Texas A&M wants no part in helping S.C. State Bulldogs ‘rebound’

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -  Having rebounded in dominating fashion from a loss in the program’s first-ever Southeastern Conference game, Texas A&M sees a South Carolina State team looking to do the same.

The Bulldogs have dropped two straight and are coming off their worst loss in the Buddy Pough era in a 56-0 shutout at 22nd-ranked Arizona. Nevertheless, the Aggies’ players are preparing for S.C. State’s best effort this Saturday at Kyle Stadium in College Station, Texas.

“They got beat pretty badly last week,” linebacker Jonathan Stewart said during a Wednesday teleconference. “They’re a team on the rebound. Just because they are from a smaller conference, not a marquee conference, we can’t take them lightly. We only have 12 guaranteed opportunities and we’ve already played two of them. We have to prepare for every single opponent as if they are a big-time opponent.

 “We can’t take them lightly at all and end up being one of the teams that everybody looks at around the nation as, ‘How did you lose to that team?’ We’re going to prepare as if this is any other opponent.”

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Maynor likes the way his WSSU Rams are improving

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Fifth-ranked Winston-Salem State didn't do much wrong Saturday in its 55-21 victory against Morehouse at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Even coach Connell Maynor, who likes to keep his team hungry, couldn't find much fault.

"Offensively, we were more consistent, and it showed because we scored 55 points," said Maynor, whose Rams also had 677 yards of offense and eight touchdowns on 13 possessions.

"Our defense is still playing great, and with two of their touchdowns, they got inside of our 5 because of a punt return and a fumble."

Now, WSSU (3-0) has turned its attention to Virginia Union for its CIAA opener at 6 p.m. Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium. Maynor said that the Rams have done a good job correcting mistakes. There were plenty of missteps on offense in victories against UNC Pembroke (28-23) and

 

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Alabama A&M football: Goldsby's year has taken off

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Bobby Goldsby knows all about Alabama A&M football coach Anthony Jones and his penchant for utilizing the tight end. After all, Jones played the position in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins.

However, Goldsby, who starts at tight end for the Bulldogs, hadn't been utilized that much in his first three seasons in an A&M uniform. Entering this season, the 6-foot-4, 229-pound redshirt senior from Leominster, Mass., had managed just eight catches for 90 yards. Even worse, Goldsby had failed to score a touchdown.

"It's been frustrating," Goldsby said.

Not anymore. Goldsby, who came to A&M as an invited walk-on and later earned a scholarship, is in the midst of a career year three games into his final season.

He has eight catches - equaling his total from his first three years - for 111 yards and two touchdowns and is coming off of the best game of his career after hauling in five catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns in A&M's 42-30 victory over Prairie View last Saturday night at Louis Crews Stadium.



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Alabama State Continues Prep For UAPB Golden Lions

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -  The Alabama State football Hornets were back at practice Tuesday night getting set for Thursday night's game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Cramton Bowl.

Kickoff between the Hornets (2-1 overall, 2-0 SWAC) and Golden Lions (2-1, 1-1) is at 6:30 p.m. It's Faith, Family and Military night as fans are encouraged to wear ASU gold to the game, which will be broadcast live on WVAS 90.7 FM and televised live on ESPNU.

“Practice was decent,” head coach Reggie Barlow said. “Guys were flying around getting more understanding of UAPB. As I coach, I look at small things of how we get from drill to drill and movements from play to play, and those are the areas I'd like for us to clean up a bit.”

Offensively, the Golden Lions have one of the league's best quarterbacks in dual-threat sophomore Benjamin Anderson.



“I like Anderson and their offense,” Barlow said. “Their offensive line is good with great size and well-coached. Anderson is young, but has really grown into the position. He's doing a great job and has weapons he can get the ball to. If you don't protect the edges, he can run the ball effectively as well.”

Arkansas-Pine Bluff is statistically one of the most balanced teams in the SWAC. In averaging 334.0 yards per game, just four yards separates UAPB's passing yards and rushing yards.

“Everyone talks about they want to be balanced, but this team is as closed to balanced as I've ever seen,” said Barlow of the Golden Lions, who have passed for 503 yards and rushed for 499 yards in three games this season. “Their offensive coordinator (Eric Dooley) has the type of players that he wants and the quarterback that he wants. They're making plays, and we have to be mindful they can pass and run equally well.”

The Hornets return to practice Wednesday at 3 p.m.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Davis sees opportunity at Texas Southern

HOUSTON, Texas - He has been at the pinnacle, taking a name-brand program to the Final Four.

Which begs the question: why? Why would Mike Davis, who in a not-so-distant life led Indiana to the national semifinals, take a job at SWAC-member Texas Southern?

And not just any job, but an interim job that has all the promise of exactly nothing for the future.

“I’m a basketball coach,’’ Davis said. “This is what I do. I would coach anywhere because I love it.’’

Texas Southern is both anywhere and somewhere, which is why Davis, five months after he was fired by UAB, said yes.



The SWAC is not an easy place to compete. Budgets are small and challenges are big. According to the U.S. Department of Education Equity in Athletics information, the Tigers spent $946,691 on men’s basketball in 2010.

At Austin, the University of Texas spent $8.1 million.

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Dothan High Catcher Denise Anderson Commits to FAMU

DOTHAN, Alabama - The Dothan High Softball Team will have one of the top batteries in the state this coming season. Along with Auburn commit Kasey Cooper, catcher Denise Anderson will also continue her career at the Division One level.

Anderson has committed to play for Florida A&M, and she can't wait to get to Tallahassee and her her new team compete for MEAC titles.



"They're close to home and I really like the environment," Anderson said. "The coaches are really nice, and I really liked it a lot.

"It's the perfect place for me."

Anderson has been one of Dothan's top players for the past few years, and she played a key role for a successful summer league team out of ...
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Week 3 MEAC Power Poll

Offensive Player of the Week – James Owens, RB, Florida A&M – On 11 carries he had three touchdowns and 157 yards, and all this came against a Hampton team that’s not normally a weakling and brought back much of last year’s defense. Runner-ups Nico Flores (QB, Norfolk State) and Terrence LeFall (RB, Howard).

Defensive Player of the Week – Olusegun Ayanbiola, DE, Delaware State – Forced two fumbles against an FBS team in Cincinnati, broke up a pass and recorded four tackles, one for loss. That’s a big game. When it keeps a game close against a nationally-prominent opponent it’s award winning. Runner-ups Brandon Hepburn (LB, FAMU) and Makari Pugh (DB, NCAT)

Special Teams – David Julien, DB, Howard – Blocked the extra point in overtime to give Howard a 37-36 overtime win over Norfolk State. Also forced Xavier Boyce’s fumble in the first quarter. Runner-ups Rodney Tyson (WR, Howard) and Zack Cimaglia (K, NCAT)

At the quarter poll – It’s never too early to look at MEAC postseason awards is it? Yes, it probably is, but that’s never stopped me.

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Quarterback ruled ineligible for game surprisingly comes off bench, leads Howard to win

NORFOLK, Virginia  -  "Ineligible" isn't the iron-clad term it used to be.

College football players don't usually shift from ineligible to eligible in the middle of a game, but that's what happened during a contest between Howard and Norfolk State last week, leaving Norfolk State upset about the situation.

According to a story by the Virginian-Pilot, Howard quarterback Greg McGhee began last Saturday's game ineligible because of NCAA violations. The Washington Post reported in August that 14 players were ineligible because of improper use of textbook allowance money. McGhee was in that group, and the Virginian-Pilot said Howard's web site declared McGhee would "be available for the team's game against Savannah State on Sept. 29."

Well, Howard coach Gary Harrell changed its mind about that when McGhee was needed to win the Norfolk State game.

McGhee, last year's MEAC rookie of the year, suddenly was trotting out on the field late in the first quarter when starter Randy Liggins Jr. had back spasms, to the surprise of the Norfolk State coaches and players. The Virginian-Pilot said the only other quarterback on Howard's roster was injured against Rutgers earlier this season. So in came McGhee.



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Saturday's NSU Demons vs.MVSU Delta Devils battle can't wait for Halloween

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana – A matchup of Demons and Delta Devils seems ideal for Halloween, but Northwestern State coaches and players aren't willing to wait that long to tee it up in Turpin Stadium against Mississippi Valley State.

Kickoff is at 6 Saturday evening in the first-ever football meeting between the schools. For the Demons, it's the 23rd time to take the field against a Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent, with NSU having won seven of the last eight, all this century, although the most recent contest in 2009 was a 38-17 loss at Grambling that still sticks in the craw of NSU senior safety Jamaal White.

“I'm really excited about playing a SWAC team. We lost to Grambling in my freshman year and I want to use this game to get even,” said White. “I watched Mississippi Valley against Southern and they have a real nice running back. We have to fight. It's a good game for us to measure ourselves before conference play begins.”

Valley (1-2) won 6-0 at Southern last Thursday.

“Whenever you play a SWAC team, you know it's going to be well coached with a lot of really talented players, and this is no different. They went into Southern, and we all know how tough it is to win there, and they threw a shutout,” said Demons head coach Bradley Dale Peveto.

“Demons and Devils, there is a rare matchup, but mascots aside, this is a good team coming into Turpin Stadium. We've got to bring our A-game on Saturday night to get to 2-2 and get headed into Southland Conference season with momentum.”




NSU began workouts Tuesday afternoon in Turpin Stadium after meeting Monday night to review game tape of its 45-34 loss at Nevada and to be introduced to the scouting report on Valley.

The Demons had an explosive offensive day in Reno with 585 total yards. In the previous two games, NSU (1-2) relied on its defense and special teams as the offense struggled.

When we put all three phases together, we know we can be a very good team,” said Peveto. “I've watched us make progress in all three phases. Now let's see if we can pull it together in the same night.”

COURTESY Doug Ireland/Sports Information Director, NSU Athletics

SSU NOTEBOOK: Nothing is easy for Savannah State

SAVANNAH, Georgia - Savannah State coach Steve Davenport doesn’t want his team thinking it has a breather Saturday night against North Carolina Central. Of course, after playing Oklahoma State and Florida State during the first two weeks, any FCS school on the Tigers’ schedule would be a welcomed relief.

“I certainly hope our kids don’t think this game will be easy,” Davenport said. “We played a couple of good teams, but we didn’t play them well.”

SSU (0-2) lost to Oklahoma State and Florida State by a combined score of 139-0. And now the Tigers are meeting the only team they’ve beaten the last two seasons.

Months ago, Davenport targeted the North Carolina Central game as the real start of SSU’s season. But what if the Tigers lose?

“It’s huge for us as far as the confidence level,” Davenport said. “The realistic thought was we weren’t going to be very successful in those first two games, so there’s obviously a bulls-eye on game 3 for us. It would be really disappointing if you get beat in a game you’re putting a bulls-eye on.”



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Florida A&M Rattlers Hit Road Again, 2nd Conference Game

Tallahassee, Florida - James Owens ran with all the attention this week after rushing for 157 yards and three touchdowns. But he expects more from their next opponent, Delaware State.

"Hopefully I can come out this week and I will have a great practice," Owens said. "I'm just gonna have great intensity and push my teammates."

FAMU needed that win against Hampton last Saturday. They were among their own fans for the first time this season. With the win, the Rattlers have initiated their hunt for a conference title.

"We feel like our hardest games are out of the way," said Devan Roberts, a sophomore defensive back. "So we're focusing on winning out right now."

That next win will have to come on the road, their third trip in four weeks.



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Mobile defeats Xavier Gold Nuggets in 4 sets

NEW ORLEANS — Kiara Gay had 14 kills and 10 digs Tuesday, and Sara Van Wert had 12 kills in Mobile's 21-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-18 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at The Barn.

The Lady Rams (12-4) have a two-match win streak and six victories in their past seven matches.

Taylor Reuther had 10 kills and 13 digs for the Gold Nuggets (5-4), and Moira Kirk's 10 blocks were the most for Xavier in a match since the program resumed in 2010. Kirk and teammate Chinedu Echebelem had seven kills apiece.

Xavier came back from a 19-16 deficit to win the first set and was aided by eight Mobile errors in the final 10 rallies. The Gold Nuggets rallied again late in the second set — tying the score at 24 after trailing 22-13 — but the Lady Rams ended the set with consecutive kills by Gay and Van Wert. Mobile closed the third set with a 15-5 run, then ended the match on a 12-3 run. The Lady Rams clinched on Bailey Nations' kill.

"We made too many errors," Xavier coach Christabell Hamilton said. "We dug ourselves into too many holes we couldn't get out of."

Mobile had advantages of 48-32 in kills and 12-3 in aces. Xavier committed a season-high 52 errors.

It was the first time in 31 matches that Xavier won the first set but lost the match. And the Nuggets, 8-1 at home a year ago, are 0-2 at home for the first time since 2004.

Xavier will play Edward Waters at 7 p.m. EDT Friday in Jacksonville, Fla., in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener for both. The Gold Nuggets are the defending GCAC regular-season and tournament champion.

NOTES: Kirk's previous high for blocks in match was seven, which she accomplished three times . . . Reuther's double-double was her fifth of the season and 18th of her career . . . Freshman libero Darian Harris had 10 digs and, like Reuther, reached double figures for the third consecutive match . . . Mobile, a former GCAC member, is 3-0 against GCAC opponents this season. The Lady Rams beat Tougaloo and SUNO in August . . . Xavier wore new gold jerseys with black numbers for the first time . . . In Hamilton's two seasons at Xavier, her teams are 3-7 against Southern States Athletic Conference opponents (1-0 Faulkner, 1-1 Belhaven, 1-2 Mobile, 0-1 Loyola, 0-3 Spring Hill) and 25-4 against everyone else . . . It was just the second time in 14 matches under Hamilton that the Nuggets lost in a match longer than three sets.

Box score

Read more about this match and other sporting events from Xavier at: xulaathletics.


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

Delaware State Hornets: Good fight not good enough

DOVER, Delaware - DOVER — There was no talk of a “moral victory” after Delaware State battled mightily before falling 23-7 to Cincinnati Saturday night.

Instead, DSU was left with thoughts of what could have been after the Hornets’ defense forced six turnovers against the heavily favored Bearcats, a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, and stayed closer than any oddsmaker could have ever imagined.



“I feel like that we proved a lot of things in that game,” said linebacker Olusegun Ayanbiola, who had eight tackles and forced two fumbles against Cincinnati. “We accomplished a lot of things that we wanted to accomplish. I think we left with a sour taste in our mouths since we didn’t actually win the game, so it’s bittersweet.”

Delaware State running back Malcolm Williams also enjoyed a big night at the Bearcats’ Nippert Stadium. He scored on a 60-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, which was the longest rushing TD by a Hornet since a 63-yard scoring run by Kareem Jones in 2007.

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CIAA Notebook: Conference play will begin this weekend in CIAA

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - With CIAA conference play beginning this week, one game worth keeping an eye on is Bowie State (3-0) playing St. Augustine's (2-1) at Durham County Stadium on Saturday.

Bowie State, which has emerged as the possible team to beat in the Northern Division, is coming off a hard-fought 24-17 win against Fairmont State.

"We're excited about the opportunity to play this week against a good St. Aug's team," coach Damon Wilson of the Bulldogs said.

The Bulldogs aren't ranked in any of the Division II major polls, but that doesn't matter to Wilson.

"We don't pay attention to the polls," Wilson said. "We are all about finishing our games off and that's something we didn't do very well last season."

The conference office is promoting this game as the game of the week, something coach Michael Costa of St. Aug's said he noticed.



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West transfers from Centenary (La.) to Gold Nuggets

OLIVIA WEST

NEW ORLEANS — Olivia West of Humble, Texas, has signed a women's tennis scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana. West is enrolled at XU for the current semester as a chemistry/pre-pharmacy major after transferring from Centenary (La.) College, and she will have three seasons of eligiblity with the Gold Nuggets.

West, a left-hander, was 8-3 in singles and 9-2 in doubles at Centenary this past season and shared the team lead in singles victories and doubles victories. She helped Centenary's Ladies win 7-of-11 dual matches during the spring, including a 6-1 record in the American Southwest Conference.

At Atascocita High School, West was a district champion in singles and doubles in 2009 and 2010. She qualified for the state tournament and was voted team MVP both seasons.

West was No. 1 in the USTA Texas Championship Division girls 16s rankings in 2009.

The Gold Nuggets' previously announced signees were Vashni Balleste of Rock Tavern, N.Y., Simone-Alyse Ewell of Detroit, Brion Flowers of Lafayette, La., and Alexandria Locure of New Orleans. Coach Alan Green also said that Carmen Nelson, a letterwinner in 2009-10 and 2010-11, has re-enrolled at Xavier and rejoined the team. The Nuggets' 11-player roster is the largest of Green's 10 seasons as coach, and there are no seniors.

The XU women have won eight conference or group championships in the past 10 seasons and qualified for the NAIA National Championships six of the past eight seasons. They were 19th in the 2012 NAIA coaches posteason poll, the seventh time in eight seasons that the Gold Nuggets were among the final top 25.

2012-13 Xavier University of Louisiana Women's Tennis Signees
Name	Ht.	Yr.*	Hometown	High School (College)
Vashni Balleste	5-4	Fr.	Rock Tavern, N.Y.	Washingtonville
Simone-Alyse Ewell	5-5	Fr.	Detroit, Mich.	The Roeper School
Brion Flowers	5-6	Fr.	Lafayette, La.	St. Thomas More
Alexandria Locure	5-4	Fr.	New Orleans, La.	John Curtis Christian
Olivia West	5-4½	So.	Humble, Texas	Atascocita (Centenary [La.])
* athletic classification at Xavier in fall of 2012 By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director VISIT: XULAATHLETICS VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Alabama A&M football: Matchup excites Dejarnett

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  -  Mention Texas Southern to Alabama A&M wide receiver Reshaad DeJarnett and a smile quickly emerges.

"Texas Southern excites me," DeJarnett said. "I got my first touchdown against them."

DeJarnett, a sophomore from Elmore County High School in Eclectic, had a 70-yard catch and run for a touchdown to help the Bulldogs down the Tigers 24-21 last year at Louis Crews Stadium before a national audience on ESPNU.

I had to redeem myself," DeJarnett said afterward.

Before DeJarnett scored, he fumbled a punt that helped set up the Tigers' go-ahead touchdown with just under five minutes remaining. When he got back to the bench, A&M coach Anthony Jones was there to encourage him.

"Coach said keep your head in the game," said DeJarnett, who hadn't caught a pass that night before taking Mason's screen to the house. "You can get it back."

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Howard Bison off to hot start

WASHINGTON, D.C. - It’s not easy to go on the road and win a game against the defending conference champion, but that’s what Howard did over the weekend.

The Bison pulled off a big upset when they blocked the PAT attempt, which gave Howard a 37-36 overtime win against the reigning MEAC champion Norfolk State (2-1) at Dick Price Stadium in Norfolk, Va.

This was a huge win for the Bison. It was certainly a big victory for coach Gary “The Flea” Harrell. In his second year, Harrell is trying to build the football program, which hasn’t had a winning season since 2002 it finished with a 6-5 record.

It looks like Harrell has the Bison heading in the right direction. Last season, Howard posted a 4-4 league record and was 5-6 overall. If there’s ever anyone who knows how to win football games at Howard, it’s this guy.

He was a four-year standout wide receiver and ...

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Southern University interim coach Dawson Odums addresses media, names offensive coordinators

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Dawson Odums sounded as comfortable as seat cushions, addressing the media for the first time as Southern University's interim head football coach Monday during the SWAC's weekly coaches teleconference.

The position was bestowed upon the Jaguars defensive coordinator when athletic director William Broussard announced that Stump Mitchell had been reassigned to undisclosed administrative duties at a press conference in Baton Rouge, La. Friday afternoon.

Mitchell's firing came the day after Southern, which was coming off a bye, fell 6-0 at home to a Mississippi Valley State squad which had just four days rest before the Thursday night affair that was aired live on ESPNU.

The Jaguars (0-2) will travel to face conference foe Jackson State Saturday (1-2, 1-0) at 4 p.m. After dropping their first couple ball games, the Tigers defeated Texas Southern 45-35 in Houston to get into the win column.

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Tri-City Classic returning to Cameron Field

PETERSBURG, Virginia - Historic Cameron Field has been the site of many college football games over the years and Virginia University of Lynchburg will return Nov. 3 to battle the Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.) College Battlers in the second annual Tri-City Classic.

Virginia University of Lynchburg coach Willard Bailey, a veteran of 39 years in the college ranks, has always enjoyed playing at Cameron Field.

Bailey served as head coach at Virginia Union, Norfolk State, and St. Paul's before moving to Virginia University of Lynchburg as head football coach and athletic director.

Virginia University of Lynchburg is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

"I've always enjoyed playing at Cameron field," Bailey said. "When I was at St. Paul's, we played there three or four times. It's a beautiful place in the fall on a Saturday afternoon. Plus, Petersburg is a good recruiting area."

Last fall the Virginia Dragons lost a heartbreaker to Concordia (Ala.) College, 18-16 at Cameron Field.

The Lynchburg school returned to athletics last year after ...

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No. 1 North Dakota State Set to Host Prairie View A&M on Saturday, Sept. 17

FARGO, North Dakota  --  No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (2-0, 0-0 Valley Football) is scheduled to host Prairie View A&M (0-3, 0-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) at 3:07 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (AstroTurf®’s GameDay Grass™ 3D60 infilled turf / 18,700) ... NDSU defeated Colorado State 22-7 on Sept. 8 ... Prairie View A&M lost 42-30 at Alabama A&M on Sept. 15 ... North Dakota State has won seven straight.

SERIES RECORD: This is the first meeting between North Dakota State and Prairie View A&M ... The Bison are 3-0 against members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (2-0 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1-0 vs. Grambling).

AT HOME: North Dakota State has compiled a 239-36-3 record at home since 1964 ... The Bison are 94-22-0 in the Fargodome since moving from Dacotah Field in 1993 ... NDSU is 15-2 over the last three seasons at home and is 45-11 since head coach Craig Bohl took over in 2003.

AGAINST THE FBS: Since moving to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), North Dakota State has a 6-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams since 2006 ... The Bison are 2-1 against Minnesota, 1-0 against Ball State, 1-0 against Central Michigan, 1-0 against Kansas, 1-0 against Colorado State, 0-1 against Wyoming and 0-1 against Iowa State ... All games have been played on the road ... NDSU’s six wins over FBS schools since 2006 are the most by any FCS school in the nation ... New Hampshire is second on that list with four victories over FBS schools.

TELEVISION: The game will be televised on the North Dakota NBC Sports Network and ESPN3.com ... Former Valley News Live weekend sports anchor Brian Shawn will handle the play-by-play, and KFYR TV Sports Director Lee Timmerman and former NDSU quarterback Kevin Feeney are the color analysts ... Stations on the North Dakota NBC Sports Network include KVLY-TV (Channel 11, Fargo), KFYR-TV (Channel 5, Bismarck), KMOT-TV (Channel 10, Minot), KQCD-TV (Channel 7, Dickinson) and KUMV-TV (Channel 8, Williston) ... All 11 regular season games will be televised for the first time in school history ... The Bison are 102-56-1 (.645) in TV games.

	North Dakota State Football Release
	Missouri Valley Football Conference Notebook

SELL OUT: North Dakota State recorded its 11th sellout over the past seven seasons with the season-opening crowd of 18,769 in the Fargodome ... NDSU has attracted over 18,000 fans in eight of its last nine home games including three sellouts ... Tickets for all 2012 North Dakota State University football home football games are currently SOLD OUT ... Additional reserved and standing room tickets may become available on the Friday of game week ... Check GoBison.com/tickets for availability ... To create the best possible home field advantage, NDSU encourages fans to use their tickets for all games at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome ... Fans that have purchased season tickets and are unable to attend select games are encouraged to make sure their seats are filled for each game. Those looking to sell tickets can use online message boards, Craigslist or NDSU’s facebook page (facebook.com/NDBison) to broker tickets.



BISON QUICK-HITTERS: North Dakota State’s 81 offensive plays against Colorado State (9-8-12) were its most since running 83 against Northern Iowa on Oct. 10, 2009 ... NDSU’s 39:52 in time of possession at CSU was its most since holding the ball for 40:17 in a 51-14 win over Cal Poly on Nov. 11, 2006 ... NDSU has allowed just 34 points in its last six contests, dating back to the start of the 2011 Division I FCS Playoffs ... The Bison have allowed just 20 points in their last five contests, dating back to a 24-0 shutout victory over Lehigh in the 2011 Division I FCS Quarterfinals ... NDSU has limited its opponent to 10 points or less in 9 of its last 17 games ... Defensive end Cole Jirik had 4 tackles including a safety, two tackles for loss and a sack in North Dakota State’s 22-7 win over Colorado State on Sept. 8 ... His safety with 5:34 left in the first quarter broke a 7-7 tie and gave the Bison the lead for good ... The safety was the first for North Dakota State since Matthew Gratzek’s against Robert Morris in the 2010 FCS playoff game ... North Dakota State’s field goal block by nose guard Ryan Drevlow at Colorado State (9-8-12) was the first since Matt Veldman’s effort against Illinois State (10-1-11) ... North Dakota State’s 52-0 shutout of Robert Morris in the season opener on Sept. 1 at Gate City Bank Field was the first since 2006 when the Bison beat Mississippi Valley State 45-0 in Fargo ... It was NDSU’s first shutout in a home opener since defeating Valparaiso 52-0 in 2004 ... North Dakota State improved to 79-30-7 in season openers including 61-17-4 at home ... North Dakota State committed zero (0) turnovers in eight of 15 games played last season ... The Bison committed only 12 turnovers overall in 15 games in 2011 ... NDSU leads the nation in scoring defense (3.5 avg/g) and total defense (165.5 avg/g); 3rd in rushing defense (47.0 avg/g); tied for 4th in sacks (4.00 avg/g); 10th in sacks allowed (0.50 avg/g); 11th in pass defense (118.5 avg/g) and tackles for loss (8.50 avg/g); 13th in pass efficiency defense (91.76 rating); 14th in scoring offense (37.0 avg/g); 15th in turnover margin (+1.50 avg/g); 20th in rushing offense (211.5 avg/g), punt returns (13.90 avg/r) and passing efficiency (145.02 rating); 21st in kickoff returns (24.67 avg/r) and 22nd, Total offense (430.5 avg/g) ... With a 77-31 record, NDSU head coach Craig Bohl is No. 2 on the school’s all-time win list behind Rocky Hager (91-25-1, 1987-95) ... Bohl is one of three Bison coaches with 60 wins ... North Dakota State Director of Athletics Gene Taylor is in his second year of a four-year term on the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Executive Committee.

RADIO BROADCASTS: KFGO-AM 790, Fargo ... Veteran sports announcer Scott Miller will handle the play-by-play ... Former NDSU quarterback Steve Walker will handle the color duties, while NDSU director of athletic broadcasting Jeremy Jorgenson is on the sidelines ... Air time is set for 2:30 p.m., kickoff at 3:07 p.m. on Sept. 22 ... Anchored by flagship, The Mighty 790, KFGO-AM, the Bison Radio Network has 20 stations including (Fargo, simulcast on KRWK 101.9 FM); ESPN 710 AM (Bismarck); KHRT 1320 AM (Minot); KSJB 600 AM (Jamestown); KEYZ 660 AM (Williston); KDVL 102.5 FM (Devils Lake); KHND 1470 AM (Harvey); KZZJ 1450 AM (Rugby); KPOK 1340 AM (Bowman); KAUJ – 100.9 FM (Grafton); KLTC 1460 AM (Dickinson); KRCQ 102.3 FM (Detroit Lakes); WLKX 95.9 FM (North) / KBGY 107.5 FM (South) (Minneapolis/St. Paul); KDDG 105.5 FM (Albany); KZCR 103.3 FM (Fergus Falls); KMGK 107.1 FM (Glenwood), and KKCQ 96.7 FM (Fosston) ... The Bison gameday format includes a 30-minute pregame show with comments from Craig Bohl, in-depth analysis and features ... A complete 30-minute postgame show is covered from the press box and locker room areas.

JENSEN ON TARGET: North Dakota State quarterback Brock Jensen moved to No. 3 all-time at NDSU in completions (311) and passing yards (3,869), passing Kevin Feeney in completions (304, 1995-98) and Ryan Johnson in passing yards (3,806, 1997-00) ... Jensen completed 18 of 29 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown in North Dakota State’s 22-7 win over Colorado State on Sept. 8 ... He also rushed 10 times for 42 yards ... Jensen directed an offense that ran 81 plays for 366 yards of total offense and held a 39:52-20:08 advantage in time of possession. That included scoring drives of 12 plays for 67 yards (5:21), 10 plays for 53 yards (1:44) and 16 plays for 71 yards (9:29). He completed passes to seven different receivers ... Jensen completed 16 of 23 passes for 217 yards and three TDs vs. Robert Morris (9-1-12) ... The three passing TDs matched his career best ... Jensen has six career 200-yard passing games ... He completed a career-high 22 of 25 passes for 204 yards and one TD vs. 2nd-ranked UNI (10-29-11) ... Jensen threw four interceptions last season ... Following an interception at Southern Illinois, Jensen attempted 142 passes without a pick – adding to his NDSU record ... The old record was 110 set by Steve Walker in 2005-06 ... Jensen had a career-high 30 attempts at Indiana State (11-5-11, 18 completions) ... Jensen completed his first 15 passes vs. Missouri State (10-15-11) to break the school record of 10 in a row set three times previously ... Including the Southern Illinois game, he had completed 19 passes in a row to top the school record of 16 set by Steve Walker in 2004.



Courtesy: North Dakota State University Athletic Media Relations

Nuggets reschedule Loyola match for Oct. 10 at Xavier

XU is 5-3 heading into a 7 p.m. Tuesday home match against Mobile.

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Monday a new date for its postponed women's volleyball match against Loyola, plus an additional road match.

The Gold Nuggets will play Loyola at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at The Barn or the Convocation Academic Center, which is nearing completion. The match originally was scheduled for Sept. 4 but was postponed in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac.

Xavier added a match against Trinity Baptist College at 2:30 p.m. EDT
Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla. That contest will follow the Gold Nuggets' Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at Edward Waters on Friday.

The next match for Xavier (5-3) will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Mobile (11-4) at The Barn.


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

Swann hopes to 'raise bar' at UMES

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — Only a few days into his first season as head baseball coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Pedro Swann has set high aspirations for his team.

The goal the new coach is aiming for is to not only be competitive in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference, a league in which they went 11-13 in last year, but to win the division.

“We’ve just started fall practices a week ago and I’m having my first looks at the players right now and see what we have,” he said. “We’re hoping to raise the bar this season. I want everything that has happened in the past to remain in the past.”

Swann — who played 17 years professionally in the minor and major leagues with the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays — replaces previous coach Will Gardner, whose contract was not renewed following six seasons at the helm.

Swann is no stranger to the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference as he played his college baseball at Delaware State University from 1989-91 and received all-conference honors while playing for the Hornets.

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Chris Carlson: Five things we (NSU) learned vs. Howard

NORFOLK, Virginia - You can’t spot anyone 20 points – It was hard to watch the way Norfolk State did virtually whatever it wanted in the second half and think that the better team won at Dick Price Stadium. Norfolk State was the group we expect in the second half rallying from a 30-7 deficit. The Spartans outgained Howard by 100 yards, but played so poorly in the first half they could only force overtime. Once into the crap-shoot extra-period NSU was bitten by a special teams miscue. Howard was a MEAC bottom-feeder for some time and, even now, is probably just a little above the mid-point. Give any team a 20-point edge and you’re unlikely to make a comeback.

The Spartans need to win out against the MEAC – The season isn’t over for the Spartans, but the upset loss made defending their MEAC title much more difficult. Howard still has to play at South Carolina State and host Florida A&M, so the Bison could still lose a game. The last two MEAC champions have both had a conference loss, so one defeat doesn’t eliminate a team. But with road games still to come against South Carolina State and Bethune-Cookman, a rivalry game vs. Hampton and a contest with tougher-than-expected Delaware State, NSU has no more margin for error. As Howard’s victory proved, the MEAC is a deeper league than it’s been in some time.



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Ram Ramblings: WSSU remains at No. 5 in poll, but....

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - As I do every week I check the AFCA Division II football poll and I found something interesting today.

Winston-Salem State, which is 3-0 and coming off a 55-21 win over Morehouse, remained at No. 5 in the poll. Top-ranked Pittsburg State, which is in Kansas, had 29 of the 30 first-place votes in the poll.

The other first-place vote went to the Rams.

When I called the folks who run the poll I wanted to find out which coach voted WSSU No. 1 but they don’t divulge that top-secret information.

The AFCA poll is put out each week by the American Football Coaches Association and is voted on by Division II coaches.

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Split Grambling State rushing attack meager

GRAMBLING — The running back battle between Dawrence Roberts and Jeremy Runner continued Saturday night against Alabama State, but only one thing seemed to be clear.

The Tigers' offensive line was no match for the Alabama State defense in a 19-18 loss.

Grambling gained 78 yards on 35 attempts, which is 2.2 yards per carry.

Roberts, a junior who was named the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, looked like he wanted his job back with a 30-yard run on his first carry.

He made several tacklers miss, and he finished the run in a strong fashion.

But on the same drive, GSU couldn't punch in a score with a first down from the 1-yard line. That series of plays included three Roberts' carries, which included a toss play for minus-3.

Roberts finished with 33 yards on seven carries.

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