Albany State wins a thriller over Savannah State

Macon, GA - The Music City Classic lived up to its billing Saturday. It was indeed a classic. Albany State quarterback Stanley Jennings scored on a quarterback draw with 19 seconds left in the game to give the Golden Rams a 37-34 win over Savannah State, which had recovered from an early 19-0 deficit.

“I knew we had enough time to come back,” said Jennings, a rugged 235-pound quarterback. “It was the kind of game that whoever had the ball last was going to have a chance to win, and that’s pretty much what happened. This is the kind of win that shows us two things. The first one is that we have a long way to go if we want to be a good football team. The second one is that we played well when our backs were to the wall. It was a great win against a team that got after us a little bit.”




Albany State quarterback Stanley Jennings scored on a quarterback draw with 19 seconds left in the game to give the Golden Rams a 37-34 win over Savannah State, which had recovered from an early 19-0 deficit.

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New uniforms on way for Alabama A&M band; fundraiser ongoing

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- As the marching band director at Alabama A&M University, Derrick Yates has a problem. Well, maybe not a problem, exactly. "A new challenge," is how he put it.

Either way, he has work to do. You see, when school President Dr. Andrew Hugine kicked off a fundraiser to purchase 300 new band uniforms, he told Yates that band members should look as good as they sound. After seven years, the uniforms were worn and tattered. When the uniforms arrive by midseason, Yates will have a tougher time making the band sound even better than it looks.

"Dr. Hugine recognized as soon as he entered the university and saw us performing ...



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Chicago Football Classic: Second-half rally lifts Hampton Pirates

Chicago, IL - Hampton University beat Alabama A&M 21-20 in the 14th annual Chicago Football Classic before an announced crowd of 35,653 on Saturday at Soldier Field.

After both teams turned the ball over on their first possession, Alabama A&M reeled off 17 consecutive points. But the Bulldogs couldn’t make the lead stand as the Pirates scored the next two touchdowns.

David Legree threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Brown, and Legree scrambled eight yards for a score with 2:36 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was set up by a bobbled punt attempt that gave Hampton the ball on the Bulldogs’ 23-yard line.

Chance Wilson put Alabama A&M back in the driver’s seat with a 34-yard field goal with 5:33 left in the third quarter. The Pirates responded, going 60 yards in six plays and scoring on a ...

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Grambling wins young gun duel

SHREVEPORT, LA — There is a new trend in the Alcorn State-Grambling State rivalry — freshman quarterbacks stealing the show. Last year, it was Alcorn State's Brandon Bridge, who single-handedly kept the Braves in the game. In Saturday's Port City Classic, however, it was Grambling's D.J. Williams who took on the starring role.

Williams tossed a pair of touchdowns in his first collegiate start and GSU held off a late Alcorn rally to give coach Doug Williams a 21-14 victory in his return to Grambling. Even when D.J. Williams did not have a hand in a touchdown, he set them up.

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Defense answers call for Grambling

As a first-time starting quarterback, Grambling freshman D.J. Williams refused to make Saturday's Port City Classic matchup with Alcorn State all about him. Instead, he put the onus on the Tigers' defense.

"I've been telling those guys, 'We're putting it on y'all,'" Williams said. "They're the best defense in the SWAC and they showed it (Saturday) night."

The Tigers defense definitely did its job against Alcorn, leading the way in Grambling's 21-14 victory. A year after watching Alcorn quarterback Brandon Bridge torch them for 408 passing yards, the Tigers were ready for the sophomore known as Air Canada.

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Florida A&M Rattlers able to hold off pesky Fort Valley State

Tallahassee, FL - Just before kickoff Saturday, Bragg Stadium fans got to watch an animated version of a rattlesnake slam around a wildcat that was prowling the Florida A&M campus.

The crowd went wild. As it turns out, the video on the stadium's big screen was nothing more than hype, as the Rattlers spent Saturday evening trying to find ways to escape the Wildcats from Fort Valley State University.

In the end they did, 28-22, but it wasn't pretty. Penalties, missed tackles and a Division-I transfer by the name of Antonio Henton made it a tough opening night for the co-defending MEAC champion.

"I knew (the Wildcats) were coming to play us," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "I knew they had some athletes." The Rattlers' own blunders also made for a tough afternoon on the sidelines for Taylor and his staff.

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FAMU Women's Basketball Player Stabbed, Killed

The late Shannon Washington

Tallahassee, FL - The Tallahassee Police Department responded to a report of a stabbing at 3025 South Adams Street this morning at approximately 2:03 AM. Officers located victim Shannon Washington in the apartment, with a knife wound to her neck. The victim was initially treated by officers on-scene, until EMS arrived.

She was then transported to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The victim was a FAMU student-athlete, who was a member of the women’s basketball team. TPD has been in contact with university officials.

TPD Victim Advocates have been working with the FAMU Athletic Department, and the victim’s teammates.

Suspect Starquineshia Palmer was still at the apartment upon the arrival of officers.

The investigation determined she did not live in the apartment, but traveled to Tallahassee from Central Florida to visit the victim for the weekend. The victim and Palmer began to argue in the early morning hours, resulting in Palmer stabbing the victim with a kitchen knife.

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MUG: Starquineshia Palmer
  (Courtesy Leon County Sheriff's Office)

NOTE: The late Ms. Washington was a heralded student-athlete that was expected to become the cornerstone of coach LeDawn Gibson's 2011/12 Lady Rattlers basketball squad. The Illinois Valley Community College standout was a two-time junior college All-American and two-time 1st team all-conference player. The 5'11" guard averaged 19 points, nine rebounds, five steals and five assists per game. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn., honored her for her play last season.

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame recognizes the country's top players on all levels, from pro to high school. In making the team, Washington's jersey will hang in the ring of honor at the museum in Tennessee, where she is among other greats such as Candace Parker (Univ. of Tennessee), Sue Byrd (Univ. of Connecticut) and Britney Griner (Baylor). The jersey will hang until May 2012.

Ms. Washington was a native of Sarasota, Florida, where she was a graduate of Riverview High School.

Starquineshia Palmer, age 20, has been charged with first degree murder by the Leon County Sheriff Office. 

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Jackson State Tigers start fast, finish slow

Jackson, MS - A preseason filled with much hype and many expectations for Jackson State's pass-happy offense started off oh-so sweet on Saturday with a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Casey Therriault to Rico Richardson on the first play of a season-opening 42-2 victory over Concordia College.

The rest of the afternoon - at least for that once high-powered, high-flying offense - was submerged by Tropical Storm Lee's whipping winds and driving rains, and stalled by familiar issues for this team: inefficient pass blocking and a lackluster run game.

"I think we can be a little bit crisper. I think we can execute a little bit better than we executed today," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "This team has it in them, and we're going to get it out of them."

Therriault, one of the most prolific passers in the nation last year, completed 15 of 32 for 218 yards, his third fewest in one dozen games at Jackson State.

PHOTOS: JSU - Concordia

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