UAB 45, Alabama State 10
BIRMINGHAM, AL – The UAB Blazers posted first win of the season, a 45-10 win over Alabama State in the Hornets’ final pre-SWAC tuneup. The Blazers turned an Alabama State interception to a touchdown on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead just over 4 minutes into the game.
The Hornets came right back, scoring on an eight play 80-yard drive. Reid Herchenbach connected with Darius Mathis on a 39-yard scoring play to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:52 to play in quarter. UAB answered with its second touchdown of the period on the ensuing possession to take the lead for good, 14-7. The Blazers added two second-quarter TDs to take a 28-7 halftime lead.
The Blazers added three second-half scores (2 TDs, 1 FG). Alabama State had one score after halftime, a 42-yard field goal by Jake King. Herchenback completed 25 of 33 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown. Mathis caught 7 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown.
Grambling State 14, Jackson State 5
GRAMBLING, LA – In a hard-fought, defensive struggle, Grambling State beat Jackson State in a rematch of the 2007 SWAC Football Championship game.
GSU scored first in the second quarter. J.P. Tillman hooked up with Nick Lewis on a 46-yard touchdown pass to give Grambling State a 7-0 lead they would take to halftime.
In the third quarter, Jackson State’s defense set up the offense deep in GSU territory. Sam Washington forced a fumble on Grambling’s Tillman that was recovered by JSU’s Dennis Coit at the GSU 25.
However, the Grambling defense rose to the occasion, stopping Jackson State in the red zone. JSU had first-and-goal at the one but was denied. On fourth-and-goal from the two, with the crowd rising to its feet, GSU’s Kenneth Anio tackled J-State’s Bloi-Dei Dorzon at the one, turning the ball over to Grambling State.
Jackson State’s defense rose up on the ensuing play, as Marcus Benard and Marcellus Speaks combined to tackle GSU’s Frank Warren for a safety to put Jackson State on the board with 6:33 to play in the period.
J-State scored again after the safety kickoff, as a six play, 62-yard drive ended with a 26-yard field goal by Eric Perri to cut the deficit to 7-5 with 2:21 to play in the third.
Both teams battled in the fourth quarter but could not score again. GSU’s Kenneth Anio grabbed an interception with 3:08 to play to stop a JSU drive.
J-State had one final opportunity with 1:33 to play but Grambling State’s Bruna Foster returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown for the final margin.
For GSU, Tillman completed 10 of 20 passes for 103 yards and one touchdown. Cornelius Walker led the rushing attack with 12 carries for 57 yards. Keefe Hall led the defense with nine tackles (1.5 for loss). For J-State, Rutland completed 20 of 34 passes for 255 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Jackson State rushing attack was limited 12 yards on 32 carries. Carlos Simpson caught five passes for 18 yards, and Marcellus Wilder caught three passes for 92 yards. Speaks led all defenders with 14 tackles.
Prairie View A&M 49, Mississippi Valley State 15
ITTA BENA, MS – Prairie View A& M ran its record to 3-0 for the first time since 1964 as it won big at Mississippi Valley.
After Mississippi Valley converted an early interception to a Ronald Brewer touchdown run and a 7-0 lead less than six minutes into the game, it was all Prairie View A&M.
The Panthers scored on three straight possessions to take a 16-7 halftime lead. In the second half, PVAMU converted four Valley turnovers (1 INT, 3 fumbles) into touchdowns to break the game open.
QB Mark Spivey completed 16 of 25 passes for 252 and 3 TDs and rushed 10 times for 77 yards and another score. Nine different Panthers caught passes in the win as they rolled up 404 yards total offense.
Mississippi Valley State was held to 186 total yards. A trio of quarterbacks completed 10 of 31 passes for 151 yards.
Alabama A&M 37, Central State 17
HUNTSVILLE, AL – Alabama A&M rallied from 10-7 and 17-14 deficits to put away pesky Central State.
The Bulldogs found their offensive groove in the second half, scoring on their first four possessions and five of their first six (4 TDs, 1 FG) after halftime.QB Kevin Atkins bounced back from two first-half interceptions in leading the Bulldogs’ comeback. For the game, he completed 15 of 26 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
Anthony Green rushed seven times for 78 yards and Ulysses Banks rushed 14 times for 77 yards and three touchdowns. Thomas Harris caught four passes for 132 yards and one touchdown. Quinton Holmes led the Bulldog defense with nine tackles. Marcus Powe and Jeremy Maddox each had two sacks as A&M racked up seven total sacks and held Central State to 110 second-half yards.
TEXAS SOUTHERN 28, TEXAS COLLEGE 13
Texas Southern earned their second win of the season with a 28-13 victory over Texas College. The Maroon Tigers scored first as Bobby Reid connected with Roland Robins for a 20-yard scoring play. After a Texas College defensive touchdown, Reid would cap an five-play, 51-yard drive with a one-yard run to give Texas Southern a 14-7 lead.
The scoring trend in the second half would go back and forth, but Texas Southern would put six on the board in the third and eight in the final period for the final tally.
The Maroon Tiger defense hold Texas College to 11 net yards rushing but allowed 251 yard passing. Texas Southern finished with 278 total offensive yards (70 rush, 208 pass).
For Texas Southern, Lucas Caparelli had seven carries for 63 yards. Reid completed 15-of-32 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. William Osbourne caught seven passes for 122 yards including a 27-yard touchdown reception.
Defensively, DeJuan Fulghum and Zachary Logan led the Tigers with seven tackles while Antonio St. Rose and Matthew Valmore each had six tackles in the game.
Thursday, Sept. 18
Alcorn State 13, Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3 (final stats)
ALCORN STATE, MS – Alcorn State claimed its first win of the season by defeating the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff 13-3 Thursday night at Jack Spinks Stadium.
UAPB opened the scoring in the first quarter on a drive set up by their defense. LB John Keith’s combination sack and forced fumble was recovered by Jared Dorn at the Alcorn State 30-yard line.
The Golden Lions were unable to reach paydirt but did get on the board on a 25-yard field goal by Carlos Reyes to take a 3-0 lead with less than six minutes to play in the first quarter.
Alcorn State got on the board in the second quarter. A seven-play, 43-yard drive ended with Tim Buckley’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Arceneaux to give the Braves a 7-3 lead with 7:48 to play in the half.
The Braves scored on their first possession of the third quarter. A seven-play, 35-yard drive for ended with a 37-yard field goal by Taylor Richardson to give Alcorn State a 10-3 lead.
ASU finished the scoring in the fourth quarter. QB Tony Hobson Jr., filling in for an injured Tim Buckley, led the Braves on an eight-play, 31-yard drive that ended with Richardson’s 37-yard field goal for the final margin with 1:57 to play.
Before leaving due to injury, Buckley completed nine of 17 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown and rushed 10 times for 45 yards. Arceneaux led all receivers with seven catches for 74 yards and one touchdown. Hobson completed four of five passes for 25 yards.
Jonathan Moore led UAPB with 10 of 20 passing for 104 yards before leaving the game in the second half. Gvona Turner completed three of six passes for 23 yards. Raymond Weber caught six passes for 73 yards. RBs Mickey Dean and Martell Mallett combined to rushed 20 times for 71 yards.
