JC Smith football trounces rival, dominates in homecoming rout
Isaiah Perry kept running, and once he’d broken free, his Johnson C. Smith football teammates were following him all the way into the end zone.
The Golden Bulls’ 69-13 victory Saturday in their homecoming game was iced late in the first half, as their redshirt freshman wideout pulled off a 100-yard touchdown on a kickoff return. Immediately following Bluefield State’s only touchdown, the historically Black university near uptown Charlotte had seen its Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival as close as it would come.
Perry’s runback tied a record set in 1978 for the longest kick return for a touchdown in JCSU program history, and the Charlotte school’s 56-point win represents its largest margin of victory.
“As a Charlottean, as an alumnus of Johnson C. Smith, I’m glad to get to this time: The clock has hit zero, and I can really enjoy homecoming,” Golden Bulls head coach Maurice Flowers said. “The alums are so happy to see the product that we’re putting on the field. Pettis Norman‘s widow was here. She came to watch some of our warmups and practice (Friday). You just don’t know what that means to alumni for her to be here.
“To know that we are building the things that he was all about just warms my heart. It feels great to have a win for homecoming. ... They were glad to see Coach smile.”
JC Smith, driven by a strong offensive start, went on to score 48 unanswered points after Perry’s return. The home team limited chances from its conference foe throughout Saturday afternoon’s game — and the campus was packed with thousands of alumni returning to Biddleville.
Quarterback Kelvin Durham recorded his best performance since transferring in from Fort Valley State, where Flowers previously coached. The Homestead, Florida, native threw four touchdown passes, tying the school’s second-most in a single game.
Early offense powers JC Smith
The Golden Bulls (4-1, 1-1 CIAA) built their advantage during the opening half.
While they were ahead of their opponent early, Bluefield State’s (1-3, 0-1 CIAA) offense wasn’t dormant. A pair of first-half field goals got the Big Blue on the board — but it proved difficult to slow JC Smith’s potent attack.
Trenton Lodge, the Golden Bulls’ redshirt freshman running back from Columbia, S.C., dashed into the end zone from 23 yards out on JC Smith’s first possession.
Durham connected with senior wide receiver Deandre Proctor, an eastern North Carolina native, for a 44-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter.
Avante George punched it in from short yardage to cap the Golden Bulls’ next scoring drive, giving them a 21-6 lead.
J.C. Smith’s offense didn’t take the field immediately after the Big Blue pulled closer on a 34-yard touchdown grab.
Perry’s record-setting kick return gave the Golden Bulls a commanding lead, and they only added to it before halftime. Redshirt freshman running back Bobby Smith was the recipient of a 12-yard touchdown pass from Durham, lifting J.C. Smith to a dominant 35-13 lead at the break.
“My older guys, they drive me so much,” said Smith, who beat out George and Kamarro Edmonds in training camp to become the starter. “Those two have helped me be very productive. They’ve taught me a lot since I’ve been here, and I appreciate them.”
Offensive outburst for the Golden Bulls on Homecoming
Durham heaved a 55-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Brian Lane early in the second half.
Smith rushed home another score during the third quarter, and the Golden Bulls only padded their insurmountable lead. Durham and Perry connected for a 39-yard touchdown pass, and Smith’s third touchdown of the afternoon made it 62-13 before the final period.
“Isaiah Perry, his nickname is ‘Zip,’ ” Flowers said. “We played Valdosta State here, and Zip had a very good return. It was called back for a hold or something on us, but he was run down at about the 10-yard line. ... That next week in practice, he ran it, and finished it and scored. A lot of coaches didn’t see that. He put in extra work from that week on, and he’s been doing it ever since.
“Zip is his nickname for a reason — he’s very fast and took it personal that he got run down — and that’s what we want to build in our young men.”
Andrew Attmore II — named a N.C. football player of the week by The Charlotte Observer while starring at Dudley in Greensboro — entered behind center for J.C. Smith during the fourth quarter.
A three-play touchdown drive, including a 25-yard strike to Hickory native Dontae Baker, made it a 69-13 lead for J.C. Smith.
Notable
- Durham threw four touchdown passes, tying for second all-time in a single game in school history (Four threw for five TDs: Andrew Alexander in 2014, Keahn Wallace in 2011, Carl Richardson in 2008 and Elroy Duncan in 1970).
- Perry’s 100-yard return ties Ervin Costner for the longest kick return in school history, Costner’s coming 47 years ago against South Carolina State.
- The Golden Bulls improve to 5-7-2 against Bluefield, their third consecutive victory in the series.
What’s next for Johnson C. Smith?
The Golden Bulls will be on the road for their next two matchups. They meet Virginia State at 2 p.m. Saturday in Petersburg, and following their bye week, will face Shaw on Oct. 18 in Raleigh. J.C. Smith’s next home game is Oct. 25, set for 1 p.m. against Winston-Salem State at Irwin Belk Complex.
This story was originally published September 27, 2025 at 5:03 PM.
