State Fair Classic: Grambling State (2-1, 2-0) at Prairie View (2-1, 1-1)

By BOBBI ROQUEMORE, The Dallas Morning News

Grambling State (2-1, 2-0) at Prairie View (2-1, 1-1)

6 p.m. today, Cotton Bowl

No line

Grambling owns rivalry
The Grambling State Tigers won their 19th consecutive game over the Prairie View A&M Panthers, 53-7, at the 2006 State Fair Classic. Grambling has scored 50 or more points in each of the last four meetings and leads the all-time series, 44-13.

Prairie View, however, is an improving team finally capable of freeing itself from Grambling's grip. Prairie View has allowed just 33 points this season. LB Zach East has been a beast on defense with a team-high 34 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

QB Chris Gibson is the leading rusher with 182 yards on 6.1 yards per carry. DB Val Ford is an alert special teams player who, after recovering two blocked punts, turned them into touchdowns in Prairie View's 22-7 victory over North Carolina A&T on Sept. 8.

Grambling, meanwhile, is coming off a 31-6 win against defending SWAC champion Alabama A&M on Sept. 22. QB Brandon Landers completed 22 of 32 passes for 235 yards and two touchdown passes. WR Clyde Edwards has four touchdown receptions in three games. Muhammad Karim (Lincoln) starts at RG and John Scroggins (Wilmer-Hutchins) starts at DE.

Grambling State wins if ...
QB Brandon Landers can stymie Prairie View's defense early. Grambling has scored an average of 14.7 points in the first half this season. Prairie View will have trouble keeping up in a high-scoring game.

Prairie View wins if ...
Every unit – offense, defense and special teams – contributes with at least one big play to force Grambling to take notice. The combination of pride and power can carry a team a long way.

BC-U 'Cats eye elusive MEAC win

By SEAN KERNAN, Daytona Beach News Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- When the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats opened the 2007 football season, winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference was the team's goal.

Today, heading into the fifth game of the season and third in the MEAC, the Wildcats are still in search of their first conference victory.

Conference wins also eluded the Wildcats last season, when B-CU went 3-5 in league play and dropped its last three MEAC encounters. In fact, the Wildcats have lost seven of the eight MEAC games they've played since the end of September 2006. The slide began with a 28-14 setback to Morgan State, today's homecoming opponent.

That's right -- homecoming -- in September. Today's 4 p.m. kickoff at Municipal Stadium marks one of the earliest homecomings in B-CU's history. And the Wildcats (2-2 overall, 0-2 in MEAC) could use all the help they can from a partisan crowd expected to top 12,000 because things just haven't gone well of late.

But the way for the Wildcats to turn things around is rather simple, according to head coach Alvin Wyatt.

"Big plays (against your team) and fumbles -- those things you can't have," Wyatt said this week. "You have those things, you're going to lose football games. I'll tell you, if we eliminated our turnovers, we're undefeated. I can't get out there and catch the football. That's something that we're going to have to make up in our minds that we're going to do. We have to stay on track and catch those pitches."

BC-U QB Jimmie Russell

The Wildcats have lost just four fumbles and thrown one interception this season, but their turnovers have resulted in outright or easy touchdowns in narrow losses to South Carolina State and Norfolk State.

The costly fumbles have come on pitches from quarterback Jimmie Russell, but Wyatt says the problem is the A-backs have not remained on the proper track for the blind pitches from the senior quarterback. Wyatt has had the A-backs review older game films showing past performers at that position run the proper track for the pitch.

When it comes to stopping the big play today, the Wildcats might have their hands full containing Morgan State running back Chad Simpson, who is third in the nation and first in conference with an average of 175 rushing yards per game.

"I know how quick he is," Wyatt said. "I know how he can hurt you."

But Wyatt, who has seen his defense play too soft against the run in conference games to date, doesn't care if Simpson gets his yardage just as long as the Wildcats keep the Bears out of the end zone.

"I don't care if they run for a thousand yards as long as they don't get into the end zone," Wyatt said.

B-CU gets a defensive boost today with the return of senior linebacker Rodney Hughes, who has been sidelined while he recovers from a hand injury.

"We got our leader back. We have our impact player in our defense," Wyatt said in reference to Hughes' return. "He's the guy. It does allow us to be able to do different things with him back."

Morgan State, although it is No. 1 in the conference in rushing offense and rushing defense, has problems of its own. The Bears have been doing a quarterback shuffle between Mario Melton and Byron Selby because of their inconsistent play.

"It's been like a rock 'n' roll concert," said Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley. "It's been tough getting them to have any consistency. You bring one of them out to sing the lead and later you have to bring in the backup singer to sing the lead."

Morgan State at Bethune-Cookman

WHAT: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game

WHERE: Municipal Stadium

KICKOFF: 4 p.m.

RADIO: WELE 1380-AM

RECORDS: Morgan State 1-3 (0-1 in MEAC); B-CU 2-2 (0-2)

SERIES: B-CU leads 16-5 PLAYMAKERS: Morgan State: RB Chad Simpson (first in the MEAC and third nationally in FCS Division with average of 175 rushing yards per game), QB Mario Melton, QB Byron Selby, LB Jerrell Guyton (second in MEAC with average of 10 tackles per game). B-CU: QB Jimmie Russell (seventh in MEAC rushing at 84 yards per game); MLB Ronnie McCullough (9.7 tackles per game, fourth best in conference), FS Bobbie Williams (averages 8 tackles per game, 10th in conference), KR Corey Council (averages 30.1 yards per return, second in conference).

STORYLINE: B-CU has lost its last five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games dating back to last season and seven of its last eight conference games. The Wildcats have quietly gone from a MEAC power to a team struggling for an identity in a conference that for the most part has a lot of parity. Morgan State was on the verge of a huge win last week before succumbing 24-17 in overtime to three-time defending MEAC champion Hampton. The Bears have dropped four of their last five conference games. The reality is both teams are looking for something that hasn't come easily of late for them -- a conference victory.

DID YOU KNOW?: Before transferring from South Florida to Morgan State, running back Chad Simpson considered joining the Wildcats.

MEAC Officials suspended for calls against B-CU

By BRENT WORONOFF, Daytona Beach News-Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- Three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football officials were suspended for one game for making inaccurate calls during last week's Bethune-Cookman game at Norfolk State, the conference announced Friday.

"We regret that there were officiating errors during this game," MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas said in a statement released by the conference office. "Ultimately, officials have a responsibility to help protect the integrity of the game and let the teams and coaches decide the outcome on the field."

The statement said the inaccurate calls included "three offensive plays for blocking below the waist, as well as two pass-interference calls, one on offense and one on defense."

The conference did not release the names of the suspended officials.

B-CU President Trudie Kibbe Reed asked the conference to evaluate the matter earlier in the week, and Wildcats coach Alvin Wyatt sent the conference office a tape of the plays in question, according to the MEAC release.

Norfolk State rallied from a 21-10 halftime deficit to defeat B-CU 38-31 last Saturday. The Spartans scored the winning touchdown with 36 seconds left in the game.

"I'm happy and excited," Wyatt said of the conference's decision. "It's something I can read to my players to get them back in the right frame of mind."

BC-U Head Coach Alvin Wyatt asks game officials to make the correct calls on the field versus Norfolk State. MEAC Commissioner says Wyatt was RIGHT, officials WRONG.

The Wildcats play their homecoming game against Morgan State today at 4 p.m. at Municipal Stadium.

"This took a lot out of us," Wyatt said. "It just drained me emotionally, as well as our team, because we knew we did everything we could to have success in the football game and to win the football game.

"This does change the outcome of the game in our minds now. Our hearts tell us regardless of the score, these rulings tell us we won the football game."

In a MEAC media teleconference on Tuesday, Wyatt said the officials misinterpreted a rule that allows an offensive back to make a block below the waist.

Photo: BC-U alignment that was deemed illegal by game officials in game with Norfolk State.

On Friday, Wyatt said the same official to whom he complained about the blocking calls called pass interference against B-CU late in the game. That penalty, which was one of the inaccurate calls cited in the conference release, negated Antwane Cox's interception in the end zone that would have given the Wildcats the ball back leading 31-23 with about four minutes left.

"They had the ball on the (B-CU) 14-yard line and the penalty is supposed to be half the distance," Wyatt said. "But they got the ball on the 2."

Norfolk went on to score a touchdown and tie the game at 31 with a 2-point conversion. The Spartans scored the winning TD after B-CU threw an interception.

Wyatt said the Wildcats would never have been passing in that situation if Cox's interception had not been overturned.

"With the unfavorable position we were put in, we could not win the football game," Wyatt said. "Now everyone knows what happened in the ball game.

"Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed fought the battle for us. We put it in her hands. Our kids now feel that justice has been served."

OF NOTE: Thomas clarified a comment he made earlier in the week. Thomas said Friday, "MEAC head coaches should not communicate with officials during the week."

Classic matchup in Ladd: Southern U. vs. Alabama State

Photo: Southern Head Coach Pete Richardson

By CASSANDRA M. TAYLOR, Press-Register

SWAC's unbeaten teams meet in Mobile

For Alabama State and Southern University, the time has come to put up or shut up.

All the pomp and circumstance surrounding today's game between the Southwestern Athletic Conference's final two unbeaten teams has ended. The Hornets (4-0) and Jaguars (4-0) will square off at 2:30 p.m. in the 34th annual Gulf Coast Classic at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game will be televised at 9 tonight by ESPNU.

"It'll be a good football game," 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."

Alabama State's Reggie Barlow, who's coaching in his first Gulf Coast Classic, said the game will be pivotal for both programs and he expects his team to be ready.

"The thing about our players and our team is it's hard to read them," Barlow said. "They don't get all off into a lot of stuff. It's hard to tell how excited they are. But I'm sure once we pull up to the stadium and they see all the cars and recreation vehicles, they'll get more excited."

Photo: ASU QB Chris Mitchell , 6-3/200 Jr., Mobile, Ala.

ASU will be led by quarterback Chris Mitchell, who prepped at LeFlore High School. He has rallied the Hornets (3-0 SWAC) in the fourth quarter in each of their wins.

"We talked with Chris early on in the week about coming home to play," Barlow said. "We don't want him to peak too fast and be so hyped and filled with emotions that things don't go well for him.

"I think overall he'll be fine. One of the reasons he's been so good for us is he's never too high and never too low. If he makes a mistake, he's always the same, and our kids feed off that."

For Mitchell, the chance to play at home is exciting, but he knows it's still just another game his team needs to win in its pursuit of a berth in the SWAC Championship Game.

"I look at every game the same and the significance of each game is the same -- we have to win," Mitchell said. "Southern's defense is very active. We've seen a lot of their film and they make big plays and force turnovers. We have to capitalize on our big plays and limit our mistakes."

Mitchell has completed 46-of-81 passes for 621 yards and five touchdowns and run for two scores. He'll be counting on Jay Peck to help balance the attack; Peck leads the SWAC in rushing with 492 yards on 98 carries and 2 touchdowns.

The Jaguars (2-0 SWAC) will be led by quarterback Bryant Lee, who's completed 83-of-126 passes for 870 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Stewart’s move paying off for SU

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern vs. Alabama State
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. today.
WHERE: Ladd-Pebbles Stadium (40,646), Mobile, Ala.
TV: ESPNU.
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5.
RECORDS: Southern 4-0, 2-0 SWAC; Alabama State 4-0, 3-0.
LAST MEETING: Southern 38, Albama State 20, 2006.
SERIES: SU leads, 20-7.

Demarcus Stewart is back, front and center, for the Southern University offense.

Moving Stewart from right guard came not by choice, but by necessity, with sophomore Ramon Chinyoung ineligible. However, unlike other switches on SU’s offensive line, this one was the easiest transition.

Stewart is the only senior along the line. He started at center as the Jaguars began last season. And he backed Chinyoung last season, so he was always tasked with mastering the offense like a center has to do even if he didn’t make the snaps during games.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Stewart, who played both guard spots last season and had also done some long snapping at the end of the 2005 season. “Really, I’d rather guard, but I’ll play the center. Anything to help the team out.

“It’s basically the same thing. For me, I like to know every position on the line. I know every position. It was nothing but a quick adjustment with snaps and the timing of just firing off.”

Photo: #75 Demarcus Stewart

The move and the do-what-it-takes attitude, of course, matter plenty for the Jaguars, who are undefeated and have the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s best rushing game (184.0 yards per game) even with a thin, mix-and-match offensive line.

Southern (4-0, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) faces Alabama State (4-0, 3-0) at 2:30 p.m. today in the Gulf Coast Classic at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

“Our offensive staff did a good job,” Richardson said. “We took a starting guard and put him at center. We took a couple of walk-ons and put them at guard. We took a tight end and put him at tackle. Any time you start changing individuals around on offense, it’s going to take time to develop.”

Going to a zone-blocking scheme, orchestrated by first-year offensive line coach Damon Nivens, helped tremendously. First-year running backs coach Elvis Joseph has made a tremendous impact with a balanced trio of rushers. And offensive coordinator Mark Orlando’s staying with quarterback Bryant Lee and game-planning his legs into the attack have also been vital.

Add in Stewart taking on the added load as also pivotal.

“He’s giving us everything he’s got,” Orlando said. “He’s a war daddy. He’s playing hard.”

Stewart playing this well this season wasn’t a sure thing. Of all the veterans who were returning, though, his conditioning was a big issue during summer camp.

Stewart had ballooned to 328 pounds and the voluntary summer workouts were miserable on him.

“We had a lot of long talks after spring ball,” Orlando said. “He was getting out of shape and it looked like he had lost the desire. I said, ‘Look, Stew, I need you to be a leader. You’re not the football player you were a year ago.’ I think that hit home. He worked pretty hard over the summer.”

Maybe in a foreshadowing to his play this season, Stewart toughed out all that running, even with strength and conditioning coaches all over him and teammates pushing him.

“This summer had to be the hardest summer out of all of them, and I’ve been here for three summers,” said Stewart, a former Plaquemine High School standout who originally signed with Nicholls State. “This had to be the hardest yet.

“Everybody came together as a unit. We had to work hard, hard, hard. Especially the offensive line and defensive line, we had to work the hardest out of everybody, because we had to do the same work as the receivers and cornerbacks were doing and we’re about 150 pounds more than them.”

Stewart is down to 292 pounds currently. Unlike other linemen in preseason camp, Stewart never struggled with the heat.

“It paid off,” Stewart said.

Now, with the conditioning, classroom and chemistry work all done, Stewart can get back to doing what he likes best about the game.

“I’ve been playing ball since I was 8, and I’ve always enjoyed hitting people,” Stewart said. “I like the physical contact of the sport, being able to fire off and be aggressive and misuse somebody.”

Like many on this offensive line, Stewart will have to stay healthy all season. Sophomore Daniel Stephens, a nonqaulifier who did not play last year, is his backup.

“Yeah, it’s rag-tag, but we pull together, we stick together,” Stewart said. “The people we have now are doing the job. We communicate, and that makes the job much more easier for us. The zone makes it easy, just fire off, stick a man and know where you have to go.

“A lot of people doubted us. A lot of people still do, but we stick together amongst ourselves,” Stewart said. “We work hard, and we’re going to pull it off.”

At this point last season, Southern was 2-2 en route to a 5-6 finish. Two years ago, the Jaguars were 1-1, with two canceled games because of hurricanes and finished 4-5. So, is there a temptation to get carried away with a 4-0 start?

“That’s a good thing, but we still have a goal, we still have to finish,” said Stewart, a secondary education major.

In that regard, he can tell his teammates all about how to finish strong. Stewart is doing just that for his senior season, no matter where he had to play, no matter how hard he had to work.

Tennessee State University must get handle on turnover problem

Photo: TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner has been the biggest turnover offender this season. He has thrown seven interceptions and fumbled twice.

By MIKE ORGAN, Tennessean

TSU (2-2) VS. FLORIDA A&M
Atlanta Football ClassicWhere: Georgia Dome, Atlanta.Time: 2 p.m.TV: SportSouth (not available on Comcast in Nashville).Radio: WNSR 560-AMLast meeting: FAMU 25, TSU 22 OT (2006)Key matchup: TSU WR Chris Johnson vs. FAMU DB Ernest Williams. Johnson is ranked ninth nationally, averaging 98 receiving yards per game. Williams has an interception and 12 tackles.

Otherwise solid offense averages four giveaways

TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner has been the biggest turnover offender this season. He has thrown seven interceptions and fumbled twice.

Tennessee State's football players are holding onto hopes of accomplishing their goals.

Or are they?

The Tigers didn't hold onto much of anything in the second half of last week's game at Southern.

Five second-half turnovers led to a 41-34 loss and evened TSU's record to 2-2, with another difficult challenge sure to come today from Florida A&M (1-2) in the Atlanta Football Classic.

The Rattlers, the last nonconference opponent on the schedule, handed the Tigers a heartbreaking 25-22 overtime loss last year.

Even with the bungles and botched plays, the most important goals — posting a winning record and winning the Ohio Valley Conference — are within reach for the Big Blue. That's provided the offense can get a grip.

"When it comes to cutting down on turnovers, I don't think you put it in your players' minds,'' TSU Coach James Webster said. "You work on turnovers. But I don't want them thinking, 'Don't turn it over, don't turn it over.' I want them feeling positive and good that, 'I'm not going to turn it over as a result of working on drills.'"

The staff put the offense through more drills this week aimed at protecting the football than during any of the previous weeks.

Overshadowing accomplishments

Take away the turnovers and TSU's offense has performed well. The Tigers are first in the OVC and 19th nationally in total offense, averaging 421.8 yards a game.

Those accomplishments, however, have been overshadowed by an average of nearly four turnovers per game.

With eight fumbles and seven interceptions TSU is ranked 113th out of 116 teams nationally in turnover margin (minus-2.25).

No player has been bugged by the bungles more than Antonio Heffner. The junior quarterback has been responsible for nine turnovers — seven interceptions and two fumbles.

"You're just out there playing and some things happen that are not under your control,'' said Heffner, who fumbled twice and threw two interceptions last week. "Sometimes you wonder, 'How did that happen?' The ball security drills we did this week should help.''

Despite the setbacks, Heffner said the Tigers are glad they still can accomplish what they hoped for this season. And a win today would send them back into OVC play (Oct. 11 at Tennessee Tech) with some needed momentum.

"This is a big game because it's a rivalry came,'' Heffner said. "Then we get a week off next week before we go back into the OVC. Our main goal is to win the OVC."

FAMU, TSU Tailbacks take spotlight

By DEREK REDD, Special to The Palm Beach Post

TALLAHASSEE — Today's Florida A&M-Tennessee State game in Atlanta matches two of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's and Ohio Valley Conference's top running backs, but FAMU freshman Phillip Sylvester isn't concerned with a one-on-one battle with Tigers running back Javarris Williams.

"Really, when I go into a game, I don't try to compare myself to anybody else or compete with him," Sylvester said.

"What he does has nothing to do with what I'm going to do or what I'm capable of doing."

Still, fans at the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic will have eyes on both runners.

Williams ran for 229 yards and a touchdown last season against FAMU (1-2), although his fumble allowed the Rattlers to kick the winning field goal in overtime.

"He's a very smart back." FAMU linebacker Dannel Shepard said of Williams. "He reads his linemen. He knows how to cut to his holes very fast and he's a hard runner."

Yet Shepard is confident in the FAMU defense."We have that mind-set and that courage and that camaraderie on our defense to the point that if one man steps up, everyone will step up," he said.

"You see one orange jersey and there will be 10 others coming around."

Sylvester wasn't on the field last season, but he is gaining ground. Two weeks ago, he ran for 222 yards in a 30-17 win against Howard.His 120.7 rushing yards per game is second-best in the MEAC and he's averaging 7.9 yards per carry.

"The first thing is the offensive line," he said. "They block really well. Even in high school, I didn't average 10 yards a carry in any one of my games."