HBCU
Tuskegee Sits Atop BRTC/BASN Opening Poll
By Tony McClean
Sep 9, 2008

NEW HAVEN, Ct. -- Just a few weeks into the 2008 season and one thing remains the same -- Jacary Atkinson and the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee are still the team to beat within Black College football.

Coming off a 34-0 season-opening win against Miles College, the defending SIAC champs are the No. 1 team in the season's first BoxToRow.com/BASN HBCU Top Ten Football poll which was released Monday.

TU (1-0) received seven of the 10 first-place votes, second place Delaware State (1-0) got two while another undefeated squad -- No. 3 Tennessee State (2-0) -- also received one first-place vote.

Both the Hornets and Tigers are coming off impressive home wins. Behind quarterback Antonio Heffner (23-of-29, 315 yards, 3 TDs), TSU outlasted Southern University 34-32 in the John Merritt Classic at Nashville.

The Hornets had to go to overtime last Thursday night at Alumni Stadium before they defeated MEAC for Florida A&M 35-28. DSU quarterback Vashon Winton ran for four touchdowns, including a six-yarder for the game-winner in the extra session.

Prairie View A&M (2-0) and Hampton (1-1) round out the top five at four and five respectively. The Panthers had their way with Texas College as they routed the Steers 53-0. The win marks PVAM's largest margin of victory over an opponent since 1955.

The rest of the top ten has Albany State (2-0) and Grambling State (1-1) tied for sixth, South Carolina State (1-1) is eighth, Jackson State (1-1) sits at ninth, and Norfolk State (1-1) rounds out the poll at No. 10.

After falling to Hampton in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge, Jackson State bounced back with a 17-7 win over Stillman College. Quarterback Bloi-Dei Dorzon led JSU offensively with 111 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He had 64 yards on the ground and added 57 passing yards and a TD.

This Saturday night, Rick Comegy's squad will travel to Memphis to take on Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic. The game, scheduled to start 6 p.m. CT, will be seen on Sports South.

Other key games this weekend include Benedict at Tuskegee, Delaware State at Kent State, Prairie View A&M at Sam Houston State, Howard at Hampton, Albany State at Kentucky State, and Bethune-Cookman at South Carolina State.

BOXTOROW.COM/BASN HBCU

TOP TEN FOOTBALL POLL

(Records through September 7)

Team                             W-L     Pts

1. Tuskegee (7)                 1-0      91

2. Delaware State (2)         1-0     71

3. Tennessee State (1)       2-0      54

4. Prairie View A&M        2-0      43

5. Hampton                        1-1      39

6. Albany State                 2-0       37

(tie) Grambling State          1-1      37

8. South Carolina State      1-1      30

9. Jackson State               1-1       26

10. Norfolk State             1-1       22

(First place votes in parentheses)

Other receiving votes: North Carolina A&T (2-0) 12, Bethune-Cookman (1-0) 8, Shaw (1-1) 7, Southern (0-2) 5, West Virginia State (2-0) 4, Florida A&M (1-1) 4, Alabama A&M (0-2) 2, Mississippi Valley State (1-0) 2, Bowie State (1-1) 2, Virginia Union (1-1) 1, Fayetteville State (1-1) 1.