DWIGHT FLOYD COMMENTARY: Tennessee State Tigers Hold Off FAMU Rattlers

Tennessee State University vs. Florida A&M University

September 7, 2013
2:00 P.M. EST
Tallahassee, Florida/Bragg Memorial Stadium
Live stream on Rattler Vision
TSU leads the series 26-25-0

Dwight Floyd
theeditor@sportsedit.org

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- On Saturday, September 7, the Tigers will visit Florida A&M for the Rattlers’ first home game. Never mind that the Tigers lost to the Bethune Cookman Wildcats last week. Given the long history of a strong rivalry between the two schools, this will be a big game.

There are very few true rivalries like the one between the Rattlers and the Tigers. Unlike games between FAMU and what used to be BCC, practically all of the games between the Rattlers and Tigers have been competitive, making it the number one rivalry on the Rattler schedule for many years past. I forget the year, but do remember listening on the radio when a Rattler was headed down the sideline unabated for a sure touchdown. All of a sudden,  a Tiger player that wasn’t supposed to be on the field stepped out from the sideline to trip the Rattler and end the run. It was not the heat of the moment in my opinion, the Tiger just hated losing to a Rattler.

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PVAMU To Face Texas State This Weekend In San Marcos

SAN MARCOS, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M Panthers hit the road once again to face the Texas State Bobcats this weekend at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas at 6 p.m. Saturday's game is the home opener for Texas State and it marks their second season as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks.

The Panthers are coming off a 37-13 win over Texas Southern in the annual Labor Day Classic last weekend and look to build on that performance as they rolled up nearly 500 yards of offense while displaying a defensive scheme which produced its lowest output since 2008.

The contest will be broadcast live on KPVU 91.3 FM by Leonard Moon in addition to a live broadcast on ESPN3.com.



GAMEDAY INFORMATION
OPPONENT: Texas State

TIME: 6:00 p.m.

LOCATION: San Marcos, Texas (Bobcat Stadium)

WEATHER:   http://www.weather.com/weather/weekend/San+Marcos+TX+USTX1210:1:US

PV GAME NOTES: Click Here

TEXAS STATE GAME NOTES: Click Here

INTERNET VIDEO: ESPN3.com (Brock Bowling (PxP) and Jay Taylor (Analyst) 

RADIO: KPVU 91.3 FM (Leonard Moon)

INTERNET RADIO: http://129.207.137.200/kpvulive

LIVE STATS: Click Here

FACEBOOK: Prairie View A&M Panther Athletics

TWITTER: PVAthletics

PV FAN TAILGATE:  Texas State University Mill Street Lot (Click for map & directions)

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M ROSTER: www.pvpanthers.com/roster.aspx?path=football

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TEXAS STATE ROSTER: http://txstatebobcats.com/roster.aspx?path=football 

ULM welcomes Grambling State

MONROE, Louisiana -- Pins were exchanged as ULM hosted a news conference this morning to welcome Grambling State to campus.

With the campus buzzing about the game students are ready for it to be Saturday.

Both school presidents, athletic directors, and even Monroe's Mayor Jamie Mayo showed up Thursday morning and spoke about this traditional northeast Louisiana game.

Grambling state will have its own designated tailgating spot . Which will be at the north end of the brown stadium parking lot while ULM takes over the grove.

With the schools only being thirty minutes apart ULM President Nick Bruno hopes this will be a time of competition and fellowship.

"To come together on a day or two and celebrate hopefully a little cooler weather a good football game fellowship among the alumni's as well as the students and the athletes" says Bruno.


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ASU Hornets Hornets Ready for First Road Trip of the Season

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State's football team went through their final workout in Montgomery in preparations for Saturday's game at Jackson State. The JSU game will be ASU's first road game of the season and with it comes the extra burden of playing a tough opponent and playing on the road for the first time this year.

"It's always tough to go and play on the road and it will be a hostile environment there in Jackson, Miss.," Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. "Jackson State has always been a solid, solid team and well coached. They will play physical and hard and it will be a good challenge. Just from a physical standpoint, knowing it will be hostile and a physical game."

The Hornets spent the week studying film from the opening game against Jacksonville State. Once the Hornets got on the field following film study, they worked on correcting the mistakes from that first game.

"Of course we run a lot of plays both offensively and defensively and there are some things we have taken out during this week of practice," Barlow said. "We want the players to be able to focus on a few plays rather than focusing on a lot of plays. Our plan is our plan, of course there are some things we have to improve on from the first game and we have done that this week. We are looking forward to the guys and performing."

The Reggie Barlow Radio Show will begin this week and be held at various places around Montgomery. Thursday's show will be held at the WVAS Radio Studio beginning at 6 p.m. The other locations will be announced at a later date.

ASU will board the bus and travel to Jackson tomorrow (Friday) where they will have a final walk through in Jackson later in the day.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION  

Sims looks to rejuvenate Jackson State ground game

JACKSON, Virginia -- When offensive coordinator Derrick McCall asked Rakeem Sims how he was feeling, Sims didn’t say he felt 100 percent.

Instead, he said, “‘Coach, I’m 110 percent,’” McCall recalls. “So he’s excited and happy to get back into the lineup and get reps. We’re going to ease him back into it. Hopefully he can pick up where he left off last year.”

Sims’ offensive presence was absent during last week’s season opener against Tulane, when Jackson State struggled to a 34-7 loss. As the Tigers’ leading rusher last year, Sims sat out because of an ankle injury. But the junior will debut this season on Saturday, when JSU (0-1) hosts Alabama State (0-1).

Sims averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season and finished with a team-high 784 yards. He is expected to take some of the load off of Tommy Gooden, who was pounded by Tulane’s defense while being held to 57 yards on 20 attempts and a fumble.

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WSSU comes up short against UNC Pembroke

25-21 loss ends 20-game, regular-season winning streak

PEMBROKE, North Carolina  -- Winston-Salem State’s 20-game regular-season winning streak is history.

The upstart UNC Pembroke Braves answered every Rams’ challenge to come away with a 25-21 win in front of a Grace P. Johnson Stadium record crowd of 7,849.

Capitalizing on miscues by the Rams on special teams — and a costly interception thrown by quarterback Anthony Carrothers in the fourth quarter — the Braves pulled off the upset.

"We didn’t play Ram football, that’s all there is to it,” said linebacker Carlos Fields of WSSU, which is ranked fifth in NCAA Division II. “We’re not used to this, so I’m having trouble really saying anything. It’s just disappointing.”

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Kentucky State Starts Season With Lopsided Victory Over Kentucky Wesleyan, 42-6

FRANKFORT, Kentucky  -- Justin Williams and Jacquise Lockett combined for 245 rushing yards and five touchdowns to lead the Kentucky State Thorobreds to a 42-6 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan College in their first game of the 2013 season. The game was played on Thursday, September 5, at Steele Stadium in Owensboro, Ky.

After neither team scored in the first quarter of play, KSU scored on a 7-yard Lockett run with 10:15 left in the second quarter and never looked back. Lockett, who ran for 112 yards on 18 carries, scored the next two touchdowns for the Thorobreds, his third of the day coming on a 23-yard rush with 8:28 left in the third quarter.

KSU pushed their lead to 28-0 when Adam Robinson threw the Thorobreds only passing touchdown of the day to Kenny Ball. Robinson threw for 175 yards on 11-of-13 passing in his first game at Kentucky State. The offensive line was a major part of the Thorobreds success on Thursday evening, paving the way for 269 total team rushing yards while giving up zero sacks the entire contest.

Williams, who averaged 6.7 yards per carry after rushing for 133 yards on 20 carries, scored both of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Williams rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 14:54 left in the game. Just over four minutes later Williams scored on a 13-yard rush to push the Thorobreds lead to 42-0 with 10:50 left on the game clock.

The Thorobred defense was equally as impressive as the offense on Thursday evening. The defensive unit allowed just 178 offensive yards, an average of 3.4 yards per play, the entire game. The defense combined for seven tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. KSU was led in tackles by Travon Spencer who finished with eight total tackles.

Special teams was also a factor in the Thorobreds lopsided victory. Placekicker Cade Berryman was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra point attempts after having his only field goal attempt blocked in the first quarter. Punter Cameron Lee averaged an impressive 46.8 yards per punt, twice placing the punt inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Lee was even part of the 269 team rushing yards. Early in the second half when a planned punt play fell apart, Lee rushed 8 yards to the right side before stepping out of bounds for a Thorobreds first down. KSU blocked two Kentucky Wesleyan kicks, both coming from senior Ed Dunaway who blocked a punt and an extra point attempt.

Even in the large margin of victory, KSU was not mistake free. As a team, Kentucky State had 8 penalties for 68 yards. Late in the third quarter the Thorobreds had what would have been a long touchdown run by Williams nullified by a personal foul. Then about halfway through the fourth quarter a sack that led to a fumble recovery and touchdown by Lydell Simon was nullified by a personal foul facemask penalty.

Despite these setbacks, Kentucky State controlled the pace of the game through a relentless ground attack and an efficient passing attack.

The Thorobreds will look to ride the momentum of this win when they matchup against rival Central State on Saturday, September 14. The contest, which is being played at CSU in Wilberforce, Ohio is slated for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Lindenwood Sets Two School Passing Records In 24-22 Win of Lincoln (Mo.)

ST. CHARLES, Missouri  -- The Lindenwood football team survived its season opener on Thursday night at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo. with a 24-22 victory over Lincoln.

Lindenwood looked in complete control for the first 45 minutes of the game, led by a defense that allowed just three points and 202 yards of offense through three quarters. Lincoln's offense found its rhythm though in the fourth quarter, starting with a touchdown with 12:05 remaining in the game to make the score 24-10.

The Lions had a chance to seal the victory with 5:37 left but a missed field goal and gave Lincoln one more chance. The Blue Tigers scored a touchdown just over one minute later, but A.J. Chappelle came up with the play of the game by blocking the extra point.

That play ended up winning the game for Lindenwood as Lincoln got within two points with a touchdown with 18 seconds left. The Blue Tigers were forced to go for two points to force overtime but their attempt failed with a dropped pass in the endzone.

Prior to the fourth quarter, Lindenwood was in complete control of the contest. The Lions received the opening kickoff and marched 74 yards in 11 plays. Dillon Miller was eight-of-nine passing on that drive and Marvin Byrd capped it off with a four-yard run.

The Lions went up 10-0 on a Brandon White field goal early in the second quarter. Lincoln answered with a field goal, but the Lions scored a key touchdown late in the half. A big pass play from Miller to Jaron Alexander got the ball into Lincoln territory and two plays later, Miller found Tyrian Taylor for a 26-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left before halftime.

In the third quarter, Lindenwood scored on its first possession when Miller threw his second touchdown, this time connecting with Alex Robinson for a five-yard touchdown. That proved to be just enough for the Lions to hang on in the fourth quarter.

The Lions finished with 468 yards of total offense, including 377 through the air. Lincoln finished with 403 yards, with nearly half of that in the final quarter.

Miller set a Lindenwood single-game record with 34 completed passes and threw the second-most passes with 52. He finished with 363 passing yards to go along with his two touchdown passes.  Byrd was the leading rusher with 78 yards. Jordan Gator caught 10 passes for 107 yards, and Alexander had six catches for 94 yards.

Defensively, Connor Harris was all over the place with 17 total tackles, including 12 solo stops. He also had two pass breakups, including one in the endzone. Pierre Desir had seven tackles and two pass breakups, and Thomas Stubbs had two sacks. D'Andre Green had Lindenwood's only turnover in the game with a fourth-quarter interception.

Game Notes: Lindenwood won its season opener for the fifth straight season and are now 12-12 all-time in season openers … the Lions are 18-6 in home openers, including a 10-0 mark under head coach Patrick Ross … Lindenwood is now 2-0 all-time on Thursday night games … as a team, Lindenwood had the third-most passes for a single-game with 56 and set a team record with 36 completions … the Lions will be in action again on Sept. 14 at Southwest Baptist.

Box Score

COURTESY LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Ceiling is 'high' for Florida A&M Rattler LB Ducree

Michael Ducree

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Linebacker Michael Ducree took one look at last season’s statistical leaders in the MEAC, then set his goal to make at least 10 tackles per game in his final season at FAMU.

He came close in his first game against Mississippi Valley State, finishing with eight tackles. That is 1.8 tackles fewer than Howard’s Julien David, who led the league in tackles last season.

Elaborating on his reason for wanting to be the best tackler in the conference, Ducree said he’s trying to make sure that he isn’t overlooked in his senior year.

“The last couple of years we’ve had some pretty big players here and I was sort of in the shadow,” he said. “(Brandon) Hepburn was drafted by the (Detroit) Lions this year and I was like the little brother to him so now it’s time to fill his shoes.

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North Alabama Lions Runs Over Miles Golden Bears in Opener

FLORENCE, Ala. --  The University of North Alabama rushed for 331 yards and gained 480 yards of total offense in a 42-7 blowout of Miles College in the 2013 season-opener at Braly Stadium. A crowd of 12,094 watched as UNA recorded its 11^th straight season-opening win and snapped a four-game losing streak overall.

 

Sophomore running back Lamonte Thompson of Florence led the attack, rushing for 189 yards on 14 carries and scoring on runs of 38 and 69 yards. Sophomore quarterback Luke Wingo of Tuscaloosa also rushed for two touchdowns as UNA built a 28-7 halftime lead. The Lions then added two second half TDs, one on a stellar 50-yard punt return by freshman Philbert Martial of Mobile, Ala.

 

Miles jumped on top with a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage as David Thomas faked a handoff, then hit Lonnie Outlaw with a 75-yard touchdown pass. Jason Coste kicked the PAT and the Bears led 7-0 just 11 seconds into the game.

 

UNA answered with a touchdown drive on its first possession, marching 38 yards in 10 plays after Miles botched an on-side kick attempt. Wingo scored on a two-yard run and Michael Schuster kicked the extra-point to tie the game at the 8:58 mark of the first quarter. The drive marked the second straight year that UNA scored on its opening drive.

 

On the Lions’ next possession, UNA marched 72 yards in 10 plays with Wingo scoring on a nine-yard keeper. Schuster added the PAT to make it 14-7 at 1:47 of the first quarter.

 

UNA scored on its third straight possession when Thompson raced to the end zone from 38 yards out with 11 seconds left in the quarter. Schuster’s PAT made it 21-7.

 

The only score of the second quarter came when Thompson scored on a 69-yard run with 6:45 left in the half. Schuster’s kick made it 28-7 at intermission.

 

In the third quarter, Chris Coffey capped a nine-play, 58-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Schuster’s PAT made it 35-7 with 8:19 left in the frame.

 

The final score of the night came on Martial’s return with 1:57 left in the game to make the final count 42-7.

 

UNA also missed out on three other scoring opportunities as Schuster missed field goal attempts from 31, 30 and 44 yards.

 

Miles was held to 264 total yards and converted just three of 13 third down conversion attempts.

There were no turnovers in the game.

 

Wingo was 16-of-26 passing for 149 yards and added 52 yards on the ground.

 

Gabe Poe led UNA’s defensive effort with 10 tackles, including a sack.

 

North Alabama plays at FCS member Jacksonville State on Sept. 14, renewing a rivalry with the Gamecocks for the first time since 2003.

 

Game Stats

 

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

GAME CENTRAL: FAMU-vs-Tennessee State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M University Department of Athletics would like to welcome all fans and visitors to Bragg memorial Stadium this weekend,  The page will contain all the information you need to enjoy the action.

Please enjoy the Fan & Visitor's Guide to help you have an enjoyable experience on the campus of Florida A&M, and at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

If you can't make it to the game, you can watch the game on Rattler Vision, by signing on for a nominal fee and watching it streamed here at www.FAMUAthletics.com.

The game can also be heard on our flagship station, WHBX 96.1 JAMZ in Tallahassee.  To listen go to iHeart Radio and listen for all the action.  Click here for the radio stream.

To follow us on social media, catch us at Facebook.

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FAMU Football Fan & Visitors Guide    Everything you need to know about Rattler Booster Parking    2013 Rattler Team Photo COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Spartans' Adrian prioritizes improvement

NORFOLK, Virginia --  Many college football coaches this time of year are evaluating their talent against nonconference opponents.

Jobs won in spring and fall camp are often temporary, kept only as long as early season performance dictates.

Things are different at Norfolk State only in degree; with a young roster and questions at quarterback, coach Pete Adrian is especially taxed with balancing the value of winning vs. player development during a tough three-game stretch.

The Spartans (0-1) visit Rutgers on Saturday as 40-point underdogs hoping to make progress before their Sept. 28 MEAC opener at Morgan State. After an open date next week, NSU plays host to Charleston Southern on Sept. 21.

Adrian, of course, wants to win Saturday and beyond.



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NCCU's Taz Foster fights uphill battle for D-I respect

DURHAM, North Carolina  — Athletes aiming for the next level are told to focus on getting better, because coaches will find them no matter where they are.

Coaches sometimes don’t see so well, though, and end up overlooking undersized linebackers from little locales.

“I’m from a small town, in Henderson,” N.C. Central senior linebacker Tazmon Foster said. “We don’t get that many big recruits out there. I didn’t get recruited hard out of high school, but I knew I was a great football player, and I knew that if I kept my faith in God, I’d go somewhere and be a great football player.”

Foster wasn’t bad at all on Saturday against Duke, never mind that the Blue Devils shut out NCCU 45-0 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

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Appalachian State Opens Home Slate vs. NCA&T Aggies

BOONE, North Carolina -- Appalachian State University football opens the home portion of its 2013 campaign on Saturday when it hosts in-state rival North Carolina A&T under the Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

TICKETS
Tickets remain for Saturday's game and can be purchased:

• online by clicking HERE

• by phone at (828) 262-2079 (Friday - 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

• in person at the Appalachian State athletics ticket office (Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

• in person at the Kidd Brewer Stadium ticket plaza (Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.)

LIVE VIDEO
Saturday's game will be shown live on App State TV. Click HERE to become a App State TV premium subscriber.

RADIO
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the Appalachian IMG Sports Network. Live coverage begins at 4 p.m. with Pigskin Prelude. Click HERE for a full list of Appalachian IMG Sports Network affiliates.

NOTING SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
• Appalachian State, ranked No. 21 in this week's NCAA Division I FCS poll, is coming off a 30-6 loss to fellow longtime FCS power Montana in last Saturday’s season opener in Missoula, Mont.

• North Carolina A&T had a bye on the opening weekend of the season and is playing its first game of the campaign this weekend at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

• N.C. A&T is the Mountaineers’ home-opening opponent for the second time in three years and third time overall. Appalachian routed the Aggies, 58-6, in its 2011 home opener and also topped A&T, 45-0, in its first home game of the 1994 season.

• Prior to 2011, Appalachian and A&T had not met on the gridiron since 1995, despite the schools being separated by just 118 miles.

• Appalachian State owns a 5-1 advantage in six all-time meetings with N.C. A&T, including a perfect 4-0 mark versus the Aggies at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

• Appalachian is 61-19-2 (.756) all-time in home openers. The Mountaineers have won three-straight and 10 of their last 11 home openers.

• Appalachian State has won 32-straight home games versus in-state opponents, a streak that spans nearly 30 years. The Mountaineers’ last home loss to an in-state foe was a 34-7 defeat to Western Carolina at what was then known as Conrad Stadium on Oct. 6, 1984.

• Last Saturday’s loss to Montana should not cause too much panic among Mountaineer faithful, as it was Appalachian’s ninth loss in its last 12 season openers. During that same stretch (2002-present), App State is 105-27 (.795) in all other games.

• Additionally, Appalachian State is 24-1 in its last 25 games that immediately followed a same-season loss.

• North Carolina A&T is coming off a 7-4 campaign, its first winning season since it went 10-3 in 2003.

For all of the information on Saturday's matchup, including links to live video, audio and stats, both teams' rosters, depth charts, game notes and much more, click HERE to visit appstatesports.com's official Gameday Central page.

COURTESY APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Clark-Atlanta Panthers: Rebuilding From The Ground Up

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- In 2013, the Clark Atlanta Panthers football team will feature a redefined look built on the pillars old school gridiron principals. The latter statement is the objective of first year Panthers head coach Kevin Weston as he looks rebuild the program into a contender in the SIAC and eventually in Division II.

Starting from scratch, one of the new field general’s primary objective was recruiting. With Atlanta being one of the top pipelines in the nation for talent, Weston hit the ground running by signing an influx of metro Atlanta high school football players, while adding a few key transfers to set the foundation for the Panthers future.

With the mesh of untapped talent and solid core of returning players, Weston’s goal is to the mindset, while instilling discipline and fundamentals to a team that will transition into new schemes on both sides of the ball.

Trust, believe, and succeed is the adopted motto of the team that scrapped its struggling spread offense for the ball controlling, ground attack of the Wing-T offense, which is ...

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NEXT GAME 9/7: at West Alabama 12 PM ET, ESPN3

Morehouse College Maroon Tigers: Reloading For 2013

ATLANTA, Georgia  --  Like water under the bridge, Morehouse had a 2012 season that it would like to forget. The Maroon Tigers were the Preseason pick to win the SIAC East Division, but the prediction was not indicative of the team’s end result. Tons of misfortune, coupled with an overwhelming amount of injuries to several impact players left Morehouse depleted at the end of its 3-7 campaign.

Motivated and recovered, the Maroon Tigers will be looking to rebound from the school’s first losing season in five years.

“One of the things we have to do is stay healthy,” said Morehouse head football coach Rich Freeman. “I feel like that was a factor in our lack of success last season. We give ourselves a better chance to win each week when we are healthy.”

While the team will have big shoes to fill on offense, and defense, particularly in the skill positions, Morehouse used recruiting and development to fill the missing voids. The team’s biggest loss is that of David Carter, who finished his career as the school’s All-Time leader in scoring, rushing, and touchdowns scored.



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TSU Football Seeks First Win on Saturday at FAMU

NASHVILLE,Tennessee -- Just six days after dropping the John Merritt Classic to Bethune-Cookman, the Tennessee State football team looks to rebound on the road against another HBCU opponent in Florida A&M on Saturday.

Big Blue moved to 0-1 on the year with a, 12-9, loss at the hands of the Wildcats. The Tigers’ defense kept the team in the game, and provided the offense multiple opportunities to deliver the knockout blow.

Big Blue held B-CU to just 260 yards of total offense and senior safety David Van Dyke forced the game’s only turnover with an interception in the third quarter. TSU also only allowed 98 yards through the air, the lowest since last year’s game against Tennessee Tech on Oct. 27.

Preseason All-OVC linebacker Nick Thrasher came up big for the Tigers in week one, totaling 10 tackles including six solo stops. He was helped by defensive lineman Samquan Evans who was a force up front, racking up eight tackles including one for loss.

Offensively, freshman quarterback Ronald Butler will make his second career start at FAMU, a week removed from completing 13 of 21 passes for 132 yards. The Tallahassee, Fla. product was unblemished in terms of interceptions, but also did not lead a single touchdown drive.

Butler’s main target against Bethune was All-American tight end A.C. Leonard who caught five passes for 38 yards. The junior also had the team’s longest rush, a 31-yarder during the first quarter.

The rest of the TSU running attack combined for 85 yards on 37 carries for a 2.9 yard per attempt average.

 

Another bright spot for the team was its return game. Freshman receiver Michael Whittaker returned a punt for 25 yards and two kickoffs for 41 yards and Martine Stevenson also had a kick return of 43 yards. The 25.5 yards per punt and 28 per kickoff were much higher than the 7.8 and 19.1 the team averaged in 2012.

TSU’s opponent on Saturday will be the Rattlers of Florida A&M, who are coming off a 27-10 throttling of Mississippi Valley State in week 1.

In that game, FAMU had three different players score rushing touchdowns helping the team overcome its 15 penalties for 160 yards.

The Rattlers defense also had a good game, intercepting the ball three times and only allowing the Delta Devils 88 yards through the air. Mississippi Valley State was also just 2-of-12 on third down conversions during last week’s game.

TSU is 26-25-1 all-time versus Florida A&M with the previous win coming in last year’s John Merritt Classic, 17-14. Defense prevailed in that game which could be the case this year if week one is any indication.



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

XU Gold Nuggets, No. 3 in NAIA last season, add 4 to roster

Nour Abbes

Brandi Nelson

NEW ORLEANS — Coach Alan Green on Thursday announced Xavier University of Louisiana's four-member women's tennis recruiting class. Newcomers signed to scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year were:

• Nour Abbes of Tunis, Tunisia, and Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah.
• Sha'Nel Bruins of Colfax, La., and Grant High School.
• Dasia Harris of Sugar Land, Texas, and Elkins High School.
• Brandi Nelson of Jonesboro, Ga., and Faith Academy.

All four are right-handers, and all come to Xavier as freshmen. They will join seven letterwomen returning from a team which ranked third in the NAIA postseason poll. The Gold Nuggets in 2013 became the first Xavier team in any sport to reach the NAIA's national semifinals or be ranked No. 1 in an NAIA coaches poll. The XU women were ranked first in three consecutive polls.

Abbes was 71st in the International Tennis Federation's 2010 year-end junior rankings and was 48th in July of that year. She has been a member of her home country's national team for 10 years. Abbes reached the junior girls doubles quarterfinals at the 2010 French Open and has won doubles titles on the WTA futures circuit and in Africa's under-18 championships. The ITF website lists her career records as 87-49 in singles and 98-44 in doubles.

Dasia Harris

Sha'Nel Bruins

Bruins was the LHSAA Class 4A state singles champion in 2013 and a semifinalist in 2012 and 2011. She was a two-sport standout who was honorable-mention All-Cenla and first-team All-District 3-4A in basketball her senior year after averaging 21 points a game and leading the Lady Cougars to the state playoffs for the first time since 2008. Bruins was the valedictorian of her class.

Harris has won two doubles championships in juniors and was the No. 1 singles player on her high-school team for two seasons. Harris was one of 15 seniors from the class of 2013 to receive a scholarship from the USTA Texas Tennis and Education Foundation.

Nelson is a Tennisrecruiting.net 3-star prospect who has won 10 singles championships and 12 doubles championships. The website also ranks her 11th in Georgia and 62nd in the Southeast. She is the younger sister of Carmen Nelson, a junior and two-year letterwinner on the Gold Nuggets.

Abbes and Nelson are undecided on their academic majors at Xavier. Bruins is a chemistry/pre-pharmacy major, and Harris is majoring in business management.

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

Alabama State football: Hornets pick up pieces on offense

Veteran unit struggles in sophomore QB's first start

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Alabama State put together a balanced attack in Saturday’s season opener with Jacksonville State, but only three of its drives covered 50 yards or more, and none of them found the end zone.

The two touchdowns came after turnovers deep in Gamecock territory, preventing a 24-22 loss from turning out worse.

“We know we’ve got good players, but we’re trying to play a quarterback where it’s his first career start and making sure he was comfortable with some of the stuff we were calling,” head coach Reggie Barlow said. “Some of it was Jacksonville State, not knowing what they would give us in certain situations until we’d run it a couple of times. There was no chemistry and rhythm in that game.”

Eight of the 11 starters on offense were returning players, yet the Hornets’ attack struggled to gel.

ALABAMA STATE AT JACKSON STATE
WHEN: 5 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Miss.
RECORDS: Alabama State (0-1); Jackson State (0-1)
ON THE AIR: WVAS-FM 90.7

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DSU Hornets Gear Up For Season Opener at Delaware

TELEVISION: NBC SPORTS NETWORK

DOVER, Delaware -- THE GAME
Delaware State opens the 2013 season with a visit to Delaware in the annual “Route 1 Rivalry.” The Hornets return just 10 starters and 34 letter winners from their 2012 squad, which won five of the last seven games to finish the season with a 6-5 overall record, the team’s first winning mark since 2007. DSU was tied for third in the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference race with a 5-3 mark in the league. It was also the Hornets’ best conference finish since the ‘07 season.

Delaware opened its season with a 51-35 victory over Jacksonville on Aug. 29 in the debut for new head coach Dave Brock. The Blue Hen offense racked up 611 yards of total offense (373 rushing/238 passing), while the Hen defense held JU to - 37 yards rushing and recorded three interceptions.

THE SERIESThis will be the fifth meeting between the state’s two Division I teams. Each game has been played at Delaware Stadium. The Hens have won the previous meetings by a combined score of 154-38. FCS #15 Delaware won the last meeting 38-14 on Sep. 8, 2012.  Delaware State outgained UD by 71 yards and won the time of possession battle by nearly 11 minutes, but was undone by key mistakes in the contest. The Hornets were plagued by two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, a blocked field goal attempt and several costly penalties. Delaware State racked up 353 total yards in the contest, its best showing in four meetings against the Hens. The Hornets had 298 yards passing, but were held to 55 yards on the ground. Delaware recorded 282 total yards. The Hens posted 155 yards passing and 127 rushing. The Hornets trailed 21-0 before scoring a touchdown with 3:02 left in the second quarter.  Delaware added a touchdown with 17 seconds to go before halftime to regain a 21-point lead.  Delaware State could get no closer than 17 points (31-14) the rest of the way.

    DSU v. UD notes_pdf

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

SCSU Coach Pough TV Show To Appear On Fox SportsSouth

COACH BUDDY POUGH
(Courtesy SCSU Athletics)

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  The South Carolina State weekly coaches TV show, "The Buddy Pough Show" will now air on Fox SportSouth each week on Wednesday's at 6 p.m. ET and re-air on Friday's at 3:00 p.m. ET.

The show will feature a 30 minute segment and game highlights along with SC State head football coach Buddy Pough and longtime host Ernest Robinson.

This week's show will debut at a special time on Fox SportsSouth on Wednesday, September 4 at 4:00 p.m. following the Atlanta Braves Game and re-air on Friday, September 6 at 3 :00 p.m. The show will return to its regular scheduled time the following week.

It will be available on both cable and satellite services so check your local listings for the channel in your area.

Fox SportsSouth is one of the largest regional sports networks in the U.S.—The show will air in the state of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina and parts of North Carolina with over 10 million plus subscribers.

The Buddy Pough Radio Talk Show Returns On Thursday

The Buddy Pough Talk Show on 102.9 FM Old School Radio returns to the air this coming Thursday live from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Toyota of Orangeburg on 601 across from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

Each week, Coach Pough and host Steve Wannamaker will talk all Bulldog Football. Listeners and guest will have the opportunity to hear coach's plans for each upcoming game and learn his opinions on the previous game.

Questions will be welcomed from fans in attendance, or you may email your questions to talktobuddy@gmail.com.

The Coaches show will be held each week during the 2013 season from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Toyota of Orangeburg on HWY 601 across from Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech. If you can't make it out to catch the show in person, listen to it live on 102.9 FM Radio, the official radio station of Bulldog Football.

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern U. breaks ground on $1.4 million baseball fieldhouse

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- After 29 seasons of Southern baseball and 850 victories, head coach Roger Cador will finally have a new facility to call home.

Speaking Wednesday morning at a groundbreaking ceremony on the Baton Rouge campus, Cador said, that the construction is an example to the players “to never give up.”

Cador said the facility has been a dream that he has never given up on, even when the financing  looked bleak. He credited the late State Rep. Avon Honey for helping to put together a financial package for the facility.

"Having a new place to call home and the convenience of the facility is a great motivation factor that could give us a boost this year, " said athletics director Dr. William Broussard."

The $1.4 million,  4,200 square foot facility, will house locker rooms, coaches’ offices, a team meeting area and other rooms. The structure will be located just beyond the left centerfield wall of Lee-Hines Baseball Field.



The building, expected to be completed sometime in spring 2014, is being funding by the East Rouge Parish Mayor-President’s Office and state government.

"The completion date of January 2014 is a very realistic goal for completion," Cador said. "If the weather permits the contractors will have time to make it happen."

 

Southern University Chancellor James L. Llorens said the facility will be a showpiece for the Baton Rouge campus and set Southern apart from a number of programs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. He also praised Cador for his relentless effort to get the facility and to fight through “red tape.”

 

"The chancellor and I have had some discussions and we do think the new facility will open new doors in the area of recruiting," Cador said.

"We now can recruit kids that we couldn’t reach at first and hopefully I can be around one more time to see a SWAC championship."

 

Darren G. Mire, chairman of  SU’s Board of Supervisors Athletic Committee, said the new facility is being built on the legacy of the great players that the baseball program has produced.

 

"The thing that gets me is all of the years that my players have went without an adequate locker room and they have never complained once about it. That is most remarkable to me," said Cador.

 

"They only looked at the opportunity to play in Lee-Hines Field."

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU coordinator Gray likes view from press box

OFFENSE COORDINATOR QUINN GRAY

ORLANDO, Florida — Offensive coordinator Quinn Gray, who played quarterback for Billy Joe, brought back memories Sunday afternoon of the former FAMU coach.

Just like Joe did, Gray called plays from the press box. So was he just taking a page from his College Hall of Fame coach’s playbook?

“It’s just a settler for me because if I’m on the sidelines I have a chance that I might be talking to people when I need to be thinking,” Gray said. “It gives me an opportunity to be settled and get the play calls I need.”

Gray, who became offensive coordinator when Earl Holmes was hired earlier this year, said he was a bit concerned about execution of the pro-style offense he introduced this season.

“But we got ourselves going then in ...

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FAMU's Albert rewarded for extra effort 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Running backs coach Elijah Williams realized he had a shortage of proven players not long after he joined Earl Holmes’ staff at FAMU earlier this year.

He knew he could count on senior James Owens and transfer Demont Buice for spring practice. Omari Albert was there as well, but he had been inconsistent with his blocking.

As much as Williams liked the way the 5-foot-7, 200-pounder from Orlando ran the ball, he wanted Albert to understand the importance of being a complete back.

Williams saw his opportunity to get that point across during the Rattlers’ first spring scrimmage. After watching Albert get excited about a carry, the assistant coach said he’d like to see the same passion for blocking.

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights Game Preview vs. Norfolk State Spartans

NORFOLK STATE (0-1) at RUTGERS (0-1)
Saturday, September 7 • 12:00 p.m. • TV: CBS Sports Network
High Point Solutions Stadium
Piscataway, N.J.

Radio: Rutgers IMG Sports Network
(710-WOR; 1450-WCTC; 610-WIP)
Live Stats: ScarletKnights.com

Series: Rutgers leads 2-0

GAME NOTES

The Game
• Rutgers hosts Norfolk State Saturday, September 7 in the 2013 home opener at High Point Solutions Stadium.
• Kickoff is set for 12:04 p.m. with live national television coverage on the CBS Sports Network. Jason Knapp (play-by-play) and former NFL tight end Christian Fauria (color) have the call.
• Coverage on the Rutgers IMG Sports Network begins at 11 a.m. with Chris Carlin (play-by-play), Ray Lucas (color analyst), Eric LeGrand (color analyst) and Anthony Fucilli (sideline) calling the action.
• Rutgers will wear all white uniforms for the home opener and is set to debut a new white helmet with a chrome block R logo.


Series Information
• Rutgers is 2-0 all-time versus Norfolk State. The Scarlet Knights defeated the Spartans 59-0 in 2007 and 31-0 in 2010. The combined scores of 90-0 came with both games played in Piscataway.
• The last time the two schools met, Rutgers opened the 2010 season with a 31-0 win over the Spartans.
• The Scarlet Knights are 9-0 all-time against MEAC competition (Howard, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central) and have outscored MEAC opponents 367-36 in the nine victories.

With a Victory
• Rutgers would win its fourth straight home opener. The Scarlet Knights defeated Howard 26-0 in 2012, North Carolina Central 48-0 in 2011 and Norfolk State 31-0 in 2010.
• Rutgers would win for the 99th time on a home opener. The Scarlet Knights are 98-36-10 in home openers, including a 9-4 mark since 2000. The Scarlet Knights have won three straight home openers by a combined score of 105-0.
• The Scarlet Knights would capture their 10th straight victory versus FCS competition. The last loss to a FCS opponent for RU was a 35-24 setback to New Hampshire (9/11/04).

Rutgers vs. the MEAC
Rutgers is 9-0 all-time vs. schools from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In the last seven meetings vs. MEAC opponents since 2006, Rutgers has outscored the opposition 303-14.

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WSSU ready to go: Bright lights of TV will shine on opener at UNC Pembroke

Chase Powell
WR/ 5'-8"/175
Wise High School
Upper Marlboro, Maryland

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The perception is that Winston-Salem State has a grizzled and veteran team of Division I transfers who are approaching their mid-20s.

Some players fit that mold, but Chase Powell is a fresh face, and he’ll be the only freshman starter in Thursday’s season-opener at UNC Pembroke (8 p.m., CBSSN Ch. 537).

Powell, a 5-9 and 185-pound wide receiver from Upper Marlboro, Md., is 18 and barely shaves. But his speed and ability to catch the ball make him an asset.

"I’ve just been pretty focused, and I’ve tried to work hard and do what the coaches ask me to do,” said Powell, a former running back who gained 1,529 yards and scored 29 touchdowns as a high-school senior in 2012. “The hardest thing has been learning the plays and things like that.”

Powell also accepts the fact that he’ll be slightly nervous come kickoff.

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