INSTITUTE, W.VA. – The Chowan University football team opened the 2026 season on the road Saturday afternoon, traveling to West Virginia State University for a non-conference matchup against the Yellow Jackets. The Hawks came out strong, quickly moving the ball down the field and reaching the end zone to score the game's opening touchdown.
Freshman kicker Riley Swanson, connected on a 47-yard field goal to tie the program record for the longest successful field goal. Chowan would add two more touchdowns as the Hawks continued to battle throughout the game. West Virginia State ultimately pulled away, earning a 56-24 victory over Chowan.
THE BASICS
FINAL | Chowan 24, West Virginia State 56
RECORDS | Chowan (0-1 ) | West Virginia State (1-0)
LOCATION | Institute, W.Va. (Lakin-Ray Field at Dickerson Stadium )
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Offense:
Tyler Adkins completed 12 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown through the air. Running back Treshawn Blair also completed a 10-yard pass on a trick play to add to the Hawks' offensive production.
Blair led the rushing attack with 56 yards and a touchdown, including a long run of 26 yards. Timothy Baker Jr. added 38 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Adkins contributed 29 yards on the ground.
Amir Alexander turned in a career-high performance, recording 130 receiving yards on five receptions with a long reception of 38 yards. Dezmond Randolph added two receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown. Key totaled 29 receiving yards, while Terrell Jackson followed with 27 yards, including a long reception of 23 yards.
Defense:
Darian Whitaker led the Hawks defensively with a career-high 10 tackles, recording four solo tackles and six assisted tackles. Whitaker also added two sacks, totaling 13 yards in losses.
Cameron Richardson finished with eight tackles, including four solo and four assisted, while also recording a pass breakup. Greg Lott totaled seven tackles, with three solo and four assisted, and added a tackle for loss of two yards.
Darryl Harris recorded five tackles, while Howell finished with four. Justin Taylor, Allen Sieni, Jylon Council, Leland Beckford, and Jayden Acevedo each recorded three tackles.
Special Teams:
Laurence Wallace handled the punting duties for the Hawks, recording six punts for 226 yards and averaging 37.7 yards per punt. His longest punt of the afternoon traveled 50 yards.
Freshman kicker Riley Swanson connected on a 47-yard field goal, tying the program record for the longest successful field goal, a mark that had stood for five years.
Marcus Baker led the Hawks in kickoff returns with two returns for 38 yards, while Khamani Barnes added one return for 23 yards. Antwone Godley recorded two kickoff returns for 20 yards and added one punt return for nine yards.
UP NEXT
The Hawks will hit the road on Saturday, September 5, traveling to Wise, Virginia, to take on the University of Virginia's College at Wise Cavaliers in a non-conference matchup. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM. Fans can follow the action throughout the afternoon at GoCUHawks.com, where live stats and the live stream will be available.
