MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas: Kudos to FAMU AD Overton

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Nationally-televised MEAC games are a chance for Commissioner Dennis Thomas to measure – and appreciate – the growth of his conference.

The MEAC has seen a resurgence of late, with players like Tarik Cohen (North Carolina A&T) and Javon Hargrave (South Carolina State) makings waves in the NFL after careers at HBCU programs. Part of that resurgence, according to Thomas, has been the conference’s deal with ESPN, which has been in place since 2005.

Thomas was on the sidelines for FAMU’s 21-14 loss to North Carolina Central, which was televised on ESPNU.

“We’re able to have two outstanding institutions and football programs will add to the branding, marking and promotions for the conference and for the institutions that are playing,” Thomas said.

“It also helps with student recruiting. You get more people from all over the country seeing the product, your intuitions. They’re more prone to go the websites to find out more about the institutions.”

Thomas, who is in his 16th year as the commissioner of the MEAC, said he’s closely watched Florida A&M’s rise under Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. The Rattlers have set season ticket sales records every year Overton has been at the helm.

“I must commend Milton,” Thomas said.



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XULA Le Guillou joins Black, Dalla Vecchia as GCAC honorees

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has swept the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball awards for the fourth time in six weeks.
     
Eva Le Guillou won her first GCAC Setter of the Week honor, joining four-time Defender of the Week Anna Dalla Vecchia and two-time Attacker of the Week Kayla Black. The three freshmen were honored for Sept. 25-Oct. 1.
     
Le Guillou, from Velizy-Villacoublay, France, produced 36 assists and 16 digs in two matches. At Mobile she had her double-double of the season, 15 assists and 10 digs. She started for the first time against Dillard at home and had a match-high 21 assists.
     
Dalla Vecchia, from Vicenza, Italy, led the Gold Nuggets with 14 digs against Mobile and 19 against Dillard. She handled 50-of-51 serve receptions without an error. Her current streak of matches with double-figure digs is nine.
     
Black, from the Houston suburb of Magnolia, Texas, and a graduate of St. Pius X High School, hit a team-best .268 and led XULA in kills in both matches. Her 18 kills were the most by a XULA player against Mobile since 2013. Her week included 28 kills, 14 digs and four aces.
     
Black leads the GCAC this season with a .253 hitting percentage and 3.21 kills per set.
     
Le Guillou, Dalla Vecchia and Black were part of a defensive effort that limited Dillard to a minus-.009 hitting percentage.
     
A school-record six Gold Nuggets have won GCAC weekly awards this season. The previous high was five in 2015.
     
XULA (11-2) will play William Carey (11-8) at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Convocation Center.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
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Three graduate assistants join XULA #TeamGold

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana Athletics has hired three graduate assistants, including two XULA alumni, for the 2017-18 academic year.
     
Joining the department are Nour Abbes for men's and women's tennis, Gary Smith for men's basketball and Josh Smith (no relation) for men's and women's cross country and track and field.
     
Abbes, from Tunis, Tunisia, is the only XULA athlete to win an outstanding-player award at an NAIA national tournament. She did it twice, receiving the Marvin P. Richmond Outstanding Player Award after leading the Gold Nuggets to the national semifinals in 2014 and 2015.
     
Abbes was first-team NAIA All-America twice — leading XULA to a No. 1 coaches poll team ranking twice in 2014 and earning the ITA NAIA No. 1 singles ranking three times in 2014-15 — before transferring to the University of Washington for her final two years. Last season she helped the Huskies win 17 dual matches and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years.
     
Abbes received her bachelor's degree from Washington in human evolutionary biology. At XULA she is pursuing a master's in counseling.
    
Gary Smith, from the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, Texas, and a graduate of The Village School, begins his sixth consecutive season with the Gold Rush. He was a guard for XULA from 2012-16, set the XULA career record for games played with 131 and helped the Gold Rush qualify for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship every year. He is tied for 15th in program history with 260 career assists.
    
Gary Smith was a student assistant with the Gold Rush in 2016-17 before graduating in May with his bachelor's degree — a major in psychology and a minor in public health. He is pursuing a master's in clinician mental health counseling.
     
Josh Smith — a southern California native but a graduate of Flower Mound High School in Texas — competed for the University of Texas at San Antonio from 2010-14 and was a volunteer coach at Incarnate Word for two seasons (2015, 2016) and North Texas this past season. He specialized in long sprints and hurdles at UTSA, earning second-team All-America in 2013 after advancing to the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
     
Josh Smith was a member of five UTSA teams that won conference track and field team championships: Southland indoors in 2011 and 2012, Southland outdoors in 2012, Western Athletic indoors in 2013 and Conference USA outdoors in 2014. He received his bachelor's degree from UTSA in kinesiology exercise science. At XULA he is pursuing a master's in post-secondary and clinical counseling.


Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Liberty Football adds Hampton, Maine in 2019

NORFOLK STATE SPARTANS PLAYS AT LIBERTY ON SEPT. 15, 2018.

LYNCHBURG, Virginia -- Liberty's future football schedules continue to fall into place including today's announcement with the completion of the 2019 football schedule. In 2019, Liberty will have completed its two-year FBS transition process and will be eligible to compete for bowl game appearances.

"We continue to make rapid progress in building our future football schedules," said Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. "Hosting Syracuse for our 2019 opener at a renovated Williams Stadium during our inaugural game as a full FBS member will be much anticipated event for Flames Nation."

Nine of Liberty's 12 opponents in 2019 had already been revealed prior to today. During President Trump's Commencement announcement on May 12, the 45th President of the United States named seven of Liberty's opponents, while Liberty has since made public football series against both Syracuse and Virginia.

A road game at Louisiana (Sept. 7) and home contests against Hampton University (Sept. 21) and Maine (Oct. 19) round out Liberty's 2019 slate. Additionally, Liberty will complete the home-and-home series with Louisiana when the Ragin' Cajuns visit Williams Stadium on Nov. 20, 2021.

The Flames will play four of their first five games in 2019 in a completely renovated Williams Stadium. Phase one of the renovation will take place between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, including the expansion of the stadium's East side with upper deck seating, improved concessions areas and a new entrance to the stadium.

Phase two will be completed in time for Liberty's 2019 home opener against Syracuse on Aug. 31, with renovations to the West side of Williams Stadium to include loge box seating.

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Raheim Huskey brings toughness, leadership to Hampton Pirates

COURTESY: HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Nearly 23-years-old, Hampton University middle linebacker Raheim Huskey is a veteran. But in so many ways, he really isn’t.

Huskey spent three seasons at Marshall, including a redshirt year, but only played in 20 games. After transferring to Hampton in the summer of 2016, he was academically ineligible to play last fall.

So here he is, in his final season of eligibility, with a fresh start. And, he figures, somewhat anonymous.

“Nobody really knows me,” he said. “They can’t game plan me. I feel like I’m starting over as a freshman but with a senior’s mindset.”

Going into Saturday’s game at Savannah State, Huskey is leading the Pirates in tackles with 36. He also has one of Hampton’s three interceptions along with two pass break-ups.

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GSU, PVAMU set for big State Fair Classic match-up

DALLAS, Texas -- Grambling State marched into Solider Field, beat Clark Atlanta, and marched out in the same poll position. Now, staying still is better than falling, but the tigers maintained their No. 19 ranking in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll.

The G-men could make some moves if they take care of business this weekend. However, it'll be tough as they participate in the 94th Annual Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic Saturday in Dallas' Cotton Bowl stadium, of course against Prairie View A&M.



The rivalry has been very competitive since 2008. Grambling has the slight edge with five victories over the last nine meetings. Even more, the winner of this contest always becomes an early SWAC West champion favorite. Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs says this rivalry is a close one to his heart.

"I was that kid in the stands when Grambling and Prairie View played this game in Dallas. I've been the player on the sideline and playing in this particular rivalry and now I'm the coach on the sideline participating in it. It's a family affair, and as you all know families go at it every once in awhile. Looking forward to being here this weekend because it's one of our favorites," explained Fobbs.

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Grambling State Tigers hold spots during latest rankings

GRAMBLING, Louisiana | The Grambling State University football team held its positions when the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) rankings were released on Monday.

The Tigers (4-1 overall, 1-0 SWAC) won their fourth consecutive game on Saturday with a 31-20 victory over Clark Atlanta in the 20th Annual Chicago Football Classic.

Grambling State remained No. 19 in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll, as well as, No. 21 in the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll. The Tigers also held on to the No. 1 spot in the SBN Sports Network Black College Football Poll and No. 2 in the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Poll.

Grambling State (4-1 overall, 1-0 SWAC) steps back into conference play on Saturday as the Tigers will meet Prairie View A&M in the 94th Annual Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

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ESPNU GameDay preview: Alcorn State at Alabama State

THE GAME

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: ASU Stadium

RECORDS: Alabama State (0-4, 0-1 SWAC), Alcorn State (3-2, 1-0)

ON THE AIR: TV – ESPNU. RADIO — WVAS-FM 90.7, WQKS-FM 100.5.

TWITTER: @kamarrid @MGMsports

FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY

1. Brave frontier: Alabama State has scored 27 points all season, but now has to try to outscore three-time defending SWAC East champion Alcorn State on Thursday. The Braves are coming off a 24-17 win over Texas Southern last week. Hornets head coach Brian Jenkins said in spite of the way this season has started, the mood in the locker room hasn't changed. "They're anxious," Jenkins said. "They're really looking forward to this opportunity. I'm very pleased with the preparation process that took place and looking for us to come out and play a real good ball game." Alcorn won 21-18 last year in Lorman, Mississippi.

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Magic City Classic tabs Rickey Smiley as celebrity ambassador

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Entertainer Rickey Smiley will serve as the celebrity ambassador of the 76th Magic City Classic between Alabama State and Alabama A&M on Oct. 28 at Legion Field.

A Birmingham native, Smiley will be the grand marshal of the parade and honored at halftime. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

“We are beyond excited to have Birmingham-native Rickey Smiley as our ambassador this year for the 76th Annual McDonald’s Magic City Classic,” said William Bell, 68, who will end a seven-year run as mayor next month. “Rickey has been a wonderful supporter of the Magic City Classic throughout the years, and we are honored to welcome him back to Birmingham for the weekend festivities.”



The parade is scheduled to start at 8 a.m.

Smiley is an Alabama State graduate and has consistently supported the university. The entertainer and comedian has a national syndicated radio show, “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show” and a reality TV show, “Rickey Smiley For Real” on TV One.

Tickets can be purchased for the Magic City Classic online at www.magiccityclassic.com. Reserved seating is $35 while general admission is $25.

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Coppin State Eagles Release 2017-18 Basketball Schedule

BALTIMORE, Maryland --Coppin State men's basketball program has released its 2017-18 schedule which features non-conference home contests against local rivals the Naval Academy and Mount St. Mary's.  The Eagles will also face three programs that finished in the top 25 of the Associated Press poll last season in Oregon, Cincinnati, and West Virginia.
 
As of publication, seven games will be featured on the PAC 12 Network, Big 10 Plus Network, ESPN U, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, and FS1.  Season tickets are available on coppinstatesports.com for $75 and provide access to both the men's and the women's basketball games.
 
The Eagles will start the 2017-18 campaign on the road November 10 on the west coast with a matchup against the University of Oregon from the PAC 12. The Oregon Ducks finished at #9 in the AP Poll last season and will broadcast the game on the PAC 12 Network.
 
Coppin will then travel back to the east coast to participate in the first of four games which are a part of the Showcase on the Banks tournament.  The showcase features matchups between East Carolina (Nov. 12), Cleveland State (Nov. 17), Rutgers (Nov. 19), and Central Connecticut State (Nov. 21). 
 
In between the East Carolina and Cleveland State matchups, on November 16, Coppin State will travel to #18 University of Cincinnati and face the Bearcats on ESPN 3.
 
After an eight day break, Coppin will begin the month of December back on the road against Ohio University (Dec. 1) and Georgetown University (Dec. 3).
 
Coach Juan Dixon's home debut will follow when the Eagles take on the US Naval Academy on December 6.   
 
After Navy, Coppin will get back on the road for three contests against University of Connecticut (Dec. 9), UMBC (Dec. 12), and #13 West Virginia (Dec. 20).  The Eagles will return back to the PEC Arena to face their last home nonconference opponent in Mount St. Mary's on December 22.
 
Coppin will conclude their nonconference schedule after Christmas with games against Georgia Tech on (Dec. 27), and Penn State (Dec. 30).
 
MEAC competition will start at Norfolk State University on January 3.  The Eagles will follow that with a two game home stand against Savannah State (Jan. 6) and Florida A&M (Jan. 8).  The well-traveled Eagles will then head south to face North Carolina Central (Jan. 13) and North Carolina A&T on January 15.
 
Coppin will then begin a three game home stand which will include local rival Morgan State on Saturday, January 20.  The bulldogs of South Carolina State will play the following weekend on January 27, followed by Maryland Eastern Shore on January 29.
 
Next, the team will head to Hampton University on January 31 to face the 2017 MEAC Tournament Champions.  Shortly afterwards, the ladies will face Bethune Cookman, the 2017 MEAC regular season champion on February 3, before heading to Orangeburg, SC to challenge South Carolina State on Feb. 5.
 
Coppin men's basketball will return for homecoming week to battle Hampton (Feb. 12) and Bethune Cookman (Feb. 17).  After a brief trip to Delaware State on February 19, the Eagles will travel to Morgan State on February 26 to continue the rivalry series.  Coppin will wrap up the regular season on March 1 against Howard University.
 
The MEAC Tournament will be held in the Norfolk Scope Arena March 5- 10 in Norfolk, VA.
 
Coppin returns four players from last year including MEAC All-Rookie Team Dejuan Clayton, and senior Tre' Thomas.  Coach Dixon bolstered the roster with the addition of freshman Joel Boyce from Jamaica, NY and transfer Lamar Morgan from Mineral Area College who earned 1st Team All-Conference honors.  Providing additional depth to the roster are transfers Karonn Davis, Adam Traore, and Cedric Council, Jr. who are expected to make an immediate impact.
 
The Coppin State Eagles play in the Physical Education Complex Arena on the campus of Coppin State University and is led by first year head coach Juan Dixon.

CSU EAGLES MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE 2017-18


COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY EAGLES SPORTS INFORMATION

UDC Firebirds Remain Ranked No. 10 in United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II East Region Poll

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of the District of Columbia men's soccer team remained ranked No. 10 for the 2nd consecutive week in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II East Region Week 5 Poll released Tuesday, October 3rd.

The Firebirds (8-2, 3-0 ECC) are coming off back-to-back impressive wins last week – first a 1-0 victory at home Wednesday afternoon over a West Chester University team ranked No. 4 in the Atlantic Region and receiving votes for the USC National Top-25 poll, and then a 2-1 East Coast Conference road victory at Molloy College on Saturday.

UDC is currently on a seven-game win streak and sits tied with LIU Post atop the ECC standings at 3-0 heading into tomorrow's conference clash at home with perennial powerhouse NYIT at 3 p.m. With a victory vs. NYIT, the Firebirds will tie the program's all-time 2nd longest win streak (8) and move to 5-0 this season at home.

The Firebirds as a team rank No. 22 in the nation in scoring offense (2.5 goals per-game) and boast Division II's 3rd leading individual scorer in sophomore midfielder Gabriel Torres (2.8 points per-game). Torres is tied for 5th in the nation in goals per-game (1.10), and tied for 21st in assists per-game (.60).

WEEK 5 REGIONAL POLLS

Atlantic | Central | East | Midwest | South | South Central | Southeast | West

Rank     School      Prev.     W-L-T

1 Adelphi University 
DA Bentley University 4-1; DH Southern New Hampshire University 1-0;18-0-1

2  LIU Post 
DH Wilmington University 1-0; DH Roberts Wesleyan College 4-1;27-0-1

3 Merrimack College 
DA Stonehill College 1-0; DH Le Moyne College 3-0;58-1-1

4 Southern Connecticut State University 
DA Southern New Hampshire University 2-1; DH Assumption College 3-1;76-1-2

5 Southern New Hampshire University 
LH Southern Connecticut State University 1-2; LA Adelphi University 0-1;36-2-1

6 Le Moyne College 
DH Assumption College 2-1; LA Merrimack College 0-3;66-2-1

7 Franklin Pierce University 
LA Saint Anselm College 2-3; LH University Of New Haven 1-2;45-2-1

8 Jefferson University 
DH Holy Family University 1-0; DA Felician College 2-0;87-2-0

9 Bloomfield College 
DA Georgian Court University 2-1;97-2-0

10 University of the District of Columbia 
DH West Chester University 1-0; DA Molloy College 2-1;108-2-0

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern quarterback Austin Howard cleared to play against Alabama A&M. 'He's going to be able to go'

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- There will not be a game-time decision regarding Southern quarterback Austin Howard this week — and this is positive news.

Despite the fact that Howard left the Fort Valley State game with an injury in the second quarter, coach Dawson Odums said Monday that Howard is healthy and will be ready for the Jaguars’ homecoming game against Alabama A&M.

“He’s going to be able to go this week,” Odums said.

Howard missed two games and most of the past month of practice with a left knee injury, but the injury that caused him to leave the Fort Valley State game was to his ankle.

Howard needed to limp off the field after sustaining the injury and watched the second half in street clothes on the sidelines.

After the game, Odums said he could have returned to the field, but the team decided not to risk worsening the injury.



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Could Southern start using All-SWAC cornerback Danny Johnson on offense? 'Hopefully soon'

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern senior cornerback Danny Johnson has touched the ball nine times with an opportunity to run this season, and twice he finished the play celebrating a touchdown.

In four punt returns, four kick returns and one interception return, Johnson has accumulated 294 yards.

Could that play-making ability work on the offensive side of the ball? Southern offensive coordinator Chennis Berry broke into a knowing smile.

“We’ll see,” Berry said. “We’ll see.”

When informed that coach Dawson Odums already said that Southern has been thinking about more ways to put the ball in Johnson’s hands, the smile stayed on Berry’s face and he didn’t let up.

“We’ll see,” Berry said. “We’ll see.”

The only question, it appears, is how soon we’ll see Johnson lining up on the offensive side of the ball.

“Hopefully soon,” Johnson said when asked when he may play on offense. “I just want to make plays for the team at the end of the day. Whatever we can do to get in a winning position, I’ll do it.”



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State Fair Classic: Breaking down Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling

Records: Prairie View A&M 2-2, 2-0 SWAC; Grambling 4-1, 1-0

Series history: Grambling leads 51-18-1.

Key players: Prairie View - QB Lavell McCullers, WR Markcus Hardy, SS Reggie Stubblefield; Grambling - QB Devante Kincade, WR Devante Davis, CB De'Aumante Johnson.

Who has the edge



Offense - Prairie View A&M. The Panthers are 37th in total offense (415.2). They're averaging 36 points in two conference games, and 5.2 rushing yards on the season. The team's top three rushers all average at least 5.4 yards per carry, led by Dawonya Tucker (44-240, 4 TDs) and Sta'Fon McCray (40-220, 3 TDs).

Defense - Grambling. The advantage is slight going in, but the Tigers held Prairie View to 289 yards and 14 first downs last season, and they're stout against the run again, holding opponents to 70.4 rushing yards per game. That ranks seventh in the country. They're also a little better on takeaways, with 13 on the season, including eight INTs.

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Defense, Balanced Attack Lead PVAMU Panthers To Big Home Win

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M University football win enjoyed its biggest win in new Panther Stadium Saturday with a 38-9 win over Jackson State.

PVAMU (2-2 overall, 2-0 SWAC) led 17-3 after the opening quarter in leading at halftime for the first time in six games in the new facility, posting its highest scoring output of the season heading into next week's SWAC Western Division showdown against Grambling in the State Fair Classic.

"I though the guys did a really good job of responding," said Prairie View A&M head coach Willie Simmons, who's Panthers improved to 17-3 in SWAC play since 2015. "This week, we challenged them to focus on the task at hand. Everyone knows how important the Grambling game is. They've been our Achilles heel for the last two years. It was a tall task to get our guys to focus on the game this week against Jackson State. I applaud their effort for coming out focused and locked in from the very get go."



The Panther defense forced five takeaways (four fumbles, one interception) and recorded four sacks in keeping Jackson St. (0-5, 0-2) out of the end zone until just over a minute remaining in the game. LB Jalyn Williams led the Panthers with seven tackles, including a sack, two tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery. He has eight tackles for loss in the past three games.

"The defense continues to play at an extremely high level," Simmons said. "Opportunistic football. What can you say with five takeaways. Again, they did a great job of stopping the run, and making the other team one dimensional."

Offensively, PVAMU converted two of the turnovers into points and had a balanced attack (208 rushing yards, 231 passing yards) in gaining 439 yards total offense.



QB Lavell McCullers had 258 yards total offense (190 passing, 68 rushing) and two touchdown passes. Dawonya Tucker rushed 12 times for 64 yards and a touchdown.

After an opening possession field goal by Jackson State, Prairie View A&M scored the game's next 38 points. KhaDarel Hodge caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Lavell McCullers to end a five-play, 60-yard drive for a 7-3 lead with just over seven minutes to play in the quarter.

Manuel Mukes recovered a JSU fumble on the ensuing kickoff, leading to another scoring drive. Zach Elder's 26-yard field goal increased the lead to 10-3 just over two minutes later.



Following a three-and-out by Jackson State, it took just three plays for the Panthers' second touchdown. McCullers completed a pass to Markcus Hardy, who eluded defenders on a 76-yard scoring pass for a 17-3 lead with 2:32 to play in the first quarter.

The score would remain the same until the third quarter. A fumble recovery by Williams set up to a seven-play, 34-yard scoring drive. Sta'Fon McCray's one-yard touchdown run gave the Panthers a 24-3 lead with 11:22 to play in the period.

Late in the third quarter, Prairie View A&M drove 67 yards in eight plays. Dawonya Tucker's six-yard scoring run extended the lead to 31-3.

Kalen Riles' four-yard scoring pass from Neiko Hollins with just under three minutes to play ended the scoring for the Panthers.

"Overall, it was a really good win," Simmons said. "We're going to enjoy it for the next day and a half. We understand what's at stake next week."

BOX SCORE

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

West Virginia State Yellow Jackets Rally for Homecoming Victory

INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- The offense was steady and the defense came up with an outstanding performance when it was needed most as the Yellow Jackets captured a much-needed 34-28 win over Glenville State in front of a large Homecoming crowd Saturday.

"It was a team effort," WVSU Head Coach John Penningtn said. "That includes the alumni and all the fans, they made a difference at the end."

It looked early on like it was going to be an easy day at the office as WVSU dominated play in the first half controlling the ball for 18:30 and jumping out to a 21-7 lead.. But the Jackets could not pull away from the Pioneers and held just a 21-14 lead at halftime after the Pioneers scored in the closing seconds.

Quarterback Matt Kinnick hit senior receiver Quinton Gray on scoring strikes of 27 and 8 yards and freshman Calil Wilkins punched one in from 2-yards out to account for the Jackets' points.

Gray came into the game needing 30 yards receiving to break the career record set by Mario Lewis in 1993. He had 49 by halftime.

"That guy just works so hard," Pennington said. "He has a great attitude and you like to see guys like that get rewarded."

Glenville took the opening kickoff of the second half and it looked like the WVSU defense had forced a three-and-out but a hitting the punter penalty allowed Glenville State to retain possession and drive 83 yards on 14 plays to tie the score at 21-21.

Things took an even worse turn for WVSU on the ensuing possession. On the second play from scrimmage Wilkins broke through the left side of the line and took the ball about 18 yards to the Yellow Jacket 43 but was stripped of the ball on the way down and a Glenville State player picked it up and returned it to the WVSU 1-yard line. The Pioneers ran it in on the next play to take their first lead of the contest at 28-21 with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter.

The Yellow Jackets showed the fighting attitude they have displayed all season though and went right to work.

"That was what was the most impressive, the mindset," Pennington said. "They didn't let it effect them, they just went out there and played ball."

After the teams traded punts Kinnick and Gray took over.

First a 17-yard hookup moved the ball into Glenville State territory. The Pioneers sent the rush on the next play but Kinnick rolled left and found Gray cutting from the middle of teh field to the far sideline and hit him in full stride for a 46-yard score to tie things up at 28-28.

But the day ended up belonging to the WVSU defense as it shut down the Pioneer ground game and did not allow them into the red zone over the final 23:22 of the game even though the Pioneers flipped the time off possession to their advantage holding the ball for almost 19 minutes of the final 30.

"They did a good job of taking the air out of the ball after they got the lead," Pennington said, using a basketball metaphor.

Not only did the Yellow Jacket defense keep the visitors out of the enzone a fumble recovery by senior linebacker Trent Williamson at the Glenville State 35-yard line set up what would prove to be the game-winning drive.

Gray took an end around handoff off the left side and advanced the ball 29 yards. Then Wilkins again proved to be unstoppable when he gets the ball close to the goal line going in to give WVSU the lead at 34-28 with 11:07 to play. The extra point was wide after a penalty moved the attempt back.

A last gasp throw by the Pioneers into the endzone with 58 seconds left fell harmlessly to the ground on 4th down and 11 from the WVSU 25. A pair of Kinnick kneel downs later the game was over.

"The offense didn't play great," Pennington said. "But when the defense turned it over they took advantage."

Glenville State came into the day averaging 413.5 yards a game of offense but were held to 358 by the WVSU defense. The Yellow Jackets came up especially big in pass defense where they held the visitors to only 163 yards compared to the Pioneers average of 288.8 per game.

"That was awesome, they have some great wide receivers," Pennington said. "It just shows the job Coach (George) Shehl has done with the defense."

Kinnick threw for 227 yards hitting 20-of-32 attempts. Gray hauled in nine of those for 112 yards while Tyrell Henderson caught five for 65 yards. Wilkins continued his streak of scoring in every college game he has played but was held to just 96 yards from scrimmage, 92 on the ground and four receiving, to see his streak of games with over 100 yards broken.

Williamson finished with eight tackles including two for a loss and a sack while Darius Goode paced the Jackets with 11 total tackles.

Next up WVSU travels to Frankfort to play Kentucky State Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard - Week 5 Finals

SATURDAY, September 30, 2017



MEAC
Bethune-Cookman 24, Savannah State 12
North Carolina A&T 21, South Carolina State 7
North Carolina Central 21, Florida A&M 14

SWAC
Alcorn State 24, Texas Southern 17
Alabama A&M 27, Arkansas Pine Bluff 14
Grambling State 31, Clark-Atlanta 20
Prairie View A&M 38, Jackson State 9
Southern 31, Fort Valley State 14
Charleston Southern 58, Mississippi Valley State 7



OVC
Eastern Illinois 19, Tennessee State 16  2O.T.

CIAA
Bowie State 64, Fayetteville State 31
Chowan 10, Johnson C. Smith 7
Shaw 23, Elizabeth City State 17
Virginia Union 28, Saint Augustine's 7
Virginia State 56, Livingstone 18
Winston-Salem State 48, Lincoln (PA) 0

SIAC
Albany State 34, Miles 9
Benedict 21, Central State (OH) 11
Morehouse 31, Kentucky State 21



OTHER CONF.
Langston 34, Texas Wesleyan 0
Ave Marie 48, Edward Waters 35
Bacone 31, Texas College 26
West Virginia State 34, Glenville State 28
East Stroudsburg 33, Cheyney 13

Happy Homecoming for the AAMU Bulldogs!!

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.

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ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Bethune-Cookman Takes Down Savannah State, 24-12

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).

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BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Fast Start Propels Alcorn to 24-17 Victory over Texas Southern

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."

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ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

XULA Niculescu wins in straight sets in consolation final

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.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Southern notes: Danny Johnson called his shot — sort of — and returned a punt for a touchdown.

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.



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Southern beats Fort Valley State 31-14 while continuing to walk the injury high-wire

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).



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11th-ranked Langston blanks Texas Wesleyan, keeping Rams winless in return season

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.

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from THE EDITOR: The MEAC versus the SWAC

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?

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