Early 17-point deficit? No problem. Getting a game-winning field goal blocked at the end of regulation? No problem. Taking every CIAA team’s best shot for eight consecutive weeks and standing tall at the end of the regular season with an 8-0 record?
No problem, no problem, no problem.
Welcome to Fayetteville State’s 2023 football season. One of the Old North State’s most resilient teams once again found a way to win a game it very easily could have lost on Saturday afternoon. The Broncos erupted for their highest point total of the season and rallied for a 40-34 overtime victory against long-time nemesis Winston-Salem State.
Julian Milligan clinched the victory with a 12-yard touchdown run in overtime. Fayetteville State had recovered a fumble on Winston-Salem State’s OT possession to set up another round of Bronco heroics.
FSU (8-2 overall, 8-0 CIAA) had already clinched a spot in next Saturday’s CIAA title game coming into the weekend. But coach Richard Hayes’ team put an exclamation mark on the regular season by turning back a feisty Winston-Salem State squad, which had built a 24-7 lead for the Rams by the end of the first quarter.
Fayetteville State will play Virginia Union (9-1) next Saturday at 3 p.m. for the chance to repeat as CIAA champions. Virginia Union beat Virginia State 30-20 on Saturday to secure its spot in the conference finale. FSU beat Virginia Union 10-7 on Sept. 23, getting a late field goal from Jacob Meneses in a driving rain storm.
Meneses had a chance to beat Winston-Salem State on the final play Saturday. But the Rams blocked the kick to force overtime.
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CIAA Final Scores: Nov. 4
| Elizabeth City State 38, Bluefield State 20 | FINAL |
| Johnson C. Smith 38, Livingstone 17 | FINAL |
| Shaw 21, St. Augustine’s 14 | FINAL |
| Fayetteville State 40, Winston-Salem State 34 (OT) | FINAL |
| Bowie State 46, Lincoln 39 | FINAL |
| Virginia Union 30, Virginia State 20 | FINAL |
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CIAA News, Notes & Takeaways From Week 10
* Winston-Salem State has dominated the all-time series with Fayetteville State (51-18-3) but the Rams have lost the past four. Three of those four games were decided by seven points or fewer.
* WSSU put the Broncos on their back foot early, building a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Asa Barnes and Noah Marshall rushed for a couple of short-yardage touchdowns, while Jobanni Esparza booted a 26-yard field goal.
Kameron King caught a four-yard TD pass from Joe Owens Jr. to get Fayetteville State on the board, but WSSU provided an explosive response just over a minute later, with Daylin Lee completing a 55-yard touchdown strike to Kaleb Washington.
The Broncos owned the second quarter, though pulling within 24-20 by the break. Meneses hit two field goals, and Maliq Staten caught Owens’ second TD throw.
The teams battled back and forth, eventually settling into a 34-34 tie. FSU had the chance to win it in regulation but Meneses’ 40-yarder as time expired was tipped and fell way short.
* Johnson C. Smith concludes its regular season 7-3 overall and 6-2 against CIAA foes. The only league losses came to Fayetteville State in a nailbiter (join the club) and Shaw. This was the Golden Bulls’ first winning season since 2012 and the first time the program has won seven games since finishing 7-4 in 2006.
Defense has been a calling card for the Bulls much of the season. So, it should come as no surprise that JCSU scored its first touchdown thanks to its stopping unit. Keion Joyner forced a fumble, and Daryl Taybron picked it up and rumbled for a 40-yard scoop and score.
Dirk Cureton and Jack Smith wracked up 12 tackles each for the Bulls. Benari Black had 11.
* Johnson C. Smith had trouble moving the ball on the ground, but Jamere Cherry bailed them out with a solid passing performance. The Golden Bulls signal caller completed 16 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Reggie Bryan hauled in seven passes for 151 yards and a score.
* Shaw retained the Raleigh Classic trophy for the second straight year. Sidney Gibbs, the school’s all-time leading rusher, made his final TD of the regular season count, finding the end zone from four yards out with 8:41 to play. That score would hold up as the Bears prevailed 21-14.
Gibbs finished the season with 640 yards on 133 attempts. His best showing came against Livingstone, when he galloped for 183 yards and earned CIAA offensive player of the week honors. Gibbs’ Saturday tally gives him 3,326 rushing yards for his career.
* St. Augustine’s, which was seeking its first win, took a 14-7 lead against Shaw with 14:52 to play in the fourth quarter. Donovan Brewington completed a 24-yard TD pass to Deandre Proctor. SAU’s first TD also came from Proctor on a seven-yard run.
Shaw answered the Falcons’ second TD quickly, notching the game-tying score three minutes later. Ah’shaan Belcher caught a 12-yard TD pass from Navian Hillard to make the game 14-14. Donte Lee Jr. also caught a touchdown throw from Hillard in the first half.
Last year’s Shaw-St. Augustine’s game went to overtime. Shaw finishes this regular season 3-7 overall, 3-5 in the CIAA. St. Aug’s, which will be in the hunt for a new head coach in the off-season, did not win this season.
* Rashard Biggs piled up big numbers for Elizabeth City State in its regular season finale. Biggs rushed for 155 yards on 18 attempts in the Vikings season’s closing win over Bluefield State. He didn’t find the end zone, but teammates Ian Edwards (15-yard run), Elijah Starkey (33 yards) and Zechariah Adams-Duckson (4 yards) did.
Quarterback Donoven Davenport completed a pair of touchdown throws, to Starkey (33 yards) and Edwards (5 yards).
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