Miles Golden Bears Defense pitches Homecoming shutout

FAIRFIELD, Alabama -- Even after a tough loss last week against Albany State, the Golden Bears knew that the road to a second straight Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference would start in earnest with Saturday's Homecoming game against Central State.

With a crowd of more than 16,000 in attendance, Miles' opening statement in the race for the Western Division crown was definitive. The Golden Bears (3-2, 1-0) scored two early touchdowns, added a safety and goal line stand before halftime, then used another defensive touchdown to dismantle the Marauders 36-0 at Albert J. Sloan-Alumni Stadium. David Whipple threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns, Caleb Duncan and Austin Stephens each had interceptions in the second half and the Golden Bears defense held CSU (0-6, 0-2) to less than 200 yards total offense.

Whipple's touchdown passes went to three different receivers. Earnest Bell, Jr. (four catches, 44 yards) caught a 21-yard pass early in the first quarter and Trey Smith (five catches, 66 yards) hauled in a 29-yard pass late in the period for a 14-0 advantage. Jourdan Walker (two catches, 40 yards) took in a 19-yard scoring pass midway through the fourth quarter.

Miles led 17-0 early the second quarter after a 32-yard field goal by Nick Christiansen but two plays later in the quarter were even more definitive. CSU had trouble on its punt team all afternoon and having a kick partially blocked and a bad snap in the first quarter that led to 10 points, the Marauders had another snap sail over the head of punter Isaiah Smith in the second quarter. When he recovered the ball in the end zone, Stevie Woods was all over him for a safety - the team's second straight game with one, for a 19-0 advantage. Late in the quarter, CSU drove the field and had third-and-goal at the Miles 1. The Marauders never made it into the end zone, with Ashton McKenzie forcing a fumble to end the drive that snuffed Central State's best chance to score.

In the fourth quarter, Stephens, who had 11 tackles (eight solo), grabbed his first career interception and almost took it to the end zone but was tackled by the last man to beat, CSU's Darius Thomas. But Marauders quarterback Lavon Meeks was not as fortunate when Duncan jumped into the passing lane for his fourth interception this season and raced 35 yards for a touchdown, his second pick-6 of the season. The Golden Bears now have three interceptions for touchdowns this year and four defensive touchdowns overall.

Cedric Poole had eight tackles and three pass break ups and DeAnthony Philon had seven tackles for the Goldn Bears, who play at Kentucky State next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Box Score 



MILES COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Golden Tigers claim 81st Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic

COLUMBUS, Georgia -- Needing a spark after a sluggish first half, the eighth-ranked Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University turned to the passing game in the second half en route to a 28-19 victory Morehouse College in the 81st annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic at AJ McClung Stadium Saturday afternoon.

With two of the best rushing defenses in the country battling in the trenches Saturday afternoon, combing to give up just 68 yards on 64 carries, senior Kevin Lacey finished the day throwing for 300 yards on 18-of-29 passing with four touchdown passes. He was also named the offensive most valuable player in the game as voted on by the media members in attendance.

While Lacey was throwing the ball around the Morehouse defense, the Golden Tigers rushing game was in held in check with just 35 yards on 40 carries and was led by Kenny Gant with 27 yards on eight carries.

However, the Golden Tiger defense was not to be outdone on the day as they held Morehouse to just 33 yards on 24 carries running the football and just 176 total yards of offense. The Golden Tigers forced three turnovers and sacked Morehouse quarterback Monqavious Johnson four times on the afternoon.

Tuskegee (6-0, 4-0 SIAC, 1-0 SIAC West) was the only team to score in the first half as the teams struggled to move the ball against their opponent due to the defensive effort and the wind affecting the passing game. The Golden Tigers got on the scoreboard first with a 16-yard pass from Lacey to tight end Leo Gilbert with 8:10 remaining in the open half. The drive lasted eight plays and covered 75 yards, using 4:42 on the clock and the score stayed that way at halftime.



TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORT INFORMATION

Fourth Quarter Rally Lifts NCCU Over FAMU, 17-13

DURHAM, North Carolina -- With heavy rain and wind gusts from Hurricane Matthew limiting the offense of both teams most of the day, North Carolina Central University rallied for two lead-changing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to claim a 17-13 victory over Florida A&M University inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Saturday.

The win keeps NCCU (4-2, 3-0 MEAC) unbeaten in the MEAC and is the 11th consecutive victory over non-FBS opponents for the Eagles.



Florida A&M (1-5, 1-2 MEAC) held NCCU to just 10 yards of total offense in the first half, and used a safety by defensive end Calvin Darville and a 34-yard field goal by Colby Blanton to take a 5-3 advantage into the locker room at intermission.

Brandon McLaren's 33-yard field goal in the second quarter represented the lone points by the Eagles in the first half.

The second half, however was a different story. NCCU amassed 209 yards of total offense in the final 30 minutes of game action, including 118 yards in the decisive fourth quarter.

NCCU's first trip to the end zone came on a 42-yard pass play from quarterback Malcolm Bell to receiver LaVontis Smith, who finished with two receptions for 57 yards, at the 11:24 mark of the fourth quarter. McLaren's extra-point kick provided the Eagles with a 10-5 advantage, their first of the day.

On NCCU's next possession, a bouncing snap to the punter resulted in a loss of 15 yards and provided FAMU with excellent field position at the Eagles' 18-yard line. Two plays later, the visiting Rattlers regained the lead thanks to an 18-yard touchdown run by Devin Bowers. FAMU converted the two-point try for a 13-10 cushion with 6:11 on the clock.

Following a critical 28-yard kickoff return by Mike Jones, NCCU needed just four plays - two rushes for 13 yards by Ramone Simpson, a 19-yard scamper by Bell and a 25-yard blast to the end zone by Dorrel McClain - to score the game-winning touchdown with 4:54 left in the contest.

The outcome was then placed in the hands of the NCCU defense, which added two tackles for loss to its tally of 14 for the game, to dash FAMU's attempt for an upset.

A stellar defensive performance by NCCU resulted in seven Eagles with six or more tackles. Antonio Brown (1.5 TFL), Alden McClellon, LeGrande Harley (2.0 TFL), and Reggie Hunter (3.5 TFL) had eight stops each, while Frederick Henry-Ajudua (2.5 TFL, 1.0 sack), Ja'Quan Smith (0.5 TFL) and Josiah Dailey (1.0 TFL) contributed six takedowns apiece.

McClain finished with a game-high 86 rushing yards with a touchdown, while Bell rushed for 61 yards anf threw for 87 yards and a score on 5-of-8 passing.

Up next, NCCU hosts Savannah State for homecoming on Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

BOX SCORE

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATONS

PVAMU Football Comes From Behind To Post Homecoming OT Win

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- A pair of games in the new facility, a pair of thrilling come-from-behind wins for Prairie View A&M football in the new Panther Stadium.

QB Jalen Morton (Arlington,, Texas) came off the bench to lead three second-half scoring drives, and a stifling defense led the Panthers (4-2 overall, 4-1 SWAC) to a 24-17 homecoming overtime win over Alabama State (1-5, 1-4) Saturday afternoon.

"It's why we play the game," said Prairie View A&M head coach Willie Simmons. "I'm happy for these young men. I thought they grew up a lot today. It's a big win for this program for homecoming with a sold out crowd. I know everyone wanted to come out of here with a win. We get down early. Guys never quit."

Morton replaced an injured Trey Green in the second quarter. Trailing 17-7 at halftime, Morton, a redshirt freshman playing for the fifth time in six games this season, led the three critical scoring drives, none more important than the game-tying 79-yard drive.

Starting at the one-yard-line with 2:31 to play, Morton completed four passes for 67 yards and rushed for an additional 12 to move the Panthers into field goal range. Owen Hoolihan's (Oberon, NSW, Australia) 37-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining tied the score at 17-17.

In the extra period, Morton's nine-yard scramble on third and nine gained a critical first down. Caleb Broach's (Rockwall, Texas) touchdown after recovering his own fumble at the 1, gave Prairie View A&M its first lead of the game.

"Our confidence level as a team went up," said Morton. "We started coming together. We knew we weren't going to break. We knew that we were going to be stronger. We were going to be the team we need to be in the second half and fourth quarter…They were behind me and had my back the whole time. As soon as I got in, they were behind me the whole time. I want to thank my team for that."

Demarquo Lastrappe (Spring, Texas) posted his first career 100-yard receiving game, catching six passes for 102 yards. He caught two big passes for 37 yards on the game-tying drive.

"Everyone rallied around Jalen," Lastrappe said. "Even if it was a bad play, everyone was saying 'Keep going Jalen, keep pushing. He came through.

On the ensuing possession, a combined sack by DeVohn Reed (Houston, Texas) and Marquice O'Leary (Fontana, Calif.) on third down followed by the sack by Treveon Billings (Milwaukee, Wis.) on the final play of the game sent Panther Stadium into a frenzy of ecstatic fans, alumni and supporters.

The PVAMU defense held Alabama State to 68 total yards and five first downs after halftime.

"The confidence was very high," Lastrappe said. "We had great faith. We knew we were going to win this game. We knew the defense was going to play great. They came out in the second half and pitched a shutout. That was a great performance. Hats off to the defense."

The Panthers have a bye next week and return to action Saturday, Oct. 22 at Rice at 2:30 p.m.

"Jalen Morton came in and played a fantastic football game," Simmons said. "He got us out of some bad plays with his legs (11 rushes, 53 yards), and had a huge 79-yard drive late in the game to get us in field goal position. Owen Hoolihan knocked the field goal through to get us into overtime. We scored on the first drive (of overtime) and the defense stepped up, and kept them out of the end zone the whole second half. Great team win. I'm proud of the guys, and we get some much-needed time off this week."

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Falls at Eastern Illinois, 35-34

BOX SCORE

CHARLESTON, Illinois -- Tennessee State suffered its first loss of the season, falling 35-34 at Eastern Illinois in Ohio Valley Conference action on Saturday night at O’Brien Field.

TSU falls to 4-1 overall (1-1 OVC), while Eastern Illinois runs its record to 4-2 (2-1 OVC).

Senior quarterback Ronald Butler passed for a career-high 303 yards with touchdown passes to Patrick Smith and Steven Newbold. Smith finished with seven receptions for 160 yards, while Newbold pulled down four passes for 121 yards. Defensively, Chris Collins registered 12 total tackles and his first interception of the season.

For the second consecutive game the Tigers found themselves down by double digits early in the first quarter. Eastern Illinois used a 66 yard kickoff return to the TSU 24 to setup a four play drive resulting in a nine-yard touchdown pass. EIU increased their lead to 14-0 on Devin Church’s first of three touchdowns on the evening.

Chris Rowland would jump start the Tigers with a 65 yard kickoff return, allowing the offense to start at the Panthers 30. TSU would stall after six plays, setting up a Lane Clark 37 yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-3.

The Tigers would get the offense going midway through the second quarter. Earl Harrison started the drive with a nine yard run before 15 yards was tacked on after an EIU personal foul. On the next play, Butler found Steven Newbold for a 28 yard pass play moving the Tigers to the six. Two plays later, Butler called his own number bring TSU back to within four, 14-10.

Trailing 21-10, the Tigers tried to score before half, but Butler was stripped of the ball giving EIU the ball at the TSU 35. On the next play, Ezra Robinson stepped in front of a Mitch Kimble pass and returned it into Panther territory with three second on the clock.

Clark would connect on a 57-yard field goal for the second consecutive week, but the play was whistled dead as the defense jumped offside causing the TSU linemen to move. Clark’s attempt from 52 yards was good sending the Tigers to the locker room trailing 21-13 at the break.

Butler and Smith teamed up on the second drive of the third quarter for a pair of big pass plays. The Tigers began the drive at their own 10 as the duo connected for 22 yards. Two plays later Smith hauled in a 47-yarder in traffic to get down to the EIU 19.

TSU would work itself inside the five allowing Earl Harrison to power in from three yards out to bring the Tigers to within one, 21-20. EIU would need less than two minutes to regain their eight point lead.

Down by a 28-20 margin, the Tigers scored back-to-back touchdowns and had a 34-28 lead with 10 minutes to play. Smith opened the scoring with a spectacular one armed reception as Butler hit the junior wide out in stride down the sideline for a 56 yard touchdown.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Newbold found an opening on the TSU sideline and out maneuvered his defender before diving into the end zone to secure the third touchdown of his freshman campaign.

EIU’s Devin Church scored his third touchdown of the game with 9:00 left in the fourth quarter to put the Panthers up for good at 35-34.

TSU is back in action on Saturday, Oct. 15, as they host Eastern Kentucky for Homecoming 2016 at Nissan Stadium.

GAME NOTES: Opening kickoff was at 6:04 p.m. … Captains for TSU were Ronald Butler, Lane Clark, Thomas Burton and Chris Collins… Weather at the time of the game was 64 degrees and clear… EIU won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff… TSU has scored 31 or more points in every game this season… Senior quarterback Ronald Butler recorded a career-high 303 passing yards… Junior wide receiver Patrick Smith has caught at least one touchdown in every game this season… Lane Clark connected on a 52-yard field goal at the end of the first half. It was the third longest in his career… TSU is now 8-12 in the all-time series versus Eastern Illinois… The Tigers have gone 2-8 in games at O’Brien Field.

TSU Linebacker Chris Collins“I think we played ok but we have a lot of work to do. I feel like we beat ourselves on a lot of play. That wasn’t our kind of football to let them score as much as they did. We have a lot of work to do and we need to get back to the drawing board.”
- On the play of the defense

“I think it’s humbling for us as a team. It shows us that we can be beat and that we have a lot of work to still put in. It’s going to be a test every week.”
- On what the team can take away from the game

TSU Wide Receiver Patrick Smith
“Us being down, it wasn’t anything that we’re not used to. We’ve been going through it all year. It just took us believing in each other to get back into the game. We just came up just short. We just have to go back to the drawing board, start fresh with EKU and try to go 1-0.”
- On the toughness to come back from an early deficit

“The run game was there, obviously. We made a few mistakes in the passing game that we can fix, but other than that, everything that we game planned was there. It’s just on us to capitalize.”

- On the play of the offense  

TSU Linebacker Antonio Justice“It being our first cold game, I feel like guys stepped up a lot. We could have folded because we aren’t used to the weather, but we stuck together. From defense to offense to special teams, everybody did their part. I feel like we need to come out faster and that’s all.”

- On the team’s performance

TSU Center Thomas Burton
“I thought we played pretty well. There’s always room for improvement, always stuff we can fix in the long run, but overall I thought we played pretty well.”
- On the play of the offensive line

“We had some fans, so we didn’t have to do it ourselves, but it was tough.”
- On playing in a tough environment.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU's refinished basketball court ruined in rainstorm

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- When Tennessee State coach Dana Ford signed a contract extension after leading the Tigers to one of their best basketball seasons last year, athletics director Teresa Phillips gave him a raise and a promise to upgrade the facilities.

And sure enough, the Tigers have a new court in Gentry Center.

But it's not an upgrade.

Ford would much rather have the floor on which his team posted a 20-11 record last season. It had just been resurfaced and was in prime condition.

The refinished floor was ruined recently when lightning struck the roof at Gentry Center and created a large hole. It was during a storm, and rain continued pouring into the facility.

Assistant coach Pierre Jordan first discovered the mess.

CONTINUE READING

Alcorn’s Dominant Second Half Spoils AAMU’s Homecoming

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Trailing 16-14 at the half, the Alcorn State University football program outscored Alabama A&M 28-3 the rest of the way to ruin the Bulldogs homecoming, 42-19 Saturday at Louis Crews Stadium.

The Braves (2-3, 2-2 SWAC) wasted little time in the third quarter as they blocked an AAMU (1-5, 1-4 SWAC) punt on the opening series. On the very next play, junior quarterback Lenorris Footman connected with senior Collins Moore on a 32-yard pass to take the lead, and Alcorn never looked back from there.

Footman made his first start since the opening game of the season against Alabama State. He shined with five touchdowns including three rushing. Footman tallied 122 rushing yards including a 53-yard dash through the middle for a touchdown in the second quarter. He also ended with 132 yards through the air with a pair of touchdown passes.

Alcorn pounded AAMU on the ground for a season-high 287 rushing yards. Junior De'Lance Turner posted 81 rushing yards, while junior Arron Baker etched 60.

Senior Jaborian McKenzie grabbed seven passes for 64 yards and a touchdown, while Moore notched 50 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Braves were well balanced with junior Daniel Franklin and senior Darien Anderson wrapped-up eight tackles apiece. Sophomore LaShaun Ealey and senior Eric Foster each had interceptions, and freshman Solomon Muhammad forced a fumble that was recovered by junior Michael Brooks.

The Braves limited AAMU quarterback De'Angelo Balla to 14-for-30 throwing for 181 yards and a pair of interceptions. He was sacked three times by sophomore Trae Ferrell, junior Jayron Harness and Foster.

Alcorn improved to 2-0 against teams in the SWAC East Division. It defeated Alabama State 21-18 on Sept. 10.



PLAY-BY-PLAY SUMMARY
The Braves scored on their opening drive with a 16-yard touchdown carry through the left side by Baker. The run was setup after an 18-yard catch by Moore on a third-and-five, followed by a 25-yard quarterback-keeper by Footman.

AAMU's first possession resulted in an interception as Foster was able to read an overthrow and picked it off along the left sideline on a third-and-13.

Late in the first quarter, the Bulldogs threatened with a first-and-goal on the two-yard line. After a false pushed them back, they tried to run it through the middle but Muhammad stripped the ball loose and it was recovered by Brooks to spoil AAMU's opportunity.

On the ensuing Alcorn drive, Turner broke loose along the right side for a career-long 43-yard rush. The Braves got to the redzone after Footman got out of the pocket and fired an 18-yard pass to senior LaDarrien Davis. The Braves got to the three-yard line, but after a chop block pushed them back, they attempted a 26-yard field goal that sailed wide.

The Bulldogs took over midway through the second quarter and converted both a fourth-and-five and a fourth-and-10 to get to the redzone. On its 16th play of the drive, AAMU settled for a 35-yard field goal by Nick Carden to make it a 7-3 game.

A good kick-return by McKenzie set up the Braves on their own 47-yard line. On the first play, Footman dashed up the middle for a 53-yard touchdown as he dove for the endzone and stretched the ball across.

Late in the half, AAMU converted a 3rd-and-11 to keep its drive going which eventually led to a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Dorsey with 51 seconds left. The extra point went wide, but the Bulldogs got it back with 37 seconds after an interception on Alcorn's first play. AAMU took the lead on a 23-yard pass to Dorsey and went into the half ahead 16-14.

The Bulldogs were forced to punt on the opening series of the second half, but it was blocked by Turner. On the very next play, Footman threw a deep ball to Moore and it was caught in the endzone for 32 yards to quickly put Alcorn back on top, 21-16.

AAMU responded with a 14-play drive, but was sacked by Harness on third-and-goal from the five-yard line to bring out the field goal unit. Carden chipped in a 34-yarder to cut the deficit to 21-19 near the end of the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Braves put together a six-play drive, capped by a 20-yard touchdown reception by McKenzie to push the lead back up to 28-19. The series included a 15-yard sprint through the middle by Baker and a 21-yard screen to McKenzie before his touchdown.

After a stop by the Braves defensively, a shanked punt resulted in Alcorn taking over at the AAMU 26-yard line. Turner pounded through the middle to get the ball to the one-yard line after a 19-yard run, and Footman finished off the drive with a quarterback-option run.

Alcorn registered its second interception of the game late, this time by Ealey. The Braves cashed in on an eight-play drive, concluded by a four-yard rush by Footman to the left side. McKenzie accounted for 21 yards on the drive including a 10-yard run and a 11-yard catch.

BOX SCORE

SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
12:36 – 16-yard run by A. Baker (H. McCraney), 6-65-2:24, 7-0 Alcorn
2nd Quarter
6:11 – 35-yard field goal by N. Carden, 16-61-7:14, 7-3 Alcorn
5:51 – 53-yard run by L. Footman, 1-53-0:20, 14-3 Alcorn
0:54 – 26-yard pass from D. Balla to J. Dorsey (N. Carden XP missed), 6-82-1:45, 14-9 Alcorn
0:29 – 23-yard pass from D. Balla to J. Dorsey (N. Carden XP), 1-23-0:08, 16-14 AAMU
3rd Quarter
10:59 – 32-yard pass from L. Footman to C. Moore (H. McCraney XP), 1-32-0:07, 21-16 Alcorn
1:54 – 34-yard field goal by N. Carden, 14-53-9:05, 21-19 Alcorn
4th Quarter
12:46 – 20-yard pass from L. Footman to J. McKenzie (H. McCraney XP), 6-77-1:24, 28-19 Alcorn
8:10 – 1-yard run by L. Footman (H. McCraney XP), 4-26-2:05, 35-19 Alcorn
3:14 – 4-yard run by L. Footman (H. McCraney XP), 8-33-4:00, 42-19 Alcorn

NOTES
- Alcorn wrapped up its three-game road swing with its third consecutive win over the Bulldogs. The Braves won 44-10 last year and 41-14 on the road in 2014. The Braves have not lost at Alabama A&M since 2008.

- The Braves have now won six of their last seven SWAC road games dating back to last season when they finished 5-0 away from home in conference play.

- Alcorn entered the game ranked second in the SWAC in rushing offense with 179.2 yards per game. The Braves were way above that mark with 287 yards on the ground. It was the second-most rushing yards by any team in the SWAC this season as Grambling State ran for 296 yards against Prairie View A&M on Oct. 1, 2016.

- The offensive line did not allow a sack in the game. They've been sacked just three times on the entire season, the fewest in the SWAC.

- Franklin entered the contest ranked seventh in the league in tackles with 7.5 per outing, and upped it with eight Saturday.

- Turner's 43-yard run late in the first quarter increased his career-best from 25 yards set earlier this season at Grambling State.

- Footman's three touchdown runs were the second-most of his career after he ran-in four against Southern last season.

- Alcorn's captains were Brooks, Moore and junior Norlando Veals. The Braves won the toss and chose to receive.

Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair
Opening Statement
"The key for us was just to stay focused. We talked about it the entire week. All we wanted to do was stay focused, execute and make plays. At half, I had to say some things as the head coach to get these guys to step up in the second half. They obviously had to play a better half and they did just that."

On what was working in the second half
"We were executing plays the way that we were supposed to. The offensive line stood its ground and the defense really came to life. That's the kind of half you see when everyone does what they are supposed to do."

On Lenorris Footman
"He did what we expected. He was smart with the football and made the right reads. Lenorris came in and did a phenomenal job at practice this week and it showed today."

On how excited he is for homecoming
"Well actually, I'm just excited to play a home game. It's been a while, having been on the road for three games. You kind of miss it – being at home rather than just practicing there. I'm excited and the kids are excited, but we all know it's not going to be an easy task. We have to come out and play. We will have to play even better than we did this week."

Quoting junior quarterback Lenorris Footman
On what was working for Alcorn in the second half
"Really we just came out and played. We were trying to play fast offensively and we were only worried about what we were doing as an offense rather than what they were doing on defense. We just had to play our game."

On what was said by the coaches at half
"They just wanted us to play and not let them hang around. All week we talked about what can happen when you let a team hang around and give them hope. We just wanted to come out strong in the second half and put them away."

On whether he felt 100 percent coming into the game
"Yeah I felt really comfortable. Anytime you have 10 guys around you like the guys I have it makes my job a lot easier."

On homecoming come up next week
"We're all really excited. Anytime you get to play on your home turf it's a blessing. We're excited to get back to Alcorn and start preparing for the next game."

UP NEXT
Alcorn returns home for homecoming Saturday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. against Texas Southern. The Braves are going for their fifth straight victory over the Tigers after winning 65-13 last season, 40-25 in 2014, 20-13 in 2013 and 34-24 in 2012.

It marks the first of two consecutive home contests as Alcorn will host Southern at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. The Braves have a bye week Oct. 22.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Monmouth routs Howard to finish non-conference schedule

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Monmouth University's offense fired on all cylinders Saturday afternoon, racking up 562 yards of total offense in routing Howard, 59-27, at Greene Stadium in finishing up the non-conference portion of its schedule.

Running backs Michael Jolly (career-high 129 yards) and Ed Royds (118 yards) each ran for two touchdowns, while redshirt sophomore quarterback Cody Williams finished 17-of-20 for 188 yards and two touchdown passes, with all of it coming in the first half. Williams completed 10 straight passes to open the game, with the first eight going to Maryland natives on a day that served as a homecoming for many thanks to the Hawks having 23 players from the state on the roster.

Monmouth (4-2) fell behind, 7-0, after an Anthony Philyaw 39-yard touchdown run, but the Hawks then scored 24 consecutive points to take the lead for good. A Matt White 37-yard field goal was followed by touchdown runs of 1 and 4, respectively, from Lavon Chaney and Ed Royds, and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Williams to classmate Reggie White Jr.

White Jr., the reigning Big South Player of the Week, finished with ...

CONTINUE READING

HBCU Football Judgment Day Schedule Week 6

Saturday, Oct. 6, 2016

OVC

Tennessee State at Eastern Illinois, 7 PM

MEAC

North Carolina A&T 35, Norfolk State 0

Monmouth at Howard, 1 PM

Hampton at Delaware State, 2 PM

Florida A&M at North Carolina Central, 4 PM

SWAC

Alabama State at Prairie View A&M, 3 PM

Alcorn State at Alabama A&M, 3 PM

Mississippi Valley at Montana, 4:30 PM

CIAA

Bowie State 21, Chowan 14

Virginia State 44, Elizabeth City State 38

Fayetteville State at Shaw, 1 PM

Lincoln (Pa.) at Virginia Union, 1 PM

Winston-Salem State at Johnson C. Smith, 1 PM, SUNDAY

Saint Augustine's at Livingstone, 1 PM, SUNDAY

SIAC

Clark Atlanta 27, Shorter 23

Morehouse vs. Tuskegee, Columbus, Ga., 2 PM

Kentucky State at Fort Valley State, 2 PM p

Central State at Miles, 2 PM

Benedict at Lane, 3 PM

OTHER HBCUs

Lock Haven at Cheyney, 1 PM

West Virginia State at Notre Dame (OH), 1 PM

Saint Joseph's(IN) at Lincoln (MO), 3 PM

Texas College at Lyons College, 3 PM

Nuggets 6th, Rush 7th at Watson Ford Invitational

CLINTON, Mississippi -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women finished sixth, and its men placed seventh Friday in the Watson Ford Invitational cross country meet at Choctaw Trails.

XULA freshman Taylor Price finished 30th out of 81 women, running 6,000 meters in 25 minutes, 42.23 seconds. Price has been the Gold Nuggets' first finisher in every meet this season.

For the Gold Rush, senior Christopher August was his team's fastest runner for the ninth consecutive meet dating to the start of the 2015 season. August placed 23rd out 93 runners and ran 8,000 meters in 28:28.80.

XULA competed among non-NCAA Division I entries. The Gold Nuggets scored 171 points; West Alabama won the women's team title with 44 points, and North Alabama was second with 45. XULA's men scored 211 points; North Alabama was the leader with 37.

Also competing for the Gold Nuggets were Maliya Vaughan (43rd, 26:48.64), Dionysia Love (48th, 27:05.65), Brianna Pace (52nd, 27:42.60) and Imani Walker (71st, 33:03.19). The other Gold Rush finishers were Clydarius Everett (51st, 30:59.71), Oji Wells (59th, 31:51.82), Darrick Williams (67th, 32:23.00) and Ammiel Williams (79th, 34:57.18).

It was the first competition in three weeks for XULA, which will run next Friday in the Crimson Classic at Tuscaloosa, Ala. The men's 8K will start at 9 a.m., followed by the women's 6K at 9:45.

Results:  Men    Women

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Tuskegee and Morehouse set to meet on Saturday

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ASPiRE TV - 2 PM

COLUMBUS, Georgia| The eighth-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers have opened the season winning their first five contests as they head into the 81st annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic at AJ McClung Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.
 
Tuskegee (5-0, 1-0 SIAC West) and Morehouse (2-3, 0-1 SIAC East) will meet for 106th time in their history on Saturday afternoon, and the Golden Tigers will be looking to win their fifth consecutive in the series. Tuskegee has also won 11 of the last 12 meetings dating back to 2004.
 
The Golden Tigers are coming off of a come-from-behind 21-16 victory over then 21st-ranked UNC Pembroke last weekend, while Morehouse gave up a 22-point fourth quarter lead against Clark Atlanta last weekend.
 
Senior quarterback Kevin Lacey leads Tuskegee this season with 1,036 yards through the air and nine touchdowns. The senior has completed 62-of-101 passes with just two interceptions on his way to a pair of SIAC Offensive Player of the Week awards. He was also named to the Black College Football Hall of Fame Player of the Year Watch List last week, joining four other Golden Tigers – Osband Thompson, Julian Morgan, Leeward Brown and Jonah McCutcheon.
 
Senior receiver Desmond Reece has caught 19 passes for 447 yards and five touchdowns, including 146 yards and two touchdowns last week against UNC Pembroke. Leo Gilbert has recorded 11 for 209 and three touchdowns, while Javarrius Cheatham has recorded 10 for 120 and a touchdown.
 
Jayjerien Craig leads Tuskegee on the ground with 328 yards on 56 carries and two touchdowns this season, including a 100-yard game against Albany State in week two.
 
Thompson leads Tuskegee defensively with 53 total tackles and six tackles for loss, while earning a pair of SIAC Defensive Player of the Week awards and was named BOXTOROW National Player of the Week in week one. Fellow linebacker Quavon Taylor is second on the team in tackles with 45, while Kalil Gray has 25 for the season.
 
Daryl George has recorded 3.5 sacks for a team that has recorded 16 on the season, and is one of the best in the country in defense. The Golden Tigers are ranked sixth in total defense (238.8 yards per game), six in team passing efficiency defense (92.95), ninth in scoring defense (14.2 ppg) and tied for first in fourth down conversion percentage.
 
The Golden Tigers rank at the top of the SIAC in both offense and defense, averaging 28.6 points per game and allowing just 14.2 points per game. Meanwhile, Morehouse is averaging 21.2 points per game and giving up 23.8 points per game.
 
The game will broadcast on ASPiRE TV and can be heard on the Tuskegee Digital Network, with kickoff set for 2 pm (est).
 
For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter/Instagram/Snapchat @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

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Christian Jacquemin taking big role for Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Plan B worked out well for Christian Jacquemin.

The redshirt sophomore grew up playing soccer before the Miami Coral Reef football coach persuaded him to become the team’s kicker during the spring of his junior year. After one season in his new sport, Jacquemin received a scholarship to play at Jackson State.

“I never would’ve thought I’d be playing football in college at all,” he said. “I always thought it would be soccer. That’s something I was pursuing for really my whole life until my senior year. But I’m glad I am playing football, and I’m glad I am here at Jackson State.”

Coach Tony Hughes is glad too.

The Tigers lost kicker Ryan Deising, who led the SWAC after making 16 of 21 field goals (76.2 percent) last season, and punter Darcy Williamson, who averaged 38.3 yards per punt.

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Tarik Cohen Sets MEAC Rushing Mark In NC A&T's 35-0 Win

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Tarik Cohen ran for 200 yards to break the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference career rushing record and help North Carolina A&T beat Norfolk State 35-0 on Thursday night.

Cohen pushed his career total to 4,702 to break the mark of 4,660 set by South Carolina State's William Ford from 2006-09. Cohen passed Ford on a 62-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Cohen ran off the right tackle, made a quick cut and burst up the middle of field, going untouched through the Spartans defense for the score.

Lamar Raynard had a TD pass and run in the first half to help the Aggies (4-1, 2-0) build a 14-0 lead. Oluwafemi Bamiro threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Denzel Keyes in the third quarter and Darryl Johnson recovered a blocked punt in the end zone to cap the scoring.



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Heavily favorited Montana keeping focus on Mississippi Valley

MISSOULA, Montana — On the surface, Saturday's clash appears awfully one-sided as 3-1 Montana, the No. 10 team in the nation, hosts 0-5 Mississippi Valley State. It gets a little uglier the deeper you dive into the statistics.

But Montana quarterbacks coach Andrew Selle reminded his passers this week about another "sure thing." It was 2009 and Selle was the one under center for the Griz.

Six weeks before playing in the FCS title game, 8-0 Montana traveled to face 0-9 Idaho State. Instead of the scripted blowout, the Griz escaped with a 12-10 win on a Brody McKnight field goal as time expired.

The moral of the story, coach Bob Stitt preached, is there are no sure things.

"You can't go out and go through the motions in football; you'll get ear-holed and get the heck knocked out of you," he said. "You've got to come out and play every single game."

Saturday's kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. at Washington-Grizzly Stadium against the Delta Devils of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The nonconference tilt can be seen on Cowles Montana Media affiliates.



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GAME NOTES: NCCU Eagles Hosts Florida A&M Rattlers

Complete Game Notes as PDF

DURHAM, North Carolina -- This will be the 10th meeting in the series between the NCCU Eagles and the FAMU Rattlers since the teams first played in 1939. FAMU leads the series against NCCU, 6-2-1. The Eagles have never beaten Florida A&M in Durham, North Carolina (0-2-1).

THE KICKOFF    
Saturday, October 8, 2016 – Kickoff at 4:00 p.m. 

THE SITE    
O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity/Mondoturf) - Durham, N.C.

THE RECORDS    
N.C. Central (3-2 overall, 2-0 MEAC); Florida A&M (1-4 overall, 1-1 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE    
Audio: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 3:30 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst).
Video: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (pay-per-view video internet stream/$8.95). Broadcast starts at 3:30 p.m. (Jonathan Duren, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst).

QUICK HITS
• Saturday is the annual "Prince Hall Shriners Diabetes Classic" and Awareness Day.
• Florida A&M leads the series with NCCU 6-2-1. The Eagles have never beaten the Rattlers in Durham (0-2-1).
• Saturday will be just the fourth gridiron meeting between the NCCU Eagles and the FAMU Rattlers in the past 43 years.
• NCCU owns a 15-3 record against MEAC opponents in the last three seasons under head coach Jerry Mack.
• NCCU has won 10 consecutive games against non-FBS opponents.
• With 325 yards of total offense at Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 1, NCCU redshirt senior quarterback Malcolm Bell became just the third Eagle in school history to surpass 6,000 yards of total offense. The Richmond, Virginia native now has 6,036 total yards and trails only Gerald Fraylon (1981-84; 6,620 yards) and Earl Harvey (1985-88; 10,667 yards).
• Quarterback Malcolm Bell tops the MEAC and ranks 16th nationally (FCS) in points responsible for with 72 (8 passing, 4 rushing touchdowns).
• NCCU sophomore receiver Jalen Wilkes leads the MEAC and ranks 10th in the nation (FCS) with an average of 22.0 yards per reception.
• Florida A&M is coming off a 19-14 victory over Savannah State for its first win of the season.
• NCCU is one of only 14 FCS teams that have scored in every trip to the red zone. The Eagles have 15 touchdowns and five field goals on 20 appearances inside the 20-yard line.
• NCCU received three votes in this week's STATS FCS Top 25 poll.



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UAPB Coleman: Back to the basics

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- For UAPB (1-4, 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) the bye week couldn't have come at a better time.

Consecutive conference losses at the hands of Jackson State in Little Rock and on the road at Alabama State is giving Coach Monte Coleman's team a chance to look inward.

"Everything going forward is going to be focused on us," Coleman said. "Our kids are fighting each week, but we've got to focus on us."

For the second consecutive week, the Golden Lions surrendered more than 200 yards rushing. UAPB is ninth in the SWAC and 79th out of 122 teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, allowing an average of 188.8 yards per game rushing.

"We've got to go back to basics," Coleman said. "We've got some tendencies that we've got to overcome. Having this week off gives us an opportunity. We get an opportunity to go back and look at film and really scout ourselves."



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In Record-Breaking Night, NCA&T Aggies Defeat NSU Spartans

GREENBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T head coach Rod Broadway has a simple message for fans of Aggies football. Please don’t take watching a player like Tarik Cohen for granted. Players like him don’t come around often.

In front of 13,005 fans watching at Aggie Stadium and thousands more watching live on ESPNU Thursday night, Cohen put more erase marks into record books, while also leading the 18th-ranked N.C. A&T Aggies to a 35-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win over Norfolk State at Aggie Stadium.

Cohen rushed for 200 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. In the process, he became the MEAC’s all-time leading rusher, breaking the record of Will Ford who played for South Carolina State from 2006-09. He broke the record on a 62-yard touchdown run 63 seconds into the fourth quarter. He was 23 yards shy of Ford’s mark before the long run.



Cohen’s fourth-quarter touchdown also gave him 200 yards for the night, giving him a school-record sixth 200-yard rushing performance, breaking Maurice Hicks’ mark of five. N.C. A&T’s all-purpose yardage record also came tumbling down. After adding 19 yards receiving to his totals, Cohen ended the night with 5,489 career all-purpose yards, topping the old mark held by former Aggies punt returner, kick returner and wide receiver Herbert Harbison (5,383).

“I don’t know what else to say about this guy,” said Broadway. “All of you guys need to sit back and appreciate greatness because you don’t get to see it a lot. This kid is something. To see him break all these records and do all these things is amazing. He’s a special person, and I’m glad he’s on our football team.”

As he heads toward his fourth 1,000-yard season, Cohen credited the offensive line of his freshman season for helping him break the conference rushing record. The biggest hurdle to breaking records according to Cohen, the 2013 MEAC Rookie of the Year, is having a big year as a freshman. The 2013 offensive made it a point of emphasis to get him to 1,000 yards which is why he is so fond of them.

Cohen knew he was close to breaking the MEAC mark going into the game.



“It was in the back of mind,” said Cohen. “Once I started to get near it, and we were at a comfortable lead, I started pressing. I was a little mad and frustrated that I wasn’t there yet. But when I broke the last one, it was like a relief and a weight taken off me.”

There was more than one record breaker at N.C. A&T Thursday night. Senior wide receiver Denzel Keyes also went into the Aggies record book. With 4:37 remaining in the third quarter, he caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Oluwafemi Bamiro for his 20th career touchdown reception, breaking Craig Thompson’s old mark of 19.

But more importantly for the N.C. A&T team, they were able to improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the MEAC as they shutout an opponent at home for the second time this season. It was the Aggies first shutout of Norfolk State since beating the Spartans 43-0 in 2001. The Spartans (1-5, 0-3 MEAC) have now gone 13 straight quarters without scoring a touchdown against N.C. A&T. The Aggies held the Spartans to 26 yards rushing and 137 yards of total offense.

Before the records started falling, the Aggies held a 14-0 halftime lead thanks to two second-quarter touchdowns. A 4-yard touchdown run by redshirt sophomore quarterback Lamar Raynard was the first score of the night, followed by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Raynard to freshman Elijah Bell. Keyes then went into the record books with his TD reception which was set up by a 44-yard Cohen run that propelled Cohen to the top of the Aggies all-purpose yards list.

Cohen, who had 204 second-half yards last week against Hampton, had 134 second-half yards on Thursday. His 62-yard sprint gave the Aggies a 28-0. N.C. A&T closed out the scoring with Aggies redshirt freshman Jalon Bethea blocking a Bo Lomax punt and Darryl Johnson, Jr., recovering it in the end zone.

“When we have players like this it makes my job a lot easier,” said Broadway who improved to 42-20 as the Aggies head coach. “The key for us is to continue to get better and continue to win. I’m proud of my guys, the way they perform and the way they continue to win. Let’s keep this thing rolling.”

The Aggies travel to Daytona Beach, Fla., next week for another televised Thursday night game on ESPNU as N.C. A&T will face Bethune-Cookman at 7:30 p.m.

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Tuskegee vaults into top 10 in AFCA poll

Waco, Texas (October 3, 2016) | The sixth installment of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll looks a little different in the top 10 then it did one week ago, as several teams fell over the weekend and allowed the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University to jump into the top 10 this week.

Tuskegee (5-0) used a 21-point fourth quarter comeback to defeat then-21st ranked UNC Pembroke 21-16 last Saturday to move up three spots in this week's poll, and took advantage of several losses by ranked teams last week. 


Then-third ranked West Georgia was beaten by North Alabama, dropping the Wolves to 12th-ranked and raising the Lions to 11th this week. Ashland (Ohio) had the biggest drop, falling from fifth to 17th after its loss to Tiffin (Ohio), 35-32, while California (Pa.) had the biggest jump, going from 24th to 15th after its 52-26 win over then-ninth ranked Slippery Rock (Pa.).

The Golden Tigers earned 528 votes this week, over 100 more than last week, and remain the only SIAC-member school receiving votes in the poll.

The only teams not changing places in the top 10 were Northwest Missouri State (one) and Grand Valley State (two), while the remainder of the top 10 includes Shepherd, Texas A&M-Commerce, Henderson State, Indiana (Pa.), Midwestern State, Tuskegee, Sioux Falls and Azusa Pacific.

There will be another shake-up in the poll next week with six top 25 matchups in store. The biggest game is a top 10 battle as No. 7 Midwestern State (Texas) travels to No. 4 Texas A&M-Commerce with first place in the Lone Star Conference on the line. Other teams ahead of Tuskegee that will be playing a ranked team this week include Grand Valley State against 14th-ranked Ferris State, Henderson State against 16th-ranked Harding, and Indiana (Pa.) traveling to 15th-ranked California (Pa.).

Tuskegee is one of five teams from the region ranked in this week's edition of the AFCA poll, and are the highest ranked team of anyone in the region. The Golden Tigers are joined by 11th-ranked North Alabama, 12th-ranked West Georgia, 23rd-ranked Florida Tech, 24th-ranked UNC Pembroke and 25th-ranked Valdosta State.

The Golden Tigers travel to Columbus (Ga.) to face Morehouse College in the 81st annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic at AJ McClung Stadium on Saturday. The game kicks off at 2 pm (est) and can been seen on ASPiRE TV, and can also be heard on the Tuskegee Digital Network.

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

Alcorn State's Moore, Gardner making most of drop to SWAC

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State wide receiver Collins Moore prays before each practice, thanking God for the opportunity to play football after battling major injuries throughout his career.

He may no longer be playing at Ole Miss — where he spent five seasons before receiving a sixth year of eligibility — because of his extensive injury history and transferring to Alcorn State. But Moore is happy to play the sport he loves even though he’s no longer on a team that has an indoor practice facility or issues plenty of Nike-provided gear.



“It just shows you need to appreciate the things that you do have,” Moore said. “We’re fortunate to have 2 ½ really good practice fields. It’s just outside. We have everything that the bigger schools have. It doesn’t make too much of a difference to me.”

Moore is one of three Braves who have transferred from a Power 5 program, joining right tackle Timothy Gardner (Indiana) and wide receiver Jaborian McKenzie (Vanderbilt). McKenzie leads the team with 21 catches for 314 yards, while Moore has four receptions for 46 yards and has returned punts. Gardner has been the team's starting right tackle while battling a foot injury.

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S.C. State football moves Bethune-Cookman game to Nov. 26

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- After four weeks where they couldn’t catch a break or catch their breath, the South Carolina State football team will now have a second consecutive Saturday without a game.

The S.C. State home football game with Bethune-Cookman, originally scheduled for this Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26.

Officials from both schools and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference made the decision based on the threat of Hurricane Matthew, which is projected to impact South Carolina with heavy winds and rain this weekend.

The Bulldogs (1-3 record) are coming off their bye week and haven’t played a game since taking a 48-14 win in their MEAC opener in Tallahassee, Fla. against Florida A&M on Sept. 24. That win came after three straight weeks of road losses against FBS opponents Central Florida, Louisiana Tech and Clemson.

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