With a windy and rainy Saturday trip in the forecast, Johnson C. Smith felt ground travel was their best bet at Lincoln.
That turned out to be the right choice as the Golden Bulls rushed for 201 yards and held on the ball for an astonishing 42 minutes and 42 seconds to hold off the Lions (1-3, 0-2 CIAA) 27-20, improving to 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in CIAA play.
JCSU took advantage of early mistakes by Lincoln, starting with a punt that traveled only 20 yards and led to a 32-yard field goal by freshman kicker Alejandro Morrilon-Garcia. Safety Tynan Tucker intercepted Isaiah Freeman’s pass to the right sideline on Lincoln’s next possession, giving JCSU another short field.
The Golden Bulls almost lost possession when a snap from the one-yard line didn’t reach quarterback Robert Adams, but he alertly dove on the ball in the end zone to give Johnson C. Smith a 10-0 lead after one quarter of play.
The second quarter was all Lincoln as fullback Elijah Snell pushed his way in from five yards out to give LU their first touchdown, and just before halftime, Freeman linked up with Eli Riddick on a 65-yard touchdown pass for a 14-10 Lion advantage at the half.
Smith came out in the second half determined to control the clock, and that led to running touchdowns from Shydem McCullough (one yard) and Jacob Freeman (23 yards) to open a 24-14 JCSU lead with 13 minutes to go in the 4th quarter.
Freeman and Riddick connected one more time from 17 yards away to pull Lincoln within four (24-20), but the Golden Bulls continued their patient running attack, with a critical five-yard run on fourth down and four to go by Adams to buy more time. Morrilon-Garcia made a 35-yard field goal with 1:40 to go for a 27-20 JCSU lead, and the defense stopped Lincoln short of midfield on their final drive to preserve the win.
Jacob Newman led the Golden Bull rush with 17 carries and 102 yards, while Adams ran for 47 and completed 14 of 27 passes for 127 yards. Isaiah Freeman completed 9 of 19 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, both to Riddick. Lincoln hosts Winston-Salem State next Saturday, while Johnson C. Smith faces Elizabeth City State at ECSU.
