One is not a lonely number for XU in the NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana received one point Wednesday — the same number as this past week — in both of the NAIA Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 polls. But that pair of ones is significant.

For the Gold Nuggets, it's the first time since 2002 that they received a vote in consecutive polls, and it's the first time since that same season that they were mentioned in the poll entering the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships. For the XU men, it's the first time they received a vote this late in a season.

Both XU teams will compete Saturday in the GCAC meet at Choctaw Trails Course in Clinton, Miss. — women's race at 8 a.m., men's race at 8:30 — and both the Gold Nuggets and the Gold Rush are trying to win a sixth consecutive team championship. XU junior Matt Pieri is the defending men's individual champion.

NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank Team Points Last 1 Azusa Pacific (21) 652 1 2 Cal State San Marcos (2) 633 2 3 British Columbia 584 4 4 College of Idaho 576 8 5 Friends 572 6 6 Olivet Nazarene 570 5 7 Northwest Christian 529 3 8 Biola 516 7 9 Concordia (Ore.) 479 9 10 Carroll (Mont.) 459 11 11 Morningside 458 10 12 The Master's 423 12 13 Saint Xavier 371 13 14 Lewis-Clark State 359 15 15 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 355 14 16 Westmont 350 16 17 Taylor 309 17 18 Indiana Wesleyan 261 19 19 (tie) Concordia (Neb.) 260 NR 19 (tie) Southern Oregon 260 18 21 Roberts Wesleyan 246 20 22 Rocky Mountain 208 NR 23 Dordt 194 21 24 Aquinas 172 22 25 Milligan 155 23 Others receiving votes: Viterbo 114, Point Loma Nazarene 107, Shawnee State 80, Cornerstone 56, Eastern Oregon 35; Northwestern (Iowa) 23, SCAD Savannah 22, Judson (Ill.) 21, Spring Arbor 8, Northwest (Wash.) 7, Park 3, Grand View 3, Xavier 1,Southwestern (Kan.) 1, Huntington (Ind.) 1, Trinity Christian 1, Wayland Baptist 1, Cumberlands 1, Vanguard 1. NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank Team Points Last 1 Oklahoma Christian (22) 622 1 2 Shorter 589 2 3 The Master's 566 5 4 Southern Oregon 554 7 5 Friends 520 9 6 Lewis-Clark State 517 6 7 Shawnee State 491 8 8 Cal State San Marcos 485 4 9 College of Idaho 483 21 10 Wayland Baptist 451 10 11 Concordia (Ore.) 430 3 12 Aquinas 400 12 13 Bryan 387 13 14 Westmont 356 14 15 St. Francis (Ill.) 340 16 16 Concordia (Neb.) 305 15 17 Oklahoma Baptist 294 18 18 Olivet Nazarene 289 11 19 Southwestern (Kan.) 277 17 20 Eastern Oregon 258 19 21 Biola 243 20 22 British Columbia 179 22 23 Siena Heights 136 24 24 Morningside 124 RV 25 SCAD Savannah 111 RV Others receiving votes: Graceland 98, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 96, Vanguard 90, Berea 85, Carroll (Mont.) 48, Cornerstone 27, Azusa Pacific 24, Baker 20, Huntington (Ind.) 19, Rocky Mountain 8, Point Loma Nazarene 4, Cumberlands 3, Xavier 1, Dordt 1, Doane 1, By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

2011 Shreveport Classic: JSU vs. PVAMU

Norfolk State - Bethune-Cookman to play in prime time

Norfolk, Virginia -- Norfolk State didn't have much time to celebrate last weekend's 34-24 win over Hampton in the annual Battle of the Bay or the program's first FCS ranking (No. 25) since 2007.

The Spartans (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) meet visiting Bethune-Cookman (3-3, 1-2) on Thursday night at 7:30 in a game that will be televised by ESPNU. With the condensed week, NSU coach Pete Adrian said he began preparations Saturday night, shortly after the win over HU.

"It does make it very interesting, and for some extremely long hours," he said. "But that's what you've got to do." The Spartans haven't been ranked since a two-week stay in the poll four years ago.

"It's nice to see one of our conference teams get some national recognition, but it really doesn't mean a whole lot," Adrian said of the ranking. "You've got to just keep on playing and trying to win. If you keep winning, it will take care of itself."

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Spartans, 'Cats still rivals

Daytona Beach, Florida -- If you want to know what's become of the recent Norfolk State-Bethune-Cookman rivalry, listen to Wildcats second-year coach Brian Jenkins' appraisal of the Spartans' program. "Norfolk State has always been a good football team," Jenkins said. "They were a good football team last year, and they're a good football team this year."

And that's just it. Jenkins' history with Norfolk State goes back just two years. His Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will try to hand the Spartans (6-1, 4-0) their first conference loss of the season Thursday night in Norfolk, Va., in a game nationally televised by ESPNU.

Norfolk State has not always been a good football team. When head coach Pete Adrian arrived in 2005, the Spartans were coming off two successive one-win seasons. Just two years later, Adrian's team finished 8-3 and came within one game (an overtime loss to eventual champ Delaware State) of winning its first MEAC title.

Adrian again has the Spartans in position to win the conference. So there's plenty of incentive for Norfolk State to be fired up Thursday night when it meets the high-scoring Wildcats. But just a couple of years ago, just the mention of the other school would fire up the teams.

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GAME TIME: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
INTERNET: ESPN3

XU celebrates Midnight Madness on Friday at The Barn

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana will celebrate the 2011-12 basketball season with Midnight Madness at The Barn.

The free event will run from 9 to 10:30 p.m. Friday (Oct. 21), followed by a block party with free food and soft drinks from 10:30 p.m. to midnight in the parking lot in front of The Barn. Midnight Madness and the block party will be open to all.

The 2011-12 Xavier Gold Nuggets basketball team
Last season: 27-7, GCAC Tournament champion, ranked 20th in NAIA
(click photo to enlarge)

The 2011-12 Xavier Gold Rush basketball team
Last season: 27-6, GCAC Tournament runner-up, ranked 17th in NAIA
(click photo to enlarge)

"We want Midnight Madness to generate strong spirit for XU on our campus and in the community," said Dannton Jackson, in his ninth season as coach of Xavier's men. "And we hope it will boost our attendance at The Barn this season and give the Gold Rush and the Gold Nuggets the best possible home-court advantage."

Fans can participate by entering a costume contest — the person whose costume best demonstrates Xavier spirit will win $100 — and more prizes will be awarded during a 3-point shooting contest.

The Rush and Nuggets, both 27-game winners and NAIA Division I National Championship participants this past season, will conduct 15-minute intrasquad scrimmages. Xavier's three spirit groups — the cheerleaders, the Gold Star Dancers and the Golden Girls pom squad — also will perform.

"You can expect a few surprises too," said Bo Browder, in his 13th season as coach of XU's women. "Our fans will have fun and be entertained at Midnight Madness."

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

2011 Road To The SIAC Championship -- Sights & Sounds from the 76th Annual Morehouse - Tuskegee Classic

Florida A&M Rattlers Preps For South Carolina State Bulldogs

Tallahassee, Florida - FAMU was able to avoid a letdown after its homecoming loss to Howard and responded by thrashing the Tigers of Savannah State 47-7. "We measure greatness by how you respond to adversity and in my mind we really passed a major test," says Joe Taylor.

One exam to be followed by another. FAMU travels to South Carolina State this weekend in a game which the losers championship dreams will practically be erased. Taylor adds, "The bottom line is it's still a conference ballgame. We're on the road but from the way we play I'm really not concerned with the opponent anymore because seemingly we have our act together."

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LOCATION: OLIVER C. DAWSON STADIUM, ORANGEBURG, S.C.
GAME TIME: 1:30 PM
WATCH GAME LIVE ON INTERNET FREE: ESPN3
DELAYED TV BROADCAST: ESPNU @ 10:30 PM ET

FAMU's offense getting job done

The chase for the MEAC title might look a little bleak right now for Florida A&M but the Rattlers are proving that they have the offensive power that might land them in the thick of the race when it's all said and done.

Seven games into the season with a 4-3 overall record and 2-2 in conference play, FAMU is leading the league in scoring offense among the teams that have played as many games. Its 28 touchdowns is the most in the conference, three more than Bethune-Cookman University, which has played six games, and one more than South Carolina State, which has also played seven games.

FAMU has scored 209 points and is averaging 312 yards per game. FAMU also leads the league in the red zone, scoring on 26 of 28 chances.

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FAMU zoned in on chasing the MEAC title

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Through its seven games, Florida A&M has had enough ups and downs and that should help to get the Rattlers zoned in on their next game. At least that's the feeling expressed by coach Joe Taylor, whose team has left him with a few head-scratching moments.

FAMU plays a season-defining game with South Carolina State, a team that has also been having its struggles this season. But even so, a victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday is pivotal to FAMU remaining in the chase for a shot at the MEAC championship.

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Taylor, FAMU hoping to end S.C. State’s streak

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A question brought a brief chuckle from Florida A&M head football coach Joe Taylor during Tuesday's weekly teleconference.

It regarded the Rattlers' eight-game losing streak to South Carolina State dating back to Buddy Pough's arrival in 2002. Taylor was prompted to laugh after pointing out he's been at the helm for only three of those losses, although he has a five-game losing streak to the Bulldogs counting his final two seasons at Hampton.

"South Carolina State has just built a tremendous talent base over the years there and that's what is going to make a difference if that's ever going to end," Taylor said. "It's going to be because you had a chance to recruit and get your talent base up to a level where you can compete legitimately."

Entering Saturday's matchup at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium ...

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Billups is solid at Jackson State University

Jackson, Mississippi -- Jonathan Billups has become a solid part to one of the toughest defenses in college football. Billups, a former all-state player at Picayune High, is in his second season as a starting defensive lineman for Jackson State. The Tigers are 6-1 after Saturday’s win over in-state rival Mississippi Valley, and the JSU defense is the tops in Division I-AA against the run.

“I think I’ve been playing pretty well, but I am always trying to get better every day,” Billups, who lines up at both nose and tackle, said. “I think I have gotten better each year I have been here, and I just plan on continuing to work hard and improve each time out.”

So far this season, Billups has started every game and has recorded 31 total tackles, including 13 solo stops. He has one sack, and five tackles for loss, and he has one fumble recovery, one pass break up and one quarterback hurry.

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