WINSTON-SALEM — Many of the fans in attendance at Johnson C. Smith’s 24-15 triumph over Winston-Salem State on Saturday weren’t alive the last time a Golden Bulls football team won a game at Bowman Gray Stadium.
The Bulls finally extinguished a losing streak dating back to 1975, using dominating defense to — at long last — quiet the rival Rams on their home turf.
A season for the history books keeps getting better for JCSU. The Bulls improved to 8-0 for the first time in school history and lifted its CIAA record to 5-0 with two games left in the regular season.
It wasn’t the prettiest of games at times for coach Maurice Flowers’ squad. Johnson C. Smith misfired on a short-range field goal in the opening half and gave up a pick-six in the second. They only converted one of three fourth-down plays and were just six-of-16 on third down.
But the game never felt in doubt either. Winston-Salem State spent much of the first half pinned deep in its own end of the field and never got untracked. The Rams punted 10 games during the game, earned just six first downs (to JCSU’s 24) and managed a mere 39 yards rushing.
Kamarr Edmonds scored touchdowns in each half for the victors, the first on a 6-yard run and the other on a 27-yard pass from Darius Ocean. Edmonds finished with 102 rushing yards and another 40 in receptions. Quavaris Crouch added the other JCSU touchdown on a 2-yard run early in the fourth period. Jacob Meneses finished the opening half with a 27-yard field goal to put the Bulls up 10-0.
Narique Smith gave Winston-Salem life with a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown with 5:08 left in the third period. But the Rams couldn’t mount another serious drive until the final minutes when they tacked on a garbage touchdown on a Daylin Lee-to-Kaleb Washington 3-yard reception.
Johnson C. Smith outgained the home team 412-155. Ocean finished 23-of-38 for 262 yards. He found Brevin Caldwell 11 times for 127 yards in receptions.
WSSU punter Devin Versteegen provided many of his team’s statistical highlights during a busy afternoon. He booted one punt early in the game 72 yards and finished with a 50.2 yards-per-punt average. Seven of his boots covered at least 50 yards.
Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union seem on a collision course for the CIAA title. Both teams own 5-0 conference records after Saturday. The Golden Bulls beat VUU in September, but that game did not count against the Panthers’ league record (though JCSU did get a win added to its CIAA tally from that contest).
Johnson C. Smith just has to take care of business the next two weeks to assure its spot in Salem, Va. on Nov. 16. The Bulls will host Fayetteville State next Saturday and then will travel to Livingstone (idle today) on Nov. 9.
Winston-Salem State (6-3, 4-2), meanwhile, will be on a bye next weekend before closing out the season against Fayetteville State.
