NMSU avoids scare against Pine Bluff

Photo: The Golden Lion defense gives NMSU more problems than anticipated.

By Teddy Feinberg/Las Cruces Sun-News

LAS CRUCES — The New Mexico State Aggies avoided a major scare on Saturday night.

Still questions remain about the team heading into the second half of the season.

NMSU (3-2) squeaked by Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20-17 behind a Paul Young 37-yard field goal with .7-seconds remaining in regulation. Pine Bluff (1-4), a Division 1-AA program, came in as serious underdogs but gave the Aggies all they could handle and then some. It was the Golden Lions first Division 1 game for a program that has existed for over 100 years.

"They came in here and we let them stay in the game with us and they took it," Mumme said. "They made plays."

There are concerns following Saturday's game that go beyond the final score however. Quarterback Chase Holbrook took a vicious shot midway through the fourth quarter that forced him to come out for an extended period of time. Holbrook eventually did return to lead the team downfield on the game winning drive, but was noticeably shook up throughout the closing minutes of the contest.

Mumme said that Holbrook injured his ribs and that his status is uncertain at this point.

"They're looking at him," Mumme said of Holbrook and the medical staff. "It's his ribs."

Another red flag was just how badly NMSU struggled against the Golden Lions. NMSU's vaunted offense outgained UAPB by just 70 yards (297-367), and the Aggies secondary gave up 234-yards passing. Pine Bluff's feature runner Martell Mallet ran for 87 yards on 18 carries and gave NMSU fits throughout.

"We made some mistakes," Floyd said. "Some people got blocked, some people were out of position at times and sometimes we were in the right positions and missed some tackles."

After taking a 10-0 lead early on and eventually a 17-7 advantage, NMSU let the Golden Lions back in the game.

After kicking a field goal at the halftime horn to cut the lead down to seven, Pine Bluff came out in the second half and drove immediately downfield. Two third-down plays highlighted the scoring march. The first one came on third-and-22 from midfield, when quarterback Johnathan Moore dumped it off to Mallett near the line of scrimmage. Mallett gutted the middle of the Aggie defense, breaking tackles and barreling his way down to the NMSU 27 for the first down.

Three plays later, facing a third-and-10, Moore felt pressure and lobbed a ball down towards the goalline. Jason Jones came down with it, outleaping cornerback Chris Woods at the 1 before falling to the ground. Mallett took it in on a pitch-right two plays later. The extra point tied things at 17.

"It just seemed like we were flat even during warmups," safety Derrick Richardson said. "They definitely were better than we thought they were."

The score remained deadlocked at 17 until late in the fourth quarter with Pine Bluff threatening. With the ball at the NMSU 28 on third-and-5, Moore went for the endzone. The ball was tipped by Alex Bernard and picked by Richardson, who fell to the ground for the touchback with 2:30 remaining in regulation.

Two plays later, backup quarterback J.J. McDermott threw a fade down the right sideline for Chris Williams, who was bumped by cornerback Jermaine Clemmons while going up for the ball. The officials threw the flag, calling a pass interference penalty on the play, a 15-yard infraction.

"It was definitely a good call," Williams said. "I went up and he ran right into me."

Holbrook re-entered the game and helped move the ball down the Pine Bluff 20. Holbrook hit wide receiver Wes Neiman on third-and-6 from the Pine Bluff 47 for an 18 yard pickup with just under a minute remaining.

The Aggies got the ball down to the 20 when Young lined up for his 37-yarder.

"I'd thought he'd make it," Mumme said. "I'm pretty optimistic all the time."

15,329 fans came out for Saturday night's game, highlighted by the

Tough Enough to Wear Pink fundraiser. Mumme's wife June led the charge as part of a breast cancer awareness movement. Thousands of fans came out dressed in pink in support of the cause. Over $225,000 was generated coming into the evening, with donations still expected to come.

UAPB Golden Lions go to wire with NMSU

By Mike Marzelli/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Oliver Stone couldn’t have penned a more stunning script than the one that very nearly unfolded Saturday evening.
In almost completing a turnaround that could have easily been ripped from a Hollywood movie, an Arkansas-Pine Bluff team that couldn’t have been more down and out after a humbling 55-point loss just seven days ago waltzed into New Mexico State and outplayed what was supposed to be the most difficult opponent in school history, but fell just short when Paul Young booted a game-winning 37-yard field goal on the last play from scrimmage to allow the Aggies to escape with a 20-17 win before 15,329 pink-clad fans.

State was put in position for its final drive after UAPB (1-4 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) squandered a golden opportunity to grab the lead when quarterback Johnathan Moore was intercepted in the end zone by the Aggies’ Derrick Richardson with 2:36 to play after the Lions had driven down to the 28-yard line.

NMSU (3-2) backup quarterback J.J. McDermott opened the game-winning drive under center after starting quarterback Chase Holbrook was knocked from the game on the previous series, but Holbrook returned after McDermott moved the ball to his own 45-yard line and completed the 11-play, 60-yard drive to set up Young on the right hash mark of UAPB 20-yard line. The end-over-end kick was right down the middle and set off fireworks and a stadium-wide celebration.

“I thought our kids accepted the challenge and we took it down to the wire, we just came up short,” said UAPB head coach Mo Forte, who coached the game from the press box. “ Our defense played really well and our offense finally generated some yards and we put it all together and had some chances, we just didn’t finish it off.”

UAPB showed a renewed sense of confidence and a far better execution in racking up 297 total yards. Moore played his best game of the season, completing 16-of-34 for 234 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Jason Jones caught five passes for 64 yards and Raymond Webber hauled in three for 32 yards and a touchdown.

The passing game was sparked by a modest yet much-improved running game, led by Martell Mallett’s 84 yards and a touchdown, but the biggest improvement came up front, where UAPB’s offensive line put together an effort that easily surpassed anything it had shown to date.

“We knew that if their quarterback got hot they could really cause us some problems but their offensive line really surprised us,” New Mexico State coach Hal Mumme said. “We didn’t underestimate them because we knew they have athletes, my hat just goes off to coach Forte because his team played great.”

The Golden Lions played equally well on defense, holding one of the NCAA’s top offenses to 367 yards and limiting Holbrook, who has been mentioned as a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate, to 246 yards and an interception just one week after giving up 58 points to Southern Illinois.

“Last week was just an off week and we were embarrassed,” UAPB defensive end Ledarius Anthony said. “This week the defense came together and the offense played its best game all year and we had the game in our hands, it just slipped away from us.”

Down 10-7 after 30 minutes, the overwhelming underdogs from Pine Bluff could have called it a night after first half and left with a moral victory. Instead, they showed that they meant business on the first drive of the third quarter, converting a 3rd-and-11 from the State 27-yard line with a 26-yard pass to Jones and tying the game two plays later on a 1-yard Mallett touchdown run. The 11-play drive covered 70 yards in 5:05, yet more than anything it signified that the contest was far from over.

The teams traded blanks for the next 30 minutes of the game, with a missed 42-yard field goal from Heflin and a botched 34-yard attempt by State’s Paul Young the only serious threats during the stretch until the final second.

“Our guys were confident even after last week and they played that way,” Forte said. “We knew we could play with these guys and we hung around the whole way.”

The Golden Lions fell behind 10-0 right off the bat, but unlike last week they refused to fold. After consecutive three-and-outs to open the game, UAPB’s offense bounced back from the deficit with an 8-play, 89-yard drive in just 2:55, culminating with a 17-yard touchdown from Moore to Webber at the 3:04 mark of the first quarter.

Things could have gotten even closer midway through the second quarter when defensive linemen Kenneth Leichman forced Tonny Glynn fumble and cornerback Menall Webster fell on it at the Aggie 39-yard line, but UAPB’s drive stalled at the 14-yard line when Mallett was stuffed on a 4th-and-1.

New Mexico State rallied around the defensive stand, turned around and drove 85 yards in 10 plays to take a 17-7, however that did not put a stop to the Lions’ furious charge, as they marched right back down the field and got a 43-yard Brodie Heflin field goal on the final play of the first half to head into the locker room down 17-10.

UAPB could have gotten more out of the drive but twice let more than 20 seconds run off the game clock without calling time out despite the fact that they had all three time outs remaining.

The Golden Lions will be off this week before returning to SWAC play on Oct. 13 when they will face Grambling State in the Delta Classic for Literacy Little Rock.

NCCU Eagles' tough 'D' has its work cut out today

ON THE AIR: NCCU vs. Presbyterian College, 2 p.m., Internet TV: http://www.jarvistv.com/nccu/index.asp

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

N.C. Central has been making plenty of history on the football field over the last couple of seasons, and the Eagles will be making some more today no matter whether they win or lose.

Mose Rison's 4-1 Eagles will carry the state's longest active college football winning streak into the game today at 2 p.m., when they host 1-3 Presbyterian at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. It will be the schools' first meeting in football.

The game is historic because it marks the first time that NCCU, which is in its first season as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-AA), will face a fellow FCS team at home.

In fact the Eagles and the Blue Hose are the only two teams in their first season in the FCS, thus the easy idea of beginning a home-and-home series.

"They're going to find out where they are and we're going to find out where we are," said Rison, a career veteran of the college assistant-coaching ranks who is in his first season at the Eagles' helm.

Presbyterian coach Bobby Bentley also is in his first season at the helm after a long career as a successful high school coach in South Carolina.

"It's been an experience so far," said Bentley, whose team's losses have come to established FCS teams in Furman, Samford and Western Carolina. "I think we're hanging in there. Our guys are playing hard. And in the Samford and Western Carolina games we've been in the game into the fourth quarter."

This could be the best team NCCU has played this season, as the first four games were against Division II teams and Saturday's win at N.C. A&T stretched the FCS-level Aggies' losing streak to 20 games.

And it should be a major contrast in styles. While the Eagles have won with defense, the Blue Hose -- who before this season were members of the Division II South Atlantic Conference -- have rolled up the offensive yardage.

The Eagles are averaging 215 yards total offense and allowing 263, while Presbyterian is producing 462.2 yards per game and allowing 418.2.

"This is a very, very good football team we're playing," Rison said. "They have an extremely talented quarterback [junior Grayson Mullins] and they love to throw the football. And they have played a very tough schedule."

Mullins has completed 66 of 123 passes for 960 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. With a more conservative-type attack NCCU's Stadford Brown has completed 58 of 115 for 604 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

Presbyterian's sophomore running back S.J. Worrell has 215 rushing yards on 42 carries, and has caught 16 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

The Eagles have had a solid 1-2 junior punch at the wideout spots, as Wayne Blackwell has 16 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns while Will Scott has 11 catches for 203 yards and three TDs.

And each team has a big-play defensive back. NCCU senior cornerback Craig Amos has three interceptions, five breakups, three fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks. Presbyterian's junior strong safety Anthony McKnight has four tackles-for-losses, an interception and four deflected passes.

NOTES -- NCCU schedule for this season includes five Division II opponents, four FCS members and one team (Western Kentucky) that is transitioning from the FCS to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Presbyterian's 11-game slate has eight FCS opponents (all on the road), two Division II teams and NAIA member Pikeville College. The only common opponent is Division II North Greenville, which will play at Presbyterian next weekend and then be the Eagles' homecoming opponent on Oct. 13.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Can the Eagles slow down Presbyterian's offense?

The Blue Hose start with the aerial show off the arm of junior QB Grayson Mullins, and the team averages 342.5 yards through the air. NCCU has 10 interceptions and has allowed one passing touchdown in five games, so when the visitors have the ball it's going to be strength on strength and should be fun to watch. The Eagles are going to need a couple of interceptions, and a sack or two wouldn't hurt.

Will the NCCU offense continue to get better?

NCCU isn't flashy with the ball, but can some up with the occasional big play. And QB Stadford Brown, with a more limited array of weapons than last season, has shown plenty of patience. Freshman RB Tim Shankle is starting to show flashes of brilliance along with freshman WR Deshawn Spears. And freshman Taylor Gray's kicks are improving.

Will the Eagles be able to focus?

Football fans around the area who rarely pay attention to NCCU are still talking about the fight that happened after the close victory over N.C. A&T. But the folks from Presbyterian don't care. It's not a rivalry now, but these are the only teams in their first season in Division I (Football Championship Subdivision). This is NCCU's biggest challenge to date.

THE PICK

N.C. Central 27, Presbyterian 21

Howard's offense is expected to keep WSSU occupied

Photo: Senior QB BRIAN JOHNSON #13, (53 of 85, 537 yards, 6 TD; 49 carries, 236 yards) hands ball off to #28 Frank Berchie.

ON THE AIR: Internet TV broadcast, www.howard-bison.com/ or http://www.broadcasturban.net/player/hubison/player.htm (direct link)

WSSU: Radio, WSNC 90.5 with Maurice "Big Mo" Stanfield.

Game Time: 1:00 p.m. today, Greene Stadium, Washington, DC.

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER

Winston-Salem State’s long and winding road trip will continue today at Howard.

The Rams (2-2) will play their fourth straight road game in a string of six, taking on the Bison (0-3) at 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium in Washington.

Howard, under first-year coach Carey Bailey, has lost to Hampton, Florida A&M and Eastern Michigan, but Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU doesn’t want his team to take the Bison lightly.

“Our players have to know it’s still a four-quarter game,” said Blount, who was once an assistant at Howard. “We’ve got to play four quarters no matter who we’re playing.”

The defense has kept the Rams in games all season, and it will have another challenge today with Howard’s Brian Johnson, one of the most versatile quarterbacks in the MEAC.

Johnson, a 6-0, 190-pound senior and junior-college transfer, took over as the starter late last season and guided the Bison to four wins in their last five games. This season, he is second in the MEAC in passing with an average of 179 yards and second in total offense with an average of 258 yards. He has completed 53 of 85 passes for 537 yards and six touchdowns, with two interceptions, and has rushed for 236 yards.

“We have to contain him and not let him get outside the pocket,” Blount said. “Our ends (William Hayes and Michael Moore) have to contain him and try to put a little heat on him. We have to try to put some pressure on him and force him to make some errant throws and kind of frustrate him a little bit.”

Blount said that his offense needs to be more consistent and sustain some long drives, something it hasn’t done since a season-opening win against N.C. A&T. The Rams’ defense has been on the field often in the last three games.

Quarterback Monte Purvis, who suffered a sprained left shoulder in last week’s 20-7 loss to S.C. State, has missed a lot of practice time this week and is listed as probable. If he can’t go, Jarrett Dunston will make his first start.

“If Monte’s not at least 90 percent healthy by the end of the week, then he won’t play,” Blount said.

No matter who the quarterback is, finding some kind of flow would be helpful.

“The thing we’ve talked about is throwing the football more on first down and getting some completions,” Blount said. “We want to stay out of third and long and get out of that cycle. We really need to do that if we want to keep moving the ball.”

Blount said that playing six straight road games isn’t ideal but that it isn’t a reason to make excuses.

“I don’t want to blame it on anything like that,” Blount said of last week’s loss. “We’ll be on the road for our fourth straight road game, and I’m not going to say the kids are tired or the coaches are tired. The bottom line is we didn’t execute, and we jumped offsides in that last drive against South Carolina State and kind of shot ourselves in the foot.”

WSSU forced four turnovers against S.C. State, but the offense failed to take advantage.

“We need to get our offense consistent,” Blount said. “That’s something we’ve been working on all season. One thing I can’t complain about is this team’s effort. I think it’s one of the hardest-working teams we’ve ever had here.”

Notes: Linebacker Thad Griffin leads the Rams in tackles with 41. He has been the leading tackler the last two seasons…. Howard is ranked sixth in the MEAC in scoring (18.7 ppg) and eight in points allowed (33 ppg)…. Blount has a 1-2 record against Howard, with the win coming last season at Bowman Gray Stadium, 12-0.

UAPB faces another difficult assignment

BY BECK CROSS, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

LAS CRUCES, N. M. — Arkansas-Pine Bluff Coach Mo Forte insists he’s not looking for any moral victories when the Golden Lions take on New Mexico State tonight at Aggie Memorial Stadium.

“No, I won’t be led down that road,” Forte said. “The bottom line for me is winning, and that’s the way it’s always going to be.”

Pulling off a victory against New Mexico State could be a far-fetched notion for even the staunchest optimist.

The Golden Lions (1-3 ) are coming off a 58-3 loss last week at Southern Illinois, marking its worst rout in four seasons under Forte and the program’s worst since a 63-0 loss to Mississippi Valley State in 1983.

UAPB’s defense, which had been top-ranked in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, gave up almost 600 yards in total offense to the Salukis.

“Any time you get beat like we got beat, the kids come back to practice more enthused,” UAPB defensive coordinator Monte Coleman said “They [players ] were embarrassed, and we [coaches ] were embarrassed. We don’t want to have that happen again, so they came back and had a good week of practice.”

Offensively, it’s been a struggle from the beginning. UAPB, which last year boasted the top-ranked offense in the SWAC, has scored only 10. 8 points per game. The Golden Lions’ average of 222. 8 yards a game in total offense ranks ninth in the SWAC.

Against Southern Illinois, UAPB had only 51 yards of total offense in the first half and trailed 30-0 at halftime.

“The same thing that plagued us last week is the same thing that’s bothered us all year,” Forte said. “We just haven’t been able to generate any offense on a consistent basis.” On paper, New Mexico State’s offense is even more talented than Southern Illinois’. New Mexico State ranks seventh in the nation in passing offense with 363. 8 yards per game and is 16 th nationally in total offense with 487. 2 yards a game. Junior quarterback Chase Holbrook is eighth nationally

ense (355. 8 yards per game ) and 21 st in passing efficiency (152. 7 ). Junior wide receiver Chris Williams had 109 yards in receiving last week against Auburn to mark his third consecutive 100-yard game. New Mexico State led Auburn 20-14 last week on the road late in the second quarter before losing 42-20.

“I knew this was a tough schedule going into the season,” Forte said. “But you want to have tough games because your team is never going to know how good they are unless they play tough teams.

“ We’re playing a very talented Division I team and that’s going to be good for us in the long run.” Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. New Mexico St. WHEN 7 p. m. Central today WHERE Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, N. M. RECORDS UAPB 1-3; New Mexico State 2-2 COACHES Maurice “Mo” Forte (18-18 in fourth season at UAPB, 66-86-1 in 14 th season overall ); Hal Mumme (6-22 in third season at New Mexico State, 103-86-1 in 17 th season overall ) SERIES First meeting RADIO KUAP-FM, 89. 7, in Pine Bluff

DSU faces big test at Hampton

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Win would give Hornets significant boost in chase for MEAC title

DOVER -- A conversation this week between a Delaware State assistant football coach and a Hornets player ended with a rather urgent statement, considering it is still September.

"He said if we don't win this game," junior fullback Adam Shrewsbury said of today's game at No. 13 Hampton, "then our season is over."

While no DSU coaches were willing to make that statement publicly, it hit home with guys like Shrewsbury, who feel the program's push to win a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.

Photo: DSU Coach Al Lavan Hornets are ready for Hampton.

Is today's game DSU's most important of the season?

"That's what it is," Shrewsbury said. "But every game is going to be like that. We're not promised anything. It's the biggest game of the season, but every game will be the biggest from this point."

Just three games into the season, and with virtually the entire schedule of league games remaining, here's how the postseason looks for DSU (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) heading into today's game:

Hampton, while not the overwhelming power it was last season, appears to be the best team in the MEAC. The Pirates are 3-0, with all their wins over MEAC teams.

If the Hornets lose today, they would need Hampton to lose twice in MEAC play in order to have a chance at the regular-season championship and automatic berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

South Carolina State (2-2, 2-0 MEAC), the preseason favorite, travels to Hampton on Oct. 20 and plays host to DSU on Oct. 27. Either one of those games could determine the champion.

"Every game [from] here out is for the MEAC championship," DSU senior defensive lineman Kelly Rouse said. "But they're [Hampton] the champs. You got to knock off the champs."

Beating Hampton on its own turf hasn't been easy for DSU. The last time it happened was 1969, when coach Arnold Jeter led DSU to a 20-0 win.

The teams didn't meet from 1971 to 1994. Since the series resumed in 1995, Hampton has gone 11-1 against the Hornets.

QUICKSLANTS: Grambling vs. Prairie View

By Nick Deriso, The News Star

First-year Grambling coach Rod Broadway isn’t in an overconfident mood, despite an emotional win over the league’s reigning champ last week — and the Tigers’ recent success against Prairie View.
“I hope our guys can get ready to play,” Broadway said. “Our goal is to improve weekly. The team that continues to improve is the one with a pretty good record at the end of the year.”

GSU hasn’t lost to Prairie View since 1986.

FIXING ‘A LOT OF STUFF’
Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said he is starting over after a 31-6 drubbing at Grambling.

Asked during the league’s Monday coaches teleconference if he saw adjustments that needed to be made on offense, which had been averaging 45 points a game, Jones answered simply: “Yes.”

Asked to elaborate, at first he only said: “A lot of stuff. … a lot of stuff.”

Jones summed up the Grambling game like this: “They have a very good football team,” he said. “They’re talented; they’ve got size; they’ve got strength. They’ve got some kids who love to play football and they play it with passion.”

The Bulldogs have never won consecutive games over Grambling. Up next is Texas Southern, a team that pulled off a stunning upset in 2005 as A&M advanced to the first of two consecutive SWAC title matches.

FINALLY, A SCORE
Clyde Edwards notched a receiving touchdown against A&M last week, something the Grambling senior had somehow failed to do over four previous meetings.

“They blitz us, sending everybody they possibly can,” Edwards said. “A lot times that leaves the slot man (Henry Tolbert, in the past) open. That meant I had decent games, but I just hadn’t scored against them yet.”

He had five catches for 51 yards, giving Edwards 20 career receptions for 290 yards against A&M.


ENEMY LINES: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Prairie View’s bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for its passing game.

The Panthers (2-1 overall; 1-1 in the SWAC) have no touchdown passes versus five picks so far in ’07, and were held scoreless in their most recent game — a 12-2 loss to Southern.

“We are throwing the ball around, but we are still a work in progress,” said Prairie View coach Henry Frazier. “It’s a combination of protecting quarterback, and getting that chemistry down.”

The Panthers, ranked No. 10 after Week 3 in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network poll, sit at the bottom of the SWAC with four offensive touchdowns so far in 2007, but rank No. 7 overall with 259 yards a game.

Versatile Prairie View quarterback Chris Gibson’s 60 rushing yards a night have made him the No. 6 rusher in the SWAC. (Only four running backs have more touchdowns.) But Gibson’s 104 passing yards a game rank at the bottom among starters in the SWAC, and only one quarterback has a worse completion percentage.

Frazier admits that Prairie View recognizes the challenge ahead against a remade GSU defense. Grambling knocked A&M off a league-leading pace for offensive yards and points in a 25-point win last week.

“Watching Grambling’s defense, that was very impressive,” said Frazier, who is 0-3 against GSU. “We’ve got our work cut for us this week.”

Longtime ex-Grambling assistant Heishma Northern leads a rapidly improving Prairie View defense ranked No. 3 in the 10-team league for yards and touchdowns surrendered. No SWAC unit has been better in the red zone so far this season, as the Panthers have allowed just 11 points per game.

Grambling, however, has averaged 51 points a game over the past five wins at the State Fair Classic.

SWAC ATTACK
DOUBLE THE FUN
Two surprising teams, Southern and Alabama State, meet in a battle of undefeated teams on Saturday.

“You say ‘surprising,’ but look at our league,” said Jaguars coach Pete Richardson. “We have a couple of teams with experience coming back. Other teams are going through a transition because of injury.”

Richardson, coming off a pair of first-ever losing seasons in Baton Rouge, heads a maturing and finally healthy team.

He recognizes the challenge ahead of him: Both are at 4-0 overall, with Southern at 2-0 and first-year coach Reggie Barlow’s ASU at 3-0 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.

“Alabama State has a very young, energetic coach,” Richardson said. “They are buying into his system. The more they play, the more confidence they receive.”

JSU JUST ROLLING
Jackson State cruised to an easy 50-16 victory over Mississippi Valley, before an announced crowd of 11,700 at Rice-Totten Stadium. That’s now 13 straight for JSU.

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."

Luke, AAMU Bulldogs hope to rebound from loss

MIKE PERRIN, Birmingham News staff writer

Kelcy Luke has never lost consecutive games at Alabama A&M. But then, nobody on the current squad has, since the Bulldogs haven't dropped two in a row since the first two games of 2002.

The A&M quarterback doesn't expect a letdown after last week's setback at Grambling State when Texas Southern comes to Louis Crews Stadium for the Bulldogs' homecoming on Saturday.

"We're not panicking," said Luke, headed into his final homecoming game at A&M. "We know we've got to flesh some things out. We know we didn't play well and we know we've got some things to work on."

Texas Southern is 0-4 headed into the 3 p.m. game, 0-3 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The 31-6 loss at Grambling was A&M's first after three straight victories and the Bulldogs are 1-1 in the league.

Although the Tigers are currently in the cellar, they have been a thorn in A&M's side recently. Texas Southern beat A&M 17-7 two years ago to break a 16-game losing streak and spoil homecoming. Only a late pass interception sealed a Bulldogs 19-14 victory last year.

Luke, who is leading the SWAC in passing and total offense this year, has had mixed success against Texas Southern. Two years ago he completed 12-of-28 for 129 yards and was sacked five times. Last season, he hit on 20-of-34 throws for 194 yards and a touchdown while being intercepted once and sacked four times.

"I don't know that we've had that much more success against Luke than anybody else," Southern coach Steve Wilson said. "We really respect this kid. He really understands their offense and knows how to run their system.

"I think he's the ultimate field general type. It starts and ends with him."

This season, Luke has thrown for 955 yards, completing 69-of-116 attempts with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, and he averages 253.2 yards a game.

Before his senior season started, Luke was already A&M's I-AA record-holder for completions and passing yards with those totals now at 446 and 5,344.

"I can't believe this is my last year," said Luke, who transferred from Auburn as a redshirt freshman. "It's been great ever since I got here and it seems like I just got here."

Luke has led the Bulldogs to the top of the SWAC stats this season as coach Anthony Jones' squad scores 35.2 points, passes for 249.2 yards a game and accounts for 426 yards per outing.

"Our line has really stepped up," the quarterback said. "We had to replace three starters (on the line) from last year, we've got young receivers and two new running backs.

"One thing this year is nobody can key on one person in our offense. We make sure we get a lot out of every one of them."

While the Bulldogs' goal of an undefeated season is lost, the defending SWAC champions made the title game the past two seasons after rebounding from losses in the league.

"Even though we lost, our main goal is still in our hands right now," Luke said. "We use that to pick everybody back up."

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

AAMU Soccer Bulldogs fill in holes, roll

By REGGIE BENSON, Times Sports Staff

The Alabama A&M men's soccer team got off to a rough start with losses in four of its first five games, but Salah Yousif's squad has picked up momentum over the last couple of weeks.

The Bulldogs have won two of their last three games and will host the A&M Invitational Saturday and Sunday at John Hunt Park.

A&M will take on Houston Baptist at 11 a.m. Saturday, and Air Force will play Central Arkansas at 1 p.m. On Sunday, Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist collide at noon followed by A&M and Air Force at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

"We're excited about the way we're playing right now," said Yousif, whose team has lost four games by one goal apiece. "Early on, we didn't have enough athletes because guys were either hampered by nagging injuries or hadn't been cleared.

"We're healthier now and we have a bench to work with and that's the difference right now."

Striker Kun Chamjock (Gallatin, Tenn.), defender Mustefa Ahmed (Uganda) and midfielder Eric Kamya (Hyattsville, Md.) were recently cleared to play and Yousif says they have helped immensely.

"Those three guys have made a huge difference," he said. "(Goalkeeper) Paul Musoke has also been terrific."

MfanaFuthi Bhembe and Mosito Ranko, who had surgery on both knees during the offseason, have also been terrific. Through eight games, they are tied for the team lead with eight points apiece.

Chargers have momentum: If pre-conference results are any indication, UAH men's soccer coach Carlos Petersen may be right about his team being a contender for the Gulf South Conference championship

UAH opened the season 1-4, including losses to No. 10 Lynn, No. 9 Rollins and No. 10 Nova Southeastern. Since then, however, the Chargers have reeled off three wins in a row, including a 2-1 victory over No. 25 Barry University.

With four wins, UAH has equaled its win total from last season. The Chargers will try to make it four in a row when Fisk University visits Sunday at 1 p.m. UAH opens GSC play Friday at Ouachita Baptist.

Lady Chargers face UNA: UAH will begin its quest for a berth in the GSC women's soccer tournament today when it visits North Alabama.

The Lady Chargers had their four-game winning streak snapped last weekend in a 5-0 loss to Georgia College, but Lincoln Ziyenge believes his team will bounce back today.

UAH, Ziyenge says, must be able to put two halves together to win in the GSC.

The Lady Chargers have outscored their opponents 12-5 in the first half, but have been outscored 11-6 in the second. UAH has scored 17 goals in five wins, but just one goal in three losses.

Missing Kanda: A&M women's soccer coach Frank Davies knew the Bulldogs would miss Belinda Kanda. He didn't know they'd miss her this much.

With Kanda, A&M led the nation in scoring last season. Without her, the Bulldogs have struggled.

A&M, 1-5-1 on the season, has scored just 10 goals this year and has been shut out four times. However, Kanda, who has been playing with Ghana's national team during the World Cup, could be back next week when the Bulldogs visit Austin Peay on Monday or play Texas Southern next Sunday.

Kanda led the nation in goals per game (1.25) and points per game (3.06) last season.

UAH in bind: Three games into GSC play, the UAH volleyball team finds itself needing a win to have a shot at the playoffs.

The Chargers are 6-15 overall and 0-3 in league play and play their three remaining conference games on the road.

UAH visits Valdosta State on Saturday, West Florida on Sunday and West Georgia on Tuesday.

The Chargers opened the season 3-2, but have lost 13 of their last 16 matches.

Bulldogs need turnaround: After more than two weeks off, A&M volleyball coach Nedra Brown is eager to get her young team back on the court.

Since beating Albany State in the season opener on Sept. 4, the Bulldogs have dropped four straight matches and three of those were in straight sets. Brown and the Bulldogs hope to turn their season around starting Tuesday when they visit Alabama State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

FAMU vs. TSU--2007 Atlanta Football Classic Battle of the Bands

Tennessee State gladly puts weight on Benson's foot

Photo: #80 SU Gerard Landry and #45 TSU Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are both All-Americans and faced each other last week in SU vs. TSU game.

By St. Clair Murraine, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Tennessee State University receiver Chris Johnson is making a name for himself in the Ohio Valley Conference. Defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also is getting noticed for his penchant for blocking kicks.

Then, there is kicker Eric Benson, who might turn out to be the man who makes the biggest difference against Florida A&M on Saturday. He is the reason that the Tigers are coming into Saturday's Atlanta Classic with a 2-2 record.

Field goals by Benson gave TSU back-to-back wins over Jackson State and Austin Peay.

"Right now I feel very confident that if it comes down to a kick at the end that we're going to win," said TSU coach James Webster. "He's won two ballgames for us (and) I think he's got confidence in what he's doing. I've got a lot of confidence in him."

Considering the outcome of the last two games, which FAMU won, accuracy in the kicking game could be pivotal. FAMU took last year's game on Wesley Taylor's leg.

Taylor secured an overtime win for FAMU with a 34-yard field goal last year. A year earlier Taylor's punt to TSU's 1-yard line in the closing minutes put FAMU in position to hold off the Tigers 12-7.

Taylor, who has been in a funk lately, said the magnitude of the game is enough for him to begin a turnaround.

"I like the pressure," said Taylor, who hit his first field goal in three attempts two weeks ago against Howard. "I've been blessed to be able to go out there and win the game for my teammates. A lot of people say they can't take the pressure.

"As a field-goal kicker, that pressure kick is the one you live for. Everybody in the world is depending on you."

Taylor said he used FAMU's bye week to refocus and brush up his technique.

"The past few games, I've been putting too much pressure on myself," he said. "Coach (Rubin) Carter told me I'm a senior and I should go out there and have fun. He was right. I'm going to stop thinking about it and have a good time."

While Webster expressed confidence in Benson, Carter was just as optimistic that Taylor will get the job done if the game is going to be decided by a field goal.

"What we have to do is to make sure we surround (Taylor) with a supporting cast," Carter said. "Wesley has shown competitiveness in his ability to win big games for us."

FAMU's Hayward eager to show his skills

By St. Clair Murraine, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

FAMU receiver misses last two games with knee injury.

Willie Hayward wasn't a part of the lineup of players for FAMU's weekly meeting with the media on Tuesday, but maybe he should have been.

So much was being asked of his teammates about the wide receiver's expected return to the Rattlers' offense this weekend.

While offensive and defensive players had plenty to say about how Hayward's absence has affected the offense, no one ever has more to say than Hayward. He doesn't just talk the talk, however. He walks the walk as well, bringing an extra dimension to the Rattlers' firepower.

He sat out FAMU's last two games with a damaged MCL in his left knee, which he injured during FAMU's season-opener against Southern.

Hayward comes with a swagger - his gift of gab, body language that's intended to intimidate defenses. And, yes, there are times when he'll celebrate with arms akimbo on his hips whenever he makes a catch.

Catch Hayward at the right time, and with his flamboyant style he'll drop a line or two in third person.

"I guess that's all part of Willie Hayward," he said, a long gold necklace dangling on his chest. "Maybe I can take it over the top, but I know to calm myself down.

"For the most part, I'm just playing with emotion and getting into the game. Being in the game and talking is something that comes naturally to me."

His talent seems natural, too. So much so that NFL scouts have been taking notice and more than a few of them might be in the Georgia Dome when Hayward makes his comeback. FAMU plays Tennessee State in the Atlanta Football Classic on Saturday.

No one is more elated than coach Rubin Carter, who has used a string of young receivers in the two games that Hayward missed.


"Now he's back to full speed and able to go out and be an integral part of what we do offensively that includes him," said Carter, adding that Hayward's antics aren't overbearing because sometimes the team needs it.

"That's the competitive nature of Willie," he said. "He is just that caliber of athlete. As long as it doesn't cause us any harm, we like the energy and fire he has."

During his recovery, Hayward spent time working on his upper-body strength. Most days in practice he was perched on the sidelines talking and observing. His first actual day of practice was Wednesday.

"I decided to go out there every day and watch from the outside, the coverages on defense," he said. "I always try to get better any way I can."

Hayward had three catches for 31 yards against Southern as his only contribution so far this season. His teammates, responding to the questions from the media, made it clear that Hayward is a must-have weapon.

"With (Hayward) coming back adds a whole new dimension to our offense," said senior running back Anthony Edwards, who has played sporadically due to arthritis in his foot. "From the Southern game we saw how much respect (defenses) have, putting two or three people on him. If they put two and three on him, that just opens up the run."

FAMU receiver Knight back to practice, plans to play Saturday

By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Florida A&M receiver Javares Knight said Thursday that he expects to be able to play Saturday against Tennessee State.

Knight, a redshirt sophomore from FAMU High, seemed doubtful Wednesday that he would be able to go Saturday because of a protruding bone in his mouth that was causing him a lot of pain.

Knight did not practice Wednesday, but was able to practice Thursday. Knight said he is taking medication for the pain, which may require dental work.

Knight, who has six catches on the season for 102 yards and a touchdown, had his wisdom teeth pulled just two weeks ago.


Photo: #15, FAMU WR Jarvares Knight

Couch potato alert
Comcast Cable announced that Saturday's game would be aired live on Channel 16.

Fox Sports South, based in Atlanta, is also televising the game on its regional network which includes Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and portions of North Carolina.

FSN Florida (Comcast Channel 29), affiliated with Fox Sports, will pick up the game in progress at 4 p.m., or at the conclusion of the Florida Marlins-New York Mets baseball game.

FAMU takes over the ATL
If you are looking for more than just a FAMU football fix this week, Atlanta is still the place to be as five other Rattler teams will be playing in a variety of events.

The golf team is participating in the Coca-Cola Hall of Fame Classic in Atlanta through Saturday.
The men's and women's cross country teams will be participating in a meet hosted by Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College on Saturday morning.

The men's and women's tennis are competing in the HBCU National Tennis Championships, which is featuring more than 20 collegiate programs. The Championships started Thursday and will run through Sunday.

Defensive line is bottom line for FAMU's defense

By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

So far this season, Florida A&M's defense has shown marked improved from last year, particularly against the run.

Depth on the defensive line may be one of the key contributing factors to the defense's overall improved play.

"Our rotation is great," said FAMU football coach Rubin Carter. "We have about six to eight defensive linemen that actually play during a game. The gap is much more narrow than when I first arrived here. The idea in training camp is to develop two units."

Redshirt-sophomore defensive tackle Lymon Reed has been one of the reasons FAMU has more depth on the defensive line this season.

Reed saw spot duty last season and started the season behind redshirt-sophomore Demetris Lane. When Lane broke his finger in camp and then re-broke just before the start of season, Reed was pushed into a starting role.

Reed has responded with 15 total tackles this season 1.5 sacks and five tackles for loss, which ties him for the team lead with linebacker Dannel Shepard.

"Lymon has really come on strong," Carter said. "He was a good player in high school and went to the Naval Academy first. He decided to come back closer to his family in the state of Florida.

"We've had the opportunity to work with him the past two years and he's shown that he's able to make a contribution to the defense."

Reed has made it hard for Carter to take him out the starting lineup, especially with his pass-rushing skills and ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

"He has excellent quickness off the ball," Carter said. "He is an excellent pass rusher and uses his hands extremely well. He is getting better against the run.

"I love that (tackles for loss). You want to play on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage."

Reed said his play this season is just a product of hard offseason work.

"I worked hard over the summer," Reed said. "I kind of expected I would have success, I just knew I would have to take advantage of the opportunity when I got the chance."