Fayetteville State football found ways to win, sometimes improbably, for eight grueling weeks in a row during the CIAA regular season.
But the Broncos didn’t have an answer for Jada Byers and Virginia Union in Saturday’s CIAA championship game in Salem, Va. Byers rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Panthers beat Fayetteville State 21-10 and collect the school’s first conference championship trophy since 2001.
FSU, picked to win the league back over the summer, was making its sixth-straight appearance in the CIAA finale. But the Broncos were turned away for the fifth time, winning only a year ago when a last-second field goal beat Chowan.
Fayetteville State beat Virginia Union 10-7 in the regular season, pinning the only CIAA loss on the Panthers (10-1). The game was played in strong winds and driving rain as a tropical system passed through North Carolina. The Broncos won despite earning only 92 yards of offense.
Weather conditions were much more ideal Saturday, but the Broncos still had a tough time moving the ball. FSU managed just seven first downs, 36 rushing yards and 130 total yards against the league’s stingiest defense against the run. The Broncos fumbled four times, losing two.
One of the few explosive plays for Fayetteville State came after a Christian Reid TD run put Virginia Union up 14-0 with a minute left in the first half. Barry Elliott took the kickoff back 92 yards for a score, and it looked like another FSU comeback might be in the works (the team had rallied from a 24-7 deficit against Winston-Salem State the week before).
Demari Daniels completed a 64-yard pass to Kameron King on the Broncos’ first possession of the third quarter. That put the ball at the Virginia Union 2. But a run went backwards one yard, then Daniels misfired on two passes. Fayetteville State settled for a Jacob Meneses 20-yard field goal to pull within 14-10.
But the Broncos couldn’t get anything else going the rest of the game. Byers tacked on a 16-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter for the final margin. FSU’s last four drives resulted in three punts and a strip sack by Isaac Anderson, with the fumble covered by Shamar Graham.
Saturday’s result likely will keep Fayetteville State (8-3) out of the Division II playoffs. Conferences don’t receive automatic bids, but Virginia Union bolstered its resume by earning its 10th win and avenging its only loss. Fayetteville State had been ranked sixth in this week’s regional rankings, and VUU seventh. The selection committee picks seven teams from each region.
FSU had the longest active winning streak in the state — eight games — heading into Saturday. Elijah Casey had 11 tackles to lead the Broncos’ defense.
