Situations similar as undefeated Charlotte 49ers take on N.C. Central

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  One season ago, the Charlotte 49ers were 2-0 after beating a pair of over-matched opponents.

Then came N.C. Central. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Eagles beat the 49ers 40-13 the following week, handing Charlotte its first loss in program history and giving the 49ers a taste of what Division I football really is like.

The scenario is similar this week. Charlotte has won its first two games --- against non-scholarship Campbell (33-9) and Division II Johnson C. Smith (56-0) --- with Saturday's game at N.C. Central (1-1) looming.

"We're a year older, our guys are another year more mature," 49ers coach Brad Lambert said Tuesday. "We were coming off two wins last year and playing our first full-scholarship (Football Championship Subdivision) team and were stepping up another level. That's no different this week."

There were plenty of lessons to be learned for the ..

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FCS Game of the Week: South Carolina State at Coastal Carolina

South Carolina State (1-1) at No. 5 Coastal Carolina (2-0)

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

Series Record: Coastal Carolina leads, 3-0

Last Meeting: Coastal Carolina won, 27-20, last year

Television: Big South Network

What to Know: This is a classic matchup of offense versus defense. Coastal puts up points (31 in each of its first two wins; 41-point average last season) while South Carolina State has kept eight of its last 13 sub-FBS opponents under 10 points.

With Alex Glover (four tackles for loss), Javon Hargraves (four quarterback hurries) and talented but slumping defensive end Andrew Carter, SCSU features a highly productive defensive line. The secondary has been picked on, and Coastal quarterback Alex Ross is capable of doing the same.

The Bulldogs, two wins shy of giving coach Buddy Pough the 100th of his 13-year career at his alma mater, thrashed Benedict in their season opener before taking on similar punishment at Clemson last Saturday. Their offense still needs consistency out of its quarterbacks, Adrian Kollock and TeDarrius Wiley. The run game is a strength with Dondre Lewis-Freeman, Jalen Simmons and Justin Taylor.

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Georgia Regents University Men's Golf Joins MEAC As Associate Member

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- The GRU Augusta men's golf program joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as an associate member for men's golf, the MEAC announced Wednesday morning from their league headquarters in Norfolk, Va.

"We are really excited about our men's golf program joining the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as an associate member," Director of Athletics Clint Bryant said. "It has been increasingly more difficult to make it as a Division I Independent in recent years and the MEAC invite couldn't have come at a better time. Georgia Regents University Augusta is honored to be a member and we look forward to competing against the fine institutions that make up the MEAC."

Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC consists of historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.

The MEAC sponsors 16 Division I (FCS) sports with automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason competition in men's golf, baseball, bowling, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field,
softball, and volleyball.

GRU Augusta starts its second season under head coach Jack O'Keefe when they tee off at the Tar Heel Intercollegiate, hosted by the University of North Carolina, at UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.

"We are looking forward to being in an athletic conference," O'Keefe said. "It's a great opportunity for our team to step into the end of the year to compete for a conference championship and help us springboard in regional and NCAA play."

The UNC Finley Golf Course is a par-72, 7,242 yard course that will feature a three day, 54-hole tournament with 18 holes to be played Friday through Sunday. Tee times begin at 8:00 a.m. each day off No. 1 and No. 10. Live scoring will be available on www.Golfstat.com and www.GoHeels.com.

The MEAC will host the 2014 Men's Golf Championship from April 25-27, 2014 at the Crosswinds Golf Club in Savannah, Ga.

COURTESY GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY JAGUARS MEDIA RELATIONS

Jackson State ready to end losing skid at Southern Heritage Classic

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Jackson State plans to end its two-game losing streak in the Southern Heritage Classic. The two sets of Tigers clash on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Memphis' Liberty Bowl for the 25th time.

Tennessee State has a slight edge in the series, winning 13 of the 24 meetings. Jackson State, however, has won its first two games under first-year coach Harold Jackson and is considered the better team on paper.

Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State, 5 p.m.: Senior Patrick Ivy has regained his starting quarterback position after a few weeks of alternating with Charles Davis. With Ivy under center, Valley (1-1) has the best chance of winning its SWAC opener in the Hornets' on-campus, $62 million stadium that opened two years ago.

"He's done a pretty good job for us," Delta Devils coach Rick Comegy said. "He throws the deep ball for us and puts the ball on the money."

Louisiana College at Alcorn State, 2 p.m.: Alcorn (1-1) has the perfect opponent to recover from its loss at Southern Miss when Louisiana College invades Spinks-Casem Stadium.

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Fakler sets GCAC record, Jackson close to another

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana cross country standout Catherine Fakler set a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's record Tuesday when she was named GCAC Runner of the Week for the ninth time in her career.

XU's Kwame Jackson won his 11th career GCAC Runner of the Week award and needs two more to tie the men's career record.

Fakler, a senior from Phoenix, Ariz., and a graduate of Xavier College Preparatory Roman Catholic High School, broke a tie with teammate Zahri Jackson and Spring Hill's Kate Imwalle for GCAC career weekly awards. Fakler matched the record a week ago. Saturday she won for the fourth time in her last five meets, and her 5,000-meter time of 18 minutes, 13.71 seconds at the Louisiana Army National Guard/ROTC Wolf Pack Invitational in Metairie, La., was the second fastest in Gold Nuggets history. Fakler set the record of 18:08.32 last year in a victory at the GCAC Championships.

Jackson, a senior from the Houston suburb of Kingwood, Texas, and a graduate of Kingwood Park High School, broke a 14-year-old XU men's record when he ran 5,000 meters in 15:30.90 in a second-place finish at the Wolf Pack meet. Farris Gransberry set the previous mark of 15:46.80 at the Tulane Invitational in 2000.

Like Fakler, Jackson has won a pair of GCAC weekly awards this season. Former teammate Matt Pieri holds the GCAC men's career record of 13 awards.

Xavier will compete Saturday at the Southern Miss Invitational at Pine Belt National Golf Course in Moselle, Miss. The men's race will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the women at 8:30. The length of both races will be 5K.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Echebelem leads Xavier past Wiley in 4 sets

NEW ORLEANS -- Chinedu Echebelem, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year, had a season-high 19 kills and a career-best 28 digs Tuesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 29-27, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17 women's volleyball victory against Wiley.

The Gold Nuggets (3-2) have won three straight and completed a two-match season sweep of the Lady Wildcats (4-9).

Darian Harris had 31 digs, the most in a match by a Xavier player since the program resumed in 2010. Claudia Haywood had 10 kills, Jodi Hill nine and Jada Broussard a career-high seven for the Gold Nuggets. Kayla Jones had 13 digs, Franziska Pirkl had a season-high-tying 50 assists, and Haywood had a season-high six blocks.

Rebecca Moustapha had 14 kills and AnJonee Mathis nine for Wiley, and Diana Castaneda had 24 digs.

Xavier rallied from a 24-22 first-set deficit and scored the final three points on kills by Echebelem and Haywood and blocks by Pirkl and Haywood. The Gold Nuggets scored the final six points of the second set and clinched on Pirkl's kill.

CeCe Williams, limited to one kill and a minus-.153 hitting percentage in the first three sets, had five kills and hit .417 to lead the Nuggets in the deciding set.

Echebelem's kills and Harris' digs also are Convocation Center records. This is Xavier's second volleyball season in the facility, which replaced The Barn.

Echebelem's kill total was one less than her career high. Her previous best in digs was 22.

Xavier outhit Wiley .146 to .053 -- .326 to .083 in the final set -- and had advantages of 57-44 in kills, 98-90 in digs and 8-6 in blocks.

The victory was Xavier's 42nd in a row and its third this season against HBCUs.

It was Wiley's second match of the day. The Lady Wildcats won 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 at SUNO.

Xavier will visit Tougaloo at 5 p.m. Monday and play its next home match at noon on Sept. 20 against Philander Smith. Both opponents are GCAC members.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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UAB looking to avoid letdown against Alabama A&M

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - UAB didn't lack for motivation as it faced Mississippi State last Saturday. The Blazers were taking on an SEC opponent on its field with the thought of silencing the chorus of cowbells that rang every time the Bulldogs made a play.

This week, coach Bill Clark's team will be back in the friendly confines of Legion Field, hosting Alabama A&M. And, the coach and players said, the approach can be no different.

"We're going to treat them like any other opponent," junior right guard Cameron Blankenship said. "We're going to perform just like we always do. We don't take any opponent lightly."

That said, the offensive lineman said the Blazers are going to have to create some of their own fire against a team of FCS Bulldogs that doesn't generate the fan excitement of the one they faced last week in Mississippi.



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Southern University looking for better result in this year's game against Northwestern State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern University started in the hole against Northwestern State University in 2013 before the Jaguars ever stepped foot in Natchitoches. Jaguars' linebacker Anthony Balancier, a senior last season, made some disparaging comments early in the week about the Demons that, in the age of social media, spread quickly to Northwestern's campus.

It was bulletin board material that had Northwestern fired up and ready to go when the game began.

The Demons jumped to a 31-0 lead and went on to a 55-14 lead in which they dominated the Jaguars in every category. Afterward, Demon players mentioned the comments as fuel for their fire.

Southern and Northwestern get together again this week, this time in Baton Rouge and A.W. Mumford Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. So you'd think Jaguars coach Dawson Odums would tell his squad mum's the word this week.

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Another week, another secondary shakeup for ASU

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State will play its third game of the season Saturday with its third different lineup in the secondary.

This time, it's because of a sprained foot suffered by safety Nagee Bright, which will push Ka'Ra Stewart back into a starting role against Mississippi Valley State.

Stewart was the starter in the season opener before a shakeup of the secondary moved Bright from cornerback to safety, benching Stewart in the process.

But after giving up 396 passing yards to Sam Houston State and 340 to Tennessee State, Hornets coach Reggie Barlow knows what to expect Saturday from the football program that made Willie Totten and Jerry Rice household names.

"Think about Mississippi Valley and what they've always been," Barlow said. "That's been their game. They're going to throw it. That's something we have to be ready for. We knew Tennessee State wanted to run the ball, and it's kind of like a gift and a curse. Do we really want to stop the run because now we're going to make them pass.

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North Carolina A&T State University Blue & Gold Marching Machine 9/6/14

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Saint Augustine's University Releases Costa as Head Football Coach

PHOTO COURTESY: SAU ATHLETICS

RALEIGH, North Carolina  -- Michael Costa has been released as Head Football Coach at Saint Augustine's University effective September 8, 2014. Tremayne Henry has also been relieved of his duties as Defensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator at the University.

Costa was in his 13th season as head coach with a 39-63 record at Saint Augustine's University.

"We appreciate what Coach Costa has done for the team and Saint Augustine's University," Athletic Director George Williams said. "At this time, we feel it's best to go in another direction."

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Michael Morand has been elevated to Interim Head Football Coach. He has over 14 years of coaching experience on the professional and collegiate levels.

Morand was selected for the NCAA Expert Coaches Forum in Orlando, Fla., in 2009. The Forum teaches upcoming coaches how to become effectiv
e Head Football Coaches. Morand also participated in an internship with the NFL Houston Texans in 2009 and worked closely with Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The Texans ranked fourth in total offense and first in passing offense in the NFL that season.

In 2008, Morand was selected to attend the NCAA Coaches Academy in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Academy is developed to train minorities for head coaching positions. He is also a member of the American Football Coaches Association, in which he serves on the AFCA committee for Professional Development.

Before coming to Saint Augustine's University, Morand worked in the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles training camp as an intern in the scouting department during the summer of 2014. In 2013, he was the defensive coach for the Omaha Beef of the Championship Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL), where he helped guide the team to the playoffs.

An Atlanta, Ga. native, Morand was the Defensive Quality Control Coach/Linebacker Coach in 2012 and the Offensive Quality Control/ Assistant Wide Receiver Coach in 2011 for the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League. He was the co-Offensive coordinator, Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers Coach at North Carolina A&T State University during the 2009-2010 season. He also served as the Director of Football Operations at A&T.

During his time at North Carolina A&T, Morand guided one of the top rushing attacks in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Before arriving at A&T, Morand served as the Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers Coach at Virginia State University in 2007 and 2008.

Under his direction in the 2007 season, the Trojans ranked second in scoring offense, total offense, red zone offense, and passing efficiency, and first in fourth down conversions in the CIAA. In the 2008 season, Morand coached the top-ranked running back and top-ranked wide receiver in the CIAA. Both players were ranked in the top 10 of their respective categories in NCAA Division II. During his two years as offensive coordinator, Morand produced six All-CIAA players, one third-team Don Hansen All-American and one CIAA Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Prior to his stint at Virginia State, Morand served as Running Backs Coach at Wingate University from 2004-2006. During his tenure at Wingate, Morand helped guide the team to a 21-11 record and several national Top 25 rankings.

In 2003, Morand helped start the Barber-Scotia College football program. He was the Assistant Head Football Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator for the team. In 2002, Morand was the Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers Coach at Livingstone College in addition to serving as Recruiting Coordinator and Strength and Conditioning Coach. He coached two players to All-CIAA honors that season.

In 2001, Morand was at the University of West Georgia where he coached Harlon Hill candidate running back Nick Price. Morand also gained valuable experience coaching the complex West Coast Offense that season as the team compiled an 8-3 overall record.

During his collegiate playing days, Morand was the quarterback at Florida A&M University from 1996-1999. He was coached by the legendary Billy Joe, the fourth winningest NCAA Division I football head coach. With Morand at quarterback, Florida A&M won the MEAC Championship in 1996, the Co-MEAC Championship in 1998 and the Black College National Championship in 1998. The Rattlers participated in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs each year during Morand's career. In high school, Morand helped Southwest DeKalb High School win the Georgia state championship and earn a No. 11 national ranking in the USA Today poll.

Morand received a Bachelor of Science Degree at Florida A&M University and a Master of Science in Specialization Sports Management at Nova Southeastern University. Morand is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program for Educational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University.

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Hotels, tickets seal CIAA deal

Reduced rates part of long-term pact with city

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The CIAA is making its home and basketball tournament long-term Charlotte residents.

The league, Charlotte Hornets and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority officials signed off on the deal at a Wednesday press conference at Time Warner Cable Arena, where the championship will be contested through 2020. Included in the pact is $100,000 to relocate the CIAA’s offices from Hampton, Va., in 2016, reduced rates for downtown hotel rooms and tournament tickets. On the basketball side, early-round games will be shifted to Bojangles Coliseum starting in 2017, which increases scheduling flexibility for the NBA Hornets.

Because the CIAA tournament has been here so long, it seems like this is where it should be in perpetuity,” Mecklenburg County commissioners Chair Trevor Fuller said. “We’ll settle for six years.”

Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams conceded the reduction of hotel rates were key to the deal. Fans consistently groused Center City hotel prices were too expensive, and the league sought concessions, which should top out around $250 per night during tournament week. The agreement gives the league control of 3,000 hotel rooms for the week.




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CIAA to move early games to Bojangles’ Coliseum in 2017

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  In a one-on-one battle against costs, the CIAA will trade some uptown exposure for a smaller price tag in its future basketball tournaments.

The conference, in a cost-cutting move, announced Wednesday that early round games in its men’s and women’s basketball tournament will be played at Bojangles’ Coliseum instead of Time Warner Cable Arena, starting in 2017.

The late-round games – including the championship – will stay uptown.

The CIAA and the city have said that uptown remains a major draw for the tournament because fans can watch games and go to bars and restaurants without getting in their cars.

But moving early games to the older, smaller venue on Independence Boulevard will save money, which is a high priority for the collection of historically black colleges and universities.

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Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/09/03/5147537/ciaa-to-move-early-games-to-bojangles.html#.VA5DtfldU_g#storylink=cpy

Albany State vows to clean things up

Rams meet Tuskegee Saturday in Phenix City, Ala., in White Water Classic

ALBANY, Georgia -- Jessie Atkins stood outside the Albany State University dressing room, still in somewhat disbelief after Valdosta State’s 38-10 victory over the Rams Saturday night at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

It wasn’t so much about the lopsided score that Atkins was shaking his head over. It was more about the turnovers Albany State committed - five total, including four fumbles. Three of the turnovers led directly to 21 Valdosta State points.

None were more painful than on the opening possession of the second half. Trailing 17-0, the Rams faced second-and-9 from its 24, only to cough the ball up. It was the Rams’ third fumble at the time, and the Blazers turned the fumble recovery into a touchdown two plays later and built an insurmountable lead.

Atkins knows the Rams are going to have a hard time winning if they can’t corral the turnovers.

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UD Hens top DSU Hornets in rare Sunday clash

NEWARK, Delaware -- The day may have been unique. The outcome was quite familiar.

Delaware continued its domination of Delaware State, winning a rare Sunday college football matchup 27-9 at sun-drenched Delaware Stadium in front of more than 5,000 fans.

Sophomore tailback Jalen Randolph rushed for 118 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns and earned the Nate Beasley Award as game MVP.

PHOTO GALLERY: UD 27, DSU 9

UD FOOTBALL: Quick Hits

Quarterback Trent Hurley completed 17 of 21 passes for 172 yards for Delaware, with Michael Johnson's seven catches covering 67 yards. Johnson also became Delaware's career leader in kickoff returns and yardage.

The Blue Hens built a 20-3 halftime lead, then extended that when Randolph rumbled 46 yards for a touchdown on Delaware's third play of the second half. They enjoyed a 450-325 final edge in total yards.

Malcolm Williams' 14-yard run with 5:16 left accounted for the Hornets' lone touchdown. Williams had 100 yards on 18 carries.

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Five Southern football players likely to miss entire season

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana --  Five Southern players, including preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference guard Anthony Mosley, are likely to miss the season because they have not been academically certified.

Athletic Director William Broussard confirmed the status of the players prior to Southern’s 56-14 victory in its home opener against Central Methodist on Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Three other starters — LB Daniel Brown, S Renaldo Thomas and WR Nico Talbert — as well as reserve LB Detrane Lindsey are also out for the season, “as of right now,” Broussard said. DB Jaleel Richardson was held out for a second straight game but could be reinstated, Broussard said.

Two other players who were withheld from the 45-6 loss at Louisiana-Lafayette in the season opener last week because they had not been certified — RB Malcolm Crockett and OL Terrell Lee — were reinstated for Saturday’s game. Crockett rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown, and Lee entered the game at center in the first quarter after Brandon Thibodeaux was injured.



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Southern runs over Central Methodist 56-14

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The first two weeks of Southern’s football season have featured a constantly changing cast of characters.

Eight Jaguars missed the season-opening 45-6 loss at Louisiana-Lafayette last week because they weren’t certified academically. Two of them — running back Malcolm Crockett and offensive lineman Terrell Lee — were found qualified for the home opener Saturday night, and Crockett introduced himself to the A.W. Mumford Stadium crowd by rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown in a 56-14 victory against Central Methodist.

Lee was thrust into the game unexpectedly when center Brandon Thibodeaux was injured in the first quarter, the latest in a series of developments that led to a rearranging of the offensive line. The changes didn’t seem harmful against the outmanned Eagles as the Jaguars gained 651 yards, including 395 on the ground.

“We’re an explosive offense,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “You’ve got to pick your poison against us, but it all starts with the running game. I don’t know too many teams that rush for 300 yards and lose.”



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Jackson shatters record; Fakler, XU Nuggets champs again

METAIRIE, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana's Kwame Jackson broke a 14-year-old school record, and Catherine Fakler and her teammates extended their winning streaks at the Louisiana Army National Guard/ROTC Wolf Pack Invitational cross country meet on Saturday at Lafreniere Park.

Jackson ran 5,000 meters in 15 minutes, 30.90 seconds to break the XU men's mark of 15:46.80 set by Farris Gransberry in 2000. Jackson finished second in the race, and teammate Brent Kitto was fourth in 15:48.14. Kitto's time is the Gold Rush's second fastest of the last 12 seasons.

It's the first time that Jackson — a two-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference individual champion and All-Louisiana selection — has held one of the Gold Rush's timing records.

"Glad to get that weight off my shoulders," said Jackson, a senior from the Houston suburb of Kingwood, Texas, and a graduate of Kingwood Park High School. "My teammates had been pushing me all week to try and break the record. This is a victory for all of us."

Fakler, the 2013 GCAC women's champion and Louisiana Runner of the Year, won her 5K race in 18:13.71, the second-fastest time in Gold Nuggets history. Fakler won by less than a second over Southeastern Louisiana freshman Celia Zaeringer. Fakler has won four of her last five cross country races dating to Sept. 21, 2013.

"I'm a morning person, so this was good for me," said Fakler — from Phoenix, Ariz., and a graduate of Xavier College Preparatory Roman Catholic High School — of the 7:50 a.m. start. "I woke up three hours before the race, ate a Clif Bar and a banana, went back to sleep, then woke up again to go to the meet. It felt nice out there. It was a good run."

The Gold Nuggets had five of the top seven finishers and won the women's division with 23 points. Southeastern Louisiana, an NCAA Division I member, was second with 40 points. It's the first time in the history of Xavier's women's program, which dates to 1994, that the Gold Nuggets opened the season with consecutive victories. The team championship is the 18th in Joseph Moses' 10 seasons as coach of the Nuggets.

The Gold Nuggets' other finishers were Briana Simms (fourth place, 19:40.29), Ashley Flournoy (fifth, 20:54.59), Hannah Finnegan (sixth, 20:55.86), Hali Yarmush (seventh, 21:55.69), Carlee Calais (13th, 22:26.42) and Zahri Jackson (14th, 22:35.46). Simms' time is No. 14 on the Nuggets' all-time list.

The Gold Rush did not qualify for team scoring. Christopher August was ninth in 16:13.00 — the Gold Rush's fourth-fastest 5K of the last 12 seasons — and Emmanuel Detiege was 22nd in 17:57.29.

SLU's Harry Wiggins won the men's race in 15:13.68 and led the Lions to the team title with 15 points.

Xavier will compete at the Southern Miss Invitational at Pine Belt National Golf Course in Moselle, Miss., next Saturday. The men's race will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the women at 8:30. Distance for both will be 5K.

NOTES: The Gold Nuggets won the team title of this meet for the second time in three years . . . Zahri Jackson, Kwame's younger sister, competed in cross country for the first time since 2012, the year she won her second consecutive GCAC individual title.

Results:  Men    Women
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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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TSU's Reed Coach's Show to Air Mondays on 94.9

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State athletic department has announced that the Rod Reed Coach’s Show will air every Monday night on local radio 94.9 The Game 2.

The show will start at 7 p.m. CT and will be hosted by Greg Pogue, who many Tiger fans will remember from Reed’s weekly morning call-in segment when Pogue was on 102.5 The Game.

Segments in the show will include a recap of last week’s game, a discussion about a famous event in TSU history, a player spotlight and a preview of that Saturday’s upcoming game.

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Storm Delays DSU/UD Football Contest Until Sunday at Noon

NEWARK, Delaware (Sep. 6, 2014) -- The sixth scheduled meeting between the Delaware State and University of Delaware football teams will be delayed until Sunday, thanks to Mother Nature.

Severe thunderstorms in Northern Delaware this evening forced officials from both schools to postpone this evening's scheduled 6 p.m. contest until noon on Sunday at Delaware Stadium.

The stadium was cleared around 4 p.m. today at the first sign of lightning in the area.

"The decision by both schools not to play this evening was made in the interest of safety for everyone involved," said Eric Ziady, University of Delaware Director of Athletics. "There was about a three-to-four-hour window in which the game could have been played, but that window closed as conditions did not improve."



Delaware State head coach Kermit Blount said there was no choice but to call the game.

"The players from both schools had been sitting around for quite a while; and there was a great deal of concern about their safety if we to play late into the evening." Blount said. "If we had started and then stopped, there's no way we could play on Sunday."

This will be the sixth meeting between the state's two Division I football programs. The Hornets are seeking their first win in the series.

Delaware State will be playing on Sunday for the first time since 2010 against Southern (La.) in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando, Fla.

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Alabama A&M rolls over Tuskegee, 30-17

TUSKEGEE, Alabama  -- Bryan Brower scored two touchdowns and Jaymason Lee passed for two more as Alabama A&M beat Tuskegee 30-17 Saturday.

The Bulldogs win was the first for Head Coach James Spady.

"I can't describe it," Spady said of his first win.

For the Bulldogs, it was a turn-around from last week's 47-13 loss to North Carolina A&T.

"We asked them what kind of legacy do they want," Spady said. "I appreciate the way they responded."

Alabama A&M (1-1) scored first at the 7:23 mark when Brower scored on a 5-yard run, capping a 10 play, 67-yard drive.

But the Golden Tigers (0-1) answered a couple minutes later when quarterback Justin Nared hit Marquel Gardner on an 87-yard scoring strike with 5:27 left in the quarter.

Lightning struck twice here as Lee found Octayvius Miles for a 72-yard catch and run to put the Bulldogs up 14-7 at 4:06 of the quarter.

The Golden Tigers cut the lead to 14-10 on a 33-yard field goal from Trevor Wylie.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs scored on a 77-yard pass from Lee to Montaurius Smith and Brower scored his second TD of the game on a 4-yard run with 2:18 to play.

Michael Thornton scored for Tuskegee with 12:49 left in the third to cut A&M's advantage to 27-17 but A&M kicker Cesar Ramon Diaz wrapped up the scoring with a 38-yard field goal with 7:31 left in the game.




The Bulldogs travel to Alabama-Birmingham next Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

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Clarke's Three Rushing TDs Lead NCCU to Convincing Win Over ECSU

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Andre Clarke bulled his way to three rushing touchdowns and a hard-hitting defense held Elizabeth City State University to just one score, as North Carolina Central University cruised to a 34-7 victory on a steamy Saturday night inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

The win is the first in the coaching era of new NCCU head coach Jerry Mack, who was presented with the game ball and was drenched with the contents of a water cooler during a post-game celebration.

Clarke's three touchdowns on the ground all came in the first half. He had a fourth score called back due to a holding penalty. The senior running back finished with 83 yards on 12 carries, an average of 6.9 yards per run. The last Eagle to post three rushing touchdowns in a game was Greg Pruitt, Jr. on Oct. 22, 2005 against Livingstone College.

As a team, NCCU amassed 401 yards of total offense, including 236 on the ground and 165 through the air. Junior transfer quarterback Quinn Billerman completed 19-of-29 passes for 165 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown connection with junior transfer receiver Anas Hasic, who finished with seven catches for 121 yards.

NCCU's aggressive defense forced two turnovers, sacked the ECSU quarterback five times and held the Vikings to 171 total yards. Sophomore linebacker Jordan Miles topped the Eagles with eight tackles, while sophomore linebacker Jeremy Thompson added seven tackles with an assisted sack and a pass break-up. Senior defensive end Felix Small contributed six takedowns with 2.0 tackles for a loss and his second forced fumble in the first two weeks.

Sophomore kicker Brandon McLaren added to the scoring with 10 points for NCCU on field goals from 36 and 20 yards, along with four extra-point kicks.

NCCU returns to O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Sept. 13 to host Charlotte at 5 p.m. For ticket information, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.

Box Score 

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

A&T Nearly Upsets No. 5 Coastal Carolina

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  -- Two special teams plays in the fourth quarter are what stood between North Carolina A&T and its upset win over No. 5 Coastal Carolina at Aggie Stadium Saturday night. The special teams errors happened on back-to-back plays in the 31-30 Chanticleers win.

A&T (1-1), who had lost each of its previous four matchups against Coastal Carolina (2-0) by more than 10 points, took its first lead of the game in the fourth quarter as Kwashaun Quick avoided numerous Chanticleer tacklers on his way to scoring on a 29-yard touchdown run. It was Quick’s fifth rushing touchdown in just two games played this season, and it gave the Aggies 30-24 lead with 7:16 remaining in the game.

What went largely unnoticed about Quick’s run was the fact that his helmet came off. By rule, he was forced to sit out the next play. This would prove to be significant. Quick, who is in his third season as the Aggies holder, was on the sideline while replacement holder and punter Dominic Frescura took over his duties.

Frescura mishandled a low snap and was eventually wrapped up and sent to the ground by Taylor Bagley.





Devin Brown then gave A&T more special teams woes when he returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Alex Catron added the crucial extra point on to the end of Brown’s run to give the Chanticleers what turned out to be the final margin of victory.

The Aggies still had a chance to win. Quick’s 19-yard completion to Xavier Griffin gave the Aggies a 1st-and-10 on the Coastal 38-yard line with five minutes to play. But on a 3rd-and-9 from the Coastal 37, Quick was sacked for a 3-yard loss. The Aggies decided to punt on fourth down with less than four minutes remaining. The Chanticleers would run out the clock for the win.

“We actually talked about it, and we discussed it before the third down,” said Broadway about going for it on fourth down. “We felt like we were in two-down territory, but our third down play wasn’t a good play, so we felt like we had to go ahead and try to pin them.”

Coastal running back De’Angelo Henderson rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. As a team, the Chanticleers rushed for 219 yards against a defense known for stopping the run. Quarterback Alex Ross threw for 261 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions on 21-for-37 passing.

“I didn’t think that they run the ball like they did,” said A&T head coach Rod Broadway. “I didn’t think that anybody would run on us like they did. They just whipped us. The kickoff return was huge. That was the turning point in the ballgame after we dropped the extra point. We said all week we wanted to win the kicking game, but we didn’t do that because we gave up seven big points that was the difference in the ballgame tonight.”

The Aggies weren’t too shabby in running the ball either. Sophomore running back Tarik Cohen had 133 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Quick added 96 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He was 12-for-32 through the air for 106 yards and two interceptions.

“We have some outstanding runners,” Broadway said. “Quick can make all kinds of plays with his feet and Tarik is unbelievable. I thought we had to run the ball to win and we ended up with 236 yards rushing, so that’s pretty good.

And as you can see, Quick is starting to get better, making good plays with his arm and making good plays with his feet. He has to get a little bit better with his decision making sometimes, but he is developing nicely and he is going to be a good quarterback.”

A&T forced three first-quarter turnovers but did not turn any of them into points. The Aggies did get on the board first thanks to a 36-yard punt return by freshman Khris Gardin that set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Quick to give the Aggies a 7-0 first quarter lead.

Coastal quickly responded by scoring 17 quick unanswered points on three drives that took only a combined 4:48 off the clock. The Aggies decided to quickly strike as well. Cohen broke through the line of scrimmage and made a slide move into the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown run. His run was set up by a 40-yard completion from wide receiver Denzel Keyes to tight end Dequan Swann after Keyes caught a lateral from Quick as the Aggies went into the locker room down 17-14.

“We expect to play well no matter who we are playing against on any Saturday,” said Quick. “Whether it’s a pro team, Clemson or anybody, we expect to win. We played all right, but it wasn’t enough to win as you can see.”

D’Vonte Grant led the Aggies with 11 tackles. Tony McRae, Tard McCoy and Donald Mattocks each had interceptions for A&T. The Aggies travel 25 miles next week to face Piedmont rival Elon at 6 p.m.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Ram Ramblings: Not much has changed at WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Yes, things are different now that Connell Maynor is at Hampton but that doesn’t mean the winning is going to stop.

Winston-Salem State picked up right where it left off from last season with a convincing 38-7 win over UNC Pembroke on Saturday night. Not even a lightening delay was going to delay the Rams from winning for Coach Kienus Boulware debut.

I noticed a few things about these Rams that differ from the years past. I don’t see as much chest pounding and whooping and hollering that maybe some of Maynor’s teams were guilty of doing the last four seasons. There wasn’t anything wrong with that because when you go 45-6 in four seasons that’s pretty good.

It seems to me that the Rams have taken to Boulware and his style that is understated to say the least. But that style is also OK because the Rams showed just as much intensity and vigor on Saturday night as they did when Maynor was around.

They just did it in a different way.

CONTINUE READING 

WSSU Rams roll 38-7, still see room for improvement

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- The Kienus Boulware era of Winston-Salem State University football got off to a great start, as the #14 WSSU Rams scored 31 first half points, enroute to a convincing 38-7 win over #21 UNC Pembroke on Saturday night in Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.

With the win, WSSU recorded their 400th all-time win, moving to 1-0, while UNC Pembroke falls to 0-1 on the season.

Winston-Salem State got on the scoreboard first, when Tyree Massey reached the end zone from eight yards out, and with Alejandro Suarez's PAT, the Rams went up 7-0.

The WSSU Rams would not take long to score again, after a quick series from UNCP, the Rams' Marcel Caver would haul in a 64 yard pass from wide receiver, Donovan Rasberry, and with the PAT WSSU was off and rolling 14-0.

Winston-Salem State's defense was spectacular all night and with 5:50 to go in the first quarter, the might Ram defense stepped up big time, as UNCP's quarter scramble but could not avoid WSSU's Alfy Hill, and Hill not only sacked the quarterback, but also forced a fumble and Danny Bunn would pounce on the ball in the end zone for another WSSU touchdown, giving the Rams a 21-0 lead.

The stifling WSSU defense would once again make a big play, when on the third play of the next series, WSSU's Aliquan Bullock would force a fumble and would be recovered by Lakevious Battle.

After the 13 play, 53 yard series for WSSU would break down, the Rams would attempt something that they rarely did over the past few years, kick a field goal. Alejandro Suarez would connect on a career long 44 yard attempt to give the Rams a commanding 24-0 lead early in the second quarter.

But the Braves were not going to go away easy, as LJ Stroman would take the ensuing kickoff, and return it 100 yards for a touchdown to cut the score to 24-7.

With 5:45 left in the first half, Rudy Johnson would find an open QB turned tight end, DeShean Townsend for an 8 yard scoring strike to give WSSU a 31-7 advantage heading into the locker room at the half.

And a halftime it was. As a severe storm approached Bowman Gray Stadium, the venue had to be evacuated because of lightning, and the normally 20 minute half, would be extended to an hour and 15 minutes before play could be resumed. Although the lightning ceased, a steady rain would invade Bowman Gray for the rest of the evening.

The second half was more of the same for UNCP, as Winston-Salem State's defense kept the pressure on, and did not allow a score.

WSSU would reach the end zone once more, as Maurice Lewis would find the goal line from 10 yards out with 2:17 left in the third quarter to give the Rams the eventually final score of 38-7.

Offensively for WSSU, Rudy Johnson led the rushing attack with five carries for 48 yards, while Maurice Lewis rushed 11 times for 46 yards and a score. Tyree Massey carried the ball seven times for 29 yards and a score in his WSSU debut. The Rams rushed for 135 yards on the night.

Rudy Johnson finihsed 14 of 22 passing for 122 yards and one score, while Phillip Sims went 10 of 16 for 107 yards.

Defensively, Duvontae Covington led the way with six tackles, while James Hickman and Alfy Hill had five tackles each. Hill also finished with a game high 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Michael Bloomfield finished with four tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Danny Bunn finished with four tackles and a fumble recovery for a score. Aliquan Bullock finished with a forced fumble and Jerron Jamerson intercepted a pass.

The WSSU Defense held UNC Pembroke to just 146 yards on the ev
ening, while keeping them out of the end zone, while the Ram offense finished with 428 yards. It was not all glowing however, as WSSU surrendered 291 kickoff return yards including a 100 yards return for a score.

Winston-Salem State will watch the film and make adjustments, as they will travel to Powder Springs, GA next week for a rematch of the 2012 NCAA DII National Title Game, as they will face the Valdosta State Blazers at Cantrell Stadium, at McEachern High School for a 4:00 pm kickoff.

Box Score

PHOTOS

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS