(THE PICKET) – The ninth-ranked Shepherd Rams improved their record to 6-0 Saturday Oct. 17 with a commanding 46-17 win over the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets.
The Rams drew first blood on their first drive of the game marching the ball 80 yards down the field on 16 plays and capping the drive off with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Ziemba to Jamie Deason giving the Rams an early 7-0 lead. Just a minute later a bad snap from WVSU caused the ball to go out of the back of the end-zone giving the Rams a safety and a 9-0 lead that lasted throughout the rest of the first quarter.
The Yellow Jackets found the end-zone just 8 seconds into the second quarter when quarterback Matt Kinnick hit Kelvit Barrett from 18 yards out to make the score 9-7 with 14:52 left in the second quarter. Two 1-yard touchdown runs by Jabre Lolley gave the Rams a 23-7 lead with just seconds left in the first half. After two unsportsmanlike penalties by the Rams, the Yellow Jackets were able to hit a field goal as time expired to make the score 23-10 going into half time.
The Rams defense swarm the Yellow Jackets to make a team tackle.
WVSU drew the score to within 6 at the beginning of the second half when Dionta Brown rushed in from 13 yards out to make the score 23-17. The Rams first drive of the second half was capped off by a 28-yard pass from Ziemba to Lolley, which was the beginning of 23 unanswered points for Shepherd in the second half, making the score 29-17. Allen Cross found the end-zone from 11 yards out at the 4:50 mark in third to give the Rams a 36-17 lead.
Dalton Boyd avoids the sideline to get extra yards.
The fourth quarter began the same way the third quarter ended, with Cross finding the end-zone from 8 yards out extending Shepherd’s lead 43-17. A field goal at the 6:20 mark by Ryan Earles put the final dagger in the Yellow Jackets making the score 46-17, which it would remain the rest of the game.
Quarterback Ziemba and dual threat running back Lolley led the Rams for the second straight game offensively. And with 46 points the Rams have scored more than 40 points in every game this season
Ziemba finished the day 15-26 with 215 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Lolley finished the day with 45 yards rushing, 28 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
Shepherd’s defense had another great game allowing fewer than 20 points for the third time this season. James Gupton led the Rams with six tackles, with Myles Humphrey adding five of his own. Shaneil Jenkins and Isaiah Ross each added a sack.
With the field goal in Saturday’s game kicker Ryan Earles tied the record for most field goals made in school history.
The Rams seek to improve to 7-0 when they take on rival Concord University at 12 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 24.
Leave a Reply