A&T wins 61-7 in front of impressive crowd at Aggie Stadium

GREENSBORO, North Carolina – Junior wide receiver Denzel Keyes made superb catches in the first quarter. The only problem was he was making them out of bounds. After he decided to make some adjustments he went on to make a career-high six catches to finish with 119 yards receiving and two touchdowns in North Carolina A&T’s 61-7 season-opening football win over Shaw University at Aggie Stadium Saturday.

“In the beginning of the game, I wasn’t leaving him enough space,” Keyes said referring to the player throwing him the ball in redshirt freshman quarterback Lamar Raynard who was making his first career start.



“I was fading a little too early, so I was making the catches but my feet weren’t getting there,” Keyes continued. “As I started attacking them, and then fading when the ball was in the air; letting the ball tell me where to go, then fading, that’s when we started clicking.”

Both of Keyes’ touchdown receptions were acrobatic and jaw-dropping. He also had a spectacular jump-ball catch that went for 38 yards. In his last five games he has played for A&T, Keyes has seven touchdown receptions.

“If it’s a one-on-one opportunity, he knows what’s up,” said Raynard who was 14-for-27 with one interception, three touchdowns and 188 yards passing. “I feel like no one in the country can guard him in those situations.”

The Aggies seemed to have the game in hand even before Keyes started making spectacular catches toward the end of the first half and into the second. Preseason All-American junior running back Tarik Cohen got going early with runs of 15, 16 and 24. Those carries led to a 5-yard touchdown run toward the end of the first quarter to give the Aggies a 7-0 lead.  Cohen’s run was set up by a 4^th-and-5 conversion on a roll out pass from Raynard to redshirt sophomore Caleb Gabriel that went for seven yards to give the Aggies a 1^st-and-goal from the Shaw 7-yard line.

Cohen had 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries. It was his 13^th career 100-yard game. He scored again, this time on a 4^th-and-1 from seven yards out to open the second quarter. After linebacker Denzel Jones caused a Shaw safety to put the Aggies up 16, Raynard threw his first career touchdown pass, a 16-yard toss to a wide open Gabriel in the back of the end zone for a 23-0 lead.

Shaw’s only score of the game came on an 85-yard interception return by Dwight Campbell.

“I thought he did well for his first game out,” said A&T head coach Rod Broadway about Raynard. Broadway, who earned coaching victory No. 97 on Saturday, said other than the pick-6, Raynard competed.

“He gave them a cheap six there,” Broadway said. “You know one of the things we talk about is not turning the ball over, especially a pick-6. But he made some nice throws through the course of the ball game. He will only get better. Playing as a freshman, he played a lot better than a lot of other freshmen have played in that situation. He has a lot of room for improvement, and he’ll make the improvement because he’s a student of the game. He works his butt off, so he’ll only get better from this point forward.”

Defensively, the Aggies held the Bears to 81 yards of total offense. They also forced two turnovers including a pick-6 by redshirt freshman cornerback Marquis Willis. Saturday marked the 20^th straight game the Aggies have forced at least one turnover.

“I think defensively we play well,” said Broadway. “We have a chance of being good defensively if we continue to get better and learn, as well as fixing assignments. It’s very important to the way we play, and I thought these guys for the most part did that tonight.”

The Aggies will get more of a challenge on Saturday, Sept. 12 when they head to Chapel Hill to face the University of North Carolina for the first time ever. That is why Keyes is pleased with the type of performances and his teammates had.

“It was really good to get out there and play somebody else instead of playing our defense,” said Keyes. “It’s a big confidence builder to see that we can really play. We just have to get better this week and play better in order to compete with Carolina next week.”

 A&T 61, Shaw 7

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NCCU Football Blanks Saint Augustine’s in Season Opener

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Victory was achieved in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium as the North Carolina Central University football team earned its first home triumph against the Saint Augustine's University Falcons, with a shutout score of 72-0 on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The Eagles meant business after the opening kickoff to the Falcons. NCCU's 72 points on Saturday ranks second all-time in school history since the Eagles laced them up in 1923. The school record is 85 points, scored in a shutout over Fort Jackson on Sept. 21, 1946.

NCCU junior cornerback Mike Jones broke the school record for punt return yards in a game with 145. The record was originally set on Sept. 27, 1969 by Moses Bryant against Livingstone College.

Quarterback Malcolm Bell was proficient on the air attack for the Eagles, completing 13-of-20 passes and throwing for 163 yards. The defensive leader in Saturday's showdown was Reggie Hunter, accumulating seven tackles for the Eagles.

An early sack by defensive tackle Josh Wade on third down forced St. Augustine's to punt. The NCCU defense blocked the kick and C.J. Moore was the on the victorious end of a hard-fought recovery in the end zone.

NCCU was only warming up, with a 7-0 lead and 12:41 on the clock in the first quarter.

The next score for the Eagles was on a fumble recovery by Idreis Augustus after Nathan Scruggs caught a 10-yard pass and a fumble was forced with the ball bouncing into the end zone. As a result, the score was upped to 13-0, with 10:32 remaining in the first quarter.

The Eagles were unstoppable, scoring four times in the second quarter, leading 34-0 heading into halftime.

Coming out of the locker room, Ryan Smith returned his first career kickoff for 95 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles, making the Falcons deficit 41.

Freshman Nigel Macauley was 3-3 in field goals, including a 44-yarder early in the second half, giving the Eagles an even bigger advantage of 44-0.

There was plenty of time remaining for the Eagles to dominate. And they did.

NCCU did not let up on the Falcons, stretching the lead, score-by-score to 58-0 at the close of the third quarter.

The Eagles gave no reason to believe that the final period would be any different from the rest, because they were on a pursuit to shut out the Falcons.

Freshman Jalen Wilkes caught a quick 23-yard ball from Quinn Billerman, who entered the game in the third quarter, which elevated the Eagles' scoreboard to 64.

Billerman finished the game throwing for 96 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, the Eagles balanced effort was topped by sophomore linebacker Reggie Hunter with seven tackles, including 2.5 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage.

The NCCU football team will take the field again on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. in Wallace Wade Stadium against Duke University.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

KSU Thorobreds' comeback falls short in 35-20 loss at Hampton

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Though Kentucky State was able to dig out of an early 21-0 deficit against Division I opponent Hampton, the Thorobreds' comeback attempt eventually fell short in a 35-20 loss on Saturday at Armstong Stadium in Hampton, Va.

Thorobreds quarterback Ora Johnson threw for 131 yards and a touchdown while running for 35 yards and another score, while Kyle Jackson led the way on the ground with 93 yards rushing. On the defensive side, Lydell Simon had a team-high 10 tackles, Nate Robinson had nine tackles with two for loss, and Jermaine Graham had five stops and two interceptions.

After the Thorobreds' first drive stalled at the Hampton 28-yard-line and resulted in a missed field goal, the Pirates began to build a lead. Hampton went 72 yards in eight plays, getting on the scoreboard on a 15-yard touchdown from David Watford to Twarn Mixon, the first of four touchdowns the pair hooked up on to tie a Hampton school record.

The 7-0 score would hold up through the end of the first quarter after Raymond Malone picked off a Watford pass in the end zone. With the Thorobreds' offense struggling to find a rhythm early in the second quarter, Hampton went on to build its lead to 21-0 on a 18-yard touchdown pass from Watford to Dewayne Garrett and a 23-yard strike from Watford to Mixon.

Late in the half is when Kentucky State began to gain momentum, first getting on the scoreboard on a Turner Warren field goal after a 14-play, 67-yard drive. The Thorobreds carried that momentum into the second half where they scored two touchdowns in a three minute span to cut the margin to 21-17.

The first of those scores came when the Thorobreds took advantage of a short field to go 23 yards in four plays, with Johnson finding Reginal Harris in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. On the ensuing Hampton possession, Graham picked off a Watson pass, helping to set up a 42-yard drive capped by a seven-yard touchdown run by Johnson.

Unfortunately for the Thorobreds, the four point margin was as close as they would come. Hampton answered with a nine-play, 68-yard drive with Watson finding Mixon for a 25-yard touchdown to make the score 28-17. Kentucky State pulled back within one possession on a 33-yard field goal by Warren, then kept the Pirates from scoring with another interception by Graham at the eight yard line.

With a chance to tie, however, the Thorobreds went three-and-out on the ensuing possession. Mixon was able to get behind the Kentucky State defense on the next series for a 55-yard touchdown that brought the score to the final of 35-20.

Leading the way through the air for Hampton on the evening, Watford threw for 345 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Mixon finished with 135 yards receiving and four touchdowns, while Christopher Dukes led the Pirates on the ground with 38 yards.

With the result, Kentucky State opens the year at 0-1 while Hamption starts out at 1-0. The Thorobreds open their home schedule next Saturday when they host Johnson C. Smith at 2 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. Kentucky State will celebrate Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day and Community Outreach Day with festivities beginning at 11 a.m. with Tailgate City presented by the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Delaware State Hornets fall to nationally ranked Liberty in football opener

LYNCHBURG, Virginia -- Delaware State opened a new football era with a frustrating 32-13 loss to nationally-ranked Liberty before an enthusiastic crowd 18,803 in the season opener for both teams at Williams Stadium this evening. The contest against the FCS No. 15 Flames marked the debut of new Hornet head coach Kenny Carter, who saw hopeful signs in the loss.

“I am so proud of the way our guys competed throughout the game,” Carter said. “For the most part, I thought we got a solid effort by our defense and the offense made some big plays, but our kicking game was disappointing, giving Liberty good starting position on too many possessions.”

Desmond Rice rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns and Darrin Peterson had eight catches for 83 yards and two scores to lead Liberty’s 417-yard attack. Quarterback Josh Woodrum completed 19-of-32 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns for the Flames.



Delaware State quarterback Esayah Obado connected on 16-of-27 passes for 227 yards but was intercepted twice in his first game since 2013. Obado was sacked five times in the contest, including one that resulted in a safety.

“Esayah played quite well, especially considering the pressure he was under from a veteran Liberty defense,” said Carter. “He made some great throws downfield and was able to make plays in pressure situations.”

Liberty took advantage of good field position after a short DSU punt to open the scoring. Five plays after an 18-yard punt by Jeremiah McGeough gave Liberty the ball at its 46 yard, Josh Woodrum connected with Darrin Peterson on a 26-yard touchdown pass for the game’s first score. John Lunsford’s extra point kick gave the Flames a 7-0 lead with 7:17 left in the opening quarter.

A Delaware State turnover led to Liberty’s second touchdown. The Hornets’ second possession ended when Wesley Scott intercepted Esayah Obado pass at the DSU 32 yard line. Three plays later, Rice scored a 23 yard run around the right end to give the Flames a two-touchdown lead. The extra point kick by Lunsford stretched Liberty’s lead to 14-0 with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter.

The Hornets got on the board and back into the game with a well-executed eight-play, 75-yard drive midway through the second quarter. The three-minute-27-second march was highlighted by a long pass play and a gutsy fourth down call by Carter to keep the possession alive.

The Hornets were facing a fourth-and-one at the DSU 34 when Obado connected with Malik Golson on an 11-yard pass to the 45. On the next play, Obado found Aris Scott downfield for a 47-yard pass to the Liberty 8. On third-and-goal from the two, Obado rushed up the middle for a touchdown to complete the drive. The Hornets attempted a two-point play after the score, but Obado was stopped short of the endzone on a rush attempt to keep Liberty’s lead at 14-6.

The DSU defense forced Liberty into a three-and-out on the next possession, but the Hornets couldn’t take advantage. Obado was sacked on the first play of the Hornets’ next possession and the Flames forced a punt from the DSU six yard line.

Starting from its 38 on the next possession, Liberty drove 27 yards on seven plays to the DSU 35. Lunsford capped off the drive with a 52-yard field goal to give the Flames a 17-6 lead with 2:56 left in the second quarter.

On the ensuing Hornet possession, Obado was sacked by Liberty linebacker Nick Newman in the endzone for a safety to give the Flames a 19-6 with 1:56 to go before halftime.

After Liberty regained the ball on a free kick, the Flames drove 46 yards to the DSU nine, but Kevin Jocelyn intercepted a tipped pass by Woodrum to keep the Hornets in the game.

Woodrum and Peterson connected for their second touchdown of the game on a six-yard pass to cap off a seven-play 51-yard drive, giving Liberty a 25-6 lead with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter.

The Hornets answered on the ensuing possession, marching 76 yards on seven plays for their second touchdown of the game. Jamaal Jackson capped off the two-minute-35 second drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Obado connected on each of his three passes for 49 yards, including a 27-yard strike to Malik Golson and a 15-yard connection with Kamal Abrams, during the drive. The extra point kick by Wisdom Nzidee cut Liberty’s lead to 25-13 with 5:32 left in the third quarter.

Rice scored his second touchdown of the game on a six-yard run to begin the fourth quarter to give the Flames a 32-13 lead.

Later in the quarter, the Hornets drove to the Liberty 23. On second down from the 23, Obado appeared to rush for a touchdown, but the play was called back due to a holding penalty at the two yard line. The drive ended when Chris Turner intercepted an Obado pass at the Liberty one yard line.

The Hornets collected 227 total yards, but only 42 on 25 rushing attempts. DSU lost 27 rushing yards on the five Liberty sacks.

Golson had seven receptions for 74 yards, each a DSU high. Abrams hauled in three passes for 51 yards in his Hornet debut. A former Dover High School star, Abrams played three seasons at Connecticut before transferring to Delaware State. Jackson had three catches for 44 yards and a team-high 31 yards rushing on 15 carries.

DSU linebacker Malik Harris led all players with 12 tackles, including six solo stops. Jocelyn had 11 tackles (five unassisted) to go along with the interception.

Defensive end Gabe Sherrod recorded seven tackles, including 3.5 behind the line of scrimmage, a sack and a blocked field goal attempt.

The Hornets return to action next Saturday (Sep. 12) at FBS Kent State. Game time is 3 p.m. in Kent, OH. DSU will play its home opener on Sep. 19 against Chowan. Kickoff is 2 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Savannah State Tigers Fall to Colorado State in Season Opener

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FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- Savannah State kicker John Barron had a career day but it was not enough as Savannah State fell to Colorado State in their 2015 season opener, 65-13.

The crowd of 24,571 at Hughes Stadium saw Barron sail a punt 71 yards in the first quarter from his own 29. Early in the fourth quarter, the junior from Marietta, Georgia hit a 44-yard field goal. Both the punt and field goal where career-highs for Barron.

Colorado State's Nick Stevens threw for five touchdowns to lead the Rams to the victory. Stevens completed 20 of 28 passes for 289 yards. He had touchdown passes of 9, 12, 35, 4 and 12 yards.



SSU's offense got off to a sluggish start with consecutive bad snaps that led to a Rams touchdown.

Quarterback Tino Smith fumbled the first snap and recovered it at his own 15. Smith fumbled the next snap but it was recovered by Colorado State's Kevin Davis in the end zone for a touchdown.

The Rams added two more touchdowns and a field goal to take a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

SSU was down 38-0 before they put together their first scoring drive in the second quarter.

With 6:55 on the clock and the ball at their own nine, the Tigers marched downfield behind the play of freshman quarterback David Handler who completed 3 of 5 pass attempts during the drive. The drive was capped off with a 63-yard touchdown run by junior running back Richard Williams. Barron added the extra point and SSU trailed 38-7 with 4:15 remaining before the half.

CSU added a touchdown with 1:48 left in the period to take a 45-7 halftime advantage.

Colorado State would expand their lead to 58-7 with 2:31 left in the third quarter.

SSU received the ensuing kickoff and would start at their own 45. They would march to the Rams 24 before stalling and having to settle for a 44 yard field goal by Barron with 12:55 left in the contest. A key play on the drive was a 24 yard run by Smith, when faced with a third and 13.

Barron's kick made the score 58-10.

A Colorado State fumble would turn into points for the Tigers as Barron booted a 28 yard field goal with 5:33 left in the final quarter. A key play on the scoring drive was a 32 yard pass play from Smith to Jeremiah Harris on a fourth and ten situation from the CSU 33.

The Rams added a late touchdown with two seconds left in the game.

Savannah State had a balanced attack with 100 passing yards and 83 yards on the ground.

SSU had five fumbles but only lost one while the Rams lost four of their five fumbles.

The Tigers also won the battle of possession, holding the ball for 36:456 while SSU had the ball for 23:15.

The SSU offensive line gave up seven sacks.

Williams had 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the Tigers (0-1) while Smith completed 6 of 14 passes for 50 yards. Nicholas Carrera, Derek Kirkland and KerSean Wilson all had two receptions for SSU. Freshman Isiah Bennett led all defenders with a game-high 10 tackles. Freshman Salvador Vazquez had a interception for SSU.

Josh Watson led CSU (1-0) with nine tackles while Martivi Foster had three sacks. Jasen Oden ran for 74 yards and Rashard Higgins caught seven passes for 84 yards.

Colorado State rolled up 598 yards of offense with 381 coming through the air and 217 coming on the ground.

Howard Bison Shut Out In Season Opener at App State

BOONE, North Carolina ---Taylor Lamb three for three first half touchdowns and Marcus Cox rushed for over 100 yards to lead Appalachian State to a 49-0 shutout over Howard University in the season opener at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

The Bison (0-1) played competitively early but missed some chances to establish themselves.  From there, the Mountaineers (1-0) found their rhythm, using its running game and big plays in the passing game to put the game away early.

 

ASU got on the board on its first possession when Lamb engineered a 14-play, 76-yard drive that was culminated by a 5-yard toss Barrett Burns at the 5:47 mark of the first quarter.

 

Howard, with red-shirt freshman quarterback Kalen Johnson under center for the first time in his career, failed to move the ball, giving it right back to the Mountaineers.

 

It took them only five plays to go 85 yards as Marcus Cox broke free and outraced the Bison defenders 68 yards for the score, making it 14-0 with a little less than two minutes left in the quarter.

With the Bison unable to get first downs and forced to punt, Lamb capitalized connecting with Shaedon Meadows from 50 yards and coming back four minutes later to hook up with Simms McElfresh on a 17-yard strike and take a 28-0 lead to the locker room.

 

"I think we came out and did somewhat okay offensively and defensively," said Howard head coach Gary "Flea" Harrell.  "Somehow we lost momentum towards the end of the first quarter going into the second quarter.  We have no excuses.  We just have to do a better job on stopping the run."

 

The Bison, who came into the game with a shortage of defensive linemen, had three more go down during the course of the game.  Tray Haugabook, Richard Johnson and Marquese Blanchard all suffered injuries.

 

The Mountaineers, who punted only twice all game, added another Lamb TD pass, this time to McElfresh to start the third quarter and extend the lead to 35-0.  He then handed the reins over J.P. Caruso.  ASU amassed over 600 yards of total offense in winning its seventh straight, dating back to last season.

 

"They just outexecuted us," noted defensive back Jacob Bennett, who recorded a career-high 13 tackles.  "We have a lot of people out but that's no excuse.  We have a lot of work to do, especially in the tackling area."

 

Howard lost the battle in third down conversions, making only one of 13 while the Mountaineers were seven of 13 and three of four on fourth down.

 

Johnson, who hails from Pearland, TX completed 12 of 20 for 119 yards in his debut.  He was able to lead the Bison to the Red Zone at the start of the fourth quarter, but they were stopped for a one-yard loss on fourth down at the ASU 19-yard line.

 

"They did everything we expected them to do defensively," said Johnson. "I feel like we did some things well; we just have to string things together.  I haven't played in a while and the game was definitely fast.  I feel like I got my feet under me and there are some positives that I can take from this game and learn from as we move forward."

 

Added Harrell.  "I think that this experience gave him game time experience.  Kalen is going to get better as we go along. I feel good about our quarterback situation."

 

One of the bright spots for Howard was the performance of senior punter/placekicker John Fleck , who averaged almost 46 yards per punt, including an 83-yard effort that set a new school record.  The previous mark was 80 yards held by Cedric Rawls against Indiana of PA in 1989.

 

BOX SCORE

 

NEXT UP:  The Bison travel to Chestnut Hills, MA to face another FBS opponent in Boston College next Saturday at 1 pm.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Air Force Falcons Cruise Past Morgan State in Season Opener

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado  --  Nate Romine threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns and D.J. Johnson added 82 yards and a touchdown on the ground to help lead Air Force to a 63-7 win over Morgan State in the season opening g   ame for both teams on Saturday.

Benton Washington added 62 yards rushing and a TD for the Falcons, who saw 16 different players carry the ball for a total of 394 yards.

Garrett Brown finished with 58 yards receiving and had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown. It was the Falcons first punt return for a touchdown in six years. Roland Ladipo's added an interception return for a touchdown, the Falcons first in three years.

Air Force scored more than 31 points per game last season, but it still found a way to end a couple scoring droughts. The Falcons' 63 points was their most since beating Nicholls State 72-0 on this date in 2009.

After five consecutive rushing attempts on its opening drive, Romine threw his first touchdown since 2013, an easy toss to Jalen Robinette for a 26-yard score.

He didn't complete a pass on either of the next two drives as D.J. Johnson capped a 75-yard drive with a 3-yard score, and Benton Washington finished a 55-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown.
Air Force was comfortably ahead by that point and had a 28-7 lead at the half.

The Falcons went onto out score Morgan State 35-0 in the second half. Shayne Davern, Timothy McVey and Scott Hester each had rushing TDs, and Ladipo had a 22-yard pick-six, the Falcons' first since 2012.

Meanwhile Morgan State of the Football Championship Subdivision looked depleted. Ten of its players were ruled academically ineligible -- the biggest of those being speedy running back Herb Walker Jr., who rushed for a school-record 1,408 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. It was also the first time the Bears football program had ever played in the thin air of Colorado.

Moses Skillon, who coach Lee Hull wouldn't name as the official starter until Saturday, carried much of the load. He threw for 142 yards, rushed for another 35 yards, and capped the Bears only scoring drive with a 2-yard run in the waning seconds of the second half.

Air Force is now 9-0 in season openers under Calhoun, and 20-0 all-time against FCS opponents and has won eight straight home games dating back to 2013.

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Rutgers Pulls Away from NSU Spartans in 2nd Half, Tops NSU in Season Opener

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey – Chris Laviano found Leonte Carroo on three touchdown passes in Rutgers' 28-point third quarter that broke open a tight game, sending the Scarlet Knights to a 63-13 win over Norfolk State in the season-opener for both teams on Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium.

The Spartans (0-1) scored on a pair of first-half touchdown passes from Greg Hankerson Jr. and trailed just 21-13 at the half in Latrell Scott's NSU coaching debut. But the Scarlet Knights' Janarion Grant returned the second-half kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, and Laviano threw TD passes of 55, 56 and 18 yards to Carroo as Rutgers pulled away.

The Spartans failed to get on the board in their three previous trips to Rutgers, but wasted little time in doing so on Saturday. NSU took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in five plays, with Hankerson connecting with DeAndre Sangster on three straight pass plays. The third of those was a 16-yard TD pass that gave NSU a 7-0 lead.

The Scarlet Knights responded with an eight-play, 65-yard drive to tie the game. Hayden Rettig threw a 13-yard TD pass to Matt Flanagan to cap the drive with 9:00 left in the opening quarter, knotting the score.



Rutgers scored two touchdowns in a span of just more than three minutes of the second quarter. Rettig scored on a 5-yard run on a 4th-and-1 play with 7:37 left in the second quarter to finish a 60-yard drive. A sack backed NSU up deep into its own end on the ensuing drive, and a short punt set the Scarlet Knights up the Spartans' 32. Two plays later, Josh Hicks scored on a 25-yard run with 4:20 remaining in the half for a 21-7 Rutgers lead.

But NSU answered with an eight-play, 78-yard drive to draw within one score at the half. Hankerson capped the drive with a 29-yard TD pass to senior tight end Torian Henderson with 1:37 left on the clock in the second quarter. The PAT missed, but NSU had drawn within 21-13 at the half.

The Spartans had the momentum heading into the half, but Rutgers seized it back on the second-half kickoff. Bo Lomax's second-half kickoff bounced around the 20-yard line. Rutgers returner Grant picked it up, avoided a pack of Spartans and outraced NSU to the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown.

Rutgers added to its lead on its first possession of the second half. Laviano and Carroo – two of five Scarlet Knights suspended for the first half – hooked up on a 55-yard TD pass to stretch the lead to 35-13 with 10:58 left in the third quarter. They also connected later in the quarter on a 56-yard bomb and an 18-yard catch-and-run as Rutgers led 49-13 after three quarters.

Hicks' second TD run of the day, a 2-yarder, made it 56-13 and Justin Goodwin scored on a 3-yard run later to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter.

Rutgers outgained NSU 539-196.

Hankerson was sharp in his NSU debut. The Florida Atlantic transfer completed 18 of 28 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Sangster, who missed last season due to a broken leg, had a career high with 101 receiving yards and matched his career best with six receptions. Freshman Marcus Taylor caught three passes.

Deon King led the Spartan defense with 12 tackles.

Hicks ran for 118 yards and Carroo had 129 yards receiving for Rutgers.

The Spartans are back on the road, but much closer to home next Saturday as they meet Old Dominion for a 7 p.m. game at S.B. Ballard Stadium.

Box Score

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications

COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

FAMU Rattlers Drop Season Opener To USF Bulls

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TAMPA, Florida – The Florida A&M Rattlers opened the Coach Alex Wood Era here Saturday with a gutsy effort in their 51-3 loss to the University of South Florida at Raymond James Stadium Saturday night.

While the final score might give the impression of a runaway win for the homestanding Bulls (1-0), FAMU showed some mettle on defense, keeping the Bulls at bay most of the first half before fatigue finally set in.

Head coach Alex Wood feels the game provided an evaluation of several aspects of his team.

“Obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do.  We’ve got to go back and evaluate where that work needs to be. Offense was one of those areas.  We knew coming in what some of our shortcomings were, but until we played we didn’t know exactly where they were,” Wood said.

Offensively, the Rattlers struggled despite matching the Bulls for total plays (72), as they finished with 182 total yards, 170 through the air, while USF piled up 550 yards in offense.

Junior quarterback Kenneth Coleman came on in the second half in relief of starter Carson Royal, who suffered from body cramps, hitting 14 of 29 passes for 135 yards, while finishing as FAMU’s top rusher with 23 yards on eight carries.

Brandon Norwood led FAMU with seven catches for 51 yards, followed by Devondrick Nealy, who had four grabs for 56 yards.



Nealy had an all-purpose night, with two kickoff returns for 53 yards and two punt runbacks for 19 yards.

FAMU’s linebacking duo of Akil Blount (11) and Kashawn Butler (7) led the FAMU defense in tackles.  Blount took positives from tonight’s defeat and looks to reload for next week.  “As the leaders on this team, we’ve got to get our younger guys to concentrate on the next game.  We want to make a much better showing, so we need to go back and focus on what we are supposed to do.  From there, the rest of the game will take care of itself,” Blount said.

At the start, the game quickly turned into a battle of field position, as the Rattlers couldn’t get out of their half.   Emili Nadelman’s 22-yard field goal gave USF a 3-0 lead after the first quarter.

Momentum clearly swung the Bulls way in the second period, as they scored two touchdowns via the Quinto Flowers to D’Errie Johnson connection, the first a 22-yard strike with 7:24 left in the half, and the second, a 45-yarder with 1:16 before the half.

The Bulls came out determined to put distance between themselves and FAMU to start the second half, taking the opening kickoff and driving 66 yards in just three plays in 56 seconds, boosting their lead to 23-0.

FAMU, which had just 23 yards of total offense at the break to 273 for USF, changed quarterbacks in the third period, going with junior Kenny Coleman.

But without any passing game and a ground attack that was stymied by the USF front six, the Rattlers struggled to move the ball, having to punt it away for the  ninth time.

USF went 71 yards in five plays on their next possession, with reserve QB Steven Bench capping the drive with a 62-yard scoring pass to Elkanah Dillon for a 30-0 lead.

The Rattlers second possession saw them pick up four first downs, aided by a 29-yard catch and carry by halfback Devondrick Nealy moved FAMU into the red zone, where Colby Blanton nailed a 21-yard fielder to make it a 30-3 count with 4:35 left in the third.

Turnovers and favorable field position aided the Bulls in their second half blitz, as they scored 21 late points.

Attendance: 30,434.

WHAT’S NEXT: FAMU has an afternoon (2:00 Central) bout with Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. on Saturday, Sept. 12.


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Miami Hurricanes rout Bethune-Cookman in weather-shortened season opener

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- Just when the season opener got electric Saturday night at Sun Life Stadium, the University of Miami and opponent Bethune-Cookman were rushed off the field for 75 minutes because of lightning.

How’s that for wacky?

The sparks that ultimately flew in the weather-shortened game were those by the Hurricanes in their 45-0 victory over the Wildcats.

It was UM’s first shutout since the 2010 opener against Florida A&M, another 45-0 win against another Football Championship Subdivision team.

“I think we played hard,’’ UM coach Al Golden said. “It’s hard to get a shutout, no matter what.’’

The Canes scored 21 points in two minutes and five seconds in the second quarter, and rolled from there in the final two quarters that were cut to 10 minutes apiece.

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2015 Labor Day Classic: Sounds from Texas Southern & PVAMU

Prairie View A&M Panthers Reclaim Labor Day Classic Trophy With 38-11 Win Over TSU

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Willie Simmons era started off on the right foot as the Prairie View A&M Panthers rolled up nearly 500 yards of total offense combined with a stingy defensive effort as they reclaimed the Labor Day Classic trophy after a 38-11 win over Texas Southern at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Panthers received the opening kick and wasted no time in establishing its presence on the ground as redshirt junior quarterback Trey Green broke several tackles and raced 80 yards for an early 7-0 lead following Owen Hoolihan's PAT.  On their second offensive drive, the Panthers were on the verge of another successful ending but an untimely fumble in the backfield gave the ball back to TSU at its own 21.

 

With Saturday's rivalry in full effect, TSU pulled out its bag of tricks early on as they converted a fake punt on its next possession but the PVAMU defense didn't bend as they forced TSU to punt four plays later.  The Panther offense began to stall after its earlier drives and the momentum began to swing in TSU's favor as they drove deep in PVAMU territory.  However, the Tigers came up short as Eric Medina's 32-yard field goal was wide.

The Panthers had to punt once again but the defense came up big as linebacker Brandon Medina recorded a big interception which ended at the TSU 40.   Redshirt senior running back Courtney Brown moved the Panthers into the red zone with a 26-yard run but the Panthers had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Hoolihan for the early 10-0 lead at the 7:14 mark of the second quarter.

 

TSU responded on its next drive with a pair of big third down conversions to drive down the field but a big sack by defensive end Ahkeem Barton moved TSU out of the red zone as they settled for a 38-yard field goal with 1:48 left in the second quarter.  PVAMU's last drive of the quarter ended with a 54-yard punt by Hoolihan as TSU ran the clock out heading into halftime.

 

The Panther defense set the tone in the third quarter as they forced a punt and the offense began to slowly find its groove as Green connected with Demarquo Lastrappe for huge 37-yard completion on 3^rd-and-13 to the PVAMU 40.  Three plays later, Green found Andrew Michael for a 43-yard reception which eventually turned into a 58-yard gain after a TSU personal foul.  With the ball at the TSU 9, Green connected with Nick Pitre to move closer to the end zone and Green scored from two yards out for a 17-7 lead after the PAT with 9:03 left in the quarter.

 

Redshirt junior defensive end Jamespaul Bryant led the latest defensive charge as he intercepted a TSU pass.  The offense returned with a swagger as the running game began to impose its will as Brown and Johnta' Hebert combined to rush for 47 yards as Hebert scored from 11 yards out en route to a 24-3 lead at the 6:11 mark.

 

After another TSU punt near the close of the third quarter, the offense continued to excel as Green found Nick Pitre for a 7-yard pass in the end zone for a 31-3 lead after the PAT to open the fourth quarter.  TSU would return to the scoreboard with a touchdown and two-point conversion two possessions later but the Panther offense, led by redshirt senior quarterback De'Auntre Smiley and redshirt senior running back Fred Anderson, powered the offense down the field as Anderson scored from a 1-yard out for the game's final score.

 

Prairie View A&M finished with 457 yards (290 R, 167 P) on 76 offensive plays while allowing 291 yards defensively.  Green combined for three touchdowns as he rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries while throwing for 167 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-27 passing.  In his first game in two seasons, Brown led PVAMU with 88 yards on nine carries followed by 55 yards and a touchdown from Hebert and 50 yards and a touchdown from Anderson.

 

Jalan Coleman led the defense with nine tackles and sack while Barton finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

 

The Panthers hit the road next week and will step up in class as they'll face FBS member Texas State at 6 p.m. in San Marcos, Texas.

BOX SCORE

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New Mexico Lobos Roll Over Mississippi Valley State 66-0

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico -- The University of New Mexico got a school-record tying eight rushing touchdowns and UNM's defense allowed fewer than 100 yards and recorded its first shutout since 2008 as the Lobos opened the season with a 66-0 win over Mississippi Valley State of the FCS.

The win was the largest shutout victory in 65 years, and the largest margin of victory in 55 years. The Lobos rolled up 511 yards while allowing just 74. The game actually opened up with the Delta Devils holding UNM to a three-and-out, forcing a punt. That punt was the only punt of the game as UNM scored on its next nine drives.

UNM opened the scoring with a 28-uard touchdown run from Lamar Jordan, who also went a perfect 7-for-7 passing on the evening. The Lobos then caught a break when a Romell Jordan fumble rolled into the end zone for a touchdown when starting left tackle Reno Henderson fell on the ball. It marked the first touchdown by an offensive lineman in at least 40 years. UNM then scored 17 seconds later after a fumble when Jhurell Pressley darted in, and the rout was on.

Tyrone Owens scored two second quarter touchdowns, David Anaya added one in the third, and Daryl Chestnut's first two career carries went for 64- and 37-yard scores. Travis Green ended the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown on an interception return.

Kicker Jason Sanders, who won the placekicking job in camp, was 9-for-9 on extra points and hit a 28-yard field goal.

TEAM NOTES:
*Attendance, despite a downpour right before the game, was 21,930. UNM's season tickets sales hit 10,277.
*New Mexico's 38 first half points were tied for the ninth-most in school history for any half and tied for the sixth-most in school history for a first half.
*UNM's eight rushing touchdowns tied the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game. UNM had previously done it four other times, the last against San Diego State on October 18, 2008 in a 70-7 Lobo win. It also tied the Mountain West record for rushing touchdowns in a game.
*New Mexico held Mississippi Valley State to 26 yards rushing. The last time UNM allowed fewer than 100 yards rushing was in 2012 when the Lobos held Wyoming to just 55 yards.
*It was the third time Bob Davie's team has scored 66 points (66-17 vs. NMSU in 2013, 66-17 vs. Southern in 2012).

BOX SCORE

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Sights and Sounds: Southern University vs. Louisiana Tech

Southern overwhelmed by Louisiana Tech’s quick strikes in 62-15 season-opening loss

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The kickoff of the season opener between Southern and Louisiana Tech was delayed 12 minutes because of lightning Saturday night.

That’s about the same amount of time it took the Bulldogs to use their own lightning strikes to remove any doubt about the outcome.

Tech needed less than 10 minutes to score the first 17 points and had touchdowns covering 55, 45, 22, 27, 58 and 65 yards in rolling to a 44-point halftime lead. When the season opener for both teams at Joe Aillet Stadium came to a merciful end, the Bulldogs had thrashed the Jaguars 62-15.

“I feel like we lacked effort,” Southern cornerback Danny Johnson said. “We missed tackles, and some of us didn’t do our assignments. We’ve got to get better.”

Johnson said coach Dawson Odums “stayed positive so we can stay positive.”

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Cincinnati Bearcats Wallop Alabama A&M 52-10, As Expected

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Cincinnati Bearcats completely overmatched the Alabama A&M from a talent and strategic standpoint. Perhaps not the latter. I can’t speak for how the Bulldogs prepared for UC tonight and if their schemes were truly better than Cincinnati’s. However, the talent on the field definitely pointed emphatically towards the Bearcats.



So it’s no reason why Gunner Kiel was pulled before the end of the first half in favor of heir apparent Hayden Moore, a redshirt freshman. Kiel had lost a fumble, on just about the derpiest of circumstances, but completed 82% of his passes for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns. So the coaches were pretty confident he was good and warmed up for this season.

Moore came in and directed the offense like a hardened veteran, completing 8/14 passes for 107 yards and a perfectly thrown touchdown passes dropped into the arms of Alex Chisum. The coaches have the foresight to understand that Kiel might not be a Bearcat this time next year so getting Moore reps with the first team offense will only smooth the transition in 2016. And he rewarded their trust with a solid performance, especially from a redshirt freshman.

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Cal Bears Roll Past Grambling State In Season Opener

BERKELEY, California  --  If the Cal football team had designs on making a good first impression to kick off the 2015 season, consider Saturday's 73-14 victory over Grambling State about as emphatic a tone-setter as the Bears could've hoped for.

Jared Goff kicked off his junior season in fine fashion, completing 24 of 32 passes for 309 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Kenny Lawler was Goff's main target as the junior from Pomona, Calif. made six catches for 69 yards and equaled a school record with three touchdown receptions. The Bears amassed 656 yards of total offense and the 73 points are the second-most in program history behind only an 86-point performance against Pacific in 1991.



For all the offensive numbers Cal put up, it was the defense that provided some of the most emphatic lines on the stat sheet. The Bears scored two defensive touchdowns in a game for the first time since Sept. 11, 2010 against Colorado. Cal also intercepted four passes, the Bears' most since they grabbed four against UCLA in 2012, and forced five turnovers for the first time since picking up six in that same game.

"I thought we played well," Cal head coach Sonny Dykes said. "Our players were really excited about having a chance to get out and play and compete this Saturday and I thought they played well. I was proud of them. It got a little sloppy at times and there are a lot of things we need to improve on to become a good football team but I certainly thought it was a good starting point."

The highlights started right off the bat Saturday on a sun-splashed day in Strawberry Canyon. And, it was the defense that set the stage for the good times to come. A three-and-out on Grambling State's opening drive gave the Bears the ball on the Tigers' 41 and it took Cal just three plays to find the south end zone. Running back Daniel Lasco did the honors, rumbling over right tackle for a four-yard touchdown to score the first points of the new season.

Cameron Walker continued the defensive theme when he plucked a ricochet off the back of an unsuspecting Grambling State receiver and returned it 14 yards for his first career touchdown. Darius Allensworth grabbed another interception to put the Bears in plus territory again and Goff found Lawler for a three-yard touchdown.



A blocked punt by Matt Rockett put Cal (1-0) in position yet again and Goff hooked up with Lawler again for a 19-yard touchdown and 28-0 Cal lead. And, with 21 seconds left in the quarter, Devante Downs put an exclamation point on the season's first period with an 8-yard interception return for a touchdown of his own, tying the school record for points in a quarter (Baylor, 2002) and making it 35-0.

"Hopefully it's the first step of our defense getting on the same level as our offense nationally," Walker said. "We've been talked badly about since I've been here, the past three years, so it's finally time to get rid of that and make forward strides."

Goff's rapport with his receivers showed more and more as the first half went on, but it was Lawler who could be found most often in the end zone. His 16-yard touchdown reception with 3:11 left in the first half made it 42-0 Bears and tied him with Keenan Allen for seventh on Cal's all-time TD reception list with 17. Lawler has six TD catches in last two games, dating back to last season.

"Probably every touchdown I threw to Kenny, I wouldn't have thrown three years ago," Goff said. "Those were all timing routes, stuff we've worked on in the offseason. I have to trust him, he has to trust me to throw it to the right spot. He did a great job today."

The Bears carried a 52-0 lead into halftime, their biggest lead at intermission and most points in any half in program history. Touchdown runs by Tre Watson and Jeffrey Coprich and a 63-yard touchdown pass from Chase Forrest to Bug Rivera rounded out the scoring for the Bears. Grambling State (0-1) got on the board with 12:40 left to play when Trevon Cherry found Brandon Byrdsong for a four-yard touchdown pass and added another score a few minutes later when Martez Carter broke free for a 90-yard touchdown run.

Cal returns to Memorial Stadium next Saturday as the Bears host San Diego State at 2 p.m. That game will be televised live by Pac-12 Networks. From there, Cal hits the road for two in a row as it travels to Texas on Sept. 19 and Washington on Sept. 26. The Bears come home to start October when Washington State visits for the Bears' homecoming on Oct. 3.

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Middle Tennessee State rolls over Jackson State, 70-14

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee -- The opening game of the season often brings its share of sloppiness and mistakes.

Earlier this week Jackson State coach Harold Jackson seemed concerned about his team playing its toughest opponent of the season, Middle Tennessee State, in its first game.

"I don't feel good about (having to play the best team first). I kind of like having somebody (to play) that we can get ourselves together," Jackson said. "But we'll take it on as we got it."

The Tigers committed their share of errors on offense, defense, and special teams, and that was the recipe for a 70-14 loss to the Blue Raiders in front of 15,908 fans at Floyd Stadium on Saturday.

"I thought we came into this ballgame ready to play," Jackson said. "Unfortunately, we weren't ready to play. In the beginning of the game they ran with that fast offense, and that wears your defense down. I think that's what happened.

"They rolled in a lot of guys, and we just didn't have enough guys to roll with them."

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Livingstone opens at Benedict in televised game

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ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- Livingstone College’s Blue Bears kick off their football season this afternoon, facing Benedict in the 14th annual Palmetto Capital City Classic. The game will be played at 5 p.m., at Charlie Johnson Stadium on Benedict’s campus in Columbia, S.C. It will be televised on ASPIRE Network, channel 185 on Time Warner Cable.

Livingstone, entering its third year under head coach Daryl Williams, hopes to have a winning season for the first time in 17 years. A win today would be a nice start in achieving that goal.

The Blue Bears were 5-5 last season, but lost its last three games, to strong opponents Winston-Salem State, Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith. The team returns a potent offense, but has rebuilt its defense, probably a good thing considering last year, Livingstone allowed nearly 35 points per game.

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Air Force opens 2015 season by hosting Morgan State

Game Notes 

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TELEVISION: ROOT Sports
Marc Stout (play-by-play), Sed Bonner (analyst), Tori Holt (sidelines)
 
RADIO: KVOR AM 740 in Colorado Springs, CO; The Fan 104.3 in Denver;
goairforcefalcons.com
Jim Arthur (play-by-play), Jesse Kurtz (analyst)

NOTES

• Air Force opens the season with consecutive home games.
• The Falcons are 38-19-2 overall in season openers, including a 33-8 mark at home.
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is 8-0 in season openers.
• Air Force is 25-16 all-time in non-conference games under coach Troy Calhoun.
• Air Force has won seven straight home games dating back to 2013.
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun has led Air Force to five eight-win seasons.
• Air Force’s schedule has two teams that are nationally ranked. Michigan State is

    No. 5 while Boise State is No. 23.

• Air Force defeated Nicholls State, 44-16, in last season’s opener.

THE SERIES

Air Force and Morgan State are meeting for the first time.

ABOUT MORGAN STATE

Morgan State is an FBS member ... Morgan State was 7-6 overall last season and tied for first in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 5-2 mark ... The cconference title is the first since 1979 for the program ... The Bears were picked ninth in the Boxtorow FCS HBCU preseason poll ... Morgan State has a league-best 10 players on the preseason all-MEAC team ... Running back Herb Walker, Jr. and offensive lineman Dominique Woods were each selected to the 2015 Boxtorow Preseason All-American team ... Walker led the Bears in rushing last season with 1,408 yards on 233 carries while earning first-team all-league honors ... He was 12th nationally in rushing last season and was a nominee for the Walter Payton Award.

SEASON OPENERS

• Air Force is 38-19-2 overall in season openers, including a 33-8 mark in season openers at home.
• Air Force has won eight straight and nine of the last 11 season openers with the only losses coming at No. 11 Tennessee in 2006 and vs. No. 13 California in 2004.
• The Falcons have won 10 of the last 11 season openers at home with the only loss coming vs. No. 13 California in 2004.
• Air Force has won 17 straight season openers vs. unranked teams dating back to a 34-21 setback vs. Colorado State in 1994.
• Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun is 8-0 in season openers, all eight coming at home.

AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE FOES UNDER CALHOUN

Air Force is 25-16 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons are 15-3 at home, 6-9 on the road and 4-4 in neutral site games.

Air Force was 5-0 last season in non-conference games. The Falcons opened the season with a 44-16 win over Nicholls State in Falcon Stadium. Air Force snapped a nine-game road losing streak with a 48-38 win at Georgia State. The Falcons beat Navy 30-21 in Falcon Stadium Oct. 4, won at Army, 23-6, on Nov. 1 and beat Western Michigan, 38-24, Dec. 20 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Air Force has won six straight non-conference games dating back to 2013.

AIR FORCE VS. FCS TEAMS

Air Force is 19-0 all-time against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision. Head Coach Troy Calhoun is 9-0, including last season’s 44-16 victory over Nicholls State to open the season.

 AIR FORCE AT HOME

Air Force is 36-14 in Falcon Stadium under head coach Troy Calhoun, including a 6-0 mark in 2014. The 2014 season was just the fourth time in school history and second under Calhoun, that Air Force has posted a 6-0 home mark.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR’S SEASON OPENER

Air Force defeated Nicholls, 44-16, to improve to 8-0 all-time in season openers under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons ran wild, rushing for a nation’s-best 539 yards. Jacobi Owens led the way with 233 yards on 23 carries to set a school record for rushing yards by a player in his first-career start. Owens averaged 10.1 yards per carry and had three runs of 20 or more yards.

The Falcons broke open a 9-9 tie early in the second quarter with touchdown runs from Broam Hart and Devin Rushing to take a 23-9 halftime lead. Owens helped power the first half outbreak collecting 171 of his yards in the first two quarters. The Falcons made it 35 unanswered points with third quarter rushing touchdowns from Shayne Davern and Rushing, while Paco Solano closed the scoring for Air Force with an 11-yard rushing touchdown to make it 44-9 midway through the fourth quarter. Nicholls added a late touchdown to make up the final margin.

Rushing added 55 yards rushing while quarterback Kale Pearson chipped in with 46 yards. He also hit three of six passes for 19 yards as Air Force finished with 558 total yards. The defense was led by Connor Healy, who had eight tackles in his first-career start. Weston Steelhammer added two sacks, including one in the end zone for a safety to open the scoring for Air Force. The defense gave up just 263 total yards and had five quarterback sacks.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON

Air Force completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football in 2014. The Falcons finished the season 10-3 overall and had a 5-3 mark in conference play after a 2-10 mark in 2013. The eight-game turnaround is the best in school history and tied with TCU as the best in the country. The Falcons qualified for their seventh bowl game in eight seasons, defeating Western Michigan, 38-24, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Air Force defeated both Army and Navy to win a record 19th Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy title and its third in the last five years.

The Falcons entered the bowl season as one of just two teams nationally to have beaten two 10-win teams in the regular season. The Falcons beat Boise State and in-state rival Colorado State, who each won 10 or more games. Air Force’s 10-win season is just is sixth in school history. The victory over Boise State was historic, as the Falcons became the first team in the Mountain West’s Mountain Division to beat the Broncos. The victory over Colorado State, who was ranked 21st nationally, marked the highest ranked team Air Force has beaten since 1996. Air Force finished 6-0 at home for just the fourth time in school history.

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