VIKINGS' GROUND GAME TOO MUCH FOR TUSCULUM

CIAA Football Week in Review
For the week ending September 12, 2009, (Week 3) 

VIKINGS' GROUND GAME TOO MUCH FOR TUSCULUM

ELIZABETH CITY, NC-Daronte McNeill rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns as the Elizabeth City State Vikings posted a decisive 49-29 win over the visiting Tusculum Pioneers of the South Atlantic Conference last night in Elizabeth City.

ECSU, last season's CIAA Eastern Division champions, fell behind 3-0 early in the first quarter when Tusculum kicker Gareth Rowland nailed a 52-yard field goal to cap the Pioneers' opening drive of the game.

On their next two offensive possessions, the Vikings got a one-yard touchdown run from Cedric Blacknall and a 37-yard rushing touchdown from Reggie Smith to open up a 14-3 lead on the Pioneers, the defending SAC champions.

With 1:20 left in the second quarter, ECSU defensive back Justin Hamilton bumped the lead to 21-3 when he intercepted Tusculum quarterback Bo Cordell's pass attempt and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.

Tusculum capped the first half scoring when Cordell hooked up with Calvin Britt on a 5-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left in the second quarter to trim the lead to 21-10 at the half.

The Vikings opened the second half with a 7-play, 74-yard drive that included five runs by McNeil.  McNeil finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 28-10.

Following a 42-yard field goal by Rowland, that trimmed the lead to 28-13, Tusculum converted two interceptions by ECSU quarterback Creven Powell  into ten points to trail 28-23 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter. 

McNeill's second rushing touchdown of the night, a 24-yarder, pushed the Vikings' lead back to two scores as Elizabeth City led 35-23 after three quarters.

The Vikings would put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter when they got back-to-back touchdown runs from McNeill and Powell to stretch the lead to 49-23 with just over seven minutes left in the contest. Tusculum would close out the scoring when Cordell connected with Britt on another short touchdown pass. The Pioneers' attempt at a two-point conversion failed as the Vikings pulled out the 49-29 win.

For the game, the Vikings (2-1) finished with 492 yards of total offense and six rushing touchdowns, while limiting the Pioneers, who advanced to the second round of last year's NCAA D-II playoffs, to 265 yards of offense. The victory also represents ECSU's first win over a team from the South Atlantic Conference and snaps the Vikings' eight-game non-conference losing streak.

Conference Scoreboard

CHOWAN                             24                    BREVARD                                         27
ELIZABETH CITY ST.           49                    TUSCULUM                                      29
FAYETTEVILLE ST.              30                    BOWIE STATE                                 20       
JOHNSON C. SMITH           27                    EDWARD WATERS                           14
LIVINGSTONE                       0                     CATAWBA                                        51       
SAINT AUGUSTINE'S          14                    MARS HILL                                       20       
SAINT PAUL'S                     24                    WEBBER INTERNATIONAL              21       
SHAW                                  28                    CONCORDIA                                     20       
VIRGINIA STATE                 38                    LINCOLN (MO)                                  6        
VIRGINIA UNION                17                    OLD DOMINION                              49       

NOTES OF INTEREST

Notes of Interest:  ECSU's win Saturday over Tusculum was their first over a member of the SAC. 

Notes of Interest:  Raymond Williams (Rushing Touchdowns) and De'Andre Okonji (Receptions) tied career records at Shaw. Aaron Ellison, Jr. is one touchdown behind Williams on the career list. 

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
2009 Football Standings
Through games of September 12, 2009

                                                CIAA EAST

                                                Div/Conf                                           Overall
----                                          W        L         PCT                W        L         PCT
Elizabeth City State               0          0          0.000              2          1          0.667
Virginia State                         0          0          0.000              2          1          0.667
Saint Paul's                            0          0          0.000              1          1          0.500
Bowie State                            0          0          0.000              1          2          0.333
Virginia Union                        0          0          0.000              1          2          0.333

                                                CIAA West

----                                          W        L         PCT                W        L         PCT
Shaw                                      0          0          0.000              3          0          1.000
Fayetteville State                  0          0          0.000              1          2          0.333
Johnson C. Smith                   0          0          0.000              1          2          0.333
Chowan                                  0          0          0.000              0          3          0.000
Livingstone                            0          0          0.000              0          3          0.000
Saint Augustine's                  0          0          0.000              0          3          0.000

Upcoming Games:  September