Alabama A&M football: Defense turns back UAPB in SWAC opener

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas - Alabama A&M's defense turned back Arkansas-Pine Bluff at virtually every turn, while its offense scored just enough to help the Bulldogs eke out their second win in as many games Saturday night.

Brawnski Towns' defensive unit held the Golden Lions to three points despite five trips inside their 16-yard line and Kaderius Lacey scored a pair of touchdowns as A&M hung on for a 14-10 victory before an announced crowd of 9,500 at Golden Lions Stadium in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

"Our defense played huge and kept them out of the end zone time after time after time," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We had some success on offense when we needed to and then was able to run out the clock at the end. It was a great team win for us."

A&M improved to 2-0 for the first since 2009. The Bulldogs are 1-0 in league play. UAPB fell to 1-1 and 0-1.

Things didn't look good for A&M early on. The Golden Lions got on the board first on their first possession of the game when C.J. Branch scored on a 1-yard run and Tyler Strickland kicked the extra point to give UAPB a 7-0 lead less than six minutes into the game.

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Buffalo Bulls blow past Morgan State Bears

BUFFALO, New York  -  For the fourth time in four seasons the feel-good game on the University at Buffalo football schedule sent positive vibes surging throughout UB Stadium.

Running back Bo Oliver plowed through the defense like he had commandeered a John Deere tractor. You know, one of the really big ones.

Quarterback Alex Zordich and top wideout Alex Neutz made like Montana and Rice or, if you prefer, Willy and Roosevelt.

Backup QB Joe Licata, the former Williamsville South star, threw a TD pass on his first collegiate attempt.



Backup running back James Potts rolled 49 yards to a TD on his second collegiate carry (and then injured himself in the celebration).

And UB rolled up the most points in its FBS history to tantalize a crowd of 15,570 with a 56-34 stroll over Morgan State, which had plenty of ammo but couldn't guard the fort.

"It's been 295 days since the Akron win," said coach Jeff Quinn, referencing UB's last victory. "I told these guys that we wanted to really head out of there tonight feeling good about all three phases of our team. There are some things offensively that were just tremendous accomplishments. ... (But) we got to get better at stopping the run."

UB records fell like the rains that drenched Western New York earlier Saturday. Oliver went for 238 yards and two touchdowns to break the single-game FBS mark of 235 he set last year. And he also had about 70 yards worth of runs negated by penalties.

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ELON 34, NCCU 14: Rising Phoenix leave Eagles in ashes

ELON, North Carolina — N.C. Central on Saturday night looked like it switched places with the Division II team it handled in its season opener. The Eagles just couldn’t get going and fell to Elon 34-14.

The score wasn’t necessarily indicative of the way Elon dominated the game.

“We stunk it up,” NCCU coach Henry Frazier III said. Frazier in particular was talking about the way NCCU’s offense performed, gaining a grand total of 27 rushing yards and 83 passing yards. But the Eagles as a unit just didn’t bring it, either, Frazier said.

“There were a lot of opportunities out here to make plays out here tonight, and we just didn’t,” Frazier said. “Elon seemed to be a step faster than us to all the loose balls, to just the intensity-level plays, and they made those plays.”

Elon in Week 1 got clobbered 62-0 by North Carolina, a Football Bowl Subdivision team. NCCU started the season with a 54-31 win over Fayetteville State, a Division II program.

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Bethune-Cookman rallies past South Carolina State for big MEAC win

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - In its first game, Bethune-Cookman overcame a 21-0 deficit to defeat Alabama State 38-28. On Saturday, The Wildcats followed the same formula to upend Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference power South Carolina State 27-14 in Orangeburg, S.C.

After falling behind 14-0 early, B-CU (2-0, 1-0) scored 27 unanswered points, shutting down the Bulldogs (1-1, 0-1) in the final three quarters.

It was B-CU coach Brian Jenkins' second straight win in Orangeburg. In his first season at B-CU two years ago, the Wildcats ended the Bulldogs' 21-game MEAC winning streak with a 14-0 victory.

B-CU quarterback Brock Waters provided a spark off the bench for the second consecutive week. But this time starter Jackie Wilson returned late in the third quarter and led the Wildcats to their final score.

Dion Hanks had two interceptions, including a pick in the Wildcats' end zone with 1:55 left to all but clinch the victory. South Carolina State turned the ball over four times.

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A&T sets program points record in 77-0 win over West Virginia State

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  -  N.C. A&T set a school single-game scoring record Saturday night and demolished West Virginia State 77-0 in a nonconference mismatch.

The Aggies had 10 rushing touchdowns, running for 313 yards. Six players rushed for touchdowns. Dominique Drake scored three times while Mike Mayhew and Lewis Kindle each scored twice. Ricky Phillips returned an interception 19 yards for one of the Aggies' 11 touchdowns.

After a season-opening loss to Coastal Carolina, A&T toyed with the Division II Yellow Jackets (1-1). Drake, Kindle and Mayhew each rushed for a touchdown in the first quarter. They did so again in the second period. It was 42-0 at halftime.

The Aggies scored four more touchdowns in the third quarter.

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A&T Runs Away From WVSU

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  -  They tried not to do it. They certainly didn't want to do it. But in the end, they did it. The men of the North Carolina A&T football team embarrassed West Virginia State Saturday night at Aggie Stadium. The Aggies tied a school record with 11 touchdowns, and they set a school record for single-game points in a 77-0 home opener win.

Seven different Aggies, including five different running backs, scored for A&T on Saturday. Running back Dominique Drake scored a career-high three touchdowns and running back Mike Mayhew and quarterback Lewis Kindle scored twice in the blowout.

It was the Aggies (1-1) first shutout since beating N.C. Central 25-0 on Aug. 31, 2003. In a twist of irony, the head football coach for the Eagles that day was Rod Broadway.

"It got out of hand," said Broadway, who is now the head man at North Carolina A&T. "But they helped us. They threw some interceptions, they turned the ball over and they got a punt blocked. They just made a lot of mistakes that made it look this way. But I'm not going to apologize for beating them. It's not my responsibility to stop us."

A&T was merciful. The Aggies led 70-0 going into fourth quarter thanks to a 28-yard touchdown run by Chauncey Burgess. Redshirt freshman Dequan Swann opened the fourth quarter by blocking Cory Broughton's punt to give the Aggies the ball at the WVSU 2-yard line. Instead of going for the scoring record at that moment, the Aggies coaching staff had backup quarterback Kwashaun Quick take four straight knees to give the Yellow Jackets the ball back on downs.

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No. 21 Ouachita Baptist thumps Stillman, 31-0

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama | A potent running attack and strong defensive performance by No. 21 Ouachita Baptist led to a 31-0 rout of Stillman College on Saturday.

Stillman’s defense proved unable to keep the Ouachita offense, which scored 55 points last week on Northwestern Oklahoma State, from the end zone, as the visiting Tigers scored three touchdowns on the ground and Chris Rycraw was able to run for 94 yards and two of the scores on 23 carries.

“I think if you look at it in a double picture, it wasn’t that we had a problem stopping it, it’s just that they executed well,” Stillman coach Teddy Keaton said. “We couldn’t execute at the rate that they were executing. They were nickel- and dime-ing, but it wasn’t any explosive runs or anything like that. They just made plays when they needed to make plays. That’s what the No. 21 team in the country is supposed to do.”

Stillman’s defense played better against the pass than it did against the run, with one notable exception: Ouachita’s Brett Reece, who had nine receptions for 114 yards and scored on a 24-yard catch. However, it wasn’t as if Reece was being left open. Often, he fought off double coverage or strong Stillman efforts to prevent him from making a catch.

“It was the back-shoulder throws. The quarterback made some good ...

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WSSU holds off Concord 30-22

ATHENS, West Virginia -- Eighth-ranked Winston-Salem State survived the weather and pesky Concord on Saturday afternoon.

The Rams came away with a rain-plagued 30-22 victory thanks to a defense that put a lot of pressure on quarterback Zack Grossi and an offense that did just enough. The Rams improved to 2-0 and will play their final nonconference game Saturday against Morehouse in Cleveland.

"We knew this wouldn't be easy," coach Connell Maynor of WSSU said. "This was a playoff-caliber team we played and we knew it was going to be like a playoff game. There was rough weather and some wind, and it's a case where you just have to be solid in everything you do."

The Rams were especially solid in the fourth quarter as they clung to a 14-7 lead. The first big play of the quarter was turned in by running back Brandon McDonald — who earlier in the game threw a touchdown pass to Jamal Williams on a halfback option.

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Mistakes doom Mountain Lions

ATHENS — A very good football team will capitalize on key injuries and multiple mistakes by their opponent. That’s what the Rams of Winston-Salem State University did Saturday afternoon on Concord University’s home field, taking a 30-22 road win over the Mountain Lions in a game that was drenched by rain midway through.

"We were able to weather the storm,” said Rams head coach Connell Maynor."
Concord (1-1) had nine penalties for 108 yards, achieved just 11 first downs, and had to punt nine times against the Rams (2-0), ranked eighth nationally in last week’s Division II poll.

The starting right guard for the Mountain Lions, Cody Parker, could not play due to a stress fracture in his foot suffered earlier in the week. Cornerback-kick returner Riyadh Richardson left in the first quarter with a hurt ankle. Running back Andrew Gondor limped off after four rushes for seven yards.

And Concord had 19 yards rushing, not counting a loss of 32 when punter Brad Cox had to track down a high snap in his own end zone, resulting in a safety.



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XU Nuggets defeat MC for 2-0 start in Belhaven Tournament

JACKSON, Miss. — Taylor Reuther had 14 kills and 10 digs Friday, and Xavier University of Louisiana climbed out of a third-set hole to earn a 25-20, 25-22, 28-26 women's volleyball victory against Mississippi College in the Belhaven Tournament.

It was the third consecutive victory for the Gold Nuggets (3-2) and their second of the day in this event. It's the first time in the program's five-year history that Xavier was 2-0 in one day against non-conference opponents.

Reuther, a sophomore, produced her third consecutive double-double and, for the first time in her Xavier career, had two in one day. Teammate Chinedu Echebelem barely missed her third double-double of the season, finishing with 11 kills and nine digs.

Box score

The Gold Nuggets built nine-point leads and held off late Mississippi College rallies in each of the first two sets. Then the Lady Choctaws (3-3) seized the momentum in the third set, scoring the first nine points and leading 16-4 after five XU attack errors and a combined seven kills from Rachel Janssen and Rachel Farmer.

But Xavier rallied to close the match, getting a combined 10 kills from Reuther and Echebelem and four aces from freshman setter Franziska Pirkl in a stretch of six serves. Pirkl's serving was part of an 8-0 run which closed MC's lead to 18-17. The Nuggets took their first lead at 23-22 on an Echebelem ace, then they squandered three match points before Echebelem clinched with consecutive kills.

Xavier scored eight points on blocks to compensate for a second set in which the Nuggets had more attack errors (12) than kills (11). Freshman Claudia Haywood produced one solo block and six assists and had two blocks in the final four rallies after MC reduced Xavier's 18-9 lead to 22-21.

Pirkl finished with five aces, the most by a Nugget in a match this season. Freshmen produced half of Xavier's 48 digs, with Darian Harris leading that class with eight.

Sarah Farmer had nine kills and Holly Tupper 18 digs for Mississippi College, an NCAA Division III member.

Xavier and Belhaven, the only teams to go 2-0 Friday, will meet in the final match of the tournament at 4 p.m. Saturday. Xavier will play Rust at noon.

NOTES: XU statistical leaders for the day included Reuther with 24 kills and 24 digs and Pirkl with seven aces and 44 assists . . . Xavier is 4-0 all-time against Mississippi College, but this was the teams' first meeting since 2003, the Nuggets' first season . . . The Nuggets are 12-1 in neutral-site matches since Christabell Hamilton became XU coach in 2011 . . . It's the first time since 2004 that the Nuggets won twice in a regular-season tournament and the first time that the Nuggets won their first two matches of a regular-season tourney.

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

Xavier cross country preseason information

NEW ORLEANS  -  Xavier University of Louisiana's men's and women's cross country teams will open the 2012 season Saturday morning in the Loyola Wolfpack Invitational at Lafreniere Park in Metairie, La. It will be XU's only local appearance of the season. Click the following links to read season preview information on both teams.

 

Women: www.xula.edu/athletics/wcc/preview

Men: www.xula.edu/athletics/mcc/preview

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

UNI Panthers Set For Home Opener Against Central State

#7/#8 University of Northern Iowa vs. Central State (Ohio)
Game #2: Sat. Sept. 8, 2012 6:00 p.m. (Central)
Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)
Television: KWWL (Ch. 7.3) Cedar Falls Utilities (Ch. 15)
Radio: Panther Sports Network

UNI Football Notes

The Game

The University of Northern Iowa Panthers will host their home opener for the 2012 season against the Central State Marauders. The Panthers will enter the game at No.7 in the FCS Coaches Poll. This is the 114th season of football for the UNI Panthers.

The Series

The home opener for the Panthers and the Marauders will mark the first time in both programs' history that the teams have met. The Panthers have not played a team from the NCAA Division II since 2007 when they defeated Minnesota State-Mankato 41-14.

The Coaches

Head coach Mark Farley is entering his 12th season with a mark of 99-40. He has guided the Panthers to a record of 60-20 for an impressive .750 winning percentage in MVFC play. He has led the team to seven conference championships, seven playoff appearances, 10 top-25 final rankings, three national semifinal appearances and one national title game appearance.

Ester James Junior, III is current head coach of Central State University. He is a former American professional football player who was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft, playing in 13 NFL seasons from 1981-1993 for the Cardinals, the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Seattle Seahawks.

The Program

• The Panthers currently have an all-time record of 620-384-47.
  
• The Panthers have been present in 16 playoffs, seven semifinals and one championship game.
  
• UNI has been ranked in the Top 25 in 94 consecutive polls, dating back to Nov. 15, 2004. The Panthers are five weeks shy of setting an all-time Missouri Valley Football Conference record for consecutive weeks in the polls.
  
• UNI had seven players participating in NFL camps during the 2012 preseason including, Brandon Keith, Ryan Mahaffey, Chad Rinehart, Austin Howard, L.J. Fort, Austin Wells and Brad Meester.

Looking Forward

This will be the second week in a row that the Panthers have never met their opponent. This will also serve as the first time UNI has met a team from the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Central State Marauders

The Central State Marauders finished the season 1-10 overall with a 0.091 winning percentage. They finished 0-3 at home, 1-5 on the road and 0-2 at neutral sites. Their one win came against conference foe Kentucky Wesleyan College on Oct. 29 when they won 36-0.

Full House

The game against Wisconsin is the largest crowd (79,568) that the Panthers have played in front of in the program's history. The next largest crowd the Panthers have played against was 70,585 against Iowa in 2005 and 2009.

Starting The Season

Jenks, Okla. native and redshirt freshman quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen has been named the starter for the Panthers. Kollmorgen will become the fifth freshman to start at quarterback in UNI history. The last time a UNI freshman quarterback started against an FBS opponent, the Panthers defeated Ball State, 42-39. Tom Petrie started against Ball State on Sept. 22, 2001, and guided the Panthers to a victory in that game. The last time a UNI freshman quarterback started a season opener came when Tom Petrie opened up the 2001 season with a 34-14 victory over Wayne State (Mich.) on Aug. 30, 2001.

First Quarter Showdown

Only one team during the 2011 season was able to keep Wisconsin from scoring a touchdown in the first quarter. Illinois and Wisconsin went scoreless in the first quarter of their match-up last season. The Panthers held the Badgers to a mere three points during the first quarter.

Big Boot

Senior punter Kyle Bernard opened his season with a thunderous 51-yard punt in the first quarter and a 50-yard punt in the third quarter. During the 2011 season he finished the season with nine 50-plus yard punts.

Among the Few

Ohio and Illinois were the only two teams during the 2011 season to keep Wisconsin under the 14-point mark at halftime. The Panthers limited the Badgers to only two field goals and a late second quarter touchdown.

First time for Everything

Chad Owens scored his first receiving touchdown in his collegiate career against Wisconsin. He notched a rushing touchdown during the 2011 season.

Career High

Wilmot Wellington finished the game with 15 tackles and a new career high. His previous career high tackles was against Wofford last season with 12.

Competing Hard

In 2009, the Panthers were narrowly defeated by No. 21 Iowa 17-16. This game will serve as the second closest deficit by the Panthers against a ranked FBS opponent.

Big Time Receptions

The game against Wisconsin counts as David Johnson's first career multi-reception touchdown game. It was his fifth multiple touchdown game in his career.

MVFC Player of the Week

The Panthers garnered two MVFC honors after the first week of play with Sawyer Kollmorgen being named the MVFC Newcomer of the Week and Garrett Scott being named the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week. Kollmorgen opened his freshman campaign against a strong

Wisconsin defense and finished with 18-of-34 completed passes, 265 yards and three touchdowns. Scott helped the UNI Panthers keep the Wisconsin Badgers fewer than 30 points for only the third time in the last year. He notched 15 tackles against the high powered Badger offense including six solo and nine assisted.

National Attention

The Panthers are already gaining national attention after their performance against Wisconsin. Sawyer Kollmorgen was chosen as part of The Sports Network FCS National Player of the Week. He was chosen as the Co-Freshman of the week for his stellar outing against Wisconsin.

Getting in the Game

Forty-seven different Panthers made their season debut against the Badgers last Saturday. Among the group that saw action in the game were 10 freshmen.

Racking up the Points

Junior kicker Tyler Sievertsen has scored at least three points (field goals or extra points) in 14 consecutive games. He finished second inthe FCS in field goal percentage at 90 percent last season.

Game Recap

The Panthers put on a second half show for the 79, 568 crowd at Camp Randall this past Saturday as UNI rallied from a 19-point deficit against Wisconsin, but were narrowly defeated 21-26 on the last UNI drive. Redshirt freshman quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen caught his rhythm late in the third quarter and ended up completing 18-34 passes for 265 yards.

Opening Day

UNI is 57-50-7 all-time in season openers and 14-9 in the last 21 years. UNI is 6-5 in season openers under head coach Mark Farley. The last time UNI opened the season with a road win came in 2006, when the Panthers defeated Drake. The last time UNI opened the season with a road win over an FBS opponent came in 1998, when the Panthers tallied a 13-10 win at Eastern Michigan.

Home Sweet Dome

UNI is 183-45-1 in the UNI-Dome. The Panthers have gone undefeated at home in a season eight times since 1990. Prior to 1998, the Panthers had two consecutive winning seasons in the Dome. The Panthers have posted four perfect seasons at home under head coach Mark Farley. The Panthers are 73-13 in home Missouri Valley Football Conference games.

2011 Inside the Dome

The Panthers finished the 2011 season with a 6-0 record inside the Dome, including a decisive win against Wofford in the FCS playoffs.

Mr. 2000

Senior running back Carlos Anderson currently has 1,941 total rushing yards that span over his exciting career as a Panther. Anderson is just 59 yards shy of hitting the 2,000 mark and only 456 yards shy of being on the Panther's All-Time Career Rushing Top-10 list.

Punting for the Top

Senior punter Kyle Bernard is currently sitting on a 41.6 yard career average and 5,837 yards total. That puts him in second place in the UNI Football Career Punting All-Time Top-10 under Clay Netusil who was the Panther punter from 1984-1986.

Defense Counts

UNI is 70-5 in the Mark Farley era (2001-present) when holding the opposition to 20 points or less.

The 2012 Panther Defense - Returning Starters

Chris Jepsen recorded 27 total tackles including nine solo tackles and 18 assisted tackles during 2011. Garrett Scott finished the 2011 season with 105 total tackles including 55 solo tackles, 50 assisted tackles, four interceptions and nine pass breakups. Wilmot Wellington finished his 2011 campaign with 59 total tackles, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery. Varmah Sonie finished the 2011 season with 17 punt returns for 147 yards and a total of 177 all-purpose yards. He completed the season with 70 total tackles including 37 solo tackles and 33 assisted tackles. He had three interceptions and seven pass breakups. J.J. Swain recorded 69 total tackles including 45 solo tackles and 24 assisted tackles, three tackles for loss of yards, three interceptions and three pass breakups.

Offensive Threat

UNI is 65-3 in the Mark Farley years when scoring 30 or more points in a game.

The 2012 Panther Offense - Returning Starters

Terrell Sinkfield recorded 28 receptions for 464 yards and six touchdowns during 2011. His longest reception was for 40 yards against MSU and SSU. Carlos Anderson accumulated 77 carries for 410 yards and four receptions for 33 yards during his 2011 campaign. His longest rush was for 57 yards against South Dakota State. He returned 24 kicks for 555 yards and recorded 1,003 all-purpose yards. David Johnson finished the 2011 season with 179 carries for 822 yards and nine touchdowns and 33 receptions for 422 yards and three touchdowns.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS

ODU, Hampton resume '757' football rivalry

HAMPTON, Virginia - It was a natural, born of geography and the area's obsession with football. An ambitious start-up and an established college program separated by just 13 miles. It made too much sense for Hampton and Old Dominion not to play each other.

But as HU and the Monarchs prepare for their third meeting, 6 p.m. Saturday at Armstrong Stadium, the landscape has changed.

ODU is in its final year in the Football Championship Subdivision, on its way to Conference USA and the Bowl Subdivision. Meanwhile, HU remains firmly entrenched as a signature program in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference.



"I like the game," ODU coach Bobby Wilder said. "I think it's a good football game. I've said from the first day I was hired, playing Hampton, playing Norfolk State, that's exciting to me. It's changed a little bit now that we're making the transition to the FBS, because I don't see how we'll be able to play on a regular basis.

"I'm hoping we can still at some point be able to schedule these games and play these games. I think it's good for the area. I think there's some excitement to it. I know we're excited to play Hampton and I get the impression they're excited to play us."

Hampton-ODU has become a quasi-rivalry, fueled by familiarity and location. Both rosters are heavy with local players. Recruiting sometimes overlaps.

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Howard Coach stresses mental edge

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey - Howard squeezed out a close win last weekend in its season opener against Morehouse. Freshman quarterback Jamie Cunningham led a 30-29 victory en route to being named MEAC Rookie of the Week. But the Rutgers football team is not Morehouse, and Howard head coach Gary Harrell knows that.

“We know it’s going to be a situation where they’re bigger, supposedly stronger,” he said. “I just think it’s going to be mind over matter. We just have to be mentally into the game.”

On paper, the Scarlet Knights have a clear advantage, the most glaring difference being the subdivision. Rutgers is a BCS school while Howard is an FCS school. Although BCS schools are traditionally more powerful than FCS schools, Knights head coach Kyle Flood sees the two subdivisions mixing as a positive.

“You get one more Saturday experience for the fan base in your area,” Flood said. “I think it gives the FCS opponent a great opportunity to showcase their program.”



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Rutgers closing in on sellout for home opener Saturday against Howard

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey - Rutgers' prospects for its first home crowd of 50,000-plus in two years is moving closer to a reality, with a school official saying just 4,000 seats remain for Saturday's home opener against Howard at High Point Solutions Stadium.

The crowd is expected to be bolstered by a strong showing from the students, with nearly 10,000 students claiming tickets.

High Point Solutions Stadium has a capacity of 52.454, but the last home crowd to top 50,000 was on Sept. 25, 2010 against North Carolina, when the attendance was 52,038. It was announced as a sellout.

The game against Howard, a MEAC school that plays at the FCS level, is the team's only home game this month.

Rutgers averaged 43,761 for its seven home games last season compared to an average of 46,195 during 2010.

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ROAD TRIP SATURDAY: HBCU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

SWAC
Grambling State @ #17Texas Christian 7pm
Texas Southern @ North Texas 7pm (ESPN3)
Alcorn State @ James Madison 6pm
Mississippi Valley @ Alabama State 7pm
Alabama A&M @ Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7pm
Jackson State @ Tennessee State at Memphis, TN 7pm
Prairie View A&M @ Lamar 8pm
Southern (Open)

MEAC
Howard @ Rutgers 3:30pm (GAMEPLAN/ESPN3)
Delaware State @ Delaware 3:30pm (NBC Sports Network)
Morgan State @ Buffalo  6pm
Savannah State @ #6Florida State 6pm (ESPN3)
Florida A&M @ #5Oklahoma 7pm
West Virginia State @ North Carolina A&T 6pm
Bethune-Cookman @ South Carolina State 6pm (ESPN3)
North Carolina Central @ Elon 7pm
Norfolk State @ Liberty 7pm (GAMEPLAN/ESPN3)
Old Dominion @ Hampton  6pm



SIAC
Bowie State 28 @ Benedict  14 (CBS Sports Network) Thursday 
Johnson C. Smith @ Tuskegee at Atlanta, GA  7:30 pm
Fort Valley State @ Valdosta State  7 pm
Kentucky Wesleyan @ Kentucky State7 pm
Ouachita Baptist @ Stillman  6 pm
Morehouse @ Edward Waters  3 pm
Albany State @ Wingate  1:30 pm
Miles @ Shaw  1 pm
Clark-Atlanta @ Lane 3pm

CIAA
Livingstone @ Catawba  12:00 noon
New Haven @ Saint Augustine's  1:30 pm
Chowan @ Virginia Military 1:30 pm
Delta State @ Elizabeth City State  6 pm
Virginia Union @ Brevard  6 pm
Fayetteville State @ North Carolina-Pembroke 6 pm
West Liberty State @ Virgina State  4pm
Winston Salem State @ Concord  1pm
Lincoln (Pa.) @ Wofford  7pm

OTHERS
Central State (Ohio) @ Northern Iowa  7 pm
Lincoln (Mo.) @ Truman State 8 pm
Indiana (Pa.) @ Cheyney  1pm
Southern Arkansas @ Texas College



ALL TIMES SHOWN ARE 'Eastern Time'

SIAC champion Miles seeks to make turnaround the norm

FAIRFIELD, Alabama -- Perhaps no one symbolized Miles' dramatic turnaround in 2011 more than quarterback David Thomas.

In his first season as a starter, Thomas passed for 2,088 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 489 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading the Golden Bears to their first SIAC championship since 1985 and their first bowl game appearance.

"I did well," Thomas said modestly. "It took a lot of hard work. I thank the coaching staff and my teammates for hanging in there with me."

Thomas' performance wasn't overlooked. As the senior from Opelika embarks on the 2012 season, he does so as the first-team quarterback on the preseason All-SIAC team. For Thomas, that just means even more work.

Reuther, Kirk, Williams produce timely hits to sweep PCC

JACKSON, Miss. — Taylor Reuther, Moira Kirk and CeCe Williams combined for 28 kills and a .556 hitting percentage Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-15, 25-20, 25-8 women's volleyball victory against Pensacola Christian in the Belhaven Tournament.

The victory was the second in a row for the Gold Nuggets (2-2), who will play Mississippi College at 5 p.m. Friday in its second of four tournament matches.

Reuther had 10 kills, a .529 hitting percentage in 17 attacks, 14 digs and three aces. Kirk and Williams each had nine kills and one error in 14 attacks for a .571 hitting percentage. Williams, a freshman, recorded a season high for kills.

Xavier produced 47 kills and hit a season-best .344 — .509 during the final two sets — in its first match in 13 days. The Gold Nuggets were off seven straight days because of Hurricane Isaac, which made landfall on the Louisiana coast Aug. 28. They resumed practice Sunday but postponed a Tuesday match against city rival Loyola.

Williams had four first-set kills to lead the Nuggets, and freshman setter Franziska Pirkl had two kills and two aces during a 9-2 run which extended Xavier's lead to 17-9. Another freshman, Darian Harris, had nine digs and finished with 12 to reach double figures for the second consecutive match.

Reuther and Kerris Crier had four kills apiece in the second set. Kirk had seven kills in eight swings in the third set, and Reuther served three aces. In the final set Xavier scored seven of the first eight points and closed with a 12-1 run which included three kills apiece from Kirk and Reuther. Williams ended the match with a kill.

It was the season opener for Pensacola Christian, a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association, and the first meeting between the schools.

Box score

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

Lane Dragons open SIAC play today at home

JACKSON, Tennessee - Last year’s Lane College football team wasn’t ready to beat Clark Atlanta University, losing 21-3 in the second week of the season.  Today, Lane (1-0) tries to reverse the result with a victory over Clark Atlanta at 2 p.m. in Jackson.

A win today would be more significant than last week’s win over Edward Waters College, because Clark Atlanta (0-1) is Lane’s first conference opponent of the season. Lane coach Derrick Burroughs is eager for continued better play from his defense. As a former NFL defensive back, giving up 28 points as Lane did last week is not good enough even in a win.

Still, Lane’s defense allowed four completions on 12 attempts last week, and senior cornerback Vernon Kearney had an interception.

The coach saw Kearney’s confidence grow this week in practice as a result. Kearney is considered one of the fastest and most talented Dragons, so Burroughs has pushed him to improve.



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It's road-trip time for area teams, but NCCU won't go far

 

DURHAM, North Carolina - It’s Week 2 of the college football season, and unfortunately for Triangle-area fans all the local Division I teams are on the road today.

Fortunately for road-trippers, a couple of them are not too far away. At 7 p.m. N.C. Central (1-0), which drubbed former CIAA foe Fayetteville State 54-31 in its opener, will be at Elon in the only non-conference FCS game for both teams. NCCU trails Elon 8-3 in the all-time series, including a 23-22 heartbreaker at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium last year.

Matt Goggans was solid in his NCCU debut at quarterback, completing 15 of 26 for 223 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Geo Irvine caught Goggans’ 20-yard TD pass and scored on a 31-yard punt return.

Elon quarterback Thomas Wilson completed 13 of 27 for 99 yards and was intercepted twice against the Tar Heels.

“I thought we played extremely hard (against FSU),” NCCU coach Henry Frazier said...

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IT'S IRVINE VS. MELLETTE: NCCU vs. Elon

DURHAM, North Carolina - Saturday’s N.C. Central-Elon matchup this weekend has the principals necessary for a tale of two receivers. NCCU’s cast features redshirt senior Geovonie Irvine (5-7, 161), a dynamic, albeit diminutive, playmaker out of Hillside High School.

Ranked fourth all-time among NCCU receivers with 144 career catches and sixth with 1,999 receiving yards, Irvine had six grabs for 79 yards Saturday in a 54-31 season-opening win against Fayetteville State.



That included a 20-yard reception from NCCU quarterback Matt Goggans and a punt return for a touchdown. Irvine is small but played big enough to show up on Elon’s radar. “He made some plays this past Saturday,” Elon coach Jason Swepson said of Irvine.

Elon quarterback Thomas Wilson has a bigger target in senior receiver Aaron Mellette (6-4, 220), a Sanford native who topped the Football Championship Subdivision in receiving yards last year with 1,639 — 149 a game.

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Alabama State football: Hornets hope cramping issues behind them

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - A week later, Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow still has no answers.

All the preparation, all the preseason conditioning, did little to help the Hornets as they wilted in the Florida heat in the second half of last week’s 38-28 loss to Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

“At one point, I think we had eight starters on defense that were cramped up and coming out for a play or two plays or a series,” he said. “I usually handle the conditioning and running during practice and I felt like our approach — making sure we were in the element (with afternoon practices) — was to make sure we simulated (the game atmosphere) as much as possible.”



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Showtime for Rattlers, FAMU seniors eye OU game

Norman, Oklahoma - Oklahoma can strike quickly and often out of its no-huddle offense and the FAMU defensive unit has focused on the Sooners all week in preparation for Saturday’s game.

From what they have seen the Rattlers must know the challenge presented by Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and his receivers. Some of them, especially the seniors on defense, know they’ll also be under the radar based on the reported interest that NFL scouts have been showing.

They heard a lot about how they are not expected to win against the fifth-ranked FBS team in the county. But even if the odds play out, the potential NFL prospects said they plan to make the stage at Owen Field their showcase.

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Florida A&M suspends four players for Oklahoma game

NORMAN - Florida A&M won’t have a full roster when the Rattlers face Oklahoma on Saturday night.

FAMU coach Joe Taylor announced the suspensions of four players on Tuesday. Included is the team’s top defensive back and wide receiver in 2011.

Cornerback Devontae Johnson, who had a team-high five interceptions last year, and wide receiver Lenworth Lennon (team-best 45 catches last fall) won’t be available after being suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Wide receiver Dewayne Harvey and backup offensive lineman Daniel Lennon also will miss the game, which kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday.

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OU players lament absence of Florida A&M's famed marching band

NORMAN, Oklahoma  -  Someone mentioned Florida A&M's famous Marching 100 band, and for a moment Roy Finch forgot.

"Oh, man. Their band? It's one of the best bands in the whole country. You're gonna be on the edge of your seats. They'll be jiggin'," said Finch, the Oklahoma slot/running back from Niceville, Fla. "You're gonna have a good time. It's gonna get ya up."

No, sadly, it's not.

The Marching 100 won't be joining the Rattlers football team at Owen Field on Saturday night. They won't be playing Norman or anywhere else for a while.



The band that has performed at Super Bowls, presidential inaugurations and Grammy Awards has been suspended by Florida A&M University in the aftermath of the death of Robert Champion last November.

Champion was a 26-year-old drum major in the Marching 100 who, according to investigators, died after being beaten during a hazing ritual inside one of the band's buses.

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SC State looks to start run to MEAC crown

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough liked what he saw from his team in beating Georgia State. He didn't have so good a time watching football the rest of the weekend, particularly seeing Bethune-Cookman rally past Alabama State.

"If anyone saw that, Bethune looked as good as anyone I've seen in some time," Pough said this week.

South Carolina State (1-0) takes on Bethune-Cookman (1-0) at Bulldog Stadium on Saturday to try and get an early leg up in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title chase. Pough's teams won titles from 2008 to 2010, but fell short last season. The players and coaches have used that as motivation during the offseason.



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Savannah State savors another chance to 'shock the world'

SAVANNAH, Georgia - As Savannah State's football players wrapped up preparations for their Saturday trip to Tallahassee and Doak Campbell Stadium, the Tigers became the butt of another joke Thursday afternoon.

Las Vegas oddsmakers announced the Tigers as 70-point underdogs against sixth-ranked Florida State, a number believed to be the largest point spread in the history of college football.

But while everyone on the outside seems to be concerned for the Tigers' feelings, not to mention their physical well-being, the players and coaches insist they have taken the daunting schedule as business as usual.

Even after an 84-0 loss to Oklahoma State on Sept. 1, they say they are as excited about playing Florida State as they were when they first learned of the matchup in the spring.

"We're really not worried about the past," said freshman offensive lineman Percy Griffin, who played at Godby High in Tallahassee. "Coach tells us that's the past, you can't change...

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Method to Savannah State’s Madness?

It’s not often that a team from the FCS’ Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is the subject of national headlines. In 2012, Savannah (GA) State has bucked this trend. But not for the better.

Last Saturday, in their first game of the season, the Tigers traveled to Oklahoma State as 67.5-point underdogs and failed to cover the record spread, losing 84–0. The road doesn’t get easier for Savannah State as they travel to Tallahassee this Saturday to face sixth-ranked Florida State. The spread could, once again, be in the 50- to 60-point range.

The Tigers are being compensated for these early-season blowouts to the tune of $860,000 combined from the Cowboys and Seminoles. The cash will be used to lend stability to a football program which has gone through six coaches and been placed on NCAA probation twice since 2001.

There’s also been two lawsuits that have sucked the athletic department of money. Former football coach Robby Wells – who is white – sued for racial discrimination after resigning in 2010. The case was settled for $240,000, according to The New York Times. Four players are still suing the school for allegedly reneging on scholarships due to racial discrimination.

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TSU Big Blue Seeks 2-0 Start Against Jackson State

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - On Saturday, the Tennessee State football team will travel to Memphis to take on Jackson State in the 23^rd annual Southern Heritage Classic at Liberty Bowl Stadium.

This marks the 19th year in a row (and 21st overall) that the teams have squared off in this Classic which began in 1990. Tennessee State had won seven straight in the series until Jackson State pulled out a 33-26 victory in 2010 and added a 35-29 win a season ago.

Tennessee State is 11-11 all-time in the event while Jackson State is 9-11. The all-time series between the two schools is at 24-20-2 in favor of Tennessee State.

Jackson State (0-1) comes into the game ranked No. 5 in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College Football poll while TSU is not far behind at No. 7.

Tennessee State (1-0) opened the 2012 season with its third-straight win in the John A. Merritt Classic, besting Florida A&M 17-14.

Sophomore quarterback Michael German completed 22-of-32 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown for TSU while senior running back Trabis Ward carried the ball a career-high 28 times for 124 yards and a score.

German's touchdown pass was to senior wide receiver Devin Wilson. Wilson led the team with 66 yards on two catches.

The leading pass-catcher for TSU is former University of Florida tight end A.C. Leonard. In his first game as a member of the Tiger squad, Leonard caught seven balls for 47 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Nick Thrasher, making his first start last Saturday, was named Defensive MVP of the Classic after registering 11 tackles (nine solo) including 2.0 tackles-for-loss. His strong performance in the game earned him Boxtorow's National Player of the Week honor.

Another TSU defender off to a hot start is sophomore cornerback Steven Godbolt. After leading the team in interceptions a year ago, Godbolt picked up right where he left off by intercepting a pass in the team's first contest.

Jackson State opened the 2012 season with a 56-9 loss at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Mississippi State.

The Tigers fell behind 35-0 late in the second quarter before getting on the board on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Dedric McDonald to E.J. Drewery. The team would later add a 25-yard field goal from Ryan Deising in the fourth quarter.

McDonald finished the day with 136 passing yards and the touchdown. Most of those yards were received by Rico Richardson who caught seven passes for 97 yards. Richardson was selected to the SWAC's Preseason All-Conference Team in July.

On defense, Milton Patterson leads JSU with 10 tackles, five of which were solo. However, Jackson State had three players on defense that were on the preseason all-conference team- one from each unit.

Kickoff for this year's Southern Heritage Classic is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8.

 

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