North Carolina A&T Aggies Go After First 4-0 Start In 24 Years

*No. 15/No. 21 North Carolina A&T (3-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Morgan State (0-3, 0-0 MEAC)
*FCS Coaches Poll/STATS Media Poll
Date: Sept. 23, 2017
Time: 7 p.m.
Facility: Hughes Stadium (10,000)
Series: MSU leads, 43-37-3
Radio: 1320 AM/93.7 FM WCOG; Play-by-play – Donal Ware, Analysts – Al Swann

OFFENSIVE STARTERS FROM LAST GAME: WR Elijah Bell (6-2, 221, So., Leads the nation in receiving TDs); LT Brandon Parker (6-7, 309, R-Sr., three-time reigning O-Lineman of the week in the MEAC); LG Joshua Mattocks (6-3, 331, R-Sr., entering his fourth season as a starter); C Darriel Mack (6-2, 293, R-Sr., held his own against the FBS Charlotte 49ers); RG Daquan Blake (6-1, 290, Jr., Third-team All-MEAC); RT Marcus Pettiford (6-3, 274, R-So., Returns after one-year layoff); WR Khris Gardin (5-7, 185, Sr., did not have a punt return last week); TE Leroy Hill (6-3, 249, R-Jr., All-MEAC tight end); QB Lamar Raynard (6-4, 200, R-Jr., had his third straight game over 200 yards passing); RB Marquell Cartwright (5-8, 201, R-Jr., scored twice against the 49ers); RB Jamari Smith (5-10, 203, Gr., led the Aggies with four receptions).

DEFENSIVE STARTERS FROM LAST GAME: DE Sam Blue (6-1, 247, R-Jr., second on the team in tackles loss (4));  NG Kadarius Kendrick (6-4, 277, R-So., has filled in nicely at the nose guard position); DT Justin Cate DE s (6-2, 275, Jr., had a career game at Charlotte, 3 sacks, 7 tackles and earned national acclaim); DE Darryl Johnson (6-5, 226, R-So., leads the team in TFL’s (4.5)); LB Julius Reynolds (5-9, 226, R-Jr., recorded seven tackles on Sat.); LB Kiaundric Richardson (6-0, 214, R-Jr., returned as a starter on Sat.); LB Marcus Albert (5-10, 205, R-Sr., led the Aggies with nine tackles, 1.5 for loss); ROV Jeremy Taylor (5-11, 190, R-Sr., had another solid game, seven tackles); CB Mac McCain (5-11, 174, R-Fr., pick-6 game-winner, enough said); FS Tard McCoy (5-9, 191, R-Sr., had seven tackles in the start); CB Timadre Abram (5-10, 168, R-Jr., Posted five tackles vs. Charlotte).

The Game: The quest to reach Atlanta starts in Baltimore on Saturday for North Carolina A&T as they face Morgan State in each team’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener. The Aggies are 33-15 in conference play under head coach Rod Broadway. They are 20-4 in conference play over the past three seasons with three of those losses coming to North Carolina Central and the other coming to South Carolina State. Morgan State enters the game without a point scored this season. The Bears’ competition has been difficult, however. The Bears have faced FBS school Rutgers, FCS nationally-ranked foe Albany and crosstown FCS rival Towson to open the season. Where they have lacked in offense, they have excelled in defense. The Bears are fourth in the MEAC in total defense and first in pass defense.

The Aggies are coming off another big win in the Broadway era. During Broadway’s tenure, the Aggies defeated Appalachian State who was in transition to FBS play in 2013. Last season, they defeated FBS institution Kent State in Kent, Ohio. Charlotte became the latest FBS to fall to N.C. A&T on Saturday as the Aggies used a pick-6 from redshirt freshman Mac McCain to down the 49ers 35-31. The Aggies continued to throw the ball well. Redshirt junior quarterback Lamar Raynard was 16-for-26 for 259 yards and a touchdown. Raynard has completed 72.2 percent of his passes on the season and ranks fifth in the nation in completion percentage. He has at least connected with seven different receivers in all three games. The defensive superstars last week were McCain and his two INTs that both led to touchdowns, and Justin Cates he posted three sacks.

News & Notes

• The Aggies are 3-0 for the first time since 2013, they are looking for their first 4-0 start since 1993. Neither season resulted in a MEAC title as the Aggies finished 7-4 in 2013 and 8-3 in 1993.
• A&T is off to a 3-0 start for the 20th time in the 94 seasons of Aggies football. The program is seeking its 15th 4-0 start.
• Redshirt junior quarterback Lamar Raynard has not thrown an interception in his last 118 throws. The Aggies are only one of 16 FCS programs not throw an interception this season.
• The last interception Raynard occurred on Oct. 29, 2016 against Florida A&M. Raynard leads the MEAC in passing yards per game (280.7) and completion percentage (.722).
• The Aggies are only one of 18 teams on the FCS level who are undefeated. N.C. A&T and Tennessee State are the only two undefeated FCS HBCU’s in the nation.

 Opposing Point of View

 “It makes a difference in people’s mind when you’ don’t score points. I am aware of that, I accept that. We’re going to go back to the drawing board and try to figure that out. But we get a fresh start this week. Heading into the MEAC is always exciting, we’re going to be competitive to the best of our ability in every single MEAC game. But at the same time, I don’t know North Carolina A&T is any different than the three teams (Towson, Albany, Rutgers) we just played. They’re pretty doggone good. It’s a tough start in the MEAC, but we’re excited about it. We get a chance to play at home, and we think they give us an opportunity to try to get some things done. It will be a challenge for us. They have good players, they’re big, they’re strong, they’re physical and they play with an attitude.”

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern still needs to test Austin Howard's injured knee; does not rule him out for Alcorn State game

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Before Southern can determine the status of senior quarterback Austin Howard for Saturday’s game at Alcorn State, the mailman needs to make an appearance.

SU coach Dawson Odums said earlier this week that he hoped to have an answer on Howard’s status by Thursday — but as of Thursday afternoon, a custom brace for Howard’s injured knee had not arrived.

Without the brace, which was custom-made to fit Howard’s frame, Odums said he wouldn't test Howard’s knee.

“We haven’t been able to test him out. we haven’t been able to run him because you can’t do anything without the brace,” Odums said.

Howard did throw some passes at Thursday morning’s practice, but he was limited to upper-body work.

Odums did not rule him out for this weekend. The Jaguars (1-2) begin Southwestern Athletic Conference play against Alcorn (1-2) at 6 p.m. Saturday in Lorman, Mississippi.

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Quintin Guice steps up for Grambling

GRAMBLING, Louisiana – There’s no rushing trust. It takes repetitions, performance and time.

Entering the 2017 football season, it was no secret plenty of fresh faces in the receiver group needed to show they could be relied on by Grambling State coaches and senior quarterback DeVante Kincade through reps at practice, but more importantly, stepping up in these early season games.

The receiving corps lost 81 percent of the receiving yard production off last season’s SWAC and HBCU national championship team, and welcomed back just three players that caught a pass from Kincade. Redshirt junior Devohn Lindsey, the leading Tigers pass catcher from a season ago, suffered an injury in the team’s season opener at Tulane and has missed the last two contests.



Through how he’s looked in practice, sophomore Quintin Guice slid into that starting role for the first time and has quickly caught the eye of his coaches and quarterback after a team-high performance of eight catches for 72 yards this past Saturday versus a good Jackson State defense.

“Guice is hungry,” GSU tight ends coach Darrell Kitchen said. “Every day he comes to practice ready to practice, and then Saturday was just the fruits of his labor. He’s been out there, he’s doing some things.”

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Stuck in neutral, Jackson State offense hopes to break through against Pine Bluff

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State’s offense faced several huge questions going into the 2017 season. Among those: Who would play quarterback? Who will step up at receiver? Will the offensive line improve?

More than a quarter of the way into the season, we have some (partial) answers — Brent Lyles, everyone and not yet.

Lyles has been serviceable. He’s completed 52 of his 85 passes for 444 yards and one touchdown. His 104.2 pass efficiency rating is fifth among SWAC quarterbacks, but more importantly, he’s only throwing one interception per 42.5 attempts.

Jackson State players are not being made available for media interviews, so we can’t get Lyles’ take on what’s working — and what’s not — in the Tigers offense. Nor his receivers, for that matter. Nor his offensive line. That leaves it up to our own analysis — with help from Hughes.

First, the numbers.

JSU ranks 113th out of 123 FCS schools in total offense after three games. It is gaining an average of 208 yards of total offense. It ranks 99th in passing, 114th in rushing and the Tigers are tied for 106th in scoring with three offensive touchdowns in as many games.



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Gold Nuggets sweep GCAC awards for 3rd time this year

NEW ORLEANS — This is getting to be a habit for the Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball program.

After sweeping the three Gulf Coast Athletic Conference weekly awards only once in the past two seasons, the Gold Nuggets have stepped up their production in 2017, earning a sweep for the second straight week and the third time in four weeks.

XULA's honorees for Sept. 11-17 are Vivica Price-Spraggins, Attacker of the Week; Tiffany Phillips, Setter of the Week; and Anna Dalla Vecchia, Defender of the Week. Price-Spraggins won for the first time in her career. Phillips and Dalla Vecchia were honored for the second straight week and the third time this season, and Phillips won for the ninth time in her career to extend her XULA record.

Price-Spraggins, a freshman middle blocker/right-side hitter from Chicago and a graduate of Whitney Young Magnet High School, did not commit an attack error in GCAC home victories against Edward Waters and Talladega. She hit .467 for the week with 14 kills in 30 attacks. Against Talladega she became the first XULA player since Moira Kirk in 2013 to hit .400 or better in five straight matches with at least 10 attacks in each match.

Phillips, a sophomore from Gardena, Calif., and a graduate of Bishop Montgomery High School, had a team-best 41 assists — 25 against Edward Waters — and eight digs.

Dalla Vecchia, a freshman from Vicenza, Italy, had 25 digs and successfully passed 40 service receptions without an error. She also produced three aces and seven assists. Dalla Vecchia has yet to commit a reception error in her college career.

XULA (9-1 overall, 3-0 GCAC) won 25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16 Tuesday at William Carey and will put an eight-match win streak on the line Thursday in a 6 p.m. GCAC match at SUNO. The Gold Nuggets, the six-time defending GCAC regular-season and tournament champion, are the only unbeaten team in GCAC matches.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Sewell, Price extend season dominance of GCAC awards

NEW ORLEANS — Camren Sewell and Taylor Price, Xavier University of Louisiana's standout harriers, have won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Runner of the Week awards for the fourth time in as many opportunities this season.

The GCAC awards covered Sept. 11-17.

Sewell, a freshman from Cincinnati and a graduate of LaSalle High School, broke the XULA men's record for 6,000 meters Saturday at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, La. Sewell's time was 20 minutes, 8.1 seconds. The previous mark was 21:08 set in 2010. Sewell finished 45th out of 77 runners and was faster than 19 NCAA Division I runners. XULA is a longtime NAIA member.

Price ran the women's 5K at LSU in 20:08 and placed 28th out of 68 runners. A sophomore from Missouri Park, Texas, and a graduate of Ridge Point High School, Price finished ahead of 30 runners from NCAA Division I. The GCAC award is the ninth of her career.

Next for the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will be a non-scored exhibition Oct. 14 in the UNCF Walk/Run for Education at Audubon Park in New Orleans, then the GCAC Championships Oct. 20 at Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss. XULA's men and women are 10-time defending GCAC team champions.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Nuggets are road warriors in 8th straight victory

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi — Xavier University of Louisiana rolled to its eight straight volleyball victory, a 25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16 decision Tuesday against William Carey.

The Gold Nuggets (9-1) got double-doubles from Kayla Black (18 kills, 10 digs), Eva Le Guillou (23 assists, 12 digs) and Juliana Tomasoni (14 kills, 19 digs), plus a career-best 10 kills from Jaida Dowd.

Black, Le Guillou and Dowd are freshmen.

It was the first time since Aug. 30, 2014, that the Gold Nuggets won a regular-season non-conference match on an out-of-town opponent's court.

"It was a great team effort," first-year head coach Pat Kendrick said. "Adili (Rikondja) and Jaida did a nice job in roles they hadn't played much this season. Kayla and Jules (Tomasoni) had great connections with the setters. Anna (Dalla Vecchia) was very efficient."

Rikondja, normally a right-side hitter, started at middle blocker and finished with four kills and two blocks. Dowd replaced Rikondja on the right side and finished with a flurry, hitting .750 with six kills over the final two sets.

Black produced the most kills in a match by a XULA player this season, and the double-double was her third. Tomasoni matched her season best for digs in her sixth double-double of the season. Le Guillou reached career highs for assists, digs and aces (3).

Black and Tomasoni combined for 21 kills and a .568 hitting percentage in the first two sets.

Also filling up the stat sheet were Tiffany Phillips with 25 assists, Dalla Vecchia with 20 digs — her sixth consecutive match in double figures — and Vivica Price-Spraggins with five kills, three blocks and a career-best five digs.

Megan Zulli had 10 kills and hit .370 for William Carey (7-5), which dropped its third straight. Emma Cotney and Lisa Faolotoi had 13 digs apiece.

XULA outhit William Carey .240 to .199 and had advantages of 56-53 in kills, 8-3 in aces and 6-3 in blocks. Both teams had 79 digs. The Gold Nuggets hit .336 in the sets they won.

XULA, the leader in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference at 3-0, will visit SUNO at 6 p.m. Thursday in a GCAC match. The next home match will start at 6 p.m. Sept. 28 against Dillard at the Convocation Center.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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