Pough: SCSU Bulldogs Lack Enthusiasm, Intensity

HEAD COACH OLIVER "BUDDY" POUGH

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina – South Carolina State conducted its fifth spring football drill Wednesday morning and something was lacking, according to Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough. The Bulldog mentor said both enthusiasm and intensity were missing, something he found out of the ordinary.

"Today things didn't go our way and we will try to find a way to be better on Friday," said Pough. "We had to make some adjustments on the offense line but it's nothing we can't fix moving forward."

"We have to get some continuity going at this point during the spring," said the head coach. "As the days going on we will get a chance to try some different things and fix whatever what got wrong."

During Wednesday's workout, SC State emphasized situational grills, designed to keep the offense on the field and to develop more consistency on the offensive unit.

"We got some young guys that I am excited about," stated Pough. "We should get a chance to evaluate everyone more during the scrimmage Saturday if the weather holds up."

SC State returns to the field Friday morning for a two-hour session that gets underway at 6:30 a.m. Pough's team will conduct their first full scrimmage Saturday in O.C. Dawson Stadium.

2014 Spring Practice Schedule
 Practice #                   Date                            Time
6                                  Fri, March 28              6:30 AM
7                                  Sat, March 29            10:30 AM        Scrimmage
8                                  Mon, March 30           6:30 AM
9                                  Wed, April 2               6:30 AM
10                                Fri, April 4                   6:30 AM       
11                                Sat, April 5                10:30 AM        Scrimmage
12                                Mon, April 7                6:30 AM
13                                Wed, April 9                6:30 AM
14                                Fri, April 11                 6:30 AM       
15                                Sat, April 12               1:00 PM          Spring Game

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TSU Football Continues Spring Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State football team continued its practice schedule on Wednesday in preparation of the spring game on April 5 at 3 p.m.

 

On a perfectly sunny and breezy afternoon, the TSU defense got the better of the Big Blue offense, even though the sides were not tackling.

 

After starting with the punt and field goal drills, the student-athletes split up into their respective position groups to go over technique.

 

With the players having completed the necessary workouts, the offense squared off against the defense in 7-on-7 and eventually, in a full-blown scrimmage.

 

On the second play of the scrimmage, Bernell Brooks picked off a pass from Michael German in the flats and returned it all the way for a 20-yard touchdown.

 

Offensively, running back Darion Hall impressed with a faster foot speed and stronger cuts, leaving one defender on the ground on a draw play. While there was no heavy hitting, Hall wasn’t touched on most runs until reaching the second level.

 

The Tigers will conduct practice on Friday at 4 pm and then scrimmage on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. All practices are open to the public.



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XU's Coleman earns NAIA All-America honorable mention

Sydney Coleman

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Sydney Coleman received honorable mention on the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball All-America Team announced Wednesday.
   
Coleman is a 6-foot-7 forward from Meridian, Miss., and a graduate of Meridian High School. The only Gold Rush player to start in all 32 games in 2013-14, Coleman averaged 12.9 points per game and led the team with 7.6 rebounds, 30.5 minutes, a .543 field-goal percentage, 24 double-figure scoring games and seven double-figure rebounding games. He became the third player in Gold Rush history to reach 400 points and 200 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line in the same season. Coleman also became the only Xavier newcomer since 2003-04 to score in double figures in the first seven games of a season.
   
Coleman helped the Gold Rush finish 23-9, win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship and qualify for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship. He was All-GCAC. 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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College athletes can unionize, federal agency says

For now, the push is to unionize athletes at private schools, such as Northwestern, because the federal labor agency does not have jurisdiction over public universities.

CHICAGO, Illinois  -- In a stunning ruling that could revolutionize a college sports industry worth billions of dollars and have dramatic repercussion at schools coast to coast, a federal agency said Wednesday that football players at Northwestern University can create the nation’s first union of college athletes.

The decision by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board answered the question at the heart of the debate over the unionization bid: Do football players who receive full scholarships to the Big Ten school qualify as employees under federal law and therefore can legally unionize?

Peter Sung Ohr, the NLRB regional director, said in a 24-page decision that the players “fall squarely” within the broad definition of employee.

Pro-union activists cheered as they learned of the ruling.

“It’s like preparing so long for a big game and then when you win — it is pure joy,” said former UCLA linebacker Ramogi Huma, the designated president of Northwestern’s would-be football players’ union.

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Metro State men thump Tuskegee in Elite Eight of D-II hoops tournament

2014 DII Men's Basketball Quarterfinal: Metro State vs. Tuskegee - Full Replay

EVANSVILLE, Indiana — Metro State fell short of an NCAA Division II national championship a year ago, losing in the finals to Drury.

The No. 1 Roadrunners want to finish the job this time and took their first step toward that goal with a 106-87 victory over unranked Tuskegee on Wednesday afternoon in a national quarterfinal at the Ford Center.

Metro State advances to play No. 20 Central Missouri (28-5) on Thursday night in a 5 p.m. national semifinal.

Metro State (32-1) was in a tight battle early against the Golden Tigers, the only No. 8 seed at the Elite Eight. But a jumper by national player of the year Brandon Jefferson put the Roadrunners up 9-6.

Mitch McCarron got inside and was fouled after making a shot. His free throw gave the Roadrunners a 12-7 lead before a dunk by Nicholas Kay extended the lead to 14-7 over the Golden Tigers (21-12).

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU QB Johnson prefers to look ahead

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Rudy Johnson, a quarterback at Winston-Salem State, sat their squirming in his seat because I’m pretty sure he knew I would ask him the question. He knew that I would eventually get around to asking him about last season and the CIAA championship pre-game luncheon fight and how he’s dealing with that.

But as I knew he would Johnson, which is kind of like his playing style, didn’t back down from the question.

“I tried to store that to motivate me,” Johnson said. “Anything that’s been negative in my life I’ve used that to motivate myself and that’s what I’ve done with what happened last fall.”

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JCSU Golden Bulls Announces 2014 Football Schedule

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  The Johnson C. Smith University Department of Athletics has released their 10-game football schedule for the 2014 season. JCSU concluded last season with a record of 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the CIAA. Prior to the start of the 2014 regular season, the Golden Bulls will hold their annual intra-squad spring game on Monday, April 7th on Eddie C. McGirt Field at the Irwin Belk Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

The Golden Bulls will kick off their season in a highly anticipated match-up against the Division I 49ers of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The game will be played at Jerry Richardson Stadium, home field of UNCC and is scheduled for Saturday, September 6th at 12 noon. Next on the schedule for JCSU will be the Thorobreds of Kentucky State University. This will be the first home game and commemorates the annual Eddie C. McGirt Classic. Game time is slated for at 2:00 p.m. at the Irwin Belk Complex.

JCSU will travel to Carrollton, GA for their third game of the season against the University of West Georgia. This will conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule.

The Golden Bulls will take on Virginia Union University in their first conference game on Saturday, September 27th at 2:00 p.m. in the Irwin Belk Complex. The last time the two teams met was Homecoming 2011; JCSU defeated the Panthers 26-19 on Eddie C. McGirt field.

The first game in the month of October features a road game against Bowie State University in Bowie, MD. This cross-divisional matchup is scheduled to take place on October 4th. These two teams squared off last season on McGirt Field; the Golden Bulls defeated the Bulldogs 58-41.

JCSU divisional play will begin against the reigning CIAA champion Winston-Salem State University on Saturday, October 11th at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, NC at 2:00 p.m. Next in division, the Golden Bulls will take on Fayetteville State University (October 18th) and Shaw University (October 25th) in back to back road games.

Johnson C. Smith will host the Falcons of Saint Augustine's University for Homecoming 2014 on November 1st at 1:00 p.m. on McGirt Field at the Irwin Belk Complex.

The regular season will conclude with the annual Commemorative Classic against historic rival Livingstone College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 8th.

JCSU GOLDEN BULLS 2014 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Result	Details
4/7/2014	Gold and Blue Spring Game	Charlotte, NC	7:00 PM	Details
9/6/2014	UNC Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	12:00 PM	Details
Eddie C. McGirt Classic
9/13/2014	Kentucky State University	Charlotte, NC	2:00 PM	Details
9/20/2014	University of West Georgia	Carrollton, GA	TBA	Details
9/27/2014	Virginia Union University	Charlotte, NC	2:00 PM	Details
10/4/2014	Bowie State University	Bowie, MD	TBA	Details
10/11/2014	Winston-Salem State University	Charlotte, NC	2:00 PM	Details
10/18/2014	Fayetteville State University	Fayeteville, NC	TBA	Details
10/25/2014	Shaw University	Raleigh, NC	TBA	Details
11/1/2014	Saint Augustine's University (Homecoming)	Charlotte, NC	1:00 PM	Details
11/8/2014	Livingstone College	Charlotte, NC	1:00 PM	Details

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