TSU Football to be on FCS Pacific Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  The Tigers first game on FOX College Sports will be this Saturday, Oct. 20 at Jacksonville State at 11 a.m. CST.

All DirecTV subscribers with the “Sports Package” will be able to see the game on Fox College Sports – Pacific (FCS Pacific) on Channel 623. DirecTV subscribers will be able to watch the DELAYED broadcast on Fox College Sports South (FSSO) on Channel 646.

Cable subscribers need to check their local listings for Fox College Sports – Pacific (FCS Pacific) for the LIVE broadcast. As a reminder, Fox College Sports may be part of the cable provider’s “Sports Tier”. Cable subscribers will be able to watch the DELAYED broadcast on Fox College Sports South (FSSO) at 10 pm CST/11 pm EST Saturday. Kevin Ingram, host of "The Wake Up Zone" on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will handle play-by-play duties while and Bob Belvin, host of "The Team" on Sports Radio 540 The Fan in Clarksville, will provide analysis.

FCS is available on most major TV providers including AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For complete TV provider information and availability log onto http://fcs.channelfinder.net/start.asp.

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



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Southern University ready for pivotal SWAC football game

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University interim football coach Dawson Odums said he knew Saturday’s game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff was big when he noticed the number of players filtering in and out of the football complex Sunday and Monday. The Jaguars (3-3, 2-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) play host to Pine Bluff (4-2, 3-1) in a game for first place in the West Division on Saturday at 6 p.m.

It’s quite a change from last month, when the Jaguars fell to 0-2 after a loss to lowly Mississippi Valley 6-0. The next day, Southern forced Stump Mitchell to step down as head coach and promoted Odums, the defensive coordinator.

Since then, Southern is 3-1 and finds itself in the thick of the SWAC race.

“I take my hat off to the staff and the young men who have rallied to get to this point,’’ Odums said. “This is the first time I’ve seen so many guys come up to do extra film work and get extra information. But winning does that. We’re excited about where we are and we’re excited about where the young men are with their focus.’’

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NCCU Eagles plan to focus on Hampton, not cameras

Hampton U. @ North Carolina Central

Thursday, Oct. 18

Time: 7:30 pm ET

Durham, N.C., O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium

TV: ESPNU

 

DURHAM, North Carolina — There are to be no extra compression sleeves, skull caps or anything else that isn’t normally worn when an N.C. Central football game is not on national television, Eagles coach Henry Frazier III said.

The music at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium won’t be any louder, either, Frazier said.

“We’re going to stay in character,” Frazier said. “When we stay in character in terms of working hard, respecting our teammates, then I expect us to go out and perform the way we’ve been performing.”

NCCU will be looking to hold onto a share of first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tonight when it hosts Hampton (7:30 p.m., ESPNU).

The Hampton game is the last of three in 12 days for NCCU (4-2, 3-0 MEAC).

Frazier believes his team physically is strong enough to hold up during that stretch, and he said the task of making sure the Eagles don’t get blinded by the bright lights of national TV exposure falls on the coaching staff.

 

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XU 37th in poll, awaits Saturday defense of GCAC title

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana collected three points Wednesday in the NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 poll. It's the second consecutive week and the fourth time in seven polls this season that the Gold Nuggets received points.

The XU women, who did not compete this past week, are 37th in the rankings. Three-time defending national champion Cal State San Marcos is No. 1 for the third consecutive week and the fifth time this season.

The Gold Nuggets will compete Saturday in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Clinton, Miss. They'll try to win the team championship for the seventh consecutive year. XU sophomore Zahri Jackson will attempt to repeat as individual champion.
    
The Gold Rush also have GCAC streaks. The XU men have won the last six team titles and produced the past three individual champions. Two of those runners — senior Matt Pieri (2010 champion) and sophomore Kwame Jackson (2011) — will run Saturday. Jackson is an older brother of Zahri Jackson.
    
The 5,000-meter women's race will start at 8 a.m., followed by the 8,000-meter men's race at 8:30. Choctaw Trails Cross Country Course — where Xavier competed October 5 in the Mississippi College/Watson Ford Invitational — is the GCAC Championships site for the second consecutive year and the sixth time in eight seasons. Team champions, plus the top five finishers not on those teams, will qualify for the NAIA National Championships at Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 17.

NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank Team Points Last 1 Cal State San Marcos (21) 652 1 2 British Columbia 629 2 3 College of Idaho (2) 607 tie-3 4 Olivet Nazarene 594 tie-3 5 Biola 574 5 6 Carroll (Mont.) 546 6 7 Northwest Christian 517 7 8 Westmont 512 8 9 Cornerstone 476 9 10 Dordt 457 10 11 Oklahoma Baptist 447 12 12 Aquinas 415 14 13 Lewis-Clark State 412 11 14 The Master's 401 13 15 Rocky Mountain 361 15 16 Concordia (Calif.) 323 16 17 St. Francis (Ill.) 305 20 18 Doane 282 tie-18 19 Milligan 249 tie-18 20 Illinois Tech 234 17 21 Eastern Oregon 225 RV 22 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 212 22 23 Concordia (Neb.) 183 23 24 Huntington (Ind.) 180 25 25 Taylor 144 24 Others receiving votes: Northwest 132, Indiana Wesleyan 76, Oregon Tech 69, Shawnee State 63, Saint Xavier 52, Baker 33, Spring Arbor 18, Southern Oregon 18, Trinity Christian 10, Texas Wesleyan 10, Lee (Tenn.) 6, Xavier 3.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Alabama Small College Football Preview - 10/17/2012

DOTHAN, Alabama -- The Jacksonville State Gamecocks have a chance to get back into contention for the Ohio Valley Conference title when they host league-leading Tennessee State at 11 a.m. (CT) Saturday, despite coming off their second league defeat.

The Gamecocks' 31-28 loss to Eastern Illinois dropped them into a tie with Murray State for fifth place in the OVC standings at 2-2 (3-3 overall). But JSU is only one game behind a trio of teams tied for second at 3-1 (Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee-Martin and Eastern Illinois) and 1 1/2 games out of first. Tennessee State (7-0, 3-0) is one of four FCS teams still undefeated.

So a victory by the Gamecocks would put them in the middle of a tight race for the OVC crown that could involve as many as seven teams. A loss, however, would leave JSU all but eliminated from championship contention.

The Gamecocks hold a 6-1 lead in this series, but none of the Tennessee State teams they beat were 7-0 and ranked No. 17 in the nation. The Tigers have not been undefeated this late into the season since the 1999 team went 11-0.

"They have some of the best players I have ever seen," JSU coach Jack Crowe said. "They are big up front and they can run the ball. Defensively, they are in the top three in the league in almost every category. It will be a challenge for us."

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Miles College to face tough passing attack against Lane Saturday

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- After pummeling Kentucky State 45-0 on the road last week, Miles College will seek to spoil its second homecoming in a row when it travels to Jackson, Tenn. Saturday to face Lane College in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown.

Miles, the defending conference champions, held Thorobreds running back Justin Williams to 61 yards on 14 carries in its first shutout of the season. The Golden Bears (6-1, 4-0) will likely see an entirely different look when they take to the field to face the Dragons, who operate the conference's third-rated pass offense.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Lane Field.

"I told them," Miles coach Reginald Ruffin said, referring to his team's secondary. "They're going to earn their money's worth this week because of what Lane does."



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SIAC Battle Of The Bands: Albany State University vs. Morehouse College

The House Of Funk of Morehouse College showing you why HBCU Marching Bands do it better as they face off against the Marching Ram Show Band of Albany State University.

2012 SIAC Road To The Championship: Morehouse Maroon Tigers v. Albany State Golden Rams

Free student tickets ready next week for XU arena debut

An Oct. 12, 2012, photo of the nearly completed Convocation
 Academic Center at Xavier University of Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana students can pick up free tickets Oct. 22-26 at XU Student Services (room 305 of the University Center) for the season-opening basketball doubleheader in the new Convocation Academic Center.

Dennis Cousin, XU's athletics director, said Wednesday that students with a valid XU identification card can pick up one free ticket for the Nov. 3 games featuring Xavier's men against Morehouse at 1 p.m. and Xavier's women against Johnson & Wales (Fla.) at 3 p.m.

"These are first-come, first-served tickets," Cousin said. "We hope our students will take advantage of this opportunity to be part of something special as we move into our new arena. These five days will be the only opportunity for XU students to get a free ticket to the opening games."

Students and everyone else — including faculty, staff, alumni and fans — may purchase additional tickets for $10 each at The Barn and at the cashier's office on the third floor of Xavier South. Those tickets will go on sale Thursday.

Nov. 3 activities will include tailgating starting at 10 a.m. and a ribbon-cutting and blessing of the facility at 11:30. Former Gold Rush basketball players will be introduced at halftime of the men's game, and former Gold Nuggets basketball players will be introduced at halftime of the women's game.

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

The Xavier Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets compete in Division I of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) as a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC). Xavier fields men's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis and track and field and women's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

N.C. Central football ready for ESPNU's cameras

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  The stage is set, and North Carolina Central believes it is ready for prime-time.

In only its second year as a Division I-AA program, Central is eager to show an ESPNU national audience how much the program has improved when it hosts Hampton at 7:30 Thursday night.

“It’s awesome,” coach Henry Frazier III said. “We’re talking about developing our brand as an FCS program. What better opportunity is there than for over [73 million] households to have a chance to see what we’re doing as a program here at North Carolina Central?”  The Eagles (4-2 overall, 3-0 MEAC) already doubled their win total from last season and are tied with Bethune-Cookman atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings. The Eagles will try to end an eight-game losing streak against Hampton (1-4, 1-2) and extend their current three-game winning streak before next week’s showdown at B-C.

“[The team] just has to follow my lead,” he said. “I’m going to be consistent. Just take it one play, one quarter and one game at a time. I think if we bring the hammer for 60 minutes, good things will happen for us.”


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TSU Tigers continue conference road slate at JSU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State remained undefeated on the season (one of just four FCS teams perfect on the year) with a 40-28 road victory at Southeast Missouri last week. The Tigers take the record and a national ranking to Jacksonville State for a key matchup on Saturday. The game is part of the OVC Game of the Week TV package.

Tennessee State is now 7-0 and off to its best start since 1999, when the team was a perfect 11-0 in the regular season and ascended to No. 1 in the national polls. Entering this week the Tigers are ranked 17 in the Sports Network poll and 18th in the FCS Coaches poll. In its win over SEMO on Saturday, the Tigers never trailed by used several big plays when the game got close.

With SEMO driving late in the third quarter down just six points, sophomore Steven Godbolt III intercepted a pass (just the second time this season SEMO had been picked off) and returned it 62 yards to the Southeast 26-yard line. Five players later junior running back Trabis Ward scored his second of four touchdowns to push the Tigers to a 12-point advantage. Ward scored three of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 267 yards (the fourth-most in the FCS this year) on 43 carries (the most by a player in the FCS this year). Ward now ranks sixth nationally in rushing (129.71 yards/game) and second in scoring (11.14 points/game).
 

The win was the first at Southeast Missouri for the Tigers since the 1999 season, breaking a five-game losing streak in Cape Girardeau. Despite allowing its most points of the season (28) to Southeast, TSU still ranks 13th nationally in scoring defense (16.43 points/game) and is the only OVC team in the Top 50 nationally in total defense (48th, 350.14 yards/game).

Jacksonville State is facing an important game, as a loss would give the team three OVC losses and pretty much eliminate them from OVC title contention. The Gamecocks committed five turnovers, missed three field goals and ran out of time to attempt a game-tying field goal in a 31-28 loss at Eastern Illinois on Saturday.
 

The Gamecocks were impressive on the ground, rushing for 290 yards as a team, 149 of those yards coming from Washaun Ealey, who had three rushing touchdowns; Ealey was the first player to rush for 100 yards against EIU this season. The JSU defense was also able to limit the potent Panther offensive attack, holding them to 381 total yards, nearly 140 yards less than their season average (which ranks second nationally). Jax State held Eastern without points for the first 21:15 of the game, 6:59 longer than any other opponent this season. Junior Rashad Smith led the team with 13 tackles, his second double-digit tackle output of the season.
 

As a team JSU ranks sixth nationally in third down conversion percentage (51.11%) and eighth in punt return yardage defense (2.67).
 

Jacksonville State has won six of the seven all-time meetings with TSU, including the last three. The last time Tennessee State won was in 2006, a 38-31 victory in Jacksonville. The teams did not play in 2007 or 2008. In 2008, TSU was 8-2 (5-1 OVC) and ranked 16th nationally when they played at JSU, only to lose 26-21 on a touchdown run by Calvin Middleton with 13 seconds to play. Last year the two teams closed out the season against each other win the Gamecocks winning 38-16 to claim a share of the OVC Championship. In that game JSU’s Coty Blanchard completed 14-of-18 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 38 yards and another score. Jax State rushed for 190 total yards while holding TSU to 87 total yards on the ground.The game is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will be available live on Fox College Sports. he game will also air delayed on FOX Sports South at 10 p.m. CT that night. Click the link to find Fox College Sports in your area, fcs.channelfinder.net/start.asp.

 

Tennessee State Game Notes .pdf
OVC Weekly Football Release.pdf
Coach Rod Reed Weekly Team Update




COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Who Is the Best in the FCS?

DWIGHT FLOYD
"The Editor"
SPORTSEDIT.ORG

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  It occurred to me that some of the fanatics trying to rank FCS teams may need some help. Well, here it is.

There are 13 conferences in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and nine of them are represented in the top 20 of the Coaches Poll; 10 conferences in the top twenty-five. The Big Sky, Colonial Athletic Association, and Missouri Valley conference each has 4 teams represented in top 25; that’s 12 of the top 25 teams. Even the “prissy” Ivy League where you have to be super smart just to be accepted to one of the schools has a team that is ranked. Only the MEAC, SWAC and Pioneer conferences are not represented in the top 25. Who are the Towson Tigers and why at 5-1 are they better than the 6-0 Tennessee State Tigers? The Coaches Poll says they are better. So, are the teams represented in the polls the best?

SportsEdit.Org Fan Poll

It is not unusual for a team like those in the SWAC and MEAC to be underrated in the polls. Keep in mind that the year FAMU won the first 1-AA Championship they were among the last to be accepted into Division 1-AA football. Originally they were denied membership before those men making the decision changed their minds. If those men were so wrong about FAMU then why not now about some of the teams that are being overlooked?

 
 

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"That Al Green" - The Mad Violinist & The Symphony Crack Orchestra From album "The Addiction" now on iTunes and Amazon by The Mad Violinist & The Symphony Crack Orchestra - http://fb.me/OHmSBsnu -Please support real original music and buy it. Thank you!

Sax - Adrian Crutchfield, Guitar - Matt Barrett, Keytar - Chris Morgan, Drums - Casey Crogan, Bass - Mikey Belluso, Violin- Ashanti Floyd "The Mad Violinist." Mixed by Anthony Arasi - Filmed by John Morgan.

Grammy Nominated "The Mad Violinist & Symphony Crack" gives us feel good music from the soul. This song was named by The Mad Violinist because of his mind frame when recording this song as he could only sing on his violin like the man himself.  The Mad Violinist is son of "the Editor,"

College Volleyball: Livingstone Blue Bears now 17-5

SALISBURY, North Carolina  --  Football season is winding down and basketball season is around the corner, but the buzz at Livingstone College these days is about the women's volleyball team.Under the direction of Head Coach Reggie Isley, the squad is 17-5 and among the leaders in the CIAA. And no matter how they fare the remainder of the season, they're guaranteed to finish with a better record than last year's 15-15 mark.

"I think we mesh a lot better this year," said sophomore Iman Isom, a libero and outside hitter from Laveen, Ariz. "We get along better as a team and we flow more on the court. Last year there was more competitiveness among the players, which took away from team cohesiveness."

Isley, in his seventh year as volleyball coach, said his squad is doing surprisingly well this season.

"After I lost three people I thought would return this year, I didn't think the team would do as well," Isley said. "I had to make a lot of adjustments and work with the players I had."

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Xavier Gold Rush announce changes to 2012-13 schedule

XU senior guard Wanto Joseph is a preseason All-GCAC selection

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced changes Tuesday to the November part of its 2012-13 men's basketball schedule.

XU moved up by two hours its Big Easy Classic games Nov. 10. Jarvis Christian will play Spring Hill at 2 p.m., and Xavier will play Tuskegee at 4 p.m. The Gold Rush will have two different opponents and starting times in the Memphis HBCU Classic. Xavier will play Concordia (Ala.) on Nov. 23 and Wiley on Nov. 24. Tip-off of both games will be 2 p.m.

The season will begin at 1 p.m. on Nov. 3 when Xavier plays Morehouse in the opening game at the new Convocation Academic Center.

Revised schedule

Xavier University of Louisiana

2012-13 Men’s Basketball Schedule

Call (504) 520-7329 for ticket information

Date and Day Opponent Site Time

November

3 Saturday MOREHOUSE (DH) HOME 1 p.m.

4 Sunday CARVER HOME 2 p.m.

9 Friday JARVIS CHRISTIAN

(Big Easy Classic) HOME 6 p.m.

(also November 9: Spring Hill vs. Tuskegee, 4 p.m.)

10 Saturday TUSKEGEE

(Big Easy Classic) HOME 4 p.m.

(also November 10: Spring Hill vs. Jarvis Christian, 2 p.m.)

13 Tuesday at Loyola New Orleans, La. 7 p.m.

17 Saturday WILEY (DH)

(Homecoming) HOME 2 p.m.

19 Monday WILLIAM CAREY (DH) HOME 7:30 p.m.

23 Friday Concordia (Ala.)

(Memphis HBCU Classic) Memphis, Tenn. 2 p.m.

24 Saturday Wiley

(Memphis HBCU Classic) Memphis, Tenn. 2 p.m.

27 Tuesday MOBILE (DH) HOME 7:30 p.m.

December

5 Wednesday LOYOLA (DH) HOME 7:30 p.m.

14 Friday Martin Methodist

(Spring Hill Classic) Mobile, Ala. 5 p.m.

15 Saturday Voorhees

(Spring Hill Classic) Mobile, Ala. 3 p.m.

18 Tuesday at William Carey Hattiesburg, Miss. 6 p.m.

31 Monday at Belhaven Jackson, Miss. 2 p.m.

January

5 Saturday

• at Edward Waters (DH) Jacksonville, Fla. 5 p.m. EST

7 Monday

• at Talladega (DH) Talladega, Ala. 7 p.m.

12 Saturday • TOUGALOO (DH) HOME 5 p.m.

14 Monday • SUNO (DH) HOME 7:30 p.m.

19 Saturday • PHILANDER SMITH (DH) HOME Noon

21 Monday • FISK (DH) HOME 1 p.m.

26 Saturday

• at Dillard (DH) Dent Hall 7 p.m.

28 Monday at Mobile

(DH) Mobile, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

February

2 Saturday • TALLADEGA (DH) HOME Noon

4 Monday • EDWARD WATERS (DH) HOME 7:30 p.m.

9 Saturday

• at Philander Smith (DH) Little Rock, Ark. Noon

11 Monday

• at Fisk (DH) Nashville, Tenn. 7:30 p.m.

16 Saturday

• at SUNO (DH) The Castle 4 p.m.

18 Monday

• at Tougaloo (DH) Tougaloo, Miss. 7:30 p.m.

23 Saturday • DILLARD (DH)

(Crosstown Classic, Senior Day and HOME 5 p.m.

Rush/Nuggets Alumni Weekend)

February-March

28 Thursday- Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Little Rock, Ark. TBA

2 Saturday

March

13 Wednesday- Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship Kansas City, Mo. TBA

19 Tuesday

Home games (in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS) are played at the Convocation 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. Schedules are subject to change


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

XU Gold Nuggets' Kirk chosen GCAC Player of the Week

MOIRA KIRK

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Moira Kirk is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's volleyball for Oct. 8-14. It's the first time this season and the second time in two years that she's won this award.

Kirk, a 5-foot-9 sophomore middle blocker from Dallas and a graduate of Bishop Lynch High School, totaled 10 kills, five blocks, three digs and an ace in two matches, including the Gold Nuggets' first-ever three-set sweep of city and GCAC rival Dillard. Kirk has recorded at least one block in her last 37 matches and 45 of 47 in her career.

"Front row or back, Moira can do it all," XU coach Christabell Hamilton said. "She has an effective jump floater serve that can take any team out of system. She is never satisfied with her performance. When she is in the front row, she is a big wall that seals every seam in the block. She is the smartest hitter on the team and needs to be fed the ball more often. I would leave her in the game if I knew it wouldn't kill her legs by the third set. It's too much work to be in the middle alone and then have to transition to the back row and play some defense. Moira does not get very much glory because she does not

get enough sets. But she is definitely what keeps this team in the game almost all the time."

Kirk and two teammates have won a combined four GCAC player awards this season. Taylor Reuther has two, and Chinedu Echebelem has one.
    

Xavier (12-5) will play Friday at 2 p.m. against Union (Tenn.) and at 6 p.m. against city rival Loyola in the Hampton Inn Wolf Pack Classic at The Den. Xavier's next home match will start at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at The Barn.

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

Doug Williams: 'No one is exempt' in Grambling's struggles

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Doug Williams has seen the highest of highs both at Grambling and in the NFL.  Right now, however, his Tigers are about as low as they can go.

“I almost didn’t come today,” Williams said with a laugh to begin his Monday news conference. “I’m trying to run away. Then I realized, tough times don’t last. Tough people do. So I decided to show up. I think I’m one of those tough people. I almost have to be under these circumstances, I’ll tell you that.”

Undoubtedly, Williams finds himself in a tough situation.

His Tigers, the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division favorite, are 0-6 as they prepare for Saturday’s homecoming game against Virginia-Lynchburg. 
Two of the Tigers’ first three losses came by a point, each to a SWAC foe and each when the Tigers’ lack of a kicker surfaced at the wrong time.




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SWAC boasts next-level talent

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  Next spring, there should be no shortage of talented prospects available for the NFL draft from the SWAC. The conference has a number of great players on both sides of the football.

It has produced some terrific players over recent seasons, including Donald Driver (Green Bay Packers, Alcorn State), Robert Mathis (Indianapolis Colts, Alabama A&M) and Jason Hatcher (Dallas Cowboys, Grambling State).

The following list has some players who could be chosen on draft day or signed as free agents. But any way you cut it, the SWAC has some players to watch this season.

Kejuan Riley/free safety
Alabama State
6-1, 208-pound senior

Riley is probably the No. 1 prospect among HBCU players. He has 19 career interceptions, which makes him the active career leader in the FCS. He should be in the Senior Bowl and should get invited the NFL combine. Riley is a terrific player against the pass and does a good job of covering a lot of ground in the secondary with his quickness and anticipation. He has 20 solo and 32 total tackles along with two interceptions.

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Southern tries to reduce distractions

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  As it turns out, Saturday’s 34-7 win against Texas Southern truly was a homecoming for the Southern Jaguars.  They spent the previous night out of town. On Friday evening, while their friends and fans enjoyed the festivities in Baton Rouge, SU’s coaches and players were about an hour away, staying at a hotel in Lafayette.

As linebacker Anthony Balancier put it, that left them with one thing to do. “Get sleep,” he said.  And that was the point. With the host of distractions included in a packed calendar of events during homecoming weekend, interim coach Dawson Odums felt it best to make an escape.

“It’s just a way to get them isolated and have our meetings and really just jell together, have our walk-through and cut down on distractions,” he said. “Being (on campus) on a Friday night during homecoming, I could imagine they would have never gotten any sleep in the dorm.”

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Alabama State quarterback Greg Jenkins says he needs to take better care of the ball

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Greg Jenkins went toe-to-toe with another dual-threat quarterback in Jackson State's Clayton Moore this past Saturday.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder threw for a season-high 262 yards and a touchdown, completing 14 of his 25 passing attempts. But following the game, which ended in a 37-34 loss when Tigers' kicker Ryan Deising hit a 40-yard field goal as time expired, the senior wished he could have had one throw back.

With this team leading by seven, Jenkins faced a third-and-6 at the Hornets' 39-yard line with a little more than eight minutes to play. He dropped back to pass then rolled left toward the Alabama State sideline and fired the ball deep down the field. It was intercepted by JSU standout defensive back Qua Cox, who was tackled at the Tigers'31.

Aided by a 53-yard reception by JSU receiver Rico Richardson, the Tigers tied the game up at 34 on a 3-yard run from Moore with 3:53 to play. Moore, who rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 269 and two scores in the game, was named the SWAC's Newcomer of the Week Monday.



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HBCU Legends: Benjamin F. Payton, Former President of Tuskegee University

Beginning in 2009, SEF began producing a series of filmed interviews with education advocates and leaders at various stages in their careers to capture their personal stories, foster mentorship, and promote the intergenerational exchange of information and ideas on social change and education.

Former President of Tuskegee University, Dr. Benjamin F. Payton who is the fifth president of the institution since 1881 was interviewed for this video series. In this short excerpt, Payton provides valuable insight on what strategies must be enacted to make change in education policy and practice and why still too many low income and minority people are denied the opportunity to fully contribute to our society.

Alabama A&M looking to regroup after first loss, coach Anthony Jones says

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  --  The perfect storm for an upset was already brewing before Alabama A&M took to the field at Louis Crews Stadium in Normal this past Saturday, a game the Bulldogs would lose 21-20 to Alcorn State.

A&M was undefeated. It was rated No. 2 in most every major black college football poll and made its debut in the FCS national poll at No. 25. It was the state's hottest team outside of Tuscaloosa and was scheduled to face a Braves team one-game removed from a four-game losing streak on its homecoming.

"This past weekend was something that we as coaches had a fear of," Jones said during Monday's SWAC coaches teleconference. "We'd watched Alcorn on film. You look at some of these teams they've played. People don't look at that. They just look at the scores and things of that sort and try not to give people their just due. We tried to make sure our guys were aware of this."





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U-Pick-Em: The Only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Fan Poll

DWIGHT FLOYD
"The Editor"
SportsEdit.Org Fan Poll

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Every week a few media and college personnel, and football coaches, get to vote on teams they think are the best in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Their votes and the final polls have a direct impact on who makes the NCAA FCS playoffs each year. Not since the inaugural 1-AA football playoff has teams like Florida A&M and Jackson State had the kind of success that led to the Rattlers winning the whole thing. Since then FAMU has come close only twice in the 90s under Coach Billy Joe when they reestablished themselves as a contender for the championship. Each of those years FAMU was recognized in the polls.

There are only 20 playoff slots available that are chosen from among top conference teams and at large bids. Conferences like the Big Sky, CAA and Southern annually have multiple teams in the rankings and playoffs. A vote for a team in the rankings usually means a spot in the playoffs. Which teams get the votes depend on who gets the national exposure as well as quality of play. Many of the people that vote don’t get to see many teams outside of their conference and don’t have the time to study the stats to see who the best really is.

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Former Wildcat won't stop believin'

WILMINGTON, North Carolina  -- Throughout the world, sports represent opportunity. Whether it's escaping an oppressive tyrant in a foreign country or young Americans from poverty-stricken areas, sports is a way out.

 

Yet reality shows it's a narrow path to travel. According to a study conducted by the NCAA, only 1.6 percent of college football players become professionals.

 

Former New Hanover Wildcat Jermaine Jones doesn't worry about numbers. The redshirt junior wide receiver for St. Augustine's University aspires to become a professional, and is doing whatever it takes to make his dream a reality.

 

"I can't sum up my love for the game," said Jones. "It's going to take a lot of hard work. Putting in the work, doing what I have to do on the field and classroom, but playing the game I love is something I can't live without. It's my way out."

 

Jones was the 2009 StarNews Track & Field Athlete of the Year as a senior at New Hanover. His best tool of the trade is speed, but family fuels the 6-foot-4 receiver on and off the field.

 

 

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ASU Basketball Opens with Midnight Madness

ALBANY, Georgia  -- Madness took over the Albany State basketball teams Sunday night.

Albany State’s Midnight Madness marked the first official basketball practices for the Golden Ram men’s and women's squads. Both teams are looking for some improvement in 2012 after losing seasons.

The SIAC preseason predictions and all-conference teams have been released. Sophomore guard April Thomas was the only Golden Ram named to the All-Conference team. The Bainbridge-native led the Lady Rams in scoring as a freshman.

As for the preseason rankings, the Golden Rams have some room to move up.


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