Branche, Spartans Hold off Morgan State
Norfolk State 31, Morgan State 23
Hughes Stadium - Baltimore, Md.
BALTIMORE, Md. - Running back DeAngelo Branche rushed for a season-high 145 yards and scored a touchdown rushing and receiving as Norfolk State defeated Morgan State 31-23 on Saturday evening at Hughes Stadium.
The win gives the Spartans (5-4, 4-3 MEAC) their first two-game winning streak of the season, while the Bears (5-4, 3-3) have lost three straight.
Quarterback Dennis Brown completed 14-of-21 passes for 215 yards and two scores, and safety Josh Anderson (Chesapeake, Va.) scored the first defensive touchdown of his career on a 62-yard interception return in the first quarter.
There were four lead changes in the first half as both teams moved the ball at will. Morgan State's Domanick West capped a nine-play, 67-yard game-opening drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 10:37 left in the first quarter. The Bears converted a 3rd-and-16 in NSU territory to set up the scoring run.
The Bears were driving in NSU territory on their next drive. But Anderson intercepted a third-down pass from Carlton Jackson and returned it 62 yards for the game-tying touchdown. It was Anderson's first career interception and the first defensive score of the year for the Spartans.
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Bulldogs Roll Over Howard
South Carolina State 43, Howard 13
Greene Stadium - Washington, DC
Washington, DC-William Ford rushed for 108 yards and a TD and Malcolm Long passed for three touchdowns to lead South Carolina State to an easy 43-13 win over Howard in a MEAC game at Greene Stadium.
The Bulldogs (8-1 overall, 6-0 in the MEAC), who are ranked Number 10 in the national polls, got off to a slow start. SC State took the opening kickoff and marched 46 yards, but the Bison defense held and forced a 44-yard field goal by Blake Erickson.
Howard (2-7 overall, 0-6 in the MEAC) countered with a drive of its own but it ended with in an interception in the end zone.
The Bulldogs begin to show why they are one of the highest scoring teams in the Football College Subdivision (FCS) when they marched 80 yards on seven plays. Long capped off the drive with a 28-yard strike to Terrance Smith.
Howard was able to stay close when Dennis Wiehberg nailed a 37-yard field goal at the beginning of the second quarter to make the score, 10-3.
But South Carolina State came right back on Long's second TD pass of the game, this time a 14-yard dart to Chris Massey. The Bulldogs tacked on two more points on a safety and a 28-yard field goal by Erickson. Wiehberg connected on a 35-yard field as the half ended to trail, 22-6 at intermission.
Read the entire story at Howard-Bison.com.
Hornets Ease Past Stubborn Rams
Delaware State 24, Winston-Salem State 21
Bowman-Gray Stadium - Winston-Salem, N.C.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Delaware State led by 17 points in the second quarter, then held off a late Winston-Salem State charge en route to a 24-21 victory at Bowman Gray Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Hornets won for the second time in three games to improve to 3-6 on the season. The Rams fell for the eighth time in nine games.
Jaashawn Jones rushed for 143 yards on 35 carries, each a career-high, to lead the Delaware State offense. His total carries were one shy of the school record 36 by Fabian Thorne in 1995.
The Hornets jumped out to a 24-7 lead in the first half, forcing five turnovers which resulted in 14 points. DSU out-gained the Rams 165-107, including 90 yards on the ground by J. Jones.
Riley Flickinger got the scoring started with a 26-yard field goal with 6:24 left in the first quarter. The field goal conversion capped off a seven-play, 19-yard drive which ate up 3:30.
A 21-yard fumble recovery by Jerome Strums extended DSU's lead to 10-0 with 5:52 in the first quarter. On a botched pitch to Jonathan Harris from Jarrett Dunston at the WSSU 21, Strums picked up the fumble and returned it untouched into the endzone. The fumble recovery for a touchdown was the first for Delaware State since 2007 (Reggie McCoy 19 yards versus Delaware - 11/23/07). Strums also had an interception in the game, his team-leading third of the season. He now has six picks in his career.
Click here for the complete at DSUHornets.com.
Read more here at WSSUrams.com.
FAMU Outlasts N.C. A&T in Home Finale
Florida A&M 31, North Carolina A&T 27
Bragg Memorial Stadium - Tallahassee, Fla.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Nov. 7) - All-America Leroy Vann's 51-yard punt return for a touchdown sparked a 14-point third quarter blitz, helping FAMU to hold off a determined North Carolina A&T squad, 31-27 in the Rattlers' 2009 home finale in Bragg Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon.
That third period flurry helped the Rattlers (7-2, 5-1 in MEAC) overhaul the Aggies (5-5, 3-4 in MEAC), after the visitors had used a
similar 14-point surge midway through the second quarter to grab a 21-17 halftime advantage.
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Williams' Big Plays Lead Wildcats in win over Pirates
Bethune-Cookman 27, Hampton 24
Municipal Stadium - Daytona Beach, Fla.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Senior defensive back and punt returner Michael Williams made two big plays to seal the win as the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (4-5, 3-3 MEAC) celebrated Senior Day with a 27-24 victory over the Hampton Pirates (4-5, 2-4 MEAC) Saturday evening at Municipal Stadium.
B- Back Jonathan Moment ran for three touchdowns to pace the B-CU rushing attack but it was Williams returned a punt 76 yards for touchdown in the first quarter with an electrifying return. Then in the final minute, he intercepted a Hampton pass in the end zone to preserve the hard-fought MEAC victory over the Pirates.
After trailing 24-20 at halftime, Moment broke a 19-yard touchdown run with 10:09 left in the third quarter to put Bethune-Cookman up for good.
Quarterback Matthew Johnson was 10-for-16 with 117 passing yards for the Wildcats.
B-CU's defense stood up strong in the final 15 minutes stopping the Pirates on a first and goal from the five yard line following a Wildcat fumble. Hampton missed a game-tying 20 yard field goal with five minutes to play and Williams' interception in the end zone in the final minute preserved the win.
Hampton was paced by running back LaMarcus Coker, who rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. Pirates' quarterback David Legree added 113 passing yards for two touchdowns, while Isiah Thomas finished with 55 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Click here for the complete story at bcuathletics.com.
