Shaw QB Silas Cruse

 

Staff report

SALISBURY — Livingstone’s football team will celebrate homecoming on Saturday when Shaw visits.

Kickoff on the blue turf at Alumni Memorial Stadium is at 1:30 p.m.

One of Shaw’s quarterbacks is Silas Cruse, who was Livingstone’s starting QB as a freshman last season before exiting through the transfer portal.

So it will be a homecoming of sorts for him.

Cruse is big (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and has a strong arm. He passed for 192 yards last week in a loss to Winston-Salem State.

Cruse and Patrick Blake have shared taking the snaps for Shaw this season. Cruse has thrown for more yards (696), but Blake owns the higher quarterback rating. Blake has more touchdown passes and fewer interceptions.

Livingstone probably will see both and will be prepared for both.

Shaw is favored by 7 points by the Massey Ratings, although the teams look as even as any teams can be.

Livingstone scores about 1.5 points more per game than Shaw and also allows about 1.5 more. Neither team has put up scintillating numbers for the season, although Livingstone has made some strides in the last month.

The teams have identical records. Both are 2-5 overall, 2-3 in the league and 1-1 in the division.

Shaw’s CIAA victories came against Johnson C. Smith and Elizabeth City State. Livingstone has beaten Bowie State and Winston-Salem State.

Livingstone had the lead in the fourth quarter against CIAA champ Fayetteville State last week before losing 19-14. It was a loss, but an encouraging loss.

Winston-Salem State smacked Shaw soundly last Saturday and did it at Shaw, so there are a lot of reasons to think Livingstone can give fans a homecoming victory to celebrate.

But Shaw has won the last five meetings with the Blue Bears. Shaw won 28-14 in Raleigh last season.

Livingstone’s most recent triumph in the series came in 2016 in Salisbury.