HBCU Football Judgment Day Scoreboard Week 3

Saturday, September 17, 2016

SIAC
Tuskegee 20, Florida A&M 17
Albany State 24, Southeastern U. 2
Fort Valley State 37, Clark Atlanta 31
Elizabeth City State 35, Morehouse 30
Lane 46, Langston 0
Benedict 42, Central State 6

OVC
Tennessee State 31, Bethune-Cookman 24



Other HBCUs
Jacksonville 41, Edward Waters 7
West Virginia Wesleyan 35, West Virginia State 14
Indiana (PA) 55, Cheyney 0
McMurry 63, Texas College 6
Quincy 40, Lincoln (Mo.) 14

CIAA
Chowan 35, West Florida 28
Virginia State 20, Kentucky State 7
Virginia Union 37. Winston-Salem State 14
Davidson 38, Livingstone 12
Morehead State 56, Lincoln (Pa.) 6
Elon 26, Fayetteville State 3
Central Connecticut 44, Bowie State 35
Wofford 59, Johnson C. Smith 0
UNC Pembroke 38, Shaw 19



SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff 45, Alcorn State 43
Grambling State 35, Jackson State 14
Prairie View A&M 41, Alabama A&M 20
Southern 64, Alabama State 6
Texas Southern 31, Mississippi Valley 0

MEAC
Hampton 34, Howard 7
North Carolina Central 65, Saint Augustine's 7
Tulsa 58, North Carolina A&T 21
William & Mary 35, Norfolk State 10
Clemson 59, South Carolina State 0

Johnson: Southern put the SWAC on notice with dominant performance against Alabama State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The topic of conversation among us media folks in the immediate aftermath of Southern’s 64-6 dismantling of Alabama State was the last time Southern had beaten someone that badly.

I couldn’t chip in on that conversation, since this was the fourth time I’d ever seen Southern play and the first time I’d seen it win. But I was still listening intently.

Even without the memory of Southern games gone by, I was thinking the same thing most people were after the game: When was the last time I saw someone beat someone else that badly, regardless of who was doing the beating?

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it that bad, not live at least. From start to finish, in all three phases of the game, the Jaguars gave Alabama State a good ol’ fashioned whupping.

hat performance should’ve put the rest of the SWAC on notice.

Alabama State, despite the conclusion at which most people quickly arrived on Twitter, is a good SWAC team. Even after their 0-3 start, the Hornets should contend in the SWAC’s eastern division this season.



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Tribe Football 2016: Norfolk State Game Highlights

NCCU Cruises to 65-7 Win over St. Augustine's

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University scored nine touchdowns during a 65-7 home-opening victory over Saint Augustine's University on Saturday inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. But it was a 2-yard rumble into the end zone by senior center Carl Jones, who lined up in the backfield for his first career score, that highlighted the night.

NCCU's offensive output against the Falcons broke one school record and came close to a few others. The Eagles tallied 32 first downs, the most in school history. NCCU's 676 yards of total offense ranks second only to the 684 total yards amassed by the 1982 Eagles against Bowie State. The 414 passing yards on Saturday places fourth in the NCCU record books and are the most by the Eagles since 1988.

NCCU senior quarterback Malcolm Bell accounted for 270 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, while he also rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown.



Bell spread the wealth in the passing attack, connecting with nine different receivers. His favorite target was senior receiver Quentin Atkinson, who finished with six catches for 95 yards, followed by David Miller with four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Wilkes made the most of his two catches, finding the end zone both times on plays of 27 and 32 yards. True freshman tight end Maleek Henderson caught three passes for 28 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown, the first of his career.

NCCU enjoyed a steady ground game as well, accumulating 262 rushing yards for an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Sophomore Dorrel McClain recorded 130 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns, while back-up quarterback Naiil Ramadan also scored on a 7-yard scamper. The redshirt freshman also passed for 144 yards and a touchdown.

NCCU junior punter Nathaniel Tilque almost had the night off, but he made the most of his one punt… a 58-yard boot that pinned the Falcons at their own 2-yard line.

Sophomore safety Alden McClellon topped the NCCU defensive effort with 10 tackles, including one of the Eagles 10 stops for a loss. The unit's three sacks were posted by linebacker Reggie Hunter (6 tackles), and defensive ends Kawuan Cox (4 tackles) and Antonio Brown (4 tackles). Cox also contributed another hit for a loss and a forced fumble, which he recovered.

Saint Augustine's (0-3) finished with 246 yards of total offense, most coming by way of sophomore quarterback D.J. Johnson with 193 yards passing and 26 yards rushing. Johnson connected with Sam Boyd on a 40-yard touchdown in the second quarter for the Falcons lone score.

NCCU (1-2) now prepares for conference play as the Eagles visit MEAC foe Norfolk State University on Sept. 24 in Virginia.

BOX SCORE

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Albany State Golden Rams earn first win after weather delays cause game to end

LAKELAND, Florida -- In only two and a half quarters, Caleb Edmonds completed 14-of-24 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns to lead Albany State to a 24-2 win over Southeastern University. The contest experienced two weather delays and was called after the second thunderstorm with a little over eight minutes left in the third quarter.

With the victory, the Golden Rams gain their first win of the season and improve to 1-2. SEU, an NAIA member, falls to 1-1 overall.

After the Albany State special team provided the host team with a safety in the first quarter, ASU began their scoring barrage in the second. At the 11:09 mark, Edmonds found Ta'Keevian Harris, who sparked the drive with a 43-yard catch two plays before, for a 17-yard touchdown. The drive went eight plays for 78 yards in 3:38. The Golden led 7-2 after Emilio Maldonado made the PAT.

The Golden Rams defense also provided the team with some unexpected points in the latter part of the stanza. Ra'shaan Johnson sacked Southeastern quarterback Jonathan Pearce to force a fumble. Monte Taylor recovered the loose ball and returned it 53 yards for the score. Maldonado was good on the PAT, and Albany State led 14-2 with 1:39 remaining in the half.

Less than 20 seconds later, Nick Scott recorded his second interception of the game to set up the Gold Rush's final score of the half. Maldonado connected on a 33-yard field goal to send ASU into intermission with a 17-2 advantage. The drive used five plays and 39 yards in 30 seconds.

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Winston-Salem State pounded by Virginia Union

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It’s not often Winston-Salem State gets embarrassed in front of its home crowd, but fired up Virginia Union was on a mission Saturday night.

“I don’t know what it was but we just didn’t have the energy like we needed,” said offensive lineman Jac’que Polite of the Rams about the 37-14 loss.



There was no energy for the Rams (1-2) from the start as the Panthers (1-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead and coasted in front of just over 4,000 fans at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Rams have lost both of their home games this season, but this one was never close. By halftime the Panthers, a team that made the Division II playoffs last season, were ahead 27-7.

“We beat ourselves with costly penalties and the stats show that,” Polite said about the 104 yards in penalties. “We can’t do that and expect to win, so we have to focus and be much more energetic. We just didn’t have it tonight.”

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Tulsa Topples North Carolina A&T 58-21

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TULSA, Oklahoma -- Special teams and defense gave Tulsa early momentum as the Golden Hurricane cruised to a 58-21 victory over FCS' No. 19-ranked North Carolina A&T Aggies Saturday afternoon in front of 16,111 fans at H.A. Chapman Stadium.

Tulsa built a 24-0 first quarter lead and led 48-0 at halftime en route to the victory. Tulsa's punt coverage team blocked two punts that ended in points, and the Hurricane defense had two interceptions in the first half that led to Tulsa taking a 31-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of the game. For the game, Tulsa totaled 28 points off of two takeaways and the two punt blocks.



Tulsa put up 493 yards of total offense, while holding NC A&T to 368 yards, and only 215 yards and a 3.6 average per play through the first three quarters when the game was already out-of-reach with the Hurricane leading 58-7. Dane Evans completed 19-of-29 passes for 282 yards and three TDs on the day, all going to Keevan Lucas, as Lucas had 119 yards on four catches, all coming in the first 30 minutes. Justin Hobbs had seven catches for 114 yards for Tulsa.

"I thought we made plays, obviously, on special teams early in the game, which kind of really kicked the momentum to our side. Defensively we played lights out. I thought especially early in the game," said Tulsa Head Coach Philip Montgomery.

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Southern University Human Jukebox Vs. Alabama State Mighty Marching Hornets

Howard football suffers demoralizing loss to Hampton in Nation’s Football Classic

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Howard football team opened the season by facing consecutive Big Ten opponents, losing in lopsided fashion both times. On Saturday afternoon, the Bison finally drew a lower-division adversary in Hampton for the Nation’s Football Classic at RFK Stadium.

Players for Howard, particularly upperclassmen, entered the renewal of one of the longest running rivalries among historically black colleges and universities with the added incentive of redeeming themselves for last year’s loss to the Pirates.

What unfolded instead was another demoralizing result, 34-7, in which significant breakdowns in all three phases sent the Bison to their sixth consecutive defeat dating from last season.



“I can accept losing, but I can’t accept the way we lost,” Bison Coach Gary “Flea” Harrell said. “We’ve got to find out who we are, going back to our identity. Are we tough enough to move forward?”

In the MEAC opener for both schools, Howard (0-3) absorbed its most lopsided loss to Hampton (1-2) since a 37-0 defeat in 2009. The Bison’s only points this time came courtesy of tailback Anthony Philyaw’s three-yard run with 13 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. The touchdown ended Howard’s streak of six straight quarters without scoring.

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3-GAME GRIND ENDS: Pough says team played hard, will be ready for MEAC

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

CLEMSON, South Carolina – South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough was aware Clemson, despite a 2-0 start and a No. 5 national ranking, had not reached its stride, especially on offense.

The Bulldog mentor and S.C. State graduate was hoping Dabo Swinney’s Tigers would have another un-Tiger-like outing against his team on Saturday. That was not to be.

Clemson quickly shook off what was ailing it, scoring a school-record 31 first-quarter points on its way to a 45-0 halftime lead and an eventual 59-0 triumph over Pough’s team.

“We knew what could happen when you are facing one of the top teams in the nation,” Pough said. “But we were hoping it would not. They had not been playing well and I thought maybe they would struggle a bit for one more week. But you knew it was just a matter of time (before) they would get untracked and start executing well.

“Things didn’t go well for us from the start and we certainly would have liked to have played better. But I appreciate our players battling hard right to the end,” Pough said.

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Coach gets first win as TSU blanks Mississippi Valley State

HOUSTON, Texas -- In his third attempt, Michael Haywood got his first win as coach of Texas Southern. Tylor Cook accounted for two touchdown and the Tigers' defense was lights out in a 31-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night.

TSU's win in its home opener at BBVA Compass Stadium was decisive, giving the Tigers' first-year head coach plenty to be pleased about, and keeping the Delta Devils (0-3, 0-2 SWAC) winless.

TSU (1-2, 1-1) scored on its first two possessions and remained in control throughout the game.

"What a great way to open our first home game with a win," Haywood said. "Our job is just to be better than the opponent that's on the field. Tonight, we're better than the team we faced."

TSU outgained MVSU 374-160 in yards and forced the Delta Devils to punt on all seven of their first-half possessions and on their first eight series. Dondre Dobbins and Rayvon Beard intercepted Mississippi Valley's Austin Bray and linebacker Sean Jones had a team-high 10 tackles, with 31/2 tackles for loss.

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PVAMU Marching Storm - Halftime Show at Texas A&M University (2016)

Tennessee State Tigers Move to 3-0 with 31-24 Win at Bethune-Cookman

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- For the second consecutive week the Tigers fought off miscues to secure a 31-24 victory at Bethune-Cookman on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers were called for 15 penalties for close to 150 yards and committed three turnovers.

Tennessee State improved to 3-0 on the season as cornerback Terrell Bonds pulled down a tipped ball by Gabe Scott with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The interception was the second of the game for Bonds, helping the Wildcats fall to 0-2.

O’Shay Ackerman-Carter connected on a 71-yard touchdown pass to Steven Newbold and finished with 112 yards as he completed three passes in seven attempts.  The redshirt-sophomore quarterback left the game in the second quarter due to an undisclosed injury.

Senior Ronald Butler finished the game for the Big Blue completing 8-of-16 for 68 yards and two touchdowns in relief. Both signal callers tossed an interception in the contest.

The Tigers ground attack was the story of the game as they rushed 44 times for 200 yards. Freshman Earl Harrison led the way with 110 yards on 13 carries. The Memphis native highlighted his day with a 46 yard run for a second quarter touchdown.

The Tigers struck first on a 44-yard field goal off the foot of Lane Clark. TSU used a 30-yard pass play from Ackerman-Carter to Patrick Smith to move into the Wildcats territory.

B-CU took advantage of an Ackerman-Carter interception and moved the ball 25 yards on five plays to take a 7-3 lead with 4:47 remaining in the first quarter.

On the ensuing drive, Ackerman-Carter escaped the pocket on a third-and-five and found Newbold ten yards down the field. The freshman spun out of the first tackle and avoided another Wildcat and sprinted down the right sideline for the longest play from scrimmage this season for the Tigers.

The 10-7 lead was short-lived as B-CU answered with a rushing touchdown on their next series, taking a 14-10 advantage.

Not to be outdone, the Tigers needed three plays and just over a minute to regain the lead at 17-14 on Harrison’s scoring scamper. The Wildcats would even the score at 17-17 on a field goal just before half.

The Tigers took the lead in the third quarter on the first of Butler’s two scoring passes. The senior tossed a jump ball in the corner of the end zone, allowing Chris Sanders-McCollum to out jump a defender to haul in his first touchdown of the season.

Bethune-Cookman once again pulled even with the Tigers in the first minute of the final stanza. The teams battled back and forth before TSU used the first of Bonds’ picks and began a 5:48 scoring drive late in the fourth. The Tigers covered 48 yards on nine plays and was capped off with a seven-yard scoring toss to Patrick Smith.

Smith has caught a touchdown in each of the first three games and registered the 13th in his career.

The defense secured the win for TSU, who will have a week off before starting Ohio Valley Conference play. UT Martin will be the first challenge for the Tigers on Oct. 1 at Halle Stadium.

GAME NOTES: Captains for TSU were Jessamen Dunker, Chris Collins, Kevin Kenton, O’Shay Ackerman-Carter… TSU won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff… Time of the opening kickoff was 3:59 p.m. (EST)… Weather at the time of kickoff was 86 degrees and sunny… The halftime score was tied for the first time this season… TSU running back Earl Harrison scored his first career touchdown… Wide Receiver Chris Sanders-McCollum registered his seventh career receiving touchdown… TSU moves to 3-0 for the first time since 2012 and the second time overall under Head Coach Rod Reed… TSU improves to 8-1 versus MEAC teams under Rod Reed… The Tigers are now 7-2 all-time versus Bethune-Cookman.

TSU Quarterback Ronald Butler
“I had to do what I had to do to step up and help my team win today.”
- On Stepping in at the Quarterback Position

“I definitely need to represent for the hometown, but it’s not about that. We’re here on a business trip. We’re here to get his ‘W’ and stay undefeated and keep it going.”
- On Playing in Florida

TSU Cornerback Terrell Bonds
“We started off slow. They played us tough, but we came back in the second half and made plays, and that’s what it took to win.”
- On the win tonight

“I prayed for it. That’s my first game in my career with two picks but I’m just happy we came through. We fought tough, battled back and got a win.”
- On two interceptions

TSU Linebacker Chris Collins
“Any win is a good win. We just feel like we have a lot of work to put in. We’ve got the off week and we need the time to get healthy and come out strong for conference play.”
- On the win

“It’s really good. We haven’t been 3-0 since I’ve been here, so that’s a good accomplishment, but we have a lot of work to do. It’s on to the next one.”
- On improving to 3-0

TSU Running Back Earl Harrison
“I had to wait my turn, but thank God I was waiting patiently. I got in and I was ready.”
- On his performance

“That was my second time getting in. I was nervous, but I told myself, ‘it’s no time to be nervous.’ It’s my turn and it’s my chance, and thank God it worked out.”
- On his first career touchdown,

BOX SCORE

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Is the future football series between Grambling and JSU in jeopardy?

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Grambling's third straight road trip to Jackson State finally comes to an end with Saturday's tilt at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

As punishment for a 2013 forfeit on Jackson State's homecoming, Grambling was forced to pay a $50,000 and play at Jackson State in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The assumption was the annual rivalry would return to Grambling in 2017, but that may not be the case. And the future in football between the two schools is very much uncertain.

"From my standpoint, we certainly would love to play Jackson in Grambling next year getting back to what would our normal series with them home-and-home," Grambling president Rick Gallot said Friday night via telephone in Jackson. "I will make it very clear from our standpoint we certainly want to get back in the sequence if possible. It would take their willingness to play us in Grambling for that to happen."



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SWAC teams scrambling after scheduling rule change

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Athletic directors across the SWAC still appear to be in scramble mode.

The conference plans to switch from the current round-robin format of nine league games to seven starting with the 2017 season, a decision that came in May of last year. The change leaves SWAC teams struggling to find two more nonconference opponents on short notice.

“I think the biggest thing you see in Year 1 is it might be a scramble because everybody’s already gone three to five years out (in setting up their schedules),” Alcorn State athletic director Derek Horne said. “You have to be very aggressive in how you move toward it.”

SWAC teams will play a designated rival and two rotating home and home games with opponents from the opposite division in addition to their current four games in their division.

The SWAC has bounced between a seven- and nine-game conference schedule since expanding to 10 teams in 1999. Conference programs played seven league games from 2000-04 and 2008-09 before switching to the current format in 2010.

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Chowan Hawks Roll past West Florida Argonants

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University football team picked up a 35-28 victory over the University of West Florida on Saturday evening. The Hawks move to 2-1 on the season with the win and handed the Argonauts their first loss of their inaugural season. West Florida stands 2-1 on the year with the setback.

Chowan collected 529 yards of total offense on the day; 130 on the ground and 399 passing. West Florida rolled up 450 yards of offense in the setback and were held to just 44 yards on the ground over the course of the contest.

Randall Dixon completed 28-44 pass attempts for a school record 399 yards and two touchdowns for the Hawks. He connected with four different Chowan receivers including Tyrone Carter 11 times for 188 yards and one touchdown. Tyree Lee totaled 30 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Kaleb Nobles threw for 398 yards on Saturday, completing 29-48 pass attempts including three touchdown passes. Ishmel Morrow hauled in 12 receptions on the day for 161 yards with Anas Hasic adding nine receptions for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Tim Bellinger recorded 10 carrries for 29 yards on the night.

Defensively, Demetrius Newberry led the way with 14 tackles (seven solo, seven assisted) and one sack. Luis Zequeira and Vicente` Stafford added eight stops each in the win. Marvin Conley recorded 11 tackles for West Florida (seven solo, four assisted) while Joshua Smiley added 10 (six solo, four assisted).

The Hawks quickly took matters into their own hands at the start of the contest as Lee concluded a seven-play, 65 yard drive with a seven yard touchdown run to put Chowan on the board in their first drive. Connor Killeen's point after attempt was good, handing the Hawks an early 7-0 advantage.

West Florida promptly answered with a three-play, 75 yard scoring drive after Hasic hauled in a 58 yard touchdown pass from Nobles. Austin Peffers made good on the point after attempt, knotting the score 7-7. The Hawks would answer back at the 10:50 mark in the first quarter after Carter grabbed a 29 yard touchdown pass from Dixon. The Hawks led 14-7 after Killeen's point after attempt.

The Argos responded late in the first quarter with a 10 play, 84 yard touchdown drive. Nobles connected with Hasic on a 16 yard pass and Peffers' point after attempt was successful, knotting the score 14-14.

With 10:36 on the clock in the second quarter, Kemaree Alcorn intercepted a pass from Nobles on the West Florida 15 yard line to shift the momentum back in Chowan's favor. After a trio of runs by Lee, Nolan's one yard touchdown run and Killeen's successful point after attempt pushed the Hawks ahead 21-14. The Hawks tacked on an additional score before the end of the first half, using a 29 yard touchdown run by Lee and Killeen's point after to take a 28-14 lead heading into the halftime break.

Down but not out, the Argos fought back at the start of the second half. Nobles opened the third quarter with a 71 yard touchdown pass to Morrow and Peffers made good on the point after attempt. At the 11:40 mark, an interception by West Florida led to a six play, 31 yard touchdown drive for the Argos. Peffers' point after tied the score 28-28.

Dixon gave the Hawks all they would need in the fourth quarter, connecting with Kaine Lombard on a four yard touchdown pass to push Chowan ahead 34-28. The play concluded a four play, 69 yard drive. Killeen's point after attempt solidified the 35-28 advantage. West Florida was unable to answer back offensively, resulting in the victory for Chowan.

The Hawks return to action on September 24th. Chowan travels to take on Livingstone College in a 1pm contest. The game marks the first CIAA match-up of the season.

BOX SCORE

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Badgers prevail in three-set sweep of Gold Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana led late in each of the first two sets, but Spring Hill rallied for a 26-24, 25-22, 25-13 non-conference volleyball victory Thursday at the Convocation Center.
     
In a matchup of conference leaders, the Badgers (9-3, NCAA Division II's SIAC) snapped the four-match win streak of the Gold Nuggets (6-11, NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic).
     
Spring Hill overcame Xavier leads of 22-21 in the first set and 17-16 in the second.
     
Molly Griffin had 10 kills and seven digs for the Badgers. Madison Seuzeneau and Sarah Senft had nine kills apiece, and Cassidi Sterrett had 20 digs, 12 in the second set.
     
Adili Rikondja had eight kills and hit .467 for the Gold Nuggets. Monet Fontaine and Hasani Salaamhad six kills apiece, and Tiffany Phillips had 21 assists and 10 digs in her ninth double-double of the season. Amanda Perry had 21 digs and Juliana Tomasoni 15, with Perry extending to 16 her XULA record for consecutive matches with double-figure digs.
     
Perry reached 20 digs for the fourth time and the first time in a three-set match.
     
Rikondja, the reigning GCAC Attacker of the Week, hit .400 or better for the third time in the last four matches.
     
Spring Hill outhit XULA .233 to .091 and had advantages of 44-29 in kills and 4-2 in aces. The Gold Nuggets held advantages of 65-58 in digs and 9-2 in blocks. Salaam's five blocks are the most in a match by a XULA player this season, and Bria Moore had a career-best four blocks.
     
The Badgers are 18-0 all-time against the Gold Nuggets. They'll meet again Oct. 24 at Mobile, Ala.
     
XULA's next match will start at 6 p.m. next Thursday at GCAC and city rival Dillard. The next XULA home match will start at 3 p.m. Sept. 23 — one week from Friday — against Faulkner.

BOX SCORE

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

Southern defense dominates Alabama State in SWAC opener

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Questions surrounded Southern’s defense Saturday night when it faced Alabama State.

Would the Jaguars 4-2-5 formation hold up against SWAC competition? Was the porous showing by the rush defense in the first two games a reflection of Southern or its opponents?

Early in the game, if there were answers to be found it didn’t appear that Southern’s defense had them. But, boosted by strong play from the Jaguars offense and special teams, the defense settled in to do its part in a game that Southern dominated in every phase.



By the fourth quarter, the only question that remained was whether Southern would pick up its first shutout since 2013. Southern settled for a 64-6 win and the satisfaction of playing a complete game.

“We’re all coming together as one,” SU cornerback Danny Johnson said. “That’s why we take it day by day. We struggled a little bit in the first two games but we’ve come together. It makes us better.”

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Willie Quinn's four TDs key Southern's demolishing win over Alabama State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- In Saturday's 64-6 blowout win, Southern's Willie Quinn outscored Alabama State 24-6 all on his own — and he didn’t even get credit for the points on the 30-yard touchdown pass he threw.

The rest of his Southern teammates fared pretty well, too. The Jaguars (1-2, 1-0) dismantled Alabama State (0-3, 0-2), a team many pegged as a contender in the SWAC’s Eastern Division, during a blowout at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

“It was great to see the focus,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “I thought from start to finish, they were locked into this football game.”

It was a total team win for the Jaguars, who forced six turnovers, racked up 541 yards of offense and scored in all three phases. After a pair of season-opening losses to FBS squads UL-Monroe and Tulane, it was their first win since November.

“We were thirsty for a win. We wanted it. We practiced like we wanted to win,” junior defensive end Aaron Tiller said. “It was like we missed winning. We didn’t like feeling like we did those first two weeks.”

Photos: Southern holds home opener against Alabama State

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Tuskegee comes from behind for victory over FAMU

MOBILE,Alabama -- After a 20-year hiatus, the 5th Quarter Classic proved to be worth the wait as the 13th-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers scored with just over two minutes to play, coming from behind for a 20-17 victory over FCS-member Florida A&M University on a rainy Saturday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Tuskegee (3-0) trailed for much of the second half, by as many as four with just 4:11 left to play in the game and Florida A&M (0-3) in possession of the ball. The Golden Tigers relied on a defense that forced a three-and-out for Florida A&M, forcing the Rattlers to punt.

The punt, off the foot of Colby Blanton, found its way to Ladarell Pettway at his own 40-yard line. The redshirt freshman weaved his way through defenders to the Florida A&M 33-yard line, and looked as though he was able to keep his knee off the ground and racing into the end zone. However, the officials say his knee touched and gave Tuskegee the ball at that spot and they didn't waste any time.

Kevin Lacey took the first play from scrimmage, rolling to the right and finding his way to a first down with a 10-yard rush. He followed that up a strike to senior receiver Desmond Reece, the offensive MVP in the game, for a 23-yard touchdown down the seam with 2:21 to play in the contest. The touchdown and extra point gave Tuskegee a three-point lead at 20-17.

However, Florida A&M came back quickly as they moved the ball down the field on Tuskegee with time ticking away. After a long pass play was brought back due to a personal foul on the Rattlers, they needed a big play to keep the drive alive. Kenneth Coleman hit receiver Kevin Troutman, who was stripped by Tuskegee's Darnell Hill. The ball was recovered Hill, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

As the clock ticked down on fourth down, Lacey knelt for the final play and the Tuskegee fan base charged the field as the Golden Tigers claimed victory over a FCS school.

Lacey finished 13-for-25, throwing for 137 yards and touchdown for the Golden Tigers, while Jayjerien Craig led the way on the ground with 62 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown for an offense that put 328 yards up on Florida A&M. Meanwhile, the Rattlers struggled on offense, held to just 169 yards of offense and their scoring drives all started inside the Tuskegee 30-yard line.

Tuskegee took an early lead in the game after a Florida A&M field goal went wide left, the Golden Tigers took the ensuing drive 60 yards in six plays – highlighted by a 44-yard run from Lacey on the first play from scrimmage. The Golden Tigers took a 3-0 lead when Dalton Hall connected on a 32-yard field goal with just over six minutes to play in the opening quarter.

The Golden Tigers extended the lead to six when they drove 65 yards in 10 plays, finishing off a drive with a 31-yard field with 1:49 to play in the first half. Florida A&M took their first lead of the game, at 7-6, when Coleman hit Brandon Norwood from 28-yards out on the first play from scrimmage after a miscue from the Golden Tigers with 6:01 remaining in the opening half.

Tuskegee went 65 yards in nine plays on their next possession to take a 13-7 lead with 2:29 remaining in the half. Craig took the handoff from Lacey, after a third down pass interference call gave Tuskegee a first down, racing around left end for the 19-yard touchdown.

Florida A&M scored on two possessions after inheriting the ball inside the Tuskegee 30 to take the 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for the final minutes.

Defensively, Quavon Taylor led Tuskegee with 10 tackles (all solo) and Osband Thompson with five. As a team, Tuskegee finished with 11 tackles for loss and one sack on the night, while Darius Holmes – the defensive MVP – finished with four tackles and two for loss from his defensive back position.

Tuskegee will play their first home game of the season against Lane College in an SAIC West Division showdown next weekend. The kicks off at 1 pm (cst) at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium, and can be seen on the Tuskegee Digital Network.

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