Tuscaloosa, AL - Shaw's offense could not find a rhythm, while the defense held homestanding Stillman to only 212 yards on the game, but gave up two touchdowns on the way to a 16-13 loss at Stillman Stadium.
"I don't think this team has a sense of urgency right now and until we have a sense of urgency we're going to have more nights like this one. Stillman didn't beat us, we beat us," said Shaw head coach Darrell Asberry.
The tale of the tape came on the ground, where Stillman's ball control offense rolled up 171 yards while Shaw lost five. The Tigers attempted only seven passes on the night - connecting on five - for 41 yards. As a team, Shaw was 18 for 32 for 176 yards with one interception.
The offensive woes were foremost in Asberry's mind after the game. "Offensively we need to improve at the quarterback position and we need to improve at the running back position right now. Defensively I thought we played Shaw football, we just didn't make one or two plays."
The performance by the defending CIAA champions baffled Shaw fans, but Asberry sees a difference in this team compared to his championship teams. "This team does not have a swagger or sense of arrogance about them. The championship teams had an arrogance to them. I saw that chemistry beginning in the second half, but we just ran out of time."
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Sweat is covering her cheeks and seeping through her white headband, the remnants of a taxing eight-minute performance. "It's the longest eight minutes of your life," she says. As the head drum major at Fayetteville State, Lever oversees those eight minutes. And actively participates in them.
