Courtesy: CIAA
CHARLOTTE, NC — In this final week of non-conference play, let’s have a preview of what’s to come on Saturday:
Bowie State (1-0 at Davenport (1-0), 12 P.M.
Both teams enter Saturday with identical 1-0 records and this will be first-ever meeting between the two schools. Bowie State is coming off a big-time road win at FCS Delaware State last weekend, topping the Hornets 22-11. The BSU Bulldogs tallied 274 yards of total offense in its season opener, with 247 coming via the pass. Davenport had no trouble in its season opener last Saturday, jumping out to a 24-0 halftime cushion and cruised to a 31-17 home victory against Thomas More. Davenport finished with 358 total yards including 276 through the air. The Panthers were 8-3 and earned the program’s first-ever bid to the NCAA playoffs in 2022 led by GLIAC Coach of the Year in Sparky McEwen.
Walsh (1-0) at Johnson C. Smith (1-0), 1 P.M.
Both teams enter Saturday’s contest with a 1-0 record and are meeting for the first time on the gridiron. Johnson C. Smith manhandled West Virginia Wesleyan on the road by a score of 49-6 while Walsh edged visiting West Liberty 24-21 on Thursday, August 31. It was the first night football game at Walsh’s Larry Staudt Field. Cameron Macon and Dom Jennings led the rushing attack for the Cavs. Macon rushed for 101 yards with one touchdown. Jennings rushed for 75 yards with one touchdown. Cam Hollobaugh was everywhere on the defensive side of the ball, recording 9 tackles. Terrell Grier and Delshawn Petrosky had seven and six tackles, respectively. Petrosky added a 33-yard interception and returned it for a touchdown. Leading the JCSU Golden Bulls offense was Tyrell Jackson completing 19-of-28 passes for 229 yards and one touchdown. Jacob Newman had 86 yards on 16 carries to lead the rushing attack, his brother Tim had 73 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Benari Black led all JCSU tacklers with seven.
#24 Virginia Union (1-0) at Shaw (0-1), 1 P.M.
Virginia Union and Shaw’s results from last weekend were on total opposite ends of the spectrum. The VUU Panthers mauled Morehouse 45-13 in the Black College Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio. Shaw on the other hand, was beaten soundly on the road at Benedict by a score of 52-0. Two huge comparisons’ … Shaw managed just 10 first downs to 28 for Benedict and the Shaw Bears were held to just 169 yards of total offense while the Benedict Tigers rolled up 480 yards of total offense. Sidney Gibbs was Shaw’s leading offensive producer with 75 rushing yards on 15 carries while teammate Silas Cruse passed for 73 yards. The only real positive for Shaw was possession time with the Bears holding on to the ball for 25:33 of the 60 minutes.
Saint Augustine’s (0-1) vs. Elizabeth City State (0-1), 1 P.M.
Saint Augustine’s and Elizabeth City State will clash and look for a win in the Down East Classic in Rocky Mount, NC. Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) opened the 2023 football season with a 45-7 loss to nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University at Moretz Stadium on Saturday. Saint Augustine’s Falcons were limited to a mere 52 yards of total offense compared to 376 for the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears. The Bears defense suffocated the Falcons and held SAU to three first downs and two rushing yards on 27 attempts. Lenoir-Rhyne’s Sean White went 16-for-21 for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jon Ross Maye led the Lenoir-Rhyne defense with 9 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Elizabeth City State made a fighting effort, but to no avail, falling31-23 to Catawba at ECSU’s Roebuck Stadium. ECSU’s Chase Williams completed just 6-of-21 passes for 81 yards with Ian Edwards leading the Vikings receivers with 43 yards. ECSU’s top ground gainer was Darian King with 68 yards on 13 carries and one touchdown.
Lincoln (PA) (0-1) at Post (0-1) 1 P.M.
The Lincoln (PA) Lions and Post Eagles will meet for the first time in school history and will be hungry for a win. Lincoln, under the leadership of first year head coach Frank Turner, hosted the Eagles of Clarion University for the Lions home opener. Despite kicking their game into high gear in the second half, Lincoln took a 30-20 loss to Clarion. Quarterback Isaiah Freeman was 18-for-31 on pass completions for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns. Freeman also rushed for 56 net yards on 11 attempts. Malachi Langley was the leading Lions receiver with 135 yards on five receptions a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, Eric Best led the charge with eight total touchdowns (4 solo, 4 assisted). Statistically for Post, Simon Burkett finished the day going 15-for-34 with 183 passing yards and two interceptions. Isaiah Emmanuel led the rushing attack with 41 yards on the ground and a touchdown Jermaine Tillery hauled in five catches for 71 yards.
Emory & Henry (1-0) at Bluefield State (1-0) 1 PM
This game could be one of the top games of the day as the Emory & Henry Wasps and Bluefield State Big Blue combined for 97 points in their respective season openers. The Emory & Henry College Football Team left no doubt last Saturday afternoon, defeating Concord University in a 56-10 drubbing to start the year. Seven different Wasps found the end zone in the victory. Emory & Henry outgained Concord 385-330 with 18 first downs. The Wasps averaged 6.9 yards per play and were 6-for-12 (50%) on third-down conversions. Bluefield State took down fellow CIAA opponent Livingstone College in their season opener 41-7 on Saturday. As a team, Bluefield State racked up 325 yards in total offense while holding Livingstone to just 180 yards in total offense. The Big Blue averaged 6.8 yards per pass attempt and 4.1 yards per carry on the ground.
Tusculum (0-1) at Virginia State (1-0) 2 PM
The Virginia State University Trojans stunned FCS Norfolk State Spartans 33-24 in a thriller to start the season. Steve Williams spearheaded the VSU offense completing 13-of-19 passes for 133-yards and a touchdown. The Trojans offensive efforts were pioneered by Upton Bailey with a game-high 208 rushing yards on 19 carries. Chantz Baylor led the Trojan defense with nine total tackles (7 solo) while Willie Drew recorded four tackles and the only interception of the game. Tusculum suffered a 38-7 road loss at Kennesaw State last weekend. Tusculum was 8-for-17 on third downs while Kennesaw State was 4-for-12 on third-down conversions. Tusculum was flagged six times for 50 yards, and Kennesaw State was called for six penalties for 74 yards. The Owls won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 33:05 compared to 26:55 for the Pioneers. Virginia State has won the previous two meetings against Tusculum, including a 24-10 victory in the last matchup in 2016.
Winston-Salem State (0-1) at Ohio Dominican (0-1) 3 PM
The Winston-Salem State Rams fought hard in the second half but fell to #19 FCS North Carolina Central on Saturday night. As a team, Winston Salem State recorded 312 yards and an interception. The Rams had 15 first downs and 123 rushing yards. Daylin Lee was 14-for-24 for 189 passing yards. RJ Mobley had seven receptions for 113 yards. Defensively, Dante Bowlding led the way with nine tackles (8) solo. Ohio Dominican opened the 20th season of action with a tough 23-21 road loss to the Notre Dame College Falcons on Saturday afternoon. Jake Byrd (Fort Wayne, Indiana) completed 14-of-26 passes for 121 yards with one interception. Jonzell Norrils went for 102 rushing yards on just ten carries. Jayden Cornell led the Panthers as the receiver caught five passes out of seven targets for 64 yards and a touchdown. Michael Powers led all defenders with 14 tackles while adding one sack and two tackles for loss. Ohio Dominican trailed in the total offense category 324-304 despite the Panthers leading the rushing attack 104-90.
Livingstone (0-1) at Catawba (1-0) 6 PM
Catawba running back Lee Bracey Jr. ran for 194 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, helping to lead the Catawba to a 31-23 win at Elizabeth City State on Saturday afternoon. It is the third-straight win to open the season for the Catawba Indians and the first win under head coach Tyler Haines. Preston Brown completed 15-of-29 passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in his Catawba debut. Deno Wardlow tied a program record with three interceptions. Jaylen Hinton led the team with seven tackles, while Jakarri Martin II, Christian Bennett and Te’Veon Glover each recorded six tackles. The Blue Bears of Livingstone College faced off against Bluefield State at Alumni Stadium to open the 2023 football season. While Bluefield State clinched the win with a score of 41-7, Livingstone displayed tenacity and moments of promise to inspire fans looking forward to the rest of the season. Livingstone: William Guyton was a beacon of hope for the team, rushing impressively to collect 68 yards on 17 carries. Jaden Echols amassed a game-high nine total tackles (5 solo) to lead the Blue Bears defense.
Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0) at Fayetteville State (0-1) 6 PM
Nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne breezed to an easy 45-7 home season opener against Saint Augustine’s. The Bears defense suffocated the Falcons and held SAU to three first downs and two rushing yards on 27 attempts. Lenoir-Rhyne’s Sean White went 16-for-21 for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jon Ross Maye led the Lenoir-Rhyne defense with 9 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. The pregame hype for Fayetteville State at UNC Pembroke season opener lived up to its billing. In the end, UNC Pembroke edged the defending CIAA Champions of Fayetteville State 19-17 thanks to a late game field goal. Both teams were pretty even in total yards of offense as the FSU Broncos accounted for 258 compared to 301 for the opponent. The Fayetteville State offense was led by Joe Owens Jr. with 136 passing yards, completing 12-of-28. Owens’ primary target in the contest was David Baros, hauling in six receptions for a game-high 114 yards.