Ram Ramblings: Not much has changed at WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Yes, things are different now that Connell Maynor is at Hampton but that doesn’t mean the winning is going to stop.

Winston-Salem State picked up right where it left off from last season with a convincing 38-7 win over UNC Pembroke on Saturday night. Not even a lightening delay was going to delay the Rams from winning for Coach Kienus Boulware debut.

I noticed a few things about these Rams that differ from the years past. I don’t see as much chest pounding and whooping and hollering that maybe some of Maynor’s teams were guilty of doing the last four seasons. There wasn’t anything wrong with that because when you go 45-6 in four seasons that’s pretty good.

It seems to me that the Rams have taken to Boulware and his style that is understated to say the least. But that style is also OK because the Rams showed just as much intensity and vigor on Saturday night as they did when Maynor was around.

They just did it in a different way.

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WSSU Rams roll 38-7, still see room for improvement

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- The Kienus Boulware era of Winston-Salem State University football got off to a great start, as the #14 WSSU Rams scored 31 first half points, enroute to a convincing 38-7 win over #21 UNC Pembroke on Saturday night in Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.

With the win, WSSU recorded their 400th all-time win, moving to 1-0, while UNC Pembroke falls to 0-1 on the season.

Winston-Salem State got on the scoreboard first, when Tyree Massey reached the end zone from eight yards out, and with Alejandro Suarez's PAT, the Rams went up 7-0.

The WSSU Rams would not take long to score again, after a quick series from UNCP, the Rams' Marcel Caver would haul in a 64 yard pass from wide receiver, Donovan Rasberry, and with the PAT WSSU was off and rolling 14-0.

Winston-Salem State's defense was spectacular all night and with 5:50 to go in the first quarter, the might Ram defense stepped up big time, as UNCP's quarter scramble but could not avoid WSSU's Alfy Hill, and Hill not only sacked the quarterback, but also forced a fumble and Danny Bunn would pounce on the ball in the end zone for another WSSU touchdown, giving the Rams a 21-0 lead.

The stifling WSSU defense would once again make a big play, when on the third play of the next series, WSSU's Aliquan Bullock would force a fumble and would be recovered by Lakevious Battle.

After the 13 play, 53 yard series for WSSU would break down, the Rams would attempt something that they rarely did over the past few years, kick a field goal. Alejandro Suarez would connect on a career long 44 yard attempt to give the Rams a commanding 24-0 lead early in the second quarter.

But the Braves were not going to go away easy, as LJ Stroman would take the ensuing kickoff, and return it 100 yards for a touchdown to cut the score to 24-7.

With 5:45 left in the first half, Rudy Johnson would find an open QB turned tight end, DeShean Townsend for an 8 yard scoring strike to give WSSU a 31-7 advantage heading into the locker room at the half.

And a halftime it was. As a severe storm approached Bowman Gray Stadium, the venue had to be evacuated because of lightning, and the normally 20 minute half, would be extended to an hour and 15 minutes before play could be resumed. Although the lightning ceased, a steady rain would invade Bowman Gray for the rest of the evening.

The second half was more of the same for UNCP, as Winston-Salem State's defense kept the pressure on, and did not allow a score.

WSSU would reach the end zone once more, as Maurice Lewis would find the goal line from 10 yards out with 2:17 left in the third quarter to give the Rams the eventually final score of 38-7.

Offensively for WSSU, Rudy Johnson led the rushing attack with five carries for 48 yards, while Maurice Lewis rushed 11 times for 46 yards and a score. Tyree Massey carried the ball seven times for 29 yards and a score in his WSSU debut. The Rams rushed for 135 yards on the night.

Rudy Johnson finihsed 14 of 22 passing for 122 yards and one score, while Phillip Sims went 10 of 16 for 107 yards.

Defensively, Duvontae Covington led the way with six tackles, while James Hickman and Alfy Hill had five tackles each. Hill also finished with a game high 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Michael Bloomfield finished with four tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Danny Bunn finished with four tackles and a fumble recovery for a score. Aliquan Bullock finished with a forced fumble and Jerron Jamerson intercepted a pass.

The WSSU Defense held UNC Pembroke to just 146 yards on the ev
ening, while keeping them out of the end zone, while the Ram offense finished with 428 yards. It was not all glowing however, as WSSU surrendered 291 kickoff return yards including a 100 yards return for a score.

Winston-Salem State will watch the film and make adjustments, as they will travel to Powder Springs, GA next week for a rematch of the 2012 NCAA DII National Title Game, as they will face the Valdosta State Blazers at Cantrell Stadium, at McEachern High School for a 4:00 pm kickoff.

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PHOTOS

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alabama State Hornets Hold on for Exciting Win Over Tennessee State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- It took two lightning delays for a total of 88 minutes before Alabama State held on to defeat 14^th-ranked Tennessee State 27-21.
 
"This was a big game for us and a big weekend for Alabama State and the Inauguration of our President," Head Coach Reggie Barlow said.  To play against a team like Tennessee State, who we have a lot of respect for, and the tradition and history they have there.  We knew it would be a really tough game.  Our guys stayed with the vision and just fought the process.  We talked about a couple of characteristics we needed to have for this game; it was heart, resiliency, and we wanted to play as a team and just make sacrifices for each other.  We were able to do that and we were able to get away with a win."
 
Malcolm Cyrus led the Hornets (1-1) as he rushed for a game high 170 yards.  He also added another 86 yards in receiving yards, the biggest was his 70 yard touchdown catch to put the Hornets up 17-2 early in the second half, after a 31-minute lightning delay coming out for the second half.
 
Cyrus had plenty of help in the backfield as ASU rushed for 255 yards.  Khalid Thomas had 70 yards on 10 carries while Daniel Duhart added a career-long 30 yard touchdown run in the third quarter, which gave the Hornets their largest lead of the game at 24-2 with 10:32 left in the third quarter.
 
Duhart finished the game completing 12 of his 25 pass attempts for 189 yards and a touchdown.  Nehemiah Henry had a team-high four catches for 52 yards while freshman kickerPreston Clark once again hit both of his field goal attempts and all of his extra points.  He also pulled double duty as the punter, averaging 33.5 yards per punt on 10 punts.  He had one downed inside the 20 while his long was 42 yards.
 
Kourtney Berry led the Hornets defense with 12 stops, but it was the play of Najee Bright that really turned the momentum for ASU.  He returned a blocked field goal for a score in the first half giving ASU its first lead of the game (7-2) and he also had a career-high two interceptions from his safety position.  He played at corner last week, but was moved back to his more natural position during practice, a move that paid off in dividends for ASU.
 
"It's so good to see the things we practice work like the scoop and score," Barlow said.  "The block we called, Coach McNeil puts that together and we did a good job with it.  It's something we practice all the time and these guys don't take it for granted.  We were able to get in there and block it and the scoop and score were perfect.  Najee did a good job getting down the picking up the ball and had a good escort of guys that got him into the end zone."
 
"On the scoop, I didn't really know who was going to get the ball," Bright said.  I saw them (teammates) reaching at it so I took the initiative to just go ahead and scoop and score it and my teammates led me into the endzone."
 
Four defensive players finished the game with six stops including Marcus Berg, Trey Jenkins, Derrick Billups, Ka'Ra Stewart and Torrey Davis.  Stewart and Edward Mosley each had a sack while Chris Terry had a game-high three stops behind the line of scrimmage.
 
After surrendering 685 yards last week, the Hornets defense rose to the occasion holding the high-powered TSU (1-1) offense to 432 yards this week.  TSU only had 275 yards entering the fourth quarter, but made a mad rush to score two late touchdowns to cut a 27-8 ASU lead to 27-21.
 
After Clark's second field goal of the game gave ASU a 27-8 lead with 12 seconds left in the third quarter, the Hornets had to hold on in the fourth to preserve the victory.
 
TSU scored 13 consecutive points to cut the lead to 27-21 with 4:33 left.  After ASU went three-and-out, TSU got the ball back with 3:18 left on their own 42 yard line.  The Tigers then drove down to the ASU 21 yard line, but after Terry stopped TSU's Tom Smith for a three yard loss and a holding penalty against TSU, the Hornets saw a fourth down pass fall incomplete inside the 10 yard line as ASU held on for the win over the nationally-ranked Tigers.
 
"I told the guys we felt good about what we were doing, but this is a good team," Barlow said.  "They are going to fight back and that's what they did, but we survived the assaults they had and kudos to these guys for playing their butts off.  I have an appreciation for how hard they played."
 
ASU held TSU's Smith to only 70 yards rushing on 22 carries after he rushed for 151 yards for TSU in their season-opener last week.  Michael German attempted 61 pass for TSU, but only completed 26 of those.  They did gain 340 yards, but the Hornets were able to pick off three of his pass attempts and sacked him twice and also had nine quarterback hurries.
 
The game had a rough start as there was a 57 minute lightening delay before the first quarter was over, plus there was not a lot of offense by either team in the first half as there were a total of 12 punts between the two teams.
 
ASU used a couple of big plays, one by the defense and one by the offense to take a 10-2 lead in the locker room at halftime.  TSU held a slim 2-0 lead after a Duhart fumble rolled out of the endzone with a little over two minutes left in the first quarter.
 
With 7:43 left before halftime, the Tigers lined up to attempt a 25 yard field goal but Daerius Washington broke through the line and blocked the kick.  Bright picked the ball up on the 34 yard line and sprinted 66 yards giving the Hornets a 7-2 lead.
 
After another four punts, the Hornets took over on their own 28 yard line and after a 44 yard run from Cyrus, Clark knocked down a 32 yard field goal on the final play of the half giving the Hornets the 10-2 halftime lead.
 
The Hornets will be back home next week when they host Mississippi Valley State to begin Southwestern Athletic Conference action at New Hornet Stadium.  Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m.

 Box Score

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Morgan State loses to Holy Cross on last play (Video)

MORGAN STATE Herb Walker Jr. Sets School Record with 271 yards

WORCESTER, Massachusetts – Lee Hull saw his hopes of winning against his alma mater dashed in the final moments of an exciting game.
 
Shane Smith scored on a 1-yard run on the final play of the game to lift Holy Cross to a 29-26 win over Morgan State on Saturday in front of a crowd of 6,172 fans at Fitton Field.
 
The win marked the first of the season for the Crusaders who improved to a 1-1 record, while the Bears (0-2) dropped its second straight heart breaker, having lost at Eastern Michigan 31-28 in Week 1.
 
Morgan State running back Herb Walker Jr. was inserted into the starting lineup as a result of a season-ending injury to Lamont Brown III. Walker was not only up to the task, but he had a sensational performance. The 5-foot-8, redshirt sophomore absolutely ripped the Crusaders on the ground and set a new school record with 271 yards on 29 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns.
 
"I thought Herb [Walker] did a great job rushing the ball," said Hull. "He did a great job of being patient and hitting the holes when they were there." 
 
"I also have to commend our offensive line. They got a lot of push and they opened some holes up for him – which we knew going into this game that we would be able to run the ball. And the way the game was going, the defense was struggling a little bit, so we had to run the ball to try and take time off the clock."
 
Morgan State opened the game in a 9-0 hole when a snap flew over punter Lawrence Forbes' head and out of the endzone for a safety. Holy Cross QB Peter Pujals engineered a 12-play, 56-yard drive capped by a 1-yard TD run by Shane Taylor with 8 minutes to go in the first quarter.
 
The Bears responded by reeling off 13 unanswered points.
 
Chris Moller, who had a 33-yard field goal blocked at the end of the first quarter, bounced back with a 42-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.
 
Robert Council (7-of-18, 57 yds) connected with wideout Amonta Poteat for a 21-yard TD strike to give the Bears its first lead of the day. Moller hit a 45-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-9 with 5:20 remaining in the first half.
 
Pujals scored on a 7-yard keeper to help give the Crusaders a 16-13 halftime lead.
 
Neither team was able to gain ground in the third quarter.
 
The Bears regained the lead at 19-16 following a nifty 46-yard run by Walker with 13:57 remaining in the game. The extra point attempt by Moller was blocked.
 
Holy Cross answered with a 75-yard drive and a touchdown pass from Pujals to a wide-open Kalaif Raymond gave the Crusaders a 23-17 advantage.
 
The Bears had taken a 26-23 lead with 3:39 remaining in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by Walker.
 
The Crusaders were able to drive across midfield, before facing a third-and 16 at the Morgan State 25 yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining. Pujals then threw a 22-yard pass to Jake Wieczorek to give Holy Cross first-and-goal at the three-yard line.

After spiking the ball to stop the clock and a two-yard rush by Pujals, the Crusaders called their final timeout facing third-and-goal from the one-yard line. Holy Cross initially sent out its field goal unit to attempt to force overtime, but reversed course after a Morgan State timeout, allowing Taylor to score the winning touchdown.
 
Morgan State finished with 413 yards overall, 356 rushing. The Crusaders totaled 379 yards with Pete Pujalis completing 16 of 29 passes for 193 yards.
 
Morgan State has dropped its first two games by a combined total of 6 points. Hull spoke about the takeaways from the pair of narrow losses.
 
"You have to be in these types of games to learn how to win them. We've had two tough losses, two games we could've won with a break here or there. But one thing is for certain -- these guys never gave up; they were still out there fighting."

"We have to be more disciplined. Our lack of discipline hurt us in both games, and that's why I keep telling our guys – You can beat a better team, but a more disciplined team and the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win the game. That's what's happened the last two games."
 
Morgan State will host the Bulldogs of Bowie State on Saturday, Sept. 13 for the Bears' home-opener. Kick off at Hughes Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Bear Notes
 
Herb Walker Jr. broke a school record that was previously held by Jason Jackson. Jackson ran for 251 yards in a 55-26 win for against Savannah State at The Proctor & Gamble Ohio Classic on Sept. 17, 2005.
 
Amonta Poteat scored his first career touchdown
 
Antonio Jefferson finished with nine (9) tackles in his first career start at cornerback.

Box Score 

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Georgia Southern run past SSU 83-9

STATESBORO, Georgia  -- Georgia Southern opened the newly-expanded Allen E. Paulson Stadium in style by downing local rival Savannah State 83-9 Saturday night in the Eagles' first FBS home game in front of a crowd of 23,121.

First-year Eagle head coach Willie Fritz's team zipped up and down the field with precision most of the night, while the Georgia Southern staff played with some of its new toys, like the 852-square-foot HD video board in the East end zone.

The Eagle offense scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions, partly because the defense and special teams made Georgia Southern's average starting field position inside Savannah State territory. The only thing that could stop the Eagle offense was halftime, and the lone Georgia Southern mistakes in the first half were a missed extra point on the Eagles' fifth touchdown and a couple of penalties on punt returns late in the frame.

The Eagles rolled up 695 yards of offense, tied the school record for touchdowns with 12, scoring 10 on the ground, and did not punt in the contest. Favian Upshaw rushed eight times for 81 yards and a touchdown and threw for 53 yards and another score, while Ean Days rushed for a career-high 112 yards and scored his first two career touchdowns. Brandan Thomas logged 117 yards on the ground and scored his first career touchdown, while Devin Scott and Dennis Pritchard each rushed for their first career touchdowns.

Matt Breida had 69 rushing yards and a pair of scores, and Kentrellis Showers caught three passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and moved into sixth place on the school's career receptions chart. Ezayi Youyoute and Montay Crockett also rushed for touchdowns.

"Our 1s did a great job when they were in there, and we saw a lot of good things from our 2s and 3s," said Fritz. "We got to play a lot of guys, and they deserve it because they work their tails off every day and you want to reward them. Every guy who dressed, and we dressed 92 of them, got a chance to play."

Ryan George led Georgia Southern with six tackles, including one for loss, while Rayquan Sam notched five and Antwione Williams had three stops with two for loss and a sack. The defense forced two fumbles, picked off one pass and held Savannah State to 42 yards of total offense and two first downs in the first half.

"We came out prepared, and the fans and atmosphere was great," said Williams. "It's fun to come show the fans at Paulson what the defense can do."

"The defensive line did a good job of providing a pass rush," added Fritz. "We only rushed four for the most part, and we did good job of staying over the top and playing leverage and tackling."

The attendance was the fourth-largest regular-season crowd at Paulson Stadium and ranked sixth on the all-time list.

"It's a dream come true for me to be able to coach at the Division I level where they care about football the way Georgia Southern does," Fritz said about the game-day atmosphere in Paulson.

The Eagles' first drive in the refurbished stadium began and ended with a Breida run. The sophomore opened the drive with an 11-yard run and found pay-dirt seven plays later on a 14-yard scamper.

Savannah State got one of its two first downs in the half on its next possession but elected to go for it on 4th-and-3 from its own 37-yard line. Matt DeLaRosa and Jay Ellison stuffed a Ker-Sean Wilson rush attempt after a 1-yard gain, giving the ball back to the Eagles. Quarterback Kevin Ellison wasted no time, going up top to Showers for a 38-yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 Eagle lead.

The Georgia Southern defense forced a 3-and-out on the next Tiger possession, and Upshaw sparked a 50-yard scoring drive with a 16-yard run. The sophomore quarterback scored on a keeper on 3rd-and-goal from the 6-yard line, and the Eagles led 21-0.

After Deion Stanley intercepted a Wilson pass, Upshaw got in the aerial act, hitting Showers with a 43-yard pass down the sideline for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead. Savannah State fumbled on the kickoff return and it was Breida's turn to carry the load again. He logged three carries for 29 yards, the last for a 1-yard touchdown and after a missed extra point, the Eagles led 34-0 1:19 into the second quarter.

Game Notes: Georgia Southern celebrated its move into the FBS by moving its six FCS national Championship Flags across the stadium to the Football Operations Center in a pre-game ceremony… The flags will now fly daily over the FOC… It was also Military Appreciation Day, the GATA Club All-Sports Reunion game and Night of Champions, which annually celebrates Georgia Southern championship teams… Stanley's interception was the fifth of his career… Georgia Southern improved to 26-6-1 in home openers and 25-5 in home openers at Paulson Stadium… It was the Eagles' eighth straight victory in home openers… GSU coach Willie Fritz is 21-1 in home openers in his career… It was the first time Fritz coached a game in the state of Georgia… The Eagles improved to 11-0 against Savannah State in the all-time series… The Eagles didn't punt for the first time since a 58-0 win over Jacksonville in the 2012 home opener… The Eagles were 37 yards shy of the school record for total offense, 66 yards away from the rushing record, one point away from the record for points in a game and one rushing TD shy of the school mark… Freedom the eagle went the extra distance for FBS on his pre-game flight from the press box, taking a lap around Bishop Fieldhouse to check out the tailgating before landing on his perch.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by GSEagles.com.
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Box Score

COURTESY GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

West Virginia State Open Season with a WIN!

INSTITUTE, West Virginia  -- No more waiting.

After months of anticipation and a 150 minute lightning delay the WVSU football team defeated Lock Haven 19-14 Saturday afternoon at Dickerson Stadium in the season opener for both squads.

"It's a great feeling," said Yellow Jacket Head Coach Jon Anderson who picked up his first career win. "It feels great because the coaching staff did a great job and the players bought into what we are doing and it's a real team victory."

The Jackets were solid in every phase of the game with several young players making an impact in their first college action.

Quarterback Matt Kinnick completed 24 of 35 pass attempts for 230 yards.

"Matt did a good job managing the game," Anderson said. "I was real pleased with him."

Running back Tevin Brown ran for 129 yards, and wide receiver Quinton Gray hauled in seven passes for 53 yards. Linebacker Dennis Gardeck made eight tackles and cornerback Kevin Coffie six.
Kinnick and the rest were all playing in their first college game.

The Yellow Jackets took a 6-0 lead into halftime on the strength of two Kole Patterson field goals.

They stretched it to 13-0 on a two yard run by freshman quarterback Matt Kinnick with 12:50 left in the third quarter. The score was set up by an 18-yard completion from Kinnick to freshman Quinton Gray.

Moments later play was halted as lightning streaked across the sky in the distance.

Play was suspended at 2:45 p.m. with 12:06 showing in the third on the game clock. Both teams headed to their locker rooms and the stands emptied as rain began to fall.

NCAA rules require a 30 minute wait after any lightning is seen. The last sighting occurred at 4:45 and the teams headed back to the field to warm-up with play resuming at 5:15 p.m., a two and one-half hour stoppage.

"That was a challenge," Anderson said. "I was worried that our kids would come out and not handle it well and they didn't for a while but the kids stepped up."

When play resumed the Bald Eagles caught fire, driving for back-to-back touchdowns to take a 14-13 lead with 55 seconds remaining in the period.

After losing a fumble at the Lock Haven 47 on the next possession it certainly looked as if momentum had completely abandoned the Yellow Jackets.

But they did not fold.

"That is one of the things we talked about a lot going into the season," Anderson said. "We call it riding waves, you can't get too high or too low."

The Jackets rebounded quickly.

They forced Lock Haven into a three-and-out after the fumble recovery.

After the Bald Eagles punted WVSU took over on its own 23 yard line and quickly marched 77 yards for the game winner.

A Brown run accounted for 57 yards of that and Kinnick hit Tyler Carrillo with a 12-yard strike for the score.

"Everybody gets put in adverse situations at times," sophomore defensive lineman Sam Lester said. "I think we handled it well."

The defense held the remaining 9:51 with a Lock Haven pass falling incomplete out of bounds on a fourth down and two play from the Yellow Jacket 36 with seven seconds left in the game.

"It feels good," Lester said. "It was a long time coming."

The defense broke up 12 passes and intercepted one on the day. Senior Wenly Beliard and sophomore Mitchell Rowell also contributed eight tackles.

Special teams play was strong as Cory Broughton averaged 36 yards on five punts and landed all of his kickoffs around the goal line while Patterson made both of his field goal tries.

Talir Satterfield-Rowe averaged 31.7 yards on three kickoff returns and Gray 9.5 on a pair of punt run backs.

The offense ran up 451 yards and had just the one turnover.

Rowe added 72 rushing yards to finish with 167 all-purpose yards on the day. Josh Caiquo had 63 receiving yards while Joe Thornton and Shanin Bennefield each pulled down five passes.

"It was a team win," Anderson said. "It's something we are all proud of but it's what is expected."

The victory broke a 17 game losing streak dating back to a September 29, 2012 win at Seton Hill.
The Yellow Jackets will get back to work in preparation for a visit from Concord next week.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Langston Rallies to Defeat Blue Tigers in a Missouri Classic Shootout

KANSAS CITY, Missouri  -- The Lincoln football team scored 42 points in the first half, but was held to just six in the second as the Blue Tigers fell to Langston, 49-48, in the Missouri Classic on Saturday (Sept. 6). Langston out-scored Lincoln 21-0 in the third quarter to rally from a 14-point halftime deficit, and then held on to win the neutral site contest, which was played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Jacob Morris completed 18 of 25 passes (.720 completion percentage), including 11 of 12 in the first half, and finished with 301 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. The four scoring throws tie a single-game Lincoln record, owned by James Lang and Morris himself. Morris also contributed on the ground, finishing as Lincoln's second-leading rusher with 66 yards on 19 carries.

Morris Henderson also had a big day, scoring three touchdowns, including one on a 91-yard kickoff return. Henderson finished with 78 yards on the ground and two scores and added 142 more yards on kickoff returns.

Henderson's third touchdown nearly sent the game into overtime. Lincoln forced Langston to punt with less than three minutes to go, but the Lions' punter could not handle the snap. Reggie McMillan grabbed the ball and gave Lincoln excellent field position, and three plays later, Henderson found his way into the endzone. That pulled Lincoln to within one point of Langston, but Andrew Fishel's game-tying kick was blocked. The Blue Tigers elected to kick the ball deep instead of try for an onside kick, but Langston's quarterback converted a third-and-four with a nine-yard keeper that sealed the game for the Lions.

The contest started out well for Lincoln, as Morris led a 78-yard game-opening drive that ended with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Khiry Draine. After an exchange of possessions, Langston tied the game at seven on a 13-yard pass. On the ensuing kickoff, however, Henderson grabbed the ball at the Lincoln nine and raced all the way to the end zone, providing the Blue Tigers with an early 14-7 lead.

Langston scored another touchdown on the following drive, but Morris answered by finding Draine once again, this time for 23 yards, to put Lincoln back up by seven. After forcing the Lions to punt, Lincoln scored again on the first play of the second quarter, with Morris Christopher Willis for a 48-yard touchdown. Morris later connected with Draine on a third scoring pass, giving the Blue Tigers their biggest lead of the game, 35-14, with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half. Draine finished the game with four receptions for 101 yards and the three scores.

The Lions cut the lead back down to seven with a pair of touchdowns, one of which was a 53-yard pass that capped a two-play drive. The Blue Tigers got back on the board late in the quarter, with Henderson scoring his first rushing touchdown of the year from four yards out to give Lincoln a halftime lead of 42-28.

The third quarter belonged to Langston, though, as the Lions outgained the Blue Tigers 203-46 in yardage and 21-0 on the scoreboard. The Lions converted 13 first downs while limiting Lincoln to three, and successfully picked up two fourth-down conversions. Penalties were a killer for the Blue Tigers, who were flagged seven time for 71 yards in the third quarter alone.

The Lincoln defense answered the call in the fourth quarter, keeping Langston off the scoreboard to give the offense a chance at tying the game. The Blue Tigers did not get within scoring range until that final drive, however, and Lincoln, which won the first Missouri Classic in 2013 against Grambling State, was forced to cede its title in the second classic to Langston.

Kareem Joyner led the Lincoln defense with 11 tackles, 3.5 of which led to a combined loss of five yards. Davon Walls finished with a team-high 4.5 tackles for a loss of 18 yards, including two sacks for 14 yards, and was second on the squad with nine tackles. Lawrence Hogue, Lawrence Cayou and Kerry Roby each had one pass break-up apiece, with Cayou also blocking a field goal attempt, and Robert Daniels broke up two passes. Hogue finished with eight tackles, Cayou added seven and a sack, and Roby contributed six takedowns.

Julio Segura had a big day on kickoffs, averaging 50.4 yards on eight attempts. Segura also averaged 44.2 yards on four punts, including a long of 52 that pinned Langston inside its own 20. Fishel added six extra points. Bryson Winfrey made a team-high six receptions for 54 yards while Willis added 86 yards and the touchdown on four receptions.

The Blue Tigers will open both their home and league schedules next Saturday (Sept. 13), as Lincoln hosts Southwest Baptist in its first-ever Great Lakes Valley Conference contest.

Box Score

COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELAITONS

S.C. State on short end of 73-7 mauling by No. 23 Clemson

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- South Carolina State confronted a different pedigree of “Tiger” Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

A week after routing Division II Benedict College at the Palmetto Capital City Classic, the opposition was a Division I Clemson team anxious for redemption after losing to another “Bulldog” team out of Athens, Georgia.

What transpired over 60 minutes of football was something Buddy Pough had not experienced in 13 years as South Carolina State head football coach. The 73-7 loss to the #23/24th-ranked Tigers marked the most points allowed and largest margin of defeat suffered under his leadership, surpassing the previous high set during a 70-14 loss in 2012 to Johnny Manziel-led Texas A&M.

S.C. State also lost a week earlier the same year to Arizona 56-0.

“They (Clemson) were better than us,” a disheartened Pough said. “That’s pretty obvious.”

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Rutgers 38, Howard 25: What Scarlet Knights' victory means for showdown vs. Penn State

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey  -- A sluggish start that included an early seven-point deficit was no problem to overcome for Rutgers, which exploded for 31 unanswered first-half points and cruised to a 38-25 win over Howard before 48,040 in the home opener at High Point Solutions Stadium.

Rutgers' first game under the Big Ten banner showed plenty of warts for the Scarlet Knights, but quarterback play wasn't one of them. Gary Nova was efficient under center, completing 15 of 19 passes for 282 yards and throwing for four touchdowns.

Paul James scored three touchdowns, including two through the air, and Rutgers' special teams contributed a blocked field goal and blocked punt as the Scarlet Knights improved to 11-0 all-time against MEAC opponents and has now outscored teams from the FCS league 379-39 since 2006.

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Still no TDs for Norfolk State in 17-0 loss to Liberty

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State’s offense was significantly livelier Saturday, but the Spartans again couldn’t manage to find the end zone. And there’s only so much a stout defense can do.

Josh Woodrum completed 14 of 25 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown to lead Liberty to a 17-0 non-conference win over NSU at Dick Price Stadium.

Spartans quarterback Terrance Ervin, a true freshman making his first career start, completed 10 of 16 passes for 56 yards and injected much-needed life into a flat unit. But he threw an interception and was sacked six times by an aggressive, relentless defense as the Spartans (0-2) lost their seventh straight non-MEAC contest, dating to 2012.

NSU coach Pete Adrian said he was encouraged by how Ervin, who starred at L.C. Bird High in Chesterfield, directed the offense. But the Spartans, he said, have to finish drives.

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Miami Hurricanes roll past FAMU in home opener

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida  --Did Brad Kaaya light up Florida A&M’s defense, looking like a future Heisman Trophy winner?

No. But he’s fine with that. And so is Hurricanes coach Al Golden, who saw incremental improvement from him and the rest of the Hurricanes in a 41-7 win over in-state foe Florida A&M.

In his second college start, Kaaya, a true freshman who turned 19 last week, earned his first win as UM’s starting quarterback. He was far from perfect, going 12-for-22 for 177 yards against an FCS-level defense, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he assessed his performance as “pretty good.”

“There were some plays I wish I could have had back. We had a few miscommunications out there that we should get worked on,” he said. “But hey, I’m not a big stats guy. I’m just a big wins guy.”



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WEEK 2, HBCU Football ScoreCard

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(All Game Times Shown in Eastern Time Zone)

SUNDAY, Sept. 7
Delaware State (0-1) at Delaware (0-1), 12 Noon

SATURDAY, Sept. 6

OTHERS
Langston (Ok) 49, Lincoln (Mo) 48, Missouri Classic at Arrowhead Stadium
West Virginia State 19, Lock Haven 14

CIAA
Livingstone College 46,  Millersville (Pa.) 44 (Thursday)
Lincoln (Pa.) 30, Cheyney 18. Battle of the First  Watch Replay  (Thursday)
Virginia Union 12, Siena Heights 0  
Indiana (Pa.) 41, Saint Augustine's 19
Charlotte 56, Johnson C. Smith 0 TV: American Sports Network
California (Pa) 33, Virginia State 24
Saint Anselm 23, Bowie State 22
North Carolina Central 34, Elizabeth City State 7
Winston-Salem State 38, UNC Pembroke 7
Chowan 26, Fayetteville State 22
Miles 30, Shaw 6


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SIAC

Kentucky State 41, Kentucky Wesleyan College 21 

Shorter 28, Paine 24 

Alabama A&M 30, Tuskegee 17

Central State (Ohio) 28, Clark Atlanta 18 

Benedict 39, Lane 7

Delta State 56, Fort Valley State 13

West Alabama 44, Stillman 20

Valdosta State 38, Albany State 10
Morehouse 31, Edward Waters 16

Miles 30, Shaw 6

SWAC
Alabama A&M 30, Tuskegee 17
Alabama State 27, Tennessee State 21
Southern Mississippi 26, Alcorn State 20
Jackson State 59, Virginia University Lynchburg 0
Arkansas Pine Bluff 31, Concordia College 0
Southern U. 56, Central Methodist 14
Illinois State 62, Mississippi Valley 0
Houston 47, Grambling State 0  Watch Replay 
Texas Southern 52,Texas College 14 (Thursday)

OVC
Alabama State 27, Tennessee State 21

MEAC
Bethune-Cookman  (1-0) (Bye Week)
Rutgers 38, Howard 25  TV: Big Ten Network
#23 Clemson 73, South Carolina State 7  Watch Replay   Highlights  »

• Holy Cross 29, Morgan State 26  

Liberty 17, Norfolk State 0   Watch Replay 
North Carolina Central 34. Elizabeth City State 7
Delaware State (0-1) at Delaware (0-1)  SUNDAY - Noon
William and Mary 42,  Hampton 14
Georgia Southern 83, Savannah State 9  Watch Replay 
Coastal Carolina 31, North Carolina A&T 30
Miami (Fla.) 41, Florida A&M 7  Watch Replay   Highlights  

NCAA Division II Football Season Opens on Thursday


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Former Virginia University of Lynchburg coach files suit for back pay

LYNCHBURG, Virginia -- A former Virginia University of Lynchburg employee has filed suit against the college and its president, Ralph Reavis, for almost $10,000 in back pay and attorney’s fees.

Darnell Wall was a co-offensive coordinator for the Dragons football team and recruiter for the college from August 2013 through May 2014.

According to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg on Aug. 8, Wall was not paid from Aug. 4, 2013 through Dec. 6, 2013. His suit alleges that the school — and Reavis, who signed his employment contract — owe Wall more than $4,300 in wages and $5,400 in overtime pay.

“He is working; however because of circumstances beyond his control we do not have the funds to pay him,” Reavis wrote. When Wall was unable to make his car payment in 2013, Reavis reached out to the company on Wall’s behalf. The correspondence, which was submitted by Wall as evidence in the suit, is on VUL letterhead.

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Rutgers football wins tune-up (Howard) for Penn State

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey -- It's now Penn State week.

Rutgers passed its tune-up Saturdfay or the Big Ten opener by getting three touchdowns and 100 yards receiving from halfback Paul James and four touchdown passes from quarterback Gary Nova in a 38-25 victory against Howard at High Point Solutions Stadium.

The defense, which has struggled against the pass since the start of last season, allowed 263 and four touchdowns on the ground, though the starters were replaced during the second half.

ames scored all three of his touchdowns in the first half, including two through the air, and Nova connected with Leonte Carroo and John Tsimis for scores. Both wideouts had touchdowns in last week's win against Washington State.

Nadir Barnwell had a fumble recovery and one of Rutgers' two blocked kicks.

Rutgers had outscored MEAC opponents 341-14 in eight games since 2006 but fell behind Howard 7-0 before rallying for 31 unanswered points.

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XU Gold Nuggets ease past EWC Lady Tigers in GCAC opener

XU women's volleyball vs. Edward Waters
Photos by Yamlak Tsega

NEW ORLEANS — Claudia Haywood had a career-high 11 kills for the second straight match to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-10, 25-13, 25-11 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Edward Waters on Friday.

The Gold Nuggets (2-2 overall, 1-0 GCAC) have won 44 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents and 41 in a row against HBCUs.

Haywood, a junior, reached double figures in kills in consecutive matches for the first time at Xavier. She produced seven kills in the second set and hit a season-best .444 overall in 18 attempts.

Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills, Jodi Hill eight and CeCe Williams four for the Gold Nuggets. Franziska Pirkl had 16 assists and 13 digs — her second straight double-double and the 14th of her career — and served a season-best four aces.

Darian Harris had 10 digs for Xavier to reach double figures for the third time in four matches. Hill's seven digs were a career high, as were Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova's 15 assists.

Kaylin Davison had three kills and 10 digs for Edward Waters (0-5, 0-1), which has a 10-match losing streak dating to last season.

The Gold Nuggets never trailed and opened with runs of 6-1 in the first set, 13-3 in the second and 7-1 in the third.

Xavier outhit Edward Waters .270 to minus-.080 and had advantages of 40-10 in kills, 9-2 in aces and 54-40 in digs. The Gold Nuggets' hitting percentages and aces were season highs.

Xavier will play Wiley at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center.

NOTES: Xavier leads the series 8-0 . . . The teams also will meet Oct. 26 in Jacksonville, Fla. . . . The victory was the first at home for Xavier this season after losing in its first two attempts . . . Through four matches, Hill leads Xavier with 42 kills. She did not reach 42 kills in 2013 until her 13th match . . . Xavier's home win streak against GCAC opponents in the regular season is 16.

Box Score

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Dr. Norman C. Francis announces his retirement as President of Xavier University, effective June 30, 2015

LEGACY OF SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP


Xavier University of Louisiana President Dr. Norman C. Francis announces his retirement as the longest serving college president in the USA.

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NEW ORLEANS — Dr. Norman C. Francis, the nation’s longest serving university president, today announced that he plans to retire as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, effective June 30, 2015.

"After nearly 47 years, I believe that the time has come to take the brightly burning torch turned over to me by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and pass it on to new leadership," Dr. Francis told a campus wide Convocation of the University community late Thursday morning.

"I did so with the passionate confidence and absolute certainty that Xavier is better prepared than ever to continue its educational and spiritual mission, and to build on its tradition of excellence,"
Dr Francis continued.

Dr. Francis’ has been affiliated with Xavier for most of 66 years, arriving at Xavier from Lafayette as a 17 year old freshman in 1948, and he quickly emerged as a leader. He was elected class president every year of his undergraduate study and student body president in his senior year.

"This morning, my fellow board members and I accepted Dr. Francis’ request to retire as Xavier’s president, effective June 30, 2015," said Michael Rue, Chairman of the Xavier University Board of Trustees. "We all wish Dr. Francis could remain as Xavier’s president for at least 50 more years. We take solace in the realization that Dr. Francis will be forever with us through the institution he helped shape."

Xavier University has been transformed under Dr. Francis’ leadership, enrollment has tripled and the university’s endowment has grown from under $20 million to more than $160 million. A campus of five permanent buildings that could fit on one city block has grown to 16 permanent buildings and manicured green spaces extending out over 63.4 acres

During Dr. Francis’ tenure as president, Xavier has received a constantly increasing volume of national recognition for outstanding academic achievements especially in the sciences and pre-medical areas, rigorous graduation requirements and Xavier’s scholarly athletes, as well as the intellectual and moral quality of the alumni.

"There will likely be many questions about who will be Xavier’s next president. The responsibility for this decision rests with the Board of Trustees. Having only just approved Dr. Francis' request to retire from Xavier by the end of June 2015, our sole focus today and over the next few days is on beginning the celebration of the life and legacy of the quintessential Xavierite: Norman C. Francis," Mr. Rue continued.

COURTESY XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MEDIA RELATIONS