SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. --  Junior quarterback Jeff Ziemba (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's) completed 18-of-30 passes for 219 yards and four touchdowns to lead Shepherd University to a 45-25 win over University of Charleston in MEC football action at Ram Stadium on Saturday. The game started over an hour late due to a lightning delay.

Shepherd improves to 2-0, 2-0 in MEC play, while Charleston falls to 1-1, 1-1.

Shepherd took a 7-0 lead when junior return specialist CJ Davis (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown) took the opening  kickoff, broke a pair of tackles, and raced 96 yards for a touchdown.  Senior kicker Ryan Earls (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island) added the extra point.

Charleston answered back when Jeremy Johnson teamed with Joey Augustin on 24-yard scoring pass with 9:52 left in the first quarter.  The extra point attempt by the Golden Eagles was unsuccessful.

Shepherd took a 14-6 lead when Ziemba teamed with junior wide receiver Tony Squirewell (Cheltenham, Md./Bishop McNamara) on an 18-yard scoring strike with 6:33 left in the first quarter.

The Golden Eagles got a 47-yard field goal from Brett Benes to cut the lead to 14-9.

Ziemba teamed with sophomore tight end Lue Sokoya (Columbia, Md./Long Reach) on a 13-yard scoring pass with 14:36 left in the second quarter to increase the lead to 21-9.

Earls connected on a 40-yard field goal with 11:31 left in the half to give the Rams a 24-9 advantage.

Johnson rambled 22 yards for a score with 7:04 left to make it 24-15. Charleston's two-point attempt pass was intercepted in the end zone.

Ziemba and Squirewell teamed on a 23-yard scoring pass with 4:04 remaining in the second quarter to give Shepherd a 31-15 lead at the break.

Ziemba teamed with junior wide receiver Billy Brown (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) on a 41-yard score to up the lead to 38-15.

Mason Olszewski scored on a four-yard run for Charleston with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 38-22.

Senior running back Allen Cross (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) scored on a five-yard run with 7:30 left in the game.

Benes completed the scoring with a 39-yard field goal with 5:14 left in the game.

Johnson completed 10-of-19 passes for 125 yards for the Golden Eagles.

Brown led the Shepherd receivers with six catches for 119 yards.  Squirewell added three catches for 532 yards. Augustin had six catches for 84 yards for the Golden Eagles.

Cross had 21 carries for 76 yards to lead the Rams. Tevion Cappe rushed for 61 yards on 11 carries for Charleston. 

Shepherd totaled 361 yards of total offense, while Charleston had 319. Shepherd rushed for 142 yards and Charleston totaled 135.

Sophomore linebacker James Gupton (Waldorf, Md./North Point) and junior linebacker Cameron Reynolds (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) each had seven tackles to pace the Shepherd defense. Jonte Pooler recorded seven tackles to lead the Golden Eagles.

The Rams return to action on Saturday when they travel to UVa-Wise for a 1 p.m. contest.