Morgan State loses to Holy Cross on last play (Video)

MORGAN STATE Herb Walker Jr. Sets School Record with 271 yards

WORCESTER, Massachusetts – Lee Hull saw his hopes of winning against his alma mater dashed in the final moments of an exciting game.
 
Shane Smith scored on a 1-yard run on the final play of the game to lift Holy Cross to a 29-26 win over Morgan State on Saturday in front of a crowd of 6,172 fans at Fitton Field.
 
The win marked the first of the season for the Crusaders who improved to a 1-1 record, while the Bears (0-2) dropped its second straight heart breaker, having lost at Eastern Michigan 31-28 in Week 1.
 
Morgan State running back Herb Walker Jr. was inserted into the starting lineup as a result of a season-ending injury to Lamont Brown III. Walker was not only up to the task, but he had a sensational performance. The 5-foot-8, redshirt sophomore absolutely ripped the Crusaders on the ground and set a new school record with 271 yards on 29 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns.
 
"I thought Herb [Walker] did a great job rushing the ball," said Hull. "He did a great job of being patient and hitting the holes when they were there." 
 
"I also have to commend our offensive line. They got a lot of push and they opened some holes up for him – which we knew going into this game that we would be able to run the ball. And the way the game was going, the defense was struggling a little bit, so we had to run the ball to try and take time off the clock."
 
Morgan State opened the game in a 9-0 hole when a snap flew over punter Lawrence Forbes' head and out of the endzone for a safety. Holy Cross QB Peter Pujals engineered a 12-play, 56-yard drive capped by a 1-yard TD run by Shane Taylor with 8 minutes to go in the first quarter.
 
The Bears responded by reeling off 13 unanswered points.
 
Chris Moller, who had a 33-yard field goal blocked at the end of the first quarter, bounced back with a 42-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.
 
Robert Council (7-of-18, 57 yds) connected with wideout Amonta Poteat for a 21-yard TD strike to give the Bears its first lead of the day. Moller hit a 45-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-9 with 5:20 remaining in the first half.
 
Pujals scored on a 7-yard keeper to help give the Crusaders a 16-13 halftime lead.
 
Neither team was able to gain ground in the third quarter.
 
The Bears regained the lead at 19-16 following a nifty 46-yard run by Walker with 13:57 remaining in the game. The extra point attempt by Moller was blocked.
 
Holy Cross answered with a 75-yard drive and a touchdown pass from Pujals to a wide-open Kalaif Raymond gave the Crusaders a 23-17 advantage.
 
The Bears had taken a 26-23 lead with 3:39 remaining in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by Walker.
 
The Crusaders were able to drive across midfield, before facing a third-and 16 at the Morgan State 25 yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining. Pujals then threw a 22-yard pass to Jake Wieczorek to give Holy Cross first-and-goal at the three-yard line.

After spiking the ball to stop the clock and a two-yard rush by Pujals, the Crusaders called their final timeout facing third-and-goal from the one-yard line. Holy Cross initially sent out its field goal unit to attempt to force overtime, but reversed course after a Morgan State timeout, allowing Taylor to score the winning touchdown.
 
Morgan State finished with 413 yards overall, 356 rushing. The Crusaders totaled 379 yards with Pete Pujalis completing 16 of 29 passes for 193 yards.
 
Morgan State has dropped its first two games by a combined total of 6 points. Hull spoke about the takeaways from the pair of narrow losses.
 
"You have to be in these types of games to learn how to win them. We've had two tough losses, two games we could've won with a break here or there. But one thing is for certain -- these guys never gave up; they were still out there fighting."

"We have to be more disciplined. Our lack of discipline hurt us in both games, and that's why I keep telling our guys – You can beat a better team, but a more disciplined team and the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win the game. That's what's happened the last two games."
 
Morgan State will host the Bulldogs of Bowie State on Saturday, Sept. 13 for the Bears' home-opener. Kick off at Hughes Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Bear Notes
 
Herb Walker Jr. broke a school record that was previously held by Jason Jackson. Jackson ran for 251 yards in a 55-26 win for against Savannah State at The Proctor & Gamble Ohio Classic on Sept. 17, 2005.
 
Amonta Poteat scored his first career touchdown
 
Antonio Jefferson finished with nine (9) tackles in his first career start at cornerback.

Box Score 

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Georgia Southern run past SSU 83-9

STATESBORO, Georgia  -- Georgia Southern opened the newly-expanded Allen E. Paulson Stadium in style by downing local rival Savannah State 83-9 Saturday night in the Eagles' first FBS home game in front of a crowd of 23,121.

First-year Eagle head coach Willie Fritz's team zipped up and down the field with precision most of the night, while the Georgia Southern staff played with some of its new toys, like the 852-square-foot HD video board in the East end zone.

The Eagle offense scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions, partly because the defense and special teams made Georgia Southern's average starting field position inside Savannah State territory. The only thing that could stop the Eagle offense was halftime, and the lone Georgia Southern mistakes in the first half were a missed extra point on the Eagles' fifth touchdown and a couple of penalties on punt returns late in the frame.

The Eagles rolled up 695 yards of offense, tied the school record for touchdowns with 12, scoring 10 on the ground, and did not punt in the contest. Favian Upshaw rushed eight times for 81 yards and a touchdown and threw for 53 yards and another score, while Ean Days rushed for a career-high 112 yards and scored his first two career touchdowns. Brandan Thomas logged 117 yards on the ground and scored his first career touchdown, while Devin Scott and Dennis Pritchard each rushed for their first career touchdowns.

Matt Breida had 69 rushing yards and a pair of scores, and Kentrellis Showers caught three passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and moved into sixth place on the school's career receptions chart. Ezayi Youyoute and Montay Crockett also rushed for touchdowns.

"Our 1s did a great job when they were in there, and we saw a lot of good things from our 2s and 3s," said Fritz. "We got to play a lot of guys, and they deserve it because they work their tails off every day and you want to reward them. Every guy who dressed, and we dressed 92 of them, got a chance to play."

Ryan George led Georgia Southern with six tackles, including one for loss, while Rayquan Sam notched five and Antwione Williams had three stops with two for loss and a sack. The defense forced two fumbles, picked off one pass and held Savannah State to 42 yards of total offense and two first downs in the first half.

"We came out prepared, and the fans and atmosphere was great," said Williams. "It's fun to come show the fans at Paulson what the defense can do."

"The defensive line did a good job of providing a pass rush," added Fritz. "We only rushed four for the most part, and we did good job of staying over the top and playing leverage and tackling."

The attendance was the fourth-largest regular-season crowd at Paulson Stadium and ranked sixth on the all-time list.

"It's a dream come true for me to be able to coach at the Division I level where they care about football the way Georgia Southern does," Fritz said about the game-day atmosphere in Paulson.

The Eagles' first drive in the refurbished stadium began and ended with a Breida run. The sophomore opened the drive with an 11-yard run and found pay-dirt seven plays later on a 14-yard scamper.

Savannah State got one of its two first downs in the half on its next possession but elected to go for it on 4th-and-3 from its own 37-yard line. Matt DeLaRosa and Jay Ellison stuffed a Ker-Sean Wilson rush attempt after a 1-yard gain, giving the ball back to the Eagles. Quarterback Kevin Ellison wasted no time, going up top to Showers for a 38-yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 Eagle lead.

The Georgia Southern defense forced a 3-and-out on the next Tiger possession, and Upshaw sparked a 50-yard scoring drive with a 16-yard run. The sophomore quarterback scored on a keeper on 3rd-and-goal from the 6-yard line, and the Eagles led 21-0.

After Deion Stanley intercepted a Wilson pass, Upshaw got in the aerial act, hitting Showers with a 43-yard pass down the sideline for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead. Savannah State fumbled on the kickoff return and it was Breida's turn to carry the load again. He logged three carries for 29 yards, the last for a 1-yard touchdown and after a missed extra point, the Eagles led 34-0 1:19 into the second quarter.

Game Notes: Georgia Southern celebrated its move into the FBS by moving its six FCS national Championship Flags across the stadium to the Football Operations Center in a pre-game ceremony… The flags will now fly daily over the FOC… It was also Military Appreciation Day, the GATA Club All-Sports Reunion game and Night of Champions, which annually celebrates Georgia Southern championship teams… Stanley's interception was the fifth of his career… Georgia Southern improved to 26-6-1 in home openers and 25-5 in home openers at Paulson Stadium… It was the Eagles' eighth straight victory in home openers… GSU coach Willie Fritz is 21-1 in home openers in his career… It was the first time Fritz coached a game in the state of Georgia… The Eagles improved to 11-0 against Savannah State in the all-time series… The Eagles didn't punt for the first time since a 58-0 win over Jacksonville in the 2012 home opener… The Eagles were 37 yards shy of the school record for total offense, 66 yards away from the rushing record, one point away from the record for points in a game and one rushing TD shy of the school mark… Freedom the eagle went the extra distance for FBS on his pre-game flight from the press box, taking a lap around Bishop Fieldhouse to check out the tailgating before landing on his perch.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by GSEagles.com.
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Box Score

COURTESY GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

West Virginia State Open Season with a WIN!

INSTITUTE, West Virginia  -- No more waiting.

After months of anticipation and a 150 minute lightning delay the WVSU football team defeated Lock Haven 19-14 Saturday afternoon at Dickerson Stadium in the season opener for both squads.

"It's a great feeling," said Yellow Jacket Head Coach Jon Anderson who picked up his first career win. "It feels great because the coaching staff did a great job and the players bought into what we are doing and it's a real team victory."

The Jackets were solid in every phase of the game with several young players making an impact in their first college action.

Quarterback Matt Kinnick completed 24 of 35 pass attempts for 230 yards.

"Matt did a good job managing the game," Anderson said. "I was real pleased with him."

Running back Tevin Brown ran for 129 yards, and wide receiver Quinton Gray hauled in seven passes for 53 yards. Linebacker Dennis Gardeck made eight tackles and cornerback Kevin Coffie six.
Kinnick and the rest were all playing in their first college game.

The Yellow Jackets took a 6-0 lead into halftime on the strength of two Kole Patterson field goals.

They stretched it to 13-0 on a two yard run by freshman quarterback Matt Kinnick with 12:50 left in the third quarter. The score was set up by an 18-yard completion from Kinnick to freshman Quinton Gray.

Moments later play was halted as lightning streaked across the sky in the distance.

Play was suspended at 2:45 p.m. with 12:06 showing in the third on the game clock. Both teams headed to their locker rooms and the stands emptied as rain began to fall.

NCAA rules require a 30 minute wait after any lightning is seen. The last sighting occurred at 4:45 and the teams headed back to the field to warm-up with play resuming at 5:15 p.m., a two and one-half hour stoppage.

"That was a challenge," Anderson said. "I was worried that our kids would come out and not handle it well and they didn't for a while but the kids stepped up."

When play resumed the Bald Eagles caught fire, driving for back-to-back touchdowns to take a 14-13 lead with 55 seconds remaining in the period.

After losing a fumble at the Lock Haven 47 on the next possession it certainly looked as if momentum had completely abandoned the Yellow Jackets.

But they did not fold.

"That is one of the things we talked about a lot going into the season," Anderson said. "We call it riding waves, you can't get too high or too low."

The Jackets rebounded quickly.

They forced Lock Haven into a three-and-out after the fumble recovery.

After the Bald Eagles punted WVSU took over on its own 23 yard line and quickly marched 77 yards for the game winner.

A Brown run accounted for 57 yards of that and Kinnick hit Tyler Carrillo with a 12-yard strike for the score.

"Everybody gets put in adverse situations at times," sophomore defensive lineman Sam Lester said. "I think we handled it well."

The defense held the remaining 9:51 with a Lock Haven pass falling incomplete out of bounds on a fourth down and two play from the Yellow Jacket 36 with seven seconds left in the game.

"It feels good," Lester said. "It was a long time coming."

The defense broke up 12 passes and intercepted one on the day. Senior Wenly Beliard and sophomore Mitchell Rowell also contributed eight tackles.

Special teams play was strong as Cory Broughton averaged 36 yards on five punts and landed all of his kickoffs around the goal line while Patterson made both of his field goal tries.

Talir Satterfield-Rowe averaged 31.7 yards on three kickoff returns and Gray 9.5 on a pair of punt run backs.

The offense ran up 451 yards and had just the one turnover.

Rowe added 72 rushing yards to finish with 167 all-purpose yards on the day. Josh Caiquo had 63 receiving yards while Joe Thornton and Shanin Bennefield each pulled down five passes.

"It was a team win," Anderson said. "It's something we are all proud of but it's what is expected."

The victory broke a 17 game losing streak dating back to a September 29, 2012 win at Seton Hill.
The Yellow Jackets will get back to work in preparation for a visit from Concord next week.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Langston Rallies to Defeat Blue Tigers in a Missouri Classic Shootout

KANSAS CITY, Missouri  -- The Lincoln football team scored 42 points in the first half, but was held to just six in the second as the Blue Tigers fell to Langston, 49-48, in the Missouri Classic on Saturday (Sept. 6). Langston out-scored Lincoln 21-0 in the third quarter to rally from a 14-point halftime deficit, and then held on to win the neutral site contest, which was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Jacob Morris completed 18 of 25 passes (.720 completion percentage), including 11 of 12 in the first half, and finished with 301 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. The four scoring throws tie a single-game Lincoln record, owned by James Lang and Morris himself. Morris also contributed on the ground, finishing as Lincoln's second-leading rusher with 66 yards on 19 carries.

Morris Henderson also had a big day, scoring three touchdowns, including one on a 91-yard kickoff return. Henderson finished with 78 yards on the ground and two scores and added 142 more yards on kickoff returns.

Henderson's third touchdown nearly sent the game into overtime. Lincoln forced Langston to punt with less than three minutes to go, but the Lions' punter could not handle the snap. Reggie McMillan grabbed the ball and gave Lincoln excellent field position, and three plays later, Henderson found his way into the endzone. That pulled Lincoln to within one point of Langston, but Andrew Fishel's game-tying kick was blocked. The Blue Tigers elected to kick the ball deep instead of try for an onside kick, but Langston's quarterback converted a third-and-four with a nine-yard keeper that sealed the game for the Lions.

The contest started out well for Lincoln, as Morris led a 78-yard game-opening drive that ended with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Khiry Draine. After an exchange of possessions, Langston tied the game at seven on a 13-yard pass. On the ensuing kickoff, however, Henderson grabbed the ball at the Lincoln nine and raced all the way to the end zone, providing the Blue Tigers with an early 14-7 lead.

Langston scored another touchdown on the following drive, but Morris answered by finding Draine once again, this time for 23 yards, to put Lincoln back up by seven. After forcing the Lions to punt, Lincoln scored again on the first play of the second quarter, with Morris Christopher Willis for a 48-yard touchdown. Morris later connected with Draine on a third scoring pass, giving the Blue Tigers their biggest lead of the game, 35-14, with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half. Draine finished the game with four receptions for 101 yards and the three scores.

The Lions cut the lead back down to seven with a pair of touchdowns, one of which was a 53-yard pass that capped a two-play drive. The Blue Tigers got back on the board late in the quarter, with Henderson scoring his first rushing touchdown of the year from four yards out to give Lincoln a halftime lead of 42-28.

The third quarter belonged to Langston, though, as the Lions outgained the Blue Tigers 203-46 in yardage and 21-0 on the scoreboard. The Lions converted 13 first downs while limiting Lincoln to three, and successfully picked up two fourth-down conversions. Penalties were a killer for the Blue Tigers, who were flagged seven time for 71 yards in the third quarter alone.

The Lincoln defense answered the call in the fourth quarter, keeping Langston off the scoreboard to give the offense a chance at tying the game. The Blue Tigers did not get within scoring range until that final drive, however, and Lincoln, which won the first Missouri Classic in 2013 against Grambling State, was forced to cede its title in the second classic to Langston.

Kareem Joyner led the Lincoln defense with 11 tackles, 3.5 of which led to a combined loss of five yards. Davon Walls finished with a team-high 4.5 tackles for a loss of 18 yards, including two sacks for 14 yards, and was second on the squad with nine tackles. Lawrence Hogue, Lawrence Cayou and Kerry Roby each had one pass break-up apiece, with Cayou also blocking a field goal attempt, and Robert Daniels broke up two passes. Hogue finished with eight tackles, Cayou added seven and a sack, and Roby contributed six takedowns.

Julio Segura had a big day on kickoffs, averaging 50.4 yards on eight attempts. Segura also averaged 44.2 yards on four punts, including a long of 52 that pinned Langston inside its own 20. Fishel added six extra points. Bryson Winfrey made a team-high six receptions for 54 yards while Willis added 86 yards and the touchdown on four receptions.

The Blue Tigers will open both their home and league schedules next Saturday (Sept. 13), as Lincoln hosts Southwest Baptist in its first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference contest.

Box Score

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S.C. State on short end of 73-7 mauling by No. 23 Clemson

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- South Carolina State confronted a different pedigree of “Tiger” Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

A week after routing Division II Benedict College at the Palmetto Capital City Classic, the opposition was a Division I Clemson team anxious for redemption after losing to another “Bulldog” team out of Athens, Georgia.

What transpired over 60 minutes of football was something Buddy Pough had not experienced in 13 years as South Carolina State head football coach. The 73-7 loss to the #23/24th-ranked Tigers marked the most points allowed and largest margin of defeat suffered under his leadership, surpassing the previous high set during a 70-14 loss in 2012 to Johnny Manziel-led Texas A&M.

S.C. State also lost a week earlier the same year to Arizona 56-0.

“They (Clemson) were better than us,” a disheartened Pough said. “That’s pretty obvious.”

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Rutgers 38, Howard 25: What Scarlet Knights' victory means for showdown vs. Penn State

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey  -- A sluggish start that included an early seven-point deficit was no problem to overcome for Rutgers, which exploded for 31 unanswered first-half points and cruised to a 38-25 win over Howard before 48,040 in the home opener at High Point Solutions Stadium.

Rutgers' first game under the Big Ten banner showed plenty of warts for the Scarlet Knights, but quarterback play wasn't one of them. Gary Nova was efficient under center, completing 15 of 19 passes for 282 yards and throwing for four touchdowns.

Paul James scored three touchdowns, including two through the air, and Rutgers' special teams contributed a blocked field goal and blocked punt as the Scarlet Knights improved to 11-0 all-time against MEAC opponents and has now outscored teams from the FCS league 379-39 since 2006.

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Still no TDs for Norfolk State in 17-0 loss to Liberty

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State’s offense was significantly livelier Saturday, but the Spartans again couldn’t manage to find the end zone. And there’s only so much a stout defense can do.

Josh Woodrum completed 14 of 25 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown to lead Liberty to a 17-0 non-conference win over NSU at Dick Price Stadium.

Spartans quarterback Terrance Ervin, a true freshman making his first career start, completed 10 of 16 passes for 56 yards and injected much-needed life into a flat unit. But he threw an interception and was sacked six times by an aggressive, relentless defense as the Spartans (0-2) lost their seventh straight non-MEAC contest, dating to 2012.

NSU coach Pete Adrian said he was encouraged by how Ervin, who starred at L.C. Bird High in Chesterfield, directed the offense. But the Spartans, he said, have to finish drives.

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Miami Hurricanes roll past FAMU in home opener

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida  --Did Brad Kaaya light up Florida A&M’s defense, looking like a future Heisman Trophy winner?

No. But he’s fine with that. And so is Hurricanes coach Al Golden, who saw incremental improvement from him and the rest of the Hurricanes in a 41-7 win over in-state foe Florida A&M.

In his second college start, Kaaya, a true freshman who turned 19 last week, earned his first win as UM’s starting quarterback. He was far from perfect, going 12-for-22 for 177 yards against an FCS-level defense, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he assessed his performance as “pretty good.”

“There were some plays I wish I could have had back. We had a few miscommunications out there that we should get worked on,” he said. “But hey, I’m not a big stats guy. I’m just a big wins guy.”



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WEEK 2, HBCU Football ScoreCard

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(All Game Times Shown in Eastern Time Zone)

SUNDAY, Sept. 7
Delaware State (0-1) at Delaware (0-1), 12 Noon

SATURDAY, Sept. 6

OTHERS
Langston (Ok) 49, Lincoln (Mo) 48, Missouri Classic at Arrowhead Stadium
West Virginia State 19, Lock Haven 14

CIAA
Livingstone College 46,  Millersville (Pa.) 44 (Thursday)
Lincoln (Pa.) 30, Cheyney 18. Battle of the First  Watch Replay  (Thursday)
Virginia Union 12, Siena Heights 0  
Indiana (Pa.) 41, Saint Augustine's 19
Charlotte 56, Johnson C. Smith 0 TV: American Sports Network
California (Pa) 33, Virginia State 24
Saint Anselm 23, Bowie State 22
North Carolina Central 34, Elizabeth City State 7
Winston-Salem State 38, UNC Pembroke 7
Chowan 26, Fayetteville State 22
Miles 30, Shaw 6


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SIAC

Kentucky State 41, Kentucky Wesleyan College 21 

Shorter 28, Paine 24 

Alabama A&M 30, Tuskegee 17

Central State (Ohio) 28, Clark Atlanta 18 

Benedict 39, Lane 7

Delta State 56, Fort Valley State 13

West Alabama 44, Stillman 20

Valdosta State 38, Albany State 10
Morehouse 31, Edward Waters 16

Miles 30, Shaw 6

SWAC
Alabama A&M 30, Tuskegee 17
Alabama State 27, Tennessee State 21
Southern Mississippi 26, Alcorn State 20
Jackson State 59, Virginia University Lynchburg 0
Arkansas Pine Bluff 31, Concordia College 0
Southern U. 56, Central Methodist 14
Illinois State 62, Mississippi Valley 0
Houston 47, Grambling State 0  Watch Replay 
Texas Southern 52,Texas College 14 (Thursday)

OVC
Alabama State 27, Tennessee State 21

MEAC
Bethune-Cookman  (1-0) (Bye Week)
Rutgers 38, Howard 25  TV: Big Ten Network
#23 Clemson 73, South Carolina State 7  Watch Replay   Highlights  »

• Holy Cross 29, Morgan State 26  

Liberty 17, Norfolk State 0   Watch Replay 
North Carolina Central 34. Elizabeth City State 7
Delaware State (0-1) at Delaware (0-1)  SUNDAY - Noon
William and Mary 42,  Hampton 14
Georgia Southern 83, Savannah State 9  Watch Replay 
Coastal Carolina 31, North Carolina A&T 30
Miami (Fla.) 41, Florida A&M 7  Watch Replay   Highlights  

NCAA Division II Football Season Opens on Thursday


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Former Virginia University of Lynchburg coach files suit for back pay

LYNCHBURG, Virginia -- A former Virginia University of Lynchburg employee has filed suit against the college and its president, Ralph Reavis, for almost $10,000 in back pay and attorney’s fees.

Darnell Wall was a co-offensive coordinator for the Dragons football team and recruiter for the college from August 2013 through May 2014.

According to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg on Aug. 8, Wall was not paid from Aug. 4, 2013 through Dec. 6, 2013. His suit alleges that the school — and Reavis, who signed his employment contract — owe Wall more than $4,300 in wages and $5,400 in overtime pay.

“He is working; however because of circumstances beyond his control we do not have the funds to pay him,” Reavis wrote. When Wall was unable to make his car payment in 2013, Reavis reached out to the company on Wall’s behalf. The correspondence, which was submitted by Wall as evidence in the suit, is on VUL letterhead.

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Rutgers football wins tune-up (Howard) for Penn State

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey -- It's now Penn State week.

Rutgers passed its tune-up Saturdfay or the Big Ten opener by getting three touchdowns and 100 yards receiving from halfback Paul James and four touchdown passes from quarterback Gary Nova in a 38-25 victory against Howard at High Point Solutions Stadium.

The defense, which has struggled against the pass since the start of last season, allowed 263 and four touchdowns on the ground, though the starters were replaced during the second half.

ames scored all three of his touchdowns in the first half, including two through the air, and Nova connected with Leonte Carroo and John Tsimis for scores. Both wideouts had touchdowns in last week's win against Washington State.

Nadir Barnwell had a fumble recovery and one of Rutgers' two blocked kicks.

Rutgers had outscored MEAC opponents 341-14 in eight games since 2006 but fell behind Howard 7-0 before rallying for 31 unanswered points.

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XU Gold Nuggets ease past EWC Lady Tigers in GCAC opener

XU women's volleyball vs. Edward Waters
Photos by Yamlak Tsega

NEW ORLEANS — Claudia Haywood had a career-high 11 kills for the second straight match to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-10, 25-13, 25-11 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Edward Waters on Friday.

The Gold Nuggets (2-2 overall, 1-0 GCAC) have won 44 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents and 41 in a row against HBCUs.

Haywood, a junior, reached double figures in kills in consecutive matches for the first time at Xavier. She produced seven kills in the second set and hit a season-best .444 overall in 18 attempts.

Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills, Jodi Hill eight and CeCe Williams four for the Gold Nuggets. Franziska Pirkl had 16 assists and 13 digs — her second straight double-double and the 14th of her career — and served a season-best four aces.

Darian Harris had 10 digs for Xavier to reach double figures for the third time in four matches. Hill's seven digs were a career high, as were Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova's 15 assists.

Kaylin Davison had three kills and 10 digs for Edward Waters (0-5, 0-1), which has a 10-match losing streak dating to last season.

The Gold Nuggets never trailed and opened with runs of 6-1 in the first set, 13-3 in the second and 7-1 in the third.

Xavier outhit Edward Waters .270 to minus-.080 and had advantages of 40-10 in kills, 9-2 in aces and 54-40 in digs. The Gold Nuggets' hitting percentages and aces were season highs.

Xavier will play Wiley at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center.

NOTES: Xavier leads the series 8-0 . . . The teams also will meet Oct. 26 in Jacksonville, Fla. . . . The victory was the first at home for Xavier this season after losing in its first two attempts . . . Through four matches, Hill leads Xavier with 42 kills. She did not reach 42 kills in 2013 until her 13th match . . . Xavier's home win streak against GCAC opponents in the regular season is 16.

Box Score

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Dr. Norman C. Francis announces his retirement as President of Xavier University, effective June 30, 2015

LEGACY OF SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP


Xavier University of Louisiana President Dr. Norman C. Francis announces his retirement as the longest serving college president in the USA.

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NEW ORLEANS — Dr. Norman C. Francis, the nation’s longest serving university president, today announced that he plans to retire as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, effective June 30, 2015.

"After nearly 47 years, I believe that the time has come to take the brightly burning torch turned over to me by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and pass it on to new leadership," Dr. Francis told a campus wide Convocation of the University community late Thursday morning.

"I did so with the passionate confidence and absolute certainty that Xavier is better prepared than ever to continue its educational and spiritual mission, and to build on its tradition of excellence,"
Dr Francis continued.

Dr. Francis’ has been affiliated with Xavier for most of 66 years, arriving at Xavier from Lafayette as a 17 year old freshman in 1948, and he quickly emerged as a leader. He was elected class president every year of his undergraduate study and student body president in his senior year.

"This morning, my fellow board members and I accepted Dr. Francis’ request to retire as Xavier’s president, effective June 30, 2015," said Michael Rue, Chairman of the Xavier University Board of Trustees. "We all wish Dr. Francis could remain as Xavier’s president for at least 50 more years. We take solace in the realization that Dr. Francis will be forever with us through the institution he helped shape."

Xavier University has been transformed under Dr. Francis’ leadership, enrollment has tripled and the university’s endowment has grown from under $20 million to more than $160 million. A campus of five permanent buildings that could fit on one city block has grown to 16 permanent buildings and manicured green spaces extending out over 63.4 acres

During Dr. Francis’ tenure as president, Xavier has received a constantly increasing volume of national recognition for outstanding academic achievements especially in the sciences and pre-medical areas, rigorous graduation requirements and Xavier’s scholarly athletes, as well as the intellectual and moral quality of the alumni.

"There will likely be many questions about who will be Xavier’s next president. The responsibility for this decision rests with the Board of Trustees. Having only just approved Dr. Francis' request to retire from Xavier by the end of June 2015, our sole focus today and over the next few days is on beginning the celebration of the life and legacy of the quintessential Xavierite: Norman C. Francis," Mr. Rue continued.

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Alabama State Hornets, Tennessee State Tigers Set to Meet on the Gridiron

GAME TELEVISED ON ASPIRE TELEVISION NETWORK (Find Aspire Channel)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Alabama State University football Hornets are set to open the home portion of the 2014 schedule when they play host to the reigning 2013 National Black College Champions and 14th-ranked Tennessee State University. The game has been deemed the Inaugural Classic as the entire week of events at ASU has been built around Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd's Inauguration as 14th President at Alabama State University.

TSU (1-0) enters the game coming off a convincing 58-6 season opening victory over Edward Waters. The Tigers rushed for an FCS-high 439 yards during the game as the two teams played the game in a driving rainstorm.

"It's the Inaugural Classic as our new President is having her Inauguration and we're having a good opponent here in Tennessee State," Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. "We have a lot of respect for them. They are a great program and they have been picked as the favorite to win the HBCU National Championship this year, so we do understand what type of challenge we have."

"Our young men have been practicing hard all week and we are looking forward to playing here in our home stadium and seeing how we measure up to a really good Tennessee State team."

TSU will present a different type of problem for the Hornets as their high-powered offense is more of a traditional offense and not one of the various spread offenses now used.

"It's a huge challenge for our defense," Barlow said. "Tennessee State will run a pro-style offense and they have great skill players. They have a really good running back that transferred from the University of Tennessee and their quarterback has a great skill set. He can make all the throws and their system is good and their offensive line is a big, big group of guys."

"Again our defense will have its work cut out for them, but that is what this is right now. Its college football, we signed up for it so we're looking forward to going out and playing Alabama State football, getting lined up and playing with passion and enthusiasm. We don't need to pay attention to the scoreboard because that will take care of itself."

The Hornets (0-1) enter the game after suffering a season-opening road loss at #16 Sam Houston State University. In fact it may be the first time in the history of the football program the Hornets have faced back-to-back nationally-ranked opponents.

"There definitely has to be some improvement from last week," Barlow said. "I didn't think we tackled well in the first game and we put a special focus on tackling this week. We were not very good on third down offensively or defensively and that's another thing we put emphasis on this week. We are hoping we made great strides this week against Tennessee State in those areas."

The game is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. and will be televised live on the Aspire Television Network. The game can also be listened to on HornetVision at bamastatesports.com

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Matchup preview: Coastal Carolina vs. North Carolina A&T

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  -- What you need to know about the Aggies:

North Carolina A&T made quite a first impression Sunday, rolling to a dominant 47-13 win over Alabama A&M in the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The Aggies rushed for 307 yards in that game (See Pivotal Players), which is their best rushing total against an FCS opponent in coach Rod Broadway’s four seasons. The defense was stout too, holding the opposition to 3.0 yards per carry on the ground. That’s what this team is known for after leading all FCS teams in rush defense last year (90.3 yards per game). As for Broadway, he has the Aggies moving in the right direction after a 7-4 finish last year. They were picked third in the MEAC preseason poll and received votes in the FCS rankings this week.

Key Matchup

North Carolina A&T makes a priority of shutting down opposing rushing attacks, and the Chants fully expect to face a stacked defensive front. If so, they’ll have no qualms expanding their passing attack. Therefore, the game could hinge on how the Aggies’ starting cornerbacks – senior Donald Mattocks and junior Tony McRae – defend Coastal Carolina’s taller receivers and junior quarterback Alex Ross’ precise passing.

• Where | Aggie Stadium (capacity: 21,500), Greensboro, N.C.

• When | 6 p.m. Saturday

• All-time series | Coastal Carolina leads 4-0

• Weather | 87 degrees and mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of rain

ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

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Lincoln Beats Cheyney 30-18 in Battle of the Firsts

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania – The Lions (1-0) opened the 2014 season with a 30-18 victory over rival Cheyney University (0-1) at home in a televised game on Thursday, September 4^th. Senior wide receiver Akeem Jordan (Washington, DC/Carroll HS) set a career-high with 156 receiving yards and had three touchdown receptions leading Lincoln to a glorious win.

In his second season as head football coach at The Lincoln University, Ramon Flanigan has now won both of the season-opening Battle of the Firsts contests against Cheyney University.

Lincoln collected 357 total offensive yards after rushing for a solid 135 yards and 222 passing yards. Defensively, the Lions forced two interceptions in the final five minutes of the game to seal their second consecutive victory over Cheyney, improving to 12-2-1 in the series. The Wolves took a late 18-17 lead at the 8:22 mark in the fourth quarter after their second rushing touchdown of the night. With their backs against the wall, the Lions roared back with timely defensive plays. Senior defensive back Jacob Lockley (Philadelphia, PA/Mastbaum Vo-Tech) intercepted the Cheyney quarterback at mid-field with 4:53 left in regulation giving his offense another opportunity to pull ahead.

Lincoln used a pair of rushes to lure the Cheyney defense for a third passing touchdown from 25-yards out by quarterback Doug Cook (Dania Beach, FL/University School of Nova SE University) and Akeem Jordan (Washington, DC/Carroll HS). With a 23-18 advantage and 1:40 left to play, the Lincoln defense once again rose to the occasion forcing a second-straight Cheyney turnover.

In five plays, the Wolves offense gained 38 yards driving to the Lions 32-yard line in a final attempt for a score. The Lions defense applied pressure and sophomore Dezman Ellis(Bowie, MD/DeMatha Catholic HS) picked off Cheyney for a 65-yard touchdown returned off an interception. That was Ellis' first career interception and touchdown as a Lion. With 19-seconds remaining, Lincoln extended their lead to 30-18 downing Cheyney.

Running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) rushed for 99 total yards and had two receptions for 15 yards. Scott averaged 5.5 yards per carry and has the second most net yards rushing (99) in a game in Lincoln football history (114 –D'Ante Smith; at Livingstone; 9/26/2009) .

The duo of Doug Cook (Dania Beach, FL/University School of Nova SE University) and Akeem Jordan (Washington, DC/Carroll HS) hooked up for three touchdowns matching their 2013 performance against the Wolves. Doug Cook (Dania Beach, FL/University School of Nova SE University) completed 14-of-22 pass attempts for 222 total yards. This was Cook's fifth time throwing for three touchdowns in a game as a Lion. His longest completion of the night was a 44-yard bomb to Akeem Jordan (Washington, DC/Carroll HS) in the second quarter setting up the Lions' first touchdown. Cook and Jordan gave the Lions a 10-0 lead with a 25-yard touchdown with six minutes remaining in the first half. The dynamic duo reconnected in the fourth quarter for a pair of scores from 33-yards and 25-yards out. Jordan finished with six receptions for a career-high 156 total yards receiving and tied a career-best with three receiving touchdowns.   

Senior wide receiver Anthony Green (Chester, PA/Upper Darby HS) had four catches for 28 yards and junior wide receiver Brandon Rowe (Harlem, NY/Hudson Valley CC) had a pair of receptions for 23 yards. Rowe had 68 all-purpose yards with two kick-off returns for 25 yards while rushing for an additional 20 yards.

Junior defensive back Brandon Robinson had a team-high eight tackles to lead the Lincoln defense. Senior linebacker Keith Harris (Philadelphia, PA/Rancocas Valley Regional HS)and sophomore linebacker Wadel Louis (Miami, FL/North Miami Beach HS) each had seven tackles while defensive lineman Stephen Lloyd (Bowie, MD/Anne Arundel CC) finished with six tackles. Three of Lloyd's tackles were for a loss of 15 yards and he recorded the only sack of the game for a loss of 14 yards. Senior defensive back Lorenzo Adams(Philadelphia, PA/George Washington HS) had four pass breakups with three tackles and junior defensive back James Thomas (Los Angeles, CA/Oaks Christian Academy) had three pass breakups along with four tackles.

Kicker Brett Arkelian (Clovis, CA) connected on a 23-yard field goal attempt in the 2^nd quarter and averaged 46.0 yards on three punts with a long of 53-yards.

Lincoln moves to 1-0 in 2014 and will host North Carolina Wesleyan at home in their next game on Saturday, September 10^th at 1 p.m.

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Kentucky State Picks Up Season Opening Victory Against Kentucky Wesleyan, 41-21

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Senior running back Justin Williams rushed for almost 200 yards as the Kentucky State football team began its 2014 campaign with a convincing 41-21 win against the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers on Thursday evening at Alumni Stadium.

For the second year in a row, the Thorobreds began their season with a victory against KWC. The two teams, which first played in 1983, have now played each other nine times with Kentucky State holding an, 8-1, edge in the matchup.

Just like their last matchup, when the Thorobreds rushed for a combined 269 yards, the running game was the story. On Thursday evening, Kentucky State rushed for 289 yards and three touchdowns as a team while holding the Panthers to just 56 total rushing yards and no rushing touchdowns.

Williams rushed for 192 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 14 carries to average an impressive 13.7 yards per carry. Starting running back Jacquise Lockett picked up 89 hard-earned yards on 21 carries to help wear down the KWC defense.

KSU starting quarterback Adam Robinson went 11-for-22 with 123 passing yards and an interception. Robinson picked up a pair of touchdowns, one rushing and one passing, both coming in the second half.

The Thorobreds used special teams to pick up their first touchdown of the 2014 season. In the first quarter Jeremy Lewis fielded a punt at his own 44-yard line, and after picking up several key blocks, took it all the way down the field to put Kentucky State on top 10-0.

Senior kcker Cade Berryman was also a big factor in the special team's game. Berryman split the uprights for a pair of 35-yard or more field goals in the first half. He also was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra point attempts after Thorobred touchdowns.

Defensively the Thorobreds were solid against the run but gave up 284 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Senior linebacker Terry Horton had a team-high eight tackles, and free safety Vincent Edwards picked up an interception early in the first quarter to go along with four tackles.

Next up for the Thorobreds is a road trip to Charlotte, N.C., for a Saturday afternoon game against Johnson C. Smith on Sept. 13.

Box Score

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