Sept. 25, 2010

Final Stats

FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Winston-Salem State head coach made his return to Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium a memorable one as he led the Winston-Salem State Rams (5-0, 3-0 CIAA) to a 31-14 victory over the Fayetteville State Broncos (1-3, 0-1 CIAA), Saturday evening. The Rams dominated every aspect of the game in the 17-point win over the pre-season Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association favorite Broncos.

With the win, the Rams place themselves in the driver's seat atop the CIAA Southern Division and sent a message to both the team and opponents. "Fayetteville State is the defending champion and they were picked to win it again so we had to come on the road and play them and we came on the road and got it done," WSSU head football coach Connell Maynor said following the victory. "I don't know if it's a statement game, but the rest of the CIAA knows that we beat Fayetteville State and they were picked to win."

The Rams utilized a punishing offensive effort to take their fifth straight victory as the team totaled 397 yards of total offense while holding the defending CIAA champion Broncos to just 217 yards.

Leading the way for the Rams was sophomore quarterback Kameron Smith who completed 15-of-21 passes for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Also impressive was freshman running back Daryl Thomas who rushed for 114 yards on 10 carries. Redshirt-junior running back Nicholas Cooper carried the majority of the workload for the Rams with 42 yards on 19 carries while carrying a host of Bronco defenders along the way.

It was junior wide receiver Dominique Fitzgerald who had the busiest day for the Rams, however, as he caught four passes for a team-high 81 yards and recorded a receiving touchdown and passed for a touchdown in the win.

As to be expected, Saturday's game began with a bang as the Rams and Broncos combined for 21 first quarter points with the Rams taking the early 14-7 lead. WSSU wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as both of the team's first quarter scores came in the first six minutes of play. The team opened the game with a bang as Smith connected with junior wide receiver Dominique Fitzgerald for a 46-yard touchdown pass at the 13:02 mark. The play nearly didn't happen as the drive was kept alive when the Broncos were called for roughing the punter on a WSSU fourth down. With momentum on their side, the Rams forced an FSU punt on the ensuing Bronco drive and drove the ball 63 yards for their second score of the game. It was Cooper who would cap the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. The ensuing PAT kick put the Rams ahead 14-0 with 9:15 left in the first quarter. The momentum would swing back to the home team, however, as the Broncos mounted an 89-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run of their own to cut the WSSU lead down to seven points, 14-7 with 4:46 left in the first quarter.

"We knew the game was going to be a tough one. They know us. We know them. The offense struggled in the

With the offenses dominating the first quarter, the two defensive units stepped up their efforts as neither squad allowed a second quarter score. Though the Bronco defense would force a pair of WSSU interceptions, the Rams never allowed the Broncos to capitalize as they held them out of the endzone to take the 14-7 lead into the locker room at the half.

The intense battle between the teams continued into after halftime with the Rams fighting their way to a 21-7 lead when Fitzgerald threw a 28-yard wide receiver option pass to sophomore wide receiver Patrick Terry to put the Rams ahead by two touchdowns with 13:55 in the third quarter. The Rams would go on to pad their lead when sophomore kicker Landon Thayer connected on a 27-yard field goal at the 5:28 mark in the third quarter. The field goal put the Rams in a comfortable position as the team took a 24-7 lead in the game and never looked back. Redshirt-junior running back Cedrick Hickman would cap the Rams' lead when he caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Smith that put the game out of reach. 31-7. The Broncos wouldn't give in just yet, however, as the team blocked a WSSU punt to set up a one-play 36-yard touchdown pass that left the Rams leading 31-14 with 4:54 left in the game. With the victory well in hand, the Rams ran out the clock and sealed their third road win of the season.

Though the Rams are on a likely path to a showdown with the Shaw Bears, Maynor is quick to note where the Rams' focus lies. "We've got to get ready for Johnson C. Smith right now," Maynor said. "We take them one game at a time. We can't overlook anybody. We respect all, but fear none."

The Rams will return to the road for their next game when the team heads to Charlotte, N.C. to take on the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls. The game will be played at Memorial Stadium. For more information on Rams football, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2909 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.