RALEIGH, NC – The Shaw University football team will host Johnson C. Smith University on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Durham County Memorial Stadium for a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference (CIAA) Southern Division contest. Kick-off is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Saturday's contest will be themed as Breast Cancer Awareness, Military Appreciation and Shaw University Employee Day. All retired, active and reserved members of the military is $5.00. All Shaw employees with proper identification is $10.00.
The two schools are meeting for the 56th time in school history. Last year, JCSU won by a score of 17-10 on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015 at Irwin Belk Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
Heading into the game, Shaw stands 0-7 overall, 0-4 in the CIAA while JCSU is 1-6 overall and 1-3 in the league. Both teams are 0-2 within the division.
Gamenotes are found here. Live stats will be available on www.shawbears.com.
Last Time Out
Shaw dropped a 23-12 decision at Livingstone last Saturday. The Bears produced 319 total offense, including 185 through the air and 134 on the ground. In addition, Shaw accounted for 11 penalties worth 147 yards and turned the ball over twice.
Quarterback Battle
Freshman quarterback Timothy Abbott (Washington, DC) has played in 4-of-7 games this season. He leads the team with 62-of-114 pass completions for 583 yards and one touchdown while junior Darron Downing (Portsmouth, VA) has played in all seven games – completing 42 passes on 77 attempts. He has 314 passing yards on the year and two touchdowns.
Downing, Bethea Lead Rushing Attack
Offensively, the Bears are led on the ground by Downing with 53 carries for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Uriah Bethea (Upper Marlboro, MD) has 43 rushes for 172 yards and four touchdowns. Together, the two have combined for five fumbles on the season.
Defense Leading the Way
The Shaw Bears defense continues to be dominant led by freshman Devon Hunt (Rockingham, NC) who has 70 total tackles on the season, nine tackle for losses and two forced fumbles. He ranks second in the league with an average of 10.0 tackles per contest. Senior linebacker Keelan Jones (Kansas City, MO), who leads the conference in tackles per game at 10.0 tackles per outing, registers 60 tackles, 7.5 tackle for losses, one interception and three pass breakups while senior defensive lineman and CIAA defensive lineman of the week - Dominque Hannibal (Chesapeake, VA) has tallied 57 total tackles, including an impressive career-high 18 tackles vs. Livingstone (Oct. 15). He leads the team with five sacks (third in the CIAA), 16.5 tackle for losses and one forced fumble in seven games.
Next Up
The Bears return to action Saturday, Oct. 29 for homecoming and senior day against Winston-Salem State University. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m.
