Tennessee State Tiger Camp: Practice Heats Up

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Rising temperatures and higher humidity gave Tennessee State the conditions they were looking for Wednesday at fall camp.

"It got a little bit warm out here, which I like," said head coach Rod Reed. "We were a little flat at times, but you could see some areas in practice where we picked up the intensity."

One of the more important aspects that Coach Reed has been preaching this fall is maintaining a high level of energy throughout practice and hoping that it translates into the games.

"Championship football teams have that type of intensity all the time and that’s one of the things that we keep preaching to these guys. We’ve got to play at a high level every play. If somebody goes down, then the next man steps in. We don’t have the luxury to take plays off. We’ve got to be 100 percent all the time."

The defensive line shined through on the day as Reed was pleased with what his saw upfront despite a lack of depth.

"I thought we played well on the defensive front. We’re thin at that position, but we’ve got some guys that really got after it today. I am sure it will be a tug of war. The offensive line will come back tomorrow and we’ll get some good play out of them."

Fan Day Set

TSU Fan Day will be Saturday, Aug. 25 at the indoor practice facility. Fans are invited to come out and collect autographs and photos with the 2012 football team.

Kick-Off Times Confirmed

TSU Athletics announced last week that kick-off times have been set for all home games. The John Merritt Classic against Florida A&M is slated for a 6pm contest on Sept. 1. All Hale Stadium games (Austin Peay - Sept. 15, Eastern Kentucky - Oct. 6 and Tennessee Tech - Oct. 27) are scheduled for a 1pm start time. TSU kicks off Homecoming against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 29 at 5pm.

2012 TSU FOOTBALL CAMP SCHEDULE

Thursday, Aug. 16 - Scrimmage - 7:30-9:30am/Special Teams 5:45-7:45pm
Friday, Aug. 17 - Practice (full) - 9:15-11:30am
Saturday, Aug. 18 - Scrimmage - 7:30-9:30am/Special Teams 5:45-7:45pm
Monday, Aug. 20 - Practice (full) - 9:15-11:30am
Tuesday, Aug. 21 - Scrimmage - 7:30-9:30am/Special Teams 5:45-7:45pm

Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers and Twitter @TSU_Tigers.

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Jenkins ready to take B-CU team all the way

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - With the 2012 football campaign around the corner, Bethune-Cookman University held its B-CU held Media Day on Sunday, Aug. 12.

Head Coach Brian Jenkins stressed keeping his team living in the moment.

“We have to learn to stay in the moment. I think that sometimes we jump ahead. We can’t look forward to certain games or opponents. We have to stay focused and work the moment. We have to be consistent and master the fundamentals,” stated Jenkins.

Players dressed in shirt and tie spoke to the press about the upcoming season.

“At first they didn’t agree with it but now they’ve come to understand it. Our players represent us well. It’s more than just football. It’s also about making young men,” added Jenkins.



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JCSU driven to beat history, preseason poll

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith quarterback Keahn Wallace isn’t impressed by the league’s preseason poll.

Conference coaches picked the Golden Bulls to finish fifth in the six-team South Division despite coming off a 6-5 season and Pioneer Bowl win in 2011. Wallace, the league’s offensive rookie of the year, was livid.

“It’s motivation at the same time it’s disrespect,” said Wallace, who accounted for 2,478 total yards and 24 touchdowns (16 passing) as a freshman. “What we did last year put a big dent in the CIAA from the standpoint of scoring, making plays, keeping our defense off the field. I look at it as disrespect because we’re building on what we have done and for them to rank us fifth in our side of the conference is disrespectful.”

Golden Bulls coach Steve Aycock is ...



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XU revises schedule, will travel to Florida 2 weeks earlier

XU seeks its seventh consecutive conference
championship in women's cross country.

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana announced two changes Monday to its 2012 men's and women's cross country schedules.

The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets still will compete in Florida, but two weeks earlier than originally announced. Xavier will run Sept. 22 in the ASICS Embry-Riddle Classic at Daytona Beach, Fla. The other new meet will be Oct. 5 in the Mississippi College/Watson Ford Invitatiional at Clinton, Miss.

The Embry-Riddle meet will replace the LSU Invitational at Baton Rouge, La., and the Mississippi College meet will replace the Walt Disney World Classic at Kissimmee, Fla.

Xavier will begin the season Aug. 31 in the Mississippi College Opener. It will be the first of three meets this year on MC's Choctaw Trails Course.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER University of LouIsiana

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

In the FCS Huddle: 2012 MEAC Preview

Philadelphia, PA – In the past, MEAC football has been overlooked. The conference has always had some of the best bands, game-day atmospheres and rivalries (particularly with the SWAC), but not the national attention.

Usually, in FCS football, conferences achieve that through national championships, playoff appearances and quality competition. But, it doesn't happen overnight, it takes time.

Few have noticed the changes the MEAC has made in the last couple of years in order to take the next step forward. Teams are scheduling tougher out-of- conference opponents as well as adding FBS games, which the conference had never been accustomed to on a regular basis. The talent of athletes has increased and multiple teams can now fight for the title because there isn't just one premiere program.

"Dr. (Dennis) Thomas (the MEAC commissioner) had a firm direction for us about 10 years ago, he wanted us to become more competitive," Florida A&M coach Joe Taylor said. "Since 1996, MEAC football has evolved and become a lot more competitive. The trend in FCS football is playing FBS games and we do it now, too. We can use that as a recruiting tool and as revenue games. Now with the economy, it's a pretty good purse of money not just for MEAC teams, but for other teams as well."



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Lumberton picks FSU's Moses as hoops coach

LUMBERTON, North Carolina — Seated between opposing fans at a Fairmont basketball game in 2010, Fayetteville State assistant coach Mike Moses Jr. quickly realized this was no ordinary recruiting visit.

“I’ve been to a lot of high school games around North Carolina, but those games between the Tornadoes and Red Springs are some of the most memorable,” Moses said. “They take their basketball very seriously.”

Moses liked the intensity so much he threw his name into the local coaching ring recently after Ted Gaskins retired from Lumberton High as boys basketball coach. Headlining the hiring committee with county athletic director Jason Suggs was Pirates A.D. Tripp Satterwhite who was immediately impressed with the former All-CIAA standout’s interview and vision.

Hand-picked from a list of 25 applicants, Moses, 28, becomes the county’s youngest head coach

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Moss Makes All-OVC, TSU Predicted to Finish Fifth

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Ohio Valley Conference has announced the All-OVC Preseason Volleyball team and the team's predicted order of finish for the upcoming season. Junior setter Erika Moss was selected to the squad, while TSU is predicted to finish fifth in the league according to league coaches and sports information directors.

Moss, a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was selected to the all-preseason team after receiving all-conference honors at the end of last season.

In 2011, Moss was second in the conference and first on the team in assists and assists per game with 1201 and 10.44, respectively. She was also fourth on the team in blocks with 38.

Moss also contributed to the team's success on offense- placing fifth on the squad in both points per set and service aces.

The selection of Moss marks the second time in school history that any volleyball player has been selected to the all-conference first team and the preseason all-conference team in consecutive years. The other occurrence was when Shaquita Williams made All-OVC in 2010 and the preseason All-OVC team in 2011.

Last season, TSU finished in second place in the conference following a 13-7 league record. This year's squad loses two starters, but returns four in addition to last season's libero.

2012 Preseason All-OVC Volleyball Team

(as Selected by OVC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors)

Nikki Doyle, Austin Peay*
Ashley Edmund, Eastern Kentucky*
Ellie Roberson, Morehead State*
Caitlin Clark, Morehead State*
Emily Coon, Southeast Missouri*
Erika Moss, Tennessee State*

Kasey Elswick, UT Martin*
Laura McDermott, Morehead State#
Aryn Bohannon, Morehead State
Emily Franklin, Eastern Illinois
Kelsey Augustine, SIUE
Julie Shives, Southeast Missouri
Alison Berens, Eastern Illinois
Leslie Schellhaas, Morehead State

*- Denotes All-OVC in 2011
#- Denotes All-Newcomer in 2011

2012 OVC Volleyball Predicted Order of Team Finish

(as Selected by OVC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors)

1. Morehead State (22 first-place votes)

2. Belmont

3. Southeast Missouri (2 first-place votes)

4. UT Martin

5. Tennessee State

6. Eastern Kentucky

7. SIUE

8. Murray State

9. Austin Peay (tie)

9. Eastern Illinois (tie)

11. Jacksonville State

12. Tennessee Tech

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