JSU Tigers, PVAMU Panthers meet in possible SWAC matchup

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  -- Jackson State travels to Prairie View on Saturday in what could be a preview of the SWAC championship game.

The Panthers are expected to win the Western Division title, while Jackson State (6-2, 6-0) controls its destiny in the East race. Neither team was the preseason pick to win their respective divisions. Alabama State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff were the preseason picks to win the West and East.

Jackson State is off to its best start since 1995 during the final years of the late James "Big Daddy" Carson's reign as coach. Alcorn State at Southern University, 6 p.m.: The Braves (6-2, 4-1 SWAC) need a victory to remain in contention for the East Division title. Alcorn is also aiming for its best season since the Steve McNair days of the mid-1990s.

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2013-14 TSU Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish Released

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- In a poll voted on by the head coaches and sports information directors, the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team was selected to finish fifth in the East Division for the 2013-14 Ohio Valley Conference campaign.

“I’ve been doing this for a number of years as a coach and it’s not how you start the race its how you finish it,” commented head coach Larry Inman. “We have a lot of work to do as a team but we’re going to be doing everything we can to finish in the top echelon of the East, with the hope of winning it all. But that’s what we do that every year, we try to compete for a championship. Last year I thought our kids really competed in the conference, we came up a little short but it was very encouraging to see our team battle. This team is very young with a lot of potential and I think we are going to make some noise in the conference.”

Tennessee State only returns four letterwinners from last season, including lone senior Alana Morris, redshirt junior Chelsea Hudson, junior Rachel Allen and sophomore Brianna Lawrence. In 2012-13, TSU finished 4^th in the East Division with a conference record of 9-7.

Allen ranked first in the OVC in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and led the team in assists per game (8^th in OVC). Hudson is the top returning scorer and rebounder from last year. She put up an average of 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds.  

The Lady Tigers posted an overall record of 13-15 on the season while ranking second in the OVC in steals (9.5 per game), turnover margin (+2.8) and offensive rebounds (14.5 per game). TSU also ranked third in blocked shots with 4.1 per outing.

In addition to the four returners, eight newcomers will join the team.

The Lady Tigers will host Tennessee Temple in an exhibition game on Nov. 1 before officially kicking off the season at Kansas State on Nov. 8.

EAST Order of Finish Points

1. Tennessee Tech (12 first-place votes) 119 

2. Belmont (Nine first-place votes) 115 

3. Eastern Kentucky (Three first-place votes) 95 

4. Morehead State 66 

5. Tennessee State 65 

6. Jacksonville State 32

WEST Order of Finish Points

1. UT Martin (22 first-place votes) 132 

2. SIUE (Two first-place votes) 103 

3. Eastern Illinois 85 

4. Murray State 68 

5. Southeast Missouri 61 

6. Austin Peay 42

2013 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Preseason

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Echebelem earns XU's 4th GCAC player award this year

Chinedu Echebelem

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Chinedu Echebelem is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's volleyball for Oct. 14-20.

The Gold Nuggets have won this award four times this season. This is the second time that Echebelem has been honored; the other was in the opening week of 2012.

Echebelem, a 5-foot-6 outside hitter from Dallas and a graduate of Duncanville High School, hit .325 with 29 kills, 33 digs and three aces produced a pair of kill-dig double-doubles during the Gold Nuggets' 3-0 week. She had 11 kills, 12 digs, an ace and two blocks to help Xavier defeat Mobile and break a school record for consecutive victories. Echebelem had eight kills, eight digs and hit .400 against Avila and 10 kills, 13 digs and two aces to help Xavier complete a three-match season sweep of city rival Loyola.

Echebelem has 219 kills, 34 aces, 234 digs and 23 blocks in 25 matches this season.

Xavier (18-7, 7-0) will play GCAC opponent Tougaloo (2-13, 2-6) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets have won 29 consecutive GCAC regular-season matches.

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

Miller Named to OVC Preseason Team, TSU Tabbed Fifth

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – On Tuesday, the Ohio Valley Conference held its annual Basketball Media Day at the Sheraton Music City Hotel featuring both head coaches from its 12 member schools.

The Tennessee State men’s basketball team was predicted to finish fifth in the OVC’s Eastern Division while Patrick Miller was selected to the league’s All-Preseason squad.

The Tigers will look to replace a trio of seniors who combined for nearly 45 points and 18 rebounds per game last season. The squad brought in four freshmen and two JUCO transfers that will try to match the departed players’ numbers.

Despite losing four starters overall, the team returns senior Patrick Miller who was a first-team All-OVC selection as a junior a year ago. Miller led the OVC in assists (5.8 per game) while also contributing 14.8 points (11th in OVC), 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game (8th in the OVC). The guard was also a key leader for the team when Robert Covington (who is now with the Houston Rockets) missed time with an injury during the middle of the season.

Another key returnee is redshirt junior forward M.J. Rhett, who pulled down 6.1 rebounds/game and blocked 32 shots a year ago.

Miller, Rhett and the rest of the Tigers will look to prove the predictions wrong when they start play at the University of Hawai’i on Nov. 8.
 

2013-14 OVC Predicted Order of Finish
East
1. Eastern Kentucky (18 first-place votes) – 128
2. Belmont (6) – 116
3. Morehead State – 74
4. Jacksonville State – 72
5. Tennessee State – 60
6. Tennessee Tech - 42

West
1. Southeast Missouri (13 first-place votes) – 117
     Murray State (11) – 117
3. Austin Peay – 90
4. UT Martin – 66
5. Eastern Illinois – 58
6. SIUE - 44

6 points awarded for a first-place vote, 5 for second, etc. - Coaches and SID's could not vote for their own teams.
 

2013-14 Preseason All-OVC Team
Travis Betran, Austin Peay
Glenn Cosey, Eastern Kentucky
Nino Johnson, Southeast Missouri
J.J. Mann, Belmont
Patrick Miller, Tennessee State
Tyler Stone, Southeast Missouri
Myles Taylor, UT Martin
Will Triggs, Austin Peay
Corey Walden, Eastern Kentucky
Brian Williams, Jacksonville State

OVC Preseason Player of the Year: Tyler Stone, Southeast Missouri

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State says it will sue Grambling State

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Grambling State's football player mutiny this past week captured the attention of media outlets and sports fans nationally.

Add Jackson State's lawyers to that list.

Jackson State says it took a financial hit after Saturday's homecoming game was canceled because Grambling forfeited when players refused to play. Now, Jackson State leaders plan to take legal action against Grambling State and "others" to recoup the losses, a Jackson State spokesman said Tuesday night in a message to alumni and school supporters.

RELATED: What got Grambling's players back on the field

AT GRAMBLING: School to launch review

"The JSU family was damaged. Our Homecoming game draws tens of thousands of fans. The university intends to use litigation to be made whole for our direct and indirect financial losses," Eric Stringfellow, executive director of Jackson State University Communications, wrote.

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Central State Marauders stun Lane on its homecoming

COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

JACKSON, Tennessee -- For the second week in a row Central State University shocked a SIAC West opponent, this time the Marauders scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter to hold on to a 37-34 win over Lane College on its homecoming played Saturday afternoon at Lane Stadium.  Central State quarterback Michael Wilson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 93 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. The senior had a total of five TDs.  Priestly Shuler added 113 yard rushing and field goal kicker Dustin Bryant added a 29-yard field goal.

In all Central State racked up a season-high 514 yards of total offense. Trailing 27-17 early in the third quarter, Wilson completed a eight play 65 yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown run. Moments later, on Central State's next possession, the senior quarterback scored the go-ahead touchdown with a 74-yard strike to receiver Aaron Wade. After another stalled Lane drive, Wilson scored the Marauders last touchdown on a 15-yard run, which completed a six play 43 yard drive.

??For Lane, the loss spoiled the Dragons homecoming, and put a dent in the team's SIAC West Division Championship hopes. The SIAC's leading passer Chris Rini continued his strong senior campaign with 340 yards passing  and three touchdowns, completing 31-for-49 attempts. Rini also rushed for a score. His favorite target, wide receiver Gregory Moore II had a game-high 108 yards receiving on five catches.??With the loss, the Dragons fall to (4-3, 2-2 SIAC).

Lane will have a short week with its upcoming game against Miles on Thursday in another pivotal SIAC West Division match up.  After losing its first five games, and allowing a league high 48 points per game, Central State remains in contention in the SIAC West Division. The Marauders, (2-4, 2-3 SIAC), will travel to face Stillman next Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama which will be a homecoming for Central State head coach EJ Junior, a former All-American Linebacker and National Champion at the University of Alabama.

Box Score



COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State set to prep for Alabama A&M, big stage in Magic City Classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- A week off allowed a bruised and battered Alabama State team to get some much needed time off before it began to hone in on its next opponent arch-rival Alabama A&M.

The two teams will square off in their annual showdown at the 72nd Annual State Farm Magic City Classic presented by Coca-Cola Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Birmingham's Legion Field. 

The Hornets (6-2, 6-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) and riding a six-game winning streak while the Bulldogs are 2-5 (2-3) and have dropped two in a row against Mississippi Valley State. 

 

The matchup will pit the Alabama State's second-rated offense at 38.3 points per game against Alabama A&M's defense, a unit which is rated No. 1 in the league in total defense, allowing 278 yards per game. 

"They're playing a good bit of people up front," Barlow said of the Bulldogs. Typically, some of the kids, may not be big in girth on the inside are really active or use a variety of moves. So, our offensive line has to make sure they're knee-benders and not waist-benders and make sure that we are moving our feet against those athletic guys." 

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Edward Waters fired football coach Brad Bernard after 0-7 start; Alvin Wyatt will be interim coach

JACKSONVILLE, Florida  -- Edward Waters College has fired football coach Brad Bernard and replaced him on an interim basis with Alvin Wyatt, former coach at Bethune-Cookman.

The Tigers are 0-7 and have four games remaining, three on the road. EWC had an open date last Saturday and is playing at Newport News Apprentice School on Saturday.

Bernard, the former offensive coordinator at Bethune, took over EWC's program in 2011. He played football at Georgia Southern.

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Alvin Wyatt names interim head coach at Edward Waters

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Former Bethune-Cookman football coach Alvin Wyatt was named interim head coach of Edward Waters on Tuesday, according to The Florida Times-Union.

The Jacksonville newspaper reported Edward Waters athletic director Johnny Rembert fired Brad Bernard and promoted Wyatt on an interim basis with four games left in the season. Edward Waters, an NAIA program, is 0-7.

Wyatt, 65, was head coach at B-CU for 13 seasons and won more games than any coach in school history. He compiled a 90-54 record.



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WSSU Notes: Season is over for RB Mputu

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Patrick Mputu, who started three games and shared the tailback spot with Maurice Lewis, tore a knee ligament Oct. 12 against Johnson C. Smith and will miss the rest of the season.

"It’s tough for him, and being a senior it’s a bad break,” Coach Connell Maynor said Tuesday. “The worst part about it was, he was just running, and he went down. To end his career like that is really tough.”

Mputu gained 297 yards on 60 carries and scored three touchdowns this season and also was an effective receiver out of the backfield, with eight catches for 80 yards.

Freshman Josh Glisson will get more carries as the backup to Lewis. He gained 31 yards on four carries and scored twice last Saturday against St. Aug’s.

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WSSU Rams say they’re not overlooking Livingstone Blue Bears

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State won’t face its toughest opponent of the season Saturday at Livingstone, and Coach Connell Maynor is sticking with a phrase he uses often — “Respect all, fear none” — to keep his team focused in practice.

The No. 15-ranked Rams (6-1, 4-0 CIAA) know the danger of an upset lurks around every corner. But they have won six straight this season and have dominated their last three games against the Blue Bears (2-5, 1-4), winning 58-0, 63-7 and 58-0. They also lead the CIAA in most major statistical categories.

"One loss could cost us everything,” Maynor said Tuesday. “It could cost us getting into the playoffs because with two losses, there’s no guarantee that we would even get invited. So we know that one loss could ruin our season.”

Although it’s possible the Rams could lose once more and still make the Division II playoffs, Maynor isn’t leaving anything to chance.

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Female Officiating Crew to make history at SIAC Lane vs. Miles game

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and its Supervisor of Officials Harold Mitchell announced today that a crew of four females will serve as officials in Thursday Night's football game between Lane College and Miles College.

The game will mark the first time that a crew of officials will be predominately females on any NCAA level.

"This is a special opportunity for not only the group of ladies selected to officiate the game, but all officials in the SIAC. Playing on a Thursday night is also a great opportunity for our [SIAC] officials to partner with officials from an FCS conference." said Mitchell, who also is the Coordinator of Officials in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. "To that point, it's also very important for everyone to understand that selected crew are all outstanding officials, and not just females."

 When the game kickoffs at 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT) at Albert J. Sloan Stadium on the campus of Miles College in Fairfield, AL, the officials, Yvonda Lewis (Head Linesman) from Houston, TX, Tangela Mitchell (Line Judge) from Atlanta, GA, Sabrina Brunson (Field Judge) from Atlanta, GA and Krystle Apellaniz (Back Judge) from Oviedo, FL will represent the first majority female crew.

Brunson is the veteran of the four officials, working as the first female official in the SIAC since 1995. Coincidentally, Lewis became the first female official in the SWAC in 2009, and has been officiating SIAC games since 2010. Mitchell and Apellaniz both are in their first year in the SIAC.

The National Football League (NFL) has also taken notice to this ground breaking moment as its Director of Football Officials, David Coleman and Ron Baynes, Director of Recruiting, will be in attendance to evaluate the officials performance. Furthermore, the league will also have members of its Public Relations department in attendance taking photos in an effort to promote its initiative to afford more opportunities for female officials in the National Football League.

COURTESY SIAC.COM

Grambling State University football players ready to resume season after boycott

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The Grambling State University football team said it would return to the playing field Monday and resume its season after boycotting its SWAC game with Jackson State on Saturday. The team met with several ex-Grambling players this weekend as well as Baton Rouge businessman Jim Bernhard, all of who advised them to return to the playing field.

In a show of solidarity, all 83 of the players appeared in front of the Eddie Robinson Museum in Grambling at 3 p.m. to meet with the media. Senior defensive back Naquan Smith, who has become the spokesman for the team, read a prepared statement and answered a few questions before the team departed for practice.

The players skipped practices Wednesday and Thursday and elected not to play Saturday’s game because of what they characterized poor facilities, the firing of popular coach Doug Williams and long bus rides to Kansas City and Indianapolis for games.

“As part of the athletic program at Grambling State University, the football team, took a stance on what we thought was right,’’ the players said in a joint statement. “We did not quit on our university. There are many problems that exist and if no one says anything, nothing will come of our institution.’’

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Grambling players say they'll continue season

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The Grambling State University football players issued a statement Monday that said they will return to practice and resume playing but that they had no regrets about boycotting practices last week and refusing to travel for Saturday's game at Jackson State.

The statement, a copy of which was emailed to USA TODAY Sports and signed by safety Naquan Smith, said "although we are going to continue our season, we have not forgotten the situation and how we've gotten here."

The statement said that the players decided to return after consulting former head coach Doug Williams, who was fired Sept. 11. He was replaced by running backs coach George Ragsdale, who was in turn reassigned within the athletics department Thursday amid the player revolt. Defensive coordinator Dennis "Dirt" Winston was appointed to replace Ragsdale as interim head coach.

The statement said Williams main statement to the players was, "Go out there and play football."

In a text message to USA TODAY Sports on Friday, Williams had said, "I'm proud of them boys. They took a stance."

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SWAC working with Grambling in player dispute

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced that it is working with Grambling officials to "ensure that the appropriate actions are made" to resolve the continuing standoff between the school's football players and administration.

The SWAC said Sunday night in a release that Grambling had not been fined for forfeiting its scheduled game Saturday at Jackson State. As part of a boycott, Grambling players refused to travel from their Louisiana campus because of issues with athletic department and university leaders.

SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp told the Associated Press on Friday that Grambling would be subject to a fine for forfeiting according to the league's bylaws.

"The ramifications of this unprecedented situation (are) covered in our bylaws and constitution," Sharp said in Sunday's statement. "Therefore, there should not be any confusion as it relates to how a boycotted game will be classified."

Grambling's next scheduled game is Saturday at home against Texas Southern.

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XU Gold Nuggets sweep SUNO to extend their many streaks

NEW ORLEANS -- Moira Kirk had 10 kills, and Jodi Hill had career bests of nine kills and an .818 hitting percentage Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-17, 25-15, 25-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against SUNO.

The Gold Nuggets (18-7, 7-0) extended a a school record with their 12th consecutive victory. They've won 10 in a row at home -- all six in their first season at the Convocation Center -- and 29 consecutive GCAC regular-season matches.

Delores Tyler had 11 kills for SUNO (13-10, 9-2), which has dropped eight straight to Xavier over three seasons. The Lady Knights have won 18 of their last 22 conference matches, but all the losses are to Xavier.

Xavier trailed 5-1, 12-7 and 15-11 before winning the first set with a 14-2 run which included six SUNO attack errors. Kirk's ace tied the score at 15, and two consecutive SUNO attack errors put Xavier ahead to stay.

The Gold Nuggets closed the second set with a 16-5 run and scored the final five points of the match, which ended after Taylor Reuther's block of a SUNO attack.

Hill had six kills in as many attempts during the second set. Her match hitting percentage is the second highest by an XU player with 10 or more attacks since the program resumed in 2010.

CeCe Williams had 17 kills against the Lady Knights for the second time this season. Williams produced nine digs in the opening set. Claudia Haywood had eight kills and four blocks, and setter Franziska Pirkl hit .571 in seven attempts with four kills, 30 assists, five digs and two blocks.

Kirk produced double figures in kills for the fifth time in six matches and the 38th time in her career.

Xavier outhit SUNO .368 to .046 and had advantages of 42-28 in kills, 49-38 in digs and 6-2 in blocks. SUNO had a 6-3 advantage in aces but recorded eight service errors, twice as many as the Nuggets. The Lady Knights committed 37 errors, nearly twice as many as Xavier's 19.

Including GCAC Tournament matches, the Gold Nuggets have won 35 in a row against conference opponents. SUNO was the last GCAC team to beat Xavier; that occurred in the 2010 tournament semifinals.

Xavier's next match will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at the Convocation Center.

Box Score

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

Florida A&M Marching 100 at Rattlers' 126th Homecoming

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Coach Barlow Addresses Media; Kickoff Scheduled for ASU vs. Kentucky Game

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Alabama State head football coach Reggie Barlow addressed the media on the Southwestern Athletic Conference's weekly coaches teleconference. He spent time going over the off week and then talked about the Hornets next opponent, Alabama A&M, at the 72^nd State Farm Magic City Classic.

"Like most coaches and teams around the country we have a lot of guys nicked up," Barlow said.

"We had an opportunity to work smart with our practices and we didn't practice as long as we usually practice. It was just to get a little work in. We also gave the guys some time off so they could catch up in their studies. But all-in-all it was productive and we got back in here to prepare for the Magic City Classic."

ASU and AAMU will meet at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at Legion Field for the 72^nd State Farm Magic City Classic. It will be Barlow's seventh time to lead ASU into the Classic as the head coach.



"Of course the Classic is always a magnificent atmosphere and always a good game," Barlow said.

"A&M has always done a good job of playing very physical, running the ball, being aggressive on defense and they have always had solid players that can make plays and it is no different this year. It will be another big challenge for us, but I imagine both teams are looking forward to playing in one of our biggest games of the year."

Alabama State also received word today the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has released the kickoff time for the ASU-Kentucky game and where it will be aired. The kickoff has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS). The game will be played Saturday, Nov. 2 in Lexington at Kentucky's Commonwealth Stadium.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Long layoff concerns SCSU Pough ahead of MEAC showdown

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- Head coach Buddy Pough has two perspectives on South Carolina State’s 16-day hiatus prior to playing its most important game of the season.

On one hand, he can see the lengthy break providing an advantage from a strategic standpoint as it allows more time to develop an effective game plan to defeat defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 26 at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The flip side is the concern Pough expressed at Monday’s weekly press conference about building up game rust and losing the momentum from a five-game winning streak – the Bulldogs’ longest in three years.



“I worry a little bit about this long layoff,” Pough said. “I think we’re going to be about 16 days between games and that’s a pretty good little ways. So we’ve got to figure ways that we make sure we do a good job of keeping our team as sharp as we possibly can for the next 12-14 days we have.”

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S.C. State football's midseason report card

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- As cliché as it sounds, “What a difference a year makes” is really apropos for South Carolina State.

At this point last season, the Bulldogs were involved in a futile effort to avoid their first losing season in 12 years. After an off-season to regroup and reorganize, the coaching staff, lead by head coach Buddy Pough, has S.C. State back in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title hunt.

A win on Saturday over defending champion Bethune-Cookman would put the Bulldogs (5-2, 3-0) back in the driver’s seat for the title and the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. As fans look forward to the “Battle at the Beach,” here’s a mid-season report card on the 2013 S.C. State football team.

Quarterback — B

The head-shaking, fan-frustrating moments are exhibited fewer these days by starter Richard Cue. Under the tutelage of quarterbacks coach Danny Lewis and offensive coordinator Joseph Blackwell, the Florence native has become an efficient, effective leader on the field. This is reflected in an offense which ranks first in the MEAC in scoring (32.4 points per game) and total offense (372 yards per game). Currently the third-highest rated quarterback in the MEAC, Cue has reversed the touchdown/interception ratio in his favor from a year ago and is starting to exhibit those traits which made him a state championship quarterback at Wilson High School. A victory over Bethune-Cookman could very much redefine his legacy in a positive way.

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WSSU Rams’ record of success is a big help in recruiting

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- There’s no standard formula for recruiting in Division II football, but NCAA rules open more avenues than in Division I.

Winston-Salem State has carefully constructed a talented team, combining players leaving Division I teams in search of more playing time, players seeking second or third chances because of trouble at a previous stop and graduate transfers who have their degrees but still have eligibility remaining.

On this season’s team, center Bryan Davis (Boston College) and defensive back Jerome Junior (Connecticut) already have degrees.



Coach Connell Maynor doesn’t limit his assistants to any one area, and they pursue high-school players as diligently as they pursue transfers.

WSSU’s current roster, though predominantly packed with North Carolina players, has players from 13 states, including California, Connecticut, Florida and Washington.

"Everybody on my staff is a good recruiter,” Maynor said. “And they don’t just recruit for the position they coach, and I think that’s a big key. It’s a team effort, and I don’t think there’s one coach who recruits better than anybody else. They all have their strong points, and they all make it work.”

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Albany State Golden Rams maul Morehouse Maroon Tigers

ALBANY, Georgia -- Junior quarterback Frank Rivers was 10-16 for 194 yards and had five touchdowns to lead the Albany State Golden Rams to a homecoming massacre of Morehouse College. ASU scored often and early and dismantled the Maroon Tigers 42-20. With the victory, Albany State improves to 2-4 overall, 1-2 in the SIAC. Morehouse dips to 2-5, 0-3.

The Golden Rams' scoring parade started early in the first quarter. ASU went on a 4-play, 67-yard drive that ended when Rivers found Jessie Atkins in the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown at the 11:21 mark. Zachery Gayden-Holley's PAT made it 7-0.

After the Dirty Blue Defense held Morehouse in check and forced it to punt, Quintory Braswell returned the kick 57 yards for another touchdown. Gayden-Holley's kick was good to give the Golden Rams a 14-0 lead with 9:30 left in the period.

Albany State ended the first quarter with another score to take a commanding lead. This time, ASU went on a 4-play, 65-yard drive that culminated when Rivers found Orion Ponder for a 25-yard strike with 19 seconds left in the quarter. Gayden-Holley was good again on his PAT, giving the Golden Rams a 21-0 lead.

In the second quarter, The Golden Rams took a 28-0 lead at the 8:09 mark. That score materialized after a 2-play, 14-yard drive that ended when Rivers connected with Jarvis Small for a 12-yard touchdown. Gayden-Holley connected on the PAT.

Morehouse finally got on the scoreboard at the 6:13 mark with a 51-yard rushing touchdown to cut their deficit to 28-6. The PAT failed.

The Golden Rams ended the first half on another quick drive. Rivers threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Isom to cap a 2-play, 56-yard drive that gave ASU a 35-6 lead with 1:10 left in the first half.

The Maroon Tigers opened the third quarter witha 6-yard touchdown at the 9:21 mark to bring the score to 35-13. ASU answered with 1:34 left in the period. After an interception by Braswell, the Golden Rams used two plays to get into the end zone. Rivers final touchdown was an 8-yard pass to Jaquan Rivers, and ASU went ahead 42-13.

Morehouse ended the game scoring with a 4-yard touchdown at the 13:02 mark of the fourth quarter.

Atkins caught three passes for 53 yards. Braswell returned five punts for 128 yards. Larry Whitfield led the Golden Rams, defense with nine tackles and also recorded an interception. Jonathan Toliver added seven tackles and two sacks.

The Albany State Golden Rams return to action on Saturday, October 26^th when they travel to Atlanta, Georgia to face the Clark Atlanta University Panthers. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.

Box Score

COURTESY ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Back-to-Back Honors, Fitzpatrick Earns OVC Defensive Player of the Week

Daniel Fitzpatrick

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- For the second week in a row, TSU junior safety Daniel Fitzpatrick was honored as the OVC defensive player of the week.

 

Fitzpatrick keyed the Big Blue defense, racking up tackles with one pass break up. The safety’s biggest moment came just after the Tigers grabbed the 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Skyhawks were facing a 2nd-and-13 when Fitzpatick picked off UT Martin quarterback Jarod Neal.

 

From there the race was on as the Ft. Wayne, Ind. native returned the interception for a touchdown, giving TSU the 21-0 lead. The interception was Fitzpatrick’s fifth of the season and his second pick six of the year.

 

Tennessee State’s defense also recorded a safety, which gave the unit eight points in the game, aiding the Tigers 29-15 win over the Skyhawks.

 

Big Blue returns home to LP Field for the 83^rd annual homecoming game. TSU will welcome No. 3 Eastern Illinois in a match-up of the only two remaining teams left in OVC play. Saturday’s game is set to kick-off at 4 p.m.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Benedict Shut Down CAU Panthers For 24-0 Homecoming Win

COLUMBIA, South Carolina  --  Sophomore quarterback Brandon Thompson rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 103 yards in his first start as the Benedict College Tigers shut down Clark Atlanta for a 24-0 victory on Saturday.

The Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SIAC. The win was Benedict's fourth straight on Homecoming. Clark Atlanta dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the SIAC.

Benedict held Clark Atlanta to just 115 yards of total offense. The Panthers entered the game with the 14^th-best rushing offense in NCAA Division II at 283.6 yards per game, but Benedict held the Panthers to a season-low 89 yards rushing on 41 attempts. It was also the first shutout for Benedict since beating Stillman 35-0 in 2010.


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"The defense played phenomenal today," Benedict coach James Woody said. "I'm very happy with these guys. We challenged them before this game to shut this team out and stop that run, and we did that today."

Clark Atlanta was 1-of-11 on third-down conversions, 1-of-4 on fourth-down conversions and had the ball for slightly more than 25 minutes of the game. Benedict, on the other hand, was 8-of-13 on third downs, picked up 20 first downs, and had the ball for nearly 35 minutes.

"We had a lot of success doing the things we needed to do," Woody said.

After Marcus Graham struggled last week against Stillman, Woody and the coaching staff started Thompson at quarterback. He guided the Tigers on a 10-play, 59-yard drive on their second possession of the game, resulting in a 39-yard field goal by Eduardo Hernandez. The Tigers had a long, time-consuming drive in the second quarter, but Hernandez missed a 31-yard field goal attempt, and Benedict took a 3-0 lead at the half.

Evan Pegues recovered a Clark Atlanta fumble on the second play of the second half, giving the Tigers the ball at the Clark 30. Four plays later, Thompson ran into the end zone from 8-yards out to put the Tigers ahead 10-0.

After forcing the Panthers to punt on the next series, the Tigers took over at midfield and ran the ball on seven of eight plays. Thompson ran the final two plays, gaining 14 yards and then powering in from 8-yards out for his second touchdown.

Rodney Hall intercepted Trenton Earl's pass on Clark Atlanta's next play, but the Tigers couldn't capitalize. Clark Atlanta punted the ball back to Benedict after a three-and-out, and Harlon Samuels returned the ball 52 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown, giving the Tigers a 24-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.


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Benedict was moving the ball deep into Clark territory in the fourth quarter, but a fumble by Thompson ended that drive. The Panthers took over and marched the ball down the Benedict 4-yard line, but Aquimial Burton fumbled the ball and Benedict's Brandon Beech recovered to preserve the shutout.

"We needed a spark at quarterback," Woody said. "Nothing against Marcus, he played well at receiver. Brandon gave us an extra depth to the offense with his legs. He made a lot of things happen running the football. He is very mobile. He brings a lot of excitement to our offense."

Lamarcus Hudson led the Benedict defense with six tackles, including two tackles for loss.

The Tigers are on the road next week to face Morehouse. Kickoff in Atlanta is 2 p.m.
 Thompson gained a team-high 91 yards on the ground on 18 carries with two touchdowns. He was 11-of-21 passing for 103 yards. Graham moved to receiver and caught three passes for 32 yards.

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COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

ECSU's Boone Sets Career Highs in Rushing, Touchdowns in Win Over The Lincoln University

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University breezed past Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in a 56-14 Homecoming win on Saturday at Roebuck Stadium.

ECSU scored 14 points in each quarter in the blowout victory. The Lions slip to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in CIAA play.  Petey Boone set a career high in rushing yards (182 on 21 carries) and posted a personal best with 4 touchdowns on the ground. His first score of the day was also a career high, when he broke for a 73 yard TD at with 9:47 left in the first half.

Boone tacked on a 3-yard score with 31 seconds left in the second quarter, giving ECSU a 28-7 lead at the intermission.  He capped an 8-play 55 yard drive with a 15 scoring yard run at the 10:48 mark of the 3rd quarter and took a direct snap 39 yards to the end zone with 5:23 left in the game.

The Viking offense displayed a balanced attack on Saturday with the backfield accounting for 256 of the 585 yards of total offense. Tyrell Houghton spread the ball around to 7 different receivers, going 15-26 for 284 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Antonio Huff, Keith Strickland, Gary Langston and Javoris Bryant were all on the receiving end of touchdown passes, the latter coming from backup quarterback Will Boyette on his only throw of the afternoon with 11:15 left in the contest.

The Lions ran the same number of plays (69) as the Vikings but were more than doubled up in offensive output 585-203. The yardage and points (14) allowed were a lows for an ECSU opponent in 2013.

The Viking defense also had a season best four sacks on the afternoon.  Kendall Sellars led all ECSU defenders with 9 tackles (6 solo) including a sack for a loss of 10 yards. ECSU (2-5, CIAA 2-2) will hit the road next weekend to take on Chowan University. Game time is scheduled for 3:00pm.

Follow us on Twitter @ECSUVikings and logo onto www.ecsuvikings.com for more information.

Final Stats

COURTESY ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

VUU Panthers Down Chowan for Third Straight Win

RICHMOND, Virginia  -- Virginia Union University's Eric Shaw rushed for 125 yards while Kenneth Graham passed for 112 yards as VUU downed Chowan University 24-14 for the Panthers' third straight win.

The win marked the first time a VUU football team has won three straight games since the 2009 season.

VUU got on the board first when Anthony Davis recovered a blocked punt in the end zone to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 9:18 left in the first quarter.

Union built the lead to 10-0 when Troy Krepich connected on a 40-yard field goal with 2:22 left in the first quarter.

After Chowan scored a touchdown, VUU's Wyman Powell hauled in a two-yard pass from Graham with five seconds left in the first half to give VUU a 17-7 halftime lead.

Chowan scored again in the third quarter, but Union put the game away when Matias Parker caught an 11-yard pass from Graham with 4:22 left in the game to provide the 24-14 final score.

VUU is now 3-4 on the season and 3-1 in CIAA play.  Chowan drops to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the CIAA.

Virginia Union now travels to Bowie, Md., to meet Bowie State University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 26.

Box Score
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