North Carolina A&T #AggiePride Takes Down Yet Another FBS

GREENVILLE, North Carolina – When North Carolina A&T quarterback Lamar Raynard (6-foot-4, 195, R-SR, High Point, N.C.) comes to the sideline after a series, there is one guy he can always count on to uplift him whether the series was good or bad and that’s the Aggies backup quarterback, Kylil Carter (5-10, 236, R-JR, Austell, Ga.).

On Sunday at East Carolina, the Walter Payton Award hopeful and reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year did not see it beneath him to do the same for Carter.

Carter came in to relieve Raynard late in the third quarter after Raynard went to the bench with an injury. Carter simply did what Carter often does when he is asked to pinch-hit. He led the Aggies to a come-from-behind win. Carter led the Aggies on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to down ECU 28-23 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

“I could have returned but Kylil was rolling,” said Raynard, who owns several single-season N.C. A&T school records. “You don't want to mess that up. You don't take out the guy with the hot hand. He's got to stay in the game. He was perfect today."

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but because of inclement weather in Greenville Saturday night, the game was moved to Sunday afternoon. The Aggies came into the game ranked 14thin the nation in Division I-FCS play. They improved to 2-0 by securing another colossus win. The win over the Pirates (0-1) marks the third straight year the Aggies have defeated a Division I-FBS program. This time they took down a team that plays in one of the better conferences in the country, the American Athletic Conference. It is the same conference that produced 13-0 Central Florida last season.

In the last three years, the Aggies have not only knocked off three FBS foes, they have also defeated two ranked FCS foes, both of whom were among the top-15 teams in the nation at the time N.C. A&T won.

“We have a bunch of guys who have a will to win,” said N.C. A&T coach Sam Washington who saw his team extend the longest current FCS winning streak in the nation to 14 games. N.C. A&T matched Central Florida for the longest current win streak amongst Division I teams.

“You can see that will to win every time these guys step on the field,” Washington continued. “When you have a bunch of guys who are willing to fight until the final whistle you can’t help but be successful. I’m proud of the way these guys hung in there. These men truly believe they can line up and be successful against any team in the country.”

N.C. A&T’s determination extends to its backup QB. With 2:47 remaining in the third quarter and the Aggies trailing 20-14, Raynard ran to left for a 2-yard gain. During the play, an ECU defender stepped on Raynard’s hard forcing him out of the game. In stepped Carter who three years ago came in relief for a banged up N.C. A&T QB unit and threw a game-winning TD to beat S.C. State.

Two years ago, he came in to relieve Raynard and helped the Aggies defeat Kent State for the Aggies first-ever FBS win. Carter’s ability as a running quarterback paid off immediately on Sunday. On his first play, he handed the ball off to running back Marquell Cartwright (5-8, 203, R-SR, High Point, N.C.) and finished out the fake forcing some of the ECU defense to follow him instead of focusing on Cartwright who ripped off a 33-yard gain. Carter had 14 yards rushing on the drive that ended with him finding receiver Zachary Leslie (6-3, 204, R-SO, Lawndale, N.C.) for a gorgeous one-hand 5-yard touchdown reception that gave the Aggies a 21-20 lead going into the fourth quarter.

“I always believe if you stay ready you don’t have to get ready,” said Carter.

A 22-yard field goal by ECU’s Jake Verity gave the Pirates the lead back at 23-21 with 10:02 to play. But Carter returned to the field and connected with a wide-open Malik Wilson (5-11, 166, R-SR, Burlington, N.C.) for a 49-yard reception on a crucial 3rd-and-14 from the Aggies 21-yard line. Wilson’s reception led to a 17-yard TD reception from Carter to receiver Elijah Bell (6-1, 222, JR, Wheeling, WVa.) to give the Aggies the lead for good at 28-23 with 7:05 remaining. It was Bell’s 21st career TD reception putting five away from the career school record.

The Aggies then turned the game over to their defense. After surrendering 50 plays to the Pirates in the first half, the Pirates were only able to get off seven plays on their next two drives. ECU had one more chance at the win as they took over at their own 38 with 2:07 to play. But on the final play of the game from the Aggies 37, ECU quarterback Reid Herring had his pass fall out of the hands of his receiver and into the hands of Aggies cornerback Timadre Abram (5-10, 168, R-SR, Lakeland, Fla.).

The Aggies are now 3-4 against FBS opponents and they are 170-79-9 all-time against in-state schools. Mac McCain III (5-11, 173, R-SO, Greensboro, N.C.) had a big day for N.C. A&T with 11 tackles four passes defenses and he posted his second career 100-yard interception return for a touchdown with a pick-6 in the first quarter that halted an ECU scoring threat and gave N.C. A&T a 7-3 lead.

ATTENDANCE:  38,640
BOX SCORE

Raynard led the Aggies on a key drive at the end of the first half as N.C. A&T went 86 yards in 11 plays. Leslie caught one of his two TD passes on the day with a 12-yard reception that slipped through the arms of an ECU defender into his arms to cut the Pirates lead to 17-14 at the half.

The Aggies will finally get a chance to play at home as they will host Gardner-Webb 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 8 at BB&T Stadium.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Fontaine is fine as Nuggets feast on final day

NEW ORLEANS — Monet Fontaine hit .373 with 29 kills Saturday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a pair of victories on the final day of the Big Easy Blastoff volleyball tournament at the Convocation Center.

The Gold Nuggets defeated Martin Methodist 17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-14 during the afternoon, then roared back in the evening with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-14 thumping of Webber International, a 2017 NAIA national tournament qualifier.

XULA (6-2) won 3-of-4 matches in its third annual home tournament. The Gold Nuggets will begin their quest for an eighth consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship in a 6 p.m. Tuesday home match against Tougaloo.
     
Fontaine had career highs of 15 kills and nine digs against Martin Methodist.

BOX SCORE 1    BOX SCORE 2
     
Fontaine and teammate Vivica Price-Spraggins were named to the 10-player all-tournament team. Price-Spraggins hit .554 with 44 kills and 25 blocks in four matches. Price-Spraggins had 12 kills, eight blocks and hit a career-best .706 against Webber.
     
"We got better as the day went on," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "We got steady play out of Viv, and Monet gave us a spark off the bench."

2018 Big Easy Blastoff all-tournament team
(10 selected . . . no MVP was chosen)

Mirella Gatterdam, Mobile
Avery Wasdin, Mobile
Julia Felix, Point
Kaitlyn Lund, Martin Methodist
Hayley Brisendine, Martin Methodist
Virginia Salanoa-Sagapolu, Webber International
Sury Santos, Webber International
Gillian Tripp, William Carey
Monet Fontaine, XULA
Vivica Price-Spraggins, XULA

2018 Big Easy Blastoff final standings
(no champion was declared)
3-1 XULA
2-1 Mobile
2-2 Martin Methodist
2-2 Point
2-2 Webber International
0-1 SUNO
0-2 William Carey

2018 Big Easy Blastoff scores
Friday, Aug. 31
Point d. Martin Methodist 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-17)
Webber International d. Mobile 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21)
XULA d. Point 3-2 (25-14, 25-27, 25-18, 26-28, 15-10)
Martin Methodist d. Webber International 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-10)
Mobile d. XULA 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-22)

Saturday, Sept. 1
Martin Methodist d. SUNO 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-16)
Mobile d. Point 3-2 (25-16, 25-27, 25-15, 21-25, 15-12)
Webber International d. William Carey 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-18, 25-21)
XULA d. Martin Methodist 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-14)
Point d. William Carey 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23)
XULA d. Webber International 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-14)

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Nuggets split 2 matches before a record home crowd

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Point 25-14, 25-27, 25-18, 26-28, 15-10 Friday, then lost 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 to Mobile in the Big Easy Blastoff volleyball tournament.
     
A crowd of 523 — largest ever for volleyball at XULA's Convocation Center — watched all five teams finish the day 1-1. The two-day tournament will conclude Saturday, including XULA matches against Martin Methodist at 3 p.m. and Webber International at 7 p.m.
     
Vivica Price-Spraggins hit .538 and had career highs of 16 kills and eight blocks against Point. Marine Angely had 16 kills, a career high, and nine digs. Kayla Black had 15 kills and a season-high 16 digs.
     
Black had 14 kills against Mobile, and Angely had 12 kills and 11 digs.
     
"Both Point and Mobile pushed us to compete," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "With this early competition, we're trying to discover who we are."
     
Price-Spraggins hit .511 for the day — 25 kills and two errors in 45 attacks — and is hitting ,441 for the season.
     
"Viv has been consistent," Kendrick said. "If we can get her the ball, she can do good things with it."
     
Black had five kills and Angely three in the fifth set against Point and gave the Gold Nuggets their first five-set home victory in six years.
     
Mirella Gatterdam had 12 kills and four acaes against XULA. The Gold Nuggets have dropped eight straight to the Lady Rams since beating them 2-of-3 times in 2013. XULA will get another shot at Mobile in the Lady Rams' tournament next week.
     
The previous Convocation Center attendance record for volleyball was 511 for a XULA-Dillard match in 2015. This is XULA's sixth season in the $25 million facility.
     
Also Friday, Point defeated Martin Methodist 21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-17, Webber International beat Mobile 25-21, 25-21, 25-21, and Martin Methodist defeated Webber International 25-19, 25-20, 25-10.

BOX SCORE 1    BOX SCORE 2

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Howard University Swimming's Latroya Pina Set to Compete in 2020 Summer Olympics

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Howard University senior swimmer Latroya Pina (Seekonk, Mass.) will swim for Cape Verde at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Pina, alongside her siblings, Troy and Jayla, were selected to represent the Cape Verde National Swim Team in the Confederation Africaine de Natation Championship Meet, scheduled for Sept. 10-16 in Algeria.

"It's not far-fetched, three members of one family all going to the World Championships and the Olympic Games," said Pina to The Sun Chronicle. "We're not just swimming for our colleges or schools, but for a nation so we want to do our best."

The family is part of the first team from the African nation island that fielded at the competition; thus, granted an automatic berth to the Summer Games.

"To represent your country at the Olympic level is every swimmers dream," said Howard Swimming & Diving Head Coach Nicholas Askew. "We are excited for Latroya [Pina] and have no doubt, she will make Howard University and Cape Verde very proud."

During the 2017-18 season, Pina was selected HU Bison of the Month for her outstanding performances in January. She won the women's 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley in Howard's Senior Night victory over Marymount. Pina led the way in the season finale at Catholic, claiming the top spots in the same events. The Massachusetts native was also part of two winning relay teams against the Cardinals: 200 medley and 200 freestyle.


Academically, the Biology major received multiple honors, including being named to the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner's All-Academic Team and 2018 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Spring President's Honor Roll List. Pina maintained a 3.6 or better during the 2017-18 academic calendar year.

After wrapping up her junior year in the pool, Pina joined the Howard Women's Lacrosse team in the spring where she saw action in nine matches.

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan begins Friday, July 24, 2020 through Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020.

Coach Askew and the Bison begin their 2018-19 season in September.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Howard University Volleyball Sweeps Cardinal Classic Tournament

BEAUMONT, Texas -- The heat in Beaumont, Texas was no match for the heat the Howard University volleyball team brought to the Cardinal Classic hosted by Lamar University. The Bison had an impressive showing in McDonald Gym, winning all three of the games they played. The Bison's performance landed three of their players on the All-Tournament team with senior setter Tamia Dockery taking home Most Valuable Player honors. Sophomores Jurnee Tipton and Fola Wilson rounded out the All-Tournament team from the Howard side. Howard's record is now 5-2. The Bison travel to the Rutgers Invitational in New Jersey where they play September 7-8. The first match is against Rutgers University on Friday at 10:30 a.m. 

Howard University vs. Texas Southern
3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-21)
The Texas Southern Tigers were outmatched by the Bison. Howard held Texas Southern to .099 attack percentage. The Bison maintained the lead majority of each set and put up more kills, aces, blocks, assists and digs than the Tigers.

"Against Texas Southern I thought we played pretty well. We didn't do anything crazy great. We just kept with the momentum that we built last weekend and we're continuing to build on our serve receive, offense and defense," said head coach Shaun Kupferberg. "There was plenty of room for improvement but at the same time we didn't have anything that caused us problems and prevented us from winning matches."

Middle blocker Olubunmi Okunade led the team with 11 kills. Okunade also had two blocks. Outside hitter Marcelle Butler recorded eight kills and two Blocks. Setter Tamia Dockery led in assists and aces, tallying 30 and three. Junior Kira Porter had six kills and three blocks. Jurnee Tipton posted two aces, seven digs and an assist. Fola Wilson had 14 digs and two aces. Jurnee Farrell had three assists. Sophomore Abby Morrow had five digs.

Howard University vs. Lamar University
3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-10, 30-28)
The Cardinal came out hard and heavy, taking the first set from the Bison after Howard was up 11-4. Lamar fought back and tied the game, 21-21. Three errors from the Bison ultimately handed the game to the Cardinal who closed the set with a kill by Tomar Thomas.

"Lamar is a big hard hitting team. We came out and we played really well to start but we were affected by a lot of errors late in the first set. Luckily we were able to come back and correct things in sets two and three," head coach Shaun Kupferberg said.

The Bison were aggressive in sets two and three. They overpowered the Cardinal in a 25-10 win in the third set. It looked like the Bison had found their stride and would easily take set four but the Cardinal made them work for every point. A hard fought fourth set ended with both teams going beyond standard regulation. The result was a 30-28 win for Howard.

"In set four we were up by a lot but then we had a lot of hitting errors and serving errors. We have to work to correct those to win against Southern University. That's really our limiting factor of how well we're going to play this year. We can be an elite team if we get rid of those. If not, we are going to struggle," stated Kupferberg.

Jurnee Tipton posted 17 kills and two assists. Marcelle Butler and Kira Porter had 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Tamia Dockery had a whopping 49 assists. Defensively, Olubunmi Okunade led the team in blocks with five. Courtney Dalton had two blocks. Kira Porter had one block and one assist. Jurnee Farrell had 11 digs and an ace.  Busisiwe Banda also served an ace. Abby Morrow added 9 digs.

Howard University vs. Southern University
3-1 (25-17, 26-24, 19-25, 25-19)
Howard played an action-packed game against Southern University. Both teams attacked above .200 and posted a fairly equal amount of blocks, assists and digs. The Bison shined in kills and aces, having 57 kills to their 46 and seven aces to their one.  

"We struggled a little bit getting up in the morning. We came out a little bit flat. Southern did a good job bringing a lot of energy to this match and forced us really to get out of our shell. They pushed us both on hitting and blocking, making our back row move a little bit more than we're used to," head coach Shaun Kupferberg commented.

The game was close in the second set as the Jaguars kept on the heels of the Bison as they started to pull away in the end. The Bison would prevail in a 26-24 win. Not to be outdone, the jaguars took the third set to force set four. In set four Howard's consistency on the attack led them to a 25-19 win.

"We really didn't pick up defensively where we left off until late in that fourth game. It was a little disappointing from that side. We're very excited that we were able to hit consistently through the match. We're excited that we were able to win the tournament and have a pretty even performance. We have a lot to improve on before next week, obviously serving as well as some defensive issues but we're excited about the victory and bringing home another trophy," expressed Kupferberg.

Junior Jurnee Tipton had an outstanding game, tallying 15 kills, eight digs, three aces and one assist. Senior Tamia Dockery recorded 45 assists, 10 digs, four kills and a block. Fola Wilson had 26 digs. Kira Porter posted four blocks.

Follow the Bison
For complete coverage of Howard University women's volleyball, follow the Bison on social media at @HUBisonVB (Twitter), @HowardVolleyball (Facebook) and @HowardVolleyball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Howard University Athletics at HUBison.com.

About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to leaHrn more.

GAME 1      GAME 2   GAME 3

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Week 1: Battle of the Bands Showcase

North Carolina A&T knocks off FBS team for 3rd straight year

GREENVILLE, North Carolina -- Backup Kylil Carter threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, Timadre Abram intercepted a pass in the end zone as time expired and North Carolina A&T upset East Carolina 28-23 on Sunday for its 14th straight victory.

The game was postponed Saturday because of two lightning delays.

Defending MEAC champion N.C. A&T (2-0) beat an FBS program for the third straight season. East Carolina lost a season-opening home game to an FCS team for the second straight year, falling to James Madison.

ECU started a drive at the N.C. A&T 27 with 4:10 left in the game, but went four-and-out after electing not to go for a field goal. The Pirates got the ball back with 2:07 remaining at its 37 with no timeouts and drove down the field but wasted too much time before being forced into a Hail Mary play.

Carter was 7 of 9 for 93 yards and two scores for N.C. A&T, which beat FCS power Jacksonville State last week.

Carter connected with Zachary Leslie for a one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone to give N.C. A&T a 21-20 fourth-quarter lead — it’s first since 7-3. Elijah Bell caught a short pass, broke a tackle and ran for a 17-yard score for a 28-23 Aggie lead — the third lead change of the fourth quarter.



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Prairie View A&M Panthers Win MEAC/SWAC Challenge

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Prairie View A&M University football team defeated North Carolina Central 40-24 to win the 14th MEAC-SWAC Challenge at Georgia State Stadium.

The Panthers (1-1) jumped out to a 20-0 first-quarter lead, withstood a determined NCCU comeback, and then pulled away late for the victory. Prairie View A&M joins Southern as the only SWAC teams to win the Challenge.

Jalen Morton ran for a 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive, then threw 15 yards to Markcus Hardy for a score on the second possession for an early 14-0 led less than six minutes into the game.

Caleb Broach's 15-yard scoring run just before the quarter ended gave PVAMU the big early lead.

As the Panthers were limited to field goals in the second and third periods, North Carolina Central cut the lead two points on two different occasions, the last time at 26-24 with just over 11 minutes remaining.

Prairie View A&M never lost the lead and sealed the win with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. An 82-yard, seven play drive ended with the second Morton-to-Hardy TD connection, this time from 20 yards out for a 33-24 lead with just under nine minutes to play.

Ju'Anthony Parker's interception and 16-yard return to midfield set up Dawonya Tucker's 50-yard touchdown run with just over six minutes remaining for the final margin.

The Panthers return to action Saturday in a 6 p.m. game at Sam Houston.



PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Winston-Salem State Strikes Late To Stun UNC Pembroke Football In Season Opener

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- UNC Pembroke football team rallied all the way back from a 16-0 deficit to take the lead with 1:51 left to play, but Winston-Salem State used a miraculous 63-yard pass from Rod Tinsley to Kerrion Moore to fuel a 23-20 comeback win over the Braves on Sunday at Bowman Gray Stadium.
 
True freshman Josh Jones threw for 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21-of-32 passing in his collegiate debut to pace the Black & Gold (0-1) who has now dropped two-straight games in the series with their in-state nemesis - both by a combined six points. Tyshawn Carter (3 catches, 79 yards) and Quay Threatt (5-45) both hauled in touchdown passes for UNCP as well.
 
Tinsley finished with 130 yards and a touchdown on 5-of-9 passing for the

This is what just happened, folks. 4 and 1. Just watch. pic.twitter.com/HLppTCzYXE

— Kris (@d2kferg) September 2, 2018

The Rams tacked up a safety thanks to a bad snap on a punt attempt by the Braves deep in their own end zone early in the third quarter, and then put together a 5-play, 55-yard scoring drive early in the fourth that was capped by a 27-yard scoring jaunt from Moore down the far sideline. The ensuing point-after attempt would be the last play before a lightning strike cleared the stadium and signaled a delay in action with the Rams in control 16-0.
 
The delay provided a spark for the Black & Gold who came out of the break and scored touchdowns on each of their first three possessions, including a 9-play, 80-yard drive coming out of the locker room. Carter's acrobatic touchdown catch with just less than two minutes left put UNCP up on top for the first time, 20-16.
 
Winston-Salem State used its opening possession to score the only points of the half for either side. The drive looked to have stalled on the home half of the field, but the Rams converted a 3rd-and-11 situation with a 51-yard pass from Tinsley to Quincy Jackson. Moore rumbled in from seven yards out on the ensuing play to break the deadlock on the scoreboard.
 
The Black & Gold will return to action on Saturday when they suit up to host Elizabeth City State (1-0) on Military Appreciation Night at Grace P. Johnson Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Reserved-seat Season tickets for all six home games this season can be purchaANsed for $107. More ticket information can be obtained by visiting UNCPBraves.com/Tickets.

ATTENDANCE: 3,526 

BOX SCORE

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PEMBROKE SPORTS INFORMATION

HBCU Judgment Day Scoreboard - Labor Day Weekend

Sunday, September 2

North Carolina A&T 28,  East Carolina 23  ESPN3

Prairie View A&M 40, North Carolina Central 24   ESPN2
Winston-Salem State 23, UNC Pembroke 20

Saturday, September 1

Texas Christian 55, Southern 7
Georgia Tech 41, Alcorn State 0   ACC Network, ESPN
Slippery Rock 38, Kentucky State 31
Jacksonville 63, Saint Augustine's 14   ESPN3
Elizabeth City State 19, Central State 10
Ohio 38, Howard 32   ESPN+
Virginia Union 34, Seton Hill 28 O.T.
Allen 47, Columbus State 3
Lincoln (MO) 10,  Lane, 7
Florida A&M 41, Fort Valley State 7  ESPN3
Buffalo 48, Delaware State 10  ESPN3
Georgia Southern 37, South Carolina State 6  ESPN+
Hampton 38, Shaw 10
Florida Tech 33, Benedict 14
Norfolk State 34, Virginia State 13  ESPN3
Alabama State 26, Tuskegee 20 OT
Louisiana 49, Grambling State 17   ESPN3
Southern Mississippi 55, Jackson State 7  ESPN+
Tennessee State 34, Bethune-Cookman 3   ESPN+
Towson 36, Morgan State 10    ESPN3
Morehouse 34, Arkansas Pine Bluff 30
Valdosta 45, Albany State 14
Alabama A&M 37, Miles 0
Fayetteville State 32, Lincoln (PA) 0
Texas Southern 26, Texas Permian Basin 16

Week 0

North Carolina A&T State 20, #6 Jacksonville State 17
Rice 31, Prairie View A&M 28
Saint Andrews 15, Edward Waters 13
Virginia University Lynchburg 30, Louisburg 28

Thursday, AUGUST 30

Wagner 40, Bowie State 23
Wingate 36, Johnson C. Smith 0
Pikeville  52, Livingstone 23
Campbell 49, Chowan 26
Charleston (WV) 35, West Virginia State 31
North Dakota 35, Mississippi Valley State 7
Alabama-Birmingham 52, Savannah State 0
Mississippi College 31, Clark Atlanta 30

Friday, August 31

Lindsey Wilson 50, Edward Waters 13

Southern Miss Defeats JSU in Season Opener

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi – Southern Miss defeated Jackson State 55-7 in the season-opener for both teams Saturday evening at M.M. Roberts Stadium.

In the third quarter, JSU (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) sustained a nine-play, 84-yard drive that culminated with a nine-yard pitch-and-catch from Jarrad Hayes to Kobe Gates.

Hayes, who relieved starter Derrick Ponder late in the third quarter, finished 7 for 8 for 56 yards.

Keshawn Harper was the Tigers’ top rusher. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder ran for 69 yards on nine carries, including a long of 45 yards. As a team, JSU ran for 105 yards on 22 carries for an average of 4.6 yards per carry.

The JSU defense forced three turnovers. Keontre Hampton and Tyler Rogers each came away with an interception. Charles Anderson added seven stops and recovered one fumble. Quedarrion Barnett led the Tigers with eight tackles.

The JSU defense did not allow USM (1-0, 0-0 CUSA) to eclipse the individual 100-yard mark.

The Tigers turn their attention to the Southern Heritage Classic and rival Tennessee State next Saturday at 6 p.m.

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI  ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Valdosta State Runs Past Albany State 45-14

VALDOSTA, Georgia  -- The Valdosta State University Blazers opened the season with a 45-14 triumph over Albany State University Saturday night at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

The Golden Rams offense was out of sync most of the night but finally got on the board with two scores in the fourth quarter.

With 13:17 left in the game, Kelias Williams hooked up with Mike Green for a 67 yard touchdown to give the Rams their first score of the evening. Greenville, SC native Tracy Scott, who happens to wear number 32, gave ASU another touchdown when he scampered to the end zone from 32 yards out at the 3:58 mark.

Unfortunately for the Golden Rams, due to VSU's early scoring onslaught the Blazers were firmly in control from the game's opening drive.

BOX SCORE

ATTENDANCE:

6,770

Valdosta used a balanced attack to total 438 yards of offense on 58 plays from scrimmage. Jamar Thompkins led the VSU ground game with 7 carries for 128 yards and a rushing touchdown. Through the air the Blazers' Rogan Wells connected with nine different receivers, finishing the night with 176 yards on 13-20 passing and three touchdowns.

On the game's opening drive, Wells called his own number from three yards out to cap an 8-play, 65 yard drive for a 7-0 lead. VSU added another score at the 4:25 mark of the first quarter, this time a 7 yard passing TD from Wells to Brain Saunds.



On the opposite side of the field Golden Rams' sputtered in the first half as they were held to just 44 total yards of total offense over the first 30 minutes. Valdosta State held a commanding 28-0 lead at the intermission.

The Blazers added two more scores in the third quarter; a 39 yard field goal from Andrew Gray and as the third quarter expired, Saunds hauled in his second touchdown of the day to extend the VSU lead to 38-0.

Green had an impressive fourth quarter for the Golden Rams, catching five passes including the 67 yard score to finish with 114 yards on the night.

Albany State will return to action next Saturday at the 5th Annual White Water Classic in Phenix City, Alabama where they will square off against Tuskegee University.

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN RAMS SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State Bears Fall to Towson in Season Opener, 36-10

BALTIMORE, Maryland --  Morgan State's football team would not get revenge in the 'Battle for Greater Baltimore' rematch against Towson, as they were defeated 36-10 on a muggy night before an announced crowd of 9,209 at Hughes Stadium.
 
The 2018 season opener marked the 25th meeting between the Bears and the Tigers with Towson winning last season's contest 10-0. The Tigers now hold a 19-6 advantage in the series.
 
The Bears drew first blood in this contest taking a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Towson's Coby Tippett mishandled a punt on their own 5-yard line leaving freshman long-snapper Zach Castano to recover for the Bears first score.

Towson took the lead mid-second quarter when Tigers quarterback Tom Flacco, the younger brother of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, tossed the ball to running back Shane Simpson for a short touchdown pass.

Towson would score 17 unanswered points and carried a ten point lead into halftime.

On the Tigers first drive of the second half, Flacco engineered a 7 play, 75 yard drive, and he connected on a 1-yard pass to tight end Chris Clark to give his team a 24-7 advantage.

The Tigers found the endzone again in the third quarter when running back Kobe Young plowed through the Bears defense for a 5-yard score making it a 31-10 game.

BOX SCORE

Towson's 31 points would tie the most points scored between the Bears and Tigers.
 
The Bears defense gave up 401 yards to Towson and Flacco threw for 245 yards, including a pair of touchdowns. The Bears also had 12 penalties for 107 yards and two key turnovers.

"We made mistakes turning the football over in crucial times," said Bears interim head coach Ernest Jones. "We can't win a football game turning the football over."

Offensively, the Bears could not get anything going. Junior quarterback DeAndre Harriscompleted 12-of-21 passes for 101 yards, including an interception. Freshman tight end Jack McCracken led all receivers with 43 yards on three catches. Freshman running back Joshua Chaseadded 28 yards on the ground.

Jones expressed how much he wanted to run the ball this season, but the Bears did not have any success tonight against the Tigers while only scrapping up 63 total yards.

"We didn't execute to the game plan that we put out," said Jones.

The Bears will be on the road the next three games. First traveling to Akron to take on the Zips on Sept. 8, then traveling to Albany (Sept. 15), followed by play at North Carolina A&T on Sept. 22.

Morgan State will return to Hughes Stadium for Homecoming on October 6 when they play host to South Carolina State.

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Grambling State Tigers drop season opener to Ragin’ Cajun

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana | The Grambling State University football team got an early 22-yard field goal by Garrett Urban, but the Tigers could not sustain the lead as Louisiana used a 21-point first quarter in picking up a 49-17 victory on Saturday night at Cajun Field.

After Louisiana went three-and-out on its first possession, Grambling State set up shop at its own 43. On the very first play from scrimmage for the Tigers offense, Geremy Hickbottom connected with Quintin Guice for 47 yards to set up first-and-goal from the 10.

However, GSU (0-1) could not punch in the touchdown and settled for three points as Garrett Urban booted a 22-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead with 11:57 left in the opening quarter.

Louisiana (1-0) answered on its next drive as the Ragin' Cajuns marched 81 yards, including 53 on the ground, in eight plays as Trey Ragas punched in a four-yard run to give UL a 7-3 advantage with 8:24 remaining in the first quarter.

After a Grambling State punt, Louisiana went 70 yards in six plays as a Andre Nunez connected with Ja'Marcus Bradley in the corner of the endzone to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 14-3 lead with 4:22 left in the quarter.



The Ragin' Cajuns took advantage of a short Tigers punt and used just 1:45 off the clock as Jamal Bell caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Nunez to cap a five-play, 39-yard drive, giving Louisiana a 21-3 lead with 1:40 remaining in the quarter.

Louisiana continued to add to the lead early in the second quarter as the Ragin' Cajuns marched 62 yards in five plays as Bradley caught hit second touchdown pass of the night from Nunez, an eight-yard score, as UL extended the margin to 28-3 with 13:05 left in the first half.

After falling behind, 28-3, the Tigers put together a 10-play drive as Hickbottom carried the bulk of the load with a 52-yard run, which set up first-and-goal from the Ragin' Cajun 3-yard line. Hickbottom completed the 75-yard drive with a seven-yard score with 8:28 remaining.

Louisiana added one more score before halftime as Nunez scored on a four-yard keeper to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 35-10 advantage.

The Ragin' Cajuns put the game away early in the third quarter as Louisiana marched 98 yards in 10 plays and took 4:03 off the clock as Levi Lewis connected with Matt Barnes for a 19-yard touchdown to push the advantage to 42-10 with 9:38 left.

A 2-yard touchdown run by Raymond Calais with 3:55 remaining in the third extended the Ragin' Cajun lead to 49-10.

The Tigers added a touchdown with 3:41 left when Ladarrian Ellis-Jones punched the ball in from the 2-yard line to close the gap to 49-17.

Turning Point
The Tigers started out strong with the defense picking up a sack and forcing the Ragin' Cajuns to punt the football.

Grambling State's offense took the ball at its own 43 and on the very first play, Hickbottom connected with Guice for 37 yards to set up first-and-goal at the Louisiana 10.

But the Tigers couldn't put seven on the board.

Grambling State got seven yards on the ground from Hickbottom and Kevin Dominique, but on third down, Hickbottom was sacked for a two-yard loss.

Garrett Urban's 22-yard field goal gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead early on, but the Tigers defense surrendered 53 of the 81 yards on the ground as Louisiana scored on its next drive as the Ragin' Cajuns scored on four straight drives to grab a 28-3 lead.

Inside the Numbers
> Grambling State finished with 15 first downs
> The Tigers amassed 306 total yards of offense, including 159 through the air
> Geremy Hickbottom was 8-of-18 passing for 112 yards and rushed five times for 52 yards, including one score
> Aldon Clark finished with 47 yards on 8-of-11 passing
> Aldon Clark rushed seven times for 41 yards
> Justin Richard tallied 24 yards on seven touches
> Kobe' Ross caught three passes for 35 yards
> Quintin Guice added two catches for 54 yards
> De'Arius Christmas led the way defensively with nine total tackles, including six solo stops
> Kenan Fontenot added seven tackles, with five solo stops
> Louisiana recorded 27 first downs
> The Ragin' Cajuns registered 556 total yards, with 315 on the ground
> Andre Nunez tallied 184 yards on 19-of-22 passing and two touchdowns
> Trey Ragas ran 13 times for 142 yards and one score
> Ja'Marcus Bradley caught six passes for 70 yards
> Jacques Boudrea paced the Louisiana defense with four total tackles, including on solo stop and one sack

News & Notes
> Saturday's game was the first-ever meeting between Grambling State and Louisiana
> The Tigers were receiving votes in the STATS FCS Top 25 and FCS Coaches Poll
> Grambling State was ranked No. 1 in the SBN Black College Football Poll and No. 2 in the HBCU BOXTOROW Coaches Poll
> The Tigers are 42-26-1 all-time in season openers, with the last victory coming in 2011
> GSU is 36-44 all-time against teams from the state of Louisiana
> Geremy Hickbottom made his second-career start at quarterback (Mississippi Valley State, 2017)
> Garrett Urban converted his first career field goal for Grambling State (22-yarder)
> Grambling State used a two-quarterback system with Geremy Hickbottom and Aldon Clark splitting time
> Grambling State is 5-2 when wearing the white jerseys and gold pants



Up Next
Grambling State returns to action against Northwestern State next Saturday night in Natchitoches, La. Kickoff against the Demons is set for 6 p.m. at Turpin Stadium. Northwestern State is coming off a 59-7 loss on Thursday night to Texas A&M. This will be the fifth meeting between the two schools, with Grambling State leading the series, 3-1.

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

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Buffalo Bulls Run Past Delaware State Hornets in 2018 Opener

BUFFALO, New York -- Tyree Jackson threw a career-best six touchdown passes to lead FBS Buffalo to a season-opening 48-10 win over Delaware State at UB Stadium Saturday evening, spoiling the debut of new Hornet head coach Rod Milstead.

Jackson, a 6-7, 245-pound junior, completed 17-of-27 passes for 189 yards. K.J. Osborn had three receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow wide receiver Anthony Johnson, a Preseason FBS All-America Second Team selection, caught four passes for 54 yards and a score. 

Delaware State was outgained 354-275 in total offense, but held a 199-154 advantage in rushing yards.   The Hornets scored the only fourth quarter touchdown of the game on a run by Brycen Alleyne. Alleyne and Mike Waters led all players with 97 and 92 yards rushing, respectively.  

DSU, however, was plagued by four turnovers, three of which resulted in Buffalo touchdowns.

“I’m pleased with our effort, even when we were way down, but we have to clean up some communication and execution issues,” said Milstead. “I give Buffalo a great deal of credit, but it’s difficult to compete against a quality FBS team when turning over the ball so many times.”

The Bulls did not commit a turnover in the game.

Buffalo drew first blood on its second possession of the game, scoring a touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Jackson to George Rushing to cap off a six-play, 41-yard drive with 9:07 left in the opening quarter.    

The Bulls scored again on their next possession, going 70 yards on six plays, ending in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Johnson to open up a 13-0 lead at the 5:37 mark of the first quarter. The extra point attempt was blocked by DSU’s Jahad Neibauer. 

Buffalo took advantage of Delaware State’s first turnover to pad its lead. Four plays after Devon Russell intercepted a pass from DSU’s Keenan Black, Jackson hooked up with Osborn on a 32-yard scoring pass to give the Bulls a three-touchdown lead. The extra point kick by Adam Mitcheson gave UB a 20-0 lead with 3:17 to go in the first quarter.

The Hornets’ second turnover also led to Buffalo’s fourth touchdown early in the second quarter. Black coughed up the ball on a sack and UB’s Chuck Harris was credited with the recovery at the DSU 40. A Hornet penalty on the play moved the ball to the DSU 25. On the fourth play after the turnover, Jackson found Rushing open in the end zone for a one-yard touchdown pass. The Bulls led 27-0 after the extra point.

Delaware State got on the board on the ensuing possession. Redshirt freshman kicker Jose Romo-Martinez capped off a nine-play, 69-yard drive with his first career field goal from 23-yards out to cut UB’s lead to 27-3 with 8:56 left in the second quarter. The key play in the drive was a 41-yard pass from Hornet starting quarterback Jack McDaniels to Kwannah Kollie to the Buffalo 34-yard line. Waters rushed for 15 yards to the UB 10 on fourth-and-one to keep the drive going.

The Bulls added another second quarter touchdown on a 19-yard pass from Jackson to Osborn to open up a 34-3 halftime lead.  

Jackson left the game after throwing his sixth touchdown pass, covering 11 yards to Charlie Jones on the opening possession of the third quarter.

The Bulls led 48-3 when Delaware State tallied its lone touchdown to close out the scoring. Alleyne finishwed the eight-play, 53-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown run with eight-and-a-half minuites left to play. The touchdown was his first since scoring two vs. Florida A&M as a sophomore in 2016. 

McDaniels completed eight-of-15 passes for 76 yards. Kollie had two receptions for 41 yards.

Freshman safety David Bowman, a Milford (Del.) High School product, led the Hornets with a game-high 11 tackles, including seven solo stops. LinebackerBrian Cavicante had 10 tackles, five unassisted, for DSU.

The Delaware State defense held Buffalo to just two-of-13 conversions on third down, but the Bulls were successful each of its five fourth-down conversion attempts.

The Hornets were two-of-three on fourth down tries.

STINGERS The Hornets have dropped their last six opening games … Waters saw his first action since a season-ending knee injury at West Virginia in week three last season … McDaniels is the first Delaware State quarterback to start back-to-back season openers since Nick Elko in 2011 & ’12 … DSU’s Neibauer was ejected from the game in the second quarter after being called for a targeting penalty (helmet-to-helmet hit) … The Hornets return to action next Sat. (Sep. 8) at St. Francis (Pa.) … kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. in Loretto, Pa.  

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