The Road to Charlotte and the CIAA Football Championship
"Returning to Charlotte after 25 Years"
The Championship Game - November 10
October 3, 2007
WEEK 7 - CROSS-DIVISION MATCHUPS HIGHLIGHT THE WEEKEND
Hampton, VA - Even with Virginia Union sitting at 5-0, no one has a
firm grasp on any divisional lead. Every team still has a
mathematical shot at winning their respective division and earning
a birth in the Championship Game. Exciting East-West match-ups
highlight the weekend including two (Elizabeth City State -
Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith - Virginia Union) which
have major Championship Game implications.
GAME OF THE WEEK: VIRGINIA UNION AT JOHNSON C.
SMITH: The high flying Panthers are the CIAA's only
undefeated team (5-0). However, they will have their toughest
challenge at JCSU. The vaunted Panther Air Attack will get a
challenge from the Golden Bulls' Defense. QB Lamar Little and RB
Elihu Smith are the best 1-2 offensive punch in the CIAA. Little
has already accounted for 1,167 yards of total offense and 14
scores. Smith is averaging over 100 yards per contest. JCSU has
regained its defensive edge against VUU. The Golden Bulls cannot
plan to win a shootout against the Panthers. Preseason All-America
DB De'Audra Dix will have plenty of chances as the balls will be
flying through the air. He will need QB Carlton Richardson and RB
Marco Kirven to put points on the board for JCSU. (6:00 pm at
Charlotte).
Players to watch: (VUU: QB Lamar Little; RB Elihu Smith; WR
Michael Hampton).
(JCSU: RB Marco Kirven; WR Jeremy Franklin; QB Carlton
Richardson).
ELIZABETH CITY STATE AT FAYETTEVILLE STATE: The
much anticipated rematch of last year's 43-31 thriller in the Down
East Classic kicks off on Saturday. However, don't expect the
offensive circus of last year. Until last week, FSU had not scored
an offensive touchdown since Week 1. ECSU, stout defensively, has
struggled to
put points on the board. However, this should be an exciting
contest between these longtime rivals. The Bronco offense broke
through last week with 58 points. The win against Livingstone kept
the Broncos' hopes alive in the CIAA West. Ditto for ECSU. The
Vikings' 12-9 (2 OT) win kept its hopes alive to defend its Eastern
Division crown. (6:00 pm at Fayetteville).
Players to watch: (Elizabeth City State: QB Curtis Rich; RB Brandon
Fields; DL Greg Moore). (Fayetteville State: QB Jay Autry; RB
Richard Medlin; WR Bobby Wilder).
VIRGINIA STATE AT SAINT AUGUSTINE'S: The Trojans
lost a home heartbreaker to ECSU last weekend. However, VSU is far
from being out of the Eastern Division race. St. Augustine's loss
to Virginia Union was potentially devastating and severely hurts
their chances of staying in the Western Divisional race. DL Alex
Hall has yet to have a breakout game for the Falcons. This could be
the one. VSU has struggled recently against the Falcons and will
have a challenge winning in Raleigh. (4:00 pm at Raleigh).
Players to watch: (Virginia State: QB Michael Terry; RB
Nick Fleming; WR Brandon Crump). (St. Augustine's: DL Alex Hall; DL
Marcus Crump; QB Brandon Franklin).
SHAW AT ST. PAUL'S: The Bears have scored two
impressive wins against ECSU and on Sunday against the Golden
Bulls. However, the Bears should not expect the Tigers to lay down
on their Homecoming. The Tigers will pose a challenge. Shaw looks
to stay undefeated in the league with a road win at St. Paul's.
(1:30 pm at Lawrenceville, VA).
Players to watch: (Shaw: QB Matthew Stevenson; RB Alan
Atwater; DB Tomarcio Levey). (St. Paul's: QB Dessein Jean; WR
Morris Sadiq; DB Gregory Toler).
LIVINGSTONE AT BOWIE STATE: The rumored return of
Issac Redman has occurred. After churning out 184 yards against St.
Paul's, Redman will look to have a big day against Livingstone.
Bowie State also remains undefeated in the CIAA. (1:00 pm at Bowie,
MD).
Players to watch: (Bowie State: RB Issac Redman; DL
Sherman White; QB Jason Scott). (Livingstone: QB Steven
Williams; DB Lionel Vincent; RB Rashaad Flucker).
