When we last left “So Hard To Be A Ram,” WSSU had just vanquished the ghost of UNC-Pembroke to open the season 1-0. It wasn’t easy, as the Rams had to stave off another second-half quarterback by their biggest current non-conference rival.
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So its understandable that WSSU was feeling pretty good about itself heading into Week Two. The opponent was a familiar one, but the script was flipped from the previous game. WSSU had beaten Bowie State in back-to-back CIAA championship games, including a huge upset in 2015 after it came into the title game with a 5-5 record.
The Bowie game was set to be WSSU’s home opener. Despite the Rams recent success, the team had struggled at home, suffering its previous four regular-season defeats in the confines of Bowman Gray Stadium, dating back to the 2015 season.
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The first home game of the year is often the biggest outside of homecoming because, well, its first. On Friday night we caught a glimpse of Winston-Salem State’s marching band, the Red Sea of Sound, getting prepared for its big day by practicing in the shadow of the stadium, which had a freshly painted new Ram on it.
In the heart of the campus, the WSSU football team was loose, enjoying some downtime while head coach Kienus Boulware rubbed elbows with alumni at the Hall of Fame football celebration before coming over to deliver a speech to his team.
WSSU would lose the game 31-13, despite an animated and fiery speech from former WSSU star and NFL defensive back Anthony Blaylock. Here is what you didn’t see before, during, or after the game.
Want to give a big shoutout to the sponsors of this post, Peters Auto Mall of High Point. Go check them out if you need a new ride and tell them HBCU Gameday sent you!