Bowie State Routs Livingstone 45-17 in Home Football Opener

QB MATTHEW GOGGANS
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

BOWIE, Maryland  --  In racking up almost 500 yards of total offense Saturday night, the Bowie State University football team routed visiting Livingstone College 45-17 in the home opener for the Bulldogs. It was also the conference opener for both teams.   

"It's good to get a win, especially a conference and home opener win, but we still have a lot of work to do … correct our special teams unit and we must eliminate some of these penalties", stated Bowie State head coach Damon Wilson.

Bowie State (3-1, 1-0 CIAA) amassed 495 total yards of offense in the game with graduate quarterback Matthew Goggans (Pine Grove, Calif.) continuing to torch visiting defenses.

Goggans completed 19-of-43 passes for 345 yards and four touchdowns. He has 13 touchdown passes in four games this season and leads the CIAA in passing yards with 1,383.

Sophomore Kerrick Pollock (Miami, Fla.) had a good night for the Bulldogs making four catches for a career-high 146 yards and two touchdowns. Graduate Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.) rushed 12 times for a team-best 52 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior Kevaugn Townsend (Fort Washington, Md.) did yeoman's work again on defense for the Bulldogs, tallying a game-high 11 tackles.

Drew Powell (Upper Marlboro, Md.) finished with 224 yards passing for the Blue Bears while Jalen Hendricks (Nashville, N.C.) finished the contest with a game-high seven reception yards for a team-high 97 yards. Powell was Livingstone's top ground gainer with 130 yards on 22 carries.

Defensively, Livingstone (1-1, 0-1 CIAA) was led by Armond Cox (Teaneck, N.J.) with six tackles while Demarcus Nolan (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Billy Moore (Norwalk, Calif.) recorded five stops each.

Bowie State led from beginning to end, scoring on their second play from scrimmage when Goggans connected with Pollock for a 47-yard touchdown less the two minutes into the game.

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Livingstone used a fake punt to put their first points on the board at the 8:48 mark of the first quarter. Anthony Grady (Manassas, Va.) took a direct snap and scampered 54 yards for the score to tie the game at 7-all.

The Bulldogs went on a 26-3 scoring burst to take a rather comfortable 33-10 lead into halftime. Goggans connected with junior Jordan Garrison (Baltimore, Md.) and senior Garry Cropper(Odenton, Md.) for four and 11 yard scores with Jefferson's two rushing TD's coming in the second quarter.

Pollock burned the Livingstone's defense for a 56-yard reception down the Bowie State sideline at the 8:21 mark of the third quarter to extend the Bulldogs lead to 39-10.

Redshirt sophomore Stephen Willis (Beltsville, Md.) recorded his first career touchdown early in the fourth quarter, basically walking in from 8-yards out round out Bowie State's scoring.

The Blue Bears scored their final points of the night on 1-yard run around the left side by Powell with 9:47 remaining in the game.

The Bulldogs will hit the road for the fourth time in five games this season, this time traveling to Charlotte (N.C.) to face the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University on Saturday, October 3rd. Kickoff from JCSU's Irwin Belk Complex is 3 p.m.

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WSSU Rams Pick Up First Win With 17-10 Victory Over Elizabeth City State

ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina – The Winston-Salem State University Rams jumped out to a 10-3 halftime lead, and held off the late charging Elizabeth City State Vikings, to win the 18^th Down East Viking Football classic, 17-10, in Rocky Mount, N.C.

With the win, WSSU picks up their first win of the season and moves to 1-3 overall and 1-0 in the CIAA, while the ECSU Vikings fall to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the CIAA.

The Rams got an emotional boost in pregame, when their fallen team mate, Marquise Gaddy, addressed the team via facetime on an IPad. His message was simple – "play like it's the last time you ever get on the field, I love you guys!"

With tears streaming down the faces of coaches and players, and the media relations director, the team exploded with emotion from the locker room looking to break the three game losing streak to start the season.

Elizabeth City State however, got on the scoreboard first, when Jeff Flores connected on a 42 yard field goal with 2:40 left in the first quarter, to give the Vikings the early 3-0 lead.

But the WSSU Rams had other plans for the Down East Viking Football Classic, when they would tie the game at 3-3 on a Will Johnson 31 yard field goal with 12:26 on the clock in the second quarter.

Winston-Salem State would reach the end zone before the half, when on third down, Rashad Cooperwould scramble left and find a wide open William Belcher on the left side, who would make one move to the inside, before darting across the goal line for a 40 yards scoring strike to put the Rams up 10-3 heading into the half.

The Winston-Salem State University Rams would increase their lead late in the third quarter, when Rashad Cooper would find Rashan Williams down the left side for another score. Williams would make a brilliant catch, out jumping and then wrestling the ball away from the defender in the air for the touchdown. Will Johnson would convert the PAT to give WSSU a 17-3 advantage.

The Elizabeth City State Vikings would score a rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter pulling them to within a touchdown, 17-10, with 2:32 left to play.

But the failed onside kick, recovered by Marcel Caver, would allow the Rams to virtually run out the clock.

The Rams would punt with 12 seconds remaining, and would tackle the returner as time ticked off the clock, securing the WSSU Rams first win of the season.

Rashad Cooper, getting his first collegiate start, finished the day 10 of 23 with three interceptions for 199 yards and two touchdown passes.

Tyree Massey led the WSSUS Rushing attack with 15 carries for 26 yards, while Xavier Quick finished with seven rushes for 19 yards, and Bronson Greenehad 17 yards on five carries. Rashad Cooper had 10 carries for 10 yards.

Will Johnson had another solid afternoon, going 1 of 2 on field goals, and finishing the day with a 36.8 yards per punt average, on six punts. He also had three touchbacks on four kickoffs.

Defensively, Kailan Chavis led the Rams with seven tackles, four solo, and 0.5 tackle for a loss. Phillip Williamson continued his dominate play, finishing with six solo tackles, four tackles for losses and one sack. James Bullock, Vernon Brandon and Jaitavius Jackson each had four tackles, with Bullock picking up his first interception, Brandon picking up a pass breakup and Jackson picking up 0.5 sack. CJ Washington, Brandon Dixon, Michael Douglas and Jarell Bright each had three tackles, with Bright also picking up a tackles for a loss. Tyron Roberts also had a sack, and Amyl Smith and Michael Bloomfield each had 0.5 sack.Aaron Johnson also had an interception for the WSSU Rams.

After a month on the road to begin the 2015 season, WSSU will finally get to play in Bowman Gray Stadium this week, as the Rams will host the hot Chowan Hawks, on HORN$ Appreciation and Football Alumni Weekend. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.

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Fort Valley State Downs Benedict, 33-3

FORT VALLEY, Georgia – Fort Valley State used a pair of interception returns to take control and defeat the Benedict College Tigers 33-3 on Saturday in a SIAC football contest.

The loss drops Benedict to 0-4 on the season, 0-1 in the SIAC, while Fort Valley State improves to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the SIAC.

With regular starting quarterback Kalu Onumah out with a concussion, backupMason Duckett was injured on the first series. Backups Patrick Hoard and Charles Fosterthrew three interceptions on six pass attempts, resulting in running back/return specialist George Myers Jr. playing quarterback from the wildcat formation for the entire second half. Myers finished the game with 39 net yards on 15 carries.

"We stuck with George trying to run the ball. We got a few first downs, but we're still a long way from having anything that looks like what we want it to look like offensively," Benedict coach Mike White said.

The Tigers were trailing 3-0 in the second quarter when the disaster struck on back-to-back series for the Tigers. With the Tigers pinned back at their own 12-yard line, Hoard had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage and FVSU's George Maxey caught the free ball and ran in from five yards out for the first touchdown of the game.  Juan Serna kicked the extra point for a 10-0 lead with 8:16 left in the first half.

On Benedict's next offensive series, Hoard was again intercepted by Maxey, who returned it 45 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the 2-yard line. FVSU quarterback Malcolm Eady ran the ball on first down for the two yards. Serna again added an extra point and the Wildcats finished off a 14-point outburst in less than two minutes for a 17-0 lead. Serna added a 32-yard field goal with six seconds on the clock for a 20-0 halftime lead.

A booming 46-yard Brian Curry punt early in the third quarter put the Wildcats back at their own 7-yard line. A three-and-out series forced a Fort Valley State punt, and Myers returned Serna's kick 38 yards to the Fort Valley 21-yard line. Three rushes gained five yards, and Tory Mimbs came in to kick a 32-yard field goal, snapping Benedict's 13-quarter scoreless drought.

Any momentum the Tigers received from the score was short lived. On Fort Valley's first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, Eady threw a deep pass to Jevon Bell for a 70-yard scoring play to give the Wildcats a 27-3 lead.

The Wildcats finished the scoring on their next series, when Eady threw an 11-yard pass to Drelon Freeman with 4:03 left in the third quarter. Serna missed the PAT for the final 33-3 score.

"They are getting better, but we're still having that breakdown here and there," White said. "We're still turning the ball over too much, still allowing that big play. We're still doing the same things, just maybe not as much, but it's still hurting us the same and it's not good enough to win."

Stephen Williams led the Benedict defense with 12 tackles, while Charles Powellhad nine tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Benedict is back home next Saturday against Kentucky State University at 2 p.m. The Thorobreds (1-3) defeated Central State 21-17 on Saturday. 

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Tuskegee Stays Unbeaten with Road Win

JACKSON, Tennessee | The 18th-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers overcame a sluggish start to defeat Lane College 41-14 in the SIAC opener on an overcast Saturday afternoon.
 
The Golden Tigers outgained Lane on the afternoon 481 yards to 230 yards. The game was balanced as Tuskegee gained 240 yards through the air, and 241 on the ground.
 
Kevin Lacey led the way with 81 yards rushing, and all 241 yards passing on 10-of-18 with a pair of touchdowns. Kenno Loyal chipped in with 68 yards on eight carries, whileDesmond Reece led all receivers with 110 yards on three receptions.
 
Defensively, Jewell Ratliff led the way with 9.5 tackles including a tackle for los, while Jason Ashley and Osband Thompson added six each in the victory.
 
Tuskegee (4-0, 1-0 SIAC) came out quickly in the second half, using one play to get on the board. Junior quarterback Kevin Lacey dropped back and hit senior Desmond Reece streaking down the field for a 67-yard touchdown just 21 seconds into the second half.
 
The play was the fifth longest touchdown for the Golden Tigers this season, and was the second longest play from scrimmage this season – only trailing a 79-yard touchdown reception by Van Powell.
 
Lane was able to take six minutes off the clock in the third quarter as they went down the field, scoring on a 29-yard touchdown pass by Marcus Reynolds. The touchdown was the first in four quarters against the Tuskegee defense, and just the fourth this season in four games.
 
Tuskegee answered right back in the third quarter.
 
After a touchdown reception was called back, and a pair of dead ball fouls the Golden Tigers restarted the drive from their 37-yard line. Lacey scrambled around and through the Lane defense for a 17-yard touchdown run and a commanding 27-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
The Golden Tigers added a pair of touchdowns late for the final margin.
 
Although the Golden Tigers struck early and often in the second half, the first half did not start out the same way. After a sluggish start from both teams that saw two turnovers on their first two possessions, the Golden Tigers settled in late in the first quarter.
 
Tuskegee was forced into a turnover in two of their first three plays, both interceptions by Kevin Lacey; however, they were able to move the ball on their third possession. They moved the ball 48 yards in six plays, highlighted by a 53-yard pass from Lacey to freshman Peyton Ramzy. The drive stalled with 6:05 play, and although Tuskegee missed a field goal, it was a sign of things to come.
 
The Golden Tigers continued to move the ball in the first half, getting on the board with just 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Following a Jonah McCutcheon interception, the Golden Tigers were able to convert 18 yards later with a 35-yard field goal from Kemuel Lawrence.
 
Tuskegee was able to get things going on their second drive of the second quarter.
 
The Golden Tigers used a 7-play, 50-yard drive highlighted by a 17-yard pass from Lacey to Jerome Lewis. Following the pass and a short running play, Lacey danced around in the pocket and evaded a snap before scampering seven yards for a touchdown with 4:40 to play in the half.
 
Near the end of the half, Tuskegee moved the ball down the field with a 23-yard pass from Lacey to Desmond Reece and a 19-yard run by Lacey. The junior quarterback hit Marquel Gardner in the back of the end zone with five seconds remaining, however, it was called back due to illegal touching. As the clock wound down in the half, Lawrence drilled a 36-yard field goal to end the half and give Tuskegee a 13-0 advantage.
 
Tuskegee returns to play next week at UNC Pembroke, with kick scheduled at 2 pm (est).
 
For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

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Great defense leads Miles to win over Morehouse

ALBERT J. SLOAN - ALUMNI STADIUM
FAIRFIELD, ALABAMA

FAIRFIELD, Alabama  --  For the second consecutive week, Miles used a stout defense to lift a struggling offense and went into the fourth quarter nursing a lead.

This week, though, the Golden Bears did just enough to hold on, using seven sacks and forcing four turnovers - including two in the final period - to earn a 13-10 win over Morehouse Saturday at Sloan-Alumni Stadium.

Freshman Jamarcus Nance ran for 85 yards and a touchdown and kicker Nick Christiansen booted two field goals - one from 56 yards - to provide the scoring. But a swarming defense, paced byBraysean Jones, was the difference as the Golden Bears (1-3, 1-0 SIAC) opened conference play with a win.

The Maroon Tigers (2-2, 0-1) racked up 261 yards of offense, 154 of them on the ground, and had 20 first downs to Miles' 10. But twice in the fourth quarter, driving deep in Miles' territory with a chance to tie the game or take the lead, Morehouse could not hold on to the ball. First, it was Jones - who had 11 tackles (seven solo) and 4.5 sacks - forcing a fumble at the Miles 33 that was recovered by Michael Mitchell with 10:29 left. On Morehouse's next possession, a big gain turned into a big turnover when Ashton McKenzie knocked another ball loose that was recovered by Caleb Duncan.

On the Maroon Tigers' final drive, they got to the Miles 36 but on 4th-and-5, Jones got his final sack of the game and Miles was able to run out the clock.

Miles trailed 3-0 at the end of the first quarter but saw its fortunes change right before halftime. After a sack by McKenzie forced a fumble that was recovered by Skylar Smith, the Golden Bears would score on an 8-yard run by Nance to give them a 7-3 lead going into halftime

In the second half, Christiansen would convert on two field goals that extended the lead. The first was from 37 yards. The second was more exciting. After having a 51-yard field goal wiped out because of a penalty, he nailed a career-best 56-yarder that gave Miles a 13-3 lead with 4:41 left in the 3^rd quarter. After a failed onside kick, Morehouse would put together a quick scoring drive on its next possession to cut the deficit to three points with 2:46 left in the third.

Malik Johnson rushed for 85 yards, Monqavious Johnson was 11-of-19 for 107 yards passing and James Woods had a game-high 15 tackles for Morehouse.

Miles had several defensive stars. McKenzie had five solo tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Emmanuel Ray had nine tackles (eight solo), Mitchell had eight tackles (five solo) and Cedric Pool had six tackles and an interception for the Golden Bears, who host Albany State Golden Rams next Saturday at 4 p.m.

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KSU Thorobreds top Central State 21-17 to win Circle City Classic

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Kentucky State claimed a Circle City Classic victory over rival Central State for the second consecutive year, putting together a fourth quarter drive to pull out a 21-17 win on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Trailing 17-14 with the offense being held scoreless to that point, the Thorobreds got a break when Charles Johnson broke free and took a slant 58 yards to the Central State 22-yard-line. It appeared Kentucky State would have to settle for a game-tying field goal by Turner Warren, but a Central State penalty on the play set the Thorobreds up with first-and-goal from the eight. Two plays later, Alex Springs found Corey Slaughter for what would be the game-winning touchdown.

Central State got the ball back with 5:27 to play and drove as far as the Kentucky State 28-yard-line, but a Bretton Ervin sack for a loss of seven yards helped put Central State in position for what would be a turnover on downs. A first down run by Reginal Harris allowed Kentucky State to run out the clock after getting the ball back.



"It was an emotional game," said Kentucky State head coach Josh Dean. "That first half took a lot out of us. We tell these guys to keep at it, keep chipping away, and that it will eventually click. It took us all the way to the fourth quarter to make some plays, but we finally did. We just have to find a way to get some continuity and get more of that so we can have some more success."

The scoring in the first half was unconventional, with all four touchdowns coming on special teams and defense. It was Kentucky State to strike first, with Kolby Griffin scooping up a high snap on a Central State punt attempt and racing 15 yards for a touchdown. After the Thorobreds' next offensive series stalled at their own one-yard-line, the Marauders evened the score with a 49-yard punt return touchdown by Jordan Howard.

Again, it was in the punt game where Kentucky State was able to take back the lead, with Nathaniel Robinson blocking a Central State punt and returning it for a touchdown. However, the Marauders were able to answer with 10 quick points on a John Adams field goal, followed by a Clim Robbins interception return three plays later. Central State threatened before the half, but Kentucky State's defense was able to stop the Marauders on six plays from inside the five-yard-line and block the ensuing field goal attempt.



Several defensive players had big games for Kentucky State, with D'Shaunte Glass making 12 tackles to lead the team. Trevon Spencer made 11 tackles with three for loss and a sack, while Robinson finished with 10 tackles, the blocked punt, and the touchdown. Dimitri Cooper also had 10 stops with a tackle for loss, and Raymond Malone had a forced fumble and fumble recovery, making it his fourth straight game with a turnover.

The defenses for both teams were in control throughout the game, with Kentucky State managing just 114 yards of offense and while holding Central State to 243. Springs finished with 82 yards passing, picking up 71 of those on the final touchdown drive. Johnson's 58 receiving yards on the drive led all players in the game.

With the result, Kentucky State improves to 1-3 on the season and starts out Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play at 1-0, while Central State falls to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. The Thorobreds are back in action again next Saturday when they travel to take on Benedict College at 2 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.




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Chowan Hawks Dismantle Saint Augustine's Falcons

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina  -- The Chowan University football team rolled to their third win of the season with a 49-0 victory over the visiting Saint Augustine's University Falcons on Saturday afternoon.  The victory was the second in as many weeks for the Hawks and marked the first CIAA win of the season.  The Hawks also earned their first victory over Saint Augustine's in program history.  Chowan advances to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in CIAA play with the win while the Falcons slip to 0-4 on the year and 0-1 in the league. 

Chowan held Saint Augustine's to a mere 117 offense yards while tallying 369 offense yards of their own.  Tyree Lee led the way for the Hawks, breaking the school's single-game rushing yards record with a total of 223 on the day.  He had 36 carries in the contest while scoring three touchdowns.  Randall Dixon completed 10-17 pass attempts for 149 yards and connected with Torry Baker, Damian Ellis and Tyree Lee on touchdown passes.  Ellis led the receiving corps with three receptions for 56 yards followed by Baker with two receptions for 53 yards. 

AJ Gilford led the Flacons on the ground with four carries for 28 yards.  Julius Murphy completed 4-9 passes for 31 yards, connecting with Devion Newkirk three times for 18 yards. 

Defensively, Randy Allen Jr. led the way with five tackles (two solo, three assisted) while Andrew Denny added five tackles (one solo, four assisted) in the setback.  The Hawks' defense forced five interceptions with Roderick Lyndsey accounting for three of them while also forcing two Falcon fumbles. 

Terry Warren led the defensive effort for Saint Augustine's with nine tackles (seven solo, two assisted) followed by Chasz Casby with eight tackles (five solo, three assisted). 
Chowan controlled the momentum for the entire contest and grabbed control right from the start with 20 unanswered points in the first quarter.  Nick Hahula made good on an 18-yard field goal attempt at the 12:30 mark in the second quarter, propelling the Hawks to a 23-0 lead heading into halftime. 

After halftime, the Hawks quickly put the game out of reach, adding 19 points in the third quarter before Lee's six yard touchdown run and Hahula's point after solidified the 49-0 win for Chowan. 

The Hawks return to action on October 3^rd when Chowan travels to Winston-Salem State University for a CIAA crossover contest.  Game time is slated for 1:30pm.  

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Sounds of Music From Chicago Football Classic 2015 -- Bears vs. Bison

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Bethune -Cookman Rolls by Savannah State, 42-12

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Bethune-Cookman continued its control of the Savannah State series Saturday with a 42-12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over the Tigers before a Municipal Stadium crowd of 5,975, on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Redshirt senior quarterback Quentin Williams threw for 207 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 100 yards as the Wildcats (3-1 1-0 MEAC) downed the Tigers (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) for the 16th consecutive time, dating back to 1992.



Michael D. Jones rushed for two scores and Jamie Wilson caught two for a Bethune-Cookman offense, which racked up 592 yards of total offense and kept the Tiger offense out of the end zone. The lone SSU touchdown was on a fourth quarter interception in the Bethune-Cookman end zone.

“I don't think we have one main guy – we have guys,” said B-CU Head Coach Terry Sims. “Any of them can make a play at any time. And we're comfortable with any of them depending on our package.”

Bethune-Cookman did have 23 penalties for 212 yards – not a record, but that only came into play early.

After two third-down penalties, Savannah State took an early 3-0 advantage on the scoreboard courtesy John Barron’s 38-yard field goal with 4:52 remaining in the first quarter. However, the Wildcats quickly answered with a 6-play, 92-yard drive that produced Williams’ 13-yard scoring strike to Wilson.

Williams had a 36-yard completion to Wilson and a 37-yard connection with Ja-Quan Lumas, as the quick strike offense returned with its ninth touchdown drive of the season that spanned less than three minutes. Dubbed “Lightning Strikes” by the Bethune-Cookman staff, the Cats have had just a single scoring drive all year last longer than three minutes in length.

B-CU would strike quickly the rest of the game – in all, five times, as it pulled away for the team’s third consecutive victory, following a season opening setback at FBS opponent Miami (Fla).

The score also marked B-CU’s first points of the season in an opening quarter.

Platooning with Williams, redshirt sophomore quarterback Larry Brihm, Jr. led the Wildcats to a pair of second quarter scores that gave the Maroon and Gold a 21-3 halftime lead.

Anthony Jordan registered his 30th career rushing touchdown, moving the graduate past Jimmie Russell into fifth on the all-time list, on an 11-yard run with 5:08 remaining in the first half. Brihm would connect with Jawill Davis on a 57-yard catch and run 1:20 before halftime.

The Wildcats defense, which got a fumble recovery from Jamal Thomas and an interception from Jocelyn Borgella, Jr., stopped a pair of Tigers marches into the red zone during the second period, but each possession ended with a missed field goal attempt by John Barron.

Michael D. Jones’ runs of two yards in the third and a 50-yard fourth quarter burst up the middle, along with Williams capping off an 83-yard drive with an 8-yarder to Wilson, highlighted the second half.

Jones and Jordan rushed for 77 and 54 yards, respectively. Davis (77 yards) and Wilson (57) each caught three passes.

Jason Smith, Jr. had seven tackles and a quarterback sack for a Wildcats defense that has not given up a touchdown in two games.

Bethune-Cookman faces North Carolina Central next Saturday at 4 p.m., in an ESPNU nationally broadcasted game. The game is set for 4 p.m., at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

For the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, follow us on Twitter, @BCUGridIron. For the most accurate and up to date information delivered to your phone, download the official Bethune-Cookman Wildcats app for your Droid or iPhone.

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Strong Second-Half Surge Lifts NSU over Hampton, 24-14

NORFOLK, Viriginia --  Norfolk State rebounded from a seven-point halftime deficit by outscoring Hampton 17-0 in the second half to take a 24-14 win in the 53rd annual Battle of the Bay on Saturday afternoon at Dick Price Stadium.

The win is the first in the NSU tenure of first-year Spartans' head coach Latrell Scott and came in the team's home opener after three straight road games against Division I FBS competition. The victory also gives the Spartans (1-3, 1-0 MEAC) their first two-game win streak against the Pirates (2-2, 1-1 MEAC) since 1990-91.

Gerard Johnson ran 20 times for 119 yards and a touchdown, his first 100-yard game as a Spartan. Quarterback Greg Hankerson Jr.passed for 176 yards and another score, and the Spartans scored 14 points off four Hampton turnovers.

Hampton had the 14-7 lead and the momentum heading into the second half after scoring a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. But NSU played its best quarter of the season in the third period, outscoring the Pirates 17-0. NSU took the second-half kickoff and drove 69 yards in 13 plays, capping the drive on Cameron Marouf's 24-yard field goal to draw within 14-10.

NSU forced a Hampton three-and-out on the next possession, then drove for the go-ahead score. Hankerson found Isaac White for a 12-yard TD pass with 3:16 left in the third quarter to give the Spartans a 17-14 lead. The big play on the drive was Hankerson's 3rd-and-7 completion for 37 yards to White where Hankerson eluded at least four Pirate pass-rushers and hurled a deep ball into the wind to White, who caught the ball on his knees.

The Spartans wasted little time in adding to their lead. NSU cornerback D'Metrius Williams intercepted Hampton quarterback David Watford on 3rd-and-21 on the Pirates' next possession, setting the Spartans up at the HU 38. Johnson dashed around the right end for 32 yards on the next play. Two plays later, freshman Quintreil Chung bulled his way into the end zone from 2 yards out, increasing the Spartans' advantage to 24-14 with 1:09 remaining in the quarter.

The NSU defense closed it out from there with a strong effort in the fourth quarter. The Spartans had two fourth-down stops and forced two turnovers in the fourth quarter. NSU linebacker Kyle Archie intercepted Watford with 2:10 remaining, and the Spartans sealed the win when Lamonte Clark sacked Watford, forced a fumble and Spartan linebacker James Byers recovered it with 1:14 left.

The Spartans took a 7-0 lead with 5:03 left in the first quarter when Johnson scored on a 23-yard TD run. The score was set up by aDeon King interception, which the senior linebacker returned to the Pirates 23.

Hampton seized control in the second quarter with two long scoring drives. Christopher Dukes' 7-yard TD run capped a 14-play, 90-yard drive with 7:03 left in the second quarter that knotted the score at 7-all. Watford then hit Rayshad Riddick with a 10-yard TD pass with 53 seconds left before halftime, capping a 12-play, 80-yard march to give HU a 14-7 lead going into the half.

Watford completed 21-of-44 passes for 180 yards and three interceptions for the Pirates. 

White (67 receiving yards) and DeAndre Sangster (34) led NSU with three receptions apiece. 

Safety Leroy Parker had a team-high 11 tackles, one for loss, for the Spartans. King tallied 10 tackles, one interception, half a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries. Williams had a strong game in the secondary with six tackles, three pass breakups and an interception.

The Spartans are back on the road next week for a 1 p.m. game at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

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Skillon throws 2 TDs as MSU handles Howard 21-13

CHICAGO, Illinois -- Redshirt senior quarterback Moses Skillon threw two touchdowns as Morgan State defeated Howard 21-13 in Mid-Eastern Conference play on Saturday at the 18th annual Chicago Football Classic at Soldier Field.
 
Skillon played the biggest role in the victory by completing 16 of 29 passes for 211 yards for the Bears (1-2, 1-0). Redshirt senior wideout Andrew King also had a stellar night for the MEAC defending champions. King was on the receiving end of both of Skillon's touchdown passes and finished with a season-best 115 yards receiving.

Junior running back Orlando Johnson scored the first points of the game on a 3-yard touchdown run. The extra point by Chris Moller gave the Bears 7-0 lead at the 5:34 mark in the first quarter.
 
Skillon threw TD passes of 10 yards and a season-long 64-yards to King to extend the Bears lead to 21-0 midway through the second quarter.
 
Skillon had the Bears on the move again on their next possession, connecting with Ricky Fisk for a 7-yard pickup. But Fisk was stripped of the ball by Howard's Craig Johnson who took it 27 yards for a Bison touchdown, closing the gap to 21-7 at halftime.
 
In the second half, Morgan State went scoreless and gave up two field goals by Howard's John Fleck.
 
Howard's (0-4, 0-2) starting quarterback Jamie Cunningham struggled against the Bears aggressive defense. Cunningham threw for 58 yards, before being replaced by Kalen Johnson in the second quarter. Johnson completed 12 of 23 passes 96 yards and was sacked three times and was picked off by MSU's senior cornerback Desean Summers.
 
Morgan State's offense compiled 419 yards against the Bison defense to help post the Bears first win of the season and improved MSU head coach Lee Hull's record against Howard to 2-0.
 
Greg Gibson led the Bears defense with eight tackles, while Joel Scott harassed the Bison all night by recording three tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a pair of QB hurries and a sack. The Bears posted seven tackles for loss; seven hurries, three sacks and limited Howard's offense to a pair of field goals.

Bear Note
Lamont Brown III was named the Chicago Football Classic MVP. The redshirt junior led the Bears on the ground with 11 carries for 75 yards (6.8 avg).

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TD returns help Grambling State hang on against Prairie View A&M

DALLAS, Texas -- On the Cotton Bowl turf Saturday night, Grambling State coach Broderick Fobbs wiped the sweat from his brow one last time.

Grambling State had just scored a wild 70-54 victory over Prairie View A&M in the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic before an announced crowd of 51,328.

"I tell you, it's probably the ugliest football game we've played," Fobbs said. "It feels like we lost the game, but we're fortunate to get out of here with a victory."



Grambling (2-2, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) never trailed and led by 22 points on four occasions. Prairie View (2-2, 2-1) stayed close and refused to fold.

The difference was Grambling sophomore Martez Carter.

In each half, Carter returned a kickoff for a touchdown, including a 100-yard, fourth-quarter return that appeared to take the wind out of Prairie View. With Grambling holding a 56-48 lead with 3:46 left, Carter fielded the kickoff in the end zone, found a crease in the middle of the field and outran the coverage.

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