Rams defeat Bison, 12-0

To the fans at Bowman-Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem State 's 12-0 Homecoming victory over Howard University may not have been pleasant to watch. But to Rams head coach Kermit Blount, and the players on the field, it was a sight for sore eyes.

"Every win is beautiful," Blount said on the field after the victory.

The Rams improved to 2-4 with the win. The game was a defensive struggle from the opening kick-off. Neither team was able to move the ball effectively in the first quarter. As the second quarter began, quarterback Monte Purvis connected with wide receiver Josh Crawford on a 37-yard pass play, Purvis' second of the season. The Rams missed the extra-point as Marvin Uzmanor continued his struggles in the kicking game, leaving the score 6-0.

Both defenses continued to dominate in the second half, with each team intercepting two passes. As is often the case in a defensive battle, a key turnover clinched the game. Defensive lineman Jason Holman stripped the ball from Howard quarterback William Bladen in Howard territory, and Corey Swinnie scraped the ball up and raced 35 yards for the game-winning score.

The Rams' passing game continued to improve as Purvis completed seven of 13 passes including the touchdown. However, the Rams' normally potent rushing attack was held to just 115 yards on 41 attempts.

"We didn't get enough push up front," Blount said of the running game.

Howard's offense, coached by former Rams defensive backs coach Linwood Ferguson, failed to score against the Rams defense. The Bison quarterbacks completed only 11 of 30 passes in the game.

"We've got some things we need to work on," said Ferguson , who was hired as offensive coordinator for the Bison this past spring after spending the last two years in Winston-Salem.

While Ferguson was disappointed in his current team's performance, he applauded his former players. "I said it when I left; they don't have any quit in them. I'm proud of them all."