National playoff goal is still in sight for JC Smith football

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Quavaris Crouch runs through a hole in the Virginia Union defense in Johnson C. Smith’s 21-16 win on Sept. 21. The victory was one of six wins for JCSU in seven games against teams with winning records, which positions them for a possible Division II playoff berth.

Johnson C. Smith is still in contention for a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The Golden Bulls (8-2, 5-2 CIAA), ranked seventh in Super Region 2 – the final postseason tournament spot – can still make the 28-team field if top-ranked Valdosta State beats No. 8 West Florida Saturday in Valdosta, Georgia. Although JCSU isn’t in the CIAA title game, they swept 7-3 Virginia Union and Virginia State, who are in the conference showcase.

The Golden Bulls went 6-1 against plus-.500 squads, two wins better than VUU and VSU combined, which improves JCSU’s case for a postseason berth. Winston-Salem, the No. 10 team in the region, has three wins against opponents with plus-.500 records, the same as VUU.

Strength of schedule goes a long way with the Division II selection committee in determining who makes the playoffs, and this week’s regional rankings hold, JCSU would play at No. 2 Wingate of the South Atlantic Conference.

“There’s no confusion with the NCAA,” Golden Bulls coach Maurice Flowers said. “They hold high strength of schedule, which is beating teams that have .500 or better records. They hold high that and head-to-head.”

The key game for JCSU, which has never advanced to the NCAA playoffs, is Valdosta State-West Florida. The Blazers are playing to maintain a first-round bye and second round home date while the 7-2 Argonauts need a win to bump their way into the top seven.

“That’s the game that we have to really keep an eye on,” Flowers said, “because West Florida, they’re 7-2, but they have a number of quality wins of teams over .500. …The game is in Valdosta, so Valdosta, it’s not like they’re going to rest their starters, because what everybody wants in the super region is the bye.”

Although JCSU ended the regular season with consecutive losses to Fayetteville State and Livingstone, getting off to an unprecedented 8-0 start has them in position to make the postseason for the first time. It was one of the goals for 2024, along with eclipsing last year’s seven-win campaign.

“This is uncharted territory for Johnson C. Smith university and for the city of Charlotte too, because you look at this is the first time we’ve really had to go through this,” Flowers said. But it goes with our overall goals. When I took the job in ‘22, yes, winning the CIAA championship was part of it. But we want to be a player in Division II football, and the way you do that is qualify for the playoffs.”

That means there’s a reason to practice this week – not for a shot at the CIAA crown but perhaps a spot in the playoffs. One thing the Golden Bulls need to work on is returning to the formula that landed them in the national rankings for the first time in school history. Another is playing with intensity regardless of opponent.

“You go from a high of being 8-0 and then you lose to a team that has a losing record but is a respected team in Fayetteville State, then you lose to your rival, who you’re favored to win against,” Flowers said. “What it really shows is a lack of [appreciation for] unfamiliar territory, because what we easily see with our football team is that we played down to the competition. How can you have five wins that are considered strength of schedule wins?

“You have some of the highest wins against teams over .500 in the region, not the CIAA but … Super Region 2. You pretty much are at the top in strength of schedule in wins against teams over .500 but you don’t get up for everyone. That’s something to be addressed.”

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