RALEIGH, N.C. (Oct. 14) – For the second straight week, Saint Augustine's University pulled out a hard-fought, satisfying football victory with late-game heroics.

Sam Boyd (Jr./St. Petersburg, FL) caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Demetrius Lewis (So./Columbia, SC) with 29 seconds left as the Falcons rallied to topple two-time defending CIAA champion Winston-Salem State University 17-14 before a capacity crowd of 2,478 at the George Williams Athletic Complex on Saturday.

The victory moved the Falcons (2-0 Southern Division, 3-1 CIAA, 3-4 overall) into a first-place tie with Fayetteville State University in the Southern Division, setting up a showdown between both teams next Saturday, Oct. 21, in Fayetteville, N.C., at 2 p.m. The Falcons won their first two division contests for the first time since 2010, when they last defeated the Rams. They also have handed the Rams two of their four division losses since Winston-Salem State re-joined the CIAA the same year.

After opening this season with three big non-conference losses, the Falcons have regrouped to win three out of four CIAA games. The Falcons own a two-game winning streak for the first time since 2013.

The Falcons knocked off a Rams' squad which has established itself as the CIAA's most dominant program in recent years, winning four CIAA titles and the last six Southern Division crowns. The Rams were gunning for their seventh straight division title this season, but the Falcons derailed the visitors at home with outstanding effort and execution.

"This was definitely a team effort," SAU Head Coach Tim Chavous said. "We couldn't do this without everybody doing their jobs, from the coaching staff to the players. This win goes to the whole team because everybody pulled together and played four quarters. It feels good!"

The win was reminiscent of last Saturday's 30-29 victory over Livingstone College when Sean Smith (R-Jr./Valdosta, GA) kicked a 23-yard field goal with eight seconds left. Just like last weekend, the Falcons scored on the final drive in the closing seconds.

The Falcons gained possession for one last chance at their 25-yard line with 3:07 left after Tray King stopped Rams' quarterback Rod Tinsley well short of the first down marker on fourth-and-19. Quarterback D.J. Johnson (Jr./Richmond, VA) engineered the Falcons past midfield but was injured on a 10-yard run. Lewis, who led the Falcons on the game-winning drive against Livingstone, took over and finished the march, completing 3-of-3 passes for 44 yards including a 35-yard pass to Lenwood Joyner (Sr./Miami, FL), which moved the Falcons deep into Rams' territory, and the game-clinching pass to Boyd.

The throw led Boyd to the back of the end zone, where the standout receiver leaped high and snagged the pass over a Rams' defender for the go-ahead score, his second touchdown of the day. Smith's extra point gave the Falcons a three-point lead as the Falcons' fans were in a frenzy.

Their cheering almost turned into hushed silence when a Rams' wide receiver got behind the Falcons' secondary with 25 seconds left. The home crowd let out a big sigh of relief when the ball slipped through the receiver's hands near the goal line for an incomplete pass. The Falcons won after a Hail Mary pass fell incomplete near the end zone on the final play, setting off a big and well-deserved celebration.

The dramatic contest started slowly in the first quarter as neither team scored. The Falcons struck first in the second quarter when Johnson, who missed last Saturday's game due to injury, found Boyd on a 13-yard hook-up for a touchdown in the second quarter. Smith kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead. The Rams (1-1 Southern Division, 2-2 CIAA, 4-3 overall) closed within one point on a 35-yard touchdown pass but the Falcons blocked the extra point to go into halftime leading 7-6.

The Rams gained a 14-7 lead in the third quarter after scoring on a short run and converting the two-point conversion but Smith's 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter sliced the Falcons' margin to 14-10, setting the stage for the thrilling conclusion.

Josh Glisson (Jr./Charlotte, NC) led the Falcons with 62 rushing yards and added 24 receiving yards on three catches. Joyner had three catches for 44 yards and Boyd finished with three receptions for 32 yards. Defensively, CIAA tackles leader James Hickman (Jr./Antioch, CA) tallied a game-high nine tackles including one sack and DaVaughn Taylor (Jr./Washington, DC) added eight tackles while Chasz Cosby (Sr./Charlotte, NC) totaled seven tackles. CIAA punting leader Jake Ford (So./Victoria, Australia) averaged 42.3 yards per punt.

For the Rams, Kerrion Moore gained 87 yards and Canard Brown caught 10 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. Kyrell Williamson led the Rams defense with seven tackles.