Box Score MURFREESBORO - The Chowan University football team picked up their first win of season this afternoon after beating Virginia Union University 35-34 in CIAA gridiron action. Playing in their first-ever televised event, Chowan held on to the one point win despite a late surge by the Panthers. Chowan's Robert Holland hauled in 11 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns to help propel his team to victory. The Hawks improve their overall record to 1-4 and their CIAA record to 1-1. The Panthers fall to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the league after today. 

Chowan collected 345 yards of total offense  in the game with 234 yards coming through the air. Chowan's Steven Carroll came in for relief of starter Cameron Stover to throw for 183 yards on 19 completions. Carroll also threw three of today's four touchdowns. Stover, still nursing a shoulder injury, left the game in the second quarter but completed six passes for 51 yards and hooked up with Holland to put Chowan on the board in the first quarter. 

Holland and Stover got Chowan an early 6-0 lead after hooking up for a ten yard touchdown pass at the 7:06 mark of the first quarter. Derek Embree cleared the uprights for a 7-0 lead. Virginia Union answered late in the second quarter after Jerell Washington ran one to paydirt from 39 yards out. Martin House knotted the game after kicking the extra point. 

Chowan got a big play out of Tony Goodman when on the Hawks next possession he took a VUU punt 67 yards to paydirt with :41 to play in the first half. Embree split the uprights to give Chowan a 14-7 lead heading into the halftime break. 

The Hawks and the Panthers exchanged touchdowns in the third quater with Carroll hitting Eddie Coard and Holland. 

The fourth quarter proved to be exciting as the Panthers erased a 14 point deficit in under two minutes to play in the game. The Panthers' Andre Winston capped off a seven play, 60 yard drive with a touchdown catch from Cheston Hickman to cut the Chowan lead to 35-28 with 1:22 to play. The Panthers attempted an onside kick and came up with the ball. Hickman then guided his team down field 64 yards where he connected with Winson with :21 to go in the game. Stephen Velasquez came in to attempt the tie with the extra point kick and missed it wide right and the Hawks came away with the 35-34 win. 

Defensively for Chowan Dekarion Desamme had a team high eight tackles, seven of those were solo. He also had a sack and a pass break up in the game. Marcus Johnson and Gatlin Williams each had seven tackles. Anthony Hooks had his second consecutive game with two interceptions. He picked off two passes for 39 yards and had six tackles. 

Virginia Union amassed 397 yards of offense today with 215 of those coming on the ground. Washingon ended the day with 166 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. Hickman passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns on 13 of 38 passes. 

Chowan will host Lincoln University on Saturday, October 9th for Homecoming. Kick off is set for 6:00pm. The Panthers will travel to Elizabeth City State University next Saturday for a 1:00pm kick off.