Just Sayin: UMES golf shows success and potential

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- It was 2004 when UMES began its Golf Academy.

Then, it was just a fledgeling idea consisting of a one-credit elective — Golf Instruction 101 as well as a driving range on campus.

At the helm of the academy was Marshall Cropper, and just arriving on the Shore I remember talking to him about the long-range dreams for what could be wrought by the existence of the academy and a lot of hard work.

More than a decade later, I found myself talking to Cropper again.

Now the head coach of a men’s golf team that was only an idea back then, Cropper recently got to see something that has been a long time coming and he couldn’t be happier.

The Hawks won their first ever tournament as a Division I golf program when they captured the Southwestern Athletic Conference/Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Collegiate Challenge.

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FAMU AD Overton: Coaches need time

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Rattlers are 0-5 for the second straight season, but the vibe surrounding the coaching staff is different when compared to when Earl Holmes’ Rattlers began the season with five losses in 2014.

Rumors about whether Holmes would lose his job followed the team through three more games, and Holmes, who was in his second year, was ultimately fired by then-Athletic Director Kellen Winslow after going 2-6.

Holmes was fired after 16 games at the helm. Things at the top are different now. New Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. said first-year head coach Alex Wood will – at least – get the three years on his contract to turn things around.

Firing any coach, Overton said, causes a negative ripple effect the Rattlers can’t afford.

“If you bring a new coach in, the first thing that coach will say is, ‘Well, you’ve not shown you give coaches the opportunity to go through and recruit for two years.’ That’s not a very attractive job,” Overton said.

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All-Around Performance Highlights 45-6 Homecoming Win Over Mississippi Valley

WALLER, Texas – Prairie View A&M put together a complete performance on both ends of the field as the homecoming crowd went home happy as they defeated Mississippi Valley State 45-6 at Waller ISD Stadium.

After failing to convert on fourth down to open the game, PVAMU's offensive unit redeemed themselves on the following possession.  Behind the strength of the running attack, PVAMU ran the ball eight times to move into scoring position and capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run from De'Auntre Smiley.  Owen Hoolihan's PAT was good as the Panthers led 7-0.

PVAMU HALF-TIME SHOW STARTS AT 1:30:55 of VIDEO

MVSU moved deep into PVAMU territory on its next possession but the Panther defense rose to the occasion and brought the crowd to its feet after stuffing MVSU's Gregory Foster on a 4^th-and-2 at the Panther 14.  Despite the change in momentum, the Panthers were forced to punt on its next possession but returned the favor as the defense harassed quarterback Thurston Rubin on the next drive and forced a punt.  The offense took advantage after the punt and relied on Johnta' Hebert on the next drive as the senior rushed for 18 yards and caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Trey Green to move the Panthers ahead 14-0 after the PAT with 10:25 left in the second quarter.

After another punt, the Panthers needed only four plays to strike big as they used some razzle dazzle for their third score of the afternoon.  With the ball at the MVSU 20, Nick Pitre took a pitch and found a wide open Green for his first career touchdown pass as the Panthers moved ahead 21-0 after the successful PAT.

Redshirt freshman cornerback Dominique Weaver made a big defensive stop with an interception on the next drive and the Panthers marched 50 yards in 40 seconds to set up a 39-yard field goal by Hoolihan to end the half.

The Panthers stopped MVSU on downs to open the second half and the Green to Pitre connection worked once again as Pitre caught a 14-yard strike for a 31-0 lead with 7:49 left.  MVSU's Jerrell Moore silenced the crowd on the first play from scrimmage as he broke free for a 75-yard run on the ensuing drive for MVSU's lone score of the game as Foster Brown blocked the PAT.

Green took control of the next drive and scored from 16 yards out to move PVAMU ahead 38-6 in the third stanza while Jovante Ham ran hard on the final drive of the game as he rushed in from 14 yards out with no time remaining to seal the win.

PVAMU rolled up 488 offensive yards (251 P, 237 R) while only allowing 297 yards to MVSU.  Green passed for 226 yards on 15-of-27 passing and threw two touchdowns while also catching another.  

Hebert rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries and caught three passes for 45 yards.  The Panther defense, which forced six sacks, was led by Brandon Medina's nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

A key SWAC West showdown awaits PVAMU next Saturday in Baton Rouge, La. at 4 p.m. as they'll play Southern for its homecoming.

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With strong second half, Morgan State cruises to 42-3 win over Savannah State

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- For the second straight game, the Morgan State football team began slowly. And for the second straight game, the Bears exploded after halftime in a convincing win.

Five second-half touchdowns propelled Morgan State to a 42-3 pounding of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Savannah State (1-4, 1-2) before an announced 2,479 at Hughes Stadium on Saturday.

In a 26-6 victory at Delaware State on Oct. 3, the Bears broke open a 3-0 game after halftime, scoring the final 20 points. Against the Tigers, Morgan State (3-2, 3-0) finished three of its first four possessions in the second half with touchdowns. It added scores on Peterson Janvier's 100-yard return of a missed field-goal attempt and a 30-yard return of a fumble recovery by Brandon Griffin.

"We knew we could do that," said coach Lee Hull, whose offense finished with 235 yards and nine first downs in the second half. "We just had to execute, and finally, we did. Did I expect us to have five touchdowns? No, but I'm happy we did."

Morgan State's defense, meanwhile, was overpowering. After rushing for 139 yards in the first half, Savannah State was limited to 21 in the second and 84 yards overall.

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Freshman's scoop-and-score seals Hampton U's 21-7 win over Delaware State

HAMPTON, Virginia -- It was his first big moment in the program, but Oral Varcciann was ribbed about it. With Howard driving against Hampton University three weeks ago, Varcciann scooped up a fumble and took off. But after 16 yards, he was knocked out of bounds … by the Bison’s quarterback.

Nobody touched him this time. With Delaware State in the red zone and 10 minutes remaining in a two-possession game, Varcciann returned a fumble 83 yards for the clinching touchdown in HU’s 21-7 win Saturday at Armstrong Stadium.

It came immediately after the Hornets’ 72-yard interception return had set them up at the Pirates’ 10-yard line. But on first down, DSU quarterback Kobe Lain bounced a pitchout on the option. Varcciann picked the ball up in stride and was gone.

Instead of 14-7, it was 21-0.




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Southern rolls over Alabama State, 45-34

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- For five consecutive seasons, Southern and Alabama State played close football games that were mostly decided at the very end.

All five games were decided by seven or fewer points and all but one was decided in the final 20 seconds.

But on Saturday night in the ASU Stadium, the Jaguars put an end to that trend by putting an early end to the Hornets, though the final score might not reflect how lopsided the game was.

Southern methodically took a 17-0 halftime lead, then withstood two touchdowns by ASU in the third quarter and three in the fourth quarter and held on for a 45-34 victory.

The Hornets fought until the end as backup quarterback Daniel Duhart threw three touchdown passes in the final seven-plus minutes, but ASU never got within a single score.

The Jaguars, 3-2 overall, improved to 3-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference heading into their homecoming game against Prairie View next Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

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GSU defense improves in SWAC win

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The book on the Grambling State defense certainly was not closed, but a theme was starting to grow. After allowing 193 points in its first four games – over 48 points per game – the unit needed to find answers quickly before it became an easy target.

Saturday was as good a first step as any, holding Alabama A&M to seven offensive points and 300 total yards – 118 below the Bulldogs’ average – in a 37-14 win.

“Defensively, what a great job by our defensive staff: Everett Todd, Brian Ware, Terrence Graves, and also our players,” Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said. “Our players did a great job of creating turnovers, getting the ball back for us and getting on and off the field.

“I think what’s happening is our kids are really starting to understand our system. Defense is a constant work in progress, you’re teaching them week in and week out, and I think the only way you get better is you have to put something on film. Once you put something on film, you can go back and correct what wasn’t done and what was done. The kids are growing up a little bit, they’re understanding what we want done and applying pressure.”

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