Week 2, HBCU Schedule and ScoreCard

WATCH ALL VIDEOS IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN ON THIS SITE

THURSDAY FINALS 9/5/13 

Kentucky State 42, Kentucky Wesleyan 6
Lindenwood 24, Lincoln (Mo.) 22
North Alabama 42, Miles 7
UNC-Pembroke 25, Winston-Salem State 21

SATURDAY  9/7/13

MEAC

Norfolk State at Rutgers, 12 PM, TV: CBS Sports Network
Morgan State at Robert Morris, 12 PM, TV: RMUTV
South Carolina State at #4Clemson, 12:30 PM, TV: ESPN3 & Comcast SportsNet
Tennessee State at Florida A&M 2:00 PM, TV:  Rattler Vision
Saint Augustine's at North Carolina Central, 2:00 PM, TV:  EagleVision
Morehouse at Howard (RFK Stadium), 3:30 PM  TV: None
Delaware State at Delaware, 3:30 PM, TV: NBC Sports Network
Virginia Union at Bethune-Cookman, 4:00 PM, TV: CatEye Network
North Carolina A&T at Appalachian State, 6 PM, TV: App State TV
Hampton at William and Mary, 7 PM, TV: TribeAthleticsTV
Savannah State at Troy, 7 PM, TV: ESPN3   



SWAC

Delta State at Mississippi Valley State, 1:00PM, TV: None
Alcorn State at Mississippi State, 2:30 PM, TV: ESPN3 & Comcast Sports South
Alabama State at Jackson State, 5:00 PM, TV: ESPN3 Live; ESPNU (Tape Delay) 9:30PM  
Grambling State at Louisiana-Monroe, 6:00 PM, TV: ESPN3

Prairie View A&M at Texas State, 6:00 PM, TV: ESPN3
Tuskegee at Alabama A&M, 6:00 PM, TV :
Southern U. at Northwestern State, 6:00 PM, TV:

Arkansas Pine Bluff at McNeese State, 7:30PM, TV: Comcast Sports South

SIAC

Clark-Atlanta at West Alabama, 12:00 PM, TV: ESPN3
Lane at Virginia U. Lynchburg, 1:00 PM
Benedict at Central State (Ohio), 1:30 PM
Valdosta State vs. Fort Valley State at Macon, Ga., 2:00 PM,
Morehouse at Howard (RFK Stadium), 3:30 PM
Concordia-Selma at Stillman, 6:00 PM
Albany State (Ga.) at North Greenville, 7:00 PM
Tuskegee at Alabama A&M, 7:00 PM

CIAA

Chowan at UNC-Charlotte, 12:00 PM,  TV: Charlotte 49érs cstv
The Lincoln U. (Pa.) at Cheyney, 1:00 PM
Charleston (WV) at Shaw, 1:00 PM, Radio: Live
Bowie State at Saint Anselm, 1:00 PM, TV: http://saintanselmhawks.tv/ 
Saint Augustine's at North Carolina Central, 2:00 PM, TV: :  EagleVision
Virginia Union at Bethune-Cookman, 4:00 PM, TV: CatEye Network
Johnson C. Smith vs. Livingstone at Charlotte, NC, 4:00 PM
Newberry at Elizabeth City State, 6:00 PM
Virginia State at Fayetteville State, 6:00 PM

OTHERS

Edward Waters at Point U., 12:00 PM
West Virginia State at Lock Haven, 1:00 PM
Concordia-Selma at Stillman, 6:00 PM
Texas College at Incarnate Word, 7:00 PM

* ALL GAME START TIMES ARE LISTED IN EASTERN TIME ZONE


 

Game Central Football: SSU vs. Troy University

GAME CENTRAL
SSU Tigers vs. Troy Trojans at Veterans Memorial Stadium (Troy, Ala., 6 p.m.)

On Game Day

TV - ESPN3: Click Here
Listen Live Radio: 90.3 FM Savannah Click Here
Live Stats Link: Click Here
Live Internet Video Stream: Click Here
Tigers on Twitter (Follow for live updates): Click Here
Tigers on Instagram (Follow for game photos): Click Here
SMS Text Service (Sign up for score results): Click Here

The Game

Savannah State
      
The Savannah State Tigers are looking to bounce back from a 9-77 loss to Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga.
       
 Last week the Tigers had a rough outing but managed to find some bright spots. Backup quarterback Zach Hutcheson entered the game in the third quarter and threw for 128 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Cantrell Frazier led the team with  three receptions for 39 yards while Sheldon Barnes ran for 13 yards.
            
Marquis Smith led the defense with a game-high 13 tackles followed by Trevion Ashford's 11 stops and Justin Dixon's 10 tackles.
             
Against Troy, SSU will look to it's "Air Raid" attack to put points on the board. Head coach Earnest Wilson said he will play both Hutcheson and Leon Prunty at quarterback, but the starter this week  will be a game time decision. The Tigers will look to senior playmaker Simon Heyward to have a big game against the Trojans. He finished with two receptions for 54 yards last week.
             
Defensively, SSU will count heavily on its defensive backs to hamper Troy's air attack. Senior cornerback John Wilson leads the DB's with six tackles and one breakup.

Savannah State Game Notes: Click Here
Savannah State Media Guide: Click Here

Troy
         
Troy, a member of the Sun Belt Conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision, is coming off a 34-31 overtime victory against visiting Alabama-Birmingham last Saturday. The Trojans entered the fourth quarter trailing, 31-17, but Will Scott kicked a 30-yard field goal to win the game.
          
Troy quarterback Corey Robinson, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior from Paducah, Ky., set an NCAA record (minimum 30 completions) with his 30-of-32 passing performance (93.8 percent) against UAB. He broke Steve Sarkisian's record of 91.2 percent set in 1995.
           
Robinson, a four-year starter nicknamed the "Bazooka from Paducah," threw for 319 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown pass. He entered this season as the FBS' returning leader in career passing yardage with 10,258 yards and 61 touchdowns.
           
Troy head coach Larry Blakeney is in his 23^rd season at the helm and he is the Trojans' all-time winningest coach with a 170-98-1 record. The field at Veterans Memorial Stadium is named in his honor.

Troy Media Guide: Click Here

Notes
Across State Lines
SSU assistant head coach/offensive line coach Willard Scissum and defensive back Twun Bonner are both from Alabama. Scissum is from Guntersville while Bonner is from Birmingham.

Location, Location, Location
The SSU roster is made up of players from 11 states plus the District of Columbia and the country of Samoa. The 11 states are Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.

State of Alabama Ties
SSU assistants Corey Barlow, Willard Scissom and Michael Wallace all have coached or played on the college level in Alabama. Barlow played and was an assistant at UAB; Scissom played at Alabama and has coached at Alabama, Alabama A&M and Alabama State; Wallace has coached at Stillman.

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hampton Looks to Rebound at William & Mary

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia – The Hampton University football team will look to bounce back and get into the win column on Saturday, hitting the road again to take on William & Mary at Walter J. Zable Stadium at 7 p.m.

The Pirates (0-1), in their fifth season under head coach Donovan Rose, lost their season opener 42-9 at Western Illinois on Aug. 29, while the Tribe (0-1), under long-time head coach Jimmye Laycock, is coming off a hard-fought, 24-17 loss at West Virginia this past Saturday.

Sophomore quarterback Jaylian Williamson (Chesapeake, Va.) threw for a team-high 113 yards and a touchdown at Western Illinois, accounting for all but 46 of Hampton's passing yards.

Game Notes

Senior running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) was the Pirates' leading rusher and receiver last Thursday, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, while also leading the team in receiving, catching three passes for 56 yards a touchdown.

Seniors Delbert Tyler (Monroeville, Pa.) and Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) each had a team-high 11 tackles for the Pirates, while sophomore Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md. ) and redshirt-junior Courtney Bridget Jr. (Baltimore, Md.) each added 10 tackles.

The Pirates defense held Western Illinois to 262 yards, and only 99 of those yards came through the air.

Hampton also blocked a pair of Western Illinois field goal attempts; junior Khambrel McGee (Miami, Fla.) blocked a 42-yard attempt in the second quarter and a 23-yard attempt later in the same quarter.

The Pirates are 0-3 all-time against William & Mary, though the two teams have not met since 2004 – when the Tribe won in Williamsburg, Va. 42-35 in the NCAA Div. I-AA playoffs. The first meeting was also in Williamsburg in 1997, when William & Mary won 31-6. The two teams met again the following year at Armstrong Stadium, and the Tribe won that game 41-34. Hampton is 0-2 all-time at Zable Stadium.

The Pirates are 3-9 all-time against schools currently in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Pirates are 2-0 all-time against James Madison, 0-3 against New Hampshire, 1-0 against Richmond, 0-2 against Rhode Island, 0-1 against Villanova, and 0-3 against William & Mary.

Hampton has never faced Albany, Delaware, Maine, Stony Brook, or Towson.

The Pirates went 1-5 on the road last season, with their lone win coming at Morgan State in the season finale. During Rose's tenure as head coach, Hampton is 8-13 on the road, and last season, the Pirates dropped road contests against Tennessee Tech, Florida A&M, North Carolina Central, Howard, and Delaware State.

The Pirates have seven road contests this season, and are 0-1 away from Armstrong Stadium.

For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets lose, then win in Rumpke Invitational

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Xavier University of Louisiana lost to Trinity Christian, then defeated Asbury in a pair of four-set women's volleyball matches Friday at the Rumpke Invitational.

Trinity Christian, winning for the seventh time in a row, defeated the Gold Nuggets 25-17, 25-17, 25-27, 25-16. But Xavier snapped its three-match losing streak by defeating Asbury for the second time this season. No scores were available on the XU victory.

Xavier will play Saturday at 1:30 p.m. EDT against Lourdes and at 5:30 against NAIA No. 7 Georgetown (Ky.) in a rematch of last year's NAIA National Championship opening round, which Georgetown won in four sets. Here's a link to live stats for the Xavier-Lourdes  match.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHELTICS

XU Gold Rush reload with five signees for 2013-14 season

Tushar Mandlekar

Vincenzo Ciccone

NEW ORLEANS — Coach Alan Green on Friday announced Xavier University of Louisiana's five-member men's tennis recruiting class. It's the largest recruiting class in Green's 11 seasons with the Gold Rush.
    
Newcomers signed to scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year were:
     •  Adam Albrecht of Ladna, Czech Republic, and Gymnasium Breclav.
     •  Kevin Chaouat of Sarcelles, France, a transfer from Embry-Riddle (Fla.) and home-schooled before college.
     •  Vincenzo Ciccone of Brooklyn, N.Y., Aspirations High School and ASA College.
     •  Jordan Harrell of Lithonia, Ga., and Martin Luther King Jr. High School.
     •  Tushar Mandlekar of Bhilai, India, and Deepak Nagar Government High Secondary School.
    
All five are right-handers. Ciccone is a junior at Xavier, and Chaouat is a sophomore. Albrecht, Harrell and Mandlekar are freshmen.
    
Albrecht ranked 70th in singles among juniors in the Czech Republic in 2012. He has won seven singles tournaments and 10 doubles tournaments in his career.     

Kevin Chaouat

Jordan Harrell

Chaouat won four regional tournament titles and has advanced to the semifinals of the French junior championships. He helped Embry-Riddle win its first NAIA national championship this past season; for the year he was 4-3 in singles, 22-5 in doubles and won 17 in a row with Simon Felix — including an 8-2 decision against XU's Nikita Soifer and Viktor Svoboda which was the only loss in Soifer and Svoboda's final 16 matches.
    
Ciccone was the 2012 American Tennis Association men's singles champion. That's the same tournament that legendary Xavier player Jimmie McDaniel won four times. At ASA, Ciccone helped the Avengers achieve their first national ranking and an 11th-place finish in 2012 at the NJCAA national tournament. He was NJCAA Academic All-Region XV as a sophomore.
    

Adam Albrecht

Harrell is a Tennisrecruiting.net 4-star prospect ranked 17th in Georgia and 78th in the Southeast. Harrell won USTA singles events in 2012 and 2013, and he has competed in the World Team Tennis Junior Nationals. The USTA website credits Harrell with a 555-165 record during the past 10 years. Harrell was 24-1 at No. 1 singles over his final two prep seasons at MLK.
    
Mandlekar's career includes championships in six singles tournaments and three doubles tournaments in international competition. Mandlekar's highest International Tennis Federation ranking was 683rd in 2012. Also that year he was 25th in India's boys 18 rankings.
    
Chaouat and Mandlekar are business management majors at Xavier. Ciccone and Harrell are majoring in mass communications, and Albrecht is majoring in art.
    
Xavier's Gold Rush ranked fifth in the 2013 NAIA Postseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll. It was the XU men's highest-ever ranking and their third consecutive top-10 appearance in the season's final poll. The Gold Rush in 2013 became the first XU program to reach the quarterfinals of an NAIA National Championship in consecutive seasons. The Gold Rush have qualified for nationals each of the last five seasons.

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

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.

CONTINUE READING

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.


CONTINUE READING

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.

CONTINUE READING 

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.”

CONTINUE READING

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.

CONTINUE READING

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.

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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.

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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.



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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