The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • C16

16C charlotteobserver.com The Charlotte Observer SPORTS Staff and News Services WINSTON-SALEM Johnson C. Smith held the most potent offense to 22 points below its scoring average Saturday, but that was not enough, as the Rams sprinted past the Golden Bulls for a 28-10 victory. Winston-Salem State running back Nicholas Cooper, the top rusher, punished J.C. defense for 203 yards rushing and scored on runs of 5 and 21yards to spark the Rams (5-0, 5-0). Winston-Salem offense entered the game averaging 50.0 points and 517.5 yards total.

The Rams gained 401yards on Saturday before a homecoming crowd of 22,000 at Bowman Gray Stadium. As for J.C. Smith (2-3, 1-1), the Golden Bulls scored their lone touchdown in the third quarter on William 88-yard kickoff return. J.C. Smith also scored on Julius 42-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Cooper, a 6-foot, 245-pound senior from Clinton, N.C., entered the game averaging 151.2 yards rushing per game for a 9.5 per carry average. Saturday, he rushed 28 times, with his longest carry going 31yards. He gave the Rams a 14-3 lead with a 5-yard run as time expired in the first half. With 2 minutes, 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, 21-yard touchdown run completed a 3-play, 52-yard drive. Winston-Salem defense swarmed quarterback Keahn Wallace most of the afternoon, sacking him three times and forcing two interceptions.

The freshman completed 25 passes in 52 attempts and rushed for 59 yards on 17 carries. J.C. Smith senior receiver Rico Poolecaught eight passes for 103 yards. Teammate Avius Capers, the former Independence High standout, caught six passes for 64 yards. The Bulls, who have lost two straight, will try to rebound next Saturday at CIAA rival Shaw (1-4, 1-1), which beat Livingstone 54-0 Saturday.

Winston-Salem St. 28, J.C. Smith 10 Rams rush past Golden Bulls By Denny Seitz Correspondent SPARTANBURG Over the past three years, when the Appalachian State Mountaineers were all but unstoppable against his Wofford football team, Terriers coach Mike Ayers called it and On Saturday, at Gibbs Stadium, payback was served against the team from Boone.Wofford, ranked eighth nationally among Football Championship Subdivision teams, dominated play on both lines of scrimmage, and preseason conference player of the year Eric Breitenstein, a graduate of Watauga High in Boone, rushed for 173 yards on 33 carriesas the Terriers claimed a 28-14 Southern Conference victory in a showdown. Stunned Mountaineer players and coaches were openly frustrated after the offense sputtered for the second straight week and the defense had no answer for the dynamic running game of the Terriers, who entered the week ranked No. 2 nationally, averaging 350 rushing yards per game.

Against the No. 3-ranked Mountaineers, Wofford eclipsed that total, its 388 yards on the ground helping to chew up more than 38 min- utesof clock as an Appalachian State offense in need of finding some rhythm instead stood idly on the sidelines. (play) call is being made, I have to make that play said ASU quarterback DeAndre Pressley. coaches are not always making the right call. not always executing The quick, physical defense held Appalachian to 247 yards of offense, sacking Presley three times, dumping Mountaineers runners for losses on eight occasionsand tipping or deflecting five Presleypasses at the line of scrimmage.

All-American receiver Brian Quick was limited to just two receptions for 9 yardsin the loss and only had one ball thrown in his direction the final two quarters. ASU coach Jerry Moore had few answers. really have any kind of identity on Moore said. been a long time since been that Wofford (2-0, 3-1) has no problem understanding its identity. The Terriers are going to line up and run their Wingbone offense until a team can stop it.

And then going to keep on running it. On Saturday, the Mountaineers (1-1, 3-2) came nowhere near stopping Breitenstein, Donovan Johnson (10 carries, 75 yards) and Derek Boyce (4 carries, 49 yards), as the trio methodically marched the ball downfield. Wofford converted 11of 18 times on third down and were a perfect 4-for-4 on fourth down. The team also came up empty on a 10-minute, 19-play drive that ended with a Demetrius McCrayin- terception in the end zone on the lone pass of the drive by Wofford signal-caller Mitch Allen. Allen threw just four passes in the game, instead putting the ball in the hands of Breitenstein and Co.

definitely won the battles in the trenches, on both sides of the Breitenstein said. Ayers agreed. did a good job with our the Wofford coach said. did a good job up After Appalachian blistered the Terriers the past three seasons, averaging 49 points in three big wins, it was turn to return the favor this year. Even with the great disparity in yardage, Wofford led just 14-7 at halftime.

After the Mountaineers gave up long touchdown drives on the Terriers first two possessions, Presley marched the offense downfield and capped a 60-yard drive with a 12-yard quarterback draw on the final play of the first quarter. when the Terriers went on their 19-play, 10-minute drive that came up empty at the end of the half. ASU had a chance to get back into the game, but Sam Martin missed a 33-yard field goal on the first drive of the third quarter, then watched as the Terriers went to work on another long touchdown drive. APresley-to-Andrew-Peacock touchdown pass in the opening minute of the fourth quarter brought ASU within a touchdown, but the Terriers marched to their fifth drive of 10 plays or more in the game, culminating with a touchdown run by Boyce. kept answering the Ayers said.

Wofford 28, Appalachian 14 ALEX HICKS JR- AP Phillip LeGrande (54) tries to bring down Appalachian Deandre Presley (2) Saturday in Spartanburg. The defense sacked Presley three times and held him to 19-of-32 passing for 146 yards and 11yards on nine rushing attempts. Terriers take down ASU in FCS Top 10 matchup Former Watauga High RB leads Wofford with 173 yards on 33 carries ALEX HICKS JR- AP Eric Breitenstein, center, runs the ball on Saturday. Breitenstein carried the load, finishing with 173 yards on 33 carries. Associated Press ELON Georgia Southern outscored Elon by 24 points over the final three quarters and cruised to a 41-14 Southern Conference road win Saturday.

The unbeaten Eagles (4-0, 3-0) dominated Elon (3-2, 1-1) in every way. Georgia Southern rushed for 300 yards to just 54 for Elon. Robert Brown ran for 116 yards himself, more than doubling rushing total. Elon opened the scoring after quarterback Thomas Wilson had driven the Phoenix 66 yards on the opening possession. It culminated in a 10-yard scoring pass to Taylor Berry.

But in the second quarter, Georgia Jaybo Shaw threw two of his three touchdown passes to open up a 24-7 halftime lead. When second scoring pass pulled Elon within 24-14, Shaw hit Nico Hickey for a 25-yard score and a 17-point cushion. ELSEWHERE DRAKE 31, CAMPBELL 14: Mike Piatkowski threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns while setting an FCS record for completion percentage as Drake won. Piatkowski was 30 of 33 passing for a percentage of 90.9, breaking the mark for quarterbacks with at least 30 completions. Richie Williams of Appalachian State was 40 of 45 (88.9 percent) against Furman in 2004.

Two touchdown passes from Piatkowski to Joey Orlando lifted the Bulldogs (4-1, 2-0 Pioneer League) to a 21-0 halftime lead. Braden Smith was 28 of 50 for 263 yards with a touchdown and interception for the Fighting Camels (1-3, 0-2). Orlando caught seven passes for 67 yards. Nathan Paddock had seven receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown for Drake. NC 24, MORGAN STATE 3: Mike Mayhew rushed for 233 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown run, to lead the Aggies.

The Aggies (2-2, 1-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) never trailed after rushing score in the first quarter. Mayhew, who had 26 carries, gained more yards on the ground than Morgan total offense, which finished with 202 yards. Lewis Kindle completed 10 of 21passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and an interception for N.C. which ended a two-game losing streak. Kindle connected with Larry Raper on a 47-yard passing score to give the Aggies a 17-3 lead in the second quarter.

NORFOLK 17, S.C. STATE 14: A fumble returned for a touchdown just before halftime by Onyemechi Anyaugo was the catalyst for the Spartans. 84-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 11seconds left in first half put the Spartans ahead for good at 10-7. Norfolk State added a touchdown in the third quarter on a 2-yard run by Chris Walley with 1:40 left to stretch the lead to 17-7. The Bulldogs (2-3, 2-1), who cut the deficit to 17-14 on a 3-yard run by Derrick Wiley with 9:39 to play, had a chance to tie but failed.

Blake Erickson was wide left on a 20-yard field goal attempt with 3:36 to play. SAMFORD 41, GARDNER-WEBB 14: Dustin Taliaferro threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns to lead Samford. The Bulldogs (2-2) of the Southern Conference led 7-0 before Taliaferro and the offense got their hands on the ball. Phillip Ketcham blocked Graham punt on the first possession by the Bulldogs (1-3) of the Big South Conference and Stanley Robinson returned it 13 yards for a score. Taliaferro found Kelsey Pope for a 60-yard touchdown in the first quarter and Chris Cephus for a 25-yard score on a fourth-down play in the second quarter as Samford built a 27-7 halftime lead.

WESLEY 33, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 20: Wesley an NCAA Division III team from Delaware, rolled up 334 yards rushing in its win. Askia Jahad led the ground attack with 151yards and two touchdowns for Wesley. Steven Koudos- sou started things off for the Wolverines with a 77-yard run for a touchdown with 9:39 to go in the first quarter. Jahad scored less than eight minutes later on an 18-yard run for a 13-0 lead. Malcolm Dixon passed for 178 yards, and rushed for 71yards and a touchdown, for the Buccaneers.

WINGATE 33, CARSON-NEWMAN 21: The Bulldogs raced to a 20-0 lead and withstood Carson-Newman in the South Atlantic Conference. 2-0) earn its first-ever win gainst the 0-3 SAC) in Wingate. The defending SAC champions beat Carson-Newman in Monroe (1995) and Jefferson City (2010) before win. OBSERVER NEWS SERVICES Region Roundup Georgia Southern dominates Elon Associated Press San Diego Mason Mills threw three touchdown passes and rushed for a fourth score as the University of San Diego beat Davidson, 42-0, in a Pioneer Football League game on Saturday. Kenny James returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

He scored on a 4-yard run in the first half that ended with the Toreros (4-1, 2-0) ahead 28-0. Mills, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 191yards in just three quarters, threw TD passes of 21and 10 yards to brothers Nick and Sam Scudellari, respectively. San defense shut down Davidson quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff, who came into the game leading FCS football in passing yards (382.67) and completions (32.0) per game. Carkhuff completed finished the day 26 for 43 for 160 yards for the Wildcats (2-2, 0-1). San Diego 42, Davidson 0 Wildcats shut out by league foe San Diego.