HOW THEY DID IT: Game Recaps
South Carolina State 27, Bethune-Cookman 24
SCSU (3-0, 1-0 MEAC) jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game and then turned away two late attempts to tie the score to leave Jacksonville's Alltell Stadium with a win over B-CC (2-1, 0-1 MEAC). The Bulldogs hit the Wildcats with a 45-yard catch and run by WR Chris Burgess, a 54-yard punt return by Rodreikas Darby and a 36-yard TD reception by Burgess (3 rec., 88 yards) in the first 4:55 to jump on top 20-0. But the Wildcasts fought back, getting a TD run of five yards from Eric Weems in the first quarter, and a second quarter TD by P. J. Smith early in the second quarter to trail 20-14 at the break. The 'Cats went on top when Weems scored his second TD early in the third quarter and added to it on a 24-yard Jesus Cortez field goal to lead 24-20 entering the final period. The Bulldogs mounted a 17-play, 80-yard drive capped by Burgess's third TD catch of the day from QB Cleveland McCoy (15-27-0, 213 yards), from seven yards out with 7:45 to play, to put them ahead 27-24. Cortez was short on a 41-yard attempt with 4:01 remaining and had a 34-yarder blocked by SCSU's Marshall McFadden with 40 seconds left.
Bowie State 33, Livingstone 15
QB Lamar Manigo's four TD passes allowed BSU to remain undefeated (4-0, 1-0 CIAA E) and get to 4-0 for the first time since 1988. Manigo finished 12 of 18 for 169 yards with scoring tosses of 11, 9, 7 and 39 yards. Meanwhile the BSU defense registered five sacks and held Livingstone (0-4, 0-1 CIAA W) to -21 rushing yards. LC QB Jason Mitchell was 18 for 36 for 245 yards without an intereception with scoring passes of 7 and 14 yards.
North Carolina Central 37, Shaw 31
NCCU (4-0, 1-0 CIAAW) dominated Shaw for three quarters, entering the final period with a 34-10 lead, but surrrendered three fourth quarter TDs to escape with a home win at the first Triangle Willie Gary Classic in Durham. NCCU got four TD passes (44, 3,7, 13) from QB Adrian Warren (13-31-2, 195 yards) and 100-yard efforts on the ground from both Greg Pruitt (30 car., 119 yds.) and Corey Brown (12 car., 116 yds.) to jump out to the big lead. Shaw came back behind QB Jermonty Kimbrough (19-45-2, 227 yds.) who threw scoring passes of 5 and 16 yards in the final period around a four-yard scoring run from Reginald Price to get the Bears within 37-31 with 5:28 to play. After stopping NCCU in the ensuing possession, freshman J. R. Tanner picked off a Kimbrough pass to seal the win. Torrey Ross had six receptions for 85 yards and two scores (44, 3) to lead the Eagles receivers while Anthony Frost had six for 106 including a five-yard score to pace the Bears.
St. Augustine's 44, Virginia State 14
St. Augustine's (4-0, 1-0 CIAA W) became the third CIAA team to reach 4-0 the first time that's happened in the conference since 1988 as they used big plays on defense to pull away from Virginia State (1-3, 0-1 CIAA E). SAC QB Darrell Nesbitt ran for one TD and passed for 167 yards (13-22-2) and two scores (16 and 25) but the Falcons' defense scored three times on Alex Hall's second quarter 10-yard fumble recovery return and third-quarter interception returns of 96 yards by Ivan Diggs and 58 yards by Kevin Jones to put the game away. The SAC defense had four sacks and picked off three interceptions.
Alabama A&M 27, Mississippi Valley State 13
Alabama A&M QB Kelcey Luke outshined MVSU QB Aries Nelson, throwing for three scores and running for one as the Bulldogs (2-1, 1-1 SWAC E) knocked the Delta Devils (2-1, 2-1 SWAC E) from the unbeaten ranks. The much-maligned A&M offense, which was shut out in a 44-0 loss to Grambling a week earlier, came to life behind the inspired play of Luke who completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and the three scores (62, 7, 2) and also ran for 132 yards on 16 carries including a 14-yard run to paydirt that opened the scoring. Luke's brother Nic, added 117 yards on 16 carries to keep the A&M offense moving. Nelson, the SWAC's total offense leader, had another productive day completing 26 of 41 passes for 318 yards including a 20-yard scoring strike to Tyrone Timmons in the second quarter but also threw his first two interceptions of the season. A&M held MVSU to 78 rushing yards.
Hampton 31, NC A&T 14
BCSP No. 1 Hampton (3-0, 2-0 MEAC) scored TDs on its first four possessions to jump out to a 28-0 lead and then stumbled their way home to stay undefeated. First quarter rrushing scores of three and two yards from Alonzo Coleman (21 car., 140 yards) were followed by two second-quarter aerial strikes from QB Princeton Shepherd (12-21-1, 180 yards) to Marquay McDaniel (4 rec., 89 yds.) of 19 and 42 yards to stake the Pirates to the 28-0 lead by halftime. The Pirates started the second half with Antwan Smith at the controls and proceeded to go scoreless in the quarter. A&T, with Rico Watkins subbing at QB for starter Marshall Glenn, got on the board on Watkins' 16-yard scoring toss toDoug Brown and FB Ortiz Green five-yard run. With Shepherd back in the game, Andrew Paterini added a fourth quarter 28-yard field goal for the Pirates.
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