Shaw stuns Tuskegee in Pioneer Bowl VII
CIAA champion Shaw made its case for inclusion among the elite black college teams of 2004 with a stunning 30-28 win over previously once-beaten Tuskegee in Pioneer Bowl VII in Mobile, Al., Saturday.
The Bears (10-2) came in as decided underdogs against the Golden Tigers (10-2), whose only loss had been in the final second against SIAC champion Albany State and who had a week earlier knocked off SWAC East Division champ, 9-2 Alabama State.
But that didn't seem faze Deondri Clark's troops as they went out to a 21-10 first half lead, withstood a third-quarter scoring barrage that saw Tuskegee go up 28-21, and then scored nine fourth-quarter points including Chester Charles' game-winning field goal from 30 yards away midway through the final period.
Charles' game-winning kick was his only field goal attempt of the game and came after he missed his previous PAT attempt.
Shaw scored first, late in the first quarter on a Terrence Ford 7-yard run. Tuskegee responded with an 8-play, 42-yard drive that ended on a two-yard run by Lawrence Ervin to tie the score at 7-7.
Shaw went ahead 14-7 on a 16-yard second quarter pass from Jermonty Kimbrough to Mark Bransom. Shaw's defense added a touchdown when A.J McDonald and Torrance Nunnally combined for a 65-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Shaw linebacker Christopher Peavy forced the fumble by Tuskegee running back Lamont Finnie at the Shaw 35-yard line. McDonald picked up the fumble and ran 25 yards to the Tuskegee 40, then he pitched to Nunnally who ran the remaining 40 yards for the score.
Tuskegee would then score 21 straight points beginning with a Travis Gumbs 30-yard field goal with ten seconds remaining in the first half. The Golden Tigers began the second half with 52-yard kickoff return by Harry Williams leading to Ervin's second 2-yard touchdown run to cut Shaw's lead to 21-17.
Tuskegee scored ten more points on a Gumbs 21-yard field goal and a Ramone Nickerson recovery of a blocked punt in the endzone. After a successful 2-point conversion, the Golden Tigers took their first lead of the game at 28-21 with 3:35 left in the third quarter.
Shaw's defense stiffened in the fourth quarter shutting out the Golden Tigers and limiting Tuskegee to a punt, missed field goal and interception in its three possessions.
While the defense was stopping Tuskegee's offense, the Bear offense scored nine unanswered points on a 36-yard pass from Kimbrough to Damon Harrison and Charles' game-winning field goal.
Shaw running back Dion McIver was named Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game rushing for 123 yards on 21 carries.
Nickerson got Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game honors as a result of his 14 tackles and his blocked punt recovery for a touchdown.
© 2004 Azeez Communications, Inc.