SALISBURY – Livingstone overcame an early deficit to defeat Elizabeth City State 23-17 in a closely contested game that featured identical offensive outputs from both teams.
The Vikings struck first with Riley Higgins connecting on a 30-yard field goal in the opening quarter. Livingstone responded in the second quarter when Christopher Garrett found Chris Washington for a 14-yard touchdown pass, giving the Blue Bears a 7-3 lead.
Elizabeth City State reclaimed the advantage before halftime as quarterback Damarcus Creecy connected with Terrance Holland on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Creecy extended the Vikings' lead to 17-7 early in the third quarter with a 25-yard touchdown run.
The Blue Bears mounted their comeback behind running back Calvin Scott, who broke free for a 39-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17-14. Livingstone took the lead for good in the fourth quarter when quarterback Zorian Wallace hit Hezekiah Massey for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Jason Zapata added insurance with a 49-yard field goal to secure the victory.
Both teams finished with identical offensive totals of 277 yards, including 140 yards rushing and 137 yards passing. Mohamed Nyanamukenga led Livingstone's ground attack with 105 yards on 23 carries, while Zechariah Adams-Duckson paced the Vikings with 56 yards on 10 attempts.
The game was marked by penalties, with Elizabeth City State flagged 13 times for 102 yards and Livingstone seven times for 83 yards. The Blue Bears controlled the clock, holding possession for nearly 34 minutes compared to about 26 minutes for the Vikings.
Defensively, Elizabeth City State's Jonari Carroll led all tacklers with seven total tackles, including one for loss. The Vikings generated consistent pressure, sacking Wallace once and hurrying him multiple times.
Up Next
Livingstone (4-2, 2-1) is celebrating Homecoming with a matchup against Fayetteville State while Elizabeth City State (2-3, 0-2) travels to take on Virginia Union.
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