CIAA Football Weekly Preview - Week 10
Preserving the Past,
Defending Our Future
CIAA Football Weekly Preview
Week Ten
October 26, 2011
Week Ten in CIAA football action kicks off with both divisional races settled with Winston-Salem State and Elizabeth City State claiming their respective crowns. Although the divisional race is over, several individual statistical battles look as though they will go down to the wire. The CIAA’s two best running backs, Winston-Salem State’s Nicholas Cooper and Elizabeth City State’s Daronte McNeill are virtually deadlocked in the race for the league’s rushing title. McNeill goes into Saturday’s game with a slim 1,156-1,137 advantage over Cooper. The two are also in a tight race for the league scoring crown. McNeill has scored 104 points while Cooper has amassed 90. The passing title is wide open as well, with as many as five different quarterbacks with a legitimate shot at it. Also keep an eye on the youth movement at the quarterback position this year in the CIAA. Lincoln freshman Doug Cook, Johnson C. Smith frosh Keahn Wallace, and Saint Augustine’s sophomore Teddy Bacote all have put up big passing numbers for their respective teams. All three could eclipse the 2,000 yard plateau with solid performances this week.
Bowie State Bulldogs (4-3, 3-3) at Shepherd (6-2)
Bowie State went into last week’s game against Elizabeth City State with a chance to move into first place in the Northern Division with a win. They left North Carolina with a disheartening 23-12 loss and the victorious Vikings wearing the Northern Division crown. They outgained ECSU 374-314, but were done in by costly turnovers and penalties. With their division title hopes now gone by the wayside, the Bulldogs must regroup and travel to West Virginia to take on the Rams of Shepherd University. Bowie State averages over 205 yards rushing a game, but the Rams are an absolute beast to run against, yielding just 40.25 yards a game; which leads NCAA Division II. The Bulldogs must figure out a way to manufacture some sustained offensive drives to keep the ball away from the Rams who are also a load offensively; averaging just over 45 points a game. They are led by the backfield tandem of Tommy Addison and Kenny Williams who have combined to rush for 1,314 yards and 19 touchdowns. This CIAA-WVIAC matchup kicks off Saturday at noon at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Elizabeth City State Vikings (6-2, 4-1) at Chowan Hawks (2-6, 1-4)
Elizabeth City State is officially the Northern Division champion. With their ticket to Durham already stamped, the Vikings can focus on trying to extend their six-game winning streak and shoring up their weaknesses as they finish out the regular season and prepare for Durham. In front of them is a dangerous Chowan team fresh off a win over traditional power Shaw. This is a matchup of contrasting styles; the grind it out, run-oriented Vikings versus the pass-happy, aerial circus of Chowan. Look for the Vikings to use their run first, ball-control offense to keep the Hawks’ explosive offense off the field. That means a big dose of workhorse tailback Daronte McNeill, who leads the conference with 1,156 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. After missing several games due to injury, Chowan quarterback Cameron Stover looked like his old self as he carved up Shaw to the tune of 374 passing yards and four touchdowns in the Hawks’ 34-32 win on Saturday. Receiving duo Kevin Hodrick and Robert Holland each had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown to add to the Hawks’ cause. It would be huge feather in the cap of the Hawks if they can pin an “L” on the champs. Look for the Vikings, who are second in the league with 28 sacks, to bring a lot of pressure to keep Stover from finding his rhythm. Kickoff is 12:00 pm at Garrison Stadium in Murfreesboro.
Fayetteville State Broncos (3-5, 3-2) at Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (4-4, 3-2)
With Winston-Salem State laying claim to the Southern Division title two weeks ago, the rest of the division is left jockeying for second place. Both teams enter this game with identical 3-2 conference records. Fayetteville State rolled up 471 yards of total offense, but didn’t score many points in a 17-7 win over Livingstone last week. Quarterback Chauncey Concepcion accounted for 308 yards of total offense and two touchdowns to lead the Broncos to their third win of the season. Receiver Xavier Molina-Williams added seven receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. FSU’s defense also played a strong game, limiting Livingstone to meager 123 yards of offense for the game. In spite of last week’s 34-15 setback at Saint Augustine’s, the Golden Bulls are in position for their first winning record since a 7-4 finish in 2006. Johnson C. Smith is led by sensational freshman quarterback Keahn Wallace. Wallace leads the conference in total offense at 279 yards a game and is a strong candidate for CIAA Offensive Rookie of the Year. Wallace also has a talented receiving corps at his disposal. Through eight games, five different JCSU receivers have at least 22 receptions and at least one touchdown. Junior defensive lineman Derrick Johnson anchors the Golden Bulls defense and is fifth in the nation with 9.5 sacks. Game time is 4:00 at Irwin Belk Athletic Complex.
Lincoln Lions (2-6, 2-4) at Virginia University-Lynchburg Dragons
The Lions look to end a two-game skid when they travel to Roanoke to take on Virginia University-Lynchburg in the 1st annual Tri-City Classic. Freshman quarterback Doug Cook continues to play beyond his years. Cook has thrown for 1,720 yards and 10 touchdowns and is a strong contender for CIAA Offensive Rookie of the year. Receivers Phillip Juste-Jean and Matthew Coston have combined for 88 receptions, 1,120 yards and seven touchdowns. On defense junior defensive lineman Tim Green is also having a banner year and is tops in Division II with 12.5 sacks, while linebacker Brandon McElwee leads the CIAA with 90 tackles. Kickoff is 1 pm in Roanoke, VA.
Livingstone Blue Bears (1-7, 0-5) at Saint Augustine’s Falcons (3-5, 2-3)
The Falcons christened their brand new on-campus stadium with a 34-15 win over Johnson C. Smith last week. In what was one of their most complete games on both sides of the ball, the Falcons held JCSU’s explosive offense in check for most of the game while getting another steady performance from sophomore quarterback Teddy Bacote. Bacote passed for 183 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Falcons to their second straight win. Defensively, linebacker Chaz Robinson had a monster game, finishing with a game-high 16 tackles. Since beating Virginia University-Lynchburg in September, Livingstone has dropped four straight. They’ve been outscored 148-27 during that span. The Bears are a very young squad with several freshmen and sophomores playing significant minutes. The results haven’t been great this year, but it bodes well for the future. Kickoff is at 1:30 at Durham County Stadium.
Shaw Bears (2-6, 2-3) at #9 Winston-Salem State Rams (8-0, 7-0)
What a difference a year makes. Last season, WSSU came into this game 8-1 and ranked 18th in the country but desperately needing a win to keep their divisional title hopes alive after an upset loss to Saint Augustine’s. Shaw dashed their hopes when they rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter and sent the Rams home with a 31-27 loss. Shaw went on to win the CIAA title, while Winston-Salem State finished a disappointing 8-2 and missed postseason play. Fast forward to this season…the Rams are undefeated and ranked 9th in Division II. But unlike last season, they have already clinched a berth in the CIAA title game and are two wins away from completing an undefeated regular season run. That’s what the Rams are playing for as they gear up for the championship game. The Rams were all business last week outgaining Edward Waters in yardage 562-130 in a 59-7 dismantling of the Tigers. The Rams are averaging 48.1 points a game, while holding opponents to 16.1 points per contest, both tops in the CIAA. Despite their poor start, longtime CIAA observers kept waiting for the defending champs to make a late-season run and get back into title contention…that run never came and now the Bears are relegated to the role of spoiler. To say the Bears are in a slump is an understatement. Last week, Shaw’s NCAA Division II leading pass defense, which came into the game allowing just 92 passing yards per game, was torched by Chowan quarterback Cam Stover. Stover passed for 374 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Hawks to a 34-32 win over Shaw. Another performance like that and it could a very long day for the Bears. Records, aside the Bears are still a proud program and the Rams can’t get caught looking ahead if they want to avoid a repeat of last year’s game. Kickoff is 1:00 pm at Bowman-Gray Stadium.
Virginia Union Panthers (4-4, 2-3) at Virginia State Trojans (4-4, 3-3)
With Elizabeth City State having already wrapped up the Northern division, there is not as much at stake in the 2011 edition of this heated rivalry. You’ll have a hard time convincing the two teams of that when they take the field on Saturday. Besides being Virginia State’s Homecoming, this is one of the most storied rivalries in the CIAA’s long history. When ever these I-95 neighbors hook up in anything, you can expect intensity, big crowds and a lot of smack talking. Last year, VSU dominated their in-state rivals by a final score of 35-7 on their way to the Northern Division title. This year both teams enter the contest with identical 4-4 records and fighting for second place in the divisional race. The Trojans got 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns from tailback Antwain Lyde as they rallied in the fourth quarter for a 21-16 win over Lincoln last Saturday. VSU did an outstanding job against the run; holding Lincoln to just 51 rushing yards, but their secondary was burned for over 300 passing yards by freshman quarterback Doug Cook. Because of a bye last week, the Panthers have had two weeks to prepare for the Trojans and figure out what went wrong in their previous outing; a 26-19 loss at Johnson C. Smith. Terrence Malone led the offense with 123 rushing yards and a touchdown to earn CIAA Rookie of the Week. The Panthers’ defense is led by linebackers Kentrell Harris who is 7th in Division II with 7.5 sacks and Obinna Ezemma, who leads the team with 59 tackles. Homecoming in the Land of Troy kicks off at 1:30 at Rogers Stadium.
CIAA Football Championship
Game
#9 Winston-Salem State University vs Elizabeth
City State University
November 12, 2011
Durham County Memorial Stadium
Durham, NC
1:00pm
For tickets visit: http://www.theciaa.com/championships/2011-12/football/2011_Football_Ticket_Request_Form.pdf
