Vann does it all for FAMU

Rattlers junior LeRoy Vann runs another kickoff back for 84 yard TD against B-CU in the 29th Florida Classic.

ORLANDO, FL -- Fortunately for Florida A&M, LeRoy Vann isn't as erratic at the Dow Jones Industrial Average -- at least he wasn't Saturday in the Florida Classic. There were few lows and a lot of highs out of the Tampa junior, who was instrumental in the Rattlers' 58-35 victory over B-CU. Vann intercepted a pass, returned a kickoff for a touchdown, forced two fumbles, covered an onside kick and even had an 11-yard carry on offense on fourth-and-1.

"He's a real talent and a real competitor," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "Special teams, he does a great job there. He's an outstanding young man." The junior is known mostly for his returns on special teams, but he was so active Saturday one might have thought he never came off the field. "I like big plays. I'm a big-play special teams player. That's just in me," said Vann.

After a quiet first quarter, Vann got active on the sixth play of the second quarter when he intercepted a Matthew Johnson pass and returned it 16 yards to the B-CU 27.
Six plays later, Phillip Sylvester ran in a 7-yard score, staking the Rattlers to a 24-0 cushion.

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Attendance: 60,712 at Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida

FAMU wins 29th Florida Classic 58-35 over Bethune-Cookman

Florida A&M capped a resurgent 2008 season in style, throttling rival Bethune-Cookman 58-35 to win its third Florida Classic in four years. Just a year removed from a disastrous 3-8 finish and lopsided 34-7 loss in the 2007 Classic, the Rattlers punctuated new coach Joe Taylor first season with a quick striking offensive attack and stifling defense that took advantage of six Wildcats' turnovers Saturday.

FAMU got its biggest boost junior quarterback and University of Kentucky transfer Curtis Pulley, who accounted the four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) as the Rattlers skated out to an early 31-0 lead and never really looked back. The Rattlers led 38-21 lead at the half, surviving what wound up being a very sloppy half of football as both teams combined for seven turnovers. But there were also plenty of early fireworks.

Pulley had both of his rushing scores in the opening 30 minutes, including a 51-yard scamper on his way to 153 yards in the half on just 10 carries. Running back Phillip Sylvester also added a pair of short touchdown runs and teammate Leroy Vahn also ignited the crowd with an 83-yard kickoff return for a score.

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JSU gets scare, but holds off feisty Alcorn

Ernest Jones, the first-year Alcorn coach, promised a program-defining victory over Jackson State. He missed on the noun, but he just might have been correct on the adjective. Alcorn didn't get the victory, but the Braves might have defined their program before an announced crowd of 33,005 on an absolutely pristine day for football at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Trailing 26-0 with five minutes to go in the third quarter, Alcorn scared the stripes off the JSU Tigers, losing 26-21 and throwing into the end zone for the potential winning score in the last minute.

"Thank God," JSU coach Rick Comegy said with a heavy sigh afterward. "That was way too close at the end." Give Alcorn credit. The Braves came into the game at 2-9 and having lost four straight. JSU came in, as SWAC East champions, having won five straight and headed to play an undetermined opponent for the league championship in three weeks.

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Attendance: 33,005 - Capital City Classic @ Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS

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Wasted chances costly for Morgan Bears

Morgan State leading rusher Devan James

Morgan State's dream of capturing a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship ended with last week's loss to South Carolina State, but the Bears still had much at stake in yesterday's season finale against visiting Hampton. The Bears, nonetheless, squandered another huge defensive effort and fell to Hampton, 17-13, despite giving up only 167 total yards. Morgan State blew opportunities to finish with a winning conference record for the first time since 2003 and to have its third winning season in almost 30 years.

"We contribute to our losses. We contribute to our demise," Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said. "Everything they got, we gave them. We have got to get to the point where players make plays. As a team, after you work all week, you have to look out for each other." Bears running back Devan James, who leads the MEAC with 111.4 rushing yards per game, finished with 112 on 25 carries. Morgan State (6-6, 4-4 MEAC) had 279 total yards and led the time of possession 35:11 to 24:29.

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Attendance: 2,145 at Hughes Stadium, Baltimore, MD

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Backup QB helps Hornets win finale

DSU Hornets ends disappointing season as Coach Al Lavan look towards next year.

Glaud rallies DSU in second half

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- If it's November and you play on a losing football team, many players want to see their team's season come to a merciful end. Do not, however, count Anthony Glaud among them. Delaware State's sophomore backup quarterback wanted to prove Saturday that he represents the Hornets' future. A Bowling Green transfer who played behind four-year starter Vashon Winton all year, Glaud was DSU's offensive catalyst in a 10-6 victory over Howard before 2,161 fans on a bitterly cold afternoon at Greene Stadium.

"This wasn't the last game for me," Glaud said.

With Winton, who was starting his final game, the Hornets had just 69 yards of total offense. Glaud came in and completed 9 of 18 passes for 86 yards and DSU's only touchdown, a 15-yard pass to Erick Jones in the third quarter. Winton, who last week directed the Hornets to a come-from-behind win over Norfolk State, completed 7 of 12 passes for 49 yards. But with Winton not himself in his 44th career start, DSU coach Al Lavan made a change.

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Attendance: 2,161 at Greene Stadium, Washington, D.C.

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Branche's late score rallies Spartans in season finale

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - It's basketball season, and Norfolk State football won Saturday thanks to an assist from DeAngelo Branche. The running back out of Maury High School rumbled his way to a career-high 181 yards, lifting the Spartans to a 17-14 victory over Winston-Salem State at Bowman-Gray Stadium in the season finale for both teams. Branche, who eclipsed his previous career-high by one yard, finished the season with 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back barreled for 154 of those in a second half that saw NSU rally twice to get past a team that beat Hampton and Delaware State in the last three weeks.

"My offensive line gave me the blocks I needed," Branche said. "We're going into the offseason with a win. That's better than a loss." The Spartans (5-7) ended the season by winning three of their final four. Saturday's nonconference match-up with the Rams (3-8) wasn't without some anxious moments for NSU, particularly when a turnover on their fifth play from scrimmage resulted in a Winston-Salem touchdown.

Nigel McGowen's 10-yard catch was good for an NSU first down, but the sophomore fumbled after a blistering hit by Alton Keaton. Alex Chandler scooped up the loose ball for a 52-yard return to the end zone. The Spartans, 1 of 6 on third-down conversions in the first half, got their lone points of the period from Justin Castellat's 36-yard field goal.

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Attendance: 1,428 at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, N.C.

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Valley ends miserable season with another lopsided loss

Should this be it for Totten?

A season filled with lopsided losses for Mississippi Valley State ended with one of its worst thrashings of the year. Valley's disappointing season ended with a a miserable 58-23 loss to Alabama A&M Saturday at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena. Bulldog quarterback Kevin Atkins had a career outing as he carved up the Delta Devil defense for 357 yards and five touchdowns on 24-of-35 passing.

Valley ends the season at 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the Eastern Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference - leaving the Delta Devils in last place in the division for the second straight year. If this was it for beleaguered MVSU head coach Willie Totten, it's not the way he would've hoped to go out as the Delta Devils allowed the most points to a SWAC team in Totten's seven-year tenure.

Totten, who is 28-44 at the helm of his alma mater, has one year left on his contract that pays him $92,928 a year. But there has been wide speculation that he will be fired after his fifth losing season in seven years. After Saturday's game, a frustrated Totten refused to discuss whether this was his last game at Valley."We've just got to put this behind us and go out and recruit some better players," he said.

With an announced crowd of just 789 - which looked much slimmer than that - not many Delta Devil fans showed up. The ones who did saw a familiar sight: a pitiful showing by the defense. It was the fifth loss of the season by 34 or more points. This marked the third straight game missed by second-year defensive coordinator Dennis Winston. Totten refused to comment on Winston's status.

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Attendance: 789 at Rice -Totten Stadium, Itta Bena, MS (Capacity: 10,000).

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