By Shawn Warren
Game of the Week
Bowie State Bulldogs (3-2, 0-2) at Chowan Hawks (3-2,
2-0)
Chowan was picked to finish fifth in the Northern Division in the
CIAA Coaches’ preseason poll. Five games into the
season, the Hawks are off to a 3-2 start, and tied for the division
lead with a 2-0 conference record. The Hawks are coming off a
convincing 27-3 win over Fayetteville State on Saturday.
Quarterback Cameron Stover threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns
in what was Chowan’s first win ever over FSU. Stover
has thrown for 1,172 yards and 11 touchdowns this year and the
Hawks are averaging 420.0 yards and 36.0 points per game.
Stover lost his favorite target when All-CIAA receiver Robert
Holland went down with an injury in a 70-35 win over Livingstone in
Week 1. In Holland’s absence, Stover has had to spread
the ball around more. Ryan Nolan, a converted quarterback (14
receptions, 272 yards,3 touchdowns), wideout Antjuan Randall (17
receptions, 207 yards, 1 touchdown), and tailback J.R.
Williams (14 receptions, 222 yards, 2 touchdowns) have all stepped
up to fill the void left by Holland. In all, six different
Chowan receivers have caught at least 10 passes this season.
With Stover under center the last two seasons, the Hawks have had
one of the better passing attacks in the CIAA, but the gaudy
passing numbers haven’t translated into a lot of wins due to
the lack of a consistent running game. That has not been a
problem this season. The Hawks are second in the conference
in rushing, averaging 171.8 yards a game. Tailback Tim Hanson
leads Chowan with 302 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The
Hawks’ defense is coming off their best outing of the season
against Fayetteville State. The Hawks gave up 350 yards of
offense to the Broncos, but held them to a single field goal.
Lineman T.J. Batchelor leads the CIAA with nine sacks.
It’s do-or-die time for Bowie State. After a promising
3-0 start, BSU has dropped two straight conference games. The
Bulldogs are coming off a 35-3 loss to fifth-ranked Winston-Salem
State. They now find themselves in danger of falling out
contention in the Northern Division with another conference
loss. BSU entered the Winston-Salem game allowing a
league-low 280.8 yards a game, but surrendered a season-high 500
yards to the Rams. However, they continue to be tough against
the run. The Bulldogs held CIAA rushing leader Maurice Lewis
to 52 yards on 14 carries. Offensively, Bowie State is
seventh in the league in total offense, averaging 361.0 yards and
scoring 20.2 points a game. Kickoff for this important
Northern Division matchup is set for 6:00 PM at Chowan’s
Garrison Stadium.
Elizabeth City State Vikings (3-2, 2-0) at Virginia State Trojans
(1-4, 0-2)
Last season Elizabeth City State got off to a 0-2 start, before
reeling off eight straight wins en route to a Northern Division
title and a NCAA playoff berth. Looks like they might be at
it again this year. After another 0-2 start, the Vikings have
won three straight and are tied for the lead in the Northern
Division. ECSU is coming off a dominating defensive
performance in their 23-21 win over Saint Augustine’s on
Saturday. The Vikings effectively grounded the Falcons’
potent aerial attack, holding the visitors from Raleigh to just 135
passing yards. They also stymied the run, holding Saint
Augustine’s to 55 yards rushing. When it was all said
and done, the Vikings had given up just 190 yards and one offensive
touchdown to a team that came into the game averaging 322.8 yards
and 29.3 points per game. The Vikings’ offense
complimented the stellar play of the defense with a steady
performance of their own. Tailback Daronte McNeil was the
workhorse, rushing for 122 yards on 27 carries. Backfield
mate Kevin Swain rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Namon
Jones passed for 154 yards as ECSU picked up 290 yards of total
offense. So, let’s see…the Vikings had a monster
day on defense and a solid performance on offense…but what
about special teams? Let’s just say the Vikings are
fortunate that the other two units played so well. After
opening up a 21-7 lead midway through the third quarter, the
Vikings nearly let the game get away due to poor play on special
teams. Saint Aug’s return man Tyrone Laughinghouse
scored on a 95-yard kickoff return in the third quarter and a
77-yard punt return in the fourth to pull the Falcons within
striking distance. Despite giving up the two big plays, the
Vikings got their biggest play of day from their special teams when
Nigel Rios picked up a blocked extra point attempt and returned it
95-yards for a two-point safety…the game’s final
margin. Virginia State is coming off a 16-6 loss to
Shaw. The Trojans continue to struggle offensively and are
twelfth in the CIAA in scoring (14.0 points per game) and yards per
game (242.2). Against Shaw, VSU managed only 213 yards of
offense. Jarred Battle led the Trojans with 137 passing yards
and a touchdown, while receiver Dion Futch added 90 all-purpose
yards. Linebacker Bryce Willoughby led the Trojans’
defense with nine tackles against Shaw. Virginia
State’s defense is third in the conference in points allowed
at 20.4 points per game. Game time is set for 1:00 PM at
Virginia State’s Roger’s Stadium.
Fayetteville State Broncos (1-4, 0-2) at Shaw Bears
(2-3, 1-1)
The two Southern Division powers, which have combined to win seven
of the last ten CIAA titles, now find themselves in survival mode,
trying to keep pace with front running Winston-Salem State.
Fayetteville State dropped to 0-2 in the conference with their
surprisingly lopsided 27-3 loss to Chowan on Saturday. The
Broncos rushed for a season-high 241 yards, but struggled throwing
the ball. Two FSU quarterbacks, Andreas Hudson and Chauncey
Concepcion, combined to go 12-of-32 passing for 109 yards.
Fayetteville State is currently 10th in the CIAA in
passing, throwing for an average of 165.2 yards a game and just one
touchdown. The Broncos’ inability to effectively throw
the ball has made it easier for opponents to key on stopping their
ground game. FSU is currently fifth in the league in rushing,
averaging 138.4 yards a game with seven touchdowns. The
Broncos are averaging 19.2 points a game. On defense,
Fayetteville State is allowing 29.8 points and 337.0 yards a
game. Shaw earned their first conference win of the season
when they downed Virginia State 16-3 on Saturday. The Bears
held the Trojans to just 213 yards of total offense. Marquise
Grizzle led the Bears with 104 rushing yards and two touchdowns,
while James Stallons threw for 208 yards. Shaw is
averaging 24.6 points and 401.4 yards a game. Shaw’s
typically rugged defense has been anything but this season.
The Bears are giving up a whopping 30.6 points per game in
2012. Kickoff is 1:00 PM at Durham County Memorial
Stadium.
#4 Winston-Salem State Rams (5-0, 2-0) at Johnson C.
Smith Golden Bulls (1-4, 1-1)
The fourth ranked Rams have their sights on another CIAA title, but
first they must take care of business in the Southern
Division. WSSU is coming off a workmanlike 35-3 win over
Bowie State where they rolled up 500 yards of offense while holding
the Bulldogs to 246 yards and a single field goal. The Rams
are tops in the league in both offense and defense.
They’re averaging 36.6 points and 476.2 yards per game, while
their defense surrenders 290.2 yards and just 15.0 points per
game. Johnson C. Smith put up some huge offensive numbers but
still came out on the short end of 55-53 loss to Lincoln last
week. Keahn Wallace threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns,
Dedric Anderson rushed for 161 yards and two scores, and Fred Scott
had eight catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns as the Golden
Bulls amassed 542 yards of total offense. Unfortunately, they
ran into a determined Lincoln team with a potent passing attack of
their own and hungry for their first win. Behind Doug
Cook’s 343 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, Lincoln piled up
479 yards of offense to hold off the Golden Bulls. Wallace is
the catalyst for the Golden Bulls’ offense. The
second-year starter has thrown for 1,202 yards and ten
touchdowns. As a team, JCSU is scoring 30.4 points and
averaging 392 yards per game. Defensively, the Golden Bulls are
yielding 32.6 points per game. The Rams and the Golden Bulls
square off at 4:00 PM at Charlotte Memorial Stadium.
Lincoln Lions (1-4, 1-1) at Virginia
Union Panthers (2-3, 0-2)
Lincoln picked up their first win of the season with a thrilling
come-from-behind 55-53 win over Johnson C. Smith. Doug Cook
had another strong outing, passing for 343 yards and four
touchdowns. Lincoln’s talented receiving duo of Phillip
Jean-Juste (leads the CIAA with 43 catches) and Matthew Coston
(third in CIAA with 30 catches) usually command most of
Cook’s attention, but it was Kester Lewis who had a big day
catching the ball for Lincoln. Lewis, a 6’2”
senior, had five catches for a career-high 147 yards and three
touchdowns. Jean-Juste added 10 catches for 94 yards and a
touchdown while Coston caught two balls for 68 yards. You
might be hard-pressed to find a defensive standout in game where
the two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense and over 100
points, but the biggest play of game came from Lincoln’s
defense. Defensive end Tim Green's 77-yard interception
return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter helped the Lions
hold off the Golden Bulls after they had cut the lead to
48-47. Green finished with 11 tackles and four quarterback
hurries. Virginia Union has dropped three-in-row since their
2-0 start. The Panthers are coming off a painful 23-21 loss
to upstart Livingstone, dropping them to 0-2 in the
conference. The Panthers averaged 29.5 points in their first
two games, but have seen that number drop to 14.7 in their last
three. Offensively, VUU averages 294.8 yards a game.
Tailback Jerrell Washington is third in the conference with 453
rushing yards and has scored a league-high eight touchdowns.
Defense has been Virginia Union’s strong suit. The
Panthers are third in the CIAA, allowing 314 yards per game.
Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM at Hovey Field.
Saint Augustine’s Falcons (3-2, 1-1) at Livingstone Blue Bears (2-3, 2-0)
The high-flying Falcons hit the ground with a thud on Saturday thanks to an impressive defensive effort by Elizabeth City State. The Falcons’ normally potent aerial attack was almost nonexistent in the Vikings’ 23-21 win. Quarterback Teddy Bacote, who had passed for 317 yards a week earlier, was held to 135 yards as the Vikings limited the Falcons to 190 total yards. SAU trailed 21-7 late in the third quarter, before dynamic return-man Tyrone Laughinghouse made two huge plays, a 95-yard kick return for a touchdown, and a 77-yard punt return for a score to get the Falcons back in the game. Livingstone picked up their biggest win of the season, when they turned back perennial Northern Division contender Virginia Union. Freshman quarterback Drew Powell passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns for the Blue Bears. Livingstone kept the Panthers off balance with an effective mix of run and pass. Tailback Javon Williams carried the ball 32 times for 102 yards. The Blue Bears are a high-scoring bunch with an offense that’s averaging 31.8 points and 441 yards per game. Powell has thrown for a league-high 1,498 yards and 15 touchdowns. While their offense has been productive, Livingstone’s defense has struggled to slow down the opposition. The Blue Bears are allowing 45.2 points and 470 yards per game, but are getting solid play from their linebackers. Kenneth White (47 tackles/9.4 tackles per game) and Tyheim Pitt (45 tackles/9.0 tackles per game) are fourth and fifth in the conference in tackles per game. Game time is 1:30 PM at Livingstone’s Alumni Memorial Stadium.