Download - MILES GOLDEN BEARS FOOTBALL 2016 GAME NOTES
MILES GOLDEN BEARS FOOTBALL 2016 GAME NOTES
GAME 4 ▪ Miles vs. Albany State ▪ October 1, 2016 ▪ ASU Coliseum, Albany, GA ▪ 6 p.m. ▪ TV: None ▪ Radio: None
Date Opponent Time/Score
Sept. 4 ^!FORT VALLEY STATE W, 34-21
Sept. 10 #2 WEST GEORGIA L, 29-0
Sept. 24 ^at Morehouse W, 31-7
Oct. 1 ^at Albany State 6 p.m.
Oct. 8 CENTRAL STATE 1 p.m.
Oct. 15 at Kentucky State 1 p.m.
Oct. 22 at Lane 2 p.m.
Oct. 29 ^at Clark Atlanta 1 p.m.
Nov. 5 TUSKEGEE 5 p.m.
Nov. 12 SIAC Championship TBA
Nov. 24 $Alabama State 3 p.m.
Home games are in CAPS
SIAC West Division games in bold
^ - SIAC games ! – Labor Day Golden Classic, Birmingham, AL
$ - Turkey Day Classic, Montgomery, AL
2016
SCHEDULE
MILES-ALBANY STATE: THE SERIES
CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH ON TAP AS
MILES VISITS ALBANY STATE
T eams that win championships the previous year are often targeted the next sea-
son by every team on the schedule. Chances are that the Golden Bears will face that
scrutiny this week when they travel to take on Albany State. The Golden Bears, the
defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions, defeated the
Golden Rams in last season’s SIAC Championship game and are looking to build on a
31-7 win last week over Morehouse. Albany State is currently 1-3 after losing an ear-
ly, slim lead in a 27-23 loss to West Georgia, the current No. 3 team in Division II.
Albany State is led by Dan Land, who is in his second season at the helm of the
Golden Rams. Defense has been the team’s calling card this season, holding three of
its four opponents under 70 yards rushing and 300 yards of total offense. When they
have the ball, the offense—led by the top passer in the SIAC, quarterback Caleb Ed-
monds— has done a nice job racking up yards. But a 30 percent conversion rate on
3rd down has led to the lowest time of possession in the conference. They were also
victimized last week by having a kickoff and interception returned for touchdowns.
The Golden Bears know how to get the ball into the end zone. Last week, they
scored on offense, twice on defense, and special teams in the win over Morehouse.
Running back Jamarcus Nance has had a solid start, averaging 90 rushing yards per
game. He ran for 145 yards in last season’s championship game and eclipsed the
1,000-yard career mark last week. The defense will look to stay opportunistic as it
leads the SIAC in turnovers forced per game (3.67)
Today marks the 56th meeting be-
tween Albany State and Miles, a series
that began in 1942. The Golden Rams
have certainly held the upper hand in this
series with a 36-16-3 mark, but two of
those 16 wins for the Golden Bears were
the biggest in school history.
Albany State won the initial contest
13-0 but in four of the next five years,
the Golden Rams did not score a single
point. Miles won the second meeting 52-
0, still the largest shutout win in the se-
ries, and an 8-8 tie in 1949 was the only
blemish during that time.
Both teams were fairly competitive
over the next 12 years but the series took
a big change after Miles earned a 26-12
win over Albany State in 1961. From
1962-1995, the Golden Rams went 17-
1-1 against the Golden Bears—the
lone Miles win being a 7-0 victory in
1967. It included a 70-6 shellacking in
1992, the biggest margin of victory in
the series, which came during a 22-
game losing streak. The Golden Bears
won 26-24 in 1996 but from 2003-
2011, Albany State would win all nine
contests, continuing its dominance.
That all changed in the 2011 sea-
son. New head coach Reginald Ruffin
helped Miles avenge a 34-27 loss from
earlier in the season with a 20-17 win
over the Golden Rams in the inaugural
SIAC Championship Game. Since
Ruffin’s arrival, the teams have split
six contests. Albany State downed
Miles in the 2013 SIAC Championship
game 17-14, shutting the Golden Bears
out in the second half to erase a 14-7
deficit.
Miles returned the favor last season.
Albany State took advantage of several
Miles mistakes in the second half to
earn a 29-16 win in Fairfield. But in the
SIAC Championship Game, the Golden
Bears defense controlled the contest
from the start and used a big goalline
stand in the first half to take a 20-7 win
and the school’s second conference title
in five seasons.
MILES GOLDEN BEARS FOOTBALL 2016
How Miles has fared in 2016…
When Miles scored 20+ points 2-0
When Miles scored 30+ points 2-0
When Miles allowed 20+ points 1-1
In home games 0-1
In road game 1-0
In neutral site games 1-0
In day games 2-1
In night games 0-0
When leading after first quarter 1-0
When trailing after first quarter 1-1
When tied after first quarter 0-0
When leading at halftime 1-0
When trailing at halftime 1-1
When tied at halftime 0-0
When leading after third quarter 2-0
When trailing after third quarter 0-1
When tied after third quarter 0-0
When outgaining opponents on ground 1-0
When outgaining opponents in air 0-0
In games decided by 1-3 points 0-0
In games decided by 4-7 points 0-0
In games decided by 8-10 points 0-0
In games decided by more than 10 pts. 2-1
When Miles has plus-turnover margin 1-0
When Miles has minus-turnover margin 0-1
When Miles has zero turnover margin 1-0
MILES HEAD COACH REGINALD RUFFIN
5
Field goals needed by junior
kicker Nick Christiansen to set
the school record for career 3-
pointers.
18
Games Miles has held teams to
one touchdown or less since
2011, including seven times dur-
ing the 2015 season.
7
Yards needed by senior running
back Jonathan Clark to surpass
1,000 career rushing yards.
BY THE NUMBERS
Reginald Ruffin has led one of the most success-
ful eras in Miles College football history. He en-
ters his sixth season as the head football coach for
the Golden Bears with two Southern Intercolle-
giate Athletic Conference championships as well
as an additional SIAC Championship game ap-
pearance. Over five seasons, Ruffin has won near-
ly 62 percent of his games, going 34-21 overall.
Last season, Miles went 7-5 overall and a per-
fect 5-0 in West Division play. A six-game win
streak culminated with a 20-7 win over Albany
State to secure the SIAC title. Ruffin earned SIAC
Coach of the Year honors as nine players earned
All-Conference selections while two were named
All-Americans.
In 2014, Miles went 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the
SIAC Western Division, which followed a 2013
campaign that saw Ruffin led the Golden Bears to
a second SIAC Championship appearance in three
years. In 2011, Ruffin’s first season, he led the
Golden Bears to their first Division II SIAC
Championship and was named SIAC Coach of the
Year by his peers. The 2012 season brought a
second place finish in the SIAC Western Division
but Ruffin led Miles to its first berth in the NCAA
Division II Playoffs, finishing 8-3 overall.
Ruffin has continued to burgeon his reputation
as a winner at Miles. Prior to his stint with the
Golden Bears, he spent seven seasons at Tuskegee
as their defensive coordinator and linebacker
coach. As the defensive coordinator, Ruffin had
the SIAC’s best defense from 2007-09, leading the
way in several categories.
Prior to his first stint with the Golden Tigers in
2002, Ruffin served as athletic director and head
football coach at Choctaw County High School in
Butler, Alabama. Other stops included times at
West Georgia, his, alma mater, North Alabama,
and Jackson High School in Jackson, Alabama.
Ruffin is a 1997 graduate of the University of
North Alabama and holds a master’s degree in
Education Administration from Nova Southeastern
University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During his
playing days at the UNA, he became the Lions’
second three-time All-American and is the only
Lion to be named All-America at two different
positions: as a defensive end in 1995 and 1996, and
as a linebacker in 1997. A four-year starter, he es-
tablished a school record with 34 career sacks and
the school single-season sack record with 11 in
1994. The Lions went 43-9 during his career and
won two Division II National Championships.
In 1994, Ruffin was selected Gulf South Confer-
ence Freshman of the Year. In 1995, he was selected
first-team All-Gulf South Conference, first-team
CoSIDA NCAA Division II All-South Region, third
-team CoSIDA NCAA Division II All- American,
third-team C. M. Frank All-American and honorable
mention Football Gazette All-American in 1996.
Ruffin was selected second-team All-American in
1996 by the Associated Press, CoSIDA and Football
Gazette, as well as All-Gulf South Conference and
first-team CoSIDA All- South Region. In 1997, he
was selected first-team All-American by the Associ-
ated Press, Football Gazette, American Football
Coaches Association and second-team All-
American pick by Daktronics as a linebacker.
Ruffin is married to Monica and they have one
son, Gabriel.
MILES GOLDEN BEARS 2016 DEPTH CHART
GOLDEN BEARS OFFENSE
QB 17 David Whipple (6-1, 175, Sr.)
10 Li’Jon Cordier (6-0, 200, So.)
TB 12 Jamarcus Nance (5-8, 175, Sr.)
25 Ger’Kerry Jackson (5-7, 170, So.)
X 88 Trey Smith (6-2, 175, R-So.)
84 Denzel Mooney (6-2, 190, Fr.)
Y 82 Earnest Bell, Jr. (6-4, 180, Sr.)
83 Rodarius Houston (5-10, 170, Sr.)
H-B 46 Devon Denson (5-10, 245, Sr.)
49 Carlos Taylor (6-1, 214, Fr.)
LT 70 Curtis Mack (6-2, 280, Jr.)
79 Roger Womack (6-0, 305, Fr.)
LG 79 Roger Womack (6-0, 305, Fr.)
63 Haston Coates (6-4, 335, So.)
C 75 Chris Ruffin (6-0, 280, Jr.)
67 Thomas Jackson (5-11, 230, R-Sr.)
RG 66 Derrick Tucker, Jr. (6-0, 270, Sr.)
65 Ja’Kobe Sanders (6-3, 300, Fr.)
RT 78 Reginald Patrick (6-3, 305, Jr.)
72 Naffe Toure (6-6, 297, Jr.)
TE 7 Vincent Davis (6-2, 220, Jr.)
48 Montavious Tinch (6-4, 219, Fr.)
GOLDEN BEARS SPECIALTY
PK 36 Nick Christensen (6-3, 238, Jr.)
87 Evan Oldaker (6-0, 230, Fr.)
P 87 Evan Oldaker (6-0, 230, Fr.)
36 Nick Christensen (6-3, 238, Jr.)
KR 1 Cedric Poole (6-0, 196, Sr.)
8 Devin Brown (5-7, 175, Jr.)
PR 8 Devin Brown (5-7, 175, Jr.)
1 Cedric Poole (6-0, 196, Sr.)
GOLDEN BEARS DEFENSE
DE 40 Kaelan Bonds (6-2, 250, R-Jr.)
92 Justin Ward (6-0, 215, So.)
DT 69 Gregory Matthews (6-0, 255, So.)
58 Ashton McKenzie (5-10, 245, Sr.)
NG 44 Josephus Smith (5-8, 270, Fr.)
93 Deshawn Burgess (6-2, 250, R-Sr.)
JACK 94 Jarmari Ford (6-3, 225, Sr.)
91 Demontae Haigler (6-1, 250, Fr.)
SAM 41 Anthony Hardy (6-3, 225, Jr.)
42 Molik Slade (6-2, 225, R-Sr.)
MIKE 35 Nicc Dance (5-11, 240, Sr.)
55 DeAnthony Philon (5-11, 227, Fr.)
WILL 23 Emmanuel Ray (6-3, 210, Sr.)
50 LaBarron Rodgers (5-8, 202, So.)
LCB 2 Andreus Warthen (6-2, 190, Sr.)
20 Kendrell Walker (5-8, 160, Fr.)
SS 1 Cedric Poole (6-0, 196, Sr.)
29 Ravarius Rivers (6-0, 175, So.)
FS 4 Jawaski Randle (5-9, 180, R-Jr.)
31 Stevie Woods (5-9, 170, Jr.)
RCB 24 Caleb Duncan (5-10, 195, Sr.)
21 Cedric Powell (6-0, 185, Jr.)
MILES GOLDEN BEARS 2016 ROSTER
# NAME POS HT WGT CLASS HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL
1 Cedric Poole DB 6-0 196 SR Birmingham, AL/Mississippi Delta CC
2 Andreus Warthen DB 6-2 190 SR Sparta, GA/Paine College
3 Tyree Leonard WR 5-10 165 SO Tuscaloosa, AL/Central Tuscaloosa HS
4 Jawaski Randle DB 5-9 187 R-JR Albany, GA/Monroe HS
5 Jourdan Walker WR 5-11 180 JR Birmingham, AL/ Shades Valley High School
6 Christian Mays WR 5-7 175 SO Prattville, AL/Prattville HS
7 Vincent Davis TE 6-2 220 JR Tuscaloosa, AL/Central Tuscaloosa HS
8 Devin Brown WR 5-9 175 JR Cincinnati, OH/Toledo
9 Jonathan Clark RB 5-8 170 R-SR Birmingham, AL/Huffman HS
10 Li’Jon Cordier QB 6-0 200 SO New Orleans, LA/Stillman
11 Antonio Dunn WR 6-0 180 JR Montgomery, AL/G.W. Carver HS
12 Jamarcus Nance RB 5-8 175 SR Muscle Shoals, AL/Muscle Shoals HS
13 Jairius Shade DB 5-9 180 R-FR Stockbridge, GA/Stockbridge HS
14 Timmie Gibson DB 5-9 165 FR Tuscaloosa, AL/Central HS
15 Taryon Baker DB 6-0 170 FR Huntsville, AL/J.O. Johnson HS
16 William Kelly WR 5-9 180 SO Tallahassee, FL/Rickards HS
17 David Whipple QB 6-1 175 SR Gordon, GA/Wilkinson County HS
18 Tommy Neeley QB 6-2 185 SO Birmingham, AL/Parker HS
19 LeeOtis Washington DB 6-3 200 SO Livingston, AL/Troy
20 Kendrell Walker DB 5-8 160 FR Tuscaloosa, AL/Central HS
21 Cedric Powell DB 6-0 185 JR Birmingham, AL/Alabama
23 Emmanuel Ray LB 6-3 210 SR Mount Olive, MS/Pearl River CC
24 Caleb Duncan DB 5-10 195 SR New Orleans, LA/Fresno CC
25 Ger'Kerry Jackson RB 5-7 170 SO Montgomery, AL/Jefferson Davis HS
26 Jonathan Esther RB 5-7 170 SO Thomasville, GA/Stillman
27 Alfred King DB 5-10 182 FR Monroe, GA/Monroe Area HS
28 Terrance Slaughter DB 5-10 210 R-SR Fairfield, AL/South Alabama
29 Ravarius Rivers DB 6-0 175 SO Lithonia, GA/Martin Luther King HS
31 Stevie Woods DB 5-9 170 JR Dora, AL/Dora HS
32 Sean Long RB 5-9 190 FR Saraland, AL/Saraland HS
33 Wade Streeter RB 5-9 182 FR Hoover, AL/Spain Park HS
34 Joshua Rice RB 5-9 198 FR Birmingham, AL/G.W. Carver HS
35 Nicc Dance LB 5-11 240 SR Nashville, TN/Tennessee-Martin
36 Nick Christiansen K/P 6-3 238 JR Clayton, NC/Clayton HS
37 Michael White LB 6-0 205 SO Gainesville, FL/Dutchtown HS
39 Ruben Sartin DB 5-10 175 SO New Orleans, LA/Stillman
40 Kaelan Bonds DL 6-2 250 R-JR Florence, AL/Russellville HS
41 Anthony Hardy LB 6-3 225 JR Demopolis, AL/Demopolis HS
42 Molik Slade LB 6-2 225 R-SR Fort Lauderdale, FL/Missouri Southern
43 Terrance Beard RB 5-8 218 R-FR Mobile, AL/Baker HS
44 Josephus Smith DL 5-8 270 FR Leeds, AL/Leeds HS
45 Larry Scott LB 5-10 205 SR Sebring, FL/Sebring HS
46 Devon Denson H-B 5-10 245 SR Lakeland, FL/Stillman
47 Austin Stephens LB 5-11 210 FR Munford, AL/Munford HS
48 Montavious Tinch TE 6-4 219 FR Elberton, GA/Elbert County HS
49 Carlos Taylor H-B 6-1 214 FR Tuscaloosa, AL/Central HS
50 LaBarron Rodgers LB 5-8 202 SO Mobile, AL/M.T. Blount HS
MILES GOLDEN BEARS 2016 ROSTER
# NAME POS. HT WGT CLASS HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL
51 Justice Hammond OL 6-0 290 FR Birmingham, AL/Oak Mountain HS
52 Tavon Town LB 5-9 203 SR Woodbridge, VA/Hudson Valley CC
53 Malangelo Caldwell LB 6-0 227 SO Greenville, AL/Greenville HS
54 Deaundre McCurry LB 6-1 237 FR Birmingham, AL/G.W. Carver HS
55 DeAnthony Philon LB 5-11 227 FR Mobile, AL/McGill-Toolen HS
56 Ricky Clark DL 6-3 320 SR Winterville, GA/Alabama A&M
57 Curtis Gildersleeve LB 5-8 209 R-FR Mobile, AL/Baker HS
58 Ashton McKenzie DL 5-10 245 SR Bronx, NY/Hudson Valley CC
59 T’Auntre Spence OL 6-0 310 FR Moundville, AL/Hale County HS
60 Lajourne Jackson OL 6-1 325 SO Hammonds, LA/Loranger HS
61 Nathaniel Williams OL 5-6 275 FR Atlanta, GA/Westlake HS
62 Melvin Dunn OL 6-3 245 JR Mobile, AL/Mississippi College
63 Haston Coates OL 6-4 335 SO Birmingham, AL/North Alabama
65 Ja’Kobe Sanders OL 6-3 300 FR Montgomery, AL/G.W. Carver HS
66 Derrick Tucker, Jr. OL 6-0 270 JR Sweet Water, AL/Sweet Water HS
67 Thomas Jackson OL 5-11 230 R-SR Decatur, GA/Southwest DeKalb HS
68 Theodore Victorin OL 6-1 310 SO Hollywood, FL/Stillman
69 Gregory Matthews DL 6-0 255 SO Stockbridge, GA/Woodland HS
70 Curtis Mack OL 6-2 280 JR Montgomery, AL/Sidney Lanier HS
71 Jeremiah Dent DL 6-3 325 SR Tupelo, MS/Northeast MS CC
72 Naffe Toure OL 6-6 297 JR Bamako, Mali/Coahama CC
75 Chris Ruffin OL 6-0 280 JR Bessemer, AL/Bessemer City HS
77 Robert Moore OL 6-5 340 FR Auburn, AL/Auburn HS
78 Reginald Patrick OL 6-3 305 JR Birmingham, AL/Stillman
79 Roger Womack OL 6-0 305 FR Birmingham, AL/G.W. Carver HS
80 Devante' Williams WR 6-2 175 JR Atmore, AL/Escambia County HS
81 Mitchell Parker WR 6-4 185 R-SO Clanton, AL/Chilton County HS
82 Earnest Bell, Jr. WR 6-4 180 R-SR Birmingham, AL/Homewood HS
83 Rodarius Houston WR 5-10 170 SR Anniston, AL/Tennessee-Martin
84 Denzel Mooney WR 6-2 190 FR Gadsden, AL/Gadsden City HS
85 Malik Campbell WR 6-0 190 R-JR Mobile, AL/M.T. Blount HS
86 Darrell Williams TE 6-4 240 SR Atlanta, GA/Cedar Grove HS
87 Evan Oldaker P/K 6-0 230 FR Bainbridge, GA/Bainbridge HS
88 Trey Smith WR 6-2 175 R-SO Lawrenceville, GA/Norcross HS
89 Jarret Bates WR 6-2 175 R-FR Atlanta, GA/Riverwood International Charter
90 Deonte’ Dempsey DL 6-3 250 JR Lakeland, FL/Georgia Southern
91 Demontae Haigler DL 6-1 250 FR Montgomery, AL/G.W. Carver HS
92 Justin Ward DL 6-0 215 SO Powder Springs, GA/Shorter
93 Deshawn Burgess DL 6-2 250 R-SR Tuscaloosa, AL/Tuscaloosa County HS
94 Jarmari Ford DL 6-3 225 SR Savannah, GA/Atlanta Sports Academy
95 Cameron Elliott DL 6-0 250 FR Decatur, AL/Decatur HS
96 Jaylun Thomas DL 6-0 265 FR Sylacauga, AL/Sylacauga HS
97 Joshua Dunn DL 6-2 235 SR Prichard, AL/McGill-Toolen HS
98 Aaron Vaughn, Jr. DL 6-3 275 JR Memphis, TN/Paine College
MILES GOLDEN BEARS FOOTBALL 2016
SHERIDAN BROADCAST NETWORK POLL
1. No. Carolina A&T 6. North Carolina Central
2. Tennessee State 7. Southern
3. Grambling State 8. South Carolina State
4. Prairie View A&M 9. Alcorn State
5. Tuskegee 10. Bowie State
Others receiving votes: Hampton, Norfolk State,
Bethune-Cookman, Miles, Virginia State
AFCA POLL
School (first place) Record Pts. LW
1. NW Missouri St. (30) 4-0 750 1 2. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 4-0 713 2
3. West Georgia 4-0 658 3
4. Shepherd (W.Va.) 4-0 637 4 5. Ashland (Ohio) 4-0 622 5
6. Texas A&M-Commerce 3-0 586 6
7. Henderson St. (Ark.) 4-0 563 8 8. Indiana (Pa.) 3-0 533 9
9. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 4-0 511 10
10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 3-0 458 11 11. Tuskegee (Ala.) 4-0 424 12
12. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 4-0 386 14
13. Ferris St. (Mich.) 3-1 374 7 14. Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 4-0 365 15
15. Assumption (Mass.) 4-0 325 17
16. Florida Tech 4-0 302 19 17. Colorado Mesa 4-0 289 18
18. North Alabama 2-1 261 20
19. Minnesota St. 3-1 178 21 20. Harding (Ark.) 4-0 172 25
21. North Carolina-Pembroke 4-0 123 NR
22. Central Missouri 3-1 116 13 23. Emporia St. (Kan.) 3-1 97 NR
24. California (Pa.) 3-0 71 NR
25. Augustana (S.D.) 3-1 48 16
Others receiving votes: Bemidji St., 40; South-
west Baptist, 37; Valdosta St., 32; West Texas
A&M, 32; Wayne St. (Mich.), 20; LIU-Post, 8;
Winston-Salem St., 6; Minnesota-Duluth, 3; Hum-
boldt St), 2; McKendree, 2; Pittsburg St., 2; Colo-
rado School of Mines, 1; Fort Hays St., 1; Ouachi-
ta Baptist, 1; Western St., 1.
HSRN DIVISION II/NAIA POLL
School Record Pts LW
1. Tuskegee (11) 3-0 127 1
2. Virginia Union 2-2 101 3 3. Bowie State (1) 2-2 94 5
4. Miles 2-1 70 8
5. Winston-Salem St. 2-2 68 NR 6. Virginia State 3-1 63 2
7. Chowan 3-1 60 9
8. Lane 3-1 35 4 9. Albany State 1-3 30 6
10. Benedict 3-1 25 NR
Others receiving votes: Langston, Johnson C.
Smith, West Va. State, Clark Atlanta, Fort Valley
State, Morehouse, Fayetteville State, Kentucky
State, Elizabeth City State
THE POLLS LAST TIME OUT: MILES DOWNS MOREHOUSE
ATLANTA -- Miles head coach Reginald Ruffin likes to emphasize the need to win all
three phases of a football game - offense, defense and special teams. The Golden Bears did
just that, getting touchdowns from all three units in a 31-7 win over Morehouse at B.T.
Harvey Stadium.
The offensive numbers were not massive but Jourdan Walker caught an 11-yard touch-
down pass from David Whipple in the second quarter and Jamarcus Nance rushed for 96
yards on just 11 carries. The defense, though, had its way with the Maroon Tigers (2-2) for
much of the afternoon.
The Golden Bears forced four turnovers, the first coming on a Jawaski Randle intercep-
tion in the end zone to thwart a Morehouse drive. The next was a 25-yard interception
return for a touchdown by Caleb Duncan. That score came with 4:11 left in the second
quarter and gave Miles a 17-0 lead. The Maroon Tigers would find their way into the end
zone right before the half on a 1-yard run by Bricen Terry to cut the Miles lead to 17-7 at
the half.
The backbreaking play came on special teams courtesy of Devin Brown. He took a third
quarter punt - the first time the Golden Bears had possession in the second half - and re-
turned it 80 yards for a score for a 24-7 advantage. The big lead allowed Miles to become
even more aggressive on defense, relentlessly getting into the MHC backfield. Jarmari
Ford (nine tackles, one sack) led the charge up front while Curtis Gildersleeve (six tack-
les, two for loss) and Anthony Hardy (five tackles, two for loss) also laid some big hits.
The pressure finally got to Morehouse quarterback Kivon Taylor when he aired out a pass
that was picked off by Cedric Poole (seven tackles) and returned 59 yards for the final
score. The Maroon Tigers held a big edge in time of possession (33:55 to 26:05) but was
just 2-of-15 on third down.
LAST MEETING: GOLDEN BEARS 20, ALBANY STATE 7
Cedric Poole returned the opening kickoff 90 yards to set up a score, running back Ja-
marcus Nance ran for a career-high 145 yards and two touchdowns and the defense har-
assed Albany State quarterback Caleb Edmonds all night en route to a 20-7 victory in the
SIAC Championship Game.
The win was the sixth straight for Miles, which avenged a 29-16 loss to the Golden Rams
on Oct. 3 and secured the second league title for the Golden Bears and first since 2011.
Miles may have received a little help from the officials early in the game. After Miles had
taken a 10-0 in the first quarter 20-yard field goal and 2-yard scoring run from Nance,
Edmonds broke free down the sideline on the first play of the second quarter and appeared
to have scored on a 25-yard run. The officials, though, ruled he was out at the 1-yard line –
a yard Albany State would never get. After three tries to punch it in, the Golden Rams
settled for a field goal attempt that missed right.
Nance would score his second touchdown with 3:46 left in the first half and Miles would
go into halftime with a 17-0 lead. This season, though, Miles has coughed up several leads
in the second half, something the team did not want to happen Saturday night.
Quarterback David Whipple, who had rushed for more than 100 yards the last three
weeks, had only seven yards rushing but threw for 153 yards in the win. He was comforta-
ble feeding the ball to Nance in the second half.
Albany State got on the board with a 14-yard touchdown pass with 2:41 left in the third
quarter when Edmonds found Thomas Smith alone in the end zone. But the Golden Bears
defense held Golden Rams in check. Anthony Hardy had a team-high 11 tackles (nine
solo) and Braysean Jones was nearly unstoppable at defensive end, recording six tackles,
five quarterback hurries, a sack and a forced fumble.
Poole closed the game out with an interception that sealed the deal and started the champi-
onship celebration for the Golden Bears.
Visit us on the web! www.milesgoldenbears.com
MILES ALMANAC
2016 SIAC STANDINGS
WESTERN DIVISION
— Division — — Overall —
Team W L Pct. PF PA W L Pct. PF PA
Tuskegee 01 00 1.000 38 07 04 00 1.000 122 55
Kentucky State 01 00 1.000 17 14 01 03 .250 34 105
Miles 00 00 .000 00 00 02 01 .667 65 57
Lane 00 01 .000 07 38 03 01 .750 100 57
Central State 00 01 .000 14 17 00 04 .000 38 93
EASTERN DIVISION
— Division — — Overall —
Team W L Pct. PF PA W L Pct. PF PA
Benedict 01 00 1.000 28 14 03 01 .750 84 42
Fort Valley St. 01 01 .500 51 59 01 03 .250 79 95
Morehouse 00 00 .000 00 00 02 02 .500 70 82
Albany State 00 00 .000 00 00 01 03 .250 72 73
Clark Atlanta 00 01 .000 31 37 02 02 .500 101 99
MILES GOLDEN BEARS FOOTBALL
2016 VOL. 2 NO. 4
OCT. 1, 2016
Miles College
Office of Athletic External Affairs
Assistant Athletic Director: A.A. Moore
Phone: 205.929.1102
Fax: 205.929.3299
Email: [email protected]
Since Reginald Ruffin took over the
Miles football program in 2011, five
players have rushed for at least 700
yards in a single season.
1. Jordan Lewis (2011), 966
2. Jamarcus Nance (2015), 815
3. Jonathan Clark (2014), 811
4. Floyd Graves (2013), 801
5. David Whipple (2015), 702
The Miles’ coaching staff features three
who have played professional football.
Outside linebackers coach Ronald
McKinnon played 10 seasons in the
NFL with Arizona and New Orleans.
Cornerbacks coach Dexter McCleon
spent eight seasons in the NFL with St.
Louis, Kansas City and Houston, win-
ning a Super Bowl with the Rams in
2000. Safeties coach Kenneth Watson
played for eight seasons in the Canadi-
an Football League, winning two Grey
Cups.
Miles (2-1) is one of just four teams to
compete in the SIAC Championship
Game, joined by Albany State (1-3),
Tuskegee (2-0), and Fort Valley State
(0-1)
Junior kicker Nick Christiansen set
school records last season for most
field goals (16) and points by kicker
(74) in a single season. Both records
were previously held by Patton Cham-
bers, 13 field goals in 2011 and 71
points in 2012.
Ruffin is second all-time in coaching
victories at Miles but he has a ways to
go to catch T.J. “Mule” Knox, who
amassed 98 wins from 1934-67.
Miles’ national ranking in total and
scoring defense since 2011:
2011: 14th/32nd 2012: 22nd/16th
2013: 99th/57th 2014: 18th/ 21st
2015: 22nd/8th 2016: 38th/25th
THIS WEEKEND’S SIAC GAMES
Saturday, October 1, 2016
UNC-Pembroke at Tuskegee, 1 p.m.
Central State at Ky. Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
Ft. Valley St. at Alderson Broaddus, 1
p.m.
Lane at Lincoln (MO), 2 p.m.
Morehouse at Clark Atlanta, 3 p.m.
Benedict at Gardner-Webb., 5 p.m.
Miles at Albany State, 6 p.m.
LAST WEEK’S SCORES
Saturday, September 24, 2016
at Tuskegee 38, Lane 7
Miles 31, at Morehouse 7
Kentucky St. 17, Central State 14
at Benedict 28, Fort Valley State 14
at Clark Atlanta 37, Ave Maria 13
West Georgia 27, at Albany State 23
