­ Hampton 52, SC State 36
The Hampton defense scored four touchdowns, two on interception returns and two on fumble returns, that enabled the Pirates (6-1, 4-1) to take over first place in the MEAC by handing SC State (5-2, 4-1) its first conference loss. Hampton did all the scoring in the first half. QB Princeton Sheppard (8-17-0, 187 yds., 2 TDs) hit WR Marquay McDaniel from 18 yards out to open the scoring with 8:02 left in the first period. Fourteen seconds later, DB Dirul Diaab picked off a Brett Young (12-24-3, 219 yds., 2 TDs) pass and returned it 23 yards for a TD. Andrew Paterini added a 36-yard second quarter FG at the 10:47 mark before Sheppard capped the 24-0 first half running in from five yards out 16 seconds before the break. SCSU got on the board first in the second half with a Young to Rodreidas Darby (4 rec., 92 yds.) TD reception covering 63 yards. But the Pirates came right back to score on a record-setting 98-yard Sheppard to Jerome Mathis (2 rec., 109 yds.) TD pass. The Pirates answered another third quarter Bulldog score with Diaab's 5-yard fumble return for a TD. Hampton then added fourth quarter TDs on LB Justin Durant's 9-yard interception return and Kendall Langford's 30-yard fumble return. Ardell Daniels ran for 169 yards on 33 carries to pace the Pirates ground attack while DeShawn Baker racked up 113 yards on 21 carries and scored on a third quarter TD run.

­ Shaw 14, Virginia State 7
In just its third year back playing football, Shaw (7-2, 5-2 E) claimed its first CIAA East Division title and a spot in the Nov. 6 CIAA Championship Game by winning at Virginia State (6-2, 4-3 E). The Bears got the only score of the first half on Dion McIver's 3-yard run and then went up 14-0 early in the second half on a 26-yard pass from QB Jerome Kimbrough to WR Marquis Rutherford. The Bear defense made that lead stand up surrendering only a 20-yard Michael Terry to Jerome Jeter TD in the third quarter. McIver finished with 110 rushing yards on 28 carries while Kimbrough was 12 of 19 for 196 yards with no picks. VSU also played mistake-free football as Terry completed 13 of 27 passes for 122 yards. Shaw limited VSU to just 53 rushing yards on 26 carries and 175 total yards in the game while amassing 375 total yards.

­ Southern 23, Alcorn State 20
Southern (6-2, 5-0 W) fought back from an early deficit and then held on down the stretch to get an important SWAC win over Alcorn State (4-3, 2-2 E). The win keeps the Jaguars tied atop the West Division race with idle Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-1, 4-0) . The vaunted Southern passing attack led by QB Thomas Ricks was held to a season-low 55 yards (12-26) and the Jags only got first half points via Brett Ackley field goals (25, 33) to trail 10-6 at the half. But Ricks ran for 111 yards and two fourth-down TDs in the second half, one late in the third quarter and the last with 10:58 to go that closed the scoring. Southern's defense preserved the win stopping the Braves twice down the stretch. Ricks' heroics offset an excellent performance by ASU QB Donald Carrie who finished 21 of 32 or 314 yards and 2 TD passes (4, 61) to Charlie Spiller (6 rec., 124 yds.). WR Nate Hughes added nine receptions for 131 yards. In his first start, Southern reserve RB Steel Adams ran for 139 yards on 25 carries.

­ Albany State 47, Benedict 7
Albany State (8-0, 6-0), the only undefeated team in black college football, scored four rushing touchdowns, returned a missed field goal 75 yards for a TD, brought back an interception 30 yards for a touchdown and got one scoring pass from QB Uyl Joyner in dominating Benedict (2-6, 1-4).

© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.

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