Newcomers help Gold Rush prevail against Buccaneers

SAINT THOMAS, Virgin Islands — Newcomers Jevon Berry and Ahmed Coulibaly combined to make 7-of-7 3-pointers Sunday in NAIA No. 23 Xavier University of Louisiana's 78-74 men's basketball victory against the University of the Virgin Islands.
     
The XULA men (2-0) will play their home opener at 7 p.m. Thursday against Carver College of Atlanta at XULA's Convocation Center.
     
Berry, a freshman guard, scored a game-high 20 points and made all three of his 3-point attempts. Couliably, a junior forward/center, scored 17 points and was 4-of-4 from behind the arc. Both were 6-of-7 from the floor overall.
     
The Gold Rush scored the first 17 points, led 28-3, then trailed by six in the second half before rallying.

BOX SCORE
     
"We learned that our team is able to handle adversity," third-year head coach Alfred Williams said. "We have a team of fighters, not quitters . . . guys who are going to compete for 40 minutes. They were resilient."
     
The Gold Rush got 66 points from newcomers, including 10 points from William Loyd and eight from Ed Carter, who made a pair of 3s. The only returnees to score were Rayshawn Mart with seven points and Donovan Armstrong with five.
     
Josh Goss scored 18 points for the Buccaneers (0-2), a second-year NAIA member, and Harold Cardwell and Keith Gilmore scored 15 apiece. UVI will visit XULA Dec. 19.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
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Road To The Championship HBCU Football Scoreboard, Week 9

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2018

OTHER CONFERENCES
Langston 71, Texas College 48
Fairmont State 41, West Virginia State 12
Southeastern (Fla.) 44, Edward Waters 0
Missouri S&T 45, Lincoln (MO) 7 

CIAA
Shaw 26, Winston-Salem State 21 
Johnson C. Smith 31, Saint Augustine's 3 
Bowie State 35, Lincoln ( Pa.) 14
Virginia Union 53, Elizabeth City State 0
Chowan 45, Virginia State 38
Fayetteville State 38, Livingstone 7

SIAC
Central State (OH) 40, Tuskegee 36 
Miles 28, Clark Atlanta 27
Albany State 21, Benedict 0
Fort Valley State 27, Morehouse 22
Lane 34, Kentucky State 23 at Hopkinsville, KY

BIG SOUTH
Hampton 51, Virginia University Lynchburg 28 

MEAC

Florida A&M 38, Morgan State 3
South Carolina State 27, Howard 21
Delaware State 28. North Carolina Central 13
Savannah State 32, Norfolk State 3 
Nebraska 45, Bethune-Cookman 9 

SWAC
Texas Southern 42, Mississippi Valley State 14 
Alcorn State 27. Prairie View A&M 13
Grambling State 45, Arkansas Pine Bluff 38.  1OT
Alabama A&M 27, Alabama State 10 at Birmingham $
Southern 41, Jackson State 7 

Note: $  77th Magic City Classic




CONFERENCE LEADERS - HBCUs, 10/28/2018

SOONER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SAC)

1. #12 Langston University Lion,  7-0 SAC; 7-1 Overall
2. Oklahoma Panhandle State (OPSU) Aggie, 5-1 SAC; 5-4 Overall
    Scheduled Nov. 10th: "Battle for the Bell," OPSU @ Langston Lions

CENTRAL INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (CIAA)

NORTHERN 
1. Bowie State Bulldogs, 5-1 CIAA; 7-2 Overall
2. Virginia Union Panthers, 5-1 CIAA; 6-2 Overall
3. Virginia State Trojans, 4-2 CIAA; 4-4 Overall

SOUTHERN 
1. Fayetteville State Broncos, 6-0 CIAA; 6-1 Overall
2. Shaw Bears, 3-2 CIAA; 4-4 Overall

SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)

EAST
1. Albany State Golden Rams, 5-0 SIAC; 6-3 Overall
2. Morehouse Maroon Tigers, 3-2 SIAC; 7-2 Overall

WEST
1. Tuskegee Golden Tigers, 4-2 SIAC; 5-4 Overall
2. Central State (OH) Marauders, 3-2 SIAC; 4-5 Overall

MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (mEAC)

1. Florida A&M Ratters, 5-0 MEAC; 6-2 Overall
2, North Carolina A&T State Aggies, 3-1 MEAC; 6-2 Overall
3. Howard Bison, 3-2 MEAC; 3-4 Overall
4. South Carolina State Bulldogs, 3-3 MEAC; 3-5 Overall

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SWAC)

EAST
1. Alcorn State Braves, 6-1 SWAC; 7-2 Overall
2. Alabama A&M, 3-2 SWAC; 4-4 Overall

WEST
1. Southern Jaguars, 4-1 SWAC; 5-3 Overall
2. Grambling State Tigers, 3-2 SWAC; 4-4 Overall

Dell has career night, Alabama A&M tops Alabama State in 77th Magic City Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --  Nathaniel Dell has a new nickname.

Just like the national convenience store chain, these days, Dell's Alabama A&M football teammates are calling him "7-Eleven."

Well, apparently the first location Dell has staked out is off Arkadelphia Road at Birmingham's Legion Field, and the grand opening was the 77^th Magic City Classic.

Dell put together a breakout performance as Alabama A&M topped longtime rival Alabama State 27-10 Saturday afternoon in a SWAC East contest.

"Like my teammates say, just like 7-Eleven, I'm always open," Dell said.

In the Magic City Classic, that statement was true.

ATTENDANCE: 65,906

BOX SCORE

Dell, a freshman from Daytona Beach, Fla., caught six passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

"Our guy is a playmaker," Alabama A&M quarterback Aqeel Glass. "Get the ball in his hands, and more times than not, he's going have a chance to break a big play."

Alabama State (2-5, 1-2 in SWAC) learned that lesson the hard way.

Dell flashed his speed and athleticism early in the second quarter when slipped behind Alabama State's secondary and caught a pass in the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown.

The freshman, who only was playing in his third collegiate game because of an injury, struck again in the fourth quarter when he caught a short pass from Glass and sprinted 81 yards down the sideline for a touchdown that stretched the Alabama A&M (4-4, 3-2) lead to ten.

"To have a game like this, on a stage likes this, that's what it's all about," Dell said. "These are the kind of games you sign up for."

Alabama A&M never trailed.

After Alabama State's Talesin Farmer rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the score at 7 apiece, the Bulldogs responded in the third quarter with a 56-yard rushing touchdown from Jordan Bentley.

Bentley led Alabama A&M with 91 rushing yards on eight carries.

A few minutes later, Dell delivered his second receiving touchdown, and then Alabama A&M leaned on its power running game to run the clock down.

Glass threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Burke in the final minutes.

Glass finished with 322 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 17 of 30 attempts with no interceptions.

"Since the day I got here, the one thing I've heard more than anyone else is just how important the Classic is," first-year Alabama A&M coach Connell Maynor said. "This game is a big deal, so to see our players celebrate this victory tonight is huge. I'm proud for our team."

Alabama A&M held Alabama State to 313 yards while forcing two turnovers. Rhomel Fieldsintercepted a pass, while Dylan Hamilton led the team with 10 tackles.

Dell was selected as the game's offensive MVP, and Hamilton was the defensive MVP.

"As a senior, with this being my last Classic, I definitely wanted to go out on a high note," Hamilton said. "I'd say we definitely did that. Celebrating a big win like this is what it's all about."




ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Kentucky State Thorobreds Falls In Historic Event

HOPKINSVILLE, Kentucky -- An interception in the end zone as time expired ended the Kentucky State University football comeback attempt as the Thorobreds fell to Lane Saturday, 34-23, in the inaugural F.E. Whitney Classic at the Stadium of Champions. It marked the first collegiate game ever played in Hopkinsville.

Adding insult to injury, the interception was returned 100 yards to make the final score look worse than it was.

Kentucky State had numerous scoring opportunities against the Dragons, driving inside the Lane 15 on the final five possessions of the game. However, the Thorobreds managed just seven points, turning it over on downs three times and the aforementioned interception.

Lane took the lead on the game's first play of the game on an 82-yard touchdown pass. While the Thorobreds managed points on its ensuing drive, a 32-yard field goal from senior Turner Warren(Louisville, KY), it was a microcosm of what was to come for the entire game. Kentucky State took possession at the Lane nine following a 79-yard kickoff return by senior Matthew Bizimana(Louisville, KY).

BOX SCORE

The next KSU drive had the team in scoring possession for its second consecutive possession, driving to the Lane 23, but a missed 40-yard field goal ended any chance of points. Kentucky State would take the lead on its next possession as senior Michael Simpson (Dayton, OH) connected with senior Demetrius Andersonfrom 15-yards out on his first pass of the game.

It started a string of four consecutive scoring drives in the game, including a Lane touchdown with nine seconds remaining in the first half, and the Dragons led 21-16 at the break.

The Dragons scored on its first possession of the third quarter to expand their lead to 28-16, but the KSU defense stymied them for the rest of the game as they didn't advance the ball beyond their own 25 for the remainder of the game.

Kentucky State finished with 197 yards rushing on 41 attempts as sophomore receiver Brendan Lawler (Clarksville, IN) moved to the backfield due to a rash of injuries to rush for 83 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Paul Campbell (Birmingham, AL) added 64 yards on the ground. He was 16-of-26 for 154 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked three times.

Sophomore Jules St. Ge (Lakeland, FL) hauled in seven passes for 57 yards, while junior Jordan Level (Detroit, MI) added five catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Junior Myrthel Stewart (Detroit, MI) led the way defensively with eight stops, and sophomore Micah Corley (Campbellsville, KY) added a career-high seven tackles and the team's lone sack.

Kentucky State (0-9 overall, 0-5 SIAC) closes the season 2 p.m. Saturday, hosting Benedict at Alumni Stadium. The athletic department will honor the contributions of the senior class in a pregame ceremony.

KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY THOROBREDS SPORTS INFORMATION 

TSU Tigers get big win over MVSU at home 42-14

1ST START ✅
WIN HOMECOMING ✅
( @DevinWilliams_6) TSU WINS 42-14 . pic.twitter.com/xewufKIaSJ

— Zay... (@ZayGotIt_) October 28, 2018

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Texas Southern Tigers defeated Mississippi Valley State in blowout fashion 42-14 on Saturday at BBVA Compass Stadium.

In his first collegiate start for the TSU football program quarterback Devin Williams went 14-25 for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

Brad Woodard paced the Texas Southern rushing attack with 12 carries and 93 yards including a 69-yard score.

Wide receiver Bobby Hartzog had a big night with nine catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

Sean Jones racked up 11 tackles (10 solo, 1 assist) and also tallied a forced fumble.

BOX SCORE

For the game TSU amassed 391 yards of total offense (223 P, 168 R) while MVSU accumulated 223 yards of offense (140 P, 83 R).

The Tigers will now get set to travel to Montgomery, Alabama to face the Alabama State Hornets on Saturday, Nov. 3rd at 2:00 pm.

TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

DSU Hornets Win First With Inspired Homecoming Performance

MICHAEL CHRIS-IKE

DOVER, Delaware -- Running backs Michael Chris-Ike and Brycen Alleyne rushed for more than a hundred yards and a touchdown each, and the defense allowed a season-low point total to lead Delaware State to a 28-13 win over MEAC rival North Carolina Central in the Hornets’ homecoming contest at Alumni Stadium today. DSU won for the first time this season to improve to 1-7 overall and 1-4 in the MEAC, while snapping the Eagles’ two-game win streak. NC Central fell to 3-4 and 2-2.

The win was also the first for DSU head coach Rod Milstead, who was doused by his players on the sideline as time wound down in the game.

BOX SCORE

Chris-Ike, a freshman playing in his second game, rushed for a game-high 127 yards on 21 carries, including his second career touchdown on a 42-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Alleyne, a senior, ran for 122 yards on 16 attempts, highlighted by a career-best 76-yard fourth-quarter touchdown to seal the win.

The 13 points allowed by the Hornet defense marked the fewest by a DSU opponent since a 13-10 overtime victory at Norfolk State in 2014. DSU also recorded season-highs in sacks (3) and forced turnovers (2) in the contest.

The Hornets took advantage of a North Carolina Central turnover to open the scoring. The 10-play, 42-yard drive was capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass from Jack McDaniels to tight Isiah Williams with 6:28 left in the first quarter. The touchdown was the first of the season and second career score for Williams. McDaniels completed 5-of-7 passes for 53 yards during the drive, including a 23-yard strike to Taronn Selby and a 20-yarder to Trey Gross. Jose Romo-Martinez nailed the extra point to give the Hornets a 7-0 lead.

After the Delaware State defense forced a three-and-out, the Hornets stretched the lead on their next possession. McDaniels and wide receiver Kwannah Kollie connected on a 27-yard touchdown on fourth-and 10 for DSU’s second score in less than five minutes. The touchdown was also Kollie’s first of the season and fourth in his career. The extra point kick by Romo-Martinez put the Hornets ahead 14-0 at the 1:40 mark of the first quarter.

After NC Central cut the Hornets’ lead to 14-7 on a 24-yard touchdown run by quarterback Chauncy Caldwell early in the second quarter, DSU answered with a scoring run by Chris-Ike to regain the momentum. The first-year back capped-off the eight-play, 83-yard drive with a 42-yard touchdown with 9:19 left in the second quarter. He rushed for 60 yards on five carries during the possession.

The touchdown and extra point gave DSU a 21-7 lead, which it held at the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, NC Central placekicker Adam Lippy nailed field goals of 28 and 34 yards in the fourth quarter to cut the Hornets’ lead to 21-13.

Delaware State was holding onto the eight-point lead and facing a third-and-11 from its 24-yard line when Alleyne ran around right end for a 76-yard touchdown with 4:42 left to play. The run was the longest by a Hornet since a 78-yard touchdown by Chris Strother in 2008.

McDaniels, starting his second straight game, completed 10-of-19 passes for 102 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Brian Cavicante and Justin Castell led the Hornet defense with nine tackles each. Cavicante, the MEAC’s leading tackler entering the game, was also credited with 2.5 tackles-for-loss (-7). Alex Lozano had eight tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery. Freshman Andrew Reese had his first career interception for the Hornets.

STINGERS The 100-yard rushing performances by Chris-Ike and Alleyne in the same game were the first by the Hornets since Alleyne (174) and Mike Waters (154) performed the feat in 2016 … Delaware State won its homecoming game for the first time since 2013 … DSU’s 15-point win was also its largest since a 35-10 victory over Savannah State in 2014 … Chris-Ike has 183 yards on 31 carries this season (5.7 ypc) … The Hornets remain home for their next game on Nov. 3 against Savannah State (2:05 p.m.).

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Clark Atlanta's Charles Stafford Has 2 TDs and 373 Yards of Total Offense, But Miles Gets Late 28-27 Win

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Charles Stafford threw for 280 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 93 yards and a TD, but the Clark Atlanta Panthers fell just short in losing 28-27 to Miles College Saturday in Panther Stadium.

Clark Atlanta (2-7, 1-4 SIAC) had seemingly put the game away on a Roger Thomas touchdown with 5:48 remaining and a Carlos Saldana field goal with 1:25 left to make it 27-21. 

But Miles (3-6, 3-2 SIAC) took the ensuing kickoff and returned it to their 41-yard line with 57 seconds left in the game. Miles' Daniel Smith completed a 20-yard pass to Mikhail Jacobs, and two plays later hit Malik Campbell on an 8-yard pass play. That was followed by a Smith 3-yard run that put them at the CAU 28-yard line with 12 seconds left.

An incomplete pass took the clock down to seven seconds and Miles had no timeouts.  On the game's final play in regulation, Smith threw a pass in the end zone that was tipped by a CAU defender and fell into Jacob's hands for the game-tying touchdown as the clock went to zero.  Jackson Spradlin then hit the game-winning extra point to give Miles the win.

It ended a thrilling CAU comeback in which they were down 11 points early in the fourth quarter.  Stafford had answered a Miles touchdown with a 2-yard TD run that pulled the Panthers to within four at 21-17.  

On their next drive, Stafford completed passes of 12, 10, and 18 yards, two of those on big passes to Johnathan Sandersas the Panthers drove downfield.  Roger Thomas also had 36 yards on five rushes, including his 8-yard TD to give Clark Atlanta the lead at 24-21 with just under six minutes remaining. 

Clark Atlanta's Jeramie Tate then forced a Leonard Tyree fumble on Miles' next drive, giving the ball back to CAU with 4:27 left.   CAU then melted a little over three minutes off the clock before getting Saldana's field goal with 1:25 left.  But Miles followed with their game-winning drive.

Stafford finished 22-of-28 passing for 280 yards and touchdown.  He also led CAU on the ground with 93 yards rushing, including a 25-yard run.  Thomas finished with 46 yards and a TD on the ground.  Josh Banks caught six passes for 81 yards, while Sanders had five receptions for 76 yards.  Caleeb Roberson caught four passes for 76 yards, and Felix Joneshad five catches for 22 yards.

Tate led the CAU defense with ten tackles, 1.5 for losses, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.  Breante Glover had six stops, five of them solo tackles, while Jacquez Jackson and Kenneth Morgan both had six tackles. Ezekiel Edmonds had five tackles while Kameron Rogers finished with four tackles.

Miles was led by Justin Hardy, who rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Clark Atlanta finishes out the 2018 season next week when they host Morehouse College at 2 p.m. in Panther Stadium.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY PANTHERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

FSU Broncos Celebrate #NOHOE and Divisional Title with 45-7 Win over Livingstone

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina – Fayetteville State celebrates its homecoming and sole rights to the 2018 CIAA Southern Division title with a 45-7 victory over Livingstone in Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium.

The Broncos (6-1 overall, 5-0 CIAA) received a little help from Shaw University, when the Bears defeated Winston-Salem State University on national television 26-21 in Durham, NC. FSU will host the Rams (4-4, 3-2) next Saturday at 1:00 pm on the same ASPiRE Network. The Broncos have claimed back-to-back divisional titles in Head Coach Richard Hayes third season at the helm.

Stevie Green scored the first points of the game with a four-yard run into the endzone with 12:58 on the first quarter clock. Green finished the game as the leading rusher with 45 yards on 18 carries.

Collyn Anderson had a complete game with 42 yards rushing on seven totes and 280 yards passing from 13 completions with three (3) touchdowns.

Anderson threw his first touchdown to Jalen Gavin, who scored from 11 yards out. Brandon Smith hauled in a 43-yard touchdown which gave the Broncos a 28-0 halftime lead. With 6:48 left in the game, Johnnie Glaspie pulled in a 51-yard long ball.

The touchdown catch was Glaspie's second time in the endzone. He ran a 23-yard touchdown with 1:26 left in the first quarter.



BOX SCORE

After intermission, Tyeous Sharpe returned a punt 62 yards for his second special teams' touchdown of the season.

David Lamb made all six extra-point kicks and a 25-yard field goal.

Livingstone (2-6 overall, 0-5 CIAA) scored in the fourth quarter. The score came from a Wynton Parris 22-yard throw to Anthony Faraimo.

Fayetteville State finished the game with 410 yards of total offense compared to the Blue Bears 129. FSU threw for 208 and ran for 130. LC had a net 35 yards rushing.

The CIAA Championship game will be played on Saturday, November 10th in Salem, Virginia. Tickets can be purchased in advance through ticketmaster.com.

FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY BRONCOS SPORTS INFORMATION

Lincoln Blue Tigers Fall to Missouri S&T

ROLLA, Missouri -- The Lincoln football team fell to Missouri S&T, 45-7, in its final road GLVC contest on Saturday night (Oct. 27).

Henry Ogala completed 72-percent of his passes, throwing for 178 yards on 23 completions, including a 40-yard touchdown throw to Blake Tibbs in the first quarter. Tibbs gained 102 yards through the air on seven receptions, and Terry Hunter had six grabs for 33 yards while Justin Korakakos had four receptions.

Tibbs' touchdown grab made it a 7-7 contest by the end of the first quarter, but Missouri S&T scored 17 points in the second quarter, including scoring on a 76-yard punt return, to take a 17-point lead at halftime. The Blue Tigers limited Missouri S&T (7-2, 4-1 GLVC) to just 6-for-13 on third down conversions and led in time of possession with 33:50 of ball control.

Saint Durassaint led Lincoln (3-6, 2-4 GLVC) with 10 tackles and combined with Isaiah Gray on a sack, while Amani Nelson made seven takedowns and JaJuan Chambers posted four and a sack. Chavon Gross broke up two passes and tied Victor Williams, Hasan Muhammad-Rogers and Gray with five tackles apiece. Williams also blocked a field goal.

BOX SCORE

Tibbs gained 96 yards on kick returns and Muhammad-Rogers added 76 yards, and Wolky Belancourt averaged 39.6 yards on punts, with three resulting in a fair catch and two pinning Missouri S&T inside its own 20. Fernando Ramirez averaged 61.0 yards on kickoffs.

The Blue Tigers will close out both the road portion of their 2018 schedule and their non-conference slate next Saturday (Nov. 3) with a trip to Stephenville, Texas to play Tarleton State in a 2:00 p.m. CT contest.

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

Southern dismantles Jackson State, 41-7

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana | In front of 20,575 fans, Southern University Jaguars jumped out to a 21-0 first-half lead, cruising to a 41-7 dismantling of the Jackson State University Tigers, Saturday night at the A.W. Mumford Stadium on the campus of Southern University.

Special teams continue to be the workhorse for the Jaguars setting up the first scoring drive when Demario Houston took Jackson State second punt back 37 yards to the Jackson State 29 yard lines. Southern Ladarius Skelton scored on the fourth play of the drive on a 15-yard scamper up the sideline to take an early 7-0 lead.

Southern's dog day defense held Jackson State to their second three-plays and out on the next drive. SU's defense recorded six three and outs.

The Jaguar's offense recorded their second touchdown, on a ten-play 75-yard drive capped by a 27-yard Skelton toss to receiver Trey Smith, his fifth receiving touchdown this season.

That was all the offense Southern needed. Specials teams and defense took over.

In the second quarter, cornerback Demerio Houston scored his first career defensive touchdown on a scoop and score, picking up a fumble caused by Calvin Lunkins at the Jackson State 42-yard line and taking it to the house after some nifty blocking from the defensive unit to extend the lead, 21-0 going into halftime.

Southern has outscored their opponents 56-0 in the last three games. Only given up 22 points, since the second-half versus Alabama A&M a span of 14 quarters.

Jackson State recorded their first score on a Warren Newman 42-yard punt return to cut the lead, 21-7.

The Jaguar's special team answered right back with a Shontega Thomas 92-yard kickoff returns up the visitor sideline to extend the lead, 28-7.

Southern's freshman Martell Fontenot added two consecutive field goals of 31-yards and 42-yards to add to the lead, 34-7.

Southern's Jordan Lewis capped the scoring with the most improbable play of his young career, sacking JSU quarterback, caused the fumble and then recovering the fumble at the Jackson State 36-yard line and taking it to the house to cap the scoring, 41-7.

Jackson State were shut out of the first half, crossing midfield only once on seven drives, setting the stage for the blowout loss.

Southern currently sits in first place of the Western Division title race. The Jaguars control their own destiny, win and they are in the 2018 Toyota Southwestern Athletic Football Championship game.

The Jags will have a bye week before facing the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. UAPB fell to Grambling State University to overtime, 45-38. Southern will be back in action November 10, for high school day, and senior day, kick-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.



Courtesy Herman Shelton, Assistant Director, Sports Information
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY JAGUARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Fontaine sparkles as Nuggets reach milestone victory

NEW ORLEANS — Monet Fontaine produced a match- and career-high 13 digs on her senior day, and Xavier University of Louisiana reached a milestone victory as it defeated Talladega 25-9, 25-11, 25-9 Saturday.
     
It was the 200th victory for the Gold Nuggets (21-6, 11-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference), who are in their 11th season of intercollegiate volleyball. XULA is 200-136 (.595) all-time — 170-63 (.730) in the last eight seasons.
     
Fontaine, who missed the previous nine matches because of injury, had seven kills and two blocks and hit .333 in 15 attacks.
     
"I was happy that we played well for Monet's senior day," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "We were fairly steady throughout the match."
     
The Gold Nuggets led 18-4 in the first set and produced runs of 8-0 in the second set and 9-0 and 11-0 in the third.

BOX SCORE
     
Vivica Price-Spraggins had 10 kills, two aces, three blocks and hit .429 in 21 attacks for XULA. Kayla Black had seven kills, six in the first set, and 10 digs. Angele McClain had four blocks, Elena Duru had three blocks, and Beatrice Formilan had eight digs and two aces. Eva Le Guillou had 20 assists and four aces in two sets, and Taylor Ducros served three aces.
     
Reanna Burroughs had four kills for the Lady Tornadoes (15-13, 6-6), and Jennifer Brown served two aces.
     
XULA outhit Talladega .286 to minus-.097 and had advantages of 33-10 in kills, 12-4 in aces, 42-29 in digs and 7-0 in blocks.
     
The Gold Nuggets remained in a first-place tie in the GCAC with Tougaloo, a 25-18, 25-15, 25-13 winner at home against Edward Waters.
     
XULA will play Edward Waters at 6 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center in the Gold Nuggets' Dig Pink match for breast cancer awareness. XULA Campus Recreation and the College of Pharmacy will sponsor a breast cancer walk at 5:30 p.m. Monday from the University Center to the Convocation Center, and a table for donations to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation will be available during the match. Fans and walk participants are encouraged to wear pink.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

FAMU Rattlers Maul Bears, 38-3; Clinch Winning Season

Rattlers win! 38-3 over MSU to go to 6-2 overall, 5-0 in the MEAC. This is FAMU's first winning season since 2011. The Rattlers can clinch a share of the MEAC title with a win next week against the Howard Bison in Washington, D.C. #fangsup #fallin #willenium pic.twitter.com/7dZY46swDK

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) October 28, 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The FAMU Football team continued its’ quest “To Win Now,” Saturday, as they came off a bye week and routed the visiting Morgan State (Md.) University Bears, 38-3, in a Mid-Eastern Athletic contest at Bragg Memorial Stadium Saturday evening.

Saturday’s win helped the Rattlers achieve a number of milestone with three games left in the 2018 campaign, standards which included:

@ Extending their winning streak to five games – the longest in since 1999 (11 straight).

@ Clinching their first winning season overall (6-2) since the 2011 squad finished 7-4.

@ Improved to 5-0 in MEAC play, with only one title contender left on the schedule (Howard University next week in Washington, D.C.).

@ The victory reduced the Rattlers’ magic number – the number of conference wins needed to clinch their first undisputed title since 2001 – to one (1).

For those fans who may have wondered if the bye week would have promoted rust on their beloved Rattlers, the first half proved those fears groundless, playing out much like the North Carolina Central game, when FAMU built a huge early lead and never looked back.

FAMU’s defense, which has come up big all season, scored the team’s first points for the second straight game, as defensive tackle DeMontre Moore pounced on a Morgan State fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and 7-0 lead with 11:13 left in the opening quarter.

Junior QB Ryan Stanley then directed a six-play, 85-yard scoring march on the Rattlers’ second possession of the game, capping the drive with a 22-yard scoring toss to Chad Hunter with 4:53 left in the period, extending the Rattlers’ edge to 14-0.

FAMU made it 17-0 just into the second period, when kicker Yahia Aly booted a 47-yard field goal with 14:41 left in the half.

Stanley then pushed the Rattlers farther ahead before halftime, tossing scoring strikes of 15 yards to Marcus Williams (3:11 left), and 21 yards to Xavier Smith (1:17 left) to give his club a 31-0 halftime lead.

Junior RB Deshawn Smith, who rushed for a team-high 116 yards on 14 carries, scored the Rattlers’ final touchdown with 5:10 left in the third period, on a six-yard run, which saw left run left, then reverse field, beating the Morgan defense to the end zone.

The Bears (2-6, 1-3 MEAC) scored their only points on a 29-yard field goal by Alex Raya with 13:06 left in the game.



INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Junior Deshawn Smith led the FAMU ground game with 116 yards on 14 carries, while the shifty Bishop Bonnett had 61 yards on six carries, including a 36-yard run…. QB Ryan Stanley was 14 of 22 passing for 163 yards and three scores, moving him into 5th place on the FAMU career passing charts with 5,260 yards, nudging past Ben Dougherty (2003, 2004), who threw for 5,198 yards…. Freshman Xavier Smith was the top receiver with four grabs for 56 yards and a TD…. Linebacker Elijah Richardson led the Rattlers defensive effort with 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss with two QB hurries and one pass breakup, while defensive end Antoino Miller finished the day with seven tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Rattlers will face yet another test in their quest for the 2018 MEAC title next Saturday, as they travel to the nation’s capital – Washington, D.C., for another MEAC Showcase Showdown against the Howard University Bison at William Greene Stadium. Kickoff will be 1:00 p.m.


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Savannah State Tigers Beat Norfolk State 32-3 at Homecoming

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Savannah State's Rashad Saxton ran for 118 yards and a touchdown, D'Vonn Gibbons threw for 79 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 99 yards, and the Tigers' defense limited Norfolk State to 206 yards of total offense en route to a 32-3 victory Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium.

An SSU Homecoming crowd of 7,812, including radio host Tom Joyner of the nationally syndicated "The Tom Joyner Morning Show," watched as SSU (2-5, 1-3 MEAC) earned its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory this season.

SSU never trailed en route to beating Norfolk State (3-4, 1-3) for a third consecutive season. SSU won, 27-9, last season in Norfolk, Va., and the Tigers beat the Spartans, 31-14, in 2016 in Savannah.

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"This was a really solid win for us," SSU third-year head coach Erik Raeburn said. "We dominated the line of scrimmage. Run defense, I think coming into the game they were the No. 1 rushing defense in the conference and then, defensively, we didn't let them get their run game going. They threw the ball and we were able to get the interceptions. I thought we played solid on special teams as well."

Earlier in the week, Norfolk State wide receiver Marcus Taylor, a senior who is third on the Spartans' all-time receptions list, was quoted in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper saying of SSU: "They have a nice defensive line but I think their linebackers are probably what we're gonna take advantage of."

Said SSU's Raeburn: "They made some comments about our linebacking corps and, obviously, Mulik (Simmons) wanted to prove to them that he was worthy of their attention."

Simmons, a senior linebacker from Savannah's Bible Baptist, finished with six tackles and twice intercepted Norfolk State quarterback Juwan Carter. Simmons' first interception ended the Spartans' opening possession. It also stopped the momentum Norfolk State had built after nose guard Deshaywn Middleton recovered Gibbons' fumble during SSU's opening possession.

"We wanted to get the win," Simmons said. "If the linebackers did something great that was just a plus."

During SSU's second possession, Saxton ran for a 1-yard touchdown and Giovanni Lugo kicked the first of his three extra points to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 8:24 remaining in the first quarter. Saxton's touchdown capped a 10-play, 52-yard drive that chewed 4:23 off the game clock.

Saxton, a senior from Jacksonville, Fla., finished with a game-high 118 yards rushing on 17 carries. Gibbons, a sophomore from Stone Mountain, Ga., finished with 97 yards on 23 carries. He was 6-of-12 passing for 79 yards and two touchdowns, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to D'Andre Snead and a 22-yard touchdown strike to Jaylen McCloud. McCloud, a sophomore from Jacksonville, Fla., ran for 63 yards on 11 carries, including a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"We knew we could win," Saxton said. "We brought it to them from the first quarter. The outcome is magnificent. It's amazing."

SSU's third possession ended when Gibbons fumbled for the second time in the game. The ball was recovered by Norfolk State's Tavien Blackwell at the Tigers' 42-yard line.

"The two fumbles to start the game, I don't know, he was wearing long sleeves and he took those off," Raeburn said of Gibbons' early struggles. "I don't know if that was the problem. Other than those two fumbles, I thought he played really well. He ran the ball great and was real efficient passing; hit some big pass-plays for us when we needed them. I thought he played really well after those two fumbles."

Norfolk State cut it to 7-3 early in the second quarter on Josh Nardone's 31-yard field goal.

SSU responded with a touchdown on its ensuing possession. McCloud ran for a 20-yard gain to Norfolk State's 45-yard line. The Spartans were penalized 15 yards for a hit out of bounds, setting up first-and-10 for the Tigers at Norfolk State's 30 yard line. Gibbons ran for 8 yards and McCloud followed with a 6-yard run to keep the chains moving. Gibbons' 10-yard run to Norfolk State's 3-yard line led to his 4-yard touchdown pass to Snead in the back of the end zone that made it 14-3 with 10:20 left before halftime. The Tigers' eight-play scoring drive covered 65 yards and took 4:23 to complete.

"We couldn't lose this Homecoming," Gibbons said. "We came off a bye week to play in this game. I was just making sure everybody was focused so we could come out with a win. Saxton played his heart out today."

Said Raeburn of Saxton: "He runs the ball hard. He's not a big guy but he has great vision. When he gets loose he's got another gear. When we do give him some space, he's got the ability to hit the home run."

SSU made it 17-3 with 4 seconds left before halftime thanks to Lugo's 44-yard field goal. Lugo's kick came after Norfolk State called two consecutive timeouts in an attempt to fluster him. It was another impressive scoring drive for SSU, which used 14 plays to cover 53 yards and chew 5:52 off the game clock.

With 5:50 left in the third quarter, SSU's Lugo attempted a 39-yard field goal but missed wide left.

Norfolk State's Carter threw his second interception (both picked off by SSU's Simmons) with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter. Two plays later, SSU's Gibbons connected with McCloud for a 22-yard touchdown that made it 24-3.

In the fourth quarter, SSU's Donald Rutledge recovered a fumble by Norfolk State's Carter with 9:36 to play in the game, giving the Tigers the ball at the Spartans' 32-yard line. Six plays later, SSU's McCloud ran for a 1-yard touchdown, his second score of the game, to make it 30-3, with 6:38 to play. A botched extra-point attempt resulted in an improbable two-point conversion when holder Chandler Williams scrambled and threw a wobbly pass toward a mass of bodies in the end zone. SSU's Cam Brown came down with the ball, giving the Tigers a 32-3 lead.

SSU finished with 293 yards on 54 carries compared to Norfolk State's 97 yards on 28 carries. Norfolk State's Dale Craig made a game-high 12 tackles and Nigel Chavis had nine tackles, including two sacks, for the Spartans. SSU's Walter Yates made a team-high 10 tackles. John Wilson added seven tackles for the Tigers.
"We feel like we play our best when we run the ball and play good defense," Raeburn said. "We felt like we played great rush defense. I haven't looked at the stats. I don't know how many they had. It wasn't many. And we ran the ball really well."

SSU will play Delaware State (1-7, 1-4) at 2 p.m. Saturday in Dover, Del. The Hornets beat North Carolina Central, 28-13, on Saturday.

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SAU Football Falls To Johnson C. Smith

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Saint Augustine's University fell to Johnson C. Smith University 31-3 in a CIAA football game at the Irwin Belk Complex on Saturday.

Sean Smith (Sr./Valdosta, GA) scored the only points for the Falcons on a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter. His kick cut the Falcons' deficit to 10-3 but the Golden Bulls scored 21 consecutive points over two quarters for the final score.

Jeremiah Miller (Jr./Miami, FL) rushed for 68 yards and Lenwood Joyner (Sr./Miami, FL) caught five passes for 25 yards for the Falcons. DeAndre Conley (Fr./Miami, FL) had four receptions for 28 yards and Desmond Smith (Jr./Richmond, VA) caught three passes for 39 yards.

Defensive lineman Dominick Bryant (Fr./Snow Hill, NC) and linebacker Joseph Harris Jr. (Fr./Jacksonville, FL) each had eight tackles for the Falcons (2-3 CIAA Southern, 2-6 Overall). Defensive back DaVaughn Taylor (Sr./Washington, DC) and linebacker De'Marius Staton (Fr./Raleigh, NC) collected seven tackles apiece.

Antonio Wallace completed 22 of 33 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns for the Golden Bulls, who led 3-0 at halftime on their Homecoming Day. Defensive end Sa'Von Williams led the Golden Bulls (2-3 CIAA Southern, 2-6 Overall) with 10 tackles.

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The Falcons conclude the regular season against archrival Shaw University in the Raleigh Classic on Saturday, Nov. 3. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at the George Williams Athletic Complex on campus in Raleigh, N.C.

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#12 Langston Lions Knock Off Texas College Steers 71-48

TYLER, Texas  -- Senior quarterback Jaylen Lowe threw for 440 yards and six touchdowns and ran for another as the No. 12 Langston Lions knocked off Texas College 71-48 Saturday night.

Offensively, the Lions (7-1, 7-0 SAC) eclipsed the 700 yards of total offense for the first time this season with 728 and won their 20th straight conference game dating back to the 2016 season. Isaiah Shaputis hauled in 10 receptions for a season-high 176 yards and three touchdowns and Daylon Person snapped two receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

This is Lowe's third game this season with at least six touchdowns, he previously hit the six-touchdown mark against Lyon College on Oct. 20 in a 48-21 victory and Texas Wesleyan on Oct. 6 in a 55-31 win.

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Cameron Booty led the Lions ground attack with seven carries for 74 yards, Lowe was right behind him with 69 yards and one touchdown on seven carries.

Defensively, Charles Harvin III led all tacklers with 17 total tackles include 11 solo and two sacks on the night. Terrance Grimsley finished with eight total tackles, four solo and 2.5 sacks.

Langston surged to a 57-24 halftime advantage after Lowe completed 13-of-19 passes for 350 yards and four touchdowns. The Steers opened the second half with back-to-back touchdowns when Vontyne Williams hit Chris Henry on a 73-yard touchdown and Malik Guillory returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown to make it 57-38 in Langston's favor.

The final two scores of the game came in the fourth courtesy of the air attack when Lowe hit Shaputis for a 24-yard and five-yard touchdown.

The 71 points is the highest point total posted for Langston in the Quinton Morgan era.

Langston (7-1, 7-0) is on a bye week and returns to action on Nov. 10 versus Panhandle State in the annual Battle for the Bell.

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