(RALEIGH, NC)- Shaw celebrated Homecoming with a high-flying offense and a "bend but don't break" defense and downed visiting Chowan 35-14.

The Bears rolled up 511 yards of total offense and while the defense gave up 321 yards, they held the Hawks to only two touchdowns – one in the opening drive and one in the closing minutes of play.

"We sputtered," said Shaw Head Coach Darrell Asberry. He continued, "We didn't get out of the gate well, but our offense began clicking and we made some defensive adjustments at halftime and had a strong performance."

The statistics show the efficacy of the halftime adjustments. After giving up 202 yards of offense in the first half, the Bears allowed the Hawks only 119 in the second.

The Hawks got on the board first with a lightning strike that began with a 41-yard kickoff return by Patrick Charles, followed immediately by a Ryan Simpson 40-yard pass completion to Eddie Coard which put the ball at the Shaw two. A penalty and incomplete pass later, Elliot Smalls ran in the ball for a touchdown with less than two minutes gone in the game.

The Bears went three-and-out on their first drive, but on the second literally ran the ball for 51 yards and the Bears first touchdown of the night. With Raymond Williams sidelined due to injury, the Bears rushed Antonio Dunn and Tyrone Bolden (right) – normally a slot receiver – for four straight plays, ending with Dunn breaking free for a 15-yard dash into the end zone and a tie score.

The Hawks immediately began to drive downfield and as the first quarter closed, had moved the ball to the Shaw 17. But as the second quarter started, Gerald Kennedy blocked Chowan's field goal attempt, leaving the score at seven all.

The Bears again drove on the ground – interrupted by only one Kevin Atkins pass – and scored when Bolden found a hole and barreled 64 yards to give the Bears a 14-7 lead.

After the Bear defense forced the first Hawk three-and-out of the game, Shaw started the ground game again, but Atkins finally got a pass into the mix and threw a strike downfield to Tyrone Craig for a 54-yard touchdown completion giving the Bears the 21-7 lead that they took into the half.

The Bears took the opening drive of the second half and immediately showed a different game plan. After rushing the ball almost exclusively in the first half, Atkins came out throwing the ball, connecting with three different receivers on the drive – including Julius Gregory who took a pass down the sideline and turned it into a 46-yard touchdown strike after evading a tackler.

After another Chowan three-and-out, Atkins opened a drive with an 80-yard touchdown toss to Bolden, giving the Bears a 35-7 lead.

Twice in the second half, the Bear defense allowed the Hawks inside the red zone, only to have Chowan come away empty handed on a failed fourth-down attempt. Midway through the fourth quarter, Chowan opened a drive in Shaw territory and relied on Ryan Simpson's arm and legs to move them down the field. On 11 straight plays, Simpson either dropped back to pass or kept the ball on the run, finally dashing in from nine yards out to close out the scoring at 35-14.

Atkins threw for 238 yards in the three quarters he was in the game. He was nine for 16 with no interceptions and three touchdowns.

Bolden was the Bears' leading rusher – although most of his came on the 64-yard touchdown run – with 93 yards on only four carries. Dunn had 79 yards on 12 carries.

Gregory was Shaw's leading receiver. A week after breaking both career and single-season reception records, he added another touchdown catch and 112 yards. Bolden had 80 yards and a touchdown on the receiving ledger.

The Shaw defense combined for ten tackles for a loss, including two from leading tackler Charles Deas – who finished the night with eight tackles total. Kennedy (right #22), LaMichael Howell, Chris Martin and Fred Sparkman (right #30) all had seven tackles for the Bears. Sparkman also recovered a fumble for Shaw.

Next week, the Bears renew an old rivalry as they face Winston-Salem State for the first time since the Rams rejoined the CIAA this season. It's also the first time a familiar face will be on the opposite sideline. Kienus Boulware, former Defensive Coordinator for Shaw now holds that position for the Rams.

"Next week is special – it's a huge rivalry," said Asberry. "Boulware helped build this program, but now he's got to come visit and we may not be that welcoming."

The Bears host the Rams Saturday, October 30 at Durham County Stadium. The game is at 1:00 p.m. and is being broadcast by Urban Sports and Entertainment. It will be seen live in the Raleigh market on WAUG-TV and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network on a tape delay.