Kent State welcomes Delaware State for home opener

Kent State Athletic Communications

THE OPENING KICKOFF

After splitting a pair of season-opening road games at a pair of BCS schools, Kent State makes its 2007 debut at Dix Stadium at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 against Delaware State.
The game will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and the Golden Flashes’ first contest against a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponent. KSU will be attempting to improve to 6-1 in its last seven home openers as the Football Championship Subdivision Hornets play their final game of the season outside of the MEAC.

The contest marks the Flashes’ only appearance at home over the course of the first five weeks of the season.

FLASH FACTS

• A win over the Hornets would move Kent State to 2-1 for the first time since 2003.
• Delaware State is the only opponent on this year’s schedule that the Flashes have never faced before. The Flashes are 25-22-1 all-time against FCS schools (formerly I-AA).
• Running back Eugene Jarvis is 22nd in the nation at 122.0 rushing yards per game, while quarterback Julian Edelman had a career-high 135 rushing yards at Kentucky. The pair have helped KSU to 263.0 ypg (15th in the nation).
• Defensive backs Jack Williams and Fritz Jaques lead the Flashes with 16 tackles each, while linebacker Jameson Konz has a pair of sacks.

THE SERIES

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Kent State and Delaware State, with the Hornets being the only new opponent on the Flashes’ 2007 schedule. KSU has never faced a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school before and is 25-22-1 all-time against Football Championship Subdivision schools (formerly I-AA).

KSU VS. FCS SCHOOLS UNDER MARTIN
YEAR OPPONENT RESULT SCORE

2003 Youngstown St. W 16-13

2004 Liberty W 38-10

2005 SE Missouri St. W 33-12

The Flashes have won six straight against FCS opponents dating back to a 26-20 loss to Youngstown State on Sept. 16, 2000.

TELEVISION

None, although live video of the game can be seen via the K-Zone on http://www.kentstatesports.com/

RADIO

Together for the sixth straight year, Bill Needle (play-by-play), Tom Linder (color analyst) and Ty Linder (sidelines) call the excitement of Golden Flashes football on the Kent State Sports Network. KSU football may be heard on flagship station WNIR 100.1 FM in Northeast Ohio.

WEBSITE

Live audio for all Kent State football game broadcasts, live video of select games and live stats are available via the K-Zone on the official athletic department web site (http://www.kentstatesports.com/).

THE COACHES

• Doug Martin (Kentucky ‘85) is in his fourth season as a head coach, owning a 13-23 record at the helm of the Golden Flashes. He was promoted to head coach March 1, 2004, after serving as Kent State’s offensive coordinator in 2003.
• Al Lavan has a 20-14 record in his fourth season at Delaware State. Overall, he is 22-15 in five seasons as a head coach, including a 2-1 mark at Eastern Michigan in 2003 after taking over for Jeff Woodruff, who was fired after the Eagles started 1-8.

UP NEXT

Kent State makes the short trip west to visit arch rival Akron on Sept. 22 at noon. The Mid-American Conference opener for both schools will be broadcast on ESPN Regional. Meanwhile, after a week off, Delaware State returns to MEAC action at Hampton on Sept. 29.

Prairie View's 'special' play

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

For this season’s first two weeks, Prairie View has had the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Specialist of the Week.

In week two, it was junior free safety Val Ford, who returned two blocked punts for touchdowns and made a tackle for a safety, accounting for 15 points in a 22-7 win over North Carolina A&T on Saturday.

In week one, it was freshman kicker Brady Faggard, who kicked two field goals and was 4-for-4 on PATs in a 34-14 win over Texas Southern. PV made three field goals all last season.

The importance of this can’t be underestimated.
Prairie View (2-0, 1-0 SWAC), which visits Southern (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium, struggled mightily on special teams last season.

Punter Eric Hernandez, a three-time all-conference talent, had to also place-kick after preseason All-SWAC selection Mario Sanchez was academically ineligible. Then Hernandez struggled with a quad injury.

“That really hurt us last year,” Prairie View coach Henry Frazier III said. “Especially because we had so many close games.”

To that end, PV signed three kickers in the offseason. And the team had to replace the steady Hernandez.

Well, freshman Pedro Ventura is ninth nationally (and leads the SWAC) in punting, at 44.4 yards per punt. The Panthers are eighth in net punting (40.8 yards).

And Faggard is already 6-for-7 on PATs and 2-for-3 on field-goal tries. Last season, PV was 11-for-18 on PATs and 3-for-9 on field-goal tries.

More, College Sporting News, which covers the Football Championship Subdivision, named Ford and junior cornerback Riante Jones as its national special teams players of the week.

Jones blocked three kicks: the punts returned for TDs by Ford and a field-goal try.

Plus, against TSU, strong safety Anthony Beck blocked a field-goal try (and had a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown).

“Special teams has been huge for us,” Frazier said. “We were able to make some depth. We’re making plays.”

SU’s Smith honored

SU junior running back Kendrick Smith, who transferred from Southern Illinois and sat out last season after starring at Coffeyville Community College, was the SWAC Newcomer of the Week.

Smith turned two catches into two TDs and 32 yards and he came on late to run for 58 yards on seven carries.

Because of Smith’s offseason and because of hamstring issues in spring and early in preseason camp, the staff has worked him in slowly. But he’s shown spurts of some special talent.

“His thing is learning the system,” SU offensive coordinator Mark Orlando said. “He hits that hole. He’s got big-play ability.”

Yellow flags
Prairie View has been penalized 26 times for a SWAC-worst 278 yards in two games — 15 for 141 in the season opener, a 34-14 win over Texas Southern and 11 for 137 in a 22-7 win over North Carolina A&T.

“We have to do a better job in terms of discipline,” Frazier said. “That’s one thing we’re going to harp on this week.”

SU has been flagged nine times for 79 yards. Both totals are SWAC lows.

Quick view of Prairie View

Said SU coach Pete Richardson, “Coach Frazier is doing an outstanding job with that team. His kids are playing hard. They’re making plays. He has 22 seniors, led by his quarterback. He understands the systems and makes the plays.

“Defensively, they fly around to the football. Offensively, they do a lot of things to cause some problems.”

Quick view of Southern

Said Frazier, “They’re much better (than last season, when SU went 5-6, including a 26-23 overtime loss to PV in Houston), a little more physical. Coach Richardson does a great job. I have tremendous respect for him. This year is a new year. I know they’ll be ready.”

The work
SU took Monday off, in what is becoming its first normal work week of the season.

The norm the last few seasons has been a short workout Sunday — “to get the soreness out,” Richardson said — and off Monday because players usually have many class conflicts with a 3:30 p.m. practice.

Last week, SU practiced at 6 p.m. Monday and did not practice Thursday. The previous week, coming off preseason camp, SU did not work Sunday.

Notes
In FCS stats, SU is 11th in total offense (476.0 ypg), 13th in rushing offense (265.5 ypg) and 18th in pass efficiency defense. PV is seventh in scoring defense (10.5), 10th in tackles for loss (10.0 per game) and first in sacks allowed (none). &hellip SU sophomore Tremaine Williams, a reserve defensive back, had an MRI on a right knee injury Monday. Williams suffered the injury on kickoff coverage late in the third quarter Saturday. SU leads the SWAC in third-down conversions (15-for-31, 48.4 percent) and opponents’ third-down conversions (5-for-28, 17.9 percent).

Bears set to host new MEAC member Winston-Salem State

Photo: Senior RB Chad Simpson

MSU Sports Information

Morgan State's #1 ranked MEAC run defense will be tested when the Rams of Winston-Salem State come to Hughes Stadium on Saturday.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE “RAMS” (1-1)
MORGAN STATE “BEARS” (1-1, 0-0 MEAC)
GAME #3
Saturday, September 15, 2007 • 4:00 p.m.
Hughes Stadium (Capacity 10,000) • Baltimore, Md.
RADIO: Morgan State Radio Network WEAA - 88.9 FM:
Rob Long (play-by-play) & Kelvin Bridgers (color).
INTERNET: www.MorganStateBears.com ; http://wssurams.cstv.com/
INTERNET COVERAGE: Live Audio and Live Stats

Setting the Scene
• Morgan State let Towson off the hook last Saturday at Hughes Stadium as the Tigers were able to escape with a 28-21 victory at Hughes Stadium in front of 8,732 fans. The Bears were led by All-MEAC RB Chad Simpson who posted a career-best 195 yards and scored on a 56 yard touchdown dash. MSU’s offensive unit racked up 375 total yards, 245 on the ground. MSU will look to get back in the win column when they host a tough Winston-Salem State team.

• Winston-Salem State is coming off a 28-21 narrow loss against Coastal Carolina. Senior quarterback Monte Purvis led the Rams by rushing for 165 yards and three touchdowns, including TD runs of 65 yards and 80 yards. Jed Bines added 123 yards to a Rams offense that gained 311 total yards against the Chanticleers. Saturday night’s contest will mark the 1st meeting between Morgan State and Winston-Salem State.

• QB Monte Purvis will be one to watch as the Rams prepare for Morgan State this Saturday at Hughes Stadium. Purvis has completed 11-of-25 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, but has really been a problem for opposing defense on the ground where he has run for 228 yards and four touchdowns. Purvis rushed fo 165 yards and three touchdowns in a tough 28-21 loss against Coastal Carolina last Saturday.

• The Rams will not be able to compete for a conference title this year but will play a full-slate of MEAC games in 2007.

• SEE CHAD RUN …INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS - Chad Simpson entered the Towson game just needing 63 yards to reach 1,000 yards in his Morgan State career…he ended up rushing for a career-best 195 yards! The All-MEAC running back rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opener vs. Savannah State and has increased his career total to 1,132 yards, 248 yards behind Tony Phillips (1992-93) who ranked #10 in the Bears rushing annals.

Delaware State returns to Top 25 in I-AA poll

Delaware State University, off to a 2-0 start with wins over Coastal Carolina and Florida A&M, is ranked No. 24 in three Division I-AA top 25 football polls.

The Hornets have not been nationally ranked since last November, when they reached the 23rd spot before losing their season finale at Howard.

DSU takes on I-A opponent Kent State in Ohio at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Golden Flashes are 1-1 after opening the season with a win at Iowa State. Kent lost last Saturday 56-20 at Kentucky.

MEAC power Hampton University is ranked #13 and Norfolk State received 9 votes for their season opening spanking of Division II, Virginia State University.

Sports Network's FCS College Football Poll

Team (First-place votes) Record Points Previous Rank
1. Appalachian State Mountaineers (77) 2-0 1,925 1
2. Montana Grizzlies 2-0 1,849 3
3. Massachusetts Minutemen 2-0 1,726 2
4. Northern Iowa Panthers 2-0 1,630 8
5. North Dakota State Bison 1-0 1,625 4
6. Youngstown State Penguins 1-1 1,411 6
7. Southern Illinois Salukis 2-0 1,386 11
8. McNeese State Cowboys 1-0 1,374 7
9. James Madison Dukes 1-1 1,366 10
10. Delaware Blue Hens 2-0 1,051 13
11. Wofford Terriers 2-0 1,044 14
12. New Hampshire Wildcats 0-1 1,030 5
13. Hampton Pirates 1-0 826 15
14. Eastern Illinois Panthers 1-1 749 12
15. Furman Paladins 1-1 725 9
16. Sam Houston State Bearkats 2-0 709 16
17. Illinois State Redbirds 1-1 556 17
18. Nicholls State Colonels 2-0 475 25
19. Hofstra Pride 1-0 394 NR
20. Montana State Bobcats 0-1 356 21
21. Yale Bulldogs 0-0 280 23
22. Western Illinois Leathernecks 1-1 273 24
23. Towson Tigers 2-0 260 NR
24. Delaware State Hornets 2-0 214 NR
25. Lafayette Leopards 2-0 134 NR

Others receiving votes: Cal Poly 131, Northwestern State 96, Princeton 82, Richmond 81, Texas State 74, Alabama A&M 70, Drake 69, The Citadel 65, Missouri State 65, Tennessee-Martin 60, Portland State 58, Georgia Southern 50, South Carolina State 46, Eastern Washington 35, Eastern Kentucky 34, Southern 34, Northern Arizona 31, South Dakota State 29, Villanova 24, Alabama State 23, Liberty 23, San Diego 20, Austin Peay 14, Holy Corss 12, Maine 12, Stony Brook 10, Norfolk State 9, Grambling 7, Central Arkansas 6, Harvard 6, Colgate 4, Prairie View 4, Rhode Island 2, Tennessee State 2.

As of September 10, 2007, at 07:03 PM ET

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Luke gets SWAC'sweekly offensive honor

Alabama A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, league officials announced Monday.

Luke, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior from Phenix City, completed 21-of-32 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns to lead Alabama A&M to a 41-10 shellacking of Clark Atlanta.Through two games, Luke is 38-of-61 for 562 yards and seven touchdowns with just one interception.

A&M's honors: Luke, tailback Ulysses Banks, inside linebacker Quinton Holmes and punter Rashan Cylar were honored by the A&M coaching staff for their play Saturday.

Luke and Banks were named team co-offensive players of the week. Banks rushed for a school-record 211 yards on just 19 carries and scored two touchdowns. A&M finished the game with 608 yards in total offense.

Holmes was named the week's best defensive player after coming up with five tackles, including one tackle for loss and a sack, as the Bulldogs limited the Panthers to 198 yards in total offense.

Cylar was earned the A&M special teams honor. He averaged 34.8 yards on four kicks, including a long of 44 yards.

Bulldogs weren't perfect: Although coach Anthony Jones was pleased with A&M's effort in Saturday's win, the Bulldogs didn't play a perfect game.

A&M gave up a long kickoff return for the second week in a row that helped set up a Clark Atlanta field goal. The Bulldogs were penalized 10 times for 80 yards, gave up three sacks and missed numerous tackles.

"We blew a couple of protections that gave up some sacks," Jones said. "We had some missed assignments. If we clean up our details, we would have scored at least three more touchdowns."

Jones said his team must make corrections in those areas to beat Mississippi Valley State in its SWAC opener Saturday night. Kickoff is at 6:30 at Louis Crews Stadium.

"We've got to get ourselves ready," he said. "We've got to clean up the mistakes we made and try to come up with a good game plan."

Furthermore: With Saturday's victory, Jones tied former A&M coach George Hobson for third place on the school's wins list. Jones is 43-18 in his sixth season with the Bulldogs and needs 11 wins to pass Ray Greene, who was 53-27-5 in eight seasons. Hobson was 43-83-10 in 16 seasons. ... Luke's 301 passing yards left him one yard short of the school's Division I-AA record for a passing yards in a game. Chris Gunn had 302 yards passing against Southern on Oct. 7, 2000.

Reggie Benson

Jones says A&M can't be satisfied

Photo: AAMU quarterback Kelcy Luke, who set a personal best with 301 yards passing on 21 of 32 attempts, has been named Southwestern Athletic Conference offensive player of the week. The senior led the Bulldogs to a 41-10 victory over Clark-Atlanta.

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

The preseason is over for Alabama A&M and fun was had by all.

The Bulldogs' offense put together back-to-back dominating efforts against Tennessee State and Clark Atlanta and Brawnski Towns' defense wasn't too shabby either.

Still, those games won't matter if A&M doesn't take care of business Saturday night when it opens Southwestern Athletic Conference play against Mississippi Valley State. Kickoff will be at 6:30 at Louis Crews Stadium.

A&M is 2-0. MVSU is 1-1 overall and in the league.

"We're not going to try to make our season against Tennessee State and Clark Atlanta," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We can't be satisfied being 2-0.

"I don't want our guys to think we're great because we're not. We've played two good football games and now we're ready to get into conference play. We have to continue to get better. If we don't, everything we've done will be for naught."

While the Bulldogs made it look easy against the Tigers and the Panthers - averaging 45 points and 529 yards in total offense - conference play, Jones says, will be vastly different.

"Everybody turns up the volume," he said. "There's a lot of parity in this league."

The Bulldogs had several newcomers on offense, and they have played major roles.

Tailbacks Ulysses Banks and Anthony Green have combined for 340 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Rashad Johnson is averaging a league-high 21.6 yards per catch and has two touchdowns. Three new starters along the offensive line - center Xavier Manuel and guards Charles Meade and Russell Jackson - have been solid in A&M's running game and in pass protection.

"We're not where we can be," Jones said. "We still have a lot of room for improvement."

UAB Blazers Excited for Home Opener Versus Alcorn State

Press Conference

Blazers Excited for Home Opener Versus Alcorn State In Monday's Media Luncheon.
UAB goes for fourth consecutive home-opening victory on Saturday.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB football team is gearing up for its 2007 home opener against the Alcorn State Braves on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Legion Field. The Blazers spent Monday's weekly Media Luncheon discussing the upcoming contest with the Braves, along with this past week's close call at Florida State, where the Blazers fell to the Seminoles 34-24.

"Even though we were very disappointed in the outcome, I do think we made a lot of progress, particularly on the defensive side of the ball," said UAB head coach Neil Callaway. "We want to get better every week and as long as we are getting better, we think we are making progress and we are going to be fine. So that was encouraging to see."

The Blazers gave Florida State all they could handle last weekend, and are looking to do the same this week at home versus Alcorn State.

"Looking at them on film, they have multiple offensive and defensive schemes," said Callaway of the outlook for this week's game against the Braves. "They have a very experienced football team coming back with eight starters on both sides of the ball. Even though they haven't won a ballgame, I have been very impressed with the way they play on both sides of the ball and how well they are coached."

Saturday will mark the first home contest of the '07 campaign for UAB. Callaway and company are excited to make their debut at Legion Field and emphasize the importance of protecting their home field.

"It's our first home ballgame," said Callaway. "We talk about it all the time. When we play in our house, we want to come out ready to play. We are looking forward to our game against Alcorn State and hopefully we will be productive.

"I really would hope the fans would come out to see us. I think the fact that our guys are playing hard and want to compete and do what's right, I hope that would be appealing to the people of Birmingham. Hopefully people will want to come out and support us and watch us play."

Developing story from MyFox Birmingham...

UAB Must 'Pay to Play' at Legion Field

The Birmingham Park and Recreation Board voted not to give UAB any more free rent to play football on Monday. The average fee UAB will be charged to play football at Legion Field is $10,000 per game.

On Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council will vote on UAB's request for the city to continue to purchase $225,000 in Blazer football tickets over the next three years. UAB has contracted to continue playing at Legion Field.

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Yep, you read it correctly! UAB will go from FREE to $10,000 per game, but City must buy $675,000 in football tickets over the next three years in TAX PAYERS MONEY. Just one question--did MEAC/SWAC Challenge get the same rump shaking deal? (beepbeep).