Mobile, AL - It was a game between an upstart and a well established program.

The Shaw football team in only its third season of football won the CIAA Championship against Fayetteville State on November 6 and represented the CIAA in Pioneer Bowl VII.  Meanwhile, Tuskegee came into the game as the SIAC representative and is the all-time winningest black college football program and the third winningest program all-time in NCAA Division II.

Shaw came in as the only CIAA team to beat an opponent from the SIAC having dedeated Kentucky State 34-28 back on October 30.  The Bears made it two wins over an SIAC as they defeated Tuskegee 30-28 at Ladd Peebles Stadium.  For the Bears it was their first post season bowl victory and it was the first time a CIAA opponent won the Pioneer Bowl since Winston-Salem defeated these same Golden Tigers in 1999.  

Shaw (10-2) started the scoring first as full back Terrance Ford scored on a seven-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.  Tuskegee answered back early in the second quarter as Lawrence Ervin scored on a two-yard run to tie the score at 7-7.  Shaw would extend would score two-straight touchdowns as Jermonty Kimbrough found Mark Bransom for a 16-yard touchdown pass and a 14-7 Shaw lead.  Late in the quarter, Chris Peavy forced a Lamont Finnie fumble and A.J. McDonald recovered on the run and ran 25 yards before pitching it back to free safety Torrance Nunnally who took it 40 yards for a score as the Bears led 21-7.

But Tuskegee (10-2) would get a Travis Gumbs field goal with 10 seconds remaining at the half and trailed 21=10 at halftime.  The Golden Tigers would add to the field goal with 18 unanswered points in the third concluding with a Ramon Nickerson blocked punt, which he recovered in the end zone for a touchdown with 3:35 remaining in the third and Tuskegee led 28-21.  On the Bears ensuing possession Dwayne Parker forced a Kimbrough fumble and Johnny Williams recovered for the Golden Tigers giving the Golden Tigers the ball.  Tuskegee decided to go for the jugular and throw the ball deep, but Kevin Huff' pass was intercepted by Torrance Nunnally and the Bears were back in business.  

Shaw then continued to use its ground attack which was effective throughout the course of the game.  Dion McIver rushed for 17 yards.  Kimbrough then rushed for 21 yards.  McIver's next two rushes netted 15 yards and a Shaw first down entering the fourth quarter.  Two plays later Kimbrough found Damon Harrison in the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown, but the extra point attempt was missed and Shaw trailed 28-27.  The Bear defense came up big holding the Golden Tigers to a three-and-out.  Shaw continued to move the ball as McIver's 26-yard run helped to set up Chester Charles' 30-yard field goal with 8:47 remaining.  

Tuskegee had one more chance to win as the got the ball with 1:54 remaining.  Huff completed a pass 14 yards to Kenneth Robinson.  An A.J. McDonald tackle on Lamont Finnie backed the Golden Tigers up five yards and Huff's pass to Henderson to went incomplete.  On third and 25 Huff found Calvin Russell for a 29-yard catch and a Tuskegee first down.  Two-straight incompletions set up a third and 10.  Huff then completed a six-yard pass to Sajason Finley, even though it appeared that Shaw stopped the forward progress of Huff which would have been a sack for the Bears and a fourth and long for Tuskegee.  On fourth and four Huff's pass was tipped by Nunnally and intercepted by Marlon Jones who ran it back 54 yards and ran out the clock.

McIver finished with 21 carries for 123 yards, his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season, taking game MVP honors.  Kimbrough, playing in front of his hometown crowd as named Shaw's MVP as he completed four passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.  Shaw racked up 378 yards of total offense and the Bear defense, ranked number one in the nation, held the Golden Tiger offense, which averages nearly 400 yards of total offense per game, to 271 yards.  

Shaw ends the season with a seven-game winning streak and ties the record for the most wins in school history.  The last time Shaw won 10 games was in 1947 when it finished 10-0, won the CIAA Championship and were named Black College National Champions.