Dwight Floyd: Recap of Saturday's Most Exciting Games

DWIGHT FLOYD
sportsedit.org

There Were No Upsets on This Saturday

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -  There were some big wins in the SWAC, MEAC and OVC, but clearly no upsets. At this stage of the season a win is a win. The contenders separated themselves from the pretenders demonstrating a shift in power. If you like football then you should be excited about these games.

Perhaps the most exciting win was made by Tennessee State.  At the start of the 4th quarter they were behind by 10 with their conference nemeses and FCS #16 ranked Eastern Kentucky leading 17-10.  By the 13:49 mark of the 4th quarter Eastern Kentucky had punched in a field goal and appeared to be in control leading 20-10.

The Tennessee State Tigers wouldn’t have it. At the 8:49 mark they scored a touchdown to make it 20-16, but the extra point kick was blocked. At that point a field goal would do the Tigers no good. They needed another touchdown, which all game was hard to come by. From the 8:49 mark the Eastern Kentucky Colonels held the ball for almost six minutes before being stopped on a 4th down play at the Tigers’ 32 yard line.

 That is where the Tigers started their final make or break drive with 2:44 left in the game.

Judiciously using their timeouts and converting on 4th down when they had to, the Tigers marched to the Colonels 3 yard line with 16 seconds left. After an Eastern Kentucky timeout the Tigers moved the ball 2 yards to the Colonels’ 1 yard line. Tennessee State used their last timeout before lining up for the final play.

That play was delayed when the Colonels chose to call a time out.

With nearly the entire team in the huddle, the Eastern Kentucky Colonels scripted their strategy for the final stand with 8 seconds left.

Both teams line up on the ball and the referee blew the whistle to start play. With ease, the Tigers simply smash mouthed their way across the goal line on a quarterback sneak right up the middle. With that the Tigers would not be denied winning 23-20.

Only 6,000 plus attended the game. That means that the other 25,000 that attended the week before missed a historic win at the Tigers home field.

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Crowell, Defense Spark Alabama State Hornet Shutout

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Isaiah Crowell ran for a career-high 149 yards and two touchdowns, while the defense made five takeaways and pitched a shutout as Alabama State blanked Texas Southern 45-0 Saturday afternoon at Cramton Bowl.

The Hornets (4-2 overall, 4-1 SWAC) used big scoring plays to set the tone in winning their second straight game, as Crowell had scoring runs of 63 and 34 yards and Landon Jones scored on a 32-yard scoring pass to take a 21-0 lead.

“We know what Crowell can do,” Barlow said. “He's a special guy, and it seems to come pretty easy to him. He's a really good player. We're happy to have him here. The guys have really embraced him. He's been a great team member, and he did a good job for us.”

Alabama State scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives in a 3:39 span of the second quarter. Crowell's 63-yard run, a career long, came on the first play of the drive to give the Hornets a 7-0 lead with 7:56 to play until halftime.

A pair of defensive takeaways set up Alabama State's next two scores. Brandon Slater's recovery of a TSU fumble at the Tigers' 42-yard line set up the Hornets' next touchdown. On 3^rd-and-2, Crowell broke a 34-yard scoring run to extend the lead to 14-0 with 5:12 remaining in the period.

The first of two Darius Knox interceptions two plays later set up the next score. QB Greg Jenkins fired a 32-yard touchdown pass to Landon Jones on the far sideline to extend the lead to 21-0 with just over four minutes remaining until halftime.

The defense allowed a season-low 133 total yards (29 rushing, 104 passing).

“We were very impressed with our defense; they came out and played with a lot of passion and a lot of enthusiasm,”
Barlow said of the Hornets' first shutout since a 24-0 win over Savannah State on Oct. 30, 2010. “Our coaches did a good job of preparing these guys. It was important to them.”

After Bobby Wenzig converted a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter, the Hornets broke the game open late. Backup quarterback Daniel Duhart directed three touchdown drives, including a 26-yard touchdown pass to DeMario Bell and a Duhart five-yard touchdown run.

The Hornets have outscored opponents 99-14 in the past two games, heading into next Saturday's home game vs. Jackson State.

“It took some time to get used to what everybody likes,” Barlow said of the offensive cohesion in the last two weeks. “We do have a new running back (Crowell), and (we've been) finding out things that he likes to do. The sky is the limit for our offense, if we can just stay on it and continue to get better.”

Box Score

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Circle City Classic: NC Central capitalizes on turnovers, wins 40-10

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  -  Playing in a building that hosted the Super Bowl just a few months earlier was exciting for the North Carolina Central players.

But the Eagles were more thrilled after their 40-10 victory over South Carolina State in the Circle City Classic on Saturday because of the significance to their program, showing just far they have come since moving up to the Football Championship Subdivision from NCAA Division II nearly two years ago.

“It's such a blessing, beating a team that's ran the (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) for who knows how long,” North Carolina Central quarterback Jordan Reid sad. “Kind of like beating your big brother.”

The Eagles (3-2, 2-0 MEAC) went just 2-9 last season, their first in the FCS level (formerly NCAA Division I). And, as Reid noted, South Carolina State (2-4, 1-1) has been something of the king of the MEAC, winning the league title in three of the last four years.

But before an estimated crowd of 20,000, North Carolina Central looked like the seasoned bunch. It took advantage of three South Carolina State turnovers to score 30 points in the second quarter and cruised after that.


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NCCU 40, S.C. STATE 10: Eagles turn 5 TOs into rout in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. — N.C. Central rode a school record 30-point offensive explosion in the second quarter to a 40-10 MEAC win over South Carolina State at the Circle City Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL Colts, here Saturday.

The 30-point outburst, which overwhelmed S.C. State’s early 3-0 lead, set a school record for points in a second quarter.

The Eagles’ win was fueled by five S.C. State (2-4, 1-2 MEAC) turnovers, one of which turned into a 27-yard touchdown return by linebacker Tazmon Foster. The victory snapped a seven-game losting streak to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe SCSU and marked NCCU’s fifth win in six games played in National Football League stadiums since 2000.

The only loss at an NFL venue was to Georgia State in overtime in 2010 before NCCU’s jump to Division I and the Football Championship Subdivision of the NCAA.

Oleg Parent’s 43-yard field goal early in the second quarter drew NCCU (3-2, 2-0 MEAC) even and Arthur Goforth’s 13-yard scoring run gave NCCU a lead that the Eagles would not relinquish.

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Alabama A&M pitches complete game shutout in 35-0 defeat of Mississippi Valley State

ITTA BENA, Mississippi---You're going to have to be able to do it all to beat Alabama A&M.
That became crystal clear in the Bulldogs' 35-0 dissection of Mississippi Valley State at Rice-Totten Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Coming into the Southwestern Athletic Conference eastern division contest, Valley ranked dead last in the conference in passing. However, the Delta Devils still presented a formidable challenge with the conference's top-ranked defense and the leader in yards per carry in senior tailback Brandon Stansell.

The seasoned Bulldogs showed why they're rated behind only Tennessee State in nearly every national black college football poll, dominating from start to finish to improve their record to 6-0.

They won the time of possession battle on their way to a fourth-straight 30-plus point performance, holding the ball for roughly five more minutes, running 17 more plays and gaining nearly 200 more yards than their opposition.

Defensively, they pitched their first shutout of the season while forcing three turnovers.




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Stillman holds off Benedict 24-19

COLUMBIA, South Carolina  -- Stillman holds off a furious rally to defeat Benedict 24-19 at C.W. Stadium in Columbia.

Stillman (4-2, 3-0 SIAC) opened the scoring in the first quarter when David Johnson capped a 13-play, 61-yard, 4:23 drive with a one-yard plunge. The Tigers from Tuscaloosa extended the lead when Willie Huggins scooped a Benedict failed handoff and ran four yards for another Stillman score.

Benedict would get on the scoreboard in the second quarter when Marcus Graham would find Emmanuel Houston in the corner of the end zone cutting the lead to 14-7. Benedict, on its next possession, ended a six-play, 28-yard drive with a 40-yard field goal by Eduardo Hernandez.

In the third quarter, Alejandro Huerta would connect on a 34-yard field goal to give Stillman a 24-10 lead. After a turnover, Stillman would get a 14-yard pass play from Joshua Straughan to Damien Ford to make the score 24-10.

Both teams would have promising possessions in the fourth quarter. A late turnover by Stillman gave Benedict the ball first down on the 11-yard line, but Benedict would only muster a 30-yard field goal to cut the lead to 24-13 with 8:32 remaining in regulation.

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WSSU rolls past J.C. Smith 63-7

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State had little trouble with hapless Johnson C. Smith, winning 63-7 at Memorial Stadium this afternoon.

The Rams, ranked No. 4 in Division II, rolled up 399 yards of offense in the first half and scored on all seven first-half possessions. The Rams took advantage of three Bulls turnovers and rolled to a big lead and never looked back. The Rams finished with 553 yards of offense.

Quarterback Kameron Smith had five touchdown passes, one off his career high. He was 13 of 15 for 259 yards in the first half and didn't play in the second half. Wide receiver Jamal Williams had three touchdown catches in the first half and Jameze Massey and Jahuann Butler each had touchdown catches.

The Rams improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the CIAA. They will play St. Augustine's next Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium in another key Southern Division game.

The Bulls, who failed to get past midfield in the first half, fell to 2-4 and 1-2 in the CIAA.

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WEEK 6, HBCU FOOTBALL SATURDAY

OVC
Eastern Kentucky (4-1, 2-0 OVC) @ Tennessee State (5-0, 1-0 OVC), 2pm

MEAC
Florida A&M (2-3, 2-0 MEAC) @ Howard (3-1, 2-0 MEAC), 1pm
Delaware State (1-3, 0-1 MEAC) @ Norfolk State (2-3, 0-2 MEAC)
South Carolina State ( 2-3, 1-1 MEAC) vs. North Carolina Central (2-2, 1-0 MEAC) at Indianapolis, Indiana,  Circle City Classic, 2:30pm
North Carolina A&T (2-2, 0-1 MEAC) @ Bethune-Cookman (3-2, 2-0 MEAC), HOMECOMING 2012, 4pm
Morgan State (2-2, 1-0 MEAC) @ Savannah State (0-4, 0-2 MEAC), 7pm

SWAC
Alabama A&M (5-0, 4-0 SWAC) @ Mississippi Valley State (1-3, 1-1 SWAC) HOMECOMING 2012, 3pm
Texas Southern (1-4, 1-2 SWAC) @Alabama State (3-2, 3-1 SWAC), 2 pm
Southern U. (2-2, 1-1 SWAC) @ Alcorn State (1-4, 1-2 SWAC), ESPN3, 5pm
Grambling State (0-4, 0-3 SWAC) vs. Prairie View A&M (0-5, 0-3 SWAC) @ State Fair Classic, Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas, 7pm
Jackson State (2-3, 2-1 SWAC) @ Arkansas Pine Bluff (3-2, 2-1 SWAC), 7pm




SIAC
Stillman@ Benedict, 2pm
Tuskege @ Morehouse, 3pm
Lane @ Albany State (Ga.), 5pm
Clark-Atlanta @ Miles, 5pm
Kentucky State @ Fort Valley State, 6pm


CIAA
Lincoln (Pa.) @ Virginia Union, 1pm
Elizabeth City State @ Virginia State, 1pm
Fayetteville State @ Shaw, 1pm
Saint Augustine's U. @ Livingstone, 1:30pm
Winston-Salem State@ Johnson C. Smith U., 4pm
Bowie State @ Chowan, 6pm

OTHER
Kutztown @ Cheyney, 1pm
Point U. @ Shorter, 1:30pm
West Liberty State @ West Virginia State, HOMECOMING 2012, 1:30pm
Panhandle State @ Texas College, 3pm
Washburn @ Lincoln (Mo.), 3pm
Missouri S&T @ Central State (Ohio), 1.30pm

ALL GAME TIMES ARE STATED FOR EASTERN TIME ZONE.




NOTE:  Gotta go! Off to the FAMU @ Howard game.  Will update Blog after 7pm this evening.  A great day for football in the Nation's Capital...high 76 degrees, winds 6 mph.

Who is the Underdog? Really!

MEAC TALK SWAC TALK

Dwight Floyd

 
In the SWAC: The Jaguars are Back!
Southern Jaguars vs Alcorn Braves

Saturday, 5:00 P.M. EST/ESPN3

Jackson State Tigers vs Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions
Saturday, 7:00 P.M. EST/SWAC TV

Championship teams are built around great defense. Great defense comes from having the right players on the field and a defensive specialist as coordinator. The Jaguars bend, but don’t break defense has been consistent all year. Last week they out coached and out played the charging FAMU Rattlers, who against other teams had been moving the ball up and down the field almost at will. Forget that FAMU didn’t play with the energy desired by its coaches and fans. They are supposed to be a good team and the Jaguars beat them. Should the Southern Jaguars and UAPB Lions keep winning, it will make for a very interesting game between the two on October 20. But first, the Jaguars will have to defeat the Alcorn braves and the UAPB Lions will have to overcome the Jackson State Tigers. Of the two, UAPB should have the toughest time. Alcorn has only won one game and is in a “start from scratch”, rebuild mode. Jackson State has been up and down, capable of beating anybody on a given day. Never mind its loss at the hands of undefeated Tennessee State, who has beaten some potentially great teams. The UAPB Lions have gotten off to a great start this season. UAPB will have to decide whether this will be the year or if it becomes another “wait until next year” season.

North Carolina A&T Aggies vs Bethune Cookman Wildcats

Saturday, 4:00 P.M. EST
 

If I were a North Carolina A&T Aggie I’d be pretty upset right now. Last year the Aggies nearly ruined the Bethune Cookman Wildcats’ season winning 22-3 (the wildcats did beat their rival, the FAMU Rattlers, so all was not lost). So, what do the Wildcats do? This year they schedule the Aggies as their homecoming opponent. Expect the Aggies to use the same strategy as last year. Stop the run and make the Wildcats do what they haven’t done well in recent years, complete passes. Last year the Wildcats had a total of 108 yards for the game, gaining only 5 net yards running. The Wildcats are trying to get Mr. Football, Quentin Williams, on the field and into the starting lineup. The hope has got to be that by gaining experience his talents will take over by the end of the season and maybe even further into the playoffs. At this point the Aggies don’t have the talent or status of the Wildcats. What the Aggies do have is the Wildcats’ number. The Aggies are supposed to be the underdogs. It is homecoming, so the Wildcats had better make sure they are.

Florida A&M Rattlers vs Howard Bisons

Saturday, 1:00 P.M. EST

Did you know that the FAMU Rattlers has 41 freshmen and redshirt freshmen on their roster, many of whom are playing? Some are even starters. They are a talented group and that means a brighter future for the Rattlers. In the meantime, in a game that is in a tie with the Delaware State vs Norfolk State game for most intriguing game of the week, the FAMU Ratters vs Howard Bison game will tell fans where each of these teams stand. According to Joe Taylor the difference in last week’s loss was the Rattlers’ lack of energy and timely mistakes. We can’t predict the number of turnovers, but it would be a good guess that after the embarrassing homecoming lost to Howard last year the Ratters will be fired up and looking to play a complete game. Years ago the Buffalo Bills of the NFL adopted the Bison logo and copyrighted it as their own. The Bisons still get to use it, but they just can’t own it. The Rattlers intend on owning the Bisons on Saturday and I don’t mean the logo.


Delaware State Hornets vs Norfolk State Spartans

Saturday, 4:00 P.M. EST

Talking about the Hornets versus the Spartans, this game is a ...

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Fakler again breaks 6K record; Nuggets win tiebreaker for team title

CLINTON, Mississippi -- Catherine Fakler again broke the Xavier University of Louisiana women's record for 6,000 meters and led the Gold Nuggets to a team championship Friday in the Mississippi College/Watson Ford Invitational cross country meet.

Fakler placed third among non-NCAA Division I runners in 24 minutes, 7.38 seconds. She has broken the XU record three times in four races at this distance in two years, including 24:09.65 three weeks ago.

The Gold Nuggets, winning a second regular-season meet for the first time in four years, and Mississippi College each finished with 37 points. But Xavier earned the tiebreaker because of No. 6 runner Paige Rochelle's finish, which has nearly 90 seconds faster than her Mississippi College counterpart.

Xavier's men finished third out of seven non-DI schools. Matt Pieri (second place, 27:12.43) led the Gold Rush in the 8K race.

It was Xavier's final meet before the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 20 at this same course. Both XU teams are six-time defending GCAC champions.

More on this meet will be posted online athttp://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/1005a.html

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

Adrian Carroll BOTB 2012

Adrian Carroll Battle of the Bands 2012 will be held on Oct. 21st on the campus of NCCU.

WSSU wary of Johnson C. Smith

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -  Winston-Salem State no longer plays N.C. A&T or N.C. Central — previously its biggest rivals. That leaves it to Johnson C. Smith to fill the void.

But in football, it hasn't been much of a rivalry — the fourth-ranked Rams (5-0, 2-0 CIAA) have won nine straight in the series and will have a chance to extend their streak at 4 p.m. today at Charlotte's Memorial Stadium.

The Rams found out last season that the Bulls won't be pushovers. WSSU won 28-10 at Bowman Gray Stadium, but it wasn't the blowout many had predicted.

Coach Connell Maynor of WSSU said that the Bulls (2-3, 1-1) are dangerous because of what's at stake.

"It's just the fact that their backs are against the wall," Maynor said. "They know they have to win this game if they want to have a chance to play for the CIAA championship. It's basically a championship game for them. This is pretty much their season, and any time you put a team in that situation, they are going to come out fighting."

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ECSU looking for offensive explosion

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina  -  The time bomb that is the Elizabeth City State offense is still ticking.  The Vikings, who were predicted to win the CIAA’s Northern Division title, have won three straight games after opening the season with two losses, but have not exactly been overpowering the opposition.

ECSU’s three wins have been achieved by a total of 10 points, including last week’s 23-21 victory over St. Augustine’s that was decided when cornerback Nigel Rios returned a missed conversion for a defensive two points.

Coming into today’s game at Virginia State, the Vikings, who averaged 27.6 points a game last season when they also lost their first two games, but then reeled off eight consecutive wins, are averaging only 16.6 points.

“We’re waiting for that breakout game and we say it every week, but this could be the game we put more points on the board,” Elizabeth City State head coach Waverly Tillar said. “That’s the challenge, anyway.

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XU Gold Nuggets sweep EWC Tigers for 6th consecutive victory

NEW ORLEANS -- Taylor Reuther, the NAIA leader in aces per set, served four aces and had eight kills Friday in Xavier University of Louisiana's 25-13, 25-12, 25-10 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Edward Waters.

Moira Kirk, CeCe Williams and Chinedu Echebelem had six kills apiece for the Gold Nuggets (11-4, 5-0 GCAC), who won for the sixth consecutive time overall but the first time in three matches this season at The Barn. Alexandria Rencher and Franziska Pirkl served two aces apiece, and Kirk had two blocks.

Latavia Graham had nine kills and Zakiyya Vincent four blocks for Edward Waters (5-13, 0-5). Xavier had a 40-19 advantage in kills and 10 players with at least one kill.

Xavier will play GCAC and city rival Dillard at 7 p.m. Monday at The Barn.

More on this match will be posted online at
http://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/1005b.html


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

Wrong offense, QB make for long NSU season

NORFOLK --  Nico Flores is raw, a converted receiver playing quarterback, more reliable running than throwing.  Jake Basmagian is raw, new to the Spartans this fall with just two years of high-level football on his resume.

The Norfolk State offense is raw, shut out by South Carolina State, sputtering all season, ending the Spartans' hopes to repeat as MEAC champions before their third conference game.

Raw doesn't turn smooth in a week, and the problems at quarterback likely will hamper the Spartans (2-3, 0-2 MEAC) the rest of the season.

The absence of quarterback Chris Walley (graduation) and offensive coordinator Joe Blackwell (not retained), were more significant than initially thought, and made a measure of offensive dysfunction inevitable this season. At this point, a return to last year's success probably will have to wait until next season.

The Spartans returned all but four starters from last year's offense, which totalled nearly 400 yards per game. Eight receivers who caught at least 10 passes came back.  Despite the glut of options in the receiving corps, the quarterbacks can't find them, passing for fewer than 100 yards in 3 of 5 games.




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FAMU QB Fleming piles up the yards

Sophomore on pace to set FAMU marks

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -  When Damien Fleming took over as FAMU’s quarterback near the midway point last season, he asked position coach Quinn Gray what records he still holds from his career as a Rattler.

They haven’t had a conversation about statistics since.

“I’ve never heard him ask,” said Gray, who holds the school’s all-time passing record of 7,378 yards.
“The only thing he has ever asked was, ‘Coach what’s your record?’ He asked me that last year and said I’m asking you for a reason, and I won’t ask you any more until I get there. That’s the last time I heard of it.”

Meanwhile, Fleming is putting up some eye-catching numbers, although he wouldn’t talk about them unless pressed to do so.

He has completed 107 of 152 attempts and is averaging 218.2 yards per game. Combined with his 99 yards rushing in the first five games of the season, Fleming has amassed 1,190 yards of total offense, averaging 238 per game.

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2012 Road To The SIAC Championship: Clark Atlanta Panthers v. Morehouse Maroon Tigers

ASU Football Expects Improved Lane

ALBANY, Georgia  -  For the Albany State football team, there's no more finger pointing. A change in the win column has changed the attitude of the Golden Rams.

However, there’s no time to celebrate as ASU heads to Macon this week. Albany State is facing an improved Lane College football team guided by dangerous Dragons quarterback, Chris Rini.

Rini has passed for 1,042 yards and added 246 on the ground to lead the Dragons in both offensive categories.

In 2011, Albany State lost to Lane College for the first time in school history by the final of 26-24. It’s easy to play the revenge card, but ASU Head Coach Mike White is trying to bury that aspect of this SIAC game.

“I don't think we need any payback deals here...we have enough issues here on our own. We have our work cut out, but I think we can get it done,” Coach White said.

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Savannah State Announces Women's Basketball Schedule

SAVANNAH, Georgia  –  The Savannah State athletic department released the 2012-13 women’s basketball schedule this afternoon.

Savannah State opens the 2012-13 campaign on November 9, 2012 at home in Tiger Arena against Columbia College. Prior to beginning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule, the Lady Tigers will play South Carolina, Georgia, Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State.

The heavy opening to the season should weather the Lady Tigers in preparation for conference play, which opens with two home games. On December 1 they host Norfolk State and then MEAC powerhouse Hampton University on December 3.

The Lady Tigers finish out 2012 with five non-conference games. They will play in the University of Florida Tournament in Gainesville, Florida on December 20 – 21.

On January 2, 2013, the Lady Tigers will open the second half of the season in San Diego, California against San Diego State. They return home against Trinity Baptist on January 7. After the non-conference games, Savannah State hits a nine game conference stretch with five of those games in Tiger Arena.

Savannah State concludes the regular season on the road with conference games against N.C. Central State and N.C. A&T. The Lady Tigers host Maryland Eastern Shore in their last home game and last game of the season.

The 2012-13 MEAC Championship is scheduled for March 11 – 16 in Norfolk, Virginia.

Savannah State will play an exhibition game against Armstrong Atlantic State University on November 1 in Tiger Arena. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

FULL SCHEDULE

2012-13 Preseason Prospectus


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SSU Announces 2012-13 Men's Basketball Schedule

SAVANNAH, Georgia  -  The Savannah State men's basketball team will have 15 home dates during the 2012-13 basketball season which includes exhibition games with two former Division II rivals.

The Tigers, the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season champs, will start the season with a pair of exhibition games.

SSU will host cross-town foe Armstrong Atlantic State on November 1 while former SIAC rival Fort Valley State comes to Tiger Arena on Nov. 5.

The regular season begins with a three game homestand.

Savannah State will play Trinity Baptist on Nov. 9 followed by Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 13 and North Florida on Nov. 14.

The Tigers hit the road for games at Alabama State, Central Florida and Florida before returning home to play Robert Morris on Nov. 26.

The MEAC slate begins on December 1 with a home game against Norfolk State.

After road games at Ohio State (Dec. 12), Marquette (Dec. 15), Marshall (Dec. 19) and St. Louis (January 4), the Tigers finish the rest of their season with conference play beginning with road games at Coppin State (Jan. 12) and Morgan State (Jan. 14).

Other home games include Florida A&M (Jan. 19), Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 21), Hampton (February 7), South Caroliona State (Feb. 9). North Carolina Central (Feb. 16), North Carolina A&T (Feb. 18) and Maryland-Eastern Shore (March 7).

The North Carolina Central game has been designated as the basketball homecoming.

Full Schedule


COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU picked to finish first in Southern Division

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -  Winston-Salem State, the defending CIAA basketball champion, has a rather large bull's-eye on its back after being picked as a favorite to repeat this season. 

The Rams, who went 21-9 last season and didn't lose any starters, were picked to win the Southern Division, according to the preseason coaches' poll.

Coach Bobby Collins of WSSU, who will begin his seventh season, said he's not afraid of the expectations that are heaped on his deep and experienced team.

"The bigger the target, the bigger the opportunity," Collins said. "I've been to the pinnacle of pressure so we'll just go into this season and prepare and play smart and try to do it again."

The Rams won the CIAA title last season by coming together in the tournament, winning three straight games.

"With my assistant coaches (Tim Wells and James Wilhelmi), we try to make our guys better each and every season — and that's what we'll try to do for this season," Collins said.



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Shaw women picked to win division in CIAA

RALEIGH, North  Carolina  -  Shaw’s women have been picked to win the CIAA’s Southern Division basketball championship this season, while the Bears men are the preseason pick to finish second in the division. The Bears’ Sequoyah Griffin, a senior guard from Columbus, Ga., was also named the preseason all-conference women’s team.

St. Augustine’s women were the preseason choice to finish fourth in the Southern Division. Johnson C. Smith, which lost to Shaw in the championship game of last season’s CIAA tournament, was picked second, with Winston-Salem State fourth, Fayetteville State fifth and Livingstone sixth.

Virginia Union is the pick to win the Northern Division’s women’s title, followed by Virginia State, Bowie State, Elizabeth City State, Chowan and Lincoln.  In the men’s poll, Shaw was picked to finish second in the South behind Winston-Salem State, with St. Augustine’s predicted to finish sixth. Falcons forward Joel Kindred, who played at Raleigh’s Word of God Academy, made the preseason all-league team. Bowie State was picked to win the Northern Division men’s championship, followed by Elizabeth City State, Virginia Union, Virginia State, Lincoln and Chowan.

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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/04/2389846/shaw-women-picked-to-win-division.html#storylink=cpy

Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State will feature SWAC top passer, rusher

ITTA BENA, Mississippi  -  Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones and Mississippi Valley State coach Karl Morgan have mutual respect for each other's stars.

The Bulldogs (5-0) will travel to Itta Bena, Miss. to face the Delta Devils (1-3, 1-1) on their homecoming Saturday at 2 p.m. The SWAC eastern division matchup will pit the conference's top passer, Alabama A&M's Deaunte Mason, and top rusher, Valley's Brandon Stansell, against each other.

Mason, who has led the 5-0 Bulldogs to their best start in nearly 50 years, has been the talk of the conference and even made national headlines. Last year, The 6-foot-3, 209-pound Nashville native took his team to the SWAC title game where it fell 16-15 to Grambling State. After ho-hum offensive performances in wins against Tuskegee and Arkansas-Pine Bluff to start the season, he's won three straight SWAC Offensive Player of the Week awards.




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#24 Tigers host #16 Eastern Kentucky in OVC play

NASHVILLE - Tennessee  -  In a battle of two of the top teams in the OVC, Eastern Kentucky travels to Nashville to take on the undefeated Tennessee State Tigers this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hale Stadium.

TSU comes into the game 5-0 for the first time since the 2001 season. Last week, the Tigers wrapped up non-conference play defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 40-13, in front of 31,765 fans at LP Field.

Redshirt Freshman Telvin Hooks led the way for TSU as he had a career best 108 yards on 14 carries along with the first two touchdowns of his career. The second touchdown by Hooks was the first of four TSU touchdowns over the next nine minutes, 42 seconds during the second half.

Running back Trabis Ward rushed for 87 yards on on 21 carries and a score as he jumped two spots on the all-time TSU rushing yards list as he passed Alfred Reese (1970-72) for seventh and Lee Derricks (1953-55) for sixth all-time. He is now 91 yards away from passing Eugene Bowens (1963-1966) for fifth all-time.

Quarterback Michael German passed Bryson Rosser (2001-05) for ninth on the TSU all-time passing yards list. German finished 18-of-35 for 262 yards, with two touchdowns, a 16 yarder to Devin Wilson and a 41-yard TD to A.C. Leonard, and an interception. He now has 3,036 yards in his career.



The Tiger defense was impressive yet again holding all five opponents this season to 14 points and under. This is the seventh game in a row that TSU has not allowed a 100 yard rusher and the Tigers have won their last eight games in which they have held their opponent under 20 points.

The Tigers are 4th in the country in scoring defense giving up 13.4 points a game. TSU is also 25th in the nation in total defense, giving up 317.2 yards a game.

EKU improved to 2-0 in the OVC and 4-1 on the season with a 28-16 victory at UT Martin after trailing 16-7 midway through the third quarter.

Senior wide receiver Tyrone Goard tied a program record with four touchdown receptions. His 78-yard scoring catch from fellow senior T.J. Pryor with 8:57 remaining gave EKU the lead for good, 21-16. Goard totaled career highs in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (175) to go along with the four scoring catches.

Pryor set a program record of his own as he moved into first place on Eastern Kentucky's all-time passing list. The native of Louisville, Ky., now has 6,085 career passing yards thanks to his 211 yards passing and three touchdown tosses at UT Martin. Josh Greco (2004-07) had the previous Colonel record with 5,992 yards.

Pryor has thrown for 714 yards this season to go along with nine touchdown passes and no interceptions.

The Tigers and Colonels are two of the three remaining undefeated teams in OVC play this season along with Eastern Illinois, while TSU is the only undefeated OVC team overall. TSU and EKU are also the only two OVC teams that are ranked as EKU is 16th in the coaches poll, while the Tigers are 24th.

Entering this week Tennessee State is one of just 11 teams from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to be undefeated and one of just six FCS schools who enter the week with a 5-0 record. Among those six teams Tennessee State and Lehigh are the only 5-0 teams who have beaten five Division I scholarship programs to begin the season.

This is the 25th meeting between EKU and TSU with the Colonels holding a 20-4 advantage.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS

Tennessee State Game Notes    OVC Weekly Football Release    Eastern Kentucky Game Notes

Coach Rod Reed Weekly Teleconference

XU Gold Rush to play 6 of first 7 games in brand new arena

Convocation Academic Center construction update

NEW ORLEANS — The opening of the Convocation Academic Center and six appearances there in the first seven games are among the highlights of the 2012-13 Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball schedule.
    

Tenth-year head coach Dannton Jackson announced the schedule Wednesday.
    

Xavier — 23-9 last season, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season co-champion and No. 24 in the final NAIA Division I coaches poll — will begin its 75th season Nov. 3 in the CAC against Morehouse. Tip-off will be 1 p.m., and tailgating and a ribbon-cutting will precede the game.
    

 It will be the 19th consecutive season that the Gold Rush open at home, and the XU men will attempt to win their opener for the 17th straight season.

Construction of the new arena is scheduled to be completed near the end of October. The CAC will replace The Barn, which opened in 1937 and seats 1,300. The Convocation Academic Center's seating capacity for athletic events will be 3,817. Capacity for other events, such as concerts, will be 4,500.

The XU-Morehouse game will be followed by a 3 p.m. women's game between Johnson & Wales (Fla.) and Xavier. The Gold Nuggets' complete schedule is expected to be announced by the end of the week.
    

The Gold Rush will play at home the next day (Nov. 4) against another Atlanta school, Carver College, then play host to Jarvis Christian, Tuskegee and Spring Hill in the Big Easy Classic on Nov. 9-10. Xavier will play Jarvis Christian on Nov. 9 and Tuskegee on Nov. 10. Other home opponents in the opening month will be Wiley on Nov. 17 in the homecoming doubleheader, William Carey on Nov. 19 and Mobile on Nov. 27.
    

Morehouse and Tuskegee are NCAA Division II members whose series with Xavier date to the mid-1930s, when all were members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Both will play Xavier for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
    

Xavier will travel to Tennessee for the Memphis HBCU Classic on Thanksgiving weekend and to Mobile, Ala., for the Spring Hill Classic on Dec. 14-15. The Gold Rush's opening opponent in Mobile will be Martin Methodist, No. 9 in the final NAIA coaches poll last season.
    

First-time XU opponents will be Harris-Stowe on Nov. 23 in Memphis and Voorhees on Dec. 15 in Mobile.
    

The Gold Rush will play city rival Loyola, a 20-game winner last season and the Southern States Athletic Conference West Division champion, Nov. 13 at Loyola and Dec. 5 at the CAC. City and GCAC rival SUNO will visit the XU arena on Jan. 14 and play host to the Rush on Feb. 16. Xavier's other GCAC city rival, Dillard, will play host to the Rush on Jan. 26 and visit Xavier in the final regular-season game Feb. 23.
    

The GCAC changed its times this season for Saturday conference doubleheaders. After a longtime policy of 5 and 7 p.m. tip-offs, Saturday start times will be 3 p.m. for women's games and 5 p.m. for men's. The GCAC allows changes to starting times by mutual agreement of the competing schools, and four times this season the Gold Rush will play the opening game in conference doubleheaders — Jan. 19 at home against Philander Smith, Jan. 21 at home against Fisk, Feb. 2 at home against Talladega and Feb. 9 at Philander Smith.
    
After two years in Jacksonville, Fla., the GCAC Tournament will be played Feb. 28-March 2 in Little Rock, Ark. The tournament winner will earn an automatic bid to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship at Kansas City, Mo. Xavier qualified for nationals last season as an at-large selection and reached the tournament for the second consecutive year and the sixth time in eight seasons.

2012-13 Xavier University Men's Basketball Schedule Click here for an additional link to the basketball scheduleAll times are subject to change Nov. 3 (Sat.):  MOREHOUSE (DH), 1 p.m. Nov. 4 (Sun.):  CARVER, 2 p.m. Nov. 9 (Fri.):  JARVIS CHRISTIAN, 6 p.m. (Big Easy Classic) Nov. 10 (Sat.):  TUSKEGEE, 6 p.m. (Big Easy Classic) Nov. 13 (Tue.):  at Loyola, 7 p.m. Nov. 17 (Sat.):  WILEY (DH), 2 p.m. (Homecoming) Nov. 19 (Mon.):  WILLIAM CAREY (DH), 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 (Fri.):  Harris-Stowe, 4 p.m. (Memphis HBCU Classic) Nov. 24 (Sat.)  Texas College, 4 p.m. (Memphis HBCU Classic) Nov. 27 (Tue.):  MOBILE (DH), 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 (Wed.):  LOYOLA (DH), 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 (Fri.):  Martin Methodist, 5 p.m. (Spring Hill Classic) Dec. 15 (Sat.)  Voorhees, 3 p.m. (Spring Hill Classic) Dec. 18 (Tue.):  at William Carey, 6 p.m. Dec. 31 (Mon.):  at Belhaven, 2 p.m. Jan. 5 (Sat.):  • at Edward Waters (DH), 5 p.m. EST Jan. 7 (Mon.):  • at Talladega (DH), 7 p.m. Jan. 12 (Sat.):  • TOUGALOO (DH), 5 p.m. Jan. 14 (Mon.):  • SUNO (DH), 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 (Sat.):  • PHILANDER SMITH (DH), noon Jan. 21 (Mon.):  • FISK (DH), 1 p.m. Jan. 26 (Sat.):  • at Dillard (DH), 7 p.m. Jan. 28 (Mon.):  at Mobile (DH), 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 (Sat.):  • TALLADEGA (DH), noon Feb. 4 (Mon.):  • EDWARD WATERS (DH), 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 (Sat.):  • at Philander Smith (DH), noon Feb. 11 (Mon.):  • at Fisk (DH), 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 (Sat.):  • at SUNO (DH), 4 p.m. Feb. 18 (Mon.):  • at Tougaloo (DH), 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 (Sat.):  • DILLARD (DH), 5 p.m. (Crosstown Classic, Senior Day and Rush/Nuggets Alumni Weekend) Feb. 28-March 2 (Thu.-Sat):  GCAC Tournament, Little Rock, Ark. March 13-19 (Wed.-Tue.):  Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship, Kansas City, Mo. Home games in (in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS) are played at the Convocation Academic Center (capacity 3,817), Xavier University campus, New Orleans• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game DH — doubleheader with Xavier's women TBA — To be announced All times are Central except where noted Call (504) 520-7329 for ticket information

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

For third straight season, XU Nuggets picked 1st in GCAC

NEW ORLEANS — The women's basketball coaches of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference expect Xavier University of Louisiana to do it again.
    

The Gold Nuggets have been picked to repeat as GCAC champions, based on a coaches poll announced Wednesday. It's the third straight year that Xavier is the top preseason choice.
    

Returnees for the Gold Nuggets in 2012-13 include senior guard SiMon Franklin, the team's leading scorer this past season and the MVP of the GCAC Tournament, and No. 3 rebounder Carmen Holcombe, a junior forward. The season will begin in early November, and 14th-year coach Bo Browder hopes to announce the schedule by the end of this week.
    

The Gold Nuggets received seven first-place votes and 49 points. Talladega received the other first-place vote and was second with 42 points. Xavier beat Talladega 58-50 this past season to win its third consecutive GCAC Tournament.
    

It's the 10th time in 11 seasons that the Nuggets finished in the top two of the coaches poll.
    

Xavier will attempt to reach 20 victories for the 12th consecutive season, which would extend a school record, and for the 20th time in 21 seasons. The Gold Nuggets also will try to qualify for the NAIA Division I National Championship for the fourth consecutive year and the 17th time in 19 seasons. Xavier is 44-2 against GCAC opponents since the start of the 2009-10 season.

Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball 2012-13 Preseason Coaches Poll (first-place votes in parentheses) No. School Points 1. Xavier (7) 49 2. Talladega (1) 42 3. SUNO 34 4. Tougaloo 33 5. Dillard 26 6. Edward Waters 18 7. Philander Smith 12 8. Fisk 10 Xavier in previous GCAC polls 2011-12 — 1st 2010-11 — 1st 2009-10 — 2nd 2008-09 — 1st 2007-08 — 2nd 2006-07 — 3rd       2004-05 — 1st 2003-04 — 2nd 2002-03 — 2nd 2001-02 — 1st 1999-2000 — 1st 1993-94 — 1st

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