Rainy weather can't disappoint as largest crowd since 2011 shows up for Florida Classic

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ORLANDO, Florida -- More than 1.7 million fans have taken part in the Florida Classic during its 90-year history.

The neutral-site game, which features a matchup between two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, has been a part of the college football landscape since 1925. The game has been played at Daytona International Speedway and Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, but it moved to the Citrus Bowl in 1997.

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This year's game featured an announced crowd of 45,728 fans despite a dreary day in Central Florida. It was the largest announced crowd since 2011 (60,218) and a good 4,000 fans more than last year's tally of 41,126. That game was the first one played in the Citrus Bowl while it was going through $207 million worth of renovations.

Rain showers moved into the area just after kickoff and quickly transformed into a downpour in the middle of the second quarter, sending spectators searching for cover on the concourse at the Citrus Bowl. Many of those fans returned to their seats by halftime to catch the impressive band performances.


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Bethune-Cookman quarterback Quentin Williams earned Most Valuable Player honors for the winning team following his performance Saturday night. Running back Devin Bowers earned MVP honors in a losing effort for Florida A&M. 

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President Rome attempting to turn around Lincoln athletics

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri -- Kevin Rome sat in his office Wednesday afternoon sporting a suit, a bow tie and a grin from ear to ear. The walls that surrounded the president of Lincoln University were nearly bare. Boxes were being moved out of the Young Hall offices.

The boxes were headed for next-door Memorial Hall, temporary home of the office of the president while Young Hall gets a facelift.

Despite the change occurring around him, Rome was relaxed and excited to discuss the future of Lincoln athletics.

Few would envy his task of reviving a depleted athletic department. But Rome has been the president of Lincoln since January 2013, and he has embraced the challenge.

His end goal is clear: success within the athletic department across the board.

“I want to win,” Rome said. “But I want to win the right way. More than anything, we want to see our student-athletes win.”

How quick can that happen? Only time will tell. But the university is implementing certain things to make progress.

Take the Blue Tiger Athletics Club, for example. The restructured club — formerly known as the Blue Tigers Quarterbacks Club — was designed to create a means for alumni, community leaders and corporate sponsors to contribute to all Lincoln sports programs.

“You have to invest in a program,” Rome said. “Any program out there that’s winning is because people are investing in the program. It’s financial, it’s emotional, it’s fan base, it’s all those things that creates a winning program.”

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Chicago State Claim 81-70 Win Over Trinity International on Homecoming

CHICAGO, Illinois --  Kieran Woods (Chicago, Ill./Crane) scored 19 points and added six boards and six steals to help lead Chicago State to an 81-69 win over NAIA Trinity International University on Saturday in their homecoming game at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center.

Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end, and Fred Sims Jr. had 13 points for Chicago State (3-1).

The Cougars shot just 38.2 percent from the field but they got to the free throw line 21 times, pulled down 23 offensive rebounds, and forced 24 Trinity International turnovers.

The game was tied at 32 at the break, but Chicago State opened the second half on a 17-5 run, capped by a Jawad Adekoya (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) 3-point play which opened up a 49-37 lead.

Grant Corsi's 3 for the Trojans trimmed the lead back to 6 points (51-45) with 14:34 left, but they got no closer.

Corsi had 26 points for Trinity International.

CSU heads to downstate Springfield on Monday night to take on Illinois in the second game of the 2015 Emerald Coast Classic. The game will be streamed live on ESPN 3 from the Prairie Capital Convention Center with a start time of 7 p.m.

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Slippery Rock Ends VUU Season in NCAA Playoffs

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pennsylvania --  Shawheem Dowdy completed 29 of 52 passes for 375 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers, who were making their first playoff appearance in 24 years. He also rushed for two scores, but Slippery Rock University defeated Virginia Union 40-21 on Saturday, November 21, in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in Slippery Rock, Pa.

  Game Replay

Dowdy's 29 completions broke the school record of 28, which Dowdy set earlier this season against Bowie State University.  His 52 attempts tied him for second for most pass attempts in a single game.  Carl Wright attempted 54 passes in VUU's last playoff game, on November 23, 1991, against Indiana (Pa.).  Wright also had 52 attempts against Elizabeth City State University on October 12, 1991.

Devin Anderson finished with 10 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown. Union was held to 60 yards rushing.  Anderson's 10 catches tied him for fourth all-time for most passes in a single game by a VUU player.

Dowdy passed to Anderson from five yards out for VUU's first score, then took two one-yard plunges himself for the other two Panther scores.

VUU finishes with an 8-3 record.

Slippery Rock will host No. 3 Assumption, 51-29 winners over Bowie State on Saturday, November 28.

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Assumption Cruises to 51-29 NCAA Super Region One Playoff Win over Bowie State

WORCESTER, Massachusetts – Assumption College had no trouble with Bowie State University on Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 51-29 NCAA Super Region One quarterfinal win. The loss ends the Bulldogs season record at 9-3.

Turnovers and penalties really hurt the Bulldogs as Bowie State was flagged 12 times for 105 yards and committed a season-high five turnovers.

Redshirt junior Nyme Manns (Baltimore, Md.) had a career game, hauling in a new school single-game receptions record with 14 catches for 127 yards. Redshirt senior quarterback Trevon Bennett (Fort Washington, Md.) threw for a game-high 309 yards, completing 30-of-49 passes but was intercepted three times and sacked five times.

Junior Ricardo Smith (Oxon Hill, Md.) led the Bulldogs defense with eight tackles while senior Brian Hall (Capitol Heights, Md.) and junior Sean Copeland (Baltimore, Md.) added seven tackles each.

Marc Monks completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Deonte Harris at the 7:16 mark of the first quarter. Cole Tracy added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Assumption (11-1) tacked on seven more points at the 14:40 mark of the second quarter on a 23-yard rushing touchdown by James Ward and Tracy PAT. The Greyhounds capitalized on Monks pass to Ashton Grant for 21 yards to push lead to 21-0.

Bowie State get on the board with 11:15 left in the second quarter on a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Stephen Willis (Beltsville, Md.) to trim deficit to 21-7.

An interception by Smith on Assumption's next possession assisted the Bulldogs in their next scoring opportunity. Redshirt junior Christopher Palmer (St. May's, Md.) booted a 26-yard field goal with 9:14 remaining in the second quarter to cut the Greyhounds lead down to 21-10.

Assumption blocked a Bowie State punt and recovered the ball out of the end zone, but the Greyhounds earn a safety for a 23-10 advantage. The Greyhounds extended its lead to 30-10 with 1:38 remaining in the second quarter on a Monks to Grant 26 yard pass, catch and score.

BSU's Bennett was picked off for the third time in the game and Assumption to full advantage of the turnover. Ward rushed untouched for an 8-yard score and a very comfortable 37-10 lead at the 10:15 mark of the third quarter.

Bennett connected with Manns for a 1-yard touchdown and Palmer's extra point, capping off a 15-play, 75 yard drive to make the score 37-17 with 3:13 left in the third.

The Assumption duo of Monks and Grant teamed up again for a 25 yard score with 10:36 remaining in the game to pad the Greyhounds lead 44-17.

With 7:59 to go in the game, graduate student Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.) recorded his eighth rushing touchdown of the season to make the score 44-23 Assumption.

The Greyhounds put the final nail in the coffin, when Dylan Oxsen rushed for a 15 yard touchdown and a 51-23 advantage.

Bowie State freshman quarterback Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) saw his first action of the season and scored an 8-yard rushing touchdown with 2:07 remaining to account for the final score. Hall finished the game with 91 passing yards, completing 5-of-12 passes.

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CBS Quality Cars Postgame Highlights (NCCU Football vs.A&T)

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GREENSBORO, North Carolina – With the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season title on the line, North Carolina Central University knocked off nationally-ranked rival North Carolina A&T to earn a share of the conference championship for the second straight year, as the Eagles beat the Aggies 21-16 for their seventh win in-a-row.

In front of a near-capacity crowd of 18,409 inside Aggie Stadium, the visiting Eagles amassed 393 yards of total offense, including 193 yards on the ground against the No. 1 rushing defense in the nation.

Entering Saturday's contest, NC A&T, ranked 13th in the FCS coaches poll, had allowed opponents only 73.7 rushing yards per game to top the NCAA Division I-FCS. NCCU redshirt freshman running back Dorrel McClain had 74 yards rushing in the first half, and finished with a season-high 167 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
 
NCCU junior quarterback Malcom Bell also ran for a score, while completing 14-of-28 passes for 200 yards through the air. His favorite target was junior receiver LaVontis Smith, who caught seven passes for 123 yards, a season-best for any Eagles' receiver. Smith also ignited the NCCU faithful with a 67-yard punt return touchdown.
 
Senior safety Theo Livingston enjoyed a career day to top the Eagles defense with a career-best 13 tackles (12 solo), including 3.0 hits for a loss, and a forced fumble. Junior linebackerJordan Miles tallied nine stops with 2.5 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble, and senior cornerback Ryan Smith added seven takedowns and a pass break-up. Senior defensive end Richard Mitchell only made two tackles on the afternoon, but they were big ones – both sacks – while also recovering a fumble.
 
Senior safety C.J. Moore contributed seven tackles with 2.5 hits for a loss and two pass break-ups for the Eagles. Moore finished his NCCU tenure with 301 tackles to rank third on the school's career tackles list.
 
NCCU wraps up the 2015 season with an overall record of 8-3 and a conference mark of 7-1 to share the MEAC title with NC A&T (9-2, 7-1 MEAC) and Bethune-Cookman (9-2, 7-1). The eight victories are the most by the Eagles in their Division I era dating back to 2007.
 
Jerry Mack became the first head coach in NCCU history to win 15 games in his first two seasons.

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Dominant 56-14 Win Over Jackson State Caps Off Prairie View 2015 Regular Season

WALLER, Texas -- Johnta Hebert ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns, Trey Green threw for a score and ran for another, and Prairie View A&M won its seventh straight, 56-14, against Jackson State University on Saturday.

PVAMU (8-2, 8-1) is hopeful for a spot in the 2015 FCS Playoffs. It would the first team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference to achieve such since 1998.

Arthur Lockett returned an interception 21 yards to open the scoring for the Panthers, who outgained the Tigers 519-223 and notched their first winning season since 2010.

Hebert scored on runs of 19, 76 and seven yards, Keylon LaSalle scored on a 10-yard run, and De'Auntre Smiley on a 4-yarder.

Green scored on a 10-yard run and was 10 of 20 for 155 yards with a 20-yard TD pass to KhaDarel Hodge.

Jarin Morikawa was 18-of-48 for 151 yards for the Tigers (3-7, 3-5) with two interceptions and TD passes of 13 and 14 yards to Daniel Williams.

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