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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- It was a joyous Homecoming for Alabama A&M.
The Bulldogs put together a yardage and time-gobbling offense with a smothering defense in a 27-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
With the win, A&M improves to 2-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and 2-3 overall. UAPB falls to 1-1, 2-3.
The Bulldogs are now 2-0 in the SWAC for the first time since 2012. Winners of five of their last six SWAC games, A&M travels to Baton Rouge to face Southern next Saturday.
Quarterback Aqeel Glass was 26 of 43 passing for 291 yards and receiver Octayvious Miles had his second consecutive game with 100 yards receiving.
Running back Trevon Walters rushed for 89 yards on 16 carries with a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively, the Bulldogs were devastating. They held the Golden Lions to just 133 total yards, including six sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Vernon Moland had 6 tackles, including a half-sack and half tackle for loss. Yurik Bethune had five tackles, 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Defensive back Devonte King electrified the crowd of 15,685 with his 23-yard "pick 6" that put the Bulldogs up 7-0 with just 2:09 gone in the game.
Nick Carden had a 18-yard field goal to widen the Bulldogs' lead to 10-0 with 4:45 to play in the quarter.
When Walters scored on his 19-yard run with 2:55 left in the second quarter, he put the Bulldogs up 17-0.
The Golden Lions scored with 1:08 left in the half to cut the margin to 17-7 at intermission.
A 22-yard field goal by Carden lifted A&M to a 20-7 lead with 8:05 to play in the third quarter.
UAPB countered with a Christian Jordan touchdown with 7:45 left in the game.
Walters provided the final margin on a 12-yard touchdown run with 2:11 left in the game.
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Jamaruz Thompkins rushed for 126 yards and Akevious Williams 102 to help Bethune-Cookman fend off Savannah State, 24-12 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game Saturday afternoon before a Municipal Stadium crowd of 6,945.
Both Thompkins, a redshirt senior from Tampa, and Williams, a redshirt sophomore from Madison, Florida, accounted for a touchdown for the Wildcats (2-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC) after Savannah State (0-4, 0-2) closed to within five points in the second half.
Thompkins' 69-yard burst with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter gave Bethune-Cookman a 17-5 lead.
After Savannah State closed to 17-12 on Rashad Saxton's 43-yard run with 7:28 remaining, Williams guided the Wildcats on a 10-play, 75-yard drive that produced his six-yard pass to Que'shaun Byrd with 2:21 to play. Williams rushed for 37 yards and passed for 26 on the march.
Byrd set up the touchdown with a 29-yard reverse on the previous play.
Saxton finished with 103 yards rushing for the Tigers.
Playing its first home game after opening the season with four road games, Bethune-Cookman scored on the game's opening drive when redshirt senior quarterback Larry Brihm, Jr. kept it on a 10-yard run six minutes into the contest.
Savannah State's first points came on a second quarter safety by Tyqueze Johnson.
The Wildcats defense, which held the Tigers to 163 total yards on the day, snuffed a golden opportunity when JaMicha Baldwin's 35-yard punt return put the visitors on the Wildcats' 13. However, the Tigers managed only a field goal by Giovanni Lugo that made it 10-5 with 4:05 left in the third quarter.
Uriel Hernandez accounted for the other BCU points on a 32-yard second quarter field goal.
Paced by Thompkins' and Williams' rushing, the Wildcats posted 397 total yards for the game. Williams was 8-of-11 passing for 58 yards, with Keavon Mitchell catching four passes for 14 yards.
Diquan Richardson and Marquis Hendrix each had seven tackles to lead a Wildcats defense that registered six sacks, including two from Deonte Mayo.
Bethune-Cookman gets back to action Saturday, Oct. 14, playing host to South Carolina State at Municipal Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
Follow Bethune-Cookman Football on Twitter (@BCUGridIron) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics). BOX SCORE BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
HOUSTON, Texas – The Alcorn State University football program jumped out to a two-touchdown advantage in the first quarter and never surrendered the lead in a wire-to-wire 24-17 win over Texas Southern in a non-conference game Friday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Alcorn (3-2, 1-0 SWAC) scored on its first drive of the game on a 45-yard pass to senior Norlando Veals. The Braves increased the edge to 14-0 after an eight-yard run by junior P.J. Simmons. The Tigers (0-4, 0-1 SWAC) could not get the deficit below seven points the rest of the way.
The Braves rushed for 244 yards as a team. Senior De'Lance Turner, the reigning SWAC Offensive Player of the Week winner, totaled 115 rushing yards. Simmons ended with 88 yards and a touchdown, while senior quarterback Lenorris Footman rushed for 41 yards and a score.
In the air, Footman threw for 241 yards and a touchdown. More than half of his yards went to Veals who hauled in six catches for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Alcorn was led by junior Isiah Thomas who turned in a career game. He tripled his career-high with 13 tackles including three for a loss and also recorded an interception. Junior Leishaun Ealey notched eight tackles with a pair of pass break-ups.
Dominic DeLira threw for 183 yards for TSU.
After the Tigers went three-and-out on their first series of the game, Alcorn's offense wasted little time and scored on a 45-yard pass to Veals. It came on a slant route through the middle as Veals made the catch and then outran the Tigers defense to put Alcorn ahead 7-0 at the 12:17 mark. It was the third play of the drive, and came after a first down rush by Turner.
The Braves added-on another score late in the first quarter to make it 14-0. The drive was setup by a 38-yard completion to Veals as he was off to the races, but got tripped up at the last moment. Simmons did the rest from there, as he ran for the final 16 yards including an eight-yard touchdown rush along the right sideline.
The Tigers got on the board with a 93-yard kick return for a touchdown by Daequan Jones. It trimmed the deficit to 14-7 with 22 seconds left in the first quarter. Jones broke free after making one sharp cut along the left side and sped past the coverage for the score.
TSU was threatening again early in the second quarter after a 28-yard rush by Tylor Cook moved the ball to the Alcorn 31. Though, the Braves defense made a stand, and a 4th-and-7 attempt by the Tigers was broken up by junior OJ O'Neal on a pass over the middle.
Alcorn was looking to put points on the board late in the half. A screen pass to Turner went for 24 yards and placed the ball near midfield with 40 seconds left. On the next play, Footman completed a pass to junior Charles Hughes for a first down at the TSU 38, as Alcorn called its second timeout with 30 seconds remaining. A scramble for 20 yards and out-of-bounds by Footman stopped the clock with 21 seconds at the TSU 18.
After a pair of incomplete passes, the Braves settled for a 34-yard field goal attempt but it sailed wide-right. Alcorn held a 14-7 lead at the half.
The Braves came out hot in the second half, and completed a pair of quick passes to Veals and junior Tavares Johnson. A big run around the right corner by Turner nearly went for the score but he was tackled short at the one-yard line for a gain of 32. Footman kept it himself on the very next play for a one-yard touchdown run to the right to go up 21-7 with 13:29 remaining.
Midway through the third, the Tigers put together a long, 12-play drive capped by a two-yard touchdown run through the middle by Brad Woodard on a third-and-goal. It chopped the Alcorn lead back down to 21-14.
The Braves offense got going again early in the fourth quarter with a 42-yard run through the middle by Simmons. It helped increase the lead to 24-14 after sophomore Corey McCullough registered a 28-yard field goal with 11:21 to go.
TSU was able to make it a one-score game again with 4:58 in the fourth after Aaron Cuevas was successful on a 49-yard field goal attempt.
The Tigers had one last chance to tie the game as they took over at their own eight-yard line with 1:02 remaining and no timeouts. TSU converted one first down, but didn't get past its own 27-yard line.
The Braves have a short week coming up as they travel to Alabama State for a Thursday game at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Alcorn is 22-18 all-time against the Hornets and seeking its fourth straight win in the series. The Braves have gone undefeated against SWAC East Division opponents in back-to-back years. Alcorn will look to go 2-0 in league play for the fourth time in the last five years.
NOTES
- The Braves improved to 34-18-4 all-time against TSU. Alcorn defeated the Tigers for the sixth consecutive year.
- Alcorn held a large edge in total offense 485-295. The Braves entered the contest leading the league in total offense with 444.8 yards per outing.
- Footman moved up to No. 8 all-time in school history in career rushing yards with 1,774. He surpassed Perry Qualls who rushed for 1,754 yards from 1982-85. Footman is also No. 8 in touchdown passes with 29, and 10th in passing yards with 3,545.
- Turner entered the game leading the SWAC in rushing with 111.0 yards per game and will improve upon his tally with 115. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry on 19 rushes.
- Veals entered the contest averaging 4.5 receptions per game which ranked third in the conference. He pulled in six with a long of 45 yards.
- McCullough booted five punts for 213 yards. He averaged 42.6 yards per punt which was on-par with his league-leading 43.1 yards entering the game.
- Thomas' interception was the first of his career. His previous career-high in tackles was four against Southern last week.
- Alcorn's captains were juniors Brandon Campbell and Marquis Warford, and sophomore Solomon Muhammad and Warford. The Braves won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair
Opening Statement
"We didn't play our kind of football tonight. We have to look at this game and figure out how we can get better. It includes all phases of the game. I have to give Coach Haywood a lot of credit because he's done a great job at Texas Southern. But we looked like a bad football team tonight."
On being able to win on the road even when you don't play your best
"Well it's always tough to win on the road. Though tonight, we just didn't execute or stay focused. The penalties continue to just kill us. It's tough to run the offense when we're always playing from behind the chains. We may have to move around some pieces on the offensive line, but overall we just didn't play well tonight."
On Isiah Thomas
"It was a great effort by him. He came out tonight and really played hard. He's a guy who continues to improve every week and we're getting a lot of production out of him."
On a short week coming up against Alabama State
"We'll have a practice Sunday, and then go again Monday and Tuesday. We'll be back on the road Wednesday and it's obviously a big game. Hopefully, we'll bounce back from this and play better. When we execute, we're a great football team. I'm glad we won tonight, but the way we played is not our brand of football."
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Gabriel Niculescu defeated teammate Pierre Andrieu 6-3, 7-5 Thursday to win the men's singles consolation title of the ITA NAIA South Regional Championships.
Niculescu went 4-0 in the consolation rounds after losing in the main draw Friday at Lawrenceville, Ga. Niculescu and Andrieu could've played Sunday in Lawrenceville after winning semifinal matches that morning, but XULA coach Alan Green opted to play the match on his campus because of a seven-hour drive home and classes resuming Monday.
Niculescu and Andrieu finally met after a Tuesday rainout. Both are juniors. Niculescu is in his first year at XULA after transferring from NCAA Division I member Troy, and Andrieu is a returning letterman who helped the Gold Rush finish second in the NAIA National Championships for the second straight year.
The next XULA tournament — its third of the fall semester — will be the Battle of the Bayou (men only) Oct. 6-7 at Lafayette, La.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Danny Johnson came close to breaking a couple punt returns for touchdowns last week against Alcorn State, so close that he figured a score was right around the corner.
“I had been talking to the guys all week, saying, ‘We got close last week, we’re going to get one,’” Johnson said.
He didn’t have to wait long. Johnson shrugged off a would-be tackler on his first punt return opportunity Saturday and weaved his way through the remainder of the Fort Valley coverage unit for a 68-yard punt return touchdown.
It was the second score of Johnson’s career as a punt returner, something he didn’t get much of an opportunity to do with Willie Quinn serving as Southern’s top return man the past few seasons.
Johnson had ceded some return chances to freshman Jamar Washington in recent weeks, but Saturday he was the top option on the punt and kick return teams.
“In the return game, he’s got a chance to create some opportunities for us to get some points,” said Southern coach Dawson Odums. “That’s the second week in a row he’s had big returns.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A physically spent Southern coach Dawson Odums slumped into his chair after his team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 31-14 win against Fort Valley State.
He let out a breath that, to the listener, could’ve been heavy with either relief or exasperation depending on what he was about to say regarding his senior quarterback, Austin Howard, who watched the second half in a sweat suit from the sidelines with an apparent injury.
Howard had already missed two games with injury. He lost his top receiver, Randall Menard, for the season last week against Alcorn State. The team’s leading rusher, Devon Benn, left the game with an injury in the first quarter Saturday and did not return.
“I might go get some treatment,” Odums said as he slid into his chair. “I might as well go get in line with the rest of them.”
The night had its scares, but it seemed as if Odums and Southern (2-3) dodged any more significant injuries against Fort Valley State (1-3).
LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Langston University shut out visiting Texas Wesleyan 34-0 to hand the Rams their fifth straight loss in their first season of college football since 1941.
The victory improved 11th-ranked Langston to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the Central States Football League. Texas Wesleyan (0-5, 0-2) has been outscored 190-41 this season.
Despite the lopsided score, the Rams defense showed marked improvement by forcing four fumbles and netting two sacks.
Looking for a spark, the Rams gave backup quarterback Colby Reed the starting nod, but Wesleyan managed just 144 yards on 66 plays from scrimmage for the game.
Reed finished the first half 2-of-8 for 14 yards with an interception, paving the way for first-teamer Kane Hardin to take over in the second half. Hardin didn’t fare much better, completing 3 of 10 passes for 39 yards and an interception.
Wide receiver Anthony Caston led the Rams with three catches for 50 yards. Defensive end Dylan Briscoe finished with six tackles and a sack.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- There is plenty of offense among the SWAC and MEAC teams, but not a lot of defense. Howard is making a statement as a legitimate forerunner and the team that other MEAC teams do not want to play. Against Bethune Cookman the Bisons rushed for 343 yards and passed for 157. Add that up and you have 500 total yards in regulation time. They beat Division 1 FCS team UNLV at the Rebel’s home stadium during week 1. They lost last week to Richmond 68-21 as the Spiders found a way to slow them down and continue scoring. Their only other loss was to FCS Kent State. If they continue to improve they’ll be a headache for the rest of the teams in the MEAC. As much as teams are scoring, the championship will likely come down to who plays the better defense.
Alabama State for whatever reason appears to be going in the wrong direction. They couldn’t score against Prairie View and are winless so far, this season. There is still plenty of time though for them to turn things around. While Grambling and Alcorn are doing what they normally do in the SWAC, Prairie View is showing signs that they may be able to challenge for the top. Meanwhile, the two North Carolina schools, A&T State and Central, have already beaten tough teams to claim their place at the top of the MEAC. So, who is the best of the best after week 4?
CHICAGO, Illinois -- | Devante Kincade came off the bench to provide an offensive spark as the Grambling State University football team started slow in defeating Clark Atlanta, 31-20, on Saturday afternoon during the 20th Anniversary of the Chicago Football Classic at Solider Field.
Kincade, who replaced Tigers starter Geremy Hickbottom after an injury in the first quarter, tossed three touchdown passes and threw for 230 yards on 19-of-31 passing.
Clark Atlanta (3-2) struck first with a 13-play, 88-yard drive, capped by a Carlos Saldana 29-yard field goal to give the Panthers an early 3-0 lead.
After the two teams traded possessions, Grambling State (3-2) responded with a six-play drive. Kincade tossed a 23-yard touchdown pass to the back corner of the end zone to Darrell Clark with 3:20 remaining in the opening quarter and gave Grambling State a 7-3 lead.
The Tigers forced a turnover on the Panthers' next offensive possession and Grambling State took advantage.
Kincade connected with Jordan Jones, who sprinted 59 yards to paydirt, to give the Tigers a 14-3 advantage with 1:10 remaining in the first quarter.
After the two teams traded punts, Grambling State got an interception by Chris Grant, to set up shop at the Panther 35-yard line. The Tigers got a 26-yard field goal by Marc Orozco to push the advantage to 17-3 with 12:17 left in the first half.
Clark Atlanta responded with an eight-play, 82-yard drive and used 3:26 off the clock as Deandre Jackson caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Johnathon McCrary to cut the Grambling State lead to 17-10 with 8:45 remaining in the second quarter.
The Panthers continued to trim the margin as Saldana kicked a 42-yard field goal with 1:19 left in the first half as Clark Atlanta closed the gap to 17-13.
Grambling State got the ball to begin the second half and the Tigers marched 45 yards in just three plays to extend the lead to 24-13. Kincade, with his third touchdown pass of the day, found a wide-open Jones down the left sideline for the 36-yard score with 13:55 remaining in the third quarter.
The Tigers started to pull away late in the third as Grambling State used a 65-yard drive and took 2:15 off the clock as Lyndemian Brooks scored on a two-yard run, with 2:43 left, to push the advantage to 31-13.
Clark Atlanta closed the margin to 31-20 with 3:53 remaining as McCrary connected with Jackson for a 25-yard touchdown, but that would be as close as the Panthers would get.
Turning Point
Grambling State started out of the gate slowly, but found its rhythm late in the opening quarter.
With starting quarterback sidelined with an injury, Devante Kincade came off the bench to provide the spark. The senior from Dallas, Texas connected with Darrell Clark for the first touchdown pass, a 23-yarder, and hit Jordan Jones for a 59-yard strike to give the Tigers a 14-3 lead with a little over a minute left in the first quarter.
Despite a sluggish second quarter, Kincade continued his big day, and found a wide open Jones down the left sideline for the 36-yard score.
Inside the Numbers
· Devante Kincade threw three touchdowns and was 19-of-31 passing for 230 yards.
· Grambling State amassed 313 total yards of offense, including 239 yards in the air.
· Clark Atlanta finished with 428 total yards, including 371 through the air.
· Grambling State registered 10 first-half penalties for 104 yards and finished with 17 for 181 yards.
· Darrell Clark caught four passes for 48 yards and one score.
· De'Arius Christmas recorded 13 tackles, including six solo stops and one quarterback hurry.
· Ja'Terrious Pouncy added five tackles, three solo, and one interception.
· Johnathon McCrary threw for 371 yards on 23-of-55 passing and had four interceptions.
· Deandre Jackson finished with eight catches for 129 yards and a pair of scores.
· J. Victrum finished with 14 tackles, including 11 solo and one sack.
· Grambling State went 1-for-1 in fourth-down conversions. News & Notes
· Devante Kincade was named the Chicago Football Classic Offensive Most Valuable Player.
· Ja'Terious Pouncy was selected the Chicago Football Classic Defensive Most Valuable Player.
· Saturday's game was the first meeting between Grambling State and Clark Atlanta.
· Grambling State came into the game ranked No. 19 in the FCS Coaches Preseason Poll, #21 in the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll, No. 1 in the SBN Sports Network Black College Football Poll and No. 2 in the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Poll.
· Saturday's game was just the second time in the 20-year history of the Chicago Football Classic where Grambling State has played in the event.
· Grambling State improved to 2-0 in the Chicago Football Classic (defeated Alcorn State and Clark Atlanta).
· Clark Atlanta fell to 1-1 in the Chicago Football Classic (defeated Central State; lost to Grambling State).
· Saturday's game was the final non-conference game for Grambling State. The Tigers will play the final six games against the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opponents (Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State, Texas Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alabama State and Southern).
Up Next
Grambling State steps back into SWAC play next Saturday as the Tigers will meet Prairie View A&M in the 92nd Annual Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
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For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina – Winning at South Carolina State is only supposed to be pretty when it shows up on the left side of the standings column. The North Carolina A&T football team played another hard-hitting, ugly, defensive slugfest at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium against the Bulldogs that resulted in the Aggies (ranked 13th in the NCAA Coaches Poll and 17th in the FCS STATS Media Poll) improving to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 21-7 win.
The Aggies have now won three straight at S.C. State for the first time since the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons. It is also the second time in as many trips to Dawson Stadium the Aggies have held the Bulldogs to under 10 points. That has not happened since 1969 and ‘71. The Aggies were 9-6 winners in 2015.
“We’ll take it,” said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway. “This is a tough place to play. We are going to go back and get some things fix because we turned the ball over more than we normally do today. But we are never going to complain about winning, especially against a team like this.”
The Aggies defense held the Bulldogs (1-3, 0-2 MEAC) to only 279 yards of offense and 82 yards rushing as the Bulldogs are off to their first 0-2 start since 2001. Fifth-year free safety Jeremy Taylor was integral in all three of S.C. State’s turnovers. Taylor finished with three tackles, two forced fumbles, an interception and a pass break up.
Taylor’s first big play came in the second quarter with N.C. A&T leading 9-0. Dewann Ford broke free of Aggie defenders and was racing toward the end zone. Taylor caught the speedy Ford and conducted a tomahawk chop to Ford’s outside shoulder, forcing the ball out of Ford’s hand and onto the ground where redshirt sophomore Darryl Johnson recovered the ball at the Aggies 22-yard line.
N.C. A&T then did an excellent job of turning what could have been a score for the Bulldogs into a positive for themselves as the Aggies put together a 9-play, 54-yard drive that resulted in a 41-yard field goal by freshman Noel Ruiz to give the Aggies a 12-0 with 59 seconds remaining in the first half. It was the second of three field goals for Ruiz on Saturday.
A rarity would happen to the Aggies to open the second half as redshirt junior Lamar Raynard threw an interception to Jason Baxter at the SCSU 27. It was Raynard’s first pick in 158 straight throws. But again, the Aggies responded by forcing the Bulldogs to punt. Five plays later, the Bulldogs again threatened to score as SCSU blocked the Aggies punt and got the ball at the Aggies 30. It was Taylor turned the Aggies fortunes around again by forcing a Tyrece Nick fumble.
Three plays later Raynard found Xavier Griffin for a 71-yard touchdown pass to give the Aggies an 18-0 lead with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter. It was the longest completion of Raynard’s career.
“Those were big,” Broadway said about the Aggies forced turnovers. “Usually we try to get out of the game without making any turnovers. Even though we made some tonight, it balanced out pretty well for us. We were able to keep them out of the end zone with those turnovers, so they were huge.”
The Bulldogs did put up some points in the fourth quarter Ford connected with Trey Samuel for a 33-yard touchdown pass that cut the Aggies lead to 18-7. N.C. A&T then went to work on the clock. The Aggies constructed a 15-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Ruiz kicking a 27-yard field goal. The drive was extended when the Bulldogs committed a personal foul on an Aggies field goal attempt. The drive and the penalty that extended took eight minutes off the fourth-quarter clock as the Aggies increased their lead to 21-7 with only four minutes remaining in the game.
“Sometimes when you start doing that it takes you out of rhythm,” said Broadway. “We didn’t want to take all the air out of it. But once we got in the fourth quarter, we wanted to get (the play clock) inside five seconds before we got a play off.”
Raynard had another good day going 18-for-31 for 298 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Redshirt junior Marquell Cartwright, the MEAC’s leading rusher, had 96 yards on 24 carries.
The Aggies will go after their best start in 24 years when they host the Greatest Homecoming On Earth on Saturday at Aggie Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m., against Delaware State. Follow Aggie Athletics on Facebook (@ncatathletics), Instagram (@ncatathletics) and Twitter (@ncataggies). NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina – The #21 ranked Bulldogs of Bowie State University continued its unbeaten streak after defeating Fayetteville State University 64-31 on Saturday afternoon at the Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium. With the win, Bowie State improves its record to 5-0 on the season (2-0 CIAA) while Fayetteville State dips to 1-4 overall (0-2 CIAA).
Junior Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) threw for 329 yards, completing 22-of-32 passes (two interceptions) and four passing touchdowns and redshirt senior Robert Chesson (Annapolis, Md.) rushed for a personal season-best 172 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns to pace the Bowie State offense. Redshirt junior Brandon Britton (Columbia, Md.) recorded game-highs of nine receptions and 129 yards to lead all receivers. The Bulldogs defense was led by senior Johnny Littlejohn (Silver Spring, Md.) with nine total tackles.
As a team, Bowie State rolled up 626 yards of total offense (297 rushing and 329 passing) compared to 344 total yards (206 rushing and 138 passing) for Fayetteville State.
Hall walked into the FSU end zone at the 11:52 mark of the first quarter on Bowie State's opening drive of the game and sophomore Gene Carson (Accokeek, Md.) added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead. Bowie State scored on its very next possession, when Hall connect with redshirt senior Kerrick Pollock (Miami, Fla.) for a 12-yard, pass, catch and score to give the Bulldogs 13-0 advantage at the 8:10 mark.
Fayetteville State's Jacobe Clement (Charlotte, N.C.) gets a pick six and returned it 32 yards to trim the Bowie State lead to 13-7 with 5:04 left in the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs got those points back in a hurry on a Hall to junior Lansana Sesay (Bowie, Md.) 82-yard touchdown pass. Carson's extra point gave Bowie State a 20-7 lead. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Abrams (Baltimore, Md.) punched it in from 1-yard out to give the Bulldogs a 27-7 cushion at the 12:41 mark of the second quarter.
Marquise Watts (La Plata, Md.) recorded his second touchdown of the season, catching an 8-yard pass from Hall at the 10:25 mark to push the Bowie State lead to 34-7 in the second quarter.
David Lamb (Pineville, N.C.) kicked a 28-yard field goal with 5:34 remaining before halftime to cut the Fayetteville State deficit to 34-10. Nigel Peele (Greensboro, N.C.) intercepted a deflected pass from BSU's Hall and returned it 25 yards for a Fayetteville State touchdown with 5:21 remaining before halftime, but the Broncos trailed 34-17.
Another Bowie State turnover was costly as Fayetteville State capitalized to trim the Bulldogs lead to 34-24 with 1:51 left in the second quarter. Stevie Green (Washington, N.C.) rushed seven yards for the score.
Bowie State capped off a 7-play, 75-yard drive with a Hall to Britton 25-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left in the first half to give the Bulldogs a 41-24 advantage.
Bowie State capitalized on an interception by redshirt freshman Tevin Singleton (District Heights, Md.) and converted the Fayetteville State turnover into six points on a 3-yard score by Chesson. Chesson scored again following another Broncos turnover. This time Chesson rushed for another 3-yard score to pad the Bulldogs lead at 55-24 at the 10:57 mark of the third quarter.
Junior Maurice Williams (Baltimore, Md.) scored on a 2-yard run with 1:48 remaining in the third quarter to increase Bowie State's lead to 61-31.
Bowie State's Carson put the final nail in the coffin with 3:20 remaining in the game, following a 44-yard field goal to account for the final margin of 64-31.
The Broncos were led by quarterback Devin Knudsen (Fresno, Calif.) with 131 passing yards (14-30-2) and Donshel Jetton rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries.
The Bulldogs return home for just the second time this season on Saturday, October 7th to host the Hawks of Chowan University. Kickoff time in Bulldogs Stadium is set for 4 p.m.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana shut down Dillard's hitters Thursday en route to a 25-15, 25-17, 25-8 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory at XULA's Convocation Center.
The Gold Nuggets (11-2, 5-0) have beaten the Lady Bleu Devils (11-9, 3-2) 16 consecutive times, and this is the first time during the streak that Dillard — which hit minus-.009 with 21 kills and 22 errors in 109 attacks — finished with a negative hitting percentage.
XULA, meanwhile, hit .237 with 36 kills and 14 errors in 93 attacks.
"I thought we finished well," first-year XULA head coach Pat Kendrick said. "We started the match a little flat emotionally, but we finished with a good energy."
Kayla Black hit .318 with 10 kills, eight digs and three aces for the Gold Nuggets, who are 6-0 at home this season. Adili Rikondja produced a season-high-tying eight kills, a season-high .500 hitting percentage and — for the third straight match — a career-high tying four blocks.
Lauryn Taylor had seven kills and hit .250; both were her second-best figures of the season. Anna Dalla Vecchia had 19 digs, 10 in the first set, and reached double figures for the ninth consecutive match. Juliana Tomasoni served five aces — she's the only Gold Nugget to serve an ace in every match this season — Amanda Perry served two aces, and Jaida Dowd had a career-best four blocks.
XULA split the setting role again, with freshman Eva Le Guillou collecting 21 in her first collegiate start and Tiffany Phillips getting 12.
Taylor, Le Guillou, Black, Dowd and Dalla Vecchia are freshmen.
XULA won 36-of-38 sets in its last 12 meetings with Dillard.
Corneisja Harrison had six kills for Dillard but hit minus-094 in a match-high 32 attacks. Shelby Stewart and Tristan Cojoe had five kills apiece, Cojoe had four blocks, and Alexis Barnett had 13 digs.
XULA had advantages of 11-0 in aces, 54-41 in digs and 7-5 in blocks. The teams will meet again Nov. 2 in the Gold Nuggets' regular-season finale at Dillard's Dent Hall.
XULA's victory dropped Dillard from second to third place in the GCAC, and Tougaloo (5-2) climbed to second. XULA, which seeks a seventh consecutive GCAC regular-season and tournament championship, is the only team with fewer than two conference losses.
The Gold Nuggets will play William Carey in a non-conference match at 6 p.m. next Thursday at the Convocation Center.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's Pierre Andrieu and Gabriel Niculescu won twice apiece Saturday to advance to the men's singles consolation semifinals at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA South Regional Championships.
Andrieu defeated Point's Sam Blackburn 8-4, then SCAD Atlanta's Jonah Tewes-McCoy 8-0. Niculescu beat SCAD Atlanta's Jordan Skalet 8-2, then Point's Julien Pereira 8-6.
Semifinals will start at 10 a.m. EDT Sunday at Georgia Gwinnett College. Andrieu will play SCAD Atlanta's Patric Toren, and Niculescu will play Brewton-Parker's Caleb Bellamy. Semifinal winners will meet at 11:30 a.m.
All other XULA players were eliminated in the main draw. The recap:
• Catalin Fifea, seeded fourth in men's singles, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Georgia Gwinnett's Mika Kosonen in the round of 16.
• Samir Chikhaoui defeated Middle Georgia's Octavio Tamola 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7) in the men's singles round of 16, then lost 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (10-2) to Georgia Gwinnett's second-seeded Gilad Berman. All three of Chikhaoui's singles matches in this tournament were decided in super-tiebreakers.
• Charlene Goreau, seeded second in women's singles, defeated Point's Katie Larck 6-0, 6-1 in the round of 16, then was upset 6-0, 6-3 by Georgia Gwinnett's Emerald Able in the quarterfinals.
• Freshman Manon Bonada upset SCAD Atlanta's eighth-seeded Katrina De Guzman 6-2, 6-3 in the women's singles round of 16, then fell 6-1, 6-1 to Georgia Gwinnett's fourth-seeded Margarida Abreu in the quarterfinals.
• Yi Chen Pao lost 6-3, 6-1 to Georgia Gwinnett's seventh-seeded Debora Scurt in the women's singles round of 16.
• In the women's doubles quarterfinals, Goreau and Bonada lost 8-1 to Georgia Gwinnett's Henar Garcia Munoz and Chiari Rebecchi. Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The old saying “History Repeats Itself” was never a more appropriate way to describe the recent football history between Florida A&M and North Carolina Central.
That the visiting Eagles (3-1, 2-0 MEAC) turned Houdini for the third straight year to escape with a 21-14 fourth quarter victory was not surprising.
Nor was the frustration and disappointment that the gritty and determined FAMU Rattlers (2-3, 1-1 MEAC) felts yet again after another near-miss against Central.
Take away Davant Reynolds pick six off FAMU quarterback Ryan Stanley with 5:02 left in the first period, and the game might have had a different outcome.
The Eagles scored first when quarterback Chauncey Caldwell dashed in from 18 yards out for a 7-0 lead with 5:18 left in the opening stanza. Reynolds’ pick six came just 16 seconds later, staking the visitors to a 14-0 lead.
But the Rattlers dug deep and pulled themselves back into contention in this heavyweight battle, when Devin Bowers capped a 14-play, 86-yard matrch with a one-yard run with 10:27 left in the half, cutting the Central edge to 14-7.
The Rattler Defense opened the door for the tying score with under seven minutes left in the half, sacking NCCU’s Caldwell on the Eagles’ one-yard line and recovering a fumble.
Four plays later, Bowers tossed a fourth down jump pass to Kevin Newman for a 14-14 count after Khalil Clark’s PAT, with just over five minutes to play.
After, the game settled into a defensive struggle until Central’s final possession late in the fourth quarter, where they had won the two previous games in the series in 2015 (27-24) and 2016 (17-13).
The Eagles took possession after a FAMU punt was downed at the Rattler 47-yard line, driving the distance in eight plays, with halfback Isaiah Totten barging in from nine yards out with 2:02 left.
FAMU would turn the ball over on downs, with NCCU running out the clock.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Rattlers head to Norfolk, Va., next Saturday to face off against the Norfolk State Spartans in a 1:00 p.m. game at Dick Price Stadium.... The next home game will be Saturday, Oct. 14 against the North Carolina A&T Aggies in the annual Homecoming game in Bragg Stadium. Kickoff will be 3:00 p.m. INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Rattler Nation showed up strong for the nationally-televised thriller at Bragg Stadium, with 18,488 partisans filling the stands, many arriving after the 7:30 p.m. kickoff…
The FAMU Defense held the Eagles to just 241 total yards Thursday, the second fewest yards allowed this season, after the 202 allowed in the opener to Texas Southern…. The FAMU Offense fared slightly better with 258 total yards, as they passed for 185 yards and rushed for 73…. Bowers had 76 yards rushing on 19 carries, rushing for a score and tossing a TD strike…
Stanley went 19 for 31 for 182 yards, with one interception…. Brandon Norwood led FAMU with six catches for 37 yards, but was robbed it appeared of a crucial diving catch which would have sustained a fourth quarter drive, despite a lengthy replay review….
Linebacker Elijah Richardson, who went down late with an undisclosed injury, led the FAMU defense with 10 tackles, inckuding three tackles for loss…. End Elijah Price had a monster game, with six tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With less than a minute remaining, the Howard University Bison capitalized on a 4th-and-2 situation to secure their home-opening Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the 2017 campaign over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 26-24.
With the clock dwindling, freshman quarterback Caylin Newton marched the squad down and ran a 5-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score with 39-seconds reigning on the clock, closing out a 45-yard pace on nine plays.
B-CU had multiple opportunities to regain the lead, but HU's defense rose to the occasion forcing four straight incomplete passes.
With the victory, Howard snapped its six-game skid against the Wildcats while winning the first HU versus B-CU in D.C. contest since 1996.
Offensively, the home squad racked up 500 total yards with 343 on the ground, along with 157 yards in the air. Four Bison had 50 or more rushing yards, led by Newton and Anthony Philyaw. Newton finished with 140 rushing yards and two TDs, while Philyaw, the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, added 93 yards in the victory.
B-CU jumped out to an early 7-0 advantage after a 20-yard run from Larry Brihm.
Moments into the second stanza, Guy Lemonier Jr. recovered a fumble in the end zone and tied the contest, 7-7.
On the next possession, the Wildcats went down and reclaimed the lead with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Brihm to Frank Brown, 14-7.
With halftime approaching, Howard tied the game at 14 apiece after a 5-yard TD pass from a Newton to Philyaw connection.
The opening drive after intermission, was capped by a 9-play, 74 yard drive by the Bison on a 1-yard QB sneak from Newton for HU's first lead of the game for a score of 20-14.
Bethune-Cookman responded with an opening drive in the third quarter and regained the advantage, thanks to an extra point, 21-20.
Midway through the third, B-CU increased their lead on a 42-yard field goal, 24-20, before HU secured its 26-24 win in the final minutes of play.
Howard's Dezmond Wortham racked up 129 all-purpose yards, including 78 receiving.
Defensively, Leon Fields II had a team-high 5.5 tackles, including one for loss. Freshman Tye Freeland added three tackles, a forced fumble, and pass breakup in the victory.
For B-CU (1-3), they amassed 384 total offense. Michael Jones led the way with 112 on the ground, while Brown provided 84 receiving yards and a TD in the loss.
After next weekend's bye, HU (2-2) hosts reigning MEAC Champions, the North Carolina Central Univerbsity Eagles. Game-time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com. BOX SCORE HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's Manon Bonada and Charlene Goreau won in doubles and singles Friday at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA South Regional Championships. Bonada and Goreau defeated SCAD Atlanta's Giulianna Hull and Madison Umbaugh 8-4 to advance to the women's doubles quarterfinals, where they'll play Saturday against Georgia Gwinnett's Henar Garcia Munoz and Chiari Rebecchi. In singles, Bonada beat Reinhardt's Albane Queinnec 6-1, 6-4, and Goreau — the No. 2 seed — defeated Rebecchi 6-3, 6-4 to reach the round of 16. Others from XULA advancing to the round of 16 in the main draw are: • Yi Chen Pao, a 6-1, 6-2 women's singles winner against Point's Maddi Marler. • Catalin Fifea, the No. 4 seed in men's singles and a 6-1, 6-0 victor against Reinhardt's Nikita Hrynov. • Samir Chikhaoui, a 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6) men's singles winner against SCAD Atlanta's eighth-seeded Alberto Menendez. The three-day tournament will conclude Sunday. All matches are at Georgia Gwinnett.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana hit .647 in the third set Thursday to put the finishing touches on a 25-22, 25-19, 25-12 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against SUNO at The Castle. Juliana Tomasoni had a season-high-tying 15 kills and hit .448. She had nine digs and two aces. XULA rallied from a 17-12 first-set deficit. The Gold Nuggets (10-1, 4-0) have a nine-match win streak, the fourth longest in school history. SUNO is 3-11, 2-3. Vivica Price-Spraggins had eight kills and hit a season-high-tying .636 for XULA. Kayla Black had six kills and eight digs, and Adili Rikondja had five kills and a career-best four blocks. Tiffany Phillips and Eva Le Guillou had 15 assists apiece, and Anna Dalla Vecchiahad 11 digs to reach double figures for the seventh consecutive match. XULA outhit SUNO .348 to .092 for the match and had advantages of 43-26 in kills and 8-1 in aces. Le Guillou and Kaelan Temple served two aces apiece. Alexandria Douglas had nine kills for SUNO. XULA has won 74 of its last 76 GCAC matches. Including conference tournaments, the Gold Nuggets have won 89 of their last 91 matches against GCAC opponents. The Gold Nuggets will travel to the University of Mobile for a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday match. XULA's next home match will start at 6 p.m. next Thursday against Dillard. BOX SCORE
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania – Saint Augustine's University played its most complete football game of the season and it resulted in a memorable record-breaking night on Saturday, Sept. 23.
The Falcons set several school marks as they manhandled Lincoln (Pa.) University by a lopsided score of 81-9 in the CIAA opener for both teams at Lincoln University Stadium in Lincoln University, Pa. The point total is the second most in NCAA Division II and third in all divisions this season.
The Falcons broke the school record for most points in a game and most points in a half (47), and Darryl "D.J." Johnson (Jr./Richmond, VA) tied the school single-game record for most touchdown passes (6) in the modern era. His six touchdown passes are tied for the most in an NCAA Division II game this season.
The win erased the sting of three straight defeats, but more importantly, placed the Falcons (1-3 overall) atop the CIAA standings. They are currently tied for first with defending champion Winston-Salem State University in the Southern Division at 1-0.
In the previous two games, the Falcons stayed even with Carson-Newman University and Bowie State University in the first half but both teams pulled away after halftime. On Saturday, the Falcons jumped on the Lions early and never let up.
"This was a great win," Head Coach Tim Chavous said. "The guys showed they can compete for four quarters."
Johnson played perhaps his best game as a collegian. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 297 yards and no interceptions. He spread the ball around, throwing to five different receivers on six touchdown passes, and guiding the offense to 602 offensive yards.
Jeremiah Miller (So./Miami, FL) gained a season-high 144 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries while backup quarterback Demetrius Lewis (So./Columbia, SC) tossed one touchdown pass and rushed for 86 yards. Lenwood Joyner (Jr./Miami, FL) caught four passes for 85 yards and a score and Charles Edmond (So./High Point, NC) grabbed two passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, veteran linemen Chasz Cosby (Sr./Charlotte, NC) and Darius Goodman (R-Sr./Richmond, VA) had their way with the Lincoln offensive line. Cosby amassed 3.5 sacks among his seven tackles and Goodman finished with three sacks. Cosby is tied for the third-most sacks in an NCAA Division II contest this season.
Teoz Mauney (Jr./Salisbury, NC) added two sacks and Keywan Morgan (Jr./LaGrange, NC) recorded a safety and a sack for the Falcons, who amassed 10 sacks. Linebacker Tray King (Sr./Kershaw, SC) tallied a team-high eight tackles and linebacker Tristian Green (Jr./Concord, NC) totaled seven tackles and a sack while defensive backs Ahmek Henry (Jr./Charlotte, NC) and Delano Davis (Fr./Greenbelt, MD) each picked off a pass. On special teams, Edmond returned a kickoff 46 yards while Sean Smith (R-Jr./Valdosta, GA) made a field goal and was 10 of 11 on extra point attempts.
The game started well for the Falcons, who built a 10-0 lead on their first two possessions. Sean Smith kicked a 24-yard field goal and Johnson connected with Sam Boyd (Sr./St. Petersburg, FL) for an eight-yard touchdown pass. The offense stalled on its next three possessions, fumbling once, before hitting its stride. The Falcons scored on 10 of their next 12 drives including seven straight between the second and third quarters.
The Falcons scored 35 points in the second quarter beginning with Miller's seven-yard touchdown run for a 19-0 lead. Johnson then hooked up with Jalen McDaniel (Sr./Fayetteville, NC) for a 29-yard touchdown pass. After the Lions scored on a safety, Johnson found Joyner for a 42-yard scoring pass. The Falcons quarterback then hit Edmond for a 41-yard touchdown for a 40-2 lead.
The Lions would score their only touchdown on an 84-yard run but the Falcons responded with Johnson finding Edmond again, this time for 25 yards as the Falcons entered halftime leading 47-9.
The second half was more of the same as the Falcons scored 27 points in the third quarter. Miller scored his second touchdown on a 10-yard run and Johnson fired a seven-yard scoring pass to Marquez Gilmore (Jr./Atlanta, GA) to tie the school single-game mark for touchdown passes.
Malik Mapps (Sr./Miami, FL) and Shyhiem Swinson (Jr./Virginia Beach, VA) each scored on three-yard runs for a 74-9 lead in the third quarter. Aaron Linen (Sr./Oakland, CA) capped the blowout when he scored on a 22-yard pass from Lewis in the fourth quarter.
Trey McCollum rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown and Vincent Espinoza threw for 132 yards for the Lions (0-1 CIAA, 0-4 overall). Andre Price caught seven passes for 75 yards while Deion Miller and Adonis Washington each had eight tackles.
This win came at the right time for the Falcons, who will take their new-found momentum into a three-game homestand starting with Virginia Union University on Saturday, Sept. 30, at the George Williams Athletic Complex. The starting time is 1 p.m. BOX SCORE SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
BOWIE, Maryland -- The #23 Bowie State University Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 CIAA) jumped on Shaw University (1-3, 0-1 CIAA) early and often, rolling off 35 unanswered points en route to a 76-7 home debut victory to open CIAA conference play on Saturday night. The 76 points ties for second all-time (Lincoln 11/2/2013) in the history of Bowie State football.
Leading the offensive attack for the Bowie State was junior Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) with 420 passing yards, completing 22-of-33 passes (no interceptions) and tied his own school record of six passing touchdowns. The Bulldogs running back duo of redshirt senior Robert Chesson (Annapolis, Md.) and junior Maurice Williams (Baltimore, Md.) rushed 124 and 101 yards respectively.
Hall and senior Jay Adams (Clinton, Md.) combined to complete passes to 12 different receivers. Leading the Bulldogs in reception yards was junior Lansana Sesay (Bowie, Md.) with 129 yards on just two receptions. Redshirt senior Kerrick Pollock (Miami, Fla.) recorded a team-high five receptions for 89 yards.
Junior Derrick Tate (Baltimore, Md.) paced the powerful Bowie State defense with a team-high eight tackles (5 solo and 3 assisted), which included three tackles for a loss of 18 yards. Redshirt junior Kyle Jackson (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and senior Sean Copeland (Baltimore, Md.) tallied a half-dozen tackles apiece. Redshirt freshman Reicardo Smith (Fort Washington, Md.) and redshirt junior Jaylen Harris contributed four tackles each in the rout. As a team, Bowie State's defense notched a season-high five sacks against Shaw.
The Bulldogs rolled up a school record 748 yards of total offense with 440 coming in the first half of play. However, Bowie State accounted for 11 penalties in the contest for 110 yards, second highest penalty yard total of the season.
Bowie State scored on the opening drive off an 18-yard pass from Hall to Pollock to give the Bulldogs the early 7-0 lead over Shaw. A three and out for the Bears resulted in BSU's Chesson scoring on a 23-yard rush, following the extra point from sophomore Gene Carson (Accokeek, Md.) to extend their lead 14-0 at the 9:30 mark. An out-of-sync Bears team went three and out again the next possession down only to allow the Bulldogs to add to their score after a 46-yard pass from Hall to redshirt sophomore Brandon Abrams (Baltimore, Md.) for BSU's third-straight touchdown of the game in the first quarter.
Despite the early deficit, the Bears were still in the contest thanks to penalties from the Bulldogs that led to first downs for Shaw but an attempted field goal from Beni Kinsemi (Charlotte, NC) was partially blocked by BSU redshirt junior Jaylen Harris (Clinton, Md.) as the Bears trailed 21-0 with 2:42 remaining in the first stanza.
Bowie State would add 14 more to the scoreboard ignited by an 80-yard touchdown reception by Sesay, followed by a 20-yard touchdown reception redshirt junior Brandon Britton (Columbia, Md.) that pushed the Bulldogs lead to 35-0 heading into the second quarter.
After scoring another touchdown and field goal by the Bulldogs to lead 45-0 over Shaw, the Bears finally got on the scoreboard when Vidal Woodruff (Tampa, Fla.) connected with Michael Sherman (Powder Springs, Ga.) for a 20-yard pass, catch and score to close out the first half.
The second half started pretty much like the first half with Bowie State scoring 17 points in the third and 14 in the fourth quarter. Carson drilled a 28-yard field goal for the first Bulldogs' points in the third at the 11:36 mark. Marquise Watts recorded his first touchdown of the season, scoring on a 4-yard reception from Hall with 4:40 left in the third quarter. Chesson punched it in for the second time in the game, this time from 38 yards out a little over a minute later.
Bowie State's Adams recorded his first touchdown of the season, rushing for a 1-yard score at the 12:21 mark of the fourth quarter to push the Bulldogs cushion to 69-7. Redshirt junior Adam Gillis (Lanham, Md.) scored the final rushing touchdown of the contest, pounding in from 3-yards out to with 5:45 remaining to account for the final margin.
Shaw finished with 208 yards of total offense that included 74 rushing and 134 passing. Woodruff completed 13-of-29 passing for 137 yards, but was intercepted three times and was responsible for one touchdown.
Sherman had a team-best 107 yards rushing on 19 carries and a touchdown while freshman Daniel Bender (Jacksonville, FL) had six receptions for 79 yards.
Hakiem Swann (Portsmouth, Va.) led the Bears defense with a game-high 10 total tackles (7 solo). Devon Hunt (Rockingham, N.C.) added eight tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss while Kevin Sherman (Powder Springs, Ga.) contributed seven tackles and a tackle for loss.
Bowie State will hit the road for the fourth time in five weeks, traveling to Fayetteville (N.C.) State next Saturday (9/30) with kickoff in the Luther "Nick" Geralds Stadium set for 1 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 OVC
UT Martin 31, Tennessee State 13 SWAC
Grambling State 38, Mississippi Valley State 6
Alabama A&M 30, Texas Southern 13
Alcorn State 48, Southern 31
Arkansas Pine Bluff 34, Jackson State 27 O.T.
Prairie View A&M 34, Alabama State 0 MEAC
North Carolina Central 33. South Carolina State 28, (9/21/17)
Howard 26, Bethune-Cookman 24
Monmouth 30, Hampton 23, O.T.
Norfolk State 17, Delaware State 7
Florida A&M 20, Savannah State 14
North Carolina A&T 49, Morgan State 17
SIAC
Findley (OH) 61, Tuskegee 0
West Georgia 48, Albany State 16
Fort Valley State 31, Benedict 28 2 O.T.
Clark Atlanta 31, Lane 7
Kentucky State 34. Central State (OH) 22, Circle City Classic, Indianapolis, IN
Miles 27, Morehouse 24
OTHER CONF.
Shepherd (WV) 56, West Virginia State 41
Faith at Virginia-Lynchburg, Cancelled
Bloomsburg 48, Cheyney 19
Langston 36, Bacone 6
Truman State 41, Lincoln (MO) 14
Wayland Baptist 24, Texas College 23
Cumberlands 51, Edward Waters 7
CIAA Bowie State 76, Shaw 7
Virginia Union 47, Fayetteville State 40
Elizabeth City State 20, Johnson C. Smith 17
Saint Augustine's 81, Lincoln (PA) 9
Virginia State 33, Winston-Salem State 27 O.T.
Chowan 25, Livingstone 12
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Despite trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter on the road, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions found a way to overcome adversity by scoring 18 unanswered points for a 34-27 overtime victory over the Jackson State University Tigers at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in the W.C. Gorden Classic in its first conference game of the year. As a result, the Tigers have now lost eight straight games while UAPB improves to 2-2 on the season.
"What a victory," said UABP head coach Monte Coleman. "It was a hard fought game on both sides; we had it this evening."
In the first quarter, UAPB defensive tackle Nick Williams forced a fumble which was recovered by the Golden Lions. On the ensuing drive, UAPB running back Keshawn Williams blasted through the line and used his speed to scamper 14 yards past Tigers defenders into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game to give UAPB a 7-0 lead. Minutes later, JSU's quarterback Brent Lyles threw a 75 yard touchdown pass that was nullified due to an illegal block in the back. However, on the same drive, Lyles responded with a 17 yard touchdown run to even things up at 7 apiece.
Jackson State (0-4, 0-1 SWAC) added a field goal in the early part of the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead, but UAPB would answer in dramatic fashion. Following a brilliant punt from Jamie Gillan which pinned JSU deep in its own territory, true freshman linebacker Kolby Watts forced Tigers quarterback Lyles out of the back of the end zone for a safety, cutting Jackson State's lead to just one point. On the ensuing kickoff, UAPB's Paris Mack took it all the way inside the Tigers' five yard line, giving the Golden Lions (2-2, 1-0 SWAC) a perfect opportunity to take a halftime lead. That's when UAPB quarterback Brandon Duncan threw a back shoulder fade to the end zone to Robert Simms III who leaped over a JSU defender to make a sensational catch, giving the Golden Lions a 16-10 lead after a successful extra point. However, Tigers running back Jordan Johnson answered right back with 60 yard touchdown run to give Jackson State a 17-16 lead going into the half.
The Tigers added a field goal to open up the third quarter, giving them a 20-16 advantage. 15 seconds later, Duncan threw an arrant pass that was intercepted by Jackson State defensive back Dario Robinson as he took it to the house, giving JSU its biggest lead of the game, 27-16 over UAPB. Both teams then traded possession as UAPB eventually attempted a 50 yard field goal to cut the deficit to eight, but the attempt was short. On the next play, linebacker Kevin Agee forced a fumble which was recovered by Golden Lions defensive tackle and Purdue transfer Johnny Daniels.
"I told my team don't give up," said Coach Coleman. "Keep making plays, keep fighting, and don't give up."
UAPB trailed by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter on the road, but the forced turnover sparked just enough momentum to give the Golden Lions the boost that it needed. Deep in Jackson State territory, backup quarterback LeEar Patterson rolled right and quickly rushed into the end zone for a touchdown. UABP then decided to go for two to cut the deficit to three points when Patterson found Kolby McNeal in the end zone for the conversion which brought the score to 27-24 in favor of the Tigers. After both teams traded possession yet again, the Golden Lions defense made one huge stop to give its offense one last chance to either tie with a field goal or take the lead on the road with a touchdown.
The two-minute drill was in full effect. Patterson led his team all the way deep into Tigers territory before getting tackled to the ground by Deion Pope. Patterson was slow to get up, so Duncan came back in the game for UAPB on a crucial third down. Duncan took the ensuing snap, stepped into the pocket and rifled an incomplete pass to the left side of the field. However, a flag was thrown on the field due to pass interference as UAPB received a fresh set of downs. Patterson then came back in to close out the game.
On fourth down, with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, it came down to one last chance as the Golden Lions sent the special teams unit on the field. UAPB field goal kicker Gillan would either be a hero or be remembered for missing a potential game-tying kick in a crucial conference game. UAPB snapped the ball and the left-footed Gillan calmly drained the 32 yard field goal to tie the game up at 27-27 to force overtime.
When asked if Coach Coleman had any doubts about the kick, he firmly responded.
"I had no doubt at all that Jamie would hit that field goal," said Coach Coleman. "Jamie is a great punter and a great kicker. I had no doubt at all."
Jackson State won the toss in overtime and elected to play defense first. UAPB quickly found daylight as Patterson scored on a 1-yard touchdown run that would prove to be the game winner.
As a team the Golden Lions earned 16 first downs and rushed for a total of 157 yards and had four punts inside its opponent's 20-yard line. UAPB held the ball for a total of 45:05 while Jackson State possessed the ball for 44:58. Williams finished with a team-high 75 yards rushing while Patterson threw for a team-high 66 yards and also rushed for a game-high two touchdowns.
The Golden Lions will face Alabama A&M University on Saturday, September 30 in Southwestern Athletic Conference action. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. in Huntsville, Ala.` UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Prairie View A&M University football team opened Southwestern Athletic Conference play with a dominant 34-0 win Saturday night at Alabama St.
The Panthers (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) held Alabama St. (0-4, 0-1) to 127 total yards and only seven first downs, forcing three turnovers and scoring a touchdown of its own as PVAMU recorded its first shutout since Oct. 17 2009, a 38-0 home win over Miss. Valley St. The shutout is the first on the road since a 15-0 win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Oct. 18, 2008.
"It's a conference win, so it's very important in the fact that it's step one to achieving our ultimate goal, which is the SWAC Championship," said PVAMU head coach Willie Simmons, who's teams are now 9-0 in SWAC road games in opposing venues. "I'm proud of the guys, proud of their effort, and proud of the way they came out and responded. It's something to build on. We're definitely happy to be 1-0 in conference play, and ready to get back to work."
Anthony Stubbs forced a fumble on the second play of the game, which was recovered by Ju'Anthony Parker. The first of two Sta'Fon McCray touchdown runs gave Prairie View A&M a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. McCray rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
In the second quarter, a 37-yard interception return by Parker gave PVAMU a 14-0 lead with 6:36 to play until halftime. Later in the quarter, a 61-yard touchdown pass from Lavell McCullers to Markcus Hardy gave the Panthers a 21-0 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, McCray rushed on the first three plays of the second half for 65 yards on the scoring drive, ending with his nine-yard scoring run for a 28-0 lead.
Zach Elder ended the scoring with a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter, and a career-long 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
McCullers completed 14 of 27 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, as the Panthers gained 409 total yards (234 rushing, 175 passing).
Prairie View A&M football returns home to host Jackson St. Saturday at 4 p.m. at Panther Stadium. Tickets are available online at pvpanthers.com/tickets.
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Only a quarter of the season has past and the No. 15/21 North Carolina A&T football team already has the Football Championship Subdivision world wondering if certain things have ever been done before.
N.C. A&T opened their conference season by crushing Morgan State 49-17 at Hughes Stadium. In the process, the Aggies improved to 4-0 in a season for the first time since 1993. Also during the game, redshirt freshman Mac McCain returned two interceptions for touchdowns, one for 100 yards and the other for 78. He had three INTs for the game, and now has five on the season.
Last week in the Aggies upset win over Charlotte, McCain had the game-winning pick-6 in the closing seconds of the ballgame.
It is not certain if anyone in NCAA history has ever returned three interceptions for touchdowns over two games, but only 27 other players in NCAA FCS history has ever returned two INTs for touchdowns in the same game. McCain is only one INT return for touchdown away from tying the single-season NCAA record, which is four shared by three players. McCain came up short for the single-game record for INT return yards. He had 178 and the record stands at 216 by Brown’s Keiron Bigby in 1984.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I can’t remember somebody scoring three touchdowns in two games off interceptions,” said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway. “But he can run once he gets it. He has done some much to improve on his catching and closing in on the ball, so he deserves this success. He is becoming a big-time playmaker for us.”
The Aggies seem to have an abundance of playmakers, and they were on display Saturday night. Redshirt junior running back Marquell Cartwright finished with a career-high 176 yards rushing on 17 carries, which included a 72-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Graduate running back Jamari Smith added 97 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Sophomore wideout Elijah Bell, the nation’s leader in touchdown receptions, added to his collection by scoring twice. He has seven TD receptions on the season, bringing him four touchdowns shy of breaking the school’s single-season TD receptions record with seven regular-season games remaining. Bell added four receptions for 95 yards to his totals.
Redshirt junior quarterback Lamar Raynard had his normal steady day, finishing 15-for-22 for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Raynard has not thrown an interception in his last 141 throws. But it wasn’t Raynard and the Aggies highly-rated passing game that got the Aggies out to a large lead early. It was the running game.
“We thought if we could break their first line of defense, we had some chances to make some plays,” said Broadway. “They put so many guys in the box, we knew once we got past that first wall, we had a chance to break some long ones.”
After Cartwright’s long one to open the game, the Aggies came back on their second drive of the game and went 53 yards in seven plays, using 28 yards rushing to take a 14-0 lead on a 15-yard touchdown catch from Raynard to Bell in which Bell outjumped the smaller defensive back to score.
After one of their drives finally stalled, the Aggies opened the second quarter by returning to their old ways. They put together a 14-play, 88-yard drive that ended with Smith catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from Raynard for a 21-0 Aggies lead. The Aggies then constructed an 81-yard drive that culminated with Raynard connecting with Bell on a 4th-and-9 for a 31-yard touchdown reception.
“I thought once again the guys played really well early. But for some reason when we get way ahead we want to ease up a little bit and start making mistakes that drive me nuts,” said Broadway. “We still have a lot to get corrected, but overall it was a good win for us.”
An element the Aggies were trying to keep intact to also make the college football world wonder if it happened, was keeping Morgan State (0-4, 0-1 MEAC) scoreless. The Bears had been shutout in their previous three games but looked poised to end that drought at the end of the first half on Saturday. MSU drove the ball to the Aggies 5-yard line. But on 2nd-and-goal with nine seconds remaining in the first half, MSU quarterback Elijah Staley was looking to throw the ball to the corner of the end zone Manassah Bailey. McCain recognized it, left the man he was covering, jumped in front of Bailey and returned the INT 100 yards for an obvious school record.
N.C. A&T went into the locker room leading 35-0. MSU did score their first points of the season a minute into the second half as Staley connected with Brian Gentry for an 83-yard touchdown.
Another road test awaits the Aggies next week as they travel to Orangeburg, S.C., to face the South Carolina State Bulldogs 6 p.m., Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
