CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charleston dropped a close game to the #4 ranked Shepherd University Rams at University of Charleston Stadium by a 38-22 score Thursday evening.
 
The Golden Eagles and Rams were tangled in a tie game heading into the final quarter but Shepherd took advantage of some Charleston miscues to score 16 unanswered points in route to their victory in the Mountain East Conference Thursday Night Game of the Week.   The loss drops UC to 0-2 on the season and winless in the MEC while the Rams improved to 2-0 on the young season.
 
Shepherd took opening kick down for a short field goal to begin the scoring, but the Golden Eagles scored a pair of TD's on runs by Tevion Cappe and Marvin Elam to secure a 14-3 lead in the second quarter.   The Rams responded before the half as quarterback Jeff Ziemba connected with Billy Brown twice to take a slim 16-14 lead into the break.
 
The Rams took a two-score lead early in the third when Ziemba threw his third touchdown of the evening, this time connecting with C.J. Davis on a 45-yard TD catch and run.  Charleston wouldn't go quietly into the night, tying the game at 22-22 following a Mason Olszewski to D'Andre Brooks 46-yard TD and a little razzle-dazzle 2-point conversion where Blaine Stewart found longsnapper Ryan Gamber in the endzone on a trick play.
 
UC couldn't keep the momentum rolling into the final 15 minutes as they saw the visiting Rams seize final control of the game and leave Charleston with a hard-earned 16-point over the Golden Eagles.
 
Charleston gets a few extra days to prepare for their road game at Glenville next Saturday.