Box Score

SALISBURY, NC – The Livingstone Blue Bear football team dropped its season opener at home Saturday to Virginia State 37-7.

Livingstone falls to 0-1 on the season while the Trojans of Virginia State improve to 1-0.

Blue Bear senior quarterback Steven Williams completed 19 of 33 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown.  Sophomore running back Linwood Jenkins led Livingstone with 43 yards on the ground on seven rushing attempts.  Defensively, junior defensive back Alkeem Deloatch led the team with 9.5 tackles.

Virginia State was led by a balanced offensive attack consisting of 230 yards on the ground and 234 yards through the air.

The Trojans put points on the board in each quarter, striking first with a seven-play, 45-yard drive culminating in an 11-yard run by Brian Berry to go up 7-0.  Later in the first quarter Babajide Onadipe capped of a nine-play, 77-yard drive with an 18-yard scoring run of his own to put Virginia State up 14-0.

In the second quarter, Livingstone held the Trojans to only a field goal with 26 seconds remaining in the half.  Virginia State took a 17-0 lead into halftime.

Virginia State went up 24-0 in the third quarter on a 24-yard pass from Leonard Johnson to Jamal Norcome that finished off a nine-play, 86-yard drive.  The Trojan's Antwain Lyde added two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter before Livingstone was able to get on the board.

Following the second Lyde touchdown the ensuing kickoff went for a touchback and Livingstone had 3:12 remaining in the game to make something happen.  The Blue Bears marched down the field and with no time remaining on the clock Williams hooked up with freshman wide receiver Jeremy Hughes for an 11-yard touchdown to cap off a 12-play, 80-yard drive.

Livingstone will be back in action Saturday, September 5 at 6 p.m. when they take on Savannah State.  This game will be played at Sirrine Stadium in Greenville, SC as part of the HBCU Greenville Classic.