PVAMU's Heishma Northern preps for Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Growing up in Baton Rouge and attending Glen Oaks High, it was always an aspiration of Prairie View coach Heishma Northern to one day don the blue and gold of Southern.

After finishing his high school career, it became a reality when Northern accepted a scholarship offer to play for the Jaguars. And during his time as a player under coach Pete Richardson, he realized what he hoped to do after playing football: He wanted to become a head coach.

“I’m grateful to Baton Rouge,” said Northern, who played at Southern from 1992-95. “I want to thank Coach Richardson for inspiring me to become a coach. I’ll always remember getting advice from him.”

Three years ago, that goal was realized when Prairie View made Northern its head coach. Heading into Saturday’s game at A.W. Mumford Stadium, Northern is faced with the task of facing the school he once was inspired by.

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TSU coach wants defensive consistency

MEMPHIS, Tennessee  -- So far, Tennessee State’s defense has met most of the lofty expectations.

The Tigers have allowed two touchdowns and are ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense (208.0 yards) in the Football Championship Subdivision. Yet coach Rod Reed is not ready to praise the unit, which has every starter back from last year when it was the best in the Ohio Valley Conference.

“Two games don’t make a good defense,” said Reed, who was the Tigers defensive coordinator before taking over as head coach in 2010. “We’ve got to put together a string of games back to back; we’ve got a long season.”

The chance for the defense to put up another impressive performance comes at 6 p.m. today when TSU (1-1) plays Jackson State (1-1) in the 24th annual Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

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Winston-Salem State trying to find identity

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Finding the identity of his fourth Winston-Salem State team has been a little more difficult than Coach Connell Maynor thought it would be.

He lost losing nearly 30 players from a record-setting 14-1 team and has been trying to find the right combinations from an influx of transfers and younger players.
The first attempt resulted in a 25-21 opening loss at UNC Pembroke. The second will come Saturday, when 20th-ranked WSSU will play Virginia University of Lynchburg at 6 p.m. at Bowman Gray Stadium.

"All phases of the game we have to improve on,” Maynor said. “And offensively (at Pembroke), we turned it over three times, and we had some drops and some blown assignments, so we really played bad, and it was a poorly coached team, and that’s my fault.

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Blue turns red: California native, 26, has fit in well at WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina --  It didn’t take long for tight end Shane Blue, a junior-college transfer from California, to get into the spirit at Winston-Salem State.

Before preseason camp began in early August, Blue dyed part of his hair red to match the school colors.

"I just wanted to kind of make a statement and to show that I was serious about being a Ram,” said Blue, a 26-year-old junior who had five catches for a team-high 67 yards in his WSSU debut, a 25-21 loss to UNC Pembroke. He dropped his first chance, a long pass early in the game, but showed good hands the rest of the way.

Blue said he never expected to be playing football again. He had last played in 2008 at City College of San Francisco. His grandmother died soon after he completed his two years of junior-college eligibility there, and he then decided to open his own production company.

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GAME CENTRAL: SSU Tigers vs. Fort Valley Wildcats at Ted Wright Stadium

SAVANNAH, Georgia

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The Game

Savannah State
Last week, the Savannah State Tigers suffered its second tough loss of the season; a 66-3 defeat at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. The game was the first of two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents the Tigers will face this season.

This week, the Tigers will face the Wildcats of Fort Valley University in SSU's home opener. FVSU is the only Division II program SSU will face this year. The two institutions have a storied history (dating back to their first game in 1934). Since, the teams have played 49 more times with FVSU getting the better of SSU, 35-11-4.

The Tigers will look to snap a four-game losing streak to FVSU dating back to 2000 when SSU won, 37-13, under legendary coach William "Bill" Davis.
SSU will look to turn things around with the help of freshman starting quarterback Leon Prunty.

The Tigers are also eagerly anticipating the return of last season's starter Antonio Bostick, who will make his debut after sitting out the first two games due to academic issues. Despite his return, SSU head coach Earnest Wilson says Prunty will be this week's starter.

Defensively, the Tigers are led by Justin Dixon with 19 tackles and one sack.

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

Fort Valley
Fort Valley State is led by quarterback Eugene Smith, who finished 17-of-37 passing (45.9 percent) for 287 yards against Valdosta State. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior from New Orleans was intercepted one time.

Smith's favorite target is wide receiver De'Angelo Smith, a 6-foot, 193-pound freshman from Camden County. Smith made three catches for 122 yards, including a 72-yard gain, against the Blazers.

Defensively, the Wildcats are led by defensive back Thomas Wolfe, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior from Marietta. He leads the team in tackles with 6.5. Defensive back Ja'Bioas Glenn, a 5-foot-10, 202-pound senior from Vienna, Ga., is second on the team in tackles with six. He also intercepted a pass.

