Furman Rides Hollman To 30-20 NCAA First Round Playoff Win Over South Carolina State

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- Jairus Hollman returned a punt a school record 90 yards for a touchdown and later scored on a 34-yard interception return to power Furman past South Carolina State, 30-20, in NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) first round playoff action at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Furman (8-5), the Southern Conference's champion, league's automatic qualifier, and winner of five straight games, will travel to Fargo, North Dakota, to play top-ranked and two-time defending national champion North Dakota State next Saturday in a 3:30 ET game that will be televised by ESPN3.

Hollman, a sophomore nickel back and second team All-Southern Conference choice, got Furman on the board in the first quarter when he fielded a short punt at the Furman 9-yard line and sprinted up the field in front of the Paladin bench before cutting back to the middle of the field on the way to the end zone.

The return, which cut S.C. State's lead to 7-6, marked the longest punt return in Furman history, topping the previous standard of 88 yards by Vince Perone, Jr., vs. East Tennessee State in 1973.
The Atlanta, Ga., product, who was credited with a game high 11 tackles, including three for-loss, polished off his outstanding defensive performance in the third quarter with a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown that gave the Paladins a 27-13 lead.

His "pick-six" represented Furman's fourth of the campaign.



The Paladins used a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Reese Hannon to Ryan Culbreath midway through the second quarter to take a 13-10 advantage, but S.C. tied the game with a Nick Belcher 23-yard field goal on the first series of the second half.

Furman responded on the ensuing possession, using a 53-yard run by running back Tanner Skogen to help cover 77 yards to the end zone. Quarterback Reese Hannon's 1-yard touchdown sneak on fourth down put the Paladins up, 20-13, following the conversion.

At that point Furman's defense — and Hollman — turned in the game deciding play when he stepped in front of pass by Bulldog quarterback Richard Cue, collecting it at the S.C. State 34 and racing untouched into the end zone for a 27-13 lead.

S.C. State pulled to within a score following a 4-yard touchdown pass from Adrian Kollock to Austin Smith with 13:22 remaining in the game, but the Paladins had the last say on the scoreboard, moving 48 yards in nine plays to set up a 32-yard Ray Early field goal that increased the advantage to 30-20.
Furman's defense forced punts on the Bulldogs' final two possessions, and the Paladins ran the clock out, taking a knee at the S.C. State 3-yard line to end the contest.

Skogen, a sophomore running back who entered the game with only 56 career rushing yards, stepped in for banged up junior Hank McCloud to run 13 times for a career high 116 yards, nearly all of it coming in the second half.  The Paladins registered 216 yards on the ground and finished with 283 total yards on just 47 snaps.

Furman's rushing success helped take the pressure off its passing game, which faced a South Carolina State defensive unit that entered — and exited — the contest with a nation leading 62 sacks.
South Carolina State posted 287 yards in total offense on 75 plays.

Carl Rider and Marcus McMorris joined Hollman in notching 11 tackles apiece, and Gary Wilkins finished with seven stops, including two for-loss, and a sack.

The victory was Furman's first playoff triumph since 2005 and improved the Paladins' all-time playoff record to 18-14.

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Tennessee State Tigers Shutout Butler Bulldogs on the Road, 31-0

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – The No. 17 ranked Tennessee State football team won its first playoff game since 1986 with a, 31-0, victory at Butler on Saturday.

 

The TSU defense held the Bulldogs (9-4) to 257 yards of total offense, forced three turnovers and notched its first shutout since its, 31-0, victory over Southeast Missouri on Nov. 11, 2006.

 

Meanwhile, the TSU (10-3) offense gained 415 and quarterback Michael German completed 14-of-24 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Tim Broughton was the go-to-back on the ground, rushing for 80 yards on nine carries for an 8.2 average.

 

After a slow start to the game for both teams, German got TSU on the scoreboard first, as he found receiver Ryan Mitchell open in the middle of the field for a 25-yard touchdown with 1:38 remaining in the opening quarter. The pitch and catch capped off a 17-play, 82 yard drive in which German was 6-of-9 for 64 yards.

 

With the score, German passed James Wade for 6^th on the school’s all-time passing touchdown list. The redshirt junior now has 43 for his career.

 

After a Butler punt on the Bulldogs’ following possession, the Tiger offense put together another scoring drive that culminated in a 45-yard field goal by Jamin Godfrey. A 19-yard pass to Wesley Samuels and a 15 yarder to fellow tight end A.C. Leonard allowed TSU to jump ahead, 10-0, with 9:10 to go before halftime.

 

Butler had to punt again on its next series, but German fumbled the ball on a third-and-nine at the TSU 22 and the Bulldogs recovered. Butler’s following three plays netted the squad minus-seven yards and BU’s Jon Treloar missed his first field goal of the year, preserving the Tigers’ 10-point cushion.

 

Big Blue took advantage of its opponent’s miscue and marched 79 yards down in the field in seven plays for a TSU touchdown, one minute before halftime. On the scoring play, the Bulldogs rushed six defenders and German took three steps and fired the ball out to Samuels for 17 yards to take a 17-point lead. A 45-yard run by Broughton earlier in the series allowed the Tigers to get within striking distance.



De’Ante Saunders picked off Butler quarterback Matt Lancaster as the first half expired and Tennessee State went into the locker room up, 17-0.

 

TSU outgained BU, 256 to 97 in the first half and held the Bulldogs to just five first downs.

 

The Tigers fumbled the opening kickoff of the second stanza, but recovered. They were not as lucky two plays later when Leonard coughed up the ball following a 25-yard reception. BU’s Jeremy Stephens picked it up, ran down the sideline and was finally brought down at the TSU 20.

 

Again, Butler was unable to capitalize on the TSU turnover, and turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a fourth-and-one.

 

Later in the quarter, Daniel Fitzpatrick recorded his FCS-leading seventh interception of the year and raced 26 yards for his third touchdown of the season. The pick-six put TSU in control, 24-0, with 10:35 left in the third.

 

Fitzpatrick is now tied with Brent Alexander and Roger Robinson for the second-most interceptions for a single season in school history.

 

Butler went for a fake punt on its next possession, but it failed, giving TSU great field position at the BU-42. Ronald Butler came in at quarterback, and engineered a four-play drive that ended with a 21-yard pass to Mitchell for another TSU touchdown.

 

The extra point that followed made the score 31-0 with 5:07 left in the third and also gave Godfrey his seventh point of the game. The senior is now Tennessee State’s all-time leader in career points with 307, passing Alfred Reese who played from 1969-72.

 

Fitzpatrick picked off another pass on Butler’s next offensive series, but TSU was unable to score, as Telvin Hooks fumbled at the BU 12 yard-line right when the third period expired.

 

Butler had one final chance at points with a 31-yard field goal attempt with 4:14 left in the game, but the kick went wide left, preserving the Tigers’ shutout and extending TSU’s season.

 

With the win, TSU notches its 10^th victory for only the 12^th time in school history.

 

With the victory, Tennessee State will travel to Charleston, Ill. on Dec. 7 for a re-match with the No. 2 ranked Panthers of Eastern Illinois. Kickoff for that contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU finally runs out of spare parts in 7-0 loss to Shepherd

SHEPHERDTOWN, West Virginia  --  It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a better defense than what Winston-Salem State has put on the field over the last three seasons. I finally saw one better this afternoon in Shepherd, an aggressive bunch who aren’t very big but are very quick.

It’s tough to say how things would have turned out if quarterback Rudy Johnson wouldn’t have suffered a collarbone injury in the first quarter after he got sacked. Johnson never did come back into the game and it was up to the seldom-used DeShean Townsend to try and get WSSU on the board.
 To be fair, Townsend, who is 6-3 and 240 pounds, hadn’t been thrust into any meaningful game in his three seasons with the Rams. He’s been the consummate scout-team player and is one of the more vocal players on the team and has a great nickname – “The Big Show.”

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Coastal Carolina Downs Bethune-Cookman 48-24

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CONWAY, South Carolina  --  Alex Ross threw a career-high four touchdowns - two to Matt Hazel - and Walter Payton Award candidate Lorenzo Taliaferro added one on the ground to lead #11 Coastal Carolina to a 48-24 victory over #12 Bethune-Cookman in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Saturday afternoon at Brooks Stadium.

The Chanticleers set a program record with 11 wins, improving to 11-2, while the Wildcats drop to 10-3. Coastal Carolina will now travel west to face #8 seed and fourth-ranked Montana for the second round, Dec. 7 in Missoula.

Defensively for CCU, Buck Buchanan Award candidate Quinn Backus led the Chanticleers with 15 tackles, including three for losses, while fellow linebacker Mike McClure had eight stops, three for losses, and a 59-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Sophomore Richie Sampson added nine tackles, including three for losses and two sacks, and forced the fumble McClure returned for a score.

Coastal got on the board first. Taliaferro converted two third downs and accounted for 37 of the 62 yards on five carries. Ross capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Blanks. Alex Catron added the point after for a 7-0 lead with 9:55 left in the first quarter.

On the ensuing Bethune-Cookman drive, Richie Sampson knocked the ball out of the hand of Wildcat quarterback Quentin Williams. Chanticleer linebacker Mike McClure grabbed the ball in midair and returned it 39 yards for his first career touchdown.

The Wildcats bounced back to get inside the CCU 25. The big play was Williams turning a busted play into a 23-yard gain. A penalty backed the Wildcats up on third down and they went for it on fourth-and-four. Williams once again made a play with his feet, escaping a near sack and getting to the CCU 12. However, the Chanticleer defense stiffened and Jonathan Cagle came on to make a 23-yard field goal cutting the B-CU deficit to 14-3 with 3:05 left in the opening frame.

The Chants responded by taking to the air, covering 82 yards in just seven plays. Ross hit DeMario Bennett for 12 yards, Niccolo Mastromatteo for 22 and capped the drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Hazel as CCU led 21-3 at the end of the first quarter.

To open the second quarter, Williams had a run of 10 yards then completed passes of 12 and 40 yards to Eddie Poole, the second getting the Wildcats down to the four. Two plays later, Williams found paydirt from four yards out to make the score 21-10.

After the teams traded punts, Coastal struck quick with a 50-yard Ross to Tyrell Blanks completion to the B-CU seven yard line. On third down, Taliaferro scored from eight yards out to give Coastal a 27-10 cushion.

Bethune-Cookman attempted to get on the board late in the second quarter, kicking a 33-yard field goal. Coastal blocked the kick, but was offside on the play. The Wildcats then spread the field with their field goal personnel on the field. The pass was complete, but Sampson tackled Jordan Murphy on the CCU three to force a turnover on downs.

The Chants pushed their advantage to 34-10 with 4:39 left in the third quarter with a pair of 23-yard completions. First, Ross hit Mastromatteo then John Israel to cap a four-play, 53-yard drive. On CCU's next drive, Ross hit Israel for 25 yards and the next play Hazel made a highlight-reel, one-hand catch for a 21-yard touchdown and 41-10 lead.

Bethune-Cookman scored and the two-point try with 8:29 left to make the score 41-18. The drive covered 14-plays and 84 yards and ended with Bethune-Cookman facing fourth-and four as Brodrick Waters hit Poole for a 16-yard touchdown pass.

The Wildcats forced a three-and-out and only need two plays to make the score 41-24. Waters found Cary White down the right sideline for a 32-yard gain then he scrambled and scored from 27-yards out.

With just over five minutes to play, Bethune-Cookman  tried an on-side side, which Taliaferro recovered on the B-CU 46. On the Chants' first play from scrimmage, Travis Small had a 29-yard run to the 17, marking his second-longest run of his career. On the next play, he finished the drive with a 17-yard touchdown run, his fourth of the season.

Coastal, hosting its second playoff game, wins its first home playoff game - falling 17-10 to Western Illinois in 2010 at home.  Coastal, who is making its fourth NCAA playoff appearance (2006, 2010, 2012 and 2013), wins its second playoff game, defeating Bethune-Cookman, 24-14, last season in Daytona Beach, Fla. Also, Coastal improves t o 7-0 at home this season, tying the CCU record as the 2004 Chanticleers (the second year of CCU football) also went 7-0 in Brooks Stadium.



COURTESY COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

WSSU falls in D-II playoffs

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Allen Cross scored the only touchdown on a 29-yard run in the third quarter, and Shepherd held on for a 7-0 win against Winston-Salem State on Saturday in the second round of the Division II football playoffs.

Shepherd, seeded No. 1 in Super Region I, improved to 11-0 and advanced to play the West Chester-Bloomsburg winner. WSSU, the national runner-up last season, finished 10-2 and had a 10-game winning streak snapped.

PHOTO GALLERY: Shepherd 7, WSSU 0

  

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Week 14: HBCU Football Scorecard

90th Turkey Day Classic, Thursday, November 28, 2013
Alabama State 41, Stillman 28  Highlights  »  

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(8-4, 7-2 SWAC), (6-4, 4-3 SIAC) 

Saturday, November 30, 2013

NCAA Division II Championship Playoffs, 2nd Round

Shepherd Rams 7, Winston-Salem State Rams 0 
(11-0, 9-0 MEC),  (10-2, 7-0 CIAA)

NCAA Division I FCS Championship Playoffs,  1st. Round

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 48, Bethune-Cookman 24  Highlights  »  
(11-2, 4-1 Big South), (10-3,7-1 MEAC)

Furman Paladins 30, South Carolina State Bulldogs 20   Watch Replay 
(8-5, 6-2 Southern),  (9-4, 7-1 MEAC)

Tennessee State Tigers 31, Butler Bulldogs 0    Highlights  » 

 

(10-3, 6-2 OVC)                 (9-4, 7-1 Pioneer)

The 40th Annual Bayou Classic, New Orleans
Southern Jaguars 40,  Grambling State 17 
(8-4, 7-2 SWAC)          (1-11, 1-8 SWAC)

Career Days Lead Hampton Lady Pirates Past Utah State

NORTHRIDGE, California –  Freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas and senior forward Alyssa Bennett each had career days on Friday, as the Hampton University women's basketball team outlasted Utah State 98-88 in the Matadome to open the Cal State Northridge Radisson Hotel Chatsworth Thanksgiving Classic.
Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) poured in a career-high 36 points on 12-for-25 shooting (and 6-for-11 from distance), while Bennett (Hampton, Va.) set career highs in points (26) and rebounds (17) in recording her third double-double of the season.

Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) added 14 points and 12 assists.

The Lady Pirates (4-2) handed Utah State its first loss of the season. Tate-DeFreitas is the first Lady Pirate to score 30 points or more in a game since Keiara Avant netted 32 at Morgan State last season.

She also set career highs in field goals made, field goals attempted, and 3-pointers made.

Hampton led 6-3 after a Tate-DeFreitas trey – Hampton's first two baskets were 3-pointers from Tate-DeFreitas – at the 18:37 mark, but Utah State battled back to take a 15-11 lead on a 3-pointer from Stephanie Bairstow.

Lynette Johnson put the Aggies up 20-16 at the 13:58 mark with a layup, but the Lady Pirates answered with a 7-0 run to take a 23-20 lead with 11:50 left in the half following a layup from sophomore guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.).

Utah State clawed back, taking a 32-30 lead at the 7:25 mark on a layup from Franny Vaaulu, but Hampton responded with a 16-4 run, taking a 46-36 lead with 3:33 left in the half on a layup from Hamilton.

The Lady Pirates went into the half with a 51-42 lead – marking the first time since 2009 they had scored 50 points or more in the opening 20 minutes of a game.

Tate-DeFreitas had 20 points at the break.

Hampton scored the first four points of the second half, taking a 55-42 lead at the 19:10 mark of the second half on a Bennett layup. An 11-3 Utah State run cut that lead to 58-53 with 17:11 left to play, before Hampton went on an 11-2 run to take a 69-55 lead on a trey from Tate-DeFreitas with 14:16 to play.

Bennett gave Hampton its largest lead of the game with 11:53 to play, when she converted a layup to put the Lady Pirates up 76-57.

The Lady Pirates led by double digits for much of the second half, though the Aggies cut the lead to 91-82 with 1:52 left to play after a 3-pointer from Vaaulu. Hampton answered by making three of its next four free throws, as Utah State started fouling, to take a 94-82 lead with 1:04 remaining.

Another Vaaulu trey cut Hampton's lead to 96-87 with 49 seconds left, but Tate-DeFreitas hit a pair of free throws with 46 seconds left to put the game away.

Utah State missed its three field goal attempts in the final 34 seconds.

The Lady Pirates shot 46.7 percent (35-for-75) from the floor and made 11 of their 25 3-pointers (44.0 percent). Hampton also held a 50-40 edge on the glass, while also scoring 27 points off of 16 Utah State turnovers.

Hampton's 98 points were the most scored in a game in the David Six era.

Utah State (4-1) shot 43.8 percent (32-for-73) from the floor and made 12 of its 29 3-pointers (41.4 percent). Vaaulu led four Aggies in double figures with 27 points.

The Lady Pirates will play for the CSUN Thanksgiving Classic title on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. EST, taking on either Santa Clara or Cal State Northridge. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION