WSSU Rams Dominate for a 36-6 Win Over Saint Augustine's

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina – The Winston-Salem State Rams (3-3, 2-2 CIAA) clicked on all cylinders when the team took an impressive 36-6 win over the Saint Augustine's Falcons (2-4, 2-2 CIAA), Saturday afternoon. The Rams combined for 419 yards of total offense with a defense that only allowed 244 yards and six points to claim a key Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) victory.

"Both teams fought hard. I was a little bit concerned early since they had a couple of drives," WSSU football head coach Kienus Boulware said after the game. "But we had a couple of turnovers and we scored early and I could say often....this gives us something to work on and its always better to work on things after a win rather than a loss."

The Rams took the win behind their most complete game of the season. As a team, the Rams amassed 36 points, including four rushing touchdowns in the game. WSSU freshman quarterback Dominique Graves had a breakout game with a career-high 15-of-19 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown in the game. He also added a 41-yard touchdown run of his own. Senior running back Kerrion Moore also rushed for three touchdowns in the game as well.

It was on defense that the Rams really stood out as they held the Falcons to just 244 yards and six points in the game. The WSSU defense also forced four turnovers in the game with four turnovers, including three interceptions and a fumble recovery. WSSU senior linebacker Patrick Green led the way for the Rams with 10 tackles (six solo) in the game while freshman linebacker Ta'Shaun Taylor added eight tackles (four solo).

PHOTO GALLERY

BOX SCORE

The Rams struck early and often in the game with a big first quarter. After forcing an SAU fumble on the third play from scrimmage, the rams struck with a 41-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Pavel Buenaventura with 11:59 left in the first quarter. After an interception from senior linebacker Jayron Rankin in the WSSU endzone ended Saint Augustine's' scoring threat, the Rams answered with an 80-yard drive that included a 69-yard pass from Graves to senior wide receiver Quincy Jackson that set up a four-yard touchdown run from Moore. The Buenaventura PAT kick put the Rams on top, 10-0 with 10-0 with 5:23 left in the first quarter. The Rams added to their lead later in the quarter when Graves had a 41-yard touchdown run of his own at the end of the quarter. The PAT kick from Buenaventura left the Rams on top 17-0 at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was more competitive with both teams recording a touchdown of their own. Saint Augustine's got thing started when a three-yard touchdown run capped an eight-play, 55-yard drive and left the Rams on top, 17-6 with 12:08 left in the quarter. The Rams had an answer of their own when an interception from junior free safety Daryus Skinner sparked a 10-play, 92-yard drive by the Rams that was capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Graves to junior wide receiver Jonathan Allen. The failed PAT kick left the Rams on top, 23-6 with 3:37 left in the second quarter. The Rams would go on to take that score into the locker room at halftime.

The Rams kept things going in the third quarter. The team first struck with a nine-play, 81-yard drive that was capped by a four-yard touchdown run from Moore on the teams opening drive of the half. The Buenaventura PAT kick left the Rams on top, 30-6 with 9:38 left in the third quarter. The Rams would cap the scoring in the game when Moore rushed for his third touchdown of the game. This time, he had a six-yard touchdown run that capped a six-play, 68-yard drive by the Rams.

With the game in control, the Rams turned to their defense to close out the game as they held the Falcons scoreless for the fourth quarter, forcing a turnover on downs and a punt on the two SAU drives.

The effort left the Rams with a 36-6 win and improves the Rams to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play. The win also keeps the Rams at 2-0 in CIAA Southern Division play. The team will return to action next weekend when they host the Livingstone Blue Bears in a 1:30 p.m. Homecoming match-up. For more information on Rams football, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Shaw Bears Football Picks Up Road Win, Tops Livingstone 37-28

SALISBURY, North Carolina – The Shaw University football team earned its first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference victory on Saturday afternoon as the Bears defeated Livingstone College 37-28 at the Alumni Stadium. The win improves Shaw to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in CIAA action while the Blue Bears dip to 2-4 on the year and 1-3 against league opponents.

On the opening drive, the Bears drove the ball all the way down to the Blue Bears eight yard line but two plays later, Shaw fumbled and lost yardage before an interception gave Livingstone the ball on the two yard line. With 10:23 on the clock, the Bears scored the game's first points after a touchback thanks to junior linebacker Devon Hunt (Hamlet, NC) and sophomore linebacker Jaleel Scroggins (Raleigh, NC).

Shaw started its next drive at the 10:09 mark and scored when senior quarterback Keon Marsh (Queens, NY) connected with graduate senior running back Dorrel McClain (Raleigh, NC) for a 35 yard touchdown to put the Bears ahead 9-0 after one quarter.

Despite a 9-0 lead for Shaw, Livingstone responded by scoring nine unanswered points of its own, including a 24 yard pass from Miles Hayes to Brandon Duncan at the 6:40 mark and then a team safety before halftime.

Both teams scored at least twice in the third quarter as the Blue Bears broke the tie on a 11 yard reception touchdown from DeAndre Vickers that gave LC the 16-9 lead but the Bears quickly responded on a four yard scamper from McClain to knot the game at 16-all with 8:23 left.

Shaw then racked up 54 yards on four plays including a 36 yard reception TD for Green, Jr. to extend the Bears lead 23-16 over Livingstone but the Blue Bears also found the endzone when Miles linked with Vickers for a 14 yard score to pull within 23-22 at the 2:07 mark. A six yard scoring touchdown from Green, Jr. provided a 30-22 advantage for Shaw heading into the fourth quarter.

In the final stanza, LC trailed Shaw by two points when Anthony Faraimo scored on a 13 yard passing TD with 10:50 left in the game. Five minutes and three possessions later, McClain rushed for three yards in the endzone as junior kicker Beni Kinsemi's (Charlotte, NC) extra point made the game interesting at 37-28 with a little over three minutes left to play.

After a 60 yard kick to the Blue Bears five yard line, LC returned the ball for 32 yards to start the next drive. The Blue Bears gained a first and goal after a 29 yard pass for Alexis Archie but the Bears defense locked down on three consecutive plays which resulted in an interception for Scroggins as he took the ball down to the Bears 46 yard line that would ultimately put the game away.

Marsh ended the game with 26-for-36 for 323 yards and three touchdowns, two Green, Jr. McClain hauled in six catches for 95 yards and a touchdown while on the ground, he finished with 56 rushing yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. Green, Jr. registered a career high 85 reception yards on five catches and two scores.

BOX SCORE

The Bears defense was led by senior linebacker Andrew Cash (Semora, NC) with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a half of sack while junior linebacker Devon Hunt (Hamlet, NC) contributed seven tackles.

Shaw will play host to Johnson C. Smith University next Saturday (Oct. 20) at Durham County Memorial Stadium with a kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. Athletics will pay tribute to those affected by Breast Cancer during the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game.

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

SHAW UNIVERSITY BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State Sacks MVSU for Homecoming Win

JACKSON, Mississippi -- A stout defense and well-balanced offensive attack propelled Jackson State past Mississippi Valley State 23-7 in front of a raucous Homecoming crowd at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. It is JSU’s first Homecoming win since 2015.

The Tigers jumped out to a quick 14-0 first-quarter lead. Senior Jarrad Hayes capped a 10-play, 50-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Romello Shumake. On JSU’s next drive, Hayes led a nine-play, 84-yard drive which ended with a quarterback keeper from one-yard out as time expired at the end of the quarter. Both touchdown drives took a combined 9:28 off the clock.

From there, senior placekicker Christian Jacquemin added three field goals from 47, 34, and 28 yards out.

The JSU defense had a stellar outing and won at the line of scrimmage as MVSU posted –23 yards rushing on 17 attempts. Junior Alex Tonea also came through with an interception in the fourth quarter to stifle a late Delta Devil drive.

Junior Jordan Johnson was efficient as the lead back. The Terry, Mississippi native gashed MVSU for 141 yards on 22 attempts, including a long of 37 yards. Johnson also averaged 6.1 yards per carry.

As a team, JSU totaled 335 yards, with 206 yards coming on the ground.

Hayes was efficient running Derrick McCall’s spread-option offense. The 6-foot, 190-pound dual-threat went 16-for-22 and passed for 129 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

JSU won the time of possession and held the ball for 35:08, while MVSU only had the ball for 24:52.

The Tigers improve to 3-2 and 2-1 in the SWAC. JSU takes a break from conference play next week and hosts North Alabama for a 2 p.m. start.

XULA falls in 4; home matchup of GCAC unbeatens Monday

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Kentucky — Xavier University of Louisiana, in its last of nine consecutive volleyball road matches and its final non-conference match of the regular season, lost 25-17, 22-25, 25-19, 28-26 to Campbellsville Saturday.
     
Vivica Price-Spraggins, Marine Angely and Kayla Blackhad 11 kills apiece for the Gold Nuggets (18-6), who dropped 2-of-3 matches in their second trip to Kentucky this season. Earlier Saturday they defeated Fisk in three sets.
     
Coach Pat Kendrick's Gold Nuggets will close the regular season with six Gulf Coast Athletic Conference matches, the first five at home. Tougaloo, tied for first place with XULA in the GCAC at 8-0, will visit at 6 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center.
     
XULA hit .103 with 27 attack errors to offset a defensive performance that included 10 blocks, a season-high 89 digs and limiting Campbellsville (15-8) to .128 hitting.
     
Black had 18 digs, a career best, in her second double-double of the day. Beatrice Formilan tied her career high with 25 digs, Taylor Ducros had 17 — her second most ever in a match — and Eva Le Guillouhad 13 to go with 38 assists in her eighth double-double this year.
     
Price-Spraggins and Adili Rikondja produced five blocks apiece, and Angely and Jaida Dowd had three apiece.
     
Campbellsville clinched the two-hour, 47-minute match after overcoming XULA fourth-set leads of 4-0, 9-3, 17-11 and 25-24. Kaite Johnson's kill put the Lady Tigers ahead to stay, 27-26, and XULA followed with an attack error.

BOX SCORE
     
Sonia Flendrich had 15 kills, and Johnson and Yelysaveta Sharkova had 11 apiece for Campbellsville. Sharkova hit a match-high .375 in 24 attacks. Paige Merrick had 43 assists, 21 digs, three kills, two aces and two blocks.
     
The Monday XULA-Tougaloo match will be the teams' first this season. They were scheduled to play Sept. 4 at XULA, but they postponed due to the approach of Tropical Storm Gordon in the Gulf of Mexico. XULA will visit Tougaloo in the regular-season finale Nov. 4.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Tennessee State Tigers Fall at Murray State

PHOTO GALLERY | BOX SCORE

Game 5: Tennessee State 21, Murray State 45
Records: TSU (2-3, 1-2 OVC), Murray State (3-3, 3-0 OVC)
Venue: Roy Stewart Stadium
Location: Murray, Ky.
Weather: Cloudy, 51
Kickoff Time: 1:05 p.m.
Attendance: 3,318

MURRAY, Kentucky --- The Tennessee State football team suffered a 45-21 defeat at the hands of Murray State on the road on Saturday at Roy Stewart Stadium in Ohio Valley Conference action.

Tennessee State (2-3, 1-2 OVC) jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, but Murray State (3-3, 3-0 OVC) answered with 35-consecutive points to seize control of the game.

TSU wide receiver Chris Rowland posted another impressive outing with 13 catches for 128 yards and one touchdown.

For the defense, Vincent Sellers and Dajour Nesbeth picked up eight tackles apiece. The Tigers forced a pair of turnovers with Dieuseul Stcyr picking up his first career interception and John Robinson IV securing his first career fumble recovery. 

FIRST QUARTER

• Tennessee State took the opening kickoff and moved 69 yards on 10 plays to take an early 7-0 lead.
• Micheal Hughes found Chris Rowland three times for 23 yards to reach midfield.
• Later in the drive, the Tigers found themselves behind the sticks due to a false start, but managed to gain another first down on a 21 yard pass play from Hughes to Treon Harris.
• Two plays later, TSU found the end zone as Aaron Cauthen caught a 16 yard pass, fighting the last couple yards to break the goal line.
• Dieuseul Stcyr earned his first collegiate interception on a tipped ball to give the Tigers the ball.
• The Big Blue was unable to take advantage of the turnover, as they were stopped on a third and short and midfield.
• After MSU kicked a 47 yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3, the Tigers embarked on a seven play 79 yard scoring drive.
• Hughes and Rowland teamed up again on back-to-back passes of 18 and 19 yards, respectively, moving to the MSU 11.
• DeMarco Corbin capped off the drive with a two yard touchdown run.
• The Tigers outgained the Racers 125-60 in the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

• Murray State scored on their first two possessions of the second stanza.
• The second score came after the Tigers coughed up a fumble at their own 27.
• TSU tried to regain the lead late in the half as they went on a 13 play drive which stalled at the MSU 42.
• The Racers added to their lead, needing just over a minute to travel 88 yards for a 24-14 lead with 13 seconds remaining on the clock.
• The Racers outgained the Tigers, 168-67, in the second quarter. 

THIRD QUARTER

• MSU added 14 points in the third quarter, giving the Racers a 38-14 lead.
• The scoring run reached 35-0 in favor of Murray State after the Tigers led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.
• TSU tried to answer back on the final drive of the quarter, moving to the MSU 10 yard line as the quarter expired.
• Hughes hit DeVon Johnson for 37 yards on the final play of the quarter.
• The Racers held a 126-96 advantage in yards in the quarter. 

FOURTH QUARTER

• Tennessee State scored on the second play of the final stanza, to stop MSUs scoring run.
• Hughes threw a three yard pass to Rowland in the front-right corner of the end zone.
• The Tigers had stopped the Racers on the next possession, but a penalty on the punt extended the drive.
• John Robinson came up with the big play as he stripped the ball from a Racer runner at the eight yard line.
• The Tigers next drive ended on the first interception of the season by Hughes.
• MSU made the turnover count, scoring on the ensuing drive. 

NOTES

• Captains for TSU vs. Murray State are Demry Croft, LaQuarius Cook and Thomas Burton
• TSU’s record in the all-time series versus Murray State is now 13-16.
• TSU won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.
• Saturday’s game aired live on ESPN+.
• TSU received votes in the latest STATS FC Top 25 Poll.
• TSU players starting for the first time this season: QB Micheal Hughes, WR Malik Abdul-Haqq, DB Dieuseul Stcyr, DT Raymond Horton, DB John Robinson IV, LG Cedrick Banks.
• Tight end Aaron Cauthen recorded his second career receiving touchdown. Cauthen had his first career touchdown catch a week ago at Austin Peay.
• Wide Receiver Chris Rowland went over 100 yards receiving for the third time this season.
• Quarterback Micheal Hughes set a career high with 30 completions.

WHAT’S NEXTTSU returns to Nissan to host Tennessee Tech for homecoming on Oct. 20. 

QUOTES
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN LACHAVIOUS SIMMONS
(on the play of the offensive line)
“I think as an offensive line, we did a good job of protecting the quarterback and driving the ball down the field. I think we just have to be more disciplined and go back on the practice field and correct our mistakes. We have to look at the film, evaluate it and just be better next week.”

(on bouncing back next week)
“It’s tough to take a loss, but we still have to bounce back, correct our mistakes and move on. We can’t just stick in the past. We have to move on and play our best football in our last four games and win out.”

DEFENSIVE BACK JOHN ROBINSON IV
(on the defense)
“I think we started out really well and got a stop early. I felt like coming into this game, we had to keep this team off schedule because of the pace and the way they play. Overall we started off hot, but as the game went on, we gave up some plays that we wish we could have back. They didn’t do anything we hadn’t prepared for and hadn’t seen. I just think as a defense, we have to be mentally tougher. We have to trust each other. We don’t want to take anything away from Murray State, they’re a good team, but they didn’t do anything that we hadn’t seen already. We just have to get ready for Tennessee Tech now and put this one behind us.”

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

XULA doubles teams will play for championship Sunday

NEW ORLEANS — It will be an all-Xavier University of Louisiana women's doubles final in the XULA Invitational, with Farah Baklouti and Mariia Borodii meeting Yi Chen Pao and Charene Goreau on Sunday.
     
Competition will begin at 11 a.m. at XULA Tennis Center. Borodii and Baklouti also will meet in a singles semifinal, and Goreau will play LSU-Alexandria's Patricia Martinez in the singles consolation final.
     
Baklouti and Borodii defeated LSUA's Martinez and Patricia Perez 6-0 in the quarterfinals and LSUA's Katheryne Campo and Niahm Packer 6-4 in the semifinals. Pao and Goreau advanced with a 6-0 victory against Catherine Jordan and Adriana Munoz of city rival Loyols, followed by a 6-1 decision against LSUA's Kirsty Venter and Miljana Melojevic.
     
Borodii, top seeded in singles, defeated Packer 8-5 in the round of 16 and Melojevic 8-3 in the quarterfinals. Baklouti won in a walkover in the round of 16, then upset Loyola's fourth-seeded Chandler Harmon 8-6.

Results
     
"We got off to a rough start in singles," XULA coach Alan Green said, "but overall it ended well because we have Mariia and Farah in the semis. Doubles today was outstanding. We played some good doubles."
     
LSUA teammates Perez and Venter will meet in the other singles semifinal. Venter is seeded third.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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TSU Volleyball Wraps Home Stand Dropping Match to Austin Peay

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Julia Pierson posted a match-high 19 kills as the Tennessee State volleyball team dropped its match to conference-leaders Austin Peay 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 22-25, 25-16), Saturday afternoon in Kean Hall.

Austin Peay improves to 17-3, 7-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while the Tigers drop to 7-12 overall, 5-3 in the league.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Julia Pierson led the match in kills with 19, and added 16 digs to record her seventh double-double of the season.
• Laken Te’o finished the afternoon with 45 assists, and added 11 digs to post her 10th double-double of the season.
• Four Tigers posted double-digit digs, led by freshman libero Gina Rivera Ortiz.
• Both the Govs and TSU registered 10 blocks. Hinalei Fihaki posted a match-high seven.

BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Tigers had slow starts in the first two sets of the match. APSU held the lead with a powerful offense, committing only three errors in the first set, and combining for a team .207 attack percentage in the second, despite TSU rejecting six attack attempts. JUCO transfer Khalia Jordan finished the set with two blocks, one solo, and TSU’s blocking-leader Hinalei Fihaki came up with three, one solo.

With late pushes, the Big Blue could not outlast the Govs’ efforts as the red and black took set one, 25-19 and two, 25-22.

Austin Peay opened the third set with six uncontested points, putting a sweep in its sights. Late in the set with the Govs up 20-15, TSU went on a 9-0 run, taking the lead. A kill by Pierson finished off the set for Big Blue, 25-22.

The momentum of the last set was lost as the Tigers sunk to a 11-4 deficit early in the fourth. APSU held the Tigers to a .029 attack percentage on nine kills as TSU’s defense continued to decline. The conference-leaders finished the set 25-16 with three service aces, four blocks and 13 kills with only 3 errors.

MATCH NOTES

• The Govs improve to 47-10 in the all-time series against the Tigers.
• The team honored fellow Tiger Christion Abercrombie, who sustained an injury at last weekend's football game versus Vanderbilt and remains in critical condition, at the start of the match.

UP NEXT

TSU hits the road for a slew of matches away from Kean Hall. The first stop will be at UT Martin, Friday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets 14th, Rush 17th in final race before GCAC meet

CLINTON, Mississippi — Xavier University of Louisiana, in its final cross country meet before the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships, finished 14th in the women's division and 17th in the men's division of the Mississippi College Invitational Saturday.
     
The Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush will return to Clinton and Choctaw Trails Course for the GCAC meet Friday. The 5,000-meter women's race will start at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 8,000-meter men's race at 10:30 a.m. The awards ceremony will start at noon. The XULA women will seek their 12th consecutive GCAC team title.
     
Maliya Vaughan was the first Gold Nuggets finisher for the second time in 2018 and the first time since the season opener. She ran 5,000 meters in 21 minutes, 27.22 seconds and finished 52nd out of 143 women. Also finishing for the Gold Nuggets were Taylor Price(57th, 21:43.01), Brianna Pace (87th, 22:53.38), Mariah Cox (106th, 25:29.81) and Toni Trail (109th, 25:56.17).
     
Freshman Jordan Ashmore was the first Gold Rush finisher for the third time in four meets. He ran 8,000 meters in 29 minutes, 53.07 seconds and finished 109th out of 163 men. Also finishing for the Gold Rush were Camren Sewell (115th, 30:17.71), Kadeem Burton (121st, 31:30.95), Darrick Williams (130th, 32:42.11) and Oji Wells (131st, 33:07.31).

Results (PDF):  Men    Women

     
"We showed some improvement," first-year XULA coach Yhann Plummer said.
     
XULA scored 353 points in the women's division and 524 in the men's.
     
Southeastern Louisiana, with four runners in the top 10, won the women's team title with 39 points. Louisiana Tech won the men's team title with 50 points, eight fewer than SLU. Individual champions were Mississippi Valley's Scolasticah Kemei (17:51.64) in the women's race and SLU's Grant O'Callaghan (25:02.45) in the men's. Kemei won on this course for the second consecutive week.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Morgan Bears hold off Savannah State, 18-11

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Morgan State's backs were against the wall as they looked to avoid an 0-2 start to the conference season and bounce back from a tough loss last week at home to South Carolina State.

Senior running back William King stepped up and senior quarterback D'Andre Harris did just enough in the passing game to put away the Savannah State Tigers by a final score of 18-11.

Saturday's fumble recovery in the endzone by wideout Corey Holmes helped to give the Bears its first conference victory since 2017, the year the Bears posted a 48-28 victory over none other than Savannah State.

 Postgame Stats (PDF) |  Postgame Notes (PDF)

A crowd of 2,655 fans at T.A. Wright Stadium watched what will probably be the last time these two teams will meet as the Bears wrapped the series with a perfect 11-0 record since 2000.

King finished with a game-high 88 yards on 25 carries and Harris was 11-of-16 passing for 159 yards and a score. Harris, who added 10 carries for 40 yards, had a 29-yard run to the 20 that set up senior Alex Raya's 24-yard field goal that opened the scoring midway through the first quarter.

Harris connected with freshman wideout Xavier Gravette down the seam of the defense for a 48-yd TD pass. The Bears converted on a 2-point attempt when D.J. Golatt tossed a pass to Adeola Sulaiman to extend to an 11-0 lead with 2:57 remaining in the first half.

Giovanni Lugo hit a 38-yard field to cap a 10-play, 59 yard drive by the Tigers and trailed 11-3 with 36 seconds left in the half.

On the ensuing kickoff, Antonio Spooney recovered a pooched kick to give the Tigers 1st & 10 from the Bears 33. However, Savannah State could not seal the deal to close out the half, as Lugo missed on a 25-yard field goal attempt to end first half action.

The Tigers (1-5, 0-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) took the second-half kickoff and went 75 yards on nine plays culminated by D'Vonn Gibbons' 9-yard scoring run. He then hit Czar Beneby for the 2-point conversion that made it 11-all.
On the ensuing Morgan State (2-4, 1-1) possession, a pass interference against Savannah State on third-and-8 gave the Bears a fresh set of downs before Harris hit Holmes for 16 yards and, a few plays later, connected on another third-and-8 with Deontaye White for a 15-yard pass to the 1. King took the handoff but Mulik Simmons forced a fumble that Holmes recovered and Raya's PAT kick capped the scoring.

Gibbons was 15-of-27 passing for 219 yards with one interception and had 20 carries for 57 yards and a score for Savannah State.

The Tigers outgained the Bears in total yards by a 348-298 margin.

Junior linebacker Ian McBorrough led the Bears defense with seven tackles, two sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. Senior Chris Fatogoma added 2.5 of the Bears' game-high six total sacks.

Morgan State is back in action at home Oct. 20 vs. Howard (2-3, 2-1). The MEAC contest is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff and will be televised by ESPN3.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

PVAMU Panthers Lose Home Opener To Southern

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M University football team lost the home opener to Southern 38-0 Saturday at Panther Stadium.

The Panthers (3-4 overall, 2-1 SWAC) gained 312 yards on 65 plays but were stifled by five turnovers. In a prime example of nothing going the Panthers' way, four interceptions made by Southern (3-3, 2-1) came off of tipped passes.

BOX SCORE

"I take my hat off to Coach (Dawson) Odums and his coaching staff," said PVAMU head coach Eric Dooley. "They had a great game plan together, and they came out and executed it in all three phases of the game."

Prairie View A&M has an open date before returning to action hosting Alcorn in the 2018 homecoming game on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. at Panther Stadium.



PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets hit .364 in sweep of Fisk at Campbellsville

 CAMPBELLSVILLE, Kentucky  —  Losing streaks have been virtually non-existent during Pat Kendrick's coaching tenure at Xavier University of Louisiana. There's been only one, which lasted two matches, in her 49 competitions.
     
After losing Friday at NAIA No. 6 Lindsey Wilson, the Gold Nuggets rebounded strongly by hitting .364 in a 25-12, 25-17, 25-15 victory against Fisk in the first of two XULA volleyball matches Saturday at Campbellsville University.
     
XULA (18-5) was scheduled to play Campbellsville at 3 p.m. EDT, then return home to prepare for a 6 p.m. Monday home match against Tougaloo. XULA and Tougaloo are both 8-0 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
     
Leading the Gold Nuggets offensively were Kayla Black and Vivica Price-Spraggins. Black had 16 kills and 11 digs — her 12th double-double of the season and 20th of her career — and Price-Spraggins had 14 kills and hit .737.

BOX SCORE
    
Marine Angely had six kills, Eva Le Guillou had 29 assists, Beatrice Formilan had 14 digs, and Taylor Ducros had 13 digs.
     
Cornysia Island had eight kills and hit .364 for Fisk (3-18), which has lost six straight.
     
XULA limited the Lady Bulldogs to .156 hitting and produced advantages of 46-26 in kills, 7-3 in aces and 51-39 in digs.
     
XULA won in three sets for the 11th time this season. Overall the Gold Nuggets have won 12 of their last 13 matches. The Gold Nuggets are 41-8 since Kendrick was hired after the 2016 season.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Bethune-Cookman Holds On For 28-36 Win At SCSU

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Akevious Williams scored two touchdowns as Bethune-Cookman fended off a late South Carolina State rally for a 28-26 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

The Wildcats (4-3 overall, 2-1 MEAC) saw a 25-6 second quarter lead diminish down to two points on Tyrece Nick's 1-yard dive with 2:32 remaining.

But on the two-point conversion, Tydarius Peters hit Nick and forced a fumble that Todney Evans recovered to preserve the lead.

After the kickoff, Williams' third-down conversion allowed Bethune-Cookman to run out the clock and post their third consecutive win.

Williams finished with a career high 110 yards rushing on just 10 carries, including touchdown runs of 31 and 26 in the second quarter.

Uriel Hernandez converted two field goals, the second a 21-yarder with 9:19 left that gave the Wildcats an eight-point lead.

Held with a touchdown in last year's 12-9 victory, Bethune-Cookman found the end zone against the Bulldogs (1-5,1-2) in the first quarter, but it came from the defensive side.

Trevor Merritt registered a pick-six for the second straight game, this one a 42-yarder that gave Bethune-Cookman a 10-0 lead with 3:46 left in the first period.

When South Carolina State closed to 10-6 on Nick's 2-yard run, Bethune-Cookman managed two points when Kennedy Ndukwe scooped up a fumble and returned it all the way to give the Wildcats a 12-6 lead.

The Wildcats scored on their next two possessions, but the Bulldogs seized some momentum just before halftime as an interception set up a 35-yard Nick to De'Mo Burroughs 35-yard touchdown pass.

Isaac Washington rushed for 47 yards, while Keavon Mitchell caught three passes for 51.

Bethune-Cookman hosts North Carolina A&T next Saturday on Hall of Fame day. Kickoff at Daytona Stadium is slated for 4 p.m.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

No. 14 Langston Lions Extinguish Firestorm 38-17

PHOENIX, Arizonia – Senior quarterback Jaylen Lowe (SR/Collinsville, Okla.) passed for two touchdowns and ran for two as the No. 14 Langston Lions knocked off Arizona Christian 38-17 Saturday night.

Lowe racked up 305 yards through the air and picked up an additional 84 yards on the ground as the Lions (5-1, 5-0 SAC) remained unbeaten in the SAC and have won 18 straight conference games dating back to the 2016 season.

Brenden Ettiene (FR/Dallas, Texas) led the ground attack with 125 yards on six carries with one touchdown. Cameron Booty (JR/Dallas, Texas) added 103 yards on eight carries and snagged three reception for 97 yards and two touchdowns on the night.

Photo by Na'Tiana Stocker

Arizona Christian opened the second half with a 36-yard field goal after trailing 17-7 at halftime.

Lowe countered with touchdown passes of 30 and 53 yards to Booty to increase Langston's advantage to 31-10 at the end of the third quarter. Langston tacked on another touchdown in the fourth on a two-yard rush by Ettienne to put the Lions firmly in front at 38-10 with 8:20 remaining in the fourth.

The final score of the game came on a 14-yard rush by ACU's quarterback Maverick Gamez to make it 38-17 in favor of Langston at the 6:30 mark in the fourth.

Defensively, the Lions held the Firestorm's fourth-ranked passing offense in the NAIA to 63 passing yards and 241 yards total on offense. James Cox (JR/Hammond, La.) led Langston with seven total tackles including six solo with one tackle for loss and one pass breakup.

Justin Wade (JR/Baton Rouge, La.) was right behind him with six assisted tackles and two solo on the night.

Offensively, Langston eclipsed the 600-yard mark for total offense with 681. Last week the Lions set the season-high mark with 692 against Texas Wesleyan.

Langston (5-1, 5-0) hosts Lyon College for homecoming next Saturday at W.E. Anderson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY LIONS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Virginia Union Panthers Surges into Top Spot in CIAA North

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- Virginia Union University's Tabyus Taylor rushed for 177 yards and four touchdowns as VUU defeated Chowan University 48-38 on Saturday, October 13, in Murfreesboro, N.C.

Taylor became the first Virginia Union player since Cassious McDowell in 2014 to rush for four touchdowns in a single game.

The win also gave VUU sole possession of first place in the Northern Division of the CIAA.

Taylor also now has 15 rushing touchdowns on the year, tying him with Jeff Haynes for second-highest total of rushing touchdowns in a single season. Haynes rushed for 15 touchdowns in 1983, with single-season record holder Andre Braxton having rushed for 26 touchdowns in 2000.

BOX SCORE

VUU's Darius Taylor completed 16 of 23 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Virginia Union's winning score came on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Darius Taylor to Jewison Dawkins with 12:10 left in the fourth quarter.

The win also raised VUU's record to 5-1 overall and kept the Panthers undefeated in the CIAA with a 4-0 record. Chowan fell to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the CIAA.

Virginia Union now returns home to face Bowie State University in a nationally televised game on the Aspire TV network at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 20, at Hovey Field in Richmond, Va.

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY PANTHERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Bowie State Bulldogs Capture 20-15 Homecoming Win Over Virginia State

BOWIE, Maryland – The Bulldogs of Bowie State University got the job done on Homecoming, knocking off the Virginia State University Trojans 20-15 on Saturday afternoon before a nationally televised audience. The victory sets Bowie State's overall mark at 5-2, 3-1 in CIAA play and 1-1 in the North. PHOTOS (Courtesy of Lawrence Johnson)

Senior Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) threw for a season-low 171 yards, completing 16-of-24 passes and two touchdowns. Senior Maurice Williams (Baltimore, Md.) rushed for a team-best 66 yards and redshirt sophomore Montez Clay (Baltimore, Md.) recorded a team-high 55 reception yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, senior Roger Richardson paced the Bulldogs with seven tackles, forced one fumble and was credited with one pass breakup.



Virginia State (3-3, 3-1 CIAA, 1-1 North) was led offensively by versatile quarterback Cordelral Cook, leading the Trojans in passing yards (215) and rushing yards (83). Cook completed 16-of-28 passes with one interception and was sacked three times. Joshua Harris was the games' leading receiver with a game-high six receptions and a game-high 79 yards. Patrick Prosser and Kurtis Brooks led the VSU with nine and eight tackles respectively.

Bowie State junior kicker Gene Carson, II put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first at the 3:49 mark of the first quarter, booting a 29-yard field for the 3-0 lead.

Virginia State scored on safety early in the second quarter following a high snap over the head of the Bowie State punter that ended up rolling out the back of the end zone to set the score at 3-2. Carson knocked through his second field goal of the game with 2:59 remaining before halftime and sent Bowie State into intermission leading 6-2.

BSU's Clay was responsible for the Bulldogs next two scores, scoring on a 2-yard pass from Hall at the 10:11 mark of the third quarter and again five minutes later, this time from 22-yards away, providing a 20-2 cushion for the home team.

BOX SCORE

Virginia State's Cook ran it in for six from 11-yards out and Nicholas Woolfolk's extra point trimmed the Trojans deficit to 20-9 heading into the final quarter.

The Trojans put together a pretty lengthy drive to start the fourth quarter but came up empty. Virginia State attempted fake punt combined with a personal foul penalty, keeping their drive alive. Fortunately, the Bowie State defense held deep in Bulldogs territory.



Virginia State was able to cut the Bowie State lead to five (20-15) with exactly three minutes remaining in the contest following a 1-yard touchdown run by Daniel Reid.

The Bulldogs head south next Saturday (October 20) to face the division leading Panthers of Virginia Union for another nationally televised broadcast (Aspire Network) from Hovey Field. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m.

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

The WVSU Yellow Jackets Take to the Ground, Rush to Third Win in a Row

INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- Sometimes things actually turn out the way they look on paper.

West Virginia State came into Saturday's home game against Concord with one of the most potent offenses in the Mountain East Conference.

The Mountain Lions (1-6) feature a defense that has allowed more yards and points than any other in the league.

That matchup produced a 52-24 Yellow Jacket win as the WVSU offense pretty much moved up and down the field at will on the way to a single game program record 451 rushing yards and a season high 566 yards of total offense.

"It was a combination of things," Yellow Jacket Head Coach John Pennington said. "You have to give a lot of credit to the offensive line and Faustino (Saucedo) did a good job of checking us into the right play and that is impressive for somebody who has only been in the program a couple of months."

The credit did not stop there.

"The tight ends and receivers did a great job of blocking downfield," Pennington said. "And we had fewer penalties, we really cut down on the holding penalties, especially the linemen."

It did take a little while for the Jackets to get their offense into gear though.

Concord led 10-7 after the first period but WVSU (4-3 overall, 3-3 MEC) scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter for a 24-10 halftime advantage

The Yellow Jackets hit their stride in the third period scoring 28 points to put the game out of reach. WVSU Head Coach John Pennington substituted liberally in the fourth quarter.

Their were several outstanding offensive performances, mainly on the ground, as the Jackets thew the ball a season-low 14 times.

The last time WVSU threw just 14 passes was way back on September 21, 2013, in a loss against West Liberty.

Sophomore Calil Wilkins led the way with 192 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries followed by freshman Carl Garmon with 116 yards and one touchdown, also on 14 carries. Junior wide receiver A.J. Barrette even got in on the ground game when he took a pitch on an end around and zig-zagged his way through the defense for a 76 yard touchdown in the third period.

Saucedo finished 7-of-14 passing for 114 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

The longest pass play was a 41 yard scoring strike to senior Tyrell Henderson in the endzone.

WVSU heads north next week for a 1 p.m. Saturday kickoff at West Liberty (2-5). The Hilltoppers fell 33-23 at Glenville State.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Miles Golden Bears Saved The Best For Last

FRANKFORT, Kentucky. -- It looked as if history was set to repeat itself for Miles Saturday afternoon against Kentucky State.

In 2016, the Golden Bears held a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter against the Thorobreds but gave up two touchdowns in the final 15 minutes that allowed KSU to celebrate a Homecoming win. When Jules St. Ge scored on a 39-yard run with 1:02 remaining, Kentucky State had scored its second fourth-quarter touchdown, erasing a 10-point deficit and grabbing a four-point advantage.

But Miles was able to write a new ending thanks to the heroics of quarterback Daniel Smith and wide receiver Leonard Tyree. The two connected on an 17-yard scoring pass with three seconds left to lift the Golden Bears (2-5, 2-1 SIAC West) to a 24-21 win over the Thorobreds (0-7, 0-3) at Alumni Stadium. The game-winning play concluded a 78-yard drive that took just 45 seconds to complete.

The Golden Bears took over at their own 22-yard line with 48 seconds left. Facing a third-and-5, Smith found Malik Campbell for 12 yards to extend the drive. Two plays later, the duo linked up for a big 41-yard gain that set up the final play.

Tyree (three catches, 93 yards), who normally lines up outside, moved into the slot. He faked as if he was going to run a fade to the corner. Instead, he darted towards the middle where Smith delivered a strike for the duo's eighth touchdown connection of the season, which set off a euphoric celebration on the Miles sideline. Kentucky State had one final opportunity on the ensuing kickoff but Miles forced and recovered fumble for the big win that allowed the Golden Bears to avoid its third last-minute loss of the season.

BOX SCORE

The Miles offense carved the KSU defense at will, especially in the passing game. Smith enjoyed the best day of his career, completing 23-of-28 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions or sacks. He completed all nine of his passes in the first half, including a 19-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to Campbell, who had a career-high 127 receiving yards on four catches. Thanks to a 37-yard field goal by Jackson Spradlin, Miles led 10-7 at the break.

The second half saw Miles continue to move the ball. Devising a game plan that heavily featured tight ends Montavious Tinch (nine catches, 71 yards) and DeionTray Fagin (five catches, 42 yards), the Golden Bears picked up chunks of yards at a time. The two caught all 14 of their targets with the biggest coming midway through the third quarter as Tinch collected an 8-yard pass from Smith for a touchdown that gave Miles a 17-7 lead with 4:34 left in third quarter.

Miles would hold that lead until late in the fourth quarter. After officials appeared to miss a KSU fumble that would have given possession back to the Golden Bears, as well as assessing a questionable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (the only penalty accepted against Miles the entire game), the Thorobreds drew closer on a touchdown pass from St. Ge to Paul Campbell before the final touchdown that preceded the final play.

Christian Mays led Miles with a career-high 66 yards rushing while Smith added another 48. Austin Stephens had a team-high seven tackles, Maxel Wells had six tackles (two for loss), and Jamari Smith and Brad Horne each had a sack for the Golden Bears, who play at Lane on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

MILES COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS' SPORTS INFORMATION