NC A&T, Albany State, Fayetteville State take home titles
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
In the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title game in Durham, N.C., West Division champion Fayetteville State won its second straight title, 23-19 over East Division champ, Virginia Union.
Albany State claimed the Southern
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crown when it downed
Fort Valley State 27-17 at the Fountain City Classic
in Columbus, Ga., and Kentucky State fell to
Tuskegee 16-14.
North Carolina A&T completed perhaps the most remarkable turnaround going from 4-8 a year ago to 10-1 with a 38-28 home win over Hampton that earned the Aggies the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference title and automatic NCAA Div. I-AA playoff berth.
Southwestern Athletic Conference division races will go down to the final week of the regular season, this week for the East and Nov. 29 for the West, to determine who will play in its Dec. 13 title game in Birmingham.
But let's get to the winners, first.
CIAA
FSU (8-3) came from behind early and late to claim its second title in a row, but unlike last year the Broncos won't be going to the NCAA Div. II playoffs. A loss to 3-7 Livingstone on the last weekend of the regular season ended any hopes Kenny Phillips' Broncos had of returning to the playoffs. Instead, they will represent the CIAA at the Pioneer Bowl on Dec. 20 at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.
They earned that right by coming back from an early 10-0 deficit and rallying in the fourth quarter after trailing 19-16.
A dominating FSU defense, which limited VUU (6-5) to just 34 rushing yards on 34 carries, scooped up three fumbles and sacked Panther quarterback John Cates nine times, was aided by 13 VUU penalties for 124 yards. But behind Cates' 15 of 24 passing effort, including a 29-yard TD pass to Rodney Terry with 10:47 left to play, VUU led 19-16.
But the final mistake, a fumble by Reymon Murphy the same guy who staked the Panthers to an early lead by returning the opening kickoff 90 yards to paydirt gave FSU the ball at the VUU 4 with just under five minutes left. FSU QB Duane Taylor needed just one play to get them into the end zone for the winning score.
SIAC
Kentucky State had two chances to win its first-ever SIAC crown, Nov. 8 vs. Fort Valley State and this past Saturday vs. Tuskegee. They failed in both games opening the door to James White's 8-2 ASU squad to sneak in with his first title in six years at the helm and the Golden Rams' first since 1997.
ASU, who went into Saturday's game ranked sixth in the South Region and with an outside chance of getting into the Div. II playoffs, was denied a bid when the 16-team field was announced Monday. The Golden Rams will oppose Fayetteville State in the Pioneer Bowl.
Freshman running back sensation Antonio Atkins (32 car., 151 yds., 2 TDs) and QB Uyl Joyner (11-18, 181 yds., 1 TD) keyed the win and offset a 184-yard, two-TD performance from FVSU's SIAC rushing leader Derrick Wimbush.
MEAC
NC A&T stayed undefeated (6-0) in MEAC play and subdued its final challenger with a tough win over Hampton. It's the Aggies' first MEAC title since 1999 and first for new coach George Small.
A&T jumped up quick on the Pirates scoring
on the game's opening drive and then returning a
fumble on the ensuing kickoff for a score to go up 14-0.
But Hampton fought back and only trailed 24-21 at the half.
A&T QB Rico Watkins (10-18-1, 212 yds.,
2 TDs) threw both his TD passes in the second half,
the last one coming with 1:37 to play in the game
after Hampton had pulled to within 31-28.
Micheaux Hollingsworth rushed for 125 yards and a TD
for A&T. The passing of Prince Shepherd
(14-30-1, 174 yds., 2 TDs) and Tim Frazier
(5-14-1, 80 yds., 1 TD) and the running of
Alonzo Coleman (18 car., 109 yds.) kept Hampton in the game.
A&T, ranked 13th in the latest Sports Network I-AA poll, finishes the season against South Carolina State Saturday in Charlotte. They will have to wait until Sunday's I-AA Selection Show (on ESPN News) to find out where they will play in the playoffs. A&T officials said Monday the school has filed an application to host a first round game.
SWAC
Southern (10-1, 5-1 SWAC W) defeated Texas Southern 24-17 Saturday to set up a showdown with Grambling State (9-2, 6-0 SWAC W) for the West Division title at the Nov. 29th Bayou Classic (on NBC). That game will match the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the BCSP Top Ten.
Alcorn State (6-5, 4-2 SWAC E) knocked Alabama A&M (7-4, 4-3 SWAC E) from atop the East Division with a 20-15 win Saturday.
That decision puts Alabama State (6-4, 4-2 SWAC E), who defeated Alcorn State in an earlier meeting, in the driver's seat for the division title. A win over Texas Southern Saturday would give the Hornets a spot in the SWAC Championship Game.
Alcorn State needs the Hornets to lose while they defeat Jackson State to gain a spot in the title game.
© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.