Newspaper Page Text
September 29 - October 5,2010
www.themaroontiger.com
(
12 SPORTS
Maroon Tigers Continue
Winning Streak In Great Season
Morehouse sophomore and running back David Carter (No. 32) achieves the fourth-highest rushing
yards total in the history of the school during the Maroon Tigers’ victory against Lincoln University.
Courtney Reed
Contributing Writer
creed3#$email ^spelman .edu
W ith starting quarter
back Byron Ingram
out with a contusion to his
knee, and second-string
quarterback William Brack
suspended from this game,
where would the Morehouse
offense come from against
Lincoln University?
The Maroon Tigers had to
look no farther than fresh
man red-shirt quarterback
Donnay Ragland and 211
rushing yards from David
Carter to answer that ques
tion during their 30-14 vic
tory on Sept. 25.
The win gave Morehouse
a 5-0 record, its best in 80
years. Earlier in the week,
the Tigers were ranked 20th
in the American Football
Coaches Association Divi
sion II poll, the first time ever
that Morehouse has been
ranked in the Top 25.
After a few dropped
snaps and a few incomplete
throws, Ragland ended the
Tigers’ first-half offense
with a quarterback keeper
touchdown that put More
house ahead,16-7.
The last play of the half
was bizarre as Morehouse’s
defense pushed Lincoln
quarterback A.J. Springer
about 10 yards but didn't fol
low through with the sack,
allowing Springer to throw
a 42-yard TD pass to Josh
Goffigan. That shrunk the
Morehouse lead to 16-14 at
halftime.
After the half, Ragland
shook off the nervousness and
looked impressive. Throw
ing an 11-yard touchdown
pass to Myericks Thompson
early in the third quarter and
handing the ball off to Vance
King, Ragland made up for
the several mistakes made in
the first half.
The Blue Lions (1-3) put
up quite a fight as More
house attempted to remain
undefeated. They scored the
game’s first touchdown on
Maurice Woodard’s 99-yard
kickoff return only 15 sec
onds into the first quarter.
Carter countered with
a 1-yard touchdown run
just a couple minutes later.
Though the extra point kick
by senior Ian Mullen was
blocked, he kicked a 33-
yard field goal to close the
first quarter with a 9-7 lead.
Carter’s 211 yards was the
fourth-highest rushing total
in school history; John Da
vid Washington holds the re
cord at 242 yards.
Lincoln’s offense took a
seat in the second half as the
Tigers’ defense stopped ev
ery drive. Between seniors
Derrin Nettles, Charlie Wil
son, and Brandon Cunning
ham and sophomore Darrius
Williams, the Lions’ quar
terback Mason Keller was
sacked seven times in the
second half. Leading More
house’s defense, sophomore
linebacker Brandon Houston
had seven solo tackles and
three assists.
On Oct. 9, the Fighting
Maroon Tigers will take on
the rival Tuskegee Univer
sity Golden Tigers for the
75th annual Morehouse-
Tuskegee Classic at Memo
rial Stadium in Columbus,
Ga. Quarterbacks Ingram
and Brack are expected to
return for that game.
O
Evan Holt
Contributing Writer
7:30p.m. Texas A&M Aggies at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Boone Pickens Stadium (ESPN)
3:30 p.m. Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma Sooners
Memorial Stadium (ABC)
,
8:00 p.m. Florida Gators at Alabama Crimson Tide
Bryant-Dcnny Stadium (CBS Online)
8:05 p.m. Penn State Nittany Lions at Iowa Hawkeyes
Kinnick Stadium (ABC)
11:15 p.m. Stanford Cardinal at Oregon Ducks
Autzen Stadium (ESPN)
1:35 p.m. NY Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Fenway Park (MLB. TV)
1:00 p.m. Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field (CBS)
4:15 p.m. Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field (FOX)
8:20 p.m. Chicago Bears at NY Giants
New Meadowlands Stadium (NBC)
8:30 p.m. New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Sun Life Stadium (ESPN)
Quarterback Controversy: Who Should Start?
Kadeem Wells
Contributing Writer
T he NFL is just a few
weeks into the regular
season and already there
is controversy. The major
ity of the troubles involve
teams trying to rebuild for
the future.
The Carolina Panthers
drafted Notre Dame quarter
back Jimmy Clausen, 23, with
the 48th pick and head coach
John Fox planned to bring
Clausen along slowly. That
strategy has been tom apart
due to the Panthers’ 0-2 start
and the poor play of fourth-
year quarterback Matt Moore,
therefore Clausen made his
first NFL Sunday against Cin
cinnati.
Moore has thrown for 307
yards, two touchdowns, four
interceptions and has been
sacked eight times. The turn
overs and sacks clearly had
the Panthers stumbling, so
Clausen might remain as the
starter even though the Ben-
gals beat Carolina 20-7 as he
completed 16 of 33 passes for
no touchdowns and one inter
ception.
The biggest dispute within
the league, however, is the
play of the Eagles’ quarter
back duo.
Kevin Kolb, 26. sustained a
concussion against the Green
Bay Packers in Week 1 and Mi
chael Vick stepped in and has
been effective. Vick, the former
No. 1 pick in the 2001 draff,
had a passer rating of 105.5,
three touchdowns and zero in
terceptions after two games.
Vick’s performance in Week 2
against the Detroit Lions forced
head coach Andy Reid’s hand.
In the offseason, manage
ment decided to trade six-time
Pro Bowl quarterback Dono
van McNabb to the division
rival Washington Redskins.
The Eagles chose to make a
two-year, $12.26 million in
vestment in Kolb, including
$10.7 million in guaranteed
money.
Reid has since decided
to start Vick because of his
amazing play and “hot hand.”
It stayed hot this weekend
against Jacksonville as he
threw for 291 yards and three
touchdowns, and ran for an
other TD in a 28-3 victory.
Another Black quarter
back, Tennessee’s Vince
Young, was pulled from
their game last week after a
dismal outing against Pitts
burgh’s tenacious defense
that forced seven turnovers.
Young was sacked four
times and after literally be
ing flipped over by the Steel
ers’ James Harrison, Young
found himself on the bench.
Young, 27, led the Titans
on a phenomenal run at the
end of last season after Ten
nessee started the season 0-6,
but against the Steelers, coach
Jeff Fisher felt the need to re
place him with 16-year vet
eran Kerry Collins.
Most analysts wondered if
the substitution would disrupt
Young’s fragile psyche for the
next few weeks. The question
was whether Young had ma
tured enough to perform well
in the next game.
He did get to keep his start
ing job Sunday and didn't
produce outstanding stats
against New York. But he
efficiently completed 10 of
16 passes for 118 yards, one
touchdown and no intercep
tions in the Titans’ 29-10 win
over the Giants.
The coaches, players, and
fans of these teams all have
different opinions about who
should start. Will it be the best
player or the best performer?
These are tough deci
sions, and in the following
weeks, the teams’ decisions
will be noticed and heavily
scrutinized. Regardless of
who starts, if they win, all
will be well.
To become a sports staff writer, stop by The
maroon Tiger Office in Archer Hall Room 115.
General Body meetings are held every Thursday
at 5:30pm in Merrill Hall Room 111.
(l-r) Jimmy Clausen (Carolina Panthers), Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles), Vince Young (Tennessee Titans) all have spent time on the bench this season
Q Recycle The Maroon Tiger