Winston-Salem State’s title hopes were dashed as the WSSU Rams were defeated 7-0 by Shepherd University in the second round of the NCAA DII Playoffs in Shepherdstown, W.Va. on Nov. 30.
It was a battle of the two top defenses in the nation.
Red-shirt junior quarterback Rudy Johnson left with a shoulder injury midway through the first quarter and did not return.
Junior quarterback DeShean Townsend took over for Johnson. Townsend was the third-string quarterback at the start of the season.
Despite not having its starting quarterback, WSSU (10-2) was still able to put together a couple of scoring chances. Unfortunately, the Rams couldn’t convert those opportunities into points.
A dropped pass in the end zone by Rashon Williams in the first half and the offense’s inability to capitalize in the red zone late in the fourth quarter really hurt WSSU.
It was evident that the Rams missed Johnson. Townsend completed just 12 of 35 passes for 139 yards and an interception.
Shepherd’s defense, ranked No. 2 in DII football, shut down WSSU’s leading rusher, junior running back Maurice Lewis, holding him to just 42 yards on 13 carries.
The top-ranked WSSU defense did its part as well, led by senior linebacker Carlos Fields, who finished with 14 tackles and an interception. The only score allowed by the WSSU Rams came early in the second half when sophomore running back Allen Cross rushed 29 yards for a touchdown.
Shepherd (11-0) will host West Chester University in the quarterfinals on Dec. 7.