Tuesday, November 6, 2012

S.C. State's Pough hopes defense recouped for rival A&T, push for winning year

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  Even after a season-best overall team performance for homecoming, the bye week could not have come a better time for South Carolina State.

Bulldogs’ head football coach Buddy Pough could not fathom the effort it would have taken from his coaching staff to get the players ready last weekend to face an improved North Carolina A&T.

“We couldn’t have played Saturday if we had to play,” he said at Monday’s weekly press conference.

“It would have been such a tough time just getting enough people together to put out on the field to play. We think we were better off having the time off.”



Pough was especially concerned about some of his key defensive players who were either out against Howard or not close to 100 percent. While linebacker Joe Thomas of Blackville-Hilda remains doubtful, S.C. State (4-5, 3-3) is hopeful of getting back Justin Hughes and Bandit Terrell Fitts for Saturday’s game.

As the defense convalesced, the offense spent the idle week continuing to refine their execution. Quarterback Richard Cue is coming off a school-record 417-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Bison, but faces an Aggies’ defense that has not allowed a touchdown in eight straight quarters overall and 10 straight at home.

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THE SHOW: North Carolina A&T State University Blue and Gold Marching Machine

The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University "Blue and Gold Marching Machine" sends the praises up and features the University Gospel Choir, under the direction of Mr. Ron Jones.

FAMU Lady Rattlers 'ballers hopeful of a championship season

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  The Lady Rattlers finished the 2011-12 season with 22 wins and eight losses, after starting the season off with a crushing blow.  Even with the lost of two of their top players, Antonia Bennett and Qiana Donald, the Lady Rattlers envision even greater success than last year.

Check out what Florida A&M Women's Basketball Coach LeDawn Gibson had to say about her team this year, and their goals and expectation going into the season.

The Lady Rattlers will hit the floor for their first game of the 2012-13 season against Jacksonville at Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday, Nov. 9.


Howard vs. Georgia Southern Preview: #7 FCS ranked Eagles host Bison in non-conference tilt

STATESBORO, Georgia  --  The Georgia Southern Eagles will look to get back on the right track this weekend when they host the Howard Bison in a non-conference tilt.

Georgia Southern (7-2, 6-2 Southern) suffered a tough 31-28 loss to the Appalachian State Mountaineers this past weekend. The Eagles led 28-24 heading into the fourth quarter, but gave up a touchdown and could not put any more points on the board. The loss closed the Eagles' lead in the Southern Conference to a half-game over the Mountaineers and Wofford, but they are secured at least a share of the conference title.

Howard (6-3, 5-2 MEAC) defeated the Hampton Pirates 20-10 on Saturday. The Bison are 1½ games behind Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC.

Georgia Southern has been bolstered by a powerful rushing attack that is racking up 387.0 yards per game on the ground. Quarterback Jerick McKinnon leads the team in rushing with 915 yards and eight touchdowns. The Eagles will face a pretty tough rushing defense in Howard, which is giving up 142.8 rushing yards per game.


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FVSU Wildcats rise to number five in region rankings

FORT VALLEY, Georgia  --  After a convincing win over the Golden Rams of Albany State University in the 23rd Annual Fountain City Classic on Saturday, November 3rd, the Wildcats of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) rose in this week's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Regional Rankings. Ranked sixth last week, FVSU rose to the fifth spot in the Super Region 2 rankings in the next to final poll of the season.
 
With only the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship game remaining, if the Wildcats can maintain fifth place or higher, they will be assured of a berth in the NCAA Division II Region Play-offs which begin on Saturday, November 17th. The top six finishers of Super Region 2 advance to the play-offs. FVSU's last post-season appearance was in 2001.

To view the top ten teams from all four Super Regions, visit:

SUPER REGIONS RANKINGS

Chowan Hawks set four-year mark

MURFREESBORO,North Carolina  –  From ‘Little Big Man’ to ‘Big Man On Campus’ – as doing the little things made everything else come up huge.

Chowan closed out its 2012 football season with a 35-19 drubbing of fellow Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) member Lincoln University on Hall Of Fame Day.

In fact, fans who witnessed the game may have been watching the play of a future Jim Garrison Hall of Famer.

Senior running back Elliot Smalls – all five-foot-seven inches, 185 pounds of him – used the Lincoln defense as his launching pad and blasted his way to a Chowan football single game rushing record with 200 yards on the ground in the win.

Smalls’ accomplishment eclipsed the old record of 197 yards rushing in a game set by Jawarren Cowles in 2002 against Christopher Newport. Smalls averaged over eight yards per carry on 24 carries and also scored a pair of touchdowns.

“This is just an incredible dream for me and my fellow seniors,” said the exhausted Raleigh native and fifth-year senior after the game as he was mobbed by family, friends, coaches and teammates.

“We stuck to it,” he added with a smile. ”All the time we thought about leaving, but we believed in the coaches and we believed in ourselves. We put in the sacrifice and it all paid off.”

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Tuskegee still not ranked in NCAA poll after defeat of No. 1 Miles

TUSKEGEE, Alabama  --  Despite its 27-17 victory at previous No. 1 Miles this past Saturday, Tuskegee still failed to crack the NCAA Division II Region 2 poll Monday.

Miles slipped to No. 2 behind now top-ranked Valdosta St. (Ga.)

Fort Valley State (Ga.), which the Golden Tigers downed 49-18 back in Week 4, is ranked fifth.

The Tigers will face the Wildcats again in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship game at Lakewood Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m.

Tuskegee (8-1, 7-0), riding an eight-game winning streak, got plenty of love in two other national polls.

It's ranked No. 16, up from 23rd a week ago, in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. Miles dropped to No. 23 from No. 15, following the loss.


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