DURHAM –  The “dynamic duo” of Chowan University football players Bryce Witt and Tyrell Freeman became the first pair to ever rush for 100-plus yards in a single contest, helping cap off a special season with a 47-27 non-conference win here Thursday night against Shaw University. The victory gave the Hawks their third winning season (6-4) in the past four years.

Freeman finished with 195 yards and two touchdowns while Witt tallied 128 yards on the ground and became the first quarterback for Chowan to rush for three touchdowns.

Witt broke the single season passing touchdown record on his first touchdown pass of the night and finished with 228 yards in the game and 27 passing touchdowns on the year. Paul Gooden caught three passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Tyler Bembry closed out his college career leading the Hawks with six total tackles including three for loss.  Jacquae Peart and Reggie Lee tallied a sack each in the win.  Connor O’Brien picked off a pass, while Antonio Hines and George Parker registered a fumble recovery.

Chowan tallied the second most rushing touchdowns in a single game with six; the most since Chowan scored seven times on the ground against Lincoln in 2014.

After Shaw scored on their opening possession, Witt started the Hawks’ first drive connecting with Paul Gooden on a 33 yard pass to even the score early at 7-all.

After another Bears’ TD, Freeman started the second drive with a strong run before Witt would take it himself on a 10-yard scamper for a score, but the Hawks would miss the PAT to trail 14-13.

Freeman and Witt continued their strong play as Freeman ground out more yardage before Witt called his own number again, this time from five-yards out to give the Hawks a 20-14 advantage early in the second quarter.

Bembry, Peart, and Arrington Bazemore kept the Bears out of the end zone along with a pass break up by O’Brien. Lee would break through the line for the sack as Antonio Hines recovers the fumble. But there’d be no more scoring in the half and Chowan carried their six-point lead into the mid-break.

On the first drive of the second half, Witt would collect his third rushing touchdown and extend the lead to 27-14.

The Bears would answer to cut into the Hawks’ lead 27-21, but Chowan would push the lead back to double-figures on a one-yard plunge by Freeman, 34-21.

Shaw answered on their next drive to once again cut the deficit to a touchdown, 34-27, by the end of the third quarter.

Witt started the first fourth quarter drive with 31 yards on three carries before Watkins took an end-around from four yards out for the score, 40-27.

Then in the final minutes, Freeman and Witt rushed the ball down the field as before Freeman took it in from five-yards out to push the advantage to 47-27 with 1:10 remaining, and that’s how it ended.