By: Shawn Warren, CIAA Media Assistant 

Games for Saturday November 3, 2012

Game of the Week

#2 Winston-Salem State Rams (9-0, 6-0) at Fayetteville State Broncos (2-7, 1-5)  

Winston-Salem State heads to Fayetteville needing one win to complete its second straight undefeated regular season.  The Rams wrapped up the Southern Division title with a dominating 62-31 win over Shaw on Saturday.  Quarterback Kameron Smith continues to light up the opposition through the air.  A week after throwing for a WSSU-record seven touchdowns against Livingstone, Smith passed for a career-high 363 yards and six touchdowns in three quarters of work as the Rams cracked the 50-point barrier for the fifth time in nine games.  Smith, who is 30-3 as the Rams’ starter, has now thrown for 2,492 yards and a league-high 34 touchdowns against only seven interceptions.  In comparison, Smith finished the 2011 season with a school-record 2,706 passing yards and 33 touchdowns and has a good chance at surpassing last year’s stellar numbers.  He is also third in the NCAA in passing efficiency with a 183.6 passer rating.  Smith and the Rams are a prolific bunch—fourth in Division II in scoring at 46.9 points a game.  WSSU is also sixth nationally and tops in the CIAA in total offense averaging 492.2 yards a game.  One concern for the Rams going into postseason play might be the health of their running backs.  Leading rusher Maurice Lewis (569 yards/11 TDs) missed his second-straight game, while reserves Patrick Mputu and Bryce Sherman have both missed games due to injuries.  Against Shaw, the Rams rushed for just 112 yards, with Smith leading the way with seven carries for 36 yards and a touchdown.  While the Rams didn’t really need the ground game against Shaw, they may not have that luxury heading into postseason play.  WSSU leads the CIAA in total defense, holding teams to 16.7 points and 294 yards a game, but have to be disappointed with their play against Shaw.  The Bears outgained the Rams in total yardage 494-484 and the WSSU defense was burned for 412 yards and three touchdowns by Shaw quarterback James Stallons.  In the not so distant past, this game would likely have had a bearing on the race for the Southern Division title.  Not this year.  The Broncos, CIAA champions in 2002, 2003, and 2009, have been left to playing spoiler in the Rams’ bid for an unbeaten regular season.  Fayetteville State snapped a five-game losing streak and picked up their first conference win of the season with a 47-29 win over Livingstone.  Tailback Colon Bailey set a Fayetteville State single-game rushing record with a career-high 288 yards and three touchdowns as the Broncos rushed for a season-high 376 yards against the Blue Bears.  Bailey has been one of the hottest players in the CIAA recently, rushing for 637 yards in his last three games and jumping into contention for the league rushing title heading into the final week of the regular season.  He now has 937 yards and 10 touchdowns and trails league-leader Daronte McNeill of Elizabeth City State (968 rushing yards/13 touchdowns) by 31 yards.  Defensively, the Broncos will face their sternest test of the season against the Rams, who have outscored their last four opponents 239-75.  FSU is giving up 32.4 points and 363 yards a game.  Safety Michael Johnson leads FSU’s defense with 83 tackles and three interceptions.  Linebacker Bryce Williams is their top pass rusher with 58 tackles and 7 sacks.  Kickoff is set for 1:30 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=&

Elizabeth City State Vikings (6-3, 5-1) at Bowie State Bulldogs (5-4, 2-4)

Elizabeth City State, the newly crowned Northern Division champions will close out the regular season on the road at Bowie State.  The Vikings held off Virginia Union 27-21 on Saturday to claim their second consecutive Northern Division title. Tailback Daronte McNeill rushed for 145 yards and two scores and defensive back Nigel Rios returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown as the Vikings won their third straight game.  McNeill, last year’s CIAA Offensive Player of the Year, is in a tight battle for the league’s rushing title.  McNeill, who rushed for a school record 1,647 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2011, has 968 yards and 13 touchdowns going into this week’s game.  He needs just 32 yards to crack the 1,000-yard plateau for the third straight season and add to his 4,512 career rushing yards.  Brad Davis leads the Elizabeth City State defense. Davis, a 6’1”, 245-pound defensive end, is ranked fifth in Division II with 10.5 sacks.  Linebacker Michael Williams is the Vikings’ leading tackler with 63 stops.  Rios has been ECSU’s big play guy on defense.  In addition to his 94-yard touchdown on Saturday, Rios returned a fumble for 54-yards for a touchdown in a critical win over Chowan two weeks ago.  He also returned a blocked PAT attempt 90-yards for a safety in a crucial 23-21 win over Saint Augustine’s on September 29.  What started as a promising season quickly went south for Bowie State.  After an encouraging 3-0 start, optimism was high in Bowie.  But, the Bulldogs struggled in the conference portion of their schedule, dropping four of their next six games.  BSU snapped a two-game losing streak with a 45-9 win over Lincoln last Saturday.  Senior quarterback Tyrae Reid completed 16-of-28 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs picked up their second conference win of the season.  Douglas McNeil caught four passes for 112 yards as BSU finished with 380 yards of total offense.  The Bulldogs would like nothing better than to finish their season by handing the two-time Northern Division champion Vikings a loss.  To pull it off, they will likely need an inspired effort from their defensive unit. The Bulldogs’ defense is allowing 25.2 points and 362 yards a game, while the Vikings are scoring 26.3 points and averaging 359.3 points a game.  Linebacker Antoine Young leads the Bulldogs with 74 tackles.  Defensive back Curtis Pumphrey leads Bowie’s secondary with 47 tackles and a league-high six interceptions.  The Bulldogs lead the CIAA with 15 total interceptions, 12^th best in Division II.  The Vikings and the Bulldogs wrap up the 2012 regular at 1:30 PM at Bulldog Stadium. Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/bowie/football/scoreboard.aspx

Lincoln Lions (1-8, 1-5) at Chowan Hawks (5-4, 4-2)

With five wins already in the books, Chowan has assured themselves of their best finish since joining the CIAA five seasons ago.  The Hawks, who had not won more than three games in a season since 2008, can now focus on doubling their win total from 2011 and strengthening their hold on second place in the Northern Division.  On Saturday, the Hawks picked up their first win ever over Virginia State.  Their 33-21 win knocked the Trojans out of contention for the Northern Division title and left the Hawks sitting alone in second place in the division.  Elliot Smalls rushed for 136 yards and a score, while Cameron Stover threw for 223 yards, and J.R. Williams caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown as Chowan improved to 4-2 in the conference.  Defensively, the Hawks held the Trojans to 307 yards of offense, while recording four sacks and an interception.  William Griffith led the way with eight tackles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown.  T.J. Batchelor added five tackles and two sacks.  Lincoln dropped their fourth straight with their 45-9 loss to Bowie State.  Doug Cook threw for 276 yards and a touchdown and Matthew Coston had a game-high nine catches for 109 yards for the Lions.  Cook has thrown for 2,305 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he has also tossed 13 interceptions.  The Lions average 20.8 points a game, while their defense is allowing a league-high 49.3 points a game.  Defensive end Tim Green is ranked second in the NCAA in tackles for a loss with 20.5.  Green also has 7.5 sacks.  Chowan’s “Hall of Fame” game kicks off at 1:00 PM at Garrison Stadium. Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/lincoln/football/scoreboard.aspx

Livingstone Blue Bears (2-7, 2-4) at Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (5-4, 4-2)

Johnson C. Smith downed Saint Augustine’s 27-21 on Saturday to move into sole possession of second place in the Southern Division with a 4-2 record.  The Golden Bulls, who have won three straight, got career days from quarterback Keahn Wallace and receiver Matthew Jefferies.  Wallace completed 16-of-27 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns.  Jefferies caught eight passes for a JCSU single-game record 170 yards and three touchdowns as the Golden Bulls finished with 392 total yards.  Livingstone stands between the Golden Bulls and their first back-to-back winning seasons in nearly 40 years.  The Blue Bears have dropped four straight following their 47-29 loss to Fayetteville State on Saturday.  The Blue Bears’ defense gave up 522 yards of offense to FSU; 376 of those yards came on the ground.  After falling behind 34-7 early in the fourth quarter, the Blue Bears’ defense scored two touchdowns on fumble returns to slice into JCSU’s lead.  Senior lineman Dorian Edwards had a career-high 17 tackles, and two fumble recoveries, including one that he returned for a 23-yard touchdown.  Edwards was named CIAA Defensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts.  Livingstone also got rushing touchdowns from Drew Powell and Javon Williams to round out the scoring.  In 1892, Livingstone College and Biddle College, now Johnson C. Smith University, squared off in the first college football game between two HBCUs- 120 years later, these historic rivals are still at it.  The 2012 Commemorative Classic kicks off at 1:00 PM at Memorial Stadium. Listen Live: www.wgiv.net

Shaw Bears (4-5, 3-3) at Saint Augustine’s Falcons (5-4, 3-3)

The stakes are usually much higher when these two Raleigh rivals meet, but with the Southern Division race already decided, the Bears and the Falcons are left to play for city bragging rights.  Expect an intense, hard-fought battle anyway.  Both teams are coming off disappointing losses and look to end the 2012 season on a winning note.  Shaw outgained second-ranked Winston-Salem State in total yardage 494-484, but still lost decisively 62-31 to the undefeated Rams on Saturday.  Quarterback James Stallons had another stellar individual effort for the Bears, throwing for 412 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams.  Stallons has thrown for 2,689 yards and averages 299 yards a game, both tops in the CIAA.  Shaw also produced 10 catches for 160 yards and a TD from receiver Ta'Juan Brown and 95 yards rushing a touchdown from Antonio Dunn.  The Bears’ defense struggled to slow down Winston-Salem State’s passing attack, giving up 372 yards and seven passing touchdowns.   They did a good job slowing the Rams’ rushing attack, holding them to 112 yards.  Saint Augustine’s lost to Johnson C. Smith 27-21 on Saturday.  The Falcons were torched by JCSU quarterback Keahn Wallace who threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns.  The Falcons’ defense is stout up front.  They allow just 103 rushing yards a game and their 32 total sacks rank third in Division II.  Defensive lineman Javarous Faulk ranks first nationally with 12 sacks, while linebacker Chaz Robinson leads the CIAA with 93 total tackles.  The Falcons’ Achilles heel has been their secondary.  SAU is 10^th in the 12-team CIAA in passing yards allowing 251 yards a game.  Quarterback Teddy Bacote and receiver Tyron Laughinghouse lead the Falcons’ offense.  Bacote has thrown for 1,914 yards and 16 touchdowns, while Laughinghouse has caught 52 passes for 680 yards and a CIAA-best 11 touchdowns.  Laughinghouse is also one of the most dangerous return men in Division II, with three kickoff return touchdowns and a fourth score on a punt return.  The Bears and Falcons square off at 1:30 PM at SAU’s George Williams Athletic Complex. Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/staug/football%20- and http://livestats.prestosports.com/shaw/

Virginia State Trojans (4-5, 3-3) at Virginia Union Panthers (4-5, 2-4)

The Trojans went into last Saturday’s game with a shot at the Northern Division title.  As the only conference team to defeat division leader Elizabeth City State, Virginia State needed to win their final two games and hope that the Vikings faltered in one of their last two.  The Trojans failed to hold up their end of the deal, falling to Chowan by a score of 33-21.  Virginia State ends their 2012 campaign with a visit to longtime rival Virginia Union.  While Johnson C. Smith-Livingstone is the oldest rivalry in the CIAA, the Trojans versus the Panthers may well be the most intense.  Records aside, the battle for I-95 bragging rights is always a highly anticipated event in the Richmond-Petersburg area.  Virginia Union lost a closely contested game to Northern Division champion Elizabeth City State on Saturday.  The Panthers battled back from a 27-14 deficit in the fourth quarter to trim the Vikings’ lead to six points.  But, the Panthers’ bid for an upset ended when Kenneth Graham’s pass to Denzel Duchene on fourth down was mishandled and fell incomplete and the Vikings escaped with a 27-21 victory.  Jerrell Washington led VUU with 72 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Graham added 122 passing yards.  Jacques Bostick had a game-high 16 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble for Virginia Union.  The Panthers’ strength is their defense.  Union’s defensive unit is ranked second in the CIAA in total defense, allowing 310 yards and 21 points a game.  The Panthers’ 29 total sacks rank ninth in Division II.  Bostick leads the unit with nine sacks and 46 tackles.  Game time is 1:00 PM at Union’s Hovey Field.  Listen Live: http://www.mainstreamnetwork.com/listen/player.asp?station=wvst-fm&