Led by a stout defense and a ball-control offense, Saint Augustine’s University thumped Bowie State University 29-7 in the CIAA football opener for both teams at Bulldog Stadium on Saturday, September 28, 2013.

The Falcons (2-2 overall) won their second consecutive contest. More importantly, they are off to a flying start in the conference.

“This was a momentum builder,” St. Aug Head Coach Michael Costa said. “We needed this win. It really helps our confidence as we continue our CIAA schedule.”

Quarterback A.J. Gilford (R-Fr./Savannah, Ga.) completed 17 of 23 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons, who gained 372 total offensive yards. He also added 10 carries for 44 yards. Wide receiver Brian Richards (R-Sr./Waldorf, Md.), playing in his home state, had six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown and wide receiver Herman Reeves (R-Jr./Miami, Fla.) added three catches for 71 yards. Jermaine Jones (R-Sr./Wilmington, N.C.) had three receptions for 50 yards.

The offense piled up tons of yards, but the defense set the tone. Led by 10 tackles from Chaz Robinson (Sr./Hampton, Va.), the Falcons held their second consecutive opponent to seven points. Safety Dominque Marsh (Jr./Norfolk, Va.) added six tackles and a forced fumble and defensive tackle Nigel Crawford-Kinney (R-Jr./Washington, D.C.) had five tackles including two for losses.

Defensive tackle Shonquez Nelson (Sr./Lake City, S.C.) and defensive end Javarous Faulk (Sr./Macon, Ga.) both totaled a sack and Nelson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Defensive backs Dezmon Hopkins (Fr./Manassas, Va.) and Brandon Taylor (Fr./Opelika, Ala.) each picked off a pass.

For Bowie State (2-2 overall), quarterback Jared Johnston completed 16 of 34 passes for 191 yards and halfback Keith Brown caught six passes for 42 yards. Defensively, linebacker Antoine Young led the Bulldogs with eight tackles and a forced fumble.

The Bulldogs’ offensive line was no match for the Falcons’ front line featuring Nelson, Crawford-Kinney, Faulk, Michael Oliver (R-Jr./Washington, D.C.) and Christopher Roberts (R-So./Albany, Ga.). It was a huge reason why the Falcons forced three turnovers and limited the Bulldogs to 256 offensive yards. Thanks to the defense, the Falcons stayed in control despite committing four of their five turnovers in the first half.

“Overall, [the defense] did a good job,” Costa said. “We blew an assignment near the goal line which allowed them to score. Other than that, we played well.”

The offense gained its rhythm in the second half. They scored 10 points and ate time off the clock, preventing a comeback by the Bulldogs. In the fourth quarter, the Falcons won time of possession 12:09 to 2:51.

The Falcons wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. A 45-yard pass from Gilford to Reaves set up a six-yard scoring run up the middle by Roderick Davenport (R-So./Orangeburg, S.C.) on the opening drive which took three plays. The snap was bobbled on the extra point attempt, leaving the Falcons’ lead at 6-0.

Later in the first quarter, the Falcons extended the lead to 12-0. Carlton Butts (Jr./Thomasville, Ga.) blocked a punt which bounced into the Bulldogs’ end zone. John’ta Cooper (Jr./Cairo, Ga.) fell on the ball for the touchdown. The pass failed on the two-point conversion attempt.

The four turnovers prevented the Falcons from stretching the lead, but the Bulldogs failed to capitalize because of the St. Aug defense. The Bulldogs made only 1 of 8 third-down conversions in the first half.

The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with their first sustained drive of the game. It led to a Kendall Jefferson touchdown on fourth and inches which cut the Falcons’ lead to 12-7. The Falcons responded on the ensuing drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Gilford to Richards, who drew a pass interference penalty on a Bulldogs’ defensive back the previous play. Richards, who is 6-3 and weighs 205 pounds, leaped to snag the ball over the smaller defensive back for the score. The extra point by Michael Lima (R-Jr./Miami, Fla.) pushed the lead to 19-7.

The Bulldogs threatened again inside the Falcons’ 20-yard line, but the Falcons stiffened on defense and forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over on downs. The Falcons mounted another long drive, keyed by a 33-yard jump-and-catch by Jones in the fourth quarter. The drive ended with a missed field goal from short distance, but the Falcons ran valuable time off the clock.

The Falcons ventured into Bulldog territory again, this time coming away with a 24-yard field goal by Lima for a 22-7 lead. The defense capped a tremendous performance with a touchdown late in the game. Nelson recovered a fumble in the end zone to ice the game with 1:27 left. Lima kicked the extra point for the final margin.

The Falcons return home for a three-game home stand starting with Elizabeth City State University on Saturday, October 5, 2013. Game time is 1:30 p.m. at John H. Baker Stadium on the campus of Southeast Raleigh High School.