Piscataway, N.J. -- In its first journey as a full-fledged member of the Division 1 FCS, North Carolina Central University experienced a few bumps in the road Thursday night.
The Eagles managed only 120 total yards, committed four turnovers and nine penalties in a 48-0 loss to Rutgers at High Point Solutions Stadium before 40,061. It was the first shutout suffered by NCCU since Winston-Salem State claimed a 47-0 win in 2003.
The Eagles were a “re-classified” member of the NCAA’s Division 1 since 2007, meaning they were not eligible for bowl games, statistics were not recognized by the NCAA and players could not receive post-season awards. They were also “provisional members” of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) operating with similar constraints to the NCAA.
Rutgers is now 8-0 against MEAC opponents, defeating Morgan State three times, Norfolk State and Howard twice each and NCCU.
The one-sided loss was brightened by a guaranteed $400,000 NCCU received from Rutgers for playing the game. The Scarlet Knights were selected to finish last in the BigEast by the conference coaches in the pre-season poll.
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Friday, September 2, 2011
CIAA Preview
The skinnyWhat's new: The conference shrunk to 12 teams in May when Saint Paul's announced it was cutting its athletics program. Teams scrambled to fill the hole left in their schedules. Virginia Union and St. Augustine's played each other last week to fill the void.
Who's new: Kevin Grisby, formerly the head coach at Saint Paul's, is now the defensive coordinator at Virginia Union. There are no new head coaches. Some of the league's biggest names from a year ago are now in the NFL. Virginia Union OT David Mims signed with the Chiefs, and Fayetteville State RB Richard Medlin joined the Patriots. St. Augustine's RB Walter Sanders, the conference's 2010 offensive player of the year, signed with the Ravens, but he was cut.
Top five players: Elizabeth City State QB Creven Powell, Chowan WR Robert Holland, Virginia State P Billy Rudd, Fayetteville State DB Andre Lyles, Shaw DB Darnell Evans.
Preseason offensive player of the year: Elizabeth City State QB Creven Powell
Preseason defensive player of the year: Fayetteville State defensive back Andre Lyles
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Chowan Routs Livingstone in Football Season Opener
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| Happy days at Chowan |
The Hawks held the Blue Bears of Livingstone College to only 12 yards of total offense as they picked up their first win of the 2011 season in convincing fashion Thursday night. This marks the first opening day win for Chowan since a 16-13 victory over Randolph-Macon College in 2005.
The Hawks tallied 310 first half yards, with 178 of them coming through the air from quarterback Cameron Stover. Stover opened up the scoring for Chowan with a six yard touchdown pass to Kevin Hodrick at the 9:17 mark of the first quarter. The Hawks dominated the opening drive, going 79 yards in 15 plays.
After a slow-moving quarter and a half, the Hawks exploded midway through the second frame offensively. Ryan Murphy nailed a 23 yard field goal with 7:40 left in the quarter to give the Hawks a 9-0 lead. Livingstone fumbled the ensuing kickoff to give the Hawks the ball at the Blue Bears 21 yard line. Only a minute and five seconds later, Adrian Ferns plowed into the goal line with a one-yard touchdown run to open up a 16-0 lead.
Chowan then forced a three-and-out and began the following drive at the Livingstone 46 yard line. After two first downs, Cameron Stover found Michael Satterwhite for a 27 yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 22-0 with 4:02 remaining in the half.
On the next Livingstone drive, Patrick Charles intercepted a Levon Stanley pass and returned it to the LC 33 yard line. The Hawks stayed on the ground for their ensuing drive, and Elliot Smalls capped it with a 13 yard scoring run to open the game wide open at 29-0.
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Checking in on Alabama State University stadium construction
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- As the first footprints of Alabama State University’s future football stadium begin to surface, it’s hard not to be taken back by the canyon-like crater hiding behind mounds of sand on the far side of campus.Even in the stadium’s current barebones state, the 50-foot deep, 20-acre wide hole that sits on the site serves as an indicator of just how big the stadium will be.
The 8-story stadium, set to be completed by fall 2012, will seat 30,000 people and will be easily visible from I-85. Once completed, it will be the biggest stadium in the River Region.
“This stadium will be unlike any other stadium in the country and will have significant impact on the Hornet community,” said Kippy Tate, ASU’s vice president of buildings and grounds. “Its all about enhancing the game day experience for the fans.”
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Howard alum Gary Harrell looks to reverse the Bison’s downward trend
Washington, D.C. - If anyone knows how far the Howard football program has fallen, it’s first-year Coach Gary Harrell. As a 5-foot-7 wide receiver, he helped lead the Bison to an 11-1 record and the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in 1993. Since 1999, though, Howard has had only two winning seasons and is coming off a 2010 campaign in which a win over Division II Lincoln was its only victory.
So it’s no surprise that Harrell has one word on his mind: redemption.
“It’s not just redemption toward the other schools in our conference, it’s redemption for ourselves, getting back to the way we play at Howard University, getting back to our tradition,” said the 39-year-old Harrell, who had a brief stint with the New York Giants. “This is the job I’ve been praying for, been preparing myself for, to be the head coach at Howard University, to be in charge of leading this program in a different direction.”
Harrell still owns the Howard record for career receptions and is known around campus as “The Flea,” the nickname he earned as a player because of his size and tenacity.
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So it’s no surprise that Harrell has one word on his mind: redemption.
“It’s not just redemption toward the other schools in our conference, it’s redemption for ourselves, getting back to the way we play at Howard University, getting back to our tradition,” said the 39-year-old Harrell, who had a brief stint with the New York Giants. “This is the job I’ve been praying for, been preparing myself for, to be the head coach at Howard University, to be in charge of leading this program in a different direction.”
Harrell still owns the Howard record for career receptions and is known around campus as “The Flea,” the nickname he earned as a player because of his size and tenacity.
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From Bowie High to Bowie State Football
The sky was mostly blue with a slight wind blowing the small markers on the top of the goalposts on the football field at Bowie State University on Monday afternoon.
About 50 yards behind one end zone students were unloading their cars in preparation for the fall semester.
Inside the football stadium the Bulldogs of Bowie State were preparing for their first game of the season, a non-conference contest at Assumption on Saturday in Worcester, MA.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
North Carolina A&T Names Sanchez Head Baseball Coach
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| Head Baseball Coach Joel Sanchez (Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information) |
"Coach Sanchez has what I call 'championship experience,'" said Hilton. "He spent numerous years learning what it takes to win championships on a consistent basis. We are excited about blending his winning knowhow with what we believe is already an outstanding baseball program."
Prior to joining N.C.A&T, Sanchez held the assistant baseball coaching position at Daytona State College for one season in 2011.
The bulk of Sanchez's coaching success came during his eight seasons (2001-08) at Bethune-Cookman University, where he served as the head assistant under Mervyl Melendez. During his stint at B-CU, the Wildcats earned seven MEAC Championships, and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional each time.
Sanchez's coaching experience is not limited to college baseball. He served as the minor league pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Nationals, the rookie-level minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals in 2010; and the Vermont Lake Monsters, the short-season level-A affiliate of the Nationals in 2009. He was responsible pitching staff of each team.
As a player, Sanchez played professionally with the Ciudad Juarez of Chihuahua, Mexico from 1997-1999. He was a two-year letterman at New Mexico State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1998.
Sanchez replaces Keith Shumate, who resigned in July after 15 seasons with the Aggies. Austin Love will remain as an assistant for the program.
Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information
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