Rocky Mount, N.C. - The Salisbury University football team picked up a 28-10 win over homestanding N.C. Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon in Rocky Mount. The Sea Gulls out-scored the Bishops 21-7 in the second half en route to their first victory of the season.

Trailing 21-3 after a pair of SU third quarter touchdowns, sophomore quarterback Robbie Lanier capped a 6-play, 60-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter. The Bishops' Elzia Silver proceeded to pick off SU's Joey Jones on Gulls' next possession, and Lanier quickly got NCWC back in the red zone with completions to freshman Marckenson Voltaire and senior Greg Edwards, the latter going for 44 yards down the left sideline.  

On 1st-and-10, freshman Elgin Counts tallied his second 8-yard run of the drive to put the Bishops on the SU 7-yardline.  Unfortunately, the drive stalled there as Counts was dropped for a loss of two on the Bishops' next play, which was followed by a Lanier interception at the SU 3-yardline. Instead of a 21-17 score with the promise of an exciting finish, Wesleyan watched as Jones took the Gulls the other way for a 28-10 final, thanks to a clock-draining 97-yard drive that was capped by a J.D. Hooks 19-yard scamper.

The Bishops had gotten on the board first in the opening quarter, forcing a 3-and-out on Salisbury's initial possession and then driving 53 yards to set up a 23-yard field goal by freshman Chris Richardson.  SU answered with its only score of the first half thanks to a 47-yard kickoff return by Jerome Johnson that gave the Gulls great field position. Johnson later rushed for the score from six yards out.

Lanier finished 11-of-21 for 172 yards and three picks, while Counts racked up 78 yards on the ground. Freshman widout Malik Adams caught four passes for 74 yards, followed closely by Edwards with three catches for 70.

Defensively, the Bishops held Salisbury to 353 yards of total offense, 245 by way of the run. Freshmen Rocky Carlisle and Corban Tanner recorded eight stops apiece, with senior Macdonald Payoute tallying NCWC's lone sack.

For Salisbury, Hook anchored a balanced ground attack with a team-high 65 rushing yards, while Jeremy Keith came up big with four sacks defensively.

Wesleyan (0-3) opens up USA South play next Saturday at Averett University. Kickoff is slated for 1:00pm in Danville, Va.