Nov. 4, 2006
Final Stats
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Winston-Salem State University redshirt-freshman running Brandon McRae celebrated his 19th birthday in style as he recorded his longest touchdown run of the season, a 41-yard outburst, to lead the Rams to a 26-6 victory over Saint Augustine's College on Saturday afternoon at Bowman Gray Stadium in the final home contest of the 2006 season for WSSU.
The Rams started the contest with their second defensive touchdown of the season when Thaddeus Griffin picked off a Duane Smith pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.
Flushed out of the pocket by a host of Ram defenders, Smith unloaded a questionable pass as he was hit by WSSU nose guard Jason Holman. The pass landed in the arms of the waiting Griffin who raced, untouched, thirty yards to the endzone for his first career touchdown.
WSSU would wait only two more minutes before tacking on their second score of the game as a Saint Augustine's college snap flew over the head of punter Richard Boone and bounced over the end line for a Winston-Salem State University safety giving the home-team Rams a 9-0 advantage less than five minutes into the game.
The lead would stay at nine points for nearly an entire quarter of play until senior tight end Stan Wright caught his second touchdown of the season as he capped a three-play, 13 yard drive to give WSSU a 16-0 lead on Senior Day.
Saint Augustine's lone score of the afternoon came on a 58-yard pass play from quarterback Duane Smith to Eric McLaughlin as the Falcons cut the WSSU lead to 10 points headed into the locker room at halftime.
Chad Oakley added his sixth field goal of the season with 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter (35 yards) and McRae closed the WSSU offensive outburst with his 41-yard score as WSSU cruised to the easy 26-6 win in front of over 3,000 fans on a chilly autumn day in Winston-Salem, NC.
The win, the Rams' fourth of the season, gives head football coach Kermit Blount his 81st career win at WSSU, moving him into a tie with Thomas "Tank" Conrad for second place on the WSSU all-time win list. Blount trails only the legendary Bill Hayes who has 89 career wins at WSSU.
The Ram defense turned in another stellar showing as they held the Falcons to -53 yards rushing on the day and yielded only 166 yards of total offense.
The win moves WSSU to 4-6 overall while the Falcons fall to 4-6 overall (4-3 CIAA) with the loss.
WSSU will have next weekend off and will return to action in the season's final game on November 18, 2006 in Norfolk, VA at 1:00 pm as they face the Spartans of Norfolk State University. The contest will mark the first game between the two teams since the Rams defeated NSU 13-7 in 1996.
For additional information on WSSU football, contact the WSSU Office of Sports Information at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com.
- wssurams.com -
