TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M Department of Athletics will release a survey today on the main athletics website www.FAMUAthletics.com. The survey, as touted by Director of Athletics, Milton Overton Jr., will be used to develop the strategic plan of the athletics department.
The survey is directed toward anyone who is interested in the success of FAMU Athletics.
“We’re going to survey our fans, we’re going to survey our board of trustees, we’re going to survey students, faculty and staff…all the folks who believe that FAMU is important…,” said Overton.
The survey is available online, but can be available in hard copy format by contacting the FAMU ticket office starting Tuesday. The data will be compiled and rolled into what is important to FAMU’s constituents, which will be heavily weighted into the athletic department’s strategic plan.
The survey will be open for a limited time, so please fill out a survey and let us know what’s important to you!
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Sunday, September 6, 2015
South Carolina State embraces bowl-like atmosphere of MEAC/SWAC Challenge
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ORLANDO, Florida -- Coaches typically go out of their way to eliminate any and all distractions come football season.
But South Carolina State coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough didn't have much of a choice and had to embrace the hype. As a participant in Sunday's MEAC/SWAC Challenge, his team spent the weekend participating in numerous bowl-style events such as a Legends Banquet and a Battle of the Bands.
But come Sunday, he hopes South Carolina players' focus shifts solely to football. The Bulldogs will take the field against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the 11th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge — a matchup featuring historically black colleges and universities. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. at the Citrus Bowl and will be broadcast on ESPN.
"You've got to be aware of the fact that you go down there to play a football game," Pough said during a teleconference. "College ought to be fun. This football thing is hard enough as it is without us trying to make it any extra tough on our kids. So when we get an opportunity to give them a chance to have a good time — especially good, wholesome, clean fun like you have at a Disney-style resort — then we have to take advantage of it."
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Numerous Nuggets contribute in victory vs. RedHawks
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| Freshman Ruby Hunt-Thompson, XULA representative on 9-player Mariner Invitational all-tournament team. |
Eight Gold Nuggets had four or more kills, and 10 had three or more digs to help Xavier earn its first victory in three tournament matches — 25-16, 25-21, 8-25, 25-21 against Martin Methodist.
Xavier (3-4) will play its final match at 5 p.m. EDT against Bryan.
Freshman Ruby Hunt-Thompson led Xavier with 11 kills and reached double figures for the second time in the tournament and the third time this season. But there were a slew of other contributors, not all coming from the Nuggets' experienced senior class.
Junior Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova had career highs of 32 assists and 10 digs in her first XU double-double. Sophomore Jada Broussard had four kills, a career-high-tying five digs and her first ace of the season. And sophomore Aliyah Wilson had career highs of four kills and two blocks in the second set and sparked a 7-0 closing rally.
"I had a good warmup," said Wilson, a walk-on who had two career kills and two blocks prior to the match. "I had to be on my toes. I was ready."
It was the first match this season where coach Hannah Lawing used all 14 players. "That wasn't the plan going in," Lawing said, "but the way we started, we were able to hold momentum and make as many subs as we wanted."
An early 11-1 run keyed the first-set victory, but it never was that easy for the Nuggets again. Xavier trailed by at least three points in each of the final three sets and rallied from a 15-12 deficit in the fourth. The Nuggets, a four-time defending champion in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, unc
haracteristically trailed 18-2 in the third.
But the Nuggets endured and scored their first victory in four tries against Martin Methodist (0-8). It was the teams' first meeting since 2010.
What mattered most to Lawing "was that we successfully ran a 6-2 offense," with starter Franziska Pirkl sharing the setting with Hadzhistoyanova. Pirkl had 10 assists but ended the match with a powerful kill from the right side.
Taylor Reuther and Claudia Haywood had nine kills apiece. Darian Harris had 18 digs and reached double figures for the sixth time this season.
Belen Albertos Asencio had 10 kills and eight digs for Martin Methodist, and Domynique Kloss had four of the RedHawks' nine aces. Xavier tied a season high with seven aces, two apiece by Hadzhistoyanova and Harris.Xavier hit a season-high .227 and had a season-high six blocks, three by Haywood.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Second half mistakes cost Concordia in loss to Lane
SELMA, Alabama -- Concordia College Alabama took a seven-point lead into halftime Saturday against Lane College during its home opener at Memorial Stadium, but the Hornets couldn’t hang on in a 17-14 loss.The Hornets’ Kristofer Kimble fumbled a kickoff return inside Concordia’s 10-yard-line to set Lane up for the game winning score in the third quarter. The Dragons took advantage as quarterback Marcus Reynolds ran it in from 6 yards out to put Lane up 17-14 with 7:54 left in the third quarter.
Neither team would score the rest of the way.
“We talked about that in the beginning — the team that does not make the foolish penalty usually will win and we had too many,” said Concordia head coach Stanley Conner.
Both offenses struggled to move the ball the majority of the game.
Lane struck first on a 61-yard touchdown pass thrown by Terrance Ayers to Omari Hamilton, who appeared to take the ball away from a well-positioned Hornets’ defender on the play. The score gave Lane a 7-0 lead with 5:10 left in the opening quarter.
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ECSU Offense, Defense Dominant in Win Over VUL Dragons
ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University scored on six of their first seven possessions and cruised to a 71-0 shutout of Virginia University of Lynchburg Saturday night at Roebuck Stadium.Lovie Banks-Rose, Jr got the first of the evening’s eight offensive touchdowns on a 27 yard scoring reception just 1:26 into the contest. ECSU got three more scores in the opening quarter; a 50 yard fumble recovery by Malcolm Cherry and rushing TDs from Josh Joyner and Ronald Gray to take a 28-0 advantage.
Rose was the recipient of another TD pass, this time from Jaquez Riles, a 50 yard bomb with 11:04 to go in the first half.
Overall the Vikings rolled up 627 yards of total offense on 75 plays from scrimmage and defensively held the Dragons to a paltry 62 yards of total offense.
The ECSU defense wreaked havoc on the VUL quarterbacks all evening, sacking the Dragons’ signal callers eight times for a loss of 56 yards. Stephen Williams led all Viking defenders with 9 tackles (6 solo) while Darren Wilson chipped in with 8 tackles including one and a half sacks for a loss of 13 yards.
As dominating at the performance against the Dragons was, it will not affect the Vikings in the win column. Earlier this summer the NCAA deemed VUL one of 30 teams that would be considered a non-countable opponent for the 2015 season, a decision that was reached after ECSU’s schedule was released.
ECSU will travel to take on Benedict College next Saturday in Columbia, SC. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00pm.
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Wingate Downs JCSU Football 14-0 in 2015 Season Opener
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Johnson C. Smith University football team was able to get into scoring position three times but came up empty on each trip and dropped a tough 14-0 decision to visiting Wingate in the first home night game since 2009 at the Irwin Belk Complex on Saturday.In the first quarter, Wingate wasted no time, jumping up 7-0 on their first drive by marching 80 yards in 13 plays. The Bulldogs capped the drive when quarterback Kyle Johnson scampered in from nine yards out at the 8:27 mark to put Wingate up 6-0. Caleb Baird's point-after made it 7-0.
JCSU, led by freshman quarterback Jordan Lane (Charlotte, N.C.) was unable to respond on their initial drive, only managing six yards before junior punter Matias Lambrecht (Venice, Fla.) boomed a 59 yard punt to force the Bulldogs to start on their own 20 yard-line.
The JCSU defense came up big on a fourth down conversion attempt by Wingate when senior linebacker Austin Jacques (Springdale, Md.) tackled Bulldog receiver Jody Fuller after only a five yard gain, giving JCSU the ball with 1:54 left in the first quarter. The JCSU offense again struggled to get anything going, managing 10 yards in their next possession before punting back to Wingate.
After a scoreless second quarter, Wingate took the 7-0 lead into the halftime break, but JCSU responded on the opening drive of the third quarter, driving to the Wingate 23 yard line. On a second down play, JCSU would make a crucial mistake, fumbling a pitch that was recovered by Wingate's Robert Wallace on the Bulldog 21 yard line.
Wingate took advantage of the turnover, marching 79 yards in eight plays, capped by a 38 yard completion to Fuller. Baird knocked the point after attempt through to provide the 14-0 lead.
JCSU then drove to the Wingate one yard line on their first drive of the fourth quarter, but another JCSU mistake would bite the Golden Bulls, as Wingate forced the fumble and recovered it at the Wingate 3 to thwart the drive.
The Golden Bulls were not able to get back inside the Wingate 30 yard line late in the game and following a fourth down sack from Bulldog linebacker Eric Mapoles, Wingate took over and ran out the clock, taking the 14-0 win.
Wingate quarterback Kyle Johnson finished with 141 yards, going 14-for-19 with one touchdown toss on the evening. Receiver Jody Fuller hauled in five passes for 64 yards while teammate Jordan Berry also caught five passes for 39 yards. Lawrence Pittman led the way on the ground, rushing for 94 yards on 19 carries.
JCSU got 44 yards from freshman running back Desean Binyard (Winston-Salem, N.C.) while Lane got 192 yards on a 13-for-24 performance. Junior receiver Fred Scott (Stone Mountain, Ga.) hauled in five passes for 99 yards for JCSU. Defensively, Austin Jacques finished with nine tackles, including five solo hits while Carlo Thomas (East Orange, N.J.) and Jamaal Tutt (Atlanta, Ga.) each had eight tackles on the night. Michael Grant (Bluffton, S.C.) also had a productive night, registering seven tackles and had one interception.
JCSU will return to action next Saturday, traveling to Frankfort, Kentucky to take on Kentucky State. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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Xavier volleyball beats 2 Tennessee teams at Mariner Invitational
BRUNSWICK, Georgia -- Xavier University of Louisiana defeated a pair of Tennessee teams Saturday to finish 2-2 in the Mariner Invitational women's volleyball tournament.
The Gold Nuggets (4-4) defeated Martin Methodist 25-16, 25-21, 8-25, 25-21, then dominated in the fifth set to defeat Bryan 25-21, 26-24, 22-25, 18-25, 15-6.
Taylor Reuther had 25 kills and 23 digs in two matches, including 16 kills -- a season high -- 14 digs and five assists against Bryan. Darian Harris had a season-best 30 digs.
Reuther (Dominican alum) and Harris (McGehee) are seniors.
The Gold Nuggets hit .733 in the deciding set against Bryan, a conference champion a year ago.
Sophomore Jada Broussard matched her career high of 10 kills against Bryan and had a career-best seven digs. Against Martin Methodist, freshman Ruby Hunt-Thompson led the Gold Nuggets with 11 kills, and Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova had career highs of 33 assists and 10 digs.
Xavier, four-time defending champion in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, will play its GCAC opener against Talladega at 7 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center. Admission is free.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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The Lincoln Lions Football Holds on For 29-22 Victory Over Cheyney in Annual Battle of the Firsts
CHEYNEY, Pennsylvania – Running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) eclipsed the Lions' single-game rushing record with 179 total yards and three rushing touchdowns lifting the Lions to a 29-22 season opening win over Cheyney in the annual Battle of the Firsts on Saturday, Sept. 5. Lincoln leads the all-time series 13-2-1 and won the last three meeting against their rival.The Lions attacked the Wolves often and early in the opening stages of the rivalry game. After the stifling defense held Cheyney to a quick punt, their offense took the field and scored the game's first points on a 32-yard made field goal by sophomore Brett Arkelian (Clovis, CA) (7:40). Lincoln found success when they fed running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) the ball against the Cheyney defense. Scott tallied 108 first half rushing yards and had a pair of touchdowns. His first score was his career-long rush of 77-yards with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter. The next touchdown was a one yard score in the second quarter.
The Lions racked up 179 total yards of offense in the first half to Cheyney's 147. With 28 seconds left in the second quarter Cheyney connected on a 28-yard pass and catch for a touchdown, cutting the Lincoln advantage to 17-6 at the half. Senior James Thomas (Los Angeles, CA/Oaks Christian Academy) blocked the extra point attempt for the Lions. Senior Brion Robinson (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook HS) had his first interception of the season picking off the Wolves quarterback midway through the second quarter.
In the next quarter Lincoln extended the lead to 23-6 at the 10:47 mark on a 64-yard touchdown reception by senior Brandon Rowe (Harlem, NY/Hudson Valley CC) from senior Edward McKenzie (Paterson, NJ/Lackwanna College). The Wolves responded with a touchdown of their own on the ensuing possession collecting 80 yards on eight plays in a 23-12 contest. The momentum shifted towards Cheyney, as their defense picked off Lincoln's offense and returned an interception for a 32 yard touchdown. The Wolves converted on a two-point conversion and trailed the Lions 23-20 with 7:12 left in the third quarter.
Lincoln went back to Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) on the next drive as the fourth quarter approached. The Lions used 13 plays and covered 57 yards breaking out to a 29-20 lead at the 13:40 mark in the quarter. Scott had eight touches on that drive and scored his third rushing touchdown of the rivalry game from 8-yards out. Cheyney added on two points of their own by blocking the point-after-attempt and returned it for a score.
Ahead by a touchdown the Lions defense forced two turnovers in the final quarter to seal their third straight victory over Cheyney. Freshman Mikeal Mays forced a fumbled that was recovered by sophomore Dequann Pittman (Washington, DC/Overlea HS) with 12:38 left in the game. The next huge play came from sophomore Mark Price (Philadelphia, PA/Charles Carroll HS) with 1:11 remaining on an interception in the endzone. Price's turnover allowed the LU offense to run the clock out and down Cheyney in the annual Battle of the Firsts, 29-22. The LU defense forced three turnovers while the offense converted on 3-of-4 attempts in the redzone.
Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) shined on television setting several single-game rushing records for the Lions. Scott had the most carries (30), most net yards rushing (179), most rushing touchdowns (3), and the longest rush from scrimmage (77) in a single game. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and one reception for two yards.
Quarterback Edward McKenzie (Paterson, NJ/Lackwanna College) finished 8-of-15 for 120 total passing yards and one touchdown. He hooked up with four different receivers led by junior Larquise Hobbs (Lansing, MI/J.W. Sexton HS). Hobbs had four catches for 30 yards while senior Bradley Martin (Philadelphia, PA/Vermillion CC) had two catches for 24 yards.
Defensively, Mark Price (Philadelphia, PA/Charles Carroll HS) had a team-high seven solo tackles and an interception to lead the Lions. Brion Robinson (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook HS) also finished with seven tackles and an interception that was returned for 39-yards. Junior Rhamir Thomas (Washington, PA/Youngstown State University) had five tackles while James Thomas (Los Angeles, CA/Oaks Christian Academy) and freshman Courtney Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Coral Glades HS) both had four tackles each.
Lincoln moves to 1-0 and travels to Rocky Mountain, NC to battle North Carolina Wesleyan in their next game on Sept. 12th at 1p.m.
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Virginia StateTrojans Take Tough Loss in Season Opener
ETTRICK, Virginia -- The Virginia State University Trojan Football team takes a tough loss in the season opener against California University of Pennsylvania on Sept. 5. The Trojans began their 2015 season at home falling short to the Vulcans 35-16. Today's loss marks the second consecutive season opener loss at home for the Trojans.On their first drive, Cal. PA launched a pass down the field to the Vulcans Kowan Scott for a 50 yard touchdown. Junior quarterback Tarian Ayres (Dillwyn, VA) linked up with senior wide receiver Gene Holloman, Jr. (Virginia Beach, VA) for 2 first downs on the first VSU drive that resulted in 11 plays for 41 yards before the Trojans defense returned to the field after going for it on 4th and 3. Cal. PA stretched their lead 14-0 with a 90 yard pass to Gary Brown on 2nd and 13. The Trojans remained scoreless to end the first quarter.
The Trojans switched the play up in the 2nd quarter as wide receiver Willie Stubblefield (Highland Springs, VA) completed a 20 yard pass to Ayres to put the Trojans on the board. Sophomore kicker Mathew Hillquist (Glen Allen, VA) enters the game for a field goal attempt moments before halftime to chip away at the Trojans deficit. The kick by Hillquist was good for the Trojans to enter halftime down by 19.
Trailing the Vulcans 9-21 the Trojans didn't revisit the end zone again until the last 45 seconds of the ball game, where Ayres completes a 27 yard pass to Stubblefield.
Ayres completed 57.7% of his passes, throwing for 244 yards. Stubblefield led the Trojans in receptions, recording 4 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. All-CIAA preseason pick senior widereciever Jaivon Smallwood (Virginia Beach, VA) contributed 4 receptions for 36 yards. All- CIAA preseason pick junior running back Kavon Bellamy (Hampton,VA) rushed for 40 yards on 14 carries and contributed 34 yards on 2 receptions.
All-CIAA preseason pick junior Brandon Lynch (Norfolk,VA) led the Trojans defensively with 12 tackles and senior Dontrell Jones (Hampton,VA) contributed 6 tackles. All-CIAA preseason pick senior defensive lineman Ray Prosise (Petersburg, VA) recorded 1 tackle before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury. Defensively the Trojans came up with 3 big time sacks from Lynch, junior defensive lineman Devin Claiborne (Hampton, VA), and sophomore defensive lineman Lyndon Thomas (Portsmouth, VA).
Despite their efforts the Trojans could not come out with the win today. "We just gotta come out ready to work and turn up our focus this week. We can't dwell on the lost," said Senior Team Captain Jaivon Smallwood.
The Trojans will keep the ball rolling as they travel down to Greenville, TN to face Tusculum College next week at 1 p.m. VSU's radio station, 91.3 WVST, will have live radio coverage of the game and you can also follow the game via LiveStats.
Tickets to all Virginia State Athletic events that charge admission can be purchased by calling (804) 524-5656 or visit www.govsutrojans.com. The ticket office is located on the 1st floor of the VSU Athletic Office: 20720 4th Ave. Petersburg, VA 23806.
For more information on VSU Trojans Football, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.
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Chowan Hawks Down Fayetteville State in Season Opener
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- The Chowan University football team kicked-off the 2015 season with a 41-31 road victory over the Fayetteville State University Broncos on Saturday evening. With the win, the Hawks tie the series against the Broncos (3-3) with Chowan claiming victories in three of the last four outings against Fayetteville State. The Broncos tallied 414 total offensive yards in the contest in comparison to 331 by the Hawks. Chowan totaled 82 yards on the ground while Randall Dixon completed 27-33 pass attempts in his debut for the Hawks resulting in 249 passing yards for the Blue and White. He threw four touchdown passes in the win. Fayetteville State's Derek Bryant threw for 361 yards, completing 31-47 passes. The Broncos were held to 53 yards rushing in the setback.
Tyree Lee led the effort on the ground for the Hawks. He tallied 27 carries in the victory for a total of 91 yards with one touchdown. Dixon connected with seven different receivers in the contest, including Kaine Lombard seven times for 71 yards for two touchdowns and Lee five times for 50 yards and two touchdowns.
For Fayetteville State, Andre Montgomery paced the Broncos with 13 carries for 27 yards and two touchdowns. Tavon Gatlin caught 10 of Bryant's passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns while Chris Hubert notched nine receptions for 96 yards.
Defensively, the Hawks were led by Cornell Duncan and Vincente` Stafford. Duncan tallied eight tackles (six solo, two assisted) with two tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Stafford added seven tackles (six solo, one assisted) with one tackle for loss and one interception (25 yards).
Eric Henderson paced the Broncos on defense with eight tackles (seven solo, one assisted) while Perry Thomas had eight tackles (five solo, three assisted) with two tackles for loss (15 yards) and one sack (11 yards).
After a scoreless first quarter, Stafford provided the Hawks' with an offensive spark when he intercepted Bryant's pass returned it 25 yards for Chowan's first touchdown of the game. Nick Hahula's point after attempt was good, giving the Hawks a 7-0 lead with 14:49 on the clock. The Broncos answered on the next drive when Bryant connected with Gatlin on a 64 yard pass, capping a three play, 70 yard drive. David Lamb made good on the point after attempt to knot the score 7-7.
Lee scored the next two touchdowns for the Chowan Blue and White while Hahula made good on both point after attempts to push the Hawks ahead 21-7. Dixon connected with Lee on a 17 yard pass to complete a 10 play, 75 yard drive for Lee's first score of the game. On the next drive, Roderick Lyndey's fumble recovery restored possession to the Hawks and later resulted in Lee's three yard touchdown run. The Broncos would use a field goal by Lamb to make the score 21-10 heading into halftime.
Chowan opened the third quarter with a 14 play, 64 yard drive resulting in an eight yard touchdown run by Lombard and successful point after attempt. The Hawks' defense held the Broncos scoreless through the remainder of the third quarter, carrying a 28-10 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Dixon found Lee at the start of the fourth quarter, this time on a seven yard pass to push the Hawks ahead 34-10. Fayetteville State and Chowan exchanged scores on the next two drives, making the score 41-17. The Broncos refused to go away quietly, scoring 14 unanswered points before suffering the 41-31 setback. The offensive surge proved to be too little too late as Chowan secured the 41-31 victory.
The Hawks will hit the road for the second time in as many weeks on September 12th when Chowan takes on Campbell University. The contest will mark the second of three straight road games for the Blue and White, and the first of two games against NCAA Division I opponents this season. Kick-off is slated for 6:00pm.
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VUU Opens Season with 35-21 Win Over Brevard
RICHMOND, Virginia -- Virginia Union University's Hakeem Holland rushed for 101 yards while Lamar Webster scored three touchdowns as the Panthers defeated Brevard College 35-21 in the football season opener on Saturday, September 5, in Hovey Field in Richmond, Va.VUU took a 14-0 lead in the game when Webster scored from two yards out with 5:54 left in the first quarter, and then rushed in from eight yards out with 10:41 left in the second quarter.
After Brevard took a 21-14 lead, the Panthers struck back when Webster took the ball in from one yard out with 14:33 left in the fourth quarter to tie the score 21-21.
VUU took the lead for good when quarterback Shawheem Dowdy connected with Andre Coble for a 27-yard touchdown at the 11:26 mark in the fourth quarter.
Virginia Union added an insurance score when Holland broke free for a 37-yard touchdown with 3:40 left in the game.
The win raised VUU's record to 1-0 on the season while Brevard fell to 0-1.
Virginia Union travels to Raleigh, N.C., to face Saint Augustine's University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 12.
CLAW MARKS
BACK-TO-BACK: The 35-21 win marked the first time since 2011 and 2012 that Virginia Union has won back-to-back season openers. VUU defeated Siena Heights University 12-0 in last season's first game. VUU defeated Saint Augustine's University 12-0 in 2011 and then defeated Benedict College 28-7 in 2012.
TWO FOR JAMES: Mark James became the first Virginia Union head coach to win his first two season-opening games in 30 years. Joe Taylor, now Athletic Director at VUU, defeated Johnson C. Smith University 52-0 in his first game in 1984 and then beat Bowie State University 42-6 in 1985.
THREE TDS: Lamar Webster rushed for three touchdowns. This marks the first time a VUU player has rushed four three or more TDs since Cassious McDowell rushed for four touchdowns against Lincoln University on October 11, 2014.
FIRST GAME CENTURY: Freshman Hakeem Holland became the first Panther to rush for over 100 yards in the season opener since Tarian Donaldson performed the deed in 2009. Holland a freshman from Baltimore, Md., rushed for 101 yards. Donaldson rushed for 104 yards against East Stroudsburg University on August 27, 2009.
NEXT GAME: VUU faces Saint Augustine's University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, in Raleigh, N.C. This will mark the first meeting between the two teams since VUU beat Saint Augustine's 12-0 during in Hovey Field on August 27, 2011. The game was played as Hurricane Irene hit the city of Richmond. Although the rivalry dates back to 1929, the Panthers and the Falcons have only met nine times in the 86 years, with VUU holding an 8-0-1 edge.
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Lincoln Blue Tigers Beat Langston For 250th All-Time Victory
LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Robert Daniels intercepted a Langston pass at the Lincoln 28, and the Blue Tiger football team pulled out a 35-32 victory on the road in its 2015 season opener.
Owen Jordan threw three first half touchdown passes, including two to Delvon Rouser. Darius Hicks hauled in a 27-yard touchdown pass while Keith Lakey opened the scoring on a two-yard run. Lakey's touchdown came after the Blue Tiger defense stopped Langston with a seven-yard sack by Julius Jackson as the Lions were trying to convert a 4th-and-16.
The Lions immediately answered Lakey's touchdown with a 100-yard kickoff return score, but it didn't take the Blue Tigers long to retake the lead. Jordan completed passes of 14 yards to Miles Drummond and 25 yards to Rouser before finding Rouser again for a three-yard score.
Langston got back on the board early in the second quarter, mounting a 60-yard drive after recovering a Lincoln fumble and scoring on a nine-yard pass. The extra point was no good, however, and Lincoln once again came up with a response. On the ensuing drive, the Blue Tigers marched 75 yards down the field, highlighted by receptions of 24 yards by Hicks and 27 yards by Rouser. Jordan once again ended the drive with a three-yard scoring pass to Rouser, and Lincoln took a 21-13 lead.
A 41-yard kick return set up another quick score by Langston, as a 37-yard quarterback keeper pulled the Lions to within two. A delay of game penalty moved the ball back to the Langston eight, but the Lions decided to still go for the tie. Lincoln stood up Langston's rush attempt outside of the end zone, however, and the Blue Tigers kept their lead at 21-19.
The Blue Tigers got on the board one more time near the end of the first half, as Jordan found Bryson Winfrey for 23 yards before throwing the 27-yard touchdown to Hicks. Langston drove into Lincoln territory on the ensuing drive, but Treston Pulley's interception with 28 seconds remaining sent the Blue Tigers into halftime with a 28-19 lead.
Lincoln began the second half by forcing Langston into a three-and-out, then Jordan threw his fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon, this one for 23 yards to Winfrey. After forcing another stop, the Blue Tigers nearly got in position to score again, but a fourth-down run by Jordan to the Langston eight came up just inches shy of the first down marker.
Langston's defense stiffened after that, and the Lions got back on the scoreboard with a quarterback sneak near the end of the third quarter. Langston tried to make it a one-score game by going for two, but once again the Blue Tiger defense came up with a big stop to keep it a 10-point game.
In the fourth quarter, the Lions drove down to field goal range, but Kareem Joyner blocked the kick and Tyrone Moore returned it deep into Langston territory. On the next play, however, Jordan threw his first interception of the game, giving Langston the ball back at their one 22. The Blue Tigers only gave up four total yards on that ensuing possession, and got the ball back with just under 10 minutes to play.
Langston made a late run at a comeback, scoring on a six-yard pass with 3:40 remaining. That pulled the Lions to within three, and the Blue Tigers were only able to run the clock down to 1:09 before having to punt it back to Langston. The Lions managed to drive down to the Lincoln 36, but Daniels' interception preserved the win for the Blue Tigers.
Jordan finished the game 23-for-33 for 284 yards and the four touchdowns. Winfrey led the Lincoln receivers with seven catches for 105 yards while Rouser had six grabs for 73 yards. Hicks added five receptions for 66 yards. Miles Drummond led the running backs with 22 carries for 72 yards.
Darren Williams finished with eight tackles while James Harmon tallied seven and Joyner added six. Anthony McMillian and Jackson each had sacks with McMillian also posting 2.5 tackles for loss. Harmon and Paul Dodson each broke up two passes while Jeremy Rives finished with five tackles.
Jean Claude Brooks averaged 59.7 yards on kickoffs with one touchback and was a perfect five-for-five on extra points. Eddie Rodriguez averaged 37.5 yards per punt with a long of 57.
Saturday's win was the first on the road for Lincoln since beating Haskell in 2008. It was also the first win over Langston, a team the Blue Tigers have played 62 times since 1924, since 2002, and the first season-opening win for Lincoln since beating Avila in the first game of head coach Mike Jones' tenure in 2011. The win was also a milestone for the Blue Tigers, as it was the 250th in program history.
Lincoln will go for win #251 all-time and number two on the season next week when the Blue Tigers open their 2015 home slate against St. Francis (Ill.) on Saturday (Sept. 12) at noon. That contest will be a Take a Kid to the Game Day, with all kids receiving free admission. Fans are also invited to arrive early for a free tailgate, hosted by the Blue Tiger Athletic Club, at 10:00 a.m. at the Little Theater on 1005 Chestnut St.
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HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard
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Sunday, September 6, 2015
OVC
Tennessee State 24, Alabama State 14, John Merritt Classic
SWAC
California 73, Grambling State 14
Cincinnati 52, Alabama A&M 10
Middle Tennessee 70, Jackson State 14
Louisiana Tech 62, Southern 15
New Mexico 66, Mississippi Valley 0
Prairie View A&M 38, Texas Southern 11
#16 Georgia Tech 69, Alcorn State 6
MEAC
South Carolina State 35, Arkansas Pine Bluff 7 MEAC/SWAC CHALLENGE
Rutgers 63, Norfolk State 13
Appalachian State 49, Howard 0
Air Force 63, Morgan State 7
Colorado State 65, Savannah State 13
Miami (Fla.) 45, Bethune-Cookman 0
North Carolina A&T 61, Shaw 7
North Carolina Central 72, Saint Augustine's 0
Hampton 35, Kentucky State 20
Liberty 32, Delaware State 13
South Florida 51, Florida A&M 3
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SIAC
North Alabama 34, Miles 17 Labor Day Golden Classic
Alderson Broaddus 22, Central State 14
Tuskegee 26, Clark Atlanta 0
Lane 17, Concordia-Selma 14
Livingstone 49, Benedict 6
West Alabama 52, Stillman 9
Hampton 35, Kentucky State 20
Morehouse 38, Edward Waters 8
Valdosta State 21, Albany State 13
Delta State 48, Fort Valley State 7
MWC
West Virginia State 59, Fairmont State 34
CSFL
Lincoln (Missouri) 35, Langston 32
Mississippi College 61, Texas College 6
CIAA
Bowie State 35, Merrimack 32
Virginia Union 35, Brevard 21
Lincoln (Pa.) 29, Cheyney 22
California (Pa.) 35, Virginia State 16
Livingstone 49, Benedict 6
Wingate 14, Johnson C. Smith 0
North Carolina A&T 61, Shaw 7
Chowan 41, Fayetteville State 31
Elizabeth City State 71, Virginia-Lynchburg 0
North Carolina Central 72, Saint Augustine's 0
UNC Pembroke 17, #20 Winston-Salem State 7
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Bowie State Football Opens Season with 35-32 Road Win at Merrimack
NORTH ANDOVER, Massachusetts – The Bulldogs of Bowie State University held off a tough Merrimack College team on Saturday afternoon to edge the Warriors 35-32.
Merrimack capitalized on an early first quarter Bowie State fumble and Stephen Camarro booted a 21-yard field goal at the 9:30 mark to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
Bowie State (1-0) responded on their next possession, driving 75 yards in 10 plays as graduate student Matthew Goggans (Pine Grove, Calif.) connected with a redshirt junior Nyme Manns (Baltimore, Md.) for a 7-yard touchdown. Redshirt junior Christopher Palmer (St. Mary's, Md.) added the extra point to give the Bulldogs a 7-3 advantage.
Merrimack (0-1) took advantage of a Bowie State punting miscue with 12:04 left in the third quarter. The Warriors found the Bulldogs end zone via a Stephen Capobianco to Jere Brown 6-yard pass and catch. Camarro added the extra point, shifting the advantage back over to the home team at 10-7.
Goggans burned the Merrimack defense at the 9:46 mark of the third quarter following a 58-yard bomb to senior Garry Cropper (Odenton, Md.) that resulted in a touchdown. Palmer's extra point put Bowie State back in front 14-10.
The Warriors regained the lead at the 1:34 mark of the third quarter via another Capobianco to Brown pass and catch, making the score 17-14.
Manns scored his second touchdown of the afternoon, this time from a 36-yard score, shifting the advantage back over to Bowie State at 21-17 with 43 seconds remaining in the third.
Bowie State senior Brian Hall (Capitol Heights, Md.) intercepted his first pass of the season early in the final period, setting up the Bulldogs at the Merrimack 26 yard line. Back-to-back runs by Goggans for a combined 14 yards, extended the visitors lead to 28-17.
Merrimack was not fazed, when Capobianco connected with Cody Demers for a 6-yard score. The Warriors' two-point conversion was good, trimming the Bowie State lead to 28-25. With just under 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs defense extended the Bowie State lead to 35-25 following a 60-yard interception return by redshirt sophomore Rahman Kamara (Bowie, Md.) with 9:47 left to play.
On Merrimack's next possession, Adriell Mayes bolted up the middle for a 36-yard score and the extra point cut the Bowie State lead down to 35-32 with eight minutes remaining in the game.
Bowie State's defense stepped up big again, this time Hall picked off his second pass of the game and returned it to the Merrimack 31 yard line, dashing the hopes of the Warriors.
The Bulldogs outgained the Warriors 427 yards to 331 yards on the afternoon,
Offensively, Bowie State was led in rushing by graduate student Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.) who finished with 17 carries for 42 yards, while Goggans had six carries for 31 yards.
Goggans finished 23-of-42 with no interception for 313 yards and three touchdowns.
Cropper had six catches to lead the Bulldogs in receiving, racking up a career-best 123 yards on those receptions. Manns added a team-high eight catches for 91 yards, and sophomore Kerrick Pollock (Miami, Fla.) along with redshirt junior Jordan Garrison had four and two catches respectively. Pollock finished with 67 receiving yards while Garrison added 22 yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs were led by senior Curtis Pumphrey (Laurel, Md.), who finished with a game-high nine tackles, including one tackle for a loss and three pass breakups. Junior Kevaugn Townsend (Fort Washington, Md.) and redshirt senior Marquise Anderson (Washington, D.C.) ended the non-conference contest with eight and six tackles respectively. Hall and redshirt freshman Kyle Jackson (Upper Marlboro, Md.) tallied a half dozen tackles each for Bowie State.
Palmer finished the afternoon with a 40.0 yards per punt average on six punts, with a long of 55 yards.
"We did some good things offensively in terms of total yards, especially our passing game and our defense made some huge plays at crucial times", said Bowie State head coach, Damon Wilson.
"We're thankful for the win, but we still have to improve our running game and work on not giving up almost 30 points in the second half or any half for that matter," Wilson said.
Capobianco completed 22-of-44 passes for 197 yards to pace Marrimack's offense, but was intercepted three times and sacked three times. Brown recorded a game-high 11 receptions (96 yards) and Cody Demers tallied three reBOceptions for 55 yards for the Warriors.
BOX SCORE
Bowie State University will continue its early season road campaign, with their next stop at Brevard (N.C.) College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Merrimack capitalized on an early first quarter Bowie State fumble and Stephen Camarro booted a 21-yard field goal at the 9:30 mark to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
Bowie State (1-0) responded on their next possession, driving 75 yards in 10 plays as graduate student Matthew Goggans (Pine Grove, Calif.) connected with a redshirt junior Nyme Manns (Baltimore, Md.) for a 7-yard touchdown. Redshirt junior Christopher Palmer (St. Mary's, Md.) added the extra point to give the Bulldogs a 7-3 advantage.
Merrimack (0-1) took advantage of a Bowie State punting miscue with 12:04 left in the third quarter. The Warriors found the Bulldogs end zone via a Stephen Capobianco to Jere Brown 6-yard pass and catch. Camarro added the extra point, shifting the advantage back over to the home team at 10-7.
Goggans burned the Merrimack defense at the 9:46 mark of the third quarter following a 58-yard bomb to senior Garry Cropper (Odenton, Md.) that resulted in a touchdown. Palmer's extra point put Bowie State back in front 14-10.
The Warriors regained the lead at the 1:34 mark of the third quarter via another Capobianco to Brown pass and catch, making the score 17-14.
Manns scored his second touchdown of the afternoon, this time from a 36-yard score, shifting the advantage back over to Bowie State at 21-17 with 43 seconds remaining in the third.
Bowie State senior Brian Hall (Capitol Heights, Md.) intercepted his first pass of the season early in the final period, setting up the Bulldogs at the Merrimack 26 yard line. Back-to-back runs by Goggans for a combined 14 yards, extended the visitors lead to 28-17.
Merrimack was not fazed, when Capobianco connected with Cody Demers for a 6-yard score. The Warriors' two-point conversion was good, trimming the Bowie State lead to 28-25. With just under 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs defense extended the Bowie State lead to 35-25 following a 60-yard interception return by redshirt sophomore Rahman Kamara (Bowie, Md.) with 9:47 left to play.
On Merrimack's next possession, Adriell Mayes bolted up the middle for a 36-yard score and the extra point cut the Bowie State lead down to 35-32 with eight minutes remaining in the game.
Bowie State's defense stepped up big again, this time Hall picked off his second pass of the game and returned it to the Merrimack 31 yard line, dashing the hopes of the Warriors.
The Bulldogs outgained the Warriors 427 yards to 331 yards on the afternoon,
Offensively, Bowie State was led in rushing by graduate student Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.) who finished with 17 carries for 42 yards, while Goggans had six carries for 31 yards.
Goggans finished 23-of-42 with no interception for 313 yards and three touchdowns.
Cropper had six catches to lead the Bulldogs in receiving, racking up a career-best 123 yards on those receptions. Manns added a team-high eight catches for 91 yards, and sophomore Kerrick Pollock (Miami, Fla.) along with redshirt junior Jordan Garrison had four and two catches respectively. Pollock finished with 67 receiving yards while Garrison added 22 yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs were led by senior Curtis Pumphrey (Laurel, Md.), who finished with a game-high nine tackles, including one tackle for a loss and three pass breakups. Junior Kevaugn Townsend (Fort Washington, Md.) and redshirt senior Marquise Anderson (Washington, D.C.) ended the non-conference contest with eight and six tackles respectively. Hall and redshirt freshman Kyle Jackson (Upper Marlboro, Md.) tallied a half dozen tackles each for Bowie State.
Palmer finished the afternoon with a 40.0 yards per punt average on six punts, with a long of 55 yards.
"We did some good things offensively in terms of total yards, especially our passing game and our defense made some huge plays at crucial times", said Bowie State head coach, Damon Wilson.
"We're thankful for the win, but we still have to improve our running game and work on not giving up almost 30 points in the second half or any half for that matter," Wilson said.
Capobianco completed 22-of-44 passes for 197 yards to pace Marrimack's offense, but was intercepted three times and sacked three times. Brown recorded a game-high 11 receptions (96 yards) and Cody Demers tallied three reBOceptions for 55 yards for the Warriors.
BOX SCORE
Bowie State University will continue its early season road campaign, with their next stop at Brevard (N.C.) College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Morehouse Maroon Tigers Win Big in Season Opener
ATLANTA, Georgia -- Running back Isaiah Hicks rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns, as Morehouse cruised to a 51-7 win over Edward Waters College.
Morehouse scored all of its points in the first three quarters, before pulling most starters in the fourth quarter. The only Edward Waters score was a 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown, late in the third quarter.
Hicks, a sophomore who had a total of 33 rushing yards last season, scored on runs of 12, 14 and 47 yards and averaged 10.8 yards per carry. Malik Johnson rushed for 67 yards on 10 carries and Nikolys Baker gained 32 yard on eight carries.
The Maroon Tigers offense dominated the NAIA opponent from Jacksonville, FL, compiling 367 yards and scoring on 3-of-3 chances in the Red Zone.
The defense held the visiting Tigers to 121 yards and scored three of the team's seven touchdowns.
Late in the first quarter, defensive back Jamil Irvin-Muhammad picked off a pass and romped 25 yards untouched into the end zone. Midway into the third quarter, Emmanuel Parks snagged an errant EWC pass weaved his way to a 76-yard touchdown return.
The Maroon Tiger defense also scored via a blocked punt. Christopher Hambie blocked a third-quarter punt into the end zone that was recovered for a touchdown by Joshua Austin. Hambie led all Morehouse defenders with eight tackles and a sack. Voris Bryant recorded six tackles and a sack. Austin Benton, Kimlyn Teague and James Woods had five tackles each.
With a 30-0 halftime lead, head coach Rich Freeman was able to rest some starters and give playing time to some reserves, in the season opener.
Quarterback Monqavious Johnson, who completed 5-of-12 passes for 94 yards a touchdown, sat the entire second half, in favor of newcomer Kivon Taylor, a transfer from the University of Connecticut. Taylor completed 3-of-5 passes for 30 yards.
Johnson's touchdown strike came just before halftime. As receiver Don Cox streaked down the middle of the field, Johnson hit him with a 50-yard spiral at the goal line.
Temitayo Agoro, Morehouse's All-SIAC punter, had a big day, punting six times for a 43.2-yard average. Three of his punts pinned the EWC offense inside the 20-yard line.
Morehouse will travel to Arkansas, to face the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Saturday, at 7 p.m.
COURTESY MOREHOUSE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
Albany State falls to Valdosta State in season opener
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GAME PHOTO GALLERY |
Both teams had strong all-conference running backs, new quarterbacks and solid defenses.
Still, with history on their side, the Blazers won the 17th matchup 21-13 Saturday night at the Albany State University Coliseum. ASU head coach Dan Land, making his coaching debut, said he was proud of what his team was able to do Saturday night.
“I feel pretty good. We did some good things and some bad things,” he said, “We played well in spots, but overall, I’m proud of my guys. They played hard, they played the whole game, and we made some good plays. We’ll look at what we did do well, we’ll correct those mistakes this week and see if we can get better.”
It would come down to missed opportunities on offense and mistakes on special teams for the Rams. Down 14-0 in the third quarter, the Rams marched almost 70 yards to the goal line before turning it over on downs.
Livingstone Downs Benedict, 49-6, In PCCC
COLUMBIA, South Carolina — New Benedict head coach Mike White has always stressed having a stout defense while winning multiple conference championships at Albany State. So the most alarming statistic from Livingstone's 49-6 victory over the Tigers in the Palmetto Capital City Classic in the season opener at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium was the fact that Benedict gave up 604 yards of offense to the Blue Bears.
"I thought our perimeter was terrible. We got cut down all night. I just thought we gave up too many big plays, on the ground and in the air. That's something we'll have to work on," White said.
Livingstone (1-0) rushed for 373 yards on 51 carries, for an average of 7.3 yards per carry. Quarterback Drew Powell, who was named the Livingstone MVP, rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. Powell completed 16-of-25 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown through the air, for an average of 14.4 yards per pass.
"They were a lot more physical team than us tonight. I thought that was the huge difference. We're still having some alignment and assignment problems, but we'll get better. I'm not discouraged at all. I thought we'd be a little better offensively. But we'll get better next week," White said.
The Tigers had 217 yards of total offense, getting just 43 yards on the ground on 29 carries. Freshman quarterback Kalu Onumah completed 10-of-22 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown.
"I thought we'd be able to run the ball a little bit better. We were a little bit bigger than they were up front. That's one thing we have to work on," White said.
The Bears struck first, going 72 yards on seven plays on the opening drive of the game. Marcus Baisey rushed 24 yards for the score and Leonardo Manzo added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers answered quickly, as Onumah found an open Okechi Ntiasagwe on a deep route for a 73-yard touchdown. Tory Mimbs' PAT attempt was blocked, leaving the score 7-6 with 10:30 left in the first quarter. Ntiasagwe finished the game with three catches for 92 yards and a touchdown and was named the Benedict College MVP.
That would be Benedict's only score of the game, as Mimbs had a field goal attempt blocked, and Onumah was intercepted in the end zone to stop another scoring opportunity. The Tigers were held to five three-and-outs and lost one fumble.
"We made a lot of mistakes, mentally and physically. They just out-hit us tonight," White said. "They beat us in all phases of the game."
The Blue Bears added two more touchdowns in the first quarter for a 21-6 lead, then added an 11-yard touchdown run by Jarius Richardson for a 28-6 halftime lead. Richardson added a 2-yard score in the third quarter and Marcus Baisey peeled off a 23-yard scoring run for a 42-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Preseason All-American wide receiver Jalen Hendricks caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Hendricks finished with 10 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown.
"We'll learn from this and get ready for Elizabeth City," White said.
Benedict is home next Saturday against Elizabeth City State, another team from the CIAA. Elizabeth City State took a 71-0 victory over the University of Virginia-Lynchburg on Saturday night. Kickoff next week is 6 p.m.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
"I thought our perimeter was terrible. We got cut down all night. I just thought we gave up too many big plays, on the ground and in the air. That's something we'll have to work on," White said.
Livingstone (1-0) rushed for 373 yards on 51 carries, for an average of 7.3 yards per carry. Quarterback Drew Powell, who was named the Livingstone MVP, rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. Powell completed 16-of-25 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown through the air, for an average of 14.4 yards per pass.
"They were a lot more physical team than us tonight. I thought that was the huge difference. We're still having some alignment and assignment problems, but we'll get better. I'm not discouraged at all. I thought we'd be a little better offensively. But we'll get better next week," White said.
The Tigers had 217 yards of total offense, getting just 43 yards on the ground on 29 carries. Freshman quarterback Kalu Onumah completed 10-of-22 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown.
"I thought we'd be able to run the ball a little bit better. We were a little bit bigger than they were up front. That's one thing we have to work on," White said.
The Bears struck first, going 72 yards on seven plays on the opening drive of the game. Marcus Baisey rushed 24 yards for the score and Leonardo Manzo added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers answered quickly, as Onumah found an open Okechi Ntiasagwe on a deep route for a 73-yard touchdown. Tory Mimbs' PAT attempt was blocked, leaving the score 7-6 with 10:30 left in the first quarter. Ntiasagwe finished the game with three catches for 92 yards and a touchdown and was named the Benedict College MVP.
That would be Benedict's only score of the game, as Mimbs had a field goal attempt blocked, and Onumah was intercepted in the end zone to stop another scoring opportunity. The Tigers were held to five three-and-outs and lost one fumble.
"We made a lot of mistakes, mentally and physically. They just out-hit us tonight," White said. "They beat us in all phases of the game."
The Blue Bears added two more touchdowns in the first quarter for a 21-6 lead, then added an 11-yard touchdown run by Jarius Richardson for a 28-6 halftime lead. Richardson added a 2-yard score in the third quarter and Marcus Baisey peeled off a 23-yard scoring run for a 42-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Preseason All-American wide receiver Jalen Hendricks caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Hendricks finished with 10 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown.
"We'll learn from this and get ready for Elizabeth City," White said.
Benedict is home next Saturday against Elizabeth City State, another team from the CIAA. Elizabeth City State took a 71-0 victory over the University of Virginia-Lynchburg on Saturday night. Kickoff next week is 6 p.m.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
Tuskegee Shuts Out Clark Atlanta in Season Opener
TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The 2015 season opener was one of many questions for the Tuskegee Golden Tigers as they entered the stadium, but many of those questions were answered on a blistering Saturday afternoon at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium.Tuskegee used a stifling defense, and a balanced offense, to shutout Clark Atlanta 26-0 in the season-opener for both teams.
"We'll take a shutout every game," Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater said as he began his 10th season at the helm. "On offense, we're very young up front. We looked good 80 percent of the time and the other 20 we didn't. We just need to make sure to correct those things as we move forward."
Defensively, the Golden Tigers held Clark Atlanta to just 203 total yards on offense (on 70 plays) and were all over the field when the ball was in the air, as they picked off three Clark Atlanta passes. The interceptions were timely and two almost resulted in touchdowns for the Golden Tigers. Seniors Jewell Ratliff and Michael Robinson were mere inches away from putting points on the board for Tuskegee with their interceptions, with Ratliff returning his 47 yards for a touchdown only to have it called back on a block in the back penalty. Meanwhile, Robinson intercepted Clark Atlanta quarterback at the Panthers' 47-yard line and was pushed out of bounds just four yards short. The final interception came later in the game when redshirt freshman Darius Holmes picked off the third and final pass for the Golden Tigers.
Tuskegee (1-0) used multiple ways of getting on the board in the season-opener and it started in the first quarter.
After their opening drive stalled with a missed field goal opportunity, the Golden Tigers used the legs of junior quarterback Kevin Lacey to get on the board in the opening stanza. After a 35-yard punt set Tuskegee up at their own 48-yard line, Kenno Loyal rushed for six yards to set the ball on the Clark Atlanta 46-yard line. From there, Lacey used his legs as he scrambled around the left side and found some running room as he went untouched for the opening score of the contest, putting Tuskegee up 6-0 with 5:43 remaining in the opening quarter.
Following the Robinson interception just two possessions later, the Golden Tigers again used two plays to get into the end zone. Loyal ran three yards to set the Golden Tigers up at the one, which was followed by a one-yard run by fullback Josh Matthews for the score and put Tuskegee up 12-0 with 3:40 left to go in the first quarter.
The score would stay that way until Tuskegee used their special teams to get on the board. After a three-and-out by Clark Atlanta pinned the Panthers back on their own 11 they were forced to punt. On the punt, the ball sailed over the head of punter Patrice Louissant. As he was trying to pick the ball up to get it out of the end zone, he was swarmed by a pair of Golden Tigers and eventually Brandon Griffin was able to fall on the football for the touchdown. Senior Travis Hawkins went around the left end on the point after attempt with the two-point conversion, giving Tuskegee a 20-0 lead in the first half.
The final margin came in the fourth quarter when the Golden Tigers used a four play drive, covering 27 yards to get on the board. After leaving the game for a play, Lacey came back on and hit Leo Gilbert for a 10-yard touchdown and the 26-0 lead.
Individually, the Golden Tigers were led on the ground by Lacey with 41 yards on five carries, while Branden Wilson had 35 yards on just one carry and Dennis Norfleet finished 27 yards on seven carries. Through the air, Lacey finished 11-of-24 for 174 yards and one interception. The receiving corps had several guys with multiple receptions, led by Marquel Gardner with three receptions for 39 yards.
Tuskegee hits the road next week as they will be the visiting team at the Whitewater Classic against Albany State in Phenix City.
"I don't know what we are going to have to do to beat them," Slater said. "They have a phenomenal team. We beat them twice last year, so they definately feel like they owe us one."
Kickoff is set for 5 pm (est) next Saturday.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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 4th-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 1st-and-goal from the Shaw 7-yard line.
Cohen had 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries. It was his 13th career 100-yard game. He scored again, this time on a 4th-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 20th 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
“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 4th-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 1st-and-goal from the Shaw 7-yard line.
Cohen had 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries. It was his 13th career 100-yard game. He scored again, this time on a 4th-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 20th 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 7COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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