[Murfreesboro, NC] - Suddenly, what had worked for Shaw all season failed.  The defense that led the nation in pass defense gave up 374 yards through the air, and the special teams unit that had been rock steady missed a field goal and three extra points.  By the end of the evening, Shaw suffered its first loss to Chowan 34-32.

Shaw struggled in all three phases of the game - except for rushing, which had been a challenge for the Bears all season.  The Bears gained a solid 162 yards on the ground and picked up another 277 through the air - but quarterback Quinshon Odom gave up three interceptions including a pick-six.

"We're right there," said Shaw head coach Darrell Asberry.  "We just aren't finishing.  We get into the red zone and we miss field goals and PATs.  We're not a bad football team, we're just not making the plays to close out games."

With the loss, the Bears drop to 2-6 overall and 2-3 in the CIAA.  The win brings Chowan to 2-6 on the season and 1-4 in the conference.

The defense put Shaw in position to score early - forcing three fumbles in the first half.  The Bears turned the first fumble - on the Chowan 11 - into a touchdown with less than three minutes gone in the first quarter.   

Chowan's Cameron Stover began his dismantling of the Shaw pass defense with a 32-yard strike to Sherman Ratliff to tie the game at seven.  But on the very next drive, the Bears answered the bell with Odom hitting Malik Cross for what became a 49-yard pass play for the touchdown.  But Lyncon Shepherd's extra point attempt sailed wide, leaving the score at 13-7.

As the first quarter pulled to a close, Darnell Evans picked off a Stover pass, giving the Bears the ball on the Chowan 17.  Four plays later, having gone only a yard, Shepherd attempted a 33-yard field goal which went wide left, leaving the margin at six.

Both offenses sputtered for the rest of the first quarter and much of the second until, with 3:23 left in the first half, Stover his Antjuan Randall for a 35-yard pass that, with the extra point, gave the Hawks a 14-13 lead. 

Shaw's next drive ended with DaKorio Desamme returning an Odom interception 55 yards for a Hawk touchdown and a 21-13 lead they would take to the locker room at the half. 

Chowan extended the lead to 27-13 early in the third quarter when Stover connected with Kevin Hodrick for 35 yards, but the PAT failed.

Both teams went three-and-out twice before Shaw put together a drive that culminated with an 18-yard pass to Malik Cross that cut the Chowan lead to seven.

As the fourth quarter opened, the Bears faced fourth and ten, and faked a punt by Shepherd - with the kicker instead running for 26 yards to pick up the first down and move the ball into Chowan territory.  Odom hit James Pettway for 29 yards and Fred Holliday found the endzone on a ten-yard run, cutting the lead to one, but Shepherd's PAT again sailed wide. 

With less than six minutes left in the game, Stover found Robert Holland on a 22-yard strike to build the lead to 34-26. 

On the next drive, Odom put the teams on  his shoulder (and legs) pushing them downfield and finally putting them in the end zone on a 23-yard pass to Pettway.  The touchdown made the score 34-32.  The Bears went for two, but Odom's pass sailed over the receiver's head.  That ended the scoring, and the Chowan crowd celebrated the win on their homecoming.

Holliday had a career day with 100 yards on 24 rushes and two touchdowns.  The next highest rusher was Shepherd on his fake punt for 26 yards.  Odom finished the night 19 for 44 for 277 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Derrick Washington led the Bears with eight tackles, seven of them solo tackles.  Stanley Porter had seven tackles, including four tackles for a loss and three quarterback hurries.

Stover finished the night with 374 yards through the air on a 24 for 40 throwing with four touchdowns and two interceptions.  Hodrick was his favorite target hauling in ten passes for a total of 149 yards and a touchdown.  Holland finished with six catches for 117 yards. 

Patrick Charles had nine tackles and an interception to lead the Hawks on defense. Marc McCadden also had nine tackles, including three for a loss.

Next week, the Bears head west to take on Southern Division champion Winston-Salem State for a 1:30 kickoff. 

"It doesn't matter about your stats or record,"  Asberry said of the matchup.  "We don't like them and they don't like us.  They may have won the division, but their season isn't complete until they beat the defending champs.  We will be ready."