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WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Maybe WSSU can reboot.
No, I’m not talking about the loss to UNC Pembroke on Thursday night. That 17-7 setback is in the books and there’s no going back.
I’m talking about the new helmets. They are bad. No, they are awful.
At first I thought they didn’t look too bad but then I got a closer look. I guess I’m old school when it comes to bragging about accomplishments but listing the CIAA titles on the top of the helmets by each season wasn’t a great idea.
The reason I say that is it seems to be rather short sighted. When Connell Maynor took over before the 2010 season he didn’t talk about winning just the CIAA, he talked about winning the national championship. A lot of folks laughed at him.
Then in 2012 when the Rams got to the Division II national championship game folks weren’t laughing, they were on the bandwagon.
LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Langston University has appointed a new head coach for Volleyball, Jacob Rodriguez.
“Coach Rodriguez, a true man of integrity and great character, is a great addition to our athletic department,” said Donnita Rogers, the Director of Athletics.
“His enthusiasm is contagious. Rodriguez will be a tremendous role model for our student athletes and will play a pivotal role in putting Langston University volleyball on the map.”
Rodriguez comes to Langston from Bacone College, where he served as the head volleyball coach for three years. During his three years as head coach, the team went 46-52 overall and 24-16 in the Red River Athletic Conference.
Prior to Bacone College he served as the assistant coach at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. During this time the team made tremendous strides, which included trips to the NAIA Regionals and the National Christian College Athletic Association Regional and National Tournament in 2007.
Rodriguez currently holds a masters degree in Kinesiology from Dallas Baptist University and a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Southwestern Assemblies of God University.
Stepping into this position, he has high hopes for the volleyball program’s fourth season. Last year the Volleyball program reached historic new heights, the team recorded its first win over East Central University, an NCAA Division 2 opponent.
The Lady Lions made it to the Conference Tournament last year; he knows the bar is already set high. He is ready to build a strong 2015 recruiting class and turn Langston's volleyball team into a program that strives to win national championships.
“The most important thing for this team is to compete; the team will need to continue to build off of this foundation,” said Rodriguez.
“Our first goal as a team is to give a unified effort every time we step on the court.”
The Lady Lions open the 2015 season on August 21, 2015 against Southwest Assemblies of God in Waxahachie, Texas. For more information or to view the Langston Sports schedules please visit www.langstonsports.com.
RUSTON, Louisiana --Southern believes its offense is going to be difficult to defend this season.
So the Jaguars plan to use a faster tempo more often, giving their myriad playmakers more and better opportunities to make big plays.
“When we go tempo, I think we’re at our best,” coach Dawson Odums said. “When you go tempo, you run more plays. And the more plays you have, the better your chances to move the football around. I think that’s helpful.”
A faster tempo could come in handy at 6 p.m. Saturday in the season opener at Louisiana Tech, which has a defense that likes to confuse blockers with a lot of presnap movement. The faster the ball is snapped, the less time there is for presnap maneuvering, as well as substitutions.
“I think a lot of their big plays on defense come from the confusion that they have when they’re moving around a lot on defense,” Odums said. “That creates some bad reads and some opportunities for big plays.”
LYNCHBURG, Virginia -- Following Liberty's final full practice of the week on Thursday, Flames Head Coach Turner Gill met with the media one last time to recap his team's practice this week.
Liberty will open its fourth season under Gill on Saturday night when they face the Delaware State Hornets at 7 p.m., in Williams Stadium. The contest will be Liberty's first home opener at its on-campus facility since 2008.
Liberty is 19-23 all-time in season openers. The Flames have lost four straight season openers, all of which have been played against FBS opponents.
Liberty is 17-7 all-time in season openers played at home. The Flames have won six consecutive openers in Lynchburg since a 23-3 loss to Western Carolina to start the 2002 season.
Liberty is 11-2 all-time in season openers at Williams Stadium. The Flames have won five season openers in a row at Williams Stadium, since the setback to Western Carolina in 2002. Saturday's game is Liberty's first season opener at Williams Stadium since 2008, when the Flames defeated North Greenville, 49-10.
COURTESY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico -- Tonight, at least, the Devils are not in the details. Or vice versa.
This one, coach Bob Davie says, is all about the Lobos.
Year 4 of the Davie Era begins tonight at University Stadium with a college football game between the New Mexico Lobos and the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils.
The visitors, Davie said this week, are a bit of a mystery.
Second-year MVSU coach Rick Comegy has new coordinators on offense and defense. On defense in particular, this is a young Delta Devils team.
Davie, his assistants and his players nevertheless have done their homework – viewing game film not only from last year’s MVSU team but from Jackson State and Paine College, the two coordinators’ last coaching addresses. And yet, Davie said, all that barely matters.
DURHAM, North Carolina -- Eagle fans, it's time to PROTECT THE NEST! #NCCUFootball opens up their home schedule against Saint Augustine's on Saturday, Sept.5, 2015. Kickoff is at 6:00 PM. Come out and support NCCU Athletics!!
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
ORLANDO, Florida -- A former Florida A&M band member who's been awaiting his punishment for more than two years for his role in a drum major's hazing death, has been sentenced to four years in prison with credit for time served.
Caleb Jackson, 26, will serve roughly 11 more months after receiving credit for two years and 149 days, according to Channel 9's Julie Salomone.
Jackson was sentenced Friday after it had been postponed twice in the past month. He pleaded no contest to manslaughter and hazing in 2013 for his role in the 2011 death of Robert Champion, who was from Decatur, Georgia. Jackson faced 35 years in prison.
VICKSBURG, Mississippi -- Miraculous Powers will step on the field tonight in his final rivalry game against the Vicksburg Gators. Since he was a child, he’s had a close-knight relationship with his grandfather, Ocie Brown Sr., who is one of the main reasons he started playing football.
Brown was a beloved running backs coach and offensive coordinator at Alcorn State University from 1972 to 1998. He coached Braves greats such as Steve McNair, Perry Quails, Gregory Jones and Augusta Lee.
“He’ll always tell me don’t never give up on your dreams. He inspired me to play football or anything I wanted to do,” Powers said. In Brown’s 26 years on the coaching staff he, — alongside the “Godfather of the SWAC” Marino Casem and Cardell Jones — helped record 17 winning seasons, win seven Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and two National Black College Championships.
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- On September, 5th the Bearcats and Bulldogs will collide at the newly renovated Nippert Stadium. This will be the first Bearcats game at the new Nippert, so that in itself will make the night special.
The game is set to start at 7 PM and this will be the first game for both teams. The Bearcats are one of the favorites in the AAC while the Bulldogs are picked to be in the middle of the pack in the Southwestern Atlantic Conference.
The Bearcats return a lot of fire power on offense as Gunner Kiel, Mike Boone, Chris Moore, Mekale McKay and Shaq Washington all return. Kiel, who is fully healthy, will lead the offense and has a good chance to improve on his stellar first year with the Bearcats.
I've already highlighted how good this trio of receivers are, so I don't think the Bulldogs will have must in terms of talent to control this group. Mike Boone last year's leading rusher as a freshman will be joined in the back field with junior Tion Green will be back sharing some ofC the load, also a sprinkle of Hosey Williams. The real question will be out the defense looks, but tonight I don't expect the Bearcats and their defense to be tested much if at all.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Some students protested at Howard University on Friday, sticking colored notes full of complaints and demands onto pillars in the administration building.
Not Chinae Nwaokoro – she was too busy rushing around campus trying to straighten out her financial aid for the semester. After waiting in one very long line, the nursing student was told “they lost some papers. So I didn’t get my money yet.”
Other students said they were going from faculty office to faculty office, pleading with professors to add them to class lists because they were unable to register online. “They need to fix this,” Nwaokoro said.
The school year got off to an especially hectic start this fall at Howard, the iconic historically black university whose students are staunchly loyal to the school even as they demand improvements.
They love the history, the legacy, the culture, the classes, the friendships they form. But they’re tired of persistent problems at a school with troubled finances.
HOUSTON, Texas -- Heishma Northern has a challenge in his first game as TSU defensive coordinator. He has to help the Tigers defeat his former team, Prairie View A&M, in the Labor Day Classic at 8 p.m. Saturday at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Northern impressed early as a rookie coach for the Panthers in 2011, but the team struggled to win games after that season. Along with the losses, there were the Academic Performance Rate penalties last year. Prairie View A&M was one of four SWAC schools punished for a low four-year score. The Panthers' score fell two points short of the NCAA requirement of 910 in 2014.
APR penalties affect things like number of practice days allowed and maybe the biggest punishment, postseason bans. The Panthers were eligible for a SWAC title in 2014 because the conference opts out of the FCS playoffs.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's cross country teams will compete Friday in their second meet of the season, the Southern Miss Invitational at Hattiesburg, Miss.
Both races will be 5,000 meters. The men will run at 5:30 p.m., followed by the women at 6. Tatum Park will be the venue.
Competing against the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will be the men's and women's teams of Louisiana-Monroe, Alcorn State and Spring Hill and the women of the host school, Southern Miss.
Xavier won women's team and individual championships this past Friday in its Big Easy Opener at City Park. Fifth-year senior Zahri Jackson earned her first victory since 2012 — she ran two miles in 14 minutes, 27.3 seconds — and the fourth of her career.
Leading the XU men in the Big Easy Opener was junior Christopher August, whose time of 17:03.6 was XU's 15th-fastest for 5,000 meters during the past 13 seasons. August was the first collegiate finisher and placed eighth overall.
As a result of their performances, Jackson and August received Gulf Caost Athletic Conference Runner of the Week awards.
Xavier's women were second in the 2014 Southern Miss Invitational, and Brent Kitto was the No, 2 male finisher. Kitto is a senior this season.
NEW ORLEANS — The second-week schedule of the Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball team has similarities to this past week.
Once again the Gold Nuggets (2-2) will face an NAIA top-25 team and another receiving votes. But this time Xavier is on the road, competing in the Mariner Invitational at Brunswick, Ga.
Xavier will play Friday at 9 a.m. EDT against Bethel (Ind.) (4-2) and 1 p.m. against 20th-ranked Coastal Georgia (5-1), the host team. The Gold Nuggets will play Saturday at 9 a.m. EDT against Martin Methodist (0-5) and 5 p.m. against Bryan (1-4), which received votes in the preseason coaches poll.
Xavier split four matches in its Big Easy Blastoff, sandwiching victories against Faulkner and NCAA Division I's Mississippi Valley State around losses to NAIA No. 19 Wayland Baptist and vote-receiving Mobile.
"Our serve-receive and defense were our strong points last week," XU coach Hannah Lawing said. "We'll be better in those areas than we were last season. Our offense will get better."
Xavier ranks eighth in the NAIA with 19.46 digs per set, 13th with 12.62 assists per set and 16th with 13.69 kills per set. Two XU seniors are ranked — Franziska Pirkl is seventh with 11.15 assists per set, and Darian Harris is 33rd with 5.00 digs per set. Pirkl (setter) and Harris (defender) are two of the three reigning Gulf Coast Athletic Conference players of the week.
All but Martin Methodist will be first-time XU opponents. The Gold Nuggets are 0-3 all-time against Martin Methodist but has not played the RedHawks since 2010.
Xavier will open its GCAC schedule at 7 p.m. Monday against Talladega at the Convocation Center.
ETTRICK, Virginia -- Cal U will be trying to keep a trend of opening-day success going Saturday when the Vulcans kick off the football season at Virginia State.
The Vulcans have won 11 of their last 14 season openers, including a 33-24 victory over the Trojans at Cal U last season.
Fourth-year head coach Mike Kellar has his team's sights set on snapping another streak, that of three straight third-place finishes in the PSAC West standings.
For the Vulcans (8-2 last season) to have success, they will lean heavily on a defense that finished fifth in the nation in rushing yards allowed a year ago. That defense returns six starters, including junior All-America candidate Jordan Bowman (DB) and Jawan Turner (DT).
Cal could have its hands ful with a Virginia State team that qualified for the NCAA playoffs for the first time in school history a year ago while winning its first CIAA championship since 1996.
MURFREESBORO, Tennessee -- The MTSU football season kicks off in less than 48 hours and whether you ask players or coaches, they are locked in on Jackson State.
“All our focus is on Jackson State this weekend,” head coach Rick Stockstill said emphatically. “Don’t ask me about Alabama.”
Even if Stockstill didn’t say a word about the team’s focus, it’s not hard to see where these players stand ahead of Saturday’s matchup.
Throughout the preseason, battles have raged on at the quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback positions to name a few.
The starters are set and the players are finally ready to take the field at Floyd Stadium once again.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- After months of practice and questions, Carson Royal is ready to show what Florida A&M can do on the gridiron.
Royal, a redshirt junior who earlier in the week was named FAMU’s starting quarterback, said he’s eager to get some game-time action after waiting behind four-year starter Damien Fleming for three years.
Royal holds the keys to FAMU’s new offense and his first test will be a challenge — the Rattlers open the season Saturday against FB53S opponent South Florida in Tampa.
“I’m just ready,” he said. “Mentally, physically… I’m really just ready to get out there and play.”
CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The No. 14 Delta State University football team outscored Fort Valley State 39-7 in the first half en route to a 48-7 victory in the season-opener for both teams on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. DSU earned its 450th all-time win in the rout.
Inside the Matchup:
Score: Delta State 48, Fort Valley State 7
Records: Delta State (1-0), Fort Valley State (0-1)
Date: Thursday Sept. 3, 2015 | 6:00 p.m. (CST) Kickoff
Location: Parker Field-McCool Stadium | Cleveland, Miss.
Series: Delta State leads the series 3-2
Quoting Cooley:
"I was really pleased with our demeanor today. I felt like, starting yesterday, we understood that it was time and started locking in the way the way we like to lock in and I thought we were focused when we came out, which was the key to it. "I think we've got a pretty mature group. They're excited about getting a win, but they know we've made a lot of mistakes tonight and we've got to go get them corrected tomorrow because we're going to play a very tough opponent next weekend."
How it Happened:
The Statesmen scored on their first five drives. DSU opened the scoring when Tyler Sullivan found Collin Floyd for a 58-yard touchdown pass with 10:52 remaining in the first quarter.
Sullivan scored the next two touchdowns on the ground, finding the end zone from 34 and two yards out.
Following Sullivan's first touchdown, Vince Sciorrotta knocked home a 38-yard field goal to give DSU an 18-0 advantage.
The Wildcats made the score 25-7 with an Otis Brown four yard touchdown run with 11:29 remaining in the first half.
Following a 75-yard touchdown pass from Justin Leavy to Jarvis York on a fake punt, Sullivan closed the first half scoring with a 59-yard pass to Patrick Bethley.
DSU outgained the Wildcats 346-232 in the first half. Sullivan was 12-of-17 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the opening 30 minutes.
Sullivan struck again in the third quarter, as he found Leavy from 60 yards out with 13:23 left in the third quarter.
DSU closed out the scoring on a safety with 1:18 remaining.
The Numbers:
DSU finished with 475 total yards, while the Wildcats finished with 353. The Statesmen, who finished with 101 rushing yards, held FVSU to 94.
Sullivan led the way with 42 yards rushing. Eddie McCadney finished with 35.
Jalen White led the Wildcat rushing attack with 34 yards.
Sullivan finished 16-of-25 for 293 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. FVSU signal-caller Otis Brown was 17-of-27 for 218 yards with an interception.
Patrick Bethley had five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown to lead the Statesmen.
With his third PAT of the contest Sciorrotta became DSU's all-time leader with 113 in his career. He finished with five PATs on the night for 115.
DSU is now 7-1 versus non-conference opponents under Todd Cooley.
The Statesmen claimed the 450 in school history. DSU now sports a 450-374-23 record in 85 seasons.
Up Next:
The Statesmen travel to Commerce, Texas for a non-conference contest with Texas A&M Commerce. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be carried live on the Statesmen Sports Network beginning at 6 p.m.
COURTESY DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
FAIRMONT, West Virginia -- Yellow Jacket fans could finally let loose a sigh of relief followed by a loud cheer Thursday night.
The WVSU football team had won its opening game.
Third-year Head Coach Jon Anderson looked on as his squad put together an extremely solid effort on both sides of the ball to score a convincing 59-34 victory over host Fairmont State under the lights on a warm and humid evening.
Young players proved they have matured, new players showed they have some game, and new offensive coordinator John Pennington's attack proved to be both exciting and effective.
And, oh yeah, the already strong defense recorded two safeties and ran back a botched Fairmont extra point kick for two points. In other word, there was a little bit of everything for Yellow Jacket fans.
All of it good.
The Yellow Jackets ended up with 509 total yards of offense, 279 on the ground. Besides scoring six points the defense recorded 11 tackles for a loss totaling 43 yards and five sacks for 30 more negative yards.
They did not turn the ball over at all and allowed only one sack for a 1-yard loss.
The Falcons had won the last five meetings between the programs but it did not take long for the Jackets to show everyone there are more differences between this team and last year's than their new uniforms.
After taking the opening kickoff the Yellow Jackets drove 79 yards on nine plays with Tevin Brown topping the drive off with a 17-yard touchdown run at the 11:42 mark.
The two-point conversion attempt failed but a few minutes later WVSU senior linebacker Rudy Favard picked up the two points for the Jackets on a safety.
The Jackets drove 55 yards on the ensuing possession with Tyrone Barber going in from the 1-yard line for the score.
A 13 yard pass from D'von Dorsey to Chase Henderson with 28 seconds remaining gave WVSU a 22-0 lead after the opening period.
Just how big was that opening quarter to the Yellow Jackets?
The 22 points equaled last year's season high total – for an entire game.
The defense added another safety to make it 24-0, Anthony Herrera hit a 38-yard field goal, freshman Tyrone Barber broke free for a 46-yard touchdown run, and Herrera showed that even the WVSU kicking game is looking solid this year by hitting from 45-yards out to make the score 37-7 at halftime.
The last time WVSU scored that many points in a half was in the opening game of 2008 when the Jackets went on to win their first five games and reach as high as #21 in the national rankings before finishing 7-3.
After kicking off and stopping the Falcons to start the second half the Jackets scored on their opening possession when Akil Washington caught a perfectly placed 37-yard pass from Matt Kinnick to run the score to 44-7.
The teams traded scores with the WVSU touchdowns coming on a 5-yard run by Barber and one from 17-yards out by Kelvit Barrett as the third quarter came to an end with the Yellow Jackets leading 57-21.
The Falcons pulled to within 57-27 but Stevin Gomez picked up the missed extra point kick at the two yard line and ran it back 98 yards for two points to make it 59-27.
Fairmont State added one last touchdown with 3:41 to play to bring the final to 59-34.
ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defeated the Alcorn State Braves 69-6 to kick off their 2015 campaign. Justin Thomas ran for a score and threw for a score as the option offense was in mid-season form against the Braves. The Jackets were able to rush for 476 yards in the game. Marcus Marshall ripped off TD runs of 49 yards and 64 yards as he led Tech with 184 yards on the ground.
It didn’t take long for the Georgia Tech option game to find its rhythm in the first quarter Thursday against Alcorn State. In fact, the running game was so good it led the Yellow Jackets to a record-setting first 15 minutes of action.
Tech scored four of its five touchdowns on the ground in the first quarter, setting a modern-day record for points in a quarter while opening a 34-0 lead. The previous record of 32 points vs. Chattanooga in 1985 was surpassed with the Jackets doing what they do the best — run the football.
Quarterback Justin Thomas scored on a 13-yard run less than three minutes into the game, capping a five-play, 63-yard drive — all on the ground. Tech followed with a 6-play, 29-yard drive that featured the hard running of B-Back Patrick Skov, who gained 16 yards and bulled into the end zone from the 3 for the Jackets’ second score.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Alex Wood is handling his first game week at Florida A&M the same way he’s handled just about everything that’s come his way since he was announced as the Rattlers’ head football coach in December.
When asked, Wood isn’t shy about letting people know what he thinks about his team. Since Wood’s first news conference, on Dec. 23, he’s let FAMU fans know the Ratters are a work in progress.
Wednesday, during a meeting of the 220 Quarterback Club at New Times Country Buffet on Monroe Street, Wood let 50 FAMU enthusiasts know there is progress being made.
“We’re excited about opening the season,” he said. “It’s been a short time, but at the same time, it’s been a long road. We’ve been taking full advantage of that, trying to get prepared.”
PEMBROKE, North Carolina — Winston-Salem State opened its season with a thud against upstart UNC Pembroke.
The Braves’ defense stood tall the entire way in a 17-7 win over the Rams, who lost just their fifth regular-season game in the last six seasons. It was also the second time in the last three seasons the Rams, who were ranked in several top 25 preseason Division II polls, fell short at Grace Johnson Stadium.
“I don’t know what it is about this place but these guys seem to have our number,” said Coach Kienus Boulware of the Rams. “(UNC Pembroke) fought hard and they probably had some revenge on their minds from when we beat them last year in Winston.”
This time around the Rams, who started redshirt freshman Rod Tinsley at quarterback, had some flashes of good play but nothing consistent. The Rams scored on their first possession as Tinsley directed the offense smoothly and hit tight end Anthony Rook with a 12-yard touchdown pass.
CIAA Winston-Salem State at UNC Pembroke, 7 p.m. LIVE VIDEO
MEC West Virginia State at Fairmont State, 7 p.m.
SWAC
Alcorn State at #16 Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m., TV: ESPN3
Saturday, September 5, 2015
MEAC
Norfolk State at Rutgers, 12 Noon TV: ESPNN Howard at Appalachian State, 3:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3
Morgan State at Air Force, 3:30 p.m.
Savannah State at Colorado State, 4 p.m.
Bethune-Cookman at Miami (Fla.), 6 p.m. TV: ESPN3
Shaw at North Carolina A&T, 6 p.m.
Saint Augustine's at North Carolina Central, 6 p.m.
Kentucky State at Hampton, 6 p.m.
Delaware State at Liberty, 7 p.m. TV: ESPN3 Florida A&M at South Florida, 7 p.m. TV: ESPN3 Sunday, September 6, 2015
Arkansas - Pine Bluff vs. South Carolina State, 3:30 p.m., Orlando, FL, Florida Citrus Bowl, MEAC/SWAC CHALLENGE, TV: ESPN Alabama State at Tennessee State 7:00 p.m., Nashville, NISSAN STADIUM, John Merritt Classic Saturday, September 5, 2015 SWAC Grambling State at California, 5 p.m. TV: PAC12
Alabama A&M at Cincinnati, 7 p.m. TV: ESPN3
Jackson State at Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m.
Southern at Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m.
Mississippi Valley at New Mexico, 7 p.m.
Prairie ViewA&M at Texas Southern, 9 p.m., Labor Day Classic
CIAA Bowie State atMerrimack. 1 p.m., LIVE VIDEO
Brevard at Virginia Union, 1 p.m.
Lincoln (Pa.) at Cheyney, 1 p.m., Annual Battle of the Firsts TV: ESPN3
California (Pa.) at Virginia State, 1 p.m.
Livingstone at Benedict, 4:30 p.m. Palmetto Capitol City Classic,TV: ASPIRE
Wingate at Johnson C. Smith, 6 p.m.
Shaw at North Carolina A&T, 6 p.m.
Chowan at Fayetteville State, 6 p.m.
Virginia-Lynchburg at Elizabeth City State, 6 p.m.
Saint Augustine's at North Carolina Central, 6 p.m.
SIAC Central State at Alderson Broaddus, 12 Noon
Clark Atlanta at Tuskegee, 1 p.m.
Lane at Concordia-Selma, 3 p.m. Livingstone at Benedict, 4:30 p.m., Palmetto Capitol City Classic TV: ASPIRE
Stillman at West Alabama, 6 p.m.
North Alabama vs. Miles, 6 p.m., Labor Day Golden Classic, Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
Kentucky State at Hampton, 6 p.m. Edward Waters at Morehouse, 7 p.m. Valdosta State at Albany State, 7 p.m.
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Change is the word at Norfolk State. They have a new head coach, a new offensive scheme, a new quarterback and new starters on defense. The Spartans are thinking change is good.
Latrell Scott is the new head coach, taking over for the retired Pete Adrian. He is hoping to improve on last year's (4-8,4-4) record.
NSU will be severely tested early. They open on the road against three FBS schools. This Saturday it's Rutgers, then ODU and Marshall.
Greg Hankerson has transferred in from Florida Atlantic as the new quarterback. He is a dual threat kind of quarterback.
On defense, the Spartans ranked in the top 5 nationally last year. They have to replace six starters, but have plenty of experience nonetheless.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The bull’s-eye that’s figuratively attached to Southern’s defensive backfield has gotten more eye-catching.
Any Jaguars opponent, especially the first one — Louisiana Tech on Saturday night in Ruston, La. — figures to look at the relative experience of the players in the three layers of Southern’s defense and decide the secondary is the one to take aim at first.
The six starting linemen and linebackers averaged more than 10 starts last season, if you fudge the numbers and factor in the 13 games linebacker Daniel Brown started in his last season — two years ago before he was ineligible last season.
The five starters in the secondary averaged fewer than seven starts last season even before nickelback Rhaheim Ledbetter was subtracted from the equation earlier this week after being declared academically ineligible. Jamal Jenkins will make his first career start in Ledbetter’s place, meaning the unit that’s expected to start Saturday averaged fewer than five starts last season.
BOWIE, Maryland -- When he was in middle school, running track was the last thing on DeAndre Watson's mind. Nowaday for the junior at Bowie State, it's usually at the forefront.
Watson, a former soccer player, made it his goal to compete in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia -- the oldest track and field competition in the country -- during his freshman year at Bowie High School.
Considering his considerable athletic gifts, it didn't take long for Watson to fall in love with the idea of using his speed competitively.
"I always knew I was fast," he said.
Bowie High track and field coach Rich Andrulonis had grown aware of Watson's speed by the time Watson joined the school's team in his junior year. Watson credits Andrulonis for teaching him the basics -- i.e. improving his form and perfecting handoffs during relays.
