Bull-ieve it: JC Smith shakes up the CIAA football order

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith running back Quavaris Crouch celebrates after scoring on a 20-yard reception in the Golden Bulls' 21-16 win Saturday at McGirt Field. The Golden Bulls improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1982.

No one’s doubting Johnson C. Smith football now.

The Golden Bulls cemented their spot as a serious contender for the CIAA title Saturday with a 21-16 win against Virginia Union at McGirt Field that improved their record to 4-0 for the first time since 1982. Smith dominated on both sides of the ball, outgaining Virginia Union 400 yards to 188, including a 19-play, 99-yard touchdown march in the third quarter that soaked up 9 minutes, 10 seconds.

That drive, capped by Quavaris Crouch’s a 1-yard touchdown plunge – his third of the game – defined the Golden Bulls as the more physical and consistent team.

“I’m not even going to try to downplay it,” Golden Bulls coach Maurice Flowers said. “It’s a big win because we’ve been working to change the program, working to build and be considered one of the better teams in the CIAA, but you can’t be considered one of the better teams until you beat one of the better teams.”

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith linebacker Jack Smith bears down on Virginia Union running back Jada Byers in the Golden Bulls' 21-16 win on Sept. 21 at McGirt Field. JCSU limited Byers, the Panthers' All-America tailback, to 47 yards and a pair of scores on 19 carries.

JCSU did that with room to spare. The Golden Bulls, who have yet to trail this season, ran to soften Virginia Union (1-2), then unleashed an efficient passing attack to keep the Panthers guessing. Quarterback Darius Ocean (Hough High) hit 17-of-28 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown to Crouch for his first collegiate scoring catch. Brevin Caldwell went over 100 yards for the third straight game with 140 on nine catches.

“It’s a pretty big win, but it’s just the beginning to our season,” Ocean said. “We’ve played only four games, so we’ve got to keep going throughout the whole year. One game [doesn’t] define us at the end of the day.”

There were many standouts for Smith, but none bigger than the defense, which limited Byers to 47 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 19 carries. Defensive end Jalen Alexander, a South Mecklenburg High graduate, had his best game as a collegian with 6.5 tackles, including a pair of sacks to go with 3.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker Benari Black (West Charlotte) added 5.5 stops.

“Virginia Union’s a bully,” Flowers said. “They’re a bully on defense – we were No. 1 (in 2023), but they were right there at No. 2. That [nose tackle Isaac Anderson] is an NFL prospect, he’s a monster, but they’ve got a bunch of other good D-linemen. And they’re bullies on offense. [All-America running back] Jada Byers – it’s not like they’re throwing him a bunch of swing passes – that joker runs between the tackles. They play what we call bully ball. We like to play physical also. We knew we weren’t going to be pushed around at our home.”

Said Black: “There’s a target on our back, so each day we’re going in and working hard in practice because we know we don’t play our best in the game. It starts in practice, so we treat practice like a game going against this good offense we’ve got.”

Virginia Union cut Smith’s advantage to five points on Byers’ 3-yard run with 5:21 left and moved to the Golden Bulls’ 28 before three straight incompletions forced a change of possession on downs. With a program-defining win in their pocket, it’s a step in the right direction going to Bluefield (W.Va.) State next week for the Big Blue’s homecoming.

“That’s been our focus – play championship moments better,” Flowers said. “It feels good, but like I told the team, they don’t give away rings for championships in September, so we’ve got some more work to do.”

Said Black: “We’ve got good momentum going right now. We celebrate tonight, then we’re back at it.”

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