Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Winston-Salem State and Bethune-Cookman Continue to Top Add's HBCU Sports Report Top Ten Football Polls

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.



Heading into the final weeks of the regular season, the two leaders in the Add's HBCU Sports Report Top Ten polls - Bethune-Cookman and Winston-Salem State -- are holding firm to their top spots.

In Division II, Winston-Salem State defeated sixth-ranked Shaw 28-24 last weekend, but had to come from behind with less than a minute left in the game to do it.  It kept in tact their 17-game CIAA winning streak and their undefeated record in conference play so far this year. 

In the FCS poll, Tennessee State has company in the second place ranking this week.  TSU was blown out for a second week in a row, this time to another Ohio Valley Conference and national FCS ranked team, Eastern Kentucky.   The Tigers are holding on to their spot, but only on the strength of their schedule and having easily defeated fellow No. 2 HBCU team, Jackson State who was idle this past weekend.

Here are the complete FCS and Division II Add's HBCU Sports Report Top Ten Football polls for this week: 


Division I- Football Championship Series
1) Bethune-Cookman
2) Tennessee State
2) Jackson State
4) South Carolina State
5) Alabama State
6) Alcorn State
7) Prairie View
8) Southern
9) North Carolina A&T
10) Delaware State

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

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Winston-Salem State Survives Shaw; Alabama A&M Surprises Alcorn State; Tenn. State Blanked by EKU; Scores from ALL HBCU Football Games

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.
Photo by Garrett Garns/WSSU Photography

Rudy Johnson's 17-yard touchdown pass to Chase Powell with 59 seconds left in the game helped Winston-Salem State avoid a huge upset bid as the Rams survived Shaw 28-24.

Winston-Salem State, the nation's top HBCU Division II team and one of the nation's top Division II teams overall, had led by 21 points midway through the second quarter and looking like they were going to cruise to another CIAA win. Johnson had thrown three touchdown passes, one to Powell, another to Graham Love and a third to Eric Williams. 

But the Bears scored 24 unanswered points (Trevius Folston threw two touchdown passes to David Jordan, Andres Magallon kicked a field goal and Darnell Evans picked off a Johnson pass and went 88 yards for a final touchdown midway in the fourth quarter) to take the lead with a little more than eight minutes left in the game and send a huge gasp throughout Division II and the CIAA.

The Rams got the ball with 3:32 left in the game and drove 81 yards over the next 2:20, culminating in Johnson's game-winning toss to Powell.  Shaw had one last drive that ended in downs at the Winston-Salem State 38.

Johnson finished with 208 yards and four touchdown passes, but with two interceptions.  Johnson also led the Rams with 71 yards rushing. Folston had only 140 yards passing, but with two touchdowns.  Marquise Grizzle rushed for 109 yards on 24 carries.

Winston-Salem State (8-0, 6-0 in the CIAA), now hosts Fayetteville State next Saturday in a game that will decide the Southern Division title. Shaw (5-4, 3-3) lost a chance at the CIAA Southern Division title with the loss.  They close their season next week when they host St. Augustine's. 

Final Minute TD Toss Gives Morgan State 30-27 Win Over Hampton 


Robert Council threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Nate Ingram with 26 seconds left in the game to give Morgan State a 30-27 win over one of the hottest teams in the nation, Hampton.

The Bears led 23-7 at halftime as three different players scored TDs (Council a touchdown run, Tubotein Taylor on a 93-yard kickoff return and Lamont Brown's 11-yard sprint). 

Hampton stormed back.  Jorrian Washington returned the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, followed by a Marcus Hampton 31-yard TD run and Antwon Chisholm's fourth-quarter 58-yard touchdown jaunt to go up 27-23 with ten minutes left in the game.

But Council drove the Bears down the field with less than three minutes left in the game to throw his touchdown pass and end Hampton's three-game winning streak.

Morgan State (3-6, 3-2 in the MEAC) moves into a tie for fourth place with the Pirates.  The Bears, who have now won three of their last four games, host North Carolina A&T next Saturday.  Hampton (3-6, 3-2) hosts North Carolina Central next week.

Lee's Three Touchdown Tosses Lift Alabama A&M to 19-18 win over Alcorn State
 
Jaymason Lee threw three touchdown passes to lead Alabama A&M to a 19-18 upset win over Alcorn State Saturday.

The Bulldogs had been down by as much as 15 points after midway through the second quarter.  But Lee's third touchdown pass of the game, a 26-yarder to Jonathan Dorsey late in the third quarter, erased Alcorn State's lead and ended the Braves four-game winning streak.

"I'm proud of my team. They made some great plays today," said Alabama A&M head coach Anthony Jones.  "I've said all along we are a good football team and we are better than what our record says."



Alabama A&M (3-6, 3-4 in the SWAC), which got Jones his 100th career win, takes on the SWAC's top team, Jackson State next Saturday. The SWAC's second-best team, Alcorn State (7-3, 5-2), hosts Prairie View Saturday.

Here are all of the HBCU football scores from Saturday:

CIAA
- St. Augstine's 13, Johnson C. Smith 6

- Fayetteville State 34, Livingstone 31
- Bowie State 76, Lincoln (Pa) 19
- Elizabeth City State 28, Virginia Union 21
- Virginia State 28, Chowan 0

MEAC
- Bethune-Cookman 38, North Carolina Central 14

- North Carolina A&T 59, Virginia-Lynchburg 12
- South Carolina State 45, Savannah State 9
- Florida A&M 16, Norfolk State 6
- Delaware State 22, Howard 20

SIAC
- Albany State 31, Benedict 6
- Tuskegee 41, Central State 10
- Lane 38, Kentucky State 28
- Shorter 58, Clark Atlanta 14
- Fort Valley State 46, Morehouse 19
- Miles 31, Stillman 30




SWAC
- Grambling 47, Mississippi Valley State 40
- Alabama A&M 19, Alcorn State 18
- Kentucky 48, Alabama State 14
- Southern 31, Texas Southern 24 (Fri, Nov. 1)


Others
- Eastern Kentucky 44, Tennessee State 0
- West Chester 66, Cheney 14
- Central Oklahoma 49, Lincoln (Mo) 42
- Langston 20, Panhandle State 19
- Notre Dame 42, West Virginia State 16