Coastal Defeats North Carolina A&T, 31-14, to Improve to 3-1

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Aramis Hillary threw two touchdown passes to Matt Hazel and one to Marcus Whitener to lead Coastal Carolina to a 31-14 win over North Carolina A&T Saturday afternoon at Aggie Stadium.

With the win, the Chanticleers improve to 3-1 on the season, the team's best start since opening the 2005 season with the same mark. It is the third time in this the program's ninth year the tam has started 3-1, also accomplishing the feat in 2004.

Hillary finished with 255 passing yards, completing 18-of-24 passes with the three scores and no interceptions. Hazel was his top target, catching six passes for 92 yards. With 5:12 left in the first quarter, Coastal got on the scoreboard with a 40-yard Grant Clayton field goal. The score was set-up thanks to a 24-yard Hillary to Hazel completion.

Coastal's offense got on track midway through the second quarter and, facing third and goal, Hillary capped a seven-play, 56-yard drive by hitting Hazel on a 10-yard fade in the left corner. Grant Clayton tacked on the extra point for a 10-0 Chanticleer lead.

On the ensuing possession, Coastal's defense forced a three-and-out. On the Aggie punt, Dushawn Davis blocked the kick, giving the Chants the ball on the N.C. A&T 44. Back-to-back 18-yard and seven-yard completions from Hillary-to-Chris Presley and a nine Hillary run put the Chants in scoring position. Travis Small finished the drive with a three-yard run over left tackle for his first career TD. Clayton's point after led to a 17-0 CCU advantage.




Final Stats

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Air Force Breezes Past Tennessee State, 63-24

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colorado - Tim Jefferson threw for a career-high three touchdowns and Air Force piled up a school record 792 yards of offense in a 63-24 rout of Tennessee State on Saturday.

The Falcons (2-1) were coming off a bye week after losing at home to TCU and the rust showed with four first-half gaffes that might have proven costly were this not such a mismatch.

AFA rushed for six touchdowns, including the first two of junior Mike DeWitt's career and one by starter Asher Clark, who had 148 yards on 13 carries. The Falcons were on the sideline cheering when freshman Jonathan Lee scampered into the end zone from 49 yards out on his first collegiate carry, which made it 63-17.

The Tigers of the Ohio Valley Conference had never allowed so many points.

Jefferson (13 for 15 for 178 yards) threw a pair of 34-yard scoring strikes, Clark scored on a 7-yard run, DeWitt took it in from 4 yards out and Wes Cobb added a 2-yard TD run for the Falcons, who led 35-10 at halftime. It could have been much worse.

Air Force defensive back Anthony Wooding Jr. allowed Calvin McNairl to blow past him and haul in an 80-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, and Falcons running back Anthony LaCoste was stripped a foot before crossing the goal line on a 22-yard run in the second quarter.

Box Score | Photo Gallery | Postgame Notes  | Postgame Quotes 

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Charleston Southern Falls 33-3 to NSU Spartans in Home Opener

NSU Spartans
(Photo Credit: Mark Sutton Digital Photograpy)

CHARLESTON, S.C. – After three weeks on the road, the CSU football team had a tough homecoming as they fell to the Norfolk State Spartans 33-3 on Saturday in the home opener at Buccaneer Field in Charleston, S.C.

The Buccaneers finished the day with 141 yards of total offense to NSU’s 519. They were also outgained on the ground 234-55 by the Spartans, and picked up 86 yards of through the air to NSU’s 285 passing yards. The Bucs were able to pick up 11 first downs on the afternoon, while NSU came away with 24. Both teams were 100 percent on fourth down conversions, while each converted on five third downs as well.

Quarterback Malcolm Dixon led the Bucs, going 7-of-19 with one interception for a total of 86 passing yards – season high for the sophomore. Teddy Allen led the run with 17 carries for a total of 29 yards, but it was BJ Hackworth who had the longest run of the day at 10 yards. He ended up with 15 yards on eight carries, while Dixon carried the ball 17 times himself. Kirby Broome led the receivers with 28 yards on two catches, while Nathan Perera and Kevin Glears had 19 and 13 receiving yards, respectively.

Once again, Andy Brown was one of the highlights of the day as he punted eight times for 339 yards, averaging a solid 42.4 yards per punt with two inside the 20 and one touchback. He was 1-for-2 on field goals. Chris Kuzdale’s career-high 16 tackles led the CSU defense, while Daniel Dieudonne and Matt Hardy each had solid efforts with 12 and 11 stops, respectively. Isaac Lowrance recorded the Bucs’ lone sack of the day for a loss of five yards, and totaled two tackles for loss. Zac Johnston, who ended the day with eight tackles, also recorded to stops for a loss of six yards.

NSU’s Chris Walley was 20-of-23 for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Xavier Boyce was the most targeted receiver with nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Victor Hairston’s 122 receiving yards led all players. Takeem Hedgeman added another 105 yards on the ground for the Spartans, while Nico Flores picked up 48 yards on 13 carries.

Box Score

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Spartans Improve to 3-1 with 33-3 Rout of Charleston Southern

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Chris Walley completed 20 of 23 passes for 285 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Spartans outgained host Charleston Southern 519-141 en route to a 33-3 non-conference win on Saturday afternoon at Buccaneer Field.

The win helped the Spartans improve to 3-1 overall, their best start since 2007. They did it in dominating fashion, rolling up a season-high 519 yards in total offense while their defense allowed a season-low 141 in their third straight win over a Big South opponent.

Running back Takeem Hedgeman ran for a career-high 105 yards on 15 carries, and receivers Victor Hairston and Xavier Boyce both topped the 100-yard receiving mark and caught a touchdown pass for NSU.

The defense got 12 tackles from linebacker Corwin Hammond and a season-high four sacks from four different players. Marcus Center accounted for the only turnover of the game with a fourth-quarter interception, the first of his career.

The Spartans jumped on the Buccaneers (0-4) early, outscoring them 17-0 in the first quarter. NSU took the opening kickoff and drove 85 yards in 12 plays, with Walley finding Boyce on a 13-yard TD pass for a 7-0 lead. After a three-and-out by CSU, the Spartans needed just one play to score their next TD. Walley hit Hairston across the middle. Hairston broke one tackle, made another man miss and sprinted 67 yards for his team-leading third touchdown of the season, giving NSU a 14-0 lead.

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2011 Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic Press Conference

This game will be televised live at 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET nation-wide on the VERSUS Channel.

NSU: Charleston Southern scouting report

Charleston, SC - Charleston Southern went 3-8 last year and finished 1-5 in the Big South. It has two first-team preseason All-Big South Conference players in defensive back Charles James and offensive lineman Levi McFatter (what a name for a lineman by the way. Good thing he’s plenty strong).

The Bucs were predicted to finish tied for fourth in the seven-team league in the coaches preseason poll and returned seven defensive starters and four offensive ones. The last time Charleston Southern played a current MEAC team was 2009, when it beat Savannah State 47-10. The Bucs have been beaten badly by two FBS programs – Central Florida and Florida State – with a third loss against Jacksonville, which is 1-1 and beat Old Dominion last year. The Bucs are playing their home opener, but with an average crowd of under 3,300, NSU shouldn’t have to worry about the intensity of the venue.




Charleston Southern had the second-worst defense in the country last year, giving up 41.55 points per game,

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Xavier's Didavi, Richardson reach singles finals at HBCU event

JONESBORO, Ga. — Xavier University of Louisiana's Loic Didavi and Sean Richardson won men's singles semifinal matches Friday in the HBCU National Tennis Championships.

Didavi, the No. 3 seed in the A-flight, defeated Florida A&M's top-seeded Salif Kante 7-5, 7-5 and will play FAMU's second-seeded Levan Clark for the championship. Clark defeated Xavier's Zach Taylor 6-2, 6-3 in the other semifinal.

Richardson, unseeded in the C-flight, beat Hampton's Kenneth Greene 6-1, 6-2 in a match suspended Thursday, then defeated North Carolina Central's Fabrice George 6-2, 6-3. Richardson will play FAMU's top-seeded Temuera Asafu-Adjaye for the title.

Asafu-Adjaye beat Xavier's Viktor Svoboda 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal. Svoboda got there with a 6-2, 6-2 victory against Alcorn State's Maxim Tkanchenko in a match suspended Thursday.

Didavi and Taylor, seeded second in men's A-doubles, reached the semifinals with an 8-1 victory against Hampton's Advait Kitane and Lakshmana Satchithananthan. They'll play Alcorn's fourth-seeded Enresti Santillian and Winfried Weinbeer.

Richardson and Steffen Giles-Osborn, seeded second in men's B-doubles, beat James Pressley and Nate Sinckler of Morehouse 8-1 to reach the semifinals, where they'll face FAMU's fourth-seeded Asafu-Adjaye and Fabrice Myrtil.

XU's Kourtney Howell, seeded fourth in women's A-singles, defeated FAMU's Britney Dean 6-1, 6-3 and will play Southern's second-seeded Carlista Mohammed in the semifinals. XU women eliminated in the quarterfinals were Amanda Materre and Amber Brown in the B-flight and Jordyn Goody in C.

Brown, a No. 1 seed, lost 7-5, 6-2 to Prairie View A&M's Christine Gwodog in the round of 16.

Howell and Nicole DeLoach, seeded second in women's A-doubles, beat Prairie View's Alejandra Barrera and Brittany Harrell 8-6 to reach the semifinals. Goody and Brown upset FAMU's second-seeded Kathline Durden and Stephanie Miller 8-6 but lost to Bethune-Cookman's Shereen Peterson-Paul and Stacey Speller 8-4 in the B-doubles quarterfinals.

XU's Amir Rahbar lost 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals of men's B-singles to FAMU's second-seeded Takura Happy.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCAC

Saturday Football Around the SWAC

All 10 SWAC teams are in action Saturday, including four conference matchups and two Classics as the season heats up on the final Saturday of September.

Alabama A&M at Grambling (SWAC TV) - 6 pm

The return of coach Doug Williams comes full circle in the home opener for the Tigers, losers of two straight games and needing a win to keep from falling two games back of Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the Western Division race.

The Bulldogs have never won at Grambling, and head coach Anthony Jones is just 2-9 against the Tigers. However, his team righted the ship last week in an important win over out of conference rival Tuskegee.

Alabama State at Jackson State - 4 pm

This game should go a long way in determining the top of the Eastern Division. Last year, the 32-30 win by the Hornets was the difference maker in sending Bama State to the SWAC Championship Game.

JSU's offense has been more balanced early in the season, and the Tigers are the SWAC's only unbeaten team remaining. JSU won a thriller last week in Baton Rouge before a packed house at Southern. Expect a lot of fans at this one this evening.

The Hornets pulled away from Grambling last week, led by the defensive efforts of Kejuan Riley with two interceptions. Will Riley and the defensive backfield be able to stop the JSU Air Raid? We shall see.

Alcorn State at Texas Southern - 1 pm

This suddenly becomes an extremely important game for each team. The Braves cannot afford a third conference loss this early in the season, and the Tigers would be facing an uphill climb back to the championship game if they start 0-2 in SWAC play.

TSU stepped out of conference last week for an easy victory over Texas College. The road will be much tougher today for quarterback Riko Smalls, who put up impressive numbers last week in the victory. The 212 defense is statistically the best in the nation after two games for TSU.

For the Braves, a tough schedule early on in the season has them at 1-2, but a win at Texas Southern would go a long way in getting back in the Eastern Divsion race. The offense found itself with an important win last week over Mississippi Valley State, and quarterback Brandon Bridge is starting to look like the freshman phenom we saw last year.

Mississippi Valley State at Prairie View A&M - 6 pm

Is this the week for Valley head coach Karl Morgan? At some point, the answer to that question is "yes" as the coach tries to break a 14-game skid for the Delta Devils and get his first win as head coach in Itta Bena.

MVSU has shown signs early in the season that it is a much-improved team despite not yet capturing that elusive first victory. Last week the fourth quarter was not kind to the Delta Devils, but the team was toe-to-toe on the road at Alcorn prior to it. If the team can stay healthy, especially at quarterback, this is a dangerous team to play.

PV is looking to recover from a bad fourth quarter of its own. The Panthers allowed UAPB to score 22 unanswered points at home in the final quarter last week and now need a win to remain just a game back of the Golden Lions in the Western Division race.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Clark-Atlanta (Gateway Classic) - 3 pm

The Golden Lions have never lost to the Panthers in two previous games. UAPB is 2-0 in league games this year, but lost a disappointing game to Langston in the Delta Classic 4 Literacy to open the season. With that bad taste still lingering, look for the Lions to be ready to play today as they represent the SWAC at the Gateway Classic in St. Louis.

Southern vs. Florida A&M (Atlanta Football Classic - Television: Versus Channel) - 2:30 pm (CT)

One of the oldest non-conference rivalries in black college football gets renewed today in the Atlanta Football Classic. These two teams haven't met since the MEAC/SWAC Challenge was still played in Birmingham, and both teams are hungry for a win after early season losses.

The game will be carried live on the Versus Network, and you can expect a lot of fans to fill the Georgia Dome for this one. The MEAC has had the SWAC's number so far this year with head-to-head wins by Hampton and Bethune-Cookman. Let's see if the Jags can come up big representing the league today.

Courtesy: SWAC.org

Lions play Lincoln (Mo.) in St. Louis Gateway Classic Doubleheader

St. Louis, MO - Missouri Southern isn’t quite sure what kind of defense it will face today against Lincoln.

“Lincoln has been very multiple on defense,” Lions coach Bart Tatum said. “They’ve shown in exactly one and one-half of their games an eight-man front … very aggressive, a stop-the-run type look. And then they have been very base defense-oriented the other game and a half. We’re preparing for both, which is the only choice we have.”

Regardless of the defense, the Lions need to be more productive on offense. The Lions gained 264 yards in last week’s 30-14 loss to Washburn, and more than one-third of them came in a 99-yard scoring drive in the second quarter.

Kickoff is at 11 a.m. for the first game of the St. Louis Gateway Classic doubleheader at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, home of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.

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Grambling comes home-finally

GRAMBLING, LA — The Tigers make their way back home this week — finally, and not at all too soon.
Grambling coach Doug Williams hasn't been particularly pleased with his team's — especially his offense's — performances in its past two games.

He's hoping some home-cooking will be just the remedy to rebound against visiting Alabama A&M (1-2, 0-1) and start moving forward again in SWAC play.

"It's certainly a good time to get back on track, and that's at home," he said. "Alabama A&M had a big win for them to beat Tuskegee who has been like a thorn in the side to some of the schools in the SWAC, but the good part about it, it's home. We get a chance to recoup, and hopefully the guys realize in order to do what we've set out to do we've got to compete every week, every minute, every second. There ain't no time to let up, and it ain't over until it's over."

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XU's Kirk tames Lady Tigers with 13 kills, .650 percentage

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Moira Kirk produced 13 kills and a .650 attack percentage Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-12, 25-12, 25-10 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Edward Waters.

The Gold Nuggets (8-2 overall, 3-0 GCAC) won their seventh in a row to extend a school record and moved a half-match ahead of Tougaloo in the conference.

Kirk had no attack errors for the first time this season. She hit .600 or better in a match for the third time, and for the first time she reached double figures in kills in consecutive matches. Kirk had 12 kills in a three-set sweep of Talladega earlier in the afternoon.

Xavier never trailed in any of the three sets, and first-year coach Christabell Hamilton used 11 of 12 players in the rout. Freshmen Kia Smith and Morgan Stallings both produced their first two kills of the season. Stallings also recorded her first block.

Starting setter Patrice Hightower did not play after the first set, and kills leader Taylor Reuther sat out the third. Alexandra Rencher had 16 assists and Smith seven in relief of Hightower.

Jeanay Butler served a season-best four aces and finished with a XU-best seven for the day.

Xavier closed the first set with a 12-4 run, had a 9-1 run in the second set and scored 11 of the first 12 points in the third. Edward Waters (2-10, 0-2) did not produce a kill until the 16th rally.

Xavier hit .275. It was the third straight match the Gold Nuggets hit .200 or higher, the first time that's happened since Xavier reinstated the program a year ago. The Nuggets had a 9-1 advantage in aces, including Celeste Poe's two and one apiece from Hightower, Rencher and Reuther.

Xavier will conclude its GCAC series at Talladega with an 8 a.m. Saturday match against Fisk, which led 5-2 and 9-5 in its fifth set against Tougaloo before losing 15-13. Fisk rallied from a 2-sets-to-none deficit.

NOTES: The Lady Tigers were Xavier's first neutral-site opponent of the season . . . It's the third time in Xavier's four seasons that the Nuggets won twice in one day. The other times were Sept. 11, 2004, and last Nov. 12 during the opening day of the GCAC Tournament . . . The Nuggets have won 10 consecutive sets and 21 of their last 23.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCAC

TSU quarterback Smalls big on answering the bell

Houston, TX - Texas Southern quarterback Riko Smalls had to wait three weeks after the start of summer camp before he could practice with the team. He didn't have to wait nearly as long to see game action.

Smalls, a junior, was pressed into punting duty during the Tigers' Sept. 10 season opener against Prairie View A&M after starter Francois Ejiofor was benched for disciplinary reasons. He saw his first snaps at quarterback last weekend, filling in for injured starter Dantavious Parker against Texas College.

Small (6-2, 185) will make his third career start today against Alcorn State and likely remain the No. 1 quarterback for the near future with Parker expected to miss three to four weeks after undergoing left knee surgery Monday.

It's a remarkable reversal of fortune for Smalls, who missed ...



Alcorn State vs. Texas Southern
When/where: 1 p.m.; Delmar Stadium.
TV/radio: None; 90.9 FM.
Records: Alcorn State 1-2, 1-2 SWAC; Texas Southern 1-1, 0-1 SWAC.

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XU wins again in first of three GCAC matches at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Taylor Reuther had 17 kills Friday, and Chinedu Echebelem and Moira Kirk had 12 apiece to lead Xavier UniversIty of Louisiana in a 25-19, 25-11, 25-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Talladega.

The Gold Nuggets (7-2 overall, 2-0 GCAC) extended their school-record win streak to six in a row.

Reuther had seven kills and nine digs during a first set in which Xavier rallied from a 6-2 deficit. A Reuther kill put the Nuggets ahead to stay at 13-12, and she scored Xavier's final three points of the set with kills.

Xavier led 18-7 in the second set and 17-7 in the third. Kirk and Echebelem closed the match with free-ball kills.

Reuther hit 417 and finished with 14 digs in her fifth kill-dig double-double of the season — Xavier recorded just three in 37 matches in 2010 — and her third in a row. Celeste Poe had 12 digs to reach double digures for the fifth time this season.

Shalitha Swain led Talladega (5-7, 0-1) with six kills. Xavier had 46 kills, twice as many as the Lady Tornadoes, and hit .238 with six aces. Jeanay Butler, who entered the match with one ace this season, served a season-best three aces for the Nuggets.

Kerris Crier led Xavier with four blocks — her fifth consecutive match with three or more — and Kirk and Butler had three apiece.

Talladega is playing host to 13 GCAC matches Friday and Saturday involving six of the league's eight members. Xavier will play Edward Waters at 5 p.m. Friday, then return home after an 8 a.m. Saturday match against Fisk.

NOTES: Xavier has swept five of six opponents during its win streak . . . Reuther recorded her fourth straight match with 10 or more digs and leads Xavier with six . . . Reuther's 17 kills are the most by a Nugget in a three-set match since Xavier reinstated volleyball in 2010. Reuther had 20 kills in the Nuggets' other GCAC match, a five-set home victory against SUNO this past Saturday.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCAC

Game preview: Alabama State at Jackson State

When: 4 p.m. today
Where: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Miss.
Records: ASU (2-1, 2-0 SWAC); Jackson State (3-0, 1-0 SWAC)
On the air: TV -- none; Radio -- WVAS-FM 90.7

FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY

1. Jackson State ranks second in the conference in total defense, in part because of a solid defensive front that makes the Tigers a formidable group against both the run and the pass.

"They're huge in the middle," Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow said. "That's going to be a big challenge being able to run the ball on these guys. We haven't rushed the ball particularly well anyway and now you've got a big stout defensive front with big linebackers. We're going to have to create some other running opportunities."

2. The Hornets had their hands full last year trying to defend Jackson State quarterback Casey Therriault, and they'll face the same daunting task again today.

"He's about as good as we've seen over the last few years in the conference," Barlow noted. "He's a pinpoint passer and has some receivers to throw to. They've got a real good scheme. It's patented for him. We're really going to have to be on top of things as far as coverage to have a chance of success against them."



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Florida A&M LB student of game

Atlanta, GA - Football is a game of hard hits and emotion, and through it all Florida A&M linebacker Demarius Folsom gleams a big, bright smile. A smile that coaches in the past may not have approved of. However, don’t be fooled by the fifth-year senior’s pleasant demeanor.

He is a down-to-business, fierce competitor. This was evident in Florida A&M’s 23-17 loss to Hampton on Sept. 8. After fellow starter Alvis Graham — the mainstay of the defense with 190 tackles in three seasons — left in the first quarter of that game with a knee injury that will lead to him missing the remainder of the season, the departure created a massive hole in the linebacking corps.

A void that Folsom gladly plugged in. “It became a lot more personal for me,” Folsom said. “Seeing him go down, I had to step up, and the coach looked to me. I had to put on my hard hat and go to work.”

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Georgia key territory for FAMU, Southern

Southern linebacker Franchot West was thrilled to make his first start last weekend, albeit in a crushing 28-24 home loss against Jackson State. This week, he’s even more excited. He’s going home. See, he grew up in Stone Mountain, Ga. It’s not a stone’s throw from Atlanta, but it’s not much farther.

West pulled for Michael Vick, Keith Brooking and the hometown Falcons. He’s even played football a few times in the Georgia Dome.

“Park ball. I played down there on the field a couple of times with my park-ball team,” West said. “You know how they do the halftimes at the NFL games, where they bring the little teams on the field to play? We were the show. Unfortunately, I couldn’t play in the dome when I was in high school, for a state championship.”

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, in the same building where West once dreamed of playing, Southern (1-2) and Florida A&M (1-2) will renew one of the longest and hottest rivalries in black college football. To the fan bases, it’s a little more important than a high school game, let alone park ball.

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Air Force scrambles to replace its open date with Tennessee St.

Tennessee State Tigers Head Coach Rod Reed

Colorado Springs, CO - It wasn't quite like searching for a needle in a haystack, but for Jim Trego at Air Force, there was a big sigh of relief when his call to Tennessee State proved fruitful.

During February and March of this year, Trego, a senior associate athletic director, was telephoning, e-mailing and contacting everyone he knew to find an opponent to fill the Sept. 24 date on Air Force's 2011 football schedule.

The combination of BYU and Utah departing the Mountain West and only one school, Boise State, coming in left Air Force in need of a game.

"I shut my office door and started going through the phone directory trying to find a game," Trego said. "I just kept looking and looking and finally found Tennessee State with an open date. I've been involved in scheduling for 24 years, and that was the biggest challenge I've ever had."

In Nashville, officials at Tennessee State also were looking for a game. A matchup in the Atlanta Football Classic against Florida A&M had fallen through. The telephone call from Trego proved a blessing.

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FVSU Sprints Past Benedict Tigers for 1st Win

Columbia, SC - Fort Valley St. dropped to 0-3 Saturday, with starting quarterback Antonio Henton on the bench. Don Pittman's team got back on the field on short rest Thursday in a SIAC road test, and came away with a 40-23 win.

Peach Co. grad gave the Wildcats a 7-3 lead on his first collegiate touchdown. FVSU then ran away from the Tigers, leading 40-3 in the 4th quarter. By game's end Benedict made the game look far less one-sided.

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WSSU's offensive line playing extremely well

Winston Salem, NC - "The Block Squad" wanted to look its best for the big moment.

That's why all members of the group — Winston-Salem State's starting offensive linemen — showed up Wednesday at coach Connell Maynor's media conference well dressed and wearing ties. Keenly aware that offensive linemen rarely get exposure, they also were ready to talk.

The Rams are 3-0 and averaging 503 yards a game, and production like that requires more than just talent at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. It also requires talent on the line.

Starters Winston Hill, Markus Lawrence, Darrell Billiott, Devan Gray and Terrence Thomas — and reserves Chris Beardon and Corey Morris — acknowledge that playing in the trenches isn't glamorous.

"I've been playing offensive line since I was 13," said Lawrence, the center. "I would love to score touchdowns and all of that, but you just have to love it when your running back scores or your quarterback throws for a touchdown."

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WSSU needs plenty of support at home games

The powerful Bill Hayes, who is WSSU’s energetic athletics director, can control a lot of things as a top-flight administrator. But the one thing he can’t control is the weather, and he’ll be watching the forecast with keen interest for Saturday’s 6 p.m. home game at Bowman Gray Stadium against Fayetteville State (0-3).

The Rams fans have traveled in bunches for their first three road games. They traveled so well, in fact, that I estimate the Rams had more fans in the stands at all three games at Elizabeth City State, Virginia Union and Chowan.

Hayes made sure to seek me out last week to let me know that for the program to truly be successful seats have to be occupied at home games. That’s one of the ways the athletics program generates money and it’s a big resource.

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B-CU wins after refs nullify last-second Hampton TD

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Hampton players swarmed the field and jumped on their hero. They didn't bother to listen to the referee announce that David Legree's touchdown pass with no time left would be reviewed.

But after several minutes the replay officials decided that receiver Isiah Thomas did not maintain possession as he fell to the ground on the apparent 12-yard TD pass, and Bethune-Cookman came away with a 35-31 victory in a bizarre Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Thursday night at Municipal Stadium.

Backup quarterback Jackie Wilson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Poole with 2:50 left in the game for the final margin of victory.

Legree, who passed for 225 yards and a touchdown and ran for two touchdowns, appeared to lead the Pirates (2-2, 1-1 MEAC) to victory with no time left.

But it was B-CU (2-1, 1-1) that got the final chance to celebrate in the back-and-forth contest that started nearly an hour late because of lightning in the area.




YOU BE THE JUDGE!! TD or NOT?

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XU wins 10 of 11 in singles at HBCU Championships

JONESBORO, Ga. -- Xavier UniversIty of Louisiana's men's and women's tennis teams won 10 of 11 singles matches Thursday in the HBCU National Championships. Five players -- Jordyn Goody, Kourtney Howell and Amanda Materre on the women's team and Loic Didavi and Viktor Svoboda on the men's -- opened their XU careers with victories.

Xavier, an NAIA member, won all eight of its matches against NCAA Division I.
Howell defeated Alcorn State's Keti Mebuke 6-2, 0-6, 1-0 (10-3) to reach the A-flight quarterfinals. Materre beat Hampton's Tabita Daolo 7-5, 6-0 in the B-flight, Goody beat Savannah State's Ge'Anne Hilton 6-2, 6-0 in the C-flight.

Didavi and Taylor, both second-team All-Americans this past season, both reached the men's A-flight semifinals. Didavi defeated Bowie State's Piotr Kruk 6-1, 6-3 and Alcorn's Ernesto Santillian 6-1, 6-2. Taylor beat North Carolina Central's Jack Waissen 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 and
Bowie's Shikhar Kapur 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (12-10).

In the men's B-flight, Amir Rahbar defeated Prairie View A&M's Trenton Johnson 6-2, 6-4, and Steffen Giles-Osborn lost 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (10-6) to Bowie's Conner Pickering. Svoboda won 6-0, 6-0 in the C-flight against Hampton's Isaiah Stewart, and Sean Richardson beat Prairie View's Jamaal James 6-2, 6-1.

Svoboda, Richardson and Materre all were up one set in their second matches when rain halted play.

The tournament, Xavier's first of two in the fall semester, will continue through Sunday.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Gary joins Xavier staff as athletics trainer

Tiffany Gary

NEW ORLEANS — Tiffany Gary has joined Xavier University of Louisiana as athletics trainer.

Gary's position is funded through an agreement between Xavier and Ochsner Health System's sports medicine division. She works primarily with the women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's and women's tennis teams.

Gary, a native of New Iberia, La., joined XU on Aug. 1 after working the past six years for Willis-Knighton Health System of Shreveport and Bossier City, La. During that time Gary was the athletics trainer for Bossier Parish Community College and the high school teams at Calvary Baptist Academy.

Gary also worked five years as assistant athletics trainer at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette — there she handled women's soccer, women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, football and baseball — and was a graduate assistant trainer at Clemson University, where she received a master's degree. Gary received her bachelor's degree from UL Lafayette.

She is certified by the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the Louisiana Athletic Trainers' Association.

Xavier's other athletics trainer, Melvin Wallis, remains on the staff and is in his fifth year at XU. Wallis will work primarily with men's basketball, men's and women's cross country and men's and women's tennis.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCAC

HU's new offensive coordinator opens up Pirates' offense

HAMPTON (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) at BETHUNE-COOKMAN (1-1, 0-1)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Municipal Stadium, Daytona Beach, Fla.

TELEVISION: ESPNU (7:30 P.M.)
INTERNET: ESPN3

HAMPTON, VA — Donovan Rose first met Willie Snead at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting in Michigan in September 2010. Rose, Hampton University's head football coach, was in the audience as Snead, fresh off a 2009 state semifinal appearance at Muskegon Heights (Mich.) High, delivered a speech.

Neither man knew it at the time, but that speech also was a job audition.

After Rose's Pirates went 6-5 in 2010, averaging just 17.5 points per game, Rose found himself in the market for an offensive coordinator. One of the names that surfaced was that of Snead, a native of Belle Glade, Fla., who had made an impression on Rose.

"He had a way with people," Rose said. "(He's) a guy that is not easily thrown off track. He's just a very kind of mellow, consistent guy about getting things done. His resume was very impressive."

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Bethune-Cookman faces Hampton in key MEAC game

Time: 7:30 p.m ET

TV: ESPNU

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — Brian Jenkins' inaugural season at Bethune-Cookman was a year-long run to a potential undefeated season and the Wildcats' claiming a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship for the first time since 2002.

The 2011 season could all come down to Thursday night — just three weeks into the campaign – when Bethune-Cookman meets Hampton in a nationally-televised (ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.) MEAC game at Municipal Stadium.

It's perhaps already a must-win for B-CU (1-1,0-1) if it wants to stay in the conference race. Hampton (2-1,1-0) has already beaten 2010 co-champion Florida A&M and doesn't have to face the South Carolina State team that beat B-CU 26-18 on Sept. 10.

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Senior provides spark for Stillman offense

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Deandre Holley played a significant role last Saturday when the Stillman College football team beat Kentucky State 31-29 on the road.

But the running back didn’t find out until Monday that he had reached a personal milestone. Holley’s contributions included a career- and team-high 106 yards rushing on 19 carries, including a 7-yard touchdown run. He caught two passes for 24 yards. His longest run covered 23 yards, and the longest catch went for 19.

“I didn’t see a stat sheet,” said Holley, a senior from Belle Glade, Fla. “Actually, it was Monday at practice when they were telling me. I was like, ‘OK, I want more.’”

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Mecklenburg neighbors JCSU, Davidson renew football series

Charlotte, NC - It’s never too late to grow a rivalry.

Davidson and Johnson C. Smith, Mecklenburg County’s only collegiate football programs – at least until Charlotte’s arrival in 2013 – play Saturday at Davidson’s Richardson Field. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. The series, tied at a game each, has been dormant since 1990 when Davidson won 17-7 at home. The Golden Bulls won 18-15 at Memorial Stadium the previous season.

“We got the ball with 32 seconds left and had to drive 70 yards for a touchdown,” said JCSU offensive coordinator Maurice Flowers, who tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to David Washington on the final play of Smith’s win. “We had a couple of big plays and it came down to … 3 seconds left and we had to go to the end zone.

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Miami Dolphins Sign Running Back Richard Medlin to Practice Squad

Miami, Florida - The Miami Dolphins found running back Larry Johnson expendable, releasing him yesterday. But the team has apparently opted to keep five running backs in house by signing undrafted free agent Richard Medlin to the practice squad.

Medlin joined fellow undrafted rookie Nic Grigsby as one of two running backs on the team's eight-man practice squad. He replaces seventh-round rookie nose tackle Frank Kearse, who was signed to the Carolina Panthers' active roster Monday.



As a member of the practice squad, Medlin will make roughly $5,700 a week. He will not be eligible to play in games but will participate in practice and team meetings. He can be signed to the Dolphins' active roster if they choose, or he can sign to another NFL team's active roster at any time just as Kearse did.

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