Alabama A&M falls to ULM 37-15

A&M falls to 0-3 but is proud of its showing at major-college La.-Monroe

MONROE, La. - Anthony Jones walked out of Malone Stadium Friday night with his head held high. So did his Alabama A&M football team. The Bulldogs gave Sun Belt Conference member Louisiana-Monroe all it could handle for almost three quarters before the Warhawks pulled away down the stretch. When it was over, ULM ran off to celebrate its 37-15 victory, but A&M walked away with a renewed sense of confidence.

"My team went through a lot to play this game," Jones said after his team fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1992. "We traveled through the night to get here and had to make an adjustment due to the weather. I'm exhausted and I can only imagine how my kids feel. "I am proud of the way my kids represented Alabama A&M University. They came and fought hard. At halftime, they (ULM) had reason to be concerned. To their credit, they came out in the second half and took advantage of some of the mistakes we made and put the game away."

PHOTO GALLERY: Alabama A&M v. ULM

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Attendance: 9,717 (32%) at Malone Stadium, Monroe, LA (Capacity: 30,427)

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Troy sets offensive records in 65-0 blowout of Alcorn Braves

TROY, AL -- Troy invited a previous national championship team back to campus Saturday and then went to work on the school's record book. The Trojans totaled a record 736 yards of total offense and tied quite a few others in Saturday's 65-0 win over Alcorn State.

The school's 1968 NAIA championship team saw its record for points in a half tied and two of its players watched a record they shared tied in Troy's home opener. "The No. 1 stat and No. 1 record is that one with three little prongs on it -- a W," Troy coach Larry Blakeney said. "All the others don't make much difference." Sherrod Martin tied a school record with three interceptions, tying the record first set by Tyrone Ferguson and first tied by Ronnie Shelley in 1968. All of Martin's were in the second quarter.

GAME PHOTO GALLERY: Troy beats Alcorn State
GAME SUMMARY

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Attendance: 22,105 (74%) at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium, Troy, AL (Capacity: 30,000)

Savannah State Tigers nips WSSU

Savannah State University freshman QB Kurvin Curry and the Tigers embarrassed Winston Salem State with a rare road victory.

Blount says Rams not tough

Winston-Salem State dropped into an early-season hole last night after upstart Savannah State held on for a 16-13 victory at Bowman Gray Stadium. The Tigers (2-1) won their second straight game, a feat they hadn't accomplished since 2000, by beating the Rams (0-2) at their own game.

Quarterback Kurvin Curry and running back Justin Babb led a high-speed Spread offense that wore out the Rams' defense when it mattered most, in the second half. "They out-toughed us," Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU said. "We have to be tougher as a team. In football you are going to get those runs and those spurts, but we just have to buckle down and play better football.

"That's what it boils down to."

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Attendance:5,112 (28%) at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston Salem, N.C. (Capacity: 18,000)

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MSU Spartans top FAMU 3-0

Rattlers Coach Tony Trifonov talks with Maria Gomez during break in action.













Next Up: Connecticut vs. Florida A&M (MSU Showcase) - Saturday, 11 a.m.

Box Score
Detailed Box

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The 2008 Michigan State volleyball team earned a chance to play for the MSU Showcase title tomorrow night as it topped Florida A&M, 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-19) Friday night at Jenison Field House. With the win, the Spartans move to 5-3 on the season. Both Jenilee Rathje (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) and Vineece Verdun (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) paced the Spartans with seven kills apiece.

After topping Wisconsin-Milwaukee in their first match of the day, the Spartans looked to pick up where they left off. Jumping out to a 14-5 lead, they did just that, against the Rattlers. Taking advantage of their size and athleticism at middle blocker, both Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich.) and Verdun both got off to hot starts with two kills apiece. The Spartans would extend their lead behind the play of Rathje. Tallying four kills and two digs while hitting .429 in the first set, Rathje helped the green and white to a 25-14 win in the first set.

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HU would pass on record to get win

The Pirates look for a balance vs. Howard after Herb Bynes threw for a school-record 403 yards in a loss at Southern Illinois.

Letters mean more than numbers to Hampton coach Jerry Holmes. One letter in particular, anyway. All Holmes wants from today's home opener against Howard is a W, regardless of what that win looks like on the stat sheet. Last week at Southern Illinois, sophomore quarterback Herb Bynes threw for a school-record 403 yards as part of Hampton's 450 yards of offense. But the Pirates lost, 37-31, to fall to 1-1.

Hampton University DB Sam Pope.

"That's great, 400 yards," Holmes said. "We lost the game." That happened because of five turnovers, including three Bynes interceptions, 88 yards in penalties to the Salukis' 25 and a paltry rushing attack that managed just 47 yards. Down 27-10 at halftime, the Pirates were forced to abandon a chunk of their playbook against The Sports Network's then-No. 12 team in the nation.

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NSU faces an Aggies team off to its best start since '03

North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State, 4 p.m., Price Stadium.

NORFOLK, VA -- North Carolina A&T isn't just the conference opener for Norfolk State; the Aggies are a measuring stick. Although the Spartans (1-1) are three weeks into the season, it's hard to figure where they'll rank in this fall's MEAC race. And if they beat A&T for the third straight time, the answer still won't be all that clear. But a loss - even to an improved North Carolina A&T team - would be a troubling barometer.


















Aggies Michael Ferguson, the MEAC's best back, is ready to runover the Norfolk State Spartans at 4 pm on Saturday.

"If we do what we're capable of doing, we should win the game," summed up NSU coach Pete Adrian of today's 4 p.m. Fish Bowl Classic at Price Stadium. North Carolina A&T comes in riding high after a 2-0 start, the best since 2003. The Aggies had not won a game since Oct. 15, 2005, a span of 27 contests.Third-year coach Lee Fobbs didn't know what a victory felt like at North Carolina A&T until this year's opener. The Aggies defeated Division II Johnson C. Smith in that one and followed that with a victory over Winston-Salem State.

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BCU Sumlar runs like a SCSU Ford

#5 Brian Sumlar and #81 Joe Singleton, BCU vs. Alabama State Hornets.

B-CU running back off to stellar start

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Bethune-Cookman coach Alvin Wyatt was surprised to hear that South Carolina State's Will Ford is not a senior. Thinking the running back is a senior is an understandable mistake. Ford, who is only a junior, has already rushed for 2,315 yards in his career and coming into this season was voted the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

Although the Wildcats have managed to keep him in check in their first two meetings, Wyatt was a bit dispirited to learn this week that Saturday's game at Charleston, S.C., won't be the last time B-CU will have to face Ford. "I think he's a great running back," Wyatt said. "He has vision, power, good hands as well as speed. He has all the tools of being a great one."

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Classics fill SWAC's void of money games

Big-money football games are becoming a necessity for Jackson State, which uses the revenue from several games to fund a big chunk of its $6 million athletic department budget. After JSU won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 1996 last season, it was chosen to play Hampton in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge to open the 2008 season. Athletic director Bob Braddy said the game yielded about $300,000 before expenses.

The Tigers play Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis on Saturday for a $300,000 payout. And the Capital City Classic, an annual November game that pits JSU against Alcorn in Jackson, will produce revenues of about $250,000 per team, said Braddy.

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Harris vows more physical Rattlers team

Eugene Harris is wiping the slate clean. So much so that not even the returning seniors on the men's basketball team at FAMU are guaranteed playing time. "They're going to be challenged by younger guys," Harris said Tuesday during a meeting with the media. "That's going to make them step up, and if they step up they can keep their starting spot."

In his effort to turnaround the basketball program in his second year as head coach, Harris said he lost two players who were scheduled to return. They didn't want to be a part of his system, which emphasizes a renewed focus on academics and conditioning, he said. FAMU also lost five other players from last season's team.
As for the four returning players, Larry Jackson is the only returnee who wasn't a starter. The other three are guards Joe Ballard and Byron Taylor and forward Lamar Twitty.

VIDEO: Inside the Game - FAMU 10,000 Seat Basketball Facility Tour
VIDEO: Got Game, FAMU Women's Hoops Preview

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Dillard's stadium renamed, dedicated to former legendary coach Otis Gray

Excerpt:

Fort Lauderdale, FL--A week after Dillard's fourth-quarter mistakes contributed to a 15-point loss at Cypress Bay, the Panthers came out determined to make a statement Thursday night. Dillard scored 23 first-quarter points and rolled to a 45-12 victory over visiting South Broward. The win coincided with a nearly 40-minute halftime ceremony to dedicate Dillard's home field to former coach Otis Gray, who passed away last fall.

Dillard Panthers team members carry their coach, Otis Gray, after winning the 4A State Championship with a 40-14 win over Merritt Island, 12/1989

Even with the victory, the night still belonged to Otis Gray. The school renamed the stadium Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium. Gray won state titles in 1986 and 1989 during his 13 seasons at the school. ''It's really an honor and a pleasure to be able to come back for such an occasion,'' Gray's son Quinn, who was a backup quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season

"I would have loved for him to be here to be able to accept it himself. ''Under the circumstances, it's just great to be able to come back home,'' said Gray, who played college ball at FAMU. "They showed the respect to my dad for the respect the school and the love he had for the school. "It's a great honor.''

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Kent State Set To Host Delaware State On Saturday

Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications

Complete Delaware State Game Notes (PDF Format)
Click here to Watch the Game Live on K-Zone!

Kent State (0-2) vs.
Delaware State (1-0)
Saturday, September 13, 2008 • 2:00 p.m. EDT
Dix Stadium (25,000/FieldTurf) • Kent, Ohio
WNIR 100.1 FM (Tom Linder, Reggie Crook & Ty Linder)

THE OPENING KICK

Kent State will debut the new-look Dix Stadium on Saturday when the Golden Flashes welcome Football Championship Series opponent Delaware State to Kent for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Flashes earned a 38-7 victory, handing the Hornets their only regular season setback against 10 victories.

In last year’s match-up, Eugene Jarvis rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a 42-yard TD pass as part of a 267-yard passing day for quarterback Julian Edelman. Shawn Bayes started the scoring with a 42-yard touchdown grab before closing out the game with a 95-yard kickoff return with 22 seconds remaining.

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE IS PACKED

Beginning when doors open on Tailgate Alley at 11:30 a.m. right up until the end of the game, the Heroes’ Day activities surrounding Kent State’s home opener Saturday against Delaware State will have fans excited, entertained and most importantly, educated.

The day will begin at Tailgate Alley with interactive displays and demonstrations from the four branches of the armed forces and local fire, police and rescue squads. In addition, the Flight 93 exhibit and timeline that spent all week at the M.A.C. Center will also be set up.

Prior to the game, the Army Fast Track Jump team will deliver the game ball and the Air Force will conduct a fly-over following a national anthem performance that will be highlighted by the unveiling of a 47’ x 90’ American flag on the field. In addition, family members of the Flight 93 passengers and crew, members of the U.S. Army and a Wounded Warrior representative will be on hand for the coin toss involving a special Flight 93 commemorative coin.

FLASH FACTS

• Running back Eugene Jarvis moved within 12 yards of taking over fourth place in the KSU rushing annals with his 139-yard performance at Iowa State. The junior now has 2,657 yards in just over two seasons.

• Quarterback Julian Edelman has completed 55.6 percent of his passes en route to throwing for 294 yards in the first two games. He is also the team’s second-leading rusher with 97 yards.

• Linebacker Derek Burrell extended his double-digit tackles streak to six games with 11 stops at Iowa State. After two games, he leads the MAC with 25 tackles.

• Delaware State is the only school out of the MEAC that Kent State has faced in its 86-year history.

A GLANCE AT THE SERIES

Kent State won last year’s contest, 38-7, in the first meeting between the two schools. The loss was the only regular season setback for the Hornets as the Flashes improved to 26-22-1 all-time against FCS opponents. DSU is the only MEAC school KSU has ever faced.

KSU VS. FCS OPPONENTS UNDER MARTIN

Year Opponent Result Score
2003 Youngstown State W 16-13
2007 Liberty W 38-10
2007 SE Missouri State W 33-12
2007 Delaware State W 38-7

TELEVISION

None. However, the game can be seen on http://www.kentstatesports.com/ as part of the premium content on the K-Zone.

RADIO

For the second straight year, the excitement of Golden Flashes football can be found on flagship station WNIR 100.1 FM in Northeast Ohio as part of the Kent State ISP Sports Network. New for this year, Tom Linder slides over from the analyst chair to handle the play-by-play duties, with Reggie Crook (defensive back at KSU, 1998-01) joining the team as the color analyst. Once again, Ty Linder will roam the sidelines for all of the broadcasts.

WEB SITE

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

THE COACHES

• Doug Martin (Kentucky ‘85) is in his fifth season as a head coach, owning a 15-33 record at the helm of the Golden Flashes. He was promoted to head coach March 1, 2004, after serving as Kent State’s offensive coordinator in 2003. (For a complete Martin bio see page 12.)

• Al Lavan (Colorado State ‘70) has a 30-16 record in his fifth season at Delaware State. Overall, he is 32-17 in six seasons as a head coach, including a 2-1 mark at Eastern Michigan in 2003 after taking over for Jeff Woodruff, who was fired after the Eagles started 1-8.

UP NEXT

The Golden Flashes embark on a two-game road trip beginning at Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 20. Following the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Kent State will open up MAC play the following weekend at Ball State in a game that will be televised on ESPN Plus.

NSU Spartans prepare for an improved N.C. A&T team

NORFOLK, VA -North Carolina A&T puts its streak on the line on Saturday against Norfolk State. The Aggies have won two straight - and if that doesn't sound like any great win streak, consider that before they had lost the past 27 for the dubious distinction of having the longest losing streak in the nation.

NSU Spartans held Kentucky to 38 points and has a solid defense. Look for the Aggies offense to give the Spartans more than they can handle.

And while NSU coach Pete Adrian talks of being wary of Michael Ferguson, on pace to become that school's all-time leading rusher, the Aggies' defense is what got it done on Saturday when the team defeated Winston-Salem State 14-9. Before a sellout crowd in Greensboro, the Aggies held their opponent to less than 100 yards of offense.

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Stats tell story of SU defense

Eighty-nine points in two games. With opposing quarterbacks completing 79.8 percent of their passes. Against Southern’s more veteran unit, its supposed strength. Where’s the defense? “It’s still here,” strong safety Glenn Bell said. “We’ve just got to work out some kinks. We’ve got to rededicate ourselves. That fire we had last year, it’s not showing out there right now.”

Southern defensive coordinator Terrence Graves showed his team the harsh numbers. “The last couple weeks have been disappointing from the defense’s point of view,” defensive tackle Joseph Selders said. “We need to work on our focus, as a team.” Southern (0-2) is looking to rebound defensively in its home opener, a 6 p.m. nonconference game with Mississippi Valley State (1-0) in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

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Update: (9/12/08) Ike Wins! Prairie View A&M-Sam Houston State football game was canceled!

Sam Houston-Prairie View Game Notes (.pdf)

Sam Houston State Bearkats (1-0) vs. Prairie View A&M Panthers (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 -- 6 p.m.
Bowers Stadium -- Huntsville, TX
Radio KSAM 101.7 FM
Internet Radio: http://www.gobearkats.com/

The Sam Houston State Bearkats look to make it to 2-0 on the season when they take on Prairie View A&M on Parent's Weekend this Saturday. The Panthers come in to town after a 53-0 victory over Texas College, while the Bearkats look to get back to where they left off with their strong victory over East Central Oklahoma, 58-14.

Prairie View A&M is 2-0 with its first winning season since 1976 coming last year when the Panthers went 7-3. The Panthers hold the all time record for most consecutives losses at 80, lasting from 1989-98. This is almost double the previous record held by Columbia University, who accumulated 44 straight losses.

The Bearkats look to have another explosive offensive performance out of Rhett Bomar, who passed for 198 yards and had four touchdowns, as well as 30 yards rushing. The offense scored on every possession of the first half, including two touchdown catches by Catron Houston, and another by Jason Madkins. James Aston also rushed for 115 yards on eight carries and two scores.

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Expect Hurricane Ike to win this battle...

Offensive line big part of DSU's title quest

It was a direct order, the kind not to be questioned. It came from the guy at the top, after all. If he knew what was good for him, Adrian Brown, all 330 pounds of him, had better listen closely. "[Head coach Al] Lavan said, 'No fat guys allowed,' " the offensive lineman recalled of the first week he arrived at DSU from Hudson Valley College in 2007. " 'You all got to be slim and trim.'

"It was no joke. I found out the offensive linemen probably run more than anyone on the team." Brown and the rest of the offensive linemen have heeded Lavan's warning, and that could lead to the Hornets successfully defending their title as champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. "When you look back at where we've come from, this is the best [line] that we've had since I've been here," said Lavan, whose Hornets (1-0) visit Division I-A Kent State (0-2) from the Mid-American Conference on Saturday in Kent, Ohio.

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FAMU focusing on run defense during bye week

Asked how much the FAMU defensive unit would like to limit opposing teams on the ground, nose tackle Cameron Houston chuckled.

"To be honest, I don't want anybody get nothing on us," he said. "We are trying to get a lot of penetration up front. We're just trying to shut down everything. We're going to have a Steel Curtain." The Rattlers' defense seemed to be close to doing just that coming out of preseason camp, but it showed vulnerability against the run in their first two games.

Delaware State's running back Chris Strother had 129 yards on 32 carries against FAMU last Thursday night. That followed the opener against Alabama State, which rushed for 125 yards as a team. With Saturday being an off day for FAMU...

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Senior Linebacker Could Be Howard's Next NFL Star

This electrical engineering major could be Howards next big NFL star.

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- On Monday, Howard University senior linebacker Endor Cooper -- already named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's preseason defensive player of the year -- was honored as the conference's defensive player of the week. In Sunday's 12-7 loss to Georgetown University, Cooper recorded a career high 18 tackles, including 13 unassisted and 2.5 tackles for losses, according to the official Web site of Howard athletics.

Cooper burst onto the scene as a sophomore when he recorded five sacks in a game against Bethune-Cookman. That was the most ever in a game in Howard football history.
Cooper's talent was noticed when he played at Hylton High School in Woodbridge. He was selected as one of George Michael's Golden 11 and received scholarship offers from big programs.

VIEW: The ENDOR COOPER VIDEO

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Tennessee State vs. Southern U. Battle of Bands 9/6/08

No need for motivation: SCSU ready for Lowcountry Classic

S.C. STATE VS. BENEDICT: Video Hightlights



Motivation will not be a problem this week for South Carolina State.

Unlike the games against Central Florida and Benedict, the objective is not just about trying to have a good showing in a bid for victory. And, Saturday’s Lowcountry Classic matchup against Bethune-Cookman at Johnson Hagood Stadium is not just about playing well in front of the Charleston Bulldog fans. It’s the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for S.C. State and as S.C. State head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough reiterated at Monday’s press conference, it’s a contest the Bulldogs cannot afford to lose.

“I can tell you that our sense of urgency in this matter is pretty intense,” he said. Although S.C. State (1-1) has won three of the last four meetings against the Wildcats (following a six-year winless stretch from 1998-2003), the memory of that one loss at the 2006 Lowcountry Classic still lingers. The 45-21 thrashing at the hands of Bethune-Cookman was not only Pough’s worst conference loss, but served as an albatross the rest of the season for the Bulldogs’ MEAC title hopes.

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Grambling to start Tillman at Northwestern State

Missouri transfer J.P. Tillman will start for Grambling State this week. Tillman, subbing for sophomore Greg Dillon on Saturday against Alcorn State, was 12-of-25 for 143 yards and two scores. Dillon, a sophomore, finished 4-of-8 for just 24 yards in the eventual 29-0 win for GSU.

Grambling faces Northwestern State, a fellow Football Championship Subdivision program in Natchitoches, on Saturday. Kickoff has been moved up to 2 p.m., four hours earlier than initially announced, to accommodate the Grambling band -- which has been invited to perform the next day at a home game of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

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SU will decide on game Wednesday

Southern University officials expect to know by Wednesday if the school will be able to host Saturday’s home opener with Mississippi Valley State. The school is in the process of fixing damage caused by Hurricane Gustav and keeping an eye on Hurricane Ike’s track. “We want to wait until Wednesday,” Southern Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said. “We know it’s coming. We want to see which direction it’s going in by Wednesday.”

SU officials met Monday afternoon to discuss damage assessments from Gustav. If Saturday’s 6 p.m. game is postponed, the teams would play Dec. 6, LaFleur said. The teams have no common open dates until then. That would sandwich the game between the Nov. 29 Bayou Classic and the Dec. 13 Southwestern Athletic Conference (should either be a participant).

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Understated NFL Star Ken Riley Remains Underrated

Former Florida A&M University Rattlers Ken Riley and Bob Hayes, deserve to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Their inductions are long overdue as less accomplished players are being named to the Hall.

If Ken Riley had come up with a little trademark dance to perform after each of his 65 NFL interceptions, he might be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. But it isn't Riley's nature to call attention to himself. "I was very low-key," he said. "I always felt actions spoke louder than words."

Now he's not so sure. Twenty-five years after retiring as an active player, the 61-year-old Riley is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A strong case can be made that he should be, starting with statistics and longevity, and then considering more subtle issues like character and what a Hall of Fame should be about.

"He's the kind of classy guy you want to see in the Hall of Fame, what it stands for," said Arthur Hightower, director of player development for the San Diego Chargers. "The Sixties was a turbulent time, and he was a college quarterback who changed positions and never questioned it. Ken Riley has never been a 'me' person; he's always been a guy who just gets the job done."

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N.C.A & T Aggies go to 2-0 with win over WSSU Rams

Coach Lee Fobbs is beaming after a 2-0 start to the Aggie season.

Box Score

GREENSBORO -- It's a streak -- a winning streak for N.C. A&T. The offense scored early in the fourth quarter to give the Aggies breathing room and the defense made a late game, goal-line stand to protect that lead, as the Aggies came away with a 14-8 victory over Winston-Salem State on Saturday at Aggies Stadium.

After 27 straight losses, the victory gives A&T a 2-0 record to start the season and consecutive wins since 2005. After two Division II opponents at home, the Aggies now travel to Norfolk State next week, but coach Lee Fobbs knows that this year's version of the Aggies is much more prepared for their MEAC opener than they have been in the past.

"They believe that it (winning) is going to happen," Fobbs said. "It was all about effort, the effort they put in tonight and back on Tuesday and Wednesday. We have to stay on the right path. I just have a plan and we are working that plan."

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Attendance: 21,500 (100%) @ Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, N.C. (Capacity: 22,000).

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GU Hoyas Storm Back to Beat HU Bison in Season Opener

Boxscore (PDF)

GU Takes Inaugural D.C. Cup

On a summery Sunday afternoon on the campus of Howard University, Georgetown’s third season under Head Coach Kevin Kelly began with a refreshing air of optimism as clean and clear as the all-white road uniforms the Hoyas were sporting. A turnover on the opening kickoff gave the Bison excellent field position to start, but on a fourth and two with 13:15 remaining in the first quarter, the defensive line collapsed around the quarterback, and junior defensive back Dennis Jackson broke up a short slant pass.

In a play, the 2008 Hoyas showed why a new season provides fresh hope. Behind a dangerous two-quarterback attack and a revitalized defensive line, Georgetown seized the inaugural D.C. Cup 12-7 with a resilient comeback performance at Greene Stadium. The game was postponed on Saturday due to Tropical Storm Hanna. “They kept scratching and clawing,” Kelly said of his team. “This game could have gone either way. Howard played an excellent football game as well; we just made a couple of plays down the line to win the game.”

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Attendance: 6,085 (61%) @ William H. Greene Stadium, Washington, D.C. (Capacity: 10,000)

JMU Smacks N.C. Central, 56-7

HARRISONBURG, VA – A week ago, a football team from Durham, N.C., slapped some of the swagger from James Madison. Saturday night, against another team from the same city, the Dukes grabbed it all back. With quarterback Rodney Landers bouncing back from a nightmarish effort against Duke, JMU scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions to stomp North Carolina Central 56-7 in front of 15,518 fans on a surprisingly bright evening at Bridgeforth Stadium.

“Anytime you lose, people nitpick, find something to say,” Landers said. “We know what we can do because we're out at practice every day. We throw the ball around a lot, we change it up. Tonight I think we showed a little bit of that versatility.”

Nobody had more to prove than the senior quarterback, who committed three turnovers before being benched for JMU’s final possession in a 31-7 loss at Duke last weekend. Saturday, Landers was at his most efficient, finishing 13-for-17 through the air for 164 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 31 yards and a score on three carries.

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Attendance: 15,518 (100%) @ Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, VA (Capacity: 15,500).

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