Week 13 of the Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Mid-Major Top 7

Dr. Kenyatta Cavil contributed to this report. Week 13 of Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Mid-Major polls saw new entrants to the top seven rankings, however, there was movement at the top of the polls.  7. Livingstone College (6-4, 4-3) The Blue Bears of Livingstone Colleg remain at no.7 in the week 13 rankings. Livingstone finished the season at 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the CIAA, their first winning season since a 5-4 overall and 4-3 conference mark in 2015. Four Blue Bears garnered All-Conference honors- defensive lineman…

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North Carolina A&T names Shaun Gibbs new football coach

title image via Kevin L. Dorsey Courtesy ot North Carolina A&T Athletics Shawn Gibbs will return to Aggieland. Only this time, he returns as the 23rd head football coach in North Carolina A&T State University football program history. A&T Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III announced Gibbs’ hiring on Friday. Gibbs, 49, replaces Vincent Brown, who spent two seasons at A&T. An introductory press conference for Gibbs is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, at 11:30 a.m. in Deese Ballroom inside the A&T campus Student Center.  A native of Black Mountain, N.C., Gibbs…

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Breaking News: Vincent Brown out at North Carolina A&T

Courtesy of North Carolina A&T Athletics Coach Vincent Brown has been relieved of his head coaching duties at North Carolina A&T State University, Director of Athletics Earl Hilton announced on Wednesday. Brown, 59, coached the Aggies for two seasons after spending four years as the defensive coordinator at William & Mary. In his final season at A&T, the Aggies posted a 1-11 record overall and a 0-8 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).  Before starting his coaching career, Brown played collegiately at Mississippi Valley State (1984-87) before becoming a second-round NFL Draft…

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Dr. Cavil’s Insode the HBCU Sports Lab Week 14 Major Division Top 7

Dr. Kenyatta Cavil contributed to this report. Week 14 of Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Major Division Poll featured a first this season in that the order of the rankings was unchanged from the previous week.  7. Alabama State (7-5, 5-3) Alabama State stays at no.7 in the week’s poll rankings. The Hornets are coming off a decisive 34-6 thrashing of Tuskegee in the 100th Turkey Day Classic. The win marked the Hornets’ 5th consecutive win over the Golden Tigers in the annual meeting. The win also lifted…

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Connell Maynor and Alabama A&M part ways

title image via the Clarion-Ledger The latest SWAC coaching domino to fall comes out of Huntsville, AL. Alabama A&M has announced that head football coach Connell Maynor has been relieved of his head coaching duties, according to an announcement from AAMU Director of Athletics Dr. Paul A. Bryant.  We want to thank Connell Maynor for his seven seasons at Alabama A&M University,” Bryant said “We wish him well in all his future endeavors.” In his seven seasons at the helm of the Alabama A&M program, Coach Maynor compiled a 40-32 overall record…

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Tennessee State falls short in playoff matchup with Montana, 41-27

title image via Tennessee State Athletics Ill-timed miscues proved to be Tennessee State’s undoing as they came up short in a hard-fought 41-27 defeat to Montana in the first round of FCS Playoffs.  Montana struck first when Ty Morrison kicked a 39-yard field goal, giving the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead. Later in the quarter, Tennessee State responded with a James Lowery field goal, tying the game at 3 as time expired in the period. Montana then scored the first touchdown of the evening with a 7-yard run by Eli Gillman,…

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SWAC announces postseason football individual accolades

title image via the SWAC Courtesy of the Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2024 Football Postseason Individual Awards on Monday morning. The individual awards were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. In order to be considered for postseason awards a student-athlete must have participated in a minimum of 75 percent of team games played this season.  Jackson State’s T.C. Taylor was named Coach of the Year while the Tigers’ Irv Mulligan was tabbed Offensive Player of the Year. Southern’s Ckelby Givens was named…

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Virginia Union advances to NCAA quarters for first time, puts it on Lenoir-Rhyne 44-12

title image via VUU Football Courtesy of Virginia Union Athletics 44 Winner VUU 12 LRU Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F VUU 7 13 7 17 44 LRU 0 6 0 6 12 Virginia Union University’s Jada Byers rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns as VUU continued its record-setting season by defeating Lenoir-Rhyne University 44-12 on Saturday, November 30, in Hickory, N.C. The win earned the Panthers a spot in the NCAA Playoff Quarterfinals for the first time in school history. VUU’s Curtis Allen rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the win. …

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FAMU defeats Alabama A&M 28-20 on Senior Day

title image via Florida A&M Athletics Courtesy of FAMU Athletics 20 AAM 28 Winner FAM Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F AAM 3 10 0 7 20 FAM 14 7 7 0 28 Florida A&M held off a late Alabama A&M surge to secure a 28-20 victory at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Friday, improving their record to 7-5 (5-3). The Rattlers started hot, scoring on their opening drive when Thad Franklin Jr. broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run just 32 seconds into the game. After Alabama A&M responded with a…

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Albany State’s Isaiah Knowles nominated for Harlin Hill trophy

title image via Albany State Football Courtesy of Albany State Athletics Albany State University’s redshirt sophomore quarterback, Isaiah Knowles, has been nominated for the 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy, an award that recognizes the most valuable player in NCAA Division II college football. Knowles is one of 43 student-athletes nationwide nominated for this prestigious honor, often referred to as the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The Harlon Hill Trophy, named in honor of former University of North Alabama standout and NFL player Harlon Hill, has been awarded annually since 1986…

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