CIAA Football Weekly Preview- Week 3

CIAA Football Weekly Preview- Week 3

Game of the Week:
Winston-Salem State Rams (1-0) at Virginia Union Panthers (2-0)

Virginia Union is off to a 2-0 start after wins over Saint Augustine’s and Benedict. QB Cheston Hickman passed for 185 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, but defense has been the Panthers’ calling card after posting shutouts in both games. Virginia Union has been especially tough against the run, giving up a meager 57 rushing yards per game. Panther defenders will be tested early and often Saturday when the Rams come to town. WSSU is led by workhorse tailback Nicholas Cooper.  Cooper, an All-CIAA first teamer last year, came up huge in the Rams’ 22-17 season opening win over Elizabeth City State, rushing for 137 yards and a touchdown.  On the Rams’ final drive, Cooper carried the ball five times for 49 yards and picked up three big first downs as the Rams ate up the clock to preserve the win.  Load the box to stop Cooper and get burned by quarterback Kameron Smith.  Smith riddled ECSU for 229 passing yards and touchdown passes of 27 and 30 yards.  This game should have a playoff feel to it since more often than not, this matchup has championship implications. Game time is 7:00 pm at Hovey Field.

Benedict Tigers (0-1) at Bowie State Bulldogs (1-0)

Bowie State plays the second of four nonconference games on their schedule this season when they host Benedict of the SIAC. The Bulldogs got the 2011 season off to a rousing start with a 28-7 road win over Assumption behind Clifton Budd’s 177 passing yards and two touchdowns and a defense that allowed a single touchdown.  Benedict looks to rebound from a 27-0 blanking at the hands of Virginia Union. Game time is 1:00 pm at Bulldog Stadium.

Chowan Hawks (1-0) at UNC Pembroke Braves (1-0)

Chowan completely dominated on both sides of the ball in their season opening win over Livingstone last week. The Hawks outgained the Blue Bears 452-12 en route to a 43-7 win. Quarterback Cameron Stover had a stellar game, passing for 237 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 40 yards. This week the going gets tougher as the Hawks travel to Pembroke, North Carolina to take on UNC-Pembroke. The Braves are coming off a 33-27 win over Fayetteville State in their season opener; a game where they used a balanced attack (270 passing yards/266 rushing yards) to roll up over 500 yards of total offense. Kickoff is set for 6:00 pm.

Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (1-0) at Brevard College Tornados (0-1)

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the week was the offensive explosion by Johnson C. Smith. The Golden Bulls piled up 630 yards of offense in a 64-27 demolition of West Virginia State.  Freshman quarterback Keahn Wallace had a sensational collegiate debut, passing for 337 yards and five touchdowns. The running game was also clicking behind junior tailback Dedrick Anderson’s 156 yards and two TD’s. The Golden Bulls will get to test out their high-octane offense against a tougher opponent when they visit Brevard. The Tornados dropped a 34-17 decision to FCS opponent Gardner-Webb last week, but had good success running the ball against their Division I opponent, finishing with 245 yards. Brevard will provide a stern test for the Golden Bulls’ defense which allowed almost 500 yards of offense last week. Game time is 2:00 pm at Brevard Memorial Stadium

Lincoln (PA) Lions (0-1) at Kentucky State Thorobreds (1-0)

Lincoln dropped a tough 21-19 decision to instate rival Cheyney last week, but got a breakout game from junior wide receiver Phillip Jean-Juste.  Jean-Juste had a career-high 13 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown to pace the Lion offense. Lincoln also got a big game from QB Doug Cook, who threw for 317 yards and two TD’s. For all their success throwing the ball, the Lions’ ground game was non-existent, finishing with 8 yards rushing for the game. If the Lions expect to even their record this week, they’re going to have to be able to run the ball to keep the defense guessing. Kentucky State is coming off a 39-21 win over Central State and is led by quarterback Jerrel Noland who was an efficient 13 of 16 attempts for 218 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Marauders. Kickoff is set for 5:00 pm at KSU’s Alumni Stadium.

Livingstone Blue Bears (0-1) at Elizabeth City State Vikings (0-2)

After close losses to Delta State and Winston-Salem State, the Vikings look to avoid going 0-3 when they square off against Livingstone in the annual Down East Viking Football Classic in Rocky Mount, NC

Saint Augustine’s Falcons (1-1) at University of New Haven Chargers (1-0)

Maybe it was the weather after all.  After an abysmal Week 1 performance in a game played in near-hurricane conditions, The Falcons bounced back nicely on Saturday with a 30-5 win over Catawba. The Falcons used dual quarterbacks to pass for 296 yards and four touchdowns, while the defense forced four turnovers. A big concern for the Falcons has to be the lack of a consistent running game. Saint Aug finished with minus-24 yards rushing for the game and still hasn’t found a reliable replacement for 2010 CIAA Offensive POY Walter Sanders. The Chargers, of the Northeast-10 conference, erased a 15-point fourth quarter lead and beat West Chester 35-32 in overtime in its season opener. Game time is 1:00 pm at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium

Shaw Bears (0-1) at Delaware State Hornets (1-0)

The Bears travel to Dover for a match up with FCS opponent Delaware State of the MEAC.  Shaw, a team traditionally known for a strong running game, finished with minus-5 yards rushing in a 16-13 loss to Stillman College. With no ground game, the Bears’ offense sputtered all night, with their only points coming on a kickoff return and two field goals. Not a great start for a team that went into the game ranked 25th in the Division II poll and with aspirations of defending their CIAA championship. The Hornets, coached by a familiar face in longtime Winston-Salem State coach Kermit Blount, opened the season with a 24-21 win over Virginia Military Institute. Game time is 6:00 pm at DSU’s Alumni Stadium

Virginia State Trojans (0-1) at West Virginia State (0-1)

The Trojans looked out of sync on both sides of the ball in their season opener against Norfolk State. VSU was outgained 438-161 in the 37-3 loss.  The Yellow Jackets might be exactly what the Trojans need to get the ship righted before getting into the meat of their schedule. Coming off a 0-10 season in 2010, West Virginia State gave up over 600 yards of offense and was hammered 64-27 by J.C. Smith last week. Look for the Trojans to erase memories of the NSU game and regain some of their championship swagger on Saturday. Kickoff is 1:00 pm.