 20-of-24. Cordell Hadnot grabbed a season-best eight rebounds for Xavier, which had a 35-30 advantage on the boards.

Eleven Gold Rush players scored, including Simmons with nine points and seven rebounds and Kenner with season highs of eight points and two 3-pointers.

Brock Dockery's basket with 18:18 remaining reduced Xavier's lead to 47-45, but the Rush followed with an 11-2 run which included a Miller 3-pointer, two Denzell Erves baskets and three Chris Iles assists. Xavier led by at least seven points for the final 8:52.

The Gold Rush have won four straight and seven of eight against Mobile and lead the series 29-26. The teams will meet again Dec. 6 at The Barn.

Xavier will play Wiley for homecoming at 2 p.m. Saturday at The Barn, and PSBlive.com will webcast that game and the XU women's contest against Huston-Tillotson at noon.

NOTES: Kimbrough scored eight points in the final 2:31 after Xavier established its largest lead . . . The Gold Rush are 3-0 for the 10th consecutive season . . . The XU men have won 34 of their past 41 games and are 10-3 on opponents' courts during that time . . . Xavier's four consecutive victories against Mobile match its longest streak in the series . . . It's the first time in 10 games that either team reached 80 points in the series, and it's the first time in 13 games that both teams reached 70 . . . Iles, a 17-point scorer Friday at home against St. Thomas (Fla.), didn't score again after making 2-of-2 free throws in the second minute. He's 12-of-12 from the line this season and has made 16 in a row dating to this past season . . . Simmons grabbed five offensive rebounds, giving him 14 in three games. Simmons needed nine games in 2010-11 to reach 14 offensive rebounds . . . The Gold Rush are 10-1 against five former Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents — Mobile, Belhaven, Loyola, Spring Hill and William Carey — since they left the league in the summer of 2010 to join the Southern States. Xavier, Belhaven, Spring Hill and William Carey were GCAC charter members in 1981-82.

Box score

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

NEXT GAME:  Saturday, November 19 — Women's Basketball vs. Huston-Tillotson, noon    FREE VIDEO STREAMING -- live on internet   •   live stats
Saturday, November 19 — Men's Basketball vs. Wiley, 2 p.m.  FREE VIDEO STREAMING -- live on internet   •   live stats

Pough feeling letdown of 'only' a 7-4 season, no 4th straight MEAC title

Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Celebrating a 10th straight winning season was not on the top of South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough's postgame plans on Saturday.

The relief Pough had in seeing the Bulldogs rally from a 14-3 deficit to defeat North Carolina A&T 30-22 in the team's 2011 finale at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium was accompanied by a sense of disappointment. For the first time in four years, S.C. State's offseason will not include a playoff appearance and ring-sizing for another Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.

"I think it's gone kind of medium," Pough said about the current season. "We haven't been good enough. We haven't been bad enough. Kind of medium. That's what it is. It's not quite up to standards for South Carolina State. I can tell you we're not satisfied. But at the same time, it is what it is."

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EMU Heads to Houston for Road Game with Texas Southern

YPSILANTI, Michigan - The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will square off against the Texas Southern Tigers Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the first of four games the Eagles will play in during the Auto Owners Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State University. Game time is 7 p.m. in Texas Southern's H & PE Building in Houston, Texas. After Tuesday's outing the Eagles will have three more games as part of the invitational. Eastern will host Arkansas-Little Rock Friday, Nov. 18, before traveling to Indianapolis, Ind. to meet IUPUI Sunday, Nov. 20. Eastern closes out the Auto Owners Spartan Invitational Sunday, Nov. 27, with a home game against the Michigan State University Spartans. Game time for that MSU contest is noon in the Convocation Center.

MURPHY ERA STARTS WITH A WIN: The Rob Murphy Era of Eastern Michigan University men's basketball opened successfully as the Eagles downed the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames, 68-57, Friday, Nov. 11, in the Convocation Center. The Eagles rallied from six-points down in the second half to record the win.

FAMILIAR FACE: When the Eagles travel to Houston, Texas for Wednesday's, Nov. 15, matchup with the Texas Southern University, Nov. 15, there will be a familiar face on the opposition's sideline. TSU Head Coach Tony Harvey, now in his fourth season, was an assistant men's basketball coach at EMU for a three-year period, from 1996-99. He has a 43-55 record at Texas Southern and led his team to the 2010-11 Southwest Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the post-season NIT.

