FAMU good enough for victory

By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

When it comes to conference play Florida A&M women's volleyball coach Tony Trifonov is not just looking for his team to win. With 91 consecutive MEAC victories heading into Wednesday's game against rival Bethune-Cookman, winning is not always good enough.

The Rattlers cruised to a 30-24, 30-14, 30-18 victory in their conference-opener, improving to 3-5 on the season. The game was aired on ESPNU in front of a crowd of almost 600 people at Gaither Gymnasium.

“We didn't play as well as I wanted them to play, but not many of my teams have played up to my expectations,” Trifonov said. “We played good enough to win. The kids were probably a little bit nervous about being on TV.”

The Rattlers just had too much offensive firepower for the Bethune-Cookman (2-6, 0-1). The duo of freshman Jovana Blazeski and senior Iva Lakic, both from Serbia, combined for 32 total kills.

Bethune-Cookman had 34 total kills. FAMU had 50 total kills and just 14 errors compared to 22 for Bethune-Cookman.

“We committed a lot of unforced errors,” Trifonov said. “We'll work on that and get better. We need to be a little bit more aggressive offensively. We don't have that killer instinct. We're not hitting the ball as hard.”

FAMU, behind four kills from Lakic, won the first game 30-24 but never really pulled away from the Wildcats.

Photo: FAMU's Jovana Blazeski earns one of her 15 kills in the Rattlers' sweep over Bethune-Cookman.

FAMU won the second game in more convincing fashion 30-14. Blazeski, who is playing with a torn ACL in her left knee, dominated that game with eight kills and just one error. Blazeski isn't expected to have surgery to repair the ACL until December.

“Her mobility is not all there,” Trifonov said. “She is playing with a lot of guts.” As if playing with a blown knee wasn't tough enough, Blazeski also took ball to the face in the second game.

“Volleyball can be physical, especially when someone hits you in the head,” said Lakic, interpreting for Blazeski. “She got hit in the head, but she is powerful and can survive” Lakic topped the freshman in the third and final games with nine kills, leading FAMU to 30-18 win.

“I didn't think that I played very good in this game,” Lakic said. “I saw that I had 17 kills and that was good. Coach wants us to get our percentages better individually and as a team."

Rams Notebook: Rams having problems on offensive side of ball

COMPILED BY JOHN DELL, Winston Salem Journal

■ Even though Winston-Salem State gave up nearly 500 yards to S.C. State in last week’s 20-7 loss, the defense still found a way to force four turnovers.

The offense, on the other hand, continues to struggle.

“We understand that the offense is still pretty young, so we as a defense have stepped up and created turnovers and that’s what Coach (Mike) Ketchum wants us to do,” nose guard Keith Newton said. “We’re playing OK, but we still have to improve in a lot of areas.”

Newton said that it’s no time to start pointing fingers, despite the struggles of the offense.

“It’s a little frustrating, but we know they are going to come around and get it done,” Newton said.

■ Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU expressed an interest in the coaching job at Howard when it was open in 2001, and went to Washington, for an interview with school administrators.

Morgan State also had a vacancy at the time and also showed interest in Blount, who had just led WSSU to two CIAA titles in three seasons and thought that a Division I job was his next logical move.

As it turns out, he didn’t have to change schools to accomplish his goal - the Rams are now on their way to Division I. Blount didn’t want to comment about his earlier interest in Howard this week.

Blount is in his 15th season at WSSU and needs six victories to become the school’s all-time wins leader.

■ Carey Bailey, Howard’s first-year coach, said he hasn’t talked to his players about last year’s game against WSSU, a 12-0 Rams victory at Bowman Gray Stadium.

“Last year was a different team with different personnel,” said Bailey, whose team is 0-3. “This is a new team with new personnel, so they’re approaching it the way that I would expect them to approach it.”

■ The Circle City Classic, a game matching Winston-Salem State against Florida A&M in Indianapolis on Oct. 6, will be televised on the NFL Network, which is available on DirecTV (Ch. 212 in the Winston-Salem area) and the Dish Network (Ch. 154). Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. from the RCA Dome.

■ WSSU isn’t eligible for the MEAC championship this season but is 2-1 in games against MEAC teams. “I’m not surprised we are able to hang with these teams in the MEAC,” lineman Keith Newton said. “I know we have the kind of athletes that the other teams have, so it’s not surprising at all.” …. If center Michael Helton (sprained knee) can’t play Saturday at Howard, Javon Hubbard probably will start in his place. Hubbard, a fifth-year senior, has played several positions during his career (tight end and on both lines).

“He’s our utility player,” quarterback Jarrett Dunston said…. Three WSSU players are from Washington - running back Brandon McRae (out for the season with a broken wrist), Marcus Coates and Jeremy Reaves…. Howard has three players from Forsyth and Guilford counties - offensive linemen DiMarques Floyd (a starter) and Randall White (a backup) from Greensboro Page, and receiver Brandon Sherman from Parkland, who has played in two games and has one catch for 7 yards and one kickoff return for 20 yards.

J-State's off week leads into 3-game murderers' row

Photo: JSU Head Coach Rick Comegy

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Carlos Simpson is certain Jackson State's football team has retrieved its confidence, thanks to a two-game winning streak that included Saturday's emphatic 50-16 victory over rival Mississippi Valley State.

And that's great, but the Tigers' receiver is also quick to point out that it's going to take a lot more than confidence to win the next three games on the schedule.

"This is where we make or break our season," Simpson said. "We've got to stay hungry. The monkey's off the back of the offense after we scored 50 points. But we've got a lot more ahead of us."

Jackson State (2-2 overall, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is in the midst of its off week, practicing Tuesday, Wednesday and today before giving the players the weekend to rest.

What awaits when the team returns is a brutal three-week stretch that includes games against Alabama State, Southern and Grambling. The three opponents have a combined 10-1 record this season, including a perfect 7-0 mark in the SWAC.

The Tigers still have an unblemished mark in conference, too, after beating two struggling programs in Texas Southern and Mississippi Valley. But let's be honest: JSU was supposed to win those games.

"I'm pleased because I think our guys realize we haven't accomplished anything yet," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "Are we happy that we're playing better and winning? Sure. But these teams that are coming up will present a very stiff challenge."

And the first hurdle will be Alabama State (4-0, 3-0), a battle-tested team that's still undefeated after squeaking past Alcorn State 28-25 last week.

Under first-year coach Reggie Barlow, the Hornets have won three of their four games by less than a touchdown and faced fourth-quarter deficits every game.

The Hornets have one of the best rushing offenses in the SWAC, led by running back Jay Peck. The senior is averaging 123 rushing yards per game, a mark that's nearly 30 yards better than the nearest challenger.

"He's one of the SWAC's best," JSU defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes said. "We've got to hit him hard and hit him often - make sure he's earning every yard he gets and try to wear him down."

Jackson State was very good at punishing running backs last season, finishing tops in the conference in rush defense.

But so far this season, the Tigers have been a bit more forgiving up front.

MVSU freshman running back Ronald Brewer carved up the JSU defense for 148 yards on Saturday and seemed to get 6- or 7-yard gains whenever he wished. Hayes said part of that was because "Brewer's a darn good young running back."

But players admitted that the tackling up front hasn't been optimal. Right now, JSU ranks fifth in the SWAC in rushing defense.

"In the film room, we saw some of our mistakes in the way we were lining up and it won't happen again," JSU linebacker Marcus Jamison said. "We've got to be prepared because I'm sure Alabama State saw that film of MVSU running on us. So they'll probably try the same thing."

Other than the run defense, Comegy said he saw no glaring weaknesses to correct from the MVSU game. But after thinking about it for a minute, JSU's coach admitted that's part of what makes him worried.

After all, Comegy says it was complacency that led to Jackson State finishing with a 6-5 record last season after starting 5-1.

"Just because we played a pretty good game on Saturday (against MVSU) doesn't mean we can't get a whole lot better in every phase of the game," Comegy said. "We've got to make our players understand that they can't get comfortable. There can be no sliding backward or all our work has been lost. That's why we're working so hard this week."

JSU Palmer's frame belies his wallop

Photo: Paul Roberts gets trapped by JSU defenders #26 Malcolm Palmer (left) and Willie Williams.

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

THE JSU GAME
What: Alabama State at Jackson State
When: Oct. 6, 3 p.m.
Radio: JSU Network (WOAD-1300 AM)

After four stellar games to begin his sophomore season, Jackson State safety Malcolm Palmer is being compared to the Tigers' unsung defensive player from last season - linebacker Ken Woodard, who finished third on the team in tackles.

"Both of them don't physically look that big when you see them without pads," JSU defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes said. "But when they get on the football field you can't live without them. Palmer's been better than I ever dreamed he would be - at least this quickly."

Palmer (6 feet, 185 pounds) was the SWAC's defensive player of the week with 12 tackles, a forced fumble and a blocked kick in Saturday's 50-16 win over Mississippi Valley State. As a freshman, Palmer rarely played before earning a starting spot last spring.

Hayes said Palmer is proof that you can't judge a football player by physical appearance.

"We have a saying that some guys look like Tarzan, but play like Jane," Hayes said grinning. "But Malcolm's the other way around."

STILL HANDY

Defensive end Idrees Abdur-Rashied has seen his role reduced over the first four weeks because of a broken bone in his left hand.

The senior has just six tackles this season and has trouble wrapping up opposing players because of the club he has to wear on his hand for protection. In Abdur-Rashied's place, Sam Washington and Marcus Benard have had increased playing time.

"There's no question it makes things tougher," Abdur-Rashied said. "But there's no use complaining. I'm just trying to contribute as much as I can."

Abdur-Rashied said he hoped to be rid of the club in about two weeks.

A FAMILIAR FOE

Jackson State offensive line coach Bruce Johnson is quite familiar with Alabama State, the Tigers' next opponent on Oct. 6

Johnson was an assistant for Alabama State from 2002-05, a run that included a SWAC championship in 2004.

Johnson said he counts ASU offensive coordinator Maurice Harris as his best friend in the coaching business.

"He's a very talented coach," Johnson said. "It'll be tough to beat him and it's always fun because we know each other so well."

Twins Derrick and Eric Ray are leaving their mark on NCCU football

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

Date: SEPT. 29, NCCU vs. PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE, "Youth Day - Open House" DURHAM, NC, O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium 2:00 P.M.,
Watch--Internet TV: http://www.jarvistv.com/nccu/
Podcast: http://web.nccu.edu/campus/athletics/audio.html

Folks around the N.C. Central football program are starting to call linebackers Derrick and Eric Ray "The Bruise Brothers."

And that's not just blowing smoke.

The senior fraternal twins from Raleigh's Millbrook High, each of whom started his college football elsewhere before joining the Eagles, are a couple of the stalwarts of a defense that has been among the best in Black College football ever since they joined the program.

And they're coming off one of the biggest games of their careers. Derrick's 23-yard interception return gave the Eagles the lead for good, while Eric's pickoff at the goal line with 14 seconds left sealed the outcome in their 27-22 victory at North Carolina A&T on Saturday night.

The Eagles will be looking for more big plays Saturday at 2 p.m., when they host Presbyterian (1-3) at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. It's a battle between the only two football teams in their first season in the Football Championship Subdivision.

"We've been looking forward to this for a while," Derrick said. "Playing against [FCS] schools is good competition for us, and it shows us how good a team we are."

NCCU is 33-6 since Derrick joined the team in 2004 and 25-4 with Eric, who joined the Eagles a season later.

The A&T game marked the second time the brothers each have had an interception in a game for the Eagles. The other game was in the 2005 overtime win at Lenoir-Rhyne, including one that Derrick returned for a touchdown.

During their senior year in high school, each had a return for a TD in a game against Enloe.

"Any time we each get one in the same game, it's really special -- especially if we win the game," Eric said. "Words can't really explain how it feels."

Derrick (6-0, 215), who began his college career at South Carolina, plays the "Sam" linebacker spot. Eric (6-0, 235), who first played college football at Winston-Salem State, is at the "Mike" position. And both have been piling up the statistics for the Eagles (4-1).

Eric, who was born first by a few minutes, has been in on 25 tackles including six for losses, with the interceptions, a deflection and a forced fumble. Derrick has been in on 26 tackles including eight for losses, with two sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two breakups.

"Those two guys have lots of energy and enthusiasm and are among our leaders," first-year NCCU coach Mose Rison said. "They both help make us a good football team. And every time we play a game, we know at least one of them is going to make a huge play for us."

Derrick has been in on 155 career tackles, while Eric has 111 in an often injury-plagued career.

"Derrick is real emotional when he's on the field," Eric said. "He does a good job getting our team ready to play."

Derrick, whose pregame bus ritual includes hip-hop dance antics that reportedly put teammates in stitches, said of his brother: "He's fearless. I'm just glad he's on our side."

Derrick, who is majoring in accounting, said he had always been good at math and refused to listen when others warned him the major would be too hard. Eric is majoring in criminal justice.

"I always wanted to know how the criminal mind works," Eric said.

The sons of Otis and Sandra Ray said they expect their parents to be among about 15 family members at Saturday's game.

The contingent unfailingly includes older brother Brian, who played college football and has followed his brothers to road games including at Southern and Albany State.

"He's everywhere," Derrick and Eric said of Brian. "It's great to have that kind of support."

NOTES -- Saturday's game will be the Eagles' first against the Blue Hose. They will visit Presbyterian next season. … In Black College polls, the Eagles are No. 8 in TSPNSports.com and No. 10 in BoxtoRow

Perfect starts give Southern, Alabama State high hopes

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

SU vs. Alabama State
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV: ESPNU.
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5

Both Southern and Alabama State — teams that dueled in the 2003 and ’04 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship games — went 5-6 last season and entered this season with little in the way of outside expectations.

Both, however, are off to 4-0 starts this season, and hopes are starting to inflate.

The Gulf Coast Classic at 2:30 p.m. Saturday will give one team a chance to equal last season’s win total and keep precious momentum going. The game will be played on Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., and was picked up earlier in the season by ESPNU.

“It’ll be a good football game,” 15th-year Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “Hopefully, we can have a packed house to see two fine football teams play. This game is a conference game, and it’s huge for both teams. We want to be in a position to control our own destiny, so we don’t have to depend on anybody else.”

Despite being sapped by losing 18 players since the spring, Southern (4-0, 2-0 SWAC) nevertheless has gotten stronger as games progress, outscoring foes 58-16 after halftime. SU overwhelmed both Tennessee State and Florida A&M with second-half comebacks.

“We’ve won the close ones,” Richardson said. “That helps you out a great deal. It keeps your spirits alive. A large part of that becomes confidence in yourself.”

Alabama State (4-0, 3-0) switched quarterbacks, going to junior college transfer Chris Mitchell, and has won all four of its games in the fourth quarter. The Hornets have outscored the opposition 46-23 in the fourth quarter.

“I never had any predictions coming into the season, but you always want to win them all,” first-year Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said. “This may not be the best way to win games, but I’ll take it.”

In the conference’s preseason poll, Southern was picked to finish third in the SWAC Western Division. That’s the Jaguars’ lowest projection since the SWAC went to divisional play in 1999.

“I’m kind of surprised,” Richardson said of his team’s 4-0 start. “I’m proud of this football team, the way they hung in regardless of the situation. They’re going to play hard for 60 minutes and they’re learning how to win.”

Richardson credited his assistants and his players for the Jaguars’ best start since 2003.

“To be in this position, we have to attribute that to the players themselves,” Richardson said.

Meanwhile, Alabama State was picked to finish last of five teams in the Eastern Division.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Barlow said of Saturday’s game. “We’re going to come and give it our best shot. If we can pull it out, that will be huge for our kids, our community and our school.”

Powerful Peck
The player working the room at the SWAC Media Day in late July was Alabama State running back Jay Peck.

Peck had a reason to be confident and self-assured. After all, the former walk-on from Columbus, Ohio, — introduced to the school by an Alabama State alum who is a cousin —Peck had already graduated in marketing and had emerged from the shadows of Robert Randolph and Keldrick Williams to run for 1,139 yards and eight touchdowns, becoming a first-team All-SWAC selection in the process last season.

“He gets it,” Barlow said. “He understands what he’s here for. You know what you’re going to get out of him every day. He comes to work.”

Peck had six carries in 2005, but had 249 last season. He’s already rushed for a SWAC-best 492 yards and two TDs on 98 carries this season.

“We have to stop the run,” Richardson said. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to stop Peck. We’ll have to try to limit him.”

2007 Alabama State University Marching Hornets Band and Stingettes Dancers



Peck has the complete package after transforming from third-down back to workhorse back. ASU split him out Saturday, and Peck hauled in a key pass in a victory over Alcorn State. He has 10 catches for 116 yards this season.

“He’s always been talented,” Barlow said. “We knew he could run routes and catch the ball well. I’m not sure anybody knew he would be as good a runner as he’s turned out to be. He’s patient. He sets up his block well.

“We’re going to lean on him again to rush the ball and get us to where we need to be.”

Barlow credited offensive coordinator Maurice Harris with finding ways to get Peck involved all over the field — and the entire offense for allowing Peck to work, even though teams are keying on him.

“That’s a tribute to our O-line,” Barlow said. “Even though teams are preparing for him, those guys are still creating positive running lanes for him, and our receivers are doing a good job in perimeter blocking.”

The buzz on the Hornets’ defense
Alabama State is 14th nationally in scoring defense (16.0 points per game), 15th in total defense (286.0 yards per game) and is tied for 14th in tackles for loss (8.8 per game). The Hornets are second in the SWAC in scoring defense and rushing defense (101.0 ypg) and third in total defense.

Barlow called his defense “the backbone” of his team and its success.

“We’ll have to continue to rely on them,” Barlow said.

While Barlow, Alabama State’s quarterbacks coach, may be new to the role of head coach, much of the staff has remained intact. That includes Tony Pierce, in his fifth season as the Hornets defensive coordinator. Pierce was named the American Football Coaches Association’s I-AA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004.

“Defensively, they’re real aggressive,” Richardson said. “They like to do a lot of blitzing, which puts a lot of pressure on you to get rid of the football.”

Said Southern sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee, “They’re physical. They’re going to attack us.”

Chowan to CIAA simply is historical

The significance — and even the news itself — might have escaped many fans and supporters this week. Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., has joined the Hampton-based CIAA as a football member starting in 2008.

It is the first time that a predominantly white institution has joined a historically black college athletic conference, but it might not be the last.

Many fans on the popular black college sports site onnidan.com are skeptical of the union. Others are taking a wait-and-see attitude.

The feelings are similar at Chowan, according to athletic director Dennis Helsel.

"The reaction has ranged from 'Wow, that's creative!' to 'Will it work?' We haven't had any outright negative," Helsel added. "We've had some quizzical."

Eric Moore, founder and Webmaster for onnidan.com, said the relationship is a win for both sides.

"Now you have pretty much broken the mold," Moore said. "Because you are saying that schools who fit geographically and well as athletically will be welcome."

Moore said he doesn't think the union takes anything away from the purity of a historically black college conference, because the colleges for years have had white athletes, and "black colleges will always be historically black."

Jerry Holmes, defensive coordinator at Hampton University, and a graduate of Chowan when it was a junior college, agreed. "It's a good fit for both," Holmes added. "Chowan has always had a solid program."

Indeed, the school's Website lists 20 athletes, including Holmes, under "Chowan in the NFL."

Folks having a problem with this arrangement need to get over it quickly. This was a marriage of convenience that is already being looked at by at least one of the other three black conferences.

But first a little recent history.

The CIAA has been hemorrhaging members and looking for new partners. Hampton and Norfolk State left at least 10 years ago, and Winston-Salem and N.C. Central took off recently, hoping for greener pastures in Division I-AA.

Meanwhile, Chowan's courtship (provisional membership) with the Division III USA South Conference ended when the school was denied full membership in 2004. But in came a new president and new direction — and a decision to move up to Division II.

Chowan had played many of the CIAA schools in nearly all of its sports, and conference membership looked enticing — to both the CIAA and Chowan.

But race, so often an incendiary element, threatened an open love affair.

Credit CIAA commissioner Leon Kerry, a Hampton native. And credit both Helsel and Chowan president M. Christoper White for not letting race be a dividing factor.

All it took was a look ahead and even a look back.

"We want to be out of the box in our thinking," Kerry said. "We're looking for people with excellent venues, who play similar sports that we do. It's not about color."

Helsel, a former associate commissioner for Conference USA, searched for a new league for Chowan. He found that the average driving distance to the closest compatible conferences was 350 miles.

However, the average driving distance to the CIAA schools was 196 miles.

"That's a substantial cost difference in terms of savings," Helsel said. "If you take race out of it, the CIAA popped up as the best fit."

Helsel said some university officials also looked back to Chowan's beginnings in 1851 "as a four-year college for women — one of the first of its kind — not just a finishing school.

"We were ground breakers, so there is a parallel with us going to a historically black conference," Helsel said. "We're hoping people will look at us and say, 'Wow, this was a very creative and very good idea.' "

Helsel wasn't at first sure the CIAA would be receptive to a non-historically black institution. But once he learned the CIAA was having discussions with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a predominantly Native American institution, Chowan became less shy and made contact.

Discussions took place this summer and the arrangement was announced this week. Both Helsel and Kerry say that Chowan might become a member in other sports down the road.

Kerry said historically black Lincoln University, near Philadelphia, and UNC-Pembroke will join the CIAA in football in 2009.

Williams Lide, president of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, a black-college league based in Atlanta, said the CIAA-Chowan arrangement is the future.

"We are too looking to diversify our conference," Lide said. "It's the right thing to do, and it's also a good business decision.

"It expands your fan base, instills new rivalries and enhances your revenues."

So in the end, it is about color.

It's about green.

David Squires, Daily Press

Gulf Coast Classic: Barlow--will, desire key to ASU Hornets' success

By CASSANDRA M. TAYLOR, Special to The Advocate

Reggie Barlow is a proven winner.

A freshman on the 1991 Alabama State squad, Barlow and the Hornets claimed a National Black College Championship that season after going 11-0-1.

He claimed his second championship ring 11 years later with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when the group won Super Bowl XXXVI.

Despite all the accolades and title rings, fans and critics alike are trying to figure out how this year’s Alabama State squad remains undefeated.

The Hornets will put their unbeaten record on the line against another unbeaten team in Southern University on Saturday, when the two clash in the 34th annual Gulf Coast Classic in Mobile, Ala. The Southwestern Athletic Conference clash will be televised by ESPNU and will kick-off at 2:30 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

With running back Jay Peck, who leads the conference in rushing yards with 492 yards on 98 carries and two touchdowns, being the lone superstar returning from last year’s 5-6 team, Barlow doesn’t have a simple answer to the secret of his team’s success.

In his first year as head coach at his alma mater, Barlow cites different factors in the group’s 4-0 start.

“That 1991 team was as deep as any team I’ve ever seen. We had so many play makers and it was a very explosive group,” Barlow said. “In comparison, I think this team has a better defense than we did in 1991. But offensively, we had so many weapons.

“To be fair to this year’s team, we have our own character,” he continued. “It’s a bunch of silly young guys that really care and love each other and the game of football equally. In every game this season, our guys kept fighting under the final horn. I contribute that to will, desire and conditioning.”

The last time the Hornets program opened the season 4-0 was in 1991.

One of the reasons Barlow’s group has been successful is credited to the poise and play of quarterback Chris Mitchell.

A backup before the season, Mitchell has led the group to four consecutive fourth quarter come-from-behind victories, including a pair of rushing touchdowns a week ago against Alcorn State.

“Chris just never gets rattled. He’s as calm late in the game as he is prior to the game starting,” Barlow said. “Obviously we’d love to close teams out early but every team has their niche. Right now rallying late in the game might be our niche.”

At 34, Barlow is the youngest coach in the SWAC and is quick to give praise to his staff.

“Our coaches have been really good to me and encouraged me,” he said. “Anywhere I’m slacking they’ve encouraged me and picked me up. Plus what a great group of players we have. I’m just grateful and happy for this staff and our team.”

In Mobile on Monday for a meet-and-greet sessions with fans, Barlow admits his team will have to play some of their best football on Saturday.

“This game is going to be pivotal for both schools. Southern is a great team and it’s scary because they have so much talent and explosive players,” he said. “We’ll have to make sure we take the proper angles and come to battle when we tackle these guys.

“It’s going to be challenging for us and all of their play makers scare me,” Barlow continued. “Obviously their talent level is back to where it use to be and their coaching staff will have their team prepared.”

While the upcoming contest will be the battle of the unbeatens for the Montgomery, Ala., native he has the same message for his team that he’s had the previous four contest.

“As a player, a coach and a team you can’t ever feel like you’ve arrived. You have to always compete and always feel threatened that you may fail,” Barlow said. “That’s what we’ve been trying to get our kids to buy into.”

Hampton's Taylor sets example in MEAC

Photo: Hampton's head coach earns respect from DSU, other rivals

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

DOVER -- Joe Taylor's first job in college football, as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois in 1978, was just as important as the one he holds now.

Maybe that is the secret behind Taylor's quiet rise through the college ranks.

"I guess I was told, wherever you are is supposed to be the best job," Taylor said.

A virtual unknown to the mass-consuming audience of college football, the head coach at Hampton University is showered with great esteem within his own sect.

Winners of three-straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and seven playoff bids, Taylor's Pirates have placed the bar where few programs can reach.

Delaware State coach Al Lavan, who brings his team to meet Taylor's Pirates at 1 p.m. Saturday at Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va., holds reverence for Taylor's exploits.

The Hornets' only victory over a Taylor-led Hampton team occurred in 2004, in Lavan's first season at DSU. Taylor is 11-1 all-time against the Hornets.

"Teams that do that, it's not an accident," Lavan said. "Joe Taylor for a number of years has had his program running at a high level, and that's impressive."

Morgan State head coach Donald Hill-Eley, who also worked as an assistant under Taylor, echoed the sentiment.

"It's hard to do anything in life three times," Hill-Eley said. "You just have to respect who they are. It doesn't happen haphazardly."

In 15 seasons at Hampton, Taylor has directed his team to eight conference titles (CIAA and MEAC). He owns a 194-73-4 record with the third most wins among active Division I-AA coaches.

Taylor, who attended Western Illinois, began his career in the mid-1970s as a physical education teacher around Washington, D.C., before he was offered a chance to coach the offensive line at Eastern Illinois.

In 1984, he took over at Division II Virginia Union and took the program to three division playoffs.

Taylor took over then-Division II Hampton in 1992 and has been on a roll ever since. Since Hampton classified as Division I and joined the MEAC in 1995, he has won 102 games against league opponents.

Taylor takes it all in stride.

"We've been blessed in this profession," Taylor said. "At Eastern Illinois, we won a Division II championship, so that was great. Virginia Union, we won some championships there. But you just wake up every day and take what the Lord gives you and try to make the best of it. Maybe when I'm sitting in the rocking chair I'll look back on it."

Taylor has been long rumored to be an overdue candidate for a I-A job. He said he's spoken with some I-A leadership, but the positions were never enough to warrant leaving the Pirates.

Last year, Taylor relinquished his role as Hampton athletic director to concentrate on football. That move started rumors of his pending retirement. But Taylor laughed off any notion of retiring soon.

"I look at the guys who retired, and they don't last long," Taylor said. "As long as your health is good and people want you around, you just enjoy what you're doing and you don't look that far ahead."

Without question, Taylor's success in recent years has allowed him to lure many transfers from upper-division programs and high school recruits who wouldn't normally go to Hampton.

Five Pirates players last year were invited to the NFL combines. Even the best players Delaware State has offered in recent years, linebackers Kenny Kern and Sam Smith, were talented but failed to be included in the type of consideration Taylor's players regularly receive.

Despite losing 14 seniors to graduation, Hampton remains in a position to win a fourth championship. It enters Saturday's game with a 3-0 record, all against MEAC competition.

While no one wants to be Taylor, coaches want the secret to his successes.

"His program is much more attractive to attract high-level people," Lavan said. "The consistency in the acquisition of personnel is critical at a certain point. The ability to acquire personnel and use them in that context, that's why guys win."

North Carolina A&T's losing deal turns over a 21

Photo: Norfolk State defensive back Josh Anderson tries to grab N.C. A&T wide receiver Mike Caldwell.

FINAL: Norfolk State 50, N.C. A&T 20

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record

GREENSBORO -- N.C. A&T hit 21 on Thursday night, but this was no jackpot.

The Aggies' losing streak reached that occasionally magic number when Norfolk State struck suddenly, patiently and often in racking up a 50-20 victory before an ESPNU audience.

Casey Hansen went 19-for-27 passing for 351 yards and four touchdowns, and the Spartans (3-1) improved to 2-0 in the MEAC for the first time in their 11 seasons in the league. A&T (0-5, 0-2) now has allowed 70, 59 and 50 points in its past three national television appearances and owns the fifth-longest skid in the 30-year history of the NCAA's second-highest division, formerly called I-AA.

The Aggies forced one punt in the first three quarters. They fumbled it away, setting up a Spartans touchdown in the process. Norfolk State didn't need any help on a night when it combined for 532 yards in total offense.

"We didn't take care of the ball in any phase tonight, and they capitalized," said A&T coach Lee Fobbs. "Poor execution on our part."

Hansen hooked up with Jeremy Wicker on three nearly identical deep balls against single coverage in the first half, but the Aggies were still competitive to a point. They actually led three times in the early going, the last at 20-16 when quarterback Herb Miller scrambled deftly in from the Spartans' 4 with 8:39 left in the half.

At that stage, the Aggies had amassed their highest-scoring half in any game since the season finale in 2005.

"We wanted to start fast," said tailback Michael Ferguson, whose 18-carry, 131-yard night included a 51-yard run that set up an A&T score 75 seconds into the game. "We felt we could move the ball on them. We went down and scored."

The lead began to evaporate at the end of the first half. After Norfolk State kicked a field goal, A&T trailed 26-20 with 2:45 left and had decent field position following a short kickoff.

Norfolk State had one timeout left, which meant even a three-and-out possession with a punt by A&T would leave the visitors with a long field, a short clock and little compulsion to seek another score.

Under its current set of circumstances, A&T couldn't have griped about a six-point deficit at the half on its home field.

The problem was not the attempt to find the end zone again; it came when Miller failed to protect the ball as protection broke down around him. The resulting sack and fumble led to a Spartans field goal with 7 seconds to go in the half.

After Norfolk State took the second-half kickoff, it didn't go for the quick hit. The Spartans exercised patience with an experienced line and the forceful running of Daryl Jones. In 16 plays, they effectively put the victory away by going 76 yards and churning up more than 81/2 minutes.

For the Aggies, life only got worse. Five nights after they came within six yards of breaking the streak, they suffered through an inconsequential fourth quarter in which the only highlight was the end.

If they need a role model for a revival, the Aggies could do worse than the Spartans, who won in Greensboro for the first time in 20 years. Last week, they ended a long losing streak to Bethune-Cookman.

"We've been down for so long, and it's hard to get respect," said coach Pete Adrian, who became the team's fourth coach in two years when he was hired three seasons ago.

"It's an interesting thing. We hadn't beaten Bethune-Cookman in nine years. We've got South Carolina State coming up. I think we've beaten them once in the past nine years. That's the depths of where we're coming from. But I'm pleased with the direction we're headed in."

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Norfolk St., D.Jones 25-105, Ferrell 12-53, Cook 4-20, Moore 5-18, Hansen 2-(minus 15). N.C. A&T, Ferguson 18-131, Robinson 3-22, Caldwell 1-18, Walls 1-3, Tomlin 3-3, McNair 2-2, Miller 10-(minus 17).

PASSING--Norfolk St., Hansen 19-27-0-351, B.Jackson 0-1-0-0, K.Jones 0-1-0-0. N.C. A&T, Miller 3-7-1-51.

RECEIVING--Norfolk St., Walker 6-93, Wicker 5-172, Dickerson 2-37, Ja.Johnson 2-23, Bailey 2-21, D.Jones 2-5. N.C. A&T, C.Dawson 2-41, Caldwell 1-10.

Saturday homecoming puts B-CU, Daytona touches to test

By MARK HARPER, Daytona Beach News-Journal Education Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- Homecoming traditions: The parade. The marching band. The game. The traffic.

Bethune-Cookman University puts on a good show for its students, alumni and friends every year. But long lines forming at the gates of Memorial Stadium, extending down LPGA Boulevard and onto International Speedway Boulevard have been problematic, said Lynn Thompson, athletic director.

"We have a lot of people trying to get into the same spot at the same time," he said. "It's caused a logjam."

This year, school officials have worked with city officials to develop a plan. Here are some details for folks attending Saturday's homecoming:

PARADE: Starts at 9 a.m. Saturday. Main viewing areas are along Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, Walnut Street and Oak Street.

SAFETY: Daytona Beach police Sgt. Lance Blanchette said traffic, especially at Nova Road where Bethune Boulevard crosses, frequently backs up as the parade gets started. Officers will likely allow parts of the parade to cross Nova, then stop the parade to allow traffic through before resuming the parade. "We may stop the parade from time to time to let traffic flow a bit," he said.

GRAND MARSHAL: Joyours "Pete" Gamble, executive director of the Daytona Beach Housing Authority and a member of the class of 1969, will lead the parade.

BUSES TO STADIUM: About 20 buses will run from the university's campus in central Daytona Beach to Memorial Stadium on the west side.

PREGAME PARKING: Passes for the Memorial Stadium lot are available through the university ticket office, 698 W. International Speedway Blvd. Cost is $15. Spaces are limited but off-site parking on the day of the game is also available at the LPGA Golf Course and the USTA Tennis Center on LPGA Boulevard. Those spots cost $10, and shuttle buses will run from those locations.

PARTYING: Many of the tailgating spots have already been sold. The stadium lot opens at 8 a.m. An Alumni Boosters Welcome Tent opens at the stadium at 1 p.m. The pregame show begins at 3:30 p.m.

GAME: The Wildcats host the Morgan State University Bears at 4 p.m. Tickets are $30.

U.S.News & World Report ranks black colleges for the first time

Photo: Sisters Chapel at Spelman College



BY TIMES SPECIAL REPORT

Washington, D.C. – Spelman College, Howard University and Hampton University top the list of U.S.News & World Report’s first annual ranking of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities, the magazine announced this week.

Morehouse College, Spelman’s counterpart for male students in Atlanta, ranked fourth.
Florida A&M University in Tallahassee came in at No. 13.

The “America’s Best Black Colleges” rankings were released on Thursday at www.usnews.com/blackcolleges, and will be available on newsstands beginning Monday, Oct. 1, in the magazine issue dated Oct. 8.

The 2008 edition of “America’s Best Black Colleges” marks the first time U.S.News & World Report has released a stand-alone ranking of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

These schools have been – and will continue to be – ranked within their appropriate categories in U.S. News’s annual “Best Colleges” issue, published annually in August, the magazine stated.

The “Best Black Colleges” issue is the latest extension of U.S.News & World Report’s expanding “Best” series which includes “America’s Best Colleges,” “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” “America’s Best Hospitals,” “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals,” “America’s Best Health Plans,” and “America’s Best Leaders.”

Additional “Best” issues are scheduled to launch later this fall.

“As historically black colleges and universities continue to play a vital role in today’s higher education landscape, we decided to create a specific ranking of them to allow apples-to-apples comparisons of these schools,” said Brian Kelly, editor of U.S.News & World Report. “This unique ranking offers for the first time an independent perspective on these institutions to help students and parents make an informed choice about one of life’s most important and expensive decisions.”

Included in this listing are any HBCUs as defined by the U.S. Department of Education that were also eligible for inclusion in U.S.News & World Report’s 2008 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.”

The ranking table lists numerically the schools in the top half of the 70 eligible to be ranked – 37 schools are listed, as four tied for 34th place. Those falling into the second half are listed alphabetically.

The “America’s Best Black Colleges” methodology closely resembles that of U.S.News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Colleges” rankings.

The schools are ranked using key industry standards for measuring higher education quality: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving rates.

Earlier this year, U.S. News conducted its first-ever peer survey among only the HBCUs, asking head administrators to rate the scholarship and quality of all other black colleges with which they were familiar.

This method enables consumers to make an educated choice based on an unbiased, side-by-side comparison of institutions, the magazine stated.

Critics say the U.S. News college rankings warp college admissions and distract colleges from educating students.

But Kelly, the magazine’s editor, says students and their parents come to the magazine to make sense of all the data that is available on colleges.

A complete detailing of the methodology used for the HBCU survey can be found online at www.usnews.com/blackcolleges.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2008 “America’s Best Black Colleges” Rankings

1. Spelman College • Atlanta, GA
2. Howard University • Washington, DC
3. Hampton University • Hampton, VA
4. Morehouse College • Atlanta, GA
5. Fisk University • Nashville, TN
6. Tuskegee University • Tuskegee, AL
7. Claflin University • Orangeburg, SC
8. Xavier University of Louisiana • New Orleans, LA
9. Dillard University • New Orleans, LA
10. Johnson C. Smith University • Charlotte, NC
11. Tennessee State University • Nashville, TN
12. Winston-Salem State University • Winston-Salem, NC
13. Florida A&M University • Tallahassee, FL
14. Morgan State University • Baltimore, MD
15. Virginia State University • Petersburg, VA
16. Bennett College • Greensboro, NC
16. Elizabeth City State University • Elizabeth City, NC
16. North Carolina Central University • Durham, NC
19. North Carolina A&T State University • Greensboro, NC
20. Tougaloo College • Tougaloo, MS
21. Alcorn State University • Alcorn State, MS
22. Clark Atlanta University • Atlanta, GA
22. Oakwood College • Huntsville, AL
22. South Carolina State University • Orangeburg, SC
22. University of Maryland Eastern Shore • Princess Anne, MD
26. Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University • Normal, AL
26. Albany State University • Albany, GA
26. Delaware State University • Dover, DE
26. Jackson State University • Jackson, MS
26. Kentucky State University • Frankfort, KY
26. Stillman College • Tuscaloosa, AL
32. Lincoln University • Lincoln University, PA
32. Mississippi Valley State University • Itta Bena, MS
34. Bluefield State College • Bluefield, WV
34. Fayetteville State University • Fayetteville, NC
34. Miles College • Birmingham, AL
34. Norfolk State University • Norfolk, VA

Source: U.S.News & World Report
--------------------------------
Comments from the folks at the Daytona Beach News Journal regarding FAMU....
No comments are necessary from the FAMU side as U.S. News could not find two graduate level programs at BCC to justify a "U."

B-CU misses top ranking but still measures up

By MARK HARPER, Education Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- For the first time, U.S.News & World Report has ranked historically black colleges and universities, and Bethune-Cookman University is relegated to the second tier.

Out of 70 schools rated by the magazine, B-CU failed to make the top 37 in the upper group. Alumni giving and its acceptance of students with lower college entrance exam scores were factors that lowered the school's ranking, while other categories were in line with the top tier.

Students, alumni and friends gathering in Daytona Beach for this weekend's homecoming will be "shocked," one school official predicted.

"It is surprising," said Willis Walter, vice president for institutional research, planning and accreditation. "In most of the categories, we rank very high -- if not at the top."

Bethune-Cookman's percentage of returning freshmen (73) is better than the average of the top tier. Its student-faculty ratio (17-1) and other measures also compared favorably.

Even the university's relatively low percentage of alumni donors (7 percent) doesn't appear to be that much lower than the majority of the top-tier schools.

Bethune-Cookman officials say the school has increased its alumni giving rate by 63 percent since 2005-06, the time frame upon which the rankings are based.

Another factor that hurt the university's rating was student selectivity, which accounts for 15 percent of the rating.

The university's mission, though, is to provide access to higher education for students who are not necessarily academic all-stars in high school, but who have shown the potential to become leaders, Walter said.

"If we had excluded more students, we would get more (rating) points," he said.

One of Bethune-Cookman's fiercest rivals, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, was rated 13th despite revelations of financial and accreditation problems in recent years.

"It kind of makes U.S.News look silly," Bethune-Cookman spokeswoman Catherine Kershaw said.

A U.S.News & World Report editor did not return a call for this report.

Brian Kelly, editor of U.S.News & World Report, said in a news release: "This unique ranking offers for the first time an independent perspective on these institutions to help students and parents make an informed choice about one of life's most important and expensive decisions."

The magazine's ratings will be posted today at: www.usnews.com/blackcolleges.

Tennessee State's top sacker practices, could play

Photo: TSU head Coach James Webster has a word with his team late in the third quarter during the Tennessee State University vs. Alabama A&M John Merritt Classic football game.

By MIKE ORGAN, the Tennessean

Tennessee State starting defensive end Shaun Richardson practiced Thursday for the first time this week, leaving the door open for him possibly to play Saturday when the Tigers meet Florida A&M in the Atlanta Football Classic at the Georgia Dome.

Richardson, who leads TSU in sacks (4), tackles for loss (6) and quarterback hurries (3), suffered a bruised shoulder and sprained knee in last week's game at Southern. Earlier this week, Coach James Webster said Richardson was "doubtful" for the game against Florida A&M, but since Richardson was able to practice Thursday, he still could play.

"He knows my rule is if you don't practice on Thursday, you don't travel,'' Webster said. "He had to practice just to travel."

Webster said a decision on Richardson's playing status would be made closer to kickoff of the 2 p.m. game.

Branden Gouch, a freshman from Atlanta, replaced Richardson in practice and backed him up in last week's game. Gouch, who moved from linebacker earlier in the season, recorded four solo tackles at Southern.

"Gouch has done a really good job and is improving,'' Webster said. "He took a lot of snaps last week. That's one of those positions where you don't want a true freshman playing because there's too much to learn, too many adjustments, too many blocks to read. But he's done an excellent job considering he is a freshman."

Sophomore Kellen Woodard rotated with Gouch in the practices while Richardson was sidelined.

Cornerback returns: Defensive backs coach Randy Fuller said cornerback Marquez Hall would return to the first team after missing the past two games with a high ankle sprain.

Fuller said the unit had missed Hall, a freshman who transferred from Vanderbilt, in a big way.

"It's huge getting Marquez back,'' Fuller said. "He hadn't played in a college football game until our opener against Alabama A&M. Then he played half the game against Jackson State when he got hurt. He was getting experience and he was playing pretty good for us. So it's very important to get him back just to get him some more experience so we can have a solid corner on the other side (opposite of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie)."

Top 20: TSU has climbed to 19th nationally in total offense, averaging 421.8 yards per game (239.3 passing, 182.5 rushing), but is 69th in total defense, allowing 363.8 yards.

Photo: TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner (16) looks for a receiver during the Tennessee State University VS. Alabama A&M John Merritt Classic football game.

Who's got best band? Really? Prove it

JON BUSDEKER, Huntsville Times

This is for all those fans who think football gets in the way of the real excitement. This is for those who get pumped up by the sound of cymbals crashing and drums pounding.

On Sunday, Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University and a slew of other college and high school bands will perform in the Rocket City Battle of the Bands.

The event, held at Louis Crews Stadium, will begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at James Records and Tapes on North Memorial Parkway, through Ticketmaster or at the stadium box office.

The Battle of the Bands will coincide with A&M's homecoming.

Barney Smart, a former saxophonist for the A&M marching band and organizer for the Battle of the Bands, said this will be the first time the bands will share a football field. Performing will be bands from Butler, Johnson and Lee high schools, Bethune Cookman College, Miles College and Texas Southern University.

"Each band has a different style," Smart said.

Smart added that the marching bands from Bethune Cookman and Texas Southern have never played in Huntsville.

For years, marching bands from historically black colleges and universities didn't get any exposure to a mass audience, Smart said. That changed in 2002.

"We got a lot of help from the movie 'Drumline,'" Smart said.

"Drumline," starring Nick Cannon, follows a hotshot drum major who must learn to work with his fellow bandmates to achieve success. The movie showed the excitement behind marching bands.

Smart, whose father was once the band director at A&M, has seen the popularity of marching bands increase since the film's release.

In January, Smart plans to showcase the Battle of the Bands at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

"The entertainment part of it is nonstop," Smart said. "It's always fun to watch. It's so much going on at the same time, you don't know where to look."

Conditioning factor in Alabama State comebacks

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Alabama State is 4-0 because the Hornets have made fourth-quarter comebacks in all four of their games.

The ability to come back is no accident. Alabama State prepares to be the better team in the fourth quarter.

To get ready, the Hornets run “gassers” (sprints) before, during and practices, not just after practices.

“We pride ourselves on being a well-conditioned team,” first-year Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said. “We’re just trying to be creative so these guys can actually see what it feels like to have to compete in a game, feel like you’ve spent everything and all of a sudden you need a big drive or a big stop and being able to reach down and grab some more energy. We practice like that.”

Alabama State has outscored opponents 46-23 in the fourth quarter. And the Hornets (4-0, 3-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference), who play Southern (4-0, 2-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Mobile, Ala., have totaled just 39 points in the other three quarters combined.

“Every team has its character, so I guess this is ours,” Barlow said. “We must like it close, but we are finding a way to win so its alright with me.”


In the season opener, Jay Peck’s 15-yard run with 3:27 to play capped a 10-play, 81-yard drive to give ASU a 24-19 win over Jacksonville State. The Hornets, down 16-6 with five minutes left in the third quatrer, dove 81 and 94 yards in the fourth quarter to twice overcome deficits.

After trailing 10-7 to Texas Southern with 13:26 left, Peck’s 3-yard run with 2:40 to play put ASU up 14-10 and the Hornets scored on two short drives (24 yards after a 17-yard punt, and 22 yards, taking over on downs) in the final three minutes to win 21-10.

Down 10-6 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 9:10 in the fourth quarter, Chris Mitchell completed a 10-yard pass to Fred Ragsdale with 41 seconds to play for a 12-10 victory.

And down 18-14 to Alcorn State entering the fourth quarter, a 41-yard Joel Riggins punt return to the Alcorn 37-yard line set up Mitchell’s 23-yard touchdown run two plays later (9:30 left) and a fumble recovery at the Alcorn 11 on the ensuing kickoff set up Mitchell’s 1-yard TD (8:02 left) in a 28-25 victory.
“I really can’t say how proud I am of these guys. No matter what they never quit fighting,” Barlow said after Saturday’s 28-25 win over Alcorn State. “I am so proud of our team, how hard we play as a team.”

Southern coach Pete Richardson said watching game film showed him how hard and how long Alabama State was playing for its new coach.

“What I’ve seen is the players are playing with a lot of effort for 60 minutes,” Richardson said.

Landry says he’ll be fine

Southern senior wide receiver Gerard Landry on Wednesday did not wear a sling on his left arm and said he’d be fine to play Saturday.

“I’m feeling pretty good. The range of motion is getting back there,” said Landry, who has scored a touchdown in all four games this season and six of Southern’s last seven games overall. “Saturday, I’ll be ready to go.”

Landry, who said he’s getting rehab twice a day, said he injured the shoulder diving for the football in the end zone after fellow wide receiver Del Roberts score to put Southern ahead for good with 10:16 remaining in Saturday’s 41-34 win over Tennessee State. Landry said he was unsure if Roberts had scored or the ball was live.

Landry has 14 catches for 199 yards this season.

Coates for MVP

Richardson on Wednesday lauded senior running back Darren Coates, who leads the team in rushing with 341 yards and four touchdowns (along with 62 yards and another TD through the air.)

Said Richardson, “If there’s an MVP on our football team at this time, it has to be him.”

Coates has played with turf toe since the second game of the season.

“Game by game, I’m just building up confidence in myself, knowing I can do it,” Coates, who ran for 119 yards and one touchdown last season.

In comparison, through four games last season, SU’s top rusher was Coates, but he had only 61 yards. Meanwhile, Kendall Addison, who went on to lead SU with 650 yards and seven TDs, had 60 yards and one TD.

“I get stronger (as the game goes on),” Coates said. “That comes from the conditioning we had this summer, fighting the heat. All that’s doing is helping us, helping us fight for 60 minutes.”

Malveaux injury significant

Richardson said junior linebacker Johnathan Malveaux, already scratched for this week with a high right ankle sprain, may be out several weeks.

Malveaux, with 33 tackles, is Southern’s top tackler. Junior Donald Steele (four tackles) will start in Malveaux’s place, with sophomore D.J. Bolton (five tackles) as Steele’s primary backup.

“(Malveaux) won’t play. He’s in a cast,” Richardson said. “I don’t think he’s going to be back within a couple of weeks.”

Coach’s honors

Richardson named quarterback Bryant Lee (23-for-33 for career highs of 305 yards and four TDs), drop linebacker Gary Chapman (11 tackles, one forced fumble, one sack) and cornerback Joe Manning (four tackles, his first interception at SU) as his offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week for the win over TSU.

Earlier in the week, Lee was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week and Chapman the SWAC Newcomer of the Week.

ATLANTA FOOTALL CLASSIC: Fantastic finishes for FAMU, Tenn. State

By STAN AWTREY, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The series between Florida A&M and Tennessee State has produced final-quarter theatrics for the past four years. Each of those games, all FAMU victories, has been decided by six or fewer points. Last year FAMU kicked a field goal to win in overtime.

"Those are great for the fans, but they're hard on the coaches," laughed FAMU coach Rubin Carter. "The overall atmosphere — the alumni from both schools, the venue, the bands — makes for an exciting game."

The excitement should continue Saturday in the 19th Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic. That's partly because both schools start quarterbacks who can generate a buzz throughout the Georgia Dome.

FAMU starts Albert Chester, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior from Miami, who threw for 1,986 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2006. A preseason All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference choice this year, Chester has thrown for 502 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 52 yards.

Tennessee State starts Antonio Heffner, a 6-2, 195-pound junior from Memphis, who originally signed with South Carolina. He threw for 1,668 yards and nine touchdowns last year and was first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference.

Heffner threw for a career-best 316 yards and three touchdowns last week against Southern, but also had two interceptions and lost a fumble. He has passed for 954 yards and leads the OVC.

"When you have a balanced attack it puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback," said Tennessee State coach James Webster. "We're like [FAMU]; so goes the quarterback, so goes us."

Both teams have exciting backs. FAMU freshman Phillip Sylvester averages 120.7 yards per game and has twice been named the MEAC's rookie of the week. He rushed for 221 yards against Howard. Tennessee State's Tavarris Williams, a junior who gained 1,233 yards in 2006, averages 106 yards per game. Williams rushed for a career-best 229 against FAMU last year.

"I think both teams match up well through all the personnel groups," Carter said. "The quarterbacks, the tailbacks ... you take that equality across the board with all the different parts of the game."

That could mean a continuation of the recent dramatics:

• 2006: Tennessee State scored 15 points in the final seven minutes to send the game to overtime. FAMU won on Wesley Taylor's 34-yard field goal.

•2005: After a turnover, FAMU stopped Tennessee State from point-blank range near the end of the game and preserved the win with a fourth-down interception.

•2004: FAMU took the lead with 2:12 left and stopped Tennessee State's last-minute effort with an interception.

•2003: FAMU blocked a field goal in the waning minutes and returned it for a touchdown to stun the Tigers, who had led most of the day.

"We're in the entertainment business," Webster said. "We want the people to enjoy themselves and have a good time. But this year we want our fans to be the ones jumping up and down at the end of the game."

No More Meat: Working in Slim Jim factory convinced Newton to go back to WSSU football team

Photo: #92 Keith Newton, at 6-3 and 275 pounds, has helped Winston-Salem State fill a void at nose tackle with his return to the team.

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER

The suffocating heat is what Keith Newton remembers the most.

He quit school at Winston-Salem State in the spring of 2005, went home to Raleigh and took a job in a factory that made beef jerky. He quickly found that working 10 to 12 hours a day in an area of the factory without air conditioning could do a lot to straighten out one’s priorities.

“I came to realize how important school was, and that I really missed football,” said Newton, now a 22-year-old junior at WSSU.

Newton (6-3, 275) has plugged a hole for the Rams at nose tackle this season, and he’s making up for lost time.

He came to WSSU in the fall of 2003 ready to take on the world and be a big factor on the field. But he let his grades slip later in his career, quit the team, quit school and said he was doing everything he wasn’t supposed to be doing.

“It was all me,” he said. “I was just doing immature stuff.”

He eventually wound up at the factory, an experience he said he won’t ever forget.

“After a while, I was just like, ‘I’m not doing this,’” Newton said. “I’ve got to get back to school and get that degree.”

Newton said he did a lot of grunt work at GoodMark Foods Inc., a leading producer of meat snacks, including Slim Jims.

“I had to scrape the excess meat out of the pans,” he said. “It was tough work, and it was hot, especially near the ovens where they cooked the meats.”

During his time at GoodMark, Newton met another employee who had a college degree and after just two weeks was able to move from the factory to a position as floor manager. That was enough to convince him that he needed to return to school.

“The part where I worked at, it wasn’t air conditioned, and it was right there where the ovens were,” Newton said. “I remember they had these big trolleys that weighed about 400 pounds with the meat on them and the trolleys would get stuck and we actually had to go inside the ovens to pull them out.

“And I’m talking about it being so hot it burned your eyes and nearly burned your skin. And there was smoke, so it was just tough.”


Photo: #92 Keith Newton

Shaking off would-be blockers is a lot easier for Newton. Convincing Coach Kermit Blount that he was serious about rejoining the team wasn’t as easy.

Newton played one game in 2003, as an offensive lineman, and then was redshirted. He played two games in 2004, was injured and missed the rest of the season. He was academically ineligible for the 2005 season and was back home in Raleigh by the spring of 2006.

“I talked to Coach Blount a few times about coming back once I did get back into school,” Newton said. “Once he saw that I was committed to the team, he let me back on. And I trained a lot with a personal trainer (Marcus Nesby) who really helped me get back.”

Newton was on the team last season but made little impact. He was credited with one tackle in one game. This season, he has filled the gap at nose guard quite nicely. He had his best game in a 19-17 win over Morgan State, making 11 tackles.

“A lot of guys would have packed it in by now,” Blount said. “But I remember talking to his mother when Keith was ineligible, and she knew what a mistake he was making. But he’s rectified that mistake and is on track to get his degree and is helping us.”

Newton has to petition the NCAA to play next season, which he said he will do. He’s having too much fun on the field and in school, where he’s majoring in business.

Newton isn’t sure what he’ll be doing after he graduates. But he knows what he won’t be doing.

“I know one thing, it’s not going to be working in a factory,” he said, “unless I’m management and I’m wearing a tie.”

Engram helps Alabama State in special teams

Photo: Alabama State quarterback Alex Engram won the SWAC weekly special teams award for his punting duties against Alcorn State last weekend.


By A. Stacy Long, Montgomery Advertiser

Alex Engram was in the middle of a postgame meal when Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow signaled for him to come over.

Engram hurriedly went to Barlow and found out he was going to use more than his arms on the football within the next week.

You can use your leg, too.

Just like that, ASU's backup quarterback learned he was about to try punting, though he had no experience and -- at that moment -- no desire to do so.

"When he told me, I really didn't know what to think," Engram said. "I always like to throw it. I've never liked to kick it."

A week later, Engram's enthusiasm now includes kicking. He averaged more than 42 yards per kick in ASU's win over Alcorn State last weekend, had two late 50-yard punts that helped hold off the Braves and has won the Southwestern Athletic Conference's weekly special teams award.

Engram showed he has some leg, too.

"Alex can do it all," running back Jay Peck said. "I'm telling you, he'll run it, throw it, he'll kick it now, catch it. It's good to have somebody like that.
You can put him anywhere and expect positive things out of him.

"Who knows what he'll do next week?"

ASU (4-0, 3-0 SWAC) faces Southern (4-0, 2-0) on Saturday afternoon at Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium and Engram's duties give the Hornets options in apparently obvious punting situations.

"Now, teams know I can be a threat to kick it," Engram said. "They'll be more focused on the punt return. Now, we might try to sneak a little something in there."

Engram's first punt caught many of his teammates unprepared.

Linebacker Michael Figgers was in on the secret, but let those standing nearby enjoy their naiveté for a few extra seconds. Their excitement over a potential fake was soon eclipsed by a punt's surprise.

"He had an excellent punt," Figgers said. "The ball went way farther than I thought. It kind of shocked me, for real. I had to look back for a second because it was a great punt."

Figgers first watched Engram punt in practice and his initial thoughts were that the Hornets were working on a fake that involved Engram. Like a rubbernecker driving past a car accident, Figgers kept watching to see the trickery unveiled, but soon was disappointed.

"The first two times they snapped it to him, he didn't do anything with it, so I still thought they were working on a fake," Figgers said. "The next two times, he kicked it. We kept going and he kept kicking. I thought, 'Is he the punter?'"

Engram uses a rugby-style kick where he takes a few steps to his right -- which can easily look like a fake at first -- before kicking.

The junior's initial goals against Alcorn were simple. No blocks.

"We didn't have any expectations," Engram said. "We just wanted to get the ball out of there. It's great that the numbers were good, but we didn't have any expectations."

Engram caught ASU coaches' attention when the Hornets were considering a quick kick out of the usual shotgun formation. Engram said he unleashed an unexpected rocket and, a few weeks later, was getting called over by Barlow.

A 42-yard average later, Engram's a sudden star.

"Did we get more than we thought we would?" ASU special teams coordinator Brian Williams said. "Yes, but it's another added weapon to our team."

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Harper slated to start against Texas Southern

Defensive tackle Justin Harper, who was named Alabama A&M's co-defensive Player of the Week for his effort against Grambling last week, will start Saturday against Texas Southern, defensive line coach Ben Blacknall said Wednesday.

Harper, who lost his job to Whitney Garrett last spring and had surgery on his thumb during preseason practice and missed the season opener against Tennessee State, will start at left tackle in place of Renaldo Askew, Blacknall said. Garrett will make his fifth consecutive start at right tackle.

"He played better than any defensive tackle we had," Blacknall said of Harper's effort against the Tigers. "He deserves an opportunity to start."

The Bulldogs, who have annually been among the league's best against the run, are seventh in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in rushing defense, allowing 127 yards per game.

Harper, a 6-foot-2, 252-pound junior from Gulfport, Miss., was credited with nine tackles, including six solos, two tackles for loss and a sack while grading out 92 percent.

Early starter: Texas Southern coach Steve Wilson said if he had to do it over again he would have redshirted quarterback Tino Edgecombe.

A 6-2, 185-pound senior from Miami, Edgecombe was pressed into action as a freshman and Wilson said that has affected him throughout his career.

"Tino had to come through a situation where we had to play him as a freshman and we didn't have people to protect him and that hindered his growth," Wilson said. "He had some breakout games last season, but we haven't been able to get him in a rhythm this season.

"Part of it is our offensive line being unsettled. He made some plays last week (against UTEP) that proved he can be an outstanding quarterback."

Edgecombe is fourth in the league in passing yards per game, averaging 162.5 yards.

He has completed 64-of-112 passes (57.1 percent) for 650 yards, three touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Smith likes ball distribution: A&M tight end John Smith admits he would like to see a few more balls thrown his way, but he says he can't complain with the way quarterback Kelcy Luke is distributing the football.

Ten players have caught passes and six different players have caught touchdown passes.

Wide receiver Thomas Harris and tight end Charles Moody have 17 catches apiece. Smith has eight followed by wide receivers Rashad Johnson and Gerald Stockdale, who have six apiece.

"The distribution is pretty good," said Smith, who has eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. "We've got a lot of talent out there. No one person is above the team."

Reggie Benson

Texas Southern's drought deepens

By REGGIE BENSON, Times Sports Staff

Texas Southern falters further with Wilson at helm

Steve Wilson was supposed to resurrect Texas Southern's moribund football program when he was hired four years ago. Instead, the Tigers have sunk even lower.

Texas Southern hasn't had a winning season since 2000 and the Tigers' last Southwestern Athletic Conference championship came way back in 1968. Wilson was supposed to change all that.

He did it at Howard University, where he led the Bison to a pair of black college national championships in the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to duplicate that success in Houston and Texas Southern alumni and fans have begun to voice their displeasure. Some have even called for him to be fired.

Under Wilson, the Tigers went 0-11 in 2004, 1-10 in 2005, 3-8 in 2006 and are 0-4 so far this season. Combined, Wilson has compiled an underwhelming 4-33 record at Texas Southern.

"Our season is not over yet," Wilson said earlier this week during the league's weekly teleconference. "We can't control what has happened in the past. We can either sit and mope around or do something about it. We have six conference games left, including the meat of our division schedule in front of us.

"We feel good about our opportunities. We're not going to sit and worry about what has happened in the past. When you do that you stop playing to win. We're capable of playing good football. It's just a matter of getting it done."

This time two years ago, Texas Southern came here and played good football.

The Tigers, riding a 16-game losing streak, shocked Alabama A&M 17-7 on homecoming. The two teams will meet again on homecoming Saturday at Louis Crews Stadium. Kickoff is 3 p.m.


Texas Southern has played A&M extremely tough during Wilson's tenure.

The Bulldogs won 22-3 in 2004, lost in 2005 and escaped last season with a 19-14 victory on a late interception by Marcus Black.

"We match up well with them," Wilson said when asked why his team has been so competitive against A&M. "They're a physical football team and that's the way we like to play."

Texas Southern caught A&M coming off a 42-0 win over NAIA foe Allen University two years ago. The Bulldogs were feeling pretty good about themselves and perhaps overlooked the Tigers.

Wilson knows that won't be the case this time around, especially after Grambling whipped A&M 31-6 last weekend.

"We're going to catch them at their best," he said. "We know they're going to be hungry. They're a championship football team and they'll be ornery this weekend.

"It's their homecoming and the coaches will get their attention and have them ready to play."

But A&M coach Anthony Jones says Wilson will have his team ready to play as well.

"They're coming down here to do everything they can to upset us on homecoming," Jones said. "This is a team that if you're not alert in handling all your P's and Q's can be very scary.

"They're big and physical and they can run. They were in the game against Prairie View and Alabama State and played Jackson State tough before the weather became a factor. This is not a team to be joking with."

GSU cited for five secondary offenses but avoided steep penalties

GRAMBLING, La. -- The NCAA has cleared Grambling State University of any significant wrongdoing in a wide-ranging investigation that stretched over three football seasons.

GSU was cited for five secondary offenses, but avoided the steep penalties involving scholarships or postseason play that are typically associated with major infractions.

"We will redouble our efforts, in terms of educating our coaches about these rules," said Athletics Director Troy Mathieu. "We have pledged to do everything that's reasonable and prudent to avoid this situation in the future."

The NCAA determined that the violations occurred within the football program between 2004-06, all during the tenure of former coach Melvin Spears.

They are:

• Denying a student athlete a hearing after canceling his scholarship.

• Non-certified assistants conducting strength and conditioning sessions.

• A graduate assistant improperly observing seven-on-seven passing drills.

• Two separate instances of providing small, but improper benefits to student athletes, one by a booster and another by two now-departed coaches.

Grambling faces only a series of self-imposed penalties, including a reduction in the number of voluntary summer conditioning workouts and football recruiting visits.

The investigation was under way when Mathieu took over at Grambling in 2006, with investigators arriving on campus during his third day. It continued through the university's subsequent separation from Spears and through the hiring process to replace him.

Over that span, Grambling has also had two other ADs, including an interim director.

Spears has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, which is still pending.

"They needed to be thorough in their process," Mathieu said of the NCAA. "We tried to be as cooperative as we could be along the way, and were careful never to speculate on how it might end."

First-year football coach Rod Broadway has been regularly briefed as the process unfolded, Mathieu said. "He was involved from the beginning in the discussions and he had a role in bringing this thing to closure in a positive manner," he said.

Grambling's penalties are already being enforced. Voluntary summer conditioning workouts were cut by one week over the summer. Those sessions will be limited to seven weeks again in the summer of 2008. Official football recruiting visits are being reduced from 52 to 45 for the 2007-08 academic year and recruiting trips will be slashed by 10, from 42 to 32.

The NCAA accepted Grambling's suggested punishment, saying in correspondence that since the school's "actions in this case were substantial and meaningful, no further action should be taken in the matter."

Mathieu said Grambling will also conduct regular training and education meetings for coaches and other athletics personnel so that they are familiar with NCAA regulations.

"We're pleased to put this behind us," Mathieu said. "Now, we can focus on the future of this department."