The Shaw Bears kept their record unblemished on the road, defeating the Albany State Golden Rams in a thrilling 43-40 win.
Shaw improves to 2-0 with the win, the first time the Bears have opened a season with consecutive wins since 2013.
Unconventional First Score
Shaw scored the first points in this game on a play that they may not want to replicate going forward.
Facing a 3rd and 16 in Albany State territory, Bears quarterback Christian Peters threw an interception to Albany State defensive back Aaron Dawson, with his momentum carrying him into the end zone.
Attempting to get out of the end zone, Dawson was tackled back, fumbled the ball, and recovered it. As a result, Shaw was awarded the safety, giving them a 2-0 lead.
Shaw’s Disastrous Third Quarter
Entering the third quarter, Shaw held a 16-7 lead and all the momentum after forcing an interception on their first drive of the second half.
From there, things began to unravel for the Bears as they surrendered touchdowns on three straight possessions to the Golden Rams.
The Albany State defense played terrifically during the period, limiting to eight yards on 11 plays. They forced three-and-outs on two of their three drives, with the other ending with an interception.
As a result, Albany State entered the fourth quarter with a 26-16 lead.
Christian Peters’ Epic Fourth Quarter
With everything going Albany State’s way in the third quarter, Shaw leaned on its senior quarterback to put them in a position to win the game.
Peters responded by throwing for 191 receptions in the quarter and scoring four touchdowns, including three passing touchdowns, to lead his team to a win.
His fourth-quarter passing total surpassed the 152 passing yards he recorded in Shaw’s season opener against Elizabeth City State.
QB Christian Peters school record SIXTH TD with 8 seconds left puts the Bears ahead for good. #ShawU | #BearWithUs | #W1NTHEDAY | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/0eQ8vwigDf
— Shaw Athletics (@ShawBears) September 8, 2024
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Peters ended the game with 322 passing yards, marking his career’s first 300-yard passing game.
Shaw For The Win
Trailing 40-37 with 23 seconds remaining in the game, Shaw had the ball facing 2nd-and-15 on their 28-yard line.
Looking to take a shot to the end zone, Peters could not find an open receiver while the pocket collapsed, forcing him to scramble.
Rolling out to his right, Peters found Ah’Shaan Belcher down the sideline, making a tough contested catch at the five-yard line.
Belcher finished the play, leaping over a receiver and finding the end zone to secure the game-winning touchdown.
