North Carolina a hotbed for top FCS football teams, with four in this week’s national rankings, including N.C. A&T and NCCU

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- NC State is the only North Carolina team ranked among the nation’s top 25 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Wolfpack, however, isn’t the only state entry in the national college polls.

The Old North State has become a hotbed for top Championship Subdivision teams, with no fewer than four making the grade this week in the STATS FCS Top 25 rankings.

Undefeated NC A&T, at 6-0, leads the way at No. 15, followed by Elon at No. 16, Western Carolina at No. 21 and NC Central, which became the latest team to enter the poll at No. 25 following its 13-7 win at Howard last Saturday.

The Eagles have won four straight since a season-opening loss to Duke. This marks the second straight season they’ve been ranked, after topping out at No. 18 in 2016. Coach Jerry Mack’s team made its first appearance in the national poll as a Division I program last November 7.

“Anytime you get a chance to have some recognition,whether it’s in life or on the football field, I think everybody appreciates that,” Mack said earlier this week. “But with that comes and responsibility and we have to go out there this Saturday against Gardner-Webb and prove we are worthy of being a top 25 team.”

Central’s MEAC rival A&T has done just that by outscoring its first six opponents by a 250-61 margin during the first half of its regular season schedule.



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N.C. A&T Visits Tallahassee For FAMU's Homecoming

*No. 11/No. 15 North Carolina A&T (6-0, 3-0 MEAC) vs. Florida A&M (2-4, 4, 0-2 MEAC) *FCS Coaches Poll/STATS Media
Poll Date: Oct. 14, 2017    
Time: 3 p.m. 
Facility: Bragg Memorial Stadium (25,000)   
Series: FAMU leads, 44-18-3   
Radio: ESPN Triad Radio (1320 AM, 93.7 FM, 104.9 FM, 1230 AM); 
Play-by-play – Donal Ware, Analysts – Al Swann 

Aggie Game Notes

http://player.listenlive.co/47771

FAMU Game Notes

OFFENSIVE STARTERS FROM LAST GAME: WR Elijah Bell (6-2, 221, So., had a big homecoming with 9 rec., 178 yds and a TD); LT Brandon Parker (6-7, 309, R-Sr., gained another offensive lineman of the week award); LG Joshua Mattocks (6-3, 331, R-Sr., has played in 32 straight games); C Darriel Mack (6-2, 293, R-Sr., Mack has graded out high numerous times this season); RG Daquan Blake (6-1, 290, Jr., he continues to get stronger each week); RT Marcus Pettiford (6-3, 274, R-So., the right side of the Aggies line as fared well too); WR Khris Gardin (5-7, 185, Sr., had a 78-yard kickoff return versus Del State); TE Leroy Hill (6-3, 249, R-Jr., Hill is a huge target for Raynard); FB William Simpson(6-0, 220, R-So., Elizabeth City, N.C., Simpson has made two straight starts); QB Lamar Raynard (6-4, 200, R-Jr., Raynard is proving to be one of the best QB’s in the country);  RB Marquell Cartwright (5-8, 201, R-Jr., Cartwright routinely pounds on teams for four quarters).

DEFENSIVE STARTERS FROM LAST GAME: DE Sam Blue (6-1, 247, R-Jr., has given the Aggies a good pass rush this season); NG Jermaine Williams (6-1, 301, R-So., Williams’ caused fumble led to an Aggies safety); DT Kadarius Kendrick (6-4, 277, Jr., has two tackles for loss on the season); DE Darryl Johnson (6-5, 226, R-So., his two sacks were a part of the Aggies’ 8 sacks last Saturday); LB Deion Jones (5-11, 202, R-Jr., ranked fourth on the team in tackles (22); LB Kiaundric Richardson (6-0, 214, R-Jr., posted five tackles vs. DSU); LB Marcus Albert (5-10, 205, R-Sr., has five tackles for loss on the season); FS Tard McCoy (5-9, 191, R-Sr., has excellent tackling skills); CB Mac McCain (5-11, 174, R-Fr., almost had another pick-6 last Saturday); ROV Jeremy Taylor (5-11, 190, R-Sr., led the Aggies with six tackles against Del State); CB Timadre Abram (5-10, 168, R-Jr., has broken up five passes this season).

  

The Game: N.C. A&T will be on the road again. The Aggies will be playing on the road for the fifth time in seven games, and to make it even tougher, the Aggies are the guest for Florida A&M’s homecoming. The Rattlers will be trying to return a favor to the Aggies after the Aggies defeated Florida A&M for homecoming last year in Greensboro. The Aggies are on a five-game winning streak against the Rattlers, the longest such streak the Aggies have had against the Rattlers in the series. N.C. A&T has never won three straight games in Tallahassee versus the Rattlers. A win would put this Aggies team in rare air as only the third team in school history to have a 7-0 record. The other team occurred in 1927 and 1943. The Aggies will try to slow down a FAMU attack that posted 485 yards of total offense against Norfolk State.

N.C. A&T is coming off a 44-3 win over Delaware State during the Greatest Homecoming On Earth.  N.C. A&T held the Hornets to minus 38 yards rushing, the lowest amount a team has had during the seven-year era of head coach Rod Broadway. It marked the fourth time in the last seven years the Aggies have held an opponent to negative yards rushing and the 23rd time an opponent has been held to under 50 yards rushing. The Aggies offense was not too bad either. The Aggies posted more than 400 yards of offense for the sixth straight game. N.C. A&T has never opened a season with seven straight 400-yard games of offense. The Aggies have scored 30 or more points in five of their six games this season. N.C. A&T has scored 30 or more points 29 times and 40 or more points 17 times in the 75 games Broadway has coached at N.C. A&T.

News & Notes

• N.C. A&T earned more MEAC weekly honors this week when quarterback Lamar Raynard was named offensive player of the week for the fourth time this season after throwing for a career-high 324 yards and three touchdowns on 20-for-26 passing. Meanwhile, left tackle Brandon Parker picked up his fifth offensive lineman of the week honor in six weeks.
• Last season, the Aggies broke the single-season school record for points in a season with 422, two more points than they scored in 1993. That record is under threat again. The Aggies have already scored 250 points this season, putting them 173 points shy of taking down last year’s mark.
• Raynard is 367 yards shy of becoming just the fifth Aggie to throw for 2,000 yards in a season. If he accomplishes the feat, he will be the first Aggie to do so since Lewis Kindle threw for more than 2,000 yards in 2011. The other Aggie QBs who have done it include Maseo Bolin, Alan Hooker and Ellsworth Turner.
• Rod Broadway won his 53rd game as the head coach of N.C. A&T. He is now three wins shy of becoming second on the Aggies all-time wins list. If he were to stop coaching today, he would leave N.C. A&T with the best winning percentage of all time (.707). Bill Hayes held the previous high mark with a .624 winning percentage.

Opposing Point of View

“We have our hands full here at homecoming, so we've got to get our guys to understand what they need to do to go and compete and take advantage of this opportunity to play a really good football team at home in front of a homecoming crowd which generally here at Florida A&M is a packed house and a very exciting atmosphere. We're looking forward to that opportunity. Their quarterback (Lamar) Raynard is really doing a good job for them. Their running backs Marquell Cartwright and Jamari Smith are doing a really good job. They have the left tackle Brandon Parker who is obviously an all-conference player. Then on defense they have Jermaine Williams, Darryl Johnson and they have two really good corners in (Mac) McCain and (Timadre) Abram. They have a lot of good players obviously, I could mention more, but those are the guys who stick out on film. We're looking forward to the game, and we've got to get back on track.”

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

November 15: Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ATLANTA, Georgia -- A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries — and path of promise toward the American dream—Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. They have been unapologetically Black for more than 150 years. For the first time ever, their story is told.

Join Jazz 91.9 WCLK and Clark Atlanta University for the exclusive Atlanta Screening of Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities. Directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson, The film examines the impact HBCUs have had on American history, culture, and national identity. Beginning with the earliest attempts at education to today’s campuses.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring CAU President Ronald A. Johnson, Filmmaker Stanely Nelson and a host of prominent students and alumni from HBCUs.



The tour is a major part of HBCU Rising, the year-long multiplatform engagement project designed to drive dialog among a variety of audiences. Jazz 91. 9 is 0ne of 10 HBCU’s across the nation to receive a grant for the campus event.

“We felt it was very important to showcase the film to students on HBCU campuses because this is a vital part of our African-American and American history,” said director Stanley Nelson. “Many students and even alumni are not aware of the deep history of how and why HBCUs were created and the foundation for success they provided for African Americans. We appreciate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s support and the partnership on the ground with local public television and radio stations to make this tour possible.”

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Former Texas College Football Coach Ace Mumford nominated for Hall of Fame

TYLER, Texas -- Coach Arnett “Ace” Mumford was named a Class of 2018 Finalist for the Black College Football Hall of Fame.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame recognizes players and coaches specifically from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Coach Mumford served as the head football coach at Texas College from 1931 to 1935. Under his leadership the Steers won two Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championships and one National Championship.

Mumford also coached at Jarvis Christian College, Bishop College, and Southern University throughout his career. Over his coaching career, Mumford’s record was 225-86-23. While respected as a winner, he was dually noted for his emphasis on his players' education.

Mumford was also an inductee into the National College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

The Class of 2018 Inductees will be announced on Oct 25.

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Bowie State (6-0) at Virginia State (5-0) Preview

ETTRICK, Virginia -- The Clash of the Titans is finally here. We have two undefeated teams, a Homecoming, NFL prospects, national television, and two teams vying for control in the conference! What more could you ask for?

Bowie State, the 14th ranked team in the AFCA Poll, is coming off a 41-10 win in their Northern Division opener last week against the Chowan Hawks. Virginia State had a dominating win themselves in their Northern Division opener against Elizabeth City State, claiming a 56-0 victory.



This game has storylines and NFL Prospects across the board. This game features the top two players in the conference, as well as in the nation, in quarterback Amir Hall (Bowie State) and running back Trent Cannon (Virginia State). Cannon is the top NFL prospect the conference has to offer this year. This will be the best defense Cannon will face this year as the Bulldogs defense is ranked fourth in the nation.

The Bulldogs defense is led by senior defensive end Derrick Tate and fellow senior defensive back Rahman Kamara. Cannon isn't the only Trojan to watch as quarterback Cordelral Cook is coming off a six-touchdown performance against Elizabeth City State.



The Bowie State offense which is the top offense in the nation, will face its toughest defensive team in the nation as well. The Trojans have the number seven ranked defense in the nation. On defense, the Virginia State will be led by senior linebacker Brandon Lynch who was a pre-season All-CIAA selection and junior linebacker Malik Sexton.

The Bulldogs and Trojans have played two classic games over the past two seasons with Bowie State claiming close wins in both. Kickoff is set for 2:05 this Saturday (10/14) and will be televised nationally on the Aspire Network.

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

West Virginia State Freshman Nika Tadic Named Mountain East Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week

NIKA TADIC
WOMEN'S TENNIS
WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- WVSU freshman Nika Tadic from Split, Croatia, has been named the Mountain East Conference Women's Tennis Player of the Week.

Tadic went 3-0 in singles including wins over second and third place Charleston and West Liberty.

She began the week playing #6 singles but was forced to move up a spot for the final two matches due to a teammate's injury.

Against the Hilltoppers at #5 singles Tadic lost the first set but rallied to win the next two in what was the final match on the court and the one that decided the winning team as the Yellow Jackets stayed undefeated.

In Wednesday' match at Charleston Tadic teamed with junior Kayla McKnight to win a key doubles match in a 9-7 tiebreaker after escaping three match points in the Golden Eagles favor.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Tennessee State Tigers Host Austin Peay for Homecoming

Tennessee State Game Notes | Austin Peay Game Notes
2017 Tennessee State Media Guide | Live Stats

Social Media: #BigBlueRising
Twitter: @TSU_Tigers | Instagram: @TSUTigers
Facebook: Tennessee State University Tigers

Game 7: Tennessee State (4-2, 1-2) vs. Austin Peay (3-3, 2-1)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Stadium: Nissan Stadium (69,143)
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: OVCDN
Audio: 102.1 FM
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

Series Information: This is the 20th meeting with the Tigers leading the series, 13-6. The teams first met in 1988, a 16-12 victory for the squad from Clarksville. TSU earned its first win in the series a year later, 38-10. The last 11 meetings have run in streaks for the teams. TSU won a trio of games from 1996-2008, only to see the Governors reel off three of their own from 2009-11. The Tigers are currently on a five game run, including a last second 41-40 win in Clarksville in 2016.



Last Meeting: Steven Newbold caught a touchdown pass with 1.7 seconds left in the game to give TSU a 41-40 road victory. Ronald Butler engineered a six-play, 81-yard drive with less than a minute remaining. Butler threw four touchdown passes and added two rushing score as he compiled 342 yards of total offense. Antonio Justice, Jr. led the Tigers’ defense with nine tackles, 1.5 for loss and one sack. APSU opened the scoring, only to see the Tigers respond with Butler teaming up with Newbold for the first of their two touchdown hookups. Tennessee State followed with a scoring pass from Butler to Mahlon Medley and the first of Butler's rushing scores to take a 20-9 lead. Austin Peay scored 10 points in the final two minutes of the half to close to within one point, 20-19. The second half began with Butler hitting Patrick Smith for a 39 yard strike to add to the lead. Butler followed with an 84 yard dash for his second rushing touchdown, extending the lead to 34-19. The Governors scored 21 straight points to take a 40-34 lead with 1:05 remaining. Newbold finished the game with four receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

Head Coach Rod Reed: Reed is in his eighth season at the helm of the Tigers. During his time at TSU, he has compiled a 47-39 record, including a 38-24 mark since 2012, and is 23-32 in OVC play. Reed is the third winningest coach in Tennessee State Football History. John Merritt claimed 174 victories in his 20 years (1963-83) at TSU for a .806 winning percentage (174-35-7). Harry Kean spent 10 years in charge of TSU from 1944-54 and compiled a 93-15-3 record (.838). Coach Reed has compiled a 12-10 record in Sgt. York Trophy Games.

Tennessee State: TSU claimed its first conference win of the season and improved to 4-2, 1-2 in OVC play, with a 45-21 win at Eastern Kentucky. The Tigers picked off EKU quarterbacks four times in the game, including the final three being returned for touchdowns. Vincent Sellers earned adidas OVC Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Week with two pick-sixes, to go along with eight tackles, seven solo, and a pass breakup. Terrell Bonds closed out the scoring with an interception returned for a touchdown.

One play before Sellers’ first pick, Michael Hughes scored on a quarterback sneak to give the Tigers a 24-21 lead with just over six minutes to play. Hughes, in his first start, added two touchdown passes. The sophomore signal caller recorded his first scoring pass of his career to Patrick Smith before finding Steven Newbold minutes later. The Tigers were successful running the ball as they rushed for 193 yards, led by Seth Rowland’s 69. Andrew Knox totaled 63 yards on the ground, while Sabree Curtis ran for 39. Blair Edwards matched Sellers with eight tackles and seven solos. Edwards tacked on 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup. Lane Clark put the Tigers on the board in the first quarter with a 49-yard field goal. The distance tied for the 10th longest in TSU history and was the second 49-yarder for the kicker this season. Patrick Smith pulled in four receptions, giving him 141 in his career. Smith moved past Patrick Robinson (1989-92, 140) into sixth all-time at TSU.

The Tigers are ranked 13th in Total Defense in FCS play allowing 280.8 yards per game. The Big Blue now ranks fifth nationally with four defensive scores and is 16th in interceptions with eight.

Austin Peay: The Governors enter at 3-3, 2-1 in the OVC, after dropping a 34-14 contest to Jacksonville State. APSU continues to lead the OVC, and is ranked 12th nationally, after being held to 106 yards rushing a week ago. Kentel Williams tops the Govs ground attack with 409 yards on 68 attempts, averaging 68.2 yards per game and 6.01 per carry. At quarterback, JaVaughn Craig is a duel threat completing 38-of-71 passes for 366 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Craig also has 364 yards rushing on 53 carries and has crossed the goal line six times. The defense is led by Gunnar Scholato and Jeremiah Mitchell. Scholato tops the squad with 53 tackles, 3.5 for loss and an interception. Mitchell brings support with 50 stops, 2.0 for loss and a forced fumble. Jaison Williams has been a force up front with seven tackles for loss, including 5.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries.

Last 10 Results:

2016 - Tennessee State 41, Austin Peay 40

2015 - Tennessee State 20, Austin Peay 6

2014 - Tennessee State 31, Austin Peay 27

2013 - Tennessee State 31, Austin Peay 6

2012 - Tennessee State 34, Austin Peay 13

2011 - Austin Peay 37, Tennessee State 34

2010 - Austin Peay 26, Tennessee State 23

2009 - Austin Peay 24, Tennessee State 21

2008 - Tennessee State 37, Austin Peay 34

2007 - Tennessee State 33, Austin Peay 32 ot

Radio: 102.1 FM will carry the game live with Greg Pogue (play-by-play), Albert Dawson (analyst), Craig Ladd (Scoreboard) and Gary Dawson (sideline). Pregame will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT

OVCDN: Howard Gentry Jr. will serve as play-by-play along with Derek Fleming who will provide analysis.

Quotes:

Head Coach Rod Reed- On his team

“I was really proud of the way our kids responded. After going down 0-2 in the conference, going on the road to a place we hadn’t played well at all, being about to go there and come away with a victory, it was a hard-fought contest. I think we started fast in that game and it helped us. We knew going in at halftime that that team was going to continue to fight. Coach Elder does a good job with those guys. That game was much closer than the score indicated. The last six minutes really decided that game. Our kids prepared well. Our coaches prepared well, and we were able to clean up a lot of things with penalties and whatnot. We were able to move the ball more efficiently on offense and defensively, we played well in the first half. Other than the third quarter, I thought we played really good defense.”

- On facing Austin Peay

“We’ve got Austin Peay coming in. They’re a well-coached football team, and they give you fits with their different sets and motion – things of that nature. They’ll be extremely prepared defensively. Offensively, they just play sound football. They’re going to keep the ball in front of them. They play the gaps really well. It’s always been a struggle with us and The Peay. It’s kind of a rivalry game, and it came down to the last play of the game last year. I heard Will (Healy) talk about it being our Homecoming, and that was just because of how it fell on the schedule. We didn’t pick a Homecoming opponent. I can tell you that. That’s a good football team over there, and they’ve shown that.”

- On the play of Michael Hughes

“We’ve still got two really good quarterbacks. Both of those guys will play. Mike (Hughes) came in and did a really good job. He helped us move the ball down the field. I think our offensive line played better this past game. We were able to run the football. I’ve moved Andrew Knox into that tailback position, and with our big offensive line, it looked better. Being able to run the ball really helped us in the throw game, and I think that really helped Mike out.”

APSU Head Coach Will Healy

- On Facing TSU

“Big game this week. We’re trying to make sure we turn the page quickly and move on to a really good Tennessee State team that we feel like is extremely talented. You turn on the film and they’ve got tremendous size. They look like SEC bodies and have really good speed. They’ve got good weapons especially on offense. Our work will be cut out for us in all three phases. I think they are a complete team.”

- On TSU’s personnel

“You look at their kicker, he’s a weapon for them. In close games, he’s a weapon for them. He’s been extremely consistent, and he’s got a strong leg. Defensively, I think what they’re doing schematically is really good. Obviously, they’ve got tremendous talent on that side of the ball as well. There aren’t many holes that you can find. They play hard, and they’re physical. Everyone knows what their wide outs can do on the offensive side of the ball. When you’ve got two quarterbacks who can do what they’re doing – Hughes and Harris – it’s difficult to defend and prepare for because you have to prepare for both of them. I worked with Russ Ehrenfeld for four years at Chattanooga, and I know how good of a job he does with the offensive lineman – how well prepared they’ll be and how hard they play. They look like sporting good mannequins.”

- On Facing TSU on Homecoming

“Good news for us is this is our first Homecoming game this year. It felt like last year, every away game was a Homecoming game. We’re getting into that challenge again, and we look forward to the challenge. We’re looking forward to playing in Nissan Stadium. It will be a lot of fun for our kids, and it’s an opportunity for us to face what we feel is a top 25 football team.”

Sophomore Running Back Andrew Knox

- On carrying the ball a career high 12 times

“Going into last week, we knew that EKU was going to be real physical. I was getting a lot of reps earlier in the week at tailback and I knew my number was going to get called. I just had to make the best out of my opportunities.”

- On the play of the offensive line

“The offensive line did an outstanding job. We, as a running back crew, have been working extra with the linemen getting on the same page, being sure where our holes are and just making sure we are being physical. The o-line really stepped it up for all four quarters.”

- On breaking a two-game skid

“This shows the type of character we have on this team. We lost the previous two games, but that did not let that bring us down. We knew what type of team we were and the type of team we want to be, so we will just keep on pushing. We feel we can win games as long as we do our jobs.”

Senior Defensive Tackle Jason Morrow

- On the play of Vincent Sellers

“The interceptions by Vincent were big. We had a lot of chances to catch a couple, but when we finally got them, it was big. Two interceptions by a freshman, that’s big. When a rookie steps up like that, it’s amazing.”

- On first career interception

“I have to thank Chris Collins and the whole defense for calling it out. Then it was all reaction. I just happen to be in the right place to make a play.”

- On ending the skid

“The loss to EIU will motivate us for the rest of the season. When you lose like that, it takes a part of you. When you put up that much effort and it goes down to the wire like that, it just left a sore spot inside of everybody on this team.”

Senior Cornerback Terrell Bonds

- On defensive performance

“It started with preparation during the week. We went out and executed the game plan. It the third quarter, we went through a lot of adversity giving up 21 points, but we came together as a defense. At the end, we made a lot of plays.”

- On giving up 21 straight points against Eastern Kentucky

“It was a momentum swing. We just went back to the sideline and made some adjustments. We just capitalized on some plays and ended the game strong.”

- On the four interceptions

“They were great plays. Morrow made a great play. Sellers played his technique. When he got the ball, he just did what he is supposed to do.”

Senior Defensive End Ebo Ogundeko

- On returning to action

“It felt great. The main goal was to be back out there with my brothers. I feel like the last two or three seasons I have been letting my team down. I just recognize continuous patterns. I feel when I am out there I bring added leadership. The main thing is to be out there every single game to be out there with my brothers.”

- On his performance

“I still need to continue rehabbing and my strength programs so I can get faster. I just need to get used to the knee brace and getting the reps. I just keep on growing.”

- On preparation and coaching staff

“We have to stay locked in and stay aggressive. We did the last game for Coach Fisher (who coached at EKU). Some of the guys on this team don’t have fathers and people to look up to. In my mind, since I did not have a father, besides GOD, I just look at these coaches and you want to make them happy. They are figures in our life that try to help us out. There is no better feeling. If we make them happy, then we make ourselves happy.”

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS