Back in the Spring, I did not attend Central State University’s (CSU)
Spring Football Game. A couple of weeks ago, I did not attend the Marauders’
Fan Appreciation Day Football Scrimmage. As always, I have reasoning for my
actions. All along, my plan was to not attend those previously-mentioned
events. You may be wondering, “Why is that?” To me, that answer is
quite simple to produce. To others, it could be confusing. Allow me to clear up
any confusion which exists. Today (Saturday, September 2, 2017) is a day which I
have been eagerly-awaiting its arrival. Since the end of the 2016 College
Football Season, I could not wait for the 2017 Season to arrive. In order to
not possess any prejudice to what CSU’s 2017 Season could become, my only
option was to wait for Opening Day. When I walked into McPherson Stadium, I
wanted the Marauders’ “FIRST IMPRESSION” to be the
beginning of what is within my mindset. Had I attended both the Spring Game and
the Fan Appreciation Day Scrimmage, I might have possessed STEREOTYPES which
were not true. In just mere minutes, I will begin my 2017 Central State
University Football Coverage. My mindset is starting with a “Clean Slate.”
CSU’s first opponent of the 2017 Season is Elizabeth City State University
(ECSU). Just like the Marauders, the Vikings want to start the 2017 Season on a
winning note.
Elizabeth
City State won the Official Coin Toss. However, the Vikings deferred until the
Second Half. Central State started the game first on Offense. On 3rd
Down and 1, Central State was positioned on its own 44-Yard Line. Running Back
Darian Nelson took the ball to Elizabeth City’s 43-Yard Line (13:31). The
Marauders’ Offensive Drive started on the team’s 35-Yard Line. All Offensive
Plays have been Nelson running with the football. On 1st Down and 10
from the Vikings’ 43-Yard Line, Quarterback Trent Mays completed a pass to
Tyrone Jones. That 7-Yard gain placed the ball on the 36-Yard Line. On 2nd
Down and 3, CSU’s Offense got tricky. As the result of a Reverse Play, Lavon
Meeks rushed with the ball. He picked up a First Down too. On 1st
Down and 10, the ball was on the 32-Yard Line. At 11:47, Mays completed a pass
to Terraris Saffold. Saffold obtained a First Down. Unfortunately, a Block In
The Back Penalty negated the First Down Play.
An
ensuing rush and a pass completion obtained a total of 3-Yards. On 3rd
Down and 9, the ball was on the 31-Yard Line. At the snap, the defense came
rushing through the Offensive Line. ECSU’s Defense was hunting down Mays. While
having to avoid the pressure, Mays ended up completing a 6-Yard Pass to Curtis
Jones (9:42). With 9:01 on the clock, CSU’s Offense was faced with a 4th
Down and 3. The team chose not to attempt a Field Goal. Instead, a play was
going to take place. Mays threw a pass. The pass was incomplete. The ball
slipped off of the intended receiver’s hands. Elizabeth City’s Offense took
over on its own 26-Yard Line. The Vikings was unable to move the ball forward.
A Sack caused yards to be lost. On 4th Down and 13 from the 22-Yard
Line, the Vikings had to Punt (7:32).
With
5:54 remaining in the 1st Quarter, Central State was faced with a 3rd
Down and 4 on its own 38-Yard Line. Moses Vines, Jr. proceeded to rush the
football. His 26-Yard Rush placed the ball on Elizabeth City’s 36-Yard Line. Mays
went on to throw an Incomplete Pass. He quickly regrouped. Mays completed
passes to both Meeks (7-Yards) and C. Jones (16-Yards). C. Jones’ reception got
the ball to Vikings’ 13-Yard Line. Two rushes (by Vines, Jr.) moved the ball to
the 4-Yard Line. On 3rd Down and 1, Mays took the ball into the end zone
(2:37). Trevor Teel’s Extra Point Kick was Good. By the score of 7-0, CSU leads
ECSU. On 1st Down and 10 from its own 33-Yard Line, Elizabeth City’s
Offense got moving. Gregory Bryan rushed the ball for 22-Yards (2:21). The ball
rested on Central State’s 45-Yard Line. Daquan Neal ended up completing
2-Passes to Deon Yarborough. A third pass was completed to Chase Byrum. That
play resulted in a 4-Yard Loss.
With
26.3 Seconds remaining in the 1st Quarter, Elizabeth City faced a 4th
Down and 14 on Central State’s 37-Yard Line. Fisher McInville had to Punt. At
the end of the 1st Quarter, CSU leads ECSU 7-0. As the 2nd
Quarter got underway, CSU’s Offense was on its own 19-Yard Line. At 14:52, Mays
completed a 24-Yard Pass to T. Jones. The ball ended up on the 43-Yard Line. A
False Start Penalty moved the ball back 5-Yards. On 3rd Down and 8
from the 45-Yard Line, Mays completed a pass to Meeks. After the play ended,
Elizabeth City’s Defense was penalized for Pass Interference (12:49). The ball
was moved to the Vikings’ 40-Yard Line. On 1st Down, Mays completed
a 10-Yard Pass to Nelson. Shortly thereafter, the Marauders’ Offense was
flagged for a False Start Violation (12:19). Once again, Central State lost
5-Yards. After an Incomplete Pass on 1st Down, Elizabeth City committed
a Personal Foul (11:53). For the Marauders’ Offense, that penalty resulted in a
15-Yard Gain (to the Vikings’ 20-Yard Line).
On
1st Down and 10, Nelson took the handoff. He fumbled the ball.
Fortunately, Nelson was able to recover his own fumble (11:48). The play
resulted in a 5-Yard Loss. On 3rd Down and 11 from Elizabeth City’s
21-Yard Line, Mays completed a 12-Yard Pass to Nelson. On 1st and
Goal, the Vikings was penalized for Illegal Substitution. ECSU’s mistake pushed
the ball to the 4-Yard Line. At 9:50, Mays kept the ball himself. To his
dismay, his rush lost 5-Yards. The ball was now back on the 9-Yard Line. On 3rd
Down and Goal, the Offensive Drive ended. Mays completed a Touchdown Pass to
Martell Clark (8:30). Teel’s Extra Point Kick was Good. Central State’s lead
now stood at 14-0. On 2nd Down and 10 from Elizabeth City’s own
25-Yard Line, Neal kept the ball himself. At the 36-Yard Line, he was tackled.
On 1st Down and 10, Gregory Bryan rushed the ball 64-Yards. When he
stopped running, Bryan was in the end zone (6:58). Joshua Laverty’s Extra Point
Kick was Good. Central State’s lead was now down to 7-Points (14-7).
Elizabeth
City soon had possession of the ball again. On 1st Down and 10,
Central State’s Offense was on its own 13-Yard Line. At the snap, Mays ended up
being sacked. During the process, the ball was fumbled. ECSU’s Defense
recovered the loose ball (6:45). The Vikings’ Offense took over possession on
the Marauders’ 6-Yard Line. On 2nd and Goal, Neal threw a pass.
CSU’s Javion Williams intercepted the pass (6:34). Before throwing the ball, Neal had dropped it.
He was able to regain possession. The game of HOT POTATO continued.
With 4:14 remaining in the First Half, Central State was faced with a 2nd
Down and 1 on its own 24-Yard Line. Mays threw a pass. That pass was
intercepted by Elizabeth City’s Jonathan Turnage. The ball rested on CSU’s
36-Yard Line. The Vikings struggled trying to move the ball. A False Start
Violation did nothing to help the situation. At the 2:25 mark, ECSU had a 4th
Down and 10 on CSU’s 36-Yard Line. The team chose not to attempt a Field Goal
or Punt the ball. Instead, the Vikings chose to run a play. The play did not go
anywhere. An Incomplete Pass was thrown.
The
Marauders proceeded to go three plays and out. On 4th Down, the team
was forced to Punt (1:13). Before the 2nd Quarter ended, Elizabeth
City was unable to score. At the end of the First Half, Central State leads
Elizabeth City State 14-7. When the Second Half started, ECSU made some
critical mistakes. The Vikings returned the kickoff for 37-Yards (from the
team’s own 11-Yard Line to the 48-Yard Line). A Block In The Back Penalty
negated the long Kickoff Return. Before the Vikings’ Offense got going, an Offside
Penalty was called against the offense. Elizabeth City was backed up on its own
6-Yard Line. After a botched snap took place, one of ECSU’s players was tackled
in the end zone. Central State’s Defense had obtained a Safety. Central State’s
lead became 16-7. On the ensuing kickoff, CSU’s Terraris Saffold took the ball
from the team’s 20-Yard Line to the 48-Yard Line. At 14:37, a Personal Foul was
called against Elizabeth City’s Gregory Bryan. In order to tackle Saffold,
Bryan had to make a Horse Collar Tackle.
After
the penalty, the ball rested on Elizabeth City’s 37-Yard Line. On 3rd
Down and 12 from the Vikings’ 39-Yard Line, Central State’s Meeks was
intercepted by ECSU’s BJ Harrington (13:54). Harrington was brought down on his
team’s 41-Yard Line. On 2nd Down and 10, Neal completed an 11-Yard
Pass to Davion Council. At 13:12, Neal completed another pass to Council. This
time, Council ended up obtaining 20-Yards. The ball was now on Central State’s
28-Yard Line. On 3rd Down and
7 from CSU’s 25-Yard Line, Neal completed an 8-Yard Pass to Deon Yarborough
(12:21). An ensuing Holding Penalty and a rush for a loss of yards both pushed
the ball back to CSU’s 34-Yard Line. On 2nd Down and 27, Navarro
Price completed a Touchdown Pass to SayQuan Holder (10:50). Holder was assisted
by CSU’s K’Jamus Sanders. In an attempt to either intercept the ball or knock
it down, Sanders had the ball bounce off his hands. Then, the ball landed in
Holder’s hands. Laverty’s Extra Point Kick was Good. By the score of 16-14,
ECSU trailed CSU.
On
the ensuing Kickoff Return, Central State’s Saffold took the ball from his
team’s 5-Yard Line to the 49-Yard Line (44-Yards). He almost broke free from
being tackled. Saffold’s good return led to nothing. With 9:22 on the
scoreboard, the Marauders had to Punt. From its own 22-Yard Line, Elizabeth
City’s Offense got started. On 2nd Down and 9 from the 23-Yard Line,
Bryan rushed the ball to the 33-Yard Line (8:30). On 2nd Down and 4
from the 39-Yard Line, Neal completed a 10-Yard Pass to Thomas McCaskill. At
7:22, Central State’s Defense was penalized for Pass Interference. That penalty
gave Elizabeth City a First Down on CSU’s 36-Yard Line. After Neal completed a
6-Yard Pass to Chase Byrum, the Vikings had 2nd Down and 4 on CSU’s
30-Yard Line. Victor Greene took the ball to CSU’s 21-Yard Line (6:48). On 1st
Down, Neal completed a 21-Yard Touchdown Pass to Brandon Flint (6:21). Flint
was wide-open. He had a clear path to the end zone. The Extra Point Kick was
Good. Finally, Elizabeth City had obtained its first lead. The Vikings lead the
Marauders 21-16.
At
5:19, Central State faced a 3rd Down and 1 from its own 45-Yard
Line. Nelson ran the ball to Elizabeth City’s 46-Yard Line. The Marauders soon
had to deal with another, critical 3rd Down Play. This time, the
Marauders faced a 3rd Down and 7 from the Vikings’ 43-Yard Line.
Mays completed a 9-Yard Pass to Martell Clark (3:07). When the next play took
place, the Marauders’ good fortunes came to an end. On 1st Down and
10 from the Vikings’ 34-Yard Line, Mays was intercepted by Elizabeth City’s
Harrington (2:30). Before throwing the interception, Mays had escaped a Sack. With
2:08 remaining in the 3rd Quarter, ECSU had a 3rd Down
and 11 on its own 11-Yard Line. Neal completed a 12-Yard Pass to Byrum. From
1:47 to 51.3 Seconds, penalties were a problem (for both teams). First, Central
State’s Defense committed an Offside Violation. Then, Elizabeth City’s Offense
was flagged for a Block In The Back Violation. Finally, Central State’s Defense
was penalized for Pass Interference. With 44.4 Seconds remaining in the 3rd
Quarter, ECSU had a 1st Down and 10 on its own 41-Yard Line. Neal
threw a deep pass downfield. The 41-Yard Completion to Holder placed the ball
on CSU’s 18-Yard Line.
With
30.5 Seconds remaining on the clock, Bryan took the ball to the 7-Yard Line. At
the end of the 3rd Quarter, Elizabeth City leads Central State
21-16. At 14:25 of the 4th Quarter, the Vikings’ Offense faced a 3rd
and Goal on the Marauders’ 5-Yard Line. Neal completed a Touchdown Pass to
Yarborough. The Extra Point Kick was Blocked. Regardless, Elizabeth City leads
Central State 27-16. After Central State received the ball back, its offense went
three plays and out. On 4th Down and 29 from its own 16-Yard Line,
CSU was forced to Punt. An ensuing Intentional Grounding Penalty did not deter
what ECSU’s Offense was trying to accomplish. At the 11:04 mark, the Vikings
faced a 2nd Down and 18 from its own 45-Yard Line. Neal completed a
50-Yard Pass to Yarborough. During the play, Yarborough beat Double Coverage.
Then, he dove for a spectacular-looking catch. The ball rested on Central
State’s 5-Yard Line. On 3rd Down and Goal from the 2-Yard Line, Neal
took the ball into the end zone. (9:29). The Extra Point Kick was Good.
Elizabeth City leads Central State 34-16.
After
the kickoff, Central State’s Offense started on its own 35-Yard Line. Led by
completions from Mays to C. Jones; Moses Vine, Jr.’s rushing; and Mays’
rushing, the ball ended up being moved to Elizabeth City’s 20-Yard Line. With
5:49 remaining in the game, CSU had a 3rd Down and 10 on ECSU’s
20-Yard Line. Mays completed a 12-Yard Pass to Darius Ford. After an Incomplete
Pass was thrown on 1st and Goal from the Vikings’ 8-Yard Line, ECSU
was flagged for Pass Interference. That penalty moved the ball to the 4-Yard
Line. At 5:14, ECSU’s Defense was penalized again. This time, a Personal Foul
had taken place. The ball was placed on the 2-Yard Line. After Nelson rushed
the ball twice, the ball ended up on the 1-Yard Line. On 3rd and
Goal, Mays rushed the football. He got nowhere. On 4th and Goal,
Mays rushed the ball again. This time, he dove into the end zone (3:26). The
Extra Point Kick was Good. Central State trails Elizabeth City 34-23.
On
the ensuing kickoff, Central State attempted an Onside Kick. The attempt was
successful. CSU’s Special Teams Unit recovered the loose ball. After Mays completed 1-Pass each to Nelson and
Clark, the Marauders had obtained 2-First Downs. Upon completing a 6-Yard Pass
to Clark, Mays then started utilizing his legs. With 2:27 on the clock, Mays
took the ball to Elizabeth City’s 24-Yard Line. On 2nd Down and 10,
Mays rushed again. This time, he ended up being tackled for a 14-Yard Loss
(1:54). On 4th Down and 24 from the 38-Yard Line, Central State had
no choice but to perform a play. At 1:01, Mays was Intercepted by BJ
Harrington. By the Final Score of 34-23, Elizabeth City State University went
on to defeat Central State University. Throughout the entire game, one thought
ran rapid throughout my mindset. “Finally, Central State University has found
an adequate Starting Quarterback!” That is how much Trent Mays
impressed me. In my story which will cover Central State’s next Home Game, I
will explain more.
No comments:
Post a Comment