South Carolina State 35, Florida A&M 20

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Victory a big rush for SC State

ORANGEBURG - Will Ford picked the perfect stage to make history on Saturday before 24,449 fans at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The senior running back from Travelers Rest ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns to help the 12th-ranked Bulldogs score a 35-20 win over No. 22 Florida A&M in a key MEAC game. It was the Bulldogs' 14th consecutive conference win - a school record - and their seventh victory in a row against Florida A&M. In the process, Ford became S.C. State's all-time leading rusher. His 7-yard run on the first play of the second half allowed him to surpass previous leader Michael Hicks.

Ford, who has 4,164 rushing yards, also moved into second place on the MEAC rushing chart. He needs 480 yards to surpass Hampton's Alonzo Hampton. "Getting a win is always the first priority, but luckily I was able to get the record too," Ford said. "It was a great day all the way around. We knew this was a game we had to win, and playing in front of a crowd like that made it even more special."

Famu's MEAC hopes bitten by Bulldogs

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — FAMU is going to need a lot of help from somebody else in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to remain in contention for the league title. South Carolina State simply refused to give the Rattlers an assist. Saturday, the Rattlers sputtered in every way possible, falling prey to costly mistakes and an SCSU defense that allowed only 35 yards rushing. FAMU got 320 yards in the air but that meant little in a 35-20 loss that jeopardizes its chances of winning its first conference title in more than a decade.

"They just played a little harder than we did for whatever reason," said Coach Joe Taylor after FAMU's first conference loss this season at Dawson Stadium. "Their defensive line kept on our offensive line and rushed (quarterback Curtis) Pulley the whole day." Both teams came into the game with undefeated MEAC records, their only losses being to BCS schools. Conference championship implications and even a post-season berth added to the hype that drew the second largest crowd (24,496) to attend a home game for the Bulldogs.

Photo Gallery: FAMU v SC State

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Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20, Jackson State 13 (O.T.)

LATE RALLY LIFTS GOLDEN LIONS PAST JACKSON STATE TIGERS

JACKSON, MISS. — Monte Coleman knew the decision he had just made was risky. But that didn’t mean it was necessarily difficult. His Arkansas-Pine Bluff team had just taken a three point lead on a Carlos Reyes field goal from 38 yards out in an overtime series that was made possible by a spark lit by the insertion of backup quarterback Josh Boudreaux. But a personal foul penalty on Jackson State’s Malcolm Palmer gave Coleman the option of extending the lead and making it a little bit harder on the Tigers. His team had the potentially winning points on the scoreboard, and Coleman took them off.

“We had momentum,” he said. “That’s what I was counting on.” Coleman’s faith was paid back by Boudreaux, who hadn’t seen game-action since a season-opening loss to Arkansas-Monticello on Sept. 5. Two plays after the penalty, Boudreaux scrambled to his left, saw Raymond Webber in the back of the end zone and lofted a pass that landed safely in the senior wide receiver’s arms. A James Harrell tip of a Tray Rutland pass on fourth-and-2 ended Jackson State’s hopes of forcing another overtime period, and it set off a celebration alongside UAPB’s sideline as the Golden Lions finished the improbable 20-13 overtime win at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

THORNTON GETS PICKS LEAD

JACKSON, MISS.— One of the biggest disappointments that came from last week’s canceled game against Alcorn State was the nullification of the stellar defensive statistics Arkansas-Pine Bluff put up through two quarters on Oct. 1. That game was canceled after halftime because of a rain and lightning storm and, among those numbers lost to Mother Nature, was Kevin Thornton’s fifth interception of the season. That development upset UAPB coach Monte Coleman and Thornton, a senior free safety who has made it his mission this year to break the school’s career interception record — even if nobody can seem to figure out what that record is. In the Golden Lions first game since that night it didn’t take long for Thornton to get the interception back.

Kareem Copeland's Talking Points

Jackson State had several opportunities to put Arkansas-Pine Bluff away, or at least extend the lead, but couldn't. JSU forced UAPB into a three-and-out after scoring the first touchdown of the game, but quarterback Tray Rutland threw an interception on the very next play. Not only was the pass picked off, but Carlos Everett had two steps on the defender when the ball was underthrown. The Golden Lions had four drives that stalled after a maximum of four plays, but Rutland threw interceptions on three of the ensuing drives.

Taking a U-turn

It's almost impossible to imagine two more different scenes within the same locale. Seven days ago, Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium was the site of the world's largest Jackson State party after a win over Southern. On Saturday, silence reigned supreme despite the blaring of the Arkansas-Pine Bluff band. Seven days ago, JSU players ran around the field waving the pep squad's flags. On Saturday, Terrance Onyiuke and Marcell Young sat dejected on the metal bench, staring at the grass in front of them. It was the look of a team that was two minutes from victory but watched its opponent score 14 straight points for a 20-13 overtime victory in front of an announced crowd of 11,082.

For JSU football coach, death of wife a loss like no other

They had driven 10 1/2 hours, from Jackson to Cincinnati. Only 53 miles remained to their destination of Xenia, Ohio, when the oldies radio station played a song Jackson State University head football coach Rick Comegy had heard a thousand times - the 1971 Bill Withers hit, Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone. This time he listened to the lyrics. Every word felt like a knife to the heart. ... Ain't no sunshine when she's gone/only darkness every day/ain't no sunshine when she's gone/and this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away ... A family friend was driving Comegy and his 15-year-old son Rick Jr. to a hometown memorial service for Comegy's wife of 25 years, Connie, who died June 22 of cancer. She was 54. In the passenger seat, Comegy wanted to let it all out. Cry. Scream. Kick. Punch the dash. "But I couldn't let Rick Jr. see me like that," he says.

Tigers' defense falters at crunch time

Jackson State will find itself in the midst of a defensive battle quite often this season. That's what happens when a club excels on defense and employs a low-scoring, ball-control offense. So, there was no surprise when neither offense could get going when JSU hosted Arkansas-Pine Bluff. However, the Dark Side defense rarely gets outplayed, but it did Saturday in a 20-13 overtime loss. "I walked the sideline and I was looking in the eyes of guys that weren't even playing and the guys that were playing, I knew we were going to win that football game," UAPB coach Monte Coleman said. "It was something about tonight that was going to be no give up by anybody.

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Grambling State Tigers 41, Alabama A&M Bulldogs 20

Grambling goes 'wild': New formation earns A&M victory

GRAMBLING, LA -— The Wildcat offense is the latest trend to permeate throughout the football world. It’s seen every Friday night in the high school ranks. Arkansas put it on the map two years ago. It’s even in the NFL, with the Miami Dolphins leading the charge. And on Saturday, it made its first big splash at Grambling. With dual-threat quarterback Greg Dillon hobbled by an injury, Grambling inserted backup wide receiver Rodale Pippen into the lineup as its Wildcat quarterback, and Pippen ran for two scores in Grambling’s 41-20 victory over Alabama A&M.

A&M still has no wins at Grambling

GRAMBLING, La. - There's something about Robinson Stadium that brings out the worst in Alabama A&M. It happened to the Bulldogs again Saturday as the Tigers broke open a close game in the second half and won going away. Trailing by a point early in the second quarter, A&M watched Grambling score 27 unanswered points en route to yet another lopsided loss - this time 41-20 - before an announced crowd of 2,661 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game. "We played poorly today," A&M inside linebacker Afu Okosun said. "They hit us with a lot of quick stuff, and we didn't make the plays to stop them from driving down the field. Once they got rolling, it was hard for us to stop them."

Grambling earns first conference win over Alabama A&M

Grambling earned its first conference win of the season on Saturday, pulling away from Alabama A&M in the second half for a 41-20 victory. It was Grambling's first win in three games, and it came on the heels of losses to Oklahoma State and Prairie View A&M. The first half was a back-and-forth affair. Grambling scored on its first possession, marching 88 yards in just four plays, capped by a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Greg Dillon to wide receiver Bakari Maxwell. It didn't take long for Alabama A&M to respond. Quarterback Kevin Atkins moved the Bulldogs deep into Grambling territory, and Jeremy Licea narrowed the GSU lead with a 27-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

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Alabama A&M University Maroon and White Marching Band @ Drumline 2009 show in Chattanooga, Tennessee 10/5/2009

#11 Miami (FL) 48, Florida A&M Rattlers 16

Hurricanes not rattled

UM manhandled Florida A&M, beating the Rattlers for the seventh time in a row. Six Hurricanes scored one touchdown apiece, and 12 Canes caught at least one pass in the rout.

The FAMU Marching 100 did not disappoint. The No. 11 Miami Hurricanes did pretty well, too. Though the biggest cheers Saturday night went to Florida A&M's famed marching band for its tribute to Michael Jackson, the University of Miami showcased plenty of its own young talent in a 48-16 victory against the Rattlers. Starting quarterback Jacory Harris played the first half and completed 16 of 24 passes for 217 yards and touchdowns to wide receiver Leonard Hankerson and tight end Jimmy Graham. Harris did enough to power UM (4-1) to a 31-3 halftime lead, but he was pressured more than usual and did a good deal of scrambling. Harris threw two interceptions.

Watch ESPN's 360 FAMU Rattlers vs. Miami Hurricanes Game Replay

Junior tailback Damien Berry got the first carries of his career and made them count. Berry rushed for 162 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. It marked the most rushing yards by a Hurricane since Tyrone Moss had 195 yards in 2005 at the Orange Bowl. ``I was a little nervous,'' Berry said. ``My heart was going 150 miles an hour. After I got in and I got used to it, everything went great.'' Berry scored UM's final touchdown on a 35-yard run down the left side in the fourth quarter.

Rattlers get good experience by playing Hurricanes

MIAMI GARDENS — Jacory Harris had already engineered six touchdown drives and yet the Miami crowd kept cheering for more. They rooted a little louder each time that FAMU's defenders found one of the few gaps to put pressure on Harris. Linebacker Greg Boler quieted them for a moment. He sacked the Hurricanes' star quarterback, briefly disrupting yet another drive that still ended with a Miami touchdown on the way to a 48-16 victory. The Rattlers defense didn't have too many other shots at Harris or any other Miami playmakers for that matter, but the unit showed some encouraging signs. The defensive front created enough of an opening to pressure Harris into two mistakes that resulted in interceptions for Fabian Wilson and Curtis Holcomb.

The interceptions were the first by the defense in five games. That they came against a BCS team is a statement — however small — for the defense. "The experience was good," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "We will be better as a result. That was some good competition and we competed. It's definitely going to make us better for the rest of the way."



Photo Galleries: UM vs. FAMU Oct. 10, 2009
Game stats UM 48, FAMU 16
Blog FAMU postgame notes, thoughts

Miami Hurricanes backup AJ Highsmith has strong debut

Somewhere, former Hurricane Alonzo Highsmith was sweating bullets Saturday night. His son, UM freshman quarterback A.J. Highsmith, saw his first action of the season in the second half against Florida A&M. And he didn't disappoint the Canes -- or his dad. After going three-and-out on his opening series, Highsmith completed his first pass -- a 4-yarder to redshirt freshman fullback John Calhoun -- then led UM to a field goal on his next drive. Along the way, Highsmith rolled out of the pocket and completed a 29-yard pass to Tommy Streeter, who was wide open along the sideline. Highsmith finished 3 of 3 for 36 yards and ran once for a 2-yard loss. More importantly, he didn't fumble and didn't make any bad decisions.

Attendance: 47,859 @ Land Shark Stadium, Miami, FL

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GAME BLOG: Final Score FAMU 16, Miami 48 »
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Morgan State Bears 7, North Carolina A&T Aggies 6

Blocked extra point gives Morgan State the win

There were few secrets Saturday between Morgan State and visiting North Carolina A&T. Not with former Bears coaches Alonzo Lee and Chennis Berry standing on the opposite sideline as the Aggies' first-year head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively. So for the better part of three hours, each team successfully snuffed out what the other does best on both sides of the ball. It was special teams, however, that ultimately made the difference in Morgan's 7-6 win before an announced 12,045 on Homecoming Day at Hughes Stadium.

First, Bears linebacker Fred Davis blocked Patrick Courtney's extra-point try in the third quarter after A&T's only touchdown, then Wallace Miles' 51-yard desperation field-goal attempt fell short as time expired, helping the Bears improve to 4-1 for the first time since 1979. "It was like fighting with your brother over bread," Bears coach Donald Hill-Eley said. "When you've been together for 15 or 20 years, they know your tendencies. It's very difficult because there's only so much you can do. It was a chess match." The win gave Morgan (4-1 overall, 2-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) just its second four-game winning streak since moving to Division I in 1984.

Attendance: 12,045 @ Hughes Stadium, Baltimore, MD

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OPEN COMPETITIONS CONTINUE

Rutgers 42, Texas Southern Tigers 0

Rutgers' defense comes up big in 42-0 victory over Texas Southern

It’s easy to look at Rutgers’ dominant defensive performance Saturday and pooh-pooh it because it came against an overmatched Texas Southern team, and not, say, Pittsburgh. But it’s not David Rowe’s fault that Texas Southern was Rutgers’ opponent. So Rowe won’t make any apologies for his first career interception, which he returned 56 yards for his first college touchdown in Rutgers’ 42-0 demolition of Texas Southern Saturday on Homecoming Day at Rutgers Stadium. Instead, Rowe will focus on the fact that his play, which opened the scoring, got the Scarlet Knights off and running to the easy victory that will serve to prep them for this Friday’s visit by 5-1 Pittsburgh.

“I saw the quarterback’s eyes go that way, I just jumped the corner route and I looked to my left I saw a whole bunch of blockers, so I figured I could get into the zone,” Rowe said. “When the defense puts the first points on the board, it’s kind of like the defense set the tone.” In a game where the biggest question going in was how quarterback Tom Savage would look in his first action since suffering a concussion against Florida International Sept. 19, the Rutgers defense made a statement that it is playing a whole lot better than it did in that embarrassing season-opening loss to Cincinnati. The RU defense held Texas Southern to 147 yards in total offense, including minus-3 yards rushing. Rutgers also piled up seven sacks — the most they have recorded in a game since they had seven against South Florida in 2007 — and forced four turnovers.



The Morning After: Breaking down Rutgers' 42-0 victory over Texas Southern

A GLORIFIED SCRIMMAGE

Yes, that’s all this game amounted to. But with an important game coming up Friday against Pittsburgh, it was important to get everybody on the field after a weekend off and run through the plays and get tuned up. Tom Savage returned to action for the first time since suffering a concussion Sept. 19 against Florida International. Savage (14-for-21, 150 yards, one TD) looked fine in everything he did in his three quarters-plus of action. He connected on a 53-yard pass to Mohamed Sanu in the first series of the third quarter that was wiped out by a holding penalty, and he ran six times for 32 yards. He had one 28-yard run in the second quarter where he passed up an opportunity to run out of bounds or slide to avoid the hit. Instead he kept going until he was tackled. He also was sacked twice and hit hard on several of his runs, but appeared fine.

ABOUT THAT DEFENSE

David Rowe’s 56-yard interception return for a touchdown was the Scarlet Knights’ fourth defensive touchdown on the season, and gave them a three-game streak in which they have scored at least one defensive touchdown. Texas Southern did a bunch of spread formation, empty-backfield stuff, with lots of no-huddle. But the Rutgers defense was not confused. It gave up a few medium-range passes early on, but had seven sacks, forced four turnovers, and surrendered just 126 yards.

Sidelights: Rutgers routs Texas Southern for 600th victory - NCAA College ...


Excerpts:
Rutgers scheduled the bottom of the SWAC and MEAC as part of its 12-game slate for this season. The Scarlett Knights beat Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Howard University 45-7 on Sept. 12. The positive for Texas Southern was that it got a $400,000 payday to come to the birthplace of college football. Rutgers played the first college game against Princeton in 1869. The Scarlet Knights are now 600-591-42 in their 140-year history. They are the 38th FCS school to win 600 games. Texas Southern will forever be in Rutger's football history as the 600th win. The NCAA allows Football Bowl Subdivision schools to count only one victory over an FCS opponent (Howard and Texas Southern) toward the six-win minimum to qualify for a bowl berth.

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Attendance: 50,169@ Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, NJ

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Texas Southern at Rutgers "Homecoming"
Slideshow: Rutgers 42, Texas Southern 0

Tennessee State 20, Eastern Kentucky 17

Late Touchdown Leads Tennessee State to 20-17 Win Over EKU

RICHMOND, KY. – Preston Brown’s two-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left in the game gave Tennessee State a 20-17 win over No. 16 Eastern Kentucky Saturday night at Roy Kidd Stadium. The Tigers (3-3, 2-0 OVC) rushed for 159 yards on a Colonel (3-2, 3-1 OVC) defense that had not given up more than 100 yards on the ground all season. Tennessee State’s game-winning drive began with 5:48 left in the game. On 3rd-and-14, quarterback Calvin McNairl found Joseph Hills for 15 yards to the EKU 48-yard line. McNairl connected with Marquez Wilkens on the very next play for 29 yards to move the ball to the Eastern 19-yard line. The Tigers then put the ball in Preston Brown’s hands on six straight plays. Brown picked up 12 yards on the first two carries to get to the seven-yard line. On 3rd-and-4, Brown picked up only two to set up a huge fourth down. After a time out by both teams, Brown scored the game-winner from two yards out.

Tigers score late to top Colonels

RICHMOND, KY — With the outcome of a first-place Ohio Valley Conference showdown hanging in the balance, Preston Brown powered Tennessee State to an impressive victory. Brown scored a pair of second-half touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 1:34 left in the game, as the Tigers stunned the two-time defending conference champion Colonels (3-2, 3-1 OVC), 20-17, Saturday at Roy Kidd Stadium. Tennessee State (3-3, 2-0 OVC) put together a 10-play, 59-yard scoring drive in the closing minutes, then stopped EKU on its final possession to wrap up the win.

The victory was the second-straight for the Tigers over the Colonels. It was also just the second-ever win for TSU in Richmond. “That’s what the last drive was about — guts and pride,” TSU coach James Webster said. “That’s all that it was about. Guts and pride.” The loss snaps the Colonels’ 10-game OVC winning streak. In the past three seasons, EKU is 22-2 against league opponents, with both losses coming against Tennessee State. The Colonels ranked third in the nation (FCS) in rush defense heading into the game, but allowed a season-high 159 yards rushing to the Tigers. With Jacksonville State ineligible for the title because of NCAA-imposed sanctions, Tennessee State is the only remaining undefeated team left in the OVC.

Attendance: 7,100 @Roy Kidd Stadium, Richmond, Kentucky

Injuries take toll on TSU offensive line

Tennessee State Coach James Webster hoped to get more of his offensive line starters back before today's road game with Eastern Kentucky, but that didn't happen. The Colonels (3-1, 3-0) recorded seven sacks in last week's 36-31 win over Eastern Illinois and are ranked third in the Football Championship Subdivision against the run (52.3 yards). TSU (2-3, 1-0 OVC) will be without starting guard Justin Ridgeway (sprained ankle) and tackle Darius Myers, who underwent knee surgery Tuesday. Starting tackle Alex Davis (knee) missed his third game last week but practiced some this week and could play. Starting center Dumaka Atkins broke his ankle last season and is limited to one practice per week because of the pain he experiences after each game. "It's a big concern not having so many of our starters against Eastern Kentucky,'' Webster said. "Their front seven are very active. They're not what you might consider a big group physically. They're very quick. They don't stay blocked."

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