Saturday, October 5, 2013

South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T Battle in Atlanta; Other HBCU Football Action on Saturday



By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

It will be a playoff atmosphere in Atlanta today and that's not because of the Braves being in the Major League Baseball playoffs.

North Carolina A&T and South Carolina State, the two top teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the nation, battle in the 25th Annual Atlanta Football Classic at the Georgia Dome.  The Aggies are 3-0 this season while South Carolina State is 3-2, but only blemished by a close loss to Coastal Carolina and a mismatch at Clemson. 

Aggies head coach Rod Broadway said the game is a big one for his program as it returns from some down years, particularly a two-year NCAA probabation.

"I think we’re making progress and I think we’re getting better," he said during the MEAC teleconference this week. "You can’t get too carried away with winning three ball games. We’re pleased to be undefeated and have three ball games and I think we’re getting close. Now when we can do what South Carolina State has done, what Bethune-Cookman’s done, then I’d say we’ve turned the corner. But we’re not there yet. That’s why this games is so important to us because it gives us a chance to play against the people that’s been winning this league the last 10 years."

The Aggies sport the MEAC's stingest defense, allowing only 16 points per game while the Bulldogs lead the MEAC in scoring, piling up almost 31 points per game. 

That makes South Carolina State's head coach Buddy Pough a little wary.

“They remind me a bunch of ourselves,” he said. “It’s a whole team filled with guys that can run. They do a good job of keeping a lot of eyes on the football, so they break and run to the football extremely well. So they’re a tough team to deal with on defense.”

The game will be broadcast live by the Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN), which is available on Sirius XM across the country. Kickoff at the Georgia Dome is at 3:30 p.m. EST. 

 

Two of the SIAC's Top Teams, Tuskegee and Fort Valley State, Tangle

Fort Valley State hosts Tuskegee in a big game that will go a long way in determining if Fort Valley State is really the contenders that they normally are.

This is a team that lost their first two games this season (though one was to perennial national power, Valdosta State) and barely got past winless Clark Atlanta two weeks ago.

Head coach Donald Pittman told The Macon Telegraph that though his team has won their last two games, they have hardly been world-beaters.

“We were inconsistent on offense, and we struggled,” Pittman said of last week’s 35-30 win over Benedict. “The run game wasn’t that effective, neither was the passing game. You look at it realistically, the offensive linemen, there are only two (back) from last year. Usually it takes time for the offensive line to jell, and you need that time.”

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2013/10/04/2702081/fort-valley-state-knows-what-to.html#storylink=cpy

Meanwhile, Tuskegee is rolling along.  The Golden Tigers' only loss so far this season was to the nation's top ranked HBCU Division II football team, Winston-Salem State, and they've soundly beaten a FCS-Division I team in Alabama A&M.   They do it with a tough defense, ranked second in the SIAC, and a steady offense that averages 24 points per game.

But after last week's win over Lane, Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater said his team is focused on each step it will take to win an SIAC title.

"This win is the first step towards what we want to accomplish," he said, "and we just have to take it a week at a time and begin to focus on Fort Valley State."

Here is your primer on all the other HBCU football action today: 

SWAC

- Grambling is in search of their first win since Oct. 20, 2012 when they take on Prairie View in the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic in Dallas.
 - Alabama A&M hosts Mississippi Valley State in their homecoming game
- Texas Southern looks for their first win of the season when they host Alabama State
- Alcorn State tries to stay undefeated at home as they host homecoming opponent Warner
- Winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff has a steep challenge as they visit Jackson State

SIAC

- Kentucky State hosts Alderson-Broaddus
- Morehouse hosts their Atlanta University Center rival from a block away, Clark Atlanta University
- Winless Central State is the homecoming opponent for undefeated West Texas A&M
- Miles tries to follow up their first win of the season when they face Benedict

MEAC

- It's Community Day at Howard as the Bison host North Carolina Central 
- Winless Morgan State tries to get their first victory over Florida A&M since 2009 during the Bears homecoming this weekend
- Delaware State's home opener is a tough one -- they host top-ranked HBCU team Bethune-Cookman
- Two one-win teams, Norfolk State and Savannah State, battle in Norfolk

CIAA

- Johnson C. Smith looks to get back on the winning side when they host Lincoln (Pa.)
- Virginia Union visits a tough Livingstone squad
- Virginia State visits Shaw in a big game for both squads
- St. Augustine's hosts winless Elizabeth City State
- Top-ranked Division II Winston-Salem State hosts 2-2 Bowie State on Community Day

Others

- Nationally-ranked Tennessee State gets back into Ohio Valley Conference play when they host Southeast Missouri State
- Langston looks for their first win at Southwestern Assemblies of God


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Bethune-Cookman and Winston-Salem State Tops in Add's HBCU Sports Report Top Ten Polls

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.


The gap is narrowing, but Bethune-Cookman remains the top team among HBCU Division I-Football Championship Series football teams while Winston-Salem State has shown they are the team to beat in HBCU Division II football.

Both teams head the Add's HBCU Sports Report Top Ten Football Polls for FCS and Division II teams.

Bethune-Cookman, who was off last weekend, defeated second-ranked Tennessee State 12-9 in the season-opener for both teams and has gone on to win two other games easily, except for a blowout loss to Division I-FBS power Florida State.  Tennessee State shook off the close Bethune-Cookman loss to power to three straight wins, including a 73-6 demolition of Central State this past weekend. Tennessee State was also without starting quarterback Michael German in the Bethune-Cookman loss. German has now returned, throwing three first half touchdowns in the Central State win.

The rest of the top five is North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State (both teams meet Saturday in the Atlanta Football Classic) and Jackson State.

In Division II, Winston-Salem State had questions heading into the season after losing their starting quarterback and a few other key players.  They stumbled out of the gate, losing to UNC-Pembroke in their first game.  But since then, the Rams' offense has averaged nearly 43 points a game in destroying their last three opponents to claim the top spot in the Add's HBCU Sports Report Division II Top Ten Poll.

One of the teams they dominated was Tuskegee, the second ranked squad, who counts among their three wins is an easy 23-7 victory over the SWAC's Alabama A&M.  They face eighth ranked Fort Valley State this weekend.

The rest of the top five is Virginia State, Johnson C. Smith (Virginia State defeated previously unbeaten Johnson C. Smith last weekend) and Stillman.

Here is the entire Division I-FCS and Division II Add's HBCU Sports Report HBCU Top Ten Polls: 

Division I-Football Championship Series

1) Bethune-Cookman
2) Tennessee State

3) North Carolina A&T
4) South Carolina State
5) Jackson State
6) Alabama State
7) Alcorn State
8) North Carolina Central
9) Prairie View
10) Southern


Division II

1) Winston-Salem State
2) Tuskegee
3) Virginia State
4) Johnson C. Smith
5) Stillman
6) Fayetteville State
7) St. Augustine's
8) Fort Valley State
9) Benedict
10) Bowie State

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Thorpe's Late TD Pass Gives Virginia State 19-17 Win Over Johnson C. Smith; All Other HBCU Football Scores


By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Justin Thorpe

Justin Thorpe threw a 6-yard touchdown pass with 41 seconds left lifted Virginia State a 19-17 win over previously undefeated Johnson C. Smith.

Keahn Wallace put Johnson C. Smith up 17-13 late in the fourth of the back-and-forth battle with an 11-yard touchdown run with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter.  But Virginia State drove down the field, 81 yards on 11 plays, to put away the game.

Thorpe finished with 76 yards rushing and 84 yards passing and two touchdowns for Virginia State.  Jordan Anderson added 84 yards rushing for the Trojans. Wallace had 322 yards passing and a touchdown to lead the Golden Bulls.

Virginia State (3-1, 1-0 CIAA)is at Shaw next Saturday while Johnson C. Smith (3-1, 1-1) hosts Lincoln (Pa.).

Photo by Lloyd Gallman/Montgomery Advertiser
 Crowell's Four Touchdowns Leads Alabama State to 49-20 Win Over Alcorn State

Isiah Crowell had 133 yards rushing and four touchdowns to power Alabama State to a 49-30 win over Alcorn State in a key Southwestern Athletic Conference clash Saturday.

Crowell had three first half touchdown runs of 4, 25, and 4 to help the Hornets jump out to a 28-7 halftime lead.  The Hornets lead was 42-7 early in the fourth quarter, but Alcorn State made it interesting, outscoring Alabama State 23-7 to make a late run.

Alcorn State quarterback John Gibbs, who had two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, finished 288 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Alabama State (3-2, 2-2 SWAC) is at Texas Southern next week while Alcorn State (3-2, 2-1) hosts Southern.

Photo by Bob Cathany/Al.com

Wells' Late Touchdown Lifts Alabama A&M to 12-10 Win Over Texas Southern

Brandon Wells' 4-yard touchdown run with 1:32 left in the game lifted Alabama A&M to a 12-10 victory over Texas Southern.

The Tigers, who were looking for their first win of the season, had taken a 10-6 lead at the end of the third quarter after Edward Perkins-Loving's 6-yard touchdown run.  But the Bulldogs drove down the field on their final drive to set up Wells' run.  Texas Southern missed a 42-yard field goal at the end of the game that would have been the game winner.

Brandon Eldemire led the Bulldogs with 83 yards rushing and a touchdown while Barrington Scott added 77 yards on the ground.  Homer Causey had 184 yards passing for Texas Southern.

Alabama A&M (2-3 2-1) gets back into the thick of the SWAC race with the win.  They host Mississippi Valley State next weekend.  Texas Southern (0-4, 0-3) hosts Alabama State.



Tennessee State Manhandles Marauders 73-6

In its final regular-season game with an HBCU football game, nationally-ranked Tennessee State served notice to the black college football world that they aren't just playing around this year.

Tim Broughton had 108 yards rushing and two touchdowns as a balance TSU attack throttled Central State 73-6 in the Gateway Classic in St. Louis. 

TSU quarterbacks Michael German and Ronald Butler each added three touchdowns passing (the two combined to go 13-of-16 on the night).  

Broughton had two first quarter touchdowns while German started the game 8-for-8 and all three of his touchdowns as the Tigers ran out to a 43-6 halftime lead.  Butler then came in added three second half touchdowns passes. 

At the same time, the Tennessee State defense only allowed the Marauders 180 yards total offense,

Tennessee State (4-1) now focuses on Ohio Valley Conference play when they host Southeast Missouri State next Saturday.  Central State (0-4), in their first season of Division II competition, visits West Texas A&M.

All Other HBCU Football Scores:

MEAC

Norfolk State 27, Morgan State 21
South Carolina State 30, Hampton 6
Delaware State 24, Savannah State 22
North Carolina A&T 27, Howard 19 (Thursday night)

CIAA

St. Augustine's 29, Bowie State 7
Winston-Salem State 55, Virginia Union 15
Livingstone 35, Lincoln (Pa.) 7
Fayetteville State 31, Elizabeth City State 27
Chowan 29, Shaw 23



SWAC

Lamar 27, Grambling 16
Prairie View 56, Stephen F. Austin 48
Jackson State 19, Southern 14

SIAC

Miles 22, Albany State 14
Stillman 26, Kentucky State 21
Morehouse 28, Edward Waters 26
Tuskegee 42, Lane 14
Fort Valley 35, Benedict 30