Lane College Dragons hold on to win Augusta City Classic

AUGUSTA, Georgia  -- George Myers Jr. dazzled crowds with his speed and elusiveness during his high school career at Laney High School.

During a crucial stretch Saturday at the Augusta City Classic, it appeared that the junior scatback had found some of that old Wildcat magic to help Benedict College snap a long losing streak in the Classic.

As sure as dreary weather thwarted the sunlight, though, Lane College’s defense stymied a late Benedict drive en route to the Dragons’ 23-19 victory.

“I thought we had it. We just lost it on a busted play,” Myers said. “We just tried to do our best and make the big play.”

Up 19-16 late in the fourth, Benedict appeared to have the game in hand with first-and-goal at the Lane 9-yard line, but a missed field goal gave the Dragons life.

Lane quarterback Marcus Reynolds cashed in, first with a 66-yard pass to Darius Mitchell to the Benedict 12-yard line, and later on a quarterback keeper with 1:11 left that eventually broke Benedict’s heart.

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Stillman Tigers Defeat Clark Atlanta 22-14

ATLANTA, Georgia  | The Stillman Tigers defeated the Clark Atlanta Panthers on Saturday by a score of 22-14. The win moves the Tigers season record to (3-2, 1-0). Clark Atlanta falls to (0-5, 0-2).

On an overcast day where the misting rain was on-again off-again, the Tigers offense got going early, and the defense stood strong at the end to preserve the victory. Reigning SIAC Offensive Player of the Week, Brett Standifer, found Hudson Cain for a 39-yard touchdown pass with 11:46 to go in the opening quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Standifer hit Malik Williams from 46-yards out. The Tigers were unsuccessful on each of their point after attempts and the score stood at 12-0. Aaron Humber rounded out the first half scoring when he hit a 33-yard field goal with 4:46 remaining in the second quarter to make the score 15-0.

The defense stood strong in the first half, allowing Clark Atlanta only three first downs and 73 total yards of offense. The Panthers only scoring threat of the half ended when Ruben Sartain picked off Mathew Vincent in the end zone for a touchback.

The second half saw Stillman continue to move the ball efficiently. The Tigers ended the day with 404 yards of total offense. Standifer finished 18 of 33 for 316 yards. He threw two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 33 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Da'Vante Clark led the Tigers with 46 yards on the ground. Malik Williams and Octavian Ford both had 89 yards receiving to lead the team. Standifer finished the scoring for the Tigers when he ran one in from 19-yards out.

Jalen Luke led the defense with eight total tackles including two for loss. Zamir Carlis also had eight total tackles and a forced fumble. Everett Curry and Dontavious Lawson both registered a sack and Curry had a fumble recovery.

Dean Kelly shined for the special teams. He punted the ball five times for 240 yards (48 avg.). His long was 65 yards and he pinned the Panthers inside the 20 on three occasions.

Clark Atlanta quarterback Dashawn Blow was 9 for 19 passing for 149 yards. Jaha McCray led the Panthers in rushing with 125 yards and a touchdown.

Stillman travels to Tuskegee next Saturday (10/17) to take on the Golden Tigers (5-1, 1-0) for the lead in the SIAC West. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

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Tennessee State Tigers Fall to UT Martin, 28-14

MARTIN, Tennessee – Tennessee State jumped out to a quick lead, but was not able to hold on against UT Martin in a key Ohio Valley Conference and Sgt. York Trophy contest. The Skyhawks erased a 14-0 deficit to claim a 28-14 victory in front of 7,123 fans as UTM celebrated their homecoming.

TSU (3-2, 0-2) outgained UTM (3-2, 2-1) in the first quarter 130-53, only to be outgained 360-290 on the day.

O’Shay Ackerman-Carter returned to the lineup after sitting out the Florida A&M game with an injury and finished 14-of-24for 186 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ackerman-Carter left the game late in the second quarter due to injury, only to return in the fourth.

Ronald Butler entered in place of Ackerman-Carter completing two of five for 19 yards. Butler was effective for TSU on the ground rushing for 36 yards on three carries, including a 30-yard scamper. The run was the longest of his career.



Patrick Smith led the Tigers with four receptions for 70 yards and scored for the fifth consecutive game.

The Tigers struck big on its second possession of the game. On a third-and-three from their own 45, Ackerman-Carter found Chris Sanders-McCollum down the right sideline for 40-yards to the UTM 15 yard line. Two plays later, Tom Smith received a seal-off block from right guard Kevin Kenton allowing him to cut back for a nine yard scoring run. The senior running backs second touchdown of the season gave TSU tan early 7-0 advantage with 9:35 on the clock.

Ackerman-Carter struck again six minutes later as he teamed up with Patrick Smith to find the end zone on a 33-yard pass play. The redshirt-freshman quarterback pump-faked, giving Smith time to allude his defender. The receiver outreached the defensive back at the three-yard line and crossed the goal line for his sixth touchdown of the season. The scoring play gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter.

The Tigers defense held the Skyhawks off the board and prevented quarterback Jarod Neal to no completions in five attempts through the first 15 minutes. It was the first time the Skyhawk quarterback had been held without a completion to open a game in his career.

UTM would get its offense going as they outscored the Tigers in the second quarter and evened the score at halftime, 14-14.

UTM continued its surge by opening the second half by holding the ball for the first 7:42 of the third quarter. The Skyhawks traveled 66 yards on 14 plays to take a 21-14 lead.

The Big Blue was not able to take advantage of good field position after a pair of turnovers. After the first scoring drive of the game, kicker Lane Clark recovered a fumble on the kickoff after William Cooper and Trevion Duncan jarred the ball loose from the Skyhawk returner. The Tigers were forced to punt three plays later despite starting at the UTM 36.

In the second half, Chris Collins intercepted Neal at the UTM 46 with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers would again come out empty-handed as a penalty helped the drive stall forcing the Tigers to punt the ball back to the Skyhawks.

UTM added some insurance with a 24-yard touchdown pass with 5:36 remaining in the game. The Tigers received the ball two more times before the end of the game, but were not able to get any closer.

The Tigers return to Nissan Stadium for the first time in six weeks to host Eastern Illinois for Home Coming 2015. The OVC contest will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.

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Game Notes:
Game time: 2:37 p.m. CT … Weather: 68 degrees, partly cloudy and with a slight breeze … Coin Toss: TSU won the toss and received the first half kick-off … TSU Captains: O’Shay Ackerman-Carter, Joe Bowens, Dinsdale Jackson … Patrick Smith caught his sixth touchdown of the season … He has now caught at least one touchdown in all five games this season … TSU held UT Martin without a completion in the first quarter … Ronald Butler’s 30-yard rush in the third quarter was the longest of his career … Saturday marked the 25th all-time meeting between TSU and UT Martin … TSU now leads the all-time series, 15-10.


TSU Head Coach Rod Reed
“I thought we came out and we started fast and we jumped up 14-0, and I think we kind of got relaxed. We’ve got a young football team. We’ve got to learn how to close the deal. We gave up too many big plays in the secondary and we weren’t able to contain them. I thought the defense played admirably today at times, but we gave up a couple too many big plays.”
-- On how TSU played today

“We’ll continue to grow from this. We’re not dead. I think this is a learning experience for us as a team and as a staff. We’ll go back to the drawing board, and we’ll find a way to figure this thing out and be ready for Eastern Illinois next week.”
-- On bouncing back

TSU Red-shirt Junior Linebacker Van Williams
“I feel like we came out and forced a couple three-and-outs, but then they started to convert on a few third downs way too much. You can’t win games when they are converting on third and longs.”
-- On how the defense played.

TSU Red-shirt Freshman Quarterback O’Shay Ackerman-Carter
“I feel like we started fast. I feel like we settled down as a team. Once they got back into it, we started putting our heads down and that can’t happen.”
-- On TSU’s performance

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FAMU Rattlers come up short, fall 27-24 to NCCU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- It was redshirt junior quarterback Carson Royal’s best game of the season, but it wasn’t enough to get Florida A&M its first win.

The Rattlers stalled on offense in the fourth quarter, and the Eagles did just enough to escape Tallahassee with a 27-24 win in front of a crowd of 9,246 in Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Royal completed 29 of his 47 passes for a season-high 331 yards and two touchdowns, playing one of his best games as a Rattler.

“(Offensive coordinator Marty) Spieler did a great job with the play calls,” Royal said.

“He allowed the offense to get set. That really helped out a lot. I can’t give enough credit to the O-line for the protection they had. Really, I just felt really comfortable in the pocket and I was able to move the ball well.”



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Bowie State Capture 17-14 Homecoming Victory over Chowan University Hawks

BOWIE, Maryland -- The Bowie State University Bulldogs came away victorious on Homecoming 2015, topping the Chowan University Hawks 17-14 on Saturday afternoon.

BSU senior Trevon Bennett (Fort Washington, Md.) made his first start of the season, completing 21-of-32 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs offense. Junior Nyme Manns (Baltimore, Md.) was Bowie State's top receiver with 57 yards on seven receptions and a score. Graduate student Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.) toted the ball a game-high 17 times for 72 yards to lead the home teams' ground game. Junior Kevaugn Townsend (Fort Washington, Md.) led the Bulldogs defense with a game-high 11 tackles (five solo and six assisted) followed by senior Brian Hall (Capitol Heights, Md.) with eight tackles (five solo, three assisted).

Bowie State (5-1, 3-0 CIAA) used a redshirt junior Christopher Palmer (St. Mary's, Md.) 34 yard field goal with 1:30 on the clock to take a late first quarter 3-0 advantage.

After a slow offensive start in the first half, Tyree Lee (Hampton, Va.) gave the Chowan Hawks the momentum after capping a seven play, 56-yard drive with a five yard touchdown run to put Chowan on the board. Nick Hahula (Rocky Mount, N.C.) made good on the point after attempt to push Chowan ahead 7-3 with 10:39 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs responded late in the third quarter when Bennett connected with Manns on a 12 yard touchdown pass to restore the lead to Bowie State. Palmer made good on the point after to leave the Hawks trailing 10-7 with 3:38 on the clock in the third quarter.

Bowie State extended its lead to 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter after Bennett connected with senior Jamal Chappell (Baltimore, Md.) on a 14 yard touchdown drive and Palmer made good on the point after attempt.

With 6:16 left in the game, Randall Dixon (Rock Hill, S.C.) connected with Damian Ellis (Raleigh, N.C.) on a 30-yard touchdown pass to put Chowan back within striking distance. The pass capped a five play, 56 yard drive for the Hawks. Hahula made good on the point after attempt to trim the Bulldogs lead to 17-14. The Hawks held the Bulldogs scoreless on Bowie State's last drive.

With 1:26 left in the game, the Hawks were in control of their own fate. Two costly penalties (intentional grounding and a false start) left Chowan out of field goal range on their own 28 yard line on 4th and 8. After Dixon's incomplete pass, Bowie State took over on downs with 34 seconds left in the game, solidifying the 17-14 victory.

The Bulldogs tallied 295 offensive yards over the course of the competition while the Hawks totaled 237.

Dixon completed 17-32 passes for a total of 215 yards and one touchdown in the setback. He connected with five different Hawk receivers in the contest including Ellis four times for 82 yards and Kaine Lombard (Virginia Beach, Va.) four times for 36 yards. Lee led the Hawks' running game with 20 carries for 50 yards and one touchdown. He also hauled in three passes for 46 yards.

Defensively, Wesley Bray (Lithonia, Ga.) notched eight tackles (three solo, five assisted) while Roderick Lyndsey (Fort Myers, Fla.) and Nate Wyche (Suffolk, Va.) each totaled seven tackles for the Chowan (4-2, 2-1 CIAA).

The Bulldogs travel to Virginia State University next Saturday (10/17) to face the Trojans for their Homecoming game. Kickoff time is set for 2 pm and will be nationally televised.

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Miles Offense breaks out in big win over Central State

WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- Miles has struggled offensively for most of the season and when a team has to push its third-string quarterback into service, it does not portend to a change from what has been the norm.

But the Golden Bears, behind quarterback John McDowell, running back Jamarcus Nance and a still-stingy defense, have their most complete game of the season in a 34-9 thrashing of Central State Saturday afternoon. The win was the second in the last three for Miles (2-4, 2-0), which remains undefeated in the SIAC West Division.

McDowell - the third quarterback to start a game for Miles this season - was 14-of-21 for 160 yards passing and ran for another 58 yards. He led the offense to a 495-yard day as the Golden Bears averaged seven yards per play. Head coach Reginald Ruffin said he gave McDowell - a transfer from Missouri Southern - the same shot afforded Vincent Davis and David Whipple and thinks he may have found his triggerman for the rest of the season.

"We were 1-4 and needed to make a change," Ruffin said. "We felt like McDowell has been in some big programs. He's been very patient and waited his time. I said someone had to step up and lead this team. Had his shot and made the best of it."

Miles only led 10-9 at halftime. But the Golden Bears' issues have mostly been in the second half, where they have lost two games after enjoying leads at the break. Ruffin said he made it a point of emphasis to his team at the intermission.

"We knew last couple of weeks, we've let some games get away. We've been a first half team," Ruffin said. "So we challenged our guys this week and had our kids to be prepared for four quarters. So we told them to make sure we bring our "A" games in the second half."

The last two quarters belonged to the Golden Bears. The defense pitched a shutout and Nance put the game out of reach. The junior running back followed a Nick Christiansen 49-yard field goal with a 3-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter and a 4-yard scoring run early in the fourth. He finished with 14 carries for 90 yards and three touchdowns.

"He's a hard worker," Ruffin said. "We lost our two top running backs in our program. We were using a running back-by-committee approach. But he took control of that role and has provided great leadership for us."

After Nance's final touchdown, the Golden Bears capped the win on the Marauders next play from scrimmage. Caleb Duncan intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards for the score.It was the second pick of the quarter for Miles and third of the game for a defense that has done a marvelous job this season.

"Most of our leadership is on that side of ball. They come to work every day," Ruffin said. "They have some break downs every now and then. But we can win a lot of football games when they come in to work like they did today."

Earnest Bell, Jr. (four catches, 69 yards) and Trey Smith (five catches, 36 yards) were the top receivers while Emmanuel Ray (nine tackles, eight solo) paced the defense or Miles, which is in action next Saturday when it hosts Kentucky State for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

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Tuskegee Steals the Show Against Morehouse

COLUMBUS, Georgia | The Tuskegee University football team tied a school record that stood alone for 19 years, as they picked off five passes from Morehouse College en route to a 35-7 victory in the 80th annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic held at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The victory is the ninth in 10 tries under Willie Slater against Morehouse, and is the 11th victory in the last 12 meetings for Tuskegee in the series.

Tuskegee (5-1, 1-0 SIAC) started early and continued throughout the game disrupting the best offense statistically in the SIAC, as they picked off two passes in the first quarter.

The first came after a five play-40 yard drive that put the Golden Tigers ahead 7-0, when redshirt freshman Darius Holmes made an acrobatic interception at the Tuskegee 41-yard line. Holmes was able to fight through the Morehouse receiver on the play, tipping the ball in the air and coming down with it to kill a Maroon Tiger drive.

After Tuskegee went ahead 14-0 with 3:51 to play in the opening quarter, senior linebacker Jason Ashley got in on the act as he picked off a pass from Kivon Taylor and raced 29 yards for another Tuskegee touchdown just seven seconds later to push the lead to three touchdowns.

The Golden Tigers picked off two more passes in the second quarter to push their total to four for the game. Holmes picked off his second pass of the game with 8:23 to play in the half, and that was followed by an interception by Brandon Griffin – the first of his career – with just 55 seconds remaining in the half.

Just 87 seconds into the third quarter, sophomore Jonah McCutcheon picked off his fourth pass of the season and the fifth of the game for the Golden Tigers – matching a mark that was set in 1986 against Miles College.

Although the defense tied a school record for interceptions in game, there plenty of highlights for Tuskegee on the day.

Senior Tyree Brooks saw his most action of the season after missing the first three games due to injury, carrying the ball 10 times for 51 yards. He was able to score a pair of touchdowns, and narrowly missed out on a third as he was tackled inside the five as the clock was winding down in the fourth quarter.

A pair of players made their return from injury on Saturday with senior Dennis Norfleet carrying the ball five times for 31 yards, including scoring his first career touchdown as jumped over a pair of players for the seven-yard score. He also caught a pass, and returned a punt 35 yards – although he had a pair of long kick returns called back. Meanwhile junior Julian Morgan returned after missing the last three games to record four tackles and three quarterback hurries on the afternoon.

Tuskegee started early and scored often in the first half en route to building an insurmountable 35-point advantage in the first half.

The Golden Tigers jumped on top with 11:16 remaining in the opening quarter when Josh Matthews took a handoff and went up the middle for an eight-yard run and a 7-0 Tuskegee lead. The lead grew to 14-0 after Brooks' first touchdown run of the day, an eight-yard run with 3:51 remaining in the opening quarter.

After Ashley's touchdown made it 21-0 near the end of the first quarter, the Golden Tigers punched it in on the Norfleet run with 13:26 remaining in the half. The final points of the half, and the game, for Tuskegee came on a two-yard run by Brooks with 9:16 remaining in the opening half.

Morehouse (3-3, 1-0 SIAC) was able to get on the board in the third quarter when Taylor found a streaking Amyr Smith up the seam for a 42-yard score with 1:35 remaining in the quarter.

Offensively, Tuskegee was able to put up 197 yards in the air with junior Kevin Lacey connecting on 9-of-17 passing for 148 yards. Meanwhile, junior Nicholas Pope finished 5-of-8 in a back-up role for 49 yards.

Along with Brooks and Norfleet, junior Branden Wilson finished with 28 yards on four carries. Matthews finished with 26 yards on three carries, and Cameron Nash 23 yards on eight carries.

Senior Marquel Gardner led the Golden Tigers with three catches for 33 yards, while Desmond Reece led a trio of receivers with a pair of receptions.

Defensively, senior Jewell Ratliff finished – for the fifth consecutive game – with double digit tackles as he recorded 12 in the victory, on his way to being the Golden Tigers' Most Valulable Player of the Game. He finished with a sack and two tackles for loss.

Jose Sanchez added six tackles, while Devonta Ramseur finished with five. The Golden Tigers finished with a pair of sacks, three tackles for loss, eight pass break-ups and eight quarterback hurries.

Tuskegee returns to action Saturday afternoon against Stillman in SIAC play. The game is schedule for 1 pm at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium, and the game will count toward the division standings – the determining factor for the West Division representative in the SIAC Championship game in November.

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

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