Coming out of Ardrey Kell High School, Brevin Caldwell was reluctant to consider playing football at nearby Johnson C. Smith University.
He didn’t want to be at a place where expectations were set low and contending in conference races wasn’t the norm.
But then he listened to new coach Maurice Flowers lay out his vision for the Golden Bulls program. Flowers got his attention.
“He had a plan and set the foundation,” Caldwell said in a recent news conference.
Flash forward three seasons. Caldwell took the plunge for Johnson C. Smith and has emerged as the top receiver in the CIAA. The Golden Bulls own a 7-0 record, a national ranking in the Division II top 25 and are having their best season since the 1969 team won the school’s last conference title.
“The expectations are just really high (now). It’s kind of funny to say that, because three years ago, they weren’t that high,” Caldwell said. “The fact that we’ve pushed the expectations down the field that far speaks toward what we’re going for. It feels good, but I’m not saying we’re satisfied. The job is not finished.”
This Saturday Johnson C. Smith will meet one of the traditional powers in the CIAA, Winston-Salem State (6-2, 4-1 CIAA). On the Rams’ home turf — a place a Golden Bulls team hasn’t won since the 1970s.
On paper, Johnson C. Smith will be the favorite this time. But don’t tell Winston-Salem State that. The Rams have collected 12 CIAA titles in football since JCSU last claimed one, including trophies in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016.
WSSU has been through some lean years since the last championship and came into this season intent on reclaiming their spot on the top of the league. Though Winston-Salem State suffered a 31-13 setback against Virginia Union a few weeks ago, the Rams can still reach the CIAA title game. But they must win out, starting by unseating the undefeated team at the top of the standings.
“We’re built for this. We’re experienced and we’re ready for it,” WSSU coach Robert Massey said earlier this week.
From the beginning, Flowers, a Johnson C. Smith alumnus, laid the foundation for his squad around stern defense. The Golden Bulls had one of the top stopping units in all of D2 last season and have continued to wreak havoc.
They’re tops in the CIAA in scoring defense, allowing a mere 11.7 points per game. They also lead the conference in total defense, by a wide margin, giving up 246.3 yards per contest. The next closest team, Virginia Union, surrenders 280.
It’s tough to run against Johnson C. Smith. The Bulls are the only CIAA team keeping opponents under 100 yards rushing per game, allowing just 80.4 and surrendering just five rushing TDs through seven games.
Linebacker Benari Black averages a CIAA-best 11.3 tackles per game. He’s tied for second in tackles-for-loss (11.5). Jack Smith adds another 7.7 tackles per game, fifth best in the conference.
But Johnson C. Smith has added some serious offensive punch this season, one of the big steps forward the program has made from 2023 to 2024. The Bulls rank second in the CIAA in scoring (30.7 ppg), first in passing (254.4 yards per game) and second in total offense (408 ypg).
Quarterback Darius Ocean has completed 60 percent of his throws for 1,703 yards and 14 touchdowns. Caldwell has been one of his most dependable targets. He tops the CIAA leaderboard in receiving yards (833) — the next closest receiver is more than 350 yards behind. Caldwell’s eight touchdown receptions is tied for the league lead with Shaw’s Ah’shaan Belcher.
But Winston-Salem State isn’t exactly shabby on either side of the ball either. The Rams rank fourth in the CIAA in rushing offense (163.1 ypg), fifth in total offense (341.1 ypg) and sixth in scoring offense (24.3 ppg).
Trevon Hester trails only Virginia Union standout Jada Byers in rushing yards. Hester averages 5.5 yards per carry and will enter Saturday with 725 yards on the ground with five TDs. Quarterback Daylin Lee has completed 113 passes for 1,413 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Winston-Salem State ranks fourth in the conference in scoring defense (16.6 ppg) and fourth in total defense (291.8 ypg). Justin Fleming always seems to make something happen in the Rams favor and has picked off three passes, taking one back for a touchdown. Fleming also has 40 solo tackles and averages 7.4 stops per contest.
The Rams have a substantial edge in one important intangible — history. WSSU has won 20 of the last 21 meetings dating back to 1998 and have only lost to their Charlotte rival four times since 1976.
According to HBCU Gameday, Winston-Salem State has not lost to JCSU at Bowman Gray Stadium since 1975. The Rams are hoping to pack the stands with plenty of red and black this Saturday to keep that streak going.
“We are needing at least 10,000 people in the stands,” April Reid, Associate Athletics Director for Operations and Equipment, told HBCU Gameday.
Johnson C. Smith does have active bragging rights, however, having beaten the Rams in Charlotte 35-31 last season. Tim Newman Jr. scored the clinching points with 2:07 left on a two-yard run, capping a 19-play drive that ate up 9:27 in the fourth quarter.
Expect tensions to be high and excitement at a fever pitch when the two rival squads clash on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is 1 p.m. The contest will be televised by HBCUGo.
“Winston-Salem is everybody’s rival game. But we may not be everybody’s rival,” Massey said. “That sounds bad but I am just being honest. That’s because when you win a lot and you’ve got these championships … folks tend to use you as the poster boy. Guys that haven’t won in years and years and they celebrate like this is their home field.”
With three weeks left in the regular season, the CIAA race has essentially come down to four teams — the Golden Bulls and Rams, as well as Virginia Union and Virginia State. The top two teams in the standings will play in Salem, Va. on Nov. 16 for the crown. This Saturday’s meeting likely is an elimination game for the loser.
Johnson C. Smith hasn’t been to the top of the mountain in a long time. Winston-Salem State’s title drought of eight years likely feels that forever for a program used to contending for championships on a yearly basis.
“There is pressure, pressure for us to do what we were brought here to do, and that’s to compete and win football games,” Massey said. “I think the guys understand that, the coaches understand that. We look forward to the support from the Ram family.”
