Winston-Salem State Rams Stifled in 34-7 Loss to Catawba

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina – The Winston-Salem State Rams (1-1) could not overcome their own miscues in a 34-7 loss to the Catawba Indians (1-1), Saturday evening. The Rams turned the ball over four times and managed just seven points in a tough home loss to the Indians.

The Rams were stifled offensively in the game. As a team, the Rams managed 265 yards of total offense, but the team could not turn them into points in the loss. WSSU senior quarterback Rod Tinsley, Jr. led the WSSU offense, completing 11-of-22 passes for 101 yards while senior quarterback Emiere Scaife added eight-of-15 passes for 79 yards. WSSU sophomore running back Antwoin Pittman led the WSSU rushing attack with nine carries for 59 yards in the game. Senior running back Kerrion Moore had the sole touchdown for the Rams with 12 carries for 57 yards and a four-yard touchdown run.

The game was a defensive battle early, but the Rams had some misfortune early. The Rams' sole score allowed early came on a WSSU fumble in the endzone that was recovered by the Indians to leave the team trailing, 0-7. A missed coverage on the next Catawba drive led to the Indians taking a 14-0 lead over the Rams at the end of the first quarter.

PHOTO GALLERY
BOX SCORE

The Rams were able to recover in the second quarter. It was Moore who took a four-yard touchdown run against the Indians. The run capped a five-play 53-yard drive by the Rams and cut the WSSU deficit in half. The Rams stayed to within a touchdown of the Indians until the final minute of the half, when Catawba scored on a 45-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left in the second quarter. The missed PAT kick left the Rams trailing, 20-6 heading into the locker room at halftime.

The second half was not kind to the Rams. The team could not score for the remainder of the game, but the team held the Indians scoreless for the entire third quarter. It was in the fourth quarter that the game got away from the Rams with Catawba mounting a pair of scoring drives to take the 34-7 loss.

Defensively, the Rams gave a great effort in spite of the final score. WSSU senior lineback Patrick Greene had a great day with seven total tackles (none solo) as well as a tackle for a loss. Senior defensive lineman Jack Nimmons added a five total tackles (three solo) along with a seven-yard sack. Senior defensive back De'Andre Blevins recorded an interception as well as junior free safety Daryus Skinner.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 1-1 on the season. The team will return to action next Saturday when they head to Rocky Mount, N.C. to take on the Elizabeth City State Vikings in the Down East Vikings Classic. For more information on Rams football, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY RAMS SPORTS INFORMATION

BCU GridIron Tops Virginia University of Lynchburg

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman scored the most points the Wildcats have amassed since 1925, as BCU Football got back on the winning track Saturday afternoon with a 79-16 defeat of Virginia University of Lynchburg at Daytona Stadium.
 
Bethune-Cookman (1-1) opened the game with a 30-point first quarter. It was the most points in a quarter for the Maroon and Gold since scoring 28 in a come-from-behind win at Grambling State in 2015.
 
The Wildcats took just 1:25 off the clock and marched 61 yards down the field on five plays, capped off by a David Israel connection to Jonathon Thomas through the air for 23 yards to score the first touchdown of the 2018 campaign. That allowed BCU to claim a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game, following a Uriel Hernandez point-after attempt.
 
On its next possession, Bethune-Cookman took just 14 seconds to score when Que'shaun Byrdstepped underneath an Akevious Williams pass to scamper 70 yards for the second score of the game.

BOX SCORE

For redshirt junior quarterback Akevious Williams, he would finish the night 12-of-13 passing for 297 yards and four touchdowns – all career-highs for the Madison, Florida native. Williams would add another touchdown via the ground.
 
As for Israel, the transfer from West Virginia would complete his home debut 6-for-11 passing for 150 yards and two scores.
 
Already leading 14-0 in the first quarter, Tydarius Peter stepped in front of a Chameron Stevenson pass, picking it off and returning it 38 yards for the touchdown. It was the first interception returned for a touchdown by the Maroon and Gold since Diquan Richardson at North Texas in 2016.
 
The Cats would add a safety to end the quarter's scoring, leaving BCU up, 30-0.
 
Israel rushed up the middle for an eight-yard run to increase the BCU lead, 37-0.
 
Virginia University of Lynchburg (1-1) countered with nine unanswered points to begin the second quarter, cutting into the lead at 37-9.
 
After a safety on the Cats when the ball went through the back of the end zone on a fumble, VUL's Elijah Stewart rushed in from seven yards out to give the Dragons their first touchdown of the afternoon.
 
However, BCU would counter with a pair of long scoring plays before the end of the half.
 
Malique Jackson was on the receiving end of a 77-yard strike from Israel, while Jimmie Robinsoncaught a 51-yard scoring pass Akevious Williams.
 
Hernandez, a senior kicker from Homestead, Florida, finished the contest a perfect 11-of-11 in extra-point attempts.
 
In the third quarter, Que'shaun Byrd returned a kickoff from the Dragons 88 yards for the first kickoff return for touchdown since Eddie Poole in 2010. That allowed the Cats to hold a 65-16 advantage.
 
BCU's Byrd would add another one-yard score after Jackson added a 58-yard receiving touchdown from Williams.
 
Jackson would end the contest with a game-high162 yards receiving on just four catches, adding a pair of touchdowns in the process.
 
Bethune-Cookman had nine different receivers catch a pass in the contest, as well as 14 different players rush at least once. LaDerrien Wilson led the BCU rushing attack with 25 yards on two carries.
 
The Cats defense was headlined by Marquis Hendrix with eight tackles, (six assists), adding 1.5 tackles for loss. Marques Ford pulled in five tackles, as well as 1.5 quarterback sacks. In all, the defensive unit for the Cats accumulated five sacks in the game.
 
Bethune-Cookman returns to action Saturday, Sept. 15, when the Wildcats travel to Boca Raton for a meeting with Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m.
 
Follow Bethune-Cookman Football on Twitter (@BCUGridIron) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics).




BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Chowan Second Half Surge Not Enough Against Davidson Wildcats

DAVIDSON, North Carolina – The Chowan Football team was unable to capitalize on four takeaways to start the second half as Division I Davidson raced past the Hawks 49-28 on Saturday evening.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 28, Davidson 49

RECORDS | Chowan 0-2, Davidson 2-0

LOCATION | Davidson, N.C. (Richardson Stadium)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

The Chowan defense forced four turnovers led by Antwuan Hicks.  Hicks had eight tackles and two forced fumbles and a fumble return for 29-yds in the loss.  Dre Terry would pick off a pass and Aaron Bullock recorded a fumble recovery.

Josh Berry, David Harden, and Tyler Bembry tallied seven tackles each.

Tyrell Freeman posted his first 100-yd rushing outing of the season with 109 yards on 16 carries.   Freeman would find the endzone in the contest on the opening drive.

Torry Baker hauled in 10 catches for 134 yards and two scores to pace the receivers.  Baker would also catch a two-point conversion.  Imeek Watkins caught five passes for 66 yards.  Sha'Von Harkless grabbed a touchdown pass.

Bryce Witt completed 23-35 passes for 302 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter:

The opening drive of the game started off quickly for the Hawks as Chowan marched down the field on eight plays for a touchdown.  Bryce Witt completed 3-3 passes for 47 yards.  Witt added 12 yards rushing before Tyrell Freeman punched it in on a 4-yd plunge.

Davidson would answer on their opening drive going two plays for 62 yards on two rushes to even the game 7-all just 4:02 into the game.

Chowan would move the ball down the field on their next drive but a tipped pass led to an interception. Davidson used three plays on the drive to take a 14-7 lead.

The Wildcats would force a punt on the next drive and then rush the ball down the field for another rushing touchdown to lead 21-7.

Tyrell Freeman would open the next drive breaking off a 35-yd run.  Bryce Witt would connect with Imeek Watkinsfor a 15-yd pass to end the quarter.

Second Quarter:

On the first play of the quarter, Bryce Witt's pass would be intercepted.  Chowan would slow down the Wildcat attack as Davidson needed 11 plays to go 61 yards for the score.

On the ensuing kick-off, Kyeem Perry would take the kick to the Davidson 30 with a 58-yd return.  A penalty would push the drive to the 15.  Bryce Witt found Torry Baker on a 9-yd pitch-and-catch for the score to close the gap to 28-13 after the failed PAT.

Another long run by the 'Cats pushed the score to 35-13 with 5:51 remaining in the quarter.  The next drive for the Hawks moved into Davidson territory.  Bryce Witt started the drive with a 14-yd pass to Imeek Watkins.  Tyrell Freeman would rush the ball down to the Davidson 13-yd line on an eight yard run.  The drive would stall.  The field goal attempt would get blocked and returned for a touchdown.

On the final drive of the half for the Hawks with under a minute to play, the Hawks would just run the clock out with a 15-yd run by Tyrell Freeman.

Third Quarter:

The Hawks would force a fumble on the opening drive of the third quarter as Antwuan Hicks forced the fumble.  The drive would end for the Hawks with two sacks and a blocked punt.

Antwuan Hicks would step up again for the Hawks forcing another fumble, this time taking it 29 yards on the return to put Chowan in enemy territory.

Bryce Witt connected with Paul Gooden to move the chains on a 15-yd reception.  Adrian McNeil was unable to haul in the catch in the endzone as the drive stalled in the redzone.

Chowan's defense was able to force another turnover as Dre Terry picked off a pass near midfield.  Bryce Wittfound Imeek Watkins and Torry Baker for a pair of first downs.  Watkins reached for a pass on fourth down but the Hawks were unable to convert in the redzone.

Fourth Quarter:

Aaron Bullock would recover a fumble to start the fourth quarter for the Hawks' fourth straight takeaway.

Bryce Witt connected with Imeek Watkins on a fourth down conversion to keep the drive alive.  Two plays later, Witt found Sha'Von Harkless out of the backfield for a 21-yd touchdown reception.  Torry Baker would be on the receiving end of the 2-pt conversion to cut the deficit in half, 42-21, with 11:59 remaining.

Davidson would take 5:34 off the clock on an 11 play 75 yard drive.  The Wildcats would keep the ball on the ground to extend the lead to 49-21 with 6:25 remaining in the contest.

Bryce Witt founds Torry Baker for a 26-yd reception and a 25-yd reception by Brandon Hughes to push the ball deep into Davidson territory.  Baker would haul in a 23 yard pass from Witt for a score to cut the deficit to 49-28.

On the ensuing kick-off, Keandre' Randerson recovered the onside kick.  The Hawks would back up on the drive with a penalty and a sack.  The defense would hold for the Hawks to force a punt, but a roughing the punter penalty allowed the drive to continue for the Wildcats.  Davidson would run the clock out to end the contest.

UP NEXT

Chowan takes on Shaw (1-1) on September 15 in CIAA action in Raleigh, N.C.  Kick-off is slated for 1pm.

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS SPORTS INFORMATION

Transfers Are impactful In A&T's 15th Straight Win

EAST GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T football believes in developing players over a four or five-year period into the system. Therefore, the coaching staff is selective when choosing to sign transfers from a step above on the FBS level.

But when the coaching staff does bring in FBS talent, they do it well. University of South Carolina transfer Antoine Wilder had a key interception and was all over the place defensively and Coastal Carolina transfer Jah-Maine Martin rushed for a career-high 93 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries to lead the Aggies to a 45-6 win over Gardner-Webb Saturday night at BB&T Stadium.



N.C. A&T (3-0), the sixth-ranked team in the nation (fifth in media poll) has now won 18 out of their last 19 at home including 11 straight. The Aggies extended Division I-FCS’s longest current winning streak to 15. The Aggies closed out their home and home series with GWU the past two seasons by outscoring the Runnin’ Bulldogs 90-9 while not allowing a touchdown in either game. Saturday marked the 18thtime in the past 80 games the Aggies have prevented an opponent from getting in the end zone. No team has rushed for 100 yards against the Aggies this season as the GWU produced just 14 yards on the ground.

It was Martin’s 28-yard touchdown run that got the Aggies going offensively as he scored with the game a little more than two minutes old. The Aggies took a 14-3 lead on their second special teams touchdown of the season as junior Kashon Baker ran back a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to follow-up on Malik Wilson’s 98-yard kickoff return in Week 1 against Jacksonville State.

The Bulldogs (1-1) were able to keep the game close early. GWU quarterback Jordan Smith connected with Kyle Horton for a 33-yard completion which was followed by a 15-yard run Jayln Cagle to set up a 40-yard field goal from Tre Jackson to get the Bulldogs to within eight at 14-6 in the second quarter. But for the second straight week, N.C. A&T put together an impressive end-of-the first-half drive.



Last week at East Carolina, it resulted in a confidence-building touchdown that led the Aggies to the upset. This week, it was a 13-play, 50-yard drive that ended with sophomore kicker Noel Ruiz lifting his confidence and his teammates’ spirits as he booted a career-high 43-yard field goal that cleared the upright with ease.

On the opening drive of the second half, the Aggies started to put GWU away as junior defensive end Darryl Johnson got his hands on Smith and forced him into a hurried pass that landed in the hands of Wilder at the GWU 28-yard line. He returned the INT six yards to give the Aggies a 1st-and-10 from the 22. Four plays later, Senior quarterback Lamar Raynard found senior fullback William Hollingsworth open for a 5-yard TD pass.

“He fills so many roles,” said N.C. A&T coach Sam Washington about Wilder. “He’s been a joy to work with, coach and watch develop. He came in with the right attitude. He told me, ‘Coach, I’m going to make your team better. He’s done just that.’"

When Washington came to N.C. A&T under former head coach Rod Broadway, the two veteran coaches did not want N.C. A&T to be a destination for multiple transfers like other FCS programs because they wanted to develop their players under their way of doing football life at N.C. A&T. Wilder came to N.C. A&T through a recommendation from Jamari Smith who played running back for the Aggies last season as a graduate transfer out of South Carolina.



“When you look at some of the top programs on this level, they average close to 20 transfers a year. We’re not anywhere close to that,” said Washington. “We are developers around here. But I can say, we have had some success with transfers and they have been successful here. We maybe take three a year, but we’ve been able to plug them in with the guys we already have here and have done well.”

Cornerback Ayodeji Olatoye who played in a Super Bowl and tight end Trey Young are just a few of the successful transfers who come to mind. Rutgers transfer Sam Blue and Wilder are the only two transfer starters on the Aggies defense while the Aggies have one junior college transfer, Macquel Hardy and one graduate transfer Breontae Matthews along their offensive line. Martin, who knew he wanted to come to Aggieland as soon as he got his release from Coastal, scored his second touchdown of the day on a 42-yard run to open the fourth quarter to give the Aggies a commanding 38-6 lead.

BOX SCORE

“I’m just doing what I’m told to do,” said Martin. “If they want me to come off the bench, then that’s what I’ll do. I just want to win.”

As for the Aggies who came to N.C. A&T through the high school ranks, senior running back and High Point Andrews graduate Marquell Cartwright had 119 yards on 15 carries. Junior and Southern Guilford alum Ron Hunt had a career night with seven catches for 90 yards.

N.C. A&T will get a week off from competition before playing fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school Morgan State, 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 22 at BB&T Stadium. The game will not count toward conference play because each school is playing seven conference games instead of eight this season because of the departure of Hampton University.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hunt Breaks School Record, Bears Claim First Win of 2018 With 27-9 Victory at Mars Hill

MARS HILL, North Carolina -- Junior linebacker Devon Hunt (Hamlet, NC) became the programs all-time leader in total tackles as the Shaw University football team earned its first win of 2018 with a convincing 27-9 victory on the road against Mars Hill University Saturday afternoon.

The win puts Shaw 1-1 on the year while the Lions fall drop to 0-2.

Hunt needed just six tackles to tie the program record of 197, he would finish with 14 total tackles to go along with two tackle for loss, one sack, one breakup and a quarterback hurry to lead the Bears defense. Hunt surpasses former record holder Torrance Nunnelly with now a total of 205 tackles for his career and a new program record.

Sophomore Jaleel Scroggins (Raleigh, NC) added 11 tackles and four tackle for loss while both sophomore Kevin Sherman (Powder Springs, GA) and Senior Andrew Cash (Samora, NC) contributed seven tackles each.

BOX SCORE

Senior quarterback Keon Marsh (Queens, NY) had a much better performance offensively Saturday, completing 25-of-33 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Daniel Bender (Jacksonville, FL) caught 12 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns while senior running back Dorrel McClain (Raleigh, NC) finished with 56 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.

The Bears took a 14-0 lead at halftime thanks to a five yard rushing touchdown from McClain in the second quarter with 7:12 left. Shaw then closed out the first half with a seven play drive for 63 yards as Marsh connected with Bender for a 13 yard score that gave the Bears great momentum heading into intermission.

In the third quarter, the Lions scored on a team safety and then followed up with a 15 yard run from Austin Brown to cut the Bears deficit 14-9 but the Bears responded with Benders second touchdown of the day on a 12 yard pass from Marsh to go ahead 21-9 with 12:47 left in the contest.

Shaw' defense put the clamp on the Lions offense, including an 80 yard fumble recovery from sophomore Anthony Carter, Jr. (Fayetteville, NC) that would put the Bears on top 27-9 in convincing fashion.

For the contest, Shaw tallied 344 total offensive yards, including 265 on through the air and 79 on the ground. As for MHU, the Lions finished with 422 total offense (315 passing, 107 rushing) led by Brown who went 27-49 in pass completions for 244 yards, a rushing touchdown and an interception while Craig Rucker caught eight passes for 79 yards and Elijah Jett collected 68 yards on 12 carries.

Shaw will return to action for its home opener on Saturday, Sept. 15 when the Bears host Chowan for "Bring a Kid to the Game" at Durham County Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information on Shaw football and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit www.shawbears.com.

SHAW UNIVERSITY BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State Bears Lose to Akron, 41-7

AKRON, Ohio – Sophomore quarterback Kato Nelson, threw for 232 yards and three TDs to lead Akron (1-0) to a 41-0 win over visiting Morgan State Saturday at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field. The win was the first of the season for the Zips, whose game last week against Nebraska was cancelled as a result of severe weather.

With the win, the Zips improved its series record against Morgan State to 3-0, once again beating the Bears by a sizeable margin. MSU lost 41-0 in the first meeting between the teams in 2009, followed by a 66-6 loss suffered in 2012.

Van Edwards complimented Nelson's efforts with a game-high 109 rushing yards to go with two scores. Jonah Morris (4 rec, 94 yds) and Andre Williams(4 rec, 46 yds) both added receiving touchdowns in the game.

Nelson, who completed 16 of 26 pass attempts in the game, excited the ballgame after the Zips extended to a 41-0 lead at the end of the third quarter. Redshirt freshman Alex Ramart subbed in to close out the ballgame. 

BOX SCORE


The Zips totaled 437 yards of total offense with a balanced 237 yards through the air and 200 on the ground. 

Morgan State (0-2) got off to a rocky start in the early going as they were limited to just 6 total yards and one first down in the entire first quarter.

The Bears' quarterbacks had a rough day in the office as well. Junior DeAndre Harris threw for 73 yards and completed 7-of-14 passes, while DJ Golatt Jr. didn't have it any easier. The redshirt-freshman was held to 5 yards passing (1 of 8). Both quarterbacks tossed an interception apiece.

One bright spot for the Bears was in the running game. Morgan State gained 114 yards on the ground and was led by juniorJordan Riggins who had 16 carries for 55 yards (3.4 avg). Joshua Chase added 33 yards (3.3 avg).

On 3rdand 8 from the 10, Harris attempted to connect with Mannaseh Bailey, who drew a pass interference call to give  the Bears 1stand goal from the 2.  Two plays later, Harris plowed into the endzone for a score with 11 seconds remaining to avoid the shutout. It was the first touchdown of the season for the Bears offense.

Morgan State is back in action at home Sept. 15 vs. UAlbany. The non-conference contest is slated for a 7 p.m. Kickoff and will be televised on ESPN+.

NOTES:
LB Damare' Whitaker led the Bears with 11 tackles, while LB Ian McBorrough added 10 stops.

CB Dominick Trigg and S Darius Johnson each recorded interceptions

DL Colby Warrior was ejected from the game for targeting in the third quarter.
 
R-Freshman Demerius Goodwin [Cleveland, Ohio | Ginn Academy] saw his first bit of collegiate action ... finished with 6 carries for 15 yards.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BEARS ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets 2-0 on final day of UMobile Invitational

MOBILE, Alabama — Sophomore Angele McClain capped a scintillating Saturday of hitting with 10 kills and a .429 percentage to help Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball defeat William Carey 19-25, 25-19, 27-25, 25-17 in the University of Mobile Invitational.
     
The Gold Nuggets (8-4) won both their matches on the final day of the tournament. They defeated Life in four sets in the earlier match. Next will be a three-match home stand against city rivals: 6 p.m. Tuesday against Loyola, 1 p.m. Saturday against Dillard — XULA's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener — and 6 p.m. Sept. 17 against SUNO.
     
McClain hit .462 Saturday, and her 10 kills and five blocks against William Carey were career highs. McClain is in her first season at XULA after transferring from NCAA Division II Spring Hill.
     
McClain accounted for XULA's final two kills of the third set, which the Gold Nuggets won after trailing 22-19.
    
Kayla Black had 18 kills for XULA, and Taylor Ducros had a career-high 19 digs. Eva Le Guillouproduced her seventh double-double this season, 41 assists and 11 digs. Beatrice Formilan had 15 digs, and Jaida Dowd had seven kills and a season-high 14 digs.
     
Christine Kugelmann had 13 kills and Jordan Stephens 12 for the Lady Crusaders (4-8), who have lost six of their last seven matches.
     
McClain was the only Gold Nugget to hit better .167. XULA hit a season-low .105 but limited William Carey to .099. The teams combined for 93 errors, 53 by Carey. It was the Nuggets' lowest hitting percentage in a victory since Aug. 29, 2011.
     
It was the third consecutive Saturday that XULA went 2-0. In two years under coach Pat Kendrick, the Gold Nuggets are 13-0 in regular-season matches played on Saturdays.
     
"I thought both Life and William Carey challenged us, and we fought back," Kendrick said. "Angele provided a great spark off the bench against William Carey."

BOX SCORE

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

Morgan State Volleyball Sweeps Host New Orleans, 3-0

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- The Morgan State volleyball team bounced back from a tough five-set loss earlier in the morning, to sweep host New Orleans, 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-16) in the finale of the New Orleans Invitational at the Human Performance Center.

Zoe McBride tallied 18 kills to go with seven digs, two blocks and three service aces, as Morgan State closed out the weekend going 3-1 and improved to 1-2 all-time against the Privateers.

Cristen Coryatt totaled 16 kills and had eight digs, while Kalysia Bates totaled 13 kills and finished with a match-high .611 hitting percentage. Roi Wallace finished with a match-high 40 assists and Jasmin Hubbard collected a match-high 17 digs.

New Orleans (6-5) was led by Kaitlyn Grice, who had eight kills, and Brianna Vega had seven kills. Blessing Dunn led the team with 10 digs and Sarah Thomas finished with 20 assists.

BOX SCORE

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

UAPB dismantles Cumberland 55-0 in Coach Thomas' first career victory

2 hour weather delay leads to first UAPB victory ever at Simmons Bank Field

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas --After a two hour weather delay, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions crushed Cumberland University 55-0 at Simmons Bank Field for head coach Cedric Thomas' first career victory. Junior quarterback Shannon Patrick finished the first half 10-for-11 with 227 yards and three touchdowns while junior wide receiver Josh Wilkes had six catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the opening half. The dynamic duo got things started off on the opening drive and connected on a 77-yard touchdown on the fourth play of the game as the Golden Lions never looked back and never trailed in the game. The win marks the first UAPB victory ever at Simmons Bank Field.

UAPB led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter and poured on an offensive onslaught with 31 second quarter points. Senior kicker Jamie Gillan started off the quarter with a 31-yard field goal to cap a 13 play 70 yard drive. Minutes later, junior running back Taeyler Porter scampered to the end zone for a five yard rushing touchdown to cap a seven play 60 yard drive as UAPB led 17-0. Moments later, red-shirt sophomore Tyrin Ralph scored a sensational 58-yard punt return touchdown as he spun numerous times and dodged defenders. He later scored another punt return touchdown but it was called back due to a holding penalty.

BOX SCORE

Later in the quarter, Patrick connected with DeJuan Miller for a 40-yard touchdown as his defender slipped to the ground to give UAPB a 31-0 lead with three minutes left in the half. The Golden Lions defense made another stop which allowed the offense one last chance to score. In five plays, UAPB drove 82 yards as Patrick once again found Wilkes in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown with three seconds remaining in the half.

Porter later added a 37-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and quarterback Roger Totten II scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give UAPB a 52-0 lead. In the fourth quarter, freshman kicker Zack Piwniczka buried a career-high 47 yard field goal to seal an eight play 31 yard drive.

As a team UAPB picked up 26 first downs while the Phoenix finished with 14. For the second week in a row, UAPB finished with over 500 yards of offense while the defense held the Phoenix to 225 offensive yards.

Quarterback Skyler Perry completed 8-of-14 passes for 74 yards while Totten II finished 2-for-2 with 62 yards passing.Patrick did not re-enter the game after throwing just one incomplete pass all game.

Porter rushed 12 times for 76 yards and two touchdowns while Perry rushed four times for 34 yards.Tryvarious Cole picked up 24 yards rushing on four attempts.

Wilkes finished with seven catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his touchdown reception total to four on the year. Miller hauled in five passes for 99 yards and one touchdown while Kolby McNeal and Ralph caught two passes each for 28 and 26 yards respectively.

On the defensive end, Je'Kevin Carter led the Golden Lions with nine tackles and one sack while teammate Jalen Steward finished with eight total tackles. Paul Reeves produced seven tackles in the win while fellow Golden Lions Shawn Steele and Xavier Mitchell picked up six tackles apiece.

Senior Kevin Agee produced five tackles and one sack, including a bone crushing hit in the first half.

UAPB (1-1) returns to action on Saturday, September 15 as it travels to South Dakota to face South Dakota State University. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Tuskegee Golden Tigers shutout Albany State in White Water Classic

PHENIX CITY, Alabama The Tuskegee University Golden Tigers defeated the Albany State Golden Rams 20-0 in the 5th Annual White Water Classic Saturday evening from Phenix City's Garrett-Harrison Stadium.
 
In a game that featured a combined 22 penalties, defense ended up telling the story in this battle with defensive back Rorrick Steward claiming Most Valuable Player honors for the Golden Tigers. TU was only able to rush for a total of 58 yards while the Golden Rams were held to 91 yards passing.
 
After a scoreless first quarter, Jamarcus Ezell connected with Chardian Johnson for a 31-yard touchdown pass within the first four minutes of the second quarter. The PAT failed. With 13 seconds left before the end of the first half, Ezell would have to sit for one play after his helmet inadvertently came off. On the ensuing play, backup quarterback Ahmad Deramus would find Javarrius Cheatham on a 31-yard strike to put the Golden Tigers ahead 13-0 after the PAT, which is how the half would end.
 
ASU played a pair of quarterbacks as well with Kelias Williams completing 7 of his 14 attempts for 46 yards and two interceptions.  Masha Stephon was 3-of-7 for 45 yards.  He also tossed one INT.  Javon Wooten was the leading receiver for the Golden Rams hauling in two catches for 44 yards. TU's Ezell was an efficient 11-of-15 for 173 yards and one touchdown while reserve QB Deramus completed all four of his attempts for 79 yards and one score.

BOX SCORE
 
Albany State's defense was led by Tyler Scott's 12 tackles, eight of those were made in the first half. The Golden Rams also notched five sacks on the night.

TU was paced by Davoris Thomas who finished with five stops. Steward, the game's MVP had three tackles.
 
Neither team could find the end zone in the third quarter but that would change when Steward scored the game's only TD of the fourth quarter, with a 35-yard interception returned to round out the scoring.
 
TU remains on the road and will face Clark Atlanta Saturday with the kickoff set for 6 p.m. CT. Live coverage on the Tuskegee Digital Network gets underway at 5:55 p.m.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERS ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS