Chesson ended the contest as the games’ leading ground gainer with 95 yards on 19 carries. Hall completed 11-of-14 passes for 94 yards while junior Lansana Sesay (Bowie, Md.) had a team-high four receptions for 46 yards and senior Kerrick Pollock (Miami, Fla.) caught two passes for 35 yards.
Tops on defense for Bowie State were sophomores William Flowers, III (Baltimore, Md.) and Tommar Phillips (Lanham, Md.) along with senior Johnny Littlejohn (Silver Spring, Md.) with five tackles each.
Rod Tinsley led the Winston-Salem State offense with 100 passing yards, completing 16-of-29 (one interception). Tinley also led the Rams with 65 rushing yards on eight carries. The Rams were led on defense by Jarell Bright with a game-high 14 tackles.
“Our guys played with a lot of energy throughout the game and that’s what it’s going to take to win ball games in this conference”, said Bowie State head coach Damon Wilson.
Bowie State drew first blood at the 1:15 mark of the first quarter when Chesson rushed for a two-yard score. Sophomore Gene Carson (Accokeek, Md.) added the extra point for a 7-0 advantage.
Carson booted a 36-yard field goal with 3:01 left in the second quarter to give visiting Bowie State a 10-0 lead.
Chesson scored his second touchdown of the afternoon, this time from 19 yards out at the 11:49 mark of the third quarter to take a 17-0 advantage. Hall punched it in from three yards out with 4:33 left in the third to push the Bowie State lead to 24-0
Tinsley to Walton for a 5-yard score with six seconds left in the third quarter.
Bowie State junior Taylor Johnson (Washington, D.C.) scooped up a Winston-Salem State fumbled and rumbled 85 yards in the other direction, extending the Bulldogs lead to 31-7 with 6:48 remaining in the game.
Winston-Salem State’s Kerrion Moore scampered around the left side to score from five yards with 5:54 left on the Bowman Gray Stadium scoreboard, but the Rams trailed 31-13.
The Bulldogs early season travels continue next Saturday (Sept. 16) as Bowie State takes on the Falcons of Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh (N.C.). Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at SAU’s George Williams Complex.
