Southern notebook: Few surprises as Jaguars release Week 1 depth chart

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern released its first updated depth chart since the start of preseason camp, and while it mostly held true to the units the Jaguars ran out to the practice field, there were a couple of interesting notes.

Senior defensive back Rhaheim Ledbetter was not listed on the depth chart at all. Ledbetter missed all of last season because of eligibility issues but is considered to be a key component of this year’s secondary.

Three true freshmen appear on the two-deep, with one — Southern Lab graduate Curtlan Williams — penciled in as a starter.

Freshman Jerimiah Williams is listed as the top backup at both guard positions, and Kaycee Ntukogu is listed as Blake Monroe’s backup at the rover position.

Redshirt freshman Mason Sims won the camp battle with junior college transfer Christian Rodriguez to be the starting left tackle.

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Analyzing Grambling's floor, ceiling for 2016 season

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- It's been five years since Grambling last won a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

Not long enough to call it a drought, but the Tigers are thirsty to bring home another conference title after falling short in the 2015 championship game to Alcorn State.

Is this the year Grambling climbs back to the top of the HBCU mountain of college football?

Grambling certainly has the makings of a championship team. Yes, Grambling lost about a quarter of its seniors from 2015, but an influx of transfers and in-house talent from the last two signing classes has expectations sky high around the football building.

Led by quarterback DeVante Kincade, running back Martez Carter, a deep receiving corps and a defense revamped with transfers, the sky is the limit for Grambling's potential. It all depends on how things progress, and more importantly, how the Tigers finish the season.

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Del State Hornets aim to improve as Carter enters 2nd year

DOVER, Delaware -- Once the curtain came down on the 2015 season, the Delaware State football team had already put it in the rearview mirror.

It was coach Kenny Carter’s first season and the Hornets slumped to a 1-10 record.

But Carter has called it a transition year. It took him some time to establish his system, his outlook for the program and, perhaps most importantly, bring in the players he wanted.

So the 1-10 year doesn’t have any effect on how the Hornets are setting their goals for this season. They’ve seen improvement in the spring, summer and fall. They want to keept up that trend of getting better.

“Hopefully we can keep progressing so we can be in Atlanta in December,” said sophomore quarterback Kobie Lain. “Because at the end of the day, that is the ultimate goal.”

A December trip to Atlanta means a MEAC Championship and a berth in the second-annual Heritage Bowl against the champion of the SWAC.

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2016 Norfolk State football preview: Impact players, big numbers and more

Impact players
QB Greg Hankerson

The first season-long starter to return at NSU since 2011, Hankerson is a dual-threat passer and runner with the ability to escape trouble in the pocket. The senior transfer from Florida Atlantic passed for 2,052 yards and rushed for 423 last season, but his goals are loftier: 2,500 passing yards and 1,000 on the ground.

RB Gerard Johnson

A senior transfer from ODU, Johnson is coming off ACL surgery to his right knee late last season. In his first campaign at NSU, Johnson led the team’s running backs with 418 rushing yards but just one touchdown. Scott expects bigger things: “I think Gerard Johnson’s back,” he said.

LB Kyle Archie

The former star at Portsmouth’s Norcom High was second on the team as a sophomore last season with 66 tackles, behind graduated LB Deon King’s FCS-leading 163. In NSU’s new 4-3 defense, the defensive line will be relied upon to replace the production of King, who has spent the summer in camp with the Dallas Cowboys. But should opposing runners get past the linemen, Archie will be waiting.

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Wyatt sees improved Edward Waters College football program

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- A good start and a solid finish couldn’t mask the disappointment of six lopsided losses in the middle of Edward Waters College 2015 season. As far as head coach Alvin Wyatt is concerned, the Tigers have already put that 4-7 season behind them.

“Right now as we speak, Morehouse College is watching videos of this team from last year,” Wyatt told EWC supporters Wednesday at the school’s fall sports media day in the school gym. “But all those old tapes do is provide a false, negative view of our past. We are better than that now. We are ready to move forward.”

EWC hosts Morehouse on Saturday, Sept. 3, at Stanton Stadium. The NAIA Tigers will be looking for some payback from a year ago when Morehouse hung a 51-7 defeat on the Tigers to start their six-game slide. EWC allowed at least 42 points in all six losses, including 44-31 to Jacksonville University in the first Jacksonville Classic between the two city schools. They will meet again this year at JU on Sept. 17.

There’s reason for optimism this season. It starts with Wyatt, whose fiery, passionate dissertations to his team and the EWC community are met with the same enthusiasm and vigor in which they’re delivered.

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WSSU eyeing opener against UNC Pembroke

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State has its new-look helmets almost ready to unveil.

The helmets are all red with new decals complete with a new logo coming next week. They should be ready to go right before Sept. 3 and the opener at Bowman Gray Stadium against UNC Pembroke.

Coach Kienus Boulware and the Rams completed their camp Wednesday, and now the preparations in practice will be geared toward UNC Pembroke.

“Our camp went well, and we had a lot of competition really at all positions,” said Boulware, who will start his third season as head coach. “I like the way the guys got after it, and the energy level has been very high.”

With classes starting, Boulware said it’s a great time to eONnd the two-a-day workouts as practices will be scaled back to once a day. There will be a final scrimmage over the weekend, then the normal game-week approach will take hold Monday.

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Transfers bolster St. Augustine’s as Chavous era begins

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Tom Chavous was named St. Augustine’s head coach during the offseason after he coached the final eight games of the 2015 season. He now has the opportunity to bring in new talent on the field and in his coaching staff.

New assistant coach Alvin Parker and new quarterbacks coach Jason Mai were hired from CIAA rivals Elizabeth City State and Winston-Salem State, respectively.

Additionally, Chavous said he recruited more than 30 college transfers to add depth — and, in some cases, elite talent — to his roster.

The parade of new acquisitions joins 14 returning starters on a St. Augustine’s squad that went 1-9 last year, beating only rival Shaw.

“(I’m) bringing in experienced players that focus on academics first. If I can get guys that focus on the main thing while they’re here, football is going to be pretty much easy for them, the playbook is going to be a little easy for them,” Chavous said. “I just want to change the attitude and bring a winning tradition here ... that they’ve never had.”

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Willie Slater, Tuskegee shooting for SIAC title in 2016

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The preseason goals for Willie Slater and the Tuskegee football team never change.

"We have pressure every year," Slater said. "We want to win every game we play. That is the only pressure I feel. Every time we line up, I want to win that game."

Entering his 11th season as the Golden Tigers' head coach, Slater has won almost 80 percent of his games (92-24). Tuskegee went 10-3 a year ago, going 7-1 in the SIAC, and reaching the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.

This year's team returns 50 lettermen and has been picked to finish second in the SIAC West, just behind defending conference champ Miles College. Slater's team lost a big lead at home to Miles a year ago, eventually falling 26-23.

Slater hasn't forgotten that November day. The rematch comes Nov. 5 in Birmingham – the regular-season finale.

"Our goal is to win every game we play, and we definitely want to win our conference," Slater said. "But we also say that if we can be good enough to play in the playoffs, then we will be good enough to win our conference.



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Bevy of HBCU football games to air in 2016

DAYTONA BEACH,  Florida -- If you follow and like watching black college football and you have cable TV or internet access, then you’re in luck in 2016. That’s because there are more games to watch on TV (on cable and over the air) or being streamed over the internet this season – nearly 50 – than in any previous season. Take for instance the opening week’s games beginning next Thursday, Sept. 1.

Starting with the Jackson State at UNLV contest over the Mountain West Sports Network at 10 p.m. in Las Vegas, 11 games will be available thru various broadcast outlets thru the weekend ending on Sunday, Sept. 4. Those games include a number of black college FCS vs. FBS match ups to open the season including Friday’s Mississippi Valley State at Easterm Michigan game and Saturday’s match ups of Savannah State vs. Georgia Southern, preseason BCSP No. 7 South Carolina State vs. Central Florida and BCSP No. 8 Southern vs. Louisiana-Monroe, all streamed over ESPN3.

The highlight of the kickoff weekend could be Sunday’s SWAC/MEAC Challenge pitting two-time defending SWAC champion and BCSP No. 4 Alcorn State vs. defending MEAC co-champion and BCSP No. 3 Bethune-Cookman Sunday on ESPN at 1 p.m. This game should be a doozy and a good indication of just how strong these teams will be this season. A week later on Saturday, Sept. 10, another seven games hit the airwaves. They include big showdowns on the road for BCSP No. 1 North Carolina Central and BCSP No. 5 North Carolina A&T. NCCU plays at Western Michigan while A&T is at Kent State. Both games will be streamed on ESPN3.



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Alabama A&M aims to make noise in the SWAC in 2016

NORMAL, Alabama -- James Spady says it has been and continues to be a process to make Alabama A&M a consistent contender in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

“Last year was obviously one of the early steps in the process,” the Bulldogs coach said. “We were in our second year and some of the expectations had been met. Obviously the big one is the won-loss record. That was a kind of disappointing record.”

The Bulldogs were 3-8 in 2015 after going 4-7 in Spady’s first season.

“I thought we’d be farther along than we were,” he said. “But then you have to make every preparation to move on to the next rung on the ladder, and that’s what we think we’ve done this summer.”

Alabama NewsCenter is posing five questions to state college coaches as the 2016 football season draws near. Next up are Spady and his Bulldogs, who open their season at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3, at Middle Tennessee State.

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NCCU Announces Tavius Walker as Director of Track & Field/Cross Country

DURHAM, North Carolina – Tavius "T.J." Walker, an alumnus and former All-American sprinter at North Carolina Central University with 13 years of coaching experience, is the new Director of Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country at NCCU, the Department of Athletics announced on Wednesday (August 24).

"I am pleased to announce Coach T.J. Walker as our new Director of Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country," said NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree. "Coach Walker knows how much our track & field/cross country program means to the history of this university and will continue building upon that legacy. His contribution to our track & field/cross country program as an outstanding NCCU student-athlete, along with his roles as volunteer assistant coach and assistant head coach will enable him to recruit the top student-athletes in the State of North Carolina and from all around the country. I am confident in his ability to build a MEAC championship program."

As a coach who specializes in sprints, hurdles and relays with a strong recruiting background, Walker boasts 13 years of coaching experience, including 11 seasons at NCCU.

"I am honored and humbled to have an opportunity to continue in the great legacy of NCCU track & field as its Director of Track & Field/Cross Country," Walker said. "I want to thank Chancellor Debra Saunders-White, Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree, Derrick Magee (associate athletics director/sport administrator for track & field/cross country), the search committee and our athletics administrative staff for this exciting opportunity."

During his 11-year coaching tenure at NCCU, Walker has worked with student-athletes that earned 11 NCAA Division II All-America awards, including two All-American relay teams, and 41 all-conference honors, including eight all-conference relay squads, with one winning a conference championship. Among the three NCAA Division I East Region qualifiers under his tutelage, he also recruited and coached a Lady Eagle sprinter who ranked fourth in the nation in the 200-meter dash in 2013.



"My vision is clear… myself and the coaching staff will teach, mold and guide our student-athletes with passion and a belief in success," Walker said. "While fostering an unforgettable team experience, we will be strategic in our recruiting and establish student-athlete development along with national and international success as the cornerstones of our program."

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Walker started his coaching career in 2003 at NCCU, returning to his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach from 2003-05.

After two successful seasons at NCCU, Walker left to become the Head Track & Field Coach for both boy's and girl's programs at Needham B. Broughton High School, his alma mater located in Raleigh, North Carolina. While there, he coached a program that had athletes who broke three school records, numerous state qualifiers and one state champion. He also led the Broughton Caps to one of its more successful seasons in recent years.

Walker returned to the NCCU coaching staff in 2007 as a full-time assistant coach with both men's and women's teams, aiding in the transition from Division II to Division I competition. The following year, he earned the position as Assistant Head Coach of the men's and women's track & field/cross country program.

In late February of this year, Walker was named interim head coach prior to the start of the outdoor track & field season. Under his direction, the student-athletes achieved inspiring results. The men's and women's teams combined for seven event victories in the first meet of the season, tallied the most top-10 finishes at the Raleigh Relays since 2012 and earned five medals at the MEAC Championships, where the NCCU men celebrated their best finish at the conference outdoor championship since rejoining the MEAC in the 2011-12 season. The men's 4x100m relay team recorded the school's fastest time in eight years to place fifth in the College Finals of the prestigious Penn Relays, the women's 4x100m relay squad broke a High Point University meet record with the fastest time in eight years, and both of the 4x100m relay teams captured bronze medals at the MEAC Championships for their best conference finishes since returning to the league.

After excelling as a multi-sport athlete at Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh, track & field became his sport of choice in college.

As a sprinter at NCCU, he amassed such honors as becoming a four-time All-CIAA performer from 1996-1999, a CIAA champion in 1998, an All-American in 1999 and ranked fourth in NCAA Division II Track & Field in the 200m dash.

Walker received his bachelor's degree in Sociology from NCCU in 1999.

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Auburn transfer DE Raashed Kennion joins FAMU Rattlers

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Defensive end Raashed Kennion, who earlier this month left Auburn to "pursue politics," according to reports, is listed on Florida A&M's roster.

Kennion, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound defensive end who was a three-star prospect in the class of 2014, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, arrived in Tallahassee last week. In an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, the junior said his mother, father and grandparents all attended Florida A&M and he "wanted to continue the legacy."

He added he's going to major in political science while at FAMU.



"It was a very hard decision," Kennion said about leaving Auburn. "Probably one of the the harder ones in my life. I had to go with my heart, honestly. I established a lot at Auburn and it hurt."

Kennion was primarily a backup on Auburn's line during the 2015 season. He played in eight games and recorded eight total tackles and one tackle for loss.

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Sanford Seminole's Demetrius Artis works to be leader at FAMU, home

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Life hasn't exactly been easy for Demetrius Artis.

The Florida A&M redshirt freshman linebacker doesn't complain. He battles.

That's the way of life in Sanford and that's what Maurice Artis taught his two sons, Demetrius and DeMarco, who have refined their football skills on the fields of Seminole High.

Maurice Artis, however, was not there to watch Demetrius play his senior year of high school football. The elder Artis passed away in his sleep in 2013, a victim of natural causes at the age of 40. Demetrius Artis found his father that morning. It will stick with him the rest of his life.

"It was a devastating moment. It still is devastating," Demetrius said. "It gets hard to deal with, but you gotta keep pushing and do what would make him happy."

Demetrius Artis was suddenly the man of the house. His grandmother moved in to help out with the three children, older sister DeMaria, Demetrius and youngest DeMarco, but it wasn't easy living without their father.

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Rankin: Pivotal year for Jenkins, ASU

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State passed the test.

Brian Jenkins has had his team practicing during the peak heat hours in preparation for the 2016 season and believes the Hornets have met the challenge.

“I really wanted to test this team and see where their will and drive was at and I tell you what, they’ve responded,” Jenkins said. “They really have and that’s always a good thing to see out of your team this early in the year.”



It’s been nearly two years since Jenkins replaced Reggie Barlow after the 2014 season. There have been highs and lows throughout, but ASU has found its comfort zone with its demanding head coach and staff.

“Comfortably with the coaching staff is the main thing,” Jenkins said. “The closeness as a group and as a program is another thing that I’ve noticed. Their expectation of the coaching staff and the coaching staff’s expectations of the players, you notice that instantly. Their work ethic. It’s not a lot of talk out there on the field. It’s a lot of encouragement on all ends.”

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A contrast in styles, SU's Willie Quinn and Randall Menard work well together

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Earlier this week, Southern caught its first glimpse of what its offense might be capable of this season.

On the practice field for the first time together in 2016 were senior receivers Willie Quinn and Randall Menard, a pair who contrast in ability but work well in tandem.

The 6-foot-3 Menard missed all of preseason camp while recovering from a hamstring injury. But he showed what he brings to the offense in his first full practice with the team Tuesday.



“That’s an extra weapon,” Quinn said. “That’s like having Dez Bryant back. Everybody needs that Dez Bryant on their team.”

Quinn is almost a full head shorter than Menard at a listed 5-foot-5, but he makes up for his height by often being the most elusive player on the field.

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Alabama A&M makes coordinator changes after 3-win season

NORMAL, Alabama -- Will this be the year Alabama A&M puts the pieces together?

The Bulldogs are 7-16 in two seasons under coach James Spady, including last year's 3-8 mark. Spady has taken over play-calling duties and he hired a new defensive coordinators to help turn around a Bulldogs squad that is picked to finish fourth among five teams in the SWAC East Division.

"I do feel a little bit of pressure," Spady said, "but more self-imposed than anything, to make sure we're in a position to compete. It's Year 3; we should be able to compete, for goodness sake. We've got a team full of guys who have a lot of experience and I expect them to turn the corner and I expect us to do better this year."

Returning at quarterback is senior De'Angelo Ballard, who threw for 1,516 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions last season. He was also the team's No. 2 rusher with 340 yards and four scores. Four of Ballard's top-five receivers are back, led by senior Tevin McKenzie, who had 32 grabs for 472 yards and four TDs.

"Tuttie (Ballard) is a more experienced player now," McKenzie said. "He's ready. We studied a lot of film over the summer and worked hard with one-on-ones. You have to have quarterback-receiver chemistry. If your eyes aren't on the same page, nothing would click."

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from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: South Carolina State @ FAMU Football Game Four Preseason Pick

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- This will be FAMU’s first home game of 2016 and it will be a good one.

Last year the South Carolina State Bulldogs rushed for over 350 yards and led by 16 points at the half. FAMU could not muster any kind of offense and gave the Bulldogs multiple opportunities to pound the FAMU defense. This year the Bulldogs will face a better prepared Rattler team with more talent on offense.

I give FAMU the advantage in the passing game. Should the Rattlers find a way to slow down the Bulldogs rushing game and force them to pass, don’t be surprised to see a close game or even a FAMU win.

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XULA students, athletes assist in #BRflood cleanup

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana students helped this past weekend with recovery from recent catastrophic flooding in the state.
     
Thirty-one XULA students — including athletes Elex Carter, Seth Jackson, Innocent Kukulu, Lucas Martin-Julien, Wesley Pluviose-Philip and Chris Ward from men's basketball and Clarke Allen, Keairez Coleman, Katelyn McMorris and Darrick Williams from men's and women's track and field/cross country — traveled to Baton Rouge Saturday. They volunteered their time to gut flooded houses or work at a Red Cross shelter.

Photos
     
"It was easy for me to volunteer," said Jackson, a Baton Rouge resident whose house did not flood. "I wanted to help my city."
     
Jackson and teammates spent nearly four hours in a flooded home. Their duties included cutting open walls to a height of four feet and carrying wet furniture to the curb. There was no air conditioning, and the volunteers more masks and gloves to avoid contact with mold.
    
 "It was pretty hot in that house," Jackson said.
     
But Jackson left the house feeling good about his group's efforts. "I wish we could have stayed and helped a little longer," he said.
     
Jackson took advantage of another opportunity Sunday when he helped with cleanup at a cousin's house in Baton Rouge. XULA's fall semester began Monday.
     
According to reports from the Baton Rouge Advocate and NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune, the flooding across the southern part of the state from the second weekend of August has left at least 13 people dead and thousands more displaced. More than 120,000 households have applied for federal recovery assistance through FEMA, and 2,817 people remained in shelters overnight Sunday. FEMA announced Tuesday the approval of approximately $127 million for for flood survivors.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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www.facebook.com/xulagold 

S.C. State Releases Strong 2016-17 Men's Basketball Schedule

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The South Carolina State men's basketball team has unveiled its 2016-17 schedule, a slate that includes 10 home games and 13 non-conference opponents.

"This by far is the toughest schedule that we have had in some time," said Bulldog head coach Murray Garvin." We face 12 opponents that participated in postseason play last season, including Syracuse University, which made the Final Four.

"Our non-conference schedule will give our fans a chance to see us compete against some in-state SEC & ACC powers such as South Carolina, Clemson and Southern Conference member Furman University, as well as make trips across the country against some outstanding teams. Garvin stated that last season's success has elevated our program to new heights and in turn the competition level of this schedule is second to none."

The Bulldogs will open the season on Nov.11 against Wichita State in Wichita, Kansas, before hosting St. Andrews University in the home opener Nov. 14 at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

SC State will be on the road for the next four games, starting on Nov. 18 at intrastate South Carolina in Columbia, SC. The Bulldogs then head north to take on ACC foe Syracuse Nov. 22 in Syracuse, NY, before moving to Worcester, MA to take on Holy Cross Nov. 25 and Monmouth University Nov. 26 before returning home on Nov. 30 to face Voorhees College.

The Bulldogs then embark on a six-game road trip, beginning in the sunshine state Dec. 6 at another ACC opponent, the University of Miami in Miami, Fla., before heading southwest to College Station, TX to take on perennial SEC contenders, the Aggies of Texas A&M (Dec.10). Coach Garvin's team then return to the Palmetto State for showdown's with Clemson University (Clemson, SC) on Dec. 13, followed by a matchup at Furman (Greenville, SC) Dec. 16.

Prior to a holiday break, SC State heads west again for a Dec. 22 contest against St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. Garvin's squad closes out 2016 with a New Year's eve Dec. 31 contest against Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla. in the team's final non-conference appearance.

The Bulldogs open conference play with a three-game road swing at Coppin State in Baltimore, MD on Jan. 4, before heading to Virginia to meet Hampton Jan. 7 and Norfolk State Jan. 9.

A Jan. 14 match-up with Savannah State will kick off a four-game MEAC home stand for SC State, followed by a Jan. 16 encounter against Bethune-Cookman, a Jan 21 clash with Delaware State and Jan. 23 contest against Morgan State.

SC State returns to the road Jan. 28 against Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, MD, and Jan. 30 at Howard in Washington, DC, before coming home to Orangeburg to host Norfolk State on Feb. 4 and Hampton on Feb. 6.

February 11 and 13 will see the Bulldogs on the road against North Carolina Central in Durham, NC and rival North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, NC, respectively. SC State closes out its regular-season home schedule Feb. 18 against Coppin State and Feb. 25 against Florida A&M, the home finale, before the regular-season wrap-up on the road Mar. 2 at Savannah State.

"We look at this schedule, not as a great challenge for our
basketball team but more as a great opportunity to showcase our program and South Carolina State University on a National level." Garvin noted. "Of course, MEAC play will be as fierce as it always has been and we look forward to seeing Bulldog fans at the games from around the country."

The 2017 MEAC Basketball Championships will be held March 6-11 at the Norfolk Scope Are
na.

For more information on SC State Athletics visit www.scsuathletics.com or call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

S.C. State must survive early challenges to make run at another MEAC title

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough joked that he should fire the person responsible for the Bulldogs’ 2016 football schedule.

Of course, that would mean Pough would have to dismiss himself.

The Bulldogs, coming off a 7-4 season and a respectable 6-2 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, should be league contenders this fall.

That is, if they can survive the first month of the season.

With the university and athletic department financially strapped, Pough had to schedule what in the business are known as “money games” to generate revenue for the cash-starved football program.

Not only do the Bulldogs open the season with three straight games against FBS teams, including Clemson, but all three games are on the road.

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from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU vs. Tuskegee University Football Game Three Pre-season Pick

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- I would like to say that Tuskegee playing FAMU is like FAMU competing against Miami, but that is not quite the case.

Tuskegee is ranked in Division II polls and has the potential to beat a Division 1 team. It has happened before!

Tuskegee will not beat FAMU 53without FAMU’s help though. Should FAMU come to the game focused and ready to go all out, they should, that is, they are supposed to win this game.

At halftime Tuskegee will attempt to beat FAMU at their own game. The one thing that the Tuskegee band won’t be able to do is mimic the FAMU sound. No one will leave the stands at halftime and FAMU will take the show.



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'I'm having a blast': Former Spurrier QB coach Mangus likes life with S.C. State program

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- For more than a month now, G.A. Mangus has been making the trip from his home in Columbia to Orangeburg for South Carolina State football activities and practices.

The quarterbacks coach for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina for the past seven seasons has yet to get a signed contract with the SCSU program, but Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough says he is sure the contract will be taken care of by the athletic department in the near future.

“I think he’s (Mangus) right on the verge (of being under contract),” Pough said with a smile after a recent workout. “Maybe in the next month or so we will have it all straight; maybe by the time we play game three, we will have it all straight.”

The same goes for former South Carolina and Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cory Peoples, most recently cornerbacks coach at Charleston Southern. Both Mangus and Peoples were positioned directly behind the backfields of their respective sides of the ball during the entirety of the first scrimmage of the preseason at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

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ULM Know A Foe: Southern

MONROE, Louisiana -- The countdown begins today with the Southern Jaguars.

The 2016 season opener marks the first ever meeting between ULM and Southern. ULM is 6-0 all-time against SWAC schools, including a 3-0 records against Southern’s archrival Grambling. The Warhawks last faced a SWAC opponent in 2013 when they beat Grambling 48-10 inside JPS Field at Malone Stadium.

A look at 2016: Coming off last season’s disappointment, Odums returns a relatively talented roster by SWAC standards. Tillery led the conference in rushing with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Jaguars return seven total starters on offense including Howard, who finished third in the SWAC in passing with 2,292 and 16 touchdowns to four interceptions. New defensive coordinator Trei Oliver has a capable pass rusher to work with in Tiller, who led the SWAC with 10 sacks. Johnson was an all-conference selection last season at defensive back. Southern was once again prohibited from going through spring practice this offseason due to NCAA sanctions related to poor APR scores.

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Camp is over, but QB competition still alive at JSU

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Training camp is over at Jackson State.

The quarterback competition marches on for another day though.

Tony Hughes declared all five of the Tigers quarterbacks are still in the mix to be named the starter. JSU's season opener at UNLV is just 10 days away.



"We'll make an announcement before the first game (who) that will be," Hughes said. "We'll sit down as a staff and make that decision, but right now we have two weeks to make that (call)."

LaMontiez Ivy, who is is the incumbent at the position and the most experienced option, started throughout the spring and was the first-team quarterback in JSU's first scrimmage.

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Gulfport’s Cleveland Ford finds right fit at Alcorn State

GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Expectations are high at Gulfport — both externally and internally.

With the Admirals projected to be a Class 6A contender again this season, quarterback Cleveland Ford felt it best if he went ahead and ended his recruitment. Sunday, the senior athlete committed to Alcorn State over interest from Texas Tech, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgetown and others.

“I just have a lot of things going on and I wanted to get it out of the way so I could focus on football and the season coming up,” Ford said. “I just felt like it was time. I didn’t want to prolong it and have them think I wasn’t as interested as I really am.”

Ford’s athleticism was on display a year ago when he passed for nearly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns, and rushed for another 231 yards and three touchdowns.

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