Key Results:
Southern 28, Alabama State 21 – Quarterback Austin Howard passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns as the Jaguars rallied for a home victory. The defeat eliminated the Hornets from the SWAC East Division race. Austin had an 18-yard touchdown pass to Willie Quinn and a 23-yard strike to Reggie Travis. He also had a nine-yard touchdown run for the Jaguars (6-3, 5-1 SWAC), who are second to Grambling State in the SWAC West Division race. Alabama State (4-5, 4-4 SWAC) suffered its fourth consecutive loss despite a 185-yard rushing effort by Malcolm Cyrus, who has run for 100 or more yards in seven games this season. The Hornets rushed for 297 yards, but they were guilty of four turnovers including three fumbles.
Tuskegee 28, Central State 25 – The Golden Tigers extended their winning streak to six consecutive games with an SIAC road victory. The Golden Tigers (7-2, 6-0 SIAC) ran the ball at will against the Marauders as they piled up 329 rushing yards. Running back Michael J. Thornton led the Golden Tigers with 198 yards on 16 rushing attempts, and he scored three touchdowns. Sophomore running back Hoderick Lowe added 89 yards on 13 carries. The victory sets up a winner-take-all showdown with Miles for the SIAC West Division title Saturday in Fairfield, Ala.
Miles 26, Stillman 22 – The Golden Bears came up with an interception in the final minute to pull out a road victory and set up a showdown with Tuskegee for the SIAC West Division championship. The lead seesawed back and forth as both teams had no trouble running the ball. Jonathan Clark rushed 25 times for 208 yards and Xavier Bacon had 14 carries for 89 yards for Miles (6-3, 5-1 SIAC), which gained 375 yards on the ground. Stillman (4-5, 3-3) had 237 yards on the ground. Jovontae Thurmon had 119 yards on 12 carries for the Tigers, and Dondre Purnell gained 89 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Stillman took a 22-19 lead early in the fourth quarter on quarterback Josh Straughan’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Devon Mackey. Miles (6-3, 5-1 SIAC) responded with a 29-yard scoring pass from Demetric Price to Darren Fife with 7:29 left if in the game. Stillman got the ball with less than three minute to play and mounted the potential winning drive. However, Miles turned back the Tigers when Travis Lee intercepted Straughan’s throw in the end zone with 38 seconds remaining.
Norfolk State 12, Florida A&M 10 – The Spartans made a goal-line stand in the closing seconds and spoiled the Rattlers’ homecoming and interim Coach Corey Fuller’s debut. Fuller replaced Earl Holmes, Hall of Fame linebacker as player for the Rattlers, who was fired Tuesday after posting a 6-16 record since replacing Joe Taylor, who retired with two games remaining in the 2013 season. The Rattlers (2-7, 2-3 MEAC) were 2-6 this season under Holmes after starting the season 0-5. His firing didn’t sit well with the team and some alumni. Team members marched from the field house to Athletic Director Kellen Winslow’s office to protest the move, and there was talk of a boycott. Former Florida Senator Al Lawson, who played basketball for he Rattlers, said Winslow was wrong for firing Holmes four days before homecoming and should be fired. Meanwhile, the Rattlers suffered their second straight loss following a two-game winning streak Norfolk State defensive lineman George Riddick stopped quarterback Damien Fleming for no gain on third-and-goal from the one-yard with the clock winding down and Florida A&M couldn’t run another play before time expired.
Other Results:
MEAC:
Howard 17, Delaware State 10
Morgan State 38, Hampton 35
South Carolina State 59, Savannah State 7
SWAC:
Alabama A&M 25, Jackson State 14 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24, Mississippi Valley State 14 Grambling 35, Texas Southern 7
CIAA:
Bowie State 28, Lincoln (Pa.) 7
Fayetteville State 31, Livingstone 28
Johnson C. Smith 14, Saint Augustine’s 10
Virginia State 40, Chowan 7
Virginia Union 14, Elizabeth City State 7
Winston-Salem State 61, Shaw 10
SIAC:
Albany State 40, Benedict 14
Clark Atlanta 34, Paine 0
Kentucky State 47, Lane 14
Miles 26, Stillman 22
Morehouse 24, Fort Valley State 21
Others:
Alderson Broadsus 62, Virginia-Lynchburg 21
Ave Maria 30, Edward Waters 7
Langston 38, Oklahoma Panhandle State 17
Eastern Kentucky 56, Tennessee State 42
Notre Dame (Ohio) 41, West Va. State 10
Samford 55, Concordia-Selma 0
Wayland Baptist 34, Texas College 8
Westchester 55, Cheyney 0
