Johnson C Smith remains unbeaten after thrilling win over Virginia State in HBCU clash
The Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls’ historic season continued Saturday, as they moved to 6-0 for the first time since 1969 following a 21-17 win over the Virginia State Trojans.
“I can’t put it into perspective,” JCSU head coach Maurice Flowers said when asked about what it means to be 6-0. “I feel like I’m still in coach mode, so it’s hard to try and put it in perspective. I will say I am happy to be undefeated in the CIAA, and I’m excited we’re at the bye week so that we can get some guys healthy, and so that we can clean some things up.”
The Golden Bulls and Trojans were locked in a largely defensive battle to start the game. The teams exchanged punts for most of the first quarter, with neither building much momentum. Both sides also turned the ball over, with JCSU losing the ball on a fumble on its opening drive.
The Golden Bulls did find an opening near the end of the quarter, with a long pass setting them up in the red zone. One play later, Quavaris Crouch punched in the first touchdown of the afternoon, carrying several Trojans along with him.
The game went back to defensive gridlock for the rest of the half. The Golden Bulls took a 7-0 lead into the locker room, but coming out of the half what looked to be a defensive battle quickly evolved into a shootout.
Virginia State delivered the opening shot of the second half as Trojans quarterback Romeo Williams found Malik Hunter on a 54-yard shot to even up the score. The Golden Bulls answered back quickly with a long touchdown, as quarterback Darius Ocean linked up with Brevin Caldwell to retake the lead.
The Trojans took advantage of busted coverage on the next play, which set them up at the Golden Bulls’ 20. Following a short run, sophomore receiver TayShaun Porter hauled in the score to tie the game back up 14-14.
The tie wouldn’t hold for long, as a quick shot set JCSU up at the Virginia State 4. Two plays later, junior running back Avante George punched in the short touchdown. Virginia State answered back quickly with a short field goal to end the quarter, and JCSU took a tenuous 21-17 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Despite both defenses appearing to be on the ropes, the fourth quarter saw both teams fall into a “bend but don’t break” mentality. Both offenses made some big plays, but neither side capitalized. With time running down, Virginia State got the ball back for the climactic drive of the game.
After several big throws to get into the red zone, everything came down to a potential fourth-down conversion. But as Williams let go of the ball, JCSU senior linebacker Jack Smith read the route perfectly and snagged the game-ending interception.
“I just pulled something out of my bag of tricks,” Smith said after the game. “I saw that they were trying to push the running back, so I just decided to sit there and wait for the throw.”
The nail-biting finish was the Golden Bulls’ closest of the season. In his post-game news conference, Flowers gave credit to Virginia State and head coach Henry Frazier.
“I just want to give an extreme congratulations to Dr. Henry Frazier and his Virginia State team,” Flowers said. “Coach Frazier is an outstanding head coach; he’s been a winner everywhere he’s went, so to beat a Henry Frazier-coached team is an accomplishment.”
Flowers also touched on the expectations that come with being undefeated, and how he conveys that to his team.
“There’s a lot of expectations,” Flowers said. “We’re going to talk about it because we feel like that’s the best way to deal with them. You know, we’re a veteran team, so we have to handle them. Would you rather be 1-4 and have nothing to deal with? We came here to change a program around, and to compete for championships, and really this is what comes with it.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2024 at 6:13 PM.