Virginia Union Panthers Crushes Livingstone 52-19

RICHMOND, Virginia  -- Virginia Union special teams coach Troy Shaffer has a plan for the Panthers each week that varies depending on the schemes the opposing team shows on film.

Shaffer's plan seemed to work to perfection Saturday against Livingstone as Virginia Union blocked two punts and an extra point, and former Highland Springs star Jaiden Reavis returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown in the Panthers' 52-19 victory over the Blue Bears.

VUU's standouts on special teams also included Russell Balance, who averaged 46 yards per punt with a long of 55, and Jefferson Souza, who was perfect on extra point attempts and nailed a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter.

"It's all about Coach [Alvin] Parker, who gives me a lot of leeway, and it's about our players, who came out and executed," said Shaffer, in his first year at the school. "It's great to finally see things come to fruition."

Virginia Union's play on special teams helped kick-start the offense's performance. After a slow opening quarter, quarterback Darius Taylor connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Fanfan early in the second quarter. Less than a minute later, Reavis opened the floodgates with an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Taylor also threw touchdowns of 34 and 45 yards in the quarter to extend the lead to 38-19 by halftime. He finished 21 of 33 for 331 yards and six touchdowns.

His six touchdown passes tied the school record set by Lamar Little against Tuskegee in 2007.

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"Having Tabyus Taylor (Hopewell) at running back has really helped my game this year," said Taylor, whose six touchdown passes tied the school's single-game record. "Teams can't just play the pass or try stopping the run; we have a really balanced offense."

The Panthers' defense locked down in the second half, securing the blowout victory. The Blue Bears were held scoreless and managed only 49 yards after the break. Sterlin Hammond led Virginia Union with eight tackles.

As the Panthers continue in conference play, Darius Taylor has his mind set on winning a CIAA championship.

"We can't let up," he said. "We have to keep our foot on their necks and stay on top."

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