The CIAA champion Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls overcame early struggles on the road against the Winston-Salem State Rams, coming away with a 31-6 victory in their conference opener.
This marks the fourth straight win for Johnson C. Smith against Winston-Salem State, its longest such streak over the Rams since 1976.
Golden Bulls’ running back Fabian Duncan continued his remarkable start to the season with a third straight 100-yard rushing performance, finishing with 164 yards on 22 attempts and a touchdown.
Entering the day ranking ninth in the country in rushing, Duncan is now averaging 151.0 yards per game, having compiled five rushing touchdowns.
Wide receiver Brian Lane accounted for 101 of the Golden Bulls’ 211 receiving yards, scoring each of the team’s two receiving touchdowns.
After being shut out in their first two contests, the Rams finally got themselves on the scoreboard thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by Jayvion Danzy late in the fourth quarter.
However, the road to get there was a bumpy one, with missed opportunities plaguing the Rams throughout.
The biggest came after Duncan scored on a 17-yard scamper to give Johnson C. Smith a 17-0 lead in the third quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, the Golden Bulls pooched it, racing downfield to fall on it as the Rams did not react to the ball, getting it back on offense in plus territory.
While JCSU would go on to turn the ball over, the Rams were forced to punt on the following offensive possession, leading to a 70-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage that pushed the lead to 24-0.
The Rams were unable to recover from there, as after they scored their first touchdown, the Golden Bulls responded with a final rushing touchdown (this time by Christian Rutledge) to further cement the win.
Johnson C. Smith’s path to back-to-back CIAA titles will get its biggest test of the season next week when it returns home for a matchup against Fayetteville State.
