TSU Tigers Return to Nashville, Travel to Vanderbilt

Tennessee State Game Notes | Vanderbilt Game Notes
2018 Tennessee State Media Guide | Live Stats

Social Media: #BigBlueRising
Twitter: @TSU_Tigers | Instagram: @TSUTigers
Facebook: Tennessee State University Tigers

Game 5: Tennessee State (2-0) at Vanderbilt (2-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Stadium: Vanderbilt Stadium (40,350)
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN Alternate
Audio: 102.1 FM
Live Stats: vucommodores

Series Information: This is the third meeting between Tennessee State and Vanderbilt.  Vanderbilt earned a 35-17 win in 2016. This will be the third FBS opponent for Tennessee State in three years. TSU defeated Georgia State, 17-10, in 2017. The Tigers are 3-3 in games with FBS opponents.

Last Meeting: Tennessee State jumped out to a 14-7 fi rst quarter lead, but was not able to keep the, falling 35-17 to Vanderbilt. Ronald Butler totaled 325 yards - 40 rushing, 285 passing - and two touchdowns. Khari Blasingame ran for 100 yards and scored three touchdowns for Vanderbilt. The SEC opponent outgained the Tigers 501-410. Patrick Smith caught two scoring passes; the fi rst came on the second play of the game as Smith caught a 93 yarder from Butler. With the score 7-7, Smith hauled in his second touchdown of the game on a two-yard reception. Smith finished with seven receptions for 170 yards, averaging 24.3 yards per catch. Lane Clark kicked a 37 yard field goal, putting TSU in front 17-14. The lead was the last for TSU as Vanderbilt took a 21-17 advantage with 1:46 remaining in the half. Defensively, Antonio Justice, Jr. tallied a team-high eight tackles, while fellow linebacker Chris Collins added seven solo tackles. David Kamara collected six tackles and earned a pair of pass breakups. Ebenezer (Ebo) Ogundeko had two tackles, including a sack and a quarterback hurry.

Head Coach Rod Reed is in his ninth season at the helm of the Tigers and holds a 51-42 record. Coach Reed earned his 50th victory against Bethune-Cookman and became just the third coach in Tiger history to reach the milestone. John Merritt tops the list with 174 victories in his 20 years (1963-83) for a .806 winning percentage (174-35-7), while Harry Kean spent 10 years in charge of TSU from 1944-54 and compiled a 93-15-3 record (.838). The Big Blue is 8-1 in season openers under Reed, including a 17-10 win at FBS opponent Georgia State in 2017. The lone opening day loss came at the hands of Bethune-Cookman, 12-9, at the 2013 John Merritt Classic.

Tennessee State: The Tigers experienced no delays or cancellations for the first time in 2018 in their contest at Eastern Illinois. TSU trailed 24-3 midway through the second quarter before outscoring the Panthers 38-16. The Tigers first two scores came from the leg of Antonio Zita who finished 3-for-3 on the day. The turnaround began, when Mekhi Brown strip-sacked EIU's quarterback with 30 seconds remaining in the half. On the first play for TSU, Chris Rowland caught an 18-yard pass from Treon Harris cutting the score to 24-13. Demry Croft finished 14-of-20 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns to help guide the comeback. Croft teamed with Harris for a 30-yard touchdown and later with DeVon Johnson on a 49-yard scoring pass. The Tiger running game crossed the goal line twice, including the game-winner, a four yard run by Earl Harrison. The win was the first over EIU since 2011. For the second-straight game the Tigers had 500 or more yards of total offense, finishing with 544. Chris Rowland leads the team with 15 receptions and 236 yards. Rowland is averaging 21.2 yards per punt return, which tops the OVC and is second in FCS play. The Big Blue ranks sixth nationally in total offense with 534.5 yards per game and are 15th in scoring offense at 37.5 points per game. The defense ranks seventh nationally in rushing defense at 69.5 yards allowed per game. Dajour Nesbeth leads the team with 14 tackles, 11 solos, four breakups and five passes defended.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores is coming off a loss at South Carolina in their SEC opener. Ke’Shawn Vaughn tops Vanderbilt with four touchdowns and 214 yards rushing on 39 attempts. Kalija Lipscomb and Jared Pinkney lead the receiving corps. Lipscomb has hauled in a team high 34 receptions for 306 yards and has entered the end zone four times. Pinkney has a touchdown and is averaging 17.7 yards per catch (16-283). At quarterback, Kyle Shurmer is 77-for-130 on the season for 934 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. Through four games, Jordan Griffin leads the defense with 31 tackles. Josh Smith has 29 stops and a team-best 5.0 tackles-for-loss.

Last 10 Results:2016 - Vanderbilt 35, Tennessee State 17
2006 - Vanderbilt 38, Tennessee State 9

TV: ESPN Alternate. Mike Morgan will serve as play-by-play along with John Cengemi who will provide analysis and Alex Corddry on the sidelines.

Radio: 102.1 FM will carry the game live with Greg Pogue (play-by-play), Albert Dawson (analyst) and Gary Dawson (sideline). Pregame will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Quotes:
TSU HEAD COACH ROD REED
(on last week’s win over Eastern Illinois)

“We knew it was going to be a tough task going up to EIU. It’s been a tough place for us to play in the past. They’re a well-coached football team, and we saw how explosive they are on offense. We didn’t slow them down. We had a bad start. We played about as bad a first half as we could have, but credit to them, they capitalized on every mistake we made. We looked like we’d been off for 21 days, and we played like it in the first half. After not playing for so long, we really didn’t know where our football team was. It was a character game for our kids.”

(on having a big offensive line)
“We try to recruit guys that are long and athletic and try to put weight on them when they get here. It’s a recruiting philosophy. We target those kinds of guys. We’ve got four or five freshmen in here that fit that mold that are redshirting this year. I think we’ve done a good job of identifying talent along the front.”

(on wanting to establish the run)
“I think any defensive coach wants to run the football because you know how being able to run the ball is kind of demoralizing to a defense when they can’t stop it. Once you’re able to run the ball, you invite more people into the box and then it opens something outside for you. That’s a huge task that we have this week in front of us is having to stop the run of Vanderbilt. They have three really good running backs and a huge offensive line. It’s going to be a tall task for us.”

(on facing Vanderbilt)
“It’s a big game. Make no bones about it, but at the end of the day, it’s an opportunity for our kids to go play in an SEC environment and compete at a high level. We’ll let the chips fall where they may.”

VANDERBILT HEAD COACH DEREK MASON
(on facing TSU)
“TSU’s always going to be athletic. I congratulated Rod (Reed) on Sunday – sent him a text. Russ Ehrenfeld and I coached together at Bucknell, so I gave Russ a shout. He’s a good friend. I follow those guys and they follow us. We get a chance to play one another on Saturday. I know this, they’ve got athletes, they’re putting up points, they’re athletic as all get-out on both sides of the ball. It’s always a ballgame. We’re going to get their best ballgame, so we’ve got to play ours.”

(on his relationship with TSU Coach Rod Reed)
“When I first got here, I think a week in, Rod Reed came over to the office, grabbed me and we went over to the Bound’ry and had some food. Since then, we’ve just had a chance to get out to dinner, a concert every once in a while. I love Rod. I love what he is. I love what he preaches. He’s trying to do the right thing by his kids. We’re two men in a city trying to coach football teams and get young men from where they need to be. With that being said, we have similar issues. We talk about those from time-to-time. Whether you’re talking about disciplining, whether you’re talking about coaching your teams, whether you’re talking about leading your teams, we find ourselves in the same city working to do some of the same things. With that being said, I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Rod Reed.”

WIDE RECEIVER DEVON JOHNSON
(on scoring a touchdown for the second-consecutive game)
”I felt like I started off slow, and I just wanted to make sure I got off my blocks. I missed a few plays. We go the momentum in the second half, and that really helped. We had a hitch play called, but the corner jumped the hitch so I just stayed vertical and Demry (Croft) gave me a great ball. I just caught it and stayed up the sideline.”

(on how the win over EIU gives the team confidence heading forward)
“It actually gives me a lot of confidence, especially on special teams. I really should have scored on the kickoff return, but I ran out of room. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to play.”

(on facing Vanderbilt)
“Vanderbilt is the best team we’ll face all year. We can learn a lot from that game – from what we do well and what mistakes we make against them. Then we’ll come back and play some tough OVC teams.”

RUNNING BACK EARL HARRISON
(on game winning touchdown at Eastern Illinois)
“We were all huddled up and we said we have to get in there. We ran the same play twice and the second one popped.”

(on EIUs last scoring drive)
“We were just happy to get the ball back. We knew we could do something special if the ball is in our hands.”

(on preparing for Vanderbilt)
“We need to start out fast. We cannot start like we did in our last game.”

CORNERBACK LARRY WILHOITE
(on playing EIU and first start since 2016)
“We were a little rusty on the tackling, but that’s because we had a two week break. But it felt great to back on the field. I just need to stay healthy and keep working. Hopefully we can keep making progress and keep moving up.”

(on adjustments to prepare for Vanderbilt and the rest of OVC play)
“I feel like we are back in a groove now. We just need to stick to our game plan, remember to stay disciplined and execute.”

SAFETY VINCENT SELLERS
(on playing his fi rst game of the season)
“It felt real good. We practiced real hard this week and we got this conference win. I was just happy to be out there and help our team win.”

(on adjustments to prepare for Vanderbilt and the rest of OVC play)
“This is a real big game. We play an SEC team, so we just have to play our football and continue to just make plays on our side of the ball. We have to make tackles on the defensive side and just key in on our assignments.”

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

AD Roman Banks statement on death of LSU Wayde Simms

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- I am deeply saddened and devastated about the tragic death of Wayde Sims. On behalf of the Southern University Athletic Department and the Southern University basketball family, I would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the Sims family, his mother, Fay, his father, Wayne, and the LSU basketball family.

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

PVAMU's Hodge Plays As L.A. Rams Improve To 4-0

L.A. RAMS ROOKIE WR KHADAREL HODGE
COURTESY: L.A. RAMS

LOS ANGELES, California -- Former Prairie View A&M wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge played in his second NFL game Thursday as the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings 38-28.
 
Hodge was again active on Thursday, playing on special teams in the win.
 
Hodge, who was signed to the active roster from the practice squad last week, made one tackle on special teams in the fourth quarter of the Rams' 35-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers this past Sunday.
 
The Rams improved to 4-0 on the season and return to action Sunday, Oct. 7 at Seattle.
 
Hodge played in all four preseason games with the Rams, starting the final two contests. He caught eight passes for 100 yards and one touchdown. After being cut at the end of the preseason, Hodge was signed to practice squad in early September.
 
Last season for the Panthers, Hodge earned first-team All-SWAC honors, as well as Black College All-America accolades from both BOXTOROW and SBN/Power News Radio Network. Hodge was third in the SWAC in both receptions (48) and receiving yards (844), second in yards per catch (17.6) and first in touchdown receptions (12). In his three-year Panther career, Hodge caught 104 passes for 1,797 yards and 21 touchdowns.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC  COMMUNICATIONS

Former Morehouse Maroon Tigers Standout Tyrius Walker Signs With The NBA's New York Knicks

NEW YORK, New York -- Former Morehouse College standout guard Tyrius Walker has signed with the NBA's New York Knicks, the team announced Tuesday. 
 
"It's definitely a blessing to be signed by one of the NBA's marquee franchises in the New York Knicks," said Walker. "This is a testament that no matter where you play college ball as long as you put in the work and have a strong support system you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. My hope is to put Morehouse College and all HBCU's on the map. I want to give hope to all small college players."
 
Walker, the 2018 BOXTOROW Division II National Player of the Year, opened eyes at the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League when he averaged 6.3 points, two assists and 1.7 steals per game.  Against the Pelicans, Walker poured in 16 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out six assist, nabbed five steals and had a block in a Knicks win. 
 
Last season, Walker led Morehouse to a school-record 18-game winning streak and 25-3 record.  The Maroon Tigers were No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II National Basketball Tournament's South Region.




"I'm elated about Tyrius signing with the New York Knicks." said Morehouse Coach Grady Brewer. "It's a dream come true for Tyrius, myself and Morehouse. This will be tremendous for us recruiting wise, showing student-athletes around the world that you can come to a Division II school such as Morehouse, and be part of helping the program win while at the same time accomplishing your overall goals as a basketball player."
 
Walker led the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in scoring average with 23.7 points per game while scoring a conference-high 47 points against Benedict College. He was named the SIAC Player of the Year, an NABC All American, a member of the All-District First Team, and made the Division II All-South Region team.  During his Morehouse career, Walker averaged 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 63 games for the Maroon Tigers.
 
Walker joins a Knicks franchise that already includes Morehouse great Harold Ellis, who serves as the team's Director of Player Personnel. 

Walker joined the Knicks when they opened training camp on Tuesday in Greenburgh, N.Y.  He will get his first shot to earn a place on the regular season roster next Monday, Oct. 1 when the Knicks visit the Washington Wizards in Washington, D.C. 

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MAROON TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Morehouse Basketball Announces 2018-19 Schedule

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Morehouse College basketball head coach Grady Brewer and the Maroon Tigers announced the 2018-19 schedule, featuring 14 home games inside Forbes Arena. MHC will host the SIAC/CIAA challenge on November 16-17 and the Arthur J. McAfee Memorial Classic on December 8-9.

The lineup released Wednesday includes 14 home games and 11 road games.

2018-19 BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

"We put together a very competitive schedule which includes top teams from the CIAA and the Gulf South Conference," said Brewer. "This schedule will allow us to compete at the highest level with aspirations of hosting another NCAA Division II South Regional."

Morehouse will travel to Nashville, Tenn on Oct. 30 for an exhibition game against Fisk University before traveling to Birmingham, Ala. to take on UAB on Nov. 1 for another exhibition.

The Maroon Tigers will host the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference vs Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Challenge to open up the season against Winston-Salem State University on Nov. 16 and Shaw University on Nov. 17.

MHC remains at home to face Fisk in a regular season match-up on Nov. 20.

Following the Thanksgiving break, Morehouse kicks off SIAC play as they host Tuskegee University on Nov. 24 and Miles College on Nov. 26.

After a trip to Raleigh, N.C. to take on Saint Augustine's University on Dec. 1 the Maroon Tigers return to Forbes Arena to host the Arthur J. McAfee Memorial Classic against West Florida University on Dec. 8 and Elizabeth City State University on Dec. 9.

Before the holiday break, Morehouse will continue SIAC play when they travel to Frankfort, Ky. on Dec. 15 to take on Kentucky State University before traveling to Wilberforce, Ohio to face Central State University on Dec. 17.
The Maroon Tigers close out 2018 with a road game against Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. on Dec. 29.

Morehouse opens 2019 with a home contest against SIAC western division foe Spring Hill College on Jan. 2 before going on two road trips to LeMoyne-Owen College (Jan. 5), Lane College (Jan. 7) and Paine College (Jan. 12), Benedict College (Jan. 14).

MHC returns to Atlanta to host Fort Valley State University on Jan. 19 and Albany State University on Jan. 21.

Remaining in Atlanta, Morehouse with make the short trek across the AUC (Atlanta University Center) to do battle with rival Clark Atlanta University on Jan. 26 in Epps Gymnasium.

The month of February sees the Maroon Tigers going on the road to take on Albany State (Feb. 2) and Fort Valley State (Feb. 4) before closing out the season with four home games in Forbes arena.

The first contest, Morehouse will square off against rival Clark Atlanta on Feb. 9 before welcoming former SIAC member and 2018 SIAC Champion, Claflin University on Feb. 13 in a non-conference battle. The Maroon Tigers will play Paine on Feb. 18 before the season finale against Benedict on Feb. 18.

Morehouse looks to repeat as SIAC regular season champions, compete for a conference tournament championship and return to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball post season in 2018-19.

For the most up-to-date information on MHC Athletics all year long, like Morehouse Athletics on Facebook, also follow @MaroonTigers on Twitter and @MorehouseAthletics on Instagram.

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MAROON TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

AAMU Men’s Basketball Releases 2018-2019 Schedule

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama --- The Alabama A&M University men's basketball team has released their 2018-2019 regular season schedule. The schedule includes 18 Southwestern Athletic Conference games and 14 contest against non-conference opponents from eight different states.
 
Under the direction of interim Head Coach Dylan Howard, the Bulldogs will kick-off the season on the road against South Florida on Nov. 6 and will continue on the road visiting four different states. The Bulldogs return home for a matchup against UAB on Nov. 29 at the Von Braun Civic Center.
 
The squad will host Austin Peay on Dec. 1 at T.M. Elmore Gymnasium and before hosting Samford Bulldogs on Dec. 9.
 
The Bulldogs will compete in the Boardwalk Battle in Atlantic City, NJ on Dec. 21-22. The team opens the tournament facing La Salle University for the first time in school history. Tulane and Towson University are also included in the tournament in New Jersey.
 
After the trip up north, the Bulldogs will travel west taking a trip to Hawaii (Dec. 29), and California versus Pepperdine for a New Year's Eve Matchup on (Dec. 31).
 
AAMU opens it's 18-game SWAC slate with home games versus Jackson State (Jan. 5) and Grambling State (Jan. 7). The Bulldogs will face each league team twice in the double round-robin slate, with its final home game me on Mar. 4 against Texas Southern.
 
2018-19 Schedule
Nov. 6  @South Florida
Nov. 10 @Houston               
Nov. 12  @Rice
Nov. 17  @BYU
Nov. 23 @Northwestern State
Nov. 25  @Fordham
Nov. 29   vs. UAB
Dec. 1  vs. Austin Peay
Dec. 9  vs. Samford
Dec. 19 @ South Alabama
Dec. 21 @ LaSalle (Atlantic City, NJ)
Dec. 22 vs.Towson/Tulane (Atlantic City, NJ)
Dec. 29 @ Hawaii
Dec. 31 @ Pepperdine
Jan. 5 vs. Jackson State
Jan. 7 vs. Grambling State
Jan. 12 @ MVSU
Jan. 14 @ UAPB
Jan. 19 vs. Alabama State (Birmingham, AL)
Jan. 26 vs. Southern University
Jan. 28 vs. Alcorn State
Feb. 2 @ Prairie View A&M
Feb. 4 @  Texas Southern
Feb. 9 vs. MVSU
Feb. 11 vs. UAPB
Feb. 16 @ Alabama State
Feb. 23 @ Southern
Feb. 25 @ Alcorn State
Mar. 2 vs Prairie View A&M
Mar. 4 vs Texas Southern
Mar. 7 @ Jackson State
Mar. 9 @ Grambling State
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M University men's basketball, please follow the Bulldogs on social media @bulldogs_hoops (Twitter), Alabama A&M Bulldogs (Facebook) and @bulldogs_hoops (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama A&M athletics at aamusports.com.

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama State Eley meets with media during off week

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

North Carolina A&T Aggies Down S.C. State To Improve To 4-1

EAST GREENSBORO, North Carolina  – Frustration set in for the 13th-ranked North Carolina A&T football team on the field, on the sideline and maybe even in the coaches booth during the first half of Thursday night’s game against South Carolina State at BB&T Stadium.

But the Aggies had a remedy for their stress. It’s called a running game. In the second half, the Aggies used a combination of fifth-year running back Marquell Cartwright and redshirt sophomore runner Jah-Maine Martin to bludgeon the S.C. State Bulldogs into submission in a 31-16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win.

It was the Aggies conference opener as they improved to 4-1 overall while keeping the Bulldogs (0-4, 0-2 MEAC). The win marked the first time the Aggies have defeated the Bulldogs in four consecutive seasons. It was also N.C. A&T’s 19thwin at home in 21 tries.

PHOTO GALLERY
BOX SCORE
A&T VIDEO

“I thought coming in if we can get a hat on a hat, they can’t play with us,” said N.C A&T coach Sam Washington. “Sometimes you can get too creative instead of playing fundamental, hard-nosed football. We have to be able to understand our identity and stick to our identity. That’s running the football.”

The Aggies rushed for an incredible 208 yards on 27 carries in the second half to overcome a six-point halftime deficit. The Aggies scored 28 unanswered points to also overcome what was once a 16-3 lead for the Bulldogs. Cartwright put together his seventh career 100-yard game by rushing for 157 yards on 18 carries. Martin chipped in with 92 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

N.C. A&T’s identity recognition came late in the first half. The Aggies took over the ball at their own 16-yard line with 1:28 remaining in the first half. In what looked like an opportunity to let fifth-year quarterback and reigning MEAC offensive player of the year Lamar Raynard throw it down the field turned into ground and pound exhibition. N.C. A&T exploited the Bulldogs prevent defense which had only one linebacker in the box.

Cartwright had runs of 26 and 10 yards before Martin finished off the four-play drive that included all running plays with a 40-yard touchdown to cut SCSU’s lead to 16-10 at the half.

“We had less than two minutes to get it done so that’s what made it a beauty,” said Washington about the drive. “I’m thinking we don’t have to do anything supernatural, let’s just run the football. We knew they were going to spread out and play either four quarters or two-deep. That means I’ve got five to block five, so let’s give Cartwright a chance. It played out perfectly. They gave us the same look every time.”

What hurt the Bulldogs, even more, was that the Aggies were able to build on their momentum by getting the ball first to start the second half. Cartwright used the occasion to further his torment of SCSU. Cartwright’s 53-yard run on the Aggies opening second-half drive led to Raynard finding sophomore receiver Zachary Leslie on a slant pattern for a 9-yard touchdown pass to give the Aggies their first lead of the game at 17-16.

The Aggies then opened the fourth quarter with Raynard connecting with Greensboro junior Ron Hunt for a 7-yard touchdown pass. That Raynard touchdown pass came before a Raynard TD pass gave Aggie fans a glimpse of the Raynard who had a career junior season. Raynard rolled out left and threw it deep to his good friend and senior receiver Malik Wilson. Wilson caught it in the back of the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown.

Raynard’s best game of the season was easily missed because of how effective the Aggies running game was. Raynard threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns on 19-for-27 passing. It was Raynard’s 10thcareer game where he posted three or more touchdown passes. He now needs five touchdown passes to become the Aggies all-time leader in TD throws. His favorite target on Thursday was Leslie who had a career-highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (106) and he caught a touchdown pass.

From Washington’s point of view, it all stemmed from the running game.

“The running game opened up the passing game because there was no pressure for (Raynard) to make a play,” said Washington. “We also made some minor corrections to his mechanics. I think that was important too.”

Washington’s defense was also pretty good. They held the Bulldogs offense to 187 yards. N.C. A&T’s special teams struggled, however. A Kashon Baker muffed punt led to the first score of the game as the Bulldogs got the ball at the A&T 20 and later scored on a seven-yard touchdown by Farrika Grier.

A mishap on another punt return gave the Bulldogs their second score. Punt returner Derrek Williams allowed a Jerome Pettiway punt to sail over his head. As he drifted back to catch the punt out of the air, the ball went off of his fingertips and into the end zone where Jermaine Baxley recovered it for a 13-3 Bulldogs lead. SCSU Dillon Bredson added a field goal to put the Aggies in a hole.

“I thought at halftime we collected ourselves and did a much better job,” said Washington. “It began with the running of the football. That was the difference between the first half and second half.”

N.C. A&T returns to action 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6 when they play at Delaware State.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC Announces Bowling Preseason All-Conference Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia —Delaware State junior Alexis Neuer was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Bowler of the Year, the conference announced today. Defending champion North Carolina A&T State was tabbed as the preseason favorite to take the MEAC regular-season crown.

All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Neuer is the reigning MEAC Bowler of the Year, coming off a sophomore campaign in which she averaged more than 204 pins a game in traditional play and led the Hornets to their second straight MEAC Northern Division regular-season title. She led all MEAC bowlers last season with a single-game high of 296, which she rolled at the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Sectionals en route to earning a berth to the USBC National Collegiate Singles Championships for the second straight season.

A five-time MEAC Bowler of the Week and First Team All-MEAC selection in 2017-18, Neuer was also the Most Outstanding Performer at the Monmouth Hawk Flight. She was also named All-America Honorable Mention by the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA).

Joining Neuer on the Preseason All-MEAC Team are Maryland Eastern Shore’s Alexandra Hernandez, Ana Olaya and Cameron Strombeck of North Carolina A&T State and Taylor Russell from UAB.

The 2018-19 season will see the end of division play, as the MEAC’s 11 bowling institutions – including new associate members Monmouth and UAB – will compete in a pair of conference round-ups during the regular season. The first will be in Dover, Del. on Nov. 10-11, and the other will be held Feb. 23-24 in Greensboro, N.C.

The Aggies, who defeated Maryland Eastern Shore last season to win their first MEAC bowling title since 2004, picked up 10 first-place votes and notched 224 points. Maryland Eastern Shore, with six first-place votes, was picked to finish second, while Delaware State notched four first-place votes and was picked to finish third.

UAB and Monmouth (one first-place vote) were picked to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.

Norfolk State, Morgan State (one first-place vote), Florida A&M, Howard, Coppin State and Bethune-Cookman rounded out the predicted order of finish poll.

The 2018-19 bowling season kicks off the weekend of Oct. 13-14. The 2019 MEAC Bowling Championship will be held March 29-31 at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake, Va. The top six teams in the regular-season standings will qualify for the tournament.

2018-19 Preseason All-MEAC Bowling Team & Predicted Order of Finish

As voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors

Preseason Bowler of the Year: Alexis Neuer, Delaware State

Preseason All-MEAC Team

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Alexis Neuer	Jr.	Delaware State	Lewisburg, Pa.
Alexandra Hernandez	Sr.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Maracaibo, Venezuela
Ana Olaya	So.	North Carolina A&T State	Bogota, Colombia
Cameron Strombeck	So.	North Carolina A&T State	Durham, N.C.
Taylor Russell	Jr.	UAB	Tupelo, Miss.

Predicted Order of Finish

(First-place votes in parentheses)

School	Points
North Carolina A&T State (10)	224
Maryland Eastern Shore (6)	205
Delaware State (4)	194
UAB	170
Monmouth (1)	151
Norfolk State	128
Morgan State (1)	106
Florida A&M	100
Howard	80
Coppin State	50
Bethune-Cookman	44

MEAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

MEAC Football Head Coaches Teleconference Week 5

Willie Simmons (Florida A&M)	00:04
Terry Sims (Bethune-Cookman)	15:00
Rod Milstead (Delaware State)	26:23
Mike London (Howard)	32:08
Latrell Scott (Norfolk State)	41:37
Erik Raeburn (Savannah State)	47:36
Buddy Pough (South Carolina State)	57:20
Sam Washington (North Carolina A&T State)	1:13:58
Granville Eastman (North Carolina Central)	1:25:05
Ernest Jones (Morgan State)	1:42:06
Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas	1:58:00

MEAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

South Carolina State Bulldogs Battle #13 North Carolina A&T Aggies Thursday on ESPNU

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- South Carolina State will meet league rival N.C. A&T State Thursday (Sept. 27th) in the Battle of the Borders at BB&T Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPNU with an 7:30 p.m. (EST) kickoff.

South Carolina State leads the overall series 32-21-2 over N.C. A&T State. The last time the two teams met the Aggies knocked off the Bulldogs 21-7 (Sept. 30th ,2017) in Orangeburg.

LAST TIMEOUT: The Bulldogs suffered a tough 17-7 setback to visiting Norfolk State on last week at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Junior wide receiver Demontrez Burroughs had a solid day catching with five (5) catches for 105-yards and one touchdown. Redshirt sophomore Chad Gilchrest spearheaded SCSU defense with 11 tackles, 1.5 TFL.

Meanwhile, Morgan State pulled off the biggest upset of the year so far knocking off Defending MEAC Champion N.C. A&T 16-13. The loss snapped the Aggies longest current winning streak in nation with 15, and current 11-game home winning streak. With the loss, N.C. A&T dropped from being nationally-ranked No.2 to No. 13 in this week's FCS I-AA poll.

You can follow this week's game on all SC State social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and also on Kiss 103.1 FM (WLXC), 90.3 FM (WSSB) and internet at Kiss-1031.com on the Bulldog Football Radio Network with play-by-play announcer Ernest Robinson (Host of the Buddy Pough Show) and analyst William "Bill" Hamilton (Retired SID).

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



SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Dillard Bleu and White Game Set for Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 PM

DR. BARNES (L) AND DR. KIMBROUGH (R)TO SERVE AS GUEST HEAD COACHES

NEW ORLEANS  – With the start of the Dillard basketball season rapidly approaching, the Bleu Devils will host their fourth annual Bleu and White game Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in Dent Hall.

"We started this tradition three years ago and I thought it would be fun to get Dr. Kimbrough and Dr. Barnes involved," head coach Mike Newell said. "They both are big basketball fans and both are extremely competitive.

Bleu and White Roster

The intra-squad scrimmage will feature a split squad with eight student-athletes on each team. For the fourth-consecutive year, Dillard University President Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough and athletic director Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes will serve as guest head coaches. Dr. Barnes will coach the Bleu team, while Dr. Kimbrough is set to coach the white team.

"Our players and coaches take this game very seriously and it is always a great atmosphere because of our fans. We bring in GCAC referees and the event is treated like a real game," Newell said.

2017 Bleu and White Game

View image on Twitter

Walter M. Kimbrough

✔@HipHopPrez

Dr. Barnes holds a 2-1 lead in the series winning the inaugural game in 2015 by two (92-90) and the second game in 2016 by three (100-97). However, last year game was not as close as the first two as Dr. Kimbrough got his first win with a seven-point victory (96-89).

The Bleu and White game is free of charge and all seating areas are general admission on a first come, first serve basis. The 2019-19 Dillard Cheer Devils will make their debut with a special performance at halftime. The event will be hosted by Iso and DJ Retro.

"This game gives our fans a sneak peek into the 2018-19 Dillard men's basketball team. It should be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it," Newell said.

The Bleu Devils return three letter winners from a team that finished last season 21-10 overall and ranked No. 18 in the final NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll (March 7, 2018). The Bleu Devils won the 2018 GCAC regular season and tournament titles en route to making their third-consecutive trip to the NAIA Tournament. Dillard has won 20-plus games the past three seasons.

Dillard opens the 2018-19 campaign at home on Thursday, Oct. 25 against Loyola (La.).

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bleu Devils by following Dillard Athletics on Twitter at @GeauxDU, Facebook at Facebook.com/dillardbleudevils/ and Instagram at Instagram.com/dillardbleudevils/.

DILLARD UNIVERSITY BLEU DEVILS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Competitive PVAMU Schedule Awaits Women's Basketball In Opening of Pugh Era

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – A competitive schedule awaits Sandy Pugh, Prairie View A&M's University new women's basketball coach.
 
The Lady Panthers are set to face a challenging 2018-19 schedule announced by Pugh. 
 
"This year we will definitely have some competitive games," Pugh said.  "We open with Jarvis Christian, Arlington Baptist, Oklahoma State, and also in the UTRGV Tournament.  Oklahoma State is a team that I am very familiar with. We will face Rice here at home and then we have a four-game road trip before rounding out December with Texas A&M and then begin SWAC play."
 
The regular season begins Friday, November 9 when they host Jarvis Christian.  PVAMU will take its first road trip when they face Oklahoma State on Thursday, Nov. 15.  PVAMU will return home the following week when they match up against Arlington Baptist on Monday, Nov. 19.
 
 Also on tap in the first few weeks is a tournament at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in which Pugh's team faces the host team on Fri. Nov. 30 and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday, Dec. 1.
 
The list of non-conference games continues as the Lady Panthers return home to host Rice on Sat. Dec. 8th for a 3 p.m. match. PVAMU will complete the remainder of December on the road when they face Arkansas on Sun. Dec. 16, Iowa State on Wed. Dec. 19, and Texas A&M Fri. Dec. 21.
 
Playing a wide range of teams is something that Pugh feels that will help her team prepare for Southwestern Athletic Conference play.
 
"I really like our schedule," said Pugh.  "It really has great balance and we get to see a multitude of styles of play, which is good for us in terms of preparing for conference play." 
The SWAC 18-games slate will begin on Sat. Jan. 5 when the Lady Panthers travel to Baton Rouge to face Southern and then travel over to Alcorn, Miss to meet up with Alcorn State for a 5:30 tip on Monday, Jan, 7.
 
PVAMU will open their home SWAC schedule play, when they host rival Texas Southern on Sat., Jan. 12 at 3 p.m.  They will continue its home contests when they face Jackson State on Sat. Jan. 19 and Grambling State on Monday, Jan. 21. 
 
The Lady Panthers will wrap up the month of January at Mississippi Valley on Sat. Jan. 26 and at Arkansas Pine Bluff on Mon. Jan 28.
 
PVAMU will begin the month of February when they host Alabama A&M on Feb.2nd for a 3 p.m. tip and match up with Alabama State on Mon. Feb. 4th at 5:30 p.m.
 
Prairie View A&M will begin the second half of league play when they play at Texas Southern at 5:30 p.m. on Sat. Feb. 9.
 
The Lady Panthers will continue road play at Jackson State (Sat. Feb 16) and Grambling State (Mon. Feb. 18), before they return home to finish out the month of February when they host Mississippi Valley on Sat. Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. and Arkansas Pine Bluff on Mon. Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
 
PVAMU will open the month of March at Alabama A&M in Huntsville, Ala. for a 4p.m. match up on March 2nd and will continue play in Alabama at Alabama State in Montgomery for a 5:30 p.m. tip on March 4th.
 
The SWAC regular season ends the same way it begins, with the Lady Panthers hosting Southern on Thursday, March 7 at 5:30 p.m. and concluding with Alcorn State on Sat. March 9 at 3 p.m.
 
The Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament begins March 12 with first-round games at campus sites, then head to Birmingham, Ala. for the semifinals and finals March 15-16.
 
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS