Box Score A furious Virginia Union University comeback from 13 points down fell just short as a Kenneth Graham pass to Denzel Duchenne fell incomplete in the end zone as Elizabeth City State University escaped with a 27-21 win over the Panthers on Saturday, October 27, in Elizabeth City, N.C.

The Panthers not only had to battle Elizabeth City State, but also the elements as the two teams played in the outer bands of rain produced by Hurricane Sandy.

VUU pulled to within 27-21 with 4:15 left to play when Jerrell Washington rushed for his second touchdown of the game.  

Virginia Union then recovered a squib kick which bounced off a Viking player at the ECSU 37-yard line.

Graham rushed for 16 yards to move the ball down to the ECSU 14-yard line.  After Graham was sacked for a loss of eight yards, VUU faced a fourth-and-18 situation.

On fourth down, Graham fired the ball to Mantez Holmes, who was standing at the three-yard line.  The ball sailed through Holmes' hands and was then tipped up in the air by an Elizabeth City State player.  Duchenne tried to haul in the errant pass in the end zone, but the wet ball slipped through his hands.  ECSU then ran out the remaining 39 seconds.

Washington had 72 yards on 22 carries while Graham completed eight of 27 passes for 122 yardds.  Holmes had four catches for 79 yards while Jaques Bostick had 11 tackles.

The loss dropped VUU's record to 4-5 on the season and 2-4 in CIAA play.  ECSU, which clinched the Northern Division of the CIAA, raised it's record to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in the CIAA.

VUU finishes out the 2012 season by returning to Hovey Field to face Virginia State University on Saturday, November 3, at 1:00 p.m. in Richmond, Va.