North Carolina A&T Aggies, Charlotte 49ers Prepare For Highly-Anticipated Game

*No. 20/No. 25 North Carolina A&T (2-0) vs. Charlotte (0-2)
*FCS Coaches Poll/STATS Media Poll
Date: Sept. 16, 2017
Time: 6 p.m.
Facility: Jerry Richardson Stadium (15,000)
Series: First Meeting
Radio: 1320 AM/93.7 FM WCOG; Play-by-play – Donal Ware, Analysts – Al Swann

PROBABLE OFFENSIVE STARTERS: WR Elijah Bell (6-2, 221, So., Leads the nation in receiving TDs); LT Brandon Parker (6-7, 309, R-Sr., co-MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week); LG Joshua Mattocks (6-3, 331, R-Sr., entering his fourth season as a starter); C Darriel Mack (6-2, 293, R-Sr., graded out at 90 percent with knockdown blocks vs. Mars Hill); RG Daquan Blake (6-1, 290, Jr., Third-team All-MEAC); RT Marcus Pettiford (6-3, 274, R-So., Returns after one-year layoff); WR Ron Hunt (6-1, 181, So., Greensboro, N.C. He is another threat to spread the field); WR Khris Gardin (5-7, 185, Sr., Has 215 punt return yards this season); TE Leroy Hill (6-3, 249, R-Jr., All-MEAC tight end); QB Lamar Raynard (6-4, 200, R-Jr., reigning two-time MEAC co-offensive player of the week); RB Marquell Cartwright (5-8, 201, R-Jr., Recorded his second-career 100-yard game last week).




ROBABLE  DEFENSIVE STARTERS: DE Sam Blue (6-1, 247, R-Jr., Had two tackles for loss vs. MHU); NG Kadarius Kendrick (6-4, 277, R-So., Had a half tackle for loss vs. MHU); DT Justin Cates(6-2, 275, Jr., Made three solo tackles vs. MHU); DE Darryl Johnson (6-5, 226, R-So., Posted 1 TFL vs. MHU); LB Julius Reynolds (5-9, 226, R-Jr., Had a 6-yard fumble return vs. MHU); LB Joshua Patrick(5-11, 223, Sr., Had five tackles (four unassisted) vs. MHU); LB Marcus Albert (5-10, 205, R-Sr., Five tackles, 1TFL vs. MHU); FS Jeremy Taylor (5-11, 190, R-Sr., Named MEAC co-defensive player of the week); CB Mac McCain (5-11, 174, R-Fr., 10 tackles and two breakups vs. MHU); ROV Richie Kittles (5-11, 195, R-So., 32-yard INT return last week);  CB Timadre Abram (5-10, 168, R-Jr., Has good cover skills on the outside).

The Game: Records can sometimes be deceiving. The North Carolina A&T football team will go into this weekend’s game with a 2-0 record, two national rankings on the Football Championship Subdivision level and they have a red-hot offense. Meanwhile, the Charlotte 49ers are 0-2 and have been outscored 79-14 heading into their home opener on Saturday. But the 49ers come into the game with a distinct advantage in scholarship numbers as a Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision school who plays in Conference-USA. Plus, their two losses this season have come against great competition including nationally-ranked Kansas State. Therefore, the 49ers will be the toughest challenge the Aggies have faced this season.

N.C. A&T is coming off an easy win over Division II Mars Hill. Some offensive stars have emerged for the Aggies over the first two weeks of the season including redshirt junior quarterback Lamar Raynard who leads the country in completion percentage (.783), passing efficiency (237.0) and touchdown passes (8). Sophomore Elijah Bell leads the nation in receiving touchdowns (5) and total touchdowns. As a team, the Aggies are ranked eighth in the nation in passing offense, 17th in total offense and 35th in rushing offense. Defensively, the Aggies have yet to surrender a touchdown this season. The Aggies are fourth in the nation in total defense, while they have only surrendered 87 yards rushing to rank sixth in the nation. The Aggies also fixed aspects of their special teams last week by going 8-for-8 in extra points.

News & Notes

• The last time the Aggies played in Charlotte was Oct. 4, 2008 when the Aggies lost to N.C. Central 28-27 at American Legion Memorial Stadium. The Aggies are 5-11 all-time in the city of Charlotte.
• The biggest connection between N.C. A&T and Charlotte is Charlotte starting quarterback Hasaan Klugh. Klugh played for the Aggies during the 2014 season, where he started three games as a true freshman in place of an injured Kwashaun Quick. Klugh went 2-1 in those starts with a nationally-televised win over Hampton on Oct. 9, 2014. Klugh threw for 390 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in those starts while completing 42 of his 68 passes (.618) in that span.
• The Aggies have yet to give up a touchdown over the first two games. The last time that happened was 1949 when the Aggies gave up two points to Allen and shutout Virginia Union.
• Charlotte will be the fourth FBS school the Aggies have played since 2015 after playing only two FBS programs in thier history prior to the 2015 season. It took four overtimes, but the Aggies did secure their first-ever FBS win in school history a year ago by defeating Kent State 39-36 in Ohio. The Aggies are now 1-4 against FBS foes and have surrendered an average of 47.4 points in those contests.

Opposing Point of View

“They were a playoff team at the FCS level and have won a lot of games over the last few years. I think (Rod) Broadway has won 49 games since he has been there. Our guys are finally fired up about being back home and having the opportunity to play in front of our fans. Saturday is going to be a great environment and A&T will bring a good crowd, as well. Hopefully, plenty of our students come as they never have disappointed us. We’re going to have to play extremely well here at home to get this win.”

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UAPB confident heading to Arkansas State

JONESBORO, Arkansas -- Things didn't go nearly as well for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff last week against Akron as they did during its season opener against Morehouse College, but Golden Lions Coach Monte Coleman isn't fretting.

In fact, he's embracing it.

The Golden Lions (1-1) fell into a 14-point hole in the first quarter and never recovered in dropping a 52-3 decision to the Zips on the road. Akron led 31-3 at halftime and was never seriously threatened in the second half while handing UAPB its first loss of the season.

The Zips churned out 464 yards of offense and held UAPB to just 168, which was 176 yards less than what the Golden Lions managed in their 23-10 victory over the Maroon Tigers on Sept. 2, but despite being outmanned on both sides of the ball, Coleman liked what he saw out of his team.

"It didn't turn out the way we wanted it to," he said. "During the game, I thought we were being manhandled, but when I got back and watched the film, there were a lot of bright spots and things we can build off of. And that's what I tried to convey to the team.

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Jackson State defense must slow down Kincade, Grambling's high-powered offense

JACKSON, Mississippi -- The third of three massive tests that open the 2017 season finds Jackson State at major disadvantages in several phases of the game.

Against Grambling Saturday night (6 p.m., ESPN 3), the Tigers face the defending SWAC Champs, led by the reigning SWAC player of the year in quarterback Devante Kincade.

Grambling has beaten the last 10 SWAC opponents it has faced, and 19 out of the last 20. They haven't lost to an FCS opponent in nearly two calendar years. Jackson State wants to change that streak Saturday, even if the game won't count in the conference standings.

Both teams are coming off much-improved performances in Week 2 of the season. JSU bounced back from a 63-0 loss to TCU with a 17-15 loss to No. 24 Tennessee State, while 23rd-ranked Grambling defeated Northwestern State 27-10 after falling 43-14 to Tulane to open the season.

The confidence JSU built by hanging with Tennessee State for four quarters has the Tigers thinking of an upset this week.

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Game vs. Southern University is special for UTSA coach Frank Wilson

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Saturday's game against the Southern University Jaguars at the Alamodome will have special meaning for UTSA coach Frank Wilson.

A native of New Orleans, Wilson has a keen sense of history when it comes to the football programs at Southern, Grambling State and other historically black colleges that compete in the tradition-rich Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Three of Wilson's uncles and six cousins played for the legendary Eddie Robinson at Grambling.
Wilson, 43, often would attend preseason workouts at Grambling in the summers as a youth. He recalled going to his first Grambling game at Tiger Stadium at 6 years old.

Wilson said he was in awe of Robinson.

"I remember walking into Coach Rob's office he would say to me, 'Come on over here. Hey son, come on in here.'"

"He talked like that when he talked," Wilson continued, mimicking Robinson's Southern drawl. "I shook his hand and he put me on his knee. I was just like (wow)."

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Tennessee State vs. Florida A&M football: 5 things to watch

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- No. 24 Tennessee State (2-0) visits Florida A&M (1-1) — teams that have combined for 22 black college national titles — in the Tampa Football Classic at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday. Here are five things to watch:

A faster start

TSU, beaming with confidence after claiming a 17-10 win in the opener against FBS Georgia State, was expected to come out strong last week against Jackson State. That didn't happen. Especially on offense TSU was sluggish throughout the first half and had only a 10-9 lead. The offense was slightly better in the second half, but never did get into gear. It finished with 238 yards and only 11 first downs. TSU also started slow last year against FAMU, falling behind 14-7 before rallying for 30-14 win.

Dialed-in receivers

The Tigers' receivers had more drops last week than catches. Treon Harris completed just 5 of 17 passes. Only two receivers — Patrick Smith (3) and Stephen Newbold (1) — had catches. Tight end Mahlon Medley had the other. Coach Rod Reed challenged his deep group of receivers to play better this week. It will help if sophomore Chris Rowland is able to see more action. He was limited to returning kicks in the first two games while nursing an ankle injury.

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FAMU RB Devin Bowers completes climb to scholarship

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Junior running back Devin Bowers has come a long way from his freshman year.

Coming out of St. Petersburg Northeast, Bowers didn't have any D-I scholarship offers. He came to Florida A&M as a preferred walk-on and waited for a chance to shine.

He didn't have to wait long. Bowers burst into FAMU's lineup with a strong showing against Samford during his freshman season in 2015. He ran for 144 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries.

He proved he had potential, consistency was his biggest issue.

Bowers battled injuries during his freshman and sophomore years, but was able to impress when he was on the field. He picked up FAMU MVP honors during the Florida Classic in 2015 and led the team in rushing in 2016 with 398 yards and four touchdowns.

Now he's on full scholarship.

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4 win twice in singles at HBCU National Championships

COLLEGE PARK, Georgia — Returning letterwinners Pierre Andrieu and Yi Chen Pao and newcomers Gabriel Niculescu and Manon Bonada won a pair of singles matches apiece for Xavier University of Louisiana Thursday during the opening day of the HBCU National Tennis Championships.
     
Andrieu defeated Alabama A&M's Joshua Wilson 6-1, 6-0 and Florida A&M's Hema Hasona 6-3, 6-0, to reach the quarterfinals in men's C-bracket. Pao advanced to the women's C quarterfinals after beating Grambling's Bryttish Burts 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (12-10) and Tennessee State's Morgan Cage 6-4, 6-3.
     
Niculescu, a transfer from Troy, began his XULA career with a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Alabama A&M's Shakir Elvin and a 6-4, 6-0 decision against FAMU's Karlyn Small to reach the men's B quarterfinals. Bonada began her collegiate career with victories in the B-bracket: 6-2, 6-3 against Delaware State's Aausyshi Chouhan and 6-0, 6-4 against Grambling's Keren Huppuch Muswere.
     
Also advancing was two-time NAIA All-American Charlene Goreau, who reached the women's A quarterfinals with one victory, 6-1, 6-2 against Virginia State's Sydney Yao. Goreau is a No. 2 seed and XULA's highest-seeded singles player in this year's event.
     
Another returning All-American, Catalin Fifea, lost 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 1-0 (10-7) to Hampton's Luke Thompson in the men's A round of 16. Fifea will play in the consolaiton bracket.
     
The three-day event will conclude Saturday.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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