The passing game produced precious little and the running game didn’t fare much better as Winston-Salem State took a beating from NC Central. Here are the takeaways from the Rams’ performance.
WINSTON-SALEM STATE FINDS TOUGH GOING IN THE RAIN
In its opener against Central State, a close game got away from Winston-Salem State. Against NC Central, the Rams never got close.
At the end of the first quarter, the Rams trailed 13-0. When Davius Richard added a touchdown run in the second quarter, Winston-Salem State was virtually done.
After an interception by starting quarterback Richard Latimer on the opening drive, Winston-Salem State punted on its next three possessions, and the fourth possession was stopped when the game reached halftime. NC Central’s defense ensured there would be no momentum shift.
QUARTERBACKS WERE STYMIED
After an injury to Dom Graves which appears to have ended his season, Latimer was the starter for Winston-Salem State. It was anything but a success.
Latimer completed just two of his six passes for 11 yards with one interception. He was replaced by true freshman Jahmier Slade, whose debuted resulted in a 3-for-4 performance for 10 yards.
Of the five completions, none was more than seven yards.
LIMITED SUCCESS IN THE BACKFIELD
Winston-Salem State had some success on the ground, but nowhere near the performance against Central State.
Asa Barnes ran for 56 yards on 10 carries, just under half the 124 yards the Rams’ ground game mustered against the Eagles and well below the 193 yards gained against Central State in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Game one week ago.
LOPSIDED GAME, CLOSE SERIES
In the 46 previous games in the series, NC Central had won 23. After blanking Winston-Salem State, the Eagles have now won six of the last eight meetings.
NC Central won the first 10 games in the rivalry, which started in 1945. The Rams had won 18 of the last 28 games between the schools before the shutout loss.
CAN WE GO HOME?
After playing its first two games on the road, Winston-Salem State has two more bus rides.
The ride to Durham was a short one considering the upcoming trip to Elizabeth City State at noon next Saturday. The Vikings fell 19-0 to Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Livingstone, That means the two teams will be looking for their first victories of 2022.
Following that trip, Winston-Salem State makes a second run to northeastern North Carolina for a game with Chowan, who last season administered a 73-7 beating that punctuated a four-game losing streak before the Rams reeled off three straight victories.