Tennessee State Tigers fall at Jacksonville State in Overtime

JACKSONVILLE, Alabama  -- A 44-yard field goal by Griffin Thomas of Jacksonville State in overtime was the difference as Tennessee State lost their first game of the season 31-28 Saturday afternoon.

Things did not get off on the right foot for the Tigers as on the third play from scrimmage, quarterback Michael German threw an interception to Jermaine Hough, who returned it seven yards to the TSU 46.

The Gamecocks (4-3, 3-2 OVC) would capitalize as running back Troymaine Pope ran in from two yards out to give JSU an early 7-0 advantage.

The Tigers (7-1, 3-1 OVC) responded later in the quarter with a score of their own. After German connected with Travis James on a 32-yard pass to put TSU in Jacksonville State territory for the first time, German finished the drive with a 19-yard touchdown to Devin Wilson in the back right of the end zone to tie the game at seven.
 

JSU started the second quarter just like it did the first; on a touchdown drive.

This time the Gamecocks used the passing game as QB Marques Ivory found RB Washaun Ealey out of the backfield streaking up the left sideline for a 44-yard touchdown reception to retake the lead 14-7.
 

Also just like the first quarter, TSU answered a JSU touchdown with one of their own.
 

A pair of long third down conversions were the key as RB Trabis Ward took a screen pass on third-and-18 for 23 yards to the TSU 39 to get the Tigers out of the shadow of its own end zone. The drive would end on another third down as German threw a 25-yard pass to James in the middle of the end zone to tie the game at 14.

The Tigers defense forced a JSU three-and-out to put the ball right back in the hands of the offense. TSU only needed three plays to take its first lead of the contest. A 24-yard completion to tight end A.C. Leonard moved the ball past midfield. Two plays later, Ward scored his 14th rushing touchdown of the season on a 42-yard scamper up the right sideline off a pulling block by center Sherman Carter to put the Tigers up 21-14 going into the half.

That run put Ward over 100 yards in the game and over 1,000 yards on the season. He is the fourth player in TSU history with 1,000 rushing yards in a season joining Charles Anthony, Javarris Williams and Darron Davis and it's the seventh time overall that the Tigers have had a 1,000 yard rusher.

Ward finished with 168 yards on 34 carries with one touchdown. He now has 1,070 rushing yards on the season, sixth best in TSU history.

TSU had a chance to increase its lead before halftime, but could not get the field goal team on the field for a 37-yard field goal, which would prove costly down the stretch.
 

For the third time in the game, Jacksonville State scored a touchdown on its first possession of a quarter. With first-and-goal from the eight, Ealey bounced his rush to the left into the end zone to once again tie the game, this time at 21, with 11:16 remaining in the third quarter.
 

The Gamecock defense stopped the Tigers near midfield on the ensuing possession to give them a chance to retake the leads.

JSU would go on a 12-play scoring drive that took up 5:39 of the clock and resulted in QB Coty Blanchard running in from two yards out putting the Gamecocks up 28-21 at the end of three. JSU outgained TSU 159 yards to 44 and held the ball for 9:35 in the third quarter.

Needing to put points on the board to keep it a one score game, TSU did just that as the Tigers converted two third downs in route to an 11-yard hookup between German and James to tied it a 28.

James had five catches for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Over the next three combined possessions, there was three turnovers in a span of 44 seconds. It started with an Ealey fumble that was recovered by TSU's Wilson Robinson at the JSU 40. On the very next play, German threw his second interception of the game, again to Hough, who returned it to the Gamecock 39 yard line. Two plays later, JSU QB Blanchard threw an interception of his own to Steven Godbolt III, who made a spectacular one handed gab, at the TSU 25.

With 5:36 left in the game, it set up TSU for a game winning drive.

The Tigers drove down the field using 15 plays, converting three third downs and all 5:36 remaining on the clock to set up a 42-yard field goal for Godfrey. A false start penalty on TSU moved the ball back five yards and Godfrey missed the 47 yarder wide right to go into overtime tied at 28.

The Tigers outgained JSU by 109 yards in the fourth quarter and had the ball for 10 minutes, 26 seconds.

Tennessee State would get the ball to start overtime and German wasted little time moving the ball as he connected with Leonard on the first play for a 12 yard gain. German was sacked three plays later by Mikel Whittier and last 13 yards to set up a 42-yard field goal for the lead. Godfrey missed his second attempt wide left.

JSU would play conservative on offense running the ball its first two plays of the extra session before Greg Barksdale sacked Blanchard on a QB roll out for a loss of nine. That set up kicker Griffin Thomas for a 44-yard field goal and the win as Jacksonville State ended TSU's unblemished record.

German finished with 311 yards on 21-of-37 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Tennessee State returns home for the final time this season as they take on Tennessee Tech at Hale Stadium next Saturday. Kick off is scheduled for 1 p.m.

 

GAME NOTES: Trabis Ward is the fourth player in TSU history with 1,000 rushing yards in a season (Charles Anthony, Javarris Williams and Darron Davis) and the seventh overall. He passed his total of 978 yards last season and Javarris Williams' 1,037 yards in 2008 ... In his last two games, Ward has 77 carries for 435 yards and five touchdowns ... TSU has led at halftime in seven of its eight games this season ... The two touchdowns for Travis James ties his career-high set last season vs. UT Martin on November 12 ... TSU outgained JSU 495-353 ... The Tigers have outrushed every opponent this season except for Florida A&M in the opener. The Rattler outgained TSU by two yards on the ground ... Jacksonville State leads the all-time series 7-1 with the lone TSU win coming in 2006.

 

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern University football falls to UA-Pine Bluff 50-21

Baton Rouge, Louisiana  –  The matchup look enticing enough for Southern University. The Jaguars came into Saturday’s game with the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a pretty salty defense and what they thought was a real chance to tie for the Southwestern Athletic Conference West division lead.

But it turned out to be fool’s gold.

Using superior speed and athleticism the Pine Bluff offense gashed the Jaguars for 511 yards and scored touchdowns on five straight possessions in the first half en route to a 50-21 Southwestern Conference victory at Southern on Saturday.

The victory put the Golden Lions (5-2, 4-1) in sole possession of first place in the SWAC West Division. Pine Bluff enjoys a two-game lead over the Jaguars (3-4, 2-3) and the rest of the division, meaning a trip to the SWAC Championship game is its to lose.

Pine Bluff made quick work of the Jaguars, taking a 21-0 first quarter lead and a 41-6 lead at the half.
Southern came into the showdown with what it thought was a pretty good defense. The Jaguars had allowed only 322.2 yards and 22.3 points per game.


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Tuskegee wins sixth straight in 37-0 blowout against Kentucky State

TUSKEGEE, Alabama  --  RVs had been parked on the ground's surrounding Tuskegee's Cleve Abbot Stadium since Wednesday and thousands had descended upon the tiny city to reunite with former classmates and relive the glory of their college days.

Good times were going to be had regardless of the outcome of the Golden Tigers meeting with SIAC foe Kentucky State but their 45-0 shellacking of the Thorobreds allowed the party to continue without a hitch.

Tuskegee captured its sixth straight victory to improve its overall record to 6-1 and 5-0 in the conference. They limited Kentucky State to a measly 88 yards of offense, 66 passing and 22 rushing, and looked invincible for the most part.

"It feels good as ever getting a win like this on homecoming especially for the coach and our young guys," said starting safety Jamar Hornsby, one of 17 seniors who played their last home game and the cover boy of the gameday program. "You try to set the pedestal high for them guys that's coming up next year."

The Golden Tigers have outscored ...





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Howard football’s special teams tilt the scales against Morgan State in 21-20 victory

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Jack Fleck was prepared to continue his punting career as a Division I walk-on — maybe close to home at Indiana or Ball State — when Howard University entered the picture late with a partial scholarship offer, part of Coach Gary Harrell’s offseason push to shore up his special teams.

Fleck, a freshman from Indianapolis, had already punted five times in Saturday’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game against Morgan State when he received orders for a trick play that the team works on in practice almost every day. Instead of a kick, Fleck floated a 16-yard pass to reserve defensive back Jordan Monette to continue a drive that eventually ended in a third-quarter touchdown.

With its offense struggling throughout, Howard relied on a spark from its special teams to secure a 21-20 win on homecoming day in front of 10,305 fans. The Bison also blocked two kicks and clinched their first victory over Morgan State since 2004 after the Bears squandered the game-tying extra point attempt after a bad snap with 2 minutes 29 seconds left.

“When you’re young and kind of inexperienced [on] offense [and] defense, special teams has gotta be the phase that takes over that slack,” said Harrell, who was a special teams whiz during his playing career with the Bison in the early 1990s.


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Toliver's TD Pushes St. Aug Past FSU 34-28 in 3 OTs on Homecoming Day

RALEIGH, N.C. – Deonte Toliver (R-Jr./Gaithersburg, Md.) scored on a seven-yard run in the third overtime to give Saint Augustine's University a 34-28 victory over Fayetteville State University on the Falcons' Homecoming Day at Saint Augustine's University Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, before a capacity crowd of 2,500.

The victory improved the Falcons' record to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the CIAA. The Broncos fell to 1-7 overall and remain winless in the conference at 0-5. The win was the first for the Falcons since the name change from college to university. The Falcons are 2-0 in homecoming games played at Saint Augustine's University Stadium.

“It was a struggle. I'm not going to lie,” St. Aug Head Coach Michael Costa said after his team pulled out the win. “We persevered which is most important.”

Tyron Laughinghouse (Sr./Greenville, N.C.) led the Falcons with nine catches for 117 yards and a touchdown and Toliver added 70 yards on 16 carries off the bench. Defensively, the Falcons were led by linebackers Antonio Stewart (So./Ellenwood, Ga.) and Chaz Robinson (Jr./Hampton, Va.) with 14 and 12 tackles, respectively. The Falcons recorded five sacks including 1.5 from Shonquez Nelson (Jr./Lake City, S.C.) and one each from Christopher Roberts (R-Fr./Albany, Ga.) and Robinson. The defense has 12 sacks in their last two games.

The Falcons won despite being outgained (465-332) in offensive yards and losing time of possession (37:05-22:48). The Broncos were in position to win with three seconds left in regulation but missed a 25-yard field goal. The contest went into overtime tied 14-14.

The Falcons outscored the Broncos 20-14 in the three overtimes. Rowdy Batchelor (R-Sr./Jacksonville, N.C.) gave the Falcons their first lead of the game on a one-yard scoring run in the first overtime. Michael Lima (So./Miami, Fla.) kicked the extra point for a 21-14 lead. The Broncos knotted the game at 21-21 on Xavier Molina-Williams' five-yard catch from Andreas Hudson and Antonio Mayo's extra point.

The Broncos led 28-21 in the second overtime on Colon Bailey's one-yard run and Mayo's point after kick in the second overtime. The Falcons came right back and tied the game at 28-28 on a one-yard run by Roderick Davenport (Fr./Orangeburg, S.C.) and Lima's extra point.

In the third overtime, Toliver scored on a short run up the middle to give the Falcons the lead for good. The Falcons sealed the win on the ensuing possession when the Broncos, facing fourth down and five at the SAU 20, threw an incomplete pass out of the end zone.

“I had to wait on my defense to respond and they finally did when it counted most,” Costa said.

The game was a defensive struggle in the first half with neither team scoring point. The Broncos scored first in the third quarter on a one-yard run by Bailey, who rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries. Mayo's extra point put the Broncos ahead 7-0.

The Falcons tied the score at 7-7 in the third quarter when Jermaine Jones (R-Jr./Wilmington, N.C.) recovered a fumble in the end zone and Lima added the extra point. The Broncos regained the lead in the fourth quarter when Hudson scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak and Mayo kicked the extra point. The Falcons tied the game again when Laughinghouse caught a 21-yard pass from Teddy Bacote (Jr./Hampton, Va.).

The Falcons play their last road game of the season when they visit Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. Game time is 1 p.m.
Offensive linemen Rory Nixon (Sr./Hampton, Va.) and Stedman Gardner (R-Sr./Gastonia, N.C.) both played in their 38^th game as a Falcon.


COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Week 8, HBCU Homecoming Saturday

OVC
Tennessee State @ Jacksonville State, 12:00 pm,  TV Info

MEAC
North Carolina Central 37, Hampton 20 Final - 10/18
Morgan State @ Howard U., 1 pm, Homecoming
North Carolina A&T @ Delaware State, 1:30 pm, Homecoming
Edward Waters @ Savannah State, 2 pm, Homecoming
Norfolk State @ Bethune-Cookman, 4 pm, Biker Classic
South Carolina State @ Florida A&M, 6 pm, ESPN3

OTHERS
Bacone @ Texas College, 3 pm
Concordia-Selma@ Southern Virginia, 1 pm
Bloomsburg @ Cheyney, 1 pm, Homecoming
Shepherd @ West Virginia State, 1 pm
Lincoln (Mo.) @ Fort Hays State, 3:30 pm

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

CIAA
Chowan U. @ Elizabeth City State 1:30 pm, Homecoming
Johnson C. Smith U. @ Shaw U., 1 pm, Homecoming
Lincoln (Pa.) @ Virginia State, 1:30 pm, Homecoming
Livingstone @ Winston-Salem State, 1:30 pm, Homecoming
Fayetteville State @ Saint Augustine's U., 2 pm, Homecoming

SWAC
Virginia University of Lynchburg @ Grambling State, 3 pm, Homecoming
Mississippi Valley State @ Jackson State, 4 pm, Homecoming
Alcorn State @ Prairie View A&M, 3:30 pm, Homecoming
Arkansas - Pine Bluff @ Southern U., 7 pm

Dwight Floyd Weekly Commentary: Believe!!

DWIGHT FLOYD
"The Editor"
SPORTSEDIT.ORG
 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Seventeen brave souls dared to rank the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams. After polling the top 20, here’s how the results pan out. We will see what happens to these teams during this 8th week of play.

Remember that this is an “unofficial” poll of FCS fanatics, who may rank from expert to cheerleader status. One thing we can say about the poll is that fans appreciate the play of teams from across the FCS. Time will tell if they got it right.

This poll is for you the fan. The first time is tough, but it gets easier as you become familiar with the teams. Watch the games and be prepared to place your vote starting Monday of next week.

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FAMU vs. SCSU: ‘Name’ teams see game significance

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  –  Don’t tell fans, players or the head football coaches at Florida A&M and South Carolina State about tonight’s nationally televised matchup (ESPNU, tape delay at 10:30 p.m.) at Bragg Memorial Center lacking in significance.

While both teams, especially the Bulldogs, find themselves more outside of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title chase than in past years, the outcome in this 82-year-old series can still serve to help define the season.

“I still think that names — South Carolina State Bulldogs and Florida A&M Rattlers — still resonate at a high level,” FAMU head coach Joe Taylor said. “All eyes will be on Tallahassee for this match-up.”

“I told our players (Sunday) when we were talking about this weekend’s game at the beginning of the season when this game was selected for the television contract deal, it was thought to be possibly the biggest game of the year,” S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough said. “The fact that we’ve both had some issues of sorts has led this to be a game that’s not quite the game I’m sure that they originally signed up for. That’s right now not our problem. Our problem is the fact that we want to go in and play the very best that we can as we possibly can and we’ll let the powers that deal with those kind of issues deal with those issues.”



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Xavier wins, then loses in Wolf Pack Invitational

XAVIER GOLD NUGGETS

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball team defeated Union (Tenn.) 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 25-17, then lost 25-27, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-6 to Loyola on Friday in the Hampton Inn Wolf Pack Invitational at The Den.

Against Union, Taylor Reuther had 19 kills and Moira Kirk 11 for the Gold Nuggets (13-6). Franziska Pirkl had 39 assists, five aces and a career-best 15 digs, and Chinedu Echebelem had eight kills, three aces and 14 digs. Jodi Chatters had a career-high 11 digs.

Xavier's 55 kills against Union were its most in a match since reinstating volleyball in 2010.

Loyola (16-7) rallied from a 2-sets-to-0 deficit to end Xavier's school-record 11-match road winning streak. Loyola is 11-0 all-time against its city rival. It was the first time an XU-Loyola match lasted five sets.

Xavier's next match will start at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Barn against Tougaloo. Both teams are 6-0 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. It will be Breast Cancer Awareness Night, and fans are encouraged to wear pink.

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Box score

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

Lane Dragons seek homecoming victory

JACKSON, Tennessee -- Entering last week, coach Derrick Burroughs mentioned how badly he thought his Dragons needed a win against Point University. They got it, topping Point on the road 16-10.

Today’s opponent will be much tougher. A win over Miles College (6-1, 4-0 SIAC) would almost certainly be the most impressive in Burroughs’ three-year tenure at Lane.

The Dragons (3-4, 1-4 SIAC) host Miles at 2 p.m. The football team at Miles, which is located in Fairfield, Ala. outside Birmingham, has won six straight games.

None of Miles’ four SIAC wins has been close. The narrowest was a 28-7 victory over Clark Atlanta, a team Lane nearly beat but did not. Miles has also pummeled Albany State (41-6), Benedict (50-7), and Kentucky State (45-0).

Lane will need a top-notch performance to secure a win on its homecoming weekend.

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ECSU needs to focus on homecoming

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina  --  Homecoming at Elizabeth City State can offer plenty of distractions as parties, visiting friends and family and special events vie for the attention of the players.

Vikings coach Waverly Tillar appreciates the good-time atmosphere, but he has a directive for the team: Make sure today’s game with Chowan tops the priority list.

“I think a lot of them are mature enough to look past everything going on, but we reminded them of what is at stake with this game,” he said. “I told them the other day if they get caught up in the homecoming festivities that’s where they will find themselves on Nov. 10 — at home.”

Nov. 10, of course, is the date of the CIAA championship game. And with three conference games remaining, the Vikings (4-3 overall, 3-1 CIAA) still have every reason to believe they can be the Northern Division representative in the game for the second straight year.

Chowan (4-3, 3-1), enjoying its best season since it joined the conference, has its own aspirations to ...

 

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ECSU’s Tillar takes to air

Elizabeth City State football coach Waverly Tillar was craving more exposure for his program. ECSU’s radio station was looking to expand its sports programming. It seemed like the perfect marriage.

This season, Tillar and ECSU campus radio station WRVS FM 89.9 have teamed up for a weekly coach’s show. Each Thursday evening at 7 p.m., Randy Jones, who is also the voice of the Vikings on the station football broadcasts, sits down with Tillar at the Elizabeth City Applebee’s to discuss Vikings football.

The idea of a weekly radio show has been in the air around ECSU for several years, but only came to fruition this year after new production director Clay Mercer joined WRVS.

“He has some vision and wants to do a few things and bring in some new ideas,” Jones said. “They approached me about doing this every Thursday and I was with it. I thought the football team could try and get out there a little bit and get some exposure in the community.

“(Applebee’s) was all for it. Their corporate headquarters was into it and everything we’ve asked Applebee’s to do, they’ve done.”

 

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Scouting report: Morgan State at Howard football

Morgan State (3-3, 2-1 MEAC) at Howard (4-2, 3-1 MEAC)
Time: 1 p.m.
Site: Greene Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Radio: 88.9 FM
Series: Morgan State leads 40-24-1

What’s at stake: Morgan dropped a homecoming heartbreaker last week, giving up a game winning touchdown with 25.6 seconds left. The 24-20 loss to North Carolina Central was the Bears’ first MEAC defeat. Saturday will mark Howard’s homecoming, and the Bears would love nothing more than to ruin it. But the Bison are also coming off a loss and will be out to get back on track in front of a excited crowd.

Key Matchup: Howard’s defense has been good all year, ranking fifth in total defense in the MEAC. But what sets the Bison apart is their ability to get to the quarterback. Howard has 17 sacks this season, good for third in the conference. Morgan has given up 16 sacks so far this season, so protecting the quarterback will be important if the Bears want to leave D.C. with a win.


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Bethune-Cookman wary of last-place Norfolk State

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Last year, Bethune-Cookman turned its season around with a victory against eventual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champ Norfolk State.

On Saturday, Norfolk State has a chance to turn its season around against B-CU (4-2, 0-3), which like the Spartans last year, is trying to remain undefeated in the conference.

 

B-CU meets Norfolk State at 4 p.m. Saturday at Municipal Stadium.

 

“Even though their record may not show it, this is still one of the toughest teams in the conference,'' B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said of the Spartans (2-5, 0-4), who have lost five games in a row and have virtually no chance to defend their MEAC title.

 

Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian issued similar words of warning last year before a physical B-CU team dominated the line of scrimmage to upset the Spartans 14-6 on national TV. The Wildcats, who were 1-2 in the conference going into the game, began a string of five consecutive MEAC victories to end the season.




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Stillman College looking to rebound against Fort Valley State

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama  --  In seven games this season, Stillman College has seen just about every type of outcome imaginable.

The Tigers have won close games.

They started out the season with a 28-27 victory on the road against Central State (Ohio) and defeated Benedict (S.C.) 24-19. They've lost in close games too, falling 31-26 to Shaw University (N.C.).

They've been blow out, getting the business end of a 31-0 game against Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) and they've put up a pair of double-digit victories themselves against Kentucky State and Lane College (Tenn.) .

Coach Teddy Keaton is hoping their gambit of experiences will help them to recover from last week's 16-0 defeat at the hands of Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Tuskegee and pick up a victory when they host Fort Valley State (Ga.) Saturday in another key conference matchup.

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Stillman's Tigers' Stadium.

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WSSU Rams set sights on Livingstone Blue Bears' Powell

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Winston-Salem State will see a different Livingstone team at 1:30 today at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Blue Bears have long been the doormats of the CIAA, but this season, they at least have a semblance of an offense behind freshman quarterback Drew Powell. At 6-3 and close to 240 pounds, Powell is a load to bring down and has helped elevate the team with his strong arm.

"He's only a freshman, but he's playing like a junior or senior," Coach Connell Maynor of WSSU said of Powell. "He's got a good strong arm, and he spreads the ball around, and he's hard to bring down. If you go in there and just try to grab him, he's going to throw you off and embarrass you.

"He's a big guy, and you really have to wrap him up."

Nonetheless, Powell will have to contend with a WSSU defense playing its best football — the starting unit has allowed just three touchdowns over the last four games.



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Mississippi Valley no pushover

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  There might have been a time earlier this season that Jackson State players may have overlooked Mississippi Valley State.

You could forgive them for such thinking. After all, MVSU had won all of one game the previous two seasons under coach Karl Morgan. But as JSU (3-4, 3-2 SWAC) enters Saturday’s homecoming game against the Delta Devils, it does so knowing it can no longer dismiss the team from Itta Bena.

In one of the more surprising SWAC storylines this season, MVSU (3-4, 2-2) is in the hunt for an Eastern Division title thanks in large part to a defense ranked fourth nationally. Delta Devils defensive tackle Robert Simpson leads the SWAC in tackles for a loss and perhaps best epitomizes the ferocious, swarming style of play that has garnered MVSU’s defense quite a reputation.

More importantly, MVSU has won two straight games — its longest winning streak since winning three in a row in 2006.  Talk about a turnaround.




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Howard’s Greg McGhee relishes return to starting lineup after suspension

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  As the Howard University football team’s Sept. 1 season opener against Morehouse crept closer, sophomore quarterback Greg McGhee went through practices, position meetings and film sessions as usual.

But instead of preparing for his 12th career start, McGhee was about to watch the Bison from the sideline for the first time. “Keep your head up,” he heard more than once before his three-game, NCAA-mandated withholding began. “Those three weeks will come and go faster than you know.”

At the time, McGhee — the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rookie of the year — wanted to believe them. Almost two months later, the quarterback still appreciates the sentiment, but now it also draws a slight chuckle.

“It was actually the longest four weeks ever because we had the bye in there, too,” McGhee said.

After a breakout campaign last fall, McGhee figured to enter this season as one of the most important pieces in Coach Gary Harrell’s rebuilding project at his alma mater. Instead, McGhee was one of 11 Howard football players who missed time as a result of an NCAA investigation into their improper use of textbook allowances.

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Coaching continuity a key to WSSU's prolific offense

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- There's a lot to be said for continuity in a football staff, and Winston-Salem State has it.

Coach Connell Maynor and assistants John Eder and Duane Taylor have known each other a long time, and their familiarity, and a shared philosophy, make things easier on game days.

WSSU has put more emphasis on its passing game this season — a change from last season, when the offense often relied on 1,800-yard tailback Nic Cooper.

"This year, teams are trying to take the running game away from us, so they are forcing our hand to throw the ball, and we don't mind doing that," said Maynor, who noted that St. Augustine's often had seven or eight defenders close to the line of scrimmage during last week's game.

The Rams can still run when they need to, and Maurice Lewis has become one of the CIAA's best running backs. But quarterback Kam Smith has a variety of receivers at his disposal and won't hesitate to throw.

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NCCU Beats Hampton on ESPNU To Remain a MEAC Leader

DURHAM, North Carolina – A near capacity crowd inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium and an ESPNU national television audience watched North Carolina Central University win its fourth game in a row with a 37-20 victory over Hampton University on Thursday night.

The Eagles remain unbeaten in the MEAC with a 4-0 record and improve their overall tally to 5-2. The win also ends NCCU’s eight-game losing skid against the Pirates, as the Eagles dropped Hampton for the first time since Sept. 24, 1983.

NCCU scored touchdowns in all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams. And the Eagles chipped in a field goal for good measure.

An overpowering NCCU defense forced four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumble recoveries) and tackled 12 Hampton ball-carriers behind the line of scrimmage, including eight quarterback sacks.

The defensive play of the night, which was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10, was turned in by junior linebacker Tazmon Foster, who intercepted a pass and broke three tackles on the way to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown. Foster added a fumble recovery and tied for the team lead with eight takedowns.

Fellow NCCU linebacker Ty Brown also recorded eight tackles, including 2.5 hits for a loss with a sack. Linebacker Matt Willison collected seven stops with a forced fumble, while safety Ryan Smith posted seven tackles with an interception and a fumble recovery.

A staunch defensive front was anchored by seniors Xavier Proctor, Stephen Young and John Drew. Proctor recorded six takedowns (five solo) with 3.5 hits for a loss with 2.5 sacks, Young added four stops with a pair of sacks, and Drew contributed four tackles with a takedown behind the line of scrimmage.

NCCU junior quarterback Jordan Reid threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns on 11-for-22 passing. He found senior receiver Geovonie Irvine four times for 99 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown connection that provided the Eagles with a 20-3 halftime advantage.

A 20-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Oleg Parent increased the lead to 23-3 midway through the third quarter.

However, Hampton made the game interesting with 17 unanswered points to trim the deficit to 23-20 on a 38-yard touchdown scamper by Pirates’ running back Jeremiah Schwartz, who finished the contest with 129 ground yards and a pair of scores.

On the ensuing kickoff, NCCU senior play-maker Arthur Goforth electrified the crowd of 9,648 with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to slam the momentum back into the Eagles’ favor with 9:09 remaining in the contest.

A 20-yard touchdown pass from Reid to senior running back Gary Douglas sealed the victory.

Irvine’s four catches moves the senior into second on the NCCU career receptions list with 152 for 2,209 yards and 16 touchdowns.

NCCU hits the road for the sixth time this season next week at Bethune-Cookman. The Eagles and Wildcats currently share the lead in the conference standings. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. in Daytona Beach, Fla.  

Box Score

ESPNU Highlights
 



COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Where Shaw QB Stallons goes, his Bears follow

JAMES STALLONS

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- As Shaw concluded one of its worse seasons in 2011, coach Darrell Asberry could only wonder, “What if?”

Patrolling the sideline with clipboard was a 6-foot-6, 210-pound quarterback with a strong arm and Big Ten background. James Stallons signed with Wisconsin in 2007 and was part of the program for two years before transferring to Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College. In 2010, he threw for 2,061 yards and 19 touchdowns against just four interceptions before switching to Shaw. Stallons was supposed to be on the field for the Bears last season, but eligibility issues kept him sidelined.

Asberry never got the chance to see his recruit after leaving for Texas Southern University. Stallons beat out last season’s starting quarterback Quinshon Odom to lead a Bears team intent on returning to its championship ways. Shaw has won four CIAA championships since reinstating football in 2003. It’s those titles that caught Stallons’ attention. 

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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

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VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA