from www.wssurams.com:
Kameron Smith’s seven-yard touchdown run seals the victory for the Winston-Salem State University Rams
Kayvonne Spriggs and the WSSU Rams ran their way to a 21-14 victory over North Carolina A&T in the I-40 Showdown on Saturday evening in Greensboro, N.C………
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The fifth-annual I-40 Showdown between the Rams of Winston-Salem State University and the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University would come down to a drive dominated by a player with virtually no knowledge of the long-standing rivalry. Redshirt sophomore Kameron Smith, a transfer from the U.S. Naval Academy, accounted for 65 yards and the game-winning touchdown on the Rams final drive en route to propelling WSSU to a 21-14 victory over the rival Aggies on Saturday evening in Greensboro, N.C.
The contest would prove to be a matchup of two staunch defenses as both the Rams and Aggies used a physical style that generated a total of eight fumbles and two interceptions and held the two powerful offenses to a combined 464 total yards.
The Aggies struck first as Mike Mayhew capped a 12-play, 56-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter of play to give the Aggies a 7-0 advantage. Mayhew, the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, powered his way into the endzone for his first score of the season to put the Rams behind for the first time all year.
WSSU answered back less than nine minutes later as Landen Thayer connected on a 22-yard field goal that cut the Aggies’ lead back to four points as the sophomore kicker moved to a perfect three-for-three on field goal attempts in 2010.
The Rams would take their first lead of the game with 8:07 remaining in the third quarter of play when Kameron Smith connected with Virginia Tech transfer Patrick Terry on a 20-yard touchdown strike following an Aggie turnover.
The score was set up by Alton Keaton’s sack and strip of Shelton Morgan that the Rams’ Juan Corders recovered at the Aggies’ 46-yard line. The fumble recovery, Corders’ fifth of the season, gave the Rams positive field position en route to taking the lead.
The Rams added to their advantage less than five minutes into the fourth quarter of play as Thayer’s second field goal of the game, this time from 41-yards out, pushed the WSSU lead to 13-7.
Playing at home in front of a packed house of more than 21,500 fans, the Aggies would need only 12 seconds to retake the advantage at 14-13 when Justin Ferrell took the ensuing kickoff 76-yards to pay dirt with 10:28 remaining in the contest as the Aggie faithful erupted in excitement.
After back-to-back drives that ended in futility, the Rams would get one final chance, a chance that Kameron Smith, who checked into the contest after replacing starter Octavious Hawkins, did not squander.
Smith accounted for 65 of the Rams 78 yards on the game-winning drive as he rushed for 52 yards, including a 38-yard breakout and completed a 13-yard pass before powering his way into the endzone from seven yards out to give WSSU the lead for good with only 41 seconds remaining.
Not content with his touchdown, Smith found fullback Tyrone Goldston on a screen pass to complete the two-point conversion and push WSSU’s advantage to the final margin at 21-14.
“I had plans on playing him last week and I had plans on playing him this week as well and with Octavius [Hawkins] struggling tonight, I went ahead and made the change tonight and he came in and gave us a spark” WSSU head coach Connell Maynor said. “He gives us an added dimension with his legs and that’s what he did for us tonight” Maynor added.
The victory improves the Rams to 2-0 on the season (1-0 CIAA) while the Aggies fall to 0-1 on the year with the loss.
The Rams will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 6:00 p.m. as they face the Eagles of North Carolina Central University from O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C.