UT Martin's Jason McNair shows flashes of his late uncle

Nashville, Tennessee -- His last name is McNair, he plays hard and plays hurt, and he’ll be at LP Field today. Jason McNair, nephew of late Titans quarterback Steve McNair, hopes to lead UT Martin (5-4, 4-2 OVC) to a victory over Tennessee State (4-5, 3-3).

McNair, a 5-foot-9, 192-pound junior from Mount Olive, Miss., leads the Skyhawks with 737 rushing yards and has scored five touchdowns. He has fond memories of LP Field. It’s where he scored his first touchdown as a freshman when he entered the game against TSU late with the Skyhawks safely in the lead (21-7) and scored on an 11-yard run. “I’m sure I’ll always remember that run,” McNair said.

But LP Field already was a special place for McNair. It’s where he watched his uncle become one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. “My uncle left his blood, sweat and tears on that field,” McNair said.

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Analyzing Florida A&M at North Carolina Central

Time: Today at 2 p.m.
Records: N.C. Central (2-7 overall, 1-5 MEAC); Florida A&M (6-3 overall, 4-2 MEAC)
Site: O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, Durham, N.C.
Series: FAMU leads 4-1-1.
Forecast: Mostly sunny, temperatures in the low-to-mid-60s.
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Radio: WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount, N.C.); WARR 1520 AM (Warrenton, N.C.); “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 12:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst; Danielle Johnson-Webb, sideline)
Video: NCCUEaglePride.com features “GameCentral” by Stretch Internet ($8.95 per game). Starts at 1:45 p.m. Link: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/nccu.portal#

WHEN FLORIDA A&M HAS THE BALL

The Rattlers come into today's game off another exciting come-from-behind win last week against North Carolina A&T. Quarterback Damien Fleming tossed two more touchdown passes and now has seven in the seven games he's played — with only two interceptions. Completing 60 percent of his passes and a 7-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio puts Fleming third in the MEAC in pass efficiency.

The running back trio of LaVante Page, Al-Terek McBurse and Eddie Rocker could see plenty of carries today against a defense that ranks ninth in the MEAC by allowing just over 180 yards per game on the ground.



N.C. Central linebacker Brandon Outlaw leads a defense that has struggled for most of the year, but is coming off its best performance in a 14-7 win over Delaware State. Outlaw has 86 tackles, despite only four in the Eagles' first MEAC win of the season last week.

Cornerback Malik Cromartie was the hero for NCCU last week, blocking a first-quarter field goal to keep the game tied and intercepting a pair of passes. His second pick came with Delaware State driving late in the game to seal the win. Fleming will also need to keep an eye on junior defensive back Marc Lewis, who leads NCCU with seven pass breakups.

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One more win, NSU cinches best season in its history

Norfolk, Virginia -- The Norfolk State football team is not happy with history.

The Spartans clinched a share of their first MEAC championship last weekend, making history in the process, but you'd never have known it. No. 22 Norfolk State didn't rush the field or dump a bucket of Gatorade on head coach Pete Adrian. Norfolk State huddled near its sideline, walked off the field and hopped on a bus.

"I don't know what I expected, but it's the attitude that I hoped they'd have," Adrian said. "We felt like we were the better team and we went in and we did what we were supposed to do."

It's the same mindset the Spartans are taking into today's game at Morgan State. With a win, Norfolk State can polish off its best Division I season in school history, its first playoff bid and win the conference championship outright.

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N.C. Central looks for second MEAC win

Durham, North Carolina -- Last weekend's first victory in the MEAC wasn't one that North Carolina Central coach Henry Frazier wanted his team to spend too much time celebrating. But it was a huge sense of relief. At the mention during his weekly conference call that it might have been like a monkey off his back, Frazier laughed.

"I wouldn't say it was a monkey," he said. "I say it was a big, old gorilla. We had been close a few times and just hadn't been able to pull it out."

In fact, the Eagles (2-7, 1-5) have held fourth-quarter leads in four of their previous six games before hanging on to beat Delaware State last weekend in Dover, Del.



One reason that Frazier didn't want to spend too much time savoring the win is because his team has the challenge of trying to beat Florida A&M in its last home game today at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham,N.C.

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Stillman Tigers seeking homecoming win

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - The Stillman Tigers have achieved a winning record in Teddy Keaton’s first season as coach. If they win today’s homecoming game, they’ll have the best mark since joining the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2005.

“I tell my kids homecoming is not really for you right now,” said Keaton, a 1999 Stillman graduate. “Homecoming is for the alumni and the people that come back and support them. I really believe people are coming back to homecoming to see what we’ve done with this program in this short amount of time. I’m excited about some of my classmates coming back.

“More importantly, I want to make sure my team stays focused and that we don’t forget what’s at stake here; what’s the ultimate goal about finishing and not overlooking your opponent. Let the alumni and everybody else celebrate, and you stay focused on what we came here to do today.”

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ECSU vs. Winston-Salem State for CIAA crown today

Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- The Vikings are hoping the third time is the charm. Elizabeth City State has been chasing a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football title since 1971 and gets another chance to win that elusive championship today when it takes on No. 4 Winston-Salem State in Durham.

For ECSU (8-2), which won its only CIAA championship in 1971, it is its third championship game appearance in the last six years.

“I am trying to stay grounded approaching this game and focusing on what the kids can do,” said ECSU coach Wavery Tillar, who is 0-2 in CIAA championship games as head coach. “I feel real good going into this game based on what the kids can do offensively, defensively and on special teams. I’m just trying to stay grounded and not looking so much at the 0-2 record, but saying we can win this one.”

Across the field will be a familiar foe in Winston-Salem (10-0)...

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Free Throws Help Virginia Union Down Clarion in PSAC-CIAA Challenge

California, Pennsylvania -- Calvin Brown sank two free throws with seven seconds left to give Virginia Union an 82-81 victory over Clarion in the opening round of the PSAC/CIAA Challenge at California, Pennsylvania Friday.

The challenge pits schools of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference against the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Golden Eagles (0-1) had just taken the lead 81-80 when Quintus "Bud" Teers sank two free throws of his own with 24 seconds remaining in a seesaw contest. However, teammate Paul McQueen fouled Brown as he tried to muscle up a shot at the other end of the court.

Clarion's Calvin Edward missed a jumper with two seconds left and time ran out before anyone could get to the rebound. Brown finished with 22 points for the Panthers (1-0), who gave new head coach Lugman Jabeer his first win.

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