DWIGHT FLOYD COMMENTARY: Head Coaching Job Vacancy

DWIGHT FLOYD
"The Editor"
SportsEdit.Org

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The anticipated head coaching vacancy at Florida A&M University is just one of many yet to come.

Picking the right person is crucial and should involve more than chasing after the old and familiar. One of the complaints by fans is that HBCUs tend to recruit within the “chitlings circuit” and are reluctant to go after the unknown and perhaps better candidate.

 If you were given the privilege of interviewing candidates to fill the vacancy what questions would you ask; or are you one of those persons who for some reason feel qualified to take the head coaching job yourself?

 Well here’s your chance to see if you qualify for a personal interview. Answer the simple questionnaire (written interview) below and see where you stand. The responses are not retained in our database and you may retry as many times as you like. This is not an official interview and it won’t get you a job. It will give you a few things to think about though.

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Tennessee State Tigers' OVC hopes take a hit

MURRAY, KY. — Murray State’s ticking time-bomb offense finally exploded against Tennessee State on Saturday and left the No. 18 Tigers in shambles.

The Racers scored the last 29 points in a 12-minute span to come from behind and beat TSU 49-28 at Roy Stewart Stadium before a crowd of 3,112.

TSU (8-2, 4-2 OVC) shouldn’t have been surprised. The Racers scored 44 points in the first 27:50 last year on their way to a 58-27 rout.

“They just got into a rhythm,” said TSU safety Daniel Fitzpatrick, who led TSU with 10 tackles. “They’re a deadly team when they get into a rhythm. We kept them out of it up until that point, but that doesn’t matter. If you don’t keep them out of it the whole game you saw what can happen.”

The Tigers were without sophomore defensive back Steven Godbolt, who suffered a concussion last week. Godbolt came into the game leading the OVC with six interceptions.

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TSU coach: Injuries to starters didn't lose this game

MURRAY, Kentucky  --  Tennessee State was short-handed with cornerback Steven Godbolt sidelined with a concussion and offensive tackle Rogers Gaines out with a sprained ankle, but coach Rod Reed refused to blame the 49-28 loss to Murray State on injuries.

Strong safety Daniel Fitzpatrick also was nursing a shoulder injury, which kept him out of contact practice last week, but he led the Tigers with 10 tackles, all solos.

Starting free safety David Van Dyke injured his knee but was able to continue.

It was the most significant injuries TSU has had to deal with in any game this season.

“We were missing some guys, but injuries weren’t the reason we lost,” Reed said. “(Murray) did a better job of coaching in the second half than we did. We made some minor adjustments, and I guess they adjusted a little better than we did.”

Reed said Godbolt, who leads the OVC with six interceptions and has 41 tackles, will not practice next week because the Tigers have a bye on Saturday.

 

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Special Teams Magic Lifts NCCU Eagles to Double OT Win Over Delaware State Hornets

DURHAM, North Carolina  —  North Carolina Central University took advantage of clutch special teams plays to pull out a 23-20 double-overtime victory over Delaware State University, thrilling a sellout homecoming crowd of 12,742 fans inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C.

The win pushed the Eagles into second place in the MEAC standings and clinched the program’s first winning season since 2007.

NCCU senior running back and return specialist Arthur Goforth started the special teams highlights with a dazzling 92-yard punt return for a touchdown, the longest in school history, to give the Eagles a 17-10 lead in the third quarter.

Delaware State took advantage of an NCCU fumble by driving 42 yards on eight plays to tie the score at 17-17 with one tick on the clock in the third stanza.

As the contest slipped into overtime, DSU kicker Mitchell Ward, who missed a 21-yard field goal with 3:11 left in regulation, converted a 25-yard field goal on the first possession of the first overtime to provide the Hornets with their first lead of the day.

When NCCU got the ball, the Hornets’ fifth sack of the contest pushed the Eagles back to the 29-yard line, forcing sophomore kicker Oleg Parent to try a 46-yard field goal to extend the game. With the homecoming crowd on its feet, Parent nailed the career-long three-pointer to force a second overtime.

Parent came through again for NCCU when he connected on his third field goal of the afternoon from 26 yards out to put the Eagles ahead by three points after the opening possession of the second overtime.



On DSU’s possession, NCCU senior defensive end Xavier Proctor sacked Hornets’ quarterback Nick Elko, moving the ball back to the 17-yard line. Needing a field goal to send the contest into a third overtime session, Ward’s 34-yard kick was blocked by redshirt senior defensive back Malik Cromartie, the fifth blocked kick of his NCCU career, igniting a swarming celebration on the home field.

Cromartie, who also blocked a field goal in last year’s 14-7 win at Delaware State, topped the NCCU defense with 12 tackles (9 solo) and four pass break-ups. Junior linebacker Tazmon Foster contributed 10 stops, including a sack, while Proctor recorded nine takedowns with two hits for a loss, including that critical sack in overtime.

Goforth, who ranks second in the conference in all-purpose yards, added to his total with 225 all-purpose yards on Saturday. The electrifying senior amassed a team-best 61 rushing yards, 15 receiving yards, 57 kickoff return yards and 92 yards on the recording-breaking punt return. Goforth now has six career special teams touchdowns with three kickoff return scores and three punt return visits to the end zone.

NCCU redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Reid completed 18-of-27 passes for 126 yards, including a 3-yard lob to a leaping Jonathan Nicely for a second-quarter touchdown. Redshirt senior receiver Decona Roberts led the Eagles with five receptions for 65 yards, while senior tight end Detwan Robinson, redshirt senior Geovonie Irvine and Goforth each had three catches.

Elko’s efficient play at quarterback for the Hornets continued, as the senior completed 35-of-56 passes for 305 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown to senior receiver Justin Wilson to tie the score at 10-10 in the second quarter. Wilson finished with 12 receptions for 138 yards.

DSU’s defense, which collected three interceptions and a fumble recovery, was topped by sophomore Joe Boyd with a game-high nine tackles. Rookie Terrick Colston posted 11 stops, including an assisted takedown for a loss, along with an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for the Hornets.

NCCU improves to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in the MEAC, while DSU falls to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in league play.

Next week, the Eagles travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to face Florida A&M. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m., as the Rattlers host homecoming.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Leffall Helps Howard Overpower Hampton

Washington, DC —- Terrence Leffall rushed for a career-high 182 yards and two touchdowns to lead Howard University to a 20-10 win over Hampton University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Greene Stadium. The win improves the Bison's record to 6-3 and 5-2 in the MEAC while the Pirates fall to 2-6 and 2-4 in the MEAC.

Both teams got off to a slow start as the winds and defenses dictated the early flow of the game. The Bison offense finally got some rhythm as the offensive line and Leffall began to have some success. With the 5-10, 210-pound senior finding gapping holes in the middle of the Pirates defense, Howard got on the board first following a 74-yard, 11-play drive that was capped off by a junior quarterback Randy Liggins' six-yard run after a beautiful play fake to Leffall. The conversion attempt failed and the Bison led, 6-0 with just 50 seconds left in the first quarter.

Liggins started for McGhee and had an efficient game, completing 6 of 12 passes for 58 yards and adding 27 yards rushing and a TD.

"I found out late in the week that I would start," explained Liggins, who has yet to throw an interception this season.

"We preach execution and ball control. The line did a great job today in protection and creating running lanes."

Added Howard head coach Gary Harrell, "We came out old fashion by establishing the run." "Randy did a good job and was able to get us in control of the game."

Both teams had opportunities in the second quarter but potential scoring drives were aborted due to missed opportunities. Howard was finally able to capitalize when freshman defensive lineman Damon Gresham Chisholm forced and recovered a fumble at the Pirates 15-yard line. It took Howard three plays with Leffall bolted in from 18 yards out to make it, 13-0 Howard with 4:23 left in the second quarter.

The Pirates responded by mounting a 10-play, 69-yard drive, but the Howard defense forced the visitors to settle for a 23-yard Taurean Durham field goal to make it 13-3 at the half.

Hampton used the momentum to narrow the deficit to 13-10 early in the third quarter when freshman quarterback Brian Swain finished off a 70-yard drive with a 33-yard scamper up the middle.

"Our defense has to be able to get off the field on third and fourth downs," lamented Harrell. "We have had problems in that area and we have to get better."

Both teams held serve through the rest of the game until sophomore quarterback Greg McGhee engineered a 12-play, 72-yard drive that was capped off with an eight-yard run by Leffall, his second of the day. That was all that the Bison defense needed as it shut down the Hampton offense to preserve the win.

Leffall, who set a school record for carries with 42 in last year's win over Hampton, has now rushed for over 100 yards in each of the games in which he has played this season.

"We followed the game plan," said Leffall. "They trusted me with the ball to win the game today. The offensive line did a great job. It makes my job easy when they block like that."

The Bison defense was led by junior safety Julien David, who tallied 9 tackles, junior linebacker Tabrian Resby, who had 8, and Gresham Chisholm, who finished with four tackles, 3 for losses, 3 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Hampton was led on offense by freshman quarterback Brian Swain, who led his team with 105 yards rushing and was 13 of 23 passing for 91 yards.

GAME NOTES: The win insures that Howard will record its first winning season since 2004…the Bison defense forced 5 Pirate fumbles and recovered two…the offense topped the 200-yard mark for the fifth straight game.

NEXT UP: The Bison travel to Statesboro, Ga to take on the Number 1 ranked team in the FCS, Georgia Southern next Saturday at 2 pm.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Rush beat Carver, move to 2-0 for 11th consecutive season

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Simmons scored 20 points, and freshman reserve RJ Daniels made three consecutive 3-pointers late in the first half Sunday to spark NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana in an 88-68 men's basketball victory against Carver College.

The Gold Rush (2-0) defeated an Atlanta opponent for the second consecutive day in XU's new Convocation Center. Xavier beat Morehouse 80-66 Saturday. It's the 11th consecutive season that Xavier won its first two games.

Simmons, a two-time All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference forward, was 7-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the line in 26 minutes. He scored 14 second-half points.

Daniels made three consecutive 3-pointers in less than two minutes. His first trey put Xavier ahead to stay, 26-24. Xavier led 41-34 at halftime and by 24 points five times in the final seven minutes.

Nick Haywood scored 18 points for the Gold Rush. Wanto Joseph had 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Daniels and Denzell Erves scored 11 apiece, and Erves grabbed 11 rebounds for his second double-double in as many days.

Nickolas Hood scored 24 points, Joe Comer 19 and Julian Bratton 15 for Carver (0-3).

Xavier committed 24 turnovers, 11 more than Carver, but outrebounded the Cougars 43-17 and outshot the Cougars 59.6 to 44.2 percent from the floor. Daniels made all four of his shots, and freshman John Gibson was 3-of-3 in the final six minutes.

Xavier will play Jarvis Christian at 6 p.m. Friday in the Big Easy Classic at the Convocation Center. Spring Hill will meet Tuskegee at 4 p.m. in the opening game.

More on this game will be posted online at http://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/1104.html


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

Tuskegee RB Derrick Washington rushes for 208 yards in 27-17 win at Miles College

FAIRFIELD, Alabama  --  Big time players. Big time games. Big time plays.
The adage is trite. The adage is true.

And when a running back explodes for a 208 yards on 22 carries on the road against a top-ranked opponent with a spot in the conference title game on the line like Tuskegee's Derrick Washington did in the Golden Tigers' 27-17 triumph at Miles College Saturday, it fits like spandex.

The 6-foot, 215-pounder got it going early, bolting for a 39-yard run on his first carry of the game to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

When he got off the ground, he held his hand to his mouth and motioned as if he was feeding himself as he ran back to the Golden Tigers' huddle.

"I'm eating," he said, explaining the celebration. "I want them to feed me because I'm eating. That broke the tone. The line had been talking all week that I needed 33 yards and I'm sure that was over 33 yards to get a 1,000. We just did it right there."

Washington did it all night to help the Golden Tigers' capture their eighth straight victory.

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 2-Minute Drill: Tuskegee 27, Miles College 17

FAIRFIELD, Alabama  --  WHY TUSKEGEE WON...

Derrick Washington had a lot to do with it.  Washington, a Missouri transfer, looked like a man, a grown man, playing against boys all day Saturday. He had 229 all-purpose yards, rushing for 208 on 22 carries and catching a pair of passes for 21 yards. Quite simply he made every play his team needed him to when they needed him to, especially on third down.

"That's a great football player," Tuskegee coach Willie Slater said. "That's all a part of it. You got a great football player you need to use him."

KEY MOMENT

Trailing 21-14 with less than six minutes go, Miles looked as if it was all set to tie the game up. The Golden Bears had driven the ball from the 50-yard line to the Tuskegee 16. However, Miles running back Floyd Graves fumbled an option pitch from quarterback David Thomas and Golden Tigers linebacker Quavon Taylor recovered to thwart Miles' best chance at tying the game in the second half.

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Saint Augustine's Falcons rally to edge Shaw 43-42 on last play of game!

RALEIGH, N.C. – Saint Augustine's University ended the regular season in thrilling fashion.

Brian Richards (R-Jr./Waldorf, Md.) caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Alex Munro (So./Ashburn, Va.) with no time remaining as the Falcons rallied for a 43-42 CIAA football victory over their crosstown nemesis Shaw University before 2,500 fans at Saint Augustine's University Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak to the Bears and gave the Falcons (6-4 overall, 4-3 CIAA) their second winning record in three seasons. The Falcons also stayed unbeaten at home on campus in three games.

"It was one heck of a game by all the guys," St. Aug Head Coach Michael Costa said. "It was about dealing with adversity. On defense, we lose two starting linebackers and guys stepped up. The quarterback goes down and the backup steps up. It was a team effort. The most important thing is we finished."

The Falcons drove nearly the entire length of the field to snatch victory away from the Bears (4-6, 3-4 CIAA), who led the entire game until the final score. The game-winning drive started on the Falcons' 2 with 1:07 remaining in the contest and no timeouts. Aided by two Shaw penalties and a 50-yard catch by Falcon standout Tyron Laughinghouse (Sr./Greenville, N.C.), the Falcons were in striking distance.

The Bears were flagged twice more for holding Laughinghouse on pass plays which put the ball on the Shaw 15 with three seconds left. Munro, subbing in the fourth quarter for an injured Teddy Bacote (Jr./Hampton, Va.), was cool as a cucumber under immense pressure on the final play as he found Richards in the end zone. Richards was draped by a Shaw defender but clamped on to Munro's pass as he fell in the end zone for the winning score. Seconds later, teammates mobbed him on turf as the Falcon fans roared in jubilation in the stands. Moments later, several players doused Head Coach Michael Costa with water in the traditional victory bath.



 "In the end, [Shaw] got fooled," Costa said. "They thought we were going to [Laughinghouse] but someone else stepped up and made the big play."

It was a fitting ending to a wild game. Both teams provided offensive fireworks as they combined for 911 yards. The Falcons set season highs in points and total offensive yards (469). Both Munro and Bacote combined for 307 passing yards and three passing touchdowns while Laughinghouse had seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in his final regular season game as a Falcon. Roderick Davenport (Orangeburg, S.C.) rushed for a career high 112 yards and two touchdowns while Jermaine Jones (R-Jr./Wilmington, N.C.) and Rowdy Batchelor (R-Sr./Jacksonville, N.C.) each scored a touchdown.

The Falcons relied on an explosive offense to offset the Bears' passing attack. James Stallons threw for 412 yards and six touchdowns on 27 of 54 passing to keep the Bears ahead until the final play. Nick Jones had eight receptions for 104 yards, but the Falcons held standout freshman rusher Marquise Grizzle to minus one yard. The Bears amassed 442 offensive yards.

Victory appeared to be in the Bears' grasp when Stallons found David Jordan on a short pass for a 42-30 lead with 3:52 left., the Bears second 12-point lead in the contest. The Falcons answered quickly with a Munro touchdown pass to Jones with 1:36 left.

Trailing by five points and needing the ball back, the Falcons forced the Bears to punt on the ensuing drive. Stallons, who doubled as a punter, pinned the Falcons with a nice punt near the Falcons' own goal line. Needing a touchdown, the Falcons faced a tough task with no timeouts but Munro engineered the seven play, 98-yard drive for a great Falcon win over their rival on Senior Day.

Both Laughinghouse and defensive end Javarous Faulk (Jr./Macon, Ga.) achieved milestones during the game. Laughinghouse, the university's all-time leader in reception yardage, became the school single-season touchdown leader (16), and Faulk recorded a sack to share the school single-season mark (13) with former Falcon great Alex Hall.

The sack capped an outstanding game for Faulk, who is hearing impaired. He tied for team-high honors with six tackles including two tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. Linebacker Carlton Butts (So./Thomasville, Ga.) also had six tackles in addition to a forced fumble. Both Chaz Robinson (Jr./Hampton, Va.) and Bryan Jones (R-Jr./Warner Robins, Ga.) each intercepted a pass. For Shaw, Quintero Long totaled a game-high 12 tackles and Keith Lomon added 11.

Before the contest, ten football seniors were honored. They were defensive back Jermaine Browne (St. Croix, US Virgin Islands), defensive end Romeo Deloatch (Redshirt Jr./Hampton, Va.), offensive lineman Stedman Gardner (Gastonia, N.C.), wide receiver Franklin James (Hampton, Va.),center Rory Nixon (Hampton, Va.) defensive end Joe Reed (Anderson, S.C.), running back Deonte Toliver (Gaithersburg, Md.), defensive back Derrick Manning (Waldorf, Md.), Laughinghouse and Batchelor.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU's Taylor focused on local recruits

Rattlers' football roster features 22 players from Big Bend schools

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Florida A&M's recruiting philosophy under coach Joe Taylor has focused on local talent. In fact, 22 players – 17 from Tallahassee – listed on the Rattlers' current roster played high school football in the Big Bend.

Local prep coaches are hopeful that pipeline continues following Saturday's news of Taylor's announcement to retire at the conclusion of the season. The Rattlers played at North Carolina A&T on Saturday.

Taylor's decision, ending his tenure after five years at FAMU, also caught prep coaches off guard.

"I am shocked," FAMU High coach Ira Reynolds said.

"I look at this man's resume, all he has ever done is win. I like coach Taylor and, in my opinion, he's a good coach. I am not sure what prompted him to make this decision. I think it's a loss for the university."

Florida High has an area-high five players at Florida A&M, including senior safety John Ojo, sophomore kicker Chase Varnadore and sophomore receiver Dewayne Harvey. Ojo, considered one of the team's top defensive players, has missed a majority of the season following surgery (turf toe).

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Lamar column: Taylor gave FAMU time to get it right

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  A 3-6 record hasn’t exactly endeared Joe Taylor to the FAMU football program’s loyal – and passionate – extended family this season. After spending as many years as he has in the coaching profession, even Taylor can respect that summation.

Winning games, after all, often trumps everything else in this bottom-line business.

That’s why Taylor’s announcement that he would retire at season’s end as FAMU’s football coach showed the true character of the man who is so beloved by so many of his peers and even more of his players – both past and present.

The guy is a professional, in every sense of the word. He reminded everyone of that once again Saturday morning, as he first told his players of the decision that has been weighing on him in recent weeks.

Joe Taylor saved Florida A&M University from what could have been a sticky situation this offseason. His contract was set to expire at season’s end and, as Taylor surely knows, his return to the Rattlers’ program could have been a hot-button topic among fans, boosters, administrators and other stakeholders.

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With Coach Jenkins ejected, B-CU rallies to defeat Morgan State, 24-13

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  With its head coach ejected from the game and its starting quarterback hobbling on the sideline, a resilient Bethune-Cookman football team overcame adversity Saturday to remain undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Isidore Jackson scored the game-clinching touchdown with 1:40 left on a 24-yard run to give the Wildcats a 24-13 victory over Morgan State at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore.

B-CU (7-2, 6-0) can clinch at least a tie for the MEAC title with a win next week at Savannah State. Morgan State fell to 3-6, 2-4.

The Wildcats were penalized 14 times for 164 yards with 60 of those yards coming on consecutive plays early in the second quarter with B-CU leading 10-7. On a Morgan State third-and-13 from the Bears' 25, cornerback Dion Hanks was called for a personal foul and ejected for throwing a punch.

Jenkins argued the decision with the officials and was handed two consecutive unsportsmanlike penalties and was also ejected from the game.

“The ref threw a flag and I questioned it,'' Jenkins said after the game. “I guess he didn't like the way I questioned it and he threw a second flag.

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Morgan State falls, 24-13, to Bethune-Cookman; Wildcats coach, player ejected

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  Morgan State watched Bethune-Cookman start to unravel early in the second quarter of Saturday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup even though the Wildcats had a three-point lead at the time.

After defensive back Dion Hanks was ejected for striking a Morgan State player, Wildcats coach Brian Jenkins was also kicked out of the game seconds later for berating the officials. The NCAA does not officially track ejections, but at least three NCAA representatives said Jenkins could be the first head football coach ever ejected from a game.

The Bears, however, missed three field-goal attempts, had two others blocked, and eventually fell to first-place Bethune-Cookman, 24-13, in front of an announced 2,187 at Hughes Stadium. Morgan State lost its fourth consecutive game and fell to 2-3 in the MEAC and 3-6 overall. Bethune-Cookman improved to 6-0 in the league and 7-2 overall.

"We just didn't take advantage of our opportunities," Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said. "The way to close teams out is to minimize mistakes. Our defense came out against a team that has been at the top of the nation with yardage and scoring and we were able to shut them down. Our defense played well."

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Stillman defeats Clark-Atlanta 37-12 at home

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  Stillman College scored 17 unanswered in the first half on its way to a 37-12 victory against Clark-Atlanta Saturday afternoon.

Tigers' kicker Alejandro Huerta wedged a 30-yard field goal between a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Josh Straughan to standout wide receiver Damian Ford to build a double-digit lead, heading into halftime against the Panthers.

Straughan hit Ford on a 24-yarder for a score with 12:12 to play in the first. Then, the freshman found his favorite target again on a 13-yarder with 6:25 to play before the half.

Clark got on the board with a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyree Williams to David Grace with 6:47 to play in the third but the point after attempt failed.

 

Stillman would respond with another touchdown pass, this one a 20-yarder to Dondre Purnell to take a 24-6 lead into the third.

Straughan added a fourth touchdown pass, finding Travis Robinson on a 10-yarder with 10:03 to play and Robinson would score on a run from 1-yard out to give the Tigers their last score.

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WSSU wins but it was no walk in the park

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina – I was starting to wonder who kidnapped the second-ranked Winston-Salem State Rams on Saturday afternoon.

The Rams played one of their worst halves of football in Coach Connell Maynor’s three seasons and wound up being tied at 6-6 at halftime. It was unfamiliar territory for the usually dominant Rams who had not been in a close game since early September.

In the second half the Rams finally got their you-know-what together and dominated the Broncos, who also came back down to earth. The Broncos played their best half of defense this season in forcing quarterback Kam Smith, the likely player of the year in the CIAA, into two interceptions and one fumble.

Smith, who will likely be named offensive player of the year in the CIAA on Tuesday, was visible frustrated and said as much after the game.

“The offense came out in the first half and just thought they were going to score 50 points right away,” said linebacker Carlos Fields. “But it didn’t work out that way.”

 

VIDEO: Athletics director Bill Hayes of WSSU talks about the Rams 10-0 season

VIDEO: Wide receiver Jameze Massey of WSSU talks about the Rams going to 10-0

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AAMU Bulldogs take a 24-23 overtime win over Southern University

NORMAL, Alabama – The Bulldogs kept their championship hopes alive with a 24-23 overtime win over Southern University on senior day.

Seniors Terrell Badie, Jared Bing, Cedric Clayborn, Denzel Cotton, Joaquenssi Eugene, Bobby Goldsby, Chris Hall, Kenneth Harris, David Isabelle, Jamaal Johnson-Webb, Kaderius Lacey, Dee Lett, Vernon Marshall, Deaunte Mason, Preston Nelson, Melvin Payne, Bryant Ross, Montay Rover, Torey Smith, Tim Tillman, Joshua Udeh, Julius Williams and Chance Wilson were honored before the start of the contest.

Running back Kaderius Lacey rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Deaunte Mason rushed for 14 yards for a score and threw another touchdown on 11 of 22 passing for 96 yards.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a Chance Wilson 33 yard field goal and a three yard rush by Lacey. They would go into half-time with that lead looking for their first victory on senior day since 2009.

The Jaguars came out and scored 17 straight points in the second half with a 20 yard pass and catch from Dray Joseph to Lee Doss. On SU’s second drive of the third quarter kicker Matthew Hill connected on a 45 yarder to even the score at 10 all.

Southern then scored seven more with a one yard rush by fullback Brian McCain to give the Blue & Gold a 17-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
With 10,208 fans in attendance Alabama A&M was not about to go down without a fight. After six first downs, a personal foul penalty by SU and 12 plays, Mason found Montaurius Smith open for a seven yard touchdown to put the game in overtime which is a Louis Crews first since November 3, 2007 when Jackson State defeated AAMU 43-40.

In the extra time A&M won the toss and chose to play defense first. After four plays Joseph found Rashaun Allen in the right corner of the end zone to give the Jags a 23-17 lead. But Hill then missed the extra point which opened the door for AAMU if they scored.

With the win only 25 yards away the Bulldogs needed help and prayer as they came face to face with a fourth and 11 situation. Mason lined up in the shotgun and found Terrance Pride who then dove for the first down giving the Bulldogs new life. After a two yard Lacey run Mason punched the ball in tying the score at 23-all. Senior Chance Wilson then hit his biggest kick of his career, the extra point, to give A&M their first win since October 6.

“I was really excited and nervous but I’m glad it went through the uprights,” said Wilson. “I was joking before the game saying I was going to kick the winning score.”

Box Score


COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Duhart Leads Alabama State Hornets Past Prairie View

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Daniel Duhart completed 22 of 31 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns to rally Alabama State to a 35-21 in a weather-delayed win at Blackshear Field.

Duhart entered the game late in the first quarter in place of an injured Greg Jenkins and led Alabama State from a 14-point first quarter deficit with 20 second-quarter points. Duhart threw touchdown passes to T.C. McWilliams (13 yards) and Justin Robinson (12 yards) as Alabama State took at 20-14 halftime lead.

“We got off to a slow start,” head coach Reggie Barlow said. “We talked about it all week that it would be a different game for us. It's hard to travel out here, it's a different atmosphere, and for whatever reason you have to keep fighting. (Prairie View) came out and threw the first punch, and did some good things, and our guys stayed in the moment and stayed focused and we came back and fought back and were able to get the win.”

Alabama State (6-3, 6-2) forced three turnovers in the final 2:36 of the first half to take its first lead. A fumble recovery by Marcus Berg at the PV 19-yard line led to the Duhart-to-Robinson scoring pass with 1:36 to play in the half to tie the game at 14-all.

On the next Panthers' drive, Maurice Tate's interception at the PV 20 led to Bobby Wenzig's 42-yard field goal to give the Hornets their first lead at 17-14 with 42 seconds to play in the half.

Kejuan Riley's interception and 58-yard return to the Panthers' seven-yard line with three seconds to play left enough time for Wenzig's 24-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter for the halftime lead.

The game was delayed for one hour and 50 minutes due to lighting and storms in the area of the Prairie View campus. The game was at halftime with both teams in the locker room when the delay began, as fans were evacuated to the William Nicks Building.

After Prairie View regained the lead 21-20 late in the third quarter, the fourth quarter was all Hornets. After Alabama State thwarted the second of two Prairie View fake punt attempts, the Hornets drove 45 yards in four plays. Malcolm Cyrus' 12-yard touchdown run and the two-point conversion pass from Duhart to Robinson gave Alabama State the lead for good, 28-21 with 9:05 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, a fumbled PV punt attempt was recovered by Deontrelle Simon at the Panthers' five-yard line, setting up Rodney Cross' scoring run on the next play for the final margin.

“We were proud of him and the way he played,” Barlow said of Duhart's play in his most extensive action of the season. “We knew he could do that. His teammates call him 'Kobe'. When your guys call you Kobe, that tells you what type of character and what type of person this kid is and the type of commitment he has to the team. He did a good job for us.”

Duhart led the Hornets to scores on six of his first 10 possessions in the game.

Cyrus had a career-high 82 yards rushing on 11 carries, and T.C. McWilliams caught six passes for 65 yards.
Riley made a season-high nine tackles and his third interception of the season, extending his school record to 20 career picks. It was one of six turnovers forced by the Hornets (four fumbles, two INTs).

Alabama State remains tied for first in the SWAC East Standings and plays at Southern next Saturday at 6 p.m.

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Nuggets sweep at Dillard for 2nd straight 10-0 run through GCAC

Taylor Reuther

NEW ORLEANS -- Taylor Reuther had 18 kills, two aces and eight digs Satuday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 women's volleyball victory against Dillard which completed the Gold Nuggets' second consecutive unbeaten run through the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season.

The Gold Nuggets (18-7, 10-0) will be top seeded in the GCAC Tournament, which will begin Thursday in Little Rock, Ark.

Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills, three aces and 13 digs, Moira Kirk had eight kills, and Jodi Chatters had 11 digs for Xavier, which swept the Lady Bleu Devils (5-12, 4-6) for the first time at Dillard's Dent Hall.

Xavier scored eight consecutive points to erase Dillard's 17-13 first-set lead. Reuther, who hit .500 in 30 attacks, ended the match with a kill. Reuther recorded seven kills in each of the final two sets.

More on this game will be posted online at http://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/1103c.html 


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Gold Nuggets win by 54 in Convocation Center debut

NEW ORLEANS -- Andraquay Quinnine scored 12 points Saturday, all on 3-pointers, to lead NAIA No. 11 Xavier University of Louisiana to an 88-34 victory against Johnson & Wales (Fla.) in the first women's basketball game at XU's Convocation Center.

The game followed the XU men's 80-66 victory against Morehouse. A blessing and ribbon-cutting of the 3,937-seat facility preceded the doubleheader. The Convocation Center replaces The Barn, a gymnasium which opened in 1937 and seats 1,300. Attendance for the women's game was approximately 1,000.

Quinnine made a pair of 3-pointers during a 19-0 run which gave Xavier a 21-2 lead in the eighth minute. Quinnine was one of five newcomers to score during the run.

The Gold Nuggets (1-0) led 45-15 at halftime and took their largest lead, 82-25, after Etheral Lesene's basket with 6:40 remaining.

Chelsea Broussard scored 10 points, and Paige Gauthier and Paige Rochelle scored nine apiece for Xavier. Newcomer Talor Hixon led the Gold Nuggets with six rebounds and six assists.

Myia Russell had 14 points and eight rebounds for Johnson & Wales (0-4), and Shikina McMillan scored 11. The Lady Wildcats lost by 50 or more points for the second consecutive day.

More on this game will be posted online at http://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/1103a.html

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS

WEEK 10, HBCU SCORECARD

OVC
Murray State 49, Tennessee State 28

MEAC
North Carolina Central 23, Delaware State 20 (OT)
North Carolina A&T 16, Florida A&M 3
Bethune-Cookman 24, Morgan State 13
Norfolk State 33, Savannah State 21
Howard 20, Hampton 10

SIAC
Tuskegee 27, Miles 17
Fort Valley State 38, Albany State (Ga.) 20
Lane 38, Benedict 21
Morehouse 55, Kentucky State 7
Stillman 37, Clark-Atlanta U. 12

SWAC
Jackson State 53, Grambling State 17
Mississippi Valley State 33, Alcorn State 9
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 49, Texas Southern 3
Alabama A&M 24, Southern 23 (OT)
Alabama State 35, Prairie View A&M 21

OTHER
Edward Waters 48, Ava Maria 14
Fairmont State 48, West Virginia State 28
Shippensburg 61, Cheyney 9
McMurry 53, Texas College 0
Concordia-Selma  , New Orleans
McKendree 34, Central State 13
Langston 21, SW Assemblies of God 7
NE Oklahoma 45, Lincoln (Mo.) 21

CIAA
Elizabeth City State 14, Bowie State 13
Chowan 35, Lincoln (Pa.) 19
Winston-Salem State 41, Fayetteville State 8
Saint Augustine's U. 43, Shaw 42
Johnson C. Smith U. 57, Livingstone 6
Virginia Union 19, Virgina State 14

FAMU's Taylor Announces Retirement At Pre-Game Breakfast

GREENSBORO,  North Carolina (Nov.3) – FAMU head coach Joe Taylor announced his retirement from coaching this morning in the team's pre-game breakfast. Taylor said that after 40 years on the sideline, "You know, when you know. From 1972 to now is 40 years. It's been a blessed career. We've touched a lot of lives. I'm officially announcing today that this is the year I retire, humbly.  Full of gratitude," he said.

As players prepared for the MEAC game against the North Carolina A&T State University, they had no idea that Taylor was about to make such a startling announcement. Players coaches and support staff embraced Taylor and vowed to give their all in winning the last three games.

Taylor has amassed a record of 233 wins against 95 losses. He accumulated a 35-18 record thus far in his tenure at FAMU. With the 233 wins, Taylor sits tied with longtime Southern University coach A.W. "Ace" Mumford for third place all-time in wins. He is two wins away from tying John "Big John" Merritt, at 235 to move into second place behind the untouchable record of Grambling's Eddie Robinson.

FAMU Director of Athletics, Derek Horne, said "We are proud of what coach Taylor has brought to this program. As an administrator, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a coaching legend, who will go down as one of the best ever in HBCU athletics. We understand his desire to move into the next phase of his life and we support him wholeheartedly."

FAMU interim president, Dr. Larry Robinson praised Taylor for his successes on and off the field. "We reached some great milestones during Coach Taylor's career, including FAMU's debut in November 2008 on ESPN College Game Day in which FAMU became the first historically black college or university to host the program. Coach Taylor has had a storied career as one of the winningest coaches in black college football. In addition, he has built character and promoted academic progression of students athletes, always reminding them that their best contributions will often occur off the field of athletic competition. We certainly appreciate everything he has done to advance the football program at FAMU and we wish Coach Taylor all the best in his retirement," Robinson said.

Taylor is the 15th head coach in the history of Florida A&M University. In 2007, the season before his arrival, the Rattlers finished 3-8 overall. In his inaugural campaign in 2008, he crafted the best one-year turnaround in the country with the football team finishing 9-3. In doing so, he tied legendary coach A.S. Jake Gaither for the most wins by a first-year coach.

 

He followed that season with a 8-3 record in 2009, vaulting the Rattlers into the NCAA FCS polls for the first time since 2001. In 2010, which was Taylor's best at FAMU, his team won a share of the MEAC football championship, going 8-3. That team capped the season with six straight wins.

Taylor is a native of Washington, D.C. and graduated from Western Illinois University. He has been a part of several coaches associations and organizations. He is on the American Football Coaches Association board, the Board of Directors of the Black Coaches Association, the advisory board of Wilson Sporting Goods Company and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is also a member of the CIAA Hall of Fame.

Horne said the department will move swiftly in preparing for Taylor's successor. "We will make deliberate efforts to find the ideal person to continue the legacy of head coach of Rattler Football here at Florida A&M."


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WSSU Rams need one more win for 2nd straight undefeated regular season

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  --  Coach Kenny Phillips of Fayetteville State has found one weakness in Winston-Salem State.

“I don’t think their buses are that strong,” Phillips joked about the transportation that No. 2-ranked WSSU used to travel to Fayetteville for today’s 1:30 game at Luther Nick Jeralds Stadium.

Phillips, the dean of CIAA coaches and a three-time CIAA championship coach, turned more serious when trying to sum up just how good the Rams (9-0) have been.

“I sit there and watch film, and Coach (Connell) Maynor has quite an arsenal, and he’s got an experienced team to boot,” Phillips said.

The Rams have won 14 straight against CIAA opponents and are 15-1 on the road in Maynor’s three seasons. They’ll try for a second straight undefeated regular season today, then they will play for their second straight CIAA title next weekend.

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DWIGHT FLOYD WEEKLY COMMENTARY: It’s A Mad Scramble

DWIGHT FLOYD
"The Editor"
 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- There is a new number one at the top of each of the FCS polls as teams scramble to win and stay on top. Perhaps this is no more understated than Tennessee State’s win last week with no time left on the clock. Their last minute drive showed what they are capable of when they put their minds to it. Should they make the playoffs they will be the team that no one else wants to play. Meanwhile, Bethune Cookman should continue to win and become the darkhorse in the playoffs. Clearly, in the Sports Network and Coaches Polls they get no respect. Cal Poly and North Carolina Central had an opportunity to prove themselves, but instead showed that while they are good, they are not worthy just yet of the rankings given last week in the SportsEdit.Org Fan Poll. There is still time in the season for both of them.

In the SWAC, Alabama A&M got off to a fast start and has begun to slow the winning pace last week losing to the Alabama State Hornets in a big game. Arkansas Pine Bluff is on their way to meeting whoever wants it bad enough in the East Division to make it to the SWAC Championship, their equivalent of a playoff game. I would love to see the SWAC champion take on one of the so called “Super Conference” teams.

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ECSU Vikings looking for strong finish

ELIZABTH  CITY, North Carolina  -- A second straight Northern Division title is great, but the Elizabeth City State football team is not done yet.

“We’ve got one horse in the barn, now we need to get the other two,” Vikings coach Waverly Tillar said.

Stalls are reserved in the ECSU barn for the CIAA championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Whether the Vikings can corral those two horses will be decided next week when they meet unbeaten, defending champion Winston-Salem State (9-0) in the CIAA title game in Durham.

Spring an upset over the Rams, who are ranked No. 2 in Division II, and ECSU, which lost last year’s championship game to Winston-Salem State 38-18, might get a return trip to the national tournament.

That’s assuming the Vikngs, whose 6-3 record is not the resume of a playoff team, win at Bowie State in today’s regular-season finale.

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Week 10 - HBCU Football

SIAC
Albany State vs. Fort Valley State, 2pm, Fountain City Classic, Columbus, GA
Kentucky State @ Morehouse, 2pm
Benedict @ Lane, 3pm
Tuskegee @ Miles, 5pm
Clark-Atlanta U. @ Stillman, 6pm

OVC
Tennessee State @ Murray State, Noon

MEAC
Bethune- Cookman @ Morgan State, 1pm
Hampton U. @ Howard U., 1pm
Florida A&M @ North Carolina A&T, 1:30pm
Savannah State @ Norfolk State, 2pm
Delaware State @ North Carolina Central



OTHERS 
Cheyney @ Shippenburg, 1pm
West Virginia State @ Fairmont State, 1pm
Huntingdon @ Point U., 1pm
Central State (Ohio) @ McKendree, 2:30pm
Texas College @ McMurry, 3pm
Lincoln (Mo.) @ Northeastern State, 3pm
Alderson Broaddus @ Virginia University of Lynchburg, 12pm, (Tri-City Classic)
Ava Maria vs. Edward Waters @ Kingsland, GA
Langston @ SW Assemblies of God
New Orleans @ Concordia-Selma, 2pm, Homecoming

SWAC
Alabama State @ Prairie View A&M, 2pm
Alcorn State @ Mississippi Valley State, 2pm
Southern U. @ Alabama A&M, 2 pm, SWAC-TV 
Jackson State @ Grambling State, 3pm
Arkansas Pine-Bluff @ Texas Southern, 3 pm

CIAA
Vrginia State @ Virginia Union, 1pm
Livingstone @ Johnson C. Smith, 1 pm
Elizabeth City State @ Bowie State, 1pm
Shaw U. @ Saint Augustine's U., 1:30pm
Elizabeth City State @ Bowie State, 1 pm

Alabama A&M linebacker Denzel Cotton's had good ride into his home finale with Bulldogs

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The bright yellow rag-top 2001 Mustang rests impatiently in a parking lot next to Louis Crews Stadium, an eye-catcher for anyone passing by.

It would seem a collector's item, or maybe some mid-life crisis vehicle for a man needing a diversion from a suit-and-tie world.

 Instead, the front license plate reveals the owner: "#48" it reads.

That matches the jersey number for Denzel Cotton, the Alabama A&M senior linebacker from Birmingham.

"My mom actually got it for me. I wanted something different and she went and got a yellow Mustang," Cotton said. "I don't consider myself a car guy. I just wanted something that was gonna stand out."

  Cotton loves to pull the top down on good days.

However, "We've got to win in order to drop the top," he said.

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Bazemore stands out, but WSSU can’t stay with Duke

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  Winston-Salem State found out in a hurry what it’s like to play Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Rams were scrappy enough in their preseason game last night, but they couldn’t overcome the talented and bigger Blue Devils, who opened a big first-half lead on the way to a 69-45 victory.

With the Blue Devils starting 6-11 Ryan Kelly and 6-10 Mason Plumlee, the Rams never found a flow on offense.

“We know what we have to work on,” Coach Bobby Collins of WSSU said. “When teams are stronger, faster and bigger, we have to do a better job of being disciplined offensively. I don’t think we stayed with our offensive sets long enough.”

Although the Blue Devils struggled with their shooting (39 percent), Plumlee was solid, going 7 for 7 from the field and finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Amile Jefferson added 13 points for Duke, and Rasheed Sulaimon scored 12.




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TSU Lady Tigers win exhibition vs. North Alabama

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  The Tennessee State Lady Tigers defeated North Alabama 69-58 in exhibition action at the Gentry Center on Thursday night.

Senior Destiney Gaston led TSU with 13 points in 22 minutes off the bench, while the Tigers shot 13-for-34 from the field in each half.

With the game tied at 10 with 13:06 left in the first half, TSU went on a 13-4 run over the next six minutes and didn't look back. It was triggered on the defensive end by a Gaston steal, one of eight that TSU had in the first half and 12 in the game. Over the next three possessions, Gaston or Alana Morris would either score or assist. Morris led all players with seven assists.

The Tigers held a 36-24 halftime lead and would maintain the double digit advantage for much of the second half leading by as much as 16.

The Lions would cut the TSU lead to nine with 7:34 remaining, but Kesi Hess answered with a three to put the Tigers back up by 12.

North Alabama would not go away as a 7-2 run closed the gap to 62-56 with just over two minutes left.

The Tigers would finish strong after going five straight possessions without scoring, TSU ended the game with points on its final four possession to win by the final 69-58 margin.

Simone Hopes had a team best eight rebounds for TSU, while Mekena Randle of UNA also had eight boards.

Avery Jones and Jasmin Shuler joined Gaston as Tigers with double digit points as Jones had 12 and Shuler added 10.

Sarah Bailey was the top scorer for the Lions with 13 points followed by Abby Andrews and Corinne White with 10 apiece.
 

The Lady Tigers begin the regular season on Friday, Nov. 9 when they face Cumberland at the Genry Center. Tip-off is slated for is 7 p.m.

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