Richmond, Va. (November 4, 2023)- In a win or go home game, the Virginia State University football team (8-2, 6-2 CIAA) dropped the game to Virginia Union University (9-1, 7-1 CIAA). With the win VUU is now the CIAA North representative for the CIAA championship game against Fayetteville State. 

The Panthers were able to march down the field on their first drive five plays for them to score the first touchdown of the game with a 29-yard catch and run. The Trojans were abvle to get down into the redzone but had to settle for a field goal attempt, but it hit the left upright. During the drive Jordan Davis completed five of his six passes for 60 yards. 

It didn't take long though for VSU to regain possession as Willie Drew intercepted his sixth pass of the season at Union's 41-yard line to set up the offense. During Virginia State's second drive Davis found Malik Hunter and Tylique Ray for 13- and 16-yard catches respectfully to get VSU in VUU territory quickly. With a big fourth down early in the game at union's 27 the Trojans chose to go for it and the Panthers intercepted the ball in the endzone. 

The defense for both teams tightened up at the start of the second quarter as both teams were forced to punt multiple times after not crossing the 50-yard line. However, on the Panthers third drive of the quarter the Panthers connected on a 62-yard touchdown pass to go up by two score, 14-0. VSU answered with their own big play on the second play of the following drive, Davis found Roy Jackson III for a 68-yard catch and run that got the Trojans to the two-yard line. Two plays later Davis ran it in for a touchdown making it 14-7. 

The defense then forced the panthers to a three and out giving the VSU offense the ball with 4:37 left. They only needed 3:03 of that to score with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Hunter. The PAT attempt was then blocked and returned by the Panthers Raylyn Manley to make the score 16-13. With VUU getting the ball back with a minute and 21 seconds left they methodically moved down the field in little over a minute to go up by 10, 23-13, just before halftime. 

With just 24 seconds left on the clock, Ray and Lucas Nunez caught 18- and 13- yard completions after getting the ball on the 25-yard line after the kickoff.  Davis then rushed for six yards to get VSU into field goal range, VUU 38-yard line, with just two seconds remaining. However, the Trojans were unable to get the field goal unit on the field and went into halftime.  

In the third quarter VUU intercepted the pass on VSU first drive. After that they went on an eight-play drive and got their only score of the half to go up by 17 points, 30-13. Then on the third drive for the Trojans in the third quarter they only needed 54 seconds to get the deficit to 10 with a 43-yard catch and run for Jackson III. 

Then on the last drive of the third quarter, that moved into the beginning of the fourth quarter VSU used a 17-play drive that would see them get to seven-yard line, but the panthers defense tightened up and forced the Trojans back to the 22-yard line where the field goal was pushed wide left. The following panther drive only took little under 3 minutes, giving VSU the ball back at the 16-yard line. During the drive VSU got all the way down to the three-yard line. However again the Panthers yet again stiffened up forced the Trojans to try and settle for 3 points. However, the field goal attempt was once again missed to the left.