SALISBURY, N.C. – Tyron Laughinghouse (Sr./Greenville, N.C.) caught three touchdown passes and Roderick Davenport(Fr./Orangeburg, S.C.) rushed for 124 yards on 27 carries as Saint Augustine’s University held off Livingstone College 32-27 in a CIAA football contest at Alumni Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012.
The Falcons upped their record to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the CIAA Southern Division. They visit defending league champion Winston-Salem State University in a key divisional matchup next Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Game time is 1:30 p.m. The Blue Bears, who suffered their first conference loss, fell to 2-4 overall and 2-1 in the Southern Division on their Homecoming Day.
Laughinghouse, who had a punt return for a touchdown erased due to penalty, finished with seven receptions for 109 yards. He caught three touchdown passes from backup quarterback Alex Munro (Jr./Ashburn, Md.), who completed 11 of 18 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters of action. Munro replaced starting quarterback Teddy Bacote (Jr./Hampton, Va.), who was injured early in the second quarter.
Munro hit Laughinghouse for a 27-yard touchdown pass and Michael Lima (So./Miami, Fla.) kicked the extra point for a 32-19 St. Aug lead with 12:40 left in the game. The Blue Bears came back with an 11-yard pass from Drew Powell to Austin Higgins to close within 32-27 late in the game.
The Falcons ran out the remaining 4:55 with their rushing attack. Davenport gained 30 yards and Deonte Toliver (R-Jr./Gaithersburg, Md.) gained 26 of his 59 yards on the last drive, which started at the St. Aug 15. The game ended with the ball at the Livingstone 19.
“You have to give Livingstone a lot of credit,” St. Aug Head Coach Michael Costa said. “They are a team with a lot of fight in them and a lot of desire. We had to deal with some adversity. Teddy [Bacote] went down for a while and it seemed like everybody slowed down a little bit. We didn’t play our best game, but we did enough to get the win and that’s a plus for us but we’ve got to do better. Winston-Salem State is the top team so we can’t play like we did today.”
The Falcons accumulated a season-high 525 offensive yards including 218 on the ground which allowed them to dominate time of possession 33:21 to 25:54. They also passed for 307 yards. Defensively, the Falcons, ranked first in the CIAA in rush defense, held the Blue Bears to 35 yards. Linebacker Chaz Robinson (Jr./Hampton, Va.) sparked the defense with eight tackles while defensive end
The Blue Bears managed to stay in the game with their passing attack. Drew Powell competed 28 of 47 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns but was sacked five times. Avery Collins caught 10 passes for 104 yards for the Blue Bears, who finished with 316 offensive yards.
Lima of the Falcons opened the scoring with a 22-yard field goal early in the first quarter. The Falcons extended the lead to 10-0 when Brian Richards (R-Jr./Waldorf, Md.) leaped high to snatch a pass, broke out of the arms of two defenders and sprinted down the right sideline for an 68-yard touchdown pass from Bacote. Lima kicked the extra point.
Laughinghouse scored his first touchdown on a five-yard pass from Munro to push the lead to 16-0. The pass – a lob in the back of the end zone which Laughinghouse easily grabbed over a defender – was Munro’s first of the season. It was also his first play of the season.
The Blue Bears scored in the second quarter on Terril Gourdine’s eight-yard run and Leonardo Manzo’s extra point to slice the margin to 16-7. The Blue Bears recovered a fumble at the Falcons’ 39 to set up the scoring drive.
Munro found Laughinghouse for an eight-yard touchdown grab on the next series. Lima’s point after attempt gave the Falcons a 23-7 halftime lead.
The Blue Bears came roaring back in the second half. Two touchdown receptions from Powell to Anthony Holland sliced the Falcons’ lead 23-19. The Falcons slowed the Blue Bears’ momentum when Jermaine Jones< (R-Jr./Wilmington, N.C.) blocked a punt and the ball rolled out of the end zone for a safety, making the score 25-19.
Munro connected with Laughinghouse on a touchdown for the third time to give the Falcons some breathing room at 32-19 early in the fourth quarter. The Blue Bears came right back on Higgins’ scoring catch with 5:05 left, but the Falcons milked the clock with their running game for the win.
— SAU Sports Information Office
