Cohen Shows Off Again On National TV, N.C. A&T Aggies Win

GREENSBORO, North Carolina – There was a play in North Carolina A&T’s 31-9 MEAC football win over Hampton Thursday night at Aggie Stadium that explained Aggies senior running back Tarik Cohen’s rise to collegiate stardom while at the same time it was the catalyst that helped the Aggies pull away.

In front of a national television audience watching live on ESPNU, Tarik went for 256 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. In the process, he added his name to two more N.C. A&T records. He broke Stoney Polite’s career rushing touchdown record of 41 and now stands alone with 44 rushing TDs. His third touchdown of the night went for 94 yards, breaking James White’s nearly 25-year record (89 yards) for longest run from scrimmage.

Cohen recorded his fifth 200-yard game and his sixth three-touchdown game. In fact, Cohen rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.

His second-half dominance started on the Aggies first drive of the second half with the Aggies leading 10-3. The Aggies (3-1, 1-0 MEAC) obtained possession thanks to a Jeremy Taylor interception that gave the Aggies the ball at their own 2-yard line. On 3rd-and-3 from the N.C. A&T 9, Tarik took the handoff, appeared to be headed for a loss thanks to the Pirates penetrating into the backfield. Yet, Cohen bounced his way off the initial defenders and slipped his way through a few more before finally breaking free for a 37-yard run that flipped the Aggies field position.

The run pretty much defines Cohen.

“I’d like to say that I was running kind of like how my personality is,” Cohen said about the play. “Even when everything is against me, I like to fight through and make things right. I told my whole team at the half that we were not really clicking as an offense, but we were going to just keep pushing and eventually things are going to happen.”

They certainly did after Cohen’s run. A pass interference call on the Pirates and a 12-yard reception by freshman Elijah Bell moved the Aggies closer to scoring. On 2nd-and-3 from the Pirates 15, Cohen again made one of his shifty moves to avoid a tackle before sprinting into the end zone for a touchdown and a 17-3 Aggies lead.



Cohen put more separation between the Aggies and Pirates to open the fourth quarter. After the Pirates (1-3, 1-1 MEAC) decided to go for it on a 4th-and-2 from their own 31. It didn’t work. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Kiaundric Richardson buried Hampton running back Yahkee Johnson for a 1-yard loss. On the next play, Cohen went off-tackle and raced down the sidelines for a 30-yard TD to put the Aggies ahead three touchdowns.

“I kind of felt like I wasn’t running to my full capability in the first half,” said Cohen. “I was tipping. I told my (offensive line) that I was trying to look for the big play too much and was being too patient. I told them at halftime that I was going to start hitting the first hole I see and run harder.”

Cohen ended his night by running through a big hole. Hampton drove the ball to the Aggies 3, but could not convert on a 4th-and-goal. The Aggies took over and two plays later Cohen was sprinting down the field toward a record-breaking 94-yard touchdown with a defender hopelessly trying to catch him. Cohen’s big run gave the Aggies a 31-3 advantage.

“I think Hampton is a football team that has made tremendous progress over the last couple of years, so it was a good win for our football team,” said N.C. A&T head coach Rod Broadway.

Hampton’s other problem besides Cohen was their inability to score touchdowns in the red zone. The Pirates made five trips inside the Aggies 20, but only came away with three points. It also didn’t help that the Pirates muffed the first punt of the game, giving the Aggies a 1st-and-goal at the 3 that led to a Lamar Raynard to Denzel Keyes touchdown reception.

Quarterback Jaylian Williamson did have a good night, completing 32 passes on 54 attempts for 388 yards and a touchdown. Williamson, however, did throw two interceptions including one in the red zone. His favorite target was Rashawn Proctor who had 12 grabs for 188 yards.

“We've been playing pretty good defense for a long time,” said Broadway. “Our number one principle is to stop the run. I don't care if you pass for 1,000 yards, if you can't run the ball on us, you're not going to beat us. It's going to be hard for a straight passing team to beat us. We gave up quite a few yards passing, but we kept the run contained and that made it hard on them inside the 10.”

Cohen was not the only player tampering with the record books. Keyes’ first-quarter touchdown reception was his 19th career TD catch, tying Craig Thompson. Raynard also a had a good night, throwing for 143 yards on 15-for-24 passing, one touchdown and no interceptions. The Aggies have another Thursday night game on ESPNU next week at Aggie Stadium as they host Norfolk State at 7:30 p.m.

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NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Phillips earns her 4th GCAC weekly award this season

NEW ORLEANS — Tiffany Phillips has done it again.
     
For the fourth time in six opportunities this volleyball season, the Xavier University of Louisiana freshman has been chosen Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Setter of the Week.
     
Phillips — from Gardena, Calif., and a graduate of Bishop Montgomery High School — averaged 9.13 assists and 2.38 digs per set in three XULA matches Sept. 19-25. She tied a XULA season record in a victory at Dillard with her 10th assist-dig double-double of the season — 34 assists and 11 digs. The 34 assists are her most in a three-set match. At Mobile she had a career-high six kills.
     
Also at Dillard, Phillips was part of a defensive effort that limited Corneisja Harrison, who collected 52 kills in two matches the previous week, to five kills and minus-.057 hitting in 35 attacks.
     
Phillips leads the GCAC through Tuesday's matches with 8.19 assists per set and is 40th in the NAIA in total assists with 549. Phillips leads XULA with 17 aces and is third on her team with 169 digs.
     
Phillips is the seventh XULA freshman and the first in volleyball to win four GCAC weekly awards. Nour Abbes (women's tennis) won the most, six, in 2014.
     
XULA (7-13, 4-0) will begin a three-match GCAC home stand Thursday against SUNO (4-8, 3-0) at 6 p.m. in the Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets will play host to Talladega at 1 p.m. Saturday and Edward Waters at 1 p.m. Sunday.

XULA Freshmen With the Most GCAC Weekly Awards
Awards	Name	Sport	Season
6	Nour Abbes	Women's Tennis	2014
5	Zahri Jackson	Women's Cross Country	2011
5	Mark Dotson	Men's Cross Country	2009
4	Tiffany Phillips	Women's Volleyball	2016
4	Thomas Setodji	Men's Tennis	2016
4	Caroline Vernet	Women's Tennis	2015
4	Kyle Montrel	Men's Tennis	2013

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Nuggets sweep SUNO, improve to 5-0 in conference

NEW ORLEANS — Monet Fontaine had nine kills and hit a season-high-tying .500 Thursday to help Xavier University of Louisiana defeat SUNO 27-25, 25-19, 25-11 at the Convocation Center and maintain its lead in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball.

The Gold Nuggets (8-13, 5-0) are the only unbeaten team in the GCAC. SUNO (4-9, 3-1) is in second place.

Fontaine produced kills on eight consecutive attacks — her final three of the first set and all five of the second set. The sophomore scored XULA's next-to-last point of the first set — Cara Ford then clinched with an ace — and scored four of XULA's final five points of the second set on three kills and a shared block with Sarah Pitts-Groce.

Juliana Tomasoni had seven kills and a match-high three aces for the Gold Nuggets. Bria Moore had six kills and hit .455 — she raised her team-leading hitting percentage to .347 — and Terri Drake had five kills. Amanda Perry produced 10 digs to reach double figures for the 19th time in 21 matches, and Tiffany Phillips and Ralitsa Slanchev had nine digs apiece.

Moore, Pitts-Groce, Phillips and Fontaine had two blocks apiece. Phillips had 29 assists.
Sonja Backovic had 11 kills and nine digs for SUNO, Tyjah Greenup had 10 digs, and Ana Bobovic had three blocks.

The Gold Nuggets led 18-15 in the opening set, but three SUNO kills and three XULA attack errors gave SUNO a 22-21 lead. XULA led 16-8 in the second set before SUNO cut the deficit to 18-17. The third set never was in doubt after XULA scored the first four points and cruised to leads of 9-2 and 18-8. Tomasoni ended the match with a kill.

XULA outhit SUNO .212 to .096 and had advantages of 37-31 in kills and 7-2 in aces.

The Gold Nuggets will continue their GCAC home stand with 1 p.m. matches against Talladega on Saturday and Edward Waters on Sunday. Including conference tournaments, XULA has won 14 straight and 77 of its last 78 matches against the GCAC.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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After convincing win, WSSU feeling good ahead of trip to Lincoln

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Momentum and a favorable schedule have Winston-Salem State players in a good mood these days.

Fresh off a convincing 35-14 win over Virginia State, the Rams will hit the road with a historic game at Lincoln (Pa.) on Saturday. The two teams haven’t played football against each other since 1948 when a young coach by the name of Big House Gaines lost 21-0 to the Lions.

Gaines, who coached the WSSU football team as well as the basketball team during those heady days of the 1940s, went 8-1 that season for the Rams with their only loss to Lincoln.

Lincoln (Pa.) is one of the original schools in the CIAA that was formed in 1912, but it dropped out of the conference in 1980. When the school resurrected football after a 47-year absence, it rejoined the league in 2010.

“It’s odd that we haven’t played them yet since we got back into the CIAA,” said coach Kienus Boulware of the Rams.

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Toppings getting chance to lead ASU offense

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- It has been a long journey to being the starting quarterback at Alabama State for senior Quinterris Toppings.

Toppings, an Eight Mile, Alabama native from Mobile County, had been serving mostly in reserve roles during his first three seasons in an Alabama State uniform.

Toppings didn’t start Alabama State’s season opener at UTSA, but had a career night in his third consecutive start for the Hornets in its home opener last Saturday.

Unfortunately, his career-high 323 passing yards came in a difficult 31-27 loss to Texas Southern which sent the Hornets (0-4, 0-3 SWAC) to their worst start in 17 years.

“The game plan was simple,” Toppings said. “Run the ball. Throw the ball. Move the ball up and down the field. I think we did it well. There were some things I could have done better as a quarterback.”
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Grambling has eyes set on running SWAC table again

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling's place as one of the top teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference was cemented with last Saturday's convincing victory over two-time defending SWAC champions Alcorn State.

What was more impressive, though, was the win marked Grambling's 11th consecutive league victory dating back almost two years ago. It's only two games into the SWAC schedule, but the Tigers have no intention of ending the streak.

"We feel like we shouldn't lose any game in the SWAC and that these guys want to continue this streak and we want to leave a legacy behind at Grambling," said Eric Rhodes, who is the defensive quality control coach at Grambling.

"This is something you want to remember not losing a game or having this winning streak in conference games and also coming out with a ring. We want to end up in Atlanta. It's one game at a time, each SWAC game at a time."

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S.C. State Bulldogs breathing better on bye week

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Did you hear it on Monday, resonating from the South Carolina State campus?

No, not the Marching 101 practicing their sound, but rather the collective exhale from Bulldogs head football coach Buddy Pough and everyone involved in the football program.

After three straight weeks of road losses to Football Bowl Subdivision teams, the Bulldogs captured that elusive first win of the 2016 season with a 48-14 win to open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play in Tallahassee, Fla. on Saturday.

That satisfaction is coupled with the fact that S.C. State is now on its bye week on the season schedule, leaving the Bulldogs 14 days between their last game and their next game. On Saturday, Oct. 8, S.C. State will finally get the chance to play a home game, with a 1:30 p.m. start against Bethune-Cookman on Willie E. Jeffries Field inside Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

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