CARY – Shaw is guaranteed a winning season for the first time since 1970.  And Shaw wins its second-straight homecoming.

It was a battle of the two best offenses and two best quarterbacks in the CIAA.  Kevin Jones, the senior, came into the game leading the CIAA in passing yards and total offense.  Jermonty Kimbrough came in second in both categories.  The day belonged to Kimbrough.

Kimbrough racked up 439 yards of total offense with three touchdowns as Shaw beat Virginia State 28-17 before a crowd of 6,104 at Trojan Stadium.

Shaw (6-3, 4-3) got the first two scores of the game as Kimbrough found Travis Wells for a seven-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 first quarter lead.  In the second quarter David Coleman recovered a Jones fumble and Shaw started first and 10 from the Trojan 18.  Three plays later, Kimbrough found Terrance Ford for a 19-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.  On the Trojans (4-5, 2-4) ensuing possession Jones completed a 51-yard pass to Jerome Jeter down to the Shaw 5. Two plays later Jones’ pass found Daniel Hamlet in the endzone for the touchdown and the Shaw lead was 14-7.  Late in the second quarter P.J. Berry returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown and the score was tied 14-14 at halftime.

Shaw opened up the second half with a 15-play-76 yard drive that culminated in Kimbrough’s third touchdown pass of the day, this time a six-yarder to Byron Cary and Shaw held the lead for good at 21-14.  The Trojans would add a Muse Conteh 30-yard field goal late in the third quarter to cut its deficit to 21-17.  On its next three possessions, Virginia State would punt and throw two interceptions, one picked off by Shawn Woodard, his NCAA leading ninth of the season and one by Khaleel Sutherland.

Kimbrough completed 27-of-46 passes for 323 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and rushed for 15 times for 116 yards, his first 100-yard rushing game of his collegiate career.  The Bears amassed 524 yards of total offense.  But more impressively was the Bear defense, which had perhaps its best overall game of the season. Jones was 15-of-31 for 142 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.  The Trojans gained 204 yards of total offense.

The Bears last game of the season will be next Saturday at Webber International at 1:00 p.m.

Note: The O’Jays performed at halftime of the game and Shaw University Chairman of the Board of Trustees donated $200,000 to the school.