CIAA makes impact

HOME OF THE WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY RAMS
2011 CIAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS
2011 HBCU NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2011 RAMS Regular Season 11-0
NCAA Division II Playoffs: 2-1
NCAA Division II National Ranking: #3

WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA -- It's no secret that CIAA football had no respect on the national level.

But that could all change now that Winston-Salem State has matched the conference's all-time victories total in playoff games, reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs and has risen to No. 3 in the coaches' poll.

Before this season, the CIAA was 2-27 in the playoffs since 1978. The Rams were 2-1 in this season's playoffs, losing to Wayne State 21-14 in Saturday's semifinals.

Videographers: Cornell Jones and Desmond Barnes; 2011 CIAA Champions Winston-Salem State University. In the final Division II polls, the Rams are ranked #3 in the nation.

Coach Waverly Tiller of Elizabeth City State, who serves on the Division II championship committee, saw all three of WSSU's playoff games, and said he expects a boost from the Rams' run. Tiller's team also made the postseason but lost to California (Pa.) in the first round. This season was the first since 2006 that the CIAA sent two teams to the 24-team playoffs.

"It really does speak volumes for the CIAA," Tiller said. "Winston-Salem State being the region winner and getting recognized nationally is a big thing. It's every coach's dream, and now Winston has paved the way, and the message is that the CIAA can do it."

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Maynor: CIAA stronger that its reputation

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - When coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State wants to get something off his chest he does it. Earlier this week, Maynor defended the CIAA and it’s reputation for being a weak conference.

“For all the CIAA haters and naysayers who say the CIAA is weak and we can’t play football and all of that, let me say this,” Maynor said. “I’ve been in the CIAA for two years now as a head coach and we are 21-2, and our only two losses have come against CIAA teams.

“So that tells you something — that the CIAA is stronger than people say.” Those two losses came last season, when Shaw and St. Aug’s beat the Rams.

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU cruises and is now 13-0

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Sitting here at press row at the Gaines Center and I’m watching the Winston-Salem State women play West Liberty. It’s the second course of a full-course sports day at WSSU.

The day started with the Rams football team keeping the dream alive of winning a national championship when it beat New Haven 27-7 at Bowman Gray Stadium. Later tonight the Rams basketball team (4-0) will play Queens.

It seems like every time WSSU wins in football is ventures into new territory. This time the Rams set the season record for most wins by an HBCU. Fred Whitted, who keeps up with black-college athletics with his Black College Sports Encyclopedia, did some research on most wins in a season.

Whitted’s research shows that 12 wins were the most by HBCU in a season but now that WSSU has 13 it has the record.

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NEXT GAME: WSSU vs. Wayne State (MI) at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston Salem, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011.

TV: ESPN 

GAME TIME: Noon or 1 PM (to be finalized on Monday)

Charlotte 49ers add JCSU to football schedule

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The Charlotte 49ers and Johnson C. Smith will face off in football in 2014 and 2015.

Charlotte, which launches its Division I football program in 2013, announced the addition of the Division II Golden Bulls to its schedule on Oct. 30. Both games will be played at McColl-Richardson Field on University of North Carolina-Charlotte's campus.

The 49ers and Golden Bulls will play home Sept. 6, 2014 and Sept. 19, 2015. JCSU is scheduled to play Division I Davidson in 2013 in Charlotte.

The 49ers’ 2014 schedule has ...
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Pioneer Bowl XIII: Johnson C. Smith University vs. Miles College

Pioneer Bowl Game Notes (pdf format)

PIONEER BOWL football tickets can be purchased at the JCSU Ticket Office in Biddle Hall (3rd Floor) or call 704-378-1145. Tickets can also be purchased at the game.

Columbus, GA – The Johnson C. Smith University football team has accepted the invitation to participate in the 13th Pioneer Bowl to be held Saturday, December 3rd at A.J. McClung Stadium in Columbus, Georgia at 1:00 p.m. (EST). JCSU will face Miles College from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) as the road team in this match-up.

The Pioneer Bowl is the only NCAA sanctioned bowl game involving HBCU athletic conferences and one of only three sanctioned bowl games in Division II. Started in 1997, the game features teams from the CIAA and the SIAC. Last year, Saint Augustine's College (CIAA) trumped Fort Valley State University (SIAC), 20-9.

JCSU closed out the regular season with a 31-0 victory against Livingstone College in the annual Commemorative Classic. The win moved the Golden Bulls to third in the CIAA Southern Division with 5-5 overall record and 4-3 in the conference mark.

This is the first non-losing season for Johnson C. Smith since 2006. That year, JCSU finished 7-3 in the standings and received a Pioneer Bowl bid. Unfortunately, even with the game played in Charlotte, NC, Tuskegee won the game 17-7. Until now, that has been the only bowl game appearance for the Golden Bulls.

Miles College, led by Head Coach Reginald Ruffin, finished first in the SIAC West Division with a 5-2 record in conference play. The Golden Bears won their first SIAC Championship by defeating Albany State University to finish with a 7-4 overall record.

A bowl game victory would be the icing on the cake of a reinvigorated year of JCSU football. Head coach Steven Aycock led his squad to their first winning conference record in five seasons. Aycock was elected CIAA Coach of the Week three times this season.

On the field, CIAA Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Keahn Wallace (Homestead, FL) has led the Golden Bulls and the conference in yardage. Wallace led the CIAA in total offense, while completing more than 58 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,946 yards with 16 touchdowns. He also averaged 48.4 yards per game running the ball to go with five rushing touchdowns. Wallace averaged 264.7 yards of total offense per game, leading the category by more than 23 yards.

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VISIT: JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY
VISIT: GOLDENBULLSPORTS

Winston Salem State Rams are going where no CIAA team has gone before

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- I guess it’s time to pose the question about this year’s Winston-Salem State Rams football team. There have been a lot of great CIAA teams in its history but is this WSSU team the best ever?

It’s certainly a valid question because now that the Rams have beaten California (Pa.) 35-28 on Saturday afternoon in front of nearly 8,000 fans they will venture into unknown territory.

No CIAA school has ever gone to the Division II quarterfinals, but the Rams are there and will get to play another home game this Saturday at noon against New Haven (Conn.).

The 12-0 Rams have the most wins in school history in a season and coach Connell Maynor is now 20-2 over two seasons. Maynor, who never turns down a chance to brag about his team, was in full throat afterward. He gave his thoughts on where this Rams team ranks in WSSU history.



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NCAA Div. II Championship: Battle of styles for ECSU vs. Cal U.

CALIFORNIA, Pennsylvania -- When it comes to style of play, particularly on offense, California University has little in common with NCAA Division II playoff foe Elizabeth City State (N.C.). That's because Elizabeth City State (8-3) thrives on the running game, while the Vulcans (9-2) love to move the ball quickly through the air.

The teams collide at noon Saturday at Adamson Stadium in a Super Region One first rounder. Cal is seeded fourth and Elizabeth City fifth in the region.

While Cal has a solid running attack, led by Lamont Smith with 995 yards on 115 carries and two touchdowns, those stats pale in comparison to Vikings running back Daronte McNeill, who has carried the ball 334 times for 1,580 yards and scored 22 TDs. He is ranked fifth in the nation in rushing, first in attempts and third in touchdowns.

Elizabeth City State's second-leading rusher, Kevin Swain, has 624 yards on 131 carries with five TDs.

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Tillar leads ECSU Vikings turnaround

Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- At the end of the 2005 football season, Elizabeth City State football coach sat down with then-athletic director Dr. Edward McLean to discuss the direction of the Vikings football program. Given the state of the program at the time, no one would have been surprised if the Tillar era ended after three seasons.

“The pressure was not whether I was going to win or not, the pressure was whether I was going to stay here,” Tillar said. “If there is no improvement in your situation over a three-year period it looks kind of grim.”

Tillar’s record was an uninspiring 7-23 and his teams had been shut out eight times. ECSU football, which had just one winning record in the previous 14 seasons, was barely on the football map.

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Albany State, ECSU, Winston-Salem State Earn D-II Playoff Berths

Undefeated Winston-Salem State earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Division II playoffs, while Albany State and Elizabeth City State received at-large bids. ASU (8-3) and ECSU (8-3) were both runners-up for the SIAC and CIAA championships respectively.

Miles (7-4), which defeated then 15th-ranked Albany State, 20-17, in the SIAC championship Saturday, missed the playoffs. Of the 24 teams selected (six each in four regions), Concord (7-3) had the worst record.

Albany State will travel to North Greenville (9-2) for a noon contest on Saturday. The winner will face Mars Hill Nov. 26 at noon.

Elizabeth City State goes to California (Pa.), the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference winner, for a first-round game Saturday at noon as well. The winner between those two meets Winston-Salem State Nov. 26 at noon. WSSU is undefeated at 11-0 and dominated ECSU this past weekend, 38-18, in the CIAA championship.

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ECSU vs. Winston-Salem State for CIAA crown today

Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- The Vikings are hoping the third time is the charm. Elizabeth City State has been chasing a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football title since 1971 and gets another chance to win that elusive championship today when it takes on No. 4 Winston-Salem State in Durham.

For ECSU (8-2), which won its only CIAA championship in 1971, it is its third championship game appearance in the last six years.

“I am trying to stay grounded approaching this game and focusing on what the kids can do,” said ECSU coach Wavery Tillar, who is 0-2 in CIAA championship games as head coach. “I feel real good going into this game based on what the kids can do offensively, defensively and on special teams. I’m just trying to stay grounded and not looking so much at the 0-2 record, but saying we can win this one.”

Across the field will be a familiar foe in Winston-Salem (10-0)...

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WSSU's Maynor named CIAA's top coach

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem raised some eyebrows when he said what was on his mind in July. He proclaimed that his Rams would finish the season undefeated, win the CIAA title and contend for the Division II national champion.

He's right on one count so far — the Rams went 10-0 in the regular season, an accomplishment that won Maynor the CIAA's coach-of-the-year award in voting by his peers. The announcement was made Friday afternoon at a banquet in Durham. Maynor can take care of the CIAA title today, if WSSU defeats Elizabeth City State.

Bill Hayes, WSSU's athletics director, said the thing that impresses him the most about Maynor — who is 18-2 in two seasons leading the Rams — has nothing to do with football.  "I didn't know he was as committed to his religion and what he believes and his trust in God," Hayes said. "I didn't know that about him, but it's real to him, and he practices what he preaches. A lot of people preach it but don't practice, but he's not that way."

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Championship Saturday for CIAA and SIAC

CIAA, SIAC championship games set

Every year, there will be decisions and losses that will haunt head coaches throughout the winter. The game most likely to be on the mind for Jackson State head coach Rick Comegy is Saturday’s 26-23 loss at home to Grambling.

It will be a memorable game because the special teams for JSU (7-2, 5-2) were not special at all. Jackson State missed a field goal and its porous kick coverage set GSU (5-4, 4-3) up with short fields to work with all day. Then there was a fumbled punt by JSU freshman Antonio Sutton that helped put Grambling ahead for good.

“You are going to get those types of mistakes,” Comegy said. “It happens. We have to get better at executing plays late in the game.”

Indeed. A pass play gave Jackson State a first down on the Grambling 14 with just 14 seconds remaining and JSU trailing 26-23. With a timeout remaining Jackson State seemingly had enough time to run a play or two aiming for the end zone and the go-ahead touchdown, or at the very least set up an attempt at a field goal to send the game into overtime. JSU, however, mismanaged its opportunity and left the game and the timeout on the field.



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Bowie State Falls to Chowan, 38-35, in Season Finale

Bowie, Maryland - Late-game penalties killed Bowie State’s hopes for a comeback as the Chowan University Hawks from Murfreesboro, NC, edged the Bulldogs, 38-35, with a 31-yard field goal as time ran out at the Bowie stadium.

The kick by Ryan Murphy came with seven seconds left and marked the season finale for both teams. Chowan ended the season at 3-7 overall (2-5 vs. Central Interscholastic Athletics Association (CIAA)) and Bowie State wrapped up the year with a 4-6 overall record (3-4 vs. CIAA).

Bowie State scored first with 16 seconds left in the first quarter, when senior Delano Johnson returned a lateral pass 31 yards for the score. Chowan responded immediately, as Antjuan Randall returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards. Chowan would score 21 unanswered points to open a 28-7 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, Chowan quarterback Kameron Stover found receiver Robert Holland in the end zone for their third touchdown combination of the game, this time from three yards out, extending the Chowan lead to 35-14.

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Bowie State comes back, but loses on last-second field goal

The Bowie State University football team made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter on Saturday against Chowan University, but Hawks' kicker Ryan Murphy hit a 31-yard field goal with seven seconds to play to lift Chowan to a 38-35 victory against the Bulldogs.

Bowie State finished its season with a 4-6 record, including a 3-4 mark in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, while Chowan went 3-7 and 2-5 in the league.

The Bulldogs trailed 28-14 at the end of the third quarter and fell behind 35-14 when Chowan scored a touchdown with 12 minutes, 32 seconds to play. Bowie State then scored three touchdowns in a span of just over six minutes to tie the score at 35-35.

Surrattsville High graduate Andre Johnson started the surge with a 30-yard touchdown run with 7:24 to play. Johnson hit Dominique Budd on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 5:18 to go, and then connected with Kevin James on a 2-yard scoring pass with 1:21 to play.



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ECSU Closes Out Regular Season with 39-14 win over Lincoln

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - The Elizabeth City State University football team closed out the regular season slate with a 39-14 win over Lincoln University of Pennsylvania on Senior Day at Roebuck Stadium. With the win the Vikings extend their win streak to eight games, improving to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in CIAA play.

The Lions finish the regular season with a 2-5 mark in the CIAA and 2-8 overall.

Besides it being Senior Day, the occasion was made even more special when on his third carry of the afternoon Daronte McNeill picked up seven yards and subsequently became the Vikings' all-time leading rusher, passing the mark of 3,158 yard held previously by Aaron Murchinson. McNeill, who finished the day with 186 yards on 38 carries and two touchdowns, now stands at 3,332 yards in his career.

The Lion defense put up a valiant effort on Saturday, totaling 105 tackles as a team. Unfortunately for Lincoln their offense could not sustain drives to keep them off the field. ECSU dominated the time of possession with almost 40 minutes (38:45) to 20:19 for Lincoln. The Lions' average field position was their own 28 yard line.

The ECSU defense was pitching a convincing shutout 32-0 shutout until a touchdown pass from Doug Cook to Matthew Colston with 6:12 remaining in the game put the Lions on the scoreboard for the first time. When the Vikings' ensuing possession went 3-0 a bad snap on the punt attempt gave them Lincoln their best field position of the day at the ECSU 15 and two plays later Cook passed for a 2 yard score to Colston to make the score 32-14. Cook was sacked six times and picked off twice on the afternoon but ended up with a solid performance passing for 232 yards and two touchdowns.



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Virginia Union Panthers Lasso Broncos of Fayetteville State

Richmond, Virginia - It was Senior Day at Virginia Union University (VUU) and the last game of the 2011 football season as the Panthers took the field against the Broncos of Fayetteville State University (FSU).

It was also VUU's final opportunity to salvage at least a .500 season in what can only be referred to as another disappointing season. The crimson and steel began the season in rather stellar fashion as they rolled up a 4-2 record before the wheels began to fall off its high-octane offense. The Panthers have lost their last three outings including a heart-breaking loss to what can be considered as its cross-town rival, Virginia State University by a score of 34-19.

Fayetteville States' Broncos by contrast have been on a winning streak having won their last four games after opening the season horrendously by losing its first 4 games.

Both teams had identical conference records at kick-off time at VUUs' Hovey Field (4-5) so fireworks were anticipated as each team set out to finish the season on a winning note.

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Velasquez's Field Goal Lifts Panthers on Senior Day

Virginia Union University's Stephen Velasquez hit a 25-yard field goal with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter to lift the Panthers to a 17-14 win over Fayetteville State University in VUU's season finale on November 5 in Hovey Field in Richmond, Va.

VUU's Richard Rodwell rushed 75 yards and a touchdown while teammate Terrence Malone also rushed for a score. Senior quarterback Cheston Hickman completed nine of 17 passes for 137 yards. Fellow senior Raymond Mack caught five passes for 90 yards.

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Shaw Bears hold on to pick off St. Aug's Falcons

DURHAM, North Carolina -- On paper, Shaw and St. Augustine's are out of the CIAA title race, but that's just paper. When these two teams get together - in any sport - fireworks are sure to spark.

Saturday was no different as the Bears scored the only touchdown in the second half for a 20-16 come-from-behind win. But that's just part of the story. After the game, the two coaches - St. Augustine's Michael Costa and Darrell Asberry - had to be separated, and St. Aug's President Dianne Boardley Suber and Asberry also had words.

The Falcons (4-6) were frustrated after being intercepted seven times between their two quarterbacks. Still, Shaw needed a last-minute defensive stop to seal the win.

Leading 20-14 with 7 minutes, 15 seconds left in the game after an interception by Shaw safety Rico Brown, St. Aug's got a safety after a holding penalty call on the Bears in the end zone. But the Falcons couldn't capitalize any further.



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WSSU is perfect this season by beating UNC Pembroke

Rams are 10-0 with CIAA title game coming up on Saturday

PEMBROKE, North Carolina – After seeing every one of WSSU’s games this season I saw something different earlier this afternoon in the 34-7 win over UNC Pembroke.

For the first time this season the Rams let the clock be their friend and kept chipping away at the Braves’ defense. The results were staggering especially when the Rams had a season-best 18-play drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes in the second quarter.

The Braves weren’t going to allow the Rams to win on big plays, so the Rams didn’t have any big plays. Just a lot of little plays that worked and with it the Rams completed a perfect regular season. At 10-0 the Rams have assured themselves a spot in the playoffs even if they lose to Elizabeth City State on Saturday in the CIAA championship game.

What was impressive in this game was how effective the Rams were in running the ball and mixing in short passes. Quarterback Kameron Smith and the rest of the offense never had a turnover and just a few penalties.

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CIAA Football: Johnson C. Smith 31, Livingstone 0

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The 2011 Livingstone football season came to an end Saturday as the Blue Bears fell 31-0 to the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls in the 3rd Annual Commemorative Classic hosted at Memorial Stadium.

Livingstone finished 1-10.

On the opening drive for Johnson C. Smith, the Golden Bulls set up for a 50-yard field goal attempt, but senior Devonta Harmon broke through the front line and blocked the attempt. The ball was returned by fellow senior Jerrell Gaynor Golden Bull 30 yard line. Despite the momentum and the solid field position, the Livingstone offense turned the ball over on downs after only four plays.

Johnson C. Smith broke through on its first drive of the second quarter, an eight-play, 77-yard drive together for a 7-0 lead.

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Golden Bulls finish season strong

Johnson C. Smith University closed a break-even season with a breakout win. The Golden Bulls rolled past CIAA rival Livingstone 31-0 in the Commemorative Classic Saturday at Memorial Stadium. It was Johnson C. Smith's third straight victory in a series that dates back to 1892.

The Golden Bulls (5-5, 4-3) dominated after a scoreless first quarter, limiting Livingstone to 102 yards total offense and creating momentum-crushing stops on special teams.

"This year we definitely tried to step up our defense up and special teams," said defensive end Dylan Steele, who was named Johnson C. Smith's most outstanding player after returning his first collegiate interception 81 yards for a score and recording a sack. "Last year, we were near the bottom of everything (statistically). This year we wanted to step it up."


R&B artist Ruben Studdard performs during the Johnson C. Smith - Livingstone halftime show on 11/5/2011.

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Game Day: Winston Salem State Rams vs. UNCP Braves

GAME DAY INFORMATION
WHEN: Saturday, November 5 - 2 p.m. ET
WHERE: Pembroke, N.C.
FACILITY: Grace P. Johnson Stadium
TICKETS: Single game reserved bench tickets are $15. If available, reserved bench ticket will be sold on game day at the ticket tent. Standing-Room Only tickets ($10) will be available on game day at the ticket tent. Lawn chairs are permitted inside Grace P. Johnson Stadium.
BROADCAST COVERAGE:

LIVE STATISTICS: Follow the game action FREE live via a live stats link provided by the UNCP athletic department. CLICK HERE

LIVE AUDIO/VIDEO: Follow the game action via FREE live audio/video streaming through a link provided by the UNCP athletic department. CLICK HERE

THE TEAMS

UNCP (7-2): Roster l Schedule/Results l Statistics
WINSTON-SALEM STATE (9-0): Roster l Schedule/Results l Statistics
THE COACHES: Winston-Salem State head coach Connell Maynor is 17-2 (.895) in his second season at the helm of the Rams. UNCP head coach Pete Shinnick is 34-17 (.667) in his fifth season with the Braves.
THE SERIES: Winston-Salem State leads the all-time series, 1-0, after last season's 21-7 victory over the Braves in Winston-Salem.
LAST TIME OUT: Winston-Salem State used an interception midway through the fourth quarter to preserve a 21-14 home victory over Shaw. UNCP racked up more than 300 yards of offense in building a 20-7 halftime lead en route to posting a 23-20 win at Newberry.

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UNC Pembroke highly motivated to beat WSSU

Pembroke, North Carolina -- Coach Connell Maynor said he expects Winston-Salem State's game at UNC Pembroke today to have the atmosphere of the playoffs, because that's the goal for both teams. "They've won their last four games, and they are trying to get in the playoffs so if they can knock us off, a team that's ranked No. 2 in the region and seventh in the country, they can get into the playoffs," WSSU's Maynor said.

The Rams are 9-0. The Braves are 7-2. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at UNCP's Grace P. Johnson Stadium. With a win today, the Rams can complete just the third undefeated regular season in program history, but more important is that a victory would keep them in good shape for the Division II playoffs.

UNCP, a fifth-year program, has one of the top offenses in Division II under coach Pete Shinnick and is averaging 511 yards (fourth in Division II). Sophomore quarterback Luke Charles has passed for 2,653 yards and 22 touchdowns, and Travis Daniels has rushed for 1,342 yards and 14 TDs.

The Rams' defense has been stellar all season but has been overshadowed by an offense averaging 45 points a game. Against UNCP, the defense will have to rise to the challenge. WSSU's next game after today will be the CIAA championship Nov. 12 in Durham, but Maynor said he doesn't expect his players to be looking ahead.

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