CIAA Football Week in Review

CIAA Football Week in Review
For the week ending October 8, 2011, (Week 7)

ECSU WINS THREE-OVERTIME SHOOTOUT OVER VUU

RICHMOND, VA-Kevin Swain scored his only touchdown of the day on a nine-yard run and Daronte McNeill added the deciding two-point conversion as the Elizabeth City State Vikings (4-2, 2-1 CIAA) held on for a 43-41 triple-overtime win over the Virginia Union Panthers yesterday at Hovey Field.

An announced Homecoming crowd of over 8,700 raucous fans watched as the Panthers rallied from 14 points down in the second half to force the Vikings into overtime only to come up short on a game-tying two-point conversion attempt in the third overtime in a battle for the lead in the CIAA Northern Division.

McNeill finished with 233 rushing yards and four touchdowns as the Vikings rolled up 524 yards of offense and moved into sole possession of first place in the division.  Virginia Union’s offense was held mostly in check, finishing with 232 total yards, but the Panthers capitalized on several special team miscues by the Vikings to stay in the game. Cheston Hickman’s 144 passing yards and four (2 rushing/2 passing) touchdowns led the Panthers, who fall to 4-3, 2-2 CIAA.

Virginia Union scored the game’s first touchdown when tailback Jerrell Washington scampered in from nine yards out to cap a three-play, 22-yard drive. The PAT was blocked and the Panthers led 6-0. The scoring drive was set up when Elizabeth City State mishandled a punt attempt and VUU recovered deep in Viking territory.  McNeill responded with two short touchdowns runs in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 13-6 lead. Kicker Kevin Miller booted a 35-yard field goal as the second quarter expired and ECSU lead 16-6 at the half.

The Panthers again used a special team miscue by the Vikings to manufacture points when they blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety to trim the lead to 16-8 early in the third quarter. McNeill’s third touchdown of the day, a 17-yard run, would give the Vikings’ their biggest lead of the afternoon at 22-8 with 6:45 left in the third quarter.  On the ensuing kickoff, VUU’s Antonio Harris broke loose for a 48-yard return, taking the ball down to the ECSU 42-yard line. A personal foul penalty against the Vikings tacked on an additional 15 yards and the Panthers started the drive at the Panthers’ 27-yard line.  Three plays later, Hickman connected with Raymond Mack on an 18-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 22-15. The Panthers would tie the game at 22-22 early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Hickman that would end the scoring in regulation.

The two teams would trade touchdowns in the first overtime period, but kicking miscues by both squads left the game tied at 28-28 after one. In the second OT, Hickman would score for the Panthers and McNeill responded with a touchdown of his own for the Vikings and both kickers came through on the extra point to end the second extra session deadlocked at 35-35.  In the third OT, any touchdown would be followed by a mandatory 2-point conversion attempt (per NCAA rules).  Swain scored from nine yards out and McNeill rumbled in for the two-point conversion to give the Vikings a 43-35 lead. Virginia Union responded with a 4-yard touchdown run by Richard Rodwell to cut the lead to 43-41, but Rodwell was snuffed on the subsequent two-point try and the Vikings escaped with the 43-35 win and now sit alone atop the CIAA Northern Division.

Conference Scoreboard