“One Century Down”: CIAA Football Week Three Preview
By: Shawn Warren, CIAA Media Assistant
Games for Saturday September 15, 2012
Game of the Week
#5 Winston-Salem State Rams (2-0) vs. Morehouse Maroon Tigers (1-1)
In 2011, the Winston-Salem State Rams beat teams by an average of 23.6 points and the outcome of their games were usually a foregone conclusion by somewhere around halftime. Through their first two games this year, the Rams have had to become more adept at winning nail biters. Following a five-point win in their season-opener, the Rams pulled out a 30-22 win on the road at Concord on Saturday. Playing in torrential rain, WSSU rolled up 389 yards of offense, led by Kameron Smith’s 229 yards passing and Maurice Lewis’ 109 rushing yards. The Rams’ defense was lights out against the run, holding Concord to -3 yards rushing. In contrast, the Rams’ secondary had an uneven outing. DB Dominique Tate picked off a pass and returned it 34-yards to set up Winston’s go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter. But the Rams also gave up 269 passing yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns to let Concord back in the game. Close games aside, Winston-Salem State is still 2-0 and ranked 5th in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. This week, the Rams travel to Ohio to take on Morehouse College in the Cleveland Football Classic on Saturday. Morehouse, a member of the SIAC, opened the season with a one-point loss to Division I Howard and is coming off a 38-18 win over Edward Waters last Saturday. Running back David Carter led the Maroon Tigers with 208 yards and three touchdowns and eclipsed the Morehouse record for career rushing yards in the process. Morehouse rolled up 444 yards of total offense with 414 coming on the ground. Kickoff is 12:00 pm CST at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Albany State Golden Rams (1-1) at Elizabeth City State Vikings (0-2)
The Vikings dropped their second game in a row, a surprisingly one-sided 26-7 home loss to Delta State on Saturday. Last season, after getting off to a 0-2 start, the Vikings proceeded to win eight straight en route to a Northern Division title and a playoff appearance. While no team wants to start 0-2, the Vikings have been there before and can take solace in the fact that a successful season is still in their grasp. While their next game isn’t a must win in terms of conference standings, an 0-3 start could wreak havoc with the Vikings’ psyche. ECSU struggled on both sides of the ball against Delta State. Their normally potent ground game, built around 2011 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year Daronte McNeil, was bottled up all day and only managed 79 rushing yards for the game. The passing game didn’t fare much better. Quarterback Namon Jones completed over 60 percent (17 of 28) of his passes but finished with only 130 yards and no touchdowns. ECSU’s defense also had a tough outing as the Statesmen piled up 497 yards of total offense. Delta State quarterback Trevor Wooden ran wild, throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for 98 yards and another score. One bright spot for the Vikings was the play of cornerback Nigel Rios. Rios had a career-high 13 tackles and blocked an extra point to earn CIAA Defensive Back of the Week honors. Linebacker Braxton Daye made the play of the game for the Vikings when he picked off a pass and returned it 93 yards for ECSU’s only score of the day. Albany State enters the game 1-1 after a 37-9 loss at Wingate. The Golden Rams came into the Wingate game ranked 16th in the Division II poll, but dropped out of the Top 25 following the loss. ASU quarterback David Koi threw for 234 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target was receiver Jesse Atkins who caught six passes for 144 yards and one TD. Chavius Jackson led the Golden Rams’ defense with 11 tackles. Game time is 6:00 pm at the Vikings’ Roebuck Stadium.
Concordia-Selma Hornets (1-0) at Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (0-2)
The Golden Bulls are still looking for that elusive first win after a 35-17 loss to Tuskegee this week. JCSU jumped out to a 10-0 lead and led 20-17 at halftime, but were held scoreless after quarterback Keahn Wallace left the game with an injury. Wallace passed for 142 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half to spot the Golden Bulls to a 3-point lead at the break. Matthew Jeffries added five receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown and Dedrick Anderson added 120 all-purpose yards. The Hornets, a NAIA independent from Alabama, opened their season with a surprising 20-19 win over Division I Mississippi Valley State. Kickoff is 4:00 pm at the Irwin Belk Complex. Listen Live: http://www.wgnc.net/
Edward Waters Tigers (0-2) at Livingstone College Blue Bears (0-2)
Even with a 0-2 record, Livingstone is putting up some gaudy offensive numbers. The Blue Bears are averaging 423 yards and 26.0 points per game, while freshman quarterback Drew Powell has thrown for a league-high 648 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately, Livingstone’s impressive offensive numbers are overshadowed by the shortcomings of their defense, which is allowing 524.5 yards and a whopping 59.5 points through their first two games. Edward Waters is 0-2 after a 38-18 loss at the hands of Morehouse on Saturday. Ralph Shuler had 123 yards rushing and two touchdowns to pace the Tigers in the loss. Game time is 1:00 pm at Livingstone’s Alumni Memorial Stadium.
Fairmont State Fighting Falcons (0-2) at Bowie State Bulldogs (2-0)
The Bulldogs are off to a 2-0 start following a 28-14 win over Benedict on Thursday. Tailback Keith Brown had a big game, running for three first-half touchdowns as BSU jumped out to 28-0 halftime lead. Brown only had nine carries but still finished with 130 of the Bulldogs’ 321 rushing yards. Defensively, the Bulldogs were dominating, holding Benedict scoreless, and limiting the Tigers to a paltry 120 yards of total offense, including 48 rushing yards. Benedict’s two touchdowns came via fumble returns. Fairmont State is still looking for their first win of the season following a 41-21 loss to Glenville State on Thursday night. Quarterback Bobby Vega who has passed for 408 yards and two touchdowns through his first two games leads the Fighting Falcons. They also feature dangerous kick returner Matt Wilmer who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score against Glenville State and is averaging 47 yards per return. Game time 1:00 pm at BSU’s Bulldogs Stadium.
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/bowie/football/scoreboard.aspx,
Kentucky State Thoroughbreds (0-1) at Lincoln (PA) Lions (0-2)
The Lions must regroup quickly after their big 82-0 loss to Division I Wofford. Doug Cook led the Lions with 130 yards passing. Philip Jean-Juste had eight receptions for 57 yards, while Matt Coston added 52 yards on five catches. Tim Green led the defense with six solo tackles. Kentucky State is 0-1 after a 13-6 loss to Kentucky Wesleyan. KSU defeated Lincoln 43-27 last year. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm in Lincoln University, PA. Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/lincoln/football/scoreboard.aspx
Saint Augustine’s Falcons (1-1) at Southern Connecticut Owls (0-2)
The Falcons are coming off a hard fought 24-21 loss to seventh ranked New Haven. Quarterback Teddy Bacote had another solid outing, throwing for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Bacote had a field day throwing to receiver Brian Richards who caught 14 balls for 124 yards. Linebacker Chaz Robinson continues to spearhead Saint Augustine’s defensive unit. Robinson racked up a game-high 10 tackles as the Falcons limited New Haven to 250 yards of offense. Southern Connecticut dropped to 0-2 after being shutout 13-0 by Stonehill this week. Running back Vaughn Magee gained 151 yards on 31 carries to lead the Owls, who have scored a combined six points in their first two games. Kickoff for the Harmony Classic is 1:00 pm at SCSU’s Jess Dow Field. Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/staug/football%20-
Shorter Hawks (1-1) at Chowan Hawks (1-1)
Chowan had an exceptionally strong showing in their 24-17 loss to Division I VMI. Cameron Stover’s 246 passing yards paced the Hawks who piled up 306 yards of total offense on the Keydets. Defensive back Devahn Murphy returned an interception 83-yards for a touchdown to spark the Hawks’ defense. Shorter defeated Division I Campbell 31-20 in their season opener and lost to Newberry 17-14 on Saturday. Shorter averages 418 yards, including a whopping 286.5 rushing yards per game. Fullback Bradley Moon leads Shorter, averaging 115 yards rushing and two touchdowns a game. Kickoff is 6:00 pm at Garrison Stadium on Chowan’s campus.
Stillman Tigers (1-1) at Shaw Bears (0-2)
Shaw looks to avoid a 0-3 start when they host visiting Stillman on Saturday. The Bears are looking to regroup after a 28-15 loss to Miles last week. In that game, the Bears only managed 34 rushing yards and were penalized 14 times for 153 yards. While the running game struggled, the offense did have some success through the air. Quarterback James Stallons passed for 277 yards and completed passes to seven different receivers, but was unable to connect for a touchdown. Stillman, 1-1, fell in its home opener 31-0 to Ouachita Baptist. The Tigers were outgained 321 – 106. The two teams met last year with Stillman taking a 16-13 win over the Bears in the season opener. Game time is 1:00 pm at Durham County Stadium. Live Stats: http://livestats.prestosports.com/shaw/
Virginia State Trojans (0-2) at Benedict Tigers (0-2)
Virginia State travels to Benedict still looking for their first win. The Trojans dropped a 14-13 decision to West Liberty when they failed to convert a game-tying extra point. Ja’Von Smallwood had five receptions and caught two touchdowns to lead VSU on offense. Rashad Vesprey tallied seven tackles and two sacks to pace the defense, earning CIAA Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for his efforts. This game should be a good measuring stick for the Trojans. Benedict’s two losses have come at the hands of Virginia Union and Bowie State, two of Virginia State’s chief Northern Division rivals. The Palmetto City Capital Classic kicks off at 4:00 pm in Columbia, SC. Live Audio: http://www.mainstreamnetwork.com/listen/player.asp?station=wvst-fm&
Virginia Union Panthers (2-0) at Fayetteville State Broncos (0-2)
Jerrell Washington produced 179 yards rushing and four touchdowns for the Virginia Union Panthers as they ran past Brevard 31-14 on Saturday. VUU amassed 354 of their 445 yards of total offense on the ground. Defensively, Devin Wallace had 10 tackles and a forced fumble for the Panthers. Fayetteville State is 0-2 after a 31-21 loss to UNC-Pembroke. The Broncos generated rushing touchdowns from Andreas Hudson and Colon Bailey and a 20-yard fumble return for score by Donald Johnson. Bryce Williams had seven tackles and a sack for FSU’s defense. Game time is 6:00 pm at Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium. Listen Live: www.wfss.com; Live Stats: http://www.fsubroncos.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=1088148&school=fast&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&
