Strong Second Half Lifts AAMU Bulldogs to First SWAC Victory

JACKSON, Mississippi – The Bulldogs shut out Jackson State in the second half and found the end zone twice in the third quarter to grab a 21-16 victory over the Tigers in the 11th Annual W.C. Gorden Classic at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Saturday.

In the first conference victory for head coach Connell Maynor, the Bulldogs (2-3, 1-1 SWAC) out gained the host Tigers (1-2, 0-1 SWAC), who were competing in their league opener.

"It's always a great feeling after a win, as it's so hard to get one in this conference," Maynor said. "To go on the road and get a win against a good Jackson State football team is very satisfying."

Trevon Walters ran 15 times for 71 yards and two short touchdown runs against the JSU team. Aqeel Glass didn't find the end zone, but A&M's sophomore quarterback from St. Louis did complete 25 of 42 passes for 244 yards and an interception. Perhaps even more important was Glass not getting sacked the entire day due to strong play from the offensive line.

Brian Jenkins Jr. caught 10 passes for 112 yards, but his biggest contribution was an 18-yard touchdown run less than five minutes into the second half to pull the Bulldogs within a score at 16-14. The Bulldogs defense allowed the offense to find its way near the end of the third quarter. Walters scored from a yard out to put the Bulldogs in front for good, and Jackson State was unable to retake the lead despite covering 190 yards in the final two quarters.

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"We kept shooting ourselves in the foot, and I told the guys since the second quarter to stop committing penalties and giving them short fields," Maynor said, as JSU scored on one of its short drives after a blocked punt. "They didn't really drive the ball on us in the first half, as we were stopping ourselves."

Jackson State dominated the first quarter with Jordan Johnson' 4-yard touchdown run and left-footed Christian Jacquemin's 27-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead after the first 15 minutes. The Tigers extended their lead to 16 on Johnson's second score from seven yards out. Instead of hanging its collective head, A&M dug deep and realized how numbers could be deceiving due to allowing only 62 yards due to bad field position. Two of the Tigers' three scores began deep in A&M territory.

Walters gave the Bulldogs some life after scoring on a 3-yard run with 1:30 remaining before intermission.

"I told our guys we've got to go one play at a time to come back and win the game," Maynor said. "I told them we've got to believe in ourselves and finish this game."

The Bulldogs will hit the road again Saturday with a trip to Houston for a 6 p.m. kickoff against Texas Southern.

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets nab 8th straight win, improve to 5-0 in GCAC

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball still has never dropped a set against Edward Waters, but the Gold Nuggets needed runs in the first and second sets to emerge with a 25-18, 26-24, 25-13 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference victory Saturday.
     
The Gold Nuggets (14-4, 5-0, season-high eight-match win streak) rallied from a 12-8 first-set deficit and a 21-20 second-set deficit. There was much less drama in the final set, with the Nuggets pulling away after a tie at 4 and scoring 12 of the final 15 points.
     
"The third set was much better than the first two," said Pat Kendrick, who earned her 504th career victory and her 37th in 44 matches as XULA's head coach. "We showed good energy at the end of the match."

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Much of the energy came from Vivica Price-Spraggins, who produced four kills in XULA's final five points.
     
In the first set a Nerealice Quirindongo-Torres kill gave the Lady Tigers (6-7, 4-3) a 12-8 advantage. But XULA rallied and took the lead for good at 14-13 on a Beatrice Formilan ace, one of two during the Nuggets' 11-2 run. Jordan Johnson and Kayla Black each had a pair of kills to clinch that set.
     
In the second set Edward Waters led 21-20 after a Katarina Ribar ace, but the Lady Tigers never reached set point. After ties at 21, 22, 23 and 24, Black finished the set with a kill and an ace.
     
XULA leads the series 16-0 and has won all 48 sets. The teams will meet again Oct. 29 at XULA's Convocation Center.
     
XULA remained a half-match behind Tougaloo in the GCAC standings. The Lady Bulldogs (11-9, 6-0) won 26-24, 25-12, 25-23 at Talladega. XULA will visit Talladega at 6 p.m. Monday.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Big First Half Pushes #22 UIndy Past Lincoln (Mo.)

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGER ATHLETICS

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Indianapolis took advantage of a quick start and a big first half to hand the Lincoln football team its first conference loss of the season on Saturday night (Sept. 29). Indianapolis, ranked No. 22 in the American Football Coaches Association's Division II poll, beat the Blue Tigers, 41-17.

Indianapolis (3-1, 2-0 GLVC) opened the game by returning the kickoff 99 yards for a score, and tallied 31 first-half points to enter halftime with a 31-7 lead. Lincoln (2-3, 1-1 GLVC) scored just before halftime on a seven-yard reception by Ezekiel Lang, set up by a 30-yard catch by Blake Tibbs. Tibbs led LU with 95 receiving yards on eight grabs.

Lincoln tightened up defensively in the second half, giving up just 10 points, and ended the game with 23 first downs compared to 22 for the Greyhounds. The defense held Indianapolis to just 3-for-9 on third down conversions, while Lincoln finished 7-for-15 in that stat, and the Blue Tigers were also successful on both of their fourth down attempts.

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Kimbo Ferguson had a big night in the ground game, leading all rushers with 127 yards on 20 carries for a 6.4 average. Henry Ogala gained 32 yards on the ground and completed 15 passes for 168 yards and the score. The duo combined for 41 rushing yards on LU's first drive of the second half, which was capped off by a one-yard touchdown dive by Terry Hunter.

Edwin Durassaint and Victor Williams led Lincoln defensively with seven tackles apiece, and Isaiah Gray made two tackles for loss while Steve Henderson added five takedowns and broke up a pass. JaJuan Chambers provided six tackles, and Amani Nelson, Chavon Gross and Joseph Madrigal each recorded four tackles.

Fernando Ramirez closed out the scoring for LU with a 32-yard field goal, and averaged 43.0 yards on kickoffs. Wolky Belancourt, meanwhile, averaged 39.8 yards on four punts, with one pinning Indianapolis inside the 20.

The Blue Tigers return home next Saturday (Oct. 6) to celebrate Homecoming by hosting Quincy in a 2:00 p.m. CST showdown.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Offensive explosion powers JCSU Football to first win of the season

OXFORD, Pennsylvania  --  Johnson C. Smith's football team scored on three straight possessions in the second quarter to defeat Lincoln (Pa) 50-13, Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Bulls explosion began with a second period onslaught that found JCSU scoring more points in a quarter than it had in some entire games this season.

After a scoreless first quarter, the stampede began at 10:42 in the second quarter when Todd Powers recovered a Lincoln fumble in the end zone to put JCSU up 7-0.

On its next possession, JCSU went 60 yards in nine plays with Desean Binyard finishing the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. A blocked PAT attempt left the Golden Bulls with a 13-0 lead.

Following a Lincoln punt, JCSU completed a 50 yard drive with Antonio Wallace finding Markel Freeman for a 18 yard touchdown. Wallace's two-point connection to Desmond Dozier pushed the Golden Bull lead to 21-0 going into halftime.

JCSU would hit paydirt two more times in the third quarter on Wallace passes to Reginald Bryant (11 yards) and Miles Kelley (10 yards) to push their lead to 36-0.

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Lincoln put up 13 points in the fourth quarter and JCSU responded with 14 points of its own to hit the 50 point total.

Wallace finished the day completing 19 of 24 passes for 194 yards and four touchdowns. He completed passes to 11 different receivers.

Jachin Watkins (78 yards) and Desean Binyard (75 yards) led the Golden Bull ground game as JCSU was able to take advantage of four Lincoln turnovers.

JCSU looks to continue its winning ways when the Golden Bulls host Winston-Salem State Saturday, October 6 in the Irwin Belk Complex. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY GOLDEN BULLS SPORTS INFORMATION

FSU Broncos Come Back to Defeat Chowan 40-38

FSU BRONCOS ATHLETICS

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina --  Fayetteville State performed as expected in the opening series of its first game since Hurricane Florence. But after 60 minutes of football, the Bronco defense secured a 40-38 victory over Chowan for its first conference win of the season.

The last game FSU played was three weeks ago which includes two weeks of not being able to step on the football field.

"I am really proud of these guys," said Head Coach Richard Hayes. "To come out here and get this big win today says a lot about the testament of our guys."

Chowan jumped to an early 14-0 lead with 8:12 left in the first quarter. The Hawks potent offense ate up 63 yards on its opening drive to score after four plays in a minute and 44 seconds. Dominic Floyd scored on a 31-yard pass from Bryce Witt to open the game. Witt connected with Paul Gooden for the second score that capped a seven-play 86-yard drive.

Prior to the end of the first quarter, David Lamb nailed a 39-yard field goal with 2:12 left in the period.

After a change in direction, at the 14:06 mark in the second quarter, Brandon Person-Boyd hauled in a 58-yard touchdown pass from Collyn Anderson to close the gap to 14-10.

The one-two punch of Stevie Green and Donshel Jetton began to shed a little light before halftime. Green, who ran for a game-high 202 yards, scampered into the endzone twice to give FSU a 24-14 lead with 8:29 left in the half.

Chowan would tack on two touchdowns of its own before intermission for a 28-24 halftime lead.

Fayetteville State would answer the call after the break with a slick touchdown pass from Wide Receiver Jalen Gavin to Quarterback Collyn Anderson and a 31-28 lead.

The Hawks tied the game at 31 with a 39-yard field goal and took a 38-31 lead with 12:47 left in the game.

Jetton, who finished the game with 90 yards rushing on ten carries, walked into the endzone from eight yards out to even the game at 38-all.

After a long kickoff that pinned the Hawks on their 13-yard line. After a delay of game penalty, the Broncos defense blitzed for a sack in the endzone and a 40-38 lead with the safety.

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With a minute left in the game, Chowan's Bryce Witt found Torry Baker in the middle of the field for a quick strike but the Broncos defense would come up with the football as Baker had the ball stripped by Alex Woods and landed in the waiting arms of Jerome Bentley.

Fayetteville State finished will face CIAA Southern Division foe Shaw University on next Saturday in the Durham County Stadium. 

FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY BRONCOS SPORTS INFORMATION

Joyner, Defense Spark SAU Football Past ECSU 24-17

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina – Wide receiver Lenwood Joyner (Sr./Miami, FL) scored three touchdowns and the Saint Augustine's University defense forced four turnovers in a 24-17 Falcons' football victory over Elizabeth City State University at Roebuck Stadium on Saturday.

The win was the first this season for the Falcons, who improved to 1-1 in the CIAA and 1-3 overall. Elizabeth City State, playing its first game in three weeks, dropped to 0-1 in the CIAA and 1-2 overall.

Led by Joyner's three scores, the Falcons opened a 24-10 lead over the Vikings early in the third quarter. After ECSU pulled within seven points in the same quarter, the Falcons relied on their defense to hold off several scoring threats after the Vikings drove deep in SAU territory.

The defense made its biggest stop in the fourth quarter. The Vikings had first-and-goal at the SAU one-yard line, but a false start penalty moved the ball back to the six. On the next play, defensive tackle Tyler Trexler (So./Chesapeake, VA) deflected a pass which linebacker Joseph Harris, Jr. (Fr./Jacksonville, FL) caught in the air for an interception.

The Vikings gained possession twice more but never crossed midfield. Roy Garris, Jr. (Jr./Raleigh, NC) sealed the Falcons' victory with an interception near midfield with under a minute left.

Head Coach Tim Chavous was glad to leave Roebuck Stadium with a victory.

"I am happy for the win," Chavous said. "I am happy for the fellows. They worked hard all week."

Chavous was especially proud of Joyner, a veteran starter who is having a breakout season. The three touchdowns were a career high for the speedy receiver in his SAU collegiate career.

"The guys rallied behind him today and we got the victory," Chavous said. "If we play well defensively and on special teams, then Lenwood can take us home."

Joyner put the Falcons on the scoreboard early in the first quarter with an eight-yard touchdown catch from John Darby IV (Fr./Detroit, MI), who was making his second straight collegiate start. The key play in the scoring drive was a 57-yard pass from Darby to Desmond Smith (Sr./Richmond, VA). The Falcons led 7-0 after Sean Smith (Sr./Valdosta, GA) booted the extra point, but the Vikings tied the score 7-7 later in the quarter.

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The Falcons regained the lead in the first quarter on an electrifying 66-yard punt return by Joyner, who started running left but reversed field after finding an opening. He was aided by two crushing blocks that lifted would-be tacklers off their feet that allowed him to run untouched into the end zone. Sean Smith's extra point made the score 14-7 Falcons.

"I got a lot of good blocks on the punt return," Joyner said. "Once I saw the hole open, I took off."

The Vikings closed within 14-10 in the second quarter on a short field goal, but Darby connected with Desmond Smith on a short throw that Smith turned into a 39-yard gain at the ECSU 25. Smith broke a tackle and raced down the left sideline for the big gain before he was pushed out of bounds. The long pass play set up Sean Smith's 24-yard field goal which gave the Falcons a 17-10 lead at halftime.

Joyner padded the Falcons' lead early in the third quarter when he caught a slant pass from Darby and outran the ECSU secondary for a 40-yard touchdown, his third of the day. The score was 24-10 after Sean Smith kicked the extra point.

His touchdown gave the Falcons the cushion they needed. The Vikings added a score in the third quarter to pull within 24-17 but the Falcons' defense step up to hold off the hosts.

Joyner totaled 143 all-purpose yards for the Falcons including 56 receiving yards on four receptions while Smith led all receivers with three catches for 106 yards. Darby was efficient in his second straight start, completing 10 of 15 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Falcons committed no turnovers in the game.

Trexler had a monster game for the Falcons on defense. He finished with six tackles including three sacks and a tipped pass which halted a potential game-tying drive. The three sacks by Trexler nearly tied the school single-game record of 4.5 sacks set by former SAU All-American and former NFL player Alex Hall in 2006.

Ahmek Henry (Jr./Charlotte, NC) added six tackles and Harris recorded five tackles and an interception. Sidney Lawson (So./Charlotte, NC) also picked off a pass for the Falcons, his second in two games.

The Falcons forced Vikings' quarterback Kedrick Patterson into 13 of 31 passing for 194 yards and three interceptions. The defense also sacked Patterson four times.

Elizabeth City State almost struck first when the Vikings returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, but a holding penalty negated the score.

The Falcons play their second straight road game next weekend. They visit Livingstone College in a CIAA Southern Division opener on Saturday, Oct. 6, in Salisbury, N.C. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY FALCONS SPORTS INFORMATION

Virginia Union Panthers Crushes Livingstone 52-19

RICHMOND, Virginia  -- Virginia Union special teams coach Troy Shaffer has a plan for the Panthers each week that varies depending on the schemes the opposing team shows on film.

Shaffer's plan seemed to work to perfection Saturday against Livingstone as Virginia Union blocked two punts and an extra point, and former Highland Springs star Jaiden Reavis returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown in the Panthers' 52-19 victory over the Blue Bears.

VUU's standouts on special teams also included Russell Balance, who averaged 46 yards per punt with a long of 55, and Jefferson Souza, who was perfect on extra point attempts and nailed a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter.

"It's all about Coach [Alvin] Parker, who gives me a lot of leeway, and it's about our players, who came out and executed," said Shaffer, in his first year at the school. "It's great to finally see things come to fruition."

Virginia Union's play on special teams helped kick-start the offense's performance. After a slow opening quarter, quarterback Darius Taylor connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Fanfan early in the second quarter. Less than a minute later, Reavis opened the floodgates with an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Taylor also threw touchdowns of 34 and 45 yards in the quarter to extend the lead to 38-19 by halftime. He finished 21 of 33 for 331 yards and six touchdowns.

His six touchdown passes tied the school record set by Lamar Little against Tuskegee in 2007.

JUAN MCCALL PHOTO GALLERY 

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"Having Tabyus Taylor (Hopewell) at running back has really helped my game this year," said Taylor, whose six touchdown passes tied the school's single-game record. "Teams can't just play the pass or try stopping the run; we have a really balanced offense."

The Panthers' defense locked down in the second half, securing the blowout victory. The Blue Bears were held scoreless and managed only 49 yards after the break. Sterlin Hammond led Virginia Union with eight tackles.

As the Panthers continue in conference play, Darius Taylor has his mind set on winning a CIAA championship.

"We can't let up," he said. "We have to keep our foot on their necks and stay on top."

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY PANTHERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Morehouse Remains Undefeated With 23-21 Comeback Victory Over Kentucky State

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Morehouse came back from a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter to remain undefeated and beat Kentucky State, 23-21, Saturday evening in Frankfort, Ky.

The Maroon Tigers remain undefeated and improve their record to 5-0 (1-0 SIAC) while Kentucky State falls to 0-5 (0-2 SIAC).

"We had some difficulty getting the offense going this week due to the field conditions," said head coach Rich Freeman. "I thought our guys did a tremendous job staying in the game and pulling out this hard fought victory against a very well coached team."

With their 5-0 record to begin the season, the Maroon Tigers have their best start since 2010 when they made a run into the NCAA Division II playoffs before falling in the first round to Wingate.

For the second straight week the Maroon Tigers used some second-half magic to pull out the victory. This week, on a fourth and one deep in KSU's territory with less than two minutes remaining in the ball game,
coach Freeman decided to put the ball in sophomore running back Santo Dunns (Griffin, GA) hands, and he didn't disappoint as he ran it for 13 yards to the KSU nine yard line sealing the victory for Morehouse.

"We wanted to win the game upfront," said Freeman. "We needed a first down and they were out of timeouts and our offensive line was beating their defensive line so we decided to go for it. They opened a tremendous hole for Santo and he picked up the first down. I'm proud of those guys upfront, they propelled us to victory tonight."

The Thorobreds scored on their first two drives of the game as Jules St. Ge threw touchdown passes of four to Demetrius Anderson and 24 yards to Jordan Level giving KSU an early 14-0 first quarter lead.

The Maroon Tigers responded with an 18-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 8:41 capped by a seven yard touchdown run by Dunn cutting the Thorobred lead to 14-7.

After a muffed punt by Kentucky State gave the ball deep in KSU territory, sophomore kicker Fernando Sdelamora (Fairburn, GA) connected on a 36-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining before the half making the score 14-10.

Morehouse capitalized on a third quarter interception by junior transfer Kelvin Murray (Orlando, FL) which he returned 14-yards to the Thorobred one yard line allowing the Maroon Tigers to take their first lead of the ball game when Dunn ran it in from one yard out giving MHC a 16-14 lead.

The Maroon Tigers extended their lead to 23-14 when sophomore quarter back Michael Sims (Detroit, MI) connected with senior captain and tight end Ryan Edwards (Atlanta, GA) on an touchdown 15-yard strike.

The Thorobreds made the game interesting as Malik Saunders scored on a seven yard run with 4:32 remaining cutting the lead to 23-21.

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Dunn led Morehouse on the ground with 98 yards rushing and two touchdowns while junior wide receiver Trevor Gichaba finished with a game-high seven catches for 76 yards including a big 24 yard catch in the second half. Sims finished 17-of-24 for 164 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively senior captains Antonio Johnson (Birmingham, AL) and Treyvon Luckey (Shreveport, LA) each finished with five tackles a piece. Murray finished with three tackles and an interception.

Morehouse finished with more first downs 18-to-14, and more rushing yards 147-to-133 while both teams had 164 yards passing. MHC won the total yardage battle 311-to-297.

The Maroon Tigers take their undefeated record to Columbus, Ga. next weekend as they take on the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers in the 83rd Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic on Oct. 6 at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. Kick-Off is set for 2 p.m. ET.

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MAROON TIGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

OCEAN - vs - JUKEBOX - 2018

DALLAS, Texas -- The Biggest Showdown between two Super Powers! A Clash of The Titans between Texas Southern University "Ocean of Soul" vs "Human Jukebox" from Southern University. The event is happening on the 19th and 20th of October in Dallas Texas.

Morehouse Cross Country Dominates At Willie Laster Invitational

ALBANY, Georgia -- The Morehouse College cross country team dominated the field at the 2018 Willie Laster Cross Country Invitational on Saturday morning in Albany, Ga.

MHC won with 20 points, ahead of second place Tuskegee (72), Albany State (76) and Fort Valley State (94 in the five team field.

MEET RESULTS

The Maroon Tiger runners took six of the top eight spots led by senior Trey Simons (Sandy, Bermuda), who won with a time of 25:40.80. Junior Collins Kiplimo (Kenya) was second in a time of 27:29.77, followed by sophomore  Randy Carter (Baton Rouge, La.) in fourth (28:38.51) and junior Qaseem Wajd (Tampa, Fla) in fifth (30:06.26). Sophomores Dobbin Bookman (Newton, Mass.) finished seventh (30:08.30) and Devin Hawkins (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished in eighth (30:08.47).

Morehouse cross country returns to action next weekend Oct. 6 at the Robert Shumake HBCU Challenge in Cary, N.C.

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 ATHLETIC COMMUNICATION

Benedict Tigers Take Down CSU Marauders, 24-14

XENIA, Ohio – The Benedict College Tigers took advantage of six Central State turnovers and won their third game in a row with a 24-14 victory over the Marauders on Saturday afternoon at Xenia High School's Doug Adams Stadium.

The Tigers intercepted Central State quarterback Trent Mays five times, with Robert Cummings and Traviontae Brown each picking off two throws each and Darryl Rolle picking off the other. Olajuwone Smith forced and recovered a fumble.

"I thought the secondary played well," Benedict head coach Mike White said. "We had a couple of slip ups on coverages that we didn't play well, but I thought the last couple of weeks we've played better. We actually should have had more (interceptions). I'm just glad they played better and glad the line played good. Coach (Demetrie) McCray (secondary coach) and coach (Ronnie) Baker (defensive coordinator) do a good job in getting us in what coverage we need to get in. The guys were on point all week in what we need to do against this team. I'm just glad with the execution overall."

Benedict improves to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the SIAC. Central State falls to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the SIAC.

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The Marauders completed 11-of-26 passes for 136 yards with one touchdown, coming on the game's opening drive, to go along with the five interceptions. The Tigers held the Marauders to 104 yards rushing on 23 carries and one score on the ground. The Benedict defense held Central State to just 49 offensive plays in the game, and the Tigers dominated the time of possession, 40:41 to 19:19.

Despite having the ball for 79 offensive plays, the Tigers had some trouble getting points on the scoreboard. Benedict missed three field goals, with two of those blocked, and didn't get on the board until 5:47 left in the first half on Rigoberto Tinoco's 33-yard field goal to make it 7-3 in favor of the Marauders.

Benedict blocked a Central State punt, with James Wilson recording the block and Elroy Maloyd recovering, to give the Tigers the ball at the Central State 19-yard line with 2:34 left in the half. Dominique Harris completed a 20-yard pass to Danye Washington to give Benedict a 10-7 lead at the half.

After a Cummings interception and 22-yard return in the third quarter, the Tigers took over at the CSU 18-yard line. Harris and Washington hooked up again, this time for a 15-yard touchdown for a 17-7 Benedict lead with 9:13 left in the third quarter.

Benedict put together its longest drive of the afternoon early in the fourth quarter, marching 65 yards on 13 plays. Harris capped off the drive by stretching the ball over the end zone on a two-yard quarterback keeper. The Tigers kept the drive alive with a couple of key third-down conversions. Trini Charlton picked up four yards on a third-and-three, while Harris completed an 11-yard pass to Drelon Freeman on third-and-seven. Tinoco's extra point made it 24-7 with 6:21 left in the game.

Central State answered quickly to try and stay in the game. The Marauders drove 76 yards on just four plays, getting a 32-yard pass and a 20-yard scoring run. Cummings had another potential interception called back due to a Benedict penalty.

The Maurders intercepted a Harris pass, Benedict's only turnover of the game, and were driving again when Cummings sealed the game with his second interception with 43 seconds left in the contest.

"I'm happy we won," White said. "We didn't play well, but I'm just glad we got out with the victory. We're still shooting ourselves in the foot. We had a lot of scoring opportunities and we could have had more points on the board in the first half. It's been a tough short week, but we'll get better."

Harris completed 16-of-32 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Raheem Jennings led the ground attack with 62 yards on 15 carries, while Charlton added 50 yards on 13 carries. Freeman caught six passes for 65 yards, while Washington had two catches, both for touchdowns, for 35 yards. Smith led the defense with six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and the forced fumble and fumble recovery. Maloyd also had six tackles, with three of those tackles for loss.

The Tigers return home for a non-conference game against Virginia University of Lynchburg. Kickoff from Charlie W. Johnson stadium is 2 p.m.

BENEDICT COLLEGE TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Lowe, Shaputis Shine as Langston Defeats WBU

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- - Two pivotal plays in the second half turned the tide for the No. 14 Langston Lions on Saturday afternoon as they remained unbeaten in Sooner Athletic Conference play by defeating Wayland Baptist 31-20.

Leading 20-17 with 17 ticks remaining in the third, senior quarterback Jaylen Lowe (SR/Collinsville, Okla.) capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. The Lions tacked on the two-point conversion and lead 25-20 after three quarters of play.

Lowe sealed the game for Langston late in the fourth quarter with a 42-yard touchdown lob into the hands of Joe Lewis (JR/Houston, Texas) to increase the Lions' advantage to 31-20 at the 2:27 mark in the fourth. The Pioneers were unable to muster any type of comeback, turning the ball over on down the following possession at the Wayland Baptist 43-yard line.

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Collectively, the Lions amassed 434 yards of total offense with 319 coming through the air. Lowe finished 25-of-37 with 319 passing yards and two touchdowns while tacking on 32 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Isaiah Shaputis (JR/Guthrie, Okla.) finished the day with nine receptions for 130 yards and one touchdown; Shaputis becomes the first Lion to eclipse the 100-yard receiving mark this season. Joe Lewis finished with three catches for 57 yards and one score.

Langston (3-1, 3-0 SAC) plays at Texas Wesleyan next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY LIONS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

WVSU Yellow Jackets Roll to 31-17 Road Win

GLENVILLE, West Virginia -- They and it are back.

The Yellow Jackets and their high-powered offense came to life in the second quarter Saturday at Glenville State.

All it took was one pass play to re-ignite the offensive fire that had been seemingly dormant for the previous five quarters.

Trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter WVSU quarterback Faustino Saucedo dropped back to throw on a third and 10 from his own 34 yard-line.



He looked downfield and saw senior Tyrell Henderson break free from coverage and quickly fired in his direction. Seconds later Henderson crossed the goal line to tie the score and open the flood gates.

The Yellow Jackets scored on their next three possessions to pull out to a 24-7 lead on the way to a 31-17 win.

"The offense looked explosive in the pass game and made huge improvements on third down conversions," WVSU Head Coach John Pennington Said. "Tyrell Henderson is playing really well right now and made some big plays downfield."

Faustino finished 19-of-34 passing for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both to Henderson. 

Sophomore Calil Wilkins carried the ball 27 times for 102 yards.

Henderson ended up with seven catches for 171 yards.

But it was not only the WVSU offense that looked reinvigorated.

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"The defense did a great job of getting stops on third downs," Pennington said. "Special teams made a big play on a kick return to set up a score and made some big hits."

The Pioneers were only able to convert 4-of-16 third down situations.

WVSU gained 458 yards total while holding Glenville State to 311.

"I am proud of our team for staying focused the whole game and playing together as a team," 

Pennington said. "We have to make some major improvements over the next few weeks but as long as we stay focused on going 1-0 in everything we do and Winning the Moment we will end up with the success we crave."

Saturday's win in Glenville was only the third for the Yellow Jackets in their last 11 visits there.
WVSU improves to 2-3 with a chance to even its record at Homecoming next week against Kentucky State.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY YELLOW JACKETS SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Grounds NCCU Eagles with 55-14 Romp in Durham

Rattlers ground Eagles 55-14. Ryan Stanley threw for 254 yards. Chad Hunter caught 7 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns. @MEACSports @FAMU_1887 pic.twitter.com/7QOwf9772S

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) September 30, 2018

DURHAM, North Carolina -- The Florida A&M Rattlers (3-2, 2-0 MEAC) reeled off 40 points in the first half for the first time since 1999 and cruised to a 55-14 win over the NCCU Eagles (1-3, 0-1 MEAC). This marks the first time since 2009 the Rattlers have ended September with a winning record.

Wide receiver Chad Hunter had a career game, hauling in three touchdown to lead the Rattlers in scoring. Hunter finished with 135 yards on seven catches to lead all receivers.

Quarterback Ryan Stanley went 13-of-18 for 254 yards and four touchdowns. He hit Marcus Williams for a 43-yard touchdown completion in the first quarter to tie the game, following a touchdown reception from Nalil Ramadan to Jordan Freeman with 11:56 remaining in the first half.

Yahia Aly kicked a 27-yard field goal with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter to give FAMU a lead they would not relinquish. Following the field goal, Stanley and Hunter would go to work on NCCU. Hunter hauled in a 28-yard TD from Stanley with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter to give the Rattlers a 17-7 lead.

FAMU’s special team performed virtually flawlessly in the win over NCCU. The Rattlers blocked a punt with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter, which was scooped up by Jalene Douse an crossed the end zone for the final score of the first quarter.

Stanley would hit Hunter on scores of 21 and 10 yards to help the Rattlers pull away to a 38-7 lead in the second quarter. Aly tacked on a 33-yard field goal to conclude the scoring with FAMU leading 41-7 at halftime.

Azende Rey got the scoring started again in the third quarter with a one-yard run. NCCU responded with their second and final score of the game with a one-yard run from Jordan Phillips.

Redshirt freshman quarterback DJ Phillips came in for Stanley for most of the fourth quarter. He would find the end zone with 8:56 remaining in the game for his first collegiate touchdown.

Running back Deshawn Smith was the workhorse in the backfield carrying 20 times for 152 yards. Bishop Bonnet had a solid game as well, reeling of a 68-yard run and was also responsible for blocking the punt on special teams.

Derrick Mayweather led the Rattler defense with four solo tackles and one unassisted. Demontre Moore and Elijah Richardson each had two tackles and two assists. FAMU punter Chrs Faddoul had a monsterous game, booting four times for a 51.8 yard average.

The Rattlers prepare for homecoming and another MEAC game as they host the Spartans of Norfolk State University on L. 6, with a 4:00 PM kickoff time. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN3.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY RATTLERS SPORTS INFORMATION

FIU Takes Care of Business Against UAPB 55-9

MIAMI, Florida --  FIU's bye week is next Saturday, Oct. 6, but the Panthers started it early by blasting Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 55-9, Saturday night at Riccardo Silva Stadium.

For notes from tonight's game, click here.

The Panthers built a 38-3 halftime lead and cruised from there as several reserves saw action.

After the Golden Lions kicked a 37-yard field goal on the game's first possession, the Panthers scored 38 unanswered points.

On its third offensive play of the game, FIU quarterback James Morgan connected with Maurice Alexander on a short pass before Alexander sprinted 76 yards for a touchdown. CJ Worton delivered a key block to help Alexander on the score.

Alexander finished with a career-high and game-high 144 yards.

After a 23-yard field goal by Jose Borregales, Morgan found a wide-open Worton for a 52-yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Panthers.

BOX SCORE

Morgan was 9 of 14 for 341 yards and four touchdowns. The four passing touchdowns equals the FIU single-game record held by Jamie Burke and Paul McCall, who did it most recently in 2008 against Florida Atlantic.

The third passing touchdown for Morgan was a wild one.

Morgan completed the pass to Alexander at the FIU 37 before Alexander fumbled the ball at the UAPB 37 where Austin Maloney scooped the loose ball and ran it in for a touchdown.

Touchdown runs by Napoleon Maxwell (44 yards) and D'Vonte Price (10 yards) capped off the first half scoring for FIU.

Price added a 70-yard touchdown run on a sweep in the second half. The sophomore tallied a career-high 110 rushing yards with two touchdowns.

On the first play of the second half, Morgan hit Cadarius Gaskin in stride for a 75-yard touchdown. It was Gaskin's first career touchdown.

Sage Lewis led the FIU defense with 16 tackles. It was Lewis's third double-digit tackles game of the season. Lewis's season-high was 18 tackles against Indiana in the season opener.

FIU has next Saturday off before returning to Conference USA play. The Panthers host Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY PANTHERS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

PVAMU Panthers Win State Fair Classic, End Grambling 26-Game SWAC Winning Streak

DALLAS, Texas – The Prairie View A&M University football team lead from start to finish in defeating Grambling 22-16 in the 93rd State Fair Classic.

The Panthers (3-3 overall, 2-0 SWAC) defeated Grambling (1-3, 1-1) for the first time since 2013 as well as ending the Tigers' 26-game Southwestern Athletic Conference winning streak, which began in 2015.



Jalen Morton completed 23-of-34 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and also rushed 13 times for 62 yards. Dawonya Tucker, the leading rusher in all of Division I football, rushed 19 times for 72 yards and also caught three passes for 89 yards and a touchdown.

The Panthers' defense kept Grambling out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, registering 10 sacks, including three by DE Willie Green. After the Tigers scored on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter, and recovered an on-side kick, Prairie View A&M CB Ju'Anthony Parker's interception with 1:42 remaining sealed the win.

Prairie View A&M scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter less than three minutes apart. Morton completed the first scoring drive with a short pass to Markcus Hardy, who outleaped a Grambling defender, then shook off another tackle on a 38-yard scoring pass on the far sideline to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead with 4:20 to play in the opening quarter.

BOX SCORE

ATTENDANCE: 47921

On the second play of the next Panthers' drive, Morton flipped a screen pass to Tucker, who got a big block from OL Christian Rice and then maneuvered through the Grambling defense on an 80-yard scoring play for a 12-0 lead with 1:33 to play in the first quarter.

A Zach Elder field goal extended the PVAMU lead to 15-0 with 6:31 to play in the second quarter, as a late Grambling safety gave the Panthers a 15-2 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, a nine-play, 61-yard drive ended with a four-yard scoring pass from Morton to Zarrian Holcombe to give Prairie View A&M its largest lead of the night at 22-2 with just over four minutes to play in the third quarter, setting up the dramatic fourth-quarter finish.

Prairie View A&M has a bye next week and will play its home opener Saturday, Oct. 13 vs. Southern at 5 p.m. at Panther Stadium. The game will be video streamed live at ESPN3.com, with the Panther Sports Network Radio Broadcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. at pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork. Tickets for all Panther Football home games are on sale online at pvpanthers.com/tickets.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Roger Thomas Rushes for 115 Yards and a TD As CAU Defeats Allen 31-6

CAU ATHLETICS

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Roger Thomas led a Clark Atlanta rushing game that picked up 201 yards on the ground as the Panthers defeated Allen University 31-6 at Panther Stadium Saturday night.

Thomas led CAU (1-4, 0-1 SIAC) with 115 yards rushing and was part of a three-touchdown, 1st quarter Clark Atlanta enslaught that put the game out of reach early. Allen, an NAIA school, falls to 2-2 this season.

Elijah Odom, getting his first start at quarterback this season, scampered 24 yards for a touchdown six minutes into the game. Thomas then followed with a 30-yard TD run with 4:12 left in the quarter, and then Ezekiel Edmonds picked off a Gary Tyner pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown, making it 21-0 with 55 seconds left before the end of the first quarter.

Not long after that, CAU's Darius Blackmon blocked an Allen punt and took it 13 yards into the end zone put Clark Atlanta up 28-0, a lead they held at halftime.

The CAU defense made things tough for the Yellow Jackets, holding them to only 74 yards of offense in the first half.

The second half wasn't much different as the Panther defense flirted with a shutout until allowing an Ashton Duncan to Diquan Brown TD pass with less than a minute remaining the in game. Carlos Saldana had already booted a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter for CAU.

Kirey Thompson led the CAU defense with nine tackles, five solo, while Tyrone Mixon had eight stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. Kameron Rogers had three tackles, 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks, while Joseph Culpepper had four tackles, one for loss and a sack. William Profit had seven tackles, five solo, and 1.5 for losses.

BOX SCORE

On offense, Odom finished 5-of-10 for 56 yards in the air for CAU and rushed for 47 yards and a TD. He threw two interceptions. Tyler Rauls had seven rushes for 40 yards.
Jonathan Sanders caught two passes for 25 yards while Deondre McNeil caught one pass for 33 yards.

Allen's Richard Hayes led the Yellow Jackets with nine tackles, while Tyner passed for 78 yards.

Clark Atlanta heads back into Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action next week when they visit Fort Valley State. That game kicks off at 6 p.m.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY PANTHERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Tuskegee opens conference play with a 17-8 win over Lane

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The Tuskegee University football team held Lane College scoreless through three quarters before finally giving up a touchdown in the final five minutes of the game, on its way to a 17-8 victory Saturday afternoon at Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium. The win gave the Golden Tigers its first conference victory of the season as they now improve to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

TU got on the board early in the second quarter when Javarrius Cheatham hauled in a one-handed six yard touchdown pass from Ahmad Deramus. The drive only took four plays and 31 yards to execute. The Golden Tigers would go ahead 10-0 with 1:32 left just before halftime when Huskic Arnes connected on a 35 yard field. goal.

Davoris Thomas led the Golden Tigers on defense with 12 tackles, one tackle for a loss and a forced fumble. Kalil Gray ended with eight stops while Kevin Dawson added six. Cornerback Rorrick Steward also earned his third interception of the season to go along with four tackles on the afternoon for TU.

Midway through the third quarter, it would appear as if the Golden Tigers put things away when Chardian Johnson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Deramus, which made the score 17-0 after the PAT from Arnes. However, Justin Hill scored on a nine yard run for Lane to narrow the margin to 17-7, leaving the Dragons with a little life. Linebacker Thomas would take the remaining life away for TU after he recovered a fumble in Lane's red zone with 1:07 left in the game.

Deramus completed 9-of-16 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He now has seven on the season.

BOX SCORE

Tuskegee will face Morehouse in Columbus, Ga. next week in the annual Tuskegee/Morehouse Classic. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CST.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

B-CU Wildcats Takes 35-20 MEAC Road Win At SSU

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Akevious Williams accounted for 233 total yards and three touchdowns -- two rushing and one passing -- as Bethune-Cookman pulled away to a 35-20 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Savannah State Saturday night at Ted Wright Stadium.

Keavon Mitchell caught two touchdown passes -- one from Williams and one from David Israel as the Wildcats (2-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC) snapped a two-game losing streak while denying B-CU grad and former Wildcat Sports Information Director Opio Mashariki a victory in his first game as Savannah State's Interim Athletic Director.

The Wildcat defense held the Tigers (0-4,0-2) to six first down and 131 total yards in the first three quarter as Bethune-Cookman pulled away from a 14-14 first-half tie.

Tupac Isme's three-yard run and Mitchell's 11-yarder from Israel in the third quarter helped B-CU take a commanding 35-14 lead.

Williams finished 18 of 25 for 177 yards and one touchdown in the air while rushing for 56 yards and two scores. Mitchell had a season-high five catches for 57 yards and the two touchdowns Isaac Washington rushed for 90 yards, followed by Isme with 62.  



Bethune-Cookman ran up 243 total yards of offense the first half and took a 21-14 lead on Williams' 4-yard keeper 14 seconds before halftime. The Wildcats matriculated the ball on scoring drives of 68- and 62 yards, and also took advantage of a short field for a 25-yard pass from Williams to  Mitchell with on the first play of the second quarter.

Savannah State, despite just 90 total yards, capitalized on its opportunities.

JaMichael Baldwin's 62-yard punt return gave the Tigers the ball on the B-CU 9, and Paris Baker caught an 8-yard touchdown from TJ Bell two plays later.

In the second quarter, SSU'S James Kicklighter turned a deflected pass into a 28-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14 with 11:59 remaining in the second quarter.

Bethune-Cookman hosts Mississippi Valley State for homecoming next Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
FIVE NOTES

1. Williams has now rushed for a touchdown in four consecutive games. This was his first two touchdown game since the 2016 Florida Classic.
2. Finishing with 455 total yards, the Wildcats registered back-to-back games with over 400 total yards for the first time since Morgan State and Florida A&M in 2016.
3.    Mitchell has had four catches or more in three games this season.
4.    Washington's 90-yards were the most for a Wildcat running back this year.
5.    This was Bethune-Cookman first game in Savannah since dropping the 2016 game that ended  a 16-game Wildcat winning streak in the series. B-CU leads the all-time series 38-8-3.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Albany State Golden Rams'Ground Game Topples Miles

ALBANY, Georgia -- The Albany State University Golden Rams improved to 2-3 overall and remained perfect in SIAC play with a 30-24 triumph over Miles College Saturday evening at ASU Coliseum.

With the loss, Miles drops to 0-5 on the season (SIAC 0-2)

Saturday's initial kickoff was delayed due to lightning and heavy rain however the teams were eventually able to take the field and the contest kicked off about an hour late at 8:05pm.

The teams were virtually even in total offense; 342 yards for Miles to 357 for ASU. The Golden Bears ran 72 plays for an average of 4.8 yards per play while the Rams averaged 6.6 yards on 54 plays from scrimmage.

Defensively ASU was paced by Coemba Jones who finished the night with 9 tackles (7 solo) and two pass breakups.

The Golden Rams and Golden Tigers both came up empty on their first two offensive drives. Miles would get on the board first in the game's fifth offensive set when a 9-play, 35-yard drive resulted in a 33-yard field goal from Jackson Spradlin with 53 seconds left in the opening quarter.

ASU's rushing attack averaged 7.2 yards per carry on the night and gained 303 yards (279 net) including four rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Kelias Williams called his own number seven times for 41 yards and two scores while Tracy Scott and Kelan Fraise also registered rushing touchdowns.

McKinley Habersham led the charge for the Golden Rams with a season high 140 yards on 15 touches.



BOX SCORE

The first play of the second half came courtesy of Habersham, a 46-yard carry down to the Golden Bears' 26-yard line. Two plays later Fraise scampered to the end zone from 20-yards out and an extra point later ASU led 14-10.

Two ASU drives later, all it took was a single touch after Mike Green returned a punt into Miles' territory. On snap later, Tracy Scott scored on a 36-yard scoring run, pushing the Rams' lead to 21-10 with 6:08 left in the third.

On the ensuing drive, and aided by two personal fouls by the Rams, Miles tightened the score at 21-17 with an 86-yard drive that was capped by a 2-yard rushing TD from Justin Hardy.

With 11:15 left in the game, the Golden Rams got some much-needed cushion when Gabriel Ballinas hit a field goal from 41 yards out. Kelias Williams later extended the lead to 30-17 with his second rushing score of the night, an 11-yard run with 8:35 remaining. The Bears responded with a touchdown on the end of an 86-yard drive with 2:58 to go but it consumed nearly five and a half minutes off the game clock.

Facing a 3rdand 11, the Rams reached the Miles 40 on a 10 yard on pass from Williams to Ta'Keevian Harris. After two called timeouts, Albany State sealed the win with a 4thdown conversion on a one yard carry by Habersham.

The Rams lost their initial lead right before the first half expired when the Bears' Daniel Smith connected with Padarius Martin on a 29-yard passing touchdown to put Miles ahead 10-7 at halftime.

The Golden Rams will hit the road next weekend when they travel to Salisbury, North Carolina to face off against Catawba College in a non-conference tilt. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 pm.

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Bowie State Bulldogs Nip Winston Salem State 20-17

BOWIE, Maryland  – The Bowie State University Bulldogs trailed the entire game, but senior Amir Hall (Baltimore, Md.) connected with fellow senior Lansana Sesay(Bowie, Md.) for 34-yard touchdown with 1:14 remaining in the game to pull out a dramatic 20-17 home debut victory over Winston-Salem State University on Saturday afternoon. The 20 points was Bowie State's lowest point production since falling (17-14) to Winston-Salem State in the 2015 CIAA Championship.
 
Bowie State (4-1, 2-0 CIAA) accumulated 394 yards in total offense compared to 251 for Winston-Salem State (1-3, 0-2 CIAA). The Bulldogs also held advantages in first downs 21-15 and total plays 81-69.
 
Hall had an off afternoon, completing just 28-of-52 passes for a game-high 281 yards but was intercepted twice. Hall also led the Bulldogs with 59 rushing yards on 11 carries. Sesay led all receivers with 117 reception yards on 10 catches and redshirt junior Geordan Clark (White Plains, Md.) was the games' second leading receiver with 44 yards on four receptions. Redshirt Joshua Pryor(Baltimore, Md.) paced the Bowie State defense with seven total tackles which included one sack and 2.5 tackles for a loss. Seniors DeVonta' High (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Roger Richardson (Glenn Dale, Md.) tallied a half dozen tackles each.

BOX SCORE
 
The Winston-Salem State Rams scored the first points of the contest at the 6:42 mark of the opening quarter following a 3-yard touchdown run by Kerrion Moore (Gastonia, N.C.). Riley Robbins (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) added the extra point for the 7-0 lead. The score was setup by a blocked punt by WSSU's Cameron Williams (Greensboro, N.C.).
 
The Bulldogs put together a 21-play, 82-yard drive to start the second quarter but the Rams defense snuffed out Bowie State at the goal line and took over on downs at the 7:32 mark. However, Bowie State's defense forced a Winston-Salem State fumble in the end zone that resulted in a safety and two points for the Bulldogs.
 
Bowie State trimmed the deficit to 7-5 with 2:28 remaining before halftime following a 22-yard field goal by junior Gene Carson, II (Accokeek, Md.).
 
Winston-Salem State quarterback Emiere Scaife (Charlotte, N.C.) hooked up with Darren Dowdell (Atlanta, Ga.) for an 8-yard pass, catch and score to give the Rams a 14-5 advantage, capping off a 9-play, 72-yard drive.
 
Redshirt junior Brandon Abrams (Baltimore, Md.) notched his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, pounded up the gut for 2-yard score. Carson added the PAT, cutting the Rams lead to 14-12 with 7:39 on the third quarter clock.
 
Winston-Salem State's Riley booted a 28-yard field at the 1:41 mark to give the Rams a slight edge at 17-12 heading into the final quarter.  
 
The teams traded the first seven possessions of the fourth quarter, setting up Hall's clutch drive with 2:39 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs went 80-yards in seven plays to snatch the thrilling 20-17 victory for Bowie State.  
 
Scaife completed 14-of-25 passes for 142 yards to pace the Rams on offense while Moore toted the ball 22 times for a game-high 85 yards. Moore was Winston-Salem State's top receiver as well, with 28 yards.
 
The Bulldogs hit the road for the fifth time this season next Saturday (October 6th) traveling to Murfreesboro (N.C.) to tangle with the Chowan Hawks. Kickoff time in Garrison Stadium is set for 1 p.m.

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Coppin State Takes MEAC Opener over NSU, 3-0

NORFOLK, Virginia – Led by Miajavon Coleman's big performance, Coppin State earned a 3-0 win over the Norfolk State volleyball team on Friday night in both teams' MEAC opener at Gill Gymnasium.

Coleman tallied 16 kills and hit .536 as the Eagles won 25-20, 25-18 and 25-23. The Spartans nearly forced a fourth set, but CSU scored eight straight near the end of the third to secure the win.

On the other side, junior Anna Rupertova led the way for the Spartans (1-10, 0-1 MEAC), totaling nine kills and seven digs while hitting .292. As a team, NSU hit .155. Junior Bojana Bolozan added six kills and three blocks for the Spartans.



BOX SCORE

CSU (5-14, 1-0 MEAC) had its best overall performance in the first set, hitting .600 on the way to a .276 attack percentage for the night. The Eagles jumped out to the early four-point lead to force the Spartans to play catch up. They eventually did, scoring three straight to tie the opening set at 16-16. The Eagles, however, scored six straight a short time later to help surge ahead for good.

They also did the same in the third set. Down 22-16, Coppin State scored six in a row to go ahead by two. After a kill by Rupertova made it 24-23, Coleman landed one last kill to end the match.

Rupertova had four kills in the third set, which began with NSU up 9-5. Kills from freshman Brenna Ankrum and sophomore Taylor Eichelberger pushed the score to 15-10, and Bolozan started a 4-0 run with a pair of kills to extend the lead to 20-14. The teams traded points before the Eagles started their final push.

The Spartans also had the early lead in the second set, but it was short lived after the Eagles scored seven of eight points for a four-point advantage. Kills by three different players over a four-serve span helped the Spartans cut the deficit to one, 13-12, but Coppin State started an 8-2 run for a seven-point edge.

For the Eagles, Brianna Lang added 30 assists and 10 digs for the double-double.

The Spartans will host Morgan State on Sunday at 3 p.m. to close out the opening weekend of conference play.

By Mike Bello, Asst. SID
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPARTANS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS