Rams top Aggies

GREENSBORO

Kameron Smith's legs were too much for N.C. A&T at sold-out Aggie Stadium.

Smith, a transfer quarterback from Navy, sunk the Aggies with his quick decisions and fleet feet as the Winston-Salem State Rams pulled out a 21-14 victory last night.

If the series between the rivals is discontinued, at least the Rams will have bragging rights for awhile. And they wanted to make sure to share the moment by celebrating with their fans near their bench afterward. The entire team went along the front row of the bleachers slapping high fives with students and fans.

"These fans are the backbone for us," said Brian Wynn, a fifth-year senior tight end from Greensboro. "We came out and knew that we worked harder than them and we wanted to do this for us and the fans. They deserve this. Without those fans we are nothing."

Without Smith's feet the Rams (2-0) would have gone down for the third straight time to the Aggies (0-1). He took over for an ineffective Octavious Hawkins midway through the third quarter with the Rams trailing 7-3. In his first series he hit Patrick Terry on a crossing route on a third-and-10 for a 20-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 10-3 lead after Landen Thayer's point-after attempt.

But Smith was needed again in the fourth quarter when the Rams' special teams had a meltdown after Thayer's 41-yard field goal made the score 13-7 with 10:40 to go. On the ensuing kickoff, Justin Ferrell went 76 yards for a touchdown and Sullivan Shidler's 35-yard point-after-attempt just cleared the crossbar as the Aggies took a 14-13 lead. The point after was an adventure because the Aggies were called for a penalty for an excessive celebration.

The stage was then set for Smith when the Rams got the ball with 3:14 left on their own 23. Aided by a penalty on a late hit on Smith's first scramble, the Rams gained momentum. Smith also hit fullback Tyrone Goldston on a screen pass on third-and-9 during the drive and Goldston picked up 13 yards.

On the next play, Smith used his legs against the weary Aggies, who were missing at least 13 players for academic reasons and injuries. He scrambled right, spun and went 38 yards to inside the 5-yard line. Later, on third down with 41 seconds, left Smith faked a handoff up the middle the sprinted outside to the right for a 7-yard touchdown.

"I was looking to try and make the read and it wasn't there, so I tried to cut back and saw a hole and I tried to take it as far as I could," Smith said.

Smith led the Rams in rushing with 85 yards on 14 carries and was also 5 for 11 passing for 62 yards.

Coach Connell Maynor, making a return trip to where he graduated in 1991 and was an All-MEAC quarterback, then went for the two-point conversion and Smith found Goldston in the end zone to put the Rams up 21-14.

"Octavious didn't play very well so I went ahead and made the change," Maynor aid, "and I thought the team needed the change for that spark. He gives us an added dimension with his legs."

The Aggies had one more chance and did get to midfield, but senior quarterback Shelton Morgan, who took over for an ineffective Terrence Webb, ran out of time.

Coach Alonzo Lee of the Aggies, who had high hopes for his second season, said he was was disappointed that his team couldn't contain the elusive Smith, who is 6-1 and 187 pounds.

"They definitely weren't a team that should have beaten us, there's no doubt about that," Lee said. "I'm not going to say they should have won, but we left too many points on the field. But the bottom line is they won and it's the team that wins on that night."

The only touchdown the Aggies scored on offense was on a long drive in the first quarter when Mike Mayhew scored from 1 yard out. Other than that, the Rams' defense held the Aggies to just 184 total yards.

Linebacker Alton Keaton, who was in on seven tackles and had a key sack that forced a fumble, said the Rams were aware how much Maynor wanted to beat the school where he once played. "We had his back," Keaton said.

As the teams lined up to shake hands afterward, the ceremony was cut short because tempers were getting out of hand on both sides. There was also no trophy presentation given to the winner of the Battle of I-40.

"We went out to the 50 (yard line) to shake their hands like we do every game," Maynor said. "I don't want to say it's their fault or our fault, but I thought we were getting in line to go shake their hands but they spread out and started talking stuff so we just told everybody to go in…. We don't need that kind of stuff to happen."

jdell@wsjournal.com.


727-4081

WSSU 0 3 7 11 -- 21
N.C. A&T 7 0 0 7 -- 14

First Quarter

NCAT--Mayhew 1 run (Shidler kick), 3:22.

Second Quarter

WSSU--FG Thayer 22, 8:43.

Third Quarter

WSSU--Terry 20 pass from Smith (Thayer kick), 8:07.

Fourth Quarter

WSSU--FG Thayer 41, 10:40.

NCAT--Ferrell 76 kickoff return (Shidler kick), 10:28.

WSSU--Smith 7 run (Goldston pass from Smith), :41.

A--21,500.

TEAM STATISTICS

WSSU NCAT

First downs 19 11

Rushes-yards 43-146 38-85

Passing 134 99

Comp-Att-Int 13-26-2 10-24-0

Return Yards 4 59

Punts-Avg. 5-39.4 7-32.6

Fumbles-Lost 5-2 3-1

Penalties-Yards 2-15 10-98

Possession 30:22 29:38

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Winston-Salem State , Smith 14-85, Cooper 15-57, Spriggs 10-15, Brantley 1-1, Hawkins 3-(minus 12). N.C. A&T, Mayhew 26-71, Morgan 2-7, Warren 1-4, Webb 8-2, Raper 1-1.

PASSING--Winston-Salem State, Hawkins 8-15-2-72, Smith 5-11-0-62. N.C. A&T, Morgan 6-16-0-51, Webb 4-8-0-48.

RECEIVING--Winston-Salem State, Fitzgerald 3-34, Brantley 3-30, Terry 2-34, Wynn 2-11, Goldston 1-13, Cooper 1-9, Akinbiyi 1-3. N.C. A&T, Gould 3-61, Mayhew 3-12, Stewart 1-11, Cooper 1-7, Whitaker 1-5, Raper 1-3.