Elizabeth City, NC – In a contest that was far more exciting than beautifully played, Shaw weathered seesaw game, holding on for a tight 31-28 victory over Elizabeth City State.

With 31 seconds left in the game, ECSU had a 46-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game hit the upright and bounce back into the field of play, cementing the Shaw win.

The win evens Shaw's record on the season at 2-2. They are 1-0 in the CIAA. Elizabeth City State also evens its record at 2-2, but the game does not count as a conference game for the Vikings, so they remain 1-0 in the conference.

While both offenses neared 400-yards on the day, it was defensive plays – mainly in the form of interceptions – that told the tale of the game.

The Vikings opened scoring on a Josh Brooks 55-yard interception return to give them a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter, while Shaw closed its scoring on a Darnell Evans 54-yard interception return with 6:21 left in the game to give Shaw a 31-21 lead.

Elizabeth City State bounced back from the touchdown, mounting a nine-play 55-yard drive that culminated in a 15-yard pass from Creven Powell to Bryan Fields that cut the Shaw lead to 31-28.

Three plays later, Kevin Atkins threw a pass into the waiting arms of Vikings' defensive back Ken Lee. The Vikings then drove from their 44 to the Shaw 11, but two strong defensive plays and an offensive pass interference penalty pushed the ball back to the Shaw 29, leaving the 46-yard try.

"Any time Shaw and Elizabeth City get together, it can go either way," said Shaw Head Coach Darrell Asberry. "They have a great program and their coach is a great guy. If we keep playing the way we played today, and they keep playing the way they did, we will meet again this season."

Each team collected three interceptions as neither quarterback appeared to find rhythm with their receivers. Shaw quarterback Kevin Atkins was 10 for 27 on the day with three interceptions, and connected for only one touchdown pass, a 30-yard strike to Tyrone Craig that put the score at 24-21 Bears.

The game bounced back and forth throughout the final three quarters of the game, but the contest started slowly, with neither team managing to put together a drive for more than six plays or 33 yards in the first quarter.

After Brooks' pick-six to open the second quarter, the Bears roared back, scoring 17 unanswered points. Antonio Dunn capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive by pushing one yard into the end zone to tie the game at seven. Five minutes later, Dunn again pushed toward the goal line, but lost the ball. Shaw center Ednick Belizaire was able to fall onto the fumble for the touchdown and 14-7 lead.

With 27 seconds left in the first half, Caleb Reid hit a 34-yard field goal to put the halftime score at 17-7 Bears.

In the third quarter, the Vikings made their own charge, scoring two unanswered touchdowns, both on Daronte McNeill short rushes. With his one-yard run as the fourth quarter opened, McNeill put his Vikings back on top 21-17.

Then it was the Bears' turn to score 14 unanswered, with Craig and Evans crossing the plain to give the Bears the 31-21 lead, which Powell and Fields quickly cut to three.

"It is not the success of the man, or the knowledge of the man, it is the will of the man," Asberry said of the comebacks. "We got a team effort today, for the first time all season."

Much of the Bear offense was driven by a ground attack that drove through the middle of the line. Raymond Williams picked up 132 yards on 28 carries, while Dunn had 43 and the touchdown.

Atkins had 44 yards rushing, including a 37-yard sprint that took the team to the ECSU five-yard line. A fumble on the next play, though, gave ECSU the ball on the two, and they drove 98 yards for the touchdown that gave them the 21-17 lead.

Craig had 62 yards receiving, and Tyrone Bolden had 43.

Defensively, Fred Sparkman led the Bears with 13 tackles including two for a loss of seven yards. Darius Gullette had 11 tackles with two for a loss. Evans, in addition to his two interceptions, had six tackles. LaMichael Howell also had an interception for the Bears.

Next week the Bears travel to Salisbury, NC to face Livingstone in the Blue Bears Homecoming game at 1:30.