ORANGEBURG, SC - The Winston-Salem State Rams (2-2) held their own against the South Carolina State Bulldogs (2-2), the top team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Some key defensive plays by the Rams kept the game close, but the squad wasn't able to hold on to a hard-charging SCSU squad. The team showed some tremendous heart keeping up with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's top team, but was not able to hold on, taking a 20-7 loss to the South Carolina State Bulldogs

"We played well in some spots , but we didn't play well for four quarters and the key to winning the MEAC and especially against a team as good as this one, is that you have to play and you have to play for four quarters and we didn't do it tonight." Winston-Salem State head coach Kermit Blount said following the game.

The Rams totaled just 200 yards of offense in the loss with senior quarterback Monte Purvis leading the way for the Rams, completing 12-of-19 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. Senior running back Jed Bines returned from a high-ankle sprain to finish with 53 yards rushing.

"I thought our attack was pretty balanced when they loaded the box we wanted to throw it and when they backed off we wanted to run it. We gave up the big play early and that hurt us tremendously, but at the same time, I have to take my hat off to Buddy and his team."

The Rams played some inspired defense forcing four South Carolina State turnovers, including taking a pair of fumbles and taking an interception from the Bulldogs. Junior linebacker Jamaine Mack led the WSSU defense with 10 total tackles in the game. In addition to his duties at the linebacker position, Mack was solid as the team's punter punting seven times for a total of 240 yards in the game. Redshirt-sophomore defensive back Marcus Coates added eight tackles as well. 

"We had some opportunities and we didn't capitalize," Blount added. "Offensively we didn't move it as smoothly as we'd like, so we've got to go back and we've got to do some more work."

The Bulldogs struck early in the contest when SCSU senior quarterback Cleveland McCoy connected with sophomore wide receiver Terrance Smith for 71-yard TD pass with 12:15 left in the first quarter. With the PAT, the Rams fell behind early by a score of 7-0. The Rams would hold South Carolina State without a touchdown for the next two quarters despite a pair of trips to deep into WSSU territory. A 28-yard field goal by SCSU sophomore kicker Stephen Grantham was the only other score of the first half, despite South Carolina State driving the ball to the WSSU one-yard line. The Rams were able to force a goal-line fumble by the Bulldogs and recovered the ball for a touchback with just over two minutes left in the half. The effort left the Rams within striking distance of the Bulldogs 10-0 at halftime.

The Bulldogs would strike again with another Grantham field goal with 8:59 left in the third quarter to give South Carolina State a 13-0 lead, but the Rams would not quit. WSSU senior defensive Nathaniel Biggs would intercept a McCoy pass at the one yard line and return it 87 yards to set up a WSSU TD pass from Purvis to redshirt-sophomore wide receiver Bryant Bayne with 2:43 left in the third quarter. The PAT kick by WSSU freshman kicker Matt Mitchell would pull the Rams to within five, 13-7.

South Carolina State would respond with a fourth-quarter touchdown as redshirt-sophomore running Travil Jamison would rumble in for a one-yard TD run with just over a minute left in the game. The ensuing SCSU PAT kick would seal the win for South Carolina State and give the Rams their first loss against a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team this season.

"This is a young football team, I'm real proud of them, they played hard," Blount added. "We've just got to keep working hard and play better."

With the loss, the Rams fall to 2-2 this season and will head to Washington, DC to play the Howard Bison in a 1:00 p.m. matchup.