Sept. 26, 2012

Tennessee State and Winston Salem State Top the HBCU Football Polls

Historically black college and university football experts in four of the five most respected weekly HBCU football polls have named Tennessee State University as the nation's top HBCU football team this week.
     Only one, the Black College Sports Page, ranked the Nashville school outside of the top spot.  In their poll, 4-0 TSU was ranked second to Winston Salem State University, who is also undefeated at 4-0 so far this season.  Undefeated Alabama A&M is ranked either No. 2 or 3 in each of the polls.
      In the polls that split NCAA Division I and Division II teams, D-II Winston Salem State leads their national polls while TSU tops the Division I polls.
       Tennessee State hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff in their homecoming game Saturday afternoon while Winston Salem State visits Bowie State in Maryland.
        Here are the links to the five HBCU polls:      

Sheridan Broadcasting Network 
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/misc/sheridan-poll.htm

Boxtorow
http://www.boxtorow.com/polls/nationalhbcufootballpoll.php

HSRN
http://www.hsrn.com/tenn-state-new-1-in-d-i-as-wssu-rules-d-ii-poll/

Dr. Cavil
http://www.tspnsports.com/2012/09/24/dr-cavils-hbcu-major-and-mid-major-football-polls-9242012.htm

Black College Sports Page
http://onnidan.com/index.php/football/2012-polls/1913-black-college-sports-page-top-10


HBCU Football Schedule for the Weekend of Sept. 27-29


SWAC

Sam Houston State vs. Texas Southern (Thursday, Sept.27)
Florida A&M vs. Southern (Atlanta Football Classic, Atlanta, Ga.)
Grambling vs. Alabama A&M (Louis Crews Classic/Hall of Fame Game)
Prairie View vs. Jackson State
Alabama State vs. Alcorn State (Homecoming)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Tennessee State (Homecoming)

MEAC

Morgan State vs. North Carolina A&T (Thursday, Sept. 27)
Savannah State vs. Howard
Bethune Cookman vs. Hampton (Military Salute Day/Take A Kid to the Game/Greek Night)
Florida A&M vs. Southern (Atlanta Football Classic, Atlanta, Ga)
Norfolk State vs. South Carolina State (Youth/ROTC Day)

CIAA

Winston Salem State vs. Bowie State (Services Appreciation Day)
Fayetteville State vs. Chowan
Johnson C. Smith vs. Lincoln (Inaugural Hall of Fame Game)
Livingstone vs. Virginia Union (11th Annual Lucille M. Brown Community Youth Bowl)
St Augustine vs. Elizabeth City State (15th Annual Down East Viking Classic)
Shaw vs. Virginia State


SIAC

Morehouse at Clark Atlanta
Stillman vs. Lane
Albany State vs. Kentucky State (Chicago Football Classic, Chicago, Ill.)
Benedict vs. Miles
Fort Valley State vs. Tuskegee

Independents/Other Conferences

Central State vs. William Jewell College
St. Augustine vs. Elizabeth City State
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Tennessee State (Homecoming)

Weekend of Sept. 22-24, 2012

(photo by Nigel Cook/Daytona Beach News Journal)

TENNESSEE STATE STAYS UNDEFEATED WITH WIN AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN
     
Tennessee State goes to 4-0 for the first time since 2006 after defeating Bethune-Cookman 21-14 Saturday afternoon in Daytona Beach, Fla.
       The Big Blue Tigers capitalized on quarterback Michael Germain's 80-yard pass to A.C. Leonard on the game's second play with a 4-yard Trabis Ward touchdown run immediately afterwards.  The Tigers added two more touchdowns -- a 6-yard dash by Ward and a recovered blocked punt by Daniel Fitzpatrick that he took 33 yards for another touchdown to put TSU up 21-0 with 2:15 left in the first half.
       Bethune-Cookman answered with a quick drive that ended with a Preston Cleckley touchdown catch.  The Wildcats then grabbed a tipped Germain pass and returned it for another touchdown to pull within a touchdown, 21-14, before the end of the first half.
       Neither team could muster another a second half score as Bethune-Cookman, now 2-2 on the season, lost their first home game since September 2011.  The loss also ends an eight-game FCS Wildcats winning streak.
        Ward finished with 157 yards rushing to go with his two touchdowns for TSU.  Bethune-Cookman's Isadore Jackson had 65 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
        Tennessee State now looks to go 5-0 for the first time since 2001 when they host Arkansas Pine-Bluff (3-1) next week during TSU's homecoming week.  TSU will also be celebrating the University's 100th anniversary.

DEAUNTE MASON'S 5 TD'S LEADS ALABAMA A&M IN ROUT OF TEXAS SOUTHERN

 Deaute Mason had five touchdowns, three rushing and two passing, as Alabama A&M scored on six of 11 offensive drives to rout Texas Southern 41-13 in Houston, Texas Saturday.  Alabama A&M goes to 4-0 on the season, their best start since 1966.
       After a Chris Ervin interception, Mason's 1-yard run put the Bulldogs up 7-0 early in the first quarter.  Texas Southern answered with Randolph Johnson's 44-yard touchdown pass to Fred Plummer to pull to 7-6.   But the Bulldogs, led by Mason's arms and legs, scored 28 unanswered points to put the game away.
       It was Mason's second straight five-TD day after he had three rushing touchdowns and two through the air against Prairie View on Sept 15.
       Alabama A&M hosts Grambling on Sept. 29 in the Louis Crews Classic and Hall of Fame Game.  The 6 p.m. game will be live on ESPN3 and on tape delay on ESPNU.

SCORES BY CONFERENCE

SWAC

Arkansas State 56, Alcorn State 0
Northwestern St. 45, Mississippi Valley 14
Southern 28, Jackson State 21
North Dakota State 66, Prairie View 7
Alabama A&M 42, Texas Southern 13
Arkansas Pine-Bluff 24, Alabama State 21 (Thursday, Sept. 20)

MEAC

North Carolina Central 45, Savannah State 33
Florida A&M 24, Delaware State 22
Tennessee State 21, Bethune-Cookman 14
Ohio 44, Norfolk State 10
Texas A&M 70, South Carolina State 14

CIAA

Livingston 48, Lincoln (Pa) 33
Chowan 49, Shaw 35
Johnson C. Smith 28, Virginia State 21
Elizabeth City State 20, Fayetteville State 13
Winston Salem State 35, Virginia Union 6
St. Augustine 38, Bowie State 22

SIAC

Miles 41, Albany State 6
Fort Valley 33, Benedict 10
Concordia 22, Clark Atlanta 17
Lane 37, Morehouse 34 (OT)
Stillman 27, Kentucky State 8