CHARLOTTE – It was all smiles for the Johnson C. Smith University football program as the Golden Bulls topped the Bears of Shaw University 22-18 in a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association contest Saturday afternoon at Irwin Belk Complex.
JCSU now stands 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the CIAA while Shaw drops to 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the league.
The Golden Bulls put together 325 yards of total offense, including 66 on the ground and 259 through the air. Tyrell Jackson connected on 20-of-41 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown.
Tyreik Leach was a workhorse in the Golden Bulls attack, gaining a game-high 44 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.
Shaw struck in the first quarter when Sidney Gibbs ran in for a four-yard touchdown run, but the PAT was no good. The Golden Bulls’ ensuing possession turned into a Shaw 35-yard interception as the Bears led 13-0 in the first quarter.
Leach got the Golden Bulls on the board with a one-yard run late in the first and then scampered in for a nine-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Jay Haggins connected for a 27-yard field goal to give JCSU a 16-13 lead.
Before halftime, the Bears kicked a 36-yard field goal to tie the score at 16 all as both teams went in the locker room.
Neither team scored on the offensive side of the ball in the second stanza but the Bears went up two on a team safety from JCSU, leading 18-16.
With 6:36 remaining in the fourth quarter, Jackson’s pass was tipped in the endzone and landed in the hands of Jaron Hull as the Golden Bulls won 22-18.
Courtesy: Johnson C. Smith
