A record 15,000 fans in Hovey Stadium watched Virginia State's Saturday visit to Virginia Union and the latest meeting will be one the Panthers remember for many years.

VUU won 30-20, and in so doing captured the CIAA North Division title and clinched a trip to next Saturday's CIAA championship game in Salem, Va., against South Division winner Fayetteville State (8-2, 8-0).

Junior Jada Byers ran for 155 yards to lead the Panthers' (9-1, 7-1) ground attack.

"This means a lot, not just for me, for this university," said Byers, a 5-foot-7 185-pounder from Bridgeton, N.J. "The difference was our front five (on offense). We were just more physical."

VUU has won the past three in the Panthers-Trojans series.

"I think we worked extremely hard to get to this point and kind of see all the fruits of the labor come together in a game like this,"  VUU coach Alvin Parker said. "Virginia State's a great team. We beat a great team today. Hats off to my guys.

"We talked about finishing. That was kind of our motto at the beginning of the season. And these guys finished."

Reid threw a 62-yard TD pass to Said Sidibe to give the Panthers a 14-0 lead with 8:12 left in the second quarter. Virginia Union took a 7-0 lead after an opening drive of 65 yards.

The Panthers last won the CIAA championship in 2001.

"Defense played an excellent game. Special teams played an excellent game. I think the offense played an excellent game," Parker said. "We put it all together today. And when you're going against a good team, you've got to do that. And I think these guys did it. I'm so proud of them words can't even describe."

Tickets for the CIAA Championship game will go on sale on Monday at the VUU Department of Athletics in the Martin E. Gray Building on the VUU campus.