Livingstone won 42-13 at Virginia University at Lynchburg on Saturday afternoon in a game that was stopped by officials because of “excessive personal fouls.”
“It got a little out of hand at the end,” Livingstone coach Daryl Williams said. “But I was very pleased with the team’s performance today. We met the standard, and it’s a very big win for us going into recruiting and offseason conditioning.”
Livingstone finished 3-7, with all three wins on the road. That sounds like a modest achievement, but that’s as good as it’s been for the Blue Bears in a decade.
More steps forward are likely in the future. Williams was named officially as the Blue Bears’ head coach on Monday (story upcoming) and had the “interim head coach” label removed from his job title after a string of strong showings and near-misses in CIAA games. Livingstone was three plays from a 6-4 season, had a good Fayetteville State team on the ropes, and hung with nationally ranked Winston-Salem State for a half.
Drew Powell was on target for the Blue Bears on Saturday, throwing TD passes to Avery Collins and Anthony Holland and running for another TD. Powell was 15-for-25 passing for 275 yards.
Livingstone was balanced offensively, with Justin Forte rushing for 75 yards and a TD, Kemuel Brown contributing 60 yards, and Anthony Green adding 35 yards.
Livingstone marched to score the first time it had the ball and led 21-13 at halftime. Then it pulled away from the Dragons, who were celebrating homecoming, in the second half.
“We picked it up in the second half and our defense played very strong,” Williams said.
Livingstone’s defense scored twice on fumbles on scoop-and-scores. Freshman DB Daion Wise scored on a 42-yard return, while lineman Hillman Evans IV rumbled 65 yards to the end zone.
Junior linebacker Kenneth White capped a fine year with an interception.
“This was a double-double for me this week with being named head coach and then winning this game,” Williams said. “Credit the staff and the players with a great effort today and our administration for their support all season. Everybody is happy, and there’s a lot to look forward to.”