FOR THE 115th TIME: The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team kicked off its 115th season of competition Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, when the Eagles posted a 68-57 win over the Flames of the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) in a 7 p.m. game in the Convocation Center. Eastern played its first season in 1897-98 and split games with Detroit, losing a 2-0 decision before coming back for a 4-0 victory. The Eagles are are 67-48 in season openers.

38th MAC SEASON: The 2011-12 season will also be the 38th for the Eagles in the Mid-American Conference. The first year of MAC play for EMU was 1974-75 when the then-Hurons went 12-14 overall and 4-9 in league play.

EMU has won three Mid-American Conference titles: 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1995-96, and the Green and White captured MAC Tournament crowns in all three of those years in addition to winning the tournament title in 1997-98.

CHECKING THE SERIES: EMU and Texas Southern are meeting for the first time Tuesday, Nov. 15, when the two teams square off in the H & PE Arena in Hoston, Texas.

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CIAA championship game is a hit

DURHAM, North Carolina -- It wasn't hard to spot commissioner Leon Kerry of the CIAA during the championship game at overflowing Durham County Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He was the one wearing the ear-to-ear smile.

The great experiment known as the football championship game reached a pinnacle with more than 10,000 people cramming into the stadium to watch Winston-Salem State beat Elizabeth City State 38-18 in what many described as one of the best atmospheres in recent memory for a CIAA game.

After all tickets were sold, late-arriving fans were reduced to watching from a hill just outside the stadium. "This was a great game and a great facility and a dream come true with how this worked out," Kerry said on the field after presenting the trophy to WSSU.

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Stetson Hats rout FAMU Rattlers for rare 2-0 start

Tallahassee, Florida -- Stetson routed Florida A&M, 78-60, on Monday night to open the season with two consecutive victories for the first time since the 1952-53 season. The win was also the first non-conference road victory for the Hatters since an 89-79 victory at Wake Forest to start the 2010-11 season.

It wasn't always pretty, though. Stetson turned the ball over 26 times, but FAMU (0-2) gave the ball back 19 times. Stetson was able to build a lead by beating the Rattlers on the boards to the tune of a 54-31 advantage.

"If you put the entire 40 minutes together tonight, it was significantly better than the first game," Hatters coach Casey Alexander said. "We all know there is miles and miles of improvement left to go."

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FAMU men's basketball falls to Stetson

Tallahassee, Florida -- Midway through the second half, FAMU guard Avery Moore went to the free throw line to shoot two shots for a technical called against Stetson University on Monday night.  He missed the second one, then rolled his eyed toward the ceiling of the Lawson Center as he mumbled a few words not suitable for printing.

Such was the kind of night that the Rattlers had as they fell 78-60. They just couldn't get their shots to fall on a night when they could have used some sure points from Amin Stevens, Brandon Hosely and Chris Watson. Eligibility issues forced them to watch from the bench.

The Rattlers tried getting its points from behind the arc. They got 2 of 16. They tried jumpers, lay-ups. Nothing worked, especially in the second half.

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Norfolk State University MEAC Championship Postgame

Analysis: Norfolk State has waited ... and waited for this

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Twenty-seven years ago, an NCAA championship football bracket included Norfolk State for the first and only time. Those 1984 Spartans, coach Willard Bailey's first team, went 10-1 in their CIAA championship season. They departed the Division II tournament field in the first round, however, on a 10-point loss to Towson State.

But they would be back soon; of course they would. Isn't that how players and coaches and teams and programs are trained to think, to feel, to believe? As six head coaches came to know - seven if you include a guy who once took the job and almost immediately gave it back - "soon" didn't happen.



But maybe that makes Norfolk State's pending postseason return, secured by a 47-14 triumph Saturday at Morgan State that locked down the MEAC title, the purest of nectars to a long-famished fan base. Because it was for this renown that the Spartans (9-2, 7-1) made their then-controversial jump from Division II to the I-AA MEAC in 1997.

And it's for this turn in the national spotlight in two weeks - as 1 of 20 teams in what's now known as the Football Championship Subdivision tournament - that athletic director Marty Miller, among many, has waited.     And waited.

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