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 
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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

Hampton Quick Start Fizzles in 56-28 Road Loss to Monmouth

FINAL SCORE: Monmouth 56, Hampton 28
LOCATION: West Long Branch, NJ
RECORDS: Monmouth 1-1, Hampton 1-1
IN BRIEF: A quick start by Hampton was erased by six straight touchdowns from Monmouth as the Hawks took a 56-28 win over the Pirates in the road opener for the 2018 season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Hampton scored on its first possession as Ronald Bell took the opening kickoff 40 yards to give Hampton great field position.  Bell and Delmon Williams connected on a 32=yard scoring pass to put Hampton up 7-0 with 13:05 left in the first.
• The Pirates found the end zone again with a quick strike as Williams found Antonio Graham on a 70-yard strike as Hampton jumped to a 14-0 with 7:19 left in the opening quarter.
• Monmouth then scored four straight touchdowns as Devell Jones took the short runs (3-yards and 2-yards), while Pete Guerriero handled the big runs (28-yards and 67-yards) as the Hawks took a 28-14 lead into halftime.
• Monmouth continued on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Kenji Bahar to Jake Powell on its first possession of the third quarter as the Hawks pushed the lead to 35-14 with 13:41 left.
• The same tandem put the Hawks up 42-14 on a seven-yard strike to cap off a six-play scoring drive with 8:59 left.
• Hampton got back on the board on a 25-yard scoring run by William Robinson to trail 42-21 with 3:21 left in third.  The preceding play set them up as Williams found Lonzo Thompson on a 48-yard connection down to the Monmouth 25. 
• Hampton scored on its first play of the fourth quarter as Jadakis Bonds caught a 28-yard scoring pass from Williams to make the score 49-28.
• Bahar connected with Vinny Grasso on a 25-yard scoring pass after the Hawks blocked a Hampton punt to push the lead to 56-28 with 8:53 left.

 BEHIND THE NUMBERS

• Career high in passing yards for Williams as he connected with Wesley Wolfolk who made a one-handed snag on the Monmouth two which gave Williams 318 yards.  His previous best was 305 against Delaware State on Sept, 18, 2017.  He ended the game with 339 yards going 23-of-37 with three touchdowns and one interception.
• Williams spreaded the wealth hitting nine different receivers as Bell caught six for 81 yards to lead Hampton.  Antonio Graham and Byron Barney each caught five passes as well.
• Chaka Diarassouba topped the defense in tackles with nine.

NEXT UP
Hampton returns to Armstrong Stadium to face Tennessee State on September 15 for a 6pm kick.
For more information on Hampton University football, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS  

Nuggets beat Loyola, fall to SLU in season opener

HAMMOND, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana won 4-of-9 matches Saturday in its first women's tennis tournament of the fall, the Green and Gold Invitational.
     
The Gold Nuggets scored all their victories in a 4-1 decision over city rival Loyola. XULA — an NAIA national semifinalist four of the last six seasons, including 2018 — also lost 5-0 to NCAA Division I Southeastern Louisiana.
     
The event's modified duals — four singles matches and one doubles match — will count only for individual season statistics. Intercollegiate Tennis Association rules require dual matches to consist of six singles matches and three doubles matches.
     
Against Loyola, Mariia Borodii, Charlene Goreau, and Farah Baklouti won singles matches, and Yi Chen Pao and Lacee Ancar won in doubles. The SLU dual was notable because Borodii suffered her first singles loss as a collegian — 9-8 (7-5) to freshman Flory Bierma. Borodii, a sophomore, was 15-0 last season.
    
The tournament will conclude Sunday. The Gold Nuggets will play LSU-Alexandria at 10 a.m.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Big first quarter lifts Demons past Grambling State Tigers

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana| Shelton Eppler threw four touchdown passes, including three in the first quarter, as the Northwestern State University football team jumped out to a big lead and did not look back in a 34-7 victory over Grambling State on Saturday night at Turpin Stadium.

Eppler threw touchdown passes of 20 yards (Jaylen Watson), 13 yards (Jazz Ferguson), 12 yards (Da'Von Smith) and 10 yards (Levar Gumms) in helping the Demons snap a three-game losing streak to Grambling State.

Northwestern State (1-1) took the opening kickoff and marched 73 yards in seven plays as Shelton Eppler connected with Jaylen Watson on a 20-yard touchdown pass in the right corner of the endzone to give the Demons an early 7-0 lead with 12:33 left in the first quarter.

Grambling State (0-2) was able to move the football on its first drive, but was forced to punt the ball.



The Demons cashed that punt into their second consecutive scoring drive. Northwestern State used just 2:34 off the clock and went 65 yards in seven plays with Eppler tossing his second touchdown pass, a 13-yarder, to Jazz Ferguson, to extend the Demons advantage to 14-0 with 6:57 remaining in the opening frame.

The Tigers were forced to punt after going three-and-out on their next offensive possession. Miguel Mendez's punt travelled 16 yards and set up the Demons in good field position at the GSU 34 yard-line.

Northwestern State capitalized on the short field by going 34 yards in just three plays as Eppler found Da'Von Smith for a 12-yard touchdown to push the lead to 21-0 with 4:59 left in the first quarter.

Grambling State battled back on its next drive as the Tigers got a 38-yard pass from Aldon Clark to Raylon Richardson to set up shop at the Demons 12-yard line. Three plays later, Kevin Dominique scored on a six-yard run to cap a six-play, 70-yard drive and closed the gap to 21-7 with 14:45 remaining in the second quarter.

After forcing a Northwestern State to punt, the Tigers coughed the ball up and gave the Demons good field position inside GSU territory.

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GSU PHOTO GALLERY

However, Austy Fendrick's 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by De'Arius Christmas to keep the deficit at 21-7 with 7:59 left in the first half.

Northwestern State added to the lead with a little less than two minutes remaining in the half as Hickbottom tossed his second interception of the night to give the Demons the ball at their own 47.

After the turnover, Northwestern State went 53 yards in three plays as Eppler connected with Levar Gumms for 10 yards to extend the lead to 27-7.

Grambling State got the ball to begin the second half, but a promising drive ended when Clark was intercepted in the end zone by Rashaun Croney.

The Demons put the game away early in the fourth quarter with a 14-play, 74-yard drive, capped by a Jared West 3-yard touchdown run to give Northwestern State a 34-7 advantage with 13:42 left.



Turning Point
Grambling State's defense was on the field for 20 plays in the opening quarter as Northwestern State built a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

The Tigers defense surrendered 166 yards in the opening quarter, including 130 through the air. Shelton Epller threw touchdown passes to Jaylen Watson (20 yards), Jazz Ferguson (13 yards) and Da'Von Smith (12 yards).

Grambling State was able to punch in a six-yard run at the beginning of the second quarter from Kevin Dominique to close the gap to 21-7.

However, turnovers killed the Tigers on Saturday night as Clark and Hickbottom combined to throw four interceptions and GSU coughed the ball up once on a fumble.

Inside the Numbers
> Grambling State finished with 22 first downs
> The Tigers amassed 349 yards on 72 plays, with 208 coming on the ground
> Grambling State turned the ball over five times, including four interceptions
> Aldon Clark was 14-of-22 passing for 125 yards and two interceptions
> Geremy Hickbottom finished the night with 16 yards on 3-of-10 passing and two picks
> Aldon Clark led the ground game with 67 yards on 14 carries
> Kevin Dominique added 56 yards on 11 touches and one score
> Lyndemian Brooks rushed seven times for 47 yards
> Raylon Richardson caught one pass for 38 yards
> Devohn Lindsey added two catches for 25 yards
> Damien Crumitie led the defense with seven tackles, including five solo stops
> Devinar Martin registered six tackles
> Northwestern State recorded 29 first downs
> The Demons racked up 504 total yards on 79 plays, including 359 through the air
> Shelton Eppler was 24-of-31 passing for 263 yards and four touchdowns
> Jared West recorded 87 yards on 15 carries
> Stadford Anderson rushed 11 times for 49 yards
> Quan Shorts caught six passes for 78 yards
> Jazz Ferguson recorded 74 yards on seven catches and one score
> Jaylen Watson finished with seven catches for 55 yards and one touchdown
> Jalon Sangster tallied nine tackles, including three solo stops
> Ryan Reid added eight tackles, five solo

News & Notes
> Saturday's game was the fifth meeting between Grambling State and Northwestern State
> Grambling State leads the series, 3-2
> Northwestern State snapped a three-game losing streak to Grambling State
> The Demons win over the Tigers was the first in the series since 2007
> Cecil Cherry was ejected in the third quarter for targeting and will miss the first half of the Sept. 22 game against Alabama State
> 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
> GSU is 36-45 all-time against teams from the state of Louisiana
> Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs remains 11 wins shy of 50 for his career
> The Tigers begin the season 0-2 for the first time since the 2015 season
> GSU is 0-2 this season when starting the game on defense
> Grambling State used a two-quarterback system with Geremy Hickbottom and Aldon Clark splitting time
> Grambling State is 3-7 when wearing the all white jerseys

Up Next
Grambling State will take a week off to prepare for its 2018 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and home opener against Alabama State on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. The Tigers and Hornets met last season in Montgomery, Ala., with Grambling State picking up a 24-7 victory. Alabama State was in action Saturday night at SEC power Auburn. The Hornets will visit Kennesaw State next Saturday before facing Grambling State on Sept. 22.

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.

By: Brian Howard, Sports Information Director
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Bowie State Holds On to Defeat Alderson Broaddus 38-31

PHILIPPI, West Virginia –  It was a true battle on Saturday (9/8) afternoon for Bowie State but the Bulldogs held off a late Alderson Broaddus charge and defeated the Battlers 38-31.
 
As a team, the Bowie State Bulldogs (1-1) accumulated 494 total yards of offense compared to 358 yards of total offense for the Alderson Broaddus Battlers (0-2).
 
Leading the Bowie State team offensively was senior Amir Hall with 365 passing yards, completing 27-of-41 passes attempted but was intercepted once and sacked three times. Redshirt sophomore Montez Clay(Baltimore, Md.) led the Bulldogs receivers with a personal- best 117 reception yards on six catches and two touchdowns while redshirt senior Daryl Jasper(Capital Heights, Md.) recorded a career-high 85 reception yards on five receptions. Redshirt junior Brandon Abrams(Baltimore, Md.) rushed for a team-high career-high 117 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown. Redshirt freshman Joshua Pryor paced the Bowie State defense with a game-high 13 total tackles which included 3.5 tackles for a loss). Other top Bulldogs on defense include junior William Flowers, III (Baltimore, Md.) and senior Taylor Johnson (Washington, D.C.) with seven and six tackles respectively.
 
Austin Hampton booted a 33-yard field goal at the 7:30 mark of the opening quarter to give Alderson Broaddus an early 3-0 lead over Bowie State.
 
Bowie State's Bulldogs sophomore Gene Carson (Accokeek, Md.) kicked a 27-yard field goal at the 4:37 mark to ties the game at 3-3, capping off a 9-play, 66-yard drive.
 
Alderson Broaddus regained the lead at 10-7 at the 14:53 mark of the second quarter when Connor McWilliams connected with Maurice Thomas for a 17-yard touchdown pass.
 
The Bulldogs tied the game at 10-all on a Hall to Sesay for 23-yard score with 8:32 to go in the second quarter.
 
Bowie State's Clay caught his second career touchdown pass, hauling in a 52-yard pass from Hall and Carson's PAT gave the Bulldogs its first lead of the afternoon at 17-10 with 1:40 remaining in the first half.
 
Bowie State opened the second half with a heavy dose of rushing by Abrams. Following a short punt and penalty on Alderson Broaddus, Bowie State took over at the Battlers 20-yard line. The Bulldogs duo of Hall and Clay teamed up again at the 6:27 mark of the third quarter, this time for a six-yard touchdown. Carson's extra point pushed the Bowie State lead to 24-10.
 
The Bulldogs extended its lead to 31-10 after a two-yard run by Abrams with 4:05 to go in the third quarter.

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Alderson Broaddus' Jamil Collison-Cofie stops the Bowie State scoring run and scores a 6-yard TD pass from Joe Czelusniak to cut the Battlers deficit to 31-17 with 12:11 left in the contest.
 
Bowe State got those seven points right back on their very next possession via a Hall to redshirt senior Gilbert Lunsford (Upper Marlboro, Md.) from 30 yards out pushes the Bulldogs lead to 38-17 over host Alderson Broaddus with 10:31 remaining in the game.
 
Not to be outdone, thanks to a big kickoff return by the Battlers on the ensuing kickoff, Alderson Broaddus punched it in on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Czelusniak to Zach Lake with 9:44 left on the clock to narrow the gap to 38-24.
 
The Bulldogs defense held after a Battlers onside kick but turned the ball back over to Alderson Broaddus when Hall was intercepted in the end zone by Matt Jackson with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
 
Jalen Jackson rumbled 72-yards around the left side of the Bulldogs defense to score and trim the Bowie State lead down to 38-31 with 3:47 left in the game.
 
Alderson Broaddus continued its late game surge, but Bowie State held on for the remainder of the contest to claim the non-conference victory.
 
The Bulldogs make its longest trip of the season next Saturday (September 15), traveling to Lebanon, Ill., to take on the Bearcats of McKendree University. Game time is set for 1 p.m. (Central Time Zone).
 
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Kent State’s Fast Start Downs Howard Bison Football

KENT, Ohio  – After putting up an impressive 645 total yards at Ohio, Coach Mike London and the Howard University Football team were unable to find their rhythm as they fell to FBS foe Kent State (KSU), 54-14, for the second consecutive year.
 
Howard's high-powered offense was held to only 270 total yards while the Flashes gained 511 total yards and averaged 6.3 yards-per-play.
 
"We got outcoached," said Coach London after the game. "We got outplayed and we could not stop them. We could not convert. They were the best team today and it showed."
 
After being shutout in the first half, Howard got on the board with a 6-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Caylin Newton (Atlanta) to third-year wideout Kyle Anthony (Miramar, Fla.), 26-7.



Nearly a minute later, KSU answered with a 61-yard rushing TD by Justin Rankin, 33-7.
 
Late in the third, Newton found fellow classmate Dedrick Parson (Philadelphia) streaking down the sideline for a 74-yard touchdown pass and swung momentum back into HU's favor, 33-14.
 
Kent State's lighting fast offense kept the Bison's defense off balance; thus, scoring another touchdown late in the third, followed by 16-yard TD run from KSU's Will Matthews early in the fourth.
 
"We have a lot of work to do and things we must go look at again," London expressed. "This football team today was not indicative of the one that played last week. They [Kent State] did what they had to do and we could not stop them."

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Parson had 138 all-purpose yards, including 107 receiving yards on four catches.
 
Defensively, second-year defensive back and Ohio native Bryan Cook (Cincinnati) registered a team-high eight tackles (seven solo), including two tackles-for-loss. Redshirt junior Devin Hurtado (Fremont, Calif.) filled the stat sheet with four tackles (three solo), a fumble recovery, an interception, and half sack in the loss.
 
"There are a lot of guys that played in this game, including a lot of true freshman," Coach London stated. "Towards the latter part of the game, they caused some turnovers and did some positive things. We just need to go back and look at what we do and how we do it. As I said, they outcoached us and outplayed us. We were not ready for the elements. There are a bunch of things that have to get corrected."
 
On Sept. 15, Howard host Savannah State in their home opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium. For tickets, please Click Here.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS