Turnovers doom Kentucky State in tough loss to Miles College

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FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Kentucky State University celebrated homecoming but it was turnovers that put a damper on the football game.

The Thorobreds’ three red zone trips in the first three quarters all ended on a turnover and a fourth quarter rally fell short in a 19-13 loss to Miles College Saturday at Alumni Stadium.

“We just can’t afford to have turnovers, especially when we are driving and playing well,” KSU head football coach Josh Dean said. “Those are the things we’ve got to really clean up.”

In the opening drive of the game, Miles College went 89 yards in 10 plays capped off on a 1-yard run by quarterback David Whipple to take the early 6-0 lead.

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Lincoln Blue Tigers Beat Texas College, 62-6, on Homecoming

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri  --  Morris Henderson ran for four touchdowns, Owen Jordan threw for three more and the Lincoln football team racked up 600 yards of offense in a 62-6 win over Texas College on Saturday (Oct. 18).

Saturday was Homecoming for Lincoln, and the Blue Tigers gave a packed Dwight T. Reed Stadium a lot to cheer for, starting with a 66-yard touchdown run by Henderson on the second play of the game. Henderson later scored from 42 yards out following an interception by Reggie McMillan, the first of four on the day by LU. In the first quarter alone, Henderson gained 119 yards and the two scores on just five carries.

The game briefly turned into a defensive tussle after that point, but Henderson changed that with just under 10 minutes to go in the second quarter with a 38-yard run down to the Texas College 28. Owen Jordan then hit Delvon Rouser for a nine-yard completion before finding Bryson Winfrey for a 19-yard touchdown. The drive came after Lincoln's defense forced the Steers to turn the ball over on downs deep at the LU 34 and took just three plays.

Kerry Roby put the Blue Tigers back on the scoreboard with 2:54 left in the half, intercepting a Texas College pass at the TC 40 and making several players miss while running all the way into the end zone. Robert Daniels had previously returned a pick for a score against St. Joseph's on Oct. 11, giving Lincoln a pick-six in two consecutive weeks.

Lincoln (2-5) would score again on its next drive, with Henderson finding the end zone for the third time on the afternoon on a five-yard run. That drive was set up by Jordan completions of 22-yards to Henderson and 20-yards to Khiry Draine and gave the Blue Tigers a 35-0 lead entering halftime.

Texas College (0-8) would get on the board for the only time on its opening drive of the second half on a drive that was ultimately kept alive by a pass interference call on Lincoln on a fourth-down incompletion. After receiving that new life, TC hit back-to-back passes of 13-yards and nine-yards, with the latter coming in the end zone. The Steers decided to go for two, but Lawrence Cayou stopped Texas College's quarterback on a keeper short of the goal-line to keep it a 35-6 game.

It didn't take long for Lincoln to answer, though, as Henderson scored his fourth and final touchdown of the day on a 21-yard scamper on the Blue Tigers' ensuing drive. The touchdown was the first of the season in a third quarter by the Blue Tigers, and was set up by an 18-yard reception by Henderson and an 11-yard catch by Draine.

Daniels ended the Steers' drive with an interception that gave LU the ball at the TC 45. A 20-yard run by Henderson moved the ball down to the LU 20, and on the next play, Jordan made it a 48-6 ballgame on a throw to Draine. Henderson finished his day with 222 yards rushing and 46 yards receiving for 268 all-purpose yards. Draine led the receiving corps with five catches for 76 yards while Winfrey had three receptions for 40 yards.

The Blue Tigers added two more scores in the fourth quarter, with the first set-up by Austin Chiagorom's first career interception. After three rushes by Mustafa Rosenetted 19 yards, Jordan connected with Vanzell Richardson on a 66-yard completion for a score. Jordan ended his day with 17 completions to eight different receivers for 261 yards and the three scores. Dennis Vinson replaced Jordan late in the fourth quarter, with his only completion going 22 yards to Christopher Willis for Lincoln's ninth touchdown of the contest.

The 62 points were the most scored by a Blue Tiger team since 1964, when Lincoln scored 73 in a shutout of Missouri S&T. Lincoln also hung 62 points against St. Mary's in 1963, with that amount being the fourth-most points scored by a Lincoln team in a single game. The 56-point margin of victory is the largest for Lincoln since that 1963 win over St. Mary's. The victory also gives Lincoln its second Homecoming win in the past three years, as the Blue Tigers also picked up a 34-27 Homecoming win over Nebraska-Kearney in 2012.

Davon Walls led the Lincoln defense with six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, a sack and a forced fumble. Kareem Joyner also had six tackles to go with 1.5 tackles for loss while Treston Pulley added five takedowns, 1.5 TFL and a broken-up pass. Daniels and Stephen Marsh each added five tackles while McMillan, Roby and Jeremy Rives all finished with four. William Coleman posted a team-best two sacks while Derrick Nash and Eric Howard both had tackles for loss.

Julio Segura averaged 40.2 yards on four punts, three of which pinned the Steers inside their own 20. Segura also averaged 60.3 yards on 10 kickoffs. Andrew Fisheltacked on eight extra points, tying Gerald Walker's LU single-game record. Willis ran 23 yards on a punt return, Lincoln's only special teams return of the afternoon.

Up next for the Blue Tigers are their two longest road trips of the season. Lincoln will close out October at Indianapolis next Saturday (Oct. 25), with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT.



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PVAMU Panthers Claim 52-19 Win Over MVSU

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ITTA BENA, Mississippi – Prairie View A&M quickly took the fun out of Mississippi Valley State's homecoming as they dominated from start to finish in a 52-19 road win at Rice-Totten Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Junior running back Johnta Hebert wasted no time in setting the tone as he opened the game with a 95-yard kickoff return after fielding a squib kick by MVSU. The PAT was good as the Panthers claimed an early 7-0 lead. The lead improved to 13-0 at the close of the quarter as placekicker Chris Barrick nailed a pair of field goals ranking from 32 and 20 yards.

Early in the second quarter, defensive back Terence Reynolds intercepted a MVSU pass and two plays into the ensuing drive, senior quarterback Jerry Lovelocke found a streaking Greg Thurmond for a 26-yard touchdown reception and a 20-0 lead after the PAT.

On the next possession, the Panther defense came up big once again as senior linebacker Danny Brownell forced a fumble which landed into the hands of defensive end Ahkeem Barton. The offense had to punt but the defense came up huge on the next drive as Brownell forced his second consecutive fumble which led to a Damond Jackson recovery.

After the recovery, the offense kept on clicking as Lovelocke and wideout Nick Pitre hit a on a 26-yard touchdown pitch-and-catch for a 27-0 lead.

The defense forced a punt on the next drive and Hebert broke free on the first play late in the second quarter for a 77-yard touchdown run. Barrick's PAT was good as the Panthers claimed a 35-0 lead. Another defensive three-and-out by the PVAMU defense led to Barrick's third field goal of the half as the Panthers finished the half ahead 38-0.

After an impressive first half, the Panthers came out the locker room fired up as Lovelocke connected with Greg Thurmond for an 83-yard scoring strike at the 9:56 mark. Several minutes later, Thurmond made an acrobatic 44-yard catch off a Trey Green pass to move the Panthers into scoring position once again. Three plays later, Jovante Ham moved the Panthers ahead 52-0 with a 2-yard rush up the middle.

Mississippi Valley State made a late charge in the fourth quarter as quarterback Patrick Ivy connected with wideout Julian Stafford for a pair of touchdown receptions coupled with a 1-yard rush from Ivy slightly before the six-minute mark.

PVAMU finished with 465 total yards as Hebert rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Lovelocke passed for 207 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-21 passing while Thurmond caught three passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Jerome Howard finished with 10 tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.

The Panthers return home next weekend for their final contest at Blackshear Field as they'll battle Alcorn State at 1 p.m. Next Saturday's game will have a plethora of activities as the annual Sports Hall of Fame class will be introduced in addition to a pregame ceremony honoring 23 seniors and the postgame Blackshear Field celebration.


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Alcorn State Braves Rebound With 40-25 Homecoming Win Over Texas Southern

LORMAN, Mississippi  -- Head Coach Jay Hopson and the Braves football team were able to bounce back after a tough loss last week at Grambling.  Despite not scoring in the second half, the Braves were able to hold on for a 40-25 homecoming victory over Texas Southern.

After a huge run on the Braves first touch of the quarter, Anthony Williams III scored from two yards out to give the Braves a 7-0 lead.

Six minutes later quarterback John Gibbs, Jr. connected with Jordan Payne for a 19-yard touchdown to push the Braves lead to 14-0 at the 4:39 mark in the first quarter.

Gibbs scored a rushing touchdown of his own from two yards out just seconds after the beginning of the second quarter.

After Texas Southern scored for the first time to cut the lead to 20-7, Gibbs found Charles Hughes for a 63-yard touchdown to push the Braves lead right back to three touchdowns, 27-7.

About three minutes later after a holding penalty, Gibbs hit LaDarrien Davis for a 12-yard touchdown to increase the Braves lead to 33-7.

Freshman running back Arron Baker scored for the Braves one more time before the half scrambling for a 21-yard touchdown to give the Braves a 40-7 lead.  Texas Southern nailed a field goal with 1:01 left in the second quarter.  The Braves took a 40-10 lead into the locker room.

The Braves didn't score a single point in the second half but Texas Southern managed to score 15 points.  Despite the scoreless half, the Braves held on to the victory.

Gibbs completed 15-of-26 passes for season-high's of 244 yards and three touchdowns. Haiden McCraneypunted the ball four times for an average of 45.5 yards.  Anthony Williams recorded seven tackles, intercepted a pass, and averaged 24.0 yards on punt returns.  Jamil Cooks racked up five tackles, three tackles for a loss, and one sack. 

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Grambling routs Arkansas Pine Bluff in high-scoring win

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling moved to 5-0 in the SWAC with a high-scoring 63-39 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Saturday afternoon at Eddie Robinson Stadium.

The Tigers (5-3, 5-0) led Pine Bluff early on 14-10 with the difference being two turnovers by the Golden Lions (1-5,0-4), one of which the the G-Men converted into six points on a stripe and fumble recovery by linebacker Rando Giovanni.

Getting the start for the third consecutive week, Johnathan Williams ignited Grambling's passing offense by completing two long touchdowns to Chester Rogers (44 yards) and Verlon Hunter (38 yards). Hunter and Williams already hooked up on Grambling's first drive of the game for a 73-yard score that put the Tigers up 7-3.

Pine Bluff quarterback Ben Anderson, who entered the day ranked second in the SWAC in total offense, completed 27-of-50 passes for 467 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 66 and two additional scores also threw two costly interceptions Grambling turned into points.

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Freshman QB Brihm leads Bethune-Cookman to 48-20 rout of Savannah State

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- There is little doubt Bethune-Cookman has its deepest team in Brian Jenkins’ five seasons as head coach.

On Saturday, it proved it.

B-CU emptied its bench while rolling up 543 yards of offense in a 48-20 rout at Savannah State.

The 16th-ranked Wildcats didn’t even play starting quarterback Quentin Williams or leading rusher Anthony Jordan.

Redshirt freshman Larry Brihm started under center and passed for 222 yards and three touchdowns, adding 33 yards and a score on the ground before leaving after the first drive of the third quarter.

Reserve running back Danny Dillard led a powerful running game (289 yards) with 87 yards and a score. And the defense held the Tigers to 202 total yards and forced five turnovers, including two interceptions by Thomas Finnie and one by Jameson Wright.


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Linebacker blazes a Trail at NSU

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- As he walks between an on-campus radio gig in the morning and a film session in the afternoon, Lynden Trail is greeted by casual acquaintances and strangers alike.

"Hey, Trail," his fellow Norfolk State students will say as they dish out dap in passing.

"What's up?" Trail, dressed in a carefully coordinated red-and-black outfit, replies before confiding, steps later, "I don't even know that dude."

Such is life for the Big Man On Campus. And, literally and figuratively, they don't get much bigger at NSU.

Trail, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound outside linebacker with the mobility and athleticism of a much smaller player, is a Spartans A-lister.

On campus, Trail is hard to miss. He stands a head or two taller than most of his peers, even on the football field, and his preseason mohawk of NSU gold has faded to take on an attention-grabbing orange-ish hue.

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Hampton falters in key spots during 21-13 loss to Norfolk State

HAMPTON, Virginia — To the Hampton players who were steamed at watching victorious Norfolk State Spartans celebrating on the midfield painted 'H' logo at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday, Pirates coach Connell Maynor had a simple reply:

Too late to complain about that now.

"Guys got mad, said they were disrespecting the 'H'," Maynor said after the Spartans prevailed 21-13 in the 52nd annual "Battle of the Bay." "We had 60 minutes to beat them so they couldn't disrespect the 'H'. So that's on us. If we beat them they can't disrespect the 'H'. We didn't, so hat's off to them."

The Pirates (1-6, 0-3 MEAC) were stung early by a surprisingly potent Norfolk State passing attack. The Spartans (3-5, 3-1), who came in ranked 120th of 121 FBS teams in total offense, singed Hampton for 335 passing yards — 25 more than they'd amassed through the air in their previous three games combined.

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Xavier Rush, Nuggets win 9th straight; Jackson earns 3rd title

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana won the men's and women's team titles for the ninth consecutive year, and XU senior Kwame Jackson set a record with his third individual title at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday at City Park.

The Gold Nuggets had six of the eight fastest women and scored 21 points to win their championship by 21. The Gold Rush had a much closer battle with Edward Waters, outscoring the Tigers 36-43 in the closest men's team finish since 2006.

Jackson, however, never was seriously challenged. He ran the 8,000-meter men's course in 29 minutes, 3.16 seconds and won by nearly 42 seconds over the runner-up, sophomore teammate Christopher August.

"Becoming a three-time champion is exciting," Jackson said. "To be able to stay healthy and compete at a high level consistently for four years has been a blessing, and I am very thankful for that."

Jackson repeated as GCAC champion and won for the third time this season and the sixth time in his career.

"I have never been this busy in my life," Jackson said. "I'm enrolled in 18 credit hours, I participate in on-campus research, and I'm applying for graduate school. So I am very pleased with my season and career at Xavier."

August finished in 29:44.63. Xavier's Brent Kitto placed fifth in 30.52.20, and Emmanuel Detiege was ninth in 32:33.99. The top 10 male and female finishers received All-GCAC recognition.

It was the sixth straight year that Xavier produced the GCAC individual men's champion, but the Gold Rush bid for a sixth consecutive 1-2-3 men's individual finish ended when Shane Harlow of Edward Waters placed third.

Edward Waters freshman Joy Miller rallied past XU junior Hannah Finnegan in the final 300 yards to win the women's individual title. Miller ran the 5K in 21:10.78, and Finnegan was second in 21:13.13.

Joining Finnegan on the All-GCAC team were teammates Ashley Flournoy (third place, 21:34.25), Hali Yarmush (fourth 21:44.35), Carlie Calais (fifth, 21:52.26), Briana Simms (seventh, 21:59.46) and Reeka Belton (eighth, 22:07.11). Yarmush was all-conference for the fourth time.

Miller won in the absence of XU senior Catherine Fakler, who was injured and did not compete. Fakler beat Miller by more than a minute in the season opener at City Park and won the 2013 GCAC title by more than 90 seconds.

Xavier's Joseph Moses was voted GCAC Coach of the Year for the ninth consecutive time on the men's side and the sixth straight season and the eighth time in nine years on the women's.

Both XU teams qualified automatically for the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 22 at Lawrence, Kan., and the top five men and women not on the winning teams also qualified. It will be the fifth time in seven years that the Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush qualified for nationals as a team.

Results:  Men    Women
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XU Nuggets beat Tougaloo, extend GCAC win streak to 51

NEW ORLEANS — Five Xavier University of Louisiana players, including Senior Day honoree Chinedu Echebelem, led the Gold Nuggets to a 25-11, 25-13, 25-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Tougaloo on Saturday.

Xavier (12-4, 8-0) has won 51 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents, 42 in the regular season. Tougaloo is 7-14, 3-6.

Echebelem, an outside hitter from Dallas honored in a ceremony between the second and third sets, hit .316 with nine kills and seven digs. Claudia Haywood hit .619 with 14 kills, and CeCe Williams hit .370 with 12 kills.

Franziska Pirkl had match highs of 39 assists and eight digs for Xavier, and freshman Kayla Jones served a career-best five aces.

Xavier limited Tougaloo's leading attacker, freshman Chassidy Harris, to four kills and a .118 hitting percentage.

Jones served four aces in the first set, three during a 7-0 run which gave Xavier a 22-9 lead. Haywood had three kills during an 8-0 second-set run which gave the Nuggets a 14-7 lead, and Haywood and Williams had two kills apiece during an 11-1 third-set run to give Xavier a 15-7 lead.

Echebelem, the second four-year player in the program's history, raised her career totals to 852 kills and 886 digs.

Xavier hit .316 — its second-highest percentage of the season — and limited Tougaloo to .056. The Nuggets had advantages of 44-19 in kills, 8-1 in aces and 35-31 in digs.

Xavier completed a two-match regular-season sweep of the Lady Bulldogs and leads the series 10-0.

The Gold Nuggets will play six of their next seven on the road, beginning with a 6 p.m. Monday match at GCAC member Talladega. The next home match will start at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 against SUNO.

NOTES: Haywood is hitting .440 in conference matches this season, .519 against Tougaloo . . . Jones became the fifth XU player to reach 100 digs this season . . . XU walk-on freshmen Simone White and Aliyah Wilson played for the first time this season . . . Since the start of the 2011 season, the Gold Nuggets are 83-27.

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ASU spoils Morehouse’s homecoming

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Morehouse students and alumni were partying all throughout the campus, but it was Albany State who had the bigger celebration on the field.

The Rams had their way on the gridiron against their in-state and SIAC rivals, spoiling Morehouse’s homecoming with a 31-14 victory. With the win, the Rams improve to 4-2 and maintain their first-place standing in the SIAC East Division with a 4-0 conference mark.

“I’m happy with the win,” ASU coach Mike White said. “Overall, I thought the team played hard. All the games in the East are big. Next week is Clark Atlanta and the week after that, Benedict. We have to mow them down one at a time.”

The Rams led wire-to-wire, posting a 21-0 lead before Morehouse recorded its first touchdown.

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TU Golden Tigers seize control of SIAC West

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The duel to determine the top team in the SIAC West was anything but wild. Tuskegee all but disarmed Stillman, in fact, in a 61-19 rout.

Tuskegee scored on its first four possessions in improving to 5-2 overall and 4-0 in conference.

Hoderick Lowe touchdown runs from 3 and 4 yards out put the Golden Tigers in command early. Kevin Lacy hit Travis Hawkins from 27 yards out for Tuskegee's third touchdown of the opening quarter.

Lacey finished 9-of-15 passing for 188 yards and two scores, while Justin Nared went 4-of-7 for 24 yards. Marquel Gardner totaled 71-yards on four receptions. Brooks rushed for 81 yards on 11 carries, while Lowe accumulated 64 yards on 11 carries with three touchdowns, his third score coming from 17 yards out in the second quarter.

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Week 8: HBCU Football ScoreCard

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2014

OVC
UT Martin 21, Tennessee State 16

MEAC
Norfolk State 21,  Hampton 13  Watch Replay 
Florida A&M 31, Howard 28
Morgan State 21, North Carolina Central 20
North Carolina A&T 33,  Delaware State 20
Bethune-Cookman 48, Savannah State 20

SWAC
Grambling State 63, Arkansas Pine Bluff 39
Alcorn State 40, Texas Southern 25
Prairie View A&M 52, Mississippi Valley State 19

OTHER CONFERENCES
Charleston (WV) 28, West Virginia State 10  THURSDAY
Lock Haven 28, Cheyney 0
Central State (Ohio) 31. Concordia-Selma 6
Lincoln (Mo.) 62, Texas College 6
Langston 38, Wayland Baptist 7

SIAC
Tuskegee 61, Stillman 19
Miles 18, Kentucky State 13
Central State (Ohio) 31, Concordia-Selma 6
Albany State 31, Morehouse 14
Benedict 20,  Clark Atlanta 10
Paine 38, Edward Waters 14
Fort Valley State 24, Limestone 19

CIAA
Elizabeth City State 27, Lincoln (Pa.) 26
Livingstone 21, Shaw 20
Winston-Salem State 36, Saint Augustine's 13
Virginia State 24, Bowie State 14
Fayetteville State 34, Johnson C. Smith 14
Virginia Union 40, Chowan 29

Howard falls in homecoming game to Florida A&M despite Greg McGhee-led rally

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Howard quarterback Greg McGhee was peddling a stationary bicycle in the closing minutes waiting for one more opportunity. The senior had practically willed the Bison back into the thick of Saturday’s homecoming game against Florida A&M, tossing three second-half touchdowns, including the final two on a balky knee he was trying to keep from tightening.

In the end, McGhee’s afternoon concluded in that same spot on the sideline at Greene Stadium, only able to watch as the Rattlers ran out the clock on Howard’s 31-28 loss, its fifth consecutive defeat. In losing their first homecoming game in four years, the Bison remain winless in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with four games left. A season that began with aspirations of challenging for a conference title has unraveled in large part because of injuries to 10 starters.

“For some reason we played better in the second half,” Howard Coach Gary Harrell said. “We’ve got to find out how can we play the same way for four quarters, but the guys fought. It was a game we wanted to win. The momentum, we gained it late, but we just ran out of time.”



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WSSU beats St. Aug’s 36-13 on homecoming

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Winston-Salem State, always a good bet to show up on the big stage, overwhelmed St. Augustine’s 36-13 in front of more than 16,000 at homecoming at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Rams (6-1, 4-0 CIAA) needed a little boost in the second half, and defensive back D’Metrius Smith provided it with a key interception. The Rams, ranked 16th in the most recent Division II poll, were leading at the time of Smith’s interception, but it allowed them to cruise the rest of the way.

“That was a big play,” Coach Kienus Boulware of the Rams said. “We knew St. Aug’s was going to give us a fight and they did. You have to give credit to them, because they never gave up.”

The Falcons (2-5, 2-2 CIAA) cut the Rams’ lead to ...

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Fayetteville State beats Johnson C. Smith for third straight CIAA win

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Fayetteville State was seemingly cruising toward its third straight victory Saturday, but found itself on shaky terms in the waning moments of the third quarter.

However, Corbin Rascoe wouldn't let the Broncos collapse in the fourth quarter, scoring both of his touchdowns as Fayetteville State put away Johnson C. Smith 34-14.

The Broncos (3-4, 3-1 CIAA) held a 20-0 advantage at halftime before the Golden Bulls scored 14 in the third to apply pressure.

On the ensuing 4-play, 75-yard drive, Rascoe rushed for 66, including the 32-yard run to start it and the 32-yard touchdown to give Fayetteville State a 27-14 advantage.

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Special teams hurt DSU Hornets again in homecoming loss

DOVER, Delaware -- Special teams continue to be far from special for the Delaware Sate University football team.

And the quarterback position continues to be a gigantic question mark.

A blocked punt and a pick-six gave North Carolina A&T a big advantage and the Aggies held on for a 33-20 victory to spoil the Hornets’ homecoming in MEAC action Saturday afternoon.

Seven times a punt has resulted in a touchdown for the opposition this season for DelState (2-2 MEAC, 2-6 overall). The latest instance came in the second quarter when D’Vonte Grant blocked Jeremiah McGeough’s punt, which allowed Jerom Beatty to recover for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Of those seven touchdowns, four have been recoveries after a punt block.

Beatty’s touchdown spurred the Aggies (3-1, 6-2) to a 24-0 halftime lead.

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Morgan State comeback leaves NCCU with 1st MEAC loss

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- N.C. Central didn’t get around to finishing.

On the road, NCCU was in the driver’s seat against Morgan State until about halfway through the fourth quarter in Hughes Stadium on Saturday.

Things began falling apart for the Eagles.

The scoreboard showed 36 seconds left in the game when Morgan State quarterback Robert Council took the snap and began rolling out. He lofted a soft, 15-yard toss to wide receiver Andrew King, who was lonely in the end zone until his touchdown grab attracted his Bears teammates.

That play tied the game with 32 seconds left in the contest. Chris Moller kicked the extra point that gave Morgan State a 21-20 homecoming win.

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TSU Hosts Big Blue Madness

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  On Thursday night, the Tennessee State men’s and women’s basketball teams held “Big Blue Madness” at McClendon Court in the Gentry Center.

The event began with a student shooting competition. The night quickly flowed into team introductions in which the highly anticipated women’s team was announced first followed by the brand new men’s team.

A crowd of over 1400 was on hand to witness head coach Dana Ford lace up the sneakers and try his hand at an alley-oop dunk with the help of freshman Charles Tucker. Coach Ford had a uniform on underneath his suit and surprised both fans and the players, directly following a student dunk competition.

Following performances by the cheerleaders and Tiger Gems, the men’s and women’s teams sent a couple of pairs into a shooting skills competition. The pairs were first Michelle Cox and Rodney Simeon, next I’mani Davis and Christian Crockett, third Brianna Lawrence and Keron Deshields, and wrapping it up was Rachel Allen and Jay Harris. The pair of Davis and Crockett won. Players had to make the most shots in a minute, alternating attempts.

One of the staples of Big Blue Madness, the dunk contest, came next. Zachary Lee, Marcus Roper, Xavier Richards, and Demontez Loman competed for the best dunk. Lee came away the big winner, throwing down a slam after taking off just inches in front of the free-throw line. Richards made it to the final round with Lee but had no answer for the high-flier.

The women then played a 10 minute scrimmage in which the blue team beat the white team 25-14. The men then held an intra-squad match of the same length with the blue team winning 26-20. Blue went on a 12-6 run in the final two minutes to seal the win.

The Lady Tigers’ first home game will be on Nov. 10 against Tennessee Temple while the men open up at home against Reinhardt on Nov. 14.

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Albany State Rams visit Morehouse in key SIAC East Division game

ALBANY, Georgia  — Albany State coach Mike White has no interest in forecasting the future. But if he did, it would be interesting to see if his assessment of today’s game against Morehouse holds true.

The Rams visit the Maroon Tigers in a key SIAC East Division Game at 2 p.m. today at B.T. Harvey Stadium in Atlanta.

No matter the record, White said he expects the game to be decided in the fourth quarter.

It’s always been a real tough game for us up there all the time,” White said. “Every time we go up there, it always comes down to the fourth quarter. I really don’t expect anything different. Regardless of record, it seems every time we go up there, we have a tough time with those guys.”

With four games left, the Rams can take a giant step forward in their division. Albany State is unbeaten in the East Division, while Fort Valley State and Morehouse have just one loss each.

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5 things to know as Tuskegee and Stillman battle for SIAC lead in Saturday matchup

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Tuskegee and Stillman are on a collision course that could decide who plays for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship at the end of the season.

The Tigers and Golden Tigers meet Saturday at 1 p.m. at Stillman's Tuscaloosa campus with everything to gain and everything to lose; they are each 3-0 in SIAC play and are tied atop the conference's Western division.

Even though there is still a lot of football to go in the season, this weekend's matchup should be key in deciding who plays in the SIAC championship game on Nov. 15 in Montgomery. Here are 5 key things to remember as the big game approaches:

1. Both teams bring high-powered, conference-leading offenses to the game.  Looking for the best offenses in the SAIC? You don't have to look further than Saturday's game. 

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DSU Hornets to Host NCA&T in Homecoming Contest

DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State welcomes long-time MEAC rival North Carolina A&T to Alumni Stadium for the annual homecoming contest. The Hornets (2-5; 2-1 MEAC) are coming off a wild 13-10 overtime victory at Norfolk State last week.

Mitchell Ward tied his career-high with a 43-yard field goal for the winning points on DSU’s overtime possession. Hornet safety Davon Moore intercepted a Norfolk State pass in the endzone in overtime to set up the Hornets’ winning possession. It was Moore’s second interception of the game, giving him four picks in two career games at Norfolk State.

Delaware State trailed 10-0 when Terrick Colston blocked a punt, recovered the ball and ran three yards into the endzone for a touchdown to cut the Spartans’ lead to three points. Colston also contributed seven tackles (four solo) and an interception to the win. He is tied for second in the MEAC with three interceptions this season.

The Hornets tied the game at 10-10 on a 23-yard field goal by Ward with 6:36 left in the fourth quarter. Norfolk State attempted a potential game-winning field goal in the final minute of the fourth quarter, but DSU defensive lineman Gabe Sherrod blocked the kick to keep the Hornets alive.

North Carolina A&T (5-2; 2-1 MEAC) has won four of its last five games, including a 31-14 victory over Hampton in a nationally-televised contest (ESPNU) in its most recent outing on Oct. 9. The Aggies trailed 14-7 at the half, but outscored the Pirates 24-0 in the final 30 minutes. Tarik Cohen rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown (60 yards) on 24 carries to lead the NCA&T offense. He also had three receptions for 81 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown in the contest. Cohen is second in the MEAC in rushing with 767 yards (127.8 ypg). He was the MEAC’s 2013 Rookie-of-the-Year. The Aggies are tops in the league in scoring (31.7 ppg) and scoring defense (15.0 ppg).

THE SERIES (DSU leads 22-20-1)
This will be the 43rd on-the-field contest between the Hornets and Aggies. DSU has won the last two meetings to open up a 22-20-1 series lead. The Hornets have won eight of the last nine on-the-field contests in the series, including a 24-0 victory the last time the teams met at DSU’s Alumni Stadium in 2012. In the 2013 meeting between the teams in Greensboro, N.C., the Hornet defense held the Aggies to 102 total yards en route to a 12-7 victory. The teams did not meet in 2009, although NCA&T was awarded a victory due to a DSU forfeit.

HORNETS/AGGIES IN THE MEAC
Delaware State and North Carolina A&T are among five teams in a tie for third place in the MEAC standings with a 2-1 league record. South Carolina State, Morgan State and Norfolk State are also 2-1 in conference play. Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central are tied for the lead at 2-0.

A charter member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), DSU is in its 44th season of league play. The Hornets have an all-time record of 131-148-1 in MEAC contests. Delaware State has won or shared six MEAC championships. The Hornets claimed outright MEAC titles in 1985, 1989 and 2007, while sharing the crown in 1987, 1988 and 1991. Delaware State was tied for third place in the MEAC with a 5-3 mark in 2013.

DSU has been picked to finish fifth in the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings, according to a poll of league head coaches and sports information representatives. The Hornets received a total of 229 points in the preseason poll.  North Carolina was ranked third in the preseason MEAC poll. Bethune-Cookman is the overwhelming favorite to win its third straight MEAC championship. The Wildcats collected 480 points in the poll.

Delaware State has exceeded MEAC preseason expectations in each of the last two years. The Hornets were tied for third in the 2013 conference race with a 5-3 record after an eighth place prediction by pollsters. In 2012, DSU was also tied for third in the final league standings at 5-3 following a 10th place forecast by MEAC pollsters. 

The Hornets were 2-2 in MEAC home games last season.


HOMECOMING SUCCESS
Delaware State has enjoyed a fair amount of success on its homecoming in recent years. Since 1969, the Hornets are 33-12 on homecoming Saturday. DSU had a 10-game homecoming win streak from 1982 to ’91; and a six-game streak from 1975 to ’80.

The Hornets have won their last two homecoming games, including a 14-7 victory over Norfolk State last season. DSU defeated NCA&T 24-0 in the 2012 homecoming contest.

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Morgan State offensive line tops in MEAC in sacks allowed thus far

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Last season, Morgan State was one of the least sacked teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They're even better this fall -- the Bears are the least-sacked team in the league.

Through six games, redshirt senior quarterback Robert Council has been sacked just seven times – a number that leads the MEAC and is tied for 20th among Football Championship Subdivision teams.

Coach Lee Hull directed much of the credit to an offensive line composed of three seniors in left tackle Darren Pinnock, center Clarence Swain and right guard Randon Key, redshirt freshman left guard Dominique Woods, and freshman right tackle Matthew Thompson (Perry Hall).

“We have a veteran offensive line,” Hull said Tuesday during a conference call arranged by the league. “We have four starters back from last year, and our fifth guy is a true freshman, but Matt has done a great job. Our offensive line has taken him under their wings, and he has flourished.”

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Hampton, Norfolk State aim to 'finish' better in 'Battle of the Bay'

HAMPTON, Virginia – A man of many words, Hampton University football coach Connell Maynor offered only one when asked the Pirates' emphasis in the week following their second-half meltdown at North Carolina A&T.

"Finishing," Maynor said.

That could be the mantra for both Hampton and Norfolk State as they prepare for their annual rivalry in the 52nd Battle of the Bay at 1 p.m. Saturday at Armstrong Stadium.

The Pirates (1-5, 0-2 MEAC) were overtaken by A&T and South Carolina State in their first two conference games. HU played S.C. State's Bulldogs to the wire in a 17-10 loss. The offense sputtered in the second half and the defense surrendered big plays in a 31-14 defeat to the Aggies, Maynor's alma mater.

"We're just not getting it done in the second half the way we should," Maynor said Thursday at a joint gabfest with HU and Norfolk State brass. "I can't put my finger on it right now. We've got to play for 60 minutes. We're playing for 30 minutes."



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FAMU will face MEAC's best QB in Howard's McGhee

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Quarterback Greg McGhee is the sum total of Howard University's offense. All 6-foot-3, 210 pounds of him.

He's scored more rushing touchdowns (nine) than the rushing leader in the MEAC. Added those to the five that he's thrown and no other player in the conference has scored more.

Off the field, he is involved in several community projects with senior citizen and young people. He's no slouch in the classroom either, with a 3.2 GPA as a two-time member of the MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic team.



As one of the best known collegiate athletes in the Washington, D.C. area, McGhee stays in the spotlight. But as much as he is enjoying the fame, he refuses to let it become a distraction for his Bison teammates.

To have it any other way wouldn't be living up to his role as the one expected to show the way for his teammates, McGhee said.

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