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NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana shut down Dillard's hitters Thursday en route to a 25-15, 25-17, 25-8 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory at XULA's Convocation Center.
The Gold Nuggets (11-2, 5-0) have beaten the Lady Bleu Devils (11-9, 3-2) 16 consecutive times, and this is the first time during the streak that Dillard — which hit minus-.009 with 21 kills and 22 errors in 109 attacks — finished with a negative hitting percentage.
XULA, meanwhile, hit .237 with 36 kills and 14 errors in 93 attacks.
"I thought we finished well," first-year XULA head coach Pat Kendrick said. "We started the match a little flat emotionally, but we finished with a good energy."
Kayla Black hit .318 with 10 kills, eight digs and three aces for the Gold Nuggets, who are 6-0 at home this season. Adili Rikondja produced a season-high-tying eight kills, a season-high .500 hitting percentage and — for the third straight match — a career-high tying four blocks.
Lauryn Taylor had seven kills and hit .250; both were her second-best figures of the season. Anna Dalla Vecchia had 19 digs, 10 in the first set, and reached double figures for the ninth consecutive match. Juliana Tomasoni served five aces — she's the only Gold Nugget to serve an ace in every match this season — Amanda Perry served two aces, and Jaida Dowd had a career-best four blocks.
XULA split the setting role again, with freshman Eva Le Guillou collecting 21 in her first collegiate start and Tiffany Phillips getting 12.
Taylor, Le Guillou, Black, Dowd and Dalla Vecchia are freshmen.
XULA won 36-of-38 sets in its last 12 meetings with Dillard.
Corneisja Harrison had six kills for Dillard but hit minus-094 in a match-high 32 attacks. Shelby Stewart and Tristan Cojoe had five kills apiece, Cojoe had four blocks, and Alexis Barnett had 13 digs.
XULA had advantages of 11-0 in aces, 54-41 in digs and 7-5 in blocks. The teams will meet again Nov. 2 in the Gold Nuggets' regular-season finale at Dillard's Dent Hall.
XULA's victory dropped Dillard from second to third place in the GCAC, and Tougaloo (5-2) climbed to second. XULA, which seeks a seventh consecutive GCAC regular-season and tournament championship, is the only team with fewer than two conference losses.
The Gold Nuggets will play William Carey in a non-conference match at 6 p.m. next Thursday at the Convocation Center.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's Pierre Andrieu and Gabriel Niculescu won twice apiece Saturday to advance to the men's singles consolation semifinals at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA South Regional Championships.
Andrieu defeated Point's Sam Blackburn 8-4, then SCAD Atlanta's Jonah Tewes-McCoy 8-0. Niculescu beat SCAD Atlanta's Jordan Skalet 8-2, then Point's Julien Pereira 8-6.
Semifinals will start at 10 a.m. EDT Sunday at Georgia Gwinnett College. Andrieu will play SCAD Atlanta's Patric Toren, and Niculescu will play Brewton-Parker's Caleb Bellamy. Semifinal winners will meet at 11:30 a.m.
All other XULA players were eliminated in the main draw. The recap:
• Catalin Fifea, seeded fourth in men's singles, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Georgia Gwinnett's Mika Kosonen in the round of 16.
• Samir Chikhaoui defeated Middle Georgia's Octavio Tamola 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7) in the men's singles round of 16, then lost 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (10-2) to Georgia Gwinnett's second-seeded Gilad Berman. All three of Chikhaoui's singles matches in this tournament were decided in super-tiebreakers.
• Charlene Goreau, seeded second in women's singles, defeated Point's Katie Larck 6-0, 6-1 in the round of 16, then was upset 6-0, 6-3 by Georgia Gwinnett's Emerald Able in the quarterfinals.
• Freshman Manon Bonada upset SCAD Atlanta's eighth-seeded Katrina De Guzman 6-2, 6-3 in the women's singles round of 16, then fell 6-1, 6-1 to Georgia Gwinnett's fourth-seeded Margarida Abreu in the quarterfinals.
• Yi Chen Pao lost 6-3, 6-1 to Georgia Gwinnett's seventh-seeded Debora Scurt in the women's singles round of 16.
• In the women's doubles quarterfinals, Goreau and Bonada lost 8-1 to Georgia Gwinnett's Henar Garcia Munoz and Chiari Rebecchi. Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The old saying “History Repeats Itself” was never a more appropriate way to describe the recent football history between Florida A&M and North Carolina Central.
That the visiting Eagles (3-1, 2-0 MEAC) turned Houdini for the third straight year to escape with a 21-14 fourth quarter victory was not surprising.
Nor was the frustration and disappointment that the gritty and determined FAMU Rattlers (2-3, 1-1 MEAC) felts yet again after another near-miss against Central.
Take away Davant Reynolds pick six off FAMU quarterback Ryan Stanley with 5:02 left in the first period, and the game might have had a different outcome.
The Eagles scored first when quarterback Chauncey Caldwell dashed in from 18 yards out for a 7-0 lead with 5:18 left in the opening stanza. Reynolds’ pick six came just 16 seconds later, staking the visitors to a 14-0 lead.
But the Rattlers dug deep and pulled themselves back into contention in this heavyweight battle, when Devin Bowers capped a 14-play, 86-yard matrch with a one-yard run with 10:27 left in the half, cutting the Central edge to 14-7.
The Rattler Defense opened the door for the tying score with under seven minutes left in the half, sacking NCCU’s Caldwell on the Eagles’ one-yard line and recovering a fumble.
Four plays later, Bowers tossed a fourth down jump pass to Kevin Newman for a 14-14 count after Khalil Clark’s PAT, with just over five minutes to play.
After, the game settled into a defensive struggle until Central’s final possession late in the fourth quarter, where they had won the two previous games in the series in 2015 (27-24) and 2016 (17-13).
The Eagles took possession after a FAMU punt was downed at the Rattler 47-yard line, driving the distance in eight plays, with halfback Isaiah Totten barging in from nine yards out with 2:02 left.
FAMU would turn the ball over on downs, with NCCU running out the clock.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Rattlers head to Norfolk, Va., next Saturday to face off against the Norfolk State Spartans in a 1:00 p.m. game at Dick Price Stadium.... The next home game will be Saturday, Oct. 14 against the North Carolina A&T Aggies in the annual Homecoming game in Bragg Stadium. Kickoff will be 3:00 p.m. INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Rattler Nation showed up strong for the nationally-televised thriller at Bragg Stadium, with 18,488 partisans filling the stands, many arriving after the 7:30 p.m. kickoff…
The FAMU Defense held the Eagles to just 241 total yards Thursday, the second fewest yards allowed this season, after the 202 allowed in the opener to Texas Southern…. The FAMU Offense fared slightly better with 258 total yards, as they passed for 185 yards and rushed for 73…. Bowers had 76 yards rushing on 19 carries, rushing for a score and tossing a TD strike…
Stanley went 19 for 31 for 182 yards, with one interception…. Brandon Norwood led FAMU with six catches for 37 yards, but was robbed it appeared of a crucial diving catch which would have sustained a fourth quarter drive, despite a lengthy replay review….
Linebacker Elijah Richardson, who went down late with an undisclosed injury, led the FAMU defense with 10 tackles, inckuding three tackles for loss…. End Elijah Price had a monster game, with six tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With less than a minute remaining, the Howard University Bison capitalized on a 4th-and-2 situation to secure their home-opening Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the 2017 campaign over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 26-24.
With the clock dwindling, freshman quarterback Caylin Newton marched the squad down and ran a 5-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score with 39-seconds reigning on the clock, closing out a 45-yard pace on nine plays.
B-CU had multiple opportunities to regain the lead, but HU's defense rose to the occasion forcing four straight incomplete passes.
With the victory, Howard snapped its six-game skid against the Wildcats while winning the first HU versus B-CU in D.C. contest since 1996.
Offensively, the home squad racked up 500 total yards with 343 on the ground, along with 157 yards in the air. Four Bison had 50 or more rushing yards, led by Newton and Anthony Philyaw. Newton finished with 140 rushing yards and two TDs, while Philyaw, the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, added 93 yards in the victory.
B-CU jumped out to an early 7-0 advantage after a 20-yard run from Larry Brihm.
Moments into the second stanza, Guy Lemonier Jr. recovered a fumble in the end zone and tied the contest, 7-7.
On the next possession, the Wildcats went down and reclaimed the lead with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Brihm to Frank Brown, 14-7.
With halftime approaching, Howard tied the game at 14 apiece after a 5-yard TD pass from a Newton to Philyaw connection.
The opening drive after intermission, was capped by a 9-play, 74 yard drive by the Bison on a 1-yard QB sneak from Newton for HU's first lead of the game for a score of 20-14.
Bethune-Cookman responded with an opening drive in the third quarter and regained the advantage, thanks to an extra point, 21-20.
Midway through the third, B-CU increased their lead on a 42-yard field goal, 24-20, before HU secured its 26-24 win in the final minutes of play.
Howard's Dezmond Wortham racked up 129 all-purpose yards, including 78 receiving.
Defensively, Leon Fields II had a team-high 5.5 tackles, including one for loss. Freshman Tye Freeland added three tackles, a forced fumble, and pass breakup in the victory.
For B-CU (1-3), they amassed 384 total offense. Michael Jones led the way with 112 on the ground, while Brown provided 84 receiving yards and a TD in the loss.
After next weekend's bye, HU (2-2) hosts reigning MEAC Champions, the North Carolina Central Univerbsity Eagles. Game-time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com. BOX SCORE HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's Manon Bonada and Charlene Goreau won in doubles and singles Friday at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA South Regional Championships. Bonada and Goreau defeated SCAD Atlanta's Giulianna Hull and Madison Umbaugh 8-4 to advance to the women's doubles quarterfinals, where they'll play Saturday against Georgia Gwinnett's Henar Garcia Munoz and Chiari Rebecchi. In singles, Bonada beat Reinhardt's Albane Queinnec 6-1, 6-4, and Goreau — the No. 2 seed — defeated Rebecchi 6-3, 6-4 to reach the round of 16. Others from XULA advancing to the round of 16 in the main draw are: • Yi Chen Pao, a 6-1, 6-2 women's singles winner against Point's Maddi Marler. • Catalin Fifea, the No. 4 seed in men's singles and a 6-1, 6-0 victor against Reinhardt's Nikita Hrynov. • Samir Chikhaoui, a 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6) men's singles winner against SCAD Atlanta's eighth-seeded Alberto Menendez. The three-day tournament will conclude Sunday. All matches are at Georgia Gwinnett.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana hit .647 in the third set Thursday to put the finishing touches on a 25-22, 25-19, 25-12 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against SUNO at The Castle. Juliana Tomasoni had a season-high-tying 15 kills and hit .448. She had nine digs and two aces. XULA rallied from a 17-12 first-set deficit. The Gold Nuggets (10-1, 4-0) have a nine-match win streak, the fourth longest in school history. SUNO is 3-11, 2-3. Vivica Price-Spraggins had eight kills and hit a season-high-tying .636 for XULA. Kayla Black had six kills and eight digs, and Adili Rikondja had five kills and a career-best four blocks. Tiffany Phillips and Eva Le Guillou had 15 assists apiece, and Anna Dalla Vecchiahad 11 digs to reach double figures for the seventh consecutive match. XULA outhit SUNO .348 to .092 for the match and had advantages of 43-26 in kills and 8-1 in aces. Le Guillou and Kaelan Temple served two aces apiece. Alexandria Douglas had nine kills for SUNO. XULA has won 74 of its last 76 GCAC matches. Including conference tournaments, the Gold Nuggets have won 89 of their last 91 matches against GCAC opponents. The Gold Nuggets will travel to the University of Mobile for a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday match. XULA's next home match will start at 6 p.m. next Thursday against Dillard. BOX SCORE
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania – Saint Augustine's University played its most complete football game of the season and it resulted in a memorable record-breaking night on Saturday, Sept. 23.
The Falcons set several school marks as they manhandled Lincoln (Pa.) University by a lopsided score of 81-9 in the CIAA opener for both teams at Lincoln University Stadium in Lincoln University, Pa. The point total is the second most in NCAA Division II and third in all divisions this season.
The Falcons broke the school record for most points in a game and most points in a half (47), and Darryl "D.J." Johnson (Jr./Richmond, VA) tied the school single-game record for most touchdown passes (6) in the modern era. His six touchdown passes are tied for the most in an NCAA Division II game this season.
The win erased the sting of three straight defeats, but more importantly, placed the Falcons (1-3 overall) atop the CIAA standings. They are currently tied for first with defending champion Winston-Salem State University in the Southern Division at 1-0.
In the previous two games, the Falcons stayed even with Carson-Newman University and Bowie State University in the first half but both teams pulled away after halftime. On Saturday, the Falcons jumped on the Lions early and never let up.
"This was a great win," Head Coach Tim Chavous said. "The guys showed they can compete for four quarters."
Johnson played perhaps his best game as a collegian. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 297 yards and no interceptions. He spread the ball around, throwing to five different receivers on six touchdown passes, and guiding the offense to 602 offensive yards.
Jeremiah Miller (So./Miami, FL) gained a season-high 144 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries while backup quarterback Demetrius Lewis (So./Columbia, SC) tossed one touchdown pass and rushed for 86 yards. Lenwood Joyner (Jr./Miami, FL) caught four passes for 85 yards and a score and Charles Edmond (So./High Point, NC) grabbed two passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, veteran linemen Chasz Cosby (Sr./Charlotte, NC) and Darius Goodman (R-Sr./Richmond, VA) had their way with the Lincoln offensive line. Cosby amassed 3.5 sacks among his seven tackles and Goodman finished with three sacks. Cosby is tied for the third-most sacks in an NCAA Division II contest this season.
Teoz Mauney (Jr./Salisbury, NC) added two sacks and Keywan Morgan (Jr./LaGrange, NC) recorded a safety and a sack for the Falcons, who amassed 10 sacks. Linebacker Tray King (Sr./Kershaw, SC) tallied a team-high eight tackles and linebacker Tristian Green (Jr./Concord, NC) totaled seven tackles and a sack while defensive backs Ahmek Henry (Jr./Charlotte, NC) and Delano Davis (Fr./Greenbelt, MD) each picked off a pass. On special teams, Edmond returned a kickoff 46 yards while Sean Smith (R-Jr./Valdosta, GA) made a field goal and was 10 of 11 on extra point attempts.
The game started well for the Falcons, who built a 10-0 lead on their first two possessions. Sean Smith kicked a 24-yard field goal and Johnson connected with Sam Boyd (Sr./St. Petersburg, FL) for an eight-yard touchdown pass. The offense stalled on its next three possessions, fumbling once, before hitting its stride. The Falcons scored on 10 of their next 12 drives including seven straight between the second and third quarters.
The Falcons scored 35 points in the second quarter beginning with Miller's seven-yard touchdown run for a 19-0 lead. Johnson then hooked up with Jalen McDaniel (Sr./Fayetteville, NC) for a 29-yard touchdown pass. After the Lions scored on a safety, Johnson found Joyner for a 42-yard scoring pass. The Falcons quarterback then hit Edmond for a 41-yard touchdown for a 40-2 lead.
The Lions would score their only touchdown on an 84-yard run but the Falcons responded with Johnson finding Edmond again, this time for 25 yards as the Falcons entered halftime leading 47-9.
The second half was more of the same as the Falcons scored 27 points in the third quarter. Miller scored his second touchdown on a 10-yard run and Johnson fired a seven-yard scoring pass to Marquez Gilmore (Jr./Atlanta, GA) to tie the school single-game mark for touchdown passes.
Malik Mapps (Sr./Miami, FL) and Shyhiem Swinson (Jr./Virginia Beach, VA) each scored on three-yard runs for a 74-9 lead in the third quarter. Aaron Linen (Sr./Oakland, CA) capped the blowout when he scored on a 22-yard pass from Lewis in the fourth quarter.
Trey McCollum rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown and Vincent Espinoza threw for 132 yards for the Lions (0-1 CIAA, 0-4 overall). Andre Price caught seven passes for 75 yards while Deion Miller and Adonis Washington each had eight tackles.
This win came at the right time for the Falcons, who will take their new-found momentum into a three-game homestand starting with Virginia Union University on Saturday, Sept. 30, at the George Williams Athletic Complex. The starting time is 1 p.m. BOX SCORE SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
BOWIE, Maryland -- The #23 Bowie State University Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 CIAA) jumped on Shaw University (1-3, 0-1 CIAA) early and often, rolling off 35 unanswered points en route to a 76-7 home debut victory to open CIAA conference play on Saturday night. The 76 points ties for second all-time (Lincoln 11/2/2013) in the history of Bowie State football.
Leading the offensive attack for the Bowie State was junior Amir Hall (Bowie, Md.) with 420 passing yards, completing 22-of-33 passes (no interceptions) and tied his own school record of six passing touchdowns. The Bulldogs running back duo of redshirt senior Robert Chesson (Annapolis, Md.) and junior Maurice Williams (Baltimore, Md.) rushed 124 and 101 yards respectively.
Hall and senior Jay Adams (Clinton, Md.) combined to complete passes to 12 different receivers. Leading the Bulldogs in reception yards was junior Lansana Sesay (Bowie, Md.) with 129 yards on just two receptions. Redshirt senior Kerrick Pollock (Miami, Fla.) recorded a team-high five receptions for 89 yards.
Junior Derrick Tate (Baltimore, Md.) paced the powerful Bowie State defense with a team-high eight tackles (5 solo and 3 assisted), which included three tackles for a loss of 18 yards. Redshirt junior Kyle Jackson (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and senior Sean Copeland (Baltimore, Md.) tallied a half-dozen tackles apiece. Redshirt freshman Reicardo Smith (Fort Washington, Md.) and redshirt junior Jaylen Harris contributed four tackles each in the rout. As a team, Bowie State's defense notched a season-high five sacks against Shaw.
The Bulldogs rolled up a school record 748 yards of total offense with 440 coming in the first half of play. However, Bowie State accounted for 11 penalties in the contest for 110 yards, second highest penalty yard total of the season.
Bowie State scored on the opening drive off an 18-yard pass from Hall to Pollock to give the Bulldogs the early 7-0 lead over Shaw. A three and out for the Bears resulted in BSU's Chesson scoring on a 23-yard rush, following the extra point from sophomore Gene Carson (Accokeek, Md.) to extend their lead 14-0 at the 9:30 mark. An out-of-sync Bears team went three and out again the next possession down only to allow the Bulldogs to add to their score after a 46-yard pass from Hall to redshirt sophomore Brandon Abrams (Baltimore, Md.) for BSU's third-straight touchdown of the game in the first quarter.
Despite the early deficit, the Bears were still in the contest thanks to penalties from the Bulldogs that led to first downs for Shaw but an attempted field goal from Beni Kinsemi (Charlotte, NC) was partially blocked by BSU redshirt junior Jaylen Harris (Clinton, Md.) as the Bears trailed 21-0 with 2:42 remaining in the first stanza.
Bowie State would add 14 more to the scoreboard ignited by an 80-yard touchdown reception by Sesay, followed by a 20-yard touchdown reception redshirt junior Brandon Britton (Columbia, Md.) that pushed the Bulldogs lead to 35-0 heading into the second quarter.
After scoring another touchdown and field goal by the Bulldogs to lead 45-0 over Shaw, the Bears finally got on the scoreboard when Vidal Woodruff (Tampa, Fla.) connected with Michael Sherman (Powder Springs, Ga.) for a 20-yard pass, catch and score to close out the first half.
The second half started pretty much like the first half with Bowie State scoring 17 points in the third and 14 in the fourth quarter. Carson drilled a 28-yard field goal for the first Bulldogs' points in the third at the 11:36 mark. Marquise Watts recorded his first touchdown of the season, scoring on a 4-yard reception from Hall with 4:40 left in the third quarter. Chesson punched it in for the second time in the game, this time from 38 yards out a little over a minute later.
Bowie State's Adams recorded his first touchdown of the season, rushing for a 1-yard score at the 12:21 mark of the fourth quarter to push the Bulldogs cushion to 69-7. Redshirt junior Adam Gillis (Lanham, Md.) scored the final rushing touchdown of the contest, pounding in from 3-yards out to with 5:45 remaining to account for the final margin.
Shaw finished with 208 yards of total offense that included 74 rushing and 134 passing. Woodruff completed 13-of-29 passing for 137 yards, but was intercepted three times and was responsible for one touchdown.
Sherman had a team-best 107 yards rushing on 19 carries and a touchdown while freshman Daniel Bender (Jacksonville, FL) had six receptions for 79 yards.
Hakiem Swann (Portsmouth, Va.) led the Bears defense with a game-high 10 total tackles (7 solo). Devon Hunt (Rockingham, N.C.) added eight tackles, one sack and a tackle for loss while Kevin Sherman (Powder Springs, Ga.) contributed seven tackles and a tackle for loss.
Bowie State will hit the road for the fourth time in five weeks, traveling to Fayetteville (N.C.) State next Saturday (9/30) with kickoff in the Luther "Nick" Geralds Stadium set for 1 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 OVC
UT Martin 31, Tennessee State 13 SWAC
Grambling State 38, Mississippi Valley State 6
Alabama A&M 30, Texas Southern 13
Alcorn State 48, Southern 31
Arkansas Pine Bluff 34, Jackson State 27 O.T.
Prairie View A&M 34, Alabama State 0 MEAC
North Carolina Central 33. South Carolina State 28, (9/21/17)
Howard 26, Bethune-Cookman 24
Monmouth 30, Hampton 23, O.T.
Norfolk State 17, Delaware State 7
Florida A&M 20, Savannah State 14
North Carolina A&T 49, Morgan State 17
SIAC
Findley (OH) 61, Tuskegee 0
West Georgia 48, Albany State 16
Fort Valley State 31, Benedict 28 2 O.T.
Clark Atlanta 31, Lane 7
Kentucky State 34. Central State (OH) 22, Circle City Classic, Indianapolis, IN
Miles 27, Morehouse 24
OTHER CONF.
Shepherd (WV) 56, West Virginia State 41
Faith at Virginia-Lynchburg, Cancelled
Bloomsburg 48, Cheyney 19
Langston 36, Bacone 6
Truman State 41, Lincoln (MO) 14
Wayland Baptist 24, Texas College 23
Cumberlands 51, Edward Waters 7
CIAA Bowie State 76, Shaw 7
Virginia Union 47, Fayetteville State 40
Elizabeth City State 20, Johnson C. Smith 17
Saint Augustine's 81, Lincoln (PA) 9
Virginia State 33, Winston-Salem State 27 O.T.
Chowan 25, Livingstone 12
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Despite trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter on the road, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions found a way to overcome adversity by scoring 18 unanswered points for a 34-27 overtime victory over the Jackson State University Tigers at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in the W.C. Gorden Classic in its first conference game of the year. As a result, the Tigers have now lost eight straight games while UAPB improves to 2-2 on the season.
"What a victory," said UABP head coach Monte Coleman. "It was a hard fought game on both sides; we had it this evening."
In the first quarter, UAPB defensive tackle Nick Williams forced a fumble which was recovered by the Golden Lions. On the ensuing drive, UAPB running back Keshawn Williams blasted through the line and used his speed to scamper 14 yards past Tigers defenders into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game to give UAPB a 7-0 lead. Minutes later, JSU's quarterback Brent Lyles threw a 75 yard touchdown pass that was nullified due to an illegal block in the back. However, on the same drive, Lyles responded with a 17 yard touchdown run to even things up at 7 apiece.
Jackson State (0-4, 0-1 SWAC) added a field goal in the early part of the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead, but UAPB would answer in dramatic fashion. Following a brilliant punt from Jamie Gillan which pinned JSU deep in its own territory, true freshman linebacker Kolby Watts forced Tigers quarterback Lyles out of the back of the end zone for a safety, cutting Jackson State's lead to just one point. On the ensuing kickoff, UAPB's Paris Mack took it all the way inside the Tigers' five yard line, giving the Golden Lions (2-2, 1-0 SWAC) a perfect opportunity to take a halftime lead. That's when UAPB quarterback Brandon Duncan threw a back shoulder fade to the end zone to Robert Simms III who leaped over a JSU defender to make a sensational catch, giving the Golden Lions a 16-10 lead after a successful extra point. However, Tigers running back Jordan Johnson answered right back with 60 yard touchdown run to give Jackson State a 17-16 lead going into the half.
The Tigers added a field goal to open up the third quarter, giving them a 20-16 advantage. 15 seconds later, Duncan threw an arrant pass that was intercepted by Jackson State defensive back Dario Robinson as he took it to the house, giving JSU its biggest lead of the game, 27-16 over UAPB. Both teams then traded possession as UAPB eventually attempted a 50 yard field goal to cut the deficit to eight, but the attempt was short. On the next play, linebacker Kevin Agee forced a fumble which was recovered by Golden Lions defensive tackle and Purdue transfer Johnny Daniels.
"I told my team don't give up," said Coach Coleman. "Keep making plays, keep fighting, and don't give up."
UAPB trailed by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter on the road, but the forced turnover sparked just enough momentum to give the Golden Lions the boost that it needed. Deep in Jackson State territory, backup quarterback LeEar Patterson rolled right and quickly rushed into the end zone for a touchdown. UABP then decided to go for two to cut the deficit to three points when Patterson found Kolby McNeal in the end zone for the conversion which brought the score to 27-24 in favor of the Tigers. After both teams traded possession yet again, the Golden Lions defense made one huge stop to give its offense one last chance to either tie with a field goal or take the lead on the road with a touchdown.
The two-minute drill was in full effect. Patterson led his team all the way deep into Tigers territory before getting tackled to the ground by Deion Pope. Patterson was slow to get up, so Duncan came back in the game for UAPB on a crucial third down. Duncan took the ensuing snap, stepped into the pocket and rifled an incomplete pass to the left side of the field. However, a flag was thrown on the field due to pass interference as UAPB received a fresh set of downs. Patterson then came back in to close out the game.
On fourth down, with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, it came down to one last chance as the Golden Lions sent the special teams unit on the field. UAPB field goal kicker Gillan would either be a hero or be remembered for missing a potential game-tying kick in a crucial conference game. UAPB snapped the ball and the left-footed Gillan calmly drained the 32 yard field goal to tie the game up at 27-27 to force overtime.
When asked if Coach Coleman had any doubts about the kick, he firmly responded.
"I had no doubt at all that Jamie would hit that field goal," said Coach Coleman. "Jamie is a great punter and a great kicker. I had no doubt at all."
Jackson State won the toss in overtime and elected to play defense first. UAPB quickly found daylight as Patterson scored on a 1-yard touchdown run that would prove to be the game winner.
As a team the Golden Lions earned 16 first downs and rushed for a total of 157 yards and had four punts inside its opponent's 20-yard line. UAPB held the ball for a total of 45:05 while Jackson State possessed the ball for 44:58. Williams finished with a team-high 75 yards rushing while Patterson threw for a team-high 66 yards and also rushed for a game-high two touchdowns.
The Golden Lions will face Alabama A&M University on Saturday, September 30 in Southwestern Athletic Conference action. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. in Huntsville, Ala.` UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Prairie View A&M University football team opened Southwestern Athletic Conference play with a dominant 34-0 win Saturday night at Alabama St.
The Panthers (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) held Alabama St. (0-4, 0-1) to 127 total yards and only seven first downs, forcing three turnovers and scoring a touchdown of its own as PVAMU recorded its first shutout since Oct. 17 2009, a 38-0 home win over Miss. Valley St. The shutout is the first on the road since a 15-0 win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Oct. 18, 2008.
"It's a conference win, so it's very important in the fact that it's step one to achieving our ultimate goal, which is the SWAC Championship," said PVAMU head coach Willie Simmons, who's teams are now 9-0 in SWAC road games in opposing venues. "I'm proud of the guys, proud of their effort, and proud of the way they came out and responded. It's something to build on. We're definitely happy to be 1-0 in conference play, and ready to get back to work."
Anthony Stubbs forced a fumble on the second play of the game, which was recovered by Ju'Anthony Parker. The first of two Sta'Fon McCray touchdown runs gave Prairie View A&M a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. McCray rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
In the second quarter, a 37-yard interception return by Parker gave PVAMU a 14-0 lead with 6:36 to play until halftime. Later in the quarter, a 61-yard touchdown pass from Lavell McCullers to Markcus Hardy gave the Panthers a 21-0 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, McCray rushed on the first three plays of the second half for 65 yards on the scoring drive, ending with his nine-yard scoring run for a 28-0 lead.
Zach Elder ended the scoring with a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter, and a career-long 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
McCullers completed 14 of 27 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, as the Panthers gained 409 total yards (234 rushing, 175 passing).
Prairie View A&M football returns home to host Jackson St. Saturday at 4 p.m. at Panther Stadium. Tickets are available online at pvpanthers.com/tickets.
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Only a quarter of the season has past and the No. 15/21 North Carolina A&T football team already has the Football Championship Subdivision world wondering if certain things have ever been done before.
N.C. A&T opened their conference season by crushing Morgan State 49-17 at Hughes Stadium. In the process, the Aggies improved to 4-0 in a season for the first time since 1993. Also during the game, redshirt freshman Mac McCain returned two interceptions for touchdowns, one for 100 yards and the other for 78. He had three INTs for the game, and now has five on the season.
Last week in the Aggies upset win over Charlotte, McCain had the game-winning pick-6 in the closing seconds of the ballgame.
It is not certain if anyone in NCAA history has ever returned three interceptions for touchdowns over two games, but only 27 other players in NCAA FCS history has ever returned two INTs for touchdowns in the same game. McCain is only one INT return for touchdown away from tying the single-season NCAA record, which is four shared by three players. McCain came up short for the single-game record for INT return yards. He had 178 and the record stands at 216 by Brown’s Keiron Bigby in 1984.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I can’t remember somebody scoring three touchdowns in two games off interceptions,” said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway. “But he can run once he gets it. He has done some much to improve on his catching and closing in on the ball, so he deserves this success. He is becoming a big-time playmaker for us.”
The Aggies seem to have an abundance of playmakers, and they were on display Saturday night. Redshirt junior running back Marquell Cartwright finished with a career-high 176 yards rushing on 17 carries, which included a 72-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Graduate running back Jamari Smith added 97 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Sophomore wideout Elijah Bell, the nation’s leader in touchdown receptions, added to his collection by scoring twice. He has seven TD receptions on the season, bringing him four touchdowns shy of breaking the school’s single-season TD receptions record with seven regular-season games remaining. Bell added four receptions for 95 yards to his totals.
Redshirt junior quarterback Lamar Raynard had his normal steady day, finishing 15-for-22 for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Raynard has not thrown an interception in his last 141 throws. But it wasn’t Raynard and the Aggies highly-rated passing game that got the Aggies out to a large lead early. It was the running game.
“We thought if we could break their first line of defense, we had some chances to make some plays,” said Broadway. “They put so many guys in the box, we knew once we got past that first wall, we had a chance to break some long ones.”
After Cartwright’s long one to open the game, the Aggies came back on their second drive of the game and went 53 yards in seven plays, using 28 yards rushing to take a 14-0 lead on a 15-yard touchdown catch from Raynard to Bell in which Bell outjumped the smaller defensive back to score.
After one of their drives finally stalled, the Aggies opened the second quarter by returning to their old ways. They put together a 14-play, 88-yard drive that ended with Smith catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from Raynard for a 21-0 Aggies lead. The Aggies then constructed an 81-yard drive that culminated with Raynard connecting with Bell on a 4th-and-9 for a 31-yard touchdown reception.
“I thought once again the guys played really well early. But for some reason when we get way ahead we want to ease up a little bit and start making mistakes that drive me nuts,” said Broadway. “We still have a lot to get corrected, but overall it was a good win for us.”
An element the Aggies were trying to keep intact to also make the college football world wonder if it happened, was keeping Morgan State (0-4, 0-1 MEAC) scoreless. The Bears had been shutout in their previous three games but looked poised to end that drought at the end of the first half on Saturday. MSU drove the ball to the Aggies 5-yard line. But on 2nd-and-goal with nine seconds remaining in the first half, MSU quarterback Elijah Staley was looking to throw the ball to the corner of the end zone Manassah Bailey. McCain recognized it, left the man he was covering, jumped in front of Bailey and returned the INT 100 yards for an obvious school record.
N.C. A&T went into the locker room leading 35-0. MSU did score their first points of the season a minute into the second half as Staley connected with Brian Gentry for an 83-yard touchdown.
Another road test awaits the Aggies next week as they travel to Orangeburg, S.C., to face the South Carolina State Bulldogs 6 p.m., Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
ITTA BENA, Mississippi | De'Aumante Johnson recorded three first-half interceptions as the Grambling State University defense came up big on Saturday night with a 38-6 victory over Mississippi Valley State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opener for both teams at Rice-Totten Stadium.
"We didn't play well," Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs. "We had a lot of guys out and sometimes when you have a lot of guys out, it's hard to find that chemistry. I thought we did a good job to keep fighting regardless of the situation. The defense was stellar tonight. They did not only an awesome job of stopping them, but scoring points as well."
After both teams went three-and-out on its first offensive possession, Grambling State's defense came up with the first score of the night with 10:35 remaining in the opening quarter.
On a third-and-eight play, De'Aumante Johnson picked off MVSU quarterback Jett Even and went 35 yards down the right sideline to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
After another three-and-out for the Delta Devils, Grambling State was driving, but a fumble on the exchange at the MVSU 2-yard line gave the Mississippi Valley State the ball back.
But the Delta Devils (0-3 overall, 0-1 SWAC) didn't have it for long as Even's pass was intercepted by Johnson, his second pick of the day, to set up good field position.
The Tigers (3-1, 1-0) picked up their second score of the night with 2:55 remaining in the first quarter when Marc Orozco booted a 36-yard field goal to extend the Grambling State lead to 10-0.
Grambling State picked up two points on a safety, its second in as many weeks, to extend the lead to 12-0 with 13:44 left in the second quarter.
The Tigers closed out the first half with 10 points in the final 10 minutes.
Orozco kicked a 37-yard field goal with 9:58 left to push the advantage to 15-0 and Geremy Hickbottom connected with Devante Davis for a 23-yard touchdown pass with 1:43 remaining to extend the margin to 22-0.
Grambling State put the game out of reach with 11:42 left in the third quarter as Nicholas Black ran untouched for a 21-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a commanding 29-0 lead.
A James Crosby 4-yard touchdown run cut the margin to 29-6, but the Tigers blocked the extra point and Johnson returned the ball for the two-point conversion.
Grambling State put the final touches on the night on a Lyndemian Brooks touchdown run to give the Tigers a 38-6 victory.
Turning Point
The defense came to play in the SWAC opener.
The tone was set from the start as Johnson's pick six gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead just four minutes into the contest.
With the offense struggling, the defense picked apart Mississippi Valley State early on as the Delta Devils failed to get a first down in the opening quarter. In fact, MVSU had just eight yards on 13 plays in the opening frame.
Inside the Numbers
· Geremy Hickbottom was 4-of-13 passing for 38 yards.
· Dre' Fusilier rushed four times for 83 yards, including a 53-yard run
· Darrell Clark caught four passes for 30 yards.
· The Tigers finished with 247 total yards of offense, including 195 on the ground.
· Mississippi Valley State registered 254 yards, and was held to minus 82 yards rushing.
· Christopher Fowler threw for 319 yards on 29-of-40 passing.
· Darrion Harper caught nine passes for 122 yards, while Quinn McElfresh added 113 yards on nine catches.
· Ja'Terious Pouncy led the Tigers with 10 tackles, including eight solo stops.
· De'Arius Christmas registered six tackles, including two for a loss of 19 yards.
· De'Aumante Johnson finished the night with four solo tackles, three interceptions and a two-point conversion.
News & Notes
· Grambling State improved to 53-5-2 all-time against Mississippi Valley State
· The Delta Devils picked up their first first down with 8:55 remaining in the first half.
· After starting the season with a loss at Tulane, Grambling State has now won three straight.
· Grambling State came into the game ranked No. 22 in the FCS Coaches Poll and the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll, No. 3 in the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Poll and No. 1 in the SBN Black College Football Poll.
· Saturday night's victory against Mississippi Valley State was the fifth straight in the series as head coach Broderick Fobbs remained unbeaten against the Delta Devils.
Up Next
Grambling State steps out of SWAC play for a week as the Tigers visit Soldier Field on Saturday, Sept. 30. Grambling State will meet Clark Atlanta in the Chicago Football Classic with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.
Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
LORMAN, Mississippi -- Immediately after a 48-31 loss to Alcorn State, senior cornerback Danny Johnson had a pretty clear idea of what went wrong defensively.
“We missed a lot of tackles,” said senior cornerback Danny Johnson. “… I just feel like we’ve got to focus in more on that in practice, everybody’s got to take tackling seriously because that’s what cost us the game.”
It’s not a statistic that is officially tracked, but Southern clearly had difficulty wrangling the Braves, specifically running backs De’Lance Turner and P.J. Simmons, who combined to gash the Jaguars for 332 yards and four scores rushing.
Coach Dawson Odums wasn’t as quick to lay the blame on missed tackles after the game, but he vowed a solution would be on the horizon.
“I’ve got to look at the film and see what’s happening, I couldn’t see it from our sideline,” Odums said. “But we’re going to make some adjustments. We’re going to fix this run defense.”
LORMAN, Mississippi — Southern was looking for a desperation stop, and it found a dagger.
Trailing by 10 with two minutes to go, Alcorn State running back De’Lance Turner sprinted through a hole in the Southern defense on third and 3 and iced the game with a 49-yard touchdown run.
That 10-point lead swelled to 17 and Southern was out of timeouts and chances — and the Jaguars had plenty of chances in a 48-31 loss, their sixth in their last seven tries against the Braves.
The failure to stop Turner on that last defensive play was only the latest missed chance.
“About like what happened during the game,” said Southern coach Dawson Odums. “We missed opportunities.
“We’re going to make some adjustments. We’re going to fix this run defense.”
Alcorn State (2-2, 1-0) took control of the game in the second and third quarters, scoring 31 unanswered points on the strength of a rushing attack that gouged Southern (1-3, 0-1) for 383 yards. CONTINUE READING
SAVANNAH, Georgia -- A stirring defensive stand in the shadow of their end zone lifted the FAMU Football team past a determined Savannah State squad, 20-14 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams Saturday evening at Ted A. Wright Stadium.
The win for visiting FAMU (2-2, 1-0 MEAC) was their first win in a conference opener since 2012, while Savannah State (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) dropped their third straight in heartbreaking fashion within sight of the goal line.
Saturday's contest was hard-fought from start to finish, as the winless Tigers refused to relent for 60 minutes, drawing the game down to the final seconds.
Thankfully for FAMU, the Savannah State run game was neutralized as the Tigers had no time outs with 13 seconds left, and was forced to pass.
FIRST HALF
Both teams opened the game exchanging interceptions, with FAMU's Elijah Richardson picking off a Savannah State aerial, only to have Ryan Stanley toss an interception two plays later.
The Tigers converted the miscue into a 7-0 lead, on D'Vonn Gibbons' five-yard run, which capped an eight-play, 43 yard drive with 6:10 left.
FAMU answered with a 75-yard drive in seven played, capped by Stanley's 38-yard strike to freshman Chad Hunter for the tying score with 1:57 left in the quarter, following Khalil Clark's PAT kick.
The Rattlers dodged a bullet early in the second period, when a high snap on a punt try set the Tigers up on the FAMU 31-yard line. But the FAMU Defense stiffened, forcing the Tigers to punt from midfield.
Stanley then directed a 75-yard march, ending with a 15-yard strike to Chad Hunter for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead with 9:11 left in the half.
FAMU's Defense stepped up the heat in the period, recording a pair of sacks, while limiting the Tigers to just 26 yards of offense on 10 plays.
RB Devin Bowers rushed for 68 yards on 14 carries in the opening half, while Stanley was an efficient eight of 11 passing, for 113 yards and two TDs. PHOTO GALLERY
SECOND HALF
FAMU opened the secon half with the ball, moving to the SSU 40 before their drive stalled. Punter Chris Faddoul pinned the Tigers on their own 10-yard line.
The Tigers managed five yards before having the punt back to FAMU, which started their next drive from their own 34 yard line, two solid defensive plays led to the Rattler drive stalling, leading to a Faddoul punt.
Starting from thir own 31, the Tigers offense were able managed eight yards before punting back to FAMU, which struggle to mount a ground attack against the Tigers defense. Stanley's third down pass for 25 yards to Chaviss Murphy was just enough for a first down at the FAMU 47.
However a holding penalty and an incomplete pass, stalled the Rattlrs scoring bid, forcing a punt which landed at the Tiger two-yard line.
The Tigers drove 99 yards in 12 plays, capped by D'Vonn Gibbons' 41-yard sprint around right end for a 14-13 count with 11:57 lft in the fourth quarter. After three tries, Giovanni Lugo booted the PAT to tie the count at 14-14.
FAMU responded with a 12-play, 91-yard drive, capped by Tevin Spells, who punched it in from seven yards with 6:11 left. But Khalil Clark's PAT kick was wide left, leaving the Rattlers clinging to a 20-14 edge.
On the ensuing possession, Savannah drove to the FAMU 41, where the two squad exchanged five yard penalties, driving into the red zone with under 40 seconds left.
SSU ran a pair of running plays, with QB Gibbons recovering his own fumble at the FAMU four, then after an exchnge of timeouts, two Savannah State passes were batted away on third and fourth down.
FAMU took possession and ran a kneel down play to end the game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: FAMU edged SSU in total yards, 335-304, but the Tigers doubled up the Rattlers on the ground, 242-121....Devin Bowers had a season high 115 yards on 21 csrries, while Ryan Stanley finished 17 of 25 for 214 ysrds and two TD tosses... Freshman Chad Hunter led the Rattlers with six catches for 96 yards and two TDs, while senior Chaviss Murphy has six grabs for 74 yards, making a trio of clutch third down conversion grabs.... Jakaris Wilson led the FAMU defense with 12 tackles, a sack and tackle for loss, while Terry Jefferson added nine tackles and a tackle for loss. PRE-GAME NOTES
@ T.A. Wright Stadium, the site of this evening's game, was named in honor of the late SSU football coach and athletic director, Theodore "Ted" Wright, who served in the same role at FAMU from 1930 to 1932. It was completed in 1969.
@ FAMU came into the game looking for its first conference opening win since September 2012, when they bested Hampton University, 44-20 in Tallahassee.
@ Contrary to earlier reports, Savannah State will not be exiting Division One before the 2019-20 school year, meaning the Tigers will have two years remaining before a possible drop down.
@ Savannah State starting QB T.J. Bell was injured in last week's game against Montana, and he was expected to be a game time decision, but he was listed as doubtful with a lower leg injury.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Rattlers will play their first home game since their August 26 opener against Texas Southern. next Thursday against defending MEAC champion North Carolina Central (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) in a nationally-televised bout on ESPNU, kicking off at 7:30 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Kentucky State University football extended its win streak to 10-games over rival Central State University 34-22 in the 34th annual Circle City Classic at Lucas Oil Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Thorobreds (2-2, 1-0) opened their conference schedule with a win for the second time in three years, the previous being in 2015 against CSU. The Marauders (0-4, 0-3) continue to struggle as they've lost their first three games against SIAC opponents.
KSU struck first and never trailed throughout the contest. Junior kicker Turner Warren connected on two first-quarter field goals from 29 yards and 26 yards to put KSU up 6-0.
As the Thorobreds' defense kept the Marauders docked, the offense capitalized on mistakes, beginning with a second-half touchdown from junior quarterback Paul Campbell to sophomore wide receiver Jonathan Powell for a six-yard score. The 13-0 advantage didn't last long as CSU answered with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, pulling back within six.
KSU responded to the special teams score with a 13 play, 62-yard drive, ending with fake field goal touchdown. As Warren lined up for a 28-yard field goal attempt, he broke to his left after the snap, as junior wide receiver Cort Groathouse flipped the ball to Warren. The Louisville, Kentucky native eluded a tackler for his first career rushing touchdown putting KSU up 20-7.
CSU connected for a 32-yard field goal try, bringing the score within 10, going into the locker at halftime, 20-10. BOX SCORE
Sophomore running back Brett Sylve, the reigning SIAC Newcomer of the week, started off the third quarter with a four-yard touchdown run following a seven play, 65-yard drive, putting back KSU on top 27-10.
The Marauders fought to bring the game back within reach with a score following the Sylve touchdown, at 27-16, but it was an error by CSU in the fourth quarter, sealing the deal for the Thorobreds.
As CSU searched for a spark, KSU brought pressure causing a bad snap into the Marauders' end zone at the 6:31 mark of the final frame. Senior defensive lineman Donovan Cecil fell on the ball for his first career touchdown. KSU allowed another CSU touchdown in the closing minutes of the quarter, finishing off the Marauders with the victory formation in the last two minutes.
Sylve finished his day with a career-high 158 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Campbell also cashed in a career day with 244 passing yards, on 26-of-39 through the air, and a touchdown.
KSU will look to continue its winning ways on the road at Morehouse College on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 4 pm ET.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia – The Benedict College Tigers rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit to tie Fort Valley State University, only to fall to the Wildcats 31-28 in double overtime on Saturday at Wildcat Stadium.
The loss dropped Benedict to 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in the SIAC. Both of Benedict's losses have been in overtime on the road. Fort Valley State, the defending SIAC champions, moves to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the SIAC.
After both teams scored a touchdown in the first overtime, the Wildcats went on offense first in the second overtime. The Benedict defense held FVSU to a 33-yard field goal by Juan Serna for a 31-28 lead. Benedict took over on offense from the 25-yard line and got a 7-yard run by Deville McClendon on first down, but quarterback Dominique Harris fumbled on second down and the Wildcats recovered to end the game.
"It's a tough way to go out, with a turnover at the end," Benedict head coach Mike White said. "We fought hard to get back in the game. It just wasn't that one play. There were a lot of plays we didn't make today. I just like the way the guys hung in there and fought it out."
Benedict struggled against Fort Valley State's passing game in the first half as Wildcat quarterback Slade Jarman threw for 245 yards on 11-of-15 passing and three touchdowns in the first half. He went 22-of-34 for 358 yards for the game, with four touchdowns and one interception. His first touchdown pass went for 53 yards, then came back with a 45-yard scoring pass when the two Benedict defenders collided with each other and fell, allowing Jeremy Glinton to run into the end zone untouched. Glinton is a former Benedict wide receiver, who caught 20 passes for 378 yards and five touchdowns for the Tigers in 2014. The Wildcats added another 22-yard touchdown pass by Jarman to Tajee Steele with 37 seconds left in the half. That drive was set up by a Benedict fumble.
"It was just poor coverage," White said. "The coverage we called wasn't bad, we just didn't execute it."
Benedict took the second half kickoff and drove 82 yards on just five plays. Trini Charlton put the Tigers on the scoreboard with a 49-yard run. Charlton finished with 89 yards on 10 carries.
An Edward Kirkland interception at the start of the fourth quarter gave Benedict the ball at their own 40-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-six, Harris completed a 10-yard pass to Okechi Ntiasagwe for the key first down at the Fort Valley 13-yard line. Facing another fourth down, Harris threw a 6-yard pass to Myquerris McGrier to cut the lead to 21-14 with 9:58 remaining.
The Benedict defense held on the next series and the Tigers took over near midfield. A 12-yard run by Charlton and subsequent 15-yard personal foul penalty by the Wildcats gave Benedict the ball at the 26. On second down from the 4-yard line, Harris ran the ball in on a quarterback keeper. Tory Mimbs added the extra point to tie the contest at 21 with 5:17 on the clock.
Neither team made a scoring threat over the final five minutes sending the contest into overtime, with Benedict coming up with a big defensive stop on fourth down when Dontavis Hunt broke up a pass.
Fort Valley won the first coin toss and elected to go on defense. The Tigers got a 10-yard run by McClendon and a 15-yard scoring run by Harris for their first lead of the game, 28-21. The Wildcats tied the game when Jarman threw a 9-yard pass to Loren Smothers on third down. PHOTO GALLERY
In the second overtime, Fort Valley moved as far as the 16-yard line, where Serna booted the 33-yard field goal which proved to be the difference in the game.
Reubyn Walker led the Benedict defense with 13 tackles. The Tigers notched four sacks and had 14 tackles for loss.
"They fought and worked hard and didn't give up in the second half," White said. "We've got to shake it off and see if we can get back up for next week. That's the key, how fast we can get over this."
Benedict returns home next week to take on Central State. Kickoff is 6 p.m. in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 OVC
Tennessee State at UT Martin, 5 PM, ESPN3 SWAC
Grambling State at Mississippi Valley State, 7 PM
Texas Southern at Alabama A&M, 7 PM
Southern at Alcorn State, 7 PM
Arkansas Pine Bluff at Jackson State, 7 PM
Prairie View A&M at Alabama State, 8 PM
MEAC
North Carolina Central 33. South Carolina State 28, (9/21/17)
Bethune-Cookman at Howard, 1 PM
Monmouth at Hampton, 2 PM
Norfolk State at Delaware State, 2 PM
Florida A&M at Savannah State, 6 PM
North Carolina A&T at Morgan State, 7 PM
SIAC
Tuskegee at Findley (OH), 1 PM
Albany State at West Georgia, 2 PM
Benedict at Fort Valley State, 2 PM
Clark Atlanta at Lane, 2 PM
Central State (OH) vs. Kentucky State, Circle City Classic, Indianapolis, IN, 3 PM
Saint Augustine's at Lincoln (PA), 5 PM
Morehouse at Miles, 6 PM
OTHER CONF.
West Virginia State at Shepherd (WV), 12 Noon
Faith at Virginia-Lynchburg, 12 Noon
Cheyney at Bloomsburg, 2 PM
Bacone at Langston, 3 PM
Truman State at Lincoln (MO), 3 PM
Texas College at Wayland Baptist, 3 PM
Cumberlands at Edward Waters, 4:30 PM
CIAA
Fort Valley State at Virginia Union, 1 PM
Johnson C. Smith at Elizabeth City State, 1 PM
Shaw at Bowie State, 6 PM
Winston-Salem State at Virginia State, 6 PM
Livingstone at Chowan, 6 PM
DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University overcame a 14-point, first-half deficit and scored the only two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to earn a 33-28 victory over MEAC foe South Carolina State University during a nationally-televised ESPNU contest on Thursday night at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
A swarming NCCU defense registered 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including three sacks, while holding the Bulldogs to only 80 yards of total offense in the second half. Junior safety Alden McClellon paced the Eagles with 3.0 stops for a loss with a sack and eight total takedowns. Senior linebacker Reggie Hunter collected a team-best nine tackles with 2.5 hits for a loss and a pass break-up, while fellow linebacker Kenneth O'Neal added eight tackles with 2.0 stops for a loss.
The NCCU defense even contributed in the scoring column, as junior safety Davanta Reynolds halted a S.C. State drive when he returned a fumble 85 yards for a touchdown.
Offensively, NCCU (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) was led by freshman quarterback Chauncey Caldwell with a game-high 91 yards rushing and two passing touchdowns. Caldwell's first pass attempt of the night found senior wide receiver Jordan Fieulleteau in the end zone for a 27-yard score. The Durham, North Carolina native capped the evening with the game-winning 38-yard pass to junior tight end Josh McCoy with 5:24 left in the contest.
Caldwell's heroics may not have been possible if not for sophomore quarterback Naiil Ramadan, who entered the game during a critical drive in the fourth quarter when Caldwell was temporarily sidelined. Ramadan scrambled to his right and fired a strike to senior receiver Jacen Murphy for a 20-yard touchdown.
And while Ramadan proved he's a clutch performer, the right foot of junior kicker Aedan Johnson also proved worthy of the tag. Johnson nailed field goals of 35 and 41 yards to keep the Eagles close in the third quarter, and he converted all three extra-point kicks.
S.C. State (1-2, 0-1 MEAC) was charged by sophomore quarterback Dewann Ford with 223 yards and two touchdowns through the air and a team-high 29 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Linebacker Darius Leonard, the MEAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, amassed a game-best 12 tackles for the Bulldogs.
The Eagles have now won 16 consecutive conference games and 10 straight at home.
After opening the season with three outings in Durham, NCCU will leave the Bull City for the first time next week to play Florida A&M in a second straight Thursday night ESPNU game on Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
BOX SCORE NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
*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
