Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Coleman: UAPB fans shouldn’t ‘jump ship’

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- After a 61-14 loss to Alcorn State on Saturday, Arkansas-Pine Bluff head coach Monte Coleman did the only thing he could do during his weekly luncheon on Tuesday.

He asked for patience from a fan-base that is probably running low on it after a third-straight defeat with the latest going down as one of the program’s most embarrassing conference losses.

“As long as I’ve been playing (and) as long I’ve been a coach, there’s always been one of those games,” Coleman said. “That’s what it was.”

UAPB’s 1-4 start to the season is the third consecutive poor start to a season after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 2012. The title afforded Coleman and the program some leeway with fans, but a group of supporters can only handle so many rebuilding years.

“The thing that I tell the fans right now is that it’s not time to jump ship,” Coleman said. “It’s not time to throw in the towel. We’re not, as a team. We’re looking at the reminder of the season, one game at a time. …

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ASU offense shows signs of life

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- he Alabama State defense made most of the big plays for the Hornets during the first three games of the season.

Now, the offense is starting to catch up, and ASU has looked like a more complete team in the last two games.

The Hornets (2-3, 2-2 SWAC) are coming off double-digit road wins over Mississippi Valley State and Texas Southern in a span of five days. ASU has averaged 43 points and 491.5 yards of total offense in the two victories, primarily doing its damage on the ground.

The Hornets came into Thursday’s game with Texas Southern averaging just 151.2 rushing yards per game, which was seventh in the SWAC. The Hornets totaled 379 rushing yards against the Tigers in their 41-23 victory.

“It was a good, hard-fought game,” said Jenkins during Monday’s SWAC teleconference. “We were able to put some positive things together and come out victorious over a very resilient team. It was good to see the team play a complete ball game.”

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Coming in with two-game losing streak, HU needs win this week against Delaware State

HAMPTON, Virginia — Coaches at every level say it like a mantra: Your next game is your biggest game. In other words, the past doesn't matter, the future doesn't matter, only the right now matters.

For Hampton University, which goes against Delaware State on Saturday, that does apply. But coming in with a two-game losing streak, and facing a winless team, the Pirates need a course-correcting win.

No, they won't be going to the Celebration Bowl as the MEAC champion, and the FCS playoffs are a longshot at best. But at 2-3 overall (1-2 in the conference), HU needs to pull even before an upcoming three-game road trip

"We take every game as an important game," running back Dwayne Garrett said. "We've just got to get a win. We've lost two weeks in a row, so it's time to get a W.

"We have to correct our mistakes and execute. We keep shooting ourselves in the foot on offense. We just have to stay away from penalties and play ball."

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SWAC Volleyball Players of the Week: October 7

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Texas Southern’s Kali Fluke, Jackson State’s Jenna Siddiqui, as well as Grambling State’s Javienna Jones and Prairie View A&M’s Calli Jordan Hensch have been recognized by the Southwestern Athletic Conference as volleyball players of the week for their outstanding performance in competition from September 30 through October 6.

Offensive Player of the Week
Kali Fluke
Texas Southern
Middle Blocker • 6-1 • Jr. • San Antonio, Texas
Fluke collected 30 kills in a 1-1 week for the Tigers. She posted a season-high 18 kills, two digs and four block assists in a win over Prairie View A&M. In the four-set loss to Southern, she tallied 12 kills, seven digs, one solo block and one block assist. For eight sets, she tallied a .436 (30 kills, 6 errors, 55 attempts) hitting percentage.

Defensive Player of the Week
Javienna Jones
Grambling State
Outside Hitter • 5-11 • Fr. • Morgan City, La.
In eight sets of action, Jones tallied 12 total blocks (1 solo, 11 block assists) this week. As Grambling State went 1-1, she also tallied five kills and four digs. In a loss to Alcorn, she collected one solo block, eight block assists and one kill. In a victory over Mississippi Valley State, she had four kills, two digs and three block assists.

Setter of the Week
Jenna Siddiqui
Jackson State
Setter • 5-11 • Sr. • Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Siddiqui guided her squad to a 1-1 week, picking up 44 total assists for a 7.34 assists-per-set average. Against Jacksonville State, she dished out 24 assists and three kills while she tallied 20 assists, seven kills, five digs and two aces against Mississippi Valley State. This is her third weekly honor this season (September 9 & 16).

Newcomer of the Week
Calli Jordan Hensch
Prairie View A&M
Middle Blocker • 6-0 • Fr. • Silver Creek, Wash.
Hensch led the Lady Panthers with 14 kills and four blocks during the team’s two matches this week. She tallied career-highs of nine kills and 12 digs in the team’s four-set loss to Texas Southern. Hensch had five kills and three blocks in a non-conference match against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

NSU Spartans looking to get running game going

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State was back in the lab this week, trying to discover a cure for what's ailing its floundering running game.

The Spartans won 15-12 in dramatic fashion Saturday at Howard, but they were held to minus-17 rushing yards on 37 attempts.

Senior receiver Isaac White, echoing what first-year coach Latrell Scott said after the game, said the problem needs to be fixed.

"We can't win games throwing the ball 60 times a game," said White, a Portsmouth native who caught nine passes for 145 yards and a touchdown at Howard. "Even as a receiver, even though you would like that, it's just not how you can win games."

Shoring things up might be easier said than done. Starting left tackle Thornton Collier, who has a lower back injury, and starting left guard Wes Jones, who had a sore shoulder, sat out the Howard game.

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3 keys to success for Bethune-Cookman against South Carolina State

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats enter the national spotlight on Thursday as they host MEAC rival South Carolina State on ESPNU at 7:30 p.m.

B-CU has rebounded from a season-opening 45-0 drubbing at the hands of Miami to post four consecutive wins, most recently a 19-point road comeback against North Carolina Central. Elliott Miller blocked an 18-yard field-goal attempt to preserve a 28-26 victory.

Quentin Williams threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while Michael Jones and Anthony Jordan each added a rushing touchdown.

In a game with major Celebration Bowl implications, here are three keys for the Wildcats to continue their hot streak.

Locate Javon Hargrave

Above all else, the Wildcats have to keep defensive tackle Javon Hargrave out of the backfield.

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Defense pacing Morgan State football to first-place tie in MEAC

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Could a defense that graduated five starters from last year’s unit that helped Morgan State capture a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title be even better this fall?

That would appear to be the case thus far as the Bears (2-2 overall and 2-0 in the league) find themselves at the top of the conference in several defensive categories. After two league games, the defense – under first-year defensive coordinator Mike Fanoga – leads the MEAC in yards per game allowed (244.0), rushing yards per game allowed (98.5) and total sacks (nine) and ranks second in points per game allowed (9.5).

Last season, Morgan State ranked fourth in the conference in sacks (23), but ranked fifth in total defense (321.5 yards), seventh in scoring (23.4 points) and eighth against the run (182.0 yards).

Asked Tuesday if he was more impressed by the defense’s ability to stop the run or pressure quarterbacks, Bears coach Lee Hull said, “I don’t think I’m surprised, but from last year, it’s a luxury for them to be able to do both because I didn’t think we did both last year.

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