Game Notes
SALISBURY, NC – Livingstone and Bowie State meet Saturday at Alumni Memorial Stadium each looking for its first victory of the season.
OFFENSE
In the first half against Catawba under quarterback Curtis Edens, the Blue Bears struggled. In the second half, freshman Raymond Mallos moved under center and despite an early interception that was returned for a touchdown, Mallos completed 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown for the Blue Bears. As the Livingstone offensive line continues to improve, the running and passing abilities of the Blue Bears will follow.
Through three games, Miles Harris and Jamel Moore have shared the running back duties. Moore has averaged 17 rushing yards per game while Harris has 15 yards per contest. No other Blue Bear has averaged more than three yards rushing per game.
DEFENSE
On the defensive side of the ball, junior Bryan Aycoth has been the most consistent player. Aycoth leads the team with 26 tackles including 7.5 for loss. Aycoth leads the league in tackles for loss. Junior Shawntez Jones has also had a solid year, with 19 total tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss which ranks him second in the CIAA.
As a team the Blue Bears have been much more productive stopping the pass than the run. Livingstone opponents have averaged 165 rushing yards per game while totaling only 135 yards passing per contest.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Livingstone kickoff returners have had a lot of work to do this season. One of the bright spots has been freshman Dewayne Smith who has returned 16 kickoffs this season with an average of 18.5 yards per return. Jamel Moore has also been a positive on returns with an average of 37 yards per return.
BOWIE STATE
Bowie State, the 2009 CIAA Runner-Up, has struggled through three games this year to get its offense going. The Bulldogs have averaged only 210 yards per game so far this season, 136 through the air and 74 on the ground. Bowie has played four different quarterbacks this season and Tyrae Reid is slated to start on Saturday. Ramono Flowers has been the leading rusher for the Bulldogs, averaging 39 yards per game on the ground.
On the defensive side, the Bulldogs have four players who have totaled 20 or more tackles this season led by Delano Johnson who has 23 tackles and one fumble recovery this season. Bowie State has allowed an average of 250 yards of offense per game this season; 137 in the air and 113 on the ground.
THE SERIES
The Blue Bears and Bulldogs have met 26 times coming into Saturday with Bowie holding a 16-10 edge all-time. In 2008, Bowie State was victorious on the field, but the game was later forfeited to Livingstone. Livingstone's last victory on the field was in 2006 at home when it won 7-3.
THE LAST MEETING
Livingstone and Bowie met last season in Maryland with the Bulldogs winning 51-0. The Bulldogs pounded the ball on the ground, racking up 456 rushing yards and 594 yards of total offense. The Blue Bears went into halftime down only 14 points, but three turnovers in the second half led to 21 points for the Bulldogs. Rodney Webb and Ramono Flowers combined for 301 rushing yards and five touchdowns last season.
GAME UPDATES
Fans can follow live statistics at www.sidearmstats.com/livingstone/football/index.htm and live updates at www.twitter.com/lcbluebears .
WEATHER FORECAST
Fans can look forward to sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s on Saturday for the 1 p.m. kickoff.
GAME RECAPS
A full game recap with statistics will be available online at www.bluebearathletics.com following the contest.
