Tuesday, September 6, 2016

North Carolina A&T, Tuskegee Open 2016 Season Atop HSRN Polls


HARTLEY, Delaware – Following a full schedule of games spanning September 1-4, the 2015 Conaway Cup winners have retained the top spots in the first week of the Division I FCS and Division II/NAIA HSRN Football Polls.

In the Division I FCS poll, the Aggies of North Carolina A&T begin the season ranked #1 following a season opening 62-0 shutout of former CIAA rival Saint Augustine’s University.

The 2015 Celebration Bowl Champions took the top spot over MEAC rival Bethune-Cookman, whose MEAC-SWAC Challenge appearance was cancelled due to weather conditions. 2015 SWAC runner-up Grambling State, 2015 SWAC Champion Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M round out the FCS top five.

In Division II, Tuskegee served notice that they have reloaded for the season heading a group that included a few surprise entrants. The Golden Tigers began their season with a regionally televised road victory over Clark Atlanta, 36-13. Bowie State, Miles and Virginia State were only separated by five points with Virginia Union completing the top five.

Division I FCS



School (First Place Votes)
Record
Pts
1
North Carolina A&T (9)
1-0
98
2
Bethune-Cookman
0-0
73
3
Grambling State (1)
0-0
72
4
Alcorn State
0-0
69
5
Prairie View A&M
1-0
66
6
Tennessee State
1-0
52
7
Southern
0-1
28
8
Alabama State
0-1
24
9
North Carolina Central
0-1
20
10
South Carolina State
0-1
18

Others receiving votes



Norfolk St. (14) Morgan St. (8), Texas Southern (5)
Hampton (2), Howard (2)




Division II/NAIA

School (First Place Votes)
Record
Pts
1
Tuskegee (7)
1-0
93
2
Bowie State
0-1
67
3
Miles
1-0
64
4
Virginia State (1)
1-0
62
5
Virginia Union (1)
0-1
44
6
Lane
1-0
36
7
Albany State
0-1
35
8
Chowan
1-0
34
9
Winston-Salem State (1)
0-1
33
10
Morehouse
1-0
15

Others receiving votes



Benedict (13), Fayetteville St. (10), Cheyney (8), Ft. Valley St. (7)

Johnson C. Smith (6), Elizabeth City St. (5), Central St. (3)

Edward Waters (2), Langston (2)


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.

Monday, September 5, 2016

FAMU picks new 'Voice of Bragg'



TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- After a selection process that began in June, Florida A&M has picked its new stadium announcer.

Kofi Hemmingway, 45, battled through a reality show produced by the athletic department to be named the school's new Voice of Bragg. Hemmingway, who attended Florida A&M and marched in the Marching 100 as a trombone player, steps in to fill the shoes left by longtime announcer Kenneth Jones.

"I do bleed orange and green and I love FAMU," Hemmingway said. "I’m really, really elated to be a part of the FAMU tradition."

Hemmingway said the reality show was a great way to find the school's next stadium announcer. He had the highest score of the three final competitors, and beat out Jacquell Lawson -- the show's only female competitor -- and Curtis Ford III for the job.

CONTINUE READING

WSSU Rams hope to regroup after opening season with a loss

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State is already hoping to regroup after Saturday's loss.

After WSSU bumbled away its opener against UNC Pembroke Saturday night, 20-17, after taking a 17-3 halftime lead, the Rams must adjust.

Kailan Chavis, who led the Rams with eight tackles Saturday, said they are too talented to panic at this point.



“We have to have thick skin, work hard and get back to the drawing board,” Chavis said. “We have to get more focused because we can’t dwell on this. We actually came out strong, but we have to close better, obviously.”

It was the Rams’ fourth straight non-conference, regular-season loss going back to a 0-3 mark in 2015.

Player after player for the Rams couldn’t pinpoint when the Braves grabbed the momentum, but it was pretty obvious.

CONTINUE READING

Norfolk State University v Elizabeth City State Highlights





NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Culver Column: Are the ‘money games’ worth it?

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- I don’t care how much money is involved — no one likes losing.

Florida A&M’s latest “money game” — a contest against an FBS opponent with more money and resources — was another sad showing. The Rattlers were clobbered 70-3 by Miami in front of 60,703 and the players were noticeably and visibly dejected after the game.

Why shouldn’t they be? They were used as a punching bag by a team with more scholarships, playing in a stadium that seats tens of thousands of people.

“One game doesn’t make the season,” head coach Alex Wood said after the game.

He added, “We all know the deal. We know what the deal is with these games.”

Yes. We do. And, honestly, I wish there were a better way.

CONTINUE READING 

Jackson State's Hughes finding positives heading into TSU



JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State couldn’t give coach Tony Hughes his first career win last Thursday when the Tigers opened their season on the road with a 63-13 loss to UNLV.

But the first-year coach saw enough positives in the lopsided defeat that he’s confident heading into Saturday’s Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis against Tennessee State.

“If you watch the game, you know it’s one-sided and UNLV made all the plays,” Hughes told reporters after the game. “Our whole goal coming in the second half was to win the second half. Let’s score more points than they do in the second half, hold our head high with dignity and let’s get on the bus and go home and get ready for Tennessee State.

“I liked the way our kids competed. They never quit, they never started complaining or pointing the finger at one another, and we really grew as a team through the adversity. We have something to build on for the future, not just for Tennessee State, but for the rest of the year.”

CONTINUE READING 

'It's all on me:' Southern quarterback Austin Howard shoulders blame for inconsistent night against ULM

MONROE, Louisiana — Southern junior quarterback Austin Howard was his own worst critic after Saturday’s 38-21 road loss to Louisiana-Monroe.

“I feel like everything was on me,” Howard said. “I made some bad throws early. I kind of killed our momentum. We just have to get back in practice and work even harder than we did last week.”



Howard completed 17 of 31 attempts for 137 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a fourth-quarter interception in the end zone, killing a drive that started at the ULM 36-yard line.

His overall numbers were mostly skewed by a poor start. He completed just four of his first 13 passes, and he was pressured on four of those attempts.

Those early attempts were also where his bad misses were — the worst coming when he overthrew tight end Dillon Beard, who was running free behind the ULM secondary.

CONTINUE READING 

One last look back at Southern's season-opening loss at Louisiana-Monroe

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern hits the road one more time against an FBS team, making the trip to New Orleans for a nonconference game against Tulane.

First-year Green Wave coach Willie Fritz is still looking for his first win after his team was held to a field goal in a 7-3 loss Thursday at Wake Forest. Tulane had just 280 yards of offense.

Fritz has had success everywhere he has been, but he has a difficult rebuild ahead of him with a Tulane team that has just one winning record in its past 13 seasons.



The Jaguars lost 38-21 on opening weekend, but they hung tough with Louisiana-Monroe. They trailed by two points at halftime, and it was a 10-point game midway through the fourth quarter.

They were maybe two or three big plays away from contending for a win — both in plays they missed out on and plays they gave up. They did a fairly good job bottling up the ULM passing game but were gashed for too many big plays on the ground. When Southern had the ball, it wasn’t able to connect on any momentum-swinging plays, though it had opportunities.

CONTINUE READING

Grambling State vs. Arizona: First look at the Tigers



TUCSON, Arizona -- Week two features the second opponent of the Arizona Wildcats’ non-conference schedule: the Grambling State Tigers.

The Tigers are coming off a  blowout win against the Virginia University of Lynchburg Hornets, which gives them a 1-0 record on the season.

2015 Record: 9-3, SWAC Runner-up

Key Offensive Players: Martez Carter (RB), Jestin Kelly (RB), Chad Williams (WR), Justin Miller (OL)

Key Defensive Players: Guy Stallworth (DB), Arkez Cooper (LB), Jameel Jackson (DB), Malcolm Williams (LB)

The Tigers are a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the FCS level. This is a team that started their 2015 season with an 0-2 mark before ripping off nine straight victories. Their final loss came to Alcorn State in the SWAC Championship.

The 2016 squad returns five players who earned all-SWAC honors. Justin Miller, Chad Williams and Guy Stallworth made first team, while Martez Carter and Arkez Cooper made second team.

CONTINUE READING

Prairie View A&M Football Wins Thriller In Opening Game Of Panther Stadium In Labor Day Classic



PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- It wasn't easy, but rivalry games seldom are.

Throw in a pair of weather delays on the occasion of the grand opening of the new Panther Stadium, and with an inspired opponent looking to play spoiler, the plot thickened.

The resilient Prairie View A&M University football team rallied twice from deficits to win 29-25 in the 32nd Labor Day Classic over Texas Southern before a live national television audience on ESPNU.

Trailing 25-22 with just under nine minutes remaining, the Panthers marched 78 yards in only six plays to take the lead for good. Trey Green threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Khadarel Hodge to put the Panthers ahead to stay with just over seven minutes to play in the season and Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

It was the second of two Green-to-Hodge scoring passes in the second half in which Prairie View (1-0 overall, 1-0 SWAC) outscored Texas Southern 23-8.



The defense swung momentum for the Panthers in the third quarter with a pair of takeaways and a safety. A fumble recovery by Jalan Coleman at the Tigers' 9-yard line let to the first of the two touchdown passes.

On the next possession, a bad snap led to Damond Jackson safety to cut the deficit to 17-15.

A forced fumble by Will Skinner was recovered by Jamespaul Bryant at the 32. Eight plays later, Green scampered in from a yard out to put the Panthers back in front, 22-17.

Weather delayed the start of the game by nearly an hour, with the second delay of more than an hour occurring with less than a minute to play in the first quarter.

The Panthers return to action Saturday at 11 a.m. at Texas A&M in a game that will be televised on SEC Network Alternate Channel.

Attendance: 14,982

BOX SCORE



PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Hankerson, Chung Lift NSU over ECSU in Labor Day Classic, 20-12

NORFOLK, Virginia – Greg Hankerson threw two touchdown passes and Quintreil Chung tallied 81 yards and a TD on the ground to lift Norfolk State to a 20-12 win over Elizabeth City State on Sunday night in the ABNB Labor Day Classic at Dick Price Stadium.

Seniors James Church and redshirt freshman George Wahee both caught their first career scoring passes for the Spartans (1-0), who won their season-opener for the first time since defeating Virginia State in 2012. Sunday's game – the first meeting between the schools since 1996 – was delayed a day due to the effects of Hurricane Hermine.

NSU scored first when Chung capped an eight-play, 48-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run with 7:14 left in the first quarter. But the Vikings (0-1) responded late in the period with quarterback Daquan Neal's 3-yard TD run with 24 seconds left in the stanza. The PAT was blocked, however, keeping the Spartans in the lead at 7-6.

Hankerson hit Church on a 7-yard TD pass at the 11:06 mark of the second quarter to culminate a 12-play, 64-yard drive. But ECSU kept it close heading into the half as Neal hit Victor Tabbs on a 29-yard pass play on the final play of the second quarter. The Vikings went for a two-point conversion to attempt to tie the score, but Neal's pass fell incomplete.

The Spartans capped the scoring with 2:50 left in the third quarter as Hankerson hit Wahee on a 12-yard TD pass, extending the NSU lead to 20-12.



The NSU defense made the lead stand up, forcing a turnover on downs, a fumble and a punt by ECSU in the final quarter. The Vikings' first drive of the quarter reached the NSU 32-yard line. But NSU linebacker Kyle Archie sacked Neal for an 8-yard loss on fourth down.

On ECSU's ensuing possession, backup quarterback Jamond Oatman was sacked and stripped of the ball near midfield by NSU defensive linemen Walter Brantley and Terrell Reid. Brantley fell on the fumble to give NSU possession.

The Vikings' had one more chance, taking over at their 30-yard line with 5:53 left. But ECSU lost two yards over the course of its next three plays and opted to punt. The Spartans ran out the clock, with Hankerson threading a needle to Taylor for a 37-yard gain on 3rd-and-17 to seal the win.

Hankerson passed for 151 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 54 yards on 13 carries, finishing with 205 total yards. Chung posted career highs of 18 rushed for 81 yards as NSU racked up 170 yards on the ground.

Taylor led NSU's receivers with 70 yards on three catches. Church also caught three passes.

Neal threw for 238 yards and a score for the Vikings. James Roe, son of the former Spartan great by the same name, had eight catches for 112 yards.

Defensively, freshman Bobby Price led NSU with eight tackles in his first college game. Transfer cornerback Hakiem Swann made seven stops in his first game as a Spartan, while linebacker T.C. Livingston made a career-high seven in his first start.

The Spartans have a short week before meeting Richmond in the state's capital city next Saturday at 6 p.m. It will be the first meeting between NSU and the Spiders, who advanced to the FCS playoff semifinals last year.

Attendance: 11,780

BOX SCORE

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Miles College takes Labor Day Golden Classic



BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Miles head coach Reginald Ruffin had not won a Labor Day Golden Classic in three previous tries. Through most of the first half on Sunday, it did not look as if he was going to be successful on try No. 4 either.

The Golden Bears spotted Fort Valley State 21 points due to a combination of offensive miscues and defensive mishaps. But Miles (1-0) dominated the entire second half on defense while riding an offense led by Jamarcus Nance and David Whipple to post a 34-21 win over the Wildcats in front of 12,438 at Legion Field. The victory was the first over Fort Valley State (0-1) since 2004 and the first Labor Day Golden Classic win since an overtime win over Stillman in the 2010 Classic.

Trailing 21-3 at halftime, turned to its defense to accelerate the comeback. On the third play of the second half, Jarmari Ford stripped the ball from Travis Richmond and Emmanuel Ray recovered the loose ball for Miles. Miles then drove 58 yards in nine plays, the biggest one coming on a 43-yard completion from Whipple to Earnest Bell for 43 yards. Four plays later, Whipple punched it in from four yards out to cut the deficit to 21-10.

After the defense went three-and-out on the next series, the Golden Bears again went to work. This time, Whipple found a streaking Trey Smith for a 49-yard scoring bomb that brought the Golden Bears even closer.Fort valley was forced to punt again after three offensive plays and Whipple and the offense went right to work.

Sparked by a roughing the passer penalty that erased a thrid down interception, Miles would go 88 yards in just eight plays. Ger'Kerry Jackson did big work on the ground, rushing for 35 of his 41 yards on this drive. Whipple then used a 28-yard completion to Devin Brown and his own 16-yard touchdown scamper to complete the drive and give the Golden Bears their first lead, 24-21, with just less than three minutes left in the third quarter.

Miles then used its defense to seal the victory. Ray scooped up a FVSU fumble on the second play of the fourth quarter and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown to increase the lead. Nick Christiansen nailed a 33-yard field goal, his second of the game, on the next possession, which gave the Golden Bears points on six straight possessions to close out the scoring.

Miles looked strong on its opening drive, moving with ease into the red zone to start the game. But Whipple would float a ball into the flat and Brian Walker picked it off, returning it 91 yards for a score at the 9:51 mark of the first quarter to give FVSU an early 7-0 lead. That started a mountain of mistakes on both sides of the ball for the Golden Bears, who would switch quarterbacks on offense and tried to mix it up on defense but to no avail. When Otis Brown caught his second touchdown of the game with 8:04 left in the first half, the Wildcats led 21-0 and Miles' fans grew restless immediately. Christiansen, though, would get the Golden Bears on the board with a 27-yard field goal late in the first half to start the comeback.

Whipple threw for 231 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another 31 yards and two scores. Jamarcus Nance ran 20 times for 148 yards. Anthony Hardy (seven tackles) and Ray (six tackles, two fumble recoveries, two pass break ups, and a touchdown) paced the effort on defense.



Attendance: 12,438

BOX SCORE

MILES COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Alcorn State misses opportunity Sunday vs. Bethune-Cookman



DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Alcorn State first-year coach Fred McNair will have to wait one more week for his debut.

The Braves had their game against Bethune-Cookman on Sunday cancelled in the second quarter follow a nearly three-hour delay because of inclement weather. They led 13-7 with 7:14 remaining in the first half in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“Well, you know, it’s kind of frustrating,” McNair said, according to comments posted on Alcorn State’s athletics website. “You want to see what kind of players you’re putting on the field. I think the first quarter and a half was trying to see what you’ve been working toward in camp. It’s just frustrating because it’s the first game and the kids wanted to play.

“We just have to go back and evaluate what we have, see what kind of mistakes we made and learn from those. I saw a lot of good things. This team is going to be very good once we get a hold of a few things and correct everything we need to correct.”

CONTINUE READING

Top HBCU Marching Band Half-Time Shows for Football Week 1









MORE TO COME ....

HBCU Football Judgment Day Schedule/Scoreboard Week 1


ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

SUNDAY, Sept. 4
Prairie View 29Texas Southern 25  ESPNU  32nd Labor Day Classic  
Old Dominion 54, Hampton 21
Miles College 34 Fort Valley State 21  Labor Day Golden Classic
Norfolk State 20, Elizabeth City State 12 ABNB Labor Day Classic
Alcorn State at Bethune-Cookman, 12th MEAC/SWAC CHALLENGE CANCELED

SATURDAY, Sept 3
Middle Tennessee 55, Alabama A&M
Texas San Antonio 26, Alabama State 13
Tennessee State 44 Arkansas Pine Bluff  John Merritt Classic
Louisiana-Monroe 38, Southern 21  ESPN3
Grambling State 72, Virginia-Lynchburg 12
Maryland 52, Howard 13   TV: Big Ten Network
Holy Cross 51, Morgan State 24
Miami (Fla.) 70, Florida A&M 3                ESPN3
Georgia Southern 54, Savannah State 0      ESPN3
Duke 49, North Carolina Central 6             ESPN3  Bull City Gridiron Classic
North Carolina A&T 62, Saint Augustine's 0
Central Florida 38, South Carolina State 0              ESPN3
Charleston Southern 57, Kentucky State 7  Big South Network
Fairmont State 30, West Virginia State 20
Limestone 35, Shaw 6
Long Island U.-Post 14, Virginia Union 12
Seton Hill 50, Bowie State 48
Wingate 38, Johnson C. Smith 28            ESPN3
Virginia State 34, Lenoir Rhyne 9   Watch The Game
Langston 23, Lincoln (Mo.) 13
Lane 44, Texas College 6
Benedict 5, Livingstone 3 15th Palmetto Capital City Classic  Video boxcast.tv
Chowan 14, Fayetteville State 13
UNC Pembroke 20, Winston-Salem State 17
Dayton 31, Central State (OH) 19   Dayton Live Stream (Click Here)
Morehouse 19,  Edward Waters 13  
Valdosta State 16, Albany State (Ga.) 7
Tuskegee 36,  Clark Atlanta 13            TV: American Sports Network



ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

FRIDAY, Sept. 2
Eastern Michigan 61, Mississippi Valley 14  ESPN3

THURSDAY, Sept. 1
Cheyney 21,  Lincoln (Pa.)  20,  Battle of the First, ESPN3
Delaware 56, Delaware State 14 
Nevada - Las Vegas 63, Jackson State 13  TV: Mountain West Network


ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

David Washington is impressive as ODU rolls past Hampton 54-21

NORFOLK, Virginia --There were some opening-night jitters, and some key mistakes. At times, Old Dominion’s offense faltered, and the defense gave up some big plays.

But in a game delayed a day by tropical storm Hermine, ODU gave its home fans something Sunday night they haven’t had for three years – the chance to cheer an old fashioned, blowout victory.

Showing no ill effects from knee surgery nine months ago, quarterback David Washington tossed four touchdown passes, and ODU's defense looked much improved, as the Monarchs pulled away in the second half to pummel Hampton, 54-21, at Foreman Field.

ODU last won by such a lopsided margin on Nov. 2, 2013, when the Monarchs downed Rhode Island, 66-14. It was the most points ODU has scored since moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision and Conference USA.

The game was a critical test for Washington, who had surgery to repair two torn ligaments and meniscus in December. He had not been tackled live since being injured last November at Southern Mississippi.

CONTINUE READING 

MEAC/SWAC Challenge Cancelled Due To Weather

B-CU ATHLETICS
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - Due to weather conditions and concern for student-athlete and spectator safety, the 2016 MEAC/SWAC Challenge has been suspended.

Both schools have agreed that the game will not be resume.

 BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Dayton Wins Opener Over Central State 31-19

DAYTON, Ohio -- The University of Dayton (1-0) jumped ahead early and hung on late to take down Central State (0-1) in the 2016 home opener on Saturday evening at Welcome Stadium.

SCORING
• Dayton's first touchdown of the 2016 season came on a one-yard run from Jack Adams that capped a seventy-one yard scoring drive and put the Flyers up 7-0.
• The Flyers made it 14-0 when Alex Jeske found Jack Euritt in the back of the endzone with an eight-yard connection.
• UD capped off the first half scoring with a Jeske nine-yard scamper that put Dayton up 21-0.
• Senior kicker William Will knocked in his first field goal attempt of the season from 22 yards out to give the Flyers a 24-0 lead.
• Jeske connected with J.P. Forcucci for a 10-yard touchdown, putting Dayton ahead 31-0
• Central State got on the board with a De'Michael Jackson one-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, but a bad snap prevented the extra point, 31-6.
• The Marauders returned a punt 80 yards by Clim Robbins to make it 31-12 late in the fourth quarter.
• Central State wrapped up the scoring with short Jackson run from inside the four to bring the game to its final score of 31-19.



STATS
• Dayton outgained the Marauders 408 to 365. That included 152 yards on the ground and 256 in the air.
• Dayton forced 6 turnovers in the game. Sophomore safety David Leisring led the Flyers with two interceptions.
• Redshrt sophomore quarterback Alex Jeske was 18 of 27 for 256 yards. Jeske threw for two touchdowns and an interception.
• Jack Adams and Tucker Yinger lead the ground attack. The two combined for 109 yards on 23 carries. Adams had 56 yards, and Yinger added 53.
• Jack Euritt led the Flyers' receiving corps with five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.

NOTES
• Dayton has now scored in an NCAA-all-division record 444 straight games.
• UD has won seven straight against Central State. The first meeting between the two was the lone win for the Marauders, back in 1978

UP NEXT
• The Flyers remain home to host Robert Morris Saturday, September 10, with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m.

Attendence: 4003

BOX SCORE

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alabama A&M Routed by Middle Tennessee State 55-0

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee – It didn't take long for Middle Tennessee to get in the end zone for the first time Saturday in its 55-0 win over Alabama A&M, and once it did the floodgates opened.

The Blue Raiders needed just 1:18 to find the end zone when redshirt senior I'Tavius Mathers, a Blackman product who came home to Murfreesboro prior to last season after three years at Ole Miss, capped the five-play, 61-yard opening drive with a 32-yard rushing score.

"I just saw the defense load up to the left and, I think, a corner was out on top of Demetrius [Frazier], and I just trusted the line to do their job and Demetrius to do his job; the rest is just me running into the endzone," he said. "I have to give credit to the offensive line and receivers for blocking it up and making my job easy."

Mathers finished with seven rushes for 62 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half, in his first game in front of his hometown crowd. Redshirt freshman Terelle West led the way on the ground with 83 yards on 15 carries in his first-ever collegiate game.

"I'Tavius had a couple of nice runs in there; I thought he did a really nice job … Terelle and Ruben, I thought they did a really good job," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "For the first game, and until you watch the film you never know, but I thought those guys competed really well."

With the running backs setting the tone on the ground, redshirt sophomore quarterback Brent Stockstill and the new-look Middle Tennessee receiving corps were free to go to work.

Stockstill completed his first 22 passes of the game, breaking the previous MT school record of consecutive passes completed of 19 set by Logan Kilgore in 2011. Stockstill completed 30 of his 36 throws in the first half for 329 yards, five scores and one interception before giving up the reigns to backup redshirt freshman John Urzua after halftime.

"First of all, I felt like Coach [Tony] Franklin did a great job preparing not only me but this team throughout the whole offseason," Brent Stockstill said. "Coming into the game I was extremely confident, and to complete 22 straight balls 22 guys have to catch it, so credit goes to those guys."

Stockstill threw three of his five touchdown passes in the first quarter. Two players on the receiving end of those – sophomore Desmond Anderson and redshirt junior Patrick Smith – were making their first starts at wide receiver for the Blue Raiders.

In total, three receivers – Anderson, Smith and redshirt senior Dennis Andrews – made their first touchdown grabs at Middle Tennessee. True freshman Ty Lee also made his first start at MT and finished with four catches for 42 yards, and redshirt sophomore Richie James led the team with eight grabs for 73 yards and a score.

"There were a lot of firsts out there," Rick Stockstill said. "But I thought we pitched and caught it pretty well."

While the Blue Raider offense was impressive, scoring 45 points in the first half alone and gaining 681 total yards in the game, their defense was equally strong in the shutout.

Alabama A&M gained just 146 total yards of offense and punted 13 times in 16 possessions. The Blue Raiders came up with four sacks and an interception, and were led in tackles by junior Malik Hawkins with six and redshirt junior Myles Harges with five.

Sticking with the theme of new guys making key contributions, Harges was making his first start at MT in his third game played, and Hawkins was wearing the blue and white for the first time.

"I've been ready to play for my team all year and all summer," Harges said. "I've been waiting for this since I got here."

Losing 30 lettermen from last year's team and suffering a few key injuries during the offseason have created plenty of chances for new guys to step in and contribute this season.

Early returns on most of those players are that they are ready to take the torch and lead the Blue Raiders to a special season this year in Murfreesboro.

"We had some young guys in there playing for the first time, and I think they did a really good job," Rick Stockstill said.

Middle Tennessee will return to action when it plays Vanderbilt in Nashville next Saturday at 3 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES:
CAPTAINS: Today's game captains were OL Daniel Stephens, DL Raynard Felton and WR Demetrius Frazier.
HOME SWEET HOME: Middle Tennessee continued its strong play at home with the season opening win over AAMU. The Blue Raiders are now 18-3 at the friendly confines over its last 21 games and have won four straight.

FIRST TIME STARTERS: There were eight players who made their first Blue Raider start in tonight's game against AAMU. On offense, RB I'Tavius Mathers, WR Patrick Smith, and WR Ty Lee were all starters for the first time, while LB DJ Sanders, LB Myles Harges, LB Darius Harris, S Jovante Moffatt and S Alex Dale on defense.

STOCKSTILL SETS CONSECUTIVE PASS RECORD: Sophomore Brent Stockstill set a new school record when he connected on his first 22 passes in the win over AAMU. Stockstill broke the previous mark of 19 consecutive completed passes by Logan Kilgore in 2011. The record-breaking 20th straight completion was a 42-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Smith (the first TD of Smith's career).

STOCKSTILL MOVES PAST COLLIER: With 329 passing yards tonight against AAMU, Brent Stockstill moved past Marvin Collier for eighth place on Middle Tennessee's all-time list. Stockstill now has 4,375 career yards and will now look ahead to seventh place Teddy Morris (4,799).

JAMES JUMPS INTO TOP 10: With eight receptions tonight, sophomore Richie James jumped all the way to a tie for seventh place on the Blue Raiders' all-time list in just 14 games played. James now has 116 career receptions and needs six more to take over sixth place from Kyle Griswould.

NO. 9: QB Brent Stockstill added to his school career record of 300-yard passing games by throwing for 329 yards in the season opener tonight. Stockstill now has 9 300-yard passing games, including six in his last seven games.

SHUTOUT: Middle Tennessee threw a shutout in its season-opening win over Alabama A&M for its second goose egg under Tyrone Nix. It was also the first shutout by MT since blanking FIU, 48-0, on Nov. 9, 2013. The season-opening shutout was also the first by MT since 1986 when the Blue Raiders downed Miles, 47-0 at home.

MT SETS TOTAL OFFENSE MARK UNDER STOCKSTILL: The Blue Raiders recorded 681 yards of total offense against Alabama A&M, the most ever in Head Coach Rick Stockstill's tenure. MT was just four yards shy of tying the all-time mark of 685, which was set in a 70-58 win against Idaho on Oct. 16, 2001.

QUICK HITTERS: Today was the kickoff to the 102nd season of football at MT … DT Shaquille Huff started his team-leading 26th straight game today … Steven Rhodes, Shaquille Huff, Hunter Rogers and Demetrius Frazier all played in their team-leading 39th career game today … Desmond Anderson, who moved to WR in preseason camp, hauled in his first career TD reception in first quarter … WR Demetrius Frazier had just his second career TD reception … PK Canon Rooker attempted and made his first career field goal late in the first half from 25 yards out … Walk-on Patrick Smith made his first career start, hauled in his first reception and also recorded his first touchdown in win over AAMU … With 30 completions tonight, Brent Stockstill now has 359 for his career which moved him past Jonathan Quinn for 6th place all-time … Graduate transfer Deontay Evans recorded his first interception as a Blue Raider during the third quarter … Tonight was win No. 65 for Rick Stockstill … MT is now 49-4 under Rick Stockstill when scoring 30 or more points in a game.

ALABAMA A&M UNIVESITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Virginia State Trojans Open the Season with a Win on the Road Against Lenoir-Rhyne

PETERSBURG, Virginia  --  The Virginia State University Trojans win season opener upsetting Lenoir-Rhyne University 34 – 9 amidst a crowd of nearly 6,000. The two teams have met only twice in the history of both institutions. In 2014 the Bears traveled to Virginia State and captured a 34 – 6 victory ruining the Trojans season opener. Virginia State and Lenoir-Rhyne won their conference championships that year. This year the Trojans traded places and left Hickory, NC with the season opening win and momentum to carry them into the 2016 Season 1-0. The contest was just 1 of 3 non-conference opponents the Trojans will endure before entering conference play in Week 4.

"Today was a great way to go out and start our season against a really good team. I'm just happy and proud for our coaches and players. The guys came out with the type of energy and enthusiasm we want, played well, did well, and we were able to come out with a victory," shared Head Coach Reggie Barlow.

Senior quarterback Tarian Ayres (Buckingham, VA) went 24-17 passing for 201 yards. (Offensively the Trojans were led by junior running back Trenton Cannon (Hampton, VA) scored two touchdowns in the first half, ending the game with 72 yards receiving and 66 yards on the ground. Senior running back Kavon Bellamy (Hampton, VA) followed up rushing for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Stephen Mines (Chester, VA) visited the end zone today scoring his first touchdown as a Trojan on a 1 yard run.

"It's a great feeling. Getting my first one was just great," expressed Mines.

T.J Smith led the Bears offensively recording 87 yards on 4 receptions. Nelson Brown followed up with 70 yards rushing.
The Trojan defense was pioneered by All-CIAA Preseason honoree senior linebacker Geo Feggins (South Hill, VA) who recorded 15 total tackles (8 solo). Rodney Singleton led the Bears defensive effort recording 11 total tackles (6 solo).

Virginia State won the opening toss, but deferred putting the defense out on the field first. After a series of Bears first downs, an incomplete pass intended for T.J Smith forces the Bears to punt. The Trojans score on the opening drive putting together 9 plays for 85 yards sending Bellamy into the end zone on a 3 yard run. Senior kicker Mathew Hillquist (Glen Allen, VA) attempts the extra point kick to give VSU a 7-0 lead

On the next Lenoir-Rhyne drive the Trojan defense holds the Bears to 3 and out with a loss of 4 yards. Senior defensive lineman Bryant Frazier (Glen Allen, VA) ends the drive with a sack for a loss of 3 sending a message to the Bears offense early.

With 6:04 remaining in the first quarter Ayres (Buckingham, VA) launches a pass midfield to Cannon for a 33 yard gain. Four plays later Cannon enters the end zone on a 2 yard run to give the Trojans a 13 – 0 lead that they would carry into the second quarter.

The Trojans wasted no time moving the ball to start the second quarter. A 13 yard completion to sophomore Josh Harris (William, VA) results in a VSU first down at the 50 yard line. On 3rd and 9 Ayres finds an open Cannon who takes it to the house for a 26 yard touchdown extending the Trojan lead 20- 0 with 13 minutes remaining in the first half.

With just over two minutes remaining in the first half the Bears make their mark on the scoreboard off a 15 yard pass from Kellar to Ray Beam.

VSU looks to get into the end zone one more time after Ayres links up with senior tight end Andrew Clark (Richmond, VA) for a 21 yard gain setting the Trojans up for 1st and 10 at the Bears 17 yard line. However, time is not on the Trojans side and they settle for a field goal on 1st and goal to end the half, but the kick by Hillquist is no good and the Trojans enter the half leading Lenoir-Rhyne
20 – 7.

The Bears defense slows the Trojans down in the third quarter, but the Trojans maintain their composure. A series of first downs eventually leads to a 2 yard touchdown for the Trojans as Bellamy burst through the Bears defense putting the Trojans up by 20 with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter.

Both teams exchanged fumble recoveries early in the fourth quarter, with the Trojans getting the better end result of the ordeal as senior Bryce Bradley (Richmond, VA) picks up 44 yards after recovering a fumble on 2nd and goal for the Bears.

On the next drive Mines picks up a huge first down on a 41 yard carry and on 3rd and goal Mines gets inside the end zone for a 1 yard touchdown making it a 34 -7 VSU lead with under five minutes remaining on the game clock.

A safety penalty called on the Trojans with 21 seconds remaining in the game results in two points for the Bears. Despite the safety, the Trojans were already on the sidelines celebrating the victory. The players emptied their coolers out showering Head Coach Reggie Barlow in love and during the post -game huddle Feggins took a moment to toss Coach Barlow the game ball in admiration of embracing them and leading them to victory along with the coaching staff.

On Saturday, September 10, 2016 the Trojans will be back in act
ion at Rogers Stadium as they take on Tusculum College at 2 P.M for Family Weekend and Military Appreciation Day.

For more football information, visit govsutrojans.com, call 804-524-5030, or follow Trojan Athletics on Twitter @vsusports.

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS