Winston-Salem Rams Moves to #3 in AFCA Division II Poll

WACO, Texas  --  With its 23-20 win over Southern Arkansas, Harding (Ark.) moved its record to 5-0 and jumped into the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time since September 20, 2005, at No. 23. Pittsburg State (Kan.) still sits at No. 1 with 29 first-place votes after a 30-21 victory over Central Missouri. Colorado State-Pueblo still sits No. 2, but a loss by then-No. 3 Grand Valley State (Mich.) causes some change with the rest of the Top 5.

Winston-Salem State (N.C.) moves up to No. 3, followed by No. 4 Missouri Western State and No. 5 New Haven (Conn.).

Grand Valley State (Mich.) fell 11 spots to No. 14 after its 40-24 loss to Ferris State (Mich.). West Alabama, Sioux Falls (S.D.) and Humboldt State (Calif.) all fell out of the poll this week after losses, causing two more teams to join Harding (Ark.) as newcomers this week.

North Carolina-Pembroke enters the poll at No. 24 after a 20-10 victory over Tusculum (Tenn.), moving its record to 5-1. The last time the Braves were in the Top 25 was October 4, 2010. Shepherd (W.Va.) is the final newcomer this week. The Rams re-enter the poll at No. 25 after a five week layoff. They beat West Virginia Wesleyan, 37-6, to move their record to 5-1.

2012 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – October 8, 2012

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.	Week Six	Next Game
1.	Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (29)	5-0	749	1	D. Central Missouri, 30-21	Oct. 13 vs. No. 7 Northwest Missouri St.
2.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	6-0	708	2	D. Chadron St. (Neb.), 45-38 OT	Oct. 13 at Colorado School of Mines
3.	Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) (1)	6-0	681	4	D. Johnson C. Smith (N.C.), 63-7	Oct. 13 vs. St. Augustine’s (N.C.)
4.	Missouri Western St.	6-0	658	5	D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 45-31	Oct. 13 vs. Missouri Southern St.
5.	New Haven (Conn.)	5-0	632	6	D. Assumption (Mass.), 65-7	Oct. 13 at Bentley (Mass.)
6.	Bloomsburg (Pa.)	6-0	600	7	D. Millersville (Pa.), 38-14	Oct. 13 vs. East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
7.	Northwest Missouri St.	5-1	540	8	D. Central Oklahoma, 70-7	Oct. 13 vs. No. 1 Pittsburg St. (Kan.)
8.	Ashland (Ohio)	6-0	538	9	D. Ohio Dominican, 44-21	Oct. 13 vs. Walsh (Ohio)
9.	Minnesota-Duluth	5-1	472	10	D. Minnesota St.-Moorhead, 45-14	Oct. 13 at Minot St. (N.D.)
10.	Minnesota St.-Mankato	6-0	458	12	D. Augustana (S.D.), 52-14	Oct. 13 vs. Southwest Minnesota St.
11.	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	5-0	456	11	D. Southwestern Oklahoma St., 33-12	Oct. 13 at Arkansas-Monticello
12.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	6-0	388	14	D. Arkansas-Monticello, 71-0	Oct. 13 at No. 23 Harding (Ark.)
13.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	4-1	370	13	D. No. 18 West Alabama, 42-27	Oct. 13 vs. Angelo St. (Texas)
14.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	5-1	335	3	Lost to Ferris St. (Minn.), 40-24	Oct. 13 at Northern Michigan
15.	California (Pa.)	5-1	296	16t	D. Clarion (Pa.), 41-22	Oct. 13 vs. Lock Haven (Pa.)
16.	Shippensburg (Pa.)	6-0	293	16t	D. LIU Post (N.Y.), 36-20	Oct. 13 at Kutztown (Pa.)
17.	Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)	5-1	286	15	D. Northwood (Mich.), 28-20	Oct. 11 vs. No. 18 Wayne St. (Mich.)
18.	Wayne St. (Mich.)	4-1	247	19	D. Hillsdale (Mich.), 24-21	Oct. 11 at No. 17 Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
19.	Washburn (Kan.)	5-1	209	20	D. Lincoln (Mo.), 51-18	Oct. 13 vs. Truman St. (Mo.)
20.	West Texas A&M	5-1	197	21	D. Angelo St. (Texas), 35-9	Oct. 13 vs. Abilene Christian (Texas)
21.	Emporia St. (Kan.)	6-0	162	25	D. Southwest Baptist (Mo.), 19-15	Oct. 13 vs. Lindenwood (Mo.)
22.	Indiana (Pa.)	5-1	153	22	D. Slippery Rock (Pa.), 33-16	Oct. 13 at Edinboro (Pa.)
23.	Harding (Ark.)	5-0	132	NR	D. Southern Arkansas, 23-20	Oct. 13 vs. No. 12 Henderson St. (Ark.)
24.	North Carolina-Pembroke	5-1	39	NR	D. Tusculum (Tenn.), 20-10	Oct. 13 vs. Charleston (W.Va.)
25.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	5-1	24	NR	D. West Virginia Wesleyan, 37-6	Oct. 13 at West Liberty (W.Va.)

Dropped Out: West Alabama (18), Sioux Falls (S.D.) (23), Humboldt St. (Calif.) (24)

Others Receiving Votes: Bentley (Mass.), 20; Miles (Ala.), 17; Michigan Tech, 16; West Alabama, 16; Indianapolis (Ind.), 14; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 13; New Mexico Highlands, 8; North Alabama, 6; Tuskegee (Ala.), 5; Hillsdale (Mich.), 4; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 3; Southern Arkansas, 3; American International (Mass.), 2.

South Carolina State’s woes can be summed up in two words: no offense

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — The final nail in what was South Carolina State’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title hopes was potentially hammered in in resounding fashion Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Quite literally doing the hammering was North Carolina Central, a team which in a losing effort last year scored the most points by a conference team against S.C. State. Not only did the Eagles equal the feat in a 40-10 win at the 29th annual Circle City Classic, it also now holds the distinction of having the largest margin of victory in MEAC play over a Buddy Pough-led Bulldog team.

With five games remaining, S.C. State (2-4, 1-2) could still salvage a 12th consecutive winning season . Yet for many Bulldog supporters, the epitaph for the 2012 campaign can already be summed up in two words — NO OFFENSE.

It’s an expression which for this year’s S.C. State football team has a double meaning. For Pough, his assistants and players, “NO OFFENSE” could sum up their feelings toward a frustrated fan base where high championship expectations are the norm.

From fans and an observers’ standpoint, “NO OFFENSE” means exactly what it says. Exclude the dominating performance in the season-opener against Georgia State and one could see what’s been missing.




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St. Augustine's 32, Livingstone 27

SALISBURY, North Carolina  -  Livingstone's drive for a Southern Division championship hit a minor speed-bump Saturday afternoon.

With a chance to reinforce their newborn identity and win a third straight CIAA game, the Blue Bears fell to the occasion and suffered a 32-27 homecoming day loss to St. Augustine's.

"I've got a bad taste in my mouth," senior receiver Anthony Holland said at lively Alumni Stadium, where LC fell 32-27. "As a team we didn't execute like we should have in the first half. We dug ourselves a hole and never got out of it."

The loss dropped Livingstone (2-4, 2-1) out of a tie for first place in the division standings and may have set off some alarms. The Blue Bears surrendered 495 total yards, had no sustainable running game (35 yards) and even misfired on a couple of extra-point attempts.

"It would have been a nice one to win," said LC coach Elvin James. "But we were always fighting to catch up. If we had only played the whole game the way we played the second half, we might have come out on top."

Livingstone's first half was a 30-car pile-up. St. Aug's (4-2, 2-1) jumped to ...

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Virginia State Trojans stuns Elizabeth City State Vikings 28-17

ETTRICK, Virginia -- Virginia State quarterback Jarred Battle said earlier this week he had to step his game up if the Trojans are to turn around their season. Battle, a senior from Norfolk, made true his declaration.

Battle completed 12 of 14 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns, and the Trojans' defense got a key turnover with four minutes remaining to stun Elizabeth City State 28-17 Saturday at Rogers Stadium.

"I was very relaxed," Battle said. "I knew we had to get the win to stay within the means of getting the championship.

"I just think we came out here and played as a team. That was the No. 1 thing and that's why we won, as a team."

The loss halted the Vikings' three-game winning streak.

"It was a big win for us. We were playing the defending Northern Division champs and it was kind of like our season," said Trojans coach Andrew Faison. "Everything is on our side now. We still have to play everybody, so we kind of control our own destiny."


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THE SHOW: Southern University Human Jukebox vs. Alcorn State University Sounds of Dynomite Marching Band

Alcorn rallies by Southern

ALCORN STATE, Mississippi  --  Jordan Payne ran for two touchdowns as Alcorn State rallied to beat Southern University 20-17 on Saturday in Southwestern Athletic Conference action.

The Braves opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run from freshman backup quarterback Payne. Alcorn State (2-4, 2-2) then jumped ahead 14-0 after John Gibbs connected with Joe Price on a 42-yard strike. Four different quarterbacks took snaps for the Braves.

Southern (2-3, 1-2), however, did not give up, tying the game 14-all behind a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown by Virgil Williams. Southern took a 20-17 lead after Greg Pittman converted his first career field goal.

Alcorn State and Southern traded possessions until the Braves got the ball on their 29 with 6:10 remaining for the final drive of the game.

The Braves drove to the Jaguars 1 and capped the 14-play drive with a touchdown run from Payne with 20 seconds remaining.

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Jaguars take loss to Braves in good fashion

LORMAN, Miss. — For a team that had just fallen in heartbreaking fashion and seen its brief win streak dashed, Southern took its 20-17 loss to Alcorn State remarkably well.

Unlike in the Jaguars’ last loss, which came to Mississippi Valley State, there wasn’t a flood of tears or seething anger.

Disappointed? Sure. But that’s really all this amounted to — a disappointing outing that put the kibosh on some grandiose visions of where their season could go.

Mathematically, Southern is still in the Southwestern Athletic Conference title hunt. At 1-2 in the conference and a game-and-a-half behind Arkansas-Pine Bluff, all it takes is six straight wins to book a spot in the SWAC Championship.

But unlike at this time last week, when SU was coming off back-to-back victories and on top of the world, that doesn’t seem likely.

Southern was outworked by a struggling Alcorn team, dispelling the notion that the Jaguars were somehow invincible under interim coach Dawson Odums.

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Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/07/4230005/alcorn-rallies-by-southern.html#storylink=cpy

ReJaguars take loss to Braves in good fashionad more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/07/4230005/alcorn-rallies-by-southern.html#storylink=cpy

Savannah State remains winless in 2012

SAVANNAH, Georgia - Travis Davidson ran 13 times for 125 yards and three touchdowns to lead Morgan State University to a 45-6 victory over Savannah State University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football game Saturday night at T.A. Wright Stadium.
 
A crowd of 1,978 watched as SSU (0-5, 0-3) took a 6-0 lead with 8:20 left in the first quarter on quarterback Antonio Bostick’s 1-yard touchdown run, which capped an 11-play, 74-yard drive. Preston McCarthy’s kick for the extra point was blocked.
 
Morgan State (3-2, 2-0) responded immediately. Chris Flowers returned the ensuing kickoff for an 88-yard touchdown and Earvin Gonzalez kicked the extra point to give the Bears a 7-6 lead with 8:06 remaining in the first quarter.
 
“There was nothing special about our special teams, and that has been a continuing issue all year,” SSU head coach Steve Davenport said. “We’ll continue to address it. But it really is putting us in bad situations right now.”
 
In the second quarter, Morgan State made it 14-6 when Brian Mann ran for a 4-yard touchdown and Gonzalez kicked the extra point with 1:50 remaining before halftime.
 Morgan State led, 14-6, at halftime.
 
“I am happy for the kids that they’re playing one half, but the game is two halves, 60 minutes, and we’ve been preaching that since Day 1, and we’ve got to fix it,” Davenport said. “It does us no good to play a good half if we’re not going to follow it up with a second half.”
 
Morgan State, playing its fourth consecutive road game, scored 31 unanswered points in the second half to improve to 7-0 in the series with SSU.


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THE SHOW: North Carolina A&T State University Blue & Gold Marching Machine vs. Bethune-Cookman University Marching Wildcats

Bethune-Cookman defense, Williams topple N.C. A&T, 28-12

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Bethune-Cookman let quarterback Quentin Williams air it out on the first series of Saturday's 28-12 MEAC win over North Carolina A&T at Municipal Stadium and it was not pretty.

Operating out of a five-receiver set, Williams missed on three straight passes and the Wildcats punted.

 

“That was on me, I was a little too hyped up,” Williams said.

 

Williams said a conversation with receiver Preston Cleckley with the Wildcats trailing 7-0 helped him settle down and get going in leading Bethune-Cookman (4-2, 3-0) past North Carolina A&T (2-3, 0-2).
 

“He just said ‘Q' be you,” Williams said.

 

The first series might not have been pretty, but for the majority of the game “Q” being “Q” was a thing of beauty. The redshirt freshman accounted for 239 yards – 111 rushing and 128 passing. He scored twice on runs and passed for another touchdown.

 

“Quentin is a very good athlete,” Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins. “He can operate our offense at a high level as well as Brodrick (Waters) as well as Jackie (Wilson).

 

 

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FAMU shows much promise, too many losses

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s been more than a decade since Howard University put a football team on the field that looks as good as this year’s Bison.

FAMU’s football team is in a place it hasn’t been for awhile, either.

The Rattlers are losing football games. Way too many.

They lost to Tennessee State to start the season. Yet, there was promise that things could turn around.
The loss to Oklahoma that followed was expected the moment it showed on the schedule. Again, FAMU players gave the impression they could do a lot of damage in the MEAC by their showing against the Big 12 power.

It’s midseason now and it’s the FCS teams that the Rattlers faced that have done the damage.
FAMU is struggling and it shouldn’t. This team came into the season physically prepared by all accounts. It seemed to have some weapons, too.




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Arkansas Pine Bluff Still Moving In The Right Direction

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas  --   Despite giving up 420 yards of total offense to the Jackson State University Tigers, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions held on for 34-24 victory. Although there was 40 minute rain delay, Golden Lion fans got their money's worth tonight.

Dennis Jenkins asserted himself tonight as a dominant rusher in the Golden Lion offense with 154 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns. Jenkins shouldered the load when UAPB rusher Justin Billings went down in the first quarter with an injury. Jenkins first score came on a 23 yard jaunt early in the second quarter. Later in that quarter, Jenkins found the pay dirt once more; this time from 50 yards out to give the Golden Lions a 21-7 lead.

The Golden Lions were able to score in many facets tonight. Second year quarterback Ben Anderson, found the end zone twice on passes of 10yards and five yards; the first going to Dezmond Beverly and the second to Aaron Lagrone respectively. Tyler Strickland added two field goals from 27 and 22 yards.





Defensively, the Golden Lions had four defenders with double digit tackles. Xavier Lofton and Jer-ryan Harris led all tacklers with 15 stops apiece. Bill Ross added 14 stops and Jarvis Webb ended the day with 11. Brandon Thurmond added to his league leading sack total by getting to Jackson State's quarterback causing a fumble that was scooped up by Demarcus Berry for a 16 yard return.

The Golden Lions will be off next weekend but return to gridiron action on October 20^th when they travel to Baton Rouge to face the Jaguars of Southern University.


COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Bowie State Holds off Chowan U. to Steal Road Victory

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina  --  Chowan University scored 15 unanswered points during most of the fourth quarter, but Bowie State University (BSU) redshirt sophomore Keith Brown rushed for a 57 yard touchdown with 39 seconds left to lift the Bulldogs to a thrilling 35-31 victory on Oct. 6 in Murfreesboro, N.C.

Brown finished the game with a career-high 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead Bowie State. The victory snapped a two game losing streak and improved the Bulldogs’ record to 4-2 (1-2 CIAA).

Chowan missed a great opportunity to score early when they fumbled deep in Bowie State territory on their opening drive. Bowie State was unable to capitalize and turned the ball back over to Chowan on downs.

Chowan’s third red zone trip finally resulted a positive result, when junior quarterback Cameron Stover rushed for an eight-yard touchdown with 1:20 left in the first quarter for the game's first six points. Alex Noboa added the extra point to give Chowan a 7-0 advantage. Stover completed eight of his 12 first quarter passes for 108 yards, but was intercepted once by BSU redshirt freshman Antoine Young.


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Flag cancels NSU TD in heartbreaking loss to Delaware State

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Even when the Spartan offense does it right, it goes wrong.

With just more than 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Xavier Boyce caught what should have been a game-icing 46-yard touchdown. All alone behind the Delaware State defense, he high-stepped the last 7 yards into the end zone.

Then came the penalty flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, and there went the touchdown. Teammate Marcus Cooperwood streamed off the bench to celebrate with quarterback Jake Basmagian, and that cost the Spartans another 15 yards, taking NSU all the way back to the 37.

"I felt all the life come out of me right there, to be honest," senior Takeem Hedgeman said.

An interception followed on the very next play, NSU's chance to score was gone and eventually so was the game. Delaware State won 20-17, and the Spartans suffered likely the most crushing defeat of a season already full of them.



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Elko tosses two scores as DSU snaps losing skid

NORFOLK, VA. — Nick Elko’s late touchdown helped the Hornets beat Norfolk State on Saturday.
Trailing 7-0, Elko connected with Justin Wilson for a 22-yard touchdown to tie the game. Elko finished 15 for 30 for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

Delaware State (2-3, 1-1 MEAC) jumped ahead 10-7 after Mitchell Ward’s 24-yard field goal, but the Spartans regained the lead on Jake Basmagian’s 86-yard touchdown pass to Takeem Hedgeman. Basmagian finished 24 of 35 for 312 yards with three interceptions.

After trading field goals, Norfolk State (2-4, 0-3) led 17-13 at halftime. The second half was dominated by defense as both teams went scoreless in the third quarter.

Elko’s 23-yard pass to Justin Brewer with 10:01 left in the fourth quarter gave the Hornets the lead for good.

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Miles College edged pesky Clark Atlanta University 28-7

FAIRFIELD, Alabama  -- Despite play often as gloomy as the afternoon sky, Miles College edged pesky Clark Atlanta University 28-7 Saturday to win its fifth game in a row and to stay unbeaten in SIAC play.

A crowd announced as 13,700 watched Miles win its homecoming game.

The Golden Bears, which were averaging more than 38 points per game entering the contest, struggled against the visitors who have won one but game all season and dropped to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the SIAC.

 

Miles entered the game ranked No. 2 in two different polls.

 

Penalties stalled numerous Miles efforts with the host team being penalized 13 times for 108 yards.

Starting tight end Delarius Webb was charged with a flagrant foul and was ejected from the game and will be ineligible next week for Miles' game against Kentucky State. Ruffin says he plans to protest because Webb is not on the kick return team and was not even on the field.

An angry Head Coach Reginald Ruffin blamed his team's sloppy play on homecoming week saying his players participated in too many activities and parties instead of focusing on football and CAU.

 

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Prairie View defeats Grambling State 31-14

 

 

DALLAS, Texas  --  A 75-yard kickoff return helped Prairie View win its first game of the season Saturday night, defeating Grambling State 31-14 at The State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

 

Johnta' Herbert scored a touchdown after a 75-yard kickoff return in the first quarter. He also scored after catching a 41-yard pass from Jerry Lovelocke. Later, Lovelocke kept the ball for a 1-yard run and Courtney Brown added a touchdown after a 45-yard run.

The Panthers are now 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the SWAC.

For the Tigers (0-5, 0-4 SWAC), their scoring came on the ground as Cedric Skinner scored on a 2-yard run and D. J. Williams on a 19-yard run. Following both, the kicks by Angelo Eave were good
                                                                                                
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WEEK 6, HBCU Football Scorecard

OVC
Tennessee State 23, Eastern Kentucky 20

MEAC
Howard 17, Florida A&M 10
North Carolina Central 40, South Carolina State 10
Bethune-Cookman 28, North Carolina A&T 12
Morgan State 45, Savannah State 6
Delaware State 20, Norfolk State 17

SWAC
Alabama A&M 35, Mississippi Valley State 0
Alabama State 45, Texas Southern 0
Alcorn State 20, Southern 17
Prairie View A&M 31, Grambling State 14

SIAC
Fort Valley State 36, Kentucky State 6
Miles 28, Clark-Atlanta 7
Albany State (Ga.) 36, Lane 14
Tuskegee 21, Morehouse 14
Stillman 24, Benedict 19

OTHER
Shorter 35, Point U. 13
Kutztown 56, Cheyney 7
Missouri S&T 27, Central State (Ohio) 21
West Liberty State 52, West Virginia State 19
Oklahoma Panhandle State 30, Texas College 9
Washburn 51, Lincoln (Mo.) 18
Concordia-Selma 20, Virginia University of Lynchburg 7


CIAA
Virginia State 28, Elizabeth City State 17
Shaw 45, Fayetteville State 28
Saint Augustine's U. 32, Livingstone 27
Virginia Union 61, Lincoln (Pa.) 13
Bowie State 35, Chowan 31
Winston-Salem State 63, Johnson C. Smith U.  7




CONFERENCE LEADERS

OHIO VALLEY: Tennessee State Tigers:  Conf. 2-0, Overall 6-0

MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC:  Tie - Howard University Bison: Conf. 3-0, Overall 4-1;  Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, Conf: 3-0, Overall: 4-2.

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC: EAST Division - Alabama A&M: Conf. 5-0, Overall 6-0; WEST Division: Arkansas Pine Bluff, Conf. 3-1, Overall: 4-2.

CIAA:   NORTHERN Division: Chowan U. Conf. 3-0, Overall: 3-1; SOUTHERN Division:  Winston-Salem State, Conf. 3-0, Overall: 6-0.

SIAC: 3-Way Tie:  Miles College: Conf. 3-0, Overall 5-1; Tuskegee U. Conf. 3-0, Overall 4-0; and Stillman 3-0, Overall: 4-2.

Howard Defense, Special Teams Combine in Win Over FAMU

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Howard University parlayed a rugged defense, some outstanding special teams play and the consistent running of Terrence Leffall into a 17-10 in over Florida A&M University in a key Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Greene Stadium.

There was a lot on the line coming into the game as both teams entered undefeated in conference play. The Rattlers (2-4, 2-1 in the MEAC) got on the board first when sophomore quarterback Damien Fleming put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off with a beautifully thrown, seven-yard TD pass to Lenworth Lennon on a fade route in the deep right corner of the end zone.

During the drive, Fleming was able to extend several plays with his ability to run and find secondary receivers. Chase Varnadore split the uprights and Florida A&M led, 7-0 with 3:20 left in the first quarter.

Howard (4-1, 3-0 in the MEAC) responded however with a short drive of its own. Florida A&M's defense stiffened and the Bison had to settle for a 48-yard field goal by freshman John Fleck at the 14:11 mark.




From there, the Howard defense, led by senior All American Keith Pough, began to take over, constantly pressuring Fleming into errant throws and sacking him five times. The defense allowed the Bison to play field position and the offense was able to capitalize when sophomore quarterback Greg McGhee connected with junior tight end David Wilson from 31 yards to give Howard 1a 10-7 lead at the half.

"We did a good job of containing their receivers," noted Howard Coach Gary Harrell. "That is the strength of their team, so we put great emphasis on that."

Florida A&M was able to tie the game at 10-10 early in the third quarter when Varnadore connected from 34 yards out with 12:45 left.

In a tightly played game dictated by the defenses, special teams play suddenly became the deciding factor. Junior Brandon Flanagan made what turned out to be a pivotal play when he returned a FAMU punt 42 yards deep in Rattler territory. It took the Bison four plays to score as McGhee capped it off with a one-yard quarterback sneak with 3:36 in the third stanza.

"It all starts in practice," sad McGhee, who played an efficient game in his first start of the season, completing 13 of 20 for 120 yards, a TD and the team's first interception of the season. "We just had to be patient and stay with the game plan. The defense and special teams were outstanding."

The talented Rattler offense tested the Bison defense several times in the fourth quarter but each time, the defense would come up big and Fleck could not have waited for a better time to have the best game of his young career. The freshman from Indianapolis, IN, averaged almost 48 yards on six punts, four landing inside the FAMU 20-yards, including a career-best 60 yarder that pinned the Rattlers at their own one-yard line on their last possession.

Pough came into the game needing 3.5 tackles for losses to break the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) career record of 65. He now has 66. The 6-3, 235-pound red-shirt senior tallied 17 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble in what was one of the best performances of his career.

"My thinking coming into the game was to not think about breaking or setting records," said Pough.

"It's about team defense. I want to thank God, the defensive line, the defensive secondary and the coaches for this victory. It is an unbelievable feeling being 3-0 in the MEAC."

Leffall, a 5-10 senior from Stone Mountain, Ga did not score, but his ability to run between the tackles and set up second and third and short on several possessions, proved to be a key as he finished with 104 yards on 22 carries.

"It was great to be back out there," said Leffall, who rushed for over 100 yards in his only other game this season. "I just wanted to come in and hit the ground running."

Added Harrell," We ran the ball effectively, not like we wanted to. But it's our strength and we will continue to commit to that. Terrence is our guy and we feel confident with him running the ball."
Fleming was 26 of 41 for 228 yards, a TD and an interception, but the Rattlers were not able to run the ball effectively, gaining just 37 yards on 26 carries.

BOX SCORE


COURTESY : Edward Hill Jr., Sports Information Director
HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic: Golden Tigers' defense proves to be the winning difference

COLUMBUS, Georgia -- By all appearances, Saturday's 77th Tuskegee-Morehouse Football Classic had the makings of a shootout. After all, Tuskegee and Morehouse had the two highest-scoring offenses in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coming into the game.

However, it was Tuskegee's defense that made the difference, forcing five turnovers and stopping the Maroon Tigers twice on drives inside the 5-yard line to earn a 21-14 victory.

"We have to do a better job of stopping the short passing game, but when the field gets short, it's harder to do that," said Tuskegee coach Willie Slater, whose team won for the eighth time in the past nine meetings in the series. "We never really let Morehouse drive on us. Our defense bent, but we didn't break."

Tuskegee's first big defensive stop came on Morehouse's first possession of the game. Following a punt by the Golden Tigers (4-1, 3-0), Morehouse (2-4, 1-2) took over on its 20-yard line and took 19 plays to march 77 yards. The drive ate up 6:25 of clock and ended when Tuskegee stopped Quendarius Hall for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-2 from the Golden Tigers' 3.

"This was a game of turnovers and missed opportunities for us," said Morehouse coach Rich Freeman. "We had some chances to punch it in, but we didn't. I felt like we moved the ball, but we just couldn't score."

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Tuskegee-Morehouse Football Classic notes: Latavius Watts of Carver High does his share

COLUMBUS, Georgia  --  The Morehouse Maroon Tigers came up a bit short against Tuskegee in Saturday's 77th Tuskegee-Morehouse Football Classic at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, but it sure wasn't because of Latavius Watts.

Watts, a Carver High product who starts at strong safety for Morehouse, finished with seven tackles (3 solo, 4 assists) in the Maroon Tigers' 21-14 loss to Tuskegee. Watts was the only local product to play in the game.

Coming into the game, the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder was third on the team in tackles with 35 (20 solo, 15 assists). Watts also had two tackles for losses totalling7 yards, a pass breakup and three quarterback hurries to his credit.

Something to play for

Yes, his team is 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but Morehouse coach Rich Freeman knows there is a lot of football left to be played this season.

"Everybody in our division (the SIAC East) has lost at least one conference game, and we haven't played anyone in the East yet," said Freeman. "We're looking forward to it.

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Tuskegee-Morehouse parade draws thousands

COLUMBUS, Georgia -- As thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Columbus Saturday, Arrica Baker remarked on the tradition that brings people together for the annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic Parade.

"I just love things like this because it's like a big family reunion, the opportunity to get out, see and meet people," said Baker, standing on the sidewalk along Broadway.

She was among the crowd for the parade before the football game at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. At an event held one month before the Nov. 6 General Election, the parade was a popular location for many politicians to greet supporters along with the marching bands, civic groups, motorcycle clubs and other groups.

Many like Baker said they didn't even have a favorite team because it's hard to choose between Morehouse and Tuskegee. "I know somebody is going to win," she said.




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Tennessee State Tigers edges EKU, improves to 6-0

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State is still unbeaten, but certainly not untested.

The No. 24 Tigers found themselves in danger of their first loss Saturday before staging a methodical scoring drive in the final 2:44 and upsetting No. 16 Eastern Kentucky 23-20.

Quarterback Michael German, who had struggled earlier, capped the drive by calling his own number and then shoving the ball into the end zone from the 1 with eight seconds remaining.

“We called timeout and had a play called, but Mike came over and said, ‘We can sneak it in,’ ” coach Rod Reed said.

A Hale Stadium crowd of 6,369 erupted in a roar after watching the Tigers (6-0, 2-0 OVC) match their best start since going 6-0 in 2001. It was their third win over EKU (4-2, 2-1) in the last four meetings.

TSU also took first place in the OVC with a trip to Southeast Missouri coming up next.
German desperately wanted to score the winning TD because his interception late in the third quarter led to EKU taking a 20-10 lead on a field goal with 13:49 left.


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Tennessee State University Highlights of Homecoming 2012

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

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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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