The Wildcats gave up 285 yards passing against Valdosta State and allowed 169 yards on 28 carries.
Fort Valley Website: Click Here

Notes
It's Been A While
The last time SSU defeated FVSU was October 28, 2000. SSU won 37-13 with William "Bill" Davis as head coach.

Back on the Scene
After an 11-year absence, Michael Wallace is back on the sidelines at SSU. Wallace came to SSU as a player in 1986 and left as an assistant coach in 2002. The Clyo, GA native is back at SSU working as inside linebackers/special teams coach.

Learning From Legends
Several SSU coaches have been taught by the best. Earnest Wilson and David Roberson coached under Joe Paterno at Penn State, Willard Scissum played under Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama, Corey Barlow played under Pat Dye at Auburn while Michael Wallace played and coached under William "Bill" Davis at SSU.

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Samford a Pivotal Game for The FAMU Rattlers

 

Samford University vs. Florida A&M University

Rattlers

September 14, 2013
2:00 P.M. EST
Tallahassee, Florida/Bragg Memorial Stadium
Live stream on Rattler Vision
TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Saturday is a highly important game for a team that has yet to define itself. The fact that FAMU has yet to determine what kind of team it is going to be, or who will be its playmakers, can make them a dangerous team since even their opponents aren’t sure just what to expect.

Samford isn’t driving all the way from Birmingham, Alabama to Tallahassee just to take FAMU for granted though. After a loss last week against an FBS opponent the Samford Bulldogs will be eager to establish themselves against an FCS opponent.

For FAMU, it is about showing their own fans that they really are a good team that last week got off to a bad start. That will be important since next week FAMU travels to Ohio to play the Buckeyes.

Samford doesn’t have a football legacy to match Florida A&M’s, but they do have a history worth mentioning.  Samford was originally known as Howard College and their football tradition goes as far back as 1906. The 1959 team is considered one of their best. That was the year a former player and lesser known coach named Bobby Bowden led them to a 9-1 record.

Current Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher was quarterback at Samford in 1987.

But it was Bobby’s son, Coach Terry Bowden that led Samford to a 12-2 record in 1991 and a trip all the way to the semifinals of the Division 1-AA playoffs.

In a tough Southern Conference with ...

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FIU Panthers have their hands full against Bethune-Cookman

The Panthers are the FBS team and playing at home, but the potent Wildcats of the FCS cannot be taken lightly.

MIAMI, Florida  -- Three things you need to know about Bethune-Cookman’s visit to FIU on Saturday night for a football game at 6:

• Bethune’s bringing “The Pride,” the 325-member Marching Wildcats band.
• Bethune comes in ranked No. 23 nationally in the Football Championship Division and has won two of the past three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles.
• Bethune definitely can beat FIU.

The people who make their living betting on games certainly think so. FIU has been a 2 1/2-to-3-point underdog since about two hours after they opened as a favorite. Rarer than an open parking spot the first week of classes is the Football Bowl Subdivision team that’s an underdog to an FCS team.

And at home.

Asked if that bothered him, FIU sophomore running back Lamarq Caldwell said, “It does because we’re all competitors. But at the end of the day, we’ve just got to play good football.”

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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/13/3625451/fiu-panthers-have-their-hands.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/13/3625451/fiu-panthers-have-their-hands.html#storylink=cpy

Nuggets' home opener offers free admission to all at XU

The Gold Nuggets jumped for joy after closing The Barn, XU's
previous home facility, with a five-set victory against SUNO
 on Nov. 1, 2012.

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has announced ticket prices for its 2013 women's volleyball home schedule, which will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday when the Gold Nuggets play Voorhees at the Convocation Center.

Xavier will offer free admission to:
      •  Students with a valid XU ID.
      •  XU faculty and staff.
      •  Children age 12 and younger.
      •  High school teams, which must contact XU coach Hannah Lawing at least 24 hours before a match at (504) 520-7255.

Adult tickets will cost $5. The Convocation Center will open one hour before all home matches.

The Gold Nuggets jumped for joy after closing The Barn, XU's previous home facility, with a five-set victory against SUNO on Nov. 1, 2012.

The Gold Nuggets (6-7) will play at home after 13 consecutive road matches to start the season. It will be the first volleyball match in the Convocation Center, a $25-million facility which seats nearly 4,000 and opened to the public in November. It also will be the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener for the Nuggets, who are two-time defending GCAC regular-season and tournament champions.

Voorhees, which joined the GCAC in July, is the first of three XU home opponents in five days. Xavier will play GCAC opponent Fisk at 7 p.m. Monday and city rival Loyola at 7 p.m. Wednesday.  Approximate address of the Convocation Center is 7910 Stroelitz St., New Orleans LA 70125. The facility is one block from two major streets, South Carrollton and Washington avenues. 

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

Samford Wraps Up Preparation For Florida A&M

   FAMU v SAMFORD GAME ADVISORY

 

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The Samford football team practiced for a little over an hour in shorts and helmets Thursday afternoon at Seibert Stadium. The workout was the final practice of the week for Samford in preparation for Saturday's game at Florida A&M.

Samford co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Brandon Herring said the Bulldog offense will face some different looks than they have in the past two games.

"We're facing a little different style of defense," Herring said. "We had to get all of their stuff in and make sure our guys know what we're looking at. I think we've had a good week of practice."

Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Samford and Florida A&M in football. Both teams enter the game with a record of 1-1. Samford is coming off a 31-21 loss at Arkansas, while FAMU dropped a 27-7 decision to Tennessee State last week.

Herring talked about some areas he'd like to see improvement in from the offense.

"Finishing blocks is a big thing for us," Herring said. "I've been on my guys (offensive linemen) about that. The wide outs played a heck of a game last week as far as blocking goes. If you go back and watch the Arkansas film, they really blocked well. It was really fun to watch them in that game. But everybody as a whole needs to finish their blocks and protect the quarterback."

Samford will hold a final walk-through Friday morning at Seibert Stadium. The team will leave campus at 11:30 a.m. Friday morning for Tallahassee, Fla.

Samford's game against Florida A&M is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (CT) kickoff Saturday from Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. The can be heard locally on FM-99.5 The Vibe, or worldwide on the internet at www.995thevibe.com. Any fans who will be in attendance at Bragg Memorial Stadium Saturday, but would still like to listen to the Samford radio broadcast can hear it in the stadium by tuning their radios to 96.9 FM.

COURTESY SAMFORD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

German returns, will serve as Tennessee State's backup QB

You can view the 2013 guide as a pdf by clicking here.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee  --  Tennessee State played its first two games of the season while two-year starting quarterback Michael German sat out due to a team suspension.

German is eligible to return Saturday night against Jackson State, a Southwestern Athletic Conference team coming off a win over Alabama State, but Tennessee State coach Rod Reed isn't ready to reinstate German as the team's starter just yet. 

Reed told The Tennesseean earlier this week that redshirt freshman Ronald Butler, who has been the starter in German's absence through two games, will continue to start under center. Whether German will see the field Saturday at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium will depend on the play of Butler. As for Jackson State, Reed said the SWAC program has done a solid job this year against very strong opponent. Jackson State opened the season with a loss at Tulane, and rebounded last weekend versus the Hornets. 

"Our next opponent, Jackson State, is a tough opponent," Reed said. "It's been a tough game every year we've gone down there. Up until last year, it's come down to the last drive of the game, the last series. We don't expect anything less."

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TSU Tigers Head to Memphis for Southern Heritage Classic

MEMPHIS, Tennessee -- Coming off of its first win of the season last Saturday against Florida A&M, the Tennessee State football team will look to improve to 2-1 with a victory over Jackson State in 24^th annual Southern Heritage Classic on Sept. 14.

 

TSU found its running game against the Rattlers en route to 268 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. The bulk of the carries (17) went to senior Tim Broughton who responded to the increase in touches with a career-high 124 yards and a score. Redshirt sophomore Telvin Hooks also had a productive afternoon in the ground game, totaling 77 yards on 12 carries and TSU’s other score.

 While the offense was productive last weekend, the defense and special teams primarily attributed to the lopsided 27-7 final score.

The TSU defense was the first unit to light up the scoreboard against FAMU when senior safety David Van Dyke ran back an interception 46 yards for a touchdown. The score set the tone for the day as the Tigers held FAMU to just 156 yards of total offense, 22 rushing yards on 24 carries, forced two turnovers and the Rattlers were 2-of-12 on third down conversions. The Rattlers also only had the ball for 7:26 during the game’s final 30 minutes.

The Big Blue defense is currently ranked second in the FCS in total defense (208 yards/game) and seventh in scoring defense (9.5).

The Tigers also got great production on special teams on Saturday, especially in the return game. Redshirt junior Martine Stevenson returned a kickoff 95 yard for a touchdown, helping the Detriot, Mich. native win a share of the OVC Special Teams Player of the Week.

TSU is now averaging 39 yards per kickoff return which ranks the squad 6^th, nationally.

Tennessee State will need to continue to get good production from all three units against Jackson State (1-1) as JSU is fresh off a 30-23 win over Alabama State this past weekend.

In that game, JSU amassed 484 yards of total offense- 281 of which were through the air. Quarterback Clayton Moore was 14-of-36 in the contest and also passed for two scores.

Most of Moore’s passes went to reigning SWAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Zach Pendelton. Pendelton caught six balls for 177 yards and was on the receiving end of both passing touchdowns.

TSU is 12-11 all-time in the Southern Heritage Classic, but 12-9 in the 21 meetings against Jackson State. TSU lost to Grambling State and Mississippi Valley State in the classic’s only variations of TSU/JSU.

Overall, TSU and JSU have met 46 times on the gridiron and TSU holds a 24-20-2 edge including last year’s 38-12 drilling. Tennessee State is also 8-2 against Jackson State this decade.

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcasted by Fox Sports South on tape delay. Fans who are unable to attend can watch the contest at 10 p.m. CST.

    TSU v. JSU Notes

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMAITON

No. 4 Towson Tigers Return Home to Host Delaware State

LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES: TOWSON
GAME NOTES: DELAWARE STATE

TOWSON, Maryland -- After opening their season with back-to-back wins, Coach Rob Ambrose and the fourth-ranked Tiger football team will make their home debut on Saturday evening, September 14 when the unbeaten Tigers host Delaware State University at 7:30 p.m. at Johnny Unitas® Stadium.

The Tigers, who are 2-0 on the season, will be facing a Delaware State team that opened its season with a loss at Delaware.

“It will be great to play a home game,” said Coach Ambrose. “Unitas Stadium is a great place to play and our players enjoy performing in front of our fans. Delaware State is extremely talented and athletic. Delaware State has a very rich football tradition. Delaware State may have one of the most explosive teams we will play this season.”

The Tigers, who earned their highest national ranking ever in FCS football, own the second-longest winning streak in NCAA FCS (six games). It is also the longest winning streak by a Tiger football team since 1996-97 when the Tigers won six games in a row.



Towson and Delaware State are meeting for the 16^th time in a series that began in 1980. However, the teams have not played since 1994. Towson owns a 9-6 series advantage.

Towson is hoping to extend its history of success in home openers. The Tigers are 34-10 in home openers and have won their last nine home openers. Coach Rob Ambrose is 4-0 in his home openers with two wins over Coastal Carolina and victories over Morgan State and William & Mary.

The Tigers enter their home opener with an explosive offensive team and a defensive unit that has allowed only 25 points in two games.

Led by senior quarterback Peter Athens, the Tiger offense is averaging 41.0 points and 459.0 yards per game. Athens has completed 30 of 43 passes for 424 yards with one interception and three touchdowns. He is 18^th in NCAA FCS in pass efficiency after two games.

Junior running back Terrance West, a strong candidate for the Walter Payton Award, is tied for third in the nation in rushing, averaging 141 yards per game. West, who is the third-leading rusher in school history, has scored four touchdowns in the first two games. In his career, West has scored 48 touchdowns in 23 games.

Led by senior linebacker Telvion Clark, the Tiger defense has allowed only three touchdowns in two games. The Tigers have yet to allow a rushing touchdown.

Towson’s defense ranks first in NCAA FCS in red-zone defense and has allowed only 33 per cent of teams reaching the red zone to score. Clark leads the team with 20 tackles.

Overall, the Tiger defense is ranked 12th in the nation, allowing 276.5 total yards per game.

COURTESY TOWSON UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton Football to hold home opener against Tennessee Tech

HAMPTON, VIRGINIA  -- The Hampton University football team, in search of its first win in 2013, will hold its home opener at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Tennessee Tech.

The Pirates (0-2), in their fifth season under head coach Donovan Rose, lost 31-7 to William & Mary this past Saturday, while the Golden Eagles (1-1), under long-time head coach Watson Brown, are coming off a 48-0 loss to Wisconsin this past Saturday.

So far this season, sophomore quarterback Jaylian Williamson (Chesapeake, Va.) is fourth in the MEAC in passing, averaging 137.0 yards in the air per game. He had a season-high 161 yards and a touchdown at William & Mary this past weekend, going 20-for-36 in the air without an interception.

Williamson is also 10th in the MEAC in pass efficiency at 103.2.

Game Notes



Sophomore wide receiver Rayshad Riddick (Portsmouth, Va.) caught a team-high seven passes for 49 yards at William & Mary, and he is tied for fifth in the MEAC in receptions with 4.5 per contest.

Junior Jorrian Washington (Los Angeles, Calif.) leads the MEAC in kickoff returns, averaging 23.0 yards per return, while senior running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) is sixth in the MEAC in all-purpose yards, averaging 103.0 per game.

Defensively, the Pirates rank third in the conference in yards allowed (322.5 per game), and senior defensive back Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) is tied for second in the MEAC in tackles with 10.5 per contest. Sophomore defensive end Miles Grooms (Richmond, Va.) is averaging 1.5 sacks per game, tying him for sixth in the MEAC.

The Pirates are 0-1 all-time against Tennessee Tech after falling 41-31 on the road to open the 2012 season. This will be Tennessee Tech's first visit to Armstrong Stadium.

Hampton is 0-3 all-time against teams currently in the Ohio Valley Conference, having gone 0-2 all-time against Tennessee State and 0-1 against Tennessee Tech. Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech are the only schools from the OVC that Hampton has faced to this point; the Pirates have never played Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Murray State, Southeast Missouri, or Tennessee-Martin.

The Pirates went 2-2 at home last season, falling 45-7 to Old Dominion on Sept. 8 and 38-26 to Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 29, before picking up wins on Oct. 15, a 28-14 defeat of rival Norfolk State, and on Oct. 27, a 21-13 Homecoming win over Savannah State.

For his career as head coach, Rose is 12-8 at 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 PIRATES SPORTS INFORMATION

TU Football 2013 - Week 2 Interview with LB Quavon Taylor

TUSKEGEE, Alabama  -- The Sophomore linebacker from Miami, Florida talks about becoming a First-Team All-SIAC selection during his Freshman season as a Tuskegee Golden Tiger, then discusses differences between the two games that he has played so far in his collegiate career against Alabama A&M. He then focuses his attention on playing Albany State University this Saturday on the road (Sept. 14th), beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Central

Interview by: Michael Stewart, Sports Information Director, Tuskegee University
Video by: Robin Mardis, Digital Sports Media Specialist, Tuskegee Athletics.

Ram Ramblings: WSSU is no longer radio-free

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- The news that Winston-Salem State’s football games are back on live radio again probably doesn’t mean much to the die-hard fans who faithfully attend home and away games.

But for those fans who can’t get to the games having them readily available on radio is a big deal. And the man mostly responsible for that is Ken Winfrey, who has worked out a deal with radio station WTOB 1380, a Winston-Salem station.

Winfrey, 58, is a long-time public address announcer at North Forsyth who also has done extensive radio work.

“I’ve been helping Bill (Hayes) a little bit on some marketing things and one of the targets was getting the games back on the radio,” Winfrey said. “I was able to get WTOB on board and we’ve got some help from Piedmont Federal.”

WSSU football games haven’t been ...

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FIU Football Hosts Bethune-Cookman, Saturday

THIS GAME WILL BE LIVE VIDEO STREAMED on PantherVision at FIUSports.com

MIAMI, Florida  --  A fun-filled, action-packed evening is in-store for fans attending the FIU football game this Saturday at Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium. FIU will be hosting one of its oldest program rivals in the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The game will not be televised, so the only way to watch it will be on-campus at the stadium.

In addition, fans attending the game will get to watch some of the top Marching Bands in all of college football during pre-game and halftime. Along with the FIU Marching Band, also known as “La Banda del Sol”, FIU welcomes the “Pride of Bethune-Cookman”, the Marching Wildcats.

 

Single game tickets are currently on-sale. Fans can purchase great seats along the sideline ($21) or in the endzone ($15).  Group pricing (20 or more) is also available. Tickets can be purchased by calling the FIU Athletics Ticket Office at (305) FIU-GAME (348-4263) or conveniently online at FIUSports.com.

 

Known as “The Pride,” the 325-member Marching Wildcats, under the direction of Donovan Wells, not only includes traditional instrumentalists; it also showcases the ‘Sophisticat Flag Corps’ and the ‘14 Karat Gold dancers’.  

 

The 14 Karat Gold dancers can be seen frequently in BET video clips promoting Black colleges. The Sophisticat Flag Corps blends traditional flag techniques with innovative choreography to create highly entertaining presentation. The Marching Wildcats have long drawn national attention and have performed in many of the top holiday parades across the country.

 

FIU and Bethune-Cookman first met on the football field during the first two seasons of Panther football in 2002 and 2003.

 

Click HERE to view FIU-Bethune-Cookman Game Notes

Click HERE to listen to the FIU Sports Radio Network

COURTESY FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS.COM

5th Annual Two Rivers Classic Preview: UNC Pembroke at Fayetteville State

UNC PEMBROKE (1-0) at FAYETTEVILLE STATE (0-1)
GAME 2: Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 • 6:00 p.m.
5th Annual "TWO RIVERS CLASSIC"
Luther "Nick' Jerards Stadium
Fayetteville, NC
Series vs. UNCP: 5th Meeting

FSU Gamenotes | Weekly Press Conference

THE EVENT: The Two Rivers Classic was developed by FSU's AD (Dr. Edward McLean) in order to expand the FSU audience and positively expose the overall talents of its student-athletes. The concept of the weekend derived from McLean's exploits at Elizabeth City State when he developed the "Down East Classic".

The classic is scheduled to rotate between the campuses and the winning team would hoist the classic's cup.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a public, co-educational, historically American Indian liberal arts university located in the town of Pembroke in Robeson County. The Lumber River (or Lumbee River) winds through Robeson County and extends downstream to the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Soon after crossing into South Carolina, the Lumber River makes its way into the Atlantic Ocean near Georgetown, SC.

Fayetteville State University is a four-year public comprehensive regional university. The HBCU is located in the city of Fayetteville in Cumberland County. The Cape Fear River flows southeast and widening as an estuary and enters the Atlantic Ocean approximately 3 miles west of Cape Fear. The two institutions are located approximately 47 miles apart.

THE GAME: The fifth annual "Two Rivers Classic" will have a change in weekends when the Broncos and the Braves of UNC Pembroke meet-up in Jeralds Stadium. The event, which developed into an instant rivalry, will now be the weekend following the Labor Day holiday. Fayetteville State will look to achieve its first win in the four-year history on September 14 at 6:00 pm. The classic will feature a golf tournament and a Day-Party. FSU lost the inaugural game 34-41 in triple-overtime and last season 21-31.

THE SERIES: The Broncos and the Trojans have enjoyed a lengthy series in CIAA play since their first meeting in 1924, an 82-0 Virginia State landslide in Petersburg, VA. More recently in 2011, Fayetteville State handed VSU a 49-21 televised loss in Fayetteville.

BRONCOS FOOTBALL ON THE RADIO: For the fourth-straight year Broncos football will air on WFSS-FM 91.9. WFSS will broadcast all 10 regular season games. Donal Ware (play-by-play) and Eric Curry will have the call beginning with the pregame show 30 minutes prior to kickoff. WFSS' signal reaches East to West from Goldsboro to Rockingham and North to South from Raleigh into South Carolina. The games can also be heard online or through mobile devices at www.wfss.org The FSU Coaches Show with Lawrence Kershaw airs each Thursday from 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. on WFSS. Donal Ware talks with Coach Kershaw about the previous game and the upcoming opponent.

COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

A&T's victory over Appalachian State shakes up Aggie Nation

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The echoes of N.C. A&T’s victory on a football field in Boone continue to roll down the mountain.

Four days later, there remained a joyful noise on and around the A&T campus. The sound waves rippled outward to Aggies enclaves as far away as Washington and Atlanta.

Bottom line: Beating Appalachian State 24-21 on Saturday night was a pretty big deal.

For the casual football fan, know this:

From 2005-2007, Appalachian won three consecutive FCS national championships. Those same three seasons, A&T went 3-30 and suffered through a 27-game losing streak.

The last time the two teams played, in 2011, Appalachian won 58-6.

That was then. This is now.

CONTINUE READING

A&T women basketball team eyeing season opener

GREENSBORO, North Carolina - The A&T women’s basketball team, a program that has put together four 20-win seasons in six years, will open its 2013-14 season in Hamden, Conn., Nov. 8 against Quinnipiac.

The game is part of the Preseason Women’s NIT. The winner would face the Loyola (Ill.)-Louisville winner in the second round on Nov. 10. Louisville reached the NCAA championship game last season.

Semifinals are Nov. 14, and the final is Nov. 17. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games Nov. 15-16.

A&T’s first home game will be Nov. 21 against Davidson. A&T’s conference schedule includes the return of Hampton, the four-time defending MEAC champion. The Pirates and Aggies finished 1-2 in the conference last season but have not played each other since Jan. 17, 2011. The two teams will play at Hampton on March 6.

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WEEK 3: S.C. State Bulldog Weekly Press Conference

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  South Carolina State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough talks about last week's 52-13 defeat to #3 nationally-ranked Clemson, and this week's opponent SWAC foe Alabama A&M.

South Carolina State claimed the tenth spot in the SBN Poll in Week. Alabama A&M is coming off a tough loss to Tuskegee on last week.

Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College Football Poll
Rank School W-L Pts. Previous Rank
As of September 9, 2013, at 05:03 PM ET

1. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (23)	2-0	264	2
2. North Carolina A&T Aggies (7)	1-0	219	5
3. Tuskegee Golden Tigers	1-0	193	4
4. Tennessee State Tigers	1-1	172	6
5. Winston-Salem State Rams	0-1	165	1
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions	0-2	138	3
7. Jackson State Tigers	1-1	96	7
8. Howard Bison	1-1	77	10
9. Florida A&M Rattlers	1-1	49	8
10. South Carolina State Bulldogs	0-2	37	NR

Others receiving votes (in order of points): North Carolina Central 23, Alabama State 17, Alabama A&M 15, Prairie View A&M 11, Elizabeth City State 8. COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern Heritage Classic Tickets On Sale

MEMPHIS, Tennessee  --  Tickets are still on sale for the 24th Annual Southern Heritage Classic. Don't miss TSU in action against Jackson State on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. in Memphis, Tenn. Purchase your tickets today by visiting the TSU Ticket Office. Contact the Ticket Office at (615) 963-5841.

For more information on the Southern Heritage Classic click here.

ODU Monarchs Host Howard Bison in Home Opener on Saturday

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Old Dominion University football Monarchs host Howard on Saturday, Sept. 14 in the home opener.

 

Notes about the Game • After facing the first two FBS opponents in school history, Old Dominion comes to Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium for the 2013 home opener against Howard.

• Junior Cam Boyd gave the Monarchs a boost off the bench, rushing for a team-best 58 yards and scoring the only TD of the game for ODU.  On that scoring drive, Boyd carried the ball seven times for 41 yards.

• Wide receivers Melvin Vaughn and Gerard Shillow caught their first career passes for ODU.  Vaughan caught a pass over the middle and broke several tackles before being brought down after a gain of 30 yards.

• Junior Cam Boyd gave the Monarchs a boost off the bench, rushing for a team-best 58 yards and scoring the only TD of the game for ODU.  On that scoring drive, Boyd carried the ball seven times for 41 yards.

• Wide receivers Melvin Vaughn and Gerard Shillow caught their first career passes for ODU.  Vaughan caught a pass over the middle and broke several tackles before being brought down after a gain of 30 yards.

• For the first time in school history, Old Dominion played its first two games of the season away from home.  ODU is 3-1 in home openers, the only loss coming in 2010, a 35-25 setback to Jacksonville.

• Old Dominion is 8-0 against schools from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.  ODU has a pair of wins over Savannah State and North Carolina Central and a win over Norfolk State in the 2011 playoffs.  ODU is 3-0 against Hampton.  This will be ODU's first ever meeting with Howard

• ODU is 38-12 under head coach Bobby Wilder, appearing in the FCS playoffs the only two years they were eligible for a postseason bid.

• After never catching more than six passes in a game, Larry Pinkard caught eight in the opener at ECU and a team-best seven for 96 yards last week at Maryland.  Pinkard has just missed a 100-yard receiving game both times. On the field for the First Time ODU had 19 players play a collegiate game for the first time last Saturday at East Carolina.  Seven more Monarchs saw their first collegiate action in week two at Maryland.

COURTESY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern U wants to reverse fortunes in Week 3

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern football coach Dawson Odums identified three key facets the Jaguars will emphasize this week as they prepare for Saturday’s Southwestern Conference opener against Prairie View:

Rushing offense, rushing defense and special teams play.

The Jaguars’ ground game has accumulated a meager 165 yards rushing in their first two games, while the defense has been gashed for 564 yards rushing.

Freshman punter Paul Randall Soden averaged just 27.7 yards on nine punts in Saturday’s 55-14 loss to Northwestern State.

“If we correct those three areas, I think it would really improve our chances of winning football games,” Odums said.

CONTINUE READING

Grambling State completes buyout of head coach Doug Williams' contract

Coach George Ragsdale

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  --  Grambling State University running backs coach George Ragsdale has assumed head football coaching duties, effective immediately.

Ragsdale becomes interim head coach as the Tigers head to the Missouri Classic in Kansas City with a 0-2 record. The G-Men finished the 2012 season with a record of 1-10. Head football coach Doug Williams was released from his position, effective immediately. The university has decided to move in another direction, buying out the remainder of his contract.

“We recognize Doug Williams’ many contributions to our football legacy,” said Pogue, “and we express our deep appreciation for his service to Grambling State University and we wish him well in the future.”

Ragsdale has coached in the SWAC and MEAC, including coaching at North Carolina A&T State University, Norfolk State University, Morris Brown College and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He was a four-year letterman at A&T, his alma mater, and he still holds the school’s all-time rushing record and he helped the school reach its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship in 1975.

Ragsdale played with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Redskins. He also played in the United States Football League (USFL) with the Oklahoma Outlaws.

The university will have no further comment at this time.

COURTESY GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

SHSU: Texas Southern Tigers & Ocean of Soul Coming Saturday

LAST WEEK GAME: SHSU Bearkats at Texas A&M Aggies




Texas Southern Tigers at Sam Houston State Bearkats

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- The Texas Southern Tigers from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the renowned TSU “Ocean of Soul” marching band both invade Elliott T. Bowers Stadium Saturday.

The Tigers and the Bearkats kick off at 2:07 p.m. Saturday in a game being televised regionally by Comcast SportsNet Houston (CSN).

Sam Houston stands 1-1 for the year, defeating Houston Baptist 74-0 in the home opener August 31 and falling to FBS No. 6 Texas A&M 65-28 last week in College Station. Texas Southern stands 0-1 after a 37-13 loss to Prairie View A&M in the annual Labor Day Classic at Reliant Stadium two weeks ago.

At halftime both the Ocean of Soul and the Bearkat Marching Band will perform.

The Tigers and the Bearkats are battling for the 15th time in their football histories. Sam Houston holds a 9-5 advantage in the series with victories in the pair’s last two meetings. The first meeting between the two came in 1973 at the Astrodome in Houston with Texas Southern winning 24-14.

Sam Houston owns a 6-1 record against the Tigers at Bowers Stadium. Last year the Kats won 50-6 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.

Sam Houston’s victory over HBU two weeks ago extended the Bearkats’ home winning streak to a school record tying 15 games. The streak stands as the current longest home mark by an FCS team.



The Kats’ 25-5 record in 2011 and 2012, the back-to-back league titles and consecutive NCAA Division I FCS No. 2 final national rankings represent the most successful consecutive seasons in the university’s history.

Last year, the Bearkats defeated Texas Southern 50-6 in Houston at BBVA Compass Stadium on Sept. 27, 2012.

The Bearkats rolled up 558 yards total offense while holding the Tigers to 165 yards.

Dax Swanson picked off his 12th career interception and Kenneth Jenkins scored only the second defensive PAT return in SHSU history, picking up a blocked extra point after TSU’s only touchdown and running all the way to the other end zone.

Freshman wide receiver Chance Nelson caught three passes for 127 yards including a 61-yard touchdown pass from Brian Bell for SHSU’s first tally.

Keshawn Hill led the Bearkats in rushing with six carries for 74 yards including a 36-yard scoring run. Bell completed 10 of 15 passes for 208 yards.

Linebacker Darius Taylor totaled eight tackles including two quarterback sacks. Andrew Weaver and Jesse Beauchamp each totaled six stops.

An interception return by Steven White to the SHSU 14 set up a 16 yard scoring pass from Justice Jones to James Davis to give the Tigers their only points of the game with 12:11 to go in the second quarter.


0:00 - Get Lucky 1:24 - Memories Back Then
3:26 - Crooked Smile 5:20 - I'm So Glad...
6:36 - How You Gonna Act Like That 6:59 - Don't Let Go
WATCH ALL VIDEOS IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

Tickets for the Texas Southern game as well as the remaining five other home contests at Bowers Stadium this season plus the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” versus SFA at Reliant Stadium Nov. 2 are available online now at www.gobearkats.com .

Fans also may purchase tickets at the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium. The ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.

Saturday, the Bowers Stadium west side ticket office (located under the press box) will open at 10 a.m. for game day sales. Bearkat Alley Tailgate will begin at 12 noon. Gates will open at 12:30 p.m.

COURTESY SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY GoBearkats.com

Samford Bulldogs Turns Attention To Florida A&M Rattlers Game

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The Samford football team practiced for about two hours in full pads Tuesday afternoon at Seibert Stadium. The Bulldogs began implementing their game plan for Saturday afternoon's game at Florida A&M.

The Bulldogs enter Saturday's game with a record of 1-1 on the young season after dropping a 31-21 decision at Arkansas last Saturday night. Samford co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Travis Trickett said the players came out ready to work during Tuesday's practice.

"Our guys came out with their minds made up that they wanted to work," Trickett said. "I think they still have a bad taste in their mouth from Saturday, but our guys came out focused today and got after it."



Florida A&M also enters the week with a record of 1-1 after falling to Tennessee State, 27-7, last weekend. Trickett said he has been impressed with what he has seen so far from the Rattlers.

"They have good athletes, they're aggressive," Trickett said. "Their defensive coordinator is Levon Kirkland, their head coach is Earl Holmes, two NFL All-Pro linebackers, so their mentality is to attack and get after you. We have to go to Tallahassee, to their home, their fans will be excited for them, so we have a great challenge."

Trickett talked about some of the keys to Samford coming away with a win Saturday afternoon.
"We have to make sure we execute our offense, because they are going to bring a lot of stuff that we aren't used to seeing on a day-to-day basis," Trickett said.

Samford will practice again on Wednesday. The workout is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.

Samford's game against Florida A&M is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (CT) kickoff Saturday from Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. The can be heard locally on FM-99.5 The Vibe, or worldwide on the internet at www.995thevibe.com. Any fans who will be in attendance at Bragg Memorial Stadium Saturday, but would still like to listen to the Samford radio broadcast can hear it in the stadium by tuning their radios to 96.9 FM.

COURTESY SAMFORD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS