WSSU Rams have tough test coming up

Winston Salem, NC - It's a safe bet that when coach Connell Maynor and his staff reviewed the tape of WSSU's 22-17 win over Elizabeth City State they had to be encouraged.

One reason for that would be the crispness of the offense despite the bevy of mistakes. When the Rams weren't getting penalized their offense was very good. They started out scoring on three of their first five possessions of the game, and that's pretty good for an opener.

The task this week will not be any easier because the Rams will play at Virginia Union on Saturday. The Panthers, who are coached by Michael Bailey, who flirted with the vacant AD job at WSSU before Bill Hayes was hired, are 2-0 with two straight shutouts.

The Panthers have beaten St. Aug's and Benedict. On Saturday the Panthers won 27-0 and will look to avenge last year's loss to the Rams.


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2011 John Merritt Classic Battle of the Bands: Tennessee State Aristocrat vs. Southern Human Jukebox

Familiar traits back in SU loss

Baton Rouge, LA - It all started well enough. In the opening minutes of an otherwise gruesome season-opening 33-7 loss, the Southern football team looked like it might actually stand toe-to-toe with Tennessee State.

The defense held TSU on its first possession, and Jaguars quarterback Dray Joseph went to work. Working on scripted, predetermined plays, he connected on each of his first three passes — quick throws on three-step drops to his two best receivers, LaQuinton Evans and Charles Hawkins.

The old feeling was on its way back. Maybe Southern, in its second opener under coach Stump Mitchell, really was on its way back to respectability.

Just like that, the feeling was blown away for good. Joseph’s next pass, though high, fluttered off the hands of receiver Jared Green, then into the hands of TSU defender Joseph Wylie. He promptly returned his interception for a touchdown.  And the rout was on.

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UNO to Face Alcorn State in Tuesday Volleyball Home Opener

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans volleyball program will play the first of 10 home matches on Tuesday as they host Alcorn State at 7 p.m. at the Human Performance Center.

Tuesday's contest is one of two home matches on the 2011 slate scheduled to take place at the HPC. The remaining home events with the exception of a Nov. 2 match against Southern (N.O.) will occur at Lakefront Arena.

UNO (0-4) enters the week seeking their first win of the campaign after dropping all four contests at the Millsaps Invitational in Jackson, Miss. this past weekend.

With eight freshmen on the roster, second-year head coach Kim Young is letting her young program grow with on the court experience. As the team put more sets under their belt as the opening weekend wore on, the squad showed vast improvement.

Freshman outside hitter Laila Hansen (Chugiak, Ak.) was the top offensive threat through four matches. Hansen accumulated 46 kills for a team-best 3.54 kills per set which included a season-best 17 in a four-set loss to Martin Methodist.

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In-Match Updates on Twitter (@UNOPrivateers)
Laila Hansen - UNOPrivateers.com Student-Athlete of the Week

WEEK-ONE HSRN NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK FAN POLL NOMINEES

Hartly, DE – The 2011 college football season kicked off in full swing this past weekend and the Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) national player of the week fan poll voting has started. Each week, HSRN will announce a national player of the week from both the top DI-FCS and Division II action.

The top performance each week will be selected and the HBCU fans across the country will get a chance to cast their vote for who they think had the best game. The Fan Poll is designed to get fans involved with the excitement of the HBCU college football action. Fans are asked to log on to HSRN.com and cast their vote for the top performance. Fans can vote on the poll today (Mon., Sept. 5) thru Wednesday (Aug. 7) until 11 am CT. The nominees are below:

Div. I FCS
Jamarr Robinson – Bethune Cookman – QB – 6’0, 195 – SR/Charlotte, NC
In his first start for the Wildcats, Robinson completed 22 of 31 (70%) for 251 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 35 yards on five carries, with two going for touchdowns. Finishing the afternoon with 286 yards of total offense, leading the Wildcats to an impressive 63-14 win over Prairie View in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Nick Andrews – Alabama St. – WR – 5’9 – SR/Maplesville, AL
Andrews had a career high 10 receptions for 104 yards and a career high three touchdowns. He caught scoring passes for 36, five, and eight yards in the first half. He also moved up ASU career charts and now ranks second in career receptions (134), seventh in yards (1,764) and fifth in touchdown receptions (20). The Hornets defeated MS Valley St. 41-9.

Chris Walley – Norfolk St. – QB – 6’2, 200 – SR/Tallahassee, FL
In the Annual Labor Day Classic, Walley led the Spartans to 37-3 win over Virginia St. completing 25-29 (0 INT) passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 10 rushes for 42 yards, finishing the game with 297 yards of total offense.

Trabis Ward – Tennessee St. – RB – 5’10, 200 – SO/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ward had an impressive 141 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown. He also caught two passes for 16 yards, giving him 157 all-purpose yards. The Tigers defeated Southern 33-7 in the John Merritt Classic.

Div. II
Jerrel Noland – Kentucky St. – QB – 6’0, 249 – SR/Detroit, MI
Noland led the Thorobreds to a 39-21 victory over Central St. completing 13 of 16 passes for 218 yards (No INT) and four touchdowns. He also had nine rushes for 55 yards, finishing with 273 yards of total offense.

Doug Cook – Lincoln (PA) – QB – 6’0, 170 – FR/Diana Beach, FL
In his first collegiate start, Cook completed 30 of 47 passes for 317 yards and one touchdown. His performance was not enough as the Lions came up short to arch-rival Cheyney 21-19 in the Annual Wade Wilson Classic.

Stanley Jennings – Albany St. – QB – 6’2, 250 – SR/Marietta, GA
Jennings led the Golden Rams to a come from behind 37-34 win with his 12 yard TD run with 19 seconds on the clock. He completed 16 of 35 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 25 yards, finishing the game with 265 yards of total offense.

Jamian Smith – St. Augustine’s – WR – 6’0, 185 – SR/Kenansville, NC
Smith caught nine passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Falcons to a dominating 30-5 win over Catawba. With that performance he moved up to #2 on the Falcons career reception list. He has 87 career catches and needs nine more to become the all-time leader.

VISIT: HSRN FrontPage

Morehouse rolls to 47-9 win over Miles in Labor Day Golden Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- By the start of the third quarter, the light rain falling on the turf at Legion Field had turned into a downpour. Tropical Storm Lee was announcing its presence at the fifth Labor Day Golden Classic, but Morehouse College had already stolen the show.

The Maroon Tigers jumped all over Miles College from the start, grabbing a 23-point halftime lead and running away with a 47-9 victory Sunday to spoil Reginald Ruffin's debut as Golden Bears' head coach.

"I put all the blame on myself," said Ruffin, who came to Miles after five years as the defensive coordinator at Tuskegee. "I didn't have the guys ready to play. I thought we were ready to play, but unfortunately we weren't. I'm just very disappointed in myself, and I apologize to my coaches, I apologize to my team for not having them ready to play."

Led by junior quarterback Byron Ingram's two rushing touchdowns and one through the air, Morehouse encountered minimal resistance on its way to 427 yards of total ...

PHOTO GALLERY: Miles vs. Morehouse 2011

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SWAC Shellacking: Bethune-Cookman opens with 63-14 rout

ORLANDO, FL -- New season. New quarterback. Same old Wildcats. Bethune-Cookman started its second season under head coach Brian Jenkins a lot like it started its first -- with a thorough thrashing of an overmatched opponent.

Last year, B-CU pummeled an NAIA team -- Edward Waters (70-10) -- in Jenkins' debut. On Sunday, the Wildcats cruised to a 63-14 victory over Prairie View A&M before an announced crowd of 17,337 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Prairie View of the Southwestern Athletic Conference is coming off a 7-4 season, but the Panthers (0-1) are rebuilding under new coach Heishma Northern, while the Wildcats (1-0) are reloading with a new quarterback.

Senior Jamarr Robinson, who transferred from the University of Maryland, passed for 251 yards and a touchdown and added two scoring runs while playing just one series into the third quarter, when the 'Cats took a commanding 49-7 lead.

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