Monday, September 1, 2014

WSSU Notes: Rams could play in Bahamas in ’15

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State’s 2015 schedule is complete, but Athletics Director Tonia Walker said that there’s a chance the game against Tuskegee could be played in the Bahamas as part of the Bahamas HBCUX Classic.

The inaugural game of the classic will be Sept. 13, with Texas Southern taking on Central State.

WSSU will play Tuskegee this season at Bowman Gray Stadium.

“There was some interest this year in the Tuskegee game moving to the Bahamas,” Walker said. “But from a time frame, we just couldn’t do it. But there’s an opportunity next year to move that game to the Bahamas, it would be something we would look at doing.”

Walker said that WSSU’s nonconference games next season will be at UNC Pembroke, against Valdosta State in Atlanta and, for now, at Tuskegee.

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Big Ten Week 1 Roundup: Rutgers' conference brethren combine to win 11 of 13 in opening week

GAME TIME: SATURDAY: 12 PM ET,
 TV: BIG TEN NETWORK
PISCATAWAY, New Jersey  --  File this away if Rutgers has trouble pulling away from Howard this Saturday: Seven Big Ten teams faced teams from the Football Championship Subdivision ranks during the opening college football weekend, and two of them received a scare from their lower-level foes.


Of course, the Scarlet Knights have shown little difficulty cruising past MEAC opponents in recent years, playing a team from that league every year since 2006 and winning by a combined score of 341-14.

For now, the Scarlet Knights can rest comfortably with the fact that no other Big Ten team had a more noteworthy Week 1 triumph. After all, Rutgers was the only Big Ten squad to beat a team from one of the so-called power conferences, rallying for a 41-38 victory at Washington State for its first win over a Pac-12 foe in school history.

Rutgers (1-0) will play host to the Bison (0-1) at noon Saturday.

Rutgers football week 2: FCS Howard visits Piscataway

GAME TIME: SATURDAY: 12 PM ET, TV: BIG TEN NETWORK

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey  -- There doesn't seem to be any chance for an Appalachian State situation for Rutgers this Saturday. The Howard Bison didn't exactly put up a fight against Akron last week, and they face a better opponent in the Scarlet Knights. Expect Kyle Flood to pull starters to get much-needed experience at key positions. Here are some game notes that show how lopsided the series has been:
  • Rutgers has outscored Howard 127-14 in the three previous meetings. In addition to the 2012 win, the Scarlet Knights defeated the Bison 45-7 in 2009 and 56-7 in the first meeting between the schools in 2006.
  • In 10 all-time meetings against MEAC schools, Rutgers is 10-0. The Scarlet Knights have outscored MEAC opponents 405-36 all-time, including a score of 341-14 in eight games since 2006.

In the FCS Huddle: Despite NDSU & B-CU, a humbling reminder


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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (SportsNetwork.com) -- Beating FBS teams was all the rage last year when FCS schools brought them down a peg a record 16 times, including eight times on the season's first weekend.


Understandably, FCS conferences spent this past offseason trumpeting that they're closer to the bottom half of the FBS than the schools in those conferences are to the power conference schools which are seeking more autonomy.
That notion may be true when you're talking financials, but there's also something about walking the walk on the playing fields when you're talking the talk.
On this opening weekend of the 2014 college football season, the gap was evident. FCS teams were humbled by the FBS, winning only two of the 46 meetings between the two levels of Division I football.

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Ex-Canes four-star signee moves on to Texas Southern



HOUSTON, Texas --  Because he was a non-qualifier, Derrick Griffin never was able to reach his immense potential at Miami.  Now, however, the talented player will get another chance, albeit it at a much lower level of football.

According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston, Griffin has enrolled at Texas Southern and intends to play for the FCS program.  Because he was an academic non-qualifier, however, he will have to sit out the 2014 season.

“Our summer-bridge program is set up to take incoming freshman that need additional help to become college ready,” athletic director Dr. Charles McClelland told the station. “Derek successfully participated in that program which is why he is now a full-time student at Texas Southern University.”

In order for Griffin to be eligible in 2015, he needs to earn 24 credits between now and then. Additionally, Berman wrote, “Griffin must also maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 during the next two semesters to also be eligible.”

Until then, he’s eligible to practice with his new teammates.

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Big Plays Haunt Panthers In 37-35 Labor Day Classic Loss To TSU

HOUSTON. Texas --  Texas Southern used several timely third down conversions and took advantage of several Prairie View A&M turnovers to claim a 37-35 win in the 30th annual Labor Day Classic at NRG Stadium.

PVAMU failed to capitalize on an early Jerome Howard sack as they returned the gift on the first play of the next drive as a Jerry Lovelocke fumble led to a TSU recovery and a touchdown at the 7:21 mark.

On the following possession, the Panther offense began to click as Johnta' Hebert and Arthur Lockett combined to rush for 44 yards on the drive to move the Panthers into scoring position. Seven plays in, Lovelocke found Gabe Dunlap for an 11-yard touchdown and 7-7 tie with 5:14 remaining.

After a TSU punt, TSU began to implode with multiple personal fouls which led to a 3-yard run by Hebert. Barrick's PAT was good as the Panthers led 14-7 after the first quarter.

TSU's Homer Causey connected with Fred Plummer on a 51-yard pass on the final play of the quarter which set up a 26-yard field goal by Eric Medina and a 14-10 PVAMU lead. The Panthers were forced to punt on their following possession and TSU moved ahead 17-14 midway through the second quarter as Causey found Malik Cross for a 44-yard strike.

Despite the deficit, PVAMU hit with a big play of its own on the first play of the ensuing drive as Lovelocke found Nick Pitre for a 76-yard strike and a 21-17 lead with 6:16 remaining. An offsides penalty by the Panthers allowed TSU a second chance after a missed field goal as the Tigers closed to within 21-20 on Medina's 30-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.

On PVAMU's first play of the second half, TSU's Tray Walker stepped in front of Lovelocke and ran 16 yards unscathed for a 27-21 lead with 13:10 remaining. After a Panther punt, TSU converted three third down conversions and scored on a 20-yard Medina field goal for the 27-21 advantage.

After a slow third quarter which saw PVAMU score no points, the Panthers relied on their special teams for a big play in the fourth quarter as TSU's Fred Plummer fumbled a punt which was recovered by longsnapper Joe Sable. Four plays later, the Panthers trailed 30-28 as Lovelocke rushed in from one-yard out with 11:27 left in regulation.

Both teams traded punts after the score and TSU's Daveonn Porter struck big with a 53-yard run slightly after the six-minute mark. Two plays later, the Tigers moved ahead 37-28 as Plummer scored on a 27-yard reception from Small in the corner of the endzone. Down by two scores, the Panthers rallied with a 41-yard strike from Lovelocke to Keylon LaSalle to move into scoring position. Two plays later, the Panthers went deep into their playbook and used some razzle dazzle as Hebert took a pass from Lovelocke and found a wide open Gabe Dunlap for the 37-35 deficit after Barrick's kick.

With no timeouts left, PVAMU had one final chance to get the ball back but TSU's Small found Cross for a 14-yard reception on 3rd-and-12 which turned out to be nail in the coffin as TSU won for the second time in three seasons over the Panthers.

PVAMU finished with 369 total yards (227 P, 142 R) while TSU amassed 488 total offensive yards. Lovelocke finished with 202 yards on 10-of-26 passing and two touchdowns followed by 68 rushing yards from Hebert. Dunlap caught five passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns while Jerome Howard led the defense with 12 tackles, a sack, tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

The Panthers return to action at McNeese State on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. in Lake Charles, La.

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Sunday, August 31, 2014

North Carolina A&T Starts Fast, Wins Big


COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T SPORTS INFORMATION
Junior quarterback Kwashaun Quick ran for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
Photo by Charles E. Watkins

ORLANDO, Florida  --  Speed was Alabama A&M’s undoing at Bright House Networks Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Aggies sprinted to touchdown runs of 26, 59 and 80 and had a 95-yard kickoff return by junior Tony McRae, all in the first half, as they cruised to a 47-13 win in the 10th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney.

Sophomore Tarik Cohen was named the game’s MVP after rushing for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Junior quarterback Kwashaun Quick, making his third straight start on opening day, rushed for 94 yards and touchdowns and threw for 94 yards on 9-for-16 passing.

“We had some guys make some plays,” said A&T head coach Rod Broadway. “Quick opened things up by making some big plays for us and then Tarik made a few more plays. We’ve got some more guys who didn’t make plays for us today, but they are certainly capable. We’ve got a team of guys who can run.”

The Bulldogs (0-1) kept A&T’s speedsters on the sideline early thanks to a 12-play drive that devoured five minutes off the clock. Jaymason Lee’s completed pass Tevin McKenzie advanced the ball to the A&T 3-yard line, but it was short of the first down. The Bulldogs settled for a Ceaser Diaz-Ramon 20-yard field goal and a 3-0.

Diaz-Ramon’s botched onside kick that followed allowed the Aggies to give the ESPN audience watching live a preview of its speed. The Aggies took over at the A&M 37. After an 11-yard run on a reverse by All-American track and field 100 meter sprinter Desmond Lawrence, Quick dashed his way through A&M defenders for a 26-yard touchdown.

The Aggies never trailed again despite A&M’s efforts on its next drive. The Bulldogs again advanced the ball inside the A&T red zone only to settle for another Diaz-Ramon field goal that made it 7-6 with 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Once again A&T’s speed responded. McRae took the Diaz-Ramon’s kickoff, sprinted 20 yards, made a lethal cutback move and left every Bulldog behind for the 95-yard kickoff return and the 14-6 Aggies lead at the end of the first quarter. It was McRae’s second career kickoff return after returning one in last season’s opener at Appalachian State.

“It was important, I thought, to hold them to those two field goals,” said Broadway. “Any time you can hold them to three instead of giving up touchdowns, it changes things. It energizes you a bit.”

A&T directed that energy toward the scoreboard while Quick seemed to drain any energy the Bulldogs had left with a 59-yard touchdown run off of a fake to Cohen that left Bulldog defenders frozen.

“I just trusted my read and did what I was coached to do,” said Quick. “I saw the end crash, and I just pulled the ball out and made a play.”

Cohen said that fake aided in his 80-yard touchdown run that gave the Aggies a commanding 28-6 lead.

“They saw quick running everywhere, so that opened it up for me a bit,” he said. “We’re going to feed off each other because I don’t think defenses are going to be able to stop both of us.”

The Aggies’ 34-point win was their most lopsided win over a SWAC opponent in school history, surpassing the Aggies 28-12 win over Grambling in 1991. Fifth-year linebacker D’Vonte Grant and redshirt junior Denzel Jones led the Aggies defensively with 10 tackles apiece.

It was A&T’s first time playing in the event, which airs live nationally on ESPN.

“I think the coverage is something you can’t buy for our university or our conference,” said Broadway. “It’s great exposure. Our program has come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. We're nowhere close to being the type of program we want to be. So even just being invited to this game is an honor for us after going 27 games without a win and nine, 10 seasons without a winning season. Just to be invited tells us where we're going with our football program.”



COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION