By Shawn Warren, CIAA Media Assistant

(DURHAM, NC)  This game was supposed to be close;  a knockdown, drag out, early season showdown between undefeated Northern Division contender Bowie State and one-loss Southern Division challenger Saint Augustine’s.  Looks like Saint Augustine’s never got the memo.  Teddy Bacote passed for 363 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons scored early and often to cruise to a 38-22 win over the Bowie State Bulldogs (3-1, 0-1) last night at Durham County Stadium.  The Falcons (3-1, 1-0) led 14-0 after one quarter and 29-0 at halftime as they handed the previously unbeaten Bulldogs their first loss of the season.

The tone of the game was set early.  Tyrone Laughinghouse returned the opening kickoff 37 yards to the SAU 39-yard line to give the Falcons excellent field position.  Bacote’s first pass of the evening went for 31-yards to receiver Jermaine Jones.  On the next play, he hooked up with Jones again on another pass, this time for a 30-yard touchdown.  Michael Lima added the PAT and the Falcons led 7-0, 40 seconds into the game. 

After demonstrating their quick strike capabilities on their first drive, Saint Augustine’s put together a more traditional drive on their second possession, effectively mixing the pass and run for an extended 12-play drive that ate up almost seven minutes.  Tailback Roderick Davenport capped the 62-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run and the Falcons led 14-0 after one quarter.

In the second quarter, Bacote’s five-yard pass to Laughinghouse and a two-point conversion stretched Saint Augustine’s lead to 22-0.  An interception by Brian Jones set up the Falcons’ next score.  Jones’ pick gave the Falcons the ball near midfield with a little over two minutes left in the first half.  Six plays later, Davenport rumbled in from one yard out for his second touchdown of the evening.  Lima’s PAT was good and SAU led 29-0 at halftime over the beleaguered Bulldogs.

Bowie State finally got on the board with 8:19 left in the third quarter on Phillip Quarrie’s 1-yard run.  Mario Diaz-Aviles added the extra point to cut the Falcons’ lead to 29-7.  The Bulldogs appeared to be making a run at the Falcons when Tyrae Reid connected with Khari Lee on a 17-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to trim the lead to 29-14.  Laughinghouse snuffed out any idea of a Bowie State comeback when he took the ensuing kickoff and raced 93-yards for a touchdown to stretch the lead 36-14.  The Falcons added a safety when an errant snap got away from BSU’s punter and went out of the back of the end zone for a 38-14 lead.  Bowie State would add a safety and a 6-yard pass from Reid to Douglas McNeill for the game’s final margin.

Saint Augustine’s finished with 325 yards of total offense and had a huge day from its receiving corps.  Laughinghouse caught six passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.  Jones finished with four receptions for 120 yards and one score, and Brian Richards added six catches for 87 yards.  On defense, the Falcons got 2.5 sacks from Javarous Faulk, while Jones and John’ta Cooper each had an interception. 

Reid finished with 206 passing yards and two touchdowns for Bowie State.  Lee caught five balls for 110 yards and a touchdown. 

Next week, Saint Augustine’s travels to Rocky Mount, North Carolina to square off with Elizabeth City State  in the Down East Viking Classic.  Bowie State faces another tough Southern Division opponent when they host the undefeated Winston-Salem State Rams.

CIAA SCOREBOARD

Chowan Hawks                 49           Shaw                                     35

Elizabeth City State        20          Fayetteville State           13       

Johnson C. Smith             28            Virginia State                   21

Livingstone                        48           Lincoln                                 44       

Saint Augustine’s            38         Bowie State                          22          

Winston-Salem St.          35           Virginia Union                   6