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ETTRICK, Virginia – In front of Homecoming crowd of 17,092, the Virginia State University Trojans secured a 47-35 victory over the Bulldogs of Bowie State University on Saturday afternoon. With the win, VSU not only remains undefeated with a 6-0 record, but also moved to the #1 spot in the CIAA Northern Division. Bowie State moves to the #2 in the North and is now 6-1. The Trojans are remaining focused as they keep their eyes on the 2017 CIAA Championship title.
Virginia State took a home field advantage as they took an early 7-0 lead when quarterback Cordelral Cook (Atlanta, GA) found the end zone on a three yard run at the 9:31 mark in the first. Bowie State then answered at the 3:15 mark of first quarter, when Hall connected with Geordan Clark for a 24-yard pass to cut VSU lead to 7-6. Virginia State then answered with senior Trenton Cannon (Hampton, Va.) exploding down the Bowie State sideline to secure a 93-yard touchdown run. The Trojans then added another big play that led to a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Blair Wynn, pushing the Trojans lead to 20-7.
Bowie State started to pick up momentum in the second quarter by adding two touchdowns. The first was at the 13:40 mark, when Amir Hall connected with Lansana Sesay for a 23-yard pass. VSU keeping the same momentum added another touchdown when Cordelral Cook connected with Carlton Campbell for a 55-yard pass for a touchdown at the 12:16 mark. BSU added its final touchdown of the quarter on a 7-yard pass bring the score to 27-21 at the half.
Despite a scoreless third quarter for both VSU and BSU, VSU's Cordelral Cook scored on 6-yard run to set the score at 33-21 in favor of the Trojans at the 13:21 mark in the fourth quarter. The Trojans then ran a trick play with quarterback Cordelral Cook connection with Joshua Harris (King Williams, Va.) for 36-yard touchdown. The kick was blocked, but recovered, by the sophomore Cullen Marshall (Suffolk, Va.) resulting in a two-point conversion to put the Trojans up 41-21.
A quick touchdown and kick by the Bulldogs gave them an additional seven points. Cordelral Cook then scored his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon at the 4:46 mark of the fourth quarter. The 56-yard touchdown enhanced the Trojans lead to 47-28. BSU then revisited the end zone, bringing the score to 47-35.
The Virginia State Trojans completed the competition with 596 total offense yards compared to 381 for Bowie State. The home team also recorded 249 passing yards. Offensively, the Trojans was led by Cordelral Cook with 234 passing yards, completing 13-of-21 passes. Zachary Parker (Reston, Va.) led all receivers with 92 reception yards on four catches. Senior Trenton Cannon carried the ball 19 times for 239 yards and adding one touchdown.
Senior Brandon Lynch (Norfolk, Va.) led the Trojans defensively with 10 tackles and one sack, followed by junior Malik Sexton (Portsmouth, Va.) with 7.5 tackles.
The Trojans will hit the road next week as they travel to face the Lions of Lincoln University (PA) on Saturday, October 21. Kickoff slated for 1 pm.
For the most up-to-date information on VSU Football please visit www.govsutrojans.com and follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.
LORMAN, Mississippi – Winning its fourth consecutive game, the Alcorn State University football program erased a 14-point first quarter deficit to defeat Prairie View A&M 34-21 Saturday during homecoming at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.
The Braves (5-2, 3-0 SWAC) trailed 14-0 at the end of the first quarter when they came back and scored 34 unanswered points to take control. Alcorn led PVAMU (2-4, 2-2 SWAC) 24-14 at half and 34-14 early in the fourth quarter.
Alcorn used both of its quarterbacks as senior Lenorris Footman threw for 138 yards, and sophomore Noah Johnson registered 90 passing yards, one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns. Footman also ran for 38 yards and a score.
Senior Jalen Walker led the aerial attack with 100 receiving yards which more-than doubled his previous career-high. He caught eight passes with a long of 22 yards.
Defensively, seniors O.J. O'Neal and Quintin Smith each wrapped-up seven tackles. Junior Trae Ferrell tallied a sack, two tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The Panthers were guided by quarterback Neiko Hollins who tossed 291 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his touchdowns were caught by Khadarel Hodge who etched 132 receiving yards.
On the first series of the game, the Braves were faced with a pair of third downs when Walker caught passes of 12 and 14 yards, respectively, to move into PVAMU territory. However, on a 4th and 1 attempt, the Panthers got a stop on a rush to the left side at the 33-yard line to force a turnover on downs.
PVAMU came back with a quick four-yard drive to go up 7-0 which included a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darius Floyd on the left. The big play was a 45-yard pass to Floyd as he broke a tackle and scampered down the right side.
The Panthers went up 14-0 on their next series after a 46-yard touchdown pass was caught by Hodge on a seam route through the middle. The Braves forced and recovered a fumble on the drive, but were flagged for offsides on the play so PVAMU kept possession.
Early in the second quarter, Alcorn's defense backed the Panthers up to their own one-yard line, which resulted in a punt and good starting field position for the Braves at the PVAMU 44. Footman completed a pass to sophomore Tavares Johnson for 16 yards, and a targeting penalty resulted in an ejection against the Panthers and put Alcorn at the eight-yard line. Noah Johnson came in and scrambled eight yards to the left for the touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 9:31 left in the half.
After a three-and-out by the Braves defense, Alcorn again started a drive in PVAMU territory at the 43. The Braves were situated with a 3rd and 22 when Footman found senior Charles Hughes over the middle for a gain of 24 yards and a first down. Footman followed it up with an 11-yard rush to the PVAMU 6. Noah Johnson re-entered the game, and kept it himself on a quarterback-option play to the left for a two-yard touchdown run. It evened the score 14-14 with 4:16 remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, a huge hit by freshman Nichel Herron popped the ball loose and junior Isiah Thomas recovered at the PVAMU 18. Alcorn took the lead 17-14 on a 39-yard field goal by sophomore Corey McCullough with 2:46 to go.
Another quick three-and-out by the defense got the ball back for the Alcorn offense with 1:29 left. The Braves extended the lead to 24-14 after a 12-yard pass from Noah Johnson was caught by Hughes in tight coverage on the left side. Hughes also made a 15-yard grab earlier in the series.
On the last play of the half, sophomore Javen Morrison recorded an interception and returned it to the PVAMU 16, but time ran out; Alcorn led 24-14 at the intermission.
To open the second half, the Panthers moved the ball to the Alcorn 34 when they were looking at a 4th and 5. PVAMU decided to go for it, but great coverage by Quintin Smith resulted in an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs.
On Alcorn's first drive of the third quarter, Noah Johnson completed passes to Turner, junior Corbin Johnson and Walker to get the Braves to the red zone. McCullough nailed a 34-yard field goal to extended Alcorn's advantage to 27-14 at the 8:42 mark.
The Braves added-on early in the fourth quarter after a 12-play, 86-yard drive resulted in a seven-yard touchdown rush by Footman. It increased the edge to 34-14. Junior P.J. Simmons started the drive with a pair of 10-yard rushes, and Turner followed by pounding it up the middle. Footman also competed passes on the series to Hughes junior Marquis Warford and Walker.
PVAMU had a quick response as a two-play, 58-yard drive ended with a 22-yard touchdown catch by Hodge. The first play was a 36-yard rush around the left by Jalen Morton. It made it a 34-21 game with 11:59 to go.
With 3:40 remaining, the Panthers had to go for it on a 4th and 13 when Ferrell came through with a strip-sack. Ferrell then returned it 49 yards, but fumbled at the one-yard line as the ball went through the back of the end zone for a touchback.
Up next, Alcorn travels to Grambling State on Saturday for a 2 p.m. start.
NOTES
- The Braves improved to 3-0 in league play for the third time in the last four years.
- Alcorn is now 41-15 all-time against PVAMU with a point differential of 1673-996 (+677).
- The Braves improved to 72-52 all-time at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium which is in its 26th season (first year was 1992).
- Alcorn is now 5-0 this season when it runs for over 100 yards as a team. The Braves etched 123 yards, led by senior De'Lance Turner's 60.
- The Braves dominated in time of possession 40:12-19:48.
- Footman remained at No. 7 all-time in school history in both career rushing yards (1,934) and touchdown passes (30). He also stayed at 10th in career passing yards with 3,843 yards. Footman entered the game leading the SWAC and ranked top-25 in the FCS in both passing and total offense.
- The Braves entered the game ranked top-10 in the FCS in third down conversions at 47.6 percent. Alcorn was 7-for-14 (.500) in the contest.
- McCullough has now made 10 field goals this year. He's chasing the single-season school record of 13 13 set by Wilfredo Rosales in 1980 and David McConnell in 2003.
- Walker's previous career-high in receiving yards was 48 yards against Grambling State in the 2016 SWAC Championship game.
- The Braves were without their leading receiver Norlando Veals due to injury. His status is week-to-week.
- Alcorn's captains were Footman and Turner. The Panthers won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair Opening Statement
"Prairie View is a tough team, but I thought we came out flat in the first quarter. We just were not doing the things we normally do. The second quarter we kind of settled in and did the things that an Alcorn Braves football team should do. We executed and played solid defense. This team could be really good if we can piece it all together for a complete game. We just have to continue working." On coming back from a 14-point deficit
"I always tell the team that it's not about what the other team does but what we do. If we do things right then we can play. Though, it shows you what kind of character these kids have on our team. These guys have a lot of fight in them."
On his quarterbacks
"Footman did a whole lot of scrambling there in the first and the second quarters so he got a little fatigued. That's why we have a number two guy. He is as good as the number one guy. Noah plays hard. I see it out of him every day in practice. His execution and determination shows that he wants to be a starter. I thank him for his leadership and the things he helps Footman with. They just come together and execute the offense. He knows the offense in and out. We don't miss a beat when he comes in. Now, other teams have to prepare for two quarterbacks."
On the defense
"They are playing relentlessly. They don't give up much. It's a bend but don't break rule. Coach [Cedric]Thomas and the defensive staff have those guys playing. You should see them at practice. The way they practice is the way they play. It's really coming along, and the run defense is there."
On preparing for Grambling State
"We've seen them a lot of times. We are so familiar with them now. We are just going to do what we do and we should be okay. We haven't played a complete football game yet."
Quoting quarterback Noah Johnson
"I just wanted to move the ball and execute the offense. When I look at the score I see 0-0 every time. I go into every week as if I'm the starter. When I go into the game I'm just calming myself down so there's no jitters, and I just play. Everybody believing in each other is huge, and we still haven't played our best game yet." Quoting defensive back O.J. O'Neal
"We just started off sluggish. It was our first 2 p.m. game so we just had to settle down and focus on the task at hand. From then on, we just buckled down and got after them."
HOUSTON, Texas -- After 67 text messages, Alabama State University interim head coach Donald Hill-Eley was able to sit back and relax after watching the Hornets come-from-behind for a 23-16 victory over Texas Southern University at BBVA Compass Stadium Saturday afternoon.
"It's been a long week," Eley said. "It's been a long week, we are drained. The players responded when we got down 14 points, and you get the feeling of here we go again. But the kids kept fighting and fighting, and they found a way to win. It was good to see them playing for them, and it was good to see them win going into the bye week."
Alabama State (1-5, 1-2 SWAC) trailed for much of the first half, before Darryl Pearson, Jr. lofted a ball to Willis White over the middle for a 67-yard touchdown pass to give Alabama State a 20-16 lead with just six seconds left in the third quarter.
After a Hunter Hanson 40-yard field goal extended the lead to 23-16 with 4:14 remaining in the contest, it was the Hornet defense that came up big in the final seconds. Ronnie Scott knocked the ball out at the last second on third down, it was TJ Presley who intercepted the ball at the goal line to end the contest.
"It was a big kick," Eley said. "The kid has a strong leg and a strong leg for this division, and we know he can kick it. He came to me before the game started and said he could make it from 51, and I told him I didn't ask him how far you could drive. But he went out there and knocked it through."
The momentum of the game swung when the Hornets called a fake punt in the third quarter, when Chett LeVay took the snap and ran around right end for 47 yards. That led to a Hanson 28-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 16-13, and set the stage for the rest of the game.
Pearson came off the bench to throw for 126 yards on 9-of-11 passing, while running for 22 yards. The duo of Pearson and Kobie Jones connected with 11 different receivers, with six different players each catching a pair of passes.
Alabama State outgained Texas Southern 264-261 on the day, led by a defense that forced two turnovers and recorded five sacks on the day. Malik Bridgers led Alabama State with eight tackles, while Darron Johnson had seven. The defense recorded 11 tackles for loss on the day.
Alabama State returns to action October 28 against Alabama A&M at the Magic City Classic.
Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University football, 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
HEAD COACH TODD BOZEMAN MORGAN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Over the course of the last five years, Levelle Moton has builtNorth Carolina Centralinto the flagship program of the MEAC.
The Eagles have won the league’s regular season title in four of the last five years and reached the NCAA tournament twice during that stretch, including last season. And who knows, maybe Moton will be able to work his magic with this group again, but considering that all five starters and seven of the eight players from NC Central’s rotation last season graduated this summer, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles repeating as league champs.
On paper, the favorite this year looks to be Morgan State. The Bears not only return the best 1-2 punch in the conference, but that duo – wing Tiwian Kendley and big man Philip Carr – also happen to be the only two returning first-team all-conference players. With just a single rotation player out the door due to graduation, Todd Bozeman has a team that should make a run at returning to the NCAA tournament.
Losing Jonathan Wade is a major blow for Norfolk State, who finished a game off of the league title pace a season ago, but Zaynah Robinson is a sparkplug at the point and should finish this season as a first-team all-league player, if not the best lead guard in the conference.
MARSHALL, Texas -- In last season's Red River Athletic Conference championship game defeat, the Wiley College men's soccer team allowed a late goal. On Thursday, the roles were reversed. Tevin Peters (SR/Chaguanas, Trinidad&Tobago) headed a ball in the 109th minute to lift the Wildcats to a 1-0 victory over Louisiana State University-Alexandria.
Tevin Peters scored the game-winner on a header. COURTESY: WILEY WILDCATS ATHLETICS
"It's a great joy to score the game-winner," Peters said. "No matter what happened I know I needed to get the ball into the back of the net. My teammates played with great effort. I give my teammates credit for my goal."
"We were fortunate to have Abraham Castilla (SO/Edcouch, Texas) serve the ball perfectly," head coach Demetrio Hernandez said. "Tevin Peters came in from the back, made a diving header and put the ball right into the net. It was a beautiful goal."
With the victory, Wiley College snapped a two-game losing streak. It tied the series against the Generals. The Wildcats remain unbeaten at home. The goal was Peters second this season. Abraham Castilla, who leads the Red River Athletic Conference in assists, set up Peters on a free kick for his sixth assist.
The Wildcats (7-4, 3-2 in RRAC) dominated the first half, as it out-shot the Generals 8-2. Wiley College was awarded six corner kicks. LSU-Alexandria put more pressure on the Wildcats' defense in the second half with four shots and two on goal. Each team had two shots in overtime. Wiley College out-shot the LSU-Alexandria 16-8.
Erik Reyes (SR/Fort Worth, TX) stopped all five shots to earn his fourth shutout and improve to 5-3. The Wildcats defended against one corner kick.
"Defensively, we are playing better every game," Reyes said.
Wiley College continues its homestand Saturday against LSU-Shreveport. It will be the first time the teams have met since 2012. FULL STATS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2017 OVC
Austin Peay at Tennessee State, 7 PM, TV: OVCN
MEAC
Savannah State at Morgan State, 1 PM, ESPN3
Hampton at Norfolk State, 2 PM Battle of the Bay, ESPN3
Howard at Delaware State, 2 PM
Gardner-Webb at North Carolina Central, 2 PM
North Carolina A&T at Florida A&M, 3 PM
South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman, 4 PM
SWAC
Alabama State at Texas Southern, 3 PM
Prairie View at Alcorn State, 3 PM
Central State (OH) at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 3:30 PM
Mississippi Valley at Alabama A&M, 4 PM5
Tuskegee vs. Jackson State at Mobile, AL, 7 PM, 5th Quarter Classic
CIAA
Chowan at Virginia Union, 1 PM
Livingstone at Shaw, 1 PM
Fayetteville State at Johnson C. Smith, 1 PM
Winston-Salem State at Saint Augustine's, 1 PM
Lincoln (PA) at Elizabeth City State, 1:30 PM
Bowie State at Virginia State, 2 PM, Clash of the Titans, TV: ASPIRE Network OTHER CONF.
Edward Waters at Webber International, 1 PM
West Virginia State at Concord, 1 PM
Shippensburg at Cheyney, 1 PM
Texas College vs. Langston at Tulsa, OK, 3 PM, Black Wall Street Classic
Missouri S&T at Lincoln (MO) 4:30 PM
SIAC
Morehouse at Albany State, 2 PM. Live VideoESPN3
Lane College at Fort Valley State, 2 PM.Live Video
Kentucky State at Miles, 2 PM
Clark Atlanta at Benedict, 2 PM. Live Video
Central State (OH) at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 3:30 PM
Jackson State vs. Tuskegee at Mobile, AL, 7 PM, 5th Quarter Classic
ALL GAME TIMES ARE STATED IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME ZONE
KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- The Langston University football team moved up to the No. 8 ranking in the fifth edition of the 2017 NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the national office announced.
The Lions entered the eighth slot after tallying 236 total votes; Langston is the highest Central States Football League institution ranked, they trail No. 7 Southern Oregon 266 votes to 236 votes.
Poll Methodology
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences.
• Each conference is given one rater for every four schools in the league.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 25 points for each first-place vote, 24 for second-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team's ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appear on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes."
2017 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 5 (October 9, 2017)
RANK
LAST TIME^
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
2017 RECORD
TOTAL POINTS
1
1
Saint Francis (Ind.) (15)
6-0
340
2
2
Baker (Kan.)
6-0
327
3
3
Reinhardt (Ga.)
5-0
312
4
4
Morningside (Iowa)
6-0
303
5
6
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
5-0
286
6
7
Grand View (Iowa)
5-1
271
7
8
Southern Oregon
5-0
266
8
9
Langston (Okla.)
5-0
236
9
10
Georgetown (Ky.)
5-0
235
NEXT GAME: October 14, 2 PM, Langston Lions vs. Texas College Steers at Tulsa, Oklahoma, Black Wall Street Classic LANGSTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
Records: Mississippi Valley (1-4, 1-1 SWAC), Alabama A&M (2-4, 2-1)
Radio: WJAB-FM
Four-down territory
1. Bounce-back time: Southern put a quick end to Alabama A&M’s two-game winning streak last week with a 35-14 victory over the Bulldogs. It was an unexpected loss after the Bulldogs opened SWAC play with easy wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Texas Southern.
2. Where did the offense go?: After scoring 57 points in the two wins, the Bulldogs were shut out for the first half at Southern and managed only two touchdowns in the second half. Alabama A&M rushed for only 52 yards, and quarterbacks Aqeel Glass and Damion May were just 17 of 49 for 199 yards through the air. They threw two interceptions.
3. Defense stumbles: While A&M’s offense was struggling, it didn’t get much help from the defense. The Bulldogs trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-0 at halftime. Southern piled up 367 yards, including 237 through the air on 23 of 25 passing.
That’s a phrase you hear a lot, the meaning not always so clear.
But coming from a football coach who has seen his top defender lost in the preseason with an injury and had his starting quarte
rback break his leg in the season opener?
Coming from a coach whose offensive line has struggled to block for the passing attack and now has his two leading running backs injured?
Coming from a coach who has seen natural disasters of hurricanes and wildfires and one mental disaster of a player attempting a somersault from the 1-yard line negating a rare touchdown?
The meaning shouldn’t be lost on anyone. That’s been the 2017 football season in a nutshell for Savannah State. Tigers coach Erik Raeburn won’t make excuses.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- While history tends to repeat itself in some ways — take, for example, Texas Southern, who is once again the clear favorite to win the SWAC — the world of college basketball as a whole is ever-changing. Just look at last year’s All-SWAC First Team. Not a single player remains for 2017-18.
That means the three returning members of the second-team — Reginal Johnson of Alcorn State, Texas Southern’s Kevin Scott, and Jared Sam at Southern — will be in the mix for first-team and Player of the Year honors.
Here are our complete projections for the 2017-18 SWAC awards. Compare them to the league’s picks, which were announced Thursday during the SWAC’s annual media teleconference.
Player of the Year—Reginal Johnson, Sr., Alcorn State
This year, a number of players could fit the bill for the preseason top performer. Yet Johnson has shown his dominance in the SWAC for years now. 15.6 points per game in the low post led him to be named HBCU All-American last year. He is a willing rebounder with a tremendous upside.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A week-long celebration reaches its climax Saturday.
Florida A&M’s football team will battle conference titan North Carolina A&T at 3 p.m. in Bragg Memorial Stadium for its annual homecoming game in front of what should be a sold-out crowd.
The game will be a challenge, for sure, but FAMU’s homecoming kicked off earlier this week – the Rattlers have been in celebration mode much longer than the lead-up to the game.
Still, it’s not homecoming without a football game at the end of the week, and this season’s contest promises to be as packed as it has been in recent years.
Chris Asa, associate athletic director for tickets and corporate sales at FAMU, said the turnout for the game should rival the 26,044 who came out to watch the Rattlers’ 2016 homecoming win over Hampton. Attendance for last season’s homecoming was the highest since 2010.
“We’ve got our hands full here for homecoming,” said football head coach Alex Wood.
Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium (25,500), Tallahassee, Fla. Radio: WCOG-93.7; WCOG-1320
At stake: The Aggies are chasing history. Since joining the MEAC as a founding member in 1971, A&T has never started a season 7-0. The only 7-0 starts in A&T’s 93-year history came in 1927 when the Aggies finished 8-0, and in 1943 when they finished 7-0. … For the Rattlers, it’s homecoming week at Florida A&M, which guarantees a sellout crowd. The program is in the third year of coach Alex Woods’ rebuilding project, but this is a fanbase that expects to win. Quarterbacks: A&T junior Lamar Raynard is the league’s top passer, averaging 272 yards per game with a 69.7 completion percentage. He’s thrown for 17 touchdowns and just 1 interception. Last week, he became the first Aggies QB with two 300-yard passing games in a single season. … FAMU sophomore Ryan Stanley ranks second to Raynard in yardage, completion percentage and TDs among MEAC quarterbacks, and he’s an elusive and quick scrambler. Stanley leads a potent offense. The Rattlers rolled up 485 yards at Norfolk State last week, but lost because of five turnovers.
NORFOLK, Virginia -- No scholarship offers, one opportunity.
Coming out of Maury, Anthony Smith talked to one school to pursue football: Norfolk State.
The Spartans offered him a spot as a preferred walk-on, he took it, and now Smith is a redshirt senior linebacker, a scholarship athlete and the leading tackler for Norfolk State (2-3 overall, 2-0 MEAC).
The Spartans host Hampton (3-2, 2-0) at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Battle of the Bay.
"I'm a fighter," said Smith, who has 51 tackles, including 2.5 for loss. "I just can't quit no matter what."
Before he learned that, Smith spent his first two years on the bench or on special teams. Smith spoke with former NSU standout Keenan Lambert about whether or not to continue playing.
"I knew him from when I was growing up," Smith said. Lambert also played at Maury, graduated from NSU in 2015 and played five games for the Oakland Raiders. CONTINUE READING
HEAD COACH ROBERT McCULLUM FLORIDA A&M MEN'S BASKETBALL
ATLANTA, Georgia --Georgia Tech and Florida A&M will meet for the seventh time on Dec. 17, the first game for the Yellow Jackets coming out of fall semester final exams. All of the prior meetings have occurred in Atlanta (Tech is 6-0), but this will be the first one in McCamish Pavilion. The Rattlers are under new leadership this season, with former Tech assistantRobert McCullumat the helm. This is the 10th in a series of previews of the Yellow Jackets' non-conference opponents.
Location: Tallahassee, Fla. Conference: Mid-Eastern Atlantic (MEAC) Home arena: Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center (9,639) 2016-17 Record: 7-23, 2-12 in the MEAC (10th) Post-Season: Lost to Savannah State in the First Round of MEAC Tournament, 82-78 NCAA Postseason Appearances (Last): Three (2007) All-time series record: 6-0, Georgia Tech (last meeting in 2011) Head coach:Robert McCullum (first season) Starters returning/lost: 4/1 Top scorer returning: Desmond Williams (16.2) Top rebounder returning: Desmond Williams (6.1)
Quick preview for 2017-18
First-year head coach Robert McCullum, a former assistant coach at Georgia Tech, was brought in to lead Florida A&M into a new era. Luckily for McCullum, all but one starter from last season has eligibility left and will help lead a young squad forward. Playing 14 of their first 17 games on the road, the Rattlers will need to have a road warrior mentality for the majority of the season. With tough non-conference games against Stephen F. Austin, Mercer, Georgia Tech and Texas, FAMU will be battle-tested when MEAC play begins.
Desmond Williams, Marcus Barham, Nicholas Severado and Derrick Dandridge all return from last season’s lineup and will look to be the mainstay upperclassmen as the team rebuilds.
Quick recap of 2016-17
It was a disappointing year for Florida A&M (7-23 overall and 2-12 in conference), which started from the get-go when it fell into a 2-11 hole, and the Rattlers lost 10 straight games heading into the new year. Although it seemed that A&M was able to right the ship, beginning MEAC action 3-0, a 2-5 stretch toward the middle of conference slate and a heartbreaking 77-65 double-overtime loss to Norfolk State would derail the team’s momentum.
Leading the Rattlers’ offense was Desmond Williams and Marcus Barham, who finished as the lone players in double digits with 16.2 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. Williams also led the team on the glass, grabbing 6.1 rebounds per game, and at the charity stripe, attempting a team-best 172 free throws.
Greatest Program Accomplishment
After starting off the year 1-10 in 2003-04, Florida A&M went on an impressive run late in the season finish 15-17 (10-8 MEAC) and make only its second berth in the NCAA Tournament and its first since 1999. Led by Terrence Woods, who averaged 20.3 points per game that season off 40.3 percent shooting from three-point range, the Rattlers would face Lehigh in the opening game.
Thanks to 21 points from Woods and a double-double from Michael Harper (11 points, 12 rebounds), A&M overcame Lehigh 72-57 to get its first NCAA Division I Tournament victory in front of nearly 8,000 fans at the University of Dayton. Unfortunately for the Rattlers, they would have to face No. 1-seeded Kentucky, which ended A&M’s run with a 96-76 defeat.
Greatest player in program history
Hailing from Tampa, Fla., Jerome James played for Florida A&M from 1995-98. The 7-foot-1 center played 81 games for the Rattlers, averaging 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.5 blocks for his career while shooting 49.5 percent from the field. En route to back-to-back all-MEAC honors, James solidified himself as the greatest rim-protector in A&M history, leading Division I with 4.6 blocks per game in 1997-98.
James declared for the 1998 NBA draft after that season and was selected in the second round (36th overall) by the Sacramento Kings. He appeared in 16 games (partially due to that year’s NBA lockout) before playing overseas.
Place to visit on campus or in the city
Right on the campus of Florida A&M is the Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum, housed within Carnegie Library. The center contains regalia and printed material that focuses on information “significant to African Americans and their experiences and contributions in Florida and the Southeastern United States.” One of only 10 such archives in the U.S. and one of the largest repositories of African-American history in the southeast, the center offers students and tourists a unique education in the region’s history.
GRAMBLING, Louisiana –Anfernee Mullins thought how he worked would take him straight to his ultimate goal.
What he found out in three short years was everyone is susceptible to unforeseeable curves in the road, despite believing he controlled his life and what he would get out of it through his physical ability and work ethic.
Life comes at you fast. And it’s humbling. And in the darkest days, the strongest inspiration can come out of the most unpredictable of circumstances.
Taking the field at the Cotton Bowl wearing the all-white road uniforms of Grambling State and the black helmet with the gold “G” last Saturday, Mullins never saw that coming for himself out of high school, the last time he played in a football game. He couldn’t have been happier the curve came.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Okay, here’s my bet. If the Rattlers win, I’ll shave my head!
The Aggies are undefeated at 6-0. The Rattlers are 2-5 having defeated 2 winless teams in Savannah State and Texas Southern. Texas Southern was hit by a hurricane and has not recovered. Savannah State simply doesn’t have enough talent, but has been competitive in the MEAC. Given the circumstances most will assume that the Aggies will trounce on the Rattlers early and often.
For the last two years the Aggies have dominated the Rattlers. In fact, the last time the Aggies visited Tallahassee they left some of their starters home. In this Saturday’s game don’t expect the Aggies to be so kind. They will show their intent from the very beginning, which is to out strike the Rattlers in the first half and put this game away by halftime.
MOBILE, Alabama — Kayla Black had 10 kills and 12 digs, and Xavier University of Louisiana outhit Spring Hill by nearly 200 points in a 25-19, 25-20, 25-17 volleyball victory Thursday. The Gold Nuggets (14-2) snapped the 15-match win streak of the Badgers (16-3) and swept the regular-season series for the first time. XULA, which won in four sets at home Sept. 7, was 0-19 against Spring Hill entering the season. "We served tough, and I thought we did a great job blocking," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "We gathered ourselves and refocused quickly after making mistakes." Black, a freshman, hit .296 in 27 attacks and produced her fifth double-double of the season. Six Gold Nuggets had five-or-more kills. Jaida Dowd and Juliana Tomasoni had eight apiece, Lauryn Taylor and Adili Rikondja had six apiece, and Vivica Price-Spraggins had five. Dowd (.462 in 13 attacks) and Rikondja (.357 in 15 attacks) were the most efficient. All 45 of XULA's kills were assisted. Tiffany Phillips had 17 assists, and Eva Le Guillou had 16. Le Guillou, Tomasoni and Anna Dalla Vecchia served two aces apiece. Dalla Vecchia had 23 digs — her most this season in a three-set match — Tomasoni had 11, and Le Guillou had nine. Price-Spraggins had three blocks. Payton Gidney, Allison Weimer and Emily Greim had five kills apiece for Spring Hill. Emmarose Neibert and Cassidi Sterrett had nine digs apiece. XULA limited Spring Hill to season lows of 26 kills and a .117 hitting percentage. The Gold Nuggets hit .297, their second-highest performance on the road this season.B BOX SCORE It was matchup of conference leaders — XULA in the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic and Spring Hill in NCAA Division II's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic. The Gold Nuggets will stay on the road and play a conference match at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday against Edward Waters at Jacksonville, Fla. Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- After last week’s showing, it is clear that there are two dominant teams among the SWAC and MEAC, namely the Grambling State Tigers and the North Carolina State A&T Aggies. Hampton and Norfolk share the lead in the MEAC conference and will play each other on Saturday. It will have the feel of a bowl game or classic. Alabama State and Texas Southern may be the game of the weak as one of them will gain their first win of the season.
The South Carolina State at Bethune Cookman game will be most interesting as they both desperately seek a win. Jackson State, Alabama A&M, and Arkansas Pine Bluff will all be on the hot seat this Saturday should they lose to teams they should beat. The Prairie View at Alcorn game will set a marker for the next best team in the SWAC. Either Morgan State or Savannah State will show that they are better than their record indicates and Howard (over Delaware) and North Carolina A&T (over FAMU) will strive to not have a let down. CONTINUE READING
RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State doesn’t really know what it will see on Saturday against unpredictable St. Augustine’s.
The Rams (4-2, 1-0 Southern Division) will take on the Falcons (2-4, 1-0) in Raleigh at 1 p.m.
The Falcons have looked good (an 81-9 win over Lincoln and bad, a 66-20 loss to Bowie State) this season. However, another positive step for the Falcons came last week in a 30-29 win over Livingstone when Sean Smith came on to make a 23-yard field goal with eight seconds left.
Linebacker Jayron Rankin of the Rams says they will be prepared for whatever Falcons team shows up – a team capable of putting up 81 points or allowing 66.
“I think it will be somewhere in between,” Rankin said. “We know they have some good receivers who are fast and they are big.”
The Rams, the six-time defending Southern Division champions, can take another step toward the division title with a victory. Since 2011 the Rams are 30-1 against Southern Division opponents.
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- There’s little doubt about the game of the week in the CIAA.
No. 14 Bowie State will travel to take on Virginia State in a battle of unbeatens. It’s a game that could likely decide the Northern Division champion even though there are four weeks left in the season.
One reason I’ve taken more of an interest in this game is because I’ve seen both of them play, and I’ve seen both of them beat Winston-Salem State.
The good thing for those who can’t make it to the game is it will be on Aspire TV, a channel that not a lot of cable companies carry. But at least it will be on TV somewhere.
The game is slated for Ettrick, Va. at 2 p.m. on Saturday. It’s Virginia State’s homecoming but with what’s at stake homecoming kind of takes a back seat to what will be happening on the field.
Coach Damon Wilson of the Bulldogs, who has seen plenty in his time in the CIAA, said it’s a big game and he knows it will be a close one. CONTINUE READING
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Bethune-Cookman head coach Terry Sims didn’t hesitate when asked about South Carolina State’s identity.
“Physical, they’re a very physical football team,” he said during a Wednesday press conference. “That’s been their identity the 10-12 years I’ve been in this league. They’re a physical football team, and on offense, defense and special teams, that’s what they hang their hat on.”
Perhaps this year more than ever, that unit has been particularly dominant for the Bulldogs.
South Carolina State is ranked first in the MEAC in total defense (257 yards per game), second in scoring defense (16.3 points per game), and third in interceptions with seven, including two returned for touchdowns. In their two wins, the Bulldog defense has allowed a total of just 14 points. That unit has allowed no more than 26 points in any of the three losses. With the 26 coming from defending conference champion North Carolina Central (4-1, 3-0).
PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- A week after rushing for just 50 yards as a team in a 27-14 loss at Alabama A&M on Sept. 30, the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff's ground game got a much-needed jolt on Saturday with the return of KeShawn Williams.
The 5-10, 192-pound junior, who missed the game against Alabama A&M because of a hip injury, carried 13 times for a season-high 147 yards and scored 2 touchdowns in the Golden Lions' 38-31 loss to Mississippi Valley State on Saturday. Williams also had two catches for 42 yards for a UAPB offense that generated a season-high 490 yards, including 290 yards on the ground. Still, it wasn't enough to get them past the Delta Devils, but for Coach Monte Coleman, having Williams back in the lineup was a welcomed sight.
"He's the workhorse at this point," he said. "If he gets tired, we've got good backups in Christian [Jordan] and Dante [McDonald] and the other backs that can come in and relieve him. But we definitely want to keep KeShawn in as much as possible because he has the ability to take it to the house."
Williams, who is third in the SWAC in rushing at 72 yards per game, said he didn't feel any lingering pain from the hip pointer that sidelined him two weeks ago. He did take several solid hits, but the Pine Bluff native admitted he was never in any danger of leaving the game other than a quick breather or the usual substitution.
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- What truly makes your alma mater’s band the top HBCU band in the land? Have you thought about your band’s conducting? Its utilization of space? Its marching technique? Accuracy and definition … style … discipline? These are just a few of the criteria that will be considered as part of the inauguralESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings.
The first rankings in this season’s ESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings will identify the top bands from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the two Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conferences.
The rankings, conducted by a nine-person panel of top band directors associated with historically black colleges and universities, will evaluate bands on musicality, drill and design, percussion, auxiliary corps, drum majors and other key factors. Each week, judges will review video content on a secure site to make recommendations for rankings.
The ESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings will be posted at TheUndefeated.com four times this season — on Oct. 12, Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5 — and weekly during the 2018 season. This year, MEAC and SWAC bands will be ranked. In 2018, all HBCU bands will be included in the rankings.
The first rankings in this season’s ESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings will identify the top bands from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the two Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conferences. The rankings, conducted by a nine-person panel of top band directors associated with historically black colleges and universities, will evaluate bands on musicality, drill and design, percussion, auxiliary corps, drum majors and other key factors. Each week, judges will review video content on a secure site to make recommendations for rankings
GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- NC State is the only North Carolina team ranked among the nation’s top 25 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Wolfpack, however, isn’t the only state entry in the national college polls.
The Old North State has become a hotbed for top Championship Subdivision teams, with no fewer than four making the grade this week in the STATS FCS Top 25 rankings.
Undefeated NC A&T, at 6-0, leads the way at No. 15, followed by Elon at No. 16, Western Carolina at No. 21 and NC Central, which became the latest team to enter the poll at No. 25 following its 13-7 win at Howard last Saturday.
The Eagles have won four straight since a season-opening loss to Duke. This marks the second straight season they’ve been ranked, after topping out at No. 18 in 2016. Coach Jerry Mack’s team made its first appearance in the national poll as a Division I program last November 7.
“Anytime you get a chance to have some recognition,whether it’s in life or on the football field, I think everybody appreciates that,” Mack said earlier this week. “But with that comes and responsibility and we have to go out there this Saturday against Gardner-Webb and prove we are worthy of being a top 25 team.”
Central’s MEAC rival A&T has done just that by outscoring its first six opponents by a 250-61 margin during the first half of its regular season schedule.
