SSU Tigers reap benefits from two-game stretch of moneyball

SAVANNAH, Georgia - After enduring two of the most highly publicized and meaningless blowouts in the history of college football during the first two weeks of the season, Savannah State is ready to move on and figure out what it was worth to be steamrolled by Oklahoma State and Florida State and hounded by the national sports media.

In the same span that the Tigers were losing to the Cowboys and Seminoles by a combined score of 139-0 in roughly seven quarters of play, there were 14 other games between Football Bowl Subdivision teams and Football Championship Subdivision teams decided by a margin of more than 40 points. Fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member Florida A&M was humbled 69-13 by Oklahoma last Saturday, and MEAC member South Carolina State’s next two games are certain defeats at Arizona and Texas A&M.

But none of the other FCS scrimmages for hire headlined ESPN Gameday or commanded the allegedly largest point spread in college football history. When FBS programs around the country were bullying their FCS little brothers, what made Savannah State’s beatings such a compelling story?

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SIAC Battle of the Bands: Tuskegee University

Arizona Wildcats rout South Carolina State Bulldogs 56-0

TUSON, Arizona - The Arizona Wildcats have a 24-hour rule. Win or lose, forget about the previous game. Nobody needs that long to savor, digest and then flush the 56-0 victory over South Carolina State at Arizona Stadium on Saturday night.  “I may need an hour,” said senior center Kyle Quinn.

No doubt, the game against the lower-division Bulldogs was nice. Lots of statistical tidbits that will go into the record book: A school-record 43 first downs; a school-record 102 snaps from scrimmage; 689 yards, the second-most in school history.  No serious injuries. The program’s first shutout since the 2008 season-opener vs. Idaho.

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UA Report: Cats win big

When you schedule an FCS school, you hope to shell out a few hundred thousand dollars, get a guaranteed win and essentially have a glorified scrimmage. The plan worked well for Arizona on Saturday night, as they beat South Carolina State 56-0.

It was the first shutout since a 70-0 thrashing of Idaho in 2008.

Publicly the Wildcats gave the Bulldogs their due, but privately the coaching staff had to hope for a routine win and a chance to dip into the bench and get a look at a number of second and third teamers. They were able to do just that.

Although Arizona was not quite as sharp in first half as one would like, they were efficient enough. They scored on four of seven possessions, and also had a missed field goal and turned the ball over inside Bulldog territory.

The Wildcats took a 7-0 lead on their first possession and never looked back. The Cats marched 75 yards in just nine plays and capped the drive with a 15-yard scoring toss to Richard Morrison.

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Norfolk State loses to Howard 37-36 in overtime

NORFOLK, Virginia - The most automatic part of football has become the most problematic for Norfolk State. The Spartans practiced extra points all week. They moved two bigger players onto the line. None of it mattered.

Everett Goldberg's extra-point attempt in overtime was blocked by Julien David, sentencing the Spartans to a 37-36 loss to Howard. It was the third extra point and fifth kick NSU (2-1) has had blocked in three weeks.

PHOTO GALLERY: View all 10 photos

"We thought we fixed it," NSU coach Pete Adrian said. "It's pretty apparent we didn't."

Three Howard (2-1) players pushed into the backfield. Goldberg's kick appeared to come off his foot low. The ball fell short. The Bison celebrated on one side, the Spartans squatted on the other.

"It's football," senior Terrence Pugh said. "It happens. It's life. It's a man's game. It's tough, but that's why we play it. We have to swallow the bitter pill."

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TSU rolls in return to Hale Stadium

.NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Mike German didn’t start in Tennessee State’s historic return to Hale Stadium, but he was there when it mattered most to lead the Tigers to a 34-14 win over Austin Peay.

A crowd of 14,264 saw the first game played at the 61-year-old stadium in 14 years. TSU moved its home games to LP Field in 1999 but renovated its on-campus stadium as part of its 100-year anniversary.

German, a sophomore who had started 10 consecutive games, was benched for the first series as punishment for an undisclosed violation of a team rule. Redshirt freshman Ryan Turnage started, and TSU (3-0, 1-0 OVC) failed to pick up a first down on its first possession.

After he came in, German launched the passing game and helped the offense overcome the trouble it was having with its normally reliable rushing attack.

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Tigers Victorious In Return To Hale Stadium

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State returned to Hale Stadium in grand fashion as they defeated Austin Peay 34-14 to open up Ohio Valley Conference play Saturday afternoon.

The crowd of 14,264 saw Austin Peay take an early 7-0 lead as quarterback Jake Ryan connected with receiver Devin Starks, who made a one-handed catch, for a 20-yard touchdown. Three plays earlier, TSU was called for a roughing the kicker penalty on an Austin Peay punt near mid-field, which extended the drive.

The Tigers would get on the scoreboard for the first time via the foot of Jamin Godfrey as he made a 43-yard field goal in the final minute of the first quarter. TSU took their first lead of the contest when quarterback Michael German found receiver Travis James in the right corner of the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown. The scoring play was set up by a 15-yard Austin Peay personal foul penalty the play before.

The Tigers led 9-7 after the missed extra point. With 3:32 left until halftime, the Govs connection of Ryan and Stark struck again, this time from eight yards out to give Austin Peay a 14-9 halftime advantage. Ryan finished 25-of-48 for 271 yards and two touchdowns, while Stark had nine catches to go along with a game-high 124 yards and two touchdowns.  

 
The only score of the third quarter went to Tennessee State as Trabis Ward scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, this one coming from two yards out.

German found Weldon Garlington for the 2-point conversion to give the Tigers a 17-14 lead that they would not relinquish. On the drive, Travis James set a new career-high with his sixth catch of the game. The senior from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., finished with a career best nine catches for 109 yards and a touchdown to become the first TSU player with over 100 receiving yards in a game this season.  

Early in the fourth quarter, German threw a four yard touchdown pass to full back Johntae Gleaves to give TSU a 10 point advantage. For the senior, it was the 14th catch of his career and his second touchdown. With 7:06 left in the 4th quarter, Godfrey hit his second field goal of the game, this one from 39 yards out, to extend the TSU lead to 27-14.

Steven Godbolt III intercepted a Austin Peay pass in the end zone with 4:44 remaining in the game to end a Governors drive. It was his third interception of the season and continued his streak of one interception in each game this season.

The final score of the game saw German throw a 51 yard catch and run touchdown to A.C. Leonard to make it 34-14 with 2:12 left in the game. Leonard finished with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. German had a career best 27 completions in addition to a career-high 318 yards and three touchdowns. The three scores tied his career best that he set last season vs. UT Martin. 

Tennessee State travels to Daytona Beach, Fla., next week to take on Bethune-Cookman (2-1) from the MEAC. Kick off is scheduled for 3 p.m. CST. 

Notes: TSU starts the season 3-0 for the first time since starting the 2008 season 4-0 ... The only other touchdown of Johntae Gleaves' career was against North Carolina A&T on Oct. 2, 2010 ... The 14,264 fans is the 21st largest crowd in Hale Stadium history ... This is the fifth straight game that TSU has not allowed a 100 yard rusher ... TSU is the only undefeated team left in the OVC ... The Tigers now lead the all-time series vs. Austin Peay 9-6 ... Austin Peay has now lost five games in a row, including seven in a row in the OVC ... The 20 point Tiger win broke a streak of four straight games between TSU and Austin Peay that were decided by exactly three points.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

THE SHOW: TSU Aristocrat of Band at On Campus Hale Stadium

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands performs on the the field at halftime of the football game against the Austin Peay State University Governors at Hale Stadium. This is the first collegiate football game played in Hale Stadium since the fall of 1998, after which the Tigers played their home games at their new home in the downtown stadium now known as LP Field. (Cass Teague, Videographer).

Florida A&M Rattlers top Hampton for first win of 2012

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - For two years, James Owens had been trying to make the statement that he finally did Saturday afternoon at Bragg Stadium — the same Bragg Stadiuim where FAMU played its first home game without the sounds of the Marching 100 in the background.

Owens made it difficult for fans to think about how their Marching 100 is serving an indefinite suspension. He racked up 157 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 44-20 victory over the Pirates before of crowd 17,871.

It was a huge win for a FAMU team that had dropped its first two games, a first since 2007. The victory was even bigger, considering that it gives the Rattlers a 1-0 mark in the MEAC.

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Players credit fans for help in victory

Pamela Scott stayed until the very end of Florida A&M’s 44-20 rout of the Hampton Pirates Saturday night in Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Many Florida A&M fans have a reputation for leaving football games after the halftime performances from the much-renowned Marching 100.

The band – now suspended following the November hazing death of drum major Robert Champion – was not in its usual place in the stands.

Instead thousands of students took up the call to ignite fans. The crowd measured at 17,871 and at its best created enough noise to put the 420-student band to shame.

“I’ve been coming to football games since the 1960s,” Scott, a 1975 FAMU grad, said. “I think everybody was having a great time. I didn’t even miss the band. I’m sorry to say it but I didn’t. I’m just a real football fan.”

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2012 Road To The SIAC Championship

Virginia State tops Benedict in Palmetto Capital City Classic

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - The Benedict Tigers gained a season-high 335 yards of total offense, but the defense wasn't up to the challenge as the Virginia State University Trojans took a 30-20 victory over the Tigers in the 11th annual Palmetto Capital City Classic at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

The Tigers, now 0-3 on the season, gave up five plays of 20 or more yards, including a pair of long touchdown passes from Virginia State quarterback LaMonta Green, who finished the game completing 12-of-19 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

The Trojans, who improved to 1-2 on the season, also had 149 yards rushing, including a 51-yard run by Lamont Britt.

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Benedict golf: Bowen is no typical college coach

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - look around Craig Bowen’s tiny office on the third floor of Benedict’s Charlie A. Johnson Stadium suggests a typical college golf coach’s dwelling. A closer look suggests something more.

Dominating one wall, next to a black-and-white photo of a young Bowen playing golf, is an enlarged color shot of Tiger Woods and a cigar-chomping Michael Jordan, shot during their pro-am round at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte several years ago. Not a surprising office adornment for a coach at a historically black college.

Except for this: the photo includes Woods’ and Jordan’s signatures. There’s also a newspaper clipping on the wall with a photo of Woods and Bowen together, smiling, obviously familiar.

No, Craig Bowen is not your typical college golf coach, let alone one in his second season. His resume includes stints as ...

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Tuskegee 45, Lane College 17: Golden Tigers take care of business early

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- It was a home opener everyone could enjoy. Coach Willie Slater’s offense scored early and often enough, the defense turned turnovers into points and the second and third-string players were able to see significant action over the final two quarters of Saturday’s matchup against Lane College.

Now who could complain with results like that?

Derrick Washington scored three rushing touchdowns and safety William Buford had a pair of interceptions to spotlight a dominating first-half performance in Tuskegee’s 45-17 convincing victory over Lane in the SIAC opener for both schools.

“I thought the effort was really good, especially in the first half,” Slater said. “(Going up big) makes it fun at halftime, that’s for sure. We just wanted to maintain our composure coming out in the second half. I would’ve liked it if we could’ve continued drives (after the half).”



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Fort Valley State tops Clark Atlanta in SIAC opener

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Sometimes, the right opponent at the right time can be like medicine. For Fort Valley State, Clark Atlanta was just that.

The Wildcats took control early with a steady offense and played four solid quarters on defense en route to a 26-3 win Saturday night over the Panthers in the SIAC opener for both teams.

The Wildcats improved to 2-1 overall while the Panthers fell to 1-2.

“The hustle,” FVSU head coach Donald Pittman said of his favorite sight of the evening. “You like the hustle.”

FVSU is back home in six days to host Benedict.

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Winston-Salem State dominates Morehouse, 51-21, in Cleveland Classic

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The battle between the halftime bands during the 2012 Cleveland Classic football game had competition in making Cleveland Browns Stadium a “House of Funk” Saturday.

With an electric offense, the Winston-Salem State (WSSU) Rams defeated the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers, 51-21, at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Rams senior QB Kameron Smith threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns. Smith needed 75 yards passing to become the all-time leading passer in WSSU history. WSSU solidified its No. 8 ranking in the Division II Top 25 poll. Smith led the Rams to 977 yards of offense.

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Morehouse College battles Winston-Salem State University gallery

Rams have no problems with Maroon Tigers

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fifth-ranked Winston-Salem State flexed its muscles Saturday in a decisive 55-21 victory against Morehouse at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The game, billed as the Cleveland Classic, wasn't much of a classic as the Rams (3-0) dominated early and often. They led 21-7 after the first quarter and 28-7 at halftime and forced the Maroon Tigers (1-2) into four turnovers.

The Rams rolled up 677 yards of offense and improved to 11-1 on the road in three seasons under coach Connell Maynor.

"I'm very happy with the win," Maynor said by telephone. "The guys know all about respecting all and fearing none, but they went on the big stage here in Cleveland and did some great things."

Up 28-7 to start the second half, the Rams forced a fumble by running back David Carter and converted it into a touchdown, scoring on a 3-yard pass from quarterback Kameron Smith to tight end Jerry Chandler. Alejandro Suarez's extra point made it 35-7.

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Johnson C. Smith survives scare to earn season’s first win

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - It wasn’t a laugher by a long shot. But Johnson C. Smith’s first football victory of the season, a 23-18 win over Concordia College on Saturday afternoon at Eddie McGirt Field, gives the Golden Bulls some momentum going into next week’s start of CIAA play.

“It doesn’t matter how you get it, as long as you get it,” Johnson C. Smith wide receiver Matthew Jeffries said. The Golden Bulls (1-2) had to get this one by coming back from a four-point halftime deficit with a big second-half defensive effort.

“You can’t underestimate any opponent,” said Jeffries, who caught five passes for 68 yards. “Our defense stepped up, and our offense made big plays when we needed them.”

Quarterback Keahn Wallace, who wasn’t supposed to play because of a heel injury, completed 16-of-28 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. He entered the game in relief of his usual backup quarterback Andre Alexander, who threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter before ...

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Edward Waters 42, Livingstone 36

SALISBURY, North Carolina - The engine and transmission are in place at Livingstone, but the Blue Bears may need to get their brakes checked.  That was the storyline again Saturday at Alumni Stadium, where LC scored enough points to win - yet didn't.

"We're working too hard," coach Elvin James said after winless Livingstone dropped a 42-36 decision to Edward Waters. "Thirty-six points? That should be enough to win in the CIAA. But that's what happens when you dig yourself a big hole."

The hole in question was a 28-7 deficit the Blue Bears (0-3) fell into early in the second quarter. It left their defenders a long way from happy.



"We weren't settled in," defensive end Wesley Jackson said. "Our alignments weren't right. We're switching to a new scheme (under new defensive coordinator Sherman Simmons) and trying to make progress in the right direction. Once we got settled in, we played a lot better."

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Week 3, HBCU Football Scorecard

MEAC
Miami 38,  Bethune-Cookman 10*
Akron 66, Morgan State 6* 
Howard 37, Norfolk State 36* O.T.
North Carolina A&T 40, Virginia University of Lynchburg 7
Florida A&M 44, Hampton 20
Cincinnati 23, Delaware State 7*
Duke 54, North Carolina Central 17*
#24 Arizona 56, South Carolina State 0

SWAC
Mississippi Valley State 6, Southern University 0*
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24, Alcorn State 6
Alabama State19, Grambling State 18
Alabama A&M 42, Prairie View A&M 30
Jackson State 45, Texas Southern 35

CIAA
Winston-Salem State 55,  Morehouse  21 (Cleveland Classic)
Shaw 31, Stillman 26
Saint Augustine's University 30, Southern Connecticut State 14
Bowie State 24, Fairmont State 17
Edward Waters 42, Livingstone 36
Virgina State 30, Benedict 20
Johnson C. Smith 23, Concordia-Selma 18
Elizabeth City State 13, Albany State (Ga.) 12
Shorter 28, Chowan 17
Fayetteville State 28, Virginia Union 17

OVC
Tennessee State 34, Austin Peay State 14



SIAC
Kentucky State 35, Lincoln (Pa.) 23
Tuskegee 45, Lane 17
Fort Valley State 26, Clark-Atlanta 3
Miles College 44, West Georgia 37

OTHER
Millsaps 54, Point University 28
Central State (Ohio) 28, Urbana 22
Elon 48, West Virginia State 14
Hardin-Simmons 57, Texas College 21
Missouri Southern State 21, Lincoln (Mo.) 14
LIU-C.W Post 45, Cheyney 10

* WATCH Replay on ESPN3

A scout-team QB in '11, Riddick now NSU's No. 1 RB

NORFOLK, Virginia - From scout team to star in less than a year. A scout-team quarterback all last season, Brendon Riddick is the centerpiece of the Norfolk State offense at running back only two games into his career.

He's delivered NSU's biggest offensive play in two straight games. He sits second in the MEAC in rushing yards. After a 150-yard, three-touchdown effort last week, his weekly award total doubled his touchdown numbers.

He did radio interviews, newspaper interviews, and went from third string to sterling. "Twitter was the big thing," Riddick said. "Getting back from the game and seeing my name all over Twitter, people knowing my name. It was a little crazy."

After all that, Riddick didn't need help staying humble heading into this week's game against Howard. The Spartans took care of that last year. From scout team to star in less than a year. A scout-team quarterback all last season, Brendon Riddick is the centerpiece of the Norfolk State offense at running back only two games into his career.

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FVSU ready for SIAC, home opener

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- In an odd way, maybe Fort Valley State and Clark Atlanta are happy to see each other.

Fort Valley State opened the season on the road against a pair of ranked teams and returned home with a split. Clark Atlanta started the season against a top-15 team and had a blowout loss to show for it.

So both will see what they learned from the upgrade in competition when they open SIAC play Saturday night at Wildcat Stadium.

“We’re looking forward to this week, first home game,” FVSU quarterback Antonio Henton said. “I hope the fans give us a lot of energy. We have to come out and play all three phases of the game.”

Only two weeks into the season, everybody in the SIAC has a loss, and nobody is ranked. Albany State dropped from 16th to voteless after its 37-9 loss at Wingate, which lost 28-10 to St. Augustine’s in the opener.

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Fakler sets XU 6K record at Azalea City Classic

MOBILE, Ala. -- A school record by Catherine Fakler and personal bests by Matt Pieri and Kwame Jackson were Xavier University of Louisiana's highlights from the Azalea City Classic cross country meet Saturday.

Fakler ran 6,000 meters in 24 minutes, 9.65 seconds to finish 28th out of 107 women. She broke her XU record of 24.10.3 set in 2011 at the LSU Invitational.

Pieri placed 18th out of 105 men and ran 8,000 meters in 26:39.71, beating his previous best by nearly 12 seconds. Jackson placed 20th in 26:52.13, his fastest by 35 seconds.

Xavier placed eighth out of 13 in the men's team scoring and ninth out of 15 in the women's. It was the second meet of the season for both XU teams.

Read more about the meet later today at the Xavier athletics website: http://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/0915.html

And visit http://www.facebook.com/xulagold and give the Xavier athletics Facebook page a "like."

Pregame Post: Lane at Tuskegee

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- It's sunny and beautiful at Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium for Tuskegee's home opener against Lane College (Tenn.). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The Golden Tigers are coming into this contest with a 1-1 record. They defeated Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) 35-17 in the Inner-City Classic in Atlanta last week, following a tough 7-6 loss to Alabama A&M at legion Field to start the season.

 

Missouri transfer running back Derrick Washington had a breakout performance in his team's first win. The 6-foot, 215-pounder rushed for 155 yards on 17 carries to earn game MVP honors.

 

Lane is also 1-1. The Dragons started their season with a 45-28 win against Edward Waters College (Fla.) before falling 20-17 to Clark Atlanta.

 

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WEEK 3, HBCU FOOTBALL

MEAC
Bethune-Cookman @ Miami 12noon, ESPN3
Morgan State @ Akron, 3:30pm ESPN3
Howard @ Norfolk State 4pm, ESPN3
Virginia University of Lynchburg @ North Carolina A&T 6pm
Hampton @ Florida A&M, 6pm, RattlerVision
Delaware State @ Cincinnati 7pm, ESPN3
North Carolina Central @ Duke 7pm, ESPN3
South Carolina State @ #24 Arizona, 10:30 pm

SWAC
Mississippi Valley State 6, Southern University 0 (Thursday)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Alcorn State, 3pm
Alabama State @ Grambling State, 7pm
Prairie View A&M @ Alabama A&M 7pm
Jackson State @ Texas Southern 8:30pm



OVC
Austin Peay State @ Tennessee State, 2pm

CIAA
Winston-Salem State vs. Morehouse, 12Noon, Cleveland Classic
Stillman @ Shaw, 1pm
Saint Augustine's @ Southern Connecticut State, 1pm
Fairmont State @ Bowie State, 1pm
Edward Waters @ Livgingstone, 1pm
Virgina State @ Benedict , 4pm
Concordia-Selma @ Johnson C. Smith, 4pm
Albany State (Ga.) @ Elizabeth City State, 6pm
Shorter @ Chowan, 6pm
Kentucky State @ Lincoln (Pa.), 6pm
Virginia Union @ Fayetteville State, 6pm



SIAC
Lane @ Tuskegee, 2pm
Clark-Atlanta @ Fort Valley State, 6pm
West Georgia @ Miles College, 7pm

OTHER
Millsaps @ Point University, 1pm
Urbana @ Central State (Ohio), 1:30pm
West Virginia State @ Elon 1:30pm
Texas College@ Hardin-Simmons, 2pm
Missouri Southern State @ Lincoln (Mo.)

COMMENTARY By Dwight Floyd: Upset Saturday!!

DWIGHT FLOYD
SPORTSEDIT.ORG
 

In spite of the fact that most of the MEAC teams are playing true Division 1 (FBS) football teams, there will be upsets today. The only question is which upset win will be the most significant? Note the time and video availability.
Bethune Cookman Wildcats vs
Miami Hurricanes
12:00 P.M. EST/ESPN3
I am sure that in the BCU locker room they are saying that if the FAMU Rattlers can defeat Miami, something accomplished decades ago, then certainly BCU can win. It all depends on two things: (1) Which Miami team shows up, and (2) whether the Wildcats can get off to a faster start. Last week Miami played a shameful game and with a 52-13 lost to FBS #15 ranked Kansas State gave the impression they don’t belong in the FBS. The week before, Miami defeated unranked Boston College 41-32. Both were away games and against BCU the Miami Hurricanes will be at home. When they played Boston College some probably thought they were close to being able to say that the Hurricanes are getting their swagger back. Perhaps, or maybe Kansas State showed that the Hurricanes are only a shadow of the past. The real concern and what gives BCU a chance is Miami’s lack of defense. Miami hasn’t stopped anyone in their first two games. For the Wildcats they have a habit of spotting the other team a few points and then dominating in the latter half. That won’t work against a team with more talent coming off the bench. What BCU has going for them is talent at key positions such as running back, quarterback and receivers. Against a more balanced Miami team we’ll see how the Wildcats perform. The team that is more consistent in executing their game plan and avoiding mistakes will likely win this game. Miami started the season okay and then took a step backward. BCU continues to improve and will do okay as long as their head coach maintains his composure. Stay tuned, but don’t be surprised if another MEAC team beats Miami. Go Wildcats!!!
Howard Bisons vs Norfolk Spartans
4:00 P.M. EST/ESPN3/ESPNU Tape Delayed 10:30 P.M. EST
From the start, I’m going with Howard on this one. In their first two games Howard struggled against Morehouse before winning, and against the FBS Rutgers team played competitively without the help of starting key players. They have yet to show their potential, except their comeback win last year against a then decrepit FAMU Ratters, but their performance against Rutgers says they should not be taken lightly. Void some of the mistakes and they would have given Rutgers more of a run for their money. Yes, Norfolk State won the MEAC last year and is undefeated after beating Liberty University in an away game. That is the gospel truth! This is a totally MEAC game with MEAC refs. That means anything can happen. Norfolk is well coached and quite disciplined. The secret is that Howard has the talent to compete. It is a question of whether they have the belief. Howard will not be a leader in the MEAC this year, but they will likely be spoilers. They are Bisons and not Pirates, yet we can expect them to steal a game or two. The Spartans better be prepared because the Bisons will be motivated and ready to “start” their season.


Delaware State Hornets vs Cincinnati Bears
7:00 P.M. EST/ESPN3
All of the media is saying that the Hornets were fiercely defeated by the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens last week. They have concluded that Delaware State will not be competitive and Cincinnati will walk away with a decisive win. This won’t be a Louisiana Monroe versus Arkansas type of game. Cincinnati soundly defeated FBS Pittsburgh last week and appears to be FBS able to complete at the top level. One should take note though that for the first time against the Hens, Delaware State actually dominated most of the game. They lost because they could not get out of their own way. The Hornets allowed too many big plays and made too many mistakes to stay in the game. It would be an upset just for the Hornets to be competitive against the Bears. Take away the big plays and the mistakes and I believe they can be.

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Montrel, Benkirane sign scholarships with Xavier Gold Rush

Saad Benkirane

Kyle Montrel

NEW ORLEANS — Kyle Montrel of Atlanta and Saad Benkirane of Casablanca, Morocco, have signed men's tennis scholarships with Xavier University of Louisiana. Montrel will be a freshman, and Benkirane will be a senior on the Gold Rush roster. Both are enrolled at XU for the current semester.

Montrel, a left-hander and a native New Orleanian, is a TennisRecruiting.net four-star prospect who has won approximately 45 age-group singles championships and seven doubles championships since age 8. He is a graduate of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and also attended Westlake High School, where he was a basketball point guard for both.

Benkirane, a right-hander, is a transfer from NCAA Division I St. Mary's College of Moraga, Calif., where he had a combined 31 victories during the past two seasons at No. 3 and 4 singles and No. 2 doubles. He was a second-team NAIA All-American at Auburn Montgomery as a freshman in 2010 and teamed with Michael Johnson for a victory at No. 1 doubles in the national championship dual against Fresno Pacific, which AUM won 5-2. Benkirane and Johnson were 4-0 at that tournament. One of Benkirane's AUM teammates was Loic Didavi, now an XU senior and the Gold Rush's top player a year ago.

Benkirane was a boys 18 singles national champion in Morocco, and his highest ITF junior worldwide ranking was 181st.

Montrel is a pre-pharmacy major at Xavier, and Benkirane is majoring in business administration.

The XU men have won seven consecutive conference or group championships and qualified for the past four NAIA National Championships. The Gold Rush reached the quarterfinals at nationals in 2012 and became the first XU team in any sport to advance that far since 1973.


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

South Carolina State Preview: A Bulldog Upset of Arizona Would Be Landmark

TUCSON, Arizona - South Carolina State has been the model of consistency under head coach Buddy Pough's guidance.

Pough has led his alma mater to finishes above .500 in each of his 10 seasons there, and claimed at least a share of four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles. Last season's absence snapped a three-season run of appearances in the NCAA Playoffs. His 2009 team went 10-1 in the regular season, and was bestowed the honor of the Black College Football National Championship, a mythical title spanning all divisions for Historical Black Colleges and Universities.

Indeed, Pough has an impressive track record at SCSU. One feat he has not accomplished is an upset of a Bowl Subdivision opponent.The Bulldogs' cross-country trip marks the first visit an HBCU has ever paid Arizona Stadium. A SCSU win would mark another first.

No MEAC program has ever beaten a BCS conference opponent, though the conference only began emphasizing such match-ups in ...

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SB NATION: Q&A with Hail Wildcats (Bethune-Cookman)

MIAMI, Florida  - You thought we left you hanging this week, didn't you readers? It took a little bit of extra work, some diligent Eddie Valiant detective techniques, but we finally managed to find Jerry Bell, writer for Hail Wildcats. He's one of the few public Bethune-Cookman fans out there, so enjoy.

7th Floor: What are the expectations this year for Bethune-Cookman? MEAC conference title? 1-AA playoffs or bust?
Hail Wildcats: The expectations in Daytona Beach are extremely high this season. Head Coach Brian Jenkins has repeatedly and emphatically declared that his goal is to win a National Championship at Bethune-Cookman. In fact, Coach Jenkins has unrelentingly declared that anything less than a National Championship is a failure; so the bar has been raised pretty high for the Wildcats. I believe most Wildcat fans will be disappointed with anything less than at least one playoff win this season.

Heading into the season, BCU was picked to finish 3rd in the MEAC behind defending champion Norfolk State, who the Cats beat last season, and South Carolina State, a team that Bethune-Cookman defeated just last week by a pretty healthy margin.

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