HOW THEY DID IT - Game Recaps

Juan Bongarra missed a 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining as Albany State lost in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, falling to visiting West Alabama (8-4). The Golden Rams end the season 8-3.

ASU QB A. J. McKenna threw for 153 yards (15 of 28) and his lone TD to Antwan Harris of 16 yards with 4:24 left brought the Rams within 24-22. His two-point PAT rush attempt failed. After stopping UWA, McKenna drove the Rams to the UWA 29 before Bongarra missed the kick wide left. McKenna also rushed for 113 yards and a TD.

Bongarra had two other field goal attempts blocked. ASU RB Demetrice Johnson ran for 131 yards and a TD.

California (Pa.) held FSU to 55 first-half yards and jumped out to a 21-0 lead at the break and then added 21 unanswered third-quarter points to subdue the CIAA champion Broncos (8-4) in a first round Div. II playoff game.

FSU scored both its touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard pass from Benjamin Williams to B. J. Washington. Williams added a 15-yard TD run with 4:04 to play. Richard Medlin led the FSU ground attack with 85 yards on 18 carries. Williams finished 12 of 27 with 2 picks for 136 yards.

South Carolina State (9-1, 7-0) used outstanding contributions from its offensive stars to clinch its second straight MEAC title and FCS playoff berth with a dominating win at home over Morgan State (3-4, 5-5).

SCSU junior QB Malcolm Long continued his sterling play completing 21 of 32 passes for 319 yards and 4 TDs with no interceptions. Long broke his single-season passing yards mark set last year and became the first Bulldog in the program's 102-year history to pass for over 2,000 yards in a single season. He now has 2,082 passing yards with 18 TDs and just 4 interceptions. Senior wide receiver Oliver "Tre" Young hauled in six passes for 166 yards and TD grabs of 45 and 12 yards and became the Bulldogs' all-time receptions leader.

SCSU senior RB Will Ford, already the program's career rushing leader, hauled in a 19-yard pass to open the scoring and rambled for 107 yards on 20 carries. Ford needs 105 yards in his final games to become the MEAC's all-time leading rusher.

Prairie View A&M (7-1, 6-0) won its first SWAC West Division title and a spot in the Dec. 12 league title game in Birmingham with a decisive win over Alcorn State (2-6, 2-4).

Junior QB K. J. Black and RB Donald Babers again paced the Panthers. Black completed 24 of 30 passes for 213 yards and 3 TDs, two to tight end Marion Allen, while Babers rushed for 134 yards on 26 carries and scored on a 5-yard fourth quarter run.

Black is the SWAC's passing efficiency leader completing 69.1% (121 of 175) of his passes for 14 TDs and just 3 interceptions. Babers is second in SWAC rushing stats, averaging 88.5 yards per game.

Florida A&M lost prolific starting QB Curtis Pulley before the end of the first quarter and also lost the back-up QB and the two starting wideouts before the game was over in a shutout loss to Hampton (3-4, 5-5) that almost surely knocks the Rattlers (5-2, 7-3) out of the FCS playoff picture.

Pulley aggravated a groin injury suffered in last week's win over N. C. A&T in the first quarter and did not return. His back-up, Eddie Battle, lasted until the final quarter before he went down with what is believed to be a separated shoulder. Wideouts Isaac West and Kevin Elliot both suffered ankle injuries.

Hampton, meanwhile, got perhaps first-year coach Donovan Rose's most significant victory, beating former Hampton head coach Joe Taylor in Taylor's first return to the program he led for 16 years before leaving last year. Hampton RB Steve Robinson led the Pirates, who racked up 341 rushing yards, with 150 yards on 17 carries. Robinson scored on 2- and 1-yard runs. David Legree rushed 14 times for 87 yards and scored on a 15-yard jaunt.

© 2009 Azeez Communications, Inc.

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