JCSU survives scare from Virginia State, winning 39-33 in overtime

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Johnson C. Smith’s path to defending its CIAA conference title got a little narrower after a surprising loss to Bowie State last week.

Another conference loss for the Golden Bulls would all but eliminate them from contention.

They looked well on their way to getting back in the win column against Virginia State, taking a 26-13 lead into halftime on Senior Day.

But the Trojans came out firing in the second half. VSU scored touchdowns on both of its first drives in the third quarter to tie the game up at 26-26.

JCSU responded with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Damien Mazil to Reggie Brigman to re-take the lead going into the fourth quarter.

However Virginia State would tie things up once again on a touchdown pass with under five minutes left in the game.

After some turnovers exchanged by both offenses, the Trojans would wind up with a 23-yard field goal attempt to take the lead with 1:25 left on the clock.

The Golden Bulls special teams came up with a huge block that sent the game into overtime.

JCSU’s defense forced a stop on VSU’s first drive, from there Fabian Duncan called game with a 19-yard touchdown run that lifted the Golden Bulls to a 39-33 win over the Trojans.

It’s the first CIAA loss of the season for Virginia State, who came into this contest in second place with a 6-0 conference record.

“(Last week’s loss) was a tough pill to swallow, but it helped us,” head coach Maurice Flowers said. “When you know all of your goals are still in front of you, there’s a lot to play for.”

This high-scoring affair was reflected in the final stat sheet. JCSU rushed for 218 yards on 43 attempts, and finished with 474 total yards of offense.

Former North Meck Viking Fabian Duncan accounted for 216 of those rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns on the ground.

Meanwhile the defense made enough plays to keep VSU off the scoreboard as the Trojans tallied a whopping 614 total yards of offense including 476 passing yards on the day.

“I’m so proud of how they played in the game today,” Flowers said. “There are a lot of teams that would have folded under the pressure that Virginia State was bringing on offense and defense.”

This win now moves JCSU into second place in the CIAA standings. A win against rival Livingstone in next week’s Commemorative Classic would send the Golden Bulls back to the conference championship to defend their title.

“They say the heart of a champion is something you can’t measure,” Flowers said. “That was definitely on display today by these Golden Bulls.”

JCSU and Livingstone will face off on Nov. 7 at 2:00 p.m. at Alumni Memorial Stadium in Salisbury to conclude the regular season.