WSSU Notes: Boulware takes cautious approach

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Quarterback Phil Sims, offensive linemen Robert Kearney and Justin Kee and wide receiver Brandon Felder all missed practice Tuesday with minor injuries but are expected to play Saturday against Tuskegee.

Felder also missed last weekend’s game against Valdosta State with a lingering ankle injury.

Watch John Dell's interview with Keinus Boulware.

“I expect them all to play,” Coach Kienus Boulware said. “We can’t win games on Tuesday through Friday, but you can lose games by having guys practice when they probably shouldn’t. So we aren’t in a rush to get guys out there, especially the experienced guys.”

TV GAME: Saturday’s Tuskegee-WSSU game at 6 p.m. will be broadcast live on the Aspire network (Time Warner Ch. 185). The game is not part of the CIAA television package, meaning WSSU will receive more revenue.

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Edouard paves the way for B-CU

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- In order for your offense to get into high gear, you need some great offensive linemen to create opportunities for your skilled players. Bethune-Cookman has one of those offensive linemen who can really pave the way. 

Andrew Edouard, the Wildcats' center, has been a major factor in making B-CU (2-0) the consensus No. 1 HBCU football team in the nation. Edouard is a terrific run and pass blocker. He’s big and strong and has good quickness along the offensive line. 

“Andrew has done a phenomenal job coming in and adapting to our program, finding a way to stay there and finding his role,” said Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins. “He’s a phenomenal young man. He does an exceptional job of leading our front line. I think his accolades and productivity speaks for itself. It speaks for the job he’s done in the short period of time that he’s been here.” 

Edouard is truly an amazing story. This is his second year in the Wildcats football program after spending two seasons at Lackawanna College, a junior college in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

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NCCU basketball success spurs changes to coaching staff

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- Sure signs that a coach’s squad is on the rise are when he starts hanging championship banners and his coaches begin getting picked off.

N.C. Central basketball coach LeVelle Moton last season guided the Eagles to both regular-season and tournament championships in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which got the team into the Division-I NCAA Tournament for the first time.

And it wasn’t long after Iowa State beat NCCU in its inaugural game of the Big Dance when Lincoln University of Missouri athletics director Betty Kemna made a play for John Moseley, who was Moton’s top assistant coach, and netted him.

Lincoln kept applying pressure and came up with a steal, with Moseley convincing NCCU volunteer assistant coach C.J. Wilkerson to become his graduate assistant coach.

Both Moseley and Moton said it’s all good. No hard feelings, no love lost.

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Prairie View’s Johntá Hebert, a Glen Oaks graduate, is 'itching for a breakout game' against Southern

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  --When it comes to playing against Southern, former Glen Oaks standout Johntá Hebert of Prairie View maintains it’s just another game.

No red circle on the calendar required.

History suggests otherwise: Hebert has enjoyed some of the finer moments over the first two years of his college career at the Jaguars’s expense.

“It’s more of a coincidence,” Hebert said. “I wouldn’t say I do anything different during the week or approach the game any differently.”

Southern (1-2), which visits Prairie View (0-2) to open Southwestern Athletic Conference play at 6 p.m. Saturday, is the latest obstacle between Hebert and the Panthers’ first victory.

With back-to-back losses to begin the year, including the SWAC opener to Texas Southern, there’s a greater sense of urgency, Hebert said.

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Kambui brings awareness, speed to FAMU's o-line

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Since the 2012 season, FAMU hasn't been able to find an offensive center to take ownership of the position.

Junior college transfer Mateo Kambui has changed that. He's quick at the snap and has proven to have a sense of what defenses are doing.

Even when the Rattlers played Miami, he was able to get off the snap fast enough to give quarterback Damien Fleming time to work.

"Everything starts with me and works its way out to the tackles," said Kambui, who last season played at Butler Community College in Kansas. "When you have a group of guys like we have, it makes everything pretty easy on me when they know their jobs. All I have to do is snap the ball and go."

Kambui's role will be pivotal for the Rattlers on Saturday when they play Coastal Carolina at Bragg Stadium. The Chanticleers (3-0) have been able to blitz their way to three quarterback sacks for an average of one per game. They've also recorded three quarter back hurry.

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TSU to host TTU in Return to the Hole, Saturday

WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES   TSU v. TTU Game Notes

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- On Saturday, the Tennessee State football team will return to Hale Stadium for the first time since Nov. 9 of last season to take on Tennessee Tech.

Scouting TSU
The Tigers come into this week’s game at 2-1, having just defeated Jackson State, 35-7, in the Southern Heritage Classic. In that game, TSU scored all 35 points in the first half and coasted to the easy victory.

Scouting TTU
The Golden Eagles sit at 1-1 coming into Saturday and have had a week off to regroup after their 49-14 loss at Indiana State last time out. TTU fell behind 28-0 to the Sycamores before scoring on back-to-back special teams plays in the third quarter.



Three Keys to the Game

Go for the Ball
Through the first two games of the season, Tennessee Tech has fumbled seven times and lost four of them. In their last game alone, the Golden Eagles coughed up the football five times and Indiana State came away with it on three occasions. Tennessee State has already forced nine fumbles this year, but has only recovered three. The TSU defense will have to pick and choose when to go for the ball, but when there is a pile up, expect the Tigers to go for a strip.

Limiting Returns
Against Indiana State, TTU blocked a punt and ran it back for a touchdown and Ladarius Vanlier returned ISU's next punt attempt 72 yards for a touchdown. Vanlier finished the day with 200 all-purpose yards (his second career 200-plus yard all-purpose game), gaining 112 yards on kickoffs, 74 yards on punts, nine rushing yards and five receiving yards. Tennessee Tech also currently ranks fifth in the FCS in yards per kickoff return with 29.86. TSU meanwhile, has only allowed opponents to return punts for an average of 1.25 yards and kickoffs 19.63 yards so far this season. Big plays, or the lack of, from the special teams should again play a big role on Saturday.

Battle in the Trenches
On offense, TSU must continue to open up holes for backs like it did on Saturday when the Tigers rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Senior offensive linemen Robert Myers, Anthony Morris and Derek Sibley should have a big day against TTU’s 47th ranked defense. On the other side of the ball, Tiger defenders need to continue to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks like they did last week when they totaled seven sacks. Reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Year Anthony Bass has been a force this season, totaling five sacks. Gabe Terry’s and Samquan Evans’s play have also been a bright spot as both have two sacks apiece.

TSU is 16-10 all-time against TTU and is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings. This will be the first OVC contest for both teams and a chance to get to 1-0 in conference play. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Hole.

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TSU Volleyball Beats ETSU as Roulhac Clinches 300th Win

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  The Tennessee State University volleyball team defeated East Tennessee State on Tuesday night at Kean Hall for head coach Kathy Roulhac’s 300^th career win.

The Tigers (4-7) won 3-1 over the Buccaneers (4-7) with a strong team performance. Three players finished with double-digit kills and three other players finished with double-digit digs. Senior Taylor Swayzer led the team on offense by putting down 17 kills. She was joined by junior Haley Hampton (11) and sophomore Arijana Anderson (10) in double figures. Anderson notched the match-clinching kill.

“I can’t say enough about this team,” coach Roulhac said. “This definitely feels like 300 wins. Swayzer put on a show, offensively, but it was a true team effort. Great match all around.”

Senior Naomi Wells led the team on defense with 17 digs. Her teammates, sophomore Taylor Patterson (16) and senior Ileanushka Maldonado (13), really helped her stabilize a Tiger defense that held the opposition to a .208 attack percentage.

TSU took the first set 25-21 before dropping the second set by the same score. The Tigers buckled down and took sets three and four under some outstanding play from Swayzer. She hit .359 on the game and led all scorers in kills. Freshman Samantha Beltran turned in a 41 assist-performance to help lead the team to its fourth win in five games.

“This team is so strong. They’ve had great chemistry throughout the preseason and now into the teeth of the season, and its showing. I have a good feeling about this team heading into our final non-conference tournament in Cincinnati.”

The Tigers take to the road, once more, for a weekend tournament in Cincinnati. TSU takes on Central Michigan this Friday at 3:30 p.m. to open up the tournament and then, on Saturday, plays Charleston Southern at 1:00 p.m. and the host Bearcats at 6:00 p.m. For the match with UC, the Blue and White have a chip on their shoulder. They’ll look to repay the 3-1 loss suffered at the Active Ankle Challenge in Louisville, Ky. earlier this month.

As always, check out the volleyball team on Twitter @tnstateVB.

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