Week eight of the CIAA football season featured six interdivisional battles, including the only AFCA Top 25 matchup in Division II with #15 Bowie State and #25 Virginia Union facing off. With two weeks to go in the regular season, things have become clearer in one divisional race while the other took an interesting turn after a big upset took place on Saturday.
Let’s take a look at the divisional races after week eight’s contests:
Northern Division Outlook
With a blowout victory over Virginia Union, #15 Bowie State controls its own destiny in the divisional race. A win next week against Lincoln (PA) or the following week against Elizabeth City State would give the Bulldogs their fourth division title in five years.
Virginia Union & Virginia State each still has an outside shot at winning the division, if Bowie State were to lose both of their next two games.
Southern Division Outlook
Things got a bit more interesting in the race for the South after Fayetteville State was upset by Saint Augustine’s on Saturday, leaving the door open for Winston-Salem State & Shaw to claim the division.
Fayetteville State – the formula is simple for the Broncos as they still control their own destiny, despite the loss. If they win out, FSU would claim their third straight division title but a loss along the way would open the door for the other two contenders.
Winston-Salem State – with games remaining against Shaw and Fayetteville State, the Rams would claim the division with wins over both teams as they would finish with best division record in any tie-breaker scenario.
Shaw – the Bears must win out, which would include a win over Winston-Salem State, but would need the Rams or Livingstone to defeat the Broncos in the final two weeks of the regular season to take the division.
Here are game summaries from this week’s contests:
#15 Bowie State 52, #25 Virginia Union 17 FINAL
In Division II’s only top 25 matchup of the week, #15 Bowie State rolled to a 52-17 win over #25 Virginia Union.
A fumble recovery by Xzavier Hines and a 19-yard field goal by Jefferson Souza gave the Panthers an early 7-0 and 10-7 lead in the first quarter. Following the VUU field goal, Bowie State quarterback Ja’rome Johnson hit Darius Bowman on a 80-yard touchdown and the Bulldogs never trailed again.
Johnson threw four first half touchdowns, including two to Montez Clay (9 and 35 yards), to give the Bulldogs a 28-17 halftime lead.
Virginia Union’s lone offensive touchdown came on a 75-yard bomb from Khalid Morris to Charles Hall in the second quarter.
In the second half, the Bulldogs completely controlled the game on both sides of the ball as the Bowie State defense held VUU scoreless and got on the scoreboard with a 92-yard pick six from Demetri Morsell. On offense, Johnson threw his second touchdown pass to Dushon David (17 yards) on the day in the third quarter along with a 9-yard touchdown run from Calil Wilkens.
Ja’rome Johnson completed 23 of 28 passes for 395 yards with five touchdowns and added 56 yards on the ground. Wilkens also ran 68 yards on 17 carries.
VUU’s Morris threw for 217 yards and Charles Hall finished with three catches for 99 yards and a score.
Morsell finished with five solo tackles and had a game-high two interceptions. VUU had a trio of defenders with seven tackles that included Sterling Hammond, who had a team-high six solos.
FULL GAME RECAP:
#15 Bowie State Plasters #25 Virginia Union 52-17 BOX SCORE:
Virginia Union at Bowie State
Next Opponent: BSU vs. Lincoln (PA), Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM; VUU vs. Elizabeth City State, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM
Chowan 49, Elizabeth City State 41 FINAL
In a game that saw both teams put up impressive offensive numbers, Chowan outlasted Elizabeth City State for a 49-41 win on homecoming.
Both teams put up a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter that included a 46-yard run by Chowan’s DeShaun Wethington as well a 25-yard touchdown pass from ECSU quarterback Kedrick Patterson to Brandon Joyner.
ECSU would add two more touchdowns in the second, including a 10-yard pass by Kevin Caldwell to Dajuan Greene and a 28-yarder from Patterson to Jaquar Bellamy, to go into halftime with a 28-14 lead.
Chowan would score 28 unanswered points over the first 21 minutes of the second half, including a trio of touchdown passes from Bryce Witt (1, 9, and 38 yards) to three different receivers, to take control of the game.
Wethington had a huge day for the Hawks with 297 yards on 28 carries and three touchdowns while Witt threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 60 yards.
ECSU’s Patterson completed 23 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns while Greene had 13 catches for 191 yards and two scores. Viking defender Isaiah Pierre led all tacklers with 15.
FULL GAME RECAP:
Hawks Run Through Vikings for a 49-41 Homecoming Win BOX SCORE:
Elizabeth City State at Chowan
Next Opponent: CU vs. Virginia State, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM; ECSU at Virginia Union, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM
Saint Augustine’s 23, Fayetteville State 21 FINAL
Saint Augustine’s shook up the Southern Division race with their 23-21 upset over Fayetteville State.
The Falcons jumped out to a 7-0 lead when D’Ontre Gilliard found Joe Baker for 28 yards late in the first quarter. FSU would respond with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard run by Stevie Green for a score to tie the game at seven.
A pair of Andre Labat field goals (39 and 29 yards) gave SAU a 13-7 halftime lead.
The Broncos opened up the second half with an eight-play drive that finished with a 6-yard touchdown run by Green to take a 14-13 lead, scoring the only points of the quarter.
SAU would regain the lead with 8:11 remaining in the game on a 48-yard pass from Gilliard to Anthony Berry, making 20-14. FSU would respond when Richard Latimer hit Chris Brooks for 3 yards to cap another eight-play scoring drive and take the lead 21-20 with 59 seconds left in the game.
Labat would then hit his third field goal of the day, this time a 26-yarder with five seconds remaining to secure the win.
Gilliard completed 17 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, Jeremiah Miller rushed for 93 yards, and Berry caught five passes for 104 yards for the Falcons. SAU defender Desmond Quinerly had a game-high 10 tackles, including nine solos, and a sack.
Stevie Green rushed for a game-high 132 yards and two touchdowns. Nigel Peele and Kenneth Merritt each had nine tackles for the Broncos.
FULL GAME RECAP:
SAU Knocks Off FSU with Late Field Goal, 23-21 BOX SCORE:
Saint Augustine's at Fayetteville State
Next Opponent: SAU vs. Johnson C. Smith, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM; FSU at Livingstone, Nov. 2 at 1:30 PM
Shaw 36, Johnson C. Smith 19 FINAL
Shaw remained alive the divisional race with a 36-19 comeback win over Johnson C. Smith.
The Bears got three first half field goals from Beni Kinsemi for their only points of the first half.JCSU put up two touchdowns, a 6-yard run from Emanuel Wilson and a 13-yard pass from Antonio Wallace to Ivoree Atkinson, to take a 13-9 lead into halftime.
Early in the third quarter, the Golden Bulls got a 74-yard punt return for touchdown from Braxton Gambrell to take a 19-9 lead.
Shaw would then take control, running off 27 straight points to close out the game. Torrin Campbell threw three second-half touchdowns, including two to Kevonta Moses (4 and 36 yards). The Bears defense also produced points as Jaleel Scroggins returned an interception 68 yards for a score.
SU freshman Sidney Gibbs ran for a game-high 143 yards while Moses led all pass catchers with 73 yards and two scores.
Wallace threw for 138 yards for the Golden Bulls and David Francis led all tacklers with 13, including 10 solos.
FULL GAME RECAP:
Strong Fourth Quarter Leads Shaw Over JCSU, 36-19 BOX SCORE:
Shaw at Johnson C. Smith
Next Opponent: SU at Winston-Salem State, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM; JCSU at Saint Augustine’s, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM
Virginia State 33, Lincoln (PA) 5 FINAL
Virginia State used just enough offense and a suffocating defense to put away Lincoln (PA), 33-5.
The Trojans ran for 133 total yards that included a game-high 41 yards from Darius Hagans, who added two touchdowns. VSU quarterback Jordan Davis threw for 99 and a touchdown, a 42-yarder to Christain Nelson.
But the VSU defense was the story of the game as they held Lincoln to 100 yards of total offense, including negative-50 yards on the ground, and produced 18 tackles for loss along with an impressive 15 sacks.
A 31-yard field goal from Cole Klubek and a safety gave Lincoln their only points of the game. Eban Jackson (80 yards) and Emmitt Hunt (70 yards) combined for 150 yards through the air for the Lions.
Zion Johnson led VSU with six tackles while teammate Kolby Hunter had a game-high three sacks. Lincoln’s D’Rico Cooks led all tacklers with 10, including seven solo.
FULL GAME RECAP: N/A BOX SCORE:
Virginia State at Lincoln (PA)
Next Opponent: VSU at Chowan, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM; LUPA at Bowie State, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM
Winston-Salem State 21, Livingstone 0 FINAL
Winston-Salem State put together a strong rushing performance and a dominating defensive effort to shutout Livingstone, 21-0.
The Rams three touchdowns each came in different ways. A 45-yard run from Quarderman Sloan and a 29-yard Dominique Graves pass to Quincy Jackson gave the WSSU offense their only points of the day while the defense also produced a touchdown, courtesy of Daryus Skinner’s 66-yard interception return.
The WSSU ground game produced 176 yards, including 61 yards by Sloan and another 67 from Farrell Murchinson, while the defense held the Blue Bears to 148 total yards that includes negative-26 yards rushing.
Livingstone quarterback Xavier Longerbeam threw for a game-high 148 yards.
WSSU’s Kalen Allen and LC’s Ian Tyler each finished with 10 tackles, including six solos. Allen also had three tackles for loss.
FULL GAME RECAP:
Rams Defense Clamps Down for a 21-0 Win at Livingstone BOX SCORE:
Winston-Salem State at Livingstone
Next Opponent: WSSU vs. Shaw, Nov. 2 at 1:00 PM; LC vs. Fayetteville State, Nov. 2 at 1:30 PM