Homecoming romp: JC Smith blasts Bluefield State 69-13

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith running back Bobby Smith ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries as well as this 14-yard reception in the Golden Bulls' 69-13 win against Bluefield State Sept. 27, 2025 at Eddie McGirt Field.

Johnson C. Smith used homecoming to reclaim what works best.

The Golden Bulls recovered from a 28-10 loss at Virginia Union by mauling Bluefield State 69-13 Saturday at McGirt Field with historic results on several levels. The 56-point margin of victory was the largest since 1964 when JCSU beat Livingstone 83-7. Even the announced attendance – 7,833 – set a new on-campus standard. 

“We wanted to focus on just coming out and just playing our type of football,” coach Maurice Flowers said. “What we know that we did not do last week was play good ball, play after play after play. So, the focus was really to come out and show who we are and what we are, what we say we are, who we think we are, as far as being a disciplined team and a team that can sustain drives, a team that can respond to adversity. I think we did it today, very pleased with our young men, very pleased with the performance.”

The Golden Bulls (4-1, 1-1 CIAA) set the tone early behind quarterback Kelvin Durham, who completed 18-of-22 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns and a ground attack that bludgeoned Big Blue for 220 yards and four scores. The special teams were involved, too, with Isaiah Perry equaling the program mark for longest kick return (100 yards) and a 39-yard touchdown catch for good measure. JCSU also limited the mistakes that doomed them against Virginia Union with six penalties for 55 yards. 

“We all just do our job,” said tailback Bobby Smith, who ran for 91 yards and a couple of touchdowns on 15 carries in addition to a 14-yard scoring reception. “We actually talk about 1-11 – everybody do their one [of] 11, so we all play a part.”

Defensively, JCSU limited Bluefield State to 252 yards, including 42 on the ground, and tallied a season-high five sacks. Big Blue managed some early offensive success to climb within 14-6 early in the second quarter on a pair of Danny Dales field goals, but the Golden Bulls clamped down for the remainder. Quentin Williams, Steny Joseph and Vincent Hill each tallied five tackles.

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Isaiah Perry (10) tied the JCSU record for longest kick return with a 100-yard touchdown in the Golden Bulls' 69-13 win against Bluefield State. Perry also scored on a 39-yard pass reception from Kelvin Durham.

Ultimately, a dominant outing gave JCSU a chance to reset between falling flat at Virginia Union and ahead of a critical test at Virginia State in a high-stakes CIAA clash. The Golden Bulls have momentum and motivation to stay in contention for a spot in the conference title game.

“I’ve said since training camp that this is probably the most talented roster that we've had since we’ve been at JCSU, and it’s we’ve got a lot of guys that can play,” Flowers said, “and what you saw today was really what we’ve been saying all along. … No Brevin Caldwell, All-American wide receiver; no Lamone Hill, All-CIAA defensive end. We have a lot of different guys that can make plays, and that’s really some of the get after them a little bit this week, because how can a team with all of his talent go put up 10 points last week?”

This article corrects the final score of the 1964 J.C. Smith-Livingstone game.

Comments