JACKSON, Mississippi -- So much for needing a passing attack.
Jackson State scored solely with runs on Thursday en route to a 35-7 victory against Texas Southern, keeping the Tigers perfect in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.
“It doesn‘t matter who we play, as long as we execute our offense,” JSU quarterback Clayton Moore said.
The biggest issue JSU has had in executing its offense has been limiting turnovers. Against Texas Southern, the Tigers played relatively clean football.
Coming off a four-interception performance, Moore did not throw a pick in his 16 attempts. But that’s what happens when you don’t throw the ball as much. Jackson State had more rushing yards than passing yards, finishing the night with 214 yards on the ground compared to 81 in the air.
CONTINUE READING
Friday, September 20, 2013
Hard to work up much venom for Florida A&M
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- I keep dreaming as I approach the press entrance to Ohio Stadium on Saturday, one of the red coats shoos me away.
“Go home. Nothing to see here. Wrong A&M.”
Got that right. The powers-that-be at Ohio State aren’t giving you Johnny Football for those tickets you bought with your kids’ inheritance. You’re getting Damien Football.
Doesn’t quite have the same ring. Nor does Damien Fleming’s stat line — 48 percent completion rate, two touchdowns, five interceptions — inspire Heisman talk.
Yes, Kenny Guiton could start for the Rattlers. Heck, Joe Bauserman could start for them.
“Go home. Nothing to see here. Wrong A&M.”
Got that right. The powers-that-be at Ohio State aren’t giving you Johnny Football for those tickets you bought with your kids’ inheritance. You’re getting Damien Football.
Doesn’t quite have the same ring. Nor does Damien Fleming’s stat line — 48 percent completion rate, two touchdowns, five interceptions — inspire Heisman talk.
Yes, Kenny Guiton could start for the Rattlers. Heck, Joe Bauserman could start for them.
CONTINUE READING
Savannah State-Miami Preview Capsule
MIAMI, Florida -- No. 16 Miami (2-0) vs. Savannah State (1-2), 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
Line: No line.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Nothing. Savannah State played two ranked teams last season. The Tigers got outscored 139-0 in those meetings with Oklahoma State and Florida State, got outgained 1,095-167 — and it would have almost certainly been worse if the final 24 minutes of the game against the Seminoles were not canceled because of lightning.
KEY MATCHUP
Miami DE Anthony Chickillo vs. Savannah State QB Anthony Bostick. Chickillo and the rest of Miami's defensive line will see multiple looks from Bostick, which should serve as a good primer for the rest of the season and a good test to gauge how quickly the Hurricanes can react to unexpected formations.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Savannah State: WR Simon Heyward. It would make sense for the Tigers to try some razzle-dazzle, and Heyward is the best candidate for big plays against Miami's secondary.
Miami: S Deon Bush. Might this be the week where Miami's injured safety gets his first game action of the season? If Bush plays, it's a big boost for Miami going forward, especially with the Atlantic Coast Conference opener two weeks away.
CONTINUE READING
Line: No line.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Nothing. Savannah State played two ranked teams last season. The Tigers got outscored 139-0 in those meetings with Oklahoma State and Florida State, got outgained 1,095-167 — and it would have almost certainly been worse if the final 24 minutes of the game against the Seminoles were not canceled because of lightning.
KEY MATCHUP
Miami DE Anthony Chickillo vs. Savannah State QB Anthony Bostick. Chickillo and the rest of Miami's defensive line will see multiple looks from Bostick, which should serve as a good primer for the rest of the season and a good test to gauge how quickly the Hurricanes can react to unexpected formations.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Savannah State: WR Simon Heyward. It would make sense for the Tigers to try some razzle-dazzle, and Heyward is the best candidate for big plays against Miami's secondary.
Miami: S Deon Bush. Might this be the week where Miami's injured safety gets his first game action of the season? If Bush plays, it's a big boost for Miami going forward, especially with the Atlantic Coast Conference opener two weeks away.
CONTINUE READING
NSU Spartans Return from Bye Week, Host Charleston Southern for Community Day
Game Notes | Watch Live | Live Statistics | Listen Live | Twitter Updates
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Coming off its lone bye week of the 2013 season, the Norfolk State football team returns home this Saturday to host Charleston Southern for Community Day. The Spartans will be looking to avoid an 0-3 start and hand the Buccaneers of the Big South Conference their first loss of the year. Kickoff is 4 p.m. at Dick Price Stadium.
The game has been designated Community Day. Fans can buy special four-packs which included four general admission tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $40.
MEDIA COVERAGE• Radio: NSU Sports Network, 1490 AM The Game/WNSB Hot 91.1 FM
(Play-by-Play: Ross Gordon; Color: Maguell Davis; Pre-Game: Gordon, Davis and Matt Michalec)
• Live Video: www.nsuspartans.com/showcase (requires subscription)
• Live Statistics: http://www.sidearmstats.com/nsu/football/
• Audio Stream: www.nsuspartans.com (click "Live Audio" link under Inside Athletics tab)
• Twitter Updates: @NSUSpartans
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
NSU, coming off a bye week last Saturday, heads into this week's matchup at 0-2 on the season following a 38-0 defeat at Rutgers on Sept. 7. The Spartans suffered from poor field position throughout the day, as Rutgers began all five of its touchdown drives in NSU territory. The Spartans finished with just six fi rst downs and 133 yards of total offense in their third all-time meeting with the Scarlet Knights.
Rolandan Finch rushed 13 times for 46 yards and leads NSU with 126 yards (63.0 ypg) so far. Lamar Neal led a game defensive effort with a career-high 10 tackles. Marcell Coke had seven tackles, an interception, a pass breakup and half a sack. The Spartans are attempting to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2005, head coach Pete Adrian's first season at the helm of the program.
SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS
Charleston Southern is 3-0 for just the second time in school history after a 30-10 win at Campbell University last Saturday. The Buccaneers rushed for 327 yards as a team. Both quarterback Malcolm Dixon and running back Christian Reyes topped 100 yards on the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns apiece. Dixon led the way with 135 yards rushing and also passed for 140.
The Buccaneers, who also have wins over The Citadel and Shorter this year, have been led by Dixon, their senior quarterback. He has passed for 404 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 237 yards. Reyes paces the team with 253 rushing yards and three scores this year. Kevin Glears has been the top receiving weapon, as he has three TD catches among his five receptions. Defensively, CSU is yielding just 18 points and 97 passing yards per game.
THE SERIES
• NSU holds a 1-0 series lead with Charleston Southern. The Spartans won 33-3 at CSU in 2011 during their MEAC championship season.
• The Spartans are 4-4 all-time against teams currently in the Big South Conference, but are 4-0 during head coach Pete Adrian's tenure.
QUICK HITS FROM RUTGERS
More news and notes from the loss to Rutgers on Sept. 7:
• NSU remained scoreless against Rutgers in three meetings. The Scarlet Knights have outscored the Spartans 128-0 in those contests.
• The Spartans are also now 0-6 all-time against FBS schools.
• The following had career highs in tackles: LB Lamar Neal (10), DB Darrin Marrow (nine), LB Deon King (nine) and LB Mike Privott (seven).
• WR James Church (1-5), TE James Lynch (1-8) and Aaron Daniels (2-16) made their first career catches.
• ILB Marcell Coke had his second career interception, which he returned 22 yards into Rutgers territory in the second quarter.
• OLB Jay Anderson saw his first career action and assisted on one tackle.
QB IN QUESTION
Redshirt sophomores Tyler Clark, Malik Stokes and Omari Timmons - three transfers - battled during training camp to take the quarterback spot held most of last year by Nico Flores, a redshirt senior who will not play in the first four games of the year due to an academic suspension. Clark, an ODU transfer, got the start against Maine, but went just 3-of-8 for 40 yards with an interception. He was sacked four times. Stokes played extensively, but completed just 10-of-29 passes for 104 yards. He did account for NSU's lone score on a 34-yard TD pass to Joseph Hawkins in the second quarter.
Stokes, who transferred from Rutgers, started against Rutgers but went 0-for-10 with an interception. Clark and Timmons (a transfer from Albright College) also played. The trio went 8-of-27 for 74 yards. Through two games, the trio has completed 21-of-65 (32.3 percent) for 218 yards with one TD and two interceptions. Timmons has been given the nod to make his first career start this week.
LAST SERIES MEETING
Chris Walley completed 20 of 23 passes for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Spartans outgained host Charleston Southern 519-141 en route to a 33-3 non-conference win on Sept. 24, 2011 at Buccaneer Field in the teams' prior meeting. Running back Takeem Hedgeman ran for 105 yards on 15 carries, and receivers Victor Hairston and Xavier Boyce both topped the 100-yard receiving mark and caught a touchdown pass for NSU.
The defense got 12 tackles from linebacker Corwin Hammond and four sacks (from four different players). Marcus Center accounted for the only turnover of the game with a fourth-quarter interception. Walley hit Boyce on a 13-yard TD pass on the first possession of the game. After a three-and-out by CSU, the Spartans needed just one play to score their next TD as Walley found Hairston for a 67-yard TD. Later in the quarter, Ryan Estep hit a 23-yard field goal, the first of his three on the afternoon, to give the Spartans a 17-0 edge.
NSU led 17-3 at halftime and cruised in the second half. The Spartans took their opening possession of the third quarter and drove 80 yards in 12 plays. Nico Flores capped the drive with a 1-yard run, his first TD as a Spartan, to extend the advantage to 24-3. NSU would tack on three more fi eld goals to account for the final margin. Estep connected from 19 and 20 yards out, and Everett Goldberg hit a 47-yarder.
CSU had 55 yards rushing on 45 carries.
SPARTANS IN THE NATIONAL FCS RANKINGS
The Spartans enter this week's game trying to pick up the pace on offense. The Spartans are currently last out of 113 teams in the FCS rankings in both scoring offense (3.0 ppg) and total offense (178.5 ypg). NSU also ranks lower than 100 in rushing offense (106th - 69.5 ypg) and total offense (107th - 109.0 ypg).
By Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
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TSU to Open OVC Slate at Tennessee Tech on ESPN3
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Saturday Sept. 21, the Tennessee State football team will hit the road once
again, this time to Tennessee Tech for the first Ohio Valley Conference game of
the season.
During last
weekend’s, 26-16, victory over Jackson State, the TSU (2-1) defense forced six
turnovers by six different players. It was the most for the team since Oct. 13,
2005 against Tennessee Tech when the Tigers forced seven. TSU is fourth,
nationally in takeaways with nine.
Senior safety
David Van Dyke recorded one of the club’s five interceptions on the night,
giving him three picks on the year. He is currently tied for the FCS lead in
interceptions with seven other players.
Tennessee State
also only allowed one offensive touchdown versus JSU and it was just the third
touchdown surrendered by the unit on the year. Big Blue is ranked No. 6 in
points per game allowed (11.7).
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | RADIO | WATCH LIVE
Jackson State
managed 367 yards of total offense against TSU, but the defense still ranks
first among OVC schools in total defense (261 ypg), rush defense (116 ypg), pass
defense (145) and scoring defense.
While the defense
has been stout so far this season, the Big Blue offense is still trying to find
its way. TSU mustered 285 yards in Memphis, but just 111 of those came through
the air.
Freshman
quarterback Ronald Butler started the game for the Tigers and completed
five-of-eight passes for 69 yards in the opening quarter. He was spelled for
redshirt junior Michael German to begin the second period, but German was
4-of-14 during his 45 minutes of action for 42 yards- his lowest since his first
ever collegiate game.
While the passing
game struggled at the Southern Heritage Classic, the rushing attack flourished
with Telvin Hooks and Tim Broughton tallying 92 and 91 yards,
respectively.
During the past
two weeks, TSU has averaged 221 yards on the ground per contest.
The Tigers will
need to continue to get good results from their defense and get their offense on
track when they travel to Cookeville to square off against Tennessee Tech
(2-1).
The Golden Eagles
come into Saturday’s contest flying high, having defeated Hampton, 30-27, last
weekend. Tech’s defense was impressive against the Pirates, holding them to 245
yards of total offense.
TTU has the
second-best passing defense in the conference, allowing opponents just an
average of 153.3 yards per game through the air.
Golden Eagles
quarterback Darian Stone completed 14-of-28 attempts for 158 yards and a score
at Hampton, and most of his passes went Cody Matthews who finished the day with
nine grabs, 114 yards and a touchdown.
Stone is fifth in
the OVC in total offense per game, averaging 156.3 yards per contest.
TSU is 15-10
all-time against TTU and the Tigers are 7-2 in the past nine meetings including
last year’s 22-21, thrilling victory in the Hole. TSU also won the last contest
at Tech, 42-40, when the Golden Eagles were ranked No. 19 in the FCS at the
time.
Tennessee State is
12-13 all-time in OVC openers dating back to 1987 and the squad will try to get
back to .500 on Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and fans can
watch the game online on ESPN3.
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OSU's Meyer wants 'clean, fast' win vs. Florida A&M
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- What's brewing with the 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes ...
BUCKEYES BUZZ: There are different ways to judge how a team plays.
Of course, there's always the final score. But sometimes, particularly when the teams aren't on the same scale in terms of talent, there are other measures.
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was asked how he will gauge Saturday's noon game against Florida A&M, other than the final score.
"A clean, fast (game), competitive spirit and to win the game," he said. "That's what our goal is and that's the way we practiced. I want to come out of the chute fast — that'd be four games in a row. Four games in a row. There's different ways to evaluate teams and how you come out of the locker room (before the game and at the half) is an indication of whether the kids like to play or not. Not just talent, but if they like to play. Our guys have come out three in a row, so I'm pushing that again real hard."
CONTINUE READING
BUCKEYES BUZZ: There are different ways to judge how a team plays.
Of course, there's always the final score. But sometimes, particularly when the teams aren't on the same scale in terms of talent, there are other measures.
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was asked how he will gauge Saturday's noon game against Florida A&M, other than the final score.
"A clean, fast (game), competitive spirit and to win the game," he said. "That's what our goal is and that's the way we practiced. I want to come out of the chute fast — that'd be four games in a row. Four games in a row. There's different ways to evaluate teams and how you come out of the locker room (before the game and at the half) is an indication of whether the kids like to play or not. Not just talent, but if they like to play. Our guys have come out three in a row, so I'm pushing that again real hard."
CONTINUE READING
Conference pride on the line in Tuskegee's matchup against D-II national runner-up WSSU
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's not just another game.
Sure, it's an early-season, non-conference matchup but Tuskegee's scheduled tilt against Winston-Salem State (N.C.) is big.
The game, scheduled for a noon kickoff and being billed as the Cleveland Classic, will be played at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the NFL's Browns.
It pits two teams from rival conference, both ranked in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll, against each other.
"CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) schools are tough," Tuskegee coach Willie Slater said. "They've always been tough to me. Every time we play them they're always physical and they're just tough. They have very good players."
Both teams captured conference crowns last season and the Rams advanced all the way to the Division II national championship, becoming the first historically black college to play for a championship since Florida A&M won the inaugural Division I-AA national title in 1978.
Junior a big hit at WSSU
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Jerome Junior didn’t arrive at Winston-Salem State to take it easy, play a little football and hope to be part of a winning program.Junior, a hard-hitting safety and intense competitor, wants a lot more — and he’s intent on proving it.
"He’s been a leader since Day One,” said Richard Hayes an assistant coach for the Rams. “He’s immersed himself into everything that we do.”
Even though he’s new to the program, Junior — who graduated from Connecticut last spring — was allowed to address the team after practice last Monday. It was their first practice after a season-opening 25-21 loss to UNC Pembroke and Junior wanted to be heard.
"I said a few things,” Junior said. “But I mostly just talked about how we have a lot more things we can accomplish. We lost the game but we can’t have our heads down and be sad.”
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Thursday, September 19, 2013
LIVE FOOTBALL TONIGHT: Jackson State vs. Texas Southern on ESPNU at 7:30 PM ET
JACKSON, Mississippi -- The Game: The Jackson State Tigers and the Texas Southern Tigers square off in a Thursday night game on September 19 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU. The two teams meet for the 58th time on the gridiron. JSU holds a 38-18-1 series advantage. The two teams have split the last four games with Texas Southern winning in 2009 and 2010. JSU won the last two games in 2011 and 2012. Both teams are looking to rebound from disappointing losses. JSU (1-2) fell 26-16 to Tennessee State on Saturday during the 2013 Southern Heritage Classic and Texas Southern (0-2) fell 55-17 to Sam Houston State. With Thursday night’s game being nationally televised on ESPNU both the JSU Tigers and the TXSO Tigers look to bounce back.Head Coach Rick Comegy: Jackson State head coach Rick Comegy (Millersville, ‘76) enters his eighth season at the helm of the Tigers’ football program. He comes into the game with a 49-34 overall record at JSU and a 157-84 career record. Over the previous seven seasons, Comegy has led the Tigers to six winning seasons, three Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division titles and one SWAC championship. Last season the Tigers fell just short of claiming a second SWAC championship by falling 24-21 in OT to Arkansas Pine Bluff in the conference title game at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. Prior to coming to Jackson State, Comegy was the head coach at Tuskegee University where he won four Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships (NCAA D-II), three Pioneer Bowl crowns and a Black College National Championship (2000). In 2000 his Tuskegee Tigers recorded a perfect 12-0 record. Since coming to JSU Comegy has a -25 record against Texas Southern.
Jackson State Game Notes (TXSO)
Jackson State Updated 2013 Stats
Texas Southern Game Notes
Live Stats
Scouting Texas Southern: The Texas Southern Tigers enter Thursday’s game with a 0-2 record. TXSO fell 55-17 to Sam Houston State on Saturday and 37-13 to Prairie View A&M in the team’s season opener. The TXSO offense is led by Daveonn Porter, who leads the team in rushing with 197 yards through two games. He is averaging 98.5 yards per game and has one touchdown. Homer Causey is the signal caller with the most attempts on the team. To date he has passed for 163 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions. He has completed 15 of his 27 pass attempts. So far, his favorite target has been Dedric Shipman, who has hauled in seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, TXSO is led by Darveon Trahan who has a 24 tackles.
Texas Southern Head Coach Darrell Asberry: Darrell Asberry was named the 15th head coach of the Texas Southern Tigers team in December 2011 by athletics director Dr. Charles McClelland. Asberry was the head coach at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC for the previous five seasons. The Baton Rouge, LA native is a 1994 graduate of Jackson State University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He lettered two seasons as a quarterback at JSU, earning the team’s MVP award as a senior. After his collegiate career, he played professionally as a wide receiver and quarterback with the Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League (1994-95) and as a wide receiver with the Amsterdam Admirals of the World League of American Football (1995-96). In 1999, he returned to his alma maters as the running backs coach before being promoted to Offensive Coordinator in 2000. In 2001, JSU led NCAA Division I-AA in passing yards, and in 2012 the JSU Tigers led the nation in total offensive yards.
Last JSU – Texas Southern Meeting: When the two teams met last season, JSU defeated Texas Southern 45-35 at TXSO’s new stadium (BBVA Compass). The win was Jackson State’s first of the 2012 season. Not only did JSU win the game, but the Tigers also identified their starting signal caller in Clayton Moore. Moore got his first start in a JSU uniform and passed 363 yards and three touchdowns against TXSO. He also ran 101 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Rico Richardson caught eight passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Joseph LeBeau led the Tigers defensive effort, finishing with eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Next Game: Jackson State will return to action September 28 when the Tigers travel to Baton Rouge, La. to face Southern University Jaguars.
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MEAC teams seek more than paycheck: Respect on line in big games
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- You hear it every football season around this time, when FBS programs take on smaller FCS schools. The smaller teams often dismiss the underdog role.“We are just going to go out, play hard and hit hard,” said FAMU linebacker Bobby Jackson, responding to a question earlier this week about Saturday’s game against Ohio State.
Savannah State, one of three MEAC teams that will face off against FBS opponents this weekend, has been written off as an easy win for Miami since the day that the game was announced.
“We are by no means going in there to lie down,” said Earnest Wilson, who is in his first season as head coach at Savannah State.
Of course, the other big-against-small match-up of interest pits FSU against Bethune-Cookman.
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North Dakota State Returns From Open Week to Host Delaware State Hornets
PDF Release | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats
FARGO, North Dakota -- THIS WEEK: Three weeks removed from one of the biggest wins in program history against defending Big 12 champion Kansas State, ESPN's College GameDay is in Fargo this week as North Dakota State (2-0) returns from an open week to host Delaware State (0-2) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. ESPN will broadcast live from downtown Fargo at the corner of Broadway and Third Avenue Saturday morning from 8-11 a.m. Officially licensed merchandise is available at the NDSU Bookstore and Scheels.
TELEVISION COVERAGE SHIFTED: Because of ESPN College GameDay's live broadcast Saturday, television coverage of NDSU's game vs. Delaware State has been shifted away from Fox College Sports over to ESPN3 and ESPN GamePlan. The game will continue to be available statewide on the NBC North Dakota network.
TAILGATING HOURS MOVED UP: Tailgating lots outside Gate City Bank Field will be opened two hours early to accommodate fans wishing to set up before ESPN's College GameDay. Reserved tailgating lots will open at 7 a.m. Saturday and general admission lots will open at 7:30 a.m.
THE SERIES: This is the first meeting between North Dakota State and Delaware State. NDSU is 1-0 against teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 35-9 home win over Morgan State in September 2010.
LAST WEEK: North Dakota State did not play last week after beating Division II Ferris State 56-10 at Gate City Bank Field on Sept. 7. The Bison opened up a 35-0 lead in the second quarter and rolled for 293 yards of total offense before halftime. Quarterback Brock Jensen went 19 of 23 passing for a career-high 259 yards and two touchdowns. Fullback Andrew Grothmann scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 4-yard pass from Jensen and wide receiver Zach Vraa caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.
COACHING WINS RECORD: North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl has a 91-32 (.740) record in his 11th season at the helm of the Bison and is tied for the NDSU record in coaching wins with Rocky Hager, who went 91-25-1 (.782) in 10 seasons from 1987-96.
NDSU All-Time Coaching Wins
1. Craig Bohl, 91-32 (2003-present)
Rocky Hager, 91-25-1 (1987-96)
3. Ron Erhardt, 61-7-1 (1966-72)
4. Don Morton, 57-15 (1979-86)
Casey Finnegan, 57-49-11 (1928-40)
GOOD COMPANY: In the past two-plus seasons, North Dakota State has the best winning percentage of any Division I school:
Win Percentage, Division I (2011-present)
1. North Dakota State (MVFC) 30-2 .938
2. Alabama (SEC) 27-2 .931
3. Oregon (Pac-12) 27-3 .900
4. Lehigh (Patriot) 23-3 .885
5. LSU (SEC) 26-4 .867
6. Boise State (Mountain West) 25-4 .862
Stanford (Pac-12) 25-4 .862
8. Harvard (Ivy) 17-3 .850
9. Northern Illinois (MAC) 25-5 .833
WILLIAMS THIRD IN PICKS: North Dakota State's Marcus Williams has 19 career interceptions, which ranks third-best all-time on the MVFC list. Among active players, he currently leads all of FCS in career interceptions per game (0.43) and career interception return yards (409).
FCS Winning Streaks (dating back to last season)
1. North Dakota State (MVFC) 11
2. Towson (Colonial) 7
3. Abilene Christian (Independent) 6
North Carolina A&T (Mid-Eastern) 6
5. Northern Iowa (MVFC) 5
6. McNeese State (Southland) 4
Penn (Ivy) 4
ON THE ROAD: Following the season-opening win at Kansas State, North Dakota State has now won 13 straight games away from home (which includes two neutral-site games). The Bison last lost a road game in the season finale at Eastern Washington in the 2010 playoffs.
FOUR IN A ROW: North Dakota State is the first team in Missouri Valley Football Conference history to win a game against an FBS foe in four straight years (Kansas-2010; Minnesota-2011; Colorado State-2012; Kansas State-2013). No other MVFC team has won three in successive seasons.
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State was named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America on Sept. 3 following its 24-21 win at Kansas State. NDSU is just the second Football Championship Subdivision team to be recognized. The other was Appalachian State in 2007 following its opening game win at No. 5-ranked Michigan.
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Spoken 4 Communications Preview NCCU vs. #4 Towson
DURHAM, North Carolina -- Spoken 4 Communications Previews the first-ever matchup between North Carolina Central and the fourth-ranked Tigers of Towson University. Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks chats with head coach Dwayne Foster to preview the contest. NCCU enters the contest 2-1 on the year, while Towson is 3-0 and has won seven straight games, which is the second longest streak in the FCS. Kickoff from O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium is set for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, tune in at 1:30 for the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show.
BUY TICKETS
BUY LIVE VIDEO/AUDIO STREAMING OF GAME
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FAMU and Ohio State Connection
Rattlers
12 NOON EST
Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Television: BTN Network/Radio: 96.1 FM; Buckeye Vision
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- When baby boomers speak of the good old days they often reminisce about it and hope aloud that we would return to those days. School was different then, more like a family. Few of us really want to relive the past, but there are some things about it that are worth recapturing.Before college football became so specialized and consumptive, coaches were required to teach. It is no coincidence then that legendary coaches like Eddie Robinson, John Merritt, and Alonso Jake Gaither all had Master’s Degrees. Eddie Robinson received a bachelor’s degree from Leland College in Louisiana and a Master’s Degree from the University of Iowa in 1954. “Big John” Merritt received his bachelor’s degree from Kentucky State University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Kentucky in 1952.
Jake Gaither, head coach at Florida A&M University from 1946 to 1969, graduated from ...
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Rencher serves up a Xavier comeback against Loyola
The Gold Nuggets (9-7) defeated the Wolf Pack (3-10) for the second time in as many matches this season -- they entered the season 0-11 against their city rival -- and won at home for the third time in five days in their new home facility, which opened to the public nearly 11 months ago.
Rencher opened the second and third sets with aces and served three more during a 6-0 run which gave Xavier a 14-8 third-set lead. Rencher also had 20 assists, two kills, four digs and two blocks.
Taylor Reuther hit .375 and had 15 kills and 11 digs for Xavier. Chinedu Echebelem had 11 kills, three aces and 13 digs, and Moira Kirk hit .391 with 11 kills and three blocks. Jodi Hill and Claudia Haywood had six kills apiece. Jodi Chatters hads 12 digs, and Franziska Pirkl -- who split setting duties with Rencher -- had 24 assists.
Sabrina Stansberry and Katie Hamilton had nine kills apiece for Loyola. Katie Broadbent had six kills and four blocks, Eva Allen had six kills, and Becca Burnett had 19 digs.
Four kills and four unforced errors helped the Wolf Pack win the first set after Xavier led 19-13. But the Gold Nuggets outscored Loyola 8-1 to close the second set, 7-2 to end the third, then got four kills from Reuther and two from Hill during an early 13-1 fourth-set run which gave them a 14-4 advantage.
It was the fourth time this season that Xavier won after dropping the first set. The Gold Nuggets have won seven in a row at home since Loyola swept them nearly a year ago at The Barn, Xavier's former home facility.
Xavier outhit Loyola .280 to .098 and had advantages of 53-36 in kills, 11-3 in aces and 59-52 in digs.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
ASU Holds Midweek Practice
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State literally fought through adversity with Wednesday's practice as classes and a late practice the day before hampered the session."Wednesday's are a hard day around here for our practices," Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. "First we have to practice late on Tuesday due to class schedules for several of the players and then we have the same problem on Wednesday with 4 p.m. classes taking a lot of players out of practice."
"We want the players to attend their classes, so we moved practice up to 2:30 p.m. to try and get in some practice time before we lose several players again to those 4 p.m. classes. Practicing so late on Tuesday usually means we have a sluggish start to a Wednesday afternoon practice so it's hard to get a lot done."
Alabama State has spent a lot of time working with their defense this week.
"I know to a lot of people it looks as though our defense is just not that good, but I still believe in the players and what we are doing," Barlow said. "A lot of the problems have been with the players not getting in the right position when a defensive call is made."
"This week we have spent a lot of time getting the players to understand when a defensive call is made they need to get to the area they are supposed to be in. There have been several big plays by our opposition that we actually would have had a chance to intercept a ball or make a play on it if we were in the right position. Hopefully, we are getting them to understand that."
ASU and Grambling are set to kick off at 5 p.m. at New ASU Stadium. The game can be watched live via an internet broadcast on Hornet Vision at bamastatesports.com. The game can be listened to live at WVAS FM 90.7 beginning with the pregame show at 4:45 p.m.
COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Game Notes: NCCU Football Hosts #4 Towson
THE GAME
Towson University "Tigers" vs. North Carolina Central University "Eagles"
THE KICKOFF
Saturday, September 21, 2013 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.
THE SITE
O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity/Mondoturf) - Durham, N.C.
THE RECORDS
#4 Towson (3-0 overall, 0-0 CAA); N.C. Central (2-1 overall, 0-0 MEAC)
MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network mobile app (iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Kindle Fire HD); "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 1:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst; Anthony Sharp, sideline reporter)
Video: "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com - $8.95 pay-per-view video stream
QUICK HITS
• Towson is nationally ranked at No. 4 in The Sports Network FCS poll.
• The Tigers have won back-to-back conference titles (2011, 2012) in the tough Colonial Athletic Association.
• At No. 4, Towson is the highest-ranked FCS team to visit O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The only other nationally-ranked FCS team hosted by NCCU was No. 14 Bethune-Cookman in 2010.
• Saturday's match-up features two of the nation's Top-5 red zone defenses, as NCCU ranks fifth among FCS teams and Towson leads the category.
• Towson junior running back Terrance West, a strong candidate for the Walter Payton Award, ran for a school record-tying five touchdowns against Delaware State on Sept. 14. West, who has scored nine touchdowns in three games this season, increased his career record total to 53 TDs.
• NCCU true freshman cornerback Michael Jones is tied as the national leader with three interceptions. As a team, NCCU is tied for second in FCS with seven picks.
• The Tigers have won seven consecutive games, the second-longest winning streak in FCS football.
• Towson opened season by beating FBS opponent Connecticut 33-18, then posted consecutive 49-7 wins over Holy Cross and Delaware State.
• After dropping season-opener to Duke, NCCU has back-to-back wins over St. Augustine's and Charlotte.
THE SERIES
This will be the first meeting between NCCU and Towson.
ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
North Carolina Central University is in its third season of full NCAA Division I (FCS) athletic competition as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles won back-to-back football conference championships and a Black College National Championship in their final two years in the Division II ranks (2005 and 2006) before starting the transition to Division I in 2007. During its storied gridiron tradition, NCCU has produced 131 all-conference selections, 64 all-Americans, 40 NFL draft picks, 10 conference championships and two Black College National Championships.
EAGLES AGAINST NATIONALLY-RANKED OPPOSITION
Since the start of the transition to NCAA Division I-FCS in 2007, NCCU is 0-6 against nationally-ranked FCS opponents. The Eagles have been out-scored 262-67 (43.7-11.2 avg.) in those contests.
10/23/2010 - #14 Bethune-Cookman - 10-23 L
9/18/2010 - at #1 Appalachian State - 16-44 L
10/10/2009 - at #9 Appalachian State - 21-55 L
9/12/2009 - at #24 Liberty - 10-35 L
11/8/2008 - at #3 Cal Poly - 3-49 L
9/6/2008 - at #8 James Madison - 7-56 L
TWO TOP-5 RED ZONE DEFENSES ON SAME FIELD
Saturday's match-up will feature two of the top five red zone defenses in NCAA Division I-FCS football. NCCU ranks fifth in the FCS by allowing just nine scores in 16 opponent visits to the red zone (56.2 percent), while Towson leads the nation by surrendering only two scores in six trips by opponents into the red zone (33.3 percent).
NCCU ROOKIE JONES TIED AS NATIONAL LEADER IN INTERCEPTIONS
NCCU true freshman cornerback Michael Jones collected two interceptions against Charlotte to increase his season total to three picks, which ties the Baltimore, Md., native for the lead in the NCAA Division I-FCS ranks.
WILKINS POSTS SECOND-LONGEST KICKOFF RETURN IN NCCU HISTORY
On Sept. 14 at Charlotte, NCCU sophomore Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) returned the opening kickoff of the second half 100 yards for a touchdown, marking the second longest kickoff return in school history and the longest in 52 years. The school record was set by Richard Wilkins (no known relation) with a 102-yard return versus Shaw on Oct. 28, 1961.
NCCU'S JONES, WILKINS EARN MEAC WEEKLY AWARDS
Two NCCU student-athletes have been honored with Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference weekly football awards, the conference announced Monday. Michael Jones was named MEAC Rookie of the Week and Adrian Wilkins was tagged MEAC Special Teams Player of the Week for their performances during a 40-13 win over Charlotte on Sept. 14. Jones, a 5-9, 175-pound cornerback out of Baltimore, Md., intercepted two 49ers' passes that resulted in a pair of NCCU touchdowns. The true freshman also collected four tackles (three solo), including a solo takedown for a loss, while adding a pass break-up. Jones, who also intercepted a pass in the second overtime of a week-two win over Saint Augustine's, is now tied as the NCAA Division I-FCS leader in interceptions with three picks for 115 return yards. Wilkins, a 5-8, 170-pound redshirt sophomore from Forest City, N.C., returned the opening kickoff of the second half 100 yards for a touchdown, marking the second-longest kickoff return in NCCU history and the longest in 52 years. He also caught a team-high five passes for 83 yards to finish the game with 183 all-purpose yards. Wilkins is currently the Eagles' leading receiver with 10 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown, averaging 50.3 receiving yards per game and 15.1 yards per reception.
EAGLES TURNING DEFENSE, SPECIAL TEAMS INTO POINTS
Since the start of the 2012 season, the Eagles have demonstrated a knack for finding the end zone when the offense is off the field. In the past 14 games, NCCU has scored 12 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including two this season and 10 in 2012. In that time, the Eagles have made trips to the end zone on five punt returns, two kickoff returns, a blocked field goal return, three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
THE COACHES
North Carolina Central: Dwayne Foster (Delaware State, 1993) joined NCCU in 2011 as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach, before being elevated to interim head coach prior to the 2013 season. Previously, he served as running backs coach at Prairie View A&M University (2005-10), tight ends and running backs coach at Catholic University (2004), and offensive line coach at Bowie State University (2003). Foster made his name on the high school level in Washington, D.C., as the head coach of Archbishop Carroll High School from 1997-2003. At Archbishop, Foster received coach of the year honors by the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Committee in 1998. Foster played college football at Delaware State University from 1989-93 and helped the Hornets capture two MEAC Championships during his freshmen and junior seasons before graduating in 1993. Foster is a member of the Black Coaches and American Football Coaches Associations, was part of the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program in 2010 with the Buffalo Bills and in 2012 with the Cincinnati Bengals, and participated in the NCAA Men's Football Coaching Academy in Indianapolis, Ind., in June 2006.
Towson: Rob Ambrose (Towson, 1993), now in the fifth season as the head coach at his alma mater, led the Tigers to back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association championships in 2011 and 2012. After the 2011 Tigers made their first appearance in the NCAA FCS playoffs, Ambrose was presented with the Eddie Robinson Award as the national FCS coach of the year. He has also served as an assistant coach at Connecticut and Towson, and spent the 2001 season as the head coach at Division III Catholic University, posting a 3-7 record.
LAST WEEK
(NCCU 40, Charlotte 13) North Carolina Central University forced seven turnovers and used the second-longest kickoff return in school history to cruise to a 40-13 victory over the Charlotte 49ers in front of a sellout crowd of 16,630 fans inside Jerry Richardson Stadium. Charlotte entered the contest unbeaten, having out-scored its two opponents 99-14, including 41-0 in the first quarter. However, NCCU scored the first 33 points of the game on Saturday and kept the 49ers off the scoreboard until midway through the fourth quarter. The Eagles intercepted five 49ers' passes with two going into the hands of rookie cornerback Michael Jones. Adrian Wilkins returned the opening kickoff of the second half 100 yards for a touchdown, marking the second-longest kickoff return in school history and the longest in 52 years. Charlotte amassed 533 yards of total offense on 106 plays (a record by an NCCU opponent) for an average of 5.0 yards per play. Still, NCCU's 385 yards of total offense, including a season-best 207 rushing yards, yielded an average of 6.0 yards per play.
(Towson 49, Delaware State 7) Towson junior running back Terrance West, a strong candidate for the Walter Payton Award, ran for 82 yards on 16 carries and tied a school record by scoring five touchdowns as the No. 4 Tigers rolled past Delaware State by a 49-7 margin. Although the Tiger offense exploded for 49 points, the defensive unit was dominant, forcing four turnovers and holding the Hornets to one touchdown.
LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL ON NCCU SPORTS NETWORK MOBILE APP
For fans interested in listening to North Carolina Central University athletic events on their mobile device, there is an app for that. The NCCU Department of Athletics has partnered with StepLeader, a digital solutions provider located in Raleigh, N.C., to create an app that is available as a free download on iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and Android (including the popular Kindle Fire HD) platforms through the App Store or Google Play (search for "NCCU"). "Our fans no longer have to be tied to their radio or computer to listen to our live game broadcasts," said NCCU sports information director Kyle Serba. "The app allows fans to take the NCCU Sports Network broadcasts with them wherever they go." Besides live audio game broadcasts, the app offers recorded interviews with NCCU coaches and student-athletes, and provides news updates, schedules, results and team rosters. The app also encourages fan interaction by integrating the primary social media outlets used by NCCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as a feature to submit fan photos. "Our mobile products are designed to service local communities by providing timely and relevant news stories, including audio and video, so partnering with NCCU, who produces very rich sports content, was a very natural fit," said Brian Handly, StepLeader CEO. "Thousands of students and alumni will now be able to access sports information from their smartphone or tablet, and we're excited about the opportunity to work with other universities in the future." The NCCU Sports Network app was officially unveiled at halftime of the NCCU men's basketball game against South Carolina State University on March 4.
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Xavier names Dannton Jackson interim athletics director
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| Dannton Jackson |
Jackson, who will retain his head coaching position, replaces Dennis Cousin, who retired this summer after nine years as AD. Jackson takes over an athletics program that has achieved unparalleled recent success competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
In the past nine years Xavier teams have won 46 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference or NAIA unaffiliated group championships and qualified 34 times for NAIA National Championships in basketball, cross country, tennis, and volleyball. During that same stretch, 125 of 130 senior student-athletes under the current head coaches received degrees from Xavier or are still enrolled.
XU facilities also received a major upgrade last year with of the completion of the XU Tennis Center and the new Convocation Center for basketball and volleyball.
"As a head basketball coach Dannton has exhibited a thorough understanding of Xavier as an academic institution and a passion for both his sport and the student-athletes under his care," said Francis. "We expect that he will bring that same energy and fervor to this new task." Francis said a national search for a permanent athletics director is ongoing.
"Xavier has a proud tradition of winning, but also one of developing well-rounded men and women." said Jackson. "We get our student-athletes ready for life, prepare them for the future. We have a high graduation rate and a family atmosphere. That's how the tradition has grown."
Jackson, who graduated from Xavier in 1992, has compiled a 226-98 record in 10 seasons at the helm of Xavier's men's basketball program, which includes four regular-season GCAC co-championships and seven appearances at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship, and three top-25 finishes.
Last season under Jackson, who was named GCAC Coach of the Year in 2012-13 for the second year in a row, the Gold Rush compiled a 24-8 record, sharing the regular-season conference title with Philander Smith, and advancing to the NAIA national tournament.
He is the only Xavier men's basketball coach to reach the NAIA's national tournament more than three times, and his winning percentage of .692 is the best at XU since 1946. He ranks third at Xavier in career victories and is in fourth place in Louisiana men's basketball history with a total of eight 20-win seasons.
Jackson succeeded Dale Valdery as head coach in June 2002, following four seasons as an assistant coach. Prior to that he served as an assistant women's basketball coach (1993-97), and head coach of men's and women's cross country (1994-96). He also spent one season as a men's basketball assistant coach at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va.
Jackson also served as a court coach for the 2012 USA men's national team.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Morgan State Bears Take On Western Kentucky in Week 4
MSU (0-3, 0-0 MEAC) at Western Kentucky (1-2, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 – 6 p.m. CT
Williams Stadium (22,113)
Bowling Green, Ky.
TV: ESPN3
THE BROADCASTS
Radio: WEAA (88.9 FM) is the flagship station for the Morgan State. Lamont Germany will call the play-by-play and Trevin Jones will provide color analysis.
GAME TIME
The Bears (0-3) will travel to take on Sun Belt conference member Western Kentucky on Saturday (Sept. 21) in Bowling Green (Ky.) for the Hilltopper's home-opener. The game will mark the Bears fourth straight road test. The Hilltoppers are led by head coach Bobby Petrino, who is in his first season at the helm for the Hilltoppers. WKU (1-2, 0-1) will enter the contest coming off of a tough loss in the final two minutes against South Alabama, 31-24, in the conference opener for both teams. Morgan State will look to rebound from a 38-10 road loss against Liberty. Donald Hill-Eley, ranked third among winning coaches at MSU, enters his 12th year as head coach of the Bears. Game time at Houchens Industries/L.T. Smith Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be available to watch through ESPN3 online and through mobile devices. The game will also be broadcast live by WEAA, 88.9 FM.
THE BEARS-HILLTOPPERS MATCHUP
• Morgan State and Western Kentucky will meet for the first time in history.
ABOUT THE HILLTOPPERS
• Western Kentucky head coach Bobby Petrino enters his first year guiding the Hilltoppers and currently holds a 1-3 record, and a 76-28 career record. He previously was the head coach at Louisville and Arkansas.
• WKU was selected to finish second place in the Big South Conference, voted on by Big South head coaches and media panel.
• WKU QB Brandon Doughty was 27 of 47 for 282 yards and three touchdowns against South Alabama but also was intercepted three times, giving him eight in the past two games.
• Western Kentucky has scored on its opening possession in every game this season, opening this one with a five-play, 79-yard march capped by Doughty's 16-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Tyler Higbee, his second career scoring reception.
• WKU freshman WR Nicholas Norris caught two touchdown passes ... he has 10 rec. for 129 yards with 3 TDs this season.
• WKU senior All-American RB Antonio Andrews, who led the NCAA in all-purpose yards (3,161 yards) last season, finished the South Alabama game with 122 yards on 15
carries ... it marked his 12th 100-yard effort in the past 14 games ... he leads the Hilltoppers ground game by averaging a whopping 6.9 yards per carry (48 att./332 yds).
QUICK HITS
• MSU will enter the 2013 season with a number of veterans ... the Bears' roster includes 12 seniors and 15 juniors.
• The Bears return its top receiver from last season in Andrew King ... King, a Columbia (Md.) product, had 25 catches for 334 yards (13.4) and scored a pair of touchdowns as a true sophomore.
• The Bears backfield lost All-MEAC running back Travis "Juice" Davidson to graduation, however the backfield is loaded with talented young players like Lamont Brown III, Herb Walker Jr., Tracy Martin and Orlando Johnson who will compete for the starting RB spot.
• The returning quarterback duo of Seth Higgins and Robert Council combined for 1,560 passing yards (140-of-301) and five touchdowns in 2012.
• Joe Rankin returns as a shutdown cornerback for the Bears and finished with 46 tackles and lead the MEAC with five picks in 2012.
• NT Demarco Bisbee leads a defensive line unit that returns 10 lettermen from last season ... Bisbee posted 41 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and
3.5 sacks in 2012.
• LB Christopher Robinson was among the league leaders with 13.5 tackles for loss (No. 4), to go along with 40 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
• Chris Flowers helped lead the Bears to a No. 1 ranking in the MEAC in kickoff return avearge (23.0 avg) and his 27.8 kick return average ranked No. 8 in the FCS last season.
• The Bears added four new coaches to the 2013 staff ... the new coaches are: Jerry Holmes (DC), Greg Gregory (OC), LeAndre Creamer (DB) and Marcus Gladden (OL).
NON-CONFERENCE GRADE ... The Bears are 14-23 (.378) overall in non-conference play under Donald Hill-Eley. The Bears will open the 2013 campaign with four consecutive road games against non-conference opponents, starting with Army (8/30), followed by trips to Robert Morris (9/7), Liberty (9/14) and Western Kentucky (9/21).
MOSES ENTERS ... Redshirt-freshman Moses Skillon had a productive start to his collegiate career. Skillon entered the ballgame at Robert Morris and really provided a spark to an offensive unit that had trouble getting into any sort of rhythm. The 6-4, 210 pound Liberty City (Fla.) product completed 9-of-18 passes for 207 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns to Andrew King. Skillon recorded his first start last week at Liberty and completed 3 of 12 passes for 28 yards, and finished with a team-high 90 yards on the ground.
FINISHING TOUCHES ... Morgan State has been virtually automatic this season when it comes to scoring in the red zone. Through the first three games, the Bears have scored 5-of-6 (83%) times inside its opponent's 20 yardline. MSU ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in red zone scoring.
GETTING DEFENSIVE ... The Morgan State defense has five players with at least 10 tackles so far this season.
• Junior linebacker Cody Acker leads the way with 32 stops (T-2nd in MEAC), including a season-high 12 tackles at Liberty (Sept. 14).
• The next highest is senior Darien Irby who has posted 20 tackles from his starting strong safety position.
COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 – 6 p.m. CT
Williams Stadium (22,113)
Bowling Green, Ky.
TV: ESPN3
THE BROADCASTS
Radio: WEAA (88.9 FM) is the flagship station for the Morgan State. Lamont Germany will call the play-by-play and Trevin Jones will provide color analysis.GAME TIME
The Bears (0-3) will travel to take on Sun Belt conference member Western Kentucky on Saturday (Sept. 21) in Bowling Green (Ky.) for the Hilltopper's home-opener. The game will mark the Bears fourth straight road test. The Hilltoppers are led by head coach Bobby Petrino, who is in his first season at the helm for the Hilltoppers. WKU (1-2, 0-1) will enter the contest coming off of a tough loss in the final two minutes against South Alabama, 31-24, in the conference opener for both teams. Morgan State will look to rebound from a 38-10 road loss against Liberty. Donald Hill-Eley, ranked third among winning coaches at MSU, enters his 12th year as head coach of the Bears. Game time at Houchens Industries/L.T. Smith Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be available to watch through ESPN3 online and through mobile devices. The game will also be broadcast live by WEAA, 88.9 FM.
THE BEARS-HILLTOPPERS MATCHUP
• Morgan State and Western Kentucky will meet for the first time in history.
ABOUT THE HILLTOPPERS
• Western Kentucky head coach Bobby Petrino enters his first year guiding the Hilltoppers and currently holds a 1-3 record, and a 76-28 career record. He previously was the head coach at Louisville and Arkansas.
• WKU was selected to finish second place in the Big South Conference, voted on by Big South head coaches and media panel.
• WKU QB Brandon Doughty was 27 of 47 for 282 yards and three touchdowns against South Alabama but also was intercepted three times, giving him eight in the past two games.
• Western Kentucky has scored on its opening possession in every game this season, opening this one with a five-play, 79-yard march capped by Doughty's 16-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Tyler Higbee, his second career scoring reception.
• WKU freshman WR Nicholas Norris caught two touchdown passes ... he has 10 rec. for 129 yards with 3 TDs this season.
• WKU senior All-American RB Antonio Andrews, who led the NCAA in all-purpose yards (3,161 yards) last season, finished the South Alabama game with 122 yards on 15
carries ... it marked his 12th 100-yard effort in the past 14 games ... he leads the Hilltoppers ground game by averaging a whopping 6.9 yards per carry (48 att./332 yds).
QUICK HITS
• MSU will enter the 2013 season with a number of veterans ... the Bears' roster includes 12 seniors and 15 juniors.
• The Bears return its top receiver from last season in Andrew King ... King, a Columbia (Md.) product, had 25 catches for 334 yards (13.4) and scored a pair of touchdowns as a true sophomore.
• The Bears backfield lost All-MEAC running back Travis "Juice" Davidson to graduation, however the backfield is loaded with talented young players like Lamont Brown III, Herb Walker Jr., Tracy Martin and Orlando Johnson who will compete for the starting RB spot.
• The returning quarterback duo of Seth Higgins and Robert Council combined for 1,560 passing yards (140-of-301) and five touchdowns in 2012.
• Joe Rankin returns as a shutdown cornerback for the Bears and finished with 46 tackles and lead the MEAC with five picks in 2012.
• NT Demarco Bisbee leads a defensive line unit that returns 10 lettermen from last season ... Bisbee posted 41 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and
3.5 sacks in 2012.
• LB Christopher Robinson was among the league leaders with 13.5 tackles for loss (No. 4), to go along with 40 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
• Chris Flowers helped lead the Bears to a No. 1 ranking in the MEAC in kickoff return avearge (23.0 avg) and his 27.8 kick return average ranked No. 8 in the FCS last season.
• The Bears added four new coaches to the 2013 staff ... the new coaches are: Jerry Holmes (DC), Greg Gregory (OC), LeAndre Creamer (DB) and Marcus Gladden (OL).
NON-CONFERENCE GRADE ... The Bears are 14-23 (.378) overall in non-conference play under Donald Hill-Eley. The Bears will open the 2013 campaign with four consecutive road games against non-conference opponents, starting with Army (8/30), followed by trips to Robert Morris (9/7), Liberty (9/14) and Western Kentucky (9/21).
MOSES ENTERS ... Redshirt-freshman Moses Skillon had a productive start to his collegiate career. Skillon entered the ballgame at Robert Morris and really provided a spark to an offensive unit that had trouble getting into any sort of rhythm. The 6-4, 210 pound Liberty City (Fla.) product completed 9-of-18 passes for 207 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns to Andrew King. Skillon recorded his first start last week at Liberty and completed 3 of 12 passes for 28 yards, and finished with a team-high 90 yards on the ground.
FINISHING TOUCHES ... Morgan State has been virtually automatic this season when it comes to scoring in the red zone. Through the first three games, the Bears have scored 5-of-6 (83%) times inside its opponent's 20 yardline. MSU ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in red zone scoring.
GETTING DEFENSIVE ... The Morgan State defense has five players with at least 10 tackles so far this season.
• Junior linebacker Cody Acker leads the way with 32 stops (T-2nd in MEAC), including a season-high 12 tackles at Liberty (Sept. 14).
• The next highest is senior Darien Irby who has posted 20 tackles from his starting strong safety position.
COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
XU will play host to USTA/ITA South Regional next week
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| Alan Green, right, led XU's women to an NAIA No. 3 final ranking last season. |
The HBCU National Championships, a three-day event which will conclude Saturday, will be played at Clayton County Tennis Center, the same venue where the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets won NAIA unaffiliated group tournaments in April to qualify for the NAIA National Championship.
The NAIA South Regional will be played Sept. 27-29 at the XU Tennis Center, which opened 11 months ago, and City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center. It will be the second time in four seasons and the first time since 2010 that Xavier is the host of this event.
The majority of the 2013-14 tennis schedules will consist of dual matches in the spring semester. Those will be announced later.
Both XU teams had their best seasons ever in 2012-13. The Gold Nuggets finished 19-8 and were the first XU team in any sport to reach No. 1 in an NAIA coaches poll or reach the semifinals of an NAIA National Championship. They ranked third in the postseason. The XU men (15-8) reached their highest-ever NAIA ranking, fifth, on three occasions, including the postseason poll. The Gold Rush became the first XU program to reach the national quarterfinals in consecutive years.
2013-14 Xavier University of Louisiana Men's and Women's Tennis Schedule
Sept. 19-21 (Thu.-Sat.) — HBCU National Championships at Clayton County Tennis Center, Jonesboro, Ga
Sept. 27-29 (Fri.-Sun.) — USTA/ITA NAIA South Regional Championships at XU Tennis Center and City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, New Orleans
Dual matches in spring semester, to be announced.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS
The Lincoln University Unveils New Athletics Logo and Branding
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania – After nearly 30 years, The Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), unveiled its new athletics logo and branding for the university’s CIAA, Division II athletics program at a press conference yesterday.
The change is part of an overall rebranding effort for the entire university, which has included the adoption of a new university logo, the official addition of “The” to its name and the launch of the “Where Being The First Matters.” promotional campaign over the last year. The name revision reflects the university’s effort to distinguish itself from the three other Lincoln Universities and the three Lincoln Colleges as well as highlight its distinction as the first Lincoln and the first degree-granting HBCU.
“We are extremely excited to share with The Lincoln University family and community our new athletics logo and marks, representing the first complete branding marks for our Department of Intercollegiate Athletics,” said Dr. Robert R. Jennings, president of The Lincoln University. “All these efforts (the new athletics logo and entire university rebranding) are aimed at restoring and reclaiming The Lincoln University’s brand and legacy as the nation’s first-degree-granting Historically Black College & University, responsible for producing a myriad of FIRSTS and distinctions unrivaled by many other premier American institutions.”
The new athletics branding includes marks for a primary Lion, Lion head, LU lock, word, and number marks as well as its official orange PMS 1585 and blue PMS 662 colors to be used to accent the Lincoln brand.
The marks were developed with the assistance of Phoenix Design Works with input from a broad group of constituents which included a survey of what the lion should look like from students, athletes, alumni, staff and friends of Lincoln. Phoenix Design Works has also created athletic logos and marks for other Colleges and University’s such as: LSU, University of Tennessee, Delaware State, Norfolk State and NC A&T Universities.
Lincoln’s sole former athletics logo depicted the orange and blue head and upper torso of its lion mascot in a passive stride with an “LU” scrawled into its mane, which will now be retired and reserved for “Throwback” paraphernalia only.
“Moving forward, we wanted a Lion mascot that represented a fierce, rather than laidback, competitor,” said Athletics Director Dianthia Ford-Kee. “And since we recognize the nostalgia and affection of some alumni, we also wanted to ensure that elements from our soon-to-be retired Lion would be also embodied as well as others that remind the world that The Lincoln University is the FIRST Lincoln. But most importantly, we wanted marks that increase our visibility of The Lincoln University and reinforce our rich athletic tradition established as an NCAA Division III member and now as an NCAA Division II member.”
Athletics Apparel with the new The Lincoln University athletics logo will be available at
http://www.kellysteamstores.com/Lincoln-University
Vendors wishing to reproduce the new trademarked logos are required to be licensed through Strategic Marketing Affiliates, who can be reached at (317) 829-5690.
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| Left to Right) Athletics Director Dianthia Ford-Kee and Director of Communications & Public Relations Eric Christopher Webb pose with new The Lincoln University Athletics logo.
The Lincoln University, founded in 1854 as the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), combines the elements of a liberal arts and science-based undergraduate curriculum along with select graduate programs to meet the needs of those living in a highly-technological and global society. Today, the University enrolls a diverse student body of approximately 2,000 men and women. Internationally recognized for preparing and producing world class leaders such as Thurgood Marshall, the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Lillian Fishburne, the first African American woman promoted to Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy, Langston Hughes, the noted poet, Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana and Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of Nigeria.
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Maynor: No quarterback controversy at WSSU
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Having two quality quarterbacks is a problem most coaches would love to have.
That’s the way Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State sees it. Anthony Carrothers and Rudy Johnson shared time at quarterback last week in a rout of Virginia University of Lynchburg, and both are capable of leading the offense.
"It’s a good problem to have,” Maynor said. “I’ve always said: ‘If you have just one quarterback, you have none.’”
Carrothers was nursing a slight injury before the VUL game. Maynor started Johnson, a transfer from Texas Southern, and it quickly became apparent that he would be fine. Johnson completed his first seven passé and helped the Rams win 62-8.
WSSU, ranked No. 19 in Division II, will take on No. 17 Tuskegee at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Cleveland Classic at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Maynor said he will make a game-time decision on who starts at quarterback.
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