WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Chowan University is set to open CIAA play this weekend at undefeated Winston-Salem State University on Saturday. Kick off for Saturday's CIAA gridiron match up is slated for 6:00pm at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. This will be the first match up for these two teams in program history. Winston-Salem is re-joining the CIAA ranks after spending six seasons at the NCAA DI level. The Hawks have suffered big on the road thus far in 2010 with losses at Lenoir-Rhyne and The Citadel. This game will be no easy foe for Chowan as the Rams are coming back-to-back wins over established DI programs in North Carolina A & T and North Carolina Central. They opened the season with a 47-13 win over Virginia Union University. 

After an open week, the Hawks and Head Coach Tim Place have had time to rest up and revisit their schemes for conference play. Place saw some light with freshman quarterback Cameron Stover under center at The Citadel after he passed for 240 yards and a touchdown. But the rookie quarterback was injured in the game, putting Place and his staff back to the drawing board with their play books. This week against the Rams, another freshman, Ryan Simpson,  will get a chance to take snaps and hopefully serve as a catalyst to kickstart Chowan's offense. 

Fans can follow the game via live stats by logging on to the GAME DAY CENTRAL button on the athletics website.

Winston-Salem State, originally Winston-Salem Teachers College, returns to the CIAA with 61 years of membership in tow. During the Rams' tenure the school earned an NCAA National Men's Basketball Championship (1967) and racked-up numerous conference championships in men's basketball (10), football (8) and outdoor men's track & field (2).