Milestone for BCU Wildcats coach

Alvin Wyatt became the winningest coach in Bethune-Cookman University history Saturday, when his Wildcats beat Hampton University 17-6 at Armstrong Stadium. Wyatt, 84-47 at B-CU, is in his 12th season as head coach, but he's been a coach of some kind at the school for 32 years.

He served as an assistant football coach for 20 years under five head coaches before becoming the head man after the 1996 season. Wyatt guided the Wildcats to the 2002 MEAC football title, and to a second consecutive Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) playoff appearance a year later.

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2nd Annual Glenn Wilkes Classic

Daytona Ocean Center, Daytona Beach

The second annual Glenn Wilkes Classic will kick off the 2008/2009 NCAA Men's Basketball season at the Ocean Center, Friday through Sunday, November 21st through 23rd. Teams from Marshall University, Morgan State University, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, University of Utah, University of Mississippi and Rollins College will compete in the three-day event.

Friday, Nov. 21
2:00pm: Marshall University vs. Morgan State University

4:15pm: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay vs. Rollins College
6:30pm: University of Utah vs. University of Mississippi

Saturday, Nov. 22
2:00pm: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay vs. Marshall University
4:15pm: Morgan State University vs. University of Utah

Sunday, Nov. 23
11:00am: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay vs. Morgan State University
4:00pm: Marshall University vs. University of Mississippi

Tickets are on sale at the Ocean Center Box Office from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Monday through Friday, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.TicketMaster.com, or by phone at (407) 839-3900. One-day tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult. Three-day tickets are $25.00 for adults, and $10.00 for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult. Applicable service charges will be applied to all tickets.

Price Info:
1-Day - $10.00 (general), $5.00 (ages 12 & under w/adult); 3-Day - $25.00 (general), $10.00 (ages 12 & under w/adult)

Date & Time Info:
Friday through Sunday, November 21st through 23rd, 2008
See Description for Game Times

Contact Info:
407-839-3900

Location:
Daytona Beach Ocean Center
101 N. Atlantic Ave.
Daytona Beach, FL 32118

For more information about the basketball classic, go to http://www.glennwilkes.classic.com/

Pough approaching Morgan State with ‘the fierce urgency of now’

Video Highlights: Howard Bison at SCSU Bulldogs



From the moment head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough arrived at South Carolina State seven years ago, reaching the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs was his primary goal. With two games left for the Bulldogs (8-2, 6-0) to earn a win to clinch the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and first automatic playoff berth since 1982, Pough is approaching Saturday’s game at Morgan State (6-4, 4-2) with “rce urgency of now.”

“We’d like to get it over with,” Pough said at Monday’s press conference. “The very last thing we need to be is going to Greensboro (North Carolina) the last week of the season (Nov. 22 against North Carolina A&T) trying to eek out a win to try to win the conference. We need to clean this thing up right now and we’re all about this week. I’m not thinking about down the road. We want to win this weekend. We want to keep our (six-game winning) streak going. So I think we’ve got to do all we can to get this thing to come together now.”

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Attendance: Howard at SCSU - 11,239 (51%) at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Orangeburg, S.C. (Capacity: 22,000).

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A&T loses early lead, game to Florida A&M

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- For a while on Saturday afternoon at Aggie Stadium, it appeared as though N.C. A&T might steal a MEAC victory from conference rival Florida A&M. However, Florida A&M was able to overcome an early 7-0 deficit, as the Rattlers' defense held banged-up N.C. A&T (3-8, 1-6), to 56 net rushing yards, and forced four turnovers, to rally to a 45-7 blowout victory.

A&M junior linebacker Bryan Parker's nine tackles, two sacks, and two fumble recoveries, helped spark the Rattlers' (7-3, 3-3 MEAC) defense. Meanwhile, A&T is now 1-2 in interim head coach George Ragsdale's third game since taking over for the fired Lee Fobbs. "Their defense played lights out today," said Ragsdale. "We've got to meet their intensity on the other side of the ball. When we came out, we didn't have the energy that we've had the past two weeks."

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Attendance: 7,036 (32%) at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, N.C. (Capacity: 22,000).

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ESPN GameDay coming to FAMU, Saturday

Watch out FAMU and MEAC! ESPN will be coming to FAMU on Saturday.

The multimedia giant will bring its popular GameDay show to the Florida A&M campus this weekend, the first time the show will broadcast from the campus of an historically black university. The two-hour live broadcast will begin at 10 a.m. and precedes the MEAC showdown between the Rattlers and Hampton scheduled for 1 p.m.

“It is an honor to be the first historically black university to host ESPN’s College GameDay,” FAMU president James H. Ammons said in a release on the MEAC website. “We look forward to having ESPN on our beautiful campus as we take on the Hampton Pirates.”

FAMU is 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the MEAC while Hampton is 5-4, 4-2 MEAC.

The FAMU versus. Hampton game will not be broadcast by ESPN family networks, but can be viewed over the Internet on Florida A&M University's FAMCast Video Streaming Network at: http://www.famu.edu/famcast/famusports/ (Click Link).

Late score lifts WSSU by Delaware State 27-26

Coach Kermit Blount breaks Willam "Bill" Hayes career record for wins at WSSU with his 90th career victory in defeat of the DSU Hornets.

DOVER, DE - Winston-Salem State rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Delaware State, the defending MEAC champion, 27-26 yesterday at Alumni Stadium. The Rams were down 26-21 with 10:12 to go, but put together a 13-play drive that covered 66 yards. Quarterback Jarrett Dunston scored on a 1-yard run on fourth and goal with 4:19 to play. Dunston's touchdown gave the Rams a 27-26 lead after the two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Hornets (3-6) got the ball back and drove to the Rams' 20, but on fourth and 1, instead of trying a 37-yard field-goal attempt, tried to go for it and were stopped short as the Rams took over with 38 seconds left. Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams won his 90th career game to become the all-time wins leader in school history. Blount, in his 16th season, passed Bill Hayes (currently Florida A&M's Athletic Director). Blount is 90-75-3 as the coach of his alma mater.

"This is very emotional for me; I didn't think I'd be this emotional, but my players really showed they loved me in this game," Blount said. "They really stuck to it in the second half, never let up, and we came away with the win."

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Attendance: 891 (13%) at Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE (Capacity: 6828).

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NSU defense scores 2 TDs, limits league’s top rusher in win

NORFOLK, VA - Morgan State might have the top-ranked defense in Division I-AA, but Norfolk State’s was better Saturday at Price Stadium. The Bears committed a season-high seven turnovers, and the Spartans dominated in a 35-9 rout. Don Carey, who picked off a pair of passes in front of a handful of NFL scouts in town to watch him, said the NSU defense got ticked off early and remained angry in holding the Bears to their fewest points this fall in a I-AA game.

“Rankings don’t mean a thing,” the Booker T. Washington High School graduate said. “The thing that got me is they tried to come out and jump on our logo. No matter who we’re playing, I’m always going to show respect.” Carey scored off his second pick, zooming 94 yards down the left sideline for the first touchdown of his career. That was NSU’s second defensive TD of the afternoon. Hasan Craig ran back Mario Melton’s fumble two plays before that.

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Attendance: 5,812 (19.4%) at Dick Price Stadium, Norfolk, VA (Capacity: 30,000).

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PVAMU Panthers steamroll AAMU 'dogs

Still not Dogs' day, PVAMU 24, AAMU 10

Quick start doesn't last as Prairie View beats Alabama A&M again. Alabama A&M's offense has been missing in action for much of the season. Quarterback Kevin Atkins and company have been anything but a well-oiled machine. However, the Bulldogs, seeking a fast start Saturday against Prairie View in an important Southwestern Athletic Conference game, got exactly what they wanted as Thomas Harris' 68-yard catch and run 17 seconds into the game gave them an early lead. It was 10-7 after Jeremy Licea's 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

But as it has done throughout the season, A&M struggled the rest of the way, and Prairie View went on to claim a 24-10 victory on Senior Day at Louis Crews Stadium before an announced crowd of 3,810. "We've done the same thing all year in these big games," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We haven't been able to make enough big plays, and when you play a good football team like we did today and you don't make big plays and you're not consistent, you're going to come up short, and that's what happened."

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SWAC Soccer tourney has big impact

The Mississippi Valley State University soccer team wasn’t the only winner this weekend at the SWAC women’s tournament. The Valley campus and Greenwood’s economy took home victories as well. “It’s been great,” said Kelly Brooks, associate commissioner of the SWAC. “Valley did an incredible job of preparing for the arrival of the tournament. Their facility is beautiful.”

The Delta Devilettes ably defended their upgraded home turf, defeating Jackson State 2-1 in the final Sunday for their second SWAC title. The benefits to the local economy could be seen before even getting out of the parking lot to the stadium. License plates from California, Canada, Colorado and Florida clearly demonstrated the tournament’s draw. Moira Barnes, Debbie Johnston and Donna Gregory made the 17-hour drive from London, Ontario to watch their daughters play.

“It’s nice to get down to see our girls,” Barnes said. Her only complaint about the tournament was one common to many sporting parents: The refereeing could have been better. The Canadians arrived Wednesday and were scheduled to leave today.

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UAPB Golden Lions take a step back in defeat

UAPB Head Football Coach Monte Coleman has had a difficult first season with the Golden Lions.

Forget the step forward the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions seemed to be taking the past two weeks. In losing to Grambling State 28-7 Saturday before a crowd of 15,500 at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium, the Golden Lions did an about-face and marched squarely in the wrong direction. UAPB fumbled the ball four times, with three of those fumbles being recovered by Grambling State. Golden Lions quarterbacks Gvona Turner and Jonathan Moore had three interceptions combined while completing only 8 of 23 passes.

This two weeks after the Golden Lions scored 42 points against Division II Lincoln in their first victory of the season and one week after UAPB took Southwestern Athletic Conference power Southern University of Baton Rouge to overtime in a 31-24 loss. “We had opportunities to win this game. We’ve been jinxed with that bug all year, turning the football over with fumbles and interceptions,” said UAPB’s Monte Coleman, who has yet to win a SWAC game in his first season as head coach.

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Grambling, first-year coach Donnita Drain have a winning debut

(L) Head Coach Donnita Drain; (R) Sophomore forward Secrett Anderson, a transfer from Florida A&M 2006-07 team, was the game high scorer.

First-year women's basketball coach Donnita Drain made a successful debut as the Grambling State University Lady Tigers captured a 91-63 exhibition win over Huston-Tillotson on Sunday afternoon in the Assembly Center. With eight newcomers receiving extensive action in the first half, it took some time for the Lady Tigers to establish an offensive rhythm as Huston-Tillotson managed to claim an early 16-15 lead at the 10:36 mark. However, the tide of the contest began to change as Grambling went on a 13-0 run that was sparked by newcomers Rachele Dobbins and Secrett Anderson. From that point, Grambling never looked back as they closed out the first half ahead 47-37.

Huston-Tillotson drew to within eight points on several occasions early in the second half but never could get over the hump as the Lady Tigers managed to stop several of their runs with defensive stops. As a result, Grambling eventually secured control of the contest midway through the second half with an 18-1 surge that featured five points and four rebounds from senior Gabrielle Fleming.

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SSU player proposes on football field

SSU senior lineman, Roland Jackson

Savannah State University football player Roland Jackson did not have a post-game surprise after the Tigers played Edward Waters College on Saturday, but he certainly did the previous Saturday. After SSU's 23-7 homecoming victory over Concordia-Selma on Nov. 1, the senior stunned his girlfriend, Janika Davis, by proposing marriage to her on the field at T.A. Wright Stadium.

"She said yes," Jackson said, grinning. "She was really shocked."

After the game, a sweat-and-grass-covered Jackson sprinted to the locker room and showered. "I was going to (propose) in uniform, but I knew that the moment was going to get deep, and I didn't want to be hugging on her smelling like that," he said. Davis, an SSU senior from Riverdale, waited at midfield along with her family, Jackson's family and their friends.

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LAST GAME: Edward Waters 26, Savannah State 21 (4-6 record) at Gilman Stadium, Kingsland, GA. Attendance: 3,117.

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Everything falls apart for ASU; Jackson State smothers Hornets

Photo Gallery: ASU loses to Jackson State

Three weeks ago, the Alabama State football team changed its offensive approach, going from a pass-heavy game plan to one that relied more on the running game. After two games in which the offense was clearly improving, the Hornets thought they had found the answer. They thought their severe struggles were behind them. They thought wrong.

Against an aggressive Jackson State defense determined to stop the run, the ASU offense was absolutely atrocious. The Hornets managed a meager 93 total yards, had only seven first downs and threatened to score just once. Jackson handed ASU its first shutout of the year, 20-0. "We just took a huge step back," ASU head coach Reggie Barlow said. "It was just a combination of everything. We couldn't run it. We couldn't throw it. We couldn't do anything."

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TSU inches closer to conference title

Heffner throws 4 TDs, runs for another in win

Photo Gallery: TSU vs. Eastern Illinois

Antonio Heffner is still hurting, but the Tennessee State quarterback inflicted plenty of pain Saturday on Eastern Illinois at LP Field. After missing last week's game with a rib injury, Heffner hobbled back onto the field and led the Football Championship Subdivision No. 22 Tigers to a 45-24 win. Heffner completed only seven passes, but four were touchdowns and he ran for another, helping TSU (8-2, 5-1 Ohio Valley Conference) finish with an undefeated home record for the first time since 1999 and stay on course to win the OVC title.

It could have been Heffner's final game at LP Field depending on whether the Tigers secure a playoff berth and whether the game is played at home. But if it was his last game, he was determined to go out in a big way no matter how badly he was hurting. "I am still in a little bit of pain but it was better this week than last week," Heffner said. "I came out from the first play in a pretty good groove because this was possibly my last game at LP Field. Knowing that, and with it being Senior Day, you just want to go out and play your best."

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Attendance: 6393 (9.3%) at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee (Capacity: 68,800).

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Cal Poly Barden ties Rice’s consecutive TD record in 49-3 romp over NCCU

There was no sweating it out this week. Cal Poly receiver Ramses Barden was in the end zone on the first drive, and tied the FCS record for consecutive games catching a touchdown pass less than five minutes after Saturday’s kickoff of Cal Poly’s 49-3 win over North Carolina Central. He shares the record with Jerry Rice. It was a stark contrast to last week’s game, in which Barden had just one catch in the first 28 minutes and didn’t get a receiving touchdown until the third quarter.

People were left to wonder whether Barden’s streak of games with a touchdown catch was in jeopardy just one shy of reaching Rice’s mark. But he kept it alive last week against Idaho State and tied the Hall of Fame receiver with a touchdown grab in his 17th straight game Saturday against the Eagles. Barden caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jonathan Dally just 31⁄2 minutes into the game to put the Mustangs ahead 7-0.

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Attendance: 10,825 (108%) at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, San Luis Obispo, CA (Capacity: 10,000).

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Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm 2008

PVAMU Alma Mater

FAMU Marching 100 - Homecoming 2008 Show

MEAC's big boys up last as A&T seeks a strong finish

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A winning season and conference championship are out of reach, and the coach has been fired. Yet, as they enter their final two football games of 2008, the N.C. A&T Aggies swear the search for significance isn't as tough as finding Sasquatch in Summerfield. "Florida A&M and South Carolina State: the big boys," interim coach George Ragsdale said. "And we're a big boy. We've got to get our place back."

Simply beating the Rattlers and Bulldogs won't immediately return A&T (3-7, 1-5 MEAC) to that status, but it might be a start. And at least the Aggies are done with travel for the year, having driven to the ends of the MEAC -- Delaware State and Bethune-Cookman -- during the past three weeks. Those journeys added up to approximately 1,934 round-trip miles, the rough equivalent of taking the bus one way from Greensboro to Moab, Utah. So what exactly is in it for the Aggies in the two games and one bye week to come?

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Comments by Hampton Pirates' coach annoy WSSU Rams

The rivalry that existed between Winston-Salem State and Hampton when both played in the CIAA is back in full swing. It was evident Saturday, after WSSU spoiled Hampton's homecoming with a 35-30 victory. Jerry Holmes, in his first season as the Pirates' coach, had a few choice words that didn't sit well with some of the Rams' coaches and players.

"Any time we have that much talent, there's no way they should beat us," Holmes said after the game. "We've got speed, we've got guys up front -- there's no way. There's no way they should have beat us." Hampton also has 10 transfers from Bowl Subdivision teams to WSSU's two, but WSSU had a 100-yard return for a touchdown by David Irizarry after Hampton missed a field-goal attempt. Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams said he didn't take what Holmes said personally.

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Barack Obama elected 44th president

‘Change has come to America,’ first African-American leader tells country

Photo Gallery: View related photos



Barack Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois, shattered more than 200 years of history Tuesday night by winning election as the first African-American president of the United States. A crowd of 125,000 people jammed Grant Park in Chicago, where Obama addressed the nation for the first time as its president-elect at midnight ET. Hundreds of thousands more — Mayor Richard Daley said he would not be surprised if a million Chicagoans jammed the streets — watched on a large television screen outside the park.

“If there is anyone out there who doubts that America is a place where anything is possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer,” Obama declared. “Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans have sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of red states and blue states,” he said. “We have been and always will be the United States of America.



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Southern’s depth in secondary bodes well for ’09

Their starting left corner back missed last week’s home finale, and their starting free safety is on the shelf for good. But the Southern Jaguars’ black-and-blue secondary may have uncovered something over the last two months: silver lining. So many reserves have played in the secondary this season that their transition to starting roles might not be as rough next fall.

“I think it just shows the depth we have on our football team,” SU coach Pete Richardson said. “I think our assistants do an outstanding job of preparation and keeping the young ones focused — to make sure they’re focused on what they have to do. Anything can happen. When they got an opportunity to play, I think they stepped up and did that.”

Indeed. A pulled groin muscle forced left corner Mike Williams to sit out Saturday’s 31-24 double-overtime victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

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Attendance: 10354 (35%) @ Mumford Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA (Capacity: 28,400).

Backup powers TSU past Tech

No. 25 Tigers roll to remain in OVC race

After being derailed last week, Tennessee State settled back into the driver's seat of the Ohio Valley Conference by clobbering Tennessee Tech Saturday night 41-14. Not only did the No. 25 Tigers bounce back from a tough-to-stomach loss to Southeast Missouri, they did it with a backup quarterback making his first start. Dominic Grooms, a transfer from Missouri, stepped in for injured Antonio Heffner and in front of a homecoming crowd of 24,361, led the offense to its best performance of the year, according to Coach James Webster.

"This was as good of a game as we've played because we had no turnovers,'' Webster said. "If we don't turn the football over, we win." If TSU (7-2, 4-1 OVC) wins its remaining three games, it will win the conference championship and earn an automatic berth to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Tigers have defeated the other two teams with one conference loss, UT Martin and Eastern Kentucky.

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Attendance: 24,361 (35%) @ LP Field, Nashville, TN (Capacity: 68,798) vs. Tennessee Tech.

B-CU defense steps up

DAYTONA BEACH -- The bread and butter for Bethune-Cookman this season has been its rushing offense -- tops in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and 10th-best in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. But on Saturday at Municipal Stadium, the offense -- while it did produce enough points to hang a 24-14 defeat on North Carolina A&T -- had to let the defense take the most bows.

"I guess it was our turn," sophomore linebacker Josh Smiley said. "The offense has picked us up in some games, so maybe today we helped the offense and made their job a little easier." And how! Consider that B-CU defenders permitted the Aggies only eight first downs, only 2.9 yards per rushing attempt, only 163 total yards (103 rushing, 60 passing), only 47 offensive plays (22 less than B-CU), only 24 minutes of possession (about 11 less than B-CU), only two third-down conversions and only one "earned" touchdown.

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SSU QB has sprained shoulder

X-rays taken Monday afternoon of Savannah State starting quarterback Kurvin Curry's right (throwing) shoulder revealed no major damage, coach Robby Wells said. Curry, a 6-foot, 198-pound freshman from Hartwell, separated his right shoulder when he was tackled during a running play with 14 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter of the Tigers' Homecoming game against Concordia-Selma.

"Nothing is broken. He's got a slight sprain," Wells said. "(The doctors and trainers) are telling me that he's going to be at least 80-85 percent this weekend. We're going to get him out there and let him do the mental reps in practice and just see how he progresses. I'll make a game-time decision."

SSU (4-5) will travel to Camden County on Saturday to play Edward Waters (2-7) at 5 p.m. at Gilman Stadium in Kingsland. If Curry is unable to start....

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