Norfolk State renews Labor Day Classic

HEAD COACH PETE ADRIAN
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPARTANS

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Labor Day weekend football against former CIAA rivals is returning to Norfolk State.

The Spartans will play host to Elizabeth City State on Sept. 3, 2016, and Virginia State on Sept. 2, 2017, and Sept. 1, 2018, in the Labor Day Classic, the school announced Wednesday.

NSU was unable to play Division II competition on Labor Day weekend the past two seasons because of NCAA bylaws that governed the first permissible start date for D-II programs.

"I am extremely happy to be able to finalize arrangements to return the Labor Day Classic to Dick Price Stadium," NSU athletic director Marty Miller said in a statement.

"This is a winner for all of our programs, student-athletes and fans."

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Week 7: HBCU Football Schedule

Football Saturday, October 11, 2014


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From the Thursday ESPNU televised game against Hampton University. Songs include "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "War," "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," "Get Ready," "Dancing in the Street," "Neither One of Us," "I Heard it through the Grapevine," Signed, Sealed, Delivered," and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," as influenced by the Motown: The Musical... COURTESY Dr. Thomas L. Jones, Jr., North Carolina A&T State University Blue and Gold Marching Machine and the BGMM Media Team.

OVC
Jacksonville State at Tennessee State, 3 PM, ESPN3

SWAC
Southern at Alabama A&M, 2 PM
Mississippi Valley State at Jackson State (Homecoming), 3 PM
Alcorn State at Grambling State, 3 PM
Alabama State at Prairie View A&M, 3 PM

MEAC
North Carolina Central at South Carolina State, 2 PM
Delaware State at Norfolk State, 2 PM
Howard at Bethune-Cookman, 4 PM
Savannah State at Florida A&M 5 PM
North Carolina A&T 31, Hampton 14 (Thursday)   Highlights  » Watch Replay 


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There is Only ONE...In the Whole Wide-World! The Florida A&M University Marching 100. Dr. Sylvester Young, Director Marching and Pep Bands, Florida A&M University.

SIAC
College of Faith at Clark Atlanta, 2 PM
Paine at Limestone, 2 PM
Stillman at Benedict, 2 PM
Kentucky State at Fort Valley State, 2 PM
Central State (Ohio) at Miles, 5 PM
Tuskegee vs. Morehouse at Columbus, GA, 5 PM
Lane at Albany State, 7 PM

CIAA
Fayetteville State at Shaw, 1 PM
Lincoln (Pa.) at Virginia Union, 1 PM (Homecoming)
Saint Augustine's at Livingstone, 1 PM (Homecoming)
Elizabeth City State at Virginia State, 2 PM (Homecoming)
Winston-Salem State at Johnson C. Smith, 2 PM
Bowie State at Chowan, 3 PM (Homecoming)

OTHER CONFERENCES
Wesley at Concordia-Selma, 12 Noon (Homecoming)
Atlanta Sports Academy at Virginia University Lynchburg, 1 PM
West Virginia Wesleyan at West Virginia State, 1:30 PM  (Homecoming)
Webber International at Edward Waters, 2 PM
Saint Joseph's (IN) at Lincoln (MO), 3 PM
Texas College at Bacone, 3 PM
Langston at Oklahoma Baptist, 3 PM
Cheyney at East Stroudsburg, 6 PM


COURTESY Mr. Marques Graham, Director of Bands, Edward Waters College

GAME TIMES ARE SHOWN IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME ZONE 

Game Notes: NCCU Eagles at SC State Bulldogs

THE GAME    
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" at South Carolina State Univ. "Bulldogs"

THE KICKOFF    
Saturday, October 11, 2014 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.

THE SITE    
Oliver C. Dawson Stadium (22,000 capacity/Poly Turf) - Orangeburg, S.C.

THE RECORDS    
N.C. Central (2-3 overall, 1-0 MEAC); S.C. State (4-2 overall, 2-0 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE    
Audio: NCCU Sports Network mobile app (iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Kindle Fire HD); "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 1:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play).




 QUICK HITS     
•    NCCU and South Carolina State are both unbeaten in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play this season. The Eagles are 1-0 against conference foes, while the Bulldogs are 2-0.
•    In the last 10 years, S.C. State has captured two MEAC titles (2008 & 2009) outright and shared three others (2004, 2010, 2013), and made four trips to the FCS playoffs (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013).
•    S.C. State has won eight of the last nine games against the Eagles, dating back to 1976. NCCU won the 2012 meeting 40-10 in the Circle City Classic.
•    During S.C. State's three-game win streak, the Bulldogs have not scored more than 17 points, but have not allowed more than 10 points (17-7 over Furman, 17-10 over Hampton, 13-0 over N.C. A&T).
•    S.C. State is tied for the MEAC lead with 20 sacks in six games (3.3 avg.).
•    Five NCCU Eagles hail from the state of South Carolina: Andre Clarke (Mauldin), Jazz King (Duncan), Neil Williams (Chester), Keiton Burgess (Sumter), and Roderick "Dee" Harris (Simpsonville).
•    NCCU junior receiver and return specialist Adrian Wilkins ranks seventh in the nation (FCS) with an average of 174.0 all-purpose yards per game. Wilkins also leads the MEAC in receiving yards per game (74.2) and ranks second in receptions per game (5.2).
•    NCCU tops the MEAC and ranks fourth in the nation (FCS) in punt returns with an average of 23.4 yards per return.
•    NCCU's turnover margin (+4) ranks second in the MEAC.
•    Next week (Oct. 18), NCCU visits Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

THE SERIES    
This will be the 22nd football meeting between South Carolina State and NCCU since the two schools first played on Oct. 15, 1927. SCSU leads the series 12-9. The Bulldogs have won eight of the last nine match-ups dating back to 1976. Two year's ago, NCCU snapped a seven-game losing skid to the Bulldogs by cruising to a 40-10 victory at the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis. Last season, S.C. State returned the favor by beating the Eagles 44-3 in Durham.

Oct. 10, 2013 - SCSU 44, NCCU 3 (Durham, N.C.)
Oct. 6, 2012 - NCCU 40, SCSU 10 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Oct. 8, 2011 - SCSU 49, NCCU 38 (Orangeburg, S.C.)

THE LAST MEETING    
(S.C. State 44, NCCU 3 - Oct. 10, 2013) South Carolina State pounded out 232 yards rushing and shut down NCCU's ground game to cruise to a 44-3 victory over the Eagles in a Thursday night ESPNU contest inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. SCSU tallied 476 yards of total offense, while NCCU finished with 105 yards of total offense and was held to negative-11 yards rushing. Quarterback Jordan Reid faced pressure from the SCSU defense most of the night, completing just 9-of-25 passes for 116 yards and being sacked five times. 

LAST WEEK    
(NCCU 27, Howard 22) NCCU posted 392 yards of total offense during a 27-22 victory over Howard. Although the Bison tallied 485 yards of total offense, the host Eagles held a 27-9 cushion until Howard scored twice in the final 6:30 of the contest to make the final score close. NCCU quarterback Malcolm Bell threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns, while running for a team-high 66 yards. 

(S.C. State 13, North Carolina A&T 0) South Carolina State capitalized on a special teams mistake and a time consuming drive late in the game to defeat the North Carolina A&T State Aggies 13-0 in the 26th annual Atlanta Football Classic. The Bulldogs amassed 197 rushing yards, while holding A&T to just 156 yards of total offense. SCSU junior running back Jalen Simmons rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown.

THE COACHES    
NCCU: Jerry Mack (Arkansas State, 2003) is in his first season as a college head coach. At age 33, he boasts 10 years of coaching experience, including stints with five NCAA Division I programs and two conference championship teams. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Mack has held positions as wide receivers coach at the University of South Alabama (2012-13) and the University of Memphis (2011), as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (2010), as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at the University of Central Arkansas (2008-09), as wide receivers and tight ends coach at Jackson State University (2006-07), and as an offensive graduate assistant at Delta State University (2004-05). Mack began his collegiate playing career at Jackson State before transferring after one season (1999) to Arkansas State University.  He lettered three years at Arkansas State (2001-03) before earning his bachelor's degree in management information systems in 2003. Mack completed his master's degree in physical education from Delta State in 2006.

South Carolina State: Oliver "Buddy" Pough is in his 13th season as head coach at South Carolina State, his alma mater. Since succeeding head coach emeritus Willie Jeffries as Bulldog head coach in 2002, Pough has built the SC State football program into a perennial power in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). During his 13-year tenure at the school where he earned a bachelor's and a master's as well as All-MEAC honors as an offensive lineman, Pough has compiled an enviable 101-45 overall record. His teams have also captured two MEAC titles (2008 & 2009) outright and shared three others (2004, 2010, 2013), and made four trips to the FCS playoffs (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013).

THREE EAGLES EARN WEEKLY MEAC AWARDS    Three North Carolina Central University Eagles – quarterback Malcolm Bell, safety C.J. Moore and offensive lineman Clevonne Davis - have received weekly awards from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for their play during a 27-22 win over Howard University on Saturday (Oct. 4). Bell (Richmond, Va.) has been selected as the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week, Moore (Raleigh, N.C.) has been named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, and Davis (Miramar, Fla.) has been chosen as the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Bell accounted for 311 yards of total offense against the Bison. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns through the air, and ran for a team-best 66 ground yards. Bell is tied atop the MEAC with six passing touchdowns, ranks second in the conference in pass efficiency (145.4) and third in the league with 170.8 passing yards per game. Moore collected nine tackles (seven solo), including 2.0 hits for a loss, with a forced fumble and an interception. He tops the Eagles with 43 tackles, ranks fourth in the MEAC with 8.6 takedowns per contest, and is tied for second in the league with two fumble recoveries. Davis graded out at 98 percent of his blocking assignments against Howard, anchoring an offensive line that paved the way for 392 yards of total offense by the Eagles. He tallied five pancake blocks and did not allow a sack or record a penalty in NCCU's first conference victory.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern football vs. Alabama A&M game capsule

What: Southern (3-3, 2-1 SWAC) vs. Alabama A&M (2-4, 1-2 SWAC)

When/Where: Saturday at 1 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium in Huntsville, Alabama.

Television: This weekend's game won't be aired on television, but there will be a live stream on gojagsports.com.

Radio: WYNK 97.7

Coaches: Alabama A&M- James Spady, (1st season, 2-4). Southern- Dawson Odums, (2nd season as head coach, interim in 2012, 16-13).

Southern: The Jaguars got back on track last Saturday with a 51-36 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Baton Rouge. It is the second time Southern has reached 50 or more points in 2014 and the win kept the Jaguars in the top half of the Southwest Athletic Conference.

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SWAC unbeatens meet in Grambling

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Broderick Fobbs runs such a tight ship at Grambling that he rarely shows any emotion in a robotic-like way.

He cracked slightly before the season started when he admitted in August that he was anxious to coach his first game at Grambling.

On Saturday, Fobbs has the opportunity to coach his first game in Eddie Robinson Stadium — the same field he spent time on as a running back some two decades ago — when Grambling hosts Alcorn State in its home opener.

Just don’t expect any heightened sense of emotion from the same guy that refuses to talk about injuries or depth chart changes.



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FAMU Rattlers facing a catch-22 in match-up with SSU Tigers

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Quarterback Damien Fleming understands the catch-22 situation that his FAMU football team will face Saturday against winless Savannah State.

He suspects that if the Rattlers soundly defeat the Tigers he'll hear how they beat up on a vulnerable team. Should FAMU lose, it would be worse than any of their previous five losses.

The Rattlers are heavily favored and Fleming, the only seniors who has faced the Tigers three times before, wants a dominating victory. The rest of the senior starters who have played one or two years against SSU don't want to go out losers to the Tigers for the first time, either.

"We are just going to go out there like it's any other team," Fleming said. "We are trying to get our first win of the season and get some confidence going into the rest of the season."



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ASU Hornets turn attention to Prairie View

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- It's going to be crucial for Alabama State players to put last week's loss to Alcorn State in the rear-view mirror and focus on Saturday's game with Prairie View A&M and ASU coach Reggie Barlow has been satisfied with his team's preparation this week in practice.

"I thought our guys have had a good mindset," he said. "I thought Tuesday was a really good practice. Our (scout) squad, the guys that prepare our offense and defense, had such great energy and they did a wonderful job and made our guys step up and play faster.

"Obviously we have put what happened last week behind us and we're looking forward to traveling to Prairie View to play against a really good team and give our best shot out there and see how things turn out."



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Abbes is XU's first to reach Small College title round

NOUR ABBES
28-0 CAREER
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

SUMTER, South Carolina --  Xavier University of Louisiana's top-seeded Nour Abbes defeated Lindsey Wilson's Alicia Rodriguez 6-2, 6-0 on Friday in the semifinals of the NAIA singles division of the USTA / ITA National Small College Championships at Palmetto Tennis Center.

Abbes -- the first from Xavier to reach the title round of this tournament -- will play Oklahoma Baptist's third-seeded Anastasiya Baranova for the championship at 8:30 a.m. EDT Saturday.

A sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, Abbes won in 55 minutes by the same score she produced in Thursday's quarterfinals. Abbes is 28-0 in singles at Xavier, 11-0 this season.

"I started off aggressive, and that's where I was most efficient," Abbes said. "I tried to impose my game and stay focused throughout the match, and it worked."

"Rodriguez was a fighter," XU coach Alan Green said, "but Nour would just not let her into the match."

The final will be a rematch of the No. 2 (Abbes) and No. 4 players in the 2013-14 ITA NAIA postseason singles rankings. Baranova led Abbes 6-4, 3-4 on April 25 in the semifinals of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament in New Orleans -- that match was halted by rule after the Gold Nuggets clinched a 5-1 dual-match victory.

Baranova is one of four singles opponents in 30 XU matches to win a set against Abbes. Since playing the OBU junior, Abbes has won 29 consecutive sets.

"Physically, I feel ready because it wasn't a very long match and it wasn't very hot weather," Abbes said. "I'm feeling good."

Baranova won her semifinal when Georgia Gwinnett's second-seeded Valeria Podda retired because of injury with Baranova leading 6-4, 4-1. Podda was the runner-up to Abbes at the NAIA South Regional in New Orleans in September.

Read more about Abbes and why she came to Xavier HERE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Accomplished North African tennis player Nour Abbes brings international flavor to Xavier

NEW ORLEANS  -- In Nour Abbes' dorm room at Xavier University was a drawer filled with dozens of yellow toothpaste tubes, each with a thick red Mediterranean Harissa food seasoning inside and capped with a plastic red top.

The 21-year-old mixes the sauce described as having a strong chili flavoring into most of what she eats.

The native of Tunisia along the North African coast traveled a long distance to play tennis for the small NAIA-level program at Xavier and has done so with much success, while also trying find comforts of home whenever she can.

"It's a long process to get used to being here even though I'm in my second year," said Abbes, who communicates with her parents and three sisters in Tunsia through Skype and Facebook. "It's still very difficult to get adjusted because of the culture and how people speak and interact."

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TSU Tigers to Host Gamecocks in Ranked Battle, Saturday

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WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | LIVE STATS    TSU v. JSU Game Notes

NASHVILLE, Tennessee   – The No. 25 ranked Tennessee State football team will play host to No. 8 Jacksonville State at Hale Stadium on Saturday.

Scouting TSU
The Tigers enter the contest having just lost their first conference game of the year at Southeast Missouri, 28-21. TSU fell behind by three scores and a 505 yard offensive performance was not enough to overcome the deficit.

Scouting JSU
The Gamecocks are 4-1, 2-0 in the conference and their only loss came at Michigan State. Jacksonville State is coming off of a, 38-14, victory over UT Martin in which the team’s running back Miles Jones was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week.

Three Keys to the Game

Stop the Run
The Gamecocks are the top rushing team in the Ohio Valley Conference, averaging 262 yards per game. They also boast four of the league’s top nine rushers in DaMarcus James (86.2 y/g), Troymaine Pope (65.2 y/g), Jones (62.2 y/g) and quarterback Eli Jenkins (52.8 y/g). The Tigers are currently 12th in the nation in rush defense, but have had problems this year against feature running backs – Malcolm Cyrus of Alabama State had 170 yards and SEMO’s Lenneis McFerren had 115. Last season, TSU shut down JSU’s rushing attack to the tune of 21 total yards and the Tigers could use a similar production on Saturday.

Start Fast
The Tigers have had a tough time to open every game so far this season and have not scored a single point on an opening drive this year. They have ran a total of 18 plays on six opening drives for 41 yards total, a 2.27 yard per play average. In fact, second drives have not been too productive either, as TSU has just three points on their second possessions. Despite their slow starts, the Tigers have trailed in just two games this year, but lost both of those at ASU and SEMO. A solid opening quarter could ensure TSU leads for good against JSU.

Keep Airing it Out
Quarterback Mike German’s return to the field last Saturday signaled a return to a productive passing game. German was 34-of-59 for 362 yards and two touchdowns at SEMO and could have thrown for more scores if the Tigers would have had more success inside the red zone. TSU would do better to pass more as the Tigers are averaging 5.6 yards per attempt and just 4.4 yards per rush. That disparity is even greater in the last four games; TSU has received six yards per pass, but 3.5 yards per rush. Every team needs good balance, but the Tigers would do better on pressure situations if they go to the air.

TSU is 2-7 all-time against JSU, but won last year’s contest, 31-15. The Tigers have never beaten the Gamecocks at home in three meetings, but are 5-0 at Hale Stadium since its Saturday’s game will kickoff at 2:04 p.m. and be broadcasted online at ESPN3.com or on the WatchESPN app.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

A&T speeds to comeback victory over Hampton

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Speed is the great equalizer. Speed can atone for mistakes and hide flaws.  Speed can win games.

Tarik Cohen ran for 155 yards on 24 carries, scored touchdowns on a 68-yard screen pass and a 60-yard run, and N.C. A&T came back from a halftime deficit to beat Hampton 31-14 Thursday night at Aggie Stadium.

Cohen left proof of his elusive, cutback running style on the field: Three times the sophomore’s cuts were so sharp and quick that he ran out of a shoe, leaving a black cleat stuck in the turf and running stocking footed.

“He’s the best running back I’ve ever played with,” freshman quarterback Hasaan Klugh said. “When I first got here and saw him, I didn’t understand what all the big talk was about. But now that I’ve seen him play, the boy is amazing. He’s a playmaker.”

 Highlights  »

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JSU prepares for 'Comegy Bowl'

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Tigers take on former coach in homecoming game against MVSU

JACKSON, Mississippi -- An exciting week of homecoming activities is underway at Jackson State, but the grand finale is Saturday's game, which has been dubbed the Comegy Bowl.

Rick Comegy will lead Mississippi Valley State as they play his former team, the JSU Tigers.

"It's homecoming. Homecoming is where you're going to look back over the years. You don't want to have a blemish on your record that you lost homecoming," said JSU coach Harold Jackson.

Jackson, who replaced Comegy, said the issue hasn't come up.

"We've got a ball game to play. Just another ball game," Jackson said.

Comegy was fired ...

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XU's Abbes wins final 10 games, rolls to national semifinals

NOUR ABBES

SUMTER, South, Alabama -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Nour Abbes saved three break points in the fifth game to ignite a run which carried her to a 6-2, 6-0 tennis victory Thursday against Adelaide Wood of Northwood (Fla.) in the opening round of the USTA / ITA National Small College Championships.

Abbes -- a sophomore who is 27-0 in singles at Xavier and seeded first in the NAIA division of this tournament -- won the final 10 games. Abbes will play unseeded Alicia Rodriguez of Lindsey Wilson in the semifinals at 10:30 a.m. EDT Friday.

"My serve saved me in those three (break) points," Abbes said. "I found some nice angles with it to make the points easier for myself."

After holding serve in the fifth game, Abbes broke Wood's serve five consecutive times. The second-set shutout was the 13th 6-0 victory of her XU career.

"Wood was a pesky opponent," XU coach Alan Green said. "But once Nour got past that fifth game, she started to dictate the match. Her forehand began to click."

Abbes called the fifth game a turning point "because I gained more confidence in myself after I won it."

Wood was a first-time opponent. Rodriguez -- who upset Evangel's fourth-seeded Amy Fritz 7-5, 6-4 -- will be, too.

"I feel ready physically," Abbes said. "Today wasn't a very long match and the weather wasn't very hot, so I feel good."

Also in the quarterfinals, Georgia Gwinnett's second-seeded Valeria Podda defeated Indiana Wesleyan's Katie Wilson 7-6, 6-0, and Oklahoma Baptist's third-seeded Anastasiya Baranova beat Ivana Vlakic of Concordia (Calif.) 6-3, 6-4.

The finals are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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DWIGHT FLOYD: Have FAMU Students Gone AWOL?

Dwight Floyd
Commentary

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Though I am an avid supporter of Florida A&M University, I don’t attend many of the formal events. This school year I attended most of the home volleyball games, all the home football games, and I even attended the 2014 FAMU Sports Hall of FAME banquet. Usually when I show up at an event I find myself asking where the young people are and why aren’t they present?

For us die-hards so much is about history. We saw Jake Gaither when FAMU football was at its finest. We remember basketball’s coach Olgesby, Bullet Bob Hayes, and even the football and baseball wins against Miami. We believe that every young Rattler should have thorough knowledge of FAMU’s strong history as we yearn to return to those days of glory. Problem is we yearn so much for past glory that we may be standing in the way of future success.

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TSU Freshmen Rank 24th In The Nation

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State men’s golf team boasts the 24th ranked freshmen class in the country according to Golfstat.com. The combination of Jermey Fultz (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Andy Stout (Manchester, Tenn.) has teamed for a 73.50 average and a Relative Strength rating of 208.953.

 

“I can’t say I am surprised by their performance,” Coach Parrish McGrath said. “This is what I expected when I brought them to TSU.”

 

The Tigers are the lone Ohio Valley Conference program to currently be ranked in the Freshman Top 25.

 

The University of Nevada holds down the top spot and is followed by North Carolina, Wake Forest, Southern California and SMU. Rounding out the Top 10 were, Northwestern, Oregon, Illinois, California and Southern Utah.

 

Fultz has claimed two top 20 finishes on the young season, while Stout earned a spot in the top-5 at the Black College Hall of Fame Tournament. Earlier in the week, Stout placed one spot ahead of Fultz as they finished 12th and 13th, respectively.

 

Stout ranks eighth in the OVC, tied with senior James Stepp, with a 72.8 average. Fultz is tied for 11th in the conference at 73.1.

 

”I’m glad they have been able to make the transition to the collegiate level,” said McGrath. “I believe it is going to beginning of many accolades that for these two young gentlemen.”

 

The Tigers are third as a team with a 292.5 average, behind UT Martin (290.8) and Eastern Kentucky (291.1). Defending conference champions, Jacksonville State, has posted a 279.0 average in three rounds played, two shy of the minimum number of rounds to be ranked in the OVC.

 

“They have definitely been a spark for the rest of the team,” McGrath stated. “The newcomers have helped motivate the squad to increase their game. We look at things with a new attitude when it comes to the teams we feel we can compete against.”

 

TSU returns to action on Monday, Oct. 20, at the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate to be held in Hopkinsville, Ky.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

XU's Abbes earns another No.1 seeding, plays Thursday

NOUR ABBES

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis standout Nour Abbes is seeded first in the NAIA singles bracket of the USTA / ITA Small College Championships and will play her opening match Thursday.

Abbes, 26-0 in singles during her XU career, will play Adelaide Wood of Northwood (Fla.) at 8:30 a.m. EDT at Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C. Semifinal matches will start at 10:30 a.m. Friday, followed by the championship at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. All eight NAIA singles players are guaranteed three matches.

Abbes, a sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, qualified automatically after beating Georgia Gwinnett's Valeria Podda 6-3, 6-2 on Sept. 28 in the South Regional Championships at XU Tennis Center. Podda received an at-large bid and is seeded second. Abbes and Podda were seeded 1-2 at the South Regional.

The other national seeds are No. 3 Anastasiya Baranova of Oklahoma Baptist and No. 4 Amy Fritz of Evangel.

"Nour is fast, strong, relentless and can hit every shot in the book," XU coach Alan Green said. "It's very hard to break her will. If she gets down, she'll get back pretty quickly."

Abbes, 9-0 in singles in two fall tournaments, said she never anticipated her success. "I've just tried to work hard and take one match at a time," Abbes said. "I never see far, far ahead. But I have enjoyed the responsibility. When you keep winning, you have something to prove the next time."

The NAIA bracket winner will join the NCAA Division II, Division III and junior / community college winners in a Sunday playoff to earn a wild card into the USTA / ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in November.

This is the fourth time in four years that Xavier qualified for the National Small College Championships. In 2011, Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor placed third in NAIA men's doubles, and Didavi was fifth in singles. Last year in women's doubles, Kourtney Howell and Brion Flowers placed third.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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New Hampton U. coordinator Henry acclimates, prepares for Thursday night game

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- Whether it's faith or fortune, Hampton University's football staff overcame a potentially taxing situation and heads into the heart of its conference schedule fully stocked.

Defensive coordinator Kenny Phillips, a longtime friend and mentor to head coach Connell Maynor, was forced to take a leave of absence to address health concerns recently.

Coincidentally, Tremayne Henry, a defensive coach Maynor knows and respects, was available after he and head coach Michael Costa were fired from St. Augustine's following the team's opener last month in a dispute with the administration.

"We needed a coach and he was available," Maynor said. "Everything happens for a reason. It's not easy replacing Coach Phillips and it's a tough situation, but Coach Henry's been very good for us. We're fortunate to have him."

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Jackson State releases basketball schedule

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Jackson State men's basketball unofficially opens Year 2 of the Wayne Brent era Nov. 4.

The Tigers host Tougaloo for an exhibition game, when Brent faces a former high school rival coach Thomas Billups. JSU then begins nonconference play on the road at North Carolina State Nov. 14.

They host Southern Miss on Dec. 18 and open the SWAC season Jan. 3 at Alabama A&M.

JSU had a disappointing finish in the 2013-14 season with an 11-20, 7-9 SWAC record, and getting knocked out of the first round of the SWAC tournament by last-seed Grambling State.

JSU 2014-15 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

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Earl Holmes on Morgan State, Savannah State, and false rumors

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (WTXL)  --  Florida A&M head football coach Earl Holmes spoke with the media, Tuesday afternoon at the Al Lawson Center, analyzing the Rattlers' loss to Morgan State, previewing their upcoming game against Savannah State, and addressing a Saturday, October 4 report onFootballScoop.com that he would be fired.

Click to watch a one-on-one interview:  Earl Holmes interview 10/7/14

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QB change likely for FAMU Rattlers

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU's starting quarterback for Saturday's game against Savannah State has become a very touchy subject with coach Earl Holmes.

During his conference call Tuesday, Holmes said deciding who will get the start is something that he will "take a hard look at." However, he was more hush-hush following Tuesday's practice when pressed on whether back-up Carson Royal will get the start over starter Damien Fleming.

"Yes," Holmes said when asked during his conference call if he is considering a quarterback change for this weekend. "It's a possibility, buta Damien is a leader. He is a veteran but we're carrying some young guys up front (on the offensive line). We'll look at Carson and see what he can do to help us win a football game."

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DWIGHT FLOYD: FAMU Tune Up for BCU Wildcats

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- After soundly defeating the North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies on Sunday afternoon it was clear that there are two habits that the Lady Rattlers will have to break. Against North Carolina Central on Friday and against the Lady Aggies on Sunday, the Rattlers started off slow before pouring it on with a dominant second set. If that was not enough, in both matches they made numerous errors in the third set before taking the match in 3 sets.

Watching this year’s version of the volleyball team led one senior Rattler fan to reminisce back to the days when FAMU volleyball was so dominant in the MEAC that the match was expected to be over within the hour. During the season the Rattlers only compete against the southern division of the MEAC. All indications are that the northern division is tougher than the southern division, something that the Lady Rattlers should keep in mind.

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WSSU Rams ready to get back to work

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- One would think that after Winston-Salem State beat Chowan by a jaw-dropping 77-30 score on Saturday night, Coach Kienus Boulware of the Rams would ease off a little.

But despite arriving back on campus Sunday morning at around 5 a.m., Boulware had the Rams scheduled for an afternoon practice. Nothing changed.

“We thought about giving them a break but Coach (Allen) Brown, who handles the scheduling, saw it differently; so, we thought it was an important practice,” Boulware said.

The Rams take Mondays off to work on academics. They will be back at practice today to resume their normal week. They will play Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte against Johnson C. Smith.



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Five Southern players return to lineup for win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern didn’t only welcome back alumni for its homecoming game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The Jaguars also welcomed back five players from this year’s team.

Three defensive backs — Dionte McDuffy, D’Andre Woodland and Jaleel Richardson — were cleared academically to participate and two running backs — Jamarcus Jarvis and Malcolm Crockett — returned from injury.

McDuffy and Woodland were reinstated after having been withheld from the last three games, even though they had been academically certified to play in the first two games.

Richardson made his season debut after being cleared Monday.



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SCSU Pough's worries include ‘tough game, quarterback shortage

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Despite an undefeated record in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, it’s far from a relaxing mood with the South Carolina State football team.

In fact, head coach Buddy Pough acknowledged Monday being worried about Saturday’s opponent, North Carolina Central, at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

“They’ve got a real good way about doing things,” he said. “So this game Saturday, we’re expecting maybe as tough a game as what we had this past week.”

S.C. State (4-2, 2-0) posted a 13-0 shutout win over North Carolina A&T at the Atlanta Football Classic. In the Eagles (2-3, 1-0), the Bulldogs face a team with its third head coach (Jerry Mack) in three years but whose approach towards building the program is similar to S.C. State.



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Jackson State re-assesses playbook after another loss

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State is going back to the drawing board, again.

Just after the Tigers jumped a hurdle by defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff for their first conference win, they stumbled on the next hurdle.

JSU (3-3, 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) gave up 31 second-half points, allowing Prairie View A&M a comeback victory on Saturday.

On paper, it was a game JSU was expected to win. But after handing another winless team its first victory — JSU fell to Grambling in the SWAC opener on Sept. 20 — JSU coach Harold Jackson and his staff will study film to figure out what has gone wrong.

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