2022 CIAA Football Championship
2022 CIAA Football Standings
2022 CIAA Football Composite Schedule
2022 CIAA Football Statistics

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The final week of the CIAA regular season delivered with overtimes in Raleigh, NC and Salisbury, NC. The Commemorative Classic. Chowan clinched the Northern Division with an impressive win and Fayetteville State's defense remains in top form, setting up a clash in the 2022 CIAA Football Championship. Virginia Union's Jada Byers continues his case for the Harlon Hill Trophy and other CIAA players make their final claims on a spot on the all-conference listing. 

Let's take a look at the week 10 results as the regular season comes to a close:

#15 Virginia Union 33, Virginia State 21        VUU: 9-1 (7-1 CIAA)   VSU: 6-4 (5-3 CIAA)

Leading 23-21 at halftime, Virginia Union pitched a shutout in the second half to defeat Virginia State. The Panthers' Jahkari Grant threw for 277 yards and scored three total touchdowns, Jada Byers rushed for 132 yards and a score, while the defense earned interceptions on three consecutive Trojans drives in the second half. Trailing 30-21 at the start of the fourth quarter, Virginia State threw a crusher of an interception that ended a 20-play, 80-yard drive that had the Trojans at the Panthers' two-yard line. John Jiles was Grant's top target with game-high totals of five receptions for 116 yards, two touchdowns, plus a 27-yard rush. Damontay Rhem was all over the field for Virginia Union, finishing with a game-high 16 tackles and Xzavier Hines added eight tackles and an interception. Jordan Davis passed for 251 yards and completed 19-of-32 throws for Virginia State. Defensively, the Trojans' Zion Johnson had a team-high 11 tackles with a forced fumble and Tyrone Fisher had eight stops. 

FULL GAME RECAP: VUU Downs Arch-Rival Virginia State 33-21 (VUU)  BOX SCORE: VUU at VSU


Elizabeth City State 8, Chowan 54        ECSU: 2-8 (2-6 CIAA)    Chowan: 7-3 (7-1 CIAA)

With this win, Chowan emphatically stamped its first Northern Division title and berth to the CIAA Football Championship. The Hawks appear to be peaking at the right time, scoring a season-high 54 points, rushing for a season-high 281 yards and four touchdowns, while holding the Vikings to 140 total yards of offense, a season-best mark for this Chowan defense. Hawks signalcaller Rashad McKee tallied five total touchdowns, passing for 172 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-19 passing, and rushing for another two scores and 89 yards on eight rushes. Malik Tobias had season-high totals of four receptions, 110 yards, and two touchdowns and Shavon Harkless added a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Cameron Rampersaud led the Hawks with seven tackles, two stops for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. The lone bright spot for the Vikings, offensively, was Wynton King and his 54 rushing yards and 4.9 yard per carry average. Ja'Ree Pitts scored the only ECSU touchdown, taking advantage of a muffed Chowan punt and a defensive pass interference. The eight tackles from ECSU's Teonne Porter was a game-high and he had an interception.

FULL GAME RECAP: Hawks Sour Past Vikings On Way to Northern Crown (Chowan) // Football Drops Final Contest to Chowan 8-54 (ECSU)    BOX SCORE: ECSU at Chowan


Lincoln (PA) 24, Bowie State 41       BSU: 6-4 (5-3 CIAA)    LUPA: 2-7 (1-6 CIAA)

Bowie State racked up 28 first downs to Lincoln (PA)'s 17 and outgained the Lions, 454-364, for the win. Dion Golatt passed for four touchdowns, tying a season-high and Keshane Hinckley caught six passes for 79 yards and two scores. Bulldogs running backs Corey Johnson (80 yards) and Kevon Campbell (68 yards) each ran for touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Lions rushed for a season-high 249 yards with Amir Gerald (140 yards and a touchdown) and Nazsir Oglesby (105 yards on just six carries) logging new career-highs. Kai Gray continues to showcase his playmaking for the Lions, registering a game-high 15 total tackles and a forced fumble at the goal line to prevent a Bowie State touchdown. Lincoln (PA)'s Mike Johnson finished with eight tackles, a fumble recovery, and returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown. Bowie State's Joshua Pryor led the way defensively with seven tackles, two quarterback hurries, a tackle for a loss, and a pass breakup.

FULL GAME RECAP: Pair of 100-Yard Rushers in Loss (LUPA) // Bulldogs Top Lincoln (PA) for Win on Senior Day (BSU)     BOX SCORE: LUPA at BSU


Johnson C. Smith 20, Livingstone 26    (OT)      LC: 4-6 (3-5 CIAA)    JCSU: 3-7 (2-6 CIAA)

The Commemorative Classic treated fans to an absolute delight of an game, independent of the added fanfare of the game that birthed Black College Football. This game needed an extra period and in the top period, Livingstone's Quandarius Smith rushed for a touchdown and in the bottom overtime, the Blue Bears' Denarea McMillan recovered a JCSU fumble to cement the win for Livingstone. The Blue Bears' gained a season-high 400 yards of offense and ran for 204 yards, topping 100 for the first time all season. Livingstone's Silas Cruse passed for 196 yards and three touchdowns with Matthew Henry recording 10 receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Tecorey Tutson ran for 110 yards on 11 carries for the Blue Bears. The Golden Bulls also recorded a new season-high in rushing yards, finishing with 247. JCSU's Jacob Newman had a career-high 154 yards rushing with two touchdowns on 22 attempts. Newman's second touchdown tied the game at 20 with  with 4:12 remaining in regulation. Starting the drive at their own nine-yard line, Newman began the possession with a 61-yard rush to set up his 12-yard score. Quarterback Robert Adams ran for 43 yards while passing for 163 and a score. Latrae Bass led the Golden Bulls with eight tackles while Terrance McPherson Jr. had a game-high 14 tackles and was one of four Livingstone defenders that had double-digit tackles.

FULL GAME RECAP: Blue Bears Defeat Johnson C. Smith in the 130th Commemorative Classic (LC)      BOX SCORE: JCSU at LC


St. Augustine's 27, Shaw 30    (2OT)      SAU: 1-9 (1-6 CIAA)    Shaw: 4-6 (4-4 CIAA)

Halfway through the second quarter, Shaw found itself leading 21-0 after two touchdowns from Sidney Gibbs and one from Andre Brandon Jr. With 3:49 remaining in the third quarter, St. Augustine's had cut the deficit to 21-20 after a strip-sack by Marcus Davis was recovered by the Falcons defender at Shaw's one-yard line. St. Aug's Deandre Proctor punched it in two plays later. In the fourth quarter, the Falcons answered an 18-play touchdown (Gibbs' 14-yard run) drive from Shaw with a touchdown drive of their own that went 15 plays and ended with a four-yard Proctor score. After missing a field goal from 21 yards out in the first overtime period, Shaw's Devin Versteegen connected on a 37-yarder in the second overtime and two plays later, Za'Heir Barnes-Vaughn jumped on a Falcons' fumble to end the game. For St. Aug, Proctor ran for 90 yards, scored two rushing touchdowns, and completed six-of-nine passes for 33 yards. Avonte George gained 60 yards on the ground for the Falcons. For Shaw, Gibbs had a game-high and career-high 193 yards with three touchdowns and Brandon Jr. added 63 yards and one score. Defensively, the Bears' Keshaun Denham had a team-high 10 tackles and 1.5 stops for losses. St. Aug's Jamieson Alston had a game-high 16 total tackles, including 13 solo stops and three tackles for losses. 

FULL GAME RECAP: Bears Knockoff Rival Falcons in Double Overtime Thriller (Shaw)    BOX SCORE: SAU at Shaw


Fayetteville State 14, Winston-Salem State 6       FSU: 8-2 (7-1 CIAA)    WSSU: 3-6 (3-4 CIAA)

The Fayetteville State defense is the reason why the Broncos have clinched a fifth straight appearance in the 2022 CIAA Football Championship. After surrendering a touchdown on Winston-Salem State's first offensive drive, the Broncos forced nine consecutive Rams' punts before earning interceptions on the last two WSSU drives to end the game. The Rams gained 70 yards on that touchdown drive and then totaled 87 yards on the next 11 possessions. Fayetteville State's Caden Davis scored two touchdowns, both in the second quarter, which were enough for the win. He rushed for a three-yard touchdown and then for his second score, he found David Baros for a five-yard score with 23 seconds left in the half. In the fourth quarter, Nicholas Jackson completed a 30-yard pass to R.J. Mobley to move the Rams to the Broncos' 11-yard line but FSU's Cedric Thomas cut the route and earned an interception on the very next play. On the opening drive, Mobley had a 50-yard reception to the Broncos' one-yard line, which had set up WSSU's lone touchdown from JahTwan Stafford. Stafford finished with 56 yards rushing. For FSU, Derrick Alston Jr. rushed for 79 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and Mekhi Fenner added 48 yards (5.3 yards per carry). Gerald Simpson led the Broncos with eight tackles and 1.5 stops for a loss. For the Rams, Jasahn Rankin and Octavis McLaurin each had a team-high nine tackles, including a sack from Rankin.

FULL GAME RECAP: Broncos Hold Winston-Salem to 70 Rushing Yards in 14-6 Win (FSU)   BOX SCORE: FSU at WSSU