CIAA Football Week 8 in Review

CIAA Football Week in Review
For the week ending October 18, 2008, (Week 8) 

TROJANS STUN PANTHERS; VIKINGS ONE WIN AWAY FROM A DIVISION TITLE

RICHMOND, VA -Brian Berry's 32-yard touchdown run in the third quarter proved to be the game winner as the Virginia State Trojans pulled off a stunning 14-7 win over the Virginia Union Panthers in front of an announced Homecoming crowd of over 4,600 yesterday at Hovey Field.

Freshman tailback phenom Taron Hampton carried the ball 33 times for a season high 196 yards and the Trojans (4-4, 3-2) got two big blocked punts from their special teams to set up both touchdowns.

Trailing 7-0 after a 14-yard touchdown run by VUU's Lamar Little, Virginia State got a huge break when defensive back Donnie Avant slipped through to block a Wayne Motley punt, which the Trojans recovered at the VUU 11-yard line. One play later, quarterback Leonard Johnson sprinted in from 11 yards out and Justin Parker kicked the PAT to knot the game at 7-7 with 1:00 left in the first quarter.

After a scoreless second quarter the Trojans used another blocked punt to set up their only scoring drive in the third quarter. Following the block, that gave VSU the ball at their own 28-yard line, Hampton, who has over 1000 rushing yards this season, broke loose for a 45-yard gain that moved the ball down to the Panthers' 27-yard line.  Three plays later, Berry's 32-yard touchdown run gave the Trojans the lead for good and put a serious dent in the Panthers' (5-3, 3-2) Eastern Division title aspirations and hopes for a return trip to the CIAA Championship game.

Next week, the Panthers travel to Bowie State for an important divisional matchup.  Even with a win over the Bulldogs on Saturday, Virginia Union would still need a Saint Paul's win over Elizabeth City State just to stay in title contention.

 In other conference action...Elizabeth City State rolled up 632 yards of total offense and 10 different Vikings scored touchdowns as they improved to 5-3 and 5-0 in the CIAA with a 70-6 win over host Lincoln yesterday.  The Vikings can wrap up their second Eastern Division title in three years and secure a berth in the CIAA Championship game with a win over Saint Paul's next Saturday in Elizabeth City.

Conference Scoreboard 

BOWIE STATE                      21                   SAINT PAUL'S               7
ELIZABETH CITY ST.           70                    LINCOLN                       6
FAYETTEVILLE STATE         48                    J.C. SMITH                    3
ST. AUGUSTINE'S                28                    LIVINGSTONE              6
SHAW                                   68                    CHOWAN                    13                   
VIRGINIA STATE                  14                    VIRGINIA UNION         7                    

* Games vs. Lincoln from 9/20-11/1 will count towards conference standings.

CIAA Tie-Breaker Procedure

• 1. Head-to-Head Competition
• 2. Common Conference Opponents
• 3. Coin Toss

Games this week:
October

                  Shera L. White