Alabama A&M football: STILL GROOVING

HOUSTON, Texas - Deaunte Mason was the quarterback on the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason team. He has certainly played like it over the last two games.

A week after accounting for six touchdowns in a 42-30 win over Prairie View, Mason accounted for five more Saturday as Alabama A&M dominated Texas Southern in a 42-13 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Mason completed 17-of-24 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three more as the Bulldogs improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. The 4-0 start is A&M's best since 1966.

"It was a great team effort today," said Mason, who has completed 39-of-53 passes for 510 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in his last two games. "I want to give it up to my coaches and my teammates for making it easy for me."

Texas Southern fell to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in league play with its third straight loss.

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SAINT AUGUSTINE'S CRUISES TO IMPRESSIVE 38-22 VICTORY OVER BOWIE STATE

DURHAM, N.C. – Saint Augustine's University jumped out to a 29-0 lead at halftime, and cruised to an impressive 38-22 CIAA football victory over Bowie State on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012, at Durham County Stadium.

The Falcons improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the CIAA in a contest between league contenders. The Bulldogs dropped to 3-1 and 0-1 in their first loss of the season.

Teddy Bacote led the Falcons with 21 for 36 passing for 317 yards and two touchdowns. Jermaine Jones caught four passes for 120 yards and one score, and Tyron Laughinghouse had six receptions for 79 yards and one touchdown. Laughinghouse also returned a kick return for a touchdown. Brian Richards grabbed six passes for 87 yards, and Roderick Davenport scored two rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, the Falcons were led by the duo of Dante Devouse and Chaz Robinson with each player collecting five tackles. Javarous Faulk finished with 2.5 sacks, and Bryan Jones and Derrick Manning each picked off a pass.

For Bowie State, Tyrae Reid completed 11 of 26 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Khari Lee caught five passes for 110 yards and a score and Douglas McNeil, III had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. Bekwele Amadi of the Bulldogs led both teams with 11 tackles.

The contest was expected to be close between two top CIAA teams, but the Falcons jumped on the Bulldogs from the outset. They scored on their first two possessions for a 14-0 lead and never looked back.

The Falcons couldn't have asked for a better start. Bacote found Jermaine Jones on the first play of the game for a long pass inside the Bulldogs territory. Jones finished the drive with a 30-yard catch from Bacote to give the Falcons the early lead. Michael Lima kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Falcons lead.

The Falcons struck again on their next possession. Roderick Davenport capped a 12-play, 62-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Lima kicked the point after to stretch the margin to 14-0.

The Bulldogs started to gain some momentum in the second quarter, but missed an opportunity to score early on a failed 36-yard field goal attempt. On the following possession, the Bulldogs were in Falcons' territory, but they turned the ball over on downs.

The Falcons attacked immediately. Richards broke out of the arms of two tacklers for a 22-yard reception in Bowie territory. A couple of plays later, Richards caught a 20-yard pass from Bacote at the Bulldogs' 5. Laughinghouse finished off the drive with a leaping five-yard grab over a defender for the Falcons' third touchdown of the half. Richards scored on a fake field goal attempt for the two-point conversion to give the Falcons a 22-0 lead.

The Falcons weren't through yet. Bryan Jones intercepted a pass to give the Falcons possession with a little over two minutes in the first half. A 23-yard pass from Bacote to Richards put the Falcons in scoring position at the Bulldogs' 29. A 25-yard pass from Bacote to Laughinghouse put the ball at the two. Davenport ended the drive with a short run for his second touchdown of the game. Lima kicked the extra point for a commanding 29-0 lead which the Falcons took into halftime.

The Bulldogs began the third quarter with a scoring drive of their own. A pass interference penalty on the Falcons gave the Bulldogs great field position which they capitalized on. Phillip Quarrie scored from two yards out, and Mario Diaz-Aviles kicked the extra point to cut the Falcons lead to 29-7.

Just when the Bulldogs were gaining momentum, Laughinghouse returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to midfield. A personal foul penalty on the Bulldogs but the ball on their side of the field, but Reggie Uwandi intercepted Bacote to save a Falcon score.

The Bulldogs attacked immediately with a 41-yard pass from Reid to McNeil to put the ball inside Falcon 20. The drive turned up empty, however, when the Bulldogs missed a 38-yard field goal.

The Bulldogs didn't give up, however. Reid threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Lee on the first play of the fourth quarter. Diaz-Aviles made the extra point to slice the Falcons lead to 29-14. But in the blink of an eye, Laughinghouse returned the kickoff 93 yards for a score to break the Bulldogs' backs. Lima connected on the extra point for a 36-14 lead.

The Falcons padded their lead to 38-14 on the Bulldogs' next possession when the ball sailed over the punter's head out of the end zone.

The Bulldogs also recorded a safety in the fourth quarter when the ball sailed over Alexander Tucker's head on fourth down. Tucker kicked the ball out of the end zone, which gave the Bulldogs two points and cut the Falcons lead to 38-16. The Bulldogs finished the scoring on Reid's six-yard pass to McNeil late in the game.

The next opponent for Bowie State doesn't get easier with the defending CIAA and NCAA Region champions of Winston-Salem State coming to town for a 1 pm contest next Saturday (9/29) in Bulldogs Stadium.

COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

How about that? Southern defeats Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi — Dawson Odums left his postgame news conference, turned left toward his locker room and nearly ran straight into Jackson State coach Rick Comegy.

Comegy offered a smile, a handshake and congratulations.

“You got them going,” Comegy said.

In his first game as Southern’s interim head coach, Odums led the Jaguars to a 28-21 win in front of 20,713 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, snapping a three-game losing streak against the Tigers and reviving a team that had looked lifeless nine days before.

Chalk it up to whatever you want — a stunning loss to Mississippi Valley State, the dismissal of head coach Stump Mitchell, a refocusing effort in practice, quarterbacks coach Chad Germany calling the plays — but Southern (1-2, 1-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is back on the right track.

That much was clear with 30 seconds remaining, when Southern was able to let the clock run out and escape from a tense fourth quarter. With the outcome sealed, Odums’ players dumped water on him in celebration, and the contingent of Jaguars fans — which included Mitchell, who watched the game from the stands — enjoyed a cathartic release that was sure to last long into the Mississippi night.

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Wallace, J.C. Smith start quickly in CIAA play

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -  Johnson C. Smith won its second straight game with a 28-21 victory against Virginia State at McGirt Field in the CIAA opener for both teams.

J.C. Smith (2-2, 1-0) racked up 471 yards on offense and sophomore quarterback Keahn Wallace passed for three touchdowns and ran for another.

“It’s a big game. Playing in the CIAA now is going to be a challenge, a dogfight,” Golden Bulls coach Steve Aycock said. “Our week’s preparation leads over to good play on the weekend, so we’re excited about it. We (can) rip off these next few and give ourselves a chance.”

Smith gave itself chances early on its first three possessions to take a commanding lead. Wallace opened with a 1-yard touchdown run on the Golden Bulls’ first drive, followed by scoring passes of 5 yards to Chris Patterson and a 33 to Matthew Jeffries for a 21-0 first quarter lead.

“(Offensive coordinator) Steve Shipp put in great predicaments and gave me great calls to excel,” said Wallace, who connected on 31 of 43 passes for 338 yards.  “All we did was take advantage. If we someone we like, we’re checking (to a different play). All we did was keep ourselves going.”

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This time comeback falls short for Bethune-Cookman in 21-14 loss

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- In its first two games, Bethune-Cookman was able to spot its opponent a two- or three-touchdown lead before getting it together on both sides of the ball and rallying to victory.

The Wildcats looked like they would do it again Saturday.

But this time Tennessee State dominated on both the offensive and defensive lines and held B-CU scoreless in the second half to hand the Wildcats a 21-14 loss in front of 9,461 fans in their home opener Saturday at Municipal Stadium.

“We had some opportunities, we just didn't capitalize on them,'' said B-CU coach Brian Jenkins, whose squad lost its second straight game to fall to 2-2.

“Tennessee State stayed the course, and my hat's off to (TSU coach) Rod Reed and his staff. They were resilient. They were relentless.

B-CU fell behind 21-0 in the first half, just like it did against Alabama State in the season-opener. Then it got back into the game with two quick touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half. But the 'Cats moved past the Tigers' 42-yard line just once in the second half. On that occasion they failed to convert on fourth-and-three at the TSU 14 midway through the third quarter.

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TSU Improves to 4-0

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — A.C. Leonard set the tone by catching an 80-yard pass on the second play from scrimmage.

Fellow sophomore Daniel Fitzpatrick intercepted a pass to set up one touchdown and scored another on a blocked kick return as Tennessee State held off Bethune-Cookman 21-14 Saturday at Municipal Stadium.

“Our kids perservered,” said Tigers coach Rod Reed, whose team improved to 4-0. “We have a lot of kids from the state of Florida. We have a lot of guys who know a lot of guys on their team. Both teams wanted to win this football game.”

Tennessee State dominated on both lines and held Bethune-Cookman (2-2) scoreless in the second half after the Wildcats scored twice in the final two minutes of the first half.

“We had some opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize on them,’’ said Wildcats coach Brian Jenkins. “Tennessee State stayed the course, and my hat’s off to Rod Reed and his staff. They were resilient. They were relentless.

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DSU Hornets fall short against FAMU Rattlers

DOVER, Delaware — There was one play in the third quarter that seemed to symbolize Delaware State’s frustrations against Florida A&M.

Rattlers quarterback Damien Fleming had a Delaware State player wrapped firmly around his right ankle as he unleashed a pass high into the air that turned into a 38-yard completion to Dewayne Harvey.

Florida A&M just seemed to be one big play and one big step ahead of DSU as the Rattlers held on for a 24-22 victory over the Hornets in their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener at Alumni Stadium on Saturday night.

“For the last three weeks we’ve been talking about how to get away from moral victories,” Delaware State coach Kermit Blount said. “Moral victories are good, but we want some Ws. We’ve got a little work to do to get it right … but we’ll get it right.”

Delaware State (1-3 overall, 0-1 MEAC) pulled to within two points of FAMU after Nagee Jackson scored on a 5-yard run with 6:39 remaining. The Hornets went for the 2-point conversion and quarterback Nick Elko found tight end Jahmel Bashir with a quick pass to the right, but he was shoved out of bounds just shy of the goal line.

The Hornets never got the ball again as Florida A&M (2-2, 2-0) got four key first downs on its final possession to successfully run out the clock. High school bands from Smyrna, Dover, DE and Flowers from Springdale, Maryland join Delaware State band in Halftime performance Vs. FAMU Football.

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In the Stone for Livingstone College

Lincoln Lions' Cook throws career-high 463 yards in 48-44 loss to Livingstone College

SALISBURY, North Carolina  -   Doug Cook (Dania Beach, Fla./University School of Nova SE University) threw for a career-high 463 yards and five touchdowns, but the Lincoln University football team couldn't rally from a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes as the Lions dropped a tough 48-44 decision to Livingstone College at Alumni Memorial Stadium in a CIAA contest on Saturday afternoon.

It didn't take long for the Lions (0-4 overall, 0-1 CIAA), who amassed 547 total yards of offense, to get on the scoreboard as Cook, who was 39-of-70 passing, completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Falucon to give Lincoln a 7-0 lead with 13:09 remaining in the first quarter.

The Blue Bears (1-3 overall, 1-0 CIAA), who finished with 490 total yards, scored 28 unanswered points to grab a 28-7 advantage, but the Lions trimmed the margin to 28-14 when Kester Lewis (Bowie, Md./Grady HS) caught a 1-yard pass from Cook with 5:03 left in the first half.

A Kyle Jaski (Escondido, Calif./Kenwood HS) 22-yard field goal right before half cut the Livingstone advantage to 35-17.

In the second half, the Lions, who were battling key injuries offensively and defensively, went to work on the Blue Bears defense as Lincoln scored 21 unanswered points to grab a 38-35 lead.
 

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Week 4, HBCU Football Scorecard

OVC
Tennessee State 21, Bethune-Cookman 14

MEAC
Ohio 44, Norfolk State 10
Texas A&M 70, South Carolina State 14
North Carolina Central 45, Savannah State 33
Florida A&M 24, Delaware State 22

SWAC
Alabama A&M 42, Texas Southern 13
Southern 28, Jackson State 21
Arkansas Pine Bluff 24, Alabama State 21 (Thursday)
Arkansas State 56, Alcorn State 0
Northwestern State 45, Mississippi Valley State 14
North Dakato State 66, Prairie View A&M 7

SIAC
Lane 37, Morehouse 34 O.T.
Miles 41, Albany State (Ga.) 6
Stillman 27, Kentucky State 8
Fort Valley State 33, Benedict 10
Concordia-Selma 22, Clark-Atlanta 17

CIAA
Livingstone 48, Lincoln (Pa.) 44
Johnson C. Smith 28, Virginia State 21
Winston-Salem State 35, Virginia Union 6
Chowan 49, Shaw 35
Elizabeth City State 20, Fayetteville State 13
Saint Augustine's 36, Bowie State 22

OTHERS
North Carolina-Pembroke 30, Virginia University of Lynchburg 7
Pittsburg State 59, Lincoln (MO) 17
Lamar 31, Langston (OK) 0
Saint Joseph's (IN) 42, Central State (Ohio) 36
Concord (WV) 23, West Virginia State 16
E. Stroudsburg 59, Cheyney 27

Stillman drives Ford to 27-8 win against Kentucky State

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama --- It looked like a routine crossing route.
Matched up against Kentucky State freshman Eric Rawls, Stillman senior Damian Ford created just enough space across the middle to get open and maybe move the chains for an early first down.

But Ford, whose developed a penchant for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary during his career as a Tiger, turned it into a 60-yard touchdown reception to get his team on the board first in a 27-8 victory in its Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener.

"Obviously, that's what we want to get--- the big plays and we want execution," Stillman coach Teddy Keaton said. "I thought Damian did a good job. You want to go to your go-to receiver and we went to him and he made a big play for us."

Quarterback Josh Straughan went to ...

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Gold Nuggets set school record with seventh consecutive road victory

Xavier University of Louisiana's 2012 women's volleyball team
Team Roster

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Trinity Baptist 25-7, 25-15, 25-15 Saturday to set a women's volleyball school record with its seventh consecutive road victory.

Taylor Reuther and freshman Claudia Haywood combined for 22 kills and a .724 hitting percentage for the Gold Nuggets (7-4), who have not lost on the road since opening day Aug. 24. Reuther hit .647 and served six aces, and Haywood hit .833 -- the best by a Gold Nuggets player since the program resumed in 2010 -- on a season-best 10 kills and no errors in 12 attacks.

Xavier also set a school record with its third consecutive victory on an opponent's court.

The Gold Nuggets' 17 aces matched their season high. Patrice Smith had a career-high four aces, and CeCe Williams and Franziska Pirkl served three apiece. Xavier had a 35-13 advantage in kills.

The Gold Nuggets will visit city rival SUNO for a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match at 7 p.m. Monday.

Read more later about this match online at
http://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/0922b.html

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

Week 4: HBCU Football

OVC
Tennessee State @ Bethune-Cookman, 4pm

SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff 24, Alabama State 21  Final (Thursday)
Alabama A&M @ Texas Southern, Noon
Southern @ Jackson State, 5 pm
Praire View A&M @ #1 North Dakota State,  4 pm
Alcorn State@ Arkansas State, 7 pm, ESPN3
Mississippi Valley State@ Northwestern State (La.), 7 pm

CIAA
Bowie State @ Saint Augustine's, 1:30pm
Lincoln (Pa.) @ Livingstone, 1pm
Chowan @ Shaw, 1pm
Virginia State @ Johnson C. Smith, 1 pm
Elizabeth City State @ Fayetteville State, 6 pm
Virginia Union @ Winston-Salem State, 6 pm

SIAC
Concordia-Selma @ Clark-Atlanta,
Lane @ Morehouse,7pm
Miles @ Albany State (Ga.), 7 pm
Kentucky State @ Stillman, 6 pm
Benedict@ Fort Valley State, 2pm

The South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. Texas A&M Aggies @ 7 pm ET, View Game at ESPN3.

MEAC
South Carolina State @ Texas A&M, 7 pm ESPN3
Norfolk State @ Ohio, 2 pm ESPN3
North Carolina Central @ Savannah State, 7 pm
Florida A&M @ Delaware State, 6 pm

OTHERS
Central State (Ohio) @ Saint Joseph's (IN), 1 pm
Cheyney @ East Stroudsburg, 1 pm
Lincoln (Mo) @ Pittsburg State, 8 pm.
Concord @ West Virginia State, 1 pm
North Carolina Pembroke @ Virginia University of Lynchburg, 1 pm
New Orleans @ Edward Waters, 2 pm
Langston (Ok) @ Lamar, 8 pm, ESPN3

* All Game Times are stated in Eastern Time Zone

Gold Nuggets shine against Lady Tigers in GCAC opener

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sophomores Moira Kirk and Taylor Reuther combined for 24 kills and a .657 hitting percentage Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-9, 25-8, 25-14 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Edward Waters.    

The Gold Nuggets (6-4 overall, 1-0 GCAC) are the defending conference regular-season and tournament champions. They earned their 15th consecutive victory against GCAC opponents.
    

Kirk hit .737, the highest in a match by an XU player since the program resumed in 2010. She had 15 kills, a season best, and one error in 19 attempts. Her 10 blocks Tuesday in a four-set home loss against Mobile were the most by a Gold Nugget since the start of the 2010 season.
    

Reuther hit .563 on nine kills and no errors in 16 attempts.
    

Xavier's .567 team hitting percentage was its best since the start of 2010 and a strong reversal from a season-low .050 against Mobile.
    

The Gold Nuggets had advantages of 43-19 in kills and 10-1 in aces. Six Nuggets served at least one ace, with Reuther and CeCe Williams producing three apiece. Williams had six kills and hit .556 in nine attacks.
    

Xavier scored 11 consecutive points, five on kills by Kirk, to build a 15-4 first-set lead. The Gold Nuggets led 17-4 in the second set and had a 9-1 run in the third after a tie at 7. Kerris Crier's kill ended the 58-minute match.
    

"I am very happy with our team's performance," XU coach Christabell Hamilton said. "We definitely needed that win. Not only because it was our first conference match, but also because we needed a motivational boost to get us back on track."
    

Xavier entered with a two-match losing streak, home losses to Spring Hill and Mobile. The Nuggets have not lost on the road since opening day when they dropped a pair to nationally ranked Lee (Tenn.) and Lindsey Wilson in the Lee Invitational on Aug. 24.
    

Edward Waters is 4-7, 0-1. The Lady Tigers, 0-5 the past three seasons against Xavier, will be the Nuggets' next home opponent Oct. 5.
    

Xavier will remain in the city to play Trinity Baptist in a non-conference match at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday. The next GCAC match will start at 7 p.m. Monday at SUNO.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Sportsedit Weekly Commentary: Tennessee State and BCU Could Meet Again

 

DWIGHT FLOYD
Weekly Commentary

Tennessee State Tigers versus Bethune Cookman Wildcats

   

            4:00 P.M. EST 





DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -  Just how important is the game between the undefeated Tennessee State Tigers and the Bethune Cookman Wildcats?  Neither team is going to make $600,000 dollars off of this non-conference game nor will it have an immediate impact on who makes the playoffs, which after all is the big prize that awaits both teams provided they are able to win their conference championship or get an at-large bid.

The easiest road to the FCS 1-AA playoff is an automatic bid via a conference championship. For the Tigers and Wildcats that means protecting primary players from injuries that could otherwise ruin the season before it realistically gets started. 

As far as the conference goes this is a “preseason” or “prep” game to iron out wrinkles and finalize team strategy for conference play. Not that either team expects to lose this game. Because of the proud tradition of both bands this is a potential rivalry from the start.

Perhaps just as important to both schools is putting butts in the seats and increasing revenue at the gate. Not many fans came to see the Wildcats play at the home of the Miami Hurricanes last week and the Tigers lost an opportunity to play FAMU in the annual Atlanta classic because of a drop in fan support. Message to the Tiger-Wildcat fans: This is not a time stay at home.

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TSU Tigers travel to Florida to face Bethune-Cookman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -  Tennessee State travels to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday in a battle between two of the top HBCU's in the nation.

TSU played its first on-campus home game since the 1998 season last Saturday, defeating Austin Peay 34-14 at Hale Stadium. Since 1999, the Tigers have played at LP Field (and will play two home games there this season), but returned to "The Hole" and won in front of 14,264 fans, the 21^st largest in stadium history.

The win helped the Tigers improve to 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2008.

TSU quarterback Michael German was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week after completing 27-of-36 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

The 27 completions and 318 yards were new career-highs while the three touchdowns tied his career-best. German finished the day with a 51-yard touchdown pass to A.C. Leonard to cap the scoring. Leonard had five catches for 82 yards.

Travis James was German's favorite target on the day, grabbing a career-high nine passes for 109 yards and a score. Freshman Telvin Hooks led the Tigers with 66 rushing yards while Trabis Ward added 49 yards and a touchdown. 

Sophomore defensive back Steven Godbolt III had four tackles, two pass breakups and a fourth quarter interception; it marked his third interception of the season and he now ranks second nationally in that category. Godbolt also ranks fifth nationally in passes defended (2.0/game).

Overall, the TSU defense did not allow a 100-yard rusher for the fifth-straight game dating back to last season. The 20-point margin of victory by TSU snapped a streak of five-straight games decided by three points or less vs. Austin Peay.

The Wildcats are under the direction of third-year head coach Brian Jenkins who led the team to a share of the MEAC Championship and a playoff berth in 2010 and an 8-3 record a season ago.  Bethune-Cookman started the season with a 38-28 win over Alabama State and a 27-14 win at South Carolina State.

Last week the Wildcats faced off with Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Miami (Fla.), falling 38-10 to the Hurricanes. B-CU scored the first points of the game as Isidore Jackson scored from a yard out late in the first quarter. Miami would score the next 24 points, including three touchdowns by Duke Johnson (on a kickoff, rush and catch).

Rodney Scott led the Wildcats with 72 yards on the ground while Jackson added 66 yards and the touchdown. Overall, Bethune-Cookman had 233 rushing yards on the day.

It's the seventh all-time meeting between the teams on Saturday, but the first since the 1987 season. The Tigers hold a 5-1 all-time advantage in the series but the Wildcats won the last meeting 16-13.

The game is the first home game of the season for Bethune-Cookman and will be the team's annual Hall of Fame Game.

TSU assistant head coach and passing game coordinator Jeff Parker will be honored on Friday night with his induction into the Hall of Fame. It marks the first true road game of the season for TSU, who have played two home contests and a neutral site affair.

B-CU is ranked first in the Heritage Sports Radio Network Black College Football FCS Poll and the Sheridan Broadcasting Poll. Meanwhile, TSU is second in the Heritage Poll and third in the Sheridan.

Kickoff is schedule for 3 p.m. CST.

Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers, Twitter @TSU_Tigers and YouTube

Tennessee State Game Notes vs. Bethune Cookman    OVC Weekly Notes TSU Head Coach Rod Reed Weekly Teleconference Sept. 18 COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FVSU looks for sharper game against Benedict



HEAD COACH DONALD PITTMAN



FORT VALLEY, Georgia  -  The offense and defense are showing progress, and the kicking game has been pretty solid from the start.  Now, about those penalties ...

Cutting down on flying flags is the priority of Fort Valley State head coach Donald Pittman when his team welcomes Benedict to Wildcat Stadium in SIAC action Saturday night.

“Too many penalties,” he said. “I’m happy with the win, but the one regret I have is we have so many penalties.

”FVSU is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play while Benedict is 0-3 as it enters its conference opener.  Pittman might have jinxed the Wildcats when he talked of how happy he was with their discipline in the season opener at Delta State, when they were penalized seven times for 68 yards.

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ECSU hopes to sustain momentum

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Can a football team’s drive stretch for 200-plus miles?  Elizabeth City State will find out tonight when it plays at Fayetteville State in its CIAA opener.

Vikings coach Waverly Tillar says ECSU is going to try to extend the 95-yard drive it used to beat Albany State 13-12 last week.

“We’re basing this week on our last drive, we’re going to use that as momentum going into Fayetteville,” he said. “That was Viking football. The run-pass sequence was really working for us. I think we’re on the way now.”

The drive Tillar was so excited about was a 12-play beauty in the fourth quarter that rallied the team from a 12-6 deficit.

Quarterback Namon Jones completed five ...

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WSSU Rams begin defense on CIAA title tonight

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -  Fifth-ranked Winston-Salem State built momentum during the nonconference part of its schedule. Now it will find out if it carries over into CIAA play.

WSSU (3-0) will start defense of its CIAA championship at 6 p.m. today at Bowman Gray Stadium against Virginia Union (2-1), which also will be playing its conference opener.

"We are going to go out and do what we do, and the points will be there for us," said wide receiver Jameze Massey, who helped the offense get on track with last week's 55-21 win against Morehouse.

Coach Connell Maynor watched his Rams win close games against UNC Pembroke and Concord then put everything together last week in their first blowout of the season.

Maynor said he has been impressed with how the Rams have improved each week.

"That shows that our guys are coachable, and they aren't going to make the ...

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Alcorn State and a new race debate

LORMAN, Miss -- In 1948, Medgar Evers arrived at Alcorn College with a GI Bill, a football scholarship and eyes that had seen two very different sides of the same world. Mississippi represented one side. Evers grew up in Decatur, a farming town buried inside a state in which extreme racial divisiveness was status quo for the times. But at 23 years old, Evers, the great-grandson of a slave, also had seen a world that was as different from Mississippi as moonlight and sunlight. Evers served in the Army and fought in the Battle of Normandy during World War II. Stationed in France, he had a French girlfriend and marveled at how he was more accepted in another country than his own home. It gave him hope that one day he could fully enjoy the rights he'd been systematically denied in America. Alcorn was a perfect landing ... READ MORE

NCCU VS. SAVANNAH STATE PREVIEW

DURHAM, North Carolina - Spoken 4 Communications gives fans an inside look at the opening conference showdown pitting the Eagles of North Carolina Central University against Savannah State University. NCCU has lost two straight to the Tigers and is looking to head into the bye week 1-0 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play. Kickoff from T.A. Wright Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m., but the Champps Pregame Show begins at 6:30 on WNCU 90.7 FM and online at www.NCCUEaglePride.com. COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24, Alabama State 21 - Buzzkill: Hornets' rally falls short

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -  The whole nation saw what Alabama State fans have been agonizing over for weeks.  Justin Billings rushed for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Dennis Jenkins added 82 yards on 19 carries as part of a 246-yard rushing effort by Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 24-21 victory over Alabama State at Cramton Bowl on Thursday night.

The evening was part of “Faith, Family and Military Night” that drew 18,110 fans. Along with an ESPNU national cable audience, it was a chance for the Hornets to show their improvement from a poor effort against Bethune-Cookman in the season opening MEAC-SWAC Challenge on ESPN.

I

instead, it was more of the same as the Hornets sputtered sporadically on offense, provided no spark with special teams and had problems getting off the field on defense.

“Overall, it wasn’t our best, but we played against a really good team, and that’s what happens when you’re not on your best and you’re playing against a good team,” ASU coach Reggie Barlow said. “It’s pretty disappointing and discouraging. If you think too much on it, it’ll let it affect you. We’re going to encourage them, we’ve got to correct them and let them know you can’t get off to a slow start against a good team, and you can’t have a lot of penalties against a good team.”

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Kicking is focus for NSU after two costly blocks

NORFOLK - The kicking game was supposed to be Norfolk State's big weapon. Instead, it's become the Spartans' biggest worry.

Norfolk State spent the week with the focus - both wanted and unwanted - on kicker Everett Goldberg and a field goal unit that is surprisingly one of worst in the MEAC. The Spartans rank next-to-last in the MEAC in extra-point percentage (7 of 10) and ninth in field-goal percentage (2 of 6).


Coach Pete Adrian keyed in on kicking this week, opening Wednesday's and Thursday's practices with field goals. The fans had focused on it, consumed enough that Adrian admits he's heard suggestions to bench Goldberg.

"It's a unit," Goldberg said. "You have to rely on other people and, right now, the unit is failing. It's frustrating when you go to class and 20 people are staring at you like you cost them the conference and teachers say stuff, but there's nothing you can do."

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Rams Notebook: WSSU's Massey getting his legs under him

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -  Wide receiver Jameze Massey of WSSU had to fight through lingering leg injuries in preseason camp and the first part of the season. He appears to be at full strength now and leads the Rams with an average of 24.7 yards per catch.

Massey said the Rams took what they were given in last week's 55-21 victory against Morehouse and that's how they rolled up 677 yards.

"Our offensive line was doing a great job, and their defense was putting an extra man in the box, so we just exploited that," Massey said. "(Quarterback) Kam Smith has been making some great reads for us, and that's been a big key."

Massey, who missed the opener against UNC Pembroke, has 10 catches in two games.



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Xavier's Pieri, Fakler are GCAC Runners of the Week



Matt Pieri



Catherine Fakler



NEW ORLEANS — It's a familiar situation for Matt Pieri and a new one for Catherine Fakler. Both Xavier University of Louisiana cross country standouts are the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Runners of the Week for Sept. 10-16.

Pieri, a senior from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, extended his GCAC career record with 11 weekly men's awards. He's won the award at least once in each of his four seasons. Fakler, a sophomore from Phoenix, Ariz., and a graduate of Xavier College Preparatory Roman Catholic High School, won the women's award for the first time. Both were honored after their performances Saturday in the Azalea City Classic at Mobile, Ala.

Pieri produced the fastest time — 26 minutes, 39.71 seconds — by an XU male for 8,000 meters since 1998. Pieri beat his personal record by nearly 12 seconds and placed 18th out of 105 runners.

Fakler broke her XU women's record for 6,000 meters. Her 24:09.65 beat her old mark of 24:10.3. She placed 28th out of 115 runners.

Both XU teams will compete Saturday in the ASICS Embry-Riddle Classic at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., The 8,000-meter men's race will start at 7:20 a.m. EDT, followed by the women's 5K at 8. It will be Xavier's third meet of the season. Embry-Riddle's men are ranked 15th in the NAIA, and the women are ranked 20th. Embry-Riddle's best male is senior Evans Kirwa, the reigning NAIA National Men's Runner of the Week.

Twelve additional schools will compete Saturday: Ave Maria, Bethune-Cookman, Flagler, Florida College, Johnson & Wales (Fla.), Lynn, Rollins, Seton Hall, Southeastern (Fla.), Stetson, Tennessee State and Warner. Embry-Riddle also will field an alumni team.

 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

XU Rush, Nuggets open season at UNO's Big Easy Classic

Coach Alan Green (black jacket) begins his 10th season as XU's tennis coach.

2012-13 schedules:  Men    Women


NEW ORLEANS — Xavier Univerity of Louisiana will begin the fall portion of its 2012-13 men's and women's tennis schedules Friday in the Big Easy Classic at the University of New Orleans.

 The three-day event will be played at UNO's University Tennis Center. In addition to Xavier and the host school, participating teams will be the men of South Alabama and Tulane, the women of McNeese State, Troy and Southern Illinois and the men and women of Alcorn State, Loyola and Nicholls State.

There will be three flights of singles, one flight of doubles and a consolation bracket for first-round losers. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets also will compete Sept. 28-30 in the USTA / ITA NAIA South Regional in Gainesville, Ga. Brenau University will be the host.

Alan Green, in his 10th season as coach of XU's men and women, said he plans to add one more fall event to the schedule. Xavier will announce its schedule of spring-semester dual matches near the end of 2012 or in early 2013. The Gold Rush were ranked seventh and the Gold Nuggets 19th in the 2012 NAIA postseason coaches poll.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS