The next football hurdle is Johnson C Smith’s highest

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith quarterback Kelvin Durham looks downfield in the Golden Bulls’ 52-27 win against Winston-Salem State in a CIAA game Oct. 25, 2025 at Eddie McGirt Field in Charlotte. Durham completed 22-of-30 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns while running for 74 yards and two scores on six carries for JCSU (7-1, 4-1 CIAA).

High-stakes football isn’t novel at Johnson C. Smith.

The Golden Bulls are again in position to seize a spot in the CIAA title game by winning their final two games. So are the terms: beat Fayetteville State Saturday and Livingstone to close the season, neither of which they accomplished last year. JCSU has lost eight straight to FSU, including the last three under coach Maurice Flowers.

“It’s a hurdle for us,” he said. … “Our team knows, our players know, our coaches know, our (athletics director) knows. I believe the birds flying by know that we’re 0-3 against Fayetteville State. We have our work cut out for us going to Fayetteville State, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Smith did its part to force Saturday’s winner-takes-all clash at Fayetteville State by crushing Winston-Salem State 52-27. The Golden Bulls (7-1, 4-1 CIAA) trail FSU (5-3, 5-0) and Virginia Union (7-1, 5-0) by a game for the championship round but are riding momentum with three 50-point outbursts in four games. That urgency has them in position to make another historic leap.

“We know what’s at stake for us right now and in order to get to the postseason, you have to take care of business in front of us right now,” said quarterback Kelvin Durham, who topped 300 yards passing (22-of-30, 351 yards, 3 TDs) for the first time as a Golden Bull. “We take practice very seriously; we compete well against our defense. I commend those guys coming every day, even the scout team guys giving us a look and just competing, having fun in practice, and it shows on Saturdays.”

JCSU, No. 19 in the national Division II coaches’ and media polls, started hot against WSSU and kept it going to clinch their third straight seven-win campaign, the longest such streak since 1961-64, and equals their victory string against the Rams. Their 25-point margin of victory was the Golden Bulls’ largest since a 56-6 romp in 1975. 

“Our young men have fun,” Flowers said, “and I’m just proud of them that they can see their hard work paying off and we’re looking forward to still being alive.”

In addition to Durham’s performance against WSSU, which included 74 yards rushing and two scores on six carries, JCSU’s receivers had a big day. Biggie Proctor and Brian Lane each caught nine passes for more than 100 yards and combined for three touchdowns between them. JCSU rolled up 526 yards on offense.

“It’s just building connection later in season,” said Proctor, who accounted for a team-high nine catches for 136 and two scores. “That's your strength, everybody’s supposed to come together. It’s the end, so you’ve got to just come closer with each other and we just try to not overthink about the future. Just be where you are. Just take it day by day, play by play, drive by drive.”

Said Durham: “It definitely feels good, but what feels even better is we haven't played our best game on offense yet, so we’re just looking forward to a better game coming in soon.”

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