RALEIGH, N.C. (Oct. 7) – For the second straight year, Sean Smith (Jr./Valdosta, GA) delivered the game-winning kick against Livingstone College.
Smith booted a 23-yard field goal with 8.3 seconds left to give Saint Augustine’s University a 30-29
come-from-behind football victoryat the George Williams Athletic Complex on Saturday. The win puts the Falcons in a first-place tie in the Southern Division (1-0) and raises their record to 2-1 in the CIAA.
Last season, the Falcons kicker nailed a critical extra point in a 38-37 double overtime triumph over the Blue Bears in Salisbury, N.C. Saturday’s contest was just as thrilling as the Falcons rallied after trailing most of the second half. The Blue Bears led 29-27 with 1:37 remaining after Jarius Richardson powered his way into the end zone on a seven-yard run. But the Falcons put together a 10-play, 64-yard drive capped by Smith’s kick. Demetrius Lewis, starting for the injured Darryl “D.J.” Johnson, directed the Falcons into field goal position, completing 5 of 6 passes for 41 yards and rushing three times for 23 yards. His 11-yard scamper gave the Falcons first-and-goal at the Blue Bears’ six-yard line with 10 seconds left. Livingstone called timeout to freeze Smith, but he calmly drilled the ball through the uprights just as he did last season against the Blue Bears. Smith received a perfect snap from Aaron Linen (Sr./Oakland, CA) and a great hold from Jake Ford (So./Victoria, Australia) on the winning field goal. Lewis played admirably in his first start in a Falcons’ uniform. The Blue Bears could not contain the dual-threat quarterback, who rushed for 157 yards and threw for 158 yards. His three touchdowns offset his three interceptions, and he displayed the poise of a veteran on the final drive. He guided the offense to 411 total yards which is the second-most by the Falcons this season. Jeremiah Miller (So./Miami, FL) bolstered the offense with 99 yards on 12 carries. The ground game opened the aerial attack as Lenwood Joyner (Jr./Miami, FL) caught five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, and Sam Boyd (Sr./St. Petersburg, FL) grabbed six passes for 61 yards and a score. Lewis connected with Boyd three times on the final drive. On defense, lineman Chasz Cosby (Sr./Charlotte, NC) amassed a game-high 13 tackles including two tackles for loss. Linebacker James Hickman (Jr./Antioch, CA) had 12 tackles and defensive backs Roy Garris (So./Raleigh, NC) and Denzel Malone-Huff (Sr./Gadsden, AL) finished with 11 and nine tackles, respectively. Defensive back Demonte Hines (Fr./Washington, DC) picked off two passes while linebacker Tristian Green (Jr./Concord, NC) had six tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. Defensive lineman Teoz Mauney (So./Salisbury, NC) totaled five tackles and a sack. The momentum shifted back-and-forth throughout the contest. The Blue Bears scored on their first drive for a 6-0 lead, but the Falcons responded with touchdowns the first two times they had the ball. Lewis found Charles Edmond (So./High Point, NC) on a 29-yard scoring pass to tie the score at 6-6, and he later hit Joyner for a 27-yard pass to push the Falcons ahead. Ford kicked the extra point for a 13-6 lead. The Falcons led 20-6 on a nifty play by the defense. DeVaughn Taylor (Jr./Washington, DC) scored on a five-yard fumble recovery after Green forced a fumble near the Livingstone goal line. Ford expanded the margin to 20-6 in the first quarter with the extra point. The Blue Bears scored 17 straight points in the second quarter to regain the lead. The key play in the quarter was a 22-yard interception return which tied the score at 20-20. A late field goal put the Blue Bears ahead at halftime 23-20. After a scoreless third quarter, the Falcons retook the lead in the fourth when Boyd outleaped a Blue Bears defender in the end zone for a 10-yard scoring pass from Lewis. The score was 27-23 Falcons after Smith’s extra point. The Blue Bears marched downfield and scored on a five-minute, 17-play, 81-yard drive for a 29-27 lead. The two-point conversion failed which opened the door for the Falcons, who only needed a field goal to win. They got it from Smith after clutch plays by Lewis, who either threw or ran on every play of the game-winning drive. Jarius Richardson gained 124 rushing yards and three touchdowns for the Blue Bears (0-1 Southern Division, 0-3 CIAA, 0-6 overall). Armond Cox was the Blue Bears’ top tackler with eight. The Falcons (2-4 overall) will complete their three-game homestand on Saturday, Oct. 14, when they host two-time defending CIAA champion Winston-Salem State University at the George Williams Athletic Complex. Game time is 1 p.m.
