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NORFOLK, Virginia -- The MEAC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments seem to have thrived the last five years at Norfolk’s Scope, but that isn’t stopping the league from asking other cities to bid to host the events .
Norfolk’s contract with the MEAC expires after this season’s tournament.
Commissioner Dennis Thomas confirmed the MEAC has asked for bids, adding, “We’ve had a good response.” He didn’t put a timeline on the decision and declined to say what other cities submitted proposals.
Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander said he understands why the league would seek other bids.
“You should always look at what’s out there,” he said. “They want to see what they can find in the marketplace in the way of revenue and amenities. I think that’s a smart move on their part.”
Still, I’d be surprised if the MEAC leaves Norfolk, whose central location has helped the tournament draw pretty well. The league sold 52,293 tournament tickets here in 2013, and that grew to 74,904 last season, a league record.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- After playing two games in six days – including on game against an FBS opponent following a 12-hour bus ride – Florida A&M’s football team is getting some time to rest.
This week marks the first of two bye weeks for the Rattlers (1-1, 0-0 MEAC). FAMU, which came out of the first two weeks relatively healthy, per head coach Alex Wood, has yet another formidable opponent waiting on the other side of this week off.
The Rattlers will play FCS No. 23 Tennessee State in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium in the first FAMU Tampa Classic. Tennessee State is coming off a 17-10 win over FBS opponent Georgia State thanks in part to a dual-threat performance from Florida transfer QB Treon Harris.
FAMU's game against Tennessee State is the final nonconference game of the season for the Rattlers.
Wood said the bye week – even though it’s coming before just the third game of the season – is at the “right time” for the Rattlers.
“We’re going to do some prep for (Tennessee State),” Wood said. “We’re also going to look at ourselves and make sure we’re fundamentally sound and that we’re doing all the things right that we can possibly do from that stand point.”
B-CU Wildcats Head Coach Terry Sims MP 3 Audio DSU Hornets Head Coach Kenny Carter MP3 Audio
FAMU Rattlers Head Coach Alex Wood MP3 Audio HAMPTON Pirates Head Coach Connell Maynor MP3 Audio HOWARD Bison Head Coach Mike London MP3 Audio MSU Bears Head Coach Fred Farrier MP3 Audio NSU Spartans Head Coach Latrell Scott MP3 Audio NCA&T Aggies Head Coach Rod Broadway MP3 Audio NCCU Eagles Head Coach Jerry Mack MP3 Audio SSU Tigers Head Coach Erik Raeburn MP3 Audio
SCSU Bulldogs Head Coach Buddy Pough MP3 Audio COURTESY MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEDIA RELATIONS
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- No time to mope or hang heads low in disappointment.
The South Carolina State football team still feels the sting of Sunday's 14-8 loss to Southern in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Baton Rouge, La. That sting is partially from a season-opening loss, and partially from falling short on opportunities to win late in the game.
It wasn't the way Bulldogs head coach Buddy Pough wanted to start his 16th season leading his alma mater's program. But, with an experienced defense and a talented but unproven offense, the result was somewhat understandable.
"It's been a brutal morning, looking at that (game) tape and seeing some of the mistakes we made," Pough said at his weekly press conference on Monday. "It's just not what I had envisioned. We need to get through that as quickly as possible.
"Sometimes you need to put a win behind you and get better, but maybe you need to get a loss behind you even faster. You can brutalize yourself (mentally) to the point where you don't give yourself a chance to come out of it. You can't get too high or too low in this game. We need to fix what needs to be fixed and get on to the next thing."
MIAMI, Florida -- There is a strong likelihood that South Florida will be impacted by Hurricane Irma later this week and into the weekend. Irma is a large, category 5 hurricane that should not be underestimated. It is imperative that every member of the community takes this threat seriously and pays attention to updates from the National Hurricane Center.
Employees are expected to report to work on Wednesday; university services will take place as usual. The university will be closed starting on Thursday. All special events on campus, including the Saturday football game at FIU, are canceled.
The Tigers opened the season with a 17-10 win Thursday at FBS foe Georgia State.
It was TSU’s first win over an FBS team since the Tigers beat Louisville 24-15 in 1984.
TSU was not ranked in either poll in the preseason.
Tigers senior linebacker Chris Collins racked up 12 tackles (9 solos) and was named the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week along with Jacksonville State linebacker Jonathan Hagler.
TSU safety Vincent Sellers, a freshman from Sarasota, Fla., was the OVC Newcomer of the Week. He had 10 tackles, including one for a loss.
TSU plays Jackson State Saturday (6 p.m.) in the Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Jackson State opened the season Saturday with a 63-0 loss to Texas Christian.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- For the second time in eight days Tennessee State’s men’s basketball team announced it will play a nationally televised game this season.
Coach Dana Ford announced on Monday the Tigers’ season-opener on Nov. 10 at Kansas will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Last week Ford said the Tigers game at Texas on Dec. 18 would be on ESPN2.
The game against Kansas at historic Allen Fieldhouse will tip off at 8 p.m.
The Jayhawks went 31-5 and ended the season last year in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament with a 74-60 loss to Oregon.
TSU went 17-13 in Ford’s third season.
Kansas is predicted to be a top five team in most preseason publications.
The Jayhawks, who have claimed 13 consecutive Big 12 championships, return two regular starters — guards Devonte’ Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk — and three players — guard Lagerald Vick, center Udoka Azubuike and forward Mitch Lighfoot — who were part-time starters or saw a lot of action. CONTINUE READING
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern won Sunday’s game against South Carolina State on third down.
The Jaguars didn’t have a banner day offensively in their 14-8 win — their 14 points and 297 yards were their lowest outputs since 2015 — but they converted 11 of 19 third-down opportunities.
And the defense was even better: South Carolina State did not convert a single third down in 10 tries.
“That definitely helped,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “I didn’t realize they were 0 for 10. If we can play great third-down defense and great third-down offense, we’ve got a chance to be successful.”
It led to Southern having a nearly seven-minute advantage in time of possession.
“They stayed on the field in a lot of situations where we needed the football back desperately,” South Carolina State coach Oliver Pough said.
Southern quarterback Austin Howard was particularly effective on third down: He was 8 of 11 for 109 yards, each of his third-down completions resulting in a first down. CONTINUE READING
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On college football’s front page the DMV lays decidedly below-the-fold. Yes, Virginia Tech has dominated the ACC’s weaker division and Navy plays Army every December, but for the most part those schools plus Maryland and Virginia are watching the party rather than being in the middle of it.
And then there’s Howard — an FCS school in the MEAC that has more ten-loss seasons over the last decade than winning campaigns.
If the DMV is below the fold, the Bison are tucked in the second-to-last page next to the car ads.
So when former Richmond and Virginia coach Mike London took over the program last offseason, the usual shrugs and nods were given. The opening week slate that had Howard visiting UNLV didn’t really catch our eyes — the Bison have served as September cannon fodder for the likes of Maryland, Boston College and Rutgers over the last few years.
The fact that HU was a 45-point underdog was no surprise. But the 43-40 upset was. Somehow, Caylin Newton (younger brother of Cam) tallied 330 yards of offense against the Rebels and Howard stole the Labor Day weekend thunder away from the likes of Alabama, Michigan and even Maryland.
BIRMINGHAM. Alabama -- Alabama A&M's Kenneth Davis has been named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
In making the announcement Monday, the conference recognized the senior linebacker for his outstanding play against the University of Alabama-Birmingham last Saturday.
A first-team All-SWAC preseason team linebacker, Davis made eight solo tackles with two assiAsted tackles to go along with several impact plays including two sacks for minus-8 yards and three tackles for loss for minus-9 yards.
The Bulldogs will travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt on Saturday. Kickoff is 3 p.m.
HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Southern Miss and Southern University have never met on the football field.
But second-year Golden Eagle coach Jay Hopson is very well acquainted with the Jaguars. During his four-year stint at Alcorn State, the Braves never lost to Southern. In 2014, the Hopson-led squad knocked the Jaguars off twice (once for the SWAC championship).
Even if Hopson can’t recall those specifics off the top of his head, he has not forgotten the Jaguars’ makeup.
“It seemed like they were always a tough game,” he said Monday. “They were hard-fought battles. (Head coach Dawson Odums) does a great job there. They’re always consistently a nine or 10 win team. They’ve always got a lot of playmakers and they’re physical.”
Southern Miss and Southern will kick off at 6 p.m. at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Hopson said junior Kwadra Griggs will make the start at quarterback for the Golden Eagles after throwing for 222 yards and two touchdowns in last week's season-opening 24-17 loss to Kentucky.
"He probably earned (the start)," Hopson said. "He really had an outstanding second half. (Keon Howard) did a lot of good things, too. So he will be ready if his opportunity comes.
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- It's a game they had prepared for all summer.
Alabama State head coach Brian Jenkins said there were so many people who asked him if his team was ready for weeks.
The opponent: Tuskegee. The mission: win.
The Hornets couldn't complete that mission, taking what was for them a shocking 14-6 loss to the Tigers on Saturday.
The Hornets dominated the stat sheet, except for perhaps the most important number on the contest besides the final score. Alabama State committed 17 penalties for 156 yards.
Jenkins kept asking the same question following Saturday's game: "How?"
"I told my guys that the team that would win this game would be the one with the most discipline and played with detail," Jenkins said. "We didn't do that. That's the thing. Look at the stats. We're not making any excuses. We just didn't get it done."
Howard was actually paid $600,000 for the honor of beating UNLV. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Not long after Mike London accepted the head coaching job at Howard University — leaving the college football big-time as a University of Maryland assistant to take over a program that had won three games in two years — he coined a phrase for his first season. “Mission Possible” would be the team’s slogan this fall, even if the mission didn’t actually seem possible. “That’s all we talk about,” London said Sunday afternoon. “We break every huddle down with that. We break every meeting with that. People are moved by the way you make them feel.” What feels possible for Howard suddenly looks quite a bit different than it had before this weekend began. The Bison went to UNLV as 45-point underdogs late Saturday night. They left with a 43-40 win that goes down as one of the biggest upsets in college football history. A $100 moneyline bet on Howard to win would have paid more than $50,000. And Howard was actually paid $600,000 for the honor of beating UNLV, according to USA Today, which reported that “Howard had to arrange for its band and cheerleaders to arrive in Las Vegas by noon the day before the game to participate in various events” to receive the full guarantee. The Bison had never beaten a team in college football’s top level — now called the Bowl Subdivision — and every game against a lower-division team may not have a printed point spread. In an opening weekend that saw plenty of stupefying surprises — Maryland winning at Texas, Liberty upending Baylor — Howard’s was perhaps the most stunning. CONTINUE READING
HAMPTON, Virginia – The Hampton University sailing team opened their 2017 fall schedule this weekend hosting the Edward Teach Memorial at Strawberry Banks and the Pirates came away with the team title in a seven-team regatta. Hampton put in two teams with the second team coming in sixth place.
The winning team had 55 points on the weekend with an A Division boat of Maximilian Kuester and Dario Abou Rjeili who accounted for 25 points, while the B Division boat of Luca Taglialegne and Elisabeth Kuester accounting for 30 points. Kuester and Abou Rjeili finished in the top three in nine of 10 races over the weekend and won six of those. Taglialegne and Elisabeth Kuester was in the top two in six of 10 races.
The sixth-place Pirates boat had Filip Sevanovic and Mercedes Mattlock in the A Division and they accumulated 69 points, while the B Division boat of Khari Parrish and Lance Sharpe accumulated 134 points. Sevanovic and Mattlock finished in the top four in four of the team races to lead the second group of Pirates.
Virginia also had two teams and they came in second (85 points) and third (128), while William & Mary (160), Salisbury (202), Hampton B (203) and Virginia Tech (220) rounded out the field.
Hampton will see action in two regattas next weekend as they'll be at the Laser South hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy and the Riley Cup hosted by Old Dominion.
Hampton University friends and alumni, join us throughout the year in celebrating the 150th anniversary of Hampton University and the 40th anniversary of our President Dr. William R. Harvey.
For more information on Hampton University sailing, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
ATHENS, Ohio -- Frank Solich was satisfied. His team hadn’t stopped scoring when it could have.
Ohio didn’t play a perfect game, but the game against Hampton on Saturday was as close as it could get.
The Bobcats defeated the Pirates 59-0 to open the season at Peden Stadium.
Ohio scored eight touchdowns, the most it's scored in a game since the Gardner-Webb game last season. The win against the Pirates also marked the Bobcats’ first shutout since a win over Kent State in November 2015.
The improvement on offense had materialized.
“Things can get a little sloppy sometimes in this kind of game, and we played a ton of guys,” Solich said. “It’s difficult sometimes to keep scoring and not having some turnovers, and then all of a sudden the game becomes a mess from your perspective as a coach.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- A close game got away from Bethune-Cookman Saturday as the Wildcats dropped a 41-13 decision in their 2017 opener to 18th-ranked Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
Malik Rosier threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns and Mark Walton rushed for 148 yards and two scores as the Hurricanes scored on four consecutive possessions – touchdowns on the final three – to erase an early 3-0 deficit.
Larry Brihm, Jr., called into service at the last minute as the starting quarterback, completed his first nine passes and finished 22 of 35 for 212 yards.
Bethune-Cookman scored first on a 36-yard Uriel Hernandez field goal with 7:25 remaining in the opening period. Michael Jones got the drive off to a strong start with rushes of 19 and 11 yards, with Brihm hitting Frank Brown for 11- and 12-yard completions on the 12-play march.
After tying the game, Miami pulled away on a Walton 5-yard score and Rosier's touchdown passes to Lawrence Cager and Darrell Langham.
Hernandez connected on his second field goal – a 35-yarder with 53 seconds remaining that made it a 24-6 game at halftime.
The Wildcats found in the end zone in the third quarter on Jones' one-yard run with 6:16 remaining. Brihm connected with Jamaruz Thompkins for 41 yards to get the Wildcats in the red zone then hit Donald Johnson IV for 13 yards on third down to put the ball at the one.
Jones finished with 43 yards on the ground and seven catches for 51 yards. Jawill Davis extended his pass catching streak to 22 as he caught five passes for 48 yards.
My boy Suber calls his first game and the offense puts up 350 yards against what is supposed to be the best defense in the Atlantic Coast Conference, if not the entire FBS. The Canes were off-balance for several parts of the afternoon affair. There probably is some chewing out going on in Coral Gables as we speak.
Not bad, Suber.
Those glorious 15 or 20 minutes when we're up 3-0 or tied 3-3 and both the stadium and the social media are oh, so silent.
Mike Jones is back. Then again, we knew that in training camp. Totally different team with him in the backfield, aren't we?
We had 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 receivers who caught the ball (and two more). Receivers who caught the ball (and two more). Receivers who caught the ball (and two more). Yeah, I know, but since the rest of the media is finally getting around to us having a Tupac (Isme) and a Montel Jordan on the roster, I just gotta drop some 21 Savage lines to stay ahead of the curve.
Diquan Richardson. He and Walton were going at it the entire game. Afterwards, they talked for two minutes and it was ALL respect between two players who are expected to be the best at their respective positions in their respective leagues. Richardson's going to have a heck of a season if he keeps this pace.
Positives all-around.
The serious injuries list? Nada.
And most importantly: Week one is OVER.
Bethune-Cookman travels to Hammond, La., to meet Southeast Louisiana next Saturday at 8 p.m,
BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Caylin Newton accounted for 330 total offensive yards and three touchdowns to lead 45-point underdog and FCS-member Howard to a stunning 43-40 win Saturday night in the season opener and debut for new Bison coach Mike London.
Howard spoiled the start of UNLV's 50th season of play with the biggest upset in college football history based on point spread. Stanford held the previous record when it was declared a 40-point underdog against USC in 2007 and beat the Trojans.
The Rebels started the game flagged for offside on the opening kickoff, and at one point, the officials stopped a play because UNLV's cheerleaders were still on the field.
As for the former Virginia coach, he inherited a team that was 3-19 in the last two seasons that included losses last year of 52-13 to Maryland, 52-14 against Rutgers, and in 2015, suffered a 49-0 loss to Appalachian State and a 76-0 defeat against Boston College.
Howard raced to a 21-9 lead when Devin Rollins returned a fumble for a 75-yard score. The Rebels responded by reeling off 24 consecutive points and led 33-21 when Charles Williams plunged in from a yard out with 6:45 left in the third.
Cam Newton isn't the only quarterback in the family to lead a team to an improbable win.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Cam Newton isn't the only quarterback in the family to lead a team to an improbable win.
Younger brother Caylin made his college debut Saturday, leading Howard University to one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history, 43-40 over UNLV. He ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns, along with passing for another 140 yards with a TD and interception.
"Last night, he made a name for himself," Howard coach Mike London said about his QB. "Caylin did a good job of running the offense and made some fantastic runs, often with guys hanging on him."
The Bison, a Football Championship Subdivision school, were a 45-point underdog to the Rebels. According to Pregame.com, which supplies odds to The Associated Press, a $100 bet on Howard to win outright would have paid $55,000.
The previous largest upset was in 2007 when Stanford defeated USC as a 39-point underdog. That win also featured another first-year coach in Jim Harbaugh.
"We're all ruled by the psychology of results. In terms of culture, perception and being competitive this is huge," London told the AP in a phone interview. "To go on the road, cross country and play these guys toe to toe with their allotment of 80-plus scholarship guys and with my 57 plus is big."
The pairing of London and Howard couldn't come at a better time since both are looking for redemption. The Bison — who were picked ninth out of 11 teams in the preseason Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference poll, were 3-19 the past two seasons. They also have had only one winning season in 11 years (2012) and haven't posted back-to-back winning seasons since 1998. Going into Saturday's game, they had lost by an average of 38 points in their past seven games against Football Bowl Subdivision teams. CONTINUE READING
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Howard University wasn't given much of a chance on Saturday in their matchup against UNLV.
As 45-point road underdogs, it was easy to think before the game that this would be little more than a tune-up match for the UNLV Rebels; a chance to put their team to a light test before taking on bigger schools on the schedule. Unfortunately for them, no one told the visitors that, and Howard University proved to be too much for UNLV to handle, winning the game 43-40.
Howard was led by Caylin Newton, younger brother of Cam Newton, and showed some of the same dual-attack ability his sibling is known for, finishing the game with 330 total yards and three touchdowns in the game. The upset came just a day after the ten-year anniversary of Appalachian State's wild upset over Michigan in Ann Arbor, but as ESPN notes, that game did not have a spread archived at the time it was played, making Howard's win the biggest upset in history in the context of Vegas lines.
While Las Vegas didn't offer a moneyline on the game, some online sportsbooks had Howard to win the game available at prices up to 600/1 ...
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Coach Gary Patterson wasn't going to get overexcited about TCU's 63-0 victory against an FCS team on Saturday night.
Even with that win against Jackson State being the 150th victory of his career, Patterson was keeping everything in perspective after the lopsided victory.
''This next one is a test (against Arkansas),'' Patterson said. ''I'd be excited if I could get to 160 by the end of this season.''
That's why Patterson was able to nitpick after a big win on the scoreboard.
He wants the offense to be crisper and avoid turnovers. The defense shouldn't have been pushed around on the opening drive by the Tigers, a Southwestern Athletic Conference team.
''We've got work to do,'' Patterson said. ''On to the next one.''
But while other Big 12 teams struggled on Saturday, Patterson had to acknowledge that his team took care of business as TCU won its 16th straight home opener, the nation's fifth-longest streak.
''I was proud of the group. Proud of how they handled themselves,'' Patterson said. ''They acted more like that was what we were supposed to, which probably excited me more than anything else.''
Quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 206 yards and four touchdowns, two to Desmon White, and helped TCU take a comfortable lead early on.
TCU scored on all three possessions in the first quarter, including a 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter where Kenedy Snell took shovel pass and broke five tackles on a weaving sideline-to-sideline run.
''The whole key to games like this, when you're playing an FBS opponent, it's tackling,'' Jackson State coach Tony Hughes said. ''We missed so many tackles.''
TCU posted its first shutout since 2014 and scored twice on defense as Ridwan Issahaku returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and Arico Evans returned a fumble 32 yards in the third.
''A shutout is a shutout (no matter who),'' Issahaku said. ''We just want to win by one point, but it's good to see the hard work pay off.''
Hill completed 18 of 23 passes before being replaced by backup quarterback Shawn Robinson midway through the third quarter.
''Been waiting too long for this,'' Hill said. ''I feel comfortable in the offense, each game trying to get more comfortable, more confident in the offense and the game plan.''
Jackson State was limited to 24 yards rushing and 41 passing as it fell to 0-14 all-time against FBS competition.
Jackson State reached the TCU 7-yard line on the game's opening drive, but a fumbled snap led to a 28-yard loss and was followed up by a failed fake punt.
''The first drive we looked like we looked like we we're gonna win the national championship,'' Hughes said. ''We faked a punt right there hoping that it would inspire us or ignite us. Just trying to do something to get us going.''
THE TAKEAWAY
JACKSON STATE: Despite a strong start the Tigers were overpowered by their Big 12 foe for most of the game and didn't help themselves with missed tackles and special teams mistakes.
TCU: It's one thing to convert on explosive plays against an FCS opponent, will the Horned Frogs be able to generate similar results against evenly-matched competition?
ROBINSON IMPRESSES
Shawn Robinson, a true freshman, completed 5 of 7 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut. He also had three carries for 43 yards. Robinson was an early enrollee at TCU in January after he led DeSoto to a Texas High School state championship in Class 6A, the state's largest division, in December.
UP NEXT:
JACKSON STATE: The Tigers return to FCS play against Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic.
TCU: The Horned Frogs travel to Arkansas for a rematch with the Razorbacks, who won the 2016 meeting in 41-38 in double overtime.
TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University defeated San Francisco 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22) and Florida A&M 3-1 (25-15, 25-11, 20-25, 25-16) at the NDSU Classic presented by Hampton Inn & Doubletree by Hilton played Saturday, Sept. 2, before 671 spectators in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. The Bison took the NDSU Classic title with a 3-0 record and have won four in a row to improve to 4-2 overall. Brianna Rasmusson was named the Classic MVP, while Emily Halverson and Erika Gelzinyte were named to the all-Classic team. North Dakota State is scheduled to play at North Dakota (8-1) for a 7 p.m. match Wednesday, Sept. 6, in Grand Forks. The will host George Washington (1-4) and Appalachian State (2-4) in the NDSU Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 9. Erika Gelzinyte recorded her second 'double-double' of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs to lead a balanced offense in the 3-0 win over San Francisco in Saturday's first match before 656 fans. The Bison outhit the Dons .223 to .205 as Emily Halverson collected 12 kills and hit .667.
Brianna Rasmusson had plenty of options in recording 37 assists. Rasmusson also collected 12 digs, three kills, three blocks and a pair of service aces. She was one of five NDSU players to come up with double-figure digs. Emilee McGowan also had two aces. Mikaela Purnell led the Bison with 15 digs reaching double-figures for the 25th straight match and 59th time in her career. McKenzie Burke had 11 digs and eight kills, while Abbi Klos and Gelzinyte each had 10. Bella Lienand Rasmusson each had three blocks. Carly Lowry led USF with 11 kills and Camille Araujo came up with a match-high 18 digs. Erin Anthony had 33 assists and Laura Leap finished with three blocks. North Dakota State hit over .350 in the first two sets against Florida A&M (1-6) to set the tone early. The Bison outhit the Rattlers .226 to .122 overall. Rasmusson directed the balanced offense with 40 assists and also had six kills. McKenzie Burke led NDSU with 12 kills, while Gelzinyte had nine. Bella Lien had a strong net presence with seven kills and match-high seven blocks. Allie Mauch had six kills and five blocks, while Halverson added six kills. North Dakota State had 11 service aces led by three apiece from Rasmusson and Gelzinyte, two each from Purnell and Klos. Purnell pocketed a match-high 22 digs, Gelzinyte came up with 13 and Klos added 13 digs. Candelaria Herrera and Nicole Abreu led Florida A&M with 13 kills. Elena Dimitrova had 36 assists, while Valentina Carrasco came up with 15 digs.
NDSU Classic presented by Hampton Inn & Doubletree by Hilton Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse, Fargo, N.D. Saturday, Sept. 2 North Dakota State 3, Florida A&M 1 (25-15, 25-11, 20-25, 25-16) Northern Colorado 3, Florida A&M 1(25-14, 22-25, 25-22, 25-18) North Dakota State 3, San Francisco 0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22)
Friday, Sept. 1 Northern Colorado 3, San Francisco 0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-21) Florida A&M 3, San Francisco 0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-21) North Dakota State 3, Northern Colorado 0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-18) All-Classic Team MVP – Brianna Rasmusson, North Dakota State Emily Halverson, North Dakota State Erika Gelzinyte, North Dakota State Taylor Els, Northern Colorado Emily O'Neil, Northern Colorado Nicole Abreu, Florida A&M Nora Buvarp-Lavik, San Francisco NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
FARGO, North Dakota -- It was a rough opening day for the Delta Devils football team. The team traveled to Fargo, North Dakota, to face the number two seeded Bisons of North Dakota State University (#2 in the Football Championship Series).
The Delta Devils were able to score once in the second quarter to prevent the game from being a shut-out. Christopher Fowler scrambled into the end zone on a one-yard run for the Mississippi Valley touchdown. Ruben Piraquive tacked on the extra point to give MVSU seven. The scoring run capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive.
The scoring drive proves the Delta Devils have the grit to make big plays and it proved to be worthwhile. NDSU was able to put up 72-points over the course of the contest, forcing the MVSU defense to dig deep.
Inside the pocket, Fowler proved to be a formidable opponent, completing six of ten passed for 85-yards, despite giving up one interception. Kyle Harris recorded 47-yards on one reception, while Eric Collins, Jr. tallied 31-yards on three receptions.
Defensively, Patrick Harbin, Jr. paced the team with nine total tackles, five of which were solo. Four different Delta Devils recorded five total tackles.
Mississippi Valley is on the road to Carbondale, Illinois, to face Southern Illinois University on September 9th. Game time is set for 6:00 pm.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- It wasn't quite the outcome the Bulldogs were looking for, but they proved to be competitive Saturday despite a 38-7 loss to UAB.
It was the season opener for both teams and the first game in two seasons for UAB, which had its program dropped after the 2014 season.
"The result was obviously not what we wanted," said Alabama A&M Head Coach James Spady. "But we are going to build ... and this game will help us going forward."
Nonetheless, Alabama A&M went toe-to-toe with the C-USA Blazers for the better of three quarters before UAB pulled away.
The Bulldogs and Blazers each were basically even in passing yards (A&M had 138 yards, UAB had 165) and time of possession (A&M - 29:44; UAB - 30:16) but the Blazers outrushed A&M 259-45 in the game.
"I felt we had a pretty good first half performance," Spady said. "I thought things were pretty even there in the first half (UAB lead 10-7 at halftime).
"Some things happened to us in the second half that led to a little breakdown here and there, however it wasn't a complete breakdown. Our guys still fought and were competitive."
The Blazers scored on their first possession of the game, moving downfield on a 14-play, 76-yard drive.
But, after that, the A&M defense adjusted to UAB and kept them out of the endzone again until about 6:37 left in the third quarter.
Linebacker Kenneth Davis led all tacklers with 10 tackles, including eight solo stops. He also had two sacks for minus-eight yards and two tackles for loss for minus-nine yards. Harvey Harris had eight tackles in his first game playing defense after a three-year career as a Bulldog running back.
Since this was UAB's first game in three years, the Bulldogs didn't have any film or scouting reports so, basically, they were going into the game blind.
"I want to give (UAB) Coach (Bill) Clark and his guys credit," Spady said. "That was a better game than I thought they would be and I'm really proud of our guys for competing."
The Bulldogs got on the board early in the second half when freshman quarterback Aqeel Glass connected with Roderick Randolph on a 46-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass. Nick Carden kicked the point-after and the game was tied 7-7 with 2:24 left in the first half.
However, UAB answered back with a field goal about a minute later for the 10-7 halftime lead.
Glass and Damion May split quarterback duties in the game. Glass was 7 of 17 for 101 yards. He had an interception and the TD pass to Randolph. May was 6-for-12 for 37 yards.
"I played the two guys I planned to play all along," Spady said. "Aqeel started, which I said would happen, and Damion played, which I also said would happen."
The Bulldogs continue their nonconference schedule next weekend with a trip to Vanderbilt on Saturday. Kickoff is 3 p.m.
Spady said the Bulldogs will be ready for the date in the Music City.
"We're playing an SEC opponent," he said. "Our guys will have no trouble getting motivated - not only because it's another football game but it's the chance to play an SEC opponent that made a bowl game last year."
DURHAM, North Carolina -- An 81-yard touchdown run by redshirt freshman Isaiah Totten highlighted North Carolina Central University's performance in a 60-7 setback against ACC opponent Duke University during the "Bull City Gridiron Classic" at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday.
Totten's second-quarter 81-yard race to the end zone is the 10th longest rush in NCCU history and the longest run by an Eagle since 2010, when Tony McCord posted a 93-yard touchdown scamper against Winston-Salem State.
New NCCU starting quarterback Micah Zanders completed 10 of 17 passes for 91 yards with an interception.
Defensively, NCCU senior linebacker Reggie Hunter amassed a game-high 10 tackles (7 solo), including a stop for a loss. Junior safety Alden McClellon and senior transfer linebacker De'Niro Laster contributed nine takedowns apiece for the Eagles.
"We learned a lot from this game," said NCCU head coach Jerry Mack. "We learned exactly what not to do and what to do. We found out a lot about the character of our football team. We've got to take the time, learn and grow from this situation, but I think it was a really great teaching moment for them."
NCCU hosts Shaw University in the Eagles' home-opener on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. For ticket information, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NORFOLK, Virginia -- The MEAC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments seem to have thrived the last five years at Norfolk’s Scope, but that isn’t stopping the league from asking other cities to bid to host the events .
