CIAA Football Week in Review

CIAA Football Week in Review
For the week ending September 4, 2011 (Week 2)

RAMS OPEN SEASON WITH WIN OVER VIKINGS

 
ELIZABETH CITY, NC-In an early season cross-division showdown, quarterback Kameron Smith threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns and backfield mate Nicholas Cooper rushed for 137 yards and a score as the visiting Winston-Salem State Rams (1-0) posted a 22-17 win over the Elizabeth City State Vikings (0-2).
 
After forcing ECSU to punt on their first possession of the game, Winston-Salem State drove 91 yards in 10 plays and took an early lead when Smith hooked up with receiver Tevyn Brantley on 30-yard touchdown pass. Landen Thayer added the PAT and the Rams led 7-0 with 9:20 left in the first quarter.
 
The Vikings’ defense set up their first scoring opportunity when Brad Davis sacked Smith inside the Ram 10-yard line and forced a fumble that was scooped up by linebacker Dewitt Dixon and taken down to the WSSU 1-yard post. One play later, tailback Daronte McNeill plunged in from one yard out to knot the score at 7-7 with a little under eight minutes left in the first quarter. The Rams quickly regained momentum on their next drive as Smith tossed his second touchdown of the half, this time a 27-yarder to Jamal Williams. Thayer’s PAT attempt was blocked and Winston-Salem State led 13-7 at the end of one quarter.
 
In the second quarter, the Rams extended their lead to 20-7 on Nicholas Cooper’s 2-yard run. The Vikings added a 42-yard field goal by Kevin Miller late in the quarter to trim the lead to 20-10 at halftime.
 
Defense dominated the third quarter with the only scoring emerging from an intentional grounding call on ECSU quarterback Creven Powell -in his own end zone- resulting in a safety and a 22-10 WSSU lead. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings put together a long, sustained drive, using 25 plays to go 95-yards. McNeill ended the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run as Elizabeth City State trimmed the lead to 22-17. Unfortunately, the long drive ate up over thirteen minutes of valuable time. Winston-Salem State got the ball back with 3:40 left in the game and went to their workhorse Cooper to carry them to the finish line. On their final drive Cooper carried the ball five times for 49 yards, including back breaking runs of 13, 16, and 15 yards to move the chains for first down and eat up the clock.
 
Next week, the Rams travel to Richmond to take on a 2-0 Virginia Union team in another important early season showdown, while the Vikings will look to avoid going 0-3 as they take on Livingstone in the Down East Viking Football Classic, Rocky Mount, NC.

Conference Scoreboard