Staff report

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Sophomore quarterback Drew Powell accounted for four touchdowns, and Livingstone’s defense made more progress in a convincing 35-7 CIAA win at Lincoln on Saturday afternoon.
“Drew played like a player of the year today,” Livingstone coach Daryl Williams said. “He was very efficient.”
Powell was able to be efficient — 16-for-22 passing for 219 yards — because Livingstone ran the ball 54 times for 215 yards. Justin Forte rushed for 134 yards and scored a touchdown.
“We got back to our offensive form of last year, and our defense and special teams met the standard,” Williams said. “It was an outstanding performance by everyone — players, coaches, trainers and managers. We ran the ball well and we played good defense, and at the end of the day, you have to do those two things to win. We know we have to get a lot better, and it’s still very early in the process, but the process is working.”
There’s no longer any doubt about that.
Livingstone is 2-2 after four games for the first time since 1999.
“Most years, it’s usually been 0-4 for Livingstone after four games,” Williams said. “I took the gameball from this one myself for the first CIAA win.”
Livingstone scored the first time it had the ball, with Powell capping a nice drive with a 3-yard scoring run.
Powell’s 46-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Holland and an 11-yard scoring burst by Forte gave the Blue Bears a 21-0 lead.
Lincoln (1-3) was able to cut its defict to 21-7 at the break.
The pivotal point in the game came when Lincoln drove to the shadow of the Livingstone goal line in the third quarter with a chance to get within 21-14. Trevor Stuart’s fumble recovery stopped the Lions at the LC 2.
“I rode the defensive line hard all week to get more sacks and to get more penetration,” Williams said. “I have to give those guys credit for stepping up and playing today. They came up big with that turnover.”
After the turnover, Powell led the Blue Bears on a 98-yard scoring drive that he finished with a touchdown pass to Miles Harris. That long march was a backbreaker for the home team.
“Our offensive line grew up a lot on that drive,” Williams said.
Powell’s third TD pass, a strike to Rodney Brown in the fourth quarter, added the exclamation point to the road victory.
“We’re not talking about winning as much as much as we’re talking about doing things right,” Williams said. “If you do things right, the wins will come.”
Livingstone’s band made the trip north and had plenty of opportunities to get loud.
“It was added support, and we were grateful the band was there,” Williams said. “Every time we scored, I could hear them play. That was a great feeling.”
After two long, successful road trips, the Blue Bears are home next Saturday against Virginia Union at 1 p.m.