Game Notes
SALISBURY, NC – Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, NC for the 2nd Annual Commemorative Classic, recognizing the first collegiate football game played between two historically black schools.
OFFENSE
The Blue Bears played their best half of football in the opening 30 minutes against St. Augustine's Saturday. Livingstone held the top team in the CIAA's Southern Division scoreless in the first half Saturday.
Despite the exceptional play by the Blue Bear defense, the offense still struggled to capitalize on the momentum. Livingstone turned out only 78 yards of total offense against the Falcons.
Levon Stanley and Curtis Edens both saw time against St. Augustine's. Stanley completed five passes for 10 yards and one interception while Edens completed two passes for seven yards. Stanley is expected to start against the Golden Bulls on Saturday who have allowed just shy of 200 yards passing per game this season.
Jamel Moore led the Blue Bears rushing on Satudray, carrying the ball 12 times for 48 yards. Stanley rushed the ball 16 times for a total of 24 yards rushing. Terrill Gourdine had only three yards rushing Saturday, but continues to lead the team overall on the season with 106 yards on the ground. The Golden Bulls have allowed 223 yards rushing per game through nine games this year.
Senior Kevin Shelf was the leading receiver for Livingstone on Saturday, hauling in two passes for a total of 15 yards. The rest of the Blue Bear receiving core will have to step up to fill the shoes of injured Omar McFadden in this final game. Freshman Anthony Holland has been a bright spot as he has averaged 25.4 yards receiving per contest.
DEFENSE
The defense for Livingstone certainly had a lot of positives to take from the first half against St. Augustine's. Bryan Aycoth led the Blue Bears with 11 tackles against the Falcons including one tackle for loss. Martez Earles also had a solid performance, recording eight tackles, 3.5 for loss and one fumble recovery.
Aycoth continues to lead the team in overall tackles with 58 including 10.5 tackles for loss while Devonta Harmon has come on strong in recent weeks and is second with 56. Shawntez Jones and Dorian Edwards have also tallied 46 and 43 tackles respectively this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Dewayne Smith was the primary return man for the Blue Bears last Saturday as he returned four kicks for 52 yards. Smith along with Jamel Moore and Franklin Evans have been the three key returnees for the Blue Bears and will look to continue their positive play against the Golden Bulls.
JOHNSON C. SMITH
The Golden Bulls enter Saturday's contest with a 1-8 record with their only victory coming against Division III opponent West Virginia Tech. Johnson C. Smith has scored an average of 17.8 points per game this season while allowing 42.9.
On offense Ryan Carter is both the team's leading passer and rusher. Carter has thrown for an average of 205 yards per game this season with 12 interceptions and 10 touchdowns. Additionally Carter has rushed for an average of 35.8 yards per game. Jeremy Franklin has been Carter's primary target this season. Franklin averages 82.2 yards per game receiving and has caught four touchdowns.
Defensively, the Golden Bulls are led by Michael Coats, Girard Miller and Perrin Carr who have recorded 43, 42 and 42 tackles respectively. Derrick Johnson leads the team in both tackles for loss and sacks.
THE SERIES
The Blue Bears and Golden Bulls have met 73 times before Saturday. Johnson C. Smith currently holds the edge over Livingstone with a 40-30-3 record. Livingstone last defeated Johnson C. Smith in 2008 on the road by the score of 32-26.
THE LAST MEETING
Last season the Blue Bears and Golden Bulls met in Salisbury in the inaugural Commeorative Classic with the Golden Bulls winning 30-15. The Blue Bears got on the board first in the opening quarter and went up 6-0 after the extra point was blocked. The two teams traded field goals at the end of the first quarter and in the second quarter and Livingstone held a 9-3 lead at the break. Johnson C. Smith put up two touchdowns in the third quarter to go up 16-9 before Livingstone got within 16-15 on a Linwood Jenkins touchdown run. Quinton Toomer for the Golden Bulls added a 60-yard and 73-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to open the game up and reach the final of 30-15.
GAME UPDATES
Fans can follow live updates at www.twitter.com/lcbluebears.
WEATHER FORECAST
The Commemorative Classic will be played under clear skies on Saturday but the weather will have the winter chill. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-50s at kickoff.
GAME RECAPS
A full game recap with statistics will be available online at www.bluebearathletics.com following the contest.
Commemorative Classic Ticket Information
