Nuggets in NAIA preseason top 25 for 6th straight year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 21st in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday. The Gold Nuggets, 18-15 in 2014-15, are in the preseason top 25 for the sixth consecutive season.

Xavier, announced earlier this month as the preseason coaches pick to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, is in the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 9, 2014.

Five XU opponents made the top 25, including home opponents Shawnee State (Nov. 26, ranked 16th), Langston (Nov. 27, 18th) and LSU-Shreveport (Jan. 2, 25th). Another home opponent, Eastern Oregon, was 14th in the NAIA Division II poll. The Gold Nuggets will play EOU Nov. 21 for homecoming.

SUNO, which won the GCAC regular season and tournament a year ago, was among others receiving votes and was 27th.

The Gold Nuggets will open their season with games in Florida at Webber International ar 5 p.m. EDT Saturday and at Warner at 7 p.m. EST Monday. The first XU home game will start at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 against LeMoyne-Owen at the Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches'
Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2014-15 season)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Campbellsville (8) 33-4 219 2
2 Freed-Hardeman (1) 35-2 209 3
3 Vanguard 22-8 201 16
4 Bethel (Tenn.) 32-4 199 4
5 Westmont 27-7 195 7
6 Montana State-Northern 29-6 178 8
7-tie Our Lady of the Lake 27-7 171 10
7-tie Oklahoma City 30-2 171 1
9 MidAmerica Nazarene 27-7 170 11
10 Wayland Baptist 19-12 155 22
11 Great Falls 24-10 140 tie-12
12 Cumberland 16-13 133 RV
13 Loyola 27-4 130 tie-12
14 The Master's 24-9 124 19
15 Benedictine (Kan.) 26-9 119 17
16 Shawnee State 25-10 116 15
17 Lyon 27-7 115 20
18 Langston 29-4 114 14
19 Lewis-Clark State 21-11 92 RV
20 Martin Methodist 25-8 73 RV
21 Xavier 18-15 60 NR
22 Pikeville 23-9 59 23
23 Baker 21-10 57 25
24 Carroll (Mont.) 18-11 54 24
25 LSU-Shreveport 20-12 51 RV

Dropped from rankings: No. 5 Westminster (Utah), No. 6 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 9 Concordia (Calif.), No. 18 Wiley, No. 21 SUNO
Others receiving votes: Texas Wesleyan 48, SUNO 35, Wiley 22, Auburn Montgomery 18, Columbia (Mo.) 16, Lindsey Wilson 10, Hope International 10, William Woods 9, Mid-America Christian 7, John Brown 6, Culver-Stockton 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Winston-Salem State playing better football through team chemistry

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It’s been a long journey for Winston-Salem State, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a little brighter.

That light would be the CIAA’s championship game next month, and the Rams are in good shape to get there. A win Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium against winless Shaw (0-8) would put them a step closer to the Southern Division title.

“We have come a long way since the early part of our season,” punter Will Johnson said Tuesday. “We’ve fought through some adversity early on, but we’ve come a long way.”

The Rams (4-4, 4-1 CIAA) have won three in a row, thanks to the nerve-wracking 23-21 win over Livingstone on Saturday. A missed field-goal attempt with 20 seconds to go by the Blue Bears handed the Rams the victory, and it kept their division title hopes alive.

CONTINUE READING

Changes coming but UAPB still focused on 2015

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- There will be changes when Arkansas-Pine Bluff takes on Prairie View A&M on Saturday, but coach Monte Coleman said it’s not because his focus has shifted to 2016.

With no chance at a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship, some would argue the Golden Lions should ring in the new year early with a 1-6 record and 0-4 mark in conference play.

Coleman is always mentioning the youth of the team, and he did so again during Tuesday’s weekly luncheon at R.J.’s Sports Bar and Grill, so why not give next year’s sophomores and juniors as many “SWAC hours” as possible.

Why not? Because as former NFL coach Herm Edwards famously said, “You play to win the game.”

“It’s not a balance,” Coleman said of trying to win this year versus building for next season. “The main focus is winning these next four football games. For the seniors to go out on a winning note and for us also to come back on a winning note next season. That’s the No. 1 objective still is to win football games.

CONTINUE READING

ASU's Jenkins preps for his first Magic Ciity Classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Rivalries are what make college football special.

For Alabama State, its most important rivalry game all season takes place at Legion Field in Birmingham on Saturday.

The Hornets will come off their bye week to take on Alabama A&M in the 74th annual Magic City Classic at 2:30 p.m.

Alabama State head football coach Brian Jenkins said the bye week was very successful and he’s excited to take his team into Saturday’s contest.

“We spent a lot of time evaluating ourselves as coaches,” said Jenkins during Monday’s SWAC teleconference. “We want to make sure we’re putting our guys in position to win on every play. We really got a chance to go back to our fundamentals, which is very important.”



CONTINUE READING

SWAC honors Southern’s Willie Quinn after he ties FCS record

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Willie Quinn keeps winning awards, and now records are going along for the ride.

Southern’s dynamic return specialist was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Specialist of the Week on Monday for the third time this season. Quinn returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the Jaguars 40-21 win against Texas Southern on Saturday in Houston.

Quinn’s sixth career kickoff return for a touchdown tied a Football Championship Subdivision held by Hampton’s Jerome Mathis. Quinn, who has five touchdown returns this season — four on kickoffs and one on a punt — is one touchdown return from tying the FCS single-season record held by Bashir Levingston of Eastern Washington, Corey Smith of Montana State and LeRoy Vann of Florida A&M.

“Willie Quinn is as good a returner as anyone in the country,” Prairie View coach Willie Simmons said Monday on the SWAC coaches weekly teleconference. “Obviously he has a knack for getting into the end zone, and (the Jaguars) take great pride in blocking for Willie Quinn.

CONTINUE READING

Another Hall of Fame honor for Aeneas Williams

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Former Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams is starting to pile up Hall of Fame honors.

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2014, Williams has been named to the Black College Football Hall of Fame, the group announced Tuesday.

"The good part is, there's nothing else I can do it about," Williams said with a laugh.

In other words, his body of work is his body of work.

"I'm so glad I was blessed to put the work in college and then also in the pros," he said. "For the selection committee just to remember how I played the game and my impact on the game when I played, to be selected is just a tremendous honor."

Williams, who played at Southern University, is joined in the Class of 2016 by Ken Burrough (Texas Southern), Jethro Pugh (Elizabeth City State), Otis Taylor (Prairie View A&M), Emmitt Thomas (Bishop College) as players, and the late Lloyd "Judge" Wells (Texas Southern) as a contributor.

CONTINUE READING 

With two losses in MEAC, Morgan State football can't afford any more setbacks

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Saturday’s 20-17 loss at North Carolina Central saddled Morgan State with a two-game losing streak in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, a 3-4 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the league.

With four teams with one MEAC loss or fewer and just three games left on the schedule, the Bears’ hopes of repeating as conference champions are dwindling. Coach Lee Hull didn’t try to sugarcoat anything when he noted that the team can’t afford to slip any farther behind No. 20 North Carolina A&T (6-1, 4-0), Bethune-Cookman (6-2, 4-1), North Carolina Central (4-3, 3-1) and South Carolina State (4-3, 3-1).

But Hull also pointed out that Morgan State finished in a five-way tie for first place in last year’s standings with a 6-2 league record and captured the title via tiebreakers.

“Obviously right now, we can’t give any...

CONTINUE READING

N.C. A&T and Tuskegee Remain On Top in Week 8 of HSRN Football Polls

HARTLY, Delaware – North Carolina A&T and Tuskegee remained on top of the HSRN Football Polls following week 8 of the HBCU action. The Aggies top the HSRN Division I Poll, while the Golden Tigers maintained sole possession of first place in HSRN's Division II/NAIA Poll.

Division I/FCS

The top seven spots were unchanged from last week. #1 North Carolina A&T cruised to a 65-14 homecoming win over longtime rival Howard University to extend their winning streak to five games. The Aggies have not lost to a Division I-FCS opponent all season.

#2 Grambling State also celebrated homecoming with a 49-14 win over Mississippi Valley State.

In the battle of MEAC Co-defending champions, North Carolina Central defeated Morgan State, 20-17, pushing the Eagles to #8 in the HSRN Poll.

Division II/NAIA

Playing on the road for the fourth time in five weeks, Tuskegee University came out with a 38-28 victory over Kentucky State to remain #1 in this week's poll.

Bowie State climbed into the #2 spot after edging Virginia Union, 23-19, in a game between the top two teams in the CIAA Northern Division.

#4 Virginia State, #5 Albany State, #6 Chowan and #8 Winston-Salem State all moved up following wins over the weekend.



By Eric Moore, HSRN

2015 SWAC Football Teleconference - Week 9

Alabama A&M - James Spady

Alabama State - Brian Jenkins

Alcorn State - Jay Hopson

Jackson State  - Derrick McCall

Mississippi Valley State - Rick Comegy

Prairie View A&M - Willie Simmons

Grambling State - Broderick Fobbs

Southern - Dawson Odums

Texas Southern - Darrell Asberry

Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Monte Coleman

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

First NCAA Regional Football Rankings Released, Tuskegee Ranked 16th

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  -- The first regional rankings were released across the country Monday afternoon, and the 16th-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers find themselves second in initial Super Region Two rankings.

Tuskegee (7-1 overall, 7-1 region) have played all eight games against region competition, and find themselves trailing only top-ranked West Georgia (8-0) in the initial rankings.

The NCAA Division II Super Region 2 Advisory Committee finished out the top five with North Alabama (5-2 overall, 5-1 region), Catawba (5-2 overall, 5-2 region) and North Greenville (4-1 overall, 4-1 region). The final to teams comprising the top seven include Carson-Newman (5-2 overall, 5-2 region) and Wingate (6-2 overall, 6-2 region).

Seven teams from Super Region Two will qualify for the postseason this year, with the expanded playoff field in NCAA Division II going to 28. The champions from the Gulf South Conference, South Atlantic Conference and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) earn bids to the postseason, albeit if they are ranked in the top eighth of the region. The remaining four teams will be determined by the regional rankings at the end of the year.

The remaining teams in the top 10 of Super Region Two include West Alabama (5-2 overall, 4-2 region), Florida Tech (4-2 overall, 4-2 region) and Valdosta State (4-2 overall, 4-2 overall).

The regional playoff field will begin play on November 21, with the top team in the region receiving a first round bye.

Last season, the Golden Tigers finished third in the final region rankings and hosted their first playoff game in school history against West Georgia.

The Golden Tigers return to action this weekend at home against Central State in a key SIAC battle, with kick set for 1 pm. The game will be part of Senior Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Day, and will be carried on the Tuskegee Sports Network.

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

Rk	School	Region Rec	Overall Rec
1	West Georgia	8-0	8-0
2	Tuskegee	7-1	7-1
3	North Alabama	4-2	5-2
4	Catawba	5-2	5-2
5	North Greenville	4-1	4-1
6	Carson-Newman	5-2	5-2
7	Wingate	6-2	6-2
8	West Alabama	4-2	5-2
9	Florida Tech	4-2	4-2
10	Valdosta State	4-2	4-2

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

McCall, Comegy ready for coaching matchup

JACKSON, Mississippi -- The game at Alabama A&M represented Derrick McCall’s first as a head coach. A week later, McCall recorded his first win as Jackson State’s interim coach against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The victory likely wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the man he’ll be coaching against on Saturday, when the Tigers face their former coach, Rick Comegy, and Mississippi Valley State.

McCall served as a receivers coach on Comegy’s staff and eventually moved up to offensive coordinator during Comegy’s final two seasons, 2012 and 2013, when JSU (2-5, 2-3 SWAC) appeared in back-to-back SWAC title games.

“He personally helped me in so many ways … he was responsible for bringing me to Jackson State and making me a coordinator while I was here,” McCall said during the SWAC teleconference on Monday. “I know Rick Comegy very well and he’s a genius in terms of defensive schemes. He’s going against some of the players he’s coached before. Being a part of that, he’ll try to rip your heart and we do understand that. He’ll give it back to you, by the way, but guys understand we have to go to Valley and be ready to play a very tough football game.”

CONTINUE READING

Alabama State football picks up three commitments from Glenville (video)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Three college commits from Glenville are eyeing some warmer weather down south after graduation.

The three seniors -- DT/G Christian Clark, CB/WR Aaron Pope Jr. and RB Taliesin Farmer -- committed to Southwestern Athletic Conference member Alabama State on Friday.

“I think they are getting some quality players, and some good students,” Glenvillecoach Ted Ginn Sr. said. “It’s a great opportunity for the kids and even to start something for recruiting in Northeast Ohio.”

Here's more on each of the three commits, who are not ranked by the major national recruiting services.

CONTINUE READING

North Carolina A&T Moves To 20th In FCS Coaches Poll

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  North Carolina A&T’s 65-14 blowout win over Howard helped the team move up in both national Football Championship Subdivision polls. The Aggies (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) are No. 20 in the STATS FCS and NCAA FCS Coaches’ polls. It is the Aggies highest rating in the STATS FCS (formerly known as Sports Network) poll since 2003 when they were ranked 12th in the nation. Their highest ranking in the coaches’ poll in 2003 was 13th.

N.C. A&T, who has yet to lose to an FCS program this season, received 786 points to move into the Top-20 in the FCS poll. The Aggies are followed by Indiana State, Dartmouth, Western Illinois, Charleston Southern and Youngstown State to round out the Top-25. Jacksonville State (6-1) finds themselves atop the poll again followed by Coastal Carolina, Illinois State, Chattanooga and Eastern Washington to complete the list of Top-5 teams.



A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS FCS Top 25. In the voting, a first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

The Aggies picked up 142 points in the coaches’ poll to move up four spots to No. 20. The Aggies are followed by Northern Iowa, Dartmouth, Indiana State and Southern Utah and Youngstown State are tied at No. 24. Coastal Carolina (7-0) leads the coaches’ poll with 15 first-place votes. They Chanticleers are followed by Jacksonville State, Illinois State, Chattanooga and Eastern Washington in the Top-5.

A panel of selected FCS coaches vote each week in the NCAA FCS Coaches’ Poll. The twentieth ranked Aggies return to action Saturday, Oct. 31 when they face Florida A&M at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., at 5 p.m.

STATS FCS Poll

FCS Coaches' Poll

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SCSU Bulldogs back home, readying for homecoming game with Hampton

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- It’s the cure for what ails any college football team – wins!

The South Carolina State Bulldogs are coming off of back-to-back wins after enduring back-to-back losses to start this month.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs (now 4-3 overall, 3-1 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play) took a 34-7 MEAC win at Delaware State.

The S.C. State special teams and defense led the way to several scores, helping the Bulldogs gain momentum toward the victory an 11-hour drive away from home.

Now, the Bulldogs will remain home to host a homecoming game against Hampton on Saturday, with a scheduled 1:30 p.m. kickoff set for Willie E. Jeffries Field inside Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium. Both teams have three wins in conference play, however S.C. State is among just four MEAC teams with fewer than two conference losses.



CONTINUE READING

NC A&T - "The Power and the Glory Show" @ #GHOE

ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

The BGMM pays special tribute to the ongoing struggle.
Special thanks to NC A&T alum Mr. Aaron Campbell for providing the arrangements for this show. Thomas L. Jones, Jr.

XU's Salwan wins another singles title, this time at UNO

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Karan Salwan defeated Daniel Merker of Southern Miss 6-2, 6-2 Saturday in the men's flight 1 championship match of the Big Easy Tennis Classic at the University of New Orleans.
     
Salwan, a junior in his first semester at Xavier, won a singles championship for the second time in three fall tournaments. He was the A-flight singles and doubles winner at the HBCU National Championships in September.
    
"I am really proud of what Karan did winning his flight. He was banged up going into the tournament and could have easily sat out," XU coach Alan Green said. "He showed some toughness competing and winning. Everyone played well, and we just have to continue to stay in shape and be ready for the spring season."
     
Salwan beat Giacomo Adoncecchi of the University of New Orleans 6-1, 7-5 in the semifinals Friday.
     
Xavier's Jana van der Walt lost 6-2, 6-0 to UNO's Brittany Johnson in the women's singles flight 6 consolation final. Van der Walt defeated Louisiana-Lafayette's 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (10-8) and Florida A&M's Elizabeth Clayton 6-3, 6-3.
     
In doubles, Kyle Montrel and Kevin Chaouat reached the men's main-draw quarterfinals, and Brandi Nelson and Sha'Nel Bruins reached the women's consolation semifinals.
     
It was Xavier's final tournament of the fall. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will begin their schedule of dual matches in late January.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Dillard University Coaches Luncheon Set for Monday

NEW ORLEANS (DillardBleuDevils.com) -- The Dillard University Department of Athletics is excited to announce its weekly Coaches Luncheon series which will begin next Monday, October 26 at 12:30 p.m. at Dillard University's Kearny Hall West Wing.

"I'm thrilled to launch another exciting initiative that will allow our programs to connect with the local community, media and fan base," said Athletic Director, Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes. The Luncheon will include updates from men's basketball head coach Mike Newell, women's basketball head coach Norbert Rome, head volleyball coach Yolanda Brown and head cross country and track & field coach Bobby Williams.



The weekly series will continue through the end of the semester. Remaining dates for the 2015 calendar year are as follows:

Monday, Nov. 2
Monday, Nov. 9
Monday, Nov. 16
Monday, Nov. 23
Monday, Nov. 30
Monday, Dec. 7

Although it is not mandatory for entry, Sodexo lunch plates will be available for purchase from the Dillard University cafeteria.

Upcoming Games

On November 5, Dillard's cross country teams travel to San Antonio to participate in the conference championships while Dillard's volleyball team has two home conference games remaining, one on Oct. 26 for Domestic Violence Awareness month (fans are asked to wear purple) and senior night on Nov. 9.

Both basketball teams open the season on the road on Oct. 30 in Austin, Texas, and the home opener for both teams is on Nov. 2 at the Battlefield in Dent Hall.

Stay connected Bleu Devil athletics at www.dillardbleudevils.com and also follow @geauxDU on Twitter as well as Dillard Bleu Devils on Instagram for all the latest DU athletics news.

Florida A&M University President Elmira Mangum discusses her students and the legacy of the school during the 10th Annual Education Sunday at Bethel AME Church

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- In a seeming challenge to those behind her attempted ouster, Florida A&M University President Elmira Mangum delivered a rousing speech Sunday about the school’s legacy and creating new opportunities for students.

“When we are talking about bridging the gap, one student at a time, we’re talking about what we need to do for social change,” Mangum said during the 10th Annual Education Sunday at Bethel AME Church. “Social change, in every community — especially in these United States — it started with our students.”

Her words were impassioned, truncated by brisk applause, and often bringing a congregation, donned mostly in orange and green, to its feet. The school’s Board of Trustees’ two attempts to fire her last week appeared to have only bolstered her commitment to lead.

“We’re building a future, a future that’s grounded in honor and integrity. A future that cannot be, and will not be traded for personal ambitions,” Mangum said. “I’m never going to give up on the students. I am not going to quit on them, because they’re not going to ...

CONTINUE READING

Central State Marauders roll over StillmanTigers for fourth straight road win

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama --  Central State continued its winning ways on the road with a 24-7 victory over Stillman College on Saturday night.

Coming off last weekend's 21-0 shutout over Lane College, the Marauder defense set the tone early when linebacker Deonate Gary picked off a Brett Standifer pass and took it 30 yards for the game's first touchdown at the 12:49 mark of the opening quarter. Standifer's struggles continued on the very next Stillman drive when Clim Robbins stepped in front of Standifer's pass for his team leading 5th interception of the season.

Determined to establish the run game, the Marauders ran the ball on 12 of their 16 play, 64 yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 2 yard run from quarterback Terrence Waffordwith 12:39 to go in the first half. The CSU defense kept Stillman out of the endzone and just 46 total yards of offense in the first half as CSU took the 14-0 lead into the locker room.

Stillman's first drive of the 3rd quarter was similar to how they began the game as Gary got his hands on another pass attempt and returned it 51 yards to the Stillman 4 yard line.Terrence Wafford connected with receiver Julian Walker three plays later to put CSU up 21-0 with 12:28 left in the 3rd quarter. Stillman finally scored late in the quarter after recovering a CSU fumble at the 28 yard line. The Tigers successfully completed two passes to get down to the CSU 2 yard line before Rovonta Johnson ran in for the score to cut the CSU lead to 21-7 with 15 seconds left before the start of the 4th quarter.

CSU gave SC new life on the following kickoff when Dashad Tucker lost a fumble at midfield. With the Tigers driving, linebacker E'Donovan Stewart dislodged the ball from receiver Devon Mackey. Houston Boone, Jr. pounced on the ball for the Marauders to reclaim possession for CSU at their own 34 yard line. The Marauders responded with a 5 play, 37 yard drive but failed to convert on a 4th down attempt at the SC 29 to give the ball back to Stillman with 7:27 remaining.

Needing a score, the Tiger's hopes were dashed after Lindley Reid punched the ball out of the hands of Hudson Cain and Nehemiah Coward recovered the loose ball at the CSU 38 yard line with 6:20 to go. CSU took four minutes off the clock by successfully running the ball five straight times for 46 yards before settling for a John Adams field goal with just over 2 minutes left in the game. With no timeouts, Stillman ran out of time at the 15 yard line as CSU claimed the 17 point win.

CSU dictated the pace of the game thanks to a rushing attack that accounted for 197 yards on 47 attempts. Senior running back Jihad Rasheed shouldered most of the load with 16 carries for 70 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Gary finished with 5 solo tackles and 1 pass break up to go along with his two interceptions. Stewart accumulated for 5 total tackles and 1 sack. In addition to his fifth interception of the year, Robbins continued to expand his role on the offensive side of the ball with 3 carries for 35 yards.

"We ran the ball well and controlled the line of scrimmage. For the most part, I thought we did a great job of minimizing our mistakes and playing to our strengths today," CSU head coach Cedric Pearl said. "Our defense continues to make big plays for us and I thought we did a adequate job in all three phases of the game."

With Saturday's win, CSU recorded its first four game road winning streak since the 1995 season. Allowing just 7 points in over 8 quarters of play, the CSU defense now ranks No. 1 in nearly every SIAC defensive category heading into next weekend's game against Tuskegee University. Improving to 4-4 overall with a 2-2 ledger in conference play, CSU climbed up to 3rd in the SIAC West Division with Saturday's victory. CSU also took a 2-1 edge in the all-time series against Stillman.

Central State returns to the state of Alabama next Saturday to face reigning SIAC champion Tuskegee (7-1; 3-0). Fans can watch the game live from Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium beginning at 2 pm (est) on the Tuskegee Sports Network. 

Box Score

COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Miles Golden Bears Dominate Lane on Senior Day

FAIRFIELD, Alabama --  Miles knows its ticket to the SIAC Championship Game will likely depend on whether it can earn a win against Tuskegee on Nov. 7. But head coach Reginald Ruffin and his team knows that they can not take any team lightly in the interim, which meant bad news for visiting Lane on Saturday afternoon at Albert J. Sloan-Alumni Stadium.

The Golden Bears ran over, around, and threw the Dragons, racking up 305 of its 446 offensive yards on the ground with two players - running back Jamarcus Nance and quarterback David Whipple - each breaking the 100-yard rushing mark en route to a 37-10 Senior Day victory. The win was the third straight for Miles (4-4, 3-0 SIAC West), which can earn a spot in the league championship game on Nov. 14 with wins at Stillman on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Tuskegee in two weeks.

Miles' defense was not its usual, stingy self against the Dragons (2-6, 0-4 SIAC West), allowing 237 rushing yards and nearly five yards per play. But the Golden Bears forced four turnovers - two on interceptions by Caleb Duncan - and a 13-yard fumble recovery for a score by Braysean Jones to quell any chance Lane had of remaining competitive.

Nance (18 carries, 129 yards) scored both of his touchdowns in the first half. He opened the scoring on Miles' opening possession with a 4-yard scamper, then ended the half with a 14-yard run that gave the Golden Bears a 27-0 lead at the break. When Jones scooped and scored less than a minute into the third quarter, Lane was down 34-0 and the only remaining question was the final margin of victory.

But the Dragons continued to fight as Miles suffered an apparent letdown that has become all to common in all of its games this season. Lane got on the board with a field goal on their ensuing possession, then added a 58-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 play with 8:18 left in the third quarter.

The offense did not find the end zone in the second half but Whipple did a good job moving the chains in the second half and, ultimatelty, burning the clock. He rushed for 101 yards and threw for 141 more as he had his most solid performance of the season.

Nick Christiansen closed out the scoring with a 27-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, one of three he made on the night. Emmanuel Ray had a team-high 10 tackles and a fumble recovery while Albert Cruse and Rodrick Holloman each had sacks for the defense. Earnest Bell, Jr. also scored early for Miles on a fumble recovery in the end zone.

Box Score 

COURTESY MILES COLLEGE GOLDEN BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION