A furious Virginia Union University comeback in the waning seconds of a regionally televised football game fell just short as Chowan University escaped with a 35-34 win over the Panthers in Murfreesboro, N.C., on October 2.
Trailing 35-21 with less than three minutes left to play, backup quarterback
Cheston Hickman, playing in place of the injured
Aris McGlone - English, led a seven-play 60-yard drive to pull the Panthers to within 35-28. Hickman capped the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to
Andre Winston with 1:22 left to play.
Union then recovered the ensuing onside kick at their own 36-yard line.
Hickman went to work again, this time driving the Panthers down the field, completing four of five passes until he found Winston again in the end zone from 14 yards out. The touchdown strike made the score 35-34 with 21 seconds left.
The comeback ended, however, when the extra point sailed wide right.
Chowan then recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock to secure the 35-34 win.
VUU's Jerell Washington rushed for a season-high 165 yards while Hickman completed 13 of 38 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington also returned a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown.
The loss dropped VUU to 1-4 on the season and 1-2 in the CIAA Northern Division. Chowan got it's first win of the season, raising it's record to 1-4 on the year and 1-1 in CIAA play.
CLAW MARKS: The win was the first-ever for Chowan over VUU...VUU had won the two previous meetings...Hickman's 38 pass attempts were the most for a VUU quarterback since Lamar Little attempted 39 passes against Elizabeth City State University on November 4, 2006...The total of 41 pass attempts were the most for a VUU team since the Panthers attempted 41 passes against Fayetteville State University on August 27, 2005...Washington's total of 259 all-purpose yards were the most by a VUU player since Michael Hamptom had 350 all-purpose yards against West Virginia Wesleyan on September 6, 2008...VUU's
Christian Clark pulled down an interception...VUU's
Martin House had eight punts for an average of 40 yards per punt...VUU's
Kristopher White and
Adidias Arrington had eight tackles apiece...VUU travels to Elizabeth City State next week for a 1:00 p.m. ET game...the match-up between the Panthers and the Vikings will be streamed live at vuusports.com.
