Sept. 8, 2007
Final Stats
CONWAY, SC - The Winston-Salem State Rams (1-1) took the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (1-1) down to the wire, but fell just shy, 28-21 in the first road game of the season. WSSU senior quarterback Monte Purvis led a stellar effort by the Rams, but the squad fell just shy of scoring its first road win of the season.
WSSU senior quarterback Monte Purvis rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns in the contest, including TD runs of 65 yards and 80 yards. The WSSU offense racked up 311 total yards, including 300 yards rushing. Senior running back and fellow Parkland High grad Jed Bines added 123 yards rushing in the contest as well.
"I tried to tell you all that Purvis and Bines are the best backfield that we've faced all year long," Coastal Carolina head coach David Bennett said following the game. He was especially impressed by Bines' elusiveness. "There were a couple of plays where we thought that we had him [Bines] and when we looked again, he was gone."
The Rams defense also played well holding Coastal Carolina to just 96 yards rushing, but struggled against the pass allowing 301 yards passing to the Chanticleers. Senior linebacker Thadeus Griffin led the way for the Rams defense with 12 total tackles in the game. Marcus Coates was also solid adding nine total tackles.
It was a slow start for the Rams who fell behind 12-0 in the first half, allowing a pair of Coastal Carolina field goals in the first quarter and a 10-yard TD pass with 7:20 left in the half. It was the ensuing possession that Purvis would spark the Rams' offense leading them on a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive that was capped by a one-yard TD run by Purvis, his first of three on the night. The following PAT by freshman Matt Mitchell left the Rams within a touchdown of the Chanticleers, 12-7 heading into the half.
The Rams got off to a slow start in the second half as Coastal Carolina opened the half with a six-play, 44-yard TD drive, capped off by a one-yard touchdown run.
It was then that Purvis would take over the game, leading a pair of scoring drives and giving the Rams their first lead of the game. The ensuing drive saw the Rams drive 86 yards in five plays. It was a 66-yard rush by Purvis that would cut the WSSU deficit to just five points, , 13-18 with 4:53 left in the third quarter. The WSSU defense showed its muscle on the ensuing drive forcing a Coastal Carolina punt and delivering the ball back to the hot WSSU offense. Purvis would strike again immediately, rushing 80 yards for the Rams' next touchdown. Purvis continued to plague the Chanticleers connecting with tight end Jeremy Reaves on the ensuing two-point conversion and gave the Rams their first lead of the night 21-18 with 1:24 left in the third quarter.
The Rams were not able to hold in the fourth quarter, however, as Coastal Carolina tied the game, 21-21 on a 28-yard field goal with 11:15 left to play. A four-play, 60-yard drive by the Chanticleers, capped off by a one-yard TD run with 8:15 left in the game, put the Chanticleers in control of the contest 28-21. Though the Rams continued to battle for the remainder of the contest, the team was not able to pull out the win. The Rams' efforts ended on the 49-yard line when the team failed to convert a fourth-and-nine play that gave the Chanticleers the ball with 00:23 left in the game.
With the loss, the Rams fall to 1-1 on the season and will return to the road, heading to Baltimore, Maryland to face the Morgan State Bears next Saturday.
