Southern's defense leads the way in 35-14 homecoming win against Alabama A&M

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern defense that had spent the better part of the last four games getting pushed around took its turn as the aggressor in Saturday’s 35-14 win against Alabama A&M.

On a homecoming greatly affected by Hurricane Nate — kickoff was moved up five hours, and the sky grew dark and rain came down in force at A.W. Mumford Stadium — Southern (3-3, 1-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) allowed just 251 yards from scrimmage, including a season-low 52 yards on the ground.

The Jaguars had given up at least 160 yards rushing in each of their first five games.

Southern also kept Alabama A&M in check through the air.

A harassing Jaguars defense never let quarterback Aqueel Glass find a rhythm, and the true freshman looked his age Saturday.

Glass completed just 3 of 18 pass attempts for 44 yards. He split time in the first half with Damion May but was pulled for good after throwing an ill-advised interception in the third quarter that led to a Southern touchdown.



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Late Rally Surge Lift S.C. State Bullogs Over Morgan State Bears in MEAC Action

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Redshirt senior All-American linebacker Darius Leonard put on stellar performance in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU, recording a season-high 18 tackles (14 solo) along with two interceptions for 51-yards to lead South Carolina State to a ,35-14, victory over Morgan State Friday (Oct. 6th) at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium/Willie Jeffries Field.

South Carolina State improves to 2-3 overall, 1-2 in the MEAC, while Morgan State remains winless at 0-4 overall, 0-2 in the league.

South Carolina State got on the board early on with a 44-yard scamper by senior running back Trey Samuel at the 10:41 mark in the first quarter.

Morgan State evened the score 7-7 on a 1-yard punch by senior running back Eric Harrell with 2:01 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Luke Uransel scored the only points in the second quarter kicking a 22-yard field goal to give the Bears a 10-7 lead heading into intermission.



Morgan State opened the second-half with tough defensive stands forcing back-to-back safeties in the third quarter to move ahead a score 14-7 at the 9:01 mark.

The Bulldogs offense came to life late in the third on a 28-yard touchdown toss from redshirt sophomore quarterback Dewann Ford to redshirt sophomore Quan Caldwell with 4:41 remaining.

Samuel carried the load in the fourth quarter leading the Bulldog charge with a 15-yard and an 89-yard touchdown runs late in the contest. Leonard sealed the deal on his second interception of 12-yards for a touchdown to life SC State to a 35-14 victory and first conference win of the season.

Samuel finished with 19 carries for 169-yards and three touchdowns, while Ford threw for 9-of-22 for 123-yards and a score. Sophomore Demontrez Burrough spearheaded the receiving corps with four catches for 66-yards, while Caldwell added four for 51-yards.

Leonard had help on the defense with redshirt senior linebacker Dayshawn Taylor finishing with eight tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and one interception. Senior defensive back Devondre Powell added five tackles, one forced fumble in the win.



South Carolina State return to action on Saturday (Oct. 14) on the road versus Bethune-Cookman in a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in Daytona Beach, Fla. Kickoff is 4 p.m.

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

BOX SCORE

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

VSU Trojan Men's Basketball Predicted to Finish First in CIAA Preseason Rankings

ETTRICK, Virginia -- The Virginia State University men's basketball team was picked as the top team in the CIAA as the league announced its preseason predictions and All-CIAA teams ahead of Thursday's CIAA Basketball Media Day. The Trojans finished the 2016-17 season with a 22-8 overall and 13-3 conference record.

Alongside being predicted to finish in the number one spot by the league's coaches, the Trojans had two players, senior Richard Granberry (Chester, PA) and junior Walter Williams (Richmond, Va.), to earn preseason honors.

Granberry finished last season averaging 14.8 points per game and shot 60% from the free throw line and 58% from the field. During the 16-17 campaign, he secured 121 total rebounds, ranking him 3rd in the conference. Granberry led the team in points (415), field goals (167-of-288), free throws (81-of-135), rebounds (213), and blocked shots (20).

Junior Walter Williams finished last season averaging 8.3 points per game alongside shooting 40.9% from the field, 31.2 % from the 3-point line, and 75.8% from the free throw line.

VSU will start the 2107-18 campaign on Nov. 4, as they travel to take on Norfolk State University for a Division 1 exhibition matchup. Tip-off for the VSU v. NSU game is slated for 6pm at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall on the campus of NSU.

For the most up-to-date information on VSU men's basketball please visit www.govsutrojans.com and follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.

CIAA Men's Predicted Order of Finish
1. Virginia State
2. Bowie State
3. Virginia Union
4. Winston-Salem State
5. Shaw
6. Fayetteville State
7. Johnson C. Smith
8. Livingstone
9. St. Augustine's
10. Chowan
11. Lincoln
12. Elizabeth City State

CIAA Southern Division Preseason Order of Finish
1. Winston-Salem State
2. Shaw
3. Fayetteville State
4. Johnson C. Smith
5. St. Augustine's
6. Livingstone

CIAA Norther Division Preseason Order of Finis
2. Bowie State
3. Virginia Union
4. Chowan
5. Lincoln
6. Elizabeth City State

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Fresh off first win, Norfolk State hopes to halt home 0-7 record vs. Florida A&M

NORFOLK, Virginia -- To win its second straight game, Norfolk State must beat a team it never has defeated in Norfolk.

The Spartans play Florida A&M (2-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC) at 2 p.m. Saturday at home, where NSU is 0-7 all-time against the Rattlers.

Norfolk State (1-3, 1-0) is coming off a bye week that followed its first win of the season, a 17-7 victory over Delaware State in a MEAC opener.

“I think we got the opportunity to see versus Delaware State what we have the opportunity to be,” coach Latrell Scott said.

Also for the first time, one quarterback played every snap of a game: freshman Juwan “Pootie” Carter. The Richmond native threw for 292 yards on 28-of-46 passing, with two TD strikes to Chuma Awanna.

Carter split time with freshman Tripp Harrington in the first three games.

“We thought coming out of, probably, James Madison (that) Pootie was gonna be the guy we went with,” Scott said. “I understand as a head coach that when you’re playing the quarterback position, when you don’t know what series is your last series it’s kind of tough to be as productive as you can be.”

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Savannah State still waiting to see hard work pay off with win

SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS ATHLETICS

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The Savannah State football team just isn’t playing well enough to win, head coach Erik Raeburn said earlier this week.

The Tigers are doing what they need to do to be competitive. An incomplete pass in the end zone in the final seconds left them with a six-point loss against Florida A&M. They fell to Bethune-Cookman 24-12 after trailing 17-12 early in the fourth quarter.

But if the Tigers want to beat visiting Hampton University in their homecoming game at 2 p.m. Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium, they have to cut out the self-inflicted wounds.

“We want to win, obviously,” Raeburn said. “The guys work hard, you want to see it pay off. Unfortunately, we’re just making too many mistakes. When an opponent makes a really good play, you can recover from that and still win. What can’t happen is the freebies where we make a mental error and cut loose a running back for a 70-yard touchdown, where we make a mental error, and we don’t block and we get hit for an 8-yard loss. Those are the things you can’t overcome.”

It’s true the Tigers are young with 10 freshmen either starting or seeing playing time, but four games into the season, and Raeburn said that can no longer be used as an excuse.

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Southern homecoming parade moved to Nov. 4, other events rescheduled

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Due to the potential effects of Tropical Storm Nate, Southern University officials have postponed the homecoming parade to Nov. 4. All entries unable to attend the rescheduled date will be issued a refund for the entry fee.

In addition to this change, the university has also postponed Sunday's Southwestern Athletic Conference soccer match against Alcorn State and home SWAC volleyball contest against Grambling State. The rescheduled date has not been determined at this time.

Tailgating lots will be open at 6 a.m. Saturday. Homecoming tickets will be available for purchase at the A.W. Mumford Stadium ticket booth. The SU System Foundation's dedication ceremony has been moved to 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

All inquires and concerns regarding the parade can be forwarded to the SUBR Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management via email at studentaffairs@subr.edu. SUBR will operate an Emergency Operations Center in 218 J. B. Moore Hall. In cases of emergency, call 225-771-4500.

The Southern University New Orleans Police Department and Housing management will institute a curfew beginning Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for students living in SUNO campus housing. Access to SUNO housing will be limited to current residents only.

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2017 Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic: Preview

Saturday's Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic will be carried live on Aspire TV.

Series history with Morehouse
* 82 years ago, Morehouse and Tuskegee played for the first time at A. J. McClung Memorial
Stadium in Columbus, Georgia. The series began in 1902 and TU owns at 71-27-7

Outscoring the Maroon Tigers
* Tuskegee has won 19 of the last 23 meetings against Morehouse outscoring them 166-36
in the last four meetings

Last Meeting - 2016
Kevin Lacey tossed four touchdown passes and threw for 300 yards as TU's second half
surge led them past Morehouse 28-19. Osband Thompson finish with 10 tackles in the win

Chattahoochee River Golden Tigers
*Three players (Dashae Hubbard, Cordarius White, and Daymeonta White) all
hail from the city of Columbus, Georgia

Golden Tigers return to the sideline as coaches again in 2017
* Three former Golden Tigers continue to give back to their alma mater, returning to the
sidelines is: Kelvin Powell, Ramone Nickerson and Andre Brunson.

Slater vs. The House
* Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater, who is in his 12th season enters Saturday's game with
a 10-1 advantage when coaching against Morehouse

Reflecting Back - 2014
* The last time Tuskegee posted a 3-2 record after their first five games was 2014. That
same year The Golden Tigers claimed the SIAC Championship

October fest
* In the last five seasons, Tuskegee has posted a record of 20-2 in the month of October.
Their last defeat came in 2015 against UNC-Pembroke

Homecoming Change
* Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee University Athletic Department announce that
the university's 2017 homecoming game has been rescheduled from November 4 to the
Golden Tigers' matchup with the Central State Marauders on October 28. The change in
the date for homecoming will not affect the 1 p.m. scheduled kickoff time on October 28

Tuskegee leads SIAC, ranked second in NCAA Football attendance
*For the third consecutive year, and the seventh time in school history, Tuskegee University
football finished second in attendance in NCAA Division II according to the numbers
released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Golden Tigers
finished first among schools in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Running back by committee
* Four running backs (Eric Bight, Marquez Burdette, Justice Owens), have all scored
touchdowns this season.

Road Warriors
* Out of 10 games this season, seven will be played on the road. Tuskegee is featured
in three annual classics leaving only three hame games in 2017

Tuskegee Digital Network
Frank Lee and Ken Woodard will provided commentary for the 2017 football season. Lee
returns to booth after providing play-by-play duties for the Golden Tigers for over 25
years. Woodard will provide color analysis for the network. The former TU great played
linebacker with Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is
also known

To find the listing in your area, go to http://aspire.tv/find-channel/ and put your zip code into the space provided. 

In the Atlanta area, the game can be seen on:
 
158 AT&T U-verse TV
 
1158 AT&T U-verse TV - HD
 
188 Comcast Atlanta
 
381 DIRECTV - HD

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Donald Hill-Eley Named Interim Head Football Coach for Alabama State University Hornets

DONALD HILL-ELEY
INTERIM HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY 

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., has announced that Donald Hill-Eley will move into the role of Interim Head Football Coach after Brian Jenkins was relieved of his duties Friday afternoon.

"I am extremely impressed with the wealth of experience Coach Eley has brought to our athletics program as Associate Head Coach," Dr. Ross said. "His knowledge of Hornets football will be of great benefit as we continue to support our student athletes and the University's football program."

Eley joined the program in 2015 after a one-year stint as the wide receivers coach at Norfolk State and has served in the role of Associate Head Coach during that time. The longtime Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) coach spent 13 seasons at Morgan State (2001-13). After his first season as offensive coordinator, Eley spent the final 12 as head coach and was named 2002 MEAC Coach of the Year. His 59 wins rank third all-time in Bears' history.

"We would like to thank Brian Jenkins for his time at Alabama State," Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jennifer Lynne Williams said. "It was a tough three years in terms of wins and losses for coach; but I am comfortable that he will have success in his future endeavors and will end up on a sideline soon."

He spent four seasons at Hampton (1997-2000) as offensive coordinator and pro liaison, helping the Pirates win an HBCU National Championship, two MEAC titles and the 1999 Heritage Bowl.

Eley spent four seasons in professional football in the Canadian Football League, first with the Baltimore Stallions (1994-95) as receivers coach before two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts as a guest coach (1996-97). Hill was on the staff of three straight Grey Cup championship teams (1995-97) during his time in the CFL.

"I would like to thank Dr. Ross and Alabama State University for entrusting me with the football program during these tough times," Eley said. "I look forward to the opportunity of leading these young men at this point n their lives."

Eley will assume his duties immediately.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University athletics, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateFB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama State fires head football coach Brian Jenkins

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State fired football coach Brian Jenkins, five games into the season and four days after its new president took over leadership.

Alabama State University President Quinton Ross announced that Donald Hill-Eley will serve as interim head coach after Jenkins was fired Friday afternoon.

Disappointment and frustration surrounded the team after its dismal performance against Alcorn State on Thursday night. The 24-10 defeat was in front of many empty seats and on national television, a rare occurrence for the Hornets.

Fans booed the team during the game, and a few joined in negative chants after Alcorn led 24-0 at halftime.

“We would like to thank Brian Jenkins for his time at Alabama State,” Interim Athletic Director Jennifer Lynne Williams said in a news release. “It was a tough three years in terms of wins and losses for coach, but I am comfortable that he will have success in his future endeavors and will end up on a sideline soon.”

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Why State Fair Classic between Prairie View A&M, Grambling State won't be short on offense

DALLAS, Texas -- Points are going to be plentiful when Prairie View A&M and Grambling State meet in the State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.

The matchup, which starts at 4 p.m., features two of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's best offenses.

Prairie View A&M is second in scoring with 29 points per game and second in total offense, averaging 415.2 yards per game. Grambling is right behind the Panthers in both categories with 28.4 points per game and 339 yards of total offense.

Grambling's offense is led by Dallas native DeVante Kincade, the reigning SWAC offensive player of the week, who passed for 278 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-20 win against Clark Atlanta last week in Chicago.

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Win, or fade: starting with homecoming tilt against Alabama A&M, only SWAC games remain for Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern has entered the high-stakes arena of Southwestern Athletic Conference football, where one loss can signal the end of your postseason aspirations.

All of Southern’s six remaining games are against SWAC teams, starting with a homecoming matchup against Alabama A&M (2-3, 2-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The margin for error is minimal for Southern (2-3, 0-1) and other SWAC schools at this stage of the season. Its most experienced players are intimately aware of that fact.

“The good thing about it is we’ve got enough seniors on this football team who have been through the fire,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “They understand what it’s all about.”

This is senior quarterback Austin Howard’s fourth time entering this dance, and he has seen all the ways it can unfold.

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Alcorn State holds off ASU rally

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alcorn State once again showed why it was picked to win the SWAC East, beating Alabama State 24-10 at ASU Stadium on Thursday.

The Hornets (0-5, 0-2 SWAC) only had 10 yards of total offense in the first half.

Hornets running back Ezra Gray finished with 12 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown of 59 yards.

Here were Alabama State's top performers on Thursday:

1. Ezra Gray, So., RB: Finished with 12 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown (59). Also caught two passes for 30 yards.

2. Trevor Vincent, Sr., P: Punted eight times for an average of 39.6 yards, including a career-best 68-yard punt.

3. Dennis Roberts IV, Jr., DB: Led the ASU defense with seven tackles with two for loss.

Alcorn State (4-2, 2-0) led 24-0 at halftime, gaining 330 yards of total offense in the first half. The Braves won their fourth straight meeting with the Hornets.



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Grambling State cleaning up growing penalty problem

GRAMBLING, Louisiana – Head coach Broderick Fobbs and Grambling State have experienced just about everything a team could over the last couple of seasons.

In a new experience for players and coaches this past Saturday playing at historic Soldier Field in Chicago, the Tigers ventured further out into uncharted territory.

Grambling amassed 17 penalties for 181 yards in its 31-20 victory over Clark Atlanta, drawing attention to a problem that’s been metastasizing through five games this season.



“I’ve never been in that situation before,” Fobbs said. “That’s not our character. We’ve never been that type of team. I’m not going to sit up here and blame the officiating, but there were some things that were questionable. At the end of the day, you have to play the game and you have to do things the right way. We just didn’t.

“We didn’t play well. I didn’t think that we came ready to play, I didn’t think we played with any passion, I didn’t think we played hard the entire game. It’s one of those situations where it just wasn’t our day.”

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HBCU Football Judgment Day Schedule - Week 6

FRIDAY, October 6, 2017

MEAC
Morgan State at South Carolina State, 7:30 PM,  TV:ESPNU

SATURDAY, October 7, 2017

MEAC
North Carolina Central at Howard , 1 PM
Delaware State at North Carolina A&T, 1 PM
Florida A&M at Norfolk State, 2 PM
Hampton at Savannah State 2 PM

OVC
Tennessee State at ,Eastern Kentucky, 6:00 PM

SWAC
Alcorn State 24, Alabama State 10
Grambling State vs. Prairie View A&M at State Fair Classic, Dallas, TX, 5 PM
Alabama A&M at Southern, 7 PM
Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 7 PM
Texas Southern at Kennesaw State, 7 PM

OTHER CONF.
Cheyney at Lock Haven, 1 PM
University of God's Chosen at Edward Waters, 3 PM
Texas Wesleyan at Texas College, 8 PM

SIAC
Miles at Central State (OH), 1 PM
West Virginia State at Kentucky State, 1:30 PM
Lincoln (MO) at Albany State, 2 PM,  Live Video  
Langston at Lane, 2 PM
Tuskegee vs. Morehouse, Columbus, GA, 2 PM, TV: ASPIRE  
Fort Valley State at Clark Atlanta, 4 PM

CIAA
Livingstone at Saint Augustine's, 1 PM
Shaw at Fayetteville State, 1 PM
Virginia State at Elizabeth City State, 1 PM
Johnson C. Smith at Winston-Salem State, 1:30 PM
Chowan at Bowie State, 4 PM
Virginia Union at Lincoln (PA), 5PM



All Game Times in Eastern Time Zone

from THE EDITOR: FAMU On Track to Have Winning Season

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- By all account and in spite of the recent negative coverage by the Tallahassee Democrat, FAMU is on its way to its first winning season since Joe Taylor was head coach in 2011. At the beginning of this season I counted six games that the Rattlers should win. They are games against Texas Southern, Savannah State, Norfolk State, Hampton, Morgan State, and Howard. Just one upset along the way and FAMU could have a 7-4 season! So far, FAMU is on schedule having defeated Texas Southern at home and Savannah State away. Given Howard’s upsurge, the Bethune Cookman game at the end of the season may be the game that determines whether FAMU has a winning season. That is, if FAMU wins the games they are predicted to win and that streak should continue on Saturday.

Norfolk State had its first win of the season against Delaware State University last week at home, outscoring the Hornets 17-14. Like FAMU, they ended last year’s season 4-7. I should point out that their head coach, Latrell Scott, was one of the coaches considered for the position now held by Alex Wood. The Spartans are eager to win on Saturday and start a streak that’s not in the loosing column. They lost the first game of the season at home in a close game to Division II Virginia State. That was followed by a close loss at home to FCS William & Mary. Playing their third game away the Spartans were manhandled by FCS James Madison, 75-14. The Spartans are likely viewing FAMU as a game they could win.

CONTINUE READING

McCullum Rounds Out Florida A&M Men's Basketball Staff

 Robert McCullum 
Head Men's Basketball Coach
FAMU Rattlers

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida A&M men’s head basketball coach Robert McCullum announced the hiring of his basketball staff today. McCullum will be joined in guiding the Rattler program by Carlos Briggs and Jarrett Stephens. McCullum also added Patrick Benson as director of basketball operations. McCullum takes over the Rattlers with an emphasis on building a solid program and the coaching staff will play a major role in that effort.

“It’s a long time coming, but yet we ended up with a group of guys well suited to revitalize the basketball program. Each guy brings different experiences. Combined, I am very confident about their abilities to help elevate the program.

Briggs is no stranger to collegiate coaching, having coached for more than 18 years. Prior to FAMU, Briggs served for two seasons as an assistant coach for McLennan Community College, helping the Highlanders achieve two conference championships, one national tournament bid, and two top ten finishes in the rankings (No.9 in 2016; No.7 in 2017).

In his time before MCC, Briggs served as an assistant coach at Trinity Valley Community College, helping lead the Cardinals to a conference championship, an appearance in the NJCAA Sweet 16, and a No. 4 ranking at the end of the 2015 season.

Briggs also worked as an assistant coach at the University of Detroit – Mercy from 2007-2012. During his time at UDM, he was instrumental in helping the recovery of program – building the program to the point of securing berths in the NCAA and NIT tournaments.

McCullum values the breadth of Briggs’ experience. “Briggs is clearly the veteran of the staff. Over 20 years experience, with nine of those years as head coach outside Detroit. He took his team to three appearances in the JuCo national tournament. He attained one Final Four appearance in 2001 and his teams also enjoyed a stretch of being ranked No.1 in the country. A native of Detroit, with Midwest ties, he played at Baylor and has vast recruiting experience and is well respected. He is already making his presence felt landing quality recruits for the program, “ McCullum said.

Stephens has been coaching and training high school, college, and professional basketball players for 20 years. He has coached for USA Basketball and has trained more than 30 NBA players and over 40 professional international players. Some of these players include Jalen Rose, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rodney Hood, Thaddeus Young, Moe Harkless, Cameron Payne, Skal Labissiere, and Jonathan Isaac. Stephens comes to FAMU from IMG Academy where over the last two years he was the Associate Head Coach of the Varsity National Team. Last season they achieved a record of 28-2 and participated in the Dick’s National Championship.

“Stephens spent the last three seasons as a lead instructor at IMG Academy. There he thrived in the development of athletes. He assisted college and NBA players who trained to improve. He was involved in training and development. He has HBCU ties working at Clark-Atlanta and Lemoyne-Owen Memphis. He is a Cleveland native with ties to the south and the ability to teach on the floor and complements Briggs in recruiting and coaching,” McCullum said.

Patrick Benson is enterin his first season as the Director of Operations for the Rattlers. He spent the previous four years as a student manager for the University of Oregon Men’s Basketball team, for two of which he was the Head Manager. While with the University of Oregon, the Ducks went to the NCAA Tournament four times, reaching one Elite Eight and the Final Four this past season. He spent this past summer working for the Hoop Group as a Head Runner for their elite level summer basketball camp in Reading, PA. Patrick was born and raised in Portland, OR.

McCullum feels that Benson is a vital part of the organization. “I watched Patrick grow and develop from head manager to student-assistant in three years. He has an unbelievable work ethic. He will be the youngest on our staff, but a good addition to our chemistry,” McCullum said.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Williams Named Interim Director of Athletics at ASU

Jennifer Lynne Williams 

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., has announced that Jennifer Lynne Williams will move into the role of Interim Director of Athletics with the resignation of Melvin Hines.

"Alabama State University is fortunate to have someone of Mrs. Williams's caliber to take this interim position," said Ross. "I am fully confident in her ability to lead our athletics department at this critical juncture."

Williams, in her second year at Alabama State, has more than a decade of experience in athletics administration. As the Deputy Director of Athletics, she managed the day-to-day operations of Hornet athletics and led the division's external and community relations initiatives. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD).

"I would like to thank Dr. Ross and the Alabama State University leadership for entrusting me with leading our athletic department," Williams said. "I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to serve as the Interim Director of Athletics and lead such a wonderful, accomplished group of student-athletes, coaches and staff that have carried on the long, storied history of Alabama State athletics.

"I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best administrators around the country, and I will draw from those experiences in leading Alabama State and keeping the Hornets on top of the Southwestern Athletic Conference."

Williams came to Alabama State after spending four years as the Associate Athletic Director of
Development and Executive Director of the Aggie Foundation at North Carolina A&T. Williams oversaw the giving initiatives for athletics and raised more than $4 million in donor revenue while doubling the number of donors for athletics.

"This is a great time in the University's history," Williams said. "New President, new vision, new day ... we're so excited about celebrating our sesquicentennial and the dynamic leadership that Dr. Ross will bring to ASU. We are moving 150 Forward; and I can truly say that it is a great time to be a Hornet!'"

Prior to her time at North Carolina A&T, Williams spent three years at DePaul University (2009-12) as the Assistant Director of Development. She also worked at Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly the National Association of Collegiate Women in Athletic Administration), volunteered at North Carolina Wilmington (2008-09) and worked at North Carolina Central (2005-07), where she got her start in athletics development.

Williams will assume her new duties immediately.

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For complete coverage of Alabama State University athletics, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateSports (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

N.C. A&T Taylor Earns National and MEAC Weekly Honor

FCS STATS Media Poll

NCAA FCS Coaches Poll

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The latest round of player of the week accolades going to North Carolina A&T football players was released on Monday with three different Aggies earning recognition after a 21-7 win over South Carolina State last Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

Safety/linebacker Jeremy Taylor (5-11, 190, R-SR, Kinston, NC) was recognized twice on Monday. He earned defensive player of the week from the MEAC and defensive player of the week honorable mention from STATS FCS. Quarterback Lamar Raynard (6-4, 200, R-JR, High Point, NC) picked another offensive player of the week nod from the MEAC, his third of the season. Kicker Noel Ruiz (6-0, 165, FR, Wilson, NC) rounded out conference awards for N.C. A&T by being named rookie of the week.

N.C. A&T made minor improvements in the two national Football Championship Subdivision polls, moving from No. 13 to No. 12 in the NCAA FCS Coaches Poll, and they went from No. 17 to No. 16 in the STATS FCS Media Poll. The Aggies (5-0, 2-0 MEAC) are one of nine undefeated teams in FCS play.

“We’re extremely happy to be 5-0,” said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway. “We’re showing signs that we are developing into a good football team. With the success we have had over the last few years, our guys know how to win. The Lesson we’re teaching now is how to handle winning. A part of handling winning is putting the past behind you and focusing in on what’s ahead of you.”

Taylor has played a major part in all the winning. Taylor led the Aggies in tackles last season and holds the team lead in tackles this season. He did major damage to SCSU’s offense last Saturday. He played a part in forcing all three of the Bulldogs’ turnovers with two forced fumbles and an interception. Taylor earned co-defensive player of the week honors three weeks ago after posting 10 tackles, forcing and recovering and fumble and interception one pass. He was named national defensive player of the week by STATS FCS last season after spearheading the Aggies upset of Kent State.

Raynard continues to march toward one of the best seasons by an Aggies quarterback in school history. For the second time this season, he had a passing performance that ranked among the top-10 performances of all time in school history. Against the Bulldogs, he threw for 298 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 18-for-31 passing. It was the ninth-best passing performance in school history, one step behind his 321-yard performance against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 2 which ranks as the eighth-best. Raynard threw a career-long 71-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Griffin versus SCSU. It was his 14th touchdown pass of the season.

Nationally, Raynard is second in yards per attempt (10.4) and passing TD’s. He is sixth in points responsible for (92), ninth in passing per completion (15.22), 11th in completion percentage (.683), 12th in passing yards (1,309) and 15th in total offense (283.2).

Ruiz found his rhythm as the Aggies kicker last Saturday. After missing the first two field goals of his career, Ruiz bounced back and went 3-for-3 at SCSU. His three crucial kicks were from 36, 41 and 27 yards. His 36-yarder were the first points of the game as the Aggies took a 3-0 lead in the second quarter. He later booted a 41-yarder toward in the of the first half to give the Aggies a 12-0 halftime lead. His final field goal gave the Aggies a two-touchdown lead with only four minutes remaining in the game. The Aggies have now claimed the rookie of the week award three straight weeks after Mac McCain won the honor twice over the previous two weeks.

This week the Aggies host the Greatest Homecoming On Earth as Delaware State will come to town for a 1 p.m., kickoff at Aggie Stadium.

Follow Aggie Athletics on Facebook and Instagram (ncatathletics) and on Twitter (@ncataggies).

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NCCU Weekly Press Conference: Week 6 at Howard

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NCCU What NC Central’s Levelle Moton has learned about his new team so far

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Defending MEAC regular season and tournament champion N.C. Central kicked off the 2017-18 season Monday at McDougald-Mclendon Arena.

Head coach LeVelle Moton put his new team through the paces. The Eagles start the season Nov. 10 at University of Illinois-Chicago.

Last season N.C. Central went 25-9 overall and 13-3 in the MEAC, advancing to the NCAA tournament for the second time under Moton. It’s too soon to tell if this team can duplicate that success, but here are some early observations from Day One.

NEW FACES

Personnel turnover is nothing new for Moton, who builds his roster year-to-year with transfers, rarely signing more than one or two true freshmen. Moton lost seven seniors from last season’s team, including all five starters. Senior forward Pablo Rivas is the only returning player who averaged double-digit minutes (18.4) last season.

Moton’s style has been an eye opener for his new players.

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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
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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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
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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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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