CIAA Football

CIAA Football Weekly Preview Preserving Our Past, Defending Our Future The Road to Durham Starts Here

September 14, 2011

Week 4-- The start of league play for a majority of CIAA teams (only Shaw is playing out of conference) begins this weekend. Highlighting this weeks schedule is a matchup between two of the leagues most productive offenses, perennial contender Winston-Salem State and new kid on the block Chowan. Also on deck, the surprising Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls attempt to continue their climb to respectability when they take on defending Northern Division champ Virginia State. The road to Durham starts here

Game of the Week:

Winston-Salem State Rams (2-0) at Chowan Hawks (1-1)

On paper, this is one of the most intriguing matchups of the young season. Two of the most prolific offenses in the CIAA square off in what could be a high-scoring affair. Statistics point to a shootoutLets take a look at the tale of the tape. In one corner you have Southern Division heavyweight, Winston-Salem State, with a record of 2-0; averaging 44.5 points and 446 yards per game. The Rams, who are equally adept at finessing opponents with the pass or outslugging them with the run, feature a balanced offense led by QB Kameron Smith. Smith has passed for 467 yards and six touchdowns. When Smith isnt airing it out to a talented corps of receivers, he has the luxury of handing off to bruising tailback Nic Cooper to deliver some body shots. Cooper, a sledgehammer at 60, 245 pounds leads the CIAA in rushing at 125 yards per game. Across the ring is the upstart challenger from the Northern Division, Chowan. The Hawks sport a record of 1-1; are scoring 40.5 points and piling up an impressive 458.5 yards per game. The Hawks will counterpunch and try to keep the Rams off balance with a rapid-fire aerial attack. Through two games, Hawks quarterback Cam Stover has passed for 608 yards and eight touchdowns. At his disposal is the most productive receiving tandem in the league. Robert Holland and Kevin Hodrick both are averaging over 100 receiving yards per game and have combined for 35 catches and seven touchdowns. With all the offensive stars on both sides of the field, defense will probably prove to be the difference in this game. Winston-Salem States rugged defensive unit is second in the league, allowing a meager 16.5 points per game. In stark contrast, the Hawks are giving up a whopping 28.0 points a game. The Hawks inability to stop the run was a huge factor in their loss to UNC-Pembroke last week, as the Braves slugged their way to 304 rushing yards in a 49-38 decision. Look for the Rams to come out swinging with a big dose of Cooper to try to soften up the Hawks. Chowan has a punchers chance if they can keep up their offensive output and do a better job defending the run. If they cant, this tactical bout may turn into a physical slugfest that favors Winston-Salem State. Game time is 6:00 at Chowans Garrison Stadium.

Catch it Live: http://www.futuremediaworld.com/chowan.htm^[1];

Elizabeth City State Vikings (1-2) at Fayetteville State Broncos (0-2)

After an 0-2 start, the preseason Northern Division favorite Vikings got their first win of the season when they knocked off Livingstone on Saturday. Even though ECSU is 1-2, theyre still very much in the hunt for the divisional title as the conference portion of their schedule begins in earnest. The Broncos, who last won a CIAA title in 2009, have been uncharacteristically lackluster in their first two games this season. Their usually sturdy defense is allowing over 500 yards a game and theyve been outscored 89-34. The bright side is that both their losses were nonconference contests, so theres still time to right the ship and get in contention for the Southern Division title. Kickoff is set for 6:00 pm at Luther Nick Jeralds Stadium.

Catch it Live: http://www.ecsuvikings.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=989644&school=eliz&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&^[2]

http://www.fsubroncos.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=989644&school=fast&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&^[3]

Livingstone Blue Bears (0-2) at Bowie State Bulldogs (2-0)

This is a matchup of two teams moving in opposite directions. Bowie State is undefeated, averaging 408.5 yards and 29.5 points per game while allowing a league low 10.5 points. Livingstone is scoring 7.0 points a game, allowing 46.0 points per game and has lost 27 straight; dating back to the 2008 season. Last week, the Blue Bears played well defensively and only trailed Elizabeth City State 14-7 at halftime, but they were unable to maintain that defensive intensity and surrendered 35 second-half points in a 49-7 loss. Spoiling the Bulldogs Homecoming festivities may be a tough task for the Blue Bears. Kickoff is 1:00 pm at Bulldogs Stadium.

VIDEO / AUDIO STREAMING: mms://shared.streamwebtown.com/AntArtCs

LIVE STATS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/bowie/football^[4]

http://www.sidearmstats.com/livingstone/football/index.htm^[5]

Shaw Bears (0-2) at Benedict (0-2)

Shaw had Division I Delaware State on the ropes. The Bears led 24-9 going into the fourth quarter, only to see that lead evaporate as DSU scored 22 points in the final period to escape with a 31-27 win. The defending champions now find themselves in an 0-2 hole and are playing their third road game in a row. The good thing is, like the previous two, this is a nonconference game. So win, lose or draw the Bears still have all their league games ahead of them. Shaw is still a tough out defensively, allowing 251 yards a game; good enough for 3^rd in the CIAA.

The Bears offense is still a work in progress, but showed improvement last week. One bright spot offensively has been the emergence of junior James Langford. Langford leads the conference with 190 all-purpose yards per game. He has done the most damage as a deadly kick return specialist, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaging 43.8 yards a return. Benedict, a member of the SIAC, is 0-2 after losses against Virginia Union and Bowie State. Game time: 5:00pm, Columbia, South Carolina.

Virginia State Trojans (1-1) at Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls (1-1)

This is an intriguing matchup featuring an explosive, high-scoring offense in Johnson C. Smith, against a team thats still trying to find its offensive identity in Virginia State. The Golden Bulls, the surprise team of the early season, average a league-leading 536.5 yards and 49.5 points a game. The Trojans, last years Northern Division champs, average 219 yards and are an uncharacteristic 11^th in the league in scoring at a pedestrian 10 points per game. Both teams have a win over a common opponent in the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets, but each win was vastly different. JCSU freshman QB Keahn Wallace passed for 337 yards and four touchdowns as the Golden Bulls rolled up 630 yards of offense and cruised to a 64-27 season-opening win over the Yellow Jackets. Virginia State had a little more difficulty dispatching West Virginia State. The Trojans trailed 14-3 in the third quarter and needed Sean Smiths 29-yard interception return for a touchdown, a 28-yard scoring pass from Jared Battle to Corey Young and an interception by linebacker Jeremy Pruitt on the Yellow Jackets final drive to escape with a 17-14 win. Statistically, the Trojans are better defensively, but only slightly. VSU is 9^th in the league in total defense, giving up 365 yards a game, while JCSU is 10^th, surrendering 452 yards a game. Are the Golden Bulls for real? Can the Trojans regain their championship swagger? These questions will be answered at 6:00 pm Saturday at JCSUs Irwin Belk Stadium.

Catch it Live: http://www.wgnc.net/^[6] (Johnson C. Smith)

Virginia State: http://www.mainstreamnetwork.com/listen/player.asp?station=wvst-fm&^[7]

Virginia Union Panthers (2-1) at Lincoln Lions (0-2)

Going into last weeks game against Winston-Salem State, the Panthers had held their previous two opponents scoreless and had given up a grand total of 288 yards of offense. That streak came to a screeching halt as Winston-Salem State left Richmond with an emphatic 67-16 win. The Panthers defense surrendered a season-high 493 yards in that game, but the most telling statistics were the six turnovers by Unions offense and special teams; two of which led directly to scores. The Rams also exposed the Panthers vulnerability to the pass, racking up 315 yards through the air. Look for Lincoln to try to exploit that vulnerability. Freshman quarterback Doug Cook averages 256 passing yards per game and has a reliable group of receivers led by Phillip Jean-Juste, who is averaging eight catches a game. Game time is 6:00 pm at Lincoln.

Catch it Live: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lincoln-university-lions-athletics^[8]

References

1. ^{^} http://www.futuremediaworld.com/chowan.htm (www.futuremediaworld.com)
2. ^{^} http://www.ecsuvikings.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=989644&school=eliz&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=& (www.ecsuvikings.com)
3. ^{^} http://www.fsubroncos.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=989644&school=fast&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=& (www.fsubroncos.com)
4. ^{^} http://www.sidearmstats.com/bowie/football (www.sidearmstats.com)
5. ^{^} http://www.sidearmstats.com/livingstone/football/index.htm (www.sidearmstats.com)
6. ^{^} http://www.wgnc.net/ (www.wgnc.net)
7. ^{^} http://www.mainstreamnetwork.com/listen/player.asp?station=wvst-fm& (www.mainstreamnetwork.com)
8. ^{^} http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lincoln-university-lions-athletics (www.ustream.tv)