Johnson C. Smith football set a school record for wins and punched its ticket to the CIAA Championship Game on Saturday, outlasting long-time rival Livingstone 26-21 in the Commemorative Classic at Irwin Belk Complex. The victory marked another milestone in one of the best turnarounds anywhere in college football — and earned the Golden Bulls this week’s NC Football News Team of the Week honor.
With the win, JCSU improved to 9-1, the best record in North Carolina college football, and secured its first championship-game appearance since 1972. The Golden Bulls’ only CIAA title came way back in 1969, but they’ll get a chance to change that this Saturday when they face defending champion Virginia Union in Durham at 3 p.m. in the latest CIAA title game.
Join us at Durham County Stadium for the 2025 CIAA Football Championship!
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👉 https://t.co/1nOJQCShK1 pic.twitter.com/nHNM1JgEVV— JCSU Athletics (@JCSUSports) November 10, 2025
Running back Bobby Smith powered the offense again, rushing for 164 yards and an eight-yard touchdown in the regular season finale. JCSU’s defense set the tone, recording 10 tackles for loss and limiting Livingstone’s all-conference defensive end Kenyon Garner to just one. Vincent Hill notched three TFLs and Quentin Williams added two sacks as the Bulls’ front seven sealed the win.
Under head coach Maurice Flowers, the Golden Bulls have built steadily “brick by brick” as they like to say — from 2-7 in his first season in 2022 to 9-1 today. Saturday’s victory wasn’t just another step forward; it was the breakthrough a generation of JCSU fans has waited more than five decades to see.
🚨RELATED: Winston-Salem State coach Robert Massey has resigned after six seasons with the program.
⚡ Team of the Week: Honorable Mention
- Davidson – Stunned nationally ranked Presbyterian 14-13 for its first FCS win of the season. The Blue Hose had been 8-1, while Davidson was 1-8. Dominic Njoku clinched it with an interception with 2:13 left.
- Wake Forest – Beat No. 14 Virginia 16-9 to shake up the ACC race and reach bowl eligibility in Jake Dickert’s first year as head coach. The Deacs join NC State as the only teams to fell Wahoos thus far.
- Mars Hill – Amassed 683 yards of offense in a 60-19 rout of UVA Wise. QB J.R. Martin threw for 334 yards and ran for 122, while kicker Lon Teachey scored 16 points.
- Elizabeth City State – Capped its season with a 70–30 Homecoming blowout of Bluefield State. Traquan Johnson rushed for 173 yards and five touchdowns, while Shamar Sutton opened the game with a 100-yard kickoff return. Vikings finished strong with three wins in a row.
🏆 View past Team of the Week winners plus weekly player awards at our NC College Football Awards Hub page.
🏈 NC College Football Game-Day Threads From Nov. 8: FBS | FCS | D2 | D3
