By james art The Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls took a huge step toward earning a berth in the CIAA Championship game, going on the road to secure a 24-15 victory over the Winston-Salem State Rams.
It was Johnson C. Smith’s first win on Winston-Salem State’s home court in over 50 years.
With the win, the Golden Bulls improve their overall record to 8-0, closing in on the first perfect regular season in school history with two games remaining.
Meanwhile, Winston-Salem State’s record drops to 6-3, effectively eliminating them from CIAA championship contention.
Touchdown Crouch! @jcsufootball 24-7 lead in the 4th quarter against Winston-Salem pic.twitter.com/Ak47L8YXaM
— JCSU Athletics (@JCSUSports) October 26, 2024
Johnson K. Smith Defensive Masterpiece
Despite what the score might indicate, this game wasn’t close as the Johnson C. Smith defense put together its best performance of the season.
They limited Winston-Salem State to a season-low 155 offensive yards, including 39 rushing yards, the Rams’ lowest total in a conference game since 2021.
Through three quarters, the Rams had just 57 yards of offense while recording just three first downs (six total) and converting just 2 of 11 on third downs.
A game-changing turnover helped the Golden Bulls
On an extended first offensive drive for the Golden Bulls, they came up empty-handed after missing a 24-yard field goal.
After two more fumbles, they needed a timely turnover later in the first quarter to score.
Attempting to pass the ball from the shotgun, Rams quarterback Daylin Lee fumbled the ball, which Benary Black returned.
The Golden Bulls turned the turnover into a 6-yard touchdown run by Kamar Edmonds, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
WSSU had so many missed opportunities
As much as Johnson C. Smith’s dominant play was the reason they won this game, Winston-Salem State dealt with numerous missed opportunities.
In the second quarter, after being forced to punt, the Rams forced a fumble on the punt return and returned it to Johnson C. Smith territory.
On the ensuing offensive possession, WSSU was held on a 42-yard field goal attempt that missed, leaving them scoreless.
The Rams also committed ten penalties in the game, many of which took away first downs on offense or pushed the Golden Bulls to a first down.