Raleigh, NC – The Shaw University football team returns home for just the second time this season for a crucial Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division matchup against the Fayetteville State University Broncos Saturday, October 9. Kickoff is slated for 1 P.M. from the George Williams Athletic Complex.
The game can be seen live on the Shaw Bears Sports Network with play-by-play from Corey Hodges along with analyst Daimeon Banks. Game updates will also be available on Shaw athletic social media outlets.
FSU has been on the winning side of the series as of late winning the last six meetings. Five of those previous matchups have been a one-score game with four of those being by three points or less. In the most recent meeting, the Broncos came away with a 25-22 win on October 12, 2019, in Fayetteville. Before the current six-game streak by FSU, Shaw had won the previous four with Shaw's last win coming in 2013 by the score of 44-34.
Shaw enters the game 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the CIAA winners of their last three games. The Bears most recently defeated Virginia Union University 27-7 on October 2 in Richmond. Shaw features a balanced offensive attack that ranks first in the CIAA in rushing yards per game at 198 and 171 passing yards per game. Running back Sidney Gibbs currently ranks top in the CIAA with 425 total yards and four touchdowns. Fellow backfield mate Andre Brandon has found the endzone five times on the season. Quarterback Christian Peters ranks in the top three in the conference in completion percentage completing 63% of his passes. Peters's favorite target has been Ah'Shaan Belcher who has 18 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns.
The Shaw defense features a veteran-led group with the CIAA's leading tackler Devon Hunt leading the pack. Hunt's 44 tackles leads the CIAA with an average of just over eight per game. Javari Burgess has tallied 3.5 tackles for loss while fellow senior Kevin Sherman leads in interceptions with two coming in the Bears win over VUU.
The Broncos head to Raleigh 3-1 overall and 2-0 in CIAA action. Most recently, FSU defeated Lincoln (PA) 46-9 this past Saturday in Fayetteville. The Broncos are averaging 35.5 points per game while allowing just 17.2 per outing. K'Hari Lane leads an aerial attack that puts up 251.7 yards per game in the air. Lane has thrown for 1,007 yards with 9 touchdowns and three interceptions. The Broncos feature a stable of running backs with Donshel Jetton, Jonnie Glaspie, and Darnell Walker carrying the bulk of the load. On the defensive side, Keyshawn James leads the way with 24 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and five sacks. Brandon Barnes-Brown patrols the secondary with three interceptions along with Joshua Williams who has one interception and three pass breakups.
