Panthers Maul Marauders 37-20

CIAA Football Week in Review
For the week ending September 8, 2007 (Week 3)

Panthers Maul Marauders 37-20

September 9, 2007 

RICHMOND, VA- Quarterback Lamar Little threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a TD and Elihu Smith rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown as the Virginia Union Panthers downed the Central State Marauders 37-20 in their home opener at Hovey Field.

The Panthers (2-0) turned four Central State turnovers into points as they opened up a 24-0 second quarter lead.  On the first play of the game, Panther linebacker Stevie Johnson picked off a pass by CSU quarterback Chris Clark at the CSU 44-yard line. Six plays later kicker Gil Hernandez connected on a 22-yard field goal as the Panthers opened up a 3-0 lead.
On Central State's next possession, VUU's Levon Hyatt picked off Clark on the Marauders' 45-yard line.  Little then capped an 8-play, 45-yard drive with a 6-yard run to push the Panthers to a 10-0 lead.

The Panthers would extend their lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter when Duane Griffin broke loose for a 22-yard TD run to finish off an 8-play, 82-yard drive. 

Virginia Union would get its final points of the first half when DJ Spelmon recovered a fumble by CSU's Jerrod Hill at the Marauder 44-yard line.  Smith then reeled off a 33-yard run down to the CSU 11-yard line. Following a 5-yard false start penalty, Little hooked up with wideout Michael Hampton (6 catches for138 yards) on a 16-yard TD pass as the Panther opened up a 24-0 lead on the turnover-prone Marauders.

On the ensuing possession, the Marauders put to together their only sustained of the half as they moved the ball 67 yards in six plays and scored on a 42-yard TD pass from Clark to Hill as they headed to the locker room trailing 24-6.

The Panthers used big plays from Smith and Hampton to put game out of reach in the third quarter. Smith broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run and Hampton was on the receiving end of a 97-yard bomb from Little as the Panthers widened their lead to 37-6 and cruised to the 37-20 win.

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