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TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- After Albany State backed out, Tuskegee has found a 10th game to qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Virginia State coach Reggie Barlow confirmed that his Trojans (8-2) will play the No. 14-ranked Golden Tigers (8-1) Saturday after Albany State (5-2) decided not to play Tuskegee two days after the game was announced.
"I'm so grateful for administration that believe in me and trust me and they said it was my decision," said the Montgomery native who coached against Tuskegee as head coach at Alabama State. Tuskegee beat ASU, 27-25, with Barlow as coach the last time the two teams played in 2012 in the first game at ASU Stadium.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State coach Tony Hughes was still getting over the disappointment from Saturday's 14-7 loss to Alabama State, but seemed upbeat when he addressed the media at his regular Monday press conference.
Hughes called Saturday's loss to Alabama State "frustrating and heartbreaking" for his team.
"Our guys played hard, gave great effort," Hughes said. "The game turned into a defensive struggle, a slug-fest. Bottom line is we weren't able to make a play in a crucial situation that would have given us the victory. Give them credit, they made two more plays than we did."
The Tigers fell to 3-6 overall and, more importantly, 3-4 in the SWAC. But thanks to losses by Alcorn State and Alabama A&M, Hughes' team finds themselves still tied with Alcorn for first in the SWAC Eastern division.
A win over Alabama A&M this Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium would set up a showdown with Alcorn State in Lorman the following weekend with the division title on the line.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A strange thing happened against Texas Southern last Saturday — Southern defensive back Danny Johnson was beat for a long pass completion.
Johnson was running stride-for-stride with TSU’s Malik Webb, but Averion Hurts threw a perfect ball and Webb hauled it in for 45 yards.
“No receiver should be catching a deep ball on him,” said linebacker Roshaud Turner. “If a receiver does happen to catch a deep ball, he’ll definitely turn it up and lock in.”
That’s only the second time that’s happened this season. Johnson was also beaten by 6-foot-6 Alabama A&M receiver Jonathan Dorsey for a 39-yard score on a jump ball. Other than that, he’s kept everything in front of him.
“It happens to the best,” Johnson said after the TSU game. “I just feel like I’ve got to come back and make the play. I came back on the same side with the same guy, it’s my turn to make the play. He had his chance, it’s my turn to seize the moment.”
GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Banking deposits and purple unicorns were talking points at Grambling during the past few weeks.
With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few weeks, it was time for food, and more specifically gumbo, to enter the discussion.
During the course of the season, Grambling's football team started with a base, or a roux, added protein and vegetables on the way and finished it off with some spices.
And boy is it tasting pretty good. Perhaps award-winning good.
"You're talking about great Grambling football right now. We're all eating it," Grambling tight ends coach Robert Bailey said Monday. "Everybody has their coffee or their Coke to the side to help swallow it down, and I love how it tastes. Outstanding spice to it. I love it. You can't look at it no other way. That's how it's supposed to be. We're known for winning."
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Linebacker Deon King became the second former Norfolk State football player to play in a regular-season NFL game this season in the San Diego Chargers’ 43-35 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
King, who was signed to San Diego’s practice squad on Oct. 4, was promoted to the active roster for the first time on Saturday. He had one assisted tackle in the Chargers’ win, which improved their record to 4-5.
A three-time All-MEAC performer and last season’s NCAA Division I leader in total tackles, King originally signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in the spring. He led the Cowboys in tackles during the preseason but was released before San Diego acquired him.
Eight-year NFL veteran Don Carey, whose career at NSU concluded in 2008, has played in all nine games this season for the Detroit Lions. Carey has six tackles this season and is on the Pro Bowl ballot as a special teams player. CONTINUE READING
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Senior middle blocker Ginna Lopez-Chavez had a team-high 19 kills Sunday, as the FAMU Volleyball team closed the regular season with a 3-1 MEAC victory over visiting North Carolina A&T at the Al Lawson Center.
Sunday's win was the 12th straight match victory for FAMU (15-11, 10-0 MEAC) this season, locking down their first MEAC Southern Division title since 2014.
Lopez-Chavez added four blocks to her 19 kills, while freshman Nicole Abreu added nine kills and 11 digs, and freshman Radka Dimitrova had seven kills.
Freshman Maria Yvette Garcia had six kills, seven digs and three blocks, while freshman Elena Dimitrova finished with 39 assists.
Samara Brown led the Aggies (9-13, 6-3 MEAC) with 15 kills in Sunday's match.
NOTES: Lopez-Chavez was one of three seniors honored by FAMU following Sunday's matching during Senior Day Ceremonies. Also honored were middle blocker Dei'Ja Martin and outside hitter Starmichael Tucker.
@ FAMU Blanks NCCU Friday
On Friday, FAMU extended their winning streak, and clinched the MEAC Southern Division title outright with a 3-0 win over visiting North Carolina Central Friday at the Lawson Center.
FAMU clinched their first Southern Division title since 2014 with the straight set win, which was the team's 11th consecutive match victory.
Freshman Maria Yvette Garcia led all players with 16 kills for FAMU, followed by Radka Dimitrova with nine kills and Nicole Abreu with seven.
Elena Dimitrova finished with 37 assists, while Valentina Carrasco added 14 digs.
Kelsey Murphy led NCCU (5-15, 4-4 MEAC) with 11 kills and 10 digs Friday evening.
Friday's win means FAMU will go into the 2016 MEAC Volleyball Tournament, Nov. 18-20 at Princess Anne, Md., as the Southern Division's #1 seed.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Rattlers will now chase the MEAC title, whic
h has eluded them since 2009, even though FAMU reached the finals three since that season.
Between his passing and running, Bell is the offensive engine leading the league in total offense
DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University has quietly put together an impressive season. The Eagles (7-2 overall, 6-0 MEAC) have been able to soar behind the play of their brilliant quarterback Malcolm Bell, who guided North Carolina Central to a 38-19 victory over Delaware State University on Saturday.
Bell connected on 17 of 31 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His efforts against the Hornets have moved him into fourth place on the Eagles’ career passing list with 5,693 yards, surpassing Brad Adams, who finished his playing days at North Carolina Central with 5,687 yards.
He had a big day against Delaware State throwing to wide receiver LaVontis Smith, who had four receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Smith, North Carolina Central’s leading receiver, has been steady all season with 32 receptions for 505 yards and five touchdowns.
WASHINGTON, D.C. --The Bowie State University men's basketball team gave Division I George Washington University and real run on Saturday afternoon, edging the Bulldogs 86-80 in exhibition play at the Charles E. Smith Center.
Bowie State's Bulldogs had five players score in double figures with senior Enuoma Ebinum (Greenbelt, Md.) scoring a game-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds. Junior Omari (Baltimore, Md.) and senior transfer Brian Kelley (Lanham, Md.) contributed 14 and 13 points respectively. Juniors Ahmaad Wilson (Baltimore, Md.) and Dayshawn Wells (Baltimore, Md.) chipped in 12 and 11 points in the contest. Redshirt freshman David Belle (Hyattsville, Md.) chipped in eight points off the bench and senior Michael Briscoe (Waldorf, Md.) rounded out the BSU scorers with two points.
The Colonials had four players score in double figures with Yuta Watanabe pacing George Washington with 19 points while Tyler Cavanaugh added a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds. Collin Smith fell just shy of a double-double recording 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Patrick Smith scored 12 points in the win.
The game was won at the free throw line with George Washington holding a very one-sided advantage over Bowie State. The Colonials made 29-of-46 from the charity stripe compared to just 4-of-6 for the Bulldogs. George Washington also controlled the glass with a 50-32 advantage.
Bowie State finished the game shooting 51 percent from the field (35-of-69), which included 6-of-12 behind the arc. On the other side of the stat sheet, George Washington made 26-of-63 from the field (41 percent) and 5-of-15 (33 percent) behind the three point line.
Bowie State will now prepare for its season opener next Friday (Nov. 11th) versus West Virginia Wesleyan in the nightcap of the Joe Retton Classic hosted by Fairmont State (W.Va.) University.
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – As bad as Saturday’s 14-7 loss to Alabama State was, Jackson State coaches and players still believe they are close to being one of the best teams in the SWAC.
The Tigers (3-6, 3-4 SWAC) remained tied for first in the East despite the loss thanks to losses by Alcorn State and Alabama A&M.
The most frustrating part of Saturday’s loss was that the Tigers rolled up enough offensive yards (295) to go up-and-down the field three times but walked away with just one touchdown.
After watching a 7-0 lead turn into a 14-7 deficit, the JSU offense had one prime opportunity to tie the game. Jarin Morikawa’s 23-yard pass to Benjy Parrish set the Tigers up with a first-and-10 at the Alabama State 12-yard line.
Morikawa tried to hit Romello Shumake on first down but was hurried and threw it out of reach. He connected with Jairus Moll for 5 yards to the ASU 7 on second down but led Shaquil Ward by two steps too many on third down.
After an Alabama State timeout, Hornets defensive back Ronnie Scott broke up Morikawa’s fourth-down pass that was intended for DeSean McKenzie. CONTINUE READING
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A week ago, Southern women’s basketball coach Sandy Pugh thought she had an answer at the point guard position.
Now, she’s not so sure.
Pugh has until the Jaguars’ season opener against Spring Hill on Friday to figure out a plan for which of the four possible options will start at point guard or she’s stuck playing the position by committee for the second straight year.
But she’s waiting for one of her players to have that “Aha moment” where they put it all together and becomes the player Southern needs her to be.
It’s a moment Pugh thought she saw several times this offseason, but inevitably, the bright light slowly dims back into the cluster.
“One day they’re playing and then the next day they’re back down here,” Pugh said gesturing a low level. “If they’re going to help us win and we’re going to be successful in the preseason and the SWAC season, then I have to have consistency. I have to have a consistent level of play from Cortnei (Purnell), Briana (Green) and that point guard position. CONTINUE READING
DENVER, Colorado -- The Chicago State men's basketball team was selected eighth in the Western Athletic Conference coaches and media polls released earlier today before the league's media day. New Mexico State was selected to capture the league title in both polls as it earned seven first-place votes from the coaches and 13 first-place votes from the media. Grand Canyon was picked second in the coaches poll followed by CSU Bakersfield in third and Utah Valley in fourth. UMKC and Seattle U were picked in a tie for fifth with UT Rio Grande Valley in seventh. In the media poll, GCU placed second with CSUB taking third, Seattle getting fourth and Utah Valley finishing fifth. UMKC was selected sixth and UTRGV placed seventh.
The WAC's Preseason Player of the Year award was given to Grand Canyon's redshirt junior guard Joshua Braun. The Green and White open their season schedule on Nov. 12 at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center against NCAA Division III member Illinois Tech in their homecoming game. Season tickets are currently on sale through www.gocsucougars.com. Patrons can also contact CSU Athletics for ticket information by phone at (773) 995-3742 or by email at gocsutix@csu.edu. 2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll Rank, Teams (1st-Place Votes), Points 1. New Mexico State (4), 45 2. Grand Canyon (3), 44 3. CSU Bakersfield (1), 38 4. Utah Valley, 27 T-5. Seattle U, 25 T-5. UMKC, 25 7. UT Rio Grande Valley, 13 8. Chicago State, 7 2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' All-WAC Teams First Team Ian Baker, NM State Dedrick Basile, CSU Bakersfield Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon Martez Harrison, UMKC Brendan Westendorf, Seattle U Second Team LaVell Boyd, UMKC Antonio Green, UT Rio Grande Valley Zach Nelson, Utah Valley William Powell, Seattle U DeWayne Russell, Grand Canyon Preseason Player of the Year: Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon 2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Media Poll Rank, Teams (1st-Place Votes),Points 1. NM State (9), 167 2. Grand Canyon (8), 165 3. CSU Bakersfield (2), 147 4. Seattle U (1), 108 5. Utah Valley (2), 100 6. UMKC (2), 96 7. UT Rio Grande Valley, 56 8. Chicago State, 25 2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Media All-WAC Teams First Team Ian Baker, NM State Dedrick Basile, CSU Bakersfield Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon Martez Harrison, UMKC Brendan Westendorf, Seattle U Second Team Jaylin Airington, CSU Bakersfield Antonio Green, UT Rio Grande Valley Dan Kimasa, UT Rio Grande Valley Zach Nelson, Utah Valley William Powell, Seattle U Preseason Player of the Year: Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The crispness of the fall air, the orange hues that overtake the treetops, and the squeak of basketball sneakers in gymnasiums across the country. These are just some of the telltale signs that basketball is back. More importantly, the annual countdown to March Madness can begin anew.
As much fun as Midnight Madness can be, the culmination of a long offseason is the tipoff of a team's first game.
With the start of the 2016-17 season quickly approaching, NCAA.com is cracking the books and breaking things down in each of college basketball's 32 conferences.
Here's a look at the Ohio Valley Conference.
Recap:
The race in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) a year ago saw six of the eight teams enter the conference tournament with at least 10 wins in conference.
In other words, parity was on full display in the OVC.
In years past Belmont and Murray State have been the pacesetters in their respective divisions, finishing in the top spot in three of the last four seasons. But UT-Martin had something to say about that trend last year, edging out the Racers of Murray State for the regular season crown in the OVC's West Division. CONTINUE READING
HOUSTON, Texas -- The crispness of the fall air, the orange hues that overtake the treetops, and the squeak of basketball sneakers in gymnasiums across the country.
These are just some of the telltale signs that basketball is back. More importantly, the annual countdown to March Madness can begin anew.
As much fun as Midnight Madness can be, the culmination of a long offseason is the tipoff of a team's first game. With the start of the 2016-17 season quickly approaching, NCAA.com is cracking the books and breaking things down in each of college basketball's 32 conferences.
Let’s continue on with a look at the Southwest Athletic Conference.
Recap
The 2015-16 SWAC belonged to Texas Southern throughout the regular season, but as happens all too often in small conferences, the Tigers fell short of their one way to get to the Big Dance: winning the conference tournament.
After going 16-2 in regular-season conference play, Texas Southern was upended by Southern in the conference semifinals. That ended the NCAA tournament hopes of the regular-season champs, who had a very strange year after starting 1-11 in non-conference action before winning 17 of their next 19.
After taking down the Tigers, fourth-seeded Southern moved on to the SWAC Championship Game, where it met No. 3 seed Jackson State. That battle was a very entertaining one, with Jaguars guard Adrian Rodgers hitting a jumper with 17 seconds left to lift Southern to a 54-53 win and trip to the NCAA tournament.
NEW ORLEANS — Freshman Russell Harrison opened his college career with 15 points to lead hot-shooting Wayland Baptist in an 83-68 men's basketball victory Friday against NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana.
Wayland Baptist (1-0) shot 50 percent from the floor and made 12 3-pointers in 25 attempts. The Pioneers shot 59.3 percent from the floor in the second half.
Harrison made three 3-pointers, and four teammates made two treys apiece. Maurice Redmond scored 14 points, Louis Timms had 13 and Marshall Nelson and Joshua Throns added 10 apiece for the Pioneers. Timms grabbed 11 rebounds and had six blocks and three steals.
Seth Jackson led the Gold Rush (1-1) with 19 points and five rebounds. Jalen David scored 16 points, and Leland Alexander and Lucas Martin-Julien scored eight apiece. Wayland Baptist took the lead for good in the second minute and led 36-28 at halftime. A Timms 3-point play with 9:38 remaining gave the Pioneers their biggest lead, 64-44. Both teams qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship last season. XULA will play host to NAIA No. 5 LSU-Alexandria at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Convocation Center. LSUA will be the first of two top-10 opponents for the Gold Rush next week. BOX SCORE
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball won at home for the second consecutive day, this time in a 76-52 decision against Webber International. Fourteen players scored for the Gold Nuggets (2-0), but only Terriel Ross (11 points) reached double figures. Kelsey Joseph and Gina Smith scored nine points apiece, and Jalyn Hodge had seven. Joseph, a senior guard, matched her career scoring high. XULA outscored the Warriors (0-4) in every quarter, including 28-15 in the second to take a 44-27 halftime lead. The Gold Nuggets twice led by 25 points, the second time after Hodge's 3-pointer with 5:26 remaining. Amber Ferguson led Webber International with 18 points and seven rebounds, and teammate Tiffany Zito had eight points and 10 rebounds. XULA made only three of its final 18 field-goal attempts but still outshot the Warriors 34.8 to 31.7 percent from the floor for the game. The Gold Nuggets were plus-14 in turnovers, made 25-of-29 free throws — they were 9-of-20 the day before — and produced 24 steals, their most in a game since January 2013. XULA freshman point guard Maya Trench collected five steals for the second consecutive game.Aliyah Bell had four steals, and Ireyon Keith had three. XULA opened its 2015-16 season with a 47-42 victory at Webber. The Gold Nuggets' next five games will be against teams 26th or higher in the NAIA Division I preseason coaches rankings. XULA will play No. 3 Our Lady of the Lake at 5 p.m. Friday in the LSUS Classic at Shreveport, La. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 15 against city rival Loyola, which is ranked 24th. BOX SCORE
CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee -- Freshman Steven Newbold caught his second touchdown of the game with 1.7 seconds left and Lane Clark kicked the extra point to give the Tennessee State football team a 41-40 road win over Austin Peay at Fortera Stadium on Saturday night.
A six-play, 81-yard touchdown drive led by senior quarterback Ronald Butler turned out to be the difference for TSU, which improved to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play. On the final offensive play for the Tigers, Butler eluded the pass rush, stepped up in the pocket and delivered a 21-yard strike to Newbold in the corner of the endzone.
Butler turned in another strong performance with four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns to go with 342 yards of total offense.
On the other side of the ball, Antonio Justice, Jr. led the Tigers’ defense with nine tackles, 1.5 for a loss and one sack.
Austin Peay used a double lateral which gained 42 yards to move to the TSU 24. The Governors needed six more plays to enter the end zone as they scored on the first drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead. This marked the first lead the Govs have held in a game since week one of the season.
The Tigers responded with touchdowns on three consecutive drives to take a 20-9 advantage. Ronald Butler found Steven Newbold at the nine yard line and the freshman did the rest avoiding three governor defenders before crossing the goal line for the Tigers first score. APSU earned two points as the snap on the extra point attempt slipped through the hands of holder Austin Rowley. The Governors picked up the ball and used a lateral to return the other way to make the score 9-6.
The Tigers needed just two plays on their next drive to hit pay dirt. Butler opened the series with a 12 yard run moving to the APSU 27. Butler dropped back on the next play and found Mahlon Medley across the middle for the sophomore tight ends first career touchdown. The score gave the Tigers their forst lead of the game at 13-9.
The Tigers put together their longest drive on the next possession. TSU used nine plays to travel 92 yards for the final TSU score of the first half. Earl Harrison, in his first action in three games, broke through the middle of the line for a 43 yard run to the APSU 49 on the first play. The Big Blue offense continued the drive by converting on a 3rd-and-18 as Butler found Chris Rowland streaking down the middle of the defense for a 25 yard reception.
Three plays later the Tigers were in another third and long, only to see Butler connecting on a 17 yard pass play to Mazio Rhodes for another first down. On the very next play, Butler scampered for the first of his two rushing touchdowns as he went 13 yards untouched. The score extended the TSU lead to 20-9.
Austin Peay charged back with 10 unanswered points to cut the TSU lead to one at 20-19 as the two teams entered the locker room.
The second half began with Erick Evans carrying on back-to-back plays of seven and 19 yards as the Tigers crossed into Governors territory. Butler teamed with Patrick Smith for the only time in the game on a 39 yard strike, making the score, 27-19. Smith scored his 11th touchdown of the season and the 21st of his two-year career.
Butler continued his six touchdown night with the longest run in his career. The senior quarterback opted to keep the ball and broke around the right side of the line and outran the defense 84 yards. The scoring play gave TSU its largest lead of the game, 34-19.
The Governors came storming back with 21 straight points, taking a 40-34 lead with 1:05 remaining, setting up the Tigers final drive.
Newbold finished the game with four receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns. The true freshman now has five scoring catches on the season.
Next up for TSU is a home game versus Tennessee Tech on Nov. 12 at Hale Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. and the game will serve as Senior Day for the Tigers.
GAME NOTES: TSU captains were Ebo Ogundeko, Thomas Burton, Chris Collins and Ronald Butler… TSU won the coin toss and chose to kick off to start the game… Opening kickoff was at 3:59 p.m. … Official attendance was 6,041… TSU leads the all-time series with Austin Peay, 13-6… TSU is 2-0 in Sergeant York Trophy games this season… Freshman Steven Newbold picked up his first multi-touchdown game… Redshirt junior Patrick Smith registered his 21st career touchdown reception… Sophomore tight end Mahlon Medley caught his first career touchdown… Ronald Butler’s 84 yard touchdown rush was the longest of his career. Butler rushed for a career-high 130 rushing yards… Austin Rowley recorded a season-long 53 yard punt in the third quarter. His previous best this season was a 49 yarder… Saturday’s victory was the first for TSU in a road Ohio Valley Conference game since Nov. 22, 2014 at Murray State.
Quarterback Ronald Butler
“Only God. He brought me through it and only He can bring you through it in every aspect of the way. All I can say is, I love this team. We fought together and stuck together.”
- On the feeling of winning
“I knew that we had to take care of the ball. We’ve still got a lot of guys outside who can make plays. The way their defense set up, I saw pre-snap reads that we could make plays. Those guys did a great job. On the last play, give credit to Steven Newbold just making a play.”
- On the last drive
Wide Receiver Steven Newbold
“Honestly, the confidence is always there. We know the offense has a lot of talent. On the final drive, we just executed. The coaches made some good calls on the final drive, and everything came together.”
- On the confidence of the offense with the game on the line
“On the last play, all credit to Ronald Butler. He made a good play and put it up there for me to go up and get it.”
- On the last play
Defensive End Ebo Ogundeko
“It’s just us growing up as a team. We did it together as a family and us playing our roles as a family. We continued to focus on what we had to do. Coach Reed talks about it all the time, and it starts the beginning of the week until game day.”
- On getting back to winning
“After Austin Peay’s last drive, Steven (Newbold) said ‘Ebo, big bro, I’ve got you.’ I didn’t really take it into consideration about what he said until after he scored the touchdown. We didn’t have much time on the clock, but I had a lot of confidence in our offense. That was just unbelievable.”
- On the offense’s last drive
Defensive End Dell Porter
“For us, we’re getting back on track. We hate to lose, but we love to win. We’re getting back on track and we’re winning. We just have to make it consistent and keep doing it.”
- On getting back to winning
“To be honest, with all my heart, I have all the confidence in the world that our offense is going to do what they have to do. I haven’t seen an offensive player give up yet this season, so I feel 100 percent sure that Butler and the wide receivers and the offensive line would do great.”
- On the play of the offense
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2016 OVC
Tennessee State 41, Austin Peay 40 MEAC
Bethune Cookman 41, Morgan State 10
North Carolina A&T 30, South Carolina State 20
North Carolina Central 38, Delaware State 19
Savannah State 31, Norfolk State 14
SWAC
Mississippi Valley State 41, Arkansas Pine Bluff 7
Alabama State 14, Jackson State 7
Grambling State 56, Alabama A&M 17
Southern 26, Texas Southern 10
Prairie View A&M 31, Alcorn State 27
OTHER HBCUs
West Virginia State 52, Concord 45
William Jewell 48, Lincoln (Mo.) 17
Kutztown 32, Cheyney 6
Warner 42, Edward Waters 21
Langston 40, Lyon 12
Southwest Assemblies of God 57, Texas College 39
SIAC
Tuskegee 13, Miles 10
Fort Valley State 21, Albany State 17
Kennesaw State 56, Clark Atlanta 0
Southwest Baptist 54, Central State 34
Benedict 39, Kentucky State 35
Morehouse 24, Lane 21
CIAA
Winston-Salem State 28, Fayetteville State 21
Bowie State 56, Elizabeth City State 7
Johnson C. Smith 30, Livingstone 8
Shaw 35, Saint Augustine's 32
Chowan 73, Lincoln (Pa.) 0
Virginia State 48, Virginia Union 21
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State had to put the crushing loss in last week’s Magic City Classic behind it as a conference title contender came to ASU Stadium on Saturday.
The Hornets defense bounced back with a vengeance.
Alabama State freshman linebacker Darron Johnson and senior linebacker Kourtney Berry each had nine tackles as the Hornets defeated Jackson State 14-7 in a game where the defenses ruled the day.
The Hornets (3-6, 3-5 SWAC) held the Tigers to just 294 total yards with just 60 coming on the ground.
Defensive lineman Roderick “Ghost” Henderson had seven tackles and two tackles for loss. Defensive back Ronnie Scott broke up a pass with 5:16 left on fourth down to seal the victory.
“It feels great to win a game like this,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to continue to finish strong, and that’s what we focused on this week.”
PINE BLUFF, Arkansas --There were a lot of firsts at Golden Lions Stadium on Saturday.
Unfortunately for UAPB, none of them were good.
Mississippi Valley State picked up its first victory of the season with a 41-7 rout over UAPB in front of an announced crowd of 1,347.
It was the first time the Golden Lions (1-8, 1-6 SWAC) have lost to Mississippi Valley State (1-8, 1-6) under UAPB Coach Monte Coleman. It was also the first time that a Delta Devils quarterback threw for three touchdowns this season. Against the Golden Lions, Mississippi Valley State actually had two quarterbacks accomplish that feat.
Sophomore Slade Jarman, who was getting his first start of the season, was 17-of-23 passing for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior Austin Bray, who had started the previous eight games, was 6-of-6 passing for 96 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Jarman threw two first-half touchdowns, both to receiver Booker Chambers. He connected with Chambers from 9 yards out with 8:15 left in the first quarter and then again on a 26-yard post route with 13:24 left in the second quarter.
A Delta Devils team that came into Pine Bluff averaging just 10.1 yards rushing per game managed to run all over UAPB. Mississippi Valley State carried the ball 14 times for 40 yards in the first quarter.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Just as quickly as the door opened, Southern’s defense slammed it shut.
Saturday was an off night for the Jaguars offense as they tried to gain traction against Texas Southern, but their defense took advantage of the opportunity to step up.
The Tigers picked up their only touchdown on an interception return, and Southern’s defense nearly picked up a shutout. The Jaguars gave their offense all the time it needed to find its footing in a 26-10 win at A.W. Mumford Stadium.
“If you can keep people out of the end zone, you‘ve got a chance to win football games,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “We gave up some yards, but overall we did a good job of limiting them on third down. Texas Southern made some plays, but we had timely turnovers.”
Two of those turnovers came after Texas Southern drove inside the SU 20-yard line. Tre’Veon Epps made a diving interception to turn back a second-quarter TSU drive. In the third quarter, Danny Johnson stepped in front of TSU’s Malik Webb to stop another drive.
Texas Southern’s lone offensive points came in the third quarter after the Tigers had first-and-goal at the SU 7. TSU went backward and eventually settled for Eric Medina’s 32-yard field goal.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Uncharacteristically poor focus and execution on offense wasn’t enough to keep Southern from winning its sixth straight game.
Southern finished with 496 yards of offense but spent large chunks of the game looking out of sorts on offense. The Jaguars required the defense to rise to the occasion and the offense to come through in the clutch to pull off a 26-10 win against Texas Southern at A.W. Mumford Stadium.
“I thought in the second half, we played a lot better, inspired, made some plays,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “Defensively, we gave ourselves a chance to win. Offensively, we did enough to win a football game.”
Southern’s lead was four points when the fourth quarter started, but it quickly swelled back into double digits after a short field goal that was followed by a Roshaud Turner interception on TSU’s next play from scrimmage. That turnover set up the Jaguars (6-2, 6-0 SWAC) at the TSU 27-yard line.
Southern then called five consecutive run plays for Lenard Tillery, who finished with his fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing day. Tillery fumbled his last carry of the drive away, but it was recovered in the end zone by freshman guard Jerimiah Abby to extend Southern’s lead to 23-10.
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- For a moment Saturday, football was fun for the Morgan State fans. When the Bears' Will King raced 88 yards with the second-half kickoff at Hughes Stadium, folks looked up from their smart phones and cheered. A minute later, quarterback Chris Andrews scrambled 17 yards for a score and Morgan State crept to within 20-10 of Bethune-Cookman, the four-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion.
End of rally. Bethune-Cookman scored three more touchdowns to win, 41-10.
It was the fourth straight defeat for the Bears (2-6, 2-4 MEAC), who found yet more ways to lose. Two ugly punts that went a total of 33 yards. Three face-mask penalties. A total of 32 yards rushing, most of that near the end when all was lost. For the day, Morgan State averaged 1.1 yards per carry. The reason, in part, was because the Bears changed their offensive line coach at midseason, players said.
"We're putting in new schemes and simplifying the offense to make plays and get wins," guard Matthew Thompson (Perry Hall) said. "Offensively, we have good chemistry — we've just got to keep pounding the ball. There's light at the end of this tunnel; we're always one block away from breaking a big run." CONTINUE READING
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Home games for the Prairie View A&M University football team in 2016 are not for the faint-of-heart Panther fan.
Slow starts have led to exciting finishes. Weather delays, blood pressure medicines, defibrillators, energy beverages, virtual seat belts, and rollercoaster rides have all been a part of this year's fan experience at Panther football on The Hill.
However, with three games played at the new Panther Stadium, PVAMU football remains unbeaten, and, after Saturday's 31-27 come-from-behind win over two-time defending SWAC Champion Alcorn State, the Panthers (6-3 overall, 6-1 SWAC) remain in the hunt for the SWAC Championship Game or FCS playoff berth.
"I think we like giving our fans close games at home, but I'm proud of the guys," Panther head football coach Willie Simmons said. "I'm proud of the way they fought and responded, being down again early, never quitting. These guys have the heart of a champion. I'm happy to see them respond to adversity in good ways and see them continue to fight and plug through."
QB Jalen Morton accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two running), and Sta'Fon McCray and Caleb Broach combined to rush for 141 yards as Prairie View A&M defeated the Braves (3-5 overall, 3-4 SWAC) for the second straight season.
"I've got to tip my hat to Alcorn State," Simmons said. "That's a first class organization. It's a reason why they are the two-time defending champs. I know a lot of those guys there, a lot of those coaches. They run a fine program. We knew it was going to be a 60-minute ball game. We're happy to be able to do enough in all three phases."
Prairie View A&M trailed 14-0 late in the first half before getting on the board twice in the final minute of the first half. McCray's 6-yard scoring pass from Morton with 32 seconds to play cut the Panthers' deficit in half. On the ensuing kickoff, Alcorn State failed to cover and Arthur Lockett recovered at the Alcorn 15. Armaury Martinez' 32-yard field goal on the last play of the half cut the PVAMU deficit to 14-10.
The Panthers scored on their third straight possession to open the third quarter. The five-play, 64-yard drive ended with Morton's 13-yard touchdown run to put Prairie View A&M in front for the first time, 17-14 with just over 13 minutes to play in the third quarter.
After the Braves regained the lead, the Panthers scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions. Morton eluded defenders and fired a 44-yard pass to Darius Floyd in the end zone, who made a diving catch to put the Panthers ahead to stay, 24-21, with just over four minutes to play in the third quarter.
On the ensuing PVAMU possession, Morton led the Panthers on one of their most impressive drives of the season. Driving 85 yards in 13 plays, taking more than 6 ½ minutes off the clock, Christian Rousseau's eight-yard run on a fake field goal on fourth-and-three from the Alcorn State nine-yard line gave the Panthers a first down.
Morton's one-yard score on the next play gave the Panthers a 31-21 lead with just over 10 minutes to play in the game.
After Alcorn scored with under seven minutes to play, PVAMU's Treveon Billings blocked the PAT to give the Panthers the final margin. The defense sealed the deal, holding the Braves without a first down on the final two possessions.
The Panthers return to action next week in the final home game of the season against SWAC Western Division co-leader Southern at 1 p.m. (www.pvpanthers.com/tickets), again looking to stay in the hunt for the postseason.
"We keep finding ways to get it done," Simmons said. "Hopefully, we can figure out why we keep starting so slowly. I don't know if it's what we're eating, where we staying. I don't know, but we have to figure something out. We have a really good Southern team coming in right now that's undefeated in conference play. It'll be hard to start slow against that bunch, and be able to beat them. We have to come faster next week. Again, if we can continue to finish the way we're doing, I like our chances."
SAVANNAH, Georgia -- It was Senior Night on Saturday night at Savannah State’s T.A. Wright Stadium, but a freshman stole the show.
Freshman quarterback TJ Bell, in only his third start, threw three touchdown passes and ran for another to lead the surprising Tigers to an easy 31-14 victory over Norfolk State.
SSU (3-4, 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) won its second straight game and captured its third win of the season, the most for the school since 2008.
The 17-point margin of victory for the Tigers was their largest since beating Edward Waters by 21, 45-24, in 2009.
It snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Spartans and it was Savannah State’s first win over Norfolk since 2004.
“I’ve always been comfortable at quarterback,” said Bell, who played the entire game for the first time.
BOWIE, Maryland -- The objective of the day was simple ... Win! From the opening possession, that's exactly what Bowie State football did on Saturday afternoon, routing Elizabeth City State 56-7 to win the CIAA Northern Division title and punched their ticket to the CIAA Championship game. The 56 points were the second highest all-time for Bowie State versus Elizabeth City State and the highest point production of the year for the Bulldogs. Prior to the game, 13 Bowie State seniors were honored along with a special Senior Day presentation to ECSU senior Victor Tabbs (Suitland, Md.) who tragically loss his father a week ago which did not allow him to take park in Senior Day at the Vikings home finale. The Bulldogs amassed 657 yards of total offense with sophomores Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) and Robert Chesson (Annapolis, Md.) leading the attack. Hall passed for 296 yards, completing 18-of-27 passes and three touchdowns. Chesson carried the ball 17 times for a game and career-high 223 yards and scored two touchdowns. Seniors Nyme Manns and Jordan Garrison, both of Baltimore (Md.), were BSU's top receivers with 53 and 51 yards respectively. Bowie State's defense was led by redshirt freshman Oluwaleke Ajenifuja (Beltsville, Md.) and graduate student Kevaugn Townsend (Fort Washington, Md.) with seven tackles each. Graduate student Antoine Young (Washington, D.C.) tallied six tackles while senior Heleaince Gates (Philadelphia, Pa.) along with redshirt freshman Victor Mack (Odenton, Md.) recorded five tackles apiece in Senior Day. Elizabeth City State (5-5, 4-3 CIAA, 3-2 North) were led offensively by quarterback Daquan Neal (Franklinton, N.C.) with 202 passing yards, completing 16-of-36 (one interception). Neal scored ECSU's only touchdown of the afternoon on a 3-yard run early in the second quarter. Deshon Saunders (Suffolk, Va.) was the leading ground gainer for the Vikings with 79 yards on nine carries. James Roe (Richmond, Va.) and Montrez Brunson (Norfolk, Va.) caught three pass each for 65 and 21 yards respectively in the loss. The Vikings defense was paced by Jonathan Turnage (Greenville, N.C.) with a half dozen tackles and the Elizabeth City State trio of Malcolm Cherry (Lewiston, N.C.), Jaelen Williams (Raleigh, N.C.) and Caymen Battle (Miami, Fla.) contributed five tackles each. Bowie State opened the scoring on a Chesson 57-yard scamper just 45 seconds into the game. Freshman Gene Carson(Accokeek, Md.) added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead. A Hall 1-yard run around the left side gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead at the 9:47 mark of the first quarter. On ECSU's next possession, Bowie State blocked a Joshua Laverty (Edenton, N.C.) 30 yard field goal attempt and scooped up by sophomore Bryson McAdams (Odenton, Md.) for an 82-yard return for a touchdown to push the Bulldogs lead to 21-0. Bulldogs sophomore Maurice Williams (Baltimore, Md.) scored his fourth TD of the season at the 7:45 mark of the second quarter from five yards out and Chesson followed that with a four yard score a little over four minutes later to extend the Bowie State lead to 35-7 at the half. Hall and Chesson teamed up for an 8-yard pass, catch and score with 5:55 left in the third quarter. Graduate student Tony Squirewell (Upper Marlboro, Md.) recorded his first touchdown of the season when he hauled in a 48 yard pass from Hall with 2:46 remaining in the third to extend the Bowie State lead to 49-7. The Bulldogs closed out the scoring early in the fourth quarter on a Hall to sophomore Deron Smith (Bowie, Md.) from 55 yards away to account for the final 56-7 margin. Bowie State (7-3, 6-1 CIAA, 4-1 North) will face Winston-Salem State (8-2, 7-0 CIAA, 5-0 South) for the second consecutive season for the CIAA Championship next Saturday at 2 p.m. in Salem, Va.
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TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- After Albany State backed out, Tuskegee has found a 10th game to qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs.
