#5 Delta State Slips By #4 Bowie State Football 45-35 to Advance in NCAA Playoffs

BOWIE, Maryland -- The #4 seed Bulldogs left it all on the field in Saturday's (11/18) NCAA Super Region 2 – First Round contest against the visiting #5 Delta State Statesmen, falling short in the end by a score of 45-35 to conclude the Bowie State football season at 9-2. This was Bowie State's first time hosting an NCAA football playoff game.

Junior Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) led Bowie State in passing (332 yards) and rushing (66 yards) while redshirt freshman Montez Clay (Baltimore, Md.) paced the Bulldogs with 80 reception yards. Senior Daivon Nixon (Laurel, Md.) and junior Derrick Tate (Baltimore, Md.) were Bowie State's top tacklers with seven each in the loss.

Delta State opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal from Vince Sciorrotta at the 8:28 mark of the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead. Bowie State responded with a 10-play, 87-yard drive that Hall capped with a two-yard touchdown pass to Lansana Sesay (Bowie, Md.) as the Bulldogs grabbed a 7-3 lead.

The Statesmen answered the call by rattling off 28 straight points on their next four drives as Delta State took a 31-7 lead with 2:54 to go in the first half of play.

The Statesmen's Breck Ruddick's first touchdown of the afternoon gave Delta State the lead back at 10-7 with 2:15 to play in the first quarter, and after the defense forced a three-and-out, Kam Myers hauled in one of only four completed passes by DSU in the game for a 15-yard touchdown that gave the visitors a 17-7 lead after one quarter.

Delta State (9-3) kept their foot on the gas pedal to open the second stanza, as a 41-yard touchdown scamper by Ruddick and a 32-yard touchdown rush from Chris Robinson put the Statesmen on top 31-7 with 2:54 left in the half.

The Bulldogs took the ensuing kickoff and covered 59 yards in 11 plays, and Hall found redshirt senior Brandon Britton from 13 yards out to cut the lead down to 17 (31-14), where it would remain as the first half ended.

The third quarter belonged to the homestanding Bulldogs, who put up 21 unanswered third quarter points to storm back and take a 35-31 lead as the two teams headed to the final stanza.

Bowie State's Hall rushed for a score from two-yards out at the 9:28 mark of the third quarter to trim the deficit to 31-21, and forced a Statesmen fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up a Robert Chesson (Annapolis, Md.) one-yard touchdown run just 24 seconds later to pull within three points at 31-28. Chesson was held to a season-low 18 rushing yards.

Just over four minutes later, Hall led a 6-play, 71-yard drive that he punctuated himself on a 14-yard touchdown rush, his second of the game, and the Bulldogs carried the 35-31 lead into the final quarter of action.

Delta State leaned on Chris Robinson in the final quarter of play as he responded with a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs as the Statesmen outscored the Bulldogs 14-0 in the fourth to secure the win. Robinson scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:58 left in the fourth, and then helped ice the game away as the Statesmen drove 97 yards on just six plays to take a 45-35 lead that proved to be the final score.

Like BSU's Hall, Ruddick led Delta State in rushing (164 yards) and passing (61 yards). Landry Tullo garnered a game-high nine tackles for the Statesmen and Dante Will
iams recorded eight tackles.

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UAPB falls in season finale to Texas Southern, 24-10

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Just as predicted at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Media Day prior to the start of the season, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions (2-9, 1-6) will finish in last place in the SWAC Western division for the fourth straight season.

The Texas Southern University Tigers (2-8, 2-5) waltzed out of a near-empty War Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon with a 24-10 win over the Golden Lions in the season finale.



UAPB redshirt sophomore quarterback Roger Totten II got the start for the Golden Lions, making him the fourth to take on the role this year. Along with three quarterbacks, the Golden Lions were missing a host of former starters, and the most notable of that group is running back KeShawn Williams. Entering the game fourth in the SWAC in total rushing yards, Williams didn’t make an appearance at all.

Totten led the Golden Lions down the field on their first possession of the game to draw first blood. Freshman running back Christian Jordan got the start at running back, and he was effective early on. With heavy wind in the air, senior place kicker Jamie Gillan was able to connect on a 30-yard field goal to give UAPB their only lead of the game at 3-0.

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Bayou The Numbers: A look at Grambling State, Southern offenses before Bayou Classic

GRAMBLING, Louisiana – Postseason implications packs an added punch for the 44th annual Bayou Classic in the yearly regular season finale showdown between rivals Grambling State and Southern next Saturday.

For the second straight season, the SWAC Western Divisional title is up for grabs inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Tigers beat the Jaguars, 52-30, to earn the conference championship game berth in 2016. A league title game spot on the line etches the storyline, and similarly, the offenses could provide the ink.



Over the last three years, Grambling and Southern have combined to score 236 total points, setting an average of 78 points scored per meeting. This year could be much of the same as both offenses enter the rivalry matchup ranking in the top-five in every major offensive category in the SWAC.

Behind seniors DeVante Kincade at quarterback and Martez Carter at running back, Grambling State (9-1, 6-0) owns the league’s second-best scoring offense, putting up 32.2 points per game. Kincade paces the SWAC with 18 passing touchdowns, 2,238 passing yards, a 61.2 completion percentage and in total yards with 2,454. In nine games played,

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Lawmaker calls for FAMU head coach's firing

ORLANDO, Florida -- State Rep. Ramon Alexander, a Florida A&M University graduate, wasn't a happy fan Saturday. 

Alexander went to Twitter following FAMU's 29-24 loss to Bethune-Cookman to call for head coach Alex Wood’s immediate firing.

Wood's contract is up next month.

“It is extremely rare that I will make this type of public comment...,” Alexander wrote after the game.

“Coach Alex Wood MUST be fired immediately for the fake punt call in the 4th Quarter of the Florida Classic....and I mean immediately.”

The Rattlers blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in the game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

At one point in the fourth quarter, ahead 24-17, the Rattlers tried a fake punt, which was stuffed.

Bethune-Cookman scored a touchdown on the next possession, though FAMU held on to its lead.

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BCU Wins another Florida CLASSIC

ORLANDO, Florida -- Make that a seventh win in a row for Bethune-Cookman Football against Florida A&M.

Larry Brihm, Jr. rushed for a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown on a two-yard naked bootleg with 1:15 remaining as Bethune-Cookman rallied for a 29-24 come-from-behind victory over Florida A&M in the Florida Blue Florida Classic before a Camping World Stadium crowd of 47,819 and a national ESPN audience.

The redshirt senior quarterback concluded his career by manufacturing a 14-point fourth quarter comeback to deliver the Wildcats' seventh consecutive victory in the series and conclude Bethune-Cookman's 2017 campaign at 7-4 (6-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).

Brihm finished with 280 yards and one touchdown passing in addition to the two rushing touchdowns.



Florida A&M (3-8, 2-6 MEAC) outgained the Wildcats 136-8 as they took a 24-10 lead on Ricky Henrilus' 4-yard run and Devin Powers' 8-yarder to start the fourth quarter.

Bethune-Cookman quickly closed to within one touchdown with a 9-play, 52-yard drive that produced Brihm's 5-yarder with 11:27 left. Completions of 15 yards to Frank Brown and 20 yards to Jawill Davis sparked the drive.

The Wildcats then received a golden opportunity thanks to Cameron Rigby, who eluded two Rattlers blockers to tackle punter Chris Faddoul shy of the marker on a fake punt.

The quick 32-yard march produced Michael D. Jones's 4-yarder with 7:02 remaining, but Florida A&M kept the 24-23 lead when Antonio Miller blocked the PAT from junior kicker Uriel Hernandez.

After the Maroon and Gold defense registered a three-and-out, Brihm's final drive as a Wildcats student-athlete was a 13-play work of art.

Jamaruz Thompkins runs of 14 and 7, respectfully, set the tone for drive, and Brihm went 3-for-4 on the march that got BCU down to the one yard line after a Michael D. Jones run.

Brihm scored two plays later.

Senior safety Diquan Richardson's second interception of the game preserved the victory with a leaping grab in the end zone as the Rattlers threatened with under a minute to play. With BCU featured on SportsCenter's "Geared Up" segment to begin the day, the Wildcats were able to show off the uniforms in "victory formation" fashion as Brihm kneeled for one last time to run out the clock.

Brihm's touchdown pass was a 35-yarder to senior tight end and Orlando native Ja-Quan Lumas in the first quarter.

Hernandez gave BCU, wearing the "Daytona Nights" uniforms, a 10-3 lead with a 31-yard field goal with 6:22 left in the first half. But Florida A&M managed a 10-10 halftime time on Ryan Stanley's 31-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Smith.

Redshirt senior Frank Brown led the Wildcats receivers with seven catches for 72 yards, while fellow redshirt senior Jawill Davis had six catches for 74 yards. Last weekend's hero, Keavon Mitchell, added five catches for 44 yards. And it was Michael D. Jones who led the rushing attack with 39 yards on 13 carries. Thompkins added 36 on seven carries.

Follow Bethune-Cookman Football on Twitter (@BCUGridIron) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics).

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HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard -- Week 12

NOVEMBER 18, 2017

NCAA Division II National Playoffs
Delta State 45,  Bowie State 35
West Georgia 35, Virginia State 9

NAIA National Football Championship Playoffs
Northwestern (Iowa) 55,  Langston 7

MEAC
Florida State 77, Delaware State 6 
North Carolina A&T 24, North Carolina Central 10 
Hampton 20, Howard 17 
Norfolk State 45, Morgan State 32
Savannah State 34, South Carolina State 10 
Bethune-Cookman 29, Florida A&M 24, Florida Classic



OVC
Jacksonville State 36, Tennessee State 6 (Nov. 16)

SWAC
Prairie View A&M 42, Incarnate Word 28 (Nov. 16)
Alabama State 16, Mississippi Valley State 10
Alabama A&M 21, Kentucky State 13 
Jackson State 7, Alcorn State 3 
Texas Southern 24, Arkansas Pine Bluff 10`

Late interception propels Alabama State to victory

ITTA BENA, Mississippi | Three Hunter Hanson field goals and a late interception by Ronnie Scott helped Alabama hold on to defeat Mississippi Valley State 16-10 Saturday afternoon at Rice-Totten Stadium.

"The game was played exactly how I was afraid of how it would be," Alabama State interim head coach Donald Hill-Eley said. "They played so high against Grambling State, coming in here lulls you to sleep. It's a tough place to play."

The win by Alabama State (4-6, 4-3 SWAC), coupled with an Alcorn State loss to Jackson State later in the day, allowed the Hornets to tie the Braves with the best record in the SWAC East Division. However, due to their head-to-head matchup earlier in the season, the Braves will represent the division in the SWAC championship game due to one-game difference in overall conference record.

With adverse weather conditions throughout the game, the Hornets struggled to move the ball offensively in the first quarter as they went against winds that were gusting into the mid-20s. They took advantage a Mississippi Valley State special teams miscue as punter Ruben Piraquive had his knee touch when fielding a snap to set Alabama State up at the 15-yard line. Five plays later, Darryl Pearson, Jr. ran the ball in from three yards for a 7-0 lead with 3:59 to play in the opening quarter.



"We were able to move the ball," Eley said. "You move the ball into plus territory and we need a play here or three, and we start moving backwards. That is the stuff we can't do, we have to find a way to make those plays. We left a lot of points and a lot of plays out there on that field."

The lead was extended to 10-0 in the second quarter, when Hanson drilled the first of three field goals through the uprights. His first field goal was a new career long of 48 yards with 10:32 to play in the first half.

Mississippi Valley State trimmed the lead to 10-3 on a field goal with 5:15 remaining, but it was Hanson again with one minutes to go in the half with a 40-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-3 heading to the locker room.

The freshman kicked his final field goal with 7:37 to play it the third, this one a 39-yard field goal to push the lead to 16-3. However, Mississippi Valley State (2-9, 1-6 SWAC) trimmed the lead to 16-10 with 11:19 to play on Quinn McElfresh touchdown reception.

"Much needed," Eley said of Hanson. "We figured we had the win on the extremely long one and ended up getting a low snap that threw us off all together. But he did his job and got us some points."

That was as close as Mississippi Valley State would get as the Hornet defense would not allow the Delta Devils any closer than their 19 yard line. On fourth down, Scott stepped in front of a pass intended for McElfresh for the interception to help seal the game.

Alabama State held Mississippi Valley State to 179 yards of total offense, with 168 of those coming through the air. They also forced two turnovers and recorded four sacks, as well as 11 tackles for loss. Jeffrey Hill and Andrew Wilson each recorded seven tackles for the Hornets in the win.

"They got after us today," Eley said. "That is what you expect when you have team that is playing their last game, every trick and every fake we could see today. The defense has been steady all year, and the only things that kept them on the field were penalties but they did their job like they have been doing."

Meanwhile, offensively, Alex Anderson led the rushing attack with 46 yards on 11 carries, while Pearson added 38 on 11 carries. The Hornets ran the ball 43 times for 161 yards on the day.

Alabama State returns to action Thanksgiving Day as they face Edward Waters in the Turkey Day Classic at ASU Stadium, with kickoff set for 2 pm.

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For complete coverage of Alabama State University football, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateFB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

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