J.C. Smith tops its oldest rival -- Livingstone

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The Commemorative Classic trophy is still on Johnson C. Smith’s campus.

The Golden Bulls opened the season with a 34-17 win against CIAA South rival Livingstone Saturday at Memorial Stadium for their fifth straight victory in black college football’s oldest series, which dates to 1892.

J.C. Smith, which leads the series 47-30-3, started slowly then broke the game open with a 24-point second half to pull away.
 “This is a trophy that we’ve earned and we’re 5-0 in the Commemorative Classic,” said Golden Bulls coach Steve Aycock, who improved to 5-0 against Livingstone. “This is something we’re going to take in tonight and get ready for our next one.” J.C. Smith (1-0, 1-0 CIAA) broke open a close game in the second quarter behind Ardrey Kell High graduate Andrew Alexander, who completed 16 of 35 passes for 182 yards and three scores.  Photo Gallery: JCSU - Livingstone College  CONTINUE READING 

Fayetteville State loses to Virginia State on final play

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  -- Kasunn Williams couldn't watch.

Huddled on the Fayetteville State sideline, the Broncos junior wide receiver had his head buried in his hands as Virginia State's Shawn Hunt lined up a 30-yard field goal with less than two seconds left Saturday night.

When he finally looked up, the Trojans were sprinting down the field in celebration while the Fayetteville State sideline was in stunned silence. Hunt had made the kick, giving Virginia State a wild 29-28 season opening CIAA victory.

"I was hoping he was going to miss it, praying he was going to miss it," Williams said.

Early in the second half, Fayetteville State led 28-8 and looked as if it would deliver new coach Lawrence Kershaw a victory in his first game. But an epidemic of self-inflicted wounds - the Broncos had a total of 189 yards in penalties - and a resurgent Trojans running game - they tallied 217 yards on the ground - brought Virginia State back within striking distance.

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Tuskegee Golden Tigers victorious over AAMU Bulldogs in Louis Crews Classic

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama --  A key 56-yard touchdown pass from Marquel Gardner to Justin Nared in the third quarter gave Tuskegee all the separation they needed in pulling off a season-opening upset with a 23-7 victory the 4th annual Louis Crews Classic on Saturday night at Louis Crews Stadium.

The Golden Tigers (1-0 to start the 2013 campaign) were able to break the game open early as Alabama A&M made a key mistake in the opening quarter.  Just after Nared was able to complete a 23-yard pass to Christopher Anderson, Alabama A&M's Lawrence Barnett fumbled the ensuing kickoff at his own 27 yard line.  After Tuskegee's Keith Trumps picked up the ball, Nared was able to fire off another touchdown pass on the very next play to Larry Cobb for 27 yards.  This gave the defending SIAC Champions a 14-0 lead, with two touchdowns scored in a span of 15 seconds.

Alabama A&M threatened to close the gap in the third quarter, but Cesar Ramon missed a key 27-yard field goal.  However, the Bulldogs' defense forced a three-and-out for Tuskegee, and Barrington Scott was finally able to score on the stingy defense of the Golden Tigers with a two-yard score with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter.

The game broke open again in the fourth with Gardner's spectacular score, putting Tuskegee fully in control after breaking a devastating tackle attempt near Alabama A&M's 30-yard line before coasting in for the deciding score.

Nared was 11-for-18 under center, with a total of 206 yards and three TD passes to go with one interception.  TU Coach Willie Slater also had an effective running game under center, as Rashard Burkette was the leading rusher for the Golden Tigers, as he had three rushed for 33 yards.

In a surprise move by Slater, Michael J. Thornton was relegated to his regular position as starting fullback, as he finished the game with 19 yards running on five carries.  Starting at tailback was freshman tailback Hoderick Lowe, as the graduate of Grady High School from Atlanta, GA had six carries for 31 yards.

Box Score

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Moore is back: Banged-up quarterback sparks Jackson State victory

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Jackson State did just what coach Rick Comegy wanted it to do: Score.

Comegy said that for his team to make a game out of Saturday’s matchup against Alabama State, it had to score early, something it struggled to do in Week 1 at Tulane.

The Tigers (1-1) responded with a 30-23 victory over the Hornets to begin Southwestern Athletic Conference play.

“It was a hard-fought battle on both sides,” Comegy said. “It was who wanted it the most, and we knew what this game was all about. If we lost this game, we knew what it would be.”

The Hornets (0-2) were up quickly 14-0 un the opening minutes of the game, but the Tigers responded.

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Return of injured veterans key in Jackson State victory vs. Alabama State

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Welcome back Clayton Moore, Rakeem Sims and Cameron Loeffler.

The trio missed Jackson State’s season opener against Tulane, but they made up for their absence on Saturday, when the Tigers gutted out a victory over Alabama State 30-23.

“They made a difference,” coach Rick Comegy said. “Those guys, Loeffler a senior, Clayton’s in his last year as a graduate student, and Rakeem Sims, all of them are upperclassmen. And this is their last season, and they want to make the best out of it. ... They move this football team.”

All three made their season debuts after missing out on the first game against Tulane because of injuries. Moore and Loeffler were nursing back injuries and Sims had an ankle injury but, on Saturday night, they played with no excuses.
 
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Benedict College Student from California gives birth in dorm room, bleeds to death

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Ayaanah Gibson, a pregnant 19-year-old freshman from Sacramento, was alone in her dormitory room at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., over the Labor Day weekend. At some point, Gibson gave birth, lost consciousness and bled to death, according to the local coroner.

Gibson’s body was found late Tuesday night, along with the baby, which apparently was stillborn, said Gary Watts, the Richland County coroner.

"She died from a loss of blood due to a spontaneous delivery," Watts said in a telephone interview with the Los Angeles Times. He said Gibson, a chemistry major, was 30 to 32 weeks pregnant.

Watts said there was no indication of foul play. He said toxicology tests will be performed to determine whether Gibson was taking medication that might have interfered with her judgment or caused her to lose consciousness.

Gibson likely would have survived if she had received immediate medical attention, Watts said.

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North Carolina A&T holds off Appalachian State

BOONE, North Carolina --  N.C. A&T, beginning a new season Saturday night, took a 24-6 lead and held off a furious comeback attempt to beat Appalachian State 24-21.

Appalachian State missed a 46-yard field-goal attempt with 2 seconds left which would have tied the game.

The Mountaineers, reeling from a 30-6 loss at Montana last weekend, at least showed some late life against the Aggies. Trailing 24-6, ASU’s Kameron Bryant hit Barrett Burns with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 5:23 left. The 2-point conversion attempt succeeded, cutting ASU’s deficit to 10 points at 24-14.

Bryant then hooked up with Marcus Cox on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds left. Drew Stewart’s point-after kick made the score 24-21.

The Mountaineers then recovered an onside kick at midfield. After driving to the A&T 30 with seven seconds left, Stewart’s potential game-tying kick sailed wide left.

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Bowie State Bulldogs Ground Saint Anselm Hawks 42-28 in Season Opener

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire – Bowie State University rolled up 483 yards of total offense and held Saint Anselm College to 235 yards of total offense, defeating the Hawks 42-28 Saturday afternoon.

"This was a great start for our team and new offensive coordinator Moses Ware and if Jared (Johnston) continues to play like he did today, we have a very good chance of being a good team", said fifth year head coach Damon Wilson.

Senior Jared Johnston (Dumfries, Va.) scored the first six points of the season at the 10:16 mark of the first quarter on a six-yard rushing touchdown. Junior Mario Diaz-Aviles (Washington, D.C.) added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead.

The Hawks quickly responded with a 36-yard Andrew Murphy (Franklin, Mass.) to Eric Feehan (Bedford, N.H.) pass and catch. Shane Grayson (Ormond Beach, Fla.) drilled the extra point to tie the game with 9:10 left in the opening period.

The Bulldogs found the end zone for the second time in the first quarter following a one-yard rush up the middle by redshirt junior Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.). Diaz-Aviles converted the extra point, shifting the advantage back over to Bowie State at 14-7.

Saint Anselm capitalized on a Bowie State fumble by junior Keith Brown (Temple Hills, Md.). Murphy flipped a short six-yard pass to Justin Bernard (Cambridge, Mass.) to tie the game at 14-14 at the 1:22 mark of the first.

The Murphy/Bernard combo gave the Hawks their first lead of the game from three yards out with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter. Grayson added the extra point to make the score 21-14.

The Bulldogs evened the score at 21-21 following a five-yard run by Brown and extra point by Diaz-Aviles with 7:14 left in the first half.

Jefferson punched it into the Saint Anselm end zone from one-yard out with 9:47, capping off a 10-play, 78 yard drive to start the third quarter. The Diaz-Aviles extra point gave the visiting Bulldogs a 28-21 lead. Jefferson racked up a career-best 317 all-purpose yards.

Saint Anselm's Keith Charles (Laurel, Md.) rushed for a five-yard option touchdown at the 7:08 mark to tie the game at 28-28.

Sophomore Nyme Manns (Baltimore, Md.) caught his first career touchdown pass (from Johnston) at the 7:57 mark of the fourth quarter, putting BSU's Bulldogs in front 35-28.

Redshirt sophomore Marquise Anderson (Washington, D.C.) picked off a Murphy pass on Saint Anselm's next possession, giving the Bulldogs a great scoring opportunity at the Hawks' 10 yard line. BSU's Johnston lofted a touchdown pass to freshman Ricardo Smith (Oxon Hill, Md.) in the right corner of the end zone, increasing the Bulldogs lead to 42-28.

Offensively, Bowie State was led by Johnston with 307 total yards (115 rushing and 192 passing), while Jefferson rushed 23 times for a career-high 110 yards and two touchdowns. Brown had 13 carries for 50 yards and one touchdown for the Bulldogs.

Johnston finished the afternoon going 18 of 35 from the air but was intercepted twice. Junior Khari Lee (Baltimore, Md.) led the Bulldogs receivers with seven catches for 64 yards, while Manns and Smith finishing with three catches each for 36 and 27 yards respectively. Sophomore Garry Cropper (Odenton, Md.) had two receptions for 43 yards.

Defensively, redshirt sophomore Antoine Young (Washington, D.C.) came off the Bulldogs bench to lead the team with eight total tackles and one tackle for a loss, while senior Delante White (Temple Hills, Md.) finished with seven tackles. Senior Quentin Walker (Waldorf, Md.) recorded six tackles, half of a tackle for a loss and one pass breakup, while redshirt sophomore Curtis Pumphrey (Laurel, Md.) had five tackles, one interception and one pass breakup. Senior Oladimeji Layeni (Washington, D.C.) also had five tackles to go along with one sack and two tackles for a loss.

Murphy paced the Saint Anselm offense with 165 passing yards, completing 19 of 39 and three touchdowns. However, Murphy was sacked four times and intercepted twice. Bernard was the Hawks' leader in receptions with seven while Ahkeen Williams (DeWitt, N.Y.) led the team in reception yards with 51 on four catches.

Carroll Bailey (Clinton, Mass.) and Isaac Jorgenson (Eldersburg, Md.) led the Hawks defense with a dozen tackles each.

Bowie State travels to Charlotte (N.C.) next week, as the Bulldogs face the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University at 2 pm in JCSU's Irwin Belk Complex.

COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Week 2, HBCU Football ScoreCard Finals

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MEAC

Rutgers 38, Norfolk State 0
Robert Morris 31, Morgan State 14   
#4 Clemson 52, South Carolina State 13
Tennessee State 27, Florida A&M 7
North Carolina Central 23, Saint Augustine's 20  2-OT
Howard 27, Morehouse 16
Delaware 42, Delaware 21
Bethune-Cookman 66, Virginia Union 7
North Carolina A&T 24, Appalachian State 21
William and Mary 31, Hampton 7
Troy 66, Savannah State 3    

SWAC

Delta State 24, Mississippi Valley State 14
Mississippi State 51, Alcorn State 7
Jackson State 30, Alabama State 23  
Louisiana-Monroe 48, Grambling State 10

Texas State 28, Prairie View A&M 3
Tuskegee 23, Alabama A&M 7
Northwestern State 55, Southern U. 14

McNeese State 58, Arkansas Pine Bluff 14

SIAC

North Alabama 42, Miles 7
Kentucky State 42, Kentucky Wesleyan 6
West Alabama 42, Clark-Atlanta 6
Lane 38, Virginia U. Lynchburg 13
Benedict 42, Central State (Ohio) 9
Valdosta State 36, Fort Valley State 21
Howard 30, Morehouse 27
Stillman 52, Concordia-Selma 0 
North Greenville 26, Albany State (Ga.) 24
Tuskegee 23, Alabama A&M 7

CIAA

UNC-Pembroke 25, Winston-Salem State 21 
UNC-Charlotte 47, Chowan 7
The Lincoln U. (Pa.) 33, Cheyney 28
Shaw 44, Charleston (WV) 14
Bowie State 42, Saint Anselm 28
North Carolina Central 23, Saint Augustine's 20  2-O.T.
Bethune-Cookman 66, Virginia Union 7
Johnson C. Smith 34, Livingstone 17
Newberry 35, Elizabeth City State 32
Virginia State 29, Fayetteville State 28

OTHERS

Lindenwood 24, Lincoln (Mo.) 22
Point U. 35, Edward Waters 22
Lock Haven 31, West Virginia State 13
Stillman 52, Concordia-Selma 0
Incarnate Word 69, Texas College 0

Georgetown (Ky.), Lourdes sweep away XU Gold Nuggets

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball team lost 27-25, 25-23, 25-23 to Lourdes, then lost 25-19, 25-14, 25-14 to NAIA No. 7 Georgetown on Saturday in the Rumpke Invitational.
    
The Gold Nuggets (6-7) finished 1-3 in the two-day tournament. Their next match will be their home opener, next Saturday at 1 p.m. against Voorhees. It will be the Gold Nuggets' first-ever match in the Convocation Center, which opened in November, and their Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener.
    
Against Lourdes, Xavier's Taylor Reuther had 14 kills and 10 digs. Moira Kirk had 10 kills and five blocks, Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills and 10 digs, and Claudia Haywood had eight kills, four blocks and hit .467. Stephanie Richards led Lourdes with 16 kills.
    
Xavier led Lourdes 20-17 and 25-24 in the opening set before the Gray Wolves clinched with a kill and two XU errors. XU attack errors ended the second and third sets. It was the first time in the Nuggets' six-year history that they lost each set by two points in a three-set sweep.
    
Against Georgetown, Reuther had 13 kills and seven digs, Echebelem had six kills, two aces and eight digs, and Jodi Chatters had 10 digs. Caroline Maher had 14 kills and hit .824 for the Tigers, who outhit Xavier .425 to .208 and had advantages of 51-31 in kills and 56-42 in digs.
    
Georgetown (9-1) is 6-0 at home this season and has won 22 of its last 23 home matches. The Gold Nuggets have dropped 5-of-6 after a 5-2 start.

Box scores:  Lourdes    Georgetown

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

TSU defense shuts down FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — The first sign Florida A&M would have trouble dealing with a stout Tennessee State defense appeared on a cellphone in the pregame locker room.

Hospitalized because of an undisclosed illness, offensive coordinator Quinn Gray used FaceTime on his phone to encourage the Rattlers to go win the game Saturday afternoon.

The visiting Tigers had too many options, though, beating the mistake-prone Rattlers 27-7.

TSU (1-1) put too much pressure on quarterback Damien Fleming from the outset. The Rattlers (1-1) also could hardly do anything to slow down the Tigers’ offense, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Ronald Butler, who is from Tallahassee.

And the Tigers also got a little help on special teams with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown y Martine Stevenson.  Butler threw for ...

CONTINUE READING



Tennessee State Tigers Skin Florida A&M Rattlers 27-7

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  A suffocating defensive attack allowed the Tennessee State football team to pick up its first win of the season with a 27-7 victory at Florida A&M.

The TSU defense held FAMU to just 156 yards of total offense, 22 rushing yards on 24 carries, forced two turnovers-with one being returned for a touchdown- and the Rattlers were 2-of-12 on third down conversions.

Senior Tim Broughton led the Tigers with 124 yards on 17 carries for a 7.3 yards per carry average. Sophomore Telvin Hooks was not far behind, gaining 77 yards on the ground on 12 attempts (6.4 ypc).

The Rattlers got the ball to start the game and picked up a quick first down. Two plays later, a false start penalty moved FAMU back and eventually set up a third down. FAMU quarterback Damien Fleming changed the play at the line and fired a short out pass to the wide side of the field. Safety David Van Dyke jumped the route, picked the ball off and brought it brought it back 46 yards for a TSU touchdown.

Van Dyke’s interception was his second in as many games and the first touchdown scored by the Tigers in 2013. It was also the first TSU defensive touchdown since Sept. 8 of 2012 when Daniel Fitzpatrick scooped up a fumble and scored against Jackson State.

After a three-and-out on FAMU’s next possession, Tennessee State went to work on offense and executed an eight play, 65-yard drive that featured a perfectly timed screen pass to Hooks that went for 28 yards. Broughton, TSU’s other running back, finished off the effort with a 10-yard touchdown.

The score put TSU up 14-0 with just under seven minutes to go in the first quarter and Tennessee State would maintain its two score lead until Fleming found Lenworth Lennon wide-open in the end zone on a second and goal from the TSU 36-yard line. The FAMU touchdown brought the Rattlers within seven with 14 minutes left to go before halftime.

On the ensuing kickoff, redshirt junior Martine Stevenson received the ball and raced right up the middle of the field. 95 yards later, Stevenson was standing in the end zone with TSU’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Weldon Garlington’s 100-yard return on Oct. 1, 2011 versus Austin Peay.

The TSU defense forced another FAMU three-and-out on the Rattlers’ next drive, giving the Tigers the ball at their own 15-yard line. Gashing runs by Broughton, Hooks and quarterback Ronald Butler eventually gave TSU a chance to score a field goal from 42 yards out. Jamin Godfrey lined up the kick, the snap and hold were perfect, but the kick was blocked.

FAMU was unable to capitalize off of the blocked kick but the Tigers’ offense went dormant as well, bringing the first half to a close with TSU in control, 21-7.

The Big Blue offense woke up to begin the third quarter and marched right down the field on a 13 play, 76-yard drive. Again, the TSU rushing attack could not be stopped and Hooks found the end zone from 14 yards out at the eight-minute mark. The sophomore’s score gave the Tigers a commanding 27-7 lead, as Godfrey’s PAT was blocked.

Hooks’s score proved to be the last of the afternoon as the Tigers continued to pound the ball on the ground to kill the clock and the TSU defense proved unrelenting.

Butler finished the day 14-of-21 for 131 yards. The freshman did have one interception when a fourth-quarter pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

TSU will look for win number two win next Saturday when the team travels to Memphis for a date with Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic.

FINAL STATS

Attendance: 14,237

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS 

McGhee, Defense Leads Howard To Win Over Morehouse

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Greg McGhee passed for 242 yards and three TDs and added 54 more on the ground and the defense recorded nine sacks to lead Howard to a 27-16 win over Morehouse College in the Third Annual AT&T Nation's Football Classic before 17,012 at RFK Stadium.

The Maroon Tigers (0-1) got on the board first when they drove 68 yards on 13 plays and got the ball down to the Bison 20-yard line but had to settle for 37-yard Hector Solis field goal.

The Bison (1-1) responded on their next possession when they countered with a 42-yard field goal by John Fleck that knotted the score at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter.

From there, the Howard defense began to harass the Morehouse quarterbacks, recording nine sacks. McGhee took advantage of their play by putting together three drives. The first took six plays and resulted in a 20-yard strike in the corner of the end to freshman running back Anthony Philyaw.

The junior from Pittsburgh, Pa came right back with another six-play drive, but it stalled and Howard had to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Fleck.

McGhee closed out the half with a 27-yard pass to Matt Colvin that upped the margin to 20-3 at the half.

"It was a matter of tempo for us," said McGhee. "Our controlling the tempo of the game was the key to us being successful. Once we got our rhythm, we were able to have some success."

The Bison appeared to have the game in hand when McGhee capped off another short trek with a 26-yard run and catch to Rodney Tyson midway through the third period.

Then the Maroon Tigers made it interesting. Following a Bison turnover, Joshua Harris began to make the plays that gave the Bison defense fits. After scrambling his way through and around the Howard defense, he found Brandon Sartin from nine yards to cut the deficit to 27-9 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.

From there, it appeared that Morehouse seized the momentum. The Maroon Tigers put together a nine-play, 90-yard drive that was capped off with a three-yard run by Shelton Hamilton. That reduced the deficit to 27-16 with 10:06 still remaining in regulation.

"We slacked off in the second half, but we were able to regroup and pull out the win," said Howard head coach Ray Petty.

Howard clamped down and turned up the heat on defense, recording key sacks and stops to close out the game with its first win of the season.

"We wanted to be in a bend-but-not break defense," said senior linebacker Tabrian Resby, who led the team with nine tackles and two sacks. "We knew that they had to score to win, so we said 'do what we have to do but don't let them get into the end zone.'"

NEXT UP: Howard travels to Norfolk, VA to take on the Monarchs of Old Dominion next Saturday at 6 pm.

GAME NOTES: William Parker had another good effort, rushing for 60 yards on 17 carries…McGhee completed passes to nine different receivers…Fleck continues to show improvement, averaging almost 44 yards per punt and knocking four inside the 20-yard line…he also made good on both his field goal attempts…the Howard defense recorded 14 tackles for losses to go along with their nine sacks.  

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Howard football vs. Morehouse: Greg McGhee powers Bison to win at RFK Stadium

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- The last time Greg McGhee stepped on the field at RFK Stadium, a helpless feeling overcame the Howard quarterback. Relegated to the sideline because of a three-game suspension for an NCAA violation, McGhee could only watch as Howard jockeyed for control before pulling out a win against Morehouse last season.

With McGhee back under center Saturday for the third annual Nation’s Football Classic, and Howard Coach Rayford Petty touting his junior as the nation’s best quarterback among historically black colleges and universities, McGhee threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bison to a 27-16 victory over the Maroon Tigers. Howard has now won all three of the Nation’s Football Classics against Morehouse, with McGhee earning MVP honors this year and in 2011.

“I had a chip on my shoulder coming into the game,” McGhee said. “There’s no worse feeling watching your team play, knowing you could have did something about certain things. So I wanted to come out and show why I should have been on the field last year.”

McGhee’s impact became apparent in the ...

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Big plays carry Lincoln past Cheyney

CHEYNEY, Pennsylvania  — In an otherwise evenly played football game, big plays decided Saturday’s seson-opening game between between Lincoln and Cheyney, and the pendulum in the regard swung heavily to the Lions’ side.

Lincoln struck twice in the first two minutes of play, then held off a second-half charge by the Wolves to win the annual “Battle of the Firsts” by a score of 33-28, snapping a two-year skid against their local rivals.

“I’m basically happy with the way we played today,” said Cheyney coach Ken Lockard. “There’s a lot of things we did very well. But, we also made some really boneheaded mistakes that killed us.”

One of those mistakes came early, with a mere two minutes off the clock. The Lions defense had just held, forcing a three-and-out. Cheyney punter Jewel Jones came on, and booted one to just about the Lincoln 30. No Lion attempted to field it, and the ball rolled to a stop. However, Cheyney never downed the ball, and began to leave the field before the whistle blew. An alert Elijah Douglas scooped it up, and ran it back 71 yards for the touchdown. And just like that, the Lions were up 7-0.



CONTINUE READING

Carter, interceptions help B-CU to 66-7 victory over Virginia Union

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  — Bethune-Cookman receiver Eddie Poole has played football for Brian Jenkins for five years, including one season at Rutgers. And by now he knows very well that the coach is never satisfied, even when his team is leading by more than four touchdowns at halftime.

 

“Today he actually behaved himself,” Poole said of B-CU’s head coach. “But at halftime we got threatened that if we didn’t start playing Wildcat football we’d have to practice (after the game).”

 

B-CU played Wildcats football — making big plays on offense, defense and special teams — and trounced NCAA Division II Virginia Union 66-7 in its home opener Saturday at Municipal Stadium.

 

A crowd of 6,478 saw the Wildcats (2-0) surpass 65 points for the first time in three years. B-CU scored on 10 of 13 possessions, including two touchdowns on interception returns, blocked a punt and piled up 464 yards of offense.

 

Jackie Wilson, Quentin Williams and Brock Waters all saw time at quarterback for the Wildcats and they all threw a touchdown pass.

 

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Fakler, Jackson, Kitto lead Xavier to 3rd-place finishes

METAIRIE, La. — Top-four finishes from Catherine Fakler, Kwame Jackson and Brent Kitto led Xavier University of Louisiana on Saturday in the Loyola Wolf Pack Invitational cross country meet at Lafreniere Park.
    
Fakler ran 5,000 meters in 20 minutes, 15.90 seconds — the 24th-fastest 5K in the Gold Nuggets' history — to finish third out of 50 women. Fakler was the first collegiate female to finish, nearly 50 seconds ahead of William Carey's Allison Denetchee.
    
The men ran the same distance, with Jackson placing third in 17:25.56 and Kitto fourth in 17:32.53 in a field of 49. Jackson finished 2-3 among collegians.
    
It was the second time in as many meets this season that Fakler, Jackson and Kitto placed in the top four.
    
Xavier was third in both team standings. The Gold Nuggets, the defending champion, scored 60 points, trailing Loyola (29) and William Carey (53). The Gold Rush scored 56 points to finish third in this meet for the fourth consecutive year but barely missed a second team championship in as many weeks. Loyola won with 53 points, and William Carey had 55.
    
Also finishing for Xavier in the top half of the individual standings were Reeka Belton (11th place, 22:53.30), Hannah Finnegan (17th, 23:24.13), Donyé Coleman (19th, 23:39.09) and Hali Yarmush (24th, 24:17.10) in the women's race and David Holobowicz (11th, 18:05.32) and Christopher August (16th, 18:29.07) in the men's.
    
Individual winners were Laura Carleton (19:38.93) in the women's race and Joseph MacGown (17:03.54) in the men's. Both ran unattached.
    
Both XU teams will compete next Saturday in the Gulf Coast Stampede at Escambia County Equestrian Center in Pensacola, Fla. The women's 5K will start at 7:15 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at 8.

Box scores:  Lourdes    Georgetown

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

Balanced Offense Leads Shaw Past Charleston 44-14

DURHAM, North Carolina — Shaw University garnered 520 yards of total offense on the way to a resounding victory over Charleston (W.Va.) 44-14 Saturday afternoon at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

 

The Bears accumulated 244 yards on the ground and 272 through the air as a trio of Shaw starters announced their presence with outstanding performances.

 

Quinshon Odom started at quarterback for the first time in over a year, and turned in a 23 for 30 performance, good for 264 yards and four touchdowns.

 

"He was our general today," said Shaw head coach Robert Massey of his quarterback.  "He played the game we needed  him to play."

 

Twelve of Odom's receptions were to Kowaski Kitchens - making his debut for the Bears - who set the Shaw single game mark for receptions with his performance.

 

"I coached his high school coach in high school and he helped get him here.  I knew what kind of player he could be if given the chance," said Massey.  "I don't want to make excuses, but he could have done more if he weren't banged up."

 

The third of the offensive triumvirate was running back Marquise Grizzle, who had 147 yards on 26 carried and two touchdowns.  He averaged 5.7 yards per carry.

 

"Grizzle and our running game was strong today," said Massey. "We knew the offensive line was a strength and we felt certain we could run behind them."

 

The Shaw defense held the Golden Eagles to only 148 yards - and only 59 yards through the air.  But that doesn't mean Massey didn't find something to complain about.

"That was too many points," he said.  "We have to stop the running game and force them to pass.  Our strength is in the backfield and we need to play to that."

 

Massey also felt the team let down in the second half.  "We started celebrating at the half like we'd won something.  That's not good football."

 

The game started off well for the Bears, as Charleston muffed the opening kickoff with Shaw's Tavarjia Fuller recovering the ball.  Five plays later - four runs by Grizzle, followed by a 19-yard pass to Kitchens - and the Bears had drawn blood and led 7-0 with just over two minutes gone in the game.

 

With five minutes left in the first quarter, and with Shaw still holding a 7-0 lead, Charleston started a drive that would take them into the second quarter, covering 73 yards in 12 plays, topped by a John Knox 17-yard rush that knotted the score at seven.

 

The score seemed to wake up the Bear offense, as they scored touchdowns on their next five drives, while the Shaw defense held the Golden Eagles to only one yard total in their next five possessions.

 

Grizzle scored the next two touchdowns for the Bears, rushing for nine yards on the first possession, and then breaking off a 25-yard run down the left sideline for his second touchdown of the afternoon.  A missed extra point meant that Shaw held a 20-7 lead.

 

After the Shaw defense held Charleston to only six yards on their next drive, the Bears took possession of the ball at their own 46.  Odom completed four passes on the drive, culminating in an eight-yard strike to Kitchens that made the score 27-7 with less than a minute left in the half.

 

The Bears opened the second half with the ball and Grizzle and Odom combined to cover 69 yards in seven plays, punctuated by 23-yard pass to Kitchens for a critical first down and concluding with a 17-yard strike to David Jordan that gave Shaw - after the extra point - a 34-7 lead.

 

On the first play of the Golden Eagles' next drive, Shaw's Darnell Evans picked off Maurice Leak's pass, returning it to the UC 12.  With the pick, Evans tied the Shaw career mark with 17 interceptions in his three years and one game as a Bear.

 

Two plays later, Odom connected with Tyrone Craig on a 13-yard route that gave the Bears a 41-7 lead with 10:23 left in the third.  The Bears would add a 26-yard field goal from Andres Magallon to up their total to 44.

 

With Shaw playing mostly their second team in the fourth, Charleston put together a nine-play, 69 yard drive to score a touchdown that set the final score to 44-14.

 

Odom connected with six different receivers, with Kitchens hauling in 12 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns, Jordan with five receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown, and Craig with two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown.

 

Marquise Stephens was the Bears' second leading rusher with ten attempts for 54 yards.

 

Defensively, 22 Bears recorded at least one tackle, with three Bears - Fre'Shad Hunter, Darius Moffett and Evans - each collecting five.  Evans had a tackle for a loss as well as his interception.  Francisco Marion had two sacks on the day for a loss of 19 yards.

 

Leak and Knox split time at quarterback for the Golden Eagles, with Leak struggling, hitting only four of 12 attempts, and Knox hitting three of four passes for 30 yards.  Knox was the leading rusher for Charleston with 39 yards.

 

Defensively, Justin Avery had ten tackles to lead the Golden Eagles.

 

The Bears now take to the road for three straight games, beginning next week when they travel to Richmond to take on Virginia Union on Saturday.  Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.  Shaw returns home on Saturday, October 5 when they host Virginia State in a 1:00 p.m. contest.

PHOTO GALLERY

COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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