Birmingham, Alabama -- There are a number of rivalries in college football on every level. However, there are very few if any like the one between Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
Alabama State is in Montgomery. Alabama A&M is in Huntsville. The two school get together annually in Birmingham at Legion Field for the Magic City Classic. When Alabama State clashes with Alabama A&M on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU, 10:30 p.m. ET on tape delay), this will be 70 years for this legendary black college classic. Moreover, they're expecting 70,000 fans at the game.
This is actually, the 75th meeting between the rivals, the 70th in the Magic City Classic. Alabama A&M leads the overall series 36-35-3. The Bulldogs also lead the series in the Magic City Classic, 35-31-3. Last season, Alabama State ended a five-game losing streak to Alabama A&M with a 31-10 victory.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011
Highlights - NCCU VS. HAMPTON (Oct. 22, 2011)
Durham, North Carolina -- Check out the highlights of NCCU's 22nd Matchup against Hampton as the Eagles nearly ruined the Pirates homecoming weekend, dropping a tough 30-27 overtime decision on Saturday, Oct. 22. In the loss, Michael Johnson passed Brad McAdams(92-96) for 5th all-time in touchdown passes with 43 in his career.
NCCU takes on Bethune-Cookman for its homecoming contest this Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2:00 p.m. from O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
NCCU takes on Bethune-Cookman for its homecoming contest this Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2:00 p.m. from O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
ASU Football: Magic City Classic may go down to the wire
Birmingham, Alabama -- One team starts off fast, then cruises to victory in the final period. Their opponent starts off slow, then scores points in a fourth-quarter flurry. Don't walk away from the 70th Magic City Classic in the third quarter on Saturday. It may not be settled until the final play.
Alabama State has taken the Southwestern Athletic Conference by storm, running out to a 6-0 conference record with a fast-strike offense and a defense that ranks among the nation's best in forcing turnovers.
Quietly, Alabama A&M has been one step behind, overcoming an early loss to Southern with four consecutive conference wins, three coming in the final minutes of each game.
"They're making plays at the end," ASU football coach Reggie Barlow said. "They're playing the type of football that coach (Anthony) Jones wants them to play. They're running it well, they're playing good defense and special teams and they're not making a lot of mistakes."
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Alabama State has taken the Southwestern Athletic Conference by storm, running out to a 6-0 conference record with a fast-strike offense and a defense that ranks among the nation's best in forcing turnovers.
Quietly, Alabama A&M has been one step behind, overcoming an early loss to Southern with four consecutive conference wins, three coming in the final minutes of each game.
"They're making plays at the end," ASU football coach Reggie Barlow said. "They're playing the type of football that coach (Anthony) Jones wants them to play. They're running it well, they're playing good defense and special teams and they're not making a lot of mistakes."
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Alabama A&M football: Fuller playing up to his potential
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Jamaal Ware and Johnny Baldwin quickly come to mind when Alabama A&M fans talk about the Bulldogs' best inside linebackers since joining the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Ware and Baldwin are first and second all-time in tackles and Baldwin led A&M to the 2006 SWAC championship and was a fifth-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2007.
Willie Fuller hoped to put his name alongside that elite list when he showed up four years ago. While Fuller's numbers won't come close to those of Ware and Baldwin, his play this season is one of the reasons A&M is in the hunt for the SWAC Eastern Division championship.
"Willie has stepped up and provided great leadership for this team," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "When you assume leadership, you also assume responsibility. When you say follow me, all eyes go to you. When you make mistakes, everybody sees it. When you misstep, everybody sees it.
"Willie is a quiet guy, but ...
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Ware and Baldwin are first and second all-time in tackles and Baldwin led A&M to the 2006 SWAC championship and was a fifth-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2007.
Willie Fuller hoped to put his name alongside that elite list when he showed up four years ago. While Fuller's numbers won't come close to those of Ware and Baldwin, his play this season is one of the reasons A&M is in the hunt for the SWAC Eastern Division championship.
"Willie has stepped up and provided great leadership for this team," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "When you assume leadership, you also assume responsibility. When you say follow me, all eyes go to you. When you make mistakes, everybody sees it. When you misstep, everybody sees it.
"Willie is a quiet guy, but ...
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Xavier Gold Nuggets bounce back, win at UNO in four sets
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| Taylor Reuther |
The Gold Nuggets (16-6) avoided consecutive losses for the sixth time this season and swept their two-match season series with the Privateers (2-17).
Moira Kirk had 12 kills, a season-high-tying seven digs and hit .526 for Xavier. Patrice Hightower had three kills, 31 assists and a career-high 13 digs, and Celeste Poe had 11 digs.
UNO closed the first set with an 8-3 run — Tory Hearn clinched with consecutive aces — and led 9-5 in the next set. But from that point the Privateers committed 13 unforced errors, and Reuther had two kills in the final eight rallies to help Xavier even the match
"Early on it was a nightmare for us," Xavier coach Christabell Hamilton said. "We kept making all kinds of mistakes. I didn't see the confidence on their faces. I called timeout and told our players if they stay together, they'll win this match. I told them they were talented enough to do this. They stuck through it and came back."
Xavier trailed 21-17 in the third set before fighting off a set point and scoring the final five points. That's where Hamilton's concerns ended.
In the final set the Gold Nuggets hit .500 and got three Reuther kills and two Jeanay Butler aces during a 13-2 run which gave Xavier a 19-7 lead. Twelve rallies later, Poe assisted on Hightower's match-ending kill.
"We took control in the final set," Hamilton said. "I was so glad we ended the way we did because that's the team I've been looking to see since our conference matches at Dillard several weeks ago. I hope we can carry this momentum on and transition to Faulkner and SUNO later this week."
Elena Villar had 13 kills and 10 digs for the Privateers, who have lost 12 straight, and Hearn had 13 kills and four aces. Laila Hansen had 10 kills.
Reuther recorded her most kills in nine matches and produced her team-leading eighth kill-dig double-double of the season. Kirk hit better than .500 for the seventh time this season, including both UNO matches.Xavier outhit UNO .232 to .119 and had a 63-50 advantage in digs. The Privateers committed 56 errors, 20 more than the Gold Nuggets.
Xavier finished 5-2 this season against NCAA Division I opponents.
The Gold Nuggets will play Faulkner at 3 p.m. Friday at The Barn, then travel to Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and city rival SUNO for a 6 p.m. Saturday match. Xavier has clinched a share of the GCAC regular-season championship and needs a victory against SUNO or at home against Dillard on Nov. 5 to win the title outright.
Box score
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
Howard sees win over S.C. State as step in return to prominence
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Gary Harrell remembers fondly the proud days of Howard University football.
Known as "The Flea," the 5-7 former wide receiver is the school's career leader in receptions (184) and a member of the 1993 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship Bison team led by quarterback Jay "Sky" Walker. Returning to his alma mater this past year as head coach, Harrell inherited a program far removed from those glory days and owners of the longest losing streak in conference play.
Even worse, Harrell saw a talented group that seemed more focused on individual goals and not sharing his same level of passion.
"The biggest problem here when I first got here was that the guys were separated," Harrell said during Tuesday's MEAC teleconference. "They didn't spend a whole lot of time with each other as far as the cafeteria and the dorm. They didn't spend enough time together, so we made sure we brought them together off the field and now you can see it on the field that they really trust each other. Now it's not (linebacker) Keith Pough making plays. He trusts his teammates that they're going to make the plays as well. So that was the biggest thing in changing the culture."
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Known as "The Flea," the 5-7 former wide receiver is the school's career leader in receptions (184) and a member of the 1993 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship Bison team led by quarterback Jay "Sky" Walker. Returning to his alma mater this past year as head coach, Harrell inherited a program far removed from those glory days and owners of the longest losing streak in conference play.
Even worse, Harrell saw a talented group that seemed more focused on individual goals and not sharing his same level of passion.
"The biggest problem here when I first got here was that the guys were separated," Harrell said during Tuesday's MEAC teleconference. "They didn't spend a whole lot of time with each other as far as the cafeteria and the dorm. They didn't spend enough time together, so we made sure we brought them together off the field and now you can see it on the field that they really trust each other. Now it's not (linebacker) Keith Pough making plays. He trusts his teammates that they're going to make the plays as well. So that was the biggest thing in changing the culture."
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XU's Jacksons add to their collection of GCAC weekly awards
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| Xavier University's Kwame and Zahri Jackson GCAC cross country individual champions in 2011 |
The Jacksons are freshmen siblings from Kingwood, Texas, a suburb of Houston, and graduates of Kingwood Park High School.
Zahri Jackson extended her XU women's record with her fifth GCAC weekly award of the season, tied Ebony Harding's XU career record and matched the GCAC women's season record set by Spring Hill's Kate Imwalle in 2009. Kwame Jackson won the men's award for the third time.
Zahri Jackson ran 5,000 meters in 19 minutes, 20.40 seconds to score her second consecutive individual victory and defeat defending champion Monicah Jepkemboi of SUNO by 11 seconds. The winning time is the second fastest by a female at the GCAC Championships in the past 11 seasons.
Less than an hour later, Kwame Jackson ran 8,000 meters in 28:12.09 for his first collegiate victory. He defeated teammates and former GCAC champions Ray Walston (2009) and Matt Pieri (2010).
Both the Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush won their sixth consecutive GCAC team championships. Both squads earned automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 19 at Vancouver, Wash.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information DirectorVISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: GCACSPORTS
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