Oct. 25, 2003

Winston-Salem, NC - Fans of the Winston-Salem State University Rams could not have scripted a better outcome to the first annual Rams -vs- Eagles Classic on Saturday evening as the Rams posted their largest win over North Carolina Central in the history of the 38 meetings between them as they defeated NCCU 47-0.

The game, televised nationally on Black Entertainment Television (BET) drew over 8900 fans to Bowman-Gray Stadium and millions more tuned in nationwide to watch the Rams put on an offensive clinic as they tallied their largest win ever over the Eagles (the previous high being 46 points, a 68-22 win in 1991) by tallying 494 yards of total offense, and keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard en route to the 47-0 shutout.

The game would see an inauspicious start for the Rams as the Eagles would recover a fumbled kickoff reception and start on the Ram 20-yard line. The Rams would the hold NCCU to a field goal attempt, which was unsuccessful. WSSU would use that missed field goal and drive 8o yards in nine plays over 4:59 as Martin Hicks (So./5'9"/170/Oxford, NC) sprinted into the endzone from 28 yards out, scoring his first of two touchdowns on the night.

The Rams would waste no time as the defense would get the ball back to the WSSU offense by snaring an interception, and forcing the turnover at the Eagles 29 yard line.

Another Hicks run, this time from 29 yards out would put the Rams firmly in the drivers seat, up 14-0 midway through the first quarter. That tally would mark Hicks' final touchdown of the night, but he would finish the game with 204 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns, and until the very end, he would post more total offense than the entire NCCU team, ultimately being surpassed by the Eagles in the waning moments. At the game's end, the Eagles would post only 17 more yards of total offense than Hicks.

The Rams would put 17 more points on the board in the second quarter on a Jared Brevard (So./6'1"/195/Charlotte, NC) 7 yard touchdown reception, a Jed Bines (Fr./5'10"/190/Winston-Salem, NC) 5 yard touchdown scamper, and an Ashton Oakley (Sr./5'10"/180/Haw River, NC) 35 yard field goal to take the 31-0 lead into halftime.

It would get no better for the Eagles in the second half as Oakley would tack on a 43 yard field goal, Bines, the true freshman would get his second touchdown of the evening, this one an 11 yarder, and backup quarterback Rodney Milbourne (Sr./5'11"/186/Battleboro, NC) snuck in from one yard out to make the final margin of victory 47 points.

The WSSU offense was not the only impressive part of the game for the Rams, as the defense would shut out the Eagles, and keep them from scoring a single point. The Rams would force two turnovers and hold the Eagles to only 221 yards on 63 total plays. The Ram defense would see 17 players record multiple tackles with Levern Bynum (So./6'0"/200/Weldon, NC) leading the way with 10 total tackles (4 solo, 6 assisted).

With the win, the Rams improve to 5-3 overall (3-2 CIAA) and will return to action next Saturday, November 1st, 2003 when they host Johnson C. Smith University at Bowman-Gray Stadium at 2:00 pm in the Rams' 2003 Homecoming game.