KSU Thorobreds unable to hold off Lane comeback in 21-14 loss

JACKSON, Tennessee – The Kentucky State football team jumped out to an early lead but fell victim to a late Lane College comeback, falling 21-14 in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game on Saturday at Lane Field.

Though the Thorobreds got out to the early 14-0 lead, Lane, which had been held to just a pair of field goals over the first 54 minutes, came up with 14 points in the final 6:01 to pull out the win. Kentucky State's defense had been strong most of the afternoon, but the Dragons were able to break through on a 27-yard touchdown from Marcus Reynolds to Darius Mitchell, then tied the game at 14 when Reynolds ran in the two point conversion.

Kentucky State's next drive stalled near midfield, and despite being backed up in a third-and-long, Lane's Aaron Thomas scored on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Reynolds down the right sideline with 1:00 left to play. On their last possession, the Thorobreds marched deep into Lane territory, setting themselves up with one final opportunity from the Lane 15-yard-line with four seconds to play. The last pass attempt was picked off by Lane as time expired.

Though the Thorobreds came into the game as losers of three straight, they seized the momentum on a pair of early touchdown runs by Reginal Harris. Harris topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight week, finishing with a season-high 142 yards rushing on 17 attempts.

Kentucky State wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, with Corey Slaughter helping to set up the first touchdown by returning the opening kickoff to the Lane 45-yard line. Harris handled the rest by breaking a 24–yard run and a 19-yard touchdown on consecutive plays.



Harris opened the second quarter with a touchdown as well, getting free and streaking 68 yards down the left sideline to put the Thorobreds up 14-0. Lane added a 36-yard Carlas Moore field goal to make the score 14-3 at the half.

Unfortunately for Kentucky State, the two touchdowns would be all the points it would manage on the day. The Thorobreds had opportunities to build on their lead, but costly turnovers helped keep them off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Kentucky State lost the turnover battle 6-1 and fumbled the ball four times, including once inside the Lane 10-yard-line.

Offensively, the teams ended up with similar numbers for the game. Kentucky State narrowly outgained Lane 275-273, with nearly half of the Dragons' offense coming on the final two drives. Ora Johnson finished 9-of-22 passing for 87 yards, while Charles Johnson was the Thorobreds' top receiver with three catches for 42 yards.

Lydell Simon led the way on defense for Kentucky State, making seven tackles with three for loss and a sack. Ryan Luckett made six tackles and had an interception, while Trevon Spencer made five tackles with a sack.

With the loss, Kentucky State drops to 2-7 overall, 2-4 in SIAC play, and 1-3 in SIAC West Division competition. Lane improves to 3-6 overall, 2-5 in the conference, and 1-4 in the division. The Thorobreds wrap up their 2015 season when they host Stillman next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

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Bulldogs blitz Pirates to get 34-20 homecoming win against Hampton

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The South Carolina State football team captured its third consecutive win on Saturday, taking charge in a 34-20 homecoming game against Hampton in front of 19,821 fans inside Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium.

The Bulldogs (now 5-3 overall, 4-1 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play) jumped ahead 21-0 by early in the second half, getting solid play from all units — special teams, offense and defense. They will play host to the final unbeaten team in MEAC play (North Carolina A&T) next Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Hampton (now 4-5, 3-3) scored three late touchdowns to make the game more interesting in the fourth quarter. But, the Pirates were playing without suspended graduate student and starting quarterback David Watford, and were turned away from a further comeback effort by a late interception in the end zone by Chris Pauling.

“Special teams continues to be a force for us, with four or five punt blocks this season, and add to that a kickoff return for a score today by Antonio Hamilton,” SCSU head football coach Buddy Pough said. “Those situations give us opportunities to create a little space that you don’t sometimes see in the stats.

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FVSU Wildcats defeat Morehouse in Fountain City Classic

FORT VALLEY, Georgia –  Morehouse won the toss and deferred to second half, but four plays, 2 minutes 35 seconds later, Fort Valley State University made them pay. Running back Travis Richmond returned the opening kick 21-yards to FVSU 27 yard line. Quarterback Malcolm Eady connected with Jevon Bell on a 60-yard pass on the very next play. Richmond rushed from 1-yard out for the first score, Juan Serna kick good 7-0.

With the win FVSU got revenge from last year where Morehouse knocked the Wildcats out of a chance to play for the SIAC Eastern Division Title. The Maroon Tigers won that game 24-21. The Wildcats waited all year for the return game and a huge loss for the Maroon Tigers 35-3 before over 11,345 fans at homecoming.

FVSU head to next week's matchup in the 26th Annual Fountain City Classic atop the Eastern Division in the SIAC with a 5-3; 5-0 in the conference and 3-0 in division play. MHC dropped to 4-5; 2-3 in the conference and 2-2 in Division.

FVSU forced MHC to a three and out on their first possession. Eady completed the first of two touchdown passes to Bell from 37-yards out to increase the score to 14-0, Serna kick good.

Then, with 10:22 left in the second quarter MHC's Alexis Gonzales kicked a 23-yard field goal to get on the scoreboard 14-3.

MHC went three and out to start the third quarter, but the Wildcats would make them pay on the very next drive as Otis Brown crossed the goal line from 12-yard line, Serna kick good 21-3.

With 10:58 remaining in the third quarter, Eady completed three consecutive passes before connecting with Alexander Morgan on a 15-yard touchdown to complete a 3-play, 50-yard drive, Serna kick good 28-3.

Brown connected on a 10-yard touchdown pass to Richmond with 26 seconds left in the third quarter to end the Wildcats scoring, Serna kick good 35-3.

FVSU held MHC to 48-yards in rushing, 87 net yards of passing and 135 total yards, while FVSU racked up 100 rushing yards, 241passing yards and 341-yards of total offense.

This was another heavily penalties game for the Wildcats with 18 penalties for 167-yards. Serna punted for 40.4 yards per kick, a 54-yarder and two kicks inside the 20.

MHC gained the edge on time of possession by holding the ball 31:00 minutes to FVSU's 29:00.

Richmond led all rushers with 37-yards and one touchdown. Eady and Brown combined for 241-yards in passing and three touchdowns. Eady threw 8-15-0 passes for 168-yards and two touchdowns, while Brown completed 9-11-0 for 73-yards and one touchdown. Morgan grabbed 4 catches for 53-yards, one touchdown and Bell followed with 3 receptions for 105-yards and one touchdown.

Stefon Harper led the Wildcats with 8 tackles, half sacks (3-yards), 2 tackle-for-losses (8-yards), one pass breakup and one quarter back hurry. Ryan Bowman added 6 tackles, while George Maxey, Steven Wright and Quantavius Cheatham had 5 tackles each. Tracey White picked-off his 7th pass of the season.

Next game: The Wildcats will travel to Columbus, GA., on Saturday, November 7 to play for all the marbles and the SIAC Eastern Division Title with Albany State University (5-3, 4-1, 3-0 Div.) at 2 p.m. The winner moves on to play the Western Division Champion in the SIAC Championship game in Montgomery, AL on Saturday, November 14th at 7 pm (CST).


ATTENDANCE: 11,345
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HBCU bands are as--or more--popular than their football teams. Here's why

No football team, but this NAIA Gulf Coast Athletic Conference school has a powerhouse of a marching band program in the making... Talladega College Marching Band has only been in existence for 3.5 years but is growing the 'DEGA Sound'. 

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- What makes historically black college and university bands as much—or more!—of a highlight as the football game itself? Alabama State and Alabama A&M band directors weigh in, in advance of Saturday's Magic City Classic. Although the Alabama State Hornets (3-4) and the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (2-4) football teams will spend 60 minutes on the field, many fans are as excited by the 8-minute half time shows.

Alabama State Band Director James Oliver agrees.

"They don't go to the concession stands for halftime. They may go in the middle of the second quarter, third quarter," he says. "But at halftime everybody's going to be in their seats waiting for the bands. That tell you right there, that's 60,000 or 70,000 people that are interested in what we are doing."

The History

Marching bands can trace roots back to the military, where they were used to keep time and boost morale. And there's a clear evolution from the military bands of early American history to today's HBCU bands, William Dukes Lewis writes in "Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum: Performance Traditions of Historically Black College and University Marching Bands." Through the years, African-American military bands continued to provide entertainment—easy to do since brass instruments were inexpensive and abundant after the Civil War.


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Livingstone wins with clutch play in overtime

SALISBURY, North Carolina — It's too bad pop legend Tina Turner couldn't attend Livingstone's homecoming football game on Saturday.

She would have loved how the Blue Bears didn't do nothing nice and easy in a 42-35 overtime victory against Fayetteville State.

"No, nothing was easy. Nothing at all," quarterback Drew Powell smiled at Alumni Stadium, where Livingstone (4-3 overall) squared its CIAA record at 3-3 and positioned itself to post its first winning season since 1998. "We had this game won in the first half, again in the second half and finally in overtime. That's the thing about this team — we'll fight you until the end."

They had to against FSU (4-5, 4-2), which overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and forced OT when Chris Hubert fielded a bouncing punt and returned it 90 yards for the tying touchdown with eight minutes remaining. Livingstone went ahead in overtime on a 2-yard TD run by Latrell Flowers and secured the win with Billy Moore's game-ending interception.

"I told the guys to just keep doing things the right way," coach Daryl Williams said after Livingstone snapped an 11-year losing streak against FSU and gained its first homecoming win in 16 seasons. "And when you do that, good things are bound to happen."

They happened to Powell, the left-handed senior who completed 28 of 35 passes for 364 yards and two scores. And to receivers Jalen Hendricks (9 catches for 135 yards), Arthur Bowden (8 for a career-best 173) and Flowers (8 for 64). And to junior linebacker DeMarcus Nolan, who was a sideline-to-sideline terror and made 18 tackles.

"It's just D-Y-J — do your job," Nolan said amid the festive, post-game celebration. "That's all we did. It seems like we've got to have that fight. It's what's in us. We've got to sacrifice for the team and try to make big plays."

It was fitting that a game filled with memorable moments ended with Moore's first pick of the year. On first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, FSU quarterback Derek Bryant aimed a fastball over the middle intended for a receiver in the end zone. Moore — who had a choice to blitz or stay in coverage — raised his hands, swiped the ball and fell to the ground at the 3-yard line, beginning a massive on-field celebration.

"I saw the back on my side, so I'm thinking, 'I might not get there (to the quarterback),'" Moore explained. "So I waited, thinking it would be a quick slant, and the ball came right to me. Then I felt the whole team pile on top of me and it was getting heavy."

Fayetteville State coach Lawrence Kershaw lamented the final play and the outcome. "A tough loss," he called it. "It came down to mistakes and we just made one more than they did."

Livingstone seemingly had the game salted away after Powell tossed a short touchdown pass to William Tatum, providing a 35-21 lead with 12:04 to play. But the Broncos responded quickly and decisively a minute later when Bryant lobbed a 20-yard TD pass down the left sideline to Hubert. Then, after forcing a Livingstone punt, Hubert caught the Blue Bears sleeping by fielding a one-hopper and jetting past everyone to tie the score.

After the Broncos made it 35-35 all, both teams had a chance to win in regulation.

Livingstone couldn't take advantage of a Victor Lavell kickoff return to his own 47-yard line. The six-play drive reach the FSU 25-yard line before three running plays left the Blue Bears with a 4th-and-11. A 44-yard field goal attempt from Leo Manzo with 5:18 left went wide left.

FSU then went on a 10-play, 45-yard drive that reached the Blue Bears' 29 with less than a minute left in the game. Trying to get a little closer for a winning field goal try, QB Bryant tried a pass down the right sideline, but Livingstone cornerback Kevin Williams made a probable game-saving interception at the five-yard line.

Williams, a 6-2 junior, had a size advantage against the FSU receivers and had three key pass break-ups earlier in the game. He was shaken up on the interception but was able to return to the field in overtime.

"Nothing is ever given to us," said Bowden, a senior out of West Montgomery High School. "We've got to take it, even when it's right in our hands."
The Blue Bears accomplished that in the extra series, igniting a bonfire of fanfare for its long-suffering program and fan base. Few seemed to care that nothing came nice and easy.

"I'm not too fond of the years before I got here," said Powell, the record-setting senior. "But I'm proud to be the quarterback leading them to a place they've haven't seen in a long time. That's what feels the best." Just a week after the Blue Bears left the same field heart-broken after a 23-21 last-minute loss to Winston-Salem State, they got to enjoy Homecoming happiness. "This sure feels better than last week," said senior nose tackle Eric Horne, a 330-pound inside warrior against the run.

NOTES: Livingstone can secure a winning season if it beats visiting J.C. Smith next Saturday. …. The Blue Bears, Winston-Salem State and Smith are all 3-1 against Southern Division teams entering the CIAA's final weekend. WSSU, which handed Livingstone a soul-crushing defeat a week ago, hosts Fayetteville State in its regular-season finale.

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HBCU Football Judgement Day Scoreboard (Week 9, Oct. 31)

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SATURDAY, October 31, 2015

OVC
Tennessee State 20, Austin Peay State 6

SWAC
College of Faith at Texas Southern  Cancelled, Weather
Alabama State 35, Alabama A&M 20
Jackson State 26, Mississippi Valley State 16
Alcorn State 48, Southern 7

MEAC
Howard 55, Savannah State 9
South Carolina State 34, Hampton 20
Bethune-Cookman 49, Delaware State 21
North Carolina Central 24, Norfolk State 16
North Carolina A&T 28, Florida A&M 10

SIAC
Miles 37, Stillman 7
Lane 21, Kentucky State 14
Fort Valley State 35, Morehouse 3
Albany State 35, Benedict 9
Tuskegee 19, Central State (OH) 7
Clark Atlanta at Concordia-Selma, Cancelled - No Contest, Weather



PSAC
West Chester 41, Cheyney 20

GLIAC
McKendree 65, Lincoln (MO) 0

The Sun Conference
Ave Maria 30, Edward Waters 27

INDEPENDENT
Alderson Broaddus 49, Virginia University Lynchburg 20

MWC
UNC Pembroke 45, West Virginia State 21

CSFL
Oklahoma Panhandle State 62, Texas College 7
Langston 48. Lyons 14

CIAA
Johnson C. Smith 22, Saint Augustine's 3
Bowie State 57, Lincoln (Pa.) 3
Virginia Union 43. Elizabeth City State 31
Livingstone 42, Fayetteville State 35
Shaw 32, Winston-Salem State 25 O.T.
Virginia State 32, Chowan 28

NCA&T Aggies Winning Streak At Six After Win Over FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  –  There are no secrets to success according to junior running back Tarik Cohen. The North Carolina A&T football team, ranked 20th in FCS football, improved to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 28-10 win over Florida A&M Saturday night Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Cohen was not shy about revealing why. “It’s hard work and dedication that’s gotten us here,” said Cohen after rushing for 163 yards and a touchdown. “We treat every game like it’s the biggest because it’s the next game. We’re going to come to work hard regardless.”

Cohen inched closer to the Aggies all-time rushing record on Saturday. He is only 88 yards shy of breaking Mike Mayhew’s record. In two games at Bragg, he has rushed for 373 yards and four touchdowns against the Rattlers.

“It’s not about what field you’re playing on, it’s about getting the job done,” said Cohen. “We play just as hard here as we play anywhere else.”

For the first time in school history, the Aggies have won back-to-back games in Tallahassee after beating the Rattlers (1-7, 1-4 MEAC) in overtime at Bragg in 2013. The combination of Cohen and senior quarterback Kwashaun Quick helped the Aggies get off to a fast start. Quick accounted for the Aggies first 44 yards of the game whether through the air or on the ground. After Cohen got a hold of things he exploded through the Rattlers defense for a 23-yard gain to the FAMU 7-yard line.

Two plays later Quick was in the end zone on a read option play six minutes into the game. The Aggies were able to get on the board again in the first quarter as Cohen scored on a 24-yard run up the middle for a 14-0 lead. N.C. A&T’s third drive also looked promising as Quick again broke to the outside and 44 yards to the FAMU 22.

But a horse collar call on FAMU and holding call on N.C. A&T nullified the play and as Quick gingerly walked off the field after being yanked down. The Aggies third drive eventually ended in a punt as the Aggies next two drives also stalled.

“Sometimes that happens in football,” said N.C. A&T head coach Rod Broadway. “Sometimes you can jump out on a team everything seems like it is going to be easy. But you’ve got to give FAM credit, they started to play. We just got way too sloppy and started to do some things we normally don’t do.”

The Aggies added one more touchdown before the half as Quick’s replacement, redshirt freshman Lamar Raynard launched a pass in between two defenders on a post pattern to redshirt freshman Malik Wilson for a 53-yard touchdown. The Aggies also opened the second half on a touchdown pass as Quick found redshirt sophomore Caleb Gabriel in the back of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.

The action appeared to slow down from there as both teams had trouble moving the ball the rest of the way. FAMU gained just 124 yards of total offense on the day with only four yards rushing on 18 carries. The Rattlers might have been shut out by the Aggies for the first time in their history had not been for a blocked punt that gave them the ball at the Aggies 5 in the third quarter. The blocked punt eventually led to a Carson Royal 3-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Noird.

“We played well in spots, we played bad in spots,” said Broadway. “We made a couple of huge mistakes that gave them their points. Otherwise they would have had a hard time scoring. Of course they blocked a punt and we shanked another. I was a little disappointed in our kicking game.”

The Aggies have now won six straight heading into a contest at S.C. State that will be for conference supremacy. The Bulldogs are 4-1 in the league after their win over Hampton on Saturday. S.C. State has won 14 out of the last 15 matchups including last season’s 13-0 win in Atlanta. Therefore, Broadway knows the Aggies can’t afford to overlook S.C. State or anyone else.

“It’s tough to avoid being over confident. They’re 19, 20 year olds. They start to smell themselves and believing they’re better than they really are. Then they forget what it takes to win. No matter who you’re playing, winning is in the preparation.”

A&T 28, FAMU 10




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