Bears Hold off FVSU Wildcats Homecoming Upset Bid

FORT VALLEY, Georgia – After what turned out to be a wet first half, the Wildcats shinned in the early third quarter and they had thoughts of a Homecoming upset dancing in their heads. Lenoir-Rhyne turned the tide 17-straight points and held off Fort Valley State in a 30-22 football victory.

Trailing 13-7 at half, the Wildcats (1-7) saw the passing combo of Demontay Jones to Lorenzo Smothers surge them ahead. Jones hit Smothers on a 63-yard scoring strike on the opening possession and added a second 63-yarder on the second drive, which took the ball to the visitors' one-yardline. Jeremy McCants plunged in from a yard on the next play for a sudden 19-13 home advantage.

Lenoir-Rhyne (7-1) did not allow FVSU to enjoy the lead for any more than 14 seconds. The Bears' Xzavion Huff returned the ensuing kick-off 90 yards cutting across the field for the kick-return touchdown and lead, 20-19. The visitors added a 33-yard field goal 2:33 later and a mid-fourth quarter touchdown, before they ran out the final 4:43 of the clock to end the game.

Smothers finished his day with 210 all-purpose yards with three catches for 140 yards, one kick return for 66 yards and a seven-yard punt return.

In his first quarterback start, Jones completed 10 of 22 passes for 199 yards with one score and an interception. The junior also rushed for 27 yards on nine attempts. McCants added 35 yards on 14 carries with the one-yard touchdown. Jeffery Mack pulled in a 55-yard catch for his lone grab.

After only toaling 67 first-half yards, the Wildcats offense finished the day with 281 yards on 56 plays.

The potent Lenoir-Rhyne rushing attack slipped over the 300-yard mark of 305 on 64 rushes. The Wildcats defense did hold the Bears to a season-low point total of 30 points. Strong safety Cameron Young led the home defense with a season-best 20 tackles, 12 of the solo variety with a forced fumble.

Kei'Jne Thomas added nine tackles and a tackle for loss, while four other FVSU defenders finished with eight tackles apiece – Voris Bryant (8 QB hurries), Aaron Dore (2 breakups), Juwan Gardner (1 sack) and Andrew Robinson (2 tackles for loss and a sack).

The Bears amassed 428 yards of total offense, but 267 of those yards came in the opening two frames. Darnell Jackson paced the Lenoir-Rhyne running back committee with 109 yards on 16 attempts with a touchdown, while Huff contributed 66 yards on 11 tries, including a second-quarter 54-yard score burst.

ATTENDANCE: 8,139

BOX SCORE

With a 23-19 deficit after three quarters, the Wildcats thought they had an opportune situation to retake the lead. A Jones pass to left tackle Darrious Hicks for 16 yards down the Bears two-yardline was called back due to a called illegal forward pass.

Following an Eli Mashburn punt downed at the 3-yard line, FVSU saw another chance not pan out as the tide almost turned again two plays later. On a bad Lenoir-Rhyne quarterback snap exchange forced by FVSU's Glendrell Byrd, the home defense appeared to have fallen on the fumbled ball, but the pigskin was kept with the Bears after an officials meeting. Lenoir-Rhyne made the turn of events hurt as it 13 more plays covering 97 yards capped by a Jackson 9-yard rush into the endzone for a 30-19 score with 7:32 left in the game.

Jones hit Mack for 55 yards on the Wildcats' third ensuing play down to the Bears' five yard line. After three plays without totaling a yard, FVSU settled for a Abisai Gutierrez 21-yard field goal to make it 30-22 with 4:52 on the scoreboard.

Behind seven rushes in a row, Lenoir-Rhyne ran the final 4:43 off the clock for the victory.

FVSU returns to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action next Saturday, Oct. 27, in Atlanta at Morehouse College. Kick-off set for 2 p.m.

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Big Runs, Tremendous Defense Lead LU to Road Win

LIBERTY, Missouri  --  The Lincoln football tallied more rushing yards than William Jewell had total yards as the Blue Tigers earned a 23-14 road win over the Cardinals on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 20).

Kimbo Ferguson rushed for 112 yards, Henry Ogala had both rushing and passing touchdowns and Terry Hunter added another scoring run as the Blue Tigers totaled 230 yards on the ground. The Lincoln defense had another outstanding performance, giving up just 222 total yards, including 88 on the ground and 134 through the air.

William Jewell (1-6, 1-4 GLVC) took advantage of good starting field position for the first score of the contest, as the Cardinals marched 49 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter on a one-yard run. Lincoln (3-5, 2-3 GLVC) matched the score midway through the second period, as Hunter's two-yard run capped off a 39-yard drive that was set by a good punt return from Hasan Muhammad-Rogers. Ogala accounted for 32 of those yards on three completions, including a 13-yard throw to Eric Brice down to the two-yard line.

Fernando Ramirez tacked on a 32-yard field goal with less than a minute until halftime to give Lincoln a 10-7 lead it would never relinquish. On LU's first drive of the second half, Brice hauled in a 17-yard pass from Ogala to give the Blue Tigers a nine-point advantage.

BOX SCORE

The two teams traded scores on the ensuing drives, with William Jewell using a 44-yard touchdown reception for its final points of the afternoon. Lincoln responded quickly, as Ogala found Blake Tibbs for a 55-yard completion down to the one-yard line, and then scored himself on a keeper to extend the LU lead back up to nine.

The LU defense controlled the game after that, allowing the Cardinals to gain just 60 yards in the fourth quarter. Lincoln limited the Cardinals to just one successful third-down conversion in nine tries, and recorded four tackles for loss, three sacks and seven quarterback hurries throughout the contest.

Saint Durassaint and JaJuan Chambers combined for eight tackles and five hurries, with each player also registering a sack. Amani Nelson, Victor Williams and Austin Harris each had four tackles apiece, and Isaiah Gray led the Blue Tigers with five takedowns. Micah Scott also had a tackle for loss while Chavon Gross broke up two passes.

Tibbs had 70 yards to lead LU's receivers, and Ogala completed 14 of his 19 pass attempts for 158 yards and the score. Ogala added 60 yards on the ground while Hunter was next with 52.

Lincoln won a conference game on the road for the first time as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and earned its first league road win since 1975.

The Blue Tigers will try for another road win next Saturday (Oct. 27) as Lincoln travels down to Rolla, Mo. for a 7:00 p.m. CT game against Missouri S&T.

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

Chowan Defense Smothers Vikings, Hawks Win 44-20

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina – The Chowan Football team recovered from a slow start to keep rival, Elizabeth City State, winless in league action as the Hawks' defense stuck their talons into the Vikings for the 44-20 win in CIAA Northern Division action on Saturday afternoon.



THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 44, Elizabeth City State 20
RECORDS | Chowan 3-4 (2-2), Elizabeth City State 1-5 (0-4)
LOCATION | Elizabeth City, N.C. (Roebuck Stadium)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Chowan picked up their first win in Elizabeth City during the series and first back-to-back wins against the Vikings.

The Chowan defense harassed the Elizabeth City State offense all game long, allowing seven first downs and a negative rushing total (-2 yards). The Vikings netted 112 total yards, while the Hawks posted 550 yards.

Chowan recorded eight sacks on the afternoon as Rafiq Abdul-Wahid registered 3.5 sacks in the contest to lead the Hawks. Tyler Bembry, Dre Terry, and Arrington Bazemore recorded a sack. George Parker picked off the Vikings quarterback.

Tyrell Freeman rushed for 157 yards on 26 carries and found the endzone twice. Brandon Hughes rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Bryce Witt tossed for 285 yards through the air and added 52 yards on the ground for three total touchdowns. Paul Gooden registered seven catches for 101 yards and a score.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter:

On the first drive for the Hawks, Bryce Witt found Imeek Watkins on a 31-yd reception, but two penalties stalled the drive.

The Chowan defense would force a three-and-out as Rafiq Abdul-Wahid and Jacquae Peart teamed up for a sack on second down.

Chowan would be forced to punt on the next drive. The Vikings returned the punt for an 83-yd touchdown to lead 7-0.

BOX SCORE

After another punt, the Chowan defense forced an ECSU punt on their next drive. The snap would go over the punter's head and out of the endzone for the safety, 7-2, with 4:57 remaining in the quarter.

The Hawks defense would force a fumble as the Vikings completed the pass. Calvin Stephens came in and stripped the receiver and recovered by Marquise Baldwin.

Second Quarter:

Chowan's drive would stall in Vikings' territory forcing a field goal attempt. ECSU's special teams stepped up once again as the attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown to lead 14-2.

The Hawks mustered up a scoring drive on their next possession as Tyrell Freeman started the drive with back-to-back runs for a first down. Passes from Bryce Witt to Brandon Hughes for 18-yds and a 22-yd reception by Brian Hopper Jr. allowed Hughes to find the endzone on the ground for the first touchdown of the game for the Hawks.

Dre Terry registered a sack on second down and then Rafiq Abdul-Wahid recorded a tackle for loss to force a punt.

Bryce Witt put the Hawks on top with a 39-yd pass to Paul Gooden as Adrian McNeil posted a block to spring Gooden for the touchown and the 16-14 lead.

On the next Hawks' possession, Bryce Witt would be picked off, but the Chowan defense recorded a sack and a punt to give the Hawks the ball back with 1:01 left in the half.

Chowan couldn't move the ball on the drive after a 22-yd reception by Imeek Watkins and an 18-yd rush by Brandon Hughes to go into the half.

Third Quarter:

Coming out of the locker room, Rafiq Abdul-Wahid registered back-to-back sacks to force a punt on the opening drive of the half.

The Hawks marched the ball down the field on the ground as Tyrell Freeman tallied 42 yards on five carries to find the endzone. Freeman continued to gash the Vikings defense with chunks of 10 and 18 yards on the next drive. Freeman punched it in from two yards out to give the Hawks the 30-14 lead.

Fourth Quarter:

Chowan's defense continued to wreak havoc on the ECSU offense as David Harden swallowed up the Vikings' quarterback for the strip sack. Tyler Bembry recovered the ball at the CU 24.

The Hawks were forced to punt following the turnover. Elizabeth City State used a penalty and a long pass play to cut the deficit to 30-20 with 9:03 remaining in the contest.

Bryce Witt connected with Paul Gooden for a 30-yd reception followed by a strong 20-yd run by Tyrell Freeman to put the Hawks into the redzone. Bryce Witt called his own number from 9-yds out for the touchdown.

On the next drive, George Parker picked off the pass to give the Hawks the ball back. Bryce Witt found Torry Baker for a 49-yd strike before Witt found Brian Hopper Jr. on a 17-yd reception for the score.

UP NEXT

Chowan heads to Petersburg, Va. to face Virginia State in CIAA Northern Division action on October 27.

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

UNA Defense Dominates Jackson State in 24-7 Win

JACKSON, Mississippi -- The University of North Alabama defense was dominant for the first three quarters as the Lions built a 24-0 lead and went on to defeat Jackson State 24-7 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

With the win, North Alabama improves to 5-3, while Jackson State falls to 3-3.

Jackson State was the final Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent for the Lions in 2018 and UNA finished that portion of its schedule with a 3-2 record.

The North Alabama defense held Jackson State to just four first downs and 65 total yards through the first three quarters, while the Christian Lopez threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Lions jumped on top 24-0.

North Alabama finished the game with 365 yards of total offense as Lopez was 14-of-23 passing for 212 yards and rushed for 50. UNA had 153 rushing yards and held the ball for 32:55 of the game.

Jackson State finished the game with 163 total yards.

After getting a defensive stop on JSU's first possession, North Alabama drove 57 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Christian Lopez's 21-yard pass to Jakobi Byrd and a 15-yard completion to Cortez Hall put the Lions in scoring position. Lopez then scored on a four-yard run and Chandler Carrera's extra-point gave UNA a 7-0 lead at 9:12 of the first quarter.

The Lions missed a scoring opportunity late in the quarter when a 50-yard field goal attempt by Carrera was long enough but sailed slightly wide right. The miss snapped a streak of 10 straight successful field goal attempts by Carrera.

BOX SCORE

ATTENDANCE: 19,750

UNA got back on the scoreboard at 11:52 of the second quarter when Lopez hit Donzell Pollite with a 23-yard touchdown pass. Carrera's PAT made it 14-0.

Carrera had another chance just before the half but was again wide on a 42-yard attempt.

North Alabama's defense dominated the first half, allowing Jackson State just two first downs and 22 total yards.

The Lions extended their lead on the first possession of the second half with a 23-yard Carrera field goal that made it 17-0. A 37-yard Lopez pass to Andre Little moved the ball to the JSU six-yard line but the Lions could not put it in the end zone from there. The kick came at 10:05 of the third quarter.

North Alabama's scoring drive covered 69 yards in 11 plays and took 4:54 off the clock.

UNA was back in the end zone on its next possession as Lopez hit Hall with a pass over the middle and Hall broke tackles and went 42 yards for a touchdown. Carrera's PAT made it 24-0 at 4:41 of the third quarter.

The Tigers avoided being shutout with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. KeShawn Harper scored on a three-yard run and Christian Jacquenim added the extra-point to make it 24-7 with 10:53 left in the game. Prior to that drive, Jackson State had gained just 65 yards through the first three quarters.

North Alabama has an open date on Sept. 27 before hosting Shorter at Braly Stadium on Nov. 3 at 6:00 p.m.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Alcorn Scores Game-Winner in Final Seconds to Post Triumphant Victory over Grambling State

LORMAN, Mississippi -- A touchdown pass to junior Chris Blair with 12 seconds left was the decisive score in a 33-26 win for the Alcorn State University football program over Grambling State on Saturday at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.

The score was tied 26-26 when the Braves (6-2, 4-1 SWAC) were faced with a 3rd-and-20 from the GSU 36 in the final minute. Rather than going short to setup a manageable field goal attempt, junior Noah Johnson aired it out and connected with senior Dayall Harris for 33 yards along the right sideline at the GSU 3. After a two-yard run by Johnson, the Braves called their final timeout with 17 ticks remaining.

On the game-winning play, Johnson rolled out to the right and drew defenders toward him when he found Blair wide-open in the end zone for the score.

It was the second touchdown catch of the game for Blair who caught five passes for 37 yards. Johnson ended with 160 passing yards, two touchdowns and 44 rushing yards in the back-and-forth battle over the Tigers (3-4, 2-2 SWAC).

Alcorn outrushed GSU 148-84 in the game as junior De'Shawn Waller ran for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Junior Terry Whittington had a heroic day defensively with career-highs of 15 tackles, 6.0 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Sophomore Qwynnterrio Cole also turned in a career-high with 11 tackles to go along with 1.5 tackles for a loss. Junior Solomon Muhammad reached double-figures with 10 sacks.

The defense sacked GSU a monster eight times.

Geremy Hickbottom led the Tigers in both rushing and passing. He threw for 279 yards and rushed for 54 and a touchdown. Hickbottom would have had over 100 rushing yards if it weren't for the sacks. Danquarian Fields wrapped-up 10 tackles defensively.

GSU had the ball first and marched right down the field to take an early 7-0 lead. It was an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by a three-yard touchdown run by Johntavious Robinson.

It was looking like it could get ugly for the Braves in the first quarter after the Tigers continued to move the ball with ease. However, a couple big stops in the red zone resulted in only field goals as GSU led 13-0 at the 3:18 mark.

The spark that got the Braves going was a big 60-yard kick return by junior Javen Morrison to the GSU 30. After a facemask on the Tigers, Alcorn got on the board with a 12-yard touchdown run by Waller to cut the deficit to 13-7 at the 2:20 mark.

The Braves continued to move the ball early in the second. A 14-yard pass to Blair, followed by an 18-yard run by Johnson setup Alcorn at the GSU 25. A couple of runs by senior P.J. Simmons got the Braves close, but they ended up kicking a 26-yard field goal by McCullough to trail just 13-10 at the 12:34 mark.

On the following possession, GSU was backed up by a pair of penalties when junior Darrell Henderson stripped Hickbottom on a scramble attempt and junior Theron Bonds dove on it at the GSU 9. Alcorn cashed in on a nine-yard touchdown pass to Blair to take the lead. The Braves went up 16-13 with 12:06 to go after a missed extra point.

Alcorn's huge second quarter continued after a pick-six by Morrison. Hickbottom was under pressure when he underthrew a receiver and Morrison returned it 34 yards to give the Braves a 23-13 edge. The score remained the same at the half.

Alcorn had the ball first in the third quarter and was threatening on its opening drive after reaching the GSU 17. Though, the Braves were backed up by a holding penalty, and on 3rd-and-23 GSU came up with an interception by Kenan Fontenot which was returned 33 yards to the Alcorn 48.

GSU took advantage of the turnover and chipped away with a deep 52-yard field goal by Marc Orozco to make it a 23-16 game midway through the third.

Late in the quarter, the Tigers tied it on a 24-yard keeper by Hickbottom. He ran right through the center and then made an acrobatic dive at the goal line as he flipped in the air and stuck the ball across for the score.

The seesaw battle continued in the fourth as the dependable GSU kicker Orozco nailed a 40-yarder to put the Tigers back ahead 26-23 with 12:03 left in the game. It ended a long drive that was highlighted by a 45-yard rush by Hickbottom.

Alcorn responded with a 14-play drive of its own which included 14 and 10-yard rushes by Johnson. The Braves were setup at the GSU 29 when the drive stalled out and McCullough came in and drilled a 40-yarder to even the score at 26 with 6:41 left.

Both teams had a couple chances late, but a big penalty on the Tigers for fair-catch interference gave the Braves great field position at the GSU 26 with 1:42 remaining. Though, already in field goal position, Alcorn returned the favor with a 15-yard chop block to make it 3rd-and-20 at the GSU 36. That's when Johnson found Harris to setup the game-winner to Blair.

GSU had one last play with six seconds left at the GSU 44, but a short pass to Robinson only went for 19 yards as Cole made an open-field tackle to end the game.

The Braves will be back on the road next weekend when they head to Prairie View A&M for a 2 p.m. kick-off. The Braves are 41-15 all-time against the Panthers.

NOTES
- Whittington came one sack short of the single-game school record of 5.0 set by Bryant Mix in 1995 against Texas Southern. Whittington's previous career-highs were 10 tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss and one sack.

- Alcorn put up 33 on GSU after the Tigers entered the game allowing just 14.3 points per game in conference this year, the best in the league.

- Morrison, who has led the team in interceptions the last two years, grabbed his team-high third of the year and ninth of his career. It was his second pick-six of his career after he did it at Mississippi Valley State in 2016.

- It was Alcorn's first win over GSU at home since 1997 when the Braves won 44-20.

- The Braves entered the game ranked second in the FCS in tackles for a loss (9.0) and third in sacks per game (4.0). Their numbers will go up after recording 13.0 tackles for a loss and 8.0 sacks.

- Offensively, Alcorn entered the game leading the SWAC with 34.1 points per game and were right on par with 33 points.

- The Braves improved to 11-0 when leading at halftime over the last two seasons.

- The game featured the No. 3 ranked Braves and the fourth-ranked Tigers in the HBCU Poll.

- Alcorn's captains were Morrison, Shippy and junior Raidarious. The Braves won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.

BOX SCORE

ATTENDANCE: 10,610

Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair
Opening Statement
"That was a tough win. We did it here at home against a great Grambling football team. To come back after giving up a 10-point lead is phenomenal. I'm proud of the guys and everything they do. They fight hard every day and should be proud of themselves as well."

On game preparation
"The biggest thing is I let them be themselves this week. I told them I wouldn't give them a big hoorah speech. They knew what this game meant and I thought they did a great job with preparation. How you prepare for the week shows on Saturdays."

Quoting Noah Johnson
"I knew it would be a hard-fought game just based off the history we have with each other. Losing to the same team two years straight fueled us. We brought the intensity all week. It was a 60-minute game, we were down but the defense stood strong the entire game. We just kept digging deep and kept fighting. Coach McNair knows I always want to make a play so he always tells me if it's not there then throw it away. I saw Chris run the route and get open and it felt so good."

Quoting Terry Whittington
"Coming in we knew we would face a little adversity. We knew we had to be ready. On the defensive side, we can physically dominate anybody. We know what we have to do to get back to Atlanta. We're not there yet but we are almost there. Moving forward we have to play with intensity all four quarters."

Quoting Chris Blair
"My senior year of high school was my first time seeing an Alcorn game and it was the SWAC championship against Grambling. Playing in this game was big. The energy was there, but like Noah said it was there all week. We got back to having fun."

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY BRAVES ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Tuskegee Golden Tigers cruise with shutout Homecoming win over Kentucky State

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- For the second time this season, the Tuskegee University football team produced a shutout over an SIAC opponent. Saturday, the Golden Tigers came away with a 37-0 win over Kentucky State for its 94th Annual Homecoming game presented by Serious Injury Law Group at Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium.

Javarius Cheatham made sure he left his mark on Senior Day, securing the team's first points of the afternoon on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Ahmad Deramus in the first quarter. A drive that occupied six plays for 62 yards was capped off by a Huskic Arnes PAT. Deramus played his most efficient game of the season connecting on 12 of his 18 passing attempts for 235 yards and four touchdowns along with one interception.

Just seconds into the second quarter, Deramus found a streaking Peyton Ramzy down the middle of the endzone for a 15-yard pass that put TU up 14-0 after the Arnes PAT.

The dominance continued in the second quarter when Chardian Johnson was on the receiving end of 33-yard touchdown pass from Deramus in a drive that took up five plays on 58 yards, followed by a Marquez Burdette four-yard run just before halftime that made the score 28-0 at the break

Saturday's shutout was the first one since the Golden Tigers held Albany State scoreless in week 2. D.J. Horne led the unit in tackles with five stops and a sack. Playing in his last regular season game at home, Terance Leatherwood notched four tackles and a sack of his own. Brycen Jones also registered four tackles, but added an interception on the afternoon. Kenny Gant was TU's leading rusher for the second straight week, after pounding out 82 yards on 12 carries. The Junior running back averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Fullback Justice Owens had a huge day hauling in four catches for 75 yards and one touchdown. His 16-yard touchdown catch on Skegee's opening drive of the second half from Deramus increased TU's lead to 35-0.

The Golden Tigers finished most of the second half with its reserves in as receiver Kerrson Aikens would round out the scoring recording a safety for TU with 30 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Tuskegee travels next week to Wilberforce, Ohio to face Central State. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage starts at 12:55 p.m. on the Tuskegee Digital Network. Flo Sports Network will also carried the game with a live video stream.

BOX SCORE

ATTENDANCE: 19,321

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

WVSU Jackets Drop 36-24 Decision at West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY, West Virginia -- The Yellow Jackets fell behind early and were never able to catch up on the way to dropping a 36-24 decision at West Liberty Saturday afternoon.

The Hilltoppers jumped out to a 16-0 lead and held onto the ball for almost 20 out of 30 minutes in the first half with a pounding ground game. WVSU trailed 19-10 at halftime.

Freshman Carl Garmon accounted for the lone WVSU touchdown in the first half on a 34-yard scamper. Aaron Ball hit a 34-yard field goal to account for the rest of the Jackets' scoring.

A West Liberty field goal accounted for all of the third quarter scoring giving the Hilltoppers a 22-10 lead after three quarters.

BOX SCORE

The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth period with Garmon accounting for both of the WVSU scores. First on a 2-yard lunge and then on a 57-yard pass from Faustino Saucedo.

Saucedo finished 22-of-36 passing for 281 yards. Freshman Calil Wilkins ran for 74 yards on 15 attempts and Garmon carried three times for 50.

ATTENDANCE: 2856

The Hilltoppers ran for 284 yards and benefited from the Yellow Jackets being called for a season high 17 penalties for 158 yards.

WVSU hosts Fairmont State Saturday.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Defense Sparks NCCU to 36-6 Win over Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Virginia -- North Carolina Central University amassed five takeaways (3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries) and six sacks, and connected on the second-longest pass play in school history during a 36-6 conference road victory over Norfolk State University at William "Dick" Price Stadium on Saturday.

Among NCCU's five takeaways was a red-zone interception by NCCU senior safety Jaquell Taylor midway through the third quarter, keeping the Spartans off the scoreboard. Two plays later, Eagles quarterback Chauncey Caldwell connected with tight end Sherman McLeod for a 93-yard touchdown reception, the second-longest pass play in school history, to push the Eagles ahead 19-0.

BOX SCORE

NCCU (3-3, 2-1 MEAC) recorded 388 yards of total offense, including 200 yards rushing, to average 5.7 yards per play, while Norfolk State (3-3, 1-2 MEAC) managed 301 total yards for an average of 3.8 yards per play.

Caldwell accounted for 241 yards of total offense for the Eagles with 188 passing yards and 53 yards rushing, including a 5-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter. Sophomore running back Isaiah Totten registered 108 ground yards with a 35-yard score in the fourth quarter, along with three receptions for 23 yards. Sophomore Nique Martin tallied six receptions for 44 yards for the Eagles.

Defensively, sophomore linebacker Branden Bailey posted a game-high 11 tackles, junior lineman Tavon Lofties chipped in five tackles with two sacks, senior linebacker King Kiaku contributed six takedowns with two pass break-ups and a fumble recovery, and senior lineman Randy Anyanwu added a sack and a blocked punt. NCCU interceptions were recorded by Taylor, senior safety Davanta Reynolds and redshirt freshman linebacker Patrick Connor, who also recovered a fumble.

ATTENDANCE: 13,186

Redshirt freshman kicker Adam Lippy made all three field goal attempts with a long kick of 38 yards, while also converting three extra-point kicks.

NCCU entered the contest ranked No. 1 in the nation in turnovers lost with just one interception in the first game of the season. On Saturday, the Eagles lost two fumbles.

Norfolk State was topped by quarterback Juwan Carter with 140 yards on 15 of 28 passing, but he threw two interceptions and was sacked four times. Marcus Taylor caught six passes for 61 yards.

Up next, NCCU travels to Delaware State on Oct. 27.

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bowie State Takes Over First Place in CIAA North with 27-13 Victory at Virginia Union

Amir Hall Becomes CIAA’s All-Time Touchdown Passes Leader

RICHMOND, Virginia – Bowie State earned a huge CIAA divisional win on Saturday afternoon, knocking off the previous Northern Division leader Virginia Union Panthers by a score of 27-13. The win propels the Bulldogs into first place in the North, improving to 6-2 overall, 3-1 in league play and 2-1 in the North.

Virginia Union scored on the games' opening possession when Jefferson Souza kicked a 39-yard field goal with 10:54 on the clock.



Bowie State senior Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) connected with junior Brandon Abrams (Baltimore, Md.) for a 56-yard touchdown at the 9:39 mark of the first quarter. Junior Gene Carson (Accokeek, Md.) booted a 17-yard field with 4:03 left in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a 10-3 lead.

Carson added another field goal, this time for 23 yards with five seconds left in the second quarter to send Bowie State into halftime with a 13-3 advantage.

BOX SCORE

Virginia Union quarterback Darius Taylor rushed for 6-yard touchdown and Souza added the extra point to trim the Bowie State lead to 13-10 with 3:01 left in third quarter.

Senior Maurice Williams (Baltimore, Md.) scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Hall to give Bowie State a 20-10 advantage with 11:57 to go in the contest. With the TD pass, Hall became the CIAA's All-Time leader in TD passes surpassing Earl "Air" Harvey (N.C. Central) record of 89.

The Panthers closed the gap to 20-13 with just over nine minutes to play, following a 43-yard Souza field goal.

Abrams capped off a 14-play, 88-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run to put the nail in the coffin and lift the Bulldogs into first place in the CIAA North.

ATTENDANCE: 6544

Hall completed 33-of-49 passes for a game-high 37 yards and Abrams rushed for a team-high 55 yards to pace Bowie State's offense. Hall also rushed for 47 yards in the contest. Redshirt sophomore Montez Clay (Baltimore, Md.) led all receivers with 97 reception yards on 11 catches. Senior Derrick Tate (Baltimore, Md.) led the Bulldogs' defense with seven tackles while freshman Joshua Pryor (Baltimore, Md.), redshirt junior Tommar Phillips (Lanham, Md.) and senior Roger Richardson (Glenn Dale, Md.) chipped in five tackles each in the victory.

Virginia Union (5-2, 3-1, 2-1) was led by Tabyus Turner's 131 rushing yards. Taylor ended the contest as the teams' second leading rusher with 100 yards and added 43 passing yards, completing just 9-of-28 passes.

The Bulldogs will play its final regular season road game of the season next Saturday (October 27th), to take on Lincoln University of Pennsylvania at 1 p.m.

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

West Virginia State University to Add Women's Soccer

INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- Now that brand new soccer fields have been completed at the neighboring Shawnee Sports Complex the athletics landscape at West Virginia State University will also be changing soon.

WVSU Athletic Director Nate Burton has announced that the school will be adding women's soccer to its offering of NCAA Division II athletic programs.

"We are extremely excited to add women's soccer to WVSU's intercollegiate athletics program," Burton said. "The addition will enhance the opportunities for, and experiences of, female student-athletes at our institution."

The Yellow Jackets will begin play in fall of the 2019-20 school year as a club team and begin competing in the Mountain East Conference the following year.

The team will practice and play its matches at the Shawnee Sports Complex.

"With the strength of girl's soccer in this state and region it provides another opportunity for an excellent collegiate athletic experience at WVSU," Burton said.


A nationwide search for a coach will begin immediately.

WVSU won Mountain East championships in softball and women's tennis this past school year.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Texas College Releases 2018-19 Women's Basketball Schedule

2018-2019 Women’s Basketball Schedule pic.twitter.com/u8vPMVvxkZ

— Texas College Steers (@TCSteers) October 15, 2018

PRINT TC WOMEN'S SCHEDULE

TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Texas College Steers Men's Basketball Helps First Christian Church With Yearly Pumpkin Patch

TYLER, Texas -- The Texas College men's basketball team lends a helping hand to First Christian Church of Tyler in their yearly Pumpkin Patch supporting children and youth ministries, mission trips for the youth, and pumpkin patch fundraisers that employ over 700 Navajo nation employees.

First Christian Church of Tyler encourages all families to come out to see and enjoy the festivities!

OPEN DAILY IN OCTOBER 2018! Pumpkins priced from .50¢ to $25.  Proceeds benefit CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRIES

First Christian Church of Tyler
4202 S. Broadway
Tyler, TX 75701

TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets defeat Rust, improve to 9-0 in GCAC

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, playing at home for the first time in 33 days, defeated Rust 25-14, 25-8, 25-6 Saturday to improve to 9-0 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball.
     
The Gold Nuggets (19-6), tied for first place in the GCAC with Tougaloo, will continue their five-match home stand at 6 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Philander Smith. The Lady Panthers lost in three sets at Tougaloo Saturday.
    
Vivica Price-Spraggins hit .650 for XULA with 13 kills and no errors in 20 attacks. Her five aces were a career high and the most in a match by a XULA player this season. Price-Spraggins also had three blocks.
    
Kayla Black produced eight kills and a season-high three aces for the Gold Nuggets, and Eva Le Guillou, Tiffany Phillips and Beatrice Formilan served two aces apiece. Taylor Ducros had nine digs, and Adili Rikondja had three blocks.
     
Tamya Renfro had six kills, five digs and a block for the Lady Bearcats (0-21, 0-11), who are in their first GCAC season.

BOX SCORE
     
XULA served 15 aces, its most in a match in four years, and tied the Convocation Center record for aces in a match by one team. XULA also served 15 aces against Voorhees on Sept. 14, 2013, in the facility's first match. The Gold Nuggets outhit Rust .397 to minus-.044 and had advantages of 37-14 in kills and 35-20 in digs. XULA hit .706 in the final set and closed the match on a 10-1 run.
     
XULA extended its home win streak against GCAC opponents to 45 matches, 43 in the regular season. The Gold Nuggets have not lost at home to a GCAC opponent since 2010.



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

Joanna Skrzypczynska Earns 3rd Consecutive ECC Women’s Tennis Rookie of the Week Honor

WEST BABYLON, New York – The University of the District of Columbia's Joanna Skrzypczynska was named East Coast Conference Women's Tennis Rookie of the Week for the 3rd consecutive week.

Skrzypczynska earned two No. 3 singles wins and two No. 2 doubles wins to lead UDC to consecutive victories over Wilmington University (DE) and St. Thomas Aquinas College.

In singles, she topped Laura Gil of WU, 6-0, 7-5, and Amelie Meyers of STAC, 6-4, 6-4. In doubles, she teamed with sophomore Anastasiia Danylova for two consecutive wins as well.

The Zielona Gora, Poland native is 9-2 in singles play this season, including marks of 8-1 in dual match play and 4-1 in the ECC. She is also 10-1 in doubles play, as well as 9-0 in dual matches and 5-0 in conference.

The Firebirds (8-1, 4-1 ECC) are on a seven match win streak heading into Friday afternoon's ECC showdown in the nation's capital with the six-time defending conference champion, NYIT. They will then close the regular season again at home on Saturday with another crucial ECC match vs. LIU Post.

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Simoné Pärn Earns 2nd ECC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week Honor

WEST BABYLON, New York – The University of the District of Columbia's Simoné Pärn was named East Coast Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week for the 2nd time this season.

Pärn earned two No. 1 singles wins and two No. 1 doubles wins to lead UDC to consecutive victories over Wilmington University (DE) and St. Thomas Aquinas College.

In singles, she topped Anushka Sathe of WU, 6-2, 7-5, and Katarina Lopez of STAC, 6-3, 6-3. In doubles, she teamed with junior transfer Marija Milic for two consecutive wins as well.

The Pärnu, Estonia native is 10-1 in singles play this season, including marks of 9-0 in dual match play and 5-0 in the ECC. She and Milic are also 10-1 in doubles play, as well as 9-0 in dual matches and 5-0 in conference.

The Firebirds (8-1, 4-1 ECC) are on a seven match win streak heading into Friday afternoon's ECC showdown in the nation's capital with the six-time defending conference champion, NYIT. They will then close the regular season again at home on Saturday with another crucial ECC match vs. LIU Post.

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Trio of HU Swimming Bison Receive CCSA Weekly Accolades

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) uncovered its weekly honors where a trio of Howard University Swimming & Diving members were recognized. The announcement came Wednesday afternoon.
 
On the men's side, senior Justice Brown-Duso (Cranston, R.I.) was selected CCSA Men's Diver of the Week while sophomore Kegan Ford (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago) claimed CCSA Men's Swimmer of the Week. For the women, second-year diver Christian Nickolas (Brentwood, Calif.) won CCSA Women's Diver of the Week.
 
Ford began the dual meet season on a high note, facing a tough two days of competition. The Trinidad & Tobago native was perfect in individual events, placing first in the 50 Free and 100 Free Friday (Oct. 12) and Saturday (Oct. 13). His anchor leg in Friday's 200 Medley relay also gave the Bison an early advantage by out touching both American and Manhattan.
 
In his first ever competition on the board, Brown proved that he could compete on this level as he assisted the Bison in Friday and Saturday competitions. The Rhode Island product took part in the 1-meter dive on both days.
 
Nickolas contributions in the dive events lifted HU to a 3-1 mark over the weekend. In the 1-meter, the California native won both days while topping Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Saturday.
 
Senior KaSandra Kaplan (Detroit) received honorable mention after boasting three victories in the women's 200 Free, 200 Fly and 200 Free relay.
 
Campbell freshman Annie Sanchez earned CCSA Women's Swimmer of the Week.
 
To view this week's CCSA weekly honors, please Click Here.
 
On Oct. 20, the Bison host Chowan in their home opener. First event starts 2 p.m. inside Burr Pool.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

Derek W. Bryant, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations & Sports Information
HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON MEDIA RELATIONS

Football Preview: Delaware State at South Carolina State

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State (1-5, 1-2 MEAC) will play host to the State Bulldogs (1-5, the visiting Hornets of Delaware State (0-6, 0-3 MEAC) in a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) battle Saturday (Oct. 20th ) at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium/Willie Jeffries Field. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN3.

RADIO: You can listen live on Kiss 103.1 WLXC- FM and 90.3 WSSB-FM (Internet: Kiss-1031.com) and Phone:1-641-552-5120

THE GAME: Both teams enter today's game badly in need of a win as they have combined for just one victory this season in 12 outings, that a 21-18 come-from-behind win by the Bulldogs at Morgan State two weeks ago, spoiling the host Bears Homecoming. Coach Buddy Pough's team hopes to avoid that same fate against winless Delaware State and first-year head coach Rod Milstead. Also, SC State team is seeking its first home win of the 2018 campaign

Last week, SC State saw its second-half comeback fall short as the Bulldogs lost 28-26 at home to visiting Bethune-Cookman when they failed to convert a two-point conversion try in the final minutes to dip to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in the MEAC. SC State sophomore QB Tyrece Nick accounted for three TDs in the loss, two rushing and one passing, as he rolled up 288 yards total offense in the contest. He rushed 20 times for 129 yards and completed 9-22 pass attempts for 159 yards. The Hornets, meanwhile, fell to Howard 55-13 at Washington, DC to dip to 0-6 and 0-3 in the league.

The Attraction
South Carolina State will be celebrating Homecoming. Bulldog alumni from all-round the nation will converge on Orangeburg and the campus to reminisce and share success stories. Halftime activities include recognition of Miss Homecoming, the Parade Marshal, the Alumni Queen, the Alumnus of the Year and the Young Alumnus of the Year (See their stories elsewhere in this program)

Players to Watch
SC State Offense:
#3 So., QB Tyrece Nick (45-99-3, 45.5 pct.) for 654 yds 3TDs; 113 rushes, 433 yds., 4TDs); #18 r-So. RB Datron James (52 rushes, 148 yds.); #32 r-So. RB Jarius Jenkins (38 rushes, 146 yds., 2TDs); #1 Jr. WR De'Montrez Burroughs (8 recpts, 211 yds., 2TD); #16 r-Fr. WR Will Vereen (8 rcpts., 121 yds.); #73 r-Jr. RT Alex Taylor; #56 Sr. LG Robbie Stephenson; #78 r-So OG Pat McNeil; #17 r-Sr. P Jerome Pettiway (32-1365, 42.7 avg).

SC State Defense:
#45 Jr. LB Lane Jones (21T, 13A, 1INT); #11 r-So. LB Chad Gilchrist (24T, 9A, 4TFL); #14 r-So. CB Decobie Durant (24T, 6A, 2PBUs, 1INT); #30 r-Sr. CB Alex Brown (22T, 4A, 5PBUs, 1INT) #98 Sr. DE Bruce Johnson (13T, 4A, 1TFL, 2PBUs)

Delaware State Offense:
#5 Jr. QB Keenan Black (38-84-2, 45.2 pct.) for 432 yds., 2TDs; 42 rushes, 154 yds., 1TD; #10 So. QB Jack McDaniels (29-59-1. 49.2 pct) for 245 yds.); #1 Jr. RB Mike Waters (83 rushes, 338 yds.); #6 Sr. RB Brycen Alleyne (61 rushes, 234 yds., 1TD); #81 So. WR Trey Gross (19 recpts., 286 yds., 2TDs); #12 Sr. WR Taronn Selby (17 rcpts., 127 yds.)

Delaware State Defense
#7 Jr. LB Brian Cavicante (30T, 27A, 11 TFL); #26 Fr. FS David Bowman (23T, 18A, 1 Sack); #27 Sr. CB Keyjuan Selby (28T 10A); #2 Jr. DB Jahad Neibauer (23T, 11A, 4TFL, 7PBUs).

The Series
The Bulldogs and Wildcats are meeting for the 44th time in a rivalry that began in 1971. SC State has a 27-16 edge in the series and has won six of the last nine meetings. In 2017, however, it was the Hornets taking a 17-14 triumph at Dover. The Hornets' last win in Orangeburg was in 2007 when they edged SC State 17-16 on a last-second field goal, ironically, spoiling SC State's Homecoming. Delaware State is hoping for another upset, while the Bulldogs would like to give the alumni a big Homecoming win.

The Coaches
SC State's Buddy Pough (SC State '75) is in his 17th season as head coach at his alma mater and owns a 121-70 overall mark (95-36 MEAC). He is 9-5 against Delaware State

(Delaware's Rod Milstead (Delaware State '92) is in his first season as head coach at his alma mater and as a collegiate head coach. He is 0-6 at Delaware State and owns a 0-0 mark against SC State.

2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Standings (thru 10-13-18)
MEAC Overall
Florida A&M (4-0, 5-2)
NC A&T( 2-1, 5-2)
Bethune-Cookman (2-1, 4-3)
Howard (2-1, 2-3)
Norfolk State (1-1, 3-2)
NC Central (1-1, 2-3)
SC State (1-2, 1-5)
Savannah St. (0-3 ,1-5)
Del-State (0-3 ,0-6)
^Morgan State (1-1, 2-4)
^ Ineligible for league crown

Previous Results
October 13, 2018
B-Cookman 28, SC State 26,
Florida A&M 22, N. Carolina A&T 21
Howard 55, Delaware State 13
Morgan State 18, Savannah State 11

This Week's Games (10-20-18)
Delaware State at SC State (HC), 1:30
N. Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman, 4
NC Central at Norfolk State (HC), 2
Howard at Morgan State, 7
FAMU, Savannah State, idle



SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

The Road To the Championship HBCU Football Schedule, Week 8

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018



OVC
Tennessee Tech at Tennessee State, 5:30 PM, ESPN+ Homecoming

MEAC
Delaware State at South Carolina State, 1:30 PM, ESPN3 Homecoming
North Carolina Central at Norfolk State, 2 PM, ESPN3  Homecoming
North Carolina A&T State at Bethune-Cookman, 4 PM, ESPN3
Howard at Morgan State, 7 PM, ESPN3/Sports Fever

SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff at Mississippi Valley State, 3 PM  Homecoming
Grambling State at Alcorn State, 3 PM, ESPN3
North Alabama at Jackson State, 3 PM
Texas Southern vs. Southern at Dallas 3 PM  State Fair Showdown

CIAA
Bowie State at Virginia Union, 1 PM. TV: Aspire
Chowan at Elizabeth City State, 1 PM
Johnson C. Smith at Shaw, 1 PM
Fayetteville State at Saint Augustine's, 1 PM   Homecoming
Livingstone at Winston-Salem State, 1:30 PM, Homecoming
Lincoln (Pa.) at Virginia State, 2 PM  Homecoming

SIAC
Central State at Robert Morris, 12 PM  StatsVideo
Kentucky State at Tuskegee, 1 PM  TV: CW Network   Homecoming
Clark Atlanta at Albany State 2 PM  Video  Homecoming
Miles at Lane, 2 PM Radio: Fox Sports 105.3  Video
Morehouse at Benedict, 2 PM  Stats  Homecoming
Lenoir-Rhyne at Fort Valley State, 2 PM  Stats  Homecoming

OTHER CONFERENCES
Virginia University Lynchburg at Carson-Newman, 1 PM
West Virginia State at West Liberty, 1 PM
Lincoln (MO) at William Jewell, 1 PM
Ave Maria at Edward Waters, 3 PM  Video  Homecoming
Lyon at Langstone, 3 PM   Video  Homecoming
Wayland Baptist at Texas College, 8 PM



ALL GAMES ARE SHOWN IN EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME

Alcorn Braves Face Stiff Test Saturday Against Grambling

LORMAN, Mississippi – In a rematch of the last three SWAC Championships, the Alcorn State University football program will host Grambling State in a Purple Out at 2 p.m. Saturday at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.
 
Both teams are fighting for the top spot in their respective divisions. Alcorn (5-2, 3-1 SWAC) currently has a 0.5 game lead on Jackson State in the East Division, and a one game lead on Alabama State but the Hornets have the tiebreaker. GSU (3-3, 2-1 SWAC) is in a three-way tie with Southern and Prairie View A&M in the West Division.
 
The Braves have been one of the top teams in the nation defensively. Alcorn's defense is second in the FCS in tackles per loss per game (9.0), third in third down percentage defense (.289), third in sacks per game (4.0), fourth in total yards (251.0 ypg), seventh in red zone defense (.667) and ninth in passing yards allowed (160.3 ypg).
 
Although he was hardly recognized in the preseason, sophomore defensive back Qwynnterrio Cole has catapulted to the top of the Alcorn tackles list. He leads the Braves with 32 on the year. Cole, who has started just two games, recorded interceptions in back-to-back games against Southern and Alabama State.
 
Senior Sterling Shippy is coming off a big outing against Alabama A&M, a game in which the Braves on 35-26. Shippy wrapped-up a career-high 2.5 sacks which was key as the Braves sacked the Bulldogs eight times. He's been Alcorn's captain on defense in each of the last six contests.
 
The Braves used a big second half to beat AAMU after breaking a 10-10 halftime tie. Though, the biggest play of the day came in the first half when junior quarterback Noah Johnson took off for the longest touchdown run in school history on a 92-yarder.
 
Johnson ranks 12th in the nation in completion percentage (.662) and top-20 in rushing TD's (7). He's also second in the SWAC in total offense with 223.9 yards per game. Johnson has thrown for 1,028 yards and six touchdowns, and has rushed for 539 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
 
GSU, the two-time defending SWAC champion, lost its quarterback DeVante Kincade at the end of last season. Though, Geremy Hickbottom has stepped in and has thrown for eight touchdowns and rushed for five touchdowns in six games. He's Grambling's leading rusher with 239 yards on the year.
 
SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year De'Arius Christmas is the reigning SWAC Defensive Player of the Week winner. He tallied eight tackles, including seven solo, two sacks and an interception on GSU's 34-21 victory over Texas Southern.
 
In conference games this year, the Tigers allow just 14.3 points per game which is best in the league.
 
The game will be nationally televised on ESPN3 with Jay Walker and Eric Clemons on the call. It can also be heard live for free on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond as the voice of the Braves.
 
NOTES
- The Alcorn offense leads the SWAC in scoring (34.1 ppg), total offense (472.4 ypg), rushing (293.7 ypg) and first downs per game (21.9). The Braves have used a three running back and two quarterback system.
 
- Junior running back De'Shawn Waller has come on strong as of late. He's coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing games including a career-high 214 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama State. Waller won back-to-back SWAC Newcomer of the Week awards after games against Southern and ASU.
 
- The Braves moved up to No. 3 in this week's HBCU Poll and were receiving votes in the Preseason FCS Poll. Grambling sits at No. 4.
 
- Alcorn has won six SWAC Player of the Week awards in seven weeks this year. In addition to Waller's two awards, other honorees include junior Javen Morrison who was named both the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week and HBCU National Player of the Week after grabbing two interceptions against TSU. Junior Raidarious Anderson won SWAC Offensive Player of the Week, and senior Johnathon Hauer earned SWAC Newcomer of the Week after the win against LC. Alcorn won 10 SWAC weekly honors last season.
 
- The Braves are 10-0 when leading at halftime over the last two seasons.
 
- Alcorn spoiled two Homecomings this year. Prior to AAMU, the Braves notched a 20-3 win at Southern. The Alcorn defense limited the Jaguars to just 139 yards of offense, including 76 passing and 63 rushing yards. The Braves improved to 37-27-2 all-time against SU.
 
- The Braves dropped a five-overtime marathon against Alabama State 28-25. Alcorn held an edge of 530-240 in total yards and 408-85 in rushing. The Braves had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but a 28-yard field goal attempt was no good, wide-right. It snapped Alcorn's four-game winning-streak and six-game home winning-streak. It was the first five-overtime game in FCS since Oct. 4, 2014 between Davidson and Dayton.
 
- Alcorn opened conference play with a 56-20 win over Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 22. The Braves held a 665-200 edge in total yards and 462-22 in rushing. Senior P.J. Simmons rushed for a career-high 210 yards and a touchdown. The Braves won their sixth straight game over the Delta Devils and lead the all-time series 45-15-1. Alcorn has outscored MVSU 318-78 over the last six games.
 
- The Braves notched a 27-15 victory over Texas Southern in a non-conference game. Alcorn raced out to a 27-0 halftime lead which was too much for the Tigers to overcome. The Braves posted their seventh straight win over TSU in the series.
 
- In Alcorn's home-opener, the team broke a Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium scoring record by defeating Louisiana College 78-0. It was the second-most lopsided score in school history, only behind a 101-0 victory over Paul Quinn in 1967. Alcorn won its home opener for the sixth year in a row.
 
- Morrison has been a lockdown defender for the Braves in his career and has led the team in interceptions in each of the last two seasons. He's up to eight in his career.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

NCCU Weekly Press Conference: Week 8 at Norfolk State

DURHAM. North Carolina  -- The North Carolina Central University football program held its weekly press conference on Tguesday, Oct. 16 ahead of the Eagles' MEAC contest at Norfolk State on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 2:00 p.m. at Dick Price Stadium. Hear from interim head coach Granville Eastman and student-athlete Chauncey Caldwell as they discuss the upcoming game, and flashback to the victory over Howard.
GAME NOTES

THE GAME
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" vs. Norfolk State University "Spartans"

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, October 20, 2018 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m.

THE SITE
William "Dick" Price Stadium (30,000 capacity / artificial turf) - Norfolk, Va.

THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (2-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC); Norfolk State (3-2 overall; 1-1 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (internet stream). Broadcast starts at 1:40 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play).
Video: ESPN3 (WatchESPN).

QUICK HITS
• Last season, Norfolk State ended NCCU's 18-game conference win streak, which was the second-longest active streak in NCAA Division I-FCS, and its 11-game home win streak, which was the longest in school history.
• Both teams enter the contest well-rested, coming off an open week, and have identical 1-1 MEAC records.
• Saturday will be the 16th meeting between the Eagles and the Spartans since the teams first met on Nov. 14, 1981. NCCU leads the series 9-6. Norfolk State's 28-21 victory in 2017 ended the Eagles' run of four straight wins over the Spartans.
• The Eagles rank No. 1 in the nation (Division I-FCS) in turnovers lost with just one, an interception in the first game of the season. NCCU and Norfolk State are tied for atop the MEAC in turnover margin (+0.80).
• NCCU leads the conference and ranks 21st in the NCAA Division I-FCS in tackles for loss with an average of 7.6 per game.
• Norfolk State has the No. 1 defense in the MEAC, allowing opponents only 270.0 yards per game. The Spartans rank second in the conference in scoring defense, surrendering only 16.4 points per contest.
• NCCU senior defensive lineman Darius Royster already has more tackles for loss than last season's team leaders (Roderick Harris and Antonio Brown with 8.5). Royster's 10.0 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage and three forced fumbles top the MEAC and are among the top-5 in the nation (Division I-FCS).
• NCCU senior safety Davanta Reynolds, the Preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team (Second Team), ranks second in the MEAC with 45 tackles (9.0 per game).
• Since the start of the 2012 season, NCCU has scored 38 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including three defensive scores last year and two this season.
• NCCU is under the direction of first-year head coach Granville Eastman, who accepted the interim role after Jerry Mack left to be the offensive coordinator at Rice.
• NCCU received votes in the STATS FCS Top 25 preseason poll, after finishing last season with a 7-4 overall record.
• NCCU returns just nine starters (6 offense, 3 defense), but boasts nine members of the Preseason All-MEAC Team: First Team - DB Davanta Reynolds, RB Isaiah Totten, OL Nick Leverett, DL Kawuan Cox; Second Team - TE Josh McCoy, OL Andrew Dale, DL Randy Anyanwu; Third Team - WR Xavier McKoy, and DB De'Mario Evans.

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION