SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Third-ranked Shepherd forced four Fairmont State turnovers and outscored the Falcons 17-7 in the second half to give the Rams a 27-17 victory over No. 17 FSU on Saturday afternoon in front of a record-setting crowd at Ram Stadium in Shepherdstown.
 
Today's announced attendance of 6,751 tops the stadium record that was set during last season's national semifinal against Grand Valley State (6,496).
 
FSU slips to 9-1 overall and 8-1 in the Mountain East Conference and will now prepare for a Thursday night showdown with Glenville State in the 2016 edition of the 'Battle of the Bit.' Shepherd improves to 9-0 both overall and in the MEC and clinched at least a share of the conference championship for the third time in the league's four-year history.
 
Shepherd came out of the gate firing following a 47-yard kickoff return by CJ Davis. On the second play of the first offensive possession for the Rams, Jeff Ziemba found Wanya Allen for a 21-yard touchdown strike.
 
The Falcons got on the board on the next possession, capping a 10-play, 64-yard drive with a 23-yard field goal from Sam Keil.
 
Shepherd stretched its lead back to 10 early in the second quarter on a 39-yard field goal from Zach Wise.
 
The Falcons got into the end zone at the 6:21 mark of the second quarter when Cooper Hibbs found Jeff Iweh from nine-yard away to cap an 11-play, 85-yard drive in just over five minutes.
 
At the 10:31 mark of the third quarter, the Shepherd defense broke the tie game when Jared Austin jumped in front of Hibbs' pass and returned it 17-yards for a pick-six, giving Shepherd a seven-point advantage.
 
Follow a missed field goal on the next FSU possession; Ziemba led an 80-yard scoring march for the Rams, which ended with a three-yard touchdown pass to Billy Brown.
 
Trailing by 14, Hibbs and the FSU offense struck fast with a 74-yard touchdown pass to cut the Ram lead back to seven at the 2:49 mark of the third.
 
After 21 points being scored in the third quarter, Shepherd's Wise wrapped up the low-scoring fourth quarter with a 30-yard field goal at the 4:43 mark to stretch the Ram margin back to two possessions. Shepherd's final scoring drive was aided by 30-yards in FSU penalties on a sack that would have made it fourth-and-a-mile for the Ram offense.
 
The Rams maintained the final margin of 27-17 late in the game when a bad snap on a Fairmont State field goal attempt led to a pass attempt and an interception by the Rams
 
Hibbs finished the day 25-of-53 for 322 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Hibbs was also picked off twice and sacked seven times, all of which came in the second half of the game.
 
The Falcons once again struggled in the run game on the afternoon, totaling 65 yards on 22 carries. Terrell Charles led the FSU rushing attack with 10 carries for 57 yards.
 
King recorded his second-consecutive, 100-yard performance by hauling in eight receptions for 148 yards and a score. The Falcons also got six receptions for 42 yards from Fabian Guerra and four receptions for 66 yards from Andre Hall.
 
For the game, the FSU offense outgained Shepherd 387-304. Both teams totaled over 100 yards in penalties on the afternoon.
 
Ziemba ended his day going 14-of-25 for 192 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Brown led all SU receivers with a team-high five receptions for 49 yards and a score. Shepherd also got 55 yards receiving from both Davis and Jamie Deason.
 
Deonte Glover led the Shepherd rushing attack with 12 carries for 90 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
 
Marcus Porter recorded a team-high 11 tackles for the Falcons, including eight solo stops to lead the FSU defense. Quincy Redmon also added six total stops and a pair of sacks. This afternoon was the first game this season that the FSU defense failed to force a turnover.
 
James Gupton, Tre Anderson and Octavius Thomas all recorded six tackles apiece for the Shepherd defense, with Gupton and Thomas adding interceptions. Myles Humphrey also chipped in four solo stops, three of which were sacks, and forced and recovered a fumble.