Alcorn State, Tuskegee Golden Tigers Take Top Spots in Week 2 of HSRN Polls

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HARTLEY, Delaware – The second full week of HBCU football action finds the Braves of Alcorn State taking over the top FCS position while Tuskegee’s Golden Tigers solidify their ranking on top of the DivisionII/NAIA HSRN Football Polls.

In the Division I FCS poll, Alcorn State bounced back from a season opening loss to Georgia Tech to knock off SWAC East rival Alabama State, 31-14, in Montgomery to jump over North Carolina A&T and South Carolina State into the top position. Tennessee State climbed into second place following its Southern Heritage Classic win over Jackson State. N.C. A&T, Bethune-Cookman and S.C. State round out the FCS top five.

In Division II, Tuskegee remained on top of a group whose rankings remained relatively steady from week 1. The Golden Tigers knocked off Albany State, 27-14 in the White Water Classic to improve to 2-0 on the season. Four CIAA teams, Virginia Union, Virginia State, Elizabeth City State and Livingstone ) complete the top five among Division II and NAIA competitors.

Division I FCS
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts	Last Week
1	Alcorn State (6)	1-1	144	3
2	Tennessee State (5)	2-0	131	4
3	North Carolina A&T (1)	1-1	107	1
4	Bethune-Cookman (1)	1-1	92	9
5	South Carolina State (1)	1-1	76	2
6T	Hampton	1-1	74	6
6T	Southern (1)	1-1	74	8
8	North Carolina Central (1)	1-1	71	5
9	Prairie View A&M	1-1	39	6
10	Texas Southern	1-1	15	NR
	Others receiving votes
	Grambling St. Alabama St. Jackson St. Norfolk St.
	Alabama A&M, Ark-Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Howard

 

 

Division II/NAIA
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts	Last Week
1	Tuskegee (12)	2-0	136	1
2	Virginia Union (1)	2-0	112	2
3	Virginia State (1)	1-1	90	3
4	Bowie State	2-0	78	5
5	Elizabeth City State	1-0	61	5
6	Livingstone	1-0	56	5
7	Winston-Salem State	0-2	40	5
8	Morehouse	1-1	36	9
9	Fort Valley State	1-1	35	NR
10	Lincoln (PA)	2-0	24	NR
	Others receiving votes
	Johnson C. Smith, Albany St.,Central St., Langston, Miles
	Stillman, Benedict, Lane, Chowan, Texas College

 

About HSRN:

HSRN (Heritage Sports Radio Network) is the national leader in live radio broadcasts of mid-major athletics. HSRN combines innovative programming and production with a vast broadcast network. The SiriusXM platform avails partners of HSRN exposure on the world's largest radio broadcaster as measured by revenue and exposure to 28.3 million subscribers. In addition to SiriusXM, HSRN is available on terrestrial radio affiliates, smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at HSRN.com. 

 

BY ERIC MOORE

HERITAGE SPORTS RADIO NETWORK, LLC

2015 SWAC Football Teleconference - Week 3

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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  Get prepared for Week 3 schedule of games by listening to the coaches viewpoints on this week's challenges on the gridiron.  Also, help the program by taking a kid to an HBCU game this weekend.  The weather will be great!

2015 Football Teleconference - Week 3 (CLICK ON EACH LINK FOR AUDIO)

Alabama A&M - James Spady 

Alabama State - Brian Jenkins

Alcorn State - Jay Hopson

Jackson State  - Harold Jackson

Mississippi Valley State - Rick Comegy

Prairie View A&M - Willie Simmons

Grambling State - Broderick Fobbs

Southern - Dawson Odums

Texas Southern - Darrell Asberry

Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Monte Coleman

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Recap: Southern Heritage Classic 2015 Bands Showcase

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Hall of Famer Gervin to Keynote Speak at NSU Basketball Tip-Off Dinner

NORFOLK, Virginia -- NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin will serve as the keynote speaker when the Norfolk State men's basketball program holds its third annual tip-off dinner on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Chesapeake Conference Center. NSU great Rudy Peele will also be in attendance as a special invited guest.

Tickets for the dinner go for $75 per person or $520 for a table of eight, a savings of $80 off the collective single-person price. The ticket price includes dinner and access to raffle prizes. Deadline to sign up for the tip-off dinner is Oct. 9.

Tip-Off Dinner Flyer | Purchase Tickets



VIP tickets are also available, which include an early entry for photos and autographs with Gervin. The VIP ticket also includes special seating.

Tickets can be purchased online at NSUSpartanBasketballCamps.com. For more information about the dinner, call 757-823-2840 or email SpartanBasketball@nsu.edu.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for the event for VIP ticket holders and 7 p.m. for general admission ticket holders. The Chesapeake Conference Center is located at 700 Conference Center Drive, just north of Interstate 64 off Greenbrier Parkway.

Dinner choices are Tilapia and Chicken Piccata or Beef and Salmon Au Poivre.



Gervin was a four-time NBA scoring champion and a nine-time all-star who ranks 14th all-time in total points scored between the NBA and ABA. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Peele was the 1972 CIAA Player of the Year and a two-time All-CIAA player for the Spartans. He ranks 10th all-time in scoring at NSU with 1,790 points and is also the school's career rebounding leader at 1,335.

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU future schedules are complete

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It will be a lot easier to see the Winston-Salem State Rams football team play next season.

The Rams, who are on the road for their first four games this season, will have two new opponents for their nonconference schedule in 2016.

Tonia Walker, WSSU’s athletic director, said the Rams will open at home against UNC Pembroke in 2016, then play at Catawba, before playing another home game against Virginia Union in a designated nonconference game.

“We have renewed our agreement with Catawba so we’re excited about that,” Walker said.

Catawba and WSSU have played four times before in 1998, ’99 and again in 2005 and ’06. Catawba owns a 4-0 advantage in the series.

CONTINUE READING 

Tracking Our Kids: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

204 FLORIDIANS ARE CURRENTLY FOOTBALL STUDENT-ATHLETES AT ELEVEN MEAC INSTITUTIONS.

ORLANDO, Florida -- As we do each and every year, during the football season, our focus is not only on the current high school prospects competing on the gridiron, but also take a look at where some of our athletes are competing at the next level.

As many of the major conference teams have the chance for plenty of exposure via TV and print, the athletes who aren’t playing at this high profile schools need the same recognition for the hard work they put in.

As you will notice, the objective is to promote so many quality football players who continue to make some noise. This week, we turn our attention to the gifted prospects in the competitive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), where a staggering 202 athletes are suiting up this season from the Sunshine State. Check them out.

CONTINUE READING

Coach: N.C. A&T plans to platoon two quarterbacks "all year"

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Conventional wisdom goes something like this: A football team with two quarterbacks has no quarterback.

Well, consider N.C. A&T unconventional.

The Aggies (1-1) played two quarterbacks in their loss at North Carolina, and they plan to use both senior Kwashaun Quick and redshirt freshman Lamar Raynard against Elon (1-1) on Saturday at Rhodes Stadium.

“We’re going to play both of them,” A&T coach Rod Broadway said Monday. “We’re going to play both quarterbacks all year. Unless one of them gets hurt, we’ll go with both guys all year.”

Quick is 11-4 as a starting quarterback, including 7-2 last season when he finished ninth in the MEAC in rushing yards.

Raynard, who is from High Point and led Andrews to a high school state championship in 2013, is more of a pure passer. He is 16-of-30 for 228 yards and four touchdowns, and he has thrown TD passes in both games this season.

CONTINUE READING

Starting Point: UNC vs. North Carolina A&T State

Jackson: JSU Tigers need to reduce miscues

JACKSON, Mississippi -- They say winning is contagious. After two losses to open the season, Jackson State head coach Harold Jackson hopes losing isn’t contagious, too.

One thing that has seemed to spread throughout those two losses has been self-inflicted mistakes, which hurt the Tigers in Saturday’s 35-25 loss to Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic.

It’s something JSU will need to stop when it opens SWAC play against Southern on Saturday.

“You can’t make mistakes and expect to go out and win ball games,” Jackson said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “Mistakes will get you beat, and that’s what we did this past week.”

“You’ve got to get in the playbook in do the right thing … We’re going out to play Southern, we can’t go out and play Jackson State either. If we can do that, we’ll be fine.”

CONTINUE READING

Southern's 'Mighty' Willie Quinn Named FCS Special Teams Player of the Week

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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Alcorn State quarterback John Gibbs , Southern linebacker Kentarious Preston and wide receiver Willie Quinn, and Prairie View A&M linebacker Jalan Coleman have been recognized by the Southwestern Athletic Conference as football players of the week for their outstanding performance in competition during Sept. 10-12.

Special Teams Player of the Week – Quinn
Quinn earned his second-straight SWAC Special Teams Player of the Week award after making a dazzling 39-yard punt return touchdown and later adding a 90-yard kickoff return for a score during the Jaguars’ 50-13 win over Mississippi Valley State. Quinn amassed 187 total yards from scrimmage (152 return) and also threw for a 89-yard touchdown during the game.

Offensive Player of the Week – Gibbs
Alcorn State’s senior signal-caller accounted for more than 350 total yards of offense in a 31-14 win over conference foe Alabama State. Gibbs went 23-of-33 for 306 yards and a score and chipped in 46 yards and another touchdowns on the ground.

Defensive Player of the Week – Preston
Preston led the Jaguar defense in Southern’s 50-13 win over Mississippi Valley State, notching 11 stops (2.5 tackles for loss) and getting a sack along the way. With the effort, Preston is more than halfway to his 2014 tackles total (20).

Newcomer of the Week – Coleman
The sophomore linebacker was a bright spot for the Panthers during their 63-24 loss to Texas State. Coleman was in on 10 stops (one for loss) during the game, and the sophomore’s tackle totals were tops among all Panthers’ defenders during the contest.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Time, TV Set for Southern-Georgia Game on Sept. 26

ATHENS, Georgia -- Georgia’s home game vs. the Southern Jaguars on Saturday, Sept. 26 will be televised by the SEC Network at noon ET, the SEC announced today.

Southern University, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in the FCS. The Jaguars finished the 2014 season 9-4.

This will be the second appearance on the SEC Network for the Bulldogs in 2015. Georgia defeated ULM 51-14 on the network in their season-opener.



CONTINUE READING

Alabama State notes: Kaiss returns to Montgomery

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MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Former Alabama State offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss made his return to ASU Stadium on Saturday, but this time in the same position for Alcorn State.

Kaiss enters his first season as the Braves offensive coordinator after spending four seasons at ASU.

In 2013, the Hornets averaged 36.8 points per game and 430.2 yards per game. The Hornets were best in the SWAC and 14th in the nation in rushing at 231.5 yards per game.

The Braves gained 166 yards on the ground in last Saturday’s loss to Georgia Tech, and rushed for 155 yards Saturday against Alabama State.

No repeat performance: The Hornets were void of big plays throughout the game, unlike their 82-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage last week


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CONTINUE READING

UAPB outlasts Morehouse College 29-27, in three overtimes

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Football Team picked up their first of the season in dramatic fashion with a 29-27 overtime win over Morehouse College, here Saturday evening at Golden Lion Stadium.

Both team's held each other's offense scores less for three quarters,

The Golden Lions first to score in the contest on a 15-yard TD run by KeShawn Williams with 12:55 remaining in the contest.



On their ensuing drive, Morehouse go 74 yards on 12 plays as the Tigers scored on a Monqavious Johnson three-yard TD pass to Amyr Smith with 1:34 left in the game, tying the contest at 7-7, forcing the overtime period.

In the first overtime, MHC drew first blood on a Johnson 25-yard TD pass to Justin Browning, giving the Tigers a 14-7 in the first overtime.

UAPB forced a second overtime period with Willie Young scoring on a nine yard TD from Marcus Terrell, tying the contest at 14-14.

The Golden Lions opened the second overtime with a five-yard TD run to take a 21-14 lead.

MHC would convert a fourth and 15 to tie the contest at 21-21 as Johnson found Smith in the back of the end zone for a 30-yard TD strike.

In the third overtime period, teams must go for a two-point conversion after a TD.

UAPB retook the lead in the third overtime on two-yard TD run by Nicholas Woodfork, followed by a Terrell two-point conversion, giving the Golden Lions  a 29-21 lead.

Smith scored his third TD of the game on a 13-yard TD pass from Johnson to cut UAPB's lead to 29-27, but the Tigers two-point conversion would come up short as Johnson's pass sailed over the head of his intended receiver.

Terrell spearheaded the Golden Lions offense as he finished with 178 yards of total offense as he rushed for 58 yards on 15 carries and scoring one rushing TD, while he passes for 126 yards by completing 12 passes in 23 attempts with one TD and two interceptions.



Young led the UAPB receivers with 83 receiving yards on eight receptions with one TD.

Willie Duncan led the UAPB defense with 11 total takedowns (7 solos, 4 Asst.) and recorded three tackles for loss.

Malik Johnson led the Tigers' ground attack as he finished the contest with 72 yards on 20 carries.

Johnson passed for a game high 247 yards as he completed 20 passes in 38 attempts with four TDs and one interception.

Smith led the Tiger receivers with 75 yards on five receptions with three TDs.

Joshua Austin led the Tigers' defense as he finished the contest with 10 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

With the win UAPB raises their record to 1-1, while Morehouse College lowers their record to 1-1 on the season.

The Golden Lions will return to action as they will welcome Texas to Golden Lion on Saturday, Sept. 19 in 6 p.m. start for the conference opener.

Box Score



COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

ECSU dominant in 55-0 win over Benedict College

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University scored 28 points off turnovers and had six offensive touchdowns as the Vikings blanked Benedict College 55-0 Saturday evening at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

In addition to pitching their first shutout since the 2006 season (Shaw University, 36-0) the Vikings held Benedict to just 168 yards of total offense.

Starting quarterback Daquan Neal tossed two 28 yard first quarter touchdowns, one to Montario Hunter for a 7-0 lead, the other to Lovie Banks-Rose, Jr at the 4:47 mark. With the game well out of Benedict’s reach, backup QB Jaquez Riles threw for two scores of his own in the fourth quarter. Hunter grabbed his second receiving score of the night, this time from 27 yards out, to cap a 5 play, 58 yard drive with 5:44 left in the game.

With under a minute to go, Riles connected with Antonio Huff for a 29 yard catch, run and score to account for the final point spread.  In between the passing scores of the first and final quarters, the ECSU defense got their share of the scoring action with defensive touchdowns from Tyrrel Jones and Stephen Williams. After a strip (sack) by Dontez Tyler, Jones corralled the ball a raced 15 yards to the end zone to make the score 27-0 with 7:40 left in the first half.

In the third quarter Williams’ fumble recovery (scoop and score) went 26 yards for a 41-0 advantage.

Both Jones and Williams also intercepted Benedict QB Kalu Onumah; Williams’ pick was returned 48 yards to the Tigers 11 yard line.  ECSU’s defense was relentless on Saturday, holding the Tigers to paltry 40 passing yards. Maliek Wright finished the day with interceptions of both Onumah and backup QB Charles Foster.

Ronald Gray and Josh Joyner had rushing scores of 15 and one yard, respectively, to account for ECSU’s other two offensive touchdowns.

ECSU (1-0) will travel to Raleigh, NC next Saturday to take on Saint Augustine’s College. Game time is scheduled for 1pm.

Final Stats

COURTESY ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Central State earns first victory of 2015 with 49-12 thrashing of Clark-Atlanta

ATLANTA, Georgia – Central State snatched its first victory of the 2015 campaign in dominate fashion with a 49-12 win over Clark-Atlanta University on Saturday.

After failing to score a touchdown in last week's 22-14 loss to Alderson Broaddus, quarterback Marquis Wells and the offense lit up the scoreboard with 7 trips to the end zone in route to the most points scored by a CSU team since 2012.

Christopher Murray had 5 catches for 107 yards and 2 scores in Saturday's 49-12 win over Clark-Atlanta

CSU's first score was anything but textbook as DeAndre Grant recovered a bad snap on a field goal attempt and ran 21 yards for the early 7-0 lead. After a Clim Robbins' interception gave CSU the ball on the CAU 26 yard line, Wells finished the short drive with a 1 yard run to put CSU up 14-0 at the 9:37 mark of the 1^st quarter. On the next Panther possession, CAU turned the ball over on downs, giving the Marauder excellent field position. The Marauders took advantage as running back Moses Vines capped off the drive with a 2 yard score to put his team up by 21.

After picking off starting quarterback Matthew Vincent three times in the first quarter, CAU looked to backup Dashawn Blow to deliver a spark for the Panther offense. Robert Evans III ended Blow's first drive with a pick at the CAU 47. CSU scored three plays later on a 35 yard touchdown pass to Christopher Murray for the 28-0 lead. Murray and Wells hooked up again on a 34 yard pass to take a 35-0 lead just before the end of the 1st half.

Scores by Zach Thomas and Isaiah Grooms gave CSU a 49-0 advantage midway through the third quarter. With an insurmountable lead, the CSU coaching staff put in the second string to finish out the afternoon as the Marauders cruised to the 37 point victory.

Wells finished the day with 179 passing yards with 3 touchdowns through the air and 1 rushing score. Murray accounted for 5 catches for 107 receiving yards and 2 scores. Gervell Morgan finished with a game high 9 tackles for a CSU defense that forced four CAU turnovers.

With the win, CSU climbs back to a .500 record at 1-1. The win also snaps a 9-game road losing streak dating back to Oct. 19, 2013. With back to back blow out losses to Tuskegee and Central State, CAU falls to 0-2 on the year.

The Marauders travel to play Benedict College next Saturday in Columbia, SC. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 pm in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

FVSU Widcats make comeback victory over Lane

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- The Wildcats of Fort Valley State University put together one of the greatest come backs Saturday afternoon by scoring 43 points in the second half for the 50-38 victory over Lane College. The Dragons went to halftime with a 24-7 lead, but the second have would be all Wildcats.

Fort Valley State improves to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), while Lane drops to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

This was both team's first conference game and what a game, as FVSU scored first on junior running back Travis Richmond 58-yard run capping a 3 play, 66-yard drive with 10:09 in the first quarter.

Lane scored the next four times before halftime. Marcus Reynolds scored off a 16-yard run to draw Lane to within one point (6-7), with 6:11 on the clock, Carlas Moore, Jr. kick was blocked. Terrance Ayers 2-yard run increased the lead to 12-7 with 11:22 left in the second quarter, Moore's kick was blocked. Courtney Bush ran for another 16-yard for the third score and Jamion Dunning grabbed a 35-yard pass from Reynolds with :37 left before halftime for the 24-7 halftime score.

Reynold led off the third quarter with a 42-yard run for Lane with 14:18 on the clock and Bush rushed for the 2-point conversion (32-7).

The Wildcats told over the third and fourth quarters with sophomore quarterback Otis Brown running  25-yard to completed a 6 play, 69-yard drive with 11:28 left, two point conversion was good (15-32). Sophomore wide receiver Drelon Freeman returned a Dragon punt 75-yards for a score, Juan Serna kick was good (22-35). Then, with 6:44 remaining in the third quarter sophomore running back Jalen White scored on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Brown, Serna kick was good (29-32). Senior linebacker Stefon Harper put the Wildcats out front by returning a Dragons 60-yard missed field goal for a touchdown (36-32).

Lane regained the lead with 8:21 remaining in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard run, PAT rush failed (38-36).

Senior wide receiver Jevon Bell added to the mix for the Wildcats back catching a 12-yard pass from Travis Richmond, Serna's kick was good (43-38). Brown rounded out the scoring on a 6-yard rush, Serna kick was good with 3:38 on the scoreboard (50-38).

Lane led in the first down department with 36 first downs to FVSU's 17 and out gained FVSU with 435-yards in rushing to 174. FVSU threw for 210-yards to Lane's 105, as both teams put up over 900-yards of total offense. The Dragons had 540-yards to FVSU's 384.

The game was marked by penalties with FVSU collecting 19 penalties for 164-yards and Lane picking up 14 penalties for 128-yards.  Lane gained the edge in time of possession with 36:12 to FVSU's 23:48.

Brown led the Wildcats in rushing with 78-yards and 2 touchdowns, while Richmond added 52-yards and one touchdown. Brown completed 11-of-18 passes for 198-yards, one touchdown and Richmond threw for another touchdown.

Senior wide receiver Alexander Morgan had 4 catches for 59-yards, Bell 3 picks for 40-yards, one touchdown and White one catch for 55-yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore punter/kicker Juan Serna punted three times for 129-yards, while kicking the ball 8 times for 462-yards.

Freeman returned two punts for 144-yards and a 75-yard return for touchdown and Richmond returned 5 kicks for 133-yards.

The Dragons quarterback Reynolds gave the Wildcats headaches all day long with 32 rushes for 239-yards and 3 touchdowns and passed 6-of-20 times for 105-yards and one touchdown. Courtney Bush carried the ball 15 times for 133-yards and one touchdown.

Harper led the Wildcats with 12 tackles (8 solos) and 1.5 tackle-for-losses, while freshman linebacker Leon McQuarker chipped in 11 tackles (9 solos).

Next game: FVSU will travel over to Atlanta, GA on Saturday, September 19 to play the Panthers of Clark Atlanta University at 2 pm.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

#18 Langston Runs Past Bethany in Swedes Home Opener

LINDSBORG, Kansas  – The 18th ranked team in the NAIA, Langston University, visited Lindsborg to take on the Bethany College Swedes. The Lions showed why they were a top team in the country; having explosive plays all over the field and gaining over 600 yards of total offense on their way to a 33-14 win.

The night could not have started any better for Bethany. The Swedes won the toss and deferred to the second half. On the first play from scrimmage, the Lions had a bad snap and when the running back tried to make it around the outside, Chris Washington drug him down in the end zone and for a safety.

The Lions, however, responded quickly. After kicking off, Langston held the Swedes offense to just four yards on the ground in a three-and-out. Once they received the punt, Langston went 80 yards in four place capped by a 72 yard touchdown pass on fourth and two from their own 28. The extra point was not good and Bethany found themselves in a 6-2 hole. Langston added to their lead on a 32 yard field goal with 3:37 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Lions drove 85 yards in 10 plays to stretch their lead over Bethany to 16-2. While the Bethany offense continued to struggle offensively in the first half, big plays on the ground and through the air helped Langston score another touchdown with ten seconds in the first half to take a 23-2 half time lead.

The Swedes made adjustments and started moving the ball in the second half. Virgil Bridges found Fred White on a curl route, and White spun off a defender to turn it into a 71 yard pass play. Adam Maisch would end up kicking a 34 yard field goal to cut into the deficit. Langston would add a field goal late in the quarter to take a 26-5 lead.

On the first play in the fourth quarter, Bridges found Nile Daniel in the back right corner on a fade route from 15 yards out for the Swedes first touchdown of the game. The extra point closed the Langston lead to 26-12. After a Lions three-and-out, the snap went over the Langston punter's head and ended up going out of the back of the end zone for another safety.

But, once again Langston found an answer. Bethany was forced to punt after just three plays, and Langston drove 71 yards in nine plays to cut the Swedes momentum.

"I thought our guys fought hard tonight, but I've got to put them in a better position to be successful. This game is about adversity, but we can't put ourselves in a hole like we did in the first half," said head coach Paul Hubbard after the game. We will learn from our mistakes and will be a better team next week."

By the numbers:

• Bethany scored four times and of the four times, it was three different ways; safety, field goal, and a touchdown.
• Langston racked up 606 total offensive yards, while the Swedes had 256. Bethany had 71 yards on the ground and 185 through the air, but the Lions had 314 passing yards and 292 rushing.
• Bethany had 14 first downs in the game and Langston had 32, 14 of them on the ground.
• Virgil Bridges was 12-of-25 for 185 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His longest throw (71 yards) went to Fred White who ended the game with 4 catches for 101 yards. Nile Daniel caught four passes for 51 yards and also had a touchdown grab. Daniel also had a punt return that set Bethany up with great field position. 
• Kayden Clements had a team high 43 yards on the ground. Daniel added 26 for Bethany.
• Kerry Hubbard made a play on a ball that was batted into the air and returned his interception for 12 yards.
• Javan Moore led Bethany with 10 tackles, eight were solo. Chris Washington had nine and two tackles for loss, while Kyle Gfeller added six solo tackles and two assisted.
• Adam Maisch made a field goal from 34 yards out, and had another kick blocked. Brett Crome punted 8 times for an average of 43.8 yards, with a long of 59.  
• Langston's Kievon Jackson led the Lions with 169 yards on the ground and two scores. The quarterback Mark Wright, Jr. was 15-of-33 for 296 yards and a touchdown.
• At halftime Bethany College made a special recognition to the Lindsborg community Emergency Service Personnel for their dedication to the college and community. There were several members of the Police Department, Fire Department, First Responders, EMT, Paramedics and hospital workers present at the game. All received free admission to the game. 

Bethany will open KCAC play on the road in a week when they travel to North Newton, to play Bethel College.

FULL STATS
 
COURTESY BETHANY COLLEGE SWEDES SPORTS INFORMATION 

Virginia Union Panthers Maul Saint Augustine's 42-7

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Virginia Union University's Shawheem Dowdy passed for three touchdowns while running back Hakeem Holland rushed for 162 yards as VUU downed Saint Augustine's University 42-7 on Saturday, September 12, in Raleigh, N.C.

Holland's 153 yards marked the second consecutive game the freshman has rushed for over 100 yards.

VUU started the scoring Dowdy hit Holland with a 40-yard touchdown pass with 9:14 left in the first quarter.  Dowdy then made the score 14-0 on a keeper from 16 yards out with 3:11 left in the first quarter.

The Panthers led 28-0 at halftime on the strength of a 15-yard run by Holland and then an 11-yard pass from Dowdy to Jamaal Wright.

VUU's Andre Coble hauled in a 15-yard pass from Dowdy in the third quarter.

Virginia Union capped off the offensive show with a 32-yard pass from reserve quarterback Dane James to Devin Anderson in the fourth quarter.

As a team, Union racked up 494 yards in total offense.

The win raised VUU's record to 2-0 on the season while Saint Augustine's fell to 0-2.

The Panthers, ranked #2 among Division II HBCUs by the Heritage Sports Radio Network and Dr. Henry Cavil, now travel to Boiling Springs, N.C., to face Gardner-Webb University at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 19.

CLAW MARKS

BACK-TO-BACK CENTURY GAMES - Virginia Union University's Hakeem Holland rushed for 153 yards in the Panthers' 42-7 win over Saint Augustine's University.  Holland also rushed for 101 yards in VUU's season-opening win over Brevard College last week.  The game marked the first time a VUU running back has had two consecutive 100+ yards rushing games since Jerell Washington had back-to-back 100+ yard games in 2010 (127 vs. Saint Paul's College and 150 yards vs. Virginia State University).

BIG-TIME COMPANY - Holland's 153-yard game also marked the first time a freshman running back has rushed for more than 100 yards in two consecutive games since Andre Braxton performed the feat in 1997.

DOWDY DID IT - Virginia Union University's Shawheem Dowdy passed for 155 yards and three touchdowns in VUU's 42-7 win over Saint Augustine's.  This marks the first time a VUU quarterback has passed for three or more touchdowns in a single game since Kenneth Graham passed for three touchdowns against Chowan University on October 14, 2014.

BULLS-EYE BEYMAR - Virginia Union University's Beymar Piraquive hit 6-of-6 extra points in VUU's 42-7 win over Saint Augustine's on September 12.  Piraquive is now 11-for-11 in extra points this season for the Panthers.  The 6-for-6 performance were the most extra points by a VUU kicker since Troy Krepich's school-record 10 PATs in VUU's 78-13 win over Lincoln (Pa.) on October 11, 2014.  Beymar's 6-of-6 performance was the best "perfect game" in PATs since VUU's Stephen Velasquez went 6-for-6 in Virginia Union's 45-0 win over Central State University on September 6, 2009.

NEXT GAME - Virginia Union University now travels to Boiling Springs, N.C., to face Gardner-Webb University at 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 19.  Gardner-Webb is 0-2 on the season and is coming off a three-overtime 21-13 loss to Elon University on September 12.  This will mark the first meeting between the two schools since VUU defeated the Bulldogs 28-15 on October 13, 2001, in Hovey Field in Richmond, Va.  VUU and Gardner-Webb have met a total of two times, in 2000 and 2001, and have a 1-1 record.  Gardner-Webb defeated VUU 22-20 on October 14, 2000, in Boiling Springs, N.C.  The game will be streamed on-line for free courtesy of the Big South Network.  The link is available on VUUSPORTS.COM.

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Tuskegee Uses Big Plays to Win Whitewater Classic

PHENIX CITY, Alabama | Big plays and defense were the key in helping the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers beat Albany State 27-14 in the second annual Whitewater Classic, held at Garrett Harrison Stadium.

Although there were big plays throughout the game, the two biggest plays didn't occur until the fourth quarter.

With the offense struggling to move the ball, Kevin Lacey threw a hitch to Van Powell that went for three yards until Powell spun around without his knee hitting the ground. The junior receiver was able to get back to his feet and sprinted down the field reaching the end zone 79 yards later. The extra point was blocked, but Tuskegee held the lead 20-14 with 10:07 remaining in the game.

Tuskegee (2-0) and Albany State (0-2) traded possessions until the Golden Rams got the ball at their own 35-yard line with 5:50 remaining in the game. They proceeded to drive down the field, using 11 plays to get to the Tuskegee 10 yard line with just 30 seconds remaining, and that is where it ended.

Caleb Edmonds dropped back to pass when Tuskegee linebacker Ricky Norris stepped in front of the pass and raced to the end zone 95 yards away. The sophomore was able to score and sealed the victory for the Golden Tigers with just 16 seconds remaining on the clock.

"The play before that they ran the same route and I saw the coaches yelling to do it again," Norris said. "The quarterback looked at him the whole way and I just jumped the route. All I could think of was I have to score, I have to score."

Ironically, that was one of the first times the Golden Rams threw to the weak side late in the game.

"I knew they were going to come my way and they went to the opposite side," Tuskegee Osband Thomspon said. "That was the first time they threw it that way the whole time, I looked up and saw Ricky with it and just started running."

Although those plays were near the end of the game and helped seal the victory, there were other big plays that happened in the contest that helped swing momentum to the Golden Tigers.

The Golden Tigers didn't have to wait long to have a big play as the opening kick was taken back 82 yards by Dennis Norfleet before he was taken down at the Albany State 15 yard line. Tuskegee punched it in three plays later when Lacey hit senior Marquel Gardner for a four-yard touchdown, the 100th career reception by Gardner.

The second big play occurred at the beginning of the second quarter as Albany State lined up for a field goal. The ball was blocked by Devonta Ramseur and picked up Jewell Ratliff, and the senior outran the Golden Rams for a 73-yard return and a 14-0 lead with 12:00 remaining in the first half.

Albany State was able to break through for a couple of touchdowns in the first half against the Tuskegee defense who recorded a shutout in the opener. The Golden Rams scored early in the second quarter, ending the streak of 82:12 of scoreless football for Tuskegee.

"At that point we were getting on each other," Thompson said. "We just said somebody has to make a play and we had to get back to playing our type of football. We had to get things right and kept fighting."

And keep fighting is exactly what they did, all the way to the end.

The game ended much like it began, a big play. Ratliff intercepted the pass on the final play of the game and hit the deck as the clock expired.

Tuskegee was held to just 232 yards of total offense, including 94 yards passing. Norfleet led the rushing attack with 79 yards on just seven carries, including a 47-yard run in the second half, while the Golden Tigers were able to put up 138 yards rushing on the Albany State defense.

Defensively, the Golden Tigers held Albany State to 293 yards of offense, including 115 on the ground on 44 carries. Ratliff finished the night with 11.5 tackles, while Thompson added nine. The Golden Tigers were able to record four quarterback sacks, one quarterback hurry and three interceptions.

"They really didn't drive the ball a whole lot on our defense," Tuskegee coach Willie Slater said. "They moved the ball within the 20s a little, not a whole lot. I thought our defense played great, they set the bar high after the first game. I love the way they are playing right now."

Tuskegee returns to action next Saturday against Winston-Salem State at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium. The game will kick at 1 pm, and can be seen on the Tuskegee Sports Network and ESPN3.

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Huge Second Half Propels LU Lions to 28-17 Road Win Over NC Wesleyan

ROCKY MOUNTAIN, North Carolina – Lincoln's offense rushed for an all-time record 283 total yards in a 28-17, come-from-behind road victory against NC Wesleyan on Saturday, September 12^th. Junior running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) rushed for 282 total yards and scored two second half touchdowns in the Lions rally.

Lincoln got off to a slow start in their second road game of the season. NC Wesleyan led early but in the second quarter the Lions scored on a quarterback sneak by senior Edward McKenzie (Paterson, NJ/Lackwanna College). The Bishops responded with their second passing touchdown from quarterback Dustin Midgett making it a 14-6 halftime lead. Lincoln held a 110-56 advantage in first half rushing yardage with 108 yards coming from running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College).

The Lions scored 21 unanswered points in the second half after trailing NC Wesleyan 17-6. Scott finally found the endzone cutting the Bishops lead to 17-14 with 4:47 left in the third quarter. Scott scored from 6-yards out and added on two more points by converting on a rushing attempt for the extra-point. Lincoln's offense rushed for 107 fourth quarter yards behind touchdowns from Edward McKenzie (Paterson, NJ/Lackwanna College) and Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College).

The Lions went 83 yards on 15 plays at the beginning of the fourth quarter finally leading. McKenzie rushed for his second touchdown of the game putting Lincoln up 21-17 at the 12:14 mark. The LU defense quickly came to the rescue of the offense forcing an interception with 3:30 remaining in regulation. Sophomore defensive back Kevin Norris (Philadelphia, PA/Germantown HS) picked off the Bishops quarterback as Lincoln led by the slimmest margin. Defensively, the Lions held the Bishops on their next drive by stopping them on fourth down. With 1:38 left the Lions took over on the Bishops 30-yard line and scored the go ahead touchdown securing their first 2-0 start since the 1953 football season.

Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) had four carries on that final drive and punched it in from 21-yards out on fourth down and one yard to go. Sophomore kicker Brett Arkelian (Clovis, CA)'s extra-point-attempt was good and the Lions led 28-17 with 1:13 left in the game. The 2015 Lincoln Lions begin the season 2-0 after a pair of non-conference road wins. Lincoln defeated NC Wesleyan 28-17.

Lincoln set several team single-game records against NC Wesleyan; the most rushing touchdowns scored (4), most carries (63), and most net yards rushing (283). Running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) is off to a tremendous start to the 2015 season. He eclipsed his previous school records with 50 carries for 282 rushing yards, both single-game records for the Lions. His 282 total yards is the most all-purpose yards gained by a Lion and his 50 carries is the most all-purpose attempts. This was Scott's fifth time rushing for over 100 yards in his career and his first time ever reaching 200 rushing yards or more.

Quarterback Edward McKenzie (Paterson, NJ/Lackwanna College) was a dual threat against the Bishops passing for 105 yards and rushing for two touchdowns. McKenzie completed 6-of-13 pass attempts to his wide receivers led by seniors Brandon Rowe (Harlem, NY/Hudson Valley CC)'s three receptions for 68 yards and Bradley Martin (Philadelphia, PA/Vermillion CC)'s two catches for 31 yards.

Defensive back Tony Jones had a team-high seven tackles including a sack for the orange and blue. Junior defensive back Dezman Ellis (Bowie, MD/DeMatha Catholic HS) had five tackles while defensive linemen Stephen Lloyd (Bowie, MD/Meade HS), Courtney Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Coral Glades HS), and Mikael Mays (Garden City, GA/Groves HS) each had four tackles. Wright recorded a sack along with freshman Joseph Webb (Queens, NY/Holy Cross HS).

Lincoln (2-0) will open at home in the next game on Saturday, September 19^th against Alderson-Broaddus at 1 p.m.
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