TCU opens season with rout of Jackson State

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Coach Gary Patterson wasn't going to get overexcited about TCU's 63-0 victory against an FCS team on Saturday night.

Even with that win against Jackson State being the 150th victory of his career, Patterson was keeping everything in perspective after the lopsided victory.

''This next one is a test (against Arkansas),'' Patterson said. ''I'd be excited if I could get to 160 by the end of this season.''

That's why Patterson was able to nitpick after a big win on the scoreboard.



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He wants the offense to be crisper and avoid turnovers. The defense shouldn't have been pushed around on the opening drive by the Tigers, a Southwestern Athletic Conference team.

''We've got work to do,'' Patterson said. ''On to the next one.''

But while other Big 12 teams struggled on Saturday, Patterson had to acknowledge that his team took care of business as TCU won its 16th straight home opener, the nation's fifth-longest streak.

''I was proud of the group. Proud of how they handled themselves,'' Patterson said. ''They acted more like that was what we were supposed to, which probably excited me more than anything else.''

Quarterback Kenny Hill threw for 206 yards and four touchdowns, two to Desmon White, and helped TCU take a comfortable lead early on.

TCU scored on all three possessions in the first quarter, including a 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter where Kenedy Snell took shovel pass and broke five tackles on a weaving sideline-to-sideline run.

''The whole key to games like this, when you're playing an FBS opponent, it's tackling,'' Jackson State coach Tony Hughes said. ''We missed so many tackles.''

TCU posted its first shutout since 2014 and scored twice on defense as Ridwan Issahaku returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and Arico Evans returned a fumble 32 yards in the third.

''A shutout is a shutout (no matter who),'' Issahaku said. ''We just want to win by one point, but it's good to see the hard work pay off.''

Hill completed 18 of 23 passes before being replaced by backup quarterback Shawn Robinson midway through the third quarter.

''Been waiting too long for this,'' Hill said. ''I feel comfortable in the offense, each game trying to get more comfortable, more confident in the offense and the game plan.''

Jackson State was limited to 24 yards rushing and 41 passing as it fell to 0-14 all-time against FBS competition.

Jackson State reached the TCU 7-yard line on the game's opening drive, but a fumbled snap led to a 28-yard loss and was followed up by a failed fake punt.

''The first drive we looked like we looked like we we're gonna win the national championship,'' Hughes said. ''We faked a punt right there hoping that it would inspire us or ignite us. Just trying to do something to get us going.''

THE TAKEAWAY

JACKSON STATE: Despite a strong start the Tigers were overpowered by their Big 12 foe for most of the game and didn't help themselves with missed tackles and special teams mistakes.

TCU: It's one thing to convert on explosive plays against an FCS opponent, will the Horned Frogs be able to generate similar results against evenly-matched competition?

ROBINSON IMPRESSES

Shawn Robinson, a true freshman, completed 5 of 7 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut. He also had three carries for 43 yards. Robinson was an early enrollee at TCU in January after he led DeSoto to a Texas High School state championship in Class 6A, the state's largest division, in December.

UP NEXT:

JACKSON STATE: The Tigers return to FCS play against Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic.

TCU: The Horned Frogs travel to Arkansas for a rematch with the Razorbacks, who won the 2016 meeting in 41-38 in double overtime.

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Bison Down USF, Florida A&M to Take NDSU Classic

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University defeated San Francisco 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22) and Florida A&M 3-1 (25-15, 25-11, 20-25, 25-16) at the NDSU Classic presented by Hampton Inn & Doubletree by Hilton played Saturday, Sept. 2, before 671 spectators in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
 
The Bison took the NDSU Classic title with a 3-0 record and have won four in a row to improve to 4-2 overall. Brianna Rasmusson was named the Classic MVP, while Emily Halverson and Erika Gelzinyte were named to the all-Classic team.
 
North Dakota State is scheduled to play at North Dakota (8-1) for a 7 p.m. match Wednesday, Sept. 6, in Grand Forks. The will host George Washington (1-4) and Appalachian State (2-4) in the NDSU Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 9.
 
Erika Gelzinyte recorded her second 'double-double' of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs to lead a balanced offense in the 3-0 win over San Francisco in Saturday's first match before 656 fans. The Bison outhit the Dons .223 to .205 as Emily Halverson collected 12 kills and hit .667.



Brianna Rasmusson had plenty of options in recording 37 assists. Rasmusson also collected 12 digs, three kills, three blocks and a pair of service aces. She was one of five NDSU players to come up with double-figure digs. Emilee McGowan also had two aces.
 
Mikaela Purnell led the Bison with 15 digs reaching double-figures for the 25th straight match and 59th time in her career. McKenzie Burke had 11 digs and eight kills, while Abbi Klos and Gelzinyte each had 10. Bella Lienand Rasmusson each had three blocks.
 
Carly Lowry led USF with 11 kills and Camille Araujo came up with a match-high 18 digs. Erin Anthony had 33 assists and Laura Leap finished with three blocks.
 
North Dakota State hit over .350 in the first two sets against Florida A&M (1-6) to set the tone early. The Bison outhit the Rattlers .226 to .122 overall.
 
Rasmusson directed the balanced offense with 40 assists and also had six kills. McKenzie Burke led NDSU with 12 kills, while Gelzinyte had nine. Bella Lien had a strong net presence with seven kills and match-high seven blocks. Allie Mauch had six kills and five blocks, while Halverson added six kills.
 
North Dakota State had 11 service aces led by three apiece from Rasmusson and Gelzinyte, two each from Purnell and Klos. Purnell pocketed a match-high 22 digs, Gelzinyte came up with 13 and Klos added 13 digs.
 
Candelaria Herrera and Nicole Abreu led Florida A&M with 13 kills. Elena Dimitrova had 36 assists, while Valentina Carrasco came up with 15 digs.

NDSU Classic presented by Hampton Inn & Doubletree by Hilton
Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse, Fargo, N.D.
Saturday, Sept. 2
North Dakota State 3, Florida A&M 1 (25-15, 25-11, 20-25, 25-16)
Northern Colorado 3, Florida A&M 1(25-14, 22-25, 25-22, 25-18)
North Dakota State 3, San Francisco 0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22)

Friday, Sept. 1
Northern Colorado 3, San Francisco 0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-21)
Florida A&M 3, San Francisco 0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-21)
North Dakota State 3, Northern Colorado 0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-18)
 
All-Classic Team
MVP – Brianna Rasmusson, North Dakota State
Emily Halverson, North Dakota State
Erika Gelzinyte, North Dakota State
Taylor Els, Northern Colorado
Emily O'Neil, Northern Colorado
Nicole Abreu, Florida A&M
Nora Buvarp-Lavik, San Francisco

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Rough Road Loss for MVSU Delta Devils at No. 2 North Dakota State

FARGO, North Dakota -- It was a rough opening day for the Delta Devils football team. The team traveled to Fargo, North Dakota, to face the number two seeded Bisons of North Dakota State University (#2 in the Football Championship Series).

The Delta Devils were able to score once in the second quarter to prevent the game from being a shut-out. Christopher Fowler scrambled into the end zone on a one-yard run for the Mississippi Valley touchdown. Ruben Piraquive tacked on the extra point to give MVSU seven. The scoring run capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive.



The scoring drive proves the Delta Devils have the grit to make big plays and it proved to be worthwhile. NDSU was able to put up 72-points over the course of the contest, forcing the MVSU defense to dig deep.

Inside the pocket, Fowler proved to be a formidable opponent, completing six of ten passed for 85-yards, despite giving up one interception. Kyle Harris recorded 47-yards on one reception, while Eric Collins, Jr. tallied 31-yards on three receptions.



Defensively, Patrick Harbin, Jr. paced the team with nine total tackles, five of which were solo. Four different Delta Devils recorded five total tackles.

Mississippi Valley is on the road to Carbondale, Illinois, to face Southern Illinois University on September 9th. Game time is set for 6:00 pm.

BOX SCORE

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AAMU Bulldogs competitive in loss to UAB

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- It wasn't quite the outcome the Bulldogs were looking for, but they proved to be competitive Saturday despite a 38-7 loss to UAB.

It was the season opener for both teams and the first game in two seasons for UAB, which had its program dropped after the 2014 season.

"The result was obviously not what we wanted," said Alabama A&M Head Coach James Spady. "But we are going to build ... and this game will help us going forward."

Nonetheless, Alabama A&M went toe-to-toe with the C-USA Blazers for the better of three quarters before UAB pulled away.

The Bulldogs and Blazers each were basically even in passing yards (A&M had 138 yards, UAB had 165) and time of possession (A&M - 29:44; UAB - 30:16) but the Blazers outrushed A&M 259-45 in the game.



"I felt we had a pretty good first half performance," Spady said. "I thought things were pretty even there in the first half (UAB lead 10-7 at halftime).

"Some things happened to us in the second half that led to a little breakdown here and there, however it wasn't a complete breakdown. Our guys still fought and were competitive."

The Blazers scored on their first possession of the game, moving downfield on a 14-play, 76-yard drive.

But, after that, the A&M defense adjusted to UAB and kept them out of the endzone again until about 6:37 left in the third quarter.

Linebacker Kenneth Davis led all tacklers with 10 tackles, including eight solo stops. He also had two sacks for minus-eight yards and two tackles for loss for minus-nine yards. Harvey Harris had eight tackles in his first game playing defense after a three-year career as a Bulldog running back.



Since this was UAB's first game in three years, the Bulldogs didn't have any film or scouting reports so, basically, they were going into the game blind.

"I want to give (UAB) Coach (Bill) Clark and his guys credit," Spady said. "That was a better game than I thought they would be and I'm really proud of our guys for competing."

The Bulldogs got on the board early in the second half when freshman quarterback Aqeel Glass connected with Roderick Randolph on a 46-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass. Nick Carden kicked the point-after and the game was tied 7-7 with 2:24 left in the first half.

However, UAB answered back with a field goal about a minute later for the 10-7 halftime lead.

Glass and Damion May split quarterback duties in the game. Glass was 7 of 17 for 101 yards. He had an interception and the TD pass to Randolph. May was 6-for-12 for 37 yards.

"I played the two guys I planned to play all along," Spady said. "Aqeel started, which I said would happen, and Damion played, which I also said would happen."

The Bulldogs continue their nonconference schedule next weekend with a trip to Vanderbilt on Saturday. Kickoff is 3 p.m.

Spady said the Bulldogs will be ready for the date in the Music City.

"We're playing an SEC opponent," he said. "Our guys will have no trouble getting motivated - not only because it's another football game but it's the chance to play an SEC opponent that made a bowl game last year."

BOX SCORE

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Totten’s TD Run Highlights NCCU Loss at Duke

DURHAM, North Carolina -- An 81-yard touchdown run by redshirt freshman Isaiah Totten highlighted North Carolina Central University's performance in a 60-7 setback against ACC opponent Duke University during the "Bull City Gridiron Classic" at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday.

Totten's second-quarter 81-yard race to the end zone is the 10th longest rush in NCCU history and the longest run by an Eagle since 2010, when Tony McCord posted a 93-yard touchdown scamper against Winston-Salem State.

New NCCU starting quarterback Micah Zanders completed 10 of 17 passes for 91 yards with an interception.



BOX SCORE

Defensively, NCCU senior linebacker Reggie Hunter amassed a game-high 10 tackles (7 solo), including a stop for a loss. Junior safety Alden McClellon and senior transfer linebacker De'Niro Laster contributed nine takedowns apiece for the Eagles.

"We learned a lot from this game," said NCCU head coach Jerry Mack. "We learned exactly what not to do and what to do. We found out a lot about the character of our football team. We've got to take the time, learn and grow from this situation, but I think it was a really great teaching moment for them."

NCCU hosts Shaw University in the Eagles' home-opener on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. For ticket information, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.

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Kentucky State Thorobreds Shows Determination in 42-21 Loss to Slippery Rock

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Kentucky State University football dropped its season opener to Slippery Rock University in a 42-21 loss at Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Thorobreds fell behind early, trailing as much as 28 in the opening moments of the third quarter, but the offense started to find its groove behind its new junior quarter back Paul Campbell.

At 4:08 on the clock in the third quarter, Campbell connected for a four-yard touchdown pass to fellow junior, Demetrius Anderson to put KSU on the board at 28-6. Campbell struck again with a four-yard rushing touchdown at the 13:00 mark of the 4th quarter, following a 13 play drive. The home squad went into its bag of tricks on a nifty two-point conversion, as Anderson took a hand-off an end around from junior wide receiver Cort Groathouse, to find Campbell open for a walk-in score, pulling the Thorobreds to a 28-14 defect.



SRU answered with back-to-back scores to go back up by 28, but the last touchdown of the game and highlight of the day belonged to sophomore running back Bret Sylve. The transfer from Louisiana College snagged the ball on a kickoff, found a hole in the middle of the field and scampered for a 93-yard touchdown, for a final score of 42-21.

Campell finished the game with 22-for-33 through the air and rushed for 35 yards on 15 carries. His favorite target on the day was Anderson as he pulled in 10 catches for 74 yards.

KSU will travel to Lebanon, Illinois next Saturday, Sept. 9 to play McKendree University, kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m.



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Morgan Bears Fall in Defensive Battle at Towson, 10-0, in inaugural Battle for Greater Baltimore

TOWSON, Maryland -- Morgan State's suffocating defense kept Towson in check, but it was the Bears offense that proved to be the deciding factor tonight at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

Monty Fenner's interception set up the only touchdown which led to Towson beating Morgan State 10-0 in a defensive struggle as the cross-town rivals met in the Battle for Greater Baltimore on Saturday night in the season opener.

The game marked the first meeting between the two schools since 2011. Towson improved its series record against the Bears to 18-6 since 1979.

Fenner intercepted an Elijah Staley pass, returning it 32 yards to the Morgan State 2. Shane Simpson took a quick pitch in for the score on the next play. Aidan O'Neill's extra point gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 9:04 left in the first half.



Aidan O'Neill added a 42-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the first half. The Tiger defense picked off three Morgan State passes before halftime. Morgan Scroggins and Tyron McDade each had an interception.

Towson (1-0) quarterback Morgan Mahalak, an Oregon transfer, had his struggles also as he was picked off three times too. Brandon Griffin, Ian McBorrough and Cravon Rogers all grabbed one.

Both quarterbacks were sacked three times.

"Our defense dominated today," said sophomore linebacker McBorrough. "Our coaching staff did a good job of game-planning and they just expect excellence from us on defense. We spent a lot of time in the film room breaking down [Towson's] favorite plays and tendancies. Our defense executed tonight."



The Bears limited Towson to just 102 total yards, including 17 yards on the ground. It was the fewest amount of rushing yards allowed by Morgan State since holding Bowie State to -33 yards in 2010.

Griffen led the Bears with 8 tackles and a sack, while Malachi Washington added five tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Staley completed 23 of 46 passes for 185 yards, but the offense stalled when it came to scoring in the red-zone. The Bears finished the night 0-for-3 in scoring opportunities inside the 20.

Morgan State (0-1) finished with 234 yards overall, but committed four turnovers, finished with 15 penalties for 137 yards (93 yards in the 1st half) and missed both of their field-goal attempts. Towson had just four penalties for 30 yards.

"If we're going to be a good football team, there's no way we can play and have 15 penalties, turn the ball over a bunch of times," Morgan State coach Fred T. Farrier said. "I have to do a better job of ensuring that we're putting our kids in a better position to be successful."

Bear Bits
QB Elijah Staley completed passes to nine different receivers

WR Dushon David led the Bears with a game-high 6 receptions for 56 yards; WR Amonta Poteat had 5 catches for 47 yards

P Julian Jacobs averaged 32 yards on 6 punts, including a 48-yard long and two punts inside the 20

FS Carl Garnes averaged 8.8 yards on five punt returns

The last time Morgan State's defense recorded three interceptions in a game was against Savannah State in 2015

Morgan State's offense ran 84 total plays compared to Towson's 54.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS