By Nick Bowton
nbowton@salisburypost.com
Livingstone’s lofty goals for a CIAA championship and trip to the Pioneer Bowl hinge on the Blue Bears’ game today against Shaw ó the defending conference champ and statistically perhaps the best team in the conference this season.
Shaw (5-3, 4-1) leads the CIAA in total offense and total defense, is second in scoring offense at 36.8 points per game and has plenty of depth on both sides of the ball.
“Shaw will come out with four, five wide receivers, they’ll play 11 different offensive linemen, they play 21/2 quarterbacks,” Livingstone coach Lamonte Massie said. “They spread the wealth across the board on offense and on defense.
“They are still the conference champions, and we have got to be ready for them.”
Livingstone (3-5, 3-2) will have to be ready for such players as Raymond Williams, who’s second in the CIAA in all-purpose yards per game and fourth in rushing. And quarterbacks Travis Robinson (fourth in passing yards per game) and Julius Gregory (second in passing efficiency). In fact, Shaw occupies three of the top eight spots in quarterback efficiency.
And defensively, Martell Braxton is tied for second in the CIAA with six sacks, while Shaw leads the conference with 25.
Still, Massie put a positive spin on Livingstone’s chances. If the Blue Bears win, they’ll have a game against Fayetteville State to determine to the CIAA Western Division champ next week. If they lose, their shot at a conference title will be officially over.
“If the Livingstone team is to show up, the one that technically is undefeated ó and I mean that in a way that we beat ourselves, so our losses we really put on ourselves ó if the team I know is existing in our program shows up, Shaw’s going to have a very, very challenging day,” Massie said. “We’re looking forward to it